Creepy Hotel

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One of the most successful threads I've started on the Hero Boards was a thread entitled “Help Me Populate A Creepy Hotel.” The board members came up with the eeriest cast of characters you've seen this side of Charles Addams' cartoons. I got the idea from an RPG.net thread that was also extremely good. My original introduction still works well for it:

“… Imagine a hotel stocked with weird characters. They should be strange in a Twin Peaks/X-Files kind of way - they can be possibly vaguely slightly mystical (but it should never be obviously magic), or they could be vaguely slightly high-tech (in a conspiracy sort of easily-mistaken-for-something-else way), or whatever you like. The only requirement should be that they are weird characters easily captured in a few sentences. You don't have to give them names - giving them titles such as, er, Cat Piss Man or Dog Blood Man makes it easier to put them in any other game.”

1. The (All-Too-)Handy Man - by Dynamo
2. The Always Seen Maid - by AlHazred
3. The Always there bellhop - by ken julian
4. The Bartender - by Sketchpad
5. The Cop On The Beat - by Basil
6. The Elevator Operator - by Basil
7. The Elevator Operator 2 - by DEFCON Clown
8. The Eternal Desk Clerk - by Dr. Anomaly
9. The Exterminator - by i3ullseye
10. The Gardener - by The Mad GM
11. The Girl of Your Dreams - by Lucius
12. Grunt, The Night Auditor - by Lemurion
13. The Man In The Cellar - by AlHazred
14. The Never Seen Maids - by Susano
15. The Never there bellhop - by Lemurion
16. The New Bellhop - by i3ullseye
17. The Old Postman - by Dr. Anomaly
18. The Prophetic Bellboy - by CBikle
19. Taxi - by Nothere

