or It's Not a Habit
Blurb: In a small, sleepy Tennessee River valley town, a brood of vampires is content to run the town while preying on residents of a rehab center. They’ll stop at nothing to keep their secret from getting out. A scenario best suited for one or two Agents.
BRIEFING[]
IN MEDIA RES OPENING[]
Agents are attached to Operation SOMERSAULT and tasked with hunting down Deep Ones. They are hot on the tail of Lucas Lewis, a Deep One Hybrid in the middle of transforming. Up until this point, he has been tracked by traditional law enforcement methods (cell phone pings, license plate readers, etc) but the trail has gone cold with the last ping on Route 11 near Atlantis, Tennessee. Intel from the Case Officer indicates that Lewis may have a friend, Antonio Merryman, who is a patient at Pineview Rehab.
Agents arrive in the vicinity of the town of Atlantis early in the day as the sun is rising, somewhat tired.
HANDLER INFO[]
Atlantis is a tiny valley town with a remarkably low crime rate and a vampire problem, but some might say that it’s more of a vampire solution. The sheriff allows a pack of vampires to feed and prowl on the rehab patients and delinquents of the town in exchange for having a bogeyman that keeps the town crime-free. Everyone is afraid of being caught committing a crime, and nobody goes out at night. Nobody.
EVENTS[]
PRIOR TO AGENTS’ ARRIVAL[]
Lewis has ditched his stolen car, leaving it just off of Route 11 near a bridge over the Tennessee River opting to swim the Tennessee River. He finds a crashed vehicle on the riverbank and saves Lauren Jensen from drowning. (Handler’s Note: both these places would be good to introduce Sheriff Jensen at) He takes her home, and the two connect. Lauren sees Lewis’ gills and he confesses to her, and she in turn tells of her father’s scheme to keep the town safe. The two were planning on running away, but an interruption by Sheriff Jensen led to a chase and a man-and-vampire-hunt cut short by the sunrise.
NOW[]
Lauren and Lewis are planning on making an escape, which may involve grand theft auto, exterminating vampires, or recruiting the Agents. Garrett Dixon, a patient suffering from extreme opioid withdrawal has fled from Pineview Rehab, and is currently wandering the town and surrounding area looking desperately for a way out. Dixon is pale, sickly, and has an appearance not unlike a vampire. Sheriff Jensen and his vampire posse may view the Agents suspiciously and take action against them.
CAST[]
HUMANS[]
Sheriff Eustace Jensen:
Has done a deal with his brother-in-law, Jack Walsh, a relatively young vampire.
- Allows his brother jack’s brood of vampires to haunt the town to keep troublemakers afraid. Residents live in fear of the sheriff’s conspiracy.
- Suspicious of Agents acting in an official capacity, due to the missing persons that he sweeps under the rug.
- Suspicious of Agents in town generally, because Atlantis wasn’t built for tourists.
- Either way, if he suspects trouble he can sic the vampires.
Lauren Jensen Eustace’s daughter, Lauren knows of the her father’s secret arrangement and has desired to do something about it.
- Heavy drinker and drug user, a habit she picked up in the past year in coping with her father’s secret. Despite this, Sheriff Jensen can’t bring himself to give his daughter the same treatment that he gives to everyone else.
- Has visible car crash wounds, and can be found walking around Atlantis trying to find Lucas.
Lucas Lewis Deep One hybrid, great-grandson of an Innsmouth resident that escaped from the 1928 raid.
- Just passing through Atlantis.
- Rescued Lauren from a wreck and stumbled into the sheriff's conspiracy.
- Currently hiding in the woods around Atlantis, trying to find Lauren.
Garrett Dixon An addict in a bad way, currently looking for a way to get back to Memphis.
- May plea for help from the Agents.
- May steal their car, stranding them in Atlantis.
- May be found exsanguinated by vampires
VAMPIRES[]
Use Lesser Vampire stats. Jack Walsh Sheriff’s brother-in-law
- Sold his soul to the devil (actually just a wandering vampire) while undergoing cancer treatment: immortality in exchange for sending souls to hell after consuming them.
