Hello, I play Everly Edington, an aspiring actress, and an admirer of Charlotte Valise.

We have a new player, Fred Barnes!

In reply to Everly Edington. (msg # 2):

Welcome!

I'll be playing Sally Hatton, trick rider, fencer, shootist and all around stuntwoman extraordinaire with dreams of stardom buried some time ago/

In reply to Sally Hatton (msg # 4):

Hello!

Hey all, sorry about the lateness of this post!

I'll be playing Sergeant Fred Barnes, a portly, affable policeman who's good-natured personality and sense of humor have ensured that unlike most policeman, who turn quite cynical after a few years on the job, he has remained a pleasant man with a nice outlook on the world.

He's been with the force for two decades now, since he was a young man.

He's got a wide grin and ruddy complexion that makes his plump, mustached face always seem like he's sharing a good joke or hearing a funny story. A deep, melodious laugh completes the character. He often comes off as a friendly uncle, or perhaps even father.

He's nonviolent by nature, though he is not afraid to take action when he deems it necessary.

Overall just a loyal, dependable, and friendly police officer who's long used to the Hollywood scene.

He'll never be rich or famous, but as long as he can give a few people a laugh and keep some semblance of justice on the streets, he's happy.

Edit: I have submitted a more appropriate portrait for my character, but until then Teddy Roosevelt will have to do :D
This message was last edited by the player at 13:56, Mon 08 Apr 2019.

Hi everybody. I'm a private investigator. I'm supposed to be acting as a research production assistant for a new film but will probably end up assisting Fred with the forthcoming murder investigation.

Plus I'm British (Welsh, actually).

I actually just realized I don't have a copy of 5.5! I thought I did, but I can only find 5E in my harddrive, maybe it was on my old computer? /=

I was told this was 6th ed? :/

Not a lot of difference between 5.5 and 6 though, I think (maybe they still had oratory as a skill in 5.5?)

The game info tab said 5.5

*checks game info*

So it does.

Need help with chargen? I have 6th and 5.6

(Wont be till tomorrow now though. Its past midnight here in the UK)

I'd love help yes.

Phyllis Green, not-yet-famous actress; appeared as Jane in a low-budget Tarzan film. Doesn't do her own stunts, except for swimming.

I have both 6th and 5.6; 6th seems to be just a tidied up version of 5.6 as far as character generation goes. (I'm assuming 5.6 is 5.5 with some typos fixed.)


How are we rolling characteristics? Using one of the 'Occupation First' alternatives?

Tbh I did my character before I submitted an RTJ and I kinda just suggested some stats for Sally. Don't know what the GM actually has in mind though.

IMHO I'm not a huge fan of random stats. They get in the way of creating the character you want. Nobody is going to be silly enough to have 18s in everything and COC is a lot less crunchy than other systems, emphasizing roleplay over roll play ;-)

Also in the COC universe there is no such thing as an overpowered character. We are all pretty underpowered compared to the cosmic horror that awaits us!

Random Stats are fine.  But the player should have the option to place what he rolls where he wants it. If the player picks the stats very seldom will you ever come across a character with low stats.

I tend to have PC's roll 2d6 + 6 for all stats. Gives them a better than average base but also allows for less than perfect stats to show up.

See in the game I run (7th ed) I implemented my own point buy system which I think is fairer than relying on random luck (or lack thereof). But that requires quite a bit of planning to get the balance right.

Now a point buy is cool.  I thought you meant just letting the players assign whatever they wanted to their stats.  I can see that going wrong in both directions.

We have a new character, Graham Evenson.

Welcome!

In reply to Everly Edington. (msg # 18):

Welcome!

Hello, everyone!  Glad to be here!

I read the OOC backlog, and I appear to own CoC 5.5 if anyone needs help, too.

My character is an actor whom I see as successful (that's negotiable) who is getting involved in the sleazy occult underworld of Hollywood.  It starts off with Ordo Templis Orientalis and ends with gibbering madness!

Hi Graham.

I'm sure we'll all be picking out matching straight jackets before the game is through!

Hello everyone. Glad to be playing with you. I'm an aspiring actor trying to get some thrilling and action packed roles.

So, can we get any guidance from the GM on how to build our characters?

Richard, well, yeah!  If you don't enjoy the ride to hell, CoC is probably the wrong game for a person!  I just want to go crazy in an interesting way!  :)

No one has to drive me crazy.  I can walk there from where I am.  :-)

Hi Clyde.

