Welcome to Hellfinder, a Modern Horror Hack of Pathfinder Second Edition. This game takes the basic rules of Pathfinder, replacing specific mechanics to transform the experience from a high fantasy adventure game into one filled with mysteries, dread, and terror, a game where your agents might see things that can't be unseen and face a fate far worse than death.

In Hellfinder, you will take on the role of an Agent, sent to work in the basement of the Bureau. After months of drudgery, you finally get your first field assignment, to close an abandoned Field Office in a sleepy town in the middle of the north woods of Wisconsin. But things are very much not what they seem and this tiny town might hold secrets darker than any found in the farthest reaches of the unending forest.

Hellfinder starts by focusing on one central story, created to introduce you to the world and the horrors it contains. That story is broken down into three chapters, each of which contains new rules and the next part of the story. At the start of play, you only open the first packet, containing character creation rules and the opening chapter of the tale. The other packets will only be opened when you reach a specific moment in the story... for better or for worse.

Hellfinder replaces the traditional class system with a more free-form Agent specialization and training system. Most of this is done through spending allotted points based on your choices and some free points to reflect your hobbies and interests. As you level up, you'll get more of these free points to build out your Agent as you see fit. All options are open to you, if you are willing to pay the price.

Finally, Hellfinder adds a system for Stress, to measure how much your Agent can handle mentally before succumbing to the pressure and horror they are witnessing. It also includes a system for both Physical and Mental Trauma, which add lasting injuries and challenges to Agents who have pushed beyond the breaking point. Taken together, these systems will measure how much punishment your agent can take before succumbing to the darkness.

As of the start of this campaign, Hellfinder is deep in design, development and playesting. Completion of the design phase is expected by the end of September, with layout and edit lasting into December. If all goes according to plan, the game will ship to the printer before the end of the year and be delivered to backers in Spring 2026.

At it's heart, Hellfinder uses the core engine of Pathfinder for play. Your Agents are defined by six ability scores, dozens of skills, three saving throws, and a variety of attack rolls. Proficiency, initiative, critical successes, and taking 3 actions during combat are all exactly as they are in Pathfinder. You may not have a class and acquiring your feats works a little differently, but the play at the table is unchanged.

If you know Pathfinder 2E, then you already know how to play Hellfinder.

The core Hellfinder experience lives inside 3 sealed dossiers contained all of the rules for play and the central story on loose, 3-hole punched pages. As you progress through the story, you will open up the sealed dossiers, adding their pages to the ones from the previous document. You might even need to replace some pages as they have altered or newly revealed content. These three dossiers are available in Print and PDF form.

A one-shot introductory adventure that takes place on the road from DC to the north woods of Wisconsin. The Agents pull over for the night at the Half Past motel and diner, hoping for a good meal and a peaceful night's sleep. Unfortunately, neither of those are on the agenda, as a simple stop turns into a nightmarish investigation.

A Hellfinder branded black 3-Ring Binder to hold all of the documents form the dossiers. This sturdy binder includes a pack of dividers so that you can easily sort the pages and divide them up by their chapters.

The life of an Agent in Hellfinder is a dangerous one and you might need a backup Agent or two should things get deadly. This pad of tear-away Agent Record Sheets will give you all the forms you need to get back in the field. 

Keeping you records tidy and up to date is vital for every Agent. This pack contains 4 folders to store each Agent's records. It also contains a pack of four sheets of Achievement stickers that will be handed out by your Operator to commemorate your triumphs, and your tragedies.

A standard set of 7 Polyhedral Dice (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20, d00). The dice are a dark gray metallic color with vibrant green numbers. (Final color and design are subject to change)

You have taken the first step and now you are one of them. This stylish metal full-color enameled pin was forged in partnership with the fine folks from King of the Castle Games. The pin measures almost 50mm in height and has to pins on the back to make sure it stays in place.

Brings the sounds of Hellfinder to your game table with this expertly crafted SoundSet from the folks at Syrinscape. This immersive set contains sounds for the various major locations in the campaign, as well as ambient sounds for every part of the campaign. NOTE: Syrinscape SuperSyrin and Sci Fi subscribers will receive this sound set for free as part of their subscription.

This pledge level grants access to all the project updates and allows you to buy items from the Add-On store! This pledge does not include any rewards.

This tier gives you the complete Hellfinder experience in PDF form! It includes three PDFs, one for each of the Dossiers.

This tier gives you the complete Hellfinder experience in Print form! It includes three sealed Print Packets, one for each of the Dossiers. Shipping charged after the campaign is complete.

This tier includes both the Print and PDF versions of Hellfinder. It includes three sealed Print Packets and three PDFs. Shipping charged after the campaign is complete.

This is the deluxe Hellfinder experience, including the complete game and most of the Add-ons. It includes three sealed Hellfinder Print Packets, three Hellfinder PDFs, the Hellfinder Binder, a pad of Agent Record Sheets, four Agent Folders, four sheets of Achievement Stickers, a set of 7 Hellfinder Dice, and the special Cultist Pin! This pack is a $160 value! Shipping charged after the campaign is complete.

Truly a unique experience! This tier includes everything in the Field Operator tier plus one four hour game session with Game Designer Jason Bulmahn! Game to be played via Discord once the campaign has concluded! Shipping charged after the campaign is complete.

And with it, we all are damned. The project is funded. Hellfinder will be made.

Expanded options for Agents including an additional spread of Backgrounds and Flaws, and an additional two spreads of Equipment, all added to the first packet

The first art goal. This adds additional original art to the packets, focusing on illustrations of key NPCs from the first part of the story.

More tools for the Operator to add to the story or to use in creating their own Hellfinder stories. This goal unlocks 6 pages of additional monsters and adversaries, spread throughout the packets.

A second step along the path. This adds even more additional original art to the packets, this time focusing on illustrations of people from the town of Oshkad Falls.

The third leap into the unknown. This adds one final parcel of art to the packets, focusing on those behind and beyond it all... Some things you cannot unsee.

At this lofty goal, the creator of the game will travel the world, visiting some of the sites important to the story of Hellfinder. All backers will get the travelogue delivered to you through campaign updates and all backers at the Field Operator and Overmind tier will get a special signed bookplate, signed on-site at one of the locations of the journey! This also unlocks the Strange Journey Add-On, allowing you to get souvenirs from the trip added to your order!

Due to the presentation of Hellfinder through sealed packets, it is important to talk about the content of this game and what you can expect throughout play. Hellfinder is a modern horror game that features unsettling scenes of gore, mutilation, and body horror. Throughout the story, you may encounter characters that deal with mental and physical trauma, substance abuse, and self-harm. While overt racism, sexism, and other forms of prejudice are not a core feature, the nature of the story deals with a very insular and isolated community that has fallen into depravity and is not open to outsiders and their ideas.

Note that while some of these content considerations can be scaled back or even omitted, the core of the game focuses on a horror setting. Violence, gore, body horror, and other similarly unsettling scenes are central to the conceit and you should have a thorough and comprehensive talk with your players before play begins. Hellfinder includes a more broad and complete content warning inside the first packet for everyone to review and the operator's section gives a guide on changing the story as needed to fit the concerns of the group.