During a lost weekend in the upstate hinterlands, our heroines escaped the clutches of cultists and outran a shoggoth,

but can
our four church ladies survive their next adventure, a high-stakes bridge game at the First Baptist Church? Find out in their next
thrilling adventure . . .

Ac es and Spa d e s
by Matt Ryan and Noah Lloyd
Keeper’s Background. The scenario starts slow. Four inves- After several hands, Bonaventure commands the ghost to help
tigators in a mundane situation encounter something strange, the Engels/Partridge table. The investigators start winning,
and in true Lovecraft fashion, the longer they’re in the situ- perhaps (use Art & Craft (Play Bridge) rolls), but Bonaven-
ation the creepier it gets. As the players try to guess what is ture seems nonplused. Just as one of investigators lays down
going on and save the day, the scenario shifts and they are four aces and wins the round, a meteor sheers off the church’s
plunged into circumstances they can’t undo and can only hope steeple and slams into the adjacent cemetery, ripping the
to survive. Once you have made this transition, the scenario ground open with a 100-yard furrow that throws dirt, rocks,
gets worse and worse in an ever-increasing pace. and broken coffins through the air. The steeple falls through
the nave’s roof, pulling down power lines and igniting the
A simple setup. Four elder women, parishioners of the St. sanctuary (SAN 0/1D2). Parishioners and bridge players run
John’s Episcopal church, travel to another church, the First screaming from the church. Those that rush to their cars find
Baptist, some 25-miles away, for an evening of bingo and they won’t start, as all electrical devices have ceased operat-
bridge. A rivalry exists between them and four members of ing (SAN 0/1D3). When someone thinks to investigate the
First Baptist: team leader Madame Bonaventure, Gertrude meteor, it sits in the cemetery glowing with an unnatural bril-
Simmons, Angela Engels, and Martha Partridge. An liance. As they approach, the upper half flips open and a giant,
accomplished occultist, Madame Bonaventure has summoned three-legged vehicle rises into the air, its top portions covered
the ghost of her recently departed husband to view her op- in glass and holding shoggoth-shaped aliens (SAN 1D3/1D8).
ponents’ cards. The investigators are split in half: two sit with The alien tripod targets a nearby vehicle and shoots a beam
Bonaventure and Simmons, and the other pair sits with Engels of concentrated energy at it. The vehicle explodes, killing an
and Partridge. innocent old lady (SAN 1D3/1D10). It continues shooting
Bridge is played in rounds. At the Engels/Partridge ta- other cars as two more meteors crash into the ground nearby.
ble, players compare Art & Craft (Play Bridge) rolls to win More meteors land. Aliens are invading earth.
rounds. At the Bonaventure/Simmons table, ask the players Now what? The conclusion is fairly freeform and depends on
to make Art & Craft (Play Bridge) rolls, but Bonaventure what your investigators do. If they fight—you’ll have to decide
and Simmons win every hand. Roll dice behind your keeper how they get weapons—mundane weaponry proves ineffectu-
screen to keep the players guessing. Ask those at this table to al. If they call for help, the police arrive and die in the firefight
roll Spot Hidden; those who succeed notice that it is cooler (more SAN checks). They may easily escape, but discover that
sitting at the table then elsewhere in the parish hall. A Hard the aliens have landed everywhere. Major cities are in flames.
Spot Hidden indicates that Simmons is watching Bonaven- You could end the scenario here, with the investigators dis-
ture’s left hand, which rests on the table. The fingertip touch- covering that their world has ended and hope has vanished.
ing the table correlates with which suit Simmons plays. A Clever players might align with Madame Bonaventure and use
Listen roll indicates that Bonaventure occasionally whispers her ghost as a spy. An excellent idea, the investigators learn
under her breath, and a Hard success hears insinuating phrases that the shoggoth-aliens stay contained within their vehicles.
like, “How many Aces?”, “Spades or clubs?”, or “Who has the Those that leave wear containment suits. In true B-movie sci-fi
king?” She wears several necklaces, one of which a Medicine fashion, some common earth element is fatal to the aliens, and
or Hard First Aid roll suggests is a human finger bone. Next if the investigators can discover what it is, they might drive the
to it hangs a symbol, which an Occult roll reveals is the Seal creatures off. You can decide what this element is and how the
of Solomon, a common charm used by occultists to summon investigators get ahold of it. (I’d use the table salt that warded
ghosts. The ghost can be seen, though it is difficult. Looking against the ghost.)
through fogged glasses or a tumbler of water reveals a white,
shadowy, human-shaped form hovering over someone’s shoul- Do your best to overwhelm your investigators with shock after
der (SAN 0/1D2). When it shock after shock. Show them how fragile their earthly
moves, it rustles sheets of existence is, and how quickly it can utterly alter.
paper and napkins.
It cannot cross salt,
so if anyone spills
the table’s salt-
shaker the ghost
retreats.
Reckoning of the Dead Character Sheet Reckoning of the Dead Character Sheet
Name: Sylvia Wiggins Gender: Female Name: Mary Hanson Gender: Female
Occupation: Bookkeeper Age: 66 Occupation: Retired Music Teacher Age: 70

