11-18-2014, 11:46 AM
This is my first roleplay here on RPG Solo. I've chosen a horror adventure with Lovecraftian influences. I really like this tool and I will use it again. I hope everyone enjoys my adventure. I start with a simple character generation, then a location and then a goal at this location and a reason for my goal.
Ambitious doctor.
Lip reading.
Sword fighting.
Cigars.
Mask.
Clearing.
Survey the rock formation.
Inquire / Dreams.
I am an ambitious doctor, skilled in lip reading and sword fighting. I have some cigars and a mask with me. I am at a clearing in the woods, my dreams have led me to this clearing. In this clearing there is a rock formation. I have come to survey this rock formation.
I walk closer to the rock formation. I start inspecting the formation. What do I see?
Politely / Disgusting.
There is a small dead animal behind one of the rocks. It is torn apart. I believe it was a rabbit once. I inspect the formation further. What do I see?
Ruthlessly / Lame.
I am unable to see anything in the formation. What happens next?
Introduce a new NPC.
Suddenly I see someone standing at the edge of the clearing. He or she is staring at me. Who is it?
Gloomy child.
It is a small child. It seems sad from where I am standing, but I can't tell for sure since he is still quite some distance away.
What is the child doing?
Befriend.
The child starts to speak in a sad voice: "Hello? Do you want to be my friend?"
I am not sure if the child is talking to me. Is the child talking to me?
Yes.
Yes, there is no one else here. The child is talking to me. The child seems lost. I say hello back to the child and start walking towards him, "are you lost?" I ask.
Does the child talk back?
No, and...
Move away from goal.
The child does not say anything anymore. Also, the child slowly starts to move into the woods. He is standing behind a bush now. I think he is afraid. I continue to walk toward him, and I say: "don't be afraid child."
Do I detect if something is holding the child back from coming to me?
Yes.
Something is slightly off. It almost seems as if something is with the child, keeping it from coming to me. What is it?
Demon.
I sense a dark energy. It seems like something is standing in the woods behind the child. Do I lose sanity points?
Yes.
Minor Injury: Largely superficial; painful and distracting, but not life threatening.
My sanity points go from 100 to 90.
Fear has striken me. There is something much more sinister in these woods. I have the feeling that I should flee, but I couldn't leave a defenseless child alone in these woods. Against my instinct I continue walking towards the child. What happens next?
PC positive.
Heal.
I feel oddly courageous. My sanity points are restored from 90 to 95. I march on. What happens next?
Illusions.
My feeling of courage quickly diminishes as the woods seem to start getting darker and I am getting closer to the edge of the clearing. My sanity points go down to 90 again.
The darkness and the sinister energy feels overwhelming. What happens next?
NPC Action.
Cruelty.
Frighteningly / Less.
Superb Colt revolver (.45 cal).
Then, all of a sudden, I see that the child is holding a gun. The child raises the gun and puts it inside his own mouth. Something must be controlling the child's actions! Does this affect my sanity points?
Yes, but...
not too much. My sanity points go from 90 to 80.
I shout "Stop! Don't do it!" as I watch with horror to what happens next. Does the child fire the gun?
Yes, but...
NPC Action.
Struggle.
The child seems to struggle against the demonic grip on his body. He wants to live. Sadly, the child succumbs to whatever sinister being is trying to control him and the gun fires. Blood splatters on the trees behind the child. It is a horrific and disgusting view. Do I lose sanity points?
Yes.
Negligible: Nick/Scratch/Bruise.
Oddly the scene does not affect me much. I feel emotionally numb as I watch the child's body fall to the ground. My sanity points drop from 80 to 75.
Now that I have failed to save the child, there is only one thing left to do. Flee from this horrid scene, flee from these dark woods. Can I get away safely from the demonic energy?
Yes, and... +Event: Overthrow / Riches
I start to run away from the scene. As I am running through the clearing, I come across the rock formation again. I accidentally trip over a stone. I fall on the ground and look back. I see a precious ruby was lieing under the stone I just knocked over. I pick it up. I continue running away. Where do I end up now?
Ornate bridge.
I get to the old stone bridge. It is quite beautiful and decorated with statues and engravings. What happens next?
PC positive.
I see my car still parked at the other side of the bridge. I am happy that I'm almost back to safety. Do I reach my car before something else happens?
No.
Slave.
Butcher knife.
No, someone appears from the bushes and positions himself inbetween me and my car. He does not speak and there seems to be something odd about him. He is holding a butcher's knife. Does this affect my sanity?
No, and...
Mistrust.
Even though I instantly do not trust this individual, I do not fear him. I've seen more maddening things just a few minutes ago in the woods. Surely I could overcome this last hinderance to my safe escape? I choose to reason with him, am I successful?
No, but...
Postpone.
I ask the man to step aside and let me pass, as there is no reason to hurt me. The man does not speak back, he just stands there at the other side of the bridge. Maybe he is carefully thinking what to say or do? I try to observe my surroundings. Do I see anything useful?
No.
No there is nothing useful to see.
I try to bargain with the man and I offer the man my cigars. Am I successful?
No, and...
Pursue.
The man does not seem to be interested in my cigars. Even worse, he lifts up his knife and slowly starts to walk towards me.
I try to calculate my chances here, but I come to the conclusion that I should either try to fight this man or run back into the woods.
I realize I simply must get to my car. I hope my sword fighting skills are somewhat useful if I need to fight this man, even though I have no weapons with me now. I try to push the man over the side of the bridge, am I successful?
Yes, but...
Severe Injury: Incapacitating and may become Critical if untreated.
I run towards the man and try to push him over the side of the bridge. The man grunts and falls into the stream below the bridge. I am filled with joy, however, as I look down I see the buther's knife sticking out of my stomach. It is extremely painful and I hope no vital organs are damaged. I should get to a hospital quickly before I bleed to death. I hope I can still drive my car.
My hit points are decreased from 100 to 30.
I have now reached my car. I search for a first aid kit, do I find one?
Yes, and...
Messages.
Yes I see the first aid kit in my car and there are letters in my car.
I pull out the knife and apply first aid on myself. Am I successful?
Yes, and...
I found an unopened letter from an old friend. I don't understand how I haven't noticed it before.
The letter is not important now, I should still get to a hospital as fast as possible. I get into the car and start driving away. Do I get to the hospital without passing out?
Yes.
Luck must finally be on my side, I safely get to the hospital. There was little trafic on the road. I try to get out of my car, can I still stand up in my condition?
Yes.
Yes, I still have the strength to stand up. I walk towards the entrance of the hospital. Does one of the doctors see me?
Yes.
A doctor sees me and quickly rolls out a medical bed with some nurses. They put me on the medical bed and get me inside. I am saved.
I wake up in a hospital room. I am alone. It is night. My cigars, surgical mask and my ruby are gone. But I'm sure they're stored somewhere nearby. My hit points are back up to 70. I can feel that I'm drugged with morphine and I don't really feel any pain anymore. I look around the room. What do I see?
Droid component.
I see some medical equipment in the room. It is not important. What happens next?
One-armed zombie.
I hear footsteps on the hallway. The door has a window and I look if I can see who is walking there. Does the person walk past my window?
Yes.
The footsteps get louder, but it sounds more like the person is shuffling. He moves slowly. Then I see him walking past my door. I gasp as I see that the person is missing an arm, but I quickly come to the conclusion that he must be a patient. His arm must've been amputated for some reason. I wonder where he is walking to and why he is not in bed. I think that maybe he is a sleepwalker? I try to get back to sleep. Do I fall asleep?
No.
NPC negative.
Before I am able to fall back asleep I hear a loud thud as if a person fell down. Was it that one-armed man? Surely a nurse would come to his aid soon? Does a nurse come?
Yes.
A nurse comes quickly in the hallway. I hear some muffled sounds and voices. I am not sure what is going on.
Messages.
Then it is silent again on the hallway. The nurse probably brought the patient back to his room. I fall asleep again.
I start dreaming about my old friend. My friend whose letter I still had to read. Then I dream about the clearing in the woods, the rock formation, the dead child, the demonic entity, the weird man at the bridge. In my dreams I can see the demon, his skin is black and there is fire in his eyes. I wake up. I feel frightened and I am very wet because of my sweat. The pain is starting to come back in my stomach. I look around the room.
