Chamberlain High: Carrie Returns RPG

Titio Ogro
Jan 24
8 min read

A Supernatural Horror Adventure for System 2/3/4 RPG

Genre: Supernatural Horror System: 2/3/4

Summary

Players take on the role of students at Chamberlain High School, where Carrie White, the protagonist of the story, also studied. After the events described in the book, the town of Chamberlain is infested with supernatural phenomena, and players must investigate, fight cultists and rescue Carrie from a parallel dimension, all while dealing with an evil cosmic entity that threatens the world. This is a horror adventure, with disturbing content, and is not recommended for the sensitive.

Quick Character Creation

Before starting the adventure, each player must create his character. Distribute the values 2/3/4 between the attributes: Physical , Mental and Social . Then, choose 3 things that your character does well, one for each attribute. These "skills" grant a +1 bonus on related tests. For more details, download the game for free.

Character creation example:

Physical: “I’m good at running” (When the character runs, he gains +1 to the Physical attribute).
Mental: “I understand riddles and cryptography” (When solving riddles, gain +1 to the Mental attribute).
Social: “I am charismatic and I convince people easily” (When interacting with others, you gain +1 to the Social attribute).

Adventure - Game Structure

ACT I: IN CHAMBERLAIN

The adventure begins in the seemingly peaceful town of Chamberlain. However, something is wrong. The streets are deserted, and the high school students are frightened, with strange nightmares and unexplained events happening all over the town.

Objective: Investigate the strange phenomena and try to find out what is happening.

Tests to investigate strange events (Mental or Social Attribute):

Investigate mysterious occurrences (1D6 + Mental Attribute + related skill).
Interact with villagers (1D6 + Social Attribute + related skill).

The players are eventually recruited by Mr. Grayle, a history teacher and paranormal investigator. He is aware of some supernatural phenomena occurring in the town and requests the players' help in investigating.

Suggested Challenges Event 1: The Shadow Maze in the Library

Location : City public library.

Description : The players hear reports that one of the librarians had a panic attack after seeing "living shadows" among the shelves. Upon investigating, they notice that some areas of the library appear larger on the inside than they are on the outside, creating confusing and impossible hallways.

Phenomenon : Lights flicker and objects (such as books) move by themselves. Players may find strange messages scrawled in books, with phrases such as: "She is close" or "They watch us from the other side".

Tip : A handwritten book mentions Carrie and an ancient ritual, leading players to suspect something larger is behind the phenomena.

Event 2: The Soggy Gym

Location : School gym.

Description : During the night, sounds of running water are heard coming from the gymnasium. When the players arrive at the gymnasium, they discover that the floor is inexplicably soaked, despite no sign of rain or broken pipes. A puddle of water in the center of the gymnasium reflects something that is not present in the environment, such as images of people screaming or school hallways covered in blood.

Phenomenon : When someone steps into water, they feel chills and hear voices whispering in their mind, as if they are being pulled into the reflection.

Tip : Clues in the reflection may show past events (like the fire at the prom) or a glimpse of Carrie, suggesting that something is still connected to the location.

Event 3: The Silent Messenger

Location: School hallways at night.

Description: A senior named Tommy has mysteriously disappeared over the past week. Now, at night, some players hear footsteps echoing through the halls, even though they are alone. When they investigate, they find an open notebook on the floor, with disturbing messages written on it, such as: "Carrie is alive" and "You must stop the entity before it takes us too."

Phenomenon: If players follow the steps, they will see Tommy's silhouette in the distance. When they try to reach him, he disappears, leaving only his coat and a key (which opens a locked cabinet in the basement).

Hint: The locker contains old school documents, such as reports about Carrie and other unexplained events from the past.

ACT II: CARRIE'S DISCOVERY

Upon further investigation, players discover that Carrie White, the student who had caused a series of paranormal events in the town in the past, is presumed dead, but a clue suggests that she may still be alive. Carrie's diary reveals important information about her and her telekinetic powers, as well as hints about a possible imprisonment in a parallel dimension.

Tests to investigate Carrie's diary (Mental Attribute):

Search the journal for clues (1D6 + Mental Attribute + skill).

The diary contains riddles and references to past residents of the town. Players can use these clues to investigate further.

Suggested events

Event 1: The Echo in the Dance Hall

Location: Dance hall where the new graduation ball will take place.

Description: While exploring the ballroom, players hear echoes of laughter, party music, and screams from the past. As they investigate, they realize that the sound seems to be coming from no specific source, but grows louder as they approach the stage. Suddenly, pieces of the ceiling begin to fall and scorch marks appear on the floor, recreating scenes from the original disaster caused by Carrie.

Phenomenon: The environment reproduces parts of the tragedy of the previous ball, as if it were a supernatural memory trying to warn them. When the lights flicker, some ghostly figures of former students appear for brief moments.

Tip: A message written in soot on the ground may point the way to Carrie's diary or another point of interest.

Event 2: The Crying Mirror

Location: Girls' bathroom at school.

Description: While investigating the bathroom, players find a cracked mirror, with water dripping down from it that looks like tears. As they approach it, the cracks move, forming words like "Help me" or "She's trapped." The reflection in the mirror shows the players surrounded by fire and blood, even though the bathroom is intact.

Phenomenon: Anyone who touches the mirror feels a sharp pain in their head and has visions of the moment Carrie used her powers for the first time, which may reveal details about her connection with the entity or her possible imprisonment in the parallel dimension.

