NIGHT of the WALKING DEAD (Remix)

[MadStepDad]

CAMPAIGN RECAP CHAPTER ONE

Back to basics.

It’s that time of year again. Halloween time in New England. In my minds eye that conjures up images of our infamous Mistz. As Vanilla Dutchmasters steam in the crisp night, we reflect on the past and gaze into the future. It’s been 3 years since our triumphant stomp through the Core with our GRAND CONJUNCTION series (Episode #25 – Roots of Evil coming soon). My mission then was to take a group of gaming veterans – yet RAVENLOFT novices – and sear the Dread Realms into their souls. I knew my mission was accomplished as I watched famed 0-level PC turned high-level Anchorite Wanderer ALEXUS DARKAGNON willingly sacrifice himself to prevent STRAHD & AZALIN (both locked in immortal combat themselves) from breaching the Mistz. From that moment on I declared D&D was dead.

As is customary during these times, the original I6 RAVENLOFT module gets dusted off for a one-night High Level romp. Classic players fluent with the game whipping up stat lines and crushing some dice. But this year, I wanted to do something different. A true back-to-basics approach. So I got together a handful of longtime friends who’ve only seen or heard of the game in passing. I mixed them with a touch of old school class and declared a new era of WHAT WOULD U DO Crew citizenship – MASQUE of the RED DEATH MILLENIUM version. D&D may be dead but RAVENLOFT lives forever.

What I’d like to do here on this forum, is share this experiment with you. What I’m doing isn’t revolutionary, and it certainly isn’t going to reinvent the wheel. Instead it’s a real return to basics. I’ve purged the letters “D&D” from our vocabulary and have insisted D20 MODERN is our new home setting. Yet even as we stare past the millennium, the Mistz of RAVENLOFT, the infamous Dark Powers (and their notorious cousin the RED DEATH) remain more relevant than ever. What I’m doing here is simply affixing the official RAVENLOFT banner to an already-borderline duplicate in the Urban Arcana setting. I’ve invited a few one-timers to test the game with a couple of savvy veterans to hold their hands through it and we’ll see if we can spread the disease even further into the future. In this discussion, you will see I deviated very little from the core fundamentals presented in all written materials (from the BLACK BOX to d20 Modern Hardback) – PCs start off unaware of their existence, they’re brought together by a higher power, something traumatic happens, the shadows around them gradually come to the light and they decide whether to pursue it or ignore it. Works in any standard pilot episode or introductory campaign, a real back-to-basics approach. There’s no celebrating that. What we will do, is share in a continuations of the canon MASQUE of the RED DEATH setting while simultaneously embracing the ancient mythology of original RAVENLOFT. You’ll see how I kept the theme to MASQUE of the RED DEATH (and the secret war against RED DEATH), used traditional D20 Modern devices and kept an all-time favorite RAVENLOFT module as the script. Marvel at how I’ve taken an old Hyksosa riddle and upgraded it with new-school slang. Call this one – NIGHT of the WALKING DEAD (REMIX).

[MadStepDad]

KNIGHT of the MENTALLY DEAD

The old school MASQUE of the RED DEATH boxed set has a very concise historical summary of mankind’s interactions with that faceless horror. It traces the origin point from the time of Imhotep all the way up to its current 1800’s setting. All I did was expand that general summary another 200 years. Magic reborn as technology (ala an average episode of FRINGE), parasitic corporations suckling from the teat of American consumerism (Gordan Gecko’s “greed is good” speech comes to mind) and of course enough Dread Possibilities to run a ticker-tape parade. I’m converting an all-time classic RAVENLOFT module (and one of my absolute favorites) into a D20 Modern session without the more literal translations people have made around here when discussing RAVENLOFT meets GOTHIC EARTH games. Count Strahd doesn’t wear dooky ropes and Azalin is not a CEO. Instead, I’m taking the general theme of RAVENLOFT (good is punished, evil rewarded) and using it to engulf more contemporary icons. Since the new players I’m using in this one-night scenario are big music fans I figured I’d use that industry as the crux of my campaign. Some of that old “’Red Death speaks to the people in their own language in order to subjugate them further” izh. So I’ve got the RED DEATH behind the scenes manipulating American pop culture, which has leaked into and influenced nearly every corner of the globe. I decided I’d put an emphasis on American musical history to pique my players interests and adjust the historical significance of that revelation accordingly. Now here’s where our paths diverge (reader and writer) – anybody can follow along with the game up to this point, substituting their own favorite musical genre. We enjoy the mercurial, mercenary, murderous world of Hip Hop culture so I’ve chosen that genre as my modus operandi. Hate me now.

But before you dismiss me and look way, take heed. Rap is not the emphasis of this world, just the backdrop. I’m reimagining certain real-world incidents and giving them that RAVENLOFT-tinged black light effect. I don’t expect you to notice or care about these references specifically, but I do anticipate you will enjoy the subtle RAVENLOFT references I’ve sprinkled throughout. So follow along with the thread and I’ll show you how I remixed NIGHT of the WALKING DEAD to fit these new standards.

