[d20 Modern] Shadow Chasers

[j0lt]

I'm reworking my old shadow chasers campaign from the ground up.  Last time I ran it, it went a bit more hack 'n slash (identify the monster, find its weakness, kill it) than I had hoped.  Now I know I can't totally avoid that, and sometimes it's fun, but I was hoping to get more of a Supernatural-style mystery thing going.  I'll be posting up my adventure ideas in a format based on RolePlayingTips.com's 5 Room Dungeons.

Basic Adventure Formula
[spoiler]Scene 1: Hook & Background Info
Scene 2: RP challenge/Investigation
Scene 3: Opposition/Obstruction
Scene 4: Red Herring/Optional Puzzle
Scene 5: Final Confrontation[/spoiler]

The campaign is designed to run from level 3-15ish (32 point buy), with a major event at level 13.  I'm drawing most of my adventures from the d20 Modern core book, Urban Arcana, and Menace Manual, but I'm open to suggestions from other d20 sources (D&D 3.5, etc...).  I won't be including psionics, and the magic use will be strictly limited to scrolls, the occasional item, and incantations.

Available Advanced Classes
[spoiler]- Field Scientist
- Gunslinger
- Infiltrator
- Investigator
- Soldier
- Occultist
- Shadow Hunter
- Shadow Slayer (maybe)[/spoiler]

I've added an element inspired by WotC's short-lived Grim Frequencies adventure path in the form of a radio in the PCs' vehicle.  This radio will pick up a song that is somehow related to the upcoming adventure.  Each adventure will start with the song as a bit of foreshadowing for the PCs.

New Menaces:
- Spirit, Vengeful CR 5 (traditional Japanese ghost, recently popularized in The Ring and The Grudge)
- Demon CR 7 (based on those from Supernatural, using Satanic Ichor as a base)

Other menaces I'm hoping to throw at the PCs:
[spoiler]- Bogeyman CR +1
- Crawling Claw CR 1/3
- Ghoul CR +2
- Vampires CR +2
- Werewolves CR +2 (potential for infected PC)[/spoiler]

Recurring GM Characters:
[spoiler]- Gabrielle, fortune teller/occultist  (introduced in the first episode, she works in the local curio shop)
- Agent Fox, FBI (will begin tracking the PCs should they leave too much evidence behind)[/spoiler]

[j0lt]

Opening Adventure (Level 3)

Night Terror (song: Fear of the Dark by Iron Maiden)
Menace: Night Terror (CR 2+class level)

I want to do something along the lines of a typical slasher movie like Halloween, Nightmare on Elm St. or Friday the 13th.  The setting will be the PCs' hometown.  This will be the PCs' first encounter with Shadow.

GM Characters:
[spoiler]- Sarah (PC's sister/other PC's girlfriend)
- Gabrielle (34, fortune teller)
- Sam & Dean Winchester (cameo appearance)
- Officer Hyman (police)
[/spoiler]

Notes:
- The PCs won't start out with the knowledge or equipment to fight the menace in this adventure, but they can get it during the adventure, once they figure out what's going on.
- PC's sister has been complaining of nightmares all week, similar to the ones she'd had before her parents were murdered.

Adventure Events:
Scene 1
- One year after PC1's parents were murdered, he is woken from his sleep by the sounds of his sister screaming.  When he enters the room, he sees his sister pinned to the wall with an assortment of knives, and a dark shadowy figure leaping out through the second floor window.
- There are two courses of action:  The PC can call the police and stay there, in which case they take him to the station for questioning.  If he leaves, the police will consider him the primary suspect.
- If the PC ends up in jail, he can be let out by the Winchesters just as the Night Terror comes to get him.
Scene 2
- The police's investigation is going nowhere.
- Sister's dream diary contains clues as to the identity of the killer, but it's in a crime scene.
Scene 3
-
Scene 4
-
Scene 5
-

[j0lt]

Level 4 Adventures

Scarecrow (song: Scarecrow Man by The Misfits)
Menace: Animated Scarecrow w/ Scythe (CR 2)

A group of teens in rural Pennsylvania unwittingly animates a scarecrow, which goes on a murderous rampage, killing all but one of the teens.

