tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post2122797590662148933..comments2024-03-25T22:48:31.750-04:00Comments on Dreams in the Lich House: Welcome to the SCD - A Campaign for Cthulhu GamingJohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18031181424520125213noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-13323442019827379002012-03-08T14:20:27.698-05:002012-03-08T14:20:27.698-05:00'Call of Duty' *is* the Fate in the 20s, f...'Call of Duty' *is* the Fate in the 20s, for those who don't have access to Eyes Only.huthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16502682297320819595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-3703630464265131102012-03-08T14:15:02.375-05:002012-03-08T14:15:02.375-05:00Technically, as written, Omar Shakti is invincible...Technically, as written, Omar Shakti is invincible; the rest of the structure, from his immortal furniture-piece Alzis on down, hangs on his presence in NY. Before he shows up, (ie the classic era, when he's still in Cairo) the situation is pretty different, as elucidated in Call of Duty.huthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16502682297320819595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-48992089599985750562012-03-08T14:08:48.382-05:002012-03-08T14:08:48.382-05:00You mean Hubert, don't you? The structure of t...You mean Hubert, don't you? The structure of the adventure isn't really relevant (otherwise BtMoM would be filled with 'mary sues' and diluting the term into meaninglessness). It's specifically about killing the dude off. The impression of the Fate's Teflon-like nature probably comes from the unbalanced focus in the first DG book on it's upper echelons and Alzis itself insead of the details included in EO, which actually includes a fairly useful division of labour for creating scenarios. The other Lords are way more interesting than Merriweather or Hubert; and Schmidtt/Madame A as the head of a cabal would be a good opportunity to frame the Avatar as something other than implacably cooler-than-thou.huthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16502682297320819595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-41035511679549906912012-03-07T11:34:30.722-05:002012-03-07T11:34:30.722-05:00@Beedo: You'll have to change things up a bit,...@Beedo: You'll have to change things up a bit, because as written the Fate are invincible. If you rewrote them a bit you could come up with a good opponent, just give them a few flaws and limited resources.<br /><br />Dead Man Stomp is an excellent adventure!Badmikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06199830751033032585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-18223135551586175632012-03-07T11:28:33.673-05:002012-03-07T11:28:33.673-05:00Knepier? Your investigators can't kill him, h...Knepier? Your investigators can't kill him, he can only be killed by other cult members after he railroads the player characters throughout the adventure (and it should be said at this point he's not a member of the Fate anymore, merely another antagonist to them, and thus can be destroyed).<br /><br />BTW, at the end of the adventure the only way the Players can "win" is to beg for help from The Fate, who only help them if they swear eternal loyalty to them. They should have printed up railway tickets to go with that adventure...Badmikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06199830751033032585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-92098940668042559672012-03-06T16:27:30.277-05:002012-03-06T16:27:30.277-05:00None of the members can die, even if you manage to...<i>None of the members can die, even if you manage to destroy them, it isn't permanent and they will come back. </i><br /><br />Wait, what? I must have missed that paragraph in 'Holy War.'huthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16502682297320819595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-91287583681727199982012-03-06T14:17:04.922-05:002012-03-06T14:17:04.922-05:00@Badmike: I think you've convinced me to put ...@Badmike: I think you've convinced me to put in the Fate just to see them crushed... I hate Mary Sue's.<br /><br />@Huth: now I have a good reason to get Mutant City Blues... It was on the wish list...<br /><br />I'll check out Dead Man Stomp, too.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18031181424520125213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-73924989886552909252012-03-06T10:45:03.459-05:002012-03-06T10:45:03.459-05:00Ironically, the Fate read like the author's pr...Ironically, the Fate read like the author's protagonists rather than an obstacle or opposing force. You cannot ever defeat them, you can't even put a dent in any of their plans, if you try you will be utterly destroyed with no repercussions. None of the members can die, even if you manage to destroy them, it isn't permanent and they will come back. No matter what. I honestly think utterly destroying Cthulhu himself would be an easier task than bloodying a nose of any of the Fate. I think this is a clear case where the author fell a bit too much in love with his own creations and "Mary Sue'd" them into invincibility. But to each his own.....someone running a particularly bleak and depressing campaign where no matter what the characters attempt or accomplish the world is doomed might enjoy such a undefeatable foe.Badmikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06199830751033032585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-15953056814629534202012-03-06T08:47:41.331-05:002012-03-06T08:47:41.331-05:00I think the setting have potential. Also, when it ...I think the setting have potential. Also, when it comes to 20-ies or 30-ies I think it depends on what feel you want. How about starting the game in 1928 and have them see the crash first hand? They get both eras so to speak? It might be a nice contrast to have the fun loving times and then the bleakness. <br /><br />When it comes to scenarios, how about the <i>Dead Man Stomp</i> adventure from the (5th ed) rulebook? It's set in a big city and I think New York City is even suggested.AndreasDavourhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17170806742393291962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-14628939371246826452012-03-06T08:05:24.095-05:002012-03-06T08:05:24.095-05:00Oh, have you read Mutant City Blues? There's a...Oh, have you read <i>Mutant City Blues</i>? There's a neat part of character generation where the group collectively chooses a watch commander for their immediate superior.huthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16502682297320819595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-54393863281972585912012-03-06T07:51:51.569-05:002012-03-06T07:51:51.569-05:00"Don't forget to pick up some Unspeakable..."Don't forget to pick up some Unspeakable Oats for breakfast!"