At the beginning of the modern age, mankind considered itself relatively safe upon the insignificant sphere it called home. The progress of science and understanding had, in the opinion of the common individual, begun to illuminate even the darkest corners. There was hope that the rigors of education, led by the great schools of the world, would push humanity into a sunlight and glorious future. One of the greatest among these bastions of knowledge and learning is the Miskatonic University of Massachusetts, foremost in the studies of the unnatural world.
Yet below the placid surface, a dark and tumultuous sea of horror and mystery writhed. In the black corners of the earth, evil waits and plots. Monsters wriggle awake from a millennia of slumber, Sorcerers gather knowledge in the hidden places of the world, and Cultists ply their trade in the dark, serving masters they cannot hope to understand. And now, it is said, the servants of evil whisper among themselves. Secrets and prophecies are shared by those who have seen the true face of the world, and some say the stars will soon be right...
However, none of that matters to you at the moment. All that matters it that you've just woken up, it's very dark, and you have a terrible headache. Oh, and you can't quite remember who you are or how you got here. This just keeps getting better. Well, you should probably start with the simple stuff, like your name.
So, what's your name?
Name:
[] Write in
Ah, yes, that sounds correct. Now that you've figured out who you are, you can start determining what and where you are. You look around, straining your eyes to see in the dim light that shines in from beneath the door. You seem to be alone in this small bedroom. There's a desk across from you with some assorted items on it, though you can't quite make out what they are. The only thing you can see is a sweater, laid over the back of a chair. Upon it you can make out two words: Miskatonic University.
Ah yes, of course! How could you forget? You're a student! But every student is different, what are you a student of?
Area of Study:
This is mostly for flavor, but might confer some advantages or disadvantages at points in the future. What do you study?
[] History and the Occult
[] Health and Biology
[] Law and Psychology
[] Other? (Write In)
That's right! How could you forget your studies? They take up pretty much all of your life. But, there's something else nagging at the back of your mind. Everyone has something that makes them special, what sets you apart from everyone else?
Special Trait:
Each trait will offer an advantage, and possibly tie into the story at some point in the future.
[] Healthy Body: You grew up to be fit and strong. You spent your early years on the family farm, helping your grandparents and cousins wrangle animals, chop wood, and shovel poop. You were only ever sick once, when you were seven years old, and though it took you months to recover, you grew up healthier than anyone could have hoped. Your life has left you with some impressive musculature and an astoundingly hearty constitution. Bonuses to any rolls involving physical strength or resisting physical harm. Regain health faster when resting.
[] Adaptable Mind: You were a curious child. Your family moved around a lot when you were younger, and you learned to be self-educating and self-sufficient far earlier than most others. While you lived in some extremely odd places, you became accustomed to them quickly. You mostly taught yourself at first, but when your parents finally settled down, you charged into the educational system with reckless abandon. Since then, you've become a master at absorbing information and other intellectual pursuits. Bonuses to any rolls involving logic or intelligence. Regain Sanity faster when resting.
[] Old Soul: For as long as you can remember, you've had the dreams. In them, you were never yourself, always someone or something else. Sometimes you were shown great, impossible cities, shining and twisting in bright moonlight. Other times, you were tormented by nightmares that caused you to wake up screaming, visions of impossible creatures swimming across your mind. The dreams never stopped, but you have grown used to them, and perhaps one day you can even learn from them. Bonuses to rolls involving the Occult or the Mythos. You take half of all sanity loss, but regain sanity much slower.
It's been a few years since I last attempted to run a quest, so here I am diving into this fearsome abyss once more. This is an idea I've had for a while, and can be considered me attempting to satiate my desire to play Call of Cthulu. The system is based, loosely, on the CoC ruleset, and I do mean loosely.
This is a quest set in modern-ish times, in the fictional Miskatonic University and nearby Arkham, Massachusetts. You, the players, will control a student at said university as you try to survive classes, monsters, evil cults, and your fellow students. This is not an extremely serious quest, its more on the lite side of Lovecraft, but it's still Lovecraft. Expect horror and tentacles aplenty.
It may be a rough start, as I am out of practice. Please have patience. Questions, comments, and discussions are welcome and appreciated.
