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House Horror - D&D / Pathfinder Archive - Posted: 20th Oct, 2007 - 10:55pm
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Share Book RPGPost Date: 17th Oct, 2007 - 3:17pm / Post ID: #
House Of Horror
House of Horror
The Temple of Flame game is stalled because of a problem, so I decided to start a new game. This one is a bit different, but it will basically work the same way.
The author is Gaetano Abbondanza, a fan of gamebooks. It is freeware, so it's ok to use it here. I'm not gonna spoil anything about the book, so let's just say it's a house and, well... there is horrors inside.
So first I'll put here the rules:
| QUOTE (Skill @ Stamina, and Luck) |
| Roll one die. Add 6 to this number and enter this total in the Skill box on the Adventure Sheet. This is your initial Skill. In this adventure, your Starting Skill is less, because you are unarmed, but you will have the opportunity to arm yourself (see the "Weapons" section). Roll both dice. Add 12 to the number rolled and enter this total in the Stamina box. There is also a Luck box. Roll one die, add 6 to this number, and enter this total in the Luck box. For reasons that will be explained below, Skill, Stamina, and Luck scores will change constantly during your adventure. You must keep an accurate record of these scores and for this reason you are advised to either write small in the boxes or to keep an eraser handy. But never rub out your initial scores. Although you may be awarded additional Skill, Stamina, or Luck points, these totals may never exceed your initial scores, except on very rare occasions when you will be instructed on a particular section. Your Skill score represents your general fighting expertise; the higher the better. Your Stamina score reflects your general constitution, your will to survive, your determination and courage; the higher your Stamina score, the longer you will be able to survive. Your Luck score indicates how naturally lucky a person you are. Luck - and evil - are facts of life in the devilish domain you are about to explore. |
| QUOTE (Battles) |
| You will almost certainly come across sections in the story that instruct you to fight ghosts, ghouls, men, and beasts. An option to flee may be given, but if not - or if you choose to attack anyway - you must resolve the battle as described below. The scores for each creature are given in the appropriate section each time you have an encounter. The sequence of combat is then: 1) Roll both dice once for the creature. Add its Skill score. This total is the Creature's Attack Strength. 2) Roll both dice once for yourself. Add the number rolled to your current Skill score. This total is your Attack Strength. 3) If your attack Strength is higher than that of the creature, you have wounded it. Proceed to step 4. If the creature's Attack Strength is higher than yours it has wounded you. Proceed to step 5. If both Attack Strengths are equal, you have avoided each other's blows - start the next attack round from step 1 above. 4) You have wounded the creature, so subtract 2 points from its Stamina score. You may use Luck at this stage (see below) 5) The creature has wounded you, so subtract 2 points from your own Stamina score. Again you may use your Luck at this stage (see below). 6) Make the appropriate adjustments to either the creature's or your own Stamina scores. (and your Luck score if you used Luck - see below). 7) Begin the next Attack Round by returning to your current Skill score and repeating steps 1-6. The sequence continues until the Stamina score of either you or the creature you are fighting has been reduced to zero (death). |
| QUOTE (Fear) |
| As well as surviving your adventure by ensuring that your Stamina never drops to zero, in The House of Horror you must also avoid being frightened to death. Before you begin your adventure, roll one die and add 6 to the result. This total will give you the maximum Fear score you can bear. Your Fear score is the number of points you can take before you are frightened to death. During your adventure, you will come across situations where you must, for example, "Add one (or two, etc.) Fear points". Your Fear score starts at zero and you must add Fear points as instructed in the text. If your Fear score ever reaches the maximum (as rolled initially, see above) then you have been frightened to death and must end your adventure. Note that Fear works in the opposite way to normal Skill, Stamina, and Luck scores; you start with zero and increase your Fear score towards your maximum, rather than subtracting, as you do with other scores. |
| QUOTE (Escaping) |
| On some sections you may be given the option of running from a battle should things be going badly for you. However, if you do run away, the creature automatically gets in one wound on you (subtract 2 Stamina points) as you flee. Such is the price of cowardice. Note that you may use Luck on this wound in the normal way (see below). You may escape only if the option is specifically given to you on the section you are reading. |
