The

Dreaming
Ward
A Convention Scenario for Call of Cthulhu
 Credits
Written by
Matthew Sanderson

Development and Editing by

Mike Mason

Layout by
Nicholas Nacario

Cartography by
Matthew Sanderson

The Dreaming Ward is copyright © 2017 by Chaosium Inc. All rights reserved.

This supplement is best used with the CALL OF CTHULHU (7th Edition) roleplaying game, available separate-ly from www.
chaosium.com

This is a work of fiction. This work may include descriptions of real places, real events, and real people. These may not be present-
ed accurately and with conformity to the real world nature of these places, people, and events, and are reinterpreted through the
lens of the Cthulhu Mythos and the Call of Cthulhu game in general. No offence to anyone living or dead, or to the inhabitants
of any of these places is intended. Mate-rial is fictionalized and used here as the basis for tales inspired from the imagination of
writers of weird horror fiction.

The reproduction of material from within this book for the purposes of personal or corporate profit by photographic, electronic, or
other retrieval media is prohibited.
 Table of Contents
Introduction���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 4

Investigator Introduction ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 4

Keeper Information���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 5

First Day: Arrival ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 5

Tour of the Ward ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 6

Other Patients������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 7

First Night: Events ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 9

Second Day: Morning������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 9

Second Day: Afternoon�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 11

Second Night: Therapy Session�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 12

Conclusion ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 15

Characters and Monsters ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 15

Handouts ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 17

Pre-Generated Character Sheets������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 18

 THE DREAMING WARD
4

The Dreaming Ward

Seeking a way to repair their damaged sanity, the investigators are about to enter a waking nightmare.

Introduction Investigator
The Dreaming Ward takes place in the psychiatric ward of a
university hospital, during January 1926. The investigators Information
are seeking psychiatric help after suffering mental trauma
(that resulted in Sanity loss). Horrifying dreams, relating Paraphrase the following information to the players:
to a recent trauma, have been disrupting their sleep. After
hearing of dream therapy studies at the University at In their dreams, the investigators are reliving the subject
Albany, the investigators have applied to attend sessions of their trauma (i.e. what caused their Sanity loss). Each
there. The head of the psychiatric ward, Dr. Randall night, they wake in terror from their nightmares. After weeks
Thorne, believes he might be able to help them. of tortured sleep, the investigators have sought out help can
Six pre-generated investigators can be found at the come into contact Dr. Thorne after seeing an advertisement
back of the scenario. Keepers may use these or create in the local newspaper.
their own pre-gens. Likewise, if desired, the setting could
be renamed and relocated with a little work. Give the players Handout: Newspaper Advertisement.
While the scenario does not take place in the
Dreamlands, the Keeper is encouraged to be familiar Subsequently, each investigator has been visited by
with Lovecraft’s “The Dream-Quest of Unknown the doctor and told they will benefit from taking part
Kadath” which explains many of the references within. in the study. The investigators arrive at the university
The sourcebook H.P. Lovecraft’s Dreamlands is helpful hospital in the opening scene.
but not essential.

Note: the events surrounding the Mythos induced Research?

trauma that feature in the backgrounds of the pre-
generated investigators are taken from the scenario If a player states they would have wanted to research Dr.
“Amidst the Ancient Trees,” which appears in the Call of Thorne before heading to the hospital, call for a KNOW
Cthulhu Rulebook. or Library Use roll; if either is successful, they learned
the following:
Born in the local area, Dr. Thorne studied medicine
The University at Albany and psychology at university. After fifteen years of
The official title of this internationally recognized working in the medical profession, he returned to
research institution is the University at Albany, State academia, taking up a teaching role at the hospital of
University of New York. Founded in 1844, its campuses the University at Albany to help cultivate new talent. He
are located in Guilderland, and East Greenbush, New took an interest in dream research following outbreaks of
York. Albany, New York is approximately 30 miles group folly and mania that occurred across the country
southwest of Bennington, Vermont (where the pre- during the spring of 1925. In many instances, patients
generated investigators are based). admitted to having suffered from nightmares, which
may have caused their condition. Dr. Thorne has been
studying dream therapy ever since.

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THE DREAMING WARD
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Keeper
Information Suffering from
Dr. Thorne has no knowledge of the Cthulhu Mythos.
He does not comprehend that he actually witnessed the
aftermath of the “Call of Cthulhu” amongst sensitive
Nightmares?
dreamers during the spring of 1925. After much research, University Hospital Seeks Participants
manipulating patients’ dreams through a combination of For Dream Therapy Study
drugs and hypnosis, Dr. Thorne believes he is close to
finding a cure for certain forms of madness.
Recently, he uncovered a series of images that recur Successful applicants will be paid $5 a night (3
in different patients’ dreams and is investigating this nights, with accommodation and meals provided)
coincidence. Unbeknownst to him, he has stumbled to participate in a study of their dreams, leading
upon the experiences of travelers to the Dreamlands. to possible treatment. Group therapy involved.
In trying to determine the nature of these images, Dr.
Thornes’ experiments have weakened the barrier between
Confidentiality assured. Please contact the Office
the Waking World and the Dreamlands. of Dr. Randall Thorne to arrange an appointment.
The psychiatric ward has formed its own Dreamscape,
which is affecting the chasm (divide) separating the University at Albany, State University of New York
Waking World from the Dreamlands. The incident has
attracted Atlach-Nacha, the Great Old One, who seeks
to bridge and repair the chasm with its web. The breach
threatens to destroy strands of its web, something Atlach-
Nacha will not allow to happen. When the damage The ward’s reception desk is located at the base
becomes too great, its minions will break through to of the staircase. The investigators are greeted by two
destroy the Dreamscape, thus halting further threat to administration clerks, who check them in and call for Dr.
the web. This means killing all the dreamers and anyone Thorne. After a few minutes, Dr. Thorne soon appears
else that gets in their way – like the investigators. with Nurse Amy Levine.
Dr. Thorne begins by asking the investigators to
sign a confidential agreement. The therapy and study
involve group sessions wherein patients’ dreams are
First Day: Arrival discussed. The doctor explains that group therapy
is effective, emphasizing that a problem shared is a
Being January, it is bitterly cold outside and a layer of problem halved. The agreement binds the investigators to
snow covers the ground. The university hospital is on confidentiality, making them open to prosecution if they
the outskirts of town, close to the university campuses. divulge information about another patient’s therapy to a
Formerly a manor house belonging to a former chancellor third party. A successful Law roll confirms there is not
of the university, the building was left to the university untoward or malicious intent concealed in the wording
in his will. A large set of iron gates opens through the of the document.
eight-foot wall surrounding the grounds. The drive is
long and wide, passing through a large garden decorated With all the documents signed, Dr. Thorne outlines the
with immaculate topiary of geometric shapes. The front study to the investigators (paraphrase the following):
entrance leads to the reception. Ambulances admit
patients through the converted rear of the building. Day One
The lobby retains some of its opulent past but is
now a working reception. The receptionist shows the • Day: the investigators undergo normal patient
investigators through to the East Wing (formerly check-in, involving leaving all personal items at
servants’ quarters and guest bedrooms). A barred, prison- the reception. Clothes will be provided. After
style door leads to a helical staircase that accesses all this, a tour of the ward is given and everyone
three floors of the ward, overlooked by a glass dome. allocated his or her rooms.
Wire mesh fencing lines the open center space of the
staircase. All entrances from the staircase to the rest of • Night: patients are monitored as they sleep.
the hospital are locked at all times.

