Jackknife
Gore
Extreme Violence
Adult Language
Jackknife
Making the long haul across the New Mexico desert with a load of lumber, Jackknife
Samson decides to pick up some desperate-looking hitchhikers, but he gets more
trouble than he bargained for when they find themselves being hunted by a cult of
psychotic snake worshipers for hell.
Prelude
You’re an independent trucker out of Nevada who goes by CB handle Jackknife. You make
these kinds of long hauls every few weeks or so, and it’s always something different. On this
particular run, you’re hauling a flatbed of lumber from Colorado to Texas.
You pull your rig into Dirty Pete’s Roadhouse, the last gas and coffee stop for a couple
hundred miles. You give Pete a nod as he starts topping off the diesel while you step inside
to grab your usual Mega Gulp™, black, no sugar, with a double shot of espresso.
Still gnawing on a piece of ancient beef jerky, you step out to see Pete waiting with three
young punks. He tells you that these kids were on their way home when their car “shit the
bed.” Now he knows that you usually don’t do passengers, but Pete vouches for them, and
he never vouches for anybody. In the end, you just can’t bring yourself to leave them at this
shitty truck stop, so you load them into the cab, toss Pete a roll of cash, and roll out.
After almost an hour on the road, you spot headlights coming up fast from behind. You don’t
see any rollers, so probably not the cops or an ambulance. You expect ‘em to blow past you,
but when they pull up alongside, you can see the passenger leering up at you with dark eyes...
and a fucking machete in his hand!
Objectives
Survive and Escape. The main goal for the characters is obviously to survive and
escape from the cult. At first, they have no idea why these psychos are after them, but
three things soon become apparent: 1. there’s a shitload of them, 2. they’re some kind of
religious fanatics, and 3. they’re willing to die for whatever the hell it is they worship.
Rescue the Girl. Once the characters become aware that Barbara is in the back of the
truck, they will ideally want to protect her from the cultists. If they don’t seem particularly
sympathetic, the Keeper can insinuate that she might know why these snake-worshiping
psychopaths are trying to kill them.
Secrets
They’re Coming to Get You Barbara. A teenage girl named Barbara Miller has climbed
onto the trailer and is hiding in a gap in the lumber. Yesterday, a group of fanatic snake
worshipers kidnapped her and her boyfriend Tom, intending to sacrifice them to the snake
god Yig. She was forced to watch as Tom was tortured, but it seemed clear that the fate that
awaited her was far worse. Earlier today, they saw their chance and managed to escape,
fleeing across the desert.
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Unfortunately, before they could get too far, some of the cultists caught up with them on
motorcycles, and her boyfriend Tom died so that Barbara could escape.
The cult leader Tylarrish had planned to use her as a blood sacrifice to establish his new
church, but their escape is a serious setback. Besides the fact that the little bitch might get some
authorities to listen to her, she also escaped with their sacred book: De Vermis Mysteriis. They
might be able to find another location and another sacrifice, but that book is irreplaceable.
Tylarrish’s followers have strict instructions to retrieve the book at all costs. If they can
get the girl or any of the others alive, that’s preferable but not essential. Ultimately it’s better
for them to die than to let them escape and potentially put the cult at risk.
Cast
Barbara. This poor teenage girl has been severely traumatized over the past couple days
and her sanity is hanging by a thread. When the characters find her, she’s semi-lucid at best
and remains that way for most of the scenario. The characters may be able to reach her with
successful Charm, Persuade, or Psychoanalysis rolls (Keeper’s discretion). Otherwise,
she’ll probably just mumble incoherently (see Signs).
Highway Patrolman. Patrolman Walter M. Greene is fit with an average build. He has
close-cut dark hair, immaculately trimmed sideburns, and an infectious smile.
Greene is a good cop and was raised to always do the right thing. He speaks with a slow
Texas drawl but is much brighter than he sounds. He won’t correct those who take him for
just another “dumb hick.”
Patrolman Walter M. Greene HP: 12
Damage Bonus: +1D4
a good cop Build: 1
Move: 9
STR 65
CON 65 ATTACKS
SIZ 60 Attacks per round: 1
DEX 75
INT 55 Fighting (Brawl): 55% (27/11), damage
POW 45 1D3+1D4 or by weapon
Firearm (Pistol): 60% (30/12), damage 1D8+1D4
Dodge: 45% (22/9)
Armor: none.
Skills: Charm 65%, Intimidate 50%, Jump 45%,
Psychology 60%, Spot Hidden 65%, Throw 40%.
SPECIAL ITEMS
.357 Magnum: range 15, uses per round 1 (3),
bullets 6 (plus 3 reloads), malfunction 100.
Baton: use Fighting (Brawl), damage 1D6+1D4.
Sheriff ’s Deputies. The Keeper can decide how many to include based on the
situation, but they’ll all have more or less the same abilities. They’re intended to be more
of a demonstration to the characters so that they can see how dangerous the dustbillies
can really be. If the Keeper feels that they want to have replacement characters on hand
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(since this scenario can be quite lethal), it might be a good idea to have one Sheriff’s Deputy
character sheet ready for that purpose.
Signs
Barbara. If the characters question Barbara, the Keeper should have them make
whatever check seems appropriate to see if they manage to get any intelligible information
out of her. The information below can be disseminated at the Keeper’s discretion.
• The cult wants to sacrifice her to some snake god.
• She stole their evil bible because Tom thought it was important. It’s in her bag that she
hid in the lumber pile.
• Her boyfriend Tom was killed when they escaped.
• The cult leader has a giant snake that he can call to him.
• The cult leader is a warlock who can do real black magic.
De Vermis Mysteriis. If any of the characters know Latin and try to read the book. After a few
minutes of reading, they hear whispering as if it’s inside their head and have to make a Sanity
check (1/1D6). If they fail, they have sudden visions of a vast city of serpent people and a titanic
snake god. The vision may also reveal the following information at the Keeper’s discretion:
• The cult leader is at least part snake person.
• The cult leader’s face is not his own, and has, in fact, had many faces over the years.
• The name of the serpent god is Yig.
Threats
Tylarissh. Tylarissh was born in 1936 to the unholy union of Al’issya Ss’rissi A’na (a Serpent
Person priestess) and a Pentecostal preacher by the name of Reverend Holgate. Until recently,
Tylarissh Ritual Knife: 40% (20/8), damage 1D4+2
desperate serpent-person hybrid cult leader
Dodge: 35% (17/7)
STR 45
Armor: 1; hardened skin.
CON 65
Skills: Charm 65%, Cthulhu Mythos 40%,
SIZ 55 Intimidate 65%, Fast Talk 55%, Occult 35%,
Psychology 60%, Spot Hidden 65%,
DEX 50 Survival 35%, Throw 40%.
INT 70 Spells: Consume Likeness, Contact Yig,
Create Zombie, Summon/Bind Bahyakee,
POW 65 Summon/Bind Hydra of the Wastes,Summon/
Bind Star Vampire, Mind Transfer, Voorish
HP: 12 Sign, Wither Limb, Wrack.
Damage Bonus: 0 Sanity Loss: 0/1 if they notice his scaly skin.
Build: 0 SPECIAL ITEMS
Enchanted Whistle - This is a small bone whistle
Move: 8 that instantly summons a Bahyakee.
Magic Points: 13 *Appearance changes if he changes his likeness.
**See entry below
ATTACKS
Attacks per round: 1
Tylarissh has been using his magic since
Barbara escaped, and it has drained him, so he
can only fight back with his knife if attacked.
Fighting (Brawl): 40% (20/8), damage 1D3
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he had been wearing the likeness of Mordechai Osteen, a cult leader in Abattoir, Texas, but was
forced to change it when the authorities got involved, consuming the likeness of some drifter.
Tylarissh shares the Serpent People’s attitude about humans, considering them to be
lesser servants at best. He’s a zealot who will do anything to fulfill his plans for the ultimate
glory of Yig and the extermination of the Earth’s mammalian infestation.
Dustbilly Survivors. The dustbillies are fanatical inbred mutant rednecks, but ultimately
they’re just men who can be killed like anyone else. Where they differ from other men is
that their deformities make them a little stronger and faster than average. On the downside,
they’re also extremely dimwitted and prone to violence. Tylarissh has been able to exploit
their weaknesses and has managed to galvanize them into a formidable cult.
Dustbilly Survivors The Dustbillies had most of their cult wiped
out recently in Texas, but those that remain
mutant inbred zealots are fanatical and fearless. They may have any
combo of knives, modified clubs, or handguns
STR 80 on their person.
CON 50 Fighting (Brawl): 50% (25/10), damage 1D3+1D4.
SIZ 45 Knife: 45% (22/9), damage 1D4+2+1D4
DEX 75 Spiked Club: 50% (25/10), damage 1D8+1+1D4
INT 30 .38 Revolver: 30% (15/6), damage 1D10
APP 40 Dodge: 45% (22/9)
POW 45 Armor: none.
HP: 9 Skills: Climb 35%, Drive Auto 45%, Jump 45%,
Spot Hidden 35%, Survival 40%, Throw 35%.
