Play@YSDC

Basically everything that can be classed as out of character goes herein.

Sorry if this is a stupid question but, where and how do you want us to do dice rolling for the game?

Normally use the site's dice roller, but I'm assuming we are all adult enough to be trusted with whatever method you want.

If you are unsure about the dice rolling mechanism on here then simply follow this link;-

viewtopic.php?f=318&t=5318

bzr101 wrote:Sorry if this is a stupid question but, where and how do you want us to do dice rolling for the game?

As someone somewhere once said "There are no stupid questions - only stupid answers." Any questions at all - and this goes for anyone, then there is always someone with a ready answer. We are trying to encourage people into the hobby after all, and by belittling newer members who may not be 100% sure of the rules ain't the way to go about it. After all who is in a position to say that they cannot learn something?

I just noticed something that I may not understand correctly.

My occupation allows me to spend points on certain listed skills, plus two others of my choice.

Am I correct in thinking that my OCCUPATION points must go to these, but my INTEREST points can go to just about anything within reason, and is not limited to the two others?

Victoria Silverwolf wrote:I just noticed something that I may not understand correctly.

My occupation allows me to spend points on certain listed skills, plus two others of my choice.

Am I correct in thinking that my OCCUPATION points must go to these, but my INTEREST points can go to just about anything within reason, and is not limited to the two others?

Right Victoria,

Your skillset is as follows;-

Skills: Dodge, Fighting (Brawl), Intimidate, Jump, Psychology, Spot Hidden, any two other skills as personal or era specialties.

These are the skills that your occupation points MUST be spent on. The two other skills have to be something that you can justify a boxer having as a skill he picked up in his occupation. For example something like art (painting) would not be appropriate but I think that something like sleight of hand (feinting a punch) may well be.

Personal interest points can be spent on anything you want for your character - I believe the only restriction is the era the 'scenario' is set. i.e. computer use would not be relevant for this game.

Any points not spent at this point are lost to the aether.

Hoping to finish my character tonight. I was thinking about having him serve his country in the great war. Are you allowing the use of the war experience package.

It's been a busy week. I will finish the investigator in the coming weekend

No problem mate - I was looking to collate all the investigator profiles after the weekend anyway.

Anyone else having any problems / have questions or anything?

Looking to start playing next week if everyone is alright with that, if not then I can always introduce your character later.

One thing we should probably discuss is how the "group" are tied to each other. I was thinking along the lines of this:

The Society for the Exploration of the Unexplained

The Society for the Exploration of the Unexplained (SEE) is an informal academic group based at the Miskatonic University in Arkham. The society was founded in 1889 by a small group of professors who had a mutual interest in unexplained phenomena. Since that time, the group has continued, with some founding members having retired, and recruits invited to join. The society has gained public notoriety through their assistance in a number of police investigations that came to the attention of the local press. The collected wisdom of the society is often called upon and sought out by the authorities,as well as individuals, who are in need of help with all manner of strange mysteries.
Nowadays, the society meets once a month in the Private Reading Room of the Orne Library, where tales are told and mysteries are conjectured upon. When an interesting case is presented, the society chooses the most suitable investigators from among its members to tackle the mystery.

Next week is fine for me. Something like the Society sounds good, but based in London, of course.

Next week works for me, and I think SEE would work as well. Also, could I see a list of Phobias/Manias or at least the ones associated with the medical experience package?

I've edited my character sheet post to make the necessary changes for taking the Medical Experience Package. I think I'm all set for the game to start.

Many thanks to the Keeper for organizing the characters. This takes a lot of work, and is enormously helpful.

Glad you like it. Sometimes looking at an investigator like that can highlight something you may otherwise not see.

I'm gonna try to find a pic and map out some stuff Melissa might have. Is there any simple self-defense item that an upperclass lady might have at the time, even untrained? I couldn't picture her getting into some form of self defense training but i also don't see her as recklessly unaware of people that might try to take advantage of her.

