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<blockquote data-quote="evilbob" data-source="post: 6848865" data-attributes="member: 9789">More ideas:Part of the cleverness of the initial hook is that children aren't really expected to know much about what's going on, and they instantly elicit sympathy from nearly any character (especially with talk of a monster - i.e. XP).&nbsp; It's harder to do that with someone who is, say, a maid who is really the master's mistress.&nbsp; She should both know what's going on AND want to go back in the house.&nbsp; Maybe she tells the group something that implies there's a domestic disturbance?&nbsp; That would give her reason to be both tight-lipped and not want to go back in, and give the party some reason to go in.&nbsp; Although less chivalrous members might simply say, &quot;who cares?&quot;&nbsp; (Or more neutral-y:&nbsp; &quot;this isn't our concern.&quot;)&nbsp; In that case maybe she could offer them a reward?&nbsp; Like information about a &quot;treasure in the basement&quot; - she knows they keep valuable things down there, just not all the other stuff.&nbsp; Or maybe she was a part of the original cult and this is how they lured others in, with a fake damsel?&nbsp; Although I think I like it better if she just got swept up in it all instead - it also makes more sense why they would turn on her and just dump her body in the attic; she was found out (maybe the Mrs. killed her).&nbsp; Then again, it's hard to imagine even the original nanny not being a part of the cult; at the very least she'd know about all the people coming and going (or not going).&nbsp; Still, I sort of like her as the maid being found out by the Mrs. and then killed, and then her ghost reporting the domestic argument that she continued to hear without believing she was dead.&nbsp; (And when you find her body, she turns on you in madness?&nbsp; That's kind of meh.)Thinking the attic through, the doll house could actually just be a miniature house and still work; it's more like a Beetlejuice vibe.&nbsp; There could even be most of a model of the town, just to carry that theme - plus it would make more sense why that room was locked (it's just a weird hobby in a house full of weird hobbies).&nbsp; That would draw anyone in (at least in our group) and you could just remove the search DC so that they're going to find the clue (the original plot forces you to find it anyway, so no reason to have a roll).&nbsp; Maybe even reward the group for avoiding fighting the specter and have the maid explain things if they make it this far without disturbing her remains?&nbsp; Nah, that's sort of hit or miss and it doesn't follow well.&nbsp; I not really sure how to recreate the &quot;punch&quot; of the ghosts just wanting not to be abandoned; that's a nice bit and I hate to lose it, though.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="evilbob, post: 6848865, member: 9789"] More ideas: Part of the cleverness of the initial hook is that children aren't really expected to know much about what's going on, and they instantly elicit sympathy from nearly any character (especially with talk of a monster - i.e. XP). It's harder to do that with someone who is, say, a maid who is really the master's mistress. She should both know what's going on AND want to go back in the house. Maybe she tells the group something that implies there's a domestic disturbance? That would give her reason to be both tight-lipped and not want to go back in, and give the party some reason to go in. Although less chivalrous members might simply say, "who cares?" (Or more neutral-y: "this isn't our concern.") In that case maybe she could offer them a reward? Like information about a "treasure in the basement" - she knows they keep valuable things down there, just not all the other stuff. Or maybe she was a part of the original cult and this is how they lured others in, with a fake damsel? Although I think I like it better if she just got swept up in it all instead - it also makes more sense why they would turn on her and just dump her body in the attic; she was found out (maybe the Mrs. killed her). Then again, it's hard to imagine even the original nanny not being a part of the cult; at the very least she'd know about all the people coming and going (or not going). Still, I sort of like her as the maid being found out by the Mrs. and then killed, and then her ghost reporting the domestic argument that she continued to hear without believing she was dead. (And when you find her body, she turns on you in madness? That's kind of meh.) Thinking the attic through, the doll house could actually just be a miniature house and still work; it's more like a Beetlejuice vibe. There could even be most of a model of the town, just to carry that theme - plus it would make more sense why that room was locked (it's just a weird hobby in a house full of weird hobbies). That would draw anyone in (at least in our group) and you could just remove the search DC so that they're going to find the clue (the original plot forces you to find it anyway, so no reason to have a roll). Maybe even reward the group for avoiding fighting the specter and have the maid explain things if they make it this far without disturbing her remains? Nah, that's sort of hit or miss and it doesn't follow well. I not really sure how to recreate the "punch" of the ghosts just wanting not to be abandoned; that's a nice bit and I hate to lose it, though. [/QUOTE]

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