Halloween Hootenanny X – White Wolf Storytelling System – I6: Ravenloft

by: Charles Plemons - November 1st, 2015   Filed under: Gaming, World of Darkness Add Comment

Game summary for October 31, 2015, I6: Ravenloft adventure module; present characters Dr. Aleksei Abramovich (physician), Arabella Hillebrandt (crossbowman), Dirk Osterhagen (grave robber), Eryk Sikorski (cleric of the Morninglord), Georgi Serebrov (circus performer), Haimrich Eckard (rogue), Kelemen Czako (woodcutter), and Kirsztina Mullner (paladin of the Morninglord).

This was a one-shot game for our six-hour Halloween Hootenanny gaming event. We converted the classic Advanced Dungeons & Dragons adventure module I6: Ravenloft to a White Wolf Storytelling System adventure and made fantasy characters using rules from the Mirrors supplement. For magic use, we used a very basic mana point system and limited range of spell effects pulling a few things from Mage: The Awakening with an eye on very, very fast play.

In the interest of time, the players were read a backstory of how they ended up trapped in Barovia and that destroying Count Strahd von Zarovich was their only recourse. The game began with a reading from Madam Eva to be followed by a search through Castle Ravenloft for the items to destroy the vampyr, and then, if they had not found him yet, they knew Strahd would find and attack them when only one hour of game time remained.

The fortune reading went as follows:

This card is a symbol of great power.  It tells of a powerful force for good and protection against the forces of darkness. This is in the mother’s resting place. There is a very good influence there.  If you are there, the powers of good will aid you.

This card tells of history.  Knowledge the ancient may help you understand a foe. This is in a place of dizzying heights that all loathe to travel.  The road winds ever upward and the rocks themselves live here! The diamond blesses your skill there, but bodes poorly for your protection.

This is the object of your search!  Ah!  I see darkness and evil behind this card!  It is a powerful man whose enemy is light, and whose powers are beyond mortality. This is a very bad sign.  This is in the very heart of darkness; his home, his source.  It is his center and his life.  It is the one place to which he must return. The diamond blesses your skill there, but bodes poorly for your protection.

This card is good for you.  It is a card of power and strength, the victor’s card.  It tells of a weapon of light, a weapon with a vengeance. A king’s throne is the place to find this. The spade is a dark shadow of evil cast over that place.  You fight under its influence here.

And here is the root card.  Out of darkness and chaos, this card finds the reason and foundation for darkness and chaos.  This card shows the purpose of all things.  It is the key to life and death and else beyond. Not yet, but soon, one who appears to be your friend will become your enemy.

The party entered Castle Ravenloft and followed the sound of organ music. They encountered Strahd in a great dining hall! Kelemen hurled a helmet at him and discovered it was an illusion. The torches went out, and they could hear all the doors, gates, and portcullis slamming shut as well as the drawbridge raising. The group discovered a secret door behind the organ and learned someone had used a mannequin and mirror trick to project the illusion. They proceeded to a stairwell leading up and down and descended further below the castle. Down in the depths, they were assaulted by a mob of skeletons swinging rusty maces. The team made short work of the undead and pressed on.

They discovered a stairway up, and found themselves in a large wide tower. The group started up when suddenly halberds darted out of the darkness and the entire tower seemed to come alive! It bucked and twisted, trying to hurl them into the darkness as a loud rhythmic thumping filled the air. The halberds hacked and slashed, and Haimrich found himself hurled from the stairs! He plunged to the bottom and was badly injured. Dr. Abramovich tried to go to him and was hurled off as well. Before long most of the party had fallen, but some made it to the top and discovered an enormous beating heart! They killed it, and the tower settled down. At the top of the tower they found and read the Tome of Strahd!

They then returned to the main entryway to find a different way up and were attacked by gargoyles! The fighting was intense for a few moments, but the team took them out. They then ascended the grand stairs and sprung a trap of flailing armor. Moving on, they ascended to the throne room and were stunned when an old metal sword hilt sprang up and merged with the blade carried by Haimrich! They had found the sunsword.