Damage Bonus: 1D4
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Build: 1 Knock-Out Blows: If trying to capture someone
alive, use the Knock-Out Blows rule (see Keeper
Move: 9 Rulebook, p.125).
Magic Points: 13
ATTACKS
Attacks per round: 1 (unarmed, weapon, pistol)
These particular dustbillies are the survivors of Abattoir that fled with Tylarissh when
they left the area to set up a new temple in New Mexico.
Teihiihan. Teihiihan appear to be dark-skinned, muscular children with long, matted
black hair. Their faces have an unnatural, distorted appearance due to the additional muscles
and bone that give them their incredible bite strength. While they rarely wear clothes, their
original sex is impossible to determine since their genitalia disappears during the horrific
conversion process. They have sharpened, predator-like teeth and jagged yellow claws that
they use to grasp and rend the flesh of their prey.
The Teihiihan are the result of horrific experiments on human children by Al’issya Ss’rissi
A’na, the half-serpent priestess of Yig and mother of Tylarissh.
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Teihiihan their jaws. The Teihiihan then continues to tear
with it’s sharpened teeth, doing 2D4 damage
cruel cannibal children automatically each round. An opposed STR check
is required to dislodge them, breaking the grip
STR 110 and ending the continuous damage.
CON 65 Dodge: 40% (20/8)
SIZ 35 Armor: none.
INT 30 Skills: Jump 75%, Listen 70%, English 15%,
Spot Hidden 50%, Stealth 90%, Survival 40%,
POW 50 Track 65%
DEX 65 Sanity Loss: 0/1D6 to see a Teihiihan.
HP: 10 Camouflage: The Teihiihan’s skin can change
its color and texture to match a background
Damage Bonus: 1D4 almost exactly. Of course, it cannot change
their basic shape and size, but under the right
Build: 1 conditions, they can become virtually invisible.
While hidden in this manner, they must remain
Move: 9 still. When they move or attack, the camouflage
disappears, and they return to their normal
ATTACKS appearance. Only a Critical success (01) on a
Spot Hidden check will allow a character to see a
Attacks per round: 2 (grab/ bite) or 1 (weapon) Teihiihan when it is hiding in this way.
Fighting (Brawl): 40% (20/8), damage 2D4
or as per weapon + db.
Bite: 45% (22/9), damage 1D6 + 1D4
Grip and Worry (mnvr): If the Teihiihan’s bite
attack succeeds, the victim remains locked in
Bahyakee. These are hybrid-winged things that no sound eye can ever wholly grasp. They’re
not altogether crows, nor moles, nor buzzards, nor ants, nor vampire bats, nor decomposed
human beings; but their form suggests all of those things... and worse. They flop limply along,
half with their webbed feet and half with their membranous wings. They stink of something
like gunpowder and rotten eggs.
Bahyakee are interstellar predators that are able to travel the vacuum of space faster than
the speed of light, but in atmosphere, they can fly up to 70 kph. When they arrive at their
destination, they are usually extremely hungry and best avoided.
They have human-level intelligence, and will obey whatever commands Tylarissh gives
them. Despite their ungainly appearance, they are strong, fast, and agile, making them
extremely dangerous. While they are definitely tough, once through their hide, they die just
like people, though they rot away much quicker in our atmosphere.
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Bahyakee hole in the roof to get at her. It will slam itself into
the vehicle repeatedly, and once it has done 2
horrific steeds from the stars Build points of damage, it can get into the cab.
STR 90 Claws/Slam: 55% (27/11), damage 1D6+1D6
CON 50 Bite and Hold: 55% (27/11), damage
1D6+3D10 STR per round.
SIZ 90
Grab (mnvr): 60% (30/12), held, damage
DEX 70 1D4+1 per round after first
INT 50 Dodge: 35% (17/7)
POW 50 Armor: 2; fur and hide.
HP: 14 Sanity Loss: 1/1D6
Damage Bonus: 1D6 SPECIAL ABILITIES
Bite and Hold: This Fighting Maneuver (see
Build: 2 Keeper Rulebook, p.105) bites the character and
begins immediately draining their blood (3D10
Move: 5/16 flying STR/round) on success. Death occurs when the
victim’s STR reaches zero. It requires a successful
ATTACKS opposed STR check to escape.
Attacks per round: 2
The Bahyakee will attempt to grab Barbara (or
another victim, if she’s dead) and fly off with her.
If she’s inside the truck, it will attempt to tear a
Hydra of the Wastes. This titanic serpent is like nothing else on Earth. It has a
scaled body the length of a couple of school buses, with two rattle-snake tails and three
long necks that end in terrifyingly misshapen snake heads. Just below each head are
clusters of long scarecrow thin arms flailing about at the air like some blasphemous sea
anemone, snatching at anything that comes near them.
The mouths open wide, revealing venomous fangs that unfold as they let out a bone-
chilling hiss that seems to echo longer than possible. As the truck’s headlights fully illuminate
this abomination, all three heads turn to face it.
Hydra of the Wastes been fused together. A wide squat abdomen with
dozens of vestigial arms comprises its middle,
twisted serpentine monstrosity while two rattle-snake like tails flail about behind
it. Raging at the pain of its existence, it can either
STR 360 crush enemies beneath its great weight, bite them,
or attempt to swallow them whole.
CON 240
Crush: 30% (15/6), damage 8D6
SIZ 345
Bite: 30% (15/6), damage 1D6+venom
DEX 60
Swallow: 35% (17/7), damage 1D10 per round
INT 65 from constriction and digestive acids.
POW 55 Dodge: 30% (15/6)
HP: 59 Armor: 4; scaly skin.
Damage Bonus: 7D6 Sanity Loss: 3/3D4+2
Build: 8 SPECIAL ABILITIES
Venom: When a victim is bitten, they suffer an
Move: 6 additional 2D10 damage from the caustic venom
or half with an Extreme CON check.
ATTACKS
Attacks per round: 2
This is a forty-foot snake-like abomination
looks like three massive serpents have somehow
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Changes
The threats in this scenario come in several waves, and so the Keeper should keep track
of the time as it progresses. Additionally, there will be shifting goals that depend on what’s
happening at the time.
This is a chase and combat-heavy scenario, and so the Keeper needs to allow the
characters a chance to breathe in between waves. This can really help to ratchet up the
tension as they stare off into the darkness, wondering if it’s over or if the psychos are
coming back. Barbara can help with this by ranting about the cult, giant snakes, and saying
things like “they’ll never stop” and “he’s worse than anybody.” The Keeper should give the
characters just enough information to make them afraid but withhold enough to maintain
their sense of dread.
A number of cinematic locations have been provided (see below) that Keepers can use
when they want to give the characters a chance to rest or provide false hope that can then be
snatched away. These can also provide great opportunities to interact with NPCs, increase the
level of paranoia, or even provide necessary resources if the Keeper is feeling generous.
First Attack. Around 30-45 minutes after Jackknife leaves the last truck stop, the
cultists attack with a car and several motorcycles. The car contains three dustbillies, while
each motorcycle has two. They’re armed with all manner of weapons, from meat hooks to
machetes, though these are primarily used to terrorize their victims since they have strict
orders to take them alive if possible.
The Dustbilly’s first goal is to disable the CB antenna so that their victims can’t call for
help. To that end, the car will distract Jack and his passengers, waving a machete at them
and banging against the side of the truck, while one of the motorcycles pulls up alongside to
smash off the antenna with a hatchet.
The car will run into them a few times, though they stand little chance of causing any
serious damage to the big rig. Meanwhile, the dustbillies on the backs of the motorcycles will
try to climb onto the trailer. At this point, they don’t know that Barbara is hiding amongst the
lumber, but at some point, she’ll freak out and scream, which the characters will hear in the
cab of the truck.
Pickup Trucks. Some time later, two pickup trucks full of dustbillies attack. One will try
to get close enough for dustbillies to climb onto the trailer while the other speeds ahead,
brake-checking the rig. This latter pickup has a tarp in the bed concealing three Teihiihan
that the characters may notice with a Hard Spot Hidden check as it passes. Once in front of
the rig, the Teihiihan throw off the tarp and attempt to leap onto the rig.
Bahyakee. Tylarissh joins the chase in a third truck, hanging back a bit from the rest. He
summons the terrifying Bahyakee to attack, directing them to grab the escaped girl and find
the book: De Vermis Mysteriis. While the creature hounds the characters, the truck speeds
past them and is quickly out of sight (see Final Confrontation).
Final Confrontation. In a last desperate attempt to keep the truck and her passengers
from escaping, Tylarissh summons his Hydra of the Wastes, a gigantic mutant serpent, to
block the road and kill them all. If the characters try to swerve around it, the creature moves
to force a collision. A Hard Spot Hidden check allows the characters to see Tylarissh
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standing off to the side of the road, apparently in deep concentration. If the driver decides
to run him down, only a Regular Drive Auto check is required since Tylarissh isn’t paying
attention. Considering the circumstances, it’s safe to assume that he’s killed instantly
beneath the wheels of the big rig with a terrible wet crunch.
