Mystery: Lake Charles, Louisiana

I’m going to share with you the Mystery I used in several demos since the game has been published.

You can download the Mystery in *.pdf format to print and use it more comfortably: [MotW] Mystery – Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Write me down a line to say what it seems to you. Enjoy! ;-)

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[MotW] Mystery: Lake Charles, LA

Concept

In Lake Charles (Louisiana) a powerful vampire boss is trying to create his dark spawn of followers to dominate the city from the shadows (and also to find his spouse).

Hook

Another hunter the hunters know (ask them who) contacts them asking to go to Lake Charles and check everything is normal, since a fellow hunter (Frank Moseley; see below) is recently disappeared while investigating vampiric turmoil.

Monster

Name: Viktor Bellefleur

Description: Viktor has a long and black leather jacket under which he wears a violet fashion shirt. He has short black hair and deep blue eyes; his skin is dull and his voice and gaze magnetic.

Type: Breeder

Impulse: to give birth to, bring forth, or create evil

Viktor wants to subjugate Lake Charles with his vampiric spawn and to give eternal life to his eternal spouse, he has not yet found.

Powers: Immortal, Mesmerism (see “Custom moves” below), Extremely strong, Incredibly stealthy, Vampirize (if he kills you and then give you some of his blood, you return as a vampire – if hunter, change playbook to the Monstrous; see “Custom moves” below).

Weaknesses: Must feed of human blood, Burns in direct daylight, During daylight must sleep in the soil of his homeland, Rejects holy symbols/water/ground, Must be invited to enter home, A wooden stake in the heart freezes him, Decapitation, Fire.

Attacks: Brawl (4 harm hand), Bite (3-harm intimate healing)

Armour: 2

Harm Capacity: 10

Custom moves:

Mesmerism: when he commands you, roll +Cool. On a 10+, you can choose whether to do it or not. If you do, mark experience and take +1 forward. On a 7-9, you can choose whether you do it or not. If you do, mark experience. If you don’t, take +1 the next time he tries to mesmerize you. On a miss, you do what he asks.

Vampirize (see “Custom moves” below).

Minions

Name: Frank Moseley

Description:  Frank is a mid-40 hunter, who wears heavy clothes ruined by “the mission”. He has a white medium sized beard on all the face.

Type: Traitor

Impulse: to betray people

Franks was tracking the vampiric powers. He fell under Viktor’s mesmerizing powers and now is a bait for other rubberneck hunters. Use him to sway and betray them.

Powers: N/A (just an experienced hunter)

Weaknesses: Mesmerized by Viktor

Attacks: Brawl (1-harm hand), Hunting rifle (2-harm far loud), Big knife (1-harm hand)

Armour: 1 (heavy but ruined hunting clothes)

Harm Capacity: 8

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Name: Vampire spawn/group

Description: They can be everyday people turned into vampires, only with a more dark and predatory look.

Type: Brute

Impulse: to intimidate and attack

Viktor uses his spawn for different goals, but mainly to extend his domain over the city and, of course, physically oppose annoying hunters.

Powers: Immortal, Extremely strong, Incredibly stealthy, Vampirize (if he kills you and then give you some of his blood, you return as a vampire – if hunter, change playbook to the Monstrous; see “Custom moves” below).

Weaknesses: Must feed of human blood, Burn in direct daylight, During daylight must sleep in the soil of his homeland, Reject holy symbols/water/ground, Must be invited to enter home, A wooden stake in the heart freezes them, Decapitation, Fire.

Attacks: Brawl (2 harm hand), Bite (1-harm intimate healing)

Armour: 1

Harm Capacity: 5/10~ (group)

Countdown

Day: Sporadic and isolated vampiric attacks

Shadows: More and more people became vampires

Dusk: Viktor starts collecting selected victims to find his spouse

Sunset: Viktor vampirize his spouse; they became very powerful

Nightfall: Viktor becomes a major power in city, controlling entire areas

Midnight: Viktor and his vampiric spawn control the city from the darkness

Custom moves

Mesmerism: when Viktor commands you, roll +Cool. On a 10+, you can choose whether to do it or not. If you do, mark experience and take +1 forward. On a 7-9, you can choose whether you do it or not. If you do, mark experience. If you don’t, take +1 the next time he tries to mesmerize you. On a miss, you do what he asks.

Vampirize: when you are dying, vampires can share with you their blood and you’ll return as one of them (if hunter, change your playbook to the Monstrous).

Bystanders

Name: Leticia Diez

Description: Leticia works at a local diner. She has long light brown hair and green eyes, and always wears a casual (or work) wear. She doesn’t seem really special, but who knows…

Type: Victim

Motivation: to put themselves in danger

If you have to put some helpless damsel in danger, use Leticia. Maybe she will be Viktor’s spouse.

Locations

Name: Consolata Cemetery (cross on the map)

Description: An old gothic cemetery

Type: Deathtrap

Motivation: to harm intruders

This is the big threat location for vampiric activity in Lake Charles. Add more specific locations here as you need them.



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That seems to be a solid first mystery/one-shot setup.

Maybe needs a couple more bystanders for the hunters to talk to - maybe the groundskeeper at the cemetery? Or a detective who has noticed some of the vampire activity?

Hmm… good advices. I’m going to add a couple of bystanders as soon as possible. Usually I add more bystanders during play, according to the actions of the hunters.

Yes, that works just as well.

I like to note down some names and possibly a type and quirk beforehand, so I don't need to think them all up on the fly.