EDN4006 Witchcraft RPG - Chronicler's Shield (OEF) (2001)

Targeting Specific Body Parts Chart Ranged Weapon Table Ranged Combat
Outcome Table These rules can be used for dramatic purposes, but add more complexity to combat. The following chart determines the penalty to the attack, and
the modifier to the damage inflicted. Damage bonuses occur after penetration (if the target is not wearing armor, all damage is modified accordingly). Weapon Range Damage Cap Modifiers
A result of 9 generally means the attempt was accomplished (that’s good enough in most cases). When the degree of the success needs to be Head: -4 to hit. Blunt damage is doubled; slashing/piercing is tripled. Bullet damage is modified by two levels (i.e., armor-piercing bullets inflict Point-Blank Range: +1 to Strike Tasks, and
measured, however, Success Levels depend on the final result (a roll including all positive and negative modifiers). Thrown Rocks 3/7/10/13/20 1 x Strength n/a
triple damage, normal bullets inflict four times damage, etc.). add 1 to the Damage Multiplier.
Thrown Knifes 3/5/8/10/13 D4(2) x (Strength -1) n/a
Neck/Throat: -5 to hit. Blunt damage is doubled; slashing/piercing damage is quadrupled. A slashing attack on this area that does enough dam- Short Range: No modifier.
9-10: First Level (Adequate): The Task or Test got done. If an artistic endeavor, it is just adequate, and critics/audiences are likely to give it age to kill the victim results in decapitation. Bullet damage is modified by one level (armor-piercing bullets inflict double damage, and so on). Short Bows 5/13/40/65/100 D6(3) x (Strength) 1
"ho-hum" responses. A complex and involved Task takes the maximum required time to complete. An attempted maneuver was barely accom- Medium Range: -1 to Strike Tasks.
Arms/Legs: -2 to hit. Damage in excess of Life Points/3 cripples the limb; extra damage is lost. Long/Composite Bows 10/30/50/100/200 D8(4) x (Strength) 1
plished, and might appear to be the result of luck rather than skill. Social skills produce minimal benefits for the character. Long Range: -3 to Strike Tasks, and reduce
Hand/Wrist/Foot/Ankle: -4 to hit. Damage in excess of Life Points/4 cripples the area. Extra damage is lost. Crossbows 7/40/65/150/250 D10(5) x (Strength) 1
Combat: Attack does normal damage. Damage Multiplier by 1.
Vital Points (heart, lungs, spine, kidneys, etc.): -2 to hit. Blunt damage is doubled; slashing/piercing damage is tripled. Bullet damage is mod- Handguns 3/10/20/60/120
11-12: Second Level (Decent): The Task or Test was accomplished with relative ease and even some flair. Artistic results are above average, Extreme Range: -6 to Strike Tasks, and reduce
Role of Luck Table ified by one level (see Neck/Throat bullet damage). .22 caliber D4 x 2(4) 8-10
resulting in a warm reaction from many, but not most. Complex and involved Tasks take 10% less than the maximum required time. Attempted
maneuvers are skillfully accomplished. Social skills manage to gain some benefits for the character (including a +1 to further attempts on the Base Modifiers Table Result After Second Roll
.32 caliber D6 x 2(6) 6-9
Damage Multiplier by 2.
Poor Lighting Conditions (A dark alley, can-
same people under similar situations).
Turn Steps
.38 caliber D6 x 3(9) 6-8
Routine: No roll needed dlelight, moonlight): -1 to Strike Tasks.*
Combat: Attack does normal damage.
Easy: +5 or more to the roll
Second
Roll
Rule
of 10
Rule
of 1
Close Combat Weapons Table 9 mm D6 x 4(12) 10-15
Bad Lighting Conditions (Moonless night): -4
13-14: Third Level (Good): The Task or Test was completed with ease. Artistic results are largely appreciated by connoisseurs and well-liked by 1. Intentions: The Chronicler asks each play- 10 mm D6 x 5(15) 10-15
the public (although some critics will be able to find something wrong). Complex and involved Tasks take 25% (one fourth) less time than normally Moderate: +3 to +4 to the roll 1 10 -5, roll again er what her character intends to do during the Weapon Type Damage .45 caliber D8 x 4(16) 7-10
to Strike Tasks.*
required. Attempted maneuvers are done with seeming effortlessness, apparently the result of great skill. Social skills are not only successful, the char- Average: +1 to +2 to the roll 2 10 -3 next Turn. Total Darkness: Use a D10 roll with no other
Punch D4(2) x Strength* High-Velocity Handguns 4/15/30/90/180 modifiers; only a natural roll of 9 or higher
acter will be at +2 on future attempts on the same people (this is not cumulative with subsequent high rolls -- use the highest bonus only).
Challenging (includes most combat rolls): No modifier 3 10 -2 2. Initiative: The Chronicler determines who Kick D4(2) x (Strength + 1)* .357 magnum D8 x 4(16) 6-10
Combat: This is the roll needed to target a specific body part, or to hit a vital area. strikes the target. If a character makes a
Difficult: -1 to -2 to the roll 4 10 -1 gets to attack first, or allows it to be determined Difficult Perception Test, she can add each
Small Knife D4(2) x (Strength - 1)** .44 magnum D6 x 6(18) 6-10
15-16: Fourth Level (Very Good): The Task or Test was very successful. Artistic endeavors are rewarded with a great deal of appreciation randomly.
from the intended audience. Complex and involved Tasks can be finished in half the time. Social skills produce a lasting impression on the peo- Very Difficult: -3 to -5 to the roll 5 10 1 Large Knife D4(2) x Strength** Submachine Guns 3/15/30/100/200 Success Level to the D10 roll, accounting for
3. Performance: Attack, defense and non- the use of senses other than sight to spot the
ple involved, resulting in a bonus of +3 on all future attempts in that skill involving the same people. Heroic: -6 to -9 to the roll 6 11 1 Short Sword/Huge Knife D6(3) x Strength** 9 mm D6 x 4(12) 20-40
combat Tasks or Tests are performed, starting target.*
Combat: Increase the damage rolled by 1 before applying the Multiplier. Near-Impossible: -10 or worse 7 12 1 with the character with the highest Initiative. Civilian Rifles* 10/50/150/600/1000
Fencing Foil D6(3) x Strength** Multiple Shots: -1 for each additional shot, or -
17-20: Fifth Level (Excellent): The Task or Test produced excellent results. Any artistic endeavor impresses the audience greatly, leading to .22 LR D4 x 4(8) 1-10
8 13 1 4. Damage: Any damage inflicted by the Broadsword D8(4) x Strength**& 2 if the weapon has a heavy recoil.
a great deal of recognition and fame. Social skills have a future bonus of +4, as above. 5.56 mm D8 x 4(16) 1-30
9 14 1 results of the Performance step is applied to the Gun Scopes: A telescopic scope will add +2 to
Combat: Increase the damage rolled by 2 before applying the Multiplier. Bastard Sword D10(5) x Strength**&
21-23: Sixth Level (Extraordinary): The Task or Test produced amazing results, accomplishing far more than was intended. Artists gain fame ΩBody Armor Table 10 15, roll again 1
target or targets (this can end the fight right then
and there). Greatsword D12(6) x (Strength + 1)**@
.30-06
7.62 mm
D8 x 6(24)
D8 x 5(20)
1-10
1-30
+5 to any Aiming Tasks.
after one such roll, but all their future accomplishments will be measured against this one, which may lead to the "one-shot wonder" label. Social Armor Type Armor Value Encumbrance Rapier, Edge D6(3) x Strength**&
5. Repeat: Further Tasks are resolved and Shotguns (12 gauge)
skills gain a future bonus of +5, as above. * Lighting modifiers also apply to close combat
Padded/Quilted Cloth Armor D4 - 1(1) None* damage inflicted until each character has had a Rapier, Point D8(4) x Strength**& Birdshot 10/30/50/75/100 D6 x 5(15) 1-8
Combat: Increase the damage rolled by 3 before applying the Multiplier. chance to act during the Turn. attacks.
Leather Jacket D4(2) None* Katana D10(5) x Strength**& Buckshot 10/30/50/100/200 D8 x 6(24) 1-8
24+: Further Levels (Mind-boggling): For every +3 to the total above 23, increase the Success Level by 1, and the Social skills future bonus by 1. 6. End: The Turn ends and the process starts
Leather Armor D6 + 1(4) Light* Spear D6(3) x Strength**& Slug 5/50/100/200/300 D8 x 5(20) 1-8
Combat: Add +1 to the damage rolled for every additional Success Level. again back at step 1.
Chain Mail D6 + 6(9) Medium* Spear Charge D8(4) x (Strength + 1)**& Assault Rifles 10/50/150/600/1000
Staff (Short Punch) D6(3) x Strength 5.56 mm D8 x 4(16) 20-30
Damage Modification Example: Luigi punches an opponent and his attack roll is a 17 (fifth level of success: +2 damage bonus). Luigi's nor-
mal punch damage is D4 x 3. Given his Success Levels, the damage is modified to (D4+2) x 3, or 9 to 18 points. Even on a bad damage roll, the
Plate and Mail
Plate Armor
(D8 x 2) + 8(16) Heavy*
(D8 x 3) + 8(20) Extra Heavy*
Armor Value and Damage Capacity of Staff (Swing) D8(4) x (Strength + 1)@ 7.62 mm D8 x 5(20) 20-30
attack inflicts a decent amount of damage.
Class I Armor D6 + 7(10) None (Vest)** Common Objects Small Mace D8(4) x Strength Sniper Rifles
Fear Table
7.62 mm 15/75/225/900/1000 D8 x 5(20) 20
Mace D10(5) x Strength&
Class IIa Armor (D6 x 2) + 9(15) None (Vest)** Object AV DC BV .50 caliber 15/75/250/1200/5000 D10 x 6(30) 10
A Fear Test calls for a Difficult Willpower Test, as modified (see WitchCraft, p. 130). If failed, roll D10, subtract Willpower and apply any Class II Armor (D6 x 2) + 14(20) Light (Vest)** Large Mace D12(6) x (Strength + 1)&
Wine Glass 0 1 0 Machine Guns
Fear Test penalties as additions. If the result is 9 or higher, determine Success Levels and consult the Fear Table. Class IIIa Armor (D8 x 2) + 17(25) Medium (Vest)** Wood Axe D8(4) x Strength**&
Glass Bottle 1 5 0 5.56 mm 10/100/300/1000/3000 D8 x 4(16) 200
Success Level Effect Class III Armor (D8 x 3) + 18(30) Medium (Vest)** Battle Axe (D8 + 1)(5) x Strength**&
Window 1 3-5 1 7.62 mm 10/150/300/1000/4000 D8 x 5(20) 100
1 Shakes: All the character's actions suffer a -2 penalty for 2 Turns. Lose 1 Essence Point. Class IV Armor (D8 x 5) + 20(40) Medium (Vest)** Greataxe D12(6) x (Strength + 1)**@ .50 caliber 15/200/400/2000/6000 D10 x 6(30) 100
Dresser 3 5-10 6
2 Flight: Victim runs away screaming for 1 Turn. If cornered, the victim may fight or react in a more rational way. Lose Helmet Varies (Use Type I-IV Armor)** Halberd D12(6) x (Strength + 2)**@ # EV includes bipod (1/1) and ammo (6/3).
2 Essence Points. Desk 5 30 6
* Soft and ancient armor is not designed to stop high-velocity bullets. when using such armor, divide the AV Small Club/Stick D6(3) x (Strength - 1) & EV includes tripod (40/20) making this exclusively a vehicle or stationary weapon.
3 Physical reaction: Fear causes a messy physical reaction (often involving bodily functions best left to the imagina Personal Computer 4 10-20 5
by 2 when struck by bullets (by 3 when hit by armor-piercing bullets), and do not double the AV when struck Police Baton/Large Stick D6(3) x Strength
Door 5 30 10-12 * Single shot or semi-automatic
tion). Not only is this embarrassing, but it imposes a -1 penalty to all actions for D4(2) turns. Lose D4(2) Essence Points. by hollow-point bullets. Also, ancient armor (like chain mail and plate armor) is very rare outside events run
Bat/Club/Pipe/Chair D8(4) x Strength&
4 Paralyzed: The character cannot move for D4(2) Turns. Only intervention by other characters (who may shake her, by the Society of Creative Anachronisms. Door Lock 6-8 10-20 --
Chainsaw D10(5) x Strength**& Range: These numbers are expressed in yards (meters) and reflect point-blank, short, medium, long and extreme range. The ranges listed are
slap her or otherwise force her to act) will allow her to take any action. Lose D6(3) Essence Points. ** Modern “bulletproof” vests are made of Kevlar and composite materials. Class III and IV armor include Reinforced Door 10-15 40-60 20-30 the limits: anything below the limit is considered to be in that range, anything beyond it goes to the next range level. Note that most bullets
rigid Kevlar and steel plates for maximum protection (Class IV armor is theoretically able to stop .308 armor Broken Bottle (D4 - 1)(1) x Strength**
5 Faint: The shock and fear are so severe that the character collapses, unconscious. A Difficult Constitution Test is Reinforced Lock 20-25 30-50 -- will continue traveling a fair distance after going past extreme range and may still be lethal, but the chance of hitting the designated target is
required to recover consciousness; this can be attempted every minute, or whenever somebody tries to stir the piercing rounds). The U.S. Army’s body armor is Class IV for combat units (torso), with a Class III helmet. * Does Life Points damage, unless Endurance damage rules are used.
basically nil.
SWAT and FBI (and the Combine’s Men In Black) assault teams have Class III or IV body armor, helmets Wood Wall 5 + 1 per inch 20 per inch 8 + 1 per inch ** Indicates a stabbing/slashing weapon. Damage is calculated normally, and then armor protection is subtracted. Remaining
character. Lose D10 x 4 (20) Endurance points and D8(4) Essence Points. penetrating damage is doubled. Damage: The damage imposed by the most popular bullets for a given type of gun are given.
and limb protection. Civilians will have a hard time getting anything heavier than a Class IIIa vest (anything Brick Wall 9 + 1 per inch 30 per inch 12 + 2 per inch
6 Total Hysterics: The victim becomes a screaming, babbling, totally useless maniac for D8(4) Turns. Lose D10(5) & Weapon may be used two-handed, raising the character’s effective Strength by 1 when calculating damage. For example, Cap: The magazine capacity indicates how many bullets are contained in a fully loaded gun. There is a lot of variation out there, however. At
beyond that level is hard to conceal, and the authorities will certainly investigate people purchasing heavy Concrete Wall 18 + 2 per inch 50 per inch 20 + 5 per inch the Spear does D6(3) x Strength one-handed, and D6(3) x (Strength + 1) two-handed.
Essence Points. almost any given caliber, for example, a rifle can be a single-shot bolt action or break-open action, or a semi-automatic with a 30-bullet clip.
combat armor). @ Weapon must be used two-handed. Damage modifiers have already been accounted for in the formula.
7+ It Gets Worse: Higher results are left to the Chronicler’s imagination. They may include life-threatening effects Ferroconcrete Wall 20 +5 per inch 75 per inch 50 + 10 per inch Revolvers have 5-6 shots, while semi-automatics can have as many as 15 to 17 rounds (recent laws in the U.S. restricting magazine size to 10
Note: Armor Values have been changed from the First Edition WitchCraft.
like heart attacks or comas, or a bout of temporary insanity lasting hours, or worse. . . Steel Wall 30 +5 per inch 100 per inch 60 + 20 per inch rounds are in effect, but are easily avoided). A range is given, from the smaller magazines and revolvers to the biggest available in the market.
Note: Inches may be multiplied by 2.5 to get an equivalent measurement in centimeters.
.32 caliber D6 x 2(6) 6-9
Turn Steps
.38 caliber D6 x 3(9) 6-8
Second
Roll
Rule
of 10
Rule
of 1
to Strike Tasks.*
.30-06
7.62 mm
D8 x 6(24)
D8 x 5(20)
1-10
1-30
Plate and Mail
Plate Armor
(D8 x 2) + 8(16) Heavy*
Fear Table
7.62 mm 15/75/225/900/1000 D8 x 5(20) 20
Window 1 3-5 1 7.62 mm 10/150/300/1000/4000 D8 x 5(20) 100
Dresser 3 5-10 6
basically nil.
.32 caliber D6 x 2(6) 6-9
Turn Steps
.38 caliber D6 x 3(9) 6-8
Second
Roll
Rule
of 10
Rule
of 1
to Strike Tasks.*
.30-06
7.62 mm
D8 x 6(24)
D8 x 5(20)
1-10
1-30
Plate and Mail
Plate Armor
(D8 x 2) + 8(16) Heavy*
Fear Table
7.62 mm 15/75/225/900/1000 D8 x 5(20) 20
Window 1 3-5 1 7.62 mm 10/150/300/1000/4000 D8 x 5(20) 100
Dresser 3 5-10 6
basically nil.
.32 caliber D6 x 2(6) 6-9
Turn Steps
.38 caliber D6 x 3(9) 6-8
Second
Roll
Rule
of 10
Rule
of 1
to Strike Tasks.*
.30-06
7.62 mm
D8 x 6(24)
D8 x 5(20)
1-10
1-30
Plate and Mail
Plate Armor
(D8 x 2) + 8(16) Heavy*
Fear Table
7.62 mm 15/75/225/900/1000 D8 x 5(20) 20
Window 1 3-5 1 7.62 mm 10/150/300/1000/4000 D8 x 5(20) 100
Dresser 3 5-10 6
basically nil.
Chronicler’s Shield
Eden Studios
3426 Keystone Avenue #3,
Writing and Game Design Los Angeles, Ca. 90034
CJ Carella, Thom Marrion, Scott Maxwell CJ Carella’s WitchCraft ™ , The Unisystem™,
specific game terms, icons and personalities are
Project Managing and Editing copyright © 2001 CJ Carella. All Art © 2001 Eden
M. Alexander Jurkat Studios. Screen Cover Art © 2001 Jason Felix.
All Rights reserved.
Proofing
Darren Evans, Wayne Shaw Produced and published by Eden Studios, Inc.
under exclusive license.
Art Direction, Layout and Graphics
George Vasilakos No part of this book may be reproduced with-
out written permission from the publisher, except
Cover Art for review purposes. Any similarity to charac-
Jason Felix ters, situations, institutions, corporations, etc.
(without satirical intent) is strictly fictional or
Interior Art coincidental. This book uses settings, characters
and themes of a supernatural nature. All ele-
Dan Smith ments, mystical and supernatural, are fiction and
Maps intended for entertainment purposes.
Robert Lee Reader discretion is advised.
Playtesting Comments and questions can be directed via
Nathan Bowerbank, Scott Coady, Keith Darr, the Internet at www.edenstudios.net/witchcraft,
Troy Downing, Trevor Freutel, Joanne Fry, via e-mail at edenprod@aol.com or via letter
with a self-addressed stamped envelope.
Maryanne Fry, Derek Guder, William Lee and
the Game Keep Players, Bonny Liang, Travis First Printing, August 2001
Stock EDN4006 ISBN 1-891153-46-3
Stuart Parks, Bill Reich, Sean Rielly, Scott Printed in the U.S.
Westall, Brian White, Bob Williams
A Word to the Wise ancient Anglo-Saxon word Wicca, or Wise One) are portrayed as having
some of the beliefs and principles of real world Wiccans, but are as fan-
The WitchCraft RPG is, first and foremost, a work of fiction meant to tastic as the Christian-oriented, monster-hunting Sentinels also depicted
entertain. A number of facts have been mixed with a liberal dose of fan- in this game. To learn more about Wicca, go to a local library or book-
tasy in these pages, and people who seek information, spiritual guidance, store; there are plenty of non-fiction books on that subject.
or an excuse to do stupid things should look elsewhere. The witches in
this game are as unrealistic as the wizards in Tolkien's tales; none of the Finally, anybody who has problems distinguishing fantasy from real-
secret organizations and conspiracies in this book are meant to be exact ity and who thinks this or any other game depicts actual occult practices
replicas of real world groups. should stay away from this and similar books. They should also stay
Having said that, I would like to point out a few real facts. Wicca is a away from television, books of all kind, and most forms of mass media;
real world religion, based on ancient folk beliefs and practices from in fact, they should not leave their homes. Any off-beat soft drink com-
Europe. During the Middle Ages and the Reformation, followers of mercial may prompt them to jump off a tall building. Parents of minor
Wicca were persecuted by the Christian Churches. Wicca has nothing to children should, of course, exercise their judgment as to whether this and
do with Satanism, and is a religion with as much legitimacy (if perhaps other roleplaying games are appropriate for their children. Everyone
a less comprehensive organization) as Christianity or Buddhism. The else, I hope you enjoy this book.
"Wicce" in this book (Wicce is nothing but the female form of the -- Carlos J. Martijena-Carella
C r e d i t s 2
Ta b l e o f
Contents
Campus Crusade 4
by Scott Maxwell
A Winter’s Tale 39
by Thom Marrion
The Horror Campaign 49
by CJ Carella
Optional Unisystem Rules 53
by CJ Carella
Campus Crusade Maps 56
Character Sheets 59
3 Table of Contents
Campus Crusade By Scott Maxwell
Harry Carter enjoyed walking the campus before dawn -- that was why he applied for a campus security job in
his junior year. Now a fifth year senior, Harry was going to miss the solitary walks and the beautiful sunrises
that he witnessed high in the mountains.
Despite it only being the first day of October, Harry was bundled up in a ski parka. Winter was coming
early this year. Already the trees had shed their leaves; only the conifers still stood tall and green. Last week-
end, Harry had watched the groundskeepers blow out the sprinkler system. Good thing too, it seems, given that it
had frozen every night since then.
Harry was not paying attention when he first passed it. One minute he was watching his breath crystallize in
the chilled air, the next he was flat on his back. After several futile attempts at standing, Harry took the thank-
fully working radio from his belt and called in.
“John . . . John, you there? This is Harry. You there, over?”
“Yeah, whatzup?” came the reply. John sounded even younger than Harry did.
“I slipped on something. I think I busted my leg,” Harry reported.
“Cool,” came the reply from John, “Think of the lawsuit. So what did you slip on? That could make a dif-
ference in the settlement, you know.”
“Shut up, John,” Harry said with a half grin on his face. “You know, I think I’m going into shock. I’m
starting to feel high or something.”
“Cool,” quipped John. “So what did you slip on?”
“Hold on,” Harry said. His good humor fading quickly, Harry scooted himself over. He noted that he bumped
something.
C a m p u s C r u s a d e 4
Time passed.
“Harry?” came the voice over the radio. “Harry, are
Introduction
you all right? Speak to me.” A small college is being torn apart by a conflict between
“I’m here,” answered Harry. “It’s . . . you better call pagan and Christian groups. The tension results from a series
the cops, John.” of shocking rites taking place on campus. The Christians see
“What’s happened?” asked John, his voice losing
this as proof that the pagans are misguided demonists, while
his customary good cheer. “Where are you, Harry?”
the pagans see a vicious “Christian Conspiracy” to discredit
“I’m by the west wall of the Library,” Harry said

them. It is up to the Cast Members to investigate these
in monotone, “And the place is covered in blood . . .

strange rituals, to determine who or what is responsible, and
Oh my God, I think . . . God Harry, there’s someone’s

to bring a halt to this destructive influence.
. . . oh God . . . oh God . . .” Chapter Summary

“I’m on my way, Harry,” John said with some con- Introduction presents these opening remarks, a chapter
cern. “So is Mr. Wright. We’re coming . . .” summary, and notes about running the mission.
A new voice came on the radio, older and surer of Overview provides the Chronicler with some background
itself. “Harry, this is Pat.” on the plotline, as well as a time line of important events.
“Who?” said Harry, his body slipping into shock. Act One: Drawing Together details an opening scene to
“Pat Wright,” the voice said, “Your boss. Stay gather the Cast Members, and several hooks to lead them to
with me son, we’re almost there.” investigate further.
“Yeah, I can see your flashlights,” Harry answered. Act Two: The Hunt covers a number of investigative
“Oh my God . . . Pat, I’m . . .” avenues, as well as timed events that advance the plot and
Harry vomited all over the radio and part of the
increase the tension.
frozen bloodstain. When the two other security guards Act Three: The Sacrificial Lamb reveals the perpetrator
arrived, they found Harry unconscious. of the series of rituals and forces the Cast Members to com-
“John, go call the police and an ambulance,” Pat
bat him to save an innocent life.
Wright ordered the student-turned-security guard. Act Four: The Real Evil shows that the previous rituals
“My God, Mr. Wright, is that . . . “ John stam-
were not done by one man alone. Time passes as the Cast
mered.
Members learn that a greater threat awaits them.
“Yes, now go.”

