klecser

Thanks for the added info MOB.  I don't want to be "that guy", but I'm sure you understand that a lot of people's gut reactions to splitting a product is "cash grab."  If they are coming together in a slipcase, then the division is clearly more a practicality thing. 

Not sure how I feel about two books. 

I explain to my players that 1) Call of Cthulhu is a quasi-realistic game and so they need to consider seriously whether their player would actually carry a weapon.  Most people don't.  2)Any weapon they do carry is probably pretty useless.

It's your game, so you can do whatever you want.

My favorite CoC weapon is my brain.

Pleased to hear this is being released in hardcover.  It sounds like it was the right choice for me to hold off on the PDF.  I prefer physical media.

MOB, please continue to post Kickstarters on these forums.  I came back to CoC after many years away and missed a lot of recent Kickstarters.  This is the place where I get information about new CoC Kickstarters.

Or an homage to Nyarlathotep?

Thank you g33k, we're getting closer!

Thanks Dean.

And just to clarify, what I'm really looking for is fantastical images of the monstrous train cars of the Dreamlands.  Exterior and/or interior.  Some may argue that Investigator imagination should do for that.  I'd like at least one or two image handouts.

I am prepping to do an Orient Express-inspired game for my players.  I plan to make the Dreamlands Express a significant part of their journey.  

The module lacks artwork for the exterior and interior of the train.  I'm sure that this was due to a need to finish the module for the Kickstarter and there may not have been an artist or the funds to pay at that time.

Does anyone know of any artwork for the Dreamlands Express that you have used for your game?  Google image searches haven't turned up anything.

At worst I can just use descriptions in the actual module.  I have a player group that very much enjoys visual aides.  At least, for some of the train.  

On 9/7/2017 at 8:04 PM, Questbird said:

Maybe Call of Cthulhu is more like a ubiquitous mixer drink like bitter lemon or tonic water -- more common than you think.

If people have followed the game industry as a segment of society for a while, there is definitely an uptick in Lovecraft stuff.  Just nobody names it.  Stranger Things was a complete smash hit and it is very clearly Lovecraftian.  The Thing poster in the background, for example, and the creators have named inspiration that is all Lovecraftian.

Part of me wonders if HPL's xenophobia and racism is the main reason why people tend to not name him.  That's ironic given that there are plenty of racist authors of the past that people have no problem naming.

I think that another factor is that when the world gets crazy, people turn to crazy fiction. 

The good news is that it only benefits us longtime fans in terms of product availability and media consumption opportunities.

That's a criminal price for PDFs of Britannica.

I know that we are likely trying to keep this spoiler free, but if I am looking for more source info on "Villain F" in Orient express, would I find a lot in this module?

Thanks!

I'll start by saying that HOTOE is the best role-playing product I've ever invested in.

I know that HOTOE 2015 was a Kickstarter and I know that Kickstarters often have exclusives that are never available at retail.

So I read in the "What's In This Box" sheet under "Not in the Box":

"Additional supplemental material can be found at www.chaosium.com.  This includes, but is not limited to, the Desk Accessories Kit, the Souvenirs from the Journey Kit, the Dining Car Kit, the Medallion of Ithaqua, plus the latest supplements...."

Is it safe to assume that information was included in the Box with the hopes that those products would be available for retail sale?  But they never got to retail and that's why I can't find any reference to them on Chaosium.com?

"

Thank you nclarke!

Thanks for responding.  I think you mean that personal interest points can be spent on "Dodge", not "DEX", right?  DEX being a characteristic, not a skill.    I think my personal hiccup came from the fact that since the 7E rulebook, during character creation, specifies "HALF DEX" in every instance of Dodge and doesn't show the example character increasing it, I somehow felt like that was some kind of "cap" on that skill at the start.

I would like people's insights as to why an Investigator wouldn't choose to increase Dodge, based upon how attack skills work.  This is me MIN/MAXing a tad, and I understand that Cthulhu isn't about that.

So, I understand the inherent value of Dodge over an Attack Skill as used in combat, I think.

In tied opposed rolls:

1) Fighting Brawl vs Fighting Brawl (defender is "fighting back"), a tied success goes to the attacker.

2) Fighting Brawl vs Dodge, a tied success goes to the defender.

Makes sense.  Dodge gets an edge there, and you can use it any amount of times in a round, except that it gets harder with "Outnumbered".

I guess what I really want to know is, how often do veteran players improve Dodge on character creation as an "essential" skill?  Getting hit ONCE in this game could be game over for that Investigator.  Do you make peace with that fact and roll a lot of characters, or do you always invest in Dodge?

Hi folks,

It says in the 7E rulebook that Dodge can be improved like other skills but does not specify the use of Occupation or Personal Interest points at the beginning of the game to improve it beyond HALF DEX.  

Can I assume that this is deliberate to make for a more dangerous experience for new Investigators or can one actually improve DEX at character creation?

It seems like Dex is an utterly useless skill at the onset of a game and an Investigator will almost always have much more success "attacking back" using a combat skill that they improve at character creation.  I understand that combat should be rare and deadly in CoC, but why have a Dodge skill at all if it is utterly useless at the start?  Why attempt it to improve it at all if it's just going to get you killed?

Thanks!