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Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters That’s nice and ties up a number of loose ends! The events of the day would leave an evidence trail too as some of the neighbours are bound to have witnessed the confrontation. The descriptions given by some of them could give hints as to what the PCs are facing. A possible piece of evidence here might be a car license plate which could somehow be traced by the Hunters. In Act 2 there’s reference to an Occult Thesis by Hugo that’s a work in progress (called: “Attraction Beyond Death - A Theory of Psychic Attractors and Emotional Nexi”). This might be better suited to Act 1 as a piece of evidence… Hugo’s thesis describes an hypothesis whereby unquiet spirits are drawn to the place of greatest emotion significance which isn’t always the place of their death. In this work he uses Jane and Steve as a test case study: Hugo believes that if he can somehow unlock Jane’s memories of Steve, she might be drawn to Steve and they would be reunited. This document would provide a link between Jane and Steve which would hopefully put the Hunters on the right track. However, if the Hunters found this work, it could lead them straight to hideout with minimal investigation. Therefore, perhaps it needs to be a little more difficult to obtain: perhaps the cops have it but don’t realise what it is; perhaps it’s in code (just the sort of paranoid thing Hugo would do); perhaps it’s incomplete; or some combination of the aforementioned? P.S. I’ll go back and swap Player for Hunter in Acts 1 and 2. These are first drafts as well so there’s bound to be a few holes that’ll need tidying up!

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters Hi Shrike, Yep, the Hank one has been bugging me but I’ve had a couple of ideas. I spotted another couple of plot holes this morning, but I can’t for the life of me remember what they were! Sure they’ll come back though... My thoughts on Hugo and Ailis hooking up are that they met whilst performing at a club on the same evening: Hugo was doing his medium show and Ailis was performing some of her folk songs. They ended up in a longer term relationship, doing all the usual relationship-y things and dreaming of their future together when Ailis started to manifest banshee powers. Neither knew what was happening but soon learnt how dangerous Ailis’ new powers were (this is based on my draft write-up of a banshee as someone who manifests certain powers for some unknown reason) and went into hiding whilst trying to find out how to cure Ailis. Regarding the link to Jane and Hank, perhaps Hugo ignored Steve’s warning and later found out that, if he had listened, he could have prevented Jane’s death. He now finds himself wracked with guilt and wants to reunite Jane and Steve as a form of repentance. Hugo could have homed in on Jane’s spirit, tracking to her house in an attempt to find out who killed her. Instead he encounters Hank (who murdered Jane), who tries to cover his tracks by getting rid of Hugo. Hugo survives (just) but only by killing Hank [slight plot revision – Hugo is guilty of Hank’s murder]? Still working on the clues that will point to Hugo’s hiding spot... ...it might just be a case of revising the location of Hugo's hideout and leaving some kind of paper trail but it would be cool if it was Steve's house... Aah! Just remembered one of the other plot holes: how has Hugo survived Ailis’ song so far? 5.

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters Hi Manic Typist, There’s a draft banshee package here but we haven’t finessed it yet. The banshee’s song is an uncontrolled power that manifests only when a ‘great’ or significant personality dies and thus Ailis has no control over it (she is a tragic antagonist, rather than a villainess). Regarding whether the song will work over TV or not, Hugo’s motivator is to interrupt normal TV with a live broadcast of him and Ailis telling the world about their plight. Hugo’s a bit odd, but he isn’t evil and Ailis’ erupting into banshee song whilst they are on air is definitely not part of their plan. I'll go back and see if i can tweak the earlier post to make this clear. 5.

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…

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

Re: Building an Urban Fantasy Setting

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters Hi Shrike, Actually, good points about the use of summon – I hadn’t really thought about the points you raise: I was definitely thinking along the lines of an information-gathering type of ability that doesn’t just give you the info but requires some use of interaction/communication skills and role-playing to make it a little more interesting. However, I like the telepathy option as it’s not far removed from the commanding-type powers that would allow a medium to ‘command’ spirits to do their bidding. I was also thinking that mediumship might extend to a helpful spirit actually being able to guide the medium through certain tasks, leading to an element of savant-type powers. I think this would make mediums quite versatile characters who’d be good in rogue/expert/group speaker roles. 5.

Re: Urban Fantasy Setting: Here There Be Monsters 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.

Re: Collaborative World Ending… Thanks Mark, Hopefully, when I've pinched a few more of your ideas, it'll be even better! I think this may be post #50 so rep for all the input/info on your campaign should be coming your your way! 5.