Foxglove Manor-Kudos to Richard Pett

[blackotter]

My session featuring Foxglove Manor ended about 20 minutes ago. Tonight was some of the finest gaming I've had in a while. The players really enjoyed the haunts and I loved running. Just wanted to give a kudos for a job well done!

My favorite part was:

Spoiler:

When the players figured out that the haunts were playing out all the deaths in the house, they became terrified of the rooms overlooking the cliff because they knew Ceralie caught on fire and threw herself out the window. They loved it when it finally happened...luckily the pc made the save to resist the compulsion

[F. Wesley Schneider]

Haha! That's awesome! Super glad you had fun. Hearing stories where the players and DM really get into it and had a great time are the best part!

[Tamago]

blackotter wrote:

My session featuring Foxglove Manor ended about 20 minutes ago. Tonight was some of the finest gaming I've had in a while.

Ditto! I just finished running the Manor myself, and it was the best session I've run all year! I turned down the lights, brought out the candles, played creepy music -- the works. And it worked so beautifully, we went into double-overtime (2 1/2 hours past when we were supposed to quit) because my players were begging me to let them finish the Manor.

Spoiler:

My group figured that the house was trying to tell them what happened, and even went so far as deliberately trying to cause some of the Haunts to find out what happened.

"I walk into the center of the room. Nothing happens? Hmm, I'm gonna go play the piano; does that trigger anything?"

>:}

Yay, Richard Pett! You rock!

[blackotter]

My game was the same, we played an extra 2 hours just to finish the manor in one sitting. This included one player calling in to work to tell them he would be really late.

Spoiler:

My group was the same. I was afraid they would start avoiding things, but instead, they wanted the story so did everything they could to start the haunts. Even when they knew that Ceralie's fate was looming, they still wanted it to happen

[William Pall]

Last night was my party's first session in Foxglove manner. (they ended the night in the portrait room . . . )

Now, I understand and realize that the haunted house is intended to be horrifying, scary and pulse-quickening. But, whether it's due to my style of DMing, or the amount of sugar my wife had consumed . . . the party's experiences were anything but hair raising.

The three of us sitting around the table couldn't stop laughing as the party moved through the house and movie quotes jumped out left and right whether in character or out of character . . .

IIRC, there were quotes and references from Star Wars, Ghost Busters, Haunted Honeymoon, Not Just Another Teen Movie, Scream, Doctor Who, CSI: Vegas . . . and probably more I can't remember.

Now, seeing as how I failed to muster up dread and horror, one might think that I failed in DMing . . . but the way I see it, everyone was having fun . . . and that's the true purpose of gaming.

So thank you Mr. Pett, for making a horror story that in many ways need not be scary in the slightest.

[Aureus]

Foxglove Manor was great! We played 10 hours or such and my players loved most of them. Only to the end, from Vorel's workshop downwards it was a bit too looong. The various ghoules were no match for them and they evaded the mold, so they rushed straight into Aldern's claws. No it was the hauntings that amused us even today (one day later).

Thanks a lot for this part Mr. Pett!

[blackotter]

Question to Richard Pett: Was HP Lovecraft's The Rats in the Walls one of your inspirations in writing the Manor? I just reread the story and it has a ton of similarities.

[James Jacobs]

blackotter wrote:

Question to Richard Pett: Was HP Lovecraft's The Rats in the Walls one of your inspirations in writing the Manor? I just reread the story and it has a ton of similarities.

It was certainly one of my inspirations when developing and editing the adventure, but the "Rats in the Walls" elements were absolutely in there at the start. I'm not sure if the story inspired their original inclusion, but they plus the story certainly inspired me to run with it! :)

[Richard Pett]

You're welcome everyone - thanks for the kudos, James made some great changes to Foxglove and as ever he's the one that shares in all the credit.

Hmm, as for rats - well Greer and I wrote an outline for Dungeon based very much on that - as usual Steve had some super twisted ideas and its a shame it didn't see print in Dungeon - it would have been great fun, hopefully Steve and I can get something together again, he is the master of sickness and great fun to bounce ideas off. I think the inspiration for the house came from watching a a lot of old black and white horror films - also I'd told James I wanted to do a Hammer Horror adventure and I guess that's part of it too. Aldern of course was just great fun to write and is kid of gollumish in his split personality.

I hope you'll all like Escape, which has some rather fun bits in it, and some rather twisted artists.

Rich