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Chaosium Digest Volume 06 Number 07
Chaosium Digest Volume 6, Number 7
Date: Sunday, May 15, 1994
Number: 1 of 2
Contents:
A Jousting Variant (Peter J. Whitelaw) PENDRAGON
Playing Children in CoC (Matt Grossman) CALL OF CTHULHU
The Curse of the Eddingsleys (Matt Grossman) CALL OF CTHULHU
Editor's Notes:
Two new CoC products have been released in the last couple of weeks.
King of Chicago & The Secret of Marseilles (Chaosium, 64 pg, $10.95)
contains two adventures centering around gangs in the 1920s. There
are also short articles on prohibition and the economy of crime.
Cthulhu's Heirs (Chaosium, 270pg, $9.95) is the third book of Cthulhu
Fiction produced by Chaosium. This one contains almost all new
stories. A complete listing of the stories in Cthulhu's Heirs is
available in V5.3 of the Digest.
Shannon
--------------------
From: "Peter J. Whitelaw" <100102.3001@CompuServe.COM>
Subject: A Jousting Variant
System: Pendragon
It has always bugged my group that Jousting, such an important part of
the game, is so simply resolved. Thus, our little corner of Logres
has come up with the following variant. I would appreciate your
comments.
Basically use the rules as they stand, but expanded as follows:
Each Jouster has three Jousting Lances. These break if an odd number
is rolled (success or failure).
An opposed resolution roll (Lance skill) is made. If both parties
fail, check to see if one or the others' lances have broken and
prepare to charge again.
The winner of an opposed resolution rolls damage (per mount) against
his opponent. This damage is compared to the loser's SIZ:
Damage =< SIZ : roll vs. DEX :
success - remain mounted
failure - unhorsed for 1d6 damage
Damage > SIZ : roll vs. DEX* :
success - remain mounted
failure - unhorsed for 1d6 damage
* the DEX roll is modified by -1 for each 5 points (or fraction
thereof) that the damage exceeds the loser's SIZ by.
Should the two tie, then simultaneous unhorsing is a possibility.
Apply the above damage vs. SIZ rules to each.
It should be noted that the damage is calculated for the purposes of
knockback only and is not, in fact, real damage. If one or the other
party 'criticals' then this damage is counted as 'real' (as per
existing rules).
If a Jouster fumbles then he must make a DEX roll to remain in the
saddle. If he wasn't hit by his opponent, we sometimes count this as
a victory for the opponent and sometimes we don't (it depends on whose
tourney you're at). A Chivalrous knight would probably allow his
opponent to regain the saddle and start again (Roll vs. Honour). If
a Jouster is hit by his opponent whilst fumbling himself add a -5
modifier to his DEX roll. In either case, if the DEX roll is made
then it means that some other gaff has occurred (as per p. 164
Pendragon IV).
Once a Jouster is out of lances then he must dismount and fight from
the ground. If his opponent still has Lances left, we allow that he
may, technically, still use them (but might get a Cruel check?).
Again, a chivalrous knight (roll vs. Honour) would probably dismount
to even the contest up a little. Not like the Earl of Douglas who,
against Hotspur Percy, outside Newcastle, turned his horse about and
rode after his opponent and attacked him as he was getting another
lance!
Any credit or damnation for this article should be apportioned equally
to myself, Jon Drake and Marcus Pailing (the GM)
--------------------
From: Matt Grossman <MGROSSMAN@hamp.hampshire.edu>
Subject: Playing Children in CoC
System: Call of Cthulhu
I have been interested in running a game with children for a while,
but had difficulty persuading players to join in. Who wants to play a
child in CoC, where heavily armed adults are routinely eaten by big
slimy monsters?
However, I was finally able to get a group together, and the results
have been wonderful. The players have really gotten into it, even
those who ordinarily do not enjoy playing CoC. So here are the rules
we are using for the "Kiddy Campaign".
