Play@YSDC

Okay, third time lucky for running Masks I hope.

This game will use the 7th Edition rules and the new 2018 edition of Masks of Nyarlathotep:

The adventure begins in Lima, Peru in March 1921 when a group of explorers, academics and treasure hunters have gathered to join Augustus Larkin - initially making contact after reading a newspaper article earlier in the year, or being notified of the expedition through academic or professional contacts:



From the previous game, so far we have :

**** UPDATED 30th July ****
Mallet - playing a Professor in Linguistics based in Paris, France.
Mr. Handy - playing Amy Lawrence (undergraduate student of history)
HelplessBystander - playing a jack-of-all-trades Dilettante
kabukiman - playing a younger version of Michael Anderson (Archaeologist)
Silver Priest - playing a bodyguard / chaperone of HelplessBystander's investigator

I'll help handle conversion of existing characters at the same time as generation of new ones.
For converted characters: We'll convert characteristics (ie times by 5), roll for starting luck, and just re-do skill points from scratch using the 7th edition method - then any mismatch between the skills of old and new editions is sorted once and for all.

Due to the expedition based start, the new edition of Masks recommends the following list of professions for investigators:

PROFESSIONS,[list][*][b]Knowledgeable types: [/b]Antique Dealer, Archaeologist, Author, Clergy, Doctor, Historian, Journalist, Linguist, Missionary, Museum Curator, Occultist, Scientist. [*][b]Expedition guides and security: [/b]Big Game Hunter, Boxer/ Wrestler, Explorer, Mechanic, Military Officer/Soldier, Sailor, Mountain Climber, Outdoorsman, Translator. [*][b]Aids and assistants: [/b]Butler/Valet/Maid, Photographer, Researcher, Secretary, Student, Bodyguard. [*][b]Those seeking an escape: [/b]Criminal, Dilettante, Gentleman/Lady. [*][b]Those seeking inspiration: [/b]Actor, Artist, Musician, Missionary, Occultist.[/list]

But any profession that you'd prefer could be worked in with a little work.

For the campaign, the following skills are recommended as being particularly useful, and so it would be beneficial if most of these skills were possessed by at least one investigator:

USEFUL SKILLS,[b]Useful skills: [/b]Archaeology, Disguise, First Aid, History, Library Use, Listen, Locksmith, Mechanical Repair, Natural World, Navigate, Occult, Psychology, Science (Biology, Engineering, Physics), Social skills (Charm, Fast Talk, Intimidate, Persuade), Spot Hidden, Stealth, Throw, as well as Fighting (Brawl) and the odd Firearms skill. All characters should be at least reasonably fluent in English. Despite the adventure beginning in Peru [b]all[/b] the investigators should arrive in Lima from abroad - none of the starting characters should be Peruvian. Also: although Spanish language is useful in the prologue, it is of little use during the rest of the campaign.

Unlike previous editions of Masks, there is no need for any character to have met the author Jackson Elias prior to the game beginning. As the adventure begins four years earlier, it's easy to have exactly the same relationship developed by January 1925, but at the time of the prologue it is unlikely that you have already met.

I'll PM Dr Peterson and Andyw666 to see if they're interested, and we'll make sure we have six players before actually generating characters.

Hello,

I already have a character that would fit in the list of desirable professions: A Professor in Linguistics based in Paris, France.

Is that OK ?

Mallet wrote:Hello,

I already have a character that would fit in the list of desirable professions: A Professor in Linguistics based in Paris, France.

Is that OK ?

That sounds good. If you can imagine your professor heading off to Peru to investigate an ancient mystery, then he/she will be fine.

I don't have the 7E rules and I don't particularly wanna pirate them, so I may need a hand in character generation.

Those who don't have the CoC 7e rules can download the free Quick Start Rules:

https://www.chaosium.com/free-quick-start-pdf/

The chat gen method wasn’t really outlined in the QuickStart...

If you still have space, I'd like to join in. With Helpless's permission perhaps I could be a bodyguard to his character, sent to keep an eye on them?

I've also never played 7th gen, so a walkthrough may be appreciated.

Of course! No worries!:D

Is another language like Egyptian hieroglyphs important, or it's better that I use those points to another skill?

HelplessBystander wrote:The chat gen method wasn’t really outlined in the QuickStart...

I'll give everyone a hand with character gen in a few days.

If would have been nice if the quick start rules had been tweaked to include the standard dice generation though once 7th edition was released.

Silver Priest wrote:If you still have space, I'd like to join in. With Helpless's permission perhaps I could be a bodyguard to his character, sent to keep an eye on them?

I've also never played 7th gen, so a walkthrough may be appreciated.