Welcome, Clyde.

I at least have something in common with Fred.  I am an ex-cop who has gone private eye. 3 wives down since I started my career as a cop has convinced me that cops should never be married. Now I live alone and drink more than I should. And my brain can never forget some of the things I've seen.

I think you've got more in common with me than fred, mate.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:50, Mon 15 Apr 2019.

Hello!

Anna May is a young, aspiring actress from a little nowhere town (unincorporated) Corbin's Mill, MI (near Hart, MI in Oceana County).

Her player will need some help in the mechanics.  I once played in a game (don't remember the edition) using some quick start rules, but that was a long time ago and now the quick start rules I can find are 7th ed, which appears wildly different from the character sheets that some have put in public view.

Yeah they made a big jump from 6th to 7th, esp with stats etc.

I can help anyone with chargen but I think we still need clarification from the GM on how to generate stats.

I just rolled up my character using the normal method in the 5th Ed and sent it to the GM and I got the OK.

Yeah I got the ok too but I think there may be some concern about game balance. Personally I find most COC players are in it for the roleplay and not to play stat maxing.

Besides, the only sure way to survive this game is for the investigator to stay indoors.

In a padded cell.

In an atomic proof bunker.

Miles away from the pacific ocean or any Cthonian colonies.

Yes, that previously mentioned game was set during WWII, and my character was from the French Resistance, captured by Nazis and taken to a camp ...  You know it's bad when a concentration camp would have been a preferred destination compared to what was found.  And oddly, I could imagine the Nazis having had enough hubris to try to control what they found when investigating.

There are better things to handle that than booze.  Talk to Graham.  He can hook you up!  :)

In my experience as a CoC Keeper, traditional players who come to CoC go through three phases.

The first phase is to play the game like a normal, D&D-style game.  Then those characters die.

They enter, then, the second phase.  Most seem to think the problem is that they didn't invest heavily enough in combat skills.  So, they make characters who have access to and skills using the heaviest weapons they can imagine and obtain.  Then THOSE characters die.

Then they make Call of Cthulhu characters, or stop playing, which is the final phase!

Also, WELCOME to the new people!  I look forward to playing with everyone!

I'm still a 5th ed guy myself.  I had one character that was a combat monkey who survived.  But it was only because I never, and I mean witnessed by the GM, never failed a sanity check. The GM finally ruled that he was technically insane because he refused ot believe any fo the stuff he saw was real. Including the point when he jumped on the back of a Hunting Horror and dumped 4 full clips from a micro uzi into to bring it down.

Admittedly, the *vast* majority of my RP experience has come from AD&D or the older boxed sets.  I've branched out a few times (the WWII CoC game, a GURPS game, a handful of homebrew rulesets).

So while I did find a 7th ed quick start, it doesn't look like it'll be helpful, as it says that there are 8 stats and then to assign the following values as desired: 40, 50, 50, 50, 60, 60, 70, 80

So if someone wants to give me a hand in navigating how to set this character up, I'd be much appreciative.  I'm looking forward to playing (running a mostly 2nd ed AD&D game right now, it has some 1st ed throwbacks because I've got grognard tendencies).

Hello. Ray Ammon here.

I'm a makeup artist, working at several studios, whoever has work available, usually on films with a lot of extras and bit players.I mostly do character work, but I can make you beautiful, too. If you're talent, we've probably run into one another at some point in your career. I know most of the craft people also. Hollywood's just not that big a town.

I know all the cheap bars and low dives, as well.

Happy Easter!

In reply to Everly Edington. (msg # 42):

Happy Easter to you.

In the absence of Gm input this is what I would suggest for stat creation


You have 80 points to allocate to the following base scores. Only one single attribute may be raised above 16 and the human maximum is 18, except for Edu which is 21

STR: 3
SIZ: 8
DEX: 3
CON: 3
APP: 3
INT: 8
POW: 3
EDU: 6

The above method could generate fairly high stats with one or two average so the gm might want to adjust to 70 or 65 points.

Is size based on height/weight?  If so, what would be a reasonable number for someone who's 5'2" and 105 lbs?

In reply to Anna May Gibson (msg # 46):

That would be in average range for women in the 1920s, so 8-12. I generally think of SIZ as dress size for US females, though some would probably argue with me.

