Betrayal at House on the Hillby ArrowChaptersPrologueTurns 1 and 2Turns 3 and 4Game Explanation, Turn 5PrologueFoals and adults alike frolicked and played well into Nightmare Night. A joyous, if macabre time was had by all. Ponyville had, as always, unleashed all the stops in throwing the celebration. Six best friends in a treehouse library, however, had made different plans for the night. “So,” Rainbow Dash looked incredulously at the black cardboard box that Twilight had produced. “remind me again why we all decided to stay indoors during Nightmare Night? We could be outside having some real fun instead of being cooped up in here!” “As fun as last years’ Nightmare Night was, neither Fluttershy nor Rarity were able to make it.” Twilight explained. “So, I decided to look for something we could all do together, and I think I found the perfect game.” she finished triumphantly. “Betrayal at House on the Hill?” asked Rainbow Dash. She eyed the board game skeptically. “That title don’t seem right.” Applejack noted. “I didn’t name it,” Twilight said defensively. “but trust me, it’s a good game. Basically, it’s about six friends who explore a haunted house, and we build the house using these cards. So the next time somepony plays, the house will be different! Eventually one of the friends is a traitor who has to do all sorts of scary things to the heroes. We've got two books that'll tell each side what to do to win." “Love haunted houses!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed jubilantly, bounding in place. “They're great fun for the scarers in setting things up, and for the scarees because they can enjoy it! Is 'scaree' a word?” “Don't think so,” Applejack replied dryly. “and neither is 'scarer'.” "This is a bit more involved than a haunted house too," Rarity added. "with all the dice rolls and sides." “How scary is the game?” Fluttershy asked. Rarity, who was next to her, felt a small shudder from the pegasus. “It's just a board game,” Twilight said confidently. “so really things only get as scary as your imagination will let it.” “Besides,” Rarity added. “we'll all be right here. No one's going to actually put you through anything, dear. We've all faced far worse than a silly board game.” “And there's nothing magical about this board game.” Twilight quickly added as Rarity felt Fluttershy tense. “It's all just die, cards, numbers, and words. No, we're not going to ACTUALLY go into the haunted house. I've already checked it for spells...not like it's going to have any on it in the first place. That said...part of the fun is role-playing each of the characters as if you were in it." Fluttershy visibly relaxed, though her anxiety remained high. "I guess you're right, Twilight; we really have faced a lot worse things. Discord, Nightmare Moon..." "I'm fairly certain the trees that Nightmare Moon turned into scary faces were scarier than this." Pinkie Pie reminded. "Just don't forget to giggle at the ghosties!" "It's all just words," Fluttershy reminded herself. "I won't let it get to me. Not after all that. It's just a board game. "Well," Rainbow Dash said excitedly. "let's get started, then!" Twilight opened the black box, using her magic to make each of the pieces fly into position. She begun enthusiastically explaining the rules... <==> It was a dark and stormy night. Twilight and her friends stepped into the haunted house on the hill confidently. She assured her friends that there was nothing haunted or mysterious about it at all. The wooden floor creaked menacingly as the six friends peered around. Everything about the house was foreboding and unwelcoming, the darkness penetrating; even Twilight and Rarity's illumination spells seemed less effective than normal. The two doors leading to other rooms were slammed shut, while the stairs in front of them led to an inky blackness. “Twilight, are you sure this is a good idea?” Applejack asked as Fluttershy brought up the rear, doing her best to keep a low profile. “I want to go home!” Fluttershy squeaked and ran for the door behind her. “Fluttershy, there's no reason to be afraid!” Twilight chided gently. “It's just an old creaky house. Besides, the game doesn't let you leave, there aren't any tiles for the outside.” Fluttershy gulped and did her best to keep up with the group while Rarity's fashonista eyes were already criticizing the interior decoration. “Eurgh, even the air is mangy and old...to say nothing of the construction of the place. Haunted house or not, this place should have been designed to last!” Rainbow Dash paid Rarity no heed and gently ribbed Fluttershy. “Aww, come on, Fluttershy! Where's your sense of adventure?!” Rainbow Dash confidently bolted to the door leading to the left and disappeared from view, while Pinkie Pie happily bounded upstairs, followed by Rarity. “Eh, I better follow RD,” Applejack said. “she needs somepony to keep 'er outta trouble.” she followed the route Rainbow Dash took. “You should follow Applejack.” Twilight told Fluttershy. “She is, after all, the most loyal and dependable of ponies, right?” Fluttershy couldn't agree more and took off after Applejack with uncharacteristic speed. Twilight gave her friend a gentle smile and opened rightmost door, eager to prove her friends' concerns in vain. As the door handle clicked open obligingly, she couldn't help but feel that would be the last time the six of them would meet as friends. That thought scared her far more than the house did. Author's Note I will be playing along with the rest of the Mane 6. The characters and their actions will be driven by canon, but everything else - the events, the effects, as well as in-game Mane 6’s stats - are all driven by the board game. As a result in-game Twilight’s magic is far less than Twilight’s actual magic, and likewise for the other characters. They ARE playing a board game, after all. Turns 1 and 2Rainbow Dash stopped in awe at the huge vault that awaited behind her chosen door. It was cold and dark, and the stone cold brick was a great contrast to the creaky wood. The massive wheel, the foreboding, armoured door no doubt held great items or riches behind it...if she could get it open. == You must attempt a Knowledge roll of 6+ to open and empty the vault. Rainbow Dash gingerly picked up four dice and shook them rapidly. "Come, come on, come ON!" she rolled. The group leaned in to peer at her roll. “An eight! Woohoo!” she cheered gleefully. “Lucky...” Applejack muttered. Rainbow reached for the item card pile and drew the first two cards, her eyes widening to surprise and her mouth curling into a gleeful smile. REVOLVER WEAPON An old, potent-looking weapon. You can use the Revolver to attack with your Speed instead of Might. (Your opponent then defends with speed and takes physical damage.) Roll 1 additional die on your Speed attack roll (maximum of 8 dice). With the Revolver, you can attack anyone in the same room or within line of sight (through an uninterrupted straight line of doors). If you attack someone in another room and lose, you don’t take damage. You can’t use another weapon while you’re using this one. PICKPOCKET’S GLOVES Helping yourself has never seemed so easy. When you are in the same room as another explorer, you can discard this item to take any item that explorer is carrying. “Rainbow Dash using Speed instead of Might to attack?” Twilight asked. “I hope to Celestia she’s not the traitor!” == The revolver that Rainbow Dash found in the vault felt right at home with her. Her already considerable confidence soared to new heights when she donned the weapon; she doubted anything else would make her greater. The pickpocketing tool she found was all but forgotten. “Heh, check it!” Rainbow Dash said to Applejack and Fluttershy behind her. “Toldja! Finder’s keepers!” Applejack simply glowered at her, and Fluttershy stuck behind Applejack, fearful of this turn of events. “One of these days, Rainbow, you’re gonna open a door to something you really wish you haven’t found.” Applejack muttered, following Rainbow as the group of three turned around. Elsewhere... Twilight opened her door and felt she was walking on air. She felt surprisingly light for a moment before realizing that she had, in fact, stepped on air. “Whoaa!” she screamed. The room she had walked into had a gaping hole in it, and she only barely avoided falling in. == Twilight breathed a sigh of relief, rolling a six to avoid falling into the collapsed room. == “That was a really close call!” Twilight hyperventilated for several seconds before taking time to compose herself. Hugging the walls to not be consumed by the pit, she edged her way to the opposite side of the door she came and opened it, leading to a greenhouse. Feeling closer to a greenhouse than a room with a gaping hole in it, she began to investigate the plants she found. == A MOMENT OF HOPE Something feels strangely right about this room. Something is resisting the evil of the house. Place the blessing token in this room. Each hero rolls 1 additional die (maximum of 8 dice) on all trait rolls while in this room. “Too bad the Conservatory is a dead end room.” Rainbow Dash said. “We could really have found that useful elsewhere.” Fluttershy smiled at the description, figuring maybe it would be a good place to have a last stand should things go wrong. “I know you just drew another room card, Twilight,” Rarity said. “but would we all have to roll to avoid falling into the collapsed room now that you’ve found it?” “I don’t think so,” Twilight said. “I didn’t notice anything in the rulebook, and the card description doesn’t really say. I think now that I’ve found it though, everyone can avoid it unless you want to use it to get to the basement.” == The familiar plants were soothing to Twilight, and she smiled as she reviewed them with great enthusiasm. The largest of which she recognized as a sapling of a familiar treehouse. She took a sigh of relief in knowing that even here there was something good happening. == Twilight turned to Rarity and Pinkie Pie, who both moved to the upper landing. Rarity shrugged. “We both only have a speed of 3, we can’t go much further than that.” “Ohh well, I can wait.” Pinkie Pie said uncharacteristically. The others stared at her. “...Pinkie Pie? Waiting for something?” Applejack asked, astonished. “And you’re worried about me being the traitor?” Rainbow Dash laughed. == Choosing to backtrack from the now-opened vault, Applejack decided to try venturing out further on her own, away from Rainbow Dash, who clearly was feeling next to invincible at this point. == “Attack with speeed!” Rainbow Dash laughed. “Woohoo!” “I wouldn’t be too confident, Rainbow. There are some monsters which can’t be attacked with speed.” Twilight cautioned. “Nothing beats the Rainbow cannon!” Rainbow proclaimed. “The Rainbow cannon?” “Yeah, that’s what I’m calling it.” == Applejack edged away from Rainbow Dash, who was confidently flicking the rainbow-coloured revolver around. “Come on, Fluttershy. Let’s leave Ms. 20% Cooler to her own things.” == “I don’t know why everypony seems to think I love that phrase. I mean, I only used it once.” Rainbow said quizzically. “I guess the phrase just stuck.” Rarity offered. “Besides, some things require additional radicalness, which is different from coolness.” Twilight knew the futility of arguing synonyms with Rainbow Dash, and so chose to remain silent. Rainbow Dash knew the futility of arguing the clear difference between two distinct words, and so chose to remain silent. “...why are you two looking at each other like that?” asked Pinkie Pie. == Leaving the vault, Applejack opened the rightmost door of the foyer. She was greeted by the sight of a massive pipe organ. “Hmm. Wonder what this thing does.” == THE BECKONING Outside. You must get outside. Fly to freedom! Each explorer in the Gardens, Graveyard, Tower, or Balcony, or in a room with an outside-facing window must attempt a Sanity roll: 3+ You back away from the ledge. 0-2: You jump to the Patio. (If it isn’t in the house, search the room stack for it, put it in the house, and shuffle that stack.) Put your explorer there and take 1 die of physical damage. Each result affects only the explorer making that roll. “Good thing nopony’s in any of those rooms!” Rainbow Dash sighed. “Nopony’s in a room with an outside facing window, right?” Rarity noted. “The card says it affects them too." The group paused for a minute, remembering this minute detail all at once. They stared at the board intently at their characters. “Nope. Nopony’s there either.” “What a pointless card.” Rarity laughed. She unceremoniously threw the card back into the Event pile. Twilight picked up the card and stuck it at the bottom of the deck. == After having pressed a key or two and finding it did nothing but make a noise, Applejack instead turned her attention to Fluttershy, who, in the tiniest fit of bravery and exploration, opened the door to the left of her. It led to a dank and dusty hallway that split into three directions. Quickly crossing over to the opposite side, she opened it to a room filled with fallen chairs, papers everywhere, a sofa, a chest...clearly whoever had this place used it as a storage for all their junk. A tiny noise jerked her attention to something in the corner. She crept closer to investigate, only to find a little filly trapped. “Oh!” Fluttershy exclaimed. “Here, let me get you out of there.” The junk that had trapped the filly hadn’t proved too difficult for a grown mare like Fluttershy to move. She rescued the trapped filly with ease. === FILLY COMPANION A filly. Trapped. Alone. You free her! Gain 1 Sanity and 1 Knowledge now. Lose 1 Sanity and 1 Knowledge if you lose custody of the Girl. This omen can’t be dropped, traded, or stolen. Make a haunt roll now. “You just have to roll something, Fluttershy.” Twilight assured her. “It’s six dice, I can’t see you rolling all blanks.” Fluttershy gingerly picked up the dice and rolled them. As soon as a single black dot was visible on one of the dice, Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief. == “Just follow me,” Fluttershy assured her new companion. “we’ll get you out of here.” Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash had left the open vaults behind and headed to the left of the foyer, opposite the door Applejack had opened. Stepping inside, the room seemed to be an elevator of some description. == MYSTIC ELEVATOR Roll 2 dice and move this room next to any open door on 4: Any floor 3: Upper level 2: Ground floor 1: Basement level 0: Basement level, then take 1 die of physical damage. “Hmm…” Rainbow considered. “Alright, let’s go!” She picked up two dice and rolled them. She rolled a two. “Ground floor!” Rainbow laughed, followed by her companions. “I guess the elevator moves horizontally as well!” Rarity laughed. “Not what I had in mind, but okay!” Rainbow Dash laughed, moving the mystic elevator across from Fluttershy in the junk room. == “Well that...was an experience.” Rainbow Dash shuddered. “Kinda...felt like Twilight was teleporting me or something.” She opened the door again, revealing Fluttershy. “Eh?!” Rainbow exclaimed. “Fluttershy?” “Rainbow?” Fluttershy said, surprised. “How’d you get here?” “I don’t know,” Rainbow said. “I think this house is messing with my head. I stepped into a room and next thing I knew, I was here.” she gestured to Fluttershy’s friend. “Whozzat?” “A friend I picked up,” Fluttershy smiled. “she was just trapped here...I couldn’t leave her!” “Who wouldn’t?” Rainbow smiled. == Twilight backtracked away from the greenhouse, avoiding the gaping hole she nearly fell into, going back into the entrance hall and the front foyer. She opened the door on the left, where Rainbow Dash and the Mystic Elevator once were, only to reveal a grisly sight. The room was covered in somepony’s blood. It fell in great splotches all over the floor, and the back of a single chair was to her immediate left. Twilight hugged the wall closest to her and worked her way around the perimeter, fearing what she would find behind the chair if she approached it directly. Counterintuitively for her, the chair was empty. Her relief lasted only a brief second, however, as she took another look at the blood. “...it’s fresh…” she shivered. She then found something on the floor in the corner. It appeared to be a box of some kind. She approached it warily. == MUSIC BOX A hoof-crafted antique. It plays a haunting melody that gets stuck in your head. Once per turn, you can open or close the Music Box. While the Music Box is open, any explorer or monster with a Sanity trait that enters or starts its turn in the same room must make a Sanity roll of 4+. If the roll fails, the explorer or monster is mesmerized by the music. If an explorer or monster carrying the Music Box is mesmerized, it drops the Music Box. If the Music Box is open when it is dropped, it remains open. “Mm…” Twilight considered. “Little point in using that now. Might be useful if we need to make an escape attempt.” “Or to slow us down if you’re the traitor.” Rarity eyed Twilight, who smiled innocently. == Rarity and Pinkie Pie, meanwhile, began to explore the upper floor of the house. Rarity took a left while Pinkie Pie bounded happily to the right. Pinkie Pie opened the door to find a hospital bed in a bright white room with all sorts of sharp implements scattered all across the table that rung the room. Pinkie Pie paused in thought. “This place...seems vaguely familiar somehow.” She observed the room warily. “Why am I thinking about cupcakes seeing this room?” == “You realize whoever wrote that story obviously sick in their mind, right?” Rarity asked Pinkie Pie. “What?” Pinkie Pie replied defensively. “It was funny!” “You have to draw an event card.” Twilight reminded her. Pinkie Pie drew one from the stack. SILENCE Underground, everything goes silent. Even the sound of breathing is gone. Each explorer in the basement must attempt a Sanity roll. 4+ You wait calmly for your hearing to return. 