Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters

[Panpiper]

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters

 

Hey, sorry KS. I've pretty much tuned out of late, due to my ongoing addiction to some other thing completely unrelated. I am still involved in Hero and will be back, re-attuned at some point, likely soon, but I have only given your latest work a very quick read. It all looked good and I got a thorough sense of how to run the scenario. If there are any niggling bugs, I did not see them.

[Manic Typist]

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters

 

Ok' date=' I'm pretty much done with The Birth of Venus Malefica unless someone has suggestions for some final improvements.

 

I'd suggest some sort of... safety valve, if you will. Nothing huge, but something built into the scenario that offers the PCs a potential ally, escape, or even suggests ONE way to victory. A weakness in the organization or Brezak's control over his demons/minions, or a reference to another demon with a big grudge to bear again Brezak or has an interest in stopping these events so his OWN plans can come to fruition.

 

Just an option to have in there, certainly nothing rising to the level of railroading.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters

 

Ok then;

 

Options:

 

Killing Verity Blake before the baby is delivered will kibosh the whole thing.

Killing the baby itself would have the same effect, but I didnt provide stats for the thing for a reason -> it shouldnt be killable once its delivered as its the "mcguffin".

Somehow spiking the ritual site beforehand via supernatural abilities possessed by the Hunters themselves.

Freeing Michael Blaise will give the group an ally NPC, though depending on how powerful the Hunters are this may or may not be meaningful.

Other NPC Hunter allies and Feds can be brought in if the GM wishes.

 

I suppose we could introduce a rival Infernalist or diabolic pawn as a spoiler, but it would certainly complicate the scenario and require extra development work. I'm willing to entertain the idea, but it would be a significant change vs a tweak.

 

Brezak has extreme control over his Daemons, so that's not a good option, but the cult could certainly be an avenue of weakness. An initiate with no powers that is new to the cult, doesn't have a record, and has seen some really bad stuff for the first time and wants out...maybe the driver of the Hummer in Act 3 could be that person.

 

Anyone else have any other "safety valve" ideas?

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters

 

Hey' date=' sorry KS. I've pretty much tuned out of late, due to my ongoing addiction to some other thing completely unrelated. I am still involved in Hero and will be back, re-attuned at some point, likely soon, but I have only given your latest work a very quick read. It all looked good and I got a thorough sense of how to run the scenario. If there are any niggling bugs, I did not see them.[/quote']

 

Hopefully you'll be back soon; this project turned out to be a good one thanks to all the collaboration, but there's still a lot that can be added on to it.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters

 

TODO: Work this out and get it posted:

 

For comment, dissection and improvement upon:

 

Symbols: Religious - Serves as a conduit and magnifier for the faith of the person using the symbol. It will have no effect for someone without faith. The symbol used must be of the faith of the person using it. This does not require that a person be a 'believer' in terms of the character 'origin', rather simply that the person be of the requisite faith. It can serve as a repulsive barrier for some creatures (like vampires) either total or requiring an ego check to pass (reflected as a complication taken by the creature). It will also serve as an ego boost to the person possessing the symbol (+1 to +3) depending upon the degree of faith.

 

Symbols: Magical - (pentagram being the most common, but others can have effect). Repeated use of certain symbols in ritual magic have lent the symbols themselves a degree of universal power. They are not overwhelming in their effect but have a boosting effect upon whatever they are being used. This serves generally as a 5 point cosmic power pool with no conscious control (the GM decides what effect if any the symbol has). The effect can boost existing effects or have some other defensive quality. The effect is never offensive. This effect only works on people who are magically aware. They have to either know magic exists or otherwise 'believe' it to exist (so someone practicing the 'Wiccan' religion who does not know of the 'real' supernatural world, would still gain the effect of a pentagram). The size of the effect is to some degree dependent upon the manner in, and intent with which it is used. So someone who casually tattoos a small pentagram on their arm will likely not have the same level of effect as another who wears a gold pentagram around their neck visible to all.

 

Many religions are doctrinally antithetical to magic and the effects of their religious symbols will not stack with the effect of magical symbols.