Remote event.
I look through the window and see that the morning is coming. However, I can see dark clouds gathering in the distance.
NPC Action.
Humble mage.
A doctor enters the room, he has a calm and humble appearance.
Agree.
He also notices the clouds and remarks "I hope that storm does not come to this direction." But then he quickly focuses on me. "How are you feeling?" he asks. I say that it is starting to hurt again. He asks if I want some painkillers but I don't want any. He then tells me that a police officer is wanting to speak to me. The officer enters the room. He wants to know how I got my wound.
I tell him I was out hiking alone in the woods when a man suddenly came out of nowhere. I tell the officer that the man wanted to rob me, but that I tried to escape. He then stabbed me, but I still managed to get to my car. I look at the police officer. Hopefully he believes my story. Does he believe my story?
No, but...
the police officer says: "I think you're not telling the whole story here. How did you manage to escape after you got stabbed? You say you just ran away? Forgive me, but I would have expected more of a struggle. What happened to that man after he stabbed you?"
"I don't know." I say, "I just ran as fast I could". Does the officer believe me?
No.
The officer says he doesn't believe me. "Obviously you were in much pain, you couldn't have run very fast. This doesn't make any sense to me." The officer sighs. Then he grasps for something. It is the ruby I found in the woods. The officer asks me why I had a ruby with me if I was hiking in the woods.
I say I found the ruby in the woods. Does the officer believe me?
No. +Event: Activity / War
The officer shakes his head, but just as he wants to say something, gun shots are fired outside of the hospital. The officer runs to the window to see what is going on.
Bully.
Damaged hiking boots.
Someone is screaming, "you wrecked my boots! You will pay for this!" And more gunshots are fired. "What are those hillbillies doing here?" the officer shouts and runs out of the room.
Ambiguous event.
Oddly / Messy.
It is not very clear what happens next. People are running up and down the hallway. People are screaming and shouting and more gunshots are heard. It is very chaotic for several minutes and then it is silent again. What happens next?
Offensively / Dark.
I look out of the window and see that the dark clouds are coming closer very fast. I hear thunder and shortly after it starts to rain very hard. It is really dark outside. The storm has come.
NPC Action.
Mischievous time lord.
Guide.
A strange man suddenly enters the hospital room I'm staying in. He says "you must follow me, it is not safe here."
"Who are you?" I ask. Do I get an answer?
Yes.
Advice.
Peacefully / Extravagent.
"I am a friend", the man says, "you must trust me. Come, there is not much time!"
Remote event.
The thunder is getting louder, however, the hospital staff and the other patients seem very quiet. Maybe too quiet. Should you trust this strange man?
The situation is just absurd. Who does this man think he is? "Sorry, but, at least explain to me what is going on?!" I exclaim. How does the man react?
Deliberately / Rough.
Harm.
Superb laser rifle.
"I have no time for this." the man says as he equips himself with a strange and alien-looking device. I see a flash and then I am unconscious. Where do I wake up?
Poorly hidden hotel.
I wake up in what seems to be a hotel room.
I look around. Do I see anyone here?
Yes.
The strange man who knocked me unconscious is in the room with me.
What else is in the room?
Damaged leather jacket.
Old gas can.
Ammo (hunting rifle).
Lantern.
Ammo (shotgun).
There is a lot of stuff in the room, including: an old worn-out leather jacket, a gas can, a hunting rifle with ammo, a shotgun with some ammo and a lantern. "Ah you are awake!" the man says, "Excuse me for knocking you unconscious earlier, but there really was no time to explain. I barely got us out of that hospital in time. Here see this newspaper." The man shows me an article in a newspaper. The article reads: "hospital obliterated in heavy storm, many people dead".
Does this affect my sanity?
No, but... +Event: Inquire / Investment
The man asks me if I understand anything of the odd events that have occured recently.
I say I don't understand any of it and ask: "What is going on?" How does the man respond?
The man starts talking: "Well... I'm not sure if you'll understand, but you have unleashed a very old and powerful being by going to the woods the other day. It was calling you and you have responded. Now nothing is certain. It is my duty to contain malevolent entities such as the one you unleashed. I think you are still of importance, that's why I saved you from that hospital."
"What happens next?" I ask. How does the man respond?
Adventurously / Drab.
"I will either have to defeat it or contain it! Now is the time to strike, I believe it has used a lot of its resources in destroying that hospital. I need to find its core, the entity is likely still bound to something here on Earth, probably some sort of artifact."
Does the man's story affect my sanity?
No.
"How do I call you?" I ask. Does the man tell me his name?
No, but...
he says: "just call me 'Buddy', my name is not important. Pick up a weapon and let's go. My friend Giovanni is waiting for us in the lobby of this hotel."
I pick up the hunting rifle and put on the leather jacket. I check if the gas can has any fuel in it. Does it?
Yes.
I ask Buddy to pick up the lantern. He also picks up the shotgun. We go to the lobby. Do we get to the lobby without any event occuring?
Yes, and...
we meet Giovanni in the lobby. He also has a hunting rifle. "Are you guys ready?" he says with a big smile on his face.
I look around the lobby. Are there any other people here?
No, and... +Event: Work hard / Plans
Giovanni continues talking: "I've worked hard on researching this demon. There was not much information on it, but I think I know the ritual for containing it. We need to get to the rock formation as soon as possible."
I leave the hotel with Buddy and Giovanni.
Do we get to the forest without any other event occuring?
Yes.
The drive to the forest went flawless. There was not much traffic on the road. The sky is cloudy. We are now nearing the forest. What do we see?
Judgementally / Exotic.
Plans.
Super soldier.
A strange monster, certainly not of this world, is standing near the old bridge where I had my struggle with the odd knife-wielding man. The monster is big, it has twice the size of a man. It looks like it is guarding the forest. It must be part of the demon's plan. Buddy says it is not the demon itself. Giovanni stops the car at the side of the road. Does this affect the sanity of the ambitious doctor?
Yes, and...
the horrid sight of such a big and exotic monster amplifies the hit on sanity points with a modifier of +1.
Minor Injury: Largely superficial; painful and distracting, but not life threatening.
Luckily the doctor is still mostly able to contain himself. His sanity points drop from 75 to 65. Does the sight of the monster also affect the sanity of Buddy and Giovanni?
Yes, and...
even though they both have studied the occult and demonology, they still did not expect such a monster to be manifested so quickly. They are also hit with a modifier of +1. Buddy takes the following hit:
Moderate Injury: Hampers action significantly; will require first aid/medical attention.
Buddy's sanity points go down from 80 to 55. Giovanni takes the following hit:
Negligible: Nick/Scratch/Bruise.
Giovanni's sanity points go down from 90 to 85. Fear has striken in Buddy, but Giovanni shows more courage. "How do we take this monster down?" Buddy exclaims. "Relax," says Giovanni as he tries to comfort Buddy, "I think we should be able to gun it down, but I also think I know a ritual to make it disappear, we could also try to go around it."
What would you like to do?
I want to know more about the ritual, so I ask Giovanni: "what are the chances the ritual will work and what do we need for it?" How does Giovanni respond?
Aggressively / Nondescript.
Struggle / Food.
"Hey! Who said you could ask me anything?" Giovanni responds aggressively, "you think you're in charge here? We only keep you with us so we can keep the demon from getting even stronger, we think it still needs you for something, but we're not sure what it is."
"Well.. I.." I start, "I'm sorry I said anything." Does Buddy intervene?
Yes, and...
he picks the side of the doctor. "Stop it Giovanni," Buddy says, "the good doctor here is not trying to become the leader of our group, besides, I think it's a good idea to try to make the monster go away with a ritual. Do you think you can do it?"
"Maybe," says Giovanni. Does Giovanni have the items to do the ritual?
Yes.
What items are required?
Very high quality coin.
Old pole arm.
"I have this blessed coin and we need some sort of stick, there must be plenty of those in these woods. Let's go." Giovanni says and everybody gets out of the car. "Yo Doc, find me a stick will ya?" He tells the doctor.
What course of action do you decide on?
I go to the bushes near the road to find a stick. Do I find one?
Yes, and...
Map.
I find a stick and there is also an old map here of the area. Maybe it will come in handy. I can see the clearing on the map. What else do I see on the map?
