The Esoterrorists 2nd Edition - GUMSHOE Investigative Horror RPG

Who This Appeals To

Perfect for game masters and players who want investigative horror where finding clues drives the story forward, not dice rolls. Ideal for fans of occult conspiracy thrillers, secret agencies battling supernatural threats, and modern horror where knowledge is both weapon and curse. Whether you're drawn to forensic investigation, interrogation scenes, or confronting creatures that shouldn't exist, The Esoterrorists delivers focused investigative gameplay without the frustration of missed clues.

Features

• Complete stand-alone GUMSHOE investigative roleplaying system by Robin D. Laws
• Revolutionary clue-finding mechanics that guarantee crucial information discovery
• Fine-grained investigative abilities: Interrogation, Data Retrieval, Forensic Entomology, Bullshit Detector
• 13 crucial action abilities for combat, evasion, and maintaining mental stability
• Comprehensive intelligence on the Esoterrorists and their reality-tearing plots
• Inner workings of the Ordo Veritatis secret international agency
• New creatures of unremitting horror to challenge investigators
• Station Duty campaign frame for ongoing play
• OPERATION: PROPHET BUNCO complete introductory scenario
• Operation Slaughterhouse advanced example scenario
• Detailed instructions for structuring investigative scenarios and improvisation
• Expanded 2nd Edition: 4 times longer than the original with enhanced content

What You'll Experience

You are elite investigators working for the Ordo Veritatis, a covert international agency dedicated to protecting reality itself. Your enemies are the Esoterrorists—a loose affiliation of occult terrorists intent on tearing the fabric of the world by summoning creatures from the Outer Dark into our reality. Each manifestation weakens the membrane between worlds, bringing humanity closer to catastrophic revelation.

The GUMSHOE system revolutionizes investigative play by ensuring you always find the clues you need—the challenge lies in interpreting them correctly and surviving what they reveal. Use Interrogation to break suspects, Data Retrieval to uncover digital trails, Forensic Entomology to read the story told by insects, and your Bullshit Detector to separate truth from deception. When investigation fails and action becomes necessary, your combat and evasion skills determine whether you live to file the after-action report.

Build your investigator with the skills that match your preferred approach: academic researcher, field operative, forensic specialist, or interrogation expert. Face new creatures of horror, navigate the politics of the Ordo Veritatis, and prevent reality-shattering rituals before the Esoterrorists succeed in their apocalyptic agenda.

Related GUMSHOE & Investigative Horror

Explore more GUMSHOE investigative horror: Fear Itself, The Book of Unremitting Horror, The Trail of Cthulhu, and Mutant City Blues.