TEXT: By Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan, Andy Klosky, John Snead, 
  Jay Stratton and Jason Durall
  Based on the ‘Laundry Files’ novels by Charles Stross
  
  1
  Based on the Laundry Files novels by Charles Stross.
  The Laundry Files © 2001-2010 Charles Stross, used under license by Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd.
  All rights reserved.
  The Laundry RPG © 2010 Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd.
  License to Summon © 2012 Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd.
  The Basic Roleplaying System © Chaosium Inc, used under license by Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd.
  Published by Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd, Riverside House, Oxford, OX2 0ES, UK.
  www.cubicle7.co.uk
  Printed in the USA
  Credits
  Writing: Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan, Andy Klosky, John Snead, Jay Stratton, Jason Durall
  Editing: David T Moore
  Layout and Graphic Design: Paul Bourne
  Art Direction: Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan, Jon Hodgson
  Cover Art: Malcolm McClinton
  Interior Art: Pat Loboyko, Rich Longmore, Patrick McEvoy, Sam Manley, Scott Neil, 
  Gordon Napier, Jan Pospíšil
  Proofreader: Dominic McDowall-Thomas
  Line Manager: Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan
  Creative Director: Dominic McDowall-Thomas
  1
  LICENSE TO SUMMON
  Laundry
  LiCense_to_summon
  the
  
  LiCense to summon
  2
  Introduction 
  3
  Chapter One: Computational Demonology 
  4
  Defensive Bindings 
  4
  Destiny Entanglement Geas 
  5
  Entropy Manipulation 
  6
  Exorcism 
  7
  Gates 
  8
  Geas 
  8
  Glamour 
  11
  Prognostication 
  13
  Scrying 
  13
  Sympathetic Magic 
  14
  Summoning 
  14
  Possession 
  15
  Warding 
  17
  Banishment 
  18
  Advanced Traditional Sorcery & Mental Magic 
  19
  Safer Traditional Sorcery 
  19
  Inefficient Spells 
  24
  The Power of Traditional Sorcery 
  26
  Unique Traditional Sorcery Spells 
  26
  Chapter Two: Smartphone +2 of  Shiny 
  30
  The Laundry 
  30
  Direction Centrale de la Securitie Extraordinare 
  (DCRI) - France 
  34
  Geheime  Sicherheitsabteilung (GSA) - Germany 
  35
  National Countersubversive Organization 
  (OCN), Section Five - Spain 
  35
  The Black Chamber - USA 
  36
  Thirteenth Directorate 
  39
  The Nameless Bureau (MSSNB) - China 
  40
  Chapter Three: The Morpheo Section 
  42
  The Dreamworld 
  42
  Section History 
  44
  Executing Dream Operations 
  46
  Combat & Manifesting Technology 
  52
  Waking Up, Recovering Sanity 
  53
  Sleep Disorders 
  54
  Chapter Four: Grimoires 
  57
  Grimoires For Traditional Magic 
  57
  Non-Textual Grimoires 
  58
  Modern Art Grimoires 
  60
  Musical Grimoires 
  61
  Computational Sorcery Grimoires 
  61
  Chapter Five: Psychics 
  64
  How Psychic Abilities Work 
  64
  Psychics as Player Characters 
  65
  Psychic Abilities 
  67
  Thaumaturgical Emergency Procedures 
  74
  Chapter Six: Faustian Research 
  76
  Homo Sapiens Necrosis 
  76
  GENOA FRACTAL (Polyps) 
  79
  NOMENCLATURE PENDING 
  81
  PANDORA WAITING 
  82
  Esoteric Alchemy 
  84
   
  Chapter Seven: Reality Bleeds 
  89
  Thaumic Resonance 
  89
  Resonance Poisoning 
  92
  Chapter Eight: Hostile Magics 
  94
  Encounters & Reports 
  96
  Chapter Nine: CASE GOBLIN WILLOW 101
  1. The Briefing 
  103
  2. Welcome to Quaere 
  103
  3. The Field Office 
  105
  4. Project TRANQUIL 
  108
  5. Project WESTMINISTER 
  111
  6. Optional Horrors 
  113
  7. Moon Farm 
  114
  8. Reality Breach 
  117
  9. Death Spell 
  118
  10. A Funeral 
  118
  Index 
  124
  Contents
  2
  
  3
  James Bond had his license to kill.
  There’s no such thing in the real world, of course. It’s not 
  that the SIS doesn’t carry out the occasional bit of wetwork, 
  but they don’t give their operatives carte blanche to go 
  around shooting people. If Her Majesty’s Government kills 
  you, then rest assured that your death has been discussed 
  in numerous committees, they’ve got ministerial sanction 
  on a case-by-case basis, and that it’s, pardon the pun, a one-
  shot deal. They approve one death, not a blank cheque for 
  multiple murders.
  Laundry employees can get a license to summon. It’s not 
  that hard. Just complete a few basic Health and Safety and 
  Demonology Courses, do the test, complete the very simple 
  practical exam, and you’re certified. Peter-Francis Young 
  has one, for Yog’s sake! It’s less demanding than getting a 
  Microsoft Certified Professional qualification, and just like 
  an MCP, a license to summon allows you to loose mind-
  eating horrors on an unsuspecting world.
  Make no mistake – a License to Kill is really small potatoes 
  compared to a License to Summon. There are things out 
  there in the more unpleasant corners of unreality that are 
  much more dangerous than a Walther PPK. Brain-eating 
  contagions that turn everyone into zombies, alien space 
  gods who want our women, tentacled tyrants who consider 
  us an infestation on their planet, cosmic horrors that slouch 
  towards a premature armageddon...
  No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to curl up into a little ball  and 
  rock back and forth, trying to deny the awful, inescapable 
  truth.
  There’s no such thing as a license to banish, but there really 
  should be. The theorists say that magic is just mathematics 
  from another angle, that witchcraft is derived from half-
  remembered alien superscience, and that the whole thing is 
  morally neutral. Magic’s just a tool. 
  Anyone who’s been in the field knows the truth. Magic is 
  a twisted, malignant thing. It corrodes whatever you define 
  as a human soul. There are secrets man was not meant to 
  know. There are things that should not be.
  Do not call up what you cannot put down. 
  And do your best to put down whatever the other guy called 
  up. 
  How To Use This Book
  License To Summon expands on the magic available to 
  employees of the Laundry. It’s got twists on existing 
  spells, new forms of sorcery, new gadgets, and lots of 
  alarming new powers. Most of these new spells, though, are 
  experimental, restricted and highly dangerous. They don’t 
  hand these formulae out to anyone, just to the field agents 
  who need them. 
  And if you need them, you’re in trouble...
  Recovering lost POW
  Many spells and effects in this book inflict 
  temporary POW damage – having your soul 
  bruised, sucked, sold, folded, spindled or 
  mutilated is par for the course when you work 
  in the Laundry. In general, lost POW returns 
  at the rate of one point every few hours. 
  Assume it takes eight hours to recover one 
  point if you’re exerting yourself or stressed, 
  four hours under most circumstances, and one 
  point every two hours if you’re doing nothing 
  but resting or sleeping.
  introduction
  intRoDuCtion
  3
  Introduction
  
  LiCense to summon
  4
  Once they complete their initial certification, all 
  computational sorcerers employed by the Laundry have 
  learned how to perform all of the standard formulae that 
  have been developed and approved by our thaumaturgical 
  researchers. But simply being familiar with these spells is 
  very different from understanding them, or knowing about 
  the various tricks and variants that are available. Several 
  of these spells have unusual uses and others have minor 
  modifications that can significantly expand the capabilities 
  of the spell. Because many of the variants are either fairly 
  specialised or have significant potential for deliberate – or 
  even accidental – misuse, discussion of and access to these 
  techniques are limited. Only operatives who are being sent 
  on missions that require them, and experienced field agents 
  who have demonstrated a clear understanding of the ways 
  to use computational sorcery in a manner that is both safe 
  and effective, are given access to these techniques. 
  By virtue of the fact that you are reading this document 
  and your heart is still beating within your chest,1 you are 
  someone that the Laundry considers sufficiently skilled and 
  sufficiently careful to have free access to these techniques. 
  However, it is also important to keep in mind that senior 
  personnel have access to even more advanced sorcerous 
  techniques, as do some of our enemies. More than one 
  field operative has lost his life because he based his plans 
  on the belief that the opposition was limited to using the 
  same range of spells and magical techniques as him. We’ve 
  only been using computational sorcery for a little over sixty 
  years. A few of you are unlucky enough to have seen exactly 
  what advanced alien sorcery can do. We’re nowhere close to 
  that, and perhaps that’s a good thing. 
  The following are descriptions of alternative methods 
  and techniques for the various officially sanctioned spells. 
  Please note that use of some of the more sensitive occult 
  software will be logged, and operatives may be required to 
  provide detailed reports about the necessity of using certain 
  software. Specific variants and techniques can be found 
  under the listing for each of the common spells; following 
  the list are several general sorcerous techniques, as well as a 
  discussion of other varieties of sorcery. 
  Defensive Bindings
  Becoming temporarily bulletproof isn’t just an option for 
  people. It’s equally possible to use this spell on any target, 
  from a tiny glass figurine to a full-sized lorry. Protecting 
  fragile artefacts against kinetic damage should be standard 
  practice when transporting them into any situation that might 
  be considered remotely risky, which means carrying them 
  outside of any Laundry facility. This spell also makes handling 
  ancient and exceptionally fragile manuscripts far safer.2 Most 
  of the rare occult tomes in the Laundry’s research facilities 
  should be protected by this spell, but that doesn’t give you 
  leave to test how sturdy this spell makes them.
  In addition to books and exotic artefacts, more than one 
  Laundry operative who knew or at least strongly suspected 
  Computational Demonology
  4
  1: This should be taken metaphorically; non-human or post-mortem operatives without a beating heart may also qualify for advanced computational   
      demonology techniques.
  2: If the grimoire absorbs the kinetic binding and begins to drink in light and heat from the surrounding environment, run.
  Giving Players Access to Advanced Sorcery
  Some of the spell techniques and variants discussed in this chapter are specifically mentioned 
  as being available to operatives who are both experienced and trusted. If you start out the 
  characters as junior Laundry operatives heading out on their first missions, they should not 
  start play with access to these techniques. Instead, the characters should gain access to them 
  when their Sorcery skill is 45% (sufficient to cast level three spells), and they have been on at 
  least three important missions that didn’t end with a large number of body bags and tentacles. 
  If handled in this fashion, gaining access to these techniques will be a significant achievement 
  for the characters and the players. 
  Alternately, the characters might be given temporary access to one or more of these techniques 
  below if their superiors (and the GM) decide that they need these techniques for the current 
  mission. Alternately, you could ignore all this, and simply say that the R&D department is giving 
  every computational demonologist a software upgrade that includes access to these new techniques 
  – it’s your game, after all.
  
  5
  that they’d soon be involved in a high speed car chase 
  succeeded because they took the time to ward their car. 
  If you have the time, a kinetic defensive binding can even 
  make rope or handcuffs sturdier and allow you to more 
  reliably hold targets that you suspect may have greater than 
  human strength. 
  However, using defensive bindings as a long-term 
  preventative measure is typically not worth the trouble. 
  Remember that the protection that this spell provides is 
  ablative. Placing a defensive ward on your briefcase just in 
  case something might happen at some later date generally 
  means that the protection gradually wears away as you set it 
  down too hard, your cat knocks it over, or you bang it into a 
  lamppost when running for the bus. When you actually need 
  it, your fancy level three spell now probably won’t do more 
  than slow a bullet down a little, provided it’s low-calibre.
  Also, most agents forget that defensive bindings can be 
  used to stop other sources of damage, such as extremes 
  of temperature or even ionising radiation. It’s a lot harder 
  to invoke a compliant Maxwell’s Demon to sort energetic 
  particles than it is to shunt the kinetic energy of a flying chunk 
  of metal into the Dungeon Dimensions, so using defensive 
  bindings for anything other than kinetic protection requires 
  considerable skill. The Laundry has developed formulae for 
  heat, cold, ionising radiation and other sources of damage. 
  Defensive Binding Rules
  Using a defensive binding upon a non-living target is identical 
  to using it on a living target. If the target is substantially smaller 
  than a person, like a piece of fragile personal electronics or 
  a briefcase, the rules are unchanged. Affecting larger targets 
  uses the rules for Increasing Area of Effect (The Laundry 
  Roleplaying Game, p. 134): placing this binding on a car would 
  increase the POW Requirement by +1, while using it on a 
  lorry or a corporate jet would increase the POW Requirement 
  by +2. At +3, you can ward your entire flat.  
  When determining how long this spell lasts and how well it 
  protects targets from harm other than kinetic damage, in all 
  cases use hit points as the guide. Someone hiking though the 
  blazing heat of the Sahara desert with insufficient or incorrect 
  gear is going to suffer around 1 HP/day, while someone lost 
  in the Antarctic without proper gear could lose as much as 
  1d3 HP every hour or two. In both cases, a defensive binding 
  that protected the target from extremes of temperature 
  would absorb this damage until it was exhausted.
  Destiny Entanglement Geas
  The level three personal destiny entanglement spell is 
  potentially quite powerful, but also  dangerous, especially 
  if the operative is working undercover and does not have 
  easy access to the equipment necessary to reverse this spell. 
  As a result, R&D has recently developed a more limited 
  version of this ritual that also has the virtue of being an 
  easier-to-cast level two spell. This spell allows a temporary 
  linkage between two or more minds that is considerably less 
  intense and stressful than a standard Destiny Entanglement.  
  Operatives are encouraged to always use this spell rather 
  than the level three destiny entanglement geas unless there 
  are compelling reasons to do otherwise. 
  Personal Entanglement Geas
  Level: Two
  Casting Time: 5 minutes
  To cast this spell, everyone that the sorcerer wishes to 
  connect must be present. This spell can be cast upon more 
  than two individuals, but when casting this spell, the sorcerer 
  must designate one individual as the central connection, 
  most often the sorcerer himself. All other individuals 
  involved in the spell are secondary connections, who are all 
  directly connected to the central connection, but are only 
  indirectly connected to one another.
  The primary differences between this spell and a level three 
  personal Destiny Entanglement are as follows:
  • 
  The basic linkage is one-way. The central connection 
  can tap into the senses and surface thoughts of any one 
  of the secondary connections at will, but the reverse is 
  not true.  Also, the central connection can only monitor 
  the target’s thoughts and sensory inputs by deliberately 
  concentrating and ‘listening’ for them; otherwise, he 
  receives no input from the target.
  • 
  Two-way communication is not possible. The central 
  connection can listen for any mental attempts by one of 
  the secondary connections, but secondary connections 
  can receive nothing from the central connection and the 
  central connection cannot receive any communication 
  from the secondary connections when he is not 
  ‘listening.’ However, by performing a simple level one 
  spell (see Entanglement Communication Spell below), 
  either the central connection or any of the secondary 
  connections can briefly establish communication with 
  the other. This communication normally lasts 5 minutes, 
  but is as distracting as a normal conversation and can be 
  ended sooner by the person who performed the ritual.
  This ritual lasts for one full day (24 hours), which can be 
  increase by adding +1 to the spell’s POW Requirement per 
  additional day. When the spell ends, the entangled individuals 
  can no longer communicate and suffer no lasting effects.
  Adding additional targets is handled normally (see The 
  Laundry Roleplaying Game, p. 134), but the central connection 
  may be connected to a maximum of 10 targets using this 
  ComPutAtionAL DemonoLoGY
  5
  Computational Demonology
  
  LiCense to summon
  6
  spell (+2 POW Requirement). The central connection 
  can only have one of these spells active at any given time. 
  Anyone who is part of this spell can communicate with any 
  one specific member, or with everyone, by using the same 
  level one ritual to enable communication.
  Entanglement Communication Spell
  Level: One
  Casting Time: One round
  Any individual who is part of a level two Personal 
  Entanglement Geas and who knows sorcery can use this 
  spell to communicate with any of the other people in the 
  entanglement spell. To perform this spell, the caster must 
  draw a small amount of their own blood; as little as a 
  drop. When casting the spell, the caster must also indicate 
  which other person in the geas group that they want to 
  communicate with. Once cast, the caster and the target can 
  mentally communicate as easily if they were speaking over 
  the telephone with one another. Wards and similar magical 
  barriers can block this spell, but distance is no barrier. This 
  communication lasts for up to five minutes, or until the 
  sorcerer ends the spell.
  Entropy Manipulation
  This spell is a geek’s paradise. People who are new to 
  computational sorcery are always eager to see what they can 
  do with this spell, which is why we have a clearly defined 
  list of acceptable spells for junior operatives. This is an 
  exceptionally versatile spell, and that means that sorcerers 
  can get themselves and others into all manner of trouble 
  using it. 
  Coherent Light Alteration 
  Level: One (to stop coherent light) or One to Four (to 
  create coherent light)
  Yes, entropy manipulation can manipulate coherent light, 
  and that means exactly what you think it does – magical 
  laser beams. 
  This spell can affect coherent light in one of two ways: it 
  can either cause coherent light that enters a pre-defined area 
  to cease to be coherent, or it can create coherent light out 
  of ordinary non-coherent light. Using this spell to protect 
  against lasers is a simple level one spell, and produces a 
  barely visible ‘shimmer’ around the target. 
  However, the reverse can be far more dramatic. This version 
  of the spell can be used to transform an ordinary light source 
  into a powerful laser beam. Casting this spell involves creating 
  a cage of conductive wire or ink around the light, which must 
  be connected to a specialised dongle plugged in to the user’s 
  laptop, tablet, or smartphone. The spell must be recast each 
  time the laser is fired, and has a high probability of frying the 
  light source or blowing its fuses.
  Spell Level
  Type of  Light
  Damage
  1
  Pocket flashlight or dim night light
  1d6+1
  2
  Powerful flashlight or camera flash
  2d6+4
  3 
  High powered home light fixture
  3d6+6
  4
  Industrial or movie spotlight
  4d6+8
  Entropy Stabilisation
  Level: Four
  This variant of entropy manipulation must be used in 
  conjunction with a level three or four Gate, and is designed 
  to create a small area where the laws of our own physical 
  reality apply in an alien dimension, almost always to allow the 
  user to survive the physical conditions in another universe. 
  This version of the Entropy Manipulation spell is rarely 
  used, both because few people are foolish or desperate 
  enough to visit dimensions that are sufficiently alien to 
  require its use, and also because this spell only protects the 
  user against differences in physical laws. The spell offers no 
  protection against attacks by animate creatures or automated 
  6
  
  7
  constructs, or from random physical damage caused by rock 
  falls, massive avalanches of living alien protoplasm or similar 
  dangers. On a more positive note, this spell can be used to 
  reduce excessive gravity. Unfortunately, it does not provide 
  the user with air, water, or food, all of which must typically 
  be carried by the dimensional traveller. The spell also does 
  not protect the user from extremes of temperature.
  In addition, the user must wear a special suit, covered in 
  conductive mesh, connected to a computational engine 
  running the spell. This suit provides the user, and the 
  conductive mesh, with 2 points of armour. If this mesh 
  suffers any significant damage, or if the electronics running 
  the program is damaged or runs out of power, then the 
  spell instantly ends. Depending upon exactly how alien the 
  dimension is, the user then suffers exposure to the local 
  conditions (with effects ranging from D3 damage every few 
  minutes to instant, horrible, unthinkable agony followed by 
  – if you’re lucky – death). 
  The user continues to suffer this damage until he either 
  repairs the suit and recasts the spell or re-enters his home 
  dimension. Also, if the suit takes three or more points of 
  damage, it has been punctured, and the wearer will also have 
  to deal with the alien atmosphere, or lack thereof. Given that 
  almost any dimension of interest is also home to various 
  dangerous native inhabitants, keeping this suit intact long 
  enough to accomplish a significant goal and then return is 
  often exceedingly difficult. 
   
  Level Five Entropy Manipulation
  We don’t talk this with recent recruits, and we most especially 
  don’t give them the code to use it, but highly dramatic forms 
  of entropy manipulation are possible. Instead of merely 
  transferring energy between one dimension and another, 
  this spell allows the user to temporarily impose the rules 
  of one dimension on objects in another. There are several 
  ways to use this spell, all of them destructive. By altering 
  the strength of chemical bonds or even the strong and weak 
  nuclear force, this spell can be used to disintegrate matter. 
  The sorcerer draws a conductive circuit around the target, 
  casts the spell, and then the target begins to disintegrate. 
  This process does 4d6+8 damage per turn to every object 
  inside the circuit, and only ends when the circuit is broken 
  or inactivated or when everything inside the circuit has been 
  completely disintegrated. Because of the nature of this 
  damage, armour protects against it, but this armour is also 
  degraded over time, losing five points of protection each 
  round. For example, a spell inflicting 22 points of damage 
  per round to a block of stone with 20 points of armour 
  and 30 hit points would cause 2 points of damage to the 
  stone block and reduce its armour to 15 on the first round, 
  and then would cause 7 points of damage and reduce the 
  armour to 10 on  the second round, and then cause 12 
  points of damage and drop the armour to 5 on the third 
  round, and so on.
  Without enhancement, the spell can affect an area up to 
  20 metres in diameter, and this diameter can be increased 
  normally. 
  The major limitation on this spell is that it is a level five 
  spell and thus very difficult to use. Also, the Laundry frowns 
  on operatives performing acts of urban renewal, or perhaps 
  more accurately urban removal, by disintegrating entire 
  buildings, even if there is a dangerous cult inside.   
  Exorcism
  One procedure we don’t talk to beginners about is destructive 
  exorcism. Instead of dealing with large build-ups of thaumic 
  energy by safely grounding it, the operative can instead 
  choose to release it in a deliberately destructive burst of 
  energy. This process is also a common failure mode for poorly 
  cast exorcism spells, and is most familiar in this context. 
  Destructive exorcism is considerably faster to perform than 
  an ordinary exorcism, but it is also, quite obviously, far more 
  dangerous. However, destructively exorcising a level one – or, 
  in emergencies, a level two – haunting can be an ideal method 
  of preventing various types of hostile activity, since it can 
  destroy most sensitive equipment and will wreck any ritual a 
  group of cultists are preparing . And, of course, if performed 
  in a metropolitan area, the burst of thaumic energy release 
  will very likely be noticed by the concealed thaumometers3 
  we are in the process of placing in most cities and large 
  towns, and can serve as a signal to draw the attention of other 
  Laundry personnel. 
  Due to safety concerns, using destructive exorcism 
  is strongly discouraged for level three and level four 
  hauntings; if targeting either of these as part of a delayed 
  spell, the operative must make certain that no civilians will 
  be harmed. Operatives are strictly forbidden from using 
  destructive exorcism on any level five haunting.     
  Destructive Exorcism Rules
  Creating a destructive exorcism that releases the thaumic 
  energy of a haunting in one violent burst is both quick 
  and easy. Reduce the POW Requirement for the ritual by 
  one, and the ritual only requires two turns per level of 
  Haunting to perform. The specialised grounding strap used 
  in conventional exorcisms is not required for a destructive 
  exorcism. All that is required to perform this spell is a 
  smartphone with the latest occult software, a small battery, 
  and a conductive pen. 
  7
  3: Concealed in household water and electricity meters.
  ComPutAtionAL DemonoLoGY
  Computational Demonology
  
  LiCense to summon
  8
  Gates
  Field use of gates is not recommended. Given that we 
  mostly wish to keep hideous things from other dimensions 
  out of our universe, there not a lot of call for knocking 
  another dimension up to go for a visit. Examining potential 
  threats, like the Sleeper in the Pyramid, is the single most 
  common use we have for Gates. However, there are other 
  rare and riskier uses. 
  The most well known of these involves the sorcerer using 
  specially-aligned gateways to take a shortcut, allowing them 
  to travel from one location in our world to another distant 
  location, without having to travel all of the distance in 
  between. While clearly not a method to be used casually, 
  it can allow operatives to accomplish missions that might 
  otherwise be impossible.  
  Dimensional Short Cuts 
  By creating a pair of level three or level four gates to the 
  same universe, sorcerers can walk through one gate into 
  this universe and then walk out the second gate somewhere 
  else in our own universe, preferably on the surface of the 
  Earth. By far the safest way to accomplish this is for a 
  second sorcerer to create a level four gateway to the desired 
  universe at the exit point. Once this gate has been opened, 
  the sorcerer who wishes to take the dimensional short 
  cut opens a level three or four gate, walks into the alien 
  dimension, finds the second gate, and walks out. If a second 
  sorcerer is unavailable, then the would-be traveller must 
  gate into the alternate dimension and survive long enough 
  to create an exit gate to his desired destination. 
  Unfortunately, all of this is far easier said than done. First, 
  you need to make certain that the alien dimension will 
  sustain human life and is not home to creatures that will 
  devour your body or your mind during your journey. Then 
  you need to position the second gateway so that the distance 
  between the two gates in the alien dimension is relatively 
  small. Since alien dimensions are by definition confusing 
  places that few wish to linger in, dimensional travellers 
  should use a level one sympathetic magic spell, tied either to 
  the second gate or to the location on Earth where it is being 
  created to provide them with the location of the gateway 
  out of the alien dimension.  
  Dimensional Short Cut Rules
  Positioning the second gateway so that it is relatively near 
  the first in the alien dimension raises the spell’s POW 
  Requirement by +2. On a successful roll, the second gateway 
  appears in the alien dimension 1d100 x 10 metres from the 
  first gateway.  Attempting to open a level three gateway back 
  to Earth while the operative is in an alien dimension raises 
  the level of the spell by one to level four, and opening a 
  gateway to a specific location on Earth adds an additional 
  +1 to the spell’s POW requirement. Even so, the gateway 
  still appears somewhere within 1d100 x 10 metres of the 
  desired location.
  Portable Gates
  One of the problems with gates is that they take time and 
  equipment to create, and these can sometimes be in rather 
  short supply when you really need one. Fortunately, it’s 
  possible to set up a gate so that it can be moved. The nature 
  of the physical equipment that needs moving naturally 
  depends upon the style of sorcery being used. A large, 
  meticulously drawn diagram, or a two-metre ring of carved 
  jade would be ideal forms for Traditional sorcery, while a 
  computational sorcerer would simply be advised to make 
  their equipment a bit more robust and to then build it all 
  into a suitcase or piece of luggage. Portable gateways can be 
  especially useful when attempting a dimensional short cut.
  Creating a gate that is designed to be portable does 
  not increase the spell’s POW Requirement, but it does 
  multiply the time needed to create one by three, since the 
  components must be designed and arranged for maximum 
  portability. Also, only level three and level four gates can be 
  made portable; level five gates are never portable. 
  Once a gate has been moved to the desired location, it must 
  still be attuned. This process requires one minute for a level 
  three gate and two minutes for a level four gate and does 
  not include the time needed to unpack the gate. Packing the 
  gate back up and readying it for transport requires the same 
  amount of time. 
  Also, when creating a level four gate, the aperture to the 
  other dimension must remain whole; it cannot be taken 
  apart into smaller pieces. If printed on paper or cloth, it 
  can be rolled up, but it also cannot be creased. If the gate 
  is printed on a flexible material, a level four Gate can only 
  be packed inside a container that is at least as long as the 
  diameter of the aperture. An old portable movie screen 
  containing a drawing done in conductive ink would be an 
  ideal portable level four gate. 
  Geas
  Geases are among the most controversial spells, as well as 
  some of the most misused. You lot have, by definition, all 
  been subjected to at least one – likely several – powerful 
  geases. However, Oversight frowns on the use the casual 
  use of geases on civilians. Using your warrant card is 
  permissible, but creating your own geases and using them 
  on civilians is generally only acceptable if you have an 
  excellent reason for doing so. 
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  Obedience Geases
  Although Laundry operatives rarely receive authorisation to 
  use such geases, a geas can be used to compel generalised 
  obedience. The degree of obedience produced depends upon 
  the level of the spell. A standard level two temporary geas 
  can compel someone to perform any action that they would 
  normally be willing to do, or which is required as part of their 
  job. A police officer could be ordered to interrogate someone 
  that he was told was guilty of a crime. However, unless the 
  police officer was already extremely brutal or inclined to 
  murder by nature, he would not be willing to shoot the alleged 
  criminal in cold blood despite being ordered to while under 
  the geas. Similarly, a relatively honest and honourable person 
  cannot be persuaded to steal from or defraud an employer he 
  likes or respects. A level two geas is essentially equivalent to 
  instantly becoming either the target’s close friend or respected 
  superior, entitled to ask favours or issue orders. 
  Silence and Truth geases are more powerful, because they 
  are also more specific. These geases are specifically tuned 
  to accomplishing those goals. Geases that produce a more 
  general type of obedience lack this focus and so lack this 
  power. From our perspective, one of the benefits of this 
  type of geas is that cultists cannot use a level two geas to 
  force a Laundry operative to betray the Laundry, unless the 
  operative was either already betraying the Laundry of his 
  own free will or was on the verge of actively doing so.
  Increasing the level of the spell by one increases the power 
  of the geas substantially, and the effects of a general 
  obedience geas become almost identical to those of a truth 
  geas. A subject who refuses to perform the request or 
  who deliberately carries it out in a useless or inept manner 
  suffers intense pain and must make an opposed POW roll 
  vs. the spell’s POW every minute until he obeys the request, 
  although he suffers no direct physical harm. A subject who 
  actively attempts to work against the request or to do the 
  opposite of what is requested first experiences excruciating 
  pain for one minute; then, if he persists in his course of 
  action, the spell begins to literally crush his bones and rend 
  his muscles, doing 1d3 damage every round. Both damage 
  and pain stop the instant the subject ceases to resist and 
  obeys the geas. This type of geas works on any human, and 
  by further increasing the level of the spell by one, it can be 
  made to work on other intelligent entities. 
  It is always worth remembering that using level three 
  obedience geas compels obedience to the sorcerer’s 
  commands, not the subject’s loyalty. No geas can make 
  someone want to do something they would normally 
  oppose doing. Despite more than a few pathetic or insane 
  sorcerers who claim otherwise, using a level three obedience 
  geas to make someone fall in love with you merely forces 
  him to act like he is in love with you, and inflicts terrible 
  suffering on him if he fails to act in this fashion. 
  On an equally unpleasant note, if someone, like a 
  Laundry operative, is faced with two conflicting geases, he 
  unfortunately suffers the penalties of whichever geas he 
  disobeys. If enemy sorcerers use a high-level obedience geas 
  to force an operative to speak Laundry secrets to people 
  forbidden from learning them, the operative’s only choice 
  is which geas he wishes to die from. His only hope is if his 
  captors decide they don’t want to kill him and end the geas.
  The Laundry never uses permanent general obedience 
  geases on humans. The consequences are always horrific. 
  All such geases cause the target’s mind, agency, and free will 
  to decay, eventually leaving only a shambling servitor who 
  obeys all commands to the letter, with limited capacity for 
  thought or creativity. Level two general obedience geases 
  usually take around a month before they harm the subject’s 
  mind, but level three general obedience geases cause the 
  subject’s mind to begin to decay within a few days.   
  Targeting Geases
  The targets of a geas must be placed in clear and 
  unambiguous sensory contact with a pattern of 
  information that contains a geas. Clear and unambiguous 
  sensory contact means that the subject can’t just see 
  something out of the corner of his eye or barely hear 
  something over the engine noises and rattles when riding 
  on the Underground. The subject must be able to see and 
  hear the geas as clearly as he could a person sitting across 
  a table from him in a quiet café.  
  Standing on or otherwise touching a summoning grid is the 
  easiest and most powerful and direct method of attaining 
  this sort of contact. However, touch is not the only type 
  of sensory contact that can be used when creating a geas. 
  Laundry operatives have learned to use three senses for 
  delivering a geas: touch, sight, and sound. Touch involves 
  contact with a summoning grid, which – since it is also 
  actively powered – is the most effective option. Other 
  touch- or contact-based options are also sometimes used, 
  but encoding a geas in a Braille document or the in thread 
  patterns on a bed sheet isn’t something that comes up very 
  often, and you’d best ask Q Division to create such a thing 
  for you if you really need it. 
  Sight also works; all you need do is think back to the first time 
  you had the misfortune to see a Warrant Card and felt the 
  words and designs crawl into your brain. You can manage the 
  same thing on your own. Creating a static geas that’s printed 
  on a piece of paper is certainly possible, although it’s also 
  more difficult, because you’re working in an entirely static 
  medium.  Working in dynamic mediums is significantly easier. 
  Back in the late 1990s, sorcerers both in the Laundry and 
  in several prominent cults at the time discovered that the 
  flashy animated nonsense like blinking stars found on a 
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  multitude of poorly done and overly-gaudy early web sites 
  actually served as an excellent vehicle for a geas. They 
  also learned that these geases could be made even more 
  powerful through the addition of auto-playing sound tracks. 
  Thankfully, since that time we have found less obviously 
  noxious-looking alternatives, involving exceedingly subtle 
  animation overlaid on a seemingly uniform background and 
  nearly invisible alterations to fonts. The other method still 
  works, but if you’re coding up a geased website for us and 
  use lots of blinky stars, you can expect to be widely mocked 
  by your colleagues.
  Today, we have a number of geas designs that are entirely 
  invisible unless someone examines the screen or piece quite 
  closely. We don’t know how to manage this with paper, 
  but like with your Warrant Cards, a secondary geas for the 
  viewer to forget what they have seen works almost as well. 
  Sound also works as a medium to transmit a geas to the target, 
  and like touch or sight, the key here is that the sound must 
  contain complex patterns. Naturally, the most common form 
  of this type of geas is music. This music can be anything 
  from insipid hold music concealing complex harmonics to a 
  full-blown orchestral symphony. They can be used to affect 
  multiple targets; anyone who looks closely at a visual geas 
  or listens closely to a musical or other audio geas is affected. 
  Related to this is the difficulty of causing someone to look 
  or listen to a geas with sufficient attention to be affected by 
  it. Shoving an official-looking Warrant Card in someone’s 
  face works well, as does embedding it in a web page that 
  someone is likely to read closely, like a humour site, tech 
  reviews, or encoding the geas in a video involving cats. 
  However, almost all modern urbanites are used to tuning 
  out vast amount of distractions, so if you want to cause 
  someone to be affected by a geas you show them or play 
  as a piece of music, the target or targets must actually be 
  paying attention. This means that the medium that the geas 
  is placed in must be designed to catch and hold the target’s 
  attention. 
  One option is placing it in something designed to demand 
  the target’s attention. A notice of a legal proceeding that 
  might cost, or provide, the target a substantial quantity 
  of money often works (the latter more reliably than the 
  former, since some people simply refuse to read fines, 
  summonses and the like; greed always trumps fear). 
  Corporate presentations that actually present useful 
  information can also work, although many people simply 
  tune out all such meetings. Ultimately, one of the best 
  tactics is also one of the most difficult: making the prose 
  or music genuinely catchy. We have a few highly specialised 
  writers and musicians on staff for exactly this purpose. 
  Make use of them when you need to. In the past five years, 
  two hit pop songs were originally written to encode geases.
  Regardless of the method used, many geases typically only 
  work in person. While geases embedded in web pages and 
  other electronic media are designed to be reproduced, geases 
  created on paper or in music are sufficiently complex and 
  subtle that ordinary recordings cannot actually record the geas. 
  Only professional quality recordings and lossless encoding 
  formats can be used to record a geas so that the recording 
  will produce the same effect as the original on targets.
  Additional Geas Rules
  Geases that use sight instead of physical contact increase 
  their POW Requirement +1. 
  Increase the POW Requirement for sight-based geases 
  designed in static form by an additional +1. 
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  Static geases include any geas written or drawn on a piece 
  of paper, encoded in Braille, or otherwise created as a fixed 
  and unchanging format. 
  The rules for using a geas on multiple targets are somewhat 
  different from the standard rules for affecting multiple 
  targets. Musical geases increase the POW requirement by +2, 
  but can be played to audiences both large and small, and will 
  affect everyone who listens closely. Also, visual geases that 
  are read closely by multiple targets will affect multiple targets. 
  The major limitation on using a sight or sound geas to affect 
  multiple targets is the necessity for the target to pay close 
  attention to the geas. Merely glancing at the geas or hearing it 
  in the background are insufficient to cause a geas to affect the 
  target. All sight or sound-based geases affect the target for 
  the duration of time that the target is seeing or hearing the 
  geas and continue to affect the target for one additional turn. 
  It is possible to create a musical geas that could potentially 
  affect dozens or even hundreds of targets. However, it’s 
  well worth remembering that the Auditors are not going to 
  be pleased with attempts to use a geas on a large number of 
  innocent civilians.
  Glamour
  Recent advances by the R&D department have created 
  three additional types of glamours, reverse glamours, 
  negative glamours, and glamours of desire. Although 
  operatives should familiarise themselves with the limitations 
  of glamours of desire before using them, both types of 
  glamour are now available to all qualified operatives. 
  Reverse & Negative Glamours 
  Most glamours are used to attract attention or interest. 
  However, they can also be reversed, so that the target becomes 
  difficult or almost impossible to notice. Reverse glamours are 
  cast in exactly the same manner as conventional glamours 
  and have all of the same limitations. Alternately, a negative 
  glamour causes the target to seem repugnant and unpleasant. 
  The effects depend upon the level of the glamour.
  Level One: All this level of glamour can manage is to make 
  someone difficult to recognise, it can’t be used to conceal 
  them in any way.  A level one negative glamour can make the 
  target appear somewhat uglier.
  Level Two: Level two glamours cannot make someone 
  impossible to notice, but can be used to make them look 
  fairly generic and to convey the impression that they aren’t 
  worth noticing. This type of glamour won’t allow someone 
  to sneak into or out of a high security installation or to 
  evade a search when people are actively searching for an 
  intruder. However, a level two reverse glamour can allow 
  the target to vanish into a crowd with great ease or to pass 
  through routine security checkpoints, like those at airports 
  or police checkpoints, with ease, as long as they possess the 
  correct ID. One of the most powerful features of this spell 
  is that observers won’t remember the target’s appearance, 
  and cameras will only record someone who appears to be 
  exceedingly average. 
  A level two negative glamour can cause the target to appear 
  singularly unattractive, combining unpleasant smells, hints 
  of dirt, and overall unattractiveness of the sort that will 
  cause many people to avoid the target.
  Level Three: This level of glamour allows the target to 
  entirely avoid casual notice. If the target is attempting to be 
  stealthy and actively avoid notice, they become considerably 
  more difficult to notice. Under the influence of this spell, 
  all stealth rolls to avoid the notice and attention of living 
  beings, including everything from guards or guard dogs, to 
  summoned alien entities, become Easy. 
  Even if the target is detained and questioned, they will be 
  impossible to recognise or describe later, and someone who 
  is shown their photograph will not be able to recognise 
  them. Also, if anyone talking to the target fails a POW 
  vs. the spells POW roll, then any rolls for Fast Talk or 
  Persuade attempts by the target to convince this person that 
  the target was lost, forgot their ID badge, or is otherwise 
  an unimportant person who need not be detained and 
  questioned further also become Easy. 
  If someone is looking directly at the target, they see a 
  person they don’t recognise who doesn’t seem particularly 
  important or noteworthy. If the location is one where 
  even unimportant people are not allowed if they lack have 
  proper credentials or a special invitation, then the target will 
  be detained or pursued if they attempt to evade security 
  precautions. 
  A negative glamour of this level can cause the target 
  to appear to be positively repugnant. The target will be 
  hideously memorable and almost everyone will actively 
  avoid their presence. The target is likely to be denied 
  entrance to all but the lowest end shops and restaurants.
  Level Four:  This level of glamour causes viewers to 
  actively not notice the target. If the target attracts attention 
  to themselves, they will be noticed, but otherwise they can 
  walk past armed guards with impunity. People around the 
  target actively work to avoid the target, moving out of the 
  target’s way to avoid bumping into them. These individuals 
  are unaware of the reason for their movement and their 
  awareness of the target’s presence is entirely unconscious.
  If the target sets off an alarm, any guards who were either 
  nearby or watching on security cameras and were in a 
  position to clearly see that location could make a POW vs. 
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  the spell’s POW roll to notice the target. However, in the 
  absence of anything to directly attract people’s attention 
  and interest, observers do not even get to roll to notice the 
  target. Even if someone notices the target, if the observer 
  even briefly loses sight of the target, they must then succeed 
  at a POW vs. the spell’s POW roll to avoid simply forgetting 
  about the target’s presence. 
  However, observers are free to notice anything the target 
  has done. A glamoured thief sneaking in to steal valuable 
  artefact could easily escape notice, but the artefact’s 
  absence would be noticed normally. Also, once the target 
  of the glamour has departed, anyone who has cause to 
  search locations where the target was would be able to find 
  evidence of the target’s presence, like fingerprints, clothing 
  fibres, and other trace evidence normally. 
  Negative glamours of this level cause viewers to have very 
  strong reactions, ranging from recoiling in disgust from the 
  target to possibly even vomiting if forced to touch or stand 
  close to them for a significant period of time. 
  Glamour of  Desire
  Level: Three or Four
  This version of the glamour spell is both more powerful 
  and more limited than a standard glamour. It has absolutely 
  no effect upon the target’s actual appearance. At the 
  caster’s discretion, the target either looks unchanged in 
  a camera or has the equivalent of a level two glamour 
  that causes them to appear unrecognisable but essentially 
  similar to how they normally look. Instead this type of 
  glamour allows the caster to declare a single impression 
  that this glamour should produce. A sorcerer could cast a 
  glamour to allow the target to become the most handsome 
  and sexy individual observers have ever seen, to appear to 
  be someone in authority who observers should obey, or 
  simply to be someone who is authorised to be where they 
  are. While cameras and other visual and audio recording 
  media record the target’s appearance, everyone who sees 
  the target is affected by the emotional and perceptual 
  effects of this glamour and respond to it appropriately. 
  The level three version of the glamour of desire gives 
  everyone the desired impression, but does not mandate 
  any behaviour by these observers. An observer might see 
  the most desirable or most terrifying person they have ever 
  seen, and most people will react strongly to such an event. 
  However, responsible or dedicated individuals may resist any 
  temptation to act in a fashion that would be inappropriate 
  to their current duties or the social situation they are in.
  In contrast, the level four version of the spell causes every 
  observer to make a POW vs. POW roll vs. the spell’s POW 
  to resist giving completely into the impression that is 
  produced and going along with whatever this impression 
  might cause them to do. A level three glamour of someone 
  in authority who observers should obey would cause 
  observers to react to the target like an important authority 
  figure. The level four version of this glamour would also 
  force observers to make  POW vs. POW rolls to avoid 
  having to obey all remotely reasonable orders made by the 
  caster, even if this order directly contradicted other direct 
  orders the targets had recently received. 
  The major limitation of this spell is also its major 
  advantage: it is entirely non-specific. A glamour designed 
  to make someone appear to be someone in authority 
  might cause a military officer to see a superior, an office 
  worker to see their boss, and a child to see a parent. This 
  non-specific nature is amazingly useful, but also can be 
  exceptionally problematic if the individuals are all in the 
  same room, especially if they compare notes afterwards 
  or shout out the name of who they believe the user to 
  be. Similarly a glamour to cause the subject to appear 
  to be exceptionally attractive would cause the subject to 
  appear exceedingly attractive to all observers, including 
  observers with drastically different standards of beauty, 
  who will all remember what the person they saw looked 
  like. Also, some observers might see the target as someone 
  exceptionally beautiful that they know or have seen, such 
  as a famous actor or model. This spell can be exceptionally 
  powerful, but can also be problematic and confusing if 
  used on a diverse group of people. 
  In addition, the subject of the glamour has absolutely no 
  idea what any individual observer is seeing, except that the 
  subject looks like someone who will produce the desired 
  impression in the observer. Unfortunately, looking like 
  someone’s beloved spouse or hated and feared boss can 
  be complex and difficult as well as exceedingly useful. 
  The situation can become even more complex if the spell 
  causes the target to look like the beloved spouse or hated 
  boss of several different people who are all in the same 
  room. If one or more observers describes what they see 
  or calls the target by name, the result can be widespread 
  confusion and argument, followed by requests by one or 
  more observers for the subject of the glamour to tell other 
  observers that the subject is who the first observer thinks 
  they are.  
  This spell affects anyone within 30 metres of the subject. 
  Even if the observer is looking at a video monitor 
  displaying images of the subject from a camera, they 
  see the subject according to the dictates of the glamour. 
  However, anyone who is further away who sees an image 
  of the subject sees the subject as they actually appear. In 
  addition, this glamour has no effect on anyone reviewing 
  photographs or videos of the subject after the subject 
  has departed. These discrepancies can cause individuals 
  who saw the subject in person to become exceedingly 
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  confused and can sometimes lead these individuals to ask 
  questions that fall under the Official Secrets Act. As a 
  result, operatives are strongly discouraged from using this 
  glamour in areas open to the public, especially if there is 
  a chance that multiple video images of the operative may 
  be taken. Since most people now carry a phone with a 
  video camera, this essentially means that operatives should 
  refrain from using this glamour outdoors in any populated 
  area except in emergencies.   
  Prognostication
  Divination and prognostication magic is as unreliable as 
  any other government forecast. While the nature of space-
  time and its implications for the existence or non-existence 
  of free will is still a matter for the Applied Philosophy 
  department, the difficulty of correctly interpreting data 
  from prophecies and scrying means that certain knowledge 
  of the future is never available. All these spells can give is 
  a best guess.
  Visual Prognostication
  Level: Five
  Casting Time: 20 hours
  This spell provides the caster with random visual images 
  associated the most likely possible future. To use this spell, the 
  sorcerer programs in information about an upcoming event 
  and a general time frame, typically a mission. Then after many 
  hours, the hardware running the spell displays 1d4 images 
  from the specified time frame that are in some way associated 
  with this event. These images need not be remotely useful, 
  but they are typically in focus and are usually recognisable. 
  Some of these images have provided the Laundry with 
  exceedingly valuable intelligence, but many are too generic or 
  uncertain to be much help. 
  Fate Scrambler
  Level: Three
  Casting Time: 1 hour
  Other OCCINT groups, notably the Black Chamber, make 
  extensive use of remote viewing and prognostication spells. 
  As a countermeasure, R&D developed the Fate Scrambler. 
  This spell shields the target from divination spells by creating 
  chaotic interference. It introduces sufficient random elements 
  into the target’s future to disrupt any attempt at prediction. It 
  does not change the target’s fate, but merely occludes it. 
  The subject of a fate scrambler invariably encounters 
  elevated levels of synchronicity and non-specific weirdness. 
  Cases of mistaken identity, unlikely disguises, deja vu and 
  other strange events abound, as the spell creates distortions 
  to throw divination spells off course. For example, during 
  operation BLUE JAVA, operatives were dispatched to spy 
  on a Black Chamber summoning attempt in Nevada. A 
  Fate Scrambler spell was employed. The operatives’ luggage 
  was swapped en route with the belongings of a troupe of 
  Las Vegas performers, so our operatives found themselves 
  trying to infiltrate the summoning site while dressed as six 
  versions of Elvis. Furthermore, one of them was mistaken 
  for a known con artist and detained by casino security at 
  the hotel, forcing the other operatives to extract the agent 
  before continuing with the mission. While these random 
  co-incidences made the mission harder to complete, they 
  also ensured that any Black Chamber seers saw seemingly 
  meaningless images (Elvises, casinos, mirrors) instead of 
  the actual threat. 
  Scrying
  This spell has more uses than most beginning sorcerers 
  usually imagine. Firing up your thaumometer is exceptionally 
  useful, but level two or three scrying spells can reveal a wealth 
  of data about everything from local dimensional stability to 
  revealing the presence of possessed or otherwise magically 
  altered individuals. While the Laundry doesn’t issue dedicated 
  devices to its operatives, several operatives have wired up 
  level two scrying spells to the webcam they have watching 
  their porch. Even 30 seconds of warning about the presence 
  of possessed or otherwise altered or inhuman individuals on 
  your doorstep can literally save your life. 
  Many of you will never need such a thing, but any field agent 
  should consider this option – sometimes trouble follows 
  you home. Also, sometimes you don’t have the option of 
  a conveniently placed webcam. What happens if someone 
  knocks on your hotel room door late one evening? How 
  do you know if it’s room service, the attractive person 
  you gave your number to earlier that evening, or some 
  shambling monstrosity intent on eating or possessing you? 
  A few impressively paranoid operatives carry small wireless 
  webcams with them for just this purpose. These days, the 
  smallest such devices are no larger than a grape. However, 
  there are other less obviously paranoid options. If you have 
  a T-ray scanner, a fiber optic probe, or some other device for 
  seeing through or around obstacles, you can hook that up 
  to your laptop and use your scrying spell normally. Another 
  less well known option is altering a scrying spell so it can 
  operate through solid objects. Using this sort of spell allows 
  you to stand on one side of the door with your smartphone, 
  laptop, or maybe a live chicken, some chalk, and a sharp knife 
  if you’re feeling particularly old school, and take a look at 
  what may be lurking on the other side of that door. 
  Scrying Through Solid Objects
  Using a scrying spell to see through solid objects raises the 
  POW Requirement of the spell by +1. The sorcerer needs 
  to be within two metres of the solid object that he wishes 
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  to see through, which can be no more than one metre thick, 
  and the spell now only has a range of five metres past the 
  solid object. The spell does not provide any normal visual 
  data – the sorcerer cannot actually see what’s on the other 
  side of the obstacle – but it will reveal the presence and type 
  of any spells or extra-dimensional entities, which is typically 
  all the information that’s necessary to become aware of an 
  immediate threat.
  Sympathetic Magic 
  Sympathetic magic has the potential to provide a wealth of 
  information about the target, and if properly used can be 
  more useful than placing a physical bug upon the target or 
  observing him via surveillance cameras.
  Enduring Sympathetic Magic
  The standard sympathetic magic spell is designed to gather 
  only a single piece of information and only lasts for long 
  enough to provide this information. The sorcerer casts the 
  spell, the spell provides this information, and then the spell 
  is over. However, it is possible to cast this spell so that it 
  can be maintained for several minutes or even several hours. 
  Level one sympathetic magic can be cast in this fashion so 
  that it provides real-time location data on the target. Level 
  two sympathetic magic can also provide visual information 
  of what the target is doing.   
   
  By increasing the spell’s POW requirement by +1, 
  sympathetic magic can be cast so that the spell continuously 
  provides instantly updating information about the target 
  until the sorcerer cancels the spell or either the sorcerer or 
  the target enters an area with a ward that is at least the same 
  level as the spell. The one other limitation is that enduring 
  sympathetic magic is a relatively delicate spell and so if any 
  magic of level two or higher is used within a few metres of 
  the spell (and the device that is being used to display the 
  data), then the sorcerer must make another Sorcery roll to 
  keep the sympathetic magic spell from collapsing. 
  Alternative Information
  The standard version of level two sympathetic magic 
  only reveals images of the target. However, the spell can 
  be configured to provide other information. A level two 
  sympathetic magic spell cast upon a person could instead 
  deliver information on their state of health, including whether 
  they are alive or dead. If cast as an enduring spell, the sorcerer 
  could have a continuously updating display about the target’s 
  condition. The same spell could be cast on an object to alert 
  the caster to whether it has been damaged or if a device was 
  used or merely opened or closed. The one limit is that each 
  level two sympathetic magic spell can only provide a single type 
  of information, like an image of the target, information on 
  the target’s condition, or even any sounds made by the target.  
  Dimensional Viewing 
  In addition to being useful for seeing images of people 
  associated with various objects, level three sympathetic 
  magic spells have other more specialised uses. If someone 
  uses this spell to examine a level four or five gate that is now 
  closed, or the site of a previous level three gate, the spell 
  allows the sorcerer to both see and learn the basic physical 
  parameters of the dimension that this gate was last connected 
  to. Typically this information consists of various information 
  about the dimension’s physical constants, as well as images of 
  the portion of the dimension that was or is being contacted 
  appearing on a computer or mobile phone screen, or for 
  older style magic, in the sorcerer’s mind. 
  If the sorcerer has any connection to the site of an open 
  level four or five gate, or to who/what is performing a 
  summoning on or maintaining the gate, this sorcerer can 
  gain information about the dimension being contacted. 
  This spell will also provide information about the progress 
  of the summoning or gate spell and about who or what is 
  being summoned or is coming through the gateway. 
  Summoning
  Summoning is one of the oldest and best-known forms of 
  sorcery, but also one of the most dangerous. Never forget 
  that anything you summon almost certainly wants to kill 
  you. That said, these creatures can also be remarkably useful.
  Long-Term Summonings
  Summoning grids remain active for as long as they continue 
  to receive electricity, or periodic sacrifices, if you’re foolish 
  enough to go the old-school route. Running a summoning 
  grid for months or years is normally not recommended, but 
  it can be useful for a few highly specialised applications. 
  The most obvious is allowing an extra-dimensional entity 
  to exist in our world and binding it in such a way that it 
  cannot escape; when combined with a geas, this allows the 
  summoner to create entities that can be used to simulate AIs, 
  perform various sorts of security work, or to serve many 
  similar purposes. Remember that running a summoning grid 
  for more than 48 hours always requires special authorisation 
  from your superiors – automating your house by means of 
  three or four bound entities may seem like fun, but we’ve 
  seen some of the results and it really isn’t. If a mouse chews 
  through one wire, the next step usually involves a co-worker 
  cleaning up your remains with a mop.  
  There is also another use for long-term summoning that 
  is almost exclusively used by cults and other nasties. Most 
  summoned creatures with physical bodies are unable to 
  indefinitely survive in our world. Subtle differences in the 
  matter and forces from one universe to the next generally 
  do not allow a physical body from one universe to thrive in 
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  15
  another. Even those creatures that can comfortably live in 
  our dimension for several days will rarely last more than a 
  month or two. Don’t plan on moving to another universe, 
  it won’t work. However, such creatures can survive in our 
  dimension indefinitely as long as they are within an active 
  summoning grid. A summoning grid creates an interface 
  between the two universes, which allows the two sets of 
  physical laws to overlap within the area of the grid. This 
  superposition allows most summoned entities with physical 
  bodies to survive perfectly well as long as they have access 
  to the necessities of life. 
  Also, some of these creatures can breed. If they are 
  supplied with air, water, and nutrients from our own world 
  while they are in the summoning grid, then their offspring 
  is made entirely of matter from our universe. In at least 
  some cases, that means that the offspring of physically 
  summoned beings that reproduce while within an active 
  summoning grid can live in our world indefinitely. While 
  we have not yet seen evidence of this, it is even possible 
  that the offspring of beings that gave birth in a summoning 
  grid could successfully breed within our universe without 
  the necessity of a summoning grid.  Obviously, this is not 
  merely a terrible idea, it’s a dire threat, since it could permit 
  an actual extra-dimensional invasion. 
  Some theoreticians believe that naturalising extra-
  dimensional entities to our universe will become an easier 
  and faster process as CASE NIGHTMARE GREEN 
  approaches, so we may end up seeing more of this sort 
  of thing. If you uncover any evidence of this sort of alien 
  infestation, report it as swiftly as possible.  
  Alternative Summoning Techniques
  The following magical techniques are all variations on the 
  summoning spell that can be used by anyone capable of 
  casting a summoning spell of the correct level. Bilocation 
  is not commonly taught simply because it is rarely needed. 
  However, possession as a type of summoning is considered 
  an advanced technique: do not discuss its existence without 
  the correct clearances.    
  Bilocation
  Sometimes emails or even video conferences are simply 
  not secure enough or the people who wish to communicate 
  want to do so in a more personal and immediate fashion. 
  Actual physical teleportation is intensely complex and 
  dangerous because it requires going through a gate to an 
  alien dimension, and then leaving via a different gate that 
  leads to another destination, which is hopefully the desired 
  one and not 500 metres up in the air, or somewhere in 
  the vicinity of the planet Saturn. Also, you need to trust 
  the people you are dimension-hopping to. However, using 
  the bilocation spell merely causes everyone within the two 
  locations where the ritual is performed to be able to see, 
  hear, and smell one another. Everyone remains in their 
  original location, safe from direct harm or interference 
  by individuals in the other location. This spell does not 
  allow people or objects to actually move between these 
  two locations. Instead, the two locations appear to exist 
  side by side. Any attempt to walk from one to the other 
  simply results in the individual walking outside of the area 
  of the spell. Or perhaps into a wall.
  Bilocational Summoning 
  Level: Two
  The two regions must both be within summoning grids, 
  each of which has a flat side which has been designated 
  as where the two regions will converge. Once the ritual 
  has been completed, to observers within each region, the 
  other region appears on that pre-designated side of their 
  own summoning grid. The ritual need only be performed 
  in one of the two locations, but the other location must 
  have previously been set up to allow it. 
  The spell can be maintained up to 48 hours and for the 
  duration, everyone inside of each region can see, hear, and 
  smell everyone and everything in the other region, just as if 
  both regions were as close as they appear to be. However, 
  no one in either region can see, hear, or otherwise sense 
  anything outside of the other region and no one outside 
  of the two designated regions is affected by the spell at 
  all. Anyone who steps outside of one of the two regions 
  instantly vanishes to the residents of the other region 
  and also can no longer see the residents of that region. 
  Individuals are free to walk in and out of either regions as 
  they please, unless one or both regions have been warded. 
  Although individuals inside one region can perform 
  sorcery on people or objects inside the other region as 
  if both regions were actually in the same location, this 
  sorcery will be as visible and as easy to detect as if it were 
  actually being performed a few metres away. One of the 
  most useful virtues of this spell is that it is impossible for 
  any external observer to eavesdrop upon it, and because 
  the summoning only affects the minds and perceptions 
  of the individuals involved, recording equipment placed 
  within either location will not record any images or sounds 
  from the other location.   
  Possession 
  It’s frighteningly easy to summon creatures from beyond the 
  walls of the universe to possess someone. Human minds are 
  vulnerable to possession, which is why you always want to 
  wear your wards in the field. However, while most sorcerers 
  don’t talk about the possibility, extra-dimensional entities 
  aren’t the only ones who can possess people, we can too. 
  Reversing the usual order of events and possessing some 
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  alien entity in another universe is often a terrible idea and 
  frequently ends quite badly4. However, crawling into some 
  other human’s brainmeat is a very different, and far easier 
  story. Remote possession of one human body by another 
  human mind (colloquially known as ‘droning’ or ‘puppeting’) 
  is a common tactic by both cults and certain... less ethical 
  OCCINT groups.
  The one upside of this sort of possession is that having one 
  human mind temporarily displace another is less traumatic 
  on someone’s mind and body than playing host to some 
  multi-angled horror. Unless you get them killed while you 
  are driving their body, once you leave, the person you’ve 
  possessed will regain control of their body and will mostly 
  be good as new5. 
  Possession Summoning 
  Level: Three or Four
  The level three version of this spell allows the summoner 
  to possess another human being. The summoner takes 
  possession of the target’s body. The target’s mind goes 
  temporarily dormant, as if the target has fallen unconscious 
  or been placed under anaesthesia. The sorcerer can either 
  perform this spell in the target’s presence, or they can 
  give the target a small item which was present during a 
  successful level three possession summoning ritual. As long 
  as the target remains in physical contact with this item, the 
  sorcerer can cast this spell and possess the target. Casting 
  this spell requires the sorcerer to stand inside a specially 
  made summoning grid. Depowering or damaging this 
  summoning grid instantly ends the possession. The Black 
  Chamber uses small tattoos instead of items to enable them 
  to gain control of targets.   
  While possessing a target, the sorcerer uses their own INT, 
  POW, and EDU and all of their skills, but uses the body’s STR, 
  CON, SIZ, DEX, and APP. If the sorcerer has the correct 
  equipment, they can even perform sorcery while possessing 
  someone. However, the sorcerer has no access to the target’s 
  skills or memories and so may have difficulty impersonating 
  the target to anyone who knows the target well.
  The sorcerer maintains a very limited awareness of their 
  own body while controlling the target’s body. Sorcerers 
  notice if their body is harmed or roughly handled, but 
  short of grappling their shoulder and shaking them, 
  sorcerers who are possessing someone do not notice their 
  surroundings. However, they can end the spell anytime 
  they wish and can also briefly return to their own body 
  without breaking the spell. In the first case, the target’s 
  mind returns to their body 1d3 rounds later, in the 
  second case, the target’s body remains motionless and 
  unresponsive until the sorcerer either ends the spell or 
  returns and begins actively possessing the target. However, 
  for the duration of the time that the sorcerer returns to 
  their own body, they can act normally in their body, while 
  still maintaining a dim awareness of the target’s body. As 
  long as the spell is active, the sorcerer will know if the 
  target’s body is harmed or handled roughly. 
  If the target is injured while possessed, the sorcerer suffers 
  no harm at all, but the pain the target’s body feels hurts. 
  However, if the target’s body dies while possessed, the 
  sorcerer may suffer some backlash from this experience. If 
  the sorcerer knows the target is about to die, she can return 
  to her body without ending the spell, in which case she will 
  feel a brief discomfort at the target’s death. Alternately, the 
  sorcerer could simply end the spell before the target’s body 
  dies, leaving the target to return to a dying body rather than 
  simply never waking up from the unconsciousness caused 
  by possession. 
  However, if the sorcerer is not aware that the target is about 
  to die or wishes to continue to attempt to act right up until 
  the moment of the target’s death, then the sorcerer must 
  make a Luck (POW x 5) roll when the body is killed. If 
  the sorcerer succeeds, they suffer 1 HP of damage in the 
  form of a bad headache. If the sorcerer fails this roll, then 
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  4: The Black Chamber has demonstrated considerable mastery of this approach.
  5: It’s still not exactly fun for the horse. 
  
