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Chaosium Digest Volume 23 Number 06
Chaosium Digest Volume 23, Number 6
Date: Sunday, March 1, 1998
Number: 1 of 4
Contents:
My Cultist is a Monster (Guy Hail) MYTHOS
I Look Like What? (Guy Hail) MYTHOS
When Iatrophobia Can be Cured (Guy Hail) MYTHOS
Dominate (Guy Hail) MYTHOS
The Black Ziggurat, Part One (Cry.Sys) CALL OF CTHULHU
Editor's Note:
Welcome back to the Chaosium Digest. This week, a big issue. Starting
off in V23.6 I've got four Mythos strategy articles by Guy Hail,
followed up by part one of a short Cthulhu campaign set in the
Amazon. Over in V23.7 you'll find a cool article expanding on the
capabilities of Spawn of Tsathoggua as well as the rest of that Amazon
campaign. Then, in V23.8 and V23.9 you'll find the second adventure in
the French Nephilim campaign that also ran in V23.4 to V23.5 (see the
former for notes about its pecularities).
Also, I'd like to plug a few online conferences coming up. These news
items are drawn from the R'lyeh Report.
GREG STAFFORD UNLEASHED: This month's regular AOL conference will
feature special guest host Greg Stafford, the founder of Chaosium
and the creator of Glorantha. This is your chance to ask him exactly
where the Brithini went, and what precisely did happen when Arkat
and Gbaji fought. Conference is on March 24 at 7pm PT/10pm ET in the
OGF on AOL. Sorry, AOL members only, but a transcript of the
conference will be posted to www.glorantha.com some time in April.
CHAOSIUM INTERNET CONFERENCE: And, just because we don't want AOL
users to have all the fun, Chaosium editor Shannon Appel will be
hosting an internet chat on March 9 at 6pm PT/9pm ET. You can join
it by logging on to http://www.worldwithoutborders.com. He'll be
happy to tell you about our upcoming plans or answer any other
questions you might have. Stop by the site early to set up a chat
login (it just takes a minute or two).
(To subscribe to the montly R'lyeh Report send the message "subscribe
chaos-info" in the body of a message to majordomo@chaosium.com)
And that should do it for this week. Expect another special digest
next week with part three of the French Nephilim campaign, and then
the regular digest again the week after. I've still got a few articles
waiting to be posted (Mythos strategy, starting CoC adventures, and
Agaratha for Nephilim), but they should all be cleared out in the next
regular issue, so send those articles in!
Shannon
RECENT RELEASES:
* Call of Cthulhu - _The Complete Pegana_ (Chaosium, 256 pg., $12.95),
by Lord Dunsany, is a classic collection of fantasy that has never
before been brought together in its entirity. Here you will find
Dunsany's first two collections, _The Gods of Pegana_ and _Time and
the Gods_, as well as a set of three stories known as "Beyond the
Fields We Know". Together these stories comprise everything Dunsany
ever wrote about the fantasy-world of Pegana, the stories which very
directly influenced Lovecraft's own Dreamlands tales.
RECENT BOOKS OF NOTE:
Two interesting comics out in the last few weeks, both adaptations of
Lovecraft stories.
* Call of Cthulhu - _The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath #2_ (Mock Man
Press, 24 pg., $2.95) is the second of five parts adapting
Lovecraft's classic Dreamlands novel. The first was out around
three months ago, but I managed to miss it. This issue is a very
nice adaptation with good art. Check out Jason Thompson's web site
at http://www.sonic.net/~jason for complete info. You can even get a
five-issue subscription so you don't have to worry about tracking
down the individual issues.
_The Worlds of H.P. Lovecraft: Beyond the Wall of Sleep_ (Caliber
Comics/Tome Press, 32 pg., $2.95) is actually a reprint of a comic
put out by Adventure Comics back in 1992. The original was in
color, and this reprint is in black and white, and the artwork
suffers as a result (as opposed to the Dream-Quest, above, which is
also in black-and-white, but was planned for that form, and thus can
take better advantage of it). This comic is part of a series of
adaptations that Steve Jones has been producing over the last six
years, first for Adventure Comics, then Caliber Press, now the Tome
Press imprint. Some are direct adaptations of Lovecraftian stories,
while others have been "modernized" in various odd ways. If you
don't have the original Adventure comic, this reprint is suggested
(I'm missing half of the Adventure run, and plan to pick those up in
these black and white reprints). You can find info on Caliber's
Lovecraft comics, including many back issues, at
http://www.calibercomics.com
I also hear word that White Wolf's _Kane of Old Mars_ is out, but
haven't seen it yet. More on that in a week or two.
