ISBN: 978-1-944487-20-1

Written and Created By: Eloy Lasanta, Amanda Milner,

and Jacob Wood
Interior and Cover Art: Melissa Gay
Layout and Typesetting: Eloy Lasanta

Editing: Carol Darnell

Proofing: Robert M. Everson

ThirdEyeGames.net
The Pip System is Copyright © 2017 for Third Eye Games.
All rights reserved.

1
Table of Contents
The Awakening 5
Making Bugs 15
This House 40
Hive Master Tips 69
Adventure One 84
Adventure Two 89

3
 Chapter One:
The Awakening

It was a day like any other. The conquer each other to define their ter-
Ants harvested, the trash stunk and ritory. They cling to their lands with
the floorboards rotted, the family pet all their might, always looking to move
scratched at the doors, and the Gi- their border a few inches further when
ants somehow slept through it all. their enemies show signs of weakness.
Then something happened… the bugs It becomes even more complicat-
awoke to the world they’d been liv- ed when you find out that not all bugs
ing in: a world of complex thought, were part of the Awakening. The col-
emotions they’d never known, and orful butterfly and the blood-sucking
even more danger. No longer were tick are just two examples of bugs who
they trapped in only their instinct and remain as they were before. Those
sense of survival, but they could now bugs who underwent the Awakening
conjure speech from their mandibles, share a special bond, but even that isn’t
ponder their existence, and yearn for strong enough to keep them from war.
adventure. No one knows what caused JJ Ants: Ants are known for
this spontaneous intelligence, but the building massive cities and being
bugs themselves have never looked the hardest working bugs in ex-
back. istence. They are strong, good at
With this newfound conscious- teamwork, and can even nourish
ness, however, came a need to cause other bugs with their vomit.
conflict between the distinct types of JJ Bed Bugs: They are sneaky
bugs. For as long as they can remem- bugs who like to hide until the Gi-
ber, the bugs have been at war, each ants are asleep and feed on them
colony a tribe unto itself fighting to

5
in the night. Despite this, they JJ Mosquitos: No one likes to
are nice bugs to have around and have their blood sucked, and that’s
know how to communicate over exactly what Mosquitos are known
long distances. for. They are pretty obnoxious too,
JJ Bees: The drones of the hive but are as much a part of bug soci-
are finally free of their queen and ety as any other bug.
left to their own devices. They JJ Moths: Lurking in the corners
are some of the strongest bugs of every room are usually a Moth
in a fight because they no longer or two, watching and listening to
die after stinging someone. This other bugs. They like to know ev-
makes them dangerous. erything and are getting close to
JJ Beetles: Beetles come in sev- doing just that.
eral types, from carpet beetles to JJ Roaches: One of the grossest
bombardier beetles, each as strong bugs around, Roaches have awak-
as the other. They are also the most ened to the realization that magic
pleasant to have around, making is real. Many of their numbers stop
connections with other bugs easi- at nothing to accumulate as much
ly. Beetles strive to be heroes. magic as possible.
JJ Fleas: They are the smallest JJ Spiders: There are usually
bugs in This House and really not a ton of Spiders in This House,
good at jumping. When no one is but they are powerful and scary
looking, they have also started to nonetheless. Eight legs and a hun-
learn the language of the Giants, ger for other bugs is enough to get
reading many of their books. most other bugs to fall in line.
JJ Flies: The Awakening has JJ Stink Bugs: These bugs are
given Flies a renewed sense of life true heroes in This House, taking
and exploration. They are expert on any challenge with gusto and
fliers (obviously) and kind of ad- bravery. If they fail, they know
dicted to stinky smells. they can let off a stink bomb to es-
JJ Lady Bugs: As beautiful as cape danger.
they are deadly, Lady Bugs bite JJ Termites: Even though they
hard and know a lot about the world are blind, Termites work together
already. Too bad they are very vain. to carve themselves homes, just
JJ Locusts: Locusts, otherwise like Ants. They also know how
known as grasshoppers, are one to build items and weapons from
of the true democratic groups in wood, a skill few bugs have.
This House. They share every-
thing with each other and do equal To make sure all the newly awak-
work, especially when it comes to ened bugs didn’t rip each other apart,
putting on a show. the wisest of all bug-kind started a

6
group where they could hear grievanc- Queen become the soldiers of This
es and solve issues that affect them all. House and help to keep the rulers of
They are the Critter Council. Any bug each room from attacking each other.
can bring a problem to the council in Still, some bugs simply ignore
hopes of having it solved quickly and the commands of the Critter Council,
without violence, as only peace can despite their good intentions. These
bring all bugs together and keep them bugs invade their fellow bugs’ rooms,
safe from the Giants who roam the destroying food sources, disposing
lands. The leader of the Critter Council of their larvae, and running them out
is named the House Queen (or House of their territory. It is an increasingly
King if they so please) and has the pow- dangerous time to be a bug. Before
er to create new laws for This House to the Awakening, instinct caused them
keep order. Bugs who serve the House to be at war, but these new conflicts

7
are spurred on by greed and a need to clothes and undergarments cluttering
conquer. There is truly danger around up the floors, and ceiling fans that only
every corner. push around the revolting smells. Its
walls and foundation are crumbling
more every day under the weight of
This House its need for maintenance that no one
Imagine the dirtiest home ever. wants to give due to its condition.
The living room has a heavily stained That home you just imagined is
carpet with a smell that can only be de- called This House by the bugs who
scribed as a mix of urine and rot. The live there. Of course, any other bug’s
kitchen floor has never been mopped, home is called That House.
and its sinks and trash cans spill over No two This Houses are the same,
with dirty dishes and fermenting gar- however. Some are small with only a
bage. Toilets in the home are rarely few rooms, while others are huge and
flushed, and the bathrooms have brown have many rooms for bugs to rule or
smears all over the walls, moldy tooth- wage war over. More rooms mean
brushes, and a black ring around the more places to crawl, and more dan-
tub. Bedrooms have piles of soiled ger as the different bug types fight over

8
control. Each room holds a slew of
treasures to find, such as food, secret Language and
passages, and components for their
own breed of magic. Even with this Names
fight over territory overtaking much Even though they come from
of their headspace, a bug’s life is not different species with unique cul-
much different now than before. They tures among their colonies, all bugs
exist to serve their colony or tribe, can now understand each other, as if
making sure their people have enough through magic or something. When
food and security to continue grow- talking, they make creepy clicking and
ing and taking more of This House guttural noises in specific sequenc-
for themselves. Of course, with many es like Morse code -- each bug type,
bugs making advantageous alliances of course, sounding slightly different
with other types, the exact definition than the rest (speaking with accents).
of ‘colony’ has to be defined. Some of the bugs, the Fleas specifi-
Also, each one now also has a cally, have created their own sub-lan-
sense of adventure boiling inside its guages they use to communicate in
thorax, pushing them to venture fur- secret, but it is not very common. The
ther than their instincts tell them they Fleas have begun studying several of
should or attempting to take on pred- the Giants’ books and swear they are
ators they would have previously run beginning to understand the words of
from. Seeing a bird meant a bug in- their humungous oppressors. Maybe
stinctually ran away for dear life, but one day bugs will be able to communi-
now there are tales of bird-slayers cate directly to Giants and get them to
wandering This House, gaining repu- stop squishing them. It’s always good
tation through their heroic deeds. to have a dream.
Bugs now have individual person- Bugs were born into knowing how
alities, as well, instead of only being to communicate with each other, but
part of their colony. They can stay be- none of the words seemed quite right
hind and help build communities and to name many of the things in This
defend their rooms, but adventuring is House, especially for themselves. They
appealing to others. They actually have began to look to the Giants for inspira-
a choice in what they do, which is new tion and found it in spades. Their first
and weird to most bugs. Some like to step was to name each of the different
find books in This House to read and rooms in This House:
educate themselves on the ways of the JJ The Above: Attic space
Giants, while others prefer to bask in JJ Cabinet City: The Kitchen
the darkness that is the basement. Both JJ Carpet Desert: Living rooms
are valid options for a bug after the (where the most carpet is)
Awakening.
JJ Crawly Spaces: Inside the
walls connecting each room

9
 JJ Deep Dark: Basement space pens between family, they can’t let for-
JJ Flatwood Forest: A porch for eign bugs invade without retribution.
the house (Usually out front, but Some bugs, despite how different
can be in the back too) they are, form strong friendships with
each other. A Mosquito and Flea may
JJ Land of ZZZs: Where the Gi-
become friends because of their shared
ants sleep (bedrooms)
love of sucking blood from The Mange
JJ The Mange: A pet who lives in the middle of the day, while a Ter-
in the house, like a dog or cat mite may befriend a Beetle who beats
JJ The Stinker: Rancid bath- up a Stink Bug to protect them. Their
rooms relationships are as varied and special
JJ The Wilds: Usually the back- as any a Giant might have. Alliances
yard, but can also be a front yard. between types and a mingling of col-
onies often gives a chance for bugs to
see past rivalries they may have had
As they mastered Giant words, before. That is, of course, except for
they also became inspired by many the whole red ant vs. black ant fiasco.
of the household products and logos. There are a hundred ways bugs
Even though their names were actu- of different types can become friends,
ally “click click buzz click,” they in- crossing territory lines and adventur-
stead started taking on names they saw ing together in this crazy world. Many
around This House. This is why a city times, there are only one or two bugs
in the basement may be called Clorox who have the personalities and strength
City or a group of bugs terrorizing of will to break out of their everyday
the kitchen call themselves the Heinz bug existence in the first place. A group
Crew. of bugs from several types who all en-
joy breaking the norms is the most com-
Working Together mon reason bugs work together. This
is sometimes enough to unite them in
While bugs are prone to bickering
their shared exploration of This House.
and fighting their entire lives, there are
others who choose to fight their old
instincts and work together instead.
Many alliances come together under
Where Giants
the banner of common enemies or Live
common goals. The Fleas and the Ants Other bugs and losing territory are
may band together to hold the Land of constant threats to a colony, but there
ZZZs, if Locusts and Lady Bugs join is no greater danger to all of bug-kind
forces to attack from the adjoining than the Giants. These huge, strangely
Carpet Desert. Likewise, all the bugs shaped beings (only two legs, what’s
in This House will band together if up with that?) roam the land and are
bugs from That House come to invade. usually quick to strike down a bug if
No matter what kind of rivalry hap-

10
they catch sight of one, using a broom, course, this is easier said than done,
a flip-flop, or anything else they have and only the great Snowball, a particu-
on hand. Oh, and their hand! Can’t for- larly crafty Spider, has ever succeeded
get that. Flies have it particularly bad, in killing a Giant with a unique ven-
as there is a whole swatter designed to om. Of course, those stories are from
squish them in an instant. bugs who arrived from That House, so
Why do Giants squish bugs, who knows how reliable they are.
though? No one truly knows, but many
believe it is because bugs now hold the
secret to life itself. If bugs are allowed The Wilds
to prosper in This House, they could Most bugs are suited for life in This
theoretically move on to populate the House, their place of peaceful disgust.
world and eradicate Giants forever. It The inside is climate-controlled and
could also be because some bugs keep has so many hiding places it’s a won-
them around to feed on their blood. der any bug ever gets squished by Gi-
Their true motives are unknown, but ants. The fact that the bugs who have
as much as the Giants squished bugs experienced the Awakening have been
before the Awakening, they are even of the household variety is a mystery.
quicker to strike nowadays. Bugs from The Wilds, with no link to
Messing with a Giant is the fastest This House, have remained animalis-
way to get hurt, but leaving them alone tic, which shows that the connection is
gives them enough time to destroy what matters.
the things bugs have built. No matter Even with that connection, the
which room they live in, Giants do Awakening did not happen to all bugs
everything they can to stop the prog- in This House. Ticks live right beside
ress of all of bug-kind. Terrible acts Fleas, but are used as riding mounts
like moving giant cities built in trash for their pleasure. Caterpillars haven’t
canyons to the curb to be devoured by shown any kind of intelligence at early
metal monsters or spraying entire pop- stages, but have the ability to become
ulations with pesticides are just a cou- awakened when they break out of their
ple things Giants do to rid themselves cocoon stage. Moths emerge fully sen-
of pests, which is the name they call tient, while butterflies do not; the latter
bugs. The word “pest” must translate often hunted by other bugs as tribute to
to “enemy.” If the Giants are especial- the Spider of the house or to use their
ly proactive, bugs may have to discern wing dust as carapace paint. Drag-
between food and food-smelling poi- onflies are often used to fly around
sons designed to destroy whole col- on when a bug’s wings get tired, but
onies. Nothing is more frustrating or have shown no sign of self-awareness.
treacherous than a Giant. Bees showed only heightened intel-
Some bugs have decided the best ligence for a long time, but became
course of action is to simply defeat some of the last bugs to awaken fully.
the Giants that live in This House. Of This proves that other bugs may also

12
awaken, though, so the Awakened In truth, there are bugs in every
bugs keep a watchful eye on them, just home, but This House is special. Many
waiting for them to spring to life and believe that only bugs who come to
join the collective. Maybe one day, the This House go through the Awakening,
Wasps will follow. meaning the catalyst hides somewhere
There are some bugs who look to within its walls. Many bugs think This
The Wilds and prefer to live outside, House turned into a paradise for bugs
though, whether it’s due to the porch and took on a life of its own, while
lights they just can’t stay away from orothers suspect the Giants must be
the vegetable garden in the backyard studying them or toying with them for
they use as their main food source. amusement. This theory is put to the
There are dangers that come with liv- test when Awakened bugs from That
ing outside, of course, like birds and House appear occasionally… what if
lizards who eat bugs, but it also gives this is something that has happened all
a wide environment to rule over for in- around the world?
dustrious and ambitious bugs. Some- A few bugs, of course, look to
times, bugs who rule The Wilds quar- That House as a battleground yet to
ter off portions of the tall grasslands be conquered. Some fear leaving This
House would remove their intellect,
and live peacefully, but this is a rarity
since the reach of the Critter Council especially since no one who has left
is nonexistent in The Wilds. ever returned (except those bugs hold-
ing strong to The Mange while it ven-
tures into The Wilds). Others believe
That House their lost brothers and sisters simply
The chaos and conflict that fill found another home to call their own,
This House are enough to keep a bug perhaps creating more homes like This
active for a long time, but there are House.
bugs who look outside and see That
House. Other houses hold a particu-
lar sense of wonder for any bug. Who
rules the lands of That House? Is it as
great a wonderland of disgusting trea-
sures like This House? Could there
be a That House with a perfect utopia
within — one much different than the
infighting of This House?

13
14
 Chapter Two:
Making Bugs and
Heroes

colony is, it always finds itself at odds

Bug with Ants from other colonies. This feud
is even worse when the enemy Ant is of

Archetypes
another type. Black vs. Red is a common
fight to be had, but Leaf-cutters vs. Sug-
ar Ants happens just as often.
Favored Rooms: The Wilds or
Ants Cabinet City
Matched only by the Fleas, the Ants Gross Factor: 1 (+1 for every oth-
are often the most numerous bugs in er Ant)
This House. Ants are one of the stron- PH: 5, MH: 5
gest bugs (able to carry 50 times their Diet: Sugar, Ant Vomit
own weight) and are known for their Travel: Scuttle
teamwork. They are the best scouts Starting Skills: Athletics 2, Charm
and pathfinders, using natural pher- 1, Crafts 2
omones to create trails that any other JJ Special Ability - Nourishing
Ant can follow. No one gets lost when Vomit: Ants say hello by vomit-
traveling with an Ant. ing into each other’s mouths. This
The Ant Queen rules the colony, allows them to take 1 Hit to heal
sending her subjects to construct deeper another bug for 2 Hits.
and deeper dwellings, hunt and gather
food to feed their growing population, or JJ Special Ability - Strong Lift-
go out to fight other Ant colonies. Yes, er: Gain +2W to Athletics when
as tight a family as each individual Ant attempting to lift objects

15
 JJ Hindrance - Black vs. Red: 2, Survival 2
During character creation, the JJ Special Ability - Hardy: You
player must decide whether they can survive in many harsh condi-
are a red ant or a black ant. For the tions and don’t need to feed very
duration of their stories, they will often. Gain +1W when resisting
instinctually hate the other, suffer- poisons and you only need to feed
ing a -2W penalty to Charm when half as often as other insects.
dealing with them. JJ Special Ability - Phero-
mones: You can communicate
with other Bed Bugs over great
Bed Bugs distances just by releasing certain
Bed Bugs are the elusive bugs who
smells.
live in crevices of This House that even
other bugs stay away from. They love JJ Hindrance - Not a Fighter:
to construct complex cities within the Bed Bugs aren’t fans of fighting
cushions and springs in a bed, giving anything head-on, preferring in-
them an ample food supply as the Gi- stead to hide when trouble rears
ants sleep above them, but Bed Bugs its head. If they must fight, they
can live in the corners of drawers (to suffer a -1 penalty to Initiative and
hide in clothing) or in couch cushions deal -1 Hit to enemies until they
just as easily. No matter how you look are damaged themselves and real-
at it, though, they are known for hiding ize the fight is real.
more than anything else. Their level of
secrecy knows no bounds, even lead-
ing them to communicate with each
Bees
There was a time when Bees oper-
other using only pheromones.
ated only in huge hives with hundreds
They organize their colonies by
of drones and one queen. When the
a democratic system, allowing ev-
Awakening happened, however, each
ery Bed Bug a voice in the decisions
one of those drones developed their
to move the colony, when to feed, or
own personality and dreams. With the
whether another bug is enough of a
blessing of their queen, Bees are given
threat to go to war. Their aversion to
the choice to either stay with the hive
combat, however, often seats them at
and keep it running smoothly or to go
the head of the Critter Council where
explore This House and report back
they try to settle things peacefully.
with their experiences, since, sadly,
Favored Rooms: Crawly Spaces or
queens cannot leave the hive.
Land of ZZZs
Bees sometime struggle with inde-
Gross Factor: 4
pendent thought, but have acclimated
PH: 3, MH: 7
well to solo-life. Giants usually leave
Diet: Blood
them alone, running away instead of
Travel: Scuttle
engaging, since many of them are al-
Starting Skills: Athletics 1, Sneak
lergic to a Bee’s sting. That was anoth-

