Welcome to the Two-Headed Serpent!
Please take a few minutes to look over the materials I've posted in the header, then go look at the Campaign Tab where I've posted the rules and format for character creation.
Finally, come back here and post your ideas - NOT YOUR CHARACTER YET. I really want this team to be an organic whole. I'd like some connecting backgrounds between the five of you and some discussion of archetypes, occupations and traits so that you work well together as a team. Your -characters- might not know what they're in for, but you do.
Discuss!
You may dot into the GamePlay Tab.
I'm confused on the House rules:
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Critical Successes. If the player rolls a “01” on a skill check, that is a Critical Success. During the Investigator Development Phase, the player receives a “penalty die” when attempting to improve the skill, meaning that their chance of increasing the skill improves.
Fumbles. If the player rolls a “01” on a skill check, that is a Fumble. During the Investigator Development Phase, the player receives 1 point to that skill for definitely having learned what not to do next time. This is in addition to any regular improvement to the skill.
Am I misreading something. The bold looks like the same thing but one is a Critical Success and one is a Fumble.
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Woohoo! This is going to be fun! Thanks for choosing me Tarondor.
As I mentioned in the recruitment thread, I'd like to rework a character I used in a previous short game. What I have in mind is keeping her background and basic persona, but otherwise rebuilding as much as needed to match this game. In the previous game she was a photographer. She may not end up being one in this game, but I'd like to keep it as a hobby if not.
In pathfinder (which is where most all my experience is) I tend to play support/skills characters. I'm not sure how that category translates into Cthulhu, but I'm probably not going to be the beefy bruiser or weapons master in the group.
As for archetypes, I can see a few that could work well depending on which aspects of her personality are emphasized: Adventurer, Egghead, Scholar, Seeker, and Thrill Seeker.
Probably the occupations that would require the least change would be photojournalist or investigative journalist. But depending on where the rest of the party is going a Scholarly or Medical occupation would work well. Looks like there's tons of occupations so I'm not to worried about finding a good match right away.
Below is the general background for Lian/Louise. I'd like to keep the contours the same but her age, the year, and plenty of other details may need to be shifted for this game.
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Lian Chao uses the English name Louise. She used to use the name Lisa, but after seeing a screening of the film Pandora's Box there was only one name that would do, so she changed to Louise after arriving in the United States.
Louise is from Shanghai, where her father is a financier principally invested in rubber. Her kindred spirit in the family though is her uncle Chao Feng, a professor of sociology. He was instrumental in convincing her parents to let her attend university in the U.S. He argued that not only would it benefit Lian, but potentially the whole family. Entrepreneurs like Lian's father are increasingly squeezed between Nationalist income extraction to support the army, and economic disruptions due to communist party sponsored labor strikes. Chao Feng pointed out it could be a great benefit for the family to have one foot in another country in case the situation continues to deteriorate. Since that time, a Japanese invasion of Manchuria is making it look more and more like a wise investment.
Lian is in her second year at Hunter College. Aside from her major in fine arts, she carries a major in economics, a condition of her parents' support. She has completed her freshman year. While she had hoped to intern in photography documenting the effects of the Great Depression on the American working class, a sort of pictorial anthropology, she got baseball. Oh well, eventually she'll be an upperclassman and rate better assignments.
Lian's english, learned in Singapore, carries a strong British cast.
Louise: Self-Portrait Taken With a Timer.
Louise carries three cameras when she expects to be doing serious work.
For portraits, landscapes, and architecture she has a newly purchased Nagel Recomar 18 , which can be fitted to a tripod.
Her workhorse, and her first serious camera, is a Le Furet V2.
She carries a Kodac Brownie No. 2 as a backup in case her Le Furet malfunctions or there is no time to change film rolls. It's a folding camera small enough to fit in a pocket.
Am I misreading something. The bold looks like the same thing but one is a Critical Success and one is a Fumble.
No, I screwed up. 00 is a Fumble.