 

Hermetic Circle - A circle drawn upon the ground containing a full pentagram the points of which adjoin the circle, often containing other symbols. If drawn by someone without magical training, this will have no greater effect than a standard pentagram. If drawn however by someone with magical training (at least ten real points spent on either magic powers or magic knowledge skills, 'KS: Supernatural World' does not count) will function in two ways, it will serve as a ten point cosmic power pool that can boost the effect of a caster's magic if cast within the circle. It can be used either to boost an existing effect or create an entirely independent effect. The effect is under the control of the person who drew the circle (again, requiring that they be an appropriately magic using character). A hermetic circle also functions as would a salt barrier to any creature that would be affected by such a barrier.

 

 

Resistant: Salt - Usable by all if they know to use it. Easily disrupted by disturbing the salt through non direct means. Creates an ego check for creatures to pass of either strong or total (written into the creature description as a complication). Requires an adequate quantity, a small amount will not suffice. A box of kitchen salt might be enough to block a doorway and window. It would not stop then however stop a creature from coming through the wall.

 

Rock salt used as shotgun loads will have a disruptive effect on most desolid entities and creatures that find salt resistive will also take damage from rock salt as if they were standard shotgun loads.

 

 

Conductive: copper-gold - Conductive metal must form a full loop around the protected area. The conductive metal must be exposed and not covered with insulating material. Typically used by hermeticists and other magically astute persons. The conductivity of the metal barrier can be used to reinforce the magics of the user. It functions identically to a salt barrier except that it can only be made to function by a person with appropriate magic power. This requires no actual investment of magical 'pool' points, it is a bonus to their special effects. The caster must spend time 'energizing' the protection of the metal (several minutes). The protection will fade over time if it is abandoned by the caster.

 

 

Subject to passive resistance, strong (15 points) or total (20 points). Strong means the creature can pass with an ego roll at negative five. Total means the creature cannot pass and must find some other way either around the barrier, or a means to disrupt the barrier.

 

Edit: And I am just now thinking that maybe the effect of a hermetic circle aught to be limited to those who possess a full ten active points in magic knowledge skills, period. Simply having magic powers alone is not enough. You have to know a lot about magic, and therefor magic symbology to make it work. This in effect 'pays' for the effect by rewarding the character who 'blew' ten points on knowledge skills that otherwise probably wouldn't get their fair share of play.

 

Awesome opening. I cant go line by line right now (wolfing lunch btwn meetings), but its definitely on the right track. Will go into depth asap.

 

 

 

Probably an 11- of Hermetic Lore Skill would cover Hermetic Circles. 11- Daemon Lore would cover Pentagrams / Summoning Circles. I'm sure we can figure out a Nomen Lore, Necromantist Lore and Alchemical Lore equivalents.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters

 

TODO: Get this posted up and developed:

 

Hi Both,

 

Here's some notes on where i was going. As usual all thoughts, suggestions and comments welcome!

 

Premise:

 

An as-of-yet Unnamed Adventure of childhood sweethearts, murder, betrayal and the love that blossoms from a shared connection with the dead…

 

Dramatis Personae:

 

No-Face Man: No one can ever remember his face. Gives the PCs commissions from time to time. Sometimes called “Nof” or “Facey” by hunters, but not to his … err ... face.

 

Hugo Glamour: a pretend fake-stage-medium now of YouTube infamy who performs truly awful shows in front of a live audience where he channels the spirits of audience relations, offering advice and fortunes. He is actually a very accomplished medium who deliberately cultivates the air of a shamster. Has seemingly disappeared after the Parker-fiasco.

 

Ailis McKenzie: Former singer of Scottish descent who manifested banshee powers five years ago on her twenty-fourth birthday. Intelligence suggests a connection with Hugo.

 

The Morrigan: a mysterious entity.

 

Mrs. Jane Parker (deceased): The lady who Hugo told he had a message from her deceased husband. At the time, Jane had no recollection of Steve Parker (her first husband) and was sat next to her second husband, Hank Reed (believing Hank to be her first and only husband). Later murdered by Hank for reasons unknown.

 

Mr. Steve Parker (deceased): Jane Parker’s deceased first husband, of whom she has no recollection.

 

Mr. Hank Reed (imprisoned): Former school friend and second husband of Jane Parker, in prison for murdering her. It’s not clear whether Hank was aware of Steve Parker or not.

 

A really famous and influential person (soon to be deceased)

 

A Murder of Crows.