Act Five: Widening Doom details the time before the
“But what do I tell them?” John asked.

final ritual, which will open a gateway to another realm.
Pat Wright thought about that for a moment then

Act Six: The Final Confrontation covers the final battle
answered. “Tell them what you know, son. Tell them

with the Dark Mage who hopes the preceding month’s ritu-
that Harry came upon a bloody pentagram and tripped

als will allow him access to greater power.
over what appears to be a recently severed animal

Supporting Cast and Adversaries details a number of
tongue.”
characters that the Cast Members might encounter.
Then Pat added softly, “Mark my words, no one is

Cast Members lists six individuals who take it upon
going to get away with this satanic shit while I’m
themselves to investigate the bloody rituals and confront
around.”
those who are responsible for them.
Running Campus Crusade

Cast Members: This scenario is designed for beginning
characters, new to the WitchCraft game and world. Pre-gen-
erated Cast Members, particularly tailored for this mission,
are included at the end. Alternatively, the adventure may be
incorporated into an on-going campaign involving the play-
ers’ favorite characters, although if the established characters
are too powerful, the Chronicler may wish to beef up the
power level of the Adversaries and Supporting Cast. If the
pre-generated characters are not used, it is suggested that
they become Supporting Cast Members in the Chronicler’s
hands, as they have access to resources that others may not.
5 C a m p u s C r u s a d e
Location: Campus Crusade very loosely uses a Pacific Remember, as long as everyone is having fun, the exact
Northwest college campus and the town of Cascade as its course of the mission is not important.
centerpiece. The fictional town of Cascade is located in Aftermath: Subsequent Stories and further background
approximately the same place as the real town of material may be found in A Winter’s Tale (see p. 39).
Leavenworth, WA. That location could be changed to any in
North or Central America with little adjustment. Outside Overview
these areas, the Chronicler must modify the native Indian
background of the Mother, if used. Cascade College has long been a hotbed of political and cul-
tural conflicts. Located in or near the Cast Members’ home
Resources: Chroniclers and players need access only to city, Cascade College’s student population is split between the
the WitchCraft main rulebook to play Campus Crusade. more conservative from the countryside and the more liberal
Other WitchCraft or Unisystem volumes may be inspira- from the metropolitan portions of the state. While politics have
tional but are entirely unnecessary. long been the key dividing line at Cascade College, an empha-
Time: As written, the Story takes place in the days leading sis on religious beliefs has come to the forefront recently.
up to October 31th, one of the four major Times of Power. The Cast Members enter the conflict out of personal oblig-
The extra Essence available at that time (see WitchCraft, p. ations, and the possibility that these crimes may be blamed
203) is important for the purposes of the Black Magician’s on one or more of them. If the pre-generated characters are
plans. However, any of the four major Times of Power would used, they have varying reasons for uncovering the truth. In
be acceptable, and if it makes more sense to a particular some instances, those goals may prove to be at odds. If other,
Chronicler’s campaign, the days of this Story may lead up to established Cast Members are brought to the Story, individ-
February 2nd, April 30th, or August 1st instead. ual hooks must be devised.
Nature: Campus Crusade is event-driven. Unless the Cast The Cast Members are drawn to the site of a grisly ritual.
Members do something to change the outcome, certain As the first to arrive, they are subject to the scrutiny of the
events occur at certain times. As a result, the Cast Members police. Further, a professor with a reputation for pranks, mis-
are not forced to do anything just to further the plot. These chief and political ambition confronts the characters. Still,
events happen regardless of the Cast Members’ actions. with only a minimum of investigation, the Cast Members
On the other hand, Chroniclers must be careful when run- become convinced that he is not the one responsible. Several
ning an event-driven plot. First, there is a potential for a lot other paths may be discovered that could lead to instigators
of quiet time during play. This is not an exploration where a of these divisive acts.
new monster or situation pops up with the next room or dun- After several encounters with the locals, the Cast
geon passage. Instead, Chroniclers must manage the plot to Members are drawn to another ritual site, this one fresh,
make sure that the periods when no events are scheduled do where the Gifted among them feel a wrongness about it that
not become a bore to the players. was not present before. The Cast Members should soon track
Second, the Cast Members can seriously ruin the flow of down Brent Hallinger, a fringe member of the Cascade
events. It is quite possible that the characters will alter the Coven student group.
situation so severely in the first Act that large portions of the The Cast Members confront Hallinger while performing
plotline must be revised. In such instances, the Chronicler his latest ritual -- this time with a human as his victim.
must adjust things to move the Story along. Hallinger originally started these bloody rites as a means of
So, the Chronicler should read Campus Crusade several causing an uproar on campus, but an individual who offered
times and consult the included timeline and maps. Come to to teach him the “path of power” has since urged him to con-
understand what is happening when and where, and keep tinue. Hallinger is arrested and hauled away, but the Cast
that in mind. The Supporting Cast are complete characters Members notice that the site has been drained of its Essence
unto themselves. If their plans are ruined or must be during the arrest and its aftermath. Even if Hallinger has
reworked, they will cope as best they can. been only slightly injured before his capture, he dies on his
A final piece of advice: know the players. Consider what way to the hospital.
the players are likely to do with the Cast Members and plan This could end the mission, although the Cast Members
accordingly. A good deal of information is not included in somehow feel that matters are yet incomplete. If they are
this adventure -- including literally thousands of potential particularly attentive or lucky, the Cast Members may
Supporting Characters. If the players like action, put extra encounter the Black Magician who was manipulating
planning into the police as antagonists. Keep the players on Hallinger to increase his own power and, perhaps, to gain a
their toes, or else they might find themselves behind bars. If new disciple. A climactic battle against the Black Mage
the players prefer investigation-type adventures, brainstorm reveals a surprise participant, and a potential new ally or
false information, red herrings, to throw their way. enemy for the characters.
Dramatis Personae Cast Members
The following characters are important Players may wish to use these pre-gener-
to the course of the adventure. Detailed ated characters. Detailed stats and
stats and descriptions are included at the descriptions are included at the end of the
end of the adventure. adventure.
Jonathan Flowers -- EMT and Master Eloise Thibault, PhD. -- Associate

Black Magician (see p. 28) Professor of History at Cascade College;
Lesser Gifted Rosicrucian (see p. 33)
Brent Hallinger -- Junior at Cascade
College, majoring in Business; Lesser Brenda "Silver Raven" Harrison -- Junior
Gifted Solitaire (see p. 29) at Cascade College, majoring in Women’s
Studies; Gifted Wicce (see p. 34)
Ralf Hensley -- Campus Security Guard
(see p. 28) Michael Reinhardt -- Freshman at
Cascade College, planning on majoring in
Ted Lewis -- Global Sun News Defense Criminal Justice; unaffiliated Inspired
Attorney (see p. 28) (see p. 35)
Nathan Purl -- Pastor of the Cascade Andre Smith -- "Trash" journalist and
Bible Church; Area Leader of Christians Mundane with Rosicrucian ties (see p. 36)
Against Satanic Enterprises (C.A.S.E.).
(see p. 30) Dr. Timothy Kent, PhD -- Mundane
psychologist and tenured professor at
Robert McMillan -- Detective assigned Cascade College (see p. 37)
to the Cascade College investigation (see
p. 30) Jeremy Hancock -- Freshman at Cascade
College, no major; unaffiliated Seer (see
Curt Rimes -- Senior at Cascade p. 38)
College, majoring in History; Leader of
the Cascadians for Christ (see p. 31)
Shelly Sommers -- Senior at Cascade

College, majoring in Women’s Studies;
Lesser Gifted Wicce (see p. 31)
Bernd Van Wahl, Ph.D. -- Tenured

Professor of Philosophy (and trouble-
maker) (see p. 32)
Pat Wright -- Campus Security Guard,

Night Shift Chief (see p. 32)
Timeline
August 1 October 1
Eloise Thibault arrives in town and takes residence in the First "ritual graphitti" is discovered in the early morning:
Hood Apartment Building, a short walk from the college campus. pentacle in cow’s blood with cow tongue in the center, can-
dles placed at the points of the pentacle, located on the west
September 5 side of the Anders-Martin Library.
Cascade College opens its dorms to students for the Fall Cascadians for Christ have their first meeting in 10 days.
semester. Much is made about the ritual. Michael Reinhardt does not
attend due to a conflict in scheduling.
Jeremy Hancock and Michael Reinhardt move into Badkin
Hall (separate rooms).
October 2
Brenda "Silver Raven" Harrison moves into Addon Hall.
Evidence of a second ritual is discovered in the early morn-
Dr. Timothy Kent returns to work at Student Health ing, and destroyed by campus security: pentacle in cow’s
Services as a councilor as well as a professor of psychology. blood with cow heart and cow eyes in center, located south
September 6-8 of the Administration Building. When this cover-up is dis-

covered, Pat Wright, the security guard responsible for the
Orientation and registration. Michael Reinhardt scouts out clean up, is warned by the police that further interference will
possible Churches and decides to explore Nathan Purl’s result in an obstruction of justice charge being filed against
Cascade Bible Church further. him and any associates.
September 9 October 3
First day of classes. Evidence of third ritual discovered in the early morning:
pentacle in cow’s blood, candle in middle, flayed rats pinned
September 12 at points, located behind Tobin Hall (English department lec-
ture halls and offices).
Jeremy Hancock becomes a patient of Dr. Timothy Kent. First protest spontaneously gathers at the Administration
Michael Reinhardt meets Curt Rimes and Aimee Stratton Building. Cascadians for Christ take active leadership role.
who invite him to their Bible group.
October 5
September 13 Evidence of fourth ritual discovered: pentacle in cat’s
Michael Reinhardt attends his first meeting of the blood, black candles at points, still living cat flayed and
Cascadians for Christ. staked in center, located in between the Administration
Building and Parker Auditorium.
September 17 Cascade Coven Members issue statement announcing that
Brenda "Silver Raven" Harrison attends her first meeting they are not responsible, but support the rights of whomever
of the Cascade Coven student group. Shelly Sommers invites is doing this to practice their religion.
her to a "private" meeting of the "inner circle." Not knowing Cascadians for Christ protest announcement of the Coven
the inner circle is the Wiccan heart of the group, Brenda and circulate a petition to rescind the Coven’s Charter.
Harrison does not attend.
October 6
September 20 Andre Smith arrives in Cascade and seeks out Eloise
Cascadians for Christ prayer meeting is disrupted by fringe Thibault. Eloise Thibalut, Andre Smith, and Timothy
members of the Cascadian Coven who accuse the Christians Kent have dinner together and discuss the recent events
of being murders and hate mongers. The Cascadians for and the occult.
Christ do not meet again until October 1, when they secure a
new meeting location.
October 7 October 16
Evidence of fifth ritual discovered: pentacle in unknown Cast Members are released from jail.
blood, black candles at points and intersections of pentagram Shelly Sommers has a date with Jonathan Flowers and is
lines, one dozen living squirrels crucified around pentagram, not seen alive again.
located in the campus commons.
Eloise Thibault senses a significant build-up of Essence in October 17
the area of the ritual and enlists the aid of Andre Smith and
Timothy Kent in discovering its source. Eighth ritual is secretly completed by Jonathan Flowers
within Anders-Martin Library.
Michael Reinhardt, Brenda Harrison, and Jeremy Hancock
are awoken by the build up of Essence and (separately) inves- Anders-Martin Library burns to the ground in the early
tigate. The three meet up before discovering the ritual site. hours of the morning.
Shelly Sommers and all other Gifted individuals on campus
are awoken by the build up of Essence but do not recognize
October 18
it as important due to a lack of understanding of Essence and Nathan Purl meets with Cast Members and tells them what
its meaning. he knows.
The two groups of people converge on the ritual site, which
has been abandoned. October 19
Ninth ritual takes place in the ruins of the Anders-Martin
Library; no evidence left at site.
Scenario begins.
October 20
Shelly Sommer’s remains are found by police investiga-
October 7 tors.
Cast Members are taken to the police station to be inter-
viewed. October 23
Tenth ritual is performed in Ander-Martin Library ruins; no
October 11 evidence left at site.
Sixth ritual is performed: sloppy ritual pentacle made of
cow’s blood, 11 red candles at intersection not lit, debarked October 29
German Shepard is crucified and flayed, located at center of Eleventh ritual takes place in ruins of Anders-Martin
McGowan Field. Library; no evidence left at site.
October 12 October 30
Cascadians for Christ walk the ritual sites in protest. If in jail, the Cast Members are released.
Taunting crowd riots after Brent Hallinger throws a rock at a
Cascadian marcher. October 31
October 13 Twelfth and final ritual takes place in Anders-Martin
Library ruins.
Seventh ritual is performed: ritual pentacle with tortured
Passage to the "Mother in the Heart of the Cascades" is
guard in the middle, located inside the Parker Auditorium.
opened.
Brent Hallinger dies after confrontation with Cast
Brent Hallinger rises from the dead.
Members.
Cast Members are arrested by Detective McMillan. November 1
October 15 Tunnel to the "Mother in the Heart of the Cascades" seals
itself.
Brent Hallinger’s corpse disappears from the county
morgue.
Act One: Drawing Together
At nearby Cascade College, several acts of vandalism
have taken place. Normally these events would not trigger
huge outcry. However, they have occult overtones and The text of this adventure generally assumes
Cascade College is widely known for an on-going conflict that the pre-generated characters are being
between its pagan and Christian students. Everyone has an used as Cast Members. If other characters
opinion on the matter and tensions run high. are used, a minimum amount of alteration by
the Chronicler will be necessary.
The Hook
In the early morning hours of October 7, Gifted Cast
The police soon arrive and secure the scene. The detective
Members become aware of some sort of ritual taking place
in charge, Robert McMillan (see p. 30), gathers the Cast
on campus. No matter where they are, the malignant ener-
Members off to the side and assigns two uniformed officers
gy first repulses, then attracts Gifted Cast Members. Their
to make sure they do not leave. While the scene is being pho-
senses lead them to the center of the campus, which is a
tographed and cataloged, and the animals disposed of,
park-like quad known as the Campus Commons. The Cast
McMillan moves between the crime scene and the Cast
Members miss the conclusion of the ritual by mere sec-
Members. McMillan adopts a friendly attitude with Eloise
onds. What remains involves the crucifixion of a dozen liv-
Thibault and Brenda Harrison; he is hostile towards Michael
ing squirrels.
Reinhardt from initial contact; his demeanor to Andre Smith
As the Cast Members reconnoiter the site, an armed cam- remains decidedly neutral until the interviews, where he will
pus security guard surprises them and holds them at gunpoint have access to records on everyone present.
while he radios for police assistance. The Guard’s name is
While waiting on Detective McMillan, two significant
Ralf Hensley (see p. 29). He sympathizes with the
events occur. First, bystanders accumulate and soon mem-
Cascadians for Christ, but he will not allow any Cast
bers from both the Cascade Coven and Cascadians for Christ
Members to move or to distract him in any way. Hensley
(see pp. 27-28) take up attendance. The tension rises and
uses the threat of his pistol to hold the Cast Members until
more police are called in. The distractions caused by the
the police arrive.
gathering crowd let the Cast Members speak with each other
and facilitate the second event.
While the police move to disburse the increasingly hostile
crowd that has gathered, Dr. Bernd Van Wahl (see p. 32) The Rituals
approaches the Cast Members. He wears a tweed suit, an Detective McMillan's questions focus on
opera cloak, and carries an ebony cane. Dr. Van Wahl makes the party’s whereabouts on certain dates.
small talk with heavy emphasis upon the current events and The following information concerning the
how they prove that religion has no place on campus. ritual evidence is common knowledge and
During this time, the Cast Members may notice that the Cast Members should already know it
McMillan is deep in conversation with Hensley. Several and/or be able to remember it during the
times during this interview, Hensley points over to the char- interview. The Cast Members were all
acters. elsewhere when these events happened, but
only some of those alibis are verifiable.
Dr. Van Wahl only departs when Detective McMillan The Chronicler and Cast Members may
returns to his suspects -- the Cast Members -- and finds them devise their excuses, but McMillan will
conversing with an outside source. Before he goes, not follow up on any of them, for now.
Detective McMillan asks for, and writes down, his name.
The Interview October 1: Pentacle in cow’s blood with

At this point, the Detective informs the Cast Members
cow tongue in the center candles placed at
that a witness has placed them wandering about the scene of
the points of the pentacle. Located on the
the crime. He asks for the Cast Members to accompany him
west side of the Anders-Martin Library
to the station to be interviewed. If the Cast Members do not
go willingly, they are arrested and taken to be interviewed. October 2: Pentacle in cow’s blood with
McMillan interviews the characters either singly
cow heart and cow eyes in center. Located
(which is more realistic) or as a group. He asks all of the
south of the Administration Building.
characters about their whereabouts on the mornings of
Campus security discovered the ritual evi-
October 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th and any associations that
dence and attempted to avoid publicity by
they might have. He is aware of Michael Reinhardt’s and
cleaning it up. Of course, the ritual evi-
Debra Harrison’s ties to the Cascadians and the Coven,
dence and the attempted cover up soon
respectively, as well as Andre Smith’s profession and rep-
become common knowledge. McMillan is
utation. Eloise Thibault is known only as a new professor
aware of campus security’s interference
at Cascade College. Timothy Kent and Jeremy Hancock
but has yet to act on it beyond issuing
are largely unknown to him, but he does know that Dr.
warnings.
Kent is a professor at the college.
During the interview, the Cast Members are also asked October 3: Pentacle in cow’s blood with
about Dr. Van Wahl, Shelly Sommers (the “head” of the candle in middle. Flayed rats pinned at
Cascadian Coven), and Pastor Nathan Purl, who is asso- points. Located behind Tobin Hall
ciated with Cascadians for Christ. Particularly disrespect- (English department lecture halls and
ful characters are arrested and jailed “until they cool off.” offices).
This is actually something positive as it immediately
eliminates them from suspicion after the Cast Members’ October 5: Pentacle in cat’s blood with
fingerprints are taken and analyzed against those pulled black candles at points. Still living cat
from the sites of the rituals. flayed and staked in center. Located in
If the pre-generated characters are used, the detective is between the Administration Building and
particularly aggressive with Reinhardt, whom he considers Parker Auditorium.
strange. Eloise Thibault and Timothy Kent are treated with
respect, and he poses as a “father figure” to Brenda Harrison October 7: Pentacle in cat’s blood with
and Jeremy Hancock -- he recognizes the fragility in the lat- black candles at points and intersections
ter and discounts him quickly. Andre Smith is cautioned to of lines. One dozen living squirrels cruci-
stay out of this situation. fied around pentagram. Located in the
After their interviews are complete, the Cast Members are Campus Commons.
returned to the campus in police cruisers and told not to
leave the area without permission from Detective McMillan.
The Motivation
At this point, it is clear that the Cast Members are individ-
ually, or as a group, the prime suspects. If this is not enough
Conducting the Interrogation to make the Cast Members work together, they are
approached and asked to look into the matter. Shelly
Sommers meets with Brenda Harrison, who is the newest
Police interrogations center around three member of the Coven, and asks her to find out what is really
key elements -- keeping those questioned going on. Similarly, Michael Reinhardt is approached by
separated, off guard, and, usually, uncom- Curt Rimes, who suggests that Reinhardt, who is not yet
fortable. By interviewing the suspects and directly associated with the Cascadians, look into the matter.
witnesses individually, the police are bet- Rimes most likely mentions Nathan Purl as the one who sug-
ter able to pinpoint inconstancies in gested that Reinhardt help them.
accounts. Questions are usually asked Eloise Thibault and Andre Smith are agents for the
repeatedly and sometimes in seemingly Rosicrucian Brotherhood and that should be reason enough to
random order. The whole point is to investigate. However, Thibault receives a call from her supe-
catch the interviewee in a falsehood -- riors if needed and is commanded to become familiar with the
whether intentional or not. pagan and Christian groups on campus and discover what is
going on. Smith need only be reminded that he is a journalist
Interviewers use various methods, from who investigates the occult.
intimidation to friendly banter, to elicit Finally, Timothy Kent should find this stimulating and pur-
responses. Often good interrogators use sues it if only to relieve him of his ever-present depression.
various tactics in a single interview. Jeremy Hancock should investigate if Kent becomes interest-
Detective McMillan is competent, ed. If not, Hancock begins receiving violent dreams about
although not a particularly inspiring monsters erupting from the earth, bloody rituals, and grue-
interviewer. Generally, he uses intimida- some torture. He somehow feels the dreams are linked to the
tion as a tactic. This is not to say that rituals and enlists the aid of his psychologist.
he is abusive, which he is not. Instead, he
relies on his confidence that the weight of
law is behind him and that he can be a
powerful foe to those who do not give him
what he wants. This generally comes
across as arrogance.
During the interview, ask many questions

