NIGHT of the WALKING DEAD (Remix)

[MadStepDad]

Van Richten Records, LOL!

Right? My earliest fear was that this whole scheme comes off as a rap parody – which is not my intention at all. So I hope VAN RICHTEN’s motivations seem a bit more plausible after my explanation.

As far as the shoehorning into your campaign bit, I guess it only works if you’re using non-RAVENLOFT adventures! I’ve always admired your campaign recaps, the only serious drawback from me is that I’m prohibited from viewing them at work! They come up “blocked”, so I can only read them at home where I don’t get to give them the dedication they deserve. But you’ve also caught on to my master plan – I’m completely lazy and reusing my entire GRAND CONJUNCTION storyline for my d20 Modern campaign.

Matter of fact, I plan on readapting ALL of the original GRAND CONJUNCTION modules – even the ones I skipped in my real RAVENLOFT campaign – like “Ship of Horrors”. What I’ve got going for me is a timeline of real historical events – all music based cuz that’s what we like – and I’m retroactively applying HYKSOSA’s predictions and the player’s actions to this timeline. I figured you guys might get a kick out of that, and maybe even offer some possible remix options for me down the line (you get the VAN RICTHEN RECORDS reference all ready).

As far as the giant frogs go… I’m keeping my options open. I think there may even already be a d20 Modern adventure about a temple of frogs or something I’ll hafta look into it. Yes I plan on using CHICKENBONE, just in a slightly altered fashion. I may even have him be an ally of JEAN's and not the players. I also plan on including BRUCIAN (who is now a disgraced physican hopelessy hooked on crack) and the dwarven shopkeeper (who's name escapes me at the moment) as main characters in the L.A. level of the story.

So let me open the board up for discussion (crickets are heard on the Gothic Earth forum) – what classic RAVENLOFT adventures lead themselves to this particular kind of d20 Modern conversion? Can HOUR of the KNIFE realistically take place in London? Is FROM THE SHADOWS too fantastic for Cleveland Ohio? Can TOUCH of DEATH happen somewhere other than the obvious choice of Egypt? What kind of insidious back story can we come up with to explain away FEAST of GOBLYNS? Your thoughts?

Peace,

MSD

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

As far as the shoehorning into your campaign bit, I guess it only works if you’re using non-RAVENLOFT adventures!

Yeah, exactly. But I've only got time for one campaign right now, so if I want to do something like this, I have to pull some kinda crazy dream sequence or Mist travel from the Core to Gothic Earth shenanigans. Not likely that I'll find time for a tangent like that, but I can dream...

I’ve always admired your campaign recaps, the only serious drawback from me is that I’m prohibited from viewing them at work!

Thanks! Sucks that you can't read them at work. (I know how it is, I usually get more free time at work than at home too.) I could bundle them up into a zip file and email it to you if you want.. shouldn't be too huge. let me know if that would help.

Matter of fact, I plan on readapting ALL of the original GRAND CONJUNCTION modules

sweet! Sounds like fun.

Can HOUR of the KNIFE realistically take place in London? Is FROM THE SHADOWS too fantastic for Cleveland Ohio? Can TOUCH of DEATH happen somewhere other than the obvious choice of Egypt? What kind of insidious back story can we come up with to explain away FEAST of GOBLYNS?

Well, I think the best thing in all this cases is to boil them down to basics, like you did with Luc (Kid sees too much and goes all Lost One) then build it back up in the new genre.

So with FoG, for example, your basics are this:
Daughter of a very powerful man hooks up with a guy who works for another powerful man. Together the couple schemes to bring the two powerful men down and take over for themselves, using a lost magic artifact, while secretly scheming against each other.

Since GE doesn't have domains as such, you might have to drop the part about the crown opening borders, and the formation of Daglan.