| QUOTE (Weapons) |
| You begin The House of Horror adventure with no weapon. Your Skill score reflects your combat ability with a weapon. So, before you start off on an adventure, deduct 3 points from your Skill score and note this "Starting Skill." Do not, however, change your initial Skill, as this is still used to determine the maximum Skill you have. If you find a weapon during the adventure, you may use your maximum Skill when fighting battles. |
| QUOTE (Luck) |
| At various times during your adventure, either in battles or when you come across situations in which you could either be lucky or unlucky (details for these are given on the section numbers themselves) you may call on your luck to make the outcome more favorable. But beware! Using Luck is a risky business, and if you are unlucky, the results could be disastrous. The procedure on using your Luck is as follows: roll 2 dice. If the number rolled is equal to or less than your current Luck score, you have been lucky and the result will go in your favor. If the number rolled is greater than your current Luck score, you have been unlucky and you will be penalized. This procedure is known as testing your luck. Each time you test your luck, you must subtract one point from your Luck score. Thus you will soon realize that the more you rely on your luck, the riskier this will become. |
| QUOTE (Using Luck in Battles) |
| On certain sections of the story you will be told to test your luck and will also be told the consequences on your being lucky or unlucky. However, in battles, you always have the option of using your Luck either to inflict a more serious wound on a creature you have just wounded, or to minimize the effects of a wound that a creature has just inflicted on you. If you have just wounded the creature, you may test your luck as described above. If you are lucky, you have inflicted a severe wound and may subtract an extra 2 points of Stamina from the creature's total. If you are unlucky, however, the wound was a mere graze and your blow causes only 1 Stamina point of damage instead of the usual 2. If the creature has just wounded you, you may test your luck to try to minimize the wound. If you are lucky, you have managed to avoid the full force of the blow, and you lose only 1 Stamina point instead of the normal 2. If you are unlucky, you have taken a more serious blow, and must subtract an extra Stamina point from your total. Remember that you must subtract one Luck point from your own total each time you test your luck. |
| QUOTE (Restoring Skill @ Stamina, Luck, and Fear) |
| Your Skill, Stamina, and Luck scores may change during your adventure. Your Skill score will increase (from your Starting Skill) if you find a Weapon. Your Stamina Score will drain as you fight creatures, and may be restored by eating or resting as instructed in the text. Your Luck score will run out as you must deduct one Luck point each time you test your luck. Your Fear score is built up as you go through the adventure; each time you get frightened you will add to your Fear score. Occasionally, when you get the opportunity to relax, the text may instruct you to deduct points from your Fear score. |
Phew, finnaly it's over. But these are the rules of the gamebook itself. I decided to add a few rules to adapt it to a forum:
1) I'll progress the adventure when there is at least 5 votes. I'll go with the decision who has more votes. As simple as that.
2) Each 20th UPDATE, the game will AUTOSAVE. Later, if we die, you can vote if you want to start from the begginnig of the book or from any of the AUTOSAVES (if there is any).
3) We'll start with 2 LIFES. We can use a LIFE when we die from an insta-death. Insta-death is what I call when we die from a decision we made. Suppose we drank a poisonous liquid and we die immediatly. We use a LIFE and we can go back to make a different decision to save our hero.
But that would be too good, so I decided to take a toll. When we use a LIFE, I will roll a dice, and deduct the result from our STAMINA score. Hey, it's a small price to pay for salvation!
When we AUTOSAVE, our LIFES will "re-stock" to 2 again. So if we have 2 LIFES, we will remain with 2 LIFES, they are not cummulative.
Another important note: LIFES are not valid when our STAMINA or FEAR kill us. They cannot save us either when we die because of a dice roll. Suppose we have to test our luck. If we don't have luck and we die because of it, well, we're really dead.
Ok now, time to roll our Initial Stats:
We roll two dice we get 3 6. Plus 12 is 21, our STAMINA score.
We roll one dice we get 6. Plus 6 is 12, our SKILL score.
We roll one dice we get 4. Plus 6 is 10, our LUCK score.
We roll one dice we get 6. Plus 6 is 12, our FEAR score.
Our adventure sheet:
The adventure will start in the next post...
