hand, but he has been trapped in his Nightmare Prison for a couple of years, and he will relish
the opportunity to torment the girls and, if possible, seed enmity between them.
The Keeper should improvise the messages to make them as creepy and effective as
possible, keeping replies short (single word whenever possible) and somewhat cryptic.
If anyone suspects that one of the other girls is moving the planchette, they can make a Spot
Hidden check to notice that no single person seems to be moving it. A Hard success means that
they notice it moving on its own, which could cause a Sanity check (0/1). Failure means that
they’ll suspect one of the other girls (Keeper’s discretion), even though they’re innocent.
Nightmare Inconsistencies. Once all of the girls have gone to bed and awakened in The
Nightmare, there will be some subtle (and some not-so-subtle) clues to indicate that they’re
dreaming. The Keeper should feel free to improvise their own based on the actions of their
players, but here are a few examples:
Full Moon – One of the most obvious signs will be the full moon in the sky, illuminating the
dense fog around the house. A Natural World check or a Hard Idea (INT) check will allow
them to realize that the full moon isn’t for another ten days.
Reversal – A doorknob may appear on the opposite side of a door than where it was in
the waking world. You can use this same effect with anything in the house that isn’t directly
attached to one of the girls.
Blood! – A haunted house classic, the Keeper can have blood appear in some unusual
places, such as bubbling up out of a sink, pouring from the water pump, running down a
wall, dripping from the ceiling, or even covering their friend.
Elijah’s Tome (Greek). If any of the girls think to check the large occult section of the
Library, they will find an unmarked black leather-bound book. This is Elijah’s Nightmare
journal, in which he details many of his murders, how he created the witch board and the
fact that it’s bound to The Nightmare. Most likely, the girls won’t have time for a full reading,
but if they can spend five minutes skimming through it, they can learn the following:
• The former owner of the manor, Elijah Roth, was a serial killer who preyed on young
women. He seems to have had dozens of victims over many decades.
• When he was a boy, Elijah’s father sealed up a stone vault near their home and forbade
Elijah from exploring it, but childish curiosity and rebellion ensured that he would return
many times. He calls the place The Vault of Dreams. It was there that here he learned of The
Dreamlands and was first contacted by the elder god Hypnos, the Lord of Dreams.
• His time spent walking in the Dreamlands affected his waking life in strange ways. Most
notably, he seemed to be aging more rapidly than those around him. By his early teens, most
people mistook him for being in his twenties.
• When he was just 16, Elijah killed his parents, offering them as his first sacrifices to Hypnos.
• Elijah spent five years traveling across multiple states, killing vulnerable women as further
offerings to his god. He would periodically return to Massachusetts to visit the Dream Vault
and commune directly with Hypnos. During this time, he learned the rituals contained in this
journal and began practicing magic. The spells are all written in Greek, which Elijah claims
to have never studied. As he described it, “It was through Hypnos’ divine gift that I was granted
the ability to read, write, and speak the ancient tongue fluently!”
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• In late 1972, Elijah created the handmade witch board hidden above the fireplace. He used
magicks granted by Hypnos to anchor his dream spirit to the board, allowing his protégé
(whom he does not name nor mention again in this journal) to contact him directly whenever
he was dreaming. The board will work even with only one participant but only connects to
Elijah when he is dreaming. If he’s awake, it doesn’t work, though he’ll sense that someone
is trying to contact him with the board.
• By 1973, things were getting too hot, and Elijah feared he would soon be caught by the FBI
agents investigating the murder of his parents. He begins to write about a plan to use his new
found powers to escape the authorities but doesn’t have the chance to go into any further
detail as his journal abruptly ends here.
• Scattered throughout the journal are several spells, all written in Greek. To cast these
spells successfully requires a Hard Language (Greek) check since they are written in an older
archaic form of the Greek language.
Threats
Fetches. These undead revenants only
exist in The Nightmare, and they are unable
to leave it. Whenever someone is killed
by a Fetch, they too become a Fetch under
Elijah’s control in 1D6 rounds. They are
cunning and can use tactics to separate the
girls, making them easier to pick off, but they
are quite primal in combat and will never
Dodge, preferring to always Fight Back.
Fetches manifest as horrific parodies of
the people they were in life. They appear
pale as if some of the color has been washed
out of them, and they move with quick, jerky
movements that aren’t quite human. Their
eyes are milky white, and they have a wide,
toothy grin on their face that is all the more
unsettling as they often giggle and laugh to
torment their victims.
When the Fetch approaches its victim,
it will speak with a high-pitched voice that
sounds like dry, dead skin crackling. If their
victim successfully fights back, the Fetch may revert to their original appearance and plead
(in their former, non-creepy voice) for the person to stop hurting them. If this happens, the
attacker should make a Sanity check. If they succeed, they immediately see through the
deceit, while failure means believing them. Depending on the situation, this could be very
bad news for the victim (Keeper’s discretion).
When the girls first arrive in The Nightmare, three Fetches are already waiting for
them. The two outside in the fog are previous victims of Elijah. One is a thirteen-year-old
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girl and the other is an elderly and ragged-looking homeless man. The third one haunts
the upstairs of the house and was formerly Ms. Bates.
Fetch Dodge: N/A (a Fetch will only Fight Back)
nightmare revenant Armor: 3 (Undead Fortitude); The Fetch takes
damage but feels no pain. They cannot be knocked
STR 75 unconscious or stunned.
CON 75 Skills: Climb 75%, Jump 75%, Stealth 99%.
SIZ Varies Sanity Loss: 1/1D6 (The loss is 2/2D6 if the
Fetch is someone the victim knew in life.)
DEX 75
SPECIAL ABILITIES
INT 35
They Just Won’t Die: A Fetch will continue
HP: 13 fighting after being reduced to 0 HP. Even
if they are completely dismembered, their
Damage Bonus: 1D4 individual parts will continue to fight for as
long as possible. The only way to destroy a
Build: 1 Fetch is to burn it after reducing it to 0 HP.
Move: 9 Walking On Walls: A Fetch can walk on walls
or ceilings. They must crawl on all fours to do
ATTACKS so but move at full speed. Losing a limb means
Attacks per round: 1 they also lose this ability.
Fetches have sharpened fang-like teeth and
elongated nails on their hands and feet that are
hard as stone.
Fighting: Bite/Claw 50% (25/10), damage 2D4
Changes
The Prank. Debra will insist that three girls use the witch board with her, teasing
them if they seem scared or hesitant. She will have them kneel in front of the fireplace
and spend several minutes calling out to the spirits nearby to commune with them,
occasionally stopping to giggle or make fun of each another. Then, the planchette begins
to move. H-E-L-L it spells out, pausing for a few dramatic seconds before moving to the O
and resting there.
If any player at the board suggests that someone is faking, a Hard Spot Hidden check
from one of the girls touching the planchette will determine that Debra moved it. Debra will
deny this, of course, and insist they keep playing.
After a few more questionable responses on the board (the Keeper should improvise
these based on the questions the characters ask), Debra will stand up suddenly, eyes rolling
back into her head and shaking violently. A few seconds later, she collapses onto the floor and
twitches a few more times before her eyes open wide. She points at the nearest character
and croaks her name in a strained voice saying, “I am… coming… for… YOU!!!” The last
word rises from a croak to a scream before Debra starts laughing and rolling on the floor.
