Remathilis
Legend
Hand in your geek card sir.
Halloween Creepyness....
Hand in your geek card sir.
pukunui
Legend
I've requested it from the library, but since today is a public holiday, I won't be able to pick it up till tomorrow. I'm hoping it'll give me some good ideas, though.
Uh. Thanks?
LOL.
Also, I made my own thread on the subject: http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/295941-star-wars-halloween-special.html
jaerdaph
#UkraineStrong
Evilhalfling
Adventurer
In the dark and storm you can only guess at the islands size - 600-700' tall, and a mile or two long. It seems to be merely a mass of piled boulders, with little or no plant life. The sound of the storm winds whistling over the rocks sets you on edge, or is it more than the wind?
Current ideas:
1) The PCs find a cave that provides shelter from the storm.
- until the tide changes and it floods. (skills may provide warning of this)
2) remembered tales of a haunted isle where people were sacrificed to abominations from the deep sea. Other successful skill rolls will add information, but not hint at any solution.
3) a sailor trying to climb out of the ocean, and being pulled down by tentacles.
- the same sailor older, and pale skinned trying again, and again being pulled under.
- rotting zombie sailor (as above)
4) passing a note to a player, and have them imitate a little girl crying as she temporarily possess them.
- Help, help
- later "daddy daddy",
- lastly "why are you leaving me here?,come back."
5) wolves howling.
6) cries of people out in the water, drowning
7) one of the PCs who was wounded by the slaad in a previous battle shows signs of being implanted.
Current ideas:
1) The PCs find a cave that provides shelter from the storm.
- until the tide changes and it floods. (skills may provide warning of this)
2) remembered tales of a haunted isle where people were sacrificed to abominations from the deep sea. Other successful skill rolls will add information, but not hint at any solution.
3) a sailor trying to climb out of the ocean, and being pulled down by tentacles.
- the same sailor older, and pale skinned trying again, and again being pulled under.
- rotting zombie sailor (as above)
4) passing a note to a player, and have them imitate a little girl crying as she temporarily possess them.
- Help, help
- later "daddy daddy",
- lastly "why are you leaving me here?,come back."
5) wolves howling.
6) cries of people out in the water, drowning
7) one of the PCs who was wounded by the slaad in a previous battle shows signs of being implanted.
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Evilhalfling
Adventurer
Play report.
The creepy was not entirely successful, but a fun adventure.
The most memorable moments were the PCs almost escaping the haunted reefs, only to hit a summoned storm that blew them right back in.
The cold, wind and rain made more of an impression on the players than the creepy happenings, and the frustration of being trapped where they did not want to be, and knowing that bad things were going to continue to happen to them. It worked equally well on players and characters.
They did not role-play the little girls possession and crying for help, the howling wolves didn't seem enough out of place on the deserted isle. After the second phantom the PCs dismissed them as false lures, possibly by sirens. increased threat of physical violence would have created more fear, as PCs were down to Zero daily powers, and 2 surges each.
The main problem is that my players and I are rarely serious, and I had forgotten we named the ship the SS Minnow. When the ship broke on the reefs, the captain in despair, planned to go down with the ship, blaming himself for all the misfortunes (true).
One of the PCs ran over and stole his hat. "You won't be needing this *yoink*
The last comic bit was when the PCs finally caught up with the cultists responsible, who were led by a witch. The wizard PC used his summoned Dretch to knock her out instead of killing her. The Dretch, which I always describe as "annoying, stinky, and pumpkin shaped demons" was inexplicably bright orange for this adventure. He knocked her out and then sat on her, oozing various substances, and moaning.
Anyway, I lean far more to comedy than horror. I should prolly just play to it.
They got her to confess that the cultists were tormenting them to retrieve the statue of Asmodeous the PCs took from the sunken ship. Since I had not planned for dialog, I missed the chance to play up a the witch angle. and had her just give the relevant information. Her partner had escaped, and will be seen again. The PCs seized the cultists boat and finally got away.
The creepy was not entirely successful, but a fun adventure.
The most memorable moments were the PCs almost escaping the haunted reefs, only to hit a summoned storm that blew them right back in.
The cold, wind and rain made more of an impression on the players than the creepy happenings, and the frustration of being trapped where they did not want to be, and knowing that bad things were going to continue to happen to them. It worked equally well on players and characters.
They did not role-play the little girls possession and crying for help, the howling wolves didn't seem enough out of place on the deserted isle. After the second phantom the PCs dismissed them as false lures, possibly by sirens. increased threat of physical violence would have created more fear, as PCs were down to Zero daily powers, and 2 surges each.