We built a siz chart for our COC and other games using similiar systems.  For your height and weight the SIZ would be 8

65 is even pretty generous.

Let us know where you come down on this, Winneagm.

Yes, I'm not looking to create a "super-woman", just something that would be reasonable.  So it looks like I have one stat settled, and waiting for GM input to settle the rest.

 That depends on what you consider to be "high".
With those base stats and 80 points an even distribution give you

STR: 13
SIZ: 18
DEX: 13
CON: 13
APP: 13
INT: 18
POW: 13
EDU: 16

You might to play with the SIZ and INT to move them around some but it gives a slightly above average character in all stats.

64 points would give you

STR: 11
SIZ: 16
DEX: 11
CON: 11
APP: 11
INT: 16
POW: 11
EDU: 14

Not bad but mostly average.

Rolled Randomly
STR: 10 - 3 = 7
SIZ: 16 - 8 = 8
DEX: 11 - 3 = 8
CON: 10 - 3 = 7
APP: 8 - 3 = 5
INT: 14 - 8 = 6
POW: 8 - 3 = 5
EDU: 17 - 6 = 11
------------------
Total adds = 57

A playable character

It depends on the game style you are used to playing. I have found that very few players these days would enjoy playing the last character. I think it looks like a cool character that needs a good background to go with it.

That's good.

For CoC I tend to just roll the dice and go with it.  We normally do 6 - 3d6 rolls, 2 - 2d6+6 rolls and 1 - 3d6 + 3.
Then we assign them to the stats, with the 2d6+6 rolls going to SIZ and INT, and the 3d6+3 going to EDU.  We also generally give a bonus to INTbased on EDU. Each 2 points of EDU over 12 adds 1 to INT (MAX 18).

So, would this sound reasonable, stats-wise?

I think there was one too many 3d6 in the list (Mark Hawke's), but here's what I think I'm looking at:

STR: 10
SIZ: 8 (didn't roll, using prior discussion)
DEX: 10
CON: 12
APP: 15
INT: 11
POW: 13
EDU: 14

Well my stats are higher and the GM didn't reject them.

But that looks about right for an aspiring actress to me.

I really think we need GM input on this.

Straight CoC is generally expected to be average-is people --some weaknesses, some strengths-- against cosmic horrors. The 65+base stats are more pulp to my way of thinking, but it is the GM's call. I'm fine either way. Or even with a mix, as long as we don't wind up with a couple of lead characters and the rest supporting roles.

You are correct about the number of d6 being off.  My bad.

In reply to Ray Ammon (msg # 56):

Im gonna say right off the bat I don't want to be a lead character. Non-Elucidean entities tend to find them extra crunchy with fries.

A little romance before I go insane is more my cup of tea.

Incidentally. My first ever Call of Cthulhu game was as a teenager. Up until then I'd only played Ad&d and I tended to play mages. I thought it would be cool to create a character that was good at casting spells. It all went downhill from there XD.

Having said that that one game got me hooked. Specifically a point in the game where we were on Easter Island and the heads began to weep blood. I just thought that was the coolest and creepiest thing I'd come across at the time. I've been hooked ever since.

I tend to find my role play gets a little "liberated" when I'm unfamiliar with the system.  So, I just want to have the sheet look reasonable for the character, and then be told what I need to roll and when, and otherwise, the character just does whatever seems reasonable for a person in the situation.

Anna May is not averse to romance, by-the-by.

No one's going insane just yet.

With a pow as high as mine and a good percentage of library use I think it wont be that long before Im taking a trip to rhe funny farm :P

I admit I have been FULL OF SLOTH when it comes to rolling up a character.  I should really settle down and DO IT.  Get this descent into madness started!

I think some of us are waiting for some GM input before we develop characters.

Had a go at rolling characteristics (six 3d6, two 2d6+6); after several dire sets (with one having a highest roll of 10. Nyarlathotep, stop playing with the dice roller...) I ended up with:

STR 10
SIZ 14
DEX 14
CON 10
APP 15
INT 16
POW 10
EDU 13 (including +3)

Here's Ray using standard 5 3D6, 2 2D6+6, and 1 1D6+3 rolls, freely assigned types.

Characteristics
Str:  8    App: 12+1   Int: 13      Idea: 65
Dex: 17                Edu: 15      Know: 75
Con: 12    Siz:  8     Pow: 11      Luck: 55
Damage bonus: 0        San: 55    99-Cthulhu mythos: 99

He is a willowy type, but very graceful.

