New to The Call, Need some GM advice for first adventure

[Promethio]

Hello everybody, I just joined the site.  I picked up Call of Cthulhu about a month ago after watching Seth Skorkowsky's series on the game, and being a longtime Lovecraftian fan figured it would be fun.  A couple of weeks ago, my wife's friends came over wanting to cut their teeth on some tabletop RPG's, and as I was the only one they knew who had GMing experience they expected me to provide a adventure... on the spot... for a game I never played before.  While I had far more experience with Shadowrun, that game can be pretty overwhelming for new players, Paranoia: Red while fun I'm not the best on the spot comedian and it way to "open" for a traditional tabletop RPG new comer, I decided to start with Call of Cthulhu.  While I thought it was sloppy (my GMing I mean) and the adventure didn't really go anywhere, my wife's friends seemed to really dig it. 

Well I'm planning a new adventure for them and I wanted to get some advice on it from more experienced Call of Cthulhu.  As to why I don't do a pre-made adventure, there are a couple of reasons.  One, since I am new the GMing, I need something and can play around with through the course of the game and more freely play around with the mechanics.  Two, they are new rpg players.  If it were my friends, I'd have no issue running a more professionally made campaign, but outside of the last session, they have no experience.  I'd hate to "waste" a adventure I can do later when they get a better grip on how to play RPGs in general. 

Anyway, on to the Investigation...

The story opens up in the 1920's with all the PCs getting a letter stating that a distant relative (that they never heard of), Henry Percivel Ioger, has died and his estate has fallen to them.  Traveling to a small town in the southern part of Maine, where the PC's find their dear deceased benefactor died of mysterious circumstances (suicide by self cremation), the murder of his lawyer, and strange/aggressive behavior of the wildlife.  Here, they are introduced to the main cast.

Herbert McMahon - The town doctor and has taken over the duties of informing the PC's about Ioger and his estate.  Actually, he is the main bad of the story, and a cult leader.

Baxter Draper - A nineteen year old cult member.  Known as a town bully, will harass the female PCs upon arrival in town.  Sadistic, strong, and brutal, he wields a cedar baseball bat with horse-shoes drilled into the end of them.

Daphne Poyle - A young woman, and cult member.  Appears shy, but is absolutely devoted to McMahon's leadership.  Not particularly dangerous but will attempt to play the damsel in distress to lure the pcs into trouble or manipulate them into doing what she (and the cult) want.

Officer Earl Roy Mulligan - An older, out of shape Police officer.  A good cop who knows there is something nefarious going on in his town.  Serves to get the PCs to question the motives of McMahon and accompanies the PC's to Ioger's mansion.  Shortly after arriving, he is lured away and murdered by Baxter (which can possibly be observed by the PC's). 

Jennifer Hazelwood - Another distant relative, like the PC's.  Largely useless, serves either as cannon fodder or possible cult sacrifice. 

After the PC's meet the cast, the PC's, McMahon, Hazelwood, and Mulligan travel to the large mansion.  McMahon plays a cordial host over drinks, talks about the house and hinting a a secret that is hiding within and suggests exploring the house.  Questioning either McMahon or Mulligan about Ioger reveals that he "was a professor at some university in Massachusetts" and that he was from "a old Maine family with old money."  When questioned about his death, McMahon will state that Ioger "was never the same when he came back from Massachusetts," "withdrew from social life," and "depression and paranoia lead to his suicide."  Mulligan however will state that Ioger was "downright 'fraid of some of the folks is town," and he believed that Ioger was being pursued one the night of his death.  He remarks "what could drive a man to burn hi'self to ash." 

At this point the pc's will split into two groups to explore the house.  Eventually they will find two things that will kick of the investigation in earnest.  One is a sealed door under the stairs and another is strange glowing rune in Ioger's master bedroom that can only be seen by the PC's and Hazelwood, not Mulligan or McMahon.  Shortly after both of those a found and scream is heard from outside (Daphne's) and Mulligan will leave to investigate.  Depending on where the PC's are in the house at the time, they may witness Baxter ambushing and murdering Mulligan (sanity check).  The goal is for the PC's to find two other runes to open the door under the stairs.  Should the PC's try to escape, they will first be pursued by Baxter and/or several other cultists.  Even if they escape them in the woods, the PC will find themselves transported back into the house.  When questioned, McMahon will initially feign ignorance.  If pressed for real answers, McMahon will drop his cordial attitude, and state they have until sunrise to find a way to open up the door under the stairs or they will never leave.  (sanity check)

