Patterns of Evil
Patterns of Evil
Patterns of Evil
Patterns of Evil
An Adventure for Lost Souls
By Kathleen Williams & Joe Williams
Copyright © 1994, 2007 by Joe Williams
Email me at: freeRPGs@comcast.net
Patterns of Evil
He s special. If you hug him, all your ouchies go
away.
Introduction
The party will be unable to persuade Becky
that they cannot physically interact with the bear.
This adventure is designed to start directly
She will insist that they try and will lead them to
after the players have finished an assignment, but
a tree near a hedge. A full moon shines brightly
before they summon a Tunnel of Light to return
on the scene and the party can easily see the bear.
to Limbo.
Climbing the tree takes a Passable Climb roll. If a
It is about 10 pm on a cool autumn night
party member touches the toy, he will discover
when the lost souls are approached by a little girl
that it is a dual object. If hugged, the bear heals all
dressed in a nightgown. She pleads with them:
WTL damage, but it works only once per
Someone put my teddy bear in a tree! Will you
character during the adventure.
get him down for me?
While one of the players is in the tree, a
hulking brute looms out of the shadows of the
hedge, grabs Becky, and subdues her with a
Rebecca Morley
chloroform-soaked rag. He stuffs her limp body
into a gunny sack as he leaps through the bushes.
Type: Good person
Consistency: Material
Defense: Pathetic
Bo Deckman
WTL: 10
Abilities: Good Charm, Great Persuade
Type: Evil person
Appearance: A four year old child dressed in
Consistency: Material
a flannel nightgown. Her feet are bare and she
Defense: Superior
speaks with a slight lisp.
WTL: 30
Personality: Direct and charming.
Abilities: Good Stealth, Great Brawling,
Motivation: To get her teddy bear out of the
Superior Lie
tree.
Appearance: A heavy-set man wearing black
Combat: Becky is defenseless against attacks
clothing. He has a small bottle in his hip pocket.
by the living and the supernatural.
For his size, he is surprisingly nimble and quick
Powers: Becky is a budding medium, though
on his feet.
she is unaware of her powers. She assumes that
Personality: Cruel and cunning.
the ghosts are living persons.
Motivation: To kidnap Becky.
Combat: Bo carries a dual consistency 9mm
pistol with a silencer which does (Defense vs.
Rescuing the Bear
Great) x 3 damage to either the living or the dead.
Powers: Bo is a henchman of Herbert Moss,
If questioned, Becky will elaborate on her
an evil spirit trapped on Earth (see below). In
story. Somefing woke me up - maybe nanny
order for Bo to interact with Moss, he must drink
slammed the door too loud. Teddy was gone! The
an arcane potion every day. This allows him to
window was open so I twied to close it. Then I
see all supernatural creatures for 12 hours. He
saw someone had put teddy in the tree. Pweese
drank a dose just one hour ago.
get him for me - my gramma made him for me.
2 2
The Pineville Horror
Defense: Passable
Fighting Bo
WTL: 20
Abilities: Good Conceal, Passable Lie
Bo has a car parked on the other side of the Appearance: A slim woman with short
hedge. He will try to dump the sack containing blonde hair and pale blue eyes. She is about 23
Becky in the back seat and drive away. The years old and wears a conservative dress with
players may try to stop him, but once Bo is in the sensible shoes. They are muddy, indicating that
car and driving away they will not be able to keep she has been outside recently.
up with him. Personality: Weak-willed and malleable.
If Bo is captured or subdued, he will claim a Motivation: To help Bo, her latest boyfriend,
strange woman approached him in a bar, offering kidnap Becky. She knows nothing of Herbert
him $200 if he would kidnap her child from her Moss.
abusive father. Becky will deny this, but Bo will Combat: Sandra does not fight.
stick to his story, though he knows it is a lie. Powers: Sandra has no powers.
