Innsmouth Historical Society Presents: (Update 07 July; MiGo in the Woods!)

[Litebrite]

The great looking troops are awaiting your orders.

Time to "Game On".

Lem 

[rcketscientst]

Great looking band of merry men (and things) for the game, and nice sized traveling pack. 

Idea: I have been looking for a non combat variant for investigation/overcoming scenarios. I had this crazy idea- why not use the dice from elder signs/draw tokens from a bag/variant.

Against an aggressive/very hard plot point/creature effectively immune to damage why not investigate objective markers to gather dice that are then rolled to make a unique victory condition. In a campaign game previous captured objectives could add to this dice pool. Then those dice unlock a damaging attack/ritual to end the scenario or naturalize certian enemies. That would mean a quick moving investigator doing his call of cathulu thing could be important. Vice versa not everything could be won with a stick of dynamite.

I like the idea, the difficulty is going to be keeping it fast and relatively simple.  I have been looking at Shadows of Brimstone (for purchase), and the concept of having an "in town" phase could possibly be one way of handling getting dice/tokens.  Basically, a research/investigative phase.  I do not have the Brimstone game, so I am only going by what I have read on forums and reviews.

For this "other" process (non-combative resolution), I was thinking an additional stat would be needed.  Then I realized you could use two existing ones, Dex and Res.  Divide the challenges/puzzles/research/etc. into something either physical or mental.  For instance, breaking into a newspaper archive to find information, would be a physical test, then depending on the number of details needed (how many extra bonuses you are trying for), a number of Res checks.  With a bonus if you have the skill "Bookish" maybe.

Is Res equal to intelligence?  Not exactly, but you can wear people down, or doggedly paw through boxes of information.  I am just trying to prevent having additional complexity, and work somewhat within the game.

Just a couple of thoughts.

[Grumbling Grognard]

Bah, I am way too old-school for that kind of codified stuff.

I am just DM'ing the "in-between-bit" like I did with D&D back in the 80s and 90s myself.   

Scott

[rcketscientst]

Role play?  That is so retro.  You need math hammer, with a slide rule.

I do not know GG, DM'ing it seems way to simple.

[WallyTWest]

I guess I am talking about creating a "Product" for the user comunity ultimately.

I should pick a plot line- and available models. Model some appropriate terrain. Make a PDF.

It would not need to be complicated- it could be card based even- linking the investigative talents and having Agents take actions before a game in a manner similar to the adventure books in Above and Bellow or Arabian Nights. Likely somthing self contained and read to the investigator before the adventure- the outcome would be a piticular scenario with the Lurker or Agents gaining some sort of upper hand. Some sort of meta-game played through the strange aeons encounters?

"adventure packs"- short PDF adventures 3-6 pages in length that would provide a narative setting for the players and lurkers?

[WallyTWest]

Idea 1: Adventure Pack- 4 pages in typeface font on antique paper; they are presented before the battle by the GM or the packet is agreed upon by the players. A super rough sketch, please review the concept- feel free to make suggestions.

Page 1- Narative, Setup and Requirements
Narative- Agency is exploring woods near a mansion of a local official whom is leading a cult, now chasing a cloaked man who is running from grounds.
Lurker Requirements- lurkers must have a cult leader, it is recommended you select a number of cultists armed with melee weapons.
Threshold Requirements- Threshold HQ recommends an agent with ancient lore or a telepath.
Lurker picks force, then page 2 and 3 are handed out.

Page 2- Lurker Page
"Hello esteemed cult leader of the black goat- the inner circle has sent you this letter to inform you that our spies in the agency have learned your cell is currently under investigation. It is highly probable that a raid will be attempted in the next 48 hours." Just as you finish this a pair of automobiles and a number of police and investigators jump out and advance towards the mansion! You and your followers prepare to flee out the back- but before you do you may...

You May:
Set a Trap- You can leave two of your cultists inside the house in an attempt to ambush of the Agents invading your home. (Cost: 2 Cultist, Each must pass a Dex Check)
Activate the Gate- You can make a last ditch attempt to open the portal to an unspecified room in the basement before running out the cellar door- there is a chance you may personally be captured, leaving you and your beloved cult to be slaughtered! (Cost: Res check, and you must roll higher than a 8 on 2D6, add +1 for each spell he knows, then a Dex Check)

Agency Results

Page 3: Agency Page
You have been hot on the trail of the black goat, and learned a local political official is infact a devil worshiping cult leader dedicated to the end of mankind! You have rounded up the local police and just as you kick in the door- you look up to see hooded figures racing into the forest behold the mansion. You may...

You May:
Choose to Quickly Explore and clear the house before pressing into the woods. (Cost: Pick an Agent, they must pass a Res Check.)
Try and decipher the pentagram on the floor (Cost: Pick an Agent-Res Check- Scholar or telepath only)


Page 4
Setting the Trap- setting a trap and clearing the house are linked events. If the cult has chosen to leave two cultists behind to spring a trap, there is a good chance if they have gone undetected they will have an opertunity to murder an agent. If the Dex checks failed; they are discovered and manage to bring down an unlucky officer before the agents manage to put the maddened cultists out of their misery. The agency finds a scroll while searching the house.

