tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post3160337287168903679..comments2024-03-29T07:44:02.365-04:00Comments on Dreams in the Lich House: On The Trail of Cthulhu - a ReviewJohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18031181424520125213noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-18081313500541052142012-01-26T20:25:06.710-05:002012-01-26T20:25:06.710-05:00The name Trail of Cthulhu reminds me of Oregon Tra...The name Trail of Cthulhu reminds me of Oregon Trail. I now know the "trail" is in the investigative sense of "on the trail of X" but for a while I assumed this was a Cthulhu game set in the frontier times of America.Necropraxishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12716340801054739658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-53619872551497058832012-01-26T11:57:10.496-05:002012-01-26T11:57:10.496-05:00I think it's a fair point - the way I articula...I think it's a fair point - the way I articulate the differences, COC simulates characters in a Lovecraftian <b>setting</b>; TOC simulates characters in a Lovecraftian <b>story</b>.<br /><br />TOC's mechanics support dramatic ends, and it shifts a lot of responsibility to the players to choose when to spend their points (and role play or improvise accordingly). If I could get some of my wife's improv actors up for a game night, it's the one I'd play, no doubt about it. TOC's mechanics give the players direct access to shape the story, choose moments of excellence, and gain rewards or benefits for role playing choices (based on drives and pillars of sanity).<br /><br />Many of the TOC purist scenarios end with everyone dead or bonkers, reinforcing the experience of being part of a bleak, Lovecraftian story.<br /><br />It's a much different view point than COC. The only caveat I'll add is, we haven't tried running a free-form TOC campaign, just some of the short PDF packages.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18031181424520125213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-48974564401059235392012-01-26T11:09:22.244-05:002012-01-26T11:09:22.244-05:00I use ToC the same way you do, as a font of inspir...I use ToC the same way you do, as a font of inspiration for my CoC games. The different takes on individual Mythos entities are indeed one of my favorite parts of the book, and I'm going to try to incorporate Drives into my next CoC campaign. The explicit element of Core Clues has also caused me to rethink how I approach asking for skill rolls. In your Ancient Greek example above, for instance, I would not have asked for a roll if someone had the skill even at 75% (which I believe is the threshold for "professional expertise"). Only if they were trying to read the text in a hurry or under duress would a roll be necessary in my opinion.<br /><br />I've tried running ToC for my group, but they're just not feeling it. They prefer "classic" mechanics and don't hold with all this new-fangled design, apparently. Note that several of the people in my group (the majority, in fact) are new to gaming, some having just started last year, so it can't be simply an issue of nostalgia or being set in one's ways. Maybe CoC feels more "properly" game-like, with its random rolls and such?David Larkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04133630988557116729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-17501586675408000602012-01-26T08:11:03.242-05:002012-01-26T08:11:03.242-05:00Sidney, take the term "one-shot" loosely...Sidney, take the term "one-shot" loosely. There's not a ton of <i>Trail</i> adventures optimized for a single night of 3-4 hours of play; there are a lot of short $5 PDF adventures, but I find they tend to take two nights (3 hours a session). They feature pregens, back stories, and compelling hooks to jump right in.<br /><br />One of the short scenarios often used at conventions is <i>Devourers in the Mist</i>; it shows up in one of the collections (<i>Stunning Eldritch Tales</i>, I believe).Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18031181424520125213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-3304671818557909292012-01-26T08:02:44.750-05:002012-01-26T08:02:44.750-05:00Definitely!Definitely!Treyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04647628467658839351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-91715932053884725642012-01-26T03:23:06.048-05:002012-01-26T03:23:06.048-05:00Thanks for an excellent review. I'm a long ti...Thanks for an excellent review. I'm a long time Call of Cthulhu player, but I've found that as my group gets older (and sadly meets a lot less frequently) we only really have time for one-shots. I'm definately tempted to give ToC a go. Thanks again.Sidney Roundwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14795563060856586670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-84573182971417578152012-01-25T13:01:16.744-05:002012-01-25T13:01:16.744-05:00The various alternate takes on Mythos entities alo...The various alternate takes on Mythos entities alone is worth the cover price.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00862556389958594140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-75673928465395296502012-01-25T11:23:15.389-05:002012-01-25T11:23:15.389-05:00Good review. I've never played it, but I like...Good review. I've never played it, but I like the philosophy behind the game and find it well but together. It's worth it even just to mine for ideas.Treyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04647628467658839351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-57358305676608478572012-01-25T08:48:37.878-05:002012-01-25T08:48:37.878-05:00I have the game, but haven't had the chance to...I have the game, but haven't had the chance to play it yet. I do like it though, and the emphasis on automatic clue gathering sits well with me. I'm also very tempted by the Apocalypse adventure, which looks like a great idea. I look forward to your reviews of the supplements for the game.Simon Forsterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01243845335993440168noreply@blogger.com