What Mythos creatures would you like to play as?

[Mi-Go Agent]

We will be playing in the present, during the year 2009 A.D./the Later Part of the Aeon When the Stars Are Not Right. I originally planned a far-future setting, but decided that the current era would be more fun.

For playing older hybrids, any skills that the character has he has to spend some time keeping in practice - memories from 100 years ago are forgotten even by Deep Ones.

Does Walter serve as a soldier amongst the Deep Ones, or does he do something else? If he continues to be a career soldier, he will be skilled both in the use of the weapons of the American Civil War (or whatever else he spends his time doing) and the most advanced weapons of the Deep Ones. Since he continues to visit his family, he will have very high values of Knowledge: Humanity. Also, what is his name amongst the Deep Ones? While he could insist on still being called Walter, this is rare.

The same goes for Elijah Dee - what does he do, and is his name Elijah to anyone other than Madinia? Any knowledge of the occult, mathematics, astronomy, or navigation that Dr. Dee possessed was far inferior to what can be learned in Y'ha-Nthlei. The same goes for practical alchemy, although I realize that a lot of alchemy skill involves knowing secret symbols and so forth that are unique to human alchemy. I got a good laugh thinking about the double meaning of an exclusive community in Rhode Island in 1529 vs. today.

I'll post the Deep One version of a character sheet if I have time tommorow.

Kabukiman, an ice-priest who has returned to Earth will give the party some nice variety. Based on your description, it seems to me like you should be fine using a human character sheet. The priest will have no sanity and exceptional POW, more DEX and less CON, and a high resistance to cold. I cannot really quantify how much from what I know. Could you tell me more about the new ways they found? I tried looking on the Cthulhuwiki, Wikipedia, and other internet sources of Mythos lore, and I've come up blank.

[Mr. Handy]

Yes, Walter has continued to be a soldier. He participated in the defense of Y'ha-Nthlei in 1928 when the humans attacked it with depth charges. His name among the Deep Ones is Y'Nkee.

[Tabs]

Y'Nkee - very good.

Elijah Dee, known to its race as Jahee, is a scholar of the occult and has immersed itself in all available knowledge in the libraries of Y'ha-Nthlei.

Perhaps the story hook could have Jahee seeking for more knowledge above the waves?

[kabukiman]

He should have more int, power, a bit more of size and dex, less con and str. The powers in the book were said to be terribles- even Ithaqua himself was afraid of them, but except some psionic powers (reading minds, creating images and forcing people to make what they like), and everything related to ice and weather, no more details were given. They made experiments with people, but since that people is extinct (as the fauna and flora), my character should be forced to learn everything again (by doing new experiments with modern people ).

[Mi-Go Agent]

I'm sorry - I'm having a bit of "computer trouble". Actually, I suppose it would be mind trouble - I can't remember where I left the memory stick with my Deep One character sheet on it. I should find it soon (expect the sheet tommorow).

Walter should be a pretty easy character - when I post the sheet I'll also post information on some traditional and advanced weapons. I have a lot of background material that I typed up for this campaign - it might be worth editing into a monograph once I find that memory stick.

The urge to learn is a pretty good reason to volunteer. Since a lot of Occult is actually history or science to the Deep Ones, an Occult scholar like Jahee would also have high skills in those. If Jahee wants to be a spellcaster, being particularly pious in the Cthulhu or Dagon cult will be the best way, but he can also be just a very knowledgeable scholar.

Kabukiman, this sounds good, although I find it hard to imagine what Ithaqua was afraid of. The Ice-priest is going to have been summoned to Y'ha-Nthlei (When he performed his ritual to return to Earth, he appeared in the middle of a summoning circle in Y'ha-Nthlei before a Deep One trying to summon a creature from beyond. The universe often bookkeeps this way. The room is empty of water, so he is not drowning). Start working on his stats and spells - you can run drafts by me in this thread until the forum is up. I don't have an Ice-priest character sheet.

[kouchpotato]

Count me in. Maybe as a ghoul.

[Tabs]

Spellcaster sounds good to me.

[Mi-Go Agent]

The Deep One Character Sheet

Important Changes:

1. The appearance stat is removed, since when dealing with multiple species, beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder. If characters are described as attractive, ordinary, or ugly, I’ll take that into account, but you’ll need to specify to what race.

