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Getting Started

Learn how to run your first InSpectres session.

Before You Start​

Make sure you have InSpectres installed and Foundry running with an active world. See Installation if you haven't set up yet.

Your First Session​

Step 1: Create the Franchise (Agency)​

The Franchise is your investigation agency — the organization your agents work for.

  1. In Foundry, click Create Actor
  2. Choose type: Franchise
  3. Give it a name (e.g., "Echo Agency")
  4. Click Create

You'll see the Franchise sheet with these key fields:

  • Name — Your agency's name
  • Franchising Level — How established you are (1-5); higher = more resources
  • Resources — How many agency resources you have (spend to add +1 die to agent rolls)
  • Stress — Agency stress from failed missions; high stress reduces available resources

Step 2: Create Agent Characters​

Agents are player characters — the paranormal investigators.

  1. Click Create Actor
  2. Choose type: Agent
  3. Give it a name (e.g., "Jordan Blake")
  4. Click Create

The Agent sheet shows:

  • Skills — 6 skills (Cool, Guts, Psyche, Savvy, Weird, Tough), each rated 0-3 (higher = better)
  • Stress — Current Stress level (0-6); at 6+, the agent is incapacitated and needs Recovery
  • Recovery — If the agent is out of action, displays when they'll be available again

Step 3: Understand Skill Rolls​

When an agent tries something risky, they roll a Skill Roll. The number of dice they roll is:

  • Skill rating (0-3) + Franchise bonus (if helping, +1 die) − Stress penalty (1 die per point above 3)

Example: Agent with Cool 2, Franchise helping (+1), and Stress 2 → rolls 3 dice. Each die showing 4-6 is a Success; count them and compare to difficulty.

Step 4: Run a Mission​

  1. Set the scene — Describe where the agents are and what they encounter
  2. Call for rolls — When agents try to do something risky:
    • Click the relevant skill on their sheet
    • Choose if franchise is helping
    • Foundry rolls and displays results
  3. Interpret success/failure — Based on the dice, determine what happens
  4. Manage stress — Failed rolls often increase stress

See Mechanics for details on stress, recovery, and franchise operations.

Example: First Investigation​

The agents are called to investigate strange sounds in an abandoned warehouse.

Guts check — Agent Jordan needs to stay calm approaching the source.

  • Jordan has Guts 2
  • Franchise is helping: +1
  • Total: 3 dice
  • Rolls: 3, 4, 6 → 2 successes ✓

Result: Jordan enters the warehouse carefully, staying composed. They notice footprints that might belong to the entity.

Key Concepts​

Stress System​

  • Agents gain stress from failed rolls and dangerous situations
  • At 6 stress, the agent is incapacitated and needs recovery time
  • Recovery takes real-world days (controlled by the GM)
  • Stress under 6 naturally decreases slowly over time

Franchise Resources​

Your agency has limited resources (money, equipment, connections).

  • Use resources to increase dice pools during rolls
  • Resources refresh between missions
  • Running out of resources creates mission pressure

Failure-Driven Play​

In InSpectres, failure is interesting. Failed rolls don't just "fail" — they create complications:

  • You succeed but at a cost
  • You discover something unexpected
  • Your stress increases and complicates later rolls

Next Steps​

  • Understand the full mechanics: Read Mechanics & Rules
  • Troubleshoot issues: Check Troubleshooting
  • Build your team: Create more agents and customize their skills
  • Run your campaign: Use the chaos-driven mission system to create investigations on the fly

Tips​

  • Keep a mission log — Track what happened, what was discovered, unresolved threads
  • Let failure surprise you — Don't plan too rigidly; let bad rolls create new directions
  • Use franchise operations — Manage your agency between missions; it adds depth
  • Talk to your players — InSpectres works best when everyone embraces the genre (paranormal comedy-horror)