In reply to Ray Ammon (msg # 65):

Looks good.

Looks like we got a pretty large cast list.

When does the IC fun start?

In reply to Richard Blackwood (msg # 67):

It's officially started.

In reply to Everly Edington. (msg # 68):

Yay!

Hey all. I’m doing some traveling until Wednesday so I may be a bit out of touch. I’ll check in when I can.

GM, feel free to autopilot my character.

I'm sorry that I haven't posted.  This past Tuesday, I had a thing happen that required, well, uh, surgery.  I'm at home resting comfortably, now, but other things have occupied my attention.

I did roll up a character but have yet to assign skill points.  I admit to having rolled several times because I was looking for certain things - a good App and Pow in particular - and ended up with this:

Str 10
Con 11
Siz 12
Dex 11
App 17
Int 11
Pow 18
Edu 20

Art (Acting) 85%
Credit Rating 99%
Disguise 41%
Dodge 22%
Fast Talk 99%
Listen 25%
Psychology 55%
Language: Latin 51%

Drive Automobile 55%
Language: Arabic 51%
Occultism 35%

* Updated for skills and correct characteristics!
This message was last edited by the player at 13:37, Sat 04 May 2019.

Nothing serious, I hope.  Hope the recovery continues uneventfully.

I haven't assigned skill points either .. it's a little confusing for me (learning a new system here).

I'm fine.  My gallbladder needed to be removed, so it was serious, but the procedure is commonplace and it went well.  My biggest hassle, now, is that I can't exercise and the wounds in my stomach itch.  ;)

I understand the system well, and I have spent my points!

In reply to Anna May Gibson (msg # 72):

I can help you if you like but won't be able to post much until Tuesday.

In reply to Anna May Gibson (msg # 72):

I've GMed CoC for a lot of years. Glad to help.

We can do it here in OoC or you can send me a Private Message.

I'd very much appreciate the help.

I'm not looking for a character who can "win" (I did run across a solo adventure for 7th ed, and it appears that the only way to win is to run away fast, which isn't very satisfying to role play), but more to have a character who is realistically capable as an aspiring actress from a small town (it's actually unincorporated, near Lake Michigan) with a history of winning elocution contests before coming out to try to be a movie star (someday).

I don't know, too, how realistic it would be for her to have skill with a derringer.  I've seen a few IRL (they're cute and tiny), but the gun I carry doesn't fit the era at all.  I do not, in general "damsel-in-distress" very well.

Anna, the short form is...

You pick a profession (probably entertainer since she's an actress).  Then you have your Edu X 15 points to distribute on the skills of your profession (which are Art (choice), Credit Rating (which is your character's wealth, which is probably low in Anna's case), Disguise, Dodge, Fast Talk, Listen, Psychology (which lets a person "read" people and can be a highly useful skill; the ability to treat them is Psychoanalysis), and a skill of your choice).  Each skill has a starting percentage that you can raise with those points from Edu, but no skill can go higher than 99%.

Then you have your Int X 10 points in skills to distribute with any skills you want to get.  Here, you could get stuff like Persuade (or choose it as a professional skill), or skill with a particular gun (most likely a .38 revolver or .45 semi-automatic, given the times), plus whatever else feels reasonable.

The best place to look for where skill levels start is actually the character sheet.

Isn't it EDUx20?

Using the Investigator's Companion provides additional choices like Film Star and Stage Actor.

Yes, it is EDU X 20.  Where did I get x15?!  I can't even claim that one as a typo.  ;)

For the era and her location background a derringer would be a good weapon. Fits in a purse and most cops will accept its for self defense. Another good weapon for a lady from the country is the S&W .38 Special. Being a revolver, you didn't have ot worry about jamming or stove pipes. It also fits in a purse nicely.

Gun laws pretty much only affected fully automatic and semi automatic rifles in the 20s.  And that was because of the gangsters.

In reply to Mark Hawke (msg # 80):

a .38 revolver is pretty bulky for a lady's handbag. I'd recommend a .25 or .32 automatic for the period/character.

What year are we in?

I found the cutest derringer on a website .. of course it's an antique now so wickedly expensive.  .25 derringer, top break with mother-of-pearl handgrips.  Of course, it probably would not be an antique here, so something considerably less than $2500.

