Recruitment: Masks of Nyarlathotep, BRP, 1920s

[thewhatchamacallit]

oh don't tell him we should make him crazy... I... mean... guess. We should make him guess

[Laraqua]

True, true. We might not even like his lady friend. *winks* There's always that chance. She might be a sullen, mean-spirited lady. Or APP: 3.

[Raiko]

I've just posted a link on the main Yog-Sothoth board, so hopefully the other two players will be summoned up shortly (as well as a few posts from people who think it's impossible to run pbp).

I'm prepared to start when we've got enough players. I might need a day or two for last minute preparations though, I thought I'd have a month

[Raiko]

thewhatchamacallit: I've read your PM, your character looks fine, you might have to loose the Browning Automatic Rifle though, unless you're very convincing.

I've no problem with obtaining black market weapons in-game later though.

[thewhatchamacallit]

No worries

[coffee demon]

I'll wait until we hear more about the other members before I really start on my character. I also want to hear Imme's thoughts on our relationship.

(On top of that, my Investigators Handbook is in the mail, so I'm gonna stall for as long as I can. But if I have to, I'll make someone from the basic book.)

I'm totally looking forward to this.

Two good looking brothers - Andrei's heart is going to come out of his throat when he sees you two. I hope Imme decides her character is madly in love with Andrei, and stops any of your advances with a slap in the face. Otherwise Andrei is going to have a lot of posturing to do!

I was thinking I'd look like the centre guy in this photo:

http://www.lossiantiik.ee/ebay/04-07-08-52.jpg

Not really a match for Clark Gable

[Laraqua]

We're going to have the best banter ever. Remind me to get my players to have to know each other before we start, next time. This has caused so much fun elements.

[thewhatchamacallit]

This reminds me, since I'm a primarily a d20 CoC player, what exactly does APP do? I mean skills cover persuation and fast talk, so what go does a high APP do rather than merely support roleplaying?

[Laraqua]

Well, it helps us win over the lady friend. It's sometimes rolled x5 to get us a good reception. Mostly it's just so the Keeper can work out how people respond and what not, especially considering CoC doesn't have any Charisma to work with. At least, that's how I've always thought of it.

[thewhatchamacallit]

Cool

[Raiko]

Like Laraqua said, it's used for first impressions (especially with the opposite sex).

I'll take into account particularly high or low APP scores even when I don't roll.

APP and social skills (credit rating / persuade / fast talk) actually work much better in a forum game than tabletop, as there is always time to roll without breaking the roleplaying.

BTW: I concidered using CoC d20, but decided just to stick with the campaign as printed.

[thewhatchamacallit]

totally agree more people seem to prefer it, though if I ever got a Dark Ages game up and going (something I've been considering) I think d20 would work really well.

[Grafster]

I want to play!
(Saw your post at Yog)

I actually played a PbM Masks game.
For about a week.
Before the DM had life/stress related burn out.
So my dreams of playing in “the best CoC campaign ever published” were thwarted... Until now?

My character for that game was a lame Chinese American PI ex-cop recovering ex-alcoholic. (Ok. It sounds like a lot when I type it out, but I felt like it worked at the time for a character).

I picked Chinese somewhat randomly; it explained why, despite a lot of native intelligence, he’d never gotten off the streets. The large Chinese community in NY requires some beat cops with language skills, etc.
[It also let me get a bit of kung fu (it’s a roleplaying game).]

As a desperate PI who needed money (and who was also searching for an identity) he was easy to insert into the game and then (theoretically) for him to get caught up in the whole thing.

I do not know a lot about Russia but I would be happy to figure out some sort of link; either with the Chinese PI, with a Russian PI (i.e. similar character but Russian-American) or another character entirely.

[coffee demon]

Grafster,

I suppose you could be hired by one of us for the trip, as a bit of protection (altough I think the three russian boys are a little too manly to think they'd need more protection.)

Maybe Imme, the "Dilettante", knows you from somewhere? I have no idea how this journey begins, but maybe an investigator would need to be involved.

I don't imagine my character, Andrei, would have a direct relationship with you. He still has the upper-class snob thing going on. Even though he's in a foreign country, he still tries to associate with the upper crust through his girl.

Anyone else have some ideas?

[thewhatchamacallit]

I think the rest of the PCs should hook up through imme for variety purposes

[Laraqua]

Your Chinese-American cook / have relatives who cook exotic food? My character is always curious about other cultures, investigating and picking apart everything, so much so that he's probably one of the few people who realise that his own culture is a culture, too. Not that he won't have his own prejudices (everyone does) but they'll be based more on a belief in Behaviourism than in Genetic Determinism. The P.I. sub-culture would also be imminently fascinating to him.

Question is: if you're willing, where did they meet?

I dunno. I just don't see a dilletante having much to do with a down-and-out P.I. Wouldn't they hire someone with a little bit more social standing?

Also, it doesn't matter if my character rocked up the day before, we could still be good friends. A night on the town and some good times can make for the best friends. P'raps met up while gambling? Or during one of my character's minor con schemes?

[imme]

I'm with Raiko in my astonishment, I turn my back for a few hours and a full page of posts pops up! And you guys are hilarious, I was laughing out loud as I watched the banter develop and coffee get insecure about a relationship that hasn't actually been written yet.

Coffee, regarding the relationship: uh, I don't know. How long has it been since they met in France? I'm sure she initially fell for him because of his "exotic" nature, charm, and tales of daring. Depending on how long it's been since they met, she could still be in the initial crush stage. If it's been longer, I'll have to think about how the relationship may have developed. (Oh, and I think it makes complete sense that he gets testy when she upstages him, but Andrei better be charming too, to make up for it. )

Grafster, if you can figure out some connection your PI would have to a rich family, I'd be happy to be your connection to the group. I don't think that you should have been hired for protection (as I'm sure three Russian ex-soldiers would never allow that blow to their pride). But, depending on how the game starts, you could have been hired for your investigative skills. I'm going to wait to write up my full character until we've got connections for everybody (including the yet-to-be-found last player).

[coffee demon]

Imme, I think it would create some tension (which is always good) if the "crush" part of our relationship was wearing off. Andrei probably does well when things are very formal (i.e. your parents probably like him), but he doesn't seem so relaxed playing games and joking around. He's a genuinely nice guy, though, and is having some troubles adapting to the American way of life. You can decide whether you're getting tired of him or not, but I think he will still like you. I doubt he's charming when around others, but has very genuine open moments with you.

It's bothering him more and more that he's not really noble -anything- any more. Tsarist Russia is gone, and he has nothing in America.

Maybe this journey is a way for him to find himself, start a new career and empire, and prove himself to you.

[Decrepit]

So, Raiko, where are you at in terms of the numbers for this one? I have Masks, and I vaguely remember reading bits and pieces of it years ago, so even if you've got a slot left, I'm trying to decide whether I'm too contaminated.

I'd also just like to say to anyone already in who hasn't played with Raiko yet: you're gonna have a great ride; he's doing a stand-up job on Mountains.

[Laraqua]

I'm not Raiko and can't be sure that he hasn't been PMed but I believe there have only been five people apply on this forum.