Map of the Compound
Map of Danger Island
Danger Island is a pseudo-mock horror adventure for five to eight players which can be played in three to four hours. It was inspired somewhat by Scott Maykrantz's mock horror article and is loosely based on an NBC Sunday Night Movie of the same name.
20 years ago:
During the Vietnam War, the US Government conducted secret biological weapons research on an uncharted Caribbean island. The project was headed up by Dr. Jason Rassmussen, who was assisted by Dr. William McKay and Dr. Kenneth Oliver. There were also five US army soldiers stationed at the base.
Unfortunately, Dr. Rassmussen was not totally sane and used the project to try to create a virus which would transform a person into a super-human. He tried his virus out Dr. Oliver and the five soldiers, but instead of transforming them into super-humans, it turned them into monsters. Dr. McKay committed suicide by ingesting cyanide rather than be transformed. Dr. Rassmussen destroyed many of his notes before being killed by the creatures which he created. The creatures then continued metamorphosing and entered the sea, where they continue to live to this day. The US military quarantined the island and kept its existence a closely guarded secret.
Today:
On the Caribbean island of Jantagua, an unexpected military coup has taken place (it didn't make much sense in the movie either). The US army stationed there tried to evacuate all US citizens from the island. One plane, a small two-engine prop plane which was commandeered by the military and is carrying our PCs, suffered an errant shot to the fuel line during take-off. This, combined with an unexpected heavy storm, has forced the plane to go down near the island where, two decades before, the horrible experiments of Dr. Rassmussen were taking place...
The adventure begins as the PCs are climbing out of the plane into a life raft. The raft is a yellow inflatable doohickey with a rope going around the perimeter and a couple of plastic paddles. The pilot can also get a first aid kit off of the plane, which contains some bandages and the what not (they will need these later!) as well as a flare gun with two flares. The GM should make many references to the mighty storm raging about them and the BIG waves that it is producing. If the PCs haven't gotten the hint that they should wrap their arms around the rope, make them all make DX rolls as a big wave tries to knock them out of the raft - that should get their attention!
As morning breaks, the storm subsides, the sun comes out, and anyone making a vision roll can notice the island off to the west. (If the pilot makes a navigation roll, he will realize that he has no idea where they are - the island is uncharted and top secret.) Unless they specifically choose otherwise, the PCs will come ashore at the spot on the map marked `landing' (see the map above).
A beach that goes roughly fifty yards inland surrounds the perimeter of the island. The rest of the island is mostly tropical jungle, except for the volcano area which is more rocky and less treed (the volcano is long dormant, unless the GM is feeling exceptionally mean and nasty.) The trees will provide the castaways with plenty of food, such as mangos, coconuts, bananas etc. But there is a catch: because of all the biological experiments that took place on the island, the fruit has been horribly altered. It can be picked and eaten with no ill effects, but any fruit which is left picked overnight will go rotten the next morning. The outsides will look fine, but the inside fleshy parts will have turned to a mushy, foul smelling blue goo. Bon apetite.
Being the adventurous type (and eventually realizing that there aren't any ships that come by this island, nor any planes which fly overhead) the PCs will probably decide to either head inward or circle the perimeter of the island. Before they do that though, the GM needs to get one of the PCs infected.
The easiest way to do this is to wait until one of the PCs wades a ways out into the ocean, and have one of the former army soldiers (now a horrible, icky tentacled marine beastie) wrap a tentacle around one of the PC's ankles. The skin of the tentacle is abrasive, like rough sandpaper, and will cut through the skin, infecting the PC. The tentacle should be rather easy to fight off, but it will be too late. The PC's leg will numb up for a little while, and they will feel ill (with a high fever). Give this PC a copy of the first handout (the one which begins `Welcome!'). (If the PCs are too ornery and don't want to make it easy on the GM, the GM will have to become a little more inventive in order to start the infection. The tentacle may have to climb up onto the beach a ways, or wait until the PCs try to cross one of the rivers before making a grab.) Over the next several hours, the PC will undergo the transformations listed on the handout, and will eventually run off to begin the real fun...