  17
  they fall unconscious for 1d6 rounds and suffer 1d4 points 
  of damage in the form of an exceptionally bad headache 
  that often results in the sorcerer getting a severe nose bleed 
  or possibly even bleeding from the ears. Being possessed 
  by another human causes SAN loss of 1d6/1d10, just like 
  any other minor possession.  Possessing someone causes a 
  SAN loss of 1d3/1d6, unless the sorcerer experiences the 
  death of the possessed individual, in which case the SAN 
  loss increases to 1d6/1d10. 
  The level four version of this spell allows the summoner 
  to possess non-human entities, including non-human 
  entities located in other dimensions. This spell can be 
  used to possess anything from a residual human resource 
  or a BLUE HADES to the multi-angled alien from an 
  almost incomprehensible dimension. Using this spell to 
  possess a non-human creature that is at least somewhat 
  comprehensible and at roughly humanoid like a residual 
  human resource or a BLUE HADES requires a SAN roll 
  with SAN loss of 1d6/1d10.
  Possessing an exceedingly alien entity, including all 
  creatures from alien dimensions, requires a SAN roll with 
  SAN loss of 1d10/3d10, and so usually results in the 
  operative requiring extensive therapy. Unfortunately, on a 
  few occasions, possessing a residual human resource has 
  proven to be the only way that Laundry operatives can 
  gain access to alien dimensions that are exceedingly deadly 
  to humanity. In addition, possessing a residual human 
  resource can also allow sorcerers to enter terrestrial 
  environments that are simply too hostile for living humans 
  to survive. Plans currently exist for using possessed 
  zombies to deal with a serious catastrophe at any of the 
  UK’s nuclear power plants.   
  Warding
  Basic wards are sufficient for most uses, but there are several 
  variations that operatives may occasionally find useful. 
  Privacy and defensive area wards are recent improvements 
  in warding that all field operatives should be aware of. 
  Mobile offensive wards are a special technique only available 
  to experienced operatives.
  Privacy Area Wards
  Privacy Area Wards provides a barrier to all energy. Light, 
  both coherent and not, cannot pass through the Ward, nor 
  can radio signals, sound, electricity, or any other form of 
  energy of information. Material objects, including people, 
  can freely walk in and out of the ward and feel nothing 
  other than a brief sensation of cold and discomfort while 
  doing so. Actually standing within the boundary of the ward 
  eventually harms the individual, but requires an impressive 
  combination of stupidity and determination. The downside 
  of this type of ward is that it’s impressively unsubtle. From 
  both the inside and the outside, the boundaries of the ward 
  are purest black all across the entire EM spectrum. Anyone 
  who gets a look at the ward from either side will instantly 
  know that something distinctly odd is going on. 
   
  It is also important to remember that activating this 
  ward instantly cuts off all electricity and electronic 
  communications. One of the most inconvenient and 
  potentially embarrassing consequences of this fact is 
  that if the sorcerer is operating their spell from a mains-
  powered desktop computer located inside the radius of 
  the spell, the spell activates, and then instantly deactivates 
  as the power to the desktop fails. 
  Privacy Ward Rules: Adding this option to an area ward 
  raises the POW Requirement by +1. This ward has all of 
  the benefits of a normal area ward, and it also stops all 
  energy and information transfer, but has no effect on non-
  living matter, and no noticeable effect on living matter 
  than remains in it only briefly. 
  Living beings, including both humans and summoned 
  physical beings, that stand with any portion of their body 
  piercing the boundary of the ward for 5 minutes suffer 
  1d2 HP of damage, and they suffer an additional 1d2 
  damage every turn they continue to stand across the spell’s 
  boundary. However, well before the ward causes damage, 
  the subject feels tingling, cold, and then increasing degrees 
  of pain in that portion of their body.  
  Defensive Area Wards
  Defensive area wards allow light and sound through, but do 
  not allow matter of any sort to pass through their boundary. 
  Although an overwhelming force can break through the 
  ward, anything less is kept in or out. The ward turns the 
  kinetic energy of any physical attack that strikes it into a 
  mixture of heat and electricity. Bullets and other small fast 
  objects that strike the field typically vaporise, while larger, 
  slower objects like fists or baseball bats merely suffer minor 
  damage from burns or shocks. It’s important to remember 
  that defensive area wards always work both ways, so you 
  can’t shoot into or out of them any more effectively that 
  your opponents can.
  Defensive Area Ward Rules: Adding this option to an area 
  ward raises the POW Requirement by +1.  The ward both 
  functions normally and also gains 10 points of armour for 
  every level of ward. For example, a level three area ward 
  can stop up to 30 points of damage. However, if the ward 
  is struck by an attack that does this amount of damage or 
  more in one blow, then the attack is stopped, but the ward 
  also falls in a cloud of sparks immediately afterwards. The 
  energy release produced by a falling ward also releases a 
  burst of thaumic energy whose power depends upon the 
  level of the ward. Determine the effects of the thaumic 
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  18
  energy release by finding the level of the spell on the 
  following table and comparing the result to the Effects of  
  Thaumic Energy Discharge table on p. 138 of The Laundry 
  Roleplaying Game):
  Level of  Ward
  Thaumic Energy Released 
  1 & 2
  Equal to level 1 Discharge
  3 & 4
  Equal to level 2 Discharge
  If the attack does less damage in one blow than the 
  armour provided by the ward, then the ward is unaffected, 
  and the object or body part that strikes the ward suffers 
  damage. Touching the ward merely stops the individual 
  from moving forward, and they cannot move past or reach 
  through the ward. Striking the ward with a fist or club 
  causes the attacker’s fist or club to suffer 1 HP of damage 
  due to heat and electricity.  Bullets and other small fast 
  moving objects vanish in a puff of sparks and ozone as 
  their kinetic energy is instantly transformed into heat.
  Mobile & Triggered Offensive Wards
  Offensive wards can be cast on mobile objects like cars 
  or briefcases. Also, while the most basic offensive wards 
  activate anytime the object is touched, sorcerers can also 
  create offensive wards that only activate if someone makes 
  an effort to damage or break into the object. Known as a 
  triggered offensive ward, these wards require the victim to 
  attempt to actually damage the warded object. 
  Someone leaning against a warded car or picking up a warded 
  briefcase would be unharmed, but anyone attempting to 
  break the car’s window or pry open the briefcase would 
  activate the triggered offensive ward. Creating a triggered 
  offensive ward is no more difficult than creating a normal 
  offensive ward and requires no special modifiers or 
  preparations.
  Mobile offensive wards function exactly as effectively as 
  other offensive wards, but are only sanctioned for use on 
  objects and vehicles that are designated vital assets. The 
  only common exceptions are wards that are designed to 
  only affect extra-dimensional beings. 
  Personal Offensive Wards
  Personal offensive wards are also possible, but are also 
  somewhat more difficult to create due to the necessity of 
  creating a stable warding field around a subject that is both 
  flexible and self-mobile. Creating such a ward is also strictly 
  forbidden except for the few rare occasions where they are 
  mandatory. Also, all personal offensive wards of level three 
  or four must be triggered offensive wards, for fairly obvious 
  reasons. 
  Offensive wards do not affect anyone using firearms or any 
  other distance weapon, but anyone or anything that attacks 
  the target with a hand weapon is automatically affected 
  unless they are wearing a sufficiently powerful personal ward. 
  Of course, this spell is also notoriously imprecise. A friend 
  giving you an overly hard friendly punch in the shoulder, an 
  angry child kicking you in the shins, or someone on the tube 
  who is in a hurry shoving you roughly aside in their attempt 
  to make it to the exit faster would all set off the offensive 
  ward. Of course, so would an angry chav attempting to 
  knife you, or any enemy operative who is attempting to grab 
  you and wrestle you into submission during a kidnapping 
  attempt. Using this spell is about weighing risks, including 
  the risk of being called in to see the Auditors. 
  Personal Offensive Ward
  Level: Two to Five
  A personal offensive ward works exactly like any other 
  offensive ward, except that it can be placed on a person, or 
  potentially even on an animal. These wards are cast exactly 
  like any other offensive ward, except that because they are 
  designed to protect a living, self-mobile subject, increase 
  the level of the spell needed to cast it by +1. An offensive 
  ward that would normally be level three would become a 
  level four personal offensive ward. Personal offensive wards 
  can be designed to go off if the subject is touched, just 
  like any other offensive ward, but are almost always created 
  as triggered wards that are only activated if the subject is 
  physically attacked in a manner that does at least minimal 
  damage to the subject.  
  Obviously level two and three personal offensive wards – 
  the equivalent of level one and two offensive wards – are 
  essentially useless, since the subject can almost always see if 
  someone attacks them. Also, while devastatingly powerful, a 
  level five personal offensive ward – equivalent of a level four 
  offensive ward – is exceptionally difficult to create. Level four 
  personal offensive wards – equivalent to level three offensive 
  wards – are more realistic. This type of spell is most often 
  used when transporting a valuable asset through potentially 
  dangerous territory. However, on rare occasions the Laundry 
  authorises its use by agents who are entering situations where 
  they will be only be interacting with either hostiles or other 
  Laundry personnel.  If you are authorised to use this type of 
  ward, it’s certain that you’re really going to need it.  
  Banishment
  Banishment is one of the mainstays of occult security 
  work. The techniques for creating your own banishment 
  weaponry are only considered advanced techniques because 
  they are fairly difficult to perform correctly. Novices should 
  requisition banishment rounds from Q Division, and leave 
  these techniques to more experienced agents.
  
  19
  Homemade Banishment Weaponry
  If you don’t have banishment rounds on hand, or you don’t 
  have a gun, you can make do by engraving the banishment 
  runes on a weapon. Naturally, you cannot engrave 
  runes nearly as small without specialist micro-engraving 
  equipment. The sorcerer must engrave the runes on a 
  weapon by hand, which is a lengthy and difficult procedure 
  and exceedingly easy to mess up. As a result, DIY rounds 
  are only recommended for urgent unexpected events. 
  Always use requisitioned Laundry-supplied banishment 
  rounds whenever possible.
  Banishment Weaponry Rules: When performed outside 
  of a specialised laboratory, engraving banishment runes on 
  a weapon increases the spell’s POW Requirement by +1. 
  Performing this engraving requires 10 minutes per level, 
  and the enchantment remains intact as long as the engraving 
  is undisturbed. Significant damage to the weapon always 
  destroys the enchantment, as does an engraved bullet striking 
  anything. In all cases, the weapon must be metal and must be 
  designed to pierce or cut the target. Banishment runes cannot 
  be engraved on a blunt weapons like a club or a mace. Also, 
  the character must succeed at a Craft (drawing or engraving) 
  roll to successfully manage this feat. If the spell succeeds but 
  the Craft roll fails, the enchantment is useless, but the sorcerer 
  suffers no other ill effects. More powerful banishment spells 
  require more complex engraving. The table below lists the 
  minimum size of an object that can hold a banishment spell 
  of a given level.
  Banishing 
  Level
  Minimum Size of  Object
  1
  Pistol bullet (multiply casting time x 3 due to size 
  and precision required), rifle bullet. See note. 
  2
  Pocket knife, metal nail file, silverware.
  3
  Large sheath knife, bayonet, rapier, short sword, 
  hand axe.
  4
  Broad sword, spear, chainsaw, battle axe. 
  Note on engraving bullets: While possible, engraving banishing 
  runes on a bullet is far from easy and requires a magnifying 
  lens and a specialised engraving stylus with an exceedingly 
  fine point. Both can be easily carried with the operative 
  without arousing suspicion, and without them engraving 
  bullets with even simple level one runes is impossible.
  Advanced Traditional Sorcery & 
  Mental Magic
  You’ve all heard the warnings about using traditional 
  sorcery and especially about using mental magic, and they’re 
  by and large all exceptionally true. Horrible accidents and 
  Krantzberg syndrome are all possible results, and we drill 
  this into junior personnel to keep them out of trouble. 
  However, if you’re reading this and you’re not bleeding from 
  the eyes right about now, you’re cleared to learn the full story. 
  These methods will never be as fast or as safe as computational 
  sorcery, but they are also possible to do somewhat more safely. 
  As always, the key is training and preparation. 
  Note that the Laundry does not provide its operatives 
  with this sort of training and preparation and in fact 
  strongly discourages operatives from pursuing either of 
  these. However, both enemy operatives and external assets 
  sometimes use these techniques, as do a small number of 
  operatives who were recruited after they had previously 
  learned traditional sorcery or advanced mental magic.
  Safer Traditional Sorcery 
  Traditional sorcery is exceedingly dangerous and failure can 
  easily kill the sorcerer or lay waste to their surroundings. 
  There are, however, two ways to largely avoid this problem.
  Sorcerous Pacts 
  The easiest and simplest method is also the least safe – 
  making a pact with some powerful extra-dimensional 
  entity. There are a vast array of powerful extra-dimensional 
  entities who are eager to have agents or pawns in our world. 
  The nature of these deals are exceptionally varied. Many 
  are offers from powerful monstrosities that seek to invade 
  our reality and feast on human minds, and want some help 
  getting through the door to the buffet. 
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  However, sometimes odd entities simply demand regular but 
  often eccentric and seemingly harmless services by their agent. 
  Such pacts can include everything from performing hideous 
  rituals involving human sacrifice to burning a particular sort 
  of rare incense every day at midnight, to hunting down and 
  killing or banishing every entity of a particular type that 
  the sorcerer encounters. A few entities request unusual and 
  highly specific services like seeking out and killing particular 
  sorcerers or stealing specified works of art. As long as the 
  individual faithfully serves the entity, the entity rewards them, 
  both with occasional occult knowledge and also with help 
  casting spells. Specifically, these entities help smooth over 
  the dimensional ripples caused by miscast spells. As a result, 
  traditional sorcery performed by someone who has made 
  such a pact is as safe as computational sorcery. 
  Rules for Sorcerous Pacts: Sorcerers who perform 
  traditional sorcery after having sworn such a pact only roll 
  on the Spell Failure Table if the player rolls a fumble on the 
  spell casting roll, otherwise the spell merely fails to work. 
  Unfortunately, one downside of these pacts is that extra-
  dimensional entities tend to be exceptionally capricious, or 
  at least sufficiently alien that they seem so. If the sorcerer 
  has annoyed or slighted the entity, this benefit may fail 
  to work until the entity has been propitiated. Also, if the 
  sorcerer attempts to cast a spell that directly goes against 
  the entity’s interests or desires, then not only will this benefit 
  not be available, but the spell roll becomes Difficult, as the 
  entity attempts to block the sorcerer’s spell.
  Meticulous Care 
  The other option is far from easy, but won’t get you in 
  trouble with the Auditors. This method is quite simply to 
  be exceptionally careful. This involves double-checking all 
  drawings, carefully pronouncing or recording and reviewing 
  all incantations, and otherwise using exceptional care. 
  Performing traditional sorcery in this fashion triples the 
  time needed to perform traditional sorcery, but in return the 
  sorcerer only rolls on the Spell Failure Table if the player 
  rolls a fumble on the spell casting roll; otherwise the spell 
  merely fails to work. If a sorcerer has made a pact with 
  an extra-dimensional entity and also uses meticulous care 
  when performing sorcery, he gains the above benefit and 
  the sorcery roll also becomes Easy.
  Additional Traditional Sorcery Peripherals Rules
  The origin of some ancient objects of power are unknown, 
  but their utility is not. Some powerful and skilled traditional 
  sorcerers have managed to acquire one or more special items 
  that they can use to enhance their spell casting. The following 
  table lists the sort of items of power that some traditional 
  sorcerers use and the bonuses they provide. The spells needed 
  to enchant an item to allow it to provide bonuses for sorcery 
  are rare and are not currently known to the Laundry.
  POW 
  Bonus
  Type of  Peripheral
  +1
  An ancient item that has been used in hundreds of 
  spells 
  +2
  An especially weak or small alien artefact or a small 
  enchanted item like a piece of jewellery or a dagger
  +3
  An moderately powerful alien artefact or a large 
  enchanted item like an elaborate crown, a staff, or sword 
  +4
  An alien artefact of great power that was specifically 
  designed to be used by for this particular spell.
  +5
  A set of several powerful alien artefacts of great 
  power that were all designed to be used together in 
  traditional sorcery.
  Psychics & Traditional Magic
  Those gifted – or who have developed – psychic talents 
  can work their powers into a spell. Ritual magic draws on 
  the practitioner’s own soul far more than computational 
  demonology, so those with powerful animas can fuel 
  more potent spells. Each psychic talent works well with a 
  particular category of spell or form of spellcasting. 
  If a psychic talent is noted as augmenting a spell, then:
  • 
  Add 1/5th (20%) of the Psychic Talent skill to the 
  caster’s Sorcery skill when casting that spell
  • 
  Add 1/20th (5%) of the Psychic Talent skill to the 
  caster’s INT to determine their effective POW
  • 
  Round fractions down in both cases.
  For example, Simon the Example Cultist has Intuition 
  50%, INT 14, and Sorcery 40%. When he casts a Defensive 
  Binding, he can add 1/5th of his Intuition to his Sorcery 
  (giving him a 50% chance of casting the spell successfully) 
  and he casts it with an effective INT of 16 (letting him cast 
  the spell at Level 3).
  Astral Projection: The ritual practitioner puts her body in 
  a trance, and her body slips out into the astral plane where 
  spells can be seen and manipulated as physical objects. 
  The caster’s Astral Projection skill complements any use 
  of Traditional Magic. Add 1/5th of the caster’s Astral 
  Projection score to their Sorcery skill when they use Astral 
  Projection to build a spell. Note that the caster’s physical 
  body is effectively comatose and defenceless while their 
  higher self is off redecorating the astral plane.
  Aura Detection: A sorcerer with Aura Detection has an added 
  knack for using scrying spells. All Scrying spells are augmented.
  Eidetic Memory: By imprinting the words, gestures and 
  mental constructs of a spell into his memory, the caster 
  can store Spell Macros in their own mind. Their Eidetic 
  Memory skill augments their Sorcery when determining the 
  maximum number of Spell Macros available.
  
  21
  Emotion Control: The sorcerer can unpick psychic ties and 
  unravel knots of magical energy, augmenting their ability to 
  cast Exorcism spells. 
  Empathy: Being able to read and reflect your “partner’s” 
  emotional state can intensify and deepen a Destiny 
  Entanglement, augmenting the casting of such spells.
  Intuition: By sensing upcoming danger, the caster 
  can tailor their Defensive Bindings to the exact threat, 
  augmenting the spell. 
  Mind Control: Reinforcing the terms of a geas with 
  mental conditioning and psychic suggestions makes the 
  geas much harder to break. Mind Control can augment 
  Geas spells.
  Mind Reading: Glamour spells are augmented by Mind 
  Reading, as the caster can subconsciously update and improve 
  the glamour to match the preconceptions of the viewer.
  Mind Shield: By putting some of their own mental 
  fortitude into the ward, a user of Mind Shield can augment 
  Ward spells.
  Precognition: Obviously enough, those with the gift of 
  foresight can also apply it to predictive magics. Precognition 
  augments Prognostication.
  Psychokinesis: Similarly, those already adept at moving 
  things with their mind have an instinctive feel for the subtle 
  warping of space-time involved in Entropy Manipulation 
  spells, augmenting them.
  Psychometry: Psychometry uses similar principles to 
  Sympathetic Magic; both draw encoded information from 
  the quantum level, and one can be used to augment the 
  other.
  Remote Viewing: Remote viewers can augment their Gate 
  spells; if you’re going to call things from beyond the pale of 
  Earth, it’s a good idea to peek on the far side first and make 
  sure you’re calling up the right thing.
  Sensitivity: This talent augments Summoning spells. 
  Effectively, the psychic exposes part of their mind, and this 
  lures exonomes to them. Basically, the psychic equivalent of 
  dangling your feet in the water to attract sharks.
  Telepathy: Telepathy can augment Banishing spells. The 
  caster opens a connection with the target and then channels 
  the banishment through their mind. If it works, it’s a very 
  effective way of getting rid of unwanted entities. Of course, 
  if the banishment fails, then the caster is in direct mental 
  contact with Something Ghastly.
  Enhanced Perceptions Via Mental Magic 
  Some recent research indicates that spells that involve 
  observing other dimensions or which provide other types of 
  alternative sensory information can be considerably more 
  informative when cast using mental magic. The reason is 
  simple: all of the sensory information goes directly into the 
  sorcerer’s sensory neurons, and doesn’t have to be filtered 
  through a display screen, earphones, or even the retinas and 
  ears of a sorcerer using traditional sorcery.  Naturally, gaining 
  access to this sensory information is not recommended or 
  endorsed by the Laundry, but on at least a few occasions, 
  the additional data provided has proven to be exceptionally 
  useful. If you know someone both desperate enough and 
  skilled enough to use mental magic to perform some type 
  of magical scrying, their aid can provide you with details 
  unavailable via other means.
  When performing a scrying spell, or sympathetic magic of 
  level two or higher, the sorcerer is normally reliant on some 
  form of visual display to gain access to the information 
  provided by this spell. Computational sorcerers see the 
  information on the screens of their personal electronics and 
  traditional sorcerers cause images to appear in patterns of 
  reflections of liquids or by subtly manipulating the pattern 
  of light reflected from a mirror or being emitted by a candle 
  flame. All of these methods are roughly equivalent in the 
  amount of detail they provide. However, personal electronics 
  can automatically record these images, which makes 
  replaying them far easier. Regardless of the method used, the 
  resolution and detail are always relatively limited. None of 
  these limitations apply when using mental magic: the sorcerer 
  can see, hear, and even smell images as if their own senses 
  were providing detailed information about the target. 
  Enhanced Perception Rules: If a character is using mental 
  magic to perform either scrying or sympathetic magic of 
  level two or higher, the Gamesmaster should provide the 
  character with more detailed information than they would 
  to other characters using either computational or traditional 
  sorcery. In addition, using mental magic in this way should 
  allow the sorcerer to easily look at and listen to the target 
  from different points of view, providing more information 
  about the location and condition of the target when using 
  sympathetic magic, and giving a clearer image of the nature 
  and extent of the magical disturbance when using scrying.  
    
  Delayed Spells
  There are times, such as when performing a destructive 
  exorcism spell, that being present when the spell takes effect 
  is a remarkably poor idea. Also, even a low-level entropy 
  manipulation spell can serve as an invaluable distraction, 
  but only if the sorcerer doesn’t have to actually be present 
  to perform the spell. Setting up a delayed spell is a relatively 
  simple matter; the sorcerer only needs to arrange the 
  ComPutAtionAL DemonoLoGY
  Computational Demonology
  
  LiCense to summon
  22
  spell so that some crucial last step – like lighting a candle, 
  singing or shouting the last line of a chant, or running 
  a final set of calculations – is not part of the ritual. The 
  sorcerer performs the ritual normally up to that point, and 
  then simply pauses the spell so that the last step remains 
  uncompleted. Unlike creating a spell macro, this process 
  does not involve investing the energy of the almost-
  completed spell into some other form or location. Instead, 
  the spell works exactly as it normally would, in the location 
  where the ritual was performed. The only difference is that 
  the spell goes off at a somewhat later time. 
  Creating Delayed Spells: Creating a delayed spell is 
  relatively easy. Performing a spell in this fashion does not 
  require any more time or POW. Instead, all the sorcerer 
  need do is successfully make a Computer Use, Craft, Fine 
  Manipulation, Occult, or Technology Use roll to set up 
  the delay correctly. The type of roll used depends upon 
  the manner in which the delay is set up. Some sorcerers 
  might set up a delay simply by having the computer they 
  were using to cast the spell perform a specific function 
  at a specified later time. Another sorcerer might create a 
  complex mechanical rig to push a button at the desired 
  time, while a traditional sorcerer might arrange the ritual 
  so that a candle must burn down to a specified point so 
  that its wick will ignite a second candle whose ignition 
  completes the spell. If desired, the sorcerer can make the 
  roll to set up the delay before performing the spell, and 
  have the arrangements in place before attempting to cast 
  the spell. 
  The risk of using a delayed spell is that all of the equipment 
  and paraphernalia needed for the ritual must remain in 
  place and undisturbed until the ritual is actually completed. 
  This limitation means that the ritual components could be 
  disturbed and the ritual interrupted if someone moves, 
  damages, or otherwise interferes with any of this equipment 
  anytime during the period between when the sorcerer set 
  up the spell and the time when it is actually cast. Also, 
  because the sorcerer is not present, disturbing any of the 
  equipment used in the spell in any but the most minor 
  fashion automatically causes the sorcerer to need to roll on 
  the Spell Failure Table. 
  One positive aspect of this type of magic is that the sorcerer 
  is not around to directly bear the brunt of the result of 
  this failure. Unfortunately, some of the worst results of 
  spell failure leave behind problems, like possession, severe 
  hauntings, or open gates that the sorcerer or some other 
  Laundry personnel will need to rapidly deal with. Because of 
  this risk, few sorcerers are willing to set up spells with delays 
  of more than 10 or 20 minutes. However, in theory the delay 
  can be as long as three hours, after which time the energetic 
  changes created by the spell begin to decay, preventing the 
  spell from being cast. The only major limit on delayed spells is 
  that it is not possible to perform a level five spell as a delayed 
  spell; energies of that magnitude cannot be safely contained 
  in this fashion.  
  Spell Macros
  In addition to the various risks, one of the major difficulties 
  with traditional sorcery or mental magic is that they both 
  take a great deal of time. A careful traditional sorcerer 
  takes almost an hour to do what a skilled computational 
  sorcerer can manage in less than a minute and even mental 
  magic take a minimum of several minute to perform. Often, 
  sorcerers don’t have that sort of time. However, there are 
  difficult but useful techniques that can allow a sorcerer to 
  prepare a spell that can be used later, at almost a moment’s 
  notice. Known as spell macros, this technique allows the 
  sorcerer to effectively store a spell for later use. 
  To create a spell macro, the sorcerer must perform the 
  desired spell in manner so that it is almost complete, and 
  then bind up the spell’s energy in such a way that it can 
  be released later. The exact method of storing and release 
  depends upon the level of the spell. Containing powerful 
  magical energies demands more difficult and complex 
  techniques than storing lesser magical energies.
  A stored level one or level two spell can be released simply 
  by reciting a short incantation. Computational sorcerers 
  working for The Laundry are free to make use of level one 
  and level two spell macros as they see fit. Spell macros are 
  especially useful, because the sorcerer can use them even 
  if deprived of all of their equipment. The one use major 
  low-level spell macros have is that the sorcerer can use them 
  even if they are deprived of all of their equipment. 
  Level three and level four spell macros require either the 
  binding of the spell into an item or into the sorcerer’s life 
  force. Given the risk of items containing powerful spells 
  being stolen or set off by hostiles or possibly even by civilians, 
  operatives who plan to bind a spell macro into an item are 
  requested to submit a brief description of the item and how 
  the spell can be triggered to their superior before using it. This 
  paperwork can be submitted after the fact if the operative is 
  out of contact or there are extenuating circumstances, but 
  civilians who are harmed though accidental use of such an 
  item are often cause for a review by the Auditors. 
  Spell Macro Rules: The process of creating a spell macro 
  involves performing a version of the spell where the POW 
  Requirement is increased by +1 and the time needed to cast 
  it is doubled. Any additional modifiers to the spell can be 
  applied normally. Also, depending upon the level of the 
  spell, the sorcerer must have a certain level of skill. See the 
  table below for information.
  Spell level of  Spell Macro
  Necessary Skill 
  (Sorcery or Mental Magic)
  1
  30
  2
  55
  3
  75
  4
  90
  
  23
  There are three ways to store and trigger a spell: the spell 
  can be stored within a short phrase, an object, or within 
  the sorcerer’s physiology. By far the simplest option is for 
  the sorcerer to store the spell so that they merely need to 
  speak a short phrase to activate it. This type of spell macro 
  can be useful for practitioners of computational sorcery. 
  Unfortunately, it only works for level one and level two 
  spells. This incantation requires one round per level to recite, 
  and if necessary, can be whispered. However, the sorcerer 
  must be able to speak in at least a whisper to activate a spell 
  macro in this fashion. 
  Level three or level four spells must either be tied into 
  specially made items or into the sorcerer’s physiology. The 
  first method involves using a mechanical or electronic 
  device, from a 3-D puzzle or a mechanical watch to a 
  mobile phone, which has had either physical or software 
  alterations performed on it in order to enable it to store a 
  single spell macro. These alterations require either writing 
  specialised programs or apps, or engraving the object and 
  applying conductive ink. 
  To activate a spell stored in an object, the sorcerer must 
  then manipulate the item in some specific manner that 
  requires one round per spell level in order to activate the 
  spell. This process could involve everything from entering 
  a lengthy and complex password into a mobile device to 
  resetting a complex mechanical watch to a specific time 
  and date. The downside of this spell is that it only works 
  if the object is intact and in the sorcerer’s hands. Also if 
  someone takes the object and knows how to activate it, they 
  can use the spell instead.
  The other alternative is far less pleasant: the sorcerer ties the 
  spell into their own cellular and neural structure, and the act 
  of casting the spell causes various forms of minor damage 
  that effectively reduce the sorcerer’s lifespan by approximately 
  one hour. Although using this method occasionally causes 
  few sorcerers concern, regular use can add up over time. 
  Also, few sorcerers other than fanatics, the desperate, or the 
  exceptionally driven feel comfortable with paying for their 
  magic with even a small portion of their life. 
  One important limit on spell macros is that sorcerers can only 
  have a limited number of them at one time.  Attempting to 
  bind up more thaumic energy causes the energy bound up in 
  the oldest spell macros to decay. The total number of spell 
  macros that a sorcerer can have is determined by the table 
  below.
  Sorcery Skill
  Total Number of  
  Spell Macros
  01-20
  1
  21-40
  3
  41-60
  9
  61-80
  27
  81-00
  81
  ComPutAtionAL DemonoLoGY
  Computational Demonology
  Improved Mental Magic
  There are also techniques to allow mental magic to be somewhat less obviously suicidal. The key 
  to accomplishing this goal is specialised training. The Laundry does not offer this training 
  because in all honestly, even using these techniques mental magic is still quite dangerous. 
  However, a few Laundry assets in other nations are skilled practitioners of mental magic, and 
  their efforts should not be dismissed.  More importantly, the efforts of enemy operatives who 
  are skilled in mental magic should also not be ignored. Just because you tie a sorcerer up 
  and take away all of their personal electronics and every writing implement doesn’t mean that 
  some of them won’t find a way to use magic to completely ruin your day, even if they aren’t 
  completely suicidal.
  The Mental Magic Skill: This is the skill for using magic solely with your mind. Like the Sorcery 
  skill, it doesn’t improve with experience and can only be increased via training, which can be 
  hard to come by, or, like sorcery, when one of the same five skills that allows an experience 
  check for Sorcery increases to 50%, 75%, or 90%. However, the other limitation on the mental 
  magic skill is that it cannot be increased higher than the user’s sorcery skill. If an operative 
  has a sorcery skill of 40%, their mental magic skill cannot exceed 40% until their sorcery skill 
  increases. This skill provides two benefits. First, the roll to perform mental magic is no longer 
  Difficult, and instead becomes Average. In addition, the sorcerer only rolls on the Mental Magic 
  Side Effect Table (The Laundry Roleplaying Game, p. 132) if the sorcerer fails their mental 
  magic roll. On a successful roll, the sorcerer succeeds and suffers no negative consequences for 
  their action. For the highly trained and exceptionally dedicated sorcerer, mental magic still 
  isn’t safe, but it becomes merely a foolish choice and not an insane one. 
  
  LiCense to summon
  24
  Inefficient Spells
  One of the truisms that applies as much to sorcery as to any 
  other facet of life is that anything that’s possible to design is 
  possible to design badly. There’s a great deal of wretchedly 
  designed sorcery out there and the ratio of good spells to 
  bad is approximately the same as the ratio of any other 
  good code to horrible code. Yes, it’s really that bad.
  Inefficient spells are most often found in one of three cases: 
  amateur occult programmers, hardcore traditionalists, and 
  industrial sorcerers. These days, the most common type of 
  sorcerers using inefficient spells are amateur computational 
  sorcerers who ran into hints of Turing’s Last Theorem and 
  invented sorcery for themselves. Thankfully, such people 
  almost never use or even think of using human sacrifice, 
  and instead attempt to build homemade supercomputers 
  and write exceptionally elaborate code to create spells that 
  could be optimised to perform on a smartphone. There’s 
  a reason that we supply all operatives with basic spellware. 
  We’ve rigorously tested and optimised the spells we develop, 
  and most amateurs don’t even have an idea that such a thing 
  is possible. Instead, you mostly have some overly curious 
  IT professional being amazed that their high-end gaming 
  rig combined with some expensive custom electronics can 
  perform a level two glamour in an hour or so. 
  The other two groups using inefficient spells are usually 
  far more dangerous. The most obviously dangerous are the 
  traditional sorcerers. Some of these people are idiots who 
  found some ragged old grimoire in a used book shop and 
  are out to become the new Merlin. Given the risks involved, 
  we only find many of these people after they’ve manage to 
  kill themselves and maybe a neighbour or two with some 
  minor magical disaster. However, some traditional sorcerers 
  may not know that they’re using spells that could be cast far 
  more efficiently, but they know what magic can do, how to 
  perform it as safely as possible, and they’re either ambitious 
  or driven. In short, they’re would-be dark lords and cultists. 
  Almost none of these people know much occult theory, 
  but they can be profoundly dangerous and the fact that 
  their spells are a lot of trouble to get working just serves as 
  encouragement to kidnapping and murder.
  The third category is the worst of all, industrial magic. Pale 
  Grace cosmetics is the example most Laundry operatives know 
  about, but there have been other incidents, and some troubling 
  rumours that we haven’t be able to verify. Mass producing 
  sorcery is very difficult, especially on an industrial scale. 
  Every occult item operatives requisition from Q Division 
  is a precision made device created by highly trained and 
  highly paid technicians with exceedingly specialised skills. 
  If you want to produce hundreds or perhaps even tens 
  of thousands of items infused with extra-dimensional 
  power, then this sort of highly skilled piecework approach 
  is completely impossible. Instead, even the best occult 
  theoreticians can only manage to create an industrial facility 
  that works like an inefficient spell. However, the fact that 
  this process works on an industrial scale should be terrifying 
  enough. Most of our senior researchers believe that this 
  sort of mass manufacturing will become considerably easier 
  as CASE NIGHTMARE GREEN approaches. Finding 
  and shutting down any such facilities is one of our top 
  priorities. It doesn’t matter if someone is using industrial 
  magic to get rich or because they’re devoted to the idea 
  of summoning a multi-angled horror that wants to eat the 
  Sun, shutting down that sort of magic is one of our top 
  priorities, especially because of the means usually used to 
  cast this type of inefficient magic.      
  Regardless of the reason or the type, recognising inefficient 
  spells is easy. Look for overkill – in many cases, literally. 
  Hundreds of chanting acolytes all dressed in complex and 
  elaborate robes or half a dozen hopeful geeks wiring several 
  stolen super computers in parallel, while connecting them 
  to custom electronics that fill a room, are both near certain 
  evidence of inefficient spells. The fact that your opponents 
  are using such methods doesn’t make them any less 
  dangerous, but it does mean that none of them are going to 
  expect that you’ll be able to cast spells using just your phone 
  and a conductive pen. 
  Inefficient Spell Rules: Spells that have not been optimised 
  require more power and more time to perform. Subtract one 
  from the POW provided by all methods of spell casting. In 
  addition, multiply the time needed to cast the spell by five and 
  divide all positive modifiers by two (round down). However, 
  because of the nature of almost all inefficient sorcery, some 
  modifiers can be increased via various forms of excess. 
  See the two tables below for information on the numbers 
  required for using either additional processing cycles (The 
  Laundry Roleplaying Game, p. 132), or parallel processing (The 
  Laundry Roleplaying Game, p. 133-134) for inefficient spells. 
  Additional Processing Cycles for Inefficient Spells
  POW Bonus
  Time Multiplier
  +1
  x10
  +2
  x50
  Parallel Processing for Inefficient Spells
  POW Bonus
  Additional Sorcerers
  Assistants
  +1
  4
  25
  +2
  64
  625
  +3
  1,024
  15,625
  Exceptionally Inefficient Spells:  Some spells are so 
  inefficient and poorly designed that they barely work at all. 
  But they do still work. Such spells are actually fairly rare. In 
  almost all cases, the sorcerer must be using an inefficient 
  spell and also have some other problem that causes their 
  spells to become even less optimised. Typical options 
  
  25
  include a computational sorcerer using a computer that 
  is having significant hardware or software problems that 
  allow it to run, but cause frequent minor glitches, or any 
  type of sorcerer who is both using an inefficient spell and 
  also attempting a spell on a massive scale using industrial 
  equipment or large numbers of poorly trained workers. 
  The most well known examples of this last type of spell were 
  the various sorts of exceptionally powerful necromancy 
  attempted by the Nazis that were fuelled by the mass deaths 
  in the concentration camps. The Nazis barely knew what 
  they were doing and they also used magic on an industrial 
  scale, so their magic was exceptionally inefficient.  
  In addition to all of the penalties for inefficient spells, 
  exceptionally inefficient spells reduce the base POW 
  provided by various forms of casting by -2 instead of -1 
  and multiply the casting time by 20 rather than by five. Also, 
  increase the numbers needed to obtain various bonuses by 
  another factor of 10. To gain a +1 bonus by using additional 
  sorcerers, an exceptionally inefficient spell would require 
  100 additional sorcerers. In addition, not all of the energy 
  that doesn’t go into the spell simply vanishes. Despite barely 
  working at all, spells of this type still actually work and as 
  a result build up a great deal of thaumic energy. A sorcerer 
  casting an exceptionally inefficient spell must still roll on the 
  Spell Failure Table (The Laundry Roleplaying Game, p. 130) 
  even if the player is successful in their sorcery roll. Subtract 
  20 from the roll for a level one spell and subtract 10 from 
  the roll for a level two spell. 
  Also, if the spell caster would normally be required to roll 
  on the spell failure table, then add +10 to the roll if the 
  spell is level two, +20 to the roll if the spell is level three, 
  +30 to this roll if the spell is level four, and +50 to this roll 
  if the spell is level five. Treat all rolls that are below 01 as 
  01 and all rolls that are above 00 as 00. 
  Sacrificing Goats 
   
  One of the unfortunate facts of magic is that the death 
  and suffering of living beings and especially of intelligent 
  beings contains a great deal of power. This type of spell 
  enhancement is quite rare except among the most fanatical 
  and vile cults. Unfortunately, as CASE NIGHTMARE 
  GREEN approaches ever closer, more such cults appear. 
  Human and animal sacrifices provide the bonus listed below. 
  The “inefficient spell sacrifice” column refers to the use of 
  human sacrifices in inefficient spells. Torturing three humans 
  or animals to the point of unconsciousness due to extreme 
  agony is equivalent to one human or animal sacrifice.
  POW 
  Bonus
  Sacrifice
  Inefficient 
  Spell Sacrifice
  +1
  1 Mammal of at least 10 kg or 3 
  smaller mammals or birds of at 
  least 1 kg.
  1 Human
  +2
  1 Human or 3 large mammalian 
  predators or primates with a mass 
  of at least 100 kg each.
  16 humans
  +3
  4 Humans
  256 humans
  +4
  16 humans
  4,096 humans
  +5 
  64 Humans
  65,536 humans
  ComPutAtionAL DemonoLoGY
  Computational Demonology
  Other Drawbacks
  Traditional magic spells can have other drawbacks beyond being really, really, really time-
  consuming to cast and the risk of having your brain chewed up. Spells may have problems like:
  •	
  POW Damage: The spell drains the caster’s energy, and inflicts one or more points of POW 
  damage when cast. The more POW spent, the more potent the effect.
  •	
  SAN Loss: On its own, traditional magic doesn’t cost Sanity. Oh, a botched spell may wreak 
  havoc on the caster’s mind, calling up unspeakable horrors may be harmful to your mental 
  health, and murdering someone with magic is just as psychologically damaging as using 
  conventional means. Some traditional magic spells, though, involve direct mental contact 
  with extradimensional horrors, and can drive the caster mad even when cast properly. 
  •	
  Ritual Requirements: A spell might require that the caster be an anointed member of a 
  particular cult, or be descended from the Deep Ones, or perhaps the spell can only be cast 
  on a moonless night from the top of a stone tower by a one-eyed Scotsman. These requirements 
  are the occult equivalent of badly written, buggy code. 
  •	
  Exotic Components: While most traditional magic spells require ritual components – 
  pentagrams, virgin’s blood, candles, sulphur and the like – some spells require really 
  specific things. A spell might be keyed to a particular artefact, or require something 
  extremely rare. In this day and age, it’s hard to get dragon’s blood, the eye of a medusa, 
  or the hair of an honest man.
  •	
  Side Effects: A well-written spell cleans up after itself, shunting unused thaumic energy 
  back to whence it came. A badly written spell dumps the thaumic energy out randomly, causing 
  weird side effects like hauntings. Other spells create specific but unwanted side effects 
  when cast. A weather control spell might kill every dog within a mile of the caster; a geas 
  spell might have the side effect of forcing the subject to always speak in rhyme.
  
  LiCense to summon
  26
  The Power of  Traditional Sorcery
  One of the most common attitudes among computational 
  sorcerers, and especially relatively young or at least 
  relatively inexperienced computational sorcerers, is a high 
  degree of contempt for anyone who practices traditional 
  sorcery. Most of you believe the various stereotypes about 
  these sorcerers all being eccentrics with either far too 
  many cats or building handmade altars to ancient deities in 
  their dank and cluttered basement. Also, the vast majority 
  of computational sorcerers consider traditionalists to be 
  fools, mathematically inept technophobes, or simply not 
  particularly dangerous, at least not compared to a skilled 
  computational sorcerer with high end hardware. 
  To be completely honest, much of this is often true. Back 
  before Turing, traditional sorcery was the only type there 
  was, other than mental magic, which everyone knew was 
  either for the insane or the insanely dedicated. Back then, 
  Laundry occultists fought the Nazis using traditional 
  sorcery, and a few decades before that another traditional 
  sorcerer built the Wall of Pain to contain the Sleeper in the 
  Pyramid. However, ever since the mid 1980s, computers 
  have been small enough and fast enough that they’ve been 
  the cutting edge of modern occultism. Most traditional 
  sorcerers are either old or eccentric technophobes. 
  However, the important thing to remember is there’s a 
  big difference between most and all. In the past decade, 
  Laundry operatives have gone up against a number of very 
  powerful and very dangerous traditional sorcerers, and have 
  also worked with an almost equal number of traditional 
  sorcerers who either work for foreign governments or who 
  have become valuable foreign assets for Laundry operatives. 
  So the big question, then, is why are people of obvious skill 
  and dedication still drawing diagrams in chalk, dressing up 
  in fancy robes, and chanting in ancient languages when 
  computers are so much faster and easier?
  Firstly, we’re monitoring the internet, and act quickly 
  to squish any signs of genuine occult activity. Posting a 
  question on the wrong forum attracts our attention. So 
  far, we’ve kept the secrets of computational demonology 
  from leaking out into the public domain, and we anticipate 
  continued success in this area as long as we continue to 
  receive adequate support and co-operation from Whitehall.
  In addition to secrecy, there’s also the fact that computational 
  sorcery is less than 60 years old, and for the first 20 of those 
  years it was very much in its squalling infancy due to both 
  hardware and software limitations. While many of these 
  sorcerers have been insane or incompetent, people have 
  been practicing traditional sorcery for literally thousands of 
  years. There are books out there that we only have rumours 
  of, books that contain spells that we don’t know how to 
  duplicate because none of our R&D types have developed 
  or stumbled upon the symbolic algorithms that allow those 
  particular spells to work. Also, fancy robes and beheading 
  chickens aren’t the only ways to enhance magical power. 
  There are a number of items containing substantial magical 
  power that sorcerers use to enhance their abilities. Whereas 
  you may be relying on a precise and exceptionally delicate 
  laser pentacle to get the extra oomph you need for your spell, 
  some traditional sorcerers use much simpler tools that are at 
  least as effective. A few of the best, or at least the luckiest, 
  are using ancient bronze daggers engraved in various 
  magical languages, jewellery where the stones are faceted 
  and arranged in a precise pattern, or alien artefacts that were 
  given to – or found by – traditional sorcerers during the Iron 
  Age and have been passed down through the centuries ever 
  since. We do our best, but it’s bloody difficult to interface a 
  carved bronze dagger into a modern computational sorcery 
  set-up, and some of the alien artefacts we’ve found are 
  even worse. However, many of these items are quite easy 
  to incorporate into a traditional sorcery spell. Our most 
  powerful magical peripherals are large and delicate, and still 
  can’t rival the power of some of the items that a few of the 
  best traditional sorcerers regularly use. 
  Yes, traditional sorcery takes considerably longer than 
  computational sorcery, and if the sorcerer wants to be 
  remotely safe, it takes longer than that. Also, it takes more 
  work to gather the power needed for a ritual. However, in 
  the hands of a skilled and careful sorcerer those are really 
  the only major differences, and spell macros can help 
  compensate for the time difference. In addition, traditional 
  sorcerers can remain completely off the grid – they don’t 
  need computers and they don’t need to purchase unusual 
  electronic components. Often the first time any of us 
  know that a skilled traditional sorcerer is working is when 
  our thaumometer pegs or we see some unnatural creature 
  slithering towards us.
  Unique Traditional Sorcery Spells
  Even today, there are spells that can be performed with 
  traditional sorcery that have not yet been adapted to 
  computational sorcery. Some relatively simple spells like 
  summoning creatures or energy from another dimension can 
  be created solely using Turing’s Last Theorem. However, other 
  spells are far more complex and while deriving them from first 
  principles is possible, it is also exceptionally difficult and time 
  consuming. Many of the common computational sorcery 
  spells used by the Laundry today were initially developed as 
  projects where practitioners of traditional sorcery worked with 
  mathematicians, philosophers, and computer programmers 
  to create a more stable and reliable version of the spell, 
  adapted for running on a computer. Creating a spell solely by 
  means of a mixture of theory and brute force computation 
  often requires years of work; adapting an existing spell from 
  traditional sorcery to computational sorcery often requires 
  no more than a few months of sufficiently skilled people 
  working on the conversion. 
  The fact that laser pentacles and similar paraphernalia are 
  still used when performing some spells is clear evidence of 
  the legacy that traditional sorcery has left on computational 
  
  27
  sorcery. There are also still a number of spells that have 
  never been adapted for computational sorcery. Some ancient 
  spells, like spells for blessing and blighting crops, are simply 
  no longer necessary. Fertiliser and irrigation are far easier 
  and safer alternatives than spells that can produce three-
  headed intelligent calves or hungry animate weeds if they go 
  wrong. No one has bothered to create computational sorcery 
  versions of these spells, because Laundry operatives rarely 
  need to blight a farmer’s apple trees or sour their cows’ milk6.
     
  Other spells are more potentially useful, but are sufficiently 
  rare that the Laundry has not yet acquired versions suitable 
  for conversion into computational sorcery. In other cases, the 
  spell is known to the Laundry, but is needed rarely enough or 
  is sufficiently difficult and complex that no one has bothered 
  to spend the time and effort needed to create a version of the 
  spell suitable for use by computational sorcerers. The third 
  category of spells are those that cannot yet be replicated 
  by computational demonology, despite our best efforts at 
  reverse-engineering them. Several summoning spells only 
  work when cast using traditional magic, as the summoning 
  protocols used have so far defied decryption. Other 
  incantations use abstruse space-time ‘hacks’ that cannot be 
  encoded into a Universal Turing Machine. 
  Unique Spell Rules: These spells can only be cast using 
  traditional sorcery. The casting time for each spell assumes 
  that traditional methods are used; if someone finds a way to 
  translate these spells to computational demonology, divide 
  the casting time by 20 to determine the mechanical casting 
  time. Each new spell lists a ‘base spell’, which indicates 
  the computational demonology formula that most closely 
  resembles the new spell. Conditions that affect a base spell 
  also apply to those that resemble it. For example, Temporal 
  Viewing has Scrying as a base; if an area is warded against 
  Scrying, it is also undetectable using Temporal Viewing. 
  Blight
  Level: One to Three
  Casting Time: One hour per level 
  Base Spell: Geas
  The level one version of this spell targets a single living 
  creature; the target’s Endurance score is halved for the 
  purposes of avoiding sickness and other natural ailments. 
  It can also have deleterious effects on secretions (milk), hair 
  growth (wool) and reproduction. In a primitive society, this 
  was virtually a death sentence; these days, it means higher 
  medical bills. The spell lasts until the next full moon.
  The level two version of the spell curses a whole field. The 
  spell’s base area of effect is equal to the caster’s POW in 
  metres. Nothing will grow in the field for one full season. 
  Level three mimics the effect of the level one spell, but applies 
  to multiple targets. The base number of targets is equal to the 
  caster’s POW; if the caster increases the number of targets 
  as per the rules on page 134 of The Laundry Roleplaying 
  Game, then multiply the caster’s POW by the number of 
  extra targets. For example, a POW 15 caster could Blight 15 
  cows; a POW 15 caster who increases the POW requirement 
  of the spell by +4 could blight 15 x 81=1,215 cows. 
  Call <ENTITY>
  Level: One to Five
  Casting Time: One hour per level (using traditional sorcery)
  Base Spell: Summoning
  Multiple versions of this spell exist, each one keyed to a 
  different species. Common incantations call upon ghouls, 
  BLUE HADES or lesser exonomes like Feeders in the Dark. 
  ComPutAtionAL DemonoLoGY
  Computational Demonology
  6: If no-one’s reverse-engineered the milk-souring spell, then why is the fridge in the canteen warded?
  
  LiCense to summon
  28
  When the spell is cast, the closest individual of that species 
  is instantly aware of the caster’s location and that the caster 
  wishes the creature to come to him. The spell does not 
  summon or bind the entity in any way – it’s the magical 
  equivalent of a signal flare (or a dinner bell). The spell can 
  cross dimensional boundaries, but cannot summon entities 
  from beyond into our reality. However, by casting a Call 
  spell followed by a Gate, the caster can ensure he lets 
  roughly the right entity through the gate. Even if an entity 
  cannot manifest in our reality, attracting its attention with a 
  Call spell may have effects nonetheless; the direct attention 
  of an alien god is a potent thing.
  The lower-level spells call minor entities (rat-things, ghouls, 
  level one exonomes). Level two spells can call entities like 
  BLUE HADES or PLUTO KOBOLD. Higher-level spells 
  target progressively more powerful entities.
  Curse
  Level: One to Four
  Casting Time: (using traditional sorcery)
     Level One: One round.  
  Level Two: Six rounds
     Level Three: Thirty minutes 
  Level Four: Six hours
  Base Spell: Entropy Manipulation
  The caster of this spell must be able to see the target, or 
  else have a magical link. The traditional version of this spell 
  reduces the target’s Luck score by 20% x the level of the 
  spell; other formulae can target a specific skill, like Sorcery 
  or Firearms. The spell also turns a failed skill test into a 
  Fumble, and a Fumble into an absurd disaster. If the skill is 
  reduced below 0, then any attempt at using it results in an 
  exaggerated and potentially life-threatening fumble. Each 
  time the victim of the spell fails a test of the afflicted skill 
  or characteristic, the spell’s level is reduced by one – so, a 
  level one spell lasts for one embarrassing fumble, but a level 
  four spell brings at least four extremely damaging fumbles.
  Sending
  Level: Three
  Casting Time: 15 minutes (using traditional sorcery)
  Base Spell: Scrying
  This spell allows a sorcerer to send a mental message to 
  anyone they have a sample of. This sample must consist of 
  at least a small amount of the target’s tissue as a magical link. 
  Drops or smears of the target’s blood or saliva and even hairs 
  from their hairbrush or comb all work equally well.
  Performing this spell is relatively simple: the sorcerer 
  casts the spell, and they are then able to talk to the target. 
  The sorcerer speaks and the target hears their voice as a 
  whisper in their head. Similarly, if the target makes an 
  effort to communicate with the sorcerer, the sorcerer can 
  hear any response. Both the sorcerer and the target must 
  speak to communicate, but they can whisper. Today, the 
  vast majority of computational sorcerers regard this spell 
  as a complete waste of time. One major problem is that 
  this spell is blocked by wards, including the personal wards 
  worn by all sensible Laundry field agents. In addition, it can 
  only be used for voluntary communication, and cannot be 
  used to magically eavesdrop on someone. For the past 20 
  years, almost all operatives have considered mobile phones 
  far superior, and even before that, finding and dialling a 
  telephone was generally far easier than spending 15 minutes 
  casting a level three spell.  
  Shrivelling
  Level: Three
  Casting Time: 30 minutes
  Base Spell: Entropy Manipulation
  This is an extremely powerful and lethal spell. It blasts and 
  blackens the target, inflicting 1d4 points of damage per 
  point of POW damage taken by the caster. So, if a caster 
  who willingly takes 5 points of POW damage may inflict 
  5d4 damage on a target. The spell has a range equal to the 
  caster’s POW score in metres. A Shrivelling blast ignores 
  worn armour, but not natural armour (like a creature’s 
  tough hide), wards or defensive bindings. 
  Shrivelling damage usually resembles radiation burns.
  Temporal Viewing
  Level: Two to five
  Casting Time: One hour (using traditional sorcery)
  Base Spell: Scrying
  This difficult spell literally allows the sorcerer to see back 
  in time. To focus the spell, the sorcerer must have either 
  an object from a particular time. This object could be 
  anything from a newspaper published on a particular date, 
  to fragments of a ceramic vessel made 4,000 years ago. 
  The sorcerer casts the spell using this object as a focus and 
  then can see the past at that time, and at the location where 
  the spell is cast. If the sorcerer increases the spell’s POW 
  Requirement by +1, the sorcerer can instead see the area 
  around the object being used as the spell’s focus, at the 
  location where it was back then. This spell provides moving 
  images and sounds of the desired time and place. However, 
  due to the difficulty of maintaining this spell, the spell only 
  works for 4+1d6 minutes, providing the sorcerer with 5-10 
  minutes worth of images of the past.
  When the Laundry initially learned of this spell, they were 
  exceptionally interested in it for forensic uses, but soon 
  abandoned this effort because of the difficulty involved.  In 
  much that same way that opening a gateway to a parallel 
  
  29
  world almost identical to our own is impossible, observing 
  the recent past is far more difficult than observing the far 
  past, and beyond a certain point, the spell is impossible. As 
  soon as Laundry sorcerers realised this, interest in this spell 
  rapidly dwindled, especially since no known spell can see 
  events more recent that five years ago, and seeing events 
  more recent than 50 years ago requires the extreme power 
  of a level five spell. The level of this spell depends upon 
  how far in the past the sorcerer wishes to see. The more 
  recent the event, the higher level the spell. 
  level
  Time
  2
  5,001+ years ago
  3
  501 to 5,000 years ago
  4
  51 to 500 years ago
  5
  5 to 50 years ago 
  This spell only allows the sorcerer to see and hear events 
  in the past. However, there are also stories about a unique 
  and far more powerful spell that allows sorcerers to visit the 
  past, or to either send objects to the past or retrieve objects 
  from the past. There is no evidence that this spell exists, 
  but its possible existence is rumoured to be one reason that 
  researching temporal magic is highly discouraged. 
   