Harkon fits right into your music theme, easily. Maybe he's the head of a big label, Kartakass records or somesuch (and owns a luxury hotel, maybe in Vegas, to stand in for the Old Kartakan Inn). And Akriel could be his actual daughter, or a protege artist, or both. You can probably keep Dr. D as an actual doctor, but maybe he's involved in a different kind of "medicine" and is a distributor for Gundar's drug empire. Then you just need to decide whether to mix up the Crown of Souls and its backstory into something contemporary, or to leave it as is, as a relic of an ancient lost empire.

By the time you get to the Daglan scene, they'll probably have been exposed to enough of the "weird magic stuff happening secretly in the real world" that it might actually work to spin it as a dead wizard trapped in an artifact, trying to open a portal to bring his lost empire into the present. Just substitute the past for Daglan's homeworld and the present for the Core, and forget that the DP's are supposed to be trapping him and make part of his evil scheme instead.

[MadStepDad]

Brilliant! And zip me those files right away! Everytime I read something from you it's like an epiphany. Can't wait to bring the players to Vegas on that one! Everybody remembers what happened in Vegas in '96 - the murder of 2Pac Shakur. It's perfect!

peace,

MSD

[Nathan of the FoS]

From the old Futuristic Alternaloft thread:

Black Luke (born Harold Lucas) is a former rock-and-roll demigod, one of the most popular performers of his era. After a long and successful recording career he attempted to parlay his popularity into a political career--a move which was a miserable and humiliating failure, from his point of view. He quickly became mayor of his isolated small town, but each attempt at gaining national office has imploded in some more or less spectacular fashion (his daughter's involvement in a bizarre drug-running scandal with a former political opponent, Dr. David Heinz, torpedoed one bid, and his son's "suicide" under suspicious circumstances ended another). Thwarted, Black Luke has poured his efforts into establishing the Crystal Club chain of nightclubs and bars; he spends most of his time at his Black Hills mansion, throwing wild and dangerous parties for the creme de la creme of Co.R.E. society.

Since Kartakass is a backwater I think you might want to set your Harkon Lukas bit in a super-ritzy, fairly isolated small town like Park City, Utah or Vail, Colorado--maybe some invented place in Nevada, within easy driving distance of Las Vegas? The caverns and what not in the later stages of the adventure could be an abandoned silver mine--Nevada's got lots of those, too.

[MadStepDad]

From the old Futuristic Alternaloft thread:

*clicks link - mind is blown*

Greatest...RAVENLOFT...post... EVA!!!

Thanks for the link, Nate Dogg! Much appreciated!

peace,

MSD

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Man, I forgot all about that thread. Good one!

I missed the "king of the backwater" element of Harkon in my Vegas idea. If you do give him a hotel in Vegas, it should be the least-fashionable one in town, all the way on the end of the strip.

I like Nathan's idea of making the Crystal Club a chain, it goes along with that idea that he may be successful, but not respected. Who wants to go to a club that's part of a chain? Wouldn't the cool clubs be one-of-a-kind? (I'm not much of a clubber, so I don't know if there are successful chains. But I do know I feel a bit sillier shopping at Hot Topic than at the local T-shirt shops in Greenwich Village. Even if they get their shirts from the same place...)

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Thought a bit about about how to handle FtS/RoE. First things first, you gotta figure out what the GC is in your campaign. Since the original version is out (No domains, no patchwork world), what event does the completion of your Hexad signify?

Beause, when use my patented boil-down method on the final two modules, you get:

FtS: POWERFUL GUY tries to get the prophesied HORRIBLE EVENT to come to pass, to free him from the limits imposed on his power. To do so, he sends a group of victims to the past to mess with the timeline and weaken reality. Then he tricks them into "killing him" to transcend those limits.

RoE: HORRIBLE EVENT happens, and as a byproduct of helping POWERFUL GUY, his former ally and arch-rival, POWERFUL GUY#2 is also freed from his own limitations. Both of them vie for the magical artifacts that are the only thinks that could re-shackle them. Meanwhile, POWERFUL GUY #2 seeks out the reincarnation of his lost love.