One of the PCs is now infected with a dreadful retrovirus and should be stalking the other PCs. Depending on the player, he may choose to wait for the PCs to split up and pick them off one by one, or attack from behind or above (from the trees) or any of a number of other possible methods. (Players will love the opportunity to stalk their friends and will undoubtedly come up with all sorts of nifty and original ways to stick it to them!) Fright checks at up to -4 should be made by any character who witnesses a former companion gruesomely transformed and ripping into himself or another compatriot.
When a character's blood has been drawn by one of the beasts, either by biting or clawing, they have been infected. If the PC makes a HT-2 roll, they are onlymildly infected: give the player a copy of the second handout. The PC will undergo mild transformations, but will still retain some of his wits about him. However, a second exposure will require a HT-4 roll, a third a HT-6 roll, and so on. An infected PC who fails his HT roll will receive a full infection and should be given a copy of the first handout. At this point, the new beastie-PC may join with the other beastie-PCs, or they may decide to hunt separately.
Despite all the obstacles, the remaining PCs may make it to either the small native village or to the compound which houses the old laboratory.
The natives of the island are TL 0. A typical native has ST 11; DX 11; IQ 9; HT 10; and a spear skill of 13. There are about a hundred natives on the island; they live in a village of grass huts near a river on the spot indicated on the map. See GURPS Ice Age if you wish to beef up the background on the natives. If they manage to destroy their fellow friends now turned into beasts, the remaining PCs may decide to live amongst the natives and live happily ever after.
If the PCs make it to the laboratory compound, they may actually have a chance to defeat the beastie-PCs and make it off the island alive. See here for a map of the compound. The compound is two stories tall, with the second story overhanging the first story in the front and windows going around the perimeter of the second story. The compound is locked, but the locks on the door to the generator room may be easily blown off with a gun, or kicked in with a little more effort. The generator may be easily started up by any PC who makes an IQ roll. There are heating ducts leading from the generator room to the second floor which are large enough for a person to crawl through. The garage contains two old jeeps which are not in working order, and some various tools which may be of use to the PCs (such as crowbars...) The elevator requires a key to operate - a key may be found in McKay's old room on the second floor.
The second floor contains the living and working quarters for the scientists and the military personnel. McKay's body is still rotting away in his old room, along with his journal which describes Rassmussen's deteriorating mental state and his unethical experiments. The storerooms contain supplies as well as some hermetically sealed army rations which are still edible. The computer in the computer room is a big, old one, but it may be operated by anyone who makes a Comp Ops roll; however, a Comp Ops roll at -6 will be required to get past the access protection to reveal any information about the project. The labs are still stocked and contain many exotic chemicals and compounds, though some may be ruined from their seals rupturing and being exposed to the air. The large refrigerator attached to lab 1 contains many small vials and test tubes which contain all sorts of nasty, exotic stuff (if the PCs are dumb enough to ingest or inject some of the stuff, they are at the mercy of the GM's imagination; a nice GM may even allow for one of the vials to contain an antidote to the virus) If the PCs can lure one of the beastie-PCs into the fridge, the intense cold will send the beastie into hibernation (this is good for those PCs who don't want to hurt their friends).
The central room of the second floor contains some chairs and tables, some bookshelves, and a radio! However, Rassmussen had removed one of the important tubes from the radio and hid it in a secret compartment in the desk in his room. Once this tube has been replaced, the radio can be turned on and will be tuned to a restricted military frequency (if the soldier or the agent are still alive, they will recognize the frequency to be a strange top secret frequency which neither of them recognize.) Any call for help on this frequency will be eventually responded to by a military radio operator, who will also be surprised at the channel's existence and will go through many chains of hierarchy before he informs the PCs that they will be picked up. The US government will then arrive in helicopters after two to three hours and rescue any survivors, who will then be at the mercy of the US government. If the PCs call out on any other frequencies for help, the US government will intervene and rescue the survivors instead. But hey, at least they made it off the island.
Rassmussen is Still Alive!
In this scenario, Rassmussen was not killed by the beasties, but perfected his formula and used it on himself. He can now switch between his human form and beast form at will and lives amongst the natives where he is worshipped as a god.
