Showing posts with label Lovecraft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lovecraft. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 15, 2018

Dr. Theophilus' Traveling Show. A Classic/OSR Murder Circus


I had an urge a while back to build a circus. A shady circus. A murder circus.
This is that attempt.

I think I've left it generic enough to be included without trouble into a variety of genres; fantasy, horror, western, 1920's, etc.

Dr. Theophilus' Traveling Show
The Traveling Show pulls up near a town or village. The head of the circus/ringmaster Dr. Theophilus and the strongman Brunaldi enters town to find the local authority. They will ask permission to camp and put on their shows, sweetening the deal for the local authority by offering bribes and a possible cut of profits.

Once the proper amount is negotiated (or enforced with charm magics) the bright yet shabby tents go up, banners fly, animals are groomed, food stands are fired up, the freaks and performers are prepared, and fliers are handed out by clowns and acrobats. Tickets are available at the booth and the show begins!

While this is happening agents of the Circus will enter the town and find prime locations to rob. They will quietly do so.  If seen committing a crime they will ruthlessly kill any witnesess. If anyone in authority challenges the Circus after this, or demands more bribe money,  they will be killed with impunity and the Circus will travel on, gating to another place far, far away thanks to the dimensional device in Dr. Theophilus' wagon. Sometimes the performers and freaks give into their dark nature, desires, and frustrations and atendees will turn up missing, mutilated, or dead in the wake of the Traveling Show.

Dr. Alphonsus Theophilus, 48, LE
Conman, magician, and all around shady character. Theophilus is a traveler from another dimension lost in reality. Stranded in his current universe he is obsessed with gathering wealth and magics to find his way back to his home dimension. He heads the Traveling Show and uses its potential for profit, information gathering, and robbery to finance and aid in his dream. He will sacrifice anyone or anything not useful to his quest. He retains the broken dimensional gate device which brought him to this realm. It still functions to open a temporary gate from location to location in this reality, with restrictions. He retains strict control over the behavior of his 'employees' but has to occasionally let their darker natures out or risk rebellion and loss of valuable attractions. He has also grown concerned with the presence of the frighteningly unnatural Boppo the King Clown but has so far kept his composure and avoided confrontations.
Magic User- 5
Hp 15
Ac 7/12 (+2 Ring of Protection)
Save Mu 5/11
Special:
Int 16, Wis 15, Cha 15
Spells: Dr. Theophilus favors the following spells.
1st: Charm Person, Detect Magic, Protection from Evil,  Read Languages,  Read Magic, Sleep
2nd: ESP, Invisibility, Locate Object, Phantasmal Force
3rd: Hold Person, Lightening Bolt
Items:
Potions: Extra healing, Gaseus form
Ring of protection +2
Wand of Detecting Magic, 20', 11 charges
Pistol (1d8), whip (1d2, 10' reach)
Ringmaster hat, clothing

The Gate Device
This collection of whirring gears, smoked mirrors, and cracked crystals fits in a 4'x4' cube. It can be used to open a gate from its current location to a point up to 555 miles distant. The device will allow anyone with spell-casting abilities (spells) scry a safe location and open the gate. It will stay open for one full turn and is large enough to drive a loaded circus wagon through. It can be used once every 24 hours.

Brunaldi the Stongman, 36, NE
Brunaldi is large, bald, mustachioed, and tattooed. He spends his time performing feats of strength and boxing challengers after hours. He is the second in command of Dr Theophilus. Brunaldi is always looking for a way to make himself more valuable to his master and will betray other members of the Circus to put himself in a better position with Theophilus. He is watching Magda the knife-thrower carefully as she has become squeamish with killings.
Hd 5
Hp 34
Ac 8/12 (leather)
Save F5/10
Special:
Str 18, Con 18
Unarmed: +2 extra bonus to hit, 1d3 + 3 damage, two attacks per round
Items:
Axe (1d8+3 dmg)
knife (1d4+3 dmg)
Thick leather vest, bracers, wide belt

Sabre-Fist, 30's, LE
Sabre-Fist falls into the category of both performer and freak. The son of a famous mercenary he lost his hands in an accident as a child. His father strapped blades on his stumps instead of prosthetic hands and continued to train him. Sabre grew up to be a lethal mercenary and assassin with his trademark blades, now implanted into his arms. His ego allows him enjoys the lifestyle of the Circus; performing tricks for the crowds and defeating challengers to show his skill, but his true passion in life is the perfection of his fighting skills. Women, drink, money, none holds his interest.  He has entertained the idea of fighting Boppo the King Clown; he's seen what the sinister clown can do with his maul, but to his shame is afraid of the King of Clowns. He loathes this cowardice and loathes to take orders from those he considers his lessers and  is vying for Brunaldi's position as second in command and this can cause friction between the two. He is attended by a young mute named Minerva (Hd 1) who attends to his personal cares due to his lack of hands.
Hd 5
Hp 37
Ac  3/16
Save F5/10
Special:
Str 16, Dex 18, Int 13
Dual weapon attack (no penalty) or parry with one for a +2 Ac bonus.
Implanted forearm blades (1d6+2), +1 bonus to Initiative: the implanted blades give him a quickness advantage.
Items:
Chainmail armor, clothing, boots, leather hood and mask

Magda Cordalena the Mistress of the Knives, 31, N
Magda is of Gypsy (Vistani, etc) blood and is an exotic beauty with black hair and eyes. She is a skilled knife thrower and performer and has found a place for her skills performing. She stays with the Circus for a cut of the profits but she is bothered by killings and disappearances caused by the others. She remains out of fear of Dr. Theophilus' magics and of Brunaldi's watching eyes. She is terrified of Boppo the King Clown and avoids him and his clowns when possible, often hissing at his clown's to get out of her way. If the Circus is destroyed she will run far and fast from the remains.
Hd 3
Hp 18
Ac 4/15 (leather armor)
Save Th3/12
Special:
Dex 18, Int 13, Cha 16
+2 extra bonus to hit with throwing bladed weapons.
Can attack four times per round with throwing bladed weapons (no penalty).
Pick Pockets/Sleight of Hand (70%)
Items:
Knives (1d4), darts/razor cards/razor blades (1d2)
Leather armor, clothing, boots

Aluwiscious Doyle the "Magnificent Flame Tongue", 27, NE
A mean, skinny, burn-scarred man dressed in bright yellow and red tones with hair dyed a shocking red. Doyle is a pyromaniac and will burn anything around him that he can get away with. His favorite tactic of attack is to approach a victim from behind and spit a stream of fire on him. Evil little bastard. He is held on a tight leash by Dr. Theophilus and Brunaldi but will be turned loose for maximum carnage when required.
Hd 4
Hp 18
Ac 7/12
Save F4/11
Special:
Dex 16, Wis 13
Firebreather: Ranged attack, stream of fire 15' long, 2d6 damage first round/ continues to burn for 1d6 in the 2nd round, Save for half damage. One an attack roll of one: 1 or 2 on a 1d6 chance to light self on fire for damage.
Items:
Burning brands (1d4 fire damage)
Fiery bottles: Ranged, 30' range, 15' splash area, 2d6 first round/1d6 2nd round, Save for half damage
Gaudy clothing

Jessup, the Archer, 38, LE
Jessup is a skilled bowman, a natural hunter, and showman. His past is a mystery to the rest of the circus. Jessup is an assumed name. He is wanted far away for the murder of his brother and sister-in-law in a fit of passionate jealousy and rage. His number one priority is his safety and separation from his former identity. If either is challenged he will attempt to kill the threatening person on the spot and preferably hide the body in the woods. He is paid well by Dr. Theophilus and doesn't mind using his skills to murder for his master. He holds himself above looting, rape, and other practices he considers barbaric. If a particularly lucky or skilled opponent gives him a good fight or chase he may let them escape as long as they do not know his secrets.
Hd 4
Hp 30
Ac 6/14 (leather)
Save F4/11
Special:
Str 16, Dex, 17, Int 15, Wis 16, Cha 15
+2 extra bonus to hit with bow attacks
One extra bow attack per round
Ranged sneak attack, +4 hit/x2 damage if victim unaware
Move Silently/ Hide in Shadows (65% outdoors, 33% in non-natural settings)
Track and Survival (60%)
Items:
Bow and arrows.
Dagger (1d4+2)
Black leather armor, black clothing, boots, belts

