I've just started a CoC campaign and I was wondering (before the first fatality/insanity mishap) if there are rules or guidelines anywhere for rolling up investigators that have already dealt with the Mythos and are a bit more seasoned than presented in the rulebook (the BRP system Call of Cthulhu, not d20). It could also help if one wanted to run something like Masks of Nyarlathotep which suggests more experienced characters.
I figure a few more personal interest points can take care of skills, but Mythos points, sanity pool and the possibility of knowing some spells are another matter.
|
I've just started a CoC campaign and I was wondering (before the first fatality/insanity mishap) if there are rules or guidelines anywhere for rolling up investigators that have already dealt with the Mythos and are a bit more seasoned than presented in the rulebook (the BRP system Call of Cthulhu, not d20).
Give them some extra skill points, a few mythos points, greatly reduced sanity, and make them bat-guano crazy.
Yeah, you're right. A trade off of sanity points for Mythos knowledge/magic would be the only way to do it.
|
I've just started a CoC campaign and I was wondering (before the first fatality/insanity mishap) if there are rules or guidelines anywhere for rolling up investigators that have already dealt with the Mythos and are a bit more seasoned than presented in the rulebook (the BRP system Call of Cthulhu, not d20). It could also help if one wanted to run something like Masks of Nyarlathotep which suggests more experienced characters.
I figure a few more personal interest points can take care of skills, but Mythos points, sanity pool and the possibility of knowing some spells are another matter.
Having played in a CoC campaign, my first response would be that generally, there's no such thing as an experienced investigator. Given a 20% or so chance of dying on each case you investigate, and a net loss of somewhere around 5 sanity from each case, your chance of being around for 5 cases is only around 33%. 10 cases is 11%. And at that point, you've lost between 25-50 sanity points. (really more, in my experience.) You might be missing limbs too at that point in time.
CoC is a harsh world.
(But yeah. Give them about 1.5 Cthulhu mythos points per each investigation they would have been on, and remove 5 sanity for each investigation as well. They'll probably be in the midst of recovering from at least two near-fatal wounds. They'll probably know 1 spell for each 3 investigations that they've been on, but may never have actually cast any of them. If they have, then reduce their sanity by 10 for each spell that they've actually tried to cast. Increase each of their skills by 2 points for each investigation. I know that seems low, but I think it's in the ballpark).
I've just started a CoC campaign and I was wondering (before the first fatality/insanity mishap) if there are rules or guidelines anywhere for rolling up investigators that have already dealt with the Mythos and are a bit more seasoned than presented in the rulebook (the BRP system Call of Cthulhu, not d20). It could also help if one wanted to run something like Masks of Nyarlathotep which suggests more experienced characters.
I figure a few more personal interest points can take care of skills, but Mythos points, sanity pool and the possibility of knowing some spells are another matter.
A way to alleviate the problem of needing more experienced PCs with Mythos scores is to give the PCs a wealthy and/or powerful patron to whom they can take Mythos questions. This person should be crippled in some way (one of the easiest in confinement to a wheelchair) or very, very old basically forestalling any attempt by the PCs to get him/her to come with them on investigations. This gives the PCs a fall back to go to when situations get too complex to deal with without exposing themselves to dangerous Mythos knowledge.
Of course once they start thinking like that is when the find the patron dead/missing/is actually part of the problem! :-)
|
I am currently going through a Mask of Nyarlanhotep campaign. I would recommend each player to roll up several investigators. Dont worry about mythos that comes really easy. Especially when the new investigator has to find out what happened to their predecessor(s).
We currently only have one investigator left from the get go. She doesnt have the education to read any of the tomes we acquired and just so happens to avoid the lethal encounters. We have lost three archeologists, one IRA member, and a hired bodyguard goomba. My character Dr. Warren Bradford Bedlam is now uncomfortably resting in an asylum in London after a chance meeting with Nyralan himself.
I think the 20% number mentioned above is way too low from my experience. Death happens and insanity is assured. Not sure what your or the players expectations are. Perhaps you want a more heroic and optimistic game? I would make sure the players are good. They may really become attached to their characters and not want them to die so easily. Or they could be hoping for a 'In the mouth of madness' experience. Talk it over with them is my recommendation.
|
|
I am currently going through a Mask of Nyarlanhotep campaign. I would recommend each player to roll up several investigators. Dont worry about mythos that comes really easy. Especially when the new investigator has to find out what happened to their predecessor(s).
We currently only have one investigator left from the get go. She doesnt have the education to read any of the tomes we acquired and just so happens to avoid the lethal encounters. We have lost three archeologists, one IRA member, and a hired bodyguard goomba. My character Dr. Warren Bradford Bedlam is now uncomfortably resting in an asylum in London after a chance meeting with Nyralan himself.
I think the 20% number mentioned above is way too low from my experience. Death happens and insanity is assured. Not sure what your or the players expectations are. Perhaps you want a more heroic and optimistic game? I would make sure the players are good. They may really become attached to their characters and not want them to die so easily. Or they could be hoping for a 'In the mouth of madness' experience. Talk it over with them is my recommendation.
I agree the 20% number is too low. Call of Cthulhu is not a RPG where you want to become too attached to a character.
Yeah, we're all more used to D&D and we'll have our fifth CoC session, second session of Shadows of Yog-Sothoth. No deaths or permanent insanity yet, but they're also playing more action averse than I really expected, getting a slow start. We're still adjusting to the change in tone, though I expect things will escalate soon enough to see if it's really their cup of tea once they decide to really make a move.