“Hahaha… I got you so good!”
As the girls laugh and argue immediately following Debra’s prank, the planchette on the
now unattended witch board slowly slides to GOODBYE. A successful Spot Hidden will
notice this and require a Sanity check (1/1D3). Debra will not see it and will assume anyone
who did is just trying to prank her back. After the inevitable argument ends, she storms off
to her room with a bottle of Vodka to drink herself to sleep.
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Sweet Dreams! By 2:00 AM, all the girls should be sufficiently drunk, stoned, and/or
tired to call it a night. If any of the girls want to sleep in a room, the Keeper should let them
pick whatever room they like, with the exception of the bedrooms claimed by Ms. Bates and
Debra (see Map Handout). Where they choose to sleep will have little effect on the scenario.
Either way, by 2:30 AM, everyone in the house should be sound asleep.
Rude Awakening! At 3:03 AM, the characters are awakened when the doorknob to their
room turns and the door slowly creaks open. Looking towards the door, they see a dark figure
standing in the hall peering in at them. After a moment, the figure fades into the darkness.
If any of the girls lock the door to their room, it begins shaking violently as if someone
(or thing) is desperately trying to get in. This will continue until they either open the door or
someone approaches it from outside the room.
As soon as anyone leaves their room or the Keeper feels they need to move things along,
there will be a scream of terror from Debra’s room, followed by the sound of shattering glass.
Her door is still locked, so anyone wanting to check on her will have to either pick the lock
or break it open. The latter requires two girls with a combined minimum STR of 100, and at
least one Hard STR check from either of them.
Once inside, there is no sign of Debra, but her blanket is tossed aside as if she had been
sleeping and got up. The curtains will be blowing into the room, and a closer look will reveal
that the window has been broken out from the inside.
If anyone looks outside, they will see broken glass on the ground below and catch a
glimpse of Debra (who is now a Fetch) running into the dense fog which has enveloped the
house. The night will be eerily lit by the Full Moon (see Signs).
Wake Up, Ms. Bates! If anyone goes to Ms. Bates’ room, they will find her in her bed
with her hands clutching her blanket close with a look of terror on her face. She will not
respond and, on closer inspection, is quite cold and stiff. Realizing she is dead calls for a
Sanity check (1/1D6).
If the body is left alone for any length of time after its discovery, it will be gone the next
time someone looks. If not left alone, she will rise as a Fetch (see Threats) after several
minutes pass, attacking anyone in the room before fleeing into the house. If prevented from
leaving by the door, she will leap with uncharacteristic athletic ability to break through the
window and flee into the fog-shrouded night.
Into the Fog. If anyone enters the fog, they will find that visibility is limited to about
five feet. A Navigate check is required to find their way back to the house or to the road.
Otherwise, they will become lost in the fog. If they find the road, they’ll notice that it’s made
of a strange black cobblestone. This alien road will lead them back to the house if they wish.
If they try following it away from the house, they will hear Debra cackling from somewhere
nearby as she and two other Fetches (former victims of Elijah) pursue them. Should they escape,
they can either try to make it back to the house (with Navigate check to find it) or continue away
deeper into the fog. The landscape surrounding the house is also different, and they’ll find no sign
of trees or identifiable landmarks or signs. The bad news is that they are lost in The Nightmare, but
the good news is that they will survive and wake up in their beds at the scenario’s conclusion.
The Keeper should describe the surroundings as disturbingly as possible. They will hear
footsteps in the distance, the unsettling giggles of children, and deep growls. Any trees they
encounter will be dead and covered with a strange purple mold that is faintly bioluminescent,
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creating little pools of eerie violet light. The ground is spongy with some kind of black moss
that squishes with each step, leaving a momentary impression that quickly fills in behind them.
The Keeper should feel free to embellish in any way they like, as long as it enhances the feeling
of being in a living nightmare. Remember that this place knows what they fear the most.
Lost in the Madness! If any of the girls have their Sanity reduced to zero, they become
forever trapped in The Nightmare. They are immediately drawn to the nearest Fetch and will
not resist as it kills them, creating another Fetch.
The Final Girl. If all but one of the girls are dead, this last survivor immediately gains
50 Luck (Max 99), and a Bonus Die on all actions. She also is no longer prone to bouts of
madness, though she can still lose Sanity. This is meant to simulate the cinematic tendency
for the last girl in these sorts of movies to survive to tell the tale... or find themselves locked
up in a mental asylum.
New Spells
Wake the Dreamer
Cost: 2 Magic Points (self), 5 Magic Points (other)
Casting Time: Instantaneous
Casting this spell allows the caster to instantly return to the real world, waking suddenly wherever
they fell asleep. It may be cast on another person as well, at a higher magic point cost.
If used in conjunction with the witch board, the spell may be used on Elijah himself. If
successful, the current Nightmare surrounding Roth Manor is dispelled, allowing all living
girls to awaken suddenly in their beds. Roth’s fate in such a case is undetermined within the
scope of this scenario but may be further explored in future grindhouse scenarios.
Create Fetch
Cost: 8 Magic Points; 1D10 Sanity
Casting Time: 1 hour
This ritual begins by inducing a dream state in the victim through the use of drugs. Once this
is achieved, the caster must repeatedly recite the appropriate incantation over the sleeping
victim for 30 minutes, during which the victim’s spirit is bound to The Nightmare. The final
30 minutes of the ritual involve slowly suffocating the victim as the incantation continues.
Their dream self will sense and even feel this but will be completely helpless to do anything
about it as long as the chant is maintained. Once their waking body is dead, their dream
form becomes a Fetch — a tormented nightmare creature of rage and malice with only one
desire: to hunt and kill other dreamers who find themselves in The Nightmare. Their will is
permanently bound to the caster, granting them a powerful level of control over the Fetch.
Spirit Anchor
Cost: 10 Magic Points; 1D6 Sanity
Casting Time: Special (see below)
This ritual involves the creation of a scrying device to which the caster will anchor their dream
form, allowing anyone using the device to contact the caster while they are dreaming. This
works both in the waking world and the Dreamlands. In Elijah’s case, he has cast this spell on
the witch board and planchette that he carved for himself. The board is made of rare South
American hardwood, while the planchette was carved from a single piece of Serpentine.
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The Hoodlums
Claustrophobia
Medical Procedures
Violence Against Teens
The Hoodlums
This scenario is set in Worcester, Massachusetts, during the summer of 1983. A group
of high school friends breaks into an abandoned train station to smoke some weed, but
when their friend disappears into a drain in the floor, they begin a journey that will take
them through the sewers beneath the city into the unseen world that lurks just beyond
the shadows of reality.
Prelude
To the average 17-year-old high school student, summer vacation is, without a doubt, the best
time of the year. This is especially true for the cast-offs; those who sit alone in the cafeteria,
spend their free periods secluded in the library, and take the longer way home to avoid notice.
In rare cases, these loners can find each other, forming tight bonds akin to those between
soldiers in battle. Together they seek the escapism of horror movies, fantasy role playing
games, heavy metal music, and sometimes drugs. They want to be free of the anxiety and
anger that burdens them in the real world.