1. The Age-Inappropriate Couple - by megaplayboy
2. The All-Seeing Blind Guy - by Derek Hiemforth
3. The Author - by Pogo
4. Backwards Man - by Dr. Anomaly
5. Bag Lady - by 5lippers
6. Band-Aid Guy - by Just Joe
7. The Battle Card Players - by csyphrett
8. Byron - by Marcus The Impudite
9. The Cake Lady - by Dr. Anomaly
10. The Calculator - by lensman
11. The Clatterer - by AlHazred
12. Cleft - by Basil
13. Coat Guy - by 5lippers
14. The Cosplayer - by csyphrett
15. The Dice Man Cometh - by tkdguy
16. The Doctor - by radioKAOS
17. The Dollmaker - by oroborous
18. The Dummy - by Log
19. Erich Zann - by Mr. Negative
20. The Ex-Con - by War Cry
21. The Faker - by Killer Shrike
22. The FBI Guy - by McCoy
23. The Formerly Pretty Blond - by starblaze
24. Gary - by csyphrett
25. The Ghostly Couple - by tkdguy
26. Glenn - by Trencher
27. The Glutton - by AlHazred
28. "Got It!" Guy - by Basil
29. Goth Girl - by Steve
30. He Ain't Heavy - by BoneDaddy
31. The Helpful Old Lady - by Basil
32. Hey, Don't I Know You - by Sketchpad
33. H. P. - by Basil
34. John - by V
35. Jukebox Roy - by Kyle A.
36. Just Left Of Reality Guy - by SKJAM!
37. Key Boy - by 5lippers
38. Knows-Where-You-Are-Girl - by 5lippers
39. Let Me Check Lady - by Supreme Serpent
40. The Lady or the Tiger - by megaplayboy
41. Librarian Guy - by Basil
42. Linda - by Mike Dean
43. Little Annie - by KA.
44. The Lycanthrope - by Korvar
45. Man In The Long Coat - by Mr. Negative
46. The Man Who Wasn't There - by Mr. Negative
47. The Man With Half A Face - by Cancer
48. Mandatory Routine Man - by SKJAM!
49. The Mime - by BoneDaddy
50. The Misplaced Tourist - by Dr. Anomaly
51. The Missing Father - by tkdguy
52. The Mistimed - by Pogo
53. Mr. Cammino - by Trencher
54. Mr. Invisible - by Korvar
55. Mr. Long - by Susano
56. Mr. Sunglasses - by War Cry
57. Music Box Man - by 5lippers
58. My Brother's Sister - by i3ullseye
59. The Mysterious Guest - by Burrito Boy
60. The Never-Seen Kids - by Blue Jogger
61. The Nervous Writer - by megaplayboy
62. No Biological Needs Guy - by Supreme Serpent
63. The Novelist - by McCoy
64. The Observer - by Just Joe
65. The Officer - by McCoy
66. Ornery Old Coot - by sinanju
67. The Other Elevator Passenger - by Narratio
68. Other Hotel Guy - by 5lippers
69. The Other Twins - by McCoy
70. The Painter - by Just Joe
71. Peter - by Kyle A.
72. Peter Simmons - by V.
73. The Piano Player - by Von D-Man
74. The Rain Man - by Basil
75. Rape Man - by ThothAmon
76. Ray - by csyphrett
77. The Really Creepy Businessman - by Major Tom
78. The Really, Really Fat Guy - by CBikle
79. The Recruiters - by The Weapon
80. Repeating Alan - by Kyle A.
81. Rob - by Mightybec
82. Robin - by Willow
83. Rough Trade Writer - by McCoy
84. The Savant - by tkdguy
85. Sci-fi Geekette - by 5lippers
86. Seen It All Before Guy - by Killer Shrike
87. Sergei - by csyphrett
88. The Semi-Retired Occultist - by Major Tom
89. The Shadow - by Haven Walkur
90. Shocked Saul - by Kyle A.
91. Sleep-Deprived Man - by rogerfcw
92. The Stranger - by AmadanNaBriona
93. The Stud - by Korvar
94. Sutter Kane - by Curufea
95. Tangential Conversation Man - by BoneDaddy
96. The Tapper - by Basil
97. Tea Man - by Basil
98. The Time Traveller - by Curufea
99. Too Normal Guy - by Supreme Serpent
100. Tough Old Broad - by sinanju
101. The Tract Lady - by Dr. Anomaly
102. The Twins - by Log
103. The Vampire - by War Cry
104. The Variable Bride (or Groom) Pool - by megaplayboy
105. Victor And His Young Assistant - by Wilfred_Death
106. The Vitamin Guy - by Dr. Anomaly
107. Wally - by Basil
108. What's He Building In There - by Mr. Negative
109. Wheelchair Cop - by McCoy
110. Where Is The Family - by i3ullseye
111. Where Is The Parent - by i3ullseye
112. The Whining Annoyance - by pendelfield
113. Willing Pawn - by 5lippers
114. The Woman From Stepford - by Steve
115. The Woman In Black - by Blue
116. You Lost This... - by Log

1. The Argument - by The Mad GM
2. The Comfey Chair - by McCoy
3. Crosstime War - by AlHazred
4. Dark Marks - by 5lippers
5. Deserts - by Curufea
6. The Disqueting Cornerstone - by Cancer
7. Disappearing Guests - by 5lippers
8. The Dream - by tkdguy
9. Drinks - by Cancer
10. The Eternal Game - by McCoy
11. The Falling Body - by The Mad GM
12. The Four-Hour Conversation - by Kyle A.
13. The Fourth Coathook From The Left - by Basil
14. Glitch - by Sketchpad
15. Graffiti - by Lawnmower Boy
16. Incandescent Bulbs Only! - by Basil
17. The Lost Pet - by i3ullseye
18. Low Murmurs - by BcAugust
19. The Lump In The Carpet - by Susano
20. The Magician - by cranialspasm
21. The Menu - by The Mad GM
22. The Mirror - by Susano
23. The Mirror In The Closet - by The Mad GM
24. The Nice Guy of Doom - by Nothere
25. Phone Mail - by The Mad GM
26. The Picture In The Lobby - by AlHazred
27. A Problem With Specs - by Basil
28. Psychic Room Service - by Susano
29. The Rats In The Walls - by AlHazred
30. The Soda Man - by csyphrett
31. Something's Just Not Right - by AlHazred
32. Strange Times - by Blue
33. The Trophy Case - by csyphrett
34. The Twenty-Minute Guest - by Basil
35. The Unseen Guest - by csyphrett
36. The Wet Spot - by Basil
37. The Backward Dog - by Curufea

