The Cursed Sabbatical

The Cursed Sabbatical

Written By: Justin From Game On! YouTube
Introduction:
The Cursed Sabbatical is a Call of Cthulhu module for 1-5 players, though plays best with 3-4.
The module is designed to be used with the Call of Cthulhu free quick start rules that can be
found on Chaosium’s website. The module is useful for both new gamekeepers and veteran
gamekeepers. New gamekeepers will benefit from an easy to understand outline with tips and
tricks to help the game go smoothly, and veteran players will have the option to expand and add
their own flair by adding side quests and characters and can change the quest hook to fit an
existing campaign. Keepers, one of the best parts of this game is roleplay, make sure you allow
enough time in a session to let the players roleplay for a good amount of time.
Premise Professor Steven Walters, a theology and archeology professor from the small Christian
school “Grantham College” in Mechanicsburg Pennsylvania went missing. The day after Easter,
you’ve been requested by the college to help investigate the disappearance of the professor
creating a missing persons game. Little do the PC’s know that sometimes even the most devout
religious folk can be tempted into power by forces unfathomable.
How to use this module:
The module will be spelled out enough to help new gamekeepers feel comfortable running the
game. Familiarize yourself with the module to understand the story and the cast. Some scenes
will be ordered by number, but there will be a light sandbox element designated by letters. These
can be tackled in any order the players wish. The language will have some vagueness to help
veteran gamekeepers add their own twist to the game if they should want. Regardless, there will
be cues helping the keepers know when a handout is available. There will be some words of
advice in the module to help new keepers feel more comfortable running the game. It is
suggested to keep the mood of the game dark and creepy by playing a thunderstorm in the
background using an online radio or video playing website. If you feel comfortable, low volume
music, even lower than the thunderstorm can also add to the atmosphere. If you can, also bring
the lightning down.
My playtest suggestions will be in green
Written By Justin From Game On!
Outline
This is a low combat, high investigation style Call of Cthulhu scenario. There is some room for
combat, but keepers and/or players may opt out of combat. The investigation takes place on the
campus of Grantham College in select buildings as well as the City of Harrisburg. The story
starts with the investigators on their way to the college. As soon as the investigators are given
their mission, they are free to do anything in any order except Your Inner Grace. Keepers should
use this as the end sequence of the investigation and story. It is ok to have missed one or two
areas, but the investigators should really go to the church at the end. If the investigators attempt
to go to the church as the first few spots, make it so the church is closed for decorating for the
special service they wish to have [See handout]. This decorating will move at the speed of plot
and will end when the investigators have been to most if not all locations elsewhere.
Behind the scenes important information:
Steven Walters has been captured by Yig and is going to be devoured at the church ceremony on
Thursday that week. The statue of Yig was uncovered during the Mandatory Palestine riots as
some buildings were demolished. Steven had been made aware of an uncovered burial site for
the “ancient holy ones” whom he believed to be one of Jesus’s relatives' burial grounds.
While all this was happening and well before it, the secret priests of Yig had been using these
uneasy times to spread the message of their god, and targeted Steve and Grantham College as a
whole along with Miskatonic University. The priests even sent both schools a statue of a man
holding a 3 foot long snake disguised as a gift from the local peoples. The snake on that statue
was a spy for Yig and subtly influenced Steven through whispers in an ancient tongue very few
knew.
When Steve found the Yig statue at the archeological site, he had the sudden urge to steal it and
take it home. He was paranoid that he was being tracked by the locals all while misunderstanding
if the statue of the snake was actually alive or not.
After bringing the statue of Yig to his office, that’s when Yig struck and teleported Steven and
itself back to Your Inner Grace (YIG) church where he will devour Steven and gain his
intelligence in a special ceremony.
Through roleplay and investigation, the investigator should uncover most of the story, but some,
just like the mythos itself, will be left to mystery.
Written By Justin From Game On!
The Cursed Sabbatical
1.The investigators have been contacted by the board of trustees of Grantham College in
Mechanicsburg Pennsylvania. The telegram [See Handout 1] has been given to the players, or
the players have found it hoping to make a quick buck (Depending on the makeup of your party
the hook may be slightly different).
Read or paraphrase:
The heavy rain drops splash on the roof of the car as it speeds down the highway towards
Grantham college. The cold early April rain chills you to the bone, even in an enclosed car.
A large cell of storms are forecasted for the area for days. Just the night after Easter, you
no longer have a full belly of warm food and a pipe by your fireplace, but have taken it
upon yourselves to answer this call from the college.
Let the PC’s roleplay here and introduce themselves if they don’t already know each other.
Allow them to make speculations about what is happening and why they are being summoned.
Characters with a more criminal background may want to figure out a cover story for why
they’re the ones there, if the characters are known for having investigative experience, they
could possibly roleplay why they are being summoned and not the police. Either way, if you
have time, let the players really discuss what they think they’re getting into.
