Chaos in Innsmouth

[gauntman]

Here was a neat old book cover, I thought you'd all like to see.

[twrchtrwyth]

Have you done any more work on this?

[P_Clapham]

I will in the near future.  Got some heavy school stuff I'm working on, still trying to get a 1st edition of the Chaos in Cairo rules.  The game won't be a complete rule set unless Scott is cool with.  The warbands and many of the characters are variations on the Chaos in Cairo and Carpathia games.  Most of the work will be on the Mythos tainted warbands.  In addition to having acess to sorcery (either the gifts of the nameless ones, or CiC 1sted magic) they will have monsters as well.  Cult of Dagon will be made up of Hybrids, Cultists and full blown Deep Ones.

Have you done any more work on this?

[P_Clapham]

Well the 1st edition version of the rules turned out mostly to be a bust magic wise.  Still very happy to have them, I can be somewhat of an obsessive collector.  I'm looking a my self with five different copies of the Call of Cthulhu RPG, and three different copies of Elric!/Stormbringer.

As soon as my school obligations are over, I'll begin in earnest on this project.  I have three mindsets when it comes to the magic rules.  The initial proposal of using gifts of the Nameless Ones and Mummies/Vampires/Werewolves seem to be a simple and elegant version.  It is a bit limited, so using the 1st edition CoC rules could prove handy.  Extrapolating need spells/powers using the supersystem.

The second ruleset would also be based on the Supersystem.  Spells would be low level powers with a attack action and Mind roll needed to activate them.  Much like the combat system It could also be an opposed roll.  Perhaps the attackers Mind+Modifier vs the defenders Resolve+Modifier.  The spells targeting the caster or friendly model would require just a Mind roll.

Goalsystem Fantasy has a interesting set of Magic rules.  Scott lists two different packages or spell lists.  The model has a certain amount of Power or Mana points equal to their resolve, or maybe resolve X2.  This would limit the spells somewhat, more duplicating the RPG than the stories.  I'm curious to hear your feedback, and what system you prefer.

[Whiskyrat]

Well the 1st edition version of the rules turned out mostly to be a bust magic wise.  Still very happy to have them, I can be somewhat of an obsessive collector.

Is 1st Edition CoC worth picking up - or only if you are a completist?

In terms of the magic system I would try options 2 and 3 - as these require the least amount of effort to get started and see which "feels" right.

I suspect that option 2 involves the least amount of admin but that option 3 may be more characterful as it would provide a unique "spell book" for each "magic user" per game - unless your players graviate to the "killer combo" for X Mana points. 

[P_Clapham]

Heh, I'm guessing you mean Chaos in Cairo?  If you have any version of the Supersystem the 1st edition CoC isn't needed.  It's still an interesting little book, and about the same size as a few of my pulps from the 50's.  The rules in it aren't bad as a Guideline.  I noticed there is a point difference on abilities.  CoC first edition is pretty much a pulp version of the Supersystem.

For fantasy the Spell Book option works, I don't like it for simulating Call of Cthulhu.  Spells would be purchased during character creation, or 'researched' (purchased) later on.  It would be the power point system I'd use, that way Casters would be more limited in what they could do.  Certain spells, such as defensive ones might not even require a attack action come to think. 

Is 1st Edition CoC worth picking up - or only if you are a completist?

In terms of the magic system I would try options 2 and 3 - as these require the least amount of effort to get started and see which "feels" right.

I suspect that option 2 involves the least amount of admin but that option 3 may be more characterful as it would provide a unique "spell book" for each "magic user" per game - unless your players graviate to the "killer combo" for X Mana points. 

[twhitten]

I'm a big fan of the Goal System line of games, so I'm watching this with interest. I'm looking forward to seeing how this pans out. It looks like it would be fun to do.

Our gaming group did something similiar years ago. We called it CthulhuFigs. I put together a lame website and everything.   It was based straight off of the 1st version of Superfigs and run like Call of Cthulhu. One person was the game master and ran the Mythos creatures. Everyone else was a part of the Department of Otherworldly Affairs (DOA) and ran one character (or henchment group.)

One can still find part of the site using the Internet Archive:

http://replay.waybackmachine.org/20091027033133/http://geocities.com/thomaswhitten2000/super/

Things seem slow, and I can't access any pages other then the front page. Which is too bad. If I remember correctly, I had a number of scenarios that we played put online. Since I can't find them anywhere in my backups, I was hoping to find them there.

Take Care,

t.w.

[pixelgeek]

The initial proposal of using gifts of the Nameless Ones and Mummies/Vampires/Werewolves seem to be a simple and elegant version.  It is a bit limited, so using the 1st edition CoC rules could prove handy.  Extrapolating need spells/powers using the supersystem.

I'd favour this sort of system. It sounds as if it would fit the background material more and would make it, I think, easier to expand with new cults later