Anyone here play Call of Cthulhu?

[Lurks_In_Shadows]

...you know, you could always play someone else one of these days

((But I'd be so good at it.... ))

I know I could. I'm also debating the idea of Private investigator. Think I could be a classic hard boiled gum shoe? Hmmm.... I wonder if I could pull off a Harry Dresden?

[thinkslogically]

I think you should be a 20-something year old dilettante

[Lurks_In_Shadows]

Well THAT would be a major character change, all right. I could probably pull off an obnoxious and arrogant attitude. It's not like I haven't seen a few individuals like that (and had to fight the urge to drown them in a mud puddle). Could go explorer mode instead. Hmmmm. I dunno. It's tempting just because financial shouldn't be an issue (unless he's broke). Still kinda leaning heavily medic just because...

[Tea]

You guys spare me from the boring life of academia, I suppose I could finance our adventure.

[Lurks_In_Shadows]

Deal. I'll be Watson to Burns' Inspector Clueso, you can help bankroll our little circus, and Thinks can photograph the resulting catastrophe.

[Arch Lich Burns]

Okay so I know Watson, but who is Clueso? Closest thing I found was Clouseau. Is that what you meant? Are we going to 'stumble' across some murders?

[Lurks_In_Shadows]

Sorry about the spelling. I was about half asleep. Sure, why not? You ever see the movie "Sleepy Hollow" with Depp? It bounced around between being a comedy and horror movie.

[redfeather]

I am having some trouble keeping up with the pace that this thread has suddenly catapulted to.

Not familiar with the intro packet some of you have mentioned. I was just going to work out of the corebook (5th edition, if I didn't mention it before).

For era I was planning to do either 1920s or 1990s. I have not yet come up with a satisfactory answer of what the Mythos means in the Internet era.

[thinkslogically]

The packet is for 7th edition, so if we're using a different ruleset, can you point us to a link? I don't think any of us have the rulebooks.

I'm good with either era, but obviously will just go straight journalist if it's 1920s.

[Tea]

I have found 5.6 Rulebook from a source of questionable repute. I haven't checked for missing pages, but it looks like a decent amount of the book is there. Will this work?

[Lurks_In_Shadows]

I'll wait until I get home to check that one out. Last thing I need is for our IT police to drop out of the ceiling on me because I linked with a site of "questionable repute".

[Tea]

Questionable repute on was more on a respecting intellectual property basis, the site itself hasn't alerted any of my computer's security functions.

[redfeather]

I have found 5.6 Rulebook from a source of questionable repute. I haven't checked for missing pages, but it looks like a decent amount of the book is there. Will this work?

It says it's 5E rules, but it has the 7E cover, so I'm not sure.

[Tea]

I've skimmed it and it looked like the mechanics were a bit different from the 7th edition booklet we'd been looking at earlier, but, maybe you could look it over and make sure it's the right edition? You are the one most familiar with what we're supposed to have.
Here's the address for the directory I found it on:

https://ttop.rem.uz/Call%20Of%20Cthulhu/Core/

[redfeather]

I've skimmed it and it looked like the mechanics were a bit different from the 7th edition booklet we'd been looking at earlier, but, maybe you could look it over and make sure it's the right edition? You are the one most familiar with what we're supposed to have.
Here's the address for the directory I found it on:

https://ttop.rem.uz/Call%20Of%20Cthulhu/Core/

Wow, that's a lot.

I'm actually not super-clear on what's different from one edition to the next, or which ones are better than which others in which ways. Although...since that directory has it, what would you guys think of trying the d20 version of the CoC rules? I've never played them, and they may well be terrible (I've never felt like d20's rules compared favorably to other systems in any area other than combat mechanics, which are of course not the ideal focus for a Cthulhu Mythos game), but it would be closer to the D&D rules. I don't know why, but I have a sneaking suspicion that people on this board might be familiar with those....

[thinkslogically]

not necessarily - a lot of folk are pretty new to dnd here too.

If you're not set on a ruleset, why don't we just use the 7th edition starter set and go from there. Any pbp game will take ages anyway so we may not need the expanded ruleset for a while. The 7th edition set has the benefit of being free and legal and would at least get us started.

But, you're the GM redfeather it's your call what you're comfortable with.

[redfeather]

not necessarily - a lot of folk are pretty new to dnd here too.