General Rules:
Don't be an ass (Be respectful, avoid unnecessary arguments, and try to be patient when disputing something about the game.)
Respect the rules of SV
At some point, I have no doubt, ol' Howard Phillips Lovecraft himself will come up in discussion. Please keep said discussions civil and calm.
Specific Quest rules:
The system will be d100 based. Each roll will be aiming to roll under a target number, the lower the roll, the better the result. I will ask for some rolls, and do some myself, whichever I feel is better for the flow of the game at that time.
You have two main shields against the horrors of the Mythos, Sanity and HP. Sanity is both your general mental state and your resistance against further horror. HP is a combination of your physical well being and your resistance against further injury. If HP drops to zero, the character is grievously wounded, or more likely, dead. If Sanity drops to zero, the character is almost certainly irrecoverably insane.
If the character dies or goes permanently insane, the quest is over.
Write in plans are almost always allowed, but may not always be wise.
When I say voting is closed, that's it, voting is closed.
Rules can be changed. If I feel something needs to be added or altered I will do so.
Character Sheet: Name: Iris Lawson
Area of Study: Law and Psychology
Special Trait: Adaptable Mind
Current HP: 10/10
Sanity: 55/60
Notes on New England Cryptids: Can be used once to add a +5 bonus to one roll to attempt to identify a creature The Dead Man's Notes: In the tunnels below the university, you discovered a long dead and dried corpse within a hidden cavern. The dead man had a large collection of papers with writing in a language unknown to you. It also seems that the man killed himself due to what was in these notes, which probably doesn't bode well. The Silver Knife: As part of a pact with a strange creature in the tunnels, you were allowed to choose a gift in exchange for not smashing it to pieces. You chose to take a strange silver blade, apparently "untouched by the deep", whatever than means.
[X] History and the Occult
[X] Adaptable Mind: You were a curious child. Your family moved around a lot when you were younger, and you learned to be self-educating and self-sufficient far earlier than most others. While you lived in some extremely odd places, you became accustomed to them quickly. You mostly taught yourself at first, but when your parents finally settled down, you charged into the educational system with reckless abandon. Since then, you've become a master at absorbing information and other intellectual pursuits. Bonuses to any rolls involving logic or intelligence. Regain Sanity faster when resting.
You know what would be fun? If we lived long enough to reach Cthulhutech.
[X] Law and Psychology
[X] Adaptable Mind: You were a curious child. Your family moved around a lot when you were younger, and you learned to be self-educating and self-sufficient far earlier than most others. While you lived in some extremely odd places, you became accustomed to them quickly. You mostly taught yourself at first, but when your parents finally settled down, you charged into the educational system with reckless abandon. Since then, you've become a master at absorbing information and other intellectual pursuits. Bonuses to any rolls involving logic or intelligence. Regain Sanity faster when resting.
[X] History and the Occult
[X] Adaptable Mind: You were a curious child. Your family moved around a lot when you were younger, and you learned to be self-educating and self-sufficient far earlier than most others. While you lived in some extremely odd places, you became accustomed to them quickly. You mostly taught yourself at first, but when your parents finally settled down, you charged into the educational system with reckless abandon. Since then, you've become a master at absorbing information and other intellectual pursuits. Bonuses to any rolls involving logic or intelligence. Regain Sanity faster when resting.
[X] Law and Psychology
[X] Adaptable Mind: You were a curious child. Your family moved around a lot when you were younger, and you learned to be self-educating and self-sufficient far earlier than most others. While you lived in some extremely odd places, you became accustomed to them quickly. You mostly taught yourself at first, but when your parents finally settled down, you charged into the educational system with reckless abandon. Since then, you've become a master at absorbing information and other intellectual pursuits. Bonuses to any rolls involving logic or intelligence. Regain Sanity faster when resting.
[X] Law and Psychology
[X] Adaptable Mind: You were a curious child. Your family moved around a lot when you were younger, and you learned to be self-educating and self-sufficient far earlier than most others. While you lived in some extremely odd places, you became accustomed to them quickly. You mostly taught yourself at first, but when your parents finally settled down, you charged into the educational system with reckless abandon. Since then, you've become a master at absorbing information and other intellectual pursuits. Bonuses to any rolls involving logic or intelligence. Regain Sanity faster when resting.