 

The unquiet spirits of several pairs of tragically deceased lovers, now reunited by Hugo.

 

 

Locations:

 

The seedy, disreputable theatre where Hugo Glamour performs his shows.

 

A decommissioned nuclear bunker, now a museum-shrine to tragic lovers from history, myth and fiction.

 

An abandoned TV station.

 

 

The adventure has 3 parts:

 

A detective style adventure where the PCs must uncover clues to discover Hugo and Ailis’ whereabouts. Some clues will reveal interesting facts about the characters but won’t necessarily help the PCs.

 

Hugo’s “Den”: (decommissioned nuclear bunker)

 

A race through the abandoned TV station (where the PCs are harried by ghosts and all sorts of weird phenomena) to prevent Hugo accidentally broadcasting Ailis McKenzie’s Banshee song to thousands of viewers.

 

Thoughts on mediumship...

 

I was planning to build Hugo with the following powers, but I’m not sure how this ties in with how you view mediums working in HTbM:

 

Hugo’s main medium power built as a limited summon (rather than a type of clairvoyance) to represent summoning a spirit. Only Hugo is aware of the spirit and the spirit cannot do anything other than communicate to Hugo. Hugo must them persuade, cajole or just bully the info that he seeks out of the spirit. The power has a side effect: every time Hugo activates the power, there’s a chance that a nearby spirit may sense it and seek him out, usually out of loneliness or to beg Hugo to perform some action for it. The spirit will latch onto Hugo and follow him around until he helps it.

 

For whatever reason, Hugo is immune to Ailis’ song. This maybe something common to all mediums.

 

Normally, spirits are tied to certain locations. However, Hugo has the ability to ‘uproot’ and transport a spirit to another location. This is how he managed to reunite Jane and Steve Parker who are eternally (no pun intended) grateful to him.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters

 

TODO: Get the characters finalized and posted up:

 

For comment and upgrading. Preliminary Hero Designer files sent by Email

 

Ghosts, Poltergeists, Apparitions and Whispering Demons

 

These supernatural threats have among them the commonality of being non-corporeal and not typically visible to ordinary senses. And the manner in which they manifest their impact upon the world can make it not immediately apparent just what one is dealing with. Identifying them properly is important, as often the manner of dealing with them can be quite different.

 

Ghosts - Poltergeist Spirit.hdc

 

There are many ghosts, lost souls who for reasons of trauma or deep emotional attachment either do not realize they are dead or cannot let go of their mortal attachments. Most often these pour souls have no impact upon the world and will simply linger until they are fortunate enough to be discovered by a sensitive who cares enough to help them make their transition.

 

There are other ghosts however who for reasons of anger, revenge or just plain insanity would seek to frighten or even do harm to people. Almost invariably these ghosts haunt a specific thing, be that a place, an object, or even occasionally a person. Rarely are they rational, they almost always are acting on a very strong compulsion. These ghosts often are the lost souls of individuals, in which case the key to eliminating them is typically the proper disposal of their remains. Doing that of course requires identifying the individual who has resulted in the haunting and then finding the remains. Unfortunately some hauntings are the result of constructs created by mass trauma or terror and ridding the world of such can be much more difficult.

 

Ghosts that attract the attention of hunters typically are the sorts that are powerful enough to have a telekinetic and/or environmental effect upon the world. Usually this is not a powerful effect, but it need not be to cause terror and destruction.

 

For some reason, most malevolent ghosts typically manifest not as simple poltergeist spirits, but rather as apparitions.

 

Poltergeists - Poltergeist_Human.hpk

 

Poltergeists are often simply ghosts, manifesting their hauntings in a manner that does not reveal the ghost itself. Much poltergeist activity however is actually rooted in living persons who are unconsciously manifesting a deep seated emotional turmoil. Obviously in such instances, salting and burning the bones is an inappropriate course of action. Such individuals can often arrest their poltergeist manifestations by getting psychological intervention or having the source of their emotional turmoil addressed. This is very often manifest in children and teenagers in abusive or otherwise troubled homes. Investigators are cautioned however to not automatically suspect the parents, as the emotional trauma can easily be caused by siblings, other relatives or persons of authority that the child is regularly in contact with.

