Unleashing the Horrors: A GM's Guide to Running Nocturnis

 

Unleashing the Horrors: A GM's Guide to Running Nocturnis (Monsters Monsters 2.7 Edition)

Greetings, fellow Game Masters

I've delved into the dark heart of Nocturnis, explored its shadowed districts, uncovered its ancient family secrets, and even witnessed the bizarre spectacle of its wrestling league. Now, it's time to bring this sprawling, corrupted city to life at your gaming table. This post is your guide to utilizing the GM Notes from our comprehensive Nocturnis Compendium, helping you craft terrifying and unforgettable campaigns using the gritty, old-school mechanics of Monsters Monsters RPG 2.7.

Setting the Stage: The Core of Your Nocturnis Campaign

The GM Notes are designed to be your bedrock for running adventures in this unique setting. Let's break down how to leverage each point:

1. Campaign Structure: A Labyrinth of Long-Running Arcs

Nocturnis isn't a one-shot location; it's a campaign unto itself. Each district, each founding family (the corrupt Blackwoods, the subtly powerful Hedges), and every secret society offers a wealth of plot hooks.

• District-Based Arcs: Start your players in one district (e.g., the dangerous Wadjet's Crimson Hook Delta) and let them uncover its specific horrors and factions. This can naturally lead them to other areas as they follow clues or seek allies/enemies.

• Factional Conflicts: Introduce the Esoteric Order of the Black Lotus, the Silent Cabal, or the various cults as major players. Players might be hired by one, betrayed by another, or caught in the crossfire of their shadowy wars. The Blackwood and Hedges families provide overarching political and economic conflicts.

• Unraveling the Grand Conspiracy: The pervasive corruption, the money laundering through the NWL, and the Blackwood family's deep roots can form a long-term mystery for players to slowly uncover.

2. Thematic Focus: Embrace the Decay and Cosmic Dread

Nocturnis thrives on its atmosphere. As GM, constantly reinforce the themes of corruption, decay, and the constant threat of the supernatural with a strong Lovecraftian undertone.

• Sensory Details: Describe the stench of decay, the unnatural silences, the flickering lights, and the cold spots. Make players feel the city's oppressive presence.

• Moral Ambiguity: In Nocturnis, good and evil are blurred. Force players to make difficult choices where there are no easy answers. Even seemingly "good" actions might have unintended, horrific consequences.

• Existential Dread: Remind players that some horrors are beyond comprehension. The goal isn't always to defeat a monster, but sometimes simply to survive, or to retain one's sanity in the face of the unspeakable.

3. Character Creation: Build Survivors, Not Heroes

For Monsters Monsters 2.7, character creation is key. Encourage players to build characters that fit the gritty, low-fantasy nature of the system and the dangers of Nocturnis.

• Motivations: Why are they in Nocturnis? Are they seeking answers, revenge, fortune, or simply trying to survive?

• Skills: Focus on practical skills like street smarts, stealth, survival, investigation, and combat.

• Vulnerabilities: Give them flaws, phobias, or past traumas that the city can exploit. Sanity is a precious, fragile resource here.

4. Alliances and Betrayals: Trust No One

The city's pervasive corruption means trust is a rare commodity.

• Shifting Loyalties: NPCs should have their own agendas. An ally today might be an enemy tomorrow if the price is right, or if they're under duress from a more powerful entity.

• Faction Play: Let players interact with different factions. They might gain temporary advantages by siding with one, but always hint at the hidden costs or the inevitable double-cross.

5. Unforeseen Consequences: Let the City Breathe

Nocturnis is a living, unpredictable entity. Embrace emergent storytelling.

• Player Choices Matter: Allow player decisions to genuinely impact the narrative, even in unexpected ways. A seemingly minor choice could open a new plotline or unleash a new horror.

• Random Elements: Don't be afraid to use random tables (from M&M 2.7 or your own) for encounters, weather, or strange phenomena. This keeps you on your toes and adds to the city's chaotic nature.

Monsters Monsters 2.7 Specifics: Gritty Survival

This system is perfect for Nocturnis's tone.

• Low Fantasy, High Mortality: Remind players that death is always a possibility. Combat is brutal, and resources are scarce. This encourages strategic thinking and avoiding direct confrontation when possible.

• Monster Tables: Utilize M&M 2.7's monster tables and encounter charts to populate the city. Adapt existing monsters or create new ones that fit the Lovecraftian and urban horror themes.

• Magic: The system's magic rules can be used to create truly unsettling effects. Sorcery in Nocturnis should feel dangerous, draining, and potentially sanity-blasting.

Key Factions and Features in Play:

• The G-Men: These are your inscrutable, dangerous wild cards. They are not to be trusted. They might appear to help, only to serve their own, often horrifying, agenda. Use them to create moments of intense paranoia.

• The Nocturnis Wrestling League (NWL): This is a goldmine for unique encounters and plot hooks.

• Behind the Scenes: Players could uncover the money laundering operation, putting them directly in conflict with the Blackwood family.

• Bizarre Matches: Describe the grotesque wrestlers and the unsettling match types. Perhaps a player character is forced to compete, or witnesses a match that reveals too much about the city's true nature.

• Recruitment: Could cults or other factions recruit wrestlers for their own purposes?

• The Valley of Nocturnis and Mount Nocturnis: Don't limit adventures to the city streets.

• Wilderness Exploration: The Haunted Wood, the mountain slopes, the crater lake, and the cascading waterfalls offer opportunities for survival horror, ancient ruins, and encounters with the cannibalistic Dwarves and Giants.

• Resource Control: The Hedges family's agricultural empire and the Blackwoods' potential hidden strongholds in the mountains can be central to resource-based conflicts.

• Native American Village: The presence of the Native American village offers a source of ancient wisdom, warnings, or even potential allies against the city's encroaching madness.

Unleash the Dread!

Running Nocturnis with Monsters Monsters 2.7 is about immersing your players in a world where sanity is fragile, survival is a struggle, and the unknown constantly presses in. Use the detailed lore, the established family dynamics, and the unique geographical features to craft a campaign that is as dangerous as it is compelling.

Embrace the darkness, let the whispers guide you, and may your dice roll well!