Call of Cthulhu Chat Thread

[Warthur]

Woah...again

I guess this is the other shoe dropping from C7 dropping the licence. Nice to know the lines will see the light of day again.

 

[Fenris-77]

So, because I'm weak, I just signed up for a Delta Green PbP. I'm broadly familiar with the rules, but that's about it. Anyone care to throw out some knowledge?

 

[Trippy]

So, because I'm weak, I just signed up for a Delta Green PbP. I'm broadly familiar with the rules, but that's about it. Anyone care to throw out some knowledge?

Knowledge is dangerous.

 

[Fenris-77]

That shit's not helpful. Yes, I've made it past the intro to the book.

 

[Agemegos]

So, because I'm weak, I just signed up for a Delta Green PbP. I'm broadly familiar with the rules, but that's about it. Anyone care to throw out some knowledge?

As is also the case with other Cthulhu mythos games, Keepers tend to run Delta Green in one of two modes, which Ken Hite described in Trail of Cthulhu as "Purist" and "Pulp".

Purist or Pulp or Both?

The game Trail of Cthulhu is intended to tell stories of uncovering the occult horror mysteries of the Cthulhu Mythos. Traditionally, such games fall into one of two camps.

One is the Purist idiom or mode, which takes a subset of HP Lovecraft’s later and starker works (The Colour Out of Space, At the Mountains of Madness, The Shadow Out of Time, The Whisperer in Darkness) as its model. It intends to recreate a game of philosophical horror, in which the act of uncovering the truth dooms both active seeker and unfortunate bystander alike.

The second is the Pulp idiom or mode, which aims rather for the “desperate action” feel of Robert E Howard’s Cthulhu Mythos stories (The Thing on the Roof, The Fire of Asshurbanipal, Skull-Face). It intends to focus on the struggle (especially the physical struggle) against the Mythos, doomed or noble as the case may be. It also privileges character survival somewhat more than does the Purist idiom.

Find out whether your Keeper intends to run Delta Green as a series of no-win scenarios for doomed investigators who deteriorate into madness as they struggle futilely against a foe vastly exceeding human capacity to understand it or to oppose it effectively, or as a series of desperate horror-action adventures in which the PCs can expect to win local and temporary victories (albeit at great risk). Then plan accordingly.

Brush up a little on the pop-culture '90s conspiracy theories surrounding UFOs, alien abductions, Area 51 and so on. Don't put a lot of effort into that, because the knowledge won't be useful. It'll just help you put some of the adventure material into context.

 

[Fenris-77]

Hmm, thanks. I'm going to guess purist from his posting style and content. The genre stuff isn't the issue at all, there I'm a fucking guru, it's more about the actual system and how it plays. I'm deeply familiar with Cthulhu generally. It's more that I really don't play percentile games much, and the crunch makes my head hurt. I'm not worried about making John Wick or some shit, wrong game for that, I just want to not make newb mistakes about weighting abilities and skills and that sort of thing. I haven't actually played the % Cthulhu rules in any format in more than 20 years. I'm a Gumshoe and C-Dark guy, or, better yet, a little Cthulhu in my own setting.

 

[Baulderstone]

Hmm, thanks. I'm going to guess purist from his posting style and content. The genre stuff isn't the issue at all, there I'm a fucking guru, it's more about the actual system and how it plays. I'm deeply familiar with Cthulhu generally. It's more that I really don't play percentile games much, and the crunch makes my head hurt. I'm not worried about making John Wick or some shit, wrong game for that, I just want to not make newb mistakes about weighting abilities and skills and that sort of thing. I haven't actually played the % Cthulhu rules in any format in more than 20 years. I'm a Gumshoe and C-Dark guy, or, better yet, a little Cthulhu in my own setting.

Delta Green is one of the slickest percentile systems out there, keeping what is good about Call of Cthulhu, while letting Stolze bring over some of the good stuff he did in Unknown Armies. As a player, I doubt you are going to get overwhelmed by crunch.

As far as weighting skills, it's useful to remember that in a lot of cases, you don't even need to roll for a skill. The score in a skill reflects your ability to use it under serious stress or when opposed. Here is a handy chart showing what players can expect to accomplish without rolling under normal circumstances.


Keeping this chart in mind can help you avoid pouring too many points into a skill.

Delta Green really streamlines character generation too. While you can do the classic CoC thing of placing every single skill point, you also can just apply a template for your career, one for your background, sprinkle on just a few extra points and be done.

If you want to give the system a look, there is a free starter version of the rules called Need to Know. You can get that here.

 

[under_score]

Haven't seen a really clear image but from what I have seen the faces are bad and the woman's pose is particularly awkward.

View attachment 5967​

But bad art has never dissuaded anyone from playing RPGs going all the way back to 1974.

7th edition and the Starter Set are both not anything I would buy as I already have a perfectly serviceable version (3rd ed., GDW hardcover), but I could be persuaded to try them out either as a player or a referee if someone lent (or gave) me a copy.

Four years later, Chaosium is going to rerelease their starter set with a new cover. It's a low-res image in the email, but looks to be an improvement at least:

 

[Fenris-77]

Is that the Ooops, I Farted Tentacles cover?

