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Chaosium Digest Volume 37 Number 08
Chaosium Digest Volume 37, Number 08
Date: Monday, Apr. 28, 2003
Number: 1 of 1
Contents:
* THE QUICK AND THE DEAD (CTHULHU)
by James D. Collins (collwood@harborside.com)
* THE YLL VIRUS (CTHULHU)
by James D. Collins (collwood@harborside.com)
Editor's Note:
Dave "Mechlord" has been selected as the winner of last quarter's Chaosium
Contest for his article "Creating the Right Atmosphere for Call of
Chthulhu." Great work!
This issue features two cool CoC articles by James D. Collins. "The Quick
and the Dead" offers a means of putting some cinema favorites into your
Cthulhu game, while "The Yll Virus" features a staple of the CoC genre, a
malevolent space virus.
Keep those submissions coming and enjoy the articles!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
* ALL HAIL THE REACHING MOON!
Sedenya delights in the opportunity
to teach the barbarians the glories of the Empire.
She blesses who reads this.
IMPERIAL LUNAR HANDBOOK, VOLUME 1: THE LUNAR EMPIRE
Issaries, Inc. is pleased to announce the release of Imperial Lunar
Handbook, Volume 1: The Lunar Empire. This first volume in a series details
the peoples, homelands, and religions of vast Peloria. It is the first
release in our new HeroQuest line of roleplaying supplements, and also the
first book released by Issaries under our distribution and co-branding deal
with Steve Jackson Games.
The Lunar Empire is a study in contradictions. It is Many, yet One. It is
new, yet founded on the ancient Dara Happan Empire, with a history
stretching back before the dawn of Time. A common philosophy unites a wide
range of peoples and races: 'We Are All Us.' It believes in peaceful
assimilation, and yet has the most powerful, advanced army in Glorantha. It
accepts Chaos as a part of existence, but fiercely opposes its destructive
aspects.
Imperial Lunar Handbook is the essential guide to the vast Lunar Empire.
Mighty and magical, decadent and dynamic, conquering and liberating, the
Empire is rich and complex, a land of heroes, soldiers, and missionaries. It
is a fusion of many disparate regions, each with its own beliefs, customs,
and magic. Over all, the Red Moon guides and the Son of the Goddess rules.
Imperial Lunar Handbook debuted at Gloranthacon to great acclaim. It is
available now from Steve Jackson Games' Warehouse 23 (www.warehouse23.com),
and should be available in fine retail stores everywhere within 1-2 weeks.
Glorantha Trading Association member copies will be mailed beginning on
Monday, March 17th.
Mugs, t-shirts, and other merchandise featuring artwork from Imperial Lunar
Handbook will available soon from Issaries through our CafePress.com online
stores. For more information, see
<www.glorantha.com/products/cafepress.html> or go directly to
<www.cafepress.com/issaries> and <www.cafepress.com/lunarempire>.
ISS 1302 Imperial Lunar Handbook, Volume 1: The Lunar Empire
ISBN 1-929052-04-9, 72 pg. 8 1/2" x 11" paperback, $15.95
<www.glorantha.com/products/1302.html>
Stephen Martin
<administrator@glorantha.com>
Issaries, Inc., publisher of HeroQuest, Roleplaying in Glorantha
P.O. Box 272914 Concord, CA 94527
Phone: (925) 680-8897
See our extensive web site at <www.HeroWars.com>
* Cthulhupalooza webzine updated
Feast your eyes!
http://www.cthulhupalooza.50megs.com
* The long awaited second issue of THE BLACK SEAL focuses on the UK's
Paranormal Intelligence Section for Counter-Intelligence, Espionage and
Sabotage - PISCES - as featured in Pagan Publishing's award winning DELTA
GREEN: COUNTDOWN sourcebook for CALL OF CTHULHU and CTHULHU LIVE: DELTA
GREEN for CTHULHU LIVE. The second issue of THE BLACK SEAL is now available.