 

Apparitions - Apparition.hdc

 

Apparitions are ghosts that visibly manifest in some manner beyond the effects they might have upon the world. Sometimes these apparitions, just like most ghosts, do not seek to cause any harm. Often they are not even sentient, merely lingering remnants of intense emotion. Sometimes however these spirits can be truly malevolent and can with the terror they inspire in those that see them, have a disproportionate effect upon the world, far beyond what their telekinetic abilities might otherwise cause.

 

Whispering Demons - WhisperingDemon.hdc

 

A whispering demon can in many ways be worse than a possessing demon. A person possessed by a demon usually evinces this in some way that makes it easy for hunters to identify the subject. A person haunted by a whispering demon may show no evidence of it whatsoever until they show up at a crowded place and open up with a shotgun.

 

While whispering demons share many similarities with non-corporeal spirits, they are not spirits at all, but are in fact demons. They can be summoned and banished as can demons. And while spirits are typically non-malevolent, just misguided, whispering demons are truly evil. They seek to corrupt humans into doing things that will cause the most destruction possible to themselves and those around them.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters

 

TODO: NPC for the the Banshee adventure

 

Hi Shrike' date=' Panpiper,[/size']

 

I’ve got a couple of NPC character concepts for you. They’re not full-blown write-ups, but are stubs. Feel free to run with them / build on them. I'll try and develop them a bit more, but i'm more than happy for you guys to do that same...

Panpiper: I gave your Zombie bus it's very own "stalker" - hope you don't mind!

 

Hugo Glamour (stage name)

Timothy Gilmour, also known as "Hugo Glamour" when on stage, is an extremely talented, but intensely misanthropic, medium. Timothy was originally born in Surrey, England but moved to Vegas for reasons unspecified.

 

For whatever reason, Timothy works the strip, seemingly determined to cultivate the image of a shabby, psychic, stage charlatan who swindles people who-should-know-better out of their hard earned cash with vague, cheesy and pretty unbelievable messages from ‘beyond the grave’. Occasionally, when takings for his shows are down, Timothy will use his abilities properly to renew people’s enthusiasm just enough to keep him on minimum wage.

 

Timothy’s actually quite infamous because of a clip on Youtube which features him making an utter fool of himself when he singles out a member of the audience and, after the usual drama and showmanship, informs her that he is receiving a psychic message from her dead husband. The lady plays along before revealing that she has never been married before and her husband is actually sat next to her. It’s a pretty rookie mistake for a stage medium to make, hence the epic number of Youtube hits.

 

The irony of the incident is that Timothy was actually using his powers properly at the time and that the woman had actually been married before, but couldn’t remember [Note to Hunters: presumed suspicious - Casefile still under investigation]. Apparently, the woman’s first husband was trying to forewarn her of her impending death at the hands of her second husband. Needless to say, the unfortunate lady is now deceased and, despite the air of indifference that Timothy surrounds himself in, the incident seems to have affected him deeply.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters

 

TODO: Characters; I'm going to roll Shannon O'Grady into the Banshee Vignette. Not sure what I'm going to do with the Lord of Flies yet.

 

Monsters:

5lipper's Lord of Flies

5lipper's Banshee

Panpiper's Troll

Vampires

Lycanthropes

 

NPCs:

Panpiper's Shannon O'Grady - DONE

5lipper's Hugo Glamour - DONE

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters

 

Shannon O'Grady, friendly cop NPC, is up.

 

I plan to incorporate him into The Trouble With Banshees

[Panpiper]

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters

 

Shannon O'Grady' date=' friendly cop NPC, is up.[/quote']

A character is always better after you've done your tweaking. A case of two heads being better than one no doubt. :-)

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters

 

A character is always better after you've done your tweaking. A case of two heads being better than one no doubt. :-)

 

Forsati Nik proves its not one sided

 

Collaboration is a wonderful thing.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters

 

Hugo Glamour is up.

[5lippers]

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters

 

Hi Shrike,

 

That’s a nice write-up! The setting is looking really good too (I haven’t been on the boards for a while so there's quite abit of 'new' content that i haven't seen!). I like the mediumship write-up too (he says, pinching it for future reference!)

 

Love the spirit network and trivia skill too!

 

I have to confess I’ve been a bit snowed under with work the past few weeks (project deadline coming up!) and so things have been a bit quite on the hero front! Anyway, I’ll pull my finger out and get on with an adventure sheet that will hopefully do Hugo justice!

