Chaosium Digest Volume 22, Number 4 Date: Monday, October 13, 1997 Number: 1 of 2 Contents: Chases in Call of Cthulhu (Geoff Smith) CALL OF CTHULHU PL: Angelsey Britain, c.61AD (Paul Williams) NEPHILIM PL: Scandinavia, c.800AD (Paul Williams) NEPHILIM Editor's Note: Welcome to the newest issue of the Chaosium Digest. This week, more Keeper's Revenge (over in V22.5), some fun rules for running chases in Call of Cthulhu, and two new past lives for Nephilim. And *that* leaves my cupboards entirely bare. Send in those articles for next issue. I'd especially love to see some articles celebrating All Hallow's Eves. Undead for Elric, the unexplained for Nephilim, non-Mythos Horror for Call of Cthulhu, and the terrors of Samhain for Pendragon, perhaps? Take a look at V11.12 for an All Hallows' Eve issue I ran a few years ago. NEW ELECTRONIC RESOURCES The Cthulhu Web http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine/edwood/66/index.html The new web site contains lots of material that originally appeared in the Chaosium Digest, as well as others. Look for it to continue to expand in the weeks to come. Also connects up to the entire CoC Webring. The Mythos Digest Index http://members.aol.com/grhail/pages/mythosib.html The Mythos Digest is a regular mailing list that you can subscribe to by sending the command "subscribe mythos-digest" to: majordomo@chaosium.com. This web site features an excellent multi-level index to the Digest and also includes info on how to retrieve past issues. The Official Nomads of the Time Streams Web Page http://www.angelfire.com/wa/thenomads Learn more about the international Michael Moorcock Appreciation Society (also described in various issues of the Chaosium Digest, most recently V15.1). Also connects up to the entire Eternal Champion Webring. -------------------- From: Geoff Smith Subject: Chases in Call of Cthulhu System: Call of Cthulhu I don't know what it is about Call of Cthulhu, but I find the characters spend a lot of time running. Picture it: five beleaguered investigators running like mad to catch three fleeing cultists (thieves, witnesses, taxidermists...) One of them is a half block away; the others have only a few yards head start. Two blocks away a Model T (black) is waiting to whisk the bad guys away. If even one arrives at their hideout he'll be back with a hundred other half-mad cultists (taxidermists while half-mad, will return with no more than a dozen colleagues. They also travel single file to hide their numbers). So now what? THE MECHANICS OF THE CHASE You turn to the rules on movement and find: "With creatures of the same species roll CON vs CON or DEX vs DEX on a resistance table." Well that'd be great if you didn't have 8 different CONs to compare. According to my math that's 28 possible combinations and that still wouldn't tell you if any of them got to the car. Most of us would probably just say, "OK, you tackle the closest 2 and the other gets away." The play is the thing, so sometimes that's the way to go. Here's what I do instead: * First figure out how far apart they are in yards (Meter? Never heard of it.). * Each round all runners move either 5 or 10 yards. 10 if they make their STR rolls. These numbers are arbitrary--I just use 5 & 10 because it's easy math. * Each round all runners must make a CON check. After they have failed three (not necessarily in a row) they must stop running and catch their breath. Use your judgment or make them wait until they've made two successful CON rolls in a row to start running again. * That's it! The mechanics of the chase. It's fairly simple yet quite playable. The important thing is that the players feel like they're part of the action. Of course, none of this is meant as a hard and fast rule--just a guide. For a little more fun check out Nuances of the Chase. THE NUANCES OF THE CHASE To spice up chases a little, an acquaintance of mine--Jonathan Turner of Keeper's Revenge fame, mentioned a system he uses of somewhat random obstacles. It sounded intriguing so I devised a little chart for myself. I haven't had a chance to use it yet but here it is, in all it's unrefined glory. This is mainly intended