Repurposed portal.
Workshop.
Housing project.
I can see a gate on the other side of the woods, there is also a workshop nearby, and I can see part of the nearby town on the map. I go back to Buddy and Giovanni who are now hiding behind some bushes a little closer to the monster.
"Good you found a stick." Buddy says, "Giovanni has already started the ritual." Buddy then continues to explain that I need to swing the stick in a particular motion for the ritual to be successful. I'm not entirely sure if they're serious or if it is a joke.
But I do as I'm told and swing the stick around, while Giovanni is holding the blessed coin and continues chanting. What happens next?
Gladly / Classy.
Vehicle.
The ritual seems to have some effect on the monster. It comes into motion. Strange spasms go through its body. I believe it is being transported away from here. It's quite a scary sight actually. Does it affect my sanity?
Yes.
Negligible: Nick/Scratch/Bruise.
It is a horrible sight to watch, but I feel courageous enough. My sanity points drop from 65 to 60. Is the ritual successful?
No.
Strange things are happening to the monster, strange things I cannot really explain. But it does not go away. Does Giovanni continue on with the ritual?
Yes, but...
NPC negative.
Giovanni continues with the ritual, but you can see that it takes quite a lot from him. He begins to shake. Is Giovanni able to finish the ritual now?
Yes, but...
Ambiguous event.
Failure.
Giovanni stops, but the monster is still there. "I... I finished the ritual." Giovanni says, "but it did not seem to work I see. I don't understand what went wrong." You hear the monster producing grunting sounds, is it coming closer?
No.
The monster is still standing there, guarding the bridge.
What action do you want take?
I propose to find a way around it. How do Buddy and Giovanni respond?
Kindly / Quaint.
"I have found this map." I say, "I think we can go around the monster if we take this route." I point at the map. Buddy and Giovanni look up. "Well, maybe that is indeed a good idea." Buddy responds, "We can't take the car though so we would have to walk." You quickly gather your stuff and start hiking through the woods. What happens next?
Generously / Interesting.
The mundane.
NPC Action.
The three of you walk through the woods, the forest really looks nice this time of the year. The flora interests you, but you keep on walking. Where do you end up?
Cavern.
Hastily / Mighty.
A quick walk through the woods leads you to a cavern. You already noticed the cavern on the map so you know you're on the right track. What do you do?
"I think we need to get through this cave. It should be safe enough, it shouldn't take us too long to get through it." I say.
The three of you enter the cave, what do you see?
Officially / Average.
Lazily / Dull.
It is just an average and dull cave, nothing of interest is to be seen here. Do we meet any opposition here?
No.
Do we get out of the cave now?
Yes, and...
there is something waiting for us at the end of the cave. What is it?
Roughly / Rustic.
Exterior factors.
It's just the forest, it looks as plain as usual. What happens next?
NPC Action.
Heal.
Fame.
Foolishly / Tranquil.
Giovanni starts talking, "It was not my fault the ritual failed though. I am actually really famous among us demon hunters. Just ask my friend over here. Ask him, he will tell you the same."
"Don't be so foolish, I think the doctor knows what you are talking about." Buddy responds.
I think it is better to keep silent and continue walking. What happens next?
NPC negative.
Oppose.
Saboteur.
Cruel pilot.
Quarrelsomely / Harsh.
All of a sudden a flying monstrous being appears from behind the trees. Some sort of gas is emitting from its body. It seems angry and it occasionally bumps against the trees. Does this sight affect our sanity?
No.
We are prepared to meet more monsters after seeing the monster at the bridge, this monster does not come as a surprise to us. We don't have the feeling that we are becoming more mad. We feel courageous enough to take this monster down. Does the bumping of the monster against the trees have any effect?
No.
The monster is coming towards us, but luckily it is not that fast. We still have time to react. Can I do something before Buddy or Giovanni does something?
No.
Release.
Communicate / New ideas.
"Let's shoot it down" Giovanni says as he lifts his hunting rifle. He fires a shot. Does he hit?
No, but...
Buddy also shoots. Does he hit?
No.
Both Giovanni and Buddy miss the monster, they only hit the trees behind the monster.
What action do you want to perform?
I think it's best to do the same as the others and shoot at the monster. Do I hit?
No, but...
Move towards goal.
Expose / Prison.
I notice that none of us can hit the monster. It might be some sort of magic preventing us from hitting the monster for all I know. I tell the others that I think something is preventing us from hitting the monster, maybe some sort of magic shield. How do they respond?
Mysteriously / Dirty.
Pursue / Joy.
"What do you know about magic?" Giovanni says and he aims at the monster again. Is he able to fire again before the monster reaches us?
No, but...
The monster has come too close now. Giovanni manages to dive away. Who does the monster attack?
3 = 3[d3]
The monster attacks the third person of our party (i.e. Giovanni). Does the monster hit?
Yes.
Minor Injury: Largely superficial; painful and distracting, but not life threatening.
The monster vomits some sort of disgusting substance over Giovanni. While utterly vile, it does not seem to hurt him much. His hit points go from 110 to 100. What does Buddy do?
Swiftly / Masculine.
Buddy quickly raises his shotgun again and shoots at the monster. He looks very coolheaded. Does he hit the monster?
No, but...
Again he misses the monster, and from a very short distance too! You feel more certain that the monster is indeed protected by magic. However, Buddy hits a tree behind the monster and a branch breaks off and falls down. The branch hits the monster.
Critical Injury: Requires immediate attention; clearly life-threatening if not immediately deadly.
Even more gas is emitting from the monster now, and fluids are dripping from its body. You can smell the stench of the monster. The monster begins to shake and a noise is coming from inside its body. Then it explodes. It is gone but everyone is covered in the monster's disgusting fluids. Everyone gets hurt from the explosion. How much damage does the doctor get?
Negligible: Nick/Scratch/Bruise.
The doctor wasn't standing too close to the monster. He only got some scratches and bruises. His hit points drop from 70 to 65. How much damage does Buddy get?
Negligible: Nick/Scratch/Bruise.
Buddy, even though he stood closer to the monster, is not damaged much either. His hit points decrease from 120 to 113. Giovanni, being almost directly under the monster gets damage with a modifier of +1. How much damage does he get?
Minor Injury: Largely superficial; painful and distracting, but not life threatening.
Giovanni was very lucky, the explosion did not affect him much. His hit points drop from 100 to 88.
Does an exploding monster affect my sanity?
Yes.
Severe Injury: Incapacitating and may become Critical if untreated.
Finally I grasp again the severity of the horror we are confronting. It is capable of spawning many horrible monsters of great variety. For example, a giant guard, and a exploding monster that floats through the air?! I have completely gone mad. This can't be real. Images of the dead child flash before me again. What have I got myself into? The doctor's sanity points drop from 60 to 20! He keeps saying, "this can't be real, this can't be real..."
Do these events also affect the sanity of Buddy and Giovanni?
Yes.
"I did not expect that it would explode" Buddy says. How much sanity points does he lose?
Minor Injury: Largely superficial; painful and distracting, but not life threatening.
Buddy loses 8 sanity points, going from 55 to 47. "What are we up to?" Giovanni says as he gasps for air. How much sanity points does he lose?
Negligible: Nick/Scratch/Bruise.
Giovanni is truely the bravest of the three. He gets up from the ground and brushes off the disgusting stuff from his clothes. "We must go on." he says. Giovanni's sanity has gone from 85 to 81.
"He's losing it, Giovanni," Buddy says, "the doctor is losing it."
"Well that was to be expected, to be honest." Giovanni says, "Come on, Doc, we must continue our mission. You need to stay with us so we can protect you."
Am I able to compose myself?
No. +Event: Negligence / Weapons
The doctor is unable to compose himself in this state. Once an ambitious doctor, he is now not much of the man he once was. He even drops his hunting rifle out of his hands. It falls in the monster's goo at his feet. How do the others respond?
Ferociously / Empty.
Ambush / A representative.
Buddy and Giovanni whisper a few things to each other. This is followed by Buddy taking out his weird device again, the same thing he used at the hospital.
"No! You're not gonna flash me again!" I shout. I'm filled with fear. They're gonna take me into the heart of the darkness. If I go any further with them I'll end up dead. Can I get away?
