MOB

FYI, we'll be posting this FAQ about A Time to Harvest on the Chaosium website shortly, and will add to it as other questions arise: A Time to Harvest – Organized Play Campaign for Call of Cthulhu - FAQ Q: What is the "A Time to Harvest" Organized Play Campaign? A: A Time to Harvest is a Call of Cthulhu campaign unfolding over six episodes, with each episode released on a monthly basis. The campaign is set in 1930, with the players taking on the roles of students from Miskatonic University in Arkham who are drawn into a dark web of intrigue. Each episode follows on directly, building the story and taking the students to a variety of locations in Lovecraft Country and beyond. Q: What edition of Call of Cthulhu is the campaign written for? A: Call of Cthulhu 7th edition. Q: What if I don't have 7th edition yet and still want to play? A: The full Call of Cthulhu 7th edition rules are available in PDF, epub, and mobi formats from www.chaosium.com now. The hard copy rule books will available from mid-April 2016. Q: What is the launch date? A: The campaign officially kicks off on Saturday April 16th, 2016, to coincide with the release of the physical copies of Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition. We don't expect Keepers to begin running the campaign until sometime in May (when they have read it through and have the new rulebook in their hands), although of course, you can start as soon as you wish. We'll be sending out episode 2 in mid May. Q: If I want to take part, what do I need to do before then? A: Anyone who wishes to be a Keeper (Game Master) in the campaign needs to join the Cult of Chaos, Chaosium’s Organized Play and Game Master program. Joining up is simple and free: http://www.chaosium.com/gamemaster-program Q: If I’m already member of the Cult of Chaos, do I need to do anything to register? A: If you're in the Cult already, you don't need to do anything further at this stage. All registered members of the Cult of Chaos will be invited to sign up to run the OP Campaign and receive the first installment by the end of March. Q: If I’m going to be a Keeper, how will I receive updates and instructions? A: Each month a new episode of the OP campaign is released, which we’ll send you by email. We’ll also host discussions about the campaign for Keepers and players in the Call of Cthulhu area of BRP Central – The Chaosium Forums (http://basicroleplaying.org/forum/7-call-of-cthulhu) Q: How does the Campaign unfold? A: Each episode follows on sequentially towards the OP campaign's climax. It is a linear progression, although within each episode, the investigators usually have a range of things/routes to take - some episodes being more sandbox than others in this fashion. As to frequency of play, that's up to you as the Keeper. Ideally, you will run one episode per month (either weekly, fortnightly, or monthly), but obviously some groups may take longer or shorter. Each episode contains what's needed for that month - preparing an episode is basically down to how long it takes you to read it through and make whatever notes you require. Month One provides episode one but also general campaign information of use throughout the campaign, thus you’ll have a lot of key info upfront. Q: What is the minimum age for participants? A: Keepers/GMs in the Cult of Chaos must be eighteen years and over. For players, A Time to Harvest should be fine for most teenagers - if necessary, the Keeper can of course tone things down according to their play group (equally, ramp things up for older and "hardened" gamers). Q: Where can I play this? Is playing at home acceptable, or does it have to be in a game store or at a convention? A: Playing at home is perfectly acceptable! Your friendly local game store is an ideal place to help spread Call of Cthulhu to new players, so also highly recommended! We will even be providing sign-up flyers to help you recruit players. A convention may not be ideal, since the campaign is being sent out in monthly installments and the story is meant to build on what happened in previous sessions. Q: Can I play in the campaign online? A: Absolutely! We've heard of people planning to play through Roll20, for instance. Some groups may even stream their play through TwitchTV. Q: How many people does the campaign accommodate? A: The campaign will work best for groups of 4 to 6 players, plus a Keeper. Q: What does it cost to participate? A: Participation is completely free, for both Keepers and players. Q: Who has written the campaign? A: The authors of A Time to Harvest are Brian M. Sammons, Charles P. Zaglanis, Glynn Owen Barrass, and Mike Mason (mike@chaosium.com), all well-established Call of Cthulhu writers whose other works you might be familiar with. Mike is Chaosium’s Call of Cthulhu line editor. Other people directly involved in the OP program at Chaosium are Todd Gardiner (todd@chaosium.com), Dustin Wright (dustin@chaosium.com) and Michael ‘MOB’ O’Brien (mob@chaosium.com). Q: Will there be a book release of A Time to Harvest at some stage? A: Yes, Chaosium will publish the whole campaign as a full color supplement down the line, after the OP campaign has concluded. We’d love to incorporate feedback from the Organised Play run in the book version. Q: Err… is organized play possible for a game where characters can easily die or go insane? A: Fortunately the player characters are Miskatonic U grad students... an infinitely renewable resource!

