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The 2023 Delta Green shotgun scenario contest has gotten a handful of AI written entries. I don't think there's any risk of them winning because they're pretty bland and the winner is usually something with very evocative and memorable descriptive text. The real threat is inflating the number of entries artificially without contributing anything. For the last five years or so there have been more entries than most people are realistically going to read, which means voting can't be a totally a fair comparison between all the contestants. But even the worst entries took effort on the part of a human to create, and they were all different. Nobody just spammed low quality submissions. The obvious solution is to ban AI written entries, but I don't think the detection tools are reliable enough to be better than just eyeballing it, which means even more work for the contest administrator. Combined with ballot stuffing issues from previous runs, I wonder if we're going to see a return to the contest's original format - a closed social network where everyone knows each other.
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Dec 8, 2023 20:10
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I got through the Peru section of MoN as a player not too long ago (just finished up the New York section in November). We did pretty well through the use of non-explosive fire just burning everything out. Favorite part was the keeper setting up a room in the temple full of all the valuables from past victims. We were intended to loot it to fund the ongoing travel in the campaign, but we all agreed "Nope, that's cursed gold now." and refused to touch it.
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Dec 8, 2023 20:26
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PharmerBoy posted:I got through the Peru section of MoN as a player not too long ago (just finished up the New York section in November). Mhm you're probably safe from the curse now, good call
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Dec 8, 2023 21:21
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mellonbread posted:The 2023 Delta Green shotgun scenario contest has gotten a handful of AI written entries. Luckily in this case I asked the submitter and he was like "oh yeah I see how these might not fit." so we mutually agreed to pull them. I also said "if you want to write your own words over the top and add to them (they're pretty short, plenty of words to spare)" because using AI to inspire is fine but just copy-pasting from the AI is less so. But yeah, frustrating to be so scandal filled in this dumb scenario writing contest for a niche ttrpg
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Dec 8, 2023 21:23
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One useful little trick I've discovered when teaching new systems and corresponding sheets to new players in VTTs is "screenshot the sheet, set up the screenshot as a level/map and mark it up with explanations of what all the different parts do". Why yes, graphic design is my passion, how did you know? EDIT: Ah dang it, left in one extra "you go crazy" in the screenshot. Edited it out in the game proper!
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Dec 10, 2023 16:58
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Megazver posted:One useful little trick I've discovered when teaching new systems and corresponding sheets to new players in VTTs is "screenshot the sheet, set up the screenshot as a level/map and mark it up with explanations of what all the different parts do". Ia! Ia! Purpl butan!
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Dec 10, 2023 17:04
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Why even have a green button?
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Dec 10, 2023 20:51
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I'm running into an issue with the study times in Masks of Nyarlethotep. I'm a player, and got specifically called out to study one tome (power roll resulting in character feeling a strong draw to read Pnakotic Manuscript). Trouble is, it has a 300 day read time, and we're currently running reading as requiring setting aside dedicated whole day reading time. As a result, I'm ending up back in hotel rooms reading while the other players are out adventuring, and out of game I've spent the last two sessions just sitting around in real life. Its already been dropped that the whole scenario takes place over the course of a year, so I feel like I've got to keep actively staying back to keep this thing on schedule. Would running this as "you set aside some time each night to read and get reading credit" while actively out adventuring mess things up? This is my first long-term CoC campaign, and I'm trying to avoid self-spoiling on what's in this book, so its been a bit difficult to figure out fixes that are balanced while not knowing what I'm balancing. How have other people handled the read times?
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Dec 21, 2023 05:58
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PharmerBoy posted:I'm running into an issue with the study times in Masks of Nyarlethotep. I'm a player, and got specifically called out to study one tome (power roll resulting in character feeling a strong draw to read Pnakotic Manuscript). Trouble is, it has a 300 day read time, and we're currently running reading as requiring setting aside dedicated whole day reading time. As a result, I'm ending up back in hotel rooms reading while the other players are out adventuring, and out of game I've spent the last two sessions just sitting around in real life. Its already been dropped that the whole scenario takes place over the course of a year, so I feel like I've got to keep actively staying back to keep this thing on schedule. I've never run or read Masks but this is an enormous failure on the part of the GM. No player should have to sit there and do nothing for entire sessions. Reading should be allowed to happen during downtime, or, failing that, if the GM insists your character's gotta read that book and it's gotta take all day, then bring in your backup character ASAP while the first one chills back at the hotel reading. Why did everyone agree you need to read the book, by the way? If it's to learn a potential spell in the book, then rules as written, you find out what spells the book contains after an "initial reading" -- while the exact length of time this requires varies from hours to weeks, it's still a way shorter time frame than the full 45 weeks for the "full reading" -- and you can then choose to study one spell in particular, which might take a few weeks but is also a much shorter time frame than the full read.