After a collision, if there are any survivors, Tylarissh waits three rounds for the remaining
cultists to arrive before engaging unless, of course, the characters attack him first. If the
characters drive off the road to avoid the monster, an Extreme Drive Auto check is required
to avoid rolling the truck. Even if they manage to succeed, the truck suffers damage to the
steering, giving them a Penalty Die on all future Drive Auto checks.
If the Tylarissh is killed, the Hydra of the Wastes goes on a rampage, attacking everything
in sight, including any nearby dustbillies.
Sunrise. If the Keeper wants to have a dramatic ending, they can have the characters
reach safety right around sunrise, but it’s not critical to the story. The fact that the truck is
badly damaged, and likely covered with blood, will almost certainly draw the attention of law
enforcement, asking some very awkward questions.
A sadistic Keeper may want to provide ambiguous clues that suggest local authorities
may be in on it. For example, they might recognize a snake tattoo on the Sheriff’s arm. It
shouldn’t be anything conclusive, but enough to make them wonder as the scene fades to
black and the credits roll.
Optional Locations. These locations are intended to be seeded into the scenario to offer
the characters an apparent moment of refuge and give them a chance to discuss what’s
happening. Of course, these places may or may not turn out to have secrets and dangers of
their own at the Keeper’s discretion.
Rest Area – This paved area off the highway is intended to provide a location for drivers to
rest, eat lunch on ancient picnic tables, and (if it’s not out of order) use the toilet. These lots
are usually divided into one area for regular cars and another area for 18-Wheelers where
truckers can grab a quick nap. The characters can make a Luck check to see if the rest area
has a toilet and another to see if it’s working.
Secrets
There is a 10% chance that a dustbilly motorcycle will show up while they’re at the rest area.
He won’t attack but will speed off to get the others. The characters have about thirty minutes
until he returns with two more motorcycles and a truck.
Truck Stop – You’d think this place was abandoned if not for the lights and the flickering
neon OPEN sign in the window. It looks like it was an old Esso gas station at one time, but
the antique fuel pumps are rusted and labeled with a large painted NO GAS sign.
The inside is coldly illuminated by fluorescent lights, and the shelves are stocked with
junk food, probably dating back to the 1950s. The loud hum of the drink refrigerators
suggests that it’s been some time since they’ve had any maintenance. Behind the glass
doors, the shelves are sparse with bottles of Coca-Cola, Orange Fanta, cartons of milk, and
a few cases of Schlitz beer.
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Behind the counter is a middle-aged man with sun-dried skin and cracked lips. He’s
wearing a not-so-white apron with a stained t-shirt beneath. His voice sounds as if he’s
spent all day gargling sand as he says, “We got no toilet paper in the crapper.” He points to
the shabby wooden door to the left of the counter.
Secrets
The mean old bastard behind the counter is Sam, and he doesn’t give a shit about anybody
but himself. About a half hour before the characters arrived, he received a visit from Tylarissh
who threatened to drag his asshole out through his mouth if he didn’t do what he told him.
In this case, he told old Sam to key the mic on the CB below the counter four times if a big rig
with the name “Jackknife” on the side showed up at his little shithole. In fact, Sam has already
done this, and the dustbillies will be arriving in about fifteen minutes.
Phone Booth – In the middle of nowhere stands a lone phone booth. It works fine, though
the characters will have to make a Luck check to see if they have change for it. The phone
book is missing, but they can easily reach the operator.
Secrets
While a character is on the phone, presumably calling desperately for help, a dustbilly truck
appears in the distance. Give the characters three Spot Hidden checks. If they succeed on the
first one, they’ll spot it while it’s still three minutes away. If they succeed on the second, they’ll
have a two-minute warning, and only one on the third check. If they fail all of them, the person
with the highest Luck will spot it ten seconds before it plows into the phone booth, killing the
person inside. If the person inside has warning (either noticing the truck or having a friend call
out), they can make a Dodge check to avoid their fate.
Random Events. These events are intended to be dropped into the scenario to shake
things up a bit. They can be used to take the heat off the characters, or they can be used as
a demonstration of the threats they’re facing. Like the locations, these are optional features
that can be used to add excitement and make the story more cinematic.
New Mexico State Police – When Patrolman Greene (see Cast) arrives, it doesn’t take him
long to suss out the good guys from the bad guys. Green will first call dispatch to let them
know what’s happening, but the dustbillies will quickly divert their attention to him exclusively,
seeing Greene as a greater threat. He’ll quickly assess the situation and do whatever he can to
help, even if it means simply drawing the dustbillies away.
The Keeper can play this out as part of the chase, or they can simply narrate what happens
if they want to move things along. Either way, there’s little chance that Green will survive for
long, though he’ll probably take some of the dustbillies with him.
Optional
If any of the player characters have died, Patrolman Greene could make a fine replacement.
Another option would be for the Keeper to make his fate ambiguous, allowing him to show up
later at a critical moment to provide assistance.
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Sheriff’s Deputies – At some point, some Sheriff’s Deputies might show up. This could
be accidental, or maybe Patrolman Green’s call for backup made it through. Either way, they
aren’t prepared for the level of ferocity awaiting them at the hands of the dustbillies. The
deputies should arrive later in the chase, and if they become a problem, Tylarissh might
choose this moment to unleash the Bahyakee (see Threats).
Optional
It’s possible that one of the Sheriff’s Deputies is an ally (or even a member) of the snake
cult. If this is the case, they may appear to help, but they’ll do whatever they can to get
the girl and the book. The Keeper might give the characters a Spot Hidden check to notice
a snake tattoo on the deputy’s arm that’s very similar to those on the dustbillies, or they
may see a subtle wink between the deputy and a dustbilly. If the Keeper chooses to go this
route, it can certainly ratchet up the paranoia for the players, making them realize that this
cult may be more widespread.
Chase Rules
Since most of the action takes place in a truck on the highway being terrorized by insane
cultists, the Keeper should thoroughly familiarize themselves with the Chase Rules in the
Keepers Rulebook (p.132) before starting the scenario. In addition to the basic rules, a few
optional rules have been added to enhance the experience of the chase. These include special
rules for the truck and vehicle stats.
Vehicle MOV Build Armor Passengers
18-Wheeler 14 12 4 *
Motorcycle 16 2 0 1
Dustbilly Car 15 5 2 4
Pickup Truck 15 6 2 **
*The truck can comfortably hold three or four on the bench seat and two or three in the sleeper.
**The pickup can hold three on the bench seat and as many as six in the back.
Special Features
18-Wheeler – The driver can make a Drive Auto check to swerve left and right, preventing
anyone from passing without a collision. The results of this maneuver are based on their level
of success or failure. An Extreme means they knock one pursuer of their choice off the road. A
Hard success means they block the way for two rounds, and a Regular success means that they
block the dustbillies for one round. Failure means the driver loses a bit of control, and has to
take one round to get the truck stable again. If they Fumble, it means they have to make another
Hard Drive Auto check to avoid jackknifing the rig. The resulting crash will likely roll the truck
over, causing serious injury to the occupants. A generous Keeper can give the driver one last
chance to pull the truck out of the jackknife with an Extreme Drive Auto check.
The trailer is loaded with several tons of lumber which can provide cover and can even
be used as weapons. The drawback to all that lumber is that it limits the truck’s speed and
maneuverability. Another potential downside is that wood is extremely flammable.
The trailer itself is basically a big steel plate with redundant wheels, so only damage done
to the truck itself should count against the vehicle’s Build rating.
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Motorcycle – If they get a Hard success on their Drive Auto check, the rider gains an
extra Movement Action or a Bonus Die to their Dodge check. On an Extreme success, they
gain 3 extra Movement Actions, or they manage to hide in a vehicle’s blind spot (rider’s
choice). The motorcycle can easily cut across rough terrain with no penalties to movement.
Dustbilly Car – If they make a Hard Drive Auto check, the driver gets one extra Movement
Action or Dodge an attack. On an Extreme success the driver can coax 2 extra Movement
Actions out of the car or one Driving Stunt.
Pick-up Truck – If they make a Hard Drive Auto check, the driver can gain 1 extra Movement
Action or give passengers a Bonus Die to attack another vehicle. On an Extreme success, the
driver gains 2 extra Movement Actions next round. The truck can cut across difficult terrain
at half speed. At the Keeper’s discretion, one of the pickups can be rigged with nitrous oxide,
giving them the ability to move 8 additional locations per use, per round. This boost can only
be used two times before it runs out.
Pushing Chase Rolls
If a driver pushes a Drive Auto check, the vehicle is likely to go off the road, crash, or suffer
a critical mechanical failure depending on the specific circumstances. Remember that in
grindhouse movies, cars ALWAYS explode when they crash... except when it’s the protagonists
who get a 5-to-10-second delay before the blast.
Car-To-Car Combat
Tires – Attackers have a Penalty Die to target tires. Destroying a tire reduces vehicle Build by 1.
[Stats: Armor 3; only damaged by impaling weapons, hit points 2]
Driver Damage – If the driver of a moving vehicle takes a major wound, they must
immediately make a Hard Drive Auto check to maintain control of the vehicle.