Becky will ask the party to find out who would
want to hurt her and teddy. Sandra met Bo a few weeks ago at a singles
bar. He told her Becky s parents were hiding a
fortune, and together they planned to kidnap
Becky for a ransom. Knowing that it would be too
Making Vows
risky for Bo to enter the house, Sandra arranged
for the crime to take place outdoors. She put the
bear in the tree and made sure Becky awoke to
Although lost souls normally make ghostly
find it missing. Sandra also left the nursery
vows while in Limbo, it is possible to make a vow
window open on a cold autumn night to ensure
while on Earth. Some possible vows are:
that the child would be drawn to it and see her
" I will not rest until Becky is returned to her
bear stuck in the tree at the end of the garden.
home.
Gambling on Becky s self-reliance, she hoped that
" I will not rest until I discover who wants to
the child would try to retrieve the bear herself,
kidnap Becky.
which is exactly what happened.
" I will not rest until I return the teddy bear to
After seeing Bo grab Becky, Sandra snuck out
Becky.
the back door and around to the front, leaving a
ransom note on the door. She rung the bell then
hurried back into the house from the rear
Becky s Home
entrance, ready with her story of I couldn t sleep
so I decided to warm some milk in the kitchen.
If Becky has been kidnapped, the players can
track her tiny footprints in the mud to the back
The Ransom Note
door of a nearby house. If she s with the group,
she will simply lead them to her home. The back
Becky s parents are in the living room when
door is ajar, and just as the party enters, they can
the doorbell rings. Her father, Taylor Morley, is
hear the front doorbell chime. A few moments
reading a book while her mother Sarah sews.
later, a woman rushes around the corner of the
Taylor answers the door and finds a note pinned
house and slips inside the back door. If she sees
to it. It reads:
Becky, the woman will stare at her aghast,
blurting, What are you doing here?
WE HAVE YOUR DAUGHTER. YOU WILL PAY
US 1 MILLION IN GOLD FOR HER RETURN. WE
KNOW YOU HAVE SPECS O MAL-LEY S LOOT SO
Sandra Cunningham (the nanny)
DON T TELL US YOU RE BROKE. WE WILL
CONTACT YOU BY PHONE IN A FEW HOURS
Type: Neutral person
WITH FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. DO NOT LEAVE
Consistency: Material
3 3
The Pineville Horror
YOUR HOUSE AND DO NOT CONTACT THE COPS. The lost souls may tell Becky their suspicions
IF YOU DO, THE KID DIES. about Sandra and urge her to warn her parents,
but Mr. and Mrs. Morley will view her accusations
When the father reads the note, he throws it as a childish dislike for a new nanny.
aside and dashes upstairs to look for Becky (If Denouncing Sandra to the Morleys will be
Becky was rescued by the party, a tearful reunion especially difficult if Becky is not available.
will occur). However, a supernatural power may convince
Mr. Morley is bewildered. Who is Specs them that the nanny knows more than she s
O Malley? He wonders aloud. Mrs. Morley telling. If forced to, Sandra will admit that Bo has
ponders the question. Mother once had a kidnapped the girl. She knows nothing more.
boarder named Mr. O Malley. He might be one of
the men in that picture on the mantle. But I m not
really sure. I ll call her.
Finding Grandma
If the lost souls examine the old photograph
on the mantelpiece, they will see a young woman
(Grandma Ruff) standing between two men. One
Since there is little else of interest in the
of them is very handsome, and holds a comb in
Morley home, the party may wish to visit
his hands. The other is plainer and wears glasses.
Grandma Ruff s house. In fact, if Becky is present,
In the background is a sign reading Ruff Bed &
she will ask them to look in on her beloved
Breakfast. On the back are the words, Herbie,
granny; after all, she was the one who gave her
Specs & Agnes, 1933 but a supernatural power is
the wonderful bear. Becky will give directions to
needed to extricate the picture from its frame and
Grandma Ruff s house, which is only a few blocks
turn it over.
away.
Mrs. Morley tries to make the call, but
The lost souls can discover this information
receives no answer. I m worried, Taylor. It s late
on their own by examining the following clues:
and mother isn t answering. I must go to her. Mr.