1-3 You scream a silent scream. Take 1 die of mental damage. 0 You freak out. Take 2 dice of mental damage. Each result affects only the explorer making that roll. “Well, good thing nopony is in the basement.” Rainbow Dash commented. “Rarity, if you would please?” Rainbow smiled. As with the previous card, Rarity unceremoniously threw it back onto the stack, and Twilight stuck it on the bottom. == Rarity chose a right to Pinkie’s left at the upper landing, and so found herself in what appeared to be a half-constructed room that she could only figure was the house’s attic. It was dark, but Rarity could use her other senses to help navigate the place. It was around then, however, that she saw something move out of the corner of her eye. == NIGHT VIEW You see a vision of a ghostly couple walking the grounds, silently strolling in their wedding best. You must attempt a Knowledge roll: 5+ You recognize the ghosts as former inhabitants of the house. You call their names, and they turn to you, whispering dark secrets of the house. Gain 1 Knowledge. 0-4 You pull back in horror, unable to watch. “I choose to investigate what kind of dress the bride is wearing!” Rarity exclaimed. “Rarity, that’s not an option, you’re just going to have to make the roll.” “You know I can’t resist congratulating a newlywed couple!” Rarity sighed. “I hope you make the roll, then.” Rainbow Dash chuckled to herself, handing Rarity the dice. Rarity hmphed and made her roll. “Eight!” she exclaimed. == “Er, hello, dearies!” Rarity greeted. The two ghosts strided over to her. “Um...that’s a nice dress! Who made it for you?” == “You know the card doesn’t say exactly what the ghosts say, right?” Twilight sighed. “It just says that they whisper dark secrets of the house.” “Good, then I can make it up.” Rarity smiled. == “Good evening,” one of the ghosts greeted. “you should be most careful around here. The house is…” == “Evil?” Fluttershy offered. “Freaky?” Pinkie Pie added. “Dangerous?” asked Rainbow Dash. == “...so ugly and dangy that it just might cause permanent damage to a mare of our refined tastes.” the ghost warned. Rarity made a gasp of horror. == “...really?” Rainbow sighed as Twilight put a hoof to her face. “I mean, really, why not have a little fun with it? That’s the point of the game, yes? To have fun?” Rarity smirked. “We sure have been getting a lot of event cards,” Twilight said as she extracted her hoof from her cheek. “I thought for sure we’d be getting more omen cards aside from the one.” “I like it better when we’re all on the same side,” Fluttershy replied. “I really don’t know how I’d feel going against one of my friends.” “It’s just a game, as Rarity so pointed out. We’re all still friends regardless of what happens in the board game.” Twilight reminded her. “Out of curiosity, who’s wanting to see the haunt start?” Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie all raised a hoof. “I’m not worried about us not becoming friends anymore over some silly board game, but I quite enjoy the cooperative gameplay for now.” Rarity chipped in. “I gotta know who the killer is!!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “I hope we’ll find out soon!” “We really need some of those omens in play, then!” Twilight smiled. Fluttershy kept her disagreements within herself, but she smiled at Twilight and Rainbow Dash’s enthusiasm. As long as her friends were having fun, she figured, things weren’t so bad. Turns 3 and 4"It's your turn, Rainbow." Twilight reminded Rainbow. "Okay," the latter said. "I'm headed away from the junk room, and I'll check the rooms to the south." "You have to make a Might roll, Rainbow." Rarity chimed in. "Wow, almost forgot." Rainbow said, picking up the dice. "Come on, roll a three!" Rainbow rolled and stared at the dice. "Four." she noted, smiling. == Rainbow Dash passed Fluttershy, who was using her wing to hold the little filly close to her and consoling her, and headed for the room opposite to Fluttershy. The light from the junk room vanished as she took her first steps into the deserted hallway. Creeeeaaaaaak. The decaying wood sent a shiver down Rainbow’s spine, far colder than anything around Hearth’s Warming Eve. The creaking wood also startled her for another reason: whatever evil was in the house, this creaking noise would alert it to Rainbow’s position, allowing it to sneak up on her… “Euargh!” The mere thought of something sneaking up behind her in the wooden staircase caused her to lose her balance. She expertly recovered in the air, and chose to go right rather than further away from Fluttershy. “Are you okay, Rainbow?” Fluttershy asked from the other room. “Uh...yeah!” Rainbow Dash feigned her confidence. It was around now, however, that she remembered the Rainbow Cannon. She aimed it down the hall, behind her, above her, and finally crept up behind the door. She aimed it, ready to fire, as she kicked down the door with considerable force. This room, like the hallway behind it, was completely deserted. Unlike the other rooms which the others had encountered, this one simply had a misshapen, filthy, dreary rug in the middle of it. Rainbow took one brief look down the hallway before shutting the door behind her, leaving the creepy hallway behind. == “Another omen! We’re getting close!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. She drew from the Omen card deck. SPIRIT BOARD A board with letters and numbers to call the dead. Before you move during your turn, you can look at the top tile of the room stack. If you use the Spirit Board after the haunt has been revealed, the traitor can move any number of monsters 1 space closer to you. (If you are the traitor, you don’t have to move those monsters.) If there is no traitor, all monsters move 1 space closer to you. Make a haunt roll now. “How many are in play now?” asked Twilight. “Only two.” replied Rarity. “Alright, let’s go.” Rainbow Dash picked up the dice and rolled them. She felt the entire group’s eyes stare at her hooves as she completed her roll. “Seven.” announced Twilight. Fluttershy breathed a relieved sigh. == Applejack, meanwhile, followed the sounds of Rainbow Dash’s kicking the door, but chose to investigate the room to her right instead. She followed the old dusty hallway and took a right. She took a deep breath and opened the door. A kitchen! Something truly familiar to Applejack, who was likely the best at cooking besides Pinkie Pie herself. Yet something about this kitchen felt neither homely nor familiar to Applejack, who drew little comfort despite its familiarity. Indeed, it seemed as though this once homely kitchen had been corrupted by something. It was then that something glittered in Applejack’s vision. == RING A battered ring with an incomprehensible inscription. If you attack an opponent that has a Sanity trait, you can attack with Sanity instead of Might. (Your opponent then defends with Sanity, and damage is mental instead of physical.) Make a haunt roll now. “Well, consarnit, my sanity ain’t the highest.” Applejack sighed. “Who’s the highest?” asked Rainbow Dash. “Pinkie Pie, definitely. After all that ‘Giggle at the Ghosties’ stuff, it’d take a lot to truly scare Pinkie.” Applejack said. “Haunt roll!” Pinkie chimed as Applejack picked up her six dice. “Nine.” Applejack announced to Fluttershy’s relief. “Wow, that’s really high.” Rainbow sighed. “I guess this means...what? All the lights come on?” “It’s actually a theme park! Haunted house!” Pinkie added. “It’s just one of Luna’s nightmare night houses!” Twilight continued. Applejack, who was closest to the dice, handed it to Fluttershy. "Here, don't forget to make your Might roll." Fluttershy took the dice from Applejack and rolled a four. "Great, so you're not affected by the junk room either." Twilight announced. == Putting on the ring she found in the kitchen didn’t seem to make Applejack feel any different. She wasn’t entirely sure about how it’d work, but it somehow seemed to manage. Hearing Rainbow Dash kick down the door not too far away, Fluttershy made a beeline to help calm down her friend. The mysterious filly in tow, she opened the door to the Mystic Elevator’s right, taking extreme care to not trip over the junk in the junk room. It was a wonder anyone could navigate it at all... Fluttershy timidly pushed open the next door, revealing a dining room. It was clearly set out for someone; ivory teacups and dollies decorated the dark, wooden table, but the jet-black wooden chairs had been tipped and scattered all around the dining room; whoever was here had clearly left in a hurry. Fluttershy shivered, and the seemingly mute filly had no real reaction to the dining room. The filly stared, eyes unwavering, at the large dining table before the group. Fluttershy noted this attention to detail, and chose to avoid the table. She crept around the side carefully, her eyes never leaving the suspicious table… == “That looks a little weird,” Twilight remarked. “I’m going to spin the room so that it links the Junk Room and Abandoned Room.” “Fluttershy, dearie, you need to draw an Omen card.” Rarity reminded her. Fluttershy jumped the tiniest amount; clearly she had secretly hoped that somepony would forget that minor detail. She begrudgingly drew an omen card. HOLY SYMBOL A symbol of calm in an unsettling world. Gain 2 Sanity now. Lose 2 Sanity if you lose the Holy Symbol. Make a haunt roll now. “Well, see, that doesn’t seem so bad!” Rarity assured Fluttershy, who clearly looked relieved for it to not be a severed head or something similar. “Haunt roll! Haunt roll!” sung Pinkie. “Three in play, can you MAKE IT??” Fluttershy gingerly rolled the six dice. “A five!” Applejack exclaimed, concern growing in her voice. “Things’re getting closer…” Fluttershy didn’t appreciate Applejack’s apprehension one bit. == Rarity, meanwhile, decided to continue exploring the upper floor. She crossed above the front foyer, heading away from the upper landing and the attic. As she left the attic, however, something appeared to fall from up above. Rarity had just a split second to react. == Rarity picked up four dice with her magic, gave them a little shake, and rolled them with a clatter to the floor. She had to roll a three or higher to avoid taking any damage upon her leaving. She peered cautiously at the dice before breathing a sigh of relief. "Five." she breathed. "It's not a lot of damage, you know." Twilight reminded her. "All the same, I prefer to keep myself in top condition at all times." Rarity explained, her high-class upbringing becoming apparent. "In a case like this, it's actually practical to as well." Applejack added. "Granted we're gonna encounter a traitor, so may as well stay in the best shape for when she shows up." "Exactly, Applejack!" Rarity smiled, followed by Twilight. Given their greatly different upbringings, it was very seldom to have Rarity and Applejack agree on anything, yet the board game did bring them together; if only for a short while. == Rarity expertly dodged the falling debris and avoided getting caught in any of the barriers in the cluttered attic. She headed a different route, away from the attic and found something entirely different. She found some extremely cramped quarters - two beds, with one dark blue blanket and another a dirty brown. The quarters were designed clearly for function over form; not Rarity’s favourite. “These must be the Servant’s Quarters…” Rarity commented to herself. == “Wow, another haunt roll!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as Rarity picked up the next omen. SPEAR WEAPON A weapon pulsing with power. You roll 2 additional dice (maximum of 8 dice) when making a Might attack with this weapon. You can’t use another weapon while you’re using this one. Make a haunt roll now. Rarity’s magic engulfed six of the dice as she made her roll. “Five exactly!” Rarity exclaimed. The tension in the treehouse skyrocketed as the players shuffled nervously. == Despite her original misgivings, Rarity decided to pick up and hang onto the mysterious, glowing spear. It was definitely a brutish weapon indeed, but her practical sense prevailed in a case like this: one weapon was better than no weapon, indeed. She then heard Pinkie Pie bound off and enter a room that was directly across the wall from her. Pinkie Pie entered a room with a high-vaulted ceiling and neat, orderly rows. Stained glass windows decorated the wall just behind a huge table. Pinkie Pie had found the house’s chapel. As she stepped forward to get a better view, however, she felt little invisible wires stretch around her face and hooves. It was only after trying to brush it aside did she realize she was entangled in a gigantic mesh of cobwebs. “Aarrgh!” Pinkie exclaimed. == WEBS Casually, you reach up to brush some webs aside...but they won’t brush away. They cling. You must attempt a Might roll: 4+ You break free. Gain 1 Might and discard this card. 0-3 You’re stuck. Keep this card. If you’re stuck, you can’t do anything until you’re freed. Once during an explorer’s turn, any explorer can attempt a Might roll to free you. (You can also attempt this roll.) A 4+ succeeds, but you don’t gain the 1 Might. Anyone failing an attempt can’t move for the rest of that turn. After 3 unsuccessful attempts, you break free automatically on your next turn and take your turn normally. When you’re free, discard this event. “Boo!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. She picked up the mere two dice that represented her might. “Enh, a one…” she sighed. == Pinkie Pie struggled and struggled to loose herself from the cobwebs, but to no avail; she was stuck fast. “Rarity!” she shouted to the other room. “Help!” “Pinkie!” Rarity exclaimed from the next room over. “Are you okay?” “Help!” Pinkie shouted. “I’m stuck! Heeelp!” == From the extremely bloodied room Twilight found herself in, she hugged the wall and took the first right she could. She ended up in a room with clear air, but that was just as dark and foreboding as the rest of the house. The house’s interior garden had done little to draw her mind away from the creepiness and possible supernatural powers at work here. Suddenly, Twilight felt light-headed and collapsed. == IT IS MEANT TO BE You collapse to the floor, visions of future events pouring through your head. Choose one of these 2 options: You can look at the top 3 tiles or cards of any one stack. If you do, rearrange those 3 tiles or cards in any order and put them back on top. Do not tell anyone the results. You can choose instead to roll 4 dice and write down the result. For one future dice roll of your choice that you attempt, you can use that number instead of rolling. If that number is higher than the maximum possible result, use the maximum possible result instead. “...wow, that’s a toughie.” remarked Twilight. She tapped her hoof against her head in thought. “Wow, I really can’t decide.” Twilight said. After what felt like hours of deliberation in her head, she decided. “Okay, I’m doing the dice roll. The haunt is probably coming soon, so I’m gonna be prepared.” “Makes sense.” agreed Rarity as Twilight made her four dice roll. “Four?” sighed Twilight. “Well, I guess it’s better than nothing…” == Twilight’s headache eventually passed. All sorts of images had flooded her mind, but she couldn’t make any heads or tails out of anything. The foreboding feeling continued, eating into her soul. She stubbornly continued on, however. Elsewhere… Rainbow Dash’s apprehension continued as she cautiously opened the door across from the creaky hallway she entered earlier. This room smelled of carbon, and was scorched beyond recognition. No embers in this room, however. The flame that all but annihilated this room and its contents had long passed. == Rainbow Dash drew yet another omen card. “Ohhh boy!” she exclaimed. “Haunt time, I bet!” MASK A somber mask to hide your intentions. Once during your turn, you can attempt a Sanity roll to use the Mask: 4+ You can put on or take off the Mask. If you put on the Mask, gain 2 Knowledge and lose 2 Sanity. If you take off the Mask, gain 2 Sanity and lose 2 Knowledge. 