Quote Originally Posted by Ghostman View Post
The background flavour of the place is great, but it seems pretty wasteful if all one is to get from the inn is a straight forward combat encounter. I'd be tempted to keep up the illusion through the supper and let the player characters settle down for the night. Then they could be woken up and lured to the cellar by the ghost of the innkeeper's wife, or the innkeeper's ghost might lust after any female PCs, etc. Unwitting characters might end up being played as pawns in vengeful plots of these ghosts before the horror is exposed to them.
Actually, as I mention in my Post Script, I'm having difficulty with the publisher's writing style/adventure format, that I will have to do some major changes to make this work. He's more a freeform/sand box RPG designer. For an Asian Horror setting or any dark setting, the story is a major part of flavor and to induce horror into the game - so story-telling is necessary.

Originally I wanted to "go into the night" rather than starting the melee at dinner time, as you suggest. Actually, your thoughts here regarding being pawns of the ghost's own agendas coincides with my thinking exactly.

I guess I was trying to compromise with the publisher's direction, but I think its better to carry the plot further and make this encounter much more a major aspect doing the "whole story" - the location really works well for that.

Since I'm planning a major rewrite of the publisher's first draft anyway, I'm might as well extend this encounter to a more complete ghost story in the process to make a better product.

Good ideas!

GP