Leaping Between Vehicles – Jumping from one moving vehicle to another requires a DEX
check. A success means landing hard on the other vehicle, suffering 1D4 points of damage. A
Hard success means suffering only 1 point of damage, and an Extreme success means taking
no damage from landing on the other vehicle.
A failure means hitting the ground and suffering 1D4 points of damage per 10 mph. For
example, if the car was traveling 60 mph, they would suffer 6D4 points of damage. A Fumble
means falling under the wheels of the other vehicle and suffering 5D10 points of damage.
69
Hell Block Five
Gore
Violence
Trypophobia
Hell Block Five
Irongate Penitentiary in Aylesbury, Massachusetts, houses some of the most infamous
criminals in the United States, and Cell Block Five contains the worst of the worst. One
night in the summer of 1978, all of the cell doors unlock and slide open, but there’s no
alarm and no guards. Something is very wrong.
Prelude
You’ve spent more years as an inmate at Irongate Penitentiary than you care to count,
and you still have a long stretch ahead of you. You wake to the familiar clunk of the cell
door unlocking, and the rattle as it slides open, along with every other cell door on the
block. Morning bed check.
You habitually roll off your bed, get to your feet and stretch, but it’s still dark, and you hear
the general murmur of the other inmates. Talking of any kind at night will get you a week in
solitary, so whatever is going on, it ain’t normal. You carefully poke your head out the door
and see a few others doing the same. There are no guards or alarms. No lights. Not even that
annoying hum from the air vents. It’s utterly quiet.
It’s not as if they could hide somewhere, waiting to jump out and yell, “Gotcha!” You can
pretty much see the whole cell block from where you’re standing. Three levels of grated
steel walkways in a hundred and seventy-five by fifty-foot room with wire-covered skylights
far overhead and the two guard cages on the bottom level. Whether you admit it to yourself
or not, this is the first time in more than a decade that this place made your skin crawl, and
you have no idea why.
Cell Block Five. Irongate Penitentiary was established during the 1920s at the height
of Prohibition to handle the increase in the number of prisoners that resulted. When
Prohibition was repealed, Irongate was converted to a maximum security prison to house
the state’s most violent and dangerous criminals. Irongate became infamous as the last
stop for those condemned to the electric chair during the sixties and still maintains that
reputation up to the present day.
This cell block houses those who are too dangerous to be allowed among the general
population but have not yet earned a seat in The Chair. The block is divided into three levels
with twelve cells on each for a total of 36 cells in all. At present, they are near capacity with
32 inmates (including the player characters).
The Cells. Each cell has a single bed, a sink, a toilet, and a single window that looks east
over the Berkshire countryside. The windows are only a foot wide by three feet tall and covered
with a welded steel mesh. All fixtures are securely bolted down and cells are searched daily.
Naturally, contraband always manages to find its way in, and truth be told, the guards will
often turn a blind eye to minor infractions in order to maintain peace in the cell block.
The Guard Stations. There are two guard stations on the northern and southern ends of the
block. The cage door between each station and the cell block is always locked. The outer door is
solid steel with a six-inch square bullet-proof window and can only be opened from the outside.
The northern exit leads to the cafeteria, showers, and processing facilities, while the southern
77
exit leads to the exercise yard surrounded by high chain link fences and topped with barbed wire.
There’s a single gate out of the exercise yard; beyond that, the outer walls, and watchtowers.
Armed guards have orders to shoot anyone who attempts to pass through the gate.
Objectives
The goal of the characters is to live long enough to interrupt the magic that’s holding Cell
Block Five in the Dreamlands. This may not be obvious at first, but they’ll realize fairly
quickly that they’re not in Massachusetts anymore.
Secrets
An inmate named Elijah Roth is utterly insane. According to the state, he’s a sociopathic
serial killer, and that’s more or less true. Beyond that, however, he serves the terrifying
outer god Hypnos who is associated with dreams and sleep. Over the course of four years,
Elijah began gathering his power with the intention of escaping Irongate Prison through the
Dreamlands. Unfortunately, the ritual went horribly wrong, and Elijah ended up pulling the
entire cell block into a nightmarish hellscape.
The Nightmare. It all happened in an instant. Violent gashes in reality shredded most
of the inmates, and all of the guards, in the blink of an eye. Some of the lucky ones died
quickly as their bodies simply exploded in a vain attempt to adapt to the rending of normal
space-time. Others became infested with parasitic entities that use them to move around like
grotesque marionettes. The few that survived this dimensional holocaust experienced it all as
a nightmare that they couldn’t quite remember when they woke up. Of these latter souls, one
or two had their minds pulverized by the experience and are now hopelessly insane.
Invasive Species. This event has left the way open for many unnatural creatures from
The Nightmare to infect the cell block. Some are harmless, others harmful, and all are
extremely disturbing. Included below are some examples, though the Keeper is encouraged
to make up new ones as they like:
Nightmare Fungus
Huge colonies of bioluminescent violet fungus are growing everywhere. Each is surrounded
by clouds of glowing pink spores, like tiny embers.
[Harmful: These are only a problem if the spores are inhaled. Anyone who gets within a few feet of a
fungal colony must make a Hard CON check or become infected and suffer 1D6 CON loss per hour
until dead. Standard anti-fungal medication can cure the victim if it’s introduced while they still have
at least 20 CON. Seeing this fungus requires a Sanity check (0/1).]
Vile Parasites
Bruise-colored tumorous masses riddled with pinholes grow amongst the fungus colonies,
particularly those in corners. If anyone passes within five feet, a burst of fluid from the holes
covers the victim in pink squirming, worm-like parasites.
[Very Harmful: Anyone sprayed with parasites must make a Hard CON check to avoid infection.
Failure means that they will lose 2D6 CON every 30 minutes until they die, at which point they
become a Vile Host (see Threats). Seeing these requires a Sanity check (1/1D6), with another Sanity
check (1D4/2D4) if they become infected.]
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Corpse Flies
These bloated thumb-sized purple flies swarm around all of the corpses. Their buzzing
sounds much like normal flies but deeper. If anyone looks closely, they can be seen to have
unsettlingly human faces that resemble the face of the corpse upon which they’re feeding.
[Harmless: Like the flies of our world, these are drawn to dead flesh to feed and lay their eggs.
The resulting maggots won’t hatch for a day or two, and this will all be over by then. If anyone
takes a closer look with a Hard Spot Hidden check, they see the faces and have to make a
Sanity check (1/1D6)]
Dream Ooze
A gelatinous purple ooze pours from cracks in the walls and collects on the floor. These
gelatinous masses immediately begin slithering around, seeking out organic matter.
[Harmful: These amorphous blobs are drawn to any organic material (living or dead). Once they make
physical contact, they’ll attempt to envelop and digest it or them (see Threats). Seeing a Dream Ooze
requires a Sanity check (1/1D4), with another Sanity check (1D4/2D4) if attacked by one.]
Cast
Besides the player characters, there are other inmates that are still alive when the scenario
begins. Most of them are listed in this section because they aren’t immediately a threat,
though all of them can be potentially very dangerous. After all, most are violent criminals
who wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone that stands in their way. The Keeper should feel free
to decide the right number of inmates for the story they want to tell and omit any they don’t
wish to use.
Blake Lancaster [Cell 017]
Standing around five and a half feet tall, this 34-year-old auto mechanic has long black hair,
dark sunken eyes, and his arms are covered with tattoos of racing cars, mechanic tools, and
naked women.
Blake killed four people (including a police officer) during a brawl at a dive bar in Springfield,
Massachusetts. Prior to that, he had been to prison twice for assault and battery. His ex-wife
(Kelly) left him years ago, and he has never seen his twelve-year-old daughter (Megan).
Blake has a crude sense of humor, and his favorite punchline is “that’s what she said.”
Archie Smith [Cell 018]
This dark-haired man appears to be in his mid-thirties with an average build. His prison
uniform is always immaculate, and his shoes polished. He speaks friendly enough to the
other inmates and has a broad smile on his face that never quite reaches his eyes.
Archie was convicted for the murder of a young girl that he had kidnapped from the
Worcester State Hospital. It was a high-profile case, and under pressure from the governor,
the judge threw the book at him.
He is cool, calm, and collected at all times, and despite the fact that he’s not physically
intimidating, most of the other prisoners react to him as the de facto leader of the cell block.
[Secret: Archie is a very successful serial killer from Abattoir, Texas. Ironically, the incident that got
him arrested wasn’t one of his usual pleasure killings. He’d been hired to kidnap the girl by someone
who knew of his extracurricular activities and, in fact, Archie wasn’t directly responsible for her death.]
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Leon Miles [Cell 002]
Leon is an African American man who stands just over six feet tall. He’s strongly built with a
shaved head and a tattoo of a nuclear mushroom cloud on his chest. In his neighborhood,
he was known as A-Bomb.
He was convicted of brutally murdering twelve people when he worked as a collector for the
local loan shark. He has a younger sister who moved to California four years ago and hasn’t
heard from her since.
Rodney Barker [Cell 001]
Rod is a short, stocky man in his mid-thirties. He’s heavily tattooed with images of big cats
(tigers, lions, leopards, etc.) and sports a shoulder-length mullet. A few years ago he filed his
teeth to sharp points.
