|
Hey, goons! Monte "the Moon" Cook is hosting an AMA on ENWorld, If you guys have any pressing questions about Native Americans, ivory towers, lunar geography, or game design.
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 14:39
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 24, 2024 02:09 |
|
|
Ratpick posted:So, John Harper's Lasers & Feelings is pretty much the best rules right Star Trek RPG out there, and the best thing about it is that it converts to almost any genre where you can easily see two poles that are used to define characters, right? So, you could probably use it for, say, the Cthulhu Mythos as Sanity (traditional investigative techniques) & Sorcery (knowledge of how things work under the rules of the Mythos and how to use it). 
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 14:53
|
|
|
That's a really good idea! You might even play it off as you can only choose a 2 or a 3 as your number so you start off on that side of the Sanity scale (but players are still differentiated by their Style and Role), and then invoking Cthulhu Mythos (either as something the GM pulls or something the player willingly commits) will increase that number until you need to keep pulling Sorcery rolls because that's what you On a slight tangent, I don't know who the hell made the Swords and Scrolls reskin for Lasers and Feelings, but they have my eternal ire for not using the incredibly more obvious alliteration of Might and Magic. loving scrolls? Seriously? That ain't evocative.
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 15:00
|
|
|
gradenko_2000 posted:On a slight tangent, I don't know who the hell made the Swords and Scrolls reskin for Lasers and Feelings, but they have my eternal ire for not using the incredibly more obvious alliteration of Might and Magic. loving scrolls? Seriously? That ain't evocative. If I had to guess it's because of the video game series with a pretty similar name.
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 15:02
|
|
|
gradenko_2000 posted:That's a really good idea! You might even play it off as you can only choose a 2 or a 3 as your number so you start off on that side of the Sanity scale (but players are still differentiated by their Style and Role), and then invoking Cthulhu Mythos (either as something the GM pulls or something the player willingly commits) will increase that number until you need to keep pulling Sorcery rolls because that's what you My main problem is, what determines when a character's stat slides up towards Sorcery? I'd like to keep it sort of in the hands of players, so probably not just "Increase stat when you see a Cthulhu." It'd have to actually be something the player elects to do. Hmmm, maybe that's just it? If you see a Mythos monstrosity your only options are to either run away and hide and not lose Sanity, or stand and fight and lose Sanity whether you win or not. Decide not to touch that Mythos tome? You won't lose Sanity, but at the same time you're electing to not get the clue hidden within that tome which could help you solve the mystery. Basically, at some point or another characters will have to do the mythos thing, because traditional investigative methods can only take them so far, but it also comes at the risk of losing your character. (I'm thinking this as more of a one-shot game than one for long campaigns, so going all the way to 6 would mean that you lose your character) gradenko_2000 posted:On a slight tangent, I don't know who the hell made the Swords and Scrolls reskin for Lasers and Feelings, but they have my eternal ire for not using the incredibly more obvious alliteration of Might and Magic. loving scrolls? Seriously? That ain't evocative.
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 15:09
|
|
|
They're clearly saving Might and Magic for their game where they combine the two 
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 15:12
|
|
|
Ratpick posted:I agree, I'd probably start characters off with either a 2 or a 3, because otherwise characters will reach the far end of the Sorcery scale too quickly. Amazing concept for a short or one-shot game. I think you're on the right track with the way you're looking at what would cause the track to change. I think it will create a lovecraftian vibe really well. Elector_Nerdlingen fucked around with this message at 15:22 on Aug 10, 2015 |
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 15:19
|
|
|
Yeah seriously that's even more straightforward than Trail/Call and I want to try it now.
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 15:21
|
|
|
AlphaDog posted:Amazing concept for a short or one-shot game. I think you're on the right track with the way you're looking at what would cause the track to change. I think it will create a lovecraftian vibe really well. gradenko_2000 posted:Yeah seriously that's even more straightforward than Trail/Call and I want to try it now. Thanks! All it needs is a list of Styles and Occupations, but thus far I've got nothing. Having to boil down the entire essence of the source material into just a short list of seven styles and occupations is really difficult. e: And of course the d6 charts for scenario generation, because you've gotta have those.
