Music from a Darkened Room

//www.detwillerdesign.com/page11/files/MFADR.PDF
Music From a Darkened Room Play Test Notes T is scenario was written !y Dennis Detwiller and released on "ct. 1 #$$% using t e ransom model. T e core mission re&ol&es in&estigating a aunted ouse t at a fellow Delta 'reen agent died in under mysterious circumstances. (t is !est for ) agents or less* as t e scenario works !est w en agents can !e isolated from one anot er easily. D'M+ con&ersation regarding t e scenario, (-&e .ust finis ed running MFADR for my usual delta green group. (t turned out pretty gruesome. / P0s and 1 NP0 1Dr. 2arrow* t e parapsyc ologist3 entered t e ouse* # made it out ali&e. (-ll post a link to an audio recording ( made of t e session s ortly !ut ere are my initial impressions and notes of t e scenario. "&erall, T is is a good mission al!eit a &ery difficult one. T e &ariety of freaky effects to t row at players gi&es t e keeper a lot of options. Furt ermore* t ere are no insurmounta!le o!stacles to o&ercome* e4cept possession if t e 5ouse is ig on P"6. 7o* ( t ink any group of in&estigators could accomplis t is mission as long as t ey don-t make too many mistakes. "f course* mistakes add up and t e 5ouse punis es e&en slig t mistakes !rutally. 5owe&er* t e ardest part is pacing t e scenario well. At times* ( was unsure if ( s ould t row more or less manifestations at t e P0s !ut !y t e end of t e mission* e&ents snow!alled out of control* w ic was fun. P0s, T8R87A 9 Dr. :atrina Tynes F;( profiler T5"RP8 9 0 arles Ro&ias N7A analyst D' Friendly 7ly&ester Norris 9 ;lackwater contractor on lea&e* former Delta Force operati&e 7ummary of e&ents, ( placed Meadow!rook as a su!ur! of 7t. +ouis. T e P0s entered town* !egan in&estigating and dug up some of t e 5ouse-s weird istory. T en* t ey entered it during t e day. ( t rew some e&ents at t em !ut didn-t want to o&erkill on t e first &isit so t e 5ouse let t em lea&e wit only a few 7AN draining e&ents. T ey contacted Dr. 2arrow. 5e came down t e ne4t day. Norris &isited 'R88N ;"< =11 and paid t e owner off. 5e took t e !ody* destroyed it and !uried it. After some more researc * t ey decided to spend t e nig t at t e 5ouse and attempt to communicate wit it. T ey split up again and !ad t ing started to appen. 8&entually* T5"RP8 was sucked into a mirror !ut !roke free. 5e took out is andgun to s oot t e mirrors in t e master !edroom !ut was possessed !y t e 5ouse. T8R87A ad fallen unconscious after !eing !itten !y t e spirit of t e girl. Norris was taking er out of t e !uilding w en T5"RP8 s ot 2arrow dead. T orpe s ot and wounded Norris w ile Norris was retreating. Norris returned fire and put / rounds into T5"RP8* killing im. T e two agents fled and managed to a&oid detection. 0ell A managed to co&er t e e&ent up !y pinning it on Dr. 2arrow and an >unsta!le and o&er?ealous> Para psyc ological crony i.e. T5"RP8* w ose real identity was ne&er determined. Agent ANDR8A destroyed t e !uilding* making it appear as t oug it was a gas leak.. 0ell A instructed 0ell T to stay away from t e 5ouse and t e mission was scrapped. 0ell A will monitor t e ouse for a year !efore furt er action is taken.

@@Auestion 1answers from Mr. Detwiller are in ;lue3BB 1. ( wanted a little more information on t e 5ouse-s P"6 and ow it used it. 5ow muc P"6 does it start out wit C T is is important since t at-s ow possession is andled. 5ow else does it use P"6C ( ruled t at it could use ig P"6 effects on low P"6 &ictims if it spent P"6. ( only used t is once wit a P0 for dramatic effect !ut ( would like to ear from t e aut or. Mostly .ust for Possession. T oug ( suppose you could assign a cost for manifestations. #. 5ow does 5ouse react to traditional g ost communication tec niDuesC Does it respond if people attempt to talk to itC 6ill it try to decei&e t emC 5ow soC T e ouse-s main moti&ation is to frig ten* and t en* if not possi!le* to cause pain* suffering and kill as many people as possi!le. /. (t mentions t e 5ouse will call up P0s to lure t em in and separate t em !ut not ing specific is written. 0an you gi&e some e4amples you-&e usedC Does t is use P"6C ;asically* t e ouse pretends to !e anyone it as >o!ser&ed> in t e ouse. (n my game it pretended to !ot !e t e Police 0 ief and an Agent* and called ot er Agents !ack to t e ouse alone. ). 5ow do you pace t e scenario outC 6 at would you recommend to ot er keepersC ( t ink t e main key ere 1and e&eryone-s game is different3 would !e to t row a few small manifestations at t e !eginning and a&e it slowly unfold o&er an our or two 99 t e past of t e ouse* t e 'reen ;o4* etc.. T is is ow it went in my game. T en* w en t ey t ink t ey a&e a andle on it* t row in an NP0 possessionE and an attack 1in mine it was 2arrow3. T is caused furt er pro!lems.

