The Black Church (an adventure for Hell on Earth)
Chapter One: The Death Bats (Again)
Chapter Two: In the Hell House
Chapter Three: Grabbin' The Bell
Chapter Four: Wakin' The Dead
The Story So Far: A few years before the Last War broke out, the Church of Christ in Mountain Home, Idaho was a real church, run by Pastor James Seymour. The pastor was a good man but he had a weakness for taking in people in need. One of those he took in was a drifter who went by the name of Job. Job kept strange hours but helped the pastor with the maintainence of the church. Then, people began to stay after hours for a special "Bible study". Soon after, the disappearances (mostly of teenagers and small children) began. Pastor Seymour came under intense scrutiny by the media and authorities once it was determined that all of the disappearing kids were members of his church. In reality, Job was a master nosferatu and had started a Satanic cult to feed himself and a few select others. The night before the bombs fell, the cult killed all of thier children in a bloody ritual designed to transform them into vampires. The ritual failed and Job killed every member of the cult. The day after the bombs fell, Pastor Seymour (who was in the county jail) broke out and headed back to his church. He came upon the scene of utter horror in the classrooms and headed into the cellar to deal with Job. He saw the coffin the thing slept in and attacked. Job bit the pastor but was driven back when Seymour splashed him with holy water. Bleeding profusely from his neck wound, Pastor Seymour made it back up the steps and chained the doors shut. Overwhelmed with guilt at what had happened right under his nose, he commited suicide. The supernatural radiation bombarded the church and created the walkin' dead and the Death Bats. Job is still imprisoned in the cellar, but schemes and waits for an unwary traveller to release him from his prison. Enter the heroes....
CHAPTER ONE: THE DEATH BATS (AGAIN)
Setup: The posse is deliberately or by accident, passing by Mountain Home, Idaho again on I-84 when the bell begins ringing. (See Last Crusaders for a description of this). After tolling 12 times, there is a ten-second pause and then three hordes of Death Bats attack
DEATH BATS
C: 1d10 D:NA Fightin' 2d10, flyin' 4d10
K: 1d4 N:4d10
M: 2d4 Q: 2d6
Sm:1d4 S:1d4
Sp:1d6 V:1d4
Terror: 11(+5)
Special Abilities
Horde: The bats aren't individual creatures, rather, each horde is a single abomination. A horde can take 100 points of damage and receives a single card in combat.
Projectiles/Magic bolts do 1 pt per bullet/bolt, shotguns do 3 pts per shell(1 if loaded with slugs). Explosives/area effect do full damage. Wind damage has no effect.
Life Drain: A Death Bat horde attacks by draining the life from its victims.
Everyone inside the horde (10 yard radius) takes 1d4 Wind. Victim takes a wound to the
guts for every negative multiple of his Wind taken. Armor protects only if completely sealed. Harrowed ARE affected since this is a magical attack. Multiple hordes do not
cover the same area (so they can attack in waves.)
Pace: Death Bats can go as fast as they need to keep up with their prey, but they won't go more than 5 miles in any direction from their tower.
Regeneration: No matter how badly damaged, the bats reform in the tower at midnight each night.
Tenacious: Death Bats will normally only return to thier belfry when someone dies.
If someone is able to ring thier bell, they will head back to the tower. (Up to 11 rings, because 12 triggers them again...)
Once the posse defeats the bats or flees far enough away, they can plot how to destroy this evil once and for all. Options:
1) Use explosives/area effect powers to blow up the tower
2)Head inside to find out what is causing this.
Results:
1) The church is a supernatural structure. Unless the bell is removed from the belfry, it will reconstruct itself and be whole again at midnight.
2) Proceed to Chapter Two.
CHAPTER TWO: IN THE HELL HOUSE
The church is an 8 story gothic structure(Huge columns, large gray steeple and bell tower, busted stained glas windows, faded and peeling paint.)