Read or paraphrase:
You turn the car onto the main campus drive. Your car headlights glow across budding
trees, causing the harsh shadows to dance over a large 4 story brick building with words
“Campus Main”. Hopefully you have an umbrella, because the main door is a solid 100
paces away.
The building is rectangular shaped with 10 windows on the side facing the parking lot. The
stoop is uncovered, the awning flapping in the wind. The two large chestnut doors have
cross shaped windows and “Grantham College” in white and blue painted on the doors.
The path that leads to the stoop is cement with rows of newly planted bushes struggling to
stay alive in the cold rain.
Written By Justin From Game On!
2. The door is opened by a gentleman who seemed to be waiting for them at the front door. This
is Charles Davis the man from the telegram. He leads the PC’s into a large board room with 3
others.
Read or paraphrase:
As you approach the door, it opens to a tall red haired man wearing a business suit in his
late 30’s. “Please come in” he speaks in a worried voice.
He looks you up and down for a quick second. “Right this way” he says as he points down a
hallway to an open set of double doors. “Thank you for coming, I’m Charles Davis from
the telegram. The other trustees are in the room waiting.” He leads you into a large
boardroom, dominated by a sizable oak table. The three others, 2 men and a woman smile
wearily at you as you enter. The pastries on the table look as delicious as the smell of the
fresh brewed coffee that dances in your nose. A long day has been had by these 4, telling by
their tired eyes, and you expect a long night ahead of you as well.
The NPC’s in this room are Charles Davis, Nathaniel Fleming, Sarah Schroder and Michael
Ewell (see NPC information section). Roleplay this part out and allow the PC’s to ask questions
and get answers. The trustees of Grantham College need the PC’s help and are forthcoming
about most things. There is one piece of information that the Trustees won’t say (in italics)
unless an interaction roll such as persuade or intimidation roll is made.
What the trustees know:
• Steven Walters is a 47 year old Doctor of Theology and Archeology at the
college
• He had been on a Sabbatical from teaching this spring semester and took a trip to
Jarusalem to see Cavalry and other significant locations of Jesus’s death. He left
on December 28th last year.
• He went this year because he wanted to wait until many of the Mandatory
Palestine riots were over with. (You can either have players know automatically
or have them roll a skill related to politics and geography, or just a straight INT or
EDU roll to remember that the British in 1921 installed a new civil administration
in the area, and not all the local inhabitants wanted to be “ruled” by an outside
country.)
• He came back on a boat 3 days ago, as he left that evening of Palm Sunday
• That Friday morning he returned and took a train to Harrisburg where he
presumably went home )Walters Apartment F (54 3rd St, Harrisburg), then came
to the college.
• School was off that week, and only a custodian Clarence Smith can confirm he
saw him carrying something into his office. Clarence is in “Whitmer
Hall” where Walter’s office is.
• He was last seen by Clarence in Whitmer Hall but hasn’t been seen since. A
police report was filed and they came to investigate, they may have better
information. (Detective Francis Pratche)
• The trustees will pay the players a $100 group sum upfront, then $20 a day each
to help search for Walters. If they find his whereabouts within 4 days they will
each get a $100 bonus. If the trustees don’t believe the PC’s are putting in an
effort, after 8 days they will stop paying. Room and board will be provided for the
PC’s as part of payment.
• The campus is open to the investigators, if they need a door
unlocked Clarence or one of the trustees can unlock the door and turn on lights
etc.
• The trustees didn’t want Walters to go to Jarusalem, as they had heard that
another archeology professor from Miskatonic University had died last year
doing the same excursion. They were afraid professors were being targeted
Some of my players were interested in the other part of this building> I said there was a
small kitchen area where they prepared food, but was more of a butlers pantry/kitchen
than anything full fledged. None of my players decided to investigate it further,
Written By Justin From Game On!
3.At this point, the PC’s are given the freedom to start the investigation wherever they wish. If
the players are new, the keeper may want to give suggestions on where to start and other places
they can collect information via an idea (INT) roll. Veteran players will more likely than not
have ideas where to start and investigate. These places can be visited in any order, however the
investigators may find more evidence in a location if they get hints about it from other locations.
Here are the locations and a brief synopsis of them.
A: Main- The building the investigators start in. If the investigators get stuck, there is alway a
trustee here that can help them with an idea roll (keepers discretion)
B: Nelson Apts- Where the investigators can spend the night, eat and have a safe quiet
location to discuss the case. There are up to 4 beds in the apt and a couch.
C: Whitmer Hall- This is where Steven Walters’ last known location was, as well as his
office. Clarence Smith can be found here and can be questioned.
D: Boyer Library- Some books Walters has written as well as some correspondence with
Miskatonic University. It also contains the statue that has the missing snake.
E: Harrisburg Sheriff's Dept: Investigators can meet Francis Pratche the lead investigator
and some case notes.
