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Shadows of the '80s Rules

Welcome to Shadows of the '80s, a bone-chilling twist on the Perilous Adventures Warbands Guide (PAWG) where the medieval grit of swords and sorcery gives way to the flickering neon and synth beats of 1985 America—a world that looks like Reagan’s heyday until the shadows peel back to reveal horrors straight out of late-night VHS nightmares. Whether you’re new to tabletop roleplaying or a seasoned survivor, this addendum drops your warband—teens on bikes, burned-out cops, or oddball truth-seekers—into a mid-to-late '80s where monsters stalk the sewers and secrets hum through static, armed with little more than a crowbar and a dwindling grip on sanity. The d100 still rules your fate, but we’ve swapped Mana for Willpower, added Sanity as a fragile shield, and traded longswords for shotguns. With our example characters—Torren, Lira, Eryn, Kael, and Veyra—reimagined for this world, we’ll guide you through the rules with examples and math, plus the lore, geography, and factions of this alternate '80s. No combat blow-by-blow here—just the tools to face the dark. Roll low, keep your flashlight steady, and dive into the neon abyss!

Background and Lore

The Hidden Horror of 1985-1989 America

It’s the mid-to-late 1980s, and on the surface, America’s humming along—MTV blares Madonna and Metallica, malls buzz with legwarmers and mullets, VHS rentals soar with Back to the Future and The Breakfast Club, and the Cold War’s chill fuels Reagan’s Star Wars dreams. Suburbia sprawls with pastel tract homes, Walkmans pump synth-pop, and payphones jangle with quarters. Beneath this glossy veneer, though, the shadows writhe. It started decades back—secret government labs, riffing on MKUltra and DARPA’s wilder edges, poked holes in reality. Maybe it was psychic experiments in sleepy towns like Hollow Creek, Oregon, cracking minds open to something ancient; maybe Soviet psi-weapons punched through from the other side; or perhaps an oil rig off California woke a terror buried since the dinosaurs. By 1985, the cracks spread—monsters slink through drains, cults chant under neon signs, and black vans whisk away the curious. By 1989, it’s worse—Elm Street whispers of dream-stalkers, Santa Carla’s boardwalk hides bloodsuckers, and Arctic outposts melt under alien dread.

This is an alternate '80s where the everyday masks the unspeakable. Your warband—Torren the ex-Marine bouncer, Lira the skate-rat thief, Eryn the conspiracy geek, Kael the psychic burnout, Veyra the mall-cop leader—stumbles into this mess. Inspired by Kolchak’s lone hunts, The X-Files’ paranoia, Stranger Things’ small-town weird, The Thing’s isolation horror, A Nightmare on Elm Street’s dream-terror, and The Lost Boys’ punk vampirism, Shadows of the '80s blends neon nostalgia with primal fear. VHS static hums with wraiths, payphone calls cut to screams, and every mall arcade might hide a portal. Will you uncover the truth, or lose your mind to the shadows?

Rules: Horror in the Neon Age

Shadows of the '80s keeps PAWG’s d100 roll-under core—skills, Margin of Success, brutal fights—but tweaks it for modern horror. Here’s how it shifts from the core rules, with examples using our reimagined warband:

Character Creation: Everyday Survivors

  • Core: 340 points across six attributes (STR, DEX, CON, INT, WIS, CHA, min 10, max 80), 90 skill points, 2 distinctions + species trait—e.g., Torren (STR 70, CON 70, HP 140).
  • Shadows Differences:
  • Attributes: Same 340 points, max 80—modern humans, no boosts—e.g., Torren (STR 80, CON 70, DEX 50, INT 30, WIS 40, CHA 50), HP 180.
  • Skills: 90 points, adapted for '80s—e.g., Lira (DEX 80, Stealth 100).
  • Distinctions: 2 + species trait—e.g., Veyra (CHA 80, Hold the Line: allies +20 to next roll once/fight).
  • No Magic Default: Most skip Spellcasting—Kael’s an exception (WIS 90, INT 70, Spellcasting 100).