  Voorish Sign 
  Level: One
  Casting Time: One round (using traditional sorcery)
  Base Spell: None 
  The Voorish sign is a hand gesture that invokes certain 
  ancient bargains and attracts the attention of spirits who aid 
  the casting of spells. Casting the Voorish sign increases the 
  effective POW of the sorcerer’s next traditional or mental 
  magic spell by 1/5th of the caster’s own POW. 
  Of course, there ain’t no such thing as free POW – using 
  the Voorish sign costs 1d4 SAN and inflicts one point of 
  POW damage.
  Weather Control
  Level: Two, Three or Four
  Casting Time: One Hour per level (using traditional sorcery)
  Base Spell: Entropy Manipulation
  This spell allows the sorcerer to alter the weather. The 
  sorcerer can affect the weather in an area approximately 
  one kilometre in diameter, and can use the increasing area 
  of effect table (The Laundry Roleplaying Game, p. 134) to 
  alter the weather over large areas. Unfortunately, this spell 
  can also causes less predictable changes in weather patterns 
  up to 500 km away, and mistakes with this spell often result 
  in local rains of fish, frogs, or dark blood-like substances.
  Level
  Weather Alteration
  2
  Any reasonably likely type of weather can be created. 
  A gentle rain could become a thunderstorm, or a clear 
  sunny day, while a thunderstorm could be transformed 
  into an ordinary rainstorm or a raging storm with 
  both hail and lightning. The sorcerer has some limited 
  control over this weather. It is possible, for example, 
  to call a wind out of the east, but it’s not possible to 
  call a wind that hits one aircraft and doesn’t affect 
  anything else in the sky.
  3
  Create any possible weather condition for the season 
  and current weather conditions. Snow in the summer 
  is impossible, as is torrential rain or high humidity in 
  the middle of a desert. Also, vast weather systems like 
  tropical storms are beyond the level of this spell to create.
  4
  As per level three, but the sorcerer has a lot more 
  control over the resulting weather. Want to hit that 
  specific airplane with a hurricane wind? Want to flood 
  just that one house? All doable.
  Many grimoires speak of a more powerful version of this 
  spell that can call up natural disasters like earthquakes and 
  volcanoes, but those may be misunderstandings of the 
  effects of a Call Cthonian spell.
  Wither
  Level: Three
  Casting Time: Thirty minutes
  Base Spell: Warding
  A traditional offensive spell, Wither targets a limb or organ 
  of the target. The caster must be within close range of the 
  target or have a magical link. When cast, the spell causes the 
  targeted limb or organ to atrophy. In game terms, roll on the 
  Major Wound table (see page 65 of The Laundry Roleplaying 
  Game) to determine which body part is afflicted. Casting 
  Wither causes sympathetic feedback to the caster, inflicting 
  one point of damage for every point of Characteristic loss 
  inflicted by the spell. 
  The effects of Wither are permanent until the spell is 
  removed or the caster is slain. Overlaying multiple Wither 
  spells is difficult; raise the POW requirement by +2 for 
  every existing Wither spell currently active on a target.
  ComPutAtionAL DemonoLoGY
  Computational Demonology
  
  LiCense to summon
  30
  In fiction, spies have all kinds of weird and wonderful 
  gadgets. In reality, this is, for the most part, untrue. Spies 
  rely more on training and allies than jetpacks or polonium-
  enriched toothpaste. Yet espionage is not without its 
  colourful gadgets, such as cigarette pack cameras and 
  poison-tipped umbrellas, and occult espionage requires 
  a different set of gadgets entirely. Below are common, 
  uncommon, and rare items used by occult intelligence 
  agencies around the world. 
  Two notes must be made. Firstly, the availability listed 
  for each item is for officers within that agency. If a Black 
  Chamber gadget is listed as Average, then it’s Average for 
  Black Chamber agents, not Laundry officers. Acquiring 
  gear from other agencies is up to the GM to decide, but we 
  recommend increasing the availability for friendly agencies 
  by one step (Easy to Average, for example) and making 
  non-friendly agencies’ availability all but impossible. 
  Secondly, the certification requirements are still in effect 
  regardless of what agency the gadget came from. Of course 
  you can still use it – you’ll just face an interesting series of 
  questions should using that gadget go pear-shaped. (“Please 
  explain to the committee why you chose to use a foreign 
  device that you obviously have no training in. Include why 
  the subsequent deaths should not be attributed to your lack 
  of expertise.”)
  Acquiring Gadgets
  If a Laundry officer comes into possession of 
  a gadget belonging to a rival organisation, 
  things get... interesting. On the one 
  hand, the Laundry wants to maintain good 
  relations with its counterparts. There’s no 
  sense in pissing off the Black Chamber over 
  some minor sorcerous gewgaw. On the other, 
  Q Division are always eager to reverse-
  engineer the technology of rival groups, 
  and some gadgets are worth the risk of a 
  diplomatic incident.
  The 
  trick 
  is 
  to 
  convince 
  the 
  rival 
  organisations 
  that 
  their 
  gadget 
  was 
  destroyed, and then smuggle the intact item 
  back to the United Kingdom without being 
  detected...
  The Laundry
  When it comes to designing and creating non-magical 
  technology, Q Division is advanced, but is not the world 
  leader. Laptops, tablet PCs, and mobile phones from Q 
  Division are one or two years ahead of the curve, but Black 
  Chamber agents regularly have more advanced technology. 
  The Laundry is similarly “good but not great” in regards to 
  creating occult gear. There are so many safety restrictions 
  within the Laundry, not to mention bureaucratic red tape, 
  that the timeline for creating a new magical gadget is twice 
  as long as their competitors. Where Q Division shines, 
  however, is in combining the two – magic and technology 
  – especially with older, more common technology (the 
  banishment round is a perfect example of this). 
  Occult Aerosol Sprays
  Availability: Varies by type
  Certification Required (Esoteric Weapons 20%)
  Arcane dusts are common in magical circles, inasmuch as 
  anything occult can be considered common. Rather than 
  carry a bag of the stuff, Q Division has aerosolised the 
  dusts and placed them in a small self-defence spray cans. 
  These can easily be carried in a pocket or even clipped to 
  keys like a key fob. Each can has enough dust for one to 
  several uses depending on how difficult and expensive it is 
  to make. 
  • 
  Anti-Glamour Spray (1 use per can / Difficult): Pale 
  Grace Cosmetics (The Laundry Roleplaying Game, pg. 
  141) are basically dusts with level one glamours applied 
  to them. Whereas glamour usually provides positive 
  reactions from people looking at you, anti-glamour 
  sprays apply a reverse glamour (p. 11). The subject 
  becomes plain, boring, uninteresting, and best ignored.
  This works well when an agent needs to get lost in a 
  crowd. Spraying on some anti-glamour makes it easier to 
  be overlooked even when someone is actively looking for 
  the agent. Viewers must roll their POW vs. POW 14 to to 
  avoid ignoring the affected individual. Viewers who fail the 
  roll are certain he is not the droid they are looking for. This 
  effect will last up to one hour.
  If Anti-Glamour Spray is used on someone already under a 
  Glamour spell, the glamour’s level is lowered by one: If the 
  character is under a level three glamour, then it becomes a 
  level two glamour. A level one glamour is simply cancelled. 
  smartphone +2 of shiny
  
  31
  • 
  Anti-Zombie Spray (3 uses per can / Average): This 
  mixture of zombie flesh, formaldehyde, and several rare 
  flowers was originally designed to prevent zombies 
  from getting too close. Pour a line of this dust on 
  the ground and zombies cannot walk past it. Since 
  being aerosolized, intrepid agents (or just the damned 
  desperate) have discovered this is pepper spray for 
  zombies. Spray a zombie in the face and it moans and 
  scratches its face in… pain? Anguish? Existential angst 
  at its undead condition? Who cares? The thing that was 
  trying to eat your brain is now busy. 
  There is no roll necessary to spray a line across a floor, as 
  long as the agent has the time. Zombies cannot cross this 
  line and will stand still just past the sprayed area, watching 
  silently (if the zombie is a flying creature, such as a pelican, 
  it will land and wait). This effect lasts for one hour or until 
  someone covers the sprayed line or washes it away (a throw 
  rug or a glass of water are both equally effective at ending 
  the effect). 
  If used to spray a zombie, the character must make an Easy 
  Esoteric Weapons roll. Success causes no damage but the 
  zombie is stunned for 1d6+3 rounds. Unlike pepper spray, 
  the zombie’s face doesn’t have to be targeted specifically; 
  any hit will suffice. The spray has a range of one metre, so 
  enjoy getting up close and personal. 
  • 
  Ibn-Ghazi Spray (2 uses per can / Difficult): This 
  magical combination of grave dust, Amaranth, ivy leaf, 
  salt and certain esoteric ingredients causes invisible 
  things to become visible, even if they are made strictly 
  from  energy. The resulting image is more of a yellowish 
  wire frame model rather than a clear image, but at least 
  it is visible. This spray works on invisible inanimate 
  objects, creatures (living or otherwise), gates, and 
  similar things not normally visible due to their occult 
  nature. There is no roll necessary to hit an invisible 
  creature with this spray, since there’s technically no 
  target to aim at. 
  Agents may have to make a Sanity Check depending on 
  what they’re able to now see. Any situation requiring a 
  Sanity Check still gets that check, but the SAN loss is 
  halved, rounded down (after all, the Squamous Thing From 
  Another World is less scary as a blurry, yellow outline). If 
  unsure of the SAN loss, GMs can default to 0/1d4 (halved).  
  Anything made visible by this spray remains visible for 2d6 
  rounds, less if the dust is washed off. It should be noted 
  that an entity possessing a human or device is not invisible 
  – it is hiding within the brain. Spray this on an agent with a 
  succubus riding her and you’ll just get a dusty, angry agent. 
  The spray must be kept in a lead-lined can, making it a bit 
  heavier than other sprays. 
  • 
  Fairy Dust (1 use per can / Difficult): This magical 
  dust plays havoc with the Higgs boson, or whatever 
  generates mass (this stuff drives physicists nuts). It 
  decreases the object’s weight in our universe, so much 
  so that anything under 50kg will float about 1 metre 
  above the ground. It works equally well on organic and 
  inorganic matter. 
  An agent sprayed with fairy dust cannot fly or “swim” 
  through the air – air doesn’t have the same density as water, 
  so there’s much less to push against – but they can jump 
  up to 10 times their normal range in a strangely slow arc. 
  Agents need to be careful when using fairy dust; a light 
  object such as a mobile phone will likely enter the upper 
  atmosphere if sprayed. Also, the dust affects whatever it 
  covers. That sounds obvious but many an agent has stayed 
  earth-bound while their trainers and jacket get sucked into 
  a jet engine. 
  smARtPHone +2 oF sHinY
  Smartphone +2 of Shiny
  
  LiCense to summon
  32
  Communication Lighters
  Availability: Average
  A combination of lighter and digital audio player, these 
  devices allow secure communication between them. These 
  only come in pairs, and both lighters are required for either 
  to work. When the play button on the lighter is pressed, the 
  wick lights and the audio player begins a looped recording 
  of a specialised chant. This creates a physical channel 
  through another dimension connected to the other lighter. 
  When the second lighter is similarly activated, the 
  connection is open on both ends and sound can carry from 
  one flame to the other, regardless of physical distance 
  between the two. As long as the flame and chant continue, 
  you can speak into the flame and your voice will come out 
  of the other lighter’s flame at the same volume. Since the 
  sound is carried by echo, communication lighters cannot 
  be hacked or blocked by normal technology. However, 
  the communication could be heard if someone aimed a 
  parabolic microphone at the flame. 
  Agents can still light cigarettes or cigars from the flames. 
  If this is done while a channel is open between the two 
  lighters, the other side hears an ear-splitting crackling. 
  Despite orders to the contrary, this is done in almost every 
  training session for new officers. 
  Energy Sink
  Availability: Average
  Certification Required (Repair 20% or Engineering 20%)
  This small, innocuous ivory box plugs into any standard 
  220-volt three-pin socket. Once plugged in, the device 
  opens a microscopic gate to a highly entropic universe, 
  which sucks all of the electricity it can from the wiring 
  it’s plugged into. When plugged into the typical home, 
  this causes a blackout and trips all the breakers and surge 
  protectors. No permanent damage is caused to the wiring 
  or any electrical device or home. Battery-operated devices 
  in the home are, of course, unaffected. 
  The interesting bit comes when connecting the energy sink 
  to a larger power source. With a successful Technology 
  Use (Electronics) roll, the agent can effectively “plug” the 
  sink into a local transformer (causing a block of flats or 
  large building to suffer a blackout) or even an electrical 
  substation (causing rolling blackouts in an entire village or 
  neighbourhood). Failing the roll requires the agent to make 
  a Luck roll. If successful, the agent is fine but the energy 
  sink is destroyed. If failed, the agent suffers 1-5  points 
  of damage and the energy sink is destroyed. Have fun 
  explaining that to your supervisor. 
  Summoning Suit
  Availability: Easy
  Despite all of the policies regarding safety, there are still 
  a regrettable number of accidental possessions and even 
  deaths when summoning entities from other dimensions 
  (any number greater than zero is unacceptable). To cut 
  down on these, Q Division stole a design from EDF Energy 
  and added a few necessary upgrades. 
  The summoning suit is an NBC suit (Nuclear, Biological, 
  and Chemical) combined with a Faraday suit (used by 
  linesmen to avoid shock when working on high-voltage 
  lines) and a mirrored face plate. This insulates the wearer 
  from possession by most exonomes as they cannot find a 
  pathway to your nervous system. 
  An agent wearing a summoning suit could, in theory, walk 
  through an active summoning without being possessed 
  (the key phrase here is “in theory”; no one has been brave/
  stupid enough to try this in the real world). However, this 
  works only with Class One, Two, and Three entities. If you 
  can see a Class Four or Class Five being, it can see you, and 
  if it can see you, it can take you. You have been warned. 
  Laundry personnel hate wearing summoning suits. They’re 
  restrictive, hot, and always smell faintly of cabbage on 
  the inside. Competent sorcerers don’t need these, yet are 
  periodically forced to wear them thanks to changes in safety 
  regulations after some idiot breaches a pentagram and tries 
  to eat his coworkers. 
  Miscalculator
  Availability: Difficult
  Certification Required (Science [Mathematics] 20%)
  Magic boils down to mathematics. Complete a particularly 
  complex equation correctly and you can summon 
  something big enough to eat your head. But it’s more 
  than that. Reality boils down to mathematics. So if you 
  want to disrupt reality and prevent magic, perform bad 
  mathematics. 
  A miscalculator is an application painstakingly designed 
  to get math wrong every time. It runs a continuous series 
  of faulty equations, incorrect operations, and similar 
  mathematical mistakes. (“2 + 2 = 5.16825”). This sends 
  jarring waves through the mathematical underpinnings of 
  reality, disrupting the local thaumaturgical field and making 
  it more difficult to cast spells. Anyone trying to cast a spell 
  within three metres of a running miscalculator has a +2 
  POW requirement added to the spell. If the caster has the 
  miscalculator on him, the POW requirement is +4. The 
  effects of spell failure occur normally. 
  
  33
  Virtual Tillinghast Application
  Availability: Difficult
  Certification Required
  The unearthly harmonics emitted by a Tillinghast Resonator 
  allow agents to perceive things normally invisible to 
  humanity, such as non-physical entities or even magic. 
  However, there are drawbacks. Watching the unseen world 
  is unsettling and makes social skills and bravery much more 
  difficult. The Virtual Tillinghast app trades away some of 
  the benefits to reduce some of the negatives. 
  The application runs on a computer or smartphone and 
  requires a camera. Realtime video recorded by the camera 
  is run through the app, which adjusts playback as if a 
  Tillinghast Resonator was active. The resulting video shows 
  phenomena normally invisible to humans, just like the 
  real thing, and in real time. While not as useful as having 
  everything around you exposed to the resonator’s effects, 
  there are no harmonic vibrations in the air, and therefore no 
  effects on POW or social skills during its use. An operative 
  watching the video is required to make a SAN roll or lose 
  1d4 SAN (only once per use; the operative can look away 
  and back again without having to re-roll). 
  Previously recorded video can be run through this app to 
  see if any ethereal beasties were present when the video was 
  made. Just don’t run porn through the app – you’ll never 
  look at adult videos the same way. 
  Swatch of  Doom
  Availability: Average
  Certification Required (Espionage 20%)
  Watches have always been fashionable with spies – they 
  are ubiquitous, but complicated enough to hide all manner 
  of tools – and officers of the Laundry are no exception. 
  During the mid-’eighties, Q Division created this line of 
  watches specifically for the occult spy. Each Swatch of 
  Doom contains a rotary saw, a garrotte wire, a blasting cap, a 
  microcamera, a small conductive-ink pen and a thaumaturgic 
  grounding wire. It also tells the time. 
  The saw can cut through metal, but its size makes it 
  unsuitable for combat. On the other hand, the garrotte wire 
  is quite useful for sneak attacks. Agents need a successful 
  Exotic Weapons roll to wrap the wire around an opponent’s 
  throat. If the opponent is aware of the attack, the roll is 
  Difficult; otherwise, the roll is Easy. 
  Despite many calls for an update to the design, they continue 
  to look like formerly-trendy Swatches™ with garish colours 
  and plastic bands. 
  Umbrella Shield
  Availability: Easy, Difficult, Hard
  The iconic British black umbrella makes for a perfect 
  defensive item – everyone seems to own at least one, they 
  are not uncommon even on sunny days, and no one looks 
  twice at someone walking down the street with a black 
  umbrella. Plus, it can keep you dry if it rains.
  Opening the umbrella powers the magical runes written on 
  the canopy, activating a kinetic Defensive Binding on the 
  outside of the umbrella and a Protective Ward underneath 
  it. The outside needs to be aimed at the attack in order to 
  take advantage of the Defensive Binding, and the Protective 
  Ward needs to be aimed at the holder (so if you carry the 
  umbrella normally, you are within the Protective Ward and 
  the Defensive Binding protects against falling objects, but 
  not against a bullet fired by someone next to you). Up to 
  two people can be shielded by this umbrella. 
  Umbrella Shields come in three levels, corresponding to 
  their availability. Umbrellas with Level 1 Defensive Bindings 
  and Protective Wards are Easy; Level 2 umbrellas are 
  Difficult; and Level 3 brollies are Hard.
  Seeing a group of agents walking around with umbrellas 
  either means they are going to a funeral in the rain or they’re 
  about to summon something that can punch really hard. 
  Sometimes, both are correct. 
  Random License Number Generator
  Availability: Average
  Certification Required (Drive 20%)
  In regular intelligence services, license plates on cars and 
  trucks are routinely changed to prevent local police and 
  enemy spies from identifying a vehicle. In the Laundry, 
  magic is used instead. 
  This device is a license plate frame covered with mystic 
  runes that cast a level one glamour over the license plate 
  when activated, altering the numbers and letters to those 
  who look at the plate. The new numbers aren’t truly random 
  – there’s always a chance it could come up with the numbers 
  of a stolen car used in a serial killing – but they always 
  register as valid and clean to local police. Characters have 
  no control over what the new numbers and letters will be. 
  Activating the glamour requires little more than running an 
  app from inside or near the car. 
  Currently, the random license number generator only works 
  on UK plates. They do nothing if placed on anything else, 
  such as American plates, credit cards, or lottery receipts. 
  smARtPHone +2 oF sHinY
  Smartphone +2 of Shiny
  
  LiCense to summon
  34
  Direction Centrale de la Securitie 
  Extraordinare (DCRI) - France
  The DCRI is infamously prone to infighting, so there is little 
  standardisation among its equipment. Different departments 
  each source their own arcane gear.
  Planar Miner Bird
  Availability: Easy
  Its real name is the Le Dispositif  D’Alerte de L’Univers des 
  Nouvelle, but most in the DCRI call it the Planar Miner Bird. 
  This device looks like an old-fashioned pager, but slightly 
  smaller and without any buttons – just a single red light (an 
  app is in development, but not available yet). 
  It is very sensitive to changes in the vibration frequency of 
  local matter. If it detects a change, it says, “Attention: vous avez 
  voyagé à un univers nouveau” (“Warning: you have travelled to 
  a new universe”). While wandering through a gate to another 
  world would be obvious most of the time, it can be helpful 
  when wandering exotic places like a network of dark caves 
  or the snowy wilds of Antarctica. When returning to our 
  universe, the device says, “Attention: vous avez retourné à notre 
  univers.” (“Warning: you have returned to our universe”). The 
  volume of the warning can be altered and even put into a 
  vibration mode like a mobile phone. It runs on a simple 
  watch battery that lasts for three days of continuous use. 
  Since only the DCRI is making these, it only speaks in 
  French. 
  Eau D’Hydromel
  Availability: Average
  This spray is derived from the alchemical compound 
  called Space-Mead. Spraying this perfume on a character 
  grants complete protection from vacuum or poisonous 
  environments, such as outer space or poison gas. However, 
  it does not offer any physical protection beyond temperature 
  and pressure. The character could walk on the moon 
  without harm, but would still be vulnerable to weapons or 
  magical energy. The effect lasts 2d6 hours, and the spray 
  cannot be washed off. Characters who use this perfume and 
  venture into a fatal environment without dying must make 
  a SAN roll (1/1d4). 
  The smell is actually quite nice: bright floral, with woody 
  notes and a slightly musky base note. 
  FAMAS-F1 Externe
  Availability: Difficult
  Certification Required (Firearms [Assault Rifle] 20%)
  Much of the DCRI gear is designed to work in non-Earth 
  environments. Yet the French continue to deny that they 
  have an occult foreign legion. This weapon makes it harder 
  for the French to deny it; although they still do, of course.
  The FAMAS-F1 is the standard French assault rifle used 
  in their infantry. This version, however, is designed to 
  work in airless environments, not through technology, but 
  through magic. The barrel and ammo clips are engraved 
  with Enochian runes, allowing them to fire underwater, in 
  outer space, or anywhere – as long as the gun isn’t broken, 
  it can fire. It’s also built to be sturdier than the standard 
  assault rifle, making it a little heavier but harder to break. 
  It’s vulnerable to exorcism: the weapon still functions, but it 
  loses its magical abilities. 
  Special ammo clips also have to be used to take advantage 
  of the magical effect. Other clips can be loaded but, as with 
  an exorcism, the rifle only fires normally.
  Name
  Avail.
  Skill
  Base
  Damage
  RoF
  Special
  Range
  HP
  Ammo
  SIZ
  FAMAS-F1 
  Externe
  Difficult
  Assault Rifle
  15
  2d6+2
  1, 3 or 
  burst
  Impaling
  90
  20
  30
  4
  
  35
  Geheime Sicherheitsabteilung                       
  (GSA) - Germany
  GSA is saddled with the weight of Nazi-era design plans. As 
  can be expected, the Thule Society under the Nazi regime 
  created some rather disgusting occult gear which no sane 
  computational sorcerer would ever use. When the GSA was 
  formed after the war, its leaders decided to scrap all of the 
  Thule designs and start from scratch rather than be tempted 
  to use the admittedly-powerful devices. 
  Sans-Sans-Serif  
  Availability: Average
  Certification Required (Computer Use [Magic] 20% or 
  Sorcery 40%)
  Magic is math; a powerful summoning grid painted on the 
  floor can be mapped to an equation. German demonologists 
  studied the link between spells and geometry until they 
  realised it was the math behind the symbols that held the 
  power, not the symbol itself. It was the unique collection 
  of angles, line lengths, and similar geometry that induced 
  a spell to work. Then, one enterprising young German 
  noticed that fonts used in word processing are basically 
  carefully coded angles, line lengths, and similar geometry. 
  After many failed attempts, she perfected the sans-sans-
  serif font. 
  Every letter in the font is carefully crafted to summon 
  magical energy. That doesn’t mean your message board post 
  ranting about Manchester United will summon a demon, 
  but digital spells written in sans-sans-serif will be more 
  powerful, gaining a bonus of +1 POW to the casting. The 
  same is true for ritual magic, although you must have a hard 
  copy printed in sans-sans-serif; human hands cannot draw 
  the geometry of each letter correctly. 
  Mundane typology using sans-sans-serif isn’t dangerous, 
  but it will read as magical to a thaumometer or scrying 
  spell. The most notable exception is writing an email in 
  this font. Doing so creates an automatic sympathetic link 
  between the two sending and receiving computers – as 
  long as the receiver opens the email and has the sans-
  sans-serif font installed. Otherwise, the sympathetic link 
  doesn’t work. Also, both computers must be POW 14 
  devices; your everyday smartphones or netbooks are not 
  powerful enough to render the strange whorls and angles 
  in sans-sans-serif. 
  GSA has not licensed sans-sans-serif to any other agency, 
  although there are several high-ranking officers in The 
  Laundry who have the font installed on their desktops in 
  their offices. 
  Warded Briefcase
  Availability: Average
  Handcuffing a briefcase to a courier is of little help against 
  determined thieves, as they can easily rustle up a hacksaw; 
  all the handcuff does is mildly inconvenience them and 
  leave you with a one-handed and traumatised courier. GSA 
  has developed a briefcase warded to a particular person 
  much the same way a trigger guard works with a gun. If 
  someone who is not authorised opens the case, a temporary 
  gate appears within the briefcase that sucks everything into 
  a highly entropic universe, and the contents are irretrievably 
  destroyed. The gate exists so fleetingly that catching it open 
  is like catching the light coming on in your refrigerator. 
  Although paper is not used as much anymore in the 
  intelligence services, these briefcases are often used to hold 
  DVDs, memory sticks, or even entire laptops. Whatever 
  an officer puts inside is still destroyed permanently if the 
  briefcase is opened by an unauthorised individual. So be 
  careful where you keep your lunch.
  National Countersubversive 
  Organization (OCN), Section Five - Spain
  Section Five of the Spanish intelligence agency has had 
  plenty of dealings with BLUE HADES. So much so, 
  much of their occult gear seems designed specifically for 
  underwater operations. Section Five denies violating any 
  Benthic Treaty terms, and BLUE HADES has made no 
  complaints (if they did, then Madrid would be beachfront 
  property). 
  Sympathetic Dive Suit
  Availability: Difficult
  Certification Required (Swim 40%)
  This modern diving suit is unique in two aspects. First, it 
  does not include an air tank. Second, the head piece covers 
  the nose and mouth completely, leaving an opening only 
  for a diving mask. How does a swimmer use it? The suit 
  is sympathetically linked to a school of lanternfish kept by 
  Section Five in a pressurised saltwater tank. The poor soul 
  who dons the dive suit shares a metabolism with the deep 
  sea fish, allowing him to breathe in salt water and survive 
  the horrible pressure and cold of the ocean floor for up to 
  six hours. 
  As you can imagine, there are drawbacks. Creating a link 
  between one human and several fish creates disturbing 
  images and instincts in both. A character wearing the suit 
  has his CHA and INT reduced by 2 points each, starts 
  to asphyxiate if he’s not underwater, and craves plankton 
  sandwiches as the sympathetic spell confuses his stomach. In 
  smARtPHone +2 oF sHinY
  Smartphone +2 of Shiny
  
  LiCense to summon
  36
  turn, however, he will be able to operate at the higher BLUE 
  HADES depths. It will take two hours to reach such depths 
  and two more to return, leaving the character with two hours 
  on the ocean’s floor. Much longer and the sympathetic link 
  starts to become irreversible, leaving you with one messed up 
  agent and a school of fish looking for revenge. 
  Section Five reportedly has trouble finding officers willing 
  to wear the suit. Go figure. 
  Gallo Flares
  Availability: Easy
  The magical law of sympathy and contagion does not only 
  apply to objects that physically touch – even events that 
  occur repeatedly in the same order can attain a sympathetic 
  link. Such is the case with the rooster flare. 
  Roosters crow and the sun rises. There is no real connection 
  between the two, but since so many people believe in their 
  congruence, roosters are sympathetically linked to light. By 
  sticking a rooster’s head atop a specially prepared candle, 
  you can create a flare brighter than any torch that lasts for 
  1d4 hours. Unlike a flare, the light is warm and yellow. It 
  can be aimed like a torch or it can shed light as a light bulb 
  – a simple twist of the rooster’s head will switch between 
  the two modes. Just be careful when bringing these on an 
  international mission. We’re not sure which would freak out 
  airport security the most – candles or rooster heads. 
  The Black Chamber - USA
  The Black Chamber is the world leader in arcane gizmos, 
  especially ones that are extremely dangerous to both target 
  and operator. The Chamber relies on remote-controlled 
  zombies and unlucky proxies for the bulk of its fieldwork, 
  so they’re pretty blasé about using disposable agents.
  One quirk of Black Chamber occult gear is that it’s often 
  entangled to individual agents like a trigger guard. If one of 
  their agents drops a gadget, be careful about picking it up. 
  Banishment Grenade
  Availability: Difficult
  Certification Required (Throw 40%)
  Banishment rounds have been around for years. In their 
  stereotypical overkill, the Americans have managed to 
  create a fragmentation grenade that acts like a banishment 
  round – the banishment grenade.
  The grenade is explosive like a frag grenade but inside are 
  hundreds of small silver pellets, each inscribed with an 
  Enochian banishment circuit. Any demon within 4 metres of 
  the exploding grenade is hit with a Level Three banishment. 
  The same goes for possessing entities, although the poor 
  host also takes 4d6 damage from the blast. 
  Unlike with banishment rounds, the thrower cannot attempt 
  to not harm the target; it’s still a grenade, after all. Be careful 
  where you throw this thing. Even though your teammates 
  might not be possessed any more, they will still be plenty 
  angry after they recover. And if they don’t recover, have fun 
  explaining that to the Auditors. 
  Floorcaster 
  Availability: Difficult
  Certification Required (Computer Use [Any] 40%)
  Drawing a summoning grid with a conductive pen is rather 
  modern, but compared to a floorcaster, it is positively Victorian. 
  The floorcaster is basically a Roomba from hell, an inkjet 
  printer on motorised wheels that connects to a computer 
  or smartphone via wireless signal. Once a grid’s arcane 
  symbols are loaded into it, the floorcaster draws that grid 
  quickly and accurately on the floor in conductive ink. This 
  not only cuts the time needed to cast a spell to one-third 
  the listed time (rounded up), it adds +1 POW to the casting. 
  The floor needs to be free of clutter, but the cleanliness or 
  composition of the floor has no effect. 
  Floorcasters run over encrypted Bluetooth, and have 
  onboard memory containing several dozen standard 
  summoning patterns. One warning: If you have this 
  connected to your PC, be careful about that print button. 
  Do you really want the floorcaster drawing greyscale nude 
  pics all over the living room floor in conductive ink?
  Mental Defragger
  Availability: Difficult
  Certification Required (Computer Use [Any] 50%)
  When a hard drive is so full of memory fragments that its 
  performance suffers, people defrag the drive. When a mind 
  is so full of disturbing images that insanity sets in, the Black 
  Chamber can defrag the brain.
  The mental defragger is a combination of high-end PC, 
  electrode skull cap, electroshock pads, video replay glasses, 
  Name
  Avail.
  Skill
  Base
  Damage
  RoF
  Special
  Range
  HP
  Ammo
  SIZ
  Banishment
  Grenade
  Difficult
  Throw
  25
  4d6/4 
  metres
  1
  Knockback
  Thrown
  8
  -
  0.5
  
  37
  and a spectrum of medical data collectors from blood 
  pressure monitors to ECGs. The patient wears the skull 
  cap, pads, and glasses. A trained operative then activates the 
  app and monitors the subject’s health during the process. 
  A combination of directed electroshock and video imagery 
  are used to adjust the patient’s neural pathways; new ones 
  are generated, old ones are burned clean, and the patient’s 
  memory is altered so he can withstand the mind-numbing 
  horrors that come with the job. 
  Each hour under the mental defragger is equivalent to one 
  month of therapy; the potency of any indefinite insanity is 
  reduced by 1d3+1 points. But there is a downside. If the 
  subject goes indefinitely insane again, the subject’s previous 
  disorder will return along with a new disorder. Potency is 
  calculated normally. 
  As you can guess, this procedure is not at all comfortable. 
  Sedation cannot be included, due to its affect on the brain, 
  so a patient can only use the defragger once per day. If 
  used twice in one day, the subject regains all lost potency 
  points plus an additional 1d3+1. The Chamber is also 
  rumoured to use the defragger as a form of enhanced 
  interrogation to pull desired memories to the surface of 
  the subject’s brain, so they can be read by a telepath or 
  forced out with conventional coercive methods.
  Virus Caller
  Availability: Difficult
  Certification Required (Computer Use [Hacking] 20%)
  Computer viruses fulfil many of the criteria for living 
  things: they reproduce, they feed on energy, they react 
  to their environment, and they excrete spam. Which is 
  what makes this nasty piece of occult tech so much fun. 
  It’s basically a USB memory stick, but the memory is taken 
  up by a single piece of magical software. When plugged 
  into a networked computer and activated with a successful 
  Computer Use (Hacking) roll, the spell is cast. Assuming 
  the computer is connected to the Internet, the spell sends a 
  cordial and tempting invitation to viruses across the Internet. 
  Worms, trojans, spam ads for penis enlargement medicines, 
  and the like are summoned to the computer by the truckload. 
  This has two major effects. First, the computer and any local 
  network it is connected to suffers from a massive Denial 
  of Service attack, slowing all Internet activity to a crawl 
  (useful for shutting down a network and making it look like 
  a hacking attack from outside). Second, the computer in 
  question will be infected by lots of viruses.  No specific virus 
  can be chosen to infect the computer, but a character can 
  roll Luck to see if a given virus has infected the computer 
  by chance. The process can be stopped simply by removing 
  the USB stick or by another successful Computer Use 
  (Hacking) roll. The virus caller can be reused any number 
  of times. If plugged into a computer that cannot connect to 
  the Internet, then nothing happens, except possibly for you 
  feeling stupid for making the attempt – as well you should.
  Zombie Eye Drops
  Availability: Difficult
  Certification Required (Computer Use [Magic] 20% or 
  Sorcery 20%)
  Zombies are basically corpses possessed by extra-
  dimensional entities, and can easily be identified by their 
  glowing eyes (of course, easy is a relative term; It’s harder 
  to notice the glowing eyes when ten of them are trying 
  smARtPHone +2 oF sHinY
  Smartphone +2 of Shiny
  
  LiCense to summon
  38
  to rip out your intestines and eat them like pasta). Since 
  the Black Chamber is even more fond of using zombies 
  as human resources than the Laundry, this presented a 
  particular problem for the Americans – until they developed 
  these eye drops. 
  Once placed in a zombie’s eyes, they mask the telltale glow 
  of possession for 1d6 hours as with a level one glamour. 
  However, this glamour is special – even a Tillinghast 
  Resonator cannot get through the glamour. Other signs 
  of zombification can still be noticed – shambling walk, 
  stuttering speech, fingers falling off – but if used on a fresh 
  zombie, it is remarkably difficult to spot as one. 
  The drops are somewhat caustic, and if used on a living 
  person, they cause intense pain and 3 HP of damage (no 
  SAN roll is necessary), although they do turn your eyes a 
  pretty shade of green for 1d6 hours. 
  Exorcist Drive
  Availability: Difficult
  Certification Required (Computer Use Magic 40% or 
  Sorcery 40%)
  Grimoires and mystic tomes are the classic sorcerer’s spell 
  books, but in the age of computational magic, a more 
  modern method has been created. Enter the Exorcist 
  Drive – an external hard drive with the following spells 
  preloaded: Area Ward Level 2, Scrying Level 2, Exorcism 
  Level 3, Binding Geas Level 3, Banishing Level 2. These 
  are given to Black Chamber computational demonologists 
  when prognosticators expect the need for anti-possession 
  materiel (this collection is too big for a memory stick with 
  current technology, but given the advanced tech used by 
  occult intelligence services, it may be possible to store it all 
  on an unreleased, more powerful USB stick.)
  These spells are not applications. A successful Computer 
  Use (Magic) is still required to cast them, and the equipment 
  must have enough POW to cast the spells. The drive itself 
  has no POW and must be connected through a USB port 
  or firewire to a laptop or desktop. Netbooks, smartphones, 
  PDAs, and even the Necronomiphone do not have the 
  POW needed to cast any of these spells. However, it will 
  work if the caster increases the POW through additional 
  sorcerers, elaborate rituals, etc. 
  Please note that if any possessed subject spins its head 
  three hundred and sixty degrees around, then exorcism is 
  not necessary as the person is already dead. Go ahead and 
  shoot it. 
  Extrauniversal Threat Combat System
  Availability: Difficult
  Certification Required (Firearms [Any] 60%)
  In 2007, the US Military cancelled its futuristic Land 
  Warrior program. This program tried to combine armour 
  and weapons with a wearable, networked computer to 
  create a 21st Century soldier. Ostensibly, it was cancelled in 
  favour of an alternative program. In reality, it was bought by 
  the Black Chamber and renamed the Extrauniversal Threat 
  Combat System, or ETCS. 
  ETCS has been redesigned to include a number of magical 
  components, but is still primarily a conventional weapon 
  system. Here are the specifics:
  • 
  Helmet: Includes a HUD visor that can display maps 
  and video from two separate feeds; a wifi hotspot; 
  VOIP; radio; night vision camera; and virtual Tillinghast 
  resonator camera. The character can select up to two 
  videos to show in the visor, which can be done at will. 
  However, if two feeds are used, then the character 
  cannot see normally and must rely on the video. A level 
  2 glamour changes facial details to protect the identity 
  of the special forces soldier. 
  • 
  Body Armour: A ferrofluid armour that provides 9 
  points of armour against kinetic damage. It is also 
  warded with level 3 kinetic, heat, and cold defensive 
  bindings. A cooling/heating system keeps the character 
  comfortable in environments ranging from -20 C to 45 
  C. Underneath the armour is a Faraday suit that acts as 
  a level 1 personal ward. 
  • 
  Feedback Shirt: Provides information on stress 
  levels, blood pressure, and heart rate to the wearer’s 
  commander. This allows the commander to monitor 
  the health and sanity of ETCS soldiers in real-time. 
  • 
  Power: A micro turbine that lasts up to 6 days; battery 
  backup for up to 3 hours. The power system provides 
  more than is needed for the suit alone, and allows one 
  other device to plug in and use the power via USB. If 
  that’s utilised, the suit’s power lasts only 2 days. 
  • 
  Weapon: The ETCS includes a M4A1 fully automatic 
  carbine with under-mounted M203 grenade launcher 
  and laser range finder/missile targeting system. 
  Also includes a video camera linked to the helmet. 
  Banishment rounds and grenades are standard.
  • 
  Computer: The equivalent of a cutting-edge laptop 
  with POW 14 loaded with GPS, satellite maps, VOIP, 
  star charts, a language translator, and apps for Level 
  1 Scrying  and Level 2 Banishment. A Level 3 Area 
  
  39
  ward is also preloaded but must be run manually with a 
  successful Computer Use (Magic) roll. 
  • 
  Food: One small but nutritious ready-to-eat meal is 
  included, as is a canteen and some water purification 
  tablets. 
  The ETCS can be modified for airless or high-pressure 
  environments. A modified suit reduces DEX, Agility, and 
  Dodge by half as it’s difficult to move in a hard suit. 
  The suit is very expensive and useful, therefore it is 
  notoriously difficult to get even if you have the requisite 
  certifications. This means if you see an American wearing 
  an ETCS, you are in a pear-shaped situation and should take 
  the necessary precautions, i.e. run away. The British have 
  their own version in the works, codenamed SALISBURY 
  FIST, but besides a few wonky prototypes, there are no 
  working systems yet. 
  Thirteenth Directorate
  The former Soviet Union had trouble keeping up with the 
  West’s technology. This is also true of their occult agency, 
  the Thirteenth Directorate, which disdains computational 
  magic in favour of traditional sorcery and powerful, 
  inhuman relics. Even though modern Russia has become 
  a haven for hackers and digital scam artists, the Thirteenth 
  Directorate continues to work in the old ways. 
  Blood Fountain Pen
  Availability: Average
  Modern sorcerers use conductive ink pens to draw out 
  their grids and pentacles, then power it with electricity to 
  activate the grid. In the past, however, blood was the single 
  most effective medium to sketch out arcane symbols. Blood 
  calls to the demons living in darker universes. That’s why 
  Thirteenth Directorate officers still use them. 
  It is exactly what one would think it is: A fountain pen 
  filled with blood instead of ink. Simple wards engraved 
  on the pen keep the blood from drying out or coagulating, 
  meaning these pens are just as powerful today as when they 
  were filled (as for how they were filled with blood in the first 
  place … don’t ask questions when you really don’t want to 
  hear the answers.) 
  Blood fountain pens add one POW to any spell cast with 
  ritual magic or sorcery, but not computational magic. This 
  bonus is increased to +2 POW when casting Summoning 
  spells. Please note this does not work with banishments, 
  so plan accordingly or be prepared to have a permanent 
  guest. 
  Mirror of  Purity
  Availability: Difficult
  Mirrors have always held a special place in magic. Being able 
  to view oneself seems magical in itself, and these mirrors 
  take that one step further. They can be any size, from small 
  compact mirrors to full-length dressing mirrors, but they 
  all act the same. If a person or object is possessed, its 
  reflection in the Mirror of Purity will show the possessing 
  entity instead of the person or object. In other words, they 
  are basically low-tech Tillinghast Resonators. You have to 
  look in the mirror to utilise the effect, but at least there are 
  no side effects. Although they are benign and any officer 
  can use it, there are only a limited number of them (the 
  Laundry suspects the method for creating more has been 
  lost, hence the tight security around the existing mirrors.) 
  They are also just as fragile as any standard mirror. Breaking 
  one will give a character more than 7 years of bad luck  – 
  it will create a level 2 rapid thaumic energy release. (The 
  Laundry Roleplaying Game, pg. 138.) 
  The character will also have to explain to both the Laundry 
  auditors and some charming Russian chaps why he broke 
  a delicate occult item, which is probably worse than the 
  thaumic explosion. 
  Scythian Blades
  Availability: Difficult
  Certification Required (Melee Weapons 40%)
  One of the oldest kingdoms in Russian history was Scythia, 
  and these weapons were being made at least as far back as 
  then. Whether they are originally truly Scythian is irrelevant; 
  the Thirteenth Directorate has them all and issues them to 
  officers as needed, making them Russian now. 
  Each is slightly different, but follows the same basic 
  design. A blade of bone, ranging from 15cm to 40cm 
  long, is attached to a jewelled hilt made of leather, bone, 
  and precious stones. The hilt is covered with arcane 
  symbols. The blade itself is mostly harmless to humans, 
  as it is somewhat blunt and hard to sharpen (causing 1d4 
  damage to physical entities with a Difficult Melee Weapons 
  roll) however, its primary purpose is to harm incorporeal 
  entities. With a successful Melee Weapon roll, it causes 1d8 
  damage to non-physical entities. 
  As with mirrors of purity, the availability of Scythian 
  blades is difficult due to their irreplaceable nature. They 
  have significant monetary value as well, but removing 
  even one precious stone from the hilt destroys the blade’s 
  magical effects, turning it into a rare but mundane relic. So 
  try and resist prying off a few rubies to pay for your next 
  holiday trip.
  smARtPHone +2 oF sHinY
  Smartphone +2 of Shiny
  
  LiCense to summon
  40
  Rasputin’s Tea
  Availability: Average
  A strange and most likely illegal collection of herbs, 
  powders, and seeds, which is used to make tea. Any brewing 
  method will suffice. The tea tastes deeply bitter and is 
  usually taken with plenty of milk and sugar. Once drunk, it 
  provides a level 2 defensive binding for your body lasting up 
  to four hours. In addition, the drinker is immediately healed 
  for 1d6 hit points of damage. If there is no damage to heal, 
  the healing effect is lost but the defensive binding remains. 
  There are two drawbacks. First, the tea turns poisonous after 
  a few hours; leftover tea must be disposed of properly (hello, 
  hazardous waste disposal policies!) and the pot/cups washed 
  thoroughly. Second, the tea is addictive. After each cup, the 
  character must make an Easy Luck roll. Success means he is 
  not addicted; failure means addiction. Characters addicted 
  to Rasputin’s tea face no problems as long as they have at 
  least one cup per day, but going without the tea for longer 
  than twenty-four hours requires an Average Endurance roll 
  each day. Failure causes 2 hit points of damage. 
  If the character succeeds on five Endurance rolls in a row 
  (e.g. five rolls over five days), then the character has kicked 
  the habit. Any failure means the character must start rolling 
  for five successes back at one. 
  The Nameless Bureau (MSSNB) - 
  China
  China’s occult intelligence agency is shrouded in secrecy, 
  much like the rest of the Chinese government, but even 
  more so. Therefore it’s very difficult to give an overview 
  of their occult technology except to say they are very 
  interested in the computational side of computational 
  demonology. Chinese government hackers roam the 
  Internet and attack countries world-wide; it make sense 
  then that developing magical apps is a priority and specialty 
  of the Nameless Bureau. 
  Jade Chisel
  Availability: Average
  Certification Required (Computer Use [Any] 20%)
  The keystroke logger is a tried and true piece of digital 
  espionage. Once loaded into a computer, it records the words 
  used by anyone who types on that computer and sends the 
  logs to the hacker’s email. Yet it’s easy to detect those logs 
  being sent by email, which is why most keystroke loggers 
  are hardware: small devices plugged into the computer that 
  record everything. A character still needs to pick up the 
  device in order to read the stolen data, but that’s preferable to 
  the user looking into what’s clogging up his upload speeds. 
  The Nameless Bureau has managed to create keystroke 
  logging software just as hard to detect as the hardware 
  version. The software includes some kind of glamour that 
  prevents the infected computer from noticing it – antivirus 
  software doesn’t see it, the operating system is blind to 
  it, and when it uploads the stolen data, the computer will 
  report that everything is fine with upload speeds. 
  Only a Difficult Computer Use (Hacking or Magic) roll, or 
  a level two scrying spell, can identify the keystroke logger 
  (a level one scrying spell will reveal something magical is in 
  the computer, but given who uses these computers, that’s 
  usually not very helpful).
  Laundry policy is to never open any email from a Chinese 
  sender, let alone any attachments, lest a Jade Chisel get into 
  the network. If you do open a Chinese email, you will have 
  to prove that Jade Chisel is not in your computer. Have fun 
  proving the negative. 
  Trojan Imps
  Availability: Average
  Certification Required (Computer Use Any 20%)
  Imps are Class One exonomes with no physical form. The 
  common version is the Imp of the Perverse (The Laundry 
  Roleplaying Game, pg. 200), but some imps do not ride the 
  neural pathways of a person – they exists solely in the digital 
  world of computers and the Internet. 
  Trojan imps are often carried in memory sticks or in email 
  attachments just like ordinary computer viruses, and infect 
  computers just the same way (the computer must be POW 
  14 or higher – otherwise there isn’t enough processing 
  power for the imp to exist). Once inside, the imp goes to 
  sleep and waits, either until a predetermined time or until 
  the imp’s owner sends an activation code through email 
  or similar means. Then it goes to work. The kind of work 
  depends on the geas put on the imp:
  • 
  Naughty Imp: Forces the computer to download tons 
  of porn, the more disgusting, the better. Get ready for 
  a lengthy criminal investigation should someone spot 
  the real hard stuff on your desktop at work. 
  • 
  Hungry Imp: It “eats” files on the infected computer, 
  as specified by the owner. Specific files can be named 
  before loading the imp, or it can be sent via an app in 
  real time. 
  • 
  Fetching Imp: It downloads and opens a specific 
  file from the Internet. These imps are often used to 
  download spyware such as keystroke loggers. 
  
  41
  • 
  Proxy Imp: Allows the imp’s owner to use the Internet 
  through the infected computer, effectively giving him 
  anonymous access. The infected computer still has 
  records of Internet use–it just looks like someone used 
  the infected computer for it. 
  • 
  Angry Imp: The imp trashes the infected computer 
  before killing itself. This destroys the computer and all 
  files on it, as well as the imp. 
  The imps can be communicated with in very, very basic 
  Chinese through any Instant Message software. However, 
  they are very stupid, and have trouble understanding things 
  beyond their geas.
  To detect a trojan imp, you must cast a level two scrying 
  spell or make an average Computer Use (any) roll. Deleting 
  the imp is automatic once you have identified it – no roll 
  is necessary. Just be prepared for the imp to curse you in 
  Chinese as it gets deleted.
  Fire Vampire Grenade
  Availability: Difficult
  Certification Required (Esoteric Weapons 40%)
  This is not a real grenade. It’s a complex digital device with 
  a summoning grid lining the inside. If it’s thrown your way, 
  however, you might wish it was a real grenade.
  The device is black, egg-shaped, the size of a fist, and 
  covered in red Chinese characters so old that only a difficult 
  Language (Chinese) roll can interpret them. The words are 
  prayers, acting as a geas to keep the entity therein quiet and 
  calm – until the Chinese words are spoken and the device 
  thrown (the words must be recited in Chinese).  Three 
  seconds later, the electronics inside cancel the geas and 
  summoning grid, releasing a very hungry and highly agitated 
  fire vampire (The Laundry Roleplaying Game, pg. 201). 
  The fire vampire immediately tries to possess the nearest 
  human, regardless of the fact that its fiery nature will 
  literally consume the host. Level two wards will prevent 
  possession; level one will tickle the fire vampire as it moves 
  into your brain. The victim of fire vampire possession takes 
  2d6 damage each turn until the creature is exorcised from 
  him, or until death, at which point the fire vampire tries to 
  find another host. If there are no suitable hosts, the fire 
  vampire lashes out at anything and everything. It’s dying, it 
  knows it, and it’s pissed. Possessing or otherwise, the fire 
  vampire will last 1d6+1 turns until it cools down so much 
  that it dies. 
  The character should be confident about his spoken Chinese; 
  many officers have been gunned down while they dithered 
  between ‘high rising tone’ and ‘low falling-rising tone.’ 
  Sympathetic Ink
  Availability: Average
  Certification Required (Computer Use [Magic] 20% or 
  Sorcery 20%)
  The ‘law’ of sympathy and contagion is well understood by 
  all occult intelligence agencies. Those forms requiring you 
  account for every paper clip and staple is not just a callous 
  bureaucratic act. If someone gets a hold of one of your 
  paper clips, they can use a sympathetic ritual to find the 
  location of every other paper clip that shared the box with 
  the first – and whatever papers are being clipped together. 
  The Chinese have developed this clever little number, not to 
  find papers, but to find people with papers. 
  Sympathetic ink is your standard ink (in pen and inkjet 
  forms) made in a very special jar. Each jar has enough 
  ink for roughly two printed pages. It does not register as 
  magical to thaumometers or scrying spells, as it’s technically 
  not magical. It just has a higher than usual affinity for itself. 
  When casting a sympathetic ritual on some of the ink is 
  used, you can find the location of any paper printed with 
  that ink. 
  Furthermore, the spell is treated as one level higher than 
  it was cast. Casting a level one sympathetic spell over the 
  ink produces the same outcome as casting a level two 
  sympathetic spell. The Nameless Bureau uses this ink to 
  write a letter, important memo, or other innocuous printed 
  document, and gives it to a target such as an ambassador. 
  Then the Nameless Bureau sorcerers can easily track 
  where the document is currently located, as well as reading 
  anything touching the paper. 
  Why do you think Chinese restaurants keep handing out so 
  many copies of their menus?
  smARtPHone +2 oF sHinY
  Smartphone +2 of Shiny
  
  LiCense to summon
  42
  The human mind is a vast and churning ocean. Consciousness 
  is like the surface of that ocean. It can be turbulent and 
  treacherous, but it is navigable. Our thoughts dart like 
  sloops across the wavy surface hustling coherent ideas from 
  one port to another. Supper’s done and it’s time to figure the 
  tip? The little HMS What’s Ten Percent of  £5.25? sets out 
  to deliver its trivial but vital cargo to the port of Settling the 
  Bloody Check. A wise captain fixes his eyes on the port of 
  call and does not look over the gunnels.
  Beneath the waves of conscious thought lay the measureless 
  depths of the subconscious. The dreaming mind is an 
  unexplored abyss, carved with bottomless trenches and 
  towering massifs that define the very limits of imagination. 
  A mariner lost overboard might swim forever in the throes 
  of deep rapture and never see the surface again.
  But that sailor would never swim so long. He would not 
  be alone. Dark and ominous shapes silently ply the depths 
  of the subconscious. From above, we glimpse them only as 
  vague, massive shadows that we try not remember. These 
  mindless leviathans swim with ponderous, aimless motion; 
  their mouths fixed open, ready to swallow any Jonah that 
  enters their dreamy realm. Like the nameless gods of the 
  universe, these shapes sit at the heart of the human soul, 
  waiting to feed.
  Want a job?
  The Morpheo Section is a sub-department of the Laundry 
  specialising in dreamworld operations. The sector is 
  simultaneously answerable to both the Medical & Psych 
  department of Human Resources and the Special Projects 
  branch of Arcana Analysis. The agents of the Morpheo 
  Section are officially titled ‘Dream Ops’ or ‘Dreamers,’ but 
  other Laundry generally just call them ‘The Yawn Patrol.’
  The Dreamworld
  Operatives describe the dreamworld with an apt, if ugly, 
  metaphor: The dreamworld is a sewage system. Every time 
  someone sleeps, they flush their toilet.
  Dream operatives are able to consciously navigate the pipes, 
  valves, and drains of this sewage system – hopefully without 
  swallowing too much shit.
  Most people believe their dreams to be the creation of only 
  their own subconscious mind, and usually, this is true. But 
  the sleeping mind is more powerful and empathic than most 
  people imagine. Every individual’s subconscious touches 
  others, creating a vast, interwoven dreamscape. Further, 
  in this dreamworld, time itself is pliant. The imprints of 
  subconscious minds long deceased still shape the landscape. 
  If your dreams take you to the ice floes of the Arctic, this 
  might be the product of your imagination, but it might also 
  be an experience bled over from the dreams of a North Sea 
  fisher or an Inuit hunter or maybe even from Sir William 
  Parry on his 1827 expedition.
  And humans are not the only creatures that dream. Dogs, 
  whales, monkeys, and most higher mammals add to the 
  dreamscape. Other, less benign creatures dream as well. 
  When a Blue Hades slumbers at the bottom of the ocean, 
  or a ghoul naps in its sepulchral den, their ravenous dreams 
  fold into the dreamworld.
  Language in dreams is universal. A speaker may think he is 
  speaking in his own language, but really his subconscious 
  mind is communicating at a primal level. The listeners 
  experience the communication as if they were hearing it in 
  their own language.
  Morpheo Operations
  Operating in dreams is extremely dangerous. In dreams, the 
  human psyche is at its most vulnerable, and the boundaries 
  to other realms of the multiverse are precariously thin. In 
  spite of these dangers, the Laundry still finds enormous 
  value in dream operations. These operations fall into three 
  broad categories.
  1. 
   Morpheo Meetings: Why sit on a plane for ten hours 
  or risk a bad Skype connection to watch a power point 
  presentation? With morpheo meetings and dream 
  briefings, the host and attendees can participate while 
  safely dozing in their offices.
  2. 
  Dream Reconnaissance: The nature of the 
  dreamworld makes it a very effective tool for 
  reconnaissance. If the Laundry needs to know what’s 
  happening on top of Mount Everest or on a ring of 
  Saturn, or even needs to witness the battle of Waterloo, a 
  the morpheo section
  O God, I could be bounded in a nutshell, and count myself a king of infinite space – were it not that I 
  have bad dreams.
  — Hamlet
  
  43
  dream operative can perform a reconnaissance mission 
  to investigate. Unfortunately, it can be hard to parse 
  real intelligence gained in a dream from imaginative 
  intrusion. This makes dream reconnaissance a lot 
  like the Laundry’s predictive branch: the information 
  obtained can be vital, but it is also frequently inaccurate.
  3. 
  Dream Infiltration: Enter the dreams of another, and 
  his mind becomes an open book. If an operative gains 
  the target’s trust, the infiltrator can explore the target’s 
  darkest secrets. Beyond mere information, the target can 
  be influenced as well. Suggestions planted in the target’s 
  sleeping mind can transform into waking action.
  Active Dreaming
  To understand how morpheo operations work, it is 
  important to understand the difference between passive and 
  active dream states.
  • 
  Passive Dreaming: Passive dreaming is what most 
  people experience every night. They fall asleep and 
  their subconscious minds take over. They are little 
  more than spectators as their dreams unfold around 
  them. Often, they wake up and remember nothing.
  • 
  Active Dreaming: An active dream state is what dream 
  operatives work to achieve and maintain. The dream op 
  enters the subconscious realm while maintaining enough 
  conscious presence to control events in the dream, and to 
  have some memory of events when he wakes up.
  Dream Operatives
  Dream ops are troubled people. The ability to navigate 
  the dreamworld requires a blur between the conscious and 
  subconscious mind. Because of this, dream work attracts 
  mentally unstable individuals. On a good day, a Morpheo 
  Section staff meeting looks like group therapy. On a bad day, 
  it could be mistaken for the chronic ward at a sanatorium.
  To help them achieve an active dream state, dreamers 
  consume frequent and large doses of sleep meds (see pages 
  45-46). While the Laundry closely monitors their intakes, 
  operatives still suffer from a high rate of addiction. Of 
  course, addiction to the sedatives and barbiturates used as 
  sleep aids is common, but more surprising is the number of 
  operatives who actually become addicted to amphetamines, 
  having become afraid of sleep.
  In addition to the normal threats to a Laundry agent’s sanity, 
  dreamers become afflicted with a battery of sleep disorders 
  ranging from insomnia to bedwetting. If an agent is found 
  unresponsively stumbling around the Laundry facilities 
  wearing pyjamas and clutching a Paddington Bear, he is 
  assuredly a dream op.
   
  Dream Operative is a new available Laundry Assignment. 
  (Please see Laundry Assignment and Training in The Laundry 
  Roleplaying Game, pages 18-19.) Its associated skills are as follows.
  Morpheo Section Dream Operative: Dream Navigation, 
  Hide, Medicine, Ride, Sense.
  Dream Navigation is a new skill used for dreamworld 
  operations. It is a write-in skill; add it to the end of your 
  character’s skill list after Tracking. The base chance for 
  Dream Navigation is equal to your character’s POW x 3, + 
  15% per Indefinite Insanity afflicting your character.
  Dream Guides
  Entering the dreamworld is a complex and risky process. 
  Often, multiple operatives will undertake a mission together. 
  Sometimes the Laundry needs agents from other fields to 
  perform dream operations; in these cases, the Morpheo 
  Section will appoint a ‘Dream Guide’ to lead the operatives 
  into the dreamworld.
  To use a dream guide, all the dreamers must be physically 
  connected to the guide in the real world. In the security of the 
  Laundry facilities, this is usually accomplished through a web 
  of electrodes linking all the operatives to a central computer, 
  which also monitors the vital signs of each operative. If this 
  technology is not available, a guide can also be used if all the 
  dreamers go to sleep touching one another.
  tHe moRPHeo seCtion
  The Morpheo Section
  
  LiCense to summon
  44
  There are other, darker ways of achieving this connection. 
  In certain opium dens, it is believed that a shared pipe 
  will carry the smokers into dreams together. Similarly, 
  the folklore of a primitive New Guinea culture describes 
  tribesmen having shared dreams by simultaneously eating 
  flesh from the same cadaver.
  To keep the group on the same wavelength, each dreamer 
  must use the same dream aid as the guide. If the dream 
  leader’s favourite way to get to sleep is downing a bottle of 
  Beefeater, the whole group must do likewise!
  Once the group is connected and asleep, only the guide 
  must make Dream Navigation rolls. The other members 
  of the expedition only have to make Dream Navigation 
  rolls if they leave the group, if the guide disappears from 
  the dream, or if the guide’s active dreamstate completely 
  deteriorates.
  Section History
  Like much of the Laundry, the Morpheo Sector has its 
  roots in the Second World War. In the early months of the 
  North Africa campaign, there was a young British officer 
  named Hal Spivey stationed with the garrison near El 
  Alamein. According to reports, Spivey was well-meaning 
  but ineffective. In the summer of 1941, he was found asleep 
  in his tent, and would not wake up. He was diagnosed with 
  sleeping sickness and shipped back to England.
  Four months later, Spivey woke up. In the pre-dawn light of 
  a Thursday morning, he shot bolt upright in bed, screaming, 
  waking the entire ward and terrifying an unsuspecting 
  orderly. When the nurse reached Spivey, he was urgently and 
  animatedly jabbering in perfectly fluent German, a language 
  he had never spoken before.
  By the time the ward doctor reach Spivey, his speech 
  had reverted to English, still punctuated with blocks of 
  German. He insisted that London was in terrible danger 
  – that ‘giant killer rockets’ would soon come crashing 
  down in the city. The doctor diagnosed Spivey with acute 
  hysteria. He assured Spivey that, while the Germans had 
  been bombing the city for nearly two years, the ‘killer’ 
  rockets were an outlandish notion. The doctor sedated 
  Spivey and sent him back to sleep.
  Eventually the story of the remarkable prognostication 
  reached the analysts at SOE. Two specialists interviewed the 
  troubled young man. At first, Spivey was no help to them; 
  he could no longer utter a word of German, and he had no 
  memory of his rocket prediction. But when the agents put 
  Spivey under hypnotherapy, the truth began to surface. 
  During his months unconscious, Spivey’s dreams had taken 
  him many places. Some were familiar – his grammar school, 
  Big Ben, even the south pole – while others were fantastical, 
  and defied the young officer’s ability to describe. Most 
  frequently, though, he journeyed to a beautiful mountain 
  town where he would meet with his friend, Herman. Spivey 
  described Herman as ‘a young boy, like me.’ They would 
  play together in the narrow streets of the quaint town. They 
  would climb to the tops of the snowcapped peaks and glide 
  down to the alpine lakes below. Herman taught Spivey to fly. 
  According to Spivey, Herman was ‘an expert at flying.’ The 
  dreams seemed like a typical childhood reversion, but the 
  agents suspected that there was more to the tale.
  After weeks of therapy and interviews, Spivey was able to 
  describe the town in meticulous detail. ‘A tall church spire 
  stands here, overlooking the lake. On this lane are a Gasthaus 
  and Rathskeller. From the top of the southern peak I can 
  see two narrow lakes and a thickly wooded valley,’ and so 
  on. Likewise, he described young Herman: ‘High forehead, 
  with a strong chin. Sharp eyes and nose, but a little short 
  and a little fat. Always takes lots of cream with pastry.’
  Then one morning, the SOE pair had an idea. They started 
  showing Spivey photos of people and of towns from 
  around Europe. They bombarded the somnipathic soldier 
  with hundreds of images, and when he finally pointed to 
  one and said, ‘Yes, that’s him! That’s Herman!’ the agents 
  stared at each other. Lieutenant Hal Spivey was smiling 
  and pointing enthusiastically to a childhood photograph of 
  Herman Goering.
  
  45
  The dreams were, indeed, a childhood reversion, but 
  they weren’t Spivey’s dreams. Spivey was actually entering 
  Herman Goering’s dreams of his childhood. The town was 
  a vision of Rosenheim, the Bavarian town were Goering 
  had grown up. Through a combination of medication and 
  sorcery, the researchers were able to reliably put Spivey into 
  a dream-state in which he made psychic contact with the 
  dreams of Herman Goering. Through these dreams, they 
  were able to extract crucial information from Goering about 
  Germany’s Messerschmitt jet program and their ongoing 
  pursuit of an atomic weapon. 
  The project’s end was less fortuitous for Spivey. He 
  finished the war deeply addicted to morphine, and the 
  dream operations had frayed his psyche. Though he had no 
  love for the Nazis, Spivey also felt guilty about betraying 
  Herman. In April of 1946, Herman Goering was sentenced 
  to death at the Nuremburg Trials; he committed suicide the 
  night before the sentence was to have been carried out. Two 
  days later, in his parent’s home in Manchester, Lieutenant 
  Hal Spivey also took his own life.
  The Dreamlands
  HP Lovecraft, when he wasn’t revealing 
  uncomfortable truths about BLUE HADES’ idea 
  of date night, wrote several stories about 
  the ‘Dreamlands,’ notably Mary-Sue’s Magic 
  Vision Quest, aka The Dream-Quest of Unknown 
  Kadath. The early Morpheo explorers reported 
  being able to visit a dream environment that 
  closely matched Lovecraft’s descriptions, 
  it has become much more difficult to locate 
  the ‘Seventy Steps of Deeper Slumber’ 
  since 1983. Possibly, whichever dreamer 
  it was maintaining the Dreamlands died, or 
  perhaps such dream constructs are naturally 
  unstable. Others suspect that some force 
  has occupied the Dreamlands and is somehow 
  barring the Laundry from dreaming there.
  Development & (Almost) Independence
  Research continued into dream magic throughout the 1950s 
  and 1960s. For most of the 1960s, the Morpheo Section 
  was largely independent of the Laundry, carrying out 
  experiments in remote viewing, arcane psychedelics, past 
  life regression and psycho-engineering. Some in Whitehall 
  even argued that the Section should be spun off from the 
  Laundry and placed under the control of the SIS, with the 
  intent of developing the UK’s own psychic warfare unit. 
  Battles were waged at the highest levels of government, and 
  in the end, Mahogany Row won – the Morpheo Section was 
  kept under the Laundry’s aegis. 
  However, the development of reliable computational 
  demonology meant that the unpredictable Morpheo Section 
  was forced to play second fiddle to the computer geeks. 
  This loss of funding, coupled with a series of high-profile 
  screw-ups (one of which forced Sir John Rennie, ‘C’ from 
  ’68 to ’73, to resign), meant that the Morpheo Section’s 
  reach slowly dwindled.
  Morpheo Section saw a new lease of life in the last decade. 
  The intelligence community’s growing focus on terrorism 
  called for new ways to track and investigate suspects. The 
  lack of HUMINT and effective ELINT resources in the 
  Middle East forced the spooks to look elsewhere, and 
  DREAMINT was tapped as a potentially vital asset. These 
  days, most of Morpheo’s best dreamers are off scouring the 
  dreamscapes of Iran and Afghanistan instead of exploring 
  the deep dreams of dead races.
  Sleep Aids
  Dreamworld operations range from modestly 
  challenging to downright treacherous. Most 
  operatives utilise some kind of sleep aid 
  to help them achieve and maintain an active 
  dream-state.
  The following table summarises the various 
  aids available to a dreamer, giving the 
  bonuses they grant to all Dream Navigation 
  rolls the operative makes. These modifiers 
  cannot be combined; if an operative uses 
  multiple sleep aids, he only gets the 
  benefit of the highest modifier. This modifier 
  can never be applied to any other skill 
  than Dream Navigation. 
  Example: To manifest an item in a dream, an 
  operative may make either a Dream Navigation 
  roll or an Idea roll. If the operative 
  chooses the Dream Navigation roll, he may 
  apply the sleep aid modifier. If he choose 
  to roll Idea, the sleep aid modifier may not 
  be applied.
  Sleep Aid
  Dream Nav. Roll
  Unassisted
  +0%
  Alcohol
  +5%
  Narcotics
  +7%
  Prescription Drugs
  +10%
  Thaumically 
  Enhanced Drugs
  +20%
  Sorcery
  +3% per spell level
  Artefact
  Varies – Up to +50% 
  for the Silver Key
  tHe moRPHeo seCtion
  The Morpheo Section
  
  LiCense to summon
  46
  Sleep Aid Descriptions
  Unassisted: Though not recommended, it is 
  possible for an operative to go to sleep 
  counting on only his training and instincts 
  to keep enough conscious presence to control 
  his in-dream behaviour. When no options 
  are available, a dreamer can attempt an 
  unassisted operation.
  Alcohol: 
  Drinking 
  oneself 
  into 
  unconsciousness hardly seems like a wise 
  recommendation, but alcohol-induced sleep 
  is easier to navigate than normal slumber. 
  If a character needs to operate in the 
  subconscious and has no other option, a 
  bender is better than nothing.
  Narcotics: Narcotics include any strong 
  drugs the dreamer would take without 
  medical supervision. The best candidates 
  are opiates like morphine and heroine, but 
  some dream operatives have had success with 
  hashish, quaaludes, or even concentrated 
  painkillers.
  Prescription Drugs: The dreamer is in a 
  hospital bed closely monitored by a medical 
  professional. The anaesthesiologist makes 
  certain that the sleep level maintained is 
  ideal for dream operations.
  Thaumically Enhanced Drugs: Similar in 
  process to ‘Prescription Drugs,’ except the 
  otherwise normal drug has been magically 
  enhanced specifically for the purpose of 
  dream operation. The Laundry utilises a 
  number of different drugs for the purpose, 
  but the most common is Pentothol Mysteriis.
  Sorcery: Spells may be used on their own to 
  enhance an operative’s ability to achieve 
  an active dream state. For every spell 
  level applied to the dreamer, they get a 
  +3% bonus to Dream Navigation rolls.
  Artefact: There are a handful of artefacts 
  that can guide the dreamer into a functioning 
  dream state.
  Executing Dream Operations
  There are three types of dream operation: Morpheo 
  Meetings, Dream Reconnaissance, and Dream Infiltration. 
  This section details the initiation and execution of these 
  operations. All of these operations require the operative or 
  dream guide to make a Dream Navigation roll. To aid this 
  roll, most operatives use some kind of sleep aid. 
  Operation Type 1: Morpheo Meetings
  Morpheo meetings are the simplest and safest type of dream 
  operation. Morpheo meetings fall into two categories: 
  standard morpheo meetings, and dream briefings. A 
  morpheo meeting is a meeting set up by a single host in 
  which all the attendees are asleep. A dream briefing is when 
  an active dreamer enters the sleeping mind of a single 
  passive target to deliver information or instruction.
  Meetings
  To establish a morpheo meeting, the host and all attendees 
  must be sleeping at the same time. The host must then make 
  a Dream Navigation roll. 
  • 
  If the host’s Dream Navigation roll is successful, 
  the invited attendees do not need to make rolls. The 
  meeting occurs as planned.
  • 
  If the host’s Dream Navigation roll is a failure, the host 
  sleeps and has a passive dream experience. The invited 
  attendees can still meet in the host’s subconscious with 
  their own Dream Navigation rolls, but the host will not 
  be able to participate in or remember the experience.
  • 
  If the host’s Dream Navigation roll is a fumble, the 
  host must roll on the Dream Navigation Fumble Table 
  on page 49. The invited attendees cannot meet at all 
  and have a passive dream experience until they wake 
  up.
  Once the meeting is successfully established, it may be 
  conducted like any other meeting – except, of course, that 
  it is happening in the subconscious mind of the host.
  Dream Briefings
  To perform a dream briefing, the operative must sleep at 
  the same time as the intended target. The target may be in 
  normal, passive sleep.
  To find the target and enter his subconscious, the briefing 
  operative must make a Dream Navigation roll. The target’s 
  relationship to the operative modifies this roll per the 
  following table.
  
