Alone Against the Dark-Ironmaster's d20 Call of Cthulhu game [OOC-Full]

[Ironmaster]

ALONE AGAINST THE DARK – a d20 Call of Cthulhu horror campaign.

Four friends are drawn into a dark design of mystery and terror. Solve the riddle of disturbing disappearances to forestall grim disasters that threatens the planet.

WHO: Currently Full (as of Sept. 24, 2005)
I need four players who can post at least daily on a regular basis. Players should have at least a passing knowledge of what the world was like in the 1920s and 1930s, and know how to play d20 or DND V.3.+. Prior experience with any incarnation of Call of Cthulhu, or Mythos knowledge is not important.

Current Characters

Antonio Solari; Male PhD Maths Student, Professor, Italian, 1st level (played by Spell)
Status: Completed

Harold Douglass; Male Archeologist Defensive American 1st lvl (played by Fenris)
Status: Incomplete

Father James Cromwell; Catholic Priest Level 1 (played by Psionic Mind Flayer)
Status: Incomplete

Shane Douglas; Male Reporter Defensive American 1st lvl (played by Toric Arthendain)
Status: Completed

WHAT:
The game uses d20 rules for the Call of Cthulhu game, published by Wizards of the Coast. Players familiar with d20 Modern or DND v.3.+ should have no problems with the rules. Each character must be friends with at least one other character, details to be discussed. Preferred roles are: Miskatonic University professor and/or student, reporter, wealthy financier, and U.S. Navy officer. Other roles can be taken, upon discussion.

WHEN:
The players should be able to post regularly, on a daily basis.
The game begins Tuesday, September 1st, 1931.

WHERE:
The world is a close analog of our own world in the year 1931. Superficially, its history resembles our own. It even shares the same calendar. It may not share the same future, depending on what events transpire in the game, and it is certainly not this world.
Characters will end up traversing the world in the name of solving mysteries.

HOW:
Characters are generated using 4d6 (take best 3) assign as desired. The only character class is the Explorer, which gives d6 hit dice, 8 skill points per level, and variable BAB and Saves. Profession determines class skills. Details are given in the following post.
Dice rolling is done at www.invisiblecastle.com, using the character’s name.

IF you are interested, please post a simple reply, saying you are interested, and what general type of concept you have. Preference will be given to concepts which work best together.

 

[Ironmaster]

Characters

Character Generation

All characters are first level.

Ability Scores: Use Invisible Castle to roll 4d6 (take highest 3) and arrange to taste. You may reroll if your total modifiers are zero (0) or less OR if your highest score is less than 13.

Race: All characters are human.

Class: There is no class per se, but all characters receive d6 hit dice per level, and 8 skill points per level. CoC characters are defined by their skills rather than any major combat craziness. Players may choose a defensive character option, or an offensive character option.

Defensive options give poor BAB (+0 BAB at first level) and two good saves (your choice). Offensive characters get medium BAB (+1 BAB at first level, though) and one good save (your choice).

Feats: All characters start with two feats. No character stars with any Weapon Proficiency unless they take the offensive option.

A COMPLETE LIST OF FEATS
Acrobatic
Alertness
Ambidexterity
Animal Affinity
Athletic
Blind-Fight
Cautious
Combat Casting
Dodge
Mobility
Spring Attack
Drive-by Attack
Endurance
Expertise
Gearhead
Great Fortitude
Improved Critical (BAB 8+)
Improved Initiative
Iron Will
Lightning Reflexes
Martial Artist
Nimble
Persuasive
Point Blank Shot
Far Shot
Precise Shot
Rapid Shot
Multishot
Shot on the Run
Rolling Shot
Power Attack
Cleave
Quick Draw
Run
Sharp-Eyed
Skill Emphasis (per skill)
Stealthy
Toughness
Track
Trustworthy
Two-Weapon Fighting
Wealth
Weapon Finesse (per weapon)
Weapon Focus (per weapon)
Weapon Proficiency, includes melee weapon, thrown weapon, pistol, rifle, shotgun, sub-machine gun

Skills: A character has a profession template that describes the role they play in society. This profession template determines what skills are class skills. Some examples of profession templates include: Agent, Antiquarian, Archaeologist, Artist/Musician, Blue-Collar Worker, Criminal, Detective/Private Investigator, Dilettante, Doctor/Nurse, Parapsychologist, Priest/Clergyman, Professor, Psychologist, Soldier, Technician, White-Collar Worker/Businessman, Writer/Reporter.