Without knowing the nature of the limitation/curse/whatever placed on "Azalin" and "Strahd," and the HORRIBLE EVENT that somehow removes it from them, you can't really do much with these two.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Brilliant! And zip me those files right away!

Done, check your email.

Everytime I read something from you it's like an epiphany.

Wow, I don't think I've ever gotten such high praise from anyone about anything. Thanks, I'm glad to help.

[MadStepDad]

Without knowing the nature of the limitation/curse/whatever placed on "Azalin" and "Strahd," and the HORRIBLE EVENT that somehow removes it from them, you can't really do much with these two.

All right you’ve just opened a huge can of worms. Now I am going to use this site as a sounding board for future plot points, and you will you be forced to stomach my inane ramblings as I lay my game flat. It’s always great to get feedback from the pros, but this will also help me get my mental rolodex in order as well. Bear with me as I get settled in and think out loud…

To answer GRon’s question about what the Grand Conjunction actually signifies in d20 Modern, I think the definition of RAVENLOFT as a whole must be defined. In my mind RAVENLOFT has always been Hell – straight up. The wicked are “rewarded” the good punished. The early incarnation of RAVENLOFT has been weekend in Hell – get in, get out and go on. That’s why RAVENLOFT draws from all the different TSR worlds, because Hell is universal. The Mists are death itself – drawing in the damned. That’s why every original RAVENLOFTER was drawn into the Mists after some kind of traumatic event. They were dead and didn’t know it yet. Original RAVENLOFT adventures were a warning shot to intrepid PCs. Tread too far down the dark path, and this is what will happen to you. The theme of RAVENLOFT in my opinion has always been about redemption. That’s why PCs are able to escape and Darklords are not. The PCs can atone for their sins and be released from their prison with a very vivid NDE (near death experience) to remind them of their past transgressions. The only way out of RAVENLOFT is to die again – which is why innocents dying horribly are actually being reborn again outside of Hells gates. Freedom for the soul. This was the truth I unleashed upon my players during our first RAVENLOFT campaign, and it led to one of (if not THE) most memorable moment in our campaign when ALEXUS DARKAGNON willingly chose to stay behind in RAVENLOFT (and continue to live a tortuous existence) at the end of “ROOTS of EVIL”. Instead of fleeing into the Mists and escaping, he chose to stay behind and prevent STRAHD and AZALIN from breaking free once and for all. The original Grand Conjunction basically meant Hell was literally being unleashed on Earth. Well the new Grand Conjunction means the same thing.

The RED DEATH has always been a faceless horror, enticing its victims from the shadows. Now – as the new millennium fast approaches – the RED DEATH is emerging from its hiding place. Now it looks to speak directly to its victims. The way it has chosen to do this – we believe – is through the use of popular music. Brainwash the uninformed masses and drive them into a murderous frenzy - eating themselves like cannibals, spreading plagues and creating mindless monsters. Again – I’ve chosen Hip Hop music to represent this cultural swing not only cuz we are addicted – but because it is also one of the most potent strains of violence-inducing entertainment in American history. And if you don’t think music influences the youth than you are sadly mistaken.

Keeping in the tradition of MASQUE of the RED DEATH (historical fiction) I am revisiting several notable incidents in Hip Hop history and giving them that touch of the shadow. HYKSOSA foresaw 13 signs of the coming apocalypse (I went with “13” instead of “6” cuz I couldn’t get Hip Hop history to fit into 6 stanzas). When these stanzas come to fruition we will face the end of American civilization as we know it. A true “fall of the Roman empire”. Barbaric human cockfighting for profit, student massacres on campus, warfare in the streets, crumbling foreign relations and marijuana decriminalization (I voted “yes” on #2!!!). When that 13th stanza comes to pass, the misty walls between Hell and Earth will dissolve and the RED DEATH will rule indefinitely. THAT’S what the Grand Conjunction means in my campaign. The forces of evil hidden in the shadows today will become the omnipresent army of tomorrow.