If someone wanted to buy a .25 for self-defense, I'd stop them.  Stop, I'd say, STOP!  At least get a .32 hammerless!  But they also chamber those in .38 S&W, which would be even better.  ;)

Well, in real life, I carry a 9mm semi-auto handgun (SIG's P365), but for the era and for a young lady like Anna May, the .25 is probably more "realistic".

I carry harsh language!  And a .25 is about as useful in a fight as harsh language.  ;)

Realism is a spectrum.  Low-powered guns are still marketed towards women, even for self-defense.  But I'm likewise sure that many a woman in the early 20th century quite realistically decided if they were going to carry a gun, it wouldn't be an underpowered weapon.  It wasn't like the limitations of .25 rounds wasn't known at the time.

Plus, wouldn't a good Midwestern girl likely have been raised on shotguns and hunting rifles?  Probably not scared of a little boom and kick to her guns!  :)

This is a Sears catalog of the time.  I believe the S&W would be good for her. And having shot guns most of my life, the .22 is far superior to the .25. More reliable and more damage. So if you don't go for a .41 derringer, then the .22 would be a perfect ladies gun. But so would hte S&W .38 special with the 2" barrel.


This message was last edited by the player at 12:15, Mon 06 May 2019.

Small pistols/revolvers were often carried by men and women who wanted to have protection, but didn't want the inconvenience of a larger weapon's weight and bulk. Arms manufacturers catered to the need with items like the Banker's Special.

Introduced in 1926 and made until 1940, the Colt Banker's Special was simply the Police Positive revolver fitted with a 2 inch barrel. The Banker's Special was intended to be a smaller, lower powered alternative to the Detective Special. It was available with a 2 inch barrel, and in .22LR or .38 Colt New Police (.38 S&W). Finishes were blue or bright nickel.

Keep in mind that most women carried purses that were a lot smaller than today's, often just a snap-open clutch. A standard .38 revolver is a bulky thing, is over a foot long, and weighs over two pounds. A dainty .32 automatic, on the other hand, could be hardly larger than a cigarette case.

In most situations, you don't have to shoot someone to discourage hostile intentions, just demonstrate that you can so that they go away. You wouldn't have to actually pull the trigger to discourage me.

A derringer could have been her grandfather's. Or her grandmother's!

Americans and guns ;)

Us Brits just stand there stiff upper liped whilst we get mugged / stabbed / shot xD

How much of this is common knowledge in Hollywood? How much is just rumors? (Ray is a huge rumor magnet.)

In reply to Richard Blackwood (msg # 90):

Sounds rather painful!

Real life, I have an ex who stalked me, and a current order of protection (bullet stopping power of all the paper it's written upon)--I got to move several hundred miles away from him, but I have heard through connections that he's just waiting for the order to expire, so I rather expect him to show up here soon thereafter.  So if he shows up wanting to kill me, my gun is a big "nope".

But that's real life, and much less fun than picking out a cute derringer for my character.  (OK on the .41 but keeping mother-of-pearl grips).

I have shot a shotgun, but didn't enjoy it much--probably because I shoot lefty and the shotguns were all right-handed, and that is *awkward* as all get out.  Anna May probably would have used a shotgun, but I don't think a rifle.

It is kind of amusing to find "caliber wars" here ...  I've had people tell me to shoot a higher caliber but I just internally roll my eyes and reply that I go by the real-estate motto:  Location, Location, Location.  Besides which, 9mm is a lot more affordable and easy to locate than the larger calibers (and I guess I'm a semi-auto gal), and I still shoot more .22 at the range (because that is even cheaper yet, and that is a factor when you're throwing a couple hundred rounds downrange a week).

Not everyone in the Midwest lives out on a farm.

Ray grew up in Minneapolis and lived in Chicago before coming to Hollywood. He's never fired a gun.

So, what's the title of this epic we're shooting?

Anna May is from an unincorporated town near Lake Michigan, so a little more country than not.

In reply to Anna May Gibson (msg # 92):

Wow that sucks. Good job you have protection then.

I'm basing Graham's conventional occultism on the Agape Lodge No. 2, which is an Ordo Templi Orientis group in LA.  While I'm not sure it was ever common knowledge, it was real, and they were deeply invested in a lot of Crowley-ian sex magic and the drug scene.  A fair number of Hollywood-types in the 30s and 40s were associated - covertly - with the lodge.  (As were a fair number of scientists, of all things.)

