The adventure begins in the midwestern town of Willow Creek in 1988, which is suffering from a crippling depression after its steel mill closed. A mysterious carnival, a pocket universe version of Heckna's Revelia, appears at the local drive-in theater, offering a lure of fun and excitement. The player characters, a group of high school friends, go to the carnival after school, taking a young boy, Timmy, with them. The carnival is filled with side show freaks, games, rides, and clowns. However, the atmosphere is unsettling, with overly happy performers, sinister music, and a general feeling that something is not right. The party is greeted by the Ringmaster, who speaks in a strange, nonsensical way and promises a night of fun they'll never remember.
The adventure's primary goal is to win prizes by playing the carnival games. These prizes, such as a plastic cane or a stuffed animal, can be used as "weapons" in later encounters. While the players are distracted by the games, Timmy is abducted by Heckna's minions. The players have a time limit to rescue Timmy before his mom arrives to pick him up. To find Timmy, they must seek a clue from a Zoltar fortune-telling machine, which directs them to the Big Top tent. At the Big Top, they must first get past a strongman named Mr. Muscles, who serves as a formidable guardian.
Inside the Big Top, the players are greeted by an eerie silence and a mirrored cube in the center of the tent, in which they can see a reflection of a terrified Timmy. They must defeat Froggie, a grotesque frog-like creature who guards the cube, to open a staircase that leads to a hall of mirrors. The hall is a disorienting labyrinth where Heckna's minions attack by jumping in and out of the mirrors. The players must navigate the maze, where breaking a mirror reveals a gruesome secret: the townspeople are being stored in freezer drawers. The final confrontation takes place in the Retro Rocket diner, where they must defeat a giant spider, the "Soda Jerk," and its Gooey Spider minions to free Timmy, who is wrapped up in webbing and about to become a dessert. The adventure concludes with Heckna rewarding the party with a choice of prizes for their performance before they return to the ordinary world, forever changed by their experience.
Key Features of this Custom RPG Adventure
1980s Setting: The adventure is set in a small town in 1988, offering a nostalgic backdrop for a horror-themed story.
Heckna's Carnival: The adventure introduces a traveling carnival, a version of Heckna's Revelia, that is a pocket universe of chaos, illusion, and dark humor.
Winning "Weapons": Players can win prizes from carnival games that can be used as makeshift "weapons" in later encounters, from baseball bats to toy cars.
Twisted Minions: The party must confront a variety of Heckna's minions, including Mr. Muscles the strongman, Froggie the frog-like creature, and a giant spider "Soda Jerk".
Clown Corruption: Players are at risk of contracting "Clown Corruption," a disease that slowly turns victims into Heckna's thralls.
System: D&D 5e
Players: 4-6
Assets: Maps, monster cards, and premade character sheets for "The Monster Mashers Club" (the party is named The Monster Masher's Club, see Chapter 1 - Butcher Clowns Characters.pdf)
Playtime: Approximately 4 hours
Campaign: Part 1 of the Trials of the Monster Mashers series
A GenCon 2023 RPG Adventure
