When Darkness Falls (IC) GM garabbott

Game Master garabbott

Character Creation Step 1:

Choose a Base Save and Base Attack Bonus Progression & then roll for your ability scores. This choice is made once at the beginning of the game, and cannot be altered.

Defensive Option:
......Base Save 1.....Base Save 2.....Base Save 3.....Base Attack Bonus
1st......+0..............+2..............+2.................+0
2nd......+0..............+3..............+3.................+1
3rd......+1..............+3..............+3.................+1
4th......+1..............+4..............+4.................+2
5th......+1..............+4..............+4.................+2
6th......+2..............+5..............+5.................+3
7th......+2..............+5..............+5.................+3
8th......+2..............+6..............+6.................+4
9th......+3..............+6..............+6.................+4
10th.....+3..............+7..............+7.................+5

Offensive Option:
......Base Save 1.....Base Save 2.....Base Save 3.....Base Attack Bonus
1st......+0..............+0..............+2.................+1
2nd......+0..............+0..............+3.................+2
3rd......+1..............+1..............+3.................+3
4th......+1..............+1..............+4.................+4
5th......+1..............+1..............+4.................+5
6th......+2..............+2..............+5.................+6
7th......+2..............+2..............+5.................+7
8th......+2..............+2..............+6.................+8
9th......+3..............+3..............+6.................+9
10th.....+3..............+3..............+7.................+10

Ability Scores:
As every member of the group being assembled will be considered a specialist at the top of their field, we will be rolling at 3d6+6, dropping the lowest roll, for each ability score -- that's six times only, not allowing a 7th to drop the lowest -- I may choose to change the specifics here based on the results of character creation and how quickly/effectively the group moves through the game.

Character Creation Step 2:

Choose a Profession from the following list (their class skills are listed next to them). Each option comes with a bonus feat, in addition to your 1st level feat.

Agent: Bluff, Disable Device, Drive, Forgery, Intimidate, Sense Motive, Stealth, +3 more of the player's choice. FEAT: Improved Initiative.
Detective: Bluff, Diplomacy, Disable Device, Disguise, Forgery, Perception, Sense Motive, +3 more of the player's choice. FEAT: Dodge.
Doctor: Appraise, Heal, Knowledge (biology), Knowledge (medicine), Knowledge (any), Perception, Research, +3 more of the player's choice. FEAT: Skill Focus (Heal) or (Knowledge (any)).
Professor: Bluff, Diplomacy, Knowledge (occult), Knowledge (any 1), Perception, Research, Sense Motive +3 more of the player's choice. FEAT: Skill Focus (Diplomacy), (Bluff), or (Knowledge (any)).
Soldier: Acrobatics, Climb, Heal, Perception, Stealth, Survival, Swim, +3 more of the player's choice. FEAT: Weapon Proficiency.

This is a list of all skills available to players:
Acrobatics
Appraise
Bluff
Climb
Craft
Demolitions
Diplomacy
Disable Device
Disguise
Drive
Escape Artist
Forgery
Handle Animal
Heal
Intimidate
Knowledge (archaeology)
Knowledge (art)
Knowledge (astronomy)
Knowledge (biology)
Knowledge (chemistry)
Knowledge (history)
Knowledge (local)*
Knowledge (medicine)
Knowledge (nature)
Knowledge (occult)
Knowledge (religion)
Performance
Pilot
Research
Ride
Sense Motive
Sleight of Hand
Speak Other Language
Spellcraft UNAVAILABLE AS CLASS SKILL
Swim

*Choose any one city for Knowledge (local)

Character Creation Step 3:

Pick your feats. I am going to be open with this one, and allow you to choose from any feat in any d20 sourcebook, so long as you can provide me with a description (or tell me where to find one) and I think it's not overpowered or doesn't contextually fit in the setting or game style.

Character Creation Step 4:

Read about and determine your Sanity.

Character Creation Step 5:

Equipment! Use the following adjustments to discern your Profession's salary:

Agent: +0
Detective:-1
Doctor: +2
Professor: +1
Soldier: +0

Now, roll 1d6 and add your Profession's salary adjustment, multiply the result by 1,000 and you have your current life's savings. A final result of 0 is $500.00. Keep in mind, however, that your characters' lives are not yet focused on survival, and therefore it would be unrealistic to simply buy an arsenal of weaponry during character creation.

