Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Viatos 12-28-07, 07:28 PM	Okay, quick overview: the PCs have all, despite being totally unrelated, jointly inherited a huge mansion in the middle of nowhere (a town in Oregon that has a curious veil of invisibility to the outside world). The PCs have to stay there for eight days and nights to claim it. Each night, they will have to overcome a new mystery. The prize is access to the basement, full of knowledge that will help them and leads to further adventures. This is intended to be their introduction to the supernatural world, which exists in a very WoD-like fashion, and each challenge represents a virtue they'll need to survive in a world where they will forever rely on human ingenuity (and what firepower they can scrap together) to survive. They're all Commoners, basically. The first night is "You are hunted by many. Prove yourself a hunter as well." a number of creepy animal-demons infesting the mansion, and a frantic scavenger hunt to locate a hunting rifle (in the third-floor observatory, on a stand where one would expect a telescope), a hunting knife (knife holder in the kitchen) and bullets (library, under B) before they die. The animal-demons can be killed, but will coalesce regardless into a hunter-demon near dawn, only killable by shooting him full of the special bullets and cutting out his heart with the knife. They'll get clues in the form of notes and creepy, seemingly oblivious servants as they go. Their party includes a friendly golem who they think is human, an average guy like them who's going to die in a fifth-night murder mystery, and a shapeshifting witch disguised as a dumb, middle-aged spinster who will later kill Average Guy. They know nothing. I need another sixth mysteries. Areas in the house include FIRST FLOOR: a huge, maze-like library, parlor full of animal heads and a big TV, a vast dining room with two tables and a raised "head" table, a big kitchen, two "viewing" rooms (big bay windows, tables and comfortable chairs), and a big courtyard with a fountain and lots of trees and small, secluded areas. And a pool, but that's intended as a 'moat'. SECOND FLOOR: six bedrooms and two huge luxurious master bedrooms, servant quarters for six servants, and laundry rooms (two, big). THIRD FLOOR: vast ballroom, observatory, luxury bathrooms (all other floors have bathrooms, but these are jacuzzi-equipped), and studies. Bookshelves, art, and unusual objects (artifacts and items mundane, magic, and everything in between - most dangerous) are very common sights. So you have the layout, the plot, the concept. Help me with the mystery and the fun! I'm on a rush schedule and I don't know if I can brainstorm it all myself.
elderdrake 12-28-07, 09:21 PM	That's quite a big order! I always find that turning to old movies and books often helps me in plot development and/or ideas. Think about some of the interesting mystery stories you've read or mystery-related episodes from a favorite TV show. You can also "Google" for mysteries or ghost stories, etc. For instance, I found an entry for the mysterious Winchester Mansion which was owned by the heiress of the Winchester Rifle fortune. She was quite peculiar in real life and believed strongly in ghosts, etc. Here is one of the facts about her mansion: "It was also obvious that Sarah was intrigued by the number "13". Nearly all of the windows contained 13 panes of glass; the walls had 13 panels; the greenhouse had 13 cupolas; many of the wooden floors contained 13 sections; some of the rooms had 13 windows and every staircase but one had 13 steps. This exception is unique in its own right.... it is a winding staircase with 42 steps, which would normally be enough to take a climber up three stories. In this case, however, the steps only rise nine feet because each step is only two inches high." Perhaps you could use this concept some where. Oddly enough, I also remember two episodes of "Scooby Doo" that used rhyme clues: "FEED the organ and Watch the Floor." This clue implied that one must play the four musical notes F-E-E-D on an organ and a secret trap door opened up that revealed a shute leading down to the basement. In a "Book of Spells" the Scooby Doo gang found a strange "spell" that said "Thirteen Nails on the Floor. Follow the middle nail to a board with a knot. Knock two times and then once more. A string will show the way." The gang had to locate 13 nails in a row on the floor boards. Following the middle nail to the wall you would come to a wall board with a knot in it. Knocking three times would reveal a hidden panel with a string. Pulling the string would reveal another secret panel that revealed the location of some long lost treasure. You might also check out the old movie "Private Eyes" starring Don Knotts and Tim Conway. You can also check out "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie. Both could give you tons of ideas as both took place in a "haunted" mansion.