Rassmussen's beast form is an eight foot tall, red winged monster with horns, sharp teeth and claws. He has the following characteristics:
ST 20; DX 15; IQ 15; HT 15/30; Thr 2d-1; Sw 3d+2; Spd 7.5; Dodge 7; Move 7; DR 3; PD 2.
The Natives are Werewolves!
In this scenario, the experiments at the compound affected the natives on the island, who now turn into werewolves (or other were creatures) during the night. See GURPS Magic for details.
Illuminati: The PCs uncover the cover-up of the project and track down the location of the island and go there on purpose.
Space: The laboratory is on a quarantined planet which the PCs are forced to crash on.
Fantasy: The experiments are alchemical, rather than scientific in nature.
Bunnies and Burrows (Only for the truly sick and vicious): The PCs are bunnies who are being transported via ship when the crate which contains them is washed overboard during a storm and ends up on the island. They discover that the exotic wildlife on the island has been infected by the virus.
Map of the Compound
Welcome!
You've now been infected by some sort of gawdawful nasty retro-virus which will take over your mind and transform your body. But don't worry, it'll be fun. Look on the bright side: at least you're not dead, and you'll get to stalk and terrorize your fellow players! What could be more fun?
Over the next several hours, your body and mind will go through odd transformations. You will gain the following advantages and disadvantages:
In addition, your IQ will drop at a rate of 1 point per hour until it reaches 7.
The first thing you should do (after regaining consciousness if necessary) is run away from the group until the transformation is complete (between 4 and 7 hours, depending on your IQ.) Then you can wait until some opportune moment, like when its dark or something, and attack the rest of the group. By clawing or biting a person, you will infect them with the retrovirus and perpetuate the species. But don't be too intelligent with your attacks; remember your IQ is only 7!
Hey, guess what? You've been infected by something. But don't worry, you made your health roll and your body is trying to fight off the infection. Until then though, your body and mind will undergo weird transformations. You'll gain the following advantages and disadvantages:
Also, your dreams will be haunted by strange images which you don't understand...
Only two quirks are given for each character, so the players should be encouraged to come up with three more for their characters.
Some brief comments on the characters:
Angela Calloway is a beautiful swimsuit model, but is not a typical horror movie bimbo. She actually has a brain and her skills learned as a girl scout may come in handy.
Anthony Klemer is a vacationing drug lord who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Though he is wealthy and powerful out in the real world, that won't help him here. His gun may come in handy, but not wanting to reveal his identity, he will probably keep it concealed during most of the game.
Christopher Bach is the pilot of the plane which was commandeered. His gun and first aid kit will probably be helpful, even if he himself isn't.
Kathryn Cook is an archaeology professor who was in Jantagua studying ancient civilizations. Her survival skills will probably prove to be helpful, and her anthropology skills might help with communicating with the natives. (Her Acute Vision +5 comes from training herself to notice details which others might overlook.)
Douglas Pearsall is best described as one of the men in black, and is the only person who might have a clue as to what's going on. Though he is built on more points than the rest of the PCs, many of these points are spent on frivolous (for this adventure) things such as Legal Enforcement Powers and Patron.
Greg Peterson is the soldier who gathered this group together in the first place. He is a natural choice for leader of the group, but the rest of the PCs may not be too happy with him. Note that he is a chain smoker with only 12 cigarettes left, so he'll have to ration.
Eric Edwards, as a tip of the hat to Scott's suggested character types, is the night guy at Kinkos. Sure, he's built on 70 points, but let's see how much his skill of 13 in History helps him out here. His luck type II is the kind that was presented by S. John Ross in AotA #7.
Susan Weir is a reporter who will probably be P.O.ed that she was forced to leave what might possibly have been the biggest story of her career. But if she gets out of this alive (and can tell her story) it will undoubtedly make up for it.
Greg, Douglas, Christopher, Kathryn and Anthony are the most important characters to the adventure, and should probably not be left out if there are fewer than eight players.
26 years old; Female; Long light brown hair, green eyes; 5' 10", 130 lbs. - 80 points.
ST 9, DX 11, IQ 11, HT 15.
Basic Speed 6.25; Move 6.
Dodge 6, Parry -.
No armor, no encumbrance.
Advantages: Very Beautiful; Comfortable Wealth; Reputation +2 large class.
Disadvantages: Pacifism SDO; Honesty; Necrophobia.