I'm waiting to see if a couple of players reply to my messages, but I'll be okay if we start with seven investigators anyway, so yes you're in if you like.

kabukiman wrote:Is another language like Egyptian hieroglyphs important, or it's better that I use those points to another skill?

Yes, I wasn't sure what to say about languages, spoiler-wise. The following could be useful to have:
Egyptian hieroglyphs
Arabic
Mandarin Chinese or written Chinese
Possibly Cantonese
French
Latin
There are also various languages of indigenous peoples throughout the campaign that could be useful, but the adventure expects that you'll need interpreters.

I understand the spoilers but let's face it: nobody will put points in Cantonese or hieroglyphs unless he knows it's useful.

kabukiman wrote:I understand the spoilers but let's face it: nobody will put points in Cantonese or hieroglyphs unless he knows it's useful.

Amy has Egyptian Hieroglyphics, though I did suspect they might be useful since I was aware that there is an Egypt chapter.

I'll post some character gen stuff here a little later - and reply to previous posts.

I need to get onto my laptop for this, I'm using my phone at the moment.

I've placed a copy of the traditional CoC two-page character generation summary from the 7th Edition Investigator Handbook in the spoiler tags, hopefully nobody from Chaosium will mind too much as it's not a lot of use without the book, but for our purposes it's better than the quickstart pdf.

7th Edition Character Gen Summary,If the image don't fully display on the forum, then click the image and it'll take you to the uploaded image on imgur.com. [url=https://i.imgur.com/SsfMHOF.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/SsfMHOF.png[/img][/url]

For characteristic rolls, we'll be using optional rule 3, which is shown below:

Option 3: Choosing Where to Place Rolled Characteristics
Roll and record five rolls of 3D6 and three rolls of 2D6+6.
Multiply each of these eight results by 5.
Allocate the characteristic values as you wish among the eight characteristics. There is a recommended minimum
value of 40 for INT and SIZ, although this may be lower, with the Keeper’s agreement.

Note: We'll be sticking to a minimum of 40 for INT and SIZ.

For those swapping their characters from the old game, you can just multiply characteristics by 5, or you can swap them around if you prefer - as the optional rule above is a little more flexible than the normal swap around method that I'd use in 5th/6th edition.

The spoiler box below has a full list of the occupations from the Investigator Handbook. If you don't have a copy, then let me know which career you'd like to use for your investigator and I'll PM you a copy of the text for that occupation.

7th Edition Occupations,Obviously, anything marled as [Modern] is not available. :) [list][*]Accountant [*]Acrobat [*]Actor [*]Agency Detective [*]Alienist [Classic] [*]Animal Trainer [*]Antiquarian [Lovecraftian] [*]Antique Dealer [*]Archaeologist [Lovecraftian] [*]Architect [*]Artist [*]Asylum Attendant [*]Assassin – see Criminal [*]Athlete [*]Author [Lovecraftian] [*]Aviator [Classic] – see Pilot [*]Bank Robber – see Criminal [*]Bartender [*]Big Game Hunter [*]Book Dealer [*]Bootlegger – see Criminal [*]Bounty Hunter [*]Boxer/Wrestler [*]Burglar – see Criminal [*]Butler/Valet/Maid [*]Chauffeur – see Driver [*]Clergy, Member of the [*]Computer Programmer/Technician/Hacker [Modern] [*]Conman – see Criminal [*]Cowboy/girl [*]Craftsperson [*]Criminal – also Gangster [*]Cult Leader [*]Deprogrammer [Modern] [*]Designer [*]Dilettante [Lovecraftian] [*]Diver [*]Doctor of Medicine [Lovecraftian] – also see Psychiatrist [*]Drifter [*]Driver [*]Editor [*]Elected Official [*]Engineer [*]Entertainer [*]Explorer [Classic] [*]Farmer [*]Federal Agent [*]Fence – see Criminal [*]Firefighter [*]Foreign Correspondent [*]Forensic Surgeon [*]Forger/Counterfeiter – see Criminal [*]Gambler [*]Gangster [*]Gun Moll [Classic] – see Criminal [*]Gentleman/Lady [*]Hacker – see Computer Programmer [*]Hobo [*]Hospital Orderly [*]Journalist [Lovecraftian] [*]Judge [*]Laboratory Assistant [*]Laborer [*]Lawyer [*]Librarian [Lovecraftian] [*]Lumberjack – see Laborer [*]Maid – see Butler [*]Mechanic (and Skilled Trades) [*]Military Officer [*]Miner – see Laborer [*]Missionary [*]Mountain Climber [*]Museum Curator [*]Musician [*]Nurse [*]Occultist [Lovecraftian] [*]Outdoorsman/Outdoorswoman [*]Parapsychologist [*]Pharmacist [*]Photographer [*]Photojournalist – see Photographer [*]Pilot – also see Aviator [*]Police Detective/Officer [Lovecraftian] [*]Private Investigator [*]Professor [Lovecraftian] [*]Prospector [*]Prostitute [*]Psychiatrist [*]Psychologist/Psychoanalyst [*]Reporter – see Journalist [*]Researcher [*]Sailor [*]Salesperson [*]Scientist [*]Secretary [*]Shopkeeper [*]Smuggler – see Criminal [*]Soldier/Marine [*]Spy [*]Street Punk – see Criminal [*]Student/Intern [*]Stuntman [*]Taxi Driver – see Driver [*]Thug – see Criminal [*]Tribe Member [*]Undertaker [*]Union Activist [*]Valet – see Butler [*]Waitress/Waiter [*]White-collar Worker [*]Zealot [*]Zookeeper[/list]