RECENT MAGAZINE SIGHTINGS:
* Call of Cthulhu - "Call of Computer", by Joshua Marquart, is a
12-page Paranoia adventure with a Cthulhu Mythos background. Can you
say Kath-U-LHU? Go, buy three copies of this issue, and then write
letters to SJG demanding more. Pyramid #28 [Nov/Dec, 1997].
--------------------
From: <GRHail@aol.com>
Subject: My Cultist is a Monster
System: Mythos
My Cultist is a Monster
Of all the Allies only Cultists may be played to the threat without
using an Artifact, Event, or Spell. In all editions up to and
including Dreamlands, all Cultists are also Corrupt, and this causes
some confusion. Only Cultists may be played to the threat. Not Corrupt
Friends, Corrupt Undertakers, or any other Corrupt Ally.
A Corrupt Cultist should be played to the threat when the chance is
good that that the Corrupt Cultist may be discarded by Spells, Events,
Monsters or some combination of these. No one who plays a unique
Corrupt Cultist, for example, any Whateley, Brewster, Marsh, or Scott,
who is neccessary for an Adventure, can expect that Ally to remain in
play for long.
But to play a Corrupt Cultist to the threat requires more than play of
it as an Ally. While normally an Ally card, if played to the threat,
the cultist becomes a Monster card. Play of a Monster requires a
gate. Play of a Corrupt Cultist requires a gate in the region and
sub-region where the Cultist may be found. For example, a Boston
Corrupt Cultist (John Scott) may be played only at gate Locations in
Boston in Lovecraft Country.
Certain special combination allow exceptions to this limited play. Any
means of adding a Gate Attribute to a Train would permit play of a
Corrupt Cultist at the Train's gate, provided the Corrupt Cultist
could be played in the current region.
* * *
G R Hail
grhail@aol.com
--------------------
From: <GRHail@aol.com>
Subject: I Look Like What?
System: Mythos
I LOOK LIKE WHAT?
Using the Innsmouth Look
Play the Innsmouth Look upon armed Allies, especially Allies armed
with large weapons (+3 or greater), since the owners of these Allies
will be counting on them in defense, and upon Allies whose abilities
are necessary for play of other cards in their owner's hand (for
example, moving William Channing Webb to the Threat prevents him from
translating Eltdown Shards; moving Wilbur Whateley to the Threat
prevents him from burying Tomes, etc.).
In practice I've seen players use Innsmouth Look only against an
opponent's weak Allies, because that Ally is likely to be directed
against the player of the Innsmouth Look card.
When an Ally is moved to the Threat, it becomes a Lesser Independent
Monster. If before playing the Innsmouth Look, the Circles of Thaol
Spell is played to a Tome or an Ally, then the Spell may be used to
re-direct the converted Ally to attack the player of one's
choice. Since this will occur during the Spells & Artifacts phase of
combat, it is too late for the opponent of the newly-directed threat
to place Allies in defense. A nine-point Ally (Raymond Legrasse +
Dynamite) converted into a Lesser Independent Monster, then
re-directed at the victim of one's choice is an inexpensive, surpising
and devastating attack.
This fails on Living Dead Allies, however, whose type is not converted
to Lesser Independent, but Living Dead can be controlled by the
Command the Dead spell.
If your opponents are like my opponents, some have the Chime of
Tezchaptl artifact, which permits the cancellation of a spell.
Cancelling Circles of Thaol would be catastrophic, if the
Ally-turned-Monster is aimed at one's self. The only tactic to beat
use of Chime of Tezchaptl during combat is deception. Use another
spell to tempt the owner of the Chime into using the Chime. For
example, use Sign of Eibon to bury the Ally-turned-Monster, or use
Wave of Oblivion to bury a Location. After the Chime is used, then
cast Circles of Thaol.
* * *
G R Hail
grhail@aol.com
--------------------
From: <GRHail@aol.com>
Subject: When Iatrophobia Can Be Cured
System: Mythos
When Iatrophobia Can Be Cured
Got Iatrophobia? Forget to include another way of burying phobias? It
happens. Halfway through deck-building, I say, "What was that church
for," or "I don't need this ally." Then during play - Iatrophobia. "So
what," you say, "It's not that bad." Then disaster strikes at the rate
of 1 Sanity point per turn when your Investigator unexpectedly suffers
from Claustrophobia and Iatrophobia. A simple solution can be found in
a card you probably already have in your deck, which is widely
available if you don't: The Tiara of Opulent Fantasy (MSGS).