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Tour of the Ward
Dr. Thorne
Note: see the plans of the Ward, collected at the end of
Description: graying, well-kept hair, with an aging the scenario.
face. Warm eyes behind a pair of round spectacles.
Dressed in a smart, tweed suit with pocket-watch Nurse Amy Levine is stern but polite; a short lady, with
chain across the front of his waistcoat. The faint tied-back red hair. She takes the investigators to the
odor of tobacco smoke surrounds him, and a pipe changing rooms where they are instructed to change
is tucked into his top pocket. into sets of plain, hospital gowns. All of the investigators’
clothing and possessions are collected and put in storage
Traits: caring, confident, determined, dignified, for the duration of their stay. Investigators wishing to sneak
polite. items into the hospital can do at the Keeper’s discretion
(within reason), requiring a successful Stealth roll.
Roleplaying hooks: The investigators then assemble back at the reception
desk, while Nurse Levine outlines the rules all must
• Genuinely cares for his patients. Strong follow in the ward:
desire to uncover the truth behind the
investigators’ shared dreams. Has to be • Instructions from all doctors, nurses, and
careful not push his patients too far in his attendants are to be obeyed without question.
eagerness. Failure to comply may result in the intervention
• A firm skeptic and does not believe in the of an attendant to force compliance.
supernatural, as science can explain every-
thing. Once confronted by evidence of the • Antagonizing patients will not be tolerated.
Mythos, he retreats into complete denial. Those breaking this rule will be isolated for the
duration of their stay.

• No contact with the outside world is allowed

until the program had ended and the patient
Day Two has left the hospital. Therapy is being conducted
in a carefully controlled environment; external
• Day: patients gather for a group session to stimuli can disrupt this and affect the study’s
describe their experiences of the previous night. results.
The rest of the day is theirs.
• Failure to comply with these rules forfeits all
• Night: patients are given drugs to take them to payment for the study.
the edge of consciousness and then hypnotized
to allow Dr. Thorne to manipulate their dreams. Nurse Levine then conducts a tour of each floor:
This procedure should allow them to confront
the source of what troubles them. • First floor: restrooms, washrooms, storage rooms
and a dining hall. Food is delivered to the dining
Day Three hall via dumbwaiter from the basement.

• Day: a possible side effect of the drugs is • Second floor: patient quarters and communal
tiredness; thus, the following morning patients area.
get to sleep in for longer than usual. Later,
patients are interviewed to record their response • Third floor: examination rooms, Dr. Thorne’s
to the therapy session. office, Miss Louisa Baker’s office (Dr. Thorne’s
secretary), and treatment rooms.
• Night: patients are monitored again.

Day Four: Note: the laundry and kitchen, etc., are located elsewhere
in the hospital.
• Day: patients are interviewed to assess how they
slept. Following this, patients are released from As they are shown around, the investigators get
the program and their possessions returned, to see the various staff on the ward (see Ward Staff,
along with a payment of $15. nearby). During the tour, mention that the corridors

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THE DREAMING WARD
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are somewhat dusty. The odd cobweb dangles from the
ceiling—if asked about cleaning, Nurse Levine shrugs Ward Staff
and states that the old house has always been dusty; their
prime focus is helping the patients recover. In terms of staff, there are six attendants, two
Nurse Levine ends the tour in the communal area on nurses, and two administration staff, in addition
the second floor. A pool table stands to one end, while to Dr. Thorne, Nurse Levine, and Miss Baker. The
a table at the other end has a chess set. There are many Keeper is encouraged to generate some personalities
comfortable chairs. Dr. Thorne is here and introduces the for these other unnamed members of staff; they are
investigators to the Other Patients (see following). not integral to the scenario but can provide as much
Following introductions to the patients, the added texture as the Keeper sees fit.
investigators are shown to their rooms, which resemble
prison cells with sturdy metal doors. The doors are usually Roleplaying hooks:
open and never locked, as the patients are not considered
to pose any significant risk or danger to staff. • All of the staff shares the common desire
Once in their accommodation, the investigators to protect their patients; they know how
are free to explore as they wish and are encouraged to dangerous patients can become and, to
socialize in the communal area, where they can talk with protect themselves, they must be fair but firm.
the other patients, learn about their stories, and get a feel
for life on the ward. On the whole, the other patients
are favorable to Dr. Thorne, although Celia James doesn’t
believe she has any problems that need fixing, and she dreams here, she can only access the Dreamscape
Edmund Newton is impatient to see an improvement in of the psychiatric ward, which has blocked the way to
his condition. the Dreamlands. Unbeknownst to Celia, her continued
efforts to try and reach the Dreamlands are causing more
damage to the fabric of reality around her, making the
Other Patients Dreamscape of the psychiatric ward larger still.
Celia is of special interest to Dr. Thorne, as she has
The psychiatric ward accommodates twelve patients, who confided some details about her Dreamlands experiences
are usually transferred from nearby asylums (if considered to him. Her descriptions of the Cavern of Flame and
to be not a danger to other patients), as well as those the Enchanted Wood match those he has obtained from
referred by local psychiatrists. The current patients all other dreamers. Dr. Thorne wants to begin hypnosis
suffer from sleep disorders. They are all participating in sessions next week to uncover more details of her dreams.
Dr. Thorne’s study.
• Description: short, round face, with curly blonde
hair and deep blue eyes.
Celia James (19) • Traits: shy but only because she doubts people
A literature student at the university, Celia was always would believe the truth about her dreams. If
close to her brother Lewis and took it very hard when someone talks to her about literature (her favorite
he was killed in an automobile accident a couple of years subject) she opens up a little and is friendlier to
ago. In her grief, Celia dwelt on her memories of Lewis them.
and this echoed into her dreams, wherein she found the
way to the Dreamlands. Eventually, she recreated Lewis • Special: an accomplished dreamer who would
there from her memories. give anything to physically enter the Dreamlands
Celia sleepwalks. Her parents have seen her climb up (where she can be with her brother forever), but
and down the stairs at home, representing her descent only because she doubts people would believe
along the 700 steps to the Gates of Deep Slumber. After the truth about her dreams.
hearing her talk to Lewis in her sleepwalking state on
numerous occasions, her parents were worried she was
becoming unstable. They referred her to the university Emma G ill (2 5)
hospital.
Celia has been in the ward for about a week and a half Worked as a florist and shop cashier. She’s led a relatively
now. She has found that, while there, she is completely normal life and married the love of her life late last year.
incapable of reaching the Dreamlands. The steps that She suffered from night terrors since childhood. Her
should lead to the Cavern of Flame now lead only to an husband John is an artist, who was recently injured when
empty stone chamber, from which there is no exit—while Emma awoke in a fit and nearly blinded him. John begged

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 THE DREAMING WARD
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Emma to seek help and she checked herself into the ward. Edmund Newton (27)
Dr. Thorne is trying to establish what triggers
Emma’s night terrors. He suspects it might be tied to Edmund was a policeman but was dismissed a month
her being frequently overtired. Emma has to work two ago. His development of narcolepsy (excessive daytime
jobs to support her family, putting a strain on her body sleepiness) and cataplexy (sudden loss of muscle
and mind. During her stay, Emma’s night terrors have strength) was to blame, preventing him from performing
lessened. Her sleep patterns are being varied to provoke a his duties. Edmund fell asleep on duty repeatedly, once
response. She’s been in the ward for about a week. collapsing in mid-pursuit of a burglar. Since then, finding
employment has been difficult; thus, he has sought help
• Description: slender, average height, long brown at the ward. He’s only been in the ward for three days by
hair tied back. this point.
In the 1920s, narcolepsy was not fully understood.
• Traits: Emma desperately wants the treatment Dr. Thorne is trying to determine the trigger for his
to be successful so that she can return home. attacks, suspecting it may be tied to strong emotion. He
She is anxious or tired at times due to her new has prescribed Edmund various mood-altering drugs
sleep patterns. She also suffers from extreme and is monitoring each one in relation to his attacks.
arachnophobia (fear of spiders) and will scream
uncontrollably if she sees a spider. • Description: average height, well-built, short
hair, clean-shaven.

