Campaign Idea: The Ghost of Carl Kolchak Help Wanted

[VirgilCaine]

Before Scully or Mulder did anything, Kolchak: The Night Stalker did everything.

Kolchak is an old TV show that would make a good D20 Modern campaign.

In it, the main character, Carl Kolchak was a reporter for the I.N.S.-Independent News Service, a minor newspaper chain that apparently had offices in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles, and perhaps other locations.

Kolchak, a middleaged, connected reporter, confronted various classic and original supernatural threats--zombies (raised via Haitian voodoo), vampires, werewolves, as well as aliens, at least two ghosts, and the Missing Link.

Sounds great, right? Gives the PCs an excuse to be nosy, lets the GM use a mission-based adventure style. A good base for a Call of Cthulhu campaign or a D20 Modern campaign with tinges of the paranormal or horror aspects.

Problem is, I can't figure out how to fit four (or more) people into a single team. Reporter, okay, cameraman, okay. General consultant, okay.

What other function could someone serve on this type of investigative team? I'd like to be able to have four continous players, without one changing characters all the time.

A combat specialist or bodyguard isn't really appropriate, as they aren't directly in harms way...or aren't supposed to be. The cameraman can handle technical issues, the reporter makes a good faceman, the consultant can handle research and knowledge checks.

Help, please?

 

[Prest0]

This sounds ready-made to what you're after.

http://www.12tomidnight.com/setting/setting.htm

 

[VirgilCaine]

Thats similar to what I proposed, but not exactly. What I would like is help finagling a way to fit four people in an "adventuring group."

 

[trancejeremy]

How about an intern?

Or...

I think sometimes they use a driver for the van (though I imagine the cameraman often does that.) Or maybe a producer or something tags along.

Or maybe a washed up actor as host/narrator? Riker, the Star Trek guy, has done of bunch of those. Dean Cain does Ripley's Believe it or not. Mike Farrell of MASH fame did a rather silly UFO special. Robert Stack did Unsolved Mysteries, along with Pierce Bronson's wife.

And documentries often feature washed up actors/celebs.

And I do think they do sometimes send a security guy along. Probably not armed, but ya never know.

 

[trancejeremy]

Ooooh! How about a psychic? I remember that old show, "Sightings", they would often have a psychic along when they investigated stuff. Peter what's his name.

 

[Bran Blackbyrd]

I've known about Kolchak for ages, unfortunately I've only had the good fortune to see two or three episodes.

Any time you have a team of paranormal investigators there's always a few people running the fancy electronic devices; Magnetometers, temperature gauges, sound recording devices, infrared and nightvision cameras, motion-activated cameras, those new fancy laser thermometers...
Plenty of excuses to add one more person to the team.
Also of use would be a historian and/or charismatic type to get information from the locals.

trancejeremy: Nice. Yeah, they usually have a pychic or some such person with them. Interestingly enough, the host of Sightings is now a news anchor for the local NBC affiliate.

 

[Wombat]

Man, I loved Nightstalker when it aired -- didn't miss an episode! Great show when you are a geeky teen

Darren McGavin rules! AND he was great as The Old Man in A Christmas Story

 

[dren]

As noted earlier, scientific guys are great tag-alongs as are psychics. But I think they work the best together.

Hired muscle should always be included, cause what happens when some of the local crime element tries to work with a vampire, lich, etc.

Similiar to scientists, proffessors of history or archaeology work wonders.

Ex police officers or even ex-priests are pretty nice too. And, instead of a reporter, how about an occult novelist?

Think of anyone who had a previous connection with the occult and has experienced loss. Mulder lost his sister. What happens when somebody loses a wife or lover? How about someone cursed? or was cursed and wants to help the investigator. Family members of anyone already indicated can be a great way to get someone involved.

Hope some of these ideas help. Have fun, sounds like you have some great ideas already!

 

[VirgilCaine]

Thanks for all the help people. Good to hear that there's fans of the show here. It's been showing lately on Brilliant but Cancelled on TRIO and on the Scifi channel on daytime weekday TV.

 

[LoneWolf23]

You can have:
-The Reporter
-The Cameraman
-The Occult Specialist
-The Intern doubling as the Reporter's assistant
-The street-wise connected assistant...