City of Angels
Where: Earth, California, Los Angeles, specifically Hollywood, near the crest of Mount Lee, just above the famous Hollywood Sign.
When: May, 1925
Introduction
The Golden Age of Hollywood! Charlie Chaplin, Rudolph Valentino, Douglas Fairbanks, Greta Garbo, and dozens of others. The movie studios in this era include MGM, Universal, United Artists, as well as some privately owned studios, like those belonging to Chaplin and Buster Keaton. And in this case, the fictional Celestial Studios.
But not everything in Hollywood is glitzy and glamorous: Many aspiring men and women have come to Hollywood to join the movie industry, only to find themselves out of luck. Often destitute, they’ll take any job they can, which makes them easy marks for unscrupulous business types, whether connected to the movie industry or otherwise. Drug use and alcoholism is rampant, even though Prohibition is the law of the land. The Los Angeles police are famously corrupt in this era, and as Hollywood is far from the center of the city, the area is poorly patrolled. Many studios, especially newer ones, are funded by organized crime, some more or less openly.
With so many people passing through the area, and many of those using stage names or otherwise obscuring their backgrounds, it’s no wonder that people go missing and are never heard from again.
Adventure Background
It’s true that people go missing in Hollywood all the time, but sometimes they’re missed. Aspiring actress Ellie Mae Westcott has lost her brother, Billy Joe, and is desperate for help to find him. Everybody else thinks that Billy Joe went home, or left town with a girl, but Ellie Mae doesn’t believe that of her brother. With nowhere else to turn, she’ll ask the PCs for help.
Billy Joe and others are going missing because Celestial Studios is harboring a group of Weeping Angels, an offshoot of the ones seen in New York in the episode “The Angels Take Manhattan.” Alastair Wainwright, owner of Celestial, has an uneasy alliance with the Angels: they can remove his competition, in exchange for shelter and a regular source of “food.” However, Celestial hasn’t successfully made any films yet, and the Angels have to supplement their diet by doing some hunting on their own. This is giving Celestial a creepy reputation, making people not want to work there, which perpetuates the cycle.
The Angels’ long-term plan, which Wainwright doesn’t know, is to appear in the background of films distributed around the country and around the world. Since “that which holds the image of an Angel is also an Angel,” they’ll quickly have access to all the food they could possibly want.
Running the Adventure
“City of Angels” is designed as a two-part story. In Act One, the PCs will take in the sights of Hollywood for a bit, and eventually encounter Ellie Mae, or find another hook to the missing people. Some light detective work will turn up some clues that point toward something funny going on at Celestial Studios, driving the PCs to investigate. With some careful pacing, you can have the PCs discover the Angels right at the end of Act One, for a great cliffhanger.
The primary responsibilities for the GM in Act One are to control the pace and set the atmosphere. Hollywood by day is sun-washed and hot, full of beautiful people and colorful characters all engaged in the business of telling made-up stories. Even if Ellie May hasn’t found stardom yet, she’s sure it’s just around the corner. The effect should be of a magical place where anything is possible. Even the speakeasy (if you use that set) should be a “Cheers”-like saloon operating more or less openly, clean and friendly, a place where you’d want to spend your lunch hour or some time after work with friends.
This sets up the contrast to Celestial Studios, which should be dark and creepy, as much as possible like the Wester Drumlins house from “Blink.” Hopefully the PCs investigate at night, but even if they manage to get in during daylight, emphasize that the place is understaffed, full of shadowy corners. The various buildings and warehouses are close together, forming a network of narrow alleys. Random sets and equipment make it easy to get lost. The warehouse where the Angels are found is full of old broken props and bric-a-brac, with dim light casting strange shadows everywhere.
Involving the Characters
If the party includes any version of the Doctor, it’s a safe bet they’ll want to go explore Hollywood. As an incurable name-dropper, the Doctor would likely want to check in on their friends Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton, only to be disappointed to learn they’re not in town right now.
If the party doesn’t include the Doctor, but includes any Earthlings, especially ones from the modern era, the urge to explore Hollywood will likely be enough on its own. Even future humans have likely heard of Hollywood and its role in 20th Century culture.
If the party doesn’t include anyone who’s been to Earth before, a policeman can wander along soon after the party lands and chase them away from the sign. In this era, it’s on private property, and access is restricted. The policeman can send them down the hill toward town.
Act One: Missing Persons
The characters may immediately realize where they are, and when (the Golden Age of Hollywood), which may be sufficient motivation to want to explore, see some studios, meet some early stars, maybe get cast as extras in a movie.
If the characters are uninterested, or don’t know enough to realize where they are (because of their background), Officer Colin Thompson can chase them away off the hill. “Hollywoodland” at the time referred to a real estate development further down the hill; the sign was an advertisement. From the sign’s location, the characters can proceed directly south to Mulholland Drive and down into Hollywood proper, or they can take a safer trail to the east, into Griffith Park and head south from there. Either way, it’s about five miles to Hollywood proper, and will take a couple of hours to walk because of the steep terrain. Griffith Observatory isn’t there yet (it’ll be built by the WPA in 1933 and open in 1935, if you want to tweak the timeline). Griffith Park is an existing wilderness area in this era, with the Griffith Park Zoo a few miles south of where the current zoo stands. The land occupied by the modern zoo is an aerodrome in this era.
Various Studios exist on Sunset Boulevard, including Warner Brothers, Fox, and Universal not far away. There are a number of smaller studios lost to history, including, for this story, the fictional Celestial Studios.
Let the players explore for a while; keep the pace light and the descriptions up-beat. This is Hollywood, and it’s fun and exciting. If players have something specific they want to see, you can provide it, or a good reason why they just missed it. (Both Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton are shooting on location right now, and not in town.) They might find a “map of the stars” that shows where the various studios are.
