A few weeks about my friends Tim & Carina moved. They gave me a bunch of stuff for my birthday auction (before you ask, no date set) including How to Host A Mystery, Star Trek: The Next Generation style. They made me promise that I would run it and invite them, to which I quickly agreed. Others also were very enthusiastic – so much so that I wanted to set a date as soon as possible to satiate their disturbing Trekkie needs. In hindsight I should have waited a little longer, because we played it last night and it was way way way too hot in my apartment to do anything except stay out, even with three fans going. Especially when that anything includes being dressed up in Trek costume. We should have pretended we were at Risa, or perhaps the environmental controls on the Enterprise were on the bridge.
Anyhoo I did a pretty clumsy job of running the game (the rulebook didn’t make it very easy for me, but to be fair it was my reading comprehension was not exactly at its best). It was no mention at all about whether the host should or should not play the game as one of the characters. I recommend that wherever this game goes, the host should NOT try to play the game, and should familiarize him/herself with everything, including spoiling the ending, so that he doesn’t cock up so magnificently. I wouldn’t say the night was spoiled because even with the heat and the gaffs it was still tons of fun, but how could it not be in the company of Caleb, Lani, Adam, Sheri, Stephane, Tim and Carina and all of the delicious cross-alpha quadrant victuals that came with them!
And now that I know how to host it properly, I would do so again if there is enough interest, but not until the environmental controls are under control.
I played in a How to Host a Mystery game around 7-10 years ago and I remember that it didn’t go terribly well. I don’t recall too much other than most people weren’t really into acting out their characters.
Oh there was lots of good roleplaying last night. But also a lot of rules confusion.
I don’t remember there being rules. I don’t remember any sort of rules when I played. I think we were each assigned a character and got a sheet that had our character’s background and what he/she knows. Then the ‘GM’ would read some box text to set things up, then we were supposed to just interact or something with each other for ten minutes or so, then more box text, then more interaction, then more box text, etc, etc. I think characters also got more info sheets at the beginning of each interaction and they contained info that only that character knew.
Like I said, no rules, just a structure of sorts. And I don’t think that the character who played the murderer knew that he/she was the murderer until it was revealed at the very end.
I used to play a lot of the Host a Murder parties (at least 20+) in the 80’s (closest I came to LARP’s) and found they were very hit or miss. My sister even got inspired to organize fund raisers for community groups and we wrote these mysteries and staged them in community halls with catered dinners. One has 120 people!
I actually have run the Star Trek one three times and it was always a little confused, part of the fun. Next time will be better, I’m sure!
Octopussycat
BRAWN 12
BRAINS 20
BALANCE 20
BRAVADO 20
Move Rate 45
Strength Bonus 12
Dodge Bonus 40
Zero Dice: 5
Skills: Disguise 70, First Aid 50, Hide 75, Language & Lore: Omnibus 60, Listen 70, Medicine 40, Navigate 50, Psychology 70, Sci: Chemistry 40, See 70, Technical Build & Repair 40, Technical Knowhow 70, Track 50
Climb 50, fisticuffs 50, Lockpick 70, Pilot: Land 40, Sleight of Hand 50, Sneak 75, Weapon: Melee 45, Weapon: Pistol 50, Throw 50
Endure 70, Heave 24, Jump 44, Swim 72
Backbone 70, Persuade: Bluff 70, Persuade: Charm 40, Persuade Leadership 40, Streetwise 60
Powers
Adaptation (1) (belt, helmet)
Cloak:
Concealment (4) all visual
Glide (3) 25mph
Belt:
Blast (4) WDV 20
Nauseate (7) 35 Endure
Obscure (3) 25 radius
Stun (5) 25 Endure, range 15 or touch
Snare (3) 15 to Dodge
Swing (1 supermove)
Gloves:
Suckers: +20 to Heave while grappling
Helmet:
Darkvision
Telescopic vision
Perks:
Fearsome Presence p61 mm
Inventor/Jury Rig
Sneak Attack
Fast
L&L: Omnibus (Liberal Arts Education): The character gets a special, exclusive specialty skill called Language & Lore: Omnibus. This skill represents the body of miscellaneous information that the character has come in contact with over his years of education and research. The player distributes skill points normally into the skill, however the skill functions differently than regular skills: Once per gaming session the player may switch that skill score with any other non-basic Brains skill (including other Language & Lore skills if the ZM warrants). For example, a Wilderness Survival skill check is called for, but the character only has a score of 15 in that skill. He recalls, however, a story he once wrote about the famous author M. J. Durall, who forsook civilization and became a hermit. Durall showed the character his cunningly built lean-to, among other things, so the character may use his Language & Lore: Omnibus skill score of 70 in lieu of his Wilderness Survival score of 15
Haardvark
BRAWN 20
BRAINS 11
BALANCE 15
BRAVADO 20
Strength Bonus 40 (inc power)
Move Rate 35
Dodge Bonus 30
Zero Dice: 5
SKILLS:
Listen 55, See 45, Language & Lore ______ 65
Climb 50, Fisticuffs 50, Pilot Air 25, Throw 50
Endure 85, Heave 90, Jump 50, Swim 50
Backbone 75, Persuade Intimidate 75
POWERS
Armor: 35
Deflect p81mm (extra: reflection)
Immune to high pressure
Superstrength!
