posting awards and xp updates

Here are the awards for posting and for gameplay. Since we’ve moved well beyond the introductory phase of the game, there’s been less posting, so the posting awards are smaller. On the other hand, the awards for successful use of skills in game are larger.

Current as of 31 December 2009.


posting awards:

Cati:
“April 29, 1924” +1 persuade for learning a little something about saying the right thing.
“April 29, 1924: evening” +1 sanity for actually being able to put the little silver vial “out of her mind”.

Henri:
“April 25” +1 sanity and +1 natural history for successful bunny rearing so far.
“April 29” +1 sanity, because dressing well calms him.
“Evening, 29 April” +1 psychology for processing effectively, even if not entirely sincerely.
“Evening, 30 April” +1 occult: that’s some heavy reading.

Irene:
“April 26, 1924: Journal Entries & Misc.” +1 sanity because, as bad as things got, you’ve grown closer to Peter; +1 psychology for getting a little insight into a man of character locked in a desperate circumstances.
“May 12, 1924: Journal Entry” +1 credit rating on account of Irene’s growing reputation as an archaeologist.
“May 14, 1924: The British Museum/ Library” +1 persuade for keeping certain details from Kathleen; +1 anthropology for the bits gleaned incidentally from all that research in the British Museum’s basement.
“May 15, 1924: Journal Entry” +1 sanity because she and Peter are once again on the same, dangerous page.

Peter:
“letter: undated, unsigned” +1 anthropology for, well, leveling a sound argument from the field of religious studies against the babbling of a madman.
“journal: 4 May, 1924” +1 conceal, because that’s what he had to do.
“Psychoanalysis at Das Institut fur Sexualwissenschaft (May 1924)” +5 sanity for the substantial emotional work represented therein; +1 psychology because you learn something every time you go there.
“journal: 11 May, 1924” +2 other language: German, for getting back in practice.
“letter: 12 May, 1924” +2 own language: English, for playing with one’s own language.
&
“April 26, 1924: Journal Entires & Misc.” +1 sanity for the reassurance that Irene is on your side despite everything; +1 navigate for getting around!

Thelonius:
“April 25th, Early Evening”, “April 29th, 1924” & “Evening, April 29, 1924” +2 own language: English for composing a hit article; +1 anthropology, from all that delving into Nordic religion and its analogs in other cultures.


experience from successful use of skills in game:

Cati:
+8 to spot hidden!
+5 to handgun (general).

Henri:
+2 to first aid.
+4 to listen.
+3 to throw.
+7 to cavalry sabre!

Irene:
+4 to archaeology.
+7 to Harrappan language!
+2 to Sanskrit.

Peter:
None.

Thelonius:
+2 to fast talk.
+3 to history.
+5 to listen.
+10 to occult! Thelonius has become a true master of the occult! Oddly enough, this grants him some measure of confidence regarding his place in the world, and his sanity score increases. +2 sanity for Thelonius!
+9 to handgun (general).
+3 to grapple.


totals:

Cati: +5 handgun, +1 persuade, +8 spot hidden; +1 sanity

Henri: +7 cavalry sabre, +2 first aid, +4 listen, +1 natural history, +1 occult, +3 throw; +2 sanity

Irene: +1 anthropology, +4 archaeology, +1 credit rating, +7 Harrappan, +1 persuade, +1 psychology, +2 Sanskrit; +2 sanity

Peter: +1 anthropology, +1 conceal, +2 English, +2 German, +1 psychology; +5 sanity

Thelonius: +1 anthropology, +2 English, +2 fast talk, +3 grapple, +9 handgun, +3 history, +5 listen, +10 occult; +2 sanity


I'm working on figuring out how to post current character sheets to the webpage, but until then anyone who would like to take a look at the totals I have for characters' skills should just ask me.

your kindly keeper,
D

Caleb's posting awards

Current as of April 2.

Caleb:
"May 2nd, 1965" & "September 5th, 1865" & "June 27th, 1866" +1 to hide, 'cuz what else is a fancy boy like you gonna do?
"December 10th, 1867" +2 to .45 Revolver for drawin' them irons.
"April 22nd, 1876" +2 to credit rating for being a bad man.
"Death" + 2 to credit rating, cuz there's nothing more popular than a dead legend.

totals: +1 to hide, +2 to .45 (not to all handguns), +4 credit rating

posting awards

Here are the awards for posting. Many of them reflect the culmination of several years of narrative life, and there's a lot of variation in the awards.
Some obvious bonuses to skills have been left out because their rewards have already been reaped in gameplay. This is the case with several instances of photography for Thelonius and Cati, as well as in the few entries not mentioned at all.
As always, these awards are open to discussion, so let me know.


