Call Of Cthulhu
The man himself standing in front of a Brooklyn brownstone.
Greengoat's Call of Cthulhu Sessions
In 1920's New York City, an unlikely band of investigators comes together to probe a mysterious case surrounding an old creaking house in Brooklyn.
Investigators
The primary characters are a group of acquaintances including:
- Wilhelm Rikter, professor of Anthropology at Columbia University. (shadowmancer)
- Daniel Black, busy writer for the pulps in crime stories, originally of Sioux City, Iowa. (calamari)
- Felicia Blauck, newly graduated Doctor of Medicine in Psychology. (gorf)
Some of their possible companions into mystery include:
- Chuck Davies, veteran and private investigator.
- Alice Carr, unmarried Manhattan socialite and scion of wealthy family.
- Lucile Marche, graduate student in Natural History at Hunter College.
- Herbert Rhodes, antiquitarian and acquisitions consultant for the Museum of Natural History, specializing in Africa & Arabia.
- David Nielson, young missionary fresh from an expedition to North Africa and Greece.
Notes on Playing Call of Cthulhu
Unlike some other RPGs, particularly the methods of play and themes of D&D, a CoC game is somewhat different. The following points should be kept in mind until the players get the hang of things.
- CoC tries to reflect the reality of the historical period, society, and laws of physics more so than D&D. Swashbuckling violence and disregard for local authorities / civil society will get the characters killed or locked up. Characters don't have a lot of hitpoints and firearms can kill quite easily. Police WILL respond to general mayhem like any other criminal act.
- The "typical" CoC adventure is begun with investigation for clues or information and then resolution through that information. Having a gun battle with some of the main antagonists of the game is a BAD IDEA. The PCs are called Investigators for a reason. There will be plenty of opportunities for combat generally with with cultists or deranged wildlife, but remember that it is deadly.
- Look, ask around, search, and check for records.
- Your character may go crazy for sort periods of time or have his sanity blasted by things humans were not supposed to know or see. It is up to you and the gamemaster to work out a reasonable or logical way for that insanity to take form. It's easy to pick something silly to act out but more challenging/fun to go insane in a way that fits the action/story.
- Your character may die gruesomely. This is a horror/strangeness game. Soldier on and watch the other players run around like scared little chickens.