“What's your favorite scary movie?”

With Halloween just behind us and Bonfire Night lighting up the skies here in the UK, we decided to take a short break from our ongoing Star Wars campaign to dive into something a little darker. Inspired by one of my all-time favourite horror franchises, we returned to the eerie town of Woodsboro for a Scream-themed game night.

For this session, we adapted the Jack the Ripper scenario from Fistful of Lead: Tales of Horror (page 39), swapping out the infamous killer for none other than Ghostface.

The objective? Ghostface must stalk the streets and take down five unsuspecting civilians. But it’s not all smooth slashing - there’s a determined team of heroes trying to stop the masked menace before the body count rises!

The Protagonists

First up: Ghostface.
This iconic killer was statted with a chilling combination of traits:

• Brute: Ghostface has no ranged combat ability, but gains a brutal edge in melee - upgrading their Close Combat die to a d12.
• Flurry of Blows: If a Close Combat attack results only in a Shock, Ghostface can immediately launch a second round of combat.
• Shadow Walk: Borrowed from Tales of Horror, this spell fits Ghostface perfectly. On a roll of 5+, they can move up to 12" in any direction. On an 8+, they can move up to 24" - but cannot end the move in Close Combat.

Naturally, Ghostface was armed with a large knife, granting a +1 bonus to Close Combat rolls.

Ghostface, the killer could only activate at the end of each turn, adding a layer of suspense and unpredictability to their movements.

Opposing Ghostface was a hunter team inspired by key characters from the Scream franchise:

• A Dependable Deputy
• A Robust Reporter
• A Disgruntled Ex-Cop
• A Gritty Survivor

Each character was armed with a pistol and equipped with two traits. The group was built using the Heroes All rule:

“Your crew consists of 4 Specialists and no Leader.”

Ex-Cop, Reporter, Deputy & Survivor

Once per turn, instead of activating one of their own miniatures, a player could choose to move a civilian - adding a layer of tension and unpredictability to the game.

We had two players controlling the hunters, each managing two characters. 

Turn 1

All miniatures - civilians, hunters, and Ghostface - were deployed according to the scenario setup. As the game began, the hunters sprang into action, moving swiftly toward the last known location of Ghostface.

Then came Ghostface’s turn. Passing a Shadow Walk test with ease, the killer glided across the board, closing in on the nearest civilian (as per scenario rules), Ghostface was compelled to target and engage the closest one.

With a chilling whisper "What's your favourite scary game?", the masked figure lunged forward. 

One brutal swing of the knife later, the civilian was Out of the Fight.

First blood to Ghostface.

Turn 2

Spotting Ghostface looming over the fallen civilian, the Deputy sprang into action, advancing and firing his pistol - only to miss the mark. Meanwhile, the Ex-Cop moved cautiously down the street, hoping to catch a glimpse of the killer. The Reporter and Survivor chose a different tactic, foregoing their own actions to relocate a pair of civilians to safer ground.

It was at this moment the tone of the game shifted.

With civilians scattered across the board and Ghostface’s ability to Shadow Walk (vanishing and reappearing at will) it became clear that the killer could strike unpredictably and with terrifying reach.

Realising the danger, the hunters changed strategy: rather than chasing shadows, they began herding the civilians into a single location, forcing Ghostface to come to them.

The hunt had turned into a trap. But would it hold?

Turn 3

With the shift in strategy, both the Deputy and Ex-Cop sacrificed their actions to help relocate civilians toward the growing safe zone, where the Reporter and Survivor stood guard, weapons ready.

But Ghostface wasn’t done yet.

For the second turn in a row, the killer failed the Shadow Walk check, limiting movement to just 10 inches. Though still heading toward the cluster of civilians, the hunters’ coordinated efforts were beginning to pay off - the survivors were slipping further from Ghostface’s reach.

The tension was building. The trap was set. But how long could they hold the line?

Turn 4

The hunters were nearly done - most of the civilians had been successfully herded into the designated safe zone. With their immediate task complete, their focus shifted entirely to watching the shadows, anticipating Ghostface’s next move.

And then, right on cue, the killer activated.