0-3 You can’t use the Mask this turn. Make a haunt roll now. “Wow, Rainbow has...like, four cards.” Twilight noted. “Yeah, Pinkie and I only have one.” Applejack said somberly. “We’re pretty screwed if Rainbow ends up betraying us.” “At least you’re not stuck in cobwebs!” Pinkie Pie shouted. “Only one way to find out who’s the traitor!” Rainbow eagerly scooped up six dice. “How much?” “Need a six or higher.” Twilight announced. “If only one of the dice is blank…” Fluttershy said, shuddering at the thought. Rainbow Dash rolled and watched as everypony’s eyes stared at the dice. “Eight!” Twilight announced to most ponies’ relief. Rainbow Dash, however, was looking forward to bouncing some in-game heads - either the traitor’s, or everypony else’s. == Applejack scowled at her relatively low speed stat. “Well, there’s not much else I can do this turn. All the rooms I got are all dead ends.” “Well, it’s still decent.” Rarity said. “The closest room is the Bloody Room. That one has an unexplored room by it.” “Guess so.” Rarity moved Applejack’s token to the bloody room. With all the rooms already revealed, it was an uneventful walk. == Fluttershy, meanwhile, cautiously crossed the abandoned room that Rainbow had found moments earlier to another door. She opened it to reveal a long but straight hallway. Lining the hallway, however, were lifelike ivory statues. Some were grotesque monsters...others were ponies in equally grotesque situations. Some of the statues had shattered, leaving gaping holes where eyes, legs, or wings would be. It was around then that her whole world turned sideways. == WHOOPS! You feel a body under your foot. Before you can leap away from it, you’re knocked over. A giggling voice runs away from you. Turn over all your item cards (not your omen cards) and shuffle them. The player to your right randomly discards one of them. Then turn your item cards face up again. “Oh...well, it seems I have no item cards.” Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief, putting the card back into the bottom of the item pile. == Fluttershy stood up, shaken from her fall. The giggling made her bolt all the way to the end of the corridor, where she came. Had one of the statues come to life and tripped her? She then swore she saw one of them move. The pegasus statue whose entire right face was shattered. Yes, it definitely moved. Or did it? Fluttershy took one look at her companion, and the kindness empowered her to forge on, moving statues or not. == “I’m coming, Pinkie!” Rarity exclaimed as she made her way to the chapel. She found Pinkie Pie completely entangled in a giant set of cobwebs. “I’m going to get you out! Stop moving!” Rarity ordered and Pinkie Pie stared back at her with worry in her eyes. == “A four!” Rarity exclaimed. “You’re free, Pinkie.” “Woohoo! You’re the bestest, Rarity!” Pinkie Pie thanked enthusiastically. == Rarity’s magic did what Pinkie’s raw strength couldn’t - she cut Pinkie free of the giant cobwebs, using her magic to finally brush the webs into a corner. “Are you okay, dear?” Rarity asked. “Yeah...phew…” Pinkie sighed. “This house is starting to get to me.” “I know what you mean...I hope the others are having better luck investigating this house than either of us.” Pinkie Pie proceeded with more caution, leaving Rarity behind in the chapel. “Thanks again, Rares.” Pinkie smiled as she left. She proceeded across from the stairs on the upper landing. Opening the door, she found herself in some sort of lab with all sorts of beakers, hotplates, and test tubes scattered all about the place. It seemed like some sort of science classroom, but the sickly colours of the test tubes and the grotesque images and instructions over the shelves made Pinkie doubt whoever’s room this was. It was then that Pinkie heard a creepy voice from...beneath her hooves? === THE VOICE “I’m under the floor, buried under the floor…” The voice whispers once, then is gone. You must attempt a Knowledge roll: 4+ You find something under the floor. Draw an item card. 0-3 You dig and search for the voice, but to no avail. Pinkie Pie took the dice and rolled them. “Come on, four!” She rolled. “Four exactly!” she cheered. She drew an item from the item card pile. SMELLING SALTS Whew, that’s a lungful. If you or another living explorer’s Knowledge is below its starting value and you’re in the same room, you can raise that trait to its starting value using the Smelling Salts. Discard this item after you use it. “Could be useful, especially for somepony like Twilight.” Pinkie noted. Twilight smiled at her. == Twilight, meanwhile, forged ahead after recovering from her crashing in the gardens. The images were starting to fade from her memory, but the headache persisted as she opened the next door. This room contained a huge bearskin rug, a circular corner in a table, and a checkered board opposite the larger table. This place clearly was intended for entertaining guests, but the rug seemed just a little too...real. When she stepped on something uneven, she gave a shout in surprise. She had stepped on the bear’s paw, and the bear’s head looked none too pleased having done that. “It’s fine...everything’s fine...it’s not like it can come up and get me from there…” Twilight assured herself half-heartedly. It was then that she felt something...unnatural fall onto her back. She shuddered, daring to look back. == SPIDER A spider the size of a hoof lands on your back...and crawls into your mane. You must attempt a Speed roll to brush it away or a Sanity roll to stand still: 4+ It’s gone. Gain 1 in the trait you used to attempt this roll. 1-3 It bites you. Take 1 dice of physical damage. 0 It takes a chunk out of you. Take 2 dice of physical damage. Twilight grimaced, looking at the dice for hope. She blew on them for luck, and rolled them. “...two.” Twilight’s grimace worsened. She then rolled to see how badly the spider had hit her. “...zero!” Twilight’s grimace easily turned into a smile as her friends congratulated her. == Twilight reflexively shook her mane to loosen the spider’s grip but the arachnid proved faster than she did. She felt a sting in her head as the spider bit her. “Argh!” she shook even more furiously and saw the massive creature fly off of her head and scuttle away to parts unknown. Reaching around her with her magic, she found that the spider’s fangs had in fact failed to harm her in any way, short of giving her a scare. The spider proved too fast to identify, so she was left guessing. Either the spider wasn’t venomous, or it merely a juvenile that had wandered into the wrong spot at the wrong time. The latter meant there might be a larger one somewhere… Twilight genuinely hoped it was the former. Author's Note Here is the status of the board's main floor. And the upper floor The basement is unexplored, apart from the basement landing. Twilight's Inventory: Music box, a roll of 4 for a future roll (from event card) Rainbow's Inventory: Revolver, Pickpocket's Gloves, Mask, Spirit Board Rarity's Inventory: Spear Fluttershy's Inventory: Filly (Girl), Holy Symbol Applejack's Inventory: Ring Pinkie's Inventory: Smelling Salts It seems the Mane 6 just don't want to start the haunt. I was worried for Pinkie Pie's sake that she would be stuck in the cobwebs when the haunt started, but then Rainbow rolled an eight. From here on out there will be image updates to show the progress of the house, as well as let those who read track who has what item. Game Explanation, Turn 5Twilight returned from the kitchen with drinks for each of her friends, as well as Spike, who dutifully stood at the entrance, assisting the trick-or-treaters. He had already gone through two large bags of it. He took a brief break to see what the others were up to. “We’re playing a board game Twilight found,” explained Fluttershy. “it’s great for Nightmare Night. Scary-themed, but it’s not very scary since it’s all just words.” “Good authors can scare you with words alone.” Twilight countered. “But yes, this game isn’t too scary.” “It certainly matches the theme, though!” Rarity exclaimed. “Six friends, a haunted house, one of us being...more than we seem to be?” Rarity’s passion for overacting made her mouth stretch into a dangerous, predatory smile. “So how abouts does it work?” Spike asked. “Well,” Twilight began. “it starts with us in the front entrance over there, and we explore the house room by room. The rooms are tiles drawn from this pile over here, so each time we play the house is different.” “Along the way, we collect these cards here.” Applejack continued. “And the more omen cards we get, the higher the chance of triggering something called the haunt. ‘s when the game really kicks things into high gear.” “Yeah, one of us ends up being a traitor to the other five, and it’s up to the others to survive, or the traitor to finish whatever she was up to.” Rainbow concluded. “So do you know who the traitor is?” Spike asked. “No,” Applejack explained. “the traitor is picked according to one of these here books, as well as the story involving the house itself. Twi says there’re fifty different stories!” “Hey, sounds great!” Spike’s expression of excitement was quickly tempered into somberness. “Why didn’t you invite me?” “Oh, Spike, of course we would invite you if there was space!” Twilight’s apology rung somewhat hollow to Spike, who sighed about being the odd dragon out yet again. “Tell you what,” Twilight assured him, sensing his disappointment. “I may end up running to Canterlot with the box; Princess Luna in particular seemed excited when I explained it to her. If we run a second game, you can play with the princesses!” “Wow, really?” Pinkie looked excited at the prospect. “You gotta tell me how that game goes!” “I’ll be sure to record it somehow!” Twilight smiled. “Who do you suppose would be the traitor then?” Pinkie wondered aloud. “How would you feel if Princess Celestia ‘killed’ you if she ended up being the traitor?” “Well, it’s just a board game, right?” Twilight said. “It’d be the same as if I played chess or poker against her.” “Think she’d go easy on you?” Rainbow asked. “The Princess’ professionalism shines brightly no matter what she does,” Twilight proclaimed proudly. “and that includes stabbing her friends and family in the back when the game calls for it.” “Now THAT would be scary.” Fluttershy gave the smallest giggle at the thought. “Speaking of going easy,” Twilight continued. “I trust that nopony here will have an issue being the traitor?” “I definitely could never betray any of you,” Fluttershy shrunk at the thought. “but I suppose as long as it’s just a game…” “Hey, coming from Loyalty itself,” Rainbow Dash assured her. “I wouldn’t care. Like you said, it’s just a game. And traitor or not, I’m giving it my all!” “Some of us are just happy to be together,” Applejack argued. “Hey, don’t think about holding back on your friends just ‘cause you’d be a traitor or something.” Rainbow Dash said with displeasure. “Nah, but win or lose, I’m just glad we’re all together in real life.” “I do believe we’re all mature enough to know the difference between fantasy and reality.” Rarity remarked. “Out of curiosity,” Twilight began. “who here wouldn’t mind being the traitor if the book let us pick?” The hooves that went up belonged to Twilight herself, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie. “I...ahh…” Rarity considered her position. “Oh, I suppose if necessary.” she raised her hoof as well. “Even when I was younger, I sometimes had fun with Nightmare Night ideas on my own.” Twilight said with a distant smile. “I would sometimes pretend to be a mad scientist, resurrecting a book monster.” “Scary movies are scary, but that’s what makes them great!” Rainbow Dash chimed in. “Besides, sometimes it’s fun to watch everypony else squirm in them.” “More often than not you’re the one doin’ the squirmin’ during the movies,” Applejack countered. “I always prefered bein’ the hero anyhow. Honestly it seems more exciting. And more rewarding for when you beat the monster.” “IF you beat the monster!” Pinkie Pie replied. “A lot of the excitement for me comes from wondering whether anypony will actually make it! I mean, most stories will have a main character who can never die, because if he dies, the story ends! But with a horror movie, just about anything can happen!” “Sometimes, though,” Rarity added. “the scariest monsters are ones that represent a darker image of ourselves. That part of us we keep under wraps, because if we let it out, unspeakable things would happen. Sometimes the scariest monsters are the heroes themselves.” Fluttershy said nothing, a distant look on her face. Twilight sensed her mind was drifting back to thinking about her more aggressive side, brought forth by Discord and Iron Will, amongst others. Twilight picked up Fluttershy’s right hoof and brought it to her own. As Twilight glanced around the room, the others pieced together what Fluttershy was thinking and added their own to the group until five hooves and one draconic claw were all on top of Fluttershy’s. “We know that’s not really you.” Twilight said. Fluttershy bowed her head humbly. “Let’s go!” Rainbow darted back to the board. “We’ve got a house to explore, a haunt to start, a traitor to reveal, and a game to win!” “Or lose.” Applejack smirked. “Okay, so who’s where?” Spike asked, taking a closer look at the board. “Rainbow’s over there, in the Charred Room.” Twilight explained. “Fluttershy’s in the Statuary Corridor, and I’m a room over in the Game Room. Applejack’s in the Bloody Room. Pinkie Pie and Rarity are upstairs in the Research Lab and the Chapel.” she finished, pointing to the remaining three pieces.” “Right,” Rainbow picked up her piece. “then I’m going down...here.” == The carbon in the room was stifling. Rainbow coughed loudly to clear it from her system as she made her way to the door on her left. As soon as she opened it, the familiar smell of books and sight of comfortable chairs took her far away from this terrible house. It was then that Twilight’s voice rung true from two rooms away. “A LIBRARY? RAINBOW DASH, YOU FOUND THE LIBRARY??” Forget the house; Twilight’s newfound library-sense was the creepiest thing yet. Rainbow Dash picked out a book at random, checking the back of the book to ensure it wasn’t trapped, and gave it a quick glance-over. == “That’s not fair!” Twilight pouted. “I was supposed to find the library first!” “What’d be really ironic is if Twilight then found the gymnasium.” Fluttershy added, picturing the role-reversal in her head. “Y’know,” Applejack teased. “Rainbow dislikes reading so much, I don’t think she should get the Knowledge bonus.” “I admitted to you guys and everypony else I liked reading, okay? It’s just that…” Rainbow paused, thinking over her next words. “It’s just that only certain books are epic enough to be read by me.” “Seems that includes dusty old tomes in a haunted house.” smiled Rarity. “Hey, what did I do to you guys? I didn’t stab anyone!...yet. Why are you all making fun of me for finding the library?” Rainbow crossed her hooves defensively. “You just make it so easy.” smiled Pinkie Pie. “Now go draw an event card.” Rainbow Dash drew from the event card pile. GROUNDSKEEPER You turn to see a man in groundskeeper clothing. He raises his shovel and charges. Inches from your face, he disappears, leaving muddy footprints, and nothing more. You must attempt a Knowledge roll. (An explorer in the Gardens rolls 2 fewer dice on this roll.) 4+ You find something in the mud. Draw an item card. 0-3 The groundskeeper reappears and strikes you in the face with the shovel. The player on your right rolls a Might 4 attack for the Groundskeeper. You defend against this attack as