Rippers

The Rippers RPG setting is a dark, gothic horror world set in an alternate late 19th century, where the age of gaslight and industry is overshadowed by a hidden war against monstrous forces drawn from classic Victorian nightmares. Inspired by the works of authors like Bram Stoker and Mary Shelley, the setting imagines a world where creatures such as vampires, werewolves, and mad scientists are terrifyingly real, lurking beneath the surface of polite society. Players take on the role of Rippers, members of a secret organization dedicated to hunting and combating these horrors, often using a controversial practice known as “Rippertech”—surgically grafting monster parts onto themselves to gain supernatural abilities at great personal cost. As the Rippers battle both external threats and the creeping corruption within their own bodies and minds, the setting blends action, investigation, and moral dilemma into a grim struggle against a darkness that is as seductive as it is deadly.

The world of Rippers is largely set across a darkened version of Victorian-era Earth, with its major regions centered in Europe but extending across the globe wherever the supernatural has taken root. The British Empire serves as the heart of the setting, particularly London, where the secret war against monsters is most organized and where the Rippers themselves are headquartered. Across Europe, nations like France, Germany, and Eastern European regions such as Transylvania are steeped in gothic horror, each harboring ancient evils, from aristocratic vampire courts to cursed forests and forgotten ruins. Beyond Europe, the influence of empire and exploration spreads the conflict worldwide—Africa, India, and the Americas all contain their own unique horrors tied to local folklore and colonial expansion. Each region blends historical setting with supernatural menace, creating a global stage where civilization’s progress clashes with ancient darkness lurking just beneath the surface.

The world of Rippers is populated primarily by humans, but they are far from ordinary, as many are drawn into a secret war against the supernatural that transforms them into something more—and sometimes less—than human. The most prominent among them are the Rippers, a covert organization of monster hunters made up of scholars, soldiers, nobles, doctors, and adventurers who have dedicated their lives to combating creatures like vampires, werewolves, and worse. Within their ranks are a variety of archetypes: hardened Slayers who face monsters head-on, keen-minded Scholars and occultists who study ancient lore, resourceful Investigators who uncover hidden threats, and skilled Doctors who perform the dangerous Rippertech procedures. Beyond the Rippers, the world is filled with other notable figures who shape the conflict. Aristocrats and social elites often hide dark secrets, with some secretly serving or even becoming monsters themselves, while secret societies and rival organizations pursue their own agendas, sometimes opposing the Rippers or using even more dangerous methods. Mad scientists, occultists, and mystics experiment with forbidden knowledge, blurring the line between hero and villain. Through the use of Rippertech, some individuals enhance themselves with grafted monster parts—gaining unnatural strength, senses, or resilience, but risking physical corruption and psychological decline. In this setting, the most prominent “people” are defined not by race, but by their choices—whether they fight the darkness, study it, or ultimately become part of it.

The world of Rippers is defined by a hidden, global conflict between humanity and the monsters that prey upon it, fought in the shadows of polite Victorian society. While most people remain unaware, vampires manipulate aristocratic circles, werewolves stalk the countryside, and secret cults work to unleash darker forces upon the world. The Rippers wage a constant, covert war to uncover and destroy these threats, often clashing not only with monsters but with rival organizations, corrupted officials, and even their own members who have gone too far with forbidden knowledge. At the same time, the use of Rippertech creates an internal struggle, as hunters risk losing their humanity in their pursuit of power, making the line between hero and monster increasingly thin. At the center of this secret war are Ripper Lodges, hidden strongholds that serve as safe havens, headquarters, and operational bases for Ripper cells. A Lodge can be anything from a concealed wing of a grand estate to a hidden network of underground rooms beneath a city street, but all serve the same purpose: a place to plan hunts, store knowledge, and recover from the horrors faced in the field. Within a Lodge, Rippers share intelligence, maintain libraries of occult lore, and conduct the dangerous procedures required for Rippertech. Each Lodge operates semi-independently, connected to others through coded messages and trusted agents, forming a loose but resilient network. In a world where danger lurks everywhere and trust is rare, a Ripper Lodge is both sanctuary and war room—the thin line of light holding back the darkness.