After more than a decade in and out of prison for assault and battery, he was eventually
convicted of first-degree murder when he killed three men during an altercation at a strip club.
Rod has a quiet intensity that people can feel when looking at him. He speaks with a weird
lisp due to the modifications done to his teeth.
Tyrone Cash [Cell 005]
Known simply as Cash on the cell block, Tyrone is an African American man of above-average
build with a large afro and thick sideburns that almost reach his chin. His face and knuckles
are heavily scarred, with the former consisting of a single deep line that travels from the top
of his left ear, across his cheek, and ending at his lip.
Cash was convicted in more than a dozen cases of manslaughter associated with an illegal
backroom fight club where people were paid to brutally fight each other for the gambling
pleasure of the local crime bosses. The club was raided after one of the men that Cash beat
to death turned out to be related to a local politician.
Cash has a short fuse and is the only one who is even remotely on par with Archie in the cell
block hierarchy. He has a deep voice that shuts down most other conversations when he speaks.
John Vincent [Cell 021]
Johnny is skinny and of average height. He has a greasy mullet, a long unkempt mustache,
and a wrench tattoo on his left arm.
Johnny was known for robbing convenience stores over the course of three years across
Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. He was finally caught when he killed a store
clerk, his wife, and two cops while trying to escape.
He is a weaselly kind of man who finds someone stronger to protect them. In this case,
Johnny serves as Archie’s right hand, and everyone knows it.
Clyde Boon [Cell 008]
Boon is a tall, lean man with a strong, wiry frame. He has short dark hair, sideburns, and
a bushy mustache. His eyes are an unsettling shade of blue that’s almost too pale to be
natural. He has a tattoo of an inverted pentagram on his chest.
Boon is a convicted serial killer who was called “Daniel Boon” by the press due to his habit
of scalping his victims and wearing their hair as a hat. He claimed that he was an agent of
Satan and that the demons told him what to do. Even Archie prefers not to talk to this guy.
Jesse Burns [Cell 013]
Jesse is of average height and slightly overweight. He’s in his fifties and suffers from a number
of health issues, from arthritis to high blood pressure.
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Shortly after returning from the war, Jesse was arrested for the murder of five people in
1946. Jesse was drunk and had no memory of the incident, and no motive was ever discerned,
but he was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.
Since Jesse is the inmate who has been here the longest, the other inmates tend to leave
him alone. He is quiet and insightful, and he runs the weekly AA meeting at the prison.
Signs
Cell 34. On the third level, cell number 34 has a strange series of symbols drawn on
the floor in blood. They form a circle with a strange pattern of lines and symbols in the
middle. Anyone looking at it must make a POW check. Success means that they see a kind
of distortion (like heat haze) rising from it, and they must make a Sanity check (1/1D6).
If they suffer a bout of madness as a result, they shift into The Nightmare (see below) for
1D10 rounds, appearing as a shadow in the cell block for the duration.
The Book (aka Liber Somniorum). Elijah’s book is lost somewhere in the shadow
version of Cell Block Five. When someone experiences a bout of madness and enters The
Nightmare, they should make a Luck check. Success means that they see the book nearby.
It’s a thin leather journal roughly six by nine inches and a half-inch thick with a symbol
drawn on the cover. If the person finding it has been to cell 34, they can make an Idea (INT)
check to notice that it’s very similar to the symbols on the floor.
The book will be glowing faintly, and a Spot Hidden check will allow them to notice that
various indistinct shadow creatures seem to be moving to avoid it. If they pick up the book,
they’ll be able to take it out with them back to the cell block when they return. If they are
unable to grab it the first time, they can have a Bonus Die to do so next time.
The book contains a great deal of information about the Dreamlands and The Nightmare,
which can potentially help the characters escape. Elijah has thoughtfully written most of it
into English, so even a layperson should be able to do something with it.
Liber Somniorum
English, written by Elijah Roth, 1966
This leather-bound book is a kind of dream journal written by Elijah during his exploration of The
Nightmare: a dark reflection of the Dreamlands. In addition to descriptions of the landscape,
creatures, and properties of The Nightmare, the book also contains a number of spells related to
dreams. Anyone who spends an hour reading the Liber Somniorum will learn about one of the
Invasive Species in the cell block (see Secrets). Each spell must be read for at least 15 minutes before
trying to cast it. If using the book for reference, they have a Bonus Die on all required rolls.
Sanity Loss: 2D6
Mythos Rating: 22
Study: 28 weeks
Spells: Awful Doom of Cerrit (Grand Grimoire p.34)**, Cloud Memory, Contact Deity:
Hypnos (Keeper Rulebook p.252), Deflection: Dreamlands (Grand Grimoire p.94), Fade*,
Nightmare Gate*, Implant Fear (Keeper Rulebook p.259), Mind Exchange (Keeper Rulebook
p.260), Summon Nightgaunt (Keeper Rulebook p.264)
*See New Spells; **Can only be cast in The Nightmare
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Elijah Roth. If the characters do a headcount, they can have an Idea (INT) check to notice
that Elijah Roth is missing, and if they search the cells on the upper level, they can have a
Bonus Die. A Hard success means that they remember him rambling about dreams and
nightmares at some point, and an Extreme success means that they heard him say something
about finally getting out of this place. This should suggest to the characters that Elijah might
just be behind all of this.
Threats
Elijah Roth. Elijah is a serial killer who serves the outer god Hypnos. He appears to be in
his 40s with an average build. He has graying brown hair cut close on the sides and a strange
symbol scarred on his forehead. His arms are heavily tattooed with a strange runic alphabet.
He grew up on a farm in western Massachusetts, and when he was a young boy, his father
accidentally uncovered an ancient stone vault near their home. He sealed the entrance, but Elijah
was exceedingly curious and would sneak back there to explore whenever he had the time. The
place turned out to be something once called The Vault of Dreams, where an ancient people
would venture into the Dreamlands, and it was here that Elijah made contact with Hypnos.
By his fifteenth birthday, Elijah looked to be in his early twenties. This was due to all of
the time he spent in the Dreamlands, and soon people began to notice the discrepancy in his
age. Things went downhill quickly soon after as Elijah’s madness grew.
Elijah Roth HP: 13
Damage Bonus: 0
nightmare wizard Build: 0
Move: 7
STR 55
CON 70 ATTACKS
SIZ 60 Attacks per round: 1
DEX 55
INT 60 Fighting: Brawl 50% (25/10), damage 1D3 or
POW 85 by weapon
Fighting: Knife 60% (30/12), damage 1D6
Dodge: 27% (13/5)
Armor: none.
Skills: Cthulhu Mythos 30%, Listen 40%,
Occult 60%, Psychology 55%, Spot Hidden
40%, Stealth 45%.
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Faded: When the Nightmare Gate spell went
wrong, Elijah cast the Fade spell (see New Spells)
which makes him difficult to notice as long as
he maintains concentration. If anyone notices
him, he can make a POW check to maintain his
concentration. If Elijah is struck or injured, then
he must make a POW check with a Penalty Die to
maintain it. Pointing at him and saying his name
will break the spell immediately and draw the
attention of The Shadow Man (see Threats).
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He eventually murdered his parents as an offering to Hypnos, and this began his five-year
killing spree over six states. Ultimately it was his parents’ murder that brought him to the
attention of the authorities, which in turn led to his arrest and conviction five years ago.
In prison, Elijah began collecting the power to open a physical gate to the Dreamlands. He
stored the power in his tattoos, which were made using a unique ink of his own creation. Last
night was the New Moon, and so Elijah performed his ritual, though it didn’t go quite as planned.
At the moment, Elijah is trying to find a way out, either into the Dreamlands or the real world
beyond the prison walls. He is using his Fade ability to blend in with the other inmates while he
searches for an exit. His tattoos protect him from the various threats in this place, but not those
around him. He will only attack if threatened, but he will do so without mercy, even burning
hit points (see Keeper Rulebook p.176) if necessary. Until then, he will pay very close attention,
and if he hears anyone become even slightly suspicious, he’ll attempt to get rid of them.
The Keeper should remember that Elijah is very smart, and so if he needs to kill anyone,
he’ll try to get them someplace where others can’t see. He could use his magic, or he could
simply trick them into getting infected with parasites. Then again, he might just instigate a
fight between his target and another inmate.
Dream Ooze. These translucent masses of ooze are drawn to any organic material that
they immediately begin to digest. They convert food directly into energy and mass. This
means that they grow as they feed, adding half of their victim’s SIZ to their own. For example,
if the ooze has a SIZ of 40 and they digested a man with a SIZ of 50, their new SIZ will be
65 (40+25). Their molecular acid is strong enough to dissolve a person in fifteen minutes.
Dream Ooze Armor: none; cutting and impaling weapons
inflict minimal damage, but they are vulnerable
disgusting blob of eating to fire which causes double damage.
STR 35 Skills: Listen 80%, Stealth 55%.