If they poke around enough, they might wander by Our Lady of Angels church, where Reverend Gainsworth is out front preaching about the immorality of alcohol, moving pictures, corruption, women’s hem-lines; take your pick. He won’t pay any special attention to the PCs at this time, except maybe warn them to mind the state of their immortal souls.
Meeting Ellie Mae
Eventually the PCs will run into Ellie Mae and Rupert, having a discussion on the street. You can place this discussion in any geographic area; you just need it to happen at the point in the story where the players’ enthusiasm for Hollywood is starting to wane. The discussion is heated enough for raised voices (allowing the PCs to overhear), but it’s not a full-blown argument. Ellie Mae is concerned about her brother Billy Joe, who’s been missing for three days. Rupert assumes Billy Joe has either gone home or run off with a girl; either way, he doesn’t think there’s much mystery here. He wants Ellie Mae to concentrate on learning her lines for an audition in a few days.
When the discussion starts, Rupert refers to Ellie Mae by her stage name, Rita, and Ellie will have a fairly cosmopolitan accent. As the discussion gets heated, Ellie’s accent may slip into an Alabama drawl, and Rupert may slip up and call her “Ellie.” If you’re up for an acting challenge, you can try to imitate this, or if not, simply tell the players when her accent changes.
The players may jump in and offer to help at this point. If not, Ellie gets frustrated enough to storm away from Rupert, bumping straight into the PCs. Depending on how the PCs react to her, she may try to keep her stage persona for a little bit, or immediately introduce herself as Ellie Mae in her natural accent. With nowhere else to turn, she’ll ask the PCs for help.
Lunch and Explanations
Once the PCs are hooked, she’ll suggest going to Charlie’s speakeasy for a bite to eat and a place to sit down while she explains. Once there, she’ll tell the PCs the following information:
- She’s from Alabama, but wants to be in movies.
- Her brother Billy Joe is a year older than her, and encouraged her to follow her dream, so they both came out to Hollywood, without their parents’ approval.
- Billy Joe doesn’t seem to have leading-man potential, so he does odd jobs as a day laborer, and as an extra when he can get it. He wants Ellie to realize her dream, so he’s supporting both of them.
- Ellie lives at a boarding house for aspiring women actresses. Billy Joe stayed at a hostel for laborers; basically a flop-house.
- They met Rupert not long after they arrived. Connections in this town are everything, and Rupert is the only one they’ve got. Unfortunately, Rupert isn’t terribly successful, and is banking on Ellie’s star power to boost both their careers. Despite rumors of how men behave in Hollywood, Rupert has never been inappropriate toward Ellie; he’s absolutely professional, and she trusts him.
- Billy Joe disappeared three days ago, with no word, and no message. Ellie thinks this is very unlike him. She knows that Rupert believes he ran off with a girl, but Ellie knows he wouldn’t leave her like that.
- Rupert has arranged an audition at Celestial Studios in the next few days. It’s the best lead he or Ellie have had yet, and he wants her concentrating on that.
Basil and Rick are also in the speakeasy, and Charlie is behind the bar. Either Basil or Rick is likely to stick their nose into this conversation, depending on how you want to play it. Basil wants to show off that he’s got connections, and will play coy until the PCs buy him a drink. Rick is more sympathetic to Ellie, but also more likely to agree with Rupert’s supposition. Play the dialog however seems most fun and natural to you, but the PCs should learn the following:
- Billy Joe has been seen talking with people known to be involved in organized crime.
- Billy Joe believes that Wainwright has mob ties, and thinks he has enough leverage to blackmail Wainwright into hiring Ellie and Rupert.
- Billy Joe was seen around Celestial Studios a few days ago, but that’s the last anyone has seen of him.
If the players investigate further, or do really well in their interactions in the bar, they may learn that Billy Joe isn’t the only disappearance. It’s hard to tell in Hollywood, because people come and go all the time, and half of them aren’t using their real names or backgrounds. But several of the disappearances are either people who had connections to Celestial, or were in the geographic area. If any of the NPCs have given it much thought, they’d assume that Wainwright’s supposed mob connections allow him to order people “disappeared.”
Who’s Who
Colin Thompson, local police. Stereotypical Irish cop. 40s, balding, bit paunchy. Sweats a lot because he’s an Irishman in Southern California. If you need someone to chase the PCs away from the sign, or to provide info and directions once they’re in town, Colin’s your guy. He’s a beat cop, but not likely to chase anyone down, because he’s not in good enough shape for that. Can be on the take if the story needs him to be. Won’t investigate Celestial if asked; there are too many rumors about that place and its owner.
Ellie Mae Westcott, aspiring actress looking for her brother. Early to mid 20s, tall, thin but shapely, with blonde hair she wears in a stylish flapper’s cut. Goes by “Rita Swanson” as a stage name. She’s got girl-next-door charm, and when she wants to, she’s got poise and presence that can knock most people back on their heels. When she’s in stage mode, she has a mostly neutral accent with just a hint of New York in it. When she forgets, or when she’s around people she trusts, the act drops and she’s a gentle Southern girl with a pronounced Alabama accent. She’s got Cavanaugh’s patronage, and despite appearances, the relationship is entirely professional. That association is keeping her from working for any other studios. She lives at a local boarding house for aspiring actresses.