17
er amazing part of the Awakening… instance, if they dealt 3 Hits, they’d
they can now attack with their stinger take 1 Hit. If they then dealt only
without dying. It still hurts, but they 1 Hit the second attack, they suffer
can now fly away from battle and live none (damage dealt is from a single
to fight another day. Wasps haven’t attack, not cumulatively).
awakened yet, and the Bees are okay
with this. Wasps are jerks.
Favored Rooms: The Wilds or Beetles
Flatwood Forest No matter what room of This House
Gross Factor: 2 you are in, you may meet a Beetle. This
PH: 5, MH: 5 bug type is gifted with a very hard car-
Diet: Nectar, Sugar apace to protect themselves from the
Travel: Fly elements and attacks from other bugs,
Starting Skills: Charm 2, Knowl- giving them a little more bravery to
edge 1, Strike 2 travel to other rooms. Of course, their
JJ Special Ability - Allergic overall pleasant personalities help
Much?: Giants are scared of Bees them get along with other bugs pretty
for a reason, their sting carries the easily. They make connections quickly
possibility of allergic reactions or and attempt to keep their friends hap-
even death. When attacking Gi- py as much as possible.
ants, the Guide rolls 1d6 for each Beetles are nomadic in their travel
one to see if they are allergic to patterns, traversing large sections of
Bees. A result of 5-6 means they the house in short time. Even when
certainly are, and the Bee may ig- they rule a room, visitors will never
nore the It Hurts to Hurt Hindrance see them settled in just one area of
for these Giants. Instead, they deal their territory, instead preferring to
double damage. On a result of 1-4, switch it up by moving around a lot.
combat occurs normally. To Beetles, change is necessary for life
to continue. After all, bugs receiving
JJ Special Ability - Following
intelligence is a big change that may
Orders: Life in the hive has pre-
go on to change This House or even
pared the Bee as a soldier. They
That House for all time.
are very good at taking orders
Favored Rooms: Deep Dark or
and following them to the letter.
Flatwood Forest
Whenever they are performing an
Gross Factor: 3
act because someone told them to,
PH: 7, MH: 3
they gain +1W.
Diet: Plants, Sugar
JJ Hindrance - It Hurts to Hurt: Travel: Scuttle
Even though their stinger remains Starting Skills: Crafts 1, Investiga-
attached, it is still painful to use in tion 2, Resist 2
combat. For every two Hits they JJ Special Ability - Connec-
deal with Strike in a single attack, tions: You have a big family and
they suffer 1 Hit themselves. For

18
 know a lot of bugs. Gain +1W to thing they can survive that quite easily.
get information, since you always Favored Rooms: Carpet Desert or
know who to find to get a special The Mange
item or do a certain task. Gross Factor: 2
JJ Special Ability - Shielded: PH: 4, MH: 6
You have heavy armor covering Diet: Blood
your back. Starts with AR 1. Travel: Jump
Starting Skills: Athletics 2, Inves-
JJ Hindrance - Protection: Bee-
tigation 1, Knowledge 2
tles are there to protect their fellow
JJ Special Ability - Jumper:
bugs as much as possible. If a com-
Fleas are long jumpers, gaining an
rade is within Close or Near Range,
additional +1W to any jump.
the Beetle reduces the physical Hits
their friend would have taken by 1 JJ Special Ability – Squish-
but takes that Hit themselves. For Proof: They can ignore 2 Hits per
example, if a friend would take 3 Round unless the attacks come
Hits, they instead take 2 Hits and from sharp weapons/methods.
the Beetle takes 1 Hit. JJ Hindrance - Very Curious:
Not only do they have a hunger for
blood, knowledge proves to be an-
Fleas other thing they just can’t resist. If
Numbering in the thousands at any they know of a mystery that needs
given time, the smallest bugs in This solving or a secret that is whis-
House are the Fleas. Many are fooled pered to others, they just can’t help
by their size, but Fleas are tough little but try to know it too! Any time
bugs. They have an armor-like shell they are faced with this predica-
that makes it next to impossible to ment, they must make a Resist roll
squish them without the right method. (CR1) to resist seeking it out. This
Their diet often puts them at odds with CR raises by +1 every time, until
Bed Bugs and Mosquitos, as Giants they just can’t resist anymore.
only have so much blood to go around,
but the strength of their bite allows
them to live on The Mange without Flies
any problem. Flies live where conditions are the
Fleas are very self-serving bugs, al- worst. They love the smell of garbage,
ways looking out for their own, but can rot, dung, and all the terrible smells
be bribed into action if you know what that send Giants running; Flies seek it
they want. The Awakening has grant- out to bathe in its grossness. Rotting
ed them with a thirst for knowledge, foods are also easiest for them to eat,
pushing them to find books, news- though they can easily eat just about
papers, magazines, or whatever else anything put in front of them. Flies
they can to read. They get slammed in used this obsession with filth to pros-
the pages on occasion, but it’s a good per in a relationship with the Roaches,

19
which led to most Flies learning Bug Lady Bugs
Magic. They are not only willing to Easily the prettiest of all bugs, Lady
deal with the dangers and disgusting Bugs use charm to get what they want.
nature of it, but they revel in it. Their bright red (and sometimes yel-
Using their big eyes, Flies can see low) coloration makes them seem cud-
in nearly all directions at once, making dly and cute. Other bugs forget that they
them a perfect addition to a group of bugs could potentially be a snack for them.
who want a lookout. The Awakening did Even Giants smile and laugh at their
something Flies had hoped for years… appearance instead of squishing them
extended their lifespans. No longer do on sight like other bugs. Lady Bugs
they live for just a day, so now they live are quite good at fooling others, only
every day like it could be their last. to turn around and bite them hard when
Favored Rooms: Cabinet City or they turn their backs. A single Lady
The Stinker Bug isn’t much to worry about, but
Gross Factor: 2 when they travel in swarms, entire gar-
PH: 5, MH: 5 dens can disappear virtually overnight.
Diet: Sugar, Blood When dealing with other bugs, they
Travel: Flight are generally well-received. Locusts
Starting Skills: Aim 2, Magic 1, don’t mind sharing territory with them
Perform 2 and inside bugs don’t see them as a
JJ Special Ability - Now I See threat unless given a reason. When rul-
You: A Fly’s compound eyes let ing rooms in This House, they are quick
them see all around. Gain +2W to to make alliances with other bugs who
Investigation when using sight. do their dirty work and love causing
JJ Special Ability - Super Fly: chaos in other lands just for fun.
There’s a reason they’re called Favored Rooms: The Wilds or The
Flies. They easily maneuver in the Above
air and gain +1W to Coordination Gross Factor: 1
to avoid being hit while flying. PH: 4, MH: 6
JJ Hindrance - Love the Stinky: Diet: Plants, Other Insects
Any effect, whether mundane or Travel: Flight
magical, that would use rotten or Starting Skills: Charm 2, Coerce
nasty smells as part of it (which hap- 1, Strike 2
pens quite a bit in Infestation: An JJ Special Ability - Biter: They
RPG of Bugs and Heroes) automat- have strong, sharp mandibles, much
ically targets Flies. If the effect af- sharper than they appear. Gain +1W
fects multiple targets, the Fly suffers when you use your mandibles for
a -2W penalty to avoid it, because ripping, attacking, or chewing.
they are instinctually drawn to it. JJ Special Ability - Lovable: Ev-
eryone thinks the Lady Bugs are
pretty, and they often use this to get

20
 their way. Gain +2W when endear- any house to have. The Critter Coun-
ing themselves to someone else. cil often calls on them to perform at
JJ Hindrance - To Be the Best: their various events, as their music and
Vanity and pride go hand in hand plays and skits are great for morale
with Lady Bugs and despite their in This House, keeping the violence
best intentions they may develop and backstabbing to a minimum. No
a superiority complex. If they are Locust really holds allegiance to any
defeated or one-upped (even by leader, not even another Locust, but
another player’s character), they they understand the importance in
immediately suffer 1 Hit to MH. traveling together for safety in num-
bers -- oh, all the numbers they have.
Favored Rooms: The Wilds or
Locusts Carpet Desert
When Locusts move into This Gross Factor: 3
House, other bugs pay attention. They PH: 6, MH: 4
travel in large numbers and drive Giants Diet: Plants
crazy by eating vegetation at alarming Travel: Jump, Flight
rates, but at night… they are the best Starting Skills: Coordination 2,
performers in all bug-kind. A Locust’s Perform 2, Survival 1
instinct has always been to play their JJ Special Ability - Hardy: Lo-
chirping music, but the Awakening custs can fly a long way and jump
brought with it an understanding of high into the air. Get +1W to Ath-
melody and pacing that gave them a letics when you have to really ex-
natural edge when putting on a show. ert yourself.
Now, they are a commodity for

21
 JJ Special Ability - Minstrel: lengths to drink just one more drop.
They are talented musicians and Many have lost their lives in their sin-
know how to both sing and play gle-minded pursuit of blood.
instruments. Gain +2W when put- Beyond their daredevil attitude,
ting on a show for an audience. Mosquitos are known for being bullies.
JJ Hindrance - Part of a Team: Without any sort of leader for their kind,
Locusts are used to working in they often band into groups of a dozen
unison with other bugs to accom- or so and show their force by pushing
plish things like putting on shows around other, smaller bugs. They do not
or devouring vegetation. Anytime respect territory lines, moving to any
they are sent to perform a task room in the house they please in pur-
alone, they feel self-conscious and suit of their next conquest. When the
suffer a -1W penalty to that roll. weather is perfect, however, they can
Having someone around, even if amass in the hundreds and rule the Out-
just for support, is very important. side, even causing Giants to stay inside,
scared to venture even to the Flatwood
Forest for fear of being bit.
Mosquitos *Science Note: Only female Mos-
If you see a bug with long, skinny quitos actually suck blood.
legs and an overconfident attitude, it’s Favored Rooms: Flatwood Forest
probably a Mosquito. They are known, or The Mange
more than any other bug, for their love Gross Factor: 2
of blood… and they’ll go to almost any PH: 6, MH: 4

22
 Diet: Nectar, Blood The Mange, and the feathered creatures
Travel: Flight outside, simply observing life and gain-
Starting Skills: Coerce 2, Perform ing wisdom from it. They are often the
1, Resist 2 smartest ones in any room, but tend to
JJ Special Ability - Obnoxious: speak less than other bugs, like Mosqui-
Mosquitos are pushy and bossy, tos or Fleas. Moths prefer to speak only
but many use that to their advan- when their words carry the most weight.
tage. Gain +1W whenever you try Other times, they hide and watch.
to taunt or bully someone. Favored Rooms: Flatwood Forest
JJ Special Ability - Super Smell: or Land of ZZZs
Mosquitos have a wonderful sense Gross Factor: 2
of smell, perfect for tracking down PH: 4, MH: 6
other bugs or their next meal. Gain Diet: Nectar
+1W when your sense of smell Travel: Flight
would benefit you. This bonus rais- Starting Skills: Coordination 1,
es to +2W to smell a mammal. Crafts 2, Knowledge 2
JJ Special Ability - Earth
JJ Hindrance - Bad Reputa-
Tones: Moths have an easy time
tion: They are also viewed upon
blending into their environments,
poorly by others who see them
due to their natural colorations.
as nothing but a potential threat.
Gain +2W to Sneak when hiding
Mosquitos suffer a -2W penalty
among plants or wooden objects/
to Charm rolls the first time they
tones.
meet someone. If reduced to only
a Chance die, their demeanor is JJ Special Ability - Nocturnal:
just too much to overcome. Preferring to operate mostly at
night, they gain +1W to all rolls
when the sun is not out.
Moths JJ Hindrance - Dust Body:
Moths are known for lurking on front Moths need their body dust to
porches and flying in the house at every keep on living. They suffer +1 Hit
opportunity, scaring Giants in the pro- when hit with blunt weapons that
cess. They are cousins to butterflies, who would send the dust flying. Sharp
sadly still haven’t awakened to their own weapons rarely have this effect.
minds. Many Moths will defend their
cousins to the death if they see them
mistreated, but others are just as worried Roaches
for themselves. They were the last bug When you think of the creepiest
type to awaken themselves, and some bugs around, most imagine the Roach-
look down on them because of this. es of This House. They are tough, in-
Their members, however, knew credibly intelligent (because they have
what they were doing. They laid in two brains), mean, and out to survive.
wait, watching other bugs, the Giants, Roaches are also the creators of Bug

23
Magic, which they use frequently to Spiders
turn the tide of their battles against Spiders come in a variety of types,
other bugs. It is not uncommon to have some with designs that mark them as
a single Mother Roach take command poisonous and others with hairs to
of her nest and lead an army of Roach- help sense danger. Considering them-
es into battle with the aid of dung selves better than any other bug, Spi-
bombs or even a Giant’s aid with the ders are the solitary hunters other bugs
right powerful magic on their side. fear. You see, they are well known for
Some say, “If you see one roach, eating as many bugs as they can get
there’s another dozen in the walls,” their webs on, but this has lessened
and they would be correct. Roaches since the Awakening. Now, they are
have big families and stop at nothing much pickier with who they eat and an
to protect their young. Some Roaches unlucky bug may talk them into letting
are gifted with wings to fly and others them go in exchange for something of
are water-resistant, adding their adapt- more value (a favor for another day is
ability to almost any situation. a powerful trading tool).
Favored Rooms: Cabinet City or Everyone wants to be friends with
The Stinker a Spider. It’s a sign of power to have
Gross Factor: 5 the world’s most powerful hunter as
PH: 4, MH: 6 a comrade. Spiders of This House of-
Diet: Sugar ten have private meetings to discuss
Travel: Flight or Scuttle who they’d eat if they had the chance
Starting Skills: Coordination 2, and plot against other bugs who have
Magic 2, Sneak 1 crossed them. Enemy bugs will end up
JJ Special Ability - Resistant: A in one web or another in the end.
Roach’s body resists poisons, ra- Favored Rooms: The Above or
diation, and diseases quite easily. Crawly Spaces
Gain +2W to these types of rolls. Gross Factor: 3
JJ Special Ability - Two-Brains: PH: 5, MH: 5
Roaches think faster, due to hav- Diet: Other Insects, Blood
ing two brains, and gain +1W Travel: Scuttle
when they need to think something Starting Skills: Aim 1, Investiga-
through or figure out a puzzle. tion 2, Magic 2
JJ Hindrance - The Most Hat- JJ Special Ability - Alluring:
ed: Roaches, for some reason, Everyone wants to be a Spider’s
have a certain reputation with Gi- friend, because they are so very
ants and other creatures, making charming. Just be careful, because
them instant targets. Anytime the they could betray you and devour
bugs are up against an opponent you whole if they want. Gain +1W
who is not a bug, they will target to Coerce to deceive someone.
the Roach first and foremost.