[MadStepDad]

THE CHARACTERS

Everybody is first level (with one exception) and as basic and normal as you can possibly be.

JOHNNY ACID – New player, 1st level Charismatic hero. Half Vistani vagabond wanderer who dabbles in criminal enterprises. Hustles mix tapes along his journeys to stay moderately funded.

MARGUERITA DeVILLE – New player, 1st level Dedicated hero. Prized student and experienced Creative type. She’s a master flutist who tutors disadvantaged youth during her down time.

AGENT BLOOM – New player, 1st level Fast Hero. He’s an agent of Department-7, as listed in the D20 Modern hardback.

LENIENCE ELDERWOOD – Old player, unfamiliar with 3.5, 1st level Smart Hero. Finished schooling at an accelerated rate due to his exceptional intelligence, but currently labors as a low level cable TV technician. This is my Q-Monstah.

ALEXUS DARKAGNON – Yes, him again. 3rd level Fast Hero whose player insisted on resurrecting his old RAVENLOFT character, albeit in a new school way. He’s a trained operative and member of the secret cabal known as the “Tribe of Hyksosa”. He will work with me (the GM) from within the game to help steer the newbies when things get complicated.

[MadStepDad]

THE SETTING

Broken City, Massachusetts State, Summer of 1993. Bill Clinton just began his first inauguration as President, the Rangers won the Stanley Cup and Michael Jordan retired from basketball to play minor league baseball. The World Trade Center was bombed, Pablo Escobar was killed in Columbia and ATF agents raided Branch Davidian in Waco Texas causing the deaths of many cultists. POWER RANGERS started its run on TV, while CHEERS ended its own. JURASSIC PARK was at the theatres, white reggae artist SNOW dropped the #1 hit “Informer” and Andre the Giant passed away. In the streets of Broken City, a power struggle is at play. Here’s how I refereed the intro....

[MadStepDad]

INTRODUCTION (Scene One)

First things first – new player AGENT BLOOM bitched out on us. He’s a nerdy video gamer I met from work who expressed heavy interest in role playing. So much so, he even went out and bought his own dice set after I showed him my own. For a month we talked about this session every day and couldn’t wait to play. Then – day of the big show – his twisted wife forbids him from attending. We certainly can’t have players like that in our midst, so even though he insists he will play in the future I am revoking his invitation. Get your girl in check before you even think about rolling dice with the big dogs.

Story begins with the introduction of JOHNNY ACID, breezing into Broken City for the first time. He’s a roving beat mercenary with nothing but a backpack and some mix tapes to his name. He knew he was in the right place when he found an old soggy flyer in the gutter advertising an album release party for a local act named DEEPTHOUGHT, hosted by Van Richten Records in Brockton. This was his first player handout ever, and I gave “Van Richten Records” a cool little logo (similar to an “X” with three bars on the top). Just then he’s besieged by local vagrant Charlie the Homeless Guy – who gets a chuckle from the players who all catch the real-world reference. “Spare change! Spare change?!” he calls out. I’m opening the game by allowing each player to describe their characters physical appearance, and one quick little “What Would U Do” situation to illustrate their characters personality. As such, when JOHNNY ACID is beseeched by Charlie the Homeless Guy to cough up some spare change, he harshly refuses. He dismisses the old bum and condescendingly blows him off. But as he walks away, Charlie the Homeless Guy tells him “you’re too late”. Too late for what? “The Millennium Martyr is already here” the wild-eyed, crazy homeless guy says. He gestures towards the nearby antique store where for a split second Johnny Acid thinks he sees his own reflection in the store window glass, only to find a similar looking man watching him from within. Same dress code, same cultural distinctions. But when the mans eyes meet with Johnny Acid, he disappears back into the shadows of the antique store. Johnny Acid’s player catches the drift, and he announces he will withdraw a Newport cigarette and linger outside the store window observing those within. Meanwhile Charlie the Homeless guy shuffles off down the street with his shopping cart of soda cans.

At the same time, the BAT bus pulls up to the stop across the street (Brockton public busing). A few people get off, including a cute little 12 year old girl with braids and flute case. The little girl safely crosses the street to meet her musical mentor, Ms. MARGUERITA DeVILLE. Parked and waiting outside the antique store, MARGUERITA DeVILLE exits the car to welcome her precocious young student. Her introductory scenario comes when the delectable aromas of the neighboring Italian Kitchen restaurant (all landmarks the players are familiar with) call out to her young, impoverished pupil. Being the kind, generous, warm-hearted individual she is – MARGUERITA DeVILLE notices this and cheerfully offers to buy her student lunch. They can practice afterwards. So as they enter the restaurant (sharing the same building as the antique store) we scan upwards towards the telephone pole where our third player awaits his introduction.