CON 70 Sanity Loss: 1/1D6
SIZ 40* SPECIAL ABILITIES
DEX 55 Grab and Hold: This Fighting Maneuver (see
Keeper Rulebook, p.105) is used to grab hold of
INT 10 a victim and immediately begin digesting their
flesh. A successful attack inflicts 1D6 points of
HP: 11; increases as it grows initial damage and 1D6 points of damage per
round as long as they are in contact. This is
Damage Bonus: 0 exceedingly painful, and so all actions by the
victim suffer a Penalty Die. In order to break free,
Build: 0 the victim must make an opposed STR check.
Once a victim has lost at least half of their hit
Move: 4 points to a Dream Ooze, it means they have lost
at least one body part (Keeper’s discretion).
*Starting Size Climb and Squeeze: The Dream Ooze can
easily climb vertical surfaces and even traverse
ATTACKS ceilings with no loss of movement speed.
Attacks per round: 1 Additionally, they can squeeze through any gap
that is at least a quarter inch.
The Dream Ooze will attempt to grab its
prey with pseudopods that it extends with
alarming speed. They must be within five feet
to launch their attack.
Fighting attacks: Grab and Hold 55%
(27/11), damage 1D6+1D6 per round.
Dodge: 27% (13/5)
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Vile Host. This terrifying undead is driven to infect more living hosts with its wormy
parasites. The Vile Host’s skin is translucent like pale latex with countless squirming pin
worms beneath. The creature’s throat bulges like some obscene bullfrog and appears to be
full of fluid. The Vile Hosts are completely blind and can only find victims through sound.
Vile Host Armor: none; cutting or puncturing a Vile Host
spills worms and fluid onto the floor (see below).
gagging parasite zombie
Skills: Listen 60%.
STR 50
Sanity Loss: 1/1D6+1
CON 35
SPECIAL ABILITIES
SIZ 55
Grab and Vomit: The Vile Host attempts
DEX 50 to grab the character and puke worm-infested
fluid on them. Anyone standing directly in front
INT 20 of it must make a Hard CON check to avoid
infection. Failure means that they will lose 2D6
HP: 8 CON every 30 minutes until they die, at which
point they become a Vile Host themselves.
Damage Bonus: 0 Slippery: If the Vile Host is cut or punctured,
they’ll spill fluid and worms onto the floor,
Build: 0 causing everyone within five feet to make a DEX
check or fall prone. Everyone within ten feet must
Move: 5 make a CON check or become nauseous and
vomit, incapacitating them for 1 round.
ATTACKS Burst: When a Vile Host reaches zero hit points,
Attacks per round: 1 it swells and bursts like a water balloon thirty
seconds later, covering a 20 ft. area with parasite-
The Vile Host makes a terrible wet gagging infected slime. The area remains slippery (see
sound from its bloated throat as it shambles above) for around an hour, but the parasites die in
around, looking for someone to infect. When it a matter of minutes.
finds a victim, it lunges for them, but instead of
biting, it vomits a torrent of viscous yellow fluid
at them.
Fighting attacks: Grab 55% (27/11), damage
1D3+parasitic vomit (see Grab and Vomit).
Dodge: 25% (12/5)
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The Shadow Man. This entity is an aspect of Hypnos, but not as the Lord of Dreams, but
as the Lord of Nightmares. He appears in the likeness of humanity, with a dark, handsome
face and a long beard in which are entwined dead beetles, flies, and other strange things.
His hair is long and far too black, bedecked with a crown of tarnished bronze. Upon his
forehead is painted a black eye that is sometimes open and sometimes closed. In this visage,
the Lord of Nightmares comes to you, hiding his true form from eyes that would recoil in
fear should his true appearance be made manifest.
The Shadow Man will observe from a distance at first, unseen in the background by all
except Elijah. This penetration into the Dreamlands has left a terrible wound in reality, and
he has come to fix it. The Shadow Man will be attracted to the characters for two reasons.
The first is that they’re likely to be the most proactive in the group, and the second is that
Elijah will be near them, listening to their plans. The Shadow Man will sense the power but
will be unable to specifically locate it.
Once the characters begin to have bouts of madness, they catch glimpses of the Shadow
Man out of the corner of their eye, but as they see more and more of The Nightmare, they can
see the Shadow Man more clearly. The Keeper should describe him as looking around as
if searching for someone. Once they spot Elijah, the characters may put the pieces together
and figure out that this entity is looking for him.
The Shadow Man is carried away in a sudden wind. It reforms in 1D6
hours somewhere in the Dreamlands.
aspect of hypnos
Spells: Elder Sign and those related to dreams,
STR 100 sleep, transformation, and memory, with the
Keeper determining spells as needed.
CON 500
Sanity Loss: none in human form, 1D6/1D20
SIZ 90 in its true form.
DEX 150 SPECIAL ABILITIES
Overwhelm Mind: If he is able to successfully
POW 400 touch a target, The Shadow Man (spending
10 magic points) causes the victim’s mind to
HP: 56 experience multiple realities at the same time,
provoking a sensory overload. The victim may
Damage Bonus: +1D4 resist this mental assault with a successful
Extreme POW check; otherwise, they should
Build: 2 make a Luck check, with success meaning their
mind has been overwhelmed, causing them
Move: 9 to fall unconscious for 1D10+2 rounds. When
they wake up, they have gained 1D10+1 points
Magic Points: 85 of Cthulhu Mythos, 1D10 points of Dream Lore,
and lost 1D10+3 Sanity points. If the Luck check
ATTACKS is failed, their mind is unable to shut down in
Attacks per round: 1 (unarmed, weapon, or the face of the overload, causing the instant loss
overwhelm mind) of 4D10 Sanity points, as well as the loss of their
dream personality and memories (they become
May use unarmed or armed attacks (usually a blank slate)—when they wake from a dream,
a sword), or, if revealing its true form, may use they remember nothing of the dream.
its Overwhelm Mind power.
Fighting: Sword 90% (45/19), damage 1D8+1D4
Overwhelm Mind: 90% (45/19), see below
Dodge: 75% (37/15)
Armor: none; May only be affected by enchanted
weapons and magical artifacts. If reduced to zero
hit points, Hypnos transforms into gray dust that
85
Changes
Wakeup. As soon as everyone wakes up, the scenario begins. Since the event has only
just happened, things start off quietly. At first, the characters will only find dead bodies, gore,
and blood. It’s pitch dark except for a few emergency lights mounted near the ceiling.
A search of the cell block will find most of the inmates and several guards dead. The doors to
the guard stations are still locked and can only be opened from beyond the outer doors, which
are also locked. The Keeper can use the search chart on the map and either roll randomly or
choose what the characters find if and when they succeed on a Spot Hidden check, though it is
better to hold off on introducing the Vile Hosts until after The Fall (see below).
A Hard Spot Hidden check will allow characters to notice the purple mold beginning to
grow in the corners or the first few Corpse Flies. An Extreme success means that they notice
the first Vile Tumor (see Secrets).
The Fall. A while later (whenever the Keeper feels it is appropriate), everyone will feel a
sensation of falling, and they’ll see fungus blooming near the edges of the cell block. This is the
point where things start to get weird. A number of the corpses are becoming translucent, and
their throats are bloating. At this point, the characters may encounter their first Vile Host.
Corpse Flies are now plentiful, and there are more than a dozen Vile Tumors growing
throughout the cell block.
The Nightmare. The cell block is caught between the real world and The Nightmare, an
inverted dark mirror of the Dreamlands. It looks very much like our world, but everything
is dark, dingy, rundown, and overgrown with mold. The Nightmare exists in an unending
night with violet spores drifting in some intangible current, giving the impression of being
deep underwater. The only sources of light are the bioluminescent fungi that erupt from
every crack and crevice.
If someone arrives in The Nightmare with a light source like a flashlight, it will flicker
and hum, providing only a fraction of the light that it should. Sounds are muffled, and
smells are heightened.
Whenever someone suffers a bout of madness, they will temporarily shift into The
Nightmare for 1D10 rounds, where they’ll experience a bizarre version of our world fueled
by their worst fears. These could be conscious or subconscious, but however they manifest,
they will be deeply personal and disturbing. When someone is in The Nightmare Realm, the
Keeper can describe what’s happening, or they can let the player describe it.
While there, the character will lose 1 Sanity point per round, and when they return, they
will have physically aged about ten years. Every time they enter The Nightmare, their time
there extends by 1D4. For example, if they go there for a second time, their time there will
be 1D10 + 1D4 rounds, and a third time will mean 1D10 + 2D4 rounds.
Once someone reaches zero Sanity points and becomes permanently insane, they will be
stuck in The Nightmare forever.
Leaking. As the nightmare world begins to leak into the cell block, physical things begin
to seep through as well. This is when the Dream Ooze begins running down the walls from
cracks that appeared during The Fall.
The Shadow Man. At some point, the Shadow Man will arrive. This is an aspect of
Hypnos, and he has been drawn here by Elijah’s magic and its effect on the Dreamlands.
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He is searching for the source but is finding it difficult due to the nature of Elijah’s tattoos
and his use of the Fade.