 

 

5.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters

 

Cool, bring it on!

[5lippers]

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters

 

[A Still Unnamed Adventure – suggestions welcome]

 

A tragic tale of childhood sweethearts, murder, betrayal and the love that blossoms from a shared connection with the dead…

 

Summary:

 

The Players are approached by the mysterious No Face Man (an extremely powerful and influential individual in Hunter circles) who tasks the Players to track down and sanction an extremely dangerous supernatural. No Face is convinced that the supernatural is being harboured by a disaffected medium known as Hugo Glamour, but doesn’t know where.

 

Hugo has hatched a half-baked scheme to let the world know of his and Ailis’ plight and - like all such schemes - it’s destined to go very wrong indeed…

 

To further complicate matters the police are keen to speak to Hugo about the murder of two people and Something Else seems to be toying with the Players.

 

Ultimately, the players will be presented with a moral dilemma: to sanction a supernatural that is anything but evil and is ‘dangerous’ simply because she cannot control her powers or to potentially risk the lives of other innocents by refusing to take the job through to completion.

 

Set up:

 

The No Face Man is a mysterious broker of jobs and commissions: he pays above the standard rates but there are some who question his motivations. No Face only brokers to the best and, whilst some hunters mutter about him, it is nevertheless, a mark or prestige to be commissioned by him.

 

This adventure needs to be set up a few sessions / adventures in advance. The GM should introduce gossip, rumours and tales about No Face a few sessions in advance before introducing the man himself. Perhaps the PCs have been on No Face’s talent list for a while? Perhaps the last job was a final test of their skill and worthiness?

 

The Carrot:

 

Aside from the bounty, No Face pays well and so there is the possibility of future, well-paid commissions if the Players prove themselves. Additionally, working for No Face is prestigious and the kudos accorded to those who work for No Face often helps them curry favour. Finally, the Police are looking for Hugo Glamour and the PCs might be able to earn a few favours here too.

 

The Stick:

 

No Face only ever asks once: if the PCs fail at, or refuse, the commission he won’t ask them again. It won’t be long before the Hunter community finds out and the Players may suffer a reputation hit as a result.

 

Additionally, if the Player’s don’t stop Hugo, he will inadvertently end up broadcasting Ailis’ in full banshee song to a significant percentage (of the GM choice) of the population which could blow centuries of hard work and the Accords right out of the water. The Players really, really don’t want to go down in history for that one…

 

The Setting

 

 

 

 

The adventure should start in or around Vegas but could ultimately take place anywhere. However, there are some key locations that need to be incorporated:

• The Seedier side of Vegas (or other big city if the GM transplants the adventure)
  
• Hugo’s Hideout
  
• A TV station (abandoned or in use) with sufficient equipment for Hugo to broadcast his message
  

The People

 

No-Face Man: No one can ever remember his face. Influential and secretive, No Face pays well and few Hunters ask questions about the jobs he hands out. Sometimes called “Nof” or “Facey” by hunters, but not to his … err ... face.

 

Hugo Glamour: a pretend fake-stage-medium now of YouTube infamy who performs truly awful shows in front of a live audience where he channels the spirits of audience relations, offering advice and fortunes. He is actually a very accomplished medium who deliberately cultivates the air of a shamster. Utterly besotted with Ailis.

 

Ailis McKenzie: Former singer of Scottish descent who manifested banshee powers five years ago on her twenty-fourth birthday. Intelligence suggests a connection with Hugo. Utterly trusting of, and in love with, Hugo.

 

Mrs. Jane Parker (deceased): The lady who Hugo told he had a message from her deceased husband. At the time, Jane had no recollection of Steve Parker (her first husband) and was sat next to her second husband, Hank Reed (believing Hank to be her first and only husband). Died in suspicious circumstances.

 

Mr. Steve Parker (deceased): Jane Parker’s childhood sweetheart and deceased first husband, of whom she still has no recollection.

 

Mr. Hank Reed (deceased): Former school friend and second husband of Jane Parker. Died in suspicious circumstances shortly after Jane.

 

A Mysterious Entity determined to foil, and toy with, the Players (the Morrigan).