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 15:24
|
|
|
clockworkjoe posted:That is one influence, yes. Also, Silent Hill, The Shining (Kubrick version), Grave Encounters (underrated found footage horror film) and the Hastur mythos - in particular the Night Floors scenario from Delta Green and other Carcosa influenced scenarios. The Night Clerk AP is a proto version of Ruin: http://actualplay.roleplayingpublicradio.com/2011/10/systems/call-of-cthulhu/call-of-cthulhu-the-night-clerk/ Nice, I just watched Grave encounters 2 with some friends last night and spoilers for the few good bits in a mediocre movie The scene when they get in the elevator at the hotel and walk out into the basement of the asylum, along with the one where the Rob Zombie looking dude punches through the bathroom and the guy falls through the wall to the floor below were the best parts.
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 15:36
|
|
|
Ratpick posted:My main problem is, what determines when a character's stat slides up towards Sorcery? I'd like to keep it sort of in the hands of players, so probably not just "Increase stat when you see a Cthulhu." It'd have to actually be something the player elects to do. Hmmm, maybe that's just it? If you see a Mythos monstrosity your only options are to either run away and hide and not lose Sanity, or stand and fight and lose Sanity whether you win or not. Decide not to touch that Mythos tome? You won't lose Sanity, but at the same time you're electing to not get the clue hidden within that tome which could help you solve the mystery.
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 15:38
|
|
|
Ratpick posted:Thanks! All it needs is a list of Styles and Occupations, but thus far I've got nothing. Having to boil down the entire essence of the source material into just a short list of seven styles and occupations is really difficult. Are occupations like jobs? Scientist, writer, historian, occultist, explorer, reporter, and detective would all make a shortlist. Styles are harder though. Ratpick posted:e: And of course the d6 charts for scenario generation, because you've gotta have those. 1 Daemoniac 2 Foetid 3 Cyclopean 4 Amorphous 5 Unutterable 6 Accursed
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 15:42
|
|
|
Ratpick posted:My main problem is, what determines when a character's stat slides up towards Sorcery? I'd like to keep it sort of in the hands of players, so probably not just "Increase stat when you see a Cthulhu." It'd have to actually be something the player elects to do. Hmmm, maybe that's just it? If you see a Mythos monstrosity your only options are to either run away and hide and not lose Sanity, or stand and fight and lose Sanity whether you win or not. Decide not to touch that Mythos tome? You won't lose Sanity, but at the same time you're electing to not get the clue hidden within that tome which could help you solve the mystery. If you want to graduate things, you could look to Unknown Armies' Madness Meters. If your number is equal or higher than the "Mythos Score" of the situation you're fine, otherwise you have the option to flee or increase. e: for styles, how about Curious, Intrepid, Naïve, Obsessed, Rational, Studious, Steadfast DigitalRaven fucked around with this message at 15:55 on Aug 10, 2015 |
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 15:47
|
|
|
Siivola posted:This is sort of reminding me of the Gumshoe system. The players can get the basic clues by asking nicely, but they can always look a bit deeper into it... Definitely. You don't want the game to grind to a halt because the players are lacking vital clues, but at the same time the GM should entice the players with the promise of more in-depth clues if they're willing to put their sanity on the line. AlphaDog posted:Are occupations like jobs? Scientist, writer, historian, occultist, explorer, reporter, and detective would all make a shortlist. Styles are harder though. That's actually a really good list, and covers the most archetypical character types in Mythos writing. (Also, to go with reporter, I can't help but think that "Intrepid" should be one of the styles.) AlphaDog posted:1 Daemoniac This is a good list. Although I can't help but feel that it's missing Squamous. DigitalRaven posted:If you want to graduate things, you could look to Unknown Armies' Madness Meters. If your number is equal or higher than the "Mythos Score" of the situation you're fine, otherwise you have the option to flee or increase. Hmmm, I have to think about that. I do like Unknown Armies' Madness system in general, because it really promotes the idea that enough exposure to the maddening stimulus hardens you against it. I'll definitely put that one up for consideration.