Finally, regarding languages and spoilers, you are of course correct and I'd been planning to give guidance, but wasn't sure what to include or not include in the list. I pasted the list of recommended skills straight out of the new Edition of Masks, and was surprised that there wasn't any mention of language skills.

For any particularly skilled linguists there's another optional rule that I think I'll use - i just need to take a closer look.

For now here is a list of locations (as countries) for the campaign, it's spoilered this time in case you genuinely wish to have no knowledge, so please do not discuss the locations out of respect for any players who prefer not to peek. If the campaign includes any visits to non-Earthly / Mythos locations, then those are NOT listed in the spoiler tag.

Campaign Locations,[b]Prologue: [/b]Peru [b]Part One: [/b]America [b]Later Parts in Alphabetical Order:[/b] [list][*]Australia [*]China [*]England [*]Egypt [*]Kenya[/list]

Note: I've moved the old game into the graveyard now, but it's still available here, if you want to look at old versions of characters:

https://www.callofcthulhu.org.uk/pbp/vi ... .php?f=345

I think you need to be logged in to see the graveyard.

I don't really see an occupation that fits my character idea of bodyguard. The quickstart says you can create your own background and chose 8 occupational skills for it. Should I go ahead and do this, or would you prefer I pick from the list?

Edit: Looking it up it appears every occupation has its own pool of occupational points, so that might complicate things. I may just go with criminal or boxer backgrounds, and see if that works.

You can't see the Graveyard from the home page without logging in, but you can click on the link and get to the old game whether you're logged in or not.

Amy is 18 in March 1921 but will be 21 in January 1925 (born February 14, 1903). I guess I should use the 15-19 age range. Will the deducted points be regained when we move to 1925? I'll use the Student occupation. Please let me know what the occupational skills are for it, and how occupational skill points are determined (my guess would be EDU x 4).

General Stats (3d6),[b]NAME:[/b] JOHN SMITH [b]STR:[/b] [dice]0[/dice] [b]CON:[/b] [dice]1[/dice] [b]DEX:[/b] [dice]2[/dice] [b]POW:[/b] [dice]3[/dice] [b]APP:[/b] [dice]4[/dice] [b]SAN:[/b] 60 [b]MP:[/b] 12 [b]HP:[/b] 11 [b]MOV:[/b] 8 [b]OCCUPATION:[/b] DILETTANTE [b]DB:[/b] +0 [b]LUCK:[/b] [dice]9[/dice]

SIZ INT EDU,[b]EDU:[/b] [dice]5[/dice] [b]INT:[/b] [dice]6[/dice] [b]SIZ:[/b] [dice]7[/dice] EDU IMPROVEMENT CHECK: [dice]8[/dice]

Silver Priest wrote:I don't really see an occupation that fits my character idea of bodyguard. The quickstart says you can create your own background and chose 8 occupational skills for it. Should I go ahead and do this, or would you prefer I pick from the list?

Edit: Looking it up it appears every occupation has its own pool of occupational points, so that might complicate things. I may just go with criminal or boxer backgrounds, and see if that works.

Ah, yes sorry about that - it does say in Masks, with the recommended occupations that some of them (eg translator) are not standard CoC occupations - I just didn't realise that bodyguard was one of those.

For a bodyguard I'd say more often than not, assuming HelplessBystander's dilettante isn't from a criminal family, then you'd use the butler/valet occupation, but with prior "law enforcement" experience - 7th edition has a handful of "experience packages" that allow law enforcement / wartime experience, etc - giving access to a set of mainly combat skills to otherwise non-combat occupations - usually in exchange for a few points of starting sanity. One of these experience packages also allows prior Mythos experience (often just reading those books, like many Lovecraftian protagonists), if desired. Having wartime experience rather than police experience would also work, and be very common in 1921.

An alternative to a valet/bodyguard would be an agency detective - if you've been hired as a professional bodyguard. Or I guess PI if you're self-employed.

Otherwise, yes just use criminal-thug or boxer.