F: Walter Apt- Steven Walters’ apartment. There will be evidence there
G: Harrisburg Station- The investigators may or may not go here, it will have info on
what Walters brought home with him.
H: Your Inner Grace Church- The new cult church of Yig set up in Harrisburg about 5
months ago. The church Walters has been attending recently.
I had one veteran player and mostly new players play test this module. It was necessary for
me to let my players know a few different times where they could go, and to remember this
was an investigation. They were mainly D&D players and I needed them to realize they
can’t just go around shooting people. Hopefully you don’t have that problem. They got the
idea quickly that they have to be more thorough than a fighting based RPG.
Written By Justin From Game On
A: This is the administration building on Grantham Campus called “Main” The investigators
will be able to come here and report their findings (if they so wish) to the trustees. Main usually
closes at 6 PM however for such an occasion, there will always be a trustee there to talk to.
Keepers: You can have any of the trustees you’d like to be here. This is more of a central hub for
investigators to come if they get stuck, if you don’t want to call for an idea roll, or an idea roll
could use expanding upon whichever NPC is there can help the investigators out if they get
stuck. However, this NPC there can also give a little extra information.
Read or paraphrase:
The forecasted thunderstorm seems to only be getting worse, and shows no sign of
stopping. The warm rooms of Main feel good for your chilly bones. The boiler is working
hard keeping the building warm, but the fireplace in the boardroom is also going, filling
your nose with the smell of seasoned wood burning. The crackling of the wood can barely
be heard over the footsteps of insert chosen trustee here pacing back and forth.
Extra information from trustee:
• The trustee says that every once in a while, he (or they) hear what sounds like
rattling and hissing, but they don’t know where from.
• If the investigators find the newspaper in Boyer Library and bring the stolen
snake artifact to his attention, he will elaborate with: It was assumed it was a
prank that just the snake was taken the snake was never found a police report
was filed, but the petty theft was not given much manpower the snake went
missing on Good Friday, not the Saturday that was reported
• A successful psychology check can confirm he is telling the truth and has not
much else to say. He hopes the investigators find Walters
My players never came back here, doesn’t mean yours won’t, but my players pretty much
took control from then on.
Written By Justin From Game On
B: Nelson Apartments is the location the investigators will be staying in. There is a well
stocked ice box for the investigators to eat, and a note allowing them to request more
from Main . The investigators can come here to safely talk about the case they are working on.
Well, at least it seems like a safe place.
Keepers: Play up just how cold and rainy it is, and how having a nice warm bed and a safe place
to relax helps the players. If this is a campaign, there is a devotional tract on the counter that an
investigator can read to gain 1d6 sanity back.
Read or paraphrase:
The two bedroom apartment has 4 beds each and a very plush couch. The kitchen area
shares a large room with the living room. It has a full kitchen and an ice box filled with
food and a note on the counter allowing you to request more food down at Main. There is
also a devotional tract one may read before bed left on the counter as well. A “please no
smoking” sign sits on the coffee table in front of the couch. The smell of ammonia in the air
indicates it has been recently cleaned.
What the investigators find:
• A successful listen check has the investigators believe they hear what sounds like
a baby rattle, but the origin is unknown. A hard pass will allow the investigator to
find the sound familiar, a hard natural world check can tell it sounds similar to a
rattle snake not at all common to these parts.
• A spot hidden roll sees the shadow of a figure on the outside walls of Whitmer
Hall, the investigators can’t make it out, and it disappears from sight as if it went
around a bend. The figure does walk with a cane and a limp however.
Keepers: The shadow is Pastor Dudley Psoraman, however the investigators cannot make this
out. He is on campus to make sure there isn’t much evidence left behind to show his church
Kidnapped Walters however he’s no criminal mastermind and hasn’t cleaned up the clues that
well.
I suggest that on the occasion the investigators chase after the shadow, they don’t find him,
but a scorch mark similar to the statue.
Written By Justin From Game On!
C: Whitmer Hall is where Walters was last seen by Clarence the night he disappeared (Good
Friday). His office is on the second floor of this two floor building. It has 4 class rooms on the
first floor, and 3 offices on the second plus a maintenance room. There is one main stairwell at
the front of the building and a maintenance stairwell in the back. The classrooms are open but
the 2 offices aside from Walters’ office are locked up. The offices have nothing of use to the
investigators, the maintenance closet just might however.
Read or paraphrase:
Whitmer Hall is a well kept teaching hall with 4 large lecture classrooms on the first floor.
The shine on the floor and the smell of polish indicates it was recently resurfaced. The
storm outside is muffled allowing you to hear a whirring noise coming from upstairs.
