Hook, Line, and Sinker – Vampires, Werewolves, and Ghosts, Oh My

It is October, the month when you see horror stories everywhere.  As a Gamemaster you may feel yourself drawn in to the spirit of the season and want to run a horror story for your group.

It is tempting to just use one of the standard favorites as the main villain in your horror story, but it can be a letdown for both you and your players if they figure out what the creature is and unavoidably metagame how to kill it within fifteen minutes of the start of the adventure.

I have put together three adventure ideas that you can use to make your players believe that the monster they are chasing is one thing when it is actually something else entirely.

Idea #1 – Werewolf

Hook – A representative from a local noble contacts the party saying that the noble needs their help to hunt down a creature.

Line – The party is asked to take care of what is believed to be a problem with a large wolf.  There have been a number of peasants mauled and killed when travelling at night.  Witnesses speak of a large beast that is definitely not a bear having made the attacks.  No normal weapon seems to hurt the beast and it appears only around the full moon.

Sinker – The monster is actually a creature that is owned and trained by another local noble.  It is outfitted in a set of armor which it why normal weapons do not appear to work on it and the shape of the armor distorts it silhouette so it does not look like a normal animal.  The other noble releases it on the full moon on the other noble’s land to scare the peasants so they lose faith in their lord and ask him to step in to help.  Once he stops the attacks he plans to petition the king to be given the lands because the other noble cannot control them.

Idea # 2 – Vampire

Hook – During a night on the town the players come across a dead body.  The city guard happens by at the same time.  The players are stopped and questioned about it.

Line – While the players convince the city guard that they are not the ones who killed the person, they hear that the victim was drained of blood and the only visible wounds on the body are two puncture marks on the neck.  The head of the guard asks the party of their help to find the killer.

Sinker – The perpetrators of the crime of is a evil cult of blood drinkers.  In order to do their sacrifices they use a tool that makes marks similar to that of a vampire and drain the blood from their victim and drink it.  They believe that the blood gives them power.  It is up to the players to find the cult and put an end to their crimes.

Idea # 3 – Ghost

Hook – The party is invited to stay at the remote estate of a friendly noble to participate in a hunt.

Line – During the night after the party gets to the estate, one of the other guests is killed mysteriously.  The death has all of the hallmarks of an attack by a poltergeist.  Each night thereafter someone is killed.  Will the characters be able to find the murderer before one of them is killed?

Sinker – The cause of the death is a very powerful psionicist.  The person has a natural talent that is out of their control.  As they figure out that they murders are being cause by them, it warps their mind more and more until they become evil, twisted, and willing participants in the crimes.

This are only a few ways that you can twist what seem to be flat out signs of the participation of a specific supernatural monster in an adventure into something else.  Just remember what appears to be  obvious does not have to be.