The Haunting Heist

Tags: Heist, Gothic Horror, Survive

As a solo adventurer, finding the right starting point and developing compelling backstories and characters can be challenging.

This adventure is designed to be system-agnostic, allowing you to use your preferred RPG system; I recommend either Push or Glide.

Note: This is the inaugural adventure in our series of free one-shot adventures. Feel free to use it entirely or adapt it as needed. I created this series to aid fellow gamers as much as it has helped me.

Introduction

Amidst a stormy night, as the winds howl and the trees cast foreboding shadows, you find yourself seeking refuge in a dimly lit tavern, the ‘Gallows Rest’.

But as the clock strikes an eerie hour, an inexplicable force pulls you through a swirling vortex.

You awaken in a macabre version of the same inn, surrounded by grotesque decorations and whispers of the undead.

Your goal is not just to escape but to uncover the sinister secrets of this haunted realm and survive the twisted challenges that await.

Overall Goal

In this shadowy, gothic horror setting, your primary goal is to navigate through haunted locales fraught with dangers, deceits, and supernatural forces.

The special condition imposed upon you, ‘Forced Empathy’, makes you feel the emotions of those you encounter, whether friend or foe. This condition will aid or impede your decisions, compelling you to deal with the complexities of each character’s true nature as you strive to find a way back to your world.

Starting the Adventure

As the portal closes behind you, leaving only the faint echo of its power, you stand in the familiar yet altered ‘Gallows Rest’.

The patrons now spectral figures, their eyes hollow with despair, silently implore you for liberation though none speak.

The tavern keeper, a shadow of his former self, gestures to a hidden doorway behind the bar – your first clue in unraveling the mystery of this haunted prison.

Key Locations

THE GALLOWS REST
"The ethereal version of the inn feels colder, the laughter once filling the air now replaced by mournful sighs. Shadows dance across the walls, forming twisted shapes that seem almost alive."
In its haunted state, the tavern serves as a nexus for lost souls and hidden portals to other parts of the haunted realm.

CURSED PRISON
"You feel the oppressive weight of despair as soon as you enter. The stones themselves seem to weep, and the clanging of distant chains echoes through the cold, damp air."
Once a place of wrongful imprisonments and unspeakable horrors, it now traps the spirits of both the guilty and the innocent.

Important Characters

ELDRICH GORE (Master Villain: Beast)
A feral, savage, unpredictable entity that haunts the deeper chambers of the prison. Despite its brute strength and ferocity, it often overlooks strategic approaches due to its animalistic impulses.
"You hear its growls long before you see the beast, its massive form shadowing the narrow corridors as it stalks relentlessly through the darkness."

SIR ARNOLD HAWTHORNE (Minor Villain I: Hero)
A tarnished knight whose spirit lingers, conflicted by his past deeds and current ethereal existence. His flawed heroism and sorrowful aura bleed into the empathic bond you share.
"Clad in ethereal armor, the ghostly knight bears the scars of many battles, his gaze mournful as he recognizes the burden you now carry."

LADY MARIANNE VORTEX (Minor Villain II: Advisor)
A calculating, observant strategist who manipulates the spirits within the haunted locale. Her cold logic and strategic mind make her a dangerous foe or a valuable informant, depending on her mood.
"Her specter floats above the ground, her eyes piercing through the gloom, assessing your every move with a meticulous, almost obsessive precision."

THOMAS GRAY (Ally/Neutral I: Battle Scarred Veteran)
Once a formidable soldier, now a spectral entity bound to the prison’s cursed walls. His experiences in war lend him a tough, resilient demeanor, useful in combat and survival advice.
"His spectral form still bears the armor and battle wounds of his last fight, his voice a gruff whisper offering guidance with a stern, knowing look."

JONAS QUICKSILVER (Ally/Neutral II: Talkative Barkeep)
The barkeep of the ‘Gallows Rest’, both in life and in death. His chatty nature holds secrets of the inn’s past and the keys to navigating the haunted locales.
"Even as a ghost, his warmth is palpable, his eager tales filled with hints and whispers of hidden passageways and lost souls."

