GURPSHorror

GURPS Horror

• Using this rulebook, I created an adventure for the 'college crew' that I wanted to make "connected" to the world. So, I did a lot of research on the Victorian Age, discoveries made, strange events and tried to incorporate places/people and accidents from the time into the game. I wanted the focus of the game's antagonist a 'Great Old One'-type of creature as in H.P. Lovecraft Cthulhu mythos. I also wanted to give the players a feeling of 'scope' and that they would be travelling, chasing clues, finding artifacts, and in the end, travelling to a remote location to do battle with human and non-human minions of the enemy, preventing it's return after an epic battle.

To list the characters and their statistics & abilities: GM Control Sheet

Development of the adventure

• Below are some sketches, ideas and game-flow charts to help create a cohesive game experience.

Here I was on my way to focusing on the year I wanted to 'emulate' for the PCs. I took some leeway with the planet actual positioning. (I don't know where they were in 1876, but the drawing, once I made it, sent a chill down my spine.) I then drew the pedestal to allow the beams of light from the planets to 'collimate' at a central location on Earth. The 'big bad' named Shiboginnath and the Cult of the Shadow Eaters also puts to name the enemies for the PCs.

• This sketch shows a preliminary idea of a joint storyline where the PCs would start in 1876, and then I would incapacitate, or kill them off horribly in 1876...perhaps leaving one or two alive...a wretched person, insane, dishonored. And then make the rest re-create characters in 1926, 40 years later, to complete the job of closing the gateway forever.<
  > Some of the locations I definitely wanted were:

• Skara Brae - A 5,000 year old village discovered in 1876 after a storm revealed it.
• The Falkland Islands - A remote place that had been settled just 90 years previously.
• London - Of course.
• Scotland - Once I had Skara Brae, I knew I wanted to have the PCs do something here 'on the way'.

Problems: As I started to look through the adventure I realized that having them generate two characters was time consuming, I like to have my players get attached to their characters, making background up and inter-personal relationships in the group. Then, killing them off 'off-hand', while probably keeping in tune with the genre, is not something I like to do, and would probably alienate a few of the players. So I ended up focusing on the 1876 timeline and expanded it.

• Here some of my research can be seen into the 'stones' on Quoyness, the history of the Falklands and the English as well as Captains/Governors of ships that visited the Falklands. (It is amazing the wealth of info on the Internet.)

• Since I wasn't really going to be creating a 'dungeon' as I was used to for the players, a game-flow diagram helped in the design phase as well as the 'flow' so I could always push the PCs in the right direction.

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Locations

London, England

• Mansion - As a place to bring the PCs together, introduce them, and their benefactor, and his plight.

• Sanitarium - Where not only do the PCs meet the poor sod who's gone crazy, but meet an antagonist.

• Doctor Office - Beyond fore-shadowing, we see that there are human minions working to summon this great evil upon the world. Clues pointing to Scotland.

Edinburgh, Scotland

• Waverly Station - The PCs follow the Doctor, but the cult is aware of their arrival and attempt to hinder them.

• Grey Friars Church - The PCs come upon the ritual to welcome the coming era & start to combat the cult. Psychic energy that shoots towards the next location after the ritual.

• The Royal Mile - Where the ritual energy is released along the ley line and images/ectoplasm rip through time/space to coat the buildings along this street.

• Wick - A seaport allowing access to the Orkney Islands.

Orkney Islands

• Mainland - Orkney - A central hub for moving around the next areas.

• Skara Brae - The ancient city showing signs of deity worship. Sunken by holy ritual to save the world. (Druids?)

• Sanday - Quoyness Cairn - Evidence of rituals, the 'pebbles' that are eggs and runes that point to the Falkland Islands as a 'sister site where the lights from the stars will open the way'.

Atlantic Ocean

• HMS Fortunato - Ship that historically sunk near Falklands, transport and battle with supernatural minions 'sliding' through into our world.

Falkland Islands

• Volunteer Point - Where ship is abandoned, the PCs make it ashore and realize that time is short.

• Port Stanley - Signs of the cult's activities, location of the gate site becomes known.

• Mount Usborne - The ruins are found, the ritual stopped, and a final battle with a portion of the Old One.

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The Adventure

South Kensington, London @ Cromwell & Queens Gate - The Hotel Excelsior - Evening, it threatens to rain, an early fog floods the streets. The group is brought together with a number of invitations and brought to the Hotel by hansom.