  47
  Target Relationship Table
  Relationship
  Description or Examples
  Dream 
  Nav
  Bound
  Target is bound to operative 
  through a magical link or other 
  thaumic entanglement.
  +50%
  Intimate 
  Connection
  Target is operative’s spouse, family 
  member, close friend, business 
  partner, or immediate subordinate.
  +25%
  Personal 
  Connection
  Target is the operative’s friend or 
  co-worker.
  +10%
  Acquaintance
  Operative has met target at least 
  once.
  +0%
  Known
  Target is known to operative 
  through celebrity, substantial 
  research, or historical renown.
  -10%
  Stranger
  Operative knows minimal details of 
  target, such as might be included in 
  a standard dossier.
  -25%
  • 
  If the briefing operative’s Dream Navigation roll is 
  successful, the operative finds the target and delivers 
  the briefing. This pushes the target into an active dream 
  state so that he remembers the briefing after waking up.
  • 
  If the briefing operative’s Dream Navigation roll is a 
  failure, the operative sleeps and has a passive dream 
  experience. The target is unaffected.
  • 
  If the briefing operative’s Dream Navigation roll is a 
  fumble, the host must roll on the Dream Navigation 
  Fumble Table on page 49. The target is unaffected.
  Twists and Wrinkles
  Though Morpheo meetings and dream briefings are 
  relatively simple operations, complications are still possible.
  A Crasher: An uninvited dreamer may attempt to ‘crash’ 
  a morpheo meeting. To crash a morpheo meeting, the 
  dreamer must successfully infiltrate the dream of the host 
  (see Dream Infiltration). If successful, the crasher has found 
  and slipped into the morpheo meeting, and is present with 
  all the other attendees. Next, the crasher must either conceal 
  or explain his presence. This may be done with a variety of 
  skills depending on the crasher’s intention, but it will always 
  be opposed by the highest relevant skill present. 
  Example: If  the crasher wishes to use Fast Talk to deceive the 
  attendees into believing that the crasher was invited and welcome, 
  the roll would be opposed by the highest Insight at the meeting.
  A Hostile Host: Albeit willingly and through invitation, the 
  host of a morpheo meeting or a dream briefing is aware 
  that their dreams are ‘occupied.’ This means that the host 
  can use any of the defensive tactics listed under ‘Expelling 
  Infiltrators’ in the Dream Infiltration section on the intruders.
  Dream Combat: Usually morpheo meetings and dream 
  briefings are benevolent events, but if tempers get strained 
  there’s no reason the participants can’t start whacking each 
  other as described under Dream Combat.
  Stranded: Given that all participants in a morpheo meeting 
  are willing and aware, a stranding is not very likely, but it can 
  happen. If the host wakes up in an untimely manner and an 
  invitee is not able to escape, he may be stranded in the host’s 
  subconscious until the host’s next sleep.
  Gamemaster Tip: Morpheo meetings and dream 
  briefings can be great ways to introduce 
  information and move a story along. Dream 
  operations of this type are single-scene 
  events. 
  Operation Type 2: Dream Reconnaissance
  In morpheo meetings and dream briefings, the dreamers 
  enter the dreams of a single host. Dream reconnaissance is 
  more complex. The dreamworld is a composite landscape 
  created by the collected subconscious of all dreamers. 
  Through dream reconnaissance, an operative can explore 
  the darkest Congo, trek the frozen wastes of Antarctica, or 
  even scale the slopes of Olympus Mons on Mars. 
  tHe moRPHeo seCtion
  The Morpheo Section
  
  LiCense to summon
  48
  The reconnaissance does not happen in the real world, but 
  in a space stitched together from the collected subconscious 
  of all dreamers. But this collected subconscious is very 
  powerful. The place explored will mirror its real world 
  counterpart with surprising accuracy.
  To perform a dream reconnaissance, the operative must 
  travel through the dreamworld to the place and time to be 
  observed. The more far-flung the point of observation, the 
  more the subconscious mind tries to reclaim the dream. 
  To successfully reach the intended destination while 
  maintaining an active dreamstate, the operative must make a 
  Dream Navigation roll, modified by the combined physical 
  and temporal proximity of the destination according to 
  the following table. Also, if the target destination has an 
  area ward, the Dream Navigation roll takes a -5% modifier 
  for every point by which the ward’s POW exceeds the 
  operative’s POW (for more information on wards, please 
  see The Laundry Roleplaying Game, page 146).
  Dream Reconnaissance Proximity Table
  Physical 
  Proximity
  Description
  Dream 
  Nav
  Accessible on 
  Earth
  The habitable globe – reachable 
  through conventional travel
  +0%
  Remote on Earth
  North Pole, Andes Mountains, 
  Gobi Desert
  -5%
  Inaccessible on 
  Earth
  Underground cities, Marianas 
  Trench, Atlantis
  -10%
  Near Solar 
  System
  The Moon, Mars
  -15%
  Far Solar System
  Saturn, Yuggoth
  -20%
  Milky Way
  Beyond the Solar System but 
  within our galaxy
  -25%
  The Universe
  Beyond the Milky Way galaxy
  -30%#
  Other Planes
  Anything beyond our plane of 
  the multiverse
  -40%#
  Temporal 
  Proximity
  Description
  Dream 
  Nav
  Present
  The current moment
  +0%
  Recent Past
  Within the dreamer’s lifetime
  -5%
  Distant Past
  Before the dreamer’s birth, but 
  within recorded history – about 
  2,000 years BC
  -10%
  Primitive Past
  Before recorded history, but within 
  human experience, dating back to 
  the last ice age – approximately 
  15,000 years BC
  -15%
  Pre-Human Past
  Before the existence of homo 
  sapiens, but within the earth’s 
  age – the Cretaceous period, the 
  Jurassic period, etc.
  -20%#
  Pre-Earth Past
  Before the earth was formed – 
  approximately 4.7 billion years ago
  -25%#
  # - Attempting to reach these destinations is extremely 
  dangerous. See Absurdly Foolish, page 51.
  Example: An operative wishing to journey to present day 
  Jerusalem would have a total modifier of  ‘Accessible on Earth’ 
  (+0%) and ‘Current’ (+0%), so his score is unmodified. 
  On the other hand, an operative hoping to witness the Big Bang 
  would have a total modifier of  ‘The Universe’ (-30%#) and 
  Pre earth past (-25%#) for a total of  -55% Dream Navigation 
  roll. Also note that the ‘#’ symbol indicates that attempting this 
  operation is ‘Absurdly Foolish.’
  • 
  If  the operative’s Dream Navigation roll is 
  successful, the operative reaches the destination and 
  may begin exploration. The hazards and challenges of 
  this exploration should be proportionate to the depth 
  of the quest and the value of the information sought. 
  If, for example, the operative just wants a quick look 
  at the outside of a Dagon temple, no roll beyond the 
  initial Dream Navigation roll is necessary. On the other 
  hand, if the operative wishes to sneak into the temple, 
  they might have to make Hide and Sneak rolls, confront 
  guards, or even avoid terrible creatures.
  • 
  If  the operative’s Dream Navigation roll is a failure, 
  the subconscious mind asserts itself and reclaims the 
  dream before the destination is reached. The operative 
  sleeps and has a passive dream experience.
  • 
  If  the operative’s Dream Navigation roll is a 
  fumble, the host must roll on the Dream Navigation 
  Fumble table.
  The Dream Environment
  On arrival, the dreamer manifests at the target location in 
  the dream as if it was a real place. For the rest of the dream, 
  it is as though he is exploring a real environment – he climbs 
  dream walls with his Climb skill, he translates dream glyphs 
  with Linguistics, and he runs away from nightmare horrors 
  with Athletics. In effect, the dream is resolved using the 
  standard Laundry rules, with a few exceptions; see Combat 
  & Manifesting Technology, below.
  Remote Viewing & Dream Tourism
  To paraphrase the earnest warning at the start of mid-’90s 
  White Wolf books, dreams are not real. The dreamer is not 
  seeing an actual place directly in the dream – he is seeing 
  a gestalt of the memories and dreams associated with that 
  place. If you take a random street in Everytown, USA, then 
  this will actually give a pretty accurate impression of the 
  place, as the dreamer can tap into the memories of everyone 
  who has walked along that street. If you try to scry a random 
  spot in the middle of the Antarctic, though, you’re drawing 
  
  49
  Dream Navigation Fumble Table 
  D100
  Result
  1-25
  Forced Wakeup
  26-40
  Dreamself Death
  41-55
  Nightmare
  56-70
  Lesser Mythos Entity
  71-80
  Greater Mythos Entity
  81-85
  Real World Possession
  86-90
  Gate Opens in the Real World
  91-98
  Dreamself Slips into Alternate 
  Dimension
  99-100
  Greater Cthonic Entity Appears in 
  Dreamworld
  Forced Wakeup: The operative immediately 
  experiences a forced wakeup. The operative 
  should make an immediate SAN check. If the SAN 
  check is a failure, the operative loses 1d3 
  SAN and must take a random Sleep Disorder.
  Dreamself Death: The operative’s dreamself 
  dies from a single event: falling, drowning, 
  being swallowed by a shark, etc. The operative 
  does not suffer the SAN loss for Hit Points. 
  The operative wakes up and must immediately 
  take a random Sleep disorder. The operative 
  must also make a SAN check to avoid  losing 
  1d4 SAN.
  Nightmare: The scene becomes an assault from 
  the operative’s nightmares. This could include 
  a horde of zombies, or giant spiders, or 
  something less obvious, at the discretion of the 
  gamemaster. The nightmare does have the ability 
  to deal Hit Point damage to the operative’s 
  dreamself and should be life threatening.
  Lesser Mythos Entity: One or more lesser 
  entities enter the operative’s dream. The 
  operative is exposed to the sanity effects of 
  seeing the creature, and must attempt to evade 
  or combat the creature in the dreamworld. If the 
  operative is part of a group dream operation, the 
  entire group is confronted with the creature or 
  creatures, and the gamemaster should introduce 
  enough creatures to threaten the party. 
  Greater Mythos Entity: A greater entity enters 
  the operative’s dream.
  Real World Possession: The operative immediately 
  experiences a forced wakeup and is possessed by 
  a level three non-physical entity. 
  Gate Opens in the Real World: The operative 
  immediately experiences a forced wakeup as 
  described above. Once awake, the operative 
  discovers his closet, bed, bathroom, or other 
  large nearby object has been transformed into 
  a type three gate to a random dimension. 
  Dreamself Slips into Alternate Dimension: The 
  operative stumbles out of the dreamworld and 
  into some alternate dimension or series of 
  dimensions. 
  Greater Cthonic Entity Appears: If a dream 
  operation goes unbelievably pear-shaped, the 
  operative might somehow stumble upon a Great 
  Old One or even an Outer God. If he is part 
  of a group, the group is left behind. The good 
  news is that the operative’s mind shuts down 
  while his dreamself is devoured. The operative 
  immediately wakes and must make a SAN check 
  with a SAN cost of (1d10/4d10). The operative 
  gains +1d10 to the Cthulhu Mythos skill.
  on the dreams of passing penguins and shoggoths and will 
  be unlikely get anything useful. 
  Dreaming of well-known locations is also problematic. If 
  you try dreaming of, say, Chernobyl, you’ll not only tap 
  into the dreams of scientists monitoring the containment 
  facilities, of people who used live nearby, and of passing 
  wildlife, but you’ll also get interference from the dreams of 
  people who haven’t been there, but have had nightmares 
  about nuclear fallout. 
  Obscure and unvisited locations are even iffier, as then 
  you’re relying on the dream-memories of the few people 
  who’ve been there. A dreamer could try to dream his way 
  into the Black Chamber’s deepest dungeon, but the only 
  people who dream of that accurately are the people who’ve 
  been there, and you don’t generally want to touch their 
  minds. Similarly, if you try dreaming about the beginning of 
  the universe, well... the only witnesses to that event who are 
  still around are very, very, very, very old and very, very, very, 
  very, very, seriously-we-don’t-have-enough-space-to-stick-
  in-the-right-number-of-veries dangerous. 
  Dream Reconnaissance operations can happen 
  as quick single scenes or they can be more 
  protracted 
  events. 
  Avoid 
  circumstances 
  where a single operative is having a lengthy 
  dream sequence while the other players 
  look on; if the recon looks challenging or 
  lengthy, encourage the party to perform the 
  operation together, using the most skilled 
  character as a dream guide.
  tHe moRPHeo seCtion
  The Morpheo Section
  
  LiCense to summon
  50
  Operation Type 3: Dream Infiltration
  A skilled dreamer can enter someone else’s dreams to gather 
  information and even influence his waking life. The target 
  is either unaware of the infiltrators or believes them to be 
  normal characters of their dreams produced by his own 
  subconscious mind. 
  To infiltrate a target’s dreams, the operative must sleep at 
  the same time as the target. He must then travel through the 
  dreamworld into the target’s dream. 
  To successfully find and enter the target’s dream while 
  maintaining an active dreamstate, the operative must make 
  a Dream Navigation roll, modified by the target’s race and 
  relationship to the operative, according to the following table.
  Dream Infiltration Modifiers
  Relationship
  Description or Examples
  Dream 
  Nav
  Bound
  Target is bound to operative through 
  some kind of geas or other thaumic 
  entanglement.
  +50%
  Intimate 
  Connection
  Target is operative’s spouse, family 
  member, close friend, business partner, 
  or immediate subordinate.
  +25%
  Personal 
  Connection
  Target is the operative’s friend or 
  co-worker.
  +10%
  Acquaintance
  Operative has met target at least 
  once.
  +0%
  Known
  Target is known to operative 
  through celebrity, substantial 
  research, or historical renown.
  -10%
  Stranger
  Operative knows minimal details of 
  target such as might be included in a 
  standard dossier.
  -25%
  Race
  Description or Examples
  Dream 
  Nav
  Animal
  Most mammals and birds
  -10%
  Parahuman
  Ghoul, BLUE HADES hybrid, 
  ASTERION SNARL
  -10%
  Autonome
  DEEP SEVEN, PLUTO KOBOLD, 
  ANNING BLUE SKULL
  -20%
  Exonome 
  (Level 1 - 3)
  Summoned entity
  -30%#
  Gods 
  (Level 4+)
  Cthulhu
  -50%#
  Other
  Description or Examples
  Dream 
  Nav
  Warded
  Target is protected with a personal 
  ward.
  -10% 
  per 
  spell 
  level@
  Deceased
  Target was once living, but is 
  deceased.
  -15%
  # - Attempting to reach these destinations is extremely dangerous. 
  For more information see Absurdly Foolish.
  @ - For more information on wards, see The Laundry 
  Roleplaying Game, page 146.
  Infiltrating Other Races
  Though difficult, it is possible to infiltrate the dreams of 
  inhuman creatures. From dogs and cats to BLUE HADES, 
  many creatures dream. In a line that inspires fear in dream 
  operatives, Lovecraft himself wrote, “In his house at R’lyeh 
  sleeping Cthulhu waits dreaming.”
  Infiltrating the dreams of a creature from another race 
  works the same as human infiltration, with the following 
  exceptions. First, the Dream Navigation roll takes a modifier 
  
  51
  as listed in the Dream Infiltration Modifiers Table. Second, 
  when an operative successfully infiltrates the dreams of an 
  inhuman creature, the operative is brought face to face with 
  that creature, causing an immediate SAN check.
  Using Infiltration
  Once an operative has successfully infiltrated a target’s 
  dreams, he can influence the target in a variety of ways. He 
  can use skills like Fast-Talk or Bargain to get information 
  from the target; once he has won the target’s trust, a skill 
  like Command or Persuade might be employed to implant 
  suggestions that could affect real-world behaviour. The 
  target, who is presumably dreaming passively, will only be 
  able to recall glimpses of the experience. Depending on the 
  skill and tactic used, the target may oppose the roll, with 
  Insight or Sense or another appropriate skill.
  Generally speaking, rolling against the target constitutes a 
  single dream scene. A failed roll means the target does not 
  give up the information or accept the suggestion, but does 
  not become hostile to the operative. The operative will have 
  to try a new tactic.
  If a skill roll against the target is a fumble, the target becomes 
  hostile to the infiltrators and may remove the invaders as 
  though aware of the infiltration, as described below. The 
  target will now be immune to all future infiltration attempts 
  from this operative.
  Possession
  The most invasive use of Dream Infiltration is possession. 
  In possession, the operative wakes the target up and 
  controls his waking body and actions. To establish 
  possession, the operative must first perform a successful 
  infiltration, as above, then make an additional ‘possession’ 
  roll, resolved as a POW vs. POW contest on the Resistance 
  table.
  • 
  If  the operative’s opposed roll is a success, the 
  operative possesses the sleeping body of the target. 
  When the body wakes, the operative may use it 
  as his own, while his own body stays asleep. The 
  target’s psyche is still present and aware of what is 
  happening, but unable to intervene. The operative 
  retains his own mental stats and skills, while using the 
  target’s physical stats (STR and CON, for example). 
  As long the operative has control of the target body, 
  any damage the target takes acts as damage to the 
  operative’s dreamself per the rules of dream combat. 
  The operative risks losing SAN for every Hit Point of 
  damage the target’s body sustains.
  • 
  If  the operative’s opposed roll is a failure, the 
  target instantly becomes aware of the infiltration and 
  may immediately take action to expel the infiltrator, as 
  described below. The target will now be immune to all 
  future infiltration attempts from this operative.
  ‘Absurdly Foolish’
  Anytime a dreamer tackles an operation with 
  a ‘#’ notation, they are attempting something 
  genuinely stupid. It is almost impossible 
  to get Laundry permission to attempt these 
  operations, 
  and 
  doing 
  so 
  is 
  incredibly 
  dangerous.
  Dream Operation
  SAN Loss
  Beyond the Galaxy
  0/1d4
  An Alternate Plane of 
  the Mulitverse
  1d3/1d10
  Pre-Humanity Past
  0/1d3
  Pre-Earth Past
  1/1d6
  Infiltrating an Inhuman 
  Entity’s Dream
  Per the Entity 
  (as if seeing them) 
  Success: Succeeding an absurdly foolish Dream 
  Navigation roll is a mixed blessing. The dreamer 
  successfully 
  performs 
  the 
  reconnaissance 
  or infiltration, but doing so exposes the 
  operative’s psyche to mind-shaking forces. The 
  operative must make a SAN check for performing 
  the operation, per the above table. 
  If more than one category applies, the 
  operative need only make the SAN check once, 
  for the category with the highest loss.
  Failure: Failing an absurdly foolish Dream 
  Navigation 
  roll 
  is 
  usually 
  better 
  than 
  succeeding. Failure means the dreamer was 
  unable to perform the operation, and his psyche 
  was not confronted with whatever unfathomable 
  horror awaited him in the dreamworld. The 
  operative wakes as normal after a failed 
  attempt, but must make a SAN check as if he 
  had experienced a Forced Wakeup: if the SAN 
  check is a failure, the operative loses 1d3 
  SAN and must take a random Sleep Disorder.
  Fumble: Fumbling an absurdly foolish Dream 
  Navigation roll is a disastrous occurrence. 
  The operation is a failure, but the dreamer’s 
  psyche still glimpses the unfathomable. The 
  dreamer must first take a SAN check as if he 
  had succeeded; then he must roll twice on the 
  Dream Nav Fumble Table on page 49 and take the 
  higher of the two results.
  tHe moRPHeo seCtion
  The Morpheo Section
  
  LiCense to summon
  52
  • 
  If  the operative’s opposed roll is a fumble, the 
  operative has made some kind of fatal error. The 
  operative’s dreamself dies, and he must take a random 
  Sleep disorder and make a SAN check (0/1d4). The 
  target will now be immune to all future infiltration 
  attempts from this operative.
  Possession can end in several different ways.
  1. 
  If the target body dies, the operative’s dreamself also 
  dies. The operative wakes up and must take a random 
  Sleep disorder and make a SAN check (0/1d4).
  2. 
  If the operative’s body wakes, either naturally or 
  through a forced wakeup, the possession immediately 
  ends. Keeping the operative’s body asleep longer than 
  eight hours requires sedation and medical attention.
  3. 
  After about twenty-four hours, the target body will 
  become exhausted and have to sleep. When this 
  happens, the operative is then in a normal infiltration, 
  but has aroused suspicion in the target’s dreamself. Any 
  future action the operative takes against the target takes 
  a -10% modifier.
  4. 
  Anytime the target’s body takes at least 1 Hit Point of 
  damage but does not die, the operative has to retest 
  to maintain possession of the body. If the retest is a 
  failure, he immediately experiences a forced wakeup.
  Expelling Infiltrators
  If a target becomes hostile to or aware of infiltrators, the 
  target has two options for self-defence. Normally these 
  options are employed when a target discovers an infiltration, 
  but a host may use these options to remove unwanted guests 
  in the case of morpheo meetings and dream briefings as well.
  Wake Up: The infiltrated dreamer can attempt to wake up. To 
  wake up while one’s dreams are occupied, the target must roll 
  against the higher of his Dream Navigation skill and his Idea, 
  opposed by the highest Dream Navigation skill among the 
  infiltrators. If the target wakes up successfully, the infiltrators 
  must perform emergency wakeups or risk being ‘stranded.’ 
  The infiltrated target may only attempt wakeup once.
  Attack: If a dreamer becomes aware of infiltration, he can 
  simply attack the infiltrator. If the host kills the infiltrator, 
  he is ejected from the dream and subject to psychological 
  trauma.  The aware host also has the advantage of being able 
  to call upon his own subconscious mind for assistance. The 
  subconscious mind can help a host in combat in two ways:
  • 
  First, the host has more power to manifest weapons in 
  his own dream, gaining a +15% modifier to manifest 
  weapons against infiltrators or unwanted guests.
  • 
  Second, the host gains a combat advantage if his mind 
  is stronger than that of the invader. For every point 
  by which the host’s Intelligence exceeds that of the 
  infiltrator, he gains a +5% bonus to any attack.
  Machine Dreams
  Pro tip: You can virtualise any universal 
  Turing machine. In effect, you can dream 
  inside a computer system. Most of the time, 
  this isn’t really that useful, unless you 
  want to try stealing data by reading it one 
  bit at a time. However, if the computer is 
  modelling a virtual world – say, a computer 
  game – you can hop into that dreamscape and 
  interact with it as though it were a dream. 
  Combat & Manifesting Technology
  Dream operations are risky. Even in a benign operation 
  like a morpheo meeting, violence is possible. While dream 
  combat cannot do actual physical harm to the sleeping 
  combatants, it can deal serious psychological trauma. 
  Dream combat largely functions the same as combat in the 
  real world. Combat is divided into rounds as normal. The 
  attack rolls, dodges, and parries are resolved as they would 
  be in the real world. An operative’s dreamself has the same 
  skills, characteristics, and abilities as his normal self. If an 
  operative has a 55% skill with Shotgun, so will his dreamself. 
  However, dream combat differs from real world combat in 
  two crucial ways: weapons and taking damage.
  Weapons in Dreams
  There is no guarantee that an operative will have a weapon 
  in a dream that he has in real life. Any weapon an operative 
  needs or wants in a dream combat must be manifested (see 
  Manifesting Technology, below).
  Taking Damage in Dreams
  Physical damage in a dream manifests itself as psychological 
  damage in the real world. Any time a character takes hit 
  point damage in a dream but does not die, he must 
  immediately make a SAN check. If he fails, the character 
  loses the equivalent number of SAN as his dreamself has 
  lost Hit Points. If an operative’s dreamself is killed, he does 
  not suffer the SAN loss for the final blow; thus, if he loses 
  all his Hit Points in a single attack, then the only SAN loss 
  he risks is the 1d4 for dying.
  Even though the sleeping operative takes no real Hit Point 
  damage, the player should still track the losses as they bring 
  the character’s dreamself closer to death. Major Wounds 
  have no effect in dreams beyond the threat of SAN loss.
  
  53
  If an operative’s dreamself reaches zero Hit Points his 
  dreamself dies, and he immediately wakes in the real world. 
  The operative must take a random Sleep disorder and make 
  a SAN check (0/1d4).
  Manifesting Technology
  If you set something down in a dream, it is impossible 
  to find later. When you need something in a dream, you 
  either have it or you don’t. There is no way for an operative 
  to bring gear with him into the dreamworld; if he needs 
  a weapon or tool, he must attempt to manifest it with his 
  subconscious. The more sophisticated the item, the more 
  difficult it is for the subconscious to create it.
  Manifesting an item of technology is passive and retroactive. 
  If an operative successfully manifests an item, he has 
  actually been carrying it the entire time. Manifesting an 
  item of technology takes no time, but if the operative is in 
  combat, only one piece of technology may be manifested in 
  a round. Once an operative has failed a roll to manifest, he 
  cannot manifest anything else during the scene or combat. 
  Manifested items may be passed off to other operatives, but 
  once an item is set down or left behind, it is lost.
  To manifest an item, the operative rolls the higher of 
  his Dream Navigation or Idea, modified according to 
  the following table. This roll takes a +5% modifier if 
  the operative possesses the item in real life, and a +10% 
  modifier if the operative went to sleep physically touching 
  the item.
  Technology
  Examples
  Roll
  Archaic
  Knife, Sword, Bow, Horse
  +10%
  Modern and 
  Common
  Bicycle, Car, Handgun, Chainsaw, 
  Lockpicks
  +0%
  Modern and 
  Rare
  Shotgun, Submachine Gun, Plane 
  or Helicopter
  -5%
  Extreme or 
  Magic
  Basilisk Gun, Hand of Glory, 
  Explosives, Laser
  -10%
  Computer 
  Technology
  Laptop, Smartphone, 
  Necronomiphone
  -20%
  Alien 
  Technology
  ANNING BLUE SKULL or 
  PLUTO KOBOLD gadgets
  -25%
  Imagined 
  Technology
  Infinitely absorbent sponge, 
  Shoggoth aerosol can, Colour Out 
  of Space Flashlight, etc.*
  Varies*
  * This technology is only limited by the imagination and 
  descriptive prowess of  the player, but the gamemaster should feel 
  free to assign an appropriate modifier. This modifier can also 
  include the (#) Absurdly Foolish tag (p. 49), at the gamemaster’s 
  discretion.
  If the roll is successful, the operative is carrying or has 
  access to the technology. If the roll is a failure, he does not 
  manifest the technology and may not try to manifest any 
  other technology during the current scene or combat. If 
  the roll is a fumble, the operative must roll on the Dream 
  Navigation Fumble Table on page 49.
  Waking Up, Recovering Sanity 
  In ideal conditions, a dreamer can awake without any 
  problems beyond momentary disorientation. 
  The Morpheo Section rarely encounters ideal conditions.
  Waking Up
  There are four ways a dreamer may wake from an active 
  dream state.
  • 
  Normal 
  Wakeup: 
  Under 
  normal, 
  peaceful 
  circumstances, an operative can trigger his own 
  wakeup. This is automatic and takes no roll. This 
  normal wakeup cannot be triggered during a combat, 
  chase, or other crisis.
  • 
  Emergency Wakeup: Triggering wakeup in the midst 
  of a crisis is trickier (dreamers call this ‘punching 
  out’).  If an operative is hurtling toward the earth, or in 
  combat, or in the tentacles of some hideous, creature, 
  an operative may attempt emergency wakeup.
  Performing an emergency wakeup takes one full round – if 
  an operative is in a dreamworld combat, he must wait until 
  his action. To successfully wake, he must make a Dream 
  Navigation roll. If successful, the operative leaves the 
  dreamworld and wakes up safely in reality. 
  If the roll is a failure, the operative does not wake up, but 
  may try again in subsequent rounds at -5% per attempt. If 
  the roll is a fumble, the operative does not wake up and may 
  not try again until the crisis is over.
   
  • 
  Forced Wakeup: There are a number of circumstances 
  which can cause an operative to wake up against his 
  will, the most common being an external wakeup in 
  the real world.
  Any time an operative experiences this kind of forced 
  wakeup, he risks psychological trauma. The operative should 
  make an immediate SAN check. If the check is a failure, 
  the operative loses 1d3 SAN and must take a random Sleep 
  Disorder.
  • 
  Dreamself  Death: The dreamworld is dangerous. 
  There are terrible forces that can kill an operative’s 
  dreamself. Sometimes an operative will even find a 
  tHe moRPHeo seCtion
  The Morpheo Section
  
  LiCense to summon
  54
  reason to take his own life rather than be trapped in 
  trapped in some nightmare. If an operative dies in the 
  dreamworld, he immediately wakes in the real world. 
  The operative must take a random Sleep disorder and 
  make a SAN check (0/1d4). If an operative dies as a 
  result of suicide, he does not suffer SAN loss from the 
  Hit Point damage.
  Recovering Sanity
  The dreamworld can be brutal on an operative’s mental 
  health. Fortunately, it is easier to recover Sanity lost in the 
  dreamworld than Sanity lost in the real world. There are two 
  ways this is expressed.
  Defeating the Unnatural: Whenever an operative in a 
  dream drives off or defeats a creature that has caused Sanity 
  loss, the operative immediately regains half of the Sanity 
  loss that creature caused. 
  Psychotherapy: Dream memories fade. Psychological scars 
  from dreams respond more quickly to psychotherapy than 
  do scars from real world trauma. 
  Psychotherapy can be applied directly to the Sanity loss 
  experienced in the dreamworld whether it is associated 
  with a particular mental disorder or not. Successful use 
  of the Psychotherapy skill can recover lost Sanity by 1d3 
  points per month of treatment, or by 1d6+1 points if the 
  Psychotherapy roll is a Special Success.
  In addition, if an operative can reduce their total SAN loss 
  from dreamworld operations to zero, he may also begin to 
  heal sleep disorders. Successful use of the Psychotherapy 
  skill for one month can reduce an acute sleep disorder to 
  normal or remove a normal sleep disorder entirely.
  Stranded in a Living Host
  Any time an operative enters someone else’s dreams, there 
  is a chance the operative could be stranded in the host’s 
  subconscious. If the operative’s host wakes up, the operative 
  has a single chance to perform an emergency wakeup. If it 
  fails, he is trapped in the target’s subconscious mind. While 
  trapped, the operative is subjected to the whims and impulses 
  of the host’s subconscious. Perhaps only a day passes in real 
  time, but the operative may endure countless nightmares. 
  There are three ways to wake from this kind of stranding. 
  First, the operative may wait until the host next sleeps. To 
  survive the ravages of the host’s subconscious, the operative 
  must make a Dream Navigation roll. 
  • 
  If  the roll is a success, the operative weathers the 
  storm until the host next sleeps. The operative can then 
  finally wake normally. 
  • 
  If  the roll is a failure, the host’s subconscious kills 
  the operative’s dreamself. The operative wakes and 
  must take a random sleep disorder, and make a SAN 
  check (0/1d4).
  • 
  If  the roll is a fumble, the host must roll on the 
  Dream Nav Fumble table on p. 49.
  Second, an outside force in the real world may wake the 
  operative. If this occurs, he is subject to a normal forced 
  wakeup. The operative should make an immediate SAN 
  check; if the check is a failure, the operative loses 1d3 SAN 
  and must take a random Sleep Disorder.
  Third, the operative may kill himself in the dreamworld, 
  thus waking in the real world, taking a random sleep disorder 
  and making a SAN check (0/1d4).
  Stranded in a Deceased Host
  The host’s real-world body dying is far more dangerous. The 
  operative again has a single chance to perform an emergency 
  wakeup as the host’s subconscious crumbles around them.
  If this roll is a success, the operative wakes and is unaffected.
  If this roll is a failure or fumble, the operative must plead 
  before Glaaki, the Lord of Dead Dreams, for freedom. The 
  operative must make an Idea roll. 
  • 
  If  the roll is successful, Glaaki allows the operative 
  to leave the dead dream. The operative wakes and must 
  take a random sleep disorder. The operative must also 
  make a SAN check for seeing Glaaki, with a SAN cost 
  of 1d10/3d10. The operative gains +1d6 to Cthulhu 
  Mythos skill. 
  • 
  If  the roll is a failure or fumble, Glaaki does not 
  allow the operative to go free. The operative will remain 
  comatose while his body slowly dies. Another operative 
  could theoretically infiltrate the dead dream, find the 
  operative, and plead to Glaaki again for both himself 
  and the imprisoned operative with a -10% Idea roll.
  Sleep Disorders
  Working in the dreamworld is an almost guaranteed way 
  to acquire sleep disorders. Sleep disorders are forms of 
  mental instability similar to those from Sanity loss, but are 
  particularly associated with unconscious operations.
  Anytime a character must take a Sleep Disorder, roll 
  randomly on the following table. This roll is in addition to 
  any insanity that might occur as a result of SAN loss, as 
  described in Chapter 8 of The Laundry Roleplaying Game.
  
  55
  Sleep Disorder Table
  D100*
  Sleep Disorder
  1-20
  Insomnia
  21-35
  Narcolepsy
  46-50
  Somnambulism
  51-65
  Hypersomnia
  66-75
  Somniphilia
  76-85
  Sleep Talking
  86-90
  Bedwetting
  91-95
  Night Terrors
  96-100
  Somniphobia
  Normal Versus Acute
  Sleep Disorders will either be normal or acute. An acute 
  disorder is an extreme version of the disorder. A normal 
  sleep disorder will have only minor effect on a character’s 
  effectiveness, but when a disorder becomes acute, it becomes 
  a tool to be used by the gamemaster at his discretion.
  There are two ways to acquire an acute sleep disorder. If a 
  character rolls a random sleep disorder and the two digits 
  match (i.e. 11, 22, 33, and so on.), the listed disorder will 
  be acute. Alternatively, if a character gets the same sleep 
  disorder more than once, it becomes a acute.
  Example: Agent Winsted has to take a random sleep disorder. 
  She rolls a 56 and gains normal hypersomnia – a hassle, but 
  manageable. If  she had rolled a 55 (matched digits), she would 
  have become an acute hypersomniac, and her disorder would be 
  a toy for the GM to play with at whim. If  agent Winsted had 
  already been a garden variety hypersomniac before rolling the 
  56, her hypersomnia would also have worsened from normal 
  to acute.
  Sleep Disorder Descriptions
  Bedwetting: The most humiliating sleep disorder is actually 
  the least harmful. Compared to insomnia, somnambulism, 
  or night terrors, bedwetting is trivial and interferes with 
  a Dream Op’s functions almost not at all. Perhaps this is 
  why it triggers such juvenilely fierce teasing from other 
  operatives.
  Acute: Characters with acute bedwetting will only be able to 
  use the bathroom when asleep. As soon as they are asleep, 
  they will become entirely incontinent, losing control of 
  their bladders and bowels.
  Hypersomnia: Sometimes called ‘Sleeping Beauty Syndrome,’ 
  this disorder causes its victims to sleep for unusually long 
  stretches. This condition is thought to be the inspiration for 
  the Washington Irving story, Rip Van Winkle. Hypersomniac 
  operatives will sleep for days or even weeks at a time, broken 
  only for short, hazy periods to eat or use the bathroom.
  Acute: An acute hypersomniac spends less time awake than 
  asleep. These dreamers will spend a month or more only 
  rising to attend to bodily functions.
  Insomnia: Perhaps the most mundane disorder, insomnia 
  extracts a terrible toll. The character either cannot fall 
  asleep, or cannot stay asleep, or both; he will be irritable, 
  moody and exhausted, and often operate in a kind of haze.
  Acute: Characters with acute insomnia almost never sleep. 
  They are in a state of constant haze and fatigue.
  Narcolepsy: Also called dyssomnia, narcolepsy causes a 
  character to fall suddenly asleep at inappropriate times during 
  the day. The character may be eating, in mid-conversation, 
  or even driving when he suddenly drops deeply into sleep. 
  Usually there is some emotional trigger that brings on 
  a narcoleptic episode, but it is not consistent. The most 
  common emotional trigger for narcolepsy is a potent 
  emotional response like hilarity or fear.
  Acute: Characters with acute narcolepsy fall asleep at the 
  worst possible moments – often right when the monster 
  appears or the gunfight starts.
  Night Terrors: A character afflicted with night terrors 
  will wake up from a sound sleep screaming and shrieking. 
  Of course, given the horrific nature of what some Dream 
  Ops encounter, it is tempting to describe this as a logical 
  response. The problem with night terrors is that the sleeper 
  retains no memory of what triggered the episode: he wakes 
  screaming from his dreams, with no idea why. As a result, 
  Dream Ops that develop night terrors are often forced to 
  withdraw from the Morpheo Section. 
  Acute: Characters with acute night terrors can no longer 
  function in the Morpheo Section. Every time they sleep, 
  they wake up screaming. This will pretty much destroy any 
  romantic partnership the character tries to maintain.
  Sleep Talking: The character randomly prattles while 
  sleeping. He has no control over when or what he says. 
  Usually a sleep-talker’s speech is incoherent and senseless, but 
  sometimes his words reveal enough to pose security threats.
  Acute: Acute sleep talkers present a very difficult problem 
  for the Laundry. While asleep, they speak quite coherently 
  and will thoroughly and honestly answer any questions they 
  are asked.
  tHe moRPHeo seCtion
  The Morpheo Section
  
  LiCense to summon
  56
  Somnambulism: The lay term for somnambulism is 
  ‘sleepwalking,’ but this disorder is actually further reaching 
  than just walking. Somnambulists may engage in a wide 
  variety of waking behaviours while totally asleep including 
  eating, driving, sending emails, and, of course, walking.
  Acute: Acute somnambulists are much harder to wake than 
  those afflicted with a more mundane case. Their sleeping 
  behaviour becomes very extreme and might include playing 
  midnight rugby, engaging in criminal behaviour, or, in some 
  terrifying cases, even performing computational sorcery.
  Somniphilia: In the real world, the dreamer lives in a 
  squalid flat he moved into after his wife kicked him out. 
  He has a stressful job, too much paperwork, and he really 
  should get a dermatologist to check out that spot on his 
  neck. But sleeping, his achievements are limited only by 
  his imagination and his Dream Navigation skill! In his 
  dreams, he might be a king or potentate. He might have 
  great powers. And the woman that loves him is literally the 
  woman of his dreams. It is no wonder that some operatives 
  become obsessed with spending all their time in dreams.
  Acute: Acute somniphiliacs can no longer clearly distinguish 
  between dream and reality. They experience the waking world 
  as a painful break until they can get back to their dreams. 
  These characters almost always struggle with addiction.
  Somniphobia: For many Dream Ops, this is not as much 
  a disorder as a completely reasonable reaction to the things 
  they have endured while asleep. Somniphobia is the absolute 
  dread of sleeping. A somniphobic character will go to great 
  lengths to avoid sleep. 
  Acute: Dream Ops afflicted with acute somniphobia are 
  facing the end of their work with the Morpheo Sector. They 
  are terrified of sleeping. The only way to get them to sleep is 
  through sedation to such a heavy level as to make achieving 
  an active dreamstate impossible.
  
  57
  At its most basic, a grimoire is any information storage 
  medium that contains information about sorcery and spells. 
  The majority of older grimoires that are designed to teach 
  the user about traditional magic are books; typically large, 
  ancient, dusty books that are usually written in obscure 
  languages and contain a variety of complex and lurid 
  illustrations. However, as the digital age has clearly shown, 
  books are far from the only medium for storing information. 
  The following are some of the more infamous and unusual 
  grimoires that Laundry has acquired, or encountered in 
  rumours.
  Grimoires For Traditional Magic
  Experienced computational sorcerers understand that 
  a high-end desktop or the latest smartphone are the 
  best tools for performing magic. However, the occult 
  community contains any number of traditionalists who 
  still prefer dusty tomes filled with spells written centuries 
  ago. Most traditional sorcerers have no idea that magic can 
  be performed in any other fashion; the Laundry and other 
  similar organisations do their best to foster this ignorance. 
  Other traditionalists are either deeply eccentric or outright 
  insane; they refuse to believe that sorcery and the latest 
  modern technology can or should work together and will 
  happily go off on long tirades about how magic and high 
  technology are inherently in opposition with one another. 
  The vast majority of the grimoires that these sorcerers 
  swear by are complete nonsense, and most that are not 
  utterly useless are incapable of teaching the reader enough 
  sorcery to cast anything more powerful than a level one 
  spell. These books are not considered a serious threat by 
  the Laundry.  However, the Laundry regards a few older 
  grimoires as especially dangerous.
  The Picatrix  
  This ancient and rare grimoire is regarded by the Laundry 
  as the single most dangerous traditional magic grimoire 
  known. Originally written in Arabic, and translated into 
  both Latin and German, it purports to be a book on the 
  theory and practice of ‘astral magic’ – using the alignment 
  of heavenly bodies in ritual magic. Most editions of this 
  book seem to consist of nothing more than what modern 
  computational sorcerers would describe as a well-done 
  grimoire that focuses on using planetary alignments in 
  magical calculations. However, some editions differ subtly 
  in how they are written and how the many charts and tables 
  in the book are designed. Reading and carefully studying 
  this version of the Picatrix summons a powerful level three 
  spirit (see The Laundry Roleplaying Game); this spirit does 
  not possess the reader, but forms a mental link allowing it 
  to influence the reader’s actions from its home dimension. 
  According to most rumours in the occult community, 
  reading these demonic versions of the Picatrix gives a 
  sorcerer great magical power. In reality, the level three 
  entity assists the reader in performing magic, and in doing 
  so, makes every spell the reader much more reliable and 
  powerful. A traditional sorcerer who has read this book 
  can rival the power of a skilled computational sorcerer 
  with the latest hardware. However – aside from the obvious 
  danger of various occult nutcases having as much power 
  as the best Laundry sorcerers – extradimensional entities 
  never provide anyone with a free lunch. Even as it helps the 
  sorcerer cast his spells, the being is influencing the sorcerer’s 
  motives and desires. On rare occasions, it possesses the 
  would-be sorcerer, but in most cases that the Laundry has 
  encountered, it remains in its home dimension and simply 
  manipulates him through the link.
   
  The Laundry does not know if the books all call up the 
  same level three entity, or if each book calls up a different 
  entity, but even if they are different, their motivations and 
  actions are quite similar.  Although the entity’s exact plans 
  are unclear, the Predictive Branch’s best guess is that it is 
  attempting to prompt a chain of events in our dimension 
  as part of a ritual that in some way influences the structure 
  of its home dimension. The exact nature of these events is 
  unknown, but all indications are that they would ultimately 
  prove destructive to humanity. Another theory is that this 
  entity – and perhaps others of its kind – feed on violence 
  and destruction, and are attempting to create a massive war, 
  or some similar catastrophe. The entity or entities involved 
  in this attempt are clearly exceedingly circumspect, using 
  human pawns and catspaws so as to avoid being trapped or 
  destroyed by sorcerers in our world. 
  The Picatrix promises to teach the would-be sorcerer 
  great power, and it actually provides the reader with a 
  basic understanding of traditional magic; however, the 
  first spell in the book is the one to summon the entity. 
  Sorcerers studying this book are advised to cast this spell 
  before attempting other magic, and are promised that it 
  will provide them with a familiar spirit, which will enhance 
  their power, give them magical advice, and help protect 
  them from magical dangers. The entity’s connection to the 
  book allows the sorcerer to summon it with only a level 
  one spell.
  Grimoires
  GRimoiRes
  Grimoires
  
  LiCense to summon
  58
  This entity works through the sorcerer and is largely 
  responsible for any magic the sorcerer attempts to perform, 
  although it cannot perform any magic in our world without 
  a sympathetic magic link to a human sorcerer. During the 
  rituals the human sorcerer performs, it both assists with 
  the ritual and talks the sorcerer through his part in it. If 
  necessary, it can simply cast the spell itself, while the sorcerer 
  goes through the motions of spell casting, allowing even the 
  most inept sorcerer to perform any spells up to level three. 
  To perform higher level spells, the sorcerer is going to need 
  assistants or more elaborate preparations.
  The Picatrix Spirit
  INT 16 
  POW 19
  Skills: Command 60%, Cthulhu Mythos 70%, 
  Fast-Talk 75%, Insight 60%, Knowledge 
  (Occult) 90%, Persuade 80% ,Sorcery 70%.
  Sanity Loss: 1/1D8.
  Spells: This entity can cast spells of up 
  to level three using mental magic, but 
  requires rituals to cast level four spells. 
  The Picatrix spirit suffers no ill-effects 
  from using mental magic.
  This entity is both a skilled con artist and able to use its own 
  magic to manipulate the emotions of anyone who summons 
  it. It plays up the sorcerer’s lust for power, and when it causes 
  an inconvenient spell to fail, it consoles the sorcerer and offers 
  special rituals to help improve the sorcerer’s magical skills...
  The Seven Cryptical Books of  Hsan
  These seven books contain 512 hexagrams, together with 
  commentaries and instructions on using them for divination. 
  The Chinese I Ching is a subset of the Hsan hexagrams. 
  While traditional occultists believe that the Seven Cryptical 
  Books are primarily a means of divining the ‘will of the gods’ 
  by casting hexagrams and interpreting them according to 
  the advice given in the Cryptical Books, an analysis of the 
  hexagrams by Laundry computer scientists suggests that 
  the original purpose of the hexagrams was a symbolic logic 
  system – in effect, a computer language. Unfortunately, no 
  complete copy of the Seven Books has ever been found, and 
  the existing copies are all damaged or corrupt in some fashion, 
  making a full reconstruction of the Hsan code impossible. 
  Many commentaries suggest ‘correspondences’ and ‘flowing 
  rivers’ between hexagrams, implying these are effectively 
  code snippets that can be combined into larger incantations. 
  More worryingly, the books also hint that some hexagrams or 
  hexagram groups correspond to existing spirits or demons – 
  the Seven Cryptical Books are not just a programming manual 
  for reality, they also contain pre-existing bargains and treaties 
  with powerful exonomic entities.
  A sorcerer who masters the full hexagrammatic language 
  of the Seven Cryptical Books may cast mental or traditional 
  magic much faster than normal. A mental magic spell 
  normally takes 10 times the listed casting time; with the 
  Hsan code, it can be cast at the listed casting time, while 
  traditional spells only take five times as long. However, the 
  code of Hsan is limited to Level 4 spells.
  Celeano Fragments
  A relatively recent occult grimoire, the Celeano Fragments 
  were written by Dr. Laban Shrewsbury of Arkham, who 
  claimed that he transcribed the text found from books he 
  read in an otherworldly library orbiting an alien planet.  The 
  Fragments live up to their name – they are a disjointed, 
  confused jumble of concepts and references. The original 
  copy of the Fragments was deposited in the Miskatonic 
  University library by Shrewsbury prior to his disappearance; 
  the Black Chamber confiscated the book in ’44, but by then, 
  copies were already circulating in academia and the occult 
  underground. 
  On their own, the Fragments are next to meaningless. Trying 
  to discern any structure or narrative is futile; the book 
  jumps from topic to topic even within the same sentence, 
  and is so confused that many occultists believe the whole 
  thing is written in an abtruse cipher that happens to look 
  like plaintext. For those with considerable knowledge of the 
  Cthulhu Mythos, though, the Fragments draw connections 
  between existing, previously disassociated pieces of 
  knowledge. A fragmentary description of a piece of 
  inhuman art with suggestive curves might be meaningless 
  to most readers, but for that rare reader with both an 
  understanding of Dho-Nha geometry and the culture of 
  the Dogon people of Mali, it illuminates the secret history 
  of their cosmology. 
  A character who reads the Fragments may add one-fifth 
  of their current Cthulhu Mythos score to their Cthulhu 
  Mythos. For example, a character with Cthulhu Mythos 
  10% would add 2% (10÷5), while a character with Cthulhu 
  Mythos 40% would add 8% (40÷5).
  Non-Textual  Grimoires
  Traditional magic uses various exotic ritual activities to 
  create the symbolic states needed to reshape reality. In most 
  types of traditional magic, this includes a mix of images, 
  including glyphs and circles; patterned movements, such 
  as dancing; patterned sound, such as music and chanting; 
  and the thoughts of the magician himself. However, it’s 
  possible for someone who understands magic exceedingly 
  well to perform sorcery using only one of these elements, 
  most often either art or music. Playing a song can produce 
  magic, as can carefully studying a work of art. Listening 
  to and watching an artistic (or perhaps simply psychedelic 
  
  59
  and irritating) video can often produce even more powerful 
  magic.  It’s equally possible to encode the knowledge of 
  how to use sorcery in the same form. These non-textual 
  grimoires demand unusual skills to understand, but they 
  are just as effective as any other type of grimoire. The 
  Laundry has an archive of unusual grimoires in the form of 
  paintings, prints, sheet music, music recordings, and even 
  internet videos.  
  Art Grimoires
  Both art collecting and art theft are expensive, high-end 
  endeavours. Some people purchase (or steal) art because it’s 
  beautiful, even more people do so because famous works 
  of art are exceedingly valuable and are useful as everything 
  from portable property to long-term investments. A very 
  few people, however, buy and sell art because it’s magical. 
  The vast majority of paintings, sculptures, prints, engravings, 
  and other works of art are no more magical than a can of 
  ordinary latex paint, and this includes most works of art 
  reputed to have mysterious or mystical properties. The fact 
  is that the vast majority of artists were simply that, people 
  who made art, and magic is sufficiently complex and difficult 
  that before the advent of powerful computers, doing magic 
  by accident was exceptionally rare.
  A few occult works of art locked away in the archives of the 
  Laundry and similar organisations were created by famous 
  artists, but the vast majority of magical works of art were 
  created by sorcerers, alchemists, and other people who 
  actually studied magic and were sorcerers first and artists 
  second. These paintings, prints, drawings, and sculptures 
  can all teach careful and determined viewers occult secrets 
  and provide the knowledge of how to cast spells. A single 
  painting is insufficient, but a sequence of images – which 
  can range from a simple triptych to a series of two dozen 
  studies of various images – can form an entire grimoire. 
  The Laundry knows that some of these works are not 
  in their vaults, and many are in the hands of people who 
  are sufficiently wealthy and powerful that government 
  agents can’t simply walk in and seize their art collections. 
  Fortunately, the vast majority of these works are owned 
  by art collectors who have no understanding of the occult 
  knowledge contained in their work.  A few may eventually 
  study these paintings and learn some secrets, but the 
  chances of this are quite low. Instead, what the Laundry 
  most fears is art theft, either by sorcerers or by art thieves 
  who know enough to understand that they could sell these 
  works to ambitious sorcerers without having to worry about 
  any questions regarding the paintings’ sources.
  Naturally, when art thieves are sorcerers, or work for 
  sorcerers, their thefts become more difficult to prevent, 
  and the thieves even harder to apprehend. Occasionally, 
  Laundry operatives work with UK or international law 
  enforcement officers to track down art thieves and stolen 
  art works. Alternatively, a wealthy patron whose artwork is 
  at risk of theft may be offered a low-cost security system 
  upgrade by a Laundry front company. On a few occasions, 
  Laundry operatives have become art thieves themselves, or 
  have contracted for the services of experienced professionals 
  who could use a favour from the government. This typically 
  only happens when a wealthy collector is either beginning to 
  show an interest in the occult, or is considering selling their 
  collection to a suspected sorcerer or dealer in occult artworks. 
  The Memory Palace
  The Memory Palace is a 16th century work of uncertain 
  providence, but some analysts claim it was made according 
  to a design by Giordano Bruno. It depicts a red tower, 
  hundreds of stories high, showing a different scene on each 
  level. Some scenes show male and female figures, others 
  hold collections of items or scrolls or alchemical formulae. 
  The painting is divided into three frames, showing the base 
  of the tower, the middle section, and the upper stories. 
  Several panels contain occult symbols or depictions of 
  rituals. Panel 1, Levels 13-22, for example, contain images 
  associated with the Enochian metalanguage, while Panel 
  2, Level 57 clearly depicts an ANNING BLUE SKULL 
  specimen. An estimated 30% of the tower’s levels remain 
  unclear, although damage to the painting makes it likely that 
  these images will never be positively identified.
  On its own, The Memory Palace provides very little new 
  information; however, it has proved an excellent tool for 
  drawing connections and finding new perspectives on 
  existing knowledge. Currently, the original Memory Palace is 
  in the hands of a private collector in Germany; copies of 
  the painting are widely held by occult organisations across 
  the world.
  The City Under The Lake
  The first recorded mention of The City Under The Lake is 
  in the diary of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who mentions that 
  he and several fellow Spiritualists were invited to a private 
  photographic exhibition entitled ‘The City Under The Lake’ 
  in 1922, where he saw ‘a collection of  curious and enchanting 
  images under glass, said to depict the dwelling place of  the Secret 
  Chiefs of  the dead.’ He never referred to this exhibition 
  again, and there are no other records of the City Under The 
  Lake photographs until a single photograph was discovered 
  in the ruins of a bombed-out building by a SOE psychic 
  during World War II. 
  (Researchers point to the mysterious death of Leo Mantin 
  in 1923 as being possibly connected to the photographs. 
  Mantin made his living shooting pornographic photographs 
  in a flat in Soho from 1920 to 1922. He vanished in October 
  GRimoiRes
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  LiCense to summon
  60
  1922, and his body was found on the roof of his apartment. 
  An autopsy showed he was killed by an impact, as though he 
  had fallen from a very great height.)
  The photograph depicts a strange city. It appears to 
  have been taken from a vantage point overlooking the 
  city, possibly from a balcony on a tall tower. The streets 
  are shrouded in mist and few details can be seen. The 
  architecture style is reminiscent of Mohenjo-Daro in 
  India (abandoned around 3,800 years ago), with rectilinear 
  buildings and mostly straight streets. The buildings are 
  made from what appears to be greenish brick. 
  In 1969, the photograph went missing from the Laundry 
  stacks. Four years later, the same photograph – or another 
  survivor from that 1922 exhibition – is referred to in the 
  Fall 1973 issue of Contemptation magazine, where the 
  author (writing under the pseudonym of ‘Dr. Osward’) 
  claims that looking at the photograph through ‘a pool of 
  clear water’ has the property of ‘activating’ the image. As 
  the magazine closed down in 1973, the Laundry was unable 
  to conclusively verify that looking at the photo through 
  a screen of water has any occult effects, but numerous 
  sorcerers and cults have claimed that their occult teachings 
  stem from the City Under The Lake.
  Allegedly, looking at the photograph through water for 
  at least fifteen minutes gives the observer a Lore (Occult) 
  Experience roll. As per the standard rules (see The Laundry 
  Files Roleplaying Game, page 63), if the player rolls higher 
  than his skill, the character gains 1d6 points of Lore 
  (Occult). However, if the character rolls a 99-00, his 
  meditation has attracted the attention of an exonome via 
  the photograph, and he is possessed. 
  Only the original photograph works, and the observer 
  cannot be protected by a ward or protective circle. The 
  Laundry theorises that Brownian motion agitation of the 
  water is somehow required to evoke subliminal information 
  in the photograph. 
  Modern Art Grimoires
  Old European oil paintings and ancient Chinese scrolls 
  aren’t the only way to encode the complex visual information 
  necessary to provide insights into the occult. Works of 
  modern art can also be used to relay knowledge of the 
  occult. Today, even graphic novels and music downloads are 
  used to convey occult truths.  
  Sophea
  The most famous example is Sophea. Created by Roger 
  Bennett, a skilled and famous creator of comic books and 
  graphic novels who is also an amateur occultist, this work was 
  produced as a limited edition, leather bound graphic novel 
  with a print run of only a hundred copies. The Laundry did 
  not discover this work until it was already printed.  However, 
  since most of the actual occult knowledge is contained in 
  the illustrations, Laundry operatives were able to arrange for 
  the print quality to be deliberately lowered in the large-scale 
  commercial release, so that this far more widely-printed 
  version provides no actual occult knowledge. Digital scans 
  of this book are also insufficiently detailed to provide occult 
  knowledge to the viewer. However, while the Laundry has 
  managed to acquire sixty-three of the copies of the limited 
  edition, the author still owns five, and the other thirty-two 
  copies are in unknown hands. Roger Bennett is watched 
  by the Laundry, but while he collects ancient magical 
  oddities and worships a presumably mythical reptilian 
  deity in his basement, the Laundry has no evidence that 
  he actually performs sorcery, and he is sufficiently famous 
  that interfering with him would be difficult, especially since 
  several of his fans are important government officials.
  The Hyde Project – A Digital Art Grimoire
  Digital media also work. Fortunately, digital images of 
  occult artwork are rarely useful, since the level of detail is 
  usually not high enough to depict the complex and often 
  tiny images sufficiently well to allow the viewer to gain 
  the necessary unconscious insights. Exceptionally detailed 
  digital images are possible, but require elaborate and 
  specialised digital cameras, stabilised tripods, and either 
  large, high-resolution prints of the images or extrtemely 
  high definition monitors. Unfortunately, it’s possible to 
  make visual grimoires that are specifically designed for 
  use in digital format. These grimoires are quite rare, since 
  few sorcerers who perform traditional magic understand 
  computer graphics well enough to great such images, but 
  one famous example exists – The Hyde Project.
  This multimedia work consists of dozens of still images 
  and an elaborate musical soundtrack. It was first seen on 
  the web in 1998, and while the Laundry immediately took 
  it down from UK servers and computers, it had already 
  spread worldwide. Today, it is most often posted from 
  servers in Eastern Europe, but there are believed to be 
  dozens of copies on CDs and flash drives all across the 
  UK. Largely, it is owned and viewed by eccentrics in the 
  new-age movement. 
  The typical viewer is also interested in hallucinogens 
  and using meditation and other techniques for cognitive 
  expansion and enhancement and spiritual growth; few 
  of them are willing to study it long enough and carefully 
  enough to understand its actual message. However, while 
  very few seek out this work to learn occult secrets, some 
  viewers are sufficiently dedicated that after a few months 
  of careful viewing they realise that they understand some 
  facets of the universe that were previous opaque to them, 
  including sorcery.  
  