In pathfinder (which is where most all my experience is) I tend to play support/skills characters. I'm not sure how that category translates into Cthulhu, but I'm probably not going to be the beefy bruiser or weapons master in the group.
A scholar, doctor or a mechanic, perhaps.
I'm fine with the bones of the character rework.
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Thank you so much for accepting me, I appreciate it and look forward to it, it's going to be a blast.
I usually play a "brains" or mad scientist type, but really I'm open to anything at all.
Reviewing the books it seems there can be a higher fantasy option (psychic, magic, etc), or are we meant to be more grounded? How much into the occult can a character be, or is that world unknown for our group? (for now)
Thanks again!
I have two ideas rolling around in my head. Let me know what you think and options for how to create them.
1. A local or regional priest who has come (or been assigned) to help the medical effort. Faithful and devoted, but when he sees danger, he unexpectedly throws himself into the thick of it. Beefcake or Adventurer Priest maybe? I just think of the iconic scene where the devout preacher slugs an enemy or pulls out a revolver and shoots them.
2. An American or British diplomat*. Upper crust society breaking out of the mold by traveling around the world and seeing the poor and underserved parts of life. Excels in languages. Thrill Seeker maybe? This probably your gentleman adventurer like Alan Quartermain
*This is like playing a pulp version of me or people I know. IRL, I'm an American diplomat living in London. I work in IT, but this character will be cut in the classic image of the 20s-30s diplomats of old. Expect me to dive into department history a bit as well as the old tropes.
Looking at both of these, I see the commonalities. Someone tied to a large organization (Governments or Catholic Church) that could know the "truth" and isn't afraid to put themselves in harms way.
Rough ideas on character background in bullet form:
* Born around 1900
* Born as a third so to a family of farmers in Virginia
* Joined the army to find a career
* WW1 veteran who continued in government service
* Served as a staff/intelligence officer in the 1920's
* Was sent undercover by the Department of the Army to infiltrate the organization/camp of the bonus army
* Discovered evidence of cult activity on the part of the organizers of the Bonus March that alarmed his superiors
* Was opposed to the heavy handed manner in which the Bonus Army was suppressed and angered by the cover-up of the real reasons for the aggressive army action
* Resigned from the army because his every attempt to learn more about the real reasons behind the riots were blocked by government rules.
Reviewing the books it seems there can be a higher fantasy option (psychic, magic, etc), or are we meant to be more grounded? How much into the occult can a character be, or is that world unknown for our group? (for now)
All options are on the table. Weird science, mysticism, square-jawed heroes, dangerous dames and amazing flyboys are all in-genre. It’s up to you whether you want to be more or less gonzo.
The play test notes for TTHS indicate that they had three play test parties, one very real-world, one with a little bit of weird science and one with lots of sorcery and wieird science and all three played well, but very differently. So it all comes down to the sort of game the team wants to play.
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I like both ideas Tim!
Donovan, depending on whether you go with something technological or mystical Louise might go the tech route, engineer and mechanic or something along those lines. However I see several options for Louise so no pressure to leave tech open for me.
Breaking it down to the bare bones, there are a few things about Louise that are definitely true.
1. She's from a wealthy family. They would have to be to afford sending her to the U.S. for college.
2. She is attending, or has attended, college in the U.S. so it's probable her archetype and career would reflect her advanced education.
3. Her political leanings are leftist, an intellectual socialist or communist. In the previous game I had an epilogue planned (but never actually written) for what happens after the adventure. It had her covering the Spanish Civil War as a photographer on the Republican side and being killed in a bombing during the Battle of Ebro in early 1938.
4. She's grown comfortable in the U.S. and plans to stay abroad long term because there's more to do and more fun to be had compared to back home.
5. Photography as an interest on some level.
With those things in mind, there are plenty of possibilities since she has the means to choose a profession based on interest rather than economic necessity.
So depending on party composition she could take several routes.