The Hoodlums are one such cabal, and they have just broken into Worcester’s Union
Station to smoke weed, drink wine, and crank up the tunes. They plan to stay there all night
and have used the tried and true method of each friend asking to stay over at another friend’s
house, which is particularly effective in a city where none of their parents really know each
other that well.
None of them suspect that they’re being watched.
The Party Begins. Somewhere in the depths of the abandoned train station, Alice Cooper’s
“School’s Out” blares from a massive boom box sitting atop a pile of rusted structural beams. A
fire burns in a steel drum that carves out a small island of flickering light from the near-perfect
darkness. Sitting around the fire barrel are five teens repurposing some old office chairs salvaged
from one of the dilapidated offices on the way in. Near the edge of the circle, the ruins of an old
oak bench provide the fuel for the fire, and another bench holds eight bottles of various cheap
wines liberated from the back of some closet of forgotten Christmas gifts.
Keeper’s Notes
At this point, the Keeper should have the players describe their characters and let them role
play a little bit to get into the mood. If possible, some of the following songs should be set
up to play in the background while this is happening:
School’s Out by Alice Cooper Dream On by Aerosmith
Iron Man by Black Sabbath Paranoid by Black Sabbath
People Are Strange by The Doors Don’t Fear The Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult
Whole Lotta Love by Led Zeppelin Highway To Hell by AC/DC
The Boys Are Back in Town by Thin Lizzy Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne
Rock and Roll All Nite by KISS Children of the Damned by Iron Maiden
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Voice in the Darkness. The cassette ends with a loud click, and someone starts fishing
through the cardboard box of mix tapes while others get up to refill their glasses. Brian gets
up and says, “I’ve gotta take a leak.” He heads off into the darkness towards the sewer drain
that is designated as the official toilet.
A moment later, however, you hear the shrill screech of metal and a heavy boom. Then
there’s a terrified scream that’s cut short, followed by an unsettling giggle.
Investigating the noise, you find that the heavy cast iron grate that covered the circular
drain in the floor has been wrenched out of place and cast aside. You suddenly hear Brian
feebly calling for help from the sewer below, followed by a maniacal laugh and the sound of
heavy, splashing of footsteps running away.
Keeper’s Notes
There are several reasonable possibilities, the most likely of which is that some of the local
bullies are fucking with them again. The Hoodlums have worked very hard to keep tonight a
secret, but assholes can be very resourceful when they’re committed to tormenting others.
Another possibility they can imagine is that some druggie, out of his head on PCP, grabbed
him for some unspeakable reason. Of course, they’ve never seen any druggies in the area, but
this kind of thing happens all the time on television, so it must be true.
The third and least likely possibility is that Brian is pulling some kind of prank on them. It’s
not that he wouldn’t try to freak them out, but the iron grate is just way too heavy for any one
person to lift on their own.
A quick Spot Hidden check of the area reveals several splatters of blood on the edge of the
drain opening, making the possibility of a prank even less likely.
The Hoodlums have plenty of reasons to go after their friend, but if they seem hesitant, the Keeper
can have them make Idea (INT) checks to remember that contacting the authorities will almost
certainly get them into some very deep shit. Between breaking and entering, underage drinking, and
then there’s the weed; they’d be lucky to only get grounded for the rest of the summer.
If any individual Hoodlums are hesitant to rescue Brian, the other Hoodlums can apply
peer pressure (see Peer Pressure on p.135). After all, how can anyone refuse if someone calls
them chicken, right?
The Keeper should emphasize the urgency of the situation, particularly since they’ve had
other classmates go missing (see Objectives on p.120). Not only do they want to get to Brian
before something serious happens to him, but if they don’t act quickly, they’ll be forced to tell
the authorities, and none of them want to have that discussion.
By the time going to the police seems like the better option, it will be too late to turn back.
The Sewer. The drain opening is about two-and-a-half feet across with a metal rim that
once held the cast iron grate. A series of rungs in the shaft below descend for about ten feet
before ending in what is presumably a sewer tunnel. While the iron rungs are rusty and
covered with corrosion, they appear sturdy enough to hold your weight. You can still hear the
echoing footsteps splashing below, but they’re definitely getting further away.
Keeper’s Notes
No skill check is necessary to descend into the sewer, but if a Hoodlum specifies that they’re
doing so as quickly as possible, they should make a DEX check. Failure means they slip and fall
into three feet of rancid oily water, though they suffer no physical damage.
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The Hoodlums were prepared to camp overnight in the old building; therefore, they have
camping gear, including flashlights. To keep things simple, the batteries will last as long as
the Keeper decides, though in reality, they probably wouldn’t last more than two hours of
continuous use.
Regarding other specific camping or personal items, the Keeper can allow them if it makes
sense, or they can have the Hoodlum make a Luck check to see if they remembered to pack
the item.
Typical items they would likely have include: lighters, pocket knives, spare batteries, rope,
compass, duct tape, canteen, extra blankets, sleeping bags, and backpacks. Other items such
as hatchets, tents, or binoculars are possible but not as likely.
The sewer itself reeks of stale water, mold, rust, motor oil, and grease. There’s also a faint
background odor of sewage and something worse, like putrefied cabbage and sour milk.
A two-foot-wide channel runs down the center of the brick tunnel, leaving two, three-foot
walkways on either side. The rounded walls curve up to the ceiling about six feet overhead.
The sewer heads off in both directions into utter darkness, too far for any pocket flashlight
to see. In a brief moment of silence, you can just hear the distant thwack of wet footsteps on
stone and a high-pitched giggling moving away from you.
Keeper’s Notes
The Hoodlums can move easily down in the sewer tunnel, though if they run, the slick surface
requires they make a DEX check to avoid falling into the channel. If anyone falls in, they must
make a successful Luck check or suffer 1 hit point of damage. If they Fumble the DEX check, a
successful Luck check means losing 1 hit point, while failure means suffering 1D4 hit points.
The idea is to discourage the characters from running and beat them up a bit, but if someone
has a bout of bad rolls, the Keeper should avoid inflicting too much damage. Instead, they can
have the falling character getting a mouthful of that nasty water or lose an important item, like a
flashlight or a knife on a failed Luck check.
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If they have a compass, they can determine that the footsteps are heading east. After a
hundred feet the sewer empties into a twenty-two-foot-wide tunnel that runs north and south.
The water is nasty, but there is a two foot walkway along the western wall.
An INT check allows them to recall that this is the old Blackstone Canal that was buried
around the turn of the century. The footsteps can be heard coming from the left (north).
After about half a mile they suddenly hear splashing footsteps followed by what sounds like a
creaking metal door opening and closing. A minute later they see a stone platform with rusted
iron rings in front of a steel door on the opposite wall. The platform is wet with footprints
leading up to the door, and they can hear faint sounds coming from behind it.
Objectives
Mad Doctor & Servant. Over the past month, there have been six disappearances in the
city of Worcester, including two college students from Clark University, one student from
Holy Cross College, a taxi driver, and two high school students from Doherty Memorial High
School. As yet, the police haven’t discovered any definitive connections between them other
than they were all taken at night when they were alone, which isn’t a lot to go on. Behind closed
doors, they suspect a serial killer, but the truth is far more disturbing.
