Hi,

Yesterday, we played The Gathering with Roland and Wendy. Roland was lead investigator. Roland was eliminated during the game. Therefore (as of elimination rules) Wendy became lead investigator. Wendy finished the Ghoul Priest and chose to burn the house down. Now, under R1 it says: "The lead investigator suffers 1 mental trauma from watching his or her home become a smouldering ruin".

Reading the rules by the book, Wendy is the lead investigator and gets the trauma. For the story, that sentence doesn't make sense because it is not her Wendy's home... I am guessing you would still play it by the book and give Wendy the Trauma?

Thanks

I'd give it to Roland; as you pointed out, it makes no sense to do otherwise. Wendy becomes a sort of provisional lead investigator while Roland is out of the game; once the scenario ends, all the investigators are out of the game, so leadership reverts back to Roland.

(Note that this isn't strictly supported by the RAW, but a literal interpretation simply makes no sense. You have a similar issue in Curse of the Rougarou, by the way.)

Play it by the book. It should go to Wendy in this case as she is the lead investigator. If you want a thematic reason, well, she now has to live with the knowledge that she burned Roland's house down. His home, his possessions, all gone and at her hand. Seems pretty traumatizing to me to live with that kind of guilt.

You should give it to Wendy, as she is the lead investigator and Roland already suffered for being eliminated. I would just retcon the story to say it was always Wendy's home. The only point in the game (I think) that actually involves someone making a choice involving the home is at that point at the end.

Thanks for the replies - I guess one can reinterprete the story (in which case I prefer the " Wendy has to live with the fact that ... while Roland was knocked out and couldn't say anything"). It does make sense because Roland already gets a Trauma for being eliminated anyway.