I have an “AZALIN” and a “STRAHD” in my campaign, although that’s not who they are. But they are two very powerful agents of the RED DEATH working the same angle but from two radically different perspectives (cuz evil never sees eye to eye). One resides on the East Coast – the other on the West Coast. They will both try to control the power and mold it into their own image where they will reside as sole master. Not sure what I can use for artifacts or curses or anything yet, but I’m sure that will occur to me as the campaign grows.

Just for the record – my stanzas (and corresponding adventures) are as thus:

#1 – Hip Hop born – creator ruined by crack (already occurred)
#2 – First major Hip Hop murder (Scott La Rock) cementing the appeal of being “criminal minded” (already occurred)
#3 – NWA arrives – “gangsta rap” officially coined (already occurred)
#4 – L.A riots happen – a direct result of criminally minded gangsta rap (already occurred)
#5 – Major Hip Hop act in the line of fire – CURRENT EVENTS – this is the “Blood Martyr” stage. The dead will roam the earth as the bloody eclipse occurs. PCs will prevent the rise of the Blood Martyr this time but can’t stop the mentally dead from enslaving even more of the youth (NIGHT of the WALKING DEAD)
#6 – Rise of DEATH ROW – last opponent of that force is defeated, the devil rises to enslave Hip Hop
#7 – Blood Martyr #1 (West Side “Azalin” completes mission that failed in #5) (FEAST of GOBLYNS)
#8 – Blood Martyr #2 (East Side “Strahd” returns the favor) (FEAST of GOBLYNS)
#9 – Platinum Era, lucrative endorsements – no longer considered a mainstream outsider (SHIP of HORRORS)
#10 – MILLENIUM MARTYR – the most important figure in Hip Hop is created damning an entire race (TOUCH of DEATH)
#11 – Blood Martyr #3 attempt (will fail, but actually symbolizes the rise of an anti-christ)
#12 – Art becomes dangerous enough to warrant federal, state and law enforcement involvement (FROM the SHADOWS)
#13 – Hip Hop is Dead (internet piracy kills pop music as we know it) ROOTS of EVIL

I’m still contemplating a couple of non-Grand Conjunction related adventures for Steps # 6 and #11. CIRCLE of DARKNESS and BLEAK HOUSE perhaps? Might write out VAN RICHTEN in stanza #11. Does any of this nonsense make sense to you guys???

[MadStepDad]

Let me also just say, art imitates real life. Two people arrested for plotting to assassinate BARACK OBAMA already. If that isn't an act of the RED DEATH - elevate him to office, cut him down, instigate the race wars CHARLES MANSON himself tried to start and the L.A. riots continued - then I don't know what is.

[Rotipher of the FoS]

You do realize you just got the NSA, Secret Service, and maybe Homeland Security to check out these forums, by using those words in a post, don't you MSD?

[MadStepDad]

D'oh! It certainly wasn't my intention to expand our readership! For the record, I was first in line to cast my vote for OBAMA/LIDEN. I believe in change.

peace,

MSD

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

The only way out of RAVENLOFT is to die again – which is why innocents dying horribly are actually being reborn again outside of Hells gates.

Hey, actually like that idea. I've never been fond of RL as Hell because of the innocents involved. But making them not so innocent, but making their deaths a good thing reconciles it nicely.

I’m still contemplating a couple of non-Grand Conjunction related adventures for Steps # 6 and #11. CIRCLE of DARKNESS and BLEAK HOUSE perhaps? Might write out VAN RICHTEN in stanza #11. Does any of this nonsense make sense to you guys???

I'm a big fan of Bleak House, and it's dramatically perfect to off the mentor before the end. I don't love Circle of Darkness, but you've got the potential to recast it in a very interesting (and controversial way.) In the modern age, what is Zhakata? If you choose a real-world religion, you're playing with fire, so make sure your players are up for it. Or is it a more generalized "false god"? Money, power?

