One-Shots I'll Probably Never Run - 1950s New Mexico

I've had an original Xbox for some years now.  A hand-me-down from my Aunt and Uncle, which I didn't really get into playing until the early years of High School.  The one game that I played relentlessly?  The third-person shooter parody of 1950s UFO films, Destroy All Humans.  It recently struck me that it'd be a good idea to run a one-shot for Call of Cthulhu, set during the 1950s.  Using the reference material found in the Atomic-Age Cthulhu.  So without further delay let's dive right into it.

The game that largely inspired this post.

The Pitch

It's 1950 in the sleepy little town of Totally-not-Roswell New Mexico.  Not much to do in this one horse town.  Except work, hang around the local diner and go to the drive-in.  Nothing exciting's happened around here since the Old West days.  

At least not until strange things start happening.  Starts out a local farmer's cattle are found cut to pieces.  A local hooligan's prized souped-up roadster is found crashed into a ditch not far from town.  With no sign of either the hooligan or the girl he was with.  Things only get stranger when a pair of FBI agents show up and start nosing around Totally-not-Roswell.  Next thing you know a bunch of Soldiers from the nearby base start camping outside of town.  Near where the occurrences have been taking place.  Claiming it's part of a "training exercise", something's not right about the whole thing.  One thing's for sure though this is the most excitement that's happened around here in decades.  Now if only someone could figure out what all the fuss was about.

Character Archetypes

A number of character types came to mind when I first thought of this idea. 

• Western Lawman (Investigator's Companion Vol. 2): This could represent the town's small Sheriff called upon to investigate the disappearances and the cattle mutilations.  Given the location he may even still operate on horseback. 
• Farmer/Rancher (Investigator's Companion Vol. 2): Could actually be owner of the cows that were mutilated.  Or just a rubber-necking neighbour who likes sticking his nose into other people's business more than he likes working.  
• Reporter/Newspaper Editor (Investigator's Companion Vol. 2): Perhaps the sole employee of the one newspaper in town or an out-of-towner just passing through.  (Maybe his car broke down and he's stuck in Totally-not-Roswell until it's fixed).  He'd definitely take an interest in the strange goings-on around town.  
• Student/Greaser/Teeny-Bopper: Bored teenager with nothing better to do.  The Student from the Investigator's Companion could represent the Nerd, or with the right hobby skills he could be a Jock trying to get a scholarship out of this one-horse town.  The Greaser from the Atomic Age sourcebook could be used to represent your local delinquent.  The Teeny-Bopper would be similar to the Flapper from the Investigator's Companion.  As both are primarily interested in the latest thing of their respective eras.  (Is it just me or is this starting to sound like an Archie comic?)  Anyone of these Occupations could be used to represent the bored teenager, who gets caught up snooping where they shouldn't. 

As an afterthought in case any of these characters served during World War Two.  I would use the rules from the Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion to represent Investigators' experience in WW1.  All you would really have to do is get rid of some choices that wouldn't logically be available during WW2. 

Conclusion

So there you have it a Pitch for a one-shot set during the 1950s in New Mexico.  Based largely on the UFO films of the same era.  I personally think that the setting has some potential for an exciting game of Call of Cthulhu.  Let me know what you think in the comments below, don't forget to +1, reshare and follow.  As always may the dice be ever in your favour and have a nice day.

One-Shots I'll Probably Never Get to Run: The Ghost and the Darkness

Last winter I watched a movie called the Ghost and the Darkness.  Starring Val Kilmer and Michael Douglas.  I got to thinking about it the other day and I thought "wow this would make a great horror one-shot".  So I've decided to write down some thoughts about how I would "game" the Ghost and the Darkness.  The basic plot of the movie is something like Jaws.  Only instead of a giant man-eating shark haunting the waters of Martha's Vineyard-esque resort town.  You have two large man-eating Tsavo Lion stalking the Hindu workers of an East African railroad camp.

Choosing a System

There are two systems that instantly sprung to mind when I decided I wanted to write a one-shot based on this movie.  Cthulhu by Gaslight and Dread.  Both of these systems are exclusively horror games, which in their own ways do a great job of portraying the horror genre.  Call of Cthulhu uses a sanity mechanic to measure the character's reactions to witnessing horrible sights.  The by Gaslight expansion also covers the era that this game would take place the 1890s.  Dread on the other hand is a largely narrative game that uses a unique mechanic of a Jenga Tower to resolve action.  Anyone who has played the game Jenga will tell you how intense it can sometimes get, when you are playing for keeps.  As the game progresses the stakes get higher and the more likely one of the players will die off, just like in your typical horror movie.  I think both games are valid choices for this one-shot, so I don't think I will be choosing any particular one at this point in time.  