From there, the group proceeded down a wide hallway. At the end they saw double doors, and Arabella decided to charge into and through them. Her momentum carried her through the doors, passed two thrones, and over a railing down into the darkness below! Two Strahd zombies rose up from the thrones and attacked the party. The team was horrified to find as they chopped the zombies up the various pieces continued attacking! Before long the hallway was filled with ambulatory limbs all attacking the team! Meanwhile, Arabella used a grappling hook to climb up. They ended up tying up all the parts and leaving them behind. The group took the rope down into a large chapel.

As they started to explore, Strahd came into the room and attacked! The team took several hard hits but dealt a lot of damage of their own. Suddenly, a crossbow bolt from Arabella slammed into Strahd’s chest, and his features began to melt and shift! As he died, he took on the form of Haimrich! Horrified, the group turned to Haimrich who laughed and shifted into the form of Strahd! He hurled the sunsword through the stained glass window and attacked in earnest. He snatched up Georgi and drained him of his blood! The team was under an onslaught as Eryk jumped through the stained glass and found the sunsword out in the yard. He ran back in and gave it to the paladin Kirsztina. She dropped her blessed sword (picked up by Kelemen). The two engaged Strahd with their holy blades. Meanwhile, Dirk took his shovel and snapped the handle. Taking the makeshift stake, he plunged it through Strahd’s chest, paralyzing him! Kirsztina then decapitated the vampire lord!

The group looked out over the town of Barovia as sunlight filtered down on a new day, the people freed from the oppression of the wicked undead.

Halloween Hootenanny IX – Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition – Family Ties

by: Charles Plemons - October 4th, 2014   Filed under: Gaming, World of Darkness Add Comment

Game summary for October 4, 2014, Family Ties adventure; present characters Alejandro Montoya (Lasombra), Annalisa Wellington (Country Gangrel), Hakim al-Bariq (Assamite antitribu), Jean-Luc Rouzier (Serpents of the Light), Matthew Hogue (Skin Dancer Theurge), and Nicolette LaRue (Risen Wraith).

The Sabbat pack rolled into Pennsboro, WV, around 2:00 a.m. and discovered there was no diesel fuel at the gas station. They drove down the street to the Motel 6, parked the bus, and Matthew used persuasion to get a free room. They began to make plans to deal with the hunters they knew to be on their tail. They debated for a while and went downstairs to go looking for farm equipment that may have fuel. Outside, they saw hunters swarming their van and fanning out around the hotel! They convinced the clerk she was in danger from the armed men, and they all ran to a rear entrance. Annalisa darted outside among some of the cars as the hunters came around the building. Matthew dropped a shroud around the door, and he and Alejandro slipped outside. Inside, Jean-Luc began draining the clerk and then killed her with the intent of raising her as a zombie, but he ran out of time before needing to get out. Outside, Alejandro animated the shadows and terrified the hunters, driving them off.

The group fled to the hardware store and were pursued by two hunters. Jean-Luc forced one to try and flee with a Discipline. Matthew transformed into crinos form and beat the other one with a safe before ripping his throat out. The group then ran to the consignment store to grab some clothes for their werewolf friend. More hunters emerged from the hardware store and began to fan out. Jean-Luc unloaded the magazine of one of the assault rifles they picked up and dropped one of the hunters and grazed another. Alejandro shot that one with a shotgun as Annalisa flew out in bat form and transformed behind them. The remaining hunters gunned down Alejandro, sending him into torpor. Matthew transformed into hispo form and charged out to drag one of the injured hunters into the shop. The man’s dying word as he laughed beneath the raging wolf was “silver.” He then pressed his revolver into Matthew’s wolf stomach and pulled the trigger. Matthew ripped him apart but was critically injured by the dreaded silver. Annalisa used celerity to drain and kill the other hunters thanks to Jean-Luc mesmerizing one with his gaze. Jean-Luc animated three of the dead hunters as zombies and sent them back toward the other hunters. Meanwhile, injured Matthew carried Alejandro off to hide. Nicolette and Hakim came back from scouting the town, and the group swooped around the block to try and steal some of the hunter cars. They had determined from the ID of one of the dead men that the group after them was some sort of government agency.

