From Detective Story to Combat Meat Grinder - Mutant Chronicles - SPOILERS

 https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/126929/Mutant-Chronicles-3rd-Edition-FREE-Quickstart 

The GM had to fudge the rules to prevent a TPK. I reviewed my notes and remember each of the scenes and the combat session was designed to force us to kill the Big Bad guy and Jumping out of the Building. 

OK. Umm... 

• Once you get to the 4th floor its a Locked Area and you have to fight the Big Bad guy to escape. 
• The NPCs had 1 combat monster, all the characters were STATed to be good technically and as detectives. We could all detect any clue, the problem is that None-of the clues CHANGED the lethality of the 4th floor encounter. 
• None of the clues were foreshadowing that it was a Brawling monster and that we would have to lose lights.
• The monster reduced our "sanity" or mental reserves so that we needed D2 to succeed and we were NON-Combat characters. Basically, it was a foregone TPK, the GM decided to make a Difficulty 1 scenario and had to fudge the stats.  Its not fun with 5 PCs rolling to hit a monster that had so much armor and we were NON-COMBAT characters. 
• Where is the MOTIVE? sorry its just that I would have developed one if I prepared written adventure. 
• There are no "DEFENSE" rolls like Conan. so you just took damage till your dead. Not many options to do. 

How I would have Changed It. 

1. If we want to be a Call of Cthulhu and combat was LETHAL then allow to ESCAPE. that's pretty much it. I was tempted to not go to the 4th floor and just already with the clues say "We saw nothing". But it would have wasted the GM's time and effort. 
1. I used the broken furniture to Create an Escape route - but the adventure called to remove it. Aw cmon that's TERRIBLE planning. Even I would plan escape routes (its a requirement for BUILDINGS in construction and of any OSHA-trained practitioner).
2. If you had Foreshadowing I feel dumb for missing it. But if there is NO FORESHADOWING or clue I get angry as it would be BAD WRITING. 
3. I expected the BIG BAD to be mind control - as that was the foreshadowing and clues. PCs rolling against mental reserve. 
4. MISSED opportunity to EXPLAIN how the abilities that gave CLUE finding (Vents and Vance) and the fighting were supposed to be used. 
2. IF you wanted a FIGHT, then 1st Follow GUMSHOE rules and just hand the clues - no more rolls. make the PCs more equipped to fight and with armor. AND FUCKING FORESHADOW being attacked by a clawed monster. This would be tedious to prepare and reconfigure the Pregens. 
   
   

Hopefully Seth will make a better job of this.