As you make it up to the second floor, a tall muscular man with short cropped hair and
freckled skin is using a motorized floor sweeper and wearing dirty jump overalls. These
new devices make a lot of sound, so the man doesn’t notice you as he is also facing the
opposite direction. Three offices, one with “Dr. Steven Walters” make up the majority of
the second floor. A door with a “Maintenance” sign is located where a 4th office could have
been.
Keepers: Look in the NPC description section for info on role playing Clarence. Play it up, RP is
one of the best parts of this game! If investigators get hostile with Clarence he will leave
allowing the investigators to continue, however he won’t give any information, nor open any
doors for them if they need him to further down the story.
Clarence may show the investigators the office of Steven Walters first, or he may answer the
investigators questions first, whatever flows naturally in the roleplay. Either way, the door to the
office is closed, but unlocked. A successful psychology roll shows that Clarence is not lying
about anything, however he may be withholding something (in italics) and a skill or clever role
play will have him say it.
What Clarence knows:
 • Steven Walters came to his office at 3:00 PM last Friday (Good Friday) after his
3 ½ month trip to the Middle East.
• He had a rather large object he was carrying with a red blanket covering
it. Clarence couldn’t tell what it was, even though he opened the door
for Walters as it required two hands to carry.
• It smelled of Ozone, similar to what it smells after a long artillery barrage,
but Clarence never mentioned or asked about it to Steven.
• Steven was wearing a button blue button down dress shirt with black slacks and
dress shoes. He had no tie.He looked pale, as if he wasn’t feeling well.
• Steven put the object on his desk and Clarence asked if he needed help with
anything. The answer was “no” and that was the last time he saw or heard him.
• Steven looked like he was frightened of something. He couldn’t open the door to
his office because his palms were sweaty and he had visible sweat stains around
his armpits.
• Clarence thought that ever since his disappearance he has heard a hiss or
sometimes a rattle sound but can’t tell from where
When the investigators go into Walters’ office, read or paraphrase:
The office is a rather large one with a large desk in the middle of this square 30x30
room. Tall bookshelves from the floor to the ceiling line the walls to the right, left
and directly behind the oak desk. Save from a book that has fallen off a shelf to the
right of the desk, the room is clean and spotless, except for the floor which is not
polished. There seems to be a scorch mark on the floor just in front of the desk.
What the investigators find:
• The scorch mark is about the size of the object Walters was carrying
according to Clarence A successful science or natural world skill roll will
allow the investigators to realize the scorch marks have a burned
meat/metallic smell, which is not normal for fires.
• The desk has a flyer for “Your Inner Grace” (H) church (Francis
Pratche did not put it as evidence as he thought it was unrelated) [see
handout 4]
• A successful spot hidden roll will find the remains of a small varmint
behind the row of books that had one fall on the floor.
• Inside the desk, there is a small vial of yellow liquid. Medicine, science or
a HARD first aid roll determines the vial to be anti-venom for snakes
• Inside the desk there is a note from the librarian of Boyer Library [See
Handout 2]
• If asked, Clarence doesn’t know why there is a scorch mark there. It
wasn’t there before he last was in the room with Walters before he
disappeared. There was no fire that he knew of. A
successful psychology roll proves he is being truthful.
• A successful listen roll makes the investigators aware of a faint rattle
sound coming from somewhere but they can’t pinpoint the sound
origination (no matter how hard they look, it’s always somewhere in the
background)
• All the books on the bookshelf are of Middle Eastern cultures, theology
and archeology. There is nothing of note here.
If the investigators search the maintenance closet:
• A successful spot hidden roll can see that in some of the garbage pails, there is
what looks to be a dried natural material.
• At keepers choice, a natural world, science, or INT/EDU roll can be made to
determine it is a snake skin. A HARD roll determines a snake skin not known to
these parts.
 • Clarence, if asked, will say he swept them up in Walters’ desk on Thursday, the
day before he came back. It was just on the ground and he thought nothing of it.
• The snake skin is 3 feet long
Written By Justin From Game On!
D: Boyer Library is an area for the investigators to go and find some extra information as well
as find the statue with the missing snake. The most important pieces of information here are the
snake and the handouts.
Read or paraphrase:
Boyer Library is one of the largest buildings on campus and for good reason, it holds
thousands of books lining the walls of this arena sized enclosure. The cold rain and wind
outside is muffled allowing you to take in the majesty of quietness. The smell of old books
fills your nose. A marble statue of a man holding a large book and holding up an empty
hand that looks cracked. A sign hangs over a half wall of cubby shelves that reads “special
requests”. A thunderclap booms and flickers the lights on and off for a brief moment. The
hanging lights sway from the rumble casting jagged shadows across the shelves filled with
knowledge.
What the investigators find:
• The statue is a man holding a Bible. It is titled “Man & God Defeat The Serpent”
on a brass plate on the base.
• A successful spot hidden will see the cracks on the outstretched hand. Keepers
can use their best judgement, but lesser used skills such as art/craft or appraise or
a combination of skills you otherwise deem fit to realize that the outstretched
hand was holding something and the was removed by force, hence the damage.
