A Plague of Spiders: Initial Investigation

Originally published November 10, 2014

For the next 4 weeks, I'll be presenting a convention game I ran for DunDraCon 2014. Entitled Retrieval Team Zeta: A Plague of Spiders and using the new World of Darkness 2nd edition rules, it features a cell of Cheiron Group hunters as they engage in one of their first missions as a team. As might be expected casualties may be high. A full listing of available articles on this adventure can be found here.

Today I'm presenting the initial investigation once the team reaches Cincinnati. Since this is a convention game, these scenes are supposed to be short. The real fun begins next week when they reach the mall.

Transit and the Living Dead

Location: Cincinnati. The two locations for this scene (really a pair of scenes) include a dreary motel on the edge of the city (paid for by Verdant Technologies) and an overworked hospital with a cluttered morgue.

The morgue walls a slightly stained and the fluorescent lighting needs replacement.

NPCs: Dr. Carol Gregory, the dark-haired mortician in her 40s. There is a strange attractiveness about her. She happily flirts with any attractive members of the team.

Her secret is that the real Dr. Gregory is dead. This monster is merely wearing her skin. Once known as Innocence this Azlu now calls herself the Mother of Nightmares. She is here to suss out who has been alerted to her presence (something she learned by tracking down Soares) and to ready her escape.

Action: Dr. Gregory fills them in on what she found but offers little beyond the official police report. She will give directions to where the victim was found and confirm that the man had CA-B. Since it is in the police report, she will also tell them that Soares used to hang out by the railroad tracks.

The Dispossessed

Location: A decaying neighborhood on the edge of Cincinnati. A former commercial district there are shut down several strip malls and empty box stores. The few people about are either driving away, homeless, or delinquent teens.

NPCs: homeless and teenage vandals. Some sample names to use: Matthew Johns, Connie, Jerald Wood, Deborah Romans, Janet Quiles, Richard Garetson, James Orlando

Action: Gleaning information from the locals requires some subtly. Socialize and Streetwise are both good approaches but anything that makes sense will work.

It takes time to get their trust or else some sort of leverage. Assume the team must open 2 Doors to get the necessary information. This could be a couple social rolls over the course of a few days, one roll with -2 penalty and some hard leverage, or a normal roll along with indulging a NPC's Vice or Aspiration. Details they learn include:

• Teen: “Hey, we're not causing any trouble. Why don't you bother those guys at the mall that keep chasing us off. Damn Nazi's.” (The teen can point them to the mall with overzealous security)
• “Mike, he was a good guy. Fell on bad times though. Lost his house, lost his wife. Didn't lose hope though. I haven't seen him in a bit though. Heard he got off the streets.” (can provide the location of his new job - the mall)
• “Soares? That bastard. He got a job at the mall. That was going to my job.” (can give directions and basic information on mall)
• “Sorry don't know about him. Lots of people come and go. Some get lucky, get a job guarding some empty buildings.” (can say where jobs are)