To cause a distraction, Jean-Luc summoned the ghost of a crazy old Cajun named Pierre. The two negotiated, and Pierre agreed to wreck havoc among the hunters while the team moved toward the cars. The distraction worked, and the pack got to the cars. The team found two hunters guarding the vehicles, and they gunned them down and stole the cars. They picked up Matthew and Alejandro and drove down the highway at high speed. They didn’t make it far before the cars were remotely shut down. As the team piled out, they could hear helicopters approaching.

The pack tore through the woods and came upon some old chemical storage facility. Outside was a pick-up truck, and the team was able to hotwire it and drive off. They fled down old mountain roads and ditched the car. They then hiked out through the woods and found an old house with a basement where they holed up. The group awoke the next night, safe. They had evaded the hunters. For now.

Halloween Hootenanny VIII – Hunter: The Vigil – A Nightmare at Hill Manor

by: Charles Plemons - October 26th, 2013   Filed under: Gaming, Hunter: The Vigil, World of Darkness Add Comment

Game session summary for one-shot game using White Wolf’s Hunter: The Vigil somewhat parodied with bumbling characters from the League of Extraordinary Zeroes:  Buffy Summers, Felonius Gru, George Bush, Mable “Madea” Simmons, Napoleon Dynamite, and Shaggy Rogers.

The team had assembled for their regular game night with Janice in the apartment lounge.  Janice had gone downstairs to get snacks from her car when they heard a few gunshots from a floor or two above.  They discussed what to do as Janice returned saying she could not get down to the car.  The group went to their apartments and grabbed their gear and found the elevator would only open on floors 5, 6, and 7.  On the 5th floor they were attacked by a white-eyed madman.  Buffy ended up staking the man, and a green mist escaped his mouth as he died.  They continued to explore their situation and ran into a variety of oddities such as the reek of blood or areas of hallway causing nosebleeds.  They even had an instance where Madea was compelled to fire upon her allies!

They eventually decided they needed to get up to the penthouse but needed the access to key.  Someone remembered the maintenance office on the fifth floor would likely have a key, so they went there.  Within, they found the maintenance men were mad like many of the other residents, and they attacked the party using hammers and screwdrivers!  The group suffered a few minor injuries but knocked out both men.  They revived them after the green mist left their bodies, and they discovered the men didn’t seem to know much.

The group went to the penthouse and found a man’s body slumped against the wall, apparently the victim of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.  Gru pulled a minion from his pocket to look around the corner, and they learned of another body.  The party rounded the corner just as a ghost formed over the corpse of an old man.  He told them an evil spectre, Josiah Hill, and an army of ghosts were trapped in magical wards within the building and needed release.  Josiah was tethered to this world by a pocket watch that the party needed to find.  The ghost gave them several relics with which to fight the possessed residents.

The team went in search of the watch and found several more disturbing events such as more madmen, a burning ghostly maid, a burning ghostly man, and a body dripping blood upward to the ceiling.  They even caught sight of a madman with a pocket watch!  The team chased him over several floors until they finally caught him in a stairwell and rendered him unconscious.  The group took the watch up to the roof to melt it on the lightning rod.

On the roof, they found a raging storm of falling blood and hail of human bone.  The spectre of Josiah Hill appeared and began compelling the party to turn on itself!  The team struggled against his control but succeeded in hitting him with the powerful relics enough to discorporate his form.  Then, the team attached the watch to the lightning rod  and watched as the lightning melted it down and destroyed Josiah once and for all!

