TEXT:  
   
  On the Trail
  On the Trail
  On the Trail
  On the Trail    
  of Jack the Ripper
  of Jack the Ripper
  of Jack the Ripper
  of Jack the Ripper    
   
   
   
  An Adventure for Lost Souls 
   
   
  By Joe Williams & Kathleen Williams 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Copyright © 1993, 2007 by Joe Williams 
   
  Email me at: freeRPGs@comcast.net 
  
   
   
  2 
   
   
   
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  On the Trail  
  of Jack the Ripper 
  Background 
  The player characters are relaxing in Limbo 
  when their Mentor enters the waiting room. He 
  looks worried, an expression the characters are 
  unaccustomed to seeing on his wizened features. 
  “An evil spirit has been haunting the earth for over 
  100 years. He’s been killing five women a year, 
  each year in a different country. Now he is back in 
  the city where it started. I fear he is on the 
  threshold of his greatest evil. You must stop him 
  before it is too late.” 
  If asked who it is, the Mentor says, “Even I 
  don’t know his true identity. That is what you must 
  discover. What you learn may help you destroy 
  him.” 
  The players must take ghostly vows before 
  their Mentor can return them to earth. Possible 
  vows include “I will not rest until I discover the 
  identity of the killer,” or “I will not rest until I stop 
  the killer.” 
  Once their vows are made, the Mentor opens a 
  tunnel of light. By passing through the tunnel, they 
  arrive at . . . 
  Tower Hill Station, 
  London 
  It is about 7:00 p.m. on a warm autumn 
  evening. In the background is the Tower of 
  London; directly ahead is a statue of Julius Caesar 
  in front of an old Roman Wall. Behind the lost souls 
  is the entrance to the underground where a 
  magazine vendor sells his wares. The headlines 
  London Times proclaims “Fourth Victim Found 
  Slashed!” To read the story, the characters will 
  have to unfold the paper. The story continues 
  inside the paper: 
  The fourth victim of the so-called “London 
  Slasher” was found early this morning in Russell 
  Square. The 23 year old student was attacked from 
  behind while walking home late last night. She was 
  hideously slashed and her throat cut. Although the 
  area is heavily patrolled, no alarm was raised and 
  no one noticed anything unusual. The victim’s 
  name has not been released pending notification of 
  next of kin. Her Majesty expressed dismay and 
  concern for the victim’s family and friends. 
  The Tour Begins 
  A crowd of about twenty people stands near 
  the Roman wall. After a few minutes, a stout man 
  walks briskly around the corner. In one hand he 
  holds a duffle bag and in the other a fistful of 
  brochures. This is Malcolm Atkins, a thirty-five 
  year old man with a mop of curly brown hair and a 
  brisk, theatrical manner. In a booming voice ripe 
  with a London accent he calls out, “Alright, who’s 
  here for the ‘Jack the Ripper Tour by Night?’’ Step 
  right up, only £4.00!” The crowd surges forward. 
  Malcolm Atkins 
  Type: Material Human 
  Defense: Passable 
  Appearance: A stout man, walks briskly, mop 
  of curly brown hair. In one hand he holds a duffle 
  bag and in the other a fistful of brochures. The bag 
  contains two dozen copies of the book on Jack the 
  Ripper that Malcolm wrote five years ago, and a 
  