Barry Lambert (36) • Traits: Edmund always wanted to be a policeman

but now his hopes have been dashed. He has
A librarian who adores books, especially gothic horror a short fuse, often lashing out in frustration at
stories (which he often reads late into the night), Barry those around him; however, such bursts of anger
has suffered from sleep paralysis for about six months. can trigger his narcolepsy. He wants to be cured
When he awakens, he is unable to move for several but doesn’t know what he will do with his life
minutes, leading to several panic attacks that have when he returns home.
impacted greatly upon him. His wife and fellow librarian,
Jenny, suggested he check into the ward to find a means
to end his panic attacks (at the very least). He’s been in Bernard Rowe (42)
the ward for two weeks.
Dr. Thorne believes the cause is tied to sleep Recently promoted to a key account manager at a local
deprivation (caused partially by late-night reading). bank, Bernard was in high profile position dealing with
Since being admitted two weeks ago, he has suffered influential clients. While it gave him a larger salary, it
fewer incidents of paralysis. The doctor is ensuring Barry has also given him a lot of stress. Recently, he’s developed
gets more sleep and has prescribed drugs to address his insomnia, which makes him acutely irritable and has
anxiety of further attacks. affected his short-term memory. Bernard has been
granted extended leave, although he fears that if he isn’t
• Description: wild and untidy brown hair, thick cured soon, he could lose his job. He’s been in the ward
eyebrows above wide brown eyes, unshaven. for five days.
Dr. Thorne is currently prescribing a variety of drug
• Traits: Barry is friendly, helpful, and talkative treatments in combination with a strict sleep pattern.
during the day. He gets on well with Celica James,
sharing her love of literature. He is quieter and • Description: tall, balding, thick mustache, wears
anxious at night; the approaching inevitability glasses.
of sleep makes him uncomfortable, fearing he
might be paralyzed again when he awakens. • Traits: Bernard is unmarried. He is worried that
losing his job might cost him everything, being
unable to maintain payments on his house. The
drug treatment has helped him sleep but suffers
from short-term memory loss.

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Shared Dream
First Night: When the investigators are asleep, they enter a shared
dream and find themselves at the end of the hospital
Events corridor. The doors to all the patients’ rooms are wide
open. In their own rooms, they see the subject of their
nightmares and psychological trauma being played out
again and again, provoking a Sanity roll (0/1D3 loss)—
Celia Sleepwalks see Nightmares of the Investigators in the box nearby.
Each of the nightmares links to the investigator’s
backstory (see the write ups at the back of this scenario).
After a mediocre stew for dinner, the investigators retire Note that while each investigator’s room is personal to
to bed. They are told the attendants will look in on them them, other investigators entering that room also get
every 30–60 minutes to record their behavior; otherwise, to experience the same nightmare. If they wish, the
they will be left alone for the night. Each door is left investigators can run away from the living nightmare
open a fraction, allowing in some light from the corridor. or fight it—by making a POW roll; if successful, the
All patients are in bed by 10 p.m., with Dr. Thorne and nightmare vanishes. Failure results in the subject of the
Nurse Levine doing their rounds (administering drug nightmare struggling with the investigator until they
treatments). Dr. Thorne then sits down at a table at the eventually wake, inflicting a further and automatic 1D3
end of the corridor where he can see all the patients’ Sanity loss.
room doors. He waits here with a newspaper and cup of If entering the rooms of the other (non-investigator)
coffee, waiting for Celia James to sleepwalk. patients, the investigators see writhing impressions upon
At midnight, Celia begins her descent into the the beds, as though an invisible figure was restrained
Dreamlands, sleepwalking down the corridor to the there. Should they check, they can feel nothing nor see
staircase. Dr. Thorne follows close behind, writing any sign of the room’s occupation, just their invisible
everything she mumbles in his journal. If they are impression upon the bed; Sanity roll (0/1 loss).
asleep, the investigators can attempt a Hard Listen roll From Celia’s room, there is a sudden scream. Inside,
to hear Celia’s door open and the two sets of footsteps the investigators see a four-legged and four-armed figure
moving down the corridor. If they are already awake, they in a nurse’s uniform from behind, leaning over Celia’s
automatically hear the noise. bed. Celia is strapped down on the bed. The nightmare
If following quietly, Dr. Thorne does not notice the nurse holds a variety of surgical implements (two saws,
investigator(s) until Celia reaches the bottom of the a scalpel, and a syringe). The scream is cut short and the
staircase. He turns and silently motion for everyone to figure turns around with Celia’s severed head in one of
remain quiet. A Listen roll is needed to hear Celia’s its hands. The nightmare nurse’s face is full of blinking
mumblings more clearly. On the way down the stairs, she insect-like eyes and a wide mouth lined with needle-
looks around, saying, “This isn’t right” and “something is sharp teeth. It smiles and says, “Most satisfactory. Next
wrong” (as the staircase to the Cavern of Flame is still not patient, please!” Call for a Sanity roll (1/1D4 loss).
as it should be). There are 30 steps between each floor; Finally, some huge and invisible force starts to pull
Celia walks down 10 steps, then backward up the stairs and wrestle with the chain-link fence surrounding the
for 5 steps, then down 10 again, back 5, and so forth, stairwell, causing a tremendous and fear-inducing noise.
counting as she does. This way, she reaches the bottom Just then it seems the fence is about to be torn asunder,
of the staircase upon counting to 70. She then looks the investigators wake up with a scream, which echoes
concerned and moves over to the wall beside the door those of Emma Newton as she suffers an attack of night
leading to the rest of the hospital. She runs her hands terrors. She has not experienced the same dream; none of
along the wall asking “where has it gone?” and “where is the other patients have.
the way down?” (She cannot find the 700 steps that lead
to the Gates of Deep Slumber.) Before giving up and
walking back to her room, Celia mumbles “my friends,
where are you?” She has, once again, reached the empty Second Day:
cavern of the psychiatric ward’s Dreamscape rather than
the Cavern of Flame where her friends (Nasht and
Kaman-Thah who guard the Gates of Deep Slumber) Morning
usually greet her. Following this, Dr. Thorne leaves for
the evening and instructs the investigators to return to On the way to the washrooms, the Keeper should mention
their beds. that more cobwebs have appeared overnight. Little spiders
sit in the webs and seem to watch the investigators. Any