The Amazing Vardowski, 45
Vardowski is a Psychic (see Mentalist HERE) of some skill and little self control. Dr. Theophilus keeps him as Vardowski's ESP abilities are of great value in finding marks for robbery and other secrets of value. He drinks heavily to calm his nerves and help prevent him from unleashing his powers when angered or frustrated. When this happens he often unleashes his Frightening Aura ability to force others to leave him alone. He does not have the will nor motivation to escape from Dr. Theophilus' influence. His nerves are fragile and he lives in constant fear of himself and the others. If given the opportunity to escape he will simply return to his wagon and get drunk. If he runs into Boppo the Clown he loses all composure, screaming and foaming at the mouth til he can escape to his wagon, bar the doors, and pacify himself with drink and drugs if he has any. He will never discuss Boppo if asked.
Hd 4
Hp 13
Ac 9/10
Save Mu4/12(Two bonus vs Magic and Mental)
Special:
Dex 17, Int 15, Wis 16, Cha 15
Frightening Aura (2 per day, 30', Saving throw -1 penalty or leave his presence for four minutes)
Charm Person, Silence 15' (1 per day)
ESP ( 3 per day)
Items:
Lots of whiskey or other strong drink
A few doses of depressant drugs
Shabby suit, tarot cards, fake crystal ball

The Forever Man, 40's, CN
The Star of the Freak show. He was found by the Traveling Show on a blood-soaked battlefield, curled up naked and bathed in blood. His mind was gone. Jessup the Archer fired an arrow into his chest to put him out of his misery. When the Archer retrieved his arrow the Forever Man came back to life. He was immediately chained in a wagon. He is utilized as a geek, eating live chickens and rodents, much to the horror of the Circus attendees. At the after hours show, in a closed and guarded tent, patrons can pay a large amount of coin to torture and even kill him for their amusement. He never stays dead long. A filthy skinny hairless man dressed in rags and chained by the neck. If freed he will attack the nearest person (even the one who freed him) and attempt to strangle that person to death. He will then eat their corpse if allowed.
Hd 2
Hp 8
Ac  9/10
Save F2/14
Special:
Int 3, Wis 3, Chs 3
Regenerate: 3 hit points per round, even after death, all damage.
Strangle: if the Forever Man attacks and scores a hit he automatically strangles his victim for 1d6 damage per round unless the victim makes a Strength check with a four penalty to break free.

"The Merman"
Otto, 47, Deep One Hybrid, LE
Otto is a gangly tall mess with a pot belly, protruding eyes, fishy lips and skin, and lanky hair. His hands and feet are webbed. He is content to spend most of his time in his tank and talk shit to passerby's. He will occasionally sneak out at night, unable to stop the call of his lineage, to forcibly pass on his genes to some poor victim. When the Circus does devolve to chaos and murder he will happily join in to vent his evil nature.
Hd 3
Hp 18
Ac 7/12
Save F3/12
Special:
Str 17, Con 13, Chs 5
Darkvision 30'
Gills
Small claws (1d4+2)
Swim 150'/50'
Items:
Dirty fish tank, shabby clothes for his out of tank expeditions

Boppo the King Clown, ?, CE
Boppo is the head clown and a mystery to the others. Dr. Theophilus and the others truly cannot remember when he joined the Circus. They merely have a shadow of a feeling that he joined on at some point and something is dreadfully wrong. He is a silent, sinister force in the Traveling show, always in the background and directing the clowns until he makes his presence known on the mid-way or in the ring with tricks and pratfalls, appearing as a jolly if large clown. When his true nature is revealed, smile dropped and dead flat eyes staring, he becomes terrifying parody of himself to those who behold him.  The other performers avoid him when possible and theorize he is a Boogey-man and Theophilus remains silent on the issue. Boppo does as he is asked, accepts no pay, and has thus far not interfered with Theophilus' business.
Hd 6
Hp 40
Ac 5/14
Save Th6/10 (Two bonus vs Poisons)
Special:
Str 16, Dex 15, Int 17, Wis 15, Cha 14
Backstab, +4 hit/x3 damage
Hide in Shadows, Move Silently, Pick Pockets/Sleight of Hand (75%)
Maniacal Fury (2 melee attacks per round)
Maniacal Rage (all melee and unarmed damage is one dice higher damage)
Mute
Panic (When Boppo drops his smile and shows his true nature those who see his face must make a Saving Throw or all attacks against Boppo are at a -2 to hit. Many will flee for their lives. This is in effect until the victims elude Boppo or honestly believe they have given him the slip.)
Tough (2 point AC and Save vs Poison bonuses)
Items (with Boppo's Maniacal Rage ability):
Clown clothes, makeup, trick items
Garrote (1d4+2)
Knife, Hammer, etc.  (1d6+2)
Two-handed maul (1d10+2)

Boppo's Clowns, N
Minions of Boppo the Clown they appear as ordinary clowns in makeup. They perform normal clown duties: entering town to pass out fliers, entertain at the mid-way, etc. They appear perfectly normal until called by Boppo to serve his bidding. Smiles fade, eyes glaze into a sinister stare, and they become cult-like in their docility towards the King Clown. They will obey orders from Dr. Theophilus (thus far) but if other performers give then orders they will look to Boppo for permission.
Hd 1
Hp 7
Ac 8/11
Save F1/14
Special:
Backstab, +4 hit/x2 damage
Hide in Shadows, Move Silently, Pick Pockets/Sleight of Hand (60%)
Items:
Clown clothes, makeup, joke and trick items
Knife, hammer, etc.  (1d4)

The Incredible Grimwaldos, N
A small family of circus acrobats and thieves loyal to Dr. Theophilus. Members of the troupe sneak out during performances to rob prime locations or lead the way for others in the Show. If things turn bloody they will hide until the carnage passes. They have no stomach for blood but will defend themselves if attacked.
Hd 2
Hp 10
Ac 6/13
Save Th2/14
Special:
Backstab, +4 hit/x2 damage
Hide in Shadows, Move Silently, Open Lock, Pick Pockets/Sleight of Hand (55%)
Climb Walls/Acrobatics (95%)
Items:
Performance clothes, lock picks, climb gear, rope, etc
Knife, club, etc.  (1d4)

Attendants
A number of young roustabouts travel with the circus to aid in manual labor or act as assistants in shows. Dr. Theophilus will target troubled youths, runaways, etc with his personal charms and sometimes magic to fill the labor ranks. They mostly keep their mouths shut as they like the pay, food, shelter, and travel. Occasionally one will cause too much trouble or ask too many questions and disappear. They are written off by the others as breaking the Circus code of silence. They are usually 1 Hit Dice NPC's although some may have special abilities such as limited Thief skills, etc.

Attractions
Freaks
Feats of Skill
Tricks (Mundane, Magic, or Mental)
Animals ( a few thin monkeys, apes, a tiger, and many snakes and reptiles)
Food
Games
Elixirs and Poultices

After Hours
Bawdy Show (acrobats and performer assistants)
Gambling
Boxing with Brunaldi
Sword fighting with Sabre Fist
Torture the Forever Man



Sunday, August 12, 2018

Hell Camp: An OSR Survival Horror Scenario

This scenario was written using my OSR Survival Horror rules. It involves stranded travelers seeking shelter from an unnatural storm at a summer camp and trying to survive the night. It ran very smoothly and with the situation the PC's are in, packed in with a variety of NPC's, it wasn't hard to achieve a state of paranoia from the players.

If this interests you check out my other Survival Horror bits:
House of Darkness: An  Evil in a small town adventure
Run Piggy, Run: Backwoods horror mini-setting
Dawn of the Dead (1978): A mini-setting/funnel with movie characters and maps
The Thing (1982): The stats
The Thing: Outpost 31 and personnel


HELL CAMP
The forested hills near Red Lake Summer Camp
Late Fall, 198_

The players are travelers on a bus on the nearby back road.
The camp is closed for the fall and the old caretaker has begun winter preparations.
Nearby a group of young hikers have set up a party camp in the forest.

An early and massive blizzard hits the area. Snow and ice piles up as the roads are blowing closed.
The caretaker takes shelter in his cabin.
The hikers head towards the summer camp seeking cover.
Something crosses the snowy road and the bus wrecks into a ditch.

What's Going On
The blizzard is a complete anomaly coming out of nowhere on weather radar and blanketing an area of forty miles. Weathermen are going nuts trying to explain this one. They won't be able to, not really, because a Greater Wendigo has come down south. It's hungry, it's looking for fresh meat and fear  to feed on. Once it has sated its hunger it will retreat back up north.

The Bus
The adventure begins with the players on the wrecked bus.
Before the wreck several cars were seen off the road in the deepening snow but had no passengers.