No.
I try to grab the hunting rifle I so stupidly had dropped on the ground. Am I successful?
Yes, and...
I pull the trigger. Firing a shot in the direction of Buddy. Damage is done on Buddy with a modifier of -3. How much damage does he get?
Negligible: Nick/Scratch/Bruise.
The bullet scratches Buddy's arm. His hit points drop from 113 to 108. "Ow!" he exclaims. Do I get an added bonus of him dropping his device?
Yes.
Buddy drops the strange alien-looking device on the ground. "Dammit!" he shouts, "you bastard!" How does Giovanni respond to all this?
Hopelessly / Odd.
Vengeance.
"You idiots!" Giovanni shouts and lifts his hunting rifle, aiming at you, "you're endangering our mission, we should've never taken you with us! You will pay for what you've done!" Does he shoot?
Yes.
Giovanni shoots, his aim is steady and he hits the once so ambitious doctor. His shooting skill, steady aim and short distance from the doctor gives him a modifier of +3 on his attack. The damage he does is:
Minor Injury: Largely superficial; painful and distracting, but not life threatening.
Luck is on the doctor's side! The doctor is hit in his arm, but it's not that bad. His hit points drop from 65 to 60. "Aargh!" the doctor exclaims. Disbelief is on the face of Giovanni, he does not seem to understand how he could've missed such an easy shot. Maybe he was too excited afterall? Does the doctor lose his balance from getting shot in his arm?
No.
The doctor does not even fall over from the shot. He is still standing. What should he do now? Fight or flee? Maybe pick up the strange device and use it on the two self-proclaimed demon hunters?
Still being filled with fear and now having made even more enemies. The doctor chooses to flee. He must get as far away from these woods as possible. Giovanni was right, the doctor should've never come back to this forest. Is the doctor able to get away?
Yes, but...
he runs into the wrong direction! This is not how he got here. This is not the way back to the cave! Do the demon hunters pursue him?
No. +Event: Befriend / Outside
The demon hunters do not seem to be following the doctor. The doctor stops for a moment to breathe and looks around. Then he spots someone standing nearby. Who is it?
Chaste janitor.
Positively / Fat.
Stop / Intrigues.
Flashlight.
It is a fat forest ranger. He tells me to stay where I am. He is holding a flashlight. Maybe he was looking for something. He continues talking: "did you hear those gunshots too? It wasn't you was it?" Then he spots the wound in your arm. "Hey, you've been shot! Are you alright? Are the people who did this still after you?" he looks around nervously.
"Yes," I say, "I can't stop now, I must get out of here!" How does the ranger respond?
Ferociously / Warlike.
"How many are there?" the ranger asks, "I won't allow those brigands to make my forest unsafe! I need to confront them! You have a rifle, you can help me with this. Come on, where are they?" The ranger walks past you, and peers into the woods, looking for any people coming out of that direction. Does anyone appear?
No.
How would you like to proceed now?
I don't have time for this nonsense. The thought runs through my head that I could shoot the ranger in his back, he won't see it coming, and I can continue trying to find a way out of here. But then I realize there's no point in shooting him. I try to quietly continue my way, without alerting the ranger. Do I succeed?
Yes.
The ranger keeps looking for the people who harmed me, he even uses his flashlight now, he still seems very nervous. I start to walk away quietly, I need to get away. I succeed in walking away. Do I reach a familiar place?
No.
What happens next?
Move away from goal.
Mockingly / Smelly.
I look at the map to see where I need to go, but I have no clue where I am. Even worse, I smell something really foul nearby. I think it might be a dead animal, but maybe it is one of those monsters? Is it a monster?
No.
I hear nothing. So I don't believe it is a monster. I continue moving further through the woods. What do I see?
Roughly / Damaged.
I see that the forest is badly damaged here, trees are broken off and fallen over. It might be the demon's doing. I hope I'm not getting close to the heart of the darkness. I still don't sense much dark energy around here, not as I did at the clearing. But I notice that I'm constantly looking around me, I'm feeling very paranoid. Do I see anything of interest?
Yes, and...
it is a path! If I just follow this path I see here, I'm sure I get out of these woods eventually! I start walking down the path. What will I meet on this path?
Several guards.
I walk on the path for a while, until I hear multiple people. I sounds like they're quite busy. Upon coming closer I notice that it is a group of police officers. They must have heard that something strange is going on in these woods and must have come to investigate. I have the feeling that I'm saved, but how would they react to my wounds and haggard look? Do they notice me standing on the path?
Yes.
They notice me standing on the path and one of the officers shouts: "hey you! Stop right there! We're coming to you!"
I don't want to get deeper into the woods, so I think it is best to wait for the police to come to me.
Does something strange occur while the police is coming to me?
No. +Event: Overthrow / Joy
I am filled with joy, I am saved. The police has finally caught up with me. They however notice my rifle. "He's got a rifle!" One officer shouts. "Drop your weapon!" Another one orders me.
I throw my rifle to the ground, it falls in the mud.
The police come to me, they don't seem amused. They order me to lie down on the ground. Then they handcuff me. I am being taken away by the police.
"What's going on?" I ask, "am I under arrest?" Thoughts of paranoia are racing through my head, maybe the demon is controlling the police. Am I really safe? How does the police respond?
Softly / Valuable.
"Relax," one officer says, "we just don't want you to do anything crazy. You look like a train wreck you know, we don't know if we can trust you, that's all. We're gonna ask you some questions." Do the police want to question me here or at the police station?
1 = 1[d2]
Option 1, they want to question me here.
Two officers start to question me, while two other officers stand on guard. Several other officers continue to scout the area. The officers that are questioning me want to know what happened to me.
I'm not really sure what to say to the officers. Does my madness still allow me to tell a coherent story?
No. +Event: Celebrate / Legal matters
I try to search for words and mumble a bit. "They're after me," I say, "Everyone is going to die. We must leave. You must believe me." The police officers have heard enough, they're taking me with them. If I wasn't before, I am under arrest now. Are they able to get me to the police car without anything happening?
No, and...
a heavy wind comes up and the trees start to creak. I get the idea that the sky is getting darker. I am not sure what is going on, and neither are the police. Then a monster appears out of the forest. How many monsters appear?
2 = 1[d5]+1
DSD1 dwarf spider droid.
Intensely / Less.
Personal force field.
There are two monsters, the first monster is a huge spider-like being, the wind is blowing around it pulling trees out of the ground, throwing them away. Acting like a force field the wind does not allow the trees to hit the spider.
Slime-covered zombie.
Helpfully / Damaged.
Archery.
Ammo (hunting rifle).
The second monster is a big humanoid figure covered in slime. It looks like it is already damaged, but looks can deceive. It is slowly moving towards us. I am handcuffed and the police are holding me, I can't do anthing.
The police are startled by the appearance of the monsters. Do I lose sanity points?
No, but...
the police hold their ground. They will try to protect me. We are on the move, we are moving again to the police cars. The police officers ready their guns.
Trees are being tossed around by the spider entity. Does a tree fall on the doctor?
No.
Does a tree fall on a police officer?
No, but...
a tree does fall on the slime monster. How much is he damaged?
Critical Injury: Requires immediate attention; clearly life-threatening if not immediately deadly.
Was the slime monster able to attack before being critically hit by a tree?
Yes, but...
The slime monster slowly approaches the police officers. All of a sudden it starts to spit slime in the direction of police, but it misses. Then it is hit by a tree. The tree crushes the slimey humanoid and it falls apart into one big disgusting mess. That is one monster down, but are we lucky enough to get out alive? The police officers start to shoot at the spider entity. Does it have any effect?
No.
It is useless, the police cannot harm the spider monster. The bullets are either thrown off by the heavy winds or hit the trees that are being tossed around. The group is almost at the police car, but the spider is getting closer. Does a tree hit the doctor?
Yes.
The doctor had come very far, but then one tree flies directly towards him. How many officers are crushed before the tree hits the doctor?
4 = 4[d4]
All officers running together with the doctor are crushed by the falling tree. Blood splatters around and body parts and intestines are scattered over the ground. How much damage does the doctor get from the tree? The falling tree gets a modifier of +10.
Killed.