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 THE DREAMING WARD
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spider is nowhere to be found. The attendants, at Dr.
Nightmares of the Thorne’s instruction, take her back to her room. She is
Investigators sedated and remains in her room all day.
Confronting Celia James over breakfast about her
Simon Gregory: the floor of the room is a pool sleepwalking requires a successful Charm or Persuade
of water. Gla’aki begins to rise from the depths. roll; otherwise, she becomes agitated, prompting Nurse
Tentacles try to pull Simon onto its spikes. Levine to intervene and remind the investigators
about not upsetting the other patients. Celia is moved
Alexis Wright: the walls of the room are dark, away from them. If they succeed in getting Celia to
shifting water. Through them, Roger (her dead talk, she states that she doesn’t remember sleepwalking
fiancé) tries to pull Alexis in to join him in the cold but believes she did dream. While it started like other
embrace of death. The room is freezing cold and dreams she has had before (the staircase leading down),
water drips from the walls, making a large pool on it eventually went wrong, as the staircase didn’t look the
the floor. way it should, the cavern at the bottom was wrong, and
her friends weren’t there to meet her (she describes her
William Hoffman: a shadowy room, lined with “friends” (Nasht and Kaman-Thah) as being dressed in
trees, the sound of gunfire in the distance. William robes). If questioned further, she says nothing more and
enters and is knocked to the ground by an unseen becomes agitated, prompting Nurse Levine to intervene.
force. A figure rushes out of the trees and stands After breakfast, the investigators and patients
over him, moving in to shoot. (except for Emma Gill) are invited to a group session
with Dr. Thorne. The doctor proceeds to ask questions
Pamela Campbell: the entrance to a cabin appears about any dreams they had the previous night. Use the
on the far wall. An undead zombie-like man (a following, paraphrasing a necessary—pick two before
servant of Gla’aki) emerges, dressed in an old Union moving onto the investigators’ experiences (or vice versa);
Army uniform. He tries to grab and drag Pamela into the investigators can always hear about the rest of the
the darkness within the cabin. patients’ dreams after the session, during the afternoon
or before bed (or can be ignored if the Keeper needs to
Anthony Neal: the room is an inferno. Patients run move things along to keep to time).
out of the burning walls and into others in a chaotic
and confusing pandemonium. On the far wall is the • Celia James, feeling pressured by everyone
blocked entrance to the hospital ward. Screaming looking at her, states abruptly that her staircase
patients can be seen banging on the other side of was “all wrong” and that her friends didn’t meet
the doors through small windows. her in the chamber; “the way down there was
blocked.” She refuses to answer more questions
Gayle Shelton: a dark mine tunnel extending into and clams up. If any of the investigators try to
the distance. Approaching the tunnel, Gayle feels press for more details, Celia becomes agitated
something bad is coming. Suddenly, a swarm of rats and Dr. Thorne intervenes, stating that Celia has
rushed forward as the light in the room diminishes recurring dreams. He considers Celia’s account
into darkness. to be an interesting development, as there has
been a significant change, which could mean her
stay in the ward is having a positive effect. At
this, Celia makes it clear she doesn’t want her
webs the investigators might have brushed away in their dreams to change.
rooms before sleeping have now returned with more
besides. A few larger spiders scuttle along the skirting • Barry Lambert describes how he wandered
boards in some rooms before disappearing behind around a deserted castle during a thunderstorm.
furniture. As the first investigator enter the washrooms, In the distance, a clock repeatedly struck
a dozen large spiders scurry and escape down the central midnight, and he could hear monstrous beasts
grate in the middle of the tiled floor. stalking the corridors, their silhouettes cast upon
On the way to a breakfast of almost-warm porridge, the walls. Dr. Thorne says this is obviously a
Emma Gill notices the spiders—ideally when an collection of images drawn from Barry’s love of
investigator mentions them; otherwise, she does so when gothic fiction and asks if he had been thinking
dramatically appropriate. She screams and recoils into about such stories before he slept. Barry confirms
a corner whereupon a spider falls on her from a web this is the case.
above and scuttles into her dress. After this, she cannot
be calmed without a sedative. Searching her clothes, the

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• Edmund Newton chased a shadowy figure down Baker’s office is unlocked but the investigators need to
endlessly recurring corridors that led back on distract the secretary to cover any entrance or exit. See
themselves. When he finally caught the figure, it Dr. Thorne’s Office, following, if events proceed in this
vanished and he was lost in the maze. Dr. Thorne manner.
believes this is, partially, a memory of Edmund Alternatively (at the Keeper’s discretion), if the
running after the burglar who got away (see investigators decide to explore any of the unoccupied
Edmund’s write up in Other Patients, page @@), rooms on the first floor, they could encounter a void
and a metaphor for Edmund’s opinion that his spider (profile at end of scenario), which has only partially
condition might not be curable (that there is no manifested in the Waking World for a short time (halve
way out). The doctor says he wants to conduct the listed statistics to represent this). The void spider is
a therapy session tomorrow where they can try about two-feet across and lurking in the shadows of one
to manipulate the dream to create an exit and of the unoccupied rooms. Upon being discovered, it tries
shatter Edmund’s perception of the situation. to escape out of view behind some furniture. Pulling
the furniture away, the spider is nowhere to be found.
• Bernard Rowe dreamt that he was sat at his If attacked, it fights back for a round (without biting)
desk at the office. His in-tray kept filling up before trying to escape.
with paperwork whenever he looked away and, Should the investigators report an incident with the
eventually, the room was completely full of typed void spider this to the staff, the attendants and nurses are
sheets. Slowly buried alive by the increasing far more interested in what the investigators were doing
volume of paperwork appearing from nowhere, in the unoccupied room, rather than tall-tales about
the walls started to close in around Bernard, spiders. Meanwhile, the investigators should notice more
crushing him, and he awoke short of breath. Dr. cobwebs have appeared in the rooms and corridors.
Thorne is quite to the point, stating this is a clear
manifestation of Bernard’s stress.
Dr. Thorne’s Office
Dr. Thorne also asks the investigator to share their Dr. Thorne has a corner office on the third floor. Once
dreams and it may become apparent they experienced a lavish guest bedroom, the office retains a lot of the
a shared dream. The doctor becomes very interested, original furnishing (minus the bed). It has a picturesque
as he explains, shared dreams are an exceptionally rare view of the gardens. Bookcases of medical textbooks line
phenomenon and demand more study. He states this the room, while a filing cabinet of patient records stands
evening’s therapy session will attempt to uncover the behind a large antique desk.
meaning behind the metaphoric images in their dreams.
In the process, he aims to guide them in confronting the Note: in describing the office, comment that some of the
subjects of their nightmares. This will be the first step shelves on the bookcase are dusty, while spiders’ webs
towards longer-term psychological recovery. cling to the upper corners of the ceiling.
If the investigators describe what happened to Celia
James in their shared dream, she becomes very agitated, Dr. Thorne’s large, leather-bound journal (detailing
potentially requiring her to be taken back to her room. patient accounts of Dreamlands-related imagery) sits
For her, the dreams are real and, given the changes in her on the desk. The journal can be skim-read in the office
own dreams, she is very worried. Something is wrong. (if the investigators are prepared to take the risk of
being caught) or can be concealed upon their persons
(Stealth roll). It takes an hour to skim through, giving
Second Day: Afternoon the reader an insight into some of the more commonly
experienced aspects of the Dreamlands (see Handout:
For the rest of the day, the investigators are free to do as Thorne’s Journal). To thoroughly study the journal and
they wish. They may choose to spend time with the other its complex notes requires an entire day of study, which is
patients and hear about any dreams not covered in the beyond the confines of this scenario.
morning’s group therapy session. When Dr. Thorne returns, he discovers the journal
Dr. Thorne leaves the ward for a meeting elsewhere is missing (if not already replaced) and searches his
and returns later that afternoon. In his absence, the room. If the investigators left no evidence of their entry,
investigators might wish to break into his office to look at he mistakenly thinks he left the journal at home. Of
his research (journal). The door in the hallway is locked, course, if the investigators damaged the door by using
requiring a Locksmith roll to pick the lock (which needs brute force to get in, the doctor calls a staff meeting and
a lock-pick fashioned from a hairpin or similar item, if orders a search of the patient’s rooms. If the investigators
they can find one) or, if they don’t mind making noise, succeed with the Stealth roll, they manage to keep the
a Hard STR or SIZ roll. The connecting door in Miss journal out of sight.