1. Medicine. Since it seems we're starting out affiliated with Caduceus, a medical relief organization. She could be interning with Caduceus after finishing school.
2. Engineering. With a strong interest in mechanical engineering, maybe the Grease Monkey archetype even. Can fix stuff and eventually invent. A route to the Weird Science abilities, which could be pretty cool.
3. Journalist. If we need a more standard information seeker and sneaker. More a jack of all trades investigator type. Dovetails with photography.
4. On the other hand, if we need someone who covers social and financial areas, her education could be downplayed in favor of her family's wealth and the social connections it allows her. She's more of a moneybags socialite with a taste for adventure and philanthropy.
That's where I'm at so far.
Tarandor, do we have anything more specific to nail down the setting? Year? Info about Caduceus?
Rdknight, I like the photos. I didn’t know you could fit a Kodak Brownie in your pocket.
Tim, either idea will work well with the game. It remains to be seen which will work best with the team. I see those two as opposite ends of a populist spectrum - one with influence in high places and the other with local influence (and potentially influence in one very high place?)
JoshB, what sort of occupation and background were you considering?
Rdknight, check out the Character Creation guidelines on the Campaign Info tab for answers to your questions.
EDIT: Never mind, I’ll copy it here.
The year is 1933. In South America, the Chaco War between Bolivia and Paraguay is in full swing. The two countries are fighting over contested territory, which is believed to be rich in oil. You’ve been employed by a humanitarian charity, the Caduceus Foundation, to deliver medical aid to civilians caught up in the war. Caduceus has flown you to Asuncion in Paraguay, from where you traveled across the country by various means. You are escorting doctors, nurses, and medical supplies to an aid camp deep in the jungle of the Gran Chaco.
As well as needing medically trained staff, this mission also requires adventurous types trained in wilderness and jungle survival, anthropologists, and linguists. This is a Pulp Cthulhu adventure, so expect high action and create your heroes appropriately. The truth is that the Caduceus Foundation is a front for an organization whose real agenda is to battle elements of the Cthulhu Mythos, but your characters don’t know that yet. They are just heroes who have decided to extend help to those in need. But don’t worry, your team leader has the full story and will fill you in on the real mission when the game begins.
The heroes begin the campaign having been recently recruited to Caduceus, a medical organization that operates in some of the most remote parts of the world. The fact that its employees work in dangerous regions means Caduceus openly recruits people with a wide range of skills.
An average Caduceus operation requires: doctors, nurses, local experts, negotiators, researchers, armed guards, scientists, mechanics, and people who can procure supplies through extra-legal channels. There are few heroes who could not find some way of fitting into such an organization.
Even someone who seems to be a poor fit for medical aid work may have other reasons for joining. Maybe the hero is a movie star, researching a new role, or a disgraced former socialite, trying to prove to her family that she has integrity.
So far as any of you know, Caduceus is merely a global medical charity financed by a wealthy New York construction magnate.
Your characters should each have a reason for being here in the Bolivian jungle guarding medical workers. Perhaps you have some unresolved guilt from the Great War. Perhaps you’ve seen some things you just want to put far behind you. Perhaps your a hard-bitten mercenary only in it for the dough.Maybe you stole the mafia’s money and needed to make yourself scarce. Maybe you are in love with a handsome/beautiful doctor or nurse.
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So far I have two ideas, but not a lot of mechanics yet, so these may be not feasible until I get the rules clear.
Last we saw Gideon Stargrave, Commander in the Galaxy Corps, he was in the dangerous jungles of Venus, tracking an escaped 8th dimension nightmarish abyss spawn. Running through the jungles, his maser in hand, when he leaped into a clearing, which was circled by strange contraptions. Outside of the ring was his arch-nemesis Lord Vatrix, who simply smiled and pressed a button. Then with a flash of light Gideon was in a new jungle, with a strange unknown sky. He was confused by this but more so as to why Lord Vatrix didn't monologue. His communicator, maser, and jet pack don't seem to be working.
