GM Tarondor's The Two-Headed Serpent Campaign - Pulp Cthulhu

Game Master Tarondor

I can't imagine that re-arming her with her full regalia would be good for us, or mankind in general.

I've got 14 MP, but I don't think Chakos is at a point where he would really believe in it, or use it.

Yep, killing her or waking her up both seem bad at the moment. Think that waiting to see what happens upstairs with the soldiers might be our best bet at the present. Of course, it could also make the situation much, much worse...

Still, all things considered, waiting and preparing to ambush soldiers coming down the chute is the choice I'm sticking with personally.

Yeah I see MP for non-believers as reflex, using their "willpower" in some way they don't understand manybe.

Elliot has some bit of experience in the occult and the supernatural as part of his background - but mostly in theory and speculation only, not in real life!

Thinking a bit more on all this... the whip could perhaps be something that might control the giant snake? Like a lion tamer? Just a thought... at the very least, I'm thinking Elliot, being an archaeologist, should definitely carry it 'Indiana Jones' style, if that's ok?

The figure on the throne was wearing a robe, crimson with gold filigree I believe? GM, do these robes match that description as well?

Could be that wearing the robes would allow us to get past the snake if it recognizes them and believes us to be cultists?

Maybe somebody dons a robe and wields the scepter to control the snake? Though the crown seems to be a missing element, and I don't think we've seen anything like that thus far.

Again, just spitballing ideas here...

Also wondering if that snake-headed figure on the throne might have turned into the snake guardian. The whole thing collapsed, so it's possible - unless we saw her body amidst the rubble before we fled the chamber down the chute.

The biggest problem is getting back up the chute. I had the impression it's near-vertical and will be a difficult climb. GM, could we get confirmation of that?

These sound good to me

That is good by me Elliot.

I don't have much to add to the scene; Abraham's skills have generally been used up at this point. I only feel like I can contribute to the inevitable fight we're going to have and moving debris around to try and create cover for the party when the soldiers come down the chute.

Yep, seems like we're waiting for the GM to get back with us about how likely it is that we can climb the shaft to get out of here. Nobody has a good climb skill, and failure means a fall so that route seems very unlikely unless there's a ladder to be found. Beyond that, presuming we aren't going to either try and bring the 'mummy' back to life by placing the scepter in her hands (not sure that'd even do the trick anyway) in order to get her help in getting us out of here or cut her head off with a machete (though how that might help I've no idea), I think we're down to just waiting for those soldiers to engage us by coming down the shaft.

Without a way out of the mummy room (and I think we can be assured there isn't a hidden passage or anything), I'm not seeing any other options for us.

Going to be a busy week for me. I may not get the chance to post everyday. Please bot Antonio if needed. I will be back to normal by Friday.

Aha! OK, after reading a bit more about the bonus/penalty die, I think I get it.

So for instance on my turn, when rolling the combat attack, I should have rolled the regular d100, plus a d10 (for the tens spot), and taking the worst roll since I was at a penalty. If I were at a bonus, I'd use the better.

So let's say I roll a 1d100 and come up with a 73, then a bonus/penalty die of 1d10 and come up with a 3

That result would either be:
33 (if it's a bonus die)
73 (if it's a penalty die) [no change]

If I'd rolled a 33 on the d100 and then a bonus/penalty die of 7 on the d10, it'd be:

33 (bonus die)
73 (penalty die)

Is that correct?

Yes!

I'll be attending GenCon Online for the next four days, so please don't expect much of me.

Enjoy!

Enoli Meme

Little Ralphy from the Simpsons saying "I'm in danger"

Should I have been taking bonus dice on these shots? We’re awfully close!

Also, I found the stuff about dodge. Page 108, and then 112, in the Keeper’s rule book.

Thrown weapons and and Fighting attacks can be dodged per page 108.

Rather than Dodge, page 112 states that the difficulty of successful firearms attacks is based on the range, not any dodge. Point blank would give a bonus die and need an regular success. Base range is just a regular success. Long range (2x range) is a hard success. Very long range (4x range) needs an extreme success. Beyond that are penalty dice applied.

I thought I had seen that somewhere.

Chakos, I think that's on the Firefight Cheat Sheet (link at top of page.) Also, remember that long barrel firearms (rifles and shotguns) do not get the bonus die for point blank range.

The big point here is that dodging isn’t needed against firearms.

Hmm... maybe Pulp handles differently? In my other game, we use Dodge against firearm attacks as well. Diving for Cover, I believe, gives the attacker a penalty die in addition, though at the cost of your action for the next round. Honestly not sure though, maybe it's a house rule kinda thing? It's funny that both pulp games I'm playing does allow the Dodge (but not Fight Back) to be used against firearm attacks.

It's more of a "the GM didn't know" thing. Damn, that makes firearms relatively more deadly to you since your Dodges are better.

Well, that rule will get applied starting with Chapter Two. We'll keep on as we've been going for this fight (which is the end of Chapter One).

We’re all learning!

