Insight
Adventurer
Make sure that your "Own Language" skill is German, then, and make sure to pick up at least some "Other Language - English".
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Insight's "The Silent Partner" [1920s] OOC Thread
- Thread starter Insight
- Start date
Make sure that your "Own Language" skill is German, then, and make sure to pick up at least some "Other Language - English".
Walking Dad
First Post
Some background musings before doing the skill stuff:
Edward 'Face' Pierson came (like so many young men and women) to Los Angeles. Other than most, he had everything that was needed. He wasn't dumb, was tall, but not freakish so, had a great physique and (his greatest asset) a really handsome face.
All he lacked were contacts. To get one leg into the industry, he started to take jobs as a stunt man, hoping to be 'discovered' by someone important. Just as it looked liked his plan begin to bear fruits, the accident happened. He doesn't like to talk about it, but he now got a face that could stop a bullet... almost literally, as steel plates were used in the reconstruction of it.
Succumbing some time to the bottle, he heard of the project of an eccentric European film maker.
Edward (still called 'Face', but now for a different reason) got his things together and applied to the film. He is now back in business, at least as stunt man. Perhaps for more...
Edward 'Face' Pierson came (like so many young men and women) to Los Angeles. Other than most, he had everything that was needed. He wasn't dumb, was tall, but not freakish so, had a great physique and (his greatest asset) a really handsome face.
All he lacked were contacts. To get one leg into the industry, he started to take jobs as a stunt man, hoping to be 'discovered' by someone important. Just as it looked liked his plan begin to bear fruits, the accident happened. He doesn't like to talk about it, but he now got a face that could stop a bullet... almost literally, as steel plates were used in the reconstruction of it.
Succumbing some time to the bottle, he heard of the project of an eccentric European film maker.
Edward (still called 'Face', but now for a different reason) got his things together and applied to the film. He is now back in business, at least as stunt man. Perhaps for more...
jackslate45
First Post
Backround Time!
Jack Thompson came to LA after getting kicked out of college in 1918. Having studied how to become a lawyer, he tried getting into a law office with no success. Having never completed college, no office would take him seriously.
One day, while walking home, he saw someone trying to sneak their way onto Sunset Gower Studios. He called out to them, warning them of trespassing. The theif, startled, escaped onto the property. Jack then informed security of the trespasser, and he was caught before any new films were taken. Jack was then asked to become a security officer for Sunset Gower Studios. He worked there for 10 years, and eventually became head of security for the studio.
I was thinking Jack would be 30 years old, to explain why he became head of security.
Jack Thompson came to LA after getting kicked out of college in 1918. Having studied how to become a lawyer, he tried getting into a law office with no success. Having never completed college, no office would take him seriously.
One day, while walking home, he saw someone trying to sneak their way onto Sunset Gower Studios. He called out to them, warning them of trespassing. The theif, startled, escaped onto the property. Jack then informed security of the trespasser, and he was caught before any new films were taken. Jack was then asked to become a security officer for Sunset Gower Studios. He worked there for 10 years, and eventually became head of security for the studio.
I was thinking Jack would be 30 years old, to explain why he became head of security.
Insight
Adventurer
This post lists several locations important to this story. Some of these will make sense a little later as the story progresses. Suffice to say that your characters know of these locations as being around the general area where you work.
Emerald Pictures - 6600 W. Sunset Blvd, Hollywood CA
This is the filmmaking enterprise that employs the PCs at the start of “The Silent Partner”. Some of the action may take place here, but the project the PCs are associated with is being filmed at CBC Studios in Poverty Row.
Main Building: This two-story building is located at the front of the property. The vast majority of employees work in this office building.
Accounting
Budgeting
Casting
Distribution
Finance
Hiring Office
Legal
Marketing
Payroll
Production
Rights & Clearances
Sales
Security
Talent
Executive Building: Located behind the main building, these offices are off-limits to all but privileged personnel and guests.
Film Room
Film Vault
Isaac Steinburg’s Office (Steinburg is the head of Emerald Pictures)
Security
VPs Offices
Sound Stages (Under Construction)
Enzo’s News-Stand – 1401 N. La Brea Ave, Hollywood CA
Popular with local businessmen and talent alike, you can get copies of local newspapers at Enzo’s, as well as week-old copies of the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune. Popular magazines are also available at this news-stand.
Rio Alto Theatre – 6065 W. Sunset Blvd, Hollywood CA
This small theatre was, until the mid 1920s, showcasing east coast vaudeville acts for west coast audiences. When film started to take over, and vaudeville starting to wane, the Rio Alto did not want to convert to a cinema house, so it started placing off-Broadway musicals, magic shows, and other live entertainment on its playbills. The Rio Alto has been forced to “get with the times”, however, and now is in the process of converting its main stage to a cinema.