 

Some Cops. Keen to track Hugo down and question him about the suspicious deaths of Jane Parker and Hank Reed

 

A Murder of Crows

 

The unquiet spirit of a TV broadcasting technician who shows Hugo the ropes in the TV station and helps him broadcast his message.

 

The Spiel

 

There are three parts to this adventure:

 

Act 1 – the Pursuit: where the Players attempt to track down Hugo who, rather uncannily, always seems one step ahead of them.

 

Act 2 – the Hideout: where the players discover Hugo’s insane plan, but not his exact whereabouts.

 

Act 3 – the Climax: where the players attempt to stop Hugo’s broadcast and are confronted with the dilemma of what to do about Ailis.

 

[details to follow]

 

Follow on adventures and consequences:

 

If the Players fail in stopping Hugo’s broadcast they’re going to have a really big mess to clean up and some answering to do.

 

If the Players stop Hugo’s broadcast, but refuse to sanction Ailis, they will earn the enmity of No Face. However, the players may also have gained a powerfully ally in Hugo, who’s spirit network could prove invaluable in future adventures. They may even have earned the respect of the Morrigan. If the GM chose to, this outcome could result in the players getting a taste of their own medicine whilst other Hunters are sent to track them down by No Face…

 

If the players carry out the sanction successfully they will have earned the respect of No Face, who can offer them better bounties and whose connections could prove useful. If Hugo survives, he could become a reoccurring character that seeks to undermine the Players.

 

Interesting options and variants:

 

Jimmy Hunt’s suppression abilities could add an interesting element to this adventure. Perhaps it’s time the Players encountered him again?

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters

 

I've taken to calling this adventure "The Trouble With Banshees".

 

I like the general premise, but No Face Man doesn't quite work as stated - the government sanctions supernaturals and sets their bounties, so there's no place for a "Mr. Johnson" in HtbM. However, No Face Man can work as an information broker for much the same effect, exchanging useful info to Hunters trying to collect a bounty for a flat fee, a percentage cut, or information of equal value.

 

I'll try to get the first pass posted up over the weekend.

 

Thanks!

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters

 

Ok, I lied, here's the first pass:

 

The Trouble With Banshees

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters

 

No Face Man Dossier

[5lippers]

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters

 

Hi Shrike,

 

Nice dossier on No Face - no problems with the flavour tweak as i saw him as a mysterious 'mover and shaker' so info broker works fine (better, in fact!)

 

I should have some more info on Act 1 up tomorrow.

 

5.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters

 

Hi Shrike,

 

Nice dossier on No Face - no problems with the flavour tweak as i saw him as a mysterious 'mover and shaker' so info broker works fine (better, in fact!)

 

I should have some more info on Act 1 up tomorrow.

 

5.

 

Thanks! Ill look for it.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters

 

Jane Spirit

[5lippers]

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters

 

Work in Progress: Act 1 – the Pursuit.

 

Where the Players attempt to track down Hugo who, rather uncannily, always seems one step ahead of them.

 

During this Act, the players are approached by No Face and attempt to track Hugo down. No Face provides an initial clue to get the players started but they still need to do some work to find Hugo. The information provided for this Act is designed to easily allow the GM to add/remove clues depending on the group’s gaming style. This Act is mostly about info gathering, persuasion and foreshadowing. The players will suffer mishaps of increasing severity, the closer they get to discovering Hugo’s whereabouts. The mishaps should inconvenience the Players and do no more than wear them down a bit for the next Act.

 

Hugo and Ailis are hiding in Steve Parker’s old house on the edge of town. Hugo has built a sound-proof room in the basement to keep Ailis safe from discovery (and to protect the neighbours from Ailis). Steve Parker haunts his old house (he died here under mysterious circumstances) and cannot rest until he is reunited with Jane. Steve is helping Hugo and Ailis because he empathises with the lovers but also because Hugo has (genuinely) promised that he’ll find a way to reunite Steve and Jane. Steve’s preternatural abilities mean that he can keep Hugo posted on the Player’s progress, helping Hugo stay one step ahead. Jane and Hank haunt their old house. Hank was murdered here but Jane wasn’t – this is unusual and has led Hugo to wonder whether spirits do not haunt the locations where they died but places that have a strong psychic/emotional significance for them.

