The Role Playing Game Thread: Shiny Dice Roll Better!

[EgonSpengler]

I don't remember the mechanics of Call of Cthulhu in great detail, but I was thinking it could probably service all sorts of horror & supernatural-thriller stories. Back in the day, I had a sourcebook for the Chaosium game that updated the game to contemporary era, but I'm not sure it was even necessary for running a game set outside the traditional 1920s setting. Just to name a few off the top of my head, I think The X-Files, Stranger Things, John Carpenter's The Thing, and The Descent could all be CoC games. All you really need is a system that allows the players to create everyday people for characters, and then a way to keep the action secretive, out of view of the public, whether that's literally physically isolating the characters or setting up some reason the characters can't "go public" with everything.

 

[AmazonQueen]

I don't remember the mechanics of Call of Cthulhu in great detail, but I was thinking it could probably service all sorts of horror & supernatural-thriller stories. Back in the day, I had a sourcebook for the Chaosium game that updated the game to contemporary era, but I'm not sure it was even necessary for running a game set outside the traditional 1920s setting. Just to name a few off the top of my head, I think The X-Files, Stranger Things, John Carpenter's The Thing, and The Descent could all be CoC games. All you really need is a system that allows the players to create everyday people for characters, and then a way to keep the action secretive, out of view of the public, whether that's literally physically isolating the characters or setting up some reason the characters can't "go public" with everything.

Yes, back when I ran it I used to stick in the occasional non-mythos adventure to keep players guessing. I used to borrow adventures from a game called Daredevils which was non-Mythos pulp fiction style. GDW made an RPG called Dark Conspiracy which was very X-Files in feel. CoC is just a classic simple to learn but very flexible game.
Masks of Nyarlathotep which is a classic campaign had a complete red herring episode in it. Modern technology/society makes it harder for players to get away with some of the stupid things players tend to do but even in the 50s theres a lot more leeway than there is now..

edit: One of my favourite CoC adventures was with a group of new players who had never played a RPG before. Set it in the present day, didn't tell them what game they were playing. Got some brilliant reactions when weird stuff started happening and they all came back the next week.

 

[AmazonQueen]

Well started the adventure and had some problems.
Our party was horrendously lacking in skills needed. Too many action heroes and not enough doctors or scientists. It was also implausible that our characters knew each other or would have been anybody's choice to investigate a mystery, especially the College jock.
I also felt the referee was trying to steer us down a particular route, putting obstacles in the way of my character trying to use her USAF contacts or use her aircraft to scout out the place we are investigating.
Felt a little railroaded but he isn't an experienced referee and its the 1st adventure he has ran on roll20 so he probably didn't feel comfortable having to improvise if we didn't follow the path he expected.
On the plus side I had some incredibly lucky die rolling and my character will be calling herself "Deadeye" from now on.

He also told us when we have done this adventure the campaign hes planning to run will be set in the 30s so hopefully we can get together as players and design characters who complement each other and have a reason to be working together

 

[Zardnaar]

Putting togather a Drow themed campaign. For 5E D&D.

Basic idea is reclaim a list Drow city. Looks like they're picking good aligned ones as there's two clerics of Elistraee in the group.

3 Drow
1 Kobold
1 Githyanki