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Freelance Police
United States
Palo Alto
California
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Introduction: As one of the scenarios included in the CoC Core Book (and free Quickstart), The Haunting is a good "training wheels" scenario for the new Keeper. It's simple, yet the players have a good amount of freedom to pursue clues and explore. However, after running it several times, I've added some changes to the game.
Major change: The Liver Ivonis in the old Chapel of Contemplation destroys Corbitt. Most CoC scenarios are divided into the investigation phase, and the confrontation phase. In the investigation phase, the players find out more background of the enemy, fulfilling the usual what, where, when, and why parts. This background should be atmospheric -- if your players are questioning how smart it is to face off this Mythos creature and quivering a bit, you're doing your job. However, it should also be the *how* of the scenario, specifically how to defeat the menance, other than a few sticks of dynamite and several rounds of shotgun pellets. If you've read a certain HPL story you know where I'm going -- the Liver Ivonis contains a spell that will give the investigators a better chance to defeat him. It may undo his physical resistances. It may reverse his own immortality.
Minor change: Do nothing in the house. Corbitt seems to want to be left alone, so, until the players find the house plans of his secret hiding place, you can have the house be "perfectly safe". This allows you to run the investigation phase which, IMO, is the best part of the game. Still, don't hesitate to mention the "rusty" knife. An inquisitive investigator will pick it up, keep it, and forget it. You will, of course, remind him about it rather nastily once Corbitt wakes up, stabbity stab stab.
Minor change: Change Corbitt's abilities. You don't have to worry about game balance for Mythos nasties. Cultists are for catharsis, minions put up a fight, and everything else chews the investigators in gruesome detail. Ignore all this POW and Magic Points bookkeeping. During the investigation phase, as the investigators find out more about Corbitt, drop hints of his abilities, and what to expect in the final climax.
Minor change: Isolate the house. It's not difficult to get the local authorities involved. If it's in the city and a policeman investigates, he can call in for more assistance. But if it's in an isolated town, the only assistance would be the local sheriff, and once he's dead, the players will definitely be on their own -- and have a missing sheriff to explain. Note that isolating the house invites more paranoid players to do more drastic things, though even while the house was in the city didn't prevent my players from tossing dynamite into the basement and leaving the hotel early.
Major change: Move in some tenants. Thanks to the poster who did this in his own game. You can even have the tenants be related to the investigators or even have one of the investigators and his family move in. You can then run a scene where the players play members of the family -- and you play the NPC who gets possessed by Corbitt. This can be done either before the investigators arrive, or if the investigators don't find Corbitt's hiding place and say the place is "perfectly safe". It can also be used as an epilogue if the house was rebuilt after the investigators destroyed it -- not much time to check the house again when you're fleeing the scene of the crime.
Now where did I put that rusty knife? 
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Clint Jones
United States
Oregon
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Thanks for the great article! Considering how the CoC rules always stress role-playing and payoff for careful investigation, this scenario is not very helpful for a first time keeper except for it's simplicity and in preparing the players to get used to character death.
I appreciate this focus on the "*how* of the scenario, specifically how to defeat the menace" to "give the investigators a better chance to defeat him." Here are some things I plan to change and tools to use when I run it next month.
I plan to use Nyarlathotep as a story vehicle, but he never actually appears -- that would change the scale of this short scenario too much.
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Problem: Call of Cthulhu games are meant to be solved by research and thought instead of gunfights and brute force. What information can help investigators defeat Corbitt?
Solution:
1. Provide information in Corbitt's journals about his known spells.
2. Place Corbitt's journals in the attic
3. A stake-out might let investigators spot Michael Thomas (Corbitt's toady who has lived on the run) climbing exiting the attic: a better payoff for role playing and a link to the hidden journals.
Problem: What entity does the "Chapel of Contemplation & Church of Our Lord Granter of Secrets" worship?
Solution: From the rulebook: "Nyarlathotep may grant worshipers knowledge of a spell, impart some destructive fact or divisive religious belief, or grant a servitor monster as an assistant." This link to Nyarlathotep might also explain Corbitt's knowledge of Summon Dimensional Shambler and provide the means for his transformation (a deal with the Dark Man).
Problem: Having a Liber Ivonis chained to desk in the ruined chapel is too powerful to give to beginning players, but letting it crumble to dust (as the rules suggest) makes its discovery insignificant.
Solution: Make the "Contact Nyarlathotep" spell the only surviving remnant of the rotting Liber Ivonovis. This links Corbitt and the cult to Nyarlathotep, helping to strengthen the story. The players should do the right thing and destroy it themselves, but they are free to go insane if they want to pursue it!
Problem: Corbitt is "transforming himself into something entirely inhuman." What would that be?
Solution: Nyarlathotep is actually helping him transform "into a pure spirit, seemingly stille though freely moving through space and time, I [Corbitt] will become immortal and command my owne loyal subjects." This fits the role of the cult of "Our Lord Granter of Secrets" in the existing plot but is a little more specific.
