Max_Writer

I ran the Call of Cthulhu scenario Leaflet Mission at CaesarCon 2013 for four players on the Pretty Lady, a B-17 Bomber dropping leaflets on Germany during WWII. My players chose the co-pilot, flight engineer, ball turret gunner, and waist gunner. I also used a model of a B-17 Bomber as the centerpoint for the game. I plan to run another scenario involving the Big Money at CaesarCon 2014.

Role playing journals of the game can be found here:

Leaflet Mission Part 1 - Preflight - CaesarCon2013 - Blogs - Yog-Sothoth - Lovecraft & Cthulhu

Leaflet Mission Part 2 - Something's on the Plane! - CaesarCon2013 - Blogs - Yog-Sothoth - Lovecraft & Cthulhu

Leaflet Mission Part 3 - Another Thing and Bomb Run - CaesarCon2013 - Blogs - Yog-Sothoth - Lovecraft & Cthulhu

Leaflet Mission Part 4 - The Green Light - CaesarCon2013 - Blogs - Yog-Sothoth - Lovecraft & Cthulhu

Leaflet Mission Part 5 - Foo Fighters - CaesarCon2013 - Blogs - Yog-Sothoth - Lovecraft & Cthulhu

Leaflet Mission Part 6 - Snakes on a Plane - CaesarCon2013 - Blogs - Yog-Sothoth - Lovecraft & Cthulhu

Audio of the game session: Call of Cthulhu – Leaflet Mission | RPPR Community AP Podcast

The playlist of video of the game session is here:

Players were:

Adam - Lt. John Makepeace (co-pilot)

Steve - First Sgt. Tony Smith (flight engineer)

Angi - Sgt. Paul Lank (ball-turret gunner)

Laura - Sgt. Zachery Burgess (waist gunner)

I was finally able to run the conclusion of the Wizard of Wilson Creek. RPG Journals can be found here:

The Wizard of Wilson Creek 2-1: New Allies - Blogs - Yog-Sothoth - Lovecraft & Cthulhu

The Wizard of Wilson Creek 2-2: Return to Lenoir - Blogs - Yog-Sothoth - Lovecraft & Cthulhu

The Wizard of Wilson Creek 2-3: The Wizard - Blogs - Yog-Sothoth - Lovecraft & Cthulhu

The Wizard of Wilson Creek 2-4: Preparing the Trap - Blogs - Yog-Sothoth - Lovecraft & Cthulhu

The Wizard of Wilson Creek 2-5: The End of It - Blogs - Yog-Sothoth - Lovecraft & Cthulhu

Audio of the game is here: Call of Cthulhu

Additionally, video of the game can be found in this playlist:

Characters:

Marshall Hutchins (parapsychologist)

Derek Masterson III (dilettante)

Thomas Fitzsimmons (photojournalist)

Dr. Dakota Haley (archaeologist)

Miss Anna Phelps (student)

I was able to run a scenario at Origins for three wonderful women and we had a blast. The journal (broken down into six parts) can be found here:

Dark Dreams of Innsmouth Part 1 - Origins 2013 - Blogs - Yog-Sothoth - Lovecraft & Cthulhu

Dark Dreams of Innsmouth Part 2 - Origins 2013 - Blogs - Yog-Sothoth - Lovecraft & Cthulhu

Dark Dreams of Innsmouth Part 3 - Origins 2013 - Blogs - Yog-Sothoth - Lovecraft & Cthulhu

Dark Dreams of Innsmouth Part 4 - Origins 2013 - Blogs - Yog-Sothoth - Lovecraft & Cthulhu

Dark Dreams of Innsmouth Part 5 - Origins 2013 - Blogs - Yog-Sothoth - Lovecraft & Cthulhu

Dark Dreams of Innsmouth Part 6 - Origins 2013 - Blogs - Yog-Sothoth - Lovecraft & Cthulhu

Characters were:

Dr. Bonnie Davenport - Psychiatrist (Bev)

Stella Farraday - Photojournalist/Student (Tarra)

Vera Collins - Silent Movie Star (Amber)

I finally got the rpg journal done for the d20 Modern game "Walker, Texas Danger" that Steve ran. The entry can be found at the following sites:

http://forum.abyssalgaming.com/blog/7/entry-48-walker-texas-danger/

Walker - Texas Danger - Blogs - Pen & Paper Games

Players were:

Jed Caliber - Medic (Kevin)

Chester Brickhouse - Heavy Weapons (Adam)

Sam "God" Everready - Sniper (Chris)

Yeah, that does sound more sinister, but realistically, I don't think it would work - at least not for an eventual worldwide (or even state- or country-wide spread). People are too quick nowadays to deal with pandemics and health departments and the like are too quick to react for it to start so slow (or at least for it to turn global in such a case). The authorities would catch on pretty quick and there's a good chance you'd end up with manditory cremations of the dead (like in "The Last Man on Earth") in order to stem the plague.