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 15:53
|
|
|
Ratpick posted:That's actually a really good list, and covers the most archetypical character types in Mythos writing. (Also, to go with reporter, I can't help but think that "Intrepid" should be one of the styles.) Intrepid, yeah. I can see sceptical, naive, esoteric, elderly, and bizarre there too. I'm really just throwing "vibe" words out there from my memory of reading the stories. Ratpick posted:This is a good list. Although I can't help but feel that it's missing Squamous. I left out squamous, rugose and non-euclidean on purpose since a) they don't actually come up very often in the writing and b) I have no idea what the first two even mean. e: I wasn't even being serious, just listing off stuff lovecraft kept on writing down. Elector_Nerdlingen fucked around with this message at 16:19 on Aug 10, 2015 |
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 16:09
|
|
|
AlphaDog posted:I left out squamous, rugose and non-euclidean on purpose since a) they don't actually come up very often in the writing and b) I have no idea what the first two even mean. e: I wasn't even being serious, just listing off stuff lovecraft kept on writing down. If I do put this down in writing I do want to include a d6 list of Lovecraftian words just for flavor. The ones you listed are perfect, I was just being a bit cheeky, because squamous is just one of those words he used occasionally that sticks out in the nerd popular consciousness.
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 16:27
|
|
|
A Threat ... 1. Academic-gone-mad 2. Unknowing crime boss 3. False prophet 4. Political extremist 5. Reckless industrialist 6. Desperate victim wants to... 1. Destroy 2. Enact / Perform 3. Merge with 4. Awaken / Activate 5. Seize 6. Hide the... 1. Innocent 2. Hybrid abomination 3. Human-skinned tome 4. Black altar 5. Cannibalistic ritual 6. Buried alien intelligence which will... 1. Summon an unspeakable evil 2. Destroy an entire city 3. Open a portal beyond time and space 4. Corrupt a high-ranking leader 5. Create a depraved artifact 6. Ascend them into godhood For character roles I was thinking 1. Investigator / Reporter 2. Socialite / Dilettante 3. Cop / Soldier / Agent 4. Scientist 5. Hobo 6. Occultist gradenko_2000 fucked around with this message at 16:45 on Aug 10, 2015 |
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 16:40
|
|
|
AlphaDog posted:1 Daemoniac
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 16:55
|
|
|
Ratpick posted:If I do put this down in writing I do want to include a d6 list of Lovecraftian words just for flavor. The ones you listed are perfect, I was just being a bit cheeky, because squamous is just one of those words he used occasionally that sticks out in the nerd popular consciousness. All of one time, oddly enough. "Loathsome" probably deserves to be on there.
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 17:56
|
|
|
Yawgmoth posted:How do you have an HPL list and not include eldritch? Or "indescribable" or "non-euclidean". e: huh, "non-euclidean" was only used twice? Evil Mastermind fucked around with this message at 18:06 on Aug 10, 2015 |
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 18:02
|
|
|
Tulul posted:All of one time, oddly enough. Huh, I'm actually learning a lot more about Lovecraft as a writer thanks to this! I've only read a couple of his short stories, but I was under the impression that he really used that word a lot. I guess it just sticks out because it's one of the stranger words he used. Speaking of which, I've hit another design snag: what do I call the Laserfeelings equivalent in this game?
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 18:02
|
|
|
AlphaDog posted:I left out squamous, rugose and non-euclidean on purpose since a) they don't actually come up very often in the writing and b) I have no idea what the first two even mean. e: I wasn't even being serious, just listing off stuff lovecraft kept on writing down. As I recall, squamous means to have legs and hip joints arranged kind of like on a crocodile, so they stick 'out and then down'. I used to know what rugose meant but have since forgotten. :sinister chord:
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 18:09
|
|
|
As a mathematician, every time someone says "non-Euclidian geometry" I immediately want them to specify elliptic or hyperbolic. It's not like this is difficult, any system of geometry that doesn't use the parallel postulate is non-Euclidian.
