The Police and Other Practical Considerations

[Jwfortune]

Had a situation where a gun fight broke out in a residential house in Arkham when two goons and two players ran into each other.  I wasn't sure how long to give them before the policy showed up.  This was the 20's so there are phones and such.  How would you have handled this?

 

Later in the campaign the police had reason for suspicion and brought the players in for questioning.  I basically had the players roll bluff vs the police, or something similar.  Luckily they succeeded, other wise I thought the police would have put then in jail.  It seems this would have stalled the game.  

 

How do you handle it when the police become suspicious?

[mvincent]

On 9/19/2016 at 0:39 PM, Jwfortune said:

How do you handle it when the police become suspicious?

I'm a simulationist-style GM, so I try to handle it realistically. Obtaining knowledge in this area can be hard (luckily, I'm a former police officer), but asking your players what they think is realistic should suffice.

• Response times would probably be lengthy, and the police would probably be cautious... which means moving slow, but responding in overwhelming force.
• Investigations would similarly be slow, but tight-lipped. PC's should sweat (as the the police won't let on what they know during questioning), but the scenario will likely be over by the time the police are ready to indict.

Edited September 20, 2016 by mvincent

[MJ Sadique]

How do you handle it when the police become suspicious?

In CoC v7 french ed. a good way to simulate an interrogation by a contest detective vs suspect (sort of social fight):

-The detective attack with 3 weapons : a clue 10%, a testimony 25%, a document 40%. The attack do 1D6 Damage to suspect's social HP.

-The suspect defend with it best skill or POW. The suspect have social HP at (POW + defense.Skill)/10

If your player had been spot or have left some of their own's possession in the fight, they have some problems...

[Gundamentalist]

3 hours ago, MJ Sadique said:

-The detective attack with 3 weapons : a clue 10%, a testimony 25%, a document 40%. The attack do 1D6 Damage to suspect's social HP.

How does that work? Does the detective attack with all 3 skills, a combination of them or just one, or some other method?

[Darius West]

I agree with what mvincent has written .  Arkham isn't a large city, so response times will be about 15-20 minutes.  They will prefer to show up AFTER the shooting is over.  The police almost always drive Model T fords. Paddy Wagons, as they were known were named as an ethnic slur on the Irish, who were often police.  Arkham police will, according to the supplement be armed with .45 Revolvers, probably Colt M1917s as illustrated below, and nightsticks.

Depending on the level of professionalism of the police they may adopt a number of different investigative techniques.  They will certainly ring local clinics and hospitals for admissions with gun wounds.  It is quite possible that both the player party and the cultists will wind up in the same cell or interrogation room if the police are being incompetent.  On the other hand, to the advantage of players, the Arkham police have a LOT of unexplained disappearances to solve, and continuous rumors about witches and so forth, so some officers might give characters who raise such concerns a better hearing (Credit Rating?).  If all else fails, you might try bribery, in which case it is a good idea to have a standing payola agreement with the police as a bootlegger might.  Competent police will probably separate players for a very repetitive and long questioning process where they get the characters to repeat what happened over and over again, and only ask slightly different questions.  Or they might tell the players that their friends have confessed and incriminated them so they better "sing". 

In short, if you don't want trouble with the police, follow the old CoC maxim of "don't use guns"... as if that ever worked?

 

[Darius West]

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Edited October 20, 2016 by Darius West

[MJ Sadique]

11 hours ago, Gundamentalist said:

How does that work? Does the detective attack with all 3 skills, a combination of them or just one, or some other method?

I've Just translate the full text (a good think I've got the PDF version) :

Preparation :

• Points of life social = (POW + Adequate social or professional competence)/10 (for every one)
• Give a score to every element in possession of the detective. A simple "I noticed that" does not carry far, and is hardly worth 10 %. A testimony turns around 25 %, a document give of 40 %. From his/her part, the criminal has a score of defence equal to his POW (power), or to one of his social skills (Charm, Credit …), according to his personality.

Contest : In every element which he  presents, the detective realizes a test under the score of the element, and the criminal make one under his score of defence. If the detective win, he imposes 1D6 points of damages on the social points of life. If the criminal takes him(it), the detective fails to take the support of his public and lose 1D6 points of social damages. Of course, an element (clue) being rarely enough to make confine somebody, in every new element which the detective give (bring out of his sleeve), he gains a die bonus. A success criticizes double the points of social damages.

End, arrest or not : When one of the participants falls to 0 social points of life, he admits defeat.

PS : I personally think the dice bonus can be only use if the elements are linked, testimony to have seen Mr Jack and the loss hat of Mr Jones don't match unless the two men have been seen together as friends.

[L Kelly]

Of course you can have them turn when you want for thematic or story purposes eg close shave the players have left as the police arrive or as mechanism to prod in a particular direction