 

During this Act, the players will encounter the cops who are investigating the murders of Jane and Hank. Depending on how the Players play it, the cops will decide if the PCs are a hindrance or a help. Regardless of the approach, they will be slightly suspicious and touchy to begin with as they are under pressure to resolve the case and haven’t had much luck so far.

 

The Act will culminate in the PCs discovering where Hugo is hiding at which point they will be attacked by a murder of Crows.

 

Hank was not a nice person in real life and, if the GM wanted to add some more action to the proceedings, perhaps Hank is slowly becoming a spirit of woe who now haunts the house in which Jane and Hank live?

 

 

 

 

Examples of facts that could be discovered in this Act:

• Hugo and Ailis are in love
  
• Hugo is a ‘slightly obsessive and hopelessly romantic’.
  
• Ailis had a ‘beautiful voice’.
  
• Jane Parker was a quiet lady who kept to herself
  
• The police suspect the Hank may have been responsible for Jane’s death but they aren’t ruling out Hugo.
  
• The police have a hypothesis that Hugo may have murdered Jane out of a sense of revenge, for ruining his credibility as a medium (Hugo isn’t their prime suspect, Hank is, but Hugo does have a motivation)
  
• The police want to talk to Hugo about Hank’s murder – they’re not ruling anything out at this stage.
  
• Hugo didn’t murder Jane Parker
  
• Hugo didn’t murder Hank Reed (although he would have liked to).
  
• Hugo knows Hank was responsible for Jane’s murder.
  
• Hank Reed murdered Jane Parker because of … (GM choice)
  
• Hugo know’s where a key piece of evidence that incriminates Hank is (because of his abilities). He cannot point the police to it without incriminating himself (it’s the sort of thing that only an accomplice or the murderer would know).
  
• Neighbours of Hank and Jane suspected that Hank may have abused Jane and think he ‘probably did it’.
  
• Jane Parker and Hank Reed both haunt their old house. Hank has been sighted in the garden and Jane on the ground floor. Even in death, the relationship is an abusive one.
  
• 
  The Executors of Steve Parker’s will have been unable to sell his house because of “mysterious goings on” (Steve Parker’s presence).
  
• Steve Parker is a ghost who cannot rest until he is reunited with Jane
  
• Hugo is hiding in Steve Parker’s house on the edge of town.
  
• Hugo has built a sound-proof room in Steve Parker’s basement (for Ailis to hide in)
  
• Steve Parker is helping Hugo in the hope that Hugo will find a way to reunite him with Jane, saving her from Hank.
  
• Other unrelated clues that could act as possible set-ups for future adventures
  

Possible mishaps/complications:

• Key equipment becoming unreliable or not working
  
• Evidence going missing
  
• False evidence mysteriously appearing
  
• Evidence mysteriously appearing that implicates the players
  
• Signs, portents and omens
  

5.

[5lippers]

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters

 

Work in Progress: Act II - The Hideout

 

Where the Hunters discover Hugo’s insane plan, but not his exact whereabouts.

 

Having survived the attack of the Crows, and upon arrival at Steve Parker's old house, the Hunters will encounter an Estate Agent attempting to show a pair of prospective buyers around the property. Unfortunately he seems to have mysteriously lost the keys even though he swears he had them this morning. The property is pretty secure (the windows are boarded up, etc to prevent squatters from gaining access) and the Hunters will need to find a way to enter without attracting the attentions of the neighbours who will certainly here any break in attempt. Perhaps the estate agent will show them around (once he finds the keys, that is)?

 

Once the Hunters have entered the property, the cops investigating Hugo will show up. If the players gained access to the property illegally and the cops catch them, they’ll be in trouble. Whilst inside, Steve Parker will do his best to scare the Hunters off or trap them in the house until Hugo has completed his broadcast. If the Hunters split up, they may find themselves trapped/locked in different rooms…

 

The basement contains all the evidence that the Hunters need, but the door to it is locked and hidden behind a large piece of furniture (observant players may notice scuff marks upon the floor, caused by moving the cabinet). Rummaging through the stuff in the basement will reveal that someone has been hiding here, Ailis is a banshee and that Hugo is planning to tell the world about the injustice that he and Ailis have suffered at the hands of a ‘secretive government agency determined destroy their kind’. However, the Hunters will need to piece together a several clues to discover the exact whereabouts of the TV Broadcasting station.