Encounters

CAMOUFLAGED PREDATOR (Enemy Encounter I)
An almost invisible entity, blending with the shadows of the prison. Its presence is only hinted at by the slight disturbances in the air and the soft, malicious whispers that float towards you.
"You sense rather than see it, the slight shimmer in the air the only warning before the strike."

ELITE SPECTRAL GUARD (Enemy Encounter II)
The cursed spirits of the former prison guards, still patrolling the corridors with spectral weapons ready. Highly disciplined and deadly in their coordinated attacks.
"*Silent as the grave

, the spectral guards round the corner, their weapons drawn, eyes glowing with an unholy light.*"

CRUSHING WALLS (Deathtrap I)
In the narrowest part of the prison, the walls are rigged to slowly move towards each other when a certain stone is stepped upon.
"The groan of stone grates against your nerves as the walls begin to inch closer, threatening to crush anything in their path."

COLLAPSING CEILING (Deathtrap II)
Several areas in the prison are weakened and ready to collapse with the slightest disturbance, threatening to bury unwary travelers under rubble.
"A dull creaking sound above catches your attention just as small debris begins to fall, heralding a potential deadly collapse."

MISSION RUSE (Cruel Trick)
The initial mission to simply escape becomes a deeper plot to resolve the curse of the prison, involving complex rituals and dangerous confrontations.
"What began as a straightforward escape soon unravels into a convoluted scheme involving ancient curses and forbidden rituals."

FALSE PATH (Red Herring)
A well-trodden path that seems to lead out, but circles back to the most dangerous depths of the prison.
"The promising exit merely loops back into the darkest, most perilous part of the prison, the realization dawning too late."

Climax or Ending

The climax unfolds as you are chased through the labyrinthine corridors of the cursed prison by the relentless Eldrich Gore.

As you near what you hope is the exit, the beast’s strategic blind spots become your advantage. You must use your newfound understanding of the prison’s layout and the forced empathy to predict and outmaneuver the beast, leading it into one of the deadly traps you’ve discovered.

This final confrontation tests not only your physical endurance but also your ability to empathize and anticipate the actions of your pursuer.

Quest Reward

Upon successfully navigating the dangers of the haunted prison and outsmarting Eldrich Gore, you find an ancient artifact known as the "Specter’s Locket," which grants the bearer protection against spectral entities.

Additionally, as you solve the curse of the prison, the spirits grant you their blessing, which manifests as a spectral shield surrounding you, providing increased resistance to physical and magical attacks.

These rewards not only aid in your survival but also serve as tokens of the spirits’ gratitude, ensuring that no other souls endure their fate.

Possible Secrets and Clues

1. Most people know: "The Gallows Rest was once a courthouse where many were unjustly condemned."
2. Very few people know: "Beneath the tavern’s cellar lies a forgotten crypt that holds the key to the prison’s curse."
3. No one knows: "The barkeep, Jonas Quicksilver, was once a warden of the cursed prison, responsible for many of the injustices there."
4. Most people know: "Lady Marianne Vortex was the strategic mind behind many of the prison’s most heinous policies."
5. Very few people know: "Sir Arnold Hawthorne hid a powerful artifact within the prison walls, meant to counteract the curse."
6. No one knows: "Eldrich Gore can only be defeated at the stroke of midnight, when its powers wane momentarily."
7. Most people know: "The prison is rumored to collapse if the spirits trapped within are ever set free."
8. Very few people know: "The crushing walls trap was initially installed as a cruel punishment for the inmates who tried to escape."
9. No one knows: "The true architect of the prison was a sorcerer who embedded dark magic into its very foundations."
10. Most people know: "Local legends suggest that the prison is haunted by the first warden, who regrets his role in its dark history."

Optional Scenes

These scenes are designed to be modular and can be inserted into your adventure as needed to maintain the flow and engagement. Each act provides a setting and an encounter or problem to resolve, allowing you to navigate in the order that best suits your story’s progression.