" A scrapbook entitled Our Wedding lays on
Morley stops his wife, reminding her that their
the coffee table. Using a supernatural power,
child s life is at stake. Or, if Becky was not
the players can flip through it and read that
kidnapped, he will say they must stay and protect
Sarah s maiden name is Ruff.
her. He offers to check on Sarah s mother in the
" An address book is next to the phone. It
morning.
contains the address for Agnes Ruff at 1227
SE Lovingood St.
" A phone book can be found tucked in a book
Implicating Sandra
shelf near the phone. The address for Ruff s
Bed & Breakfast can easily be found.
The nanny Sandra will lie to conceal her
involvement in the kidnapping, and the Morley
family will believe her unless they are presented
Grandma Ruffs House
with hard evidence that she is guilty. This can be
found in her bedroom, just off of the nursery.
The house is located only a few blocks from
After searching the room, the party may find
the Morley home. A Bed & Breakfast sign hangs
the following:
near the door; a smaller sign reading Closed
" A wallet-sized picture of Bo with Love, to
until March 15 is posted underneath it. The
Sandy written on the back. Becky can
windows are all ablaze, and a shadowy figure
identify the man in the picture as her
lurks behind the curtains. The front door has
assailant.
been partially ripped from it s hinges.
" A crumpled note and envelope in her
When the characters enter the house, they
wastepaper basket which is dated October
see a cozy parlor. A bookcase contains a jumble of
17th and reads Tonight. The paper has the
sewing goods - yarn, needles and thread - along
same watermark as the ransom note.
with books about needlework, quilting and
knitting. An elderly woman is crumpled on the
4 4
The Pineville Horror
floor in front of the fireplace. She is moaning, and told me he had little Becky. So I told him where
her chest and head are bloody. She clutches a the gold was - only I didn t tell him everything.
quilt to her chest. A huge hairy creature stands It s here, it s here... As Grandma lapses into a
before her. coma, her hands loosen from the quilt she is
clutching. She will need immediate medical
attention or else she will die.
Kuang-shi
The blood-soaked quilt appears to be a
simple pattern of red and blue squares. An
observant lost soul will notice a small rip in one
Type: Evil Lost Soul
corner, showing a glimpse of bright green. If the
Consistency: Dual
top layer of the quilt is ripped away, a whole new
Defense: Great
pattern is revealed underneath.
WTL: 45
On a background of green, a number of small
Abilities: Good Strength, Feeble Cunning
gray patches are scattered over the quilt. A few
Appearance: Tall, with short white hair all
embroidered angels can be seen as well. The
over its body. The Kuang-shi has long fangs,
patches are roughly in a grid pattern. In the
sharp claws and eyes with no pupils. It can only
comer is a stylized depiction of a church with a
be killed by a bolt of lightning or an electric
high spire. A person making a good Artistry roll
shock; if captured, it must be incarcerated in a
will realize that a graveyard is depicted on the
room lined with iron.
quilt.
Motivation: To kill Agnes Ruff at the
Embroidered along the bottom are the words
direction of Herbert Moss.
Num. 8:32. While many players may guess that
Combat: The Kuang-shi leaps in and out of
this is a reference to a Bible chapter, only a
the fray, getting two attacks per round with it s
character who makes a Superior knowledge roll
claws for (Defense vs Good) x 2 damage each.
will realize that the reference is false - there is no
Once it has forced an opponent to her knees, the
verse 32 in the 8th chapter of Numbers. A Bible
Kuang-shi will bite deeply into her throat for
can be found in the house, if the characters wish
(Defense vs Poor) x 6 damage.
to refer to it.
Powers: The Kuang-shi can leap up to twenty
A page from a grimoire can also be found,
feet. To strike a Kuang-shi before it jumps away, a
lying partly in the fireplace. The rest of the book
character must make a Good Quickness Roll.
has been burned in the fireplace. Written in
Weakness: A lost soul who makes a Superior
Grandma Ruff s handwriting, the singed page
Folklore roll will remember that Kuang-shi are
contains her notes on invisibility spells.
not very bright. If small objects are scattered
A newspaper clipping dated June 13, 1934
before the monster, he will stop what he s doing
reads:
to pick them up, even in the middle of combat.