Rupert Cavanaugh, a director who believes Ellie Mae has potential. He’s in his early 30s, slender, heavily Pomaded black hair. A sharp dresser, although on closer inspection, his clothes have seen better days. He’s had fallings-out with other studio bosses, and learned the hard way not to have opinions. He’s trying to get a job with Wainwright now because he wants to keep working. May provide some info, but not willing to take any risks. Despite what the PC’s may assume, doesn’t have any ill intentions toward Ellie Mae. He’s gay, but that’s one thing you can’t be in Hollywood at this time, so he doesn’t want anyone to know. One of the other victims was his lover, but he’s keeping his head down about that too.
Basil Oakhurst, aspiring screenwriter, stereotypical English snot. Mid-30s, but looks older. Starting to bald, doesn’t care. Extremely thin, nose like the prow of a ship. Wears tweed. Can be found at the speakeasy, with his portable typewriter and a drink. He must have money back home, because he hasn’t sold a script yet, but can afford to keep drinking. Looks down on everybody, including himself, but has a soft spot for Ellie Mae because she’s genuine. Won’t talk about himself, but is a good source of gossip about literally anything else. A good source for revealing that Billy tried to blackmail Wainwright.
Charlie Wu, a bartender at the local speakeasy. He’s from Fresno, Jack. Doesn’t want trouble in his place. Pays off the cops regularly so he can operate more-or-less in the open. Sells sandwiches to patrons who haven’t had a lot to eat lately. He’s no soft touch; any one of these shmoes could be the next Clark Gable.
Rick McHenry, newspaper reporter. 20s, skinny, disheveled, cheap suit. Needs a shave. He’s here to get an interview with Buster Keaton, but has been blocked at every turn. He’s pretending he’s with the Chicago Tribune, but he’s actually a stringer. Another good source of information if the PCs need it.
Reverend Horton Gainesworth, an elderly preacher, sole staff of Our Lady of the Angels. The epitome of the word “grizzled.” Tall, but stooped now. Uses a cane, but just as much for shaking at people as for support. Black priest garb, none too clean. Thinning gray hair that needs a brush; he’s either trying to grow a beard unsuccessfully, or he really needs a shave. Can often be found on the front steps of the church, fulminating about sin and how depraved the town is getting. A known source of refuge for those who have nowhere else to go, but that doesn’t mean he has to be nice about it.
Spoilers: Rev. Gainesworth is actually Billy Joe Westcott, Ellie May’s brother. He was born in 1902, came to Hollywood with Ellie Mae, got angel-zapped to 1865, and simply stayed in the area until his sister showed up. He appears mad, which he may be, after all he’s been through, but he’s also not sure what to do without disrupting the timeline. Having all sorts of mixed-up feelings about contacting his sister again. Knows a lot about the Angels, but won’t reveal himself to Ellie Mae or the PCs until after their first encounter with the Angels. Trying to save his younger self or stop the PCs from encountering the Angels will result in a paradox, and he’s been warned not to do that (by the PCs if the opportunity arises; by a strange man in a bow tie if not).
Alastair Wainwright, owner of Celestial Studios. Mid 50s, stereotypical rich guy, white fringe of hair, thin mustache that he thinks makes him look better than it does. Overweight for the era, more “round” by modern standards. Finely dressed, a couple of expensive-looking rings. Cigar smoker. Alastair knows what the Angels are and has an idea of what they do. How he found out and exactly what he’s getting out of the deal are best left vague. He knows that the Angels want to be filmed and distributed, but doesn’t know what that will mean. At the moment, while he appears to be working on a few movies, he’s spending most of his energy on developing new, lighter cameras and film, with some vague assist from the Angels. If anybody questions him or pokes too hard into his business, they tend to disappear. This has led to assumptions of organized crime connections, but it’s actually the Angels.
Gabe Hernandez, props wrangler at Celestial Studios. 40s, short and stocky, male-pattern baldness, nervous expression. Wears a work shirt and overalls. If the players need an excuse to explore the props room once they’re inside the studio, they can overhear Gabe arguing with Wainwright. Gabe is upset that the previous props master left, and doesn’t want to go in the storage room. Wainwright tells him he’ll go or be fired. After, Gabe will wring his hands in the hallway for a while, then run off.
Guido and Luigi, thugs working for Wainwright, under orders to prevent anybody unauthorized poking around the studio. They believe Wainwright’s lie that he’s working on revolutionary tech, but they don’t really care all that much. Neither of them talk much; they’re giant slabs of muscle in ill-fitting suits.
The Victims
The following people are among the missing. With enough investigation, the PCs can find out their names and roughly when they vanished, but no more than that. Odds are the PCs won’t find out about them at all, but these are hooks to point the PCs to Celestial if any are needed.
Billy Joe Westcott, Ellie May’s brother. He was zapped while trying to blackmail Wainwright into a job for Ellie Mae, over Wainwright’s mob connections.
Antonio Juarez, waiter, Cavanaugh's lover. Zapped in an alley behind the restaurant where he worked.
Grover, no other name, a drifter. Zapped sleeping behind Celestial Studios.
Mary Harbison, aspiring actress. Lived in the same dorm where Ellie Mae lives now, but not at the same time. The other girls have rumors about her. Zapped while on a screen test.
Mac Malone, former propmaster at Celestial. Zapped because he got too inquisitive about the angels. He’s an anomaly, because he’s not someone who would just up and leave his job. Had gambling debts, though.
Investigating Celestial Studios
All the clues should be pointing the PCs to Celestial Studios at this point. They’ll need some way to investigate:
- They can wait until nightfall and simply break in. If they have any kind of technology from later than 1925, this shouldn’t be difficult. Ellie Mae won’t want to accompany them unless specifically requested. She’s never been inside and has no information that would help. She’ll stay at her boarding house.
- They could wait and try to accompany Ellie and Rupert to the audition. This will take some explaining, as Ellie shouldn’t have much of an entourage at this point, and Rupert won’t want any extraneous people there who might screw up his chances.
