Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
Chaosium Digest Volume 23 Number 02
Chaosium Digest Volume 23, Number 2
Date: Sunday, February 1, 1998
Number: 1 of 1
Contents:
Temporary Insanity in Combat (Ricardo Mendez) CALL OF CTHULHU
Investigators as Tome Authors (Cry.Sys) CALL OF CTHULHU
Indiana Jones for CoC (Vidal & Stone) CALL OF CTHULHU
Announcement: Glorantha Con 7 (Chaosium) MISC
This week, a trio of Call of Cthulhu related articles as well as an
announcement of the upcoming Glorantha Con 7.
A note for Bay Area readers: Almost everyone from Chaosium will be at
DunDraCon at some point over the DunDraCon weekend (that's
Feb. 13-16). I'll be there one of the two weekend days,, helping to
man the Chaosium booth, so stop by and say hi. Check out
www.dundracon.com for info on Chaosim's seminars (two on Saturday),
games, and more.
Shannon
NEW ELECTRONIC RESOURCES:
Glorantha Online
http://www.glorantha.com
This is *the* official Issaries, Inc. site for Glorantha. You'll find
introductory material, the Lhankor Mhy Library, product listings,
plans for the future, the Greg Sez pages--written by Greg Stafford
himself--and more. This site will updated monthly with new material
from Greg Stafford. Watch for the first update sometime Monday.
--------------------
From: <ricardo@tecapro.com>
Subject: Temporary Insanity in Combat
System: Call of Cthulhu
In several cases, the characters will go temporarily insane during
combat. In our group, that has been a source for severes differences.
What does an insane character do while fighting? Does he sit around
and drool, or does he shoot away like crazy?
To try to overcome that problem, I worked out the following table.
Why should you use a random table for insanity? Simply put, in a case
of temporary insanity in combat where a character's life might hinge
on the outcome, your players will feel better if they don't feel it
was your decision or fault that they died but when they can blame it
on their bad luck instead.
Please send any comments to ricardo@tecapro.com
01-05 Disgust and repugnance. The character won't be able to face the
object of his insanity for the period of time, not even to fight
it. If cornered by the cause of the insanity, he will defend
himself by all means, but not in any other cases. If the source
of the insanity cannot be identified by the character (if, for
example, it was the result of a spell and he didn't see the caster
or couldn't figure it out), he will loathe the nearest threat.
06-19 Irrational fear. The character will do anything in his power to
get what he perceive to be a threat away from him, which might
include throwing his partners at the creatures or charge madly
toward the source of his fear in an attempt to break through the
only door in a room.
All gun, shotgun, machinegun, etc. skills are lowered by 5% for
the insanity period.
20-35 Violence. The character will react violently to anything and
everything that approaches him, especially the source of his
insanity (if identifiable) or anything weird that appears. The
character feels that the source of the insanity must be
eliminated at all cost. If the source is not identified, the
nearest threat will be eliminated, along with anything that
tries to stop him.
36-59 Random attacks. For the insanity period, the character will
attack randomly in different directions. Roll 1d8 for the
directions the character is facing when he attacks.
Front
8 1 2
\ | /
\ | /
Right 7 --- Char. --- 3 Left
/ | \
/ | \
6 5 4
Back
Of course, it helps to know where the other characters are
located.
All attacking abilities except direct attacks (punch, etc.) are
reduced by 15%. If shooting, the character won't have the
presence of mind to re-load. It that case, it is possible that
the empty weapon will be used as a small club.
Also, every round there is a cumulative 5% that the character
will stop attacking and start behaving as in the point titled
"Madness" (60-94)
60-94 Madness. The character will not recognize his surroundings, nor
anyone else, and might wander off aimlessly if possible. He will
defend himself if attacked, although not with guns or any other
weapon more complex than a club or knife. If the character has
a gun, there is a good chance that it will be used as a small club.