-Ground Strike p104mm
Extra Limb (tail)
Claws +10 WDV
Burrow (normal move rate, even through rock)
PERKS
Power Attack: up to 25 to hit, +25 to WDV (melee only)
Weapon Break p65mm
Improved Grapple (
Stunning Attack
Grit (ignore aggravated damage 1/session)
Improved Tour de Force (claws)
Heroes on patrol or having coffee in aliases.
Kerfuffle at post office.
-postal worker Wolfred Brimley has gone bananas and is attacking coworkers
-package addressed to Felina Furr in Kits has been broken open and strange goo is on Brimleys work area and fingers
-cops arrive
goo contains rare sea cucumber eggs found only in Madagascar, animal blood, and oriental herbs including dragonflybane.
Shop in Chinatown run by Panda xi?o xióng m?o can tell of big dumb ibex who purchased the herbs last week. Very rude and cheap. Paid in cash.
Felina Furr is under investigation by the police due to an anonymous tip off that shes responsible for the rash of kidnappings/witchcraft. Cops around her house and tailing her wherever she goes.
-she just started an online business dealing in a crystal therapy/new age shop
-she can tell the PCs that shes been framed
DETAILS OF THE CRIME
Many young black female cats have gone missing from the city.
One week ago an old church was raided by the police on an anonymous tip (Toms cell phone). There was a shootout and many police were killed. This was obviously the hq for the cult but they all got away. Much occult paraphernalia was abandoned at the site in a hurry. (inc some books that the PCs could study)
CLUES
L&L or book studying will reveal that within 3 days the stars will be right for all sorts of horrible eldritch rituals.
Tom Cat, a black and brown, male, thin and gangly, quite young, is seen recording the PCs on his cell phone around the church. He is the younger brother of Tabitha Cat, one of the missing animals. He knew that she was in danger so he has been tracking her cell phone and this is the last place hes detected it.
– Tom saw a guy talk to the cop in the car staking out the place, and then the cop drove off. The guy who may have been a frog then went inside the building after calling forth three others (including a large ibex in an arm sling) from a grey van. Tom recorded it all on his cell phone. The guy never seemed to come out.
THE VAN
The van is registered to Wally Capra. Ex-military. His brother went to jail for fraud – fake doctor. (read diseases through feet). Lives with his mother, though he is never there.
Blah
Octopussycat
BRAWN 12
BRAINS 20
BALANCE 20
BRAVADO 20
Move Rate 42
Strength Bonus 12
Dodge Bonus 40
Zero Dice: 5
Skills: Disguise 70, First Aid 50, Hide 75, Language & Lore: Omnibus 60, Listen 70, Medicine 40, Navigate 50, Psychology 70, Sci: Chemistry 40, See 70, Technical Build & Repair 40, Technical Knowhow 70, Track 50
Climb 50, fisticuffs 50, Lockpick 70, Pilot: Land 40, Sleight of Hand 50, Sneak 75, Weapon: Melee 45, Weapon: Pistol 50, Throw 50
Endure 70, Heave 24, Jump 44, Swim 72
Backbone 70, Persuade: Bluff 70, Persuade: Charm 40, Persuade Leadership 40, Streetwise 60
Powers
Adaptation (1) (belt, helmet). You can adapt to hostile environments in 1 round.
CLOAK:
Concealment (4) all visual. Opponents have -40 to hit you, assuming they know where you are. If you surprise attack an opponent, you get +20 to hit them, and a +10 to damage.
Glide (3) 25mph (Move Rate 80 max).
BELT:
Blast (4) WDV 20 “Octopus Bite”
“Stink bomb” – Nauseate (7) Weapon: Melee or Throw. Target at -35 Endure or sickened (-10 to all check) unless failed by 25 or more, then nauseated (can take no action, but can move), If fail by 50 or more, target is helpless. Each round the target rerolls Endure with cumulative +5 bonus.
