Nightshift: VTSW (Veterans of the Supernatural Wars) is a love letter to the gritty, urban fantasy horror of the 80s and 90s. If you grew up watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The X-Files, or Supernatural, or if you spent your nights playing the classic World of Darkness, this game is aimed squarely at your nostalgia.
It’s designed by Jason Vey and published by Elf Lair Games. Here is the breakdown of what makes it tick.
1. The Vibe: "Blue Collar" Horror
Unlike some games where you play as demi-gods, Nightshift focuses on the Chosen, the Tainted, or just the brave and unlucky. You are the people who see the things that go bump in the night and decide to bump back—usually with a silver-loaded shotgun or an ancient incantation.
The setting is modular. It can be:
Grim and Gritty: Street-level monster hunting.
Cinematic: High-action, "Big Bad of the week" style.
Splatter: Over-the-top gore and horror.
2. The Mechanics: OSR Meets Modern
The game is built on an OSR (Old School Renaissance) skeleton, specifically the SIEGE Engine (similar to Castles & Crusades). It feels familiar if you've played older versions of D&D, but it’s heavily modified for a modern setting.
Classes: You have archetypes like the Veteran (combat specialist), the Survivor (tough and resourceful), the Occultist (magic users), and the Supernatural (vampires, werewolves, or ghosts who fight for the good guys).
The Check System: Most things are resolved with a d20 roll against a target number, modified by your attributes.
Compatibility: Because it’s OSR-adjacent, it is incredibly easy to kitbash. You can pull monsters or spells from almost any 1e/2e or BX-style game and drop them in with minimal math.
3. Character Roles (Archetypes)
The game uses a "Class and Level" system, but the classes represent your role in the hidden war:
| Archetype | Description |
| The Chosen | Destined heroes with supernatural luck or divine backing. |
| The Inquisitor | Experts at finding the truth and exposing the dark. |
| The Teche | Modern wizards who use gadgets and hacking to fight spirits. |
| The Witch | Traditional spellcasters dealing with spirits and rituals. |
| The Warlock | Those who have made "deals" for their power. |
4. Why People Like It
Ease of Use: You can teach the core mechanics in about 15 minutes.
Versatility: The rulebook includes "Nightmare Levels," which allow the GM to scale the power of the world from "Slightly Spooky" to "Apocalyptic."
No "Meta-Plot": Unlike World of Darkness, there isn't 30 years of dense lore you have to memorize. You build your own secret world.
A Note on Tone: While the game is "Rules Light," it is "Flavor Heavy." It assumes the players are the underdogs. You aren't the predators; you're the ones keeping the predators at bay.
Character creation in Nightshift: VTSW is designed to be snappy. Since it’s an OSR-style game, it focuses on getting you a functional "Veteran" in about 20 minutes so you can get straight to the monster hunting.
Here is the step-by-step process for building your defender of the night.
1. Roll Your Attributes
The game uses the classic six ability scores. You generate these by rolling 3d6 for each (though many GMs allow for a "4d6 drop the lowest" or a point buy if they want the characters to be slightly more "heroic").
Strength (STR): Physical power and melee.
Dexterity (DEX): Agility, reflexes, and ranged combat.
Constitution (CON): Health and stamina.
Intelligence (INT): Knowledge and logic.
Wisdom (WIS): Perception, willpower, and intuition.
Charisma (CHA): Leadership and social influence.
2. Choose Your Archetype (Class)
This is the most important decision. Your Archetype determines your Hit Die, your Combat bonuses, and your Special Abilities.
The Combatant: The soldier or street brawler. High HP and best hit bonuses.
The Survivor: The "Final Girl/Guy." They have incredible luck and are hard to kill.
The Occultist: The scholar of the dark arts. Good at research and rituals.
The Teche: The modern-day hacker or gadgeteer who uses science against ghosts.
The Theosophist: The holy warrior or priest (think Father Karras from The Exorcist).
The Witch/Warlock: Powerful spellcasters who tap into raw, often dangerous, magic.
The Supernatural: If you want to play a "reformed" Vampire, Werewolf, or Ghost.
3. Select a Life Path (Background)
While your Archetype is what you do now, your Life Path is what you did before the "Supernatural Wars" found you. This provides you with starting skills and flavor.
Example: A "Law Enforcement" Life Path might give you bonuses to tracking and firearms, regardless of whether you are now a Combatant or a Witch.
4. Calculate Secondary Statistics
Based on your rolls and Archetype, you'll fill in the "crunchy" bits:
Hit Points (HP): Roll your Archetype’s Hit Die and add your CON modifier.
Armor Class (AC): Usually starts at 10, modified by DEX and any armor (like a Kevlar vest).
Saving Throws: These are based on your Archetype’s primary attributes.
5. Skills and Masteries
Nightshift uses a Check system. You have a "Primary Attribute" (based on your class) which makes certain rolls easier. You’ll choose a few areas of expertise—like Occult Lore, Streetwise, or First Aid—that give you a bonus when you're trying to investigate a haunting or patch up a teammate.
6. Gear and "The Van"
You don't start with much, but you start with what's "logical."
The Veteran's Kit: Usually involves a signature weapon (a silver-plated 9mm, a blessed crowbar, etc.), a flashlight, and a cell phone.
The Group Resource: Often, the GM will have the group decide on their "Base of Operations" or vehicle during this stage.
The "Secret Sauce": The Fate Point
Every character starts with at least one Fate Point. These are your "get out of jail free" cards. You can spend them to:
Automatically succeed on a check.
Reduce incoming damage.
Cheat death for one more round.
Pro-Tip: In Nightshift, your attributes aren't just numbers; they define your Check Target. If you have a Strength of 15, you usually need to roll a 15 or higher on a d20 to succeed at a Strength-based task (modified by the difficulty the GM sets).