The snow is falling heavy, the wind is rising, and the temperature is rapidly falling. A few of the passengers were injured in the wreck but have been attended to by Eli the paramedic and Sammy the firefighter (and possibly the PC's.)

The slide into the ditch broke several windows on the bus and killed the engine. Diesel and oil is draining into the ditch. There is no heat and with the temperature is falling fast if they stay here they will freeze. If the bus is equipped with a cb radio it will not be able to broadcast within the storm.

Bob the bus driver has driven this route many times and is aware that the summer camp is nearby. They passed the sign for its turnoff before the wreck.

What's on the Bus?
Passenger luggage and personal items.
2 tire irons
2 spare tires
12 road flares (15 minutes)
2 first aid kits
small tool repair kit
Cb Radio (the blizzard is blocking transmission and reception)

Night will be falling within a few hours. Their only chance of surviving the night is to move through the mile and a half of woods towards the summer camp for shelter.

Burning Stuff on the Bus
Very little is available. Seats, cushions, clothes, etc can be used as fuel but will burn up quickly. There's not enough diesel or oil in the bus to maintain warmth for long, too much has drained away into the drainage ditch..

NPC's Aboard the Bus
Bob Sanderson, 48, bus driver
Bob is a good guy. A devout Catholic and divorced father of two. He is responsible for his passengers and will not be willing to leave one behind if he can help it. His knee was sprained in the wreck and he can only move at a rate of 90'/30'.
Jackie Winslow, 36, used car salesman
Jackie is a bit of a sleaze who hits on all the women. He is out for himself and will do what it takes to see that he survives. He bashed his head on a window and lost a few hit points but is otherwise okay.
Eli Brooks, 31, paramedic
Eli is travelling the country on vacation from his native California. A professional paramedic he is level headed and cool in emergencies. He was uninjured.
Kaye Jones, 26, waitress
Kaye is in between jobs and heading back to her hometown to live with her sister. Having run away from home and on her own since she was 17 she doesn't frighten easily and can take care of herself in most situations. She was uninjured.
Sammy Morales, 27, fireman
Sammy is a professional firefighter in St. Louis. He is travelling to visit his parents. Like Eli he is good in an emergency and has nerves of steel. Sammy was thrown around and lost a few hit points but otherwise is fine.
William Prior, 18, punk
William is a punk rocker wannabe who likes to go by the name Nails. He has been in trouble a lot because of his mouth and attitude and a judge ordered him out of the state. He is on a road to nowhere. He broke his left hand falling out of his seat and cannot use it for anything.

Bob Sanderson, 48, bus driver
Hd 2
Hp 10 (currently 5)
Ac 10
Hit +2 melee, +1 ranged
Save 14
Special His knee was sprained in the wreck and he can only move at a rate of 90'/30'
Str 13, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 13
Drive +2
Drive, Heavy +3
Notice +2
Persuasion +1
Psychology +2
Repair +2
Club (1d4+1) Pocket knife (1d3+1)

Jackie Winslow, 36, used car salesman
Hd 2
Hp 8 (currently 6)
Ac 11
Hit +1 melee, +2 ranged
Save 14
Dex 13, Int 14, Wis 13, Chs 15
Accounting +1
Appraisal +2
Business +1
Notice +2
Persuasion +3
Psychology +3

Eli Brooks, 31, paramedic
Hd 2
Hp 10
Ac 10
Hit +2 melee, +1 ranged
Save 14
Str 13, Int 1, Wis 13, Chs 14
Driving +1
City Knowledge (choose) +2
Medicine +2
Notice +2
Persuasion +2
Pharmacology +1
Psychology +2

Kaye Jones, 26, waitress
Hd 2
Hp 8
Ac 11
Hit +1 melee, +2 ranged
Save 14
Dex 13, Int 13, Chs 15
Acting +3
Hear Noise (1-2/1d6)
Notice +2
Persuasion +3
Psychology +2
Sneak +1

Sammy Morales, 27, fireman
Hd 2
Hp 12 (currently 10)
Ac 11
Hit +3
Save 14
Str 15, Dex 13, Con 1, Int 13, Wis 13
+1 to Hit
Climb +2
Drive +1
Drive, Heavy +1
Medicine +1
Notice +2
Persuasion +1
Repair +2

William Prior, 18, punk
Hd 2
Hp 9 (currently 5)
Ac 12
Hit +3
Save 14
Special: Left hand is broken and useless
Str 15, Dex 13, Wis 12, Chs 13
+1 to AC
+1 to Hit
Drive +1
Intimidate+2
Notice +2
Security +1
Sleight +1
Sneak +2

The Woods
The road is a mile and a half through light woods to the edge of the summer camp.
The wind and snow have cut visibility down to a few feet at times. The group of survivors are far enough away from the Wendigo that they will only take cold damage of 1d6 hit points for each hour they are in the snow. If they are wrapped up in coats and other materials scavenged in the bus they can try a Constitution/Stamina or a Survival check for half damage each hour.

During the worst of the wind and visibility issues three of the NPC passengers will disappear. With the wind and snow they become separated and lost before anyone can notice. The wind is howling too loudly for the separated group to shout to find their locations.
The party stumbles onto a frozen corpse of a moose half hidden in the snow. It is frozen solid.  Anyone checking the corpse can roll a successful Intelligence check to realize, under the snow,  part of the moose is shattered as if dropped frozen from a great height.
Occasionally, barely through the wind, there is a faint noise as if someone is screaming above, from a great height.
A small pack of three feral dogs, mad from the cold and the hunger of a poor hunting week, will stalk and attack the party out of desperation. The mad dogs will target the wounded to drag off first and will fight to the death.

Survival rolls to determine location are impossible with the heavy snow and unfamiliar woods. The party will spend 2+1d2 hours in the storm before the stumble onto the camp trail near Ed the caretaker's cabin.

The Hikers
Two college dudes have dragged their high school girlfriends and one's cousin out into the woods for a weekend of campfires, beer, drugs, and sex. Like everyone else they were completely caught off guard by the violent storm. Brian and Jason spent time at the camp as kids and know where it is. They headed through the snow with the girls. Halfway to the camp they were attacked by a 'maniac' who ran out of the storm. They managed to beat him down with their walking sticks and flee into the storm. Bunny was badly bitten on her left forearm before they escaped. They arrived at the camp before the PC's party and Ed the caretaker has let them into his cabin.

Brian McMasters, 19
Brian is a loud-mouthed douche-bag. He will puff out his chest and try to take charge of any situation no matter how unqualified he is for the lead role. He's even worse when Bunny is around, jealously guarding her from all other guys. He is a coward at heart.
Jason Wilderson, 19
Brian's college bro and 2nd douche-bag extraordinaire. He's only along to get in Riley's pants and party. Always has a smart ass remark.
Bunny Liston, 18
Stereotype dumb blonde millennial. She can't live without a phone signal and was talked into the trip with the promise of a few mild party drugs. She was bitten by the 'wild man' roaming in the woods while lost in the snow.
Riley Olson, 17
Bunny's bestie and fellow airhead. She's slightly interested in Jason and way more interested in his beer and dope. Morgan is her cousin and she invited her along because she's insecure and wanted someone younger than her for the others to pick on.
Morgan Olson, 16
Morgan is Riley's brainy cousin. She is a fifth wheel that was invited by Riley and is often the target of Brian and Bunny's scorn and jokes. Her mother thought it would be a good idea to get off of her computer and gets some fresh air for the weekend.

Brian and Jason
Hd 1
Hp 8
Ac 11
Hit +2
Save 15
Str 15, Dex 13, Con 13, Chs 13
Boat +1
Climb +1
Drive +1
Notice +1
Persuasion +2
Repair +2
Sneak +1
Swim +1

Bunny and Riley
Hd 1
Hp 5
Ac 12
Hit +1 melee, +2 range
Save 15
Dex 15, Chs 15
+1 Ac
Acting +2
Notice +1
Pschology +1
Persuasion +3
Sneak +1
Swim +1

Morgan
Hd 1
Hp 5
Ac 10
Hit +1
Save 15
Int 15, Wis 13, Chs 13
Computers +2
Notie +1
Persuasion +1
Psychology +2
Research +2
Sneak +1
Swim +1

Camp Red Lake
The camp is a small private summer camp for richer kids in the area.

Red Lake
The Lake is man-made and fairly shallow near the shore. It drops off quickly to a depth averaging twenty feet. The island rises like a pillar from the lake bottom.

Trails
The camp trails are of gravel covered dirt. There are water fountains set at the begining of each trail.
Several natural hiking trails lead into the surrounding forests.

