From: "John & Christy Thompson" To: Subject: [The Chaosium digest] Chaosium Digest v38.5 Date: Thursday, July 15, 2004 7:02 PM Chaosium Digest Volume 38, Number 5 Date: Thursday, July 15, 2004 Number: 1 of 1 Contents: * Symbiot Armor (CTHULHU) by James D. Collins (collwood@harborside.com). Editor's Note: Here's a bunch of announcements, and a new article giving a sci-fi bent to CoC. We're still here and still accepting submissions, so please keep them coming. Just to be sure things are working, I'm asking for those who receive this issue to let me know with a quick reply. Otherwise, enjoy this issue. Letters to the Editor I have not seen the new 6th edition yet, and I will probably buy it but I am not very happy abut it. From what I hear Chaosium keep making minor changes and banging out a 'new edition' when it should be, at most a small increment on the last one - 5.8 or so. We do need a proper revised edition, all this 'reprint' does is put the real new edition back another year or two, of course it probably keeps Chaosium afloat so I should not be too unkind. I hope they are working on a revised edition - basically start with a clean slate and rewrite the lot. I don't think we need radical rule changes but a rewrite would be nice - and this would doubtless introduce a whole new set of errors that would require iterative releases to fix. Michael (The thing to remember RE: Call of Cthulhu editions is that they really don't follow the same standard as, say, D&D editions. It seems that every couple of reprints, Chaosium will reorganize the book, add some new art and/or some new optional rules and/or rename some skills and call it a new edition. It keeps the line fresh with some new perspective every few years, yet the core of the game has remained the same. If one is happy with the 2nd edition rules, one can easily run current material with those rules. Many do quite successfully. - editor) ANNOUNCEMENTS * Transmitted by Dustin Wright of the Leng Embassy, from Silverton Colorado. Save The Meatball! The R'lyeh report is here to bring you up to speed on many things Chaosium. For more Chaosium news check out our website at http://www.chaosium.com Howdy Folks! We're back from a successful Origins Game Expo. This year's pilgrimage to Columbus Ohio was quite enjoyable. We got to meet plenty of Chaosium friendly folks, check out the new Call of Cthulhu CCG from Fantasy Flight Games (it's way cool), and sold a fair number of books & T-shirts. Thanks to everyone who swung by our booth. We'd like to especially thank our Buca Companions (Save the Meatball!), our volunteer staff, and the Rogue Cthulhu gang for bringing the joy of COC to so many. On a personal note, I'm very thankful to the folks at Continental and the Columbus Airport security for letting me board my flight without my drivers license. Columbus is a fine place to visit, but I was unprepared to stay there until I could get a replacement ID. :) Chaosium to attend Continuum UK Charlie Krank, Chaosium el Presidente, will be attending Continuum July 23 - 26, 2004 at Leicester University in the United Kingdom. If you reside in the UK, or if you can get there, by all means come to this convention. There will be plenty of Call of Cthulhu, Glorantha, and Stormbringer happening. If you do attend, run an event! Run two or three events! Check out the Con website at http://www.continuum.uk.net/ for more info. Chaosium to Attend Gen Con - big time. We will of course be attending Gen Con August 19-22nd in Indianapolis, IN. We'll be in booth 420 (aka the Friendly booth) right next to our buddies at Fantasy Flight Games. You can look forward to all sorts of mayhem, including a Cthulhu for President 2004 rally, three Cthulhu roleplaying tournaments, the return of the M.U. Skulls, the Chaosium booth bizarre, and lots of Call of Cthulhu CCG events by the FFG dudes. We hope to see you there. For more information about Gen Con Indy, check out http://www.gencon.com. For more information about the Call of Cthulhu card game check out http://www.cthulhuccg.com, tell them Chaosium sent you. H.P. Lovecraft Birthday Con All the usual eldritch party favors can be found at this year's annual H.P. Lovecraft's Birthday Party gaming convention in Vancouver BC Canada (at the Marpole Curling Club), August 27-29. Lots of Call of Cthulhu, Hills Rise Wild, Mythos and other Lovecraftian pastimes will be run in addition to the usual RPG & Clix favorites that one can find at these Vancouver Gaming Guild events, plus some Cthulhoid movies will be shown. Our ticket prices are so low, we must be at 0 SAN! For more info visit http://www.vancouvergamingguild.com Chaosium.com Update Since the last report, Chaosium.com has seen quite a bit of action. We've several new T-shirts, a new Monograph for COC roleplaying in ancient Rome, some new books, restocks of jewelry and mini's, etc. Swing by http://www.chaosium.com and see for yourself. Release Schedule Update Please let your favorite local shop know you want these titles. The more copies we ship upon their initial release, the faster we can finish printing our next book. July Releases 6023 The Yellow Sign & Other Stories $19.95 (reprint) - Delayed at printer. Boo! It should ship to us soon. 2392 Secrets of Japan $34.95 - At the Printer. August Release 2397 Shadows of Yog Sothoth $23.95 0091 Cthulhu for President 2004 Kit $19.95 - The various parts of this kit are in various stages of completion and incompletion. We expect it to be available at Gen Con. September & Beyond. The Cthulhu Dark Ages Companion (working title) for Cthulhu Dark Ages, The Stars Are Right! 