Trail of Cthulhu cover posted

[jonathan swift]

Briefly, how is this managed?

Several ways.

1) Even a one point investment in an investigation skill will usually be enough to get the basic information from the clue. It is recommended that 3 or 4 points in a skill is a good max, and more will never really be needed. This allows each character to get a good number of investigative skills and be able to contribute.

2) The fewer characters in the party, the more points each one has to buy skills. Thus no matter how many players you have, you'll still have enough build points for people to buy all the skills.

3) It suggests in the rulebook that players coordinate in character creation so that every single skill is taken by at least one person.

 

[Glyfair]

Apparently the second GUMSHOE game, Fear Itself was just released. Sort of sounds like a Cthulhu game made by someone who couldn't get the license. We know that isn't true

Fear Itself serves as an ideal platform for one-shot games, in which, like any self-respecting horror flick, few, if any, of the protagonists are expected to survive the climax.

 

[PrinceXaxor]

Well, this just jumped up on my interest list then. I might even be able to drag a group together.

 

[Committed Hero]

I have to be honest, while the idea may have first seen print in Esoterrorists, the "make sure the party has the clues" idea is not a new one - CoC Keepers have been agonizing with it for decades. Unfortunately, the book lacks advice to prevent a GUMSHOE investigation from becoming a simple run down of the skill shopping list until the right one is selected. It also requires the GM to be pretty well-versed in investigative lore to come up with interesting clues.

 

[Glyfair]

I have to be honest, while the idea may have first seen print in Esoterrorists, the "make sure the party has the clues" idea is not a new one - CoC Keepers have been agonizing with it for decades.

And waht was their solution?

It also requires the GM to be pretty well-versed in investigative lore to come up with interesting clues.

Which system doesn't (beyond a totally abstract "roll and go to the next link" system)?

 

[Committed Hero]

And what was their solution?

Don't require a roll for important clues (I'm not arguing it's a good system).

Which system doesn't (beyond a totally abstract "roll and go to the next link" system)?

Funny you should ask!

 

[Piratecat]

I can remember at least five CoC games I've been in where everyone failed their spot hidden rolls, stopping the scenario dead in its tracks. Poor adventure design, of course, but also the fault of an otherwise great system.

What impresses me is that GUMSHOE addresses this, and still manages to maintain an excellent (in)sanity system.

 

[Korgoth]

What is combat like in this system? In mechanical terms, I mean.