With all the excitement of our new webcomic, I've neglected to post a 90-minute-adventure for far too long. We will remedy this presently.
Frankenstain. We all know the story. We all know it ended very poorly for all parties involved. Tonight, we find out what happens if we let a bunch of murderhobos into thsi classic story of hubris and damnation. Perhaps the tragedy will be averted. More likely, it will be increased by an order of magnitude.
Wanna know what happened when I actually ran it for a dozen fifth graders? Stay put. Oh, and one last thing. Don't use the word "Frankenstein" at any point. Let the players figure out what novel they're inside themselves. It' much more fun that way. For you.
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| Source: Dave Rapoza |
Background
William, the young son of Alphonse was
found in the woods with a broken neck. His nanny Justine is
arrested after his locket is found in her pocket. She claims she is innocent,
but things don't look good for her. The
PCs are hired by Alphonese to investigate the murder and find the true killer before she is hung for a crime she did not commit.
Alphonse has another son named Victor and an adopted
daughter named Elizabeth, to whom Victor is engaged. A friend named Henry
is staying in the house as well.
A short time after the murder, Victor disappears, taking with
him a rifle and hunting equipment. He didn’t confess to the murder, but he did
say it was his fault.
Clues
- Near the site of the murder there are footprints too large for a human being. They lead to a small burned hut. Asking around will reveal it was the home of a blind man (Gaston) who lived with his son (Felix), daughter (Agatha) and Arab daughter-in-law (Safie). They have moved to Geneva after their hut was burned to the ground. If located, Felix can tell that the night before his hut burned, he chased away a giant who attacked his father. The old man, however, says the creature was articulate and pleading rather than aggressive.
- If the PCs choose to follow Victor's tracks in the woods. They find him half mad in the wilderness. He claims to be guilty for his brother's murder but refuses to give any information. If the PCs pressure him or secretly follow him, they discover he is building a giant woman in a cave. Victor started working on her to appease the monster, but now has second thoughts. What if the two reproduce and create a race of giants that will challenge humanity?
- If a PC goes alone in the dark, he will see a giant shade that will tell him he didn't mean to kill the child, but he will kill more of Victor's family if not given what he wanted. The shade will then disappear, leaving no tracks. This only happens if a lone PC moves at least 100 meters from any other PC.
- Victor has a room in his house with some notes related to chemical science, the notes imply the possibility of creating life, but provide no further information. If the players visit his home in Geneva, however, they find detailed documentation related to the creation of artificial life and a final note about the creation being hideous and escaping into the mountains.
- The giant lives in a desolate cave in the mountains. He is strong and fast, but not invincible. He generally avoids combat, but he will fight to the death if the half-made female is destroyed.
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| Source: Garry Brown |
Day Event
-3 Hut burned
-2 William killed
-1 Justine arrested
2 Justine executed
5 Henry killed
11 Elizabeth killed
17 Alphonse killed
How the Kids Solved This?
I thought this was actually quite brilliant. It's a wonder no one thought about it before. The kids told Victor to finish the female but to plant an explosive device inside her. Boom. Problem solved.