If Ray is part of the Hollywood rumor mill, there's no doubt he's heard of the lodge and what goes on there, I'd say.  They weren't exactly hiding.  They met at a private mansion where they did their rites, and since several big shots were involved the cops stayed away.  They were discrete, but not hidden.  And they liked to hang out with movie stars and Hollywood people, according to my research.  So, anyone in the Business *could* know about them.

With a small (10%) Occult skill Mark has probably heard of them but knows nothing of their membership

In reply to Graham Evanson (msg # 97):

But is Graham a known member?

Known to whom?  ;)

If you're asking if Ray would know Graham was an OTO member?  I'm cool with that.  Like most of them, he doesn't hide it, but he's fairly discrete.

In reply to Graham Evanson (msg # 97):

Ooh, that's neat.

I'm playing a former OTO member in two westerns. I know a bit about wicca but nothing about the OTO IRL.

Though wouldn't the 1930s be a time when the Golden Dawn / Crowley had more fame?

Richard, during the period, yeah, Crowley was the head of the OTO but... getting into the connections between the OTO and the Golden Dawn if fraught with drama.  Decades of claims and counter-claims have made it next to impossible to get to "the truth," especially considering that almost everyone involved was some species of scam artist.  ;)

I'm fairly happy to leave the Golden Dawn out of things because of how murky and controversial the connections between Crowley and the Golden Dawn still are.  If someone else wants to introduce Golden Dawn drama, great!  But *Graham* is a member of the OTO, which is run by Crowley, and believes what the OTO says and doesn't much think about the Golden Dawn.  He's a little self-absorbed.

In reply to Graham Evanson (msg # 103):

A self-absorbed actor in Hollywood? Ridiculous!

Huh, slow day.

Right now slow suits me. Especially with regards to this site.

Too many games and I can't keep up.

Hello there!  Peggy Waithe is here, dears, a lovely lady of a certain age, once an actress of stage and screen, but now screen only (better suits the pace I move at these days).  Been known to go into a faint or three and have some odd dreams, but who doesn't these days, really?  Likely been cast as a minor background character or small character role as someone's maiden aunt, mother, or grandmother.

Welcome!

In reply to Margaret Waithe (msg # 107):

Welcome. May I call you Peggy?

In reply to Margaret Waithe (msg # 107):

Hello!

Welcome all ye who are newly arrived. Enter freely and of your own will.

Ray - She would have certainly introduced herself as Peggy.  :)  Anything I need to know before entering the scene, as it were?

Only that Mr. Hawk is devilishly hand... oh wait.  APP 8  Oh Well.  :-)

In reply to Margaret Waithe (msg # 112):

We're all just chatting for now. You know the movie business -- hurry up and wait.

Are we waiting for the horrible scream of someone discovering a body?  ;)

In reply to Margaret Waithe (msg # 115):

I'm not dead yet.

Have we seen even a hint of the director yet?

In reply to Ray Ammon (msg # 117):

I'll probably put a wanted ad for him.

So... what's the word?

I doth believe there is evil afoot.

Did someone say they needed a policeman!?

Two weeks without the GM checking in. That's when I begin to wonder if we're done here.

One of the other games I am in just lost the GM as he passed away.  I hope it wasn't the same person running this game.

It's a bit of a bummer.  The premise was enough to make me interested in stretching into a new rule set.

In reply to Mark Hawke (msg # 123):

No I can assure you. I'm still here.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:16, Fri 28 June 2019.

That's great.

We've been sort of marking time for about two months now. I hope we can get some actual narrative going soon.

Pshew!!  Good to hear

In reply to Ray Ammon (msg # 126):

I'm working on it.

I can at least confirm that the GM (Keeper?) is alive. She just allowed me access to the game. I will be playing Dr. McWatt "Call me Duncan, all my friends do." He is a good looking fellow in his early thirties with a Scottish accent. He is hoping to cement a contract with the studio to provide psychiatric analysis to those stars who need a little help getting through the day.

Just a little pinprick, dear,
and there will be no more fear,
though you may feel a little queer.
Can you stand up? Stand up?
I do believe it's working. Good.
That'll keep you going through the show.
Come on, it's time to go

With thanks and apologies to Roger Waters

Cheers,
I am working on my character and will be along soon!

In reply to Dr Duncan Mcwatt (msg # 129):

Hello, doctor!

In reply to Annalise Lovelace (msg # 130):

Hello and welcome!