24
 JJ Special Ability - Web-Spin- stink bomb resolution.
ner: Spiders can mold items and Favored Rooms: Deep Dark or
traps out of their webbing. Gain Land of ZZZs
+2W to Crafts when making traps Gross Factor: 2
or structures. Anyone who touches PH: 5, MH: 5
the webbing must make an Athlet- Diet: Plants
ics roll with CR equal to the Spi- Travel: Flight
der’s successes to get free. Starting Skills: Aim 2, Coerce 2,
JJ Hindrance - Don’t Worry: Strike 1
Other bugs are always worried the J J Special Ability - Probe: They
Spider will eat them, either from ex- know how to use their proboscis to
perience or from the horror stories get into even the trickiest places, and
told about their kind. Bugs who wit- receive +1W Crafts when opening
ness the Spider get an Epic Success locks or finding hidden tunnels.
on an attack roll must make a Re- JJ Special Ability - Stink Bomb:
sist roll (CR2). A failure means they You can release a bad-smelling gas
take 1 Hit to MH from fear. Yes, this that stops enemies in their tracks.
happens with allies as well. Make an Aim roll with a +2W bonus
versus an enemy’s Resist. On a suc-
cess, you may retreat without penal-
Stink Bugs ty while the victim is gagging and
No one can match the Stink Bugs puking. This ability cannot be used
in tenacity. Once they put their mind on back-to-back Turns, but each use
to something, they do it: whether that’s raises their Gross Factor by +1.
getting through a wall to get to a hid-
JJ Hindrance - Single-Minded:
den store of rotten green peppers or
They know what they want and
taking another bug’s home over. Some
will do almost anything to get it.
think them brave, but really they just
Whenever they fail at a task or bat-
know their limitations and have an
tle and could just walk away, they
escape plan if things go badly -- their
must instead make a Resist roll
pungent stink bomb. Other bugs watch
(CR3). A failure means they keep
their steps around Stink Bugs to avoid
trying. If they succeed, wonderful!
being sprayed or having to fight a
If they fail, they make the check
small bug that just won’t quit fighting.
again, each time with -1 CR.
Much like Mosquitos, Stink Bugs
collect into gangs of several dozen or
so to ward off attackers and for com- Termites
panionship. They also love to pull These bugs are born blind, com-
pranks on other bugs (often involving municating and finding their way with
smells) and not all bugs appreciate scents. Other bugs see this as a hand-
their attempts at humor. Few speak icap, but Termites are not swayed by
up, though, as a fight usually leads to a how pretty a bug may be or by how

25
shiny a treasure is. Instead, they are
more practical and make more logical
decisions. If ever threatened, they can New Bug
Rules
also lash out with their huge pincers to
make short work of their attacker.
A Termite is never seen not chowing
down. As hungry for wood as they were
before the Awakening, their colonies in Character
This House find any excuse to eat, eat,
eat. They have become expert builders, Creation Changes
able to construct strange homes, tables, Players follow the normal charac-
and other artifacts usable by bugs. Of ter creation rules outlined in the Pip
course, they often end up just eating ev- System Corebook, with one major
erything they’ve made in the end. It’s adjustment. As the Bug Archetypes in
not their fault though; it’s only logical Infestation: An RPG of Bugs and He-
to eat when you’re hungry. roes receive two Special Abilities, they
Favored Rooms: Crawly Spaces or receive only 14 BP during Step Two.
Flatwood Forest The number of BP given for Qualities
Gross Factor: 2 remains unchanged.
PH: 6, MH: 4
Diet: Wood, Plants
Travel: Scuttle Choosing a Name
Starting Skills: Resist 1, Sneak 2, When players assemble to create
Survival 2 their bug characters, remember that
JJ Special Ability - Carpenter: they tend to name themselves after
You’re great at building things. things around the house. Each play-
Gain +1W whenever you need to er should look around their current
make something (i.e. a bug-sized room, and see what logos they can
chair, a sculpture, or a weapon). see. If they see a package of hotdogs,
maybe their bug’s name is Ball Park.
JJ Special Ability - For the If they see an old board game, maybe
Hive!: You work best with other they take on the name Monopoly. Be
bugs. Gain +2W to any Teamwork creative, but use what’s around you to
roll when helping another bug your advantage.
complete a challenge.
JJ Hindrance - Blind: Termites
don’t have working eyes, but that Favored Rooms
doesn’t mean they’re helpless. Each room of This House lends it-
They have a keen sense of smell self to a certain bug type, usually due to
and communicate by scent, which its climate, monuments, and how fre-
helps, but they also suffer a -2W quently the Giants can be found there.
penalty to any sight-related roll. The rules behind Favored Rooms are
pretty simple; bugs receive a +1W to

27
rolls when operating in that room. This
bonus is raised to +2W if the room is Diet Types
also ruled by their bug type. This re- In addition to Resting to heal both
flects the home-field advantage many Physical and Mental Hits, bugs have
bugs enjoy, and is why their empires the innate ability to feed to bring them-
can stand for a long time against for- selves back to health. These methods
eign invaders from adjoining rooms. can be the quickest way to return from
the brink of being squashed, but are
often very dangerous as well. Some
Gross Out Factor! bugs benefit from multiple diet types,
Every bug, by its very existence, while others have only one they can
can make a human run away in disgust. use to heal themselves.
Some bugs are obviously better at this
than others, but it is something all
bugs know how to do. Whenever a Gi- Blood
ant rears its head, a player can make a Bugs who can feed off blood are
Gross-Out roll with a number of White some of the most feared by Giants; so
dice equal to the value for their Bug much so that a successful Sneak roll
Type against CR2. If they are success- against the Giant garners a +1 Gross-
ful, they stun the Giant for 1 Turn and Out Factor for the bug if they actually
can act however they wish (most likely are discovered later. To heal, the bug
using that time to escape). If they get an must attack a mammal (Giants and The
Epic Success, the Giant runs away hys- Mange are the two biggest examples);
terically. Gross-Out cannot be used on they heal 1 Hit for every 2 successes
other bugs. dealt. The best places to feed on blood
Of course, some bugs have high rat- are the Land of ZZZs, the Carpet Des-
ings and others have low ratings, and ert, and Flatwood Forest.
there are advantages and disadvantag-
es to both. Low Gross-Out means the Nectar
bug can operate almost undetected, Nectar is a sugary liquid produced
unless they gather in large numbers. A by plants and pollen, digestible to cer-
high Gross-Out means that Giants are tain bugs. Bugs find flowers most often
often on the lookout for them. Bugs either in Cabinet City by windowsills
suffer a penalty to Sneak against Gi- or in The Wilds, where the flowers run
ants based on their Gross-Out: rampant. Finding a plant, these bugs can
simply suck nutrition from the plant and
Gross-Out Level Penalty recover up to 3 Hits. Bees have a corner
on the nectar market and often cultivate
1-2 None
all its availability. For this reason, for
3-4 -1W each room ruled by Bees, flowers heal 1
5 -2W less Hit. Yes, this means that if 3 rooms
are ruled by Bees, all the flowers have

28
been sucked dry and you have to deal Sugar
directly with the Bees to get any. Sugar is one of the most wide-
ly accessible diet types, especially in
Plants This House. Not only is Cabinet City
No, no one eats grass, but bugs who stocked with foods full of sugar, but
have a plant-based diet often enjoy eat- crumbs of various meals are spread
ing fruits, veggies, flowers, leaves, and all over the Carpet Desert, the Land
anything else that’s very edible. The of ZZZs, and pretty much everywhere
best plants are found in The Wilds or else. Not only does a dose of sug-
Flatwood Forest, where plants thrive, ar heal 1 Hit, but the bug also gains
since any plants you find inside are +1 Fortune that they must spend that
likely rotten and disgusting. Great Scene. They can only gain 1 Fortune
places to lay eggs, of course, but not per Scene, however, regardless of how
so great to eat. Plants take some time much sugar they eat.
to get the most out of them, however.
Spending a Scene eating a plant, the Wood
bug can recover all lost Hits of one Those lucky bugs who eat wood
type: PH or MH (regardless of how have a real power in This House. They
low they are). Keep in mind, howev- can consume a portion of wood just
er, that this takes them entirely out of like any other food, gaining 1 Hit in the
the game while they eat, leaving their process. However, if the player spends
comrades to explore without them or 1 Fortune on that bite, it destabilizes
held back from other important duties whatever structure they just chomped
if they stay with the plant-eater. on. Likewise, Hive Masters can give
the bug 1 Fortune to say their bite was
Other Insects destabilizing even if they didn’t want it
Bugs who feed off other bugs are to be. Biting a chair means it may fall
some of the most dangerous of them over now. Biting the inside of a wall
all. First, other bugs know what they may start to make This House crum-
eat, and are fearful around them. These ble. Wood is everywhere in most hous-
bugs enjoy +1W to Coerce if they want es, but bugs must be careful not to eat
to intimidate other bugs for this reason too much or they will no longer have a
but also suffer -1W to Charm to get other house to eat.
bugs to trust them. Also, they can devour
defeated bugs piece by piece, healing up
to 4 Hits (1 Hit per piece: arms, legs, Travel Types
thorax, head). The best part about a diet All bugs are built differently, giv-
of other insects is that there are bugs no ing each their own unique way to get
matter where you go in This House. The around This House. Well, unique may
downside is that your potential prey of- be a strong word, but a bug has to get
ten view you suspiciously. from place to place somehow, right?

29
The below Travel Types are the three Scuttle
most common among bugs: These bugs are the best at running
around on their multiple legs. It’s im-
Fly portant to know how to operate without
Some bugs have the ability of flight, any gimmicks like jumping or flying
allowing them to soar to the ceilings of after all, since the Crawly Spaces are
the Carpet Desert, or above the brush unforgiving and some predators look
of The Wilds, or sometimes right into specifically for bugs who are showing
the bug zapper in Flatwood Forest. In off. Scuttle gives the bug a +1W bonus
many cases, flying bugs have legs that when running along walls or ceilings.
are so thin that they can barely sus-

New Skill
tain their own weight, instead relying
on their wings almost constantly just
to keep standing. This does, however,
obviously give them the advantage of
avoiding many ground traps or zipping Qualities
out of view quickly. Whenever they
are in the air, they gain +1W to Co- Aim
ordination rolls for flying maneuvers. JJ Spit: The bug has learned to
spit on their enemies, often caus-
Jump ing a blinding effect in the process.
Bugs who can jump have a way of
getting out of trouble very quickly.
They can close range gaps with ease, Athletics
and travel long distances faster than JJ Tunneler: The bug knows
any other insect. However, they often how to dig underground, making
have issues with traveling slowly and secret paths if you need them.
allowing other bugs to keep up. They
may roll 1d6 when they jump and close Charm
that many Range categories in one JJ Bright: You have a brightly
jump. For instance, a roll of 4 would colored shell, warning enemies
allow them to bypass anything with- not to attack.
in Close, Near, or Far and go straight
to Distant, often getting them out of
range of even ranged attacks. They can Coerce
adjust this result by +1 or -1 for every JJ Sly: You have been around a
2 Ranks in Coordination. Otherwise, while and know how to bluff your
they must take the result as rolled. way into places. This Quality ap-
plies when talking your way into
another bug’s territory.

30
Investigation the player may spend 1 Fortune to in-
JJ Shaman: You know where to flict a sickness on them causing a -1W
find rare items and components penalty to all rolls for the Scene. This
you need for rituals. can be applied to the target a number
of times up to the character’s Resist
Skill.
Knowledge
JJ Electrician: You know how
to spot the electrical wires in
Eek! A Bug!
Requires: Coerce 3 (S), Perform 2
This House and not get shocked
(S), Scary 2 (Q)
in sockets. Gain a bonus to avoid
Giants think these bugs are just
electricity.
the creepiest things they’ve ever seen,
mostly because the bug has mutated
Resist into a much grosser and disgusting
JJ Shiny: You’ve learned to version of their bug type. Fortune can
avoid the light even though you now be spent to increase the bug’s
just really want to fly over there Gross-Out Factor during a Scene by
and look at it. Gain a bonus to re- +1 per Fortune spent. This usually
sist being distracted or lured. involves incorporating gross things
in the area to the bug’s body to make
them much scarier to Giants. Note:
Sneak Bugs still have a maximum limit of
JJ Out of Sight: The bug knows Gross-Out Factor 5.
the Giants’ routines and how to
avoid them. Gain a bonus against
being spotting by Giants.
Evolved Stomach
Requires: Knowledge 3 (S), Resist 3
(S), Immunity 2 (Q)

Advanced
A strange effect from the Awak-
ening was that some bugs have start-
ed taking on attributes of other bug

Qualities types, including their diets. This has

led to Mosquitos who drink the insides
of other bugs, Moths with a taste for
Diseased blood, or even Fleas who have come
Requires: Strike 2 (S), Resist 2 (S), to enjoy the crunchy taste of wood. In
Aim 2 (S), Spit 1 (Q) any case, the bug with this Advanced
The bug spends a lot of time around Quality can add a Diet type they don’t
gross things, like the trashcans in Cabi- already have to their list.
net City or the carcasses of dead things
in the Deep Dark. Upon successfully
using Strike or Aim against a target,

31
32
Hungry insight into where to go in the first
Requires: Crafts 2 (S), Strike 3 (S), place. If the area behind them is ever
Athletics 2 (S), Tunneler 2 (Q) cleaned or brushed away by heavy
The bug tends to eat more often and winds, however, their trail is removed.
in larger quantities, always chomping The player may spend 1 Fortune to
on something nearby with their sharp- reinforce their trail against such acci-
er, crafted mandibles. This Advanced dents if they have the foresight to do
Quality allows the bug to heal +1 Hit so. This cannot be used with the Jump
back when eating and grants +1W to travel type.
Strike when attacking to feed.
Take Flight
Natural Enemy Requires: Charm 2 (S), Athletics 2
Requires: Coerce 2 (S), Survival 3 (S), Coordination 2 (S), Balance 2 (Q)
(S), Knowledge 2 (S), Historian 2 (Q) Some Beetles, Cockroaches, Ants,
The bug has become the sworn en- or Termites are born special, with a
emy of a particular creature (choose pair of wings that allow them to nat-
another bug type or Extra type when urally take to the air. Other bugs who
purchasing this Advanced Quality). can’t evolve this way naturally, like
This has led to Beetles specializing in Fleas, Bed Bugs, or Spiders, have
taming dragonflies, Ants who can take learned to mount other bugs who can.
down birds, or even Flies who finally Not only do they gain Fly as a Travel
get their revenge on frogs. The char- type, but they also gain +1W to Charm
acter gains +2W when attacking bugs when interacting with others of their
of this species, but suffers CR+1 when own kind.
attempting social interaction or negoti-
ation with them. Waterbug
Requires: Knowledge 3 (S), Survival
Scent Trail 3 (S), Scuttle (Travel Type)
Requires: Magic 2 (S), Lore 2 (Q), The ability to skim over water is not
Survival 3 (S), Tracking 2 (Q) something found often in household
The bug with this Advanced Qual- bugs, but with this Advanced Quality,
ity leaves a scent trail wherever they the character can do just that. They can
travel, making it impossible for them run over water, swim their way out of
to ever truly get lost. This effect is au- droplet prisons, and generally ignore
tomatic and means the bug can never any penalties given from water. They
forget where they came from when also gain +2W Perform to show off
traveling, but it doesn’t give them any their unique talents.

33
 when they spend their XP. BP spent
Magic during character creation assumes they
have already completed the ritual for a

Families
certain ability.
Limitations: The limitation of
their magic is that they do not have
Any bug can choose to become access to regular spells. They may use
magical in nature, though it requires a potions normally, though. They are
lot of training. They may choose from also limited to a number of Ritualist
Alchemy, Blood Magic, Wizardry, or Abilities equal to their Magic +1.
the brand-new Ritualist.
Ritualist Abilities
Ritualist
Requires: Crafts 2 (S), Magic 2
(S), Survival 3 (S), Navigator 2 (Q) Cannibal
The majority of bug magic doesn’t Challenge: Deep inside the Crawly
derive from quick spells, but rather the Spaces, you do what you need to do to
gathering of unique elements to create survive. While lurking in the walls and
grand effects. This is the purview of the hungry, you make a last-ditch meal.
Ritualist, who takes their time to both Combine wood pulp, a drop of your
prepare and cast their magic. Bugs blood, and the body part of a bug of
who follow this path become quite the your own species in a knothole. Mix
packrats, of course, sometimes rolling with one of your own legs, taking 1 Hit
all their ingredients in a dung ball and to PH. Consume.
literally pushing it around with them Prize: Add your own species to
as they travel This House. This makes your Diet List.
them easy to spot.
Casting Magic: A Ritualist isn’t Glow
into magic for quick effects; they leave Challenge: In the light of a full
that to the Bug Wizards. These bugs moon, find a dark spot Outside. Mix a
are only interested in lasting effects crushed flower petal, one drop of oil,
that can make them more powerful. and a dash of gasoline from the lawn-
Instead of purchasing spells, Spell mower. As the moon casts light on
Qualities are used for permanent ef- your mixture, have another bug shine
fects that alter the character’s biology a shard of broken mirror on you. Coat
and capabilities. Each one costs 2 BP your abdomen. Twirl three times.
(or 4 XP) and grants the character a Prize: You can make your abdo-
unique Advanced Quality only they men glow when you want, for commu-
can access. Each Ritualist Ability has nication or to see in the dark. The play-
a challenge they must complete to gain er can make a Knowledge roll (CR1)
access, and then they receive a Prize for communication attempts, but bugs

34
without at least Knowledge 2 won’t Pitch
understand your flickering. Challenge: In the Deep Dark,
combine a drop of black paint, a rot-
Invasive ted stem of a plant, and three grains of
Challenge: No one can tell you sand. Use this mixture to camouflage
where you can and can’t go. Get out yourself. Challenge another bug to a
there and get some friends to help you game of hide-and-seek.
get a bit of twine, a sharp twig, and a Prize: If
bottle cap from on the Flat- you win, gain
wood Forest. Now +1W when
fasten these hiding in the
things togeth- dark.
er to build a
handy little Repellent
device you use Challenge:
to cut through Go to The
wood, chop Stinker. Gath-
down carpet, er one ball
or clear a path of dung from
through the The Whirlpool
Junk Maze. (toilet), a grain
Prize: Add of moldy sand
one location to from beneath
your list of Fa- the Damp
vored Rooms. Garden (bath
mat), and the
Nom hair of The One
Named Eloy. Chew
Nom slowly, removing any
Challenge: It lumps. Spit onto a Gi-
is bright and sunny in ant’s toothbrush and roll
Cabinet City this morn- around in it. You can now emit
ing, and food made here a chemical spray that disgusts even the
just tastes better. First, mix a grain of foulest of bugs.
sugar, a grain of corn, and a scrap of Prize: Gain +1W to Coerce to re-
paper from a cookbook with your own pel other bugs with your stench. CR is
saliva. Add a drop of water from the equal to the target’s Charm.
bottom of “The Great Sink Hole” and
smear on a crumb of bread.
Prize: You now regain +1 Hit to
MH when you eat food to heal.

