Father Thomas is missing, the villagers say there are strange noises coming from St. Gregory’s, and the Reeve wants some answers. What’s going on in the old stone church?
For some reason, I am not entirely sure why, I found myself sketching out the floorplan for a church today. As I was drawing, the idea for a beginning adventure set in a low-mana fantasy realm began to take form in my mind. Could this be the location for some of my GURPS-curious friends to explore?
A few strands have been weaving closer together in my mind over the past few weeks. There are several elements of methodology that I am keen to introduce to my own GMing and explore through play. Alongside this aspiration to improve how I run my games, I also want to offer curious friends the chance to learn to play with GURPS.
The learning game needs to teach the core basic mechanisms from GURPS: the 3d6 score low success roll, the dice plus adds damage roll, and the reaction roll. On top of that, I want to introduce basic combat and keep the game as descriptive as I can.
The methodological strands are all about introducing some investigative play alongside a more traditional location-crawl scenario structure. Of particular interest to me is developing my map keys utilising The Alexandrian’s ideas from his series on The Art of The Key plus deploying the Three-Clue Rule.
The problem is that, as I sit here ready to key the map, I have no idea why Father Thomas is missing nor what the strange noises in the church might mean. Maybe you have a few suggestions? For now, I’ve decided to let the subconscious have a stroll and see what pops up by morning.
Game on!
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My ideas are mostly related to my dark fantasy setting that pretty much uses the Mystic template from Horror as the model for magicians. So, I’d say that the good Father, inspired by his interest in exorcism, has been experimenting with forbidden grimoires and has called up Lucifuge “Flee the Light”, who has possessed him and caused him to evade the possibility of brightness by hiding in the basement, cringing like an animal. Other companions of Lucifuge have invaded the church grounds, but are so far held back from approaching the icons by their holy power. The siege is ongoing, though, and perhaps the church will fall to the minions of darkness and despair.
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Love it!
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Father Thomas has a dark past which has caught up with him. Perhaps he was a member of a proscribed cult, perhaps he used to be an assassin, but whatever it is, someone has learned Father Thomas’ secret, and that secret involves high-ranking members of the clergy, and could tear the whole of the Church apart….
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Intriguing… thank you.
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