  On the Trail of Jack the Ripper 
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  billy club he uses in case his tour group is accosted 
  by ruffians. 
  Personality: Theatrical, brisk. Voice booms 
  with London accent. 
  Motivation: To sell books and entertain his 
  tour. 
  Combat: Malcolm cannot see or interact with 
  lost souls. 
  The Crowd 
  The group is made up of tourists of all 
  nationalities. 
  There 
  is 
  an 
  American 
  family 
  consisting of a husband, wife and three teen-aged 
  daughters; 
  two 
  Japanese 
  businessmen 
  with 
  cameras; three German students (one female); 
  three couples (British and American); two lone 
  men (a white American in his forties and a 
  handsome black Englishman in his early twenties 
  named Steven Parker. He is a well dressed 
  University student with an amused expression. 
  There is also one lone woman, about twenty-six 
  years old. Her name is Rhonda Kelly, and as the 
  players will learn she is the descendant of one of 
  Jack’s victims. 
  Train Bridge 
  As soon as Malcolm collects money from all 
  the participants, he begins the tour. “Jack the 
  Ripper is a name known round the world,” he says. 
  “Yet to this day we know very little about the man. 
  Wot we do know is this -- from August to 
  November 1888, he killed five prostitutes in 
  London’s 
  notorious 
  Whitechapel 
  parish. 
  He 
  mutilated them horribly and escaped into the 
  darkened streets, never to be captured or 
  identified. Who was he? Some say a mad doctor or 
  tanner. Some even think he was a Royal. Tonight, 
  I’ll be taking you on a tour along the very streets 
  Jack walked, and we’ll visit some of the sites of his 
  dastardly deeds. Perhaps the answer to his identify 
  lurks in these dark corners.” And with that he turns 
  and walks into the night. The crowd follows him. 
  A few blocks away, the tour stops underneath 
  a train bridge, and Malcolm takes up his narrative. 
  “The women who died at the hands of Jack were all 
  sad cases who tried to make their bleak lives a little 
  brighter with drink. It was here that they used to 
  ply their trade, hoping to find a gentleman who 
  would see them through the night. Now follow me 
  as our search for Jack the Ripper takes us to what 
  may be the scene of his first crime.” 
  The Constable 
  The characters hear the clip-clop of hooves on 
  cobblestones. They catch a glimpse of a carriage 
  disappearing into an alley, but when they go to 
  take a closer look, they find the alley dead ends in a 
  brick wall, and the carriage is gone. 
  Just then, a ghostly street urchin tears out of 
  the mist. “Help! Help!” the boy shouts, “the coppers 
  is after me!” He hides behind the party as a ghostly 
  bobby, dressed as 19th century constable, appears 
  from the darkness. “Have you seen a little boy 
  come this way?” he asks sternly. If they answer no, 
  the patrolman will warn them, “Well, if you do, be 
  forewarned, he’s a thief.” If they answer yes, the 
  patrolman will drag Timmy away unless the 
  players stop him. 
  Timmy 
  Type: Neutral poltergeist (incorporeal) 
  Defense: Poor 
  WTL: 12 
  Appearance: Timmy is a ten year old boy with 
  an innocent expression. He wears ragged clothes, a 
  cap and no shoes. 
  Personality: Friendly and conniving 
  Motivation: To steal and have a good time. 
  Timmy doesn’t want to be reincarnated, or to go to 
  Limbo. 
  Combat: Timmy does (Defense vs Poor) x 1 
  damage with his pocket knife. 
  Powers: A character must make a Great 
  Empathy roll or else believe Timmy is incapable of 
  wrongdoing, despite any evidence to the contrary. 
  Timmy will steal one random object from any 
  character he touches. The theft will only be noticed 
  if the character makes a Good Alertness roll. 
  Timmy knows the Whitechapel district very well, 
  and can lead the players back to the tour if they get 
  separated. He knows nothing of the Ripper, having 
  been born after the murders ended. 
  
  On the Trail of Jack the Ripper 
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  Constable Reardon 
  Type: Good haunt (incorporeal) 
  Defense: Passable 
  WTL: 23 
  Appearance: A bobby from the late 1800s. 
  Personality: 
  Business-like 
  and 
  slightly 
  pompous. 
  Motivation: He’s been after Timmy for nearly a 
  hundred years, and once he catches him, Reardon 
  will finally be able to find peace. 
  Combat: Billy club for (Defense vs Passable) 
  damage. 
  Notes: If asked about Jack the Ripper, Reardon 
  will give the following information. “The question 
  you should ask is why did the killer stop after five 
  murders? A rational and workable theory, to my 
  way of thinking, is that the Ripper’s brain gave way 
  after the last ‘orrible crime and he committed 
  suicide. It’s no secret that Sir Melville Macnaghten, 
  Chief Constable of Scotland Yard, suspected the 
  killer was Montague Druitt, a schoolmaster from 
  Blackheath. From private information I have little 
  doubt but that his own family suspected him of 
  being the Whitechapel murderer.” 
  If pressed for more information, Reardon 
  explains. “Not long before the last murder, Druitt 
  was dismissed from his post at Blackheath for 
  misconduct with a male student. It was rumored 
  about that he was sexually insane. He disappeared 
  soon after, leaving a suicide note that said he 
  feared he was going mad like his mum. Said it 
  would be best for all concerned if he died. Not long 
  after his body was found floating in the Thames, 
  stones in his overcoat pockets. There were no 
  more murders after his death. If you’re lookin’ for 
  the Ripper, find Druitt. That’s the man who done 
  it.” 
  The Carriage Again 
  As the players are finishing with Timmy and 
  Reardon, they will notice the ghostly carriage in 
  the distance. It has the royal coat of arms on the 
  side. If the players approach it, it will rumble off 
  into the darkness, fading from sight. 
  Gunthorpe Street 
  When the players catch up with Malcolm’s 
  tour, he is on a small street which parallels the 
  back of an apartment complex. Other than the tour 
  group, it’s a very dark and deserted area. “On 
  August 7, 1888, Martha Tabram was out drinking 
  with her good friend Pearly Poll. They picked up a 
  pair of soldiers, and went off separately into the 
  night to ply their trade. Only Martha never met up 
  with her friend afterwards. She had been killed 
  here, in what was once know as George Yard, 
  stabbed to death with a knife or bayonet. Many 
  students of the Ripper believe that Martha was 
  actually Jack’s first victim. Was Jack a soldier? We 
  will never know.” 
  Across the street is a tall wooden fence 
  surrounding a construction site. A short, stocky 
  woman stands against the fence. She has graying 
  brown hair and is dressed in ragged, bloody 
  clothes. She appears to be a bit tipsy. “Got any gin 
  for a poor old girl?” she questions loudly. The 
  people in the tour ignore her because they cannot 
  see her. This is the remnant of Martha Tabram. 
  If questioned, she will grow cagey. “Sure, I’ll 
  tell you where Jack is and what he’s up to -- fer a 
  price. Five pounds!” As the players negotiate, a 
  ghostly soldier with a bayonet appears. “There you 
  are you wretch!” he cries as he attacks Martha. He 
  will reincarnate her in 3 turns unless the players 
  intervene. 
  Martha Tabram 
  Type: Remnant 
  Defense: Poor 
  WTL: 8 
  Appearance: A short, stocky woman 
  Personality: Tipsy 
  Motivation: To get a drink of gin. 
  Combat: In a pinch she can scratch for 
  (Defense vs Feeble) damage. 
  Soldier 
  Type: Wight 
  Defense: Good 
  
