This is one of mine from a while back, Lovecraftian, but not full on lovecraft. (Because full on lovecraft can be irritatingly purple.)
The trouble was that I realized I wanted to play it more than I wanted to run it. *Nudge nudge*
Dear Reader,
People have said there is something terribly wrong with this world, they say that something unnatural lurks beneath the fabric of the real. Mediums, psychics, paranormal demagogues, cultists, all of them would have you believe that the normal world is under attack by monstrous and alien forces.
Their arrogance taxes the patience at times.
There is not something wrong with the world, there is something terribly wrong with our perception of the world. We have built our reality upon the edifice of what we can sense, we have defined sentience by the standards with which we raised ourselves up, and we define nature solely upon what can be quantified with the instruments of glass and steel. For tottering sacks of flesh that barely live less than a century and sense in such a limited spectrum we have determined a great deal to be real and true.
This however is both our salvation and our damnation, we have lit our own hands aflame to ward of the beasts in the woods. Still... it has not failed us yet. Our race memory has been sufficient to keep a great many things in the shadows, it has been a shield and a blindfold, but it is falling into tatters. There are those among us who have grown weary of this charade, human men and women have become to tear the veils from their eyes and look unflinching into the dark. Most have been consumed by it, some have turned away never to look again, but a few... a forsaken few have embraced the ancient and forgotten, and they have brought our progenitors back into the light to scatter the unknowing like mice before wildfire.
Those who remain in blissful ignorance are killed (and worse) the same as any of the enlightened, and even the soundest mind may begin to whisper of the happenings in the darkness. And in this is the reason for your birth, you have been marked as one who will fight. Whether your fight is to maintain the tenuous shroud that separates sanity from madness, or to tear it down and revel in the chaos is not known. All that is known is that you will fight, and you will have to fight soon.
I do not pretend to know who you are, nor will I dare hope that you will believe my words now, but when the time comes I can only hope that you will remember this letter.
7th and Saints, the key box is under the statue of the angel with the sword.
-In friendship and warning, Hector Tyrel.
You are a resident of Arkham, a city located in Essex Missouri. That's irrelevant however considering that you're not going to be leaving Arkham and it's surrounding countryside for a while.
You have on the first of may received the above letter, it was quite clearly addressed to you, though the name of the man sending it is unfamiliar. Of course it didn't help that you seem to have developed a strong case of morning amnesia, you're having trouble remembering your own name...
What is your name anyway?
Name: -First, middle initial, Last-
Health: Base 50/50 -See Stats spoiler-
Sanity: Base 50/50 -See Stats spoiler-
Age: -See age spoiler below-
Gender: -obvious-
Physical Description: -Obvious-
Profession: -See Below Spoiler-
Relationship Status: -If Any-
Children: -If any-
Biography: -Obvious-
-Stats, -see stats-
Strength:
Endurance:
Perception:
Agility:
Charisma:
Intelligence:
Wisdom:
Willpower:
-Skills,
-See skills, only list the ones you have any points in.-
Child: Age 5-12
Stat Effect: -1 strength, -1 endurance, -2 wisdom. +2 Charisma, +1 Perception, +1 agility.
Health and sanity: -20 Health, +20 sanity
Teenager: Age 13-19
Stat Effect: -1 wisdom, -1 willpower. +1 to endurance, +1 to intelligence
Health and sanity: -10 Health, +10 sanity
Young adult: Age 20-27
Stat Effect: -1 Wisdom. +1 Willpower.
Health and sanity: No bonus or penalty
Adult: 28-39
Stat Effect: -1 willpower, -1 perception. +1 wisdom, +1 intelligence.
Health and sanity: +10 health, -10 sanity
Middle aged: 40-55
Stat Effect: -1 endurance, -1 perception, -1 willpower +1 strength.
Health and sanity: +5 health, -5 sanity
Aging: 55-70
Stat Effect: -1 agility, -1 endurance, -1 strength. +2 wisdom, +1 intelligence, +1 Willpower.
Health and sanity: Health -5, Sanity -10
Old: 71-85
Stat Effect: -2 agility, -1 endurance, -1 strength. +2 wisdom, +2 intelligence, +2 Willpower.
Health and sanity: Health -15, Sanity -15
Venerable: 85-100
Stat Effect: -2 agility, -1 endurance, -2 strength. +3 wisdom, +2 intelligence, +2 Willpower.
Health and sanity: Health -20, Sanity -20
Bouncer
Description: Bars, clubs, nice parties, doesn't really matter. You take the uninvited, and literally make them gate crashers.
Skill bonuses: Intimidate +25, endure +15, Melee +15, Discern Truth +5
Stat bonuses: Strength +2, endurance +1
Special: Brawling Reflexes: You've always pitched in when things are getting dirty, and unless taken completely by surprise you will always act first in combat.
Private Eye
Description: Hat, trenchcoat, and an intimate knowledge of other peoples lies, it's a package deal with you.