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Dec 21, 2023 06:44
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Yeah anything that takes more than an ingame day or so should be handled during downtime. You, as a player, being out of action for so long is a major issue IMO. I'd speak to the GM and the others, since that's insanity! I haven't played Masks at this stage, but I believe a couple of other posters have, in recent months? (Either posting here or in the general TG chat thread - I don't recall) So maybe one of those people might chime in, if you're able to hint at what part you're up to. Hell, I have the book too - I could always check for you if nobody else replies. I'm never going to be a player for it, but I may eventually GM it. So spoilers aren't an issue for me
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Dec 21, 2023 07:02
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He's a newer GM, and in general is learning the guy he learned CoC from did a whole lot of poo poo wrong. He's twigged on to the idea that the current book system isn't really working as well, and I'm trying to get ideas for how it should be adjusted to bring back to him. The core books themselves don't really give any guidance to what "study" is supposed to mean, outside of adjust it as you see fit. Great advice for experienced GMs, but he's not really there in this system. As far as why? Basically the GM dropped a heavy hint/compulsion in the form of a power roll resulting in a supernatural feeling that I should read the book.
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Dec 21, 2023 07:03
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Yeah that's wack. Time is important in MoN, but even without that you need to play the game. I'm gming it right now and I'm guessing there's a specific ritual you need out of it.
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Dec 21, 2023 07:04
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The study times for books basically don't work for campaigns in 7e, unless the PCs are willing to just put the whole impending apocalypse thing on pause for a year each time they want to study a book, yeah. A hack I've seen suggested is make it days instead of weeks. Or, ultimately, just tell them that yep studying these tomes is what cultists do and you just don't have the time to read most of them, sorry.
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Dec 21, 2023 12:34
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PharmerBoy posted:As far as why? Basically the GM dropped a heavy hint/compulsion in the form of a power roll resulting in a supernatural feeling that I should read the book. That sounds like your character being corrupted by things that mankind weren't meant to know. I'm not familiar with that particular book, but yeah making a player sit out whole sessions isn't cool in any rpg. I'm there to have a good time and if I'm on a timeout, I'd rather just not show up. I lost one of my characters in masks, because he got access to a mythos book. But that was more of a voluntary retirement, because it really fit to my characters quest for forbidden lore and power.
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Dec 21, 2023 13:25
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Yeah, the study times in CoC have always been too long, it's a known problem. An experienced GM knows just to handwave the time to something more reasonable, save it for downtime while you're travelling or between adventures, or allow a player to find the crucial piece of information on a 'skim' for something scenario relevant. Tell your GM the internet says it's fine to do that.
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Dec 21, 2023 23:01
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I just straight up told my players they aren't gonna have time to read through the giant 5-volume 15th century text in the course of the campaign. I hand-waved all of the other study times, ain't got time for that sort of bookkeeping personally, but with the Pnakotic manuscript I just said it was "too big to meaningfully do a full read-through in the allotted time".
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Dec 21, 2023 23:49
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Agreed. As Deptfordx mentioned though, I think seeking out the crucial piece of scenario-relevant information through skimming the book is a good option too, if the GM believes it contains relevant info. Pretty sure I've seen a few other scenarios mention skimming too, for some larger tomes. (i.e. "this brief rundown of XYZ is what they find if skimming, otherwise they get this pile of unnatural knowledge and spells")
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Dec 21, 2023 23:52
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Deptfordx posted:Yeah, the study times in CoC have always been too long, it's a known problem. My rulebook is an ancient 5th ed one, but it outright says 'during scenarios, cut down study times to whatever length is necessary to fit the scenario.'
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Dec 22, 2023 12:07
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Then why even have them canonically written like that if it’s acknowledged widely as impractical??
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Dec 22, 2023 15:32
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It works fine in an ongoing campaign. "Okay welcome back grab a slice of pizza. In the four months between sessions you've been translating that malign tome. Make a sanity roll."
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Dec 22, 2023 15:36
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It's also why they integrated the skim vs deep dive reading. My assumption is that it's built around campaigns like Masks where there is a bunch of downtime in sea travel.
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Dec 22, 2023 15:40
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DrSunshine posted:Then why even have them canonically written like that if it’s acknowledged widely as impractical?? e: as is ceremonial tradition, I will say that this is Explaining, not Endorsing
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Dec 22, 2023 15:41
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In my CoC campaign, Abdul Alhazred's younger cousin Abed Alhazred spent a good chunk of time writing "A Dummy's Guide to the Necronomicon", an easy to read plain English guide that summarizes the entire contents of the Necronomicon in a pamphlet that can be read in an afternoon.
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Dec 22, 2023 15:50
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DrSunshine posted:In my CoC campaign, Abdul Alhazred's younger cousin Abed Alhazred spent a good chunk of time writing "A Dummy's Guide to the Necronomicon", an easy to read plain English guide that summarizes the entire contents of the Necronomicon in a pamphlet that can be read in an afternoon.