[X] Law and Psychology
[X] Adaptable Mind: You were a curious child. Your family moved around a lot when you were younger, and you learned to be self-educating and self-sufficient far earlier than most others. While you lived in some extremely odd places, you became accustomed to them quickly. You mostly taught yourself at first, but when your parents finally settled down, you charged into the educational system with reckless abandon. Since then, you've become a master at absorbing information and other intellectual pursuits. Bonuses to any rolls involving logic or intelligence. Regain Sanity faster when resting.
[X] Law and Psychology
[X] Adaptable Mind: You were a curious child. Your family moved around a lot when you were younger, and you learned to be self-educating and self-sufficient far earlier than most others. While you lived in some extremely odd places, you became accustomed to them quickly. You mostly taught yourself at first, but when your parents finally settled down, you charged into the educational system with reckless abandon. Since then, you've become a master at absorbing information and other intellectual pursuits. Bonuses to any rolls involving logic or intelligence. Regain Sanity faster when resting.
Excellent, I think we have a clear majority. Could I get a name vote? Otherwise I'm just going to find a random name generator and we'll all deal with the consequences.
[X] History and the Occult
[X] Adaptable Mind: You were a curious child. Your family moved around a lot when you were younger, and you learned to be self-educating and self-sufficient far earlier than most others. While you lived in some extremely odd places, you became accustomed to them quickly. You mostly taught yourself at first, but when your parents finally settled down, you charged into the educational system with reckless abandon. Since then, you've become a master at absorbing information and other intellectual pursuits. Bonuses to any rolls involving logic or intelligence. Regain Sanity faster when resting.
[X] Iris Lawson
[X] Law and Psychology
[X] Adaptable Mind: You were a curious child. Your family moved around a lot when you were younger, and you learned to be self-educating and self-sufficient far earlier than most others. While you lived in some extremely odd places, you became accustomed to them quickly. You mostly taught yourself at first, but when your parents finally settled down, you charged into the educational system with reckless abandon. Since then, you've become a master at absorbing information and other intellectual pursuits. Bonuses to any rolls involving logic or intelligence. Regain Sanity faster when resting.
[X] Iris Lawson
[X] Law and Psychology
[X] Adaptable Mind
As you finally get your thoughts together, you let out a breath you didn't realize you were holding. That was probably the worst way you've ever woken up, and you doubt you'll be getting back to bed anytime soon. The room is surprisingly stuffy, and you throw the blankets off as you rub the sleep out of your eyes. Your feet slowly carry you to the widow, and you undo the latch and heft the window open, letting in a cool breeze.
It is early October in northern Massachusetts, and winter will soon be closing in. As of yet, you've merely had to suffer rain and fog instead of snow, but you have no doubt that the snowstorms will be arriving soon. The Miskatonic University sits on the outskirts of Arkham, Massachusetts, within the Miskatonic River Valley. It is an old institute, and is often considered on par with the schools of the Ivy League. You, however, chose the Miskatonic over other universities due to its reputation.
It's said that the Miskatonic has one of the largest collection of rare books in the world. Not just rare books actually, but some books that are considered non-existent by everyone else. somewhere deep within the labyrinthine library, the rumors speak of ancient and unreadable tomes with names like "The Pnakontic Manuscripts" or "Ars Magna et Ultima". Not only this, but MU is also known for its incredibly odd classes. Miskatonic is renowned for its Archaeology program, as well as Astrophysic and Cosmic Exploration, but it is also the last bastion of studies that have fallen out of vogue, like Ritual Necromancy, Cocktail Alchemy, and Undersea Bloop Studies.
You could have gotten an education anywhere, lord knows you had the test scores for it. But where else would you really be able to get an education like the one available here? You breath in the chilly air of the early morning, a smile crossing your face. Sure you might go to class in the morning with hardly any sleep, but you will still be going to class at the mythic Miskatonic. There is nothing that could ruin your mood.
And then you hear the unmistakable sound of someone vomiting into the bushes below you. Great.
A shaky voice wafts up to you from the ground. "Oh god, it's everywhere..."
What do you do?
