[OOC]Chapter 1 - New York, January 1925

[Raiko]

Sadly Rebecca has the same problems with her editors as Poole has with his superiors.

Would you like another player to run Rebecca, or do you prefer to continue as you are?

If you'd like her to be actively working alongside your investigators, then I'll try to recruit another player. If not, then she'll stay in touch, but will go her own thing.

I'm happier having a replacement player for Rebecca than for Atauchi, as she's not had much involvement in the story so far. If you manage to rescue Atauchi alive (assuming that's even still possible) then I'll let you all decide whether he should carry on (controlled by a new player) or return home, leaving the story.

I'm fine running the game with 5 players, but if you'd like to have an extra investigator, then we'll recruit a new Rebecca.

[jp1885]

I'm more than happy for another player to join, and I agree it makes more sense for them to play Rebecca. However if there's a burning desire to play Atauchi, then that's cool.

[Silver Priest]

Given what I've heard of this campaign's lethality, I'd not mind another pc either.

[Mr. Handy]

I'm also in favor of someone playing Rebecca.

[Anatomist]

I would like a new PC, yes, but do we need another book and paper pc? i rather have some more gun-friendly pc

[Raiko]

Keeping posting in the IC thread, and I'll start some new threads early next week - whenever you've decided where to go next. I'll repost all the handouts into the handout thread now.

@Mr. Handy - Jackson's editor and publisher is Jonah Kensington of Prospero House - a small company that Jonah runs with his wife. Amy has met both of them several times.

I had a mini handout about Kensington that I sent out last time I tried running Masks - I'll double check that it is still correct, and will send you an updated version.

Prospero House is on Lexington Avenue, near 35th Street. It's number 14 on the map of South Manhattan in the handout thread.

I would like a new PC, yes, but do we need another book and paper pc? i rather have some more gun-friendly pc

That's fair enough, especially as Atauchi may be gone for good now.

I must say that you've handled the combat parts pretty well so far, your bookish characters are very dangerous.
I've run the Chelsea Hotel part four times now and this is the first time that it didn't develop into a chase scene.

I'd prefer to just have a group of six if possible though, so if you'd prefer a more combative character then Rebecca will remain an NPC.

I'd like to introduce any new characters organically into the story, but this is close enough to the start and close enough to home that one of you could easily "phone a friend."

So if you prefer I can recruit a player to create a brand new character, who already knows one or more of you and/or Jackson.

[jp1885]

Maybe give the prospective player the choice? A newer gamer might appreciate a pregen, but somene else might like to roll their own.

[Raiko]

I've added all the clues to the handout thread now, and also added this Jackson Elias handout to the start of that thread. I don't think that I sent it out at the start of the New York chapter as I never liked the "if anything happened to you friend" part - I always thought it's a bit of a giveaway to anyone who didn't already know that Jackson gets murdered.



Added it now though, in case you need any of the information that it includes.

[Raiko]

Given what I've heard of this campaign's lethality, I'd not mind another pc either.

It's been toned down a little bit in the new edition, I think.

It's still deadly, but with this edition of the rules and campaign, I think you're more likely to at least die in an important part of the story.

[Anatomist]

Maybe give the prospective player the choice? A newer gamer might appreciate a pregen, but somene else might like to roll their own.

This. +1

[Raiko]

I'll do that then.

I will post a recruitment thread today and we'll work out how to bring the new player into the game once they've chosen an investigator.

[Anatomist]

Recruiting was fast!

[Raiko]

Answering Mephistophilis' question from the character sheets thread:

Raiko, Are we playing with the extra points for bringing fighting skills above 50%? Also, any chance of having a SIZ 25 and a character with achondroplasia? Also, what's the skills cap, 75%?

1. Yes, you can add the bonus points for fighting skills over 50%
2. Your Bank Robber with achondroplasia sounds like a great character, so yes you can swap the 25% stat to SIZ if you want.
3. I think we said to stick to the default 75% cap for starting characters, so yes as a guideline. I'm okay being flexible about that if necessary though.

[Silver Priest]

Welcome Mephistophilis. Raiko, should I write a post where Marcus gives his old buddy a call?

Also, I don't think I'm familiar with that rule for bonus points for fighting skills. Anything from that that would apply to Marcus?

[Mephistophilis]

Cool, amended Luther slightly to give him the low SIZ stat, think I'm done.

Greetings everyone.

[Raiko]

Welcome Mephistophilis. Raiko, should I write a post where Marcus gives his old buddy a call?

Yes, that would be great thanks.

Also, I don't think I'm familiar with that rule for bonus points for fighting skills. Anything from that that would apply to Marcus?

Yes, sorry I'd thought that it was something we'd already used, but the existing characters don't appear to have used the optional rule.

Basically when you take one specialised combat skill to 50% or more (eg Handguns) then the other specialisations of the same skill (eg Rifles and SMGs) get a +10% bonus. This only applies to the first specialisation that reaches 50%.

So for Marcus, his rifle (and SMG) would get a 10% boost from handgun, but not vice-versa.

Quite a few of you have at least one combat skill of at least 50%, so this would apply to your investigator as well.

******

As well as combat skill specialisations, this also applies to survival specialisations and languages within a "family".
But I've grouped survival into a single skill for this campaign and it's too complex for languages - because there is no list of language families in the rules.

This bonus also occurs the first time a specialisation reach 90%, all the other specialisations of the same skill get another 10% bonus.

[jp1885]

Aha, I’ll have to up Cynthia‘s firearms skills then. Does psychoanalysis count as a group skill with psychology? I suspect not, but it’s worth asking. What about fighting skills?

[Anatomist]

Hahah Silver Priest, Mephistophilis characters has a girl xD
hes playing Luther hard to get hahaha I LOLed

[Raiko]

Sorry I thought that I'd posted this hours ago.

Aha, I’ll have to up Cynthia‘s firearms skills then. Does psychoanalysis count as a group skill with psychology? I suspect not, but it’s worth asking. What about fighting skills?

Fighting skills count, so Cynthia gets +10% for her Fighting(sword) skill and any other fighting skill in effect now defaults 10% higher, thanks to her Fighting(Brawling) being more than 49%.

Psychology/psychoanalysis have no effect on each other

Only combat skills, survival and languages use this rule.

[jp1885]

Cool - cheers!