The front doors are a set of double doors with brass doorknockers in the shape of skulls. (Note: Any posse member dumb enough to knock with the knocker causes the bell to ring again. The Death Bats attack again, and the posse member if they survive, will most likely be summarily shot in the head for being an idiot.)
The heavy oak doors creak ominiously. The posse is in a foyer with a coat rack area.
Hell House!! is spray-painted in dayglo red across the entrance door to the congregation area. The floor is springy and covered in dust. There are several tracks leading in, but none leading out...
(Note: Theis area is extremely close to a Deadland, so there will be no sunshine and nighttime will be extremely dark. In daylight hours, impose the twilight penalty and at night, the no moon penalty)
There are eight rows of wooden pew leading to an altar and podium. As the posse enters the room, the smell of rot, decay and dust is overwhelming. The wind rattles, moans, and hisses throughout the church and all light is tinged a sickly green by the close proximity of the maelstrom.
The posse can see what looks like several (CPS +4) corpses sitting in the pews. These zombies will sit here unless disturbed (searched, poked, prodded, etc) and wait for a PC to get close before grabbing them and hissing "Fresssh Meat!" (This constitutes an overawe by the walkin' dead)
Walkin' Dead
C: 2d10 D: 2d6
K: 1d6 N: 2d8
M: 1d6 S: 3d8
Sm: 1d6 Q: 2d10
Sp: 1d4 V: 2d8
S/P/W: 6/8/NA
Terror: 9(+5)
Dodge 2d8, Fightin': brawlin' 3d8, overawe 5d6
Special Abilities
Undead
Fearless
Focus: These dead have a special focus. They have no focus until thier amulets are taken from them. Cognition (11) to realize they are all wearing large pentagram necklaces. Since they were all a part of a Satanic cult before the war, holy items such as holy water, blessed bullets and consecrated weapons affect them like a vampire. In addition, anyone wearing a crucifix will not be attacked until the zombies can get the cross away from them. (Once the cult symbol is removed, they can be killed like ordinary walkin' dead.).
The posse has several options at this point:
1: The door leading into the pastor's office
2: The restrooms
3: The classrooms
4: The cellar access door
5: The stairwell
1) This door is locked. It has several deep scratches in it and dark stains on the wood.
STR (11) or STR (5) if 2 or more heroes try as a desk has been shoved up against it. Inside the room is dark and there is a mummified corpse dressed in moldy preacher's clothing sitting in a chair with a rusty 12-gauge single barrel shotgun in its mouth.
Search (5) will find a note on the desk that reads " I was misled and must pay for my crimes. God have mercy on my soul and the souls of those my murderous flock has slain. I pray only that someone will destroy the unholy thing in the cellar. I have confined it but have no idea how long the chains will hold. I believe in the mercy of Christ. " The note is splattered with still -wet blood, like the blood and chunks of matter on the wall. (Note: This is just a creepy effect, but good for a Guts (5) check.)
2: The men's room is empty. Scroungin' 5 will find a roll of toilet paper ($25) still in the wrapper. The women's room has a dead body on the floor which will wait until PCs are close before jumping up and attacking.
3: There are three classrooms. The first is neat and tidy except for dust on the floor. As the posse enters, there is a high-pitched screeching as a piece of chalk writes "HELP US" Guts check @ 7. The second room is a jumble of broken desks, scattered toys and books, and tumbled chairs. Any posse member trying to cross this room in the dark must make a Cognition (5) or take 1d4 Wind as they fall. Anyone botching takes 1d8 from a random sharp piece of wood or metal. The third room is empty save for a dark stain in the center of the floor. It becomes extremely cold and stays that way(see Wasted West worldbook for rules). Academia: Occult (9) to recognize black magic symbols for "blood" "resurrection" and "sacrifice" scrawled in the blood. Another Guts check as the ghostly chalk screeches again, this time writing "SACRIFICE. UNFAIR. HELP US."