  On the Trail of Jack the Ripper 
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  Skills: 20 
  Appearance: A haggard man of about 25 years 
  of age, with short black hair and piercing blue eyes. 
  Wears the uniform of a guardsman. 
  Personality: Violent and angry. 
  Motivation: Destroy Martha Tabram and 
  retrieve his stolen pocket watch. 
  Combat: (Defense vs Good) x 2 damage. He 
  will attack Martha, but will turn his attacks on the 
  players if they interfere. 
  Powers: Slow (4) (Agility vs Passable) x 2 
  turns move or act every other turn. 
  Notes: He will reincarnate Martha in three 
  rounds unless stopped by the players, in which 
  case he will turn his attention to them. 
  The Pocket Watch 
  If she survives, Martha will tell the players 
  that the soldier is the ghost of her killer, and she 
  cannot rest until he is reincarnated. For his own 
  part, the soldier claims he killed Martha because 
  she stole the pocket watch his sweetheart had 
  given him, and he cannot rest until it is restored. 
  A violent carouser, the soldier was on 24 hour 
  leave when he met Martha. She stole his pocket 
  watch while they were otherwise engaged in her 
  trade. The soldier discovered the theft hours later 
  and went into a murderous rage. Although he 
  professes a sentimental need for the pocket watch, 
  he’s being disingenuous. He was actually afraid his 
  fiancé, the daughter of a well-off tradesman, would 
  learn the circumstances under which he lost the 
  pocket watch and call off their engagement. He 
  hunted Martha down and killed her when she 
  threatened to extort him, but fled before searching 
  her body thoroughly. He died later that same night 
  in a drunken bar fight. 
  Martha still has the watch, hidden in the cleft 
  of her bosom. If she can be convinced to return it to 
  the soldier, he will smile gratefully and vanish, and 
  once he is gone, Martha will also be able to find 
  peace. She will sheepishly admit she knows 
  nothing about Jack. 
  Buck’s Row 
  Malcolm escorts the tour group to a short 
  narrow street. He stops at a low brick wall fronting 
  a small parking lot. The wall is clearly the oldest 
  feature on the street, and must have been there 
  when Jack the Ripper prowled the streets. 
  Malcolm says, “The first confirmed victim of 
  the Ripper was Polly Nichols, who died here in 
  what used to be called Buck’s Row while trying to 
  earn enough money to rent a bed for the night. At 
  forty-three, she couldn’t be very careful about her 
  customers. That indiscretion may have cost her her 
  life. 
  “Her body was found right here where we’re 
  standing, on the pavement in front of what used to 
  be a gated stable. She was mutilated about the 
  stomach and her throat was cut. Her blood must 
  have splashed this very wall. But as we shall see, 
  she got off easy.” 
  The Midwife 
  As the characters listen to Malcolm, they hear 
  the splash of water coming from inside the parking 
  lot, along with a low moaning. If they go to 
  investigate they see a powerful looking woman 
  dressed in bloody clothes wringing out a rag in a 
  small fountain. If the characters approach her, she 
  bellows, “Leave me alone! I’ve work to do here!” 
  Turning back to her labors, she mutters, “So many 
  little dears to take care of, so many women in pain. 
  Only I can end their suffering.” Blood swirls in the 
  barrel. “Tis the blood of life on my hands and 
  skirts,” she sighs. “And no one knows the sorrow I 
  have seen.” If disturbed the woman shrieks, “You’ll 
  not harm Emma Smith, you black hearted fiend!” 
  and she pushes past the characters. From about 
  her neck, a locket falls. As the woman breaks free, 
  she abruptly vanishes in a swirl of mist. Inside the 
  ectoplasmic locket is a picture of the woman as she 
  appeared in her prime. 
  
