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Denver was not such a great city after all. You’re out on the town one night and you get mixed up with some nightmare straight out of Filipino folklore. Then a cult which called itself the Unmasked “recruits” you and that doesn’t work out so well. They end up trying to kill you and get you into all kinds of trouble. In the end you were forced to kick their sorry butts to the curb. Well, at least it’s over now, right? No, not so much. Welcome to Falling Scales chapter two!

Four months have passed since the dark events which took place in Denver and your lives have become a living hell. Apparently Anna Christopher had friends in high places, the kind of friends who know how to screw with you in the worst possible way. Just when you think it can’t get any worse there appears a glimmer of hope, a light at the end of the tunnel. Freedom from this nightmare can be found in Washington D.C. if you can find it.

Falling Scales chapter two was written by Monica Valentinelli and was developed by Chuck Wendig for the Storytelling Adventure System. This is the second portion of a two-part chronicle centered on the mysteries of the memetic infection and its spread. It should be noted that originally it was planned for this series to have two parts but after some consideration at White Wolf and some changes in the release schedule the decision was made to compress it to two parts. I can assure you the chronicle does not suffer for the change.

Much like the first adventure this one is geared towards mortals but it also provides treatment for troupes who are playing supernatural creatures from any of the major game lines. The first chapter was designed for characters ranging in experience from 0 to 34 points (beginning characters). This chapter was written with slightly more experienced characters in mind in the 35 to 74 point range. Troupes moving directly from the first chapter to the second chapter may have to make some accommodations to account for the differences in experience level. The adventure has some suggestions for how to bridge the gap by earning some narrative experience award opportunities into your first session of chapter two.

As I mentioned this portion of the chronicle takes places in the conspiracy-ridden city of Washington D.C. One of the key elements to bringing this adventure to life is in engaging the troupe with the iconic city and really bringing it to life. Although it is not required I strongly suggest storytellers do a bit of research on the city and its most iconic locations. Pictures of locations in Washington D.C. are easy to find and bringing them to the table will add a lot to the game. Soundtracks should be populated with any kind of music which inspires feelings of paranoia as well as a few patriotic pieces as well. Several scenes in the story would benefit from light classical music from the early days of the United States. Green Day’s American Idiot popped into my head while working on this adventure and please forgive me but it fits one scene so, so well.

Once again the World of Darkness core rulebook is the only book which is necessary to run this. I highly recommend you also utilize The 13th Precinct to make the most of more than one scene in the adventure. Antagonists and Second Sight also possess tools which can help you enhance the adventure.

Overall I think this is an excellent S.A.S. and I am very happy with the conclusion of this chronicle. It definitely goes in a direction I did not anticipate but it works so well. Conspiracies, shadowy organizations and a deeper truth (maybe even a supernatural one) make this a great adventure.

Review by Michael Holland

Tags | white-wolf, world-of-darkness