Don’t Sleep!

## Overview

The game is about escaping from the Base (see appendix). Player characters do not remember becoming victims of the hypergeometric Alarm Clock and being experimented upon. With each hour of the game, they lose Power because they want to sleep. But they won't get much sleep...

The pregens outline is in the appendix.

## Briefing

A dark room. The light from the fluorescent lamp barely touches the corners of the room. Player characters are sitting on the beds. A moment later, a flood of thoughts pulls them out of their sleep. They are sleep-deprived and barely realize the situation. They are not tied down and can do whatever they want. They can spot the camera in the corner. As soon as they wake up, the door to the room opens. Two soldiers with assault rifles are holding them at gunpoint. The third one brings in auto-injectors and offers to inject the medicine.

Every time after testing is finished, a gas is injected into their room to knock the characters out. There is no sleep as such, so they really want to sleep. The characters have all been in the same room for three days now; this is the 11th time they are tested. There are puncture marks on their arms. Some violent ones have marks on their necks. The tests are repeated every five to six hours. The purpose of the study is to find out how long a body can be under the effect of the Alarm Clock.

To avoid problems, the players are shown the object White Sheet, which erases their memory for some time, so they believe to be in this room for the first time.

They wear orange robes with their personal numbers on the chest; there are no names or other identification marks. The Handler chooses which player gets which pregen. At the start of the game, the player’s character sheet is empty, and the Handler has a filled one. The player is asked to write down their personal number; the Handler makes a note on the filled character sheet. This way he can always see their characteristics, but they act at random.

Optional rule. The players can describe the appearance of the other player's character: their gender, appearance, height, etc. Or each of the players gives one external characteristic. This makes sense considering the character doesn't remember what he looks like due to amnesia, so the others become his eyes.

The characters are injected with a drug (a stimulant). It maintains their capability and allows them to remember three elements of their lives (their name, ability, skill, or any other characteristic).

**Recollection of abilities/skills** — the Handler reports their value or percentage.
**Recollection of personal information** (name, connections, place of work, etc.) — the character will also remember fragments of becoming a part of the experiment. At this point, the Handler should give a hint on how to get out of the Base, where the objects are stored, or describe some of them.

After taking the medicine, armed guards lead the characters into a gray corridor that stretches endlessly in both directions (the Lambda of the Base). The fluorescent lights on the ceiling hurt their eyes. There are identical unmarked doors along both walls spaced 30 feet apart. The guards line up the characters in a column and lead them down the corridor. Some time later, they stop and open the first door they see.

## **Test 1:** Obstacle Course

This is the equivalent of a military obstacle course with pits, tires, ropes, nets, climbing walls, etc. The characters should pass it.

Three attributes can be checked without telling their value, only the result. Example: asking a character to run on a beam. The player rolls dice for Dexterity, and the Handler tells whether he has fallen or not, depending on the result. This way the player can get a clue about his abilities, still not knowing the value of his attributes.

After the obstacle course, the guards lead the characters to the next room. The appearance of a logical sequence can be created: the characters pass an equal/specified number of doors each time.

## **Test 2:** Physical Examination

A medical office with five doctors. All of them hide their faces behind helmets, their voices are altered. Scheduled checkup using devices and a computer. No results are reported to the characters; contact is minimal. Checks at Handler's discretion.

## **Test 3:** Psychological Test

A room with computers and displays. The characters should answer questions simulating a psychological test. There are also five doctors hiding their faces and voices.

After each test, grant the players a memory of two abilities/skills or personal information that will advance the plot (about the experiment, memory loss, their past, etc.).

A cart with two corpses is dragged down the corridor. Sanity check. The weakest character gets the idea that it is a slaughterhouse.
Noticing traces of blood on the obstacle course — Sanity check.
After the psychological test, a phobia is uncovered in a random or the weakest character.
Discovering scars during the physical exam (Memory check). Success — remembering they weren't there. Or were, depending on the Handler.

After all tests, all characters lose 1 POW, as stimulants stop working. They are brought back to their room the same way (or vice versa). In the first case, the players think that everything makes sense, in the other — that the corridor might be closed in a circle or that they see an optical illusion. Intelligence check is appropriate. Success will raise doubts that there is any pattern whatsoever.

This part of the script should not take more than an hour of game time. Between tests, the players can remember some things from their lives or their characteristics.

After the characters are returned to their room, give them a couple of hours of game time to discuss everything. They may eat (food will be brought by guarded personnel). Those who eat will have no problem with accelerated (once every half hour) loss of Power and Constitution. At Handler's discretion, other characteristics may suffer as well.

Two hours after the tests, a covered White Sheet object is brought into the room. The characters are offered to look at it under any pretext: "to read what is written", "to choose food for dinner", etc. A short glance is enough for them to lose part of their memory. Right after that, a gas is released into the room to knock them out.