All of these people have been kidnapped by Terrance Clancy, the servant of Dr. John
Starkweather, who uses their flesh, blood, and fluids to extend his life. He brings them
down to Dr. Starkweather’s sanctum beneath the streets of Worcester to harvest all of the
various humors and organs to complete his thirty-four-year regeneration ritual. Unfortunately,
Starkweather is still two people short, and his time is running out.
This is why Terrence, not the brightest of people, decided to grab Brian despite having
others nearby. By the time the other Hoodlums react, Terrence will have a significant head
start, which means they won’t catch up until they reach the sanctum.
Starkweather won’t be pleased with Terrance when he discovers that the boy had friends
who witnessed the kidnapping, but then again, he can always use any extra subjects to refine
his elixirs even more and perhaps lengthen the time between rituals.
Realizing that they’re about to have visitors, Starkweather prepares to wait for them in
his study. He tells Terrence to watch from behind the locked library door off the entry hall,
and trigger the gate trap once they’re all inside. He is then to watch them from the shadows
without being seen. If they do something naughty, like releasing the other subjects, damaging
anything important, or trying to escape, Terrance can then do whatever it takes to stop them.
Secrets
Starkweather’s Sanctum. The Blackstone Canal was a waterway that linked Worcester,
Massachusetts, to Providence, Rhode Island, through the Blackstone Valley via a series of
locks and canals in the early 19th century. After the Worcester Railroad began operating, the
canal closed, falling into disuse, and the city covered it over in 1902. A number of basements
next to the canal were buried in the process, including one that became the sanctum of Dr.
Starkweather, a physician and secret worshiper of Shub-Niggurath.
All of the stairways and windows were sealed with brick and mortar, and the old entrance
hall was connected to the buried canal shortly after it was covered, giving Starkweather
access to the outside world.
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History 1848 – Starkweather resurrects his wife
and daughter, but they come back ...wrong.
1795 – Zachery Starkweather founds the He builds a special room for them in the
Blackstone River Society basement of his home next to the canal.
1800 – Zachery Starkweather marries 1848 – The canal is closed, and all
Laura Bradley commercial traffic stops.
1802 – John Starkweather Born 1850 – Starkweather develops an elixir
that extends his life.
1825 – Blackstone Canal Construction Begins
1888 – The canal next to Starkweather’s
1820 – John goes to Harvard Medical School home is covered over.
1826 – John returns to Worcester to 1902 – A mob sets fire to Starkweather’s
practice medicine. Accepted into the house, believing him responsible for
Massachusetts Medical Society. the disappearance of six children.
Starkweather takes refuge in his hidden
1827 – Zachery and his wife die in a house basement, sealing it up behind him.
fire, and John becomes Master of the
Blackstone River Society. 1902 – Starkweather is presumed dead but
continues to live in his hidden sanctum.
1828 – Dr. Starkweather begins experiments
in blending medicine and magic. 1910 – A textile factory is built over the
location of the old Starkweather house.
1830 – Dr. Starkweather marries Abigail
Edith Matthews. 1914 – Starkweather begins harvesting
organs and dumping his victims in the old
1831 – Abigail gives birth to a daughter Blackstone canal.
that they name Laura after John’s mother.
1915 – Starkweather perfects his flesh
1837 – John’s wife and daughter die of blending process, restoring himself.
tuberculosis. He immediately begins to
research resurrections, extending life, 1949 – Nine Worcester residents go
and immortality. missing. Their bodies are later found in
the Blackstone River near Providence.
1842 – Dr. Starkweather is expelled from
the Massachusetts Medical Society. 1983 – Six locals have disappeared, including
two teens that the Hoodlums know.
1844 – Starkweather begins experimenting
on the poor people of Worcester that he 121
lures into his house.
The exit is covered with a plain metal door that is usually kept locked, though, in his
haste, Terrence forgot to reset the lock. The water in the canal is two to three feet deep,
with a thick layer of sludge on the bottom, so it’s easy enough to step up onto the brick
platform to open the door.
The entire sanctum complex is constructed of stone and brick, with all ground-level
windows thoroughly bricked over. Not that there would be much to see since the ground
level is now some four feet higher than it used to be when the house still stood.
There is some ventilation, though the place is still cool and damp with a strong stench
of mildew. Mold grows in many of the corners in the entry hall and the hall beyond. The
rest of the sanctum is somewhat drier.
Unless otherwise stated, the floors feature tile with antique floral patterns that vary
from room to room. While there is the odd cracked tile here and there, the floors are in
surprisingly good shape considering their age.
Entrance – A series of steps climb from the canal level only to descend and then climb
again. This architectural oddity creates a place for excess water to become trapped and
drain should the canal flood as it did in the 1950s.
At the top of the second set of stairs are the wooden double doors that lead to the original
entry hall. While these doors can be locked, they usually are not.
Entry Hall – This small area is wide but shallow. An antique gaslight chandelier hangs
from the center of the ceiling, though it’s not currently lit. The wide archway directly ahead
opens onto a larger, dimly lit room beyond, though not much can be seen from here.
A wood-paneled door to the left is closed and locked. A brass plate in the center of the
door at eye level reads: Library.
Keeper’s Notes
Once all the Hoodlums step into the entry hall, they hear a metallic click, and a pair of heavy cage
doors slide across the doorway they just passed through, trapping them in the sanctum. The lever
to unlock them is in the library, and requires ten minutes and a Hard Spot Hidden check to find it.
Shining flashlights around allows the Hoodlums to notice some blood stains on the tile
floor and that there’s more in the room beyond.
Hall of Corpses – This wide hall has a vaulted stone ceiling that arches ten feet overhead.
At first, the walls appear to be covered with old rags on hooks, but once illuminated, they
are clearly something far more grisly.
Hanging from metal hooks embedded in the walls are dozens of desiccated human
corpses. While features are impossible to distinguish, it’s clear there are women, men, and
even a child of about ten years of age.
Their clothes are rotten, but even a high school student can recognize that most of them
are very old-fashioned. One of the male corpses has a heavily waxed handlebar mustache;
his head tilted to the side with an old bowler hat at a jaunty angle. Another wears a tattered
yellow sun dress that looks as if it’s right out of Little House on the Prairie.
Near the end of the hall are four new additions with more modern clothes. Two young
women, a younger man and an older man They each appear to be drained of bodily fluids,
but they still have somewhat recognizable facial features.
122
Keeper’s Notes
This scene requires a Sanity check (1/1D6). The Keeper should stress that this is the first time
the teens have experienced death, much less this level of brutality. That being said, young people
are very resilient, and so any bouts of madness will manifest as paralysis, freaking out, vomiting,
and/or outright denial, which will manifest later as brutal nightmares. Since they are all really
into horror movies, the Keeper has the option of giving them a Bonus Die on their Sanity checks.
An Idea (INT) check allows the Hoodlums to recognize the four new additions since their
faces have been all over the news. These are four of the six people who have disappeared
recently. Their classmates are conspicuously missing from this horrifying display.