2nd edition (COC RPG), The Terror & Other Tales (COC fiction) are all in the works. Additionally, we have several Fiction titles to reprint. Three Impostors, The Necronomicon, and Nameless Cults are among them. Just how many of these books end up printed this year is of course dependent upon sales and the continued sanity of our staff. Rumors, Rumors, Rumors. Chaosium needs GM's. We still need some COC demo GM's to cover some of our Gen Con Cthulhu Dark Ages events. The Pulp Cthulhu project lives. It's being worked on now. Fantasy Flight will be printing the Arkham Horror Boardgame later this year. The Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth Computer game looks awesome. It's expected to release this Fall. A crack team of Leng Embassy COGs (Covert Operation Gugs) has recently been sent to Defiance Ohio. Thank you for supporting the Chaosium! The Chaosium dudes. -- Dustin Wright- Chaosium Colorado "Leng Embassy" /|\_(@jjjj@)_/|\ http://www.chaosium.com 28 Years of Quality Mayhem and still counting... * A Sweltering Hello to All. As the heat rises and even the fearsome shoggoths ooze ever deeper into the bowels of the earth, frantic to avoid the warming air, Chaosium wants you to stay cool. So cool, in fact, we have trekked to secret places and unknown ruins to bring you a huge cache of artifacts and tomes of great import. Read on and learn of these great treasures, sure to spark comment and foster friendships. The first of these great treasures is the secret, and never-spoken-of, monograph known to some as CTHULHU INVICTUS. Making its debut at Origins 2004, demand was great and the reception fantastic - so much so that authors Chad and Andi simply disappeared into the ether, like so many Buca di Beppo meatballs. http://www.chaosium.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=525 Everybody loves tee shirts during summer, and Chaosium fans can stay one fashionable step above the rest with Chaosium¹s catalog of swell shirts. Come see the new ELDER SIGN TEE, as well as the new MU ASTRONOMY CLUB tee. Chaosium also has the CTHULHU DARK AGES tee, and an impressive portrait of Lovecraft himself on our newest shirt, the H. P. LOVECRAFT TEE!! http://www.chaosium.com/catalog/default.php?cPath=33 A new stock of both CTHULHU MASH and MONSTER MASH has arrived, and you may come see this neat (and scary!!) board game by clicking here. http://www.chaosium.com/catalog/default.php?cPath=40 Chaosium does on occasion enter our extensive, though musty, private library to dig up special and rare volumes. We are quite happy to now offer the fine H. P. LOVECRAFT ENCYCLOPEDIA, once only a rumor and source of mysterious passages. Own this fine manuscript before we hide them away from human eyes again. http://www.chaosium.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=536 Chaosium has also found a crumbling chest full of books thought gone. Within, we beheld copies of the delightful THE YEAR 1000, THE DREAM CYCLE OF H. P. LOVECRAFT, and SHADOWS OVER BAKER STREET, amongst others. Behind a worm-eaten tapestry, we were alarmed to discover a cache of frightful books unknown to us. Perhaps these books would be of use to you, for your hidden schemes or steadfast investigation. For more Cthulhu Dark Ages source material, we offer THE LAST APOCALYPSE, a narrative treatment of the world and the violent changes shaping it in the year 1000. For keeperss we have a guide to investigators and investigative techniques called JUST THE FACTS, MA'AM. Please click on the links right here, and can view these new books. THE YEAR 1000: http://www.chaosium.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=468 THE DREAM CYCLE OF H. P. LOVECRAFT: http://www.chaosium.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=408 SHADOWS OVER BAKER STREET: http://www.chaosium.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=403 THE LAST APOCALYPSE: http://www.chaosium.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=534 JUST THE FACTS, MA'AM: http://www.chaosium.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=535 Want painted figurines to use in your Call of Cthulhu games? Have the dexterity of a hybrid degenerate? Check out these swell painted guys!! Get your box of DUNWICH DETECTIVES (sets 1 & 2), and play with them right outta the box!! Click here to see these nifty, pre-painted pewter figurines. http://www.chaosium.