MR James ghost story RPG scenario design

As I continue to listen to MR James’ ghost stories (see last post), my thoughts inevitably turn to how I would do this in a roleplaying game. And the short answer is, it’s not easy.

So what do I want from an MR James-inspired game?

A sense of unease

A sense of unease. Details. A sense of measured pace. A creepy backstory. Long-dead occultists whose reach extends into the present. No real closure. Things that should not have been done. Bleak endings.

Taken at Calke Abbey

MR James’ ghost stories lack the terror and horror stages that Ash Law talks about in The Trajectory of Fear. There’s unease and dread, but that never (or perhaps only rarely) becomes terror or even horror.

While that works for MR James, how on earth do I wrap it all up into an enjoyable RPG adventure? Compromises will have to be made.

Casting the Runes

Casting the Runes is Paul StJohn Mackintosh’s GUMSHOE-powered game of occult investigation, set in the world of M. R James’ ghost stories. The Design Mechanism publishes Casting the Runes, and you can download a preview here.

I don’t own Casting the Runes (and I’ve never played a GUMSHOE game), but from what I can tell, Casting the Runes is Call of Cthulhu (or, rather, Trail of Cthulhu) with ghosts replacing tentacles. So there are investigators, monster stats, combat rules, magic rules and so on. 

My main problem with Casting the Runes is that it doesn’t model the MR James stories. Monsters aren’t fought – they are mysterious and otherworldly. Magic isn’t used – except by the bad guys. That’s not what I’m looking for.

While researching this, I tried to find free scenarios for Casting the Runes (just in case I was mistaken). I found The Bone Mill and A Reckoning Come October (both by Dosmania) on itch.io. Instead of a traditional investigation, the two scenarios use a structure that I didn’t find easy to grok. But from what I can see, the scenarios appear to be traditional investigations.

What I’ve done so far

I’ve already used A Warning to the Curious as the basis for Operation Curious Warning, a D-Day mission for Achtung! Cthulhu. That’s about as far from MR James as you can get. In the scenario, Section M is charged with investigating and neutralising the legend of three ancient crowns said to protect the French coast from foreign invasion.

Unfortunately, whoever disturbs the crowns suffers a ghastly fate – so the PC who destroys the crown (allowing D-Day to be a success for the Allies) is doomed. 

While I’m pleased with the scenario, it’s much more pulp action than Jamsiean unease.

The only time I think I’ve got the Jamsiean aspects right is after the crown has been destroyed: that PC’s doom is foreshadowed by having a shadowy figure getting closer behind them. (“Sorry, Sir, I thought there was someone behind you.”) 

But given that the PCs are in the middle of a commando raid on a French chateau, any subtlety is lost in the cordite and action.

What I’m planning

My current plan is to base something around Count Magnus. Something has been accidentally awakened, and the long-dead count is stirring. 

I’m considering setting it at Calke Abbey, the National Trust property in Derbyshire. Calke Abbey passed to the National Trust in 1985, and much of it is in the same shabby condition as when it was handed over.

Taken at Calke Abbey

It is tempting to set the adventure in 1985 and involve members of the Department for Irregular Services (the Liminal crew I wrote about recently). They would be called in to check over the property before any work begins to make Calke Abbey visitor-ready, which would start our scenario.

And while that’s tempting, the scenario doesn’t feel quite the right fit for Liminal. I won’t get the bleak, supernatural feeling I’m hoping for with Liminal.

Instead, I think I need Cthulhu Dark.

I’ve written about Cthulhu Dark before – it’s elegantly simple and suits bleak one-shots. I suspect it’s what I’m looking for.

I haven’t made my mind up yet. While I suspect Cthulhu Dark would be ideal, I also want an excuse to give the Department for Irregular Services an outing.

I expect I’ll try them both.