THE BLACK SEAL #2 runs to 84 pages, full colour cover, perfect bound, and
has a cover price of GBP 7.99 in UK games shops. The Black Seal #2 should be
in UK games shops from the week starting 7 April 2003.
THE BLACK SEAL will also be available from these fine on-line retailers: THE
OUTSIDER (http://www.tccorp.com) and TRADETALK (http://www.tradetalk.de).
Alternatively you can order THE BLACK SEAL #2 directly from our web site:
http://www.theblackseal.org/orders/ for only GBP 7.00 / EUR 12.00 / USD
14.50.
--
Adam Crossingham
Editor - The Black Seal
editor@theblackseal.org
Full magazine details at http://www.theblackseal.org
* Transmitted by the Leng Embassy, Silverton Colorado.
Howdy Folks!
The big news so far this month is the return of our Online Catalog. You can
now order Chaosium books at http://chaosium.com/online-store/scstore/ if
you're having trouble finding them locally. At present, you can buy all of
our in print books as well as Miskatonic University Diplomas there.
Our latest release, H.P. Lovecraft's Arkham shipped to distributors in
March, and should be on store shelves by now. This city sourcebook includes
Call of Cthulhu d20 stats and can be used with both Classic Call of Cthulhu
and the WOTC d20 version. More details about this book can be found at the
end of this update.
Our next release, Disciples of Cthulhu 2, is still at the printer. I expect
this book to ship to distributors in early May. That would put it on store
shelve by mid-May in all likelihood. Of course the book might ship sooner if
all goes well, so think happy thoughts everyone! More details about our
newest Call of Cthulhu fiction anthology can be found at the end of this
update.
After Disiples of Cthulhu 2, the next four books to release will be H.P.
Lovecraft's Kingsport (COC & COC d20), Secrets of Japan (COC), The White
People and other Tales (COC Fiction), and a reprint of our Encylopedia
Cthulhiana (COC & COC Fiction). The exact order in which these titles
release will depend upon how fast we get the last art bits for the new
books. Right now, it appears that White People and Other Tales will be the
next book to be printed.
We're still looking for some GM's to run demonstration games of Call of
Cthulhu at the upcoming Origins Convention. If you'll be attending and have
some time to spare, drop us a line! (mailto:dustin@chaosium.com)
Once again, we'd like to single out steadfast web monkey Matt "Trollboy"
Wiseman for helping us get our site and email lists transferred to the new
server, as well as helping us with our upcoming online catalog. Thank you
Matt!
Thanks for your continued support everyone!
Charlie, David, Dustin & Lynn.
The Chaosium Dudes
New Release:
H. P. LOVECRAFT'S ARKHAM
Unveiling the Legend-Haunted City
CHA 8803
ISBN 1-56882-165-4
MSRP $28.95
By Keith Herber
Dual Stat d20 and Classic (BRP) Call of Cthulhu
248 Pages
Fold Out Map
Arkham Advertiser
"Behind everything crouched the brooding, festering horror of the ancient
town . . . the changeless, legend-haunted city of Arkham, with its
clustering gambrel roofs that sway and sag over attics where witches hid
from the King's men in the dark, olden days of the Province.
"It was always a very bad time in Arkham . . . ."
-H. P. Lovecraft
ARKHAM is a small town along the Massachusetts coast-the setting favored by
author Howard Phillips Lovecraft in his tales of monstrous horror.
All in all a quiet place, Arkham is best-known as the home of Miskatonic
University, an excellent school becoming known for its esoteric and
disturbing volumes residing in its library's Restricted Collection. These
tomes form the foundation of all current efforts to thwart the dire desires
of the Mythos legion.
H.P. Lovecraft's ARKHAM contains extensive background information about this
haunted New England town-written to be used by serious investigators as a
base from which to further explore the mysteries of the Cthulhu Mythos.