 

IT IS HERE that I need advice.  The PC's will need a couple tests or puzzles to solve to find the last two runes hidden in the house.  I was thinking something to do with the library or something.  And I'm drawing a complete blank on what to do with the other one.  Namely I need something for the PC's to do with the game.  Not only that, but I feel I need a few events to happen so the PC's can be given some time to shine.  Something else I was planning on doing was having the rooms seemingly shift around.  I.E. PC A leaves the kitchen to enter into the dining room, but when A passes through the threshold, A will find himself in the study.  Turning around, and exiting the room A may find himself in a hall, or the dining room, or the library, as determined by dice roll and sanity check.

Ultimately, the PC's may find Ioger's hidden journal where he details his battle of wits with "the greatest of hunters" and tricking the "Great Hunter," subsequently capturing him.  It also details that he has started to believe that while the "Great Hunter" would be unable to physically escape, his influence was spreading to the local town, and believed his life was in danger.  Ioger also states that the only way for the seals to be broken was by those of his own blood. 

Ioger assumed that meant anyone descended from him, however it also passed to those even vaguely related to him (hence the pc's being able to see the runes).  Already old, infirm, unable to run forever, and unwiling to set the "Great Hunter" free, Ioger cremated himself when set upon by the cultists to rob them of acquiring his blood (a component needed to release the seal.)  The "Great Hunter," unknonwn to both Ioger and even the PCs should they survive, is a Dimensional Shambler.  The house was the trap that drew it in, and the strange teleporting from room to room is its vain attempts to escape.  The PC's have no choice but to find the runes to escape, but using the runes also will allow the Cultists access to the object of their worship. 

The finale is another point I need advice on.  The cultists will need one of Ioger's blood to serve as sacrifice (IE lunch) for the "Great Hunter."  This sacrifice will either be a PC that particularly got on the wrong side of McMahon OR the small, weak-willed Hazelwood.  I want to give the PC's the chance to abandon the sacrifice here should they wish, take the cowards way out.  But as to the ritual to unbind the "Great Hunter" how do you think I should run it?

 

Well that is my plan for the first adventure.  What do you guys think?  Any advice on how I should run it or questions of lore?  Thanks in advance and happy to be here. ^^

[Psullie]

the shifting rooms is a fun hook, perhaps it is not random but a way to trace out a non-euclydan rune by passing though the rooms in a certain order - clues to the order are perhaps in hidden noted in the library. The PC could have fun (while slowing losing SAN) jumping about the house

The main theme of CoC is the investigators futile attempt to stop the bad guys, The players should want to stop the sacrifice, particularly if its the innocent Miss Hazelwood or one of the investigators (although I'd avoid the later as any the players of a captive PC may find themselves out of the action for too long). So the classic CoC finale would be; reduce the damsel, stop the unholy ritual, defeat the cultists and save the world while avoiding insanity injury or death. As this is a one shot you could have the PC succeed but becoming trapped like ghosts in the house for ever with a possible sequel with a new bunch who come later to investigate a hunted mansion... 

[klecser]

In a mansion setting, I've found that finding and assembling clues within rooms of the mansion to be an interesting way to go about it.  In the past I have done a "chess room" with oversized pieces but moving the pieces to a checkmate position opens a door or a hidden panel.  You could also easily do it with a standard (but ornate) chess board built into a table. I had chess move codes on plaques in three rooms that could be assembled in the right order to aide them if they aren't keen on a chess puzzle.  It depends upon how well your players know chess, but an idea roll can take care of that.  The overarching axiom is that you always want players to be able to obtain clues in multiple different ways.  Don't be afraid to move a clue that they miss in one room to another room.  Nothing grinds an investigation to a halt faster than linch-pinning an adventure on one roll in one place.  Remember that you are telling a story and you have to be creative sometimes to get the investigation to progress.