Here's my newest idea on how it could work:

Starts with meteorite falling in graveyard or possible bioweapon test by foreign power in nearby town. Investigators are sent to investigate.

Alien or biological virus (probably alien) that starts, when it is first released on meteorite’s crash, as an airborne virus that lives for several minutes and moves quickly to encompass roughly a one-square-mile area. All humans (sapiens) in this area die within a few minutes, usually too quick to even call for aid. Virus within human bodies (that caused their deaths) mutates at this point, making it no longer airborne. It powers and raises the bodies and then creates aggression against non-zombies in the people in order to further spread. The virus is now spread by bite or blood, fluids, or saliva entering the bloodstreams of others. Bites, if not immediately fatal, fester quickly and spread, resulting in death in less than a week. Amputating the bit area might save the victim.

The virus, though not self-aware, is able to control the dead body to the extent of trying to spread itself. It is somehow also able to stave off rigor mortis and power the body as well, acting as the bodies new nervous system.

Virus continues its mutations. First zombies created by airborne virus are fairly slow, but those zombies created by being bit or the like tend to be faster and more in control. They can sprint. They are a bit smarter. The initial zombies are shamblers but those that they infect end up as runners.

It should be noted that some in the area of the initial airborne infection sometimes survive due to their environment (disinfected or the like) or situation (those on oxygen or completely cut off from the outside world are safe) or even physical condition (certain physical affects (being drunk, already diseased, or something - unsure what yet - think Andromeda Strain). The airborne virus only has a lifespan of a few minutes or so, after which it dies and becomes inert.

At end of first scenario, the investigators are greeted by seeing meteors falling in the distance and reports of a “massive meteor shower” across the western hemisphere as the planet passes through a “debris field” of some kind. The shower continues for over 24 hours, peppering the entire planet.

I'd probably add the caveat that they can't run or move faster than a walk - that makes the 8 movement make sense. Also though DEX is higher, STR and CON are only equal to a human, and INT is lower.

Am I allowed or does that violate some copyright stuff?

Taking a chance. Apologies if this is wrong and please remove if so.

Here are the basic stats from Malleus Monstrorum:

"STR 3D6

CON 3D6

SIZ 4D6

INT 2D6

POW 1D6

DEX 5D6

Move: 8"

I like the high Dex which reflects how quick the things can attack.

I also found triffids in the Malleus Monstrorum.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. In answer to a few questions:

Ortrail and trechriron: I'm looking for average joes going agianst something they aren't ready for, if possible. I've had suggestions of having the players play themselves (or make character sheets of themselves and then switch off) but I've done that in a ZA game in the past and didn't particularly enjoy it myself. As far as the players not liking the game, I only want this to work for one game session. It can turn into a campaign if players so desire, but I don't mind either way if the game lasts or not. I generally run Call of Cthulhu (as a rule) and always have that to fall back on.

I like the idea of the bait and switch, myself, though I've been warned by several people (present company included) not to explain the game in one premise and then change said premise completely. I still like the idea of normal people, unprepared for something like this, suddenly finding themselves thrust into the situation (but I love CoC - so that makes sense). Modern games can quickly turn into anything too, with the character's only real connection being that they were all in the wrong place at the wrong time (though I prefer they know each other in advance). Flying saucers suddenly appear and you find yourself in V or Independence Day (or Mars Attacks!), another planet is spotted coming in system and you're in When Worlds Collide, or suddenly everyone goes blind (except the PCs) and the (relatively) harmless (or at least controlled) mobile plants are taking over the world. I don't know, I just like the idea of the players (not necessarily their characters) going "Oh man! I know what's going on!"

