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QUICKLAUNCH GUIDE
“The fate of destruction is also the joy of rebirth”
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Eldritch Automata is published and owned by Gehenna Gaming. This

is a work of fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places,
events or incidents are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons,
living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

For more information, please visit:

https://www.gehennagaming.com/eldritch-automata
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 CREDITS

NICHOLAS A. FRANCIA
Lead Designer, Writing, Layout

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IAN E. MULLER
Developmental Editor, Additional Writing

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MISEAL ‘GIO’ MANNING
Art Direction, Lead Artist

ELLIE COLLINS
Layout Editing

ADDITIONAL ARTISTS
Nikki A. Evans
Henrik Karppinen

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TresKiddos

OFFICIAL PLAYTESTERS
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Amanda Brewster
Amber Bailey
Amir Hamzah
Ashley Donovan
Bobbi Squadrito
Derrick Moton
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Eric Price
Erik Norris
Jake White
Jim Perley
Jon Mendoza
Kitty Kimchi
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Liam H. Jones
Leslee Everett
Osman Syed
Rafe Moody
Wes Franks
Will Muñoz
Zachary Vaudo
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 The arrival of the Architect began a period of
upheaval and chaos. We would see cities
destroyed and countless lives lost in the ensuing
chaos. The world as we knew it was gone from us,
replaced by a terrifying new world of

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devastation and despair. But still, amidst all the
terror, hope remained for those who would seek it.

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People banded together, forming communities in
the ruins of their homes. While the Architect had
broken the infrastructure of humanity, it did not
break their spirits. We began working tirelessly
to rebuild what had been lost, determined to rise
from the ashes of the old world. Suddenly, the
lines that had divided us didn’t matter anymore,

eand as we rebuilt, we discovered something truly

extraordinary: the Automata.

These massive titans of metal were unlike

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anything ever seen before. They were powered by
strange and otherworldly means, and they
possessed power and resilience that was
unmatched by any other weapon. The people
turned to the Automata as their reluctant
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saviors. The Automata became the focus of a new

belief, a new understanding. Some worshipped the
Automatas as gods. They were seen as saviors,
protectors of the people against the Horrors that
now roamed the planet. However there were those
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that knew that the Automata were just as much

of a curse as anything else, that they were just as
involved in the Architect’s plan as
everything else was.
 QUICK NOTE ON SAFETY
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Eldritch Automata is a world that can be incredibly dark
Welcome to the dark and dangerous world and intense, and in-character trauma plays a big role.
of Eldritch Automata, where you are a survivor As such, it’s crucial to use safety tools when playing the
in a post-apocalyptic world filled with horror, game to ensure that everyone involved is comfortable
drama, and psychological torment. As a player, and safe. Safety tools can include things like trigger
you will take on the role of a survivor struggling warnings, lines and veils, and the X-card. These tools
to make sense of a world that the arrival of help players communicate with each other and
the Horrors and Seraphs has forever changed. establish boundaries around sensitive topics, ensuring
The world of Eldritch Automata is filled

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that everyone is on the same page and that no one is
with unspeakable horrors, from the eldritch pushed beyond their limits.
abominations known as Horrors to the angelic
nightmares known as Seraphs. These creatures
are a constant threat to your survival, and you

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will need to use all of your skills and wits to
avoid or defeat them. This book contains a WHAT IS A ROLEPLAYING GAME?
condensed version of the core rules, as well A roleplaying game (RPG) is a type of game
as pre-generated characters and the operation where players take on the roles of characters in
The Dark Passenger, ready to play. a fictional setting and interact with one another
to tell a story. RPGs typically involve one player
PLAYING ELDRITCH AUTOMATA serving as the game master while the other
players take on the roles of characters in the
Being a player in Eldritch Automata means
game world.
taking on the role of a Pilot, someone who is

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strong and resilient but also deeply flawed,
struggling to keep their sanity intact in the
face of unimaginable horror. As a Pilot, you are
the first and only line of defense against the
Horrors – eldritch abominations that seek to
Players in an RPG will often make decisions
for their characters based on the information
presented to them by the game master, using
their character’s abilities and skills to overcome
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obstacles and advance the story. The game
destroy humanity and reshape the world in their
master will usually provide descriptions of the
image.
game world, non-player characters, and events
that occur within the story and will adjudicate
Piloting an Automata, you will be at the
the outcomes of the players’ actions based on
forefront of the fight against these creatures,
the rules of the game.
using your strength, skill, and ingenuity to
overcome them and protect those around
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ROLE OF THE PLAYERS

you. But being a Pilot is not just about
physical strength. It’s also about emotional
Each player except one controls a player
resilience, as you must navigate complex
character (PC). You decide what your PC
interpersonal relationships and grapple with
thinks and feels, what they say and do, but
the psychological toll of facing unspeakable
not what happens to them. It is your job as a
horrors on a daily basis.
player to immerse yourself in your PC. They
may be an adventurer in a faraway fantasy
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As Pilots in Eldritch Automata, you are not just

world, but they are still, at heart, a person
heroes – you are martyrs struggling against
with feelings and dreams, just like you. Try to
the forces of darkness in a world that has been
imagine – how would you react if you were in
forever changed. Each of you has your own
their shoes? What would you do? The player
unique backstory, filled with pain, trauma,
characters are always the protagonists of the
and loss. But despite all that you have been
story. The game is about you. Your decisions,
through, you have chosen to fight for a better
your adventures.
tomorrow, to protect those you love, and to
preserve humanity in the face of unimaginable
horror.
 ROLE OF THE GA

The final player is the Game Architect, the

GA (our term for GM). They describe the
game world to you, they play the people you
meet, and they control the enemies you fight.
The game is a conversation between the
players and the GA, back and forth, until a

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critical situation arises where the outcome is
uncertain. It’s the GA’s job to put obstacles in
your path and challenge your PCs, forcing them
to show what they’re really made of. But it’s not

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up to the GA to decide everything that happens
in the game, and above all, not how your story
is supposed to end. That is decided in the
game. That is why you are playing the game –
to find out how your story ends.

WHAT IS IN THIS BOOK?

This Quickstart Guide covers the essentials of
Eldritch Automata. Everything you need to pick

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a pre-generated character and delve into
The Dark Passenger is included, from an
explanation of the core mechanics of the
system to how to run combat for both pilots
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and Automata. Use this guide to get a feel for
the themes and action horror focus of Eldritch
Automata, run The Dark Passenger or other
scenarios you’ve designed using the
pre-generated characters, and share with your
friends!

WHAT ISNT IN THIS BOOK?

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There are several more systems outlined in the

Eldritch Automata Core Rulebook that were not
included in this Quickstart Guide. We made this
choice in order to keep this book streamlined
and to make sure players and GAs are able
to pick it up and run The Dark Passenger
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with ease. You may see references to these

systems in the rest of this book and on the
pre-generated character sheets, such as Pilot
and Automata Archetypes, Talents, Tags, Horror
Toxicosis, Seraph Radiation, and expanded
options and rules for the systems that are
included in this guide. We hope you enjoy this
Quickstart and that it piques your interest for
the full core rulebook.