Quirks: Would rather be an accountant; Squeemishness
Skills: Accounting 13; Acting 10; Cooking 11; Dancing 11; Modeling 13; Sex Appeal 15; Survival (Woods) 10; Swimming 11; Tracking 10.
Equipment: Bathing suit; Wrap-around; Sandals.
Basic Damage: Thrust 1d-2; Swing 1d-1.
Background
You grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania, where you spent most of your formative years in the Girl Scouts. When you began attending college at the University of Miami, you began modeling as a way to cover expenses. It turns out that you were rather good at it and quickly became one of the country's top models. However, you did stick with your schooling, and just last year you completed your accounting degree. Although you are good at modeling, you find the pressured life not entirely to your liking; all things being equal, you'd rather be an accountant, but modeling pays too well.
Situation
You were participating in a photo shoot for Sports Illustrated in the tropical paradise of Jantagua when the chaos hit. An American military officer showed up on location and started shouting stuff about `coups' and `evacuation'. Then the shooting began and you were separated from the rest of the crew. You were ushered, along with several other people, aboard a small plane which quickly left the island as a storm blew up. Something must have gone wrong after that, because the plane went down in the ocean and you and the other seven on board evacuated out into a life raft...
33 years old; Male; Short brown hair, brown eyes; 6' 1", 170 lbs. - 70 points.
ST 11, DX 12, IQ 13, HT 10.
Basic Speed 5.5; Move 5.
Dodge 5, Parry 6.
No armor, no encumbrance.
Advantages: Wealthy; Alertness +1.
Disadvantages: Greed; Secret - Drug Lord; Overconfidence.
Quirks: Likes Martinis; Swears in Italian.
Skills: Accounting 12; Administration 11; Brawling 12; Computer Ops 11; Fast Talk 12; Guns (Pistol) 15; Holdout 13; Knife 12; Merchant 14; Savoir Faire 13; Streetwise 13.
Equipment: Ch. Arms UC .38 Spc (6 shots); Shoulder Holster; Clothing: Slacks, Polo shirt, Loafers, Socks; Digital watch; Wallet: $7000 cash.
Basic Damage: Thrust 1d-1; Swing 1d+1.
Background
You were born, raised and now live in Chicago where you are now a minor drug lord. You have so far managed to stay one step ahead of the law and are so far without a record.
Situation
You were vacationing on the Caribbean island of Jantagua when some sort of coup took place. As an American citizen, the US Army tried to evacuate you, but you couldn't reach the air base so were forced to leave on a small two engine plane with several other people. Something must have gone wrong after that, because a storm whipped up and the plane went down in the ocean. You and the other seven on board evacuated out into a life raft...
29 years old; Male; Long brown hair, green eyes; 5' 9", 150 lbs. - 75 points.
ST 11, DX 12, IQ 12, HT 12.
Basic Speed 6; Move 6.
Dodge 6, Parry -.
No armor, no encumbrance.
Advantages: Peripheral vision.
Disadvantages: Struggling; Low pain threshold; Bad temper.
Quirks: Wears San Diego Padres cap; Wears hair in ponytail.
Skills: Area Knowledge (Local Islands) 13; Detect Lies 10; Fast Talk 12; First Aid 11; Fishing 11; Guns (Rifle) 12; Mechanic (prop plane) 13; Merchant 12; Navigation 12; Piloting (Mult. engine prop) 14; Swimming 11.
Equipment: SPAS 12, 12g (3 shots left); First aid kit; Clothing: Jeans, Shirt, Shoes, Socks; Pocketwatch; Wallet: $45 cash.
Basic Damage: Thrust 1d-1; Swing 1d+1.
Background
You are a self employed pilot who makes his living carrying passengers and cargo on your small two prop plane among several Caribbean islands. You grew up in Miami and learned how to fly from your father. However you had a falling out with your parents over college and moved out and bought your plane with your life savings. Unfortunately it hasn't been as lucrative as you'd hoped and nearly ten years later you are still struggling to make ends meet.
Situation
While on the island of Jantagua the US Army commandeered your plane to evacuate US citizens. A lieutenant and six other people packed into your plane and you were forced to leave as a storm blew up. Apparently someone shot your plane as you were leaving because you rapidly lost fuel and were forced to take your plane down in the ocean...
