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In the 1990s I once played a horror RPG. I'd like to track it down again but I'm unable to figure out what it was. As best I can remember:

  • The PCs are powerful, almost alien beings. Players had a great deal of freedom in what their PCs looked like.
  • The PCs normally reside in another universe or plane. Their homes were reflections of themselves, and may have been able to violate the laws of physics.
  • Other alien horrors would enter Earth occasionally. They could be overt or subtle. PCs would be called to Earth to hunt down and destroy these horrors. The core problem may have been that the horror's presence caused or was caused by a tear in reality?
  • There may have been a mechanic where normal humans could be blind to the supernatural, making it easier for PCs to blend in but also giving cover to the horrors.
  • It was billed as a horror game.
  • I played it somewhere between fall of 1993 and spring of 1997. I think it was newish when we played.
  • Based on reviews, I'm pretty sure it's not Kult.

What was this game?

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  • \$\begingroup\$ oh I thought hellgate, never played it though. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Aug 13, 2019 at 12:44

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Sounds to me like the Whispering Vault. That, too, was a horror game that came out in the early '90s — Wikipedia says the first edition came out in 1993, and that jibes with my memory. The ability to choose your physical form came up in a prominent way, as the PCs spend a lot of time in the realm of Dreams, which matches the description of "another universe or plane." The general mission was to eliminate threats from these other realms, the Unbidden.

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    \$\begingroup\$ That's it, thank you! Adding a brief summary would be nice in case anyone else comes across this question. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Aug 12, 2019 at 20:06
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    \$\begingroup\$ Been trying to track down a copy of the fabled "unpublished"(?) book of magic from this game. It was an interesting concept \$\endgroup\$
    – Stephen R
    Commented Aug 13, 2019 at 21:40
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Is it… Nightbane?

Palladium Books's Nightbane (1995) "is a dark urban fantasy and setting very much like our own modern world yet with sinister differences lurking just below the surface." It's nominally a horror game wherein the PCs are, potentially, really crazy-looking and fight stuff that's equally or even more crazy-looking. This RPGNet thread discussing the game may jog some memories.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Nice Brom artwork too! That should trigger a memory! \$\endgroup\$
    – Wyrmwood
    Commented Aug 12, 2019 at 19:41
  • \$\begingroup\$ A good lead, but sadly not the one I was looking for. That said, it does sound really interesting! \$\endgroup\$ Commented Aug 12, 2019 at 20:07

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