Hello, friends. This is something I've been pondering for a while. A new roleplaying game, and something a bit different in intent and execution. As the title might hint, this game will be using the general system from Call of Cthulhu, 7th Edition.
In interest of full disclosure, the encounter system won't be based on combat from any version of the main game. It will, in some ways, mimic a more traditional turn-based RPG system. Furthermore, this game will
not be based on the Cthulhu Mythos. Therefore, not knowing or wishing to learn about that universe shouldn't be a deterrent from joining. Likewise, there won't be any benefit to those that are familiar with it, as far as story planning goes.
The setting will be based on an existing universe, but what this is, or how heavily, will not be revealed until the story is a decent amount underway.
This will be a horror game. Something else that should be stated in the sake of fairness:
I fully intend to kill you all. I don't expect this game to last more than a few months, and it won't be a happy ending. With that in mind,
I will be accepting every single person that applies. There is no limit to the amount of players that can join this game.What I can reveal about the setting is this: It takes place in a world exceptionally similar to our own. The main divergence came seventeen years previous, when a plan was enacted to create a new city in neutral territory, a melting pot of sorts, that would accept people from across all different walks of life. The governments of the world wanted to see what type of civilization this would become with time, and what the implications of this would be for the future of a world rapidly growing more united, yet still split by ideologies and conflicts. After almost a decade, the plan managed to move forward, against all odds, resulting in the city of Null. For whatever reason, be it personal, business, or whatever else, the characters have all come to this location during the intervening months or years, either to live or to visit.
If you've gotten this far, and are willing to put up with the setup as I've laid it out, you probably want to know what you'll need to play. First, head over to
this link. Download the program; you'll need it to properly use the character sheet. Also,
please make sure to uncheck the unrelated items they want you to download. They aren't remotely necessary. Following this, go
here, download both of the files there, and bookmark the link while you're at it. This will be where your character sheets will be going once you create them, and it will definitely come in handy in the future.
As for how character creation works, we'll be using a modified version of the traditional Call of Cthulhu rules. First, I'll explain what the stats actually mean.
Spoiler
Strength
0: enfeebled; unable to even stand up or lift a cup of tea.
15: puny, weak.
50: average human strength.
90: one of the strongest people you’ve ever met.
99: world-class (Olympic weightlifter). Human maximum.
140: beyond human strength (gorilla or horse).
Constitution
0: dead.
1: sickly, prone to prolonged illness and probably unable to operate without assistance.
15: weak health, prone to bouts of ill health, great propensity for feeling pain.
50: average healthy human.
90: shrugs off colds, hardy and hale.
99: iron constitution, able to withstand great amounts of pain. Human maximum.
140: - beyond human constitution (e.g. elephant).
Size
1: a baby (1 to 12 pounds).
15: child, very short in stature (dwarf) (33 pounds / 15 kg).
60: average human size (moderate height and weight) (170 pounds / 75 kg).
80: very tall strongly built or obese. (240 pounds / 110 kg).
99: oversize in some respect (330 pounds / 150 kg).
150: horse or cow (960 pounds / 436 kg).
180: heaviest human ever recorded (1400 pounds / 634 kg).
Dexterity
0: unable to move without assistance.
15: slow, clumsy with poor motor skills for fine manipulation.
50: average human dexterity.
90: fast, nimble and able to perform feats of fine manipulation (e.g. acrobat, great dancer).
99: world-class athlete (e.g. Olympic standard). Human maximum.
120: - beyond human dexterity (e.g. tiger).
Appearance
0: so unsightly that others are affected by fear, revulsion or pity.
15: ugly, possible disfigured due to injury or at birth.
50: average human appearance.
90: one of the most charming people you could meet, natural magnetism.
99: the height of glamour and cool (supermodel or world renowned film star). Human maximum.
Intelligence
0: no intellect, unable to comprehend the world around them.
15: slow learner, able to undertake only the most basic math, or read beginner-level books.
50: average human intellect.
90: quick-witted, probably able to comprehend multiple languages or theorems.
99: genius (Einstein, Da Vinci, Tesla, etc.). Human maximum.
Power
0: enfeebled mind, no willpower or drive, no magical potential.
15: weak-willed, easily dominated by those with a greater intellect or willpower.