Example Shadows Characters

  • Torren (Ex-Marine Bouncer): STR 80, CON 70, HP 180, Melee Weapons 90 (bat), Last Stand (+20 attack/defense below 25% HP).
  • Lira (Skate-Rat Thief): DEX 80, CHA 70, HP 100, Stealth 100, Quick Escape (+20 Stealth to flee).
  • Eryn (Conspiracy Geek): INT 90, WIS 60, HP 90, Knowledge (Occult) 100, Pattern Finder (+20 Investigation once/day).
  • Kael (Psychic Burnout): WIS 90, INT 70, HP 110, Spellcasting 100, Willpower 160, Dark Insight (+20 Spellcasting once/fight).
  • Veyra (Mall-Cop Leader): CHA 80, WIS 70, HP 120, Leadership 100, Hold the Line.

Skill Adjustments

  • New Skills:
  • Knowledge (Occult) (INT): Monster lore—e.g., Eryn rolls 40 (target 100), identifies a Videotape Wraith (Difficulty 40).
  • Craft (Electronics) (INT): Fix tech—e.g., Eryn rolls 30 (target 70), rigs a trap (Difficulty 30).
  • Drive (DEX): Vehicles—e.g., Lira rolls 50 (target 80), outruns a Shade (Difficulty 50).
  • Repurposed:
  • Melee Weapons: Bats, knives—Torren’s bat (12 damage).
  • Ranged Weapons: Guns—Veyra’s .38 Revolver (20 damage).
  • Survival: Urban scavenging—Lira finds a hideout (Difficulty 40).

Gear Adjustments

Gear reflects 1980s grit—scarce, improvised, and tech-limited.

Weapons

  • Pocket Knife: Damage 10, Range 5 ft (thrown 20 ft), Weight 0.5 lb, Cost $5—Lira’s backup.
  • Baseball Bat: Damage 12, Range 5 ft, Weight 2 lbs, Cost $10, +10 to knock prone on crit—Torren’s go-to.
  • Crowbar: Damage 15, Range 5 ft, Weight 3 lbs, Cost $15, +10 Craft (prying)—Veyra’s tool.
  • .38 Revolver: Damage 20, Range 30 ft (-10/30 ft), Weight 2 lbs, Cost $50, 6 shots, reload Standard Action—Veyra’s edge.
  • Shotgun: Damage 25, Range 20 ft (-10/20 ft), Weight 7 lbs, Cost $100, +10 damage within 10 ft, 2 shots—Torren’s boom.

Armor

  • Leather Jacket: DR 5, Weight 5 lbs, Cost $20, no penalties—Lira’s style.
  • Kevlar Vest (rare): DR 15, Weight 10 lbs, Cost $200, -10 Acrobatics—Torren’s find.

Miscellaneous Gear

  • Flashlight: 20 ft light (dim 40 ft), 6-hour battery, Weight 1 lb, Cost $5—Eryn’s lifeline.
  • Walkie-Talkie: 1-mile range, Weight 2 lbs, Cost $30, static near horrors—Veyra’s link.
  • Cassette Recorder: Record clues, Weight 1 lb, Cost $20, tapes $1—Eryn’s evidence.
  • First Aid Kit: +10 Medicine, 3 uses, Weight 2 lbs, Cost $15—Kael’s patch-up.

Occult Practices: No Magic, Just Will

  • Core: Mana (WIS + INT) fuels spells—e.g., Kael’s Healing Touch (15 Mana, 40 HP).
  • Shadows: Willpower (WIS + INT) powers unstable occult abilities—overcasting risks Sanity Loss (1 Fatigue or 1 Sanity per 5 Willpower deficit). Sanity starts at 100—0 is madness.

Sample Occult Abilities

  • Sense Presence (Willpower 5, Difficulty 30): Detect supernatural within 30 ft—Kael rolls 40 (target 70), spots a Wraith.
  • Ward Glyph (Willpower 15, Difficulty 50, 1-minute ritual): 5 ft square, 20 damage—Kael rolls 30 (target 50), Mana to 145.
  • Mind Lash (Willpower 20, Difficulty 60): 25 damage—Kael rolls 40 (target 40), 25 damage, Willpower to 140.