The Tiara of Opulent Fantasy replaces all the attributes from one's
Current Location with the attributes of the target Location. Here's
the quote from Chaosium's card file on the Tiara:
The Tiara replaces your Current Location's attributes with those of
an opponent's Location. Attributes specifically include: the
Locational Attributes (listed under the card's Title), the Gate
Attribute (located in the top left corner), and the Public
Attributes (the icons running down the left margin). They
specifically do not include: Title, Dimensional Indicator, Region,
Subregion, Sanity Cost or Special Effect Box.
The Tiara does not change the special effects box of one's Current
Location. It is the special effects box of a Sanitarium Location that
permits the curing of phobias.
The Iatrophobia Event says "You may not remove this Phobia at a
Sanitarium." Sanitarium is a Locational Attribute, which can be
replaced by using the Tiara. For example, by replacing the Locational
Attributes of Arkham Sanitarium (City, Sanitarium) with the Locational
Attributes of Arkham Mystical Supply (City, Business, Artifact), the
Arkham Sanitarium Location loses the Sanitarium Attribute but retains
its ability to cure phobias.
Note, however, that use of the Tiara, which costs one Sanity point, is
an action that uses one turn. A phobia could not be cured in the same
turn that the Tiara is used, but must wait until he next turn.
Similarly, if the Tiara is used to borrow the Tome or Artifact
attributes, a Tome or Artifact cannot be found until the next turn.
* * *
G R Hail
grhail@aol.com
--------------------
From: <GRHail@aol.com>
Subject: Dominate
System: Mythos
Dominate
(with a detour to the Tiara of Opulent Fantasy)
Dominate is similar to The Tiara of Opulent Fantasy, and is useful in
similar situations. First, an explanation of the Tiara of Opulent
Fantasy.
Use of Tiara of Opulent Fantasy replaces one card's attributes with
that of another. For example, if
* my Current Location is Penn Central Station, New York
* and Penn Central doesn't have the attributes I need
* and an opponent's Current Location is The Forgotten Crypt, Kingsport
then...
I use the Tiara of Opulent Fantasy to replace the attributes of Penn
Central with the attributes of The Forgotten Crypt, Kingsport. Penn
Central loses its attributes (City, Station, Gate, Water, Inside) and
gains the attributes of The Forgotten Crypt (City, Tomb, Underground,
Artifact, Water, Cemetery, Inside, Gate).
Note what is not replaced. Even after use of the Tiara of Opulent
Fantasy, my Current Location's title is still Penn Central. Its
subregion is still New York. Its region is still Lovecraft Country. My
Current Location still has the Gate attribute. If I'd already used the
Gate, the Tiara does not cause the gate to become un-used. Although
The Forgotten Crypt is a -1 Sanity Location, I do not lose Sanity.
Now that Penn Central has these attributes: City, Tomb, Underground,
Artifact, Water, Cemetery, Inside, Gate. I may
* walk to N'kai
* play an Artifact
* play a Ghoul as an Ally, if the Gate had not been used and if
Richard Upton Pickman (Corrupt Friend), whose special power permits
this, is in play.
* count Penn Central as an Artifact Location for the Interesting Shop
but I must still
* walk to Kingsport, because Penn Central is still in New York
* can't count Penn Central (one card) as a gate location is two
different cities, which would require two cards
Penn Central retains the attributes of The Forgotten Crypt until it is
no longer my Current Location, even if my opponent leaves the
Forgotten Crypt for another Location.
Dominate (you were wondering when I'd get back to this) is similar to
the Tiara of Opulent Fantasy. Cast Dominate to replace one own's Ally
with the Ally of an opponent. Unlike the Tiara of Opulent Fantasy,
however, Dominate acts as if one's own Ally Card were replaced with
the Opponent's Ally card (no actual cards are moved, however).
It's worth reviewing Chaosium's erratum to this card. Here is what the
special effects box should say: It reads "Replace the languages and
card benefits of one of your Allies with the target Ally's languages
and card benefits, for as long as your Ally remains in play. Flip
target Ally."
Note that the words "one use" from the original card are absent! The
transfer by Dominate, like that of the Tiara of Opulent Fantasy, is
retained until the transformed Ally card is buried.