Locked doors
Each building has a standard door lock for the summer season and is padlocked shut as an extra precaution against animals and trespassers in the off seasons.

Archery Range
The Archery range contains a short indoor range for young campers and targets that can be set up outside. It also has the camp's supply of bows and arrows.
Ten bows
44 arrows
Two first aid kits
Fire extinguisher

Boathouse
Two row boats, 8 oars, and four kayaks, 6 oars
12 life vests, rope, etc
Two first aid kits
Fire extinguisher

Docks
Two boating docks come off of the island in Red Lake and the Boathouse. A swimming dock lies on the shore not far from the Counselor's Cabin.

The Island
The small island has a boating dock and a large firepit area.

Storage Barn
Camping supplies (tents, canteens, etc)
Lawn care (lawn chemicals, tools, riding and push mowers, grass seed, etc)
Sports (kickballs, basketballs, baseball gear, nets, golf gear, tennis gear, lawn darts)
Other (blankets, t-shirts, spare clothing and shoes, pillows, etc)

Administration
Two offices and file storage
Matches, flares, etc all locked in a cabinet
Large first aid bag, smaller kits
Fire extinguisher

Dining Hall
Dishes, utensils, plates, bowls, cooking pots, etc
Benches, tables, chairs
Stoves, ranges, ventilation unuits, refrigerated Unit and generator (currently off with no gas), sink
Pantry (currently canned and dry goods only)
Three first aid kits
Two large fire extinguishers

Counselor's Cabin
This large cabin is split into two barracks. The men's barrack is on the north and the women's on the south. Being connected shenanigans often ensue.
Bunk beds, card tables, lounge chairs, folding chairs, dressers, etc
Each room also has a writing desk, typewriter, and file cabinet
Clipboards and whistles are everywhere.
Spare blankets, sheets, etc
Two first aid kits
A fire extinguisher in each barrack
A spy hole is drilled into the middle wall
A can of bug spray sits on the men's writing desk
A small bottle of whiske is hidden in the women's barrack

Outside the women's barrack is a small toilet and shower building. A drinking fountain stands near here.

Boys and Girls Cabins
These two cabins are identical in build.
Bunks, blankets, sheets, pillows, etc
Toilet paper, bug spray, and other items in cabinets
Two first aid kits
Fire extinguisher

The Caretaker's Cabin
Ed Barlow, 57, caretaker
Ed has been the caretaker at the camp for ten years now. He maintains it year round. He's a bit rough around the edges from living alone in the woods for years. He's quick with a flashlight and a shotgun.
He has a pickup truck but it is buried currentlly drifted in by snow.

He has never seen a storm this large and bitterly cold this early in the year. Something feels wrong on the wind and he swears he is seeing something large moving through the woods in the storm.

The half frozen kids took him off guard but he quickly brought them inside his cabin and helped tend their wounds. When the PC's party shows up he will question them thoroughly before letting them in.

At the first sign of supernatural trouble ( most likely a Lesser Wendigo ) Ed will call for the PC's and NPC's to help him board up the windows and doors.

Living room
black and white rabbit ear tv
couch, chair
music radio
books on shelf
crucifix on wall
knick nacks and assorted junk
double barrel shotgun with 26 buckshot shells
Bed room
single bed
dresser and drawers
nightstand with medicine and books
clothes strewn about
Bathroom
toilet
sink
cabinets
toiletries
towels
cleaning supplies
stand up shower
Closet
3 spare winter jackets and 2 sets of boots
fall clothing
summer clothing
spare blankets
box of pictures
closet junk
Dining room
dining room table
six chairs
junk cabinets
two way radio, headphones, stand (antenna runs to roof)
Kitchen
stove
refridgerator
sink
kitchen cabinets, dishes, food
knives, utensils, matches, etc.
Store room
several days of food, water, beer
barrels and boxes
chainsaw, two gallons gasoline
Basement
large freezer with meat and food
generator
20 gallons gasoline
large tools
garden hoses, basement junk
Outside
large woodpile
rusty truck
well

Ed Barlow
Hd 2
Hp 9
Ac 12
Hit +3
Save 14
Str 13, Con 13, Int 14, Wis 13
Boat +1
Drive +1
Notice +1
Psychology +2
Repair +2
Survival +3
Track +2

Complications
Bunny's bite: Bunny may or may not be infected with the Wendigo virus if such a thing exists in the GM's version of this.
Frozen body bombs: Passengers who were snatched away and other travelers. Their frozen corpses explode as they are dropped from on high, destroying the engine of Ed's truck and possibly shattering a hole in the cabin roof.
Lesser Wendigo: Passengers from the bus or other traveler's changed and assaulting the cabin. There will be footsteps on the cabin roof, Ed's radio antenna and wires into the cabin will be ripped out, windows will be broken and survivor's will be grabbed, break through the stone cellar to attack from below, etc
Who's going to make a deal with the Wendigo? Pc's who do will change and attack. The GM can turn them into NPC's or let them play the monsters.

Greater Wendigo
Hd 15
Hp 66
Ac 5/14
Attacks: 2, bite or claw (2d6)
Save  5/ F15
Move 150(50) land, 360(120) flight
Alignment: Chaotic Evil

The  Greater Wendigo can tear a victim apart with its massive teeth and claws.  It can also regenerate 3 points of hp damage per round except for fire, magic, and wood from the ash tree.' It can see perfectly in the dark.

The creature generates a constant aura of fear with a radius equal to its current hit points in feet.
Those caught in the fear aura must make a Saving Spell (Magic) or suffer the effects of Fear found here.

A Greater Wendigo can summon and maintain a massive blizzard any time it wishes. The radius of the storm is a number of miles equal to half of the Wendigo's current hit points; as it loses life so does the storm. The Wendigo is nearly invisible inside of the storm surprising victims on a 1-4 on a 1d6. Those caught outside must make a Constitution check every full half hour exposed to the blizzard or suffer 1d6 hp damage from the arctic cold of the storm. Those making the Saving throw take half damage. The Wendigo will often snatch weakened victims into the sky where their screams can be heard by their companion. The fiend will then psychologically torture the living by hurling the frozen corpse from on high to shatter on the ground at the feet of the companions. Sometimes it will hurl the frozen corpse at individuals, vehicles, or even the rooftops of dwellings.

The Constitution check is modified by the following:
Light winter clothing: -2 bonus to the Saving throw..
Heavy winter clothing: -4 bonus plus automatically takes half damage, 0 damage if the Saving throw is made.

The Greater Wendigo preys on weakness and can deliver a curse upon susceptible victims within the confines of the storm. It can telepathically worm its way into the mind of one chosen victim per hour. The victim chosen will be weakened, wounded, sick, diseased, etc; consumed with fear, pain, and desperation and who believe they are doomed. It will promise to save them and end their pain if they surrender themselves to its will. Those who accept the offer take on the Wendigo Curse and become a Lesser Wendigo. The DM has heavy fiat here. The NPC can either choose or if the DM is unsure a Saving throw can be made to see if the bargain is made.

The most likely NPC's to accept the Wendigo's bargain are:
Jackie Winslow, the used car salesman
Kaye Jones, the waitress
Brian McMasters, hiker


Lesser Wendigo
Ac 7/12
Hd 3
Hd 15
Attacks: 2, bite or claw (1d4)
Save 15/ F3
Move: 120(40)
Alignment: Chaotic Evil

When the Wendigo Curse is accepted the victim immediately transforms into a Lesser Wendigo. Unlike a Greater Wendigo it has the ability to appear as a normal human being. When enraged, hungry, or attacking it will lose control and its true hideous nature will emerge. It will often show its true form as a psychological tactic to shock and horrify its soon to be meal.

The Lesser Wendigo can bite or claw twice per round. It is a formidable opponent taking minimum damage from all damage except fire, magic, and wood from and ash tree. It is completely immune to cold damage. It cannot fly as a Greater Wendigo can but it  can spiderclimb as per the spell and sees up to 90 feet in absolute darkness.

A Lesser Wendigo does not regenerate or heal naturally. It can only heal by eating raw flesh, gaining one hp for every two hp damage caused by its bite as it swallows the meat and blood of its victim.

Unlike a Greater Wendigo the Lesser lack the telepathic ability to pass on the Wendigo Curse. They can only attempt to pass it on curse via biting. If they choose to do this and successfully bite the victim, the victim must make a Saving throw to avoid the curse. If infected they will transform over the course of 1d6 hours. The only way the curse can be broken is by killing the Lesser Wendigo that delivered the cursed bite.

