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Heavenly Vistas Sanitarium"Every cell in my body was telling me to run. Maybe I should have. The girl… Melissa…. just stood there, quivering slightly, her blind eyes seeming to focus on something beyond the walls of the room. She began to murmur to herself, and it was then I started to feel like something was pushing itself into my mind, slowly… steadily. I could hear the nurses arguing at the bottom of the stairs, and I knew it was now or never. I knew she couldn't hear me, so I touched Melissa's arm and that was when everything went wrong."?Game Masters: Please read this entire segment before you run this game. This is meant to inspire you to do a horrifying adventure using modified Hands of Destiny rules where the player characters are lunatics trying desperately to escape an Insane Asylum at any cost. This is not meant to be a complete module, and requires tailoring to your specific group. This is free to use by anyone, including the map I made. Enjoy!?To build mood, I would recommend playing the song 'Heathens' during character creation, then Heathens Pandora Radio until character creation is finished?Things needed to play: a deck of playing cards for each player and GM1 GM2-3 Players who create Characters (referred to as PC's)Map of Asylum printed out, with creepy stuff written on it (for the map I used I put "46 false angels can't hurt us" scrawled over a corner of the map, a red X labelled "Secrets" on the shed just south of the Unstable Courtyard, "I WANT OUT" over and over again on the back, I ripped the left fourth of the map off and crumpled the map intensively)Something to write down character info on (index cards, etc)Sanity tokens (candles)?Basic rules to tell the playersThe main goal of each PC is to escape the AsylumEach PC has a minor goal which will gain them back 1 (or more?) sanity if it is completedEach PC has a severe phobia which must be avoided at all costsIf you get caught by the psychiatric staff, you are trapped in the AsylumNurses carry potent syringes with knockout drugs in them, be careful!If you run out of sanity, you mentally cannot make the journey and are trapped in the AsylumIf Jokers are drawn by PCs, the Joker is taken out of the deck, a random card is drawn. If the card is red, the PC gets 1 extra sanity token/candle and draws another card. If the random card was black then some very bad event happens for the PCs.?Character CreationPlayers choose PC genderPlayers draw to determine the type of insanity that afflicts their PC (remove Jokers first)CardInsanityAPeriods of blackouts where you don't know what happens2Mania-believes you are invincible3Extreme OCD4Severe insomnia, resulting in hallucinations5Addicted to a specific drug6Personality disorder - craves attention at any cost7Disassociate Identity Disorder (multiple people inside your head)8Honestly believe that your hand is not your own and is controlled by someone else9Paranoid of everyone conspiring against you10Antisocial-avoids all persons at all timesJManipulative and sadisticQHomicidal urgesKDraw 2 more cards, take those effects (discard any further kings and draw one to replace it) Each Player draws a card, and the Player with highest (2 is lowest, Ace is highest) picks from the following phobias. Each phobia can only be chosen for one PC.HemophobiaFear of bloodIatrophobiaFear of doctors and nursesScotophobiaFear of darknessNecrophobiaFear of dead thingsEnetophobiaFear of needlesXenophobiaFear of strangers (not other PCs, only NPCs)Player decides their Strong Suit based on the reason the PC was put in asylum (or can draw randomly)Spades --> acts of violenceHearts --> acts of obsessionClubs --> unable to function in societyDiamonds --> lost sight of realityPlayers come up with backstory of their PC and explains it to each other and GMWhat specific incident was the final straw that got them put in the Asylum?Does the PC have any family?Does the PC believe in the supernatural?How does the PC view the Asylum staff?Is the PC willing to kill in order to escape?What is the first thing that the PC will do when they escape?What is the worst thing that the PC has ever done?What does the PC think of themselves?Players draw 7 cards, then assign the corresponding values to each stat as they choose (1-9 = that number, 10 = 5, Face = 4, Ace = 1)Attributes:Sanity (max 5)MovementFightDetectCharismaQuick thinkingStealthPlayers decide what their subgoal will be. This subgoal will be a one time method to get more sanity once achievedPotential subgoals include:Get drugsMurder a particular guard/nurseGet alcoholStart a fireHelp another inmate escape (sister, lover, etc)Get cigarettesGet back a personal item taken from themFind out why they were incarcerated or was never releasedGet some sort of sweet food (doughnuts, etc)?Add Jokers back into Player Deck?Once all PCs have been created, begin Midnight Syndicate Radio on Pandora, or or some other creepy soundtrack that fits theme?GM notesPlease note that this is not meant to be a complete module. This is meant to make a scary-awesome one-shot adventure for the PCs, but you should make it unique for your table. Feel free to disregard things you don't like and add anything you think would make the game better when you GM it. Add mini-plotlines and come up with new important places on the map. You will need to assign location of NPCs yourself, and maybe come up with a couple of new ones. Also, make sure you warn your players what they are getting into, and that things will get violent and graphic.About halfway through, it could be reasonable to include a stash of anti-psychotic drugs (1 for each PC). These