I have Robert Harrison Blake in play (1, Steadfast Artist, Knows
English, +1 Sanity, Providence, Lovecraft Country, no special
effects). An opponent plays Wilbur Whateley (3, Corrupt Cultist, Knows
English, Dunwich, Lovecraft Country, bury Tome special effect). During
my turn, I cast Dominate on Wilbur Whateley, transferring his benefits
to Robert Harrison Blake.
I may
* bury my Wilbur Whateley to bury a Tome
* play an adventure that requires Wilbur Whateley
* play an adventure that requires a Corrupt Cultist
* play an adventure that requires a Dunwich Ally
* defend with Wilburized Robert Harrison Blake as a 3 point ally
I may not
* use the artist Robert Harrison Blake to fulfill and adventure's
requirements, because his new title is Wilbur Whateley
* count the artist Robert Harrison Blake as a Providence Ally, because
Wilbur Whateley is from Dunwich
Robert Harrison Blake does not regain his natural attributes until he
is buried in my Story Deck. He will retain his Wilbur Whateley
attributes as long as Robert Harrison Blake is in play, regardless of
what happens to my opponent's natural Wilbur Whateley.
Instead of Wilbur Whateley, imagine that I replace Robert Harrison
Blake with Abdul Alhazrad (3, Corrupt Cultist, knows Arabic &
Hyperborean), Middle East Past, Middle East, Can know any two spells).
When the artist Robert Harrison Blake is replaced through use of
Dominate by Abdul Alhazrad, I may use Robert Harrison Blake
* as a Corrupt Cultist
* as a 3 point Ally
* as a translator of Arabic or Hyperborean Tomes
* as a receptacle for two spells
* as a Middle Eastern Ally
* as an Ally from the Past
Robert Harrison Blake retains these fantastic powers until he is buried.
There is no reason why Dominate (-2, Cthulhu) shouldn't be in every
deck, either placed in an Ally or Artifact that can know spells, or in
the Necronomicon, Dee Edition (English), an easy-to-translate Tome.
* * *
G R Hail
grhail@aol.com
--------------------
From: Hamdula@neosoft.com
Subject: The Black Ziggurat, Part One
System: Call of Cthulhu
The Black Ziggurat
By Cry.Sys
CONTENTS
In V23.6:
1. Keeper Info
2. Player Info
3. Part One: Arrival at Manaus
4. Image: The Mary Kay
5. Part Two: The Mouth of the Maidira
In V23.7:
6. Part Three: Down the Maidira
7. Image: The Campground
8. Image: The Statue
9. Part Four: The Canuma River and the Naki
10. Image: Good Naki Soup
11. Part Five: The Acari River and Sabotage
12. Image: Power Statue
13. Part Six: Danku Village and the Escape
14. Image: Danku Village
15. Part Seven: An Unlikely Ally
16. Part Eight: The Black Ziggurat
17. Author's Words
18. Stats
KEEPER'S INFO
Evil's up to no good in South America. A Lesser Outer God known as
Naaganaaga has gained sentience. It thinks earth would make a perfect
place for its paradise. However, in its mind paradise is a scorched
wasteland of a planet.
Naaganaaga formed a plan and has contacted a tribe that lives in the
Amaszon Basin by affecting their dreams. The tribe is descended from
the Tcho-Tchos, but is known as the Danku tribe. Their only settlement
is a small town on the Acari River, a location uncharted in the
1920's. The Dankus have started to pave the way for opening a gateway
for Naaganaaga to enter onto Earth by building a huge black ziggurat
in the deep jungle. In return, the tribe's genetic structure will be
changed so they can survive on Naaganaaga's paradise.
Once Naaganaaga arrives on Earth, it will start a huge atomic blast,
and the remaining fires will destroy the rainforest. This will result
in many problems for humanity, like less oxygen in years to come, more
pollution, and a radioactive Amazon Basin. That is the first step in
its plan to bring humanity to their knees, and to bring in a new
paradise.
Lucky for mankind, a small expedition happens to be travelling down
the river that the Dankus live on. Its plan is to chart this unknown
land. The fate of the world depends on their efforts against the
tribe's ritual to summon Naaganaaga to Earth.
PLAYER INFO
This is what the players know so far:
* The players have donated funds to the expedition and, as a result,
secured themselves places on the steam boat.
* The expedition's purpose is to chart the little known Acari River.
* The expedition is led by two explorers: Capt Jack Horner and Mr.
Franklin Rivin.
* Horner is known for the acutely correct charts he has made in the
past of the Amazon River, and rumor says he's a alcoholic. He owns the
steam boat being used in the expedition, the Mary Kay.