• A successful library roll will allow the players to find these handouts[see
handouts 3&5] quickly with the stack of reserved books. However since they are
important to the story, if they fail it just takes much longer to find what is needed
automatically.
All my playtesters somehow screwed up their library roll, but I let them find the info
anyway, it just took longer. My players also looked for books on Yig and the occult. Being a
Christian school, they didn’t have much books, yet I allowed them to find a book in the
archeology section about a snake god and how he needs to eat when summoned to gain his
full strength. Of course in the book it was passed off as a local legend.
Written By Justin From Game On!
E:Harrisburg Sheriff’s Dept. This is the police force taking care of the investigation of Steven
Walters’ disappearance. The head detective, Francis Pratche is located here as well as all the
official case notes and logs. Pratche knows the college hired the investigators and will answer
questions and show them evidence. Even though he is not thrilled with letting the investigators
help him, he has a cold trail. He isn’t a new detective by any stretch, but you can tell he’s tired
and handling many cases at once.
Keepers: Make sure to role play how busy and tired Francis is. He’s very busy and is handling
multiple cases. Make sure the investigators know he’s hesitant to let them help, but deep down,
he’s happy someone is lending a hand. He is also racist and sexist as many were during the time
Read or paraphrase:
The Harrisburg sheriff’s department is filled with heavy hustle and bustle all around the
tall historic structure downtown. Multiple officers are coming in and out of the rotating
doors in the front of the station.
When the investigators go in read or paraphrase:
As busy as it was outside, it’s just as, if not more busy in the department itself. Operators
sitting at multiple switchboards all speaking simultaneously over the sound of typewriters
clacking and the tapping of dress shoes the officers wear. Most desks are empty, most are
moving around the main station room with papers and files in their hands. Handcuffed
individuals sit in silence as a few officers with revolvers stand by them, coffee in one hand
and a cigarette in the other. You’d believe it was illegal to not smoke in here, as the harsh
smoke burns your sinuses.
In all this madness, there is a man sitting at a desk in a semi secluded cubicle to the left of
the entrance. His head is in his hands, he looks very overwhelmed. The sign on the cubicle
says “Detective F. Pratche, Missing Persons Div”.
What the investigators find/learn:
• The Harrisburg sheriff’s department was contacted on Saturday morning around
1:00 AM. Francis was called in to investigate, which started at 2:30 AM
• If asked about the church pamphlet and why it wasn’t taken as
evidence, Francis will say that he deemed it non-relevant to the case.
• Francis ordered Clarence to not clean the office up in any way in case it was
needed to re-examine the crime scene.
• If asked, Francis will tell the investigators he swore he heard a hissing noise
coming from somewhere, but because he was tired, he believed it was his
imagination.
• The investigators will be taken to the evidence room where they will be given
some evidence. [see handout 6 ]
• Francis will show the investigators his case logs as well.He will also suggest the
investigators to search Walters house in case he missed something.
Written By Justin From Game On!
F:Walters Apartment (54 3rd St. Harrisburg) This is where Walters lives and thought to
have gone home before he came to his apartment. Francis did part of his investigation here, but
as he doesn’t know to look for certain evidence, he left some behind. There will be a sanity
(POW) roll in the house when the investigators all hear a hissing sound. A pass on the sanity roll
will net the investigators 1 sanity loss, whereas those who fail will lose 1d10 sanity. The house is
cold and dark and hasn’t been lived in for 4 months.
Keepers: Play up the empty sad and spooky atmosphere of this small apartment.
Read or paraphrase:
This two story townhouse building was once housing for the large trolley factory that was
once a dominant employer in Harrisburg. Since the company sold its company housing the
place actually looks pretty decent. The red brick is worn and darkened by its years of
weathering. There is an African-American man at the door to the lower apartment. He is
dressed in business clothes and wears a blue hat that matches his blue suit. The door opens
and a middle aged white woman starts screaming about “pests”. The man quietly shakes
his head and listens as the woman describes finding “dried skin” everywhere. After
exclaiming that the man, being the landlord, should deal with it at once, she slams the door
on his face.
Here is some more role playing opportunities. Clifford James is the easiest way for the
investigators to get into Walters’ second floor apartment. If they treat him poorly, he will walk
away with dignity and order the investigators to stay off this property.
What Clifford knows:
• The lady Gurtrude (minor character) has found a couple pieces of skin from an
animal laying around the property, but none in her apartment. If the PC’s ask,
he’ll show them one that he just found. A successful natural world will allow the
investigators to understand that the skin is snake skin and a hard pass allows them
to know the snake is not from these parts. If they have already seen snake skins in
another location, this is the same kind.
• Clifford knows that Walters has been gone for a while, but he doesn’t enter the
apartment unless something needs to be repaired, and since nothing seems to be
out of the ordinary, he respects Walters privacy.