May Day – White Wolf Storyteller System in Weird War II

by: Charles Plemons - May 15th, 2010   Filed under: World of Darkness Add Comment

Game session summary for one-shot game using White Wolf Storyteller System (Vampire: The Masquerade and Werewolf: The Apocalypse) set in Weird War II. Present characters included Anya Filipivich (Russian super soldier), Edward Danes (British werewolf), Hank Reynolds (American super soldier), and Oksana Radu (Russian vampire).

Mission Summary

German scientist, Dr. Otto Geiger, is the key to the SS she-wolf program and must be stopped! The Allied Forces want the secret to Dr. Geiger’s process and would prefer him captured alive; however, it is most important that he be prevented from creating any more SS werewolves. It is believed Dr. Geiger’s previous assistant and former girlfriend, Emma Hans, knows the location of Dr. Geiger’s lab.

Primary Mission Objectives

  • Interrogate Emma Hans to learn location of Dr. Geiger
  • Kidnap Dr. Otto Geiger
  • Destroy Dr. Geiger’s Lab

Secondary Mission Objectives

  • If Dr. Geiger cannot be kidnapped, kill Dr. Geiger
  • Eliminate all SS she-wolves encountered
  • Steal any other secrets that would help the Allied cause

Game Session Summary

The strike team converged upon the home of Emma Hans, which was guarded by a trio of German soldiers. The team moved around back where a single guard stood before the rear entrance. Surveillance showed only Emma inside. Oskana moved forward and flirted with the guard, determining that Emma was upstairs alone. Edward changed to crinos form and moved out from behind the bushes, causing the guard to scream and flee. Edward jumped from the ground through the second floor window as one of the front guards moved upstairs. The third guard cautiously moved along the side of the building and spotted Hank in the bushes. He yelled for him to come out and surrender. Oskana walked around the corner to attack the guard as Hank opened fire, winging the man.

Anya rushed inside to assist Edward and found him fighting with the frightened guard. The two finished him off while Oksana drained the blood from the other guard. Edward threw Emma over his shoulder and leapt to the ground below. The group disappeared into the night and dragged Emma into a wooded area. After several hours of amateurish interrogation, Emma finally divulged the location of Dr. Geiger’s lab.

With the new information, the team traveled to Poland to capture Dr. Geiger. After a bit of searching, the located the address and assessed the situation. The facility was guarded by three German soldiers and an SS officer. The strike team advanced and hurled three grenades amid the guards. After a frantic scattering, the guards avoided the brunt of the explosions. One of the guards snatched up the MG 34 machinegun and fired off 50 rounds and Edward, injuring the werewolf severely. Anya moved up and began dispatching one group of guards while Hank and Oskana moved to eliminate the machinegun post. The team was surprised by the emergence of an obfuscated German vampire.

The vampire viciously attacked Oskana while Hank tried to burn him with his flaming breath. The battle raged, and finally, Oksana sank her fangs into the vampire and killed him. Edward then advanced a commandeered the machinegun. Oksana attempted to drain another soldier, but Hank executed him before she was able. After a quick regroup, the team charged into the lair of Dr. Geiger.

Inside, four soldiers and an SS she-wolf awaited. Anya maneuvered into an intersection and was caught in a brutal crossfire. Edward engaged the she-wolf, and Oksana grabbed hold of one of the guards. As she fed, the she-wolf tore into Anya and Edward. Hank popped off several silver bullets into the she-wolf, tremendously reducing her threat. Oksana killed the guard, and Anya finished off the werewolf. Edward and Hank mopped up the last guards and advanced into the lab.

Deep within the lab cowered Dr. Geiger, easily captured with his honor guard eliminated. The team also discovered additional information on the super soldier syrum developed by the Nazis. After destroying the lab, the team exfiltrated from Poland with Dr. Geiger in tow.

W:tA Rite of Passage – Game Session 03

by: Charles Plemons - December 19th, 2008   Filed under: Rite of Passage Add Comment

Game summary for our Werewolf: The Apocalypse Revised Edition mini-chronicle, Rite of Passage, on December 18, 2008. Pack members present included: Aragon Phillips (homid theurge Uktena), Caedmon Sullivan (homid galliard Fianna), Lt. Daniel Jones (homid ragabash Silver Fang), Jeff Smith (homid ahroun Silver Fang), and Tony Diaz (homid ahroun Glass Walker).