There is a jar of buttons on one of the shelves,
Museum Robbed By Cunning Bandit
and if it is broken the Kuang-shi will stop his
The Westlyn Museum of Culture was robbed
attack on the old lady. He will collect all the
Sunday night. Although security had been
buttons before raging again.
increased due to the presence of the famous Nile
Collection of gold and jewels, the unseen thief
If the Kuang-shi is not thwarted with buttons
breached the building and made off with all the
or electrocuted in some fashion, he will kill the
ancient artifacts without raising the alarm.
old lady within two turns. He will then vanish.
We re quite stunned, said Police Chief
Dawson. Several pieces were solid gold and silver -
Searching Grandma s House
quite heavy to move, yet this fellow seem to have
had no trouble. Dawson went on to say that he s
sure the treasure will be recovered as soon as the
If the players manage to dispatch the Kuang-
thieves try to sell the unique items, including a
shi before it kills Grandma Ruff, they will hear her
pharaoh s death mask, ceremonial Jackal dagger
gasp: He came back and demanded the dagger. I
and a number of scepters.
just kept burning O Malley s things, but then he
5 5
The Pineville Horror
Referee s Note: Any player asking about the seen from Grandma s porch on a moonlight night.
Jackal dagger who makes a Passable Occult roll The gray patches and embroidered angels
will recall that this arcane artifact from Ancient represent the tombstones in the nearby
Egypt is supposed to have many mystical cemetery. The reference to Numbers 8:32
qualities, one of which is the ability to bring the signifies that the gold is hidden eight rows from
dead back to life. If a lost soul bathes in the blood the church in plot number 32. On a Good Search
of a child sacrificed with the Jackal dagger, he will roll, the name Niles and the date 1934 can be
supposedly be restored to life. seen, embroidered on this tombstone.
Grandma Ruff s Diary
Westlyn Church
Other clues include Grandma Ruff s diary,
which can be found on her bedside table. The
Though Grandma Ruff told Moss that the
latest entry reads:
gold was hidden in a family vault, he doesn t
know which one. He has sent Waldo to find it for
He appeared to me again, and demanded the
him.
dagger. He promised not to hurt me. I can t believe
him, not after he tried to kill me and Specs. I know
Waldo
Specs didn t want to kill him all those years ago,
but it really was Herbie or us.
Funny how that changed Specs. He said he
Type: Evil Creature
wanted nothing more to do with robbing if it
Consistency: Dual
meant killing folks. Refused to have anything to do
Defense: Great
with the gold, too. Called it blood money. I didn t
Abilities: Superior Agility, Passable Strength
really have the stomach for it either, so we both
(Awesome in direct moonlight) Good Search
just let it stay hidden. When Specs died, I almost
Appearance: Pale, fat man with weird eyes
turned myself in, but I thought, Why should I go to
and a crazy smile. He wears a white leisure suit
jail for something I did when I was a foolish girl of
and a beautiful moonstone ring which he fondles
twenty-three?
lovingly. Though he looks like a man, Waldo is
I wonder what vain Herbie is going to do, now
actually a Lunatic.
that I ve refused him? It s better if I destroy all my
Personality: Looney. Likable and friendly
notes about the robbery now, before he tries
when the moon is not full, a dangerous adversary
something nasty. Oh, I wished I d never told him
when it is.
the legend about that dagger!
Motivation: To find the Egyptian dagger and
return it to his master, Herbert Moss.