Skill bonuses: Observation +20, Pistols +10, Solve Enigma +10, Athletics +10, Gather information +10
Stat bonuses: Perception +1, Will +1, Agility +1
Special: Danger sense: You can always tell when things are about to get hot, ambushes make the hair on the back of neck stand up and you can spot a crackhead mugger from a block away. You never fail observation checks related to determining danger.
Professor
Description: Whether you're a white haired dodderer or a fresh addition to the university you've got strong ties to the Miskatonic
Skill bonuses: Knowledge +25, Solve Enigma +15, Lore +10, Orate +10.
Stat bonuses: Wisdom +2, Int +1
Special: Miskatonic faculty member: As a teacher at the Miskatonic university you have nearly unrestricted access to its vast stores of wisdom, whenever you're at the Miskatonic you may freely use the the entire library including the rare books and restricted antiquities. (You still may not withdraw objects for no reason, but getting a pass is easier.)
Unemployed
Description: You are the dregs of society. Congratulations on falling off society's ladder and hitting every rung on the way down.
Skill bonuses: Gather information +15, Concealment +10, Lore +5, Intimidate +5, Melee +5, observation +5, lie +5, athletics +5, endure +5
Stat bonuses: Charisma +1, agility +1, perception +1
Special: Streetwise: You spend a lot of time out and about with the unsavory, and you're a well known link in the gossip chain. As such unsavory types are much more willing to spread the word to you. (Treat as +75 to gather information when speaking the low class)
Office worker
Description: You work 9 to 5, hey hell you pay the price.
Skill bonuses: Lie +15, Lore +10, Knowledge +10, Electronics +10, Gather information +10, Intimidate +5
Stat bonuses: Intelligence +1, Will +1, Charisma +1
Special: Like white on rice: You're vanilla, people's eyes slide right off you and you can blend into a crowd with unintentional ease. When in a group of people your effective concealment increased by 5 points per person of your class present.
Performer
Description: You dance or sing or demonstrate some other spectacular talent that people pay to see. No it doesn't have to be the sort of thing you'd ever talk about.
Skill bonuses: Perform +25, Athletics +15, Dodge +10, Gather information +5, observation +5
Stat bonuses: Agility +1, Charisma +1, Endurance +1
Special: Captivating: Whatever you do, you do it well. Your work, whether written sung, danced, or played has an incredibly quality to it. Whenever you perform you act as if your audience behaves as if their perception was 0.
College Student
Description: You're studying to better your future, Good for you. A pity it just isn't in the cards.
Skill bonuses: Lore +15, Knowledge +15, Electronics +10, Athletics +10, observation +10
Stat bonuses: Will +2, intelligence +1
Special: Cram: Your frenzied study practices can give you an edge in some situations, given twenty-four hours you can absorb an incredible amount of information... temporarily. (Can study for a day to increase effective ability in one skill by 50)
Child
Requires age 12 or lower.
Description: You're an orphan at the Arkham orphanage, poor little tyke.
Skill bonuses: Lie +20, Concealment +15, Gather information +15, perform +10
Stat bonuses: Charisma +2, agility +1
Special: Child: Most people with their morals intact see you as harmless, you're just a kid after all. (When talking to adults treat as if charisma was maxed.)
Retired
Requires age 60 or above.
Description: You've showed those whippersnappers, now for life of ease and contentment...
Skill bonuses: Knowledge +15, Observation +15, Orate +10, Solve enigma +10, Discern truth +10
Stat bonuses: Wisdom +1 int +1, perception +1
Special: Former X: You did your job for forty years, you've still got some of the old skills... (Pick one profession -Not Child, retiree, or college student- you gain half the skill bonuses from that profession rounded down.)
You have 45 points to spend
5 is equal to average proficiency, penalties will be incurred for scores below 5, you can add up to 10 points to any stat, (not including your profession or age bonus or penalty.) and 15 is the maximum human possible. Any points beyond that are wasted.
Strength: Kicking down doors, and knocking down tables.
Endurance: Determines your HP, and your ability to resist damage and fatigue.
Perception: Your awareness of the world around you.
Agility: How fast you can move, how far you can jump, how well you can climb.
Charisma: Yakkity yak yak yakkity.
Intelligence: Brainpower and mental agility, determines on the fly thinking.
Wisdom: Your knowledge, determines how many skill points you gain per level and how much lore you know.
Willpower: Determines your sanity, your psychic integrity, and your intimidation.
Each point in a stat above 5 increases its subordinate skills by 5 points, each point below five penalizes them by 5
Each point in Wisdom above five increases the amount of skill points gained per level by 2, each point below penalizes it by the same.
Each point in Endurance above five adds 5 to your health, each point below penalizes it by the same.
Each point in willpower above five increases your sanity by 5, each point below penalizes it by the same.