• Lord Daniel Townsend invites each PC as per their status and abilities. Once settled he will get down to serious business quickly.

His voice breaks, the butler will, in concern approach the Lord but Townsend will have none of it, motioning him away.

He will rebuff any questions about what the 'wire' is. After pouring himself a drink and clearing his throat, he will continue,

He will pause to take another drink,

With a wry chuckle, he his shoulders will straighten and his Lordship will become the leader he is,

Looking at the characters, Townsend will then inquire:

The PCs will perceive that this is taking a toll on the Lordship,

Allow the PCs to ask questions

When finally asked why they have been brought to him, or if they don't and the PCs stop asking questions he will tell them why they were summoned.

A shudder passes through his frame as he walks around the room and the PCs.

Having to do with Disraeli and the Queen becoming the Empress of India File:$telegram1.jpg

Having to do with the Archeaologist Schleimann finding Agamemnon's Death Mask near the Lion's Gate in his dig. File:Telegram2.jpg

He hands the nearest PC (or highest status one..) a scrap of cloth.

The note, scrawled in dried blood says the following. Father, those that eat shadows are amongst us. Beware, the circles are soon as a crucifix and the Shadow Father shall enter our world and all shall be in darkness.

His fist hits a table and a delicate lamp shatters to the floor, a strike of lightning pulses at the same time.

A number of carriages are heard to pull up outside, (Lord Townsend is not used to anyone saying No...) the butler arrives a few moments later.

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Caterham Sanitorium

• The ride to Caterham is dark and dreary, rain has started to fall regularly and the storm brewing in the distance is closing in. Lord Townsend accompanies the PCs on this trip.<
  > Visualize a secluded estate, the gaslights of London 20-30 minutes away, just pinpricks of light in the storm as they ride along a lone road, lined with willow trees, drooping in the storms winds.

• When the PCs arrive at Caterham, they will be greeted by a Resident physician with the Head Nurse. They will be notified that Dr. Hanson received the wire from his lordship but told the Head Nurse he had important business elsewhere and left not 30 minutes ago.

If questioned, the PCs can learn that Dr. Hanson had just finished up a long session of therapy with Alex Townsend and had left word that Alex needed to rest and shouldn't be disturbed.

When hearing of this, Lord Townsend will demand entrance to see his son, will point out any PCs that are doctors/therapists as specialists. Eventually the group will be lead through the hallways of the building to Alex's room.

Focus on the increasingly gruesome tools of 'healing' as the PCs progress through the halls. The storm outside should be getting closer. The inmates in their cells..growing from quiet rooms with just 'thumps' against the door occasionally, to sobs, cries and eventually words of 'Rats eating my eyes, people eating my shadows..' (don't focus on the shadow part, just make it part of the narrative.) The devices they pass, to the uninitiated will appear more as tools of torture then of helping heal in anyway, shape, or form.

• The end hallway where Alex Townsend's room is should be noted as darker then normal, the lights all appear on, but its as if the light is being sucked out of the area. [perhaps roll for any psychic sensitive people] The cells nearest to this area have tenants that are gibbering and sobbing. The smell of blood will become evident as they approach the door. When the door opens the light in the room absorbs all light, its as if the room were filled with coal dust. A lantern raised and moved into the room by the Head Nurse will reveal Alex's current fate.

Alex Townsend HAS been tortured, strapped to his bed, blood covering everything near him. The nurse will scream in terror and faint. Alex is muttering something...his face a mass of mutilated flesh, his arms and legs skin has been shredded with a scalpel, his eyes have been torn out. [Fright Check: -2]

As they listen, Alex will say over and over again, "I tried...tried..to hide the location...I did..I did..." but will not respond to questions and pass into a coma after a minute or two.

Lord Townsend, his face drained of color will grab the resident, and push him against the wall. "WHERE IS DOCTOR HANSEN!" he will shout, which acts as a wake-up call to those inhabitants around Alex's room, they will start to hoot, holler and yell. (Think of a Zoo...)The resident will be white as a sheet from the room, and then terrified of Lord Townsend...he will tell the PCs and Townsend of a shared doctor office that Hansen has and will lead them to it as he also attempts to awaken the nurse, and yell for orderlies.