Problem: Gabriella Macario was committed to the Roxbury Sanitarium only a month before the action starts and multiple residents have lived in the house since Corbitt died in 1866. Why is the house filled with mud and why are the diaries so easily discovered in a cupboard?
Solution: The landlord is obviously *very* hands-off. He's hiring the investigators to check things out. He bought the house without researching it and knows very little about his tennants. This accounts for the messy state of the house. Having mud-filled areas and years-worth of piled junk on the upper floors isn't believeable but the rotting "last meal" is fine. Otherwise the house should actually look recently lived in.
The diaries should not be hidden in a cupboard. It would be at least a little more believable if they were stored away in the attic. To disperse the clues in the journals it might be useful for one of the journals to be held in evidence at the Police Station. Another might be held in a locally renowned occult book shop.
Problem: How can Corbitt be defeated?
Solution: Find ways to emphasize the fact that sunlight can destroy Corbitt. It may be helpful to point out the coal chute a couple of times. Maybe let them find the scrawled message "perform the ritual not but by candlelight" on the wall of Corbitt's chamber. Also note that the rules indicate that sunlight will slow the Dimensional Shambler as well. A residential coal chute is very small -- Internet searches show that they are almost manhole size but rectangular. Still by spending time to unseal it and perhaps using mirrors to aim the light...?
A know roll might reveal that events recorded in Corbitts journals never occur during daylight.
Brute force might wear Corbitt out if the Investigators start the day with an attack and continually raid the basement until his MPs are used up, but how likely are they to return after the first couple of encounters?
* * *
Other fun haunting effects:
- One of the Macario boys' toys (a bike?) moves from room to room before their eyes.
- A shrieking entity rushes directly at, then through the investigators, disappearing just as quickly.
These are corny but atmospheric:
- Pictures on the walls mimic the investigators.
- Walls breathe
Dominate spell ideas:
- Murderous thoughts (seemingly the investigator's own inner voice) begin to grow in their mind until they feel driven to either strike out at each other or to battle the thoughts in frozen inaction.
The investigator regains consciousness after being dominated only to find...:
- Razor blades in their lacerated mouth.
- Eating rat meat.
- Standing on the edge of the roof (make a DEX roll or fall!)
- Naked on the porch: "Go home" echoing in their mind.
- Trapped in Corbitt's chamber, Corbitt guarding the opening the investigators made.
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I blatantly stole portions of this from a post that I found (thanks to the original author!!!!) but modified it with stronger spell names and tightened it with the Nyarlathotep back story.
Corbitt's Journals:
Journal No 1 (1808-1834)
In following his morbid and degenerate desires, Corbitt describes how
"a tome was founde while digging up ye subjects." The tome promises that
a studious practitioner may converse with a most powerful and wise
being.
After devoting months of arduous study Corbitt declares that the time is
right.
Corbitt gathers his most trusted friends to witness a ritual where he
seals a pact with a Dark Man who briefly appears from "coagulating
shadows."
Awestruck, the witnesses establish Corbitt as their spiritual leader and
gather regularly to worship "Our Lord Granter of Secrets." They hide and
protect the sacred tome.
Corbitt is a sorcerer in the process of transforming through silent
meditation: "into a pure spirit, seemingly stille though freely moving
through space and time, I will become both immortal and command my owne
loyal subjects."
Journal No 2 (1835-1851)
23 Nov, 1835 -- Corbitt mentions interest in obtaining Henry Webber's
house on 20 Sheafe Street. He talks about the new house and how
conveniently close it is to the meeting place.
Corbitt describes attracting followers from both influential prominent
families as well as outcasts and drifters willing to perform more menial
and abhorrent duties.
Inspired by a gift promised by a powerful Dark Man, Corbitt begins
researching other areas of dread knowledge.
8 Dec, 1851 -- Corbitt claims that the Dark Man sent him a dream. After
waking he remembered a ritual the dark man taught that will manifest
"the hunter who, once satisfied, fades." The details mention a ritual
dagger which he refers to as 'Foor-Pah'.
A ritual is recorded on the inside back cover with the words "Rigor
Vitae" frequently appearing. It concerns a method of nourishing the
flesh to make it robust even after death.
SPELLS: "Rigor Vitae" (Flesh Ward), "The hunter who, when satisfied,
fades" (Summon/Bind Dimensional Shambler)
Journal No 3 (1852-1866)
25 May, 1853 -- Corbitt gloats over winning a lawsuit brought by his
neighbors. There are no details about the specifics of the suit.
19 May, 1866 -- He mentions "followers" who are so faithful to his aims
that only rarely does he need to make an example. Apparently he will
occasionally force a follower to "Obey Thy Master's Wyll." He states
that "after only four stern commands" was he able to entirely raise fear
enough to turn Michael T. to his cause.
20 Jun, 1866 -- Corbitt anticipates his own death with excitement,
viewing the event as crossing the threshold to everlasting life and
power. In preparation, he notes that Michael T. will lead the others
who will all continue to serve him.
SPELLS: "Obey Thy Master's Wyll" (Dominate).
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Posted Wed Apr 27, 2011 1:04 am