CBC Studios – 1438 N. Gower St, Hollywood CA
In 1929, this is located in an area known as Poverty Row. It is a collection of small studios and warehouses. Emerald Pictures uses the studios for productions until their own sound stages are completed (currently under construction). F.W. Murnau’s project is filming here.
Office Buildings
Building 1: Offices for CBC Productions
Building 7: Temporary Offices for Emerald Pictures
Security Shack/Front Gate
Studios
Studio 10: Murnau’s Film Project
Studio 13: Murnau’s Film Project
[sblock]Note that I am aware that the Wikipedia page for Sunset Gower Studios says that there is no Studio 13. Consider this to be "part of the mystery".[/sblock]
Warehouses & Storage
Storage Shed 18: Storage for Emerald Pictures
Wardrobe Building: Communal Storage for Large Wardrobes
The Wilshire Club – 1040 N. Las Palmas Ave, Hollywood CA
This gentleman’s club is popular with actors, writers, directors, and producers and is also where a lot of “talent scouting” goes on for “certain types of pictures”. A rumored speakeasy may be found in the basement.
We can add other locations as the story progresses.
EDIT: I may have made a historical error on the naming of Sunset Gower Studios. It appears that this name was only given the property after it was purchased in 1977.We'll use this name for now because I can't find what the name was before that. It may have just been "Columbia Studios" or "Cohn Studios" or something. OK upon further review, the studios we're using were part of CBC Productions (Harry Cohn's company before it became Columbia). We'll use that name from now on (and I'll edit the above and where necessary).
Emerald Pictures - 6600 W. Sunset Blvd, Hollywood CA
This is the filmmaking enterprise that employs the PCs at the start of “The Silent Partner”. Some of the action may take place here, but the project the PCs are associated with is being filmed at CBC Studios in Poverty Row.
Main Building: This two-story building is located at the front of the property. The vast majority of employees work in this office building.
Accounting
Budgeting
Casting
Distribution
Finance
Hiring Office
Legal
Marketing
Payroll
Production
Rights & Clearances
Sales
Security
Talent
Executive Building: Located behind the main building, these offices are off-limits to all but privileged personnel and guests.
Film Room
Film Vault
Isaac Steinburg’s Office (Steinburg is the head of Emerald Pictures)
Security
VPs Offices
Sound Stages (Under Construction)
Enzo’s News-Stand – 1401 N. La Brea Ave, Hollywood CA
Popular with local businessmen and talent alike, you can get copies of local newspapers at Enzo’s, as well as week-old copies of the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune. Popular magazines are also available at this news-stand.
Rio Alto Theatre – 6065 W. Sunset Blvd, Hollywood CA
This small theatre was, until the mid 1920s, showcasing east coast vaudeville acts for west coast audiences. When film started to take over, and vaudeville starting to wane, the Rio Alto did not want to convert to a cinema house, so it started placing off-Broadway musicals, magic shows, and other live entertainment on its playbills. The Rio Alto has been forced to “get with the times”, however, and now is in the process of converting its main stage to a cinema.
CBC Studios – 1438 N. Gower St, Hollywood CA
In 1929, this is located in an area known as Poverty Row. It is a collection of small studios and warehouses. Emerald Pictures uses the studios for productions until their own sound stages are completed (currently under construction). F.W. Murnau’s project is filming here.
Office Buildings
Building 1: Offices for CBC Productions
Building 7: Temporary Offices for Emerald Pictures
Security Shack/Front Gate
Studios
Studio 10: Murnau’s Film Project
Studio 13: Murnau’s Film Project
[sblock]Note that I am aware that the Wikipedia page for Sunset Gower Studios says that there is no Studio 13. Consider this to be "part of the mystery".[/sblock]
Warehouses & Storage
Storage Shed 18: Storage for Emerald Pictures
Wardrobe Building: Communal Storage for Large Wardrobes
The Wilshire Club – 1040 N. Las Palmas Ave, Hollywood CA
This gentleman’s club is popular with actors, writers, directors, and producers and is also where a lot of “talent scouting” goes on for “certain types of pictures”. A rumored speakeasy may be found in the basement.
We can add other locations as the story progresses.
EDIT: I may have made a historical error on the naming of Sunset Gower Studios. It appears that this name was only given the property after it was purchased in 1977.
Last edited:
Insight
Adventurer
Just a few slight modifications.