“Ink Pellets” Obscure (3) 25 radius, thrown or around self. Creates cloud of thick inky gas. Everyone within has total concealment (p161 M&M).
“Octo-Tazer” Stun (5) Weapon: Handgun or Fisticuffs. 15′ range only. Target makes Endure check at 25 Endure. Failure means target is stunned until he makes an Endure check (each round, cumulative +5 bonus).
Octo-bolos Snare (3). Throw skill check. Victim can make a Dodge Bonus roll with a 15. Entangled victims are at -10 to attack and +10 to be hit and -20 to applicable skills (Balance-linked), and moves at 1/2 Move Rate. Failure to the Dodge roll by 25 or more, or on the successful used of another snare makes the victim bound and helpless (see p99 M&M for more).
Swing (1 supermove). Using your rope and grappler(s), you can swing through the air at your normal Move Rate, provided there are buildings etc to swing from.
Dazzle. Weapon: Handgun or Throw. Target at 35 Endure or target is “dazzled” (cannot see). Target rerolls Endure every round with a cumulative +5 bonus to regain sight.
GLOVES/BOOTS:
Suckers: +20 to Heave while grappling
Wall Crawl: Climb at ½ your Move Rate with no Climb check required on any angle even on smooth surfaces.
HELMET:
Darkvision
Telescopic vision
Fearsome Presence. Strike a pose. Victims at 5 to their Backbone checks. (p 61 M&M)
Inventor/Jury Rig
Sneak Attack (+10 to damage when you make a surprise attack)
Fast (+10 Move Rate included in 42 score)
L&L: Omnibus (Liberal Arts Education): The character gets a special, exclusive specialty skill called Language & Lore: Omnibus. This skill represents the body of miscellaneous information that the character has come in contact with over his years of education and research. The player distributes skill points normally into the skill, however the skill functions differently than regular skills: Once per gaming session the player may switch that skill score with any other non-basic Brains skill (including other Language & Lore skills if the ZM warrants). For example, a Wilderness Survival skill check is called for, but the character only has a score of 15 in that skill. He recalls, however, a story he once wrote about the famous author M. J. Durall, who forsook civilization and became a hermit. Durall showed the character his cunningly built lean-to, among other things, so the character may use his Language & Lore: Omnibus skill score of 70 in lieu of his Wilderness Survival score of 15
Album Spoilers
Take note, Warren Banks, we had a wee band meeting yesterday and heres whats up.
If Merricks up to it, we may book a sequence of 1-3 shows end of September or October to finance rental of practice space.
We may try to record bed tracks (at the very least) for 6-8 songs in, say, November. Likely candidates include Sleestak & Yeti, A Marine Biologist, Kill the Chupacabra Tonight, Downtown, Hall of Doors, and Shhh .
All plans subject to change without prior notice.
Prologue: A Marine Biologist introducing Dr. T.S. Peaslie, a marine biologist who studies architeuthis dux, the giant squid.
Chapter One: The Shadow Out of Tim our good doctor lapses into a second, alien personality, and goes on a mysterious 3 month expedition on his research vessel.
Chapter Two: Back to the his regular self some time later, Dr OShea tries to piece together clues of what happened, and reconcile with friends and family. Song to be determined.
Chapter Three: The terrible dreams of being trapped in a Yithian body in the primordial jungles of Australia, interrogated by other Yithians using weird musical instruments, begin to haunt the doctor. Song to be determined, possibly Bed of Flame (to be renamed) or Eaten Alive (to be renamed).
Chapter Four: Return to Te Taniwha. OShea retraces the marine journey he took while his body was possessed by the Yithian, and learns that some things man was not meant to know.
Epilogue: Downtown in the Mesozoic age, angiosperm plants evolved along with bees, aphids and grasshoppers. Oviraptors were plentiful. Ammonites and belemnites became extinct. Oh, and dinosaurs too. There was no cross-promotional marketing, focus groups, spam, or commercials of any kind.