However, this time something goes wrong. Although the White Sheet had been demonstrated (was it really it?), the characters did not forget themselves. The gas knocks them out, and they come to their senses on their beds some time later. If the players were hiding something, it was taken away. It is hard to hide anything under a camera.

## RUN!

The next time they wake up, the characters remember themselves, their last awakening, and what has happened to them. Like before, the door opens and three guards with auto-injectors come in. The order to inject the drug is interrupted by the sound of a siren. The guards abandon the room leaving the injectors to the characters, and the door closes behind them. After a while, it opens on its own.

From this point on, the narration passes entirely to the players.

A group of mercenaries breaks into the Base. Breaking the security system, they release the Computer into the local network. All storage rooms, except for those manually-operated, open. Every room contains one object. The Computer needs the players to open the cell with the Chimera, as they have agreed some time ago to help each other escape should the opportunity arise.

The players use mercenaries to obtain the objects for themselves. There are different kinds of people among the mercenaries: survivalists, military, and criminals. Stolen or found objects are used on them, including the Book of Truth.

The most difficult objects to study are kept on level 3 of the Base. The Heart that the mercenaries came for is also there.

Taking advantage of the situation, the "Shy Guy" has broken out of his confinement and is running around the base, trying to find the mercenary who looked at his photo before the operation. All the forces of Class B personnel are thrown into bringing him back to his cell and preventing the infiltration.

The players choose how to act.

### Exits from the Base

The main hangar at the top. After exiting through it, the players can go down the slope and further through the forest.

There is a take-off site in the hangar where a helicopter can be stolen. The players can also leave with the mercenaries.

There are sewers for biowaste — they can get out through a pile of corpses.

False Exits

A stressful situation and thoughts of home will generate a personal room.

Dimensional trap, having entered it players won't be able to leave the place.

+ At Handler's discretion.

## Appendices (stat blocks)

Class A — leading specialists, heads of departments, and leading scientists.
Class B — laboratory assistants and operatives. Guards and rapid response teams.
Class C — service personnel. Janitors, doctors, and physicians. They are under the full authority of the Foundation and were transferred from Class D personnel, by permission of S representatives.
Class D — living human test subjects, voluntarily or forcibly brought to the Foundation. Most of them are death row convicts.

### Pregens

**Doctor** — Class C personnel, worked with people under the influence of objects, examined corpses, compiled autopsy reports, and accurately described the interaction of objects with the personnel. Knows everything about living objects that can move on their own or are conscious. Handler's choice of phobias. Knows about the body pit, knows how to treat ailments and get rid of conditions inflicted by the objects.

**STR** 13 **CON** 11 **DEX** 10 **INT** 16 **POW** 13 **CHA** 10

**HP** 11 **WP** 12 **SAN** 45 **BP** 32

**Skills**: Alertness 30%, Athletics 40%, Bureaucracy 60%, Computer Science 60%,  Dodge 50%, Drive 20%, First Aid 50%, Medicine 40%, Occult 40%, Persuade 30%, Pharmacy 30%, Unnatural 20%.

**Attacks**: Unarmed 40%, 1D4 damage

**Scientist** — Class A personnel, has worked with the Alarm Clock object. Knows how all inanimate objects function, how they can be used, knows the location of exits from the Base and how to work with the Lambda. Became a test subject himself after being affected by an object. After the memory-erasing procedure, was given a Class D personnel robe. Handler's choice of phobias.

**STR** 8 **CON** 12 **DEX** 12 **INT** 16 **POW** 17 **CHA** 14

**HP** 10 **WP** 17 **SAN** 65 **BP** 8

**Skills**: Bureaucracy 40%, Persuade 35%, Computer Science 60%, Science (Physics) 60%, Science (Math) 50%, Science (Biology) 50%, Forensics 40%, Pharmacy 40%, Craft (Circuit design) 40%.

**Attacks**: Unarmed 40%, 1D4 damage.

**Operative** — Class B personnel. Took part in capturing object 096 "Shy Guy"; after that became a guard at the Base. Has combat experience with some of the living objects. On his shift, during rounds, got under the influence of the Alarm Clock object. He can remember how to avoid problems when interacting with a certain living object. Remembers how to move around the Base and work with the Lambda. Knows where the helipad is and can lead out of the Base. Has a phobia — fear of interacting with objects.

**STR** 14 **CON** 14 **DEX** 14 **INT** 10 **POW** 12 **CHA** 8

**HP** 14 **WP** 12 **SAN** 65 **BP** 53

**Skills**: Alertness 60%, Athletics 60%, Firearms 60%, Dodge 50%, Heavy Weapons 50%, Melee Weapons 50%, Survival 60%, Swim 60%.