Sunset Gower Studios is called CBC Productions or CBC Studios at this point (see above for an explanation of my error in this regard). Also, it's only been around since 1921, which is 7-8 years before our story starts. Jack could have been working security at another studio (or even a bank or something else entirely) before joining CBC Studios in 1921 or 1922.
Selig-Polyscope Company is a possibility for Jack's first employer. They got out of the film business around 1919 and started running a poorly thought-out zoo from their studio lot. The place eventually went bankrupt and was purchased by Fox to open their first LA studio. I could see Jack working at the "zoo" and getting frustrated by the goings-on and looking for something else.
Last edited:
Walking Dad
First Post
Face
STR 14
CON 14
POW 13
DEX 9
APP 4
SIZ 13
INT 13
EDU 12
SAN 40
Characteristic Rolls
Idea (INT x5) 65%
Luck (POW x5) 65%
Know (EDU x5) 60%
Damage Bonus +1d4
Max Sanity 99
Derived Characteristics
Hit Points 14
Magic Points 13
Current Sanity 65
Skills
Edward 'Face' Pierson came (like so many young men and women) to Los Angeles. Other than most, he had everything that was needed. He wasn't dumb, was tall, but not freakish so, had a great physique and (his greatest asset) a really handsome face.
All he lacked were contacts. To get one leg into the industry, he started to take jobs as a stunt man, hoping to be 'discovered' by someone important. Just as it looked liked his plan begin to bear fruits, the accident happened. He doesn't like to talk about it, but he now got a face that could stop a bullet... almost literally, as steel plates were used in the reconstruction of it.
Succumbing some time to the bottle, he heard of the project of an eccentric European film maker.
Edward (still called 'Face', but now for a different reason) got his things together and applied to the film. He is now back in business, at least as stunt man. Perhaps for more...
Edu 12 x 20 = 240
ATHLETE: Climb, Dodge, Jump, Martial Arts, Ride, Swim, Throw, and any one other skill as a personal or era specialty.
Climb +20 (60%)
Dodge +62 (80%)
Jump +35 (60%)
martial Arts / Fist +25 (75%)
Ride +25 (30%)
Swim +25 (50%)
Throw +3 (28%)
Personal interest (Fast Talk) +45 (50%)
0 unspent
Int 13 x 10 = 130
Drive Auto +10 (30%)
Falling +35 (45%)
First Aid +10 (40%)
Listen +25 (50%)
Rifle +25 (50%)
Spot Hidden +25 (50%)
0 unspent
To have everything in one place. Still have to decide on skills.
STR 14
CON 14
POW 13
DEX 9
APP 4
SIZ 13
INT 13
EDU 12
SAN 40
Characteristic Rolls
Idea (INT x5) 65%
Luck (POW x5) 65%
Know (EDU x5) 60%
Damage Bonus +1d4
Max Sanity 99
Derived Characteristics
Hit Points 14
Magic Points 13
Current Sanity 65
Skills
Code:
o Accounting (10%) ______ o Law (05%) ______
o Anthropology (01%) ______ o Library Use (25%) ______
o Archaeology (01%) ______ o Listen (25%) ______
Art (05%): o Locksmith (01%) ______
o ________________ ______ o Martial Arts (01%) ______
o ________________ ______ o Mech. Repair (20%) ______
o Astronomy (01%) ______ o Medicine (05%) ______
o Bargain (05%) ______ o Natural History (10%) ______
o Biology (01%) ______ o Navigate (10%) ______
o Chemistry (01%) ______ o Occult (05%) ______
o Climb (40%) ______ o Opr. Hvy. Mch. (01%) ______ o Sneak (10%) ______
o Conceal (15%) ______ o Other Language (01%): o Spot Hidden (25%) ______
Craft (05%): o _______________ ______ o Swim (25%) ______
o ________________ ______ o _______________ ______ o Throw (25%) ______
o ________________ ______ o _______________ ______ o Track (10%) ______
o Credit Rating (15%) ______ o Own Language (60%): o ________________ ______
Cthulhu Mythos (00) ______ o _______________ ______ o ________________ ______
o Disguise (01%) ______ o Persuade (15%) ______ o ________________ ______
o Dodge (18%) ______ o Pharmacy (01%) ______ o ________________ ______
o Drive Auto (20%) ______ o Photography (10%) ______ o ________________ ______
o Electr. Repair (10%) ______ o Physics (01%) ______ o ________________ ______
o Fast Talk (05%) ______ o Pilot (01%): Firearms
o First Aid (30%) ______ o _______________ ______ o Handgun (20%) ______
o Geology (01%) ______ o _______________ ______ o Machine Gun (15%) ______
o Hide (10%) ______ o Psychoanalysis (01%) ______ o Rifle (25%) ______
o History (20%) ______ o Psychology (05%) ______ o Shotgun (30%) ______
o Jump (25%) ______ o Ride (05%) ______ o SMG (15%)All he lacked were contacts. To get one leg into the industry, he started to take jobs as a stunt man, hoping to be 'discovered' by someone important. Just as it looked liked his plan begin to bear fruits, the accident happened. He doesn't like to talk about it, but he now got a face that could stop a bullet... almost literally, as steel plates were used in the reconstruction of it.