Characteristics Characteristics
STR 50 DEX 40 8 INT 60 HP STR 50 DEX 50 10 INT 70 HP
25 20 30 25 25 35

10 12 15 10 14 9

CON 70 APP 50 POW 60 MP 12 CON 50 APP 60 POW 60 MP 12

35 25 30 25 30 30

14 10 12 10 12 12

SIZ 80 40
EDU 50
25
Luck Sanity 60 SIZ 40
20
EDU 80
40
Luck Sanity 60
16 10 8 16

Skills Skills
35 25 35 25
Accounting 70 14 Read Lips 50 10
Art & Craft (Music Teacher) 70 14 Intimidate 50 10

30 20 30 20
Library Use 60 12
Intimidate 40 8 Spot Hidden 60 12
Art & Craft (Play Bridge) 40 8

30 20 30 20
Art & Craft (Play Bridge) 60 12 Sleight of Hand 40 8 Psychology 60 12 Navigate 40 8

25 20 25 20
Fast Talk 50 10
Fighting (Brawl) 40 8
Listen 50 10 Drive Automobile 40 8

25 10 25 13
Spot Hidden 50 10
Dodge 20 4 Locksmith 50 10 Dodge 25 5

Background & Equipment Background & Equipment

Part-time Bookkeeper. Church organist.
Smokes cigars. Has a few on her.

Reckoning of the Dead Character Sheet Reckoning of the Dead Character Sheet
Name: Edna Carlisle Gender: Female Name: Dorothy "Dottie" Evans Gender: Female
Occupation: Pet Sitter Age: 66 Occupation: Water Aerobics Instructor Age: 68

Characteristics Characteristics
HP 10 HP
25 20
STR 80 DEX 60 12 INT 50 STR 80 DEX 70 14 INT 40
40 30 40 35

16 10 16 8 10

CON 50 APP 60 POW 70 MP 14 CON 60 APP 60 POW 50 MP 10

25 30 35 30 30 25

10 12 14 12 12 10

SIZ 50 25
EDU 40
20
Luck Sanity 70 SIZ 50 25
EDU 50
25
10
Luck Sanity 50
10 8 10

Skills Skills
35 25 35 25
Art & Craft (Play Bridge) 70 14 Persuade 50 25 Swim 70 14 Appraise 50 10

30 20 30 20
Animal Handling 60 12
Fighting (Broom) 40 40
Charm 60 12
Listen 40 8

30 20 30 20
First Aid 60 12 Spot Hidden 40 8
Fighting (Brawl) 60 12
Art & Craft (Play Bridge) 40 8

25 20 25 20
Fast Talk 50 10
Occult 40 8 Spot Hidden 50 10
Stealth 40 40

25 15 25 18
Hypnosis 50 10
Dodge 30 6
Theology 50 10
Dodge 35 7

Background & Equipment Background & Equipment

Mother of 4 grown children. Retired P. E. teacher. Teaches water classes at local YWCA.
Can of pepper spray in purse.