- Leads the town’s vampiric citizens with a double life as vampires.
Emily Vanderbilt Darkroom Diner clerk, kinda sexy but in a trashy way.
- Her teenage son, Matt, is an aspiring photographer and takes pictures all over the town, often popping up unexpectedly.
- Emily can offer Agents a place to stay if they need it, but only because she can spy on them. If she does so, she has to fight the urge to feed on them.
Ed Newsome The Sheriff’s only deputy, dumb and built like a brick shithouse.
- Preys on vulnerable women patients at Pineview
- Struggles thinking beyond the immediate
- 50% Firearms
Introduce other Vampire NPCs as needed, such as a country doctor, volunteer firefighter, preacher, etc.
TOWN[]
Atlantis is set in the Tennessee River valley in the middle of nowhere, with only 4,967 residents, poor cellular reception, and a remarkably low crime rate. The valley has poor cell reception, requiring a Luck roll is to see if a call goes through, and the Handler may call for additional Luck rolls if the recipient of the call is also in the valley. There is no hotel or motel to check into, and the nearest other town is a 45-minute drive up a switchback mountain road if it hasn’t been rained or mudslided out. Roads into and out of the town are treacherous and slippery. An Agent that manages to find an internet connection and investigate the town will see that it has an extensive history of missing persons cases declared “unfounded” as they were rehab patients that left on their own. In addition, Agents with FBI connections can find that the town has an incredible near-zero crime reporting.
POI[]
Police Station[]
Contains a single cell. On the first night, the cell has been washed clean, with the cell still dripping water.
A small armory with a few shotguns and AR-15 semi-automatic carbines. The motor pool has rusty MRAP (stats as “junk vehicle”) and a small boat for river rescue. Handler Info: The cell held Antonio Merrymen, Lewis’ friend. Merryman left Pineview Rehab and got riproaring drunk after breaking into the town’s general store, leading Jensen to allow the vampires to feast on him before ripping him into shreds.
Dark Room Diner []
Set in a basement with a double-door to prevent sunlight from coming in. Has a red light and developed photos hanging up on strings. Handler Info: Some photos hung are of missing persons. An Agent’s photo is hung up if they survive their first night. The red light masks Emily’s physical vampiric traits.
Pineview Rehab[]
A rehab center with a strict curfew (10pm-6am), Pineview practices a “cold turkey” treatment. Many patients make appearances on the FBI’s NCIC Missing Persons database, but any allegations made against Pineview have been dismissed by Sheriff Jensen. Patients suffering from withdrawal may beg Agents for help. If asked by Agents with official capacity, he explains that surveillance shows them leaving of their own accord and, “They’re adults, they made that choice, same as they choose to poison their bodies.” Handler Info: Pineview employs nobody with a medical license, and has had several patients suffer withdrawal symptoms so severe that they should have been hospitalized. A few have even died. Pineview’s owner, Marjorie Mink, has a working relationship with Sheriff Jensen and his brother to make these problems go away. Patients that make the mistake of leaving the center against medical advice are set upon by the local vampire brood. Their bones can be found under the roots of the massive bald cypress tree in the swamp.
Vehicle Crash[]
A wrecked Dodge Charger partially-submerged in the river. There’s a smear of blood on the air bag and beer bottles scattered inside. A single set of heavy footprints on the riverbank leads back toward town through the forest. Handler Info: Notably, there are no footprints that led into the wate, and there are no signs that there was a vehicle passenger.
Forest, Valley, and River[]
Old wood forest with thick undergrowth all along the steep valley edge. It is full of old, tall trees nearly blocking all sunlight. Lower down, runoff water creates a swamp. Six feral vampires (many are former rehab patients) lurk here. The valley is steep and prone to mudslides, especially after a heavy rain.
RUNNING THIS SCENARIO[]
Agents should feel stranded in this remote town.
