Here is my new TTRPG game. (reposted from below)
The reason I wanted to stop by here was to talk about the 'new' game that I have been running for just under six years now. It is loosely based on a 'one shot dungeon' that came from the venerable Dragon Magazine. We played it back in the day and really had a great time, so we had often discussed continuing the scenario. (This would have been in 1987.) Fast forward to 2019 and I reconnected with some of the old gang who were using a site called 'Roll20' to continue to play D&D. After a time with them, I wanted to start running something so that the GM could get a break. (He had been running the game I joined every Wednesday for three years.) So, I re-visited this old idea that we had discussed all those years ago, and I created this game to continue it.
Basically, the game is about a team of scouts (In this world of mine, there is no 'gender-specific' scouting. It is all under the same auspices.) who, after 'accidentally' saving the world from an evil scientist while lost on a camporee, decided to form a team to continue to investigate paranormal activity in their area. The team has been in existence for about four years, and is now looking to recruit new members, which they always get from their regular scout troop. The team uses the regular scout troop as their cover, traveling to cases under the pretext of scouting trips or campouts.
Here is the introduction:
As the blackness swirls behind you, your footsteps echo loudly off of the stone walls of the underpass. You can sense the movement that signals the presence of something menacing behind you, the sensation creeping up your back until your hair stands like all the cliches you have ever read in a horror comic. You decide that it is better to stay out of sight than try to run, so you retreat into the shadows, trying desperately to become one with the inky darkness until you can see a clear path to freedom. Your heart beats wildly in your chest, until you fear it will become audible and tip off the creeping menace that is somewhere nearby. You give one quick thought to your colleagues…(I had colleagues?)… who may even now be either soul-less… or worse. Your friends. The ones who understood, as you did, that being kids meant ghosts and stuff cannot always hide from you. They cannot do things completely unnoticed as they can around the stupid adults. And, they are becoming more and more aware of this fact. ‘Kids need to protect each other, or kids may start losing more than their socks and phones.’ you thought. ‘The adults are in danger as well, but they didn’t care about protecting themselves from anything because they always feel like they know everything. Well, they need protection, too. We were that protection… (we were?)… and we did that… until now’. You feel the fear start to rise as you begin to hear slow, scraping steps approaching. The raspy breathing sound is not a pair of tortured lungs as some horror writers would have you believe. It is more the labored pulsing of the spirit keeping itself in the real world. You hear it coming on stronger. You sense the walls starting to vibrate with the sound. You want to run. You know you will be seen if you run. Maybe if you just try really hard to stay hidden… (Oh crap)… really hard… (I can hear it getting closer)… just stay quiet… (ohmygodiwantmymommypleasedon)… you see a darkness lean into your sliver of shadow… you see the red eyes… you see themBANTBANTBANTBANTBANTBANT!!
You wake up with a start. Your sheets are scattered around the bed and your pillow is on the floor. You realize the noise is coming from your alarm. Your door suddenly rattles from the force of the banging coming from your [insert current annoying family member] as they walk by, causing you to jump.
“Will you turn that thing off!”
You grunt and smack the plastic square beside your bed, silencing the blaring sounds. You lay back for a moment, letting the memories of your dream play in your mind. ‘What was that crap all about?’ you wonder. ‘This is the fourth time this month!” Even though you always did like scary things like stories, or movies, this dream was different than the others. It felt more intense and a bit more spooky. You decide you may have to tell your friends at the Scouts meeting tonight. They love stories like this. Maybe even over some snacks at Whammy’s. And, after school. Another day at Crowley Middle is more scary than ghosts sometimes…
So, what do you all think? Decent game idea? My players keep telling me to actually finish the creation and do something with it. I have already created the various books one would need to play.
I am pleased with how well it has turned out so far. I am thinking about doing what they are suggesting. I have only run the game in person one time at a convention. It has always been done on Roll20. So, I am always trying to run it in a live setting to see how it does in that scenario.
Thoughts? (So far, all is copyright protected, with the exception of the gaming mechanics that I am using, which come from an old existing rpg.)
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