I do like the police / wartime experience kit things though for 7th edition "combat" characters - as it makes them less gimped in non-combat skills compared to earlier editions.

I've just had a look and the full list of experience packages, for anyone who thinks they would fit their backstory, is:

• War experience
• Police experience
• Organised Crime experience
• Medical experience
• Mythos experience

All except Mythos have minimum starting ages - and Mythos is an even more optional rule than the other four.

Mr. Handy wrote:You can't see the Graveyard from the home page without logging in, but you can click on the link and get to the old game whether you're logged in or not.

Amy is 18 in March 1921 but will be 21 in January 1925 (born February 14, 1903). I guess I should use the 15-19 age range. Will the deducted points be regained when we move to 1925? I'll use the Student occupation. Please let me know what the occupational skills are for it, and how occupational skill points are determined (my guess would be EDU x 4).

I'll PM you the student occupation details straight after posting this.

Regarding the age stuff - yes 18 year old Amy loses some STR/SIZ and 5 pts of EDU, while 21 year old Amy will regain those points and make a single improvement check for EDU as well.

The same goes for any other investigators who cross the age boundaries between chapters. Anyone who's 39 in the prologue will get a second EDU improvement roll in chapter one, but lose pts from STR/DEX/CON plus APP.

HelplessBystander wrote:

General Stats (3d6),[b]NAME:[/b] JOHN SMITH [b]STR:[/b] [dice]0[/dice] [b]CON:[/b] [dice]1[/dice] [b]DEX:[/b] [dice]2[/dice] [b]POW:[/b] [dice]3[/dice] [b]APP:[/b] [dice]4[/dice] [b]SAN:[/b] 60 [b]MP:[/b] 12 [b]HP:[/b] 11 [b]MOV:[/b] 8 [b]OCCUPATION:[/b] DILETTANTE [b]DB:[/b] +0

SIZ INT EDU,[b]EDU:[/b] [dice]5[/dice] [b]INT:[/b] [dice]6[/dice] [b]SIZ:[/b] [dice]7[/dice] EDU IMPROVEMENT CHECK: [dice]8[/dice]

That's fine, don't forget though that we're using the optional rule (#3) that now allows you to swap around those eight characteristic scores as you wish - so long as INT and SIZ are at least 40 (and preferably EDU as well).

Thanks for the information. I think I'll go with agency detective then, perhaps with wartime experience. Could you PM the occupational stats to me when convenient?

Thanks! I'll drop the 5 points from SIZ, which won't cost me any HP. I'll go ahead and roll for Luck now, but it will probably be a few days before I have time to fully rebuild my character for 7th edition.

Luck:
[dice]0[/dice]
[dice]1[/dice]

It’s all good.

We'll try to get started this week. I'll begin play with five investigators, if nobody replies to the recruitment thread.

I'll make sure I reply within a day to any character gen queries.

For those that haven't played 7th edition, if should be noted that Credit Rating counts as a skill for all occupations and you should try to spend points from either / both of your skill point pools to bring your credit rating to within the given range for the occupation that you chose.

I'm prepared to be flexible though, if your vision for your character would require a higher or lower credit rating than the range listed for your occupation then let me know and I'll almost certainly allow a different value. (e.g. Agatha Christie would count as an Author I presume, but with a higher than 30% credit rating).

Thanks for the info! I'll go ahead and roll my guy's initial stats now:

Stats,[dice]0[/dice] [dice]1[/dice] [dice]2[/dice] [dice]3[/dice] [dice]4[/dice] [dice]5[/dice] 55 [dice]6[/dice] 75 [dice]7[/dice] 80 [dice]8[/dice] War experience San deduction [dice]9[/dice]

Name: Amy Lawrence
Player: Mr. Handy
Age: 18
Sex: Female
Occupation: Student
College, Degrees: Freshman, History major, Barnard College, Class of 1924
Birthplace: New York, New York, USA



Characteristics:
STR 40
CON 55
SIZ 55 [includes -5 from age]
DEX 60
APP 60
INT 70
POW 70
EDU 70 [includes -5 from age]

Sanity: 70
Current Sanity: 70
Phobias/Mental Disorders: None
Luck: 65
Current Luck: 65

Hit Points: 11
Current Hit Points: 11
Magic Points: 14
Current Magic Points: 14
Move: 8
Damage Bonus: 0
Build: 0

Appearance & Personality: Amy Lawrence is a pretty young lady with blonde hair, about five feet and four inches tall and weighing around 120 pounds. She seems to radiate innocence, and she can be somewhat naive and trusting, not yet familiar with the ways of the world. She has always been fascinated by history and is an avid reader.