35
Sleepy
Challenge: To heal, you must New Spells
know what it is to hurt. You must
have at least 1 Hit to PH for this ritu- Bedtime (Charm, CR =
al to work. Combine one drop of face
cream, a drop of water, and a piece of
Target’s Resist)
This spell creates a pile of garbage
cotton found in the Land of ZZZs. Mix
and feces just perfect for a bug to take
ingredients and use cotton to dab it on
a nap. This spell can affect a number
yourself before sleeping on a Giant’s
of targets up to the caster’s Crafts.
pillow.
On a success, the targets cannot resist
Prize: You now regain +1 Hit to
climbing into the dung pile, forgetting
PH every time you rest.
all about the caster or whatever con-
flict occurred before. They’ll nap for
Thirst up to 1d6 minutes or will instantly
Challenge: Sometimes you just awake if they are hurt in any way.
have to hang on... with your jaws. $$ Follow That Stench (Al-
Combine a drop of water, an animal chemy Variant, CR = Same):
whisker, and a drop of blood from The The bug has learned to bottle the
Mange. Drink the entire concoction. scrumptious aroma of garbage.
Prize: You may now add Blood Their potion can be left in an area
to your food sources. If you already to attract other bugs to it or thrown
drink blood, you now regain 1 Hit per to make other bugs follow it. Note
success on your bite (instead of 1 Hit that in this form, the caster can-
for every 2 successes) when you con- not pick who the spell affects; it
sume blood. *Warning: This ritual affects everyone in the area who
may cause excessive movement and is not the caster. On success, the
scratching on The Mange. victims all make their way to the
smell and ignore the caster. Those
Toxic with Blood as a diet gain +1W to
Challenge: Climb to the highest resist the effect, but bugs with a
point in The Above. Gather a bit of Sugar diet suffer a -1W penalty.
poison from the mouse trap, a drop of
lethal liquid from the ant trap, and a Decoy (Magic, CR1)
dusting of insect poison. Mix and store The caster creates many copies of
in a scrap of plastic. You can use this itself to act as decoys to fool someone,
venom against your foes. with one decoy appearing per success
Prize: Anyone damaged by the bug on their casting roll. Onlookers cannot
takes on a Poisoned Status Effect. tell one bug from another; they all look
like the caster. These decoys run in all
different directions and each have their

36
own Gross-Out Factor against Giants other +1 in stressful situations
(or add to the Gross-Out Factor for (i.e. a battle, in the middle of an
Ants). If the decoys take 2 Hits, they argument, etc.).
crumble into broken bug pieces.
$$ Acidic Decoys (Blood Mag-
ic Variant, CR +1): This spell Light Show
works the same as the normal (Sneak, CR2)
Decoy spell, except that when the The caster creates a dazzling light
decoy is destroyed it instead turns show that has the potential to blind tar-
into an acidic goo that splashes in gets who look at it. A number of tar-
all directions. The caster gets to gets equal to successes gained within
roll their Magic with a +1W bo- Near Range (or one Giant) must make
nus and deal 1 Hit per success on a Resist roll (CR2) or suffer a -2W
anyone in the area. If it’s on a Gi- penalty to their next roll from being
ant, this damage roll is CR0. If it blinded and dazed.
targets other bugs, the CR is equal $$ Luminescent Shield (Wiz-
to the target’s Coordination. Bugs ardry Variant, CR2): The cast-
with Jump as a Travel type gain er’s carapace becomes a form
+1W to resist. of bright, swirling colors that
protects it from attacks. The bug
gains AR+1 against a number of
Let’s Dance (Perform, attacks equal to successes gained
CR = Target’s Coerce) during activation. If the attacker
The caster begins singing a song or gets an Epic Failure during any of
playing an instrument, and the target these special defenses, the attacker
bug just can’t help but dance along. suffers a -1W penalty to their next
For as long as the bug continues to roll from a blinding flash.
play (up to a number of Turns equal to
successes), the target dances, both of
them losing their Turns. While danc- Pincers (Crafts, CR2)
ing, the target gets +1W to avoid being The bug touches the ground and
attacked (from their prancing about), surrounds the ends of their legs with
but can take no other action besides wood or dirt to form deadly pincers.
enjoying the song. For a number of Turns equal to suc-
$$ In a Trance (Wizardry Vari- cesses rolled, they gain +2W to Strike
ant, CR +1): By looking into rolls and deal +1 Hit. Then the pincers
another bug’s eyes, the bug mes- crumble as if they were never there.
merizes them into a hypnotic daze. $$ Harmful if Swallowed
The target loses a number of Turns (Blood Magic Variant, CR3):
equal to successes gained. No tar- The bug makes themselves terri-
get can be affected more than once ble to ingest. If a larger creature
per day, and the CR raises by an- ever swallows them, they may cast

37
38
 this spell to cause devastating ef- Fungal Charm (CR2)
fects. They heat their body up and The alchemist mashes a piece of
boil the creature from the inside mold together with water and wears
out, forcing it to vomit the caster it on their body. They can break it
up and deal 2 Hits per success on open whenever they choose to create
the way out. an ooze that can force one bug to do
their bidding for a short time. The tar-
get takes 2 Hits to MH and then must
New Alchemy make a Resist roll (CR3) or must per-
Potions form a number of tasks for the caster
equal to the successes rolled during
creating the potion. These tasks must
Bug Spray (CR3) be uncomplicated and cannot make
Making this potion requires a bit the target harm themselves or close
of plant matter and something stinky friends. The effect is broken instantly
(like really fresh dung). When used, if these rules are not followed. Mini-
this mixture makes any target within mum Magic 4.
Near Range vomit violently. Victims
must make a Resist roll CR3, and take Slippery (CR3)
1 Hit for each success on the black The potion is made from something
dice. If the bug warns their friends slimy (i.e. spit or cleanser) and plant
before using it, they have a chance to matter to rub on your body to make
get out of range, but if they are caught yourself slippery. When used, the bug
in the smelly area they are subject too. receives a +2W bonus to Athletics to
Minimum Magic 3. avoid being grabbed or wrestled, in-
stead simply slipping out of their at-
tacker’s grasp. Minimum Magic 2.

39
 Chapter Three:
This House

This House is the grossest, most

disgusting building imaginable. There
is no other house dirty or slimy enough Sample
Houses
to breed the multitude of different
pests that live within its walls. This
House is also very much a character in
the game, shaping the world the play- Not all houses are created equal.
ers will bring their bugs to explore and Some are larger than others and some
adventure. have more rooms of a given type. The
This House possesses a special HM should roll once on the Ruling
House Quality, depending on its type, Bugs chart for each room listed in the
and rooms in This House also each get House type. When a house has more
a Room Quality to further color the feel than one room of the same type, there
of the world around the bugs. Room may be different types of insects con-
Qualities are only in effect when in that trolling each room.
particular room, while House Qualities Here are some sample houses for
are always in effect no matter where your game, along with some qualities
you go. to make them each unique. You may
randomly decide which house to use
by rolling 2d6 or just pick which ever
house sounds the most fun!

40
 2d6
2
House Type
Trailer
Enemy Bugs
There are always ways for bugs
3 Recreation Vehicle (RV) from That House to get into This
4 House Boat House. Depending on the house type,
5 Small House there are a number of entry points for
enemy bugs, each of which needs to
6 Mid-sized House be rolled for randomly, just like when
7 Large House rolling for room rulers. First roll 1d6
8 Apartment for the travel style, and then 1d6 on the
9 Town House corresponding chart for the Bug Type
that will be your enemies:
10 Cabin
11 High-rise
1d6 Travel Style
12 Mansion
1-2 Aggressive
3-4 Sneaky
Rolling for Giants 5-6 Versatile
It’s essential, when creating This
House, to know exactly how many
1d6 Aggressive Type
Giants happen to live there. There are
some homes with just one Giant and 1 Ants
others with several, and each one has 2 Stink Bugs
its own troubles. Not enough Giants 3 Beetles
and bugs who feed on blood will have
4 Fleas
a hard time finding food, but too many
Giants means there is more danger to 5 Roaches
the setting. Once the type of house has 6 Mosquitos
been chosen, roll 1d6. Each type then
gives you a modifier to let you know 1d6 Sneaky Type
the number of Giants. For instance, if
1 Bees
rolling for a Trailer, which has a modi-
fier of -2 (minimum 1) and you get a 4, 2 Flies
then there are two Giants in the house. 3 Bed Bugs
Likewise, for a Large House, you roll 4 Moths
1d6 + 1d6, meaning there could be
5 Termites
anywhere from 2 to 12 Giants in the
house! 6 Spiders

41
 House Types
1d6 Versatile Type
1 Roaches
2 Lady Bugs
3 Locusts 2. Trailer
4 Flies House Quality - Filth Fever: In-
sects take a -2 penalty to their Gross-
5 Beetles
Out Factor because the Giants who
6 Mosquitos live here are used to filth, but they gain
+1W when searching for items be-
Ruling Bugs cause there’s a lot of garbage to find.
Giants: -2 (minimum 1)
Once your House Type has been
Enemy Bugs: 2
chosen (or determined randomly), it’s
Rooms: Cabinet City, Carpet Des-
now time to figure out what bug type
ert, Crawly Spaces, Land of ZZZs, The
rules each of the rooms. The rooms
Mange (x4), The Stinker, The Wilds
available are different depending on
the House Type.
Every room is ruled by one type of 3. Recreation Vehicle (RV)
bug species, whether it’s Cabinet City House Quality - Close Quarters:
ruled by the Flies or Flatwood Forest There are not clearly defined border-
ruled by the Termites. The HM should lines for any room except the Land of
roll 2d6 for each room and consult ZZZs and The Stinker. The bug types
the charts associated with each (yes, who rule every other room type coex-
some rooms have more of a chance of ist in close quarters, which raises ten-
being ruled by certain types of bugs). sions and drains resources.
Once the ruling bugs have been decid- Giants: -2 (minimum 2)
ed for each room in This House, any Enemy Bugs: 1 (rolled at each pitstop)
players with a matching bug type for Rooms: Cabinet City, Carpet Des-
their character get one free roll on the ert, Deep Dark, Land of ZZZs, The
Random Item Table for that room. It’s Mange, The Stinker
good to be the king (or queen in this
case). This also sets up how the loy- 4. House Boat
alties and territories will be separated House Quality - Water on All
throughout the characters’ story. Sides: There are no enemy bugs from
That House to attack This House. No
need to worry about that.
Giants: 1d6 - 2 (minimum 1)
Enemy Bugs: 0
Rooms: Cabinet City, Carpet Des-
ert, Land of ZZZs, The Mange, The
Stinker, The Wilds

42
5. Small House is spotted by a Giant, roll 1d6. On a
House Quality - Tight Space: result of 6, they now have two Giants
Gain +1W to Investigation for finding to contend with instead of one.
items because there aren’t many places Giants: +1
to look. There isn’t as much room for Enemy Bugs: 2
everyone though, so it’s harder to take Rooms: Cabinet City, Crawly
control of a room. Defenders gain +1W Spaces, Deep Dark, Land of ZZZs
to all rolls to defend their territory. (x2), The Stinker (x2), The Wilds
Giants: +0
Enemy Bugs: 1 7. Large House
Rooms: The Above, Cabinet City, House Quality - Little Giants!:
Crawly Spaces, Land of ZZZs, The There are lots of little Giants in This
Stinker, The Wilds House. Insects have -2 Gross-Out Fac-
tor against little Giants and +1B when
6. Mid-Sized House trying to hide from them.
House Quality - One on the Way: Giants: +1d6
Mid-Sized Houses are usually a tran- Enemy Bugs: 3
sition between small and large for Gi- Rooms: The Above, Cabinet City,
ants. The female Giant grows larger to Carpet Desert, Crawly Spaces, Deep
make a little Giant, making the other Dark, Flatwood Forest, Land of ZZZs
Giants very protective. Any time a bug (x4), The Stinker (x2), The Wilds (x2)

43
8. Apartment Giants: +0
House Quality - Pesky Manage- Enemy Bugs: 3
ment: There are extra poison traps Rooms: The Above, Cabinet City,
and toxic spaces because management Carpet Desert (x2), Crawly Spaces,
pays to have insects squashed. For ev- Flatwood Forest (x2), Land of ZZZs
ery room, roll 1d6. If the result is 3-6, (x2), The Stinker, The Wilds (x4)
that room has traps in it.
Giants: +1 (maximum 4) 11. High-Rise
Enemy Bugs: 1 House Quality - Away on Busi-
Rooms: Cabinet City, Carpet Des- ness: The Giants are often away for
ert, Land of ZZZs (x2), The Mange, long periods of time. This is great for
The Stinker building lasting communities, but ter-
rible for the availability of food. First,
9. Town House players suffer a -2W penalty to find
House Quality - Levels: When de- food and materials. Secondly, at the
ciding the rooms for This House, decide beginning of each session, roll 2d6.
what floor they are on. This can put con- On a result of 2-4, there are Giants
siderable distance between certain bug afoot, but any other result means the
types, and make allegiances easier for story can continue Giant-free.
bugs not sharing an immediate border. Giants: -1 (minimum 1)
Roll 1d6 for each room, making note of Enemy Bugs: 1
what the result is. All rooms that share Rooms: Cabinet City, Carpet
a number are in an alliance. Desert (x2), Land of ZZZs (x2), The
Giants: +0 Stinker (x2)
Enemy Bugs: 2
Rooms: Cabinet City (x2), Carpet 12. Mansion
Desert (x2), Crawly Spaces (x2), Land House Quality - Service Staff:
of ZZZs (x2), The Stinker (x2), The There is less filth in a mansion because
Wilds (x2) house cleaners are paid to keep things
clean. Bugs suffer a -2W to Investiga-
10. Cabin tion to find items, but gain +2 Gross-
House Quality - Termite Friend- Out Factor because the Giants who
ly: Cabins attract Termites more than live here can’t stand the sight of them.
any other bug. When rolling for the Giants: +2
rulers of rooms inside This House (not Enemy Bugs: 2
for The Wilds), Termites are added to Rooms: The Above, Cabinet City,
every list as the 11-12 result, replacing Carpet Desert, Deep Dark, Flatwood
whatever is already there. Forest, Land of ZZZs (x4), The Mange,
The Stinker (x3), The Wilds (x2).

44
 The Above (Attic)
There is a place in This House where all the critters congregate. It’s known as
The Above, because it sits on top of This House and looks down upon it. The Above
is musty and dusty, making it the perfect place for the Council of Critters to meet.
The Critter Council doesn’t meet very often. To tell the truth, insects prefer
to argue and fight with one another than come together for the common good.
Sometimes the Council is formed out of necessity though, such as when the
Giants become a real nuisance with their poison bombs and glue traps.
When the Council isn’t meeting, The Above is anybody’s place to fight over
just like other rooms in This House. Like the Deep Dark, Giants tend to store
forgotten relics in dirty old boxes, and it’s anyone’s guess what an enterprising
insect might find. Stacks of folded paper, dusty cotton, balls of lint, chunks of
mold, and lots of weird sticky things are all there for the taking.
The Above does have its share of risks, though. There are places where the
canopy leaks and washes bugs away when it rains, and powerful gusts of wind
coming from somewhere in This House can blow a bug away. It’s also very easy
to get lost in the Junk Maze, so make sure you go with a guide with a good sense
of direction.

Ruling Bugs
2d6 Bug Type
2-3 Spiders
4 Bees
5 Ants
6 Lady Bugs
7 Termites
8 Roaches
9 Flies
10-12 Moths

45
 The Above Qualities
1d6 Room Quality
1 Trapped: You have to watch your step or you could eat poison or
get stuck to a glue trap. Mouse traps, mothballs, and fly paper are
just a few of the dangers that lurk in the dark corners up here. You
get +1B on rolls when you are trying to avoid traps here.
2 Drafty: Old windows and creaky walls let in a lot of gusty wind.
These air currents can knock you off track if you aren’t careful. You
get +1B to rolls when you try to fly in The Above.
3 Junky: The Giants store a lot of their old junk up here, and their
Junk Maze is just one place a bug could get lost. Because of all
of the clutter in The Above, you get +1B to rolls when trying to
navigate your way through the mess. However, you also get +1W to
rolls when trying to find useful items.
4 Seasonal: The Above bakes like an oven in summer and often has
a thin layer of ice in the winter. The lack of insulation can cause
some bugs real pain. In The Above, bugs take -1W to rolls to en-
dure extreme temperatures.
5 Dusty: A thick coating of dust settles over everything in The
Above. Sometimes the dust is so thick, it even makes the foggy air
shimmer. Even bugs with the best of eyesight get +1B to rolls when
trying to spot things in the distance.
6 Critter Council: The wisdom and knowledge of the Critter Coun-
cil inspires other bugs to follow their instincts. In The Above, bugs
get +1W to rolls when they need to make quick decisions.

Random Items
2d6 Item or Food 7 Old pictures
2 Moth balls 8 Open sewing kit (needles, thread, sew-
ing pins, thimble, pin cushion, etc.)
3 Packing peanuts from 9 Forgotten and broken toys
moving boxes
4 Baseball glove with 10 Ant, roach, mouse, and other traps
loose threads
5 Bird’s nest (with 11 Torn screens and broken glass from
twigs, egg shells, etc.) window
6 Bat guano 12 Wood splinters galore

46
 Cabinet City (Kitchen)
Everyone loves Cabinet City. It’s big and spacious, and there’s plenty of food
to go around. Or at least there would be if the Ants didn’t keep getting to it all
first.Giants like to store some of the best food in a large canister with an open
top. Flies, Ants, and Roaches scramble to be the first to claim anything new that
goes into this large bin, but the Ants often seem to overwhelm the other bugs
and take what they want, even if someone else gets there first.
The food canister isn’t the only place those Giants like to keep treats though.
They hide food in all of the cabinet buildings and in the enormous Arctic Cab-
inet, which the Giants keep sealed at all times. Being the first to get inside that
place would surely be worth some prestige, but no insect has yet learned a way
to get around its exterior defenses. Cabinet City isn’t just about food though.
There are a lot of dark places to hide in and under, and some of the cabinets are
kept nice and warm.
The place has its share of hazards, too. The Great Sink Hole has claimed its
share of lives, and the Inferno Cabinet is a real death trap. Giants love to put
food inside to entice the bugs, but then they lock the insects in with deadly heat
and fire. The smartest insects know to avoid that trap when at all possible, but
sometimes hunger can get the best of an unsuspecting bug, and then it’s lights
out for them.