**Attacks**: Unarmed 60%, 1D4 damage.

**FBI agent** — former supervisor of one of the object studies. Used to be a gun layer. Was involved in the supervision of many objects. Knows everything about inanimate objects, and knows how to interact with them. Knows about the helicopter and the general exit. During his visit to the Base, he took part in the incident, when the Scientist got under the influence of the Alarm Clock, and became its victim himself. Phobias: PTSD.

**STR** 12 **CON** 14 **DEX** 11 **INT** 9 **POW** 9 **CHA** 10

**HP** 13 **WP** 9 **SAN** 65 **BP** 56

**Skills**: Alertness 40%, Bureaucracy 55%, Criminology 50%, Drive 50%, Firearms 30%, Forensics 30%, HUMINT 40%, Law 30%, Accounting 30%.

**Attacks**: Unarmed 60%, 1D4 damage.

### NPCs

**Doctor Valgon** — the leading Alarm Clock researcher. Laboratory building. He is one of the test subjects, a doctor under the influence of the Alarm Clock. He takes measurements while interacting with the object. His insomnia is causing hallucinations. It seems to him that his subordinates are trying to reduce him to a test subject. He begins to think of an escape plan and contacts the Chaos.
**STR** 10 **CON** 10 **DEX** 10 **INT** 17 **POW** 12 **CHA** 10

**HP** 10 **WP** 12 **SAN** 35 **BP** 22

**Skills**: Alertness 60%, Bureaucracy 40%, Dodge 50%, Forensics 40%, Medicine 40%, Occult 50%, Persuade 30%, Pharmacy 30%, Science (Physics) 60%, Science (Math) 50%, Science (Biology) 50%, Unnatural 30%.

**Attacks**: Unarmed 40%, 1D4 damage.

**A mercenary** - who is no longer hypnotized by the Book of Truth. Cafeteria.

**STR** 14 **CON** 14 **DEX** 14 **INT** 10 **POW** 10 **CHA** 8

**HP** 14 **WP** 10 **SAN** 50 **BP** 40

**Skills**: Alertness 60%, Athletics 60%, Firearms 60%, Dodge 50%, Heavy Weapons 50%, Melee Weapons 50%, Survival 60%, Swim 60%.

**Attacks**: Unarmed 60%, 1D4 damage. Knife 50%, 1D6+1 damage. Beretta 60%, 1D10 damage.

**A frightened man** - class B personnel. Bathroom.

**STR** 8 **CON** 8 **DEX** 10 **INT** 10 **POW** 10 **CHA** 10

**HP** 8 **WP** 10 **SAN** 40 **BP** 35

**Skills**: Alertness 20%, Athletics 40%, Dodge 40%, Unarmed Combat 40%

**Attacks**: Unarmed 40%, 1D4-1

**Three Class D personnel** - Take turns blinking to avoid becoming victims of the Sculpture. Room with the Sculpture.

**STR** 10 **CON** 12 **DEX** 11 **INT** 14 **POW** 15 **CHA** 9

**HP** 11 **WP** 15 **SAN** 35 **BREAKING POINT** 30

**Skills**: Alertness 65%, First Aid 50%, HUMINT 40%, Unarmed Combat 60%

**A doctor** - class C personnel. Infirmary.

**STR** 12 **DEX** 11 **CON** 14 **INT** 9 **POW** 9 **CHA** 10

**HP** 13 **WP** 9 **SAN** 45 **BP** 36

**Skills**: Alertness 40%, Bureaucracy 55%, Criminology 50%, Forensics 30%, Pharmacy 60%, Medicine 60%, Occult 40%, HUMINT 40%, Law 30%, Unarmed Combat 40%

**Attacks**: Unarmed 40%, 1D4 damage.

### Objects

Most objects can be found in the encyclopedia of SCP objects. For Handler's convenience, the objects that fit into this one-shot have been selected and briefly described.

**Alarm Clock** — an object that looks like an old-fashioned clock. Category: Safe without interaction. At the moment, the place of exposure and the possibility of further use of this object are being studied. According to the data received, people under its influence just can't sleep. S representatives want to use it on other objects, for torture, etc.

**The Book of Truth** — instills the ideas of its owner. The reader accepts his thoughts and beliefs. The content is up to the owner. A person does not have to read the book; it is enough to touch it to change their thinking.

**The Heart** — an object that can remotely affect the heartbeat of any living being. It is a real human heart; it can be squeezed, torn, or cut. People nearby receive the same damage that was inflicted on the heart, and the heart will recover after some time.