would allow the PC to take the drugs (single use) to ignore 1 sanity checkAs you play, have your computer set to and set it to 10 minutes (can be adjusted as needed) and make sure the volume is up on your laptop. Whenever the timer beeps, draw a card to see if a staff member walks by. If PCs are in Phase 1, a J means an orderly walked by and Q means a nurse walked by. Phase 2, same except all staff are running and K means security showed upSet up for plot: tell PCs beforehand some details about the Heavenly Vistas Sanitarium: general layout of the Asylum with Unstable Patient Zone (where the PCs all currently reside) and to get to the Main Asylum area a specific Keycode must be entered. All staff know the code to exit. drugs are kept in special locked rooms so no patients have access to themThe PCs have come to know the neighboring cell-mates, speaking through the food slot in the doorMartin, the arsonist, repentant for his crimes but locked away for lifeIgnus (female), who has always believed that 'the fairies' gave her the ability to see into time and spaceMeg Nolan, cannibal and necrophiliacEvith, Russian drug dealer who carved symbols into his entire body with the sharp end of a broken rusty pipe. Speaks only Russian. To start the adenture after character creation, read this aloud (or paraphrase) "It is a cold, windy night when your escape begins by accident; the computers running the electronics in the whole building have been acting up, the staff has been complaining about them all day. Ignus has been telling [insert a PC name here] about how 'the fairies' told her that today was going to be a big day. You pay no mind, because she says this almost every day, but she goes on and on about what 'the fairies' said. You hear the sound of echoing footsteps, and two large men accompany a male doctor with a goatee. He goes to Ignus' cell and says "please put your forehead on the far wall, Ignus, with your hands on you head. You know the drill." Ignus pounds on the door yelling obscenities, and the doctor sighs and signals to the large guards. You all cannot see what happens beyond that point as they enter the cell, but it sounds like a scuffle, Ignus' cry gets cut off as the PCs hear a 'Whumph" sound and then they see Ignus being dragged away by the two burly guards, led by the doctor."[pause and look at the players quitely] "About 15 minutes after sounds of the footsteps of the three men fade away, the lights begin to flicker." Have PCs all draw cards, whomever is highest hears a scuffling outside the mail slot of their door. They hear someone wispering "shhhhh…." as a crumpled up piece of paper is pushed through. [Hand PC the map]. The lights still flickering and buzzing, PCs hear Martin the arsonist cry out and say something like "damn thing shocked me!" Then the electronic lock of the PC's cells begins to sparking and making a faint whining noise. The PCs quickly discover that the door slides right open.Plot: PHASE 1: Unstable Patients ZonePCs must get out of Unstable Patients Zone into main part of asylum, they know they must get a keycode to get outCan get key by:Convincing Mongo the janitor, found in Unstable Courtyard. Bribing Nurse Anglestrom, found in Nurse Room. She can be seen through the window in the door and motioned to come outside to bargain.Other events:PC wanders too close to the food slot of the cell of Kenzi the Butcher, must free themselvesA listen check outside the Nurse Rec Room and PCs can hear discussion about how creepy Melissa is, and how the nurse speaking hates going into that room, she always feels like Melissa is staring at her with those dead eyes. The nurse says she always wears a crucifix on days that she has to be in the same room as Melissa. Another nurse is heard, muffled, saying something about … being glad for angels… , followed by a couple of muffled chuckles.PCs must sneak past an operating room with a viewing window while a horrifying operation is going on, but they hear a doctor coming around the corner who if doc sees them will pull out a syringe full of knockout drug and try to sedate one or all of them. If they get sedated the lose unless other PCs can free them. PCs must choose between going back, going through the operating room with the unsuspecting surgeons or facing the needle wielding doc. If PCs choose not to save him, they lose one San for guilt and regretNPCs: Doc 1 (male)Movement 4Fight 2 (no weapon)Detect 2Quick thinking 7Stealth 4?Doc 2 (female)Movement 4Fight 4 (wields scalpel as weapon)Detect 6Quick thinking 1Stealth 2?Plot twist: it is Ignus being operated on, encourage PCs to save herDescribe her operation, with her lying on her front with her skin splayed open as the doctors were aparently operating on her spinal chord or lower brainstem at the base of her neck. It requires a difficult Quick Thinking check to sew her back up and save her.If they succeed, Ignus looks dazed and almost unaware of her surroundings and scrawls something down on a piece of paper which says "she is dead but she doesn't know it yet". She simply lays on the floor and refuses to move at all. She is lying in a small pool in her own blood on the linoleum, quaking. [note to GMs: this can be a forshadowing event for Melissa's death, if that's how you want to take this]?PHASE 2: Main Asylum AreaAccording to the map:If PCs go down hallway 'c' they notice that all of the cells are dark, most cells are empty, but some have patients in them. In 2, a woman in a straight jacket is banging her head into the padded wall, making a thud thud sound. In 7, a skinny bearded man with a dark intelligence in his eyes calls to the PCs, saying he might have something