Magic and religion in Rippers exist in a shadowed, uneasy balance, woven into the fabric of a Victorian world that outwardly denies the supernatural even as it quietly depends on it. Magic is real but dangerous, often tied to ancient rituals, forbidden texts, and occult practices that can summon, bind, or manipulate supernatural forces. Occultists, scholars, and secret societies study these powers, sometimes to combat monsters, but just as often to control them—risking corruption, madness, or worse. Unlike high fantasy settings, magic here is rare, subtle, and often grim, requiring knowledge, sacrifice, and moral compromise to wield effectively. Religion, particularly Christianity, plays a significant role as both a source of strength and a bulwark against darkness. Faith can offer real protection—holy symbols, blessings, and sacred rites are often effective against creatures like vampires and other unholy beings. Some Rippers and allies draw upon divine faith to bolster their will and resist corruption, while clergy and devout individuals may act as spiritual defenders in the fight against evil. However, even religion is not absolute; doubt weakens its power, and the existence of such horrors challenges traditional beliefs. In Rippers, both magic and religion are tools in the war against darkness, but neither is without risk, and both demand a price from those who rely on them.

Planar influences in Rippers are subtle, insidious, and deeply tied to gothic horror rather than overt dimensional travel. The physical world sits atop a thin veil separating it from darker, unseen realms—places of death, nightmare, and primal instinct—from which many monsters originate or draw their power. Vampires, werewolves, and other creatures are often connected to these shadowy planes, whether as cursed beings, transformed mortals, or entities sustained by energies that bleed through into the material world. These influences are rarely obvious; instead, they manifest as hauntings, unnatural transformations, and creeping corruption that slowly erodes the boundary between worlds. Occultists and secret societies are often aware of these hidden layers of reality and may attempt to tap into them through rituals, artifacts, or forbidden knowledge, sometimes with catastrophic results. Certain locations—ancient ruins, cursed estates, or forgotten burial grounds—act as thin points where these planes press closest to the living world, making them hotspots for supernatural activity. While there are hints of higher or divine realms tied to faith and miracles, these too remain distant and mysterious, offering guidance rather than direct intervention. In Rippers, planar influence is not about exploration but intrusion, where the greatest threat is not traveling to another world, but the realization that something from beyond has already found its way in.

The history of the Rippers setting closely mirrors real-world events up until the 19th century, an era known as the Age of Reason and Empire, where science, industry, and global exploration defined the rise of powerful nations like the British Empire. Beneath this progress, however, ancient evils and supernatural forces quietly persisted, hidden in folklore, remote regions, and the shadows of society. As the Victorian era dawned, these hidden threats began to resurface more openly, marking the transition into a darker age where monsters once thought to be myth proved all too real. This leads into the Age of Shadow War, the current era of the setting, where the secret conflict between humanity and the supernatural intensifies. The formation of organizations like the Rippers marks a turning point, as humanity begins to actively fight back against creatures such as vampires, werewolves, and other horrors. Scientific advancement and occult knowledge collide during this time, giving rise to dangerous innovations like Rippertech, while also challenging traditional beliefs about faith, morality, and the nature of humanity. Though the wider world continues to advance and industrialize, a hidden war rages beneath the surface, shaping history in ways most will never know.

The economy of the Rippers setting reflects the height of the Victorian era, driven by industry, empire, and global trade, with the British Empire at its center. Expanding railways, steamships, and colonial trade routes connect Europe to Africa, India, and the Americas, moving goods such as textiles, machinery, spices, and raw materials across vast distances. Wealth is concentrated among industrialists, nobles, and merchant classes, while the working class labors in factories and crowded cities, creating a sharp divide between privilege and poverty that defines much of society. Beneath this surface of progress, however, the hidden war against the supernatural subtly influences trade and industry. Rare occult artifacts, ancient texts, and specialized equipment for hunting monsters circulate through secret markets and discreet channels known only to those involved in the fight. Ripper Lodges require funding, supplies, and access to information, often relying on wealthy patrons or discreet alliances within high society to sustain their operations. Meanwhile, some industries—particularly medicine and experimental science—are quietly shaped by the discovery and use of Rippertech, creating a shadow economy where knowledge and power can be just as valuable, and dangerous, as gold.

