Help with a Fey/Horror Themed Adventure

[Aspect of Veles]

I run games of both Call of Cthulhu and D&D (with a few other systems on the side), and have recently dropped my D&D game. Some of my players want to try out Pathfinder, and so I've decided to make my own adventure.

Now here's where it gets interesting; I absolutely adore the horror genre (especially lovercraftian or gothic horror), and try to work elements into all of my games. I'm working on a madness/insanity system for Pathfinder due to my displeasure with the one in the GameMastery Guide (in another thread) and decided to run a game set in what equates rather completely to dark ages Britain, with heavy influence by the fairie folk. This is a short game, lasting only one (or perhaps two) sessions.

I want the main focus to be that one of the players has recently had a baby, and during a raid on their hamlet the baby is surreptitiously replaced with a farie changeling. The adventure will feature plenty of investigation, as well as a couple riddles/puzzles. I was hoping that I could get some help with fleshing out this idea. It is meant to be heavily laden in horror.

So far I have a rough outline;
- all of the characters live in the same small fishing/farming village
- during a raid on the village (in which the players are probably members of the local militia), one of the character's child is abducted and replaced with a changeling
- Skip ahead either a year or eighteen years and the child is showing signs of its true heritage
- Some investigation follows, eventually proving the child to be inhuman and leading the characters to search for aid to reclaim the lost child
-eventually end up seeking the aid of a leprechaun or similar fairie
-must aid the leprechaun in some way, at which point he supplies them with a riddle
-the riddle is somewhat ambiguous (of course) and leads the characters in roughly the right direction, but at a crossroads they will either encounter certain death, or a path to the missing child (depending on their interpretation/misinterpretation of the riddle)
-a few haunting encounters with fey on the way to the child, followed by an encounter with a fey ceremony (otherworldy and invoking Horror checks as per my houserules) from which they must save the child

Any help would be much appreciated. Generally I have no problem completing an adventure, but for some reason the changeling theme of this one has me running circles in my head.

 

[Dingo333]

for Fey creatures, there are a lot in the bestiary 2, I don't know what level you are thinking but it has a jabberwokey (CR 23 or "young" CR20), considered a creature from the fey realm. There are also other fey that are very interesting, and many other creatures with an evil alignment.

As for the story, maybe toss in a "van helsing" NPC (easily done with the inquisitor class from APG or the ranger class, fey as primary favored enemy) that is passing by, and is the one to discover the "changeling" and perhaps lead the party along the quest, or provide guidance in parts (will allow you to also experience the game as a player as well)

There is a sorcerer bloodline connected to the Fey. I wouldn't allow any players to take that one but you could use it as children taken generations ago mingled with their fey captors, producing half fey(?) with the fey bloodline (only change I would make is the laughing touch is now a touch of madness (1d?+1/2 levels drain to random mental score, and fear/horror/madness check afterward) as a ranged touch attack, Cha+3 per day, 30 ft)

Another option is Druids. They have a strong connection to the fey and nature, either have them as trying to restore balance (helping PC) or in hindering the enemies of the fey.

Final Idea is Gnomes are close to fey, you could use them as a base to make your own fey. possibly combine them with gremlin traits (beastiary 2)

One more thing. This sounds like a cool idea, any chance you could post how the game goes? how the players like it so on?

 

[Aspect of Veles]

I've been thinking about it, and I am changing a few things, notably the length of time before the changeling is discovered and the Leprechaun. The Leprechaun is now a fomorian (a fairie which steals the body parts of humans and animals to replace its own) who requires a sacrifice of a limb, either from the PCs or a hard to defeat creature. There will be a puzzle at the end involving fey clones of the child as well.

Also I will be including an opening at the end for a campaign start (which I may follow up on with more adventures if my group likes it/I have time). This will follow the chance that the players accidentally take home a clone instead of the real child at the end, and, while it grows up at a normal speed (whereas the last changeling didn't), once it reaches adulthood it becomes a monster (either more literal or a more human monster ala Mordred of Arthurian legend) whom the PCs, or their children/descendants must deal with, as the parents did come to love it, but now it's a monster.

One more thing. This sounds like a cool idea, any chance you could post how the game goes? how the players like it so on?

I may not run it for a couple months (and I still have to write it!) but I do plan on blogging it, probably somewhere on this site. I also plan on uploading the PDF once I get it written (although it may be a little sparse).

On the subject of the gnomes and fey bloodline, etc; I really like the Fey bloodline change you suggested, and may use it if a chance opens itself up for a player (presumably whose character has died) to play a half-fey type character. The town will be primarily Human and Halfling, with a few Dwarves and maybe a half-elf or two (I haven't decided). I love Gnomes, but they just don't seem right as PCs in this case.

I should be uploading my complete madness rules in the next few days to my other thread, and perhaps an attempt at a fomorian stat-block after that.

 

[Dingo333]

Glancing through the beastiary 2, I came across a fey that, IMO, would be perfect for your madness/horror idea. It is a creature that "turns conventional wisdom on its head" quote from its lore section.

The Lurker in Light is on page 180 of the Beastiary 2. It is invisible in bright light. It has a Super Natural ability called ritual gate. This gate sacrifices humanoids in order to summon allies (any elemental or fey) or to escape to elemental material or fey planes. It is a CR5 creature, easily adjusted to enhance for more

It does kinda change why the kid is being kidnapped, timeline to find the kid, but a lurker would be better able to do the kidnapping. Maybe a fey bloodline sorcerer to "control" the kidnapped kids with Charm Person lvl1 spell.

Your game, your decision what to use, I am just tossing out ideas

 

[Aspect of Veles]

I haven't decided yet exactly what kidnaps the child, but I was thinking a Derro, although a Lurker in the Light does seem well-fitted. They wouldn't encounter this creature until the end of the adventure, at which time, after a possible combat encounter, it would offer them the doppleganger puzzle.

Also, a possible idea I'm tossing around is that the characters must carry the changeling with them to return it to the fairies, only to have it be rejected because its not a farie child - they stole it from something else! (Although this could prove tedious, so I'm still juggling the idea.)

 

[Aspect of Veles]

I will also be writing up a quick overview of the area/mini-campaign world the adventure takes place in, as certain races are either changed or ommitted, and the overall feel of the world needs to fit into a certain niche, requiring me to detail dieties, changes to certain fey creatures, and the world immediately surrounding the village.

 

[Dingo333]

The PF pantheon is pretty good imo, only change for your world would be a fey focused Deity, if you feel you need others, it is your choice

I wouldn't have them carry the changeling, as there is no way to do that and allow them to fight in combat (maybe a caster with still spell). Also encumbrance would be an issue

 

[Aspect of Veles]

Story-wise, I almost think the changeling needs to accompany them, but actually it wouldn't have to be carried, because it's going to be able to walk.

Diety-wise, I have no problem with the pathfinder panthion, but for at least this game I'm going to use the Tuatha de Danaan of gaelic mythology, simply because it fits the world better. I will also be leaving a fey option open, as well as a few foreign dieties (some of which may be from the pathfinder pantheon).