Anyone with any literary interest or background will recognize Gideon as the hero in a series of sci-fi/fantasy series written by Richard Stall. There was the recent news that Stall was institutionalized and his recent work was disturbing and unpublishable. But this can't possibly be Gideon Stargrave, right? Is this some delusional fan?
Alternatively, a doctor and scientist who was working with the government during the war to help soldiers fight. He believed there was untapped potential with the electricity in our bodies, so he had built a steampunk style suit that had an exoskeleton around the body, it injected needles into the muscles of the arms, back, and legs, it had a piezoelectric generator and another unknown energy source, to help amplify the person in the suit, make them stronger, faster. He even was able to extend the electric field out in arcs from the suit's gauntlets. But the government denied his innovations, so now he must prove that they work on his own.
Again, not yet sure if these are feasible in the mechanics, but was fun thinking about them.
Is our characters' understanding of Caduceus Foundation similar to the real-life Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders)?
Interestingly, I stumbled across this, detailing how the Caduceus symbol is mistakenly used by medical organizations instead of the Rod of Asclepius.
Is our characters' understanding of Caduceus Foundation similar to the real-life Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders)?
Yes, if it were privately run and funded, that’s the model exactly.
Interestingly, I stumbled across this, detailing how the Caduceus symbol is mistakenly used by medical organizations instead of the Rod of Asclepius.
Hmmm... isn’t that interesting?
My, look at the time.
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Hmmm, Okay, another question Tarondor. I've been thinking about the coolness of aviator as a profession, but it seems to me choosing something limited to the presence of a plane might not be a good idea.
Do professions potentially box characters in so this is an issue, or am I thinking about the professions too narrowly?
No they don’t and yes you are! Put in a pilot and I’ll put in a plane. Or airship, maybe.
An occupation isn’t like a Pathfinder class - it won’t silo what you can do. But it is your specialty. You’ll still want to be able to use a gun or your fists and have other skills, but being a kick-ass pilot means a good Keeper will make sure you get to kick ass from an aircraft at least once and maybe several times.
So far I have two ideas, but not a lot of mechanics yet, so these may be not feasible until I get the rules clear.
Last we saw Gideon Stargrave, Commander in the Galaxy Corps, he was in the dangerous jungles of Venus, tracking an escaped 8th dimension nightmarish abyss spawn. Running through the jungles, his maser in hand, when he leaped into a clearing, which was circled by strange contraptions. Outside of the ring was his arch-nemesis Lord Vatrix, who simply smiled and pressed a button. Then with a flash of light Gideon was in a new jungle, with a strange unknown sky. He was confused by this but more so as to why Lord Vatrix didn't monologue. His communicator, maser, and jet pack don't seem to be working.
Anyone with any literary interest or background will recognize Gideon as the hero in a series of sci-fi/fantasy series written by Richard Stall. There was the recent news that Stall was institutionalized and his recent work was disturbing and unpublishable. But this can't possibly be Gideon Stargrave, right? Is this some delusional fan?
Alternatively, a doctor and scientist who was working with the government during the war to help soldiers fight. He believed there was untapped potential with the electricity in our bodies, so he had built a steampunk style suit that had an exoskeleton around the body, it injected needles into the muscles of the arms, back, and legs, it had a piezoelectric generator and another unknown energy source, to help amplify the person in the suit, make them stronger, faster. He even was able to extend the electric field out in arcs from the suit's gauntlets. But the government denied his innovations, so now he must prove that they work on his own.
Again, not yet sure if these are feasible in the mechanics, but was fun thinking about them.
Both sound like fun, Donovan. Both will require us to manage expectations a bit to keep it from leaving the world of pulp and moving solidly into four-color comics. What does the collective think about those levels of weird?
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Understood! The "Commander" is more space opera pulp, but I love the idea of the "World as Myth" theory. He would be completely out of sorts, still have his skills, wits (under stress though), and one working gadget (talent) but what if you aren't even sure you are real?!