Combat: A Lunatic is a talented tumbler and
can jump, twist and roll like an acrobat. He has
Secret of the Quilt
Awesome Strength when in direct moonlight and
noticeably weakens in shadows. He loses his
Before Grandma Ruff was attacked, the spirit magical strength and abilities when his ring is
of Herbert Moss appeared to her. She refused to removed or destroyed.
tell him where the Nile collection was hidden, Powers: The Lunatic uses his moonstone
until he told her that he was holding her grand- ring to blind his victims for up to (Alertness vs
daughter hostage. Trying to buy time, she told Good) minutes. The ring can also be used to
him in general terms where the gold was located. hypnotize a target, causing him to stare at the
When Moss left, he set the Kuang-shi on her. moon for (Sanity vs Good) minutes. Three times a
The lost souls can determine the exact night, Waldo can point the ring at a victim and
location of the treasure by reading the quilt. cause a lightning bolt to spring forth, doing
The quilt shows the Westlyn Church in the upper (Defense vs Great) x 3 damage. He will use this
left corner; the spire of the actual church can be power to open the vault when he finds it.
6 6
The Pineville Horror
Waldo is in a frenzy of activity when the lost
souls arrive. He is frantically digging up graves,
Moss Mansion
all the while muttering to himself. When he spots
the characters, he will greet them in a friendly
manner, Has Mr. Moss sent you to help me? We
On a Good Memory roll a lost soul will
must return the heirloom to the Moss Mansion at
remember passing a nearly deserted road on
once -that s what he said! Waldo will continue to
their way to the cemetery. The sign posted near
prattle about a number of things, including the
the road read, Moss Estates. Otherwise, they
beauty of the moon, Such a lovely moon-
may be able to track the Child of the
drenched night! I just love the moon. It makes me
Ravenmocker, or coerce Waldo into telling them
feel powerful.
where the Mansion is located.
If the players threaten Waldo, he will call
The Moss Mansion has fallen into disrepair,
forth six Children of the Ravenmocker to attack
and though someone has made a halfhearted
them. If the lost souls try to circumvent him and
attempt to board up the windows, there are still
find the proper vault on their own, he will quickly
plenty of gaps where a lost soul could slip in. A
catch on and follow them. In any event, either
dim light shines from within. If the party
Waldo or one of the Children of the Ravenmocker
examines the grounds, they will discover Bo s car
will obtain the dagger and return it to Moss. If
parked in back (provided he eluded them in the
Waldo gets it first, he will give it to a Child with
first scene). Anyone who makes a Passable
instructions to fly to the Moss mansion with it.
Memory roll will remember that this is the car
driven by the kidnapper.
Inside, the party will see that nearly the
Child of the Ravenmocker (6)
whole lower floor has been gutted, and made into
one large room. It is dusty, and the furniture is
Type: Neutral Entity old and ripped. Mildewing portraits hang on the
Consistency: Dual walls and a large, claw-footed bathtub rests
Defense: Passable incongruously in the center of the room. A
WTL: 25 staircase leads upwards, but it has been blocked
Abilities: Great Agility, Passable Strength, off and is now impassable. Another stairway
Passable Intelligence leads to the cellar.
Appearance: Short, spindly humanoid As the party enters the room, they will be
covered with dried skin. It s skull is that of an momentarily stunned by a flash of light. Herbert
oversized bird, and it has talons rather than Moss appears before a large, ornate mirror at the
fingers. A thin webbing of skin stretches between far end of the room. Welcome, he greets them.
each wrist and ankle. I thought Agnes might try to solicit help from the
Personality: Single-minded and merciless. other side. Well, it won t do her any good. I am
Motivation: These creatures normally attack determined to return to the mortal plane!
those who desecrate graves, but Waldo will
mumble a spell which will cause them to attack
Herbert Moss
the party.
Combat: A Child attacks twice with its claws,
doing (Defense vs Poor) x 2 damage. If both claws
Type: Evil Lost Soul
do damage, the Child gets an additional bite
Consistency: Incorporeal
attack for (Defense vs. Good) x 3 damage.
Defense: Superior
Powers: A Child can fly at Great Speed. It has
WTL: 30
a flawless tracking sense that allows it to follow a
Abilities: Great Dodge, Superior Alertness,
target indefinitely.
