[CoC] Running Retun to Dunwich | Help Needed.

[Shapermc]

The book is great. Very detailed, good maps, good hand outs. Aside from a MASS of typo's and misdirection this is quite the solid book, till you get to the Return to Dunwich scenario/module.

Anyways the way to run the scenario leaves MUCH to be desired by, me, the Keeper. I mean it is more like they might as well have just put in a chapter that is a sentence long saying... After the Dunwich horror the Professor that survived hire's investigators to look into the strange happenings that have happen after everything. If they wanted to get more detailed they could have put ... GM's should let the Investigators wander around town (and with the occasional "rumor") they stumble upon the GIANT mystery of Dunwich, how is up to you.

I mean really what is the point of it? It should have been advertised as a campaign setting, and not a scenario/module. None the less I am going to run this because my group has no idea what the Dunwich horror was so this scenario will be fun as well as long and involving.

So what am I doing giving a review of the last section of a great book? Well I am looking for any help involving running this. Tips of how to start it, who are good NPC's, what are good "bumps" (strange events), or a decent timeline on how to run this? I am definitely using that second scenario (the one written by Tynes) that is excellent and I am thinking of throwing that at the PC's pretty early on in the game. But I am having problems figuring out how to entice the PC's into finding out more than just "the bare necessities" of what they are hired for.

I am also looking for tips on running NPC's and which ones work the best as points of contact / reoccurring /nemesis types. I mean it will mainly depend on if you are looking at the PC's leaning towards trusting the Believers or the Prodistants. But either way I could flip-flop the NPC's role. Also any tips for just "backwoods" actions (e.g. Chewing Tobacco, picking noses, playing banjos...) for role-playing/submersion situations.

None the less I will be organizing this over the next week or two. I have only read this through once, but I have a decent grasp of everything. The entire "underground" section is incredibly confusing. I hope that reading that over again will help me understand everything down there (and how to get around underground).

So any tips will be really appreciated.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Going for inbred creepiness can help them feel isolated.

Having the brain damaged twins watch them silently, not blinking, not looking away.

Conversations stopping as they enter a room, the speakers turning to look at the necomers, and the conversation when it picks up is about something completely different. (Works best if you can make them think that the Dunwichers were speaking about them.) Sullen, angry glances.

Make them feel that the townsfolk blame them for anything that happens. 'Hensey Bishop's cow dropped a dead calf last night, birth -strangled.' (Turns gaze toward the investigators.)

Small towns have long memories, the name 'Amitage' isn't the magic word PCs might hope it is. People know he had something to do with 'the Horror', and don't want to tempt fate.

The townsfolk keeping secrets, simply because the questioners are from away. In particular, the witch cult, though not evil per se, wants to remain a secret - they remember the Burning Times all too well.

Lots of odd superstitions, heck some of them might even work!

Describe the atmosphere as oddly claustophobic, how the buildings almost sem to lean in on the road, looming disapprovingly, and the air is almost syrupy, hard to breathe..

The 'hill noises' at night booming hollowly.

The whippoorwills in the trees, timing their song with the breath of someone at -8 HP and fading fast...

Above all as though the area and land itself doesn't want them there.

Hope this helps. Oh and go for a trip in a sparsely inhabited rural area, see how folks react to strangers...

Lovecraft seemed to feel that the folks in isolated areas had never completely forgotten the things that used to be and will someday return....

The Auld Grump

 

[Shapermc]

That gives me some really great ideas. Thanks.

I went over all the stuff last night and now I am left with a few questions.


***POSSIBLE SPOILERS****



1) What does Armatige tell the investigators to get them to go investigate further? I am GMing people who are not familiar with the HPL story "The Dunwich Horror" and am hoping that this will work to my advantage. This will honestly be the first CoC game that any of them will come in contact (an be able to have identified) any of the Lovecraft Mythos. I am really looking for a good plot hook w/o revealing the story of the Horror (I will later and have it more like a hand out). How do I hook the PC's into doing any thing more than figuring out that Amos just wants the books for gold? What do I tell them that Armatige is "worried" might happen? Mainly I need a good hook w/o it just sounding like "Hey um can you go poke your nose around at that backwoods town that I wont go to any more?"