normal, by rolling dice equal to your Might. “Well...crap.” was all Rainbow Dash could manage as she picked up her four dice. She shook them vigorously, hoping somehow her awesomeness would rub off on the dice. “Five!” she exclaimed, taking a sigh of relief. == Rainbow Dash covered her eyes as the groundspony charged her. Her body froze in fear as shovel the dark green, aggressive groundspony charged her. She saw the shovel come up, ready to strike. She closed her eyes and braced for an impact that never came. Rainbow opened her eyes. Muddy hoofprints were all over the library, something that no doubt Twilight would take offence to, but there were no other traces of Rainbow’s assailant. Looking more carefully at the mud, however, she noticed an object lying down in it. She wiped it clean on the floor and then took a better look at it. == Lucky Stone A smooth, ordinary-looking rock. You sense it will bring you good fortune. After you attempt a roll of any kind, you can rub the stone once to reroll any number of those dice. Discard this item after you use it. “Whaaaat?!” the others at the table exclaimed. “Okay, so let me review what I have here…” Rainbow Dash said, smiling confidently. “I have a Rainbow Cannon, Pickpocket’s Gloves, a Mask, a Spirit Board, AND a Lucky Stone.” “I’m fairly certain Rainbow Dash is going to throw the balance of the game in question if she draws any more cards like this…” Rarity sighed. == Shortly after Twilight’s library sense went off, Applejack opened the door heading away from the bloody room she found herself in. It was clear when she opened it, however, that she had stepped out of the frying pan and into the fire. This outdoor area, completely fenced in, was covered in tombstones. Applejack counted three...four...five of them. Time had long erased the names on them, and their sizes varied from ones just slightly taller than Applejack herself to at least two that towered over her. The most intimidating, however, was the one that was tucked away in the corner of her vision. The scariest grave by far was the open one - one that had yet to receive a casket. Applejack made a terrified noise and backed away from the graveyard, as much as she could. She also regretted thinking about how this graveyard tied into the bloody room she saw earlier. == “...I really don’t like this,” Applejack murmured, drawing an event card for entering the graveyard. Burning Pony A pony on fire runs through the room. Her skin bubbles and cracks, falling away from her and leaving a fiery skull that clatters to the ground, bounces, rolls, and disappears. You must attempt a Sanity roll: 4+ You feel a little hot under the collar, but otherwise fine. Gain 1 Sanity. 2-3 Out, out, you must get out. Put your explorer into the Entrance Hall. 0-3 You burst into flames! Take one die of physical damage. Then take 1 die of mental damage as you put out the flames. “Eurghh…” Applejack made a disgusted noise as she rolled a meager three dice, really hoping for the best. “A three.” Applejack said. “Well, I suppose it’s not that bad…” “But wait, Applejack,” Rarity interrupted her. “when you leave the Graveyard you have to make a Sanity roll of four or higher or lose Knowledge.” Applejack paused, then glared at Rarity. “I hate you, you know.” she muttered, picking up the three dice again. “Four exactly.” Applejack breathed a sigh of relief, moving herself unencumbered to the Entrance hall. == Instinct took over as Applejack scuttled away as fast as she could away from the burning pony. Just staring at it made her own body warm up, and not in a pleasant way either...it became warmer and warmer, and just when she was ready to catch fire herself she bolted for the graveyard’s exit. The air that chilled the nerves of the other ponies felt refreshing to Applejack’s overheating, and soon she found herself back where she started and at a far more comfortable temperature. She took a sigh of relief, taking a quick review of her faculties and her body before moving on. There wasn’t any lasting damage, at least. Elsewhere… Forging on with her silent filly companion, Fluttershy braved the creepy statues lining the corridor and found herself in a wide open room with little in the way of furnishing. The high-vaulted ceiling, piano in the corner, and other musical instruments littering the floor suggested to her that she was in the mansion’s ballroom. Fluttershy took a sigh of relief, figuring to herself that she could have ended up in worse situations. It was then that she felt something around her ankle.. == SOMETHING SLIMY What’s around your ankle? A bug? A tentacle? A dead hand clawing? You must attempt a Speed roll: 4+ You break free. Gain 1 Speed. 1-3 Lose 1 Might 0 Lose 1 Might and 1 Speed “I suppose it does depend on what it is in the end, though that would certainly surprise me.” Fluttershy picked up her four dice and began rolling them. “A lot of aquatic animals are slimy and cute still.” “Just about anything’s cute to you, Fluttershy.” Twilight sighed. “Six.” Fluttershy counted. == As soon as she felt the cold slime wrap around her ankle, Fluttershy instinctively twisted it free. Her ankle bent awkwardly, but her wings, acting on their own accord, righted herself so she lost little in the way of momentum. She easily righted herself. “Hm. I guess that could have been worse…” Fluttershy muttered, looking at her leg for any trace of the slime. She didn’t find anything, and though the feeling still lingered, her ankle was as dry as it was beforehand. She glanced at the filly. “You didn’t see anything?” The filly shook her head, which made the worry creep back in… Meanwhile, Rarity found the chapel to be a dead-end, so she had to backtrack through the Operating Lab and the Servant’s Quarters to find unexplored territory. Opening the door just between the two beds of the Servant’s Quarters, she found herself in a room full of chairs, clocks, and wooden crates. It was a storeroom of some description - truly fitting to have it close to where the servants would stay. Finding nothing peculiar about the room, she searched the room for anything useful. Searching just behind a pair of crates, however, her eyes brightened. “Aha!” Rarity exclaimed. == MEDICAL KIT A doctor’s bag, depleted in some critical resources. Once during your turn, you can attempt a Knowledge roll to heal yourself or another explorer in the same room: 8+ Gain up to 3 points of physical traits. 6-7 Gain up to 2 points of physical traits. 4-5 Gain 1 point in a physical trait. 0-3 Nothing happens “Wow, that seems really useful!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “How’s your Knowledge?” Twilight asked. “Those need some really high rolls to make it work…” “Four.” Rarity said, looking at her character card. “You could get lucky, I suppose.” Twilight reasoned. “Depending on how this turns out, you may want to trade it to someone else who has more knowledge.” “Why, are you reasoning that I’m dumb?” Rarity feigned injury. A familiar-looking couch zipped out of nowhere to catch Rarity as she collapsed. “Oh, you hurt me so, Twilight!” “Well...no, that’s...not…” Twilight spluttered. “Okay, let me start again.” When the group laughed, Twilight gave up and went back to the board game. == Pinkie Pie continued on past the Operating Lab and found herself in a luxurious bedroom with a massive king-sized bed. “Heyhey! I bet that’s comfy!” Pinkie Pie leapt forward on the giant bed to bounce on it, but then she realized she wasn’t entirely alone. Stuck in the corner was another pony… == MADPONY COMPANION A raving, frothing madpony. Gain 2 Might and lose 1 Sanity now. Lose 2 Might and gain 1 Sanity if you lose custody of the Madpony. This omen can’t be dropped, traded, or stolen. Make a haunt roll now. “Ohhhh noooo!” Twilight exclaimed as the others around her gave other expressions of shock and fear. “Pinkie Pie going even INSANER?” Applejack laughed. “This can’t possibly be good for Equestria.” “The world implodes from Pinkie Pie meeting her equal. The end!” Rainbow exclaimed. “Everypony loses, except for Pinkie Pie!” “Woohoo!” Pinkie Pie shouted. “Alright, Madpony,” she said, clutching the card. “you and I are gonna break out of this story and wreak havoc on Equestria! WE’LL BE AN UNSTOPPABLE TEAM!” “I think we have a real traitor on our hooves,” Twilight laughed. “But first we have to make a haunt roll.” Fluttershy added. The entire room quieted down instantly. “Oooohhhhh…” Twilight sighed. “Okay so...how many omens are in play now?” “Pinkie just got the madpony,” Rainbow counted. “Rares has the spear, I have the mask and the spirit board, Fluttershy has the filly and the holy symbol, and AJ’s got the ring. So...seven.” Pinkie Pie somberly took six dice and, somewhere in the back of her mind, secretly hoped she would roll a six. As soon as she completed her roll, a little smile crept up on her face. “Six exactly.” she announced. “HAUNT TIME!!” Twilight exclaimed as Fluttershy cowered behind Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked as dangerous as ever. “Alright, so let’s see…” Twilight picked up the rulebook and looked it over. “It was triggered by the Madman in the Master Bedroom, so that means we’re doing Haunt 10.” Twilight flipped the page further. “The traitor is the haunt revealer, so that’s you, Pinkie.” “Ahhhh…” the others breathed a sigh of relief. “Alright!” Pinkie Pie bounded happily. “Murder time! What happens now?” “Well, Pinkie, you’re going to take this book here,” Twilight said, handing her a blue book. “and turn to Haunt 10. That has everything you need to know. You’re going to read it upstairs in my bedroom so nopony knows what you’re up to. Everypony else is going to read from this green book so we know how to beat you.” “Okie-dokie!” Pinkie took the blue book and bounded upstairs as she started thinking of the best ways to maim or otherwise mutilate her friends. “She’ll be fine, right?” Fluttershy asked. “Oh yeah.” Rainbow said confidently. “Right, time to beat her up. Let’s go.” == Pinkie Pie turned to her new companion, whose head jerked around as if listening for something. "Do you hear it?" he asks Pinkie. "Under the floor, where I put them. My family." It was then that Pinkie and the others realized that the former denizens of the house were slowly coming back to life. “Huh?” Pinkie stared at the madpony, whose teeth were far sharper than anypony’s teeth had a right to be. “Wha...what are you doing? Stop!” Pinkie cried. “Stay away!” A hoof strike to her side sent Pinkie flying across the room as the madpony glowered at her, teeth bared. The only rational thought that went through the madpony’s head was how much it was like tasting pink cotton candy. The rest of his family, dead no longer, rose from various rooms in the house, ready for their own treats. == “Whaaat?!” Pinkie Pie cried from upstairs. “You mean I’m DEAD?!” She barged down from upstairs as her five friends hid their green book. “I can’t betray anypony when I’m DEAD!” “Come on, that’s how the story goes!” Rainbow exclaimed. “It won’t work another way!” “It will work another way!” exclaimed Pinkie. “Watch me!” == “You’re a laugh riot, Mr. Madpony!” Pinkie laughed as she conversed with her companion in a way that only the two of them could understand. “What did you say your name was again?” “I said it starts with a D…” he began, seeming to grow in size and distort into something more bipedal. “...and ends in an ‘iscord’.” “Heeey!” Pinkie exclaimed. “What are you doing in a place like this anyway?” “Oh, I was just looking around this old house for some fun!” Discord said with his usual smile and confident tone. “The ponies who lived here died a while ago, but why not stay with me and let’s see if your friends can figure out how to deal with them?” “Oh, I don’t know, Discord. I wouldn’t want to abandon my friends.” Pinkie said, looking back at the door she came in. “I have some chocolate rain for you, Pinkie. Besides, your friends won’t mind; you’ll still be with them! You’ll just be watching instead, cheering them on!” “Works for me!” Pinkie shouted, the thought of chocolate completely dousing her mind. == “See?” Pinkie said with a smile. “I still like the first one.” Rainbow argued. “It don’t matter to me,” Applejack said. “fact of the matter is, there’re zombies in this here house and we gotta pin ‘em down somehow.” “Shh! Don’t tell her too much, darling!” Rarity cautioned. “We have different books for a reason.” “Ohh, right.” Applejack realized. “Heyhey!” Twilight shouted. “Shoo! We survivors have to strategize!” Though Pinkie protested being shunted off to Twilight’s bedroom with the rules, she walked back upstairs to read through her part of the story. “Okay, so Pinkie is going to create a bunch of zombies we’re going to have to deal with.” Twilight briefed her friends. “The book says we need to trap them in the Master Bedroom, Chapel, Conservatory, Game Room, Library, or the Attic. Each room can only house one zombie, and it needs to fail a Knowledge roll of 4 or higher in order to trap it in. We win once all the zombies are trapped.” “Fair enough,” Applejack said. “though it doesn’t seem we can do much. We don’t know where the zombies are going to appear.” “We also don’t have any zombie tokens,” Rarity said. “we’ll just have to use these changeling tokens instead.” “How do you suppose we get the zombies to go into the rooms?” Applejack asked. Twilight thought it over for a minute. “Live bait.” “Good idea.” Rainbow said, before backtracking. “Heyy!” she said. “Don’t sweat it, Rainbow. You’re already in the Library.” Twilight said. “You can trap the first one that comes in, if it fails the roll.” “Think I could shoot it and just kill it?” Rainbow asked. “No, that’ll stun them. The only way to knock them out is to force them into the rooms.” “What about me?” Fluttershy asked. “I’m nowhere near any of those rooms…” “Shoot.” Applejack said. “Fluttershy’s right. She needs to get into one of the rooms so she can lure them in.” “Try to make a break for upstairs and help Rarity,” Twilight instructed. “there are several rooms up there she can use to trap the zombies.” “Alright.” Fluttershy said. “Oh, don’t worry, Fluttershy, we’ll come out of this victorious!” Rarity assured her. “Especially with Rainbow Dash and that much firepower.” “Yeah, as long as I’m around, you guys don’t have to worry about a thing!” Rainbow boasted. == Upstairs in Twilight’s room, Pinkie reviewed the situation in her head. Most of the pieces she could use were uncontrollable once they came in sight of one of her friends. “What do you think, Gummy?” she asked Twilight’s pillow. “Silly me, of course you’re not Gummy. But I still need something to bounce ideas off of.” Twilight’s pillow didn’t move. “I guess I’ll have to use Discord,” Pinkie reasoned, having replaced the madpony in her mind with someone more familiar to her. “he’s the only one I can actually control a lot of the time. I’ll have to use him to quickly kill the others, especially Rainbow. No idea how I can beat her…” She shrugged, wandering back downstairs. “Alright, let’s put down the zombie tokens on each of the omen tiles!” Pinkie bounded back downstairs to the others. “Heya Pinkie!” her friends greeted her. “Have fun reading about how you’re going to win?” Twilight asked. “You mean how you guys are going to lose!” Pinkie laughed. “Alright, zombies start here, here, here, and...here.” Pinkie placed changeling tokens - actually zombies in this case - in the Junk Room, the Dining Room, the Charred Room, the Abandoned Room, and the Servant’s Quarters. “Ohhh…” Fluttershy shrunk again, confirming her position on the board. “...my…” She was completely walled off from her friends, and nowhere near a room she could use to trap them. “Yep!” Pinkie smiled. “These are my friends, and they’re huungry!” “Yer goin’ down, Pinkie!” Applejack shouted confidently. Fluttershy wished she shared her friends’ confidence in victory. Author's Note Without a proper zombie and madman pictures to go off of, the Mane 6 have decided to proceed with Discord (madman) and Changeling (zombie) pictures instead. Here is the status of the Upper Floor Here is the status of the Main Floor. The Basement is unexplored, aside from the basement landing. Current haunt is Haunt 10: Family Gathering. Read about it from the Survivor's perspective or from the Traitor's perspective. Twilight's Inventory: Music box, a roll of 4 for a future roll (from event card) Rainbow's Inventory: Revolver, Pickpocket's Gloves, Mask, Spirit Board, Lucky Stone Rarity's Inventory: Spear, Medical Kit Fluttershy's Inventory: Filly (Girl), Holy Symbol Applejack's Inventory: Ring Master Bedroom: Smelling Salts