Ruling Bugs
2d6 Bug Type
2-3 Ants
4 Flies
5 Locusts
6 Stink Bugs
7 Fleas
8 Bees
9-10 Lady Bugs
11-12 Roaches

47
48
 Cabinet City Qualities
1d6 Room Quality
1 Concealed: Cabinets, dark corners, drawers, and cracks make
Cabinet City one of the best places to hide from Giants. Get +1W
on rolls to hide from Giants while in Cabinet City.
2 Greedy: With all of the food the Giants prepare in Cabinet City,
there are always scraps and crumbs lying around. Unfortunately, no
one trusts anyone when survival is at stake. Get +1B to rolls when
you are attempting to convince other bugs of something.
3 Fire and Ice: Cabinet City is the only room in This House where
temperatures can get really hot or really cold in just minutes. Get
+1B to rolls to withstand cold or heat when in Cabinet City.
4 High Traffic: Cabinet City is a popular place in This House. Giants
and The Mange roam here almost all day and night. Unfortunately,
their movement destroys any pheromone messages left nearby. Bugs
get +1B to rolls to interpret vibrations or smell messages.
5 Restaurant: Food is everywhere in Cabinet City. From bloody
burgers to fresh broccoli, the food here is supreme. Even the
wooden cabinets are edible if you’re the right type of bug. All
bugs get +1W on rolls to find food.
6 Arsenal: Cabinet City houses many items that can be turned into
weapons. Toothpicks make great lances. Twine can become a lasso
in no time, and a strong bug can break off a plastic fork tine for a
deadly sword. Get +1W to rolls when attacking in Cabinet City.

Random Items
2d6 Item or Food 7 Open box of baking soda
2 Bowl of melted ice cream 8 Cleaning supplies (dish
soap, floor cleaner, etc.)
3 Push pins 9 Tin foil and plastic wrap
4 Discarded herbs and spices 10 Tooth picks
5 Orange peel, apple seed, or 11 Matches or lighter
other fruit pieces
6 Refrigerator magnets 12 Candy sprinkles

49
 Carpet Desert
(Living Room)
With a name like the Carpet Desert, you might think this room is just a vast
empty space, but you’d be wrong. The Carpet Desert stretches far and wide,
and the land is filled with a fluffy material that seems to retain lots of dust and
dirt, but there are actually several mountainous fixtures which make this room
anything but barren.
Giants love to lounge on Plush Mountain while they stare at the Moving Picture
Window. They drop plenty of crumbs for brave insects to intercept. If you crawl into
the crevasses of Plush Mountain you may be able to find food and shiny metal discs
which are heavy but useful in many rituals, and the space behind Plush Mountain is
often littered with paper scraps and wrappers that are ripe for the taking.
There are lots of tangled vines attached to the Moving Picture Window and
other metallic boxes. They make great highways for bugs who crawl, and if
you’re lucky you can find lost items the Giants dropped and forgot about. Be
careful not to step or fly in front of this sacred window while the Giants are
looking at it though; few things cause them to grab a Bug Squasher faster than
an insect who blocks their view.
Crossing the Carpet Desert on foot is dangerous. The Mange loves to wander
here and torture any critter it finds. The Giants also bring in their Suction Mon-
sters from time to time, and any insect caught beneath the monster is sure to be
squashed. IF you’re smart, you’ll only venture into the Carpet Desert while the
Giants are sleeping, because this is one room they will truly fight for.

Ruling Bugs
2d6 Bug Type
2-3 Termites
4 Moths
5 Mosquitos
6 Locusts
7 Stink Bugs
8 Ants
9-10 Bed Bugs
11-12 Fleas

50
 Carpet Desert Qualities
1d6 Room Quality
1 Open Space: Giants don’t take kindly to you being in Carpet Desert
and will attempt to kill you on sight. Get +1B on rolls to avoid being
seen by Giants in Carpet Desert.
2 Bug Squasher: Giants keep the Bug Squasher nearby in Carpet Desert.
Get +1B to rolls to avoid being squashed if the Giants come after you.
3 All that Glitters: The best place to find coins and shiny treasures is
in Carpet Desert, particularly near Plush Mountain. Get +1W to rolls
when you need to find something shiny in the Carpet Desert.
4 Mesmerize: That Moving Picture Window can fascinate even the
wisest of bugs. In Carpet Desert, bugs take +1B to rolls to resist
being distracted.
5 Stalker: Carpet Desert is a nice hangout for lazy Giants, who often
have something bugs need, whether food or items. Bugs get +1W to
rolls to sneak up on Giants.
6 Open Air: High above Carpet Desert, the air is clear and free of
obstacles. Bugs here get +1W to rolls involving flying.

Random Items
2d6 Item or Food 7 Loose staples or paper
clips
2 Shiny discs (coins) 8 Batteries from the TV
remote
3 Clumps of cheez whiz 9 Hair ties or rubber bands
4 Half-eaten pork rinds 10 Gum wrappers (with or
without gum)
5 Pizza box with leftover 11 Plastic or dead plant
dipping sauce leaves
6 Popcorn 12 Newspaper or paper
receipts

51
 Crawly Spaces
(Between the Walls)
There’s a place in This House where Giants can’t go. It’s the space between
spaces, where only the smallest of the small can fit comfortably. These dark
Crawly Spaces are home to Ants, Bed Bugs, Spiders, Moths, and Termites.
The Crawly Spaces make fantastic hiding places. Bugs can scuttle between
small cracks in the walls and use the interconnecting tunnels as a means of fast
and safe movement throughout This House. There are a lot of vines to crawl on
and planks of flatwood to rest on.
Only the Termites and Spiders find much to eat here. The Termites love to
snack on the flatwood and the Spiders capture unsuspecting insects that use
the Crawly Spaces as traffic tunnels. Bed Bugs love it here even though there’s
nothing for them to eat because they can quickly access any room in This House,
and then safely return to when they’re finished eating.
Even though the Crawly Spaces are great for moving around and keeping
you out of sight of the Giants, they’re not without their risks. Some of the vines
are dangerous, especially the ones with split ends. There are also patches of
fluffy stuff that can trap a bug for good. It takes a keen eye or nose to avoid all
of these hazards.

Ruling Bugs
2d6 Bug Type
2-3 Moths
4 Termites
5-6 Beetles
7 Roaches
8 Ants
9 Bed Bugs
10 Lady Bugs
11-12 Spiders

52
53
 Crawly Spaces Qualities
1d6 Room Quality
1 Shock Vines: The Crawly Spaces often have electrical wires that
are unsafe if you touch them. Get +1B to rolls to avoid being
shocked when you encounter these vines.
2 Highways: The pathways in the Crawly Spaces belong to the bugs.
Get +1W to rolls when navigating in Crawly Spaces.
3 Pitch Black: While Giants can’t see in these spaces, sometimes you
can’t either. Get -1W on rolls to spot danger, food, or other bugs.
4 Dark Alley: Tough enemies like to hang out in the Crawly Spaces.
Bugs take -1W to rolls when interacting with unfriendly creatures here.
5 Bulletin Board: The Crawly Spaces act as a center for secret
communications for bugs of different tribes, whether looking for
information or marking a path. Bugs get +1W on rolls to interpret
vibrations or smell messages left here.
6 Workshop: The Crawly Spaces, while dark, make a great workshop
if something needs fixed. Plenty of wood, wires, metal, and bits of
fluff can aid the mechanically inclined bug. Get +1W on rolls to fix
or repair an item here.

Random Items
2d6 Item or Food 7 Wires and cords
2 Mouse droppings 8 Broken necklace chain
3 Insulation pieces 9 Dried leaves
4 Screws, nails, and staples 10 Bird feathers
5 Sandpaper 11 Clumps of mold
6 Forgotten mouse traps 12 Bits of broken glass

54
 Deep Dark (Basement)
There is a maze of caverns beneath This House, and it’s home to some of the
creepiest and crawliest critters around. Beetles, Bed Bugs, Lady Bugs, and Spi-
ders are especially fond of the dank, dark tunnels where the Giants rarely tread.
The Deep Dark is a vast land of infinite possibility for those who dare to ex-
plore its depths. Giants tend to leave old and forgotten relics sitting in dusty old
boxes. There isn’t usually much to eat aside from other bugs, but if you’re on the
hunt for ritual components then this is a prime place to find them.
It’s a great place to explore, but the Deep Dark has its dangers, too. There’s a
lot of tempting soap scum, lint, and dirty cotton in the Noisy Cavern, but there
are also machines which create floods and intense amounts of heat. If you get
caught in one of these things, you’ll be shaken, soaked, tumbled or scorched
before you know what hit you.
Elsewhere in the Deep Dark is a Whirlpool Machine like the one found in
The Stinker, but it’s even more delightfully nasty. The Giants don’t use it very
often and it seems they forget about it most of the time, which makes it the per-
fect place to find bits of dung and mold. There’s also a Great Sink Hole, but it
has a deep crevasse running it, which is a great place to find mildew and fungus.
If you’re going to visit anywhere in the Deep Dark, The Stinker Cavern is the
place you should go.

Ruling Bugs
2d6 Bug Type
2-3 Stink Bugs
4-5 Spiders
6 Locusts
7 Bed Bugs
8 Beetles
9-10 Roaches
11-12 Lady Bugs

55
 Deep Dark Qualities
1d6 Room Quality
1 Relics: The Deep Dark is piled with treasure the Giants no longer
use. Get +1W on rolls when you are looking for ritual items.
2 Machines: Giants keep big machines down here that spurt water
and blow hot air. If you are near the Giants’ machines, get +1B to
rolls to avoid getting thrown in.
3 Dangerous: Predators hide in the shadowy corners, and most you
don’t want to meet alone. Get +1B on rolls to avoid Exterminators
in the Deep Dark.
4 Furnace: The biggest oven of all lurks in the Deep Dark. Bugs
who are unfortunate enough to crawl inside the furnace take +2B
on rolls to withstand heat.
5 Dirt Floor: The Deep Dark has a packed dirt floor. Bugs here get +1W
to rolls to burrow, tunnel, or otherwise make holes in the dirt.
6 Liquid Traps: The Giants store great cans of liquid that come in a
variety of colors in the Deep Dark. This liquid dries hard, trapping
any unfortunate bug caught in the smelly, thick mess. Bugs here
get +1W to rolls to use Liquid Traps in the Deep Dark.

Random Items
2d6 Item or Food 7 Unused workout equipment
2 Leaky hoses and faucets 8 Various poisons
3 Tool kit (hammer, screw- 9 Car maintenance kit (an-
driver, measuring tape, tifreeze, windshield fluid,
files, etc.) pump, etc.)
4 Laundry soap and drier 10 Nuts and bolts
sheets
5 Cleaning chemicals 11 Drier lint
6 Food storage and deep 12 Holiday decorations (prob-
freezer ably broken)

56
 Flatwood Forest (Porch)
The land of Flatwood Forest is brimming with activity. Giants come and go
regularly and they often open up passageways here between This House and
The Wilds. Many insects like to hang out in the cool shade of the canopy that
hangs overhead, and The Mange often lounges here when it’s warm and sunny.
There’s a smorgasbord of food for Termites, Mosquitos, Lady Bugs, and
Beetles. Termites love Flatwood Forest for its delicious planks of wood and
closeness to the earth where they make their homes. They’re not the only ones
who love it here though—Mosquitos have taken over because it’s a nice place
to hang out and snack on all of the Giants who pass through. Lady Bugs like to
graze on the plant matter that decorates the forest, and Beetles will eat anything
that blows in from the front lawn.
Life in Flatwood Forest isn’t all sunshine and plant matter, though. Some-
times water falls from the sky so hard that it’s difficult to stay dry, and bugs
may need to find other shelter. Other times the sun beats down so hot the forest
turns into an oven, and even the shade of the canopy can’t protect the bugs from
getting roasted.

Ruling Bugs
2d6 Bug Type
2-4 Termites
5 Lady Bugs
6 Spiders
7 Locusts
8 Beetles
9 Moths
10-12 Mosquitos

57
 Flatwood Forest Qualities
1d6 Room Quality
1 No Canopy: Here in Flatwood Forest, there is very little shelter for
bugs from wind, rain, sleet, or sun. If you are caught in bad weath-
er, you get +1B on rolls to withstand the elements.
2 Captured: Lots of bugs pass through this area, and you can find
excellent places to lay traps for the unsuspecting. Get +1W on rolls
to set traps to catch food or foes.
3 Pests: The Mange enjoys dozing in Flatwood Forest, but it gets
especially annoyed if you bother it here. Giants also don’t like your
buzzing and crawling when they lounge here. You get +1B to rolls
when avoiding being eaten by The Mange or slapped by a Giant.
4 Safety in Numbers: Flatwood Forest is the safest meeting place in
This House. With open air, lots of witnesses, and not a lot of hiding
places, bugs can meet even unsavory contacts here. Get +1W to
rolls when interacting with other bugs in Flatwood Forest.
5 Dragonfly Hangout: Dragonflies love lounging on the railings
around Flatwood Forest. Bugs get +1W to wrangle a dragonfly in
Flatwood Forest.
6 Zapper: Giants have hung a horrible light that traps and kills all
who fly toward it. Bugs get +1B to Resist rolls to avoid being fasci-
nated by the Zapper.

Random Items
2d6 Item or Food 7 Dead plants
2 Broken planters and pots 8 Watering can
3 Potting soil 9 Welcome mat
4 Trowel 10 Pile of newspapers
5 Bench swing with padded 11 Weather stripping
seat
6 Unopened soda can 12 Paint chips

58
59
 Land of ZZZs (Bedroom)
The Land of ZZZs is where the Giants go to rest. It’s the perfect place for
Bed Bugs to get a bite to eat, especially when The Mange is there sleeping too.
Giants also leave small amounts of food here sometimes, which Ants and Flies
and other critters love to take advantage of.
There is a lot to see and do in the Land of ZZZs. The Giants sleep on top of
the Cushion Mountain Plateau, where they are prime targets for any insect that
feeds on them. When not sleeping, the Giants sometimes sit in front of a Mov-
ing Picture Window where Bed Bugs occasionally hide when they can’t make it
back to the Crawly Spaces. Giants also toss food and scraps of other objects into
an open top canister like the one found in Cabinet City, but smaller.
Little Giants have their own separate room where they also sleep. This place
is just like the Land of ZZZs, but everything is slightly smaller. In the miniature
Land of ZZZs, there are boxes containing even more miniaturized versions of
Giants which the little Giants occasionally take out and play with. Some little
Giants even have miniature versions of This House, complete with miniature
Cabinet Cities, Carpet Seas, Stinkers, and Flatwood Forests, although these
miniature houses are not made of wood (Termites beware).
With so much to see and do, it’s tempting for bugs to want to spend all of their
time here. Be careful, though, because Giants are protective of the Land of ZZZs.
Sometimes they bring in noisy machines that suck in air and dirt and any insect
that gets in their way, and the little Giants are particularly fond of squishing bugs.
It’s best to wait until they’re asleep before venturing into this room.

Ruling Bugs
2d6 Bug Type
2-3 Flies
4 Fleas
5 Moths
6 Mosquitos
7 Ants
8 Stink Bugs
9 Spiders
10-12 Bed Bugs

60
 Land of ZZZs Qualities
1d6 Room Quality
1 Blood Sausage: With both Giants and The Mange snoozing in the
Land of ZZZs, it is a blood drinker’s paradise. Get +1W to rolls
when finding food if Blood is one of your food sources.
2 Big Plastic Objects: Unfortunately, a lot of the items and food
here look exactly like what you need, but they aren’t. They’re fake
plastic! Suffer -1W to rolls when finding food sources other than
Blood and when attempting to find useful items.
3 Suction Monster: Most Giants like to sleep in a clean room, so
this room sees the dreaded Suction Monster frequently. Get +1B to
rolls when trying not to be sucked into the vacuum.
4 R&R: The Land of ZZZs is a quiet place, and bugs can often find a
safe spot to rest here and recover. Bugs sleeping here heal
+1 Hit to either PH or MH.
5 Nap Time: The Land of ZZZs makes everyone sleepy. Add in
some soft music, and it’s lights out. Bugs get +1W to Charm rolls
when lulling someone to sleep here.
6 Bedtime Snack: Lots of crumbs end up in the Land of ZZZ’s, and
it is no small task to gather them from between the Giant’s sheets.
Bugs take +1B to Athletics rolls to avoid being trapped between
the sheets in the bed.

Random Items
2d6 Item or Food 7 Box of tissues
2 Potato chip crumbs 8 Lost shirt buttons
3 Chocolate candy 9 Pocket lint
4 Cap from a pen 10 Earring back
5 Nose strips 11 Sunflower seed shells
6 Pillow stuffing 12 Dropped aspirin
tablets

61
62
 The Mange (Pets)
The Mange never stays in one place for long. It wanders around This House
and sometimes makes a nuisance of itself. It does have its preferred hangouts,
but finding it can be tricky business.
Fleas are the only ones who actually live in The Mange, but that doesn’t
stop other bugs from trying to take control for themselves. Mosquitoes and Bed
Bugs are particularly fond of feeding here, when they can find where “here” is.
Sometimes The Mange can be found lounging in the Flatwood Forest, oth-
er times it might be resting near the Giants in the Land of ZZZs. The Mange
also likes to visit Cabinet City during feeding time and stops for a drink in The
Stinker when it doesn’t think the Giants are watching.
Sometimes, The Mange fights back when insects try to feed from it (page
83). It scratches with claws and bites with teeth, and occasionally even tries to
trick bugs with a poisonous collar that hangs around its neck. It rolls in the dirt,
splashes in water, and generally makes life difficult for any bug who stays very
long. If you can manage to track it down though, it may be worth the effort for
a nourishing bite to eat.