After almost succumbing completely to his madness, the doctor is completely crushed together with the police officers. This is the end for our ambitious doctor. Has the demon won? Who will know... maybe the demon hunters will finally find a way to stop it, or maybe not. But that is a different story to tell.
Ambitious doctor.
Lip reading.
Sword fighting.
Cigars.
Mask.
Clearing.
Survey the rock formation.
Inquire / Dreams.
I am an ambitious doctor, skilled in lip reading and sword fighting. I have some cigars and a mask with me. I am at a clearing in the woods, my dreams have led me to this clearing. In this clearing there is a rock formation. I have come to survey this rock formation.
I walk closer to the rock formation. I start inspecting the formation. What do I see?
Politely / Disgusting.
There is a small dead animal behind one of the rocks. It is torn apart. I believe it was a rabbit once. I inspect the formation further. What do I see?
Ruthlessly / Lame.
I am unable to see anything in the formation. What happens next?
Introduce a new NPC.
Suddenly I see someone standing at the edge of the clearing. He or she is staring at me. Who is it?
Gloomy child.
It is a small child. It seems sad from where I am standing, but I can't tell for sure since he is still quite some distance away.
What is the child doing?
Befriend.
The child starts to speak in a sad voice: "Hello? Do you want to be my friend?"
I am not sure if the child is talking to me. Is the child talking to me?
Yes.
Yes, there is no one else here. The child is talking to me. The child seems lost. I say hello back to the child and start walking towards him, "are you lost?" I ask.
Does the child talk back?
No, and...
Move away from goal.
The child does not say anything anymore. Also, the child slowly starts to move into the woods. He is standing behind a bush now. I think he is afraid. I continue to walk toward him, and I say: "don't be afraid child."
Do I detect if something is holding the child back from coming to me?
Yes.
Something is slightly off. It almost seems as if something is with the child, keeping it from coming to me. What is it?
Demon.
I sense a dark energy. It seems like something is standing in the woods behind the child. Do I lose sanity points?
Yes.
Minor Injury: Largely superficial; painful and distracting, but not life threatening.
My sanity points go from 100 to 90.
Fear has striken me. There is something much more sinister in these woods. I have the feeling that I should flee, but I couldn't leave a defenseless child alone in these woods. Against my instinct I continue walking towards the child. What happens next?
PC positive.
Heal.
I feel oddly courageous. My sanity points are restored from 90 to 95. I march on. What happens next?
Illusions.
My feeling of courage quickly diminishes as the woods seem to start getting darker and I am getting closer to the edge of the clearing. My sanity points go down to 90 again.
The darkness and the sinister energy feels overwhelming. What happens next?
NPC Action.
Cruelty.
Frighteningly / Less.
Superb Colt revolver (.45 cal).
Then, all of a sudden, I see that the child is holding a gun. The child raises the gun and puts it inside his own mouth. Something must be controlling the child's actions! Does this affect my sanity points?
Yes, but...
not too much. My sanity points go from 90 to 80.
I shout "Stop! Don't do it!" as I watch with horror to what happens next. Does the child fire the gun?
Yes, but...
NPC Action.
Struggle.
The child seems to struggle against the demonic grip on his body. He wants to live. Sadly, the child succumbs to whatever sinister being is trying to control him and the gun fires. Blood splatters on the trees behind the child. It is a horrific and disgusting view. Do I lose sanity points?
Yes.
Negligible: Nick/Scratch/Bruise.
Oddly the scene does not affect me much. I feel emotionally numb as I watch the child's body fall to the ground. My sanity points drop from 80 to 75.
Now that I have failed to save the child, there is only one thing left to do. Flee from this horrid scene, flee from these dark woods. Can I get away safely from the demonic energy?
Yes, and... +Event: Overthrow / Riches
I start to run away from the scene. As I am running through the clearing, I come across the rock formation again. I accidentally trip over a stone. I fall on the ground and look back. I see a precious ruby was lieing under the stone I just knocked over. I pick it up. I continue running away. Where do I end up now?
Ornate bridge.
I get to the old stone bridge. It is quite beautiful and decorated with statues and engravings. What happens next?
PC positive.
I see my car still parked at the other side of the bridge. I am happy that I'm almost back to safety. Do I reach my car before something else happens?
No.
Slave.
Butcher knife.
No, someone appears from the bushes and positions himself inbetween me and my car. He does not speak and there seems to be something odd about him. He is holding a butcher's knife. Does this affect my sanity?
No, and...
Mistrust.
Even though I instantly do not trust this individual, I do not fear him. I've seen more maddening things just a few minutes ago in the woods. Surely I could overcome this last hinderance to my safe escape? I choose to reason with him, am I successful?
No, but...
Postpone.
I ask the man to step aside and let me pass, as there is no reason to hurt me. The man does not speak back, he just stands there at the other side of the bridge. Maybe he is carefully thinking what to say or do? I try to observe my surroundings. Do I see anything useful?
No.
No there is nothing useful to see.
I try to bargain with the man and I offer the man my cigars. Am I successful?
No, and...
Pursue.
The man does not seem to be interested in my cigars. Even worse, he lifts up his knife and slowly starts to walk towards me.
I try to calculate my chances here, but I come to the conclusion that I should either try to fight this man or run back into the woods.
I realize I simply must get to my car. I hope my sword fighting skills are somewhat useful if I need to fight this man, even though I have no weapons with me now. I try to push the man over the side of the bridge, am I successful?
Yes, but...
Severe Injury: Incapacitating and may become Critical if untreated.
I run towards the man and try to push him over the side of the bridge. The man grunts and falls into the stream below the bridge. I am filled with joy, however, as I look down I see the buther's knife sticking out of my stomach. It is extremely painful and I hope no vital organs are damaged. I should get to a hospital quickly before I bleed to death. I hope I can still drive my car.
My hit points are decreased from 100 to 30.
I have now reached my car. I search for a first aid kit, do I find one?
Yes, and...
Messages.
Yes I see the first aid kit in my car and there are letters in my car.
I pull out the knife and apply first aid on myself. Am I successful?
Yes, and...
I found an unopened letter from an old friend. I don't understand how I haven't noticed it before.
The letter is not important now, I should still get to a hospital as fast as possible. I get into the car and start driving away. Do I get to the hospital without passing out?
Yes.
Luck must finally be on my side, I safely get to the hospital. There was little trafic on the road. I try to get out of my car, can I still stand up in my condition?
Yes.
Yes, I still have the strength to stand up. I walk towards the entrance of the hospital. Does one of the doctors see me?
Yes.
A doctor sees me and quickly rolls out a medical bed with some nurses. They put me on the medical bed and get me inside. I am saved.
I wake up in a hospital room. I am alone. It is night. My cigars, surgical mask and my ruby are gone. But I'm sure they're stored somewhere nearby. My hit points are back up to 70. I can feel that I'm drugged with morphine and I don't really feel any pain anymore. I look around the room. What do I see?
Droid component.
I see some medical equipment in the room. It is not important. What happens next?
One-armed zombie.
I hear footsteps on the hallway. The door has a window and I look if I can see who is walking there. Does the person walk past my window?
Yes.
The footsteps get louder, but it sounds more like the person is shuffling. He moves slowly. Then I see him walking past my door. I gasp as I see that the person is missing an arm, but I quickly come to the conclusion that he must be a patient. His arm must've been amputated for some reason. I wonder where he is walking to and why he is not in bed. I think that maybe he is a sleepwalker? I try to get back to sleep. Do I fall asleep?
No.
NPC negative.
Before I am able to fall back asleep I hear a loud thud as if a person fell down. Was it that one-armed man? Surely a nurse would come to his aid soon? Does a nurse come?
Yes.
A nurse comes quickly in the hallway. I hear some muffled sounds and voices. I am not sure what is going on.
Messages.
Then it is silent again on the hallway. The nurse probably brought the patient back to his room. I fall asleep again.
I start dreaming about my old friend. My friend whose letter I still had to read. Then I dream about the clearing in the woods, the rock formation, the dead child, the demonic entity, the weird man at the bridge. In my dreams I can see the demon, his skin is black and there is fire in his eyes. I wake up. I feel frightened and I am very wet because of my sweat. The pain is starting to come back in my stomach. I look around the room.
Remote event.
I look through the window and see that the morning is coming. However, I can see dark clouds gathering in the distance.