Sanity Mechanic

  • Sanity Points: Start at 100—e.g., Torren 100, Lira 100.
  • Loss: 1-10 per horror (WIS + Resilience, Difficulty 40 halves)—e.g., Torren rolls 40 (target 50), loses 3 Sanity (97). Overcasting: 1 per 5 Willpower—Kael at 5 Willpower casts Lash (20), loses 3 Sanity (97).
  • Effects: 75: -10 WIS rolls; 50: -20 all rolls; 25: 1 Fatigue/encounter; 0: GM takes over—Eryn at 50 rolls Perception 80 - 20 = 60.
  • Recovery: 10/day safe rest; Medicine (Difficulty 50) restores 20—Kael rolls 40 (target 70), heals Lira from 75 to 95.

Geography of Shadows of the '80s

This alternate '80s America spans eerie regions, blending real-world locales with horror from Kolchak, The X-Files, Stranger Things, The Thing, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and The Lost Boys.

Hollow Creek, Oregon (Pacific Northwest)

  • Lore: A sleepy logging town turned eerie since '85—think Stranger Things meets Twin Peaks. Labs in the woods cracked reality, birthing Sewer Stalkers and worse. Kids whisper of missing friends; loggers vanish in misty forests.
  • Environment: Foggy woods, muddy rivers—flashlights dim in supernatural fog (Perception -10).
  • Dangers: Sewer Stalkers in drains, Dream Reapers haunt sleep—Sanity checks (Difficulty 40) after nightmares.
  • Factions: The Hollow Watch (vigilantes) vs. Lab Remnants (scientists hiding truths).
  • Mechanics: Survival (Difficulty 40) to navigate fog; Sanity vs. Dream Reapers—Lira rolls 40 (WIS 50), loses 5 Sanity (95).

Santa Carla, California (Coastal Southwest)

  • Lore: A boardwalk haven gone punk-vampire, echoing The Lost Boys. Bloodsuckers rule the night since '87, luring teens under neon lights—surf’s up, stakes are out.
  • Environment: Salty beaches, crowded piers—neon flickers near vamps (Perception -10).
  • Dangers: Boardwalk Fangs (vampires), Fang Thralls—Drive (Difficulty 50) to escape on bikes.
  • Factions: The Surf Resistance (vamp hunters) vs. The Fang Court (vampire clique).
  • Mechanics: Stealth (Difficulty 40) avoids Thralls—Lira rolls 40 (target 100), slips by; Sanity vs. vamp thrall—Torren loses 3 (97).

Elmwood, Ohio (Midwest Suburbia)

  • Lore: A suburban nightmare like A Nightmare on Elm Street. Since '86, a Dream Stalker slashes through sleep—Elm Street’s kids vanish, parents hush it up.
  • Environment: Quiet streets, dark bedrooms—sleep risks Sanity loss (Difficulty 50 nightly).
  • Dangers: Dream Stalkers, Nightmare Shades—WIS + Resilience vs. dream-death—Kael rolls 40 (target 90), holds Sanity at 100.
  • Factions: The Elmwood Watchers (parents) vs. The Nightmare Seekers (teens fighting back).
  • Mechanics: Endurance (Difficulty 40) to stay awake—Veyra rolls 30 (target 70), resists Fatigue.

Arctic Outpost, Alaska (Far North)

  • Lore: An isolated research station, The Thing’s dread reborn. In '88, a crashed “meteor” unleashed Mimic Beasts—scientists vanished, replaced by horrors.
  • Environment: Icy wastes, howling winds—cold (Endurance Difficulty 40) or Fatigue, tech fails (-10 Craft).
  • Dangers: Mimic Beasts, Frost Shades—Investigation (Difficulty 50) spots mimics—Eryn rolls 40 (target 100), IDs a fake.
  • Factions: The Arctic Survivors (stranded crew) vs. The Infected (mimic hosts).
  • Mechanics: Sanity vs. mimic paranoia—Torren rolls 50 (target 50), loses 6 Sanity (94).