Escape. There are three ways to return to the real world. One is to destroy Elijah’s
tattoos, which can be done in any number of disturbing ways, from burning, flaying, or
severing his arms from his body. The second way to end this nightmare is to find the Liber
Somniorum and cast the spell that closes the Nightmare Gate, though this will require
two or three people to cooperate. The third option is to draw Elijah to the attention of The
Shadow Man by simply looking at Elijah, saying his full name three times. This will cause
The Shadow Man to appear and immediately drag Elijah into The Nightmare forever. This
last one is dangerous because the characters will end up seeing The Shadow Man’s true
form and suffer a brutal Sanity hit.
New Spells
Fade
• Cost: 5 magic points; 1 Sanity point
• Casting Time: 1 round
After a moment of concentration, the caster slightly fades from reality and becomes difficult
to notice. They’re not invisible per se but simply overlooked by those present. This can create
some strange anomalies. For example, if the faded person is in a room with five other people,
and someone counts the number of people, they’ll count six. If they list the names of the
people present, they’ll only come up with five names no matter how many times they do it. If
anyone becomes aware that something is amiss, they can make an opposed POW check to
notice the caster. If the caster is in the presence of only one or two people, they’ll be aware
that the caster is present, but they simply won’t think of them. The caster will be like the kind
of visual background noise that people tend to ignore every day. If someone suspects that
there is a hidden entity present, they have a Bonus Die on their POW check.
Nightmare Gate
• Cost: 30 magic points; 1D10 Sanity points
• Casting Time: 30 minutes
This spell resembles the Gate spell; however, it opens a physical pathway to The Nightmare.
When the Gate is created, the maker must know the destination in The Nightmare they intend
the Gate to lead to. The caster must make a POW check to open the way. If they fail, the gate
ruptures and shifts the immediate area to fill the available space (i.e., house, building, prison
wing, etc.) or a 500 ft. diameter sphere (Keeper’s discretion). This rupture will close in 2D6
days without magical intervention (see below). If the caster has visited The Nightmare before
(though not necessarily in corporeal form) and knows its relationship to the real world, they
have a Bonus Die on their POW check. Traveling through such a gate is two-way from the
Waking World, but things originating in The Nightmare cannot pass through it.
The gate (or unintentional rupture) can be sealed using this spell again, but reversing
a few keywords. Anyone reading the spell should make an INT check to understand this.
The cost for closing the gate is only 30 magic points, 30 POW, and 2D10 Sanity. The cost in
magic points and POW can be divided among several people, but each participant suffers
full Sanity loss.
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First Night
Dread
Violence
Nightmares
First Night
In the fall of 1980, a group of college girls decided to spend the night in the mansion
that was recently purchased by their sorority. Unfortunately, their slumber party turns
into a nightmarish fight for survival when they use a witch board and accidentally
summon a terrifying entity from another dimension. Unless they can figure out how
to send it back, none of them may live to see the dawn.
Prelude
The Roth Manor is located West of Arkham, just outside Aylesbury, Massachusetts. As the
senior members of Berkshire University’s Pi Delta sorority, you have the privilege of spending
the first night in the newly purchased chapter house.
The manor is beautiful inside and out, consisting of three stories over a raised basement
encased in rare woods and intricately carved ornaments. Impressive fireplaces were brought
in from around the world, and sienna marble columns grace the entrance hall. Stained glass
surrounds five sides of the octagonal mahogany staircase, illuminated from above by a large
octagonal skylight.
The manor’s design is Victorian, but the combination of materials, cast iron galleries
and complex roof system tie it to Chateauesque, a style based on French Revival. Clearly,
the architect put his own twist on the style with irregularly shaped stone in multiple colors,
steeply peaked roof lines, sculptural chimneys, Tudor arches, and carvings of animals and
people everywhere.
Everyone sets up their sleeping bags in the library, thoroughly embracing the slumber
party theme. The only exceptions are the house mother, Ms. Bates, and sorority president
Debra who have both decided to each take one of the upstairs bedrooms. Ms. Bates says
it’s because her back won’t last the night on that hardwood floor, and while almost certainly
true, everyone knows that she absolutely hates the music that the girls listen to these days.
Debra says that she has always wanted to sleep in a canopy bed, but the rest of you suspect
that it has more to do with her thinking that she’s better than the rest of you.
The first few hours are relatively tame, with board games and several spirited rounds of
charades, but once the house mother goes to bed at 10 PM sharp, the real party starts. By
10:30 PM, the music is cranked, the cherry schnapps is poured, and a joint is being passed
around. It’s not long before a pillow fight inevitably breaks out in the library to the 1979 hit
“My Sharona” by The Knack.
During the melee, one of the girls stumbles into the wall next to the fireplace and
accidentally grabs one of the old gas lamps. There’s an audible click, and the painting above
the fireplace swings open to reveal a secret cubbyhole behind. Inside is an old, hand-carved
witch board and planchette. As a thunderstorm kicks up outside and the candle lights flicker,
you lay the board on the floor in front of the fireplace to have a better look.
The dark wood is polished to shine, and the planchette looks as if it’s carved of deep
green stone that is so silky to the touch that it’s almost impossible not to caress it.
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Keeper’s Notes
At this point, the Keeper should have the players describe their characters, describe what
they’ve been doing this evening, and perhaps share their immediate thoughts. There is every
chance that they’ll want to use the witch board, but if everyone is hesitant, they should all
make Hard POW checks to resist the urge to place the planchette on the board and playfully
ask it a question.
Roth Manor. This Victorian mansion was originally built in the late 1880s. It’s particularly
notable for its exterior of sculpted granite, limestone, and sandstone and the elaborately carved
woodwork on the interior. It features a grand staircase to the main entrance, interior bathrooms,
steeply pitched slate roofs, and marble fireplaces. The bedrooms all contain four-poster beds,
dressers, wardrobes, and other original furnishings. Unless otherwise stated, the furniture is
covered with white sheets and a thick layer of dust, but there’s no significant mildew or signs
of pests. Of course, the Keeper should feel free to add any furniture or household items to the
rooms that would make sense or perhaps make a scene more cinematic.
Ground Floor. This floor is partially underground and is often referred to as a half-
basement. This design tends to be more common in southern climates like Texas, but clearly,
whoever built this place had a fondness for that particular architectural feature. It’s accessed
from the exterior via steps to either side of the grand staircase in the front.
Vestibule – This entry has a smooth concrete floor with a single step up to the entrance hall.
Entrance Hall (Lower) – The floors here are tiled with what looks like slate that has been
expertly cut into elaborate star-shaped patterns. An open archway to the north leads to a richly
appointed lounge.
Office (Butler) – This ground floor office was evidently used by some kind of butler or
whoever managed the various cleaners and servants that once worked here. Several filing
cabinets stand open and empty, their contents long ago removed.
Library (Private) – This room is locked, and the characters do not have a key. This was
Elijah’s private occult library, and it has some exotic tomes, some of which could potentially be
very dangerous (Keeper’s discretion).
Game Room – This room has a beautifully carved billiard table with all appropriate
appointments, including several comfortable leather chairs and a well-stocked humidor.
Wine Cellar – The old wine cellar appears empty, though a Hard Spot Hidden check will
reveal four bottles of exceptional French wine hidden at the back of one of the racks.
Kitchen – This small kitchen was probably used for canning, but it doesn’t look like it’s been
touched for many decades.
First Floor. This floor is accessible via the main stairs out front. It is somewhat elevated due
to the half-basement below, with all windows providing a wonderful view of the surrounding
landscape. Unless otherwise stated, the floors are all beautifully polished hardwood.
Entrance Hall (Main) – This hall is dominated by a large oriental rug that really ties the room
together. An ornate chandelier hangs in the center of the hall, and it must look magnificent
when lit, but at the moment, it’s dark, looming, and draped with cobwebs.
Directly ahead is the central grand staircase that leads to the upper floors, wrapping around
another equally beautiful chandelier on its way up.
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The pocket doors to the right open onto a magnificent library, while the ones to the left open
on a luxurious parlor.
Main Library – This wood-paneled library has a large fireplace surrounded by dark green
stone and topped with a black marble mantle. There are a number of leather wingback chairs,
an oak table with four cushioned chairs, and a rolling ladder along the wall to reach the upper
shelves. In the corner is an (unfortunately) empty liquor cabinet.
Even over the ubiquitous musty smell, you can detect the scent of leather, old books, fine
tobacco, and brandy. It’s a room that wouldn’t be out of place in a Sherlock Holmes story... or
a murder mystery. This latter impression is heightened by the painting over the fireplace. The
subject is a middle-aged man in a maroon smoking jacket and a look of smug satisfaction on
his face. In his lap is an open leather book, and in his free hand is a glass of red wine.
Keeper’s Notes
This is the location where the scenario opens and is easily the most important to the potential
survival of the characters. It features a fireplace on the east wall with a hidden nook where the
characters find Elijah’s witch board. The fireplace has a full set of tools, including a broom,
ash shovel, tongs, and poker. The latter can make an excellent improvised weapon, using the
Fighting (Brawl) skill and inflicting 1D6+DB points of damage. There are countless shelves of
books here, ranging in topics from literature to the natural sciences to the occult. The most
important book in the occult section is Elijah’s journal (see Signs).