2. Sanity is still present, but the definition is different – insanity should not be a real threat to any character, since finding out the truths and secrets of the universe that would drive a human mad will only increase the sanity of a Deep One. There is no longer a cap on sanity.

3. Cryptography, craft, accounting, drive auto, forgery, anthropology, archaeology, botany, Cthulhu Mythos, law, astronomy, credit rating, forensics, library use, photography, zoology, operate heavy machinery, and dreaming are removed. Some of these are human specializations that are practiced by the Deep Ones as part of their larger fields – for example, zoology is considered part of biology, and photography is either chemistry or electronics, depending on whether the image is taken by exposing chemicals to light or using electronic recordings. Others, like archaeology and forgery, are meaningless in a society of immortals. Skills like library use are irrelevant in the culture of the Deep Ones; the libraries of Y’ha-Nthlei require no skill to use, while searching a human archive will require a Knowledge: Human roll.

4. Skills such as locksmith, architecture, and the Craft skills are now in the category of Art.

5. Certain basic skill values are adjusted. According to the CoC rulebook, skills like Physics represent what percent of known physics is known to the character, and there is a handy example that a 1990s character with 30% in physics would know far more about the universe than a Gaslight character with 90% in physics. Using this logic, I have left most Thought category skills alone. However, the skills that represent only the chance of being successful at an action are adjusted.

6. The base armed combat skill levels have left alone, since they represent the chance of hitting when firing an unfamiliar weapon.

7. The unarmed combat skills have been replaced with Claw, which does 1D6+DB damage.

8. Base values for Exertion category skills have been increased to reflect the Deep One’s greater physical abilities.

9. New skills have been added. They are explained below.

10. I have given the rolls for creating a random Deep One character (these are not exactly the same as in the Rulebook). I don’t expect your characters to be randomly rolled, but you can use these as guidelines.



Name:
Occupations:
Sex:
Age:
Birthplace:


Statistics

STR: 4D6
DEX: 3D6
INT: 2D6+8
CON: 4D6
POW: 4D6
SIZ: 3D6+6
EDU: 3D6
Idea:
Luck:
Know:
Sanity:
DB:

Skills

Art: 5%
Bargain 1%
Biology 1%
Block Dex*2 %
Boating 1%
Carpentry/Woodcraft 10%
Cartography 1%
Chemistry 1%
Climb 45%
Computer Use 1%
Conceal 15%
Cult of Cthulhu: 1%
Cult of Dagon: 1%
Disguise 5%
Demolitions 1%
Dodge Dex*2%
Fast Talk 5%
Echolocation 25%
Electrical Repair 20%
Electronics 1%
First Aid 30%
Geology 1%
Handgun 20%
Hide 30%
History 30%
Hypnosis 5%
Jump 40%
Knowledge: Humanity 1%
Occult Lore 10%
Listen 30%
Martial Arts 1%
Mathematics 10%
Mechanical Repair 20%
Medicine 5%
Natural History 10%
Navigation/Land 1%
Navigation/Sea, Air 10%
Other Language: 1%
Own Language: EDU*5
Persuade 15%
Pharmacy 1%
Physics 1%
Psychic Will 5%
Pilot 1%
Psychoanalysis 1%
Psychology 5%
Ride 5%
Rifle 25%
Scent 25%
Shotgun 30%
Sneak 50%
Spot Hidden 30%
Submachine Gun 15%
Throw 25%
Archery 20%
Track 15%
Claw 25%
Grapple 30%
Club 25%
Knife 25%


New and Modified Skill Descriptions

Martial Arts:
While a Deep One may be able to practice an adjusted version of a human martial art (Dagon knows why), there are two disciplines of martial arts unique to the Deep Ones. Successful rolls in a Deep One martial art will both double damage in unarmed combat and have additional benefits.

Dance of Dagon: A style of fighting that gradually shifts combat into a sacred pattern that calls on the power of Dagon and Great Cthulhu, each successful roll for the Dance of Dagon gives a stat bonus that lasts for the duration of the combat. The Dancer chooses before attempting the roll if he is trying for an extra point of armor, an extra point of damage added to DB, or an extra 10% in a combat skill.