Neon City, Nevada (Desert Urban)

  • Lore: A casino strip masking cults and conspiracies, X-Files meets Kolchak. By '89, Government Shades hunt Videotape Wraiths and cult relics under flashing signs—Vegas gone grim.
  • Environment: Neon-lit streets, desert heat—urban noise (Perception -10), heat (Endurance Difficulty 40).
  • Dangers: Videotape Wraiths, Cult Enforcers—Drive (Difficulty 50) evades Shades—Veyra rolls 40 (target 70), escapes.
  • Factions: The Neon Truthers (conspiracy buffs) vs. The Shadow Agency (gov’t cover-up).
  • Mechanics: Knowledge (Occult) (Difficulty 40) IDs wraiths—Eryn rolls 30 (target 100), knows their weakness.

Factions of Shadows of the '80s

The Hollow Watch

  • Lore: Vigilantes in Hollow Creek—loggers, diner cooks—arming with shotguns to hunt Sewer Stalkers since '85, inspired by Stranger Things’ community grit—Torren fits their mold.
  • Goal: Protect the town, kill monsters—distrust labs.

Lab Remnants

  • Lore: Ex-scientists from Hollow Creek’s breach, X-Files-style—hiding in bunkers, clutching shard-tech—Eryn might crack their secrets.
  • Goal: Reclaim control, silence witnesses.

The Surf Resistance

  • Lore: Santa Carla’s vampire hunters—surfers and punks with stakes—fighting since '87, Lost Boys’ rebels—Lira’s stealth aids their night raids.
  • Goal: End the Fang Court, reclaim the boardwalk.

The Fang Court

  • Lore: Vampire clique ruling Santa Carla—leather-clad punks feeding on tourists—Veyra’s leadership challenges their reign.
  • Goal: Expand their turf, revel in chaos.

The Elmwood Watchers

  • Lore: Parents in Elmwood—Nightmare’s denialists—covering up Dream Stalker deaths since '86—Torren’s force might break their silence.
  • Goal: Keep secrets, protect normalcy.

The Nightmare Seekers

  • Lore: Teens fighting back—Elmwood’s outcasts with knives and coffee—Kael’s occult insight guides them.
  • Goal: Slay the Stalker, survive the night.

The Arctic Survivors

  • Lore: Stranded crew in Alaska—Thing-like holdouts—since '88, paranoid and armed—Torren’s grit matches their fight.
  • Goal: Escape, expose the truth.

The Infected

  • Lore: Mimic-hosts in Alaska—scientists turned monsters—Eryn’s investigation unmasks them.
  • Goal: Spread, consume.

The Neon Truthers

  • Lore: Vegas conspiracy buffs—Kolchak lone wolves with tapes—since '89, chasing wraiths—Eryn’s their brain.
  • Goal: Reveal horrors, topple Shades.

The Shadow Agency

  • Lore: Black-suited enforcers—X-Files’ Men in Black—silencing Truthers—Veyra’s voice defies them.
  • Goal: Bury secrets, control the outbreak.

Additional Foes

Dream Stalker

  • Stats: STR 60, DEX 80, CON 50, HP 110, Melee Weapons 90 (claws, 20 damage), Stealth 80.
  • Trait: Dream Entry (attacks in sleep, WIS + Resilience Difficulty 50 or 20 Sanity loss), Nightmare Slash (crit stuns).
  • Lore: A Nightmare on Elm Street fiend—burned visage, bladed glove—haunting Elmwood since '86, feeding on dream-fear.

Boardwalk Fang

  • Stats: STR 70, DEX 70, CON 60, HP 130, Melee Weapons 80 (bite, 18 damage), DR 5.
  • Trait: Blood Drain (crit heals 20 HP), Charm (CHA + Persuasion Difficulty 40 or ally aids).
  • Lore: Lost Boys punk vampire—Santa Carla’s night king—since '87, luring prey with charisma and fangs.

Mimic Beast

  • Stats: STR 80, DEX 60, CON 70, HP 150, Melee Weapons 80 (tentacles, 20 damage), Deception 90.
  • Trait: Shapechange (mimics humans, Investigation Difficulty 50 detects), Flesh Meld (crit inflicts Sanity loss).
  • Lore: Thing-like horror—Alaska’s '88 terror—shifting forms, eating crew to grow.

That’s Shadows of the '80s in PAWG! Simple dread for newbies, deep horror for pros—roll that d100, face the night, and survive the neon shadows. Tweak with your GM!