Books are almost here!
28 days ago
– Tue, Aug 18, 2026 at 02:33:48 PM
I wanted to give you an update on the book's progress. I've sent the finished file to the publisher (DriveThruRPG / Lightning Source Publishing), and the book will be ready shortly.
I know this process has taken longer than I originally hoped. We ran into an issue with the layout that required me to re-page several sections to make sure everything flows correctly and looks professional. While it added some time to the process, I wanted to make sure the final product meets the quality standards we're aiming for.
The good news is that the book is coming along well. The finished version will be 122 pages, up from the original 114 pages, due to the layout adjustments and added content.
I'll keep you updated as we move through the final stages with the publisher. Please let me know if you have any questions in the meantime.
The investigation Continues!
Dan
It’s Time to Investigate: Nocturnal Is Ready
about 1 month ago
– Sat, Aug 15, 2026 at 11:08:35 PM
Nocturnal: A Modern Ghost-Hunting RPG is finished, and the official PDF is ready.
We did it. Here is the game you helped make possible.
Watch your email for a link from DriveThruRPG to download your official PDF.
Thank you to everyone who backed the Kickstarter, followed the project, shared it with friends, and helped bring Nocturnal to life. I truly appreciate your support and your patience while we worked to get the game finished and into your hands.
The physical books will be ready shortly, and I will post another update as soon as they are available.
For now, gather your team, grab your equipment, and remember that understanding what happened may be the only way to survive what happens next.
I am still working on the Nocturnal Field Guide, and I wanted to do something extra to say thank you for supporting the game.
When the Field Guide is finished, I will be adding the PDF at no additional cost to every reward level that includes the Nocturnal PDF.
This wasn't something you needed to add to your pledge. It's simply my way of saying thank you for backing Nocturnal and helping me bring the game to life.
Thank you again, Now go investigate some hauntings.
Dan Thacker
Kickstarter Update: Back to the Core
about 1 month ago
– Mon, Aug 10, 2026 at 12:26:24 AM
Work continues on Nocturnal, and after spending a lot of time getting the Investigator’s Field Guide into shape, I’ve turned my attention back to the Core Rulebook.
One of the areas I’m expanding is something that has always been important to Nocturnal, but wasn’t explained nearly well enough in the original text:
The Fiction.
In Nocturnal, the fiction isn’t just flavor or atmosphere. It is part of the structure of the game.
The fiction establishes what is true about a haunting. What happened here? Why did it matter? Why does the Pattern still exist? What rules does it follow? What gives Faith authority in this world?
From those truths come the Anchor, Feed, and Trigger. From those come the manifestations and clues the Investigators encounter.
That creates a pretty simple progression:
Truth → Pattern → Rules → Manifestations → Clues → Investigation → Intervention
The players don’t start with those answers. They uncover them through the investigation.
This also ties directly into Faith. One game may establish that Catholic rites carry supernatural authority. Another may draw from pagan traditions. Another might establish mathematics, geometry, or scientific certainty as a form of Faith capable of imposing order on the impossible.
The mechanics remain the same.
The fiction tells us why they work.
This is something that was always part of Nocturnal, but I don’t think the Core Rulebook did a good enough job explaining it. The new section gives the Storyteller much better guidance for building a haunting from the truth outward, instead of simply creating a collection of spooky events.
That has been a big part of this editing process. I’m not looking to add more rules just for the sake of adding rules. I’m going back through the books and making sure the rules and ideas that are already there are explained clearly and actually teach you how to play and run Nocturnal.
Updated PDF Coming!
I’ll be sending out an updated PDF of the Core Rulebook this week so backers can see these changes for themselves.
Your feedback has been incredibly useful for that.
The goal isn’t to make Nocturnal bigger.
It’s to make Nocturnal clearer, easier to run, and better at being the game it was always meant to be.
The Investigation continues...
~Dan
Field Guide Progress Update
about 2 months ago
– Fri, Jul 24, 2026 at 01:17:13 AM
Hello Investigators:
I've been hard at work on the Investigator's Field Guide, and it's really starting to come together.
Think of it as Nocturnal's Player's Handbook.
The Core Rulebook is written primarily for the Storyteller. It contains the complete rules, guidance for running investigations, building Patterns, creating hauntings, and everything needed to run the game.
The Investigator's Field Guide is different. It's written specifically for the players.
Rather than presenting pages of mechanics, it teaches players how to think like Investigators. It covers character creation, psychic abilities, Faith, investigation techniques, rituals, equipment, and the philosophy behind solving hauntings. It explains what players need to know without revealing the information reserved for the Storyteller.
The goal is to let players pick up the Field Guide, create an Investigator, and understand how to approach a case without spoiling the mysteries waiting for them.
I'm really excited with how it's turning out. It feels less like a rulebook and more like an actual handbook that an experienced Investigator would hand to someone about to take on their first case.
I can't wait to share more as it gets closer to completion.
Here is the art for the cover. It still needs some work and get a little cleanup.
Back Cover
A haunting is never the real problem.
The moving shadows, impossible voices, restless spirits, and abandoned places are only the symptoms of something deeper. Every investigation begins with a mystery, but the truth is never found by chasing manifestations alone.
The Investigator's Field Guide introduces the world of Nocturnal, where ordinary people confront extraordinary events through careful investigation, psychic insight, unwavering Faith, and the courage to uncover what others refuse to see.
Learn how to build a theory, identify a Pattern's Anchor, Feed, and Trigger, perform supernatural interventions, and survive the consequences of challenging the impossible.
Because the goal was never to hunt monsters.
The goal is to understand the Pattern.
Only then can you bring it to an end.
Feed back is always welcome.
As always, Thank you for making this happen!
~Dan
Survey Reminder
about 2 months ago
– Thu, Jul 23, 2026 at 08:31:18 PM
Hello Investigators!
I have just a handful of surveys that haven't been completed yet.
If you haven't filled out your BackerKit survey, please take a few minutes to do so. I'll be locking very orders soon so I can finalize the backer list, prepare the credits, and move into fulfillment.
If you've already completed your survey, thank you! You're all set.
As always, thank you for your support and patience. We're getting very close, and I can't wait to get Nocturnal into your hands.
The investigation continues.
~Dan