But that is just one example.  The trope is: "Assemble and interpret clues."  In that same mansion, I had them find Dewey Decimal codes to Occult (or standard) books and by walking out the path in the library it traced out two of six number for a padlock, for example.  In the greenhouse they had to defeat or get past a mutated vulture to obtain another two numbers, etc. (A whistle found in a lounge could pacify the vulture.)   You can buy a lot of Hinayama puzzles on Amazon that both fit the classic setting and can give players something to get their hands on.  Want to give them a key to something?  They can have the key...if they can get it apart. https://www.amazon.com/Hanayama-Metal-Brain-Teaser-Puzzle/dp/B00TSWOEOY/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_21_tr_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=6MVENGGDG3SK39BSHR1E  If you have the funds, I recommend that you buy two sets.  One to hand to them and one to solve ahead of time before the session.  If they start getting frustrated you keep the game moving by allowing an INT roll to either get a hint or solve it and hand them the solved version.  But, maybe they don't get as much information from using the key as if they solved it themselves. I usually do three tiers: 1) Max info if they solve it themselves.  2) Mid info if they use game mechanics. 3) Little info (but some) if they just wave the white flag and can't make any rolls.

Lastly, I can see that you've put a lot of work into this game already and that it wouldn't exactly be prudent for you to switch it up at this stage.  I'd encourage you not to dismiss published adventures just because you and your players are new.  One of the many reasons why CoC is different than many other RPGs is that it is an investigative game and relies heavily on handouts as a key assumption of the table play.  Published adventures have the huge advantage of giving you a collection of handouts to start with.  If you go your own, you have to do all that work, either in development or research.   if you really want a great game.  Players like to get their HANDS on things.  Some may prefer exclusive theatre of the mind, but my experience is most players love getting physical handouts, especially when new.  It frequently it is most what hooks both new and experienced role-players into CoC, in my experience.  

I used to be published-adventure-averse because I felt it would railroad me as a GM and railroad my players.  I've now discovered how wrong I was, but it took an attitude change.  I basically gave myself permission to ALTER published scenarios to make them better/tailored to my players.  I now view a published scenario as a starting framework that greatly lessens the time I have to spend in prep.  For an investigative game, for someone who is a working professional, that is critical.  In addition, I find myself photocopying the adventure into a packet so I don't have to carry a whole book, and I just make extra copies of the handouts to cut out.  If you're really feeling classy and have the funds, if you purchase a PDF, you can print off the handouts on good quality paper via a Local Office Max/Depot/Staples and even have them laminated for posterity.  In short, you can make published adventures your own and save time on building things from the ground up.  Now, don't get me wrong, designing investigations is fun in its own right.  You can do what works best for you.  I just want you to know that there are avenues to success with published adventures.

For your game, I also recommend the Call of Cthulhu Monograph "This Old Haunted House" which would save you the time of coming up with a floor plan for your mansion, if you haven't already done that.  http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/82063/This-Old-Haunted-House

Lastly, I think you might find that what you've designed is going to take more than one evening of play, depending upon how long you intend a game session to last.  Make sure you factor that in.

I wish you success!

Edited July 4, 2018 by klecser

[Tolemykus]

I recently added a room puzzle to my current game and the players really responded to it. They said it freaked them out. Essentially, there were two mirrors in the room. Both reflected the room but the one reflected the room while also showing an item on the table. When the players looked at the real table, it was not there. The puzzle requires them to bring the two mirrors together to create the 'portal' for them to travel into to get the item. The reflected room does not lead anywhere else because it only reflects the room and not places outside the room.

The portal idea comes from one of those haunted house shows that say the most haunted house in the country has dark wispy beings leaking out when two mirrors are placed facing each other. When the player's characters entered the reflected room, they suffered an unusual amount of vertigo and walking was extremely difficult because they could not see the actual floor, but only the reflection of the floor. Spot Hidden checks, Dexterity  checks, Sanity checks, were all used as well as an Idea roll in case they did not know of the mirror myth. Hope this helps.

[EricW]

Old messages written on the wall is good, maybe a mild san check when they ask a question about something current then notice the answer in the writing, and can’t be sure whether it was there before. 

Perhaps the messages could direct them to a hidden key. 

Take one of the players aside and tell them they are now working against the party, due to a malign influence. If the other players figure it out and break the spell (maybe remove a cursed locket or some such) they might get a clue - after all, the victim was in contact with the mind of the perpetrator, maybe they learned something.

All good fun.

[mdomino]

COC has such a wealth of published scenarios you will never run out. I find that published scenarios do several things- provide the basis of the plot which can then be tweaked to suit my needs, and allows me to focus on the memorable player back stories and little details that bring the scenario to life such as location details, sights, sounds, etc. Good luck with your next scenario.

M