- They could fake a legitimate business reason to be there during daylight. They might pretend to be reporters who want to interview Wainwright, actors or screenwriters who want to talk to him, or maybe just laborers looking for a job. If they try any of these, Guido will block them at the front gate and inform them that Mr. Wainwright is occupied and not seeing visitors. The PCs could try any number of Doctor-Who-ish solutions to bluff, charm, or distract Guido, but it’ll be difficult; this is his job, after all. Overpowering him is near impossible, and would be noticed on the street at mid-day. You can tweak the circumstances to encourage the PCs to come back at night to break in.
Inside Celestial, the PCs can find the following:
- The back of the studio is a solid wooden fence along a narrow alley, with a swinging wooden gate wide enough for flatbed trucks. This is where the studio takes its shipments, but it’s also the perfect place to break in, either by picking the lock or scaling the fence.
- Immediately inside the back gate is a dirt lot where loading and unloading takes place. During the day, there will be some laborers moving crates around. At night, it’s empty. There are several warehouse-type buildings around the lot (except for the side against the fence), with narrow alleys between them, shadowed even during the day.
- Wainwright’s office is at the front of the complex, facing the street. During the day, Wainwright will be here. He knows about the Angels and their plan, but doesn’t know how catastrophic that would be. He’ll tell the PCs they have no business here, and if they go to the police, no one will believe them. If they try to get rough, he’ll sic Guido and Luigi on them. At night, Wainwright won’t be here, but the PCs can find in the paperwork:
- Evidence of movie distribution deals, still being negotiated
- Evidence of payments from New York shell companies including Grayle Collections, Heavenly Produce, and Winter Quay
- No evidence of organized crime connections
- A screening room: basically a rectangular room with some chairs, a screen, and a projector. Before the cliffhanger, the room is empty with no film on the projector.
- A soundstage, where filming is taking place, or done for the day, depending on the time. There’s a large, heavy camera set up pointing at a stage that has some set dressing on it: some fake trees, a couple of tombstones, and a crumbling wall with ivy on it. There’s a plinth that might hold a statue, currently empty.
- Film storage: A room full of cans containing film reels. On a successful Knowledge roll, a character with a background in chemistry or film history will know this is early celluloid, which is extremely flammable.
- Near the props storage during the day, Gabe Hernandez. He got promoted on Mac’s disappearance, but he’s terrified to go near the props storage again. He’ll help if the PCs are kind to him.
- Props storage: This is a large warehouse full of stage dressing, and essentially junk. If it’s night, entice the PCs in here by having the door open, and a flickering light from inside. Inside, there’s a single bulb casting shadows everywhere. If it’s daytime, a few dirty windows near the roof-line let in murky daylight. Either way, there’s enough light to make out what’s in here: Bits of wall made of wood, but painted to look like brick or stone; fake plants with cloth leaves; a chariot with a broken wheel; some statues; a few large urns painted to look Greek; the base of a fountain with no water.
Once the PCs enter props storage, mention the “statues of various figures” in the middle of the description. If the PCs investigate further, they’ll notice that most of the statues are cheap plaster. Some are Greek heroes or athletes, there’s a headless Winged Victory of Samothrace, and in the back, two figures with folded wings, floor-length robes, and hands over their faces. These are the Weeping Angels, but hopefully you won’t have to tell the players that, because they’ll figure it out for themselves and be too busy shouting.
If you can time it correctly, immediately after discovering the Angels is a great place for a cliffhanger, either ending the episode, or for a mid-session break.
Act Two: Angels Among Us
At this point, the PCs should have investigated Celestial far enough to find the Angels in the props storage. Now that the Angels know the PCs are there, they’ll also know the PCs are time travelers, which makes them lunch. These Angels are hungry, and although attacking a group is dangerous, they’ll do it if they think they’re safe.
If the PCs turn and run, the Angels will follow. The two Angels they’ve discovered are Abigail and Charlotte. Angel Beryl is elsewhere in the props warehouse. If the PCs look carefully, they can spot her. If they try to stick around at all, Beryl will attempt to extinguish the light of the sodium bulb. As seen in “Blink,” an Angel can point at a light source, which causes it to flicker several times and then extinguish. With intermittent darkness, the PCs probably won’t want to stick around, but if they do, one of them may get zapped.
The Angels
The three Angels are more or less identical, and don’t have personalities to speak of. You want them to be a force of nature in this story, rather than motivated villains. As the GM, you may need to tell them apart, so I’ve provided names and identifying characteristics. However, you really don’t want the PCs getting close. They should be either running away, or not-blinking at the Angels.
- Angel Abigail - zaps people back to 1788. Has a longer nose and a crack in its right bicep.
- Angel Beryl - zaps people back to 1865. Has a chip out of its left wing, near the top.
- Angel Charlotte - zaps people back to 1654. Has a younger-looking, rounder face.
If you have a large number of players, more than 4 or 5, you may want to add another Angel or two, just to make it harder for the PCs to immobilize them all at once. Similarly, if you only have one or two players, you may want to remove Angel Charlotte.
Escaping Celestial
If the PCs stay within Celestial, trying to investigate, the Angels will stalk them. The Angels can move pretty much wherever they want when the PCs aren’t looking, so they could be behind, ahead, or down side corridors. However, there are only three, so you’ll need to keep track of where they are. Make this as claustrophobic as possible. Angels can appear down the end of corridors, or inside rooms as the PCs go by. As long as the PCs keep a lookout, the Angels can’t actually get them.
The section “Don’t Blink!” below provides mechanical advice on how to interact with the Angels.
