Ghostbusters Adventure Seeds

By hobvias sudoneighm (https://www.flickr.com/photos/striatic/1629269/) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

This is post number 13 in the series “31 Days of Ghostbusters,” a celebration of the franchise’s return to the big screen.

I’m following a fine tradition here. The Ghostbusters Operations Manual contained 21 adventure ideas. Ghostbusters International added 19 more. Well, I’m not being paid for this, so I’m only giving you five. Today, anyway.

1. “The Deck of Magic Cards.” A deck of cards from the game Magic: The Gathering (or another card game of your choosing) has been accidentally enchanted, and several cards come to life during a game at a hobby store. The Ghostbusters must subdue the cards, confiscate the deck to keep other cards from coming to life, and locate the source of the enchantment—which as the characters arrive is already working its mojo on something even more heinous and dangerous. Perhaps the cards are enchanted by an Egyptian playing card box (in the form of a little bitty sarcophagus), and the owner of the box awakens, too. The owner wants to play with his cards, which are an ancient Egyptian version of the same game from the beginning of this story—and they cast even more deadly spells. (Do the Ghostbusters have any of those enchanted Magic cards left? If so, they can use them to fight the Big Guy.)
2. “The Acupuncturist.” An Exorcist rip-off parody. Begins with an American-born Chinese man visiting the Ghostbusters offices to tell the team about his possessed mother. The client produces a jar full of green puke as evidence. After the Ghostbusters visit and verify that there is indeed a possession going on (and serve as the targets of the foulest language imaginable), they realize that standard ghostbusting won’t work in this case—they need an exorcism. But not just any exorcism will do; because of the host’s belief system, a Catholic exorcist won’t work—they need an acupuncturist. The Ghostbusters can call one in or try it themselves (if they have an appropriate Talent, or even an almost appropriate Talent, or even the flimsiest excuse for a related Talent, such as Poker).
3. “In Containment.” The tables are turned as the Ghostbusters find themselves trapped inside their own containment grid. Whether they’re victims of an experimental upgrade that made their grid overzealous, or something has happened to the team to turn them incorporeal and trap them, the Ghostbusters now have the “opportunity” to explore their ecto-prison from the inside. And while they’re working on escaping the grid, they also have to contend with all the spooks they’ve incarcerated here–and some of them aren’t too happy to see our heroes.
4. “Lil’ Ghostbusters.” A paranormal effect turns the Ghostbusters into kids while they’re on a mission. And maybe not all at the same time, so adult Ghostbusters have to keep the little ones out of trouble. (Brownie Point awards to kid ‘busters who “act out” appropriately.) The effect could be caused by a ghost, or it might be localized property generated by a special building or landmark.
5. “Gotta Bust ‘em All.” A new augmented-reality smartphone game lets people pretend to capture cartoon creatures they “see” in the real world. Problem is, something is making the game TOO real—in one part of town the monsters people capture are manifesting physically and causing all kinds of havoc. What kind of nearby force or entity is causing ectoplasmic energy to coalesce into cheerful, colorful gremlins?