Chaosium Digest Volume 2, Number 3 Date: Sunday, March 11, 1993 Number: 1 of 1 Contents: Pendragon Fourth Edition Magic Preview (Eric Rowe) PENDRAGON Creatures & Cultists History (John Tynes) CREATURES & CUL Comments on Creatures & Cultists (John Tynes) CREATURES & CUL Setting Cthulhu in the Wild West (Jason Corley) CALL OF CTHULHU Upcoming Pagan Publishing Releases (John Tynes) CALL OF CTHULHU Editor's Note: Submissions for the digest have been pretty light of late. If you've got the outline of an adventure from a recent game, some rules changes the you've been considering, or even just some comments, and you've been thinking about sending them in but haven't, please do. The Chaosium Digest is still young and needs contributions to keep on going. Shannon -------------------- From: Eric Rowe Subject: Pendragon 4th Edition Magic Preview System: Pendragon Here is a brief review of the upcoming Magic System that will be incorporated into Pendragon 4th edition. Currently the rules are about 60-80% complete so nothing mentioned here is completely certain. The Other Side The magic of the world of Pendragon is powered by the other side, something not easily defined. It is basically the other side of our awareness, and it differs from person to person. It is all you do not know, whether due to culture, experience or biology. It is the world of dreams. It can change its size. It is where meaning is found. The section which presents this is done from the viewpoint of a sorceress and it describes what magic is, and who magicians are. It explains the creation of the world, the impact and power of christianity, and the cost of magic. What is nice about this section is that it provides the necessary Arthurian feel to why and how magic works in Pendragon. [I also found it wonderfully written. It's my favorite part of the new magic system -sda] Magician Character Generation This is done in pretty much the standard manner of regular character generation. Notable changes are that the character can now come from a peasant background, and that you roll for magical talents. Generation takes you from the age of first notice to training, initiation, patronage, qualification and graduation. Of interest here is the qualifications needed for each class. Like the qualifications for mercenary knight, banneret knight, etc. these qualifications differ for each type of magician. Currently, these are the following magical classes, but I expect them to change a bit: Berserk, Diabolist, Druid, Enchantress, Friar, Monk, Mystic, Ovate, Priest, Rabbi, Shaman and Witch. Different talents can lead to different classes, and these then lead to different training of spells and magical skills. As is, I don't like several of the magical classes. I also have reservations about the flexibility of the class system. It is currently possible to have the old D&D problem of, "Look, a Druid, he knows these spells." This is being worked on, and anyway, the very nature of how the magic system works lessens its importance. Overall, the generation system is easy to use and I think any bugs will be removed in later revisions. The Magic System First of all, magicians do not get glory. They aquire insight, or awen. However, it is gained and used in an almost identical manner to glory for easy comprehension/comparison. Life Force (Power) is what is necessary to work magic. It is based upon your religious traits. So, for example, Druid's power comes from his Pagan traits while a Monk's power would come from his Christian traits. Life Force is basically the sum of the religious traits. The number of d20s that can be used to manipulate the other side is based upon the Life Force divided by 20. Ambient power is what exists in the world to be tapped into by the magician using his power of manipulation. It varies from 1d20 in a city to 5d20 in a holy place. Specific places can have even greated power for specific uses/spells. The new skill of centering is rolled to determine the success of gathering the ambient power of the area (if not sufficient, personal life force can be added). If there is enough, the shaping (talent use) roll is made to determine success and cost of the spell. On average each spell takes several hours to complete. There are very few 'instant' spells, and these cost extra to cast. The current list of spells includes Animal Friendship, Curse, Divination, Glamour, Healing and Shapeshift as well as several others. Within each type of spell you can work differing levels of effect, depending upon your power available. For instance, if one knows Animal Friendship it takes 10 points to understand their speech; 30 points will enable communication, 60 will summon a type of animal and 100+ may be needed to actually control an animal. Additional rules cover duration, permanent items, multiple targets, and group efforts. Geography and time are also very important to the ability to cast and the skills of celestiomancy and geomancy help these. Magicians can establish a 'home' wherein their magic will work better than other places. Magic is quite expensive to cast. Just manipulating 1d20 of ambient power will require a week of sleep, and each d20 of personal power requires a month of sleep. Aging rolls can sometimes replace sleep. Until rested the magician cannot use the life force already spent again. While the rules are still really just taking shape I feel they have a lot of promise. The only real problem I have is the integration of magicians into most campaigns. While they will make great NPCs and good occasional PCs I don't see them as currently viable as long term player characters. On the good side, Chaosium has integrated a magic system into the real feel of an arthurian game. I also am very pleased with the flexibility of the system as well as the basic mechanics. I look forward to the final version. eric -------------------- From: John Tynes Subject: Creatures & Cultists History System: Creatures & Cultists In-Reply-To: V2.1 A Review of Creatures & Cultists V2.1 Suggested Rules Changes C&C actually appeared in the Unspeakable Oath originally. TUO4 included the complete rules and the cards printed on cardstock, at the normal cover price. At that point I think there were a dozen or so fewer cards than there are now. We reprinted C&C on its own in a 200-copy limited edition with some