 

[Warthur]

Four years later, Chaosium is going to rerelease their starter set with a new cover. It's a low-res image in the email, but looks to be an improvement at least:
View attachment 40846

I like the original starter set cover, but mostly for the fact that it's a sneaky tribute to the original cover (it's the same general situation only from the monster's perspective), and that sort of nostalgia nod probably isn't what you want for a product aimed at new players. This cover's better.

 

[Séadna]

Anybody have any opinions on the newer Cthulhu stuff?
Regency Cthulhu or Terror Australis?

Separately any opinions on the Masks of Nyarlathotep campaign?

 

[Fenris-77]

I really need to grab a copy of Regency Cthulhu. I did read a very positive blurb about it from an apparently very well known historian of the Regency period who's also a gamer and who had high praise for the setting detail.

 

[Toadmaster]

Anybody have any opinions on the newer Cthulhu stuff?
Regency Cthulhu or Terror Australis?

Separately any opinions on the Masks of Nyarlathotep campaign?

Regency Cthulhu is on my want list.

It is kind of funny because when I first heard about it I thought it sounded kind of silly but then the more I thought about it, and the literature of the late 1700 to the mid 1800 (particularly the horror genre) it should actually bookend quite nicely with Cthulhu by Gaslight, the pair nicely covering opposite ends of the 19th Century and combined opens up the whole century.

Also looking at other games like Ghastly Affair, Vaesen, and Casting the Runes there seems to be a definite interest growing for horror games in set in the later 1700s to early / mid 1800s, so makes sense that Chaosium wants in.

Everything I'm reading suggests it is holding up the standards CoC has become known for in its historical / geographical supplements.


As far as Masks, it is considered by many to be the ultimate CoC campaign, but I've never read it or played through it (hoping some day I will get the chance so not risking spoilers for myself). Unfortunately I've never had a group willing to do a long term CoC game, I've been limited to one shots or short campaigns.

 

[StonesThree]

Played the New York chapter of Masks 3 times now. Each time it’s fizzled out. Would give it another go with the right table of players/gm just so I can find out how the damn thing ends!

 

[Voros]

Anybody have any opinions on the newer Cthulhu stuff?
Regency Cthulhu or Terror Australis?

Separately any opinions on the Masks of Nyarlathotep campaign?

I've only read Masks and really want to run it someday but it is excellent. My favourite section is the Australian part although I know there are those who aren't fans of it because they feel it is too much of a bottle scenario.

I know Baulderstone has run it.

PS. I've read the original not the revamped version. The OG looks to me like it is ready to be ran from the book with few tweaks.

 

[Baulderstone]

I know Baulderstone has run it.

I've run the original three times. I haven't bought the new version. I don't know if I will run it again, and if I do, I'd rather have it in a familiar, shorter format. Higher word count in an adventure is not a plus for me.

I did pick up the new edition of The Enemy Within campaign for WFRP despite having run it before. In that case, the last two volumes of the original were deeply flawed, so I saw a need for it. It also had Graeme Davis, one of the original creators, involved with the revision. I don't know who revised Masks of Nyarlathotep. Larry DiTillio and Lynn Willis are both dead.

 

[Séadna]

I've run the original three times. I haven't bought the new version. I don't know if I will run it again, and if I do, I'd rather have it in a familiar, shorter format. Higher word count in an adventure is not a plus for me.

Thanks. I'm humming and hawing over whether to just buy the new one or get the old one on ebay or similar, since we're moving on to it after finishing The Enemy Within.

 

[Toadmaster]

I've run the original three times. I haven't bought the new version. I don't know if I will run it again, and if I do, I'd rather have it in a familiar, shorter format. Higher word count in an adventure is not a plus for me.

I did pick up the new edition of The Enemy Within campaign for WFRP despite having run it before. In that case, the last two volumes of the original were deeply flawed, so I saw a need for it. It also had Graeme Davis, one of the original creators, involved with the revision. I don't know who revised Masks of Nyarlathotep. Larry DiTillio and Lynn Willis are both dead.

I don't have the impression the revised versions of the classic older modules are significantly changed beyond 7E system changes, formatting, correcting errors and maybe some art changes. I follow a couple different CoC forums and while there has been much wailing a gnashing of teeth over 7E, I've really seen nothing but praise for the re-issued campaigns (other than the kickstarter hullabaloo associated with Orient Express).

 

[Baulderstone]

I don't have the impression the revised versions of the classic older modules are significantly changed beyond 7E system changes, formatting, correcting errors and maybe some art changes. I follow a couple different CoC forums and while there has been much wailing a gnashing of teeth over 7E, I've really seen nothing but praise for the re-issued campaigns (other than the kickstarter hullabaloo associated with Orient Express).

I'm sure it's solid. My reasons for not picking it up are personal more than a condemnation.

 

[Midas]

I'm sure it's solid. My reasons for not picking it up are personal more than a condemnation.

Quick history:
The original Masks had only five chapters: Australia was later printed separately. This was due to both size constraints and the feeling that the Australia chapter didn't quite fit. Terror Australis was later printed to complete the set.