The Angels will generally try to herd the PCs into a place where they’re cornered. However, Celestial doesn’t have too many dead ends. There’s lots of corridors, but they usually connect up and lead somewhere. If the PCs don’t dally, watch for Angels, and generally try to get out of there, they should make it.
If the PCs have time-travel tech, or even a TARDIS key, the Angels are going to want it, and they’ll home in on whichever PC has it. If the PCs split up, the Angels will follow the ones with the strongest time-energy signature. If one of the PCs is a Time Lord, they’re the target. If not, the Angels will be drawn to whichever PC is the furthest from their home time period.
One exception, mostly because it’s great for atmosphere: the screening room. If the players discovered it during Part 1, the room was empty. If they find it now, it’s still empty of people, but there’s a reel on the projector. If the players barricade themselves in the room, the Angels will rattle the door for a few seconds, then stop. A few seconds after that, the projector will turn on, showing a static image of the soundstage with an Angel in the center of the shot. If the PCs look away at all, the Angel will move “closer” to the screen. If the PCs ignore the Angel, it’ll eventually emerge from the screen. (“That which holds the image of an Angel is also an Angel.”) If the PCs shut off the projector, it’ll turn itself back on after a couple of seconds. If they unplug the projector, it’ll still turn back on after a couple of seconds, even unplugged. Only cutting the film or removing it from the projector will stop the image. This encounter is useful to draw out the chase and give the players a chance to breathe for just a second, before ramping the tension back up and making the scene even creepier.
If the PCs run off the lot and back into the city, the Angels will follow, but not too far. Even in 1925, there are streetlights, and it’s not so late yet that the Angels won’t be seen. Depending on where the PCs go, the Angels may appear in alleyways, but not out in the open.
Don’t Blink!
The Doctor Who RPG rules don’t give stats for Weeping Angels, and that’s a good thing. These aren’t baddies you can fight physically. They’re faster than the PCs and impervious to harm. If the PCs try things that would normally break a stone statue, like hitting it with a hammer, they’ll discover that the Angels are incredibly tough, much more than even stone. You don’t want the PCs to win this through brute force; they’ll need to be clever.
However, the PCs should know how to freeze an Angel, or find out real quick. If you put Weeping Angels in a story, expect the players to want to not-blink at them; this is part of the fun! You want it to work, so the PCs have some recourse, but you also need the players to know that simply declaring that they keep an Angel immobilized by staring at it is tougher than it sounds.
To keep an Angel frozen by staring at it: Awareness + Resolve. Start at difficulty 9, easy. Each round, bump the difficulty by 3. Be sure to describe the PC’s sensation of their eyes getting dry, a desire to look anywhere else, and eventually the burning need to blink.
Bump the difficulty by a lot if an Angel extinguishes a light or puts a lot of dust in the air. If the player succeeds, the Angel stays where it is, but the player can only move very slowly, and can’t lose line of sight. If the player fails, the PC blinks and the Angel moves closer. Remember to tell the player that they can’t see the Angel move. It’s simply closer than it was before, in the literal blink of an eye. Especially in the beginning of the encounter, let the player have two or three failures before the Angel is close enough to touch.
To spot an Angel: Awareness + Ingenuity (the standard Notice roll). Difficulty 12 if the Angel is chasing, 15 if it’s hiding. Adjust the difficulty depending on the ambient light, and how much you want to ratchet the tension.
To find a hiding Angel you know is there: Awareness + Subterfuge or Survival. Difficulty 18. In pitch darkness, 24.
Remember: The purpose of these rules is to let the GM control the pacing and the tension, not to insta-kill the PCs just because they got a bad roll. Angel-zapping a PC will take the story in a whole new direction (see “Touched by an Angel” below), so it should carry some dramatic weight if it happens. If the PCs insist on continuing to investigate Celestial even knowing the Angels are there, ratchet up the threat and bring the Angels closer. You know your players and the tone you’re trying to provide, so it’s up to you where to set the threshold for Angel-zapping. The players may trap themselves in a corner with no way to escape. If the players decide that knowing how to freeze the Angels makes them safe, and they can continue as they were, well, you know what happens in Doctor Who to characters who get arrogant and complacent.
Encountering Ellie Mae again
The PCs might run to Ellie Mae’s boarding house. Or they might go back to the speakeasy. Either way, they’ll find Ellie there, fretting. She’ll have a note from Rev Gainesworth, asking her to come to Our Lady of the Angels church, which isn’t far from the studio or the boarding house.
The note reads: “Ellie Mae – Beware the statues. Come to Our Lady of the Angels church, and I’ll explain. – Rev. H. Gainesworth.”
Reverend Gainesworth
If the PCs go with Ellie Mae to meet Rev. Gainesworth, how he reacts depends on how the PCs treat him. If the PCs are wary or aggressive, Gainesworth will get defensive, but also angry, and accuse the PCs of putting Ellie Mae in danger. If the PCs are sincere in looking for information or help, Gainesworth may waffle at first, as if he does't quite know his own mind, but eventually he'll invite everyone in, saying that they're safe within the church.
Once Gainesworth calms down, he’ll fill the party in on any Angel lore they don’t know about. If asked how he knows about the Angels, he’ll be vague. If pressed directly, he’ll say he was told not to say too much, so as not to rip the universe in half. But the Angels need to be stopped, and within the next couple of days.
The PCs may realize who Gainesworth is, or at least that he got his knowledge by being a victim. If not, he’ll act oddly around Ellie Mae. He’ll avoid addressing her directly, or even looking at her. If the PCs figure it out, he’ll admit it, but he didn’t know what to do about Ellie. He’s been following instructions up to this point, but now that he’s here, he feels uncertain. Meeting Ellie again after 60 years is too much for him.