Seneschal - I would definitely be using book triffids. I stumbled across Day of the Triffids in middle school and the book really scared the crap out of me. Don't forget the worst of the triffids' strengths - group hive mind. It is implied, at least in the book, that using a method to destroy them (tricking them with sound to corral them and then burning them) rarely works twice on other triffids. Its as if they know what happened to the others. That really creeped me out - that the things could communicate (somewhat) and, after a fashion, learn, even when they had no means of doing so. That makes them more dangerous than zombies, imho. Also, like more new-age zombies, they are attracted to sound so that shotgun blast will bring more of the things around very, very quickly.

Thanks for the ideas, guys. Still thinking ...

Been trying to get here for a couple of weeks with an idea I wanted advice on. Here is the original (intended) post:

I've been wanting to run a BRP modern game that would, during the first game session, devolve into a zombie apocalypse. My problem is, I don't want it to start as a zombie apocalypse game. Rather, I want it to start as "x" game that turns into the former, hopefully shocking the players. However, I can't figure out what the initial premise would be for players to create normal, everyday investigators without giving the real premise of the game away. I've gotten a few ideas online (prison, school, college, supers, film crew, class reunion, Survivor or survival, The Sims) but that still doesn't give me my initial (false) premise, my "This is what the game is going to be about."

I feel like I'm explaining this badly. When you start almost any game, one of the questions is "What kind of game is it?" The answer is fantasy, horror, or the like. I need that initial fake premise that will get the players interested, get them to make normal people as their characters, and leave them completely blind-sided when zombies start showing up when they shouldn't even be in such a game.

Here's a good example that worked in play. Year of the Phoenix started out with the characters part of a NASA anti-terrorist space force in 1999. Characters were part of the military but trained to pilot shuttles and deal with terrorism in space. However, during the initial scenario, when they take the shuttle Phoenix to the international space station, which has been taken by terrorists, the space station explodes as they close to dock. Everything goes black. They wake up on the shore and guess that they managed to get out of the shuttle. Turns out they are probably in the Soviet Union (which still existed in the game) and help some rebels fight against them. However, by the end of the mission, they find that they are actually in the 24th century and the Soviet Union now runs the world.

Any advice or ideas are welcome. Thanks.

That one is from last week. With people's input, I decided on this:

Per responses on threads across the vastness of the internet I'm leaning more, now, towards just starting out telling my players we're doing a BRP modern game and that the premise will become clear soon enough. Perhaps even telling them if they don't know the premise in advance, they will more likely have a more enjoyable time. I'm hoping that will be enough.

Comments?

I'm also tempted to use triffids instead of zombies ...

Aces and Eights uses the inverted (i.e. roll percentiles and try to roll high) system. Skills start high and the more you improve them, the lower they go.

I finally ran the conclusion to the Aliens Adventure Game scenario Forced Entry (which I originally started in July 2010!). It can be found at Pen and Paper games (in two parts) and in my Facebook Notes (in one part). Here's the link to the former:

http://www.penandpapergames.com/forums/blog.php/8662-Max_Writer

I also posted the original at Pen and Paper Games (Forced Entry 1).

Characters were:

Corporal Hal McVenner

Pvt. Andrew Simmons

Agreed. I think it's the best system out there, personally. I especially like this:

Even more, after playing some of this so called 'better' and more 'modern' systems, I still come back to good old BRP and find it refreshing, intuitive and easy.

Without one of the main CoC books, you'll also be missing out on tomes and spells. That latter can be quite important in the course of the game.

One thing I adore about Chaosium, specifically Cthulhu, is that the new editions consist of minor upgrades that always seem to be transparent and completely backwards-compatible. My players can each have their own printing of the rules, and we can all play together. That is why I will always remain a happy Cthulhu customer.

Wish other games were similar. I just get fed up with them.

They sound like spoiled gamers to me (and LORD there are a lot of them around nowadays). Every fight doesn't have to be balanced and the players should be smart enough to know when a potential upcoming coflict is going to be too much for them. If they don't, it's our jobs as GMs to teach them a valuable lesson they can take into real life: Don't go against a superior opposing force. In that case, and especially when the opposing force (not only being larger or better armed) thinks (whether they do or not) have right on their side, they will suffer. "Balanced" encounters are for D&D and it's up to each and every player to decide when he is outgunned and outclassed. If he cannot recognize this, it's up to the GM to educate him.