Pertinent buildings, useful people, and important locations are described in
depth. A 17x22" players' map of Arkham is bound into the back, and four
thrilling adventures complete the package.
Includes the H.P. Lovecraft short story "The Dreams in the Witch-house"
(1933)
New Layout
New Artwork
Fully compatible with both Call of Cthulhu from Chaosium Inc. and Call of
Cthulhu d20.
Part of our expanding 1920's Lovecraft Country line.
This book contains material previously published as Arkham Unveiled (1990)
and Compact Arkham Unveiled (1995). Each book long out of print.
(EDITOR's NOTE: It also contains the adventure "The Books of Uncle Silas" by
Mervyn Boyd that originally appeared here in the Chaosium Digest. Congrats
Mervyn! Check out the archive for details.)
May Release:
Disciples of Cthulhu II
Blasphemous Tales of the Followers
Horror Anthology
CHA 6033
$13.95
240 pages
ISBN 1-56882-143-3
Trade Paperback
5.25 X 8.5 inches
Call of Cthulhu Fiction
Edited and Introduced by Edward P. Berglund
Bad things tend happen to people who go where they are not wanted, or who
over-stay their welcome once they reach their destination. This book
contains thirteen new personal explorations of the Cthulhu Mythos. As its
title suggests, this is a companion volume to Edward P. Berglund's earlier
classic Mythos collection, _The Disciples of Cthulhu_. Both books are
published by Chaosium, but their contents are entirely different. All of the
stories in _Cthulhu II_ are original and have never been published before.
All the stories record the dire fates of people whose destinies intertwine
with the Mythos.
This book is part of an expanding collection of Cthulhu Mythos horror
fiction and related topics. Call of Cthulhu fiction focuses on single
entities, concepts, or authors significant to readers and fans of H.P.
Lovecraft.
Includes 13 new works of fiction based upon the Cthulhu Mythos of H.P.
Lovecraft.
Part of our ever expanding Call of Cthulhu fiction series.
Contents
Editor's Preface -- Edward P. Berglund
The Bookseller's Second Wife -- Walter C. DeBill, Jr.
Eldritch -- Brad Linaweaver and Fred Olen Ray
The Web -- Gary Myers
Passing Through -- Robert Weinberg
The Idol -- Scott David Aniolowski
Time in the Hourless House -- A. A. Attanasio
Special Order -- Henry Lee Forrest
Lujan's Trunk -- Donald R. Burleson
The San Francisco Treat -- C. J. Henderson
Acute Spiritual Fear -- Robert M. Price
The Eldridge Collection -- Will Murray
An Arkham Home Companion -- Brad Strickland
The Last Temptation of Ricky Perez -- Benjamin Adams
--
Dustin Wright- Chaosium Colorado "Leng Embassy"
/|\_(@jjjj@)_/|\ http://www.chaosium.com
27 Years of Quality Mayhem and still counting
Support your local game shop!
* Hi Folks,
The Chaosium online shopping catalog is now live. We have hooked the catalog
up to our familiar product pages so that now, when you order, we get your
information directly across our secure, encrypted system. We invite you to
stop by the website and the catalog and to take a look around. To get to the
catalog directly point your browser to the address below. You can also get
there by pressing the ORDER button on Chaosium site product pages.
http://chaosium.com/online-store/scstore/
We have our current, in-print products currently represented. In the coming
weeks we will be adding more product we feel might interest you.
Please forgive us if you happen to receive this notice more than once. We
are sending it to members of the Miskatonic University Library Association,
the Strange Aeons mailing list and our other lists, and a host of other
places.
So, thanks for your interest in our products and we hope to serve you well
when you visit our site.
Thanks again!
The Chaosium Guys
Chaosium Inc
Publisher of Books & Games
895 B Street #423
Hayward, CA 94541
phone 510-452-4658 ? Fax 510-452-4659
http://www.chaosium.com/
-------------------
Call of Cthulhu (THE QUICK AND THE DEAD)
by James D. Collins (collwood@harborside.com)
THE QUICK...