And that's the End of Chapter One! Congratulations on surviving!

Now we all get to learn about improving your characters and I get to take a little break to prepare for Chapters 2 and 3. Chapter 2 is sort of a meta-chapter to which we will return between each of several other chapters, rather than being a complete adventure in itself. I'll be posting here soon on character improvements.

HERO DEVELOPMENT PHASE

I. SANITY

I.A. Keeper Sanity Award

As a reward for a job well done, each character may add 1d4 to their SAN score (keeping in mind that the maximum is (99%-Cthulhu Mythos score).

I.B. Self Help

Any character still missing some sanity may try to gain some solace and normalcy by interacting with an element of your backstory. To do this, roll a SAN check. If successful, regain 1d6 SAN. If not (and Luck can’t be used here), then lose 1 point. Post a short scene in the Gameplay tab describing that interaction and its result.

I.C. Increasing a skill to 90%.

Anyone who increases a skill to 90% gains 2d6 SAN.

I.D. Psychotherapy
Anyone still suffering SAN loss can talk to the Keeper about regaining SAN through psychotherapy.

II. EXPERIENCE

In the course of tabletop play, you would have checked a box next to a skill each time you used a skill. For our purposes I want you to go through your character sheet and roll a 1d100 for each skill you used successfully (if I don’t agree somehow, we’ll talk). If you roll higher than the current skill or the result is 95 or higher, you improve in that skill. For each skill in which you improved, roll 1d10 and add that result to the total.

I believe I succeeded at:

Climb
Dodge
Firearms
First Aid
Occult
Spot Hidden

If given the chance over the next several days, I’d have tried to succeed at Medicine.

I believe I succeeded at:

Climb
Dodge
Firearms
First Aid
Occult
Spot Hidden

If given the chance over the next several days, I’d have tried to succeed at Medicine.

So roll!

Sanity: 1d4 ⇒ 4

Sanity(66+4): 1d100 ⇒ 21d6 ⇒ 1 Increase

Climb (20/10/4): 1d100 ⇒ 481d10 ⇒ 5 Increase
Dodge (50/25/10): 1d100 ⇒ 291d10 ⇒ 7 No Increase
Firearms (Handguns) (80/40/16): 1d100 ⇒ 61d10 ⇒ 10 No Increase
First Aid (80/40/16): 1d100 ⇒ 811d10 ⇒ 9 Increase
Occult (60/30/12): 1d100 ⇒ 341d10 ⇒ 6 No Increase
Spot Hidden (55/27/11): 1d100 ⇒ 451d10 ⇒ 9 No Increase

What’s the rule on regaining Luck?

Here we are, hoping for a good Sanity roll!

Sanity Reward: 1d4 ⇒ 3
Sanity Restoration 46+3: 1d100 ⇒ 46Bonus For A Friend: 1d10 ⇒ 2
Sanity Regained: 1d10 ⇒ 2
Luck: 1d100 ⇒ 46
Luck Gained: 2d10 + 10 ⇒ (10, 2) + 10 = 22

My Sanity is now 51/51 and my Luck is now 22. The skills I have marked are Climb, Fighting (Brawl), Fighting (Pistols), Fighting (Rifles & Shotguns), Listen, Persuade, Psychology. Spot Hidden, and Throw.

Climb 50%: 1d100 ⇒ 85 increases by 1d10 ⇒ 7
Fighting (Brawl) 65%: 1d100 ⇒ 66 increases by 1d10 ⇒ 3
Fighting (Pistols) 70%: 1d100 ⇒ 36
Fighting (Rifles & Shotguns) 65%: 1d100 ⇒ 36
Listen 50%: 1d100 ⇒ 93 increases by 1d10 ⇒ 1
Persuade 50%: 1d100 ⇒ 43
Psychology 70%: 1d100 ⇒ 2
Spot Hidden 90%: 1d100 ⇒ 53
Throw 60%: 1d100 ⇒ 86 increases by 1d10 ⇒ 10

I don't think Abraham would go in for psychiatric care quite yet, he has seen some weird s+&$ but time and drink will let him forget that. He probably goes to a jazz bar to drink with his childhood friend, Sherman.

The rule is roll 1d100. If above your Luck gain 2d10+10; if equal or less gain 1d10+5.

Luck (35): 1d100 ⇒ 5
Regain: 1d10 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11

Sanity Award: 1d4 ⇒ 3

Self Help: 1d100 ⇒ 53 Sanity increase: 1d6 ⇒ 2

Brawl 70: 1d100 ⇒ 3
First Aid 50: 1d100 ⇒ 47
Persuade 70: 1d100 ⇒ 36
Psychology 80: 1d100 ⇒ 15
Spot Hidden 50: 1d100 ⇒ 63 Increases by: 1d10 ⇒ 4

Luck: 1d100 ⇒ 35 Increase: 2d10 + 10 ⇒ (5, 6) + 10 = 21

Thanks for the breakdown GM! Let's hope Lady Luck is smiling down on me...