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Handout: Thorne’s Journal Second Night:
Dr. Thorne’s journal consists of notes from his
interviews with patients, who are referred to by Therapy Session
single initials, rather than their full names. The
following are excerpts of the most common imagery The therapy session takes place in Dr. Thorne’s office after
appearing in multiple accounts: the other patients have been sent to sleep at 10 p.m. All
of the investigators are required to attend. A cocktail of
• A long, tunneled stairway that descends drugs is injected into the investigators; Dr. Thorne then
into darkness. proceeds to hypnotize each of them. The investigators
• Two priest-like figures, in Egyptian-style drift towards sleep but remain conscious; it gets harder to
attire, stood in a rocky cave in front of a focus as their perceptions become distorted. Colors are
pillar of purple flame, which reaches from vivid one moment and subtle the next. The investigators
floor to ceiling. stand on the border between waking and sleeping. Dr.
Thorne tells them to close their eyes. A few moments
• A forest of oak trees. The boughs are later, the doctor asks them to open their eyes. The
intertwined so that little light reaches the investigators see themselves in Dr. Thorne’s office.
ground. Glowing fungi illuminates the Movement in this state feels more like gliding
twilight. than walking. Dr. Thorne’s voice, as he guides them via
• Ruins of a long dead city stand on the hypnosis, manifests through intercom speakers on the
shore of a dead lake in a desert. walls. He directs the investigators back to the corridor
they saw themselves in last night; gliding through the
• Enormous pillars rising high out of a mighty
office door brings the investigators to the corridor as it
ocean. Beyond them, the ocean falls into
was in their dream. Dr. Thorne asks each investigator, in
oblivion, forming a gigantic waterfall.
turn, to go their room and confront the subject of their
• Shepherds guiding flocks on flat fields. nightmare (see Nightmares of the Investigators, page
A gray mountain range stands on the far @@).
horizon. From between two peaks, a shaft Combating their nightmare requires each investigator
of blue light shoots up into the dark sky. to succeed with a Hard POW roll. If successful, ask each
• A Middle-Eastern city has wide streets player to describe how he or she overcomes their fear,
paved in onyx and lined by whitewashed making the subject of their nightmare vanish. Note that
clay buildings, topped by the bronze an investigator receives a bonus dice to the POW roll if
minarets. they successfully combated the subject of the nightmare
the previous night (see Shared Dream, page @@).
• Underground. The floor of a vast cavern is Failure manifests in a standoff; the investigator is forced
littered with countless bones as far as the to withdraw, returning to the corridor and suffering the
eye can see. automatic loss of 1D3 Sanity points.
After each investigator has tried to combat their
nightmare, Dr. Thorne leads them to what they saw in
If the journal is found on an investigator or is the other patients’ rooms (Shared Dream). Each room
discovered in their room, the member of staff who finds requires a POW roll to see a deeper level of the image.
it appears sympathetic, as they know how boring it can The impressions upon the beds are made by the sleeping
be in the ward for the patients—this is a hint to the patients, who are cocooned in cobwebs. Spiders crawl
investigator, who may attempt a Charm roll to appeal under their skin and across their bodies. Call for a Sanity
to the staff member’s better nature. If successful, the roll (0/1 loss). When they enter Celia James’ room, they
nurse or attendant says they will get the journal back see the nightmare for what “it” really is—a void spider—
to Dr. Thorne’s office; no one else needs to know. If provoking a Sanity roll (1/1D6 for seeing a void spider).
unsuccessful, the nurse or attendant smiles and says, for This is the moment when the barrier between
a small fee, they could turn a blind eye and not find the the Waking World and ward’s Dreamscape shatters.
journal at all. The member of staff will comply honestly Suddenly, the investigators find themselves back in
with whichever option the investigator chooses. If the Thorne’s office—the investigators may think they have
investigator messes up, the journal is taken and Dr. woken up but in actuality, they are still dreaming. The
Thorne is told. The doctor doesn’t bring the incident up shattering of the barrier between worlds means that
again unless the investigator in question does something they are now trapped in the Dreamscape of the ward
to provoke him. (see below). An unwelcome visitor is also present in the

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office—a void spider, which fully manifested, attacks Dr. • Emma Gill is suspended in the center of a cavern,
Thorne and successfully implants an egg in him (see the caught in a spider’s giant web. Two void spiders
monster’s write up at the end of the scenario). crawl towards her. A Hard DEX roll is required
The void spider attempts to use its spawning bite to run through the web and get to her before the
attack on all present; once it has implanted at least one spiders do. Each spider attempts to lay eggs in
egg in an investigator present, it flees through the door her, which hatch 1D6 rounds (rather than hours)
into the ward. later. Time runs differently in her nightmare.

• Celia James sits in the middle of her room, the

The Dreamscape wreckage of a car crash around her. She holds
the lifeless body of her brother in her arms and
The Dreamscape is a pastiche of the dreams and weeps uncontrollably. She yells at the corpse,
nightmares of the patients in the ward. The corridors now “why doesn’t it work?” and “why don’t you get
resemble those of an abandoned castle, which stretch on up?” She attacks any investigators that come
for great distances, with the “remains” of the entire ward’s close with a piece of sharp, twisted metal (1D8
staff (including Miss Baker and Nurse Levine) scattered damage), believing that they are trying to take
throughout. Some have been torn apart by void spiders, her brother away.
others killed from eggs hatching inside them. Screams
can be heard in the distance from unseen sources. The • Barry Lambert is being pursued by a void spider
ominous sound of a clock chiming midnight comes from down a corridor, which continually loops back
somewhere above at random times. Shadows flicker on itself. The investigators must catch Barry
on far walls, hinting that something terrible might be before the spiders do (if time permits, this could
lurking close by. be run as a chase sequence; otherwise, call for
Looking out of the windows, the investigator sees a CON roll from the investigators in the chase:
a forest of oak trees surrounded by glowing fungi (the an extreme success grants two bonus dice, any
Enchanted Wood in the Dreamlands), which seems to other success grants a bonus die, and failure a
be receding into the distance, swallowed by darkness. penalty die; then call for a DEX roll from the
Breaking the window exposes the truth of what lies investigators, applying the penalty or bonus
beyond: the gaping void of the chasm between worlds dice as necessary—if successful, the investigator
(provoking a Sanity roll (1/1D4 loss)). Sticky cobwebs, catches up to Barry. The spider tears Barry apart
carried on a breeze of stale air, blow in through the open if it catches him first.
window.
Navigation in the Dreamscape is difficult. Some of • Edmund Newton is trapped in a room with no
the ward’s original rooms still exist (the stairwell, Dr. exits. Opening the door, the investigators are
Thorne’s office, and the patients’ rooms) but the rest of met with a blank wall but can hear Edmund
the environment is in flux. If the investigators wish to (in the grip of a panic attack) on the other side.
find any room other than these, a Luck roll is required The investigators must break through the wall in
to see if it exists. If it doesn’t, the investigators wander 1D6 rounds, requiring a Hard STR roll, before
through never-ending corridors in search of a room they Edmund, in his desperation, commits suicide by
will never find. Trying to navigate to one of the existing smashing his head repeatedly into the wall.
rooms is a POW roll. Failures on either of the rolls mean
the investigators encounter 1D3 void spiders, which • Bernard Rowe is buried and slowly sinking
attempt to lay eggs in as many of the investigators as into a pit full of sheets of crumpled paper. The
possible before scuttling away. investigators require a Hard Spot Hidden roll to
Patient rooms are no longer near each other; they are find Bernard within 1D8 rounds before the pit
scattered throughout the Dreamscape. In each room, the closes and crushes him to death.
relevant patient is sleeping, trapped in the nightmares
they described in the group session that morning. Believing that Dr. Thorne might be knowingly
To wake the patients, the investigators must inflict responsible for what is happening, the investigators may
at least 1 point of damage upon them— damage from try to confront him in his office. The doctor has no idea
any other source does not wake them. When the patient what is happening. It should become apparent that he is
either wakes or dies, he or she and the nightmare in completely ignorant of the forces he has meddled with,
their room vanish. Inflicting enough damage will kill the can be confirmed with a Psychology roll. At this point, or
patients. when otherwise dramatically appropriate, the egg in Dr.
Thorne hatches. The Keeper is free to decide whether or
not the doctor survives this unpleasant event.