  On the Trail of Jack the Ripper 
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  Hanbury Street 
  Meanwhile, Malcolm proceeds to his next stop. 
  “The second victim was Annie Chapman. Like Polly, 
  she too was out in the early morning hours trying 
  to earn enough for a place to sleep. 
  “Annie was found in a small yard off this 
  street. Her throat had been cut and her intestines 
  thrown over her shoulder. And here the police 
  found their first clue - a leather apron soaking in a 
  water barrel. Women reported being accosted and 
  threatened by a man nicknamed ‘Leather Apron,’ a 
  butcher. He became the chief suspect. Who else but 
  a butcher could move around the streets wearing 
  bloodied clothing without arousing suspicion?” 
  At his name, a hideous specter forms from out 
  of the mist. He lumbers up to the female German 
  student and with a malicious leer rubs his ethereal 
  hands across her. She shudders and draws her 
  jacket close. Leather Apron’s hands pass right 
  through. She grows pale and the energy seems to 
  drain from her face. If Leather Apron is not 
  stopped, he drains his fill of her life energy 
  (increasing his WTL from 30 to 40) and then stops 
  feeding. The student, lethargic and drained, will 
  stumble through the rest of the tour. By its end she 
  will start coming down with flu-like symptoms, 
  which she’ll dismiss as the common cold. It will 
  take a week for her to fully recover. 
  Even if the player characters don’t interfere, 
  Lather Apron will attack them once he’s done 
  feeding. If there is a female in the party, Leather 
  Apron will attack her first – otherwise he will 
  attack a character at random. Leather Apron is 
  mad, and will fight to the finish. 
  Leather Apron 
  Type: Evil specter 
  Defense: Great 
  WTL: 30 (40 after feeding) 
  Skills: Great Strength 
  Appearance: Appears to be in his mid-forties. 
  Leather Apron is short and stocky, with a black 
  mustache, swarthy skin and menacing manner. He 
  wears a heavy apron and high leather boots to help 
  protect him from injury. His wild eyes stare from 
  the bloated face of a corpse that’s been left to rot 
  for two weeks. 
  Personality: Short-tempered and violent. He 
  hates women and will attack them first. 
  Motivation: To kill women. 
  Combat: He wields a razor-sharp skinning 
  knife which does (Defense vs Passable) x 3 damage. 
  Powers: 
  Charnel 
  breath 
  (6) 
  Affects 
  4 
  characters, doing (Defense vs Great) x 3 damage to 
  each. Stench (4) Everyone suffers a penalty of 
  (Stamina vs Passable) columns on all attacks and 
  Defense rolls for 6 turns. 
  Annie Chapman 
  After he is dispatched, the players will see a 
  stout woman standing under a streetlight. She has 
  wavy brown hair, blue eyes, and a thick nose. She 
  carries a basket of flowers, matches, and her own 
  crochet work. She offers to sell the trinkets for a 
  few pence. This is Annie Chapman. Her neck still 
  gapes where it was cut, and blood burbles from it 
  when she coughs. 
  If asked about her killer, she says, “He wasn’t 
  old leather apron. We all knew to keep away from 
  him. No, it was a nicely dressed gentleman. It was 
  too dark for me to get a good look at him. He asks 
  me, ‘Will you?’ and seeing how he’s a gentleman, I 
  says yes. We goes behind number 29 and I lean 
  with my back to the wall. Then he grabs me with 
  both hands by the throat, and I can’t scream or 
  even breathe. All I sees is a gray haze. I was still 
  awake when he laid me on the ground and I felt the 
  knife against my throat. After that, I don’t 
  remember a thing.” 
  If shown the Emma Smith’s locket, Annie can 
  provide more information. “Yes, I know her. She 
  was a midwife and not a very good one. A lot of 
  women and babies died under her care. Her son, a 
  medical man, was ashamed of her filthy habits. He 
  hid her away in an institution where she died, 
  cursing his name.” 
  Annie must sell the entire contents of her 
  basket before she can find peace. However, as 
  quickly as she makes a sale, a new item appears in 
  her basket to take its place. 
  