Cati:
"March 1, 1917" +1 sanity for social advancement
"September 12, 1923" +1 accounting for the lesson in money
"December 7, 1923" +1 English for getting in some letter writing
"January 29, 1924" +1 photography for getting as far as seeking publication
"February 14, 1924" & "February 17, 1924" +1 credit rating for being the star of so many hearts, and such a social hit
"April 22, 1924" & "April 23, 1924" & "April 23, 1924: evening" +1 sanity for being a social hit and working through confusing events

totals: +2 sanity, +1 accounting, +1 English, +1 photography, +1 credit rating


Henri :
"22 April" +1 sanity for being master of his social domain
"What is the modish lady's secret?" & "It can only be Monsieur Henri" +2 credit rating for a successful advertising campaign
"After the Show" +1 sanity for effectively processing

totals: +2 sanity, +2 credit rating


Irene:
"July 17, 1920: Letter to Priscilla" +1 sanity, it's such a nice thing to be in touch with loved ones
"August 3, 1920 & August 24, 1920: Journal entries" +1 credit rating for acquiring some real estate and connections
"May 30, 1921: Obituary clipping; May 30, 1921: Journal Entry" & "October 23, 1922: Newspaper clipping" & "December 1, 1922: Journal Entry" -2 sanity, +1 English; a sad and frustrating time in her life, but at least she wrote about it
"March 17, 1923: Journal Entry" & "March 9: 1924" +1 anthropology for her hands on experiences and her thoughtful perspectivizing of cross-cultural difference
"January 19, 1924: Letter from Father" +1 sanity for father's heartwarming gift
"February 9, 1924" +1 sanity because Irene refuses to be a dilettante
"April 22, 1924: Telegram" & "April 22, 1924: Journal Entry" +1 sanity for knowing when not to think about things too much
"April 23, 1924: Journal Entry" +1 sanity for thinking about things just enough after all
"April 23, 1924: Journal Entry II" +1 psychology for giving some serious thought to her campmates' states of mind
&
"Diminutive Planet" +1 sanity – it's good to have friends in far-flung places

totals: +4 sanity, +1 credit rating, +1 English, +1 anthropology, +1 psychology


Peter:
"journal: 25 Apr 1924" +1 sanity for processing
"journal: 23 Apr 1924" (B) & "23 Apr 1924" +1 English for dealing with difficult topics and getting in some letter writing
"journal: 23 Apr 1924" (A) +1 sanity for narrativizing life and planning against dark forces
"journal: 22 Apr 1924" +1 anthropology for being so smart about the Gundestrupp Cauldron
"journal: 28 Mar 1924" +1 English for dealing with difficult topics (the pain and the processing cancel each other out)
"journal: 6 Mar 1924" & "journal: 9 Sept 1923" & "railway map: July 1923" + 1 sanity for narrativizing life
"obituary: March 1923" -1 sanity because this stuff drove Peter nuts
"journal: 5 Nov 1923" & "journal: 17 May 1923" & "journal: 5 Apr 1923" +1 occult for following the Pharoah's Curse in the papers
"17 Feb 1923" +1 sanity for an admirable effort at making things right with the folks
"In The Times: December 22, 1922" +1 credit rating as he enjoys his association with a famous dig
"Sept. 24, 1920" -1 sanity for sadly obvious reasons
"14 Feb 1919" +2 psychology as Peter is awakened to the varied beauties of the human psyche
&
"Diminutive Planet" +1 sanity – it's good to have friends in far-flung places
"Matters of Responsibility" +1 sneak; that was awfully sneaky

totals: +3 sanity, +2 English, +1 anthropology, +1 occult, +1 credit rating, +2 psychology, +1 sneak


Thelonius:
"April 22, 1924" +1 credit rating for being a modest success at his craft
"April 22, 1924 – later that evening" & "April 23, 1924" +1 sanity for working through confusing circumstances the best way he knows how

totals: +1 credit rating, +1 sanity

Update and Indulgence

Just as a matter of keeping everyone on the same page, I want to make a note of a few things.