Sorry for the delay people, I cannot apologise enough but things have been manic both here and at work. However, I am going to start the game tomorrow (Wednesday).

As an introductory investigation, I am going to run "Terror on the Thames" from the excellent Cthulhu London box-set. As a result I am going to contact the players outlining why and how they know a Mr. Thaddeus Grant. This is a relatively short adventure and the party does not really need to know each other prior to it. I know I suggested that perhaps they should earlier, but that is not wholly necessary now. However, any links that you have made between investigators will stand, not going to bother re-writing what you have done already.

I'm just very passing familiar with that scenario (I was actually considering using it as the intro to the Classic Era for the HoTOE game), I haven't read it in it's entirety, only skimmed it a few months ago that's not a problem is it?

That's good, and I'm looking forward to getting started.

CrackheadC. wrote:I'm gonna try to find a pic and map out some stuff Melissa might have. Is there any simple self-defense item that an upperclass lady might have at the time, even untrained? I couldn't picture her getting into some form of self defense training but i also don't see her as recklessly unaware of people that might try to take advantage of her.

Somehow, I hadn't noticed this question. A common self-defense weapon for ladies was the hatpin, which would use the same skill as a knife. It was more common in Victorian times, but it could still be used in the 1920s. Also, many suffragettes learned self-defense, often jiu-jitsu.

I think I saw a couple of videos on youtube or something similar of 1920's women practicing self-defence ... although it was not widespread there were certain sections of the population who pursued this. Whether or not this fits any of the characters is open to debate and personal choice.

edit - link added

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmTni0AM-Uo

Albert Spenser (bzr101)

bzr101,In 1918,you were approached by Thaddeus Grant to assist in the planning of a venture which was intriguing to say the least. He wanted to dismantle a river paddle steamer and outfit it for pleasure cruises on the Thames, similar to the "butterfly boats" as they are called. His offer for rough technical advice was too good to turn down, after all, your engineering knowledge enabled you to resolve the hurdles before the plan in under a week. You further suggested that he employ John I. Thorneycroft's shipbuilding yard as the best local yard. For this you were surprisingly well remunerated. Other than seeing references in the press, you never thought about it anymore until you saw the date of the first voyage. Surely your omission was an oversight on behalf of Grant after all the work you had done on his behalf! Accordingly, you wrote to him and received an invitation to take part on the inaugural voyage of the Louisiana Lady on the evening of Monday 21st June 1920.

Dr. Henry Boles (Cotton)

Cotton,Clifford Armstrong is the personal physician of Thaddeus Grant,whom you have met once, and the American made a decent impression upon you. Dr Armstrong received an invitation to take part on the inaugural voyage of the Louisiana Lady on the evening of Monday 21st June 1920, however due to Armstrong recovering from surgery he passed the invitation on to you. Feeling that this was a bit of a cheek on your behalf, you wrote to Grant and were added to the list with no problems at all.

Melissa May Higgins (CrackheadC)

CrackheadC,None of your friends received an invitation to the inaugural voyage of the Louisiana Lady on the evening of Monday 21st June 1920,yet due to you simply being the right class of person ... a strongly worded letter to the brusque Yankee soon put paid that to that however, and in fairness to him, he responded, by telegram no less, that she had been added to the guest list.

Hugo Bart (maelstrom)

maelstrom,Rarely out of the British Museum as you continue your researches into early religions,your good friend Professor James Rogers has managed to open may doors for you, though sadly not as many as you would like. James was originally due to go on the first voyage of the Louisiana Lady, but a family illness meant he was called away on the 16th June. Totally out of the blue you received an invitation to take part on the inaugural voyage of the Louisiana Lady on the evening of Monday 21st June 1920, obviously arranged by your good friend.