Dr. Hanson's shared office at the sanitorium is extremely clean with no personal items and no common 'doctor-like' work objects, like stethoscope, books of medicine or journals. [Physician Roll to note the discrepancy].

Items of Note:

• The resident will show the PCs a picture taken of Caterham staff. [Vision -5/Awareness to note that Dr. Hanson has no shadow.]

• Nurse will arrive after being Revived, she will be pale, but note that the Dr. kept forgetting to update his records <perhaps have her give a side-ways glance to the resident and say 'he's not the only one...'> but had given her his treatment office address to send documents to. She believes its in Luton (village about 30 minutes away by horse/carriage.)

After the PCs have searched the office and gotten only that he has another office away from the santorium, have them return to Alex's NEW room, a number of nurses bandaging him. A doctor will be treating him under the watchful gaze of Lord Townsend. "My son is stabilized...his condition is dire, find this Doctor and bring him to me. I want his HEAD!" He will arrange for the carriages to take the group wherever they need.

The storm outside has continued to grow in strength with occasional thunder/lightning displays.

The PCs now can try to research Shadow Father [Research -5]...or any of the other clues they have (or think they have)...or they can head towards Hanson's Office. It should be noted that the feeling of a 'chase' should now exist. You want them to realize that he must be less than an hour from them.

Doctor Hanson's Office in Luzon

• 30 minutes in the storm, water pouring off the roofs of the buildings in sheets. The roadway becoming clogged with debris. Approaching Luzon the storm continues unabated. The PCs will arrive at a darkened building at the address of the Doctor. A small bunch of rowhouses with an ornate sign indicates Dr. Hanson's office is in the basement at the address. The building is dark, the office has no lights on. There appears to be some lights on a few doors down (one of the rowhouses is the landlord's.) The PCs can try to pick the lock, go in through the building, pick the office door, break a window or search for a key (None in the typical 'under the mat' locations.) or contact someone who might know how to get into the place.

Once the PCs get into the office, describe it as an outer reception area with bookshelves, certifications from universities, etc. (a respected looking room) with the only odd thing being that the mail slot is full and overflowing, it is evident that someone came in and just let the mail be pushed aside.<
> The letters will be notes from the nurse at Caterham, bill overdue notices, basically the good doctor has been ignoring his posts...for weeks.

• Reception Desk - Empty except for some blank paper and pencils/inkwell w/an unused quill.

• Filing Cabinets - Locked, but if opened are all empty. There is a general 'familiar' smell of antiseptic alcohol, but there is also a 'slimy-oily' feeling to those 'sensitive' [psychic]

The door to the inner office shows current use. Bed/Couch with restraints with a desk and bookshelf in this room are the major pieces of furniture. A vase on the desk holds dead and dried flowers. Books / Journals in the bookshelf are about diseases of the mind. Hidden container on bookshelf [Vision/Awareness/DX] -6 to find while searching bookshelf. The container has an odd statue made of granite/marble-like substance, appears like Indian God Kali [Religion/History] but has tentacles instead of arms. Each tentacle has a sharp thorn at the end of it. Attempts to hold the statue and it will seem to writher in the PCs grasp. [Attack Base 12 - "Contest vs. DX"]

On Hit, Hallucingenic drug will take affect on PC (Fright check -4] If Totem is taken, all horses/animals will shy/bite at the wielder in fear. If forced to carry totem any item will die of fright. If Totem is blessed by a religious cleric/person, then this affect no longer happens.

Search of Room will reveal:In the trash receptacle by the desk are a number of items:

• Old train tickets from the previous 6 months to Waverly Station - Edinburgh, Scotland, once a month.

• Bills/Foreclosure notices for office (as before..he really hasn't paid his bills.)

• Secretary written note of quitting due to not receiving a salary payment in weeks.

• Tablet of writing paper [Vision/Awareness]-2 to perceive impressions on the top paper. It should become obvious that the PCs need to head somewhere...perhaps where the Doctor has been going? Waverly Station...Scotland? Allow rolls to identify Grey Friars Church. [History/Religion]

The PCs can shade the paper to reveal some of what was written by Dr. Hanson.

Once the group reaches Waverly Station they are attacked by vampiric-type creatures. Once they have battled these foes and either defeated them or fended them off for police to arrive move on towards the Grey Friar's Church.