EDIT:
Dave's Crappy Maps!

The Camp

Caretaker's Cabin

Counselor's Cabin

Boy's or Girl's Cabins

The Boat House










Tuesday, July 3, 2018

OSR: Dismemberment and Maiming Rules (Mainly for Cthulhu/Grim Settings)

Really I'm not out to completely murder my players or turn them into this guy:

That being said, I do like to have consequences for more 'gritty' games, less heroic enterprises, such as my Cthulhu Mythos game, my Victorian game, and other genres/settings I tend to prefer. If a character survives near death injuries this adds a bit of 'realism' and definitely adds flavor to the PC, making it a very memorable event. Events with tangible consequences frequently are memorable, like an old scar you have a great story (or a great set of lies and exaggerations) about.  

Dismemberment
When a player character is brought to negative hp and manages to survive:
Saving throw (paralysis) is made with a penalty equal to the negative hp value. IF failed the character gains one disability.

If a limb takes 10 hp (or half of total character hp, whichever is lower) a Saving throw with a penalty of the hp damage is made. If failed the limb is maimed or amputated (if the fail was by more than 5 points.)
See below for a few suggestions.

Unless you decide otherwise these disabilities only apply when natural healing, instead of magical, is used to heal the hp damage.

Disabilities
Figure out where the disabilitating wound is and apply.

Arm/Hand
Off-hand penalties if primary hand is lost. No use of bows or two-handed weapos.
The off-hand penalty may be reduced or go away with enough time and practice.

Ear
Partially deaf, +1 to be surprised (hearing)

Eye
-2 to ranged attacks, +1 to be surprised (visual)
-1 to Charisma checks

Gut
-4 to Constitution score, possible hit point loss

Leg/Foot
Half movement (2/3 with prosthetic)

Mouth
Difficulty with speech.
-1 to Charisma score

Nose
-2 to Charisma score

Spine
-4 to Strength score

Saturday, April 28, 2018

Run Piggy, Run. An OSR Survival Horror Mini-Setting

Run Piggy, Run
"Hey boy, you look just like a hog.... Come on piggy....I bet you can squeal. I bet you can squeal like a pig."
Mountain Man - Deliverance (1972)

Introduction
The following location describes the territory of a terrible clan in what has become to be known as Backwoods or Redneck horror. The basics of this genre are simple: an small clan of backwoods hillbillies who are often inbred and cannibal in nature live deep in the woods or hills and claim the surrounding and as theirs. Often the family has been there for generations living in a ramshackle, junk filled home or other abode. Usually the protagonists are campers, hikers, or road-tripping kids who stumble across the hidden family and are hunted down and killed. Those who survive are changed forever.

The stories are not just limited to films such as Deliverance, the Hills Have Eyes, and more modern flicks such as House of 1000 Corpses and the Wrong Turn series. Backwoods Horror has a rich history. The terrible Sawney Beane clan, the murdering Harpe Brothers, and the Bloody Benders are but a few examples of man's capability to break away from civilization and descend into primitive violence and chaos.

Don't take it easy on the PC's. Give them a fun but bloody time.

First up is the Twain Properties followed by statistics for the Twains in the familiar old school format.

Getting PC's Involved
There are many ways to justify getting the PC's into the woods and stumbling across the Twains.
Camping and fishing: campers or hunters out for a weekend away.
Lost: any of the above plus just plain don't know where they are at.
Missing person or persons: friends searching for a lost friend or authorities searching or investigating missing persons in the area.
Road trip: kids, almost always teens or young twenty-somethings out for a good time. Sex, drugs, and booze.
Vehicle breakdown or out of gas: wrong place, wrong time.

Three miles off of an old backwoods dirt road, in a heavily forested area, lies a large elevated clearing with the Twain farmhouse and outlying buildings. A six feet wide dirt path leads from the old dirt road winding over and around the forested hills. Beyond the propertly lies a large area of swampland.


The Forest
The Twain's mark their property approximately a half mile out from the clearing, where the dirt path is broken  by a rickety log bridge over a slow moving stream. They mark their territory with animal skulls and bone windchimes. These are very prominent along the path between the bridge and the clearing. A number of traps have been set in the woods to dissuade trespassers and trap animals for fur and food. The traps are well hidden and can only be spotted on a roll of 1-2 on a 1d6.

The frequency of the traps are:
The forest near Twain property: 1 on a 1d6 every three hours in the forest.
The forest claimed by the Twains: 1 on a 1d6 every thirty minutes in the forest.

Examples of the traps include:
Bear Trap: 1d8 to foot. Move 1/2 for a number of days equal to damage unless healed magically.
Fish Hooks: When stumbled into it hits on a 1-2 on 1d6. 1d2 points of damage to face/eyes. If hit on a 1 chance of blinding an eye is 5% per point of damage.
Pit Trap: Fall 10' into spiked pit. Roll Saving throw (or Dexterity check, DM choice) to grab onto edge. Otherwise, hit by 1d4 stakes. 4d4 damage, Save for half damage. Stuck on stakes until rescued.
Snare: Saving throw (or Dexterity check, DM choice) or leg snared for 1d3 damage. Character dangles 10' in the air. To cut down the snare is AC 5 (12 if the one snared is cutting) and the snare has 4 hit points.
Spiked Tree Limb/Pitchfork/Spear: Tied back with tripwire. Roll to hit, +1 to hit. 2d6 damage.
Toe Popper: A shotgun shell buried nose up with a nail on the primer. The damage is 1d8 to the target's foot and movement is now halved for a number of days equal to damage rolled unless healed magically.


The  Twain Farm
The edge of the clearing is separated from the woods by a low sagging rusting wire fence with many gaps and a gate blocks the entrance to the farmyard. At night the gate is locked.

The clearing itself is approximately two hundred and fifty feet wide oval,  elevated roughly 10' from the forest, and cleared of trees decades ago by the original owners. Sickly grass grows on the outer edge of the clearing. The ground closer to the buildings is bare dirt with ruts and scattered debris. On the backside of the property a hole in the fencing leads to the swamp path.

1) The Barn
Rotting and sagging. The inside is filthy with soiled decaying hay and rusting old farm implements, rotting tack and harness, and lumber twisted with age. Inside is a rusty delivery truck with an enclosed back with doors parked inside. A spare key lies under a stone at the well. Four five gallon cans of gas are stored here as well.

Hidden under a pile of hay in the northeast corner of the barn is a ratty trap door over a roughly three feet wide shaft leading down fifteen feet into the earth. This is an entrance into the Tunnel Complex (see below.) There are four sticks of old dynamite in a hole in the wall near the middle of the ladder connected to a short fuse, matchbook, and pull-string contraption kept dry in an old coffee can. Any weight in the sixth rung down will light the fuss with a snap and hiss of smoke. Characters on the ladder will have to roll initiative vs the dynamite (it has no bonus to the roll.) Hopefully the characters will get to go before the dynamite. On the character(s) initiative they may move up the ladder and out of the trap. The trap explodes on the dynamite's initiative for 5d6 damage still in the tunnel with no Saving throw due to the confines of the tunnel.  This will not collapse the tunnel but it will alert everyone on the farm.

At the bottom of the shaft the connecting tunnel slopes downward gradually another 5' into the earth.

2) Smokehouse
This shed is sturdier than the others with no gaps in the boards and a large padlock on the door.
Inside is the hung up smoked bodies of two hogs and one unfortunate woman who was captured a while back.

3)Work-shed
Made of old slapped together boards and a rough-made door which closes with a length of rusty chain and a nail. A number of axes, bear traps, corn knives, hammer and nails, saws, saw blades, shovels, hoes, rakes, scythes, sickles, and other old rusty tools. are piled on rough benches lining the walls. Old lanterns and three gallons of kerosene and five gallons of gasoline are stored here as well. A hidden air shaft for the Tunnel Complex is located outside the shed, coming up the back of the structure as a disused tin stovepipe.

Piled next to the shed is a large pile of cut and split wood. The pile is lazily covered with a ratty staked-down tarp.

4) Outhouse
Unspeakably filthy. Old clothes from previous victims are used as toiletry rags. Old lurid magazines and newspapers are piled her as well. The pit beneath the outhouse can be used as a hiding place, as vile as it is.

5Pigpen and Huts
Seven large and filthy hogs root around in the muck here confined by a sturdy fence of old boards. At night or on hot days they retreat to the four rusty huts at the rear of the pen. The Twains use these hogs as eating pigs. Other pigs exist in the Tunnel Complex (see below.)