NPC Action.
Humble mage.
A doctor enters the room, he has a calm and humble appearance.
Agree.
He also notices the clouds and remarks "I hope that storm does not come to this direction." But then he quickly focuses on me. "How are you feeling?" he asks. I say that it is starting to hurt again. He asks if I want some painkillers but I don't want any. He then tells me that a police officer is wanting to speak to me. The officer enters the room. He wants to know how I got my wound.
I tell him I was out hiking alone in the woods when a man suddenly came out of nowhere. I tell the officer that the man wanted to rob me, but that I tried to escape. He then stabbed me, but I still managed to get to my car. I look at the police officer. Hopefully he believes my story. Does he believe my story?
No, but...
the police officer says: "I think you're not telling the whole story here. How did you manage to escape after you got stabbed? You say you just ran away? Forgive me, but I would have expected more of a struggle. What happened to that man after he stabbed you?"
"I don't know." I say, "I just ran as fast I could". Does the officer believe me?
No.
The officer says he doesn't believe me. "Obviously you were in much pain, you couldn't have run very fast. This doesn't make any sense to me." The officer sighs. Then he grasps for something. It is the ruby I found in the woods. The officer asks me why I had a ruby with me if I was hiking in the woods.
I say I found the ruby in the woods. Does the officer believe me?
No. +Event: Activity / War
The officer shakes his head, but just as he wants to say something, gun shots are fired outside of the hospital. The officer runs to the window to see what is going on.
Bully.
Damaged hiking boots.
Someone is screaming, "you wrecked my boots! You will pay for this!" And more gunshots are fired. "What are those hillbillies doing here?" the officer shouts and runs out of the room.
Ambiguous event.
Oddly / Messy.
It is not very clear what happens next. People are running up and down the hallway. People are screaming and shouting and more gunshots are heard. It is very chaotic for several minutes and then it is silent again. What happens next?
Offensively / Dark.
I look out of the window and see that the dark clouds are coming closer very fast. I hear thunder and shortly after it starts to rain very hard. It is really dark outside. The storm has come.
NPC Action.
Mischievous time lord.
Guide.
A strange man suddenly enters the hospital room I'm staying in. He says "you must follow me, it is not safe here."
"Who are you?" I ask. Do I get an answer?
Yes.
Advice.
Peacefully / Extravagent.
"I am a friend", the man says, "you must trust me. Come, there is not much time!"
Remote event.
The thunder is getting louder, however, the hospital staff and the other patients seem very quiet. Maybe too quiet. Should you trust this strange man?
The situation is just absurd. Who does this man think he is? "Sorry, but, at least explain to me what is going on?!" I exclaim. How does the man react?
Deliberately / Rough.
Harm.
Superb laser rifle.
"I have no time for this." the man says as he equips himself with a strange and alien-looking device. I see a flash and then I am unconscious. Where do I wake up?
Poorly hidden hotel.
I wake up in what seems to be a hotel room.
I look around. Do I see anyone here?
Yes.
The strange man who knocked me unconscious is in the room with me.
What else is in the room?
Damaged leather jacket.
Old gas can.
Ammo (hunting rifle).
Lantern.
Ammo (shotgun).
There is a lot of stuff in the room, including: an old worn-out leather jacket, a gas can, a hunting rifle with ammo, a shotgun with some ammo and a lantern. "Ah you are awake!" the man says, "Excuse me for knocking you unconscious earlier, but there really was no time to explain. I barely got us out of that hospital in time. Here see this newspaper." The man shows me an article in a newspaper. The article reads: "hospital obliterated in heavy storm, many people dead".
Does this affect my sanity?
No, but... +Event: Inquire / Investment
The man asks me if I understand anything of the odd events that have occured recently.
I say I don't understand any of it and ask: "What is going on?" How does the man respond?
The man starts talking: "Well... I'm not sure if you'll understand, but you have unleashed a very old and powerful being by going to the woods the other day. It was calling you and you have responded. Now nothing is certain. It is my duty to contain malevolent entities such as the one you unleashed. I think you are still of importance, that's why I saved you from that hospital."
"What happens next?" I ask. How does the man respond?
Adventurously / Drab.
"I will either have to defeat it or contain it! Now is the time to strike, I believe it has used a lot of its resources in destroying that hospital. I need to find its core, the entity is likely still bound to something here on Earth, probably some sort of artifact."
Does the man's story affect my sanity?
No.
"How do I call you?" I ask. Does the man tell me his name?
No, but...
he says: "just call me 'Buddy', my name is not important. Pick up a weapon and let's go. My friend Giovanni is waiting for us in the lobby of this hotel."
I pick up the hunting rifle and put on the leather jacket. I check if the gas can has any fuel in it. Does it?
Yes.
I ask Buddy to pick up the lantern. He also picks up the shotgun. We go to the lobby. Do we get to the lobby without any event occuring?
Yes, and...
we meet Giovanni in the lobby. He also has a hunting rifle. "Are you guys ready?" he says with a big smile on his face.
I look around the lobby. Are there any other people here?
No, and... +Event: Work hard / Plans
Giovanni continues talking: "I've worked hard on researching this demon. There was not much information on it, but I think I know the ritual for containing it. We need to get to the rock formation as soon as possible."
I leave the hotel with Buddy and Giovanni.
Do we get to the forest without any other event occuring?
Yes.
The drive to the forest went flawless. There was not much traffic on the road. The sky is cloudy. We are now nearing the forest. What do we see?
Judgementally / Exotic.
Plans.
Super soldier.
A strange monster, certainly not of this world, is standing near the old bridge where I had my struggle with the odd knife-wielding man. The monster is big, it has twice the size of a man. It looks like it is guarding the forest. It must be part of the demon's plan. Buddy says it is not the demon itself. Giovanni stops the car at the side of the road. Does this affect the sanity of the ambitious doctor?
Yes, and...
the horrid sight of such a big and exotic monster amplifies the hit on sanity points with a modifier of +1.
Minor Injury: Largely superficial; painful and distracting, but not life threatening.
Luckily the doctor is still mostly able to contain himself. His sanity points drop from 75 to 65. Does the sight of the monster also affect the sanity of Buddy and Giovanni?
Yes, and...
even though they both have studied the occult and demonology, they still did not expect such a monster to be manifested so quickly. They are also hit with a modifier of +1. Buddy takes the following hit:
Moderate Injury: Hampers action significantly; will require first aid/medical attention.
Buddy's sanity points go down from 80 to 55. Giovanni takes the following hit:
Negligible: Nick/Scratch/Bruise.
Giovanni's sanity points go down from 90 to 85. Fear has striken in Buddy, but Giovanni shows more courage. "How do we take this monster down?" Buddy exclaims. "Relax," says Giovanni as he tries to comfort Buddy, "I think we should be able to gun it down, but I also think I know a ritual to make it disappear, we could also try to go around it."
What would you like to do?
I want to know more about the ritual, so I ask Giovanni: "what are the chances the ritual will work and what do we need for it?" How does Giovanni respond?
Aggressively / Nondescript.
Struggle / Food.
"Hey! Who said you could ask me anything?" Giovanni responds aggressively, "you think you're in charge here? We only keep you with us so we can keep the demon from getting even stronger, we think it still needs you for something, but we're not sure what it is."
"Well.. I.." I start, "I'm sorry I said anything." Does Buddy intervene?
Yes, and...
he picks the side of the doctor. "Stop it Giovanni," Buddy says, "the good doctor here is not trying to become the leader of our group, besides, I think it's a good idea to try to make the monster go away with a ritual. Do you think you can do it?"
"Maybe," says Giovanni. Does Giovanni have the items to do the ritual?
Yes.
What items are required?
Very high quality coin.
Old pole arm.
"I have this blessed coin and we need some sort of stick, there must be plenty of those in these woods. Let's go." Giovanni says and everybody gets out of the car. "Yo Doc, find me a stick will ya?" He tells the doctor.
What course of action do you decide on?
I go to the bushes near the road to find a stick. Do I find one?
Yes, and...
Map.
I find a stick and there is also an old map here of the area. Maybe it will come in handy. I can see the clearing on the map. What else do I see on the map?
Repurposed portal.
Workshop.
Housing project.