Did we lose our british cop?

In reply to Mark Hawke (msg # 133):

And our police sergeant?

In reply to Ray Ammon (msg # 134):

I don't know if we lost the police sergeant, but the other did leave the game.

I'm surprised we haven't lost more with our speed.  I'm all good though

I'm just happy to be here, I enjoy the COC.

Hey guys, I am leaving for GenCon tomorrow and am not certain I'll be able to post again until the 5th!  Please NPC me as necessary!  I may pop in if I have the time, but no guarantees.

Have a good time, I love Gencon!

I'm going for a medical procedure this morning. Hope to be fully recovered tomorrow.

Good Luck!

In reply to Ray Ammon (msg # 140):

Hope you recover.

Procedure went well, but left me a bit washed out. Will catch up and post soon.

Glad all is well.

Glad to hear it went well, best to not stress yourself. Recovery is important!

Any procedure will take the fight out of you. Take it easy and rest a little longer than you think you need to.  Your body will thank you.

Oie my groups changed. o.O

Seems everyone has taken an instant dislike to Dr. McWatt. He's really a very charming fellow.

Happy to be the bad guy, but I hope we start the narrative stuff soon.

Anna is neutral currently, she wary, but she's not like -beat him with a purse- or omg pure evil.

In reply to Dr Duncan Mcwatt (msg # 148):

We'll have to see, won't we?

Peeks.

Peeks.

Sorry  I missed the first peek.

:-)

LOL.
I didn't know if anyone was still around.

Around ... just waiting for something to happen to react to.

In reply to Anna May Gibson (msg # 155):

Sorry. I have been busy with an attempt or two to write a story of mine on Fictionpress.

Welcome to the game, Mr Richard.

Are we not all in the prop room -- or at least outside it while our detective looks for Clues?

Thanks! I used to own a copy of CoC but never actually played before. Is there a chargen guide somewhere?

I though so , I think we all went to the prop room

Yes. Everly went over to Charlotte's dressing room so they could help each other practice, or so she thought.

I am currently waiting for information at the prop room.

And the answer to this question..  Did we all hear the scream just now

In reply to Everly Edington. (msg # 161):

And Charlotte went to her dressing room as well, but left to check something out and went to the prop room. Yes, everyone heard it.

There is a Character Generator for the earlier editions of CoC here:

http://jcfiala.net/content/bya...-character-generator

As far as I know Byakhee will not generate version 7 characters, but that's not what we're playing.

Aren't we already at the prop room with Mark inside searching it for clues?

Can we please wait for some GM clarification before everyone rushes to go to a place we are already at?  Unless the prop room is enormous, Mark should have been able to see someone enter the prop room and start a record player up.

In reply to Mark Hawke (msg # 166):

The prop room is very large. Everyone else is at a small corner of it, near the entrance, and Charlotte went from the back door.

Okay.  Wasn't sure what we were looking at since Mark was already inside and looking for clues

In reply to Mark Hawke (msg # 168):

Happy to have helped with that.

Who's still here?

The good doctor is still lounging around, eying the starlets with bad intent.

In reply to Dr Duncan Mcwatt (msg # 171):

Okay, great.

Here.  In the prop room

the same as Mark.

A littles Christmas ditty for one and all

God rest ye merry Orchish thieves, let nothinh you dismay. The 14th level paladin has waited for this day. He's sharpened up his vorpal sword for Orcish thieves to slay. Oh Tidings of Magic and Loot, magic and loot. Oh Tidings of Magic and Loot.

The fur foot thief sneaks down the hall but meets a fiery fate for Hobbit in most languages translates to dragon bait. Oh Tidings of Magic and Loot, magic and loot. Oh Tidings of Magic and Loot

In reply to Mark Hawke (msg # 175):

Merry Christmas

In reply to Everly Edington. (msg # 176):

Merry Christmas to you.

And a Happy New Year!

In reply to Dr Duncan Mcwatt (msg # 178):

You too!

I've asked our Keeper if she would mind if I ran the story for a while. She has indicated that this suits her as she is busy with RL. I don't yet have GM privileges in this game, but I thought I would see who is still interested. I also don't know what her story line was going to be about -- but I have plots of my own that I can bring forward. If she ever wants to pick up her plot again, mine will just be side actions in the overall campaign.

Does this interest any of you?

I've been checking in whenever there's a new post.  I'm still interested.

Ditto - still interested.