There, high atop a neighboring telephone pole, resides LENIENCE ELDERWOOD (aka the Q-Monstah). He’s up there fixing cable lines that were fried due to a recent power surge. Oddly enough, the surge seemed to emanate from the abandoned church right on the corner (again, all real-life landmarks even though that old church was plowed over years ago for a Walgreens). Seems impossible considering the church has been vacant and unused for years. Nonetheless, Lenience is on the pole fixing the lines and daydreaming about his future. He’s a young brother trying to find his way in the world. He came up through the system as a parentless drifter, but excelled due to his educational acumen. He accrued scholarship after scholarship to prestigious places like MIT, and graduated semesters earlier than his peers. As he sits on the pole today fixing the wiring, his mind drifts towards his future. Should he get his doctorate degree or keep working at the cable company and expand on his ideas for a digital informational stream? Thinking out loud to show the other players his train of thought, LENIENCE decides to pursue his own experiments and designs outside of the academic field. He wants to chart his own course.

Just then, the catastrophic tragedy occurs.

Lights turn green at the intersection, traffic flows freely and a blue Honda civic rolls by. Before anyone can react either way, the tinted windows slowly roll down revealing the double iron barrels of automatic weapons. Machine gun fire lights up the serene Broken City afternoon. Reflex checks are rolled, people scream, and the glass storefront windows of the old antique store and the Italian Kitchen restaurant (the apparent targets of the shooting) rain down in shards.

Outside the antique store, JOHNNY ACID drops the cigarette and crashes to the cement, sparks and glass raining down on him. Returning to her table at the Italian Kitchen with a tray full of food, MARGUERITA DeVILLE is nearly blinded by the glass explosions as bullets rip through the store. On the telephone pole outside, a gigantic electrical detonation goes off propelling LENIENCE ELDERWOOD backwards out of his harness. As the shooters spray the store front, LENIENCE’s smoking, unconscious body careens down to the sidewalk and lands with a sickening thud. They all suffer damage.

The area goes unnaturally quiet, as the blue Honda civic squeals off through the intersection. Then bursts of activity occur. MARGUERITA DeVILLE cries out in anguish as the body of her pupil lies on the floor beneath shards of glass, her left leg twitching uncontrollably. MARGUERITA rushes to her body and cradles it lovingly; the poor girls eyes open yet glazed over. Blood oozes from her fatal head wound. Outside JOHNNY ACID crawls to his feet, watching the Honda civic disappear around the bend. He’s completely stunned. Police sirens scream through the air. LENIENCE coughs on the ground and gasps for breath, the wind violently knocked from his lungs. ACID sees the young man struggling to breath and moves towards his side. They both hear MARGUERITA’s inconsolable sobs. The absolute horror of the situation is clear to all of them. Just then – the mysterious window shopper from the antique store arrives on the sidewalk beside JOHNNY ACID and LENIENCE.

“They have come for us, exactly as you said they would…” the stranger began, addressing JOHNNY ACID the half-vistani directly. “I have what you’ve requested” he said, withdrawing from his trench coat a jade scroll case. As he does that, Acid and LENIENCE can clearly see the man has been mortally wounded as well. He hands the scroll case to ACID before dropping to his knees. “Please complete the mission, Messiah. Our destiny depends on it…” Before ACID can inquisition him further, the wailing sirens of a dozen police cars engulf the area. The mysterious brown-skinned man expires on the sidewalk beside ACID and LENIENCE.

[MadStepDad]

They were all questioned by police as to what they witnessed, MARGUERITA’s eyes filled with tears as the body of her pupil was wheeled into the ambulance under a white sheet. Yellow crime scene tape sprung up around the area, and news vans flocked to the scene like vultures. The players were taken to Brockton Hospital separately, where they would unwittingly meet up again hours later in the discharge room.

Here’s where the game got interesting. I set the scene and left the players to their own devices. At this time, ALEXUS DARKAGNON’s player is silently observing; he is the wise Yoda of this game offering help to the newbies on where to find things on their character sheets and what dice to roll. Q-Monstah (aka LENIENCE ELDERWOOD) is a role-playing veteran, so he led the other players into conversation. Talk quickly swirled around “the mysterious symbol”. This was the tool I used to unite all the seemingly-unconnected players together. The “mysterious symbol” that appeared on the flyer JOHNNY ACID found on the ground (logo for Van Richten Records). It was also an engraving MARGUERITA DeVILLE has on her family heirloom flute, which is an undisputed classic. The same symbol dangles from LENIENCE’s neck in the form of a necklace. They discussed the oddness of the situation, considering that symbol had seemingly never been seen before. Then, JOHNNY ACID’s player remembered about the jade scroll case and opened the contents for the players. Inside – HYKSOSA’s Hexad, signed with the same mysterious symbol (again – it looks like an “X” with three horizontal lines over the top). ALEXUS’ player chuckled to himself at this revelation. What I did was quote some lines from Hip Hop records of the past; with Hyksosa’s mad scribbles aside each one. I kept all 6 of the original stanzas in place.

