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Chaosium Digest Volume 06 Number 09
Chaosium Digest Volume 6, Number 9
Date: Sunday, May 22, 1994
Number: 1 of 1
Contents:
Choosing Statistics in CoC (Allessandro de Moura) CALL OF CTHULHU
The Pirates of the Drake (Stefan Matthias Aust) TRAVELLER/BRP
--------------------
From: sandro@ifi.unicamp.br (Alessandro Paulo Servio de Moura - grad)
Subject: Choosing Statistics in CoC
System: Call of Cthulhu
Hi, lovers of Call of Cthulhu.
One of the (few) things I don't like in the Cthulhu rulesbook is the
system used to generate the statistics of the character: one should
roll the dice in a given sequence for each characteristic: 3D6 for
Strength, 3D6 for Dexterity, 2D6+6 for Inteligence, and so on. This
way, you have no freedom to create your character the way you want.
If, for example, you wanted to play a delicate and sensible artist,
and you rolled 18 for strength and constitution, and 8 for inteligence
and 6 for education, it would be hard, to say the least...
Not content with this, I devised a new way to roll the
characteristics.
There are eight rolled characteristics. Instead of rolling for each
one in a sequence, just roll 3D6 eight times, and write down the
result. Then, distribute the rolls among the characteristics, adding
the following modifiers:
STR: 3D6 + 0
CON: 3D6 + 0
SIZ: 3D6 + 3
DEX: 3D6 + 0
APP: 3D6 + 0
INT: 3D6 + 3
POW: 3D6 + 0
EDU: 3D6 + 3
The modifiers above are such that the averages for each characteristic
are kept the same. The difference is that now one can shape his
investigator to fit his ideas.
And YES, the players will surely choose the more important
characteristics (INT,POW,EDU) to have the highest rolls, but this is
not that bad: to me it seems natural that intelligent and
strong-willed people fight against the Mythos, and not boxers and
models. As for the challenges they will face, they should not depend
on weaknesses of investigators. After all, there are so many sweet
ways to make them go insane, no matter how high their INT or POW is...
--------------------
From: Stefan Matthias Aust <sma@informatik.uni-kiel.d400.de>
Subject: The Pirates of the Drake
System: Traveller/BRP
This is the second part of the BRP/Traveller adventure with the
description of the pirate NPCs and more...
The Story So Far
========================================
The players were aboard the Algol, a private h-space-capable yacht
owned by Maximilian Kent, together with some other NPCs, all honorable
persons. Suddenly the Algol was approached by a ship, identified
later as Drake, a former Imperial heavy cruiser and private vessel
under the command of Captain Pekul. The pirates caught and entered
the Algol, leaving three crew members aboard and making one of the
passengers a hostage. On the next h-jump (probably to the hidden
pirate base) something went wrong and in a misjump, the
docked-together ships were split apart. Now, the Algol is heading
towards an unknown planet in an unknown system, with no engines and a
damaged board computer.
The pirates
========================================
Captain Kaspar Pekul
----------------------------------------
STR 12 CON 14 SIZ 13 INT 15
EDU 16 DEX 10 APP 16 HP 14
Admin 30%, Astrogation 62%, Bargain 45%, Communication 34%, Dodge 40%,
Farming 30%, Fleet Tactics 67%, Leadership 80%, Pilot 75%, Sensors
45%, Handweapon 87%.
He's the captain and owner of the Drake, the former Imperial cruiser
"Eidechse". He's 48 years old. He started his career at the age of
23 as an successful pilot for the local defense forces of Chowa, a
world located near the Bezigaar frontier. He dreamed of becoming a
member of the Imperial navy forces, but they didn't accepted him.
Angry and disappointed, he began to hate the Imperials and all that
they stand for.
First, he tried to survive as a smuggler in the frontier zone, dealing
with weapons, drugs, medicine or information. For a short time, he
was a soldier, but he quick realized that combat wasn't his business.
Becoming older, he tried to live his own private live in peace, but
Imperial police don't forget. He still was a smuggler, hijacker and
murderer. One day, they found him and stormed his house. In the
firefight, his wife and two IP agents were killed. He fled.
The next years he lived again "between the stars" as an outlaw. His
crew came from all edges of the Imperium, sharing the fact, that the
IP was looking for them. After a massacre of an exploration team that
was looking for an ancient site on Dedagokala and had hired Pekul's
ship, they were finally caught by an Imperial fleet. The survivors
were sent to prison. With the foundation of the new federation, he
was released from prison as part of a general amnesty. In the
following struggle surrounding the failed liberation of the emperor,
he and his friend Uwe managed to hijack the cruiser ISK Eidechse, a
fast and well armed battle ship.