  On the Trail of Jack the Ripper 
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  Mitre Square 
  At this dark square surrounded by shadows, 
  Malcolm continues to relate the history of the 
  Ripper. “September 30, 1888 was a busy night for 
  Jack. Long Liz Stride died that night. Her body 
  wasn’t mutilated like the others - in fact, only her 
  throat was cut. It was obvious that Jack had been 
  interrupted in his terrible business and his 
  bloodlust wasn’t satisfied. So twenty minutes later 
  he came here, to Mitre Square, where Catharine 
  Eddowes met her death. 
  “Now, both Long Liz and Catharine Eddowes 
  had something in common. They both sometimes 
  went by the name Kelly or Mary Kelly. The last 
  Ripper victim was Mary Jane Kelly and this 
  common 
  link 
  between 
  victims 
  led 
  to the 
  speculation that they were all part of some dark 
  plot. 
  “The theory goes like this: Prince Albert Victor 
  met Annie Crook when she was working in a 
  confectionery shop. He was taken by the pretty girl, 
  and began to see her more and more. Finally, he 
  married her in a secret ceremony. It had to be 
  secret since Annie was a Roman Catholic and no 
  sovereign can marry a member of that church. 
  They had a child, a little girl. Then the royal family 
  found out about Prince Albert’s indiscretion. 
  Knowing 
  that 
  scandal 
  was 
  eminent unless 
  something drastic was done, they sent the Prince 
  on a goodwill tour and dumped poor Annie in a 
  lunatic asylum. But they couldn’t find the child. 
  Annie had given her to a friend, Mary Jane Kelly, for 
  safe keeping. 
  “The murders were committed, so the story 
  goes, by Sir William Gull, Royal Surgeon, and his 
  coachman, John Netley. Since they didn’t know 
  what Kelly looked like, they made a few mistakes 
  before they found the right one. Mary Jane Kelly, 
  the one person who could testify to the marriage of 
  the prince, was finally silenced. To this day, many 
  believe that this renowned physician was Jack the 
  Ripper.” 
  Catharine Eddowes 
  Malcolm’s narrative brings shudders from the 
  tour, and they huddle closer together against the 
  chill filling the square. One of the lone women 
  (Rhonda Kelly) shudders, her arms clutched 
  around her, and a man (Steven Parker) offers her 
  his jacket. Smiling, she accepts. 
  As the players listen, they notice blood is 
  seeping out of the cobblestones of Mitre Square. 
  After a few minutes, the ghostly body of Catharine 
  Eddowes manifests itself. She has wounds on her 
  face and her nose is a bloody mess. She looks 
  around, shaking her head sadly, “Oy! Lookit this 
  mess! Every night ‘e comes along and talks about 
  me - do you think I like to ‘ear it? It were bad 
  enough being ‘ere the first time. But now I’m 
  doomed to appear when me blood is called forth 
  from the cobblestones. Oh, woe is me!” 
  If asked about Jack, Catharine will reply, “Evil, 
  he was. He came with his little black bag and 
  needles, saying he would ‘elp me, but all he did was 
  drink me blood, saying, ‘Now I’ve achieved 
  immortality.’ Wot did that mean? “ She fades back 
  into the cobblestones as the tour moves on. 
  The Royal Coach 
  Malcolm says, “Now follow me as our search 
  for Jack takes us to the place where the only 
  physical clue was discovered.” 
  As the party trails after the tour, the sound of 
  horse hooves’ grows louder. Suddenly, the royal 
  carriage thunders into the square, passing right 
  through the tour, and bares down on the party. The 
  characters must each roll Passable on Dodge or 
  else take (Defense vs Great) x 2 damage. The coach 
  is being driven by John Netley, an evil lost soul. 
  John Netley, Coachman 
  Type: Spook 
  Defense: Great 
  WTL: 20 
  Appearance: Cadaverous. His brown eyes 
  match his brown hair and long, bushy sideburns. 
  He wears a tall hat, short cape and leather boots. 
  Webs of luminous ectoplasm cover him and his 
  carriage.  
  Personality: Gleeful for the chance to run 
  down unsuspecting lost souls. 
  Motivation: Insane. 
  