1. No Reading After Dark - by Haven Walkur
2. The Chameleon Zone - by Curufea
3. The Dead Zone - by McCoy
4. The Deja Vu Room - by tkdguy
5. The Game Room - by Basil
6. The Gun - by Curufea
7. The Look Quick Lounge - by Nothere
8. The Music Room - by tkdguy
9. The Neat Ghost - by Susano
10. The Old Monument - by Cancer
11. The Pheonix Conference Room - by cranialspasm
12. The Shop - by tkdguy
13. The Third Floor - by Curufea
14. What Is That Smell - by Sketchpad

It can be decor, people, events, other things. It's cooler for the GM if there is an actual reason for the wierdness, even if the players never are told what it is.

• The floors go 11-12-14-15 (of course), and room 1408 on the “14th” floor is said to be haunted by… something. The room is left empty and no one enters it. However, late at night, noises are sometimes heard inside the room. Rumor has it that once a guest went inside to check, and never came out again. [By Susano (original post)]
• If you count the stories from the outside, the number of floors doesn't match the number you can access from the inside. [By Susano (original post)]
• Counting windows results in too many (or too few) rooms per floor. [By Susano (original post)]
• At least one door in the hotel will not stay closed overnight. [By Susano (original post)]
• It could also be weird if there is a 13th floor button, but it only shows up at night or maybe even only at midnight, if a character gets in the elevator at that time. The rest of the time, it's not there. [By Steve (original post)]
• The elevators have no 13th floor button (and no 13 light above, where the current floor is indicated), but observant passengers will note a lag time between 12 and 14. Rarely, someone watching the floor indicator will note see the 14 light up, then go dark for a minute before the 12 lights up. [By Just Joe (original post)]
• There is a 13th floor, and it can be seen from the outside, but the guestrooms are no longer used since . . . something happened. There might be a 13th floor button in a service elevator, and the 13th floor might be used for storage, but most staff avoid it, especially at night. Another possible way in is by stopping the elevator between floors and manually openning it. If one takes the stairs, the door might be simply locked, or it might be walled off altogether. Note: This idea can be combined with others, such as the 13th floor button appearing at midnight. [By Just Joe (original post)]
• There are two elevators in the hotel, one on the right, and one on the left. Whenever you get in one, you seem to exit the other. [By The Mad GM (original post)]
• When I was 11 or 12 years old, I went to Rome with my mother and sister. There was this elevator that would take us up either to the top floor or the ground floor. It took us a few tries to get to our floor. Strangely enough, it only did that when there was only one person in the elevator. It happened to me a couple of times; my sister complained about the same thing. When there were two or more people, the elevator worked perfectly. [By tkdguy (original post)]
• A good creepy bit you can use is the suddenly appearing insignificant wounds and cuts on the characters. For instance, you don't remember cutting yourself, but you have a couple of cuts on the back of your hand, already scabbed over. Or your knuckles hurt like you've been in a fight. Nothing that would affect combat in any way, just things that imply actions the characters don't remember doing. Not hotel specific, but it could easily tie in. [By The Mad GM (original post)]
• The open elevator shaft, always cordoned off with “under repair”, never fixed. Maybe strange clanking sounds irregularly come from below. The repair crew is never seen. [By Cancer (original post)]
• A very large dead house plant in the lobby. It is watered daily, but it is brown and stiff. Unless you see its reflection in one particular mirror, and there it looks green and flowering…. [By Cancer (original post)]
• A chandelier that always goes dark when a guest walks underneath it. Doesn't do that for hotel staff, just guests. [By Cancer (original post)]
• The newspaper box that always has one particular day's paper (probably a date long in the past, recording some macabre event) on display. Open it and it has today's paper; even if you remove the display copy, when you look at it after removing it, it is today's paper. Put a new paper in the display slot and close the box, and again you see the particular date displayed. [By Cancer (original post)]