The other non-conjunction module that springs to mind is The Evil Eye. New Orleans Mardi Gras anyone? With the Gentleman Caller as a minion of the Red Death? (or even a pre-avatar of the Red Death, as the Red Death gets closer to being freed?)

Using the "Red Death wants to bring hell to earth" motif lets you foreshadow things with FoG. Rather than an ancient empire, Daglan could be a little piece of Hell that the Red Death tries to send in first (maybe still make it a dark reflection of a real-world lost empire for added oomph.) (I'll resist the urge to say it should emerge in Sunnydale, CA. )

[MadStepDad]

Brief recap of the last session to refresh our memories. Game resumes on the small airplane taking the three remaining players cross-country to L.A. Tribe of Hyksosa affiliate ALEXUS DARKAGNON arranged the flight and assured the other PCs he would meet with them in L.A. (ALEXUS’ player was unable to attend the session due to personal issues). Gave the players a chance to break the ice and declare their characters motivations for such a drastic relocation. Role-playing veteran LENIENCE ELDERWOOD (aka my Q-MONSTAH) takes the reigns and considering the PCs are marked for death in their hometown, bound by a mysterious symbol and closing in on a doomsday prophecy the motivation is clearly there. MARGUERITA in particular is ravenous for revenge (after her pupil was slain and her apartment ransacked), something the Dark Powers should take keen interest in. Compound that with the mysterious origins of her family heirloom (musical instrument engraved with “the symbol”) and her path is set. JOHNNY ACID (aka “Nicholas Design”) is a born wanderer, and following his newfound bloodlines (a journey presented to him by ALEXUS after ACID came upon an original copy of HYKSOSA’s book of rhymes) has led him out West. He hopes to continue to make a name for himself in underground circles all the while avoiding the hollow-tip bullets with his name on them. The three PCs are escorted by an unnamed pilot arranged by ALEXUS. They have been given two contact names in L.A to aid them in their quest – DOCTOR BRUCIEN (to heal any injuries they may accrue) and DERUNO, the owner of a small corner market who also traffics in black market firearms (should they need to acquire some ammunition).

After brief refueling stops in North Carolina and Texas, the PCs were on their way to their destination when they were enveloped by a mysterious bank of fog. Swallowed by the Mists, the PCs drifted for what seemed like hours. The pilot lost radio control and sensors and flight instruments went askew. PCs came to the creeping realization that something was going dreadfully wrong, when all of the sudden the Mists cleared – and they found themselves soaring directly into the mountain side!

A titanic crash ensued, lessened only by the pilots last-second maneuvering. The plane was totaled, the PCs were scattered about like ping pongs and the pilot killed. They emerged from the wreckage battered, but alive. Amidst the smoldering wreckage they were able to gather their belongings and assess their surroundings. They were lost in a large field area surrounded by a wilderness of trees. It was nightfall, and the overhead sky was blackened with thick rain clouds. Thunder rolls ominously in the distance. Strangely enough, for such a deserted area, there were multiple sets of tire tracks in and out of the field area. The PCs followed the tracks on foot and emerged to find themselves stranded high atop the Hollywood hills. They could see the giant white letters, and off in the distance the sprawling city of Los Angeles just waking up. Heavy layers of smog blanket the city – ala the choking ring of fog around the Village of Barovia. The players were lost in a foreign land, with only two hastily-scrawled contacts for anchors. They knew they had to get down to the city where they would visit DOCTOR BRUCIEN first – he could tend to their wounds.