I specified that all the characters had to be related in some way;
this provided a rationale for them to stick together and know each
other. First, the players each rolled 1d6; this determined the ages
of the children (highest number was oldest, then next highest, and so
on). Fifteen or sixteen is really the oldest that the characters
should be; the PCs in my game range from 15 to 10. Next, the
attributes are determined in the normal way, except for SIZ, STR, and
EDU. SIZ rolls vary depending on age; 2d6+3 works for young
adolescents, 2d6+1 or 2d6 for 8-11 year olds (basically this is a GM
call, be flexible). For average children STR is 2 less than SIZ. If
a player has to have a stronger character that's ok, but keep in mind
that these are kids, not death machines. EDU is just assigned
depending on the age of the child, 10 or 11 is reasonable for a 14
year old, with lower numbers for younger children. An unusually
scholarly character might have a higher attribute, but again, these
are kids.
Skills can just be determined normally from EDU and INT. I actually
didn't bother with the usual system, and just asked them to pick two
skills they were good at, four skills they were ok at, and 6 skills
that they had done a little. I ran basically diceless (I really
recommend that people try this!). When a roll was necessary I just
used d10, with the good skills succeeding on a 7 or less, the ok
skills succeeding on a 5 or less, and the kinda skills succeeding on a
3 or less. But, I don't see any reason why you couldn't use the
regular system; I was just in a hurry during character generation.
Likewise Sanity and magic could be done normally, although there
hasn't been any magic yet and I haven't bothered with SAN rolls. The
reason that I haven't is A) I'm lazy and B) the players have been
roleplaying their characters' fears so well (and have been genuinely
scared a couple times) that there isn't any need to enforce fear on
them with Sanity rolls.
As far as actually playing kids, here's what I've been doing: There's
been no combat (well, okay, one, but that was a scuffle with the
headmaster). The kids are useless in combat (as they should be) and
most of the excitement in the games has come from avoiding adults and
sneaking around. There's been an emphasis on the intercharacter
relations. The characters are all family and the oldest sibling feels
protective of the younger ones (of course this is really the players
and not me, but I've encouraged them). Finally, I've been maintaining
a sort of "dream-like" atmosphere. The kids all have a sort of
second-sight (because of an old family curse) and see things which
others (especially adults) don't.
As far as the campaign goes, I'm sending in a description of the
background as well, so it should be in this same digest.
Matt Grossman
Hampshire College
mgrossman@hamp.hampshire.edu
--------------------
From: Matt Grossman <MGROSSMAN@hamp.hampshire.edu>
Subject: The Curse of the Eddingsleys
System: Call of Cthulhu
This is the campaign background that I am using for the "children's
campaign" described in my last article. I call it "The Curse of the
Eddingsleys". Hopefully people will find it useful as an example or
to incorporate into their own games. It is not an "adventure module",
but rather a basis for a campaign, or more like a basis of a basis for
a campaign.
INTRODUCTION
After the players had rolled up characters, I told them that it was
1892, they were living in Britain, and that their parents had just
died in a train crash. I also told them to make up a terrifying
experience that they had each had some years ago and had never told
anyone about. This experience had to be something that could be
interpreted as being either supernatural or hallucinatory. I expected
that in the course of the adventure they would reveal these
experiences to one another, but they didn't. However, it still worked
well as far as setting a mood and establishing the fact that there was
"something odd" about the PCs.
The characters all attended various boarding schools. As it was the
Christmas holidays, and their parents were dead, they had to stay with
their uncle, Sir William Eddingsley, who lives in Eddingsley Hall in
Sussex.
EDDINSLEY HALL
Eddingsley Hall is located a few miles outside of Greenhill village
(not a great name, I know, perhaps someone can think of a more
interesting one?), surrounded by wooded parkland. It was built in the
16th century, and is still in good repair and inhabited by the
descendants of the founder, Sir Francis Eddingsley. It has four
floors. The first floor contains the kitchen, the cook's quarters,
the pantry, the dining room, and various sitting rooms. The second
floor contains Sir William's study, the library (which contains many
rare volumes and manuscripts), the master bedroom, and other bedrooms.
Some of the children might stay in some of these rooms. The third
floor has more and smaller bedrooms, and also has a trophy room and a
games room. There are guns and ammunition in the trophy room, but
they are kept in a locked cabinet. The fourth floor is storage and
servant's quarters. And, of course, there is a basement, with a wine
cellar and a canning cellar.
The hall does not have central heating, so there is a fireplace in
every room; during the winter these are kept lit constantly if the
room is occupied.