PrologueFoals and adults alike frolicked and played well into Nightmare Night. A joyous, if macabre time was had by all. Ponyville had, as always, unleashed all the stops in throwing the celebration. Six best friends in a treehouse library, however, had made different plans for the night. “So,” Rainbow Dash looked incredulously at the black cardboard box that Twilight had produced. “remind me again why we all decided to stay indoors during Nightmare Night? We could be outside having some real fun instead of being cooped up in here!” “As fun as last years’ Nightmare Night was, neither Fluttershy nor Rarity were able to make it.” Twilight explained. “So, I decided to look for something we could all do together, and I think I found the perfect game.” she finished triumphantly. “Betrayal at House on the Hill?” asked Rainbow Dash. She eyed the board game skeptically. “That title don’t seem right.” Applejack noted. “I didn’t name it,” Twilight said defensively. “but trust me, it’s a good game. Basically, it’s about six friends who explore a haunted house, and we build the house using these cards. So the next time somepony plays, the house will be different! Eventually one of the friends is a traitor who has to do all sorts of scary things to the heroes. We've got two books that'll tell each side what to do to win." “Love haunted houses!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed jubilantly, bounding in place. “They're great fun for the scarers in setting things up, and for the scarees because they can enjoy it! Is 'scaree' a word?” “Don't think so,” Applejack replied dryly. “and neither is 'scarer'.” "This is a bit more involved than a haunted house too," Rarity added. "with all the dice rolls and sides." “How scary is the game?” Fluttershy asked. Rarity, who was next to her, felt a small shudder from the pegasus. “It's just a board game,” Twilight said confidently. “so really things only get as scary as your imagination will let it.” “Besides,” Rarity added. “we'll all be right here. No one's going to actually put you through anything, dear. We've all faced far worse than a silly board game.” “And there's nothing magical about this board game.” Twilight quickly added as Rarity felt Fluttershy tense. “It's all just die, cards, numbers, and words. No, we're not going to ACTUALLY go into the haunted house. I've already checked it for spells...not like it's going to have any on it in the first place. That said...part of the fun is role-playing each of the characters as if you were in it." Fluttershy visibly relaxed, though her anxiety remained high. "I guess you're right, Twilight; we really have faced a lot worse things. Discord, Nightmare Moon..." "I'm fairly certain the trees that Nightmare Moon turned into scary faces were scarier than this." Pinkie Pie reminded. "Just don't forget to giggle at the ghosties!" "It's all just words," Fluttershy reminded herself. "I won't let it get to me. Not after all that. It's just a board game. "Well," Rainbow Dash said excitedly. "let's get started, then!" Twilight opened the black box, using her magic to make each of the pieces fly into position. She begun enthusiastically explaining the rules... <==> It was a dark and stormy night. Twilight and her friends stepped into the haunted house on the hill confidently. She assured her friends that there was nothing haunted or mysterious about it at all. The wooden floor creaked menacingly as the six friends peered around. Everything about the house was foreboding and unwelcoming, the darkness penetrating; even Twilight and Rarity's illumination spells seemed less effective than normal. The two doors leading to other rooms were slammed shut, while the stairs in front of them led to an inky blackness. “Twilight, are you sure this is a good idea?” Applejack asked as Fluttershy brought up the rear, doing her best to keep a low profile. “I want to go home!” Fluttershy squeaked and ran for the door behind her. “Fluttershy, there's no reason to be afraid!” Twilight chided gently. “It's just an old creaky house. Besides, the game doesn't let you leave, there aren't any tiles for the outside.” Fluttershy gulped and did her best to keep up with the group while Rarity's fashonista eyes were already criticizing the interior decoration. “Eurgh, even the air is mangy and old...to say nothing of the construction of the place. Haunted house or not, this place should have been designed to last!” Rainbow Dash paid Rarity no heed and gently ribbed Fluttershy. “Aww, come on, Fluttershy! Where's your sense of adventure?!” Rainbow Dash confidently bolted to the door leading to the left and disappeared from view, while Pinkie Pie happily bounded upstairs, followed by Rarity. “Eh, I better follow RD,” Applejack said. “she needs somepony to keep 'er outta trouble.” she followed the route Rainbow Dash took. “You should follow Applejack.” Twilight told Fluttershy. “She is, after all, the most loyal and dependable of ponies, right?” Fluttershy couldn't agree more and took off after Applejack with uncharacteristic speed. Twilight gave her friend a gentle smile and opened rightmost door, eager to prove her friends' concerns in vain. As the door handle clicked open obligingly, she couldn't help but feel that would be the last time the six of them would meet as friends. That thought scared her far more than the house did. Author's Note I will be playing along with the rest of the Mane 6. The characters and their actions will be driven by canon, but everything else - the events, the effects, as well as in-game Mane 6’s stats - are all driven by the board game. As a result in-game Twilight’s magic is far less than Twilight’s actual magic, and likewise for the other characters. They ARE playing a board game, after all.
Turns 1 and 2Rainbow Dash stopped in awe at the huge vault that awaited behind her chosen door. It was cold and dark, and the stone cold brick was a great contrast to the creaky wood. The massive wheel, the foreboding, armoured door no doubt held great items or riches behind it...if she could get it open. == You must attempt a Knowledge roll of 6+ to open and empty the vault. Rainbow Dash gingerly picked up four dice and shook them rapidly. "Come, come on, come ON!" she rolled. The group leaned in to peer at her roll. “An eight! Woohoo!” she cheered gleefully. “Lucky...” Applejack muttered. Rainbow reached for the item card pile and drew the first two cards, her eyes widening to surprise and her mouth curling into a gleeful smile. REVOLVER WEAPON An old, potent-looking weapon. You can use the Revolver to attack with your Speed instead of Might. (Your opponent then defends with speed and takes physical damage.) Roll 1 additional die on your Speed attack roll (maximum of 8 dice). With the Revolver, you can attack anyone in the same room or within line of sight (through an uninterrupted straight line of doors). If you attack someone in another room and lose, you don’t take damage. You can’t use another weapon while you’re using this one. PICKPOCKET’S GLOVES Helping yourself has never seemed so easy. When you are in the same room as another explorer, you can discard this item to take any item that explorer is carrying. “Rainbow Dash using Speed instead of Might to attack?” Twilight asked. “I hope to Celestia she’s not the traitor!” == The revolver that Rainbow Dash found in the vault felt right at home with her. Her already considerable confidence soared to new heights when she donned the weapon; she doubted anything else would make her greater. The pickpocketing tool she found was all but forgotten. “Heh, check it!” Rainbow Dash said to Applejack and Fluttershy behind her. “Toldja! Finder’s keepers!” Applejack simply glowered at her, and Fluttershy stuck behind Applejack, fearful of this turn of events. “One of these days, Rainbow, you’re gonna open a door to something you really wish you haven’t found.” Applejack muttered, following Rainbow as the group of three turned around. Elsewhere... Twilight opened her door and felt she was walking on air. She felt surprisingly light for a moment before realizing that she had, in fact, stepped on air. “Whoaa!” she screamed. The room she had walked into had a gaping hole in it, and she only barely avoided falling in. == Twilight breathed a sigh of relief, rolling a six to avoid falling into the collapsed room. == “That was a really close call!” Twilight hyperventilated for several seconds before taking time to compose herself. Hugging the walls to not be consumed by the pit, she edged her way to the opposite side of the door she came and opened it, leading to a greenhouse. Feeling closer to a greenhouse than a room with a gaping hole in it, she began to investigate the plants she found. == A MOMENT OF HOPE Something feels strangely right about this room. Something is resisting the evil of the house. Place the blessing token in this room. Each hero rolls 1 additional die (maximum of 8 dice) on all trait rolls while in this room. “Too bad the Conservatory is a dead end room.” Rainbow Dash said. “We could really have found that useful elsewhere.” Fluttershy smiled at the description, figuring maybe it would be a good place to have a last stand should things go wrong. “I know you just drew another room card, Twilight,” Rarity said. “but would we all have to roll to avoid falling into the collapsed room now that you’ve found it?” “I don’t think so,” Twilight said. “I didn’t notice anything in the rulebook, and the card description doesn’t really say. I think now that I’ve found it though, everyone can avoid it unless you want to use it to get to the basement.” == The familiar plants were soothing to Twilight, and she smiled as she reviewed them with great enthusiasm. The largest of which she recognized as a sapling of a familiar treehouse. She took a sigh of relief in knowing that even here there was something good happening. == Twilight turned to Rarity and Pinkie Pie, who both moved to the upper landing. Rarity shrugged. “We both only have a speed of 3, we can’t go much further than that.” “Ohh well, I can wait.” Pinkie Pie said uncharacteristically. The others stared at her. “...Pinkie Pie? Waiting for something?” Applejack asked, astonished. “And you’re worried about me being the traitor?” Rainbow Dash laughed. == Choosing to backtrack from the now-opened vault, Applejack decided to try venturing out further on her own, away from Rainbow Dash, who clearly was feeling next to invincible at this point. == “Attack with speeed!” Rainbow Dash laughed. “Woohoo!” “I wouldn’t be too confident, Rainbow. There are some monsters which can’t be attacked with speed.” Twilight cautioned. “Nothing beats the Rainbow cannon!” Rainbow proclaimed. “The Rainbow cannon?” “Yeah, that’s what I’m calling it.” == Applejack edged away from Rainbow Dash, who was confidently flicking the rainbow-coloured revolver around. “Come on, Fluttershy. Let’s leave Ms. 20% Cooler to her own things.” == “I don’t know why everypony seems to think I love that phrase. I mean, I only used it once.” Rainbow said quizzically. “I guess the phrase just stuck.” Rarity offered. “Besides, some things require additional radicalness, which is different from coolness.” Twilight knew the futility of arguing synonyms with Rainbow Dash, and so chose to remain silent. Rainbow Dash knew the futility of arguing the clear difference between two distinct words, and so chose to remain silent. “...why are you two looking at each other like that?” asked Pinkie Pie. == Leaving the vault, Applejack opened the rightmost door of the foyer. She was greeted by the sight of a massive pipe organ. “Hmm. Wonder what this thing does.” == THE BECKONING Outside. You must get outside. Fly to freedom! Each explorer in the Gardens, Graveyard, Tower, or Balcony, or in a room with an outside-facing window must attempt a Sanity roll: 3+ You back away from the ledge. 0-2: You jump to the Patio. (If it isn’t in the house, search the room stack for it, put it in the house, and shuffle that stack.) Put your explorer there and take 1 die of physical damage. Each result affects only the explorer making that roll. “Good thing nopony’s in any of those rooms!” Rainbow Dash sighed. “Nopony’s in a room with an outside facing window, right?” Rarity noted. “The card says it affects them too." The group paused for a minute, remembering this minute detail all at once. They stared at the board intently at their characters. “Nope. Nopony’s there either.” “What a pointless card.” Rarity laughed. She unceremoniously threw the card back into the Event pile. Twilight picked up the card and stuck it at the bottom of the deck. == After having pressed a key or two and finding it did nothing but make a noise, Applejack instead turned her attention to Fluttershy, who, in the tiniest fit of bravery and exploration, opened the door to the left of her. It led to a dank and dusty hallway that split into three directions. Quickly crossing over to the opposite side, she opened it to a room filled with fallen chairs, papers everywhere, a sofa, a chest...clearly whoever had this place used it as a storage for all their junk. A tiny noise jerked her attention to something in the corner. She crept closer to investigate, only to find a little filly trapped. “Oh!” Fluttershy exclaimed. “Here, let me get you out of there.” The junk that had trapped the filly hadn’t proved too difficult for a grown mare like Fluttershy to move. She rescued the trapped filly with ease. === FILLY COMPANION A filly. Trapped. Alone. You free her! Gain 1 Sanity and 1 Knowledge now. Lose 1 Sanity and 1 Knowledge if you lose custody of the Girl. This omen can’t be dropped, traded, or stolen. Make a haunt roll now. “You just have to roll something, Fluttershy.” Twilight assured her. “It’s six dice, I can’t see you rolling all blanks.” Fluttershy gingerly picked up the dice and rolled them. As soon as a single black dot was visible on one of the dice, Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief. == “Just follow me,” Fluttershy assured her new companion. “we’ll get you out of here.” Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash had left the open vaults behind and headed to the left of the foyer, opposite the door Applejack had opened. Stepping inside, the room seemed to be an elevator of some description. == MYSTIC ELEVATOR Roll 2 dice and move this room next to any open door on 4: Any floor 3: Upper level 2: Ground floor 1: Basement level 0: Basement level, then take 1 die of physical damage. “Hmm…” Rainbow considered. “Alright, let’s go!” She picked up two dice and rolled them. She rolled a two. “Ground floor!” Rainbow laughed, followed by her companions. “I guess the elevator moves horizontally as well!” Rarity laughed. “Not what I had in mind, but okay!” Rainbow Dash laughed, moving the mystic elevator across from Fluttershy in the junk room. == “Well that...was an experience.” Rainbow Dash shuddered. “Kinda...felt like Twilight was teleporting me or something.” She opened the door again, revealing Fluttershy. “Eh?!” Rainbow exclaimed. “Fluttershy?” “Rainbow?” Fluttershy said, surprised. “How’d you get here?” “I don’t know,” Rainbow said. “I think this house is messing with my head. I stepped into a room and next thing I knew, I was here.” she gestured to Fluttershy’s friend. “Whozzat?” “A friend I picked up,” Fluttershy smiled. “she was just trapped here...I couldn’t leave her!” “Who wouldn’t?” Rainbow smiled. == Twilight backtracked away from the greenhouse, avoiding the gaping hole she nearly fell into, going back into the entrance hall and the front foyer. She opened the door on the left, where Rainbow Dash and the Mystic Elevator once were, only to reveal a grisly sight. The room was covered in somepony’s blood. It fell in great splotches all over the floor, and the back of a single chair was to her immediate left. Twilight hugged the wall closest to her and worked her way around the perimeter, fearing what she would find behind the chair if she approached it directly. Counterintuitively for her, the chair was empty. Her relief lasted only a brief second, however, as she took another look at the blood. “...it’s fresh…” she shivered. She then found something on the floor in the corner. It appeared to be a box of some kind. She approached it warily. == MUSIC BOX A hoof-crafted antique. It plays a haunting melody that gets stuck in your head. Once per turn, you can open or close the Music Box. While the Music Box is open, any explorer or monster with a Sanity trait that enters or starts its turn in the same room must make a Sanity roll of 4+. If the roll fails, the explorer or monster is mesmerized by the music. If an explorer or monster carrying the Music Box is mesmerized, it drops the Music Box. If the Music Box is open when it is dropped, it remains open. “Mm…” Twilight considered. “Little point in using that now. Might be useful if we need to make an escape attempt.” “Or to slow us down if you’re the traitor.” Rarity eyed Twilight, who smiled innocently. == Rarity and Pinkie Pie, meanwhile, began to explore the upper floor of the house. Rarity took a left while Pinkie Pie bounded happily to the right. Pinkie Pie opened the door to find a hospital bed in a bright white room with all sorts of sharp implements scattered all across the table that rung the room. Pinkie Pie paused in thought. “This place...seems vaguely familiar somehow.” She observed the room warily. “Why am I thinking about cupcakes seeing this room?” == “You realize whoever wrote that story obviously sick in their mind, right?” Rarity asked Pinkie Pie. “What?” Pinkie Pie replied defensively. “It was funny!” “You have to draw an event card.” Twilight reminded her. Pinkie Pie drew one from the stack. SILENCE Underground, everything goes silent. Even the sound of breathing is gone. Each explorer in the basement must attempt a Sanity roll. 4+ You wait calmly for your hearing to return. 