If you're in the Cult already, you don't need to do anything further at this stage. All registered members of the Cult of Chaos will be invited to sign up to run the OP Campaign and receive the first installment by the end of March.

Vice has a story about the game with some interesting details about the conceptual approach: http://www.vice.com/read/the-new-call-of-cthulhu-is-eschewing-horror-video-game-predictability-112

It goes without saying that we are very excited about this: http://callofcthulhu-game.com/

I should have said that the explanation for DI I provided above is just for initiates. An initiate would end up with 18 POW and no rune points. A Rune Priest would end up with 18 POW and 5 rune points. A Rune Lord would also end up with 18 POW and 5 rune points, but they don't roll for Divine Intervention on d100 like initiates and priests.

Missing the roll, no POW lost, no RP lost. The God just didn't deign to notice. If the roll equals POW + RP - just like in RQ2, the character's soul becomes a spirit in the service of the god, but the requested effect still occurs. So, in the example above, if Coriander's player rolled a 20, his body would be still be whisked to safety, but Coriander's soul is taken to Orlanth. RQ2 gives a similar example with Oshkosh the Odorous (p.55)

Absolutely! Chance of Divine Intervention is equal to the character's POW + current RP on d100. If the DI is successful, the character loses the number rolled in POW plus all their current Rune Points. However, these RPs do reduce the POW cost of the DI. For example, at the commencement of a battle Coriander Before-Whom-Even-The-Crimson-Bat-Trembles has a POW 17 and 9 Rune Points. During the fight he casts 6 points of rune magic, leaving him with 3 RPs. But things go catastrophically for his side, and he decides to call on Orlanth for Divine Intervention ("Orlanth get me out of here!"). At this precise moment, his chance of DI is 20% (POW 17 + 3 current RP). His player rolls 14 - success! Orlanth whisks Coriander away to safety on a divine wind, but he immediately loses 14 points of POW and all his current Rune Points. But he gets to add back 3 POW due to his RPs, leaving him with a new POW of 06. He also now has no RPs until they can be regained at the next holy day. At least he's alive.

The Runes depicted on the proto-character sheet are for a beginning human player character. Non human characters may have other Runes. It is also possible to gain (as well as lose!) Runic affinities during the course of play.

In his latest designer notes, Jeff talks about what's happening to Rune Magic in the new RQ: http://www.chaosium.com/blog/designing-the-new-runequest-part-4

Mythological emulation of their god means it can take a lot to definitively and irrevocably kill off a Yelmalian; hence the seven day pause before firing up any funeral pyre. Templars stand guard round the clock at the place of repose, and a sharp watch is kept for any sign of recovery by comrades and family members. Healers are expected to do all that is practicable to nurse the person back to health. The person is brought food and drink, is bathed and tended to, and spoken of and treated for all intents and purposes as if alive for the seven day period. Only after that does mourning begin.

The A Time to Harvest campaign is world-wide! Not quite ready to share the details but yes, we've got OP plans in the works for our other game lines too.

Announcing Chaosium's first Organized Play Campaign for Call of Cthulhu! A Time to Harvest is a campaign unfolding over six months, which will be offered free to all members of The Cult of Chaos, Chaosium's Game Master and Organized Play Program. “It’s a tightly focused campaign, set in Lovecraft Country, which is inspired by and builds on H. P. Lovecraft's tales", said Mike Mason, line editor for Call of Cthulhu. Written by established Call of Cthulhu authors Brian Sammons, Charles P Zaglanis, Glynn Owen Barrass and Mike Mason, A Time to Harvest is an an ideal campaign for novice Keepers and players alike, with plenty of advice throughout, but veteran players will also find it engaging and fun too. "Things are not always what they seem and the players will have to navigate the various twists and turns. It’s also pretty fast paced, with plenty of action putting the investigators into dangerous situations. Whether around the learned halls of Miskatonic University, the streets of Arkham, or the wilds of Vermont, the players will have plenty of opportunities to explore, investigate, and face threats not of this world!”, said Mason. Todd Gardiner, Chaosium's Director of Organized Play said, "We are so excited to provide this opportunity for Keepers to bring play to gaming groups, stores and homes where they live. As we ramp up to the release of the seventh edition of Call of Cthulhu, bursting out on the scene with a new gaming initiative shows out commitment to reaching new players. Do you and your allies have the mettle to face off against new horrors, about to be unleashed?" A Time to Harvest will be made available as free PDF downloads in six monthly installments to Cult of Chaos members, commencing Saturday April 16th. Interested Keepers need to first join The Cult of Chaos. Membership is free. Initial campaign materials will be sent out in March. Participation in this Organized Play campaign is completely free. For more details contact todd@chaosium.com or dustin@chaosium.com