If anyone wants to search the bodies, it requires a Hard POW check to do so. If they succeed,
a Spot Hidden check allows them to find an old .25 Derringer pistol in the pocket of the man in
the bowler hat. It has two shots, each requiring a Luck check to see if the shells still fire.
At the end of the hall are open doorways to the right and left, and against the back wall is a
floor-to-ceiling dark green drapery mounted on an iron rod. Upon the drapery is a hand-painted
yellow ovoid shape in the center with a series of lines and circles forming a complex sigil.
Parlor – To the right of the hall of corpses is an irregularly-shaped room with a number of
cushioned easy chairs and side tables. Most of them are very dusty, suggesting that they’ve
not seen much use in decades, perhaps longer.
A side room holds a dining table covered with a large white sheet. Eight high-backed
chairs sit around the table, each covered with its own sheet, looking like some sort of weird
ghost dinner.
Side Hall – To the left of the hall of corpses is a mirror image of the parlor. It contains a
few side tables and some sort of hutch with doors on the top and six drawers below.
There are two doors to the north and east, and to the south, a wide pass-through opens
up into what appears to be a living room.
Keeper’s Notes
In the upper section of the hutch is an old set of very fine china that doesn’t look like it’s been
used for a long time.
In the drawers are table cloths, napkins, and silverware made from real silver worth thousands
of dollars, though the Hoodlums aren’t likely to know this fact.
At this point, the Hoodlums can make Hard Listen checks to see if they hear the prisoners
in the Secret Room.
The Temple of Shub-Niggurath – Behind the drapery is a large room with a high arched
ceiling. The floor is a dark, burgundy marble with thin veins of white. On the far side, atop a
stone dais, is the statue of what at first glance appears to be a voluptuous woman in a floor-
length robe, her hands held over her head. Any illumination reveals that her breasts have
open mouths where her nipples should be. A cluster of bloated roots or tentacles spread out
from between her legs, wrapping around them and gripping the dais.
The statue is covered with greenish-black fungal growths covering her face, erupting
from her hands, and filling every crevice. A wet pile of unidentifiable viscera fills a wooden
tub in front of the statue like a ghastly offering.
The stone walls of this room are painted with all sorts of terrifying images depicting
blood sacrifices, rituals, and nude figures kneeling in supplication before an enormous
124
cloudy mass of what looks like tumors, with sections of the oily mist coalescing into
horrendous body parts – rope-like black tentacles, mouths dripping black ichor, and short
writhing legs that end in black, goat-like hooves. The thing appears to be birthing dozens
of dark, tentacled young.
In between the images are strange symbols, like writing, but this is no alphabet that the
Hoodlums recognize. The mural seems to have a pattern as if it were intended to be read
from one side to the other.
Keeper’s Notes
The entire room should be treated as a mythos tome. Even briefly looking around the room
requires the viewer to make a Sanity check (1D3/1D6). While the characters aren’t likely to
take the time to closely examine the mural, at least some of them have been to a Catholic
Church, and there is something hauntingly familiar about it.
A Hard Idea (INT) check allows them to recall seeing the Stations of the Cross, a series of
images depicting the passion and crucifixion of Christ. These images aren’t exactly like that,
but they follow a similar, ritualistic progression that ends with some kind of obscene birth.
Should any of the Hoodlums examine the murals for five minutes or more, they must make
another Sanity check (1D4/1D8). If they suffer a bout of madness, they fall into a trance staring
at the image and begin chanting something sinister and incomprehensible. In their mind, the
victim experiences the scene they are viewing. The Keeper can describe it however they like.
Barely visible behind the statue is a pair of black drapes covering a metal door with a
sliding bolt on the outside. There is a simple handle with no lock.
Wife and Child – Anyone opening the door behind the black drapes immediately realizes
their mistake. Their airway closes reflexively against the vile miasma that assaults them. A
sudden skittering in the darkness is getting rapidly closer, and if they manage to shine a light
into the room, they’ll wish they hadn’t.
The interior of this narrow room is dank as if the walls themselves were sweating. Every
surface is covered with wisps of mold, and the air is filled with clouds of spores. Against the
far wall is a swollen and buckling bed, its four tall posts warped and twisted, and its large
headboard leans heavily with massive, tumor-like fungal growths. The decayed quilt spills
off the sides onto the oily black floor.
Abigail Starkweather
125
Sitting cross-legged on the remnants of the bed is a pale, gaunt thing that might once
have been a woman. It wears a stained night dress, and its matted black hair mercifully
obscures its face. The thing looks up as soon as the light hits it, and through the slick
curtain of hair, its eyes appear utterly lifeless, and yet somehow, they convey a terrible
intelligence and malice. Its slender hand moves to its throat and grips some sort of
necklace as if to protect it from being stolen.
A scuttling sound seems to be coming from behind the door, and an instant later, a
small pair of hands reach around the edge of the door, followed by a mop of rancid hair and
a single corpse-white eye peering eagerly at the person in the doorway. It giggles playfully
as if playing peek-a-boo.
Keeper’s Notes
This obviously requires a Sanity check (1D4/2D6). These abominations are what’s left of Dr.
Starkweather’s wife Abigail and their daughter Laura who both died of tuberculosis back in
1837. This was his earliest attempt at restoring life, and it didn’t go well. They came back as
shadows of what they once were, but Starkweather couldn’t bring himself to destroy them.
Daughter Laura is behind the door and will lunge violently at the nearest Hoodlum but
will be stopped short by a chain around its waist. The Keeper should play this as a nice
jump scare if possible; the chain jerking taught with the undead child’s yellow teeth just
inches away.
Abigail continues to watch from the bed; she, too, is chained. If the Hoodlums linger too
long, she calls out to her husband, shouting “JOHN!” in a wet, gurgling shriek that makes
their blood run cold. The Keeper can have the Hoodlums make an optional Sanity check
(1/1D4) here at their discretion.
If the Hoodlums are smart, they’ll slam the door, slide the bolt, and never open it again.
If not, the chains are fairly corroded, and there’s a slight chance that Laura could get free
(see Threats).
Library & Study – The walls are lined with floor-to-ceiling bookcases and shelves. In
the middle of the room is a circular oak table with several chairs situated around it and
piles of leather-bound books stacked near each. Papers filled with notes are scattered
everywhere across its surface, and a half-empty wine glass sits near a large open book.
Starkweather has taken great precautions to keep the moisture down to a minimum
in the library. The doors leading into the library remain shut at all times, and a modern
dehumidifier hums quietly just inside the door from the entry hall. A hose drains the water
through a crude hole in the tile floor.
Heat radiates from the open room to the south. It appears to be a study with a writing
desk, additional bookshelves, and several comfortable chairs around a coffee table. The
rug on the floor is of Turkish design, though it has darkened with age.
A wood stove sits against the eastern wall, with the black stovepipe running out through
the ceiling to who knows where. There’s a warm glow within and an antique kettle on top
steaming slightly.
Unlike the rest of the sanctum, these rooms are mildew-free. They smell of leather,
coffee, pipe tobacco, and wood smoke.
126
Keeper’s Notes
When not working in his lab or surgery, Starkweather can be found here, either writing in his
journal or pouring over old tomes as he continues his research unlocking the secrets of life
and death.
