Chaosium Digest Volume 17, Number 7 Date: Sunday, December 8, 1996 Number: 1 of 1 Contents: More Thoughts on Character Death (Ricardo Christe) CALL OF CTHULHU Last Thoughts on AD&D to CoC (Ashraf Ghebranious) CALL OF CTHULHU Swyno & His Merry Men (Shannon Appel) PENDRAGON Announcement: Gloranthan Futures (Rob Heinsoo) GLORANTHA Announcement: Cult of Chaos (Dustin Wright) MISC Editor's Note: This week's Chaosium Digest starts off with two final articles on AD&D and Character Death (forming an interesting juxtaposition). They both spawned from the articles in V17.4 and V17.6. This thread is slowly moving from articles to discussion, and so I'll point you all to STRANGE-AEONS-L for further expansion of this topic. Thanks for the interesting articles on these issues. Following that is an article I wrote up detailing an NPC for Pendragon. And, as you'll see, things are heating up over at Chaosium. This week, two announcements: Dustin Wright, the editor of Chaosium's new journal, Starry Wisdom, presents full info on the Cult of Chaos; and, Rob Heinsoo, Chaosium's Glorantha Editor, writes some short notes on the future of Glorantha in 1997, and beyond. Shannon NEW ELECTRONIC RESOURCES The Glorantha Digest mailto: majordomo@erzo.org The Glorantha Digest has returned! This is a digest dedicated solely to the discusison of Greg Stafford's world of Glorantha. It went on a two week hiatus, but now it's back, here at erzo.org. If you're not already subscribed, mail the command "subscribe glorantha-digest" to majordomo@erzo.org. (When the Glorantha Digest went on hiatus, RQ-Rules did as well. It has not yet returned, but people are working diligently to bring it back. Its resurrection will be announced here on the Digest when it occurs.) -------------------- From: Ricardo Christe Subject: More Thoughts on Character Death System: Call of Cthulhu More Thoughts On Character Death The death of a character should be a major event in itself. And, as with all major events, should be applied ONLY when it best serves the story. This is particularly true of a player's Investigator. Avoid stupid deaths due to failed routine rolls at all costs. It is incredibly demanding for the average player to build a character for Call of Cthulhu. I don't mean the character creation process itself (which is about as time-consuming as in most good RPGs), but the development of personality and background. It involves dedicated role-playing, with a high degree of concentration. It also involves long hours of pondering, of trying to feel and think the way that character does. It's a process very much like preparing yourself to interpret a character in a play: to do it best, you must try to "live" as that person lived, at least in your mind's eye. You will certainly put a lot of your own personality in that person, but the best players strive to portray someone with marked differences from themselves. They'll have a lot more fun pretending to be someone they aren't even similar to; especially because, should they break social rules, say (and in game terms only!), no one is going to get hurt (except a fictive person). But, all this effort undoubtedly creates strong links between player and character. This happens in every role-playing game, but since CoC is more tuned to social interaction (which includes enmity, intrigue and negotiation) than any Towers & Terrors out there, greater is this degree here. Most of my players, for example, detail far more than just occupation and hobbies for their characters: they describe family, childhood, emotional catastrophes, reasons for their interest in the occult and supernatural (if any). They grant my humble campaign a boon with every new facet they let their characters show. They add a richness to the story I would never be able to, because this game, like any good story, is about people, human lives, above and beyond anything else. It's about the frailty, the complexity, and the pain of being a sensitive human amidst sometimes senseless, most times indifferent, at all times deadly beings. Survival is not even the point here, but instead the mere keeping of one's humanity. It's a struggle that grants the real fun, the purpose of the whole thing. Granted, the more mature your players, the more they'll savor this. Not everyone is suited for the style of the usual CoC "adventure"; there are those who will be dragon-bashers forever. In fact, they have all rights to be, because they are having fun that way. It's their game, it's their way, and no one else has anything to do it. But this sort of player will probably not embrace roles appropriatedly here. Every CoC player has a decent grasp of the risks their characters run, from the start. They know death rates probably better than you, as their Keeper, do. But, if they choose to spare their time trying to somehow defeat the undefeatable, and putting their minds entirely to it, you'd better be prepared to give them what they want. And, they want to see the end of all that, even if they have