DWINDLING PARTY
Dwindling Party is an alternate playstyle for high action one-shots or as a means of kicking off a campaign, otherwise known as a character funnel. Players control a handful of normal folks, those who have yet to encounter the strange and weird, and run them through a daunting experience. To survive the trials ahead, these folks will need to solve their problems with collective action, cleverness, and some unfortunate sacrifice. When used to kick off a campaign, a funnel represents that crucial point in time where the lives of these otherwise normal folks are forever changed and they become Investigators.
CREATING CHARACTERS
Each player should create 2-5 characters for a total party size of around 10-18. Normal folks are more simple than a standard Investigator, so follow the steps below when generating these characters.
- As opposed to the full array of Attributes, normal folks have a single Save that collectively represents their STR, DEX, and CTRL. Roll 2d6 to determine each character’s Save.
- Roll d4 for each character to determine their Hit Protection (HP).
- Roll or choose Backgrounds for each character from either the abbreviated list on the next page or the standard list on page x. Note their associated items, as each character only has five Inventory Slots.
- Give your characters names, pronouns, and brief descriptive details.
PLAY TO FIND OUT
While it’ll be useful to have some idea as to how these characters may behave when faced with the horrors, don’t worry about getting too deep into backstory on any of these characters yet. Many of them will perish and the goal is to discover who these characters are through play. Any details that don’t come up during the funnel can be ironed out afterwards when you have your survivors.
FUNNEL BACKGROUNDS
| d20 | BACKGROUND | ITEMS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Actor | Portable Charging Brick, Change of Clothes |
| 2 | Artist | Sketchbook, Camera |
| 3 | Athlete | Sports Equipment, Sweatband |
| 4 | Author | Letter opener (d6), Pack of Cigarettes w/ Lighter |
| 5 | Contractor | Stocked Toolbelt, Heavy Duty Flashlight |
| 6 | Cook | Chef’s Knife (d6), Leather Apron (+1 Armor) |
| 7 | Criminal | Lockpicks, Mask, Gloves |
| 8 | Drifter | Switchblade (d6), Travel Stove |
| 9 | EMT | Trauma Shears (d6), Medkit |
| 10 | Gig-worker | Bike, Helmet (+1 Armor) |
| 11 | Hospitality | Mace (d6, non-lethal), Walkie Talkies |
| 12 | Journalist | Audio Recorder, Camera |
| 13 | Lawyer | Briefcase, Stack of Letterhead |
| 14 | Musician | Instrument of Choice, Portable Amp |
| 15 | Private Eye | Old Pistol (d6), Flask |
| 16 | Skater | Skateboard, Boombox |
| 17 | Social Work | Taser (d6, non-lethal), Notebook w/ pens |
| 18 | Store Clerk | Lighter, Baseball Bat (d6) |
| 19 | Therapist | Memo Recorder, Small Revolver (d6, discreet) |
| 20 | Very Online | Laptop, Online Following |
THE PARTY
Once you have your backgrounds, it’ll be useful to take a moment to consider how your characters may be linked to each other. Are they friends, coworkers, a mystery hunting team, or complete strangers bound together by the horrors? Do they have a natural leader among the bunch to serve as the first to rise to the challenges when needed? How will they respond when their companions begin to get picked off? Does your group have any connections to the groups of the other player characters?
PLAYING THE FUNNEL
During a funnel play mostly proceeds as normal, just with the players controlling their entire group at once. To keep from getting bogged down making tons of rolls, focus on player groups as a whole where it makes sense rather than single characters. When a whole player group is threatened make a Save using the group’s single highest Attribute. In the event of failure, consequences impact the individual most at risk.
KEY DIFFERENCES
These normal folks are squishier than standard Investigators. They have more limited inventory, don’t gain any of the positive benefits from Fallout, and are less likely to be carrying around Resonant Artifacts. However, the one advantage they have is numbers, and some problems may be solved simply by throwing bodies at them.
VIOLENCE & DEATH
During violent encounters, keep the rules on multiple attackers in mind. Hit Protection operates as normal, but when a funnel character suffers Critical Damage or Critical Stress they simply perish or are lost to the horrors instead of taking a Wound or Fallout.
If all characters in a player’s group perish, another player can pass along one of their remaining characters to keep play moving. Otherwise, introduce replacements at the next convenient moment, taking into consideration how far along the scenario is.
Funnels can result in a complete party wipe, which is part of the fun, but it’s often best to favor inclusion over realism in these instances and get players back in the action as soon as possible.
EXPANDING THE PARTY
Over the course of the scenario, the players may encounter other NPCs that can be recruited to join in with their groups. Preference should be given to handing them off to the player with the least number of survivors. Quickly roll stats when they join, or wait until the moment where they’re needed.
RUNNING THE FUNNEL
Under most circumstances, a funnel shouldn’t last more than a session or two. If this is the start of a campaign, the goal is to discover who these characters are through play, with the funnel serving as part of character creation by establishing the turning point in their lives.
With this many characters in play at once there’s a lot to manage, so it’s often best to keep goals straightforward and the action moving. Funnels often work best when they quite literally funnel characters towards some predetermined goal. This could be making it through a dangerous space or simply surviving the night.
While the normal folks aren’t quite as capable as a standard Investigator on their own, don’t be afraid to go big. The sheer number of characters in play will give these groups an advantage in taking on seemingly daunting tasks.
For an example of a funnel scenario in action, see Silent Street Station (see the Deluxe Edition p. x).
AFTERMATH
Once the funnel is completed, if you are continuing play, have each player select one character to become their primary Investigator going forward. If the players have multiple survivors, the remainder can become Associates, or simply return to their normal lives. To upgrade a character to a full-fledged Investigator, complete the following:
- Add 1d6 to the character’s Save, then assign it to one of the core Attributes. Roll 3d6 for the remainder.
- Add 1d4 to HP. This may result in a total that is slightly higher than a standard Investigator, but that serves as a small reward for surviving the funnel.
- Flesh out remaining backstory details and party connections as needed.
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