Succumbing some time to the bottle, he heard of the project of an eccentric European film maker.
Edward (still called 'Face', but now for a different reason) got his things together and applied to the film. He is now back in business, at least as stunt man. Perhaps for more...
Edu 12 x 20 = 240
ATHLETE: Climb, Dodge, Jump, Martial Arts, Ride, Swim, Throw, and any one other skill as a personal or era specialty.
Climb +20 (60%)
Dodge +62 (80%)
Jump +35 (60%)
martial Arts / Fist +25 (75%)
Ride +25 (30%)
Swim +25 (50%)
Throw +3 (28%)
Personal interest (Fast Talk) +45 (50%)
0 unspent
Int 13 x 10 = 130
Drive Auto +10 (30%)
Falling +35 (45%)
First Aid +10 (40%)
Listen +25 (50%)
Rifle +25 (50%)
Spot Hidden +25 (50%)
0 unspent
To have everything in one place. Still have to decide on skills.
Last edited:
Insight
Adventurer
Looks good, WD. I hope that the other players are fairly close on their characters. Please post when ready.
I'd like to get this game started some time this week. We can start without having everything done, but not having characters finalized makes skill checks a bit of a hassle.
I'd like to get this game started some time this week. We can start without having everything done, but not having characters finalized makes skill checks a bit of a hassle.
Insight
Adventurer
Gear n Stuff
Once you have determined your character's annual income, we can also calculate the cash on hand value as well as personal property, investments, savings, and real estate.
Take your character's Annual Income and multiply by 5. Call this Total Cash for now (the game doesn't have a name for it, but we'll call it that for the purposes of character creation).
- 1/10 of Total Cash value is kept as Savings. Subtract this from the Total Cash amount. You can have MORE than this amount in Savings if you wish.
- 1/10 of Total Cash value is in Investments (stocks, bonds, business deals, etc) or other holdings that your character can access within 30 days. Subtract this from the Total Cash amount. You can have MORE than this amount in Investments.
- If your character owns a home, subtract its value from Total Cash. Homes in the 1920s in Hollywood/LA ranged anywhere from $2000 to $5000 or more. We'll use this amount as a placeholder amount, since most people did not pay for houses with cash (just like now). Subtract this amount from Total Cash. If your character rents, ignore this.
- The remaining amount is Cash on Hand. This is what you use to purchase items.
Without posting the entire 1920s equipment list, buying equipment is going to prove to be a little challenging. The way I want to handle this is to have you state what you want your character to own and I will let you know how much it costs. If you're not sure about equipment, I can post some items that make sense for your character. We can also use historical resources (such as the Sears Catalog) to figure out some prices.
Once you have determined your character's annual income, we can also calculate the cash on hand value as well as personal property, investments, savings, and real estate.
Take your character's Annual Income and multiply by 5. Call this Total Cash for now (the game doesn't have a name for it, but we'll call it that for the purposes of character creation).
- 1/10 of Total Cash value is kept as Savings. Subtract this from the Total Cash amount. You can have MORE than this amount in Savings if you wish.
- 1/10 of Total Cash value is in Investments (stocks, bonds, business deals, etc) or other holdings that your character can access within 30 days. Subtract this from the Total Cash amount. You can have MORE than this amount in Investments.
- If your character owns a home, subtract its value from Total Cash. Homes in the 1920s in Hollywood/LA ranged anywhere from $2000 to $5000 or more. We'll use this amount as a placeholder amount, since most people did not pay for houses with cash (just like now). Subtract this amount from Total Cash. If your character rents, ignore this.
- The remaining amount is Cash on Hand. This is what you use to purchase items.
Without posting the entire 1920s equipment list, buying equipment is going to prove to be a little challenging. The way I want to handle this is to have you state what you want your character to own and I will let you know how much it costs. If you're not sure about equipment, I can post some items that make sense for your character. We can also use historical resources (such as the Sears Catalog) to figure out some prices.