There has been some expected attrition from the game. Players in the Old West continuity continue to express interest in playing, but have not yet contributed - that's cool with me, and they still may do so, but I wanted to let others know too. Further, Derek, our lone player in 1948, has had to drop out for reasons of time and interest. So, the Old West and 1948 components of the game are effectively kaput. This should have little impact on the other continuities and the game as a whole.

Also, you may have noticed a little slow down recently from both myself and from Teresa (who plays Cati). For those who don't know, T is actually my girlfriend, and she's been visiting me here in India. So, we've been doing the tourist thing and our posting has probably demonstrated our inconsistent computer access. For the next few days, we'll be out and about, so don't fret if nothing seems to happen. I beg your indulgence!

In the meantime, I encourage everyone to take advantage of the slow down to refresh themselves or, if you're just mad to write, to produce something cool for your personal blogs. I will be going with players' wishes and making minor sanity awards for blog content, so there's that if you want a little in-game reward. Besides that, several of us do read everything, and your work is appreciated by other players as well as by me! Also, if you have any comments, questions, gripes, etc., now and here would be an ideal point for them.

I'm having a great time working on this game, and I hope others are enjoying as much as I am.

your kindly Keeper,

Danny

Some Skill Explanations

The below skills and their descriptions are largely drawn from the Call of Cthulhu rules published by Chaosium. These notes however represent my interpretation of them, and are, like everything else, open to discussion.

I. Several skills can be used to influence the behavior of other characters.

Fast Talk and Persuade are very similar skills, either of which can be used to talk a non-player character into doing something they otherwise might not be inclined to do - allow passage, lend money, overlook a minor crime, decide that their idea was bad.

The difference lies in the application. Fast Talk is swift and should be accompanied by some witty retort or capsule of glibness. Likewise, the effect is brief; people who have been fast-talked realize it soon enough. Persuade, however, is more permanent. A successful persuasion check indicates that the player's character has constructed a sound argument, made a good case for their point of view, or played on the other character's sympathies in such a way as to truly bring them around to the PC's point of view. Persuasion demands a little more dialogue, description, or - at the least - the passing of time in social intercourse.

Credit Rating can represent one's actual line of credit, but it is also one's good name. Thus it can be used to obtain goods and favors as well as to exert social pressure on other characters. "Do you know who I am?" could be all a famous person needs to say in a troublesome social situation.

Bargain can be used to lower prices or to trade for goods in desperate situations. (I don't think I've ever had to roll this in all my years of running Call of Cthulhu games, as credit ratings are usually sufficient for obtaining most goods.)

None of the above skills have any effect on other player characters!

II. There are several skills having to do with stealth or perception. Some of these skills have overlapping effects.

Sneak is moving without being seen. Move Silently is moving without being heard. Not too surprisingly, the goal of a Hide check is to remain in one place without being seen or heard. 

Conceal, on the other hand, is used to hide objects, either on one's person or in the environment.

Listen strains a player character's hearing to detect clues about hidden or quieted beings. It can be used against Move Silently and Hide.

Spot Hidden is about visual clues. It can be used against Sneak, Hide, and Conceal.

III. Various other skills demand a little explanation.

Psychology can reveal clues about a person's intentions, state of mind, or emotions. It might reveal clues about a character's worldview, and in rare situations it might be used in lieu of Fast Talk. Psychoanalysis diagnoses mental illness and treats it. Psychoanalysis can be applied either through long term treatment including drugs and therapy, or through a brief session of the talking cure. In either case, it restores sanity. Under the right circumstances Psychoanalysis might be useful in lieu of a Persuade roll.

The Own Language skill is rarely used, except for compositions, deciphering particularly strong accents or novel dialects, or reading one's own language in archaic usage or script. Any character with more than a base skill in Other Language is assumed to speak that language well enough for the interactions demanded by everyday life; no rolls are usually needed. Rolls are required for reading and comprehending complicated compositions, understanding broken or unfamiliar forms of the language, or for instances of communication under severe pressure.

Identifying and mixing compounds with specific physiological effects falls under Pharmacy. Compounds with no specific physiological effects are covered by Chemistry.

Respectively, Drive, Pilot, Pilot Boat, are about using automobiles, aircraft, and boats. Ride is for 'piloting' beasts, as well as for working beasts of burden. Operate Heavy Machinery allows a character to pilot and manipulate bulldozers, cranes, etc.