 • Clifford saw Walters come home after the early evening train arrived. He
saw Walters come into his house with something large, but then immediately
leave in a hurry. Clifford locked the door for him so no one would go in.
• Clifford has been collecting the mail for Walters and puts the mail from the
buildings mailbox into Walters locked mail slot in his door.
• Clifford doesn’t know too much else about where Walters is or why he ran off so
far. If asked, Clifford says all the mail seemed normal, and he received no
packages. He knows the investigators are coming and will unlock the door to the
upstairs apartment where Walters lives Written By Justin From
Game On!
The two story split home has an alleyway down the right hand side of the building between
another similar brick house. The alleyway has some dumpsters and trash strewn about. There is a
fire escape up to Walters’ house. If any investigators attempt to climb it, they will find a snake
skin similar to what they’ve found before on the campus. If this is the first place the investigators
go to, have them make a natural world, science (if it is relatable) or a INT/EDU (hard) roll to see
if they know it is a snake skin. A HARD natural world or related science success lets the
investigators know the snake is not from here but from the middle east. There isn’t a way
into Walters’ apartment from the fire escape as it’s locked from the inside. The investigators can
break the window, but Gurtrude will see this and report the investigators. Clifford or the police
will find the investigators and charge them $25 for the window repair.
The back of the building is flush with the one on the next street over, so there is no room behind
it to explore. The left of the building is flush with another similar house and has nothing notable
to explore.
When the investigators start going up to the second story
Read or paraphrase:
Walking up the steep metal stairs end on a metal grating, roughly the size of a kitchen
table, allowing just three of you to tightly squeeze onto it. The door is red with black trim
and iron banded. The hinges suggest the door opens inwards and the heavy deadbolt on the
door shows the wear of weathering from the wind that whips up from the Susquehanna
river. A locked mail slot that reads “US Post” also shows signs of wear and exposure to the
local weather patterns off the banks of such a large river. The wind is strong today, as the
cold rain continues to pummel you. Being inside sounds like a very good idea right now.
When the investigators open the door
Read or paraphrase:
The once lived-in apartment feels cold and dark, but at least it’s dry. The large pile of mail
on the floor just behind the door shows that Walters must have been in a hurry. The cool
air from outside flutters some papers on the table in the kitchen area, suggesting a draft of
some sort in the apartment. The rain drops on the metal roof and a crackle of thunder in
the distance fills your ears, almost drowning out the hissing a boiler line must be
making,while the smell of mildew assaults your nose. The sound of breaking glass from
another room in the apartment grabs your attention. Was it the rumble from the thunder?
Maybe it was from the draft you can feel. Or is that odd hiss announcing something else is
in the apartment with you?
What the investigators find/learn:
• There are about 30 pieces of mail left for Walters however 25 of them are
brochures for the opening of the new Your Inner Grace church which opens
soon.
• There is also a newspaper on the ground [see handout 8] Written By Justin
From Game On!
• The kitchen cabinets are full of dishes and tableware of very little value. The ice
box is empty, but there is still a small puddle of water inside the ice box from the
melted ice. The air smells of mold.
 • There is some food in the cupboard, but the boxes have been chewed through by
vermin, probably rats.
• A successful listen roll can hear that the hissing is coming from the bedroom. SEE
BOX TEXT
• The bathroom is small but serviceable. There is vomit in the toilet. A first aid or
medicine roll will determine it was produced within the last few days. There is
also a hastily opened battle of nausea pills in the sink with some tablets spilled
onto the floor.
When the investigators go into the bedroom, read or paraphrase:
The bedroom is small and quaint. A dresser with a mirror is against the wall across from
the queen sized bed. A closed curtained window looks out over the street and a large
bookshelf filled with old books is against the far wall. An antique glass vase is shattered on
the floor and a piece of paper [see handout 9] in front of the large bookshelf. The air in here
is cold and has a faint smell of ozone. You can taste copper in your mouth as the thunder
rumbles the house. When the thunder settles, over the rain on the roof, you hear a hiss.
When the investigators take a closer look at the bookshelf:
The hiss grows louder as you get closer to the bookshelf as if it’s coming from the middle
shelf, behind a row of large books. When the investigators examine the shelf: The hissing is
coming from a large two headed snake, you can see the hind feet of two rats slowly entering
the mouth of each head. The colors of the snake shimmer differently in the light, causing a
hypnotic pattern. The two headed serpent raises its tail and you find yourself locked in a
combination of fear and dread. At this point, each investigator must make a sanity roll if they
pass, they take ONE sanity loss and can move, those that fail take 1d10 sanity and are paralyzed
still with disgust and horror. The snake, in a flash of light and a cloud that smells of ozone,
disappears out of existence, as if the air around it has consumed it.
