[Let's Make A Cryptworld Module] Part 5: Act 2 and The Finale -- Howls In The Night

[[This is the fifth and last in a series of blog posts where I'm using The Covetous Poet's Adventure Creator and Solo GM Guidebook to create an adventure module from scratch for the Pacesetter horror RPG Cryptworld.]]

In our previous outings, we established our plotlines, fleshed out our primary antagonist, constructed our Act 1 Action Scenes, and inserted some clues for the players to follow. (In fact, you might want to re-read these entries as I'll be referring to events described earlier.)

Today, we'll move onto Act 2 and Act 3, where the PCs now know what they're generally facing (though the primary villain may still be undiscovered). It's time for them to take steps to put an end to the menace!

With the Adventure Creator's Three-Act format, Act 2 is a series of "Challenge Scenes" for the players. These are the things, situations, and events that now stand between the heroes and their ultimate goal of solving the mystery and putting an end to further malfeasance. Act 3 is the finale, where the final conflict and resolution happens. To keep this short, we'll only have 3 scenes in Act 2, which will then lead into scene 4, which will also be our Act 3 Finale.

When we last left the players in Act 1, they were rescuing Louise Farmer from the Order of the All-Seeing Eye, currently overrun with werewolves. The PCs should now be very aware of the lycanthrope conspiracy, though they may not have ID'ed their leader yet. GM NOTE: Louise should impart on them that a straight-up firefight with a werewolf horde is probably suicide. (Especially if the PCs aren't packing a crap-ton of silver bullets and wolvesbane!) So sneaking out undetected is the best course of action. Once they've escaped, they can decide how to best deal with the menace. (If they want to charge in and attack the lycanthropes in their lair, go ahead and let them. After the slaughter, let their replacements show a bit more discretion...)

ACT 2 CHALLENGE SCENES

Challenge: Avoid Danger/Deal With Threat
Action: Trick
Thing: Rain
Plot: Zombie Potion
Opposition: Possession/Warlock
Location: Bathroom
Clue: Secret Door

Scene 1: The challenge here is for the PCs to escape from the All-Seeing Eye without being detected or seen (Avoid Danger). Louise's research may come in handy, as she was investigating the All-Seeing Eye's connection to the deaths in town. She recalls that her examination of the building's blueprints revealed a hidden secret entrance/exit they might be able to use for their escape (from its days as a speakeasy). The passageway is found in the back of a linen closet in a bathroom on the first floor (Bathroom - Secret Door). The PCs will need to find some way to distract (Trick) the werewolves in the building to get to the passageway and make their escape. This could be an exciting "stealth" encounter or, if it goes poorly, an exciting "chase" encounter! (When the escape is discovered, our villain Sheriff Pratt (Warlock) will know who's responsible. And he won't be happy about it (Deal With Threat).)

Challenge: Do Research/Find Help
Action: Humiliate
Thing: Monster
Plot: Vixen
Opposition: Plague/Disease/Fugative
Location: Religious Offices
Clue: Odd Behavior

Scene 2: Once that scene has ended, the PCs will probably hunker down in hiding for the evening. The next morning when the sun is up, the werewolf threat has passed. But the PCs will only be safe until the sun sets again, at which point the wolves will be after them again! They'd better Do Research/Find Help if they hope to survive! If they haven't done so yet, Louise suggests checking out the local church (Religious Offices). The church is empty, but unlocked, which seems strangely inviting (Odd Behavior). As they investigate, they should hear typing coming from one of the offices. The church secretary will be here ("Linda"), dutifully hammering together the church bulletin (Vixen...though it's a stretch). She is surprised to see them here, but unlike the rest of the town, she will be nervously forthcoming with information (Fugitive). She confirms that the lycanthrope conspiracy is real and that townspeople are fearful of talking about it. ("You either end up dead, or as one of THOSE!" she says.)

She begs them to help, even breaking into the church's altar room to give them some silver trinkets that could be potentially used as weapons. If asked who in town is cursed, she lists off a few of the town's notable leaders (but she is unaware of Pratt's involvement, though if asked, she'll say that he creeps her out). "And I think Pastor Burchell is one of them too!" she'll whisper. Linda will then scream as she falls to the floor. Behind her stands Pastor Burchell with a dagger. "She's right," he'll hiss as he attacks (Monster). So the PCs have a combat on their hands with one of the conspirators! He's not currently in wolf form, but he does have lycan claws and teeth in this encounter, so the combat will be a challenge. During the fight, Louise should be injured via scratch or bite (she's now cursed!). If it goes badly and if he's not killed outright, Pastor Burchell will run off.