After another break in the blizzard, the pack continued down the road and began seeing glimpses of spirits in the trees. Before long, the pack discovered Aaron’s cell phone had been stolen by the spirit entities.

Pressing on, the pack came to a downhill bend in the road where they were ambushed by five crinos werewolves! The murderous pack tore into the Wild Weres, dropping Dan in a few moments. Tony did his best to aid his friend, while the others waged war with the pack. Soon, Jeff succumbed to frenzy and viciously fought the assailants. In short order, several were fleeing back into the trees and some lay dead on the ground. Tony was terribly injured as well. As the final attacker laid waste to the pack, a large, gruff man clothed like a lumberjack and swinging an axe arrived. He decapitated the downed foes while the pack finished off the remaining attacker. He then performed some strange rite and stabilized the injured Wild Weres. He introduced himself as Bill and offered them shelter.

The pack followed Bill into the woodlands, where they came upon a log cabin. Within, Bill performed more rites, healing the injuries of the Wild Weres. He told the group about strange circumstances at the Grind Mine and asked the group to investigate. The pack agreed and requested Bill notify the family of the man they found slain in the cave. To this, Bill agreed. He then provided the pack with clothing from another era.

The pack continued talking to Bill and whispered among themselves about what exactly Bill is.

W:tA Rite of Passage – Game Session 02

by: Charles Plemons - December 17th, 2008   Filed under: Rite of Passage Add Comment

Game summary for our Werewolf: The Apocalypse Revised Edition mini-chronicle, Rite of Passage, on December 11, 2008. Pack members present included: Aragon Phillips (homid theurge Uktena), Caedmon Sullivan (homid galliard Fianna), Lt. Daniel Jones (homid ragabash Silver Fang), Jeff Smith (homid ahroun Silver Fang), Ohcumgache (lupus ahroun Get of Fenris), and Tony Diaz (homid ahroun Glass Walker).

As Aaron and Caedmon fashioned a covering for the cave door, Jeff, Ohcu, and Tony went to explore the cave. It went down for a while, and the pack detected the scent of death and humankind. While sniffing about, Tony sneezed, awakening a great bear. The trio fled back up the tunnel, with the bear hot on their heels! Caedmon realized quickly that he had forgotten the ammunition to his SMG, so he cast it aside. The werewolves moved in and fought viciously with the bear as it chomped on Tony’s flank. Soon, the pack brought it down. Aaron suspected the strange bear was controlled by something, perhaps a spirit. He attempted to Peek and fell through the Membrane into the Umbra. He soon returned safely and confirmed that the animal was bane-ridden.

The pack returned to the bear’s lair and found the remnants of a mine worker named Johnathan Willis. The group gathered everything of use or interest from his corpse. They realized he must have come from some civilization nearby. When a break in the weather occurred, the pack fashioned a sled and set out into the wild once again. During the trip, the intense supernatural cold of the Wendigo-summoned blizzard took its toll on the pack. Aaron began to suffer frostbite and delirium. Eventually, the group encountered a narrow road and found, buried in the snow, the wreck of Johnathan’s jeep. Tony climbed inside and discovered a map to a mine, a shovel, and a toolbox.

Soon, the pack set out again but the blizzard picked back up. The group dug snow shelters in the drifts along the side of the road to take refuge from the storm. Within, things didn’t seem so intense!

W:tA Rite of Passage – Game Session 01

by: Charles Plemons - November 22nd, 2008   Filed under: Rite of Passage Add Comment

Game summary for our Werewolf: The Apocalypse Revised Edition mini-chronicle, Rite of Passage, on November 20, 2008. Pack members present included: Aragon Phillips (homid theurge Uktena), Caedmon Sullivan (homid galliard Fianna), Marcel DeLuca (homid theurge Silent Strider), and Ohcumgache (lupus ahroun Get of Fenris).