Ruling Bugs
2d6 Bug Type
2-3 Mosquitos
4-5 Bed Bugs
6 Spiders
7 Lady Bugs
8-9 Bees
10-12 Flies

63
 The Mange Qualities
1d6 Room Quality
1 Itchy: That Mange sure loves to scratch, and your antics make The
Mange feel extra itchy. Get +1B to rolls when attempting to stay on
The Mange and not get scratched off.
2 Stinky: The Mange always enjoys a good roll in the mud, garbage, or
even dead things. Get +1B to rolls when trying to have a conversa-
tion in The Mange due to the filth of your environment.
3 Simple-minded: The Mange is not the smartest animal around, and for
a bug like you, it is easy to outsmart. Get +1W to rolls to avoid coming
into contact with claws, teeth, or poisons on The Mange.
4 Furry: It is a fur forest on The Mange, and all that fur makes it easy
to hide. Bugs get +1W to rolls to hide in the fur on The Mange.
5 Rolled In It: The Mange loves to roll around in dirty things, and
when bugs are here, they walk through all the filth. Get +1 to your
Gross-Out factor when in The Mange.
6 Grooming: All that filth means that the Mange gets groomed from
time to time, and bugs hope they aren’t around when it happens. Bugs
suffer -1W on rolls to avoid drowning when it is time for a groom.

Random Items
2d6 Item or Food 7 Claws
2 Dandruff 8 Blood
3 Flea collar 9 Whiskers
4 Mottled fur 10 Name tag
5 Chunks of dirt 11 Saliva
6 Burs 12 Ear wax

64
 The Stinker (Bathroom)
Few places in This House are grosser than The Stinker. That’s why it attracts
Roaches and Flies, the dirtiest bugs in the business. There’s lots to be attracted
to here if you’re into dirt and sludgy things, but some insects prefer to leave this
place alone. Spiders aren’t necessarily into filth, but they can’t keep themselves
from constantly coming back for all of the yummy Flies that live here.
Everything about The Stinker is harmful if you don’t know what you’re do-
ing. Giants keep poisons hidden behind moving walls both above and below the
Great Sink Hole. They leave sharp objects laying on the Grimy Flatlands, and
they entice unsuspecting critters to the dangerous Whirlpool Machine. Even the
Rainy Valley is dangerous if you get stuck there when it’s flooding.
With just the right mix of courage and smarts, the treasures of The Stinker
may be worth the risks. Giants leave behind piles of sugar paste near the bottom
of the Great Sink Hole. Roaches and Flies love the goodies which await them
near the Whirlpool Machine and in the Rainy Valley, and all sorts of critters
love it when they find The Mange coming in for a drink.

Ruling Bugs
2d6 Bug Type
2-4 Flies
5 Beetles
6 Moths
7 Locusts
8-9 Stink Bugs
10-12 Roaches

65
 The Stinker Qualities
1d6 Room Quality
1 Flooded: The Stinker has multiple water traps with the Whirlpool
Machine, Dirty Sink Hole, and Rainy Valley. Get +1B to rolls when
avoiding being sucked down a drain or stuck in water.
2 Broken Antennae: The Stinker is the dirtiest part of This House.
The aromas of dung, soap, mildew, poisons, sprays, and cleansers
often cover up a scent you need to find. Get +1B to rolls when you
attempt to smell information or messages.
3 Crowded: Lots of bugs visit The Stinker, despite the risks, especial-
ly if they are thirsty or looking for unique items. With all the traffic,
you can get a lot of information in this room. Gain +1W on rolls to
ask other bugs here for information or assistance.
4 Humid: All the moisture in The Stinker can make a bug’s wings
soggy. Bugs take +1B to rolls to fly due to damp wings.
5 Odors: The Stinker is home to some unique smells in This House.
With all of these odors floating around, it is hard to determine which
pheromones belong to which bug. Bugs get +1W to rolls to mimic
another bug’s pheromones in The Stinker.
6 Vacation Getaway: Bugs love coming to The Stinker for the water-
falls, the smells, and the unique treasures of this room. With all the
tourists, a clever bug can blend right in. Get +1W to Sneak rolls to
avoid being found in the crowd.

Random Items
2d6 Item or Food 7 Dung from toilet bowl rim
2 Q-tips or cotton balls 8 Bobby pins
3 Drops of moose or gel 9 Dental floss
4 Toenail clippings 10 Clump of toothpaste
5 Hair from various body 11 Suntan lotion
parts
6 Soap scum 12 Unused bottle of toilet
cleaner

66
 The Wilds (Outside)
It’s a jungle out there. Beyond This House and the Flatwood Forest is a
vast expanse of grasslands, shrubs, weeds, trees, vegetables, boulders, and all
manner of other things. If you venture too far from This House you may get
lost in the underbrush, so try not to go too far. There’s a barricade of enormous
flatwood surrounding This House, and as long as you stay within its borders you
should be safe.
If you can avoid getting lost, washed away by the rain, scorched by the Big
Sky Fire, chopped to bits by the Grass Butcher Machine, or eaten by other
insects, you can find a lot of useful items in The Wilds. The Grass Butcher
Machine is filled with a dark black liquid that’s perfect for performing several
rituals, and you can usually find bits of dung left behind by The Mange if you
smell hard enough. There’s a vegetable patch where many insects feed, and a
giant tree that makes a tasty treat for any Termite.
One of the other great things about The Wilds is you can access virtually
any room of This House from outside. You need to be on the look-out for small
cracks in the walls to crawl into, and they might not always be obvious. Getting
into the Deep Dark requires that you part some weeds in just the right place,
and accessing The Above requires you to fly or climb to the top of This House
and sneak in through one of the openings in the canopy. You may need to spend
some time searching, but the Giants have a hard time tracking you down when
you use these secret passages, so it’s worth marking them with your scent for
later use.

Ruling Bugs
2d6 Bug Type
2-3 Lady Bugs
4-5 Bees
6 Mosquitos
7 Beetles
8-9 Ants
10-12 Locusts

67
 The Wilds Qualities
1d6 Room Quality
1 Wilderness: The yard is enormous and you don’t know where
every path leads. Finding your way back to your shelter can be
even trickier. Get +1B to rolls when you are trying to find your
way around The Wilds.
2 Grass Butcher Machine: Every so often, the grass needs cutting
and the giant blades of death come grumbling and chewing up
and down the yard. Get +1B to rolls to avoid being cut up by the
blades when this monster is in The Wilds.
3 Trail Markers: Even Giants don’t walk on every part of The
Wilds. This location is the best place to leave secret messages for
your friends and allies, as the messages are often left undisturbed
by Giant feet. Get +1W to rolls to successfully leave a secret mes-
sage for someone in The Wilds.
4 Aviary: Birds love to swoop and fly in The Wilds, and all that
flying makes them hungry for bugs. Take +1B to rolls to dodge
birds in their native territory.
5 Wide Open: With all the room to move and run in the Wilds, your
mount can really gather some speed. Get +1W to rolls when mounted.
6 Predators: In The Wilds, predators swoop, stalk, and prowl unseen.
Danger lurks around every corner, and bugs here must be on high
alert. Bugs get +1W to Investigation rolls to detect a lurking enemy.

Random Items
2d6 Item or Food 7 Bark chips
2 Fertilizer and gardening 8 Landscaping plastic
chemicals
3 Weeds and giant grass 9 Tiki lights
4 Rusting tools 10 Wire vegetable stands
5 Gas for the lawn mower 11 Vegetable tags for identi-
fying crops
6 Rocks and pebbles 12 Skateboard, bicycle,
and other transportation
devices

68
 Chapter Four:
Hive Master
Tips

As the Hive Master (HM), what we part of being the Hive Master is com-
call the Game Guide, you get to help tell ing up with the story you’d like to tell
the game’s story and shape the events to begin with. You’re the one who gets
that happen in This House. While ev- to set the stage for everything that hap-
ery player gets to have their own turn pens in the game. The players may be
to shine, you’ll be the one helping them the lead actors in your story, but you’re
do that—and you’ll have plenty of op- the narrator and all of the extras.
portunities to have the spotlight, too.
There are a lot of different parts
to play when you’re the HM. You play
all of the helpful critters the characters
Keep Things
Gnarly
encounter throughout the game, but
you also play all of the mean and rotten
ones. It can be hard to keep them all
straight, but if you use different voic- Infestation is a game about bugs
es for all of the important characters (and heroes, but mostly bugs). It’s de-
it can help you remember them. For signed to be gross. As the HM, try to
example, Queen Armandhammer of dial up the gross factor and see how
the Ants may talk in a droning voice, many times you can make your play-
while Elder Oatmeal from the Critter ers say “eewww!” during a game ses-
Council may have a funny accent. Not sion. Bonus points if someone actually
only does this help everyone remem- shouts “gross!”
ber the personalities of each character, Remember, This House is one of
it helps add a lot of fun to the game. the most disgusting places around.
The hardest (and most rewarding)

69
Dirty laundry and discarded gum JJ The Great Sink Hole in Cab-
wrappers don’t really disturb people, inet City is filled with dirty dish-
but the yellow and brown rings in the es covered in leftover food, and
Whirlpool Machine are sure to elicit there’s plenty of delicious mold to
a response. When describing a scene, go with it.
try to be as vivid as possible without JJ A new generation of maggots is
getting too obscene (after all, this is being raised in the compost bin in
still a family-friendly game). The Wilds.
Here are a few ideas to get your
JJ If the bugs can get a sample of
imagination dirty:
scabby skin from The Mange, they
JJ The characters need to get a
can use it to perform a ritual. As
ball of dung from the Whirlpool
an added bonus, they’ve found a
Machine for a ritual, but that dung
new source of food.
is dried out and stuck to the floor.
They need to improvise a set of
tools to scrape it up.

70
 Keep it Fun Household
It’s important to remember Infes-
tation is a game. It’s supposed to be
Hazards
fun—for you and for everyone else at
A bug’s life is difficult. Everywhere
the table. Fun means a lot of things to
they turn, something is trying to eat
a lot of people, so be sure you regular-
them, squash them, or flush them down
ly check in with your players to make
the drain. You may have noticed refer-
sure everyone is enjoying themselves.
ences to such deadly monstrosities as
If you have trouble telling whether
the Inferno Cabinet, Whirpool Machine,
or not someone is having fun in your
Dirt Sucking Machine, and the light that
game, it’s okay to ask. If you don’t like
makes bugs fry. These are just a few of
to single out anyone, you can just ask the
the household hazards a bug must learn
group a question like “How does every-
to overcome if they’re going to live long
one feel about the game?” or “Does any-
enough to take advantage of their new-
one have any suggestions about how to
ly-Awakened lifespan.
make things more fun?” Player feedback
You’ll probably have some great
is really useful when deciding on the di-
idea about how to squash the characters
rection for a game.
in your game. When the characters en-
As a Hive Master, it’s important to
counter some sort of dastardly trap, it’s
remember that nothing you do during
helpful to have some idea of how to han-
play is real. You’re already playing
dle it as a Hive Master.
a bunch of bugs in the dirtiest house
Sometimes it’s possible for a bug to
ever, is it such a stretch to imagine
simply avoid a hazard. Not going swim-
those bugs can read, talk, and perform
ming in the Whirlpool Machine or en-
magic rituals? Don’t be afraid to let a
tering the Inferno Cabinet is enough to
player say their Roach wears a bottle-
keep a bug safe. But when a bug has to
cap helmet; encourage it! You might
brave these hazards to find food, rescue
even award a free Progress Point for
another bug, or collect a ritual item, the
really clever or funny uses of items to
Hive Master needs to know just how dif-
encourage the sort of play that makes
ficult that’s going to be for them.
people really smile.
Choosing the appropriate CR de-
pends on the situation. If a bug goes
swimming in the Whirlpool Machine
while it’s not actively spinning, it may be
an Athletics roll (CR2). Should a Giant
wander by and flush the machine, caus-
ing it to whirl quickly and dangerously,
that CR could increase to CR4 or CR5
- almost no bug can survive that kind of

71
challenge. ward the Whirlpool Machine (or worse,
On the other hand, the Dirt Sucking using it) and you can give them time to
Machine isn’t very dangerous by itself. escape. This would be CR3, because
Giants keep a lot of delightful gunk they’re being assaulted by the Giants as
stored inside it, and climbing inside once they try to swim away, but give them a
in a while can be very rewarding. Sim- chance to get out before you sentence
ply venturing through the tubes might them to certain squishiness. In the end,
require a Survival (CR1) roll, but if it it comes down to using your best judg-
switched on while you’re inside the CR ment.
could be 4 or 5, depending on whether
the machine was sucking up other gunk
while it was running.
The Inferno Cabinet poses little
What is The
Awakening?
threat when it is turned off. It may be
tempting for a bug to scamper inside
for burnt pizza crust. There wouldn’t
even need to be a roll to do that, but if Nobody is sure what caused The
the machine is turned on while the bug Awakening or why it’s focused spe-
is inside, it’s going to get hot. Because cifically on This House, and that
the Inferno Cabinet takes a while to heat means you have a lot of room to play
up, the bug may need to make an Athlet- with ideas. Deciding what caused
ics roll (CR2) to escape - assuming they The Awakening (even if your players
leave everything they came for. If they don’t know the truth) can help you
want to hang on to their prize, it may build long-lasting stories that revolve
raise to CR3. around their origins.
Depending on the hazard, a bug Here are some possible causes and
may survive if they fail their first roll. a few adventure ideas for each one. If
Escaping the Inferno Cabinet is tricky, you would like, you may optionally
but not immediately deadly. Each failed give each of the bugs in This House
roll would deal 1 Hit to PH. Getting the Free Quality listed to reflect the
caught in the Dirt Sucking Machine nature of the source.
may result in 1 Hit to PH and the bug
would get stuck inside until it turns off.
Failing to escape the Whirlpool Machine
Mad Entomologist
A crazy entomologist (a bug sci-
while it’s whirling could result in getting
entist) is experimenting with a new
squashed.
serum that awakens bugs. He’s trying
Avoid the temptation to make every
to create an army of super intelligent
hazard a CR5 challenge. It isn’t very fun
insects to try to take over This House,
to get caught in a Whirlpool Machine
This Block, This City, and eventual-
and lose your character. Adding hazards
ly This World. Your bugs don’t know
to the game should increase tension; per-
it, but they’re pawns in his wicked
haps the bugs can see a Giant coming to-
scheme!

72
 JJ Free Quality - Intelligent 1d6 Adventure Idea
Design: All bugs in This House
1 Bugs from That House have
gain +1 to one Skill because they heard how delightfully dirty
have been specially designed by the This House is and now they’re
Mad Entomologist. trying to take over. Can you
stop them?
1d6 Adventure Idea
2 One of the queen bugs has
1 Each bug needs to complete
become a Super Duper Bug and
three Rituals to gain power.
is trying to rule over This House.
2 The bugs must go through a Can you stop her tyranny?
series of tests so the Mad En-
3 Trashslide! Dozens of innocent
tomologist can see how strong
bugs have been buried in an
they have become.
avalanche of garbage in Cabi-
3 Critter Council wants your team net City. Can you help rescue
to investigate the disappearance them?
of some of This House’s smart-
4 Your group has found a hidden
est bugs. (The Mad Entomol-
stash of garbage in the Deep
ogist is probably taking them
Dark, but rumors are starting
away for more testing.)
to spread and other bugs have
4 A mysterious maze appears come looking for it. Do you
in the Deep Dark one day. share your treasure or try to
Nobody has solved it yet, but find a better hiding place?
everyone seems compelled
5 Leisure time! Critter Council
to try.
has declared today a holiday,
5 A Super-Duper Bug shows up and to celebrate they’re holding
and claims to be a bird-slayer. a Toothpick Joust. Choose your
He challenges anyone he can mount and face off!
to a duel or even one-against-
6 Squalor Squabble. Two other
four group combat.
groups of bugs are arguing
6 One day, your group awakens over who a stash of used Q-tips
to find This House mysteri- belongs to. Critter Council has
ously clean. asked your group to moderate.

Filthtopia
This House is the most disgusting
human dwelling ever. It’s so bad that the
bugs who live here have literally mutated
into Super Bugs, capable of near-human
thought.
JJ Free Quality - Filthtopia:
All bugs in This House gain +1W
to find food or items because This
House is a dump.