Light of the Blue Sky shining over the dead
Shall gutter and fail turning all to red

(I added “blue” before sky hinting to the eternal death war between rival gangs the Bloods and the Crips). Hyksosa’s stanza was written beside the bars “Pumpin on my chest and I’m screamin, I stop breathin – damn I see demons/ dear God I wonder can you save me? I can’t die my boo boo’s bout to have my baby…” Obvious rap reference to those deeply indebted to the game. To anybody else, it could just be another of Hyksosa’s stanzas.

At this point, the new players were at a virtual stumbling block. Q-Monstah (aka LENIENCE ELDERWOOD) kept the conversation flowing, but the newbies were at a roadblock as to what they should do next. So I ushered in ALEXUS DARKAGNON earlier than planned. I was saving him for the Electric Lettuce scene coming down the road, but figured they needed his help to keep the story on track. So as the three players went to the Chinese restaurant across the street to discuss these new developments, a black SUV made its way down the rain-slicked streets towards the Hospital.
[/i]

[MadStepDad]

SCENE TWO (The Plot Thickens)

ALEXUS DARKAGNON – Shadow Hunter of ill repute – had been waiting for the arrival of the scroll all week. It wasn’t hard to tell from the constant breaking news updates as to what actually happened to the scroll and its messenger (slain in the drive-by shooting). Investigative research led him to discover the scroll was erroneously handed off to a passerby (JOHNNY ACID) who was taken to the hospital to treat some minor wounds. At the hospital, he learned ACID took off with two other people to the restaurant across the street. So ALEXUS had little trouble tracking down the players – and the scroll they carried.

He entered the Chinese food restaurant under cover of drizzly nightfall, and immediately noticed the only three patrons in the restaurant were the other players (JOHNNY ACID, MARGUERITA DeVILLE and LENIENCE ELDERWOOD). He wanted the players to come to him, so he approached the bartender and made small talk about the “tragedy across town”. Of course this piqued the interest of the others (especially Q-Monstah aka LENIENCE) who is eager to get ALEXUS into the game. He invites the stranger to sit down, and the first thing they notice is his strange tattoos (specifically the one with the three-headed dragon). They get to some small talk and ALEXUS finds the Hexad strewn about on the table. He is happy to finally see it. He then notices “the mysterious symbol”. The one on LENIENCE’s necklace engraved in MARGUERITA’s flute case and emblazoned across the Hexad itself like a signature. Apparently the connection is stronger than even he thought, and he begins to wonder if the three players were brought together for a greater reason. So he suggests the four of them travel together to get more information on the new questions that plague them. He will bring them to the address JOHNNY ACID first found on that soggy flyer – the location of VAN RICHTEN RECORDS.

[MadStepDad]

SCENE THREE (The Onion Unravels)

This is the part of the game where the players are put on to the mysterious shadow world all around them, but invisible to the naked eye. After some brief small talk, intro and an icy reunion between VAN RICHTEN and ALEXUS (hinting towards some kind of past relationship) VAN RICHTEN takes the players into his confidence.

The actual location is a small pharmacy store, almost nondescript in appearance. The October 1993 issue of THE SOURCE MAGAZINE (featuring Kriss Kross on the cover) can be spotted on a magazine rack. But behind closed doors, are the dusty remains of a small-time recording studio. VAN RICHTEN explains the significance of “the mysterious symbol” – the same one he has hanging in a giant portrait-sized frame behind the recording console. Turning the symbol clock-wise, its true importance is revealed – the Roman numeral “13”. As in the “13 Signs of the Hexad”.

“Do you believe in God?” VAN RICHTEN asks the players. “Do you believe in magic?” He then proceeds to give them a brief history on the RED DEATH (I summarized the early chapters straight out of the MASQUE of the RED DEATH boxed set). It starts with the Egyptian magic of Imhotep and perversion of mankind in the centuries since. All the while, I got a slick little instrumental piece playing in the background giving the players that eerie “truth is out there” vibe. MotRD is heavy on cabals, and VAN RICHTEN is no different. He is part of a cabal called the “Fraternity of Fractured Thought”. They specialize in occult RED DEATH research and his influence on the American recording industry. VAN RICHTEN name drops Morrison, Hendrix and Lennon amongst others. It has been the Fraternity’s view that the RED DEATH’s most powerful tool of mind control will come from the woefully underprivileged ghettos of American inner cities. They’ve been monitoring the RED DEATH’s presence through the years, and have watched the burgeoning evolution of “Hip Hop Culture” very closely. Hence VAN RICHTEN’s decision to dabble in independent releases – he wants to gather first hand knowledge of the culture. He recruited a like-minded individual known in underground circles as DEEPTHOUGHT, a visceral shadow hunter in the vein of VAN RICHTEN who masquerades as an independent battle rapper. The two collaborated closely on the unraveling of Hyksosa’s Hexad, as it seems the first four signs have already come to pass (1) Kool Herc loses to crack 2) Scott La Rock is murdered giving birth to “gangsta rap” 3) the emergence of NWA and finally 4) the L.A. Riots. Sadly, as they got closer to uncovering an actual version of HYKSOSA’S Hexad, DEEPTHOUGHT was murdered at a downtown club called “The Electric Lettuce” (a by-product of VAN RICHTEN’s curse). Van Richten Records has been closed ever since, releasing only one DEEPTHOUGHT single (which JOHNNY ACID saw on the soggy flyer he found).