Background: Amy's father is a professor of history at Columbia University, and she got her love of the past from him. Amy has always been a bright student and does well in school, though she does not have much of a social life. She attends Barnard College, where she is a freshman majoring in history. She is especially intrigued by ancient Egyptian and Mayan history. She has yet to visit Egypt, though she longs to do so.

Skills: (professional one in italics, .private preceded by a dot; non-base scores bolded)

Accounting (05%):
Animal Handling (10%):
Anthropology (01%): 41%
Appraise (05%):
Archaeology (01%): 41%
Art/Craft (05%):
Charm (15%): 60%
.Climb (20%): 60%
Credit Rating (00%): 10%
Cthulhu Mythos (00%):
Demolitions (01%):
Disguise (05%):
Dodge (1/2 DEX): 30%
Drive Auto (20%):
Electric Repair (10%):
Fast Talk (05%):
Fighting (Brawl) (25%):
Firearms (Handgun) (20%):
Firearms (Rifle/Shotgun) (25%):
.First Aid (30%): 45%
Geology (01%):
Hide (10%):
History (05%): 65%
Hypnosis (01%):
Intimidate (15%):
Jump (20%):
Language (English) (EDU%): 70%
Language (Other) (01%):
Law (05%):
Library Use (20%): 65%
Listen (20%): 45%
Locksmith (01%):
Mechanical Repair (10%):
Medicine (01%):
Natural World (10%):
Navigate (10%):
Occult (10%):
Operate Heavy Machine (01%):
Persuade (10%):
Pilot (01%):
Psychoanalysis (01%):
Psychology (10%): 60%
Read Lips (01%):
Ride (05%):
Science (01%):
Sleight of Hand (10%):
.Spot Hidden (25%): 60%
Stealth (20%):
Survival (10%):
.Swim (20%): 35%
Throw (20%):
Track (10%):

First time making a 7th gen character, and first time in awhile making a CoC one. Hope all is okay with him.

Name: Marcus Ambler
Player: Silver Priest
Age: 29
Sex: Male
Occupation: Agency Bodyguard
Education: High School
Birthplace: New York, NY

Characteristics:
STR:60
CON:80
DEX:40
APP:35
EDU:65( 55+10 from Improvement Check)
SIZ:80
INT:75
POW:60

Sanity: 60-8 due to war experiences=52
Current Sanity:52
Phobias/Disorders:None
Luck:45
Current Luck:45

HP: 16
Current HP:16
Magic Points:12
Current Magic Points:12
Move:7
DB:1d4
Build: +1

Appearance and Personality: Marcus is a tall man with a powerful build, something he takes every advantage of in his work. He looks entirely capable of inflicting violence but actually tries to avoid it when he can. But when needed, he's not afraid to get his hands dirty. His features are plain and unexceptional, but he bears scarring on the left side of his face due to a shrapnel injury during the war. To compensate somewhat for this he favors expensive suits( at least the ones in which he can afford)

He's a quiet man and says little, preferring to serve as muscle and stand just behind his client, his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. Generally it works. But he's not a simpleton, and when he speaks one soon learns that this is a man who while he may not be the most educated is something of a deep and tactical thinker.

Background: Born in 1892, Marcus grew up in the slums of New York, one of five children of a dockworker and homemaker. His family was hit hard by an Influenza outbreak, which claimed 3 of his siblings. Soon after his his father died of a heart attack, his mother of a broken heart. Marcus raised his younger sister, his only surviving sibling, and took to doing odd jobs around the neighborhood to make ends meet. For a time he was semi well known on the boxing circuit. He eventually fell in with the wrong sort of crowd, and served as an enforcer for the local crime lord. It paid the bills, but when America entered The Great War he found himself drafted. He served with quiet distinction in France, earning little in the way of accolades and a war wound for his trouble.

After the War Marcus came back to New York something of a drifter. His sister had married in his absence and seemed to be doing fine, taking away his primary reason for serving as a local tough. Seeking a nobler career, he joined the Pinkerton agency. He quickly realized he still had to get his hands dirty here, but resigned himself to it. If nothing else, it paid better.

He's been working as a bodyguard for a prominent family for several months now, closely guarding their dilettante of a son.

Skills: (professional one in italics, .private preceded by a dot; Wartime experience underlined, non-base scores bolded)