2) Secondary Mysteries: How do I present these to the PC's with out it sounding a) obvious or b) like a red herring? I mean how are the PC supposed to get any idea that Abhoth lives under the hills? They might think that this "paradise" thing is evil, but aside from that why would they think anything is wrong.
The Spores? How do the spores enter into it? I mean this is a big thing thoughout the town and the plot gives you no way of figuring out that these spores are anymore than a strange natural formation.
Curtis.... How are the PC's supposed to figure out that Curtis is trying to raise the Wizard? Aside from following him on a hunch and him going to the abandoned mill it really dosent seem like the PC's have much of a chance of figuring this out (unless they find out when it is too late)


Anyways I am trying to outline this thing and after spending a few more hours I end up with more questions (and also a few answers). If you can help please do. Thanks.

 

[Carl Stanford]

I think you should focus on one storyline.

Armitage asks the investigators to go to Dunwich to stop Amos from getting his hands on some books as he might "do unspeakable things with the knowledge from them. Knowledge that caused a terrible horror rampaging the valley some years ago".

While the team investigates this assigment give them at most three leads to other sub-storylines. Mostly to give them an idea about the scope of Dunwich's strangeness. If they don't investigate these red herrings than safe them for some other adventure.

The spores should be introduced gradually. The longer they stay in Dunwich, the more they will be "infected" by them. Drop hints and let the team figure the rest out.

Curtis can be introduced by an investigator witnessing him holding a strange artifact and muttering about "raising the warlock", "the glory of the real gods" and "forbidden magics". That should make them curious, or you have to play another game with that group

 

[Shapermc]

So, just one more question...

How hard would it be to run the Scenarios from the new Arkham book with the same PC's (if they survive long enough)?

Also, any more help on getting the a good Hook would be really appreciated.

 

[omnimpotent]

I've only read the book, never run it, so a grain of salt may be in order.

My biggest problem with the book was that it was fairly rambling. The relatively unstructured nature of the suggested scenario had me envisioning the intrepid investigators on an Avon lady run. "Ding dong, investigators, can we speak to the witch or wizard of the house?" Granted, many of the houses are interesting enough that this could work for a while, but the seeming pointlessness and endlessness of it would put me off, as a player or a GM.

As a fix, some of the townsfolk should become guides or information sources. To begin with, one of the local scabby kids, or one of the most sociable, presentable witches should show players around.

The scabby kid would do it for fun and sweets, and would enjoy showing cityfolk the local haunted houses and scary ladies. As a bonus, there's something fun about 8-10 year olds who casually know way more than you about hideous goings-on. Plus, for later on, one of the many horrors about the township could do in the kid off screen. This adds an unsettling new mystery, (what happened to little Timmy?) gets rid of an NPC you might be sick of playing, and introduces and exciting new character, Timmys drunken angry shotgun toting Pa, who knows that a bunch of cityslickers have made off with his boy. Kindly GMs will allow Pa to forget his shotgun is loaded with subdual rocksalt, and let PC's talk their way out.

The presentable witch (I forget her name) will have an interest in keeping the PC's close and well fed with clues. If she can keep well informed of the investigation, she can direct it so that the PC's don't suss out the witches, or any town goings-on that will have a major outsider reaction. She will hope that if she can direct the PCs properly, they can find what they're looking for without causing too much trouble. Her steering and agenda should come to light slowly, leading to good trust issues. (a la Deep Throat from back when the X-Files were so good)

Hopefully these NPCs can keep the PCs at the amusing sites to build up Dunwich first, and the really scary stuff for later, to keep pacing interesting, and adventure length what you want it to be.

As for locals, every so often the PCs should pass a knot of them gossiping. They will mostly clam up in the PCs presence, but every so often, a Listen roll will catch a snippet the locals thought was out of earshot. Things like "them outsiders sure seem to like little Timmy..." or "I bet them city slickers carry a lot of cash...I hear they're staying at..." or "that (female investigator) shore is purdy..." I'm not sure you can overdo Deliverance accents or imagery for this town, either.