 

Update:

Hugo’s plan is to get on air and interrupt the normal TV schedule with a live broadcast. In this broadcast he plans to tell the world of the supernatural exists but is being hidden from them, that he can talk to the dead and that Ailis is being hunted by the government because they’re scared of her. It’s pretty crack-pot, but Hugo is getting desperate (Hugo certainly isn’t planning to subject the viewers to Ailis’ banshee song, but circumstance intervenes – see Act III).

 

Finally, Hugo has an extensive library of rare books on the occult and supernatural. Hunters with the right skills who spend time perusing his collection may learn something new (GM choice).

 

Possible move to Act 1:

The library also contains Hugo’s latest thesis, “Attraction Beyond Death - A Theory of Psychic Attractors and Emotional Nexi”, which considers using powerful psychic influencers upon a deceased person to ‘summon’ it to a location of emotional significance. Hugo is planning to test his theory by trying to reunite Steve and Jane Parker, but first he needs to find a way to unlock Jane’s memories of Steve...

 

5.

[5lippers]

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters

 

Work in Progress: Act III - The Climax

 

Where the Hunters attempt to stop Hugo’s broadcast, deal with hoards of ghostly plague victims and are confronted with the dilemma of what to do about Ailis.

 

Every good ghost story needs a haunted location, in the middle of nowhere and, in this case, the TV station is it…

 

The TV station is located in the middle of a mostly-disused brownfield/industrial site. The industrial complex was built upon plague pits where the victims of a rampant supernatural plague were buried two hundred years previously. The developers of the site may, or may not, have known about the plague pits, but they carried on building regardless.

 

Update - OPTIONAL CONTENT:

 

Note to GMs: this part of the Act is really just to keep the combat-monsters happy as the adventure is quite light on physical conflict. The GM may decide that this part of the adventure is unnecessary or inappropriate. GMS should feel free to remove the Plague-Spirits or swap them for something else…

The players have already encountered incorporeal opponents and some players may have been excluded from the conflict because of the incorporeal nature of the monsters and their powers. Therefore, the Plague Spirits might be better as shambling, disease-ridden corpses (even though they should probably be bones my now!)

 

Unfortunately for the Hunters, the dead are quite fond of Hugo and will rise up to defend him, attempting to prevent the Hunters from reaching the TV station. The Plague Spirits cannot cause physical harm but have a powerful psychic attack that, if successful, causes the victim to believe they have caught some hideous disease, suffering the consequences as a result of this negative ‘placebo effect’. The Hunters will need to ‘fight’ their way through this maze of abandoned industrial buildings to get to the station. To make matters worse, the Murder of Crows is back, circling ominously above the players as they make their way, occasional diving to make an attack before retreating.

 

---END OF OPTIONAL CONTENT---

 

The goal of the Hunters is to stop the broadcast from happening and to capture Hugo and Ailis. If the Hunters attempt to stop the broadcast without first confronting Hugo and Ailis, they stand a better chance of succeeding, but run the risk of Hugo and Ailis being able to get away. If the Hunters decide to confront Hugo and Ailis directly, they’ll face a battle where they will need to stop the broadcast whilst dealing with Ailis and Hugo.

 

Hugo isn’t evil, merely misguided. His plan seemed like a good idea at the time: if he and Ailis tell the world of their plight, ‘the government’ (he assumes this is who is responsible) will no longer be able to hunt them in secret and people will have to accept the existence of the likes of Hugo and Ailis. Unfortunately for Hugo, he hadn’t counted on someone famous and influential dying right at the time he and Ailis were on air, telling the world about their plight, resulting in them inadvertently broadcasting Ailis’ banshee dirge to the nation. He wanted to tell the world about Ailis, show it how sweet and innocent she is and how she isn't a monster. He didn't want to subject them to her powers...

 

At some point during all this, the cops will arrive, the Plague Spirits (if being used) will make a beeline for them and the Hunters will need to decide what they’re going to do about it: help the cops (and fight on more than one front), or leave them to their fate…

 

In addition to whatever happens as a result of the Hunters' encounter with Hugo and Ailis, there will probably be some mopping up to do. For example: the Cops have probably already seen too much and someone will need to decide what to do…