to make it, even if they die while watching. At least, it was entirely worthwhile, which is certainly not the case if they die of an obscure malady contracted while plunging through the jungle. Kill them as they reach the long-lost temple, never by sending a fallen coconut down on their heads. Always keep an eye on your players' preferences, and be ready at all times to adapt as needed. If you think their way of playing doesn't get along well with your way of Keeping, it's only acceptable that you discuss the matter with them. And, if the case asks for it, be ready to find other players. You have a right to have fun too, after all. But, yours is a different kind of "fun": it's the satisfaction of seeing in the players' eyes that they love the results of your efforts, sometimes even more than you do. There's nothing quite like the satisfaction of feeling good reception to a well-done job. Copyright (c) 1996 by Ricardo Christe rchomsi@ibm.net -------------------- From: Ashraf Ghebranious Subject: Last Thoughts on AD&D to Call of Cthulhu System: Call of Cthulhu I've noticed some people mentioning the problems AD&D players have with getting into Cthulhu. All of us come across the odd player still thinking his character is Barg the Invincible. I find the best way around that is showing Barg how bloody insignificant his life is and squashing it! The best way to get AD&D players into the game is via a convention style game (ie: there is a goal, the players have preset characters, and they can take their minds off the mechanics and concentration on roleplaying). This hangup on character development is, though an important part of the game, not the be all and end all. The End All is to scare the beejeepers out of the players. Take the importance off dice rolling at the start, and stress any roll that they need to make for sanity. I usually just tell a player to make a dice roll. I keep important stats and %ages of characters handy. They have no idea if the roll is benefical or detrimental. After the roll, I let them know what it was for and the result. After a while, they get awfully scared of rolling those dice! Great! Now you can get them into the game! If you want an ongoing campaign, then you will have to fiddle a lot of rolls in the favor of the players anyway, but don't start AD&D players directly into a game. Give them a feel for the game first! They will instictively keep their characters safe once they realize the game's boundaries, so introduce them to a pre-created character first. If they do something silly, warn first, but don't give it away. For example, one player I had was doing a scouting mission. His previous job was farming and he thought it gave him an edge in the woods. I gave him a little bonus, but told him there was a lot of undergrowth and broken limbs after a recent storm. Okay he said, he would be careful. Off he went. I had told the party how important this place was to the cultists, but since this player's character only saw one enemy, he thought he was safe. He got near a scout cultist that he did not see and by the luck of the gods, the scout missed him too. At this point I told him to make a Move Silently roll. Move Silently he said? But I only have 25% in that! Really? I said (hehehehehehe) Right between the eyes. Ashraf -------------------- From: Shannon Appel Subject: Swyno & His Merry Men System: Pendragon This article details Sir Swyno, a blackheart and a coward, unfit to wear the mantle of knight. He can be a fun (and irritating) foe for your players to encounter. ** SIR SWYNO THE BLACKHEART ** As a child, Swyno never got a fair shake. His dad was a black knight, as was his dad before him. When he finally came of age, ready to take up the knightly profession, there was only one color armor in the entire keep. Thus, he donned his first suit of ebony chain, and his future was writ. Alas, Swyno soon learned one of the axioms of Arthur's Britain: bad guys always finish last. There was to be no armor of chivalry for Swyno, no blessings from the gods, so he despaired of ever being able to compete with Arthur's goody-goody-knights. But, in a moment of relevation, Swyno realized how he could equal Arthur's knights, even surpass them. He decided to become the greatest of the black knights by using his animal cunning and his lightning-quick INTelligence. To a certain degree, he has been successful. STATS Sir Swyno, the Robber Knight Glory: 4,312 SIZ 16 Move 3 Major Wound 13 DEX 13 Dam 5d6 Unconscious 7 STR 15 Heal 3 Knock Down 16 CON 13 HP 29 Armor 12 (+shield) APP 8 Attacks: Sword 22, Lance 18, Dagger 20, Battle 18, Horsemanship 18 Significant Traits: Arbitrary 15, Deceitful 19, Prudent 17, Selfish 13, Suspicious 14 Significant Passions: Honor 6 Significant Skills: Awareness 19, Folk Lore 12, Intrigue 16, Orate 12 DESCRIPTION A big, burly fellow, with a pug nose and several interesting scars. Swyno never looks quite the same twice. During one encounter he might be dressed in a peasant's filthy rags, while during