DITTO 2

In reply to Dr Duncan Mcwatt (msg # 180):

Still interested.

I looked through the back posts and I don't see an actual date for this game defined. Just the Golden Age of Hollywood. Since Wikipedia defines that as from 1927 (talkies) to 1960's, I am going to specify that this is the early summer of 1952. (Unless that derails the other story line)

Beneath sunny California skies, Americans enjoy a new era of common prosperity, industry, conformity and leisure. The entertainment business is in full swing: studios churn out wholesome fare for the big screen, little screen, and the drive-in. Restaurants and roadside attractions promise families good times around every bend in the road. In Anaheim, a kingdom devoted to the dreams of childhood opens its gates to the delight of millions. However, the brighter the glare, the more startling the shadow. The nocturnal world of Los Angeles conceals a seedier side of life, despite the bright lights and gleaming motorcars that are everywhere.

If this suits, I think we're ready to get going.

I was assuming early 1930s, but I think the only references to that is referring to the rights confusion around Tarzan in that era, and Phyllis's costume is pre-code (compare pre-code Jane https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0...aviewer/rm1761165056 to the Hays-enforced Jane https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0...aviewer/rm2888921088), which can be handwaved.

In reply to Gm (msg # 185):

I think the original setting was in the 1940's.

Just a tidbit to let you know what that $100 means

Minimum wage:   $0.75/hour
Gas:            $0.27 or 22m
Movie ticket:   $0.48 or 38m
Rent:           $42 or 56hrs

So that $100 is worth 133 hours of min wage.

Thanks, Mark. Great details. I love it when the players start to get invested in picturing their characters in situ.

Bit of game mechanics: Anyone seeing threads other than these?

• An Assignment
• OOC
• Backstage at the filming studio

There are multiple groups but I have no sense that there are different scenes going on. Just checking because it looks like we will have one group going to Brophy's office and another going to see Jeanne St. Jayne.

Office

• Phyllis Green
• Dr. McWatt
• Mark Hawke
• Anna May Gibson
• Everly Edington

Jeanne St. Jayne

• Margaret Waithe

Those threads are the only ones I see.

Just wondering if anyone is seeing the new threads I created for Stan Brophy's office and Jeanne St. Jayne's house. It's been a while and no responses.

Thanks

In reply to Dr Duncan Mcwatt (msg # 191):

I saw them.

Why, Hawk will take Anna May back to his house and show her his sketches.  :-)

Merry Christmas.

In reply to Everly Edington (msg # 194):

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas all

Merry Christmas!

In reply to Mark Hawke (msg # 196):

You too.

Happy New Year to all!

Any of you interested in starting the narrative up again?

certainly

Happy New Year!

I might be willing to give it another go, though it seems like it's been so long.

Let's see if anyone else is interested. If so, I suggest we recap and start again. Though I have found that smaller groups do better here at RPOL.

In reply to Keeper's Assistant (msg # 199):

Oh definitely!

In reply to Keeper's Assistant (msg # 202):

I would love to get back to this story.

I'd be interested in continuing.

Happy late Easter.

In reply to Everly Edington (msg # 206):

Happy Easter.

In reply to Charlotte Valise. (msg # 207):

Same to you!

The seasons roll on by but nobody seems to want play. Is there something you’d like see or do in the game.

I think that maybe starting completely fresh would be a better wat to revive the game.  Same characters but all new story.  I know it would work better for me.

In reply to Mark Hawke (msg # 210):

We actually did reboot the game.

It's in the reboot group.

Okay.  When I was saying reboot I was talking entirely.  But picking back up before all the investigation works also.  I just moved and am involved in the unpacking process.  It may be a week or so before I post but I will have something up.

In reply to Mark Hawke (msg # 213):

Good

Where has everybody gone?

In reply to Gm (msg # 215):

I'm here.

In reply to Gm (msg # 215):

Me too.

In reply to Gm (msg # 215):

So am I as well.

In the funny farm. Being chased by men in white coats.

Still here.

I COULD be here if other people were here and doing stuff.  :)

In reply to Graham Evanson (msg # 221):

True. I mean we had to practically reboot the game, and we only got a couple of posts out of that.

Happy Easter.

In reply to Gm (msg # 223):

Happy Easter!

In reply to Gm (msg # 223):

Happy Easter to you.

In reply to Gm (msg # 223):

Happy Easter! I hope you are doing well.