PS - where did you find players who don't already know the story? That is so awesome!

 

[Shapermc]

My biggest problem with the book was that it was fairly rambling. The relatively unstructured nature of the suggested scenario had me envisioning the intrepid investigators on an Avon lady run. "Ding dong, investigators, can we speak to the witch or wizard of the house?" Granted, many of the houses are interesting enough that this could work for a while, but the seeming pointlessness and endlessness of it would put me off, as a player or a GM.

PS - where did you find players who don't already know the story? That is so awesome!

That is exactly how I feel about how they expect you to run this game. I think that I will have to re-read most of the first part (the town and persons info) to truly put together a great game.

My group consists of my Wife (who hates to read anything nonHarry Potter) my friend (who only reads Tom Clancy stuff) and my neighabor (who thinks that Horror books are silly). So that is how I got lucky.

Please anymore tips are greatly apreciated. I may end up just scrapping most of what the book recomends and then making my own plot based off the first half of the book.

I mean seriously there is all that underground stuff. How are you supposed to make the PC's go down there?

 

[Carl Stanford]

Also, any more help on getting the a good Hook would be really appreciated.

That´s why I play Delta Green. As clandestine government agents the team always has a reason to investigate a problem. And going door to door, asking questions and hassling the locals are normal activities for agents on an assignment.

 

[Byrons_Ghost]

This probably won't help much, but here goes... from the sound of things, you may want to consider a different campaign to run. I've always felt that Dunwich was made with longtime CoC players in mind, the kind who know exactly what to look for and how to wade through row upon row of degenerate hill folk to get to it. If your players are as new to this as you seem to indicate, I don't see it working out too well.

At the very least, I would take a shorter scenario and move it to Dunwich as a better starting hook- or at least as something to introduce the players to the sorts of things they need to do. You mentioned that you have Arkham, that's bound to have something that can be used as a starting point (I don't have the book myself, but it should have three or four scenarios). If you have a copy of CoC 5th ed, there's a scenario called "The Edge of Darkness" that I've often used as a campaign starter- it gets disparate characters together, sends them to a single site with a few clues and an easy (relatively speaking) monster, and gives them a framework to keep investigating after the scenario is over. Personally I always thought the hooks into Return to Dunwich were the weakest part- I haven't read Tynes' scenario, but it looked pretty short to me, more of a plot seed.

If the Arkham scenarios or Edge of Darkness don't work for you, you might want to try the adventures at the Chaosium site, or rpgarchive.com, for some alternates.

As to having them explore Dunwich, I would take things one step at a time. First they learn of the previous events of the horror, then they learn about the books and the sorcerer, and maybe meet the Believers. From them, they get some of the background of the area. At this point, the players will probably either wrap up their mission (ie prevent Whately's return) and leave, or decide to delve deeper into the area. If the latter is the case, then you can bring in all the stuff with the spores, the caverns, and Abhoth. I would just use portions of the caverns- they always struck me as too much of a dungeon crawl, and there's no reason to explore more than a fraction of them.

If all else fails, you could just have them be in Dunwich for a while and notice the odd goings-on, such as having them inherit some property or something. If they had a relative die mysteriously, leaving behind odd manuscripts or whatnot, it might give them reason to start poking around.

Another possibility is to start events during the Dunwich Horror, using it as a sort of backdrop. The PCs go down with Armitage and the rest and deal with some smaller, tangentnal things while Armitage and his cronies do their thing. They could assist by interviewing people to get the full story on the Whatelys, deal with some minor threats that were unleashed at the same time (maybe the Horror disrupted a mi-go mining operaton or something), and generally play through the background. Then, when Amos tries to get Wilbur's books, Armitage sends them to do the follow up work.

 

[Shapermc]

Thanks everyone. I think that I will go get the Arkham book this weekend and then change up the plot. Perhaps link a game from there to a game in the Dunwich area. Who knows. I am really having problems and like Byron said "I've always felt that Dunwich was made with longtime CoC players in mind" and this could not be closer to the truth. I just had to have it pointed out to me to realise that.

Thanks for all the help with this one. BTW the scenario by Tynes is more of a plot seed and it is really good.