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=532 http://www.chaosium.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=531 Chaosium of course also has the collection of great RAFM Call of Cthulhu figures, and we did receive a recent restock of these tainted tokens. Click here to see all the figures we carry. http://www.chaosium.com/catalog/default.php?cPath=36 For the infrequent summer storms that ruin you outdoor play, or days that find you infirm, Chaosium has a perfect solution. Stop the daydreams! Quit staring at the right angles in your room! Pass this special time with THE CTHULHU RAINY-DAY ACTIVITY BOOK. Connect the dots! Finish puzzles and mazes, and otherwise lose yourself in the Mythos. Read more about this friendly little coloring book by clicking here. http://www.chaosium.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=533 And for the thinking keeper, we found a few tomes at recent conventions including BookExpo and Origins. If you keep up on your reading and know your Ambrose Bierce, you might know that he was a columnist for the San Francisco Examiner in the late 1800s. He wrote tales of the Civil War soldiers and citizens. We collected a couple copies to judge your interest. Also, there is a critical examination of those stories. If you are keen on Machen, a very fine writer, there is a collection of his letters to collector and philanthropist Montgomery Evans, providing keen insight to Machen and his work. On the more gruesome side, Kent State University Press published IN THE WAKE OF THE BUTCHER: THE CLEVELAND TORSO MURDERS, a case from the '30s that stymied even the legendary Elliot Ness. If you are looking for scenario inspiration, and period description, you need look no further than this. TALES OF SOLDIERS AND CIVILIANS: http://www.chaosium.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=537 AMBROSE BIERCE'S CIVILIANS AND SOLDIERS IN CONTEXT: http://www.chaosium.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=538 ARTHUR MACHEN AND MONTGOMERY EVANS: http://www.chaosium.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=526 IN THE WAKE OF THE BUTCHER: http://www.chaosium.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=35&products_id=527 This summer finds the Chaosium crew very. We have many projects under way, we travel far and wide to speak to our friends and we will continue to bring many fun and spooky things to our fans and friends around the world. We hope you enjoy some of the new things we offer, and future classics are in the works!! Thanks to all, and watch the Stars. Chaosium Inc. Charlie, Lynn, Dustin, Fergie, Dennis, (and some who must not be named). Please send any questions to: fergie@chaosium.com **************************************************************************** * Chaosium Inc. 895 B Street #423 Hayward, CA 94541 www.chaosium.com * Check out the following link for an interesting story: http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0%2C4057%2C4811363%255E13762%2C00.html ------------------ Symbiot Armor by James D. Collins (collwood@harborside.com). This was developed for a Call of Cthulhu setting in 2471. It could easily be adapted to a present day campaign as well. It's a little harder fit for Cthulhu by Gaslight or Cthulhu Dark Ages (but I'm sure that an enterprising Keeper could figure something out...). Symbiot Armor Symbiot armor is a biological product that forms a symbiotic relationship with its host (the person that wears it). Symbiot Armor. STR 1*+ CON 1*+ SIZ 4*+ POW 1 DEX 1*+ Move 1+ HP 3. Av. Damage Bonus: Damage bonus is based upon the combined Strength and Size of the host and the symbiot armor. * STR, CON, DEX, and Move are dependent upon SIZ (STR+DEX+CON+Move cannot exceed SIZ). + Shog Strength, Constitution, Size, Dexterity, and Move scores are added to the host's attributes (whoever wears the armor). Armor: The symbiot is only harmed by fire and magic. The host does not receive these same immunities to damage and the host loses Hit Points before the symbiot. Attacks: Attach (25%) for Absorption. Symbiot armor begins play with one stationary mouth (usually located near one of the host's hands, but the host may determine the exact location). This stationary mouth can Attach to biological targets and absorb attribute points from that target. The target can attempt to break free (STR vs. STR; if successful, the symbiot does not absorb attribute points, but the target does lose 1d6 Hit Points) at the end of each round. Once the symbiot armor has attached, Absorption may begin on the following round. The armor may absorb 1d6 attribute points per round (Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution; the host decides which attribute at the beginning of each round). The target is immobilized when any attribute reaches 0; at this point, the armor may begin absorbing Size points as well. Attribute loss may (or may not) be permanent (Keeper's discretion). Once absorbed, attribute points may be used in three different ways. First, one attribute point allows the host to regain one Magic Point (Magic Points cannot exceed the host's Power). Second, one attribute point allows the host to heal one Hit Point (Hit Points cannot exceed the character's full amount; Healing goes to the symbiot or the host, not both in the same round). Finally, attribute points may be added to the Size of the symbiot. Attribute points allocated to Size may increase the armor's attributes (Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, or Move). Move cannot exceed half the armor's Dexterity and refers only to ground movement. Additional types of Move may be added with the Shape skill (see below). Points allocated to armor attributes cannot be removed at a later date. Size points that are not allocated to Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, or Move may be utilized with the Shape skill. The symbiot armor's size cannot exceed the modified Strength (Strength of the host + the symbiot armor's Strength). New Skill Shape (00%): Shape allows the host (anyone wearing symbiot armor) to use Size points (those points that are not allocated to Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, or Move) to alter the physical form of the armor. The skill allows the user to create natural armor, natural attacks (claws, mouths, tentacles), or mimic physical appearances. Shaping can be rapid, but requires concentration (the host cannot Shape and attack in the same round). Size points Shaped in one round cannot exceed the Shape skill divided by 10, round down (Shape 47% could manipulate 4 Size points in one round). Appearance: The armor's appearance may be shaped by the host without allocating Size points. An appearance change should be considered to require five Size points when determining the speed at which the shaping will take place (i.e., Shape 50% or better would be required to shape the armor's appearance in one round). Utilizing this ability, the host can gain a bonus to their Disguise skill (add half the Shape skill to Disguise). Armor: Six Size points creates one point of Armor. Armor cannot exceed the Move rate. Armor also protects the symbiot from fire and magic damage. Claws: Two Size points creates one claw capable of delivering 1d6 points of damage (use the Fist/Punch skill for Claw attacks). Four additional points will increase the damage of the Claw attack (1d6 additional points per claw). If you used 10 Size points to create a claw, it would inflict 3d6 points of damage. Environmental Adaptation: Gills will cost three Size points (allows the user to breathe underwater). Repertory protection (gas mask or a similar modification) costs two Size points. Environmental protection for a specific environment (i.e., the South Pole, the Sahara Desert, etc.) costs six Size points. Complete Environmental (i.e., protection capable of surviving the vacuum of space) costs ten Size points. There is some overlap within Environmental Protection (i.e., if you are protected from the vacuum of space, you can survive underwater). Movement: Three Size points allows the host to swim (host's Move + symbiot armor's Move) or walk on walls (again, host's Move + symbiot armor's Move). Six Size points allows the host to burrow (symbiot armor's Move rate). Eight Size points allows the host to fly (symbiot armor's Move rate). Mouth: Four Size points creates a second stationary mouth capable of 1d6 points of damage (or Attachment and Absorption). Each Symbiot has one stationary mouth (unallocated Size points are not necessary for this mouth). If the host wishes to move the stationary mouth to another location on the armor, treat the initial mouth as having cost four points for purposes of the Shape skill (i.e., if the Shape skill exceeds 39%, the mouth can be moved in one round). Six Size points increases the mouth's damage by 1d6 (i.e., the symbiot's primary mouth could absorb 3d6 attribute points if the host allocated 12 Size points to it). Tentacle: Six Size points creates one tentacle. A tentacle modifies the host's Grapple (+10% to the host's skill for each tentacle, additional tentacles still allow only one Grapple attack), has a reach equal to six yards, and can inflict an additional 1d6 points of damage. Three additional Size points will increase the tentacle's reach (+3 yards) or damage (+1d6 points). The host's Strength (for the purposes of the Grapple attack) receives +6 per tentacle. Author's Notes Symbiot armor might be linked to shoggoths, genetic manipulation, nanotechnology, or something else entirely. There are rumors that the symbiot is intelligent, but most regard that as an urban legend (if you chose to make the armor Intelligent, you open a host of roleplaying possibilities). _______________________________________________ Chaos-digest mailing list Chaos-digest@chaosium.com http://www.chaosium.com/mailman/listinfo/chaos-digest