Melee Weapons
Tiny Melee Weapons:
Brass Knuckles: 1d3; x2 crit; bludgeoning; $1.00
Switchblade: 1d3; 19-20/x2 crit; piercing; $3.00

Small Melee Weapons:
Hunting Knife: 1d4; 19-20/x2 crit; 10' range; piercing; $5.00
Combat Knife: 1d4; 19-20/x2 crit; 10' range; slashing; $5.00
Cleaver/Butcher Knife: 1d4; x3 crit; 10' range; slashing; $2.00
Gun butt, Pistol: 1d4; x2 crit; bludgeoning
Hatchet: 1d6; x3 crit; slashing; $3.00

Medium Melee Weapons:
Nightstick/Billy Culb: 1d4; x2 crit; bludgeoning; $1.00
Crowbar: 1d6; x2 crit; bludgeoning; $3.00
Pick/Pickaxe: 1d6; x4 crit; piercing; $5.00
Machete: 1d6; 19-20/x2 crit; slashing; $3.00
Rapier: 1d8; 18-20/x2 crit; piercing; $15.00

Large Melee Weapons:
Baseball Bat: 1d6; x2 crit; bludgeoning; $2.00
Bayonet, fixed to rifle: 1d6; 19-20/x2 crit; piercing and slashing; $5.00
Gun butt, rifle or shotgun: 1d6; x2 crit; bludgeoning
Shovel: 1d6; x2 crit; bludgeoning; $4.00
Axe: 1d8; x3 crit; slashing; $5.00

Guns:
Pistols
Colt Single Action Revolver (M1873): 1d10; x3 crit; 6 bullet revolver; side loading; 20' range; standard fire; $30.00
Colt M1911: 2d6; x3 crit; 7 bullet mag; 20' range; semiautomatic; $40.00
Colt M1917: 2d8; x3 crit; 6 bullet revolver; side loading; 20' range; semiautomatic; $50.00
Smith & Wesson M1917 Revolver: 2d8; 6 bullet revolver; side loading; 20' range; semiautomatic; $40.00

Rifles
Winchester M1894 Sporting Rifle: 2d6; x3 crit; lever action; side loading; 200' range; $28.00
Lee-Enfield Mark I Rifle: 2d10; x3 crit; bolt action; 6 bullet mags; 175' range; $55.00
Springfield M1903: 2d10; x3 crit; bolt action; 5 bullet clip; 175' range; $45.00
Lee-Enfield Mark III Rifle: 2d10; x3 crit; bolt action; 10 bullet mags; 200' range; $60.00

Shotguns
Winchester M1897 Shotgun (12 gauge): 3d6/2d6/1d6* or 2d10 slug; x3 crit; 5 shell cap; 50' range; pump action; $60.00
Winchester M1897 Riot Shotgun (10 gauge): 3d8/2d8/1d8* or 2d10 slug; x3 crit; 4 shell cap; 50' range; lever; $75.00
Winchester M1912 Shotgun (12 gauge): 3d6/2d6/1d6* or 2d10 slug; x3 crit; 5 shell cap; 50' range; pump action; $60.00
Winchester M1912 Shotgun (16 gauge): 3d4/2d4/1d4* or 2d8 slug; x3 crit; 5 shell cap; 50' range; pump action; $45.00

*Use the 1st damage listing for whenever the target is within the weapon's 1st range increment, the 2nd damage listing for a target within the weapon's 2nd range increment, and the 3rd damage listing for anything beyond that.

Submachine Guns
Thompson Submachine Gun: 2d8; x3 crit; 30' range; autofire; $225.00

Character Advancement:

Investigators' HD are always d8, and assume that each class normally gains 6 + Int skills per level. Additionally, feats are normally gained at every odd level.

Skill ranks and even Feats may be rewarded for specific actions or accomplishments throughout the game.

Sample Character Sheet:

Charlie Poolsworth, Offensive Detective 1 (Fort)

DEFENSE
HP: 9/9 // Sanity points: 50/50
AC: 14 // CMD: 14
Will: +0 // Fort: +2 // Reflex: +3

OFFENSE
Shotgun +4 (3d6/2d6/1d6, x3)
Switchblade +1 (1d3, 19-20/x2)

ABILITY SCORES
STR 11
DEX 16
CON 11
INT 10
WIS 10
CHA 11

SKILLS (CORE)
Acrobatics
Bluff
Diplomacy
Disable Device
Disguise
Drive
Forgery
Perception
Sense Motive
Stealth

FEATS
Dodge
Weapon Proficiency (shotgun)

POSSESSIONS
Winchester 1897 Pump Action, 20 shells
Switchblade
Large dark sunglasses
White undershirt, stained
Button-up shirt, light blue
Grey 3-buttoned vest, very classy
- Pack of cigarettes, 3/4 full
Brown slacks
- Zippo cigarette lighter
Leather shoes, slightly scuffed
Black leather wallet
- 2.75$

NOTES
In Portland for an extended stay while investigating the disappearance of a beautiful girl from Oregon's countryside that was caught up in the bad business of Portland's underbelly, Charlie keeps his switchblade in his pocket at all times but generally chooses to leave his shotgun at home. He relies on some wit and some luck to get to the bottom of his cases, and so far things have been paying off.