of the Cast Members. Not all of them
have to be about the actual crime being
investigated -- this is to throw the inter-
viewee off guard. Keep these questions
few, and use them when least expected.
For example, McMillan might ask
Eloise Thibault what she was doing the
previous evening and ask if she had been
seeing anyone, a boyfriend, friend, relative,
etc. He may also inquire about the rela-
tionship that she has with Andre Smith.
He will never get too personal or rude,
however. He is a professional, after all.
Act Two: The Hunt
Chroniclers should make plain that Cascade College is a them and attempts to assure whomever she talks with that
functioning, active college. Three of the pre-generated char- these rituals are reprehensible. She has no idea who could be
acters have classes to attend, and most of the others have reg- responsible; she does not even accuse the Cascadians for
ular jobs. Only Andre Smith has time to devote fully to the Christ. Sommers is as open and polite as possible without
investigation. This time could be used doing background pointing any fingers. She does not even consider Brent
checks of various Supporting Cast and any other research Hallinger, whom she has all but put out of her mind. If asked
that might be required. The Anders-Martin Library is large about any ex-boyfriends in the Coven, she likely says his
and well equipped for all of Smith’s needs. name, but he is just one among many: she has dated nearly
In time, the characters should figure out that the rituals are everyone in the Coven.
occurring on prime numbered days. Where their investiga- Speaking with the other members produces mixed results.
tions take them is up to the Cast Members, but they should The inner circle, which contains the “real” Wiccans, echoes
realize that the next ritual will take place sometime from Sommer’s statements. However, they are more suspicious of
midnight to sunrise on October 11. the Cascadians for Christ. Some might go so far as to name
Some might come to the conclusion that the “big one” will Nathan Purl as the probable instigator. The more paranoid
hit on October 31. That day is a major holy day for the Wicce believe that it is being done to discredit the Coven.
(Thibault and Harrison will know this, as may others). The other pagans paint a clear picture that the Cascadians
Further, a full moon is to take place early that morning. The for Christ and/or Nathan Purl are responsible. Their views
Chronicler may want to hint at this in order to increase the vary wildly but they should end up being portrayed as a
feeling that the Cast Members have a limited amount of time group of narrow-minded individuals.
to work. Finally, the fringe members, including Brent Hallinger,
Visiting the Cascade Coven can claim almost anything. A few try to embrace the gory rit-
uals as being done by the Coven. The remainder spew anti-
If the Characters decide to investigate Cascade Coven, Christian and anti-establishment propaganda that should
they likely encounter Shelly Sommers, who is the un-elected make it clear that they have no clue.
leader of the pagan community. Sommers gladly meets with Further information may be found on pp. 27, 31.
Visiting the Cascadians for Christ
Cast Members’ The Cascadians leader, Curt Rimes, agrees to speak
Investigation with the characters just so long as they remain polite.
Curt states his belief that these rituals are part in parcel
There are many paths and variations the Cast of pagan activities. He explains that the practice of
Members’ investigation could pursue. The such rites is diabolical.
Chronicler must adjudicate these situations as
they arise. Some of the more obvious routes Rimes and the Cascadians believe that all college fund-
are summarized below, as well as their likely ing for the Cascade Coven should be pulled. At some
outcome. point, the conversation turns to the blatant discrimination
against the Cascadians as a result of the college funding
of the Coven, and the lack of such support for the
Campus Library: Internet access and thousands of Cascadians. It does not matter if these individuals are
books tell about various rituals, days of power, and interviewed singly or in groups; the other members of the
the history of the campus environs. All kinds of Cascadians, if confronted, answer in a similar manner.
maps may be found. The Cascadians believe that they are the persecuted
minority and so remain polite and helpful as long as
Cascade Coven: Dislike or hatred for Cascadians they are treated with respect. In fact, they provide any
for Christ. Shelly Sommers is leader. help they can as long as they are not accused of any-
thing. Any sort of mind probe reveals that the
Cascadians for Christ: Dislike or hatred for Cascadians are rather less unified than they appear --
Cascade Coven. Curt Rimes is leader, Nathan extremists are to be found on both sides -- but the
Purl is spiritual head. respect for Curt Rimes is such that none go against his
call for “turning the other cheek.”
If one of them is accused of performing the rituals or
Local Newspaper Archives: History of the various in any way slandered, every member of the Cascadians
student groups as well as Dr. Van Wahl’s history. becomes guarded or openly hostile. At that point, they
are only accessible to Michael Reinhardt, whom they
Nathan Purl: Secretive, Nathan Purl is likely only recognize as being a fellow believer. They might ques-
to encourage the Cast Members during the early tion Reinhardt’s decision to associate himself with
stages of the investigation. However, he is well unbelievers, but then, at this point Reinhardt should be
aware of the occult history of the area. Later, he wondering the same thing . . .
becomes a key source of information. If asked about the organization of the Cascadians for
Christ, they refer the Cast Members to Curt Rimes or
Shelly Sommers: Suspicious of the Cascadians for Nathan Purl, a local Pastor and advisor to the group.
Christ. She knows Brent Hallinger although is Even if the characters alienate the Cascadians for
unlikely to consider him unless prompted directly. Christ, Nathan Purl seeks out the Cast Members and
makes their acquaintance.
Andre Smith’s Contacts: Occult history of the Further information may be found on pp. 27-28, 31.
area. Background checks for Supporting Cast.
Meeting With Reverend Purl
Reverend Nathan Purl is the backbone and Pastor of
Rebecca Sunnyvale: General occult importance of
the Cascadians for Christ organization. Meeting with
the area. Days of Power. Recognizes the rituals to
this man should be a fairly frustrating endeavor. Purl is
be dark rituals with only a few Wicce influences.
polite and even solicitous, but he speaks as if he
already knows what is going on, yet will not share his
Curt Rimes: Suspicious of the Cascade Coven. information. Also, through hints and innuendoes, Purl
Recommends consulting Nathan Purl. makes it known that he is a representative of a larger
organization, which he does not name. Finally, that
Pat Wright and Ralf Hensley: Information about Purl is interested in Michael Reinhardt should be clear.
the ritual sites. Information about campus security Whenever possible, he speaks directly with Reinhardt.
and campus layout. A conversation with Purl might contain some of the
following statements:
Greetings, truthseekers, I understand you are inves- The Lull
tigating the recent unspeakable acts on campus. I wish
you the best of luck and will offer what assistance I can. Most of the time from October 7 to 10, the characters
Indeed, I have access to certain assets, and have been should spend getting to know one another, visiting the two
blessed with certain friends, who may be very helpful religious groups and encountering Van Wahl and
should the right situation arise. I cannot say more at the McMillan. There is really very little that the Cast
moment. I can assure you that the Cascadians for Members can go on unless they have somehow been
Christ deplore such activities and have nothing to do tipped off. But even then, most of the tips would be dis-
with them. I am under certain confidentiality restric- covered magically.
tions, but I can say that this is the work of an evil and Magic can be used to gain clues. Particularly useful are the
misguided few. They must be stopped, and I believe you Seer powers Mindview and Mindtime. Mindview can be
are just the folks to do it. used actively to search inaccessible areas. The Chronicler
can also give flashes of insight to the cast member.
If the Cast Members really get into trouble, they can turn
Mindtime, like Mindview, can be very helpful in tracking
to Purl for help. If they are really messing things up, he vol-
down the culprit by use of psychometry -- reading objects.
unteers to help. He should never be portrayed as an antago-
Using this power without a ritual item as a focus, the Cast
nist to the Cast Members, even if they should have earned his
Member must make a successful Mindtime Art Task roll
enmity. Purl has received a number of vague Visions show-
with a -2 modifier. Possessing one of the ritual items reduces
ing that the Cast Members are key to getting to the bottom of
the modifier to 0. In either case, what the Seer sees is depen-
the recent disturbances and the greater evil behind them. He
dent upon the Mindtime Strength value.
will not reveal that information initially, if at all.
The Insight Invocation and the Divine Sight Miracle are
Further information may be found on pp. 21-22, 30-31.
generally not helpful -- how many of the 1200+ people on
Encountering Dr. Van Wahl campus plus the several thousand townsfolk could be dis-
cerned using these methods in the time allotted? Visions also
Bernd Van Wahl should make periodic appearances during proves singularly worthless. The divine tends to be conserv-
the characters’ investigation. He sticks around long enough ative and it does not reveal what the character should dis-
to make a seemingly knowing remark, but attempts to ditch cover in only a few days.
the Cast Members should they try to follow him. He is a red
Instead, the players can use this time as a period of role-
herring. Further, if the characters (or the Chronicler) need a
playing and character development. There are twelve hun-
little misinformation, Van Wahl is the person to provide it.
dred students on campus and only a handful have been
Further information may be found on p. 32. detailed here. Jeremy Hancock, Michael Reinhardt, and
Brenda Harrison all have roommates, who can be fleshed
The Law out. These additional Supporting Cast Members can be used
The Cast Members must be discreet. Should they forget to further the investigation or even hinder it, depending upon
themselves, Detective McMillan shows up and quickly puts how the Chronicler chooses to represent them.
a stop to anything remotely illegal or inappropriate. Indeed, During this time Bernd Van Wahl can be followed,
McMillan is spending a significant amount of time around encountered, and eventually discovered to have nothing
the campus, and should appear fairly regularly. He takes all to do with the whole situation. If this does not work, the
opportunities to stress that the Cast Members are still sus- time can pass by declaring each separate “investigation”
pects -- even if the Cast Members have been fingerprinted (e.g., talking with the Cascadians for Christ) as taking a
and cleared. whole day. This is not at all far-fetched considering that
McMillan presses them for information and does not hes- everyone except Andre Smith has full time work and/or
itate to arrest them if they have openly broken the law, or to classes to attend.
cart them off to the station house if he feels they need some Brent Hallinger can and does come into close proximity
attitude adjustment. He does not believe in the supernatural with the Cast Members during this time. He attends any
and may pin the rituals on the Cast Members if they try to large gatherings of the Cascade Coven. However,
challenge him. He might be persuaded to let an incident slide Hallinger is not some hulking monster and should blend in
were one of the female Cast Members to flirt with him, but easily with the student body. Only if an appropriate spell
he will not do anything stupid (from his point of view), or were active in close proximity to Hallinger could he be
allow the characters to do so. noticed at all, and even then, it will occur by Chronicler fiat
Any discovery of a weapon results in immediate arrest and rather than coincidence.
confiscation of the weapon -- even if the Cast Member holds
a concealed carry permit.
Van Wahl). If the Cast Members are rounded up, Detective
McMillan is particularly interested in Michael Reinhardt’s
whereabouts.
If McMillan finds the party at the site, his suspicions
appear confirmed and he brings them down to the station
again. This time, the character are not let loose so easily -- a
solid, rational explanation must be produced. McMillan is
not yet ready to accept a “supernatural” tie-in with the whole
series of events and likely takes a lot of convincing.
If the Cast Members interrupt the ritual, Brent Hallinger
flees. Hallinger is unknown to the Cast Members and is diffi-
cult to follow due to the rough, wooded terrain. If it seems
probable that the Cast Members will capture him, a large dog
that appears to have been severely burnt attacks them. The dog,
a Burning Hound (see p. 27), remains only long enough for
Brent to escape; it flees as soon as Hallinger is safely away.
If Hallinger is interrupted, a cheap ritual dagger and crys-
tal are found when examining the site. Brenda Harrison eas-
ily recognizes these as similar to items used by Shelly
Sommers’ Coven. If a minor Supporting Cast Member is
helping the Cast Members and discovers the ritual, he is sub-
dued by Brent Hallinger and tortured to unconsciousness.
The surge of Essence built up by the ritual has the same
The Gathering Storm feeling of “wrongness” as before. This time, matters have
progressed so far that some of this “wrongness” attaches
Between 2:15 a.m. and 3:45 a.m. on October 11, Brent itself to Hallinger. If the Cast Members should seek out or
Hallinger (see p. 29) performs a ritual at McGowan Field. encounter Brent Hallinger after the morning of October 11, a
The field is located in a fairly wild and wooded area of cam- Difficult Perception Test or active Essence detection power
pus, which provides many avenues of escape and conceal- by any Gifted Cast character reveals traces of the tainted
ment by both Hallinger and the Cast Members. Essence in his system. The tainted Essence is only detectable
The ritual pentacle itself is sloppy and made of cow’s when Cast Members are within three feet of Brent. While
blood, and the eleven red candles are not lit. The victim is a this makes it easier to pinpoint Hallinger, it is not enough to
debarked German Shepherd that Brent crucifies and flays. convince the police.
During the ritual, a build up of “wrong” Essence can be
detected by any Gifted Cast Members without a roll. To pin- The Breaking Point
point the location and get there before the ritual is conclud- The tensions between the Cascade Coven and the
ed requires a Difficult Perception Test by one of the Cast Cascadians for Christ reach a high point on October 12 when
Members, or some magical Essence-sensing means. In any the Cascadians hold a “silent march” from one ritual site to
event, a security guard making a patrol of the campus spots another. The Cascadians carry anti-pagan signs. The march
the ritual site at 4:30 a.m. If the Cast Members are present or ends prematurely when a rock is thrown at the marchers. A
arrive at roughly that time (failed Perception Tests) -- the Notice Task with a -4 penalty allows a Cast Member to iden-
campus is otherwise empty -- the guard attempts to hold the tify who threw the first rock. The scrawny young man is
Cast Members until the police arrive. Of the five security wearing an old Bad Religion t-shirt, jeans, and has frosted,
guards currently on duty, three, including Pat Wright, soon light brown hair. The man is actually Brent Hallinger, who
arrive to watch over the site. the Cast Members may recognize at this time
Detective McMillan, accompanied by a few squad cars, Mayhem soon ensues as the crowd stones the Cascadians,
arrives on site within a half hour of the security guard’s dis- who run for cover. Those who stay and fight are quickly
covery. Everyone out and about on campus is arrested, beaten. Police are called in and a virtual state of martial law
including Dr. Bernd Val Wahl. If the Cast Members have is enforced on campus. Chroniclers should work to make
been trailing Van Wahl, they know that he has been in his sure that Hallinger manages to escape in the melee. After this
office at Tobin Hall in the company of a female student, time, those moving about campus without “good reason” are
which is well known to be against college policy (and could detained and questioned; hostile detainees are arrested.
be used for blackmail should the Cast want anything from
Act Three: The Sacrificial Lamb
At 3:25 am on October 13, Hallinger (see p. 29) performs The Burning Hound (see p. 27) attacks those nearby, but
his next ritual inside the Parker Auditorium. He ambushes a singles out Gifted individuals first. Once it chooses its target,
security guard and ties him to a chair on the stage. As he it does not switch unless the target is out of the fight. The
begins the ritual, a large build-up of “wrong” Essence com- creature does not obey Hallinger and continues fighting
mences. As long as one of the Gifed Cast Members succeeds regardless of what happens to him. In fact, Hallinger does
at a Simple Perception Test, she can get to the ritual site not know where the Hound came from, though he suspects
before it concludes. If the Cast Members do not rush in and his “Master” gave it to him as a gift.
save the victim, Shelly Sommers feels the build up, and gath-
ers the Cast Members. Aftermath
While the Cast Members rush to confront Hallinger,
The Battle Shelly Sommers has been busy as well. Even if she did not
When the Cast Members enter the auditorium, they are encourage the party to step in, she calls the police and points
assailed by the smell of acrid smoke. Hallinger is performing them in the right direction. Regardless of the outcome of the
the next ritual on stage. The security guard is tied to a chair battle with Hallinger, Detective McMillan, several police
placed at the center of a bloody pentagram, and Hallinger is officers, and two ambulances arrive before he can be fin-
slowly torturing the gagged man. Behind the Black appren- ished off. The Burning Hound, if not already dead, is con-
tice is a large creature that appears to be a badly burnt wolf sumed in flames, leaving no traces of the creature.
-- it is the source of the acrid smell. Neither Brent nor the The paramedics tend to Brent Hallinger and the trauma-
“dog” react until the Cast Members move in to disrupt the tized security guard first, regardless of the condition of the
ritual, at which point they both attack. Cast Members. Both individuals are taken to the hospital for
Hallinger is not powerful, but he has the Essence drawn up additional treatment and observation. The Cast Members are
through the ceremony to work with. Hallinger has 90 not allowed to accompany either one of them unless magic is
Essence Points built up and continually casts his Black somehow employed. In any event, there is room for only one
Magic Soulfire 2 Invocation at the characters. If Hallinger is inside the ambulance. Any injured Cast Member is sat down
seriously hurt, he surrenders. He does not wish to die and and told to wait for another ambulance to arrive. This takes
does whatever is necessary to survive. at least 15 minutes.
If any of the Cast Members manage to accompany
Brent Hallinger on his ride to the hospital, they witness
his death. If the Cast Member makes a Perception and
First Aid or Medicine Task at a -3 modifier, she notices
that the EMT, bearing the name Jonathan Flowers, is
subtly torturing the patient. The addition of Gifted sight
reveals that Flowers is sucking the Essence right out of
Brent. If the Cast Member wishes to intervene, she may
do so, but will most likely be killed by the powerful
Flowers. Once the combat starts, the Chronicler should
indicate that the Cast Member’s best bet is to try and
escape from the ambulance (it slows enough during the
fighting to allow the character to jump from the mov-
ing vehicle with only cuts and scrapes -- D6(3) points of
damage). If the Cast Member ignores the hint and dies
in this way, Flowers makes sure that it all appears to be
a freak accident involving an exploding oxygen tank
and subsequent fire; Flowers is the only survivor. If the
Cast Member gets very lucky and manages to seriously
hurt Flowers, make sure the Black Mage escapes some-
how. Regardless of the events, Hallinger dies on the
way to the hospital.
Unless a Cast Member is taken to the hospital due to
injuries, Detective McMillan arrests the lot of them. He
does not know what to think and is unwilling to listen to
the Cast Members (any Task attempted to convince him
not to arrest them suffers a -5 penalty).
Detective McMillan interviews them later that
night/morning. The first bit of information that he passes
on is that Brent Hallinger died on his way to the hospital
and that one or more Cast Members are looking at a poten-
tial manslaughter or murder charge in the near future. If
the Cast Members cannot persuade McMillan to release
them, attorneys representing Cascade College and Andre
Smith’s employers, the Global Sun News, make sure that
the Cast Members are released from jail by October 16.
Act Four: The Real Evil
After being released from jail, the Cast Members quickly Dr. Fielding is a short, balding man in his middle years. He
learn that a lot and very little has changed. The general feel- is calm, quiet, and completely lacking in charisma. Dr.
ing is that the whole situation is over. Due to pressure from Fielding does not discuss the case very much. He states that
the Cascadians for Christ and some parents, the Cascade Brent Hallinger died of a heart attack but otherwise appeared
Coven loses its charter because of Hallinger’s association completely healthy (save for any battle wounds). If asked
with them, the only effect of which is an inability to get col- about the paramedic who was with Hallinger when he died,
lege funding. Otherwise, it can continue on as usual. This he names Jonathan Flowers. Dr. Fielding refuses to discuss
mollifies the Cascadians for Christ, who view it as a great the paramedic further, because, as Dr. Fielding puts it, he
victory. The Coven members are humiliated to learn that one does not gossip. If the Cast Members are particularly pushy
of their own was behind the whole thing, and do not make and/or charismatic, Dr. Fielding lets slip that Hallinger’s
too much of a fuss. body is missing and that the Hallinger family is threatening
At this point, the characters can choose to continue the to sue the hospital. If Dr. Fielding does inadvertently men-
investigation, or just wait and assume that the whole episode tion the missing body, he quickly ends the conversation and
is over. If they move on with their lives, the Chronicler can will not talk to the Cast Members again.
pretend to commence another Story, at least until the next rit-
ual on October 17.
Investigating Jonathan Flowers
If they choose to investigate, there are several paths open Asking around the E.R., the Cast Members learn quite a
to them. bit about Jonathan Flowers. He is considered the ultimate
EMT and is known for being a workaholic. Flowers moved
Checking on Hallinger to Cascade over a year ago and has a small apartment across
the street from the hospital. No one knows anything very
Checking Hallinger’s death certificate, they learn that he personal about him. Other than a few nurses who admit to
“officially” died of a heart attack. The death certificate is having brief “encounters” with Flowers, he does not seem to
signed by Dr. Max Fielding, who also performed the autopsy. have a family or social life.
Investigating Flowers’ apartment proves a simple and hour. They finally stop in front of the Anders-Martin Library,
unfruitful task. The apartment is large (three bedroom, two which has been closed since 9:00. They stand, talking and
bath) and well furnished. If anyone cares to look, his furni- kissing for a time. Flowers then pulls a weird set of keys
ture and accoutrements are all of high quality: genuine from his pocket, unlocks the library door and escorts
Tiffany Lamps, first edition and leather bound books, Sommers inside. The library door locks behind the couple.
antique oriental carpets, etc. Taken together, these items are If the Cast Members somehow follow Sommers and
more than a mere EMT could afford, but are in no other way Flowers into the library (Mindhands can be used to pick the
damning. Two Success Levels at a Research/Investigation lock), they fairly easily find the couple on a large couch.
Task on Flower’s file cabinet and desk reveal that he rents a Unless the Cast Members interrupt, they continue fondling
self-storage unit in town. Three Success Levels grant the and caressing each other for quite sometime, after which
combination to the lock on the storage unit. they doze off until well after midnight, when Flowers rouses
Investigating the self-storage unit is fairly straightforward. her. The couple proceeds to the deepest level in the library
Although against company policy, a successful Smooth where Flower’s ritual instruments and supplies are already
Talking, Intimidation or similar Task, or even a bribe, con- waiting. Flowers spends the time preparing for the ritual,
vinces the attendant to let them in (an Intimidation result which he performs slightly before 3:00 a.m. on the 17th.
with less than two Success Levels results in the attendant Those who can perceive Essence are able to tell that a
leaving to phone the police, who arrive in 10 minutes). The complex web of spells binds Sommers. If the Cast members
storage unit is secured with a combination lock that requires wish, they may intervene and save Sommers, but the odds of
two Success Levels to pick. Inside the unit is a vintage stopping Jonathan Flowers at this time are small due to
Jaguar in pristine condition, and a few crates of esoteric Flowers’ overwhelming magical skills. Flowers immediately
books. Eloise Thibault and Timothy Kent both recognize Wards himself then proceeds to bombard the Cast Members
these as valuable occult tomes. If Thibault decides to turn with progressive waves of Soulfire. Given the mazelike
these over to her Covenant, she earns a lot of respect and nature of the stacks, the Cast Members can easily flee from
favor with her superiors. Flowers, who does try to pursue.
Under no circumstances will Jonathan Flowers be found. If Flowers begins to lose to the Cast Members, he uses
He has not shown up at work since October 13 and no one Shelly Sommers as a shield. He has no regard for Shelly’s
has seen him. Magical means of detection indicate that life and gladly sacrifices her and her Essence to summon
Flowers is in the general area but no concrete location is dis- several Fire Elementals (see WitchCraft, p. 263). He orders
covered. The cleverer Cast Members might deduce that them to hold off the Cast Members while he gets back to his
Flowers is magically warded, which is correct. ritual, or makes his escape. The battle with the Fire
Searching out Shelly Sommers Elementals causes the library to burn to the ground.
Sommers is little help to the Cast Members until the Fire and Death
evening of October 16, after which she will be missing and Unless Flowers and Sommers are followed, there is almost
later killed. Sommers assumes that the “negative vibra- no way that the October 17 ritual can be stopped. The Cast
tions” on campus are somehow attributed to the Cast Members can feel the build up of “wrong” Essence without
Members and wants nothing to do with them. Secretly, any Perception Test. Within minutes, the library is aflame.
Sommers also feels guilty about Brent Hallinger. If the Before the Fire Department can respond, the whole library is
Cast Members have discovered Jonathan Flower’s involve- an inferno. Even the sprinklers cannot stop it. By dawn, the
ment in the whole situation and ask Sommers about him, library is gone.
she tells them that she knows Flowers and that he is a heal-
er and a very gentle person. If the characters are not at the library when the ritual starts,
they can rush out to see what is happening. They arrive at the
If the Cast Members somehow view Sommer’s thoughts library before anyone else, but too late to see anything but a
during questioning, they find that she has a date with flaming building. They may consider it strange that the
Flowers (she will not mention it unless extreme measures are library should burn so fast, but “strangeness” is a pretty reg-
used). Sommers is to meet Flowers in front of the Anders- ular occurrence by now. It is clear that any attempt to enter
Martin Library at 6:45 p.m. on October 16. If the Cast the building is suicidal.
Members follow her, they can find Flowers and possibly res-
cue Sommers from her fate. At this point, the Cast Members should hear sirens. If they
do not think of it, it should be made clear that being found at
Sommers meets Flowers promptly at 6:45 p.m. Flowers the scene by the police is to be avoided. Indeed, the charac-
takes her to a pizza place called the College Pizza Station, ters should be put on alert that they have to find the person
which is adjacent to the campus. They stay there until 9:00, responsible before they can face McMillan, or they will be
after which they take a walk around campus for the next summarily arrested and jailed.
If the Cast Members are somehow inside the library at the Reverend Purl is polite but insists that the Cast Members
time of the ritual but did not interrupt Sommers and Flowers join him at his church right away. If the Cast Members balk,
earlier, a feminine scream is heard from the lowest stacks. A a white SUV pulls up next to them -- at least in sight of them
fire alarm sounds and the darkened area of the lower stacks -- and Purl explains over the phone that he strongly recom-
blazes with flames. The characters are going to have several mends a meeting. The two men in the SUV are definitely
problems on their hands. The most imminent is getting out. muscle, but they are there for intimidation rather than action.
Up to three Fire Elementals, one at a time, block the Cast Purl’s guards are not here to hurt the Cast Members and back
Members’ path and attempt to keep them within the building. off if violence is pending. Under no circumstances are these
If the Cast Members cannot get out in 10 minutes, they start two men rude to the Cast Members.
to succumb to smoke inhalation and die. When the Cast Members arrive at the square brick build-
The actual ritual that was performed is simple, but ing that serves as the Cascade Bible Church, they are greet-
Jonathan Flowers brought along a helper to aid in the cover ed by another guard; a Simple Perception Test show him to
up: Shelly Sommers. Shelly was not needed for the ritual be carrying a concealed weapon. The Cast Members are
itself, but to help Flowers in returning to the site later. escorted inside to the stark sanctuary where they find Nathan
Shelly is sacrificed and her Essence is used to summon Purl sitting on a pew awaiting them.
several Fire Elementals. Nathan Purl stands, greets them and asks them to sit. He
Sommer’s charred remains are not found by police and fire offers refreshments, pleasant conversation, and everything
investigators until October 20, however, so the Cast else that a host is required to do. Reverend Purl does not
Members, if arrested, are not immediately charged with mur- mention why he summoned them until he is asked, at which
der. On the other hand, their escape does not go without point he becomes very somber and serious.
notice. At least one security guard spots the fleeing Cast Reverend Purl explains that Cascade College has been
Members and connects them to the burning library. built on an ancient Amerindian sacred site. According to oral
Unexpected Aid tradition, centuries before the whites showed up in the
region, an evil tribe migrated into the Cascades; the legend
The burning of the Anders-Martin Library has a dramatic does not speak of where the tribe originated. This tribe com-
change on the campus and town. Debate rages as to whether mitted heinous acts and ultimately the other tribes of the
the college should be closed. Many students leave campus or region united to destroy it. The evil tribe was forced into a
are pulled out by their parents before this debate is resolved. network of caves and hunted down until only one member
Jonathan Flowers’ motives are still unclear at this time, but remained. This member, a sickly old woman, was spared as
one avenue of inquiry -- the library -- is closed to the party. she had seen all of her children and grandchildren killed.
From dawn on October 17 to well into December, the Filled with despair for what her tribe’s evil had done, the
remains of the Anders-Martin Library are the subject of old woman chose to spend the rest of her life within the
intense investigation by police, fire officials, and even the caves looking after the spirits of her fallen tribesmen. The
FBI. No accelerants are found, and Sommers’ body is not other Indians dispersed, but not before their shaman per-
discovered until October 20. formed a mighty ritual to contain the ghosts of the evil tribe.
The police, more than anyone else, are the Cast Members’ Alone in the cave with the ghosts of her tribe, the old woman
main antagonists at this time. Staying away from Detective survived and was sought after for advice until the time the
McMillan’s watchful eye should be high on the list of prior- first white men appeared in the area. By that time the evil
ities for the Cast Members. tribe’s name and the old woman’s identity had been all but
forgotten. She was simply known as the “Mother in the Heart
The Reverend of the Cascades.”
At this time, one of the Supporting Cast is ready to talk. If If pressed, Purl goes on to explain that his organization,
the Cast Members have grown frustrated and do not seek out which he names as Christians Against Satanic Enterprises (or
Nathan Purl, he seeks them out instead. If necessary, Purl C.A.S.E.), has always had a strong interest in supernatural
contacts them by phone. He explains that his “friends” told tales. The “Mother in the Heart of the Cascades” tale is well
him where to find the Cast Members. (Actually, members of known in occult circles, but has been mostly discounted
C.A.S.E. have been very discretely tailing the Cast Members because no evidence of the caves has been found. He is not
-- there should be little or no chance to notice them, but certain how or why, but he believes that the perpetrator of the
crafty Chroniclers may want to mention shadowy characters rituals and recent arson is somehow connected to this legend.
in the periphery of the Cast Members’ vision at various Purl also explains to the characters at this time that his
points in the Story.) He asks to speak with the Cast Member Visions have shown them to be crucial to resolving this mat-
who has exhibited the most leadership tendencies so far. ter. He offers whatever aid he can.
The Cast Members have a hard time learning anything ly closes down at night (only one police squad car with two
about the supposed caves beneath the college. As far as officers remain on duty) -- this offers the easiest opportunity
everyone is concerned, this area lacks any caves. The Cast for the Cast Members to gain access. Of course, the other
Members may learn from talking to various students and way is through the Arts.
maintenance workers that the Anders-Martin Library The climb into the burnt remains of the library should be
extended the furthest underground of any of the buildings fairly treacherous and can be played out as the Chronicler
on campus. sees fit. If they continue down far enough, they eventually
The Ruins reach the lowest level of the library stacks. Mystical search-
ing may reveal the unrecognizable corpse of Shelly
The Cast Members may decide to search the charred husk Sommers unless the police have already discovered and
of the library, but several difficulties present themselves. The removed it. If so, a chalk outline remains. All physical traces
foremost of these complications is the ever-present official of the ritual have been obscured to the untrained eyes of the
investigators slowly sifting through the debris. The site near- Cast Members.
Using magic to view the area supplies several other clues
for the Cast Members to digest. First, the ritual pentagram is
Christians Against Satanic plainly visible through any Essence-enhanced vision. The
Enterprises (C.A.S.E.) pentagram is neat and not anything like the sloppy, intense
pentagrams used by Brent Hallinger. Second, it is apparent
that a crack under the pentagram extends deep into the
C.A.S.E. was formed 10 years ago by an ground. Essence leaks up through the crack. Barring heavy
eccentric billionaire named Alex Hammer. machinery or powerful magic, however, the crack cannot be
Hammer, after making a fortune as an widened or closed.
investment banker and an early proponent of
the Internet, credited his success to "visions."
Not an overly religious man, Hammer’s tone
changed about 10 years ago when his vision
shifted from investment tips into images of a
coming apocalypse. Quickly becoming a con-
vert to Christianity, Alex Hammer retired
from an active role in the business world --
he still has dramatically increased his net
worth by acting as a venture capitalist for
e-commerce.
C.A.S.E. has recruited men and women of