**The Base** — moves in space by itself, unnoticeable to the human eye. The reason remains unknown. The Foundation personnel has found the object on its own. Its location is always as far away from residential areas as possible. Distances between parts and rooms can reach miles. There are about 3,000 objects stored here now. These are usually dangerous objects that should be controlled. The data varies because some objects have the ability to disappear. Ciphered messages from the Foundation are used to determine its location, which allows you to know the current position of the object.

From this place, you can get to any point on the base. Each door has no specific anchor point. You need to concentrate and visualize the office to get to it. If it is done correctly, the character gets to the office; if not, he gets to the part that can lead to the office. You can imagine anything possible, including personal rooms, parents' house, etc. It is a space within a space. Some dimension. If the players find out at the beginning, what the exit from the Base looks like, it is bad. It is better to give them this opportunity at the point when the most active actions begin.

**The Shy Guy**: if anyone sees it, it starts hunting this person.

**The Computer** — a perfect artificial intelligence. Used to be isolated, but a mercenary hack allowed it to infiltrate the internal network.

**The Chimera** — a creature that cannot be defeated, only isolated. Adapts to damage.

**The Sculpture** — an unknown statue. Moves when someone stops looking at it. Stalks its victim when unseen. Cannot leave the area while it has obstacles in front of it.

**Record of Object 0001's Voice** — the voice of an angel. Anyone listening to it without a decoder loses their hearing. Their eardrums burst. If listening through a decoder you can restore a part of your memory and get some leads.

**Musical Notation** — those who see it immediately want to complete it.

**Gravity Ball** — the object is at rest. If pushed, it starts levitating with the speed of the push. If sped up can kill; it damages depending on its speed.

**The Pen** - this ballpoint pen writes with the user's blood and fulfills their wishes. If the wish is vital, chances for success are higher, if not — the chance of failure is bigger. In any case, Sanity loss as a result.

**The Book of Facts** — the reader can learn anything he wants. Sanity loss.

**The Compass** — directs to the currently desired object.

**The Glasses** — allow you to look at everything around you, but the wearer is considered non-existent to all but those who watch. If they lose sight of the wearer, he disappears.

**The Bullet** — can kill anyone in its path, pierces any obstacle, up to 165 feet thick. Experimentally proved to stop at 166 feet of any obstacle. Regenerates in 24 hours if the case is saved. Versatile.

**Inferno Child** — a girl kept in a fireproof chamber. The temperature around the child is close to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, the closer, the higher. Temperatures of about 1800 degrees have been recorded at rest. She feeds on what she burns.

**Protective Sign** — an ancient sign carved on an unknown rock. The person nearby hears strange voices in his head, the lower a person's Power, the more voices a person hears. People with addictions hear this noise quite clearly. A person close to the sign believes to be protected, but in fact it is not so. Experiments have shown that it is possible to kill or cut a person near this sign. Those who have held the object have serious mental disorders and cannot explain what has happened to them.

**Blood Sword** — a rusty stick remotely resembling a sword. If someone takes this object, they start losing blood rapidly. The object, on the other hand, begins to regenerate. This sword cuts through most known materials. Some Class D personnel who had held the object for more than an hour died of blood loss.

**The Sand** — a pile of brown sand that absorbs any living matter. Just like the Ball of Blades, activates on touch and sucks up any liquid.

**The Stairwell** — an endless object. It is almost impossible to reach the end of it; those who did, however, reported something living down there. The signal on the stairs is gone; there is no reception of any kind.

**The Void** — a bubble. Once inside, a person is transported to an alternative looped world. The space within is a part of some city that always repeats itself. There are no living people in the city, and it is always the same time of day.

**Ball of Blades** — a huge object that consists of blades, barbed wire, knives, etc. If it senses any sharp cutting objects nearby, it instantly magnetizes them to itself. Activation by touch. Instantly cuts into small pieces and absorbs any living object.

**The Box** — a simple box. A random object can be found inside. Dangerous, as there have been cases where weapons, life-threatening materials, and active viruses were found in the box.

**Plague Doctor** — a living person dressed as a Plague Doctor. Not dangerous by itself, but can affect others in a violent way. Has an unpleasant smell, similar to that of rotting flesh. If the object is close to a dead person, it is resurrected. The Plague Doctor does not consider it supernatural; he believes the resurrected ones to be his creations and threatens anyone who tries to destroy them.

## Credits

Don't Sleep! was written by Baref for the 2022  Shotgun Scenario contest. Source: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qsVu2TOvY8ELgZWjGkGgokVlw4I3d8i08nGmR1M-QKE/edit#.

Published by arrangement with the Delta Green Partnership. The intellectual property known as Delta Green is a trademark and copyright owned by the Delta Green Partnership, who has licensed its use here. The contents of this document are © Baref, excepting those elements that are components of the Delta Green intellectual property.

Don't Sleep! is not available here under CC-BY-SA.

For preservation purposes, an exported PDF of the original submission can be found here.