42 years old; Female; Short dark brown hair, dark blue eyes; 5' 9", 145 lbs. - 75 points.
ST 11, DX 11, IQ 14, HT 11.
Basic Speed 5.5; Move 5.
Dodge 5, Parry -.
No armor, no encumbrance.
Advantages: Acute Vision +5; Double Jointed.
Disadvantages: Combat Paralysis; Bad Sight (Correctable); Truthfulness.
Quirks: Chews pencils; Wears glasses on a chain.
Skills: Anthropology 15; Archaeology 16; Climbing 10; Computer Ops 13; First Aid 13; Photography 13; Research 15; Survival (Island) 13; Teaching 13; Writing 14.
Equipment: Clothing: Shorts, Blouse, Tennis Shoes, Socks; Glasses; Notebook; Pencil.
Basic Damage: Thrust 1d-1; Swing 1d+1.
Background
You are an Archaeology professor at the University of Miami. You often travel to the Caribbean island of Jantagua to examine the ancient civilization which once existed there.
Situation
During your latest trip to Jantagua a surprise coup took place. You were separated from the rest of your team when the US military stationed there evacuated the US citizens and were ushered on to a small plane with several other people. The plane took off as a heavy storm blew up and something must have gone wrong after that, because the plane went down in the ocean and you and the other seven on board evacuated out into a life raft...
37 years old; Male; Short blond hair, blue eyes; 6' 0", 165 lbs. - 135 points.
ST 11, DX 14, IQ 13, HT 12.
Basic Speed 6.5; Move 8 (running).
Dodge 6, Parry 7/9.
No armor, no encumbrance.
Advantages: Combat Reflexes; Legal Enforcement Powers (15 points); Patron (US government).
Disadvantages: Secret (I am a MiB); Fanaticism: USA; Duty.
Quirks: Wears Sunglasses; Likes Mozart.
Skills: Acting 13; Computer Ops 12; Detect Lies; Disguise 12; Fast Draw (Pistol) 14; Fast Talk 13; First Aid 12; Guns (Pistol) 18; Holdout 12; Interrogation 13; Intimidation 13; Karate 14; Knife 14; Lockpicking 12; Parachuting 13; Poisons 11; Running 12; Shadowing 13; Speed Load (Pistol) 14; Stealth 14; Swimming 13; Throwing 12.
Equipment: Glock 17, 9mmP (one clip); Large Knife; Black Suit; Briefcase: boring papers, pen, calculator, voice act tape rec; Wallet: $200 cash.
Basic Damage: Thrust 1d-1; Swing 1d+1.
Background
You are a member of a US government agency so secret that it doesn't even have a name. You joined the CIA right out of college and five years ago were invited to join `The Agency'. You are most often sent on intelligence gathering missions involving things which the government can't acknowledge.
Situation
`The Agency' recently uncovered evidence of a secret government project which was going on during the Vietnam war. The project involved some sort of biological warfare experiments on an unidentified Caribbean island. It was shut down for unspecified reasons back in 1971. The information found was rather vague and no one who was involved in the project could be located, so you have been sent to the Caribbean to begin a search for the island. You were posing as a businessman on the island of Jantagua when some local rebels attempted to overthrow the government. Not wishing to blow your cover, you went along when the US military stationed there evacuated American citizens from the island. You were placed on a small plane with several other people. But a storm blew up and something went wrong. The plane went down somewhere in the ocean...
28 years old; Male; Short light brown hair, hazel eyes; 6' 0", 185 lbs. - 90 points.
ST 13, DX 12, IQ 11, HT 11.
Basic Speed 5.75; Move 5.
Dodge 5, Parry 6.
No armor, no encumbrance.
Advantages: Military Rank: Lieutenant; Absolute Timing.
Disadvantages: Secret (Black Market); Chain Smoker.
Quirks: Only smokes Marlboros.
Skills: Administration 12; Brawling 13; Carousing 11; Computer Ops 10; Fast Talk 11; Gambling 11; Guns (Rifle) 13; Holdout 12; Tactics 9; Swimming 11; Merchant 11.