Key points that Gainesworth needs to convey to the PCs: - The image of an Angel is itself an Angel. - If the penny doesn’t drop for the PCs, he can explain that the Angels want to be filmed, reproduced, and distributed. - There’s no good way to destroy an Angel, but if they drop it someplace where it won’t be discovered, it’ll probably starve to death. He’ll suggest the ocean, a nearby ravine, or La Brea if the PCs don’t come up with it themselves.
Stopping the Angels
There isn’t really a way of destroying the Angels; you can just stop them temporarily. If the PCs can get them to look at one another, that’s effective enough to go on with. The PCs can take advantage of a few ways to trick the Angels into looking at each other, or themselves:
- There are plenty of mirrors around, because it’s a movie studio
- The PCs could also trick them into watching their own image on film
If the PCs have the Angels immobilized (looking at each other, or just enough PCs keeping an eye on them), they’ll be able to transport the Angels without too much trouble. The studio has flatbed trucks and cranes for moving large pieces of sets around. If it’s not feasible to get equipment from Celestial, there are plenty of other places in Hollywood that rent equipment to studios. Don’t let the plot become bogged down because the PCs can’t get a truck.
To get rid of them permanently, the PCs need to stick them someplace where they won’t be found again for a very long time, like geological time. They could dump them in:
- A big ravine: There are plenty of steep canyons and dry riverbeds in the area, some of which will still be uninhabited for decades. You don’t need to find a precise real-world location; just make up a cave in a canyon nearby, or have an NPC suggest it.
- The ocean: The Pacific is conveniently nearby, and it doesn’t take long to get to an area deep enough that a few statues won’t be spotted for a very long time. Keeping the Angels immobilized isn’t a huge problem; somebody just has to stare at them until they sink out of sight. Stone Angels aren’t known for their swimming skills.
- The construction site: the Hollywoodland housing development where the PCs arrived has a number of options for burying Angels. Houses in California don’t have basements, but they do have foundations. Mulholland Drive and environs will one day be some of the most sought-after addresses in Hollywood. Strategically, it’s not the best solution, because construction in the area, or landslides, could easily free the Angels in the future. Thematically, though, it would be fun to suggest that some of Hollywood’s most famous stars live in houses built atop buried Angels. You could even use it as a hook for a sequel story.
- The La Brea Tar Pits: this famous Los Angeles site is only a few miles from Hollywood, making it more convenient than a ravine or the ocean. It exists in this era -- excavations started in 1913 – but it’s not yet a big tourist attraction, so you can find a time when no one is around to dump some statues there. This option really takes advantage of the L.A. flavor, and makes a great image as the Angels sink slowly into the muck. Plus, the players will feel very clever if they think of this option themselves.
Getting rid of the film-duplicate Angels is easy, because celluloid burns. In fact, you can get it hot enough to burn with the light from a film projector. Although a massive fire won’t destroy the Angels, it will nicely take out Celestial and any remaining evidence. History doesn’t record a massive fire in Hollywood at that time, but a fire big enough to put a studio out of business for good? Who’s to say?
Wrapping up
There’s not much the PCs can do to rescue Billy or any of the other victims, unless they have an extremely accurate time machine. Even then, any attempt to rescue them, especially Billy, risks ripping a hole in causality. Therefore, the ending will be bittersweet for Billy and Ellie Mae, but Billy will conclude that his sacrifice saved his sister’s future, and that will be enough for him.
With Celestial Studios gone, or at least shut down, Rupert and Ellie Mae will have to start over. Feel free to imagine a happy ending for them in which they’re both successful. Maybe Rupert pioneers science fiction movies.
Touched by an Angel
What if the PCs get Angel-zapped? This is where you have to start improvising. The possibilities multiply broadly if any or all of the PCs gets zapped back in time. What they might do there, how they might communicate with the PCs in 1925, and how they get back depends greatly on who the PCs are and what abilities they have.
You’ll need to keep track of which Angel is which and how they get the PCs. Each time zone has a specific setting and NPCs from earlier in the game who can help.
1654
The native Tongva people occupy much of what will be Los Angeles and the Hollywood Hills. They refer to the area as Yaa, and the large village in downtown LA as Yaanga. However, there are a large number of villages scattered throughout the area (whose names are mostly lost), and the people tend to identify more with their native village than as “Tongva” in general. The Chumash are an equally powerful and advanced tribe to the northwest, and a trading partner to the Tongva. The Tongva also occupy Catalina Island and the other islands in the bay.
Spanish and Mexican explorers have reached the area by this time, but there are no permanent settlements. So the Tongva won’t be surprised by pale-skinned humans wearing strange clothing. There may be a convenient Spanish explorer here (call him Diego) if the PCs don’t have translator microbes. The Tongva believe in a “web of life,” of which humans are just one part. They won’t know about the Angels specifically, but may be convinced that the Angels are parasites on the web, and be willing to help the PCs send a message to the future.
Who’s here?
Grover and Mac Mallone have been Angel-zapped to this period.
Mac was the prop master at Celestial. Wainwright allowed an Angel to get him when Mac started asking too many questions. He can tell the PCs that something hinky was going on at Celestial Studios. Mr. Wainwright shot a lot of footage of props and scenery, but there didn’t seem to be any scripts yet, or actors or directors assigned. He had acquired lots of stage dressing from a Broadway company that went bankrupt (which is how the Angels got out here from the Manhattan colony). Other people didn’t want to go into props storage because it creeped them out. Mac didn’t get it, but now he knows why. He’s mid-40s, a smoker, and won’t survive more than another couple of decades.