for chases on foot in cities. With minor changes it would work for cars as well; just remember some streets are one way or restricted to certain vehicles--fire lanes/buses... City streets twist and turn with sudden dead ends or forced turns. Unless you've got a street layout in mind, roll on this chart to see what the next intersection is like--or just choose one. 1-25 4 way intersection street 26-50 4 way intersection alley or narrow street 51-55 T-intersection--can't go straight 55-60 Dead end 61-75 Right turn only 76-90 Left turn only 91-100 Ahead only no turns Every so often--maybe once per runner on each block, roll to see if any obstacles present themselves. Some of these only apply to big cities. Choose something else or have nothing happen if you don't like what you get. This really isn't meant to be random just to spur your imagination. Some things may cause runners to fall or stumble. Require a DEX check to avoid dropping anything held in the runner's hands. Ask for Luck rolls to see if they suffered some small injury or accident like torn clothing/muddied jacket/lost hat. And keep in mind some objects don't like being stumbled over and knocked down. 1-25 Nothing. 26-30 Kids dart out. Dodge to avoid or fall down, knocking at least one child down too. 31-35 Fair sized crowd/parade. Spot Hidden/Hide to find someone in crowd. 2 dodges needed to get through without slowing. 36-40 Person walking several large dogs. They bark and nip at anyone running past them. 1 bite at -30%; 1-3 damage + Irate owner. 41-45 Senile old woman. If run past starts screaming that they stole her purse--even though she still has it in her hands. Good Samaritans may try to grab runner. 46-50 Policeman on foot within shouting distance. May give chase. 51-55 Unarmed vigilante(s)/Good Samaritan(s) join chase if one is obviously a troublemaker. 56-60 Car almost hits runner. Dodge or Jump to avoid or get knocked down & take 1-6 damage. 61-65 Uneven pavement. Make DEX check to avoid stumbling. 66-70 Vegetable cart/hot dog vendor gets in the way. Dodge to get around or lose 1 round. 71-75 Small tight crowd of onlookers. STR to push through. 76-90 Subway entrance/Elevated train Entrance. 91-100 Nothing. Alleys / Side Streets/ Streets at night in bad part of town: 0-30 Nothing. 31-40 Wino. Jump to avoid tripping over/slowing down. 41-50 Gang members with knives demand money/block path. No dodging--Fight or run other way. 51-65 Fence. Jump it or slow down & Climb over. 66-75 Garbage truck/Delivery truck blocks way. Climb over/around. Possibly irate delivery man to be Fast Talked. 76-80 Bottle hurled out of window by yelling woman. Luck roll to avoid or take 1-3 damage 81-90 Litter/Garbage. Jump or Dodge to avoid falling over it. 91-100 Nothing This is by no means a comprehensive list and a really good chase doesn't stop there. Remember the surroundings are not just gray walls and streets. There are fire escapes to climb, doors to duck into, roofs to jump between, dumpsters to hide inside of, cars to hijack, etc. BACKGROUND OF THE CHASE Just think of the foot chase in _Pulp Fiction_. That pawn shop had nothing to do with the plot, and yet it became a memorable part of the story. Here's a short list of some of the buildings the characters are running past without even a second glance. If the cultists run through a fancy hotel that's a lot different than if they run through a shoe store. I would recommend against rolling randomly. Just choose something that fits. In a well run adventure the players shouldn't be able to tell the difference between what you're making up as you go and what is already planned out on paper. Even the best players act differently. Without realizing it you're giving them information. If the cultists duck into a building and you roll randomly and tell them it's a shoe store they know that this shoe store is not a secret hideout for the cultists. If it were, you would have known it was a shoe store without rolling. If you need a couple minutes to think of what kind of building it is or how it should be laid out, just pretend to check the book--flip back and forth in the module (or your own notes if