faith to act as his eyes and ears. Only num-
bering 75 or so, C.A.S.E. is dedicated to
watching over the sites where Hammer fore-
sees trouble and to prevent that trouble by
any means possible. So far, the organization
has done this by recruiting outsiders to do
the actual fighting while the C.A.S.E. mem-
bers watch from a distance and report back
to Hammer and his lieutenants.
Hammer is Divinely Inspired and was once

considered for recruitment by the Sentinels,
but was rejected out of security concerns.
Though all members of C.A.S.E. believe that
they are chosen by God, very few are actual-
ly Divinely Inspired.
Act Five: Widening Doom
Many events may occur during this time period, and it is understand is why this eclectic bunch of scholars, students,
the least predictable. More than ever before, these events are and a trash reporter would band together and begin a ram-
mere guidelines and should not be used to dictate how the page of occult-related crimes.
story unfolds. At this point, the Cast Members could be facing two homi-
Flowers Returns cide charges, one for arson, and a heap of misdemeanor
charges for performing hate crimes -- i.e., the rituals.
Around 2:00 a.m. on October 19, 23 and 29, a figure slips Detective McMillan and the rest of the Cascade police
into the ruins of the Anders-Martin Library. This elusive fig- department have nothing but contempt for the Cast
ure is, of course, Jonathan Flowers. Flowers has no victim at Members. They have no friends among the law officers.
these times, however.
Flowers makes his way down to the sight of the previ- Life Behind Bars
ous ritual. Using his own blood, Flowers draws a soot- If the Cast Members are arrested, they spend quite some
stained pentagram directly over the last one used. He then time behind bars. The Cast Members should be reminded of
performs a short ritual. At the end of the ceremony, the the passing days and the rituals (by the build-up of “wrong”
crack at the center of the pentagram begins to widen. On Essence) that have occurred while they are “indisposed.” In
October 19, the crack spreads to be a foot at its widest particular, the approach of October 31 should be empha-
point. On October 23, the crack widens even further to be sized. This is a very holy day for pagans and, if they have not
over three feet at its widest point. The police note these done so already, they become convinced that it marks the day
changes but do not know what to make of them, and do not the rituals are to be completed. If worse comes to worst,
think to post more security around the site. Finally, on incarceration can be used to eat up some time.
October 29, the crack bursts wide open and reveals a pas- The Cast Members meet with their defense lawyer, Ted
sageway leading about twenty feet into the earth. Lewis (see p. 28) -- provided by the Global Sun News (unless
If the Cast Members are present at any of these rituals and they make other arrangements) -- and are arraigned the day
choose to confront Flowers, the crack bursts open to its full after they are jailed. Bail is set astronomically high and none
width and Flowers flees into the caves below. If this hap- of the Cast Members can, singly or as a group, raise that kind
pens, proceed directly to Act Six: The Final Confrontation. of money; no bondsman will touch them.
A Grisly Discovery Sometime before October 30, Nathan Purl visits the Cast
Members and tells them that they must get free and stop
In the middle of the day on October 20, the workmen at the whatever is going to happen from happening. Purl offers to
Anders-Martin Library reach the bottom of the structure and get them out of jail in time to stop the October 31 ritual.
discover the corpse of Shelly Sommers. The corpse is too When Purl hears their response, he nods and leaves.
badly burnt for immediate identification. Regardless of their answer, on the afternoon of October 30,
Previously only interested in some hard questioning, a jubilant Ted Lewis arrives and tells the Cast Members that
McMillan immediately puts out an All Points Bulletin for the he succeeded in talking the Judge down on the bail. Each
Cast Members’ arrest -- this time on murder charges. If cap- must post a $1000 bond. This should be easily accomplished
tured, he interrogates them intensely. He tries to turn them (even if Purl has to put up the money) and the Cast Members
against each other. For the life of him, McMillan cannot should be out of jail by sundown.
Act Six: The Final Confrontation
This episode should occur on October 31, but, depending every wound inflicted on the Cast Members (add a number
upon the circumstances, may happen earlier. If, for whatever of Essence Points equal to the wound damage), and can
reason, the Cast Members do not know to go to the ruins of the throw a seemingly unlimited amount of Soulfire and other
Anders-Martin Library sometime after midnight on October spells. If, for whatever reason, Flowers appears to be losing,
31, all Gifted characters feel a tremendous build-up of “wrong” he flees down the tunnel and into the caves below.
Essence emanating from the destroyed library. Again, it is
repulsive and seductive all at the same time. A Difficult Flowers Triumphant
Willpower Test is necessary or the character cannot help but If, as it should happen, Jonathan Flowers is defeating the
make their way to the library ruins immediately. If this is not Cast Members, help arrives from two unexpected sources.
enough, Nathan Purl arrives and leads them to the library while
Neither the Cast Members nor Flowers arrived unseen this
preaching the coming confrontation of Good versus Evil.
time. Detective McMillan is phoned as soon as the charac-
Under no circumstances does Reverend Purl descend into the
ters enter the ruined library. When he arrives, he is deter-
library -- he is convinced that this is their fight, not his.
mined to stop this “insanity,” which is how he has come to
Climbing down the husk of the library, the Cast Members view the characters’ involvement. If Nathan Purl lead the
feel that they are being watched. When they arrive at the ritual characters to the site, Purl is arrested. Detective McMillan
site, the ground lies split open revealing a tunnel into the earth. and several officers descend into the ruins to apprehend the
Jonathan Flowers is about to enter the tunnel when he Cast Members but come up short when they see the unleash-
notices the Cast Members. If this is occurring on October 31, ing of magical energy during the battle. Under normal cir-
he has four Burning Hounds to accompany him, which he cumstances, the police watch on in horror as Flowers is com-
orders to attack. If this is taking place on any other night, bated. However, if need be, the police can be used to distract
Flowers orders the attack and only two Burning Hounds Flowers or could even enter the melee.
come out from the ruins. The second source of help is a solitary figure that appears
Flowers has a 170-point Essence Pool at this time and as if out of nowhere. Jonathan Flowers stops his assault on
fights as long as possible. The Hounds and the Black Mage the Cast Members and turns to face the new opponent.
should dominate the battle. Flowers becomes stronger with Flower’s face assumes a sardonic smile and he says, “I did
not think that you had it in you” before Brent Hallinger steps face with Brent Hallinger. Surprised by Hallinger, Flowers
into the wane light. Hallinger looks almost the same but is, does not stand a chance as the Relentless Dead picks him up
in fact, a Relentless Dead with a hatred for Black Magicians and breaks his back over a knee.
in general and Jonathan Flowers in particular (more can be In either case, Brent throws the corpse down and collaps-
learned about Relentless Dead in Mystery Codex, p. 110). es at the Cast Member’s feet where he begins to explain him-
While the Cast Members may not know at first what to do, self just as in the Flowers Triumphant version.
they should not be allowed to do anything before Hallinger
attacks Flowers. Into the Caves
Without Flowers to back them up, the Burning Hounds fal- The tunnel created by Jonathan Flowers only leads to a
ter and can be defeated. If the Elementals are still too strong network of caves on October 31st and will only remain open
for the Cast Members, one or two of the Burning Hounds until dawn. During this time, the Cast Members may explore
turns to aid their master and are ripped apart by the trans- the caves and discover the truth about the “Mother in the
formed Brent Hallinger. The battle wages on until the final Heart of the Cascades.” The vast amounts of tainted Essence
Burning Hound is defeated, at which point Hallinger literal- and a close affinity to Geburah, the Death Realm, should be
ly breaks Flowers in half. stressed. Gifted characters will feel an immense aura of
Hallinger then collapses on the ground. If any of the Cast death surrounding the tunnel and should be warned away
Members come close, he lifts his head and starts talking from entering. In fact, the tunnel leads to a complex of caves
about Flowers. Hallinger explains that Flowers was his mas- that exist mainly in Geburah itself. After the tunnel closes,
ter and called himself a magician of great power. Brent tries there is no way of opening it again unless the Cast Members
to convince himself and the Cast Members that Flowers were to somehow piece together the complete series of ritu-
manipulated him with magic and he was not himself. He als from Flowers’ spellbooks (located at the storage area
starts talking about Black Magicians -- how they use every- describe on p. 20)
one and must be destroyed. While Hallinger talks, he If the Cast Members force Flowers to open the passage
becomes angrier and more enraged. It is unclear whether before October 31, the path will only remain open for fifteen
Hallinger is more upset at being betrayed by Flowers or at minutes. If Flowers has fled down the tunnel, this could
the evil of Black Magicians. In either case, Hallinger’s rage mean that any Cast Members who follow him may risk
is what keeps him in his undead state. becoming trapped in Geburah. Despite the much lessened
If the Cast Members are patient and talk gently, they earn time span, events will still occur as listed above.
Hallinger’s trust. In fact, he can be cultivated as a reoccurring The tunnel from the ruins of the library is short, no more
Supporting Cast Member and ally if the Cast Members so than 10 feet in length. After that, the caves are a maze of small
wish. Hallinger knows next to nothing about the rituals limestone passages that glow with an unearthly light. No sin-
except they were part of his “corruption,” as he now refers to gle cave is larger than a two-car garage, and most are much
his training period. He is unaware of the “Mother in the Heart smaller. The connecting passages are small and twist up and
of the Cascades” and, frankly, does not care much about it. down, which makes mapping nearly impossible.
With his rage rekindled, Hallinger rises up and departs, Bones and fossilized human flesh can be seen encased with-
saying only that he must seek out and destroy Black in hundreds of the stalactites and stalagmites scattered about.
Magicians. Regardless of what the Cast Members or the Whether these are the corpses of the legendary “evil tribe” or
police do, he runs off into the woods. something else is completely unknown. Neolithic artifacts like
axe heads and flint blades can be found if the Cast Members
Flowers Flees look hard enough. All possible organic artifacts have long ago
If Flowers flees into the tunnel, he does not make it far. rotted away in the chemically rich environment.
The caves are a maze and he becomes lost in his rash flight. Along the way, ghosts and apparitions harass the Cast
Fortunately, his life quickly comes to an end at the hands of Members. All speak some archaic language that might be a
a friend . . . root language of the modern tongues spoken by native tribes
If the Cast Members do not immediately follow Flowers, in the area. Or it could be Nuahtl, the language of the Aztec.
there is no way that they find the Black Mage. Instead, Or it could be something else entirely. Even if magical
Hallinger, in his Relentless Dead incarnation, emerges from means are employed, the ghosts’ words remain meaningless.
the tunnel carrying the corpse of Jonathan Flowers. While all of the spirits attempt to steal Essence from the
Hallinger was able to get in front of Flowers through the use Cast Members, only a few prove to be dangerous in a real
of his special Nemesis Power (see p. 29). sense. One or two may be encountered that can manipulate
If the characters do follow Jonathan Flowers, they pass inanimate objects, throwing debris at the Cast Members. All
through a series of luminescent caves before coming face to of these ghosts and spirits are trapped within these caves and
seek solace, release, or just someone to punish for their
plight. The Chronicler can devise the specifics of the more
Aftermath
troublesome ghosts by consulting WitchCraft (p. 266) or The arrival and observation of the final events by
Mystery Codex (p. 66). Detective McMillan saves the Cast Members from a proba-
In addition to the unliving inhabitants, there are other ble fate of extended prison time. The detective and officers
threats. Some caves are completely filled with water, lack oxy- are so shocked by the whole experience. It is their unani-
gen, and even are filled with hallucinogenic fogs and gasses, mous decision that none of it should come to light. McMillan
etc. The most dangerous feature of all is the mazelike system has enough information to blackmail the local prosecutor
of caves themselves. The Chronicler can decide for herself and several of the prominent politicians, so all of the charges
what the Cast Members actually encounter within the caves. that could have been leveled against the Cast Members soon
disappear. Those whom McMillan cannot bribe or blackmail
Eventually, the Cast Members reach the heart of the caves are of the mind to sweep the whole incident under the rug.
where the “Mother in the Heart of the Cascades” dwells. Is Detective McMillan and the police officers present actually
she a miserable, old woman sustained by her regret and an use some unscrupulous tactics, but in the end, the Cast
Essence Pool that amounts into the thousands? Is it an entity Members are free and clear.
exiled from the Death Realms and once worshipped as a
god? Or is it something entirely else? Or perhaps, the caves The options for continuing adventure are endless. That is,
themselves are the “Mother in the Heart of the Cascades” -- if the Cast Members do not fail in their encounter with the
a metaphorical womb? “Mother in the Heart of the Cascades” and meet their fate in
her tender arms . . .
Only the Chronicler knows.
"Mother in the Heart of the Cascades"

Legendary entity
The nature of this creature is up to the Chronicler humans have breached his prison, Xipetotec longs for
to decide, but three general theories may be uncovered the delicious sounds of human flesh being flayed, and
by the Cast Members. the delectable sight and odor of the rotting, flayed
The “Mother” as a mother. She is the last of her skin being worn by his devoted followers -- followers
tribe. Her children and grandchildren are all slaugh- that he is sure to attract to him once he is freed from
tered in front of her and now she is the only one left this underground prison . . . (If the Chronicler desires,
to mourn. Assuming all of the pain and bitterness of and has access to Mystery Codex, this background
a dead tribe, the Mother sits in the caves, which are could be part of the Cult of Pain and Hallinger could
her people’s tomb, and awaits Grandfather Rain to be reworked as a cultist, and Flowers as an
wash her sorrows away. The caves still exist, but even Executioner.)
if destroyed, Mother’s Essence and pain last long The “Mother” as the heart of a mountain range.
enough for the sun itself to burn out. The caves used to be pristine, a place of holiness.
The “Mother” as fallen god. Once the Mother Then the white man arrived. The shaman who guard-
knew another name, Xipetotec, “Our Lord, the Flayed ed the Mother of the Heart, which is the holy cave
One.” Once he was worshipped as a god of renewal system itself, buried the entrance to the caves under
and rebirth, but the Spanish invaders only smelled the tons of rock and soil. Grandfather Pine was asked to
stench of Geburah in the rotting, human skins that cover this site with trees, which he gladly did, so holy
his priests wore. Driven from his home, Xipetotec and was the Heart of the Cascades. But then the tribes
his loyal priests fled north, ever pursued by the were decimated by negligence, disease, and even geno-
Spanish and the antipathy of the native Indian Tribes. cide by the white man. Without the care of her
In the nearby mountains, the weakened god and his shaman, the Cascades began to die. With their dying
followers attempted to regroup. They captured, tor- the Mother, the womb of caves, became corrupted
tured, and ritually flayed some local Indians. While with death and the taint that the white man brought.
the smell of rotting flesh appeased Xipetotec’s Now the Heart, a single, perfect stone at the center
hunger, it angered the native tribes and their spirits. of the complex of caves, which are its mother, pulses
Together, they slew all of Xipetotec’s priests. The weakly with pain. Though the actual death may be
victorious local tribe imprisoned Xipetotec within the centuries off, the agony of the dying heart of a moun-
caves with only hunger to keep him warm. Now that tain range gives off Essence that only the most
depraved would think of stealing for themselves.
Supporting Cast and Adversaries
These characters are likely to be encountered during the
course of this adventure. Cascade Coven
College kids with varying interest in paganism and hatred
for Christianity and/or their parents.
The Coven’s actual name is the “Coven of the Mother in
the Heart of the Cascades,” which has been shortened to
“Cascade Coven.” Over fifty students claim membership,
but the core of the coven is limited to seven active Wicce
who are lead by Shelly Sommers, a Gifted woman with a
deep faith in the Wiccan religion. The rest are fairly evenly
divided between the earnest pagans, and the troublemakers,
Christian haters, and nut cases. Unfortunately, these cate-
gories often overlap. Shelly and her “inner circle” of
Wiccans tolerate the whole group as friends, sometimes
lovers, and people to party with, but do not allow any of
them to enter their sacred circle during actual rituals.
Typical Coven Member