4: This door is locked with a chain and two different padlocks. Interwoven in the chain is a silver crucifix on a chain. Lockpickin' (9) or Strength (11) to open. A supurous smell wafts up from the pitch-black area below. The stairs are splattered and splotched with dark spots. PCs attemptin to us flshlights in this area will find they don't work. Neither do any arcane light sources, but the candles from the altar work fine. The basement floor is dark soil and unless posse blocked it open, a sudden gusting wind slams the cellar door shut. Guts (3). There is a casket and as PCs get close (within 10')
the ground below them begins to churn. Skeletal hands and other bones push up as CPS Skeletons rise up to attack
Skeletons
WD Stats/Skills
Special Abilities
Undead
Fearless
Damage: Bite(Str) or Bludgeon (Str +1d4)
Focus: Skeletons take 1/2 damage from peircing weapons, have no gizzards, and must have thier skulls crushed to stop moving( otherwise the drag themselves, kick with disembodied legs, etc ,etc)
If it is nighttime, the posse is in serious trouble, because the leader of the Church of the Damned is a Master Vampire and he is going to be seriously pissed at them for invading his haven.
Job (Master Vampire)
C: 4d12 All Corporeal are 4d12 +4
K: 3d8
M: 4d12+2
Sm: 4d6
Sp: 3d10
Fightin': 5d12 +2
Dodge: 5d12
Overawe 4d12 +2
Pace : 14 (56)
Size: 6
Terror: 11(+5)
Claws: STR +1d8
Raise=Bite at STR +1d6
Regeneration: Every 6 points of Wind/wound inflicted by Job, heals 1 wound.
Infection: If PC is killed by Job draining him. roll 1d6 for nights until they come back as a vampire.
Weaknesses: Wood through the heart or beheading kills Job, Holy water or being touched by a holy symbol does 2d6, and sunlight does 3d6 massive damage per round.
Special Abilities
Undead
Fearless
Mind Control: As an action, Job can roll opposed Spirit. If he wins, he gets the PC's next action. They cannot refuse to obey his command, but they are free to interpet it however and may spend a Legend chip to re-roll after the fact.
Call the Dead: Job can spend two actions chanting in ancient Aramaic and call 1d6 walkin' dead from the ground to help him.
Focus: Job's focus is the pentagram amulet over his heart. -10 to hit. Until it is removed, wood/beheading/and sunlight will NOT kill him.
If it is daytime, he is resting and can only act at -4 penalty.
The cellar walls are brick and have chains imbedded in them. Taped to the wall are several newspaper stories about the church being deconsecrated after the pastor was arrested in the disappearance of the children. The related articles refer to vandals.
5: The stairwell is dark and broken down. The stairs are splintered and cracked and any weight over 100 lbs will cause them to break loose. (Meaning the posse had better be able to fly/spider climb/ have rope) The next floor is 15' above the ground level.
The ghosts of the slain children give everyone the bad luck hindrance until Job is slain.
Bounty
Defeating the Death Bats: 1 red, 1 white
Leaving the corpses alone: 1 white
Leaving the cellar alone: 1 red
Figurin out the bell: 1 blue
Defeating zombies/skeletons: 2 red
Defeating Job: Legend in the pot, 1 Grit, 2 blue, 2 red
Realizing the job's not done: 1 white
Figuring out the ghosts: 1 red
Figuring out how to get upstairs: 1 white
Coup for Job: Pc gains the ability to roll opposed Spirit against undead to make them leave him (and only him alone). Taint: PC gains a strange Hindrance: Susceptability to Daylight. IF PC is in direct sunlight, he take 1 wind per round and all actions are at -4. Indirect sunlight causes him to act at -2 to all actions. Being awake during the day is a -1 cumulative modifier as well. PC also gets perfect nightvision and his Strength and Quickness go up by a die type. He can move 3 x his full Pace on a single action card.
PC gets a weird version of Night Terrors that only affects him during the day( he sees all of the people Job has tricked and then killed). In addition to all of this, holy items affect him like a vampire and he immediately knows when dawn is approaching.