Dance of the Deeps: The brutal style of unarmed combat practiced by the best Deep One fighters, a successful roll allows the character to make an additional attack during that combat round, up to two additional attacks in a combat round (since two attacks are allowed in an ordinary combat round, there are two chances to get a third attack, and then one, the third roll, for the fourth).

It has been said of legendary Deep Ones that they could practice both disciplines. This is not possible for a character.

Languages:

All Deep Ones speak Reason. Reason, the language for the Own Language skill, is a practical but dense language that explains physical situations with as much clarity and as few words as possible.

The Poetic Languages are used by the Deep Ones in poetry, most literature, and generally more abstract works. They are intricate and confusing. The Poetic Languages count as one language for the Other Language skill.

Deep Ones have also studied the languages of other races.

Ride:

In addition to riding horses, Deep Ones may also ride Shoggoths, Warped Cetaceans, Byakhees, etc.

Disguise:

The disguise skill may come in handy, since with a mask and clothing it can be used to travel freely among the masses of humanity. Of course, other ways are often more fun.

Scent:

Scent is used very similarly to listen – except, of course, that it refers to scent.

Echolocation:

The echolocation skill has two uses. Obviously, it can be used to get an accurate idea of a character’s surroundings without sight. It can also be used to pinpoint the position of another character or creature that is echolocating.

An echolocation roll determines if a single burst succeeds. Since there is no reason why a second burst cannot be made immediately after the first, even characters with base echolocation should be able to use it successfully within four seconds. However, every extra use is another chance for others to home in on the signal.

A successful Listen roll will give the general direction and distance of an echolocator, although with much less accuracy.

While whales can use echolocation as a weapon, this is not something the average Deep One can do. On the other hand, Deep Ones never beach themselves when sonar interferes with their echolocation.

Psychic Will:

In the world of the Mythos, the mind alone has power. This is the power that kept Dr. Munoz alive and the power that brought Ligeia back from death. While only the most exceptional humans may have been able to use this power, it is common in more intelligent beings, including Deep Ones. Only a limited number actually train in using this ability, but it can be used by all of them in the right circumstances- Pth'thya-l'yi uses it to visit her grandson’s dreams in The Shadow Over Inssmouth.


Knowledge: Humanity

Ironically, Deep Ones with 100% in Knowledge: Humanity know more about the species than any individual human could. Most Deep Ones, though, simply do not care. Knowledge: Humanity will allow Deep Ones to operate human devices and understand their systems and cultures. Knowledge: Humanity rolls are required for as diverse acts as using a doorbell to piloting an F-15. Hybrids will naturally have a higher skill level, but not an amazing one – what does an Innsmouth hybrid know about Russian newspapers? What does a hybrid born in 1492 know about fax machines? Rolls will not be required for hybrids faced with situations that could have occurred in their own culture and period, provided that the hybrid has stayed current – even the most basic facts can be forgotten after a few hundred years.


Occult Lore:

While much of the greater universe (what would be Cthulhu Mythos for human characters) is understandable through their sciences, history, or religion, some things defy those categories; occult lore is the knowledge of all things indescribable by science and history. Remembering information about the Mi-Go requires history, remembering information about Mi-Go anatomy requires biology, remembering that Nyarlathotep brings strange joy to Yuggoth requires occult lore. In general, magic that does not come from Cthulhu or Dagon is unfamiliar to the Deep Ones and requires occult lore to understand, while magic directly related to the two is actually part of their religion.


Cult of Dagon/Cult of Cthulhu: These skills measure the knowledge of the secrets of the appropriate Cult. Since knowledge is given with rank, it also reflects rank in the Cults. There are not 100 levels, nor is there any system so formal as levels – total rank is an approximation from standing in the eyes of Cthulhu/Dagon, honors received, ceremonies performed, positions and titles held, etc. This makes the skill level the best judge of rank. While 1% is the base for both skills inherent to any Deep One, adults are expected to have somewhat higher skills.

Cult skills may be rolled when asking for an unusual service from the Cult, praying to Cthulhu/Dagon for aid (Dagon, at least, does answer prayers), or trying to understand or remember information about something of significance to the religions, such as the relationship between Cthulhu and the Elder Race or the meaning of an esoteric religious symbol. Cult skills also are important in determining what spells and abilities are available to a character.