When an investigator in my Call of Cthulhu game was facing a twitchy guy with a double-barrel shotgun, he attempted to regain his pistol from where it lay on the beach. The blast nearly tore him in half and he was dead before he hit the ground. His friend, already walking away from the situation by leave of the twitchy man's accomplice (and having left his own sidearm behind) fled the scene as quickly as he could. And twitchy and his friend were gangsters - not police officers.

I said it before and was slapped down but I'll repeat it. This is a role-playing issue, not a rules issue. If you, as the GM, did not want to deal with the situation, the lawmen should have laid down an ultimatum (as they thought they were doing what was right - in the murder investigation) and if the PCs didn't comply, gunfire probably would have occured. Authority figures DO NOT like those who ignore their authority and will usually do something about it.

It was a bad situation, but as a GM, sometimes you have to follow through on your threats. You have numerous 'lawmen' outnumbering and outgunning the PCs? Then the lawmen have the upper hand and the PCs better capitulate - otherwise, they will die. It sucks when you have to bring the hammer down, but giving the PCs an out in a situation that they shouldn't have ... no, I disagree with that. In this case, the out was "We won't have you arrested for resisting questioning if you come along peacefully - otherwise, you're facing at least jail time and possibly a hanging" (depending on the law level of the area actually).

Just some thoughts.

Clarification? What exactly were the 'NPC authorities?' What was the date? 1920s or present day or what? Where were they?

This is certainly true. On the other hand, the tension - and therefore much of

the fun - in a roleplaying game is usually based upon the idea that characters

have to take risks to achieve their goals. These risks have to be real to make

a success meaningful and valuable, otherwise the story becomes a kind of bun-

gee jumping, with a fake risk leading to a meaningless fake success.

So, if you want a plausible, challenging and rewarding setting, I am afraid you

will at least occasionally have to introduce the consequences of a miscalcula-

ted risk, even if this means to have the entire party killed. In my view the si-

tuation you described would have been such an occasion.

Armed people resisting disarmament and interrogation by the authorities in a

murder case take a suicidally high risk. It depends on your setting's "plausibi-

lity level" whether the characters have a chance to survive such a stupid be-

haviour, but under normal circumstances they would be dealt with by a SWAT

team, with almost zero chance to get out of this unharmed and little chance

to survive a firefight.

In other words, I would have killed the characters. While it may reduce the

fun in the short run, to me it would seem necessary to keep the setting plau-

sible, and through this to support the future fun with this setting.

Wow. Very well said.

You should've killed them. You also shouldn't railroad them.

Also, you don't need rules for this. This is a role playing issue, not a rules issue.

Just a reminder, which has nothing to do with the previous reply but which get on my nerves when I'm watching a sci-fi movie: there is no noise in the intersideral vacuum. Nothing to hear when a vessel explodes (not talking about "pew pews"). I've however never seen a sci-fi movie allowing something exploding silently in the space...

I know, there are much more important things to care about, but stil, I find it quite irritating...

No, I'm not confusing the two. Lasers and blasters, when Hollywood is concerned, are essentially the same thing. I'm not saying they are, but pretty much every laser that ever appeared in a movie or television show (Lost in Space for one example) made a loud noise when it was fired and had a coherent and very visible beam of light.

Sigh....my lasers will go "pew, pew, pew." But only to create atmosphere and a "hindrance" for using them.

Personally, I find it more disturbing and atmospheric to go the other way, as it's not what people expect. When the Zoviets (as they were called in the game) aimed that plastic-toy-looking gun at someone and nothing seemed to happen, but then she heard the sizzle of burnt wood and smelled smoke and looked to see that there was a penny-sized and still smoking hole in the crate next to her, it was unnerving. The guy that got hit was injured to the point where the beam burnt right through muscle and bone of his upper arm. His character lasted another round before the shock of it knocked him unconscious (and his arm was worthless after that due to the massive damage). No blood though - very handy being shot by a weapon that cauterizes the wound. Nerve damage is a bitch, though.

Kyle, Stan, Kenny, and Cartman should really all have cameos if you ever do this.

Question: how realistic is it going to be? Lasers really shouldn't make any noise when fired. Nor would they even create coherent light unless the area were smoky or the like. Just wondering.

I ran a game of Year of the Phoenix and the lasers used in that (in the game I ran) only hummed as they fired, and not very loudly. There was no laser flash, but burns or holes would ignite in people and objects that the beams hit. It was hard to actually do that, as Hollywood's brought us all up to believe that a laser should go 'pew pew pew' or something.