  On the Trail of Jack the Ripper 
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  Combat: Whip: (Defense vs Good) x 3 damage. 
  He drives the carriage expertly, attempting to run 
  over a victim every other turn. Victims must roll 
  Passable on Dodge or else take (Defense vs Great) x 
  2 damage. 
  If Netley is reincarnated, the carriage will 
  continue to roar around the square until someone 
  leaps aboard and rolls a Passable Tame roll to calm 
  the horse. Once Netley is defeated and the horses 
  clamed, the players can open the door to the 
  carriage and discover Sir William Gull cowering 
  inside, his medical bag clutched to his chest. 
  Doctor Gull 
  Appears to be a 72 years old man, with 
  graying hair and long sideburns. He is well-
  dressed, but rather chubby. Sir William suffered 
  from a stroke years before the ripper murders and 
  is slightly paralyzed on his right side. 
  Gull is normally cultured and helpful, but all 
  the activity has left him rather bewildered. “Is 
  Netley gone?” he asks in a quivering voice, “As one 
  of my mental patients, I thought he was quite cured 
  when I secured him the job of royal coachman. 
  Now I can see his compulsion to run down 
  passersby had not been eradicated from his 
  demented brain. Dear me. Sorry to have caused 
  you so much trouble.”  
  If questioned about Jack, Sir Gull will answer, 
  “Terrible thing, those murders. My colleagues have 
  whispered that he might be a medical man, due to 
  the fact that some body parts were missing from 
  the victims, but that is ludicrous. We surgeons have 
  taken an oath to cause no harm. After reading the 
  medical reports I venture to say that anyone with a 
  rudimentary knowledge of anatomy would know 
  how to extract the organs. A hunter perhaps, or 
  even a midwife.” 
  Sir William Gull will offer to heal any wounded 
  characters. He can heal (Poor vs Stamina) x 3 
  points of damage per character using the 
  equipment and medicines in his black bag. Unless 
  stopped by the characters, Sir William Gull will 
  then leave in the now driverless royal carriage. 
  Goulston Street 
  When the characters catch up with the tour, 
  Malcolm is standing before a row of storefronts. 
  “When jack finished with Catharine Eddowes, he 
  carefully removed her kidney and wrapped it in a 
  piece of her apron. He had less than ten minutes to 
  work on her. At 1:35 am, two witnesses saw 
  Catharine chatting to a man in a covered entry 
  leading into Mitre Square. Ten minutes later, a 
  constable entered Mitre Square and found 
  Catharine’s body in the corner. 
  “The police began a search. And here is where 
  they found the only physical clue left by the Ripper. 
  In the doorway of this building, they found the 
  missing piece from Catharine’s apron. It was 
  covered in blood. No one knows what Jack did with 
  the kidney it contained.” 
  A thin, pale man in his forties says, “Ate it 
  probably.” He looks right at the player characters 
  and adds, “Don’t you think?” 
  Druitt 
  This is the spirit of M.J. Druitt. If questioned, 
  he will tell what he knows. “Back in 1888, when I 
  was at Blackheath, I had a student who worked 
  evenings in one of the poorhouses here in 
  Whitechapel, trying to earn his medical degree. The 
  fellow told me he had found a way to achieve 
  eternal life, and wanted me to join him in 
  immortality.  
  “The young man spoke of an ancient text he 
  had stolen from the British Library. He brought it 
  to me to read. Just perusing a few pages was 
  enough to shatter my most cherished concepts of 
  reality. The book promised immortality if certain 
  black deeds were committed. I went to the 
  headmaster of the school and warned him my 
  young student was dangerous. Mr. Valentine 
  thought I was the one unhinged. He let me go. 
  “The words I read continued to haunt me. It 
  was all so simple, a sip of blood, a bite of flesh. I 
  was drawn to the idea with a force I could hardly 
  resist. Unable to bare the knowledge I had gleaned 
  from that awful book, I cast myself into the 
  Thames. Better to kill myself than to commit the 
  horrible crimes that haunted my dreams and every 
  