• A lobby phone that rings every few minutes. If someone answers it, there's just insane gibbering coming over the line. If no one asnwers it, it rings thirteen times and then falls silent for another half hour or so. [By Cancer (original post)]
• The large aquarium in the lobby, bar, or ballroom is populated with carnivorous fish. One of the staff – who has a hook instead of a right hand – drops a rat or two into the aquarium every morning, and the fish consume it in a frenzy. [By Cancer (original post)]
• The piano in the ballroom is badly out of tune for everyone except the cadaverous pianist. [By Cancer (original post)]
• There is always a broken heel, as from a woman's black dress pump, on the fifth step of the broad staircase leading from ground-floor entry lobby to the ballroom/promenade level. If someone removes it, an identical one appears in the same place as soon as that person leaves and everyone has looked away. [By Cancer (original post)]
• The door that leads to a hallway far larger than the hotel can hold. [By Susano (original post)]
• Every Sunday, guests are invited to play in a special game. They are required to roll a dice to select a destination. Once there, they will acquire a card that triggers an obstacle they have to overcome to reach the next destination. This continues until they reach the final goal and are rewarded for their perseverance. [By csyphrett (original post)]
• Sometimes when the moon is right, and the sky is virtually cloudless, a low flying plane will roar pass the hotel, rattling windows, and shaking the furnishings. Only no one ever sees a plane flying away, and the airport is miles out of the way for such a pass. [By csyphrett (original post) Variation: A body falls past the windows. Or the shadow of one does, anyway. [By Susano (original post)]
• One of the PCs sets something down, hard, and it strikes the wall, creating a crack in the plaster. A moment later a fragment of plaster drops away, exposing not wood lathes, but something else. Something… metallic. Something warm to the touch…. That seems to be vibrating faintly…. [By Susano (original post)]
• A PC opens up a walk-in closet and finds a noose handing from the clothes rail. [By Susano (original post)]
• In the area where they have their continental breakfast, there is one table that has a brownish stain on it. When the PC notices it, it looks vaguely like a handprint, and has the consistancy of a coffee stain. If the PC tries to wash it away, it comes up with a little elbow grease, but the next day it is back, possibly a little darker. If someone takes the initiative to cover it with a light-colored tablecloth, the portion of the tablecloth over the stain is immediately saturated with fresh blood. [By oroborous (original post)]
• On certain nights the building super locks himself in his room and spends the night praying. He tries to ignore the sounds outside his door and never questions the missing guests the next morning. [By Susano (original post)]
• You enter the hotel's lobby/ballroom/dining room/bar and notice it takes about a half-second for everyone in the room to start moving. [By Susano (original post)]
• You see blood fall onto the carpet. You look up. There is nothing on the ceiling. Examining the drops, you notice that they are still falling. But they are falling from a spot about chest high in the middle of the room…from thin air. [By Susano (original post)]
• Your reflection in the mirror in the morning, while you brush your teeth, does things slightly different. You brush up, it brushes down. [By Susano (original post)]
• The lights in your hallway begin to flicker. When the light is on, you see nothing. But each time it goes out, you can make out the silhouette of a figure. Each time the light goes off, it gets closer. [By Susano (original post)]
• In the hotel basement there is a door with a large padlock and lengths of chain securing it. If you listen, you can hear faint moans. [By Susano (original post)]
• Every time you blink, something in your room/the hotel lobby/other hotel space moves. [By Susano (original post)]
• It's happening again. Just like last week, but this occurrence seems a lot worse. What will happen if it gets out? [By Susano (original post)]

New York names