The second original (if you will) wasn't a re write, but IIRC did a bit of editorial and proof read fixing. Australia was included in this one. I did rib on the writers though: Two earlier sourcebooks had been written, with the same monsters but massively different stats - and both sets of stats were included in the new issue! ;)

The 7E one fixed a lot of stuff (including one that IMNSHO wasn't broken in the first place), added a new scenario at the beginning, and of course changed the rules to 7E.

First, the new scenario allows the investigators to actually meet Jackson Elias rather than have him murdered off stage. I don't care for the scenario - it is body horror rather than the cosmic horror of the rest of the campaign.

Introducing a living Elias isn't a bad idea. They made him Black, and later in the NYC sourcebook Harlem Unbound, made him gay. To me, this adds more complications to an already difficult scenario, and (having read only to part way through the London chapter) seems to have been forgotten once the investigators leave NYC.

The idea seems to have been to let the investigators take a quick punch at the ghost of Lovecraft on the way to fighting Nyarlathotep. I consider this a bug and a problem, but others will see it as a feature and an opportunity.

 

[Baulderstone]

In the three times I ran Masks, nobody ever went to Australia. Nobody even discussed the possibility of going. It's too far away for a side quest. It was cut from the original with good reason.

 

[Dyrnwyn]

In the three times I ran Masks, nobody ever went to Australia. Nobody even discussed the possibility of going. It's too far away for a side quest. It was cut from the original with good reason.

As a player, at least, I enjoyed the Australia section a lot. It had a bit of a different feel than the other chapters, but less so than Shanghai, IMO. I also think that the remainder of the game (it was the second-to-last area for us, before Kenya) would have gone quite differently had we not gone through the Australia chapter.

This was the 7E version, FWIW, so I don't know what the earlier editions were like.

 

[Acmegamer]

In the three times I ran Masks, nobody ever went to Australia.

So, much like a Monty Python skit...

:::Acmegamer suddenly reaches down whipping out his coconut shells and rides off:::

 

[Baulderstone]

As a player, at least, I enjoyed the Australia section a lot. It had a bit of a different feel than the other chapters, but less so than Shanghai, IMO. I also think that the remainder of the game (it was the second-to-last area for us, before Kenya) would have gone quite differently had we not gone through the Australia chapter.

This was the 7E version, FWIW, so I don't know what the earlier editions were like.

There is nothing wrong with the chapter itself. I think it was a good idea when Chaosium originally spun it out into the Terror Australis book on its own.

One potential issue with the chapter is the strongest leads to Australia are right at the beginning of the adventure. If the players go to Australia immediately after New York, they may go to Shanghai next and miss out on London, Egypt, and Kenya.

It's really a moot point. I am guessing the original boxed edition without Australia is probably more expensive than any of the later editions that have it added back in. It would be silly to pay more to avoid having a chapter you might not use.

I guess my advice isn't about avoiding an edition that includes the Australia, but rather, don't spend too much prep time on Australia until your players decide to go there.

 

[Acmegamer]

There is nothing wrong with the chapter itself. I think it was a good idea when Chaosium originally spun it out into the Terror Australis book on its own.

One potential issue with the chapter is the strongest leads to Australia are right at the beginning of the adventure. If the players go to Australia immediately after New York, they may go to Shanghai next and miss out on London, Egypt, and Kenya.

It's really a moot point. I am guessing the original boxed edition without Australia is probably more expensive than any of the later editions that have it added back in. It would be silly to pay more to avoid having a chapter you might not use.

I guess my advice isn't about avoiding an edition that includes the Australia, but rather, don't spend too much prep time on Australia until your players decide to go there.

I think for me, since it's meant to be this long world wide campaign that it is nice having it at least as an option. Most published adventure material I've ever run I approach from a bullet point frame of mind. That I'll be editing through, changing this or that, removing or adding things. So having a bread crumb like Australia there is yet one more place I could try to get the player characters to go to. I might not use it but I like having it, so I very much agree with your end statement.

 

[Baulderstone]

I think for me, since it's meant to be this long world wide campaign that it is nice having it at least as an option. Most published adventure material I've ever run I approach from a bullet point frame of mind. That I'll be editing through, changing this or that, removing or adding things. So having a bread crumb like Australia there is yet one more place I could try to get the player characters to go to. I might not use it but I like having it, so I very much agree with your end statement.

One good thing about Masks is that most of the locations are flexible sandboxes in their own right. All three of my groups went to the same destinations in the same order, but the way they approached each of those destinations was different every time. I hope you get to use the Australia chapter, but you should get a good sandbox experience either way.

 

[Dyrnwyn]

One potential issue with the chapter is the strongest leads to Australia are right at the beginning of the adventure. If the players go to Australia immediately after New York, they may go to Shanghai next and miss out on London, Egypt, and Kenya.

Yeah, we considered going to Australia directly from New York, but decided to go to London first, since it was closer.

But I guess I am not sure why a group would miss out on the other areas after Shanghai. It seemed pretty clear to my group that things were far from wrapped up after our time there.