CHAPTER THREE: GRABBIN' THE BELL
The second floor was the old pastor's living area/meeting rooms. The only real item of interest is a newspaper article in the bedroom which shows the pastor and a bellmaker hanging the bell in the belfry. The caption reads "This two-hundred-year old Spanish bell was blessed by Pope John Paul II and spent time hanging in the Vatican..."
The third floor is mostly storage space. Old boxes, dust, books, bibles, costumes, props and scenery for the annual Christmas play. PCs searching(7) can find a crucifix, a bible, and holy wafers. There is a pull-down ladder for access to the belfry. When a posse member yanks on the cord, the ladder falls. Dodge (9) or take 3d6 from the heavy wood. The Posse will have to find some other way up to the belfry.
The bell tower is 75' tall and the PCs will have to climb up through 5 support floors made of old, creaking, rotten wood. This means the heroes will have to be careful because any falling onto or jumping on the supports will cause them to snap and send the unlucky hero crashing down.
The base climbin' roll for each level is 11. This is modified if the PC can fly/has spiderclimb/has rope. Rope adds +2 but takes a throwin': unbalanced @ 9 for each support beam. If the hero falls, take damage as follows:
4th: 1d6 +5
5th: 2d6 +10
6th: 3d6 +15
7th: 4d6 +20
8th: 5d6 +25
This is massive damage and armor doesn't protect.
The bell itself is bolted onto a metal support strut which is bolted to the stone wall. Heroes will have to find some way to get it down without falling and killing themselves.
Also, as soon as they reach the top floor, the bell begins tolling in a last-ditch attempt to use Death Bats to kill the heroes. The posse will have to fight while hanging onto whatever. (Modifiers: Darkness, one-handed weapon, Str check (9) each round, This is one scenario where a failed Vigor check could prove fatal (Getting stunned/Winded means hero loses his grip and falls. )
By the way, the tower is 8' wide by 8' deep, so unless the hero is supertall, there'll be none of that bracing your feet on the far wall and climbin' up nonsense.
The bolts holding the bell are -6 to hit and take 10 pts of damage to destroy. There are six bolts in all (3 in each wall). They can also be yanked loose by Strength (13) checks. If they are yanked loose, hero must make a Nimbleness (5) to avoid falling.
Once the bell is free, it falls, smashing through each floor all the way to the ground. It bongs loudly, bounces once and comes to rest in the foyer. A tremendous shudder (Nimbleness @ 7 to avoid falling) shakes the entire building and the walls begin to crack and splinter. Dust billows everywhere obscuring vision and choking PCs up (-1 to all rolls.) Keep track of how many rounds it takes for the posse to get down and out, because every 2 rounds, a floor overhead collapses for 2d12 massive damage.
As soon as the PCs are clear or 16 rounds have passed, they look back to see the massive pile of rubble begin to sink into the ground. It completely sinks in two rounds and is gone as if it never existed...
Bounty:
Finding the newspaper article: 1 red to the hero that found it
Figuring out a novel way up or down or of getting the bell: 1 blue
Defeating the Death Bats: 1 blue and 3 Bounty Points
Surviving the Adventure: 2 red , 1 white
CHAPTER FOUR: WAKIN' THE DEAD
If the posse is relatively unhurt, remind them the world doesn't care. The noise and commotion caused by the church falling down wakes up CPS x 3 Walkin' Dead who attack before they can get to their vehicles. One final note: Remember each hour to have them make Vigor (7) checks for radiation. In addition, anything taken from the church as well as the PCs gear has radioactive dust on it.
Bounty
Defeating Walkin' Dead: 2 red
Remembering Radiation: 1 red to PC who brings it up
Thinkin' to wash off gear before they get the dust in thier cars: 2 white
Heroic actions/Good roleplaying/Humor: 1-5 White plus 1 blue for roleplaying Hindrances correctly.