The books here range from the mundane collections of classic literature to the more esoteric
and outright forbidden tomes. Some of the more noteworthy books in his collection include
a rare Greek translation of the dread Necronomicon, a Latin version of Cthaat Aquadingen, an
1839 version of Unaussprechlichen Kulten, and the Revelations of Gla’aki.
If present when they arrive, Starkweather welcomes the Hoodlums pleasantly, offering
them wine, boasting that his collection is the finest in the city. See Starkweather on p.133 for
more information.
Living Room – An old sofa on the west wall faces a 1950s-era console television with a
newer VCR on top. Sitting on the sofa is what appears to be a life-sized replica of a young
woman stitched together like a rag doll. On a side table nearby is a glass of dark amber liquid.
In the center of the room, a green oval area rug covers most of the floor. In an alcove to the
east are a series of shelves with a child’s books, including Dr. Seuss, the Berenstain Bears,
and a full collection of The Hardy Boys Mysteries. There is also a collection of obviously
stolen VHS tapes, including The Great Muppet Caper, Charlotte’s Web, Horton Hears A
Who, Swiss Family Robinson, Dumbo, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Keeper’s Notes
This room is mostly used by Terrence to watch television and read his books. The “doll” on
the sofa is fashioned from actual human skin from several young women that Starkweather
preserved and sewed together for Terrence. It’s stuffed with sawdust and cotton, with glass
cat eyes purchased from a taxidermy supply company. Terrence has named her Gail, and he
puts his arm around her when watching his movies. At night he takes her to bed in his room.
Terrence’s Room – This room is little more than a closet with a bed and a nightstand, but
Terrence needs little else. Since he can see quite well in the dark, there are no lights in this
room. In the nightstand drawer is Terrence’s collection of marbles.
Bedroom – Starkweather’s bedroom is austere but comfortable with a queen-sized bed, a
tall wardrobe, and a pair of nightstands with matching cut glass lamps. A hope chest at the
foot of the bed is ornate and has a brass plaque that reads: Starkweather.
Above the bed’s headboard is a portrait of Dr. Starkweather, his wife Abigail, and his
daughter Laura. This was painted several months before Abigail and Laura died.
Keeper’s Notes
The hope chest contains keepsakes from his wife and daughter. All of them have been packed
with care and smell of cedar.
The wardrobe contains Starkweather’s clothes, though many haven’t been worn in years.
Many are old-fashioned, reflecting decades of changing styles. He has tried to have at least one
set of modern clothes at all times in case he needs to go out into the world for some reason.
More often than not, he goes out in the winter to better conceal his appearance beneath a warm
hat and a thick scarf.
127
Most of the time, he wears the same three sets of work clothes which are laundered by
Terrence in the kitchen sink and hung to dry in the study.
Behind the painting is a hole in the stone wall, which hides his private research journal
containing all of his research on immortality.
Kitchen & Dining Room – The larger of these two rooms has a modest dining table with
two wooden chairs. Sitting rather optimistically against the southern wall are four more
chairs, each covered with a dusty white cloth.
The kitchen is simple, with a small electric stove, a 1960s refrigerator, and shelves of
utensils, pots, pans, and canned goods.
There is currently the smell of chocolate chip cookies coming from the oven and a pair of
oven mitts on the counter.
Wine Cellar – This area hasn’t changed much since the 1800s, except that it now holds
some newer bottles. The racks are about half filled with various wines, though none are
what would be considered poor by even the most snobby wine connoisseur.
Storage – This room serves as general storage, though most of it is foodstuffs. Additionally,
there are blankets, empty mason jars, spare fuses, some simple tools, and so on.
Keeper’s Notes
If the characters are looking for anything specific that could conceivably be stored here, have
them make a Luck check.
Alchemical Storage – This room contains wall-to-wall glass cabinets with all manner of
chemical and organic alchemy supplies, from powdered sulfur and human organs to a fetus
with three arms. Most have illegible handwritten labels.
Keeper’s Notes
The Keeper can get creative (and disgusting) when describing what the Hoodlums find here.
Nothing is particularly flammable, though a Hard Spot Hidden check allows them to find a glass
bottle of strong acid that could prove useful.
Alchemical Acid
To keep things simple, the acid can be used in three ways. The bottle can be thrown to create
a splash effect (with a successful Throw check), one-third can be splashed on someone for a
lesser effect (using a Fighting (Brawl) attack), or it can be poured on an object to damage it.
A full splash attack inflicts 2D6 hit points of damage to everyone within five feet of the
point of impact, and a one-third splash inflicts 1D4+1 hit points. The result is at the Keeper’s
discretion when using the acid on items. It is effective at damaging a lock or hinges, ruining
a book, or burning through a rope. The acid is ineffective against materials like stone or glass.
Alchemical Lab – Starkweather’s alchemy lab is about what you’d expect with all manner
of apparatus ranging from archaic to modern. An antique marble mortar and pestle sit next
to a centrifuge, and a philosophical furnace sits next to a professional-grade microscope.
Most of the equipment is on a long granite counter in the center of the room. There
are glass cylinders and flasks containing various compounds, while a retort of yellow fluid
bubbles over a low flame, its condensate dripping into a small beaker.
128
On the southern side of the room are several ovens, autoclaves, and an inset storage
cabinet containing hundreds of labeled bottles, vials, and stoppered flasks.
Keeper’s Notes
The cabinet contains all sorts of alchemical compounds that Starkweather has created
over the decades, plus a few that he has purchased from questionable sources. A Hard
Spot Hidden check reveals one conspicuous glass tube of luminescent green liquid labeled
WEST-675-B and handwritten beneath that Failed Sample. Others contain Breath of the
Void, Essential Salts, Dust of Suleiman, and Powder of Ibn-Ghazi.
Surgery – This irregularly shaped room houses a makeshift surgery with a stainless steel
operating table in the middle. Several lights overhead are currently dark, though dark stains
are still visible on the floor.
Against the southern wall are three large tanks labeled: Oxygen, Halothane, and Nitrous
Oxide, respectively. Near the table are a number of smaller, wheeled tables with all manner
of surgical instruments and syringes. A cabinet contains other medical supplies and a small
glass-fronted refrigerator holds a wide variety of prescription vials.
The room is currently empty and dark. It smells of metal and ammonia, with that ever-
present scent of mildew lingering in the background.
Secret Room – In the living room, one of Terrence’s shelves pivots on a hinge to reveal a
doorway behind it. Beyond is a stone room with a curved eastern wall and a domed ceiling.
Against the rear wall are the three teens (Kelly Martinez, Greg Morse, and Brian Hoff) awaiting
their various procedures. All three are conscious, but only Brian is lucid.
Keeper’s Notes
Every so often, Brian calls out for help, so as long as the Hoodlums are in the eastern
half of the sanctum, the Keeper can permit them a Listen check to hear him. When the
Hoodlums are in the living room, the one with the lowest Luck should make a Luck check
to see if Brian calls out while they are in there. If successful, they hear him without a Listen
check, and a simple Spot Hidden check allows the characters to find a scrape on the floor
that reveals the secret door.
Kelly and Greg have been drugged to make them docile and compliant, so while not very
helpful, they will go with the Hoodlums if they lead them out of that place.