Superior Occult
Notes: You may adjust the number of
Appearance: Tall, with slick-backed hair and
Children attacking depending on the size of the
brown eyes. He is impeccably dressed, and has a
party.
distinct air of superiority about him. He often
7 7
The Pineville Horror
glances into the mirror hanging behind him, as knife, which is also dual and does (Defense vs
though admiring himself. Good) x 3 damage. Moss has offered him a share
Personality: Vain and determined. of the gold as soon as the transformation is
Motivation: Moss believes that if he bathes in complete, and Bo will fight fiercely to obtain the
the blood of a child sacrificed by the Egyptian treasure. Moss will use his supernatural powers
Jackal dagger, he will return to life. What he to ensure Bo s success.
doesn t know is that anyone who returns to the Once the child has been slain, Moss and Bo
living plane in this fashion will become stark, will fight to drive away the unwanted lost souls
raving mad. so Moss may bathe in her blood. If he does this, he
Combat: Herbert doesn t care to fight, and in will become material - but he will also become
fact doesn t want to get too far from the mirror, mad!
which is his focus. However, if approached, he
will defend himself with a pistol for (Defense vs
Missing Pieces
Good) x 3 damage. If badly wounded, Herbert
Moss will instantly vanish in a flash of light. The
players may surmise that he has entered his
At this point, the players should have all the
focus. If they smash the mirror, Moss will take 15
missing pieces to the story:
points of damage and will be forced out -the
Agnes Ruff, Specs O Malley and Herbert Moss
damage alone will probably be enough to
grew up together. During the depression, their
reincarnate him.
families lost money and they were forced to
Powers: Herbert has the following powers:
scrabble for work. When Herbert suggested they
Death Throes (Uses=5): Violent spasm of
turn to burglary, Agnes and Specs were horrified,
pain course through the bodies of up to five
but Herbert wheedled and pleaded until they
victims within thrown range. The pangs are so
relented. As an arcane scholar, Agnes was in a
intense that the victims are at -2 columns on all
unique position to help them; before Specs and
rolls, including Defense, for (Stamina vs Passable)
Herbert would break into a bank or museum
x 2 turns.
she d cast an invisibility spell upon them. The two
Deflect (Uses=2) for 2 turns, any object or
men attributed their success to great luck.
person that strikes at Moss is deflected. This
Being greedy, Moss decided to cut Agnes and
power may be used instantly, and does not
Specs out of the picture by killing them and
require an action to activate.
making their deaths look like a lovers quarrel.
Compel (Uses=4) For (Intelligence vs
Unfortunately for him, they figured out his evil
Superior) turns, the target must perform a simple
plot, and Specs managed to plug him shortly after
action of 4 words or less. The victim cannot be
the Westlyn job.
compelled to kill himself.
The shock was too much for the vain Moss.
Unable to forsake his mortal flesh, he refused to
enter the Tunnel of Darkness which came for him.
Bo Returns
Instead, he became a lost soul on Earth, hiding
out in his focus - the large picture mirror that still
If Bo escaped the lost souls in the first scene, hangs in the Moss mansion. And then he
he will now enter the room from the cellar door, remembered something Agnes told them before
carrying the unconscious Becky (or another the Museum job: Be sure to get the dagger with
victim, if Becky was saved) in his powerful arms. the picture of the jackal on it. It s supposed to
He places the child in the tub. have the power to bring back the dead.
If the players have not retrieved the Jackal
dagger from the cemetery, Moss now pulls it from
beneath his jacket and tosses it to Bo. You know
Conclusion
what to do! he cries.
Bo will do his utmost to kill the child, and
will succeed in one turn unless stopped. He no
The adventure will be happily concluded
longer carries the dual gun, but he does have the
when Herbert Moss is reincarnated and Becky (or
8 8
The Pineville Horror
the child) is safely out of harm s way. The referee
may award Karma for the following good deeds
(awarded at the time they are accomplished):
+2 for preventing Becky s kidnapping
+1 for bringing Bo to justice
+1 for exposing Sandra s guilt
+1 for destroying the Kuang-shi
+2 for preventing Grandma Ruff s death
+1 for destroying Child/Ravenmocker
+1 for destroying Waldo the Lunatic
+1 for preventing the death of a child
+1 for destroying Herbert Moss
Plus award points for completing Ghostly
Vows.
9 9
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