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Escape
Keeper Advice:
To escape the Dreamscape, the patients and investigators Running Out of Time
must wake from the Dreamscape. The vanishing of the
patients and their nightmares in their rooms should If the Keeper desires, the scenario can be pushed
be a clue (per the 1 point of damage inflicted by the towards a swifter conclusion by moving straight
investigators). If the players fail to grasp this, Celia to The Chasm and ignoring the option of trying
James (if brought awake) can present this as a solution. If to save patients by waking them up (see The
necessary, she reveals her knowledge of the Dreamlands Dreamscape).
as a way to convince the investigators that she knows In this instance, Celia James informs the
what she is talking about. A successful Psychology roll investigators that there is very little time left and
confirms she believes what she says, even if it sounds they must move before they become lost forever.
far-fetched. She directs the investigators to the stairway and,
Once all the patients are awake, the investigators can from there, to the Chasm, sensing it is now the
try to wake each other. As with the patients, any sleeping only way out. The screams of other patients and
investigator must suffer 1 point of damage, inflicted staff echo throughout the Dreamscape as they die,
by another investigator, to wake up. Furthermore, the one by one, with no hope of rescue.
sleeping investigator must pass a POW roll—the difficulty
of the roll is dependent upon how many patients have
been killed in the Dreamscape. For every patient killed,
the way back to the Waking World becomes harder due
to the void spiders repairing the damage to the barrier Entering this tunnel takes the investigators to the
between worlds. edge of the chasm between the worlds. High above
them, the mighty threads of Atlach-Nacha’s web span
• If one patient was killed in their nightmare, the the chasm; some of the threads dangle down into the
investigators must succeed a Regular POW roll chasm. The jagged cliff-face on both sides extends in all
to return to the Waking World. If two patients directions as far as the torches can illuminate. The far
died, this becomes a Hard POW roll. If three side is approximately 20 feet away and dotted with cave
died, it is an Extreme POW roll. If four died openings, each of which ultimately leads to various parts
(leaving only Celia alive) then it is impossible to of the Dreamlands.
return in this fashion.
The investigators can cross the chasm in two ways:
• An investigator may attempt to push the POW
roll: if failed, he or she loses 1D10 Sanity points. • A Hard Jump roll can propel them across the
If any investigator fails, everyone still asleep at void and into a cave opening below them on the
that time remains in caught in the Dreamscape. far side. Failure results in the investigators falling
down the bottomless chasm: a Hard DEX roll
If the investigators all succeed, they return to the allows a falling investigator to catch a strand of
Waking World. The ward returns to normal; the remains the web as they fall; otherwise, they fall to their
of anyone killed are gone, as are all the cobwebs. In the deaths.
event of failure, the Dreamscape becomes separated
permanently from the Waking World. The investigators • Grabbing hold of one of the dangling threads,
must find another way out—see The Chasm, following. the investigators find they appear to be strong
and rope-like. Trying to climb a thread and
maneuver across the other dangling threads to a
The Chasm cave on the far side requires a Climb roll. Failure
It is possible the investigators may try to escape without means the investigator is stuck to the strand and
attempting to save the patients, or they have failed their the vibrations from their struggle attracts Atlach-
POW rolls to escape the Dreamscape. The Chasm Nacha (see page @@). The Great Old One
provides an alternative way out. arrives in 1D4+2 rounds and attempts to encase
Trying to find a tangible way out brings the the investigators in its web (it will devour them
investigators to the stairway, which is now a series of at its leisure). A STR roll is required to break free
wide stone steps cut into the wall of a cavernous shaft. At before Atlach-Nacha arrives, whereupon another
the bottom of its 70 steps, torches mounted to a cavern Climb roll is required to complete the crossing.
wall point the way to an opening that leads into darkness.
The torches can be taken to illuminate the way ahead.

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If any of the NPCs are with the investigators, apply Hospital Staff
the same rules should they try to cross the chasm.
It is up to the Keeper where the tunnels on the far
side of the chasm ultimately lead. The investigators could Dr. Randall Thorne,
emerge anywhere in the Dreamlands. Celia James may 45, dream researcher
run off, delighted to be where she can be with her brother
forever. Alternatively, for Keepers desiring a return to the STR 45 CON 75 SIZ 50 DEX 65 INT 85
Waking World, the tunnel could lead into deserted ghoul APP 55 POW 70 EDU 95 SAN 70 HP 12
warrens below the graveyard of an abandoned church DB: 0 Build: 0 Move: 8 MP: 14
(anywhere in the Waking World). Descending these
tunnels later only leads back to the Dreamlands again at Brawl 25% (12/5), damage 1D3 or by weapon
the Keeper’s discretion. Dodge 40% (20/8)
Lastly, those looking for a bleaker ending could
simply have the investigators stumble into a nest of void Skills: Climb 35%, Credit Rating 70%, Jump 25%, First
spiders, with their death screams echoing across the Aid 60%, Listen 50%, Medicine 75%, Persuade 60%,
chasm as their torches are extinguished… Psychology 80%, Psychoanalysis 70%, Spot Hidden 50%,
Stealth 40%.

Conclusion Hosp ital Staff, nurses

If returning to the Waking World, the investigators and attendants
face questions from the authorities about the missing
staff (and, possibly patients) from the psychiatric ward; Use this profile for all members of staff. Adjust
however, with no bodies to prove any wrongdoing, the downwards if necessary.
police eventually (albeit reluctantly) drop their inquiries.
If Dr. Thorne survives, he halts his research STR 70 CON 80 SIZ 65 DEX 60 INT 65
immediately and retires from the medical profession. In APP 50 POW 50 EDU 70 SAN 50 HP 14
any police investigation, he claims to know nothing of DB: +1D4 Build: 1 Move: 8 MP: 10
what happened to the other members of staff, fearing
that telling them the truth would have him committed. Brawl 40% (20/8), damage 1D3+1D4 or by weapon
If he perishes in the Dreamscape, the hospital closes the Dodge 50% (25/10)
ward permanently, and no questions are asked.
If their escape culminates in their arrival in the real Skills: Climb 25%, Jump 30%, First Aid 60%, Intimidate
Dreamlands, explain to the players that their adventures 60%, Listen 45%, Psychology 60%, Spot Hidden 45%,
are not over—they are, in fact, only just beginning… Stealth 45%.