Ghostface passed the Shadow Walk test with ease, emerging suddenly from the gloom of a narrow alleyway - just inches away from a pair of vulnerable civilians. The tension spiked. The hunters braced themselves.

The game had entered its next terrifying phase.

Turn 5

With Ghostface now exposed in the open, the hunters seized their chance. Pistols rang out as they fired at the masked killer. One shot found its mark - Ghostface staggered, then vanished into a nearby coffee shop, slipping out of sight.

Turn 6

Determined to finish the job, the hunters rushed inside. But the café was eerily quiet. No sign of the killer. With the entrance now blocked, Ghostface’s path to the civilians was cut off - at least, that’s what they thought.

Then, with a surge of supernatural speed, Ghostface passed a Shadow Walk test with a roll of 9, allowing a 24" move. In a blink, the killer reappeared behind the cluster of civilians.

With a second action, Ghostface struck and another civilian was brutally injured.

The hunters had walked into a trap. Ghostface was far from finished.

Turn 7

With Ghostface now behind them, the hunters spun around, pistols blazing. Shots rang out, and it looked like the killer had been hit again - Ghostface quickly ducked into a nearby building, vanishing from sight.

But the masked menace wasn’t done yet.

Moments later, Ghostface lunged from cover, targeting the wounded civilian left behind. With the Flurry of Blows trait in play, the killer struck once - then again - stabbing another victim in a brutal flurry of attacks.

The hunters had landed a blow, but Ghostface had the last laugh.

Turn 8

Ghostface was once again caught in the open, standing ominously over his latest victim, ready to finish the job. The Reporter didn’t hesitate and she raised her pistol and fired. The shot landed, inflicting a wound. With multiple Shock tokens exceeding available wounds, Ghostface was forced to retreat, spending two full movement actions slipping back into the shadows to recover.

The hunters cursed under their breath - the rules had come to the killer’s aid. All they could do now was regroup and tighten their defensive perimeter.

But Ghostface wasn’t done.

Passing another Shadow Walk test with ease, the killer materialised out of nowhere - right beside a lone civilian. Without hesitation, the knife flashed again. Another victim fell.

The hunters were holding their ground, but Ghostface was relentless.

Turn 9 

Fortune once again favoured the hunters. Ghostface was caught out in the open, standing ominously over his latest victim, poised to strike again.

Reacting swiftly, the Ex-Cop, Reporter, and Survivor opened fire with their pistols. Shots rang out, forcing the killer to retreat into the nearby coffee shop. The hits were starting to add up - Shock tokens were accumulating, and Ghostface was clearly feeling the pressure.

Then came the final act.

The Deputy, determined to end the nightmare, burst through the rear entrance of the coffee shop. There, lying on the floor, was Ghostface. He raised his weapon and fired.

A roll on the Wound Table sealed the outcome: Out of the Fight.

Ghostface was down. The hunters had prevailed.

Game over.

Epilogue

This game sounded like a blast during planning and to be fair, I had a great time putting it together. The concept was strong, the theme was atmospheric, and the setup promised tension and cinematic moments.

However, once we got into the action, some cracks in the scenario rules began to show. One major issue stood out early: why would Ghostface ignore a hunter standing right in front of them? It felt counterintuitive, as surely eliminating the bigger threat should be a priority for the killer? This broke immersion and raised questions about the scenario’s logic.

On the positive side, using Shadow Walk as a trait was a hit. It perfectly captured Ghostface’s signature ability to vanish and reappear unpredictably, just like in the films. Likewise, allowing hunters to give up their actions to move civilians added a strategic layer that worked well, especially once we shifted tactics to lure Ghostface into a trap.

Unfortunately, the horror movie vibe that defined the early game began to fade as we identified and worked around the scenario’s limitations. The tension gave way to tactical optimisation, and the cinematic feel was somewhat lost.

From a results perspective, it was a narrow win for the hunters:

• 2 civilians killed
• 1 badly wounded
• 2 survived

That gave the hunters 3 points, just edging out Ghostface’s 2 points. Points were scored based on the civilians' outcomes.

Despite the flaws and the slightly sour taste left by the scenario’s shortcomings, we tried something different - and most importantly, we got a game in.