you're a do-it-yourself type) look thoughtfully at the page and collect your thoughts. Players expect you to have to look stuff up; that's just how role playing games are. Keep in mind when looking at this list that many businesses have homes/apartments built in back/on top of them. Hotel Bank Restaurant/Diner Police Station Museum Fire Station Apartment building Furniture Store Pawn shop Shoe Store Bakery Library Clothing Store Sporting Goods Store Deli Parking Lot Private Club Hospital Office building Music Shop Geoff & Susan Smith Check us out - http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Dimension/1125/ -------------------- From: paulw@betanet.co.uk (Paul Williams) Subject: PL: Angelsey Britain, c.61AD System: Nephilim ANGELSEY, BRITAIN, c.61AD The Destruction of the Druids HISTORICAL CONTEXT The Nephilim of Celtic Britain had lived in relative harmony with the native humans for centuries, using their wisdom to teach the humans Druids many lost secrets and powers. For generations the Nephilim were revered as spirits or as folk from the Other Side (Faerieland). Some were even so renowned that they were made into gods, worshipped during and after their incarnation. The Roman invasion, and subsequent conquest, of Gaul forced many Nephilim to flee to Britain, seeking refuge from the Roman legions. Many of the British Nephilim believed that the Romans would never invade Britain. All of that changed in middle of the 1st century BC when Julius Caesar invaded Britain. Whilst rampaging through southern Britain, Caesar saw the power of the Nephilim and thought it wise to retreat to the safety of Gaul until he could bring more power to bare against the powerful Nephilim forces. Fortunately, the Emperor Arcanum had their own plans for Caesar and he never returned to England. In 43AD the Emperor Claudius, an Emperor Nephilim, landed four legions plus auxiliary troops and began to expand inland. By 61AD the Romans held everything in England as far north as the Humber and during the relatively peaceful times set about dominating Wales. The Emperor Arcanum saw Rome as a way to dominate the world and Britain was just another step on their plan. The Druids of England had retreated into Wales, back to the secret headquarters on the island of Angelsey but they were not safe. A member of the Druids had been incarnated into by a member of the Tower Nephilim and he guaranteed their downfall. In early 61AD two Roman legions, led by Tower Arcanum Nephilim, marched to Angelsey and began a ruthless campaign against the Druids and their kinsfolk. The might of the Druids' magic legions was no match for the drilled discipline of the Roman army and soon hundreds of Druids lay dead. The actions of the Tower Arcanum threatened to ruin their plans as many tribal leaders were talking of rebellion against their cruel Roman masters. The Emperor Arcanum also saw the use of the Druids in keeping the natives quiet and sought a plan to rescue them from the Tower-dominated legions. On the east coast of England, Boudiccea, the daughter of the late ruler of the Iceni tribe, was incarnated into by a member of the Emperor Arcanum. The Arcanum was desperate to quell any talk of rebellion amongst the humans and saw the best way of doing this as causing a rebellion and then ruthlessly crushing it. Under the story of having been raped by Roman soldiers and having had her hereditary homeland stolen by greedy Roman nobles, Boudiccea led a rebellion against the invaders that resulted in the destruction of the Roman cities of Colchester, London, and St. Albans. The Tower Nephilim were ordered to return to eastern Britain with their legions and aid the defenders against the rebellious Celts. Seeing their chance for another fight against obviously trained Solar-ka humans, the Tower agreed and withdrew from Angelsey. Two weeks later they had arrived in eastern Britain. Many Nephilim around at the time still amuse themselves at how easily the Tower Arcanum was manipulated into aiding the Emperor Arcanum's plans. Once the rebellion was large and popular enough to encompass many local tribes the Emperor Arcanum pulled the plug and lead the