  61
  Musical Grimoires
  Like art, music can also be used as a means of both learning 
  and casting magic. Several publically known works of 
  classical music were designed as grimoires, and most of 
  these works are also designed to be played as part of a 
  traditional magic ritual. Often, a small chamber orchestra of 
  skilled sorcerers is all that’s required to perform moderately 
  powerful magic. Sheet music is considerably less collectable 
  than paintings or prints, and so is far easier for the Laundry 
  to acquire. However, it is also vastly easier to reproduce 
  digitally, and there are now on-line versions of most pieces 
  of classical music. Historically, there have been a few 
  occasions where chamber music has been performed for an 
  audience in order to either bind the audience with a geas or 
  to possess them with various extradimensional entities. The 
  Laundry does its best to make certain that nothing like this 
  happens nowadays. 
  Classical music, and especially the complex and unfamiliar 
  sort of classical music needed to perform sorcery, is very far 
  from the popular taste. However, while most pop music is too 
  musically simple to be used as part of a grimoire, the spread 
  of complex electronic music, starting in the 1980s, caused 
  various occult intelligence agencies to become concerned. 
  So far, all occult electronic music has been based on the 
  principles of traditional sorcery and has all of the advantages 
  and disadvantages of this type of magic. One of the reasons 
  Laundry operatives are so dedicated in their efforts to prevent 
  the spread of electronic music grimoires is that they do not 
  want the few rogue computational sorcerers gaining access to 
  this type of music and adapting it to the far more reliable and 
  powerful principles of computational sorcery. 
  The Five Weingartner String Quartets 
  Some of the most well known works of occult classical 
  music are the five string quartets by Austrian conductor, 
  composer and pianist Felix Weingartner. The commonly 
  performed version is devoid of occult influence, but 
  Weingartner wrote alternative arrangements for all five 
  pieces. These arrangements are more difficult to play, but 
  provide occult instruction for both the musicians and skilled 
  and dedicated listeners. In the early twentieth century, 
  Weingartner extensively studied both esoteric philosophy 
  and the occult, and the occult visions of these five string 
  quartets were designed to showcase his knowledge and 
  impress his fellow occultists. 
  The Trance Spell Album 
  One of the more insidious magical ideas that Laundry 
  operatives have recently encountered is the spread of 
  magical music downloads. These works all seem to be been 
  created by the same musician and artist team, or perhaps 
  by a small group of musicians and artists who know each 
  other’s work and share ideas. This music consists of long 
  works of trance music of the sort popular in raves. Of 
  course, you don’t need to play this music backwards for 
  something strange to happen.  Listening to it carefully over 
  and over again rewires your brain so that you learn magic, 
  often providing the listener with insights that are only half-
  conscious. Six of these songs are designed to be played one 
  after the other and are known to Laundry operatives as the 
  ‘trance spell album.’ 
  Fans listen to the music, listen to the music again, and watch 
  the videos, and after repeated exposure over the course 
  of several months, the most obsessive fans begin to half-
  consciously understand what they are seeing and hearing. 
  Those that succeed in making both a Music roll and an 
  Occult roll gradually learn about both traditional magic and 
  some of the more disturbing secrets of the universe while 
  simply staring intently at a music video over and over again. 
  Although the Laundry operatives looking into this music 
  are at least thankful that the people involved clearly have no 
  understanding of computations sorcery, they are worried. 
  It’s proving difficult, even with the Laundry’s backdoors, to 
  track the fans sharing the files, even on their computers, 
  much less their music players. The fact that many of these 
  files are downloaded on and then seeded from computers 
  in other countries and in distant parts of the world makes 
  the job even harder.
  Laundry operatives investigating these music downloads 
  and videos believe that one of the primary purposes of this 
  musical grimoire is to create a large number of sorcerers 
  who can help out at sorcerous raves, thus boosting the 
  POW available for these rituals. While some of the brightest 
  and most dedicated fans of the music have become 
  sorcerers and begun practicing magic, most who succeed 
  in using this grimoire absorb the information without fully 
  understanding how to use it. However, at a rave designed 
  to act as a spell, these half-conscious sorcerers easily fall 
  into the rhythm of the ritual and act as additional sorcerers, 
  boosting the power of the ritual (see Parallel Processing in 
  The Laundry Roleplaying Game, p. 133). 
  As a result, the people putting on these rave rituals are able 
  to work far more powerful magic than if a dozen or more 
  of these sorcerers weren’t present. The Laundry has raided 
  one of these raves, but the people putting it on escaped 
  under powerful personal wards. These sorcerers are now on 
  the Laundry’s most wanted list.
  Computational Sorcery Grimoires
  Despite the Laundry’s best efforts to keep computational 
  sorcery out of the hands of all unauthorised personnel, no 
  form of security is perfect.  Over the more than fifty years 
  since Alan Turing revolutionised sorcery, a few civilians 
  GRimoiRes
  Grimoires
  
  LiCense to summon
  62
  have written and distributed grimoires of computational 
  sorcery. Almost all of these works originated within the 
  hacker community and were originally digital files, files 
  that the Laundry does its best to delete from all unsecure 
  computers.
  The Tome of  Power
  Although it’s no more than twenty-two years old, the 
  origins of this document are shrouded in mystery.  Back 
  in the late 1980s, someone not associated with any occult 
  intelligence agency learned far more than they should 
  about computational sorcery.  Titled The Tome of  Power, 
  this grimoire is an on-line file first found upon a BBS in 
  Los Angeles in 1989.  Most commonly found as a text tile, 
  this document is slightly more than three hundred pages 
  long when printed out and was clearly a labour of love. The 
  Black Chamber took it down, and in fact deleted the entire 
  BBS, as soon as they discovered it. However, at least a few 
  people had downloaded it. It first showed up in the UK on 
  a London BBS in 1990. 
  From the various minor problems, it’s clear that the 
  author didn’t have the benefit of reading the various top 
  secret, eyes-only reference works available to the Laundry 
  and similar agencies, but despite that lack, the author did 
  a pretty darn impressive job of discovering the basics of 
  computational sorcery. The document clearly contains math 
  that is derived directly from Turing’s Last Theorem, which 
  means that someone else stumbled onto Turing’s discovery, 
  which happens from time to time. Unusually, whoever did 
  this managed to stay off the radar long enough to do a lot 
  of research into computational demonology without being 
  caught or killed.
  A comprehensive personality profile of the author based 
  on the text indicates that they were almost certainly in their 
  late teens or early twenties, brilliant, poorly socialised, and 
  male; in other words, a typical late ’80s geek guy, which in 
  part explains the file’s rather overblown name. This same 
  profile also reveals that the author was also almost certainly 
  sane and not possessed. The fact that the book is very clear 
  about various safety precautions helps to confirm the truth 
  of both of these observations. 
  There have been a few on-line discussions about this file, 
  and it’s clear that almost everyone who reads it thinks it’s 
  either a joke or the ramblings of a crazy person, or perhaps 
  an insanely complex supplement for a role-playing game. 
  As a result, far more people have downloaded it than ever 
  get around to reading it, much less attempting to learn 
  magic from it. Also, because the spellcasting techniques are 
  somewhat more complicated than the optimised versions 
  that the Laundry uses, only a skilled programmer is going to 
  actually be able to use this file. 
  The overlap between geeks who are willing to try casting 
  spells on their computer and those with the ability to do so 
  is quite small. 
  None of this, however, prevents Laundry operatives from 
  doing their best to eliminate every copy of this file that 
  they can find. Currently, there are automated searches that 
  constantly look for instances of the file, using backdoor 
  programs to gain access to the hard drives and flash drives 
  of almost every online computer or mobile device in the 
  UK. On finding a copy, the program alerts a Laundry 
  operative and provides him with the option of deleting the 
  file, corrupting it, or replacing it with a similar-looking but 
  harmless file. 
  Unfortunately, these programs can’t gain access to printed 
  hardcopies, to off-line computers storing it in their hard 
  drives, or to the few people with computer security good 
  enough to keep out the Laundry’s backdoor programs, and 
  despite the Laundry’s best efforts, new copies occasionally 
  appear online, mostly via computers outside of the UK, 
  but not all. 
  Most often, The Tome of  Power has clearly been found on 
  someone’s old computer and been put online for fun; in 
  many cases, the file is either only partial or has been edited to 
  include role-playing game rules, jokes or sarcastic comments 
  about the author. But there are also a few cases where it 
  seems to have been deliberately uploaded by someone who 
  
  63
  understood that it was something special; sometimes the 
  file is uploaded anonymously from a public computer in a 
  coffee shop, university, or library, and on a few occasions, 
  the file has been packaged on a flash drive, along with 
  programs designed to upload it onto various sites, entirely 
  unbeknownst to the person using the flash drive.
  The vast majority of the time, a Laundry operative deletes 
  the files and follow-up investigation reveals that the owner 
  has absolutely no problematic knowledge; very few people 
  end up being recruited due to this file. That said, the 
  few exceptions keep a few people in the Laundry up late 
  worrying. 
  Currently, the Laundry doesn’t know for sure if the book is 
  being covertly placed online by a single dedicated individual 
  with widespread resources, a small number of individuals, 
  or a large organised cult, but the best guess is that The 
  Tome of  Power is currently being studied, propagated, and 
  almost certainly used by a small group of hackers. These 
  individuals have tinkered with the content, and their best 
  and most recent version appears to be slightly more reliable 
  than the original file. Currently, the goals and motives of 
  these hackers in unknown. At least one seems to be located 
  in London, but what evidence there is suggests that most 
  are in the US.
  The Tome of Power
  There are now several different versions 
  of this book, almost all of which are 
  inferior to the original. Many are utterly 
  useless, and most of those that actually 
  work provide between 5% and 10% less Cthulhu 
  Mythos and Sorcery than listed. There are 
  also, however, a handful of surprisingly 
  insightful alternate versions that provide 
  up to 5% more Cthulhu Mythos or Sorcery than 
  the original.
  Book
  Year
  Language
  Time
  Sanity Loss
  Mythos
  Sorcery
  Skill Requirement
  Picatrix
  1130s
  Latin
  36 weeks
  1d10/1d20
  +10%
  +15%
  Knowledge (Occult) 30%, 
  Science (Mathematics) 30%
  Seven Cryptical 
  Books of Hsan
  ??
  Chinese
  36 weeks
  1d8/2d6
  +10%
  +10%
  Science (Cryptography) 30%
  Celeano 
  Fragments
  1915
  English
  15 weeks
  1d4/1d8
  Special
  +5%
  Cthulhu Mythos (5%)
  The Memory 
  Palace
  1500s
  Art
  3 weeks
  1d4/1d8
  +5%
  +5%
  None
  City Under The 
  Lake
  1923
  Art
  15 minutes
  -
  None
  None
  None
  Sophea
  1999
  English + 
  Art
  12 weeks
  1d8/2d8
  +15%
  +10%
  Knowledge (Occult) 20%,
  Art (Drawing) 30%
  The Hyde 
  Project
  1988
  Art + 
  Music
  10 weeks
  1d4/1d8
  +5%
  None
  Knowledge (Occult) 20%, 
  Science (Pharmacy) 20%
  Weingartner 
  String Quartets
  1911
  Music
  16 weeks
  1d10/1d20
  +12%
  +15%
  Knowledge (Occult) 30%,
  Art (Music) 40%
  Trance Spell 
  Album
  2008
  Music
  15 weeks
  1d8/2d8
  +5%
  +10%
  Art (Music) 20%
  Tome of Power
  1988
  English
  20 weeks
  1d4/1d6
  +5%
  +15%
  Science (Mathematics) 30%,
  Computer Use (Programming) 40%
  GRimoiRes
  Grimoires
  
  LiCense to summon
  64
  Almost every culture has its share of  legends or rumours 
  of  people exhibiting remarkable abilities: abilities that 
  cannot be explained through the intervention of  magic 
  or the activities of  extradimensional entities. Mind-
  reading, remote sensitivity, out-of-body experiences, 
  telepathy, aura reading, manipulation of  temperature, 
  movement of  physical matter, precognition, and other 
  astounding feats. These extraordinary feats are regularly 
  identified as psychic abilities. 
  Since the earliest periods of the Cold War, scientists 
  and government agencies worldwide have openly (and 
  clandestinely) sought to harness this strategic resource. 
  For more than a hundred and twenty years, private 
  citizens have been seeking out information about 
  parapsychology, from the Society for Psychical Research, 
  centred in London and founded in 1882, through the US-
  based Stanford and Duke Universities in 1911 and 1930, 
  respectively. The Czech-based study of ‘psychotronics’ in 
  the early 1970s added considerable legitimacy (and perhaps 
  unwanted attention) to the field. Throughout this time, 
  behind the curtain of state secrets, the earliest days of 
  the Cold War were marked by off-the-books divisions of 
  various countries’ defence departments, working directly 
  or through anonymously-funded private organisations, 
  pursuing ambitious programs to find, test, and recruit 
  individuals demonstrating psychic abilities. 
  These efforts met with some success, and are ongoing. 
  While old Joe Stalin himself pushed the Soviets into 
  extensive testing for psychics for use as spies or as 
  strategic weapons, the United States government famously 
  attempted to create a team of ‘peaceful warriors’ for use as 
  operatives in the late 1970s through the early ’80s. To this 
  day, Russian ‘Blue Star’ spies are still active, and reports are 
  that the US government’s ‘Stargate Project’ was subsumed 
  by the Black Chamber after the ‘goat-staring’ section of 
  the program was declassified. 
  The Laundry has its own psychics, most of whom are 
  stuffed into Predictive Branch and/or padded cells 
  (‘psychic’ is often a synonym for ‘my brain is a time-share 
  for Things from Beyond’). Few are field-qualified agents, 
  but there are some with useful knacks that can be used as 
  player characters.
  This section presents rules to handle psychically-capable 
  Laundry agents, with a description of the most commonly-
  known powers, their uses, and their drawbacks. Agents 
  with psychic abilities are called psychics, and this section 
  refers to them as such.
  How Psychic Abilities Work 
  Psychic abilities are just like skills, though obviously not 
  everyone can have them.  Sometimes the psychic ability 
  requires the player to overcome a target’s POW, INT, 
  or SIZ on the Resistance Table, in addition to making a 
  psychic ability roll. The psychic ability descriptions specify 
  which characteristic is used in each event. If the target 
  of the psychic ability is a willing target, there is no need 
  for a Resistance roll – the psychic ability succeeds if the 
  ability skill roll is made. An unconscious target likewise 
  automatically loses a Resistance roll. 
  Instantaneous psychic abilities can be performed in a normal 
  round, using the psychic’s DEX rank to determine who goes 
  first in the actions phase. Some psychic abilities take longer 
  than an instant: these must be announced and the skill 
  rolled on the psychic’s regular DEX rank, with the ability’s 
  effects taking place at a later round on the character’s DEX 
  rank. Some abilities require relative calm and cannot be 
  performed in a stressful (e.g., combat) situation, and so can 
  be performed at any time outside of combat. 
  Psychic ability attempts yield the following results: 
  • 
  Fumble: The psychic ability fails spectacularly. Any 
  required Sanity check becomes Difficult. Additionally, roll 
  on the Psychic Ability Fumbles table, below. Some abilities 
  describe additional effects resulting from fumbles. 
  • 
  Failure: The psychic ability fails. The psychic must 
  make a Sanity roll, but there are no other consequences 
  other than those incurred by the potential SAN loss. 
  • 
  Success: The ability is used successfully. A successful 
  psychic ability roll requires a Sanity roll. If it is an 
  opposed ability, a subsequent Resistance roll may be 
  required vs. the target’s POW, INT, or SIZ; if the 
  psychic wins the roll, the power has the desired effect, 
  and the psychic gets an experience skill check for the 
  Psychics
   ‘…she came out of spook country just the same as Ellis did: staring at goats for state security.’
  — The Jennifer Morgue
  
  65
  psychic ability as normal (The Laundry Roleplaying 
  Game, p. 63). If the psychic loses the Resistance roll, 
  the power does not work, although the Sanity roll 
  must still be made. Regardless of the outcome of the 
  Resistance roll, the psychic must wait the listed time to 
  use the psychic ability again. 
  • 
  Special Success: The psychic ability is used with 
  confidence and aplomb. If the subsequent Sanity roll 
  fails, the psychic loses the minimum SAN possible. 
  The GM should choose one of the following effects, 
  appropriate to the ability: the range is doubled; the 
  duration is doubled; the quality of information 
  provided is exceptional; the ability can be used again in 
  half the normal time; etc. Additionally, if the psychic 
  ability requires a Resistance roll, the psychic’s POW is 
  temporarily increased by +5 for the purpose of the 
  Resistance roll.
  Sanity Cost 
  Despite extensive New Age speculation about hidden 
  powers of the mind and how everyone has latent psychic 
  abilities, they are ultimately unnatural extensions of human 
  psyche. No matter how accustomed a psychic character is 
  to using these abilities, they never become ‘normal’ or part 
  of the everyday world. For this reason, psychic abilities can 
  always potentially cause the users (and others witnessing or 
  affected by their use) to lose SAN points. 
  Psychics as Player Characters 
  If a player wishes to create a psychic, the character must 
  have at least POW 12. Characters whose beginning POW 
  characteristic is 11 or lower cannot have psychic abilities, 
  and will never develop them. If the character’s POW is 12 
  or greater, the GM may require a Luck roll to determine 
  if the character has any psychic abilities at all. This should 
  be determined during Step Five of character creation, 
  described on pages 17 and 21 of The Laundry Roleplaying 
  Game. If the roll is successful, the character is psychic. 
  Psychic agents in the Laundry’s employ are classified as 
  belonging to one of two groups: sensitives and trained 
  psychics. The character’s initial POW identifies which group 
  they belong to: a POW of 12-16 means that the character is 
  a sensitive, and a character with a POW of 17-18 can choose 
  whether to be a sensitive or a trained psychic. Though POW 
  characteristic scores may increase or decrease, the initial 
  POW score at the time of character creation determines 
  which group the player belongs to. 
  Having psychic abilities does not affect an agent’s ability 
  to use sorcery, nor does the use of sorcery interfere with 
  the use of psychic abilities. They are distinct and separate 
  methods of achieving supernormal results, though the end 
  results may occasionally match. Those adept at sorcery can 
  even use their psychic powers to enhance their spells. 
  PsYCHiCs
  Psychic Ability Fumbles
  d10
  Result
  1
  Vertigo: Psychic must make a successful Agility roll or will fall prone. 
  2
  Stupefied: Psychic must make a successful Luck roll or will become oblivious of his surroundings for the next round. 
  3
  Stunned: Psychic must make a successful Idea roll or be stunned for the next round. A stunned character is considered 
  helpless, as per page 61 of The Laundry Roleplaying Game.
  4
  Headache: Psychic must make a successful Endurance roll or suffer massive headache lasting turns. All psychic abilities and 
  intelligence-based skills become Difficult for the headache’s duration. Nose may bleed. 
  5
  Amnesia: Psychic must make a successful Idea roll or will gain temporary amnesia, lasting 1d6 rounds. See page 72 of The 
  Laundry Roleplaying Game for effects. 
  6
  Unconscious: Psychic is knocked unconscious and will sleep for 1d6 hours or until wakened.
  7
  Maddened: Psychic loses the maximum possible SAN for the ability. 
  8
  Disabled: Psychic loses the use of psychic ability for 1d6 turns, and all attempts later that day are Difficult. A full night’s 
  sleep will restore the ability to normal. 
  9
  Backlash: Psychic ability strikes the psychic instead of the intended target, to full effect. If the ability is self-oriented, roll 
  again. 
  10
  Trauma: Psychic loses 1d3 HP from physical manifestations of psychic trauma, manifesting as a severe nosebleed, bleeding 
  from eyes or ears, massive headache, etc.
  Psychics
  
  LiCense to summon
  66
  Sensitives
  Sensitives are individuals exhibiting a nominal level of 
  psychic ability, usually identified by government screening or 
  private sector research. They are far more common within 
  the Laundry’s ranks than trained psychics, and while they 
  are considerably less powerful, sensitives are also generally 
  better-adjusted and have more freedom to mingle with their 
  fellow Laundry agents. Sensitives are usually assigned to 
  Predictive Branch within the Department of Research and 
  Development. 
  For Step Eight of character creation (described on page 18, 
  19, and 21 of The Laundry Roleplaying Game), characters 
  must select this assignment, adding +10 to the listed skills: 
  • 
  Applied Psychogenics: Computer Use (any), Gaming, 
  Insight, Knowledge (Occult), Science (Mathematics). 
  Player character sensitives begin with one psychic ability at 
  a rating of POW x 2%, selected from the psychic abilities 
  described on pages 67-73 of this chapter. Skill points cannot 
  be spent to improve this ability. Write this psychic ability 
  down on the back of the character sheet in the section for 
  Sorcery or Notes. 
  A sensitive character begins with -10 to his starting SAN, 
  but does not suffer from any initial insanities or other ill 
  effects from the initial SAN loss. This was incurred through 
  previous usage of psychic abilities, with post-traumatic 
  counselling and recovery taken as read. 
  Trained Psychics 
  The big guns – or loose cannons, depending on your point 
  of view – of the Laundry’s psychically-able agents are trained 
  psychics, people whose psychic talent was identified at an 
  early age. Inducted into black-box military programs, trained 
  psychics have spent the majority of their post-recruitment 
  lives in exhaustive training and conditioning, learning 
  how to better manifest and use their unique gifts. Laundry 
  psychic assets are among the most multicultural within the 
  organisation, as this is one of the few departments within 
  Capital Laundry Services where ‘turned’ foreign agents are 
  allowed to serve, after exhaustively demonstrating their 
  loyalty. Some trained psychics are older relics of Cold War-
  era experimentation conducted by the US or the KGB, and 
  as such are further isolated from their fellow Laundry agents. 
  Trained psychics are generally older than most Laundry 
  agents, due to their Cold War origins, so for Step Three of 
  character creation (pages 16, 17, and 20 of The Laundry 
  Roleplaying Game), consider adding +20 years to your 
  character’s age, with the associated benefits. Unfortunately, 
  most of the rest of the Laundry considers trained psychics 
  as freaks, and are carefully monitored for the first signs of 
  psychosis or psychological trauma.
  Trained psychics begin with three powers, chosen from the 
  list in this chapter. The first of these skills begins at an initial 
  skill rating of POW x 3%, the second at POW x 2%, and the 
  third at POW x 1%. Skill points cannot be spent to improve 
  these abilities. Write these psychic abilities down on the back 
  of the character sheet in the section for Sorcery or Notes. 
  A trained psychic begins with -20 to starting SAN, but does 
  not suffer from any initial insanities or other ill effects from 
  this initial SAN loss. This was incurred through previous 
  usage of psychic abilities, with the character assumed to 
  have completed any required post-traumatic counselling and 
  recovery. 
  Increasing Psychic Ability Skills 
  Like skills, psychic abilities increase with experience when 
  used in stressful situations. Whenever you have performed 
  a successful psychic ability roll in the course of play, you 
  should make a mark next to that ability. Later, you can 
  attempt an experience check, as with other skills. If a 
  psychic ability requires a second roll (such as a Resistance 
  roll), and the second roll is not successful, the psychic ability 
  does not earn a skill check. 
  You can also increase your psychic abilities through 
  training and research, using the rules for experience and 
  improvement provided on pages 63-64 of The Laundry 
  Roleplaying Game. However, if the agent’s behaviour has 
  warranted investigation from Internal Security or the 
  
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  Auditors, or the character is currently suffering from an 
  identified insanity, any requests for psychic training are 
  likely to be denied. 
  Gaining New Psychic Abilities 
  There are three primary methods of doing this: training, 
  trauma and magic. 
  Training: The character develops the new ability through 
  intense training, usually at the hands of a psychic with the 
  desired psychic ability at 75%+. The time required for training 
  is equal to the student’s POW in weeks. At the end of this 
  time, the character must sacrifice 1 point of permanent POW 
  and succeed in a Luck roll based on the new Luck value. If 
  successful, he has learned the new power at a skill rating equal 
  to his new POW x 1%. If unsuccessful, the point of POW 
  is lost and the character may begin training anew. Only those 
  with an existing psychic ability can benefit from training. 
  Trauma: The character suddenly manifests a new psychic 
  ability in a time of extreme duress, such as a major loss 
  of SAN or a psychological trauma. This should be handled 
  collaboratively between the player and the GM. If the 
  GM agrees, during a mission the player may declare his 
  character has been placed in a situation where a new psychic 
  ability might potentially emerge. The conditions should be 
  extreme, such as seeing a teammate die, losing a significant 
  amount of SAN, being tortured or otherwise physically 
  menaced, etc., and the GM must approve of the condition. 
  The character then sacrifices 2 permanent points of POW, 
  and receives the new psychic ability at a skill rating equal to 
  the new POW x 1%. Characters without existing psychic 
  abilities can manifest new ones, but only if the trauma 
  involved something supernatural (or if the character was 
  already steeped in magic).
  Magic: Rolling a natural 01 on a Sorcery check may trigger 
  the development of a psychic ability. The character has 
  the option of sacrificing a permanent point of POW, and 
  receives the new psychic ability at a skill rating equal to the 
  new POW x 1%.
  Psychic Abilities 
  This section describes the psychic abilities available to 
  sensitives and trained psychics, or other individuals created 
  by the GM for use as NPCs. The entry for each ability 
  covers the following traits: 
  1. 
  Range: The range the psychic ability works at. 
  2. 
  Duration: How long the psychic ability will remain active.
   
  3. 
  Frequency: How much time the psychic must wait 
  between uses of the ability. 
  4. 
  Sanity Cost: The potential SAN cost. See ‘Sanity Cost’ 
  above. 
  Following these traits is the text description of the psychic 
  ability with particulars on its use.
  Astral Projection 
  Range: POW x 10 kilometres 
  Duration: POW turns
  Frequency: Once daily 
  Sanity Cost: 1/1d4 
  With a successful roll, Astral Projection allows the character 
  to psychically leave his body and travel throughout the 
  physical world in an invisible, intangible form – essentially 
  a projection of the soul. The astral body has the same 
  attributes as the character’s normal body, although he has 
  no ability to directly affect the material world. While using 
  this psychic ability, the character’s astral form moves at 
  his normal MOV, although he can drift, float, or walk… 
  whatever is most comfortable. The astral form can move 
  through doors, walls, windows, etc. but is treated as an 
  exonome or supernatural entity for purposes of passing 
  through defensive wards. 
  While projecting, the character can see and interact with other 
  astral characters as if they were both in the real world. Combat 
  in astral form is described in the Psychic Combat sidebar. Ghosts 
  and many exonomes inhabit astral space, so this is not entirely 
  the safest place to be traipsing about bodiless.
  While a psychic is projecting, his physical body is comatose, 
  without a guiding intelligence. If someone attempts to 
  interact with the character’s body while he is projecting and 
  out of sight of his body, a successful Idea roll is required to 
  notice the interference. Being ‘banished’ while in astral form 
  instantly snaps the character back to his body.
  Psychic Combat
  Two characters on the Astral Plane may 
  engage in psychic combat. This is resolved 
  as a POW against POW struggle. The winner of 
  the contest may choose to banish the loser 
  from the Astral Plane, or inflict 1d6 points 
  of POW damage on the loser. A character 
  reduced to 0 POW ends up in a coma.
  Exonomes and other bodiless entities can 
  try to possess foes via the Astral Plane. If 
  the exonome wins the contest and banishes 
  its opponent, sending the astral traveller 
  back to their material body, the exonome 
  can ride along and grab the victim’s body.
  PsYCHiCs
  Psychics
  
  LiCense to summon
  68
  Aura Detection 
  Range: POW in metres 
  Duration: 1 round
  Frequency: Once per turn 
  Sanity Cost: 0/1d2 
  Living beings are wreathed in complex auras of energy, 
  naked to the human eye. The first one to actually 
  photograph these auras was Simon Kirlian, in 1939, as 
  an accident, and the standardisation of his process led to 
  labelling the strange energy as ‘Kirlian auras.’ These auras 
  are emitted by all living beings and can reveal information 
  about a being’s condition, soul, or even psychological 
  nature. 
  Aura Detection allows a psychic to see and interpret the 
  aura of another living being. Auras are usually mixes of 
  several different colours, with strong colours indicating 
  extremes of personality or emotion. The GM may require 
  a successful Spot roll to detect subtle changes or slight 
  elements of an aura, such as subconscious or deliberately 
  obscured feelings. 
  Once an aura has been detected, the psychic can make an 
  Idea roll to determine any of the following: 
  • 
  Whether the being is diseased, and if so, how severely.
   
  • 
  Whether the being is hostile towards the psychic, and 
  how much so. 
  • 
  The being’s relative power, rated on a scale of much 
  stronger, stronger, equal to, weaker, much weaker than the 
  psychic. 
  Someone possessed by another being (such as by a demon) 
  will display the aura of the possessing entity rather than his 
  own aura, something that is generally pretty spectacularly 
  obvious. Aura Detection also reveals the presence of any 
  occult energies or sorceries at work on the subject, such as 
  geases and curses, as well as any active magic artefacts or 
  wards in his possession. All beings give off Kirlian auras, 
  so this can also be used to detect invisible creatures. Ghosts 
  do not give off auras, though most exonomes do, and a 
  psychic will suffer any normal SAN loss from viewing a 
  supernatural entity in addition to the SAN loss from using 
  aura detection. 
  Mind Shield (page 70) works against Aura Detection, 
  allowing the shielded psychic to blur his Kirlian aura and 
  prevent detection. The shielding will be obvious, a flickering 
  blur of indistinct colour, rather than the traditional 
  appearance of a Kirlian aura. 
  Eidetic Memory 
  Range: Self 
  Duration: Instantaneous 
  Frequency: Once per hour (multiple rolls can be attempted 
  per use) 
  Sanity Cost: 0/1 
  The psychic is able to recall information from previous 
  experiences with meticulous attention to detail. With a 
  successful roll, a psychic using Eidetic Memory can recall 
  accurate information about anything he has witnessed 
  or read, up to his POW in years. Each additional skill 
  roll extends this range by a number of years equal to the 
  psychic’s POW, though only one SAN roll is required and 
  one skill check is earned. If any of the rolls after the first 
  is a failure, the psychic cannot continue the attempt; he has 
  seen as far back as he is going to on this occasion. A psychic 
  cannot see further into his past than his birth. 
  Once the Eidetic Memory roll has been successfully made, 
  the psychic can attempt a Spot, Listen, or Sense roll as 
  if actually present in the scene once again. Most of the 
  time, Eidetic Memory is considered to be ‘photographic 
  memory,’ a visual recollection, though the psychic can recall 
  other sensory information specific to the memory, such as 
  hearing, touch, or taste/smell. 
  Emotion Control 
  Range: POW x 10 metres 
  Duration: One turn 
  Frequency: Once per hour 
  Sanity Cost: 1/1d2 
  With Emotion Control, a psychic can control the emotional 
  state of another person. The psychic must pit his POW 
  versus the target’s POW in a Resistance roll. Success means 
  that the psychic causes the target to feel an emotional state 
  (love, trust, hatred, fear, lust, calm, etc.) of the player’s 
  choice. A special success lasts one hour rather than one 
  turn. Failure means that the target is unaffected, and a 
  fumble triggers the emotional state within the psychic 
  instead of the target! The psychic must be within range 
  of the intended target, and the target must be able to feel 
  the intended emotional state. If the target is possessed, 
  unconscious, etc. the emotional state has no effect. 
  The affected target will not act in a suicidal fashion or as 
  if mind-controlled. If the psychic is attempting to provoke 
  extreme or self-destructive behaviour, the target may 
  attempt an Idea roll to recognise the unnatural influence. 
  If successful, the target can then attempt to break the 
  Emotion Control with a POW vs. POW Resistance roll at 
  the beginning of each round. Success means that the target 
  breaks free and is in control of his actions. The psychic 
  
  69
  does not automatically sense the target throwing off his 
  influence; if the target chooses to continue ‘playing along,’ 
  pretending to still be under the psychic’s control, the psychic 
  must make an Insight roll to notice. 
  Empathy 
  Range: POW in metres 
  Duration: Instantaneous 
  Frequency: Once per turn 
  Sanity Cost: 0/1, or 1/1d6 vs. an insane target
  With Empathy, a psychic can read a target’s emotional state 
  to determine if his inner feelings match those on display. 
  The psychic must be able to see the intended target, or 
  sense him through another psychic ability, and the target 
  must be within range. 
  To use Empathy, a psychic must make a successful 
  Empathy roll, then must succeed at a Resistance roll of 
  his POW vs. the target’s POW. Success yields an insight 
  into the dominant state of emotion the target is currently 
  experiencing. A special success reveals the cause of the 
  emotional state (the event or person responsible, etc.) and 
  provides a strong insight into what the target plans to do 
  about that emotional state. Failing the Resistance roll yields 
  nothing, while a fumble provides the psychic with false or 
  misleading information, in addition to a roll on the Psychic 
  Ability Fumbles table (page 65). With a successful Idea roll, 
  the target knows that his emotions have been revealed to 
  someone, and with a successful INT x 1% roll, will be 
  able to discern the psychic’s use of Empathy, assuming 
  he’s aware that such powers exist. 
  As noted in ‘Sanity Cost,’ using Empathy against a subject 
  who is currently insane is riskier, and causes more SAN 
  loss. Mind Shield (page 70) is a useful defence against this 
  psychic ability. 
  Intuition 
  Range: POW x 100 metres 
  Duration: POW x 1 rounds 
  Frequency: Once per hour 
  Sanity Cost: 1/1d3 
  Intuition allows a psychic to make predictive leaps that 
  defy logic and stretch the limits of  normal sensory 
  perception. With Intuition, a psychic must designate a 
  type of  thing he is looking for: a lost or concealed item, a 
  hidden door, a hidden safe, a concealed weapon, or even 
  another being. The GM will then provide the direction 
  to the nearest and most appropriate example of  such an 
  item (or type of  thing) within the ability’s range. Mind 
  Shield (page 70) will protect against being detected 
  through Intuition. 
  The GM can use a psychic’s Intuition as a passive ability, 
  rolling secretly for the player and providing hints about 
  what the psychic has intuited. When used in this passive 
  manner, there is no SAN loss, and fumbles do not result in 
  a roll on the Psychic Ability Fumbles table on page 65, but 
  there is also no Experience skill check for successful use. 
  Mind Control 
  Range: POW in metres
  Duration: POW in rounds
  Frequency: Once per day
  Sanity Cost: 1d2/1d4
  With Mind Control, a psychic can force the target to do his 
  bidding, robbing him of free will. The target is aware of 
  what’s happening, but cannot act against the psychic while 
  the power is in effect. 
  To use Mind Control, the psychic must succeed in a 
  Resistance roll of his POW vs. the target’s POW. If the roll 
  is successful, the psychic can control the movements and 
  even speech of the mind-controlled target, although he must 
  concentrate on doing so. While controlling the target, the 
  psychic does not gain any insight into the target’s thought 
  processes or physical state, and cannot control how he feels: 
  like using a remote control rather than leaping into a driver’s 
  seat. The target can leave the range of the power once Mind 
  Control is established without breaking the effect. 
  The domination is complete, although the GM may allow 
  the target a POW x 1% roll to resist if he is strongly 
  opposed to the psychic’s actions, with success allowing him 
  to hesitate or stumble. In addition, the target can attempt 
  to break the psychic’s control with a new POW vs. POW 
  Resistance roll at the beginning of each subsequent round; 
  success means that the target breaks free and is in control 
  of himself once more.
  If the controlling psychic wishes to have the target do 
  anything other than lie down and fall asleep, he must 
  concentrate, using no other psychic abilities and doing 
  nothing more than moving slowly and/or speaking to 
  others in short sentences. 
  If the psychic is forced to fight, or is otherwise interrupted, 
  he must succeed in a Luck roll – a Difficult Luck roll, if 
  injured – to maintain his concentration. If he fails, the 
  target is automatically released from the Mind Control. 
  The target regains control over his body and thoughts at 
  the beginning of the next round after the psychic ability 
  ends. The target is aware throughout that he has lost 
  control of his own actions, but may need to succeed on an 
  Idea roll to intuit that he was being mind-controlled, if he 
  is not already familiar with the supernatural.
  PsYCHiCs
  Psychics
  
  LiCense to summon
  70
  Mind Control can be used on animals, but it’s Difficult. It 
  could also possibly be used on non-human creatures like 
  ghouls or Deep Ones, but again would be Difficult and have 
  a much higher SAN cost.  Both the psychic and the target 
  make Sanity rolls when this power is successfully used. 
  Mind Reading
  Range: One metre 
  Duration: Instantaneous or multiple rounds 
  Frequency: Once per day
  Sanity Cost: 1d2/1d4
  Mind Reading allows a psychic to search the mind of 
  another person, revealing surface thoughts, hidden motives, 
  or even memories. After a successful Mind Reading roll, a 
  psychic must make a successful POW vs. POW Resistance 
  roll against an unwilling target. If successful, the psychic 
  has instantaneous access to the target’s surface thoughts 
  and recent memories, initially yielding a quick impression 
  of relatively easy-to-access memories and thoughts 
  from the target’s short-term memory. If more specific 
  information is desired, or information from further back 
  than the last few days, the psychic must continue Mind 
  Reading for multiple rounds. If the Resistance roll fails, 
  the psychic gets only a flash of the uppermost thought in 
  the subject’s mind.
  Mind Reading a willing target is much easier: no Resistance 
  roll is required. If the target is concealing information from 
  the psychic, an Easy Insight skill roll will reveal the deception 
  and the truth being concealed. Rooting around for a specific 
  memory requires the psychic to make a successful roll of 
  the target’s Idea characteristic (not the psychic’s). If the 
  memory is particularly buried or suppressed, the target’s 
  Idea roll is Difficult. Mind Shield (below) will work against 
  Mind Reading.
  The GM should determine how long it takes to retrieve 
  a specific memory if the psychic is attempting to recover 
  hidden or suppressed information. It is suggested that this 
  take 1d3 rounds for something buried but not profoundly 
  suppressed, up to 1d3+3 rounds for a memory that is 
  systematically hidden or otherwise traumatic to the target. 
  Climbing into the mind of an insane target can be risky to 
  one’s own mental health. If the target of the Mind Reading 
  is currently ‘indefinitely’ insane (The Laundry Roleplaying 
  Game, pages 70-71), the psychic automatically suffers the 
  highest potential SAN loss for using Mind Reading: 2 points 
  for a successful Sanity roll and 4 points for a failure. If 
  the memory being sought was one that caused the target 
  to suffer a SAN loss, echoes of the experience may cause 
  damage to the psychic… the psychic must make a SAN roll 
  based on the source of the SAN loss suffered by the target, 
  suffering the minimum possible SAN loss. 
  Using Mind Reading on an exonome or other supernatural 
  entity sends the psychic into an alien landscape, causing the 
  psychic to lose the full amount of SAN from encountering 
  that being. Additionally, the psychic’s POW is halved (round 
  up) for any Resistance rolls to prevent possession, leaving 
  the front door conveniently wide open and the welcome 
  mat dusted off.
  Mind Shield 
  Range: Self 
  Duration: POW x 1 rounds
  Frequency: Once per turn 
  Sanity Cost: 0/1d2 
  Mind Shield helps protect a psychic against psychic attacks. 
  To use Mind Shield, the psychic must make a successful roll 
  with the psychic ability. The psychic’s POW is then doubled 
  for the purpose of any subsequent Resistance rolls versus 
  psychic attack. If the psychic attack is already underway, the 
  psychic can attempt to disrupt it when next able to act. 
  In addition to its value against offensive psychic abilities 
  (like Emotion Control, Mind Control, Mind Reading, and 
  Telepathy), Mind Shield works against passive psychic abilities 
  (Aura Detection, Empathy, and Intuition), as well as any 
  other psychic form of detection that can reveal the psychic’s 
  presence. In these cases, Mind Shield must be in effect prior 
  to the detection power’s use, or the psychic will be noticed. 
  
  71
  If a psychic suffers a SAN loss while Mind Shield is active, 
  it works as psychic armour, allowing the psychic to make 
  Resistance rolls of his POW against the prospective SAN 
  loss. If the Resistance roll is successful for the psychic, he 
  can subtract his POW value from any SAN loss incurred 
  (negative final values are ignored). If the roll is a failure, the 
  SAN loss occurs normally. 
  Precognition 
  ‘Precog fugues aren’t deterministic, Bob; worse, they tend to 
  disrupt whatever processes they’re predicting the outcome of.’ 
  — Overtime
  Range: Self 
  Duration: Instantaneous 
  Frequency: Once per day 
  Sanity Cost: 1/1d3 (potentially more) 
  Precognition provides a psychic with a brief, intuitive 
  glimpse into the future. To use Precognition, a psychic must 
  meditate for at least one turn without interruption, and then 
  announce how far into the future the precognitive fugue 
  will take him. The psychic must concentrate on the power 
  the whole time. The psychic must then make a one-sided 
  Resistance roll, pitting his POW against the scale of how far 
  into the future he wishes to see, per the table below (note that 
  this reverses the usual order for resolving psychic abilities, in 
  that the Resistance roll comes before the skill roll).
  Scale
  Interval 
  8
  1 round 
  10
  10 rounds 
  11
  1 turn 
  13
  1 hour 
  15
  1 day 
  18
  1 week 
  21
  1 month 
  25
  1 year 
  30
  10 years 
  +5
  per additional 10 years
  Once the desired interval has been established, the psychic 
  must make a Precognition skill roll, interpreting the results 
  as indicated below. 
  Fumble: The psychic has a clear and coherent vision that 
  is (unknown to him) completely inaccurate and misleading. 
  Failure: The psychic’s flash of insight is incomprehensible 
  or contradictory, and does little other than provide him 
  with an uneasy feeling about a situation. The psychic will be 
  aware that the Precognition has failed. 
  Success: The psychic has a glimpse into the future up to 
  interval specified. The glimpse is solid enough to get a 
  strong impression of what is to come. 
  Special Success: The psychic sees the target time in 
  considerable detail, and has an intuitive sense as to how 
  things will transpire. A further successful Idea roll will let 
  him know what needs to be done to achieve (or avoid) the 
  event seen. 
  Example: A psychic with POW 16 wants to look one week 
  into the future, a scale 18 fugue. The psychic makes a one-sided 
  Resistance roll of  his POW 16 vs. a scale of  18: a chance of  
  40%. Having succeeded at the Resistance roll, the psychic must 
  now succeed with the Precognition psychic ability. A successful 
  skill roll gives the psychic a brief  flash from a week in his future, 
  centred around the psychic and his near vicinity. 
  Psychokinesis 
  Range: POW in metres 
  Duration: Instantaneous or one round
  Frequency: Once per hour
  Sanity Cost: 0/1d2 
  Psychokinesis allows a psychic to lift and move objects with 
  the power of the mind. The psychic must first activate the 
  psychic ability with a successful skill roll, and then match 
  his POW in a Resistance roll versus the object’s SIZ (see 
  page 50 in The Laundry Roleplaying Game for a table of 
  sample SIZ ratings for common objects). If the skill and 
  Resistance rolls are successful, the psychic can pick up the 
  object and move it in the air or along the ground at normal 
  walking speed. 
  The object must stay within range of the psychic. Once 
  an item is being held with Psychokinesis, the psychic can 
  move it instantaneously, or hold it for up to one round. If 
  the psychic is knocked unconscious, falls asleep, or suffers 
  a major wound, the hold on the item is lost and it falls to 
  the ground. If the psychic is significantly distracted, or 
  attempts a complex task while using Psychokinesis, the GM 
  should require a successful Idea roll to maintain attention 
  on holding the object aloft. 
  To throw an object using Psychokinesis, the psychic must 
  succeed in a Throw roll in addition to the psychic ability and 
  Resistance rolls. Objects used as thrown weapons against 
  PsYCHiCs
  Psychics
  
  LiCense to summon
  72
  other characters do 1d6 points of damage per 10 points 
  of SIZ, or the object’s normal damage if it is a throwing 
  weapon by design. To catch an item with Psychokinesis, 
  the character must be ready for it, make a successful 
  Psychokinesis skill roll and a POW vs. SIZ Resistance roll, 
  and then make a successful Difficult Throw skill roll. If all of 
  these are successful, the item is caught with Psychokinesis. 
  A psychic cannot lift his own body with Psychokinesis. 
  Psychometry 
  Range: Touch, or immediate vicinity
  Duration: Instantaneous 
  Frequency: Once per hour 
  Sanity Cost: 0/1 (or more) 
  Objects are psychic sponges, soaking up emotions and 
  impressions from the people who have used them. Places 
  also have this quality, absorbing psychic turbulence from 
  extreme emotional states, especially violent or terrible acts 
  committed within them. Psychometry allows a psychic to 
  detect residual emotional imprints in an object or place. 
  It does not work on living beings. With a successful 
  Psychometry roll, a psychic receives a vision related to the 
  object or place, whether a sense of its previous use, an 
  emotional state associated with it, or even a dim memory 
  related to the strongest emotional sensation. The stronger 
  the emotional resonance soaked into the object or area, 
  the more distinct and clear the psychometric impression to 
  the psychic. Items or objects that have soaked up Sanity-
  affecting sensations may cause additional SAN point loss, 
  at a value based on half the normal SAN loss (round up) 
  for experiencing the events in person. See page 69 of The 
  Laundry Roleplaying Game for example SAN losses. 
  After the Psychometry ability roll is made, a successful Idea 
  roll can be used to identify the user of an object if it is 
  someone the psychic has met. If the person is someone he 
  has not met but knows of (through a picture, television, 
  etc.), the Idea roll is Difficult. A psychic can also use 
  Psychometry to determine any special activating code or 
  trick to open or activate an object, from a combination for a 
  lock to the incantation that activates a Hand of Glory. This 
  can be attempted once for a given object. Failure means that 
  the psychic cannot try again on the specific object until he 
  has increased his Psychometry skill. 
  Remote Viewing 
  Range: POW x 10 kilometres 
  Duration: POW x 1 rounds 
  Frequency: Once daily 
  Sanity Cost: 1/1d2 
  Remote Viewing allows a psychic to project his awareness into 
  another area, experiencing it as if he were actually physically 
  present. The range for this ability is POW x 10 in kilometres. 
  
  73
  Use of this ability is Difficult if the psychic has never been to 
  the target location. This awareness is limited to the mundane 
  senses: the psychic character has not physically gone 
  anywhere, as with Astral Projection, but merely extended his 
  perceptions. The awareness granted by Remote Viewing is 
  current – it does not allow the psychic to see into the past or 
  the future. The psychic is absolutely unable to interact with 
  the environment being observed, although he can attempt 
  perception-based skills to allow greater understanding of 
  what he is experiencing. He cannot use any other psychic 
  ability while using Remote Viewing, or the vision will end. 
  The psychic may end the vision at any time up to the listed 
  duration; at the end of the vision, his senses return to his body. 
  Sensitivity 
  Range: Self 
  Duration: Instantaneous 
  Frequency: Once per day 
  Sanity Cost: 0/1d2 
  Sensitivity is a form of nonspecific psychic awareness, far 
  less powerful or focused than the other psychic abilities 
  described in this section. A psychic can use Sensitivity to 
  detect supernatural abilities or exonomic presences, or to 
  recognise working occult items. If the emotional, spiritual, or 
  supernatural emanations are negative or hostile, the psychic 
  will feel a sense of foreboding and distrust of the area; if 
  the overall impression of the area is positive, it will instil a 
  sense of peace and harmony. If the psychic impressions are 
  coming from a specific object in the psychic’s vicinity, an 
  Idea roll will allow the psychic to identify the specific object 
  exuding the most intense psychic impression, although not 
  the specifics of the emotional state. 
  Sensitivity also gives the psychic an indication if other 
  psychic abilities are being used, or have recently been used 
  in the vicinity. GMs may wish to utilise Sensitivity passively, 
  rolling secretly for the psychic and informing the player 
  when the psychic experiences insights. 
  Telepathy 
  Range: POW x 10 kilometres 
  Duration: POW x 1 rounds
  Frequency: Once per hour 
  Sanity Cost: 0/1 for both psychic and target 
  Telepathy allows the psychic to communicate mind-to-mind 
  with another person, linking consciousness and creating a 
  psychic bridge through which unspoken messages and 
  thoughts can be exchanged. Due to the idiosyncrasies of 
  each individual mind, telepathic communication can be 
  strained and oddly distant, as if through a filter that removes 
  subtext and nuance. It does not provide any of the psychic 
  linkage of the Destiny Entanglement Geas (The Laundry 
  Roleplaying Game, page 136). 
  Telepathic contact with an unwilling target requires a 
  successful POW vs. POW Resistance roll. If the roll fails, 
  the psychic ability cannot be used on that person for 
  another hour. Telepathy with a willing target does not 
  require a Resistance roll. With a successful roll, the psychic 
  can perform one of the following actions: 
  • 
  Speak with the target mind-to-mind as if in conversation, 
  without either party needing to speak aloud or give any 
  external sign that they are communicating. 
  • 
  Pass along a simple or complex message to the target, 
  including instilling in the target’s mind a memory or 
  mental image of an event, place, object, or person. 
  • 
  If desired, attempt an Insight roll to determine the 
  target’s current frame of mind (worried, calm, etc.) if 
  it is not apparent from the subject of the conversation. 
  Any use of Telepathy will be obvious to the target, and if 
  the psychic is known to the target, an Idea roll will reveal 
  the psychic’s identity. At the beginning of each round 
  after the Telepathy is first engaged, the target may make 
  another POW vs. POW Resistance roll to attempt to end 
  the telepathic connection. 
  Successful telepathic communication with an indefinitely 
  insane target (as described on pages 70-71 of The Laundry 
  Roleplaying Game) causes the psychic to automatically suffer 
  the full potential SAN loss for using Telepathy. Telepathic 
  communication with an exonome or supernatural entity 
  requires the psychic to make a Difficult Sanity roll in addition 
  to the standard Sanity roll for using Telepathy, suffering 
  half (rounded up) the normal SAN loss for encountering 
  that being. Initiating telepathic contact with a level two (or 
  higher) exonome capable of possessing a living being is 
  extraordinarily stupid, a level of idiocy equivalent to peeing 
  on an exposed power cable; the psychic’s POW is halved 
  (round up) for any Resistance rolls to prevent possession 
  from that entity if it so desires.
  PsYCHiCs
  Psychics
  
  LiCense to summon
  74
  Human ResouRces advisoRy #2010-033
  This document replaces HRA #2000-653 and HRA 
  #1992-779 but not HRA #1975-666. Please contact 
  your line manager for any clarifications – do not contact 
  Human Resources.
  This document is intended for personnel of all levels certified 
  for magic of any type. If you are not certified for sorcery, please 
  complete form AF-005 prior to reading this document and submit it 
  to your supervisor for approval. If you are certified for sorcery, please 
  complete form GF-005 within three (3) days following reading this 
  document and submit it to your line manager. Employees hired 
  before 01/09/99 may instead complete form GG-003 regardless of 
  magical certification. 
  Foreword
  While every safety precaution is taken, the nature of our work 
  means that all employees, regardless of department, must be 
  certified in basic thaumaturgical safety. As such, the Extraordinary 
  Committee of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) requires the 
  distribution of this document to all of our employees so they may 
  be prepared in the event of a thaumaturgical emergency. The 
  dangers which you and your coworkers will face in this situation 
  can be reduced if you do as this document describes. Read this 
  document with care. Your life and the lives of your coworkers may 
  depend upon it.
  challenges to Health and safety
  When used correctly, magic is as safe as any energy source. You 
  are no more at risk working with magic than you are working with 
  electricity. However, a competent electrician respects the energy 
  he/she is working with and understands the possible dangers 
  therein. Therefore, be aware of the following risks when working 
  with magic:
  •	
  Thaumic Resonance: Magical energy can contaminate 
  areas similarly to nuclear fallout. If you enter an area of 
  high thaumic resonance, you may be infected with magic. 
  This contamination is harmless and can be removed easily 
  using a variety of quick and mostly painless methods. While 
  thaumic poisoning does exist, current safety protocols 
  ensure this is not a concern to the average employee and 
  complete recovery is certain 99% of the time. 
  •	
  Hallucinations: Between small demons entering our minds 
  and the deleterious effects off thaumic resonance on your 
  nervous systems, you might receive false sensory images 
  and scents. Strange lights, temperature variations, and dark 
  urges might be encountered from time to time, but should 
  not cause alarm. If you suspect demons may be playing 
  tricks on your mind, please visit the medical station for an 
  examination (Note: Employees may be required to submit to 
  drug testing during such an examination).
  •	
  extra-universal Travel: Gates to other universes are 
  normally obvious, but when travelling in unusual places such 
  as caves or unused Underground side tunnels, you may 
  find yourself transported to a different universe. This is rare 
  and should not be a concern unless you work with gates, in 
  which case please read HRA #1998-441.
  •	
  accidental summoning: Although summoning demons 
  is a typical and safe activity in Capital Laundry Services, 
  there remains the possibility of summoning creatures more 
  powerful than established containment procedures. Do not 
  summon something that you cannot put down. 
  •	
  Possession: To be honest, possession is the least likely of 
  your worries. As long as you practice safe magic, you need 
  not be concerned with being possessed by a cthonic entity. 
  Planning for safe magic
  Document HRA #2008-432 goes into detail about security with 
  regards to sorcery, so please reference that document when 
  necessary (assuming you are cleared for it). Regardless of 
  certification, it is everyone’s responsibility to plan for safe magic use. 
  Follow these directions unless directed otherwise by a superior:
  Prepare before casting: Magic must be treated with respect. 
  Before casting, make sure you have taken proper precautions. 
  Double check all pentagrams, wards, and runes, and make sure 
  you have enough power to run a proper grid. 
  Watch where you are going: Keen awareness of your 
  surroundings is the biggest step towards magical safety. Avoid 
  any areas you are not permitted to enter, and read and obey 
  all posted signs. Be aware of your surroundings and report in 
  immediately should you find yourself on an alien world. 
  Be somewhere else: Similarly, you cannot be harmed by magic 
  if you are nowhere near where magic is being performed. Stay 
  away from testing areas, training rooms, and the stacks whenever 
  possible. When your shift is over, leave the building promptly and 
  do not return until your next shift or when ordered to by your 
  supervisor, line manager, or similar authority. 
  maintain your wards: Make sure you are always wearing or 
  in physical contact with your personal ward. Inspect it weekly, 
  keeping it clean and measuring its thaumic power. If your personal 
  ward measures in the red, contact your line manager immediately 
  to schedule a thaumic recharge. Do not fold, spindle, or mutilate 
  your warrant card.
  create a magical survival kit: All employees must maintain 
  magical survival kits at their desks. This kit should include, but 
  is not limited to, the following: Spare personal ward, potable 
  water, food, tin opener, torches and spare batteries, matches, 
  ThaumaTurgical EmErgEncy ProcEdurEs
  Health, safety and magic in the workplace
  
  75
  change of underwear, conductive ink pen, tea, sugar, vitamins, 
  disinfectant, blanket, and traceable copy of the area ward sigil 
  Sign of K’Toshule.
  identify your nearest thaumic shelter: Capital Laundry Services 
  has established a number of shelters in most facilities that can 
  protect a number of employees should a massive thaumic event 
  occur. Know the location of the nearest shelter wherever you are, 
  and how to get there. Shelters can be identified by large red signs 
  and heavy doors. 
  do not touch coworkers: Possession can be spread through 
  skin-to-skin contact. Therefore, avoid unnecessary contact, even 
  to offer solace or a friendly handshake.  
  Warning signs
  Despite practising safe magic, thaumic energy can be released 
  from a spell or similar magical event. If you suspect thaumic 
  resonance in the workplace, watch for these warning signs:
  • 
  Cold spots, warm spots, or areas of unusually even 
  temperature
  • 
  Low bandwidth (unless previously announced by IT)
  • 
  Strange moans or whispers
  • 
  Coworkers who want to shake hands
  • 
  Coworkers with glowing eyes and/or hunger for human flesh
  • 
  Hallucinations unattributed to any recreational drugs
  • 
  Paperwork that completes itself (Note: Such paperwork 
  should not be turned in)
  suRviving a THaumaTuRgical 
  emeRgency
  What you have learned so far protects you from everyday 
  occurrences. However, Capital Laundry Services has a plan for 
  major thaumaturgical emergencies. These include the Three 
  Note Warning System. Your familiarity with these three sounds 
  may very well save your life. 
  •	
  The attack Warning: When a major thaumaturgical 
  emergency is expected, a rising and falling note will be 
  sounded across all available PA systems, landline phone 
  networks, cell phone networks, and emails. WHaT To do: 
  Immediately head for the nearest thaumic shelter. If this is 
  impossible, create an area ward or hide under your desk. 
  If you are in a hallway or outside the building, drop and 
  cover yourself with any available shielding material such as 
  newspapers or bags. Do not hyperventilate or panic. 
  •	
  Thaumic Release Warning: When there is danger of 
  massive thaumic release, you will hear three loud tones or 
  whistles. Remember that you may hear a thaumic release 
  warning without an attack warning! WHaT To do: Take 
  refuge in the nearest shelter as with an attack warning. Do not 
  leave until the all-clear has sounded. Do not open the door 
  for any coworkers or strangers, as they may be possessed. 
  Report any strange lights or tentacles immediately to your 
  supervisor. 
  The all-clear: When the immediate danger of attack or thaumic 
  release is over, you will hear a steady tone. WHaT To do: 
  Resume normal activities. Complete form BN-101 within the 
  next twenty-four hours and submit it to your supervisor (or line 
  manager should your supervisor be deceased or missing). 
  The action checklist
  Tick when completed:
  Warning sounds
  1. 
  Do you know the warning sounds?
  2. 
  Do you know what action you must take when you hear each 
  warning?
  3. 
  Do you have any sounds on your computer or phone that are 
  similar to the warning sounds?
  Thaumic shelters
  4. 
  Do you know your nearest shelter location?
  5. 
  Do you know how to create an area ward?
  6. 
  Are you prepared to use your own blood as a drawing 
  medium?
  survival Kit
  7. 
  Does your survival kit have all the necessary items? 
  8. 
  Is the food and water still consumable?
  9. 
  Is your kit easily accessible in the event of an emergency or 
  is it being used as a monitor stand?
  10. Do you have a bucket to use as a lavatory?
  action after attack
  11. Have you checked that any small fires have been put out?
  12. Have you turned off the water supply at the mains?
  13. Have you replenished your survival kit?
  14. Have you checked all nearby coworkers for signs of 
  possession or cannibalism?
  15. Have you reported your survival to your line manager?
  16. Have you looked in a mirror to see if your eyes are glowing?
  REMEMBER
  •	
  The	danger	from	thaumic	resonance	is	greatest	in	the	first	
  hour.	During	that	time,	you	must	stay	in	the	shelter	and	avoid	
  contact	with	all	personnel.	
  •	
  Listen	to	your	supervisors.	They	are	better	trained	than	you.	
  •	
  If	you	must	leave	the	shelter	to	dispose	of	waste	or	bodies,	do	
  not	stay	outside	any	longer	than	necessary.
  •	
  The	longer	you	remain	in	the	shelter,	the	safer	you	will	be.	
  However,	please	leave	the	shelter	once	the	All	Clear	has	been	
  sounded.		
  •	
  Keep	your	hands	clean.	A	thaumaturgical	emergency	is	no	
  excuse	for	uncleanliness.	
  Safety Precautions
  
  LiCense to summon
  76
  Question: A raging fire burns out of control, consuming 
  every scrap of fuel in its path. 
  Do you: a) Desperately pour your meagre water supply 
  on the fire even though you know it won’t be enough?  b) 
  Run screaming away as fast and far as you can? c) Thumb 
  your nose at good sense by building an additional fire in the 
  desperate hope that it will steal oxygen and fuel from the 
  first fire and halt its progress, knowing all the while that 
  your efforts have probably only increased the potency of 
  the original fire, making the problem much, much worse?
  If you answered C; if your instinct is to literally fight fire 
  with fire; if you believe that the ends justify the means and 
  that by doing a little evil, you can avert a greater evil; then 
  the Laundry has a field of arcane study for you!
  A subset of  the Research and Development Department, 
  the Faustian Research sector of  the Laundry explores 
  arcana borrowed or derived from other races and beings. 
  The ultimate aim is to reverse-engineer these spells and 
  replicate them using the safer (and less icky) techniques 
  of  Computational Demonology, but until the backroom 
  boffins work that out, we’re stuck with boxes of  liver 
  and cans of aqua fortis and uranium dust.  The spells and 
  arcane artefacts published here are the known useable 
  products of  Faustian research. They include successful 
  studies of  three different creature races, one alternate 
  plane of  the multiverse, and even one Great Old One. 
  But these are just the known quantities. Like knowledge-
  hungry sorcerers in lonely towers, Faustian researchers 
  are constantly testing, studying, and bargaining with 
  puissant otherworldly forces. 
  The Laundry watches them closely. There is every chance 
  they’ll set themselves on fire.
  Homo Sapiens Necrosis
  For centuries, ghouls and humans have interacted. While 
  some ghouls are nothing more than voracious grave 
  robbers, others can be surprisingly tractable, even eager to 
  communicate. Sometimes ghouls suffer a kind of nostalgia 
  for the time before they contracted Twomey’s Disease. 
  These ghouls will often reach out to humanity, making 
  them easy targets for communication, study, capture, or 
  even dissection, depending on the ethics of the agency in 
  question.
  Ghoul spellcasters are quite rare, but studies of Ghoul 
  culture and biology have yielded some valuable arcane 
  tools. Their so-called ‘Necrotic Sorcery’ is powered by the 
  consumption of human flesh. To date, no substitute for 
  human flesh has been successfully developed. Prolonged 
  engagement in this kind of cannibalism can have strong 
  physiological and psychological effects. Necrotic sorcerers 
  inevitably develop acute eating disorders like anorexia, 
  bulimia, binging, purging, and of course, compulsive 
  cannibalism.
  Note: Although it involves spell-like ‘rites,’ Necrotic Sorcery 
  does not function the same way as standard magic; the 
  rites do not have ‘levels’ or POW requirements, and the 
  spellcaster’s ability to perform them is not based on the 
  tools and processing power he has to hand. In most cases, 
  spellcasting is based on the Occult skill.
  Regenerative Feast
  This rite allows a human to temporarily enjoy the benefits 
  of a ghoul’s metabolism. The human can eat human flesh 
  and convert it immediately into potent healing far exceeding 
  normal human capacity. There are two versions of this rite: 
  minor and significant.
  Minor Feast
  Requirements: To perform the minor version of 
  Regenerative Feast, the spellcaster must have an Occult 
  skill of at least 45% and a Knowledge (Ghouls) skill of 
  at least 35%. The beneficiary, who may or may not be the 
  spellcaster, must knowingly and willingly consume at least 
  one ounce of human flesh from a cadaver.
  Casting Time:  The minor version of this rite takes about 
  30 minutes to perform.
  Sanity: Whether or not the rite succeeds, the beneficiary 
  must make a SAN check when consuming the cadaverous 
  flesh, with a cost of 1/1d4.
  Faustian Research
  E’en hell hath its peculiar laws, I see!  
  I’m glad of that! a pact may then be made,
  The which you gentlemen will surely keep?
  — Faust, Goethe
  