50: average human.
90: strong willed, driven, a high potential to connect with the unseen and magical.
100: iron will, strong connection to the spiritual ‘realm’ or unseen world.
140: beyond human, possibly alien.
Education
0: a newborn baby.
15: completely uneducated in every way.
60: high school graduate.
70: college graduate.
80: degree level graduate.
90: doctorate, professor.
96: world-class authority in their field of study.
99: human maximum.
Normally, you would roll these stats out and have your character defined by chance. Some GMs let you roll and then choose which number goes where. We aren't going to be doing either of those things. Instead, I'm going to give you a set number of stat points. All of your stats begin at 20, and you have 300 points to spread between them as you see fit, though they can not surpass 70. You need not use all of your points; anything left unused will be converted into Luck, up to the normal maximum. I'd let you go above this amount, but if you choose not to spend so many points, you probably won't live long enough for it to matter.
As for skills. Every skill has a base number listed on the character sheet. Everyone has that level of knowledge in that skill. For the sake of this game, Credit Rating will start at 10 for everyone. Right now, I will allow you to pick eight skills and increase them from their base number, by 40 points. For instance, Charm would increase from 15 to 55, while Climb would instead move from 20 to 60. Once you've chosen those eight skills, you have 100 more skill points to place wherever you want, though no skill may start about 70. Furthermore, any of these unused Skill Points will also be added to Luck, up to the maximum. You may note that it's possible to end up with a lot more skill and stat points in the normal game; part of my intention, handling things this way, is to make everyone generally even. You might choose different capabilities in every way, but you'll know nobody else in the game has an exceptional advantage over you.
One more thing to discuss at this point: thanks to the alterations in the battle system, some of the surprises in store, and my general intention to please my players until their inevitable deaths,
every skill and stat will matter. So, don't be afraid to focus less on combat for fear of dying- that ability to dance or that hundred dollars in your pocket might just save you when a bullet won't. I'll be frank; in the last Call of Cthulhu game I GMed, everyone went full military, all weapon skills and violence. Nothing wrong with that. I fully expect a couple of those here as well, and I welcome it. Firepower will come in handy. But, if you all focus on such things, you will die bloody.
Still, I encourage you to make the character you want. Be whatever type of person you want, no matter what. This city is a good place for new starts, a great location for scams and crime, or just a nice place to live comfortably, so everyone would have some reason to be here. Don't make characters based on how well they fit with the group or what ground isn't being covered- those people with the same skills might be dead by tomorrow. Those characters you're hoping to get along with might not survive the chapter. Be yourself and everything will work out. Until you die. You can even invest in what sorts of belongings you have, based on your income level; feel free to take some initiative if you wish to.
As for NPCs, do not expect them to be handled like those in AdEva, where every friend and family member you have gets to interact and be important. No matter how many you make, there's a good chance a lot of them will never show up or be important. That said, don't let that stop you from having personal attachments if you want them. If I spy something useful or interesting, it might end up showing up, and an entire group full of complete loners will likely have little reason to get along and survive together. You'll spend as much time at each other's throats as fighting against the enemy. Oh. Speaking of, feel free to fight and kill each other. Nothing will magically come along to stop you. If you have a reason, go ahead. You are all entirely expendable.
While you're going about filling in your character sheet, it's worth noting that
Sanity and the Cthulhu Mythos skills will not be used in any way during this campaign. There will be certain other surprise aspects in use, but having you go insane arbitrarily won't help much. If you want to be crazy, roleplay it. If you don't want to be, I won't force it with a mechanic. And you'll have more than enough chances to be removed from the game without worrying about that. If CoC is a game where you die easily, think of this as Hard Mode.
There will be more to come regarding this in later posts. I'll be dropping some questions for you to answer in the near future, if you're so inclined, and I'll be leaving a few hints as to the nature of the story and universe. If you need help creating your character, feel free to contact me via PM or Steam- my account name there is the same as here. If you'd like clarification on anything, ask, and I'll answer what I can. Some things are, by nature of the mystery, off limits, but don't let that stop you. Not sure when we'll be starting exactly, but don't be in too much of a rush worrying that you'll run out of time. Let's take things one step at a time, and have some fun.