rebels into a deadly trap. Although the rebels outnumbered the Romans, the Nephilim Boudiccea led her people into an attack up a well-defended hill, which resulted in them being destroyed almost to a man, woman, and child. Roman retributions were savage and assured that no such rebellion would be tried again for many centuries. For a while, the Emperor had succeeded in dominating the populace. SECRET SOCIETIES Order of the Golden Sickle This was a Druidic order that was dedicated to preserving the knowledge of ancient times. They were basically pro-Nephilim and many members of the High Priestess Arcanum were amongst their number. The Order was peaceful in nature and had no resistance against the Tower Arcanum-dominated Roman legions. Very few members of the Order escaped the Roman massacre at Angelsey. Daughters of Isis Through the mystery cult of Isis the Daughters of Isis spread throughout Europe, gathering occult knowledge as they went. The Daughters were still pro-Nephilim at this time and accompanied the Roman legions to Angelsey to gain the knowledge held by the Druids. No Nephilim knows what secrets they gained when the legions withdrew. DOMINANT ARCANA XVI. The Tower Through incarnating in several important Roman officers, the Tower Arcanum was able to redirect the Roman legions against the Druids on Angelsey in a bid to destroy them and so remove their knowledge of the occult from history. Whilst almost successful in the bid to massacre the Druids, Boudiccea's actions caused them to withdraw their legions, so allowing a few Druid to escape to Europe. III. The Emperor The Emperor Arcana manipulated the Roman Senate into invading Britain. Through the might of the Roman army they hoped to achieve their goal of human domination. However, the actions of the Tower Arcanum caused them to change their plans and they were forced to manipulate the Iceni chieftain Boudiccea into violent rebellion to try and save their plans. YOUR SIMULACRUM You awoke for unknown reasons, and had a very short time to find a Simulacrum. Roll 1d100 on this table to find what simulacrum you chose. Simulacrum Selection d100 Simulacra 01 - 05 Druid, male 06 - 20 Warrior, male 21 - 25 Chief, male 26 - 40 Roman Legionnaire, male 41 - 50 Roman Officer, male 51 - 60 Chariot Driver, male 61 - 00 Farmer, male or female Druid, Male Astrological Lore Natural Lore Life Experience (Celt Britain) Speak (Celtic) Religion (Celtic) First Aid History Read/Write (Ogham) Medicine Pharmacy Warrior, Male Dodge Grapple Hunt Melee (Sword) Melee (Spear) Life Experience (Celt Britain) Scan Speak (Celtic) Survival Chief, Male Speak (Celtic) Law Life Experience (Celt Britain) Scan or Scrutinize Hunt Survival Melee (Sword) Climb Bargain or Fast Talk Roman Legionnaire, Male Build (camps) Conceal First Aid Listen Melee (Spear) Life Experience (Celt Britain) Melee (Sword) Scan Speak (Latin) Survival (Woodland) Roman Officer, Male Ride Speak (latin) Life Experience (Celt Britain) Read/Write (Latin) Hunt Law Melee (Sword) Business Survival Farmer, Male or Female Same as Pre-Dynastic Egypt but... Life Experience (Celt Britain) Speak (Celtic) Simulacrum Age Roll 3d6 x5. This gives your Simulacrum's age before incarnation. Simulacrum Skill Points Multiply age times 4. This gives your current simulacrum skill points. You can spend these points on the skills listed with your Simulacrum profession, up to 50 points per skill in this past life, and to a maximum of 90 points. Add pre-incarnation age as valure of Life Experience. Roll (2d6+6) x5. You can spend these points on any spoken language skills. YOUR NEW LIFE You undertook a new life of embodiment. Find out how long you lived in the new body, and what you learned for that time. Nephilim Age Roll another 3d6. This number x5 is the number of years you lived in the Simulacrum after incarnating. Occult Development Points Multiply the number of years your Nephilim was incarnated by 2 to determine how many occult development points you have to spend of occult skills. Distribute occult development points among available techniques, spells, or a specific Arcanum Lore, up to 50 points per technique in this past