  77
  The spellcaster must make an Occult roll. If the roll is 
  successful, the beneficiary immediately heals 1d4+2 Hit 
  Points. If the spellcaster achieves a special success, the 
  beneficiary regains 2d4+4 Hit Points. If the roll is a failure 
  or fumble, the beneficiary risks infection as described below.
  Significant Feast
  Requirements: To cast the significant version of 
  Regenerative Feast, the Spellcaster must have an Occult 
  skill of at least 55% and a Knowledge (Ghouls) skill of 
  at least 40%. The beneficiary, who may or may not be the 
  spellcaster, must knowingly and willingly consume about 
  half a pound of human flesh from a cadaver.
  Casting Time: The significant version of this rite takes 
  about 3 hours to perform.
  Sanity: Whether or not the rite succeeds, the beneficiary 
  must make a San check when consuming the cadaverous 
  flesh, with a cost of 1/1d6.
  The spellcaster makes an Occult roll. If the roll is successful, 
  the beneficiary immediately heals 1d4+2 Hit Points, and 
  after a full night’s rest, the beneficiary may heal one major 
  wound. If the spellcaster achieves a special success, the 
  beneficiary fully recovers his entire Hit Point pool and may 
  heal one major wound immediately. If the roll is a failure or 
  fumble, the beneficiary risks infection as described below.
  Infection: If the rite is performed unsuccessfully at either 
  level, the beneficiary has consumed cadaverous human flesh. 
  They must immediately make an Endurance roll to avoid a 
  food-borne ailment, such as Salmonella, E. Coli, or even 
  Kuru. If the Occult roll to perform the rite was a fumble, 
  the Endurance roll is Difficult. If the rite is performed in 
  a medically-controlled environment (a hospital or Laundry 
  facility with medical supervision), this Endurance roll is 
  Easy. If this Endurance roll is a fumble, or if the rite is 
  used repeatedly, the beneficiary begins to develop Twomey’s 
  disease.
  Dead Memory
  Requirements:  To perform Dead Memory, the spellcaster 
  must have an Occult skill of at least 60%. The spellcaster must 
  knowingly and willingly consume at least one teaspoon (around 
  a quarter of an ounce) of tissue from a corpse’s brain.
  Casting Time:  One hour.
  Sanity: Whether or not the rite succeeds, the spellcaster 
  must make a SAN check when consuming the corpse brain, 
  with a cost of 1/1d8.
  Dead Memory is effectively biological clairvoyance. The 
  spellcaster consumes a small helping of the neural tissue 
  from a dead body to acquire the memories and knowledge 
  the dead person possessed in life. The body must be a 
  human body and the spellcaster must be able to salvage 
  about a teaspoon of intact brain matter to eat.
  To perform the Dead Memory rite, the spellcaster must make 
  an Occult skill roll, at -5% for every day after the first the 
  body has been dead (performing Dead Memory on a body 
  seven days dead, for example, would take a -30% modifier). 
  If successful, he gains some of the memories of the corpse; 
  he may choose to gain one or more skills possessed by the 
  deceased, or aim for specific memories, or both. 
  If the rite is performed successfully, there is a risk that the 
  memories of the dead body will overwhelm the personality 
  of the spellcaster. To avoid this, the spellcaster must make a 
  one-sided Resistance roll, pitting his POW against the POW 
  of the corpse. Each skill chosen increases the effective 
  FAustiAn ReseARCH
  Faustian Research
  
  LiCense to summon
  78
  POW of the corpse by +2; each memory increases its POW 
  by +1 to +4, depending on how complex it was, or how 
  important it was to the target’s sense of self.
  Example: Laundry agent Frank Grimes is stuck in a sewer, 
  and needs to banish Mordiggan, the Corpse-God of  the ghouls, 
  before it eats him. Unfortunately, the only sorcerer who knew the 
  banishing spell got shot five minutes ago. Frank uses the Dead 
  Memory rite and succeeds on his Occult roll, taking the sorcerer’s 
  Sorcery skill and the memory of  the banishing spell. He must 
  then make a POW vs. POW roll to resist mental backlash, 
  pitting his POW of  14 against the Sorcerer’s POW of  15 + 3 
  (2 for the Sorcery skill, +1 for the spell) for a total of  18.
  • 
  If  the Resistance roll is successful, the spellcaster 
  is able to clearly distinguish his own memories from 
  those of the target corpse.
  • 
  If the Resistance roll is a failure, the spellcaster 
  becomes confused which memories are his own and which 
  are from the target corpse. While the spellcaster retains 
  his own personality, it will be modified by the alternate 
  memories. The character’s motives and allegiances may 
  alter as a result of this confusion, but the character does 
  not become an NPC. This confusion fades as the alternate 
  memories fade. The resulting emotional trauma costs the 
  spellcaster an additional 1d8 SAN. 
  • 
  If the Resistance roll is a fumble, the spellcaster’s 
  personality is completely sublimated by the memories 
  of the target corpse. The spellcaster must behave in the 
  circumstances as the corpse would – effectively making 
  him an NPC. This sublimation does not last indefinitely. 
  Every time the spellcaster wakes from a full sleep, he may 
  make a new Luck roll to recover his own personality. The 
  emotional trauma and confusion from this event costs 
  the spellcaster an additional 1d10 SAN.
  The memories acquired slowly fade with time. Skills degrade 
  at a rate of 10% per day. 
  If the target corpse had a higher Cthulhu Mythos score than 
  that of the spellcaster, the spellcaster must permanently 
  lose the SAN for the difference. The spellcaster also gains 
  the new skill score, but it will fade in time.
  After casting Dead Memory, the caster must immediately 
  make an Endurance roll to avoid a food-borne ailment, 
  such as Salmonella, E. Coli, or even Kuru. If the Occult 
  roll was a fumble, the Endurance roll is Difficult. If this 
  spell is cast in a medically controlled environment (a 
  hospital or Laundry facility with medical supervision), the 
  Endurance roll is Easy. If the Endurance roll is a fumble, at 
  the discretion of the gamemaster, the beneficiary begins to 
  develop Twomey’s disease.
  The Tantalus Technique
  In the early ’90s, Homo sapiens necrosis scholar Dr. Gerald 
  Clark decided to live among the ghouls.  Like a subterranean 
  Jane Goodall, Clark dwelt in one of the ghoul warrens for 
  many months. During his visitation, Clark took copious and 
  meticulous notes. Eventually, the doctor ‘went native,’ but in 
  a final act of humanity, he mailed his scientific journal back 
  to the Laundry.  
  At first, it appeared that Clark had sacrificed his humanity in 
  vain. His meticulous notes largely confirmed what was already 
  known about ghoul society. Then the reviewers discovered 
  that, before he had turned, Clark had worked as an apprentice 
  to the colony’s shaman. Further, Clark had witnessed and 
  assisted in several instances of rare ghoul spellcasting. 
  Clark’s notes described a ghoul shaman opening a gate 
  with no technological support and only minimal ritualistic 
  support. Instead, before the ritual’s initiation, the shaman 
  consumed a carefully harvested medallion of human 
  liver.  The journal also painstakingly described a grave 
  robbing which Clark and the shaman undertook together 
  to harvest a liver for ritual use. Only an organ from the 
  most pure human cadaver would do. The ghoul was guided 
  by scent, but Clark’s notes indicated that certain factors 
  were preferred: a virgin, firstborn or seventh born, religious 
  upbringing, strong moral fibre, B+ blood type, etc. Finally, 
  Clark’s journal offered a step-by-step description of the 
  complex carving which prepared the liver for consumption.
  Early tests ranged from unsuccessful to unethical to 
  downright unfortunate, but eventually the R&D folks were 
  able to successfully document what became known as the 
  ‘Tantalus Technique’ (also, informally, ‘Plumber’s Lunch’). 
  The Tantalus Technique is a sort of spell modifier. If an 
  agent consumes appropriately prepared human liver before 
  casting a spell, he may gain a significant bonus to the POW 
  available for the spell.
  To employ the technique, the agent must have some of the 
  properly harvested and prepared human liver on hand. The 
  preparation process is complex and takes several hours to 
  perform. An agent that knows the process can carve a human 
  liver from a viable candidate into 3-5 acceptable cuts with a 
  successful roll of Craft (Cooking) or Fine Manipulation.
  The Laundry also keeps a small number of prepared liver 
  cutlets on hand for high-level arcane operations. With 
  appropriate paperwork, a Laundry agent can requisition a 
  prepared liver medallion from Catering. In either case, a cut 
  has a potency of up to about 12 hours, after which it is useless.
  Livers can be used to augment traditional spellcasting or 
  mental magic, and do not assist computational demonology 
  (unless you can figure out a way to get a computer to eat a 
  
  79
  magic sandwich, and cramming it into a USB port doesn’t 
  count). It takes no additional time to consume the liver as 
  part of a spell. It can easily be folded into the process for 
  any spellcasting, and the spellcaster may choose increase the 
  effective POW available to cast the spell by 1 to 4. After the 
  spell has been attempted, the spellcaster must make a SAN 
  check; the SAN cost is determined by how much additional 
  POW the spellcaster used, as follows.
  POW Bonus
  SAN Cost
  +1
  0/1d3
  +2
  0/1d4
  +3
  1/1d6
  +4
  1d3/1d10
  If the spell is cast unsuccessfully, the beneficiary has 
  consumed cadaverous human flesh. He must immediately 
  make an Endurance roll to avoid a food borne ailment, such 
  as Salmonella, E. Coli, or even Kuru. If this spell is cast in 
  a medically controlled environment (a hospital or Laundry 
  facility with medical supervision), this Endurance roll is 
  Easy.
  GENOA FRACTAL (Polyps)
  The Laundry has no relationship with GENOA FRACTAL. 
  It is likely that having a ‘relationship’ with Polyps would be 
  no more possible than having a relationship with the Ebola 
  virus. However, during the Korean War, the Black Chamber 
  performed some very aggressive study on the creatures, and, 
  in a rare security lapse, the results made their way across the 
  pond and into Laundry facilities.
  The borrowed research revealed a strong connection 
  between the Polyps’ piping sound and their frenetic cell 
  reproduction. After adding years of their own study, 
  Faustian researchers discovered that by recreating the piping 
  noise, radical cell reproduction could be achieved in most 
  organic matter. Initially, the hope was to develop a medical 
  application of the sound, but the results were disastrous, 
  and the experiments began to look like lab-rat-genocide. 
  However, over the years, two Faustian researchers have been 
  able to develop potent applications of the phenomenon.
  Constaphone
  The first was created by Professor Stanislau Constantine, 
  a Balkan-state-Soviet defector and musical savant who 
  worked on the GENOA FRACTAL project in the late 
  1960s. While the piping tones of GENOA FRACTAL 
  were too subtle and complex to be created and controlled 
  through computer technology, Stanislau believed that a 
  wind instrument could be created that would simulate the 
  sound. He believed a talented musician using the instrument 
  could actually harness and control the cell growth.
  In the spirit of Erich Zann, Stanislau created the 
  Constaphone – a woodwind instrument that resembles a 
  kind of bassoon/bagpipe hybrid. Like Zann, the creation 
  and use of the Constaphone drove Stanislau insane. After 
  producing two prototypes, he took his own life by ‘playing’ 
  the third prototype in a sealed room, killing himself and 
  destroying the last ’phone. Stanislau’s two instruments 
  are still in the Laundry’s closely guarded possession. It 
  is believed that the Black Chamber has learned of the 
  Constaphone and is eager to acquire a prototype to study 
  for duplication.
  Constaphone
  Availability: Rare
  Certification Required
  The Constaphone is an arcane device. Any use of the 
  Constaphone requires a Perform (any woodwind instrument) 
  roll. The Constaphone may be used against any creature 
  composed of terrestrial matter. The target does not have to 
  hear the sound to be affected, but must be exposed to the 
  interfering sound waves of the instrument – blocking your 
  ears doesn’t help, but drowning out the noise with a sufficiently 
  powerful and disruptive sound source (say, Bloodhag played at 
  full volume through big juicy speakers). The Costaphone is 
  a level three magical attack, and can be blocked by wards or 
  countered by entropy manipulation spells. 
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  Single Target Attack: The Constaphone acts as a sustained 
  ranged attack against a single target within 30 metres. It 
  takes a single Perform roll to establish the attack, which may 
  be continued each round as long as the target is in range.
  If the roll is successful, the target will experience sudden, 
  cancerous cell growth and debilitating pain. This inflicts 1 
  Hit Point per round to the target. Acting while targeted in 
  this way requires an Endurance roll each round at -5% per 
  Hit Point taken from the Constaphone. 
  Radius Attack: The Constaphone can also be used as an 
  instantaneous attack against all living organic matter within 
  10 metres of the performer. It takes a single Perform roll to 
  perform this attack.
  If the roll is successful, all living organic matter in the radius 
  other than the performer experiences sudden, cancerous 
  cell growth. This does 1d6+3 Hit Points of damage to all 
  susceptible targets in the radius. 
  This attack affects all living organic matter in the radius 
  beyond microbial in size. This includes plant matter, animal 
  life, insect life, etc. After this attack, the affected area usually 
  looks like it is covered in bubbling cancerous meat. Anyone 
  seeing this effect for the first time must make a Sanity check 
  with a SAN cost of 1/1d4.
  Healing: Though profoundly difficult to control, the 
  Constaphone may also be used to heal damage to single target 
  by creating rapid, benevolent cell growth. This may be done 
  to any target within 10 metres. It takes a single Perform roll at 
  -10% to establish the healing, which may be continued each 
  round as long as the target is in range. If the roll is successful, 
  the target heals 1 Hit Point per combat round.
  Constaphone Side Effects: Any target that has taken or 
  healed damage from a Constaphone risks having the cell 
  growth metastasise. After the target has stopped suffering 
  Constaphone damage, he should make a percentile roll. 
  There is a 2% chance per Hit Point of damage taken, or 
  a 3% chance per Hit Point healed, that the damage will 
  metastasise. 
  Example: A target that suffers 6 points of  damage from a 
  Constaphone has a 12% chance that the damage will metastasise. 
  Similarly, a target that has healed 6 points of  damage through the 
  Constaphone has an 18% chance that the damage will metastasise. 
  If the Constaphone damage metastasises, the target loses 
  1 from his maximum Hit Points per week until death. If a 
  target dies from the Constaphone, there is a 10% chance 
  that his corpse will birth a GENOA FRACTAL (Flying 
  Polyp) specimen.
  The Genoa Remedy
  The second researcher to make strides in the GENOA 
  FRACTAL field was Dr. Daryl Jeffries, a researcher at MIT. 
  In the ’80s, Jeffries built on the Constaphone work with his 
  own research. Because GENOA FRACTAL tissue is wildly 
  unstable, it had been manifested, but never successfully 
  preserved. In the ’80s, Jeffries performed an unauthorised 
  study, in which he isolated microscopic amounts of active 
  polyp matter and contained it in a van Koch field.
  Jeffries then created a capsule containing a mix of the active 
  polyp matter and a cocktail of vitamins and antibiotics to 
  help the body tolerate the introduction of the polyp tissue. 
  Jeffries had hoped that he was creating a tissue repairing 
  pharmaceutical. He called the prototype the Genoa Remedy.
  The drug was never tested on a human or even canine 
  subject, but the results with lab rats ranged from compelling 
  to frightening. At first, the rodents that consumed Genoa 
  Remedy began to demonstrate enormous pain tolerance 
  and healing abilities, followed shortly by hyper-aggression. 
  The wounds they delivered would quickly fester and turn 
  cancerous. A few rodents began showing other GENOA 
  FRACTAL traits like uncontrolled growth and a disregard for 
  gravity. In the most extreme case, the Genoa rodent actually 
  passed through the wires of its cage to attack a nearby intern. 
  Ultimately the creature had to be killed with a beaker of 
  hydrofluoric acid, and the intern was severely injured.
  While Jeffries’ research was shut down (and possibly 
  grabbed by the Black Chamber), a copy of his research notes 
  was circulated to various fringe mailing lists and occultists. 
  The Laundry and several other groups have attempted, with 
  varying degrees of success, to recreate the remedy.
  Genoa Remedy
  Requisitioning these pharmaceuticals is extremely difficult, 
  and then they are loaned only for research, not consumption. 
  Nevertheless, it is possible that an agent could find himself 
  in the field with access to the Genoa Remedy. The drug has 
  never been tested on a human subject, but there’s no reason 
  a desperate Laundry agent overburdened with monsters and 
  paperwork shouldn’t be the first.
  Availability: Difficult, Impermissible to remove from 
  Laundry facilities.
  Once consumed, the Genoa Remedy takes 1d3+1 combat 
  rounds to kick in. When the drug takes effect, the consumer 
  should make a Sanity roll. If successful, the consumer is 
  able to control the murderous rage which the polyp matter 
  instils. If the Sanity roll is a failure, the consumer must attack 
  the nearest target, whether friend or foe, using whatever 
  weapons come to hand, or teeth and nails if there’s nothing 
  suitable nearby,
  
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  For the duration of the drug’s effects, the consumer gains 
  the following abilities:
  • 
  Flight.
  • 
  Phasing through doors, walls, and any other solid 
  surfaces. 
  • 
   +15% to unarmed attacks.
  • 
  Any living, organic creature that makes flesh-to-flesh 
  contact with consumer experiences rapid, malignant 
  cell growth. The target takes 1d6 points of damage and 
  is exposed to secondary effects described below.
  • 
  Regenerate 1d3 Hit Points per round.
  • 
  Ignore Major Wounds.
  • 
  Being reduced to negative hit points doesn’t kill the 
  user. The user has to be reduced to a negative Hit Point 
  total equal to their starting Hit Point total, or be blown 
  to pieces.
  The drug lasts for three rounds and then begins to wear 
  off. At the end of each round after the third that the drug 
  has been in effect, the consumer must make an Endurance 
  roll. If the Endurance roll fails, the supplemental wears off. 
  If the consumer is at negative Hit Points, he immediately 
  falls dead. If the consumer has positive Hit Points, he has 
  survived, with the following side effects:
  • 
  Consumer is instantly incapacitated.
  • 
  Consumer will begin to experience the effects of any 
  Major Wounds he may have taken.
  • 
  When the Consumer recovers, he must make a SAN 
  check with a cost of 1d6/3d6.
  • 
  Consumer must roll for Genoa Remedy Side Effects as 
  described below.
  Genoa Remedy Side Effects: Any target that has taken 
  damage from flesh-to-flesh contact with someone that 
  has consumed Genoa Remedy risks having his cell growth 
  metastasise. After the target has stopped suffering damage, 
  he should make a percentile roll. There is a 2% chance 
  per Hit Point of damage taken that the cell growth will 
  metastasise. 
  The consumer of the Genoa Remedy also runs a great risk 
  of the cell growth metastasising. After the supplemental 
  wears off, the consumer should make a percentile roll. There 
  is a base 5% chance, +5% per Hit Point the consumer has 
  regenerated, that the cell growth will metastasise.
  If the cell growth metastasises, the target will lose 1 from 
  his maximum Hit Points per week until death. If a target 
  dies from this effect, there is a 10% chance that his corpse 
  will birth a GENOA FRACTAL (Flying Polyp) specimen.
  NOMENCLATURE PENDING
  Calling upon any of the known extant Class 4+ exonomic 
  entities (aka ‘Great Old Ones’) normally has an outcome 
  set ranging from ‘agent’s brain is eaten’ to ‘agent’s plane 
  of existence is eaten.’ There are, however, some cosmic 
  horrors that are more... tractable than others, and who can 
  be invoked with only minimal risk of ending the world. One 
  such entity is codenamed NOMENCLATURE PENDING.
  While 
  the 
  ultimate 
  goals 
  of 
  NOMENCLATURE 
  PENDING (NP) are incomprehensible, the entity has agreed 
  to assist those who approach it via the correct protocols. 
  From our perspective, it’s a treaty. From the other side... well, 
  one senior Faustian researcher described interacting with NP:
  Imagine that we are ants in a boy’s ant farm. If  we work really 
  hard, we might keep the boy’s interest. We desperately carve 
  tunnels in clever shapes and patterns to impress and communicate 
  with the boy, but if  he gets bored, he might just pick up the farm 
  and give us a good shake.
  To call upon NOMENCLATURE PENDING, an agent 
  must first open a Level 2 Gate to create a communications 
  channel. (See The Laundry Roleplaying Game, page 139.) Because 
  opening a gate is a less-than-trivial project, a couple Faustian 
  researchers created the unauthorised ‘Shepherd’ app for 
  laptops and Necronomiphones. When run, Shepherd opens 
  a level two gate to contact NP very quickly. Obviously, having 
  an app on a phone that opens a channel of communication 
  to a Great Old One is appallingly dangerous, and the Laundry 
  has never authorised its use. Nevertheless, if an agent knows 
  the right R&D geeks, a copy might be attainable.
  Once an agent has opened a gate and established 
  communications with the entity, the agent must plead for 
  help in the manner of his choosing. This will always involve 
  some kind of skill roll like Persuade, Bargain, Command 
  (for the ridiculously cocksure), or Science (Mathematics) or 
  Knowledge (Law) for a formal approach. If the agent has 
  poor scores in these skills, he can roll a Difficult Luck check 
  instead. Each time an agent calls upon NOMENCLATURE 
  PENDING, the Old One becomes less patient. Every time 
  the agent pleads with NP after the first, the agent’s skill 
  takes a -5% modifier. Thus an agent pleading to NP for the 
  fourth time would take a -15% skill modifier.
  Traditional invocations include:
  Equus Stellar (Byakhees): Is equivalent to a level 3 
  summoning, 
  NOMENCLATURE 
  PENDING 
  will 
  sometimes dispatch his minions to aid a supplicant. 
  Byakhees may be used as steeds, carrying the agent’s 
  team across the globe or even into the stars. They are also 
  formidable creatures, useful in a fight. Of course, agents 
  not used to the critters must suffer the usual Sanity effects.
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  Sacrifice Required: Trivial for a single specimen; Moderate 
  for multiple specimens.
  Additional Power: If a sorcerer needs additional Power to 
  cast a spell, NOMENCLATURE PENDING can supply 
  more than a spellcaster could ever use (see The Laundry 
  Roleplaying Game, page 135.)
  Sacrifice Required: varies according to POW needed; from 
  Trivial for 3 or less to Significant for a nearly unlimited bonus. 
  Help!: A truly desperate agent can just call on NP for 
  intervention in some fantastic way, as a guillotine blade falls 
  or a bomb timer counts down or an ANNING BLACK 
  prepares to devour the team. Such intercessions come in 
  the form of entropic effects or sudden infusions of occult 
  knowledge (in other words, Cthulhu Mythos).
  Sacrifice Required: varies according to the request, but never 
  less than Moderate.
  • 
  If  the skill roll to plead with NP is successful, NP 
  intervenes on the agent’s behalf. He will also require 
  his sacrifice.
  • 
  If  the roll is a failure, NP ignores the plea and requires 
  no sacrifice. If the sacrifice was an offering the agent 
  made ahead of time, NP still consumes it, but gives 
  nothing in return.
  • 
  If the roll is a fumble, the agent must roll on the 
  NOMENCLATURE PENDING Fumble Table below.
  Paying the Piper
  Anytime NP grants a boon, he also requires some kind of 
  sacrifice. This sacrifice may happen ahead of time, like an 
  offering performed as the supplication is made, or it may 
  happen after the fact as a retroactive sacrifice. It prefers the 
  former; an agent that makes a sacrifice before or during the 
  plea gets a +10% bonus to their skill roll. Of course, if 
  NOMENCLATURE PENDING ignores the plea, then the 
  agent has still performed the sacrifice and given up whatever 
  was offered. Sacrifices can vary greatly and are only limited 
  by the creativity of the agent and Gamesmaster. Some 
  examples of sacrifices at each level follow:
  Trivial: Agent permanently loses a few SAN (1d3) 
  (reducing both current and maximum SAN) or a Hit Point 
  (again, reducing maximum score). Agent must perform 
  some minor act he would not otherwise perform, like 
  animal sacrifice.
  Moderate: Agent permanently loses significant SAN (1d6), 
  or 2 Hit Points, or some combination (reducing maxium 
  score in both cases). Agent must perform an act he would 
  not otherwise perform, like human sacrifice.
  Significant: Agent gives his own life. Agent must perform a 
  terrible act he would not otherwise perform, like sacrificing 
  three or more people or a mass murder.
  PANDORA WAITING
  PANDORA WATING is an entity trapped underneath a 
  mountain on the Cook Islands. Occult references claim 
  the entity to be a ‘god from Yuggoth’; research suggests a 
  Class Four entity bound to a physical host. Legends claim 
  the god is hideous to look upon, and that anyone who does 
  is instantly hardened into a living mummy. Their thoughts 
  and souls remain intact, but their bodies become petrified 
  corpses. Since its arrival in our continuum, many races and 
  creatures have tried to destroy the abomination, only to fail 
  with miserable consequences.
  So the Laundry made a deal with him.
  Specifically, the deal was struck in 1962 by then-director of 
  Human Resources, Arnie Blevins. For months, Arnie had 
  watched as his wife, Mildred, died of lymphoma. When she 
  finally passed, something in Arnie snapped. As head of HR, 
  he knew just enough to be dangerous and could leverage 
  his position to manipulate more skilful agents. Dangling 
  NOMENCLATURE PENDING Fumble Table
  D100
  Fumble Result
  1-40
  The agent glimpses NOMENCLATURE PENDING through the gate too clearly and must make a SAN check (1d4/1d10).
  41-75
  One or more hostile Equus Stellar (Byakhees) appear to attack the agent and anyone nearby.
  76-90
  NOMENCLATURE PENDING draws the agent through the gate on a curious whim. The agent will be returned in 
  1d10x1d10 hours. Upon his return, the agent must make a SAN check (1d6 /2d10).
  91-95
  NOMENCLATURE PENDING draws the agent through the gate to become a worshipper. The agent will be returned in 
  1d20x1d20 days. Upon his return, the agent must make a SAN check (1d10 /3d10).
  96-99
  NOMENCLATURE PENDING reaches through the gate and eats the agent.
  100
  NOMENCLATURE PENDING decides to pass through the gate into the agent’s reality for a short time, creating a 
  localised apocalypse. Anyone present must make a SAN check (1d10 /4d10) and is most likely eaten thereafter.
  
  83
  sick days and retirement packages over their heads, Blevins 
  forced a pair of field operatives to put him in contact with 
  an elder being. Desperate to protect their health benefits 
  and vacation days, the agents opened a gate to the first 
  godlike being they could pinpoint.
  The meeting between Arnie Blevins and PANDORA 
  WAITING was poorly documented. The agents that 
  arranged the meet had the misfortune of seeing the creature 
  in the flesh and were instantly mummified. Arnie had no 
  desire to make the event public, but the agents’ absence 
  could not be hid, and Blevins was summoned to appear 
  before the Auditors. During the audit, Blevins revealed that 
  he had signed a blood oath to PANDORA WAITING, 
  through the god’s exonomic slaves. Arnie’s side of the deal 
  was simple: ‘Bring Mildred back to life.’ The entity had only 
  one desire – freedom. Blevins had signed a pact stating that 
  the Laundry would ‘work to free the lord Ghatanothoa.’ 
  Obviously the Laundry has no desire to free PANDORA 
  WAITING. Lawyers from Contracts & Bindings and Legal 
  Affairs have done everything they can to nullify the treaty, 
  but as Blevins was a full department head, he had just enough 
  authority to commit the entire organisation with his signature 
  (a structural loophole that has since been rectified1). Each 
  year, the Laundry does everything it can to meet the definition 
  of ‘work to free’ in the least effective way possible.
  To bring Mildred back to life, Blevins had been furnished 
  with a grotesque fetish – a heavily adorned necklace whose 
  primary feature was the spiralled shell of an extinct undersea 
  worm. Per instructions by the Lloigor, Blevins had slashed 
  his wrist and poured his blood into the shell. Though 
  only a few inches in length, the shell seemed able to hold 
  as much blood as he could pour, and Arnie only stopped 
  when he began to lose consciousness. He then hung the 
  heavy necklace on his wife’s corpse. Immediately her body 
  convulsed, her eyes snapped open, and she desperately 
  breathed in a ragged breath. Then she started screaming. 
  She screamed, and screamed, and did not stop until her 
  husband carried her into an emergency room, where she 
  was sedated. 
  When Mildred recovered from sedation, it was clear that 
  her mind was fractured. She stared at any light source in a 
  room and whimpered incoherently. She did, however, seem 
  to recognise her husband, and he was her only comfort, 
  staying by her side in hospital until the Auditors came for 
  them both.
  Mildred’s Fetish was analysed by Faustian researchers. The 
  central shell was determined to be a fossil from an extinct 
  abyssal worm called the ‘Harvester Fluke.’ Because the 
  creature is extinct, finding Harvester shells in good condition 
  is extremely difficult, but the researchers felt certain that if 
  they had more shells, they could recreate the necklace.
  Under the guise of paleontological study, the Laundry 
  researchers began a search for Harvester shells, offering a 
  modest reward to any beachcomber, collector, or deep sea 
  fisher who came up with an intact fossilised specimen. To 
  date, Faustian researchers have laid their hands on four 
  Harvester shells and fashioned them into fetishes. None 
  have yet been tested.
  The Pandora Fetishes
  The Pandora Fetishes are large, grotesque necklaces 
  featuring a single bulky spiraled shell. There are currently 
  only four in existence, and the Laundry has deemed their 
  use ‘an abomination.’ Consequently, requisitioning one of 
  the Fetishes is a bureaucratic nigh-impossibility.
  Availability: Rare
  The fetish has only a single function: to restore life to a 
  deceased person. The body of the deceased must be 
  reasonably intact. To use the Fetish, a living person 
  must permanently donate some amount of life-force by 
  voluntarily pouring his own blood into the Harvester shell. 
  The donor must invest at least one Hit Point and may invest 
  more if he chooses. These Hit Points are lost permanently 
  (reducing the donor’s maximum).
  The fetish must then be placed on the deceased, around the 
  neck, against the skin. The target is instantly returned to life 
  and consciousness with 1 Hit Point; his Maximum Hit Point 
  score is reduced by 1 permanently. The subject must make a 
  SAN check (1d10/3d10) after being resurrected.
  The natural life-span of the resurrectee is 1d6 years per 
  Hit Point invested. From this point on, the wearer must 
  wear the fetish constantly. If it is ever removed, the wearer 
  instantly shrivels to a husk and the fetish loses all potency. 
  If the wearer is ever killed again while wearing the fetish, he 
  recovers the very next round with 1 Hit Point, his maximum 
  Hit Points are reduced by another 1 and he must again make 
  a SAN check (1d10/3d10).
  Ghatanothoa’s Involvement: Using the Pandora Fetish 
  opens a rift to Mu where Ghatanothoa sits, awaiting freedom 
  according to his own unfathomable timeline. Anytime the 
  fetish is used, there is a risk of attracting the hideous god’s 
  attention. When the Pandora Fetish is first placed around 
  someone’s neck, the donor must make a Luck roll at +5% 
  per invested Hit Point after the first. If this roll is a success, 
  there is no involvement. 
  If this roll is a failure, the donor must roll on the PANDORA 
  WAITING Involvement Table. If this roll is a fumble, 
  the donor must roll twice on the PANDORA WAITING 
  Involvement Table and take the higher roll.
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  PANDORA WAITING Involvement Table
  D100
  Involvement
  1-25
  Ghatanothoa’s Clamour
  26-50
  Single Lloigor Appears
  51-60
  Lloigor Raiding Party Appears
  61-80
  Glimpse of Ghatanothoa
  81-95
  Limb of Ghatanothoa
  96-100
  Ghatanothoa’s Intrusion
  Ghatanothoa’s Clamour: The moment the necklace 
  is placed on the wearer, all present hear the sound of 
  Ghatanothoa clamouring for freedom beneath Mount 
  Yaddith-Gho. It is a sound that has always been present, but 
  now they finally hear it. The cacophony is devastating to the 
  ears and psyche. All within earshot of the necklace must make 
  a SAN check (1/1d6). In addition, all within earshot must 
  make an Endurance roll. If this Endurance roll is a failure, the 
  victim loses his hearing for 1d100 hours. If this Endurance 
  roll is a fumble, the victim loses his hearing permanently. The 
  necklace’s wearer is immune to both these effects.
  Single Lloigor Appears: A single Lloigor appears to reclaim 
  the necklace.
  Lloigor Raiding Party Appears: At the discretion of 
  the Game Master, 2 or more Lloigor appear to reclaim the 
  necklace.
  Limb of  Ghatanothoa: One of Ghatanothoa’s amorphous 
  limbs reaches through the rift in reality. Anyone present that 
  sees the limb must make a SAN check (1d4/1d10). Each 
  round, roll 1d6 to see who the limb targets: 1,2,3 – the fetish 
  wearer; 4,5 – the Hit Point donor; 6 – anyone else present 
  (or roll again). The limb may be avoided with a Difficult 
  Dodge roll each round. If this roll is a failure, the limb 
  encircles the victim and draws him off forever to sunken 
  Mu. The limb is effectively indestructible and will continue 
  seeking a target until it has captured a victim or all present 
  have fled the area.
  Glimpse of  Ghatanothoa: The rift becomes visible from 
  certain angles. Anyone present is at risk of seeing some or 
  all of Ghatanothoa. Each person present other than the 
  necklace’s wearer must make a Luck roll. 
  • 
  If  an individual’s Luck roll is successful, he does 
  not see the rift and glimpse the hideous god on the 
  other side. There is no effect.
  • 
  If  an individual’s Luck roll is a failure, he glimpses 
  a portion of Ghatanothoa and must make a SAN check 
  (1d6/1d10).
  • 
  If  an individual’s Luck roll is a fumble, he sees 
  Ghatanothoa in its entirety. He is petrified into a living 
  mummy. The only way to release him from an eternity 
  of perpetual torment is destroy his brain.
  Ghatanothoa’s Intrusion: Ghatanothoa uses this moment 
  to seize freedom. The god will begin pouring itself, 
  octopus-like, through the rift. It will not succeed in passing 
  its entire enormity through the rift, but enough of it will 
  flow through to deeply imperil all present. Anyone within 
  sight of the fetish must make a Luck check to see if they 
  avert their eyes quickly enough. 
  If this Luck roll is a success, the observer glimpses a portion 
  of Ghatanothoa and must make a SAN check (1d6/1d10).
  If the Luck roll is a failure, he sees Ghatanothoa in its 
  entirety, and is petrified into a living mummy, as above. 
  Anyone unable to flee the area within three combat rounds 
  will be devoured by Ghatanothoa.
  Esoteric Alchemy
  Esoteric alchemy is a variation on classical sorcery. In its most 
  basic form, computational sorcery involves summoning 
  information and energy from other dimensions. Esoteric 
  alchemy involves channelling extra-dimensional energy 
  via symbolic manipulation of matter so that it can cause 
  physical and psychological transformations.
  To accomplish these transformations, the alchemist combines 
  a wide variety of dangerous chemicals and exotic ingredients. 
  They use these components in lengthy procedures, where 
  the alchemist creates various types of potions and other 
  substances that are designed to be consumed by or applied to 
  the target at some later time.
  Learning & Performing Alchemy
  The process of learning and using alchemy is similar to 
  learning and using sorcery. Like the Sorcery skill, the 
  Alchemy skill can only be increased via training and does 
  not improve with experience. Alchemy is used to create 
  alchemical preparations – strange and terrible chemical 
  brews that warp and reshape their targets. To perform 
  alchemy and create an alchemical preparation, the alchemist 
  must have access to an alchemical laboratory, containing 
  gear and chemicals similar to well-equipped a secondary 
  school chemistry lab, as well as all of the paraphernalia 
  necessary for traditional sorcery. To perform alchemy, the 
  alchemist sets up a complex chemical process that typically 
  involves a mixture of laboratory chemicals and various 
  biological substances like blood or animal brains, all of 
  which are repeatedly combined, boiled, and distilled. 
  
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  While these reactions are occurring, the alchemist must also 
  draw complex diagrams on, under and near the chemical 
  flasks, and perform chants and similar ritual activities. 
  Creating an alchemical preparation requires at least one 
  week. The alchemist must spend one full day of hard work 
  to begin the procedure necessary to create the preparation, 
  and another full day to complete it. For longer procedures, 
  the alchemist must also spend one full day working on the 
  procedure every week that it is ongoing. In addition, the 
  alchemist must look in on the procedure and adjust it once 
  a day; this requires between five and fifteen minutes, but 
  missing even one day causes the Alchemy roll to become 
  Difficult instead of Average. 
  At the end of the procedure, the preparation is complete, 
  and the alchemist can either use it immediately, or store it 
  for later use. Alchemical preparations remain potent for 
  1d3+1 months. Alchemists can only create one preparation 
  at a time, as a single laboratory can only be used to create 
  one preparation at a time, and splitting his time between 
  multiple laboratories would tax the efforts of even the most 
  dedicated alchemist. 
  Unlike computational sorcery, alchemy preparations only 
  come in four levels.  There are rumours of level five 
  alchemical procedures that allow the user to permanently 
  transform himself into a godlike entity, or at least to 
  become immortal and unkillable, but these preparations 
  are nothing more than legends, at least for human 
  alchemists. Esoteric alchemy was originally created by 
  DANUBE CROSSING, and they were more adept at it 
  than any human can be. 
  Note: As with Necrotic Sorcery, Alchemy resembles 
  sorcery but does not function the same way. Preparations 
  do have levels, but there are no POW requirements, and 
  the alchemist’s success or failure is based wholly off a roll 
  of his Alchemy skill. As with sorcery, the alchemist must 
  have a certain degree of Alchemy skill to understand 
  procedures of a given level, per the table below. Unlike in 
  sorcery, an alchemist with too little skill cannot simply work 
  from instructions and hope; is he lacks the skill, he cannot 
  attempt the procedure.
  Preparation level
  Minimum Alchemy Skill Required
  1
  30%
  2
  50%
  3
  70%
  4 
  90%
  Special Ingredients: One problem with performing 
  esoteric alchemy is that every level three procedure requires 
  at least one special ingredient, and every level four procedure 
  always requires at least two different special ingredients. 
  By definition, special ingredients are always difficult or 
  problematic to obtain: freshly obtained extracts from living 
  human bodies, such as vitreous humour or cerebrospinal 
  fluid; tissue or ichor samples from summoned beings; blood 
  from a BLUE HADES; or other problematic materials like 
  plutonium, nerve gas, or a few millilitres of brain tissue 
  from a living sorcerer.  
  Different recipes for the same preparation often require 
  different special ingredients, and different preparations 
  almost always do. One of the ways the Laundry identifies 
  practitioners of esoteric alchemy is by their attempts to 
  acquire such materials. 
   
  The Dangers of  Esoteric Alchemy
  Most alchemists think they have stumbled upon or been 
  taught the secrets of a wondrous and well-hidden form of 
  chemistry. While this is true to a small extent, for the most 
  part alchemy is sorcery in chemical form. The various exotic 
  chemicals react with the air or with living bodies to produce 
  chemical reactions that create and shape contact with other 
  dimensions by means of the patterns of chemical bonds 
  forming and breaking. 
  The chemicals used to create changes like those produced 
  by the monstrous transformation procedure do not 
  physically mutate the subject, although almost all alchemists 
  believe otherwise. Instead, the alchemy warps reality in and 
  around the subject, altering the laws of physics. In effect, 
  the subject becomes an exonome. Unsurprisingly, this is a 
  terribly bad idea. The Laundry keeps even the existence of 
  alchemy a secret from junior operatives, because they do 
  not want anyone being tempted into experimenting with it.
  Even occasional ingestion of alchemical procedures 
  significantly increases the individual’s risk of developing 
  cancer in a decade or two, as well as an increased risk 
  of insanity and a greater susceptibility to spontaneous 
  possession in haunted areas. Use of alchemical preparations 
  also greatly increases the individual’s odds of having children 
  with a variety of exotic birth defects, including gorgonism. 
  In addition, individuals who use the same procedure several 
  times sometimes experience the effects of the procedure 
  spontaneously, anytime the subject becomes highly 
  emotional or is exposed to even moderate concentrations 
  of thaumic energy. 
  Level three and occasionally even level two hauntings are 
  often sufficient to trigger spontaneous and involuntary 
  transformations. As a result, Laundry personnel are 
  strictly forbidden from either manufacturing or using any 
  alchemical preparations.
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  Simply making and using alchemical preparations is 
  inherently risky. The Game Master should make all rolls for 
  the success of an alchemical procedure, keeping the results 
  to himself. The alchemist instantly knows if he has fumbled 
  their roll, because the failed procedure will cause some form 
  of damage to the equipment – and perhaps to the alchemist 
  – but the only way to determine the difference between a 
  successful alchemical procedure and a simple failure is to 
  actually use it. See the Failed Alchemical Procedure Table 
  & Fumbled Alchemical Procedure Table, below, for further 
  information. 
  Alchemical Creations Similar to         
  Existing Spells
  Alchemical procedures can duplicate the effects of 
  the Entropy Manipulation, Exorcism, Geas, Glamour, 
  Prognostication, Summoning, and Banishing spells. Level 
  one and level two procedures require one week to perform, 
  level three require two weeks to perform, and level four 
  procedures require three weeks to perform.
  Entropy Manipulation: Procedures that affect individuals or 
  objects are applied to or consumed by the target; procedures 
  that affect areas are usually created as gases or volatile liquids.
  Exorcism: The target must either consume the alchemical 
  preparation or someone must apply the preparation over 
  most of the skin or surface of the target.
  Geas: The target of the geas must consume the alchemical 
  preparation.
  Glamour: The alchemical preparation is a volatile liquid 
  that is applied to the target’s skin or surface. 
  Prognostication: The target consumes a drug that induces 
  visions of the future. In addition to any benefit gained, the 
  target loses 1d6 SAN.  
  Summoning: Alchemy can only perform types of 
  summoning that involve the entity possessing a human or 
  animal. The alchemist creates a substance that is then injected 
  into or consumed by the target, who is then possessed. This 
  procedure can be used to allow entities to possess both 
  corpses and living people. A number of alchemists, including 
  the infamous Herbert West, have learned the trick of using a 
  serum to transform corpses into residual human resources.
  Banishing: Extra-dimensional entities that make physical 
  contact with the alchemical preparation are banished.
  Failed Alchemical Procedure Table
  If an alchemist fails his Alchemy roll, then anyone who ingests or otherwise uses the resulting alchemical preparation must 
  roll on the table below.
  Roll
  Effect
  01-20
  Halve the duration or effects of the preparation.
  21-60
  The preparation fails to work.
  61-80
  The preparation either acts in reverse or duplicates the effects of some other alchemical preparation.
  81-90
  The preparation causes the subject 1d8 damage and temporarily subtracts 1d6 from one of the subject’s characteristics 
  (except SIZ). The lost characteristic recovers at a rate of 1 point/day. 
  91-00
  The preparation wracks the user with pain, causing 2d6 damage, and permanently subtracting 1d3 from one of the user’s 
  characteristics (except SIZ). If used on an object, this preparation corrodes the object and renders it both obviously 
  damaged and non-functional.
  Fumbled Alchemical Procedure Table
  If the alchemist fumbles his alchemy roll, then the alchemist must immediately roll on the table below. Add +10% for every 
  level of the procedure after level one.
  Roll
  Damage From Alchemy Fumble
  01-30
  One piece of delicate equipment used to make the preparation is ruined.
  31-70
  All equipment used to make the preparation is destroyed.
  71-90
  Everything within two metres of the alchemical laboratory suffers 1d8 damage.
  91+
  Everything within four metres of the alchemical laboratory suffers 1d10+2 damage.
  
  87
  Additional Alchemical Procedures
  Enhancement & Reduction
  Level: One to three
  Preparation Time: One week
  This preparation enhances a living target in a specific 
  manner, increasing the target’s STR, CON, DEX, or MOV, 
  or providing him with temporary armour. Unfortunately, 
  this enhancement places a great strain on the user’s body. 
  Anyone who uses one of these preparations also suffers 
  damage once the duration ends. This damage takes the 
  form of severe cramps, bruising, and in the most extreme 
  cases bleeding from the nose, ears, and eyes. See the table 
  below for both the degree of enhancement and the amount 
  of damage using this preparation does to the target. In 
  addition, while under the effects of this preparation, subjects 
  are unusually violent and paranoid. They are capable of 
  complex thinking and planning, but they greatly prefer 
  plans that involve violence or murder and are somewhat 
  nervous and paranoid. Subjects sweat heavily even in cold 
  weather. All of these preparations last for one hour, and 
  can be used again immediately if desired. However, the user 
  takes double damage from each preparation after the first 
  that they use within 24 hours.
  Level
  Characteristic, MOV, or Armour
  Damage
  1
  1d3
  1d2 HP
  2
  1d6
  1d4 HP
  3
  2d6
  1d6+1 HP
  A reverse of this preparation also exits, which reduces the 
  subject’s STR, CON, DEX, POW, or MOV by the same 
  amount that the enhancement preparation raises it. The 
  effects of this preparation last for 24 hours, after which time 
  the user suffers 1d2 HP of damage. If the subject’s STR, 
  CON, or DEX is temporarily reduced to 0, he is weak and 
  bed-ridden; the subject is paralyzed if his MOV is reduced 
  to 0. Subjects whose POW is reduced are considerably more 
  vulnerable to suggestion; add a bonus of 10%/level to all 
  rolls made to attempt to persuade, con, or lie to anyone 
  whose POW has been reduced with this procedure. If the 
  subject’s POW is reduced to 0, he becomes entirely devoid 
  of will and does whatever he is told, even if he would 
  normally find an order horrific and objectionable.  
  Monstrous Alteration
  Level: Four
  Preparation Time: Three weeks
  This procedure transforms a human subject into a hideous 
  parody of humanity. The subject gains 1d3 to SIZ, and 1d6 
  each to STR, CON, DEX, MOV, and Armour. In addition, 
  the subject also heals 1d3 HP/hour for as long as it remains 
  in effect. However, the subject also becomes a criminally-
  insane sadist for the duration, and his body becomes 
  deformed and warped, causing his CHA to be reduced by 
  1d6. Using this alteration also raises the difficulty of all 
  interpersonal skill rolls, like Bureaucracy, Etiquette, Fast 
  Talk, Perform, Persuade, and Status, by one category: 
  Easy rolls become Average, and Average rolls become 
  Difficult, for the duration of the procedure. If the subject 
  is already a criminally-insane sadist, using this procedure 
  increases his insanity to grandiose proportions! This 
  procedure lasts 6+1d6 hours. Once the effects of the 
  preparation ends, the subject suffers 1d6 damage. 
  Powder of  Ibn-Ghazi
  Level: Two
  Preparation Time: One week
  This preparation duplicates the effect of a Tillinghast 
  resonator (The Laundry Roleplaying Game, p. 97). It can be 
  created in one of two forms: the first is a substance that that 
  the user injects or ingests, and which provides the user with 
  all the benefits and risks of using a Tillinghast resonator. 
  The second form is a powder that can be blown on or 
  thrown at a target and which causes invisible or glamoured 
  targets, as well as targets that are only partially within the 
  physical universe, to become visible. Both effects last for 
  1d6 +2 hours per dose.  
  Transformation
  Level: Three
  Preparation Time: Two weeks
  This procedure can only be used on living beings. It can 
  be used to grant living beings various temporary abilities. 
  Such abilities can include any ability possessed by an animal, 
  such as a bat’s sonar, poison fangs or claws (roll 3d6 for 
  the POT of the poison), the ability to have the character’s 
  hands and feet stick to walls like a gecko, prehensile toes, 
  and many similar abilities. One of the most commonly 
  used is regeneration, which allows the character to heal 
  1d3 hit points every 10 minutes. Another allows the user to 
  hibernate in a death-like trance for between one and twelve 
  weeks (depending upon the formulation). In this state, the 
  user does not require food, water, or even air, and is even 
  immune to the vacuum of space.
  Each use of this preparation grants the target one new 
  ability. An additional use of this preparation before the 
  previous one has worn off grants a new ability, but only 
  at the cost of removing the ability granted by the previous 
  preparation. With the exception of the version that 
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  produces hibernation, this preparation lasts for 1d3+1 
  hours. Regardless of the specific transformation used, 
  the change makes the target look hideously unnatural, 
  and causes his mind and emotions to temporarily become 
  somewhat inhuman; use of this preparation temporarily 
  reduces subject’s CHA by 1d6. In addition, once the effects 
  of the preparation end, the subject suffers 1d3 damage due 
  to the strain on his body.
  Transmutation
  Level: Two to four
  Preparation Time: One week per level
  This is one of the most powerful and dangerous alchemy 
  spells. The preparation is typically a liquid or an aerosol 
  spray that alters whatever it contacts. It is designed so that 
  there is some substance that is immune to its affects – 
  usually wax or glass – allowing the preparation to be stored 
  and carried safely. This preparation changes anything else it 
  touches – stone, plastic, carbon steel, or even living flesh. In 
  all cases, after 10-12 seconds (1 round), it has done what it 
  is going to do, and the object is safe to touch.  
  The basic effects, at level two, include rendering any 
  substance as flexible and malleable as wet ceramic clay, 
  changing the colour and texture of any substance it is 
  applied to a predetermined colour and texture, or dissolving 
  whatever it is applied to into nothing. These preparations 
  can be designed to only affect living targets, to only affect 
  non-living targets, or to affect both equally. 
  Level two versions of this preparation only affect an 
  amount of material equal to SIZ 3. Increasing the level of 
  this preparation by one allows a single preparation to affect 
  a target of up to SIZ 10, and increasing the level of the 
  preparation by two levels, to level four, allows it to affect up 
  to SIZ 30. If the preparation cannot affect all of an object 
  or living being, it only affects a portion of it. All of these 
  preparations cause 1d6 damage to living targets, except for 
  preparations specifically designed to cause damage to living 
  targets, which cause 1d6 damage per level.  
  Essential Saltes
  Level: Four
  Preparation Time: 48 hours
  By means of this formula, a living being may be resurrected 
  from his ‘essential saltes.’ The ‘saltes’ are an organic residue 
  created by the alchemist from the remains of a living 
  being. Ideally, the alchemist needs access to the complete 
  remains of the target; if the full remains are not available, 
  the resurrected entity may be hideously changed, with 
  reductions of INT, POW and CHA proportional to the 
  missing components. The maximum age cadaver that can be 
  raised is twenty years per percentage point of the preparer’s 
  Alchemy skill. 
  Example: Dr. Flamel, a skilled alchemist, is preparing the 
  Essential Saltes of  his good friend Cagliostro, dead these two 
  hundred and seventeen years. Fortunately, Dr. Flamel’s Alchemy 
  skill of  81% allows him to resurrect a body up to one thousand, 
  six hundred and twenty years old, so this is pretty much a walk 
  in the park.
  Once the salts are extracted, they may be activated with a 
  level two Entropy Manipulation spell to bring the target to 
  life. Once the Entropy Manipulation spell ends, the target 
  returns to dust, although powerful resurrected sorcerers can 
  maintain their own integrity through magic.
  
  89
  There’s no denying that magic is kind of fun (though 
  woebetide the officer who uses magic for his own 
  amusement; the Laundry frowns on that sort of activity, 
  and by frown, we mean ‘promote’ the officer to a hell of 
  paperwork and counting paper clips), but it’s not without its 
  downsides. Besides the ever-present threat of summoning 
  something that will eat the collective brains of all humanity, 
  magic screws with reality. It can make you see, hear, and feel 
  things that aren’t there. Worse, it can do the same for things 
  that are there but shouldn’t be. 
  The Laundry takes stern measures to protect its employees 
  from the deleterious effects of working with magic, but 
  it cannot protect everyone from everything. Despite best 
  practices, ISO certifications in thaumaturgy, and several 
  forests’ worth of memos in three-ring binders describing 
  safe magic down to the placement of feet when summoning 
  imps, magic still impacts the environment. In other words, 
  sometimes reality bleeds. 
  Thaumic Resonance
  As described on page 126 of The Laundry Roleplaying Game, 
  thaumic resonance is the magical energy used to power 
  spells. It can accumulate in specific areas for a variety 
  of  reasons, including sites where people have had very 
  strong emotions. Human brains are perfect channels 
  for extra-dimensional energy, even more so when those 
  brains are buzzing with activity that comes from powerful 
  emotions. Dying is one of the more common events to 
  create this perfect storm, but by no means the only method. 
  Any event that solicits powerful emotions from humans can 
  leave behind thaumic resonance. 
  If you’re talking one person, then the resonance is 
  insignificant and fades away completely in a few months. 
  When you’re talking hundreds of people, however, the 
  resonance increases exponentially and stays for a long time. 
  A place where death has accumulated is the textbook case 
  for these magical hot spots. This is where the walls between 
  realities thins, and not just because of the accumulated 
  deaths. The bodiless creatures on the other side can sense all 
  of the human corpses there, just like a Top Gear fan passing 
  an exotic car dealership. There’s a lot of lingering, wanting, 
  and if the entities that want to break into our universe have 
  mouths, drooling. 
  You should always remember it is the emotional trauma 
  associated with dying and the resultant bodies that increases 
  thaumic resonance, not the killing per se. Most people die in 
  hospitals, but there isn’t always much resonance as a result. 
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  On the other hand, there are few deaths in an old, well-used 
  brothel, but there’s plenty of resonance there, because of 
  the intense emotions found therein (and no, you cannot 
  request a budget line for ‘Brothel resonance measurement 
  for the continued safety of the community’; Laundry line 
  managers are smarter than that, or they wouldn’t be line 
  managers).
  It’s not just emotion and bodies that bring thaumic 
  resonance. Places where magic has been repeatedly used, 
  from the den of a Cthulhu cult to the Laundry training 
  room for Summoning 101, are stained with magical energy. 
  They can be cleaned up, and proper grounding prevents 
  most of the contamination in the first place, but there’s 
  only so much one can do. Think of it as radiation – you 
  can scrub the inside of a nuclear reactor with whatever you 
  want, but it will still make a lousy picnic spot. 
  If repeated spellcasting can build up the thaumic resonance 
  of a spot, gates practically wash the area in magical energy. 
  That is one reason why the Laundry doesn’t use gates 
  very often – they cannot afford to replace the real estate 
  (that, and no-one wants to summon something he can’t 
  put down). Places where gates to other worlds have been 
  successfully opened have more resonance than any cemetery 
  or graveyard. 
  Then there’s maths, the reality of, well, reality. Places that 
  are routinely home to powerful calculations tend to weaken 
  the fabric of reality, even if they are not calculating Dho-Na 
  curves or similar computational magic. That said, you won’t 
  find any resonance in a maths classroom – you need some 
  serious computations to weaken reality. 
  And humans aren’t the only ones causing magic pollution. 
  Magic-using autonomes such as BLUE HADES and 
  PLUTO KOBOLD cause thaumic resonance just the same 
  as humans, and their lairs suffer the same contamination. 
  And rather than just causing thaumic resonance through 
  magic use, exonomes like CRESCENT BLACK or faeries 
  are sources of resonance, and their lairs can be severely 
  contaminated (there is a ‘chicken-and-egg’ problem with 
  exonomes in these locations; did the exonome give the area 
  a thaumic resonance, or did the thaumic resonance call the 
  exonome to it?).
  Thaumic resonance contaminates these areas like radiation 
  after a nuclear bomb detonation. It lingers long after the 
  event ends, sometimes centuries or longer, distorting the 
  local reality. The wall separating our world from others 
  wears thin in these places, creating areas where energies and 
  entities from other dimensions (or both) can bleed through. 
  The term ‘haunting’ is usually used to describe these places. 
  While not always accurate, it does conjure up the correct 
  images: Weird lights, strange sounds, cold spots, apparitions, 
  and the like. Bear in mind that thaumic resonance can affect 
  items as well, not just locations. If an object is repeatedly 
  exposed to magic, such as a ritual dagger or conductive pen, 
  it can accumulate thaumic resonance and become as strange 
  as a haunted house. Objects rarely rise above level 3 – more 
  resonance than that and the object either explodes, falls 
  into another universe, or becomes sentient and a different 
  problem entirely. 
  The Laundry classifies areas of thaumic resonance by the 
  standard five-point scale (why does the Laundry keep using 
  a one-to-five scale for everything, you ask? how many points 
  does an Elder Sign have?).
  Below are optional rules that enhance the effects of thaumic 
  resonance. The table below expands on the Thaumic 
  Resonance Table on page 126 of The Laundry Roleplaying 
  Game. The effect of such areas on casting spells can be 
  found below, in the section How Resonance Affects Spells.
  The list examines each level in detail, explaining what causes 
  the thaumic resonance, common examples of such areas, 
  the unusual activities going associated with the resonance, 
  and the effects of being in the area.
  Level One
  Causes: Repeated human deaths, highly traumatic events, 
  extreme positive emotions, repeated casting of level one 
  spells, residence by a level one exonome.
  Examples: Old cemeteries, old whorehouses, asylums, 
  haunted houses, homes of serial killers, homes of poltergeists, 
  hospitals, torture chambers, magic libraries, ritual items 
  (not used to cause death), beds used in sex magic, Laundry 
  training rooms, bones of those who died traumatic deaths, 
  old computers overused by occult intelligence agencies, 
  grimoires.
  Description: The most common experiences are cold spots 
  on the walls and floors or around the object. These can be 
  identified by thermal imaging or thaumometers, as they 
  are thin connections to highly entropic universes. Unusual 
  feelings of dread, anxiety, or being watched are also typical. 
  This is because demons are watching you, hoping to eat 
  your mind – that tends bring about bad feelings. It is as easy 
  to leave a level one area as walking away. 
  Effects: All characters entering the area must make a 
  SAN check (0/1) as they deal with the sudden feelings of 
  dread and the hair on the back of their necks standing up. 
  Experienced characters can skip this if the GM deems them 
  hardened enough. 
  