Luck (32): 100 = 100
Luck Increase: 2d10 + 10 ⇒ (6, 3) + 10 = 19

Nice time to roll a fumble!!!

On to the skills, during the adventure I got that CRIT success for Spot Hidden (which admittedly didn't do much in the game...) but it does apparently allow me to roll a penalty die to increase my odds of failing this roll. I've included that below:

Spot Hidden (80/40/16): 1d100 ⇒ 67

Spot Hidden Penalty Die: 1d10 ⇒ 5

First Aid (50/25/10): 1d100 ⇒ 3

Firearms - Rifle/Shotgun (60/30/12): 1d100 ⇒ 14

Archaeology (70/35/14): 1d100 ⇒ 98
Archaeology Increase: 1d10 ⇒ 4

So he learned a bit more about archaeology, but not much else. Oh well. Lastly, Elliot has his friend Algernon Blackwood in New York he can talk to, in order to get a grip on his sanity. Algernon is big into the occult and is the one who got Elliot interested in the subject as well.

Sanity Bonus: 1d4 ⇒ 2
Sanity Self Help (75): 1d100 ⇒ 86
Sanity Increase: 1d10 ⇒ 4

So that chat must have helped... I'll type up something about that soon. Let me know if I made any mistakes or left something out!

I think you need to have rolled a "1" there, not a "100". You did it...just in the opposite way.

Totally realized that after I made the post and thought about it a bit. I edited my original post to take out that whole thing about the POW increase. Thanks Abraham! :)

Well here goes

Sanity: 1d4 ⇒ 2
Bringing me back up to 87

Luck be a lady: 1d100 ⇒ 57
Luck Gained: 2d10 + 10 ⇒ (5, 4) + 10 = 19

Skilled I recall successfully doing:
I sort of just did the same things over and over
Firearm (Rifle)(60): 1d100 ⇒ 84
Well at least this was a good one to win
Firearm Gained: 1d10 ⇒ 3

Fight(Brawl)(45): 1d100 ⇒ 35
Really would have liked this one, boo
Natural World(70): 1d100 ⇒ 61

Track(80): 1d100 ⇒ 14

I have to say that was way deadly than I thought it was going to be (new to CoC) and this is Pulp, how does anyone survive in a regular game?!

Usually, the first adventure has a number of casualties in it.

I was surprised by the straight up fight at the end of this. I was under the impression most of the "confrontations" in CoC were more like skirmish affairs. But I suppose Indy did hammer the Nazis.

Pulp, I think, makes this more combative than usual. I looked at one of the short stories in the pulp book and it also goes to a combat at the end.

I think the beginning and middle of this adventure was excellent, the ending was a little rough but it might just be a combination of rolls and what the book gives as suggestions. The short story was very relaxed on details and really pushed the Keeper to just do what felt organically.

I'm excited to have made it through the introduction and really sink my teeth into the meat of the next chapter. Hopefully more research and investigations.

I think that the fight plays out very differently, and more quickly, if we remove the Dodge rolls against fire arms, and use penalty and bonus dice for range and “in melee” correctly next time.

I have to say that was way deadly than I thought it was going to be (new to CoC) and this is Pulp, how does anyone survive in a regular game?!

Generally, they don't. CoC games are -deadly-. Half the fun is the horrible way your characters bite the dust. Pulp is supposed to be a little different, more like the action serials of the 1930's. But a shoggoth will still wreck your plan for the weekend.

I was surprised by the straight up fight at the end of this. I was under the impression most of the "confrontations" in CoC were more like skirmish affairs. But I suppose Indy did hammer the Nazis.

So the last paragraph of the chapter said "any of the foes who survive to this point are waiting for them outside the temple." I just winged the rest!

It'll be a few days before I'm ready to proceed with Chapter Two. I'm looking forward to reading a few short paragraphs from each of you about how you unwind and repair your damaged sanity.

Thanks Tarondor, here is that roll

Occult(40): 1d100 ⇒ 88

Occult Gain: 1d10 ⇒ 10

Nice!

I think also we might have some serious questions for our patron, maybe that is coming?

Yup. Expected.

Well done Abraham! I'm going to let you slide on the anachronism.

Damn! Very nice indeed! I'm enjoying these perspective posts, and will definitely have to up my game on the next one!

Thanks folks! I really like Abraham, going to be a real shame when he dies.

You just have to think about how he will go insane.

Two words: Butter Fetish.

Very nice vignettes, guys! I loved reading them.

I'm looking forward to hearing a bit of the downtime lives of Enoli and Minerva, too!

Haha! Hey, played my Masks of Nyarlathotep game last night and one of the investigators lost 6 sanity and had a bout of madness. Oddly enough, the random roll was a severe phobia of... vegetables. That's gotta be up there with butter fetish! Needless to say, we got some good laughs out of it. All I could think of was that particular investigator (he's a tough guy criminal) having a horrible hallucination of Bob and Larry from Veggie Tales coming after him out of the dark!