The players have been bombarded with heavy information, and pepper the good Doctor with many questions. LENIENCE asks where he graduated from, MARGUERITA asks about the significance of that symbol on her family heirloom flute and ACID wants to hear DEEPTHOUGHT’s only recorded single (“Tried by 12” by East Flatbush Projects – download it now). At one point when LENIENCE and VAN RICHTEN were discussing doctorate degrees, LENIENCE suddenly felt a buzzing, stabbing pain in his cranium – like a sharp migraine. When the pain subsided, they found a small dusty microphone had actually levitated five feet off a table and crash landed just as suddenly. Shades of DEEPTHOUGHT’s spiritual presence, or something deeper? ALEXUS pored through some of VAN RICHTENS old manuscripts on the Fraternity’s research while MARGUERITA played VAN RICHTEN a flute solo (at his request). He was just about to make an announcement regarding her instrument… when spot checks were suddenly required...

[MadStepDad]

THE SHOOTERS RETURN

MARGUERITA and ALEXUS saw it first. That same blue Honda civic slowly rolls by the store, casing the surroundings. They took quick note of that and sprang into action. VAN RICHTEN whispered “they’ve finally come back to finish what they’ve started…” then he broke out the secret firearm cache. Two 9mm’s and a 12 gauge shotgun. He passed the weapons out to the players and kept the automatic for himself. The players were ready for war. They quickly moved into position – MARGUERITA (with visions of her dead pupil fresh in her mind), LENIENCE and VAN RICHTEN taking cover in the store while ALEXUS takes JOHNNY ACID to the side alleyway outside. I allowed ALEXUS and JOHNNY ACID secret Listen checks as they moved into position, to notice the three blue-ragged creeps sneaking up on the rear of the store. They passed their rolls and were able to get the drop on the goons as they lined up against the backdoor. Reflex checks abound as the blue Honda civic comes screaming by again spraying the entire storefront with automatic gunfire. Inside, VAN RICHTEN, MARGUERITA and LENIENCE are well-protected and unharmed by the drive-by. In the back – almost on cue – the three goons blast off the dead bolt and begin to barge in. But before they can, ALEXUS and ACID get the surprise attack. Within moments two of the goons are slain at the hands of ALEXUS’ long sword (odd and archaic I know, but he insisted) and ACID’s quick burst of uzi fire. The third goon dives for cover inside the store, where ALEXUS and ACID quickly follow.

Combat ensues.

I really just used this opportunity to school the new cats on d20 dice rolls. ALEXUS’ player was a really big help, gracefully tutoring all the newbies from his side of the screen. JOHNNY ACID wound up in a hand-to-hand tussle with the dreadlocked banger who made in the back door while VAN RICHTEN covered him with his gun screaming for the gangbanger to give himself up (he wouldn’t so VAN RICHTEN popped him one in the chest). Three bangers broke in the storefront window which was opened up from the drive-by and shot it out with LENIENCE and MARGUERITA who were cowering for cover. Finally, ALEXUS came to their rescue – and though he was wounded in the gun fight – he killed two of the gangbangers causing the third to flee. LENIENCE and MARGUERITA (no doubt surging with adrenaline) followed the hoodlum into the street where he went running towards the blue Honda civic. Unbelievably – even with an un-proficient attack against some serious cover – LENIENCE shot the hood as he was getting into the car, killing him instantly. The car peeled off down the street and the bangers dead body rolled into the gutter like a sack of potatoes. LENIENCE and MARGUERITA immediately got into her own vehicle and began chasing the Honda. As they took off around the corner, a wounded ALEXUS followed with VAN RICHTEN and JOHNNY ACID. They quickly hopped into ALEXUS’ suv and sped off after them.

Car chase ensues.