The second I could limit to just Egghead with "electric" gauntlets and use the talent. Not sure yet.
I was thinking a Steadfast Soldier.
Hmmmm.... :)
So what about aviation as a personal interest? Say Adventurer -> Dilettante -> Personal Interest Pilot instead of Photography?
Louise has some money to throw around so she's throwing it into being an aviator? Is it just a matter of putting enough points into Pilot?
That's fine. No part of the campaign -requires- aviation, but there are several towards the middle and later part of the campaign where an aviator would have a certain degree of cool.
I will mention that CariMac specifically requested an airship be in the story, so you may want to talk to her about whether she was hoping to be an ace pilot or just have a fistfight on the roof of an airship ('cause you know that's going to happen if there's an airship!)
So here’s what I see so far:
CariMac: Nothing yet.
DonovanDildine/Torgrin: Either a Buck Rogers hero in the wrong universe or an inventor in the vein of Nikola Tesla and Howard Stark.
EnchanterTim: Either a British/American Diplomat or a tough and devout local priest.
JoshB: A former government intel officer with some knowledge of the mythos.
...Occupation: Soldier
...Archetype: Steadfast
rdknight: A Chinese expatriate photography enthusiast who is either a doctor, a journalist, a socialite or an engineer/grease monkey. Maybe with experience as a pilot.
Donovan, Tim and rdknight, you could possibly begin to narrow down your occupations and archetype. Josh, I think you’ve gotten a little further than everyone else, so maybe you could begin to work on possible connections between your character and the others.
I’m trying not to voice opinions on any specific idea because so far nothing you’ve come up with won’t work. What I’d like you five to do is to consider that you’re not building five characters - you’re building one group that needs to save the world. Talk to each other about what skills need to be covered, which skills will be fun to have, which ones everyone should have, etc. Talk to each other about what level of pulp you want in your game and how to achieve that. Talk about what roles might not be filled or which need to be filled better. I’ll be here to egg you on and to answer questions.
You can’t cover all the bases, but you can make sure you’re spread out over several of them.
I had several ideas for characters. My favorite is lining up to be a cat burglar.
1. A cat burglar who is trying to avoid INTERPOL because a job went badly. She's posing as a mechanic to join the organization, and hide. However, the organization knows she's a skilled thief. She would be a Grease Monkey.
2. A young adventurous easily bored society lady who is out to do "good" in the world. She drives fast, and lives the same way. She's a Trill Seeker.
3. A research scientist who has joined the organization to research medical interventions. She is a scholar.
Yes I want a fight on an airship, please. I wasn't planning on flying the ship, but perhaps we need to stop an explosion or find a spy while taking the flight.
I love all of those. I wanted to point that I am also a Trill Seeker.
I think the cat burglar one is just too cool not to use! Maybe combine it with the bored society lady! Batman in reverse!
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I've just been generating ideas that can potentially work with my character's background, and figured I'd eliminate the different options when others developed characters they overlapped with.
For example, if Torgrin is going the egghead inventor route there's no longer a need for my engineer/grease monkey.
There are a lot of options and combos and I don't really know how to prioritize the various possible skills in this game, hard to make definitive choices.
I may have to whip up a quick character to see how points distribute across the skills and so forth before I really know what I can do.
EDIT: If CariMac is going in the cat burglar direction, I'll see if I can work out a doctor/pilot.
Hahaha. Who knows maybe we're all on the holodeck and this is a simulation?
Cat bugler it is.
Rknight if you want to go grease monkey, I can go with Rogue instead. Either of those will fit Minerva.
The Cat Burglar has these skills:
Appraise, Climb, Electrical or Mechanical Repair, Listen, Locksmith, Sleight of Hand, Stealth and Spot Hidden.
I don't really know how to prioritize the various possible skills in this game, hard to make definitive choices.