This scenario should take one day’s time in-game. Slowly unravel the conspiracy. By the time Agents figure it out, they should be desperately trying to escape.
Running water won’t stop these vampires.
SAN REWARDS[]
1 SAN - deciding Lewis’ fate
1 SAN - stopping Sherrif Jensen
1d4 SAN - vampire extermination
STATS[]
LESSER VAMPIRE[]
(With thanks to Dennis Dettwiler) LESSER VAMPIRE STR 18 CON 18 DEX 18 INT As in Life POW 14
HP 18 WP see SERVE THE MASTER
SAN LOSS: 0/1D4 unnatural
ARMOR: See PSYCHOPOMP.
SKILLS: Alertness 50%, Unarmed Combat 50%.
ATTACKS: Feed 50%, damage 1D6 damage and 1D6 CON loss.
Lash Out 50%, 1D8 damage.
BORN TO FEED: Horrific predators born only to feed on human blood, lesser vampires are drawn to their family and acquaintances at night. No matter the distance, they can also unconsciously locate those on whom they have previously fed. Those subjected to such feeding must make a LUCK roll in the morning to even recall it occurred at all. Those that succeed recall a dim dream of someone — some friend — coming to their window in the night. Those fed upon lose 1d6 CON per feeding. When their CON score hits 0, they die, and are reborn as a lesser vampire
DARK COMMAND: Those that lock eyes with a lesser vampire must beat in in a POW vs. POW contest or be compelled to follow the demands of the creature, which usually is some sort of demand for entry to a unbroken threshold (see THE THRESHOLD). In gameplay, those that have lost SAN to or survived a SAN roll against a vampire gain a +20% to this contest.
DARK REBIRTH: Lesser vampires are reborn as a beauteous version of their previous selves, and are immortal and unchanging unless destroyed. The vampire retains dark reflections of the memories it had in life. It knows the friends, loved ones and acquaintances it once had as a human, as well as all the secrets of its life. It uses these against its targets, attempting to force, guilt and trick them into allowing them in to feed.
WOOD AND SUNLIGHT: The piercing of the vampire's heart by wood destroys them instantly. This requires an attack roll that beats the skill roll by +10% and costs those seeing it for the first time 1/1D6 SAN unnatural. Being exposed to sunlight costs a lesser vampire 1 HP per minute. If they hit 0 HP, they collapse to dust (this costs 1/1D6 SAN unnatural for those seeing it for the first time).
POWER OF THE WHITE: A primal force (perhaps fuelled by human belief), the power of the white can be unlocked and imbibed in objects like crosses, St. Christopher's Medallions, stars of David by making a POW vs. POW 14 contest. Anything that can draw the focus of human belief can tap this power. When this power is in play on a weapon, it can cause full damage towards a vampire (though they can only be destroyed by stake or sunlight). When an item imbibed with it is wielded against a lesser vampire, all rolls the lesser vampire makes are -40%. Those seeing this effect for the first time regain 0/1D4 SAN.
PSYCHOPOMP: Not fully material, vampires can slip into the night and become as insubstantial as shadows, dissolving into a floating mist and even passing through the narrowest of cracks. When attacked by any weapon except a weapon imbibed with the power of the white or a stake (see POWER OF THE WHITE), vampires suffer only 1 HP damage from any physical attack. It's almost as if the weapon passes through them. If reduced to 0 HP by a weapon other than a stake through the heart, they disappear (0/1D4 SAN unnatural to witness for the first time) and reform the following night to resume feeding.
THE THRESHOLD: No lesser vampire may breach the threshold of a house to which they have not been invited. This invitation stretches back to when they were alive, so they might travel freely to their family home, friends' houses, etc. After that, they must gain an invitation through their DARK COMMAND ability or starve.
FERAL VAMPIRE[]
STR 15 CON 15 DEX 10 INT varies POW 1 HP 15 WP 1
ARMOR: See ROTTING RESILIENCE.
SKILLS: Alertness 20%, Athletics 40% Unarmed Combat 30%.