You get 360 points to spend on skills, all of them start at -10. You can raise any skill up to 100 before factoring in your profession and stat bonuses, maximum human possible is 150. Points beyond that are wasted.
(Note: You will be utterly screwed if you decide to max melee, dodge, and concealment and attempt to become a ninja. The trick here is moderation.)
-Physical,
Athletics: Long running, hurtling, parkour, that sort of physical activity. (End)
Endure: How well you can take a physical or psychic blow. (End)
Dodge: How well you GTFO of something's way. (Agility)
Melee: Clubs, knives, your bare hands, most any non-ranged weapon. (Strength)
Pistol: Revolvers, semi-autos, sawed off shotguns, mare's legs (Sawed off rifles), etc. (Agility)
Long Barrel: Full barrel shotguns, rifles, assault rifles. (Perception)
Automatic weapon: LMGs, MGs, HMGs. (Strength)
Heavy Weapon: Grenade launcher, rocket launcher, flame-throwers, and so on. (Strength)
-Social,
Oration: How well you can give a speech to numerous people. (Charisma)
Discern Truth: Let's you tell if someone is telling the truth or not. (Will)
Perform: Put on a good show for a pro-longed period of time. (Endurance)
Gather information: Gossiping and careful questions. (Charisma)
Persuasion: Bad pickup lines, cajoling, prodding, etc. (Charisma)
Lie: I once caught a fish that weighed a million vigintillion pounds! Then I ate it! Raw! In one bite! (Will)
Disguise: Making yourself look like someone or something else. (Intelligence)
Intimidate: Asking questions or demanding something with a physical penalty place on refusal. (Will)
-Mental,
Knowledge: Sheer knowledge, physics, history, astronomy, you name it. (Wisdom)
Observation: You well you can see, ad remember what you've seen. (Perception)
Solve Enigma: Puzzle solving ability. (Intelligence)
Detect Pattern: Used to unlock ciphers and glean extra information out of stuff like finance reports and shipping invoices. (Perception)
Concealment: How well you can blend into the shadows. (Agility)
Lore: The amount on non-book knowledge you possess on things like vampires, eldritch abominations, occult rituals, and tin foil hat people. (Wisdom)
Arcane: How well you can actually pull off an arcane ritual if things came right down to it. (Wisdom)
Electronics: Computers, hacking, net surfing, and most other electronic objects. (Intelligence)
Simple Rolls
For this game a d100 is rolled, succeeding in a roll requires you to roll lower that your current skill level(If no skill is applicable pick an applicable attribute, State-5x10 is your effective skill.), difficulties can be applied at will by the GM to the task. (Difficulties are in a + format, +22, +45, etc)
Example. Billy bob is kicking down a door into a mob hide-out. His athletics total derived skill his 45, not bad, not great.
[Billy bob Athletics 12+20 -Stout door-, Success] Billy bob has kicked the door down!
Rolling above the target results in failure, how high above determines how bad the failure was. For instance in the above example if billybob had rolled a 36 and failed by only one point then there would have been no penalty, and the GM would probably even reduce the penalty for the sturdiness of the door on the next attempt. However if he'd rolled a 96 he would have probably sprained his ankle done absolutely nothing to the door.
Bonuses may also be applied in a like manner to penalties, surprised folks, groomed crowds, wounded hostages, etc Are things that would apply bonuses to certain types of actions.
Vs. Rolls
Rolling against another person or creature is pretty much the same, you both roll your relevant stat and whichever one of you is farther into the greenzone wins. The effect is determined by exactly how far you succeeded and how great the difference is from your opponent. (It is entirely possible for both sides to fail a roll of this type, hilarity or disaster will ensue in such a case.)
Example. The mob had a conjurer who had summoned a... thing earlier. Billy Bob makes an endure roll (Skill 55) Vs the Unclean beast's intimidate (Effective Skill 75 [50+25 for surprise]) for looking at it as he entered. [Billybob endure 52 Vs Unclean beasts intimidate 20] Ooh Ouch. 55 points into its success zone and 53 points ahead of billybob the unclean beast is well ahead. The damage is at the GM's discretion but it's going to be bad. Since the Unclean beast is a fairly minor creature for its kind billybob is going to take 25 points of sanity damage.
Opposed Rolls
You can also roll to attempt to directly stop someone from doing something, this is the last kind of rolling and is used to directly apply a malus to an opponents roll. In this the opposing force rolls first, how far they are into their success zone is the penalty at which the opposed makes their action.
Example. The unclean beast attempts to lock its gaze with Billy Bob, Billy Bob attempts to tear it away and run. First the unclean beast makes its intimidate. (skill 50 since surprise is no longer applied.) [Unclean beast intimidate 46: 4 point penalty to Billy][Billy Bob Athletics 10+4=Success] Billy Bob breaks away and runs! (And there was much rejoicing.)
Author
Topic: Roller's Block (RTD Brainstorming Thread) (HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY) (Derm is 5k) (Read 740684 times)