MARGUERITA loses control in a rainy intersection, allowing ALEXUS’ vehicle to blow past her and continue to chase the Honda. Zipping down side streets, the Honda blasts through the back parking lot of Jakes Hardware store and loses control trying to make a hard turn. It spins a complete 180 and winds up facing ALEXUS’ oncoming vehicle. Headlights shine on both vehicles like a spotlight, as a deadly game of chicken begins to take shape. ALEXUS has no mercy and orders VAN RICHTEN and ACID to buckle up! He guns the engine and the two cars collide in a fiery hail of sparks and debris. Damage is sustained by all, but especially the bad guys. ALEXUS slowly gets out of the car to check damage as MARGUERITA and LENIENCE roll up shortly after. ALEXUS spots some movement in the backseat, and reaches in to find a body under shards of glass from the back window. Suddenly, the figure leers at him with fiery red eyes clearly visible beneath his blue bandanna and sinks fangs into ALEXUS’ forearm! ALEXUS howls in pain as VAN RICHTEN lets off a fatal head shot from the other side of the car. Everything is silent as ALEXUS assess the wound to his arm. Undercover of night, the four players (and one NPC) search the car and the corpses for any information. VAN RICHTEN recognizes their “DPG’z” tag as belonging to the hoodlums at the Electric Lettuce nightclub that played a role in DEEPTHOUGHT’s death. But VAN RICHTEN warns them the Electric Lettuce is a very dangerous place, and the only people who can gain admittance are battle rappers and their entourages. Everybody looks toward JOHNNY ACID who grins widely like the Cheshire cat.

END CHAPTER ONE

[MadStepDad]

CHAPTER TWO

SCENE ONE (Live from the Lettuce)

The “Electric Lettuce” is a fictional downtown club with a name based on ALEXUS’ and I favorite pastime (watch the movie if you don’t get the picture). It’s an underground club, almost literally. Large portions of the club reside beneath the sidewalk at basement level. So while from casual observation it may seem rather flat and bland, the insides reveal it to be much larger than expected. The players now knew these “DPG’z” killers congregate in and around this club, so it’s inevitable that a confrontation (or at least investigation) take place here sooner or later. Sooner rather than later, as its obvious these murderers will not rest with HYKSOSA’s Hexad in the players hands. But before the players venture into the pit of the beast, they wisely take some early precautions.

Knowing the spot is a haven for war-tested battle rappers, JOHNNY ACID figures to play the role of point man – with the rest of the PCs being his entourage. He wanted to take this brief downtime to amass an “army of bums” as he called it. He scoured local street corners for ciphers and even hit the Brockton homeless shelter in hopes of finding somebody – anybody – with even a modicum of rhyming prowess. No dice for ACID. No followers or henchmen for him at this time. He must battle solo.

Meanwhile, MARGUERITA – stirred by VAN RICHTEN’s words – researches the history of her family heirloom flute further. For all intents and purposes, it is a magical item capable of charming the living and turning the undead. I wanted something to distinguish her character from the rest, and also to offer a valuable tool for them as the adventure progresses.

LENIENCE ELDERWOOD answered many inquiries about his necklace (the once crafted with Hyksosa’s symbol) but even he didn’t know the truth. He bought it from a panhandler in Boston months ago, no other information given. But more mysteriously – ever since the explosion that knocked him off the telephone pole – he’s been experiencing crushing migraines that yield stunning side effects. Much like the levitating microphone, he’s had books fall off of shelves, computer screens short out and pencils snap for no apparent reason. Is he haunted? No – I just took the cheap way out and decided to give him a “superhero origin”. LENIENCE – aka my Q-Monstah – will grow to become a burgeoning psionic.

All the while ALEXUS was helping VAN RICHTEN clean up the mess back at his pharmacy. Oddly – after the players returned to the shop after the car chase, all the gangbanger corpses had been mysteriously removed. Nothing left but bullet holes and shattered merchandise. VAN RICHTEN and ALEXUS cooperated fully with Brockton Police, who deduced it had been a botched robbery (even though nothing of value had been looted – only destroyed). VAN RICHTEN cashed the insurance check and went on with his research, aiding the players in their quest to unravel the origins of the Hexad and avenge the death of DEEPTHOUGHT.

[MadStepDad]

BLOOD MARTYR

Cue “Cool Like That” by DIGABLE PLANETS, nodding my head like it just came out. The Electric Lettuce is a blatant drug den. Most unsettling, the parking lot is seemingly full of blue Honda civics – similar to the ones involved in those fatal drive-by shootings. JOHNNY ACID signs up for competition under the alias “Nicholas Design” (his choice) – the other PCs are his entourage. So when he strolls into the spot for the first time with a rag-tag team of decidedly un-gangster acquaintances they all get the ice grill. Quick scenery check reveals a smoky lounge area with a slightly raised platform at the back operating as a stage. A DJ with a crooked hat spins hard on the wheels of steel and flocks of women dot the scene. The cult gathering of blue-ragged villains the players sought was noticeable, taking up an entire portion of the club hall. They are the DPGz.

I gave the players a chance to digest the scenery and announce their intentions. LENIENCE stuck close to MARGUERITA, his being the lone pale face. ALEXUS and JOHNNY ACID catch sight of a few discreet gypsy-brand folk among the swarming masses, and make their way to that table. All the while, a particularly boisterous DPG holds court amongst his azure minions like a demonic puppeteer. In the background LADYBUG MECCA’s silky voice sets the ambiance (“Cool Like That” – DIGABLE PLANETS). I wanted them to feel a sense of danger as outsiders emerging into a world they never knew existed. Peril permeates the air and resonates with ruthless wolf pack aggression. Everybody in here is trying to prove something to someone; the extreme embodiment of High School peer pressure. God forbid you accidentally step on someone’s Nike Air Carnivores.