1-3 You scream a silent scream. Take 1 die of mental damage. 0 You freak out. Take 2 dice of mental damage. Each result affects only the explorer making that roll. “Well, good thing nopony is in the basement.” Rainbow Dash commented. “Rarity, if you would please?” Rainbow smiled. As with the previous card, Rarity unceremoniously threw it back onto the stack, and Twilight stuck it on the bottom. == Rarity chose a right to Pinkie’s left at the upper landing, and so found herself in what appeared to be a half-constructed room that she could only figure was the house’s attic. It was dark, but Rarity could use her other senses to help navigate the place. It was around then, however, that she saw something move out of the corner of her eye. == NIGHT VIEW You see a vision of a ghostly couple walking the grounds, silently strolling in their wedding best. You must attempt a Knowledge roll: 5+ You recognize the ghosts as former inhabitants of the house. You call their names, and they turn to you, whispering dark secrets of the house. Gain 1 Knowledge. 0-4 You pull back in horror, unable to watch. “I choose to investigate what kind of dress the bride is wearing!” Rarity exclaimed. “Rarity, that’s not an option, you’re just going to have to make the roll.” “You know I can’t resist congratulating a newlywed couple!” Rarity sighed. “I hope you make the roll, then.” Rainbow Dash chuckled to herself, handing Rarity the dice. Rarity hmphed and made her roll. “Eight!” she exclaimed. == “Er, hello, dearies!” Rarity greeted. The two ghosts strided over to her. “Um...that’s a nice dress! Who made it for you?” == “You know the card doesn’t say exactly what the ghosts say, right?” Twilight sighed. “It just says that they whisper dark secrets of the house.” “Good, then I can make it up.” Rarity smiled. == “Good evening,” one of the ghosts greeted. “you should be most careful around here. The house is…” == “Evil?” Fluttershy offered. “Freaky?” Pinkie Pie added. “Dangerous?” asked Rainbow Dash. == “...so ugly and dangy that it just might cause permanent damage to a mare of our refined tastes.” the ghost warned. Rarity made a gasp of horror. == “...really?” Rainbow sighed as Twilight put a hoof to her face. “I mean, really, why not have a little fun with it? That’s the point of the game, yes? To have fun?” Rarity smirked. “We sure have been getting a lot of event cards,” Twilight said as she extracted her hoof from her cheek. “I thought for sure we’d be getting more omen cards aside from the one.” “I like it better when we’re all on the same side,” Fluttershy replied. “I really don’t know how I’d feel going against one of my friends.” “It’s just a game, as Rarity so pointed out. We’re all still friends regardless of what happens in the board game.” Twilight reminded her. “Out of curiosity, who’s wanting to see the haunt start?” Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie all raised a hoof. “I’m not worried about us not becoming friends anymore over some silly board game, but I quite enjoy the cooperative gameplay for now.” Rarity chipped in. “I gotta know who the killer is!!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “I hope we’ll find out soon!” “We really need some of those omens in play, then!” Twilight smiled. Fluttershy kept her disagreements within herself, but she smiled at Twilight and Rainbow Dash’s enthusiasm. As long as her friends were having fun, she figured, things weren’t so bad.
Turns 3 and 4"It's your turn, Rainbow." Twilight reminded Rainbow. "Okay," the latter said. "I'm headed away from the junk room, and I'll check the rooms to the south." "You have to make a Might roll, Rainbow." Rarity chimed in. "Wow, almost forgot." Rainbow said, picking up the dice. "Come on, roll a three!" Rainbow rolled and stared at the dice. "Four." she noted, smiling. == Rainbow Dash passed Fluttershy, who was using her wing to hold the little filly close to her and consoling her, and headed for the room opposite to Fluttershy. The light from the junk room vanished as she took her first steps into the deserted hallway. Creeeeaaaaaak. The decaying wood sent a shiver down Rainbow’s spine, far colder than anything around Hearth’s Warming Eve. The creaking wood also startled her for another reason: whatever evil was in the house, this creaking noise would alert it to Rainbow’s position, allowing it to sneak up on her… “Euargh!” The mere thought of something sneaking up behind her in the wooden staircase caused her to lose her balance. She expertly recovered in the air, and chose to go right rather than further away from Fluttershy. “Are you okay, Rainbow?” Fluttershy asked from the other room. “Uh...yeah!” Rainbow Dash feigned her confidence. It was around now, however, that she remembered the Rainbow Cannon. She aimed it down the hall, behind her, above her, and finally crept up behind the door. She aimed it, ready to fire, as she kicked down the door with considerable force. This room, like the hallway behind it, was completely deserted. Unlike the other rooms which the others had encountered, this one simply had a misshapen, filthy, dreary rug in the middle of it. Rainbow took one brief look down the hallway before shutting the door behind her, leaving the creepy hallway behind. == “Another omen! We’re getting close!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. She drew from the Omen card deck. SPIRIT BOARD A board with letters and numbers to call the dead. Before you move during your turn, you can look at the top tile of the room stack. If you use the Spirit Board after the haunt has been revealed, the traitor can move any number of monsters 1 space closer to you. (If you are the traitor, you don’t have to move those monsters.) If there is no traitor, all monsters move 1 space closer to you. Make a haunt roll now. “How many are in play now?” asked Twilight. “Only two.” replied Rarity. “Alright, let’s go.” Rainbow Dash picked up the dice and rolled them. She felt the entire group’s eyes stare at her hooves as she completed her roll. “Seven.” announced Twilight. Fluttershy breathed a relieved sigh. == Applejack, meanwhile, followed the sounds of Rainbow Dash’s kicking the door, but chose to investigate the room to her right instead. She followed the old dusty hallway and took a right. She took a deep breath and opened the door. A kitchen! Something truly familiar to Applejack, who was likely the best at cooking besides Pinkie Pie herself. Yet something about this kitchen felt neither homely nor familiar to Applejack, who drew little comfort despite its familiarity. Indeed, it seemed as though this once homely kitchen had been corrupted by something. It was then that something glittered in Applejack’s vision. == RING A battered ring with an incomprehensible inscription. If you attack an opponent that has a Sanity trait, you can attack with Sanity instead of Might. (Your opponent then defends with Sanity, and damage is mental instead of physical.) Make a haunt roll now. “Well, consarnit, my sanity ain’t the highest.” Applejack sighed. “Who’s the highest?” asked Rainbow Dash. “Pinkie Pie, definitely. After all that ‘Giggle at the Ghosties’ stuff, it’d take a lot to truly scare Pinkie.” Applejack said. “Haunt roll!” Pinkie chimed as Applejack picked up her six dice. “Nine.” Applejack announced to Fluttershy’s relief. “Wow, that’s really high.” Rainbow sighed. “I guess this means...what? All the lights come on?” “It’s actually a theme park! Haunted house!” Pinkie added. “It’s just one of Luna’s nightmare night houses!” Twilight continued. Applejack, who was closest to the dice, handed it to Fluttershy. "Here, don't forget to make your Might roll." Fluttershy took the dice from Applejack and rolled a four. "Great, so you're not affected by the junk room either." Twilight announced. == Putting on the ring she found in the kitchen didn’t seem to make Applejack feel any different. She wasn’t entirely sure about how it’d work, but it somehow seemed to manage. Hearing Rainbow Dash kick down the door not too far away, Fluttershy made a beeline to help calm down her friend. The mysterious filly in tow, she opened the door to the Mystic Elevator’s right, taking extreme care to not trip over the junk in the junk room. It was a wonder anyone could navigate it at all... Fluttershy timidly pushed open the next door, revealing a dining room. It was clearly set out for someone; ivory teacups and dollies decorated the dark, wooden table, but the jet-black wooden chairs had been tipped and scattered all around the dining room; whoever was here had clearly left in a hurry. Fluttershy shivered, and the seemingly mute filly had no real reaction to the dining room. The filly stared, eyes unwavering, at the large dining table before the group. Fluttershy noted this attention to detail, and chose to avoid the table. She crept around the side carefully, her eyes never leaving the suspicious table… == “That looks a little weird,” Twilight remarked. “I’m going to spin the room so that it links the Junk Room and Abandoned Room.” “Fluttershy, dearie, you need to draw an Omen card.” Rarity reminded her. Fluttershy jumped the tiniest amount; clearly she had secretly hoped that somepony would forget that minor detail. She begrudgingly drew an omen card. HOLY SYMBOL A symbol of calm in an unsettling world. Gain 2 Sanity now. Lose 2 Sanity if you lose the Holy Symbol. Make a haunt roll now. “Well, see, that doesn’t seem so bad!” Rarity assured Fluttershy, who clearly looked relieved for it to not be a severed head or something similar. “Haunt roll! Haunt roll!” sung Pinkie. “Three in play, can you MAKE IT??” Fluttershy gingerly rolled the six dice. “A five!” Applejack exclaimed, concern growing in her voice. “Things’re getting closer…” Fluttershy didn’t appreciate Applejack’s apprehension one bit. == Rarity, meanwhile, decided to continue exploring the upper floor. She crossed above the front foyer, heading away from the upper landing and the attic. As she left the attic, however, something appeared to fall from up above. Rarity had just a split second to react. == Rarity picked up four dice with her magic, gave them a little shake, and rolled them with a clatter to the floor. She had to roll a three or higher to avoid taking any damage upon her leaving. She peered cautiously at the dice before breathing a sigh of relief. "Five." she breathed. "It's not a lot of damage, you know." Twilight reminded her. "All the same, I prefer to keep myself in top condition at all times." Rarity explained, her high-class upbringing becoming apparent. "In a case like this, it's actually practical to as well." Applejack added. "Granted we're gonna encounter a traitor, so may as well stay in the best shape for when she shows up." "Exactly, Applejack!" Rarity smiled, followed by Twilight. Given their greatly different upbringings, it was very seldom to have Rarity and Applejack agree on anything, yet the board game did bring them together; if only for a short while. == Rarity expertly dodged the falling debris and avoided getting caught in any of the barriers in the cluttered attic. She headed a different route, away from the attic and found something entirely different. She found some extremely cramped quarters - two beds, with one dark blue blanket and another a dirty brown. The quarters were designed clearly for function over form; not Rarity’s favourite. “These must be the Servant’s Quarters…” Rarity commented to herself. == “Wow, another haunt roll!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as Rarity picked up the next omen. SPEAR WEAPON A weapon pulsing with power. You roll 2 additional dice (maximum of 8 dice) when making a Might attack with this weapon. You can’t use another weapon while you’re using this one. Make a haunt roll now. Rarity’s magic engulfed six of the dice as she made her roll. “Five exactly!” Rarity exclaimed. The tension in the treehouse skyrocketed as the players shuffled nervously. == Despite her original misgivings, Rarity decided to pick up and hang onto the mysterious, glowing spear. It was definitely a brutish weapon indeed, but her practical sense prevailed in a case like this: one weapon was better than no weapon, indeed. She then heard Pinkie Pie bound off and enter a room that was directly across the wall from her. Pinkie Pie entered a room with a high-vaulted ceiling and neat, orderly rows. Stained glass windows decorated the wall just behind a huge table. Pinkie Pie had found the house’s chapel. As she stepped forward to get a better view, however, she felt little invisible wires stretch around her face and hooves. It was only after trying to brush it aside did she realize she was entangled in a gigantic mesh of cobwebs. “Aarrgh!” Pinkie exclaimed. == WEBS Casually, you reach up to brush some webs aside...but they won’t brush away. They cling. You must attempt a Might roll: 4+ You break free. Gain 1 Might and discard this card. 0-3 You’re stuck. Keep this card. If you’re stuck, you can’t do anything until you’re freed. Once during an explorer’s turn, any explorer can attempt a Might roll to free you. (You can also attempt this roll.) A 4+ succeeds, but you don’t gain the 1 Might. Anyone failing an attempt can’t move for the rest of that turn. After 3 unsuccessful attempts, you break free automatically on your next turn and take your turn normally. When you’re free, discard this event. “Boo!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. She picked up the mere two dice that represented her might. “Enh, a one…” she sighed. == Pinkie Pie struggled and struggled to loose herself from the cobwebs, but to no avail; she was stuck fast. “Rarity!” she shouted to the other room. “Help!” “Pinkie!” Rarity exclaimed from the next room over. “Are you okay?” “Help!” Pinkie shouted. “I’m stuck! Heeelp!” == From the extremely bloodied room Twilight found herself in, she hugged the wall and took the first right she could. She ended up in a room with clear air, but that was just as dark and foreboding as the rest of the house. The house’s interior garden had done little to draw her mind away from the creepiness and possible supernatural powers at work here. Suddenly, Twilight felt light-headed and collapsed. == IT IS MEANT TO BE You collapse to the floor, visions of future events pouring through your head. Choose one of these 2 options: You can look at the top 3 tiles or cards of any one stack. If you do, rearrange those 3 tiles or cards in any order and put them back on top. Do not tell anyone the results. You can choose instead to roll 4 dice and write down the result. For one future dice roll of your choice that you attempt, you can use that number instead of rolling. If that number is higher than the maximum possible result, use the maximum possible result instead. “...wow, that’s a toughie.” remarked Twilight. She tapped her hoof against her head in thought. “Wow, I really can’t decide.” Twilight said. After what felt like hours of deliberation in her head, she decided. “Okay, I’m doing the dice roll. The haunt is probably coming soon, so I’m gonna be prepared.” “Makes sense.” agreed Rarity as Twilight made her four dice roll. “Four?” sighed Twilight. “Well, I guess it’s better than nothing…” == Twilight’s headache eventually passed. All sorts of images had flooded her mind, but she couldn’t make any heads or tails out of anything. The foreboding feeling continued, eating into her soul. She stubbornly continued on, however. Elsewhere… Rainbow Dash’s apprehension continued as she cautiously opened the door across from the creaky hallway she entered earlier. This room smelled of carbon, and was scorched beyond recognition. No embers in this room, however. The flame that all but annihilated this room and its contents had long passed. == Rainbow Dash drew yet another omen card. “Ohhh boy!” she exclaimed. “Haunt time, I bet!” MASK A somber mask to hide your intentions. Once during your turn, you can attempt a Sanity roll to use the Mask: 4+ You can put on or take off the Mask. If you put on the Mask, gain 2 Knowledge and lose 2 Sanity. If you take off the Mask, gain 2 Sanity and lose 2 Knowledge. 