ATTACKS: Bite and Feed 30%, damage 1D6, converts half damage dealt into HP
Rip and Tear 50%, damage 1d8, AP 3, requires one or more feral vampires
FEROCIOUS FEEDING: Feral vampires are ravenous, controlled only by Lesser Vampires. They will not stop pursuing their quarry.
WOOD AND SUNLIGHT: The piercing of the vampire's heart by wood destroys them instantly. This requires an attack roll that beats the skill roll by +10% and costs those seeing it for the first time 1/1D6 SAN unnatural. Being exposed to sunlight costs a lesser vampire 1 HP per minute. If they hit 0 HP, they collapse to dust (this costs 1/1D6 SAN unnatural for those seeing it for the first time).
UNCARING THRESHOLD: Unlike Lesser Vampires, Feral Vampires are unable to care about preserving themselves. They will enter the threshold uninvited, suffering 1HP loss for every minute inside.
POWER OF THE WHITE: A primal force (perhaps fuelled by human belief), the power of the white can be unlocked and imbibed in objects like crosses, St. Christopher's Medallions, stars of David by making a POW vs. POW 14 contest. Anything that can draw the focus of human belief can tap this power. When this power is in play on a weapon, it can cause full damage towards a vampire (though they can only be destroyed by stake or sunlight). When an item imbibed with it is wielded against a feral vampire, all rolls the feral vampire makes are -40%. Those seeing this effect for the first time regain 0/1D4 SAN.
LEWIS LUCAS[]
STR 17 CON 15 DEX 12 INT 13 POW 12
HP 16 WP 12
ARMOR: 1 point of thick scales or flabby hide.
SKILLS: Alertness 30%, Athletics 40%, Persuade 30%,
Swim 75%, Unnatural 10%.
ATTACKS: Knife-like talons 55%, damage 1D8, Armor
Piercing 3.
Grapple 55%, pins the target
ALMOST HUMAN: Some Lesser Deep Ones appear as deformed, inbred humans, especially to those unaware of the Deep One threat. Only a full medical examination or their use of inhuman abilities may reveal their true nature.
PARTIALLY AMPHIBIOUS: If the transformation from human is not complete, the Lesser Deep One is only partially adapted to existence in the ocean. A hybrid mostly transformed can submerge for hours or days at a time. Some hybrids remain in that state perpetually. Those who fully transform are as at home in the depths of the sea as on dry land.
INHUMAN MOVEMENT: The Lesser Deep One can leap, climb, and lope in a wholly inhuman manner. With an Athletics test, it can cover heights and obstacles that would stop a normal human. The Lesser Deep One can move up to 25 kph on land, and 30 kph in the water. SAN LOSS: 0/1D4.
SHERIFF JENSEN[]
STR 12 CON 13 DEX 10 INT 13 POW 13 CHA 10
HP 13 WP 13
ARMOR: 3 points of kevlar vest
Skills: Alertness 60%, Bureaucracy 40%, Criminology 40%, Drive 50%, Firearms 50%, First Aid 30%, HUMINT 50%, Law 30%, Melee Weapons 50%, Navigate 40%, Persuade 40%, Search 40%, Unarmed Combat 60%
ATTACKS: Medium Pistol 50% damage D10, Shotgun (in police truck) 60%, damage 2D10*
Credits[]
Operation TOURIST TRAP was written by Jake "ChiefMcClane" Cook for the 2022 Shotgun Scenario contest. Source: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FsjoBx_T689FloylzhsWafMx-GZg6qO6WIXzuhRuThw/edit#.
Published by arrangement with the Delta Green Partnership. The intellectual property known as Delta Green is a trademark and copyright owned by the Delta Green Partnership, who has licensed its use here. The contents of this document are © Jake "ChiefMcClane" Cook, excepting those elements that are components of the Delta Green intellectual property.
Operation TOURIST TRAP is not available here under CC-BY-SA.
For preservation purposes, a PDF backup of the original submission can be found here.