The supernatural isn’t thriving in the eco-catastrophe of QkSLVa, which itself is a problem. When all was right in the world (or at least in some semblance of normality), the supernatural population of the planet could handle existence like anyone seeking basic needs. Yes, a few innocent parties might have suffered, but they were outliers.

A vampire with a centuries-old estate, dependable servants and access to a village of hapless “cattle” didn’t need to attack people at motorway services.

But when the servants have fled in search of low-risk-moderate-income employment and the villagers have made pilgramage to the local town or city in hope of daycare, dependable food supplies, and access to government benefits, suddenly the vampire has to turn to survival tactics in spite of the increased heat and ultraviolet exposure.

A werewolf whose ancestral territory has become toxic because of the nano-particulate silver in run-off from low-toxicity pesticides of local farm doesn’t have a territory anymore.

A creature starving to death isn’t concerned about maintaining folklore or the decorum built up by any so-called masquerade. Humanity has inadvertently destroyed the arrangements that allowed monsters and humans to coexist without most people ever realising they shared the planet. Hunger prevails; the basic needs of existence must be met.

The “monsters” are not simply evil, they’ve become desperate, by necessity. They are predators deprived of easy prey, or refugees driven from their homelands by poisons anathema to their basic existence. As with quite a few Genre Setups and games I write, QkSLVa offers a shades of grey backdrop where good and evil aren’t available labels. This is my Devotion to the cause of writing games that challenge preconceptions and offer moments where both Characters and Players stop and think before they act because the answers are not easy.

Lifepaths

QkSLVa follows standard Sanction Character Creation process. Determine Resources, covered under Hunger, and then roll or choose your Purpose, Struggle and Influence. Once you have your whole Lifepath laid out, choose three Abilities from the eight available.

Purpose

Purpose is your role within the Squad. You weren’t recruited primarily because you could kill monsters. Your dose of QkSLVa handles that. Your recruited because you know something useful.

d10	Purpose	Abilities
1	Anthropologist — You understand communities, customs and what people do when the rules collapse.	Anthropology, Culture, Interview
2	Biologist — Life remains your speciality, irrespective of whether it should technically still be alive.	Anatomy, Natural History, Science (Biology)
3	Public Affairs — Someone has to explain why half the high street is missing. Preferably before somebody uploads the footage.	Bluff, Influence, Politics
4	Geomorphologist — Landscapes tell stories: flood, erosion, contamination, habitation and flight.	Observation, Science (Geology), Orienteering
5	Physicist — Matter, energy and the inconvenient discovery that folklore sometimes has measurable properties.	Mathematics, Research, Science (Physics)
6	Paramedic — Keep people breathing until somebody finds somewhere safer to die.	Diagnosis, First Aid, Reassurance
7	Psychologist — Fear is rational. Panic isn’t always helpful.	Detect Lies, Motivation, Psychotherapy
8	Logistics — Ammunition, transport, food, serum and evacuation. Heroism runs out quickly without supply.	Driving, Logistics, Organisation
9	Analyst — Someone has to turn fragments, rumours and casualty reports into something actionable.	Evaluation, OSINT, Traffic Analysis
10	Chaplain — The world discovered monsters were real. That generated several theological questions.	Ministration, Perform (Storytelling), Theology

Struggle

Struggle is the event that made your previous life irrelevant. The world is filled with problems, but the decision you made was life-changing—there’s no going back after they dose you up. Something happened that made volunteering for experimental monster-hunting seem reasonable.

d10	Struggle	Abilities
1	Only Survivor — Whatever hit your community left you to identify the bodies.	Fortitude, Forensics, Survival (Urban)
2	Evacuated — Flood, fire or contamination erased home from the map.	Preparedness, Sport (Endurance), Survival (Wild)
3	Taken in the Night — Something dragged away someone you loved. You followed as far as you could.	Hunting, Surveil, Parkour
4	Failed Rescue — You had the training. You had the opportunity. It wasn’t enough.	Sport (Aim or Strength), Leadership, Pilot
5	Corporate Casualty — Somebody knew the risk. Somebody decided acceptable losses included you.	Bureaucracy, Sport (Reaction), Frustrate
6	Contaminated — You survived exposure to something that should have killed you. The medical checks haven’t stopped.	Discipline, Pharmacy, Science (Toxicology)
7	Monster Attack — You saw what everyone else still thought was an internet hoax.	Apprehend, Intimidation, Occult Lore
8	Public Scapegoat — The disaster needed someone to blame. Congratulations.	Perform (Acting), Writing (Headlines), Deception
9	Left Them Behind — There wasn’t room. There wasn’t time. You made the choice.	Impersonate, Navigation, Provoke
10	You Killed It — Before the teams. Before QkSLVa. Somehow, impossibly, you survived and it didn’t.	Keeping (Dog), Demolition, Tactics

Influence

Influence is the ordinary connection or memory that you retain. It’s something that made you who you are. It might seem trivial now, but that’s precisely why it matters—why you cling to it and make it a common subject of conversation.

d10	Influence	Abilities
1	Practical Grandparent — Fix it first. Throw it away when fixing stops working.	Hand Crafting, Mend
2	Science Teacher — Curiosity matters more than knowing the answer.	Scavenging, Science (type)
3	Inspiring Mentor — Stay calm. Check breathing. Then panic.	Persuade, Meditation
4	Park Ranger — You grew up understanding that humans aren’t separate from their environment.	Foraging, Camping
5	Local Historian — Places remember things long after people stop paying attention.	Folklore, History
6	Detective — Coincidence is what people call patterns they haven’t understood yet.	Criminology, SIGINT
7	Gamekeeper — Tracks, habits and territory tell you what’s sharing the landscape.	Trapping, Animal Welfare
8	Investigative Journalist — Somebody benefits from every disaster. Find them.	Street Smart, Photography
9	Conspiracy Podcaster — You were wrong about almost everything. Unfortunately, the monsters were real.	Conspiracy Theory, Puzzling
10	Maker — You don’t need the right equipment if you’re willing to ruin three other valuable items jury-rigging a stand-in.	Devices, Mechanics

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To what have you or your character been devoted? I look forward to reading about it in your RPGaDay post.

#RPGaDAY2026