Haunted

[yamamura]

In the campaign I am going to run, I plan to have the characters working from an old mansion or stone building that once was the abode of a mage. The defense of building won't come from hi-tech materials but from spells interwoven into the brick work. But there is a catch, the place is haunted by a poltergiest. This will be only a minor problem (i.e noise in the middle of the night, objects misplaced, tripping on unseen items, etc.). So the question is how the best to do it? Distinctive Feature, Enemy or consider it a Physical aspect of the base?

 

G

[Monolith]

I wouldn't go with DF unless it is obvious to everyone who might view the base. I would go with either a Watched: Poltergeist or a Physical Limitation: Haunted would work, depending on how interactive you want the poltergeist to be.

[Blue]

Yeh, I was thinking it's a physical limitation.

[farik]

I would give the house a "Watched" with a high frequency and when the disadvantage activates that when the poltergiest becomes the most problematic. UNless the poltergiest actually wants to harm the occupants in which case make it a "Hunted"

[Supreme Serpent]

Physical Lim or Unluck?

[austenandrews]

As I've seen these things go, the PCs eventually wind up contacting the ghost and even befriending it. If you think it may go that way, it may even be a Follower.

 

-AA

[yamamura]

Yea I thought of that and plan to make the ghost a little anti-social if comes to that. Of course a spirit of some kind could replace the automatic defense in a modern base and thus could be part of the base personal/powers.

 

G

[Ghost who Walks]

Sounds like a hunted.

 

But if you never want the Poltergeist to appear...

 

Accidental Change: "Normal" house to "Spooky" house

[levi]

Write it up as an NPC that is tied spiritually to the house.

[badger3k]

Am I crazy or did I read this (or something like it) a few months back? Maybe that's it - IIRC there was a thread on unusual features for bases. I think hauntings were part of that (unless there was another thread on hauntings as well - maybe in the other genre forum?).

 

IIRC some of the uses had the ghost written as an AI, with image and illusion/CE/TK/etc, only usable within house, things like that. That was the one that stuck in my mind for some reason.

 

Can't remember more than that, but if you look for the thread or two, it might have more ideas to help you out.

 

edit - of course, since I missed the part on the "small power of the poltergeist", that option may not be good pointwise (although the cost of it can be taken as a disadvantage). That is, if you really want to go that far. If not, what about Unluck for the base, to reflect the unusual occurrences that plague the living dwellers?

[Badger]

Seem to me it would depend on the ghost. Like what is the relationship with the PCs (benevelent, malevolent, or neutral).

 

It could even be a defense system of sorts if he doesnt like a group of bad guys that invades. The "invaders" may even have a member who he didnt like during his life.

Course depending on how long ago he lived of course.

[Mark Rand]

badger3k, are you referring to Rose, the ghost from the thread Constructing a Mage's Mansion?

[Bengal]

This doesn't really sound like a disadvantage at all, and if it is one, make it a 5-point Distinctive Feature. It's not going to actually hinder the characters at all I don't think. Great idea though!

[Houston GM]

How haunted do you want it?

 

I have a notable haunted house in my campaign, so I've given some thought to how you create haunting. A lot of it revolves around the end result.

 

I won't give the exact details of this haunted base, because my players read the board. However, I will use it as examples as how you might use various powers and disadvantages to create a haunting effect.

 

The Halloran House, a walled estate in River Oaks, one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Houston. The current occupant is The Count. Previously it had been abandoned for decades.

 

Distinctive Features: Haunted

You take one look at the house, and it's the stereotype of a haunted house. The yard is overgrown, there's spanish moss hanging from the trees. There's iron spikes lining the top of the wall. The bushes move when there's no wind, or they stay still when you can hear the wind howling.

 

Sometimes the gates and doors creak loudly, other times they open silently. Sunlight never reaches the yard, and the grounds are often obscured by a low-lying fog.

 

Reputation: Haunted

Everybody knows that the house is haunted.

 

"She said he lives in a haunted house."

"Oh, you mean the Halloran House."

 

This can be a disadvantage when you want to bring a lady home with you.

 

"I'm not going there. It's haunted."

 

But it does keep the salesmen away.

 

Change Environment: Haunted

Perception rolls are penalized due to the constantly changing nature of the house and grounds. Statues and pictures change when you're not looking at them. You hear footsteps where nobody is. Cold spots (approximately the size of a person) drift through the house. The house radiates with anger and menace, but there's no mind behind the emotions.

 

Telekinesis: Poltergeist, No Conscious Control

Objects randomly move around the house. Doors open and close. Furniture falls over or flies through the air.

 

Unluck: Poltergeist

The tool you're looking for is missing. The books in the library have been rearranged in an order that makes no sense. The door locks itself behind you when your keys are inside.

 

Physical Limitation: Haunted

It's hard to get a good nights sleep here, because screams wake you up in the middle of the night. The lights go out randomly, including candles and lanterns.

 

NPC: Ghost

The ghost is a character in its own right. It has its own motivations (which may be cross-purposes with the PCs). It plays an ongoing role in some of the plotlines. Buy appropriate powers as necessary.

 

Watched or Hunted: Haunted

This should only be used if the ghost is an NPC. Otherwise, it really doesn't apply.

 

Security System: Noisy Ghost

The ghost is quiet unless someone is actively working against the occupant. Then the ghost wails, bangs pans, and knocks pictures off the wall.

 

Images: Ghosts, No Concious Control

The ghostly images replay events that occured in the house. You can't interact with them, but they may give periodic clues about what happened in the house before.

 

Postcognition: Haunted Dreams, No Concious Control, Usable Against Others

Anyone who sleeps here relives scenes from the lives of deceased occupants. These are frequently the more emotionally charged scenes.

[levi]

Nice Analysis Houston

[badger3k]

Originally posted by Mark Rand

badger3k, are you referring to Rose, the ghost from the thread Constructing a Mage's Mansion?

 

That could be it - I remember reading something about a ghost but couldn't remember which thread. That sounds right, though.