Strength: 2 Intelligence: 2
Dexterity: 2 Perception: 2
Constitution: 2 Willpower: 2
Life Points: 26 Endurance Points: 23
Burning Hound
Speed: 8 Essence Points: 12
These creatures are a rare animal form of Fire
Elemental bound into the body of a dog. The living Qualities: Contacts (Cascade Coven) 1
dog is killed by the Elemental’s heat and takes on the Drawbacks: Resources -1, Delusions (Prejudice
appearance of being badly burnt, which is actually Against Christians) -1
true. No matter the breed of the dog, Burning Hounds Skills: Computers 2, Dancing 1, Driving (Car) 2, First
transform their host into the size and shape of a Aid (Holistic) 1, Notice 1, Occult Knowledge (New
German Shepherd. When injured, Burning Hounds Age) 2, Sport (any) 1, Streetwise 1 and 5 more points
bleed flame. In addition to its burning claws and teeth, in other Scholastic skills.
the Burning Hound can spit flame up to 10 yards
(meters) away at the cost of 4 Essence per attack.
Destroying the hound’s physical body destroys the
Elemental’s ties to this realm. Once all of the Burning Cascadians For Christ
Hound’s Life Points have been exhausted, it is con-
The 27 members of the Cascadians for Christ see them-
sumed in a ball of flame that does D6 x 4(12) points of
selves as an oppressed minority at Cascade College. The fact
damage to anyone within 6 feet (2 meters) of the dog.
that the Cascadians for Christ are the only unchartered orga-
Strength: 4 Intelligence: 2 nization at the college does nothing but strengthen this view.
Dexterity: 4 Perception: 4 The group is lead by the charismatic Curt Rimes. The mem-
Constitution: 4 Willpower: 3 bers are a fairly homogenous group of devout Christians.
Life Points: 60 Endurance Points: N/A They genuinely believe the Cascade Coven is the antithesis
Speed: 20 Essence Points: 40 to their beliefs -- the Cascadians for Christ would not be half
so mad if the Coven lost its Charter or the Cascadians were
Skills: Brawling 4, Dodge 3, Spit 4, Track (by scent) 3 to be given one. As an “oppressed minority,” the Cascadians
Attacks: Bite/Claw: D4 x 8(16), slashing damage. go out of their way to be nice to everyone except for the
Flame Spit: D8 x 4(16), half damage if the character is members of the Coven, whom they shun or try to convert.
protected from fire.
Typical Cascadian for Christ Member Ralf Hensley
Strength: 2 Intelligence: 2 Campus Security Guard
Dexterity: 2 Perception: 2 Hensley is part of campus security and is sympa-
Constitution: 2 Willpower: 2 thetic with the Cascadians for Christ. He’s young (23),
Life Points: 26 Endurance Points: 23 a bit highly strung, and thoroughly horrified by the rit-
ual sites that keep turning up.
Qualities: Contacts (Cascadians for Christ) 2 Dexterity: 2 Perception: 2
Drawbacks: Honorable 1, Obsession (Spreading the Constitution: 2 Willpower: 2
Faith) 2 Life Points: 26 Endurance Points: 23
Skills: Computers 2, Driving (any) 2, Humanities Speed: 8 Essence Pool: 12
(Christian Theology) 2, Rituals (Christian) 1, Singing
1, Sport (Any) 1, and 5 points in Scholastic skills. Qualities: Contacts (Campus Security) 1
Skills: Brawling 2, Dodge 2, Driving (Car) 3,
Intimidation 1, Notice 1, Sport (Football) 2,
Streetwise 1
Ted Lewis
Global Sun News Defense Attorney
Ted Lewis is proud that he graduated from Harvard
Law. He does not seem to care that he graduated next
to the bottom of his class or that it took him three times
to pass the bar; the fact remains that he graduated from
Harvard Law School. While being a defense attorney
for a trash paper is not Lewis' idea of a great career, it
pays well and is fairly interesting. Lewis may not be
Jonathan Flowers the best lawyer, but he knows that being a lawyer is
EMT and Master Black Magician not all that difficult, and that he is good enough to do
Flowers is a young looking man with full brown the job he is paid for.
hair. He sports a graying goatee. From all appearances,
In truth, Lewis is a regular, thirty-something year
he is happy with his job, if a little secretive. No one
old guy, who would be at home watching a ball game
knows that Flowers is over a century old and a prac-
and having a couple beers. He uses straight talk and
ticed Black Magician.
does not try to act superior. He is actually a lawyer
Strength: 3 Intelligence: 4 one might call a friend.
Life Points: 40 Endurance Points: 38 Constitution: 2 Willpower: 2
Speed: 12 Essence Points: 122 Life Points: 26 Endurance Points: 23
Qualities: Age 1 (100+ years), Charisma +2, Essence Speed: 8 Essence Pool: 14
Channeling 5, Hard to Kill 2, Increased Essence 20,
Qualities: Contacts (Global Sun News) 3, Resources
Resources +3
+2, Status 2
Drawbacks: Covetous (Power) 3, Cruel 2
Skills: Computers 3, Driving (Car) 3, Haggling 4,
Skills: Dodge 3, First Aid 5, Guns (Handgun) 3, Humanities (Law) 3, Humanities (Criminal Law) 5,
Martial Arts (Boxing) 3, Medicine 3, Occult Intimidation 3, Language (Spanish) 5, Questioning 4,
Knowledge 4, Rituals (Black Magic) 4 Smooth Talking 3, Streetwise 1, Swimming 2, Writing
Powers: Affect Psyche 5, Blessing 4, Lesser Curse 5, (Legal) 4
Lesser Illusions 5, Shielding 3, Soulfire 3, Spirit
Mastery (Fire Elemental) 4, Warding 4, Gateway 3
urged Hallinger to perform the various rituals around cam-
pus as a test of his abilities; Hallinger sees them as a way
to offend the Christian sensibilities that he sees every-
where. A quick search of Hallinger's off-campus apartment
reveals enough to identify him as the culprit.
Though rather smart, Hallinger is lazy. "Why think when
I have clichés" could be his personal motto. Think of the
stereotypical college student with a heavy does of angst
and arrogance. This may seem two-dimensional, but Brent
Hallinger is two-dimensional.
Speed: 12 Essence Pool: 31
Qualities: Charisma +2, Contact (Jonathan Flowers) 3,
Brent Hallinger Essence Channeling 2, Gift, Increased Essence 3
Junior at Cascade College majoring in Business and a Drawbacks: Covetous (Ambitious) 3, Cowardly 1, Cruel
newly awakened Lesser Gifted Solitaire 1, Delusions (Prejudice against Christians) 3, Lazy,
Reckless
Brent Hallinger looks much younger than his 22 years;
he is 6’1" but scrawny. His face is youthful and lacks facial Skills: Brawling 3, Cheating 2, Computers 2, Dodge 2,
hair -- a fact that he resents, since he wants to grow a goa- Driving (Car) 2, Driving (Motorcycle) 1, First Aid 2,
tee. His dishwater brown hair with bleached tips is parted Gambling 2, Intimidation 1, Notice 2, Rituals (Wicce) 1,
down the middle. Dressed in oversized jeans, various Rituals (Black Magic) 1, Running (Marathon) 3, Seduction
labeled t-shirts, and baseball caps, he is indistinguishable 3, Smooth Talking 3, Streetwise 4, Weight Lifting 2
from any other college Junior on campus. Powers: Affect the Psyche 2, Blessing 1, Lesser Curse 1,
Hallinger is the child of upper middle class, good Soulfire 2
Presbyterian parents from a nearby city. His family has Brent Hallinger as Relentless Dead
always been upstanding members of the church and com-
munity -- neither too religious nor too political. Hallinger
feels that his family is concerned more with their social
standing than him, and has decided to oppose everything
that his parents claim to stand for. Life Points: 70 Endurance Points: n/a
Hallinger became a pagan not out of a religious experi- Speed: 24 Essence Pool: 34
ence but out of bitterness. The only reason that he came to Qualities: Charisma +2, Relentless Dead
Cascade College was to take part in its "pagan studies" pro- Drawbacks: Reckless, Covetous (Ambitious) 3, Cruel 1,
gram. Still, his parents take care of the costs -- Cascade Obsession (Destroy Black Mages)
College is, after all, his parents’ alma mater.
Skills: Brawling 3, Cheating 2, Computers 2, Dodge 2,
Hallinger eagerly joined the Cascade Coven but became Driving (Car) 2, Driving (Motorcycle) 1, First Aid 2,
disillusioned with its core leadership when he realized that Gambling 2, Intimidation 1, Notice 2, Rituals (Wicce) 1,
they were more interested in practicing their faith than in Rituals (Black Magic) 1, Running (Marathon) 3, Seduction
bashing Christianity. For a time, an intimate relationship 3, Smooth Talking 3, Streetwise 4, Weight Lifting 2
with Shelly Sommers kept him in line. When it became
clear that Shelly was not as serious about their relationship Powers: Nemesis, Noble Wrath 2
as Brent, they broke up. This all happened at the end of the Nemesis Power
last school year. Neither discusses the break up and both
The Nemesis Power allows a Relentless Dead to move
believes the other is unreasonable.
around and appear in advantageous locations in order to
As the summer break began, Hallinger met the man he further his obsession and/or rage. Brent Hallinger uses this
knows only as his "Master." Under the Master's tutelage, power to track and trap Jonathan Flowers in the last Act of
Hallinger learned the basics of Black Magic. The master this adventure.
Nathan Purl
Pastor of the Cascade Bible Church
and Area Leader of Christians Against
Satanic Enterprises (C.A.S.E.).
Nathan Purl is not the real name of this mysterious
minister who has been assigned to Cascade College
because it is located on a site of occult power. His job
Robert McMillan is to identify potential threats to the "Divine Order" and
Detective assigned to the to recruit new members for Christians Against Satanic
Cascade College investigation Enterprises (C.A.S.E). Purl is also the Pastor of the
Robert McMillan is an average, 40-year-old cop non-denominational Cascade Bible Church that is
who is generally happy with his lot in life. Cascade is located a mile south of the campus. If need be, Purl can
a fairly sedate town and McMillan is the only call in C.A.S.E. muscle for assistance.
Detective on the local police force. Bored with inves- Purl has experienced several Visions involving the
tigating the rare date rape case on campus, these gory characters, and understands that he is to help them
rituals are his idea of a hot case. More than anything, investigate the gruesome ritual remains appearing on
McMillan likes to flirt with co-eds, and he does it well. the campus.
A mundane through and through, he dislikes anyone Strength: 2 Intelligence: 3
and anything that give him the "creeps" -- this may or Dexterity: 3 Perception: 3
may not be a latent Gift showing itself. Constitution: 2 Willpower: 4
Strength: 2 Intelligence: 2 Life Points: 26 Endurance Points: 29
Qualities: Attractiveness +1, Charisma +1, Contacts
(Alex Hammer) 4, Contacts (Cascadians for Christ) 2,
Speed: 12 Essence Pool: 17 Contacts (C.A.S.E) 3, Divine Inspiration, Gift,
Qualities: Contacts (Cascade Police) 4, Status 3 Resources +1
Drawbacks: Delusions (Everyone is a Criminal) 1, Drawbacks: Honorable 1, Pacifist, Zealot
Delusions (Rationalist) 1 (Christianity)
Skills: Computers 3, Dodge 2, Driving (Car) 3, Skills: Computers 3, Dodge 2, Driving (Car) 2, Guns
Intimidate 2, Humanities (Law) 2, Humanities (Handgun) 2, Humanities (Christian Theology) 4,
(Criminal Law) 4, Notice 3, Questioning 3, Notice 2, Myth and Legends (Satanic) 3, Rituals
Research/Investigation 4, Smooth Talking 2, (Christian) 4, Smooth Talking 3, Streetwise 1,
Streetwise 2, Surveillance 3 Powers: Visions
Purl’s C.A.S.E. Muscle
These gents are paid and trained by C.A.S.E. to provide
protection and assistance to its members. Nathan Purl
calls in three of these individuals toward the end of the
adventure. They are all licensed to carry their firearms.
Qualities: Hard to Kill 1, Nerves of Steel, Quick
Reaction Time
Drawbacks: Honorable (Loyal to Hammer) 1, Humorless
Skills: Computers 1, Dodge 2, Driving (Car) 3, First
Aid 1, Guns (Handgun) 3, Guns (Rifle) 2, Hand
Weapon (Knife) 3, Humanities (Christian Theology) 1, Shelly Sommers
Intimidation 3, Martial Arts 3, Notice 2 Senior at Cascade College, majoring in Women’s
Damage: 9mm Pistol: D6 x 4(12); Knife: D4 x 6(12), Studies and a Lesser Gifted Wiccan
slashing damage A 22-year-old blonde, Sommers is everyone’s
Armor: Light Kevlar Vest: D6 x 2(6) desire. She should have been the head cheerleader at a
larger university, but instead she is the leader of a
coven of co-eds. Sommers is generally happy, loves to
party, and never sees the bad side of anyone. She has
Curt Rimes more ex-boyfriends (and girlfriends) than she can
Senior at Cascade College, majoring in History count; that she has broken hearts left and right is not
and Leader of the Cascadians for Christ something she dwells on. She is having a good time
and celebrating the Goddess, whom she believes made
Rimes is a devout Christian and an all-around nice everything and everybody to have a good time.
guy. Rimes has blossomed under the "siege mentality" Sommers is definitely not someone you want around
of the campus and is developing into a true leader. If when the going gets tough, but she is a fun date.
something were to happen to Rimes, the more extreme Despite her religious beliefs, Shelly is not yet a part of
members of the Cascadians would gain control. the Wicce Covenant. In fact, she is only nebulously
Rimes and his girlfriend, Aimee Stratton, are good aware of her Gift.
friends with Reverend Nathan Purl, whom they adore. Strength: 3 Intelligence: 3
Rimes lives off-campus; Aimee rooms in Addon Hall. Dexterity: 5 Perception: 2
Rimes will graduate this year and wishes to attend semi- Constitution: 2 Willpower: 4
nary in the South.
Dexterity: 2 Perception: 3 Speed: 14 Essence Pool: 19
Constitution: 2 Willpower: 4 Qualities: Attractiveness +3, Charisma +1, Contacts
Life Points: 26 Endurance Points: 29 (Cascadian Coven) 2, Gift, Status +1
Speed: 8 Essence Pool: 16 Drawbacks: Emotional Problems (Fear of

Commitment), Emotional Problems (Shows Affection
Qualities: Ally (Nathan Purl) 2, Attractiveness +1, through Sex), Pacifist, Reckless, Showoff
Charisma +1, Contacts (Cascadians for Christ) 1
Skills: Acrobatics 2, Acting 1, Computers 1, Driving
Drawbacks: Honorable 1, Pacifist, Zealot (Car) 2, Humanities (Sociology) 2, Humanities
(Christianity) (Wiccan Theology) 2, Notice 1, Rituals (Wiccan) 2,
Skills: Computers 3, Dodge 2, Driving (Car) 3, Seduction 2, Smooth Talk 2
Humanities (Christian Theology) 3, Humanities Powers: Shelly has yet to recognize her Gift.
(Sociology) 2, Notice 2, Rituals (Christian) 3, Smooth
Talking 2
Pat Wright
Campus Security Guard
Pat Wright is the head of campus security’s night
shift, and, at 50, is almost twice the age of the other
guards. Like most security guards on campus, Wright
does not like the pagan and "non-traditional" elements
in the student body. Wright sees the rituals as a per-
sonal affront and designed only to agitate people,
which is partially correct. As such, Wright took it upon
himself to destroy the second ritual site in an attempt
to keep the whole thing “under wraps.” The police and
everyone else soon become aware of his actions,
which caused something of a publicity "black eye" for
the school. Detective McMillan has told Wright that if
he destroys another site before it has been investigated
that he will be arrested for obstruction of justice. The
college administration has reinforced this by threaten-
ing loss of his job. Wright is far from convinced but he
is restraining himself, for now.
Bernd Van Wahl, Ph.D. Dexterity: 2 Perception: 3
Tenured Professor of Philosophy (and troublemaker) Constitution: 2 Willpower: 3
Bernd Van Wahl is so outspoken and egotistical that Life Points: 26 Endurance Points: 26
his contempt for religion should make him a primary Speed: 8 Essence Pool: 14
suspect during the investigation. Bernd claims to be an
Existentialist, but most people call his philosophy by a Qualities: Contacts (Campus Security) 2
much cruder name. He teaches and has an office at Drawbacks: Delusions (Prejudice Against Non-
Tobin Hall. Conformists) 1, Honorable 1
Arrogance is the defining aspect of Dr. Van Wahl. Skills: Brawling 3, Dodge 2, Driving (Car) 3, Guns
He is very proud that he is closely related to the (Handgun) 2, Guns (Rifle) 1, Intimidation 2, Notice 2,
Habsburg family and believes that he would be a titled Sport (Football) 2, Streetwise 2
noble in Europe had his grandparents not moved to
New York in the late 19th century. Bernd is very
patronizing; in his mind he knows the truth and every-
one else is a fool. He tries to use his wit and intellect
to confuse everyone into thinking that these rituals
were indeed due to his genius. However, he never
makes any definite statements that could be used
against him by the police.
Qualities: Charisma +1, Good Luck 3
Drawbacks: Coward 1, Delusion (His Royal Blood)
2, Delusion (Prejudice Against Religion) 3
Skills: Cheating 3, Computers 3, Dodge 2, Driving
(Car) 3, Gambling 2, Humanities (Philosophy) 5,
Notice 1, Seduction 2, Smooth Talking 3
Cast Members
Eloise Thibault, Ph.D.

