Shadow Warden

5. Final Showdown - The Ritual: Once all relics are gathered and placed on the altar, the Warden will enter a rage phase.

His physical form becomes more solid and aggressive, but he also becomes fully vulnerable to attacks.

Players must survive his onslaught while completing the final ritual. Fred and Velma will need to manage the relics, while Shaggy and Scooby try to distract or lure the Warden into traps.

Daphne will handle opening the secret passages or deactivating traps to allow the group to move freely.

If the gang completes the ritual, the Warden's spirit will be freed, and the curse over Cravenford Keep will be lifted.

4. Puzzle-Solving to Break the Curse: To defeat the Shadow Warden, the gang must collect four cursed relics scattered across the keep.

Each relic is protected by a challenging environmental puzzle or guarded by the Warden himself. Velma will need to decipher ancient texts and symbols to solve these puzzles.

After collecting the relics, they must be brought to the central chapel of the keep, where a ritual to break the curse can be performed.

However, during this final sequence, the Warden will relentlessly hunt the players, forcing them to hurry and complete the ritual while evading or fighting off the enraged knight.

3. Stealth and Survival:

The Shadow Warden's armor clanks and echoes through the halls when he’s in his physical form, but when he shifts into his spectral form, the gang must rely on Scooby’s and Shaggy’s heightened senses to detect his presence

. Their fear levels will rise the closer he gets, offering hints that danger is near.

Players can hide in cupboards, behind broken statues, or in crypt alcoves, but they must remain silent. Shaggy and Scooby will have a fear mechanic where, if they panic too much, they might give away their position by whimpering or accidentally making noise.

Light Weakness: The Shadow Warden is vulnerable to light. Certain rooms in the keep have old chandeliers or torches that can be lit to temporarily ward him off.

Players will need to find flint and steel or lantern oil to light these fires. However, the lights do not stay lit for long, and once extinguished, the Warden returns more enraged than before.

Scooby and Shaggy will often have to flee into these safe zones when cornered by the Warden.

Trap Mechanic: Fred can build larger traps by gathering materials from around the keep.

For example, using crumbling beams, chains, and an old trebuchet to drop heavy objects on the Warden when he is in his physical form.

These traps won’t destroy him, but they can incapacitate or slow him down for a while, allowing the gang to escape or complete puzzles.

2. Monster Encounter Mechanics: Phase Shifting: The Shadow Warden can shift between the physical and the spectral world.

When he is in his spectral form, he becomes nearly invisible and moves silently.

Players must rely on environmental cues, like the temperature dropping or the flickering lights, to anticipate his approach.

He can also phase through walls and objects, making hiding more challenging.

Aggression Meter: The Warden becomes more aggressive as players gather cursed relics around the keep, which are necessary to break the curse.

The more relics collected, the faster and more relentless he becomes. Initially, he will slowly patrol the halls, but as the gang progresses, he will start hunting them actively, forcing players to move quickly and strategically.

1. Exploration and Environmental Puzzles: The keep is large and filled with traps, secret passages, and ancient relics. Players will need to explore different rooms and towers, gathering clues and items to unlock hidden doors or deactivate deadly traps.

Velma will have to decode runes and figure out the ancient symbols scattered around the fortress to progress further.

Fred will have to find strategic locations where traps can be set for the Shadow Warden, using items like chains, falling debris, or rigging old catapults to slow the monster.

Daphne will find hidden passages and solve environmental puzzles like operating levers and avoiding pressure plates that trigger deadly traps.

Level Name: The Cursed Bastion

Level Overview: This level takes place in Cravenford Keep, an ancient, long-abandoned fortress perched on a hill just outside the haunted town. Legend says that Cravenford Keep is cursed, its halls haunted by the vengeful spirit of the Shadow Warden, and no one who has dared to enter has ever returned. Mystery Inc. is lured here by reports of eerie noises, strange lights, and the disappearances of local adventurers.