<br /><br />'See No Evil' in 16/17 <i>might</i> be adaptable to the 20s, if you can find a group to replace the targets of the scenario. I don't recall the contents of others enough, off-hand, to recommend any others. I'll try and get a list together in a bit.huthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16502682297320819595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-67792585986735633912012-03-06T07:42:31.017-05:002012-03-06T07:42:31.017-05:00I just noticed 'Oaths' was corrected to Ot...I just noticed 'Oaths' was corrected to Otahs by the iPad - nice!Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18031181424520125213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-74687912285010234062012-03-06T07:38:01.950-05:002012-03-06T07:38:01.950-05:00Ugh, don't include the Fate. It should be rena...<i>Ugh, don't include the Fate. It should be renamed "Mary Sue Incorporated".</i><br /><br />Aren't Mary Sues supposed to <i>protagonists</i>?huthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16502682297320819595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-12667328239040783162012-03-06T05:27:26.571-05:002012-03-06T05:27:26.571-05:00I'm leaning towards the core book's Edge o...I'm leaning towards the core book's <i>Edge of Darkness</i> or Mansions of Madness <i>Mister Corbett</i> as kick-off scenario options - both are short and evocative. I think next week I'll talk about how to ruthlessly strip out the passive plot hooks and make scenarios 'active' - something that could come across the dispatch desk of the SCD.<br /><br />Huth's Call of Duty recommendation looks awesome, I just started reading it. I'll look into the Red Hook recommendation as well.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18031181424520125213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-5678858535060373512012-03-06T00:43:37.961-05:002012-03-06T00:43:37.961-05:00There's a third-party adventure on RPGNow/Driv...There's a third-party adventure on RPGNow/DriveThruRPG that's a sequel to "The Horror at Red Hook". I forget the title, but I believe it might even be set up explicitly as a police procedural. As for the question of era, you could split the difference and set the campaign in the waning years of Prohibition, 1932-33. A little bit of 20s, a little bit of 30s. Although it's set in Chicago, The Untouchables might provide some genre/period fodder.<br /><br />Your posts have been a great inspiration in my Miskatonic U. campaign that's just getting off the ground. I'm definitely going out of my way to present a target-rich environment and my players are loving it. The university setting provides a nice framework for replacement PCs, but I'm also looking ahead and hoping to get the group involved with the Armitage Cabal (and bringing in The Armitage Files framework) or else going the secret society route with a Templar-centered magical meddlers conspiracy. It'll largely depend on what hooks my players bite during their freshmen and sophomore years.David Larkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04133630988557116729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-27256115566348865912012-03-05T12:10:26.625-05:002012-03-05T12:10:26.625-05:00Thanks! I'll definitely check it out, it look...Thanks! I'll definitely check it out, it looks meaty. I need to track down some of those old Otahs before the reboot last year.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18031181424520125213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-76621224690992163022012-03-05T11:26:43.344-05:002012-03-05T11:26:43.344-05:00Ugh, don't include the Fate. It should be rena...Ugh, don't include the Fate. It should be renamed "Mary Sue Incorporated".<br /><br />But this sounds like a great campaign setup. Plus, being in New York you are withing driving/train distance to such lovely locales as Dunwich, Innsmouth and even Arkham. Not to mention the Andirondack Mountains and other interesting locales. No telling where a case might take you. But from what I remember there are not a lot of city type settings for classic CoC adventures. The first book of Masks of Nyarlathotep is set in New York, and of course Secrets of New York which reprints a few classic adventures including one in a cemetary with lots of ghouls that reads almost like a D&D dungeon exploration.Badmikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06199830751033032585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-38898106192201828942012-03-05T10:32:07.934-05:002012-03-05T10:32:07.934-05:00Here's a link for those of you watching at hom...<a href="http://web.me.com/drgonzo/Site/Welcome/Welcome_files/CallOfDuty_1.pdf" rel="nofollow">Here's a link</a> for those of you watching at home who haven't read/played it.huthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16502682297320819595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-55791692317873200902012-03-05T10:28:35.991-05:002012-03-05T10:28:35.991-05:00@ Richard
America is not a young land. It is old ...@ Richard<br /><br /><i>America is not a young land. It is old and dirty, evil. Before the settlers, before the Indians, the evil is there, waiting...</i>huthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16502682297320819595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-35001464531953514152012-03-05T09:28:11.624-05:002012-03-05T09:28:11.624-05:00I see an opportunity to use a load of Trey's W...I see an opportunity to use a load of Trey's Weird Adventures material...<br /><br />I just saw <em>J. Edgar</em> and it reminded me of what a red-baiter he was and how he seemed to see himself and the Bureau as just this sort of unit - protecting the people from sinister threats. You could pop the serial numbers back on and make it a Pinkertons-into-FBI X files game (with plenty of scope for 30s, 40's and 50's flavour). Also, <em>the Five Burroughs</em> might've been a Freudian slip, but it would be really, really interesting to take it in a beat direction and borrow bits from The Naked Lunch...richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13517340075234811323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-66356202944851794172012-03-05T01:04:07.715-05:002012-03-05T01:04:07.715-05:00Regarding the Fate: Is Call of Duty a past event, ...Regarding the Fate: Is <i>Call of Duty</i> a past event, or a possible destination for players?huthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16502682297320819595noreply@blogger.com