The newly formed pack, the Wild Weres, awaited their group Rite of Passage, to be delivered by the Sept of the Green, in New York City. In the meantime, the group petitioned and was accepted by Fenris as their pack totem. Before long, Timmy arrived to take the group to the caern in Central Park. Once there, they were greeted by Larissa, who informed them they would be traveling via Moon Bridge to the Winter Wolf Sept of Wendigos. The Wendigo tribe would perform their Rite of Passage, and the Sept of the Green would perform the Rite of Passage for a pack of pups from the Wendigo.

Stepping through the Moon Bridge, the Wild Weres found themselves confronted by the Warden of the Sept, who provided them food and lodging and informed them the Rite would begin in the morning. During the night, the pack was awakened by a Howl of Mourning, followed by a Howl of Calling the Pack. They quickly scrambled from their tent and found the entire Sept assembled and listening to their elders. As the pack arrived, the Wendigos snarled and surrounded them. The Warden stepped forward and told them the Wendigo pups had been killed by the Sept of the Green! He snarled at the pack and cast them out of the caern, warning them that to return would mean their deaths. As they left, Caedmon realized the Wendigo theurges were summoning a blizzard!

The pack fled into the pre-dawn light and scrambled to put distance between themselves and the Winter Wolf Sept. Aragon was able to get their latitude and longitude from his iPhone and determined they were in Northern Canada. He knew there should be civilization to the south, so that is the direction they set off. Traveling through the woodlands, Ohcumgache took the lead, felling a deer for the pack and leading them to a fresh water seep.

Within a few hours, the weather began to turn as the summoned blizzard rolled in. The pack carefully searched the area until they found a small cave they could all hole up in. The pack began gathering firewood and preparing to ride out the blizzard.

McWoD Delivers

by: Charles Plemons - August 30th, 2007   Filed under: World of Darkness 2 Comments

About a year ago, I heard that veteran game designer, Monte Cook, would be writing his own version of White Wolf Games Studio’s World of Darkness setting. Mr. Cook is renowned for being one of the authors of the 3rd Edition of Dungeons & Dragons and owner of the very successful Malhavoc Press. As a fan of Monte’s work and of the World of Darkness, I was intrigued. I later discovered the project would be set in the World of Darkness setting but use the d20 rules. Because my players seem to favor d20, this really piqued my interest.

I purchased the PDF version of Monte Cook’s World of Darkness (or McWoD for short) from DriveThruRPG yesterday. Wow, just wow. It is a fantastic blend of d20, d20 Modern and Storytelling System that is easy to pick up and understand. Character creation is a snap; anyone who has played any of the d20 games can being playing this in a very, very short amount of time.

What is truly spectacular about the product is the creative twist on the old World of Darkness. Rather than running with the thousands of years of history the supernatural creatures in normal WoD possess, Monte made the appearance of supernatural creatures in the world a brand new occurance in McWoD. Basically, some Cthulu-esqe entities (known as the Iconnu) attempted to enter our reality in full, but failed. Instead, the attempt caused an explosion of supernatural energy that wiped out central USA and spread waves of nightmarish energy across the globe. The intrusion failed because of a number of humans, known as Awakened, whose subconscious powers were able to hold the barrier between worlds. Now, the Iconnu have sent their spiritual agents into the world to destroy the Awakened and bring the barrier crashing down. Their main agents consist of:

  • Vampires – The Iconnu brought forth the most evil, twisted souls of dead humans that ever existed and forced them into the bodies of living (and often innocent) people. The result killed the body and suffused it with the supernatural strength and power of the vampire. Like most traditional vampires, they drink blood, avoid sunlight, etc. However, they have a huge twist; there are two souls locked in the body. Some vampires are completely controlled by their “evil” soul, some by their “normal” soul, and some have a blend of both or even completely split personalities!
  • Werewolves – Where vampires are a fusion of a dead soul and a living soul, werewolves are the fusion of a primitive, primal spirit with a living soul. The result is a total meld of personalities into one body, with the bestial nature of the spirit mostly dominant. Werewolves are wild, dangerous creatures capable of tremendous destruction.
  • Demons – Not the traditional “devil” that immediately comes to mind, demons are spirit creatures brought forth from some unknown dimension. They are not merged with a living soul; instead, they have the power to take the shape of any human they wish and change that shape on a whim. The result is a powerful spirit entity that can hide anywhere! That little girl on the swing, the cop coming to your rescue, or the taxi driver picking you up could be a disguised demon waiting to rip you to shreds!

Players can be members of these three races; not all are loyal to the Iconnu. For example, sometimes the “wrong” soul is dominant in a vampire, or a werewolf puts its destructive urges to use against evil. Even a demon can change sides. Perhaps the allure of having a physical body is better than where it came from, and it is not interested in the Iconnu destroying this world. If these three options weren’t enough, there are two other options available:

  • Awakened – These are the humans who had the latent ability to hold reality together against the Iconnu. Thus, they are the target for most of the vampires, werewolves and demons out there. They have some supernatural talents and can really be the focus of many stories. If all the Awakened die, reality comes crashing down.
  • Mages – When the Iconnu backlash occured, mystical energy washed over the world. Suddenly, magic actually began working! Now, shapers of magic walk the world trying to learn new ways to unleash their talents. They are really the wild cards, because they have no ties to the Iconnu, nor are they targetted by them. Thus, a mage could be working for either side in this hidden war.

Antagonists in the game are regular humans (thus, a similarity to d20 Modern), one of the five “supernaturals” described above, or even more exotic monsters. Due to the Nightmare Wave, many bizarre creatures can be found in the world. The most bizarre are in places near the central US where the devastation was the worst. Most any d20 monster imaginable could crop up there. Further away things like ghosts and other undead, bizarre plants, giant insects and other sterotypical horror creatures could easily fit into the campaign.

The way the story is written, it allows the Iconnu intrusion to play as much or as little into the campaign as you want. It can be the entire focus, with players trying to protect Awakened and destroy minions of the Iconnu, or it can be way in the background. This allows for a post-apocalypse style of gaming all the up to a modern horror, depending on where you base your game in relation to the central US. I think that flexibility alone makes McWoD have huge appeal. You could easily replicate the feel of the TV show Supernatural with these rules. If you want more extreme, you can sway more toward the Mad Max feel.

All-in-all, I think McWoD is a brilliant adaptation of WoD. I think it is a niche market; most of your WoD purists are going to avoid it. However, it is a really good way to expose the d20 gamer market to an exciting and rich setting. After reading through it, all I could really say about is summed up in my first thoughts, “good stuff.”

Blood Cell Chronicle – Operation: Plague Walker

by: Charles Plemons - April 22nd, 2007   Filed under: World of Darkness 3 Comments

On Saturday, April 21st, we embarked on our second game of the Blood Cell Chronicles, playing the Operation: Plague Walker adventure. The game used the Storyteller System from the Vampire: The Masquerade 3rd Edition rulebook. The starting cast included “Boomstick” Anders, “Boon” Wilkins, “Jarhead” Smith and “Rocket Man” Winchester. Later appearances were made by “Dom” Santori, “Ghost” Lee and “Whisper” Vasquez.

The team hit the beach and engaged a trio of soldiers immediately. “Jarhead” used the SAW to spray the two in the treeline, and “Boomstick”, “Boon” and “Rocket Man” made sure they were out of commission. “Boon” took a round to the thigh, but his ghoul blood quickly healed the injury. The landing was almost without incident except for “Boomstick’s” embarassing moment where he ejected a full magazine from his pistol instead of pulling the trigger.

