And now a review of one of my favorite supplements for any
RPG system…
Evenings of Terror is a compilation of nine
mini-adventures for the Pacesetter’s original Chill RPG. (By extension, this supplement is also backwards-compatible with Cryptworld.) Each of the horrific scenarios
within this supplement are one-shots, designed to be played within a single
session – the “evenings of terror” referred to in the title.
As many of you know, I’m a big fan of “microadventures”. (Heck,
my Mutant Future supplement One Year In The Savage AfterWorld was
directly inspired by the “quick hit” nature of the adventures in Evenings of
Terror!) So this collection of Chill one-shots really scratches an itch of mine.
Each adventure is narrow in scope, taking place in a single
well-defined locale, for example, a small town in the middle of nowhere or
within the confines of a classic “haunted house”. There’s even one adventure
that takes place in the confines of a single room! (It’s also one of my
favorites Chill adventures to run at a convention.) Each of the adventures from Evenings
of Terror is self-contained with a set-up and PC introduction, the
adventure itself, and a resolution at the end. Each also has every NPC statted
up, as well as the THING(s) lurking in the shadows. For the price of one
adventure, you get nine separate horrific journeys for your players to
investigate and…perhaps…survive.
Before I give you an overview of the individual adventures that make up the Evenings
of Terror supplement, I need to warn those of you who may play in any of
these that I might reveal the plots and twists of each one, so SPOILER SPACE
FOLLOWS HERE:
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The Epidemic – Animals are disappearing throughout DeWitt,
Indiana, and the players are sent to investigate. As the PCs check out the
little town, the animals return…changed, somehow. This adventure is a fun
little romp as the PCs try to figure out where the numerous pets have gone. And
when the townfolks begin to vanish as well, they’ll have their hands full!
Lanier House – A new twist on the classic “haunted house”
tale, the PCs are sent to find out what happened to the last folks who entered
the supposedly haunted house. Is it a ghost or poltergeist causing the
mischief? Or is it something more malevolent? (Spoiler alert: Ever seen Monster
House?)
A Little Room – One of my favorite scenarios. McClellan
Manor in Ontario has a terrible curse. Anyone who enters the mansion’s Overlook
Room on July 19 will find themselves trapped within. On the morning of July 20,
the door will reopen and the victim will be found dead. It’s said that the
curse will be broken if anyone can survive the night until sunrise. A great
locked-room adventure that takes place over 8 hours in one room.
Animal House – People are missing in Chicago, and unusual pet
behavior is reported. The link? A mysterious veterinarian all of the missing
persons visited in the days leading to their disappearance. When the PCs get
too close, they may share the victim’s fate! The weakest entry, as it’s a bit
of a railroad for the PCs.
The House on the Hill – The townspeople whisper that strange
and foreboding experiments are underway at the house of Dr. Frankenberg. His
hunched assistant beckons the players to enter as lightning flashes in the sky.
It’s a scene straight out of a 1950s horror movie, but it can’t be this
straight-forward, can it? A classic bait-and-switch scenario that will cure the
PCs of jumping to conclusions.
Still Life – A talentless painter is suddenly creating
masterworks of artistic reknown. Any who criticize these work, however, are
later found murdered. However, the artist always has an iron-clad alibi. What
otherworldly “deals” have been made, and what can the PCs do to break the
spell? A very unusual THING haunts this adventure, and it will give your
players chills!
Rounded By A Sleep – Anyone who falls asleep in Room 1010 of
the Devereaux Hotel never wakes up again as they die peacefully in their sleep.
Is something killing people from beyond the realm of dreams…and nightmares? A
tough adventure for the PCs as they must fight the THING on its home turf – the
dreaming realm!
Crime Magazine – A private eye saw two people who were shot
and killed get up and walk away. He’s invited the PCs (known to dabble in “weird
stuff”) to help him investigate the seedy underworld when ghouls meet
gangsters! Femme fatales and mob bosses are all after a cursed object that
leaves death in its wake. An adventure with a 1930’s noir twist.
Haunt Thy Native Place – A stopover in the quiet town of
Tall Rock becomes a fight for survival as a dangerous creature watches the
players with interest…and hunger. How fast can the players get to the bottom of
this supposedly peaceful setting? A pretty standard horror adventure but fun
nonetheless.
Oh, and what of Elvira, the Mistress of the Dark? How does
she fit into all of these scenarios? She doesn’t. Elvira provides an intro and
outro for each adventure written in the style of our favorite horror hostess.
Her photos grace the pages throughout too, but those of you fearful that this
was somehow an adventure series “starring” Elvira need not worry.
As a fledgling CM, Evenings of Terror taught me
that you didn’t need a world-spanning campaign that takes months or years to
complete. If you want to run a quick night of horror with a host of new and
unusual creatures for your Chill/Cryptworld players, I recommend you pick up a
copy of this great sourcebook. You can get it for less than $10 at Noble KnightGames.