95-00 Catatonia. The character just sits there, without reacting, even
if attacked or struck. A sure track to hell.
Ricardo J. Mendez
http://www.TecApro.com/ mailto:ricardo@tecapro.com
--------------------
From: Hamdula@neosoft.com
Subject: Investigators as Tome Authors
System: Call of Cthulhu
Investigators as Tome Authors
By Cry.Sys
I came across an interesting problem the other day with my
investigators. One is sitting in the hospital with nothing to do, so
he told me he was gonna start writing down all he knew about the
Cthulhu Mythos, to make a tome to pass on to other fellow
investigators. I thought this over and came up with a few ideas:
(1) Cthulhu Mythos - There should be some sort of limitation on the
amount of Cthulhu Mythos skill one can put into a tome they are
writing. I chose EDU for the max amount of Cthulhu Mythos one can put
in. To write the book and impart the knowledge I had the investigator
roll a successfull Cthulhu Mythos.
(2) Other Skills - In the _Keeper's Compendium_ more than just Mythos
and spells are in books. If you read a book, you could get a skill
check for some skills, like Occult or Astronomy. I allowed the
investigator these too if he made a successfull skill roll for the
skills he wanted to impart into the book.
(3) SAN - Sanity loss is an important part of every mythos tome. The
best idea I had for this was comparing the total amount of Mythos
skill in a book to the rulebook's section on mythos tomes. If I could
match up a book with the same amount of mythos skill gained, I used
that amount of SAN loss.
(4) Spells - Another important part of a mythos tome is its spells. I
simply allowed the investigator to put any spells he knew in the tome.
(5) Amount of time to write- Mythos tomes are often quite long. I
suggest that for every +2 Cthulhu Mythos Skill or Spell in the book it
takes 1d6 months to write. For example: A tome with +6 Cthulhu Mythos
and 3 spells takes 6d6 months to write.
(6) Amount of time to read - I just used the same amount of time it
took to write. See above.
In conclusion, I think this is a fairly good way for an investigator
to write a mythos tome. I'm interested on any suggestions to the
system, so feel free to email them.
--------------------
From: John-Mark Vidal & Dany St Stone <carnifex@globetrotter.qc.ca>
Subject: Indiana Jones for CoC
System : Call of Cthulhu
Indiana Jones for Call of Cthulhu
By John-Mark Vidal & Dany St Stone
INDIANA JONES' CHARACTER SHEET
STR: 16 DEX: 20 INT: 18 Idea: 90%
CON: 18 APP: 15 POW: 18 Luck: 90%
SIZ: 16 SAN: 99 EDU: 20 Know: 100%
Magic Points: 18
Hit Points: 17
Sanity Points: 75
Damage Bonus: +1d4
Weapons: Head Butt 50%, damage 1d4+1d4
Kick 50%, damage 1d6+1d4
Fist 80%, damage 1d3+1d4
Wrestling 50%, damage special
Baseball Bat 50%, damage 1d8+1d4
Saber 50%, damage 1d8+1+1d4
Knife 50%, damage 1d4+2+1d4
Whip 90%, damage 1d3+entangle
Handgun 50%, damage varies
Rifle 50%, damage varies
Submachinegun 50%, damage varies
Skills: Anthropology 60%, Archaeology 80%, Astronomy 25%, Bargain 30%,
Botany 45%, Cartography 60%, Chemistery 25%, Climb 60%, Conceal 25%,
Diagnose Disease 40%, Dodge 60%, Drive Auto: 70%, Electrical Repair
30%, Fast Talk 50%, First Aid 60%, Geology 55% Hide 70%, History 70%,
Jump 60%, Library Use 80%, Mech. Repair 40%, Op. Hvy. Machinery 30%,
Oratory 50%, Law 40%, Linguistic 30%, Listen 45%, Occultism 25%,
Persuade 60%, Pharmacy 25%, Photography 25%, Psychology 50%, Sneak
50%, Spot Hidden 90%, Swim 65%, Throw 65%, Tracking 50%, Zoology 25%.