  On the Trail of Jack the Ripper 
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  waking thought. The student’s name was John 
  Smith. For all I know, his plans to gain immortality 
  through human sacrifice were successful. He might 
  still be alive.” 
  The Ten Bells Pub 
  Malcolm leads his group to a pub on the 
  corner of Commercial and Dorset streets. “Before 
  we come to the last and most horrible of all Jack’s 
  crimes, let’s take a break at what was called, in 
  Jack’s time, the Ten Bells Pub. It was in operation 
  during the time of the crimes and was likely 
  frequented by all the victims and Jack himself.” 
  As the crowd follows Malcolm, a young 
  woman from the group speaks to him: “I’m very 
  interested in the details of the last murder. I guess 
  it’s just morbid curiosity.” 
  “That’s all right, love,” answers Malcolm 
  archly, “I get questions about the murders all the 
  time.” 
  “You don’t understand,” she continues, “My 
  name is Rhonda Kelly. The fifth Ripper victim was 
  my great-great grandmother. My family was 
  ashamed of the story, so I never knew until just a 
  few weeks ago. And then I couldn’t get it out of my 
  head, so I decided to come to London and find out 
  what I could.” 
  As they enter the pub, Malcolm pulls a book on 
  the murders from his duffle bag and offers to sell 
  Rhonda a copy. 
  Seven Parker returns from the bar with a glass 
  of wine for Rhonda and an ale for himself. Rhonda 
  is still wearing his jacket. The three talk about the 
  possible suspects, but without bringing much 
  enlightenment to the subject, although Malcolm 
  indulges his penchant for pontificating. “Jack was 
  one of the first serial killers of all times. His crimes 
  have been studied by many people in order to 
  unlock the secrets which lurk in the hearts of such 
  men. In fact, I’ve had a couple of policeman contact 
  me to help them out with those recent murders 
  young students. Sort of a psychological profile, they 
  call it.” 
  The pub is small and cramped with all the 
  tourists crowded inside. Some regulars sit scowling 
  on their bar stools while others play a game of 
  darts. At a table in the darkest corner is a tall man 
  in his mid forties. He sits very erect in his police 
  uniform. He is the ghost of Inspector Abberline, 
  one of the officers who worked on the Ripper case, 
  and it is his favorite subject. 
  Inspector Abberline 
  “Druitt was the key,” he says once the players 
  have introduced themselves. “After he turned up in 
  the Thames, I did some checking. I learned about 
  his dismissal from Blackheath and the headmaster 
  told me about his relationship with young Smith. I 
  went to pay the medical student a visit in his rooms 
  near the London hospital in Whitechapel. I found 
  his body, struck down by a fever. In his cold, dead 
  hands he clutched a book filled with hideous 
  engravings. I burned the foul thing without reading 
  it. 
  “With Smith dead the murders stopped. From 
  what I could gather, he chose to kill drunken 
  prostitutes since they reminded him of his mother. 
  She was a crazy old woman who sometimes 
  worked as a midwife. His landlady told me he 
  would go into a blind rage whenever he saw her 
  picture.” 
  Dorset Street 
  “All right, folks,” says Malcolm as he walks the 
  group out the door. “Now we’re going to the site of 
  the most dreadful crime ever committed by Jack.” 
  He takes the tour to a small road between a pair of 
  three-story car parks. The lots are well-lit and 
  access is barred by gates in the center of each car 
  park. A note of apology enters Malcolm’s voice. 
  “Unfortunately the hovel Mary Jane lived in was 
  demolished years ago and a car park built in its 
  stead. You’ll have to use your imaginations to see 
  her small ground floor flat. On a night much like 
  this one, Mary Kelly brought home a gentleman 
  and prepared herself for bed. And in the privacy of 
  that little flat, Jack had his first opportunity to 
  work on a victim without interruption. Here, he 
  brought his butchery to a diabolical peak. By the 
  time he was done, hours later, what was left of 
  Mary Jane Kelly turned the stomach of even the 
  most stalwart constable.” 
  
  On the Trail of Jack the Ripper 
  10 
   
   
   
  10 
  Malcolm’s words visibly affect Rhonda Kelly. 
  She covers her face with her hands, and Steven 
  Parker places his arm protectively around her. 
  Malcolm continues. “After he hacked poor 
  Mary Kelly to death inside her little room, the 
  murders came to an end. Why? Perhaps he was 
  committed. Or maybe he was imprisoned for 
  another crime. Some say he went to America. But 
  I’m proud to say that London Street Tours knows 
  the true identity of Jack - discovered in the 
  forgotten records of the East End. And now let’s go 
  to our final destination, the graveyard of Christ 
  Church, where I’ll tell you who he was, and show 
  you the grave of Jack the Ripper.” 
  “I don’t know if I can take much more of this,” 
  Rhonda whispers to her companion. “What he did 
  to my great-great grandmother was horrible.” 
  “There’s no need to go on,” Steven says in a 
  gentle voice. “I’ve been on this tour many times, 
  and all he’s going to tell the tourists is that Jack was 
  most likely a Polish immigrant who died young and 
  is buried in the churchyard. Boring stuff, really. We 
  can cut out right now. My car is parked just inside.” 
  Resting his hand on the small of Rhonda’s back, he 
  guides her into the car park. Rhonda seems to be in 
  a daze as she follows him to his car. 
  Steven Parker is possessed by the spirit of 
  John Smith, the true Jack the Ripper. John Smith 
  has achieved immortality, of a sort. He may possess 
  any living man simply by touching him. He will not 
  possess a woman. 
  Ever since his death, John Smith has been 
  accumulating negative karma to become a Fiend -- 
  the evil counterpart to a Higher Being. Now he is 
  only one victim away from his goal, and Rhonda is 
  in a trance and cannot defend herself. He needs to 
  kill her in quiet place and perform a diabolical 
  ceremony. He cannot perform the ceremony if he is 
  being distracted. 
  Once he kills her, the descendant of Mary Jane 
  Kelly, and tastes her blood and flesh, he will 
  become a fiend. Smith plans to use his new fiendish 
  powers to destroy all females. 
  The players will be appalled to learn that, even 
  though Jack is inhabiting a living man, he can see 
  and hear lost souls. Even worse, he can also harm 
  them! All through the tour he has kept his eye on 
  the players, and will do everything he can to 
  prevent them from thwarting his ambition. 
  Jack will be very difficult to dispatch unless he 
  is driven out of the body he currently inhabits. This 
  can be done by showing him his mother’s picture 
  (or altering one’s visage to appear to be his 
  mother). The rage will cause him to vacate the 
  body. In this state, he can be harmed by lost souls. 
  Jack can also be driven out of the body when that 
  body dies or is rendered unconscious. 
  In incorporeal form, Jack the Ripper is an even 
  bigger threat. He regenerates 20 WTL per turn. 
  This astounding rate of regeneration is fueled by 
  the constant energy he receives from those who 
  still talk about him. 
  The players can temporarily stop Jack’s 
  regeneration by stopping Malcolm from talking 
  about him. Quieting Malcolm will temporarily 
  reduce Jack’s rate of regeneration to 5 WTL per 
  turn. 
  Jack needs Rhonda Kelly alive to perform his 
  ritual. Should she die before he is done, his plans 
  will be foiled and he will flee to another realm 
  where the players cannot follow. 
  Steven Parker 
  Type: Possessed Human 
  Defense: Great 
  WTL: 30 
  Skills: Superior Agility, Good Charm, Superior 
  Strength, Awesome Speed, Awesome Stealth, and 
  Good Intelligence 
  Appearance: A 21 year old black university 
  student. He is well dressed, handsome, muscular 
  and fit.  
  Personality: A psychopath with an intense 
  hatred for women. They make the perfect victims 
  for his evil activities. 
  Motivation: To become a fiend by killing one 
  more living woman (preferably Rhonda Kelly). 
  Afterwards, he hopes to use his newly gained 
  powers to destroy the female species. 
  Combat: He carries two razor-sharp blades, 
  allowing him to make two attacks per turn, each 
  doing (Defense vs Great) x 2 damage to both 
  material and incorporeal beings. He always slashes 
  at his victim’s throat. While possessing Steve, the 
  spirit of John Smith cannot be harmed. Material 
  weapons only hurt Steve, and incorporeal weapons 
  don’t effect him. The only way to drive Smith out is 
  by killing Steve (which costs the players 3 karma 
  each) or by showing him the image of Emma Smith, 
  his mother (should the have Emma’s locket, which 
  