There’s not much more in the house other than this. There are some books on archeology and a
few Bibles in a few different languages but all seems like standard fair. Depending on the
sequence of events the investigators have followed, they may wait until the Your Inner
Grace opens or they can keep exploring. It’s hard to predict what the investigators will do, but
allow them to role play out their thoughts. Sometimes the investigators can come up with their
own fears, and make the tension and atmosphere more horrific.
This part of the module freaked my players out.
Written By Justin From Game On!
G: Harrisburg Station An optional investigation spot. The clues here are nice to have, but
aren’t completely important. If the investigators are having a hard time drawing conclusions, call
for an idea (INT) roll and a successful one leads the investigators to the station.
Read or paraphrase:
Harrisburg station is quiet for such a large city. Two grand glass doors with large brass
handles lead into a cavernous building with tall marble columns and gold trimmed paint
lining the walls. It smells of cigarette smoke and coal soot as you see and hear a large steam
train blow its whistle as it leaves the enclosed boarding concourse. Men sit smoking pipes
and cigarettes and read newspapers while women sit and have light conversation, some
holding small children. There is a large departure board with a young man on a ladder
swapping out arrival times for a train from St. Louis as an older gentleman with a nice suit
looks at his pocket watch while standing below the ladder yelling “no, no! That’s all wrong!
The freight train is coming from St. Louis at 9:05 PM on track THREE via the St. Louis
and Erie lines and the New Haven Line is bringing passenger service on track TWO at 8:05
PM! I understand it’s not the easiest to comprehend, but for God sakes Travis, at least
know the difference between passenger and freight!” The young man yells back down the
ladder “but sir! What of that combined train we got the other day! Passengers AND
freight! You even complained about that man who refused to put his statue in the box car
and took it in steerage class!” The man just waves his hand as if he knows he’s been bested
and walks back to and behind the service counter.
The station master (the man behind the counter) is named Cecil. He is an older man who has an
attitude of doing his job right the first time. He is missing his pinky finger on his right hand due
to a train incident in the Great War as he was an American Expeditionary Force rail master. He’ll
greet the investigators and ask them about where they are headed as he assumes they need
tickets. Keepers, remember that documentation secrecy wasn’t as important in this day and age.
If through role play the investigators don’t make it known that the local police know the
investigators are helping them, Cecil will still reluctantly give up the information the
investigators are looking for. However roleplay here may determine how nice Cecil is about it.
Bottom line: He still gives the clues needed.
What Cecil knows:
• Walters was on the train that arrived in the late afternoon coming from New
York City. He gave the conductor a hard time as he didn’t want to stow the large
object he was carrying in the freight half of the train even though he was assured
it would not be damaged.
• The object was from a foriegn country so it was demanded that he give the
conductor a copy of the customs claim he made at the NYC customs office. [See
handout]
• The conductor claimed he looked like he didn’t feel well, he was sweaty and
feverish.
• There weren’t many passengers on board and not too much cargo but Cecil will
show the manifest to the investigators [See handout 11]Written By Justin From
Game On!
H:Your Inner Grace Church The church location is locked off until the PC’s have gathered
all the clues and talked to who they can. This isn’t an artificial wall to avoid ending the game too
early, the church states multiple times it will open the Thursday after Easter. This is
where Walters has been taken to, and the church needs a few days for the venom the snakes
bit Walters with to work to make him beg for death as he’s in such torturous pain. He’s in too
much pain to do anything but lay on the ground in near shock in a pool of his own vomit, stool
and blood. He was bit in the Middle East (hence why he was sick) and he is now at his worst.
If the investigators go to the church before Thursday Read or paraphrase:
The fenced in church exterior is a frenzy of movement as construction workers hurriedly
work on exterior walls, the roof and painting. A foreman is barking orders “c’mon men
work faster, our deadline is Wednesday and I want my bonus. Let’s move!” The large fence
surrounding the church has signs reading “caution, men at work” and other various
warnings. 4 police officers mill about at each corner.
As much as the investigators will try to get into the church, they simply can’t. The construction
workers will notice them sneaking in and the police officers will kindly show them out if they
are caught. If the investigators use an interpersonal skill roll the police will determine they are
vaguely working with Detective Pratche and won’t arrest them for trespassing. If the
investigators get caught trying to look into the boarded up windows (it is impossible to see in)
they will be arrested and the trustees will bail them out and give them a stern talking to. If the
investigators attempt to sneak in at night, they will be greeted with 10 hired private security
guards with lamps, flashlights and two dogs to keep people out. The construction continues at
night, so there are portable work lights lighting up the building.
Keepers: This is the hardest part of running this module, keeping the investigators out. I’ll leave
it up to you if you wish to let the church open early if the investigators get the clues within a day
or two to keep the game moving along. If you chose to do that, make sure the investigators hear
on the radio that Your Inner Grace is opening early and then proceed to that nights events.