She is aware that other Gifted individuals are on campus,
Associate Professor of History at Cascade College and
including Brenda Harrison, Michael Reinhardt, Shelly
Lesser Gifted Rosicrucian
Sommers, and Jeremy Hancock. She has been able to position
Eloise Thibault is the youngest professor at Cascade herself as the academic advisor to every one of these students
College. She teaches Near East History with a specialty in save Sommers. Andre Smith is an old acquaintance and is vis-
the rise of Islam. A hard worker and proud of her accom- iting with her.
plishments, Eloise knows that the Rosicrucians are a real
Resources: Being an associate professor, Eloise has free
part of her success.
run of the campus. She possesses keys to the Anders-
Eloise is a fourth generation Rosicrucian. Though not the Martin Library and the Chilco Building, where she has her
most skilled in her family, she is the most dependable. offices and teaches history. Eloise also possesses a car and
When it was discovered that Eloise had a flair for instruc- an apartment adjacent to the campus.
tion, her academic life was assured. She was educated at the
best universities and received specialized training thanks to
her Rosicrucian connections. She is to keep track of activi-
ties at Cascade College, and this she does admirably.
Physical Description: Lovely by all accounts, Eloise is
29, 5’6" and has a svelte build. Her long blond hair is worn Speed: 12 Essence Points: 35
back in a style reminiscent of film noir heroines. Ice blue Qualities: Attractiveness +1, Essence Channeling 3, Gift,
eyes and pale complexion give her an unearthly beauty that Increased Essence 3, Resources +1
is more intimidating than attractive to most. Still, to her Drawbacks: Humorless, Honorable (Rosicrucian
dismay, she has been hit on by every dumb jock at Cascade Cause) -2
College.
Skills: Driving (Car) 3, Humanities (History) 3, Humanities
What She Knows: Eloise is well aware of Dr. Bernd (Near East History) 5, Humanities (Theology) 2, Instruction
Van Wahl’s reputation. Otherwise, she is new on campus 3, Language (Arabic) 3, Language (Greek) 2, Rituals
and still has trouble finding buildings. Her only true (Rosicrucian) 2, Notice 2, Research/Investigation 3,
friend is Dr. Timothy Kent, a psychology professor who Storytelling 3, Writing (Academic) 3
believes that he made it possible for Eloise to teach at
Cascade College. Powers: Insight 2, Lesser Healing 2, Shielding 1, Soulfire 3
Brenda "Silver Raven" Harrison leader of the coven and a true Wiccan. Except for Sommers
and a few others, Brenda feels that the other members are
Junior at Cascade College, majoring in Women’s
either "posers" or "freaks." Sommers believes that Silver
Studies and Gifted Wicce
Raven is too judgmental and needs to learn some of the
Brenda has always been a rebel; she even refuses to be Goddess’s virtues.
addressed by her given name. Instead she demands that
Resources: Silver Raven is an initiated member of the
everyone call her “Silver Raven.” This is only one of
Wicce Order. Her mentor/initiator, Rebecca Sunnyvale,
Brenda’s many pagan-influenced affectations.
always accepts her phone calls and offers as much phone
Silver Raven transferred to Cascade College because of assistance as possible. Sunnyvale lives in Seattle (or other
the large pagan community. A devout Wiccan, she is some- nearby city) and cannot make the three or so hour drive to
thing of a zealot in her beliefs but is trying to teach herself the college. Sunnyvale refuses to address Brenda as Silver
tolerance. Brenda has always been critical of those who Raven, but Brenda does not seem to mind this in the least.
break Wiccan "orthodoxy" and does not take kindly to the
individual who is performing the Wiccan-influenced rituals
and mutilations.
Silver Raven has only just become acquainted with the
coven at Cascade College and she is surprised to discover
that she is one of only two who seem to possess the Gift. Speed: 10 Essence Points: 37
Only Shelly Sommers also seems to possess the Gift. Qualities: Attractiveness +1, Contact (Rebecca
Physical Description: The 21-year old Silver Raven Sunnyvale) 1, Essence Channeling 4, Increased Essence 3,
stands 5’2" and has a slightly plump build. Her brown hair Gift
is dyed black and she uses make-up to hide her freckles. Drawbacks: Charisma -1, Emotional Problems (Fear of
Her sparkling blue-green eyes are rightly regarded as her Commitment)
best feature. Brenda is in a style transition from goth to Skills: Brawling 1, Dancing 3, Disguise 3, Driving (Car) 3,
neo-hippie. First Aid 3, Occult Knowledge 3, Questioning 2, Smooth
What She Knows: Silver Raven is aware that the Talking 3, Streetwise 1
Cascade Coven has become an institution of defiance and Powers: Elemental Air 2, Elemental Water 2, Lesser
aberration instead of an actual coven to promote spiritual Healing 2, Mindhands: Art 3, Mindhands: Strength 4
growth. She blames this on Shelly Sommers, the de facto
Michael Reinhardt
Freshman at Cascade College, planning to major in
Criminal Justice and unaffiliated Gifted
Michael Reinhardt has always "walked with God." His
earliest memories are of Miraculous Visions. His entire
life, including the decision to attend Cascade College, has
been directed by these Visions.
Since starting college, Michael has felt out of place. He
has yet to develop his interpersonal skills and seems
uptight and intimidating to most people. He has not even
attended one of the Cascadian parties, for which the tiny
college is famous. He has met with the Cascadians for
Christ but has yet to join their organization.
Physical Description: Michael is 18 and stands 5’11".
He is physically unremarkable save his eyes, which shine
with intensity.
What He Knows: Michael likes the Cascadians for
Christ. They have approached him several times and are
trying to woo him to their numbers. He has a natural bias
against the Coven.
Resources: Michael's powers are the only resources that
he has to offer.
Qualities: Divine Inspiration, Gift, Hard to Kill 1
Drawbacks: Charisma -1, Emotional Problems
(Emotional Dependency), Honorable -3
Skills: Humanities (Christian Theology) 4, Humanities
(Philosophy) 1, Language (Hebrew) 1, Language (Greek)
2, Notice 2, Riding (Horse) 3, Rituals (Christian) 4,
Swimming 3, Trance 3
Powers: Divine Sight, Holy Fire, Touch of Healing,
Visions, Mindsight: Strength 2, Mindsight: Art 2
Andre Smith
“Trash” journalist and Mundane with Rosicrucian ties
Andre Smith is only thirty but he seems much older. A
consummate journalist, Andre hurt his career by covering
stories on the supernatural. With his beaten-up fedora on
his head, he has traveled the globe on his quest to under-
stand the “Truth” while employed by the “Global Sun
News.”
Andre has assembled a large group of contacts that he
can call upon. The majority of these people are associated
with the Rosicrucian Order; he has actually become an
unwitting “member” of this covenant.
Andre projects the image of a muckraker, which is, in
fact, accurate. If not for his subject matter, he would be a
world famous journalist by now. He dreams of his own half
hour news and commentary show on a cable news station,
but realizes that the any show he might be offered would
come only from the Sci-Fi Channel.
Physical Description: With a slight paunch and balding
brown hair, Andre seems older than his true age. Andre
plays into the hard-working, hard-drinking journalist
image. He has taken to wearing wrinkled suits and trench
coats in order to look the part.
What He Knows: Andre does not know much. He just
got here, after all. Eloise Thibault is an acquaintance and
contact that he has used in the past. He came to Cascade
College to speak with Thibault about an article he is writ-
ing on the mystical secret societies of Europe. Andre felt
that speaking to Thibault face-to-face would allow her to
open up more.
Resources: Andre has quite a network of contacts,
including Dr. Eloise Thibault. Use them.
Qualities: Acute Senses (Hearing), Charisma +2, Contacts
(Rosicrucians) 2, Contacts (Various Minor) 6, Hard to
Kill 5, Nerves of Steel
Skills: Brawling 2, Computers 3, Dodge 2, Driving
(Car) 1, Guns (Handgun) 2, Language (Spanish) 3, Notice
4, Questioning 4, Research/Investigation 4, Smooth
Talking 3, Streetwise 3, Writing (Journalistic) 4
ing his “Yakima Mythic Odyssey” encounter group when
he discovered that not only was there no one descended
from a Yakima Indian, but none of the group had Native
American ancestors from the same Indian Culture as the
Yakima.
Timothy has returned to Cascade College after a year-
long sabbatical, which was used to promote his “Mythic
Therapy” concept. He met Dr. Eloise Thibault during this
time and wrongly believes that it is because of him that she
decided to teach at Cascade College.
Physical Description: Timothy stands 5’10” and is of
average build. At 48, he seems perfectly conservative and
establishment, except for wearing his brown hair in a
ponytail, of course.
What He Knows: Timothy, even more than Thibault,
has free run of the campus. He has been a fixture at
Cascade College for 25 years and everyone knows him.
Like most psychology professors, Timothy has his
groupies, who are generally female and span the various
strata of the student body. If Timothy does not have the
keys to a particular building, he knows who does. He is
working with Jeremy Hancock on his emotional problems.
Timothy is well aware of Dr. Van Wahl and has butted
heads with this man on more than one occasion. He knows
most of Dr. Van Wahl’s past.
Dr. Timothy Kent, Ph.D. Resources: Timothy is able to call on his various
groupies for help. This group includes Shelly Sommers.
Mundane Psychologist and Tenured Because of his tenured status, Timothy can get away with
Professor at Cascade College. more than anyone else on campus. Short of a felony,
Dr. Timothy Kent is an unrepentant Jungian. Ever since Timothy is immune to repercussions on campus.
he could remember, Timothy believed that there was more Strength: 3 Intelligence: 5
to the human psyche than mere electro-chemical signals. Dexterity: 3 Perception: 6
His parents were atheists and Communists in Depression Constitution: 4 Willpower: 4
Era America who tried to implant their beliefs onto
Timothy, but they failed. Life Points: 41 Endurance Points: 38
Timothy has made his home amidst the Cascade Speed: 14 Essence Pool: 25
Mountains for more than 25 years. He seeks a path to Qualities: Acute Senses (Hearing), Charisma +1, Good
understanding through ethnic mythologies. Over the years, Luck +4, Hard to Kill 1, Photographic Memory,
he has transformed himself from a “mere” psychologist Resources +1
into a “mythic therapist.” Drawbacks: Emotional Problems (Depression)
Mythic therapy, Timothy believes, allows a patient to Skills: Bureaucracy 2, Haggling 2, Humanities
transform and heal himself by understanding and living the (Psychology) 3, Humanities (Jungian Psychology) 5,
myths of his or her ancestors. Timothy’s techniques have Instruction 3, Language (German) 3, Myth and Legend
not yet caught on, though he has started running “mythic” (Native American) 3, Myth and Legend (European) 3,
workshops. So far he is frustrated because they are being Myth and Legend (Meso-American) 3,
taken as “role playing weekends” rather than serious psy- Research/Investigation 3, Smooth Talking 3, Trance 3,
chological events tailored to patients of specific ethnic Writing (Academic) 2
groups. Timothy had a slight breakdown last summer dur-
At this time, Jeremy's parents have grown too weary of
the whole ordeal and have decided to send him away rather
than deal with the heartache any longer. This is the reason
Jeremy is at Cascade College. He is acutely aware of their
abandonment and has sought the aid of college psycholo-
gists for help. Dr. Kent has succeeded in helping Jeremy,
and has given the young man hope for the future.
Despite his new optimism, Jeremy is aware of Kent’s
depression and how Kent might one day just collapse. He
vows not to let that happen. Kent is his connection to a
"normal" life and he will do whatever is in his power to
prevent Kent from falling into the abyss of depression. As
of yet, Kent is unaware of Jeremy's fixation with him.
Recently, Jeremy has noticed Brenda Harrison and finds
her oddly but powerfully attractive.
Physical Description: Jeremy is 19 years old and rather
good looking. He wears his blond hair very short, and has
dark brown eyes. He stands 6’ tall and his an average build.
What He Knows: Jeremy, more than anyone else, is a
complete outsider to what is going on. He depends upon
Kent to maintain a "normal" existence. Only if Kent were
involved in something would Jeremy give it a second
thought. As of yet, Jeremy is unaware of the Gifted com-
munity and might gain a lot personally by exposure to oth-
ers with the Gift.
Resources: Jeremy has no personal resources beside his
Jeremy Hancock own Gift.
Freshman at Cascade College and unaffiliated Gifted Strength: 1 Intelligence: 2
Jeremy Hancock is a confused young man. His Gift first Dexterity: 2 Perception: 2
manifested itself at puberty and has been a source of fear Constitution: 4 Willpower: 4
and embarrassment ever since. One of the unfortunate Life Points: 42 Endurance Points: 32
ones, Jeremy was never discovered by another Gifted, so
his powers have thus far developed and strengthened with
no guidance. Consequentially, his control is minimal. Quality: Gift, Hard to Kill 4, Situational Awareness
Because he was "different," Jeremy’s parents protected Drawbacks: Emotional Problems (Emotional
him as much as possible. Although both his parents and he Dependency), Obsession (Dr. Timothy Kent), Resources -3
had been born in Seattle (or a closer big city), they decided Skills: Brawling 2, Climb 2, Driving (Car) 1, Fine Arts
it was in Jeremy’s best interest that they move to a smaller (Music Composition) 3, First Aid 2, Notice 2, Play
community. They moved four times, each time to a succes- Instrument (Guitar) 2, Play Instrument (Piano) 2, Running
sively smaller town, all in a bid to outrun Jeremy’s nature. 3, Stealth 3, Streetwise 1, Trance 1
Every place they moved followed the same script. At Powers: Mindhands: Strength 3, Mindhands: Art 1,
first everything would be all right and Jeremy's "curse" Mindsight: Strength 2, Mindsight: Art 1, Mindtime:
would lie dormant. After a year or two, he would invari- Strength 3, Mindtime: Art 1, Mindview: Strength 2,
ably find himself in a stressful situation and his powers Mindview: Art 1
would manifest again: either inanimate objects would fly
at a tormentor, he would fight back by revealing an
unknowable secret, or something else. Within a year, the
kids and parents of the area would shun the boy, and it was
time for the Hancock family to move again.
A Winter’s Tale
Adventure Seeds following Campus Crusade By Thom Marrion
Harry Carter used to like patrolling the campus just before dawn. It gave him some time to himself and he got
to enjoy the beauty of a mountain sunrise that seemed to be for his benefit alone. Now these walks were some-
thing that he was starting to dread. He did not want to be alone with his thoughts, because his thoughts seemed to
center on the horrible ritual crimes he stumbled across back in October.
October was not a good month. First there was the animal mutilations that he had the misfortune to discover.
Then there was the riot that started when the Cascadians for Christ tried to stage a silent march. By the middle
of the month, someone had decided to burn the Anders-Martin Library down.
Harry had been at Cascade College for five years and he had never seen anything like this. Most of the student
body had left the campus for Thanksgiving break. A large number of them had not come back. Harry’s girlfriend
was one of those that decided to spend the rest of the year away from Cascade.
So it was now December and Harry was feeling cold, lonely, depressed and very, very nervous about walking
around this ghost town of a college in the dark. He was also wondering why he even decided to return to campus
security once his leg got better. He thought that he had broken it slipping in some cow blood back in October. It
turned out to be a sprained ankle and a pulled back muscle instead.
Harry was thinking about how much his leg and back were starting to hurt and wondering if he could just leave
town like everyone else when he once more found himself suddenly flat on his back. He slowly turned his head
expecting to see yet another mutilation.
What he saw was even worse then he expected. Harry Carter just sat in the snow and started to cry as he
looked at the scene in front of him.
“Oh God . . . not this again.”
39 A Winter’s Tale
Introduction
There is a small coffee place in Turgon’s Books, which car-
ries both school books and other kinds of literature. They have
A Winter’s Tale provides some background on the town of a rather large section of occult books and other esoterica.
Cascade and reveals a set of adventure seeds that follows up the Finally, no college strip would be complete without some-
events of Campus Crusade. An assumption is made that the where to go for the consumption of adult beverages. The
previous adventure has been run as written. The pregenerated Tumwater Tavern serves Bert Grant’s Real Ales which are
Cast Members were used, the setting is the college town of brewed in Yakima. They have a small stage and a large screen
Cascade, and the events pretty much followed the outline pre- TV. This is the place to go for those who want to consume
sented in that adventure. Any variation to that background by both food and alcohol while watching a sports event. The
the Chronicler will have to be taken into account when using other bar on the strip is Icicle Works. This is the place to go
the ideas presented in these adventure seeds. for those who want loud music and dancing. It features live
Unlike Campus Crusade, these scenarios are not necessari- music during the week but usually has a DJ on Saturday
ly event-driven. The only specific date that is important here is nights. Icicle Works is notorious for the sheer horror that is the
the Winter Solstice. This section concentrates more on provid- rest rooms.
ing additional background and Supporting Cast Members for
continuing a campaign in Cascade.
Outside the Strip
Within walking distance of the Campus is the Yarrow
Also unlike Campus Crusade, these adventure seeds
Theater, which is the home of the Cascadian Film Society. This
assume that the players have both the Mystery Codex
art house movie theater seats about fifty. On that same block
(Phantasm, Vampyre, Blood Magician) and Abomination
is a French bakery, a shoe repair place, a bar called the
Codex (Feral, Wendigo) supplements to the WitchCraft
Intermission which caters to the movie crowd, and the Cascade
game. It is possible to do without this material, but many
Co-Op. The Co-Op has a large bulk food section as well as a
encounters will have to be modified, ad-libbed or ignored.
huge variety of different herbs for sale. Even members of the
Welcome to Cascade Cascade Coven who are not vegetarian and do not care about
health food still shop here for ritual ingredients.
For those who want more detail on the town of Cascade, Near the hospital and police station is the town library, a
the following may be used. pharmacy, three lunch places and a bar called the Recovery
Room. The Recovery Room is the place that the older resi-
Overall dents of the town prefer, though it does get its fair share of stu-
Cascade is a college town with a population of 5,230. It is dents who are slumming or looking for something different.
located in the Cascade Foothills and is part of a scenic route
through Washington State known as the Cascade Loop -- the What Has Gone Before
last town on State Highway 2 before entering the Wenatchee
National Forest. The town has a small hospital that serves the These adventure seeds are a continuation of the Campus
needs of the towns in the Cascade Foothills. In addition to Crusade Story and are meant to take place after Thanksgiving
the hospital and the college, Cascade also has a small tourist Break. Detective McMillan has arranged things so that the
industry. People come here for skiing, hiking and white occult nature of the events and the participation of the Cast
water rafting. Those students that did not come to Cascade Members does not become public knowledge. In exchange,
College for its reputation as a center for free thought have he would like very much to never have to see the Cast
come for the excellent snowboarding. Members again. He has spent most of the nights after that at
the Tumwater Tavern, drinking heavily, picking up college
The Strip women and avoiding the Cast Members like the plague.
McMillan is trying to drown out the memory of what he wit-
The Strip is a row of restaurants and stores across the nessed and it is not working very well.
street from the Student Union Building. It includes the
College Pizza Station where Shelly Sommers had her last Eloise Thibault has received praise from the leader of her
meal. The other staples of student dining would be Mama Cohort for the way things were handled. If Thibault managed
Cascada’s for Mexican food, Lu Shan for Chinese, and a to send the Flowers tomes had to the Order, the Tribune of
deli/sandwich place called the Sandwich Place. San Francisco congratulates her personally. Everything
seems to be going quite well except for the fact that Zack
Students can do laundry at the Corner Coin-Op and buy Nichols (see p. 43), the roommate of Jeremy Hancock, has
skiing, snowboarding and rafting gear at Wenatchee River developed a fixation on her. He is constantly hitting on her.
Outfitters. There is a copy place called Alpha Copies next to
the Cascade Pharmacy that also serves as a general store for With the death of Shelly Sommers, Brenda “Silver Raven”
the campus. They also have great ice cream. Harrison has become the new seventh member of the Cascade
Coven’s inner circle. She is trying to mold them into an actual Campus security discovered the mutilated body of Abby
coven that promotes spiritual growth, and steer them away from Greenway, a sophomore science major. The autopsy showed
what she feels was the bad influence of Sommers. Sommers had that she had been attacked by some kind of animal, but the
planned a large concert for the Winter Solstice in the Parker police have not been able to determine what kind of animal
Auditorium, which the rest of the Cascade Coven is excited it was. Detective McMillan is not very happy about this turn
about and want to dedicate to her memory. Silver Raven was at of events and immediately suspects that the Cast Members
first reluctant, but after spending Thanksgiving Break in Seattle are to blame. He realizes that this is an irrational reaction,
with Rebecca Sunnyvale, her mentor convinced her that it but he cannot help it.
would actually be a good idea. Gifted Cast Members who are able to examine the scene
Andre Smith left town after everything settled down. He mystically discover that the attack was caused by some sort
returned to spend Thanksgiving with Thibault and Kent of Feral, and that there is something very wrong with it.
because he did not really have anywhere else to go. His latest Once it gets closer to the Solstice, the Cast Members are able
assignment has brought him back to Cascade to investigate a to find two Ferals in Cascade. The first to arrive is a Mexican
Bigfoot story. Smith is quite annoyed at this because he was werejaguar named Tizoc (see p. 45), and then a Scottish
originally supposed to go to the Rio to report on a Macumbe werewolf named Malcolm McCulloch (see p. 44) turns up.
Sect and now he has to go to some freezing cold mountain town Either one of them might be the murderer.
that everyone says is going to get snowed in any day now. Once the body of Abby Greenway is discovered, more
Michael Reinhardt has become good friends with Carl attacks take place once a week until the wild Feral can be
Rimes, though he still keeps in touch with the other Cast stopped. Of course it is not exactly a Feral that is responsi-
Members. They spent Thanksgiving with Aimee Stratton ble for all this. It is in fact Claude Millot (see p. 46), who has
volunteering at a homeless shelter in Seattle. Reinhardt even gone Wendigo. The Wendigo is a type of tainted Feral that
ran into Harrison while he was in town. They ended up hav- has been warped by the influence of the Mad Gods.
ing coffee together -- the judgmental pagan and the shy awk- Event before all this took place, there was a rash of
ward Christian had more in common then they thought. Back Bigfoot sightings in the area. A local even manages to get a
in Cascade, Reverend Purl has been trying to persuade him fairly clear photograph of it. The Sasquatch appears as a
to join C.A.S.E, but Michael is reluctant. huge furry humanoid shambling into the woods. That picture
Dr. Timothy Kent has been keeping to himself lately. The is the reason that Andre Smith has been sent back to Cascade
whole ordeal with Flowers has made him take a long hard by the Global Sun News. The photograph is of course a pic-
look at his life, and he is not very happy with what he sees. ture of the Wendigo.
It seems to him that mythic therapy is turning out to be a sad
joke. He still acts as therapist for Jeremy Hancock, and he Pleasure’s Phantom
has spoken with Harrison since Thanksgiving.
The Cascade Coven is finally starting to get over the loss
Jeremy Hancock has been spending his time avoiding his of Shelly Sommers. Silver Raven has assumed a leadership
roommate, trying to figure out a way to help Dr. Kent, and role with the group and they are starting to function as an
worrying about the feeling he has that things are going to get actual Wicce Coven. The Solstice Concert will give the
bad again. group a sense of closure, and Silver Raven will no longer
My What Big Feet You Have have to work under the shadow of Sommers.
Except that Sommers does not want to stay dead and has
By December things are finally starting to get back to nor- returned as a Phantasm (see p. 47). She decided to Incarnate
mal at Cascade College. The debris of the Anders-Martin in Harrison’s room. Dierde Thomas, Harrison’s roommate
Library has been cleared away, although a lot of it has been (see p. 44), discovers her just as she finishes forming her
confiscated by art students in the neighboring building for body on top of Harrison’s bed, and of course Harrison’s
potential use in upcoming assemblage projects. Everyone is roommate walks in immediately afterwards to discover a
forced to use the town library until the college can get beautiful naked blonde woman on Silver Raven’s bed.
Anders-Martin rebuilt. Thomas assumes that they are lovers -- this amuses Sommers
A lot of students were pulled out of school when the trouble and annoys Silver Raven.
started in October, and many more did not return after It does not take long for Sommers to figure out that she
Thanksgiving break. Those that remained at Cascade have final- needs to extend her Incarnation by tapping the Essence of
ly gotten back into the rhythm of school life. They are finally someone. Even though most Phantasms use the Essence
able to convince themselves that things are back to normal. released when a human being experiences fear, regular folk
And then the body showed up in the woods north of the also release Essence when they are brought to ecstasy by
Bitberg Science Building. someone. That is really more Sommers’ style anyway.
So now Harrison has to deal with Sommers hanging
around town, at least until the Solstice Concert. Sommers Oppression by the Man
also wants to see her old friends again. Of course, Sommers The Combine usually pays about as much attention to the
starts showing a real interest in Thomas, the one with the Cult of Pain as a rhino does to the bird on his back, but the
Artistic Talent and the large Essence Pool. events in Cascade have sparked someone’s interest. A team
Rock the House has been sent out to investigate. The team consists of four
typical Combine Agents lead by the latest in the Combine
Soon the musicians for the Solstice Concert start show- arsenal, a powerful Seer named Rachel Resnick (see p. 48).
ing up. The opening act is going to be a local folk singer While investigating the area, Resnick is bound to notice
named Desiree who performs around the Cascade foothills, the other Gifted. Jeremy Hancock, in particular, seems to be
but the rest of the acts are all from out of town. Los Libros the perfect candidate to be recruited into the Combine. Just
is a group from Ohio with a strong They Might Be Giants like she was.
influence. The Pop Tarts are a girl group from the East
Coast with a redhead, a blonde and an African American. There is Evil, and There is Petty
Yes, they realize that this gives them the same line up as
Josie and the Pussycats. The Pop Tarts dress up as the Curt Rimes is going to graduate this year but one of the
Pussycats every Halloween. Farrah Moan is a girl group classes that he must pass is Modern Philosophy. The class is
from Los Angeles. They sound more like Dance Hall taught by Dr. Van Wahl. It is a class that Rimes is flunking
Crashers while the Pop Tarts sound like Luscious Jackson. for no apparent reason.
The closing act is a goth band out of San Francisco called Rimes confides in Michael Reinhardt that he thinks Van
Carmilla Rose. The lead singer of Carmilla Rose is a Wahl is out to get him. Rimes asks Reinhardt to use his
young woman named Mina. Gifted abilities to find out what is going on. Turns out Van
Well, she is not that young. Following the philosophy of Wahl wants to make an example of this “self-righteous hyp-
hiding in plain sight, Mina is actually a Vampyre (see p. 47). ocritical so-called Christian.” The fact that Rimes is a really
This fact might not concern the Cast Members except that nice guy who does not warrant such a negative opinion is
Deidre Thomas has this large tasty Essence Pool and Kent’s irrelevant. Van Wahl feels some sort of “principle” is at
depression is causing him to drip Essence like a bleeding fish issue, but in reality Rimes is a leader of the Cascadians for
in front of a shark. Christ, and that makes him a target to Dr. Van Wahl. The
question is, what can be done about it? Perhaps Reinhardt
If the players do not want to use any of the pregenerated will have to get Jason Banks (see p. 43), his roommate, to
Cast Members, then they can be musicians coming into town use his hacking skills to help them out somehow.
for the Solstice concert. Cascade College has room for one
more act. Not every complication in the lives of the Cast Members
needs to involve supernatural forces.
Supporting Cast and Adversaries
Zack Nichols
Jeremy Hancock’s Roommate
Zack Nichols is an 18-year-old from Toronto with Jason Banks
bleached hair that he dyes in various Kool-Aid colors. Michael Reinhardt’s Roommate
He dresses in a combination of snowboarding gear, Jason Banks is a short, stocky 19-year-old from
oversized khakis and punk band t-shirts. He was Portland. He has long brown hair and dresses com-
involved in gang activity all through high school, but pletely in black -- black beret, black long coat, black
managed to avoid actually killing anybody until his boots. He ended up going to Cascade because of a girl
senior year. named Joanne who he was seeing in high school. She
That night a simple argument between his friends wanted to come to Cascade to study Theater Arts. She
and another gang turned ugly. Nichols saw his best ended up having a nervous breakdown at the end of
friend shot down on the street. He managed to kill September and telling Jason that she never wanted to
three people that night. All three of them turned out to see him again.
be under the age of thirteen. Nichols got away but That left Banks depressed, confused and stuck at a
decided that he needed to get out of Toronto before he college he never would have applied to in the first
ended up dead in the street as well. place. This turn of events strengthened his already low
He chose Cascade College because it had the advan- opinion of people that let spirituality run their lives.
tage of being away from any cities, very far away from He hated listening to Joanne go on about her new age
Toronto, and it offered a pretty good liberal arts pro- beliefs, and he hates the fact that he has this uptight
gram. Nichols wants to focus on his writing, but he is religious fanatic for a roommate.
still haunted by the memory of killing those kids. No Granted, Michael Reinhardt has never really tried to
amount of drugs or alcohol seems to be enough to lure his roommate into some painful theological dis-
make those memories go away. cussion, but Banks strongly believes that it is just a
All this means that Jeremy Hancock now has to matter of time. Meanwhile he sits in the room chain-
share those memories as well. He looked into his smoking Camels, typing away at the computer and
roommate’s thoughts as a matter of habit and was hor- daring Michael to say something about it.
rified at what he saw. Nichols also felt something Strength: 2 Intelligence: 4
strange when his thoughts were read but he cannot Dexterity: 2 Perception: 3
really define it. So now both of them try to avoid each Constitution: 2 Willpower: 2
other as much as possible.
Constitution: 2 Willpower: 3 Qualities: Contacts (The Hacker Community) 1
Life Points: 30 Endurance Points: 29 Drawbacks: Addiction (Tobacco) -2, Delusions
(Prejudice Against Religion) -1, Delusions of
Grandeur -2, Lazy
Qualities: Charisma 1, Situational Awareness
Skills: Computer Hacking 3, Computer Programming
Drawbacks: Addiction (Various) -4, Covetous 3, Computers 3, Cheating 2, Electronics 2,
(Lecherous) -2, Reckless, Recurring Nightmares, Intimidation 1, Notice 1, Smooth Talking 2,
Secret -2 Streetwise 1
Skills: Brawling 2, Computers 2, Cheating 1, Notice
2, Driving (Car) 2, Hand Weapon (Knife) 1, Guns
(Hand Gun) 1, Pick Pocket 1, Sport (Snowboarding) 3,
Smooth Talking 2, Seduction 2, Streetwise 2, Writing
(Creative) 2
Malcolm McCulloch
Dierdre Thomas Scots Wolf Feral and former Nomad Scoundrel
Brenda Harrison’s Roommate Malcolm is a 26-year-old Feral with silver blue eyes, bleach
Deirdre Thomas is a short 18-year-old from blond dreadlocks and a small goatee. He is in remarkably
a white middle-class neighborhood in Kent, good shape for someone that drinks as much as he does.
just south of Seattle. She has short spiky black Anyone who saw him would think that he was just some
hair and wears combat boots, flowing long snowboarder looking for a party instead of a werewolf who
dresses and a leather jacket. She applied to could trace his lineage back to the Bronze Age.
Cascade because she wanted to get away from
Malcolm was part of the Bektar Family of the Nomad
her WASP upbringing and let herself develop
Covenant. He was born and raised in Edinburgh, but his fam-
as an artist. She feels that she should be expe-
ily moved to Canada. Malcolm was a rather rebellious young
riencing all sorts of new and wonderful things.
man and the family heads were worried that he was not tak-
She is just too shy and embarrassed to actual-
ing the Nomad teachings very seriously. He showed proper
ly go out and do so.
respect to Nanner and Ningal, and he would never hurt an
She thinks that Harrison is the coolest per- innocent or allow a child to come to harm. But Malcolm had
son that she has ever met, and is one of the few trouble obeying the rule against using his powers frivolously.
people that enthusiastically calls her Silver He feels that showing his wolf face to a drunk at a bar is just
Raven. When Thomas found out that her so funny that it would be a crime not to do so.
roommate was Wicce, she became ecstatic.
The last time he did that was in bar in Ottawa. It was funny
"Omygod, you’re like a witch or some- until the drunk attacked him out of sheer terror. A fight broke
thing? That’s sooo cool. My parents would out in the bar and Malcolm ended up hurting some people.
die! Are you a bisexual? I think it would be People that the Bektar elders decided were innocents.
good for me to have a bisexual experience, Malcolm had crossed the line.
though I should probably start with a hetero-
So he was banished from the family, simple as that. His
sexual one first, don’t you think? Do you do
father, who was a normal human, has gotten in touch with
all those shamanistic drugs and stuff? I should
Malcolm a few times to make sure he was doing all right. His
probably do that too. We could do that togeth-
mother was a Bektar Feral and will not talk to him ever again.
er and it would help us bond. Because we live
together so we are kind of like sisters. At least Malcolm now wanders around the country, looking for
I think of you as my sister, do you think of me some direction in his life. He is mostly been looking in bars
like that?" and clubs. Malcolm has come to Cascade for the Solstice
Concert and resents any implication that he is responsible for
Harrison just left the room without saying a
the attacks that are taking place.
word and has been uncomfortable around
Thomas ever since. Thomas, on the other Strength: 2/5 Intelligence: 3
hand, has noticed no tension whatsoever. Dexterity: 3/5 Perception: 4/6
Constitution: 3/5 Willpower: 4
Dexterity: 3 Perception: 1 Life Points: 30/100 Endurance Points: 32/47
Constitution: 2 Willpower: 2 Speed: 12/30 Essence: 29
Life Points: 26 Endurance Points: 23 Qualities: Fast Reaction Time, Feral, Situational Awareness,
Speed: 10 Essence Points: 25 Wolf Shape
Qualities: Artistic Talent (Sculpture) Drawbacks: Addiction (Alcohol) -4, Clown, Reckless
Drawbacks: Cowardly -2, Emotional Skills: Acrobatics 3, Brawling 4, Dodge 4, Climbing 2, Play
Problems (Fear of Rejection) Instrument (Bass) 4, Occult Knowledge (Ferals) 3, Smooth
Talking 3, Stealth 5, Streetwise 4, Survival (Tundra) 3,
Skills: Fine Arts (Sculpture) 4, Humanities
Tracking 5
(History) 2, Humanities (Archeology) 2,
Play Instrument (Guitar) 3, Powers: Common Feral Powers, Boon (Control
Research/Investigation 1, Singing 2, Writing Transformation +2), Inborn Feral, Spirit Claws
(Creative) 2 Shape Abilities: Armor Value 1, Bite: D4 x 5 slashing,
Claws: D4 x 5 slashing
to Cascade to find out why it failed. Seth Ankou and
Tizoc usually work together, but there is a corporate leader
in Los Angeles that the Cult wants punished immediately,
so Ankou has been sent there to take care of it. Tizoc is still
able to contact Ankou by phone if he needs any advice.
Though Tizoc has no qualms about killing a human
being, the campus murders are not his style. He enjoys
hunting humans as much as the next supernatural creature,
but he would never leave a kill out in public for everyone
to discover. Besides, most of the people that he helps kill
lately are used by Ankou to fuel his Sadicas Pool.
Strength: 3/7 Intelligence: 2
Dexterity: 4/7 Perception: 4/5
Constitution: 2/4 Willpower: 3
Life Points: 33/105 Endurance Points: 29/47
Speed: 12/32 Essence: 28
Qualities: Attractiveness +1, Feral, Hard to Kill 1, Jaguar
Shape, Resources +2, Situational Awareness
Drawbacks: Addiction -1, Covetous (Lecherous) -2,
Cruel -2, Lazy, Minority (Aztec/Indian), Reckless
Skills: Acrobatics 3, Climbing 3, Dancing (Brazilian) 4,
Hand Weapon (Knife) 3, Language (English) 2, Language
(Nahuatl) 2, Language (Portuguese) 2, Language (Spanish
-- Native Language) 5, Martial Arts (Karate/Capeiora) 4,
Myth and Legend (Aztec) 2, Play Instrument (Drums) 2,
Ritual (Black Magic) 2, Seduction 2, Smooth Talking 2,
Tizoc
Stealth 3, Streetwise 2, Survival (Jungle) 2, Swimming 3,
Naualli Jaguar Feral
Tracking 2, Traps 2
Tizoc is a 24-year-old Mexican with Aztec features. He
is often mistaken for a Native American when in the Combat Moves: Punch 4, Kick 4, Jump Kick 4, Back
United States. He is tall and muscular, standing six feet tall Kick 4, Crescent Kick 4, Spin Kick 4
and weighing 190 pounds. He has long straight black hair Powers: Common Feral Powers, Inborn Feral, Spirit
and prefers to dress in khakis and white t-shirts. He defi- Claws, Strength of the Beast
nitely does not prefer being in some snowed-in town in the Shape Abilities: Armor Value 1, Bite: D4 x 7 slashing,
mountains. Claws: D6 x 7 slashing
Tizoc is a member of the Naualli, a small group of
jaguar Ferals and Skin-changers living in Mexico. The
Naualli have dealings with the Cult of Pain because of Seth Ankou
their mutual regard for the Xipetotec, the Flayed Lord of Seth Ankou is a powerful Blood Magician but acts only
the Aztecs. behind the scenes or through surrogates, like Tizoc. His
In fact, he is currently working as a bodyguard and right assignment arose when some Cult of Pain members noticed
hand man for a black magician of the Cult of Pain named the dislocations in the Essence caused by Flowers rituals.
Seth Ankou. Seth saved his life in Mexico City a few years Tizoc will quickly learn of the Cast Members’ actions and
ago when a Mad God threatened to break free into our report them to Ankou. Unlike many of his kind, Ankou will
world. Strangely enough, it was a combined group of treat the Cast with inordinate respect. He will not move
magicians from the Cult of Pain and the Red Path that personally against them, and if they come to defeat Tizoc,
finally managed to defeat the Mad God. The Dark he will be angered but will not do anything rash. Ankou
Covenants want to rule the world, not destroy it. will spend as much time as possible making the Cast
Members’ lives miserable, and then, hopefully, kill them
The Cult of Pain believes that Flowers was trying to
off one by one. Under no circumstances will Ankou con-
open a gateway to free Xipetotec, and Tizoc has been sent
front them directly. As such, no stats have been provided.
But Claude found out anyway and reacted violently to
the news. Claude and Pamela got into an argument that
grew increasingly violent until he knocked her uncon-
scious. Claude later could not remember binding his wife
in electrical tape and placing her in the trunk of the car.
The whole drive from Seattle to the Wenatchee National
Forest was a blur. His first memory afterwards was look-
ing back over his shoulder to see his car crashed into a tree
off the road as he dragged his wife deeper into the woods.
When he finally reached a place that he decided was
secluded enough, he calmly explained to his wife how dis-
appointed he was with her, brutally assaulted her and con-
tinued to beat her long after she had died.
By then, it was night and he had no idea where he was
or how he was going to make it back to a town. He decid-
ed that he was just going to die when a tainted bear spirit
appeared to him and offered him a way to survive. Claude
accepted and went Wendigo.
He now roams the Cascade Mountains feeding on the
occasional lost hiker and has done so for the past six
months. Food has been scare lately, so he came to Cascade
looking for new sources.
Millot is a tall heavy man, about 6’1" and weighing
close to 300 lbs. He was unattractive to begin with, with
small pig-like eyes and thin greasy brown hair. The tan-
gled beard and cuts on his face that he has acquired from
living in the woods for half a year have certainly not
Claude Millot helped his looks any. In human form, he wears tattered
Wendigo, Tainted Feral jeans, a white tee shirt and an army parka. In Feral form,
The Wendigo is a monster created when a Tainted animal he appears as a large humanoid covered in thick bear fur
spirit comes upon a human in desperate straits. Stranded with claws and insane red eyes. Although this form is cer-
and isolated people are the preferred targets, especially tainly more ursine than apelike, he is still usually identi-
those who resort to cannibalism or other loathsome prac- fied as a Sasquatch by any witness who seems him, due to
tices to survive in the wilderness. If the victim gives up its the local legends about Bigfoot.
soul for the chance to survive, it becomes Wendigo -- a
Strength: 6/10 Intelligence: 2
Feral-like monster who feeds on human flesh.
Dexterity: 2/3 Perception: 3/4
Claude Millot was an unsuccessful salesman from Constitution: 2/5 Willpower: 2
Seattle whose only desire in life was to be a father.
Life Points: 46/125 Endurance Points: 38/56
Actually, he had lost hope in himself and just hoped that
the next generation would redeem him. After forty-two Speed: 10/26 Taint Pool: 27
years of a lonely existence, he finally met someone who Qualities: Wendigo (Tainted Feral)
would marry him, a painfully shy young woman from
Drawbacks: Attractiveness -3, Cannibalism, Delusions
Vancouver named Pamela Naysmith. She had just gradu-
(You cannot hold all those murders against me, I am on the
ated from college at the age of twenty-four and had moved
Moral High Ground here) -3, Talentless. Millot used to
to Seattle in the hopes of finding herself a good job in the
have an Obsession about having a family, but that has
computer industry.
since been replaced by more bestial concerns.
They were happy with each other for the first two years,
Skills: Brawling 4, Computers 1, Stealth 2, Survival
two socially awkward people that could find joy in each
(Forest) 4, Survival (Mountain) 4, Tracking 4, Traps 3
other. Then Pamela discovered that she was pregnant. She
was by no means ready to have a child yet, so she went to Powers: Common Feral Powers, Camouflage
a clinic to have the pregnancy ended. She did not tell Shape Abilities: Bite: D4 x Strength slashing, Claw: D6 x
Claude because she knew how much he wanted a child. Strength slashing
Shelly Sommers Mina
Free Soul of a Woman’s Studies Major Vampyre and lead singer for Carmilla Rose
and Lesser Gifted Wicce at Cascade College Mina appears to be a slender 19-year-old girl with del-
A 22-year-old blonde, Shelly Sommers was every- icate feature. She has fair skin, dark black hair and beau-
one’s desire. She loved to celebrate the Goddess by tiful light blue eyes. She dresses in the typical goth fash-
celebrating life itself. This caused broken hearts ion -- lots of black with interesting combinations of lace
among the men and women of the campus, but that is and fishnet. Some people might call it a "vampire-
nothing she would ever dwell on. Things were pretty wannabe" look.
much going her way until she went on a date with The ironic thing is that she really is a Vampyre. Some
Jonathan Flowers. of those 19th-century-looking dresses really are from the
There are some who would say that Sommers used 19th century. She was born 160 years ago during the reign
people, so it is a little ironic that in the end she was of Queen Victoria and became a Vampyre as a young
used herself. Jonathan Flowers was a Black Magician adult. She was run down by the carriage of an aristocrat-
who needed a victim for a ritual sacrifice. He mur- ic Vampyre named Mercurio. In an uncharacteristically
dered Sommers and burned the Anders-Martin Library generous move, he decided that she was too beautiful to
down around her corpse. let die and brought her back from the Threshold.
Sommers passed on to the Threshold, but she was Mercurio acted as a mentor to the young woman until
not ready to die yet. She stayed in the Threshold, he was killed by a Sentinel in 1893. After that, Mina took
observing the events on campus, including the death of off on her own. She has lived in London, Paris, Venice,
Flowers. It was during her funeral early in November New York, New Orleans and San Francisco. She was
that Sommers realized that she could return to the land amused by the gothic vampire books that came out in the
of the living. Whether it was because of her Gift or her 1800s as well as the gothic revival of the next century.
overwhelming desire to continue enjoying life, Mina lives in a modest apartment in San Francisco deco-
Sommers was transformed into one of the Wandering rated with antiques, artwork, gothic paraphernalia and what-
Ones, a Phantasm able to incarnate into a physical ever boytoy she happens to be interested in at the moment.
form and enjoy all the pleasures of life. She sees this Though not a Vampyre of the Muse variety, she is still very
as a second chance and does not intend to waste it. attracted to people with the Artistic Talent quality. She finds
Strength: 3 Intelligence: 3 their Essence most enjoyable.
Dexterity: 5 Perception: 2 Strength: 5 Intelligence: 2
Constitution: 2 Willpower: 5 Dexterity: 6 Perception: 3
Vital Essence: 40 Speed: 14 Constitution: 5 Willpower: 3
Energy Essence: 20 Life Points: 50 Endurance Points: n/a
Qualities: Attractiveness +3, Charisma +1, Contacts Speed: 22 Essence Pool: 69
(Cascadian Coven) 2, Gift, Phantasm, Status +1 Qualities: Attractiveness +3, Charisma +2, Increased
Drawbacks: Emotional Problems (Fear of Essence 5, Age
Commitment), Emotional Problems (Shows Affection Drawbacks: Cruel -1, Emotional Problem (Fear of
with Sex), Pacifist, Reckless, Showoff Commitment), Secret (160-year-old Vampyre) -3,
Skills: Acrobatics 2, Acting 1, Computers 1, Driving Covetous (Lecherous) -1, Showoff
(Car) 2, Humanities (Sociology) 2, Humanities Skills: Acting 2, Beautician 3, Brawling 2, Climbing 2,
(Wiccan Theology) 2, Notice 1, Rituals (Wiccan) 2, Craft (Seamstress) 3, Dancing (Ballet) 3, Driving (Car) 2,
Seduction 2, Smooth Talking 2 Fine Arts (Painting) 2, Haggling 3, Humanities
Powers: Spiritus 2, Common Phantasm Powers, (History) 3, Humanities (Literature) 3, Intimidation 2,
Dream Visitation Language (French) 4, Language (Italian) 2, Occult
Knowledge (Vampyres) 4, Play Instrument (Guitar) 4,
Play Instrument (Piano) 3, Riding (Horse) 3, Seduction 3,
Singing 4, Stealth 4, Streetwise 2, Writing (Creative) 2
Powers: Common Vampyre Powers and Vulnerabilities,
Bard, Manipulate Emotions
One of the original three Seers, Sergei Myroff, sold
them out to the Combine. His Mindtime Power was not
enough to warn him about the bullet that was his reward.
Hunter was crawling into an alley leaving a thick trail of
blood when they came for Rachel. She never learned what
became of the others. She was drugged and loaded into a
Black Helicopter, the last thing she heard was Christian’s
voice screaming in her head to hold on. He had gotten her
out of the clinic, he would get her out of this.
But he never did.
Rachel was indoctrinated into the Combine as one of
their agents. She never did find out what happened to her
baby. She knows that is the reason that she was brought in
alive, because the baby was the child of two very power-
ful Seers. Maybe it was being trained as an agent as well,
maybe it was dissected for research. The thing that she
slowly came to realize is that the Combine was all that
stood in the way of the destruction of mankind. There were
forces out there that could end civilization as we know it,
forces that have tried to do so throughout history.
Rachel Resnick Only the Combine had prevented these things from hap-
Seer Combine Agent pening.
Rachel Resnick is a fit woman in her late twenties with If their methods seem harsh, it is only because of the
slicked-back, shoulder length black hair. Her bright blue importance of their mission. If she cannot see why a cer-
eyes are usually hidden by mirror shades. Her wardrobe tain action is necessary, well . . . it is not her job to see that.
consists of black suits when she wants to project that mys- Her job is to use the rare gift that she has in the best way
terious government agent “MIB” persona, and black jeans possible to help mankind. The Combine knows what needs
and leather jackets when she is in civilian clothes. to be done, and They would never do wrong by her. They
Her Seer powers caused her problems as a child so her par- are her family now, after all.
ents were advised to send her to a private psychiatric clinic Strength: 3 Intelligence: 3
that could help her with her “psychological delusions.” The Dexterity: 4 Perception: 4
clinic was a Combine front, used as a holding facility for Constitution: 3 Willpower: 4
people with unusual abilities or “undesireable” opinions. Life Points: 34 Endurance Points: 35
Rachel met another Seer in the clinic named Christian Speed: 14 Essence Pool: 41
Bach. During their lucid moments, they began to fall in
love, but most of their time was spent in a drug-induced Qualities: Essence Channeling 4, Fast Reaction Time,
haze. It went on like that for a few years until Christian Resources 3 (5 when acting on behalf of the Combine),
had a sudden epiphany one night and was able to break the Situational Awareness
clinic’s conditioning and escape. He took Rachel with him. Drawbacks: Cruel -1, Emotional Problem (Fear of
They traveled across the country and eventually joined up Rejection), Recurring Nightmare, Zealot (Combine)
with a Cabal of Psyche rebel named Travis Hunter. He had Skills: Demolitions 3, Driving (Motorcycle) 4, Electronic
been a Teacher in the Cabal but left because of their con- Surveillance 2, Guns (Pistol) 4, Guns (Rifle) 4, Hand
stant inaction. He already had three Seers with him that he Weapon (Knife) 2, Intimidation 3, Lock Picking 2, Martial
was training when Rachel and Christian joined his troop. Arts (Judo/Aikido) 3, Pick Pocket 2, Running 2, Stealth 3,
The next few years where the happiest times of her life. Streetwise 3, Surveillance 3, Tracking 2
She was traveling across the country with the man she Combat Moves: Breakfall 3, Judo Throw 3, Arm Lock 3,
loved in the company of others like her. She felt like she Disarm 3, Flip 3
belonged to a family, and soon she found out that she was Powers: Mindsight Strength 3, Mindsight Art 2, Mindtalk
pregnant with Christian’s child. That all ended when they Strength 3, Mindtalk Art 2, Mindrule Strength 6, Mindrule
came to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. Art 4
The Horror Campaign By CJ Carella
Introduction
wits and normal skills to help them. If they live long enough
to acquire powers of their own, they will have a much better
WitchCraft Stories may be used to explore many themes. feel for the danger and horror of the world.
They can be relatively high-power, using the Legendary
campaign level, or more moderate, using the Heroic cam- Character Creation
paign level (see WitchCraft, p. 292-293). Alternatively, ses- Horror Stories use normal people. The Pre-Heroic cam-
sions may be held that emphasize the horrific and paranor- paign is employed, with the following point allocations:
mal aspects of the world. Such a campaign variant is low-
powered -- the Cast Members are normal men and women
thrust into a supernatural situation, one they are ill-prepared Attributes: 15 points.
to handle. This type of game is good for a short session, or Qualities: 5 points, and up to 10 points in Drawbacks.
as an introduction to the world of WitchCraft. If the players
Skills: 20 points, or use the Pre-Heroic Optional Skill Point
use the same Cast Members, they may eventually develop
Generation rules (see WitchCraft, p. 55).
into knowledgeable and even powerful players of the occult
underground – assuming they survive, of course. Metaphysics: None. Alternatively, the Chronicler may let
characters acquire Metaphysical Qualities and Powers by
Low-power games emphasize the horror aspect of
spending Drawback points. Typically, however, the charac-
WitchCraft and expose the characters to the sharp end of the
ters are Mundanes, and not overly powerful or skilled
approaching Reckoning. Unlike the more usual Heroic
Mundanes at that.
games, where characters have powers or at least high abili-
ties of their own, in horror Stories, the Cast has only their
49 The Horror Campaign