0-3 You can’t use the Mask this turn. Make a haunt roll now. “Wow, Rainbow has...like, four cards.” Twilight noted. “Yeah, Pinkie and I only have one.” Applejack said somberly. “We’re pretty screwed if Rainbow ends up betraying us.” “At least you’re not stuck in cobwebs!” Pinkie Pie shouted. “Only one way to find out who’s the traitor!” Rainbow eagerly scooped up six dice. “How much?” “Need a six or higher.” Twilight announced. “If only one of the dice is blank…” Fluttershy said, shuddering at the thought. Rainbow Dash rolled and watched as everypony’s eyes stared at the dice. “Eight!” Twilight announced to most ponies’ relief. Rainbow Dash, however, was looking forward to bouncing some in-game heads - either the traitor’s, or everypony else’s. == Applejack scowled at her relatively low speed stat. “Well, there’s not much else I can do this turn. All the rooms I got are all dead ends.” “Well, it’s still decent.” Rarity said. “The closest room is the Bloody Room. That one has an unexplored room by it.” “Guess so.” Rarity moved Applejack’s token to the bloody room. With all the rooms already revealed, it was an uneventful walk. == Fluttershy, meanwhile, cautiously crossed the abandoned room that Rainbow had found moments earlier to another door. She opened it to reveal a long but straight hallway. Lining the hallway, however, were lifelike ivory statues. Some were grotesque monsters...others were ponies in equally grotesque situations. Some of the statues had shattered, leaving gaping holes where eyes, legs, or wings would be. It was around then that her whole world turned sideways. == WHOOPS! You feel a body under your foot. Before you can leap away from it, you’re knocked over. A giggling voice runs away from you. Turn over all your item cards (not your omen cards) and shuffle them. The player to your right randomly discards one of them. Then turn your item cards face up again. “Oh...well, it seems I have no item cards.” Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief, putting the card back into the bottom of the item pile. == Fluttershy stood up, shaken from her fall. The giggling made her bolt all the way to the end of the corridor, where she came. Had one of the statues come to life and tripped her? She then swore she saw one of them move. The pegasus statue whose entire right face was shattered. Yes, it definitely moved. Or did it? Fluttershy took one look at her companion, and the kindness empowered her to forge on, moving statues or not. == “I’m coming, Pinkie!” Rarity exclaimed as she made her way to the chapel. She found Pinkie Pie completely entangled in a giant set of cobwebs. “I’m going to get you out! Stop moving!” Rarity ordered and Pinkie Pie stared back at her with worry in her eyes. == “A four!” Rarity exclaimed. “You’re free, Pinkie.” “Woohoo! You’re the bestest, Rarity!” Pinkie Pie thanked enthusiastically. == Rarity’s magic did what Pinkie’s raw strength couldn’t - she cut Pinkie free of the giant cobwebs, using her magic to finally brush the webs into a corner. “Are you okay, dear?” Rarity asked. “Yeah...phew…” Pinkie sighed. “This house is starting to get to me.” “I know what you mean...I hope the others are having better luck investigating this house than either of us.” Pinkie Pie proceeded with more caution, leaving Rarity behind in the chapel. “Thanks again, Rares.” Pinkie smiled as she left. She proceeded across from the stairs on the upper landing. Opening the door, she found herself in some sort of lab with all sorts of beakers, hotplates, and test tubes scattered all about the place. It seemed like some sort of science classroom, but the sickly colours of the test tubes and the grotesque images and instructions over the shelves made Pinkie doubt whoever’s room this was. It was then that Pinkie heard a creepy voice from...beneath her hooves? === THE VOICE “I’m under the floor, buried under the floor…” The voice whispers once, then is gone. You must attempt a Knowledge roll: 4+ You find something under the floor. Draw an item card. 0-3 You dig and search for the voice, but to no avail. Pinkie Pie took the dice and rolled them. “Come on, four!” She rolled. “Four exactly!” she cheered. She drew an item from the item card pile. SMELLING SALTS Whew, that’s a lungful. If you or another living explorer’s Knowledge is below its starting value and you’re in the same room, you can raise that trait to its starting value using the Smelling Salts. Discard this item after you use it. “Could be useful, especially for somepony like Twilight.” Pinkie noted. Twilight smiled at her. == Twilight, meanwhile, forged ahead after recovering from her crashing in the gardens. The images were starting to fade from her memory, but the headache persisted as she opened the next door. This room contained a huge bearskin rug, a circular corner in a table, and a checkered board opposite the larger table. This place clearly was intended for entertaining guests, but the rug seemed just a little too...real. When she stepped on something uneven, she gave a shout in surprise. She had stepped on the bear’s paw, and the bear’s head looked none too pleased having done that. “It’s fine...everything’s fine...it’s not like it can come up and get me from there…” Twilight assured herself half-heartedly. It was then that she felt something...unnatural fall onto her back. She shuddered, daring to look back. == SPIDER A spider the size of a hoof lands on your back...and crawls into your mane. You must attempt a Speed roll to brush it away or a Sanity roll to stand still: 4+ It’s gone. Gain 1 in the trait you used to attempt this roll. 1-3 It bites you. Take 1 dice of physical damage. 0 It takes a chunk out of you. Take 2 dice of physical damage. Twilight grimaced, looking at the dice for hope. She blew on them for luck, and rolled them. “...two.” Twilight’s grimace worsened. She then rolled to see how badly the spider had hit her. “...zero!” Twilight’s grimace easily turned into a smile as her friends congratulated her. == Twilight reflexively shook her mane to loosen the spider’s grip but the arachnid proved faster than she did. She felt a sting in her head as the spider bit her. “Argh!” she shook even more furiously and saw the massive creature fly off of her head and scuttle away to parts unknown. Reaching around her with her magic, she found that the spider’s fangs had in fact failed to harm her in any way, short of giving her a scare. The spider proved too fast to identify, so she was left guessing. Either the spider wasn’t venomous, or it merely a juvenile that had wandered into the wrong spot at the wrong time. The latter meant there might be a larger one somewhere… Twilight genuinely hoped it was the former. Author's Note Here is the status of the board's main floor. And the upper floor The basement is unexplored, apart from the basement landing. Twilight's Inventory: Music box, a roll of 4 for a future roll (from event card) Rainbow's Inventory: Revolver, Pickpocket's Gloves, Mask, Spirit Board Rarity's Inventory: Spear Fluttershy's Inventory: Filly (Girl), Holy Symbol Applejack's Inventory: Ring Pinkie's Inventory: Smelling Salts It seems the Mane 6 just don't want to start the haunt. I was worried for Pinkie Pie's sake that she would be stuck in the cobwebs when the haunt started, but then Rainbow rolled an eight. From here on out there will be image updates to show the progress of the house, as well as let those who read track who has what item.
Game Explanation, Turn 5Twilight returned from the kitchen with drinks for each of her friends, as well as Spike, who dutifully stood at the entrance, assisting the trick-or-treaters. He had already gone through two large bags of it. He took a brief break to see what the others were up to. “We’re playing a board game Twilight found,” explained Fluttershy. “it’s great for Nightmare Night. Scary-themed, but it’s not very scary since it’s all just words.” “Good authors can scare you with words alone.” Twilight countered. “But yes, this game isn’t too scary.” “It certainly matches the theme, though!” Rarity exclaimed. “Six friends, a haunted house, one of us being...more than we seem to be?” Rarity’s passion for overacting made her mouth stretch into a dangerous, predatory smile. “So how abouts does it work?” Spike asked. “Well,” Twilight began. “it starts with us in the front entrance over there, and we explore the house room by room. The rooms are tiles drawn from this pile over here, so each time we play the house is different.” “Along the way, we collect these cards here.” Applejack continued. “And the more omen cards we get, the higher the chance of triggering something called the haunt. ‘s when the game really kicks things into high gear.” “Yeah, one of us ends up being a traitor to the other five, and it’s up to the others to survive, or the traitor to finish whatever she was up to.” Rainbow concluded. “So do you know who the traitor is?” Spike asked. “No,” Applejack explained. “the traitor is picked according to one of these here books, as well as the story involving the house itself. Twi says there’re fifty different stories!” “Hey, sounds great!” Spike’s expression of excitement was quickly tempered into somberness. “Why didn’t you invite me?” “Oh, Spike, of course we would invite you if there was space!” Twilight’s apology rung somewhat hollow to Spike, who sighed about being the odd dragon out yet again. “Tell you what,” Twilight assured him, sensing his disappointment. “I may end up running to Canterlot with the box; Princess Luna in particular seemed excited when I explained it to her. If we run a second game, you can play with the princesses!” “Wow, really?” Pinkie looked excited at the prospect. “You gotta tell me how that game goes!” “I’ll be sure to record it somehow!” Twilight smiled. “Who do you suppose would be the traitor then?” Pinkie wondered aloud. “How would you feel if Princess Celestia ‘killed’ you if she ended up being the traitor?” “Well, it’s just a board game, right?” Twilight said. “It’d be the same as if I played chess or poker against her.” “Think she’d go easy on you?” Rainbow asked. “The Princess’ professionalism shines brightly no matter what she does,” Twilight proclaimed proudly. “and that includes stabbing her friends and family in the back when the game calls for it.” “Now THAT would be scary.” Fluttershy gave the smallest giggle at the thought. “Speaking of going easy,” Twilight continued. “I trust that nopony here will have an issue being the traitor?” “I definitely could never betray any of you,” Fluttershy shrunk at the thought. “but I suppose as long as it’s just a game…” “Hey, coming from Loyalty itself,” Rainbow Dash assured her. “I wouldn’t care. Like you said, it’s just a game. And traitor or not, I’m giving it my all!” “Some of us are just happy to be together,” Applejack argued. “Hey, don’t think about holding back on your friends just ‘cause you’d be a traitor or something.” Rainbow Dash said with displeasure. “Nah, but win or lose, I’m just glad we’re all together in real life.” “I do believe we’re all mature enough to know the difference between fantasy and reality.” Rarity remarked. “Out of curiosity,” Twilight began. “who here wouldn’t mind being the traitor if the book let us pick?” The hooves that went up belonged to Twilight herself, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie. “I...ahh…” Rarity considered her position. “Oh, I suppose if necessary.” she raised her hoof as well. “Even when I was younger, I sometimes had fun with Nightmare Night ideas on my own.” Twilight said with a distant smile. “I would sometimes pretend to be a mad scientist, resurrecting a book monster.” “Scary movies are scary, but that’s what makes them great!” Rainbow Dash chimed in. “Besides, sometimes it’s fun to watch everypony else squirm in them.” “More often than not you’re the one doin’ the squirmin’ during the movies,” Applejack countered. “I always prefered bein’ the hero anyhow. Honestly it seems more exciting. And more rewarding for when you beat the monster.” “IF you beat the monster!” Pinkie Pie replied. “A lot of the excitement for me comes from wondering whether anypony will actually make it! I mean, most stories will have a main character who can never die, because if he dies, the story ends! But with a horror movie, just about anything can happen!” “Sometimes, though,” Rarity added. “the scariest monsters are ones that represent a darker image of ourselves. That part of us we keep under wraps, because if we let it out, unspeakable things would happen. Sometimes the scariest monsters are the heroes themselves.” Fluttershy said nothing, a distant look on her face. Twilight sensed her mind was drifting back to thinking about her more aggressive side, brought forth by Discord and Iron Will, amongst others. Twilight picked up Fluttershy’s right hoof and brought it to her own. As Twilight glanced around the room, the others pieced together what Fluttershy was thinking and added their own to the group until five hooves and one draconic claw were all on top of Fluttershy’s. “We know that’s not really you.” Twilight said. Fluttershy bowed her head humbly. “Let’s go!” Rainbow darted back to the board. “We’ve got a house to explore, a haunt to start, a traitor to reveal, and a game to win!” “Or lose.” Applejack smirked. “Okay, so who’s where?” Spike asked, taking a closer look at the board. “Rainbow’s over there, in the Charred Room.” Twilight explained. “Fluttershy’s in the Statuary Corridor, and I’m a room over in the Game Room. Applejack’s in the Bloody Room. Pinkie Pie and Rarity are upstairs in the Research Lab and the Chapel.” she finished, pointing to the remaining three pieces.” “Right,” Rainbow picked up her piece. “then I’m going down...here.” == The carbon in the room was stifling. Rainbow coughed loudly to clear it from her system as she made her way to the door on her left. As soon as she opened it, the familiar smell of books and sight of comfortable chairs took her far away from this terrible house. It was then that Twilight’s voice rung true from two rooms away. “A LIBRARY? RAINBOW DASH, YOU FOUND THE LIBRARY??” Forget the house; Twilight’s newfound library-sense was the creepiest thing yet. Rainbow Dash picked out a book at random, checking the back of the book to ensure it wasn’t trapped, and gave it a quick glance-over. == “That’s not fair!” Twilight pouted. “I was supposed to find the library first!” “What’d be really ironic is if Twilight then found the gymnasium.” Fluttershy added, picturing the role-reversal in her head. “Y’know,” Applejack teased. “Rainbow dislikes reading so much, I don’t think she should get the Knowledge bonus.” “I admitted to you guys and everypony else I liked reading, okay? It’s just that…” Rainbow paused, thinking over her next words. “It’s just that only certain books are epic enough to be read by me.” “Seems that includes dusty old tomes in a haunted house.” smiled Rarity. “Hey, what did I do to you guys? I didn’t stab anyone!...yet. Why are you all making fun of me for finding the library?” Rainbow crossed her hooves defensively. “You just make it so easy.” smiled Pinkie Pie. “Now go draw an event card.” Rainbow Dash drew from the event card pile. GROUNDSKEEPER You turn to see a man in groundskeeper clothing. He raises his shovel and charges. Inches from your face, he disappears, leaving muddy footprints, and nothing more. You must attempt a Knowledge roll. (An explorer in the Gardens rolls 2 fewer dice on this roll.) 4+ You find something in the mud. Draw an item card. 0-3 The groundskeeper reappears and strikes you in the face with the shovel. The player on your right rolls a Might 4 attack for the Groundskeeper. You defend against this attack as normal, by rolling dice equal to your Might. “Well...crap.” was