The Set-Up 

The game will have the players taking the roles of members of a railway construction crew.  At the Tsavo River crossing in Kenya.  They have been tasked with building a bridge across the river as part of the Uganda-Mombasa railway being built by the British Empire.  Roles would include the Chief Engineer, the head of the camp's Infirmary, a Missionary, a head of Railroad Security and various Hindi/native labourers.  Shortly after arriving one of the labourers is found dead after being dragged from his tent in the middle of the night.  The characters of course don't witness this.  They just find the remains of the worker outside of the camp the next day.  To set them on the wrong path, I would make the worker that was killed either a foreman or a labourer that had been working for the railroad for some time.  Creating a red herring that maybe the death was the result of foul-play.  A murder made to look like a mauling by a wild animal, so another labourer could steal the wealthy labourer's earnings.  This is what Lieutenant Colonel John Henry Patterson the man who actually shot and killed the Tsavo Man-eaters thought when the initial attacks started.  For extra measure to make the players take the bait, I would have the deadman's earnings disappear from his personal effects (the culprit one of his opportunistic co-workers).

More attacks would soon follow (shortly after the characters concluded their investigation into the matter of the stolen money).  Perhaps with one or more of the characters being among the next victims.  This might be the first time that the characters see one of the lions.  It would be up to the players to figure out a way to deal with this (at the moment) pest.  Normal methods of hunting will result in failure, (using a donkey as bait for example, these lions prefer human flesh) if the characters camp the spot of a recent attack, the lions move onto somewhere new.  Sometimes days, even weeks will pass without there being an attack. 

Absence of a threat won't be enough to quell the worker's fear though.  In real life Patterson's workers all but threatened to kill him on account of the attacks not happening until he showed up at the Tsavo Crossing.  Dealing with worker revolt and desertion will also be a danger unto itself.  It might even be appropriate to have a group of workers kill one of the players, in hopes of appeasing what they perceive as Demons in the form of lions.  One of the stories I've heard is that some of the workers at Tsavo actually believed the lions were really the spirits of two tribal shamans, intent on driving the white man out of Africa.  It's an aspect of the story that I would really love to play up.  As this is a horror game, it might even be true.  The Lion's really could be evil spirits, such a plot wouldn't be out of place in a Call of Cthulhu game.  There was certainly enough things that happened, to fuel these rumours.  At one point Patterson constructed a railcar that he used to trap one of the lions.  In the car was ten Indian Sepoys with rifles, standing behind steel bars to separate themselves from the animal.  They apparently fired at the lion at point-blank range for a rifle.  Unable to hit it as the lion was roaring and trying to attack them through the bars, the noise from their rifles disoriented them.  The car filled with smoke because the guns they used didn't use smokeless gunpowder.  One of the Sepoys ended up going deaf from all the noise.  Eventually one of the bullets hit the gate on the other end of the car and made it possible for the lion to escape.  After such an incident it would be hard not to believe that the animals were ghosts.

In Conclusion

These are just some thoughts on a One-Shot that I'll probably never get to run.  It would have to rely heavily on the players never having seen the Ghost and the Darkness.  As that would ruin the sense of immersion, that is necessary when you want to scare players in a horror scenario.  Also I would try to keep the characters from seeing the lions for as long as I could.  Since a lion in itself is not very terrifying, unless you're standing right in front of one looking to attack you.  If a character is killed while alone I wouldn't describe what kills them, instead I would describe the other characters finding their corpse the next day.  If they find the corpse at all.   So there it is, what do you think?  Be sure to +1, comment and follow.  Have a nice day and enjoy your games.

Campaigns I'll Probably Never Get to Run: Shanghai 1930 Part 2

We return once again to the vice-riddled city of Shanghai 1930, a Call of Cthulhu Campaign minus the Mythos.  Last time I laid the groundwork in terms of setting and the game system that would be used.  This time I plan to lay out some of the character archetypes, that would be appropriate to the campaign.  I also plan to cover some rules that I think would greatly benefit the campaign.  Without further ado let's get started.

Shanghai 1930 Occupations

One of the things that draws me to the Call of Cthulhu system for this campaign, is the myriad of Occupations that the players can choose from.  Volume 2 of the Investigator's Companion is a particularly good resource for this particular game.  As it has many of the occupations that I think would be interesting to see in such a campaign.  Occupations such as...

