Friday Fear: A Wolf in the Fold

It is the height the Victorian era and tragedy has struck the village of Haxbury on the border between Wales and England. There has been a spate of attacks upon local farm animals, but now the attacks have escalated with the death of Geraint Thomas. The local farmer has been found mauled to death and partially eaten and the all the villagers fear that it will not be long before there is another attack and another one of their number is killed. Local doctor, Gregory Harcourt, has turned to friends and asked them to come to Haxbury to help him uncover the truth of the situation. What kind of beast is stalking the good farming folk of Haxbury? A wild dog? A big cat? Or something worse as many of the ignorant and superstitious inhabitants of Haxbury fear? This is the set-up for A Wolf in the Fold, a scenario published by Funny Shaped Dice Productions. It is is a short, one or two-session horror scenario, the third in the publisher’s ‘Frightshow Classics’ line. As with other titles in the line, it is ostensibly written for use with Chill or Cryptworld: Chilling Adventures into the Unexplained, the percentile mechanics of the scenario mean that it could easily be adapted to run with Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition and similar roleplaying games.

A Wolf in the Fold starts with the mystery behind the attacks in Haxbury, but the simple fact is that the answer to the mystery is obvious. The villagers and their livestock are being predated upon by a werewolf. The title of the scenario heavily hints that this is the case and there is a picture of a giant wolf-like creature on the front cover. If the situation is obvious, what then is the point of A Wolf in the Fold? The point is playing a classic, if familiar situation, one that we have likely seen in roleplaying scenarios and on the silver screen and engaging in its milieu. That milieu is the Victorian era, the 1860s, familiar and easily grasped. Further, A Wolf in the Fold is plotted much like a film. This is no surprise, since the scenario is inspired by the Hammer Horror film, The Curse of the Werewolf, and the ‘Children of the Full Moon’ episode of Hammer House of Horror television series, as well as horror classics like The Wolf-Man and An American Werewolf in London. The point is that whilst the players know that a werewolf is involved, their characters do not, and so they have to play to that and engage with the scenario’s plot. The point is not knowing that a werewolf is involved in the scenario, but finding out who the werewolf is—and ultimately, this and the final reveal at the climax at the end of the scenario is what will keep the players on their toes as much as their characters. Now, this is not a new set up for the ‘Frightshow Classics’ line. Carmilla, the Victorian-era novella by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, is the basis for the scenario of the same name. Fortunately, A Wolf in the Fold is not obvious in its plotting as Carmilla and leaves its reveal as to the identity of the werewolf right until the end in a big confrontational climax!

The plot to A Wolf in the Fold proceeds at pace over the course of a few days. The Player Characters arrive in Haxbury and learn about the situation. They have a chance to interact with the suspicious villagers, hopefully earn their trust, and learn about the victims of the attacks. Their first opportunity to face the creature comes in the village’s church graveyard as they stand watch with other men of the village, and suddenly faced with more men than it expected the creature runs off. The chase will lead the Player Characters out of the village and to the confrontation. At which point, the scenario will identify the monster of the scenario. Is it the lord of the manor, the oblivious, if slightly arrogant Sir Henry Castaigne? Is it Mister Slater, his attentive, if gloomy manservant? Is it the Reverend Daniel Thorpe, who sees the attacks upon the village and villagers as God’s judgement? Is it Mrs Davies, dour innkeeper with a distrust of visitors?

The Fear Master is supported with a full write up of the Werewolf which appears in the scenario and can, of course, be used in her own scenarios. There is a map of Haxbury as well as two handouts and eight pre-generated Player Characters. They consist of a sturdy big game hunter and gambler, his Sikh companion, a trained nurse and social reformer, a foolhardy, but ambitious journalist, an Oxford University professor with an interest in mythology and folklore, an ex-burglar turned inquiry agent, a mentalist with the ability to speak to the dead, and a surgeon who studied under Doctor Joseph Bell and has an interest in forensic pathology. There is a potentially creepy moment when the mentalist does have a chance to use her ability to talk to the dead, which the Fear Master should play up for its worth, especially as it takes place in an ice house. There is a little advice for the Fear Master, basically adding a little diversion here and there, but otherwise, A Wolf in the Fold is very straightforward in its plotting.

Physically, A Wolf in the Fold is ably presented. The cover echoes the classic look of scenarios for Chill, while the internal artwork and the cartography are both very good. The art includes the best strategic use of a three candle candelabra in an autopsy in any scenario for any roleplaying game in the past half century.

From the start, it is patently clear what is going on in A Wolf in the Fold. It is not so much a case of finding out what is going on as finding out who is responsible. The scenario does do the unexpected here and is all the more welcome for it. However, it could have done with a little misdirection. Perhaps Sir Henry Castaigne slipping out at night to see a certain young widow a la Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles or a big dog being hunted down and shot and everyone thinking that the threat is over. The scenario will work without these, but could be better with them. Lastly, A Wolf in the Fold is going make demands of the players in terms of their roleplaying, that is, roleplaying characters who have no idea what is going when they themselves very much do! So, it calls for the players to really engage with story and if not fully overplay it, at least ham it up a bit in keeping with its inspiration. Ultimately, A Wolf in the Fold might be obvious, but it is also likeable, engaging, and easy to run in a single session.