The strong point of Indiana Jones is his ability to exit unharmed from
the most harmful situations. He is not, nevertheless, a superman: if
he can confront and conquer his numerous adversaries it is thanks to
his luck more than physical force. Nevertheless, his physical
qualities are not negligible. Indy is a complete athlete, as shown in
his scores for SIZ and STR. But it is his CON that has to retain our
attention... Thanks to it, Indy has often escaped from the claws of
the death: contrarily to an ordinary player character, Indy does not
recuperate a hit point per day, but rather one every hour of rest,
which means that in 24 hours, he can recover from his injuries and
resume his adventures. More, Indy does not collapse before his hit
points to 0 or below. Even in this case, Indiana Jones is not dead but
resting in a deep coma. He recuperates 1 "negative" hit point every 3
hours, even if it is to -10.
Example: Indiana Jones is machine-gunned in his apartment. He is left
for dead at -7 hit points. Indy heals, and 24 hours later, he has the
force to crawl to the telephone to call a physician. But, in order for
this resurrection to be possible, it is necessary that circumstances
be right: if Indy is abandoned in this state at the North Pole or in
the Sahara at noon, he will remain death. Similarly, if he is
pulverized by a bomb or crushed by a trailer, you can consider him
dead if his hit points becomes negative.
The DEX of Indiana Jones, also is exceptional, giving him 60% in
DODGE. It allows it to avoid arms such that javelins, arrows, and even
bullets from a guns (at -20%). On the other hand, do not forget that
Indy is an academic (the doctor Jones), what explains his scores
in INT and EDU.
Indy also possesses a remarkable capacity for adaptation. He can reach
a score of up to 25% in a skill that he did not previously know
provided that he possesses some other skill that is vaguely related,
provided he makes a roll in that other skill.
Example: Fleeing the bad guy, Indy seizes a plane and decides to pilot
it to escape. He has no skill in Pilot Plane (0%), but has a 70% skill
in Drive Automobile. If he succeeds at his Drive Automobile skill he
benefits from a quarter of its percentage to Pilot Plane (ie,
17%). Thanks to luck, if dice rolls are not catastophic, Indy can
pilot the plane high into the sky, and then land it without damage.
This ability of adaptation explains Indy's prodigious gift for
languages. Indiana Jones speaks all major languages (English, French,
Spanish, German, Russian, etc) to 50 % at least, as well as a great
numbers of small dialects, following the needs of the scenario. In
general, after 48 hours of constant exposure to a language, Indy
already knows the rudiments.
--------------------
From: Chaosium Inc. <chaosium@chaosium.com>
Subject: Announcement: Glorantha Con 7
System: Misc
Issaries Inc.
in association with
Gamex
presents
Glorantha Con 7
May 22-25, 1998
LAX Wyndham Hotel
Los Angeles, California
Watch for updates on:
http://www.glorantha.com
** GUESTS OF HONOR
Robin Laws - Author, Glorantha The Roleplaying Game
Greg Stafford - Creator of Glorantha
** SCHEDULED EVENTS
SEMINARS
Robin Laws: Discusses GtRPG, "Things I learned about Glorantha writing the RPG"
Jeff Richards: Secrets of the Orlanthi - Revealed!
Greg Stafford: What is Mythology, Mythology of the Red Moon, Stafford Reads
OTHER EVENTS
Live Action Trollball
Storytelling
GAMES
Glorantha Roleplaying
The new Glorantha the Roleplaying Game will be unveiled at Glorantha
Con 7! We will be running sessions of the new game every day to
ensure that everyone gets a chance to see the new mechanics in
action.