Challenge: Assist/Save NPC
Action: Decide
Thing: Owner/Proprietor
Plot: Never Speak of This
Opposition: Serial Killer/Animated Objects
Location: Crime Scene
Clue: Lack of Alibi

Scene 3: Louise is now cursed with lycanthropy, so she only has until sundown before she becomes one of the pack! (Assist/Save NPC) Louise explains (per our clues in the previous post) that destruction of the pack leader will break the curse for all those who have contracted the disease. The chase is on to find the leader! The PCs should now know most of those Coldcreek residents cursed with lycanthropy (from both their observations as well as Linda's list). Although I mentioned in an earlier entry there were eight of them at the temple, I'm going to scale back and say there were five: Pastor Burchell; Steve Thompson, the town food market proprietor, and Roger Warner, the town mechanic (the large surly townperson who threatened them in our first act) are three that they know of. (The other two are Pratt's deputies. And, of course, Pratt is behind it all, though he was not at the temple that night.) Logically speaking, confronting Thompson for info would be the best course of action (Owner/Proprietor). His store is closed, so the PCs should investigate his home.

It will be locked, though it's obvious someone's in there. Whether they break in or talk to him through the door, Thompson will beg them to go away and leave him alone. If convinced to talk by telling him they know he's one of the pack (Lack of Alibi), he will let them in and agree to tell them everything (Decide...Never Speak of This). Thompson is afraid for his family, friends, and the community, and he wants to be rid of the curse. (He's been able to retain his humanity in human form, though he feels Pratt's influence on him at all times.)

"It's Sheriff Pratt!" he says. "He used to be a great man, but now he's a monster! He and his deputies are planning to turn everyone into wolf-men under his control! He controls them all, you know! With that medallion of his! Right now, I can feel him looking at you through my eyes!" Thompson can explain what he knows of the Eye of Anubis, and how Pratt uses it to control his minions. Pratt is indeed using the medallion on Thompson right now, but his will is too strong. So Pratt has sent his deputies to put an end to the meddling PCs (Serial Killer). They are now waiting outside Thompson's house with guns drawn, ordering everyone to leave the house with their hands up. (Doing so is suicide.) Thompson may decide to end it all by charging at the deputies, buying time for the PCs to escape. Or the PCs may decide to confront the lycan deputies during the day. (Though the deputies are crackshots, so the firefight may be one-sided.) The deputies are completely loyal to Pratt and have orders to kill everyone in the house (Crime Scene).

If the PCs overcome or drive away the deputies, Pratt's voice crackles on the patrol car radio: "You've been a thorn in my side since arriving. It's time to end this. Come to my Temple. Fail to show up, and I'll slaughter everyone in town."

And the gauntlet is thrown...

ACT 3 FINALE

(Normally the finale doesn't use random results. But the items for Act 2, Scene 4, just lent themselves so well to the finale resolution that I've incorporated them here.)

Challenge: Collect Evidence/Recover Items
Action: Rally
Thing: Pick-Pocket
Plot: Cursed Artifact
Opposition: Conspiracy/Evil God
Location: Study
Clue: Things Out of Place

Scene 4 and Finale: The cat (er..."wolf") is out of the bag now. Pratt and his plans have been exposed, and the clock is ticking now that Louise is in danger of turning. Pratt is now in the Temple and is completely delusional. He has put on his Anubis costume and is ready to show the town of Coldcreek their new "god." (Conspiracy/Evil God). He is summoning his minions to return to his side using the Eye of Anubis (Cursed Artifact...Rally). Depending on what the PCs have done, there could be two, one, or even no one showing up to defend their master! Pratt is now ready for the final showdown with the "infidels."

When the PCs arrive, Pratt will be waiting on the steps of his "temple" wearing his Egyptian finery. Any minions still alive will be standing before him. The townpeople watch from behind closed doors and through window curtains. It's an Old West showdown with a Middle Eastern flair.

"Kneel cattle!" Pratt demands. The PCs will probably refuse. They may even say something fairly insulting. Or they may open fire. Regardless, Pratt touches the medallion, and his minions charge. If the sun is down, Pratt transforms into his werejackal form and joins the fight as well. If the sun is up, he still transforms, but into a form of considerably lesser power. Since Louise has been "touched", she may join the fight for Pratt under the influence of the medallion. (It could be an interesting turn to see if the PCs can hold her at bay without hurting/killing their partner.) If the medallion is somehow taken from Pratt during the fight (Pick-Pocket), all of his minions will break off their attack on the PCs and will then turn on Pratt! If Pratt is killed or destroyed, the curse will be broken and his minions (and Louise) will return to normal. The lycanthropic threat to Coldcreek has ended.

THE END