The Vistani approached by ACID and ALEXUS were nonexistent by the time they reached the table. Vanished into the steaming sea of club goers. ALEXUS already told the players they would be no match for the killer’s man-to-man, so accruing allies was top priority. But as it is, these young upstart nobody PCs can’t catch a break. JOHNNY ACID failed on his earlier recruiting efforts and now they find themselves alone amidst a sea of unsmiling faces. I inserted a wedge of tension between LENIENCE and MARGUERITA when I had a barbaric DPG goon step to the white boy and try to steal his girl. Wisely – and hinting at her own potential of role-playing greatness – MARGUERITA DeVILLE diffused the situation by ditching LENIENCE and going with the bad guys. She had an ulterior motive anyway – remember VAN RICHTEN told her the magical possibilities of her heirloom instrument and she aimed to use those gifts to her advantage with this unruly DPG clown. I gave more shine to the most belligerent of the DPGz and announced to the players they could clearly hear him disrespecting the memory of DEEPTHOUGHT. Just some more salt for the wounds.

Unbelievably (or more likely feeling heroic from the Tanqueray we were imbibing during the game) JOHNNY ACID takes himself right over to the table housing the largest Crip congregation and starts jawing with them over the DEEPTHOUGHT comments! ALEXUS, LENIENCE and MARGUERITA slowly start filling in behind ACID but the audacity of his actions can be read quite clearly on everybody’s faces. Things get heated really fast, and ALEXUS tries to play peaceful middleman but to no avail. JOHNNY ACID stepped to the wrong guy. KILLA TAY is a rail-thin Haitian who speaks with a guttural West Coast accent (pronouncing his “R’s” very hard) and it’s apparent by the psychotic glare in his eyes there are a few screws loose. Ain’t no metal detectors here, and it’s frighteningly evident the PCs are not only woefully undermanned – they’re dangerously unarmed. Just then, as the increasingly hostile confrontation bubbles to a frenzy – the house DJ shines the spotlight down on both bickering parties. A conglomeration of Crips led by KILLA TAY – and a ragtag group of PCs led by the half-vistani outcast JOHNNY ACID (aka “Nicholas Design”). With the house lights separating the two leaders in a golden halo from the rest of the club, the DJ implores the two to settle their differences the “Electric Lettuce Style” – with a microphone battle. Both parties accept, and KILLA TAY puts his fingers at ACID’s temples like a gun – threatening to blow his brains out.

Had a little fun with the players here, especially as KILLA TAY clutched the mic and I let out an old BLOODSHED (R.I.P) verse from the surround sound speakers. We resolved the battle with a trilogy of “Perform” checks, each for a different facet of the delivery. It breaks down the art we love while adding some tension to the encounter (as players must succeed against opposing rolls best 2-out-of-3). In the end it was split down to the third die roll – and despite the heavy blue-rag affiliations within the audience – JOHNNY ACID (aka “Nicholas Design”) punctuated his performance by winning their approval with his crowd participation. The night ended with a bang. Literally. Somebody let off a shot in the back of the club and the entire place stampeded to the exits. Another quick WHAT WOULD U DO? Scenario to illustrate the growing weirdness of their investigation – the DPG goon who was seen tucking a gun shortly after the stampede was vaguely recognizable – as one of the dreadlocked shooters they killed during the shoot-out at VAN RICHTEN’s pharmacy!

Luckily the PCs stayed united and used the cover of chaos to their advantage and slipped out into the Broken City night air unscathed. And all though many reports of blue Honda civics prowling the streets into the wee morning hours persisted, the players would have no further altercations that night. But they learned everything they needed to from JOHNNY ACID’s riot-inducing performance. They all met up later in the back of VAN RICHTENs store, now boarded up and closed for business.

[MadStepDad]

SCENE TWO (Revelations)

MARGUERITA’s dazzling recital earned her admittance to that hardened DPGz innermost thoughts. He revealed that KILLA TAY arrived in Broken City from Los Angeles a month ago with a small army of goons claiming the Crip set. He blasted through the city absorbing many of the smaller crews and asserting the dominance of his new East Coast chapter. More importantly, he’s come to Broken City for a purpose – he’s scouring the city for a parchment that was lost from his family generations ago. Working on behalf of his kinfolk (who he refers to as the “Trey-Eight Reborn”), KILLA TAY has come to Broken City to reclaim the heirloom when it was reported to have resurfaced out here. The low-level scum MARGUERITA charmed didn’t know what the parchment was or said – only that it could bring “untold power”. But most importantly, MARGUERITA was able to learned Killa Tay’s government name – LUC TARASCON.

