Betrayal at House on the Hill

by Arrow

Turns 1 and 2

Rainbow 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.

Comments

[Arrow]

In universe reason: Spike is assisting the trick-or-treaters at the front door.
Actual reason: The board game is for six people. It supports as few as four and a maximum of six. Adding an additional person would imba the game.
Potential reason: Depending on how this story goes I may be convinced to have a second game (getting a second scenario, second house, and second traitor) with other characters, like the Princesses or the CMC, at which point I could add in Spike.

[WhiteRooster21]

keep going, keep up the character interaction.
Have fun

[mineturtal247]

Fluttershy is traitor. I'm calling it right now.

[Valthorn Illian]

In this game it's not the traitor that gets you, it's the build up.