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 18:13
|
|
|
potatocubed posted:As I recall, squamous means to have legs and hip joints arranged kind of like on a crocodile, so they stick 'out and then down'. I used to know what rugose meant but have since forgotten. :sinister chord: Squamous is scaly and rugose is wrinkly.
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 18:18
|
|
|
As someone who's done a tiny amount of reading on the history of non-Euclidean geometry it makes me want a series of alt-historical pieces about Janos Bolyai, Mythos investigator. Janos Bolyai, dueling with deep ones. Janos Bolyai, producing a seminal work on the language of the Tcho-tcho. (All credit for this to be stolen by a more famous linguist.) Also apparently at one point he was actually literally warned that studying non-Euclidean geometry too closely might drive him insane and just sort of laughed in their face.
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 18:21
|
|
|
Ratpick posted:Speaking of which, I've hit another design snag: what do I call the Laserfeelings equivalent in this game?
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 18:54
|
|
|
Maybe "Moment of True Clarity" would work? Or "Piercing the Veil"?
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 19:00
|
|
|
To take a page from Trail, how about "Stability"? As in, it's that midpoint where you realize or experience something relevant to your investigation (that leads you deeper into the Mythos), but your Sanity isn't (yet!) at stake. Alternatively, "Sense Trouble"
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 19:10
|
|
|
"I've got a bad feeling about this." 
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 19:26
|
|
|
Maybe something religiously inclined to suggest a momentary connection with outer gods, like say, "Revelation" I do like Evil Mastermind's suggestions, though.
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 19:29
|
|
|
You could also try expanding the die size. A d10 would work just about as well (10% increments instead of 16%) while giving a bit more range between sanity and madness. So are there any other hacks for Lasers & Feelings besides Scrolls & Swords and Chrome & Punks? I mean, other than this CoC one. AlphaDog posted:Styles are harder though. Two-Fisted has to be one at the very least. Galaga Galaxian fucked around with this message at 19:45 on Aug 10, 2015 |
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 19:41
|
|
|
I also have Powers and Punches as a superhero reskin kicking around in my TG folder.
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 19:47
|
|
|
The word "chrome" now has me musing what a good pair of words for a Mad Max/Post Apocalypse version would be.
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 19:50
|
|
|
Galaga Galaxian posted:You could also try expanding the die size. A d10 would work just about as well (10% increments instead of 16%) while giving a bit more range between sanity and madness. For now I'd just keep it as d6, because everyone's got loads of those around. You're right about it giving a larger range of numbers to play with and making the descent into madness a bit slower. I'll think about it. Oh, and I loved pretty much all of the suggestions, but I think Evil Mastermind's "Moment of True Clarity" has the best ring to it. Galaga Galaxian posted:Two-Fisted has to be one at the very least. Holy poo poo, you're right. I'll probably go with Curious, Intrepid, Obsessed, Rational, Steadfast, Studious and Two-Fisted. Oh, by the way: gradenko_2000 posted:For character roles I was thinking Are Hobos so prolific in Lovecraft's writing so as to merit a background? Man, I've been reading the wrong stories by him. 
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 20:24
|
|
|
Galaga Galaxian posted:The word "chrome" now has me musing what a good pair of words for a Mad Max/Post Apocalypse version would be. Roll under Mad to do something crazy Roll over Max to do something really crazy
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 20:33
|
|
|
Mad should probably be one of them, yeah.
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 20:34
|
|
|
Mad vs Mediocre?
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 20:36
|
|
|
Survive vs Strive obviously Laserfeelings equivalent is Mad
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 20:53
|
|
|
Well my physical copy of Battle Century G came in today, and overall it's a pretty nice book(although it's kinda weird that a fair amount of the images in the book came out fuzzy and/or pixelated)
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 22:43
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 24, 2024 02:09 |
|
|
Who does everyone think should play The Sun in the upcoming Exalted Motion Picture? My ideas: - A torch - A big pile of burning leaves - Aaron Eckhart. What's this guy been up to lately? Do you think he resents Jon Hamm? I feel like they do the same thing but Jon Hamm does it better. Also what happened to Ted from Better Off Ted? - A flashlight - Some matches - A Lite-Brite - The moon
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2015 23:32
|
|