  91
  Level Two
  Causes: A large collection of dead bodies (i.e., a buffet for 
  demons), repeated highly traumatic events, repeated casting 
  of level two spells, residence by a level two exonome.
  Examples: Necropoli, old scary asylums, mass graves, 
  battle cemeteries, old hospitals, altars, sites of repeated 
  minor magical rituals, CRESCENT BLACK lair, parts of 
  PLUTO KOBOLD bases, Thule Society summoning sites, 
  ritual items used to kill, bones of old sorcerers, something 
  from another dimension (stone, dust, bit of otherwordly 
  bone, etc.), authentic copy of the Necronomicon.
  Description: The mental effects increase, including déjà 
  vu, nightmares, strange fantasies, and loss of directional 
  sense. Demons from other universes cannot manifest in 
  level two areas, but they can be glimpsed from time to 
  time. Cold spots still exist, although hot spots or flashes 
  of colourful light are also present. Leaving a level two area 
  is easy, although there might be lingering creepy feelings 
  afterwards.  
  Effects: SAN checks must be made when entering the areas 
  or holding the items (0/1d2).
  Level Three
  Causes: Long-term magic use, a large and very old 
  collection of graves, repeated casting of level three spells, 
  opening a level three or four gate, residence by level three 
  exonomes.
  Examples: Ancient graveyards or necropoli, faerie 
  strongholds, ANNING BLUE SKULL laboratories, sites 
  of long-term and repeated ritual sex or murder, ancient 
  magical relics.
  Description: Small objects can move about or even 
  disappear as they fall through the cracks into another world. 
  Physics starts buckling under the pressure, creating unusual 
  changes in gravity, momentum, perception, and even 
  causation. Level one exonomes and the occasional level 
  two exonome wander through the area but will not notice 
  humans (and therefore not attack) unless provoked. It is a 
  slight challenge to leave a level three area, due to loss of 
  balance and minor hallucinations. 
  Effects: All characters need to make SAN checks (0/1d6) 
  when entering this area or touching these objects. MOV 
  is reduced by 2 while in the affected area (objects with 
  level three resonance do not affect movement). Athletics, 
  Climb, Drive, Jump, Navigate, Pilot, Ride, and Swim are all 
  reduced by 5%. 
  Level Four
  Causes: Repeatedly opening level three or four gates, 
  repeated casting of level four spells, residence by level four 
  exonomes.
  Examples: Altar of ancient but still active cult, old 
  autonome city where minor gods once walked the earth. 
  Description: Other dimensions become clearly visible 
  now and may even be travelled to, although such gates are 
  very unstable can can collapse temporarily or permanently 
  without notice. Physics is more-or-less random as various 
  universes slip in and out of the area. Cold spots and spooky 
  noises are gone, replaced by real demons and level one 
  entities floating about at will. They are obvious to anyone in 
  the area, and will attack people randomly. Leaving the area 
  becomes noticeably difficult. 
  Effects: All characters need to make SAN checks (1/1d6) 
  when entering this area. Additional SAN checks may 
  be called for when characters spot the exonomes – see 
  the specific references on page 200-203 in The Laundry 
  Roleplaying Game. Characters with level one wards avoid 
  possession as normal, but anyone without a ward must 
  make a LUCK roll to avoid being possessed. Any human 
  corpses in the area have a 25% chance of turning into 
  zombies (see p. 203 in The Laundry Roleplaying Game). 
  Due to the changes in the laws of physics, MOV is halved 
  (rounded up) and use of the following skills is always 
  Difficult: Athletics, Climb, Drive, Fine Manipulation, First 
  Aid, Hide, Jump, Listen, Navigate, Pilot, Repair, Ride, 
  Sense, Spot, Stealth, Swim, and Track. 
  Level Five
  Causes: Multiple openings of level four gates, former 
  residence by a level five exonome(s), repeated casting of 
  level five spells
  Examples: R’lyeh, Plateau of Leng
  Description: If you survive being in a level five area, you 
  will hopefully have no memory of what it looks like. Our 
  physical laws are long gone and there are multiple universes 
  lying all over the place. Level one exonomes are actually 
  rare, as they’re scared away by the level two, three, and four 
  entities running around like kids in a toy store. Differing 
  air pressures may literally suck people into other universes 
  regardless of whether they can survive there or not. 
  Effects: All characters need to make a SAN check (1/2d4) 
  when entering this area. All skills rolls are Difficult and MOV 
  is halved (rounded up) due to universes are shifting out 
  from under the characters randomly and without warning. 
  Characters must have a level two ward or automatically 
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  suffer from possession. All corpses in the area become 
  zombies, including reasonably intelligent animals such as 
  dogs or cats. Any spell failure must roll on the Spell Failure 
  Table regardless of the casting method. 
  Resonance Poisoning
  As with personnel working in nuclear power plants, 
  employees of Capital Laundry Services are protected from 
  thaumic radiation – to a degree. The Laundry honestly 
  tries hard, but it’s impossible to stop all the resonance 
  from contaminating its officers. For most characters, 
  that’s not a problem – they work so little with magic that 
  the resonance collecting in their bodies never gets near 
  problematic levels. 
  Computational demonologists and other Laundry sorcerers 
  are not so lucky. For them, resonance poisoning is a serious 
  concern. This is when a human body collects so much 
  thaumic resonance that it begins to affect their minds and 
  bodies, and not for the better. Although resonance poisoning 
  manifests in small and almost comical ways initially, if left 
  untreated, it can become a very serious condition.
  As you may have guessed, the Laundry recognises five levels 
  of resonance poisoning. Each has its own affects on the 
  afflicted person. GMs are free to pick any number of affects 
  listed under each level below. It is rare for player-characters 
  to be afflicted with resonance poisoning (see the sidebar for 
  more information), but experienced NPCs such as Laundry 
  executives or cult sorcerers will often suffer from some level 
  of poisoning. 
  Level One
  • 
  Clothes always feel too tight or too loose.
  • 
  BBC documentaries become quite interesting.
  • 
  Weirdness magnet.
  • 
  The character becomes slightly obsessed with a 
  particular food.
  • 
  Strange dreams occasionally become a problem. 
  • 
  Alcoholism, bipolar disorder, or clinical depression 
  become established.
  • 
  Animals are skittish or uneasy around the character.
  • 
  Gain 1 point of Cthulhu Mythos.
  Level Two
  • 
  Must wear a pointy hat and robe, or spell casting 
  becomes Difficult. 
  • 
  Batteries drain twice as fast in hand-held devices.
  • 
  The character seeks out large gatherings, such as movie 
  theatres or clubs.
  • 
  Nightmares occur once or twice a week. 
  • 
  Televisions and radio sets nearby tune into old or 
  impossible broadcasts (‘Why is Churchill live on the 
  radio?’)
  • 
  Drug abuse is common.
  • 
  The character feels drawn to a particular point in space, 
  like a star.
  • 
  Cravings for meat outweigh desire for fruit or 
  vegetables.
  • 
  The character seeks debates on ethics and morality; 
  may read Nietzsche.
  • 
  Animals behave aggressively towards the character.
  • 
  Instinctive feelings of awe, reverence or kinship with 
  alien gods.
  • 
  Gain 1d3 points of Cthulhu Mythos.
  Level Three
  • 
  Cannot perform simple maths (complex equations are 
  unaffected).
  • 
  Electrical appliances often break or act funny. 
  • 
  Cannot empathise with other humans.
  • 
  Regular sex isn’t enough; kinky and unsafe practices 
  become enticing.
  • 
  Almost every dream is a horrible nightmare. 
  • 
  Poltergeist activity follows the character, especially at 
  night or when stressed.
  • 
  The character gets sick easily and often.
  • 
  Cancer appears, usually in the lungs, skin, or thyroid.
  • 
  POW increases by 1 and CHA drops by 1.
  • 
  Schizophrenic symptoms become obvious.
  
  93
  • 
  Insects and certain fungi are drawn to the character.
  • 
  On death, the character lingers as a ghost.
  • 
  Gain 1d4 points of Cthulhu Mythos.
  Level Four
  • 
  Mood affects the local weather. 
  • 
  Every spell cast (not including apps) has +1 POW.
  • 
  Empathy nosedives and strangers are seen as things, 
  not people.
  • 
  The character fears sleep, but only needs a few hours 
  each day. 
  • 
  Character believes he can see or taste magic.
  • 
  The body is plagued with a hacking cough, chronic 
  pain, limp, or similar affliction.
  • 
  Cravings for blood and meat become hard to resist. 
  • 
  POW increases again by 1 and CON drops by 2.
  • 
  Worshipping Great Old Ones sounds like a good idea.
  • 
  Exonomes may contact the character through dreams, 
  psychic signals or emissaries.
  • 
  Gain 1d6 points of Cthulhu Mythos.
  Level Five
  • 
  If stressed, a level two gate opens at a nearby random 
  location.
  • 
  Every spell cast (not including apps) has +2 POW.
  • 
  Empathy is completely gone. All people are merely 
  objects to be used.
  • 
  Speaking in human languages is extremely tiring. Inner 
  monologue conducted entirely in Enochian.
  • 
  The character no longer needs sleep and requires very 
  little food.
  • 
  Visions of other dimensions pop in and out of the 
  character’s head. 
  • 
  Cancer goes into full remission. All addictions are 
  kicked. 
  • 
  POW increases by 2.
  • 
  Demons follow the character, creating a level one 
  resonance (see above) wherever the character goes.
  • 
  Character transcends humanity, either vanishing from 
  this dimension or turning into something squamous.
  • 
  Gain 1d10 points of Cthulhu Mythos.
  Player Characters & Resonance Poisoning
  The GM may decide to afflict a character with 
  any of the above effects should he deem it 
  appropriate. However, special care should 
  be taken when giving resonance poisoning to 
  player-characters. Talk to the players first to 
  see their reactions to the idea. If you want 
  to give resonance poisoning to a new character 
  (i.e., he’s an old sorcerer working with a 
  group of young Turks), make sure the player 
  agrees to it. Otherwise, you’re saddling a 
  player with roleplaying and mechanical effects 
  he doesn’t want and probably shouldn’t have. 
  That said, GMs are free to make resonance 
  poisoning a real concern for campaigns. There 
  are two ways to do this.
  1) Spell use: This method differentiates 
  between those characters who work directly 
  with magic and those who don’t. Whenever a 
  character rolls on the Spell Failure table, 
  he also gains resonance poisoning equal to
  the level of the spell -2 (so, a level three 
  spell gives level one resonance poisoning). If 
  the agent already has that level of resonance 
  poisoning, he climbs to the next level. 
  2) Magic exposure: Long-term exposure to 
  magic can cause resonance poisoning. Have the 
  character make a Luck roll once per year spent 
  in close proximity to strong thaumic fields; if 
  this roll fails, the character gains one level 
  of resonance poisoning. A character cannot 
  gain resonance poisoning higher than the level 
  of the spell or effect generating the thaumic 
  field (so, you’re only going to get level five 
  resonance poisoning if you spend a few years 
  sunning yourself on the scenic beaches of 
  Carcosa). 
  Laundry Health and Safety inspectors regularly 
  check for symptoms of poisoning; employees who 
  display worrying levels of contamination may 
  be retired or reassigned to less hazardous 
  roles.
  ReALitY BLeeDs
  Reality Bleeds
  
  LiCense to summon
  94
  Modern computational demonology only goes back to 
  Turing’s work in the 1940s. Systematic cataloguing of 
  occult phenomena really kicked off with the spiritualist 
  movements of the nineteenth century, and before that, 
  it’s all hermetic wizards high on mercury fumes and magic 
  mushrooms. We’ve only scratched the surface of what’s 
  possible. Most of the opposition are either roughly on the 
  same level or lower than us. We don’t know exactly what 
  the Black Chamber has, but whatever they throw at us is 
  going to be derived from the same basic principles that 
  we’re working from. 
  Most of the opposition, that is. 
  To talk around the elephant in the room for a moment, there 
  are elements of traditional spellcasting that we haven’t yet 
  reverse-engineered. These spells do things that we haven’t 
  yet figured out how to map onto a Dho-Nha curve. They 
  may be hideously inefficient, slow and prone to failure, but 
  they still work in ways that our models can’t explain. 
  And then there’s them. BLUE HADES are a few million 
  years ahead of us. They do things that we don’t have words 
  for – their magic is indistinguishable from their biology, 
  from their architecture, from their culture. The various 
  autonomic and exonomic species we’ve run into have 
  powers that we cannot yet explain. Some of these effects 
  ignore any protection provided by defensive bindings or 
  personal wards. Some of them corrode the stuff of reality, 
  so we can rely on nothing.
  As CASE NIGHTMARE GREEN approaches, all types of 
  magic become both more common and more powerful, and 
  so Laundry operatives will encounter these unusual types 
  of magic more frequently. Alien artefacts that have been 
  dormant for millennia may now spontaneously activate, 
  while human inventors begin having more ideas that lead to 
  devices with extradimensional properties. 
  Spellcasting
  The spellcasting techniques used by other species appear 
  to be forms of traditional or mental magic – certainly, 
  we’ve never spotted a Deep One whipping out a laptop. 
  Their spellcasting is much, much faster than any form of 
  traditional magic, taking only a few seconds to complete. 
  Either they’re activating delayed spells (see page 21), or 
  else they’re capable of visualising Dho-Nha curves on the 
  fly. Most spellcasting appears to involve a combination 
  of gestures and vocalisations, although in the case of 
  something like a DEEP SEVEN specimen, it’s impossible 
  to distinguish the magically potent gurgles and tentacle-
  flailings from the wholly mundane gurgles and tentacle-
  flailing.
  Technology
  We’ve also encountered alien artefacts and tools, which 
  isn’t as helpful as you might suppose. Imagine what would 
  happen if someone from the past found a modern digital 
  pocket camera. Someone from a century ago would have 
  some vague idea of what it did; he’d know it was powered 
  by electricity, he’d understand photos and movies, and the 
  lenses would be completely comprehensible, although not 
  the autofocus system. He would have absolutely no idea 
  how it worked, the CCD would be like magic to him, but 
  he’d at least know that the camera was a camera, albeit 
  based on some incredible electrical technology. 
  But if someone from five hundred years ago found it, it 
  would be magic. He wouldn’t know about photographs, 
  complex optics, motors, electricity, or much of anything 
  else in the camera. About all he’d know is that it was made 
  of metal, contained lenses, and displayed magic pictures. 
  And that person from 1500 AD knows considerably more 
  about a digital camera than any Laundry operative knows 
  about alien technology. 
  Almost none of it looks anything like any human technology. 
  A great deal of alien tech, especially that from DEEP 
  SEVEN, ANNING BLUE SKULL, and two of the known 
  extra-dimensional species looks like either exotic living 
  organisms or carved pieces of solid stone or crystal. Detailed 
  examination using everything from x-ray crystallography to 
  scanning electron microscopes reveal that the organisms 
  appear to have been heavily genetically engineered, and the 
  nonliving devices are made from substances that seem to be 
  synthetic. And that’s it.
  Hostile magics
  
  95
  Identifying Artefacts 
  Much BLUE HADES technology is based on specially 
  engineered bacteria, including thaumically-
  active bacteria and bacteria designed to 
  create thaumically-active organs in both BLUE 
  HADES and in various useful undersea animals. 
  Some of these bacteria are designed to infect 
  ordinary, non-hybrid humans, but use of these 
  bacteria is a violation of the Benthic Treaty.
  Some of these bacteria produce directed 
  thaumaturgical activity when the bacterial 
  colonies reach a certain size. Others allow – or 
  cause – the living beings they are infecting to 
  manifest various extra-dimensional abilities. 
  They also make extensive use of chemically 
  treated metals, especially gold.
  Known examples of DEEP SEVEN technology consist 
  of 
  specially-manipulated 
  rock 
  formations 
  located near the boundary between Earth’s 
  crust and mantle. These thaumically-active 
  rock formations are mostly stationary, but can 
  be remotely manipulated by distant DEEP SEVEN 
  using specially modulated patterns of seismic 
  waves. Some of these rock formations survive 
  and remain active even after they have been 
  brought to the surface by geological activity; 
  at that point, humans might be able to learn 
  to remotely activate these ‘devices.’ The 
  ill-fated JENNIFER MORGUE incident involved 
  a DEEP SEVEN ‘construct.’ which may have been 
  a cybernetically augmented specimen, or a 
  vehicle, or a ‘robot’ (or, for that matter, 
  what we have identified as DEEP SEVEN may 
  actually be biological constructs operating 
  on behalf of some other intelligence).
  Thaumically-active 
  ANNING 
  BLUE 
  SKULL 
  technology consists of various objects between 
  the size of a fava bean and the size of a 
  grapefruit. Most are oval or geometric in 
  shape, appear to be made of carved stone, and 
  are activated by contact with a dozen or more 
  of the microscopically thin tendrils ANNING 
  BLUE SKULL has at the ends of its fractal 
  manipulators.
  ANNING BLUE SKULL also created a wealth of 
  more conventional technology that is not 
  thaumically active, but which is nonetheless 
  quite powerful. Almost all known examples 
  of this technology are complex biological 
  constructs. The most sophisticated of these 
  are the sentient beings known as ANNING 
  BLACK, but non-sentient biological constructs 
  designed to be manipulated by an intelligent 
  user were also common.  
  The Laundry’s contact with the entities known 
  as PLUTO KOBOLD has been exceedingly limited, 
  but they have recovered several pieces of 
  technology, most of which is considerably 
  more comprehensible in form and function than 
  other alien technology. 
  Weapons generally look vaguely weapon-like 
  rather than like blobs of slime or complex 
  crystal formations. Some of these devices 
  were made by PLUTO KOBOLD for use by humans. 
  Most 
  PLUTO 
  KOBOLD 
  technology 
  has 
  some 
  thaumaturgical component, including drawing 
  energy from other dimensions. As a result, 
  these devices never run out of power, which 
  enhances their utility to individuals who 
  gain access to one or more such devices.
  Most DANUBE CROSSING technology consists 
  of specially grown crystals with powerful 
  thaumic resonances. DANUBE CROSSING also 
  created a thaumo-chemical technology that was 
  the inspiration for human esoteric alchemy.
  HostiLe mAGiCs
  Hostile Magics
  
  LiCense to summon
  96
  Encounters & Reports
   ------ Supplemental Report on Joanna Whatebridge ------
  The autopsy on Joanna Whatebridge came back (see attached document), and so we have 
  answers as to her unusual abilities. Ms. Whatebridge was clearly a BLUE HADES hybrid, 
  although our BLUE HADES contacts report that she and her family were unknown to all 
  nearby BLUE HADES populations. Ms. Whatebridge seems to have been at least three 
  generations removed from any direct BLUE HADES ancestry, but still possessed enough of 
  their genetics to use one of their attack bacteria. 
  It seems that her ability to distend 
  her jaw and widen her mouth 
  sufficiently to entirely devour a 
  person in two bites, and her ability 
  to extend her neck by more than 
  half a meter, were both spatial 
  distortion effects and not actual 
  physiological changes. 
  The effect seems to have opened a 
  dimensional aperture in her throat; 
  we were unable to find any of 
  agent Derek Halston’s remains or 
  even traces of his DNA in Joanna 
  Whatebridge’s stomach. We are 
  currently investigating how Ms. 
  Whatebridge obtained the BLUE 
  HADES attack bacteria, as well as 
  investigating rumours of similar 
  attacks that occurred after Ms 
  Whatebridge’s death. We are also 
  attempting to track down members 
  of her extended family.   
  
  97
  .............................................................................................................................
  E y E w i t n E s s  R E p o R t : 
  D i s a p p E a R a n c E  o f  L y n n  c h a n g
  s w a n s E a ,  2 0 0 8
  .............................................................................................................................
  Sandra MacLaren: I didn’t know Ms Chang at all well; she had rented the cabin on my 
  farm for the summer so she could study Ogof Ffynnon Ddu – she was a geology student 
  in London and needed to work on her thesis. I liked having another Londoner about. I 
  only moved here a year ago, and I miss it sometimes.
  I told her about the weird stories, from the last two sets of people who went into the 
  cave – feelings of being watched, and an urge to leave. She agreed that it sounded like 
  foolishness, but I don’t know now. I’d never even been in a cave until I moved here, 
  and I’ve only been in that cave as part of an introductory caving tour last summer, 
  but I told her that she maybe shouldn’t be going down there alone. She said she knew 
  what she was doing and didn’t need to bother with finding another experienced caver. 
  The day before the incident, she came back really excited. She said that she’d found a 
  new passage, one that no one had reported before, and that it went down really deep. 
  She said that she didn’t know how anyone could have missed a great big hole like that. 
  She also mentioned it feeling really spooky. I heard a scream from the cabin that 
  night, and ran out to investigate. She said she’d had a nightmare. Just before I got 
  to her cabin, I remember her shouting ‘They’re coming from below.’ The next morning, 
  Lynn seemed agitated, and rather than going back in the cave, decided to spend that 
  day writing. I had to drive to town, so I don’t know what happened next. 
  When I was driving back, just as I rounded the turn, I heard her yelling and saw her 
  running away from her cabin and out to her car. Then, I can’t explain it, the earth 
  just opened up. It was too far away for me to see clearly, but it looked like the rock 
  parted, like a giant mouth opening up, right above her. That’s the last I saw of her, 
  and by the time I had stopped the car and run over there, I couldn’t tell the opening 
  had ever been there, except for the earth and rocks being shifted a bit.
  Oh. I... Of course, I – I must be misremembering. She would have had to be in the 
  cave, wouldn’t she? She died in the cave and I heard a shout as she fell. That makes 
  much more sense, I don’t know why I ever thought about the earth splitting open like 
  that. Mind plays tricks on you, doesn’t it?
  .............................................................................................................................
  HostiLe mAGiCs
  Hostile Magics
  
  LiCense to summon
  98
  E y E w i t n E s s  R E p o R t
  Brokerage Firm oF TalFord & lewis, BrisTol
  OffICer	STevenS:	I	know	this	was	extremely	traumatic,	but	I	need	to	you	recount	the	events	surrounding	the	recent	
  incident	at	your	firm	again.
  renee	TALfOrD:	Mr.	Waterburg	is	a	geologist	who	did	business	with	our	firm.	While	he	was	in	the	Antarctic,	economic	
  problems	on	the	continent	resulted	in	a	substantial	loss	to	his	investments.	The	first	time	he	came	to	see	us	after	he	
  returned,	he	was	very	upset,	and	I	attempted	to	explain	that	the	current	economic	climate	was	not	permanent	and	that	his	
  investments	should	improve	in	no	more	than	a	year	or	two.	At	this	point,	he	became	verbally	abusive	and	made	a	few	vague	
  threats.		He	also	looked	quite	stressed,	even	apart	from	his	financial	loss;	it	looked	like	something	wasn’t	right	with	him.	
  I	didn’t	think	anything	of	this,	but	I	did	ask	Clive	in	reception	to	be	prepared	to	call	the	police	if	Mr.	Waterburg	returned	in	
  a	similar	state.	
  I	don’t	understand	what	happened	when	he	came	back	the	next	day.	He	didn’t	even	open	the	door;	I	heard	a	shout	from	
  Clive	and	then	saw	a	hole	opening	up	in	the	door.	We	have	a	metal	door,	and	I	saw	an	arm	covered	in	something	thick	and	
  shiny	reaching	through	it	–	the	door	fell	apart	wherever	he	touched	it.	It	took	him	less	than	ten	seconds.	I	saw,	it	was	Mr.	
  Waterburg,	with	this	big	slimy	thing	on	his	arm,	from	his	shoulder	on	down.	It	had	lots	of	long	tiny	fronds	branching	out	
  from	it	and	they	waved	around.	It	looked	like	some	sort	of	undersea	thing.	
  Clive	yelled	for	Sophie	to	call	the	police	and	ran	up	to	talk	to	Mr.	Waterburg.	Then	–	then	Mr.	Waterburg	–	he	grabbed	Clive	
  with	his	slimy	hand,	and	I	don’t	know	what	happened.	Clive	screamed	and	fell	apart,	like,	all	over	the	place,	blood	and	bits	
  everywhere.	Mr.	Waterburg	shouted	for	me	to	come	out,	but	by	that	time	the	rest	of	us	were	running	out	the	back	door.	The	
  pills	let	me	talk	about	this	without	screaming,	but	I	need	to	stop	now.	Please	catch	him	soon.
  
  99
  Eyewitness Report: 
  Loss of the Wittsberg Archeological Expedition, 
  Taklamakan Desert
  We were all sitting around the campfire one evening, waiting for the 
  water to boil for tea. I got a funny feeling in my head, and I swear 
  that I briefly saw someone tall and thin, dressed all in robes, standing 
  by the fire and pouring some clear liquid in the pot of water. I yelled, 
  and whoever it was was gone, like a mirage. They just blinked out of 
  existence. I told everyone about it, but everyone laughed and said that 
  sort of thing happens the first time you go out in the deep desert. 
  People exchanged stories about other expeditions, and then we had tea.  
  I didn’t want any; both of the professors joked about that. The first 
  few people having the tea remarked it was better than usual and tried 
  to get everyone to have some. Several people started getting weirdly 
  insistent and so I pretended to have some, and poured it on the ground. 
  I sniffed it first though, and it smelled absolutely delicious, better 
  than tea has any right to smell. 
  A bit later, I heard this high-pitched noise in the distance, and 
  everyone else said it was time to go. I asked where we were going, 
  and they all looked at me oddly, so I shut up.  They all gathered up 
  their tools and instruments, but left all of the vehicles and supplies 
  behind. Then, everyone began walking towards that noise, calmly and 
  steadily, like they were all in a trance. I pretended to twist my ankle 
  and made sure I was at the back of the group, near Dr. Graber. When I 
  saw that everyone was walking into a cave lit with these weird purple 
  and blue lights, I decided it was time to go. I could see movement in 
  that cave and it looked wrong, all sinuous and twisty. I tried to grab 
  Dr. Graber and go, but she fought me, yelling at me that it was time 
  to go in. By this time, several of the others were looking at me, so 
  I ran. I had the keys to one of the jeeps in my pocket.  I got in and 
  started driving.
  c   l   a   s   s   i   f   i   e   d
  c   l   a   s   s   i   f   i   e   d
  HostiLe mAGiCs
  Hostile Magics
  
  LiCense to summon
  100
  The Case of The South Kensington Stone
  One of the Laundry’s recent unsolved mysteries is the South Kensington stone. What we know is that in 2004, 
  a young woman named Raeni Wright who worked in telephone tech support purchased a small, curiously carved 
  stone that looked like jade, but wasn’t. She bought it in a small shop on Edgware Road. Somehow, she discovered 
  that if she placed the stone in her mouth, she ‘phased’ partway into an alien dimension. Her diary indicates that 
  she could not sense this dimension clearly, but in this state, she knew that she looked blurry and indistinct, and 
  was almost invisible in low light. More importantly, she learned that she could walk though walls and reach through 
  glass cases. Anything she was wearing or carrying transformed with her, as did anything she completely closed her 
  hand around.
   
  What followed was a fairly discreet, but highly effective crime spree. Ms Wright studied alarm systems and avoided 
  anything that might be set off when an item was removed. We know she rifled dozens of safety deposit boxes, 
  almost a hundred jewellery stores, and likely a similar number of cash drawers. She would almost certainly still be 
  out there committing crimes, entirely unknown to us, except that she began spending more time intangible, and 
  eventually something from that dimension ate her. In 2009, the top half of her body was found in an alley in South 
  Kensington, the rest of her body most likely devoured by something none of us want to see. An analysis of the scene 
  revealed that she spit the stone out when she was killed; we have the saliva spatter pattern, with a void the size 
  and shape of the stone. What we don’t have is the stone, which we assume someone took. Did a sorcerer or cultist 
  learn about the stone and use some inhuman creature to kill Ms. Wright? Maybe someone saw her die, or found the 
  body before the police did, and nicked the stone?  We have no idea. We were fortunate that Ms. Wright kept a private 
  diary on her computer and that she was using standard encryptions, so we learned all about her history with the 
  stone. But we still don’t know how it works, where it comes from, or where it is now.
  Extract from CHAPEL PERILOUS report
  11/6/02
  Team Bravo entered the ruined church by blasting a hole in the roof of the transept. The four 
  visible targets were eliminated with short bursts to the centre mass; ward-penetrating rounds 
  proved effective against their protective talismans. Thaumic readings were strongest in the water-
  logged crypt, so we proceeded downstairs. There, we encountered a humanoid that was either a 
  full-blooded BLUE HADES or a full-conversion hybrid. The humanoid gestured at REDACTED , 
  who collapsed. Thaumic readings spiked, and we opened fire with no visible effect.
  The humanoid sank into the waist-deep water. Sgt. REDACTED dove into the water with the 
  intent of physically restraining the target, whereupon he immediately began screaming and 
  thrashing about. Where the water droplets hit my skin, it caused considerable pain, and I could 
  see the sergeant’s flesh melting and forming a pink-red slick around his body. The water droplets 
  had no visible effect on his equipment or clothing. I grabbed REDACTED ’s unconscious body and 
  retreated back up the stairs. 
   
  The water level began to rise, and water welled up between the flagstones of the church floor. 
  Unable to reach the door due to flooding, I climbed the rappelling line back up to the roof and 
  called for evac. Regrettably, the water reached REDACTED ’s legs before I was able to haul him 
  up. 
  Later examination showed that REDACTED ’s ward had absorbed a level three spell and was 
  rendered inert. The backlash knocked him unconscious. He has since spoken of dreams of 
  drowning and a ‘sleeping god,’ suggesting that the spell was designed to affect his thought 
  processes and possibly open his mind to hostile influences. The chemical composition of the 
  water was unchanged, and chemists are at a loss to explain how the water could have become so 
  corrosive to human flesh, while leave other substances, including other organic materials such 
  as leather or wool, unaffected. 
  
  101
  Disposal of used assets is a problem for any intelligence 
  agency. You can’t just throw old files into the trash – what 
  you throw away today will be on some rival agency director’s 
  desk tomorrow. For mundane files, you can shred or burn 
  the papers, write zeroes to every sector of the hard drive 
  and then smash the platter, melt the CDs... but what about 
  human assets? As the old saying goes, three can keep a 
  secret if two of them are dead.
  If only the grave would hold its secrets. In the Laundry, 
  death isn’t always a barrier. GRAVEDUST technology lets 
  an operative call up the recently deceased, and the warped 
  brains of powerful sorcerers never rest easily. The dead 
  need special handling.
  Back during World War II, the Laundry was part of the 
  Special Operations Executive, the SOE. As the joke went, 
  SOE stood for Stately ’Omes of England – back then, SOE 
  took over half the big country houses for the duration of 
  the war. Not everything was given back when hostilities 
  ceased. The SOE took over Quaere House in ‘42, and 
  never let it go. From ‘45 until 1959, Quaere House was 
  used for debriefing and holding captured German scientists 
  under Operation SURGEON – the English version of the 
  infamous Operation PAPERCLIP in the USA, where the 
  best German scientists were spirited away to American 
  laboratories before the Soviets got them.
  In the 1970s, the old church at Quaere House took on a 
  new role as the Laundry’s official graveyard. One of the 
  most important duties of the Quaere Office is to inter the 
  thaumically charged remains of Auditors and other Deeply 
  Scary Sorcerers in a suitable fashion. The whole graveyard 
  is set up to disperse lingering magical fields and to prevent 
  Black Chamber spies from digging up the Laundry’s 
  secrets with necromancy. The Quaere churchyard is also 
  considered a strategic asset for the Laundry – it’s a soul 
  capacitor filled with some of the most potent wizards of 
  the 20th century.
  Two months ago, the alarm at the Quaere Graveyard 
  was triggered. As per approved procedures, there was 
  an investigation. The report determined that mechanical 
  fault was to blame – one of the alarm sensors was broken. 
  Nothing to worry about, just a hungry field mouse or a 
  rotten protective gasket. File it, move on. 
  Only not everyone was willing to let the breach go that easily. 
  James Angleton, for example, has a... personal fascination 
  with Quaere, possibly because it’s one place he will never 
  go. The official inquiry determined that nothing was going 
  on there – but if the break-in at the graveyard was the 
  beginning of an internal power play, then that inquiry could 
  have been sabotaged. Time to run his own inquiry...
  CASE GOBLIN WILLOW
  CAse GoBLin WiLLoW
  GRAVEDUST
  This adventure involves a lot of GRAVEDUST. As any fule wat medle with tings man wuz not ment 
  to kno, a GRAVEDUST rig is a highly specialized circuit board designed to communicate with 
  the dead. 
  Low-end models, made with off-the-shelf components, can only communicate with individuals who 
  have been dead for two weeks or less. If the circuits are made purer and with more exacting 
  tolerances, then the unit can communicate with individuals that have been dead for far longer. 
  Project TRANQUIL is using the unnaturally ‘pure’ environs of the WESTMINSTER graveyard to call 
  up the dead of distant worlds (at least, that’s the idea; in fact, they’ve got a local Nazi).
  Using a gravedust rig requires the immediate presence of a corpse, which need not be human. 
  By dialling the correct code, the user can talk with the corpse as easily as they could call 
  their relatives. This dialling code is automatically determined during the process of setting 
  up a gravedust rig to communicate with a particular corpse. The process of setting up this 
  device requires at least an hour of work and a successful Electronics Skill roll. The price of 
  failure is simply the necessity of spending another hour and rolling again. Users are strongly 
  advised to wear powerful wards when communicating with dead sorcerers or deceased non-human 
  intelligences, since magically skilled entities that are dead can attempt to possess the user 
  through the connection between them formed by the gravedust rig.
  CAse GoBLin WiLLoW
  
  LiCense to summon
  102
  What’s Really Going On
  The 
  Laundry’s 
  graveyard, 
  classified 
  as 
  Operation 
  WESTMINSTER, is magically enchanted to be a ‘dead zone’ 
  for necromancy. Normally, GRAVEDUST work is easily 
  disrupted by the background hum of the recently diseased – 
  getting the right soul on the line is very, very hard. 
  That’s why the best GRAVEDUST rigs are assembled in 
  space or in exorcised cleanrooms. Operation TRANQUIL is 
  taking advantage of that old enchantment to experiment in 
  calling up older souls. TRANQUIL is trying to communicate 
  with inhuman entities from deep space. 
  What they picked up, though, is one of the few corpses in 
  the graveyard not bound by the enchantment, an ex-Nazi 
  scientist and sorcerer called Karl Fritzch. Fritzch helped 
  the Laundry build the graveyard and knows the back doors. 
  He’s masquerading as an alien intelligence to TRANQUIL, 
  but he also managed to get his psychic tendrils into the 
  Quaere office intranet. From there, he was able to get into 
  their email system. 
  One of the staff in the Quaere office is a promising young 
  Turk called Wainwright. He thinks he’s on the fast track 
  inside the Laundry. Why? Because a few weeks ago, James 
  Angleton himself emailed Wainwright, telling him exactly 
  that. Wainwright believes Angleton is mentoring him, 
  grooming him for a role at head office. Soon, Wainwright 
  will leave the Quaere dead end behind and head straight to 
  Mahogany Row. 
  All he needs to do is kill his boss. Angleton made it clear 
  that this sort of promotion-through-assassination is fair 
  game in the Laundry. The manager of the Quaere office 
  is a semi-senile old coot called Brown. He’s a former 
  sorcerer with a Swiss-cheese brain. No-one would miss him.
  The truth is, though, that it’s not Angleton sending those 
  murderous emails – it’s Karl Fritzch. Fritzch’s plan is to have 
  Wainwright murder Brown. When Brown is buried in the 
  WESTMINSTER graveyard, it will open a route for Fritzch 
  to escape and possess Wainwright. 
  Unless the player characters foil this plan, a Nazi sorcerer 
  will gain access to the heart of the Laundry!
  Mission Overview
  CASE GOBLIN WILLOW starts off in a deliberately low-
  key manner – so low-key that it should set the paranoia 
  alarms of any clued-in players ringing immediately. The 
  middle part of the mission is an open-ended investigation 
  based around the Quaere office, the TRANQUIL research 
  facility, and the WESTMINSTER graveyard. In this stage, 
  you must introduce the key NPCs (Wainwright, Dr. Brown 
  and Tabitha Laws) and get the characters investigating the 
  connection between TRANQUIL and their ostensible 
  network-fixing mission.
  Karl Fritzch
  The son of a stove builder, Fritzch is best remembered for coming up with the idea of using 
  Zyklon-B nerve gas on prisoners in the concentration camps. He was a member of the SS; he served 
  in Dachua, was deputy commander of Auschwitz from 1940 to 1942. 
  Fritzch was a monster. He employed psychological warfare to break the spirits of inmates, and 
  used torture, starvation and poison to shatter their resolve. One prisoner, the Franciscan 
  priest Maximilian Kolbe, was later canonised by the Catholic Church – Fritzch ordered ten 
  prisoners to be walled up in a disused cell until they starved to death, and Kolbe volunteered 
  to take the place of one of the condemned. 
  In 1943, he was arrested on charges of corruption, and ended up being transferred to a suicide 
  penal battalion. Most accounts claim he died in the battle of Berlin, although there is some 
  evidence that he made it to Norway before being killed by MI6. 
  In fact, Fritzch was recruited by the Nazi Thule-Gesellschaft and 
  trained as a Necromancer. He helped build the soul capacitors at 
  Peenemunde; his bloody fingerprints are all over the Atrocity Archives. 
  He fled the fall of the Third Reich, but the Laundry caught up with him 
  in Norway and brought him back to England for interrogation. They kept 
  him imprisoned at Quaere House until he died in ’59.
  Now, he wants revenge. Fritzch helped design WESTMINISTER, and knows 
  how much power it holds. Ideally, he’d prefer to infiltrate the Laundry 
  and bring it down from within, but if he can’t manage that, then using 
  the Laundry’s honoured dead to call forth an ice giant would be a fitting 
  act of vengeance.
  
  103
  Try to keep the focus of the investigation off Wainwright as 
  much as possible. Play him as a competent but unobtrusive 
  factotum as much as you can. Whenever the investigation 
  gets too close, run one of the Optional Horrors (page 113) 
  to distract the players. 
  The mission to the abandoned farmhouse (page 114) 
  triggers the start of the endgame. From there, keep the 
  pressure on the players, throwing crisis after crisis at them 
  so you can kill off Dr. Brown without any problems. Try to 
  present Brown’s death almost as an afterthought, a sad bit 
  of collateral damage that isn’t really connected to the main 
  event. 
  The final confrontation should, ideally, be triggered by 
  the players. If they work out that Brown’s death – and, 
  more importantly, Brown’s funeral – was orchestrated by 
  Wainwright, they can confront him and foil Fritzch. If they 
  fail to spot the connection, then you can either make Fritzch 
  into a running villain as a Nazi mole in the Laundry, or else 
  run the optional Doomsday scene.
  1. The Briefing
  Another day in the Laundry, another meeting. This one appeared 
  in your Outlook calendar overnight. It’s under the aegis of  
  Facilities, which probably means a boring discussion about cabling 
  requirements in the New Annexe or something, but everyone on 
  the ‘to’ list is field-qualified, it’s cced to Auditing, and there’s a 
  note ordering you to clear your schedule for the next two days...
  At the meeting, the characters are met by a bored middle 
  manager from Facilities called Brickley, who explains 
  that the characters are being sent to the countryside, to 
  the village of Quaere, to run a software audit. Brickley 
  blinks at the number of characters being dispatched, but 
  the budget’s being covered by another department, not 
  his, so he doesn’t give much of a damn. A successful 
  Bureaucracy or Status roll reveals that Operational 
  Oversight are footing the bill for this one, which is strange 
  but not unheard of. Maybe some previous mission broke 
  the network? Anyway, not his problem.
  Ron Brickley, by the way, is a man beset by woes. You think 
  saving the world is hard? Try running maintenance in a 
  building where the corridors run at strange angles and the 
  rats in the walls have human hands and, occasionally, power 
  tools. His mouth may be briefing the characters about their 
  mission, but Mr. Brain has long since moved on to the 
  problem of the rotting joists down in F Block. 
  The Mission
  Quaere’s one of the oldest Laundry offices. Quiet place. 
  Brickley is faintly surprised to see it on the work order – he 
  half-assumed it had been shut down years ago. Anyway, the 
  team are to take a train down to Quaere and check their 
  network to make sure that all their servers are properly 
  licensed and no-one’s installed anything naughty or tentacled 
  without permission. 
  It is patently obvious (Idea roll) that this is not the sort of 
  job that requires two day’s work. 
  Or for that matter, more than one office drone. 
  In fact, sending a player character as opposed to Peter-
  Francis Young or some other vaguely animate carbon rod 
  is complete overkill. Any characters from Financial Control 
  should be sniffing loudly with displeasure around now. Still, 
  the work order is clear. Brickley advises the characters not 
  to raise a fuss – it’s a nice break in the countryside.
  Research or Knowledge (History or Espionage): Quaere 
  is a small village in the middle of Wiltshire. There’s a large 
  mansion there, Quaere House, which was taken over by the 
  Special Operations Executive in 1942; apparently, they kept 
  prisoners of war there for several years after V-E Day. The 
  Laundry was involved somehow. 
  The Quaere office keeps an eye on occult activity in the 
  area; it’s a very quiet posting. A lot of retirees and TNRHRs 
  get sent there (a TNRHR is Technically Not a Residual 
  Human Resource, and means an employee who has visible 
  life signs but is less competent and self-motivated than a 
  zombie). 
  Research or Science (Thaumaturgy): There’s a 
  research facility at Quaere involved in some sort of occult 
  experimentation. Very hush-hush.
  Status: If a character calls in some favours, they can find 
  out that that someone in Operational Oversight planned 
  this whole mission. That someone obviously wants the 
  player characters to go to Quaere, and is using the network 
  audit as a cover story. Get thee to Wiltshire and poke thy 
  nose in.
  Equipment Budget
  If the players bother to ask, then the budget for this mission 
  is 10 points. Feel free to go crazy and don’t spend it all at 
  once.
  2. Welcome to Quaere
  The mission briefing included train tickets to Quaere, and 
  apparently the local office will arrange accommodation. 
  So, a quick trip via Paddington Station and a change at 
  some godforsaken platform in the middle of nowhere 
  puts the characters on the right line for Quaere. As the 
  train approaches Quaere station, the characters glimpse 
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  104
  the tree-shrouded grounds of Quaere House, and see the 
  not-at-all gambrel roofs of the little town (population of 
  around 1,500). 
  Waiting on the platform is Director Brown, the head of the 
  Quaere field office. He wears a rumpled and somewhat ratty 
  suit, and his hat looks like it came out of the wrong end of 
  a DEEP SEVEN. His tiepin writhes alarmingly. He beams 
  in a genial but wholly unfocussed way, and greets the wrong 
  people off the train – he steps up to a pair of Australian 
  backpackers and flashes them his warrant card, and gets 
  confused when they don’t show him theirs in response.
  Brown has a nervous twitch and a habit of dropping… those 
  mouth noise things you make when you say something… 
  that anyone with Medicine can easily diagnose as a case 
  of K-Syndrome. He’s an ex-sorcerer who’s lost bits of grey 
  matter to Things From Beyond. If his condition was any 
  worse, the Laundry would ship him off to the Funny Farm; 
  as it is, he’s clearly on light clerical duties while he runs out 
  the clock. 
  Once the characters make contact, Brown welcomes 
  them to Quaere. He dodders at them like an amiable old 
  duffer, talking about how nice it is to have visitors from 
  London. They’re here to fix the… blinky light boxes, or so 
  Wainwright tells him. Marvellous, what they can do with 
  beige boxes these days. It’s not like the old days… and 
  then he wanders off into some anecdote about a botched 
  mission in Syria and pillars of salt. If the characters drag 
  him back on topic, he tells them the following in no 
  particular order:
  • 
  Mr. Wainwright – Brown’s right hand man – has booked 
  them into the best guesthouse in town. 
  • 
  It’s just across the road from the Quaere Office. They 
  used be up at Quaere House, when he started working 
  for the Laundry, but the National Trust took Quaere 
  House back in…1969, was it?
  • 
  They still have access to some facilities on the grounds, 
  up at TRANQUIL and WESTMINSTER. They have 
  computers up there too – the characters should pop up 
  there and fix their bleepy boxes too.
  • 
  Once the characters drop their bags off at the guest 
  house, they should come over to the office. Brown will 
  put the kettle on.
  The Guesthouse
  The guesthouse (“The Laurels”) is attached to the village 
  pub. On arrival, the portly owner asks if the characters are 
  “up from London.” Apparently, Mr. Wainwright told her 
  they would be coming, and they’re up on the second floor. 
  The four bedrooms on the third floor are not normally 
  used, and have a musty smell, as though they haven’t 
  been opened in years; a successful Spot or Knowledge 
  (Occult) roll notices warding glyphs scratched into the 
  glass or scrawled on the inside of the doors. They’re 
  Laundry designs, probably dating back to the ’50s or ’60s. 
  It’s old magic. These rooms are protected by a Level Two 
  ward.
  Director Brown
  Director Ian Brown joined the Laundry back in 1958, at the age of 
  18. He’s technically retired, but wizards of his calibre don’t sleep 
  easily. Running the dull-as-ditchwater Quaere Office is about as 
  interesting as staring out the window of a retirement home anyway. 
  When he’s awake, he’s a Deeply Scary Sorcerer of no mean power, but 
  most of the time, he’s a lovable old duffer.
  Playing Director Brown:
  • 
  Hmm? What’s that? Speak up, boy, I’m a bit deaf.
  • 
  Brown’s an old school sorcerer, and he’s been practising magic for so long that he forgets 
  it’s not normal. He can make the kettle boil by looking at it, his pet cat’s been dead for 
  five years but hasn’t stopped moving, and he mutters under his breath in Enochian. Drop in 
  random acts of accidental magic.
  • 
  That Wainwright boy is an absolute godsend. You rely on him for everything.
  
  105
  Once the characters are ready, they can head to the office. 
  The Laundry office in Quaere is a dingy two-storey building. 
  It’s unmarked – to most people. The characters, however, 
  can see the sigil above the door. 
  Alternatively, the characters can visit one of the other 
  locations in Quaere. There’s Quaere House, of course, 
  and Projects TRANQUIL and WESTMINSTER in the 
  grounds. And… actually, that’s about it in terms of things 
  to do in this little village, at least in terms of Laundry 
  activities. The pub’s not bad, and there’s a surprisingly good 
  restaurant nearby.
  All the makings of a nice little break in the country. 
  3. The Field Office
  Imagine the sales office of a small and unusually dull 
  agricultural feed supplier. Brown walls with cheap calendars, 
  two-bar electric heaters, corkboards with pinned notes, an 
  air of grinding dullness. That’s the Quaere office. If you get 
  assigned to somewhere like this, you’ll serve out your years 
  cross-referencing cancer clusters with ley-lines and scouring 
  the local newspapers for coded messages. 
  Downstairs, there’s:
  • 
  The Front Door: It’s reinforced (STR20) and warded 
  with a variety of spells (a Glamour to make people 
  ignore it, a Level Three ward against hostile spells, 
  and a Level Three paralysing ward that fires on 
  anyone who tries to force their way in). Buried in the 
  hallway on the far side is a summoning grid that calls 
  the Night Watchmen – faceless shadows that laugh 
  and tickle before dragging intruders off to some 
  netherworld.
  • 
  Director Brown’s Office: Cosy and crammed 
  with memorabilia from a lifetime in the Laundry. 
  Photographs of Brown standing next to other figures 
  cover one wall – the other men in the photos are all 
  blurred or strangely unrecognisable. Piles of books and 
  papers cover the floor like yellowing snowdrifts. Brown 
  has a big comfy chair and a battered radio to keep him 
  entertained.
  • 
  Operations: This large room is the nerve centre of 
  the Quaere Office. It consists of half-a-dozen desks, 
  each fitted with a beige-box desktop computer and a 
  filing cabinet. On one wall is a big ordnance-survey 
  map of Wiltshire centred on Quaere and marked with 
  lots of coloured strings, flags and sticky-notes. The 
  Quaere Office has an official staff of nine, but there 
  are usually only three or four people here, including 
  Wainwright.
  • 
  Armoury: A small cupboard with necessary supplies, 
  like wards and thaumometers. The office also has 
  shotguns, pistols, banishment rounds and the like, but 
  nothing exotic. Only Average-availability items can be 
  found here. There’s a Basilisk gun on the top shelf.
  • 
  Kitchen: It’s a kitchen. Mrs. Lundun brings in 
  sandwiches for everyone.
  • 
  Back Door: The back door leads out into a small yard 
  at the back of the building. Notably, from there you can 
  walk along a muddy, tree-shaded path that runs along 
  the back of the village out to Quaere House. The path 
  is magically shrouded, making it very difficult for any 
  civilians to happen on this little short cut. The zombies 
  from the graveyard (see page 113) use this route to get 
  to the office when they’re needed.
  The cramped upstairs contains:
  • 
  Computer Room: The office’s old Windows NT 
  server, NAS backup, and a second dedicated server 
  that runs a Level Two information-gate straight to 
  the Laundry’s Switchboard. In a side room, there’s an 
  emergency back-up power generator that automatically 
  kicks in if there’s a power cut.
  • 
  Ritual Chamber: Rarely used these days, but this large 
  room is set up for both ritual magic (big altar, bell book 
  and candle, jars of frog bits and pickled mandrake 
  roots) and more modern demonology (electric 
  pentagram wired to a reconfigurable breadboard). Any 
  spells cast in this hallowed chamber get a +1 POW 
  bonus. 
  • 
  Records: Apparently, the whole concept of the 
  paperless office has yet to reach Quaere. This room 
  is crammed with filing cabinets, boxes, binders, tomes 
  and the occasional ivory scroll-case, all full of old 
  records dating back to before the Second World War. 
  The acrid tang of active wards hangs heavy in the air. 
  Meeting Wainwright
  As soon as the characters arrive, Brown hands them over to 
  John Wainwright, the de facto office manager. Wainwright 
  thanks the team for coming and gives them a brief grand 
  tour. He also points out that the computer systems up at 
  the Quaere House section in Project TRANQUIL are also 
  technically part of the office assets, so the characters will 
  have to visit there too. 
  First, though, he’ll show them to the Beast upstairs – the 
  Beast is the antique server that runs the Quaere intranet.
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  106
  Wainwright also asks the team for a favour – he’s short on 
  field-qualified agents right now. If something comes up 
  that needs field experience, like a confirmed sighting or a 
  transient possession, can he borrow them for a few hours? 
  If the characters quibble, then Wainwright points out that 
  Head Office did send multiple experienced field-qualified 
  officers out to check a few servers – maybe someone at 
  Head Office wants them here to help out.
  Field Operations
  Wainwright also briefly briefs the characters on the Quaere 
  Office’s operations. They monitor occult activity across 
  Wiltshire. Primarily, that means keeping an eye on a few 
  minor cults, doing background checks on the crusty druids 
  at Stonehenge, and making sure that the Swindon Soul 
  Vortex is kept contained in its binding sigil of six interlocked 
  roundabouts. Oh, and there’s WESTMINISTER, of course, 
  which is one of the Laundry’s oldest still-active operations. 
  Every few years, half of Mahogany Row turns up here.
  The other big thing on the Quaere Office’s plate is 
  TURNSTILE TWO. The old TURNSTILE was a nuclear 
  defence bunker built in the 1950s and ’60s. In the event of 
  atomic war, the Prime Minister and 4,000 other key leaders 
  and civil servants would be whisked away to a giant bunker 
  built 120 feet underground in an old quarry. 
  Part of TURNSTILE was decommissioned and sold 
  off in 2005, but the still-secret northern section is being 
  redeveloped into a warded bunker for a worst-case 
  NIGHTMARE GREEN scenario.
  The Computer Servers
  Examining the network shows that the bulk of traffic from 
  the Quaere server comes from TRANQUIL. 
  Checking the servers takes a few hours’ work and a 
  successful Computer Use (Maintenance) roll. A special 
  success means the character stumbles onto the weird email 
  logs immediately. Otherwise, a successful Idea roll lets a 
  character realise that something is off about the server’s 
  email system. 
  Breaking into the server requires Computer Use 
  (Hacking), or convincing Wainwright, Brown or Dave 
  (see page 110) to give their admin passwords. Once in, the 
  characters quickly discover the following:
  John Wainwright
  Being the shining hope of the Quaere Office is a little like having the 
  lead role in the village pantomime – yes, you’re the star, but it’s 
  not exactly the West End. Wainwright is a competent officer, mixing 
  talents for computational demonology, management and investigation 
  in exactly the right proportion to make him very useful to the 
  Laundry. He’s clearly wasted in Quaere, and he knows it. 
  For a few years, he was willing to stand and wait if that’s what 
  his duty calls for, but the emails from ‘Angleton’ awoke his buried 
  ambition. 
  Playing Wainwright:
  • 
  You’re on top of everything. You’ve always got the right file to hand, and keep everything 
  on track. Make yourself useful and indispensible. 
  • 
  You’re also shockingly nice and sane for someone in the Laundry. Be an island of sanity.
  • 
  Speak quietly. No need to shout – insecure people shout. You’ve got it together. Angleton 
  himself told you so.
  John Wainwright, Talented Stooge
  STR 12   CON 10   SIZ 10   INT 16   POW 13
  DEX 10   CHA 15   EDU 17   SAN 60   HP 10
  Damage Bonus: +0
  Artefacts: Class Two Ward, Necronomiphone
  Weapons: Pistol (1d10 damage)
  Skills: Bureaucracy 60%, Command 50%, Computer Use (magic) 55%, Cthulhu Mythos 10%, Etiquette 45%, 
  Firearms (pistol) 65%, Firearms (esoteric) 50%, Knowledge (espionage) 55%, Persuade 45%, Sorcery 35%
  
  107
  • 
  There’s a special secret super-user account on the 
  server, called ‘secure.’
   
  ○      If they check, then ‘secure’ is supposed to 
  be used only by Director Brown; it’s supposed 
  to be an encrypted account for extremely 
  sensitive information. If questioned, he can’t 
  remember the last time he checked it.
  • 
  Secure’s in-box is full of some very juicy emails (see 
  Handout #1). The emails started several months ago; 
  the most recent was sent only a few hours ago.
   
  ○     A Computer Use (Magic) roll notices that 
  there’s a very subtle spell woven into those 
  emails. It establishes a sympathetic link between 
  the sender and reader. It’s hard to tell what the 
  purpose of it is – it could be a tracking method, 
  or a backdoor to a loyalty geas (in fact, it’s 
  Fritzch preparing Wainwright for possession).
  • 
  A Computer Use (Hacking or Maintenance) roll 
  spots something very odd about the email headers – 
  they’ve been spoofed. They look like they were sent 
  from the Head Office in London (from James Angleton 
  no less), but they were actually sent from secure to 
  secure. The user emailed their own account. 
   
  ○       A Status or a Difficult Know roll confirms 
  that, barring unusual circumstances, Angleton 
  doesn’t use email. 
   
  ○      Checking Secure’s login records shows an odd 
  pattern. Sometimes, they log in for several 
  minutes at a time, but on other occasions, 
  they’re logged in for only a few seconds. 
  Checking Records
  Once the characters know what they’re looking for, they 
  can try checking the paper records in the Quaere Office for 
  clues with Research. 
  Operation Surgeon: Notably, there’s a pile of old papers 
  in a file marked Operation SURGEON, which any character 
  with Knowledge (History) or Knowledge (Espionage) 
  remembers as the UK’s own ‘grab Nazi experts before 
  Uncle Joe takes them’ project. SURGEON was mostly 
  focussed on aeronautics, but these papers suggest that there 
  was an occult strand too.
  Other Staff
  Gary Porloy is the office’s only other field-qualified agent. He’s not very competent, and lacks 
  the skills needed in the modern Laundry. He can still run a field exorcism or investigate a 
  suspected case of possession, but that’s about it.
  • 
  He’s bitter about being stuck in Quaere. He blames politics. He’s got enemies in Head Office.
  • 
  He drinks a lot. He claims it’s to steady his nerves.
  Bridget Lundon is the soul of the office. Between her and Wainwright, the ship of the Quaere 
  Office sails untroubled across its little village pond. 
  • 
  She thinks very highly of Wainwright, and is much less fond of Dr. Laws up at TRANQUIL. 
  Laws keeps causing trouble and raising a fuss over petty things.
  Hetty Brown is the grand-niece of Director Brown. She’s in charge of the office’s records and 
  research, which amounts to googling suspected cultists and tracking ley lines. She’s also 
  studying Computational Demonology, and hopes to transfer to London when an opening comes up.
  • 
  Before Wainwright took over, Hetty had a lot more influence thanks to her granduncle. She 
  thinks Wainwright’s got undue sway in Quaere.
  • 
  She knows more about WESTMINISTER than the other staff, and handles the arrangements for 
  funerals and visits.
  Clive Miller is the other office drone. He’s a penpusher with a personality detectable only with 
  the finest, most sensitive instruments.
  • 
  Secretly, he’s having an affair with Bridget Lundon.
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  One folder in the cabinet was warded, but someone broke 
  the ward and took the contents. They left one piece 
  of paper behind (Handout #2), discussing one of the 
  GLASS SURGEON prisoners. The old manila folder is 
  oddly stained, as if the thieves had filthy hands. A close 
  examination with a suitable Science suggests that the marks 
  are a mix of dirt, grave moss and necrotic flesh. A zombie 
  stole those papers!
  Optionally, you can run one of the Optional Horrors (page 
  113) now.
  Operation WESTMINISTER: Some of the files relating 
  to WESTMINISTER are also stored here, although the 
  really interesting bits are kept buried in the Stacks. All the 
  characters can find here are boring legal bits (stuff about 
  family visiting rights, rotas for maintaining the greenery 
  and cleaning the headstones, purchase orders for coffins 
  lined with meteoric iron and fitted with a telephone jack). 
  The characters can piece together the basic details of what 
  WESTMINISTER entails (see page 111), but getting further 
  information means a call to Head Office and a Status test 
  to get codeword clearance.
  Two months ago, there was a suspected break-in at the 
  WESTMINISTER site. Head Office sent a Bagger team 
  down to investigate; they found nothing, and put the 
  incursion down to faulty wiring or maybe local kids.
  The Truth
  Karl Fritzch is behind both crimes. He 
  entered the Quaere intranet via TRANQUIL, but 
  was unable to get past the Laundry firewalls 
  protecting Head Office. He therefore infiltrated 
  the ‘secure’ account and used it to get to 
  Wainwright (Brown gave him the passwords, 
  then forgot about doing so). He stole his own 
  files using one of the graveyard zombies.
  4. Project TRANQUIL
  Stately Quaere House lies a few minutes’ walk outside the 
  village. High stone walls surround the estate. Formerly, the 
  House was owned by a wealthy family with a questionable 
  reputation; scandal, gambling debts and rumours of Satanic 
  orgies followed them for many generations. The SOE took 
  over the House in 1942, and the family officially sold it over 
  to the Crown in 1949. 
  Quaere House itself is a crumbling Regency mansion, 
  surrounded by a few acres of gardens and woodland. The 
  National Trust run it these days, and it attracts a few dozen 
  tourists every day during the summer. Inside, a small museum 
  describes the history of the house. Most of the displays are 
  about past scandals and the gardens and architecture, but one 
  display talks about the House during wartime, when it was used 
  for ‘military research’ and ‘a home for German defectors.’ 
  Most of the grounds are open to the public, but the Laundry 
  retained a few choice sections. Just behind the house is a 
  stand of trees. No-one ever goes near those trees. Look 
  at them, and your eyes just slide off them, as your lizard 
  hindbrain screams at you to stay away from the nameless, 
  formless danger. If you try to walk towards the trees, 
  unreasoning terror makes you stay away. There’s no rational 
  reason why the trees are so scary from a distance.
  Up close, the fear becomes more rational. There are zombies 
  lurking in the darkness beneath the willows.
  Any character bearing a Laundry warrant card is immune to 
  the terror of the trees (and won’t be automatically eaten by 
  the zombies).
  On the far side of the trees are two structures. One is the old 
  gothic church that now houses Project WESTMINISTER. 
  The other was once the stables, but is now Project 
  TRANQUIL. The characters enter through a heavy door 
  and step into a smaller room that degausses them (stripping 
  away any active spells, and making their wards crackle 
  angrily). Once they’re through that, they find themselves 
  at one end of a long corridor that runs the length of the 
  building. Doors lead off to computer rooms, offices and 
  the main laboratory.
  Not Very Tranquil
  As soon as the characters arrive, they’re met by Dr. Tabitha 
  Laws, the head of the project. Actually, met isn’t the wrong 
  word. ‘Assaulted’ fits better. Or ‘bombarded.’ She assumes 
  that the characters are here to shut TRANQUIL down, and 
  she’s got a whole angry spiel about the potential benefits 
  of the project and how the Finance Committee are short-
  sighted fools who don’t appreciate her genius ready to go. 
  Even if the characters explain who they are and what they’re 
  doing here, she still treats them with suspicion. 
  TRANQUIL is not a high-security project, and Laws is a 
  loose cannon anyway, so she gives the characters codeword 
  clearance for TRANQUIL along with #Handout 3. In 
  laymans’ terms:
  • 
  GRAVEDUST units let you talk to the dead.
  • 
  The more expensive and high-quality the components, 
  the longer the ‘reach’ of the necromantic effect.
  • 
  That’s because local interference gets in the way. You try 
  to call up Julius Caesar, and Mr. Perkins the local butcher 
  who passed away on Tuesday gets on the line instead.
  