If you're not set on a ruleset, why don't we just use the 7th edition starter set and go from there. Any pbp game will take ages anyway so we may not need the expanded ruleset for a while. The 7th edition set has the benefit of being free and legal and would at least get us started.

But, you're the GM redfeather it's your call what you're comfortable with.

Sure, works for me. At this point I just want to see some characters, and the mechanics there are less important than the backstory anyhow.

[thinkslogically]

Well, I think everyone knows roughly what roles they want to play, but who our characters are and their detailed backgrounds and stuff will still depend on you and I think we need more info.

So, some questions: what era are we going to play in? Does everyone have to know everyone else already or can we form groups of e.g. 2-3? Do you need stats rolls at this point (and if so, do you have any advice / limits?)? What location will the game take place in (e.g. rural or city? / What country?). Are there any other restrictions we should know about or do we have carte blanche?

[Tea]

Ooo! So I can keep my "archaeologist" (I managed to put together an Antiquarian-flavored Professor using the starter book) Otherwise, this is about all I've pieced together. I didn't want to get too far along in case anything needed adjusting.

Balin Deux-epees
I'm an archaeologist who had a few brief moments of fame until my rival swooped in with an even bigger discovery. I'm now stuck with a teaching position and am always on the lookout for an opportunity to exact my revenge (by making an even bigger discovery, of course!). I also think my family is moderately rich, but I don't always like rubbing elbows with them as I prefer the company of my fellow player characters, whom, I would hope I know them all well, or, at least as a friend of a good friend.

[redfeather]

So, some questions: what era are we going to play in?

I already said 20s or 90s. Decide which among yourselves.

Does everyone have to know everyone else already or can we form groups of e.g. 2-3?

One group please. i don't want to have to construct multiple scenes, so please refrain from splitting the party, other than in downtime.

Do you need stats rolls at this point (and if so, do you have any advice / limits?)?

Go by whatever the book says, unless the book is being stupid, in which case you may have a bit of reasonable license without requiring case-by-case approval. "Whatever all of you agree" upon is probably a good enough litmus test for whether to regard the RAW as unreasonable on any particular point.

What location will the game take place in (e.g. rural or city? / What country?).

Probably mostly USA, but no particular part of it, with likely an overall globetrotting theme. Without getting into politics, I'm aware of a strong rift between city and country people in modern America, and I don't want to worsen it by doing the kind of "degenerate backwoods indbreeds" stereotyping that city-loving HPL often indulged in, nor by doing the polar opposite and portraying rural dwellers as saints untouched by the corruption of city life. Plan on the game making no real distinction between rural, urban, and suburban locations or lifestyles; any creepy atmosphere that is cultivated will be specific to particular locations, and will attempt to avoid trading on any specifics which overlap with modern bigotries.

Are there any other restrictions we should know about or do we have carte blanche?

Within reason. I'm uncomfortable with all this "let's play the cultists" talk; if you go that route, Sanity rules will be *strictly* enforced and your character will soon become unplayable (needing to either be retired to the asylum or being seized by me as a villain for the campaign, either way forcing you to make a new PC), while if you play a reasonably sane and normal person who dabbles in some of the safer spells, and takes proper measures to process whatever immoral or lunatic activities they may get involved in, I can probably go a little easy on you, let you do some stuff "for fun" as opposed to maintaining an extremely faithful Lovecraftian tone.

[thinkslogically]

All right, I guess I'll cast my vote for the 90s so I can stick with the photojournalist angle. I'd also prefer to play an employed female character, and not have it be incredibly unusual! I'm not overly invested in the era though, so happy to go with the consensus.

[Arch Lich Burns]

I don't particularly care one way or another.

[Lurks_In_Shadows]

Whichever people want. I won't even be able to claim an age advantage as I basically spent most of the 90's either in med school or residency, thus largely ignorant of the outside world.

[thinkslogically]

Well I spent it being a dork of a teenager in the UK so I wasn't really paying much attention to US stuff beyond grunge music

[Tea]

If memory serves me correctly, the 1920's wasn't a good time for archaeology, it was more like raiding tombs for shiny treasures. I think this would just hasten my poor fool's demise, so, if no one much cares, I'll cast my lot for the 90's. Also, Thinks's photojournalist sounds like fun.