T en possi!ly a&e t e F;( step in and poke around* and t en really pus t e en&elope 99 as you say* it-s designed to >get out of control> fast near t e end. T e key is* keep your and close to your c est for as long as you can. %. My P0s often split up to look around on t eir own in t e 5ouse. 5ow many manifestation do you recommend at a timeC 7plitting up is a key time 99 if t ey &olunteer to do it* (-d it !ot of t em at once. F. ( wanted !ut couldn-t t ink up of ot er clues/stuff in t e ouse for t e P0s to look for. (t seemed a little !arren aside from t e manifestations. 6 at a!out ot er t ings in t e ouseC Gm...most of t e significant clues for t e ouse are outside of it 1t e furniture3 etc... (nside* (-d .ust descri!e it as an a!andoned ouse t at looks like someone was a!out to mo&e in. =. 5ow does t e garage connect to t e ouseC ( didn-t see a door on t e map. T e allway from t e stairs is a door. =. 6 at is in t e utility roomC ( couldn-t find a specific entry in t e description. (t-s an empty* tiny pantry. H. 5ow does t e second story connect to t e firstC 6 at appens w en a P0 .umps out of t e second story window to escape t e smell of gasC Any roof manifestationsC T e stairs. No roof manifestations. ( ad an Agent do t isE e .ust looked like an idiot* and ad a ard time e4plaining w at ad appened. I. 6 at kind of Para psyc ological stuff will 2arrow want to doC

( pitc ed 2arrow as a guy in o&er is ead. ( ad im do okey stuff like walk around t e ouse in t e dark and try to >talk> to it. 1$. ( mig t want to run a >Return to t e 5ouse> scenario for 0ell T. 6 at do you recommend ( c angeC (-d gi&e it a ?ealous owner* !ent on reconstructing it 1!ase it on Peter Dia?3. "f course* once t e ouse as w at it wants* it-ll get rid of im as well. 11. 6 at P"6 did you use for possession testsC Fully c arged at P"6 #% pretty muc guarantees possession* w ic all !ut guarantee t e P0 is going to die !y straig t ra?or and puts t e ot er P0s at risk. ( used P"6 #%* and did w at ( suggested in t e te4tE using NP0s as e4amples to !egin wit . ;ut it also notes t e ouse Possesses only under dire circumstances. @@Auestions from @1B2og97ot ot .comBB >6 at was (sa!elleJKLs diseaseC Any info from er nurse a!out er relapse and deat C> T is could !e looked into* !ut it is t e classical >wasting disease> and later* simply old age. >Does it matter t at Mic ael 6 eeler died at t e 0ounty 7eat or is it .ust a coincidenceC> 0oincidence. >T e !ack9story on t e ouse mentions t at t e ouse was p otograp ed for a trade maga?ine. 0an t at article !e found and is t ere any e&idence contained in itC> No e&idence* (-m sure t e p oto could !e found 1t ere was no appropriate p oto on t e free p oto we!site3. >Do people in t e neig !or ood a&e petsC 0learly t e crone was killing t em off up to

1I%%E per aps t eir older residents would !e a&erse to a&ing t em e&en now.> T at-s a good point* and a cool clue. >7ome of t e !ackground info is in languages t e in&estigators mig t not speak, Do t e in&estigators face a c allenge in finding an (talian or Ara!ic speakerC Particularly in t e case of (sariJKLs diary* current e&ents suggest it mig t to !e easy to do so. JKM(JKLll get to it once ( finis anot er )$$$ pages of cell p one intercepts* sorry.JKN> ( suppose ( could find someone to do eit er of t ese t ings wit out too muc difficulty. ( don-t t ink t is s ould !e an o!stacle* really. >6 at are t e contents of TycroftJKLs letter to is wifeC T is mig t make a good andout.> Oery good point* one ( will follow up on. >0an t e partial skeleton under t e ouse !e (DedC Forensics are suc a popular t ing nowadays* it seems likely t e in&estigators will latc onto t e skeleton.> (t-s ig ly unlikely someone from t e 1I/$-s or 1I)$-s would a&e forensic records a&aila!le. (-d .ust c alk it up to an unknown corpse. >(s t at (sa!elle 6 eeler in !edroom /C (s so* w y did s e say w at s e does since s e didnJKLt sign t e ;lack ;ookC> (t-s not (sa!elle* it-s t e 0rone. >6 o is t e little girl in t e closet in !edroom /C> (t could !e any of t e c ildren w o ad li&ed in t e ouse* or per aps t e !ones from under t e floor. >6 at are t e odds neig !ors would ear and report earing guns otsC 1Are t ey old and deaf or old and crotc etyC3 7ince t e

ouse replays Mr. 0reaseJKLs s otgun firing* (JKLd assume t ey eit er donJKLt report it or canJKLt ear it.> T at-s :eeper fiat* ( suppose. T oug ( do note t at t e neig !ors keep a close eye on t e ouse. 6 en ( ran it 1and notes are fort coming3 t ings t at appened in t e ouse seemed to !e cut9off from t e outside world. >6 eelerJKLs diary is supposed to co&er 1I#F to1I%$9 is t e 1I%% entry on summoning t e Dark Man an addendum or is t at date a typoC 1p. 1#3> Typo. >(s t ere any 7anity cost for reading DonnellyJKLs notesC 1p. #I3> No. >5ow muc c anting is needed to dismiss t e Dark ManC Any skill rolls in&ol&edC T e description says it is ard to continue c anting w en e appears.> Again* t is comes down more to role9 playing t an a die roll. 6 en ( ran it* ( !asically ad t e player-s tell me w at t ey were doing* and ran wit it.