Ghosts of Deep Lake || A Public Access Adventure
Dive into a world of terror and mystery to confront the ghosts of your past. Darkness hides in this small town. Will you overcome, or let it take you?
TYPE
SYSTEM
LANGUAGE
EXPERIENCE
AGE
$20.00
/ Session
Details
Weekly / Thursday - 11:00 PM UTC
Session Duration / 2–3 hours
Campaign Length / 7–10 Sessions
0 / 5 Seats Filled
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About the adventure
This campaign is an introduction to Public Access, one of the hottest horror/mystery games out there. New players welcome! Things have never been normal in the town of Deep Lake, New Mexico. Unexplained and horrific things have been happening here for as long as people have lived in the area -- maybe longer. When the public access TV station "TV Odyssey" went on the air in the '80's, things only got stranger. Homes throughout the county were infiltrated by nightmarish, malignant visions through their television sets, and the people who watched TV Odyssey's programming in those days were forever changed. And then, just as suddenly as it appeared, TV Odyssey disappeared, leaving a permanent mark on the children of Deep Lake. You play as one of those children. The year is now 2004. You've grown up, moved away, tried to forget about the things you saw, but they've stayed with you. You go online, asking on forums if anyone has heard of TV Odyssey, and find people with the same questions as you -- and you learn that you all come from Deep Lake. These will be your fellow players. You form a group, the "Deep Lake Latchkeys," and resolve to return to your home town and discover the truth. Public Access is an incredible story game focused on collaborative world building and feral storytelling -- basically, nobody knows where the story will go, not even the GM! This campaign will be balanced on a knife's edge between hilarity and terror. We'll explore themes of nostalgia and the cruelty of time, using the inherent silliness of roleplaying as a buffer to explore that darkness with honesty and safety. Together, we'll all explore Deep Lake and solve its mysteries to build a story that will be truly our own.
Game style
Roleplay Heavy
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Theater of the Mind
Puzzle / Mystery Focused
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(7)
Less than a year on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Inclusive, Voices, Creativity
About me
Hi! I'm Bobby; actor, comedian, and long-time RPG lover. I've been playing games since I was 13. I have been a player and GM in many campaigns across many settings (even appeared on a few actual play podcasts). My favorite games include Lancer, Heart: the City Beneath, and Blades in the Dark. I'm always open to trying new things and explore new games systems, so if you're looking to try a game that's not listed on my profile, feel free to ask! I'll do my best to deliver an unforgettable experience.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Because of the collaborative nature of Public Access, character creation will be handled at session 1. Character sheets will be made available through Roll20, where I will walk everyone through the process in more detail. Familiarizing yourself with the core rules beforehand is encouraged but not mandatory.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Players will need a Roll20 account to play this game, as well as a working microphone to participate in voice chat and a stable internet connection.
What Bobby brings to the table
This will be a roleplay-heavy game with little, if any, combat. I'll be guiding players through a collaborative story about solving supernatural and esoteric mysteries, so be ready for some weird and surreal stuff to happen. I love to build atmosphere with unique character voices, ambient music, and leading questions to put players in a particular headspace. Character and story rule above all else at my table, and so Rule of Cool takes precedence over Rules as Written.
Homebrew rules
For the sake of dramatic emphasis, day and night moves will be prompted by the GM asking players what they are afraid of.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Bobby creates a safe table
The first thing we will do in our campaign is create a list of Lines and Veils, which will be accessible via the campaign forum in Roll20. X, N, and O cards will be messaged through the in-game chat. Additionally, all of my games have an open-door policy; players are free to step away at any time if they need a moment to themselves for any reason, judgement-free. Lastly, every session where end with a debrief where players will be free to blow off steam and discuss what worked and what didn't.
Content warnings
Safety tools used