6Chicken Coop
A smelly ramshackle building of boards and chicken-wire stuffed with old hay and housing 18 scrawny hens and two roosters. The Twains come out daily to gather eggs. There is a space  between the floorboards of the coop and the ground which can be used as a hiding space.

7Tree Stump Slaughter Area
Near the coop. It is an ancient hollow tree stump scarred and covered in gore and filth from years of cutting the heads and bodies of chickens, hogs, and other animals. A rusty hatchet and variet of butchering knives are stuck in its surface. An ancient whetstone lies on the ground besides. A scattering of ancient feathers and small bones are stuck in the scarred bark and on the ground around it. A second hidden air vent for the Tunnel Complex comes out here running up under the stump into the hollow center.

8The Well
Near the house is an old stone lined well. A rotting well cover lies on the stones and an old rope and bucket sit beside it. Uncovered the water is twenty feet down, cool, and clear. If the old truck is available a spare key is hidden under a loose stone here. A third hidden air vent for the Tunnel Complex comes out here. A missing well stone ten feet down provides the hole.

9Dog Kennel
Two scraggly hunting hounds, vicious and noisy, guard the yard.

10Family Graveyard
Nine graves with crude wooden markers. The older bodies are interred in wooden coffins, the newer bodies are wrapped in blankets or tarps. All are bones now and most show signs of disease and deformity.

11Swamp Path
A hole in the wire fence leads to a narrow path leading a half mile through the woods to the edge of swamp.  An ancient leaky rowboat with oars is dragged upon the shore. It is used to row to the moonshine still in the swamp island and to dump bodies into the depths of the fetid waters.


The Farm House
A roughly patched farmhouse with filmy old windows covered in holed rusty screens. The faded slat boards are bereft of any paint and large gaps are between more than a few boards. The roof is a mass of rotting ancient shingles patched with old rusty flattened tin cans. A crumbling brick chimney juts crookedly into the sky surrounded by rusty weather vanes and lightning rods. More bone and metal wind chimes hang from the eaves and porches.


The house has three porches, a small porch on the east and west and a large front porch on the north. The interior contains four bedrooms, one kitchen, a pantry with stairs leading down into a dank cellar, and a living room.

All doors into the house are stout windowless oak two inches thick. Each door has a key lock, a chain lock, and metal brackets to slip in a plank to bar the door. The screen windows are all screwed into place although the interior windows can be raised to allow a breeze into rooms. The screens can be cut open with a small amount of noise. Ripping them open would be much louder.

The interior of the house has a subtle smell of mildew, rot, body odor, and other unsavory smells. Ma fights the smells as best she can. Mice thrive in the house and other buildings.

The house is wired for electricity and is provided for by a pair of wires run through the woods to a nearby county line. Blackouts are frequent and the family is well stocked with candles and lanterns.

1) Front Porch
Old rotting boards make up the porch, many of which will break if weight is put on them. If the characters aren't careful, such as running over the porch fleeing for their lives, there is a 1-2 in 6 chance that they will break through a board. If this happens the victim must make a Dexterity check or his or her foot breaks into a rough splintery hole taking 1d3 damage and requiring a Saving Throw (Paralysis) or movement is reduced by half until the lost hit points are healed.

Rusty lawn chairs and an overflowing ash can are the only bits of furniture on the porch. A dingy bulb in a conical metal fixture attached to the eaves provides weak light to the front yard. A pair of lanterns hang from the porch posts. Two screened bedroom windows and a stout wooden door lead into the house. The windows and the screens are too dirty to properly see through and the interiors are covered in heavy tattered drapes.

2) West Porch
A small rotting porch off of the living room. A covered living room window and a side door which is often open during the summer for a breeze lead into the house.

3) East Porch
More decaying wood and a door leading into the kitchen as well as a screened window into Ma and Pa's room.

Front Hallway
A dim bulb hangs from the ceiling just inside the front door. A switch is at the end of the hallway by the living room. The hallway has many old boxes piles along the walls and the four bedroom doors are partially hidden by these boxes and shadows until one is almost upon them. The end of the hallway opens into the living room.

The boxes contain a variety of lightbulbs, candles, lantern oil, spare lanterns, winter clothing, and masses of old shoes and trinkets from travellers killed over the years. A few contain polished human bones and scraps of preserved scalp and skin in cluding faces and ears. Metal implants, hearing aides, dentures, partials, etc are kept in a single box. Another contains a number of official ID's ad papers collected from victims.

4) Uncle Jasper's Room
The room is dominated by a filthy bed covered in dingy stains and filth. It smells like a rotting trash heap. The bedside table is covered with an overflowing ashtray, empty beer cans, small tools, bottles, and other junk as well as a pair of candles and a lantern. A box of matches sits nearby. A rusty straight razor lies in the dresser drawer with a pile or old watches, locks of hair, and teeth. A wood-axe leans between the bed and dresser. The floor is littered with old food can and trash as mice play among the debris. A ratty electric bulb and shade hangs from the ceiling. The switch is by the bedroom door.

The closet contains old clothing, boots, and hanging from a long useless light cord is the mummified head of a missing 13 year old girl from many years ago.

5) Otis and Ned's Room
Another fetid den with two dirty beds and a floor covered with old clothing, blankets, furs, bones, and a variety of junk and trash. Porno and old pulp mags are stacked haphazardly in the corners and by the beds. A lantern hangs from a wall hook near the door. The boys ripped out the overhead light long ago.

The closet contains a spare bow, seven arrows, a spare single-shot shotgun, a partial box of five buckshot shotgun shells, and two home-made spears. A pair of cowboy boots made from tattoo'd human skin and a leather working kit in an old carpetbag is in the corner.

6) Ma and Pa's Room
This well kept room contains a large queen-sized bet with freshly laundered sheets and a quilt. The floor is clean and covered with a vanity rug. Mousetraps sit in the corners and under the bed. Two dressers topped with old family pictures and a variety of metal and ceramic knickknacks and gewgaws line the north wall. A large ornate brass candle lantern sits on the left dresser. The drawers contain a variety of out of date men and women's clothing. A small skin-bag of teeth and fingernails is hidden in the sock drawer of the right dresser. An ornate light and shade hangs from the ceiling. The switch is near the door.

Two pair of used slippers sits next to the closet door. Inside the closet is hung neatly pressed suits and dresses as well as a variety of shoes and boot on the floor. In the back of the closet lies two mousetraps and a human spinal column coated with varnish and twisted into the shape of a cane. The closet contains the only functioning closet light in the house.

The nightstand beside the bed holds an ornate lamp plugged into one of the few outlets in the house, a windup alarm clock, two candles, matches, and more pictures of people who have no resemblance to the family or the old pictures on the dressers. Inside the drawer is a variety of cough drops, cough syrup, Pa's .38 revolver, 15 spare shells, and $147.32 in a variety of bills and coins.

7) The Girl's Room
Neat and clean with a large double bed. A large round area rug lies in the center of the floor. A large dresser with a vanity mirror and chair sits along the north wall. Candles, matches, a dizzying amount of makeup tubes and applicators, and a stuffed black cat sit o the dresser. A lantern hangs from the corner of the mirror frame. On the east wall hanging from nails variety of wigs in various styles and colors. Careful inspection will reveal that roughly half of the wigs are in fact entire preserved women's scalps. The over head light stopped working and the girls now rely only on candles and lantern.

The closet is a riot of women's clothing, shoes, purses, bags, and other female paraphernalia.

Under the mattress of the bed is a number of pens and a pair of diaries kept by the girls. They contain details of their everyday life including the many murders and atrocities committed by the family as well as dates and names of victims.

8)  The Living Room
The living room is dominated by a large patched leather couch facing an ancient fireplace and mantle in the south wall. A small metal cooking spit sits in the fireplace for midnight mystery meat snacks. The mantle is lined with more pictures of non-relatives and a number of images of deer and other animals carved from what appears to be wood and bone. Above the fireplace hangs a large faded portrait of a sailing ship in a storm. Stuffed deer heads flank the portrait.
A deerskin rug lies on the floor near the kitchen entrance, The room can be lit from a large elecric chandelier hanging in the enter of the room. It has a pull switch.

A pair of dingy reading chairs and book tables flank the couch. Atop the western table is a few bottles of alcohol, a bag of tobacco, and Pa's favorite pipe on a metal pipe stand. The metal is unusual and if examined closely by someone with dental or metal knowledge may be revealed as dental amalgam, melted down fillings. The eastern table holds Ma's crossword puzzles and romance novels.