When it becomes time for the investigators to get into the church Read or paraphrase:
The church is buzzing with activity as parishioners of all walks of life congregate outside
under the awnings and tents provided to keep them warm and dry. Music can be heard
from the inside of the church, and it looks to be standing room only.
Written By Justin From Game On!
When the investigators get inside
There is a man with a cane and a slight limp walking in circles around a man laying on the
ground in front or the altar. People clap and cheer as he gives a speech. “Men and women,
children of the serpent god. We are delighted to have you all here to experience the rise of
our Father and Keeper!” The people scream in delight as the porcelain snake statue cracks
revealing a bright light. “The portal is open, let us all celebrate Yig’s summoning!”
The statue is a portal to summon Yig. The Investigators will have 2 rounds to figure out what
they can do to stop Yig before he emerges.
Depending on what the investigators do will determine what suggestions to follow.
If the investigators watch- The serpent man (Yig) will slowly start to devour Walters as the
people cheer and dance, speaking in tongues.
If the investigators try to stop things non-violently- This can go multiple ways.I changed this
battle scene as I believe I made it too harsh. Instead of Yig immediately being there
devouring Walters, I made it so he is summoned through the snake statue as a portal. The
investigators CAN SMASH THE STATUE WITH A ROLL OF YOUR CHOICE. THIS IS THE
FASTEST WAY TO STOP YIG If the investigators look into the portal, they see horrific
snake creatures wiggle and writhe about inducing the need for a sanity check. 1D10 if they
fail.. Maybe they call the police, and if so, Dudley will try to escape. (He will always try to
escape of captured) by using a pouch of venom powder and the investigators within 20 feet will
need to make a successful CON roll.If they don’t make it, they are stupefied and start dancing
and speaking in tongues, if they succeed, they can easily catch the limping Pastor. Yig is in his
earliest form, he needs to eat more as he was just born onto the earth. The investigators can
make STR, DEX or BRAWL rolls to wrangle up Yig who is very weak at this point. He can be
tied up pretty easily.
If the investigators fight- Dudley has no armor and 9 hit points. He will try to get away, but can
easily die. His speed is 6. Yig is technically a god, but in his weakest form as he was just birthed.
He has 3 points of armor and 30 hit points. He attacks twice (Brawl 60% 1d10+2) and has a
speed of 12. He can choose to forgo his two attacks and use a special devour attack (Brawl 60%)
and swallow an investigator whole. The group will have two rounds to kill Yig before the
investigator inside dies.The swallowed investigator may make a some sort of skill roll to exit,
however brawl and firearm will need a hard success as the investigator has a hard time moving.
Only one investigator can be swallowed at a time, and is immune to taking damage from other
investigators.
Since I ran this differently, the investigators were already fighting Yig. I had them all make
sanity rolls on his turn, losing 1d10 sanity if they failed. Even if the investigators don’t
immediately fight Yig, I believe they should make a sanity check.
Depending on how the investigators play this out the endings can be slightly different. Either
way, the investigators get paid.
If Dudley gets away- The police will put out a search for him and thank the investigators.
If Dudley is captured- Dudley will reveal that Walters was bit in the Middle East and
that Yig made Dudley do everything with mind control and threats to eat him. He is lying and is
hanged for his crimes.
If Yig is captured- The police call in the government and the Feds take over as if this never
happened. All the parishioners are arrested and taken for questioning. Yig is put in a cage and the
Feds explain to the investigators that this was all an experiment and offer them a job (to help
continue the campaign if you so desire.) If the investigators don’t join, the Feds warn them they
will be forever watched.
If Yig dies- The same as if he’s captured, except he’s thrown in a box labeled “Specimen Y”.
Keepers: If any of these endings don’t fit into your master plans of a long campaign, please
change them as needed. If this is a one shot, you can have the Feds gun down everyone, even the
parishioners to make sure no one knew what happened. Obviously that’s going to kill the
investigators, making this a one shot.
Written By Justin From Game On!
In the end, my first time players averaged about 4 hours completing this module and they
all killed Yig and all killed Dudley. I gave them a sanity reward for a job well done of
2D10+2.
I hope you enjoy this module. I have been writing my own
crazy concocted Call of Cthulhu adventures for a while, but
I wanted to make a game a little more straight forward for
newer keepers. I thank my Twitch and IRL friends for play-
testing and giving input for the game. I also thank all the
Game On! Subscribers and viewers on our YouTube
channel for giving me the desire to self publish something. If
you’re interested in our YouTube channel, you can view
it here!
If you have any feedback on the game, please drop us a
comment on our email: gameonctyt@gmail.com
We also have Twitter! @GameOn_CT
Thanks everyone!
-Justin
Personal thanks to:
Nikhendonia @nikhendonia (Twitter/Twitch)
Okayest_Healer @Okayest_Healer (Twitch)
LTxShocker
And all others who tested the game!