This is probably a good time to mention that I have neither GM'ed nor played any version of Call of Cthulhu ever, so this'll be new to all of us!
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Ok, so the original two ideas were a little outlandish, but I'm now for sure one of these two:
Gabriel Rickard
Rogue / Confidence Trickster
Talents: Strong Willed / Psychic Power (Psychometry)(Great for cons)
Skills: Appraise, Charm, Fast Talk, Psychology, Spot Hidden, Persuade, Language(Other)
Whenever there is war, there is aways grift, Gabrial knows this well. Supplies are stolen and sold or traded, and Gabriel knows all the players.
Enoli Johnson
Explorer / Ranger
Talents: Arcane Insight / Endurance
Skills: Animal Handling, Natural World, Navigate, Survival, Track, Listen, Fireams
Enoli is a young Cherokee is a natural tracker, who is one with nature. However, he doesn't believe in the old ways of his people. Grandfather kept telling him over and over that he was the tribe's new shaman and that he didn't have a choice, that the spirits would help him if he accepted them, and hound him if he didn't. So Enoli fled, traveling the world, using his skills for those who will pay him. Enoli still remembers some of the prayers Grandfather taught him as a kid.
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Alright, I have a tentative set of choices that I believe gets me where I want to go very well. I figure we're going to find a doctor to be really valuable. If we're punching evil in the nose, I figure evil going to be punching back pretty hard as well.
We'll also have a wheel/stick person to get us around, or the hell out, when we're not walking (or running).
Lian "Louise" Zhao
Archetype: Thrill Seeker
Skills: Art/Craft (Photography), Charm, Climb, Diving, Drive Auto, Fast Talk, Jump, Mechanical Repair, Navigate, Pilot (Propeller), Ride, Stealth, Survival (Forest), Swim, Throw.
Profession: Medical Doctor
Skills: First Aid, Medicine, Other Language (Latin), Psychology, Science (Biology), Science (Pharmacy), Other Language (English), Firearms (Hand Gun)
Talents: Hardened, Lucky
Louise is doing her medical residency with the Caduceus Foundation. Her true passion is going fast. Airplanes are her favorite, but cars, motorcycles, speedboats, skis, she loves them all.
Donavan, I think either of those is pretty damned good.
Edit: If CariMac is going with a cat burglar, perhaps you'd rather do the shaman than the grifter?
rdknight, I think Louise looks good!
CariMac:
...Occupation: Cat Burglar
...Archetype: Grease Monkey?
...Skills: Appraise, Climb, Electrical or Mechanical Repair, Listen, Locksmith, Sleight of Hand, Stealth and Spot Hidden.
DonovanDildine/Torgrin:
Enoli Johnson
Explorer / Ranger
Talents: Arcane Insight / Endurance
Skills: Animal Handling, Natural World, Navigate, Survival, Track, Listen, Fireams
EnchanterTim: Either a British/American Diplomat or a tough and devout local priest.
JoshB: A former government intel officer with some knowledge of the mythos.
...Occupation: Soldier
...Archetype: Steadfast
rdknight: A Chinese expatriate who is a photography enthusiast, pilot and speed demon.
...Occupation: Medical Doctor
...Archetype: Thrill Seeker
...Talents: Hardened, Lucky
Well, I'm glad we have at least one doctor in the group!
I'm going to go with the Priest, but I think the Steadfast archetype embodies his toughness better. I just hope to get a good score in Strength. I like the idea that he will refuse to use weapons other than his fists...that is unless we meet something non-human (someone tell me if that's a bad idea for this game system -- maybe just don't use firearms?).
So here's what he might look like. I've bolded the skills I think I'll prioritize.
Archetype: Steadfast
Skills: Accounting, Drive Auto, Fighting (Brawling), Firearms (Handgun), First Aid, History, Intimidate, Law, Natural World, Navigate, Persuade, Psychology, Ride, Spot Hidden, Survival (any)
Occupation: Priest
Skills: Accounting, History, Library Use, Listen, Other Language, one interpersonal skill (Charm, Fast Talk, Intimidate, or Persuade), Psychology, any one other skill
Talents: Tough Guy, Heavy hitter? Linguist?