  109
  • 
  The WESTMINISTER graveyard is clear of any such 
  interference. It’s a still pond.
  • 
  Laws believes this will massively boost the reception 
  of even cheap, off-the-shelf GRAVEDUST boxes… 
  possibly beyond any previous efforts. In fact, her 
  calculations point to the ability to pick up psychic death 
  echoes from other star systems. TRANQUIL could 
  become the SETI of the dead.
  • 
  This is, as mentioned previously, GENIUS AND 
  MUST NOT BE STOPPED.
  Touring the Lab
  The main TRANQUIL laboratory consists of a row of 
  computer workstations, all connected to a server in the 
  middle of a summoning grid. Laws explains that she has 
  placed several GRAVEDUST boxes in the nearby graveyard, 
  while another five are kept in the psychic cleanroom. If 
  the boxes in the warded graveyard pick up anything, it will 
  show up on the computers. So far, they haven’t picked up 
  anything definite, although they have had some interesting 
  wobbles that might be the ghosts of dead civilisations, or 
  Cthulhu’s wet dreams, or maybe just background emotion 
  leaking in from dying stars. 
  As this place is likely to get attacked by zombies and/or be the 
  scene of a firefight later, let’s have a quick look at the layout.
  • 
  Main Door: Reinforced and warded (STR18 to force 
  open, Level 3 ward that hits for 2d6 damage and 
  paralyses)
  • 
  Degaussing Chamber: Just in case any lingering 
  psychic residue contaminates the experiment, this 
  room automatically casts a Level One Exorcism on 
  anyone who passes through.
  • 
  Main Corridor: As described above. There isn’t much 
  cover, but there’s a clear line of fire.
  • 
  Law’s Office: The administration office for the lab. 
  Laws doesn’t have much patience for paperwork.
  • 
  Server Room: Containing the backups and support 
  hardware for TRANQUIL.
  • 
  Psychic Cleanroom: This room uses similar 
  technology to the degaussing chamber, and is kept free 
  of any potential necrotic energies that might trip the 
  sensors. Five old-fashioned GRAVEDUST boxes sit in 
  a row on the countertop, humming away.
  • 
  Laboratory: The main laboratory. As TRANQUIL 
  has yet to have any definite ‘bites,’ the researchers 
  spend most of their time analysing the signal data for 
  any hidden patterns that might be otherwise lost in the 
  noise, or else goofing off on Facebook.
  • 
  Stores: Spare parts, computer components, printer 
  paper, jars of mummia… and a locked case containing 
  a spray can of anti-zombie spray, and a Glock-17 
  loaded with banishment rounds.
  Dr. Tabitha Laws
  The Laundry does a trawl for mad scientists every few years, snaffling 
  up academics and promising students whose research will inevitably lead 
  towards Ye Liveliest Awfulness. Dr Laws had nearly finished her doctorate 
  in neuroimaging with a sideline in mathematical modelling when the 
  Laundry picked her up. She’s convinced that she’s going to change the 
  world, and is willing to trample anyone who stands in the way.
  Playing Dr. Laws:
  • 
  Never compromise. Never admit defeat. Don’t let the little people 
  stop you.
  • 
  Completing Project TRANQUIL may be the greatest scientific discovery in history. More 
  importantly, you privately suspect it may be the key to surviving CASE NIGHTMARE GREEN. 
  Other species must have survived similar conjunctions on other worlds – if humanity 
  contacts them, we may learn how to survive. And since we’re contacting their dead, we can 
  even learn from the mistakes of those who failed to endure the coming of the Great Old Ones. 
  • 
  Launch into a rant whenever anyone contradicts you.
  CAse GoBLin WiLLoW
  CASE GOBLIN WILLOW
  
  LiCense to summon
  110
  Checking Records
  The Computer Servers: Dave’s kept most of the software 
  on the TRANQUIL server up to date, although some bits 
  are misconfigured. A successful Computer Use roll does 
  flag some odd traffic between TRANQUIL and the Quaere 
  office intranet; it looks like someone tried to hack into the 
  network from here. 
  The TRANQUIL Files: Examining the TRANQUIL logs 
  with Science (Mathematics) or Research (or asking Laws 
  to show her work) reveals some oddities. While they haven’t 
  detected any dead civilisations or dreaming gods, there are 
  a few spikes that might be signals. If the characters check, 
  they discover that these spikes correlate with the hacking 
  attempts on the Quaere intranet.
  The Equipment Log: Looking at the equipment lists for the 
  project with Accounting or Bureaucracy spots something 
  odd. TRANQUIL was assigned twenty GRAVEDUST 
  units, plus spare parts. They still have twenty units, but all 
  the spare parts are gone. All the forms for wear and tear 
  are present and correct, but they’re all dated on the first of 
  nine successive months. If they’re to be believed, then one 
  component failed January 1st, then another February 1st, 
  then March 1st and so on. All the forms also use exactly 
  the same ink and handwriting style, suggesting they were 
  all filled in at the same time, and dated to look like the 
  equipment failures took place over several months instead 
  of all-at-once. 
  If confronted, then Laws grudgingly admits the truth. One 
  of the GRAVEDUST boxes at the edge of the graveyard 
  went missing. She suspects local kids, or maybe Barry 
  tripped over it, broke it, and then hid the evidence. She put 
  together a replacement box out of spare parts, and hid it to 
  avoid having to report the damage to the Laundry. Losing a 
  GRAVEDUST box could draw the attention of the Auditors, 
  Other Staff
  Dr. Holsted is an elderly expert in GRAVEDUST techniques. He joined the Laundry back in the 
  1970s, and it shows – he’s gone a little ghoulish. He lacks Dr. Laws’ mathematical expertise, 
  which is why he’s not in charge of TRANQUIL. He’s not happy about this, and argues with Laws 
  at every opportunity. The lack of definite results from TRANQUIL mean that he gets to say ‘I 
  told you so’ every five minutes, which would be bearable if he didn’t lick his lips quite like 
  that afterwards. 
  • 
  His low opinion of Dr. Laws means that he’ll try to make trouble for her. He might, for 
  example, hint that the characters should take a look at the equipment list.
  • 
  He’s creepy, he’s spooky, and he looks hungry.
  • 
  Holsted may also recommend the players talk to Barry the Ghoul (see page 111).
  Jamie Lewis is a cryptographer on loan from GCHQ. While he’s signed Section III, he hadn’t 
  dealt with the supernatural before coming here. He’s nervous, although he’s not sure if that’s 
  because of the neighbourhood zombies, or because he can’t shake the conviction that this is all 
  a big joke and someone’s going to leap out of a closet with a video camera and shout ‘you’re 
  on Candid Camera.’ 
  • 
  Jamie speaks up in favour of Dr. Laws; she’s a good manager and an excellent scientist, 
  just a bit too… committed to her work.
  • 
  He’s less impressed with the Quaere office; they seem sloppy and eccentric.
  • 
  He’s hesitant to discuss supernatural topics, as he has no idea what’s significant and 
  what’s just normal background weirdness for the Laundry. 
  Dave Blodgery, the closest Quaere has to an IT expert, and he’s pretty far from an IT expert. 
  He knows enough to keep the computer network running, but that’s about it. He got drafted 
  because the girl he shared a cubicle with in his previous IT job stumbled across the Tome of 
  Power; she’s now working with the Plumbers doing cool secret agent stuff while he’s stuck in 
  the Village of Nowhere. He plays a lot of Warcraft.
  • 
  Dave’s clueless. You’re better off talking to the GRAVEDUST boxes in the cleanroom.
  • 
  No, he hasn’t noticed anything weird. If the characters investigate (see Checking Records, 
  below), and point out the traffic logs to him, then he’s genuinely mystified. 
  
  111
  and she doesn’t want that. She informed Wainwright, and he 
  promised to keep an unofficial eye out for the missing box. It 
  happened around the same time as the break-in two months 
  ago, but she can’t be sure they’re connected.
  5. Project WESTMINISTER
  “Cursed the ground where dead thoughts live new and oddly 
  bodied, and evil the mind that is held by no head. Wisely did Ibn 
  Schacabao say, that happy is the tomb where no wizard hath lain, 
  and happy the town at night whose wizards are all ashes. For it 
  is of  old rumour that the soul of  the devil-bought hastes not from 
  his charnel clay, but fats and instructs the very worm that gnaws; 
  till out of  corruption horrid life springs, and the dull scavengers of  
  earth wax crafty to vex it and swell monstrous to plague it. Great 
  holes secretly are digged where earth’s pores ought to suffice, and 
  things have learnt to walk that ought to crawl.”
  – The Festival, H.P. Lovecraft
  The old church is a crumbling Gothic pocket monstrosity. 
  Gargoyles cling to the grey spire, looking out over the 
  haunted trees. The church is still consecrated ground, but is 
  only used for certain very special funerals these days.
  The oath of office doesn’t say anything about ‘until death.’ 
  Once you’re in, you’re in forever. This doesn’t matter for 
  most Laundry employees, unless they get brought back 
  as Residual Human Resources. For wizards, though, it’s a 
  different matter. Wielding magic – especially when you do 
  it directly, instead of through a computer – changes you. It 
  stains your soul, changes you into something other. Those 
  touched by magic don’t rest easy.
  Hence WESTMINISTER. When a sorcerer dies (and 
  there are some in Mahogany Row who chose to give up 
  their humanity along with their mortality), the body is 
  collected by a firm of specialised undertakers and placed 
  in an enchanted coffin. The funeral procession travels in 
  the dead of the night to this graveyard under the trees in 
  Quaere, and there the deceased is buried within the magical 
  wards. Those interred in Quaere sleep soundly. No ghosts, 
  no mysterious phone calls at 4am, no bad dreams –and 
  definitely no chance of a thief stealing secrets from beyond 
  the grave. Secretly, WESTMINISTER also functions as 
  a thaumic energy reserve – the combined power of the 
  Laundry’s honoured dead can be deployed as a devastating 
  weapon, a one-shot spell big enough to kill a god (maybe).
  The WESTMINISTER Site
  The small church itself is crumbling and the roof leaks in 
  a few places, but it is still in moderately good repair. Inside, 
  two rows of pews stand before a small plain altar. The 
  walls are bare except for a few busts; whether they are past 
  members of the family who once owned Quaere House, 
  or former Laundry members, is a mystery. Engraved 
  on the floor is a magical seal, similar to the design on a 
  Warrant Card.
  The caretaker of the site, Barry the Ghoul, lives in the 
  former sacristy at the back of the church. He clears away 
  the bones before company calls (unless, of course, any of 
  the player characters would like to gnaw on a thigh-bone 
  with their tea).
  The graveyard itself is the main attraction here. The older 
  gravestones are a jumble of marble slabs and broken 
  statues; the newer plots are all in neat rows with blank grave 
  markers (blank to those without the right security clearance, 
  anyway). Surrounding the graveyard are yew and willow 
  trees, marked with runes. Old power cables run among the 
  roots, and there are weatherproofed black boxes along the 
  edge of the graveyard, humming with power. These are the 
  anti-necromancy wards installed to protect the dead – at 
  least, the modern part of it. Most of the enchantments on 
  this place were laid using traditional spells. Magic soaked 
  into the earth and stones, spells laid on the very air and on 
  the sentinel trees.
  The TRANQUIL system sits just inside the perimeter of 
  the graveyard, and consists of fifteen bright yellow boxes 
  connected to a cable that runs across the green area back 
  to the stables. Anyone with Science (Thaumaturgy) and 
  Knowledge (History) who has spent time studying the 
  Atrocity Archives recognises the layout of the graveyard. 
  It’s built according to the same design as the Soul Capacitors 
  at Peenemunde. The dark heart of the Nazi occult war 
  machine, recreated in miniature amid the green fields of 
  England.
  Barry the Ghoul & His Zombies
  Barry is the custodian of the WESTMINISTER 
  facility. He’s been here for a long, long 
  time. He enjoys his work. Most of the dead 
  are much too talkative, always bleating about 
  how cold they are and how they don’t want to 
  be eaten. WESTMINISTER is relaxing. No whiny 
  dead people. Even his six zombies don’t talk. 
  For a Laundry employee, Barry’s sense of job 
  satisfaction is remarkably high. 
  Getting answers out of Barry is tricky; he 
  tries to avoid talking about either Quaere 
  or TRANQUIL. He just keeps his head down – 
  he doesn’t want to cause trouble. He’s not 
  saying that the Laundry is institutionally 
  biased against ghouls, but, well… the 
  eaters of the dead aren’t popular, either. 
  CAse GoBLin WiLLoW
  CASE GOBLIN WILLOW
  
  LiCense to summon
  112
  Graveyard Defences
  The graveyard is a dangerous place. Once you get past 
  the Trees of Terror, you’ve got to deal with the zombies. 
  They’re programmed to stop anyone from tampering with 
  the graves. They’ll give one warning, but after that it’s brain-
  eating time.
  The real danger, though, is buried in the ground. Dig down 
  more than a handsbreath (about three inches), and you 
  hit the crackling, barely contained cauldron of thaumic 
  energy stored here. 
  Breach the energy, and there’s a burst of  magical 
  feedback (roll on the Spell Failure table on page 130 of 
  The Laundry Roleplaying Game, treating it as a Level Three 
  spell). More digging releases more energy. It’s like an 
  occult minefield (when Barry has to dig a new grave, the 
  magical energy is shunted to a soul capacitor buried in 
  the floor of  the church; he also uses a shielded magic 
  shovel for protection).
  Oh, and each coffin is sealed with Level Four killer wards 
  (3d6 damage) to prevent tampering.
  Investigating the Graveyard
  Barry can show the characters where the breach that 
  triggered the alarm happened. Over at one side of the 
  graveyard, a power cable for the warding spell runs close to 
  the surface. That cable broke; someone could have pulled it 
  out, or it could have just rotted naturally. The ward’s power 
  supply is, of couse, multiply redundant and damage to one 
  cable would have only caused a minor thaumic leak at most. 
  The Bagger team fixed it.
  Examining the chapel with a suitable skill (Science 
  (Thaumaturgy), Knowledge (Archaeology), Technical 
  Use (Electronics) and so on) lets the characters find the 
  soul capacitor in the floor. Hidden beneath a flagstone in 
  the chapel is a pair of heavy brass levers, fresh from Dr. 
  Frankenstein’s laboratory, that activate the capacitor. 
  Pulling one shunts the accumulated thaumic energy 
  into the soul capacitor; pulling the other shuts down the 
  WESTMINISTER containment field and warding spells. 
  Note that turning off the containment field without first 
  locking away the thaumic energy is a good way to recreate 
  that bit in Ghostbusters where the fire station explodes. 
  Investigation
  By this stage of the game, the characters should have an inkling that something strange is afoot 
  in Quaere. If they need a push, have some superior in the Laundry contact them and suggest that 
  they be especially diligent with this software audit.
  In playtesting, the players usually ended up fixating on TRANQUIL, assuming that Dr. Laws was 
  somehow responsible for the problems at Quaere. Others suspected that Director Brown was 
  involved, or even that Wainwright was officially authorised to kill the Director, but had choked 
  under the pressure. If possible, keep suspicion off Wainwright for as long as possible. The 
  emails on the secure server are the smoking gun. Optionally, if the players discover the emails 
  early in the game, then you could say that Wainwright encrypted them using magical encryption 
  (a geased Maxwell’s Demon that was sworn to secrecy) and the characters can’t get into the 
  files until their intrusion software completes a dictionary attack using all the true names 
  from the Goetia.
  Truth Geases
  If the characters were here to officially investigate the Quaere Office with all the force of Head 
  Office and the Auditors behind them, they could break out truth geases and make people swear on 
  the Oath of Office and magically bludgeon Wainwright into revealing himself; but they’re here to 
  fix the computers, so they’ve got no official standing at all. Dropping a truth geas on a fellow 
  employee is grounds for a disciplinary hearing, and won’t do much good in this case anyway. 
  Of the three likely suspects, Laws will kick up a huge fuss and call in the characters’ superiors 
  if they try to geas her, Wainwright believes he’s doing the Laundry’s bidding, so he can call on 
  his oath of office for protection, and Brown… well, any character stupid enough to try throwing 
  a truth geas on an old hoary wizard like the director deserves to get turned into a frog.
  
  113
  Touching either lever without the proper ritual preparation 
  (which none of the PCs have, and neither does anyone in 
  Quaere) means instant death (a very potent Level 4 Death 
  ward, inflicting 6d6 damage straight to POW).
  Finding Fritzch’s Grave: The interment of the Nazi 
  predates Barry’s tenure here; the ‘B’ mentioned in the letter 
  isn’t Barry, it’s Director Brown. 
  If the players convince him to help them (and why exactly 
  do they want to dig up a long-dead Nazi sorcerer), then 
  he vaguely remembers roughly where they buried Karl… 
  ish. Otherwise, the characters can try to use Scrying spells 
  (but to do so, they need Karl’s name and an emotional 
  connection or other sympathetic link to the target), or check 
  the burial records in the Quaere office. 
  The coffin itself is buried six feet deep. It’s a plain, cheap 
  coffin bound in iron and marked with warding runes 
  (specifically, a Level Three ward that hits for 3d6 damage 
  and also orders any creatures bound to the Laundry, like 
  the zombies, to attack whoever triggered it). See Stopping 
  Fritzch, page 118.
  6. Optional Horrors 
  These scenes can occur at any time in the adventure. Use 
  them to liven things up if the game gets stale, or else to 
  distract the characters when they get close to Wainwright 
  (or else use Moon Farm on page 114).
  The Zombies
  Six old and powerful zombies guard the WESTMINISTER 
  graveyard. Sometimes, they wander down the secluded path 
  to the back door of the Quaere office when they’re needed 
  for heavy lifting or added security. The zombies are geased 
  to obey anyone carrying a Warrant Card, and to eat anyone 
  who isn’t.
  Unfortunately, the binding spells on these zombies are old 
  and outdated, and Karl Fritzch is a skilled necromancer 
  even though he’s dead. Fritzch can, if he wants, take 
  control of the zombies. If he does so, then he may have 
  to murder Barry the Ghoul, as the gravedigger keeps an 
  eye on the zombies most of the time. Fritzch can dispatch 
  the zombies to attack the player characters when they break 
  into the Quaere office by night, or if they try digging up 
  Fritzch’s coffin prematurely. Fritzch could also send the 
  zombies to break into The Laurels guest house and murder 
  the player characters while they sleep. These zombies are 
  more powerful than the average shambling corpse, thanks 
  to enchantments and protective spells placed on them by 
  the Laundry.
  Tough Zombies
  STR 19   CON 18   SIZ 14   INT 1   POW 1
  DEX 7    HP 16
  Damage Bonus: +1d6
  Weapons: Claw 65%, damage 1d4+db
  Armour: 10 points of Defensive Bindings, impaling weapons 
  do only one point of damage, all others do half damage.
  As another option, Wainwright can override the Night 
  Watchmen in the Quaere Office and send them after the 
  characters. Doing so requires him to complete a traditional 
  magical ritual (dictated to him by Friztch via email) to break 
  the binding spell. Wainwright does this by night in the 
  Quaere Office.
  Night Watchman (Class Two Exonome)
  STR 11   CON 11   SIZ 14   INT 4   POW 13
  DEX 14  HP 12
  Damage Bonus: +0
  Weapons: Grapple 50%, damage held for tickling, Tickle 
  30%, immobilised for 1d6+1 rounds, Bite 30%, damage 1d6
  Armour: 2 point skin
  Skills: Stealth 90%
  CAse GoBLin WiLLoW
  CASE GOBLIN WILLOW
  
  LiCense to summon
  114
  Visions of  the Past
  Sensitive characters (or those packing Tillinghast Resonators, 
  or meddling with high-thaum fields, or who get too close to 
  the TRANQUIL system) may have psychic glimpses of the 
  past. Possible images:
  • 
  The ghastly Christmas tree at Auschwitz, in 1940, when 
  Fritzch placed the bodies of dead prisoners under the 
  electric lights as a ‘gift’ for the living.
  • 
  The smell of Zyklon-B, like harsh bitter almonds.
  • 
  The cell where Fritzch walled up Kolbe and nine 
  other prisoners; he could hear Kolbe celebrating mass 
  through the brick wall.
  • 
  The Nazi war machine at Peenemunde, during the last 
  days of the War in Europe and the desperate attempts 
  to change the course of history by summoning the Jotun.
  • 
  Fritzch’s incarceration at Quaere; he remembers 
  limping across the fields with two Laundry handlers 
  watching over him. Director Brown’s first assignment 
  in the Laundry was as one of Fritzch’s jailers.
  • 
  Other ghosts from the Laundry, faces the characters 
  may have glimpsed in paintings on Mahogany Row. 
  The hole in WESTMINISTER means the dead are 
  restless.
   
  Weird Events
  The graveyard contains a hell of a lot of thaumic energy 
  (remember, the Laundry intend to use it to take out a 
  Great Old One when the big guys show up for CASE 
  NIGHTMARE GREEN) and Fritzch’s tampering means 
  that it’s… leaking. All that magic can show up as random 
  weird events in Quaere to throw the players off balance. 
  Take a look at the Reality Bleeds section on page 89 for ideas 
  on how uncontrolled magic can corrode reality.
  7.  Moon Farm 
  Run this scene to distract the players, or whenever 
  Wainwright is ready to trigger his scheme of doom, or if 
  the players haven’t done much investigation and need a kick.
  Moon Farm is an isolated little farmhouse surrounded 
  by strangely twisted and foreboding woods. Back in the 
  1950s, the Laundry stormed the farm and arrested several 
  members of the Motherwell family who owned the farm. 
  The Motherwells were a very... close family, with unusual 
  religious beliefs. Very fecund, too – the Laundry rescued 
  more than twenty children from the cult (see Handout 4). 
  The Motherwells worshipped a monstrous fertility goddess, 
  and sacrificed their excess children to her by drowning 
  them in an ancient well on the property. After the cult was 
  suppressed, the Laundry arranged for the children to be 
  adopted, and for the Ministry of Defence to purchase the 
  farm (it’s sometimes used for training exercises).
  Ever since, monitoring Moon Farm has been on Quaere’s 
  books. An officer calls by the property once every few 
  months to check on the wards, exorcise the cult’s old altar 
  and make sure that those trees are still just trees. 
  Wainwright uses Moon Farm as a ruse to get the player 
  characters out of Quaere for a few hours. He can 
  approach them directly, or go through Director Brown. 
  Either way, the characters are asked to drive over to Moon 
  Farm and run through a standardised battery of occult 
  countermeasures. Nothing too challenging, but it needs 
  Field Certification and the Quaere office is understaffed 
  with qualified officers. 
  Moon Farm
  The farm consists of a few acres of overgrown semi-
  wilderness. A belt of oak trees surrounds the dilapidated 
  farmhouse. Weather-stained signs warn trespassers that 
  this property is owned by the Ministry of Defence and that 
  entry is strictly forbidden. 
  What’s Really Going On
  Take one stolen GRAVEDUST box. Add in a sympathetic-magic link to the WESTMINISTER capacitor. 
  Stick it down a haunted well. Now add four unfortunate homeless people. The GRAVEDUST box 
  calls up the psychic echoes of the cultists, and the power channelled from WESTMINISTER gives 
  them the strength not only to possess the four victims, but also to conduct a summoning rite…
  The four homeless victims are Jack Mistry and Ann Mistry, Leo Collins and Holly Hardy. The 
  Mistrys and Holly Hardy were part of a collective commune, but left after a bitter argument 
  and are currently homeless. Collins is a paranoid schizophrenic; the other three keep him from 
  hurting himself.
  
  115
  As the characters approach the farmhouse, they notice 
  several things out of place.
  • 
  The farmhouse doors and windows were boarded 
  up, but someone has broken in. From the graffiti and 
  discarded soup tins, it could be some squatters.
  • 
  The surrounding plant life is weirdly lush and vibrant. 
  There’s an apple tree near the house that bends under 
  the sheer weight of its fruit, weeds cover every surface, 
  and those oak trees seem even bigger and more 
  impressive when you get close to them.
  • 
  Thaumometers, wards and other sensitive equipment 
  pick up a definite thaumic field. This place is hot.
  • 
  If the players think to check, they find the old well 
  at the back of the farm. Bracken and other debris 
  cover it. A successful Spot check notices something 
  odd – someone was here recently, but moved a sheet 
  of rain-streaked plywood back to hide the well again 
  after they left.
  The outbuildings around the farm are mostly empty except 
  for old rusted farm machinery and piles of empty sacks. 
  The reinforced door, broken chains and odd stains in one 
  shed bear testament to the farm’s previous incarnation. 
  Inside the main farmhouse, the characters find more signs 
  that someone is living here. They find four sleeping bags on 
  the upper floor, food in the kitchen, and the smouldering 
  remains of a fire in the grate. It’s clear that someone – 
  probably four people – are squatting here, but there’s no 
  sign of them. 
  A successful Spot roll lets the characters notice a door 
  behind an old cabinet. This door leads to a rickety staircase 
  (Luck roll to avoid falling through a rotten step for 1d4 
  damage) that goes down to the cult’s basement temple. 
  The Laundry cleaned up here decades ago, and the room 
  is empty except for a lingering sense of unease and some 
  oddly suggestive tree-roots that broke through the far wall. 
  It seems that whoever’s living in the house upstairs has not 
  found the old temple. 
  Around now, the team’s Thaumometers spike. Someone just 
  opened a Gate nearby.
  The Horror in the Trees
  Right now, the four possessed victims are out in the woods 
  near the farm, conducting a summoning ritual. Three of 
  them are possessed by the ghosts (well, psychic echoes) of 
  cultists. The last victim is possessed by a victim of the cult 
  (and that’s a rather horrible fate – not only did this poor 
  schmuck get murdered and thrown down a well, but now 
  they’ve been resurrected for the same thing to happen 
  again). Here’s the sequence of events that transpires over 
  the next few minutes:
  • 
  The summoning ritual enters its final phase. The player 
  characters detect the growing magical spike.
  • 
  Outside, the moon appears in the sky over the farm… 
  even in the middle of the day. Anyone with Science 
  (Astronomy) can tell it’s not Earth’s moon.
  • 
  Two of the possessed victims emerge from the trees. 
  Ann Mistry (a 24-year old woman) is possessed by the 
  ghost of David Motherwell, the ‘father’ of the cult. 
  The other victim (Jack Mistry, a 42-year old man) is 
  possessed by a nameless Motherwell child, a four-year-
  old girl). “David” drags the “child” towards the well 
  and – unless stopped by the characters – throws Jack 
  Mistry down into the darkness.
  • 
  Meanwhile, the other two “cultists” continue chanting 
  and performing a ritual in the trees, out of sight of the 
  house. 
  • 
  A few minutes later (or sooner, if Jack is sacrificed), 
  the ritual opens the cult’s old Gate, calling forth an 
  emissary of the Great Mother. One old oak tree 
  shudders, then begins to twist and bend, pulling its 
  roots free of the earth and shambling into life. The 
  bark flakes away, revealing rubbery black flesh beneath. 
  It’s one of the Dark Young of Shub-Niggurath – and 
  it’s hungry.
  Exorcism
  The possessed victims pose an odd challenge to the 
  Laundry officers. They’re not in control of their actions, 
  and really aren’t even aware of what’s going on – the ghosts 
  just repeat their actions in life. The spectral cultists think 
  it’s 1951 and that they’re preparing the way for the Great 
  Mother. The cultists are only Level One entities and can 
  be banished with Exorcism (a Level One exorcism forces 
  them to make a Luck roll to stay in this reality; Level Two 
  or automatically works). 
  The Dark Young is more of a problem. The characters can 
  either try fighting the horror, or banishing it (it’s a Level 
  Three exonome). Alternatively, disabling the Gate in the 
  woods (with either an Exorcism spell or a successful Sorcery 
  test) cuts the creature’s connection to its home universe, 
  turning the possessed tree back into an unpossessed, 
  mundane and about-to-fall oak tree. There’s also a half-full 
  tank of heating oil at the back of the house if anyone wants 
  to go for an explosive solution. 
  CAse GoBLin WiLLoW
  CASE GOBLIN WILLOW
  
  LiCense to summon
  116
  Something’s Not Right: Any character that makes a 
  successful Science (Thaumaturgy) or Sorcery test (or a 
  Difficult Idea test) notices something odd about the ritual. 
  Ghosts normally have trouble possessing laboratory rats, 
  let alone people, and they certainly shouldn’t have had the 
  strength to reopen a sealed Gate so quickly. Even taking 
  the favourable conditions into account, there’s still a big 
  shortfall of magical power. They must have had some 
  external power source.
  Before the characters check the well, though, they get a 
  call from Quaere warning them of the problems at Project 
  TRANQUIL (see Reality Breach on page 117), forcing them 
  to choose between a fuller investigation here and heading 
  to Quaere.
  Possessed Victims
  STR 16   CON 8   SIZ 12   INT 11   POW 6
  DEX 8    CHA 8   EDU 10   SAN 50   HP 10
  Damage Bonus: +1d4
  Weapons: Punch 30%, damage 1d3+1d4
  Dark Young (Class Three Exonome)
  STR 44   CON 17  SIZ 44   INT 14  POW 18
  DEX 15   HP 30
  Damage Bonus: +4d6
  Weapons: Trample 40%, damage 2d6+DB
  Sanity Loss: 1d3/1d10
  The Thing in the Well
  Searching the well means climbing down thirty feet into 
  muddy darkness (Climb test), then pawing amid the mud. 
  The cult dumped dozens of  victims here over the years, 
  and while the Laundry cleared most of  the remains away, 
  the characters may find the occasional bone fragment. 
  A successful Spot test (or the use of  a Scrying device) 
  lets the characters find a plastic-wrapped bundle of 
  electronics. 
  Examining the bundle reveals the following:
  • 
  There’s a black box that is clearly a Laundry-made 
  GRAVEDUST unit, just like the ones at Quaere. 
  Checking serial numbers confirms it is the unit that 
  went missing, that Laws tried to conceal using spare 
  parts.
  • 
  The other electronics and ritual components are 
  elements of a Sympathetic Magic spell that drains 
  power from one location and funnels it into the 
  GRAVEDUST box. The sympathetic link is a small 
  fragment of carved stone. Appraise identifies it as a 
  gargoyle from WESTMINISTER. 
  • 
  Another part of the spell is a low-level sympathetic 
  magic effect that’s designed to make possession easier. 
  Someone paved the way for the ghosts to possess these 
  victims. 
  • 
  A successful Computer Use (Magic) or Science 
  (Thaumaturgy) test notes that the Sympathetic 
  Magic spell is brutally inefficient. It’s not that it’s badly 
  designed per se, but it’s very, very old-fashioned. In 
  fact, it reminds any character who knows the history 
  of magic of the old Thule Society designs from the 
  Atrocity Archives. Whoever did this studied old Nazi 
  magic and nothing else.
  8. Reality Breach
  The faked incident at Moon Farm drew the player characters 
  away from Quaere; now it’s time to occupy TRANQUIL. 
  The characters get a panicked call from Wainwright. He 
  tells them that TRANQUIL’s contacted something, and it’s 
  trying to force its way through. He’s on the phone to Head 
  Office, requesting OCCULUS backup, but if the characters 
  can help out… well, this could be a full-scale incursion. 
  Quaere Office needs help.
  At TRANQUIL, the characters find a scene of chaos. A 
  panicked Laws tells them that one of the GRAVEDUST 
  units made contact with what she assumes is a dead alien 
  mind. They tried to speak to it – and it started pushing 
  through. She evacuated the TRANQUIL lab, but the 
  automated cut-offs that should have stopped anything 
  taking control of the GRAVEDUST units didn’t work. 
  There’s a growing breach in reality in the middle of the lab. 
  Someone has to go in and shut it down.
  There are two options. Dr. Halstead wants the laboratory 
  destroyed. When the Laundry built TRANQUIL, they 
  installed a powerful death ward under the building. It’s 
  activated from Dr. Laws’ office. Someone needs to go in 
  and trigger the ward. It only affects those not carrying a 
  Laundry warrant card, so the player characters should 
  survive. The downside is that the ward will fry everything 
  else in the building, including Laws’ research.
  Dr. Laws has a plan that preserves her work. Just go in, 
  make it to the laboratory, and unplug the GRAVEDUST 
  unit that’s connected to the alien horror. The upside of this 
  plan is that it’s minimally destructive. The downside is that 
  the characters have to go all the way inside.
  
  117
  In the Laboratory 
  TRANQUIL isn’t very peaceful anymore. Clouds of eerie 
  white almond-smelling smoke pour out of the Gate in 
  the main lab. Shrieking little exonomes – globs of neon 
  tentacles – flit through the air, flailing blindly for human 
  nervous systems to latch onto. It feels disconcertingly like 
  gravity has shifted, as though whatever is in the main lab 
  is more massive and somehow more real than this whole 
  planet. 
  For most people, it’s a hellish nightmare. For experienced 
  Laundry officers, it’s a lot of sound and fury, but not 
  actually that dangerous. The summoned exonomes are 
  nasty little buggers, but a good Ward keeps them at bay (use 
  the statistics for Lesser Manifestations on page 203 of The 
  Laundry Roleplaying Game).
  If the characters go for Hofsted’s solution, and activate the 
  purging ward in Laws’ office, then they don’t need to go 
  into the laboratory at all. They can ignore the writhing thing 
  in there, and just pop into the office and hit the switch. 
  There’s a blue flash from the floor, followed by a howling 
  noise. All the characters need to make Endurance rolls to 
  avoid blacking out, but suffer no other ill effects.
  If they try to disable the GRAVEDUST box, then they’ve 
  got to go into the lab itself. That means they get attacked by 
  multiple exonomes, and it also means they come face to face 
  with the ‘summoned horror’ (or, more accurately, the show 
  put on by Fritzch to distract everyone).
   It looks like a swirling hole in reality, wreathed in crackling 
  static electricity. Getting close to it means suffering 1d6 
  damage per round from electrical attacks. Switching off 
  GRAVEDUST requires a successful Computer Use 
  (Magic) or Technology test. Once the device shuts down, 
  the crisis ends.
  Staff from the Quaere Office are on the scene when the PCs 
  emerge. There’s a lot of clean-up. Civilians from the park 
  saw some of the weirdness; they’ll need memory wipes. 
  TRANQUIL staff are suffering from smoke inhalation 
  and shock, the whole building needs to be exorcised, and 
  there’s going to be a giant pile of paperwork before this 
  is all over. 
  9. Death Spell
  Meanwhile, John Wainwright’s busy murdering his boss. 
  He does it gently and respectfully. He barely needs to 
  use any effort. After all, Brown trusts Wainwright. While 
  everyone else in the Quaere Office is off dealing with the 
  mess at TRANQUIL, Wainwright drugs Brown’s tea, waits 
  until he’s asleep, then carefully removes the old man’s ward 
  before hitting him with a death spell. Brown’s already unwell 
  – it only takes a brief and almost undetectable incantation 
  to stop his heart.
  It’s unlikely that the characters are present for this scene 
  – although if they’ve identified Wainwright as the traitor, 
  and can tear themselves away from Moon Farm/Project 
  TRANQUIL in time, then by all means let them mount a 
  last-minute rescue. Otherwise, Director Brown passes away 
  peacefully. 
  Incident Reports
  The player characters don’t get to investigate this death. 
  Wainwright called in support from Head Office, so a short 
  time later, a host of Plumbers, Baggers and other vaguely 
  sinister types show up. Everyone in Quaere is interrogated; 
  those who don’t give satisfactory answers get audited.
  Try to give the players the impression that this is the end 
  of the scenario. Make them believe that the ‘botched 
  summoning’ at TRANQUIL was the big climax, and this 
  is all just post-game book-keeping. Run through End-of-
  Mission Accounting. Give the characters Status increases (or 
  penalties) based on their actions – preserving TRANQUIL 
  is worth 1d3% of Status. 
  Finally, ask them if they want to attend Brown’s funeral. 
  CAse GoBLin WiLLoW
  CASE GOBLIN WILLOW
  
  LiCense to summon
  118
  10. A Funeral
  As a former DSS, Brown will be interred here at the Quaere 
  Graveyard. Several senior Laundry staff come down for the 
  funeral, including Angleton. As part of the ceremony, the 
  protective field around the graveyard will be shut down so 
  the body can be buried – and that will let Fritzch hop into 
  Wainwright’s body. 
  It’s a grey, rainy day that promises to be a dark and stormy 
  night. Barry the Ghoul has already prepared the grave, 
  with a white marble headstone that says only ‘BROWN.’ 
  The assembled mourners look like a flock of grim crows 
  with pasty faces and serious expressions. After the 
  ceremony, but before the mourners leave the church, Boris 
  activates the thaumic shunt to temporarily store the power 
  of the cemetery in the soul capacitor, then shuts down the 
  warding field.
  Wainwright, by the way, attends the funeral, but is so 
  ‘overcome with emotion’ that he steps outside moments 
  before Boris hits the switch. 
  Stopping Fritzch: The easiest way to stop Fritzch is to dig 
  up the corpse and exorcise it. If they do that before the 
  ceremony, then they risk getting blasted by the protective 
  ward. The safest time to do it is just after the funeral, but 
  that’s cutting it very fine indeed. Alternatively, they can take 
  him down once he possesses Wainwright, but that may 
  result in Wainwright’s death.
  • 
  If he grabs Wainwright’s body, then Fritzch’s next 
  action depends on circumstances.
  • 
  If all goes according to his plans, then he pretends to 
  be Wainwright, waits to get promoted, then tries to 
  take down the Laundry from within. If the characters 
  identify Wainwright/Fritzch as a traitor, but are subtle 
  about it, they can let him think he’s succeeded, then 
  have the Black Assizes collect him in the dead of night 
  once his guard is down.
  • 
  If Fritzch grabs Wainwright’s body, but there’s no 
  chance of getting into the Laundry, then he tries to flee. 
  If he escapes Quaere, he can come back as a recurring 
  villain for your games as he tries to restart the Thule 
  Society.
  • 
  If all else fails, then he tries to seize control of the 
  WESTMINISTER graveyard. He helped design it – he 
  knows how to blow it up. Specifically, he knows that 
  killing a group of powerful wizards right on top of the 
  graveyard will cause a chain reaction – and he had one 
  of the zombies steal the Basilisk gun from the Quaere 
  office armoury and hide it among the graves. 
  Fritzch has his psychic claws embedded deep in Wainwright’s 
  body. Exorcising him isn’t enough – the best way to 
  eliminate him is to destroy (or at least degauss) his corpse 
  while banishing him, so his consciousness has no bolt-holes 
  to hide in.
  
  119
  Only the most recent emails are available. Older emails have been purged from the system, including the backup tapes.
  From: James Angleton (CPU)
  To: secure@quaere
  subject: re: dealing with head office
  As I explained in my last email, my friend, the Board has its eye on you. It is necessary that you demonstrate 
  consistent excellence in your current assignment, so that you might secure a suitably influential posting 
  following your next employee review. While I am a few years out of touch with the review board, if Simonson 
  is still handling your district, you should slip a reference to Doncaster into your conversation with him, and 
  suggest that you know what he did there to a girl called Elizabeth. 
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  From: James Angleton (CPU)
  To: secure@quaere
  subject: re: Countermagic
  Regrettably, I cannot intercede directly with the invigilators, but I can certainly help with passing the exam 
  board. I shall attach copies of certain classified papers and grimoires. Study this correspondance course 
  in magic, and contact me if you have any difficulties. Obviously, you should be circumspect when casting 
  spells, but the risks of sorcery are considerably exaggerated by overzealous Health & Safety officers.
  <<< attachment not found >>>
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  From: James Angleton (CPU)
  To: secure@quaere
  subject: re: Audit!
  Consider this a milestone in your career. You are being noticed, and that draws fire. The Auditors are not 
  infallible, and can be distracted. From your previous emails, I inferred that he is not entirely reliable. Find a 
  way to deflect blame onto him. I have taken the liberty of drafting a letter for you...
  <<< attachment not found >>>
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  From: James Angleton (CPU)
  To: secure@quaere
  subject: What must be done
  This business of ours is a bloody, Darwinian one. Ruthlessness is a trait to be cherished and praised. We 
  need the best men at the top, and the only way to prove that you have what it takes is to remove obstacles 
  in your way. Do not let the common morality of the herd restrain you – there shall be no room for weak 
  stomachs in the years to come. Prove you have the iron will necessary to lead by doing what must be done. 
  Put an end to this matter quickly. There is work to be done here.
  CAse GoBLin WiLLoW
  CASE GOBLIN WILLOW
  HANDOUT #1
  
  LiCense to summon
  120
  Quaere House,
  Wiltshire
  18th November, 1959
  Dear Eddie,
   
  It gives me no small measure of relief to report that F. (Subject 21) has finally 
  gone to his just rewards. Death, in the end, came swiftly for him with the sudden onset 
  of pneumonia. It was merciful in comparison to the things he did in the war. Even before 
  he was recruited by Hitler’s warlocks, he was more of a monster than anything you’ve 
  got down in the holding cells. F. pioneered the use of Zyklon-B on prisoners. He tortured 
  them, desecrated their bodies, made a Hell on Earth the likes of which I can scarely 
  imagine. When three prisoners went missing, he retaliated by walling ten others up in 
  a disused bunker. He spied on them every day, watching them starve to death, studying 
  their response to hunger and darkness. The Catholics are talking about making a saint of 
  one of them, a Polish priest named Kolbe who was the only man to survive ten days in the 
  bunker. F. gave him a lethal injection to finish him off.
   
  He told me all that, and much more, and I never saw the slightest flicker of 
  remorse. All he talked about was work – he worked on the Peenemunde soul-capacitors 
  from ‘42 after the SS kicked him out for cruelty(!), and was one of the Reich’s most 
  notorious necromancers. We should have left him to die in Norway, not spirited him back 
  to our gilded cage. I worked beside him on WESTMINISTER for six years, and not a day 
  went by when I didn’t want to pull out my service revolver and put a bullet in that twisted 
  brain.
   
  Monsters can wear a human face without having to steal a man’s body. 
   
  F. is dead now, and buried. B & I did it in the dead of night, without any ceremony. 
  The world thought he died on the Eastern Front in ‘44; let that be the truth of it. It turned 
  my stomach to inter him near our fondly-remembered dead, even if it was an unmarked 
  grave. He can share their silence but not their honours, by God!
   
  I shall be in London next week, to discuss my retirement from the service with the 
  Board. I would very much like to meet with you and unburden myself a little before they 
  lay down a discretion geas. We have seen too much, you and I, for either of us to sleep 
  soundly in the end.
  Yours faithfully,
  (Signature not present in carbon copy)
  THIS DOCUMENT IS CLASSIFIED GLASS SURGEON. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE 
  SECRET GLASS SURGEON CLEARANCE, DO NOT READ THIS DOCUMENT. 
  RECLASSIFIED GLASS WESTMINSTER 1975.  IF YOU DO NOT HAVE GLASS 
  WESTMINSTER CLEARANCE, DO NOT READ THIS DOCUMENT.
  HANDOUT #2
  
  121
  Achieving Deep Time GRAVEDUST Invocation 
  Outside ISO1/ESO1 Conditions
  By Dr. T. Laws, Department of Research and Development
   
  ABSTRACT: 
  Standard necromantic (GRAVEDUST) invocations require ultra-clean conditions for constructing vacuum tubes 
  of sufficient sensitivity to achieve deep time (defined as >3.5 x 1011 seconds). They also require sufficiently 
  powerful exorcisms or other isolation techniques to ensure local information echoes do not interfere 
  destructively with the contact. Construction costs of GRAVEDUST invocations rises with the desired range, 
  making long range contact prohibitively expensive. The TRANQUIL technique exploits the unusual local 
  conditions created by the  WESTMINISTER zone to achieve deep time GRAVEDUST contact using standard 
  ‘shallow’ (<3.5 x 109 seconds) units. Stochastic analysis of the results of GRAVEDUST tests showed a statistically 
  significant information transfer. While interpretation of this information is a matter for translation and non-
  human psychological analysis, the possibility of contacting entities within a 100,000-year inverse light cone has 
  been demonstrated. 
  METhODOLOGy: 
  Twenty standard GRAVEDUST units (Thompson-Holsted, Mark IV) were selected. A randomly selected set of 
  five units was placed in a psychic cleanroom as a control group. The necroceivers of the remaining fifteen units 
  were placed within the confines of WESTMINISTER, while the main body of the active units were connected 
  using standard serial cables to desktop computers running GHOSTWATCH v2.1. The talisman receptor in each 
  unit was bridged using a length of wire to complete the circuit. 
  Under normal circumstances, this arrangement would pick up local information residues, psychic echoes, 
  ‘stone tapes’ and other low-level ‘noise.’ The protective effect of WESTMINISTER blanked the local echoes and 
  permitted us to contact distant entities.
  CAse GoBLin WiLLoW
  CASE GOBLIN WILLOW
  HANDOUT #3
  
  LiCense to summon
  122
  THIS DOCUMENT IS CLASSIFIED LUNAR BLIGHT. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE 
  SECRET LUNAR BLIGHT CLEARANCE, DO NOT READ THIS DOCUMENT. 
  Quaere House,
  Wiltshire
  December 12th, 1951
  Dear Eddie,
   
  I felt it best to give you the inside scoop on the Moon Farm debacle before you’re 
  called before the Board. I know both our heads are on the chopping block and that D.’s 
  waving that axe around with abandon, so it’s important for both of us to have the full 
  story. Here’s what happened from my end.
   
  After we received your telegram of the 15th, I called up some trustworthy men 
  from the 49th (West Riding & Midland) – people we’d worked with during the war – and 
  arranged to meet them at Quaere House. I also informed the Director of the proposed 
  action, and he told me to take Hatfield along. It was, I reiterate, the Director’s idea, not 
  mine. I know that will come up, so let’s be absolutely clear on that point. 
   
  The 49th men had their own firearms; I brought my service revolver, and H. 
  assembled a Rune of Destruction (Category II, according to the new classification). I also 
  dug up a brace of warding talismans from the lab, so I felt very well equipped. We drove 
  out and arrived at Moon Farm just after midnight. I ordered the soldiers to secure the 
  main gate while H. and I investigated the farm itself.
   
  Moon Farm consists of some forty acres. Partially wooded, very sheltered from the 
  road. No neighbours, and you can tell why as soon as you set foot in the place. It’s unholy, 
  Eddie, in a way I’d never felt before. Not the sturm-und-drang malice of a summoned 
  demon, but something old and fecund and rotten. Walking across those unnaturally lush 
  fields was like walking on the rotting flesh of a maggoty god. For some reason, I was 
  reminded of a childhood nightmare – when I first learned the story of the Resurrection in 
  Sunday School, I remember wondering what would have happened to Our Lord if the angel 
  had forgotten to roll away the stone in front of the tomb. Would He have starved to death 
  inside that cave? Was He afraid of the dark, of the rotting stench of His own transfigured 
  flesh?
   
  Forgive me – I’m rambling, and blasphemously too. 
   
  The farmhouse and outbuildings were empty, but we found bedding and clothes for 
  a dozen adults and at least thirty children. Every room was crowded with bunk beds, and 
  the farm itself was surrounded by a wire fence, like the one we saw at Buchenwald. 
  HANDOUT #4
  
  123
   
  Then we saw them. They stood in a circle around an old well, chanting and swaying 
  back and forth, their hands raised over their heads. The children were there too, tied up 
  like hogs. I could hear their sobbing. As I watched, one of the men picked up a boy of three 
  or four years –my God, Eddie, I could see the family resemblance, it was his own flesh and 
  blood – and threw the poor child into the well. He screamed for a moment, but it was cut 
  off abruptly before he hit the bottom. This unnatural glow shot out of the shaft, as though 
  the moon was inside the well, then it faded. I thought I saw something in the woods in 
  that moment, beyond the crowd, but I cannot be certain. I don’t much care, either.
   
  H. lit up his rune, and I started firing and blowing my whistle. They came at us with 
  silver knives and shotguns. We gave a good accounting of ourselves, especially once the 
  soldiers heard the whistle-blast and the gunshots and came running. One of them got H., 
  I’m afraid, and two of the soldiers were seriously injured. I don’t know what happened 
  to the third soldier, and I’ll say that under oath. The last I saw of him, he was near the 
  treeline.
   
  All eight adult members of the Motherwell family – men and women both – were 
  killed in the action. We rescued twenty-three children. Right now, they are at Quaere 
  House, but we will make arrangements for them once we have a cover story in place. A full 
  decontamination effort is needed at Moon Farm, and I don’t envy the man who goes down 
  that cursed well.
   
  In summary – the Director might call it a botched operation, but I take genuine 
  pride in putting those madmen down.  F. tried to ask me about their ritual and the 
  Moonwell. ‘Scientific curiosity’, he called it. It made my skin crawl. Patterns of horror 
  repeating over and over, like the tracks of graveworms in dead flesh. 
  I cannot go on right now. I have some leave. I shall visit my sister. 
  Take care, Eddie. I’ll write again when I feel up to it.
  Yours faithfully,
  (Signature not present in carbon copy)
  CAse GoBLin WiLLoW
  CASE GOBLIN WILLOW
  
  LiCense to summon
  124
  A
  Absurdly Foolish 
  51
  Acquiring Gadgets 
  30
  (Giving Players Access to) Advanced Sorcery 
  4
  Alchemical Creations Similar to Existing 
  Spells 
  86
  (Additional) Alchemical Procedures 
  87
  (Failed) Alchemical Procedure Table 
  86
  (Fumbled) Alchemical Procedure Table 
  86
  (Learning & Performing) Alchemy 
  84
  Alternative Information 
  14
  Anti-Glamour Spray 
  30
  Anti-Zombie Spray 
  31
  Applied Psychogenics 
  66
  Astral Projection 
  20, 67
  Aura Detection 
  20, 68
  B
  Banishing 
  86
  Banishment 
  18
  Banishment Grenade 
  36
  (Homemade) Banishment Weaponry 
  19
  Barry the Ghoul & His Zombies 
  111
  Bedwetting 
  55
  Bilocation 
  15
  Bilocational Summoning 
  15
  (The) Black Chamber - USA 
  36
  Blight 
  27
  (Dave) Blodgery 
  110
  Blood Fountain Pen 
  39
  (Director) Brown 
  104
  (Hetty) Brown 
  107
  C
  Call <ENTITY> 
  27
  CASE GOBLIN WILLOW 
  101
        1. The Briefing 
  103
        2. Welcome to Quaere 
  103
        3. The Field Office 
  105
        4. Project TRANQUIL 
  108
        5. Project WESTMINISTER 
  111
        6. Optional Horrors 
  113
        7. Moon Farm 
  114
        8. Reality Breach 
  116
        9. Death Spell 
  117
        10. A Funeral 
  118
  Celeano Fragments 
  58
  Checking Records 
  107, 110
  (The) City Under The Lake 
  59
  Coherent Light Alteration 
  6
  Combat & Manifesting Technology 
  52
  Communication Lighters 
  32
  Computational Demonology 
  4
  (The) Computer Servers 
  106
  Constaphone 
  79
  Constaphone Side Effects 
  80
  Crasher 
  47
  Curse 
  28
  D
  Dead Memory 
  77
  Defeating the Unnatural 
  54
  Defensive Binding Rules 
  5
  Defensive Bindings 
  4
  Destiny Entanglement Geas 
  5
  Development & (Almost) Independence 
  45
  Dimensional Short Cuts 
  8
  Dimensional Short Cut Rules 
  8
  Dimensional Viewing 
  14
  Direction Centrale de la Securitie
  Extraordinare (DCRI) - France 
  34
  Dream Briefings 
  46
  Dream Combat 
  47
  (The) Dream Environment 
  48
  Dream Guides 
  43
  Dream Infiltration 
  43
  Dream Infiltration Modifiers 
  50
  Dream Navigation Fumble Table 
  49
  (Executing) Dream Operations 
  46
  Dream Operatives 
  43
  Dream Reconnaissance 
  42
  Dream Reconnaissance Proximity Table 
  48
  (Active) Dreaming 
  43
  (Passive) Dreaming 
  43
  (The) Dreamlands 
  45
  (Taking Damage in) Dreams 
  52
  Dreamself Death 
  53
  (The) Dreamworld 
  42
  E
  Eau D’Hydromel 
  34
  Eidetic Memory 
  20, 68
  Emotion Control 
  21, 68
  Empathy 
  21, 69
  Encounters & Reports 
  96
  Energy Sink 
  32
  Entanglement Communication Spell 
  6
  Entropy Manipulation 
  6
  (Level Five) Entropy Manipulation 
  7
  Entropy Stabilisation 
  6
  Equipment Budget 
  103
  Equus Stellar (Byakhees) 
  81
  Esoteric Alchemy 
  84
  (The Dangers of) Esoteric Alchemy 
  85
  Essential Saltes 
  88
  Exorcism 
  7, 86, 115
  (Destructive) Exorcism Rules 
  7
  Exorcist Drive 
  38
  Extrauniversal Threat Combat System 
  38
  F
  Fairy Dust 
  31
  FAMAS-F1 Externe 
  34
  Fate Scrambler 
  13
  Faustian Research 
  76
  Field Operations 
  106
  Fire Vampire Grenade 
  41
  (The) Five Weingartner String Quartets 
  61
  Floorcaster 
  36
  (Karl) Fritzch 
  102
  G
  Gallo Flares 
  36
  Gates 
  8, 86
  (Portable) Gates 
  8
  Geas 
  8
  (Additional) Geas Rules 
  10
  (Obedience) Geases 
  9
  (Targeting) Geases 
  9
  Geheime  Sicherheitsabteilung
  (GSA) - Germany 
  35
  GENOA FRACTAL (Polyps) 
  79
  (The) Genoa Remedy 
  80
  index
  
  125
  inDex
  INDEX
  (Glimpse of) Ghatanothoa 
  84
  (Limb of) Ghatanothoa 
  84
  Ghatanothoa’s Intrusion 
  84
  Ghatanothoa’s Involvement 
  83
  Glamour 
  11, 86
  Glamour of Desire 
  12
  (Reverse & Negative) Glamours 
  11
  GRAVEDUST 
  101
  Graveyard Defences 
  112
  (Investigating the) Graveyard 
  112
  Grimoires 
  57
  (Art) Grimoires 
  59
  (Computational Sorcery) Grimoires 
  61
  (Modern Art) Grimoires 
  60
  (Musical) Grimoires 
  61
  (Non-Textual) Grimoires 
  58
  Grimoires For Traditional Magic 
  57
  (The) Guesthouse 
  104
  H
  (Dr.) Holsted 
  110
  Homo Sapiens Necrosis 
  76
  (The) Horror in the Trees 
  115
  Hostile Host 
  47
  Hostile Magics 
  94
  How To Use This Book 
  3
  (The) Hyde Project – A Digital Art Grimoire 60
  Hypersomnia 
  55
  I
  Ibn-Ghazi Spray 
  31
  Identifying Artefacts 
  95
  Imps 
  40
  In the Laboratory 
  117
  Incident Reports 
  117
  Infiltrating Other Races 
  50
  (Using) Infiltration 
  51
  (Expelling) Infiltrators 
  52
  Insomnia 
  55
  Intuition 
  21, 69
  Investigation 
  112
  J
  Jade Chisel 
  40
  L
  (The) Laundry 
  30
  (Dr. Tabitha) Laws 
  109
  (Jamie) Lewis 
  110
  (Single) Lloigor Appears 
  84
  Lloigor Raiding Party Appears 
  84
  (Bridget) Lundon 
  107
  M
  Machine Dreams 
  52
  Magic 
  67
  Manifesting Technology 
  53
  (The) Memory Palace 
  59
  Mental Defragger 
  36
  (Improved) Mental Magic 
  23
  Meticulous Care 
  20
  (Clive) Miller 
  107
  Mind Control 
  21, 69
  Mind Reading 
  21, 70
  Mind Shield 
  21, 70
  Minor Feast 
  76
  Mirror of Purity 
  39
  Miscalculator 
  32
  Mission Overview 
  102
  (The) Mission 
  103
  Monstrous Alteration 
  87
  Moon Farm 
  114
  Morpheo Meetings 
  42
  Morpheo Operations 
  42
  (The) Morpheo Section 
  42
  N
  (The) Nameless Bureau (MSSNB) - China 40
  Narcolepsy  
  55
  National Countersubversive Organization 
  (OCN), Section Five - Spain 
  35
  Night Terrors 
  55
  Night Watchman (Class Two Exonome) 
  113
  NOMENCLATURE PENDING 
  81
  NOMENCLATURE PENDING Fumble 
  Table 
  82
  Normal Versus Acute 
  55
  O
  Occult Aerosol Sprays 
  30
  Operation Type 1: Morpheo Meetings 
  46
  Operation Type 2: Dream Reconnaissance 47
  Operation Type 3: Dream Infiltration 
  50
  Operation WESTMINISTER 
  108
  Other Drawbacks 
  25
  Other Staff 
  107, 110
  P
  (The) Pandora Fetishes 
  83
  PANDORA WAITING 
  82
  PANDORA WAITING Involvement Table 84
  Paying the Piper 
  82
  (Enhanced) Perceptions Via Mental Magic 21
  Personal Entanglement Geas 
  5
  (The) Picatrix 
  57
  (The) Picatrix Spirit 
  58
  Planar Miner Bird 
  34
  (Gary) Porloy 
  107
  Possessed Victims 
  116
  Possession 
  15, 51
  Possession Summoning 
  16
  Powder of Ibn-Ghazi 
  87
  Precognition 
  21, 71
  Prognostication 
  13, 86
  (Visual) Prognostication 
  13
  Psychic Abilities 
  67
  (Gaining New) Psychic Abilities 
  67
  (How) Psychic Abilities Work 
  64
  Psychic Ability Fumbles Table 
  65
  (Increasing) Psychic Ability Skills 
  66
  Psychic Combat 
  67
  Psychics 
  64
  Psychics & Traditional Magic 
  20
  Psychics as Player Characters 
  65
  (Trained) Psychics 
  66
  Psychokinesis 
  71
  Psychometry 
  21, 72
  Psychotherapy 
  54
  R
  Random License Number Generator 
  33
  Rasputin’s Tea 
  40
  Reality Bleeds 
  89
  Recovering lost POW 
  3
  Regenerative Feast 
  76
  Remote Viewing 
  21, 72
  Remote Viewing & Dream Tourism 
  48
  Resonance Poisoning 
  92
  Resonance Poisoning Level 1 
  92
  Resonance Poisoning Level 2 
  92
  Resonance Poisoning Level 3 
  92
  Resonance Poisoning Level 4 
  93
  Resonance Poisoning Level 5 
  93
  (Player Characters &) Resonance Poisoning 93
  S
  Sacrificing Goats 
  25
  
  LiCense to summon
  126
  Sanity Cost 
  65
  (Recovering) Sanity 
  54
  Sans-Sans-Serif 
  35
  Scrying 
  13
  Scrying Through Solid Objects 
  13
  Scythian Blades 
  39
  Section History 
  44
  Sending 
  28
  Sensitives 
  66
  Sensitivity 
  21, 73
  (The) Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan 
  58
  Shrivelling 
  28
  Significant Feast 
  77
  Sleep Aid Descriptions 
  46
  Sleep Aids 
  45
  Sleep Disorder Descriptions 
  55
  Sleep Disorders 
  54
  Sleep Talking 
  55
  Smartphone +2 of Shiny 
  30
  Somnambulism 
  56
  Somniphilia 
  56
  Somniphobia 
  56
  Sophea 
  60
  Sorcerous Pacts 
  19
  (Additional Traditional) Sorcery Peripherals 
  Rules 
  20
  (Advanced Traditional) Sorcery 
  19
  (Safer Traditional) Sorcery 
  19
  (The Power of Traditional) Sorcery 
  26
  (Unique Traditional) Sorcery Spells 
  26
  Spell Macros 
  22
  Spellcasting 
  94
  (Delayed) Spells 
  21
  (Exceptionally Inefficient) Spells 
  24
  (Additional Processing Cycles for Inefficient) 
  Spells Table 
  24
  (Inefficient) Spells 
  24
  (Parallel Processing for Inefficient) Spells 
  Table 
  24
  Stranded 
  47
  Stranded in a Deceased Host 
  54
  Stranded in a Living Host 
  54
  Summoning 
  14, 86
  Summoning Suit 
  32
  (Alternative) Summoning Techniques 
  15
  (Long-Term) Summonings 
  14
  Swatch of Doom 
  33
  Sympathetic Dive Suit 
  35
  Sympathetic Ink 
  41
  Sympathetic Magic 
  14
  (Enduring) Sympathetic Magic 
  14
  T
  (The) Tantalus Technique 
  78
  Target Relationship Table 
  47
  Technology 
  94
  Telepathy 
  21, 73
  Temporal Viewing 
  28
  Thaumaturgical Emergency Procedures 
  74
  Thaumic Resonance 
  89
  Thaumic Resonance Level 1 
  90
  Thaumic Resonance Level 2 
  91
  Thaumic Resonance Level 3 
  91
  Thaumic Resonance Level 4 
  91
  Thaumic Resonance Level 5 
  91
  (The) Thing in the Well 
  116
  Thirteenth Directorate 
  39
  (The) Tome of Power 
  62-63
  Tough Zombies 
  113
  Touring the Lab 
  109
  Training 
  67
  (The) Trance Spell Album 
  61
  Transformation 
  87
  Transmutation 
  88
  (Not Very) Tranquil 
  108
  (The) TRANQUIL Files 
  110
  Trauma 
  67
  Trojan Imps 
  40
  Truth Geases 
  112
  (The) Truth 
  108
  U
  Umbrella Shield 
  33
  V
  Virtual Tillinghast Application 
  33
  Virus Caller 
  37
  Visions of the Past 
  114
  Voorish Sign 
  29
  W
  (John) Wainwright 
  106
  (Meeting) Wainwright 
  105
  Waking Up 
  53
  Waking Up, Recovering Sanity 
  53
  Warded Briefcase 
  35
  Warding 
  17
  (Defensive Area) Wards 
  17
  (Mobile & Triggered Offensive) Wards 
  18
  (Personal Offensive) Wards 
  18
  (Privacy Area) Wards 
  17
  Weapons in Dreams 
  52
  Weather Control 
  29
  Weird Events 
  114
  (The) WESTMINISTER Site 
  111
  What’s Really Going On 
  102, 114
  Wither 
  29
  Z
  Zombie Eye Drops 
  37
  (The) Zombies 
  113
  
  T h e e n d T i m e s a r e u p o n u s. T h e s l e e p e r s T i r s i n h i s p y r a m i d. T h e c l o c k T i c k s T o w a r d s m i d n i g h T.
  T i m e T o g o T o w o r k.
  god game BlacK ushers in the apocalypse for your Laundry Files games. The stars are coming right, and 
  there’s no more room for error. In conjunction with the latest novel in the Laundry Files series, THE APOCALYPSE 
  CODEX, this book opens up terrifying new vistas of a world plunging towards apocalypse. 
  Inside, you’ll find:
  • 
  External Assets - the people (and 
  things) that don’t quite fit on any 
  org chart, but are on the front line 
  of this secret war
  • 
  Updated personnel rosters for 
  key characters, and rules on 
  updating your game 
  • 
  The inner workings of the Black 
  Chamber, the US Government’s 
  own occult intelligence agency
  • 
  The horrors of the Sleeper’s 
  Pyramid, and the Laundry’s 
  watch on the Wall of Pain
  • 
  Three new adventures that run 
  parallel to the events of THE 
  APOCALYPSE CODEX.
  GOD GAME BLACK. We can’t afford 
  to lose.
  GoD_GAme_BLACK
  SKU - CB71207
  ISBN - 978-0-85744-139-3
  
  SKU - CB71701
  ISBN - 978-0-85744-160-7
  KuRo: the spirits Have Awoken
  Dark near-future roleplaying
   inspired by Japanese horror
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/The Laundry/CB71205 License to Summon.pdf