that helps. If PCs can offer something he needs or make a charisma check high enough, then he gives them one screwdriver (+1).He says that he was planning on using it it escape, but looks like the PCs need it more than himThe person in cell 9 may be dead, it smells terrilbleAround the corner of hallway 'e', the PCs notice a guard with a walkie talkie on his belt who is leaning against the wall, reading something. He looks up as the door is opened. Very difficult stealth check, 3 card draw +8. If fail, guard pulls out a batton and runs at them yelling "HEY! STOP!". Easy fight, defeat quickly. Before he passes out, he thumbs his radio and mumbles "guard down… initiate full lockdown…" and alarms begin to go off?At some natural point (probably seen coming in from hallway 'f' into 'e'), PCs hear a door open and running footsteps and see Nurse Jones running down the hallway to them (tell players that PCs remember that Nurse Jones has always been kind to patients). He stops a good 20 feet away and says "I am not gonna … [breathes heavily because he was running] … hurt you… and if you do something for me, I won't call for guards." When PCs ask him what he wants, he asks them if they trust himThen explains about Melissa's condition, the experiments done to her, how Jones is the only one who actually tries to help herIf PCs are wanting more details, tell about her inabliltiy to sleepGives PCs the key to Melissa's doors, describe how creepy the hallway and stairs up look??PHASE 3: MelissaGMs, this part is up to you. Melissa should be supernatural, but you decide to what extent. She could be Carrie-style and ripping apart hospital staff with her mind, she could be attracting other-dimensional horrors and that is what gives her nightmares. You can have Melissa be the way the PCs get out, or simply an objective, a villian or an NPC in need of help. ?NPCs: Martin, the arsonist, repentant for his crimes but locked away for lifeIgnus, who has always believed that 'the faries' gave her the ability to see into time and spaceKenzi the ButcherDangerous serial dismemberer, constantly threatening guards Mongo the JanitorSadistic ex-inmateWill tell PCs the code to get out of Unstable Patients Zone if one of the PCs let him bite off one of their fingersNurse Anglestrom (female)Addicted to a specific narcoticDoesn't care if patients live or dieIs rumored to have overdosed a particularly difficult patient, Rodger Olsar, leaving the body for the nursing staff to find in the cell the next dayWill tell PCs the code to get out of Unstable Patients area if they bring her all of the Asylum's supply of a particular narcotic: LV-462, found in room N. Room N also has antipsychotic drugsNurse Jones (male)One of the only remaining staff members who care about the patientsKnows fluent sign languageIs the only nurse who bothers to try to help Melissa He explains to PCs the status of MelissaHe doesn't even know her last name, it was redacted from her file. Melissa [LAST NAME REDATCTED]Appearance: a woman whose flesh apears to have wasted away. He skin is so pale it is almost grey, and you see bleached white hair in a mess falling over her face. On her head she has a Y shaped scar where hair doesn’t grow, and she has a quarter sized birthmark to the left of her mouth. She is so thin it is hard to believe she is standing upright at all. She doesn't react as you enter, you hear her muttering something under her breath. She is staring at the wall but her eyes… her eyes are bloodshot, jittering around as if searching for some person in the distance. Her eyes seem to show a person under more torment than anyone you have ever met. Her head turns in your direction, and her eyes pass over you, unnoticing, but you can't help but get the feeling that truly she is watching something, you just aren't sure what. You attempt not to grind your teeth, because something about this woman sets you on edge, and makes you want to flee as fast as you can.She (Forcibly) underwent experimental procedure attempting to cure patients who were overwhelmed by cutting sensory nerves, with the intention of attaching them again after the patient had some exposure time. The doctors cut her optical and auditory nerves, the nerves that transmit taste and smell. They even gave her a powerful drug that temporarily preventing nerves from signaling pain, leaving with only one sense remaining: tactile feeling, touch. The only problem was that when they tried to undo the surgery, her nerves never healed and she was left in this state permanently. She can still speak, but can only receive messages through sign language. She can also sign back but seldom does. Her fractured mind has been unable to sleep since the operation and she can be heard muttering or screaming at any hour of the day, though most of the time she is silent and simply shudders.Map info:Secrets … shhhh written on map (south of the Unstable Courtyard)If PCs approach in Phase 1, a guard sits at the door of the shed, looking bored sitting on a stool. Says 'can't get in here without permission, got garden tools and things in here 'd be used as weapons. Sorry.' If approach in Phase 2, guard has vacated post.Under the floor boards the PCs will find the corpse of a body, that hasn't decomposed very much. Upon inspection, the corpse looks almost exactly like… Melissa. If PCs haven't yet met Melissa, then describe: the woman's body is sunken and incredibly thin, her white har falling all over, caked with dirt. You see a Y shaped scar across the top of her skull, and a birthmark about an inch in diameter to the left of her dead lips. ................
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