another he might be wearing the fine silks of a noble. Swyno is a social chameleon, able to blend into many different social groups (usually depending on the clothes he has most recently stolen). The only static bits of Swyno's appearance are: his shield, his arms & armor, and his horse. Heraldry: A black crescent upon a golden background. Frowned upon by proper heralds. Arms & Armor: a well-used sword; ebony black reinforced Norman chain, with silver showing on the dinged edges; a hastily painted shield; and six daggers hidden upon his person and his horse. Horse: a dingy grey charger, often sad looking. Damage 6D6, Move 8, CON 14. PERSONALITY Swyno is a cunning, plotting blackheart. He never says an honest word, and is always eager to turn any situation to his advantage. Swyno is willing to put on a hundred different masks, as appropriate to a myriad of situations. He might seem Honest, Generous, Just, or Trusting, depending on the face he is trying to present. PLOYS Swyno depends solely upon his quick and cunning intelligence for survival. Detailed here are just a few of the stratagems which he might use. Occasionally, Swyno has been known to rise into high circles of society. By stealing, lying and cheating, he is able to convince lords and nobles that he belongs there, and is sometimes able to turn their power against truly good and honorable knights. Swyno is not above stealing from churches, orphanages, and poor houses. He lies to them, and acts like a noble knight, and thus reaps the rewards. When encountered on the road, Swyno may do any number of things to confuse and confound knights, among them: convince them to join him on some villainous task, alledgedly in the name of good; fool them into fighting against another knight who has made himself an enemy of Swyno; or simply con them into going upon a very, very dangerous adventure. If things turn bad, Swyno will be happy to turn to Deceit to get himself out of harm's way (roll on the RANDOM LIE TABLE, below). RANDOM LIE TABLE (1D6) 1. "I hang my head in shame, good knights. The villainy that I have done was only to feed my hungry family." [Just/Arbitrary] 2. "I must admit, good knight, I am not displeased you have brought me low. I was but an innocent pawn in the plans of Sir (Victim). He threatened me, and I feared for my life if I did not obey him." [Merciful/Cruel] 3. "Yes, sir knight, I have done foul deeds here, but it was in the name of vengeance against the blackheart, Sir (Victim), who slew my family!" [Vengeful/Forgiving] 4. "Please, grant me mercy. I swear by my sword that I shall give up my black deeds, and instead turn wholeheartedly to Arthur's good ways." [Forgiving/Vengeful] 5. "I have been poor all my life, and this is all that drives me to evil. If a kind and beneficent knight could only see fit to drag me out of my poverty, I could becoming an upstanding member of the community." [Generous/Selfish] 6. "Things do look ill, I agree, but you must trust me. I am on a most secret mission for our liege, and must blend in. I can say no more! Be off, or all will be ruined!" [Trusting/Suspicious] Swyno will usually be able to produce some evidence of his lie, if given a few days to work. ** HIS PIG, PERCY ** Swyno has a pet, a trained boar that he has named Percy. It is as savage and cunning as its master, but a runt. STATS SIZ 15 Move 10 Major Wound 25 DEX 15 Dam 5D6 Unconscious 11 STR 25 Heal Rate 5 Knockdown 15 CON 25 Hit Points 40 Armor 5 Modifier to Valorous: +5 Glory to Kill: 15 Attacks: Tusk Slash @15, Trample @20 against prone foe. Percy has been trained to run behind the foe that Swyno is fighting, and lie down right behind his legs. If Percy is in this position and Swyno's foe takes even a single point of damage, he must roll DEX to avoid falling (stumbling over the pig). If he takes his SIZ or greater in damage, he automatically falls. If engaged in combat, Percy will slash with his tusks, although he'd much prefer to run and hide. He does, however, thoroughly enjoy trampling prone foes. Like all boars, Percy remains conscious for a round after death, unconsciousness, or a major wound. However, rather than fighting on like most boars, he has been trained to fall over and "play dead". A knight will see through this ruse if he succeeds in a roll of his Awareness opposed against Percy's "Play (Dead)" skill of 15. ** THEIR MERRY MEN ** 50% of the time, Swyno will be traveling with his band of "merry men". These are bandits and outlaws, typically numbering 2D6. Use the Bandit, Footsoldier, or Archer stats (Pendragon pg. 330). To a man, they are cowards, and will beg for their lives if defeated. RANDOM BEGGARY TABLE (1D6) "Please, don't kill me...." 1. "... I had a bad childhood." 2. "... Swyno made me do it." 3. "... I'm just a boy." 4. "... I have a wife and two small children." 