Sir William is a dour and frightening figure to the children; he wants
as little to do with them as possible, and makes this quite clear. He
is not evil, just oppressed with guilt and anxiety about the family
curse, and whether or not to tell the children about it. Other
inhabitants of the Hall include James (the butler), Mary (a maid), and
various other servants.
There are several weird things about the Hall, which the children may
discover as they go exploring.
There is a room on the fourth floor which is walled up; the only way
in is by a secret staircase which can be accessed from the canning
cellar and the study. Inside the room is the mummified corpse of a
man dressed in 18th century clothing. He is clutching a small chest
carved with a design of dancing figures. The chest has not been
opened for more than a century.
Also on the fourth floor is a room apparently inhabited by a woman,
whose identity is unknown, and who is only seen going into or leaving
the room. There is a stain, possibly a bloodstain, on the floor of
the room. The PCs never discovered who she was; it added a definite
sense of mystery to the adventure.
Finally, there are the dancers. Every night during the solstice or
equinox season (which means during the Christmas vacation) a group of
figures parade around the hall. Dressed in tattered garments which
are actually their peeling skins, dripping blood from empty eye
sockets, the dancers perform a melancholy dance, weeping and crying
all the while. This goes on from midnight to one am. Curiously, the
dancers can be seen only by an Eddingsley. Oh, and they can see the
PCs. If the PCs are visible when the dancers are around, having
eyeless figures turn to confront them will send PCs screaming in fear.
The dancers will not enter the Hall, however, or physically attack the
PCs in any way.
THE SECRET OF THE EDDINGSLEYS
In the 18th century, Rupert Eddingsley, the then lord of the manor and
a fearsome magician and occultist, returned from a trip to the Levant
with a chest of unknown contents. He was pursued by the dancers,
whose appearance terrified Rupert's relatives. Rupert boasted that
his magical powers had grown, but his gruesome experiments persuaded
people that something had to be done. One day, while Rupert worked in
the magical laboratory he had created on the fourth floor of the Hall,
his son, aided by the servants, sealed him in and left him to die of
starvation. This is the story behind the sealed room on the fourth
floor.
The dancers still dance around the Hall, but none of Rupert's
descendants have dared to open the chest, or continue his magical
studies in an effort to determine what exactly he was up to. His
notebook/grimoire is still extant, but Sir William, although he keeps
it locked in his study at all times, has never dared to read it.
Because of the curse caused by Rupert's lust for power, the
Eddingsleys have a certain "second sight"; this is a not a good thing.
However, it is a good excuse to have weird things happen around them,
which is a good basis for a campaign.
RUNNING THE CAMPAIGN
At some point, possibly after the PCs have had a chance to snoop
around and get themselves into trouble, and after they have seen the
dancers, Sir William should take the oldest child up to the sealed
room and tell him about the curse. This sets the stage for the
campaign, and further adventures. The PCs will probably want to try
and lift the curse, but this should be difficult and dangerous, and
probably beyond the capability of children. Whatever it is Rupert
roused by his pilgrimage to Chorazin is not easily disposed of.
A few words on mood: All of the players had read the _Narnia_ books,
and so had a good idea of how upper-class British children should
behave ("By Jove, Elspeth! A secret passage!"). Reading lots of M.R.
James helps when running this sort of old-fashioned gothic-style
campaign. I haven't supplied any stats, because there really isn't
anything to fight at Eddingsley Hall (although of course there could
be cultists lurking in the woods, or Rupert might not really be dead).
Sir William should be played as the terrifying adult, limping around
with his cane and glowering at the children across the dinner table
("I believe that children should be seen and not heard, and they
should be seen as little as possible"). Most of the fun of playing
children is having them run around and get into trouble ("I dare you
to go into the basement! You're not chicken, are you?"). Encourage
your players to have fun with this.
The players might want to confront the dancers; if they do, the
dancers disappear, but reappear the next night and torment the
unfortunate character in their nightmares forever. The identity of
the mysterious woman on the fourth floor is perhaps best kept a
mystery; I have no idea who she is myself.
I almost forgot SAN: 1/1d8 for the dancers, 1/1d4 for Rupert's corpse.
Hope you enjoy.
Matt Grossman
Hampshire College
mgrossman@hamp.hampshire.edu
--------------------
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