ARCHAEOLOGIST
Appraise, Climb, Knowledge (archaeology), Knowledge (history), Knowledge (any one), Research, Search, Speak Other Language, Spot, plus three more of players choice.

PRIEST/CLERGYMAN
Concentration, Diplomacy, Knowledge (religion), Knowledge (any one), Knowledge (any one), Listen, Sense Motive, Speak Other Language, Spot, plus three more of players choice.

PROFESSOR
Concentration, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Knowledge (any one), Knowledge (any one), Knowledge (any one), Research, Speak Other Language, Spot, plus three more of players choice

WRITER/REPORTER
Craft (photography), Craft (writing), Diplomacy, Gather Information, Innuendo, Knowledge (any one), Knowledge (any one), Research, Sense Motive, plus three more of players choice.

A COMPLETE LIST OF SKILLS

Animal Empathy (Cha)
Appraise (Int)
Balance (Dex)
Bluff (Cha)
Climb (Str)
Concentration (Con)
Craft (Int) includes Carpentry, Chemistry, Clockwork, Gunsmith, Photography, Sculpting, Songwriting, Writing
Cthulhu Mythos (None, may not start with this skill)
Demolitions (Int)*
Disable Device (Int)*
Disguise (Cha)
Drive (Dex)
Escape Artist (Dex)
Forgery (Int)
Gather Information (Cha)
Handle Animal (Cha)*
Heal (Wis)
Hide (Dex)
Innuendo (Wis)
Intimidate (Cha)
Jump (Str)
Knowledge (Int) *, Included Accounting, Anthropology, Archaeology, Architecture, Art, Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Geography, Geology, History, Law, Local, Mathematics, MEdicine, Meteorology, Occult, Philosophy, Physics, Psychology, Religion, Streetwise
Listen (Wis)
Move Silently (Dex)
Open Lock (Dex)*
Operate Heavy Machinery (Dex)*, such as a crane, bulldozer, industrial machine, etc.
Performance (Cha)* each as a seperate skill
Pilot (Dex)* includes Small Aircraft, Hot Air Balloon, Motor Boat, Dirigible, Sailboat/Sailing Ship
Psychic Focus (Wis)*
Psychoanalysis (Wis)*
Read Lips (Int)*
Repair (Int)* repair damaged machinery as opposed to making them from scratch (Craft)
Research (Int) to obtain information from books, filing systems, libraries, newspaper morgues, etc.
Ride (Dex)
Search (Int)
Sense Motive (Wis)
Sleight of Hand (Dex)* includes picking pockets, palming small objects, etc.
Speak Other Language (Int)* unlike DND, 1 rank makes you the ability to speak the language and read it, BUT skill checks can be make (mostly against DC 15) to see how well you understand less obvious stuff, make yourself understood, or intuit vague references or dialects. Reading Mythos tombs requires high DC checks to understand them.
Spellcraft (Int)* only works if you know the spell, or a variation of it, or have deciphered them in a Mythos tome. Starting characters with this skill have it as purely academic knowledge, not practical knowledge.
Spot (Wis)
Swim (Str)
Tumble (Dex) *
Use Rope (Dex)
Wilderness Lore (Wis)


Defense Bonus: Characters get a bonus to AC depending on level. For defensive characters this amounts to +2 AC at level one, and for offensive characters +0 AC at level one. Offensive characters do get an extra Weapon Proficiency feat at first level. It should be noted that no character starts proficient in any type of weapon, so this feat is a big deal.

Wounds/Hit Points: Characters will use the W/VP system of Star Wars d20. Basically, Wounds = Con. You normally take damage to hit points. If you suffer a critical hit, you take points to Wounds. When wounds = 0 you are dead. If you are out of hit points, you take wound points instead. For Hit Points, everyone should take four (4) hit points at first level, and ROLL 1d6 at invisible castle at each level thereafter.