Anthropology is the study of human evolution and contemporary culture. Passing an anthropology check could provide information about a religious ritual, an ancient pelvis, or a folk tale. (Usually a knowledge roll is all that is needed to identify a language.) Pre-contemporary cultures and events are covered by History, but pre-historic cultures are covered by Archaeology. The techniques of excavation and preservation are included in the latter skill, whereas most of the historian's research techniques are covered by Library Use.

Whereas Biology's data is derived from laboratory settings, Natural History is basically a field enterprise. A biologist would be the better geneticist, physiologist, and anatomist, but a natural historian would excell at taxonomy, ecology, and evolution. (Back in the 1920s, genetics had not yet found its place in Darwinian theory.)

First Aid is on-the-spot treatment that can restore a few hit points and stabilize a dying person. Skilled medical treatment, with or without supplies is covered by Medicine, which restores more hit points. Both may be used on the same wound, but a wound may only be successfully treated one time for each skill. Of course, one may apply medical treatment or first aid on one's self.

145 pages!

Wow! Counting posted pictures, in game texts and scenes, and ooc notes, but not ooc posts, the six active players and myself have produced about 145 pages of content! That's not counting the Old West people . . . who are (is?) also producing interesting stuff, but much, much, much more slowly.

While I've said many times that volume should not be among our goals, this quantity of engaged, well-written work is totally impressive!

Thanks!

Skills and Sanity

(All the posts in this blog are OOC, it turns out. So I'm gonna stop labeling them OOC.)

Ghosts & Time will make use of standard Call of Cthulhu rules for skill progression and sanity awards. Awards will also be based on characters' actions in game.


Skill progression.

According to the basic rules, when a character successfully passes a skill check, that skill earns a tick. A skill can receive a tick once every episode in our game. At the end of the episode, the Keeper will roll a percentile dice against each ticked skill. If that check fails then the character is considered to have learned something from the successful use of that skill. 1d10 points are then added to that skill. As skills increase, it becomes more and more difficult to get better at them.

Bonus ticks will be awarded for skill uses that cannot be summarized in a single skill check. For instance, a character might use a skill like anthropology in a very broad context – say, conducting fieldwork – that is not appropriate for a single skill check. As another example, a bonus tick would be called for to represent the effects of concerted practice at something. A bonus tick would be granted if a character took a class in a certain subject or sought formal training in a trade.


Sanity awards.

Sanity is essentially about maintaining the dignity of one's own little world, and so sanity points might be awarded when a character does things that reaffirm whatever passes for an acceptable perspective on the universe. Solving mysteries, saving lives or making them better, and stymieing the influence of occult forces all contribute to a character's sense of sanity and dignity. Thus there are minor sanity awards given out for completing such acts.

Whenever a skill reaches 90%, a sanity award of 1d6 points will be made. Seeking therapy through psychoanalysis also grants sanity.

Sanity might be derived from being around loved ones, visiting a familiar place, completing a collection, or other affirming activities. Constructing a manageable narrative of the events in one's life also helps a person to maintain a certain level of sanity and social capability. This is precisely what psychoanalysis therapy does. Writing in a journal is another way to construct a personal narrative and so sanity might be one of its products – and so might be a bonus tick in a character's "Own Language" skill.


Awards for contributing.

On one hand I've said that the pace of the stories would be set by the players. On the other hand, I've also said that there would be awards for contributing.

But there's a conflict there, because, as promised, different strands are moving along at different rates.

I have thought of three solutions. Please let me know if you care, and if so then what solution you prefer.

1) Forget awarding for posts. Because there is no ultimate victory in the grand, horrible scheme of things, there is but little advantage in having a score of 90% in fist/punch, anthropology, or even first aid. While skill scores generally go up in this game (albeit very slowly), the most important kind of character change in Call of Cthulhu is anything but advancement or progression. Because what matters in CoC is the map of a character's downward (or outward) spiral - and because there is, in that, a refusal to confound numerical representations (stats) with actual characters - making additional awards for posting might be against the spirit of the game.

2) Award small amounts of sanity points for contributions. Characters of players who post frequently will likely be the ones who are most central to the continuation of the narrative – thus, it will be useful to me as well as to the other players if these characters' potential longevities are increased ever so slightly. Obviously not all posts are open to sanity gains.

3) Award luck rolls. Usually, a luck roll is a last-ditch effort to keep a character from being killed. However, under this plan, luck rolls would be a finite resource – a character would receive access to one luck roll (to be used whenever the player wishes) per every one or every few contributions to the narrative. The exact rate would be determined later.