OOC Discussion

[Tabs]

I wonder if Amelia likes beards or prefers big moustaches?

[Supercape]

On that note if you want to have Emellia stowaway down the Nile with a mad infatuation with her gallant explorer (or some such jape), do let me know, Priest!

[Priest]

She may choose to follow Baxter, although he will soon tire of her company, unless of course she should prove useful to the expedition.

And my dear Tabs, a beard is a true measure of a man's virility, while a moustache provides nothing more than a hint of possibilities

[Supercape]

And so Chapter 2 is up.

There are a few new characters, feel free to narrate, use, or discard as it suits you all - and perhaps comment if you have made friends or enemies of any of them on the way down to Central Africa. Have you shared stories? intoxication? "exotic" photograph collections? or even engaged in some possibly drunken pugilism?

Priest; I'll follow your cue on however you want to flesh out your love interest (is she married? divorced? on the run? a crook?) and if you want her tagging along cooking for the expedition.

Broadly speaking we can have a little narration and chat, then we will arrive at Camp Verne (the next day) and explore that oppurtunity a bit, then we dig into the trek proper.

We have one more chapter which is basically very deep Africa and the cult of the Toad King.

As far as Skill Checks go (used skill and learned something), I make it the following:

Burton: French, Persuade, Arabic
Carstairs: Persuade, Library Use, Spot Hidden, Photography, Listen
Baxter: None! but he probably had most fun!

Also, Mr Handy I dont know if you added the +Bantu skill from practice (+1%), and the SAN loss and +Cthullu from your new English copy of the Sidhom fragments (which may be worth putting down in Carstairs inventory?)

Baxter is a little short changed in development, although I would like to suggest that all of his Carousing and Drinking in Cairo might help improve his Arabic and Bantu skills. It might also be appropriate to pick up a few % in Pilot boat given your months down the Nile and possible friendship with a Captain who might teach you? (what are your thoughts, Priest?)

Finally if you have any thoughts on things you would like me to do, or do better, for your PC, please speak out. I can't promise I can deliver, but I can promise I will listen!

On a final note I have obviously taken some liberties with the Nile, Camp Verde, and Africa and so forth, I hope you can ride with this. There is a limit to how much research I can drag myself through (i.e. I go no further than Wikipedia).

Thanks for your involvement so far.

[Mr. Handy]

I had already updated my character sheet with my Sanity loss and my Cthulhu Mythos and Other Language: Bantu skill increases, but I hadn't added the book to my inventory. I've done so now.

Skill increase rolls:
Persuade(55) does not increase
Library Use(40) increases by 1 to 41
Spot Hidden(55) does not increase
Photography(60): increases by 2 to 62
Listen(55): increases by 2 to 57

You're welcome, and I'm enjoying the game! Thanks for running it!

[Tabs]

Burton's Skill increases?

French 30%[dice]0[/dice]
Arabic 30% [dice]1[/dice]
Persuade 50% [dice]2[/dice]
Spot Hidden 50% (finding Dust of Suleiman) [dice]3[/dice]
Listen 25% (Sidhom's mutter) [dice]4[/dice]
French [dice]5[/dice]
Arabic [dice]6[/dice]
Listen [dice]7[/dice]

Character sheet amended.

@Supercape, (1) I couldn't find it, but Burton received an Occult increase for reading the French edition of Pert Em Hru, agree? and what is it? ; (2) does Munshi increase his sabre Skill for chopping off Kotep's arm? ; (3) when do you sleep?

. . . Jules Verne? He's my favourite author!"

@Mr. Handy, true of yourself as well? I'm gonna download some of Verne's books on to my Kindle.

[Supercape]

@Supercape, (1) I couldn't find it, but Burton received an Occult increase for reading the French edition of Pert Em Hru, agree? and what is it? ;

Its +3 to Occult, feel free to edit this in. From the 6th Ed: "Egyptian hieroglyphic version in some two hundred chapters; the “Scroll of Ani” contains most chapters; French and English translations have been published. Concerns the beatification of the dead, who were imagined as reciting the chapters in order and thereby gaining privileges for their new lives after death. These instructions and magical procedures protect the dead against dangers they face in reaching the other world. Many spells to preserve the mummy against mold, assist in shape-shifting, and assist the dead to become as gods themselves."

By "spells" we can assume time consuming and strenuous rituals and chants that have no effect!

(2) does Munshi increase his sabre Skill for chopping off Kotep's arm? ;

I debated this but thought he was in a mad frenzy at the time, and won't learn anything - he also didn't make a skill roll as it was like chopping a static log of wood. Finally, I am mindful of keeping camera on PC rather than NPC!