Brian can’t tell the characters much since he woke up in this room. He’s still a little weak,
and so his ability to help is limited.
129
Cast
Brian Hoff Kelly Martinez
Brian Hoff. One of the newest members of The Hoodlums, Brian’s family moved to
Worcester this past year. He is friendly and outgoing, though his interests in Dungeons &
Dragons and fantasy stick him squarely in the nerd crowd rather than in any of the other,
more popular groups.
Brian is a Junior at Doherty Memorial High School and is a straight-A student. He runs
the school’s Dungeons & Dragons club, and while not one of the cool kids, he has managed
to avoid any significant bullying.
His parents own a local restaurant called The Copper Kettle, and Brian earns a few extra
dollars washing dishes there on the weekends. Another benefit is that the Hoodlums get to
play D&D at his house, and his dad always makes the best snacks.
When the scenario begins, Terrence has rendered Brian unconscious with a dose of
Halothane from a small tank and mask hanging at his side. By the time the Hoodlums catch
up, Brian will be imprisoned with Kelly and Greg in the Secret Room.
Kelly Martinez. A Junior at Doherty Memorial High School, Kelly is an average student
who often lurks in the background, neither cool nor nerd. She plays flute in the band and
attends most of the school’s sporting events and dances. She has several close friends but
isn’t dating anyone at the moment.
She went missing just after school was let out for the summer. According to the papers,
the police are considering her a runaway, even though her friends and family are certain that
she wouldn’t do such a thing.
Terrance grabbed her in the Worcester Center Galleria when she was shopping for some
new summer clothes. There were no witnesses of the kidnapping, and the last person to
have seen her was an Orange Julius employee who served her last Friday around 7:30 PM.
She is currently alive in Dr. Starkweather’s sanctum, waiting to have her spinal fluid
drained. It has to be fresh, after all.
130
Greg Morse Greg Morse. A quiet, nerdy Freshman,
Greg keeps mostly to himself. He is an active
member of the chess club, but that’s about
it. He generally avoids school functions, and
while a few of the bullies occasionally give
him a hard time, the fact that his father is a
cop gives him a modest level of protection.
He’s into heavy metal, horror movies, and
loves hanging out in cemeteries. He has a
brother who is currently away at college.
The fact that his father is a police officer
means that his case is being taken a little
more seriously than Kelly’s. The FBI would
already be involved if it weren’t for the fact
that no ransom demands had been made.
Greg is also currently alive since his blood
must be drained within fifteen minutes of the
rejuvenation ritual.
Signs
Tracks in the Tunnel. Terrence isn’t very smart or subtle, and following his tracks through
the sewer isn’t that difficult. Ultimately, the whole point is for the Hoodlums to find the sanctum,
and so the Keeper should make it just difficult enough to feel like a challenge.
The best way to do this is to have everyone make a series of Spot Hidden checks to
look for signs that someone has passed through a particular area. At most, failed checks
should slow down the characters, forcing them to backtrack and, in some cases, fall into
the disgusting sewer water.
Ultimately, they’ll find the metal door that Terrence has carelessly left unbolted. They
probably notice the splashed and pooled water on the platform just in front of the entrance,
or perhaps they see a sliver of light coming from beneath the slightly ajar door.
If someone does get a lucky roll on a skill check, reward them with a cool discovery. For
example, maybe their light reflects off Brian’s Zippo lighter that he managed to drop. The
Keeper could even consider giving the characters a Bonus Die to find a clue (like the hidden
door) based on their experiences playing D&D.
Airflow. While underground, air generally flows towards the outside. This means that
a flickering flame or a fine piece of thread can help someone find their way out. If the
characters are trying to find the shortest way out of the tunnels and use fire for light, give
them a chance to notice the direction of the air current. If they think of it on their own, then
give them a Bonus Die on checks to navigate the tunnels.
Starkweather’s Journal. Located in his study, this journal contains personal details of
Dr. John Starkweather’s life. If the Hoodlums happen to find it, they can skim through it to
find historical details, insight into his plans, or perhaps even clues that can help them get out
of this mess. For example, seeing his love for his family could lead the Hoodlums to threaten
to destroy the abominations in the room behind the temple.
131
The Keeper can allow the characters a Hard Spot Hidden or a Library Use check to find
any specific information the journal might have. If they’re just flipping through it, then the
Keeper can divulge whatever information they like that makes the story more interesting.
Alternately, the journal can be described as illegible and just ignored.
Threats
Terrence Clancy. For more than forty
years, Terrence has been Dr. Starkweather’s
faithful servant. The two first met in 1941
when the doctor arranged to have supplies
delivered to an abandoned apartment where
he could pick them up. At the time, Terrence
was only twelve years old, but some local
shops would pay him 25¢ per package to make
deliveries for them.
Terrence had been told to just drop
the packages off, but being a thoughtful
child, he waited to make sure they weren’t
stolen. When he found Terrence waiting,
Starkweather panicked and struck the boy
T Cunconscious. He took him and the supplies errence lancy
down to his sanctum with the intent of killing
him and disposing of the body, but by the time they got there, he had second thoughts.
He realized that he needed a servant to do some of the mundane work like preparing
meals, helping in the lab, cleaning, and washing clothes. It was a simple enough procedure
to lobotomize the boy, destroying his memory and making him compliant.
This worked out very well for Starkweather, and as the years went on, he found more uses
for Terrence. In 1949, he helped acquire the subjects needed for his rejuvenation ritual, and
Starkweather recognized his usefulness for many of the more physically challenging jobs.
Using his elixirs, Starkweather managed to enhance Terrence’s strength, eyesight, and
ability to heal from injuries. This makes him ideal as a bodyguard and allows him to collect
the required subjects effortlessly.
Despite his age and strength, Terrence has the mind of a lobotomized child. Starkweather
has thoroughly indoctrinated him, and although he isn’t allowed to participate in any of the
rituals, he worships his master, just as his master worships Shub-Niggurath.
This means that Terrence cannot be talked into turning against Starkweather, but because
he’s not very bright, he can be fooled. If the characters attempt to trick Terrence somehow, the
Keeper should consider giving them a Bonus Die to whatever check they’re using.
Those Aren’t Rats. While searching for Brian in the sewers, the characters will hear
the occasional skitter or patter of little feet. The Keeper should describe them like the
sounds of normal rats at first.
When they reach the door to the sanctum, however, they learn the terrible truth. Dozens
of bloated rat-like things with too many legs, mouths, and teeth erupt from holes in the
nearby walls and begin swarming towards the Hoodlums.
132
These mutant rats are the result of Dr. Starkweather carelessly dumping his failed
alchemical concoctions into the sewer over the decades. These blind, hairless things feed
on whatever comes down the pipes. While they aren’t actually that dangerous, they are
absolutely terrifying and will induce a Sanity check (0/1D3).
These mutant rats are particularly useful to the Keeper should the Hoodlums be hesitant
to enter the sanctum or if they begin going the wrong way. Should a hapless Hoodlum attack
them or fall, the rats will swarm them, inflicting 1 hit point of damage.