Grover seems to be a drifter who got zapped in an alley because an Angel got hungry. However, if the PCs are stuck and need more information to progress, Grover is a GM’s wild card. He can be a Time Agent, or any futuristic sort of person who could tell the PCs what the Angels are, and provide help to communicate to 1925.
How can the PCs leave a message for 1925?
This will be tricky, because most of the people and dwellings that are here now get wiped out. However, a few things could happen:
- If Grover is a Time Agent or similar, he might build a stasis cube that could leave a message someplace the PCs might find it (the construction site, the studio, the church, or buried under the Hollywood sign).
- Mac or Grover might be able to suggest a relic that is known to survive in the church in 1925. Maybe they could daisy-chain it through the ages if needed.
- Worst-case, one of the PCs may be able to help Grover repair his vortex manipulator and get them back to 1925.
1788
El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles was established in 1781. It’s a small village at this point, only about 50 people. Some are soldiers, some Catholic Missionaries, and some settlers (pobladores). The whole region is called Alta California under Spanish rule. The current alcalde (mayor) is José Vanegas, one of the original settlers. They live right next to Yaanga, and the natives are pretty much helping the settlers survive. The settlers are a mixed bag of Spaniards, natives, Africans, Mexican-born Spaniards, and every combination of the above. So mostly “brown.” There’s some social stratification, but not anything like what’s seen in the United States.
Who’s here?
Antonio Juarez and Mary Harbeson are the Angel victims in 1788.
Antonio was a waiter at a local restaurant. He was zapped in the alley behind the restaurant while closing late one night. He’s also Rupert Cavanaugh’s lover. He’s of Mexican descent, so he has a pretty good idea of when he is, but has no idea how he got here. He’s very practical, and knows he won’t have any descendents, so he might as well stay here. He may connect with a native guy, as they have no taboos against homosexuality (but the Catholic settlers sure do). He’ll want to know that Rupert is OK, but he never viewed it as a stable relationship anyway.
Mary is an aspiring actress originally from upstate New York, although not a wealthy family. She came out here to get famous, and lived in the same women’s boarding house as Ellie Mae, but she got zapped before Ellie moved in. She doesn’t know jack about history, but Antonio has given her a crash course. She’s learning Spanish, and nobody seems to mind her, as all the pobladores are in the “pull your weight” stage. She’s white, which makes her high-status in the pueblo, so she’ll probably marry well and be all right.
How can the PCs leave a message for 1925?
If the PCs try to send a message to the future, they could:
- Bury something on the site of the church, if they have any way of knowing where it is.
- Bury something beneath where the Hollywood sign will be.
- Bury something in one of the government buildings or churches in this area at the time.
Leaving anything with the natives is likely to be futile, as they’ll be wiped out soon enough.
1865
Basically, this era is terrible. The US took possession of California in 1848, and started treating the natives like crap. Most of them are either alcoholic or ill, and they have no legal status as citizens. The Civil War didn’t really touch this area, although California was a Union state. There were sympathizers of both sides in the area, including a strong Confederate presence, even after the war. There were heavy rains and flooding in 1862, and a smallpox epidemic in 1864. Regardless, Americans start coming west in significant numbers. Hollywood is basically a cowboy town, largely lawless, with all sorts coming through. Cowboys, gold miners, rancheros, drifters, people looking to escape. Nobody asks too many questions.
Who’s here?
Billy Joe Westcott
Billy Joe is Ellie Mae’s older brother. He got zapped back here when he tried to confront Wainwright about his organized crime links and blackmail him into giving Ellie Mae a job. Turns out he was badly wrong; Wainwright’s links are with the Angels, and they “got rid” of Billy for him. Billy’s not aware of any other victims being here, but they likely either disappeared into the woodwork, or didn’t last long.
How can the PCs leave a message for 1925?
Hang on, kids. This is where things get complicated. Billy Joe is known as Reverend Gainesworth in 1925, and he knows about the Angels then. However, the PCs may not have encountered him yet. If they have, you can set up a nice causal loop scenario, where Billy Joe gets the information from the PCs in 1865, and then imparts that same information to them in 1925. If not, he has to get it somehow, so we’ll recruit another time traveler to tell him.
If the PCs have already met Billy in 1925, as Reverend Gainesworth: Billy knows nothing about the Angels or how he got here. The PCs will have to tell him to build the church and pass the information to them in 1925, closing the time loop. Billy may not want to do that, but causality says he has no choice.
If the PCs haven’t met Billy in 1925, or don’t have info about the Angels yet: Billy was given some cryptic info by a strange man with an English accent, wearing a tweed blazer and a bow tie, and with truly idiotic hair. He needs to build the church and wait for his sister to turn up, but he can’t say where he got this information until the PCs already know.
How do the PCs get back?
If the PCs have been Angel-zapped, you’ll need a way to reunite them at the end of the story (or before, if they go that route). There are a few ways you can do this. Los Angeles isn’t a heavily polluted timeline like New York in the 1930s is, so just popping back to pick someone up is an option. Some variations:
- If you’ve got a Doctor or other Time Lord capable of steering the TARDIS with precision, just figure out when they are and go get them. If the lost PCs haven’t sent a message forward with a precise date, use one of the options in the next bullet.
- If this is a Doctor or Time Lord without the ability to pilot a TARDIS accurately, you can still track down the lost PCs:
- If the Doctor or Time Lord knows what the Angels are, they can issue the PCs with “time tracers,” small items that will allow the TARDIS to find them again.
- If time tracers are unrealistic in your scenario, have the TARDIS track the PCs’ “artron energy trace” back to where they are.