  On the Trail of Jack the Ripper 
  11 
   
   
   
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  contains her picture). Enraged by the appearance 
  of his mother, Smith will vacate Steve’s body and 
  attack the holder of the image. In this state, he is 
  vulnerable to incorporeal weapons. 
  Powers: Gaze can hypnotize a character for 
  (Will vs Good) x 3 turns. While hypnotized, a 
  character cannot move on their own, but must be 
  guided. 
  Three times a night he can leap up to 25 feet 
  and land without harm (hence his nickname, 
  Spring-heeled Jack). 
  John Smith (Jack the Ripper) 
  Type: Evil lost soul 
  Consistency: Incorporeal 
  Defense: Great 
  WTL: 100 
  Regenerates: 20 WTL per turn 
  Abilities: 
  Superior 
  Agility, Good Charm, 
  Superior Strength, Awesome Speed, Awesome 
  Stealth, Good Intelligence 
  Appearance: Swathed in dark clothing, this 
  quick-moving character never shows his face. He 
  wears a cloak or coat along with a cap. A scarf 
  hides his lower face. A master of disguises, 
  sometimes he appears rather short and stocky, 
  other times he seems tall and slim. When he 
  speaks, it is in a low voice with an upper-class 
  British accent. 
  Personality: A psychopath with an intense 
  hatred for women.  
  Motivation: The destruction of the female 
  species. Only attacks males when he is threatened. 
  Combat: Jack carries two razor-sharp blades, 
  allowing him to make two attacks per turn, each 
  doing (Defense vs Great) x 2 damage. He always 
  slashes at his victim’s throat. If he gains surprise, 
  he does triple damage instead of double damage. 
  Three times a night he can leap up to 25 feet and 
  land without harm (hence his nickname, Spring-
  heeled Jack). 
  Powers: Jack can appear to be an average 
  fellow for short periods of time. He can hide his 
  raging psychosis until alone with his victim, then 
  he strikes. He can even appear as someone known 
  to the intended victim, such as a fellow party 
  member. To do this, Jack must first have seen the 
  person he wishes to copy. He can only do this for a 
  short period of time, and will appear as a male 
  only.  
    
   
  Ending the Adventure 
  Once the ghost of John Smith is destroyed, his 
  influence on Rhonda Kelly is broken and she 
  awakens from her trance. She has no memory of 
  what happened since the end of the tour. Steve 
  Parker, if he’s still alive, will also awaken. The last 
  thing he remembers, he was waiting for the Ripper 
  tour to start when a cold feeling overcame him. He 
  has no idea that he has been housing the spirit of 
  Jack the Ripper for the last few hours. 
  With the threat of Jack the Ripper eliminated, 
  the characters are free to return to Limbo. 
  The narrator should award karma during the 
  game as the players complete ghostly vows. 
  Defeating Jack the Ripper is very difficult, and is 
  worth 4 karma in itself. 
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Lost Souls (Marquee Press)/Lost Souls On the Trail of Jack the Ripper.pdf