Weapons

These are the most advanced infantry weapons employed on a large scale by the Horde, the armed forces of the Deep Ones. While the Deep Ones consider their faith in Cthulhu to be their greatest weapon, these are not bad.

Psychic Rifle
Base: Rifle
Shots per round: 2
Damage: 2D6+6
Ammo: 1 Mp; additional Mp may be added to increase damage or range, reducing rate of fire to 1 shot per round
Range: 100 yards
Malfunction Number: 00


Horde Projectile Gun
Base: Submachine Gun
Shots per Round: 3 or burst
Damage: varies
Ammo: 20
Range: 75 yards
Malfunction number: 00


Microwave Gun
Base: Handgun
Shots per Round: 1
Damage: 5D6+ignite
Ammo: 10 shots per battery
Range: 30 yards
Malfunction number: 99


These are some of the more traditional weapons used by the Deep Ones. Most ordinary Deep Ones train in using one of these or a similar hand-to-hand weapon, and prefer to use them over deadlier but less traditional machines. They are deadly enough to be used in all but the most crucial conflicts.


Hunting Spear
Base: 25%
Shots per Round: 1
Damage: 1D6+DB
Hit Points: 17


Trident
Base: 25%
Shots per Round: 1/2
Damage: 1D6+1+DB/2+DB/2+DB
Hit Points: 18


Weighted Blade
Base: Knife
Shots per Round: 1
Damage: 1D10+DB
Hit Points: 20

[Mi-Go Agent]

Ammunition:

The Horde Projectile Gun was developed specifically for land and space combat. It uses both explosive and electromagnetic propulsion to fire bullets. Damage depends on the type of bullet loaded. Armor piercing, powder (similar to scattershot), slug, explosive, flare, and injection dart rounds are commonly available. There are also more exotic kinds of ammunition, such as water rounds that make bullet recovery impossible and systems that allow the HPG to create targeted clouds of toxic gas.

The HPG is completely waterproof, but in order to fire effectively underwater it requires underwater rounds that are different than its usual ammunition. Underwater rounds are not as effective firing in atmosphere, although both varieties are equal in the vacuum of space.

Slug damage for the HPG is 1D10+2. I’ll post the complete list if anyone chooses to use it.

[Mi-Go Agent]

More about weapons:

Waterproof models of civil-war era firearms are available in Y'ha-Nthlei, if Y'nkee wants to use them. Bullets are shaped differently for firing underwater, and a different powder (one that ignites when wet) is used, but the guns could be carried on land, loaded with period powder and shot, and fired effectively.

[Mi-Go Agent]

Count me in. Maybe as a ghoul.

Alright. There is going to be a Ghoul heroine (who will appear as an NPC otherwise) you can play as, or you could play as another Ghoul servin as her assistant.

[Mi-Go Agent]

A general warning on animals:

With exceptions, most animals on Earth will attack Mythos creatures without provocation. Don’t even think about trying to use the ride skill on them.

[Mi-Go Agent]

Spellcaster sounds good to me.

Does that mean he is going theologian?

[Mr. Handy]

Do we have a fixed number of points to assign to our stats, or are we just supposed to pick values that are in line with what we could roll randomly that are geared toward our characters? With EDU, is it possible to increase it by adding to the base age as a human can? 3d6 isn't much, especially since humans get 3d6+3. Yet Deep Ones can live a very long time, and EDU can easily get out of hand that way.

I'm definitely going to learn Dance of the Deeps as my Martial Arts form. Extra attacks are always nice. In terms of weapons, I'm thinking of Rifle, Handgun, and Knife. I'd have the modern Deep One weapons that use those skills. In terms of Civil War era weapons, I can't see hauling around a 19th century Enfield or Springfield with powder and shot. I might have a revolver, perhaps. Disguise, Other Language:English, and Knowledge:Humanity are skills I'd want too. Given my Innsmouth background, I'd certainly have rank in the Cult of Dagon. Between these and the other skills I'm interested in, that will take a lot of skill points.

Are the Soldier occupational skills listed in the rules the same ones that a Deep One soldier would have, or are there changes?

[Tabs]

Theologian then, a worshipper of Dagon - I would like to cast spells! Um, which spells are available - do I look in my rulebook (3rd edition)?

How many points do we allocate to our skills? Is it EDU x15?