Standalone songs:
Kill the Chupacabra Tonight
Sleestak & Yeti
Shhh (almost definitely)
Hall of Doors/Ode to Nyarlathotep
Doctor, Captain
T.H. Sless
R.V. Steadfast
Bearing West
Hes got a bathysphere
Hes a marine biologist
Slid with the squid underneath the waves
Architeuthis
Lean and fast
Show us your sublime
Buccal mass
Hes got a bathysphere
A keen marine biologist
Slid with the squid underneath the waves
Come along to the hadopelagic we can frolic where the corals abound
If the cads with the benthic trawlers havent passed by the time we get down
Hes got a bathysphere
A mean marine biologist
Slid with the squid underneath the waves
medusa
Kkk kkk k kkkkk kkkk kk k
Gaming
The D&D campaign Ive been playing in recently is now over! It was a short campaign run by Paul and it was a lot of fun. I played Zabsurast Hoohoo the barbarian/fighter/ranger with a rogue cohort named Hives (pronounced HEE-vays like you would pronounce Chaves, but Zaburast always pronounced it like the skin condition). In a nutshell, we were sent on a ship to an island where a modern stoner from California had been imprisoned by wizards because his invention of gunpowder would tip the balance of power. This last session could well have been a total party kill (TPK) as Paul had no compunction about sending numerous deadly foes at us since we all knew it would be the last night for the campaign, but we pulled through with flying colours (though it was harrowing for a couple of us for a while there).
The Mutants & Masterminds game Im in should wrap up next week, right after H.P. Lovecrafts Birthday Party, which gives me no regular gaming outlets until Caleb starts up his Masks of Nyarlathotep campaign. Ive been waiting to play that for years.
In the meantime Im desperately trying to figure out what Im going to do for Spaceship Zero at HPLs BDP! Did I mention that I played World Wildlife Federation of Justice last week and it went really well? Im looking forward to running it again on the weekend.
Illustrating a Childrens Book A Production Diary
By Toren Atkinson
So you want to know what its like to illustrate a kids book? Stay tuned for the lowdown from conception to consummation. In this online diary Ill endeavour to provide you the maximum insight dosage, but you must understand that I am not in a position to release all of our deadly secrets since this is a work in progress and until the book is actually published, some things must remain on the downlow.
Note: if you just want to read the kids book posts and not the rest of my blog, which sometimes contains hilariously irreverent opinions on politics and religion as well as how much I hate commercials and love the Rio Theater, you can click on the book diary category link on the right and theyll all come up.
How to Illustrate a Childrens Book, Step One: Learn how to draw. Ive been drawing since I could hold a crayon, but one doesnt need to do that. I mean look at Brandon Bird (http://www.brandonbird.com/jen_sisko.html). I think I read somewhere that he only started around 2000 and hes nothing to sneeze at. When I was 13 or so I did stupid cartoons for a local newspaper which somebody somewhere–probably mehas in a photo album. I started doing jobs for friends and acquaintancesillustrations of peoples houses-to-be and portraits and tattoo designs that I usually wasnt too interested in doing. Ive also got the chronic perfectionist artist guilt (CPAG please give generously at home or the office), which means that I have no idea what to charge someone for a commission, so I usually undercharge, and if its not absolutely perfect I feel like I left the door open so that their prize shi tzu ran out into the street and got killed by an ice cream truck. Actually scratch that I hate those ugly, yippy dogs and wouldnt feel bad if that happened. Plus readily available ice cream makes for a convenient and delicious consolation. Suffice to say, I always feel self-conscious and awkward doing work for somebody else, and it makes a low-paying field even harder to get by in when I always undercut myself. On the topic of tattoos let me just say that even the coolest-looking designs are cheesy because tattoos are cheesy and I have a policy of refusing such requests (even though I did my brothers).
In 1996 I started illustrating professionally in the roleplaying game industry. Thanks in large part to the fact that I was (and am) in an H.P. Lovecraft tribute band (http://www.thickets.net) I started doing illos in Call of Cthulhu books published by the fine folks at Pagan Publishing (www.tccorp.com). That led to Dungeons & Dragons and various card, board games, and similar work. The boom was 2000-2004, in which I was able to quit my office job. The bust was around 2004 in which I had to get one back. Looking to diversify, I started prowling around video game companies and other options, but in addition to my CPAG I also suffer from Self Promotion Deficiency Syndrome. Couple that with the fact that Im juggling art with music and acting means I did most of my job-shopping online, behind the safety of my computer monitor. Enter Craigslist Vancouver.
I saw a want ad for an illustrator for a Childrens book. As part of my back to the workaday doldrums initiative of 2004, I got a job in a book warehouse. Not The Book Warehouse, just a book warehouse. Well, Raincoast Books, specificallyprinter and distributor of the Harry Potter franchise in Canada. If you dont hate Chapters going in, you will by the time you spend a few weeks pricing their books. I spent about a year there, three days a week, and in that time I saw a lot of kids books. Some of them were intimidating in their grandeur, while others were inspiring in their mediocrity. The fact that I just wanted to get the hell out of the warehouse was also a contributor to my aspirations of creating (or helping to create) a kids book. So when I saw that Craigslist ad, I didnt blink.
End part 1.
a person, thing, or group that is set apart or isolated, as for purposes of study.