The Patients
Characters Celia James,
19, student and dreamer
and Monsters STR 40 CON 50 SIZ 40 DEX 55 INT 70
Only the relevant and necessary statistics are presented. APP 60 POW 70 EDU 75 SAN 55 HP 9
The Keeper should feel free to modify or expand these DB: –1 Build: –1 Move: 8 MP: 14
as they wish.
Brawl 25% (12/5), damage 1D3–1 or by weapon
Dodge 60% (30/12)

Skills: Climb 35%, Jump 40%, Dreaming 35%, Dream

Lore 20%, Listen 45%, Persuade 35%, Psychology 30%,
Spot Hidden 50%, Stealth 45%.

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Other Hosp ital Patients At the halfway point to where the eggs will hatch,
they can be felt as a solid lump in the abdomen. The
Use this profile for all of the other patients: Emma Gill, eggs can be removed through surgery with a successful
Barry Lambert, Edmund Newton, and Bernard Rowe. Medicine roll (inflicting a total of 1D6 damage to the
host); failure causes the eggs to prematurely hatch—the
STR 50 CON 60 SIZ 55 DEX 50 INT 60 newborn void spiders die moments later but the host
APP 50 POW 55 EDU 65 SAN 45 HP 11 suffers 2D6 damage.
DB: 0 Build: 0 Move: 7 MP: 11
Attacks per round: 1 (leg strike, abdomen bash, or bite)
Brawl 30% (15/6), damage 1D3 or by weapon
Dodge 35% (17/7) Fighting 50% (25/10), 1D6 or Spawning Bite
(see above)
Skills: Climb 30%, Fast Talk 35%, Jump 35%, Listen Dodge 60% (30/12)
40%, Psychology 30%, Spot Hidden 40%, Stealth 35%.
Armor: 2-point chitin and fur.
Spells: Contact Atlach-Nacha.
Monsters Sanity loss: 1/1D6 Sanity points to see a void spider.

Vo id Sp iders, Atlach-Nacha,
servants of the web Great Old One
These huge spiders dwell in the chasm between the STR 150 CON 375 SIZ 125 DEX 125 INT 75
Waking World and the Dreamlands, helping Atlach- APP — POW 150 EDU — SAN — HP 50
Nacha build and maintain its vast, complex web. Whether DB: +2D6 Build: 3 Move: 15 MP: 30
they are offspring of the Great Old One or native to
the chasm is unknown. Some scholars of Dream Lore Special Powers
believe they might be a sub-species of the larger Leng
spiders found in the Dreamlands. Bite: the bite penetrates any mundane armor and injects
paralyzing poison (target must make an Extreme CON
STR 80 CON 40 SIZ 90 DEX 100 INT 50 roll to resist for 1D10 rounds, after which the roll must
APP — POW 60 EDU — SAN — HP 13 be made again. If the second roll is also successful the
DB: +1D6 Build: 2 Move: 8 MP: 12 poison has been fully resisted. If either roll is failed the
target is paralyzed (duration at the Keeper’s option but
Special Powers not less than 10 rounds).

Spawning Bite: when bitten, a victim suffers 1D6 Cast web: target is entangled in a strong, sticky web.
damage and also lays that many eggs in the target’s Breaking out requires an opposed STR roll versus the
bloodstream. The eggs incubate at an accelerated rate web’s STR 150.
inside a human host; 1D6 hours later, they hatch and
burst out of the host, each inflicting 1D6 damage. After Attacks per round: 1 (kick out with many legs, abdomen
each hour between being bitten and when the eggs bash, bite)
hatch, the host suffers 1 point of damage, manifesting as
crippling stomach pains. Fighting 60% (30/12), 2D6 or bite (see above)
Newborn spiders are SIZ 1, defenseless, and have 1 Cast web 80% (40/16), see above
HP. If the host dies in the process, the spiders devour Dodge 65% (32/13)
the corpse and grow to full size (taking 1D6 minutes,
gaining all skills and stats of a regular spider). If the host Armor: 12-point chitin and fur. If hit points reach zero,
survives, the newborn spiders scuttle away, eventually it flees across its complex web to a secret lair where it
working their way back to the chasm between the worlds. heals.
Spells: all Contact spells.
Sanity loss: 1/1D10 Sanity points to see Atlach-Nacha.

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Handout: Thorne’s Journal
Dr. Thorne’s journal consists of notes from his
interviews with patients, who are referred to by
Suffering from
Nightmares?
single initials, rather than their full names. The
following are excerpts of the most common imagery
appearing in multiple accounts:

• A long, tunneled stairway that descends University Hospital Seeks Participants

into darkness. For Dream Therapy Study
• Two priest-like figures, in Egyptian-style
attire, stood in a rocky cave in front of a Successful applicants will be paid $5 a night (3
pillar of purple flame, which reaches from
floor to ceiling. nights, with accommodation and meals provided)
to participate in a study of their dreams, leading
• A forest of oak trees. The boughs are
intertwined so that little light reaches the to possible treatment. Group therapy involved.
ground. Glowing fungi illuminates the Confidentiality assured. Please contact the Office
twilight. of Dr. Randall Thorne to arrange an appointment.
• Ruins of a long dead city stand on the
shore of a dead lake in a desert. University at Albany, State University of New York
• Enormous pillars rising high out of a mighty
ocean. Beyond them, the ocean falls into
oblivion, forming a gigantic waterfall.
• Shepherds guiding flocks on flat fields.
A gray mountain range stands on the far
horizon. From between two peaks, a shaft
of blue light shoots up into the dark sky.
• A Middle-Eastern city has wide streets
paved in onyx and lined by whitewashed
clay buildings, topped by the bronze
minarets.
• Underground. The floor of a vast cavern is
littered with countless bones as far as the
eye can see.

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Simon Gregory, Antiquarian

A resident of Bennington, Vermont, you own an antique store on Main Street. Recently, you acquired a shipment of
artifacts from a house clearance. Among the various books and small antiques was a curious item that attracted your
attention: a prism of a strange pale-blue crystal. When the light strikes it, it almost looks like it’s glowing from within.
Thinking it rather quaint, you’ve used it as a paperweight in your office.
Since then, your dreams have been disturbed and restless. In your nightmares, you stand on the shore of a
stagnant lake. Black, stinking water before you, the pale moon above reflects off of its oily surface. An unhealthy
yellow glow shines through the wooded tree line. You can feel “their” presence behind you, blocking your retreat.
You’ve stood there for hours and now you know the time is finally at hand. Strange light pulses from beneath the
black water. Tendrils rise slowly from the surface, writhing and twisting in the cold night air. At their ends, lids
open and blink, revealing inhuman eyes that look into your soul. An array of metallic-looking spikes begins to
thrust upwards as something huge, gigantic, rises to greet the night. Like polished metal, it glistens as the water
runs off its surface. You feel a sickening stab as something plunges into your chest, causing you to wake screaming
in panic.
Looking for some way to stop the nightmares, you’ve seen an advertisement in the Bennington Post and called
the number and arranged an appointment with Dr. Thorne. He came to your home a few days later, where you
told him about your dreams. The doctor’ assessment said the dreams are a metaphor for a suppressed memory.
Maybe the object triggered a deeply buried memory from childhood, as there is no immediate connection between
the two.
Dr. Thorne believes he can help you and has offered you a place in his dream therapy study. You are just about
to arrive at the university hospital, part of the University at Albany, hoping that he can end your nightmares.