Accounting (05%):
Animal Handling (10%):
Anthropology (01%):
Appraise (05%):
Archaeology (01%):
Art/Craft (05%):
Charm (15%):
Chemistry (01%):
Climb (20%):
.Credit Rating (00%):35
Cthulhu Mythos (00%):
Demolitions (01%):
Disguise (05%):
Dodge (1/2 DEX):20
Drive Auto (20%):
Electric Repair (10%):
Fast Talk (05%):
Fighting (Brawl) (25%):75
Firearms (Handgun) (20%):75
Firearms (Rifle/Shotgun) (25%):65
.First Aid (30%): 50
Geology (01%):
Hide (10%):
History (05%):
Hypnosis (01%):
Intimidate (15%):50
Jump (20%):
.Language (English) (EDU%):75
Language (Other) (01%):
Law (05%):25
Library Use (20%):
Listen (20%):50
Locksmith (01%):
Mechanical Repair (10%):
Medicine (01%):
Natural World (10%):
Navigate (10%):
Occult (10%):
Operate Heavy Machine (01%):
Persuade (10%):
Pilot (01%):
Psychoanalysis (01%):
Psychology (10%):40
Read Lips (01%):
Ride (05%):
Science (01%):
.Sleight of Hand (10%):20
.Spot Hidden (25%):50
Stealth (20%):60
.Survival (10%):25
Swim (20%):
Throw (20%):
Track (10%):50

Picture,[img]https://s22.postimg.cc/f62qpsoj5/methode_times_prod_web_bin_b931e110-b741-11e7-85ff-fb955b2fbca8.jpg[/img]

Skill purchases,250 occupation points 15 to intimidate (235) 50 to fighting (185) 55 to firearms: Handgun (130) 40 to Stealth (90) 40 to Track (50) 20 to Law (30) 30 to Psychology (0) 150 Gen points 35 to Credit Rating ( 115) 20 to First Aid (95) 20 to Intimidate (75) 20 to own Language (55) 25 to Spot Hidden (30) 15 to Sleight of Hand (15) 15 to Survival (0) 70 war experience points 40 to Firearms: Rifle/Shotgun (30) 30 to Listen (0)

Equipment,.38 automatic, 15 yards, 1d10 damage, 2 attacks per round, 6 bullets in gun, malfunctions on 99 .30 Lever Action Carbine, 2d6, 50 Yards, 1 attack per round, 6 bullets, Malfunctions on 98

EDU Improvement Check,[dice]0[/dice] [dice]1[/dice]

Name: John Smith
Player: HelplessBystander
Age: 24
Sex: Male
Occupation: Dilettante
College, Degrees: Senior, Diploma of General Studies, Harvard University
Birthplace: London, England, UK



Characteristics:
STR 35
CON 50
DEX 35
APP 50
INT 70
POW 60

SIZ 65
EDU 85

Sanity: 60
Current Sanity: 60
Phobias/Mental Disorders: None
Luck: 50
Current Luck: 50

Hit Points: 11
Current Hit Points: 11
Magic Points: 12
Current Magic Points: 12
Move: 8
Damage Bonus: 0
Build: 0

Appearance & Personality: John Smith had the face of a slice bread with some butter slathered on top, that is to say, of course, that he had an appearance that was so ordinary, forgettable, and plain that he could almost seamlessly blend into the background without anyone batting so much as an eye. John, unfortunately, also had the fashion sense of someone three times his age and dressed with all the flair and charm of a piece of beige wallpaper.

He is calm, mild-mannered, and unremarkable in both personality and appearance to such a degree that close friends could forget about him after a few minutes of silence. It could be construed as almost impressive how someone could become so unremarkable. John pursues multiple degrees in college, a Jack-of-all-trades who took 27 semesters in college, each one working towards a new major; who knows the basics of everything, can’t actually do JACK, but thinks he’s awesome because he’s a College Undergrad with a Diploma of General Studies.

Background: Born to a family of British well-to-doers that made a fortune on door-to-door salesmanship and accounting, John's family was rich and never had to truly worry about money, and doted on their son quite a lot. John was accepted into Harvard University after his father coaxed the principal with a generous donation to school's dormitories and asked him to 'review his exam papers one more time'. Indecisive and uncertain of his future, John decided to put off making any decisions of specialisation and/or career choices for as long as humanly possible with the support of a wealthy family behind him. After all, since he was destined to be unremarkable, might as well relish it, right?

Skills: (270)
Accounting (05%):
Animal Handling (10%):
Anthropology (01%):
Appraise (05%): 40%
Archaeology (01%): 40%
Art/Craft (05%): 40%
Charm (15%):
Climb (20%):
Credit Rating (00%): 50%
Cthulhu Mythos (00%):
Demolitions (01%):
Disguise (05%):
Dodge (1/2 DEX): 18%
Drive Auto (20%):
Electric Repair (10%):
Fast Talk (05%): 60%
Fighting (Brawl) (25%):
Firearms (Handgun) (20%): 40%
Firearms (Rifle/Shotgun) (25%):
First Aid (30%):
Geology (01%):
Hide (10%):
History (05%): 40%
Hypnosis (01%):
Intimidate (15%):
Jump (20%):
Language (English) (EDU%): 85%
Language (Chinese) (01%):
Law (05%):
Library Use (20%): 40%
Listen (20%):
Locksmith (01%):
Mechanical Repair (10%):
Medicine (01%): 40%
Natural World (10%):
Navigate (10%):
Occult (10%):
Operate Heavy Machine (01%):
Persuade (10%):
Pilot (01%):
Psychoanalysis (01%):
Psychology (10%):
Read Lips (01%):
Ride (05%): 40%
Science (01%):
Sleight of Hand (10%):
Spot Hidden (25%):
Stealth (20%):
Survival (10%):
Swim (20%):
Throw (20%):
Track (10%):

Technical question: what is the most efficient way to upload an image of my character to this website ?