The main problem is that my players and I are rarely serious, and I had forgotten we named the ship the SS Minnow. When the ship broke on the reefs, the captain in despair, planned to go down with the ship, blaming himself for all the misfortunes (true).
One of the PCs ran over and stole his hat. "You won't be needing this *yoink*
The last comic bit was when the PCs finally caught up with the cultists responsible, who were led by a witch. The wizard PC used his summoned Dretch to knock her out instead of killing her. The Dretch, which I always describe as "annoying, stinky, and pumpkin shaped demons" was inexplicably bright orange for this adventure. He knocked her out and then sat on her, oozing various substances, and moaning.
Anyway, I lean far more to comedy than horror. I should prolly just play to it.
They got her to confess that the cultists were tormenting them to retrieve the statue of Asmodeous the PCs took from the sunken ship. Since I had not planned for dialog, I missed the chance to play up a the witch angle. and had her just give the relevant information. Her partner had escaped, and will be seen again. The PCs seized the cultists boat and finally got away.
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pukunui
Legend
My "Halloween Special" didn't turn out to be particularly creepy either, although I think I still managed to surprise my players. I wasn't really expecting to be able to scare them, although it would've been nice.
The PCs were still on the planet of Cato Neimoidia, and I had decided to have them get stranded on a derelict space station overrun with Half-Life 2-inspired headcrabs and zombies. So first I ran them through a little scripted bit to get them off the planet.
One of the players didn't like the look of the junky freighter I gave them and wanted to find an alternative (and cried "Here comes the train!" when I said there wasn't an alternative - at least not one with a hyperdrive), even going so far as to try to steal the other ship I had stuck in the derelict station's hangar bay. Luckily for me, when his PC went to activate the ship's computer, I started it off as hostile and he proceeded to roll very badly, which locked him out.
But then he went a little metagamey: when I said that the repair bay that would be the most likely place to have spare parts for their ship was on the other side of the station, he decided he would have everyone go outside and traverse the hull of the station and then go back in through a maintenance hatch. I went along with it because I didn't want any more accusations of railroading - besides, it was a clever idea and I couldn't see any reason to say no. However, it did mean that I was not able to build up any suspense or anticipation, so when the big reveal with the zombies and headcrabs finally came, I think it fell a little flat.
However, they were not expecting suicide-bomber zombies with grenades.
We didn't get all the way through it, so they're still on the station ... they have to go repair the ship and then go deactivate the stuck-on tractor beam that's holding their ship in the station's hangar bay. So I still have a chance to make things a bit more scary ... hopefully.
In retrospect, though, I think it may have been simpler - and potentially more fun - if I had just had the zombies and headcrabs attack them as they were trying to make their way off the planet instead of forcing them onto a derelict space station. I could have thrown in some stormtroopers as well, and maybe the PCs could have gotten caught in the crossfire. Isn't hindsight great?
The PCs were still on the planet of Cato Neimoidia, and I had decided to have them get stranded on a derelict space station overrun with Half-Life 2-inspired headcrabs and zombies. So first I ran them through a little scripted bit to get them off the planet.
One of the players didn't like the look of the junky freighter I gave them and wanted to find an alternative (and cried "Here comes the train!" when I said there wasn't an alternative - at least not one with a hyperdrive), even going so far as to try to steal the other ship I had stuck in the derelict station's hangar bay. Luckily for me, when his PC went to activate the ship's computer, I started it off as hostile and he proceeded to roll very badly, which locked him out.
But then he went a little metagamey: when I said that the repair bay that would be the most likely place to have spare parts for their ship was on the other side of the station, he decided he would have everyone go outside and traverse the hull of the station and then go back in through a maintenance hatch. I went along with it because I didn't want any more accusations of railroading - besides, it was a clever idea and I couldn't see any reason to say no. However, it did mean that I was not able to build up any suspense or anticipation, so when the big reveal with the zombies and headcrabs finally came, I think it fell a little flat.
However, they were not expecting suicide-bomber zombies with grenades.
We didn't get all the way through it, so they're still on the station ... they have to go repair the ship and then go deactivate the stuck-on tractor beam that's holding their ship in the station's hangar bay. So I still have a chance to make things a bit more scary ... hopefully.
In retrospect, though, I think it may have been simpler - and potentially more fun - if I had just had the zombies and headcrabs attack them as they were trying to make their way off the planet instead of forcing them onto a derelict space station. I could have thrown in some stormtroopers as well, and maybe the PCs could have gotten caught in the crossfire. Isn't hindsight great?
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