Several standing shelves sit along the walls packed with novels, encyclopedias, almanacs, and other resource books. A radio cabinet plugged into a wall outlet sits next to the north wall. Leaning next to the radio cabinet is a corn knife.

9) The Kitchen
The kitchen contains everything the family needs to prepare their meals. An old wood stove and a pump sink sit on the south wall. A large cutting table with blocks of knives and cleavers sit in the south-center of the room with a pair of chairs flanking it. A large dining table ad chairs sits on the north area and an old washer/wringer sits in the corner. The wood of the cutting table is heavily scarred from use. Cabinets contain a variety of dishes, glasses, and utensils. One cupboard contains a set of crowns sawed from skulls and lined with lead as bowls. Ma keeps a clean kitchen,
Mousetraps are on the corner of counters and the floor. A large shaded electric light is hung on the north wall over the table and the stove on the south. The switch for both is above the sink.

10) The Pantry
Shelves and boxes of preserved vegetables, fruit, and meats in cans and jars. Barrels of flour and other edibles. Cheeses and hams hang from hooks in the ceiling. A set of rickety stairs lead down to the cellar and the back door leads out of the house. Mousetraps, empty and with occupants, abound. A pull string light bulb hangs from the ceiling just inside the doorway.

11) The Cellar
Skull-face's domain. A cot with filthy blankets and pillows sits in a corner. A workbench sits nearby with tanned human and hog skins and leather working tools. There are also mechanical tools and spare chains and parts for his chainsaw. Several full length human skins complete with heads of hair are tacked to the walls. A bucket of stale urine sits in a corner. A stolen cigar store wooden Indian sits in a corner, damaged with a missing head and wearing a ragged dress stolen from a past victim. In place of the wooden head sits the withered head of old Granpa Twain, dead many years. None of the family dares come down here and none said a word when he dug up Granpa's grave to get the head.

Near the cot, hidden beneath a moldy section of carpet is a crude trapdoor set in the dirt floor. It covers a three feet wide shaft going ten feet down into the earth. A five feet diameter tunnel leads into the nest of tunnels beneath the farm (see below.) Buried in the floor of the tunnel halfway to the main complex is a nail and shotgun shell trap. Anyone walking across the toe-popper has a 1-2 on a 1d6 chance of setting it off. Everyone in a line of passerby's rolls until everyone has passed or someone sets it off. The damage is 1d8 to the target's foot and movement is now halved for a number of days equal to damage rolled unless healed magically.

At the bottom of the shaft the connecting tunnel slopes downward gradually another 10' into the earth.


The Tunnel Complex
The tunnels are cramped, dank with standing water, and smell of rot, mold, feces, and other nastiness. Each tunnel is roughly five feet in diameter leading down into underground rooms. The rooms are dug out of the earth and are of mostly smooth hard-packed mud and support timbers. The floor of the rooms are slightly higher than the tunnels causing run-off. There are two entrances to the complex. The first is in the barn the second is from the cellar. Both are trapped (see descriptions in the barn and cellar sections above.)

Crude wiring runs from the house into the ground or dim lightbulbs mounted on walls and room ceilings. A number of old oil lanterns are hung here and there with matches in most rooms.

The Complex serves as a hiding place for missing persons taken for sport and delicacies as well as a fall back in case they are raided. The entry tunnels can be collapsed by knocking out support timbers sealing the Twains in. Air is provided by air shafts dug up and hidden in the Workshed, the Well, and the hollow Slaughter Stump. They figure they can slip out through the dung pit in the Underground Hog Pen, follow the underground stream to the cliff in the Swamp, and flee.

1) Bedroom
A large 20' x 30' mud-packed room with a ratty carpet unrolled on the floor. The ceiling is roughly eight feet tall. Six rusty bed-frames with moldering mattresses are in the room, three on the North wall, and three on South. A large post is driven into the hard packed mud floor through the carpet. A number of long chains with pad-locked straps are screwed into the post.

Muddy footprints, old clothes, chicken bones, and other debris litter the carpet. This room is used as a hideout and sex dungeon by the Twains.

2) Stores
Roughly the same dimensions as the Bedroom the floor to this mud-packed room is covered with loose wooden planks. This room  contains the Twains emergency food supplies. Piled around the walls are crates and barrels of supplies including:
Tins of tobacco and ammunition
Cooking oil, matches, pots, and pans
Cans of fruits and vegetables as well as several styles of can opener
Dried floor, salt, pepper, peppers, corn, and ther vegetables in pouches and bags
Barrels of pickles, onions, home-brewed liquor, and water
Strips of preserved cheese and meat of various origins
Keys to the Bedroom chains, Slave Pen,  and other locks on a support post in the niddle of the room
In the center of the room is a stone-lined fire pit with a well used and dirty roasting spit.

3) Slave Pen
This 20' x 25' room is stifling with much need of fresh air but surprisingly clean. The ceiling is only 5' tall. The walls have been lined with concrete and brick with chains bolted to the masonry. The west and south doorways are barred doors set into a stout wooden door frames and padlocked shut.

The floor is covered with old blankets and clothing. Old buckets and spittoons converted into chamber pots sit in the northeast corner.  A rusty knife is hidden in the blankets by an unknown past victim.

Currently there are two young abused and traumatized women chained in this room. One is named Evelyn, the other Annette. They were hikers who were captured by the boys. A third girl, Marlene, was with them but was killed by Skull-face in a fit of rage as she shrank away from his face. Her body was fed to the underground hogs (see below.)

4) Barred and Locked Doors
The doors set into the north and south wall of this tunnel are stout wooden planks affixed to wooden poles sunk into the ground on each side of the two tunnel openings. Both doors are chained and padlocked, mostly in fear of the underground hogs breaking free and running amok.

5)Underground Hog Pen
A 20' x 30' morass of muck, bones, rotting carcasses, and small trinkets such as buttons and buckles from years of victims being fed to the mutated pigs kept here. Seventeen deformed and pale hogs call this place home. They are the product of generations of underground hog breeding for the express purpose of removing the remains of the Twains' victims and to serve as emergency food in case the Twains must go to ground.

If let out or they escape  the hogs will go on a murderous rampage attempting to trample and eat anyone in the complex.

Attached to the south of the hog pen, blocked off by a fence of thick wooden poles, is a dung pit where the Twains dump filth mucked out of the pen when it gets too thick. . A 3' hole opens to a 5' deep shaft that opens into a gently sloping underground stream leading to the swamp south of the farmyard. The stream runs through a short 4' tall tunnel which can be easily waded through if necessary. This is the Twains emergency exit if raided and they seal themselves into the tunnels.

The Swamp
South of the farmhouse is a small patch of swampland fed by various small overland and underground springs. It is heavily overgrown with trees, rushes, and  filled with brackish water. The air smells of wet rot, fish, and frog. Poisonous snakes and other life slithers through the waters and small bog islands.

1The Still
On a solid patch of ground a hundred yards off-shore of the path is the Twain's still. Hidden in a small hollow on the island and surrounded by thick brush it produces most of the Twain's drinking liquor. The brush around the island is booby-trapped with fishhooks at eye level, a spiked pit, and four sticks of dynamite sealed in an old tar bucket near the still. The chance of encountering a trap is 1-4 on a 1d6 for the fishhooks and 1-2 for the pit and the dynamite. If spotted they can be avoided or an attempt to disarm can be made.
Fish Hooks: When stumbled into it hits on a 1-2 on 1d6. 1d2 points of damage to face/eyes. If hit on a 1 chance of blinding an eye is 5% per point of damage.
Pit Trap: Fall 10' into spiked pit. Roll Saving throw (or Dexterity check, DM choice) to grab onto edge. Otherwise, hit by 1d4 stakes. 4d4 damage, Save for half damage. Stuck on stakes until rescued.
Dynamite: A trip wire rigged to a flare in the bucket will set it off in 1 round after igniting. Whoever trips the wire will have to roll initiative vs the dynamite (it has no bonus to the roll.) Hopefully he will go before the trap. On the character(s) initiative they may move away from the trap. The trap explodes on the dynamite's initiative for 5d6 damage in a 30' blast zone of force and shrapnel from the bucket and wrecked still. Character's can make a Saving throw for half damage. If blown everyone within several miles will hear the blast.

2The Escape Route
The underground stream, described above in the underground hog pen, is the escape route for the family. It exits from a 4' hole nearly 10' up on a small hillside cliff two hundred yards west of the still and quietly empties into the foul swamp water. The opening is covered with dangling moss and brush to conceal it and a small fishing boat is concealed in the brush nearby.