73
Pesticide Power!
A large chemical company re-
leased a new pesticide designed to
Enemies and
exterminate all types of bugs, but they
released it without properly testing it Critters
first. The bugs of This House mutat-
ed into Super Bugs when hit with the
pesticide.
JJ Free Quality - Pesticide
Bug Extras
Power!: All bugs may select one
type of Bug Magic and can use it Caterpillar
once per day for free. CR: 1, Hits: 5
Caterpillars live anywhere there
1d6 Adventure Idea
are plants. Docile and smart, these
1 Some of the other bugs in This sturdy critters live a simple life of eat-
House are getting sick and los-
ing and sleeping, but can also give you
ing their powers. Is the Giants’
a ride if you need one. And if you are
newest pesticide the cause?
loyal to them for a while, they may
2 Weeds in The Wilds are so
bloom into a new ally: either a butter-
overgrown that anyone who
fly or an awakened Moth.
goes out there gets lost. Can
you form a search party and JJ Bite (C): Caterpillars can
help find the lost bugs? chew through almost anything.
3 The Mange has a new collar
Gain +1W to chew/bite things.
that sickens every bug. It’s time JJ Mount (G): Other bugs can
to get rid of it. use this Extra as a mount, adding
4 Rumor has it a cleaning crew is +1W to rolls for traveling quickly.
coming to turn The Stinker into JJ Tough (C): Caterpillars are
The Not-So-Stinker. Can you tougher than they look and gain
run the Giants out of town?
AR1 against any physical attacks.
5 An attractive new light has ap-
peared in the Flatwood Forest.
Its charms are hard to resist, Butterfly
but any bug who gets too close CR: 2, Hits: 4
gets zapped. Can you disable The adult version of a caterpillar
the new light without succumb-
and cousin to the Moth, the graceful
ing to its glow?
butterfly is highly sought for the rare
6 A little Giant has discovered dust of its wings. While not danger-
the joy of picking on bugs. Can
ous, they are elusive and hard to catch
you convince them it’s a bad
idea?
without the use of a trap. Moths usual-
ly fight to protect them from attackers,
and may keep them in their nests for
protection.

74
 JJ Advanced Wings (G): They JJ Friends at the Top (G): Bloat-
are both beautiful and fast. Gain ed flies always know someone
+1W to all rolls while in flight. more powerful than themselves,
JJ Elusive (G): Butterflies may usually making friends with the
not look it, but they are darn evasive. ruling bug in whatever room they
They gain +1W to Sneak and Coor- are in. Roll 1d6 whenever entering
dination for hiding or retreating. a new room, and a success means
they are friends with the ruler of
JJ Toxic (C): An interesting
that room.
thing about butterflies is that they
are toxic to eat. Bugs with the
Other Insects Diet may try, but if Centipede
eaten, butterflies deal 2 Hits to PH CR: 2, Hits: 7
for each section eaten, instead of House centipedes are ruthless as-
healing 1 Hit. sassins, hired by the most influential
bugs in This House (often the bloated
flies). Stinging their prey with venom-
Bloated Fly ous quills, centipedes kill and eat any
CR: 2, Hits: 5
bug they choose, leaving nothing be-
Rotten with disease and grown fat
hind but whispers of what really hap-
with greed after the Awakening, the
pened. Quiet and sleek, the centipedes
Bloated Fly does whatever it takes to get
stalk the dark recesses of This House.
what it wants. Be wary of any dealings
JJ Creepy Crawly (C): Make a
with this bug. They aren’t physically
+2W Sneak roll (CR2) against one
a threat, but they usually have enough
target. If successful, the centipede
pull with the bugs in power (sometimes
launches from the shadows for a
the Critter Council itself) to ruin any
surprise attack, dealing 2 Hits for
bug that gets in their way. Getting too
each success and giving the target
close isn’t a good idea either, as bloated
the Bleeding effect.
flies are disease-carriers.
JJ Dishonest (G): Never trust JJ Many, Many Legs (C): Their
what a bloated fly says, no matter sleek body and hundreds of legs
how good it sounds. Gains +2W make it easy to fend off multiple
to Coerce to tell lies. foes. The centipede gains +1W to
all Conflict rolls for each enemy
JJ Filthy Touch (C): Make a
participating in the fight (max: +3).
+2W Strike roll (CR2) against
one target. If successful, the target JJ Venomous (C): Make a +1W
suffers 1 Hit to PH and MH, and Strike roll against a target’s Coor-
becomes Poisoned. dination. Success delivers a series
of stinging attacks that deal dam-
age normally and cause the Poi-
soned effect.

75
Bombardier Beetle JJ Mount (G): Other bugs can
CR: 3, Hits: 6 use this Extra as a mount, adding
Roaming at night, the bombardier +2W to rolls for traveling quickly.
beetle looks for other bugs to eat, even JJ Super Speed (G): Dragon-
other Beetles. They are armed with a flies are aerial experts, flying cir-
heated chemical spray that can melt cles around most bugs. They gain
weaker bugs and even hurt Giants. +2W to Coordination for flight
These Beetles are quite dangerous and maneuvers and speed.
very hostile to anyone who ventures JJ Untamed (C): Bugs riding a
into their territory. dragonfly must make an Athlet-
JJ Chemical Spray (C): Make an ics roll (CR2) with a -1W penal-
+2W Aim roll against the target’s ty each Scene to stay mounted.
Athletics. On a successful attack, A failure means they are thrown
the chemical spray deals +1 Hit. from the dragonfly and must try to
On the Beetle’s next turn, they au- get back on.
tomatically deal that same amount
of damage, minus 1. This damage
continues until it drops to 0. For ex- Tick
ample, if the Beetle rolls 3 damage CR: 3, Hits: 5
on Turn 1, then it will deal 2 dam- This big critter can be found any-
age on Turn 2, 1 damage on Turn 3, where that it is dark, but it especial-
and then dissolves on Turn 4. ly thrives in The Mange and even on
JJ Hunter (G): Hiding has little Giants. They crawl quickly and suck
effect on the bombardier beetle. blood just like Fleas. If you can find
They gain +1W to Investigate to a tick, it can give you a ride; they are
find hidden bugs. a favorite mount for Fleas, as it makes
them feel superior to their much bigger
JJ Scary (C): There are few
cousins.
bugs who do not fear this Beetle.
JJ Big Bite (C): When dealing
It gains +2W to Coerce for scaring
damage, their dice become Burst
other bugs.
Dice.
JJ Mount (G): Other bugs can
Dragonfly use this Extra as a mount, adding
CR: 3, Hits: 5 +2W to rolls for traveling quickly.
Dragonflies look innocent, but JJ Sneaky (G): Ticks know how
these flying predators eat other bugs. to hide, so they can feed without
They are fast in flight, moving unlike being detected. They gain +1W to
any other bug can. They have even Sneak to hide on either a Giant or
been known to hunt each other. If you on The Mange.
can wrangle one, hang on tight for a
fast and wild ride.

76
77
Wasp against the Vermin, its CR raises
CR: 4, Hits: 7 by +1 for each use. For instance,
Wasps are often in The Wilds and using Strike for your first Turn has
sometimes even in This House, but Gi- no modifier. The second time the
ants are quick to keep them out even bug used Strike, it would be +1
more than other bugs. Experts at fly- CR. The third time they used it, it
ing, wasps attack using their sharp, would be +2 CR, making it harder
venom-coated stingers — and they’ll each time. You need to switch up
attack just about anyone they see as tactics to win against Vermin.
a threat. They are bullies, even worse JJ Pathfinders (G): Vermin never
than Mosquitos. forget how to get somewhere, and
JJ First Blood (C): Wasps love gain +2W to Survival to track oth-
to start fights. If they get to attack er creatures, since they know This
first in a Round, they deal +1 Hit. House like the back of the paw.
JJ Maneuvers (C): They are JJ Scratch and Bite (C): Vermin
quick and precise in the air, and are large, and vicious when they
gain +1W to all aerial conflict rolls. want something. They gain +1W
JJ Wasp Stinger (C): Make a to Strike whenever attacking.
+2W Strike roll against the tar-
get’s Athletics. If successful, deal
2 Hits for every success. They can
Lizard
CR: 3, Hits: 8
only do this up to 3 times per Con-
Lizards can communicate with
flict for free, and take 1 Hit each
other lizards through body language
time they use it afterward.
and color changes in their skin, but the
patterns are often lost to bugs. While
some feed on plants, many lizards
Creature Extras found around This House primarily
prey on bugs (there are just so many
Vermin of them, after all). Lizards dart from
CR: 2, Hits: 6 for Mice, 9 for Rats the shadows to snatch bugs and swal-
In the filth of This House, the ver- low them whole. Lizards eat eggs from
min swarm. Mice and rats eat whatev- time to time and aren’t afraid to battle
er they can find, and sometimes they birds for the rare treat.
find tasty, crunchy bugs. Even when JJ Fast (G): Have you ever tried
they aren’t eating bugs, they compete to race a lizard? They are really
for a lot of the same resources This fast, and gain +1W to all rolls for
House has to offer, which is bad for quick travel and maneuvers.
bugs. Watch out for their sharp teeth. JJ Quick Get-Away (C): Liz-
JJ Fast Learners (C): They may ards can lose their tail, arms, and
not be smart at first, but they catch even legs to get out of danger. At
on quick. If a bug uses a Skill any time during a fight, they may

78
 take 1 Hit to immediately retreat the bug is now in the frog’s belly
from the Conflict and run away. and takes 2 Hits per Turn unless
JJ Swallow (C): Make a +2W they can escape or their friends
Strike roll against a bug’s Coor- can defeat the frog in time.
dination. If successful, the bug is
swallowed whole and in the lizard’s
mouth. It can attempt an Athletics
Bird
CR: 5, Hits: 15
roll on its Turn to get free. Failure
A bird’s main features are its strong
means they remain where they are.
wings, grasping claws, and razor-like
On the lizard’s next turn, they may
beak, each of which spell death to the
make a +1W Athletics roll against
average bug. Good thing bugs of This
the bug’s Athletics. If successful,
House are not that average. Fearsome
they eat the bug and the bug’s PH
and clever, birds swoop through the
drops to 0. While attempting the
skies, snatching unwary bugs to de-
swallow ability, the lizard can do
vour them. With a long lifespan, un-
nothing else… not even defend.
paralleled ability to fly, and keen eye-
sight, the beasts of the sky make many
Frog bugs tremble.
CR: 4, Hits: 12 JJ Beak and Talons (C): When
Frogs can definitely be found fighting against other creatures or
in The Wilds where they hide in the bugs, the bird has two great weap-
shadows, eager to snatch any bug out ons at their disposal. They gain
of the air and gobble them up, but it +1W to Strike with beak attacks
is not uncommon for smaller frogs to and +2W to grasp others with
make their way inside This House to their talons.
explore. Strong jumpers with sticky JJ Feathered Wings (C): Birds
tongues, frogs are especially danger- gain +1W to any flight rolls. This
ous to flying bugs (they like the taste bonus raises to +2W if they are
of wings a lot). chasing their prey… they do not
JJ Leap Frog (G): Frogs can leap like to lose a meal.
long distances at a time, and gain JJ Mockingbird (C): A bird
+2W to Athletics rolls for jumps. can imitate many sounds, like a
JJ Lurk (G): Frogs are known for squeaking door or a cat meowing.
creeping up on bugs without them They gain +2W to Coerce when
knowing, either hiding in a dark using this to trick other creatures.
corner or even underwater. They JJ Parental (C): If anything
gain +1W to Sneak for hiding. comes to attack their nests or their
JJ Sticky Tongue (C): Make a young, they gain +1W to all rolls
+1W Aim roll against the target’s to defend it.
Coordination (+2W Aim if the
target is in flight). If successful,

79
80
 Hands
Giant Extras CR: 2, Hits: 4
JJ Close Range (C): Hands are
Notable for their size and strength, constantly moving, making them
Giants roam This House, squashing harder to hit. Attacks using Strike
bugs and swatting them out of the air. against a Hand suffer a +1B increase.
Lumbering beasts, Giants have an ar-
senal of weapons and attacks at their JJ Shoo (C): Even if they don’t
disposal. Giants almost always attack, hit, a Giant’s hands are good at
even if they are squeamish or scared of swatting bugs. They gain a +1W to
bugs. From the smaller bully Giant to Strike to knock bugs out of the air.
the massive adult Giant, these enemies JJ Squash (C): Make a Strike
are formidable opponents. To reflect roll against the bug’s Coordina-
this, each part of a Giant has its own tion (gains a +1W bonus against
writeup as an Extra. bugs with Scuttle). If successful,
the bug instantly drops to 0 PH or
0 MH (HM choice).
Little Fingers
CR: 1, Hits: 3
JJ Delicate (C): The smaller Broom
Giants are easy to hurt, suffering CR: 3, Hits: 15
a -1W penalty to resist stings and JJ Dust Pan (C): Often coupled
bites. with a dust pan, Giants use this to
JJ Magnifying Glass (C): Make capture bugs and throw them away
a +2W Knowledge roll against the by making a Strike roll against the
bug’s Sneak. If successful, deal bug’s Coordination. The broom
+2 Hits to the bug and inflicts the voluntarily may take 1 Hit to re-
Burned effect. duce a bug’s dicepool by -1W
JJ Wing Picker (C): If the Little (max: -3). If successful, they are
Fingers get a hold of a bug, they swept into the dust pan and thrown
gain +1W to any rolls to remove into the trash, which is not the eas-
wings or dissect the bug. iest place to escape.
JJ Inanimate (Wood) (C): Can-
not move on its own. Bugs who
eat Wood can render a broom un-
usable (page 29).
JJ Powerful (C): Attacks from
a broom hurt. Not only does the
attack deal +1 Hit, but the bug
is also thrown across the room,
sometimes far away from their in-
tended destination.

81
 Massive Boots
Fly Swatter CR: 6, Hits: 14
CR: 4, Hits: 8 JJ Bipedal (C): Can attack two
JJ Inaccurate (C): It is power- bugs in the same round. Cannot be
ful, but cannot hit jumping bugs used with Stomp.
too well, suffering a -1W penalty JJ Get Inside (C): A scuttle bug
when targeting them. can attempt a Sneak roll (CR2)
JJ Inanimate (Plastic) (C): Can- to get under the Massive Boot’s
not move on its own. If the hand is thick armor and bite the Giant
attacked with an Epic Success, the (stats equal to Hand, but is a foot
Giant can be forced to drop the Fly instead)
Swatter. JJ Stomp (C): Make a +1W
JJ Wide (C): Make a +2W Strike Strike roll. For each success, deal
roll (CR2). For each success, the Fly 2 Hits to one target. Additional-
Swatter can hit one bug in the area ly, each Boot can cause a status
(bugs must be within Near Range to effect on affected targets, such as
each other). Targets must make an Burned, Frozen, Broken Bones, or
Athletics roll against the Fly Swat- Petrified (chosen by the HM).
ter’s successes or suffer 4 Hits to PH.

The Mange Extras

Bug Spray
CR: 5, Hits: 12 While it may be easy to hide in the
JJ Inanimate (Metal) (C): Can- forest of fur, The Mange can go from
not move on its own. If the hand being a place to get a tasty bite to eat
is attacked with an Epic Success, to a death trap within moments. If The
the Giant can be forced to drop the Mange feels even the slightest bite or
Bug Spray. tiniest tickle, it raises to full alert and is
JJ Paralyze (C): Bugs affected ready to attack. The Mange is not only
by the Bug Spray also take on the a place to visit, but a hostile environ-
Frozen effect for the Scene. Only ment that can scratch out eyes and bite
a 6 can remove the effect (not just off legs. To reflect this, each part of The
an even roll). Mange has its own writeup as an Extra.
JJ Toxin (C): Even if it sprayed
near a bug, the fumes have a way
of invading their system. Bugs
must make a Resist roll (CR3) or
suffer 1 Hit to PH and MH for ev-
ery Turn in the area.

82
Claws and Paws JJ Tail Whip (C): Any Epic
CR: 3, Hits: 7 Success also causes the bug to be
JJ Padded Feet (C): This part stunned for 1 Turn (cannot act).
of The Mange is mostly protected.
Gains AR1 against incoming attacks.
Fangs
JJ Scratch (C): Make a +2W CR: 6, Hits: 6
Strike roll (CR3). Each success JJ Gnash (C): If The Mange
evicts one bug from The Mange, does happen to bite a bug, even if
throwing them to the ground in they only deal 1 Hit, it immediate-
whatever room they are currently. ly gains the Bleeding effect.
JJ Shred (C): For combat-relat- JJ Rip Apart (C): Make a
ed rolls, a result of 3-6 counts as a Knowledge roll against one bug’s
success (instead of only 4-6). Coordination. Successful attack
removes one leg, and deals +1 Hit.
Tricks and Tails JJ Snack Attack (C): Gain +1W
CR: 4, Hits: 5 to Strike on attempts to eat a bug.
JJ Flea Medicine (C): Blood
drinkers take 1 Hit to PH if they
attempt to feed.
JJ Roll Over (C): Make a +1W
Perform roll (CR2) to deal +1 Hit.
Successes can be spread among
any bugs currently on The Mange
as damage.

83
Adventure One:
INVASION
84
SUMMARY Your group discusses what they
should do about the invading tribe. If
A rival bug crew has moved into only you could find where they are in
your land and challenged you for ter- This House, you could try to get them
ritory. Can you keep This House from to leave.
being invaded by these greedy new-
comers? HIVE MASTER: Ask for
a Coordination roll (CR1)
to have a player who can fly
Scene 1: Coordination get an aerial view. If
Spotting the Invasion the player succeeds,
they will see the group
Earlier today, a bug in This House of invaders lounging in
reported seeing an unknown group Survival a corner of the Land of
spying and sneaking around, scouting ZZZs. If no one in the
for food. If left alone, these invaders group can fly, ask for a
might try to claim your land as their Survival roll (CR2) to
own. You and your friends decide to sniff out the invaders’ lo-
look for any clues and listen for ru- cation. On either success, they
mors that will give you more informa- discover the group consists of
tion about these bugs. a Fly, a Flea, and a Spider. If
no one succeeds, the players
HIVE MASTER: Ask for a all take 1 Hit to MH due to a
Knowledge roll (CR1) to see long, fruitless search, and the
if the players can gain any in- rival group makes themselves
formation about the invaders. known to the players anyway.
If one player succeeds,
Knowledge they discover these bugs
Scene 2:
moved into This House
from the outskirts of The Initial Confrontation
Wilds. If two players suc-
ceed, they find out these Your group and the rival tribe face
bugs are here to take over as each other, exchanging threatening
many rooms as possible. If glances. They are three tough looking
three players succeed, they bugs who seem intent on getting what
find these bugs are up for a you have. Someone brave needs to
brawl and will probably not confront these invaders and ask what
back down from a challenge. they are doing and when they plan to
If no one succeeds, the players leave.
get no new information.