Time and prison made him more silent, more reasoning. He's still a
charismatic personality, handsome looking and perhaps a good father.
He survived his enemy, the empire, but that don't make him happy.
Sometimes, he's very depressed. Then, he's seeing all the people he
killed again. He likes to work; he has to work. Sleep is no escape.
Sleep confronts him with his past. He hates himself, but doesn't
regret either. He tries to accept his live. He can be nice and
friendly but he also has moments of violent temper. Afterwards, he
usually feels good. But there are the dreams... Like drugs,
something he strictly refused, the high is short and fall is deep. He
married again, Verena is his wife, and he's loving her, somehow. But
she can't solve his problems either. So, he has to divert himself.
He's a good captain and leader. He's cool thinking and normally not
very cruel. Most of his crew admire him. They're something like a
big vagabond family, living in the Drake, between the stars.
Verena Dalton
----------------------------------------
STR 6 CON 13 SIZ 11 INT 11
EDU 14 DEX 12 APP 14 HP 12
Acrobatics 25%, Chemistry 40%, Computer 40%, Electronics 30%, Fast
Talk 45%, Liaison 30%, Mechanic 35%, Metallurgy 15%, Research 45%,
Robotics 15%, Ship Engineering 40%, Handweapon 54%.
She's an attractive 34 years old women of Lusada, a low population,
low gravity industrial outpost of the Akasho mega-corporation. She's
also Pekul's wife. They've no common children, but Verena has a
daughter at Lusada. During an attack of an industrial installation by
the Drake, she met Pekul. She hid him after the failed attack and
fled with him. She's about 1.95m tall and has a light brown skin.
She was an engineer at Lusada. On the Drake, she's a ship engineer.
Uwe Fridsen (Nick: Viking)
----------------------------------------
STR 16 CON 12 SIZ 17 INT 15
EDU 13 DEX 17 APP 9 HP 15
He's Kaspa'rs oldest friend. They've stayed together since they met
at Chowa, during the end of the frontier war with the Realm of
Bezigaar. He's the only one who it is allowed to call Pekul by his
forename. He's 46, tall, strong and always wearing a full beard.
He's Pekuls representative. And, he's the only one who can risk to
contradict Pekul if he has one of his violent temper phases.
Steve Steele (Nick: Stevi)
----------------------------------------
STR 12 CON 9 SIZ 11 INT 12
EDU 15 DEX 13 APP 12 HP 10
Communication 60%, Computer 50%, Electronics 25%, Gambling 45%,
History 55%, Observation 40%, Handweapon 30%.
He's 24 years old, medium sized and slender. He's quite nervous.
Nearly always, his fingers are playing with something. His duties
include communications and programming the computer. He's with the
others because there wasn't anything better to do. He's the only crew
member who doesn't have combat experience. He always stays onboard,
so he knows the ship better than everyone else.
Enri Dake (Nick: Lame Duck)
----------------------------------------
STR 14 CON 11 SIZ 18 INT 12
EDU 10 DEX 8 APP 11 HP 15
Environment Suit 50%, First Aid 60%, Ground Tactics 34%, Map 30%,
Observation 50%, Sneak 39%, Survival 50%,, Handweapon 90%, other
combat skills about 70%.
He's a soldier. His nickname came from an old injury which left him
with a cyberleg prosthesis. He lost his left leg due to a grenade.
His face shows still the scares. The new leg is well working. It
contains a secret niche (but no other mad stuff like inlet flame
throwers. Humid weather always starts the old wound hurting again.
He takes drugs against the pain, and has started to take them as a
precaution as well. He's a pitiless fighter who lives by the proverb
about not letting a possible enemy at his back.
Alisha Jonson (Nick: John Doe)
----------------------------------------
STR 16 CON 11 SIZ 15 INT 18
EDU 12 DEX 11 APP 13 HP 13
Act 60%, Climbing 60%, Forgery 45%, Liaison 50%, Persuasion 60%,
Robotics 60%, Willpower 50%, Handweapon 60%.
Alisha met Pekul and his crew at a mining outpost. She's a very self
confident person who likes to be alone. She joined the others because
it fits her plans (Which are up to the gamemaster). She's 27 years
old and very attractive for all men (or women) who likes slender but
well parted figure and red hair. She's also a little bit mysterious.