I can see a gate on the other side of the woods, there is also a workshop nearby, and I can see part of the nearby town on the map. I go back to Buddy and Giovanni who are now hiding behind some bushes a little closer to the monster.
"Good you found a stick." Buddy says, "Giovanni has already started the ritual." Buddy then continues to explain that I need to swing the stick in a particular motion for the ritual to be successful. I'm not entirely sure if they're serious or if it is a joke.
But I do as I'm told and swing the stick around, while Giovanni is holding the blessed coin and continues chanting. What happens next?
Gladly / Classy.
Vehicle.
The ritual seems to have some effect on the monster. It comes into motion. Strange spasms go through its body. I believe it is being transported away from here. It's quite a scary sight actually. Does it affect my sanity?
Yes.
Negligible: Nick/Scratch/Bruise.
It is a horrible sight to watch, but I feel courageous enough. My sanity points drop from 65 to 60. Is the ritual successful?
No.
Strange things are happening to the monster, strange things I cannot really explain. But it does not go away. Does Giovanni continue on with the ritual?
Yes, but...
NPC negative.
Giovanni continues with the ritual, but you can see that it takes quite a lot from him. He begins to shake. Is Giovanni able to finish the ritual now?
Yes, but...
Ambiguous event.
Failure.
Giovanni stops, but the monster is still there. "I... I finished the ritual." Giovanni says, "but it did not seem to work I see. I don't understand what went wrong." You hear the monster producing grunting sounds, is it coming closer?
No.
The monster is still standing there, guarding the bridge.
What action do you want take?
I propose to find a way around it. How do Buddy and Giovanni respond?
Kindly / Quaint.
"I have found this map." I say, "I think we can go around the monster if we take this route." I point at the map. Buddy and Giovanni look up. "Well, maybe that is indeed a good idea." Buddy responds, "We can't take the car though so we would have to walk." You quickly gather your stuff and start hiking through the woods. What happens next?
Generously / Interesting.
The mundane.
NPC Action.
The three of you walk through the woods, the forest really looks nice this time of the year. The flora interests you, but you keep on walking. Where do you end up?
Cavern.
Hastily / Mighty.
A quick walk through the woods leads you to a cavern. You already noticed the cavern on the map so you know you're on the right track. What do you do?
"I think we need to get through this cave. It should be safe enough, it shouldn't take us too long to get through it." I say.
The three of you enter the cave, what do you see?
Officially / Average.
Lazily / Dull.
It is just an average and dull cave, nothing of interest is to be seen here. Do we meet any opposition here?
No.
Do we get out of the cave now?
Yes, and...
there is something waiting for us at the end of the cave. What is it?
Roughly / Rustic.
Exterior factors.
It's just the forest, it looks as plain as usual. What happens next?
NPC Action.
Heal.
Fame.
Foolishly / Tranquil.
Giovanni starts talking, "It was not my fault the ritual failed though. I am actually really famous among us demon hunters. Just ask my friend over here. Ask him, he will tell you the same."
"Don't be so foolish, I think the doctor knows what you are talking about." Buddy responds.
I think it is better to keep silent and continue walking. What happens next?
NPC negative.
Oppose.
Saboteur.
Cruel pilot.
Quarrelsomely / Harsh.
All of a sudden a flying monstrous being appears from behind the trees. Some sort of gas is emitting from its body. It seems angry and it occasionally bumps against the trees. Does this sight affect our sanity?
No.
We are prepared to meet more monsters after seeing the monster at the bridge, this monster does not come as a surprise to us. We don't have the feeling that we are becoming more mad. We feel courageous enough to take this monster down. Does the bumping of the monster against the trees have any effect?
No.
The monster is coming towards us, but luckily it is not that fast. We still have time to react. Can I do something before Buddy or Giovanni does something?
No.
Release.
Communicate / New ideas.
"Let's shoot it down" Giovanni says as he lifts his hunting rifle. He fires a shot. Does he hit?
No, but...
Buddy also shoots. Does he hit?
No.
Both Giovanni and Buddy miss the monster, they only hit the trees behind the monster.
What action do you want to perform?
I think it's best to do the same as the others and shoot at the monster. Do I hit?
No, but...
Move towards goal.
Expose / Prison.
I notice that none of us can hit the monster. It might be some sort of magic preventing us from hitting the monster for all I know. I tell the others that I think something is preventing us from hitting the monster, maybe some sort of magic shield. How do they respond?
Mysteriously / Dirty.
Pursue / Joy.
"What do you know about magic?" Giovanni says and he aims at the monster again. Is he able to fire again before the monster reaches us?
No, but...
The monster has come too close now. Giovanni manages to dive away. Who does the monster attack?
3 = 3[d3]
The monster attacks the third person of our party (i.e. Giovanni). Does the monster hit?
Yes.
Minor Injury: Largely superficial; painful and distracting, but not life threatening.
The monster vomits some sort of disgusting substance over Giovanni. While utterly vile, it does not seem to hurt him much. His hit points go from 110 to 100. What does Buddy do?
Swiftly / Masculine.
Buddy quickly raises his shotgun again and shoots at the monster. He looks very coolheaded. Does he hit the monster?
No, but...
Again he misses the monster, and from a very short distance too! You feel more certain that the monster is indeed protected by magic. However, Buddy hits a tree behind the monster and a branch breaks off and falls down. The branch hits the monster.
Critical Injury: Requires immediate attention; clearly life-threatening if not immediately deadly.
Even more gas is emitting from the monster now, and fluids are dripping from its body. You can smell the stench of the monster. The monster begins to shake and a noise is coming from inside its body. Then it explodes. It is gone but everyone is covered in the monster's disgusting fluids. Everyone gets hurt from the explosion. How much damage does the doctor get?
Negligible: Nick/Scratch/Bruise.
The doctor wasn't standing too close to the monster. He only got some scratches and bruises. His hit points drop from 70 to 65. How much damage does Buddy get?
Negligible: Nick/Scratch/Bruise.
Buddy, even though he stood closer to the monster, is not damaged much either. His hit points decrease from 120 to 113. Giovanni, being almost directly under the monster gets damage with a modifier of +1. How much damage does he get?
Minor Injury: Largely superficial; painful and distracting, but not life threatening.
Giovanni was very lucky, the explosion did not affect him much. His hit points drop from 100 to 88.
Does an exploding monster affect my sanity?
Yes.
Severe Injury: Incapacitating and may become Critical if untreated.
Finally I grasp again the severity of the horror we are confronting. It is capable of spawning many horrible monsters of great variety. For example, a giant guard, and a exploding monster that floats through the air?! I have completely gone mad. This can't be real. Images of the dead child flash before me again. What have I got myself into? The doctor's sanity points drop from 60 to 20! He keeps saying, "this can't be real, this can't be real..."
Do these events also affect the sanity of Buddy and Giovanni?
Yes.
"I did not expect that it would explode" Buddy says. How much sanity points does he lose?
Minor Injury: Largely superficial; painful and distracting, but not life threatening.
Buddy loses 8 sanity points, going from 55 to 47. "What are we up to?" Giovanni says as he gasps for air. How much sanity points does he lose?
Negligible: Nick/Scratch/Bruise.
Giovanni is truely the bravest of the three. He gets up from the ground and brushes off the disgusting stuff from his clothes. "We must go on." he says. Giovanni's sanity has gone from 85 to 81.
"He's losing it, Giovanni," Buddy says, "the doctor is losing it."
"Well that was to be expected, to be honest." Giovanni says, "Come on, Doc, we must continue our mission. You need to stay with us so we can protect you."
Am I able to compose myself?
No. +Event: Negligence / Weapons
The doctor is unable to compose himself in this state. Once an ambitious doctor, he is now not much of the man he once was. He even drops his hunting rifle out of his hands. It falls in the monster's goo at his feet. How do the others respond?
Ferociously / Empty.
Ambush / A representative.
Buddy and Giovanni whisper a few things to each other. This is followed by Buddy taking out his weird device again, the same thing he used at the hospital.
"No! You're not gonna flash me again!" I shout. I'm filled with fear. They're gonna take me into the heart of the darkness. If I go any further with them I'll end up dead. Can I get away?
No.
I try to grab the hunting rifle I so stupidly had dropped on the ground. Am I successful?
Yes, and...