Cynthia Knight (Mr. Handy)

Mr. Handy,Victor Fairchild has one of the finest private collections of manuscripts outside the Bodleian but he guards them as jealously as a Barbary cock pigeon does his hen. His appearance on the guest list of Grant’s solstice cruise was quite a surprise since he stands outside much of London’s society. His presence was therefore just too good an opportunity to miss,and Mr Grant was very accommodating in adding you to his party, once you had pointed out the connections he might make after a little schooling in rare books. After contacting Grant you received an invitation to take part on the inaugural voyage of the Louisiana Lady on the evening of Monday 21st June 1920. Perhaps he has some documents that could cast some more light on your "experience."

Father Edward Mason (Overlord87)

Overlord87,A crisis of faith can happen at any time,but Alfred Prebble’s sudden and inexplicable need to have you with him is unsettling. You don’t even know the man, yet he insisted – absolutely insisted – that you accompany him this evening. He is convinced that his soul is in danger of annihilation, that there is nothing beyond death but material dissolution. What has brought on his abrupt and perplexing predicament? And why has he contacted you? Is it mere coincidence that you are having a sort of crisis of faith as well? Prebble somehow managed to convince this Thaddeus Grant, some American who is putting a riverboat on the Thames to give you an invitation to take part on the inaugural voyage of the Louisiana Lady on the evening of Monday 21st June 1920.

Tommy Jackson, "The Dancing Yorkshireman" (Victoria Silverwolf)

Victoria Silverwolf,Grant’s probably over-reacting,but he says he's going to pay well, and he certainly looks legitimate, so you cannot really complain. It seems a couple of pleasure boats have fallen victim to a bit of river-piracy in the last month or two and he thinks his golden goose, "The Louisiana Lady" might prove too much of an attractive target for some miscreants to resist. Well, if anyone tries to board this boat, they’re in for a surprise. Two fast and hard fists and maybe some of what the Americans call "hot lead," that’s what’ll be waiting for them. Anyway, Grant has seen you fight and was impressed enough for him to hire you occasionally, the last time at a Casino. You have been given an invitation to work as extra security on the inaugural voyage of the Louisiana Lady on the evening of Monday 21st June 1920.

This scenario takes place in 1920, not 1925?

Mr. Handy wrote:This scenario takes place in 1920, not 1925?

Yes indeed it does - the inaugural sailing of the Louisiana Lady is on the evening of Monday 21st June 1920.

The campaign "Curse of Nineveh" takes place in 1925-26. This will leave some time for any investigators who may just happen to wind up being institutionalised or similar to make as full a recovery as possible.

So, I'll go with my character not knowing anyone at the beginning of this prequel. He has not yet joined any society of occult investigation and might at best know by sight some investigators working or studying at the University. Just specifying that to avoid misunderstandings

Overlord87 wrote:So, I'll go with my character not knowing anyone at the beginning of this prequel. He has not yet joined any society of occult investigation and might at best know by sight some investigators working or studying at the University. Just specifying that to avoid misunderstandings

Alright - no problems at all.

Just an FYI, it appears all of the photos in Handouts were deleted or moved.

CrackheadC. wrote:Just an FYI, it appears all of the photos in Handouts were deleted or moved.

I'll repost them - not sure what happened there.

I have sent a PM to Maelstrom to see if (s)he is still keen to play, so I'm NPC-ing his investigator until I get a response either way. He has hot been on the site for over ten days now so I hope everything is alright.

I've merged all the threads - move onto "everyone" now please - thanks

Happy New Year everyone

Happy new year

Here is a diagram showing where you have 'explored' so far. I'll upodate it as we go along. Obviously the blue bits are where you have been.

Updated diagram of where you've been - currently in the doorway of cabin 1 watching as Tony 'Big T' Laine hangs himself.

Not wishing to railroad you all but as you have 'done' the upper and texas decks, would it be presumptios of me to assume that you are all heading down to the delights of the Saloon Deck?

Heading down to the next deck sounds good to me. Someone should take the crowbar and the other goodies before we go, though.

Sorry if my description in the main thread was unclear or confusing. You are looking into cabin 14 with the delights of cabin 16 aft of you.