Her nickname came from the fact that she revealed her name only
lately. Optional: She has the PSI ability to feel emotions. That
makes her able to understand most people.
Kate Mylene (Nick: Red Shoe)
----------------------------------------
STR 9 CON 12 SIZ 15 INT 14
EDU 10 DEX 9 APP 13 HP 14
Art (singing & performing) 75%, Music (Composing) 55%, Martial Arts
50%, Handgun 58%.
She was a singer and entertainer, who jointed the crew because of
Andreas. But, it wasn't more than a short affair. She saw through
him quickly. Now, their relation is colder. Her nickname came from
the title of her last song. She's 25, medium sized and has a pale
skin. Dreaming of money and fame, she's now a pirate. And, she tries
to be a good pirate, whatever that means. After the flop with Andy,
she built emotional defense walls around herself. She's currently not
interested in men. It's part of being a cool pirate, she tries to
persuade herself.
Andreas Dehio (Nick: Andy)
----------------------------------------
STR 13 CON 12 SIZ 8 INT 14
EDU 10 DEX 15 APP 11 HP 10
Bargain 50%, Dance 50%, Dodge 60%, Environment Suit 30%, Fast Talk
60%, Intrusion 50%, Listen 46%, Pickpocket 76%, Stealth 54%, Survival
45%, Handweapon 70%.
He's very good looking and he knows that. He likes himself. He has
good manners, is always wearing fine clothes, tries to keep constantly
clean and looks down to people who behave poorly. Let's call him a
show-off.
Jack Novora (Nick: Picard)
----------------------------------------
STR 14 CON 10 SIZ 13 INT 15
EDU 11 DEX 9 APP 12 HP 12
Willpower 45%, Handweapon 80%, other combat skills 60%.
He's a very ambitious 35 years old men. He's from an isolated colony,
less than average educated, but quite intelligent and determined. He
likes the idea of leading the crew instead of Pekul, because the
captain is sometimes too weak or too tempered. He's a killer who
likes to kill. And, he can be very friendly, falsely.
Al Horston (m, Nick: Qualle)
Fermax (m, Nick: Tiger)
Andrew Zhong (m, Nick: Andrew)
Gudrun Simic (f, Nick: Princess)
Otto Dezin (m, Nick: Gunner)
Sam Hagakapa (f, Nick: Sam)
Tokita Toladam (m, Nick: Toto)
Walter Holtorf (m, Nick: Ada)
----------------------------------------
STR 12 CON 13 SIZ 13 INT 12
EDU 10 DEX 14 APP 12 HP 13
Some more crew members. (m means male, f means female) All details
are up to the master. The statistics are an average template. These
are the more common people, with less striking ideas or habits. Or,
maybe they're only hiding them better.
The story
========================================
Jack Novora, Andreas Dehio and Kate Mylene are the three pirates who I
would suggest you let board the ALGOL. Jack is a bastard, Nice Andy a
show-off and Kate is a reserved women. The last two could perhaps
become fellows.
They will wear bright blue painted PPPs (Plastik Plattenpanzer by
Neumann Waffentechnik mega corp or PPA = plastic plate armor) which
has a damage resistance of 8. An airtight version is also available,
but this version is only equipped with short range communication,
infra red vision and a heads up display. It's a full body armor
consisting of an respiration system that holds the dura-plast armor
segments. The attackers are also equipped with some assault rifles
(also by Neumann Waffentechnik), an automatic pistol and a survival
knife. Each of them carries 4 magazines (each 25 rounds) for the
rifle and 2 magazines (10 rounds) for the pistol. (The decision
whether these are energy or conventional projectile weapons is up to
the gamemaster -- both kill, so why bother?)
The Algol will crash on Spavjix/4, an earth-like world, near the
equator at the coast of a jungle-like rain forest. The Algol is
slightly streamlined, so if the right entry angle is computed, the
ship won't break if it is hitting the ocean and sledging toward coast
land. The artificial gravity aboard (and the shields if such a device
is available) will dampen most of the effects. If the outer hull does
not break, a hard landing is possible.
"Where are we?" is likely the first question. Outer cameras only show
a thick green jungle. But, air is breathable and gravity is about
0.94g. Who will start an expedition? There are still two interested
groups aboard. Will the pirates try to hold the situation and wait
for rescue? Will rescue by the Drake come? Will the pirates offer
cooperation? Can they persuaded to do so? What are the reactions of
the other NPCs? The world isn't inhabited by people who use radio
communication, but is it inhabited by sentient being at all? Where
could the needed replacement for the ship be found?