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Post Date: 17th Oct, 2007 - 3:23pm / Post ID: #
Horror House
UPDATE 1
| QUOTE (Background) |
| A deep fog has settled down as you gradually reduce the speed of your car. You have been traveling for over an hour, and the pace has now become intolerably slow. You glance at the time reading on your console- a half hour before midnight. Strange that someone would need a presentation at this hour, your think to yourself. You quickly glance down at the name on the order- Pravemi. It’s odd that you’ve never heard about this name, but then again, you’ve only been employed by your company for a week. The work has been good so far; you’ve averaged six presentations a day and closed the sale on over half of them. So if some eccentric individual wants a presentation at this hour of the night, does it really matter? No sir. If it goes through, then you will have capped off a good week. Still, the situation is rather strange. You haven’t seen a house, or any kind of building for that matter, for quite some time. You turned off your radio miles ago, as static flooded the airwaves. You estimate that at this rate, by the time you find the location, make your presentation, and get back home, time will have elapsed into the wee hours of the early dawn. Oh well, you think, as the fog begins to clear. Sometimes things just- your thoughts are broken at the sight which greets you as you round the corner. The road narrows into a dirt track, running up a hill; and there, at the top, is the house. House? Mansion is more appropriate, you think. Although the estate before you looks like it has seen better days, it is extremely impressive. You gaze up at two stories of elegance from a bygone time. This is the kind of place you have seen only in movies. You drive past a stone archway and pause to read an iron plate imbedded on the side: ORVIETO. So this place even has a name. You park your car about a hundred feet to the side of the house. You shut off the engine, lean back in your seat, and yawn. Hopefully this won’t take too long. As you stare at the house, some other odd observations cross your mind, things that you hadn’t noticed before, perhaps due to fatigue. For one, an estate of this size must have at least several occupants; and yet as far as you can make out there are no other vehicles around and definitely no garage. What’s more, from what you can observe (it is rather dark) there are no power lines in sight. There is light emanating from both floors, however. It doesn’t matter, you think as you lock your door. It makes a sort of sense when pieced together. This estate probably belongs to some hideously wealthy but eccentric old chap, who’s tired of being hit up for money, so he moved out here. I might do the same were I in his shoes. You open the trunk and pull out the two suitcases. As you start to make your way to the house, you are startled by a noise that suddenly breaks the stillness. But it is only a hooting owl. You chuckle to yourself as you slowly make your way to the front door. Little do you know what fate has in store for you. Tonight will be a night to remember… |
| QUOTE (1) |
| You climb up the steps leading to the front door and put down your suitcases. The wind has picked up, and you pause to take a deep breath. There is an elaborate knocker in the middle of the door, fashioned in the shape of a gargoyle’s head (as far as you can tell). There is no sign of a bell-pull anywhere, so you rap the door three times. The sound is surprisingly loud, and seems to reverberate throughout the house. A few moments later, you hear steps approaching the door. Go to 257. |
| QUOTE (257) |
| The door slowly opens, and a youngish looking man with curly brown hair stands before you. You examine each other silently for a few moments “Yes?” he finally asks. “How may I be of service?” You inform him that you are here to give the presentation. When he continues to look at you quizzically, you hand him the confirmation slip. As he is examining this, another voice drifts out from inside the house. “Who is it, D’Onoffrio?” This sounds like it’s from an older man, and your assumption is confirmed when a tall, middle-aged man walks up to the entrance. He has coal-black eyes, a friendly face, and black hair streaked with gray, which he wears slicked back. The young man steps aside. “It is my honor to present Pravemi, Count of Orvieto, his most esteemed…” Pravemi waves a hand and D’Onoffrio falls silent. “Now then, my friend, what may we do for you?” he asks politely. D’Onoffrio hands him the slip and the Count examines it. His brow rises in surprise. “My friend, I am afraid there has been an unfortunate misunderstanding. We were not expecting you until morning!” You protest, detailing your long trip and general inconvenience. “I understand your frustration, my friend,” replies the Count, “but I am expecting visitors early tomorrow, and they must be present as well. Please, come inside and perhaps we can reach a mutually satisfactory settlement.” Will you accept his invitation (118) or walk back to your car in disgust (74)? |
Oh boy, seems interesting. What will we do now?
House Of Horror Archive Pathfinder / D&D
Well accept of course after all why drive and pay some hotel to stay there when I have to drive back here again.
After several days he reaches out and knocks on his screen ...."Hello any on eout there?" 
Edited: krakyn on 18th Oct, 2007 - 3:27pm
Monster Coder: JB
Horror House
The Dice Master says...
| QUOTE (Blackheart) |
| 3) We'll start with 2 LIFES. We can use a LIFE when we die from an insta-death. Insta-death is what I call when we die from a decision we made. Suppose we drank a poisonous liquid and we die immediatly. We use a LIFE and we can go back to make a different decision to save our hero. |
I like this, less start over times which can be quite frustrating. Also, it appears that I will need to send out a Newsletter for this new scenario.
I say we go inside and let the fear factor begin!
Post Date: 20th Oct, 2007 - 10:55pm / Post ID: #
House Horror D&D / Pathfinder Archive
UPDATE 2
Well, we're one vote short, but I'll continue exceptionally to see if we can motivate another players to stop by:
| QUOTE (118) |
| You follow D’Onoffrio and the Count inside, down a long entrance hall beset with beautiful marble statues and a fountain. This leads to a plush dining room, where your host bids you to be seated on a velvet divan. D’Onoffrio disappears into another part of the house, but returns shortly, rolling a cart laden with bottles containing an assortment of beverages. “Now then, my friend”, beings the Count. “Perhaps we can atone for this misunderstanding. As I told you, I am expecting out of town guests, and it would be quite an embarrassment to me if I had to tell them that their trip was for nothing! Therefore, I am prepared to compensate you quite handsomely if you could stay the night and for a few hours tomorrow.” You nod in agreement as D’Onoffrio offers you a drink. Would you like some: Brandy? (35) Port Wine? (138) Club Soda? (277) Coffee? (399) Chablis Wine? (18) Just some water? (300) |
Lot's of stuff to drink here, what will be your pick?
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