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★ CASE FILE #1031: THE MONSTER GALA MURDER ☠️ NO COSTUME = AUTOMATIC VICTIM CLAUSE
CASE DOSSIER #1031 PARTY KIT & HOST MANUAL THE CORPSE PENALTY IN EFFECT

The Monster Gala Murder

"A classic parlor whodunit where everyone showed up dressed like a monster. The catch? You're regular everyday mortals given absurd supernatural backstories—and you must stay furiously in character until the killer is unmasked."

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The Sovereign Rule: Normal Humans, Absurd Monster Lore
1. Guests bring their own costumes. Host hands them their assigned dossier cards on arrival.
2. The Corpse Penalty: Anyone who arrives without a costume is automatically sentenced to be the Deceased Victim of the night!
3. Stay In Character: Blend your mundane human neuroses (bills, air fryers, HOA gossip) with bloodcurdling gothic horror.
8 Roles • 4 Acts • ~90 Minutes
DOCUMENT H-101

Host Master One-Pager & Party Timeline

Everything the Game Master needs to coordinate the mystery on a single printable page.

Run Time: 75–90 min
Players: 6–10 Guests
Act I: 0–25 Min

The Crypt Soirée

Arrival & Secret Briefing: Greet guests. If someone arrived costume-less, loudly read the Corpse Penalty Clause. Hand each guest their sealed Dossier Card.

💡 Prompt: "Mingle, grab a drink, and drop hints about your mundane job through your terrifying monster accent."
Act II: 25–35 Min

The Blackout & Crime

The Lights Go Out: Kill the lights (or trigger the sound effect!). A bloodcurdling scream echoes. Lights turn back on: the Penalty Victim is slumped dramatically on the floor!

🩸 Crime: Found slain near the snack table, clutching a torn note and dusted in mysterious powdered sugar!
Act III: 35–65 Min

The Monster Inquest

Interrogation & Clue Drops: Host reveals Evidence Cards #1 through #4 at 7-minute intervals. Guests question each other's ridiculous alibis and petty grudges.

🔎 Ghost Rule: The dead victim now lingers as a ghost, able to answer only in dramatic sighs and one-word whispers.
Act IV: 65–80 Min

The Grand Accusation

The Circle of Guilt: Each monster publicly points their claw/fang/wand at their prime suspect and states why. Host reveals the true killer & reads the confession!

🏆 Awards: Best Monster Voice, Worst Detective, and Most Dramatic Victim Death!
Host Script // Opening Speech (Read Aloud at Act I)

"Good evening, creatures of the night, damned souls, and Dave who apparently forgot what Halloween is. Welcome to the Annual Monster Gala. Tonight, we put aside our differences—the blood-feuds between vampires and werewolves, the ancient curses of the Nile, and that unresolved dispute regarding shared refrigerator etiquette.

Look around you. Every person in this parlor has a terrifying secret, an unpaid water bill, and an alibi thinner than single-ply toilet paper. Sip your cocktails, stay in character, and remember: if any one of you drops their monster persona, the curse will claim you next. Let the evening begin..."

CORPSE PENALTY
HOW TO ENFORCE: If 1 or more guests showed up without a monster costume, do NOT let them off easy. The first uncostumed arrival is designated Victim #1. Their job: socialize during Act I as a 'doomed mortal who thought this was just drinks', dramatically drop to the carpet in Act II, and spend Act III wearing a white napkin on their head as the Bitter Ghost of HR offering cryptic hints. If everyone wore costumes, assign the Victim role to an empty chair with a mannequin head or a volunteer!