(3) when do you sleep?

Well I suffer from occassional bouts of insomnia so I sometimes have an hour awake in the middle of the night! Not that I don't sleep well normally. I would rival HP himself in the depth and vividness of my dreaming!

And yes, I thought everyone might like the Verne reference (a possible inspiration to Lovecraft himself if you view HPL as a sci-fi author?)

[Supercape]

Also, could I have a Bantu skill roll to see if Burton manages to strike up a conversation with Scar?

[Tabs]

Occult added to Burton's Skills. Bantu % ?--but I was only thinking of the basics, such as: water, bread, don't shoot!

Dreams . . . I had an interesting one last night: Bonnie, y'know Bonnie and Clyde, was run over by a 1930s sports car, with the rotating tire pulverising her face, and then as a coup de grâce she got squished by a steam roller. Not at all Mythos-like I know, tell us one of your's?

[Supercape]

They are interesting only to me (often work related). As for Bantu, you can certainly do the basics with Scar, the Bantu roll is to see if you can win him over with your eloquence!

you can however throw me a psychology roll;

Spoiler:

Scar is clearly lying about his past (he has not forgotten); it sounds as if he was on the run, or something very horrible happened to him and his tribe several years ago when he was a child. He is even getting more nervous as you head south...

[Mr. Handy]

I like Jules Verne and have read some of his stuff, but I'm not as big a fan as Percy. My favorite author is Terry Pratchett.

[Tabs]

@Mr. Handy, you must have been hard hit when Terry Pratchett died recently. I tried a Discworld novel, years ago, but found it wasn't "my cup of tea."

Bantu [dice]0[/dice]
Psychology [dice]1[/dice]

[Supercape]

So about to arrive at Camp Verde, let me know if you want to do anything prior to arrival; ill post the arrival imminently.

[Mr. Handy]

@Mr. Handy, you must have been hard hit when Terry Pratchett died recently. I tried a Discworld novel, years ago, but found it wasn't "my cup of tea."

Yes, I was sad when he died, and I'm far from the only one. There are still several books of his I haven't read yet, so I'm looking forward to them when I have time to read them.

[Priest]

Does Baxter know anything useful about this part of Africa?

Know Roll 50%: 1d100 54 perhaps not.

[Supercape]

Well I think Baxter generally knows Africa pretty well; scratch the EDU roll, its part of his background.

If you wish, Baxter can know some of the people in Camp Verde (he has met them before). He has certainly heard of Camp Verde. Its a sickly place, run down, right at the fringes of civilisation. It has twice been attacked by tribes from the South, although it also does a healthy trade with them (Skins and Ivory bought for European trinkets and, rumour has it, guns...)

Ill cut to Camp Verde.

[Supercape]

For those of us who are uneducated monolinguistic peasants (i.e. me) please put in English translations if speaking da lingo!

[Tabs]

@Supercape, these Spells: Voice of Ra, Bring Haboob, Chant of Thoth, Find Gate, does Burton know/guess what they can do? and how easy is it to cast 'em?

[Supercape]

@Supercape, these Spells: Voice of Ra, Bring Haboob, Chant of Thoth, Find Gate, does Burton know/guess what they can do? and how easy is it to cast 'em?

I think Burton knows broadly what they do; but probably in an imprecise way. As you say, he can make a good guess what they do.

Its easy enough to cast them, although of course SANity loss for doing so. I would take the broad view that CoC magic is ritualistic type; dark, dangerous and involving various chants and activities of your choosing (using 6th Ed as the broad parameters of what happens), and an opportunity for fun roleplaying. I would broadly say that the spells are fairly conspicious, i.e. it would be difficult or impossible to do secretively. Of course, most people would view your spell casting with scepticism at best (unless in the know).

(Contrasting this to what I view is the awfully unmagical and tedious "Superpower" type magic of Dungeons and Dragons which does a magnificent job of sucking all the horrible and wonderful essence out of magic)

[Supercape]

As I don't want to get into the nitty gritty of money. If someone wants to buy some guns off Camp Verne to trade with the Crocodile People (a marvellous idea by the way...from a narrative perspective!)...

On the principle that your funds are good but not infinite, and guns are limited. I will say that Lt Franc will rip you off. However, whoever is doing the deal can make a bargain roll. Success means you procure a goodly number of better quality rifles with your funds, Failure means you procure a lesser number of lesser quality rifles with your funds. The former means you can will get a better response from the Crocodile people (i.e. they are automatically well disposed to you).

Whoever wants to do the nitty gritty bargaining, make the Roll. I would suggest Baxter, with his wheeling and dealing through Africa and experience, would get a +10% situational bonus on this as its sidling into his street.