Three Heads are Better than One: Holy Week in the Temple of Thanatar
James B. Chapin
A 40 player LARP. It's High Holy Day in Knocksberry. Well, if you
worship Thanatar, the Severed God, it is. There's quite a
celebration, and lots to prepare: food, drink... and did you
remember to bring the sacrifices? Join gentle headhunters and mad
diplomats, savage prisoners and friendly head ghosts, for intrigue,
heroics, and violent dismemberment. Parental Guidance recommended.
** CONVENTION REGISTRATION
Preregistration is $27.50 through May 1, 1998. Checks and money
orders must be in U.S. funds and should be made out to "Strategicon."
Please mail them to:
GloranthaCon c/o Janice Sellers
Chaosium, Inc.
950 56th St.
Oakland, CA 94608
Hotel Information
The convention will take place at the LAX Wyndham Hotel, 6225
W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045; (310) 670-9000. Room
reservations must be made directly with the Wyndham. The convention
room rate is $84 (plus taxes)/night for a single, double, triple, or
quad. The cut-off date for this rate is May 8, 1998.
The Wyndham runs a free shuttle between the hotel and
L.A. International Airport.
For those driving, parking at the hotel is $6/day ($9 for valet
parking) with convention validation, and free (but still $9/day for
valet parking) for hotel guests.
** EVENT SUBMISSION
Forms for seminars, events, and game submission follow. Email
addresses they should be sent to are listed.
Seminars - We are looking for lectures, panels, debates or any other
form of seminar for the edification of the convention members.
Events - We are already planning on having Live-action Trollball and a
Storytelling session, but can use other non-game and non-seminar
events.
Games - We need Gamemasters to run games, We prefer Glorantha-specific
games, in any system; Miniatures, Runequest, Gurps, etc.
Gloranth the Roleplaying Game - We are looking for experienced
Glornathan GMs to run sessions of the new Glorantha the RPG. GtRPG
gamemasters will play a game with Robin as he explains the rules, and
will be expected to run one or two games (scenario provided) at
GloranthaCon. Priority for GMs will be for experienced Glorantha GMs
who plan to attend Origins and/or GenCon.
--Begin Seminar Form: Cut Here--
Yes! I'd like to run Seminar
Send to: Roderick_J_Robertson@ccm.sc.intel.com
Your Name:
Email Address:
Address:
Phone Number:
Seminar name:
Subject:
Format (Panel discussion, lecture, free-for-all, etc.):
Description (for the convention book):
Length:
Preferred time:
Preferred Room size/Table configuration:
Other equipment needed (A/V, Whiteboard, etc.)
Notes:
--Begin Seminar Form: Cut Here--
--Begin Game Form: Cut Here--
Yes! I'd like to run a game
Send to: Roderick_J_Robertson@ccm.sc.intel.com
Your Name:
Email Address:
Address:
Phone Number:
Game Name:
System:
Type of Game (Roleplaying, Miniatures, Card, Board, other):
No. of Players:
Characters/Figures/etc. provided (Yes, No, Can be):
Description (For the convention book):
Game Length:
Preferred time:
Preferred room/table size:
Notes:
--End Game Form: Cut Here--
--Begin Event Form: Cut Here--
Yes! I'd like to run an Event
Send to: Roderick_J_Robertson@ccm.sc.intel.com
Your Name:
Email Address:
Address:
Phone Number:
Event name:
Subject:
Format:
Description (for the convention book):
Length:
Preferred time:
Preferred Room size/Table configuration:
Other equipment needed (A/V, heating pads, etc.)
Notes:
--End Event Form: Cut Here--
--Begin GtRPG Form: cut here --
Yes! I'm an experienced Glorantha GM
Send to: Janice@chaosium.com
or:
GloranthaCon c/o Janice Sellers
Chaosium, Inc.
950 56th St.
Oakland, CA 94608
Your Name:
Email Address:
Address:
Phone Number:
Are you an Experienced Glorantha GM?
Are you planning to attend Origins and/or Gencon?
--End GtRPG Form: cut here --
--