This in turn allowed LENIENCE ELDERWOOD (aka my Q-Monstah) to do a background check on Mr. LUC TARASCON (aka KILLA TAY). What they learned was shocking in its implications. LUC TARASCON comes from a wealthy family of Haitian immigrants who migrated to the West Coast decades ago. LUC has two older brothers (twins JEAN & MARCEL) – both who have prestigious college degrees. LUC himself is a straight-A honor roll student with no criminal history. Most odd about LUC’s background is the fact he and his older brother MARCEL were officially listed as “missing” by the LAPD a month ago. ALEXUS quickly deduced that whatever made LUC vanish and reappear as “Killa Tay” on the East Coast can be traced back to Los Angeles. The players all knew that LUC TARASCON (aka “Killa Tay”) ultimately sought the HEXAD they held. ALEXUS summarized the history of HYKSOSA quite succinctly – he is the original prophet of which NOSTRADAMUS was credited as being when European historians white-washed his accomplishments. Nostradamus actually bit everything he knew and wrote from HYKSOSA himself. As to what “untold powers” this scroll could bring, even ALEXUS was unsure of that himself. Which is why he had dedicated his entire life to unraveling it. He was certain however – that the 5th stanza of the 13 part doomsday prophecy heralds the creation of a “BLOOD MARTYR” – something VAN RICHTEN concurs with. Every generation a BLOOD MARTYR must be created. This mythical figure symbolizes that generation’s decadence and crystallizes its appeal. Figures like ELVIS PRESLEY and JANIS JOPLIN who are sacrificed on a global stage so as to deify the RED DEATHs movement.

“Light of the blue sky shining over the dead
Shall Gutter and fail turning all to red”

ALEXUS and VAN RICHTEN took this to mean a Blood Martyr is currently under construction. What this has to do with LUC TARASCON and his familial connections they could only guess.

The players were now faced with two options, both of them grim – continue to hide out in Broken City while LUC TARASCON (aka “Killa Tay”) scours the streets looking for them. Even worse he now has vengeance written on his hollow-tips after JOHNNY ACID sonned him in the Electric Lettuce battle. Being low level, non-street affiliated characters – the players knew this was not a good idea. The second option would be to head straight to the heartland of gangster rap, Los Angeles CA to learn more of this “untold power” that drives KILLA TAY. ALEXUS has a couple contacts in LA that could help the players gain some ground. In the meantime, VAN RICHTEN would stay on the East Coast to monitor activities as they developed locally. Especially after the players told the good doctor of their run-in with the seemingly-deceased dreadlock at the Electric Lettuce.

END CHAPTER TWO

Whew. The intro went longer than I expected, but I accomplished the three key things I set out to do – introduce and personalize each new low-level character, connect them all and give them reasons to work together on a seemingly outlandish mission and most importantly – infect some new players with the craze! After concluding the session, the players had much to discuss. MARGUERITAs player was excited by the idea of a magical family heirloom and wanted to learn more about the history of her instrument. JOHNNY ACIDs player is now aware of some mystical connection between HYKSOSA and his own half-vistani bloodlines and seeks to learn more about that. LENIENCE continues to expand his own research into the powers of the human mind, where it seems his former uncertainty about his life’s goals has been given a newfound purpose. And of course ALEXUS DARKAGNON remains ever vigilant; aware they are rocketing towards a hellish descent but unsure as to why. On November 8th the game continues as the PCs pack up and head left where the sunny skies of California beckon. Somewhere out there, the mysteries of the Tarascon family will be found and the players will have part in the creation (or destruction) of this generations “BLOOD MARTYR”. Tune in next episode for the exciting conclusion.

To be continued…

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Just letting you know I started reading... haven't finished yet, but I like what I see so far. Van Richten Records, LOL! Comments to come when I have time to finish.. Just didn't want you to think you were talking to yourself.

[Lord_Pruitt]

one word - wow. Great job with the story so far. Can't wait to read the rest!

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

That kicks serious ass, MSD.

I am totally psyched to see what happens next, and kinda inspired. I feel like taking another classic RL module and totally changing the scenery. Just gotta figure out which one, where to move it to, and how to shoehorn it into my campaign. I love that you were inspired by the original material, but not enslaved to it. i.e. You didn't just run the module with the names and places changed, you used it as a framework to build your own adventure.

(In other words, instead of a straight Romeo & Juliet adaptation, you went West Side Story...)

But, that said, you've got to find room for the giant frogs somewhere. Maybe you can have a couple of 7' French thugs after the scroll for their own reasons or something. ("Frog" being a slur for French people.) Or maybe some bad guys with a few failed DP checks that have slimy skin and crazy attack tongues. Or something big with the acronym F.R.O.G. ?
Even just some dude with a frog tattoo, something! (Maybe you can play Wesley Willis's "The Frogs" for background music.... )

You gonna fit Chicken Bone in there somewhere?