Tip: By breaking the mirror or examining it further, you may find an object hidden behind it, such as a letter written by Carrie's mother or another relevant item.

Event 3: The Dance of the Clocks

Location: Professor Grayle's office.

Description: As players review documents about past events at Chamberlain, the clocks in the classroom begin to spin wildly, stopping at 10:13 p.m.—the exact time the original disaster at Carrie's prom began. The air in the room becomes thick, making it difficult to breathe, and books fall from the shelves, opening to pages about mythology and supernatural rituals.

Phenomenon: A shadowy figure appears in the corners of the room, watching the players. The shadow whispers incomplete words such as "dimension" and "prison" before disappearing.

Tip: One of the books reveals a page marked with a drawing of an arcane symbol, essential to performing the ritual in Act IV.

ACT III: FACING THE HORROR

The town is under threat from a cosmic entity that feeds on fear. During the investigation, players discover that this entity has been present in the town in the past. Carrie's diary and the clues she left behind contain riddles related to an ancient cult that worships this entity, which feeds on human suffering.

Tests to solve puzzles and discover clues (Mental Attribute):

Solve puzzles and cryptography (1D6 + Mental Attribute + skill).

Examples of Enigmas and Cryptographies:

Lost Name Riddle: "Only the key to the abyss will be found when the name of the tormentor is spoken in the forgotten language." Solution: The name of the entity imprisoning Carrie is hidden in an ancient language. Players must research ancient cults or consult a knowledgeable NPC to identify the entity's name.
Binary code encryption: "1101100 1110111 1100111 1110100 1100101" Solution: Translated into text, the binary code reveals the word “BOOK”. This suggests that an ancient magical book or grimoire contains information crucial to opening or closing the portal that keeps Carrie trapped.

These puzzles can be solved through a mind test answered by players, and/or can be partially unlocked by clues players obtain by talking to NPCs or investigating important locations.

Suggested events

Event 1: The Cultists' Vigil

Location: An old abandoned basement in downtown Chamberlain, mentioned in Carrie's diary.

Description: Players find unlit candles arranged in an intricate pattern on the ground, forming an arcane symbol. The place appears deserted, but when they turn on any light, their shadows take on a life of their own and begin to move independently, as if controlled by another force. These shadows whisper in an unknown language, instilling fear in the players.

Phenomenon: The shadows take on the grotesque forms of figures that could be cultists or victims of the disaster at the ball. They repeat an incomplete phrase, something like "The portal... is opening..." If the players turn off all the lights, the shadows disappear, but a message appears written in ash on the ground.

Hint: The message on the floor could be part of a formula needed for the final ritual or a clue as to the exact location of the parallel dimension.

Event 2: The Entity Manifests

Location: City public library, known for its historical records.

Description: While investigating books about Chamberlain and supernatural phenomena, players notice that certain words in the text begin to glow red. Together, they form phrases such as “I am what has always been” and “Sacrifice will open the door.” Suddenly, an unearthly wind arises, throwing pages into the air, and a misty figure with flaming eyes appears momentarily.

Phenomenon: The figure threatens the players, saying that they are interfering with the entity's plans. It disappears, but one of the books falls open to a page with a symbol identical to the one found in Carrie's diary.

Tip: The symbol may be essential to performing the ritual, or the book may contain detailed instructions about the entity and how to stop it.

Event 3: Carrie's House

Location: The ruins of Carrie's old house, now a plot of land covered in weeds and debris.

Description: Players encounter a strange vibration in the air as they approach. As they enter the area, they feel as if they are being watched. Parts of the wreckage begin to levitate, vaguely recreating the rooms of the house in a sort of ghostly vision. They see scenes from the past: Carrie being bullied, praying compulsively, and finally, using her powers.

Phenomenon: A hole in the floor reveals a hidden compartment containing an ancient artifact, like an amulet that Carrie's mother wore, with inscriptions mentioning the entity and the ritual. The environment becomes increasingly oppressive, with a sense of heat and anger growing.

Hint: The amulet could be an essential key to opening the portal, or it could contain a fragment of Carrie's energy, helping them locate her.

ACT IV: THE FINAL CONFRONTATION

After gathering clues and deciphering puzzles, players perform a ritual to open the interdimensional portal that connects the living world to the dimension where Carrie is imprisoned. However, cultists who worship the cosmic entity also try to prevent the ritual.

Combat Tests (Physical or Social Attribute):

Combat against cultists (1D6 + Physical Attribute + skills like “Hand-to-Hand Combat” or “Shooting”).
Cultist Manipulation (1D6 + Social Attribute + 1, if the character has skills like “Leadership” or “Intimidation”).

Players also face the cosmic terror of the entity, which may attempt to affect players' sanity.

Sanity Tests (Mental Attribute):

Resist cosmic fear (1D6 + Mind Attribute + 1, if the character has spiritual resistance or mental resistance abilities).

Closing

If players can free Carrie and close the portal, the city will be saved, but they know that there are many other cosmic entities that can emerge elsewhere. Evil never completely disappears, and the work of protecting humanity continues.

Conclusion

This adaptation of Chamberlain High: Carrie Returns RPG offers players a mix of investigation, complex puzzles, physical and social combat, and the constant struggle against cosmic terror. The puzzles and tests related to the 2/3/4 system provide a fast-paced experience, while maintaining the focus on the narrative and the emotional and psychological challenges of the characters.

With this approach, the adventure gains more depth, and the game system is perfectly tuned to create an engaging and terrifying story.