- If there’s no TARDIS in the scenario, and you’re doing an “unstuck in time” or “random time hopping effect,” have the PCs come unstuck again from where they are, and reunite them with the rest of the group at the beginning of the next story.
- Tracking down the lost party members could be the next adventure. Beware of having the PCs separated for too long with no communication. You don’t want a player sitting at the table but unable to do anything for too long.
- Alternatively, if a player needs to take an extended break, or wants to start a new character, their old character could decide to stay in the time period where they’re stuck, either temporarily or permanently.
Tips for the GM
Try not to tell the players the title of the story until after they’ve encountered the Angels. Or if you do, mention it casually, without tipping your hand that Weeping Angels are involved. There are several hints that the Angels are the bad guys – Our Lady of the Angels church, Celestial Studios, and Los Angeles itself – but if you don’t emphasize it, odds are your players won’t notice, because they’ll be focused on the Hollywood story. Even if one or more players figures it out in advance, don’t worry about it; simply proceed as if the players don’t know until the big reveal. If necessary, remind the players of the difference between what the players know and what the characters know.
If, like my group, you have some players who are familiar with the Angels and some who aren’t, you can use this for an info-dump.
If one of the PCs is from the present day, that’s your excuse. The Doctor wasn’t at all quiet about the Wester Drumlins incident; this easter egg is on 17 publicly available DVDs, and has been the subject of a lot of speculation on easter egg forums (“The Angels Have the Phone Box” is sold on t-shirts). This video tells players what they need to know while also being cryptic, spooky, and completely vague about what happened at Wester Drumlins. Personally, I suspect that UNIT or Torchwood would have confiscated the Angels and razed the house; it’s up to you whether a PC would know that.
The Angels are a GM’s gift, because they let you control the pacing of Part 2, and you can keep the tension high. Any time the players stall the action by arguing about which way to go, start a counter, either in your head or in front of the players. When you want them to get a move on, an Angel appears. If they’re going someplace you don’t want them to, an Angel blocks their way.
Remember that the Angels are an obstacle to avoid, not an instant-kill booby trap. It’s important to play fair, within reason. An Angel shouldn’t sneak up behind the PCs and tag one with no warning. They also shouldn’t be in places they can’t possibly be. For example, if players have just looked at all three Angels behind them, those Angels can get closer, but can’t suddenly appear in front of them. However, if an Angel is out of sight of the PCs for more than a blink, it can easily “move around the far side” to get in front of the PCs. This only works, though, in relatively enclosed spaces, preferably with lots of corners. In the open, the Angels are at a disadvantage.
NPC Stats
As written, this story leans more toward talking and exploration, with not a lot of direct conflict. The Angels don't have stats, by design, as they're more obstacles than anything. However, the PCs may find themselves in a verbal or social conflict with a named NPC, so these stat blocks are provided for your convenience.
Ellie Mae Westcott
Concept: Young aspiring actress
Focus: Find my brother
| Attribute | Score |
|---|---|
| Awareness | 2 |
| Coordination | 3 |
| Ingenuity | 2 |
| Presence | 4 |
| Resolve | 3 |
| Strength | 2 |
Skills: Athletics 2 - Convince 4 - Craft (acting) 5 - Intuition 3 - Subterfuge 4
Rupert Cavanaugh
Concept: Aspiring director
Focus: Get a job
| Attribute | Score |
|---|---|
| Awareness | 3 |
| Coordination | 2 |
| Ingenuity | 3 |
| Presence | 3 |
| Resolve | 4 |
| Strength | 2 |
Skills: Convince 4 - Craft (filmmaking) 4 - Knowledge (Hollywood) 3 - Technology (cameras) 3 - Transport (drive) 2
Reverend Gainesworth
Concept: Cantankerous old preacher
Focus: Save people from the Angels
| Attribute | Score |
|---|---|
| Awareness | 4 |
| Coordination | 2 |
| Ingenuity | 2 |
| Presence | 3 |
| Resolve | 4 |
| Strength | 2 |
Skills: Convince 4 - Intuition 4 - Knowledge (religion, Los Angeles) 3 - Subterfuge 3 - Survival 2
Alastair Wainwright
Concept: Shifty, arrogant studio big-wig
Focus: Become rich from the movies
| Attribute | Score |
|---|---|
| Awareness | 3 |
| Coordination | 2 |
| Ingenuity | 3 |
| Presence | 3 |
| Resolve | 3 |
| Strength | 2 |
Skills: Convince 3 - Craft (filmmaking) 4 - Knowledge (business) 4 - Technology (cameras) 5
Gabe Hernandez
Concept: Competent worker
Focus: Help people out
| Attribute | Score |
|---|---|
| Awareness | 4 |
| Coordination | 3 |
| Ingenuity | 2 |
| Presence | 2 |
| Resolve | 2 |
| Strength | 4 |
Skills: Athletics 4 - Intuition 3 - Knowledge (Hollywood) 2 - Technology (machinery) 3 - Transport (drive) 3
Guido and Luigi
Concept: Incurious security men
Focus: Protect the boss
| Attribute | Score |
|---|---|
| Awareness | 4 |
| Coordination | 3 |
| Ingenuity | 2 |
| Presence | 2 |
| Resolve | 3 |
| Strength | 4 |
Skills: Athletics 4 - Conflict 4 - Survival 2 - Transport (drive) 3
Billy Joe Westcott
Concept: Protective older brother
Focus: Help my sister
| Attribute | Score |
|---|---|
| Awareness | 3 |
| Coordination | 3 |
| Ingenuity | 2 |
| Presence | 2 |
| Resolve | 4 |
| Strength | 4 |
Skills: Athletics 3 - Conflict 2 - Survival 3 - Transport (drive) 2