Native Chinese

Gangster, Shifty Account/Lawyer (Legitimate Business Face-man), Police Detective (French Concession Police or Shanghai Municipal Police), Smuggler/Pirate, Hitman, Bartender, Bookie, Small Business Owner, Political Boss, Company Officer/Executive, Thug

Refugees (White Russians, Central European Jews, German Entertainers  and closeted Homosexuals) 

Dilletante (former Russian Aristos), Military Officer (fleeing the Bolshevik purges), Student/Intern,  Cocktail Waitress, Hooker (former Russian nobility, working as high class call girls), Entertainer, Bartender, Rabbi, Russian Orthodox Priest (use Catholic Priest occupation), Jazz Musician, Legitimate Musician, Con Artist, Political Activist (White Russian emigres continuing the fight against the Bolsheviks while in exile, use the Communist/Radical occupation), Mercenary (Work for Chinese Warlords, Bodyguards to Gangsters or French Concession Special Riot Police), Antique Dealer

International Settlement 

Small Business Owner, Company Officer/Executive, Writer, Spy, Foreign Correspondent, Missionary (British, American Protestant or French Catholic), Editor (Local Foreign Language Paper), Dilettante (The Idle Rich of the Western World come to sample what he Paris of the East has to offer), Soldier/Marine (British Army, American Marines, Annamese French Colonial Troops, Italian Marines and Japanese Infantry), Police Detective (French Concession Police or Shanghai Municipal Police), Ambassador (Foreign Consul), Gambler, Con Artist, Hit Man, Gangster, Burglar, Film Star (Remember Charlie Chaplin is staying at the Cathay Hotel in Shanghai around this time)

Special Rules for Shanghai 1930

Opium

Since opium is a significant source of income and vice in Shanghai.  It only seemed fitting that I include rules for the consumption of it.  This was lifted from Call of Cthulhu Secrets of San Francisco. 

Duration: 1d3+1 hours.

Duration Effects: all Sanity checks with a +10 percentile chance of success.  The effects of any insanities that an investigator might be suffering are negated for the duration, and the investigator can ignore all CON rolls against pain. 

Duration Side Effects: immobility for 1d2 hours, constipation, and nausea.  Each time opium is smoke an investigator makes a Luck roll, a failure results in the loss of 1d2 hit points

Addiction: after 1d6 uses the investigator is addicted, needing to take the drug once a day.  Failure to do so results in agitation with all skills except Cthulhu Mythos reduced by half normal value.  If the investigator can stay off opium for 1d3+3 weeks, requiring a POW x3 roll per week to do so, his or her skill levels return to normal. 

Cthulhu Mythos: investigators have a chance equal to their current skill level of receiving frightening otherworldly visions costing 0/1d3 points of Sanity each time they smoke opium.

Gambling

Gambling is also another big part of the atmosphere in 1930s Shanghai.  The Westerners & Japanese were fond of Roulette & Cards, while the Chinese primarily focused on mahjong, fan-tan and dice.  I'll have to keep looking for rules for the Chinese games.  Until then here are rules for Roulette, Poker and Blackjack lifted from Call of Cthulhu King of Chicago.
Blackjack: Player and dealer roll against their Luck scores each round until one fails--if both fail during the same round, ties go to the house.  The minimum bet is $10; it pays 2 to 1.
Roulette: The player's chance of winning is equal to his POW plus 1%.  The minimum bet is $10; it pays 5 to 1.
Poker: There are four players each game.  For every new hand, each player rolls against his Luck score each round until only one player is left--the winner, who takes the pot.  If all players are eliminated in the same round, the one with the highest Luck score wins.  The minimum bet is $10, but if no winner is declared after the first round, add $10 to the pot for each player who advances to the to the next round; this procedure continues until a winner is declared.
  

World War One Service (Also Russian Civil War)

Character Military service in the First World War is often overlooked in Call of Cthulhu.  I have tried since discovering the game, to find a way to remedy this.  After acquiring a copy of the Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion, I think I finally have the answer I've been searching for.

The rules go something like this, for every year served (to a maximum of four) the character gains 15 skill points and loses 1d3 sanity points.  The skill points are distributed among one of the packages listed below.* This can be used to represent service in the Trenches of France for British and American characters.  It can also be used to represent service in the Russian Civil War for White Russian exiles.  A number of Chinese served in the British & French Chinese Labour Corps.  These rules can be used to simulate their experiences in the trenches or while working in Allied Munitions Factories.