Background info:
- A number of teens were murdered in a rural town
- The police are saying it was a ritual killing
- They have arrested one teen, who claims that it was a scarecrow
- The police have not recovered a murder weapon, but they are holding a book about "satanic mumbo-jumbo" at the station
-

Poltergeist (song: Spirit in my House by Joey Ramone)
Menace: Spirit, Poltergeist CR 2

Burn Locations

[j0lt]

Level 5 Adventures

? (song: )
Menace: Spirit, Apparition CR 3

? (song: )
Menace: Spirit, Vengeful (CR 5)

[j0lt]

Level 6 Adventures

Cult of the Six-Fingered Hand (song: ?suggestions welcome?)
Menace: Cultists & a potential summoned monster

PCs first encounter with the Cult of the Six-Fingered Hand.

[j0lt]

Reserved for level 7 adventures

? (song: Time Is On My Side by The Rolling Stones)
Menace: Demon (CR 7)

? (song: Feed My Frankenstein by Alice Cooper)
Menace: Flesh Golem & Mad Scientist (a la Herbert West)

[j0lt]

Reserved for level 8 adventures

[j0lt]

Reserved for level 9 adventures

[j0lt]

Reserved for level 10 adventures

[j0lt]

Reserved for level 11 adventures

[j0lt]

Level 12 Adventures

Seven Deadly Sins (song: Demon's Eye by Deep Purple)
Menace: 7 Demons (advanced satanic ichor?) each representing one of the 7 deadly sins (CR 7 each)

Envy
Gluttony
Greed
Lust
Pride
Sloth
Wrath

I may use possessed humans as the primary form of each, just to make them that much trickier to track down.  I pay use made-up names, or name them after famous people...

[j0lt]

Level 13+ Adventures

Armageddon (song: Fallen Angel by Iron Maiden)
Menaces: cult members (six-fingered hand), demons, zombies, spirits, etc...

The PCs find a way chance to stop the Cult of the Six Fingered Hand from opening the gates of hell in Centralia, PA.  Unfortunately it's a trap, and their intervention ends up bringing about Armageddon.

At this point, I'll be switching to a heavily modified version of the d20 Apocalypse book's Earth Inherited campaign model.  The result: a war between the armies of Heaven and Hell with the remnants of humanity caught in the crossfire.  (explaining the Rapture is gonna be fun)

[j0lt]

75+ views and not a single comment?  Come on!  Tell me what you think!  Is it good?  Is it bad?  Do you have ideas?  SAY SOMETHING!!!

[emissary666]

Try throwing in a Return of the Living Dead esc. adventure. Throws off the players with a rather humorous tone while fighting near unstoppable enemies. Also, use a Night of the Living Dead to balance it. The players will find fear in the fact that the tactics they used against one hoard do not work against the other.

[j0lt]

Try throwing in a Return of the Living Dead esc. adventure. Throws off the players with a rather humorous tone while fighting near unstoppable enemies. Also, use a Night of the Living Dead to balance it. The players will find fear in the fact that the tactics they used against one hoard do not work against the other.

lol, interesting idea...  I was considering doing more of a Resident Evil style one, where they're stuck in a mansion with weird secret doors and stuff.

[emissary666]

Well, with a resident evil style, you will encounter a hack and slash like play style. A mansion is just a dungeon above ground. With a hoard, the players are surrounded and outnumbered. Also, for songs, Return of the Living Dead should have "RE: Your Brains" by Jonathan Coulton. Night of the Living Dead should have something darker. Also, a revenant would work wonders with the basic premise of this. They would have to find its weakness, find out why it exists, maybe help it or destroy it. "Still Alive" by Jonathan Coulton would be best for that encounter.

[j0lt]

Well, with a resident evil style, you will encounter a hack and slash like play style. A mansion is just a dungeon above ground. With a hoard, the players are surrounded and outnumbered. Also, for songs, Return of the Living Dead should have "RE: Your Brains" by Jonathan Coulton. Night of the Living Dead should have something darker. Also, a revenant would work wonders with the basic premise of this. They would have to find its weakness, find out why it exists, maybe help it or destroy it. "Still Alive" by Jonathan Coulton would be best for that encounter.

That's a great idea!  I was thinking about the revenant, but was unsure of how to use it.  Coupling it wish some plain old zombies is just brilliant!

[emissary666]

Mirror based foes seems like a good idea, don't know what would work for them though.

[veekie]

Mirror based foes seems like a good idea, don't know what would work for them though.

Well, classic cloned players doesn't work too well(too hard to defeat), could import some dopplegangers with ectoplasm formed copies of the PCs equipment.

[emissary666]

No, not clones, I mean something like a demon or ghost that lives in mirrors.