Sanity: Characters have a score to reflect their mental health. This score starts at Wis x 5, but may go up (and more likely down!). After the start of the game, you will NOT know your current Sanity score, I will take care of managing it.

I WILL DETERMINE YOUR STARTING WEALTH, ONCE YOU HAVE FINISHED EVERYTHING ELSE.


CHARACTER SHEET

Name
Gender Profession Template Nationality??st lvl

Str ??
Dex ??
Con ??
Int ??
Wis ??
Cha ??

Hit Points ??
AC ??, Touch ??, Flat ??
Init +??
BAB +??, Grap +??
Speed ?? (base ??, load 0/33)
Fort +??, Ref +??, Will +??

+?? Melee, weaponname, 1d6+??, 20/x2
+??/+?? Melee, weaponname/weaponname, 1d6+??/1d6+??, 20/x2
+?? Ranged, weaponname, 1d6+??, 20/x2, 30'r
+??/+?? Ranged, weaponname/weaponname, 1d6+??/1d6+??, 20/x2, 30'r

??'??" tall, ?? wt, ?? yrs old
Colortype hair, colortype eyes, tonetype skin

+?? Skillname (4)
+?? Skillname (4)
+?? Skillname (4)
+?? Skillname (4acp) add acp if susceptible to armor penalties
+?? Skillname (2cc) add cc if cross classed
+?? Skillname (4 + 2cc) show multiclass ranks seperately
+0 Listen (0)
+0 Spot (0)

Feats
-featname (optional brief summary here)
-featname (optional brief summary here)



Profession Template Skills
-skill
-skill
-skill



Write a long paragraph of character background and history here. Try to take advantage of using this section to make your character interesting instead of just a "video-gamish" list of D&D statistics. But don't write so much that it makes people's eyes fall out, keep it focused and stick to the highlights.

Write a paragraph that describes the characters personality, manners, attitude, motivations, likes, desires, goals, aspirations, fears, habits, quirks, and similar things. Thinking about that stuff and writing it down will help you role-play much much better and your games will become more fun for you and everybody else playing with you. Who knows, your role-playing might help you win an Academy Award someday (riiiight).

Write out another paragraph with details describing the way your PC looks when first encountered. Make him/her unique enough so that your character isn't just another boring face in the crowd. Also be sure to describe all your clothing colors and materials so that everyone isn't walking around looking like perfect clones wearing duplicate copies of Adventurer Jumpsuit Outfit #9!!


Equipment Carried

Item (location, wt, cost)

Money

 

[Ironmaster]

Game Info

Tba

 

[psychic mind flayer]

I'd probalby be interested in playing. I'm thinking of a catholic priest sort of thing. If not, then a kind of rich private eye.

 

[psychic mind flayer]

I have experience with both D&D, CoC d20, and CoC BRP, which would make stuff easier.

 

[Ironmaster]

Sounds good. Now I just need a few more interested people!

 

[Fenris]

Put me down for a university professor!

 

[Spell]

can i be in?

how about a post graduate student of said uni professor?

or should i play something more combat oriented?

how about 4 friends from university, meeting for some kind of reunion? one of them might have becomed a priest (or a private eye), another a lecturer in the local university, another one might have just returned to uni after a brief working spell...

 

[Ironmaster]

Spell, I believe that is a capital idea.

 

[Spell]

does that mean i'm in, then?

questions:
1. i am ok with posting the character, and knowing which rules or houserules you are adopting, but are we going to be doing our rollings and describe our actions by using game mechanincs?
2. where are we from? is it depression usa or decadent europe?
3. how much knowledge of the age/ general national background do you espect?


also another idea if everybody digs the reunion one...
in order to capitalise on the character creation, since we're all friends, i think we should post a very rough character concept, with name, so that we can make little references in the backgrounds. Nothing too illuminating or personal, just a tiny bit of info to hang on to, if we wish.

my character is Antonio Solari. he got a degree in maths. he left the university and moved to the country to marry a Rachel Small. he worked as schoolteacher and minded about his farm. When Rachel died, last september, Antonio decided to sell everything and to return to the university, to try and get a phd and, eventually, a place as reader.

(i assumed an english speaking country for the "background"... if this is not true, i will change the bride name in something more appropriate)