Act 1: The Arrival

Setting: The twisted version of the ‘Gallows Rest’ tavern.
Encounter: The player must convince the spectral patrons to reveal the hidden doorway behind the bar without alerting the unseen presence that watches over the tavern.

Act 2: The Hidden Passage

Setting: A narrow, cobweb-laden passage behind the bar.
Encounter: Navigate through booby-trapped corridors, solving puzzles left by the spirits to prevent intruders from proceeding.

Act 3: The Warden’s Office

Setting: The decrepit office of Jonas Quicksilver, filled with old records and forgotten secrets.
Encounter: Search for clues about the prison’s layout and uncover hidden passages through deciphering old documents.

Act 4: The Echoing Halls

Setting: Long, dark corridors of the prison, echoing with the sounds of distant chains.
Encounter: Avoid detection by the Elite Spectral Guards, using stealth and the environment to move undetected.

Act 5: The Library of Whispers

Setting: An ancient, dusty library filled with cursed books.
Encounter: Solve the riddle given by a talking book to gain knowledge about the prison’s curse.

Act 6: The Courtyard of Shadows

Setting: A mist-filled courtyard with statues that seem to watch your every move.
Encounter: Deal with ghostly apparitions that mimic the player’s deepest fears, testing their resolve and mental strength.

Act 7: The Condemned Cells

Setting: The rows of small, cramped cells that once held prisoners.
Encounter: Free the spirit of a wrongfully accused prisoner who holds the key to a secret exit from the prison.

Act 8: The Torture Chamber

Setting: A gruesome room with remnants of torture devices.
Encounter: Overcome physical challenges to retrieve a cursed item necessary to weaken Eldrich Gore.

Act 9: The Cursed Crypt

Setting: Beneath the prison, a crypt that radiates dark energy.
Encounter: Break a minor curse by aligning ancient symbols in the correct sequence, drawing on clues found earlier in the adventure.

Act 10: The Gallows Tree

Setting: An eerie tree in the prison yard, used for hangings.
Encounter: Convince the restless spirits of the executed to reveal the path to the artifact hidden by Sir Arnold Hawthorne.

Act 11: The Shifting Maze

Setting: A labyrinthine section of the prison designed to disorient and trap.
Encounter: Navigate through the shifting walls by memorizing patterns or using magical guidance to find the way forward.

Act 12: The Final Escape

Setting: The collapsing tunnels leading out of the prison.
Encounter: Race against time and collapsing structures, using all the skills and knowledge gained to escape with the Specter’s Locket before the entire structure seals itself.

Each act is designed to be a standalone encounter that can be rearranged or omitted as needed, allowing you to create a dynamic and personalized narrative journey through the one shot modules.

Dialog Openers

Here is a table of dialogue openers designed for interacting with an oracle in a solo RPG setting. These questions are crafted to be yes/no inquiries, allowing the oracle to generate outcomes that guide the heroes decisions and interactions within the scenario. Your hero can use these at various locations or during conversations with NPCs to help advance the plot or resolve uncertainties.

• Is this character familiar with the curse of the prison?
• Does this location contain any hidden passages or secrets?
• Is the NPC I’m speaking with trustworthy?
• Can this item be used to weaken a supernatural entity?
• Are there any traps nearby that I should be aware of?
• Is this spirit aware of other trapped souls nearby?
• Does this character know the true purpose of the Specter’s Locket?
• Is there a hidden danger in this room?
• Can this NPC help me navigate the labyrinthine corridors?
• Has this character seen the Eldrich Gore recently?
• Is there a way to break the curse without the ritual?
• Can I find essential supplies in this area?
• Is the information provided by this character accurate?
• Will cooperating with this spirit lead me closer to my goal?
• Is there an escape route hidden in this location?
• Does this NPC hold a grudge against the barkeep, Jonas Quicksilver?
• Is the artifact hidden by Sir Arnold Hawthorne in this area?
• Are the Elite Spectral Guards approaching this location?
• Can the walls of this prison collapse at any moment?
• Will engaging with this trap alert other enemies?

These openers allow your character to interact with the game world dynamically, letting the oracle shape the unfolding adventure based on the outcomes of these pivotal questions.

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