I'll be writing up a response in which Anne will follow the portly old man.

I am currently not sure if I should use Shroud or Caul to help with that. To speed up - cause I don't know the usual turn-around times and would like us to have a quick re-start - I'll roll both and try to nail down the conditions under which I would consider what. Then I'll trust the storyteller to select the one best fitting.
The Keys will be Stillness in both cases.
If I get it right and following without being detected is basically going to be Stealth vs. Wits+Composure the choice would be easily Caul (penalty for the latter based on activation successes) over Shroud (additional Dice for the former based on dots in Shroud, i.e. 1).
If there's more to it and following might involve other uses if stealth or if the Stillness Caul is just too obvious to walk through the City - this would makes it the Shroud.

In reply to Anne Reed (msg # 148):

Storyteller will be able to give you a better answer, I'm near the book though so can give an answer on the obviousness front.

Shroud is specifically noted as invisible to anyone but a Sin-Eater or Ghost (and possibly other supernaturals depending on their abilities). Whatever form it might take it should be unnoticeable to the average person.

Caul anyone who can see you can see the unnatural appearance the power causes. However they do have to be able to see you, if your Stealth is good enough then all good, though if there's technological observation (such as security cameras) those might catch you anyway.

Malcolm is absolutely right. I also am assuming you still have the shroud up which is why the pawn shop owner didn't notice you.

Shroud it is then, makes sense.

It's been way too long since I've last used this system, sorry.  How do we do knowledge checks about the symbols?

Typically knowledge stuff is governed by Int + a suitable ability. So it might be Int + Occult (weird shit), Int + Academia (generic knowledge shit), Int + Streetwise or Politics if it's more specific stuff and so on. Not a concrete rule since sometimes GMs decide other Attributes or Abilities might be better but it's a good base.

In reply to Hans Becker (msg # 152):

NP buddy, me as well! You are looking for int+ocult if you just want to use your brain. You also have access to supernatural abilities to get more information though.


Keep in mind you can roll a max number of times based on your dice pool (e.g. if your int + occult is a dice pool of 5, you can roll up to 5 times, each roll representing a period of time-- in this example, 10 mins). For some analysis rolls, I set more vague/specific information behind higher levels of suxx. E.g., you get one piece of info at 3 suxx, another at 5, another at 9, etc. The higher the suxx, the more helpful/specific the info.

Not saying I did that for this specific symbol but something for ALL players to keep in mind.



Edit: Malcolm posted at the same time as me! Lol He is right. Int + Aca would be to learn about the symbol itself for example.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:39, Tue 22 Aug 2023.

In reply to The Storyteller (msg # 154):

Just Int analysis rolls or should I be rolling more social ones in the pawn shop? Or would you roll those yourself if PCs who continue to prod where you feel apt?

In reply to Malcolm Unsworth (msg # 155):

Oh sorry, those rolls i listed in the last post were answering Hans' question. You were good, Malcolm.

Unless you were trying to do something specific?

In reply to The Storyteller (msg # 156):

Nope, all good there. Just making sure I don't need to roll more.

Two quick questions for you GM, am I likely to get to the car park Anne is at in time and is there a shop en route where I can grab some paper and pen?

Related to that Anne, you more interested in tormenting the fellow to get results now or trying to do leg work without him around?

Let me give you three responses ;)

Anne would most likely prefer leg work with nobody around, feel free to call her Ms. Head down.

Her Geist however is all for tormenting and usually prefers now over later every single time. You can call him Mr. Rage if you want.

Closing as the player, I'd probably side with the Geist this time, just hesitated to take my chances alone.

What would you be up for?

If I can get there in time Grave-Dirt Boneyard with enough successes could make it very hard for him to get out of the car park and give you time to mess with him. But it could be trumped by him getting directions so not a guaranteed strategy.

If you're inclined to more certain actions we can skip it.

The main question though would be what we try to achieve. Anne is good with sneaking as well as punching (martial arts and manifestations) as well as taking a hit occasionally (Caul, Rage, Shroud | Grave-Dirt, Silent).

She is no investigator though so I don't know if we would get anything out of him other than blood and sweat... Would Malcolm be  a better interrogator?
This message was last edited by the player at 17:18, Fri 25 Aug 2023.

He's okay at it. But Boneyarding puts him out of action for that sort of stuff.

Mostly I was going to use that to keep him vulnerable and stuck in the garage for you to traumatise him. Then nick his wallet. But we have other options.

I might even keep him in check with my hands alone even..., but I might just as well overestimate my fighting style and he has a weapon...

In reply to Malcolm Unsworth (msg # 158):


Malcolm, Yes! The way I see it is that your posts are not in synch time-wise. The conversation you had happened while Anne was still following the guy (we can hand wave, is my point), however, if you want to get there in time you would not be able to stop for paper and a pen at another shop.

If you're not concerned with time, you can easily find a a small Japanese convenience store with a stationary section. Or, for sake of ease, I would allow you to have a notebook with you since you were originally going to a museum. I leave the choice to you. :)

Likely to be a non-issue GM, I think we're at the stage where other ideas are better. Thanks for the answer though.
Will try to get an IC post up later for that.

It seems we have lost Hans?


Malcolm and Anne, what is the actual plan for what you two want to do? Depending on what it is, we may do it 'off screen' and end the scene.

Hans might just be in a lag period GM, sure I saw them on the login.

On my side of things Anne with us functionally having lost the guy I was going to try to interrogate our ghostly fellows since we have what presumably are their anchors, see if we can narrow down where the fellow got their teeth from. After that I was going to likely get in touch with one of the NPCs for the rite to put them to rest, while I do have unspent merit points for group work that I could use for it using them mid-task seems off.

It might be better if Hans has hit a struggling to post patch to speed past that though and get other active PCs involved if that thread is going on hiatus?

Yeah, not much special that can be done. Anne saved a photo of the license plate - but she has o contacts that could make anything out of that.

Also, for all she has seen ghosts like forever - even before her Geist - she hasn't ever "handled" them much. So, she's curiously watching Malcolm and letting him lead though conversation and putting to rest.

My partner seems to have gotten lost.

ok great i'll message Malcolm and Anne later today with how the scene ends and we will close that thread and start a new one with the three of you that takes place after.

Linda, keep in mind that I will leave the bear pun scene open in case Hans comes back soon. If he does, we will have that scene take place 'in the past' (in relation to the new scene with all 3 of you).

Don't wait on me for the PM stuff GM, the individual in the scene we are in is not one I approached initially. While it might impact how I deal with him it's not liable to impact posting for a bit.

Copy that, Malcolm. This is my week with my daughter so I will try to post tmrw, if I have time.