Any interest in classic era uk-based ToC?

[Airbornexo]

So....

My return continues with little baby steps. Would there be anyone interested (4-5 max) in a short Trail of Cthulhu game set in classic era Britain? I will be using published material (maybe some cubicle7 stuff) but changing names & locations etc...

Cheers, Hal

[Tabs]

Yep, I'd like to play a ToC short adventure.

[Airbornexo]

Great Tabs thanks, that's one. I know I let you down over 'the pit' - things should be different this time round!

Cheers, Hal

[Mr. Handy]

I'm interested too.

[carnage_lee]

I'm definitely interested.... will be away last 2 weeks of July though.

[Priest]

I'd like in, if I may.

[Airbornexo]

Okay that's four will be looking for a start first weekend of July (don't worry Lee we'll fudge around your hols, I'll be away myself early august). Does everyone have access to ToC books? If not I'll fudge up a quick character gen cheat sheet. I'll also post more details at the weekend and give you some broad character guideline. This will be more purist than pulp and with a focus on character led investigation.

Cheers, Hal

[Tabs]

Yes, I've got the rulebook. Looking forward to starting!

[Mr. Handy]

I'll be away at a convention July 2-6, so I won't be able to start right away. While I have a laptop and I'll have Internet access at the hotel, my schedule is packed and I doubt I'll have time to post, let alone read all the posts that have been made.

I have a PDF of the ToC players' guide that I got as part of a bundle from DriveThruRPG. I'm a little rusty on the rules, though, as I haven't played ToC in a while, though I'll be playing it (and Night's Black Agents) at said convention.

[Airbornexo]

Right so we'll get set up through July maybe starting towards mid to the end and then powering through August I'll write it so that Lees character can be subtly slotted in

Cheers, Hal

[carnage_lee]

Thanks Hal - looking forward to this

I know nothing about TOC though.

[Priest]

Looking forward to this too.

Andy (Priest)

These free condensed rules were put out on Pelgranes site a while back
https://www.pelgranepress.com/trail/fil ... _Rules.pdf

[Airbornexo]

Some more brief details...

The hook
Loindon 1924....A grisly killing in the East of the majestic, sprawling bulk that is London sends out investigators in the pursuit of a mysterious manuscript, a troubling revelation about the origins of the world and piecing together the derranged rantings of a 19th century English poet. Truly there were some things that man was not meant to know...

GMs notes
This purist Trail of Cthulhu adventure is set in classic-era London and is based almost wholly upon a scenario presented in Arkham Detective Tales (hopefully you've not read it!) Obviously names and locations differ, but essentially the spine is the same.

Character generation
Please use the quick start rules to generate a purist investigator. You may spend 65 points on general abilities and 15 points on investigative abilities. Please carefully read the rules for assigning the build points as it can be a little confusing at first glance.

Note - it is better to have a few general abilities with a high rating whereas for investigative skills a larger pool of skills with only a few points in here and there (needing more that 3 in an investigative pool for a single adventure is very unlikely).

Note 2 - be aware you need to buy health, sanity and stability points and these are capped in a purist game.

Occupations that would particularly be easy for me to link to the story and with useful skills would be: Antiquarians, Artists, Authors, Journalists, Detectives from the yard and professors (particularly those of the arts or creative arts).

Appropriate drives would include: Antiquarianism, Artistic Sensitivity, Arrogance, Curiosity or scholarship. I can fill you in on these if you don't own the full rulebook as they have been omitted from the PDF in the link, just pick one you like the sound of and we'll work it out.

Try to think of interesting pillars of sanity as I will, where possible, try to incorporate these into the game. There is no need to be a London resident (or even British), simply a reason to be staying in the city for an extended period of time.

Cheers, Hal

[Mr. Handy]

The rules said to use 16 build points for investigative skills, not 15, so that's what I did, thinking 15 was a typo. If you really did mean 15, let me know and I'll drop a point.



Name: Amanda Somerville
Player: Mr. Handy
Age: 20
Sex: Female
Background: Artist
Drive: Artistic Sensitivity
Pillars of Sanity:
If Music Be the Fruit of Love, Play On
God Save the King
Art for Art's Sake

Investigative Abilities

Academic
*Architecture 2
*Art History 2
Languages 2

Interpersonal
*Assess Honesty 2
*Bargain 2
Credit Rating 3
*Flattery 3
Oral History 1
*Reassurance 2
Streetwise 1

Technical
*Art 3
*Craft 2
*Photography 2

General Abilities
Athletics 8
*Disguise 12
Heatlh 12
Preparedness 3
Psychoanalysis 4
Sanity 9
Sense Trouble 8
Stability 12
Stealth 8

Description: Amanda Somerville is a beautiful young woman with fiery red hair and a gentle disposition. A native of London, Amanda has always been fascinated by the arts, and while music is her favorite, everything artistic interests her. She has a very alluring voice that she uses to good effect, helping her natural talent in singing. She enjoys classical music as well as jazz, and she never tires of pointing out the influence of the former on the latter. She attends classes at the University College of London, and at night she works in a club as a singer.

[Airbornexo]

Well spotted that was a typo cool character idea!

Cheers, Hal

[Tabs]

Mr. Handy, who is the real Amanda?

I thought that my character would be a journalist, middle-aged and world-weary, who chances on the club where Amanda Somerville is singing. Although he would claim to be a stolid man uninfluenced by glamour, he is in fact charmed by her and is drawn back to the club again and again.

[Priest]

I think my character is going to be a jaded author, down on her luck somewhat and searching for a subject for her new book. She has a unfriendly attitude, drinks a little too much and smokes far too many cigarettes.
I was really getting into the character of Helen Long for the 'In the Blood' scenario, sadly it collapsed. So this character will share many of the characteristics of that woman.

[Airbornexo]

I think the club should be a focal point where all the characters know each other

Cheers, Hal

[Priest]

Millicent Broadacre

Occupation: Author
Sex: Female
Age: 33

Investigative Skills:
Library Use - 2
Assess Honesty - 2
Bureaucracy - 2
Credit Rating - 3
Flattery - 2
Intimidation - 2
Oral History - 1
Reassurance - 1
Streetwise – 1
Languages – 1
Bargain – 2

General Skills:
Athletics - 10
Driving – 10
Electrical Repair - 5
Filch - 6
Health - 10
Sense Trouble - 5
Preparedness - 5
Stability - 10
Mechanical Repair - 5
Sanity - 5

Sources of Stability
Mother, Clarise lives in Altrincham.
Evette Dupont, friend from Stepney.
‘Arold, Newspaper seller in the street outside her bedsit.

Pillars of Sanity
History begins and ends with words.
Only write what has value.
True art begins in chaos

Background
Sadly both her last two novels were a disaster with neither reaching the projected number of book sales. She has been warned, in a friendly sort of way, by her agent that her next book must not fail, for all their sakes. As a result Millicent now frequents the less than fashionable areas of the city, ostensibly in search of a subject for her next work, but more than often in search of a quiet bar with reasonably priced drinks. Recently she has started to hang around a bar which has a pretty young singer…

(Hope she's okay, I heavily based her on Helen Long.)

[Airbornexo]

Cool characters so far...perhaps your journalist Tabs can have links to the yard - helps me with an 'in'

Cheers, Hal