The Tiseeki
----------------------------------------
The Tiseeki are the native sentient being of Spavjix/4. They resemble
1.3m Pteranodon-like reptiles (a mixed bird- and bat-like thing) with
a 3m wingspan. The GURPS Bestiary (2nd Ed) as a nice picture of such
a creature at page 43.
Char. Roll Averages
STR 2D6 7
CON 2D6+1 8
SIZ 1D6+6 9-10
DEX 2D6+3 10
INT 1*
Armor: 1 point
Weapons: Claws 30%, 1D6 (add db only if attacking from high above)
Bite 30%, 1D4 (+db/2)
* About one dozen (one family) of creatures share one common mind.
Add their INT to get the INT of this mind. All beings suffer from the
death of one of their family, becoming mentally stunned until a roll
under the new common INTx5 successes.
1D20 Hit location Hit points per location (HL)
1-2 right leg HP x 0.25
3-4 left leg HP x 0.25
5-10 body HP x 0.40
11-14 right wing HP x 0.25
15-18 left wing HP x 0.25
19-20 head HP x 0.33
The Tiseeki live at a very primitive tech level, but they know fire,
simple weapons like stones (to drop from above) and short spears, and
some tools. They build nests in high trees, but live on the ground,
too. Their communication is inaudible to humans and all members of a
shared mind remain in permanent contact. They have a second language
for inter-family communication that is hearable, slower and learnable
for humans.
About 100 Tiseeki will fly towards the ALGOL, or the explorers, if the
decide to leave soon. They will try to communicate with the big bird
fallen from the sky. They will accept the ship, or the humans
(there's no difference for the Tiseeki), as god. Let the player enjoy
this for a while. Communication can finally be established with the
help of the sophisticated Algol on-board computer. The god (all
humans are of course _the_ god -- in fact, it's the computer, who
speaks, so he's the god, but to delve into the mind of the Tiseeki is
left as exercise for the reader) will be invited into their village,
where about 200 minds are living. Yes, there are more villages like
this one.
The ruler (which is elected every 3 years by the eldest minds, what
means, adding together all live spans and comparing the sums) will
introduce the players to all important minds like the priests, the
knowledge maintainers, the hunters and the warriors. The players will
notice, that the rulers all wear decoration, that resemble
electronics! (Gifts by the god, the ruler will say.) The players
will be shown the holy caves where they should live (it's a "very
nice" uncomfortably moist and dark cavern) and where wand painting
show the history (more the real life of the Tiseeki, things like
hunting big animals or a death ceremony) and the first visit of the
god, a meteoroid or ships, coming down to the top of a big mountain.
The ruler says they've awaiting the god, because there is a big
problem that he (meaning the players) has to solve. If he does not,
the ruler may mention, perhaps the suspicions of the priests are true,
and he isn't a god and has to be killed because he has seen the holy
cave.
The problem is called Moogreenii, a cruel beast living at the top of
the big mountain (one native says that he also has eaten the first
god, but that's information that the ruler will not tell at the
beginning, and it's not true anyway). Yes it's the same mountain as
in the picture.
It should be easy for the players to take the glider and fly to the
mountain. Maybe they need half a day, because the guide can't fly so
fast and he (a priest) will under no circumstances enter the vehicle
of the god.
The problem is, you may already guess, that the Moogreenii isn't _the_
Moogreenii but a whole race of dangerous animal. We'll learn more
about in the next article, if you like.
Btw, the Tiseeki reproduce by laying eggs. They've three sexes (male,
female and other). The last are infertile, the first two "make it
possible" for the female Tiseeki to lay the eggs. Each nest of each
family always holds eggs, the children. Each mind (family) has about
2D6+5 members and 1D6 eggs. A child becomes an adult in about 4
month.
Spavjix/4 has four large continents. Two of them are only parted by a
small ocean that has been crossed by the Tiseeki long ago. So, both
are habitated by tribes of Tiseeki. Maybe the tribes of Tiseeki the
players have meet is an average examples of this culture, or maybe
these are primitive coast dwellers and in the core of the continent
exist greater empires. The northern continent (the third) has no
forest but wide steppes, a lot of mountains, and the weather is much
colder. The fourth continent is a big desert.
----------schnipp----------
bye.
--
Stefan Matthias Aust // ...and they told us, what they wanted
// was a sound that could kill someone...
--------------------
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