As you approach, you see the house rising out of the mists, almost like it's waiting for you. The sun has nearly set, bathing the house in a perfect, golden light, the kind that makes everything look beautiful. Usually.
This house is an exception, its ugly outside warped unnaturally by the years of neglect. Still, you feel pulled toward it, like a center of gravity or a siren's call. As you take it all in you feel somehow strange. You feel Home.
Home is a GMless RPG in which the players all contribute to create and map a haunted house. In Home, you’ll be taking on the role of someone exploring a house. On your turn, you’ll draw a card, answer a question on the card without revealing the card to your fellow players, and shape the story of your night in the house. As you go, you’ll work to meet your needs, but you’ll also sustain wounds. At the end of the night, you’ll find out if you make it out of the house alive.
A manor that speaks of old money grandeur sits slowly decaying on a large overgrown section. The owners have all long ago departed in bloody circumstances surrounded by rumours and fear. Considered haunted and cursed, it’s been left by the town of Wistal to fall into disrepair. No one ever goes into Schwartzkonig Manor, or if they do, they've never come back out to say so. It’s the perfect place for a bunch of teens to tease each other about being too chicken to enter, especially on the day of the most spooky celebration in Isen. Until one of them actually does. Now you’re standing outside the gates and you can feel the Manor’s eyes on you …waiting to see what you’ll do. It’s up to you to save your friend. Will you be brave enough to enter? Will you survive what’s inside?
Using the system Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, 4 - 6 level 1 characters will explore a Haunted House, fighting the monsters that live there, solving problems and depending on their rolls seeing visions of someone mysterious in the house. This is designed to be a session that can also teach new players how to play, so come along to learn if you want!
Warnings: While this session is fairly fun and super welcoming of all ages, abilities and who folx are or want to be, there are one or two moments of blood filled scenes. Just the usual spooky house stuff but I like to be upfront and keep my players safety in mind at all times. Any questions regarding this, please ask. I'm more than happy to adjust if we have a whole group that is uncomfortable with these things or if some kids want to play.
'Hallowed Festival of Frights' is set in the homebrewed World of Isen, created by Brad Zimmerman. Session DM’d by Julz Burgisser who plays Marley Kraff in the D&D 5e actual play podcast ‘Fate of Isen’ available for download on iTunes, Spotify and all good podcasting apps. See www.fateofisen.com for more details on Isen.