I pull the trigger. Firing a shot in the direction of Buddy. Damage is done on Buddy with a modifier of -3. How much damage does he get?
Negligible: Nick/Scratch/Bruise.
The bullet scratches Buddy's arm. His hit points drop from 113 to 108. "Ow!" he exclaims. Do I get an added bonus of him dropping his device?
Yes.
Buddy drops the strange alien-looking device on the ground. "Dammit!" he shouts, "you bastard!" How does Giovanni respond to all this?
Hopelessly / Odd.
Vengeance.
"You idiots!" Giovanni shouts and lifts his hunting rifle, aiming at you, "you're endangering our mission, we should've never taken you with us! You will pay for what you've done!" Does he shoot?
Yes.
Giovanni shoots, his aim is steady and he hits the once so ambitious doctor. His shooting skill, steady aim and short distance from the doctor gives him a modifier of +3 on his attack. The damage he does is:
Minor Injury: Largely superficial; painful and distracting, but not life threatening.
Luck is on the doctor's side! The doctor is hit in his arm, but it's not that bad. His hit points drop from 65 to 60. "Aargh!" the doctor exclaims. Disbelief is on the face of Giovanni, he does not seem to understand how he could've missed such an easy shot. Maybe he was too excited afterall? Does the doctor lose his balance from getting shot in his arm?
No.
The doctor does not even fall over from the shot. He is still standing. What should he do now? Fight or flee? Maybe pick up the strange device and use it on the two self-proclaimed demon hunters?
Still being filled with fear and now having made even more enemies. The doctor chooses to flee. He must get as far away from these woods as possible. Giovanni was right, the doctor should've never come back to this forest. Is the doctor able to get away?
Yes, but...
he runs into the wrong direction! This is not how he got here. This is not the way back to the cave! Do the demon hunters pursue him?
No. +Event: Befriend / Outside
The demon hunters do not seem to be following the doctor. The doctor stops for a moment to breathe and looks around. Then he spots someone standing nearby. Who is it?
Chaste janitor.
Positively / Fat.
Stop / Intrigues.
Flashlight.
It is a fat forest ranger. He tells me to stay where I am. He is holding a flashlight. Maybe he was looking for something. He continues talking: "did you hear those gunshots too? It wasn't you was it?" Then he spots the wound in your arm. "Hey, you've been shot! Are you alright? Are the people who did this still after you?" he looks around nervously.
"Yes," I say, "I can't stop now, I must get out of here!" How does the ranger respond?
Ferociously / Warlike.
"How many are there?" the ranger asks, "I won't allow those brigands to make my forest unsafe! I need to confront them! You have a rifle, you can help me with this. Come on, where are they?" The ranger walks past you, and peers into the woods, looking for any people coming out of that direction. Does anyone appear?
No.
How would you like to proceed now?
I don't have time for this nonsense. The thought runs through my head that I could shoot the ranger in his back, he won't see it coming, and I can continue trying to find a way out of here. But then I realize there's no point in shooting him. I try to quietly continue my way, without alerting the ranger. Do I succeed?
Yes.
The ranger keeps looking for the people who harmed me, he even uses his flashlight now, he still seems very nervous. I start to walk away quietly, I need to get away. I succeed in walking away. Do I reach a familiar place?
No.
What happens next?
Move away from goal.
Mockingly / Smelly.
I look at the map to see where I need to go, but I have no clue where I am. Even worse, I smell something really foul nearby. I think it might be a dead animal, but maybe it is one of those monsters? Is it a monster?
No.
I hear nothing. So I don't believe it is a monster. I continue moving further through the woods. What do I see?
Roughly / Damaged.
I see that the forest is badly damaged here, trees are broken off and fallen over. It might be the demon's doing. I hope I'm not getting close to the heart of the darkness. I still don't sense much dark energy around here, not as I did at the clearing. But I notice that I'm constantly looking around me, I'm feeling very paranoid. Do I see anything of interest?
Yes, and...
it is a path! If I just follow this path I see here, I'm sure I get out of these woods eventually! I start walking down the path. What will I meet on this path?
Several guards.
I walk on the path for a while, until I hear multiple people. I sounds like they're quite busy. Upon coming closer I notice that it is a group of police officers. They must have heard that something strange is going on in these woods and must have come to investigate. I have the feeling that I'm saved, but how would they react to my wounds and haggard look? Do they notice me standing on the path?
Yes.
They notice me standing on the path and one of the officers shouts: "hey you! Stop right there! We're coming to you!"
I don't want to get deeper into the woods, so I think it is best to wait for the police to come to me.
Does something strange occur while the police is coming to me?
No. +Event: Overthrow / Joy
I am filled with joy, I am saved. The police has finally caught up with me. They however notice my rifle. "He's got a rifle!" One officer shouts. "Drop your weapon!" Another one orders me.
I throw my rifle to the ground, it falls in the mud.
The police come to me, they don't seem amused. They order me to lie down on the ground. Then they handcuff me. I am being taken away by the police.
"What's going on?" I ask, "am I under arrest?" Thoughts of paranoia are racing through my head, maybe the demon is controlling the police. Am I really safe? How does the police respond?
Softly / Valuable.
"Relax," one officer says, "we just don't want you to do anything crazy. You look like a train wreck you know, we don't know if we can trust you, that's all. We're gonna ask you some questions." Do the police want to question me here or at the police station?
1 = 1[d2]
Option 1, they want to question me here.
Two officers start to question me, while two other officers stand on guard. Several other officers continue to scout the area. The officers that are questioning me want to know what happened to me.
I'm not really sure what to say to the officers. Does my madness still allow me to tell a coherent story?
No. +Event: Celebrate / Legal matters
I try to search for words and mumble a bit. "They're after me," I say, "Everyone is going to die. We must leave. You must believe me." The police officers have heard enough, they're taking me with them. If I wasn't before, I am under arrest now. Are they able to get me to the police car without anything happening?
No, and...
a heavy wind comes up and the trees start to creak. I get the idea that the sky is getting darker. I am not sure what is going on, and neither are the police. Then a monster appears out of the forest. How many monsters appear?
2 = 1[d5]+1
DSD1 dwarf spider droid.
Intensely / Less.
Personal force field.
There are two monsters, the first monster is a huge spider-like being, the wind is blowing around it pulling trees out of the ground, throwing them away. Acting like a force field the wind does not allow the trees to hit the spider.
Slime-covered zombie.
Helpfully / Damaged.
Archery.
Ammo (hunting rifle).
The second monster is a big humanoid figure covered in slime. It looks like it is already damaged, but looks can deceive. It is slowly moving towards us. I am handcuffed and the police are holding me, I can't do anthing.
The police are startled by the appearance of the monsters. Do I lose sanity points?
No, but...
the police hold their ground. They will try to protect me. We are on the move, we are moving again to the police cars. The police officers ready their guns.
Trees are being tossed around by the spider entity. Does a tree fall on the doctor?
No.
Does a tree fall on a police officer?
No, but...
a tree does fall on the slime monster. How much is he damaged?
Critical Injury: Requires immediate attention; clearly life-threatening if not immediately deadly.
Was the slime monster able to attack before being critically hit by a tree?
Yes, but...
The slime monster slowly approaches the police officers. All of a sudden it starts to spit slime in the direction of police, but it misses. Then it is hit by a tree. The tree crushes the slimey humanoid and it falls apart into one big disgusting mess. That is one monster down, but are we lucky enough to get out alive? The police officers start to shoot at the spider entity. Does it have any effect?
No.
It is useless, the police cannot harm the spider monster. The bullets are either thrown off by the heavy winds or hit the trees that are being tossed around. The group is almost at the police car, but the spider is getting closer. Does a tree hit the doctor?
Yes.
The doctor had come very far, but then one tree flies directly towards him. How many officers are crushed before the tree hits the doctor?
4 = 4[d4]
All officers running together with the doctor are crushed by the falling tree. Blood splatters around and body parts and intestines are scattered over the ground. How much damage does the doctor get from the tree? The falling tree gets a modifier of +10.
Killed.
After almost succumbing completely to his madness, the doctor is completely crushed together with the police officers. This is the end for our ambitious doctor. Has the demon won? Who will know... maybe the demon hunters will finally find a way to stop it, or maybe not. But that is a different story to tell.