Intelligence Officer: Bargain, Cartography, Climb, Credit Rating, Dodge, Handgun, Hide, Jump, Listen, Meteorology, Navigate, Other Language, Persuade, Psychology

Officer: Bargain, Climb, Credit Rating, Dodge, Handgun, Hide, Jump, Listen, Navigate, Persuade

Rifleman: Bayonet, Climb, Conceal, Dodge, Fast Talk, Hide, Jump, Listen, Machine Gun, Rifle, Sneak, Spot Hidden

Sapper (also Chinese Labour Corps): Climb, Conceal, Dodge, Electrical Repair, Explosives, Fast Talk, Operate Heavy Machinery, Jump, Mechanical Repair, Rifle

Munitions Worker (Chinese Labour Corps): Chemistry, Mechanical Repair, Operate Heavy Machinery, -1 Appearance

A Word on Languages

Linguistically the Shanghai 1930 campaign would be incredibly diverse.  Moreso than the standard Call of Cthulhu game where most of the characters speak the same language (i.e. English).  English will probably be the standard for American and British characters in the International Settlement.  In the French Concession it will likely be French, or Russian.  For many Russian ex-nobles French would be their first language with Russian being their second.  In fact many Russian women in Shanghai made their living teaching French to the children of upper-class Chinese.  Japanese will also be not be unheard in 1930s Shanghai, with a significant Japanese community residing in the International Settlement.  Complete with a garrison of Imperial Army soldiers.  In terms of Chinese Dialects, Mandarin is unlikely to be heard outside of a Courtroom or among the company of intellectuals.  Whereas Cantonese is primarily spoken in Hong Kong and by some businessmen in Shanghai.  The City and the surrounding country-side's dialect of Choice is Wu or "Shanghainese".  

Wrapping Things Up

Before I end this post I felt I should explain some things about what I have written so far.  These occupations are mostly meant to represent, the high-rollers of Shanghai.  If I were to sum up this campaign in a few words it would probably look something like this.  Boardwalk Empire in 1930s Shanghai.  The game would primarily deal with backroom deals between the various factions of the City.  Any conflict will most likely come from outside the city, in the form of outside forces.  Throwing a monkey wrench into an otherwise well-oiled machine.  This is a game where a lot of notes would be passed between the individual players and the GM.  The players would switch sides as it suited their character's ambitions.  I personally would encourage a wide variety of characters from all three of the factions.  Perhaps even going so far as to ask the players to make three different characters.  Meant to give the players something to do, when the action isn't centred around their initial character's sphere of influence.  So there it is Shanghai 1930, a campaign I'll probably never get to run.  What do you think?  Be sure to comment with any thoughts you may have.

*Note: Only some of the packages have been included from the MoNC, if other packages are wanted, you can find them there. 

  

Campaigns I'll Probably Never Get to Run: Shanghai 1930 Part 1

So I recently took a look at the Hillfolk expansion Blood on the Snow.  Hillfolk is a tabletop role-playing game that uses the Drama System, it was created by Robin Laws.  You can find the game over at the Pelgrane Press website.  While I have never used Hillfolk as written, I have been very impressed by it.  The Game's books include some of the best campaign pitches and adventure seeds, I have ever read.  So while scanning Blood on the Snow, I came across a seed that sparked my interest. Shanghai 1930.  Now I will admit, the title is not what captured my attention.  Prior to reading the pitch, I had known nothing about Shanghai during that era.  What caught me was the nutshell, elevator Pitch that was given for this campaign.  The following quotation is taken from Blood on the Snow, page 43.

"In the sin-drenched free port of 1930s Shanghai, criminal gangs, refugees, revolutionaries and adventurers vie for power as a new world war looms."

Needless to say that little bit of writing is what caught my attention.  I was still a little skeptical due to still being unfamiliar with Shanghai in that time period.  Further reading of the campaign overview helped to alleviate any skepticism I may have had left about running a game in that setting.  There were plenty of factions with conflicting interests, to make for an intriguing background, to run a campaign through.