all Rainbow Dash could manage as she picked up her four dice. She shook them vigorously, hoping somehow her awesomeness would rub off on the dice. “Five!” she exclaimed, taking a sigh of relief. == Rainbow Dash covered her eyes as the groundspony charged her. Her body froze in fear as shovel the dark green, aggressive groundspony charged her. She saw the shovel come up, ready to strike. She closed her eyes and braced for an impact that never came. Rainbow opened her eyes. Muddy hoofprints were all over the library, something that no doubt Twilight would take offence to, but there were no other traces of Rainbow’s assailant. Looking more carefully at the mud, however, she noticed an object lying down in it. She wiped it clean on the floor and then took a better look at it. == Lucky Stone A smooth, ordinary-looking rock. You sense it will bring you good fortune. After you attempt a roll of any kind, you can rub the stone once to reroll any number of those dice. Discard this item after you use it. “Whaaaat?!” the others at the table exclaimed. “Okay, so let me review what I have here…” Rainbow Dash said, smiling confidently. “I have a Rainbow Cannon, Pickpocket’s Gloves, a Mask, a Spirit Board, AND a Lucky Stone.” “I’m fairly certain Rainbow Dash is going to throw the balance of the game in question if she draws any more cards like this…” Rarity sighed. == Shortly after Twilight’s library sense went off, Applejack opened the door heading away from the bloody room she found herself in. It was clear when she opened it, however, that she had stepped out of the frying pan and into the fire. This outdoor area, completely fenced in, was covered in tombstones. Applejack counted three...four...five of them. Time had long erased the names on them, and their sizes varied from ones just slightly taller than Applejack herself to at least two that towered over her. The most intimidating, however, was the one that was tucked away in the corner of her vision. The scariest grave by far was the open one - one that had yet to receive a casket. Applejack made a terrified noise and backed away from the graveyard, as much as she could. She also regretted thinking about how this graveyard tied into the bloody room she saw earlier. == “...I really don’t like this,” Applejack murmured, drawing an event card for entering the graveyard. Burning Pony A pony on fire runs through the room. Her skin bubbles and cracks, falling away from her and leaving a fiery skull that clatters to the ground, bounces, rolls, and disappears. You must attempt a Sanity roll: 4+ You feel a little hot under the collar, but otherwise fine. Gain 1 Sanity. 2-3 Out, out, you must get out. Put your explorer into the Entrance Hall. 0-3 You burst into flames! Take one die of physical damage. Then take 1 die of mental damage as you put out the flames. “Eurghh…” Applejack made a disgusted noise as she rolled a meager three dice, really hoping for the best. “A three.” Applejack said. “Well, I suppose it’s not that bad…” “But wait, Applejack,” Rarity interrupted her. “when you leave the Graveyard you have to make a Sanity roll of four or higher or lose Knowledge.” Applejack paused, then glared at Rarity. “I hate you, you know.” she muttered, picking up the three dice again. “Four exactly.” Applejack breathed a sigh of relief, moving herself unencumbered to the Entrance hall. == Instinct took over as Applejack scuttled away as fast as she could away from the burning pony. Just staring at it made her own body warm up, and not in a pleasant way either...it became warmer and warmer, and just when she was ready to catch fire herself she bolted for the graveyard’s exit. The air that chilled the nerves of the other ponies felt refreshing to Applejack’s overheating, and soon she found herself back where she started and at a far more comfortable temperature. She took a sigh of relief, taking a quick review of her faculties and her body before moving on. There wasn’t any lasting damage, at least. Elsewhere… Forging on with her silent filly companion, Fluttershy braved the creepy statues lining the corridor and found herself in a wide open room with little in the way of furnishing. The high-vaulted ceiling, piano in the corner, and other musical instruments littering the floor suggested to her that she was in the mansion’s ballroom. Fluttershy took a sigh of relief, figuring to herself that she could have ended up in worse situations. It was then that she felt something around her ankle.. == SOMETHING SLIMY What’s around your ankle? A bug? A tentacle? A dead hand clawing? You must attempt a Speed roll: 4+ You break free. Gain 1 Speed. 1-3 Lose 1 Might 0 Lose 1 Might and 1 Speed “I suppose it does depend on what it is in the end, though that would certainly surprise me.” Fluttershy picked up her four dice and began rolling them. “A lot of aquatic animals are slimy and cute still.” “Just about anything’s cute to you, Fluttershy.” Twilight sighed. “Six.” Fluttershy counted. == As soon as she felt the cold slime wrap around her ankle, Fluttershy instinctively twisted it free. Her ankle bent awkwardly, but her wings, acting on their own accord, righted herself so she lost little in the way of momentum. She easily righted herself. “Hm. I guess that could have been worse…” Fluttershy muttered, looking at her leg for any trace of the slime. She didn’t find anything, and though the feeling still lingered, her ankle was as dry as it was beforehand. She glanced at the filly. “You didn’t see anything?” The filly shook her head, which made the worry creep back in… Meanwhile, Rarity found the chapel to be a dead-end, so she had to backtrack through the Operating Lab and the Servant’s Quarters to find unexplored territory. Opening the door just between the two beds of the Servant’s Quarters, she found herself in a room full of chairs, clocks, and wooden crates. It was a storeroom of some description - truly fitting to have it close to where the servants would stay. Finding nothing peculiar about the room, she searched the room for anything useful. Searching just behind a pair of crates, however, her eyes brightened. “Aha!” Rarity exclaimed. == MEDICAL KIT A doctor’s bag, depleted in some critical resources. Once during your turn, you can attempt a Knowledge roll to heal yourself or another explorer in the same room: 8+ Gain up to 3 points of physical traits. 6-7 Gain up to 2 points of physical traits. 4-5 Gain 1 point in a physical trait. 0-3 Nothing happens “Wow, that seems really useful!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “How’s your Knowledge?” Twilight asked. “Those need some really high rolls to make it work…” “Four.” Rarity said, looking at her character card. “You could get lucky, I suppose.” Twilight reasoned. “Depending on how this turns out, you may want to trade it to someone else who has more knowledge.” “Why, are you reasoning that I’m dumb?” Rarity feigned injury. A familiar-looking couch zipped out of nowhere to catch Rarity as she collapsed. “Oh, you hurt me so, Twilight!” “Well...no, that’s...not…” Twilight spluttered. “Okay, let me start again.” When the group laughed, Twilight gave up and went back to the board game. == Pinkie Pie continued on past the Operating Lab and found herself in a luxurious bedroom with a massive king-sized bed. “Heyhey! I bet that’s comfy!” Pinkie Pie leapt forward on the giant bed to bounce on it, but then she realized she wasn’t entirely alone. Stuck in the corner was another pony… == MADPONY COMPANION A raving, frothing madpony. Gain 2 Might and lose 1 Sanity now. Lose 2 Might and gain 1 Sanity if you lose custody of the Madpony. This omen can’t be dropped, traded, or stolen. Make a haunt roll now. “Ohhhh noooo!” Twilight exclaimed as the others around her gave other expressions of shock and fear. “Pinkie Pie going even INSANER?” Applejack laughed. “This can’t possibly be good for Equestria.” “The world implodes from Pinkie Pie meeting her equal. The end!” Rainbow exclaimed. “Everypony loses, except for Pinkie Pie!” “Woohoo!” Pinkie Pie shouted. “Alright, Madpony,” she said, clutching the card. “you and I are gonna break out of this story and wreak havoc on Equestria! WE’LL BE AN UNSTOPPABLE TEAM!” “I think we have a real traitor on our hooves,” Twilight laughed. “But first we have to make a haunt roll.” Fluttershy added. The entire room quieted down instantly. “Oooohhhhh…” Twilight sighed. “Okay so...how many omens are in play now?” “Pinkie just got the madpony,” Rainbow counted. “Rares has the spear, I have the mask and the spirit board, Fluttershy has the filly and the holy symbol, and AJ’s got the ring. So...seven.” Pinkie Pie somberly took six dice and, somewhere in the back of her mind, secretly hoped she would roll a six. As soon as she completed her roll, a little smile crept up on her face. “Six exactly.” she announced. “HAUNT TIME!!” Twilight exclaimed as Fluttershy cowered behind Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked as dangerous as ever. “Alright, so let’s see…” Twilight picked up the rulebook and looked it over. “It was triggered by the Madman in the Master Bedroom, so that means we’re doing Haunt 10.” Twilight flipped the page further. “The traitor is the haunt revealer, so that’s you, Pinkie.” “Ahhhh…” the others breathed a sigh of relief. “Alright!” Pinkie Pie bounded happily. “Murder time! What happens now?” “Well, Pinkie, you’re going to take this book here,” Twilight said, handing her a blue book. “and turn to Haunt 10. That has everything you need to know. You’re going to read it upstairs in my bedroom so nopony knows what you’re up to. Everypony else is going to read from this green book so we know how to beat you.” “Okie-dokie!” Pinkie took the blue book and bounded upstairs as she started thinking of the best ways to maim or otherwise mutilate her friends. “She’ll be fine, right?” Fluttershy asked. “Oh yeah.” Rainbow said confidently. “Right, time to beat her up. Let’s go.” == Pinkie Pie turned to her new companion, whose head jerked around as if listening for something. "Do you hear it?" he asks Pinkie. "Under the floor, where I put them. My family." It was then that Pinkie and the others realized that the former denizens of the house were slowly coming back to life. “Huh?” Pinkie stared at the madpony, whose teeth were far sharper than anypony’s teeth had a right to be. “Wha...what are you doing? Stop!” Pinkie cried. “Stay away!” A hoof strike to her side sent Pinkie flying across the room as the madpony glowered at her, teeth bared. The only rational thought that went through the madpony’s head was how much it was like tasting pink cotton candy. The rest of his family, dead no longer, rose from various rooms in the house, ready for their own treats. == “Whaaat?!” Pinkie Pie cried from upstairs. “You mean I’m DEAD?!” She barged down from upstairs as her five friends hid their green book. “I can’t betray anypony when I’m DEAD!” “Come on, that’s how the story goes!” Rainbow exclaimed. “It won’t work another way!” “It will work another way!” exclaimed Pinkie. “Watch me!” == “You’re a laugh riot, Mr. Madpony!” Pinkie laughed as she conversed with her companion in a way that only the two of them could understand. “What did you say your name was again?” “I said it starts with a D…” he began, seeming to grow in size and distort into something more bipedal. “...and ends in an ‘iscord’.” “Heeey!” Pinkie exclaimed. “What are you doing in a place like this anyway?” “Oh, I was just looking around this old house for some fun!” Discord said with his usual smile and confident tone. “The ponies who lived here died a while ago, but why not stay with me and let’s see if your friends can figure out how to deal with them?” “Oh, I don’t know, Discord. I wouldn’t want to abandon my friends.” Pinkie said, looking back at the door she came in. “I have some chocolate rain for you, Pinkie. Besides, your friends won’t mind; you’ll still be with them! You’ll just be watching instead, cheering them on!” “Works for me!” Pinkie shouted, the thought of chocolate completely dousing her mind. == “See?” Pinkie said with a smile. “I still like the first one.” Rainbow argued. “It don’t matter to me,” Applejack said. “fact of the matter is, there’re zombies in this here house and we gotta pin ‘em down somehow.” “Shh! Don’t tell her too much, darling!” Rarity cautioned. “We have different books for a reason.” “Ohh, right.” Applejack realized. “Heyhey!” Twilight shouted. “Shoo! We survivors have to strategize!” Though Pinkie protested being shunted off to Twilight’s bedroom with the rules, she walked back upstairs to read through her part of the story. “Okay, so Pinkie is going to create a bunch of zombies we’re going to have to deal with.” Twilight briefed her friends. “The book says we need to trap them in the Master Bedroom, Chapel, Conservatory, Game Room, Library, or the Attic. Each room can only house one zombie, and it needs to fail a Knowledge roll of 4 or higher in order to trap it in. We win once all the zombies are trapped.” “Fair enough,” Applejack said. “though it doesn’t seem we can do much. We don’t know where the zombies are going to appear.” “We also don’t have any zombie tokens,” Rarity said. “we’ll just have to use these changeling tokens instead.” “How do you suppose we get the zombies to go into the rooms?” Applejack asked. Twilight thought it over for a minute. “Live bait.” “Good idea.” Rainbow said, before backtracking. “Heyy!” she said. “Don’t sweat it, Rainbow. You’re already in the Library.” Twilight said. “You can trap the first one that comes in, if it fails the roll.” “Think I could shoot it and just kill it?” Rainbow asked. “No, that’ll stun them. The only way to knock them out is to force them into the rooms.” “What about me?” Fluttershy asked. “I’m nowhere near any of those rooms…” “Shoot.” Applejack said. “Fluttershy’s right. She needs to get into one of the rooms so she can lure them in.” “Try to make a break for upstairs and help Rarity,” Twilight instructed. “there are several rooms up there she can use to trap the zombies.” “Alright.” Fluttershy said. “Oh, don’t worry, Fluttershy, we’ll come out of this victorious!” Rarity assured her. “Especially with Rainbow Dash and that much firepower.” “Yeah, as long as I’m around, you guys don’t have to worry about a thing!” Rainbow boasted. == Upstairs in Twilight’s room, Pinkie reviewed the situation in her head. Most of the pieces she could use were uncontrollable once they came in sight of one of her friends. “What do you think, Gummy?” she asked Twilight’s pillow. “Silly me, of course you’re not Gummy. But I still need something to bounce ideas off of.” Twilight’s pillow didn’t move. “I guess I’ll have to use Discord,” Pinkie reasoned, having replaced the madpony in her mind with someone more familiar to her. “he’s the only one I can actually control a lot of the time. I’ll have to use him to quickly kill the others, especially Rainbow. No idea how I can beat her…” She shrugged, wandering back downstairs. “Alright, let’s put down the zombie tokens on each of the omen tiles!” Pinkie bounded back downstairs to the others. “Heya Pinkie!” her friends greeted her. “Have fun reading about how you’re going to win?” Twilight asked. “You mean how you guys are going to lose!” Pinkie laughed. “Alright, zombies start here, here, here, and...here.” Pinkie placed changeling tokens - actually zombies in this case - in the Junk Room, the Dining Room, the Charred Room, the Abandoned Room, and the Servant’s Quarters. “Ohhh…” Fluttershy shrunk again, confirming her position on the board. “...my…” She was completely walled off from her friends, and nowhere near a room she could use to trap them. “Yep!” Pinkie smiled. “These are my friends, and they’re huungry!” “Yer goin’ down, Pinkie!” Applejack shouted confidently. Fluttershy wished she shared her friends’ confidence in victory. Author's Note Without a proper zombie and madman pictures to go off of, the Mane 6 have decided to proceed with Discord (madman) and Changeling (zombie) pictures instead. Here is the status of the Upper Floor Here is the status of the Main Floor. The Basement is unexplored, aside from the basement landing. Current haunt is Haunt 10: Family Gathering. Read about it from the Survivor's perspective or from the Traitor's perspective. Twilight's Inventory: Music box, a roll of 4 for a future roll (from event card) Rainbow's Inventory: Revolver, Pickpocket's Gloves, Mask, Spirit Board, Lucky Stone Rarity's Inventory: Spear, Medical Kit Fluttershy's Inventory: Filly (Girl), Holy Symbol Applejack's Inventory: Ring Master Bedroom: Smelling Salts
