My
Dark Places and Demogorgons Buffy game has been a lot of fun. I keep reaching back into my own high school years for ideas and one that came up was the "Foreign Exchange Student", once I hit on that everything else flowed.
So a bit of background. The year is 1983 and the place is Sunny Valley, OH. Here the events of lives of Buffy, Willow, Tara, Dawn, and the others are playing out. We just had Sam and Dean Winchester come to town so we now know there is a lot more going on.
In today's special episode we meet 13-year-old Laura Hollis played by Elise Bauman and her father Sherman played by Enrico Colantoni. Of course, this is my big Carmilla crossover.
The problem is that I have a GREAT idea and it involves Laura at 13 in full-blown "kid investigative reporter" mode AND it would also fit nicely with the timeline in the movie
Styria.
BUT it also means that I am planning on NOT using Carmilla herself.
Having Carm in the mix, even if she is a "useless vampire", is just asking Buffy to try to stake her. Not preferred. But I figure this can be like Pre-Flash Barry Allen visiting Oliver Queen in Arrow.
So for a week or so, Laura Hollis, Teen Reporter is in Sunny Valey, OH and she does not like it. No sir, not one bit.
Of course, this is a perfect time for all those old jokes about "having a girlfriend in Canada". Alex should be the butt of that joke.
What Class is Laura?
That's a good question. He dad teaches her Krav Maga. He makes his own pepper spray that can drop a bear. He could be a Doomsday Prepper, but he is not paranoid, just overprotective. Laura could be a Karate Kid, but that doesn't really define her either. In truth, there is an archetype of the horror genre that is not covered; the Kid Gumshoe or Kid Reporter.
Kid Gumshoe (new Class)
THEY are hiding the truth. What truths? Well if the adults won't get up off their butts watching "Dynasty" or "Wide Wide World of Sports" then it's up to you. You are ready for it too. You have your notes, your tape recorder (and hope to save up for a real camcorder one day) and you have the one thing that the others don't; moxy, gumption, the desire to dig and keep digging.
While most of your fellow students have pictures of Duran Duran and Bon Jovi on their walls you have Woodward, Berstein, Cronkite, and Murrow. Of course, those are there to hide your giant map/pin board of every weird thing going on in town. That jewelry store that never has customers save for late at night. Your money is on werewolves. And really what is the deal with a Light House in middle of a landlocked county where then the nearest body of water is the YMCA Pool.
"The Truth is Out There" - X-files
PREREQUISITES: Intelligence or Wisdom 12, Survival 8
LEVEL 1: Step aside Woodward and Bernstein. You have this covered!
+2 to Courage saves, Investigation +2, Outdoorsmanship OR Stealth at +1, Computer, Ranged Weapons, First Aid. Because of the frequent scrapes and fights you find yourself in you add +1 to melee attacks. Typically this something like a martial art or brawling.
| LEVEL |
ADVANCEMENT |
| 2 |
+1 to AC, +2 to Investigation and Spot checks |
| 3 |
+1 to Courage saves, Gain a local contact that grants you +2 on any one Investigation Check |
| 4 |
+1 to Survival, +2 Brawling |
| 5 |
"I gotta a guy." Gain more local contacts, +2 on any three different Investigation checks per day. |
| 6 |
+1 to Intelligence or Wisdom, +1 Investigation |
| 7 |
"Are You Sure?" can reroll any one Investigation check. |
STARTING GEAR: notebooks, pencils, lists of contacts, pocket tape recorder with extra tapes. 5d6 Dollars, fake ID.
Laura Hollis
Class: Kid Gumshoe Level: 2
Alignment: Good
Languages: English, French
Age: 13
Attributes
STR: 10 +0
INT: 16 +2
WIS: 12 +0
DEX: 15 +1
CON: 14 +1
CHA: 16 +2
SUR: 16 +2
AC: 11 HP: 8 Attack Bonus +1
Courage: 4
Critical: 3
Death: 3
Mental: 3
Poison: 3
Background
Mother is dead, Father is way overprotective.
She has not admitted she is gay yet, father knows.
Class Abilities
(see above)
Skills
Investigation, Stealth, Computers, First Aid, Spot
Possessions
Notebook, pencils, pocket tape recorder
Money: $5 (Canadian)
I like it! Both the NPC and the Class. They might need some tweaking, but all in all I am happy.