Disbelief: This is psychological isolation. The Cast can be
Set-Up anywhere, but nobody believes their claims that something
Normal people do not usually go looking for supernatural horrible is going on. Unable to convince the authorities, the
trouble. In the Horror campaign, it comes looking for them. characters must survive and fight on their own.
Horror works best when the characters are somehow isolat- Chroniclers have to be careful not to make the authorities
ed and unable to get help. It works even better when help is seem too stupid and close-minded. Let’s face it, far too many
available -- and it does them no good. Isolation tools include movies unrealistically portray cops, doctors and other authori-
location, circumstances, disbelief and conspiracy. ty figures as hard-headed materialists with not a whiff of super-
The setting and the characters’ role in it are important. Are stition or imagination in them. In reality, if enough weirdness
some or all the Cast Members colleagues or co-workers, or are happens, some people may be open-minded, or at least be will-
they strangers thrown together by chance? How many people ing to shelve explanations in favor of dealing with what is hap-
will know or be affected by the unusual events of the Story? pening first. Explanations can be considered later. A stereotyp-
What resources (radios, guns, vehicles) are available to the Cast ical horror tale would have the cops dismiss the characters’ sto-
Members, and what effect do those resources have on the plot? ries out of hand as the ravings of a bunch of lunatics. A much
better tale is to depict the cops as reasonable and open-minded,
Some of these factors are explored below. only dismissing the claims of the Cast when no tangible proof
Isolation: Alone in the Dark

materializes. An interesting plot line would have a sympathet-
ic, smart police officer who tries to find the truth -- and who is
Humans are social animals. They want to be surrounded killed by the dark forces when he gets too close to it, in some
by friends, parents, and people; even loners may feel uncom- way that discredits or even blames the Cast Members.
fortable if they know there is no one around. Every child Conspiracy: Someone, often someone close to the Cast
who has woken from a nightmare and found himself alone in Members, or a person in a position of authority, thwarts the
a dark room knows this. This feeling is an important element Cast Members’ every effort to get help or warn others. The
of horror Stories. Described below are some tools traitor or conspirator may be in league with the dark force, or
Chroniclers can use to create isolation in their Stories. may have an agenda of her own -- the greedy resort owner
Location: The easiest way to make people feel isolated is who hinders any investigation that might put his investment
to do it physically. The town, or manor, or house far from the at risk is a typical example. The methods of the Conspiracy
beaten path is a staple of horror fiction. A ship at sea, an are innumerable -- breaking radios and cell phones, sabotag-
expedition to some remote wilderness area, or a base at the ing vehicles and escape routes, discrediting the characters’
bottom of the sea all serve the same purpose. Nobody is stories or destroying proof. In some ways, it is better if the
coming to help the characters, or if they do, it is clear that conspirators are not directly in league with the actual
they will not arrive in time to do any good. The Cast must Adversary, but are acting for some petty reason, usually
rely on what they have at hand to survive. involving money. An interesting subplot may involve the
Cast Members’ actions when the conspiracy and the identity
In the 21st century, enforcing isolation is more difficult -- of the traitor are revealed. Do they take revenge, and risk
a cellular phone allows you to make calls almost anywhere being prosecuted for murder? Most movies solve this dilem-
in the planet, after all. The trick is to achieve it without ma by cheerfully feeding the conspirator to the monster near
resorting to obviously contrived means (Circumstances and the final reel, to the merriment of all. What happens if the
Conspiracy, described below, are a big help there). evil is defeated, but the people who made it almost impossi-
Circumstances: This may also be viewed as a sub-set of ble to win are still living happy, prosperous lives?
Location, but gives the Chronicler more options regarding set-
ting. In this case, it is not the actual place, but current events
that enforce isolation. A severe winter storm is a commonly
used device -- the victims are trapped in place for at least a
few days -- plenty of time for all manner of horrors to befall
them. A blackout can help isolate people in a city; moving
around is difficult, and the authorities are too busy to be much
help. Most of the time, such circumstances are time-depen-
dent. That means that if the characters survive long enough,
rescue may be at hand. This adds a measure of urgency to the
game, a race against the clock that offers some hope. This
actually brings home an important consideration often over-
looked in horror games: without hope, it is hard to sustain hor-
ror. The prospect of death minutes away from rescue is more
horrible than knowing one is doomed from the start.