Shanghai during the 1930s was city of sin, violence and fast money.  At the time the city was the centre of China's national and international opium trade.  Business was doing so well that many Shanghainese gangsters had set themselves up with positions within the cities Police force.  To ensure that business continued to run smoothly.  As one of the world's only free ports (a city one could enter without a passport) Shanghai was also a safe haven to many European Refugees.  Most notably White Russian emigres, European Jews fleeing the emerging right-wing political parties.  As well as many German entertainers & closeted homosexuals seeking to escape the right-wingers.  The White Russians (Russian aristocrats or any Russians that opposed the Bolsheviks) are a particularly interesting case study.  Having fled through Siberia into Shanghai, they were literally stateless.  Aristocrats that had lived lives of luxury now shared dingy apartments with as many as two or three other families.  Many took up whatever jobs they could find.  In the case of the men hardened by five years of fighting against the Bolsheviks in the Civil War, they became bodyguards to Chinese mobsters.  It was often considered to be a sign of prestige to have White Russian bodyguards.  Others opened bars, cafes, turned to grifting and con artistry.  While others still continued to fight the Bolsheviks by passing out anti-communist literature and giving speeches from soap-boxes to anyone who would listen.  The women often took up work as cultural instructors to upper-class Chinese families.  Teaching European style dancing and music.  Though a large portion of them ended up working dance halls and brothels.  Many of them hoping to entice rich American and British businessmen into marriage, which would mean a passport and a ticket out of Shanghai.  German musicians found they were most welcome, finding employment in the numerous Shanghai nightclubs.        The nightclubs are often frequented by American, British and European businessmen that reside in the International Settlement.  Here to make their fortunes in the import/export business, banking and shipping industries.  They are followed by foreign correspondents, reporting on the goings on of the city.  Artists fascinated by the in-vogue Oriental culture, missionaries seeking to save the souls of this modern day Gomorrah.  As well as numerous foreign spies keeping an eye on political situation of the city.  At the height of the Chinese Civil war between the Nationalist and the Communist Forces, several countries have a vested interest in the outcome of this conflict.

Gaming Shanghai 1930 - Choosing a System 

So when I decided that I would love to at least write some notes on campaign in 1930 Shanghai.  The immediate question that popped into my head was.  What system should I use?  Shanghai 1930 was written with Hillfolk's Drama System in mind.  I personally find it hard to convince players to play systems primarily focused on story-telling.  I needed something that had potential for quick and easy combat, but was also capable of supporting the Genre.  One system that popped to mind was GURPS.  The Generic Universal Roleplaying System.  Their World War 2 line of sourcebooks were only a decade or so removed from when the events of the game would take place.  I particularly loved the Templates from those books and the National Advantages/Disadvantages packages for each country.  There were a number of problems with using GURPS however.  While I have read many of the sourcebooks as inspiration for campaigns with other systems.  I have never actually run a game of GURPS.  Another problem that arose was that GURPS as played out of the Basic Set is not very structured.  Which was something I was looking for, for this particular campaign.  One of the reasons that I loved the Templates from the WW2 Sourcebooks was the structure that they gave character creation.  A problem I have had with players before is that they will choose any skill they think they can get away with.  Creating an incredibly game-breaking character, which fictionally has no real business being in the story.  The WW2 Templates, give the players a selection of skills that is required to play that character's occupation.  Most of which are heavily combat focused, while the players get to flesh out their characters with the remaining points.  Something else I found somewhat lacking was that the WW2 Sourcebooks lack, National Advantages/Disadvantages for Chinese Characters.  As well as National Advantages/Disadvantages for White Russian Exiles, despite having a list for Soviet Characters.  I wasn't confident enough in my abilities as a game hacker to create lists for those Nationalities, that would satisfy my own strict demands for this game.

The next game that sprang to mind ended up being the one that I picked.  In Blood on the Snow's pitch for Shanghai 1930, there were three lists of character archetypes, for each of the three factions.  As I read through them I started thinking, this is like I'm reading through the Call of Cthulhu Investigator's Companion Volume 2 all over again.  Typical Call of Cthulhu is played in a primary setting of the 1920s, 1930s if the Keeper decides to stretch the timeline a little.  Thinking about it for a while it seemed to be the perfect fit.  Take out the Mythos elements and you have the makings for exactly what I wanted in a system for this Campaign Idea.  In COC you usually play, somewhat wealthy individuals sneaking around, trying to save the world from creatures beyond our understanding.  In Shanghai 1930, a large portion of character archetypes are wealthy or keep the company of wealthy people.  Instead of sneaking around to stop the machinations of otherworldly abominations.  They sneak around expediting their own selfish machinations.

So there's my pitch for Shanghai 1930.  A campaign I'll probably never get to run, due to a lack of players.  I'll post part two to this post later.  In the meantime, feel free to comment and give feedback on my pitch.  Have a good day and keep gaming.