Equipment: Colt M16 5.56x45mm (12 shots left); Large Knife; Uniform; Pack of Marlboros (12); Wallet: $376 cash.
Basic Damage: Thrust 1d; Swing 2d-1.
Background
You are a lieutenant in the US Army. You are currently stationed in the Caribbean island of Jantagua where you are in charge of the storehouse. For the past year you have been running a black market operation, skimming stuff from the storehouse to sell.
Situation
When a group of local rebels made a surprise attempt to overthrow the government, the US military was ordered to evacuate all US citizens. During the evacuation process, you were separated from the main group, so you and six civilians headed to a nearby airstrip where you commandeered a plane and had the pilot fly you and the civilians off the island. But apparently the plane took a hit as it was taking off as a storm blew in, because the plane lost fuel and went down somewhere in the ocean...
26 years old; Male; Short red hair, dark green eyes; 5' 10", 155 lbs. - 70 points.
ST 11, DX 11, IQ 11, HT 12.
Basic Speed 5.75; Move 5.
Dodge 5, Parry 5.
No armor, no encumbrance.
Advantages: Luck Type II 5d; Attractive.
Disadvantages: Pacifism SDO; Honesty.
Quirks: Reads Stephan King; Coffee black no sugar.
Skills: Administration 13; Bicycling 11; Brawling 11; Computer Ops; History 13; Mechanic (Photocopiers etc.) 12; Psychology 13.
Equipment: Clothes: Shorts, Tank Top, Sandals; Carry Bag: Towel, Sun-tan Lotion, Can of 7up, Butterfinger; Comb.
Basic Damage: Thrust 1d-1; Swing 1d+1.
Background
You graduated from UCLA two years ago with a dual degree in history and psychology, but since then the only job you've been able to find is as the night manager at Kinkos.
Situation
Luck must've been on your side because you won a trip to the Caribbean island of Jantagua in an in-company contest. You and your girlfriend Jenny have been enjoying the past three days there but then chaos hit. An American military officer showed up at the beach and started shouting stuff about `coups' and `evacuation'. Then the shooting began and you were separated from Jenny. You were ushered, along with several other people, aboard a small plane which quickly left the island as a storm blew up. Something must have gone wrong after that, because the plane went down in the ocean and you and the other seven on board evacuated out into a life raft...
31 years old; Female; Short blond hair, grey eyes; 5' 7", 130 lbs. - 70 points.
ST 10, DX 11, IQ 13, HT 12.
Basic Speed 5.75; Move 5.
Dodge 5, Parry 7.
No armor, no encumbrance.
Advantages: Alertness +2; Charisma +2.
Disadvantages: Pacifism Won't Kill; Impulsiveness; Stubbornness.
Quirks: Flosses Daily; Sings in the Shower.
Skills: Detect Lies 12; Fast Talk 14; Interrogation 13; Judo 11; Photography 13; Research 13; Riding (Horse) 10; Streetwise 14; Writing 14.
Equipment: Clothes: Slacks, Blouse, Shoes, Socks; Purse: Hair spray, Hairbrush, Mini tape recorder, Pack of Gum, Wallet: $125; 35mm Camera (10 exp left); Notebook; Pen.
Basic Damage: Thrust 1d-2; Swing 1d.
Background
You received your journalism degree from Northwestern and are now a foreign corespondent for the Chicago Tribune.
Situation
You were sent to the Caribbean island of Jantagua to check out a lead on an impending coup. Apparently the lead was true, because not long after you arrived the coup occurred. Unfortunately some bozo from the military insisted that you, as a US citizen, be evacuated from the island; you were ushered along with several other people to a small plane which left the island as a storm whipped up. Something must have gone wrong after that, because the plane went down in the ocean and you and the other seven on board evacuated out into a life raft...
Danger Island(tm) is a trademark of David S. Carter.
Danger Island is copyright 1992 David S. Carter. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to make one copy for personal use only. Don't even think of trying to sell this or pass it off as your own work!
Danger Island originally appeared in A Rock and a Hard Place vol. 1 no. 4, as a part of All of the Above #11/12 Nov/Dec 1992.
Published by PK Publishing.
David S. Carter -- david.s.carter@umich.edu