The group moved to one of the helicopter crash sites and found the chopper had not exploded but fuel was leaking all around. Somehow, the pilot’s intestines had animated with WD-41 and attacked the group. The thing was thrown toward the chopper, and “Boon” shot the fuel tanks causing a horrendous explosion. Unfortunately, the team was caught in the blast and badly injured. Nursing their wounds, they investigated the other crash site and found it already burned out.

Next, they moved on the military base and found it littered with corpses. A number of WD-41 zombies charged and attacked but were soon cut down in overlapping fields of fire. The team fired up a generator they discovered and moved into the underground lab. They quickly came upon the mess hall and four WD-41 zombies. The team was swarmed, leaving “Jarhead” and “Boon” cut off and mobbed. “Jarhead” cleared the way for the rest of the team at the cost of his and “Boon’s” lives; he pulled the pins on his two frag grenades and blew up everything in the room.

The remaining team called in reinforcements, “Ghost” Lee and “Whisper” Vasquez. Together, they found Heinreich’s lab. Unfortunately, it was protected by a WD-41 Die-Borg and two WD-41 zombies. “Whisper” was caught in the lab with two of the creatures, and “Ghost” had one clamped onto her back. “Rocket Man” fired his rocket launcher into the room, destroying the Die-Borg. Sadly, the backblast also injured his allies, including causing the death of “Boomstick”. The group dug in and waiting for “Dom” to arrive before proceeding past the lab.

Down another hallway, they found the suite of Dr. Heinreich. Unfortunately, Heinreich had become a monstrous creature with huge rending claws, a WD-43 Ripper! A single swipe of his claws decapitated “Whisper”, but it was quickly put down with a 3-round burst from “Rocket Man”.

After clearing the complex, the team gathered the datafiles and evacuated the island. Four of the Blood Cell team were killed in the operation, but all objectives were met. Central Command was quite displeased with the casualties, but the spread of WD-41 and its variants was stopped.

Game Results for Super Brawl Saturday, February 3

by: Charles Plemons - February 4th, 2007   Filed under: World of Darkness 1 Comment

We debuted our Blood Cell Chronicle at Super Brawl this weekend. Four players took off on the first mission with a large set of objectives. After getting dropped in the drop zone, the team moved in on the manor they were to raid. “Hellbilly” Hoost went for the first guard and attempted to slit his throat. Although he injured the guard, the man got a shot off, separating Hoost from his ear. Angered, “Hellbilly” finished the job, but not before the enemies were alerted. “Boomstick” Anders setup his .50 calibur sniper rifle in the tree line and put the approaching guard down. The other two ran into manor and spread the alert.

The team moved in quickly, with “Boomstick” setting up to snipe from atop the West Loggia. The rest of the team fired suppressing fire into the manor, blowing out most of the windows on the first floor. The enemy soon returned fire and battle was engaged. “Boomstick” began picking off targets through windows, while “Hellfire” Hale drew enemy fire. “Hellbilly” and “Rocket Man” Winchester moved in on the East Dining Room with concussion grenades, shotguns and assault rifles. They made fairly short work of a few lackeys and a ghoul. “Hellfire” massacred another lackey in the West Dining Room with a concussion grenade and sent a second ghoul running after shooting him with his M16.

The team moved in while “Boomstick” performed a thermal scan of the second floor and started shooting huge holes in the blacked windows of the east wing. The team cleared the first floor and set IEDs on the two elevators. They then disarmed a claymore mine on the stairwell and moved to the second floor. A sniper began a shootout with “Boomstick” put quickly went down. Unfortunately, “Boomstick” succeeded in damaging his rifle and had to give up his position and enter the house with his trusty 45.

Upstairs, the team rescued Ilsa Lorenz and cleared all but the east wing. They then began moving slowly and discovered Marcus Petrovich waiting for them. “Hellfire” slung a concussion grenade that tagged the ghoul in the face, and his remains were blown out a window and onto the front yard. The team then swept through the rooms, found massive amount of packaged cocaine and captured a day-sleeping vamprie. The group destroyed the drugs, booby-trapped the house, and exfiltrated with the rescued hostage and a captured vampire.

Perfect success.