Weapons: HPG & Trident.

[Mi-Go Agent]

There is nothing wrong with being a scholar - this is still CoC.

If you do want to be more of a theologian (and therefore spellcaster), take a look through your rulebook for any spells that you might want. The spells in the rulebook it is possible to have studied in a library. Also, for every 20 points you have in a Cult skill, you have reached a better understanding with the deity and get a custom spell. As an inhabitant of the Atlantic, you are closer to Dagon, but only in a geographical sense. Dagon spells cost Mp while Cthulhu spells also cost POW - the Cthulhu ones are somewhat more powerful, and it is possible to restore POW (with some effort) in Y'ha-Nthlei.

[Mr. Handy]

I'll probably have a couple of Dagon-related spells then, since I plan to put 40% in Cult of Dagon (depending on how many skill points I end up with).

You never answered my earlier question about how we determine our stats.

[Tabs]

Priest in the Cult of Dagon.

My rulebook states a Deep One must have a POW of 14 or more, for 1d4 Spells:
Contact Spawn of Cthulhu, Shrivelling, Summon/Bind Byakhee

Stats: STR: 4D6 DEX: 3D6 INT: 2D6+8 CON: 4D6 POW: 4D6 SIZ: 3D6+6 EDU: 3D6 (4d6=12, 3d6=11, 2d6+8=12, 4d6=17, 4d6=12, 3d6+6=12, 3d6=5)

17 for POW!

[kabukiman]

I have the stats of Tschhh (my character name!).
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2185394/
3d6-1;2d6+1;4d6;3d6+1;2d6;2d6+6;2d6+6;3d6+3 → [5,1,2,-1] = (7)
3d6-1;2d6+1;4d6;3d6+1;2d6;2d6+6;2d6+6;3d6+3 → [4,1,1] = (6)
3d6-1;2d6+1;4d6;3d6+1;2d6;2d6+6;2d6+6;3d6+3 → [3,3,6,6] = (18)
3d6-1;2d6+1;4d6;3d6+1;2d6;2d6+6;2d6+6;3d6+3 → [6,6,5,1] = (18)
3d6-1;2d6+1;4d6;3d6+1;2d6;2d6+6;2d6+6;3d6+3 → [5,6] = (11)
3d6-1;2d6+1;4d6;3d6+1;2d6;2d6+6;2d6+6;3d6+3 → [4,6,6] = (16)
3d6-1;2d6+1;4d6;3d6+1;2d6;2d6+6;2d6+6;3d6+3 → [3,6,6] = (15)
3d6-1;2d6+1;4d6;3d6+1;2d6;2d6+6;2d6+6;3d6+3 → [1,5,4,3] = (13)
Str Con Pow Dex App Int Siz Edu
He is weak and have a low con, but great power and dexterity. And it was writen in Lumley book that Itahqua was afraid of the priest (but he never explains why).If you agree with this stats, I will make a list of skills (and spells) that I think that will make sense.

[Mi-Go Agent]

I'll probably have a couple of Dagon-related spells then, since I plan to put 40% in Cult of Dagon (depending on how many skill points I end up with).

You never answered my earlier question about how we determine our stats.

Sorry - looks like I took too long.

It was my intention that you would adjust the stats and skills yourselves so that your character lined up with the creature you wanted to play as. These are not going to be balanced human investigators, but horrible monsters. (In case you have not noticed from the weaponry and abilities, I am not going to say the word "overpowered" for this campaign short of a Starspawn.)

If you prefer rolling, that is fine too. EDU only affects Know, not skill points. Non-soldier Deep Ones are limited to two combat skills. Non-priest Deep Ones have Cult skills capped at 40%, and have to have a reason if you want to have studied spells (such as being an occult scholar or having a personal interest in one particular spell). Most Deep Ones have a high skill in at least one (probably more than one) Art, but a soldier and a priest are the two least likely - you would be fine each having one Art skill, or not. The same goes for the more academic skills. While the Deep Ones do have knowledge of and experts in the medical arts (which is why pharmacy and medicine are on the skill list), serious healing can be faith-based (oh, the differences between Deep Ones and humans), so it is not normal to have anything more than enough first aid to save comrades on the field.

If you adjust the skills yourself, you really don't need to care about occupational skills, but you can use them as a guide.