life, and to a maximum of 90 points per technique. Available Techniques Sorcery, Lower Sorcery, Higher Sorcery, Grand Secret Summoning, Seals Summoning, Pentacles Alchemy, Black Stone What Did You Do? Whilst the Romans were destroying the Druidic stronghold at Angelsey in a bid to wipe out the Druids, the female chieftain Boudiccea rebelled against her tyranical Roman masters and sacked many Roman cities before beinmg stopped by legions pulled back from Angelsey. +10 if you tried to help Boudiccea overthrow the Roman invaders Stasis Event What events led to the death of your Simulacrum and your reimprisonment in your Stasis? d100 Event 01 - 40 Died peacefully in bed 41 - 50 Died in Rome as a slave 51 - 90 Killed by Roman soldiers 91 - 110 Killed in Boudiccea's uprising Stasis Form For Nephilim of the first incarnation d100 Form 01 - 05 Golden torc 06 - 20 Bronze sword 21 - 25 Small marbe statue 26 - 45 Silver arm band 46 - 50 Roman standard 51 - 65 Carved wooden comb 66 - 75 Religious statue 76 - 90 Bronze spear head 91 - 95 Coin, bronze 96 - 100 Pewter bowl -------------------- From: paulw@betanet.co.uk (Paul Williams) Subject: PL: Scandinavia, c.800AD System: Nephilim SCANDINAVIA, c.800AD The Viking Age HISTORICAL CONTEXT The loss of the Merovingian dynasty to the power of Charlemagne greatly dented the pride of the Emperor Arcanum and they swore revenge. As Charlemagne consolidated his power in Europe, the Europe Arcanum grew more desperate for allies. It was then that the previously isolationist Scandinavian tribes came to their notice. Through manipulation of the tribal leaders, the Scandinavians were convinced that great wealth and huge tracts of land could be gained in northern Europe if the tribes were willing to take them. The raid against the monastic isle of Lindisfarne, singled out for attack by the Tower Arcanum-dominated tribes, came as a surprise to the powers of Europe. The age of the Vikings had arrived. The Emperor's plan was simple--the Vikings had the military might to dominate northern Europe if they could be kept on track. Once they had assumed control, the Emperor Arcanum would take full control of the reins. The Nephilim-controlled Norsemen rampaged through northern Europe for many years but only in England (especially Scotland, the Isles and Yorkshire), Normandy (were they settled and became the Normans), and western Russia (where they became the Rus) did they make any permanent gain. The Norsemen's great skill in navigation, with the aid of certain Nephilim, allowed the Vikings to find and settle America. Their colony was short-lived however, but the Empress Arcanum gained valuable knowledge from the native Americans. By the early tenth century the Emperor Arcanum had given up on its plans to dominate Europe; the collapse of Charlemagne's empire had made Europe too facticious to dominate successfully, and left the Norse to their own devices. Fierce infighting between the rival kings stopped any further consolidated attacks and only individual nations launched any further invasions. In 1066 the last Viking raid was stopped by Kind Harald of England, although later that same year the Normans, who were of Viking descent, conquered England and set about starting a powerful dynasty free of any real Nephilim influence. SECRET SOCIETIES Prieur de Sion The Prieure continued its policy of aiding the Nephilim and guided the Norse Nephilim to their targets, supplying information on defences and suitable human targets to the attackers. They hoped that the Vikings would enable the Merovingian kings to retake their throne, but the Vikings only gained permanent holds in England, Normandy, and Russia. Holy Vehm The Holy Vehm were still in an early form when the Viking raids began, but they wre effective in eliminating pro-Nephilim individuals in their unique and peculiar way. The Ravens of Odin A secret society trying to study the ways of the god Odin through self-torture. Taking the legend of Odin sacrifing himself to himself and losing an eye to gain power and wisdom quite literally, they commit acts of self-mutilation to try and enlighten themselves to the ways of the Nephilim was