Halloween Adventures?

[Greenfield]

My group is about to embark on our annual Halloween adventure. Each year one of us prepares a spooky special, often a mirror (or parody) of a classic horror theme.

One of ours, which was related over in the Story Hour forum, was the classic Werewolf story. Except we turned it on its head: In the original Wolfman films, Bela the Gypsy bites Larry Talbot and is quickly killed, beaten to death by a silver headed cane.

In our version, Bela the Gypsy is a little boy kidnapped by the bad guys who hope to make him bite someone and get the "Wolf Man" curse running rampant through a major city. It was the PC's job to save Bela and protect the city.

Others have involved a PC being called to the house of a great uncle who died recently. The reading of the will is to take place at midnight, and the house itself is out on a rocky promontory overlooking the sea, on a dark and stormy night, at the end of a poor dirt road that leads out through the moors, and tends to get washed out with the slightest hint of rain. Oh, and don't go into the east wing of the great house please. It's closed off for a reason. Really. And then of course, there's a murder. And a werewolf. And a ghost. And the creepy old butler who is the only servant left. And somehow, the family fortune isn't mentioned in the will, and is missing. Get the picture?

So, do any of you have a classic Halloween story planned for the next few weeks?

 

[Dandu]

Others have involved a PC being called to the house of a great uncle who died recently. The reading of the will is to take place at midnight, and the house itself is out on a rocky promontory overlooking the sea, on a dark and stormy night, at the end of a poor dirt road that leads out through the moors, and tends to get washed out with the slightest hint of rain.

And the PC is legally genre blind.

 

[Greenfield]

Not at all. It turns out dear dead uncle was trying to become a lich. He'd invited the very distant relative (the PC) that nobody in the family knew with the plan of murdering him, then taking his place by use of the appropriate disguise/shape changing spells. That way he could leave the fortune to himself and nobody would know that it was still him. (The family business connections really did frown upon undeath.)

And he would have gotten away with it if it weren't for those meddling PCs!

 

[Kinak]

I was always fond of Jacob's Well from Dungeon 43. I'd say it's an Alien homage, but I've heard people compare it to The Thing as well.

As far as this year, we'll hopefully be starting The Skinsaw Murders (Pathfinder #2) around then, which should bring a dose of horror to the heroes of Sandpoint

Cheers!
Kinak

 

[Dandu]

Not at all. It turns out dear dead uncle was trying to become a lich. He'd invited the very distant relative (the PC) that nobody in the family knew with the plan of murdering him, then taking his place by use of the appropriate disguise/shape changing spells. That way he could leave the fortune to himself and nobody would know that it was still him. (The family business connections really did frown upon undeath.)

And he would have gotten away with it if it weren't for those meddling PCs!

Wouldn't it be much simpler to donate his fortune to a political cause, social organization, or individual whom he is secretly manipulating behind the scenes?

 

[Greenfield]

He'd still need a living persona of some kind. Besides, if he did that, how would I bring the PCs into the adventure?

 

[Grogg of the North]

A ran an adventure where I used a death knight as The Headless Horseman. Coincidentally, he'll be returning to the scene in my game soon!

I've also ran an adventure where the PCs had to collect the harvest for the local lord. It included food, wool, and the occasional humanoid.

Usually for Halloween though, I use candy to represent the monsters on the map. Whatever you kill you get to eat. Very hack 'n slash. Very popular.

 

[Stormonu]

I usually run something Ravenloft.

The one beginning I love to use is having the party visiting the Blood on the Vine Tavern one evening. There's of course, several gypies in the tavern, brooding over their drinks. One looks like he's been in a brawl.

When the PCs have settled in, that's when the front door blows open amd there stands Strahd, flanked by two vampire spawn. "That's him," he states, pointing to the roughed-up gypsy. "Bring me his head," Strahd commands, and then adds, "leave no witnesses."

With a growl, the gypsy leaps up, overturning the table as he does. In the moment, his feature twist and transform, reavealing him to be a werewolf. His howl of rage is met with several other growls, as his gypsy brothers that were brooding in the dark corners likewise reveal their canine shapes.

The great werewolf's howl is cut short as a blast of black power from Strahd himself pummels the wolfman. But the strike does not kill. The wolf glowers at the count even as the wounds close before the party's eyes.

Somewhere behind the bar, the barkeep cries to the gods for mercy as the vampires and werewolves leap at each other and the remaining patrons scramble aside, looking for a way out.

Pull this on a 1st or 2nd level party and just enjoy the terror it spawns.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Not this year, but classic I6 Ravenloft is always a good choice.