The Parlor – The lavish parlor has a large fireplace that mirrors the one in the library,
except that it has midnight blue tiles with a black mantle. There are two sofas, several soft
chairs, and a massive bear rug laid out in front of the fireplace that must have been a Grizzly,
judging by its size. A glass cabinet in the corner contains dozens of mummified cats.
Music Room – The old music room is empty except for a grand piano that is slightly out of
tune but otherwise in fine shape. The fireplace has pale gray tiles and a large gilded mirror
over a gray stone mantle. A trunk against the wall is packed with sheet music from the 1930s.
Dining Room – This elegantly appointed dining room has an ornately carved table with
twelve high-backed chairs (five along each side and one at each end). An antique sideboard
contains fancy china and silverware with place settings for twelve. One drawer is packed with
neatly folded cloth napkins and tablecloths. Two glass-paned garden doors on either side of the
fireplace open into the Solarium, though they are covered with vines at the moment.
Kitchen and Pantry – The kitchen doesn’t have much in the way of modern appliances, with
most of the things in here looking as if they date back to the 1940s or 50s. Most of the food
has been removed, though a search of the pantry will find six dusty mason jars with several
different kinds of pickles and a bottle of fine sherry.
The sink has pipes for running water, but the old hand pump is still in place and surprisingly
still works. It will draw up a gallon of rusty water after about ten pumps. You wouldn’t want to
drink it, but it can be used to flush the toilets (see Bathrooms).
Keeper’s Notes
There are many potential weapons here, including dinner knives (small), carving knives (medium),
butcher knives (large) and cleavers (large). There are also heavy frying pans (1D6+DB) and one
particularly nasty iron skillet (1D8+DB). All of these use the Fighting (Brawl) skill.
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Bathrooms – The bathrooms here are absolutely gorgeous, with massive claw-footed
tubs, brass fixtures, and white tiles on every surface. The toilets don’t have running water
but will work if you dump a pail of water into the tank before flushing. The bathroom doors
can be locked from the inside with a sturdy slide bolt.
The Solarium – This beautiful glass-enclosed room can be accessed through the dining
room, the kitchen, or the steps at the side of the house.
Overgrown with vines that climb over just about every surface, the doors into the room
are difficult to open. A rusted valve on the wall with an attached hose was once used to water
the plants, and the mechanisms to open the windows won’t work without a good cleaning.
Second Floor. The grand staircase leads up to the second-floor hall and Sitting Room
which has eight padded chairs, four side tables, and a coat rack. A single dark wool coat still
hangs on the rack like some relic of a forgotten era.
The Chapel – The old chapel has the strong, bitter smell of some sort of incense. The
altar in the southern end of the room is covered with melted wax that has run over the sides
after several decades of candle burning. A dozen candle stubs of various heights stand on
top of the wax mound.
Two padded wooden benches have been pushed up against the eastern wall, and the dark
tiled floor has a large oriental rug in the center of the room. The old fireplace on the west
wall still has the remains of its last fire.
Keeper’s Notes
Beneath the carpet is a ritual circle that has been painted on the floor. The pigment is deep red
and appears to be slightly metallic. In fact, it was made with human blood, various mineral
oils, and powdered silver. An Occult check will reveal that it has something to do with sleep,
while a successful Cthulhu Mythos check will indicate a connection to the Dreamlands.
If any of the characters search the library, a Hard Library Use check will give them the same
information after an hour of searching. Note that this same check could allow the characters
to find Elijah’s Tome (see Signs).
If the characters search the fireplace, a Spot Hidden will allow them to find fragments of
bone among the ashes. A Hard success means that they find a human tooth.
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Bedrooms – All of the bedrooms are more or less the same, except the one over the library,
which is far more ornately decorated. Each has an antique mahogany four-poster canopy bed,
wardrobe, dresser, and trunk. All of the furniture is empty except for the trunks, which contain
extra sheets, blankets, a quilt, and pillows. The Master Bedroom has all of the same type of
furniture but a little more elegant. There are a few additional features, including a small bookcase,
a private bathroom, and a circular sitting area in the southeast corner with a comfortable chair
and matching side table.
Ms. Bates has decided to sleep in the Master Bedroom, while Debra has selected the bedroom
in the northeast corner to be away from the other girls.
Third Floor. This upper floor was primarily for servants and consists mostly of bedrooms,
a common parlor, some storage, and a small chapel.
Bedrooms – Unlike the bedrooms on the second floor, these are more simply appointed
with simple beds, dressers, wardrobes, and small writing desks.
Chapel – In the southeast corner of the third floor is a small round room that once served
as a chapel for the servants. There is a small padded kneeling stool that faces a simple
wooden crucifix on the wall. Like the other rooms, it has a thick layer of dust and cobwebs.
Bathroom – The servant’s bathroom is small and far less ornate than on the other floors.
There is only a walk-in shower with no bathtub.
Water Tank – On the north side of the house is a water tank that used to provide water
pressure to the house, but when modern plumbing was installed, it was sealed up. There is
still an access door near the back stairs.
Storage – There is a storage room near the studio and an unfinished attic space in the
northeast corner of the house. These are pretty much empty unless the Keeper wants to
include something interesting.
Attic. Accessed from a staircase near the third-floor chapel; this unfinished attic space
is empty except for dust and cobwebs. All of the windows up here are small and near the
floor. On the north side, three windows look out over the rooftop, while on the south side,
the dormer windows look down on the street in front of the house. None of these windows
can open, and even if they did, it would take a very small person to squeeze through them.
Objectives
The Roth Manor was previously owned by Elijah Roth, a serial killer who serves the outer
god Hypnos. This is a loose sequel to Hell Block Five, but playing the previous scenario
isn’t required to play this one. That being said, it is a good idea for the Keeper to familiarize
themselves with Hell Block Five before running First Night.
Survive The Night. Any of the girls who manage to stay alive for three hours will awake
in their beds, exactly where they went to sleep after the party. The girls who die in The
Nightmare (see Hell Block Five), including Debra and Ms. Bates, will be found dead in their
beds, their faces twisted into visages of absolute terror.
Stop Elijah’s Plan. If the girls find Elijah Roth’s journal in the library, they might be able
to figure out what’s going on (see Signs). If they’re able to decipher and understand the
rituals within, they’ll realize that one (Wake the Dreamer) allows them to bring people from
The Nightmare back to the waking world.
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If they’re clever enough (or make a Hard INT check) they can figure out how to contact
Elijah using the witch board and perform the ritual on him. This will wake him from his
nightmare and immediately return all of the surviving girls to the waking world.
Secrets
Elijah Roth has been trapped in a nightmare prison in the Dreamlands since being captured
by the Shadowman in 1978 (see Hell Block Five). Thanks to his longtime assistant and
protégé, Thomas Fields, Elijah has been able to maintain the connection with the nightmare
reflection of his old manor over the last two years.
Elijah immediately sensed the young women staying at the manor tonight and immediately
began pressing them to use the witch board. He plans to send his Fetches after them once
they’ve fallen asleep and enter The Nightmare (see Threats). If his Fetches can kill them all, he
will have accumulated enough power (magic points) to transfer his consciousness into Thomas’s
body in the Dream Vault. This process will damn his assistant’s soul to the Nightmare Prison in
his place forever, and with any luck, the Shadowman will be none the wiser.
The Keeper should begin running the scenario like a 1980s sorority horror or haunted
house movie, and by the second act, things should devolve into a full grindhouse meets
Evil Dead-style slaughter fest. Things can (and probably will) go horribly for the characters
depending on how they react to the situation, but if they’re clever and resourceful, there’s at
least a chance that they can make it out alive... with years of therapy ahead of them.
Cast
Ms. Karen Bates. A former national shot-put champion, Ms. Bates is a strict but fair
house mother at the Pi Delta sorority. She gives some leeway to the senior girls, but when
she sets a line that can’t be crossed, that’s it.
She trusts the girls to a point, and so once she’s convinced the girls aren’t going to try and
sneak any boys into the house, she retires for the night. Unfortunately for her, she’s already
dead by the time the rest of the girls awaken in The Nightmare.
Debra Adams. The envy of every girl at Berkshire U, Debra is the president of Pi Delta
Sorority. She’s not very well-liked, however, due to her spoiled and narcissistic nature. She’s
not an evil person, but she’s blind to her own flaws, and her ego won’t let her admit that she
might have any. The Keeper should play her like the typical mean girl while she’s alive.
Thomas Fields. Elijah’s assistant has been hiding out in the woods behind the Roth
mansion ever since the police searched the property seven years ago. He makes his home
in the Vault of Dreams, a hidden stone vault deep in the woods that allows him to slip
easily into the Dreamlands. This is how he has managed to maintain contact with Elijah
over the years. He’s not likely to appear in this scenario, preferring to stay out of sight. If all
the girls in the house die in The Nightmare, Thomas will become the new vessel for Elijah’s
spirit in the waking world.
Signs
Witch Board Messages. The girls won’t know unless they read his journal, but this witch
board is connected directly to The Nightmare. Elijah is cunning and is careful not to tip his
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