Your professor looks fine. Note that as a war veteran you can use the (officer's) wartime experience package.

Your scar / limp counts as the physical / mental penalty, so you'll gain the skill package and protection from some sanity losses in exchange for losing 1d10+5 starting sanity.

I'll PM you a copy of the experience package in case you don't have a copy of the Investigator Handbook.

EDIT: Unless I'm mistaken, you don 't get any free points in credit rating, so the initial 50% would need to come out of your occupational skills (I'll double check).

With the 70 bonus points from the wartime experience package though, you should be able to put everything back how you want it.

Mallet wrote:Technical question: what is the most efficient way to upload an image of my character to this website ?

I have a free account on imgur.com and use it to post images here and on a computer game forum. I've had the account for 4 years and uploaded 100s of images without any problems, so I recommend it.

You can drag and drop images onto your account, organise by album and get one click bbcode links to the images.

Photobucket is really good as well, I was looking at some of my old posts on a mapping forum the other day and I've got some very large images linked via thumbnails to photobucket.

I definitely prefer imgur though.

You can also attach files such as images directly to your posts. If you click the Upload attachment tab below the "Post a Reply" window, you'll see a button you can click to browse for files on your computer and another to add the file.

I'll try to get the game started tonight, and I'll double check the investigators as I transfer then into a cast of characters thread.

Mallet, you just need to tweak to pay for your full credit rating and to include the skills and sanity loss from the wartime experience package before you begin play.

I'll leave recruitment open for a single additional investigator for now, but you'll be fine with five in the team - and it'll make the game easier for me to run.

Mr. Handy wrote:You can also attach files such as images directly to your posts. If you click the Upload attachment tab below the "Post a Reply" window, you'll see a button you can click to browse for files on your computer and another to add the file.

That's an excellent point, I'd completely forgotten that images could be directly uploaded to the forum - so yes, use the built in image upload as Mr Handy described.

Imgur, etc could change their terms and conditions at any time (just as imageshack did in the past), which would remove any images that use their storage, whereas the built in image storage here should be as reliable as the site itself.

I didn't get the chance last night to set up start of the game, but should do tonight.

I'm also not particularly busy over the weekend, so we'll be underway properly by Monday.

We now have a sixth and final player - welcome Vashshotfirst.

Other than a place reserved for DrPeterson, if/when he's back online, recruitment is now closed.

Hello all, thanks for letting me join.

I posted my character in the character creation, let me know if they're any issues so I can change them appropriately.

I'm fairly new to CoC and really new to play-by-forum, but I'm not new to rpgs in general so hopefully I can keep up.

VashShotFirst wrote:Hello all, thanks for letting me join.

I posted my character in the character creation, let me know if they're any issues so I can change them appropriately.

I'm fairly new to CoC and really new to play-by-forum, but I'm not new to rpgs in general so hopefully I can keep up.

Your investigator looks fine at a glance - I've not gotten around to "auditing" characters to make sure the points add up, etc.

It's nice that someone chose the treasure hunter motivation for joining the expedition.

One thing that I need to double check you're aware of - because I know the others are - is that after the relatively short prologue, the game will move onto January 1925 for the start of the main campaign, and all the characters will be approx 4 years older.

Raiko wrote:Other than a place reserved for DrPeterson, if/when he's back online, recruitment is now closed.

Okay, I'm probably slightly crazy, but having gone to Reddit to look for one additional player, I have now brought in three - mainly due to a surprise reply from my old Play@YSDC friend Coffee Demon.

So as well as Vashshotfirst, we will also potentially be joined by Zero and Coffee Demon. Welcome both of you!

In order to allow better integration of what is now a large group, I've asked that they make investigators that either know each other or know one of the existing investigators.

Eight is only one more than my original Masks of Nyarlathotep game started with though, and that ran very well indeed, so hopefully as long as your characters interact well with each other the game will run smoothly.

I'm hoping that a larger group will allow play to continue, without further recruitment, even if one or two players drop out or need to be absent for a few days/weeks.

Also it'll allow Scooby-style splitting of the party without too much risk.

I'll keep posting IC while the new investigators are created, as the meeting at Bar Cordano should last long enough for everyone to join in.

