Uploaded to DriveThruRPG and RPGNow in time for the weekend (and Halloween!):
Halloween is finally here and everybody has one thing on their mind: CANDY CANDY CANDY. This love of sweets is completely natural but there’s something decidedly unnatural happening tonight. A normal night of trick-or-treating soon turns into something dark and gruesome when the gang discovers someone might be handing out some bad treats—confections that’ll turn more than your stomach.
Be sure to check your candies, kiddos.
As with all the Campfire Tales, “Death by Chocolate” is just $2 for a full standalone episode including two new monsters and four new GMCs for use with this or any Little Fears Nightmare Edition episode.
I hope you enjoy the new tale! If you get a chance to play it, let me know what you think.
I liked this one. -SPOILERS- The adult creating the monster is a bit divorced from how I’ve seen the world in the past, but not something I outright reject, probably because the source of the chocolate is still unclear and open to interpretation. -SPOILERS-
All in all, though, the branching structure and opportunity for the Keepers to set their own follow-up plot hooks both appeal was nice. Now: since this and Beggar’s Night exist in direct competition for the Halloween game table, I think I prefer Beggar’s Night if only for its monsters (I’m very fond of the Mizzy Beggar – probably my favourite Scary-tier Monster), but as a module there’s a lot to be said about CF4.
On the note of “direct competition”, I think it’s I have to point out a bit of a dull pattern: holidays. In fact, it’s a bit wider than “holidays” but let’s focus on them. Don’t get me wrong: I definitely like the odd, cozy/creepy feeling of the adventure being released and set in the real world time of year. It’s just that every single CF book so far has been intrinsically tied to a holiday celebration, except maybe CF2. Counting it, there are twice as many holiday Stories in the NE product line as there are not-holiday Stories. I understand the urge to turn an April release into a monstrous Easter Bunny but it feels like a rut to me. Can’t we see something that’s just set in the current time of year instead of about it? I know you’re probably going to return to Old Man Winter for the December release, and unless its title is very misleading, it’s almost too bad.
(I’m prepared to throw a happy blind eye to Halloween, though. It feels too much like the game’s patron season to complain about more Trick-or-Treating. The timing of my complaint is a bit odd, then, considering this module isn’t bothering me.)
Oh, one last note. When you introduce Tricia and Utley, you say they don’t have character profiles. Obviously you changed your mind about Utley and the line is incorrect in his regard. I think it’s a good thing you changed it: he needs one. But I think excluding Tricia was a mistake! The Keeper doesn’t play her for long, but she’s easily more important than any other character in the story. Details are bound to come up in investigation. In a way, I’d also have appreciated more details about Mr. Mumbley as a GMC, but I can see why you would exclude him at the same time.
In the original Campfire Tales spec, less than half were set during the holidays their releases coincided with. Obviously, when I had to abandon the monthly schedule those were never realized.
I hesitated doing another Halloween episode but went forward as the concept and adventure solidified into something I thought was compelling.
If you include the scenarios in Books 1 and 2, the holiday to non-holiday ration is 1:1 and I’m okay with that considering I’ve only released a half-dozen episodes. (I don’t consider Campfire Tales #2: The Fall Harvest to be a holiday episode.)
The next one, Dead Leaves, is not about autumn but is an episode that could only take place in autumn (the same with Old Man Winter).
I agree tying every episode to a holiday would be a bit much but I like to take advantage of the larger season. Would folks be interested in a summer camp episode released in December? (I’m honestly curious.)
RE: Tricia and Utley: During revisions, I consolidated Utley and another character. I thought I had fixed that line! I’ve corrected it now and am uploaded the fixed PDF right after I submit this comment.
*SPOILERS*I thought about giving Tricia a full write-up but since she’s out of the picture quickly and her backstory could be anything (it’s inconsequential to the material presented so the GM is free to invent whatever she likes to fit whatever details or branches she wants) in favor of GMCs the characters could spend more time with. But, in the end, none of the GMCs are truly that important as presented.*SPOILERS*
I really appreciate the honest feedback, Jason. I’m not one who only likes to hear what folks like (though I do love to hear that). Depending on how things go, I’d like to release as much material next year as I did this year (and I’m quite pleased with how much Little Fears-related stuff I managed to push out this year even if I didn’t manage twelve Campfire Tales) and having this feedback helps inform that material.
I did notice the GMCs were less important in this one. That frees them up for use when needed and keeps them from forcing the plot, which like I said in 3 wasn’t how we play. So a plus from this direction, certainly.
As to summer-in-December, I do like how the season matches the current season to a point. On the other hand, if you think you won’t be releasing Campfire Tales in the summer for whatever secret or not-so-secret reasons, maybe it would be best to branch out. It’d be nice to have a campfire tale in the Campfire Tales.
Heh. No secret reasons. I just got too busy with Book 2, Happy Birthday, and then starting a new job to continue the line.
I have three summer episodes (one of which is a favorite of mine to run) and two spring episodes I’d love to do. I already have the next two Campfire Tales planned but I’ll definitely keep these in mind for the next batch.
Thanks for the feedback!
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