[MadStepDad]

Luckily for them, a tractor trailer truck was spotted winding down the Hollywood hills and the PCs quickly flagged him down for a lift. They gave him the address they needed to get to (DOCTOR BRUCIEN’s location) but the driver looked at them like they were crazy. Why on earth would you ever want to go to THAT part of town??? He did oblige their request, however half way there they ran into a snag. Particularly – an entire city block congested with traffic and blocked off by police barricades (cue “Dopeman” by NWA – the original version not the remix). A long, slow procession of blue-tinted low-riders and 1964 Chevrolets made its way down the crowded block. A few bounced with hydraulics, and the sidewalks teemed with blue-ragged youth throwing up their respective gang signs. Police stood dutifully around, redirecting traffic. The motorcade continued on like a car show or parade. As the trailer slowed to a stop near the police blockage, the driver was clearly rattled (the events of Reginald Denny’s beating no doubt fresh in his mind). Their final destination was just a few blocks beyond the blockage, but with this hold-up the driver refused to take them any further. Soon, the PCs saw what was causing the hold up – leading the pack of slow riding vehicles was the unmistakable site of a black hearse. The PCs were in the midst of a funeral procession. The kicker? The procession was being led directly to TARASCON FUNERAL HOME. Bam.

PCs avoided the brouhaha and took a cab to DOCTOR BRUCIENs address. Surprisingly, the address led them to a cheap in-and-out two story motel complex in a very seedy part of town. The place was swarming with activity; hand-to-hands, homeless people lingering and dollar hookers in and out of the various rooms. Lurkers hung out along the second floor balcony, smoking cheap cigarettes and watching the PCs with hungry eyes. What kind of doctor frequents this kind of establishment?

The answer was simple once he answered their knock – a disgraced former physician with a raging meth addiction. That’s who. DOCTOR BRUCIAN welcomed the PCs in once their affiliations had been revealed. DOCTOR BRUCIEN goes way back with ALEXUS DARKAGNON, although he was very vague on how the two actually met. In between shady backdoor dealings out of his little (and very messy) motel room, DOCTOR BRUCIEN bound the players wounds and gave them some background information. There has been a wave of gangland terror recently, even more so than normal. He has been treating countless gunshot victims. He was surprised to hear from ALEXUS that the PCs may be experiencing issues with LUC TARASCON (aka “Killa Tay”) and quizzed them about that. He reiterated that young LUC TARASCON and his older brother MARCEL have officially been listed “missing” by the LAPD. DOCTOR BRUCIEN was stunned to hear about LUC (aka “Killa Tay”) exploits in Brockton, as the entire TARASCON family is very cultured, mild-mannered and well educated.

DOCTOR BRUCIEN was distracted by the arrival of his apparent dealer, and the PCs made their exit. They decided a stake-out of the TARASCON Funeral Home would be appropriate, and took up residence at a nearby motel that allowed them visual access to the home. At one point – JOHNNY ACID stepped out for a Newport break and caught sight of a promotional poster on a nearby telephone pole. It was advertising a small concert for a local talent called LIL’ SMOOTH. What caught ACID’s eye however, was the name of the locale LIL’ SMOOTH would appear at (“The Blue Sky”) and the name of his “hit” single – “The Blood Martyr”. He immediately tore it down and brought it to the rest of the players. Reflecting upon HYKSOSA’s book of rhymes, they caught the Blue Sky reference (“Light of the Blue Sky shining over the dead shall gutter and fail turning all to red”). LENIENCE deduced that this LIL SMOOTH character was the “Blood Martyr” VAN RICHTEN and ALEXUS had spoken of. He raced to a nearby payphone and reached out to VAN RICHTEN back home in Brockton.

I used that conversation to once again reiterate the importance of a “Blood Martyr” in any musical generation (it cements the decadence of that era and ensures many more will follow down that path), and gangsta rap is this generations poison. Also important, VAN RICHTEN informed the players he had been doing a little research of his own. Apparently, when the TARASCON family migrated from Haiti generations ago they didn’t leave EVERYTHING from the old country behind… rumor has it there is still a deeply engrained spiritual connection to the Voodoo religion. VAN RICHTEN explained there is a process within that religion that generates zombies – enslaved to their creators. This explains the return of the dreadlocked gangbanger they seemingly killed in the shootout at VAN RICHTEN’s pharmacy. VAN RICHTEN suggested they tread lightly until he can gather more information. In the meantime, be on the lookout for this possible connection.