Coffee Demon decided he's probably too busy IRL to join in, so we'll be starting with seven. That's the same number as my original Masks game, so it seems good.

Greetings all. I haven't played on YSDC before, so hopefully I've done the dice rolls properly. I guess I'll find out as soon as I submit this post. Aside from my neophyte status on these forums, I've been playing CoC for about a year now and most of my experience in CoC has been with 7th edition. I'm not an expert, but I won't get lost much either.

[Spoiler-Button]
Stats
[dice]0[/dice]

[dice]1[/dice]

[dice]2[/dice]

[dice]3[/dice]

[dice]4[/dice]

[dice]2d6+6*5[/dice]

[dice]2d6+6*5[/dice]

[dice]2d6+6*5[/dice]
[/Spoiler-Button]

[Spoiler-Button]
Luck
[dice]5[/dice]
[/Spoiler-Button]

Alright, well I may need a hand with the spoiler button, I guess. -.- Also, it seems that the roller can handle only one operation per use, so I'll have to redo my 2d6+6 rolls.

More Stats,[dice]0[/dice] [dice]1[/dice] [dice]2[/dice]

Okay, got the spoiler thing down, but forgot to roll for EDU improvement.

And the d10 roll...

d10 roll,[dice]0[/dice]

Name: Atauchi Huaman
Player: Zero
Age: 24
Sex: Male
Occupation: Tracker
Education: College equivalent
Residence: None (migrant)
Birthplace: Mawkallaqta, Bolivia

Characteristics:
STR: 70
CON: 50
DEX: 75
APP: 35
EDU: 75 (+5 from Improvement Check)
SIZ: 50
INT: 75
POW: 70

Move Rate: 9
Hit Points: 10/10
Sanity: 70/70
Luck: 40
Magic Points: 14/14

DB: None
Build: 0

Appearance: Atauchi is a male of indigenous Quechuan descent. He is short in stature, but deceptively strong and dexterous. He has long dark hair, dark eyes, and a deeply tanned complexion.

Personality: Atauchi is a quiet, somewhat superstitious individual. He speaks to others only when he deems it necessary. He is extremely self-reliant as he has the unfortuante habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Background: Born in 1897, Atauchi is native to a small village in the northern part of modern day Bolivia. His father was conscripted into the military during the War of the Pacific and died at the hands of the Chilean aggressors. His mother and two sisters fled the country just last year when control of the government was seized in a coup d'état led by Republican nationals. Their whereabouts are presently unknown. Now one year later, Atauchi has decided that it was time that he too depart the land of his ancestors and use his skills to build a new life for himself elsewhere.

Skills: (occupation in bold, personal interest in italic)

Accounting (05%): [05]
Anthropology (01%): [01]
Appraise (05%): [05]
Archaeology (01%): [01]
Art/Craft (05%): [05]
Charm (15%): [15]
Climb (20%): [60]
Credit Rating (00%): [10]
Cthulhu Mythos (00%): [00]
Disguise (05%): [05]
Dodge (half DEX): [37]
Drive Auto (20%): [20]
Elec Repair (10%): [10]
Fast Talk (05%): [05]
Fighting (Brawl) (25%): [25]
Firearms (Bow): (15%): [35]
Firearms (Handgun) (20%): [20]
Firearms (Rifle/Shotgun) (25%): [41]
First Aid (30%): [30]
History (05%): [05]
Intimidate (15%): [15]
Jump (20%): [20]
Language (English) (01%): [30]
Language (Spanish) (01%): [50]
Language (Quechua) (EDU): [75]
Law (05%): [05]
Library Use (20%): [20]
Listen (20%): [50]
Locksmith (01%): [01]
Mech. Repair (10%): [10]
Medicine (01%): [01]
Natural World (10%): [40]
Navigate (10%): [10]
Occult (10%): [31]
Op. Hv. Machine (01%): [01]
Persuade (10%): [10]
Pilot (01%): [01]
Psychology (10%): [10]
Psychoanalysis (01%): [01]
Ride (05%): [05]
Science (01%): [01]
Sleight of Hand (10%): [10]
Spot Hidden (25%): [60]
Stealth (20%): [50]
Survival (Jungle) (10%): [55]
Swim (20%): [30]
Throw (20%): [40]
Track (10%): [70]

Portrait,[img]https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1817/30177815968_3b8c837beb_o.jpg[/img]

Cash & Assets,Spending Level: $10 (USD equivalent) Cash: $20 (USD equivalent) Assets: $500 (USD equivalent)

Equipment,Knife, Large (machete) Knife, Medium (survival knife) Bow and Arrows (x24) Spear, Throwing Canteen (2 quart) First Aid Kit Mess Kit Military Issue Compass Rope, Hemp Waterproof Backpack Waterproof Match Case w/ matches