new cards but not much else different. This editon was sold at GenCon 1992 and through mail, and sold out late in '92. C&C as published and distributed around the world recently features extensively revised rules and a total of 128 cards. As noted in the rules, the inspiration came from Craig Taylor's classic Avalon Hill card game Naval War (published in the late 1970s). The Challenge is a blatant (to my mind) knock-off of this game. Family Business I haven't played, but I've heard good things about it. I *highly* recommend Naval War; it's tremendous fun, and very quick to play. John Tynes Pagan Publishing -------------------- From: John Tynes Subject: Comments on Creatures & Cultists System: Creatures & Cultists In-Reply-To: V2.1 Suggested Rules Changes A few notes on the rules changes suggested for Creatures & Cultists: The Herbert West card: in one of our playtest sessions, a player used it like you describe: he just kept on re-drawing and attacking. The thing is, you can only make two attacks per cultist in your current row (one Thuggery attack and one Conjuring attack) which keeps it from going on TOO long. But, a limitation on the number of cards you can take per turn isn't a bad idea. End Game stuff: I know what you mean, but I think it keeps the game unpredictable. My absolute FAVORITE play is to use the "Dr. Armitage Suspects" card. It's the single most powerful card in the game, because you can wipe out an entire cult just by playing it. It's the card that makes the next roll by the victim a boof. You play it on them just before they roll to summon their God, and therefore they boof....which means their cult is destroyed. There are a number of cards like this which can be used to forestall the Favored cult from winning, mostly through losing a turn. Obscene Scores: true, but intentional. As the game goes on, you should get more and more powerful. It speeds up things as time goes by, and makes for more and more cult death which is rather fun. My favorite playtest came when two other players were knocked out through massive attacks and I and one other player were left behind. He had only one cultist left. He attacked me with a monster. I played "Dr. Armitage Suspects," causing him to Boof his Conjuring roll. The monster then attacked and killed his cultist, leaving me alone and triumphant. Again, thanks for the review and the comments. They will be seriously considered for the next revision of the game (some ways down the road, probably when the expansion set is released -- which includes a new card category, Artifacts!). John Tynes Pagan Publishing -------------------- From: corleyj@GAS.uug.Arizona.EDU (Jason D Corley ) Subject: Setting Cthulhu in the Wild West System: Call of Cthulhu Call of Cthlhu 1890s, as presented in the gamebooks, is a fairly good setting. By telling your players "we are gaming in the 1890s tonight" you are essentially telling them "Technology isn't going to do you one little teensy bit of good, so don't even bother." This is a message every player needs to hear, particularly ones who are used to modern settings. However, there is another possibility for 1890s adventuring besides Victorian England. It's a little more along the lines of the "Twilight Zone" or "Blood Brothers" than H.P. Lovecraft, but I think it works anyway... Old West Call of Cthulhu. Everyone has guns. Nobody is ascared a nothin' until they actually see it, of course. Here are the professions I came up with for Old West CoC. COWPOKE DOC Handgun First Aid Lariat Medicine One of Rifle, Shotgun One of Handgun, Rifle, Shotgun Melee Ride Ride One of Bargain, Fast Talk, Persuade First Aid Two Others One of: Bargain, Fast Talk, Persuade, Other Lang. (Spanish or Local Injun) RANCHER DEPUTY Handgun Law One of Rifle, Shotgun Handgun Ride Ride Bargain Melee Persuade First Aid Other Lang (Spanish) Persuade Any 1 Other Any 2 Others PIANO PLAYER SALOON WOMAN Dodge Dodge Play Instrument (piano) Sing Bargain Fast Talk Fast Talk Bargain Handgun Any 3 others, no more than 1 weapon skill. Melee One of: Ride, History, Art, First Aid, Drive Carriage SCHOOLMARM CITY SLICKER/SHOPKEEP History Handgun Art Bargain One of: RIde, Drive Carriage Dodge First Aid One of: History, Art, Other Language Persuade One of: Ride, Drive Carriage Other Language One Other One Other CON MAN/SNAKE OIL SALESMAN/GAMBLER Dodge Bargain Fast Talk Credit Rating (false) Persuade Handgun Melee Old West Call of Cthulhu...what a weird idea...it sounds vaguely like a one-shot. I'll tell you how it goes. If anyone has any ideas for adventures or other professions, I'd be happy to incorporate them. -------------------- From: John Tynes Subject: Upcoming Pagan Publishing Releases System: Call of Cthulhu The following is a tentative schedule for Call of Cthulhu items from Pagan Publishing, through GenCon. TUO8/9--a double issue of The Unspeakable Oath, 160 pages long. Includes several lengthy scenarios and lots of articles as well. $8, late May. >From the Files of TUO, Vol. 1--first in an occasional series reprinting material from out-of-print issues. This volume presents "Grace Under Pressure," our landmark Cthulhu Now scenario from TUO2. Includes 25mm maps and cardstock stand-up figures, as well as the infamous Fuggly Flee-O-Meter. 32 pages, $5.95, late May. Devil's Children--a two-scenario adventure with pre-made characters, NOT meant to be integrated into a campaign but rather to stand on its own as a one-off piece. Players will vist 1692 Salem and 1992 Arkham in a chilling and gruesome tale of evil and destiny. 48 pages, $6.95, late June. * Recommended for Mature Readers * Walker in the Wastes--the longest campaign for Call of Cthulhu ever published, running at least 200 pages of globe-trotting adventure in the grand style. Can you defeat the menace of the icy wastes? 200+ pages, $18.95, August. * Recommended for Experienced Keepers & Players * TUO10 will ship in September, in our new format (magazine size, color covers, same price). There are some other projects that *may* be coming out around August, but they are still up in the air as of this writing. John Tynes Pagan Publishing paganpub@aol.com -------------------- The Chaosium Digest is a Discussion Forum for Chaosium Games which do not have another specific area for discussion. To submit an article, mail to: appel@erzo.berkeley.edu