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Does Caduceus have a HQ somewhere that we'd be located at before going to Paraguay?
As as for connections. If CariMac and I are both already working for Caduceus and meet there I can see them gravitating toward each other. As the song says "girls just want to have fun"!
The guys are a little harder since they seem a mopey, upright crowd...
Is your priest a local from Paraguay or has he been around at Caduceus before our departure Tim?
Josh, maybe your military guy and Louise had a single bad date at some point? :p
An interesting point to note is that the Chinese Exclusion Act won't be repealed for another ten years, which makes Louise's residency in the US tenuous. She could come as a student, and I'd think a medical residency would still be covered by the category. Otherwise, if she has some sort of teaching duties as a part of her residency she could be exempted as a "teacher". Of course money solves everything doesn't it?
I just hope to get a good score in Strength.
See the Character Creation rules in the Campaign Info tab. You’re going to be able to select your ability scores, not roll them.
I like the idea that he will refuse to use weapons other than his fists...that is unless we meet something non-human (someone tell me if that's a bad idea for this game system
Well, there are a lot of rules for melee. I think it’s expected that there’ll be both gunplay and melee.
Talents: Tough Guy, Heavy hitter? Linguist?
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I’ll let your fellow players advise you on that.
Does Caduceus have a HQ somewhere that we'd be located at before going to Paraguay?
Caduceus headquarters are in New York City. Much of the campaign will involve New York City.
Bolivia, not Paraguay. :-)
Since rdknight brings up the Chinese Exclusion Act, I thought I’d mention my plans for historical verisimilitude, or lack thereof. Any time you visit the past you’re going to encounter social norms that appear reprehensible to us in the present. Racism, sexism, homophobia and religious intolerance were all a very real and generally accepted part of the social and international fabric of nearly every period of the past, including our setting, the not-so-distant 1930’s.
We, however, aren’t visiting the 1930’s. We’re visiting a mythologized version where the lights are brighter, the darkness is inkier and monsters lurk on the margins of the page. Since it’s is a fictional world, we can focus on social issues as much or as little as we like. My intention is not to deny or whitewash the past, but simply to focus on the story and action, as would an old movie serial of the day. To the extent that they’re a part of the story at all, racists, sexists, etc. will generally be individuals, not a system. I might make mention of the rise of Hitler, Tojo and Mussolini, or the activities of the KKK as background flavor just as I would mention the World Series, the Dust Bowl or Amelia Earhart, but I won’t be foregrounding any of those elements.
Well, except for that fistfight scene between Tojo and Amelia Earhart. On an airship. :-)
Nice, New York is a very fine playground.
The intro information gives us as being flown to Asunción Paraguay?
Indeed. But Chapter One is set in Bolivia. In 1933, Paraguay and Bolivia were in the middle of the Chaco War, a conflict that saw tens of thousands dead and displaced. I assume the adventure mentions Asunción because the Paraguayans were winning the war and that travel into Gran Chaco was easier through Asunción than through La Paz?
Doesn’t matter. We begin in the jungle and it really doesn’t matter where the border is.
Name: Charles Izac
Nickname: "Doughboy"
Occupation: Soldier (former)
Archetype: Steadfast
Talents:
Nimble - doesn't lose next action when diving for cover versus firearms. He had lots of practice at the front during the war.
Hardened - ignores sanity point loss from attacking other humans, viewing horrific injuries, or the deceased. He saw and became used to the most horrible of things in the trenches and behind the lines.
Occupation Skills: Climb, Dodge, Fighting, Firearms, Stealth, Survival, First Aid, and Language: French
I regret to say that no actual historical figures or airships appear in the adventure as published. But we’ll shoehorn in at least one of each!