So after having a rocky time keeping continuous online games going, I thought perhaps doing a play by post would lead to a better experience. And while dnd doesn't lend itself to the play by post experience I checked out my Call of Cthulhu book I paid for and never actually played remembering that I wanted to do one for a while.
My initial premise is that this will take place in the modern times where everyone has been called to a secluded mansion due to their connection (or some other reason) to the mansions owner who believes he is going to pass on soon but never quite explains why, he is writing his will and wants to see his extended family for one last time before going and has paid for your tickets (assuming you are a member of his family).
You know he didn't always earn his money honestly, in fact you would say that most of it is quite dirty. Yet you know that in his final years he completely turned himself around and even managed to turn what was once considered a crime family into a respected one. While there is suspicion that he did more dirty dealings anyways they are just suspicions.
You will all receive some clue and some extraneous goal in secret that you can keep or reveal as you wish. Except one or more of you is a traitor and knows more, and less, then they appear. The person you show a clue to, might be the one working against you. This isn't unexpected but expected of a family that used to revel in crime with more family members then even the oldest and wisest members can remember.
This is a game of investigation and paranoia and things turn from tense to dark.
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Now people worried about not having the rulebook do not despair... This is not only an incredibly easy game to play, but there is even a quick start guide one can get for free.
http://www.chaosium.com/call-of-cthulhu-7th-edition-quick-start-rules-pdf/Use these are a general aid to know what you can do. Yet when it is truly needed I will step in and give you the options.
My idea is to give everyone two-three days to plan out their actions.
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I hereby solemnly swear not to
-Give cheap sanity checks for no reason so as to make literacy a detriment
-Cheaply kill off players because of something they couldn't see
-I will warn people and be specific if they are doing something stupid.
-I promise not to set off a death bomb.
-I will reward intelligent solutions that solve the problem regardless of how hands off, cowardly, or excessive they are. If there is a monster in a well and you pour cement down the well... Success!
-I will attempt to with all my might to allow through intelligent playing a way to perform a perfect run.
Things you can and cannot do
-You can have weapons, but keep them close to Civilian grade.
-You cannot have explosives of weapons ludicrous for this situation like C4 and flamethrowers ("I use this to kill bedbugs!")
-You can chose goals in advance (though unless they are public PM them to me), though this doesn't stop me from giving secret ones.
-You can give yourself ANY connection to the main plot you wish. Are you a family member? FBI agent? Thief? Just a traveler? A servant of the house?
-You can explicitly PM me not to give you certain hooks or outright refuse to use them, but give me a reason even if it is just taste.
-You can lie on your public sheet so long as you PM me your real one.
-you can refuse to act out a goal due to moral duress or a more important situation, and in fact prefer you not become kill crazy.
-You can bring retainers, family members, and colleagues
-You cannot bring children or play children
-You cannot play a psycho murderer, a killer traitor, or any ultimately disruptive and destructive character.
-You cannot play an overly comical character. Yes I know we all want to recreate that famous scene where some guy killed Hastur.
I will also be doing randomly rolled attributes... But I'll probably give you three arrays and you can chose any of them for your character. Though feel free to stick to the first one if you want a more authentic experience.
In the case that your character cannot possibly keep his concept and you don't want to switch (100% acceptable) I will adjust your stats.
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I will retain the ability to give this thread exactly three bumps due to the nature of the forum.
If this goes well, I'll put up a real OOC room, then a IC room for when the game starts.
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Other Links:
My Tutorial on Making a character (Finished but it could use some work)
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=153378.msg6534321#msg6534321My Tutorial on Skill/Attribute challenges and Pushing the challenge
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=153378.msg6554765#msg6554765---
Players
-Tomasque (Mark Kovir)
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=153378.msg6538824#msg6538824-Harry Baldman (O'Flarity)
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=153378.msg6534455#msg6534455-Flying Dice (Louise Bicknell)
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=153378.msg6539643#msg6539643-My name is immaterial (Alphonse Vignali)
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=153378.msg6532659#msg6532659-Abstract Traitor Hero (Custos Promus)
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=153378.msg6558050#msg6558050-The Bigger Fish
--WARNING: FINISHED SHEET UNPOSTED
-Liber Celi (Ben Capiter)
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=153378.msg6542788#msg6542788