If the cultist have successfully hidden themselves to prey upon the agents as they enter the house the following happens:
If an agent was assigned to clear the house before entering the woods he discovers the assailants and has a horrific 2 on one fight in the mannors library. The agent manages to defeat his opponents in a horrible battle, but is wounded and can not participate in the fight- however he manages to find a scroll while waiting for his friends to return.
If no agent cleared the mansion but the scholar (or telepath) has chosen to decipher the script on the pentagram then somthing horrific has happened- just as the agent leans down to investigate the ancient sand script a pair of cultists emerge from the dark and stab the investigator to death before he can resolve his investigation.

If the agents run through the house without stoping to investigate- the cultists manage to pick off the officers guarding the mansion one by one and will join the fight latter, arriving on a table side of the lurkers choice on turn 3

Cult has activated Gate
If the agency has completed the decipher the pentagram action- then the scholar has deciphered the evil creature the cult leader has been trying to bring into this world... One of your agents may be given an Elder Sign for this mission only that works as a CCW. CC+3, Dam 1D6+4 against the Byakhee in this scenario only.

If the cult leader has chosen to stay in the basement and elected to call forth an entity from the basement- the following happens.
If he passed his resolve check, the gate opens for a precious few moments. If he failed this roll then he must run to catch up with his cultists- he is set up on a random board edge in the following mission.
If he passed his summon roll after the res roll, he has summoned a Byakhee that does not devour him on sight! Lucky. If he fails this roll a formless thing emerges from the gate and devours him on the spot! (unlucky)
If he has survived, the cult leader may ride his new companion! If he passes the Dex roll, add the Byankhee to the lurker list at no cost!
If he fails his Dex roll- then the Byakhee flys into the night sky and the cult leader unable to hold on for his dear life falls to his death, impaled on the black gate in front of the mansion. Officer Blaske vomits after watching the cult leader squirm as the life drains out of him.

[WallyTWest]

I guess I'm suggesting a Narative choice book- with about 30-pre scenero brieffings in it, scripts for just before gameplay and culminating in stock scenarios. So.. Like a 90 page booklet. Or- more like 3 30 page books (Threshold, Investigations and XFiles/outcomes).

The scenerio booklets would have the advantage of enough scenerios that it would be hard for anyone to recall all the outcomes. - and the book format would make things insane enough that it would be a guessing game. Scenerio selections would be modularized into chapters (beginning, middle, and final scenerio)

Project would be about 80 man hours to complete, more to bring to published format, more for editing.

Is this a product anyone would be interested in seeing? I would be happy to work on it.

[Grumbling Grognard]

I guess I am talking about creating a "Product" for the user comunity ultimately.

I should pick a plot line- and available models. Model some appropriate terrain. Make a PDF....

Ah, well  then, I am not your "market" anyway!  I played D&D and AD&D from 1979-1987 very heavily.  I DM'ed about 90% of the time.  In all of my gaming D&D, I purchased one, single "module" (the Hill Giant one).  I was not impressed and decided my $10 was better spent on beer and weed and with that "in me" I could generally be just as imaginative myself over the weekend.   

Looking back at my college gaming...  I do not regret that choice (made repeatably) at all!   

These days, I just have a double vodka and tonic, but it still works out the same way.

GG

[rcketscientst]

Sign me up.  PM me.

[WallyTWest]

Congrats in using your alcoholism to further gaming!   

I agree- Narative gaming is outstanding; and Strange Aeons with a DM could be uncanny. But not all of us have this option. An "adventure booklet" might fit the needs of the gaming public. Might be a waste of my time too- club play is typically rather anti thematic. 

[rcketscientst]

A couple more thoughts, mechanically.  The lurker will need to keep her choices hidden and reveal them as the agents make their choices.  Chits with the choice number on one side, then the letter that corresponds on the other.

Which brings up making a list for each choice point.  For certain situations this my be a bit generic.  It does not matter if the lair is a mansion, a cave, or a deserted church.  It comes down to:
A)  Ambush
B)  Ritual
C)  Make a Last Stand
D)  Run away

Some may not be mutually exclusive, as you pointed out in your example.

[WallyTWest]

I think he idea of the example was to show simple options that lead to complex Narative resolutions that could have consequences.

The idea would be to reward investigation and cunning planning and punish risk taking (while offering a reward for situations that anticipate action)

[rcketscientst]

Fair enough.  Do you see decisions driving to a resolution without using a "combat" scenario?

It seems like depending on the situation and decisions, you can go directly to the "post game" section (if decisions yielded major injuries), or you can go to a "conflict resolution" scenario.

And I think linking the "story" to the scenario intros in the sceond ed book could be a place to start with the content. As you point out, a situation could be resolved without combat, depending on choices made

[WallyTWest]

Moulder and Scully generally get into some kind of confrontation nearly every episode of XFiles... I would expect the purpose is to play games of strange Aeons.

[rcketscientst]

Agreed, the purpose is to play games of Strange Aeons.

So, how would scenarios be chosen?  Random roll, per the rules, then drives an applicable narrative.  Or go with a story line and let the decisions/choices drive which scenario (and potentially the variant) gets played out.

Not having a copy of the strange/eclectic/weird tales magazine (mentioned in the other thread), I am just trying to get a sense.