Terrence Clancy ATTACKS
Attacks per round: 1
alchemically enhanced servant
Brawl 60% (30/12), damage 1D3+1D4 or
STR 100 by weapon
CON 80
SIZ 50 Knife 60% (30/12), damage 1D6+1D4
DEX 60
INT 35 Dodge: 40% (20/8)
POW 30
Armor: none.
HP: 13
Damage Bonus: 1D4 Skills: Listen 40%, Spot Hidden 50%,
Build: 1 Stealth 75%, Swim 45%, Throw 55%.
Move: 9
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Dark Vision: Terrence’s eyesight extends into
the infrared end of the spectrum, which means
that he can see heat, giving him night vision.
Dr. John Starkweather was a physician in
Worcester during the mid-19th century who,
through mythos-related alchemy, managed
to cheat death. For a time, he had been a
respectable physician, but he was ultimately
expelled from the Massachusetts Medical
Society for selling fake cures (called secret
nostrums) to patients.
In an attempt to preserve his reputation
Dr. Starkweather offered to resign, citing a
peculiar and debilitating illness, but despite
the fact that he did indeed look quite ill, this
option was nevertheless denied him. The
official record reads as follows:
Whereas Dr. John Starkweather, a member
Dr. John Starkweather of this Society, after a full investigation of
charges preferred and proved against him
for violation of one of the by-laws of the
Massachusetts Medical Society and after ample and repeated opportunities given him for
his deference, was on the 25th day of May 1842 by an almost unanimous vote, expelled from
the said Massachusetts Medical Society for violation of its tenth by-law, viz: by advertising
for sale a secret nostrum; therefore, voted that Dr. John Starkweather be expelled from the
Worcester District Medical Society also for the same offense.
133
Starkweather’s Secret – Despite their extensive investigation into his experiments,
Starkweather’s colleagues never learned of his true purpose – immortality.
Before John was born, his father Zachery founded the Blackstone River Society, whose
public purpose was the preservation of the Blackstone River Valley, but it was, in fact, a secret
cult dedicated to Shub-Niggurath. John was indoctrinated at an early age and became a cult
member on his sixteenth birthday.
Shortly after John returned from college, he took over as master of the cult following his
father’s death. Only then did he gain access to his father’s private library and the forbidden
esoteric knowledge it contained.
Years later, when Starkweather’s wife and daughter died from tuberculosis, he dedicated
himself to defeating death through the blending of modern medicine and magic. His unnatural
research required subjects, and so he began luring the poor of Worcester into his basement
laboratory with the promise of payment. Once there, however, he would test new elixirs, strange
medical devices, and even unethical surgical procedures. None of those poor souls ever saw the
light of day again.
After several years of work without all of the troublesome restrictions put on him as a
respectable medical doctor, Starkweather finally managed to create an elixir that extended his
life, though the effects seemed to be temporary, requiring additional doses every few years or
so. The process involved distilling fluids and secretions from his victims, and fortunately for
him, there was no shortage of those who would not be missed.
However, as the decades went on, he realized that the elixirs wouldn’t be enough. To
achieve true immortality, he would need to harvest living flesh to merge with his own.
Utilizing knowledge collected from some of the world’s vilest occult books, he has been
able to perform rituals that allowed him to absorb another’s organs directly into his body
without the need for surgery. This increased the time between procedures to thirty-four
years (see Secrets).
Dr. John Starkweather Skills: Charm 40%, Cthulhu Mythos 45%,
First Aid 50%, Intimidate 40%, Language
immortal cultist of shub-niggurath (Greek) 70%, Language (Latin) 75%, Library
Use 60%, Medicine 70%, Slight of Hand 55%,
STR 50 Spot Hidden 60%.
CON 60
SIZ 60 Spells: Call Deity (Shub-Niggurath), Dismiss
DEX 55 Deity, Cause Blindness, Cloud Memory, Contact
INT 80 Deity (Shub-Niggurath), Create Zombie,
POW 75 Dominate, Elder Sign, Green Decay, Powder of
Ibn-Ghazi, Voorish Sign, Wrack.
HP: 12
Damage Bonus: 0 SPECIAL ABILITIES
Build: 0 Regeneration: If Starkweather is injured, his
Move: 7 body will slowly regenerate at a rate of 1 hit point
per minute. Anyone watching him for any length
ATTACKS of time will notice the process taking place. This
Attacks per round: 1 happens even if he is dropped to zero hit points.
Only severing the head or burning the corpse will
Brawl 30% (15/6), damage 1D3 prevent regeneration.
Dodge: 30% (15/6)
134
Abigail & Laura Starkweather. The wife Laura Starkweather
and daughter of Dr. Starkweather have been
restored to some horrible parody of life through Dodge: 40% (20/8)
the use of dark magic. They are effectively Skills: Spot Hidden 50%, Stealth 60%.
undead zombies, though some semblance of
who they were remains behind their tortured, SPECIAL ABILITIES
malevolent eyes. Unnatural Hunger: Laura is driven by a hunger
As terrifying as she is, Abigail is unable for human flesh. This means that as long as she
to move from the bed because her legs have can smell a living human being, she has a Bonus
become so gangrenous that they’ve just about Die on her attacks against them.
rotted away. Laura is another story. Whether Clingy: On any successful bite attack, Laura
because she was younger or the process latches onto her victim and continues to bite,
worked slightly better on her, Laura can move inflicting an additional 1D4 hit points each round
with alarming agility and speed. Even worse, until she’s removed.
she has an insatiable hunger for human flesh, Removing Laura requires an opposed STR check.
even though she has no need to eat. Once removed, she starts her turn ten feet away
Laura is chained when the characters arrive, and will immediately attack again.
but she will break her chain in four rounds as The only other way to remove her is to kill her.
she pulls on it trying to get at the fresh meat.
Laura Starkweather
undead victorian cannibal girl
STR 40
CON 45
SIZ 35
DEX 75
INT 20
HP: 8
Damage Bonus: -1
Build: -1
Move: 9
ATTACKS
Attacks per round: 1
Bite 45% (22/9), damage 1D4+1
Changes
Peer Pressure. Teens are experts at peer pressure. It’s a power that can be used for good or
ill, depending on the situation. In terms of the scenario, one Hoodlum can attempt to pressure
another into doing something they might be hesitant to do. This requires an opposed POW
check. If the target wins, they resist the pressure, but if they lose, they give in and do what
the other person dared them to do ...within reason. The Keeper must decide if the one being
pressured would reasonably do it. For example, doing something that would almost certainly
get them badly injured or killed would be out of the question. On the other hand, simply going
into a dark, scary room is certainly something that one teen could pressure another to do.
135
The Grindhouse
grindhouse [grahynd-hous] n. – A grindhouse or action house is an American
slang term for a theatre that mainly shows low-budget horror, splatter and
exploitation films for adults.
The Crimson King The Isle of the Damned
The Hoodlums First Night
Hell Block Five The Dark Brood
Jackknife
These aren’t your typical Call of Cthulhu scenarios where some classy, well-dressed
investigator sips tea and pours over leather books in some wood paneled library.
These are burning dumpsters of pure horror where a fleeing private investigator limps
through some filthy back alley on a busted ankle while a howling pack of mutants try to
beat them to death with the limbs of their dead friends.
In other words, these are not for the faint of heart, and are intended for mature
audiences only. Player discretion is advised.