Law and society in the Rippers setting reflect the rigid structure and social expectations of the Victorian era, where order, reputation, and hierarchy define nearly every aspect of daily life. Governments across Europe—especially within the British Empire—maintain formal systems of law enforced by police, courts, and military authority, projecting an image of control and civility. However, this structure is often blind to the supernatural, dismissing strange occurrences as hysteria, crime, or coincidence. As a result, much of the true battle against monsters occurs outside official channels, leaving organizations like the Rippers to operate in secrecy, beyond the reach—and sometimes in defiance—of the law. Central to society is a deeply entrenched class system, which shapes identity, opportunity, and power. At the top sit the aristocracy and nobility, families of wealth and influence who control land, politics, and social norms. Many among them live in luxury, but some harbor dark secrets, with certain noble houses entangled in occult dealings or even vampiric lineage. Beneath them is the upper and middle class, including industrialists, professionals, scholars, and merchants—individuals who benefit from the era’s technological and economic expansion. This class often provides many of the Rippers’ recruits, as they have the education, resources, or curiosity to uncover the truth behind the world’s façade. At the bottom are the working class and poor, who make up the majority of the population. Factory workers, laborers, servants, and the urban destitute live in crowded, harsh conditions, particularly in rapidly growing cities. These communities are often the most vulnerable to supernatural threats, as disappearances and strange events can go unnoticed or ignored by authorities. Ironically, they are also more likely to accept the existence of monsters, having witnessed horrors firsthand that the upper classes would rather deny. Movement between classes is rare and difficult, reinforcing a rigid social order that keeps power concentrated at the top. For the Rippers, this class divide creates both opportunity and tension. Aristocrats may fund Lodges or conceal knowledge, while working-class individuals provide grit, street knowledge, and resilience. Successful Ripper cells often bridge these divides, uniting people from different backgrounds against a common enemy. In this world, society presents a polished surface of etiquette and hierarchy, but beneath it lies a stark reality: the class system not only defines how people live—it determines who is protected, who is ignored, and who is most likely to become prey in the shadows.

Monsters and villains in the Rippers setting are drawn from the darkest corners of gothic horror, where classic nightmares are not only real but deeply entrenched in society. Creatures like vampires, werewolves, and reanimated constructs stalk both the shadows of cities and the wilds of the countryside, often hiding behind wealth, influence, or isolation. Vampires frequently masquerade as aristocrats, manipulating politics and high society from behind a veil of charm, while werewolves embody a more primal terror, lurking in rural regions or hidden within unsuspecting communities. Mad scientists and deranged surgeons create unnatural abominations, stitching together flesh and machinery in pursuit of forbidden knowledge, echoing the legacy of Victor Frankenstein and his monstrous creation. Beyond these well-known horrors, the setting is filled with restless spirits, cursed beings, and occult entities tied to ancient evils and forgotten rituals. Ghosts haunt manors and battlefields, demons whisper through forbidden texts, and secret cults work tirelessly to bring about darker ages. Some of the most dangerous villains are human—corrupt nobles, obsessed scholars, and power-hungry occultists who willingly serve or become monsters in exchange for immortality or power. In Rippers, evil is often seductive and hidden behind refinement, making it all the more dangerous; the true horror lies not just in the monsters themselves, but in how easily humanity can become one of them. The Rippers setting features several iconic villains drawn from gothic literature and legend, each representing a different facet of horror and human corruption. Among the most infamous is Count Dracula, the archetypal vampire lord who embodies aristocratic evil. In this world, Dracula is not just a solitary predator but a mastermind operating through influence, manipulation, and an extended network of vampiric agents embedded within high society. He represents the seductive nature of power and immortality, often pulling strings from the shadows while maintaining a veneer of nobility and control. Equally terrifying in a different way is Dr. Henry Jekyll—or rather, what he becomes. In Rippers, Jekyll’s experiments into the duality of human nature spiral into something far darker, giving rise to the monstrous Hyde as a separate and increasingly dominant persona. He represents the danger of unchecked scientific ambition and the idea that the greatest monster may already exist within the human soul. His story serves as a cautionary tale for many Rippers, especially those who rely too heavily on Rippertech or forbidden experimentation. Then there is Jack the Ripper, a figure of terror who blends historical mystery with supernatural menace. In the Rippers setting, Jack is more than just a killer—he is often portrayed as something inhuman or empowered by dark forces, his murders part of a larger, more sinister pattern. He haunts the streets of London as both a symbol and an active threat, representing chaos, brutality, and the fear that evil can walk unseen among the masses. Together, these villains highlight the core themes of Rippers: that horror can come from ancient monsters, scientific hubris, or the darkest corners of human nature itself.