5. "... I hit my head and don't remember who I am!" 6. "... I'll return to my father's farm and live out my life in peace!" There is a 1 in 6 chance any bandit is telling the truth while begging. -------------------- From: Rob Heinsoo Subject: Announcement: Gloranthan Futures System: Glorantha Hello, Uz and Argrathi and everyone in between! Here's a short Glorantha update from Chaosium.... DEFINITE PROJECTS * Work is progressing on the skirmish miniatures game which Chaosium is co-producing with Stratelibri of Italy; we're hoping for a '97 release date. Stratelibri is already at work on the line of 25mm miniatures for the game. * The first of a series of Gloranthan sourcebooks released as trade paperbacks should hit the shelves in summer of '97. The first book will be a one-volume introduction to Glorantha, the perfect book to hand to a friend to introduce the world. The second and third books will detail the main combatants in the Dragon Pass Hero Wars. Greg Stafford is the principal writer and we're handling editing and production in-house. Like KING OF SARTAR, these books will contain Glorantha information that is not tied to any game system. SPECULATIVE PROJECTS * The new Gloranthan rpg will appear some time in 1998 after we have gotten rolling with the miniatures game, reestablished Glorantha's market presence, and prepared a good deal of new Gloranthan data. For now we're focusing on the '97 releases. * Gloranthan fiction is also slated to begin appearing in '98. I'll see you all here on the Digest, Rob Heinsoo Chaosium -------------------- From: Dust Wright Subject: Announcement: Cult of Chaos System: Misc Now, you too can join the CULT OF CHAOS, the official Cult of Chaosium. Although initially created due to interest in Mythos, the Cult of Chaos will be will be about all of Chaosium's games. By signing up for a one year membership, you'll get all of the following goodies: STARRY WISDOM All members will be sent four issues of STARRY WISDOM, the journal of the Cult of Chaos. Each season cultists will be updated on the latest rumors, con events, MYTHOS tournaments, game tips, albino penguin sightings, insights into the shrouded inner workings of Chaosium, and other elder secrets human-kind was not meant to know. The first issue, which has just gone to press, includes a letter from Greg Stafford on Chaosium's history, news on the future of Glorantha under Chaosium, and a ton of information on Mythos. A COOL MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION Each initiate will be invested with a free subscription to either Inquest or SHADIS magazine. Subscriptions are for one full year, so that Chaos Cultist can keep up with what everyone else in the industry is doing... CULT DISCOUNT Each member gets a 10% discount on all purchases through the Wizards Attic mail order catalog on Wizard's Attic (WA) merchandise. The Wizard's Attic carries limited edition Gloranthan scholarly works, Gloranthan game supplements, Cthulhu mythos fiction from small press companies like Necronomicon Press, jewelry, Cthulhu idols, and a host of chaotic items for the discriminating cultist. Write for a free catalog: Wizard's Attic, 950 56th street, Oakland, CA 94608. THE VERMILLION ROAD TO PRIESTHOOD Cult of Chaos members who worship the Mythos god have the opportunity to rise through the ranks to become Chaos Acolytes or Priests by running game demos and tournaments at local retail stores, gaming clubs, and conventions. These brothers and sisters will have increased access to the powers of Chaos and shall receive even greater rewards: a MYTHOS t-shirt, demo-kits, and a copy of The Art of Playing MYTHOS. Our missionaries shall also be rewarded with a Chaosium gift certificate, otherwise known as Chaos Bucks for each gathering they preside over. Armed with such rainment and knowledge they shall walk among the sleepers and show them the paths to Chaos. AND MORE It has been said that the nature of Chaos is unpredictability. Even so, STARRY WISDOM shall keep you abreast of new rewards and opportunities as the lords of Chaos grant them. Furthermore, cultists will occasionally discover strange and wonderful things in their mailbox... AVE DEMENTIA! HOW DO I SIGN UP? Send credit card information, or a check or money order for $25 per one year membership ($30 in Canada, $35 overseas) to: Cult of Chaos 950 56th Street Oakland, CA 94608 Include the following form: Name _________________________________________________________________ Street _______________________________________________________________ City ___________________________________ State _________ Zip _________ Country ______________________________________________________________ Phone ________________________________________________________________ Email Address ________________________________________________________ Check which magazine you want a free year's subscription to (only one): ___ Shadis (Focus on RPGs) ___ InQuest (Focus on CCGs) For Payment by Credit Card only: ___ Mastercard ___ Visa Name _________________________________________________________________ Number ______________________________________ Exp. 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