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Dec 22, 2023 15:53
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Nessus posted:You realize that there's no way an 8th century Arab could have written conversational modern English, as it did not exist at the time. 1d4/2d6 SAN 
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Dec 22, 2023 18:17
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I have always handwaved reading times into “a few downtimes until it feels right.” Another way to do it is let the PC make some kind of roll once per week/day/whatever - SAN or POW or INT, and start it near impossible and make the TN easier with each attempt until they “unlock the knowledge.”
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Dec 26, 2023 18:31
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Our GM in Masks had us find a spell early on in the adventure that allowed the caster to destroy a tome to absorb it's knowledge, with a significant power and sanity cost, which worked really well. The cost was serious enough that we had to be very specific about what books we read/destroyed and why and couldn't just chomp up every book, but it gave us at least some access to the tomes.
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Dec 28, 2023 20:30
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Bit of a question about systems - want to run an investigative-y Mythos campaign in 1920s Britain, and someone in my group mentioned Trail of Cthulu. Reading through the rules, the core stuff seems interesting and nice and light, but maaan there's a lot of extra tables and little modifiers and side rules strewn throughout that seem at odds to the relatively lightweight core mechanics. How does it actually work in play? Do you just end up ignoring 3/4 of the book? Is there a 2nd edition that tightens the thing up? Or another system that achieves the same kind of goals?
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Dec 29, 2023 13:59
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Talkie Toaster posted:Is there a 2nd edition that tightens the thing up? The closest thing to Gumshoe 2e currently available is the QuickShock system, which they used in the King in Yellow RPG. There's a conversion guide for the combat system, but even the authors admit that it's the worst of both worlds. Robin Laws posted:It takes the most complicated element from one version of the game and bolts it to the most complicated element from another. It extends fights longer, devoting an increased chunk of time to bashing and getting shot that could be used interacting with GMCs and solving mysteries. Talkie Toaster posted:Or another system that achieves the same kind of goals?
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Dec 29, 2023 19:00
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mellonbread posted:What goals are you trying to achieve by switching to Trail? Basically, though, we've mostly played Genesys-based stuff recently which is fairly narrative and player-centric. Trail looks nice and light, narratively focused, and avoids the 'failed that one check' problem, which seemed appealing. We're not opposed to retro/crunchy systems (I've played far too much Dark Heresy), but our group dynamic better suits light, improv-friendly rules. Talkie Toaster fucked around with this message at 01:06 on Dec 30, 2023 |
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Dec 30, 2023 00:51
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I've not played/ran Trails, but I've played Nights Black Agents which is also Gumshoe system, and it worked pretty well for that.
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Dec 30, 2023 17:40
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Talkie Toaster posted:I'm not switching, this would be an entirely new campaign - our group rotates GMs and systems. I've played classic CoC in the past, but as a group we've not played any Mythos systems for a while. Have you ever played or heard of Cthulhu Dark? Extremely rules light, though you're almost always going to meet a bad end. Lots of freedom to shape your own narrative as well.
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Jan 2, 2024 00:27
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Single and LOVING IT posted:Have you ever played or heard of Cthulhu Dark? Extremely rules light, though you're almost always going to meet a bad end. Lots of freedom to shape your own narrative as well.
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Jan 2, 2024 14:30
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the winners have been announced and another Delta Green Shotgun Scenario contest in the bag. As usual, we could not go another year without a minor scandal, but at least it was some AI submissions which were withdrawn by the submitter after we talked rather than the usual slew of voter fraud. We almost broke the record, which is crazy for a game that isn't exactly fresh. Check em out, https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yLsMjxHVLNgw63phSgnsEkx_UJa7R5dBjT3hXb_dK_0/edit?usp=drivesdk
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Jan 2, 2024 15:16
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Arc Dream is offering up a pretty cool piece of swag (black DG hat) if you run a few sessions to promote/introduce people to the game at cons and FLGSes, or even online: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScxP8omVDycwyV0rJNhGhYTtmaWczB5cs4gVYCmFpjLTWcTCw/viewform
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Jan 4, 2024 19:22
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Big rear end Call of Cthulhu Humble Bundle for $25: https://www.humblebundle.com/books/call-cthulhu-chaosium-inc-books
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Jan 6, 2024 20:15
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^^e;fb Nice Cthulhu bundle on Humble today: Keeper and Investigator handbooks, Pulp Chtulhu, starter set, Dark Ages, Reign of Terror and Down darker trails setting books, Malleus Monstrorum, Grimoire of Mythos Magic, and quite a few adventures (including all the "alone against the" solo ones, excluding the latest one). https://www.humblebundle.com/books/call-cthulhu-chaosium-inc-books?mc_cid=0f462e90a7
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Jan 6, 2024 20:15
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holy poo poo, insta-buy if you're remotely interested in CoC
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Jan 6, 2024 20:29
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Hmm yes i have just started Masks of Nyarlathotep, why do u ask
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Jan 6, 2024 20:44
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Megazver posted:holy poo poo, insta-buy if you're remotely interested in CoC Like I already have half the stuff in this bundle and I'm still buying it for Malleus Monstrorum and the Berlin book.
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Jan 6, 2024 21:03
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