Meet the Twains
The Twains are a reclusive family living on an isolated farmstead in the backwoods. They are rarely seen in town unless they need some supply they cannot scavenge or jury-rig. They are shunned by their neighbors with a family reputation as drunken, inbred, degenerate, ignorant, thieving, immoral, heathen, hillbilly sonsabitches. Unknown (although a few neighbors may suspect) is that they are also murdering, rapist cannibals; a monstrous series of family traditions which go back for generations. They prey mostly on travelers and victims kidnapped from towns several counties away that they drive to in their beat-up delivery truck.

The Twain family consists of:
Pa (Eldon), Ma (Violet), Uncle Jasper, the Boys (Otis, Jess, Ned), and the Girls (Daisy, Eve.)

Pa (Eldon), 53
The patriarch of the family Pa appears as a thin, graying-haired grandfatherly type Ala Mr. Rogers. He comes off as a kindly but not terribly competent farmer who will ask those who come across the farm for help in exchange for a meal or even money to lure them in. He puts on the same act when they travel to find victims from afar. He is a master performer and is in truth a degenerate fiend who keeps the family traditions of murder, rape, and cannibalism alive and well and passed on to his progeny.
HD: 2
HP: 10
AC: 10
Hit: +2
Save: 14
Con: 13, Int: 13, Wis: 13, Chs: 14
Special: Backstab (+4 hit, x2 dmg)
Equipment: .38 Revolver (1d6 dmg, 6 shots), Corn Knife (1d6)

Ma (Violet), 51
A graying tall  farm wife in neat dresses and a friendly smile. Ma was born Pa's younger sister. They were married by their Pa before they were twelve. She is as crafty as Pa and plays the kindly old farm wife well until it's time to crush someone's head with a hammer. She is an excellent cook and seeks to pass her skills to her oldest daughter Daisy. Ma is constantly fighting a war with the mice to keep the house clean and will go berserk, losing her mask of sanity and chopping or stomping any mouse to mincemeat with maniacal glee. She is forbidden by Pa to go near or enter Otis and Ned's room nor Jasper's room for fear of losing her mind over the filth and attacking them. Otis, Skull-face, and Ned are her children by Pa, Daisy is by Uncle Jasper.
HD: 2
HP: 8
AC: 11
Hit: +2 melee, +3 ranged
Save: 14
Dex:13, Int: 13, Chs: 13
Special: Backstab (+4 hit, x2 dmg), Stealthy (+1 to surprise foe)
Equipment: Hammer (1d4), Butcher Knife (1d4)

Uncle Jasper, 66
Pa and Ma's uncle he is the father of the girls with Ma. Jasper is a short, swarthy, balding man with ogling eyes and a constant sneer. Jasper is the official keeper of the family's old long pig recipe book.  He is usually dressed in shorts, boots, and a bloodstained thick leather apron and little else unless there is need to go into town. He is gruff and unfriendly to everyone except Skull-face who he fears will snap and kill him one day. When Pa and Ma are taking in guests for the evening meal he often stays in the barn or tunnels, smoking his cigarettes and waiting to dress the meat. When they travel he is usually the driver.
HD: 3
HP: 13
AC: 12 (leather apron)
Hit: +4 melee, +3 ranged
Save: 13
Str: 13, Dex: 13, Int: 15, Chs; 8
Special: Open Locks (55%), Alert (-1 to be surprised)
Equipment: Axe (1d8+1), Razor (1d3+1)

Otis, 38
The oldest of Pa and Ma's Otis appears a dirty half-wild hillbilly with filthy long hair and beard. He spends much of his days in the woods hunting for meat and checking on the swamp still. He is dressed in fetid leather and untanned animal skins and never without his Bowie. He is the oldest of the boys and they will do as he says unless Pa over-rides him. He is actually well educated by Ma and an avid reader and radio listener for current events. He will clean up and accompany Pa and Ma into town for supplies when necessary. He has had one child with his sister Eve. Others were conceived but died young from deformities.
HD: 4
HP: 18
AC: 13 (animal fur and leather)
Hit: +5
Save: 12
Str:15 , Dex:13 , Int: 15, Chs: 8
Special: Track (75%), +1 to surprise foe
Equipment: Recurve Bow (1d6), Bowie Knife (1d6+1), two Hatchets (1d6+1)

Skull-face, 31
The middle boy, Skull-face, was born as Willie but was burned in a fire set by Otis when he was three. Ma had to cut off his burnt lips, nose, and ears giving him his gruesome appearance and nickname by the rest of the family. He is a massive 6'6" and over three hundred pounds of muscle. He usually obeys Pa, Ma, and Otis without question. He dislikes Jasper for the taunting he received as a child and is neutral towards Ned. He is a savage and terrifying opponent when in a rage prone to killing anyone in his way. When in these states Ma has been able to calm him down. So far.
HD: 6
HP: 35
AC: 12
Hit: + +9 melee, +6 ranged
Save: 10
Str: 18, Con: 16, Int: 8 , Chs: 4
Special: Maniacial Rage (+2 dmg), Tough (+2 AC), Frenzied (2 attacks per round)
Equipment: Axe (1d8+5), Cleaver (1d6+5), Chainsaw (2d6+5)

Ned, 23
Ned is the youngest of the boys. He is deformed and brain-damaged from inbreeding, the worst of the lot. He is dressed in rags with wispy blonde hair and beard. He is a hunchback with a twisted spine and face is severely twisted that one eye set lower than the other. He never is allowed to go into town ever. The only time he gets away from the farm is during the road trips in the delivery truck. He is an expert sneak and haunts the woods and roads near the farm watching the normal people go bye. In another family he night have ended up in an asylum or under care but he is now too far gone.
HD: 3
HP: 14
AC: 10
Hit: +4 melee, +3 ranged
Save: 13
Str: 13, Int: 6, Chs: 6
Special: Backstab (+4, x3), Hide in Shadows (70%), Stealthy (+1 to surprise foe)
Equipment: Rifle (2d8), 11 shells, Knife (1d4+1)

Daisy, 34
Beautiful, seductive, intelligent, Daisy is a perfect lure for unsuspecting men and boys especially on hunting trips in the delivery truck. She is as crazy as Ma and when provoked is as dangerous as the rest of the family. She will one day take over Ma's position as Matriarch of the family and works hard at learning to follow in her footsteps. She hopes to settle down with Otis as the new Patriarch someday with their daughter Eve learning the family traditions. The two have had a number of children but most died young and their bodies consigned to the hogs. She has noticed Jasper and Otis have been eyeing Eve. She approves of Otis' attentions but has warned Jasper away.  She has recently begun to petition Pa and Ma to 'take in' a few women to help grow and infuse fresh blood into the family.
HD: 2
HP: 15
AC: 11
Hit: +2 melee, +3 ranged
Save: 14
Dex: 15, Int: 13, Chs: 17
Special: Backstab (+4 hit, x2 dmg), Stealthy (+1 to surprise foe)
Equipment: .32 pistol (1d5, 8 shots), Knife (1d4)

Eve, 18
A beautiful spitting image of her mother Eve is a dangerous young woman. Not as skilled as violence yet she prefers to pretend to be a damsel in distress to her family's victims. She will toy with them, lead them into traps and ambushes, and savor their betrayed looks.
HD: 1
HP: 5
AC: 11
Hit: +1 melee, +2 ranged
Save: 15
Dex: 15, Int: 14 , Chs: 17
Special: Backstab (+4 hit, x2 dmg), Stealthy (+1 to surprise foe)
Equipment: Knife (1d4)

Mutated Hog
HD: 1
HP: 8
AC: 11
Hit: +1
Save: 17

Bite (1d4)
Pack Attack: When swarming a target up to four hogs can attack a still fighting victim. Each hog adds a +1 bonus to bite attacks made by its pack mates vs the victim.


Appendices
Films
Deliverance 
The Hills Have Eyes, sequels, and remakes
House of 1000 Corpses, Devil's Rejects
Motel Hell
Southern Comfort 
Texas Chainsaw Massacre, sequels, and remakes
Wolf Creek series
Wrong Turn, sequels

Music
Allman Brothers Band
Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys
Creedence Clearwater Revival 
Gregg Allman Band 
Hank Williams 
Howlin' Wolf
John Lee Hooker
Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs with the Foggy Mountain Boys
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Marshal Tucker Band
Molly Hatchet 
Muddy Waters
Outlaws 
Ram Jam 
Rye Cooder
Slim Harpo
Stanley Brothers
Ted Nugent