85
 HIVE MASTER: Ask for to the competition, and each
a Charm roll (CR1) to see if bug takes 1 Hit to PH from be-
Charm the players can ask these ing bruised and bashed during
bugs some questions. their failed fight.
If the players succeed,
the invaders tell them
they are here to collect
Scene 3:
resources, move in, and take First Challenge-Traps
This House as their own. Fail-
ure means the invaders refuse The Fly, Go-Pro, leader of the in-
to tell their plans. vaders, explains he wants to begin with
Another Charm roll (CR2) a battle of the mind. He shoves one of
means the invaders start his companions, a timid but strong
Charm
to respect the bugs and Spider named Winndixie, forward.
hand over a ball of cat The Spider looks a little afraid, and
dung as a sign of good he would love to run off. The bloated,
faith. Failure means the overweight Fly decides a trap making
invaders laugh at the group’s contest is in order. Whichever bug de-
attempts to negotiate, and all signs the best trap wins.
the characters take 1 Hit to MH.
HIVE MASTER: The
The rival tribe refuses to leave but group can choose one bug to
are willing to engage in a competition make the trap, or all of them
to see who is really the best group to can attempt the task. Ask
Crafts
rule This House. After a bit of whis- for a Crafts roll (CR2) if
pering, the invaders propose three chal- only one player is design-
lenges. The winner of two out of the ing a trap. If all of them
three challenges will become the ruler are designing a trap, this
of This House. If you don’t accept these raises to CR3. Be sure to in-
terms, the Invaders will attack. clude Qualities that aid in
trap making. A success means
HIVE MASTER: If the the group made the best trap.
players decide they won’t par- A failure means the Spi-
ticipate, they must make a Strike der outsmarts them and cre-
roll (CR4) to see if they can beat Athletics ated a complex trap be-
Strike
up the entire group of in- yond compare. An Epic
vaders by surprise. There Failure means one of the
must be at least 3 success- group is caught in the
ful rolls (one for each in- Strike Spider’s trap, but others
vader). Success means the can help them escape
adventure ends here. Failure with an Athletics roll (CR
means the group must submit 2) or Strike roll (CR3).

86
 Bugs caught in the trap take 1 Aggressive Roach
Hit to MH. CR: 2, Hits: 6
JJ Grubby Hands (C): With
Scene 4: an Epic Success on an attack, the
Roach steals 1 item from its victim.
Second Challenge-
JJ Prepared for Battle (C): The
Hide and Seek Roach has brought their A-game,
and receives +1W to all attacks.
With the trap challenge out of the
JJ Two Brains (C): +2 to Initia-
way, Go-Pro declares the next chal-
tive rolls.
lenge must take place in the messiest
room of This House (the HM should
pick the most appropriate room). Cost- Now that the path is clear, you
co, the Flea, proposes a game of hide and the invaders make your way to the
and seek. If the bugs can either find all messiest room. The Fly gives a quick
of the invaders OR stay hidden from the count to ten, and you must scurry to a
invaders, they win. hiding place.
On the way to the messiest room,
both groups encounter one mean HIVE MASTER: Ask for a
Roach. This Roach has no time to talk. Sneak roll (CR1) to hide. A suc-
It simply wants to attack. Of course, Sneak cess means none of the in-
the invaders refuse to help, so it is up vaders could find the play-
to you to clear the way. ers. Failure means they
are spotted and must hope
HIVE MASTER: Ask the their friends perform better.
players for an Initiative roll, Alternatively, if the group
because they need to fight chooses to go on the offense and
the Aggressive Roach. If hunt down the invaders, ask for
an Investigation roll (CR2) to
Init they win, the bugs scare
Investigation find each of the three in-
off the Roach who flees
the room. Use the follow- vaders. If successful, you
ing stats. If the bugs have find at least 2 of the invad-
too easy a time, consider hav- ers making your group vic-
ing a second Roach appear torious. Failure means you did
halfway through the conflict. not find at least two of them, and
your group lost the challenge.
In any event, the players
must either keep two of their
group hidden or find two of the
invaders to win this challenge.
Each found player takes 1 Hit
to MH.

87
Scene 5: HIVE MASTER: Ask for a
Knowledge roll (CR1) to de-
Third Challenge- Knowledge termine if these invaders
Physical Prowess would make good house
mates. Success means
Finally, Go-Pro gets fed up with the group decides they
your group’s antics and decides it is might be useful and asks
time to finish this thing with brute them to join in the ownership
strength. He even offers an option: a of This House. Failure means
flying competition or a battle on land. Athletics you force them to leave.
He himself will field this challenge. Make an Athletics roll
(CR2) to strong arm
HIVE MASTER: Regard- them into leaving. Fail-
less of which task the players ure means they are stay-
Coordination choose, ask for a Coordi- ing no matter what.
nation roll (CR2) for fly-
ing or a Strike roll (CR3) If your group lost more than one
for fighting. On success, competition, you can ask the invaders
Strike you have bested the in- to please stay out of your way in This
vaders. A failure means House. You all must learn to live to-
another bug can try, but gether and share resources.
gains +1W since this
time the Fly is kind of worn HIVE MASTER: If the
out. Another failure means the players lost two of the three
player did not succeed at this competitions, they can at-
competition. Each defeated tempt to talk the invaders into
bug takes 1 Hit to PH. Charm leaving. Ask for a Charm
roll (CR3) to see if the
invaders would just leave
Scene 6: now that they have prov-
Reclaiming your Land en they are stronger and
smarter. Success means the
Having finished the three compe- invaders agree to stay out of
titions, hopefully your group has man- your way.
aged to win at least two. If so, you can Failure means they won’t
either force the invaders to leave or stay out of your way and the
you can ask them if they’d like to stay players give in, letting the in-
and work together. vaders take over your land and
resources. Maybe it is time to
see if That House is any better
than This House...

88
 Adventure Two:
Toothpick Joust
89
Summary
Scene 2:
The Critter Council has declared
today a house-wide holiday. To cele- Toothpick Tussle
brate, they are promoting a Toothpick
Joust tournament. All bugs are wel- Cabinet City is buzzing with ac-
come to enter, but they must supply tivity as all of the potential joust con-
their own mount and toothpick. testants are racing to get to the tooth-
picks. Nobody is quite sure where
they’re hiding, so they need to locate
Scene 1: the toothpicks first.
Gathering the Goods
HIVE MASTER: Ask the
Before the joust begins, all of the players for a Knowledge roll
bugs who want to participate need (CR2). If successful, one of the
to gather their own equipment. They bugs remembers seeing
Knowledge
need, at a minimum, a toothpick and WR1 toothpicks some-
a mount. If the characters also gath- where. They find where
er items to use as helmets and armor, the toothpicks are hiding
they can earn an edge during the joust. before any of the other
bugs. Failure means another
HIVE MASTER: Ask the group of bugs has found them
players where they would first.
Knowledge like to go to begin gath-
ering equipment. Let Now that toothpicks have been
them know they need a found, the race is on to be the first to
toothpick and a mount. get to them. As soon as word gets out,
If the players don’t have the entire room is swarmed with in-
Survival sects trying to get them.
any ideas where to find
things, let them make a
Knowledge roll (CR2) HIVE MASTER: If the
or Survival roll (CR1) characters succeeded on their
to realize toothpicks are of- first roll, they find the tooth-
ten found in Cabinet City and picks first and each character
most mounts are either in The Athletics gets one. If they failed,
Wilds or Flatwood Forest. they need to make an
Athletics roll (CR2) to
If they choose to go to Cabinet race the other bugs to
City to find toothpicks, go to Scene 2. the stash. Each play-
If they choose to find a mount first, go er rolls separately; success
to Scene 3. Don’t worry, you’ll come means they get a WR1 tooth-
back and pick the other one later. pick, failure means they’re

90
 trampled while they are trying HIVE MASTER: Tell
to get one and take 1 Hit to the players they see several
PH. After they take a Hit, they mounts and ask each player
manage to find a leftover WR0 which kind they would like to
toothpick the other bugs didn’t use. Ask them what they would
notice. like to have their characters
do to convince the bug to
When everyone has a toothpick, serve them.
the characters make their way out of If the player wants to
the crowded Cabinet City. As they’re force the mount to submit,
leaving, they spot something else that have them make a Coerce roll
might come in handy—a pile of bottle to make the mount work for
caps! them. If they would instead
Charm like to ask them or con-
HIVE MASTER: Have the or vince them, have them
players make a Crafts Coerce make an opposed Charm
Crafts
roll (CR2). Success roll. Success means the
means they realize the VS mount agrees to work
bottle caps could be used for them. Failure means
as helmets to protect the potential mount refuses
them while they are jousting. and the character takes 1 Hit
Add a temporary AR1 to the to MH, whichever one they
character. tried. Allow the characters to
change tactics and try again
until they have succeeded and
Scene 3: earned a mount.
Mounting Tension
After all of the characters have a
To find suitable mounts, the char- suitable mount to use in the joust, they
acters need to head outside to visit ei- can move on to the next scene. If they
ther The Wilds or the Flatwood Forest haven’t already obtained their tooth-
(either one will do). Either way, they’re picks, go back to Scene 2. If they have,
looking for ticks (page 76), dragonflies carry on to Scene 4.
(page 76), caterpillars (page 74), or
other bugs to use as mounts.
There are plenty of mounts hang-
ing around the area. Whether or not
they are willing to work with the play-
ers may be another story entirely.

91
Scene 4: Filthy Feast
HIVE MASTER: Ask for
There is a great feast in The Above a CR3 roll based on what the
prior to the joust event. Everyone gath- character does. For example,
ers to chow down on some nasty grub if they bend a bobby pin with
and to mingle with one another. their bare hands, they would
Some light trash-talking goes on Skill of Choice roll Athletics. If they
between some of the bugs. Nobody tell knock-knock jokes
has hurt feelings; it’s just a bit of fun to try to amuse people
before the competition starts. You can it would be Charm.
leave this part out if your players aren’t Playing a game of rid-
okay with it. dles would be Knowledge, and
The Critter Council asks all of the so forth. If they succeed, they
contestants to introduce themselves gain +1W on all of their rolls
and give a little demonstration of their during the joust, because the
skills for the audience. There is one crowd loves them. If they fail,
Extra for each of the players’ charac- they take 1 Hit to MH due to
ters. Some of the other bugs who are their bruised pride.
competing may include:
JJ Borax, a Flea who always has After all of the contestants are in-
a big grin and a joke to tell. troduced, the head of the Critter Coun-
cil announces it’s finally time for the
JJ Spudly, a nimble Spider who
joust!
can juggle seven objects at a time.
JJ TeeVee, a Roach with a love
of riddles. Scene 5:
JJ Lint, a Moth who does aerial Toothpick Joust
acrobatics.
The officials of the Critter Council
JJ Barbell, an Ant who performs
announce the start of the joust and all
feats of strength.
of the competitors get ready.
JJ Imandim, a Termite who can
build an ornate chair in seconds. HIVE MASTER: One by
one, have the characters de-
After introducing some of the oth- scribe what they do during
er bugs and describing what they do the joust. Have fun describing
to try to impress the crowd, take turns their opponents -- Fleas rid-
asking what each of the characters ing ticks, Spiders riding drag-
would like to do. They’re trying to get onflies, etc. The joust is one-
the crowd on their side, so let them versus-one, so go around the
know they should try to be as creative table and give each player the
as possible. spotlight.

92
 Have the players make Regardless of which Trait
Athletics rolls (CR3) to try to they used, a failure means
win their match. If they have they take 1 Hit to PH. Epic
Athletics a bottle cap helmet, they failure means they take 2 Hits
get +1W to their roll. If and automatically lose their
they were able to im- match. If they only failed once,
press the crowd in Scene they get to make a second pass
4 they get another +1W. and try again. The joust is a
Remember to let them use any best two-of-three match, so
Qualities which might help each character has up to three
them in this contest or sport. chances to try to win.
Some bugs prefer to be
clever. If the character does After each character gets a turn to
something smart or sneaky to joust, the competition is over. There
win their match, allow them to are no overall winners or losers re-
Skill of Choice
use Sneak, Charm, or corded - the tournament was just to
Coerce on their roll as have some good old-fashioned fun.
appropriate. It is still
CR3, and they still
gain +1W if they have
Alternative
You can set up a single elimi-
a helmet, but they need to de-
nation-style tournament if you have
scribe something other than
enough players and Extras. You can
just charging forward on their
even have the characters make op-
mount in order to use one of
posed rolls against one another and let
their other Skills.
them battle to see who comes out the
overall winner. Just remember to make
sure everyone is having fun.

93
 Index
a f
The Above........................................45 Favored Rooms................................27
Advanced Qualities..........................31 Flatwood Forest................................57
Ants.................................................15 Fleas.................................................19
Archetypes.......................................15 Flies..................................................19
Awakening...................................5, 72

g
b Giants...................................10, 41, 81
Bed Bugs.........................................17 Gross-Out Factor..............................28
Bees.................................................17
Beetles..............................................18
Bug Extras........................................74 h
Build Points (BP).............................27 Hive Master......................................69
House Qualities..........................40, 42
Household Hazards..........................71
c
Cabinet City.....................................47
Carpet Desert...................................50 i
Character Creation Changes.............27 Ideas for stories................................70
Creature Extras.................................78 Inferno Cabinet................................72
Crawly Spaces..................................52
Critter Council.............................7, 45
k
Keep if Fun......................................71
d
Deep Dark........................................55
Diet Types........................................28 l
Dirt Sucking Machine......................72 Lady Bugs........................................20
Land of ZZZs...................................60
Language............................................9
e Locusts.............................................21
Enemy Bugs.....................................41

94
m s
Magic Families.................................34 Sample Houses.................................40
Making Bugs...................................15 Skill Qualities...................................30
The Mange.................................63, 82 Spells (New)....................................36
Mosquitos.........................................22 Spiders..............................................24
Moths...............................................23 Stink Bugs.......................................25
The Stinker.......................................65

n
Names..........................................9, 27 t
Termites...........................................25
That House.......................................13
p This House.........................................8
Potions..............................................39 Travel Types.....................................29

r w
Ritualist............................................34 Whirlpool Machine..........................72
Ritualist Abilities.............................34 Wilds (Outside)..........................12, 67
Roaches............................................23 Working Together.............................10
Room Names......................................9
Ruling Bugs.....................................42

95
 Name:_________________________________________ Player:_____________________________
BugType (Archetype):____________________________________________________________
Hindrance:__________________________________________________________________________
Special Ability#1:_______________________________________ Special Ability#2:_______________________________________

Physical Health Fortune Initiative GrossOut

Mental Health

Skills Advanced Qualities

Aim Knowledge Name:_________________________________
______________ ______________ Effect:_________________________________
______________ ______________
______________ ______________ _________________________________________

Athletics Magic Name:_________________________________

______________ ______________ Effect:_________________________________
______________ ______________
_________________________________________
______________ ______________
Name:_________________________________
Charm Perform
______________ ______________ Effect:_________________________________
______________ ______________ _________________________________________
______________ ______________
Name:_________________________________
Coerce Resist
______________ ______________ Effect:_________________________________
______________ ______________ _________________________________________
______________ ______________
Coordination Sneak Features/items
______________ ______________ _____________________________ Key/Scene
______________ ______________ _____________________________ Key/Scene
______________ ______________
_____________________________ Key/Scene
Crafts Strike
______________ ______________ _____________________________ Key/Scene
______________ ______________ _____________________________ Key/Scene
______________ ______________
_____________________________ Key/Scene
Investigation Survival
_____________________________ Key/Scene
______________ ______________
______________ ______________ _____________________________ Key/Scene
______________ ______________ _____________________________ Key/Scene

Gear Type AR/CR/WR Qualities

House Type:__________________
House Quality:_______________ _______________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________
Extras in This House _______________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
©2017 Third Eye Games. Infestation and The Pip System are the trademark of Third Eye Games.
Permission granted to photocopy for personal use only.
this house sheet House Type:_______________________________________
House Quality:_____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________

Room:_____________________ Room:_____________________ Room:_____________________

Room Quality:___________ Room Quality:___________ Room Quality:___________
_____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________
_____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________
_____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

Rulers:____________________ Rulers:____________________ Rulers:____________________

Room:_____________________ Room:_____________________ Room:_____________________

Room Quality:___________ Room Quality:___________ Room Quality:___________
_____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________
_____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________
_____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

Rulers:____________________ Rulers:____________________ Rulers:____________________

Room:_____________________ Room:_____________________ Room:_____________________

Room Quality:___________ Room Quality:___________ Room Quality:___________
_____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________
_____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________
_____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

Rulers:____________________ Rulers:____________________ Rulers:____________________

Room:_____________________ Room:_____________________ Room:_____________________

Room Quality:___________ Room Quality:___________ Room Quality:___________
_____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________
_____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________
_____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

Rulers:____________________ Rulers:____________________ Rulers:____________________

Room:_____________________ Room:_____________________ Room:_____________________

Room Quality:___________ Room Quality:___________ Room Quality:___________
_____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________
_____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________
_____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

Rulers:____________________ Rulers:____________________ Rulers:____________________

98