There are beings among us that do not age, possess a fantastic ability to
heal, and are difficult to kill. They are known as the Quick and they walk
among us.
Each Quick possesses a Quick attribute. The Quick attribute may rise or fall
within the character's career. When the Quick attribute falls to 0, the
character is no longer considered a Quick.
While the Quick attribute is 1 or better, the character will not age, heals
rapidly, and may rise from the dead. The Quick never grow older, but retains
bonuses or penalties accrued prior to gaining their Quick attribute. Quick
regain a number hit points equal to their Quick attribute per hour (e.g., a
Quick 10 means 10 hit points per hour). When a Quick receives damage that
exceeds their hit points (but see below), they appear to die (no life signs,
but if monitored by the proper equipment, there will be low level brain
activity). While appearing dead, the character will begin to heal. When
their hit points equal 1 (or more), they return to life and lose one Quick
point (which may drop their Quick to 0).
Quick points are gained when in the vicinity of another Quick's final death.
A Quick will meet their final death when they receive damage that exceeds
their hit points and drops their hit point total to a negative value that
exceeds the sum of their Hit Points and their Constitution score (e.g., a
Quick with 10 Hit Points and a 10 Constitution will meet final death when
hit points reach -21 Hit Points).
When a Quick dies their Final Death, their remaining Quick points are
absorbed by those around them (range equals one yard per point of Power of
the dying Quick). Here's an example: Conrad (CON 15, POW 15, Hit Points 15,
QUICK 10) and David (CON 10, POW 10, Hit Points 10, QUICK 5) are in a battle
to the death. David delivers 31 points of damage to Conrad and Conrad dies
his final death. David gains 10 points of Quick. If David had too far away
when Conrad died, (more than 15 yards away), he would not have gained any
Quick points. If there had been other people within 15 yards of Conrad, then
each of them would have gained a point of Quick (I recommend starting with
the individual with the highest POW and continuing until the number of Quick
points are used up - that is
how new Quicks are created).
It is a shock for a Quick to die (Sanity Loss: 0/1d6), but can usually be
overcome (once the character has lost 6 points of Sanity due to death, they
are hardened to this type of Sanity loss). You might want to penalize a
Quick's associates as well (Sanity Loss: 0/1d6).
AND THE DEAD.
There are creatures that rise after death, wearing a semblance of humanity,
but remaining apart. They do not breathe or age. They are immune to disease
and poison. They do not age and they do not heal. They are known as the
Dead.
Sometimes when a person dies, they're not quite ready to move on. It doesn't
really matter why they stay, but how they stay. Tying your soul (or spirit
or essence or...) to your body (by will, luck, or chance) makes you one of
the Dead. Becoming a Dead is more traumatic than being a Quick (Sanity Loss:
1d20). Once you become a Dead, further Sanity Loss due to your own death
does not occur (but it probably will for your associates: 0/1d6).
As a Dead, you are granted certain advantages. You don't breathe (no
drowning or gas attacks) or require food (no metabolism). You're immune to
poison and disease (no bodily functions to process either malady). And you
no longer age (you're dead, remember?).
Of course, there are some disadvantages as well. Your appearance takes a
turn for the worse (APP * 1/2). You don't have body heat (no metabolism to
generate such). And you don't heal (you have to repair Hit Point damage).
So now that you're Dead, you can't die again (when damage exceeds Hit
Points, your spirit remains tied to your body; you can't act to repair the
damage and you can't move on either - that's a quick road to insanity). You
can be destroyed, but it requires that your soul (or spirit or essence
or...) be extinguished or separated from your body.
Your Dead state does allow you to sacrifice attributes points instead of Hit
Points. When you take damage, you may chose to sacrifice points from your
Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution instead of losing Hit Points (These
attributes may be repaired as well).
How does a Dead get repaired? First Aid and Medicine help (two hours and a
successful use of either skill will repair one Hit Point; it requires four
hours to repair an Attribute point). Most Dead possess Craft skills that
make bodily repair easier (with the appropriate Craft skill, it takes one
hour to repair a Hit Point and two hours to repair an Attribute point). I'll
leave it up to an inventive player or Keeper to determine the necessary
materials to effect repairs (I suggest that you tie the material to the type
of character; if the Dead was very interested in clocks and mechanics, maybe
he uses gears and machine parts to repair himself...).
The Dead do sleep (and death in the Dreamlands is one way to separate their
soul from their body). It is said that only the Dead can enter Heaven and
Hell (perhaps that is a realm within the Dreamlands?).
--------------------
Call of Cthulhu (THE YLL VIRUS).
by James D. Collins (collwood@harborside.com)
THE YLL VIRUS
The Yll is a viral intelligence. Each strain of the virus possesses only
Intelligence and Power (similar to a ghost). Yll use their Power attribute
for their Hit Points, but they are immune to many forms of damage. They are
vulnerable to Magic and magical damage harms the host and the infecting Yll
virus. Practitioners of magic should take care when confronting Yll (Mind
Exchange and Mind Transfer frees an infected host, but at the expense of the
caster's freedom).
Each strain of Yll can infect (and control) a number of humans equal to
their Power. Infection occurs when the Yll chooses and is resolved by a POW
vs. CON resistance test; Yll success indicates infection. Distance decreases
the chance of infection (subtract one from the Yll's POW for every yard that
the virus must cross) and protective gear can prevent infection.
An individual Yll can use the Magic Points of all the humans it has infected
(there is no range limitation to the Yll's ability to do this), but can only
expend a number of Magic Points equal to their Power at any one time. A
Yll's Power attribute can be increased by expending the Power of the
infected (e.g., a Yll with a POW 14 can increase its POW to 15 by expending
15 points of POW). When an infected human's POW falls to 0, they die and the
Yll is free to infect another. Yll can expend one Power point per hour for
this purpose and Power points do not have to come from one specific host.
Once infected, the human becomes Yll. Yll cannot access the skills or
memories of their host without expending Magic Points (e.g., if the Yll
wished to learn a host's Own Language/English 75%, they would have to expend
75 Magic Points to learn that skill). Skills learned in this manner remain
with the Yll regardless of the host's fate.
Yll possess the ability to alter reality similar to a Dreamer's ability to
alter the reality of the Dreamlands (incidentally, Yll cannot dream or enter
the Dreamlands). The Thought Form skill is similar to the Dreaming skill,
but works in the waking world. Use the description of the Dreaming Skill
found in The Complete Dreamlands rulebook. Melding a host to inanimate
objects is a simple application of the Thought Form skill. Melding does not
require a Thought Form skill roll.
Melding has several advantages for the Yll. Melded weapons or vehicles allow
the Yll to use different skills. They use the Martial Arts skill when melded
with a melee weapon. They use Throw when melded with ranged weapons
(including firearms). They use Ride when melded to vehicles. It takes one
Magic Point per hit point of the tool, vehicle, or weapon (i.e., melding a
bullwhip to a host's hand requires 4 Magic Points). Melded weapons cannot be
taken away from the host without damaging the host, but the Yll can choose
to unmeld the object. Unmelding requires another expenditure of Magic
Points.
Yll may release hosts at any time, but death is the usual end of infection.
Medical technology may be used to combat the Yll. There may be magics that
can prevent infection.
Cats possess the ability to sense Yll infection. They will hiss or growl at
the infected, leaving the area if possible; fighting only if cornered. Other
animals (dogs perhaps) may possess the ability as well. Yll do not seem to
be able to infect lower animal forms (but strains may develop that can) and
it's up to the individual keeper if creatures of the mythos are susceptible
to the Yll.
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