* Rivin is known for his trips around the world, often for hunting big
game. As he is getting older, he has started to turn to just exploring
and charting.
* The plan is as follows: The party will arrive by plane at Manaus,
where equipment will be loaded onto the steam boat, the Mary
Kay. Then, the boat will travel upstream to the mouth of the Maidira
River. From there, downstream to the mouth of the Canuma River. The
first tributary on the right is the opening to the Acari River.
PART ONE: ARRIVAL AT MANAUS
The investigators will arrive by plane at Manaus. Let them buy their
equipment in their hometown and make sure to warn them that they will
be cut off from civilization for a while. Charge them for porters and
such if they are carrying a lot or heavy equipment. Once the
investigators land and collect their gear, a few porters (if hired)
will help them carry their stuff from the primitive landing strip,
through town, and to the docks.
The town is not pretty, filled with poor in the streets; a faint
rotting smell follows on the air. The buildings are in a state of
disrepair and if a investigator has been to Innsmouth, it might remind
them of that place.
As the investigators pass through town, there is a 55% chance to get
spotted by a pickpocket in the marketplace. Many people will press up
against the investigators with open hands, begging. This is when the
pickpocket will strike, 45% chance of succeeding.
Unless the investigators pay the porters well, not cheating or
bargaining them down from their $5-a-porter price, a random porter may
run off with a investigators things. If you choose for this to happen,
roll a percentage for each. The investigator with the highest
percentage's porter breaks off in a run when the investigator gets
pressed on by beggers. If tracked, the porter will be found in a
alleyway, selling the items he doesn't want to keep.
When the investigators reach the docks, they will see the Mary Kay.
It is a 3 level steam boat, much like the one in the movie _Anaconda_
(a good movie to see this before running this campaign, as it has the
same mood as you want for this). The Captain is overseeing porters
move fuel, equipment, and other things into the hold. He will have
little time for the investigators at the moment, but he will have time
much later.
Rivin will probably be the one the investigators spoke to through
telegrams, so he will be awaiting their arrival. He will have their
gear put in the hold or the staterooms (Not much room in them for big
things) at their choice. Then, he will show them over the ship. On the
bridge is John, the first mate of the Captain. He will be checking
charts and maps for last minute course changes. He too will be busy,
but able to speak later. Once the tour is over, most of the porters
leave and everyone meets on the deck.
Now that everyone is on the deck, much mingling will go on. John will
hit on female investigators, Rivin will start up his pipe and talk
about the animals he has killed, and the Capt will tell about his
experiences on the Amazon River and cook up some soup on a heater on
the table. It's friendly all around and there is a lot of confidence
placed in the expedition's success.
Once fed and ready, the Captain will pull out of the docks and start
upstream.
PART TWO: THE MOUTH OF THE MAIDIRA
By nightfall, the Mary Kay reaches the mouth of the Maidira River.
Here, the Captain sets down the anchor and kills the engine. Dinner is
held on the deck, soup again. The Captain says that he's glad that
everyone could make it: "I'm glad you all could make it down here to
join the expedition. The last one that tried this river hasn't come
back yet, and we fear they could have been captured by natives. There
are rumors of headhunters, and they could have gotten the last
expedition, but I wouldn't place any truth in it. I've arranged for us
to meet up with some friends of mine. A tribe called the Naki, who ARE
headhunters, but they won't bother us since I've helped them
before. They are nomadic, and if anyone's interested in learning their
language, swing by the cabin for a few hours and I'll teach you while
I drive." (For sitting for half a day listening to the Capt rave on
about the language, investigators get 1d20+10% in Other Language:
Naki.)
At this point, there is a crash of lighting and rain begins pouring
down. All the NPCs decide to head off to bed after they finish eating
because "you're gonna need your energy for the trip." But, first mate
John suggests that the investigators "should stay on the deck to watch
the stars. Very clear out here under this sky." Should anyone happen
to leave shotgun shells out in the open, they get wet and will not be
useable used during the rest of the campaign.
That night a lone bunyip will climb up onto the deck for food. Down
stream the Hunting Horror that the Dankus have summoned and bound has
been eating bunyips and this one has decided to relocate. If
confronted, it will fight for a round or two, then try and run. Should
anyone happen to kill the creature, the body will fall over board,
sink, and be washed away to be eaten by the Hunting Horror. Of course
the NPCs will come up on deck just after it got away.
[continued in V23.7]
--