known as Odin. Although the have little actual dealings with the Nephilim they have been infiltrated by members of the Empress Arcanum. DOMINANT ARCANA XVI. The Tower The Tower Arcanum used the cover of the violent Viking raids to destroy humans with high Solar-Ka. Many monks, priests, and scholars were killed by the Tower Nephilim. IV. The Emperor The Emperor Arcanum saw the power of the Vikings as a chance to dominate Northern Europe under a single power, but there plan was not to be. Whilst the Vikings made good initial gains they were too fracticious to keep their power consolidated. Only in England, Normandy, and western Russia did the Vikings make any lasting impression on the populace. XV. The Devil The Devil has only a minor role in the affairs of the time but the supposed powers of the Norse berserkers gave them perfect cover to revel in their state of Khaiba. YOUR SIMULACRUM You awoke for unknown reasons, and had a very short time to find a Simulacrum. Roll 1d100 on this table to find what simulacrum you chose. Simulacrum Selection d100 Simulacra 01 - 05 Noble, male 06 - 10 Runecaster, male 11 - 20 Berserk, male 21 - 50 Warrior, male 51 - 80 Freeman, male or female 81 - 100 Slave, male of female Noble, Male Hunt Law Life Experience (8c Scand.) Speak (Old Norse) Melee (Sword) Ride Swim Melee (Spear) Grapple Runecaster, Male Astrological Lore Speak (Old Norse) Life Experience (8c Scand.) Natural Lore First Aid Read/Write (Norse Runes) History Tarot Lore Law Pharmacy Religion (Norse) Berserk, Male Swim Melee (Spear) Life Experience (8c Scand.) Melee (Sword) Survival Speak (Old Norse) Grapple Fist/Punch Religion (Norse) Kick Warrior, Male Swim Hide Life Experience (8c Scand.) Melee (Spear) Melee (Sword) Speak (Old Norse) Pilot (Boat) Scan Survival Freeman, Male or Female As Pre-Dynastic Egyptian farmer but... Life Experience (8c Scand.) Speak (Old Norse) Build (boat) Slave, Male or Female Bargain Dodge Life Experience (8c Scand.) Drive (Wagon) Fast Talk Grapple Hide Farming Speak (Old Norse) Scrutinize Simulacrum Age Roll 3d6 x5. This gives your Simulacrum's age before incarnation. Simulacrum Skill Points Multiply age times 4. This gives your current simulacrum skill points. You can spend these points on the skills listed with your Simulacrum profession, up to 50 points per skill in this past life, and to a maximum of 90 points. Add pre-incarnation age as valure of Life Experience. Roll (2d6+6) x5. You can spend these points on any spoken language skills. YOUR NEW LIFE You undertook a new life of embodiment. Find out how long you lived in the new body, and what you learned for that time. Nephilim Age Roll another 3d6. This number x5 is the number of years you lived in the Simulacrum after incarnating. Occult Development Points Multiply the number of years your Nephilim was incarnated by 2 to determine how many occult development points you have to spend of occult skills. Distribute occult development points among available techniques, spells, or a specific Arcanum Lore, up to 50 points per technique in this past life, and to a maximum of 90 points per technique. Available Techniques Sorcery, Lower Sorcery, Higher Sorcery, Grand Secret Summoning, Seals Summoning, Pentacles Alchemy, Black Stone What Did You Do? The Vikings plundered Northern Europe in a series of raids and invasions that lasted nearly two hundred years. Their skill at navigation took them as far afield as Byzantium, Spain, and the undiscovered continent of America. +10 if you raided abroad with the Viking Stasis Event What events led to the death of your Simulacrum and your reimprisonment in your Stasis? d100 Event 01 - 25 Died peacefully in bed at home 26 - 40 Settled in a new land and died peacefully 41 - 50 Drowned at sea in a storm 51 - 60 Killed in a clan dispute 61 - 90 Killed in a raid overseas 91 - 110 Killed by the Holy Vehm Stasis Form For Nephilim of the first incarnation d100 Form 01 - 10 Silver reliquary 11 - 20 Iron helmet 21 - 30 Hunting horn 31 - 50 Iron sword 51 - 60 Brass lamp from Spain 61 - 70 Silver spice holder from Byzantium 71 - 80 Stone statue (religious) 81 - 100 Plunder (roll on Charlemagne table) --