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Alexis Wright, Dilettante

A resident of Bennington, Vermont, you are a well-known socialite. Born to Old Money, you are always invited to
the best parties and are often the center of attention. Recently, you became engaged to Roger Gibson, a wealthy
businessman.
However, happiness soon turned to tragedy. On the way home to tell everyone the good news, a tire burst and
sent the car Roger was driving into a river. Roger was knocked unconscious and you were concussed. The driver of
a passing truck was able to dive in and save you in time but Roger was not so lucky; he drowned as the car sunk
out of reach.
Since then, while mourning his death, your dreams have been haunted by that fateful night. You find yourself
trapped in the car as the water rises. Roger turns to you with dead eyes and reaches out to embrace you, saying
that you will always be together, as the icy waters rise over your heads.
Looking for some way to stop the nightmares, you’ve seen an advertisement in the Bennington Post and called
the number and arranged an appointment with Dr. Thorne. He came to your home a few days later, where you told
him about your dreams. The doctor’s assessment said the dreams stem from survivor guilt. He believes you need
to accept you could do nothing and free yourself from guilt.
Dr. Thorne believes he can help you and has offered you a place in his dream therapy study. You are just about
to arrive at the university hospital, part of the University at Albany, hoping that he can end your nightmares.

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William Green, Ex-Policeman

A resident of Bennington, Vermont, you were a policeman before you were medically discharged. Your career ended
in the summer of 1925 on one hot summer’s night at the edge of town. Sidney Harris, a local small-time criminal, had
kidnapped Jane Strong, the teenage daughter of a local industrialist. A handover was scheduled on the edge of the
forest, just outside of town. The kidnappers turned up, panicked at the sight of all the cops and a gunfight ensued.
You were shot in the leg and went down. One of the gang stood over you, pointing the barrel of his gun at
your face. A shot rang out and he was hit. His weapon discharged clipping you in the leg. You’ve walked with a
limp ever since. You have recurring nightmares from time-to-time about that moment. In your dreams, he shoots
and kills you. You wake with a terrible pain in your chest every time.
Looking for some way to stop the nightmares, you’ve seen an advertisement in the Bennington Post and called
the number and arranged an appointment with Dr. Thorne. He came to your home a few days later, where you
told him about your dreams. The doctor’s assessment said the dreams are a related to a form of shellshock (post-
traumatic stress). After all, you nearly died, no wonder it was such a traumatic experience.
Dr. Thorne believes he can help you and has offered you a place in his dream therapy study. You are just about
to arrive at the university hospital, part of the University at Albany, hoping that he can end your nightmares.

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Pamela Campbell, Journalist

A resident of Bennington, Vermont, you’ve worked for the local newspaper, The Bennington Post, ever since you left
school. You’ve always had a nose for a story and now you’ve made yourself a career from that skill. The only trouble
you’ve ever had in your work came as a result of the kidnapping of Jane Strong in the Summer of 1925. Sidney Harris,
a local small-time criminal, had kidnapped Jane Strong, the teenage daughter of a local industrialist. A countywide
manhunt took place after a botched handover where several police officers were killed. Jane was rescued, but no one
would talk about the specifics. You went out into the Green Mountain National Forest to search for any evidence
remaining at the scene of her captivity. You found nothing.
However, after coming back, your dreams have been haunted by terrible images. In your dreams, you stand in
front of a dilapidated log cabin. The door swings slowly open and figures emerge, advancing slowly with purpose,
towards you. They wear strange hats and something is wrong with their clothes. You hear one of them speak, as he
comes closer, “Come with us. Join us. Embrace your destiny.” Its face is lifeless, pale, and unblinking. A dark green
smear of rotting corruption spreads down from his empty eye socket. When the dead man grins his skin cracks.
Looking for some way to stop the nightmares, you’ve seen an advertisement in the Bennington Post and called
the number and arranged an appointment with Dr. Thorne. He came to your home a few days later, where you told
him about your dreams. The doctor’s assessment says the imagery in the dreams are drawn from your experience
in the forest but the figures are a metaphor for someone else, yet to be determined.
Dr. Thorne believes he can help you and has offered you a place in his dream therapy study. You are just about
to arrive at the university hospital, part of the University at Albany, hoping that he can end your nightmares.

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Ando Hanshiro, Doctor of Medicine

You always wanted to be a doctor. Helping people has been a calling for you for as long as you can remember.
You graduated with your doctorate from the University of Boston and moved to Bennington, Vermont to practice
medicine at the local hospital.
Life has been good for you, until recently. Late last year, you were on duty at the hospital when tragedy struck.
The investigation after the event ruled a broken gas main that caused the explosion, starting a fire that swiftly
spread through the rest of the building. You suffered severe smoke inhalation as you tried to help as many patients
escape as possible. One image has stuck in your mind and haunts your dreams to this very night.
The explosion brought down a heavy beam that blocked the exit to one of the wards. You tried to move it with
some of the orderlies but, through the small windows into the ward, you could see the patients trying to force their
way out as the fire swept over them. They ran through the flames looking for an escape, screaming as one-by-one
they fell, burning to death. Night after night, you find yourself back in the burning hospital, failing to open that
door, until the fire consumes you too.
Looking for some way to stop the nightmares, you’ve seen an advertisement in the Bennington Post and called
the number and arranged an appointment with Dr. Thorne. He came to your home a few days later, where you told
him about your dreams. The doctor’s assessment said the dreams stem from survivor guilt coupled with feelings
of professional failure. He believes you consider yourself responsible for the deaths and cannot accept that you
couldn’t save them.
Dr. Thorne believes he can help you and has offered you a place in his dream therapy study. You are just about
to arrive at the university hospital, part of the University at Albany, hoping that he can end your nightmares.

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Gayle Shelton, Author

Your home is Bennington, Vermont, where you are one of the town’s more famous residents. You began by getting
short stories published in magazines, which attracted the eyes of a major publisher from New York. You landed a deal
for your first novel. You’re hoping that, after you’ve made a name for yourself with a few historical romances, you can
branch out and write about more serious subjects.
A few months ago, you took a trip out into the Green Mountain National Forest to stay in a log cabin and get
some inspiration for a story you were going to set in the area. While exploring the cabin’s basement, the floor gave
way and you fell into part of an old mining system beneath. Your leg was broken and pinned down by rubble. You
were trapped until a passing hunter passed by and heard you. In the hours before you were rescued, you heard the
sound of rats below. As night fell, they advanced and began to bite. You fought them off before they could come
back for more. Thankfully, you were rescued soon after.
Since then you have been plagued by the traumatic ordeal replaying in your nightmares. You find yourself back
in the tunnel, the rats advancing as the light fades. Alone in the darkness, they swarm over you, tearing you to
pieces. You awake crying most mornings.
Looking for some way to stop the nightmares, you’ve seen an advertisement in the Bennington Post and called
the number and arranged an appointment with Dr. Thorne. He came to your home a few days later, where you told
him about your dreams. The doctor’s assessment said the dreams are born out of a deep fear of rats, combined
with a form of shellshock (post-traumatic stress).
Dr. Thorne believes he can help you and has offered you a place in his dream therapy study. You are just about
to arrive at the university hospital, part of the University at Albany, hoping that he can end your nightmares.

Call of Cthulhu Demo Game