Dierdre xxx is a British mercenary who was trained in various martial disciplines by WODEC. During her first government assignment she went AWOL and became affiliated for a short time with a crime syndicate where she maintained a very lucrative position as a problem solver. When the syndicate was more or less dissolved through internal conflict and WODEC operations, she put her skills on the freelance market. She has worked under or teamed up with various individuals and factions for the past 18 months, accruing warrants for her arrest in 7 different countries.
Rust is skilled, cunning and efficient. She enjoys her work but she is at all times the consummate professional. She keeps a complement of carbon fiber katanas that were designed and crafted for her by WODEC scientists and engineers. They are razor sharp and impervious to her corrosive powers.
Brody was an abandoned child whose childhood was spent in and out of foster homes and on the streets. His teens were spent largely in youth detention centers until at the age of 16 a tragic incident involving a Corrections Officer triggered his unusual powers. In an altercation Brody fell down a flight of steps and was impaled through his neck with a mop handle. Still alive, he was rushed to the infirmary where the doctor witnessed an inexplicable change to his physiology. A cellular condition spread through his body outward from the wound, turning his flesh green and providing amazing regenerative powers. It was also discovered that any living creature that touched his flesh suffered severe acute but short-term nausea and weakness. Completely healed (though left with a tremendous scar on his neck) and drunk with power he escaped the facility and has been at large ever since.
Gangrene is a thickheaded vulgar thug who enjoys throwing his power around and imagining that he is in control of his life and the lives of those around him. He has committed numerous atrocities and it is only through dumb luck or the intervention of his occasional associates that he has avoided being locked up in a WODEC facility.
Adam is one of the most powerful and high profile awakened, and has had his powers since birth. As a result, and due to the nature of his powers, he had a very charmed life growing up, and hence a very skewed perception of the world. Many see Adam as a savior from Heaven. He does nothing to contradict this perception. It may well be that he himself believes it to be true. Adams existence has polarized public opinionhe has a church dedicated to his acts and philosophy, with millions of fanatical devotees, and the appropriate faction of detractors. It is mainly his radical, decidedly unenlightened views that foster such controversy. For example, he will not use his powers on aliens, as he considers them unclean creatures, beneath the lowest animals from Gods Earth. This and similar left wing traditional Christian values
Any public appearance by Adam is likely to be a volatile si
Some place in Antarctic
exterior. Light wind and light snow. Parka-wearing figures can be vaguely seen moving about. A roaring sound starts quietly and grows. The Parkas stop fiddling and pay attention to the sound.
Over a low rise a large halftrack/snowmobile dealie climbs and then descends.
A short, swarthy man lifts the thick flap of a tent and peers out.
Short Man walks out to fully stopped half track.
Door to half-track opens. Big military type comes out of the truck.
Short says Doctor Professor Ashton?
Sorry for the delay, old chap voice balloon leads off shot as military type glares emotionlessly.
Now an older, scrawny, balding scientist-type trying to navigate out of the truck.
I dont think we would have been prepared for you if you were on schedule, sir.
Oh please, call me Cornelius. When can I have a look at the uh at the
I thought we might truck out to the site after dinner. Cookie has prepared a bit of a special
Oh I see. Of course. However I wonder If you and uh Cookie dont mind too terribly I wonder if I we might visit the site straight away? I really am quite eager.
Tight shot on Shorty and military man exchanging glances, no dialogue.
NEW SCENE
Tbd
NEW SCENE
Back to halftrack. A few crewmen loiter around it, smoking.
Camera angle swoops around to include Ashton and Shorty, staring out of shot.
Ashton: My god
Camera pulls back to reveal crevasse/dig site. Truck is parked on the edge of a precipice. Guide ropes lead down into the crevasse. We see the top half of Spaceship Zero poking out of the ice, BTL tines in full view. Ashton et al are just dots in the background. Ashton: Its amazing. Its exactly like my prototype. Exactly!
Tight shot on Ashton turned back to Shorty: How do we get down there?
SCENE 3
SCENE 4
Ashton et al are in a shaft of ice.
Shorty: Careful there, Professor Doctor
Ashton: Cornelius, please.
Grubby site head worker guy is at the end of the tunnel, where the hatch to the ship can be seen. He says: We just uncovered the hatch a few hours ago.
Ashton: Well by all means, open it. Can we open it? Oh my word!
Frame of blackness.
Frame of blackness marred by crack, its clear were looking at the hatch from the other side being opened.
Oh my word! comes from the crack as it gets wider and we see the character silhouettes. Henson light! some other voice calls out.
This is extraordinary!