Other Hardware: All of the above applies to other hard-
Guns, Cars and Cell Phones: ware -- cars, communications devices, and so on. They can
Hardware and Horror rendered useless through circumstances or enemy action, be
ineffective against the Adversary even if they do work as
Even normal people can be capable of great things, given advertised, or require some forethought to be useful in com-
enough guns and ammo. Many (perhaps most) gamers feel bating the evil.
the need to give their characters a good selection of tools
of destruction, just in case. Chroniclers should exercise The Supporting Cast:
caution here, but not be too stingy. While it may be diffi-
cult to justify an old lady down the street owning a per- Fellow Travelers
fectly functional AK-47, one could make the case for her
having a nice double-barreled shotgun. To a lesser degree, The people around the Cast Members may be used to rein-
the same applies to other pieces of equipment -- powerful force the horror of the situation, provide comic relief, or
cars, medical kits, items from the E-Spy catalog, and so on. even be of material help. Described below are some staple
While most players do not try to produce a Rambo-007 horror characters, along with some ways to make them stand
hybrid (and if they do, the Chronicler should know before out from their archetypes.
starting the game, and perhaps tailor the game according- The Redshirts: Derived from the hapless security per-
ly), guns are likely to be a factor in the game. Three choic- sonnel on Star Trek, these are the ones doomed to die
es are apparent: the Chronicler may deny the characters before the movie is half over. The attractive but spoiled and
guns (or contrive it so their guns fail them at the last bitchy woman, the horny adolescent couple, the token
moment); he may let them have all the guns in the world - minority -- all are usual Redshirts. A good twist is to pre-
- because they will do them no good; or he may reach a sent the characters as typical cannon fodder, and then have
compromise between the two extremes. them behave in unexpected ways. Maybe the spoiled brat
Gun Control: This can be done during character creation saves the Cast Members’ lives by performing a smart and
or through the game. The most direct way is to tell the play- courageous act (just because she is pretty does not mean
ers not to create any Montana militiamen wannabes with she’s dumb, after all). Or the minority guy actually sur-
arsenals in the back of their pickup truck. Alternatively, the vives through the horrors unscathed and helps put down
game could be set in, say, the United Kingdom, where gun the evil. Then there are the people who are too stupid to
control is a lot more serious than in the U.S. Other gun con- live: the ones who hear a strange noise in the basement and
trol methods include logistics (how many rounds can the go off alone to investigate it, the ones who cheerfully sug-
characters realistically have on them when the manure hits gest that the group splits up, and so on. Having them per-
the rotating blades?), enemy action (the monster or an unre- ish is simple enough, but it may be more interesting if they
lated Conspirator, as described above, steals or sabotages the survive their antics, at least at first.
guns), and circumstances (the situation occurs aboard an air- The Heroic Leader: In many games, one of Cast
liner, where no one is supposed to have guns, except maybe Members may be called to assume the mantle of leadership
some law-enforcement officer). in the threatened community. What if someone else steps
Bullets Are No Good: If the players want guns, lots of forward, and seems to be more qualified, resourceful and
guns -- let them have ‘em. Then create an Adversary who capable than the Cast? Having a Heroic Leader among the
is invulnerable or highly resistant to conventional dam- Supporting Cast (someone who, in a movie, would be the
age. Some examples are a Relentless Dead with unearth- lead character) can provide a number of plot twists. One
ly regenerative powers, a ghost able to strike from the possibility is to have the character come up with sensible,
spirit world, and so on. The gun-toting characters can fire intelligent plans -- all of which fail horribly, usually at the
away, doing nothing more than risking injury to them- cost of lives. The other is to have the Heroic Leader be the
selves or innocent bystanders. Then they will have to first to die (or among the first victims) of the Adversary,
think of something else. with demoralizing consequences for the rest of the Cast. A
third option is to have the hero be a Rotten Apple (see
Guns Are Good But Thinking Is Better: In this situation, below) in reality, his true colors coming to light at the
guns are of some value, but they alone cannot win the day. worst possible moment.
The Adversary is too powerful (“You are going to need a big-
ger boat”), or it consists of a horde of creatures that can over- The Rotten Apple: These are secondary Adversaries, who
whelm the characters despite any firepower at hand, or it endanger the Cast without being in league with the main evil.
works in such subtle ways that direct confrontation is going They are behind most Conspiracies (see Isolation, p. 50), and
to have to wait until the characters find it. In the end, brains, may even be as dangerous as the actual foe. Some common
not brawn, is the deciding factor. Rotten Apples include the selfish coward willing to sacrifice
anyone to save his own skin, the greedy capitalist who’s try-
51 The Horror Campaign

ing to make a buck regardless of the cost, or the nay-sayer placed in his path, until the Cast comes up with a way to
who will not accept the facts until it is too late. At their most defeat him. A more subtle version is a Lurker variant, but so
obvious, the Rotten Apples are so obnoxious and dangerous powerful that discovering his identity is but the start of the
that the Cast Members decide to murder them for safety’s characters’ troubles. Forces of Nature work best in action-
sake or, as one Chronicler put it “prevenge” -- pre-emptive packed games. The Relentless Dead lend themselves well to
revenge. While the consequences of such acts can provide this role.
their share of plot complications, it might be better to have The Horde: Not a single villain, but many -- a veritable
the weasels behave in more subtle fashions. Maybe the army of them. Individually, they may not be much, but there
greedy capitalist outwardly behaves reasonably, seemingly are too many of them. Hordes are good for siege situations
willing to forsake his investment for humanitarian reasons, -- the characters are trapped somewhere, and they must find
but secretly sabotaging the Cast Members. Another variant is a way to defeat the supernatural swarm trying to break in.
to have the saboteur genuinely believe he is doing the right Guns and fighting skills help somewhat, but are not enough
thing, and endanger everyone with the best intentions. to win the day. Zombies are the typical Horde (and are cov-
The Adversary:
ered in exquisite detail in the Unisystem Companion role-
playing game, All Flesh Must Be Eaten). Animal swarms are
Going Bump In the Night another common Horde.
The Scooby Villain: This is the villain who pretends to be
Finally, there is the core of the horror game -- the Creature. a supernatural being to further his own ends. Characters (and
It does not always have to be a creature, or even supernatur- players) bracing themselves to fight some creature from
al, but it should be dangerous, scary, and effective. beyond may be unprepared to deal with a mundane threat.
Uncertainty can be a major part of this -- not knowing what The Scooby Villain is a nice curve to throw characters in any
they are facing, the Cast feels less secure and more uneasy. WitchCraft game. It can be played for laughs, or in deadly
Above all, the Adversary should not be played dumb (unless earnest -- normal humans are quite capable of committing
it is a mindless beast or horde, and even then a little animal atrocities, after all. Alternatively, the Scooby Villain can be a
cunning can go a long way). It should work towards isolat- red herring, covering up the activities of the real supernatur-
ing, weakening, and then hunting down the Cast, and use al force.
reasonable tactics to do so. On the other hand, it should not The Evolving Foe: Then there are the evolving
be omniscient or all-powerful; even if it wins in the end, it Adversaries -- a typical combo starts out with a Lurker (mys-
should not hold all the cards all the time. terious killings or disappearances) whose actions allow it to
Some Adversary concepts are given below. They do not grow in power to become a Horde (though breeding or mul-
refer to actual types of monsters, but the way they are used tiplication) or a Force of Nature (forgoing the shadows and
in a game. A Vampyre, for example, could fit in most of striking openly). Or maybe a Lurker is trying to awaken a
those concepts (even the Scooby Villain, if it is pretending to Force of Nature -- if he succeeds, defeat is certain. The
be something else). Vampyre who starts creating new Undead, the mad necro-
The Lurker In The Shadows: He is hidden, strikes with- mancer raising a zombie army, and the cultist trying to awak-
out warning, and leaves few useful clues. Figuring out who en a Mad God are all examples of Evolving Foes.
or what he is will typically be more than half the battle --
after all, if the Lurker was incredibly powerful, why would
he have to hide (then again, maybe he enjoys toying with his
prey)? Of course, the Lurker may decide to deal with would-
be hunters before they learn the truth. This Adversary is good
for a Story mixing the typical elements of a whodunit with
paranoia and uncertainty -- could the creature be someone
the Cast knows? Learning the nature and motivations of the
Lurker usually plays a vital part in stopping it. Vampyres,
cultists, and serial killers make good Lurkers.
The Force of Nature: He is in your face, and he cannot be
stopped. Making a stand against the Force of Nature is as
futile as trying to fight a tornado. The Cast can try to flee
while devising a way to stop him, attempt to hold him off
until help arrives, or make a futile last stand. At its simplest,
this Adversary follows the Cast in a prolonged chase scene
(or maybe a running gun battle), stomping any obstacle

Optional Unisystem Rules By CJ Carella
The Unisystem is designed with the belief that no set of On the average, players will get about 15 points (2.5 x 6)
rules is 100% for every player and Chronicler. The options to spread in Attributes, but the upper range, especially with
presented here are meant to increase the range of people that the “rule of 4” added in, can be far more than even the
can be accommodated by the same system. Heroic Mundane Character Type gets. This option reduces
mini-maxing with points, but characters will have widely
Optional Character Creation Rules varying attributes.
Random Attribute Rolling Combining Point Allotment Categories

Using this option, instead of spending a set number of In WitchCraft, a character’s statistics are divided into
points in Attributes, the players roll a D4 six times, and then separate categories, with points spread between them.
assign the numbers rolled to the Attributes (ranging from 1 While some overlap between Qualities and Metaphysics
to 4) as they wish. Players can reduce any Attribute by one exists already, some players and Chroniclers may wish to
level and shift that level to another Attribute. Further take it further. Instead of breaking up the points into
Attribute increases are possible with Drawback points, as per groups, one pool of character points that can be used to
the rules in WitchCraft, p. 71. Qualities, Skills and buy everything.
Metaphysics are determined normally. In the author’s opinion, some things can be mixed more
As a further option (best used in Legendary games, or easily than others. Qualities and Metaphysics could be
restricted to Mundane characters), on a roll of 4, roll again, lumped into one category, for example, without much dis-
subtract 2 from the result and add the total (if positive) to the ruption. Qualities, Metaphysics and Skills can also be put
Attribute. So, a roll of 4 followed by a roll of 3 would be a together, although this allows for a great deal of mini-
5, two 4s in a row would be a 6, and a second roll of 1 or 2 maxing. Without these categories, Gifted characters usual-
makes no change. ly end up having few skills and a great deal more Powers,
53 O p t i o n a l U n i s y s t e m R u l e s
and Mundanes wind up having a bunch of high-level hits -- but some people may not find it to their taste. On the
Skills. Lumping everything together into one 80-point other hand, people going on the defensive have a better
lump (for Heroic Witchcraft Cast Members) does not work chance to survive.
with the point costs as given in the main book. Raising all
Attributes to 6 (at 8 points a pop) would cost a mere 48 Ties Reduce Damage
points (a more sedate all 5s, a mere 30 points), because the This rule replaces the normal one that attack-defense ties
point pool in the Attribute category does not have the same (both sides generate the same result) go to the defender.
per-unit value as the other categories. The Chronicler Instead, on a tie, the attacker rolls for damage, but the
might put caps on Attributes, or change the point cost to a Multiplier is reduced by 2 levels (if this reduces the
sliding scale, but that just brings one back to the basic cat- Multiplier below 0, subtract it from the total points instead).
egory rules. From a purely mechanistic point of view, rais- Alternatively, instead of the Multiplier, the die roll might be
ing Attributes makes more sense than raising Skills. A reduced by 2. In that case, if the total rolled (before applying
character with a Dexterity of 6 can buy several combat the Multiplier) is 0 or below, no damage is inflicted.
skills at level 1, and still be very proficient, while a char-
So, Uberzombie swings a baseball bat (inflicting D8 x 6 in
acter with a Dexterity of 3 would have to spend 4 points
his Undead hands) at Kung Fu Charlie. The attack/defense
per skill to get the same result. It was precisely for that
rolls result in a tie. Instead of not hitting at all, Uberzombie
reason that Attributes should be kept separate from the
rolls damage, but at the reduced rate of D8 x 4, or (D8-2) x
other characteristics.
4 (if the second option is used).
So, for those looking for more flexibility, it is recom-
This rule favors attack over defense, although it only
mend that Attribute points be kept separate, and points
applies on the relatively unlikely event of a tie.
from the other categories be combined as desired. In the
end, it is for the Chronicler to decide the specifics. Reduced Gun Lethality
Optional Combat Rules In WitchCraft, guns are lethal.Pistols above 9mm cripple
or severely wound most characters in one shot. Two shots
Defense and Success Levels doing average damage have a good chance of killing the
average man. On the one hand, this makes characters less
Under the basic Unisystem rules, if an attack result is anxious to get involved in firefights than they are in other
higher than a defense result, damage is applied normally, games. On the other, some people may find those lethality
with bonuses determined by the Success Level of the attack levels too much for their tastes.
Task. This optional rule allows the defender to subtract her
The easiest solution is to change the bullet damage modi-
Success Level from the attacker’s. If the attacker’s Success
fiers as follows. Normal bullets do not inflict double dam-
Levels are reduced to 0 or below, the attack has been parried,
age. Hollow points do double damage but the Armor or
dodged or otherwise avoided. This has two immediate
Barrier Values of any obstacle or body armor are doubled
effects. First, the attacker needs to not only beat the defend-
against them. Armor-piercing rounds do half damage, but
er’s roll total, but must do it by enough to have at least one
halve any Armor or Barrier Values standing between them
Success Level more. Second, unless the total differential is
and the target.
huge, damage bonuses due of Success Levels will be few and
far between. This means that the legendary Joe Average (26 Life
Points) typically requires 3 shots from a 9mm pistol (average
For example, Kung Fu Charlie (Dexterity 4, Martial Arts
damage 12 points) to be brought down, and 4 shots to be in
5) attacks Brawling Sally (Dexterity 3, Brawling 4). Both
serious danger of dying. Not exactly realistic, but more suit-
sides roll. Charlie gets a 16, for a total of 4 Success Levels,
able for a cinematic, action-packed game.
good enough for a +1 bonus to the damage roll (not includ-
ing the bonuses gained for the Martial Arts Skill). Sally rolls For the rest, our advice is to use the regular rules. If charac-
an 8, for a total of 15. Under the optional rule, she still ters must march toward the sound of guns, they should do as
defends successfully, as her Success Levels reduce Charlie’s the police do, wearing Kevlar vests. Alternatively, they should
to zero. If she rolled a 2, for a total of 9 (1 Success Level), shoot from cover, shoot people in the back -- safest way to do
Charlie would hit, but would lose the +1 damage bonuses, as it -- or even try not to get in firefights unless absolutely neces-
his Success Levels are reduced to 3. sary, because someone could get killed in there.
This rule tends to lengthen the duration of combat (a good Enhanced Gun Realism
hit has a reduced chance to inflict enough damage to cripple
the victim), especially in fights between evenly-matched After recently completing a gun safety course, and test-fir-
foes. This is not unrealistic -- most knife fights, for example, ing a number of firearms, this author has a greater under-
result in multiple light wounds rather than one or two killing standing of certain facts about firearms, facts that are often
O p t i o n a l U n i s y s t e m R u l e s 54
ignored in most movies, fiction, and, of course, games. This ally by pulling the slide back) and the safety must be flicked
optional section is intended for Chroniclers who wish to add off. On a failed Simple Intelligence Test, an inexperienced
a bit more realism to their games. user handed a gun with the safety on forgets to do either or
Guns Are Loud: Amazingly, painfully, ear drum-shatter- both those things. This may be merely embarrassing or down-
ingly loud. Many shooting hobbyists have some degree of right deadly (in the middle of a fight, for example).
hearing loss, even using ear protection. Even ten yards
(meters) away, in an open field, the sound of a rifle is uncom- Optional Metaphysics Rules
fortably loud. Firing any gun heavier than a .22 in an Some players feel that Magic gets something of the short
enclosed space (inside a car, or a house) is even worse. To end of the stick in WitchCraft. It requires Essence
reflect this, anybody in an enclosed space when a heavy gun Channeling, a decent Essence Pool, and several expensive
goes off should pass a Simple Constitution Test (at +2 if the Invocations. That is asking a bit much, compared to other
character has Impaired Hearing) or be stunned for that Turn. powers. While Magic’s versatility mostly makes up for those
This includes the shooter. Ear plugs or other ear protection shortcomings, the following optional rules can be used to
helps. If the shot was expected, those with ear protection suf- make it cheaper to have a well-versed Magician.
fer no ill effects. Otherwise, a Constitution Test is still nec-
essary, but with a +3 bonus. On the other hand, ear plugs Using either or both options makes Gifted Magicians more
impose a -2 penalty to any Perception Task or Test involving powerful. They may be able to act more openly and to per-
hearing. In the middle of a fight, people are high on adrena- form greater feats. Such actions are likely to have conse-
line, and thus less likely to be stunned: add a +2 bonus to the quences. By the same token, hostile Magicians should also
Constitution Test in those circumstances. be more capable. This is likely to have an effect on the game
world at large, and the Chronicler should think about such
Guns Are Hot: Not only is the barrel hot, the gases that effects before making these changes.
explode out of the barrel are hot. Revolvers have a problem
-- some of the gases of the shot are vented to the sides. Thus, Cheaper Invocations
it is a bad idea to be next to a revolver-shooter. In a close
fight (two people struggling for a revolver), a near miss Basically, Invocations under this option are purchased like
might still inflict 1 point of burn damage on anybody who normal Skills (although they still use Metaphysics points): 1
has unprotected skin within a foot (0.3 m) of the gun’s side. point per level until level 5, and 3 points per level thereafter.
Touching a hot barrel with one’s bare hands also does 1 point The typical Gifted Magician can have twice as many
of burn damage. Invocations under this rule, or higher levels in existing
Invocations. Magicians would become the most powerful
Recoil Is Bad: Heavy guns (high-caliber rifles and shot- and versatile Gifted characters in the game. This would be
guns) require certain minimal strength to keep them under doubly true if Essence and Essence Channeling are likewise
full control. Characters with Strengths of 3 and higher have reduced in cost (see below).
no problem, although the experience may be unpleasant and
bruising. Those with a lower Strength suffer a -2 penalty on Cheaper Essence and Essence Channeling
the first shot (the gun moves in their hands before the bullet
Another way to increase the power of Magicians and other
finishes leaving the barrel, spoiling their aim, usually by
Gifted characters is to reduce the cost of Essence Channeling
shooting high). This is cumulative with additional shots in a
and Increased Essence Pool. Reducing the Cost of
Turn. Very heavy guns, or shotguns firing heavy loads
Channeling to 1 point per level until level 5, 2 points per
(slugs) might impose recoil penalties of -1 for anyone with a
level until level 10, and 5 points per level thereafter makes
Strength below 5, and -2 to those with Strength 3 or below.
Magicians very powerful. This change is not recommended
The same applies to heavy handguns (any Magnum, or .45+
unless the magic “level” of the game setting is greater than
caliber gun).
that in the WitchCraft world. Such a change would be more
Guns and Inexperience: People who know little or noth- appropriate for Armageddon or a high-power version of All
ing about guns can hurt themselves fairly easily. Aside from Flesh Must Be Eaten, than the default setting for WitchCraft.
the obvious, guns can injure in other ways. Most semi-auto-
The cost of Increased Essence Pool, especially after char-
matic weapons work with a slide, a metal piece that moves
acter creation, can also be adjusted. Reducing the cost dur-
back and forth -- pushed back by the explosion of a shot, then
ing character creation to 1 point for every 10 points of
sliding back into place. That slide can cut, crush and mangle
Essence, or 1 for 6 or 7 is possible, depending on the style of
fingers if handled improperly. At the Chronicler’s discretion,
the campaign. After character creation, the experience point
people with no Gun Skill trying to use a semi-automatic
cost (1 point for 2 Extra Essence points) may seem too
weapon must pass a Simple Intelligence Test or take D4(2)
pricey to some, given the benefits those 2 extra Essence
points of damage from improper gun handling. Also, to fire a
Points represent. Charging 1 point for 3 Essence, or even 1
semi-automatic, a round must be manually chambered (usu-
point for 5 Essence, might redress the situation.
55 O p t i o n a l U n i s y s t e m R u l e s
Campus Crusade Chronicler’s Map
The Strip Police
(including Station
and Cascade Bible Church
College Pizza
Station) Hospital
Badkin Pinky
Hall Student
Union Yarrow
Building Theatre
Blitberg Carella
Science Labs Admin Parking
Anders-Martin Building
Library • • 10/5 Ritual
10/7 Ritual
Samson Fine
Arts Building Campus Parker
Commons Auditorium
Wadkins • Tobin
Student 10/1 Ritual Hall • 10/2 Ritual
Wellness •
Center 10/3 Ritual
Admin Hall Chico

Building
Parking Parking
Turst Hood
Dining Apartment
Hall Building
•
Peabody 10/11 Ritual
Gym
Tennis McGowan Track and Field

Courts
Campus Crusade Maps 56

Campus Crusade Cast Member’s Map
The Strip Police
(including Station
and Cascade Bible Church
College Pizza
Station) Hospital
Badkin Pinky
Hall Student
Union Yarrow
Building Theatre
Blitberg Carella
Science Labs Admin Parking
Anders-Martin Building
Library
Samson Fine
Arts Building Campus Parker
Commons Auditorium
Wadkins Tobin
Student Hall
Wellness
Center
Admin Hall Chico

Building
Parking Parking
Turst Hood
Dining Apartment
Hall Building
Peabody
Gym
Tennis McGowan Track and Field

Courts
57 Campus Crusade Maps

O
G T FLESH?
A New Horror RPG from
Eden Studios using CJ
Carella’s UNISYSTEM
Compatible with the
WitchCraft and Armageddon
Roleplaying Games
Enter the world of

Zombie Survival Horror
www.allflesh.com
NOW AVAILABLE
Ask your local game store retailer
EDN8000 $30.00 (US)
Name
Association
M u n d a n e
Concept CHANNELING
LEVEL
CHARACTER
POINTS SPENT UNSPENT
Primary Attributes Secondary Attributes

STRENGTH INTELLIGENCE LIFE POINTS
ENDURANCE POINTS
DEXTERITY PERCEPTION
SPEED
CONSTITUTION WILLPOWER ESSENCE POOL
Qualities Point Drawbacks Point
Skill Level Skill Level
© 2001 Eden Studios. Permission granted to photocopy.

Name
Association
Concept
G i f t e d
CHANNELING
LEVEL
CHARACTER

ENDURANCE POINTS
SPEED
Skill Level Power Level

Name
Lesser Gifted
Association
Concept CHANNELING
LEVEL
CHARACTER

ENDURANCE POINTS
SPEED
Skill Level Skill Level
Power Level

Name
S u p e r n a t u r a l
Association
Concept CHANNELING
LEVEL
L e s s e r
CHARACTER

ENDURANCE POINTS
SPEED
Skill Level Power Level

Weapons/Hand to Hand
Type Range Cap Damage Notes
Sex
Age
Heig ht
Weight
Hair
Eyes
Possessions Allies/Contacts
Character History

Harry was not paying attention when he first passed it. One minute he was watching his
breath crystallize in the chilled air, the next he was flat on his back. After several futile
attempts at standing, Harry took the thankfully working radio from his belt and called in.
"John . . . John, you there? This is Harry. You there?
I slipped on something. I think I busted my leg."
"Cool," quipped John. "So what did you slip on?"
"Hold on," Harry said. His good humor faded quickly. Harry scooted himself over.
He noted that he bumped something.
Time passed.
"I’m by the west wall of the Library," Harry said in monotone, "And the place is covered in
blood . . . Oh my God, I think . . . God Harry, there’s someone’s . . . oh God . . . oh God . . ."
The Chronicler's Shield is a supplement for the WitchCraft roleplaying game.

In it, you will find:
• A four-panel, hand reference of charts and tables for all Chroniclers, including the Fear Table, equipment
charts, the Outcome Table and much more.
• Campus Crusade, a ready-to-run introductory adventure for both beginning and experienced Cast Members.
• Six pre-generated Cast Members with full backgrounds that may be played as is, individualized as desired,
or used as examples for the creation of new characters.
• A Winter’s Tale, adventure seeds following Campus Crusade, that may be used to extend the Story, or as the
basis for an entirely new Story.
• A number of optional Unisystem

rules to spice up any campaign.
• A short essay on running

WitchCraft predominately as a
horror campaign.
Compatible with
All Flesh Must Be Eaten™, Armageddon™,
and all other Unisystem ™ games.
$18.00 (US)
EDN4006
ISBN 1-891153-46-3
Text, artwork, icons, personalities, tradedress and characters
copyright © 2001 Eden Studios, Inc.
Screen cover art © 2001 Jason Felix
CJ Carella’s The Unisystem™ copyright © 2001 CJ Carella.
Used under exclusive license. All Rights Reserved.

EDN4006 Witchcraft RPG - Chronicler's Shield (OEF) (2001)

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Targeting Specific Body Parts Chart Ranged Weapon Table Ranged Combat

“I’m by the west wall of the Library,” Harry said

in monotone, “And the place is covered in blood . . .

Oh my God, I think . . . God Harry, there’s someone’s

. . . oh God . . . oh God . . .” Chapter Summary

“Yes, now go.”

“But what do I tell them?” John asked.

Pat Wright thought about that for a moment then

answered. “Tell them what you know, son. Tell them

that Harry came upon a bloody pentagram and tripped

over what appears to be a recently severed animal

Then Pat added softly, “Mark my words, no one is

Running Campus Crusade

Jonathan Flowers -- EMT and Master Eloise Thibault, PhD. -- Associate

Shelly Sommers -- Senior at Cascade

Bernd Van Wahl, Ph.D. -- Tenured

Pat Wright -- Campus Security Guard,

September 6-8 of the Administration Building. When this cover-up is dis-

The Interview October 1: Pentacle in cow’s blood with

During the interview, ask many questions

C.A.S.E. has recruited men and women of

Hammer is Divinely Inspired and was once

"Mother in the Heart of the Cascades"

Typical Coven Member

Speed: 8 Essence Pool: 16 Drawbacks: Emotional Problems (Fear of

Eloise Thibault, Ph.D.

49 The Horror Campaign

Isolation: Alone in the Dark

The Horror Campaign 50

51 The Horror Campaign

The Horror Campaign 52

Random Attribute Rolling Combining Point Allotment Categories

Admin Hall Chico

Tennis McGowan Track and Field

Campus Crusade Maps 56

Admin Hall Chico

Tennis McGowan Track and Field

57 Campus Crusade Maps

Enter the world of

Primary Attributes Secondary Attributes

Qualities Point Drawbacks Point

Skill Level Skill Level

© 2001 Eden Studios. Permission granted to photocopy.

Primary Attributes Secondary Attributes

Qualities Point Drawbacks Point

Skill Level Power Level

© 2001 Eden Studios. Permission granted to photocopy.

Primary Attributes Secondary Attributes

Qualities Point Drawbacks Point

Skill Level Skill Level

© 2001 Eden Studios. Permission granted to photocopy.

Primary Attributes Secondary Attributes

Qualities Point Drawbacks Point

Skill Level Power Level

© 2001 Eden Studios. Permission granted to photocopy.

© 2001 Eden Studios. Permission granted to photocopy.

The Chronicler's Shield is a supplement for the WitchCraft roleplaying game.

• A number of optional Unisystem

• A short essay on running

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