a Mummy and 5 Werewolves walk into a bar...

[sellswrd]

stop me if you've heard this one...


Seriously, though, I'd love some advice from you Mummy players/ST's. I am running a WtF campaign and want to throw a little challenge at my troupe. My players are all experienced gamers (though their characters are relatively young) so I thought giving them a adversary that they can sink their teeth into might be fun. I am intrigued by MtC, and own the core book, but I've never played in or run a story for that genre.
My question(s) is...what kind of power level should I be looking at for a Mummy NPC going up against a Pack of relatively young Werewolves. The scenario will be something of this sort:

There is a Masonic Temple in Washington DC, and in the basement, the Mummy has her tomb (of course). The players need to infiltrate the Temple and recover a book (i.e. Relic? Vessel?) that contains some ancient necromancy rites (not to bore you with the details but they will be charged with this task by a Moros Mage in return for certain "favors"..good times!). The characters will not know that they will be encountering a Mummy, at least at first(and the players themselves have no expertise with MtC).

So...what can I / should I throw at them? I assume a few Cult members will be a good warm up...what else? I know that 5 Werewolves in Garou form, even young ones, are pretty formidable so I don't want poor Miss Mummy getting shredded in the first round.
I appreciate any suggestions, advice and help you can send my way...thanks so much!!!

[nofather]

First edition werewolves can't beat first edition mummies, at least not without some difficulty. It was only natural the thread would deviate eventually. A new name might be worthwhile, though.

[Ephsy]

Well, this thread got misleading recently.

[nofather]

All it would take is a buyout and subsequent plan for demolition. There's two tombs in the Cairo Hotel in Washington, DC. A fire almost destroyed the place in 2007. All it would take is some planned arson. Even if your tomb is fireproof, fireproofing everything around it can be prohibitive or offer other problems. If asbestos was used, for example, in order to ensure fire proofing, then it might need to be removed due to associated health risks.

There's a number who have their tombs in underground chambers, sub-basements, which could require relocation for a few reasons, notably earthquakes but also flooding and other natural disasters.

You could look at the various Mummy location books and see a variety reasons for why a mummy might need to be relocated, or why they've relocated their own tomb.

[Morangias]

The point is, abandoning the tomb and relocating the mummy is an extremely drastic measure, and pretty much the last measure the cult is going to employ in defense of itself and its master, when all easier solutions (such as awakening the mummy and sending her after the meddling party) have been exhausted. A small group of mortals causing this is thus implausible.

[Vent0]

A bomb going off in the tomb would almost certainly wake the Mummy.

Oh, yeah, undoubtedly. But that still doesn't make this nice for the cult, regardless of what happens to the foolish mortal arsonists.

[Azahul]

Bombs are also things. It depends on the tomb.

A bomb going off in the tomb would almost certainly wake the Mummy.

[Azahul]

I can immediately see two problems with that scenario:

1. Canonically, mummies spend their "slumber" in Duat, and their corpses are magically inert until something happens to wake them up again.

It's notable that attuned Vestiges actually do influence the surrounding area. No real mechanics for it, but it's the kind of thing that works well for this.

[Vent0]

Any mummy stupid enough to lay her bones in a non-fireproof tomb deserves her fate.

Bombs are also things. It depends on the tomb.

Cause problems? Sure. Cause an immortal demigod and his secret society of lackeys to abandon the former's most prized possession and the latter's sanctum sanctorum? Not seeing it, unless there's at least a thousand of them.

The "immortal demigod" is only as relevant as they are present. In the example situation, they aren't (yet). Other factors are just how large and/or entrenched are the cult, and how long it's been since a visit from their god.

Additionally, the mortal investigators don't even need to be the full reason for the move - the mummy could have left instructions to do so if there was a risk of being found out, or it could have been prearranged, and the PCs just happen to be looking into the cult at the time.

[Morangias]

Consider if those humans might have brought in interference by a government agency. I doubt the mummy would appreciate having their remains and possessions confiscated.

This is, admittedly, the only scenario where I can see the cult relocating rather than risking confrontation - but even then, not as a first option.

Also, having one's tomb burnt down around one's Khat is not very conductive towards starting your next Descent.

Any mummy stupid enough to lay her bones in a non-fireproof tomb deserves her fate.

Mortals can cause problems for Mummies and their Cults. Underestimating that will lead to misfortune.

Cause problems? Sure. Cause an immortal demigod and his secret society of lackeys to abandon the former's most prized possession and the latter's sanctum sanctorum? Not seeing it, unless there's at least a thousand of them.

[Vent0]

From a mummy cult? Can you imagine these cultists explaining to their undead god that he needs a new tomb built because the last one got discovered by a couple humans? Can you imagine any of the cultists walking away alive from this conversation?

Consider if those humans might have brought in interference by a government agency. I doubt the mummy would appreciate having their remains and possessions confiscated. Also, having one's tomb burnt down around one's Khat is not very conductive towards starting your next Descent.

Mortals can cause problems for Mummies and their Cults. Underestimating that will lead to misfortune.

[Morangias]

I could see a skilled mortal group, with a history of foiling the cult, prompting that kind of response in certain situations.

From a mummy cult? Can you imagine these cultists explaining to their undead god that he needs a new tomb built because the last one got discovered by a couple humans? Can you imagine any of the cultists walking away alive from this conversation?

[karpomatic]

I think the mummy is just going to be way to powerful for a group of mortals to tangle with. i may have to change my plans... a lot. I am filling in the area with points of interest. Perhaps I'll leave the Free Mason temple that secretly protects an Arisen in the game and hope they don't need to go there.

[Vent0]

I can immediately see two problems with that scenario:

1. Canonically, mummies spend their "slumber" in Duat, and their corpses are magically inert until something happens to wake them up again.

2. Why would the cultists go through all the hassle of relocating the mummy (who won't be very happy about it once she finds out) when all they're up against is a bunch of mortals? Either killing them, or actually letting them into the tomb so the mummy can kill them personally and bind their ghosts and bodies into eternal servitude as punishment for their indiscretions are the much more likely scenarios as far as cultists are concerned.

#1 can easily be ignored, or if you're a stickler for canon, a powerful relic in mummy's possession can be the cause of supernatural disturbances rather than the mummy herself.

#2 is a bigger issue, as the scenario sounds about as plausible as Secret Service evacuating the White House because five mean-looking hobos have been seen snooping around the premises.

Well, it depends how much of a nuisance and risk those 5 hobos have previously proven themselves to be, doesn't it?

I could see a skilled mortal group, with a history of foiling the cult, prompting that kind of response in certain situations.

[Morangias]

I can immediately see two problems with that scenario:

1. Canonically, mummies spend their "slumber" in Duat, and their corpses are magically inert until something happens to wake them up again.

2. Why would the cultists go through all the hassle of relocating the mummy (who won't be very happy about it once she finds out) when all they're up against is a bunch of mortals? Either killing them, or actually letting them into the tomb so the mummy can kill them personally and bind their ghosts and bodies into eternal servitude as punishment for their indiscretions are the much more likely scenarios as far as cultists are concerned.

#1 can easily be ignored, or if you're a stickler for canon, a powerful relic in mummy's possession can be the cause of supernatural disturbances rather than the mummy herself.

#2 is a bigger issue, as the scenario sounds about as plausible as Secret Service evacuating the White House because five mean-looking hobos have been seen snooping around the premises.