"The Derelict" is brand new, 32 page previously unpublished scenario for Call of Cthulhu 7th edition by the Only Old One himself, Sandy Petersen. Retailer sign-ups close soon, so ask your FLGS if they are taking part! http://www.chaosium.com/blog/chaosium-joins-free-rpg-day-2016-with-a-new-call-of-cthulhu-scenario-by-sandy-petersen

Runes are an inherent part of the new sorcery rules!

Yes, the new RQ features non-toad sucky sorcery rules, which will fit quite nicely with what we know of the Aeolians!

To avoid any ambiguity I have edited the designer notes accordingly.

And part two here, answering "what are the key features of RQ?": http://www.chaosium.com/blog/designing-the-new-runequest-part-2

And now Part 2 is up, answering the question "what are the key features of RQ?": http://www.chaosium.com/blog/designing-the-new-runequest-part-2

Link to Part One of designer notes for the new edition here:

We'll be launching the new Chaosium edition of RuneQuest at Gen Con this year. As that eagerly anticipated date approaches, Jeff Richard, creative director at Chaosium and lead designer of the RuneQuest project, is penning a series of designer notes to discuss the creative process... over to you Jeff! http://www.chaosium.com/blog/designing-the-new-runequest-part-1

In the spirit of bringing the band back together, Chaosium is delighted to announce that Steve Perrin is joining the design team for Chaosium’s new edition of RuneQuest. "We knew that Steve Perrin’s place at the table, as both the creator and lead author of the original groundbreaking ‘78 and ‘79 editions of game, was a natural fit that harkens back to the genius and originality of RuneQuest", said Rick Meints, President of Chaosium. In late 2015 Moon Design Publications and Chaosium successfully Kickstarted the RuneQuest Classic Edition campaign, a triumphant reissue of the iconic 2nd Edition of the RuneQuest rules and the supplements produced for it: Cults of Prax, Pavis, Big Rubble, Griffin Mountain, TrollPak and many others. “We want to usher in the newest exploration of Glorantha with a tribute to the masterpiece opus of work that has come before. Part of Steve's role is to help insure that this edition contains the best possible game mechanics while maintaining backwards compatibility with RuneQuest 2", said Jeff Richard, creative director at Chaosium. The new version of RuneQuest maintains backwards compatibility with earlier editions, while also containing a number of unique innovations that resonate with Glorantha, Greg Stafford's mythical campaign setting where RuneQuest started and to which it returns. This new edition incorporates Runes directly into both your character and the magic system you use, including their passions and motivations. "The rules reinforce immersion in the setting even more than the original RuneQuest rules did, and ideas experimentally brought forth in Griffin Mountain reach their fruition", said Richard. Seizing this unique chance to get this right, Chaosium has brought in a team of notable game designers to support Chaosium’s rebirth of RuneQuest, including Sandy Petersen (Call of Cthulhu), Ken Rolston (Paranoia, Elder Scrolls, RQ3), Chris Klug (James Bond 007 RPG, DragonQuest) and Jason Durall (BRP, Conan). A special pre-release version of the new rules will be revealed at Gen Con later this year, along with introductory scenario sessions. A wealth of all-new campaign material and supplements for the new edition will follow.

If you missed the Kickstarter but still want the stuff...

If you missed the RuneQuest Classic Kickstarter, you can now preorder at Backerkit: https://runequest-classic-edition.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders

We're using Backerkit to help get out the rewards, and it's just gone live! Open the email from Rick, click on the link, choose your rewards, confirm your details, and you're done - you'll get the RQ Classic Rulebook, GM Screen and Handouts PDFs instantly. Fangs and Old School RQ bundle to follow soon...

We're using Backerkit to help get out the rewards, and it's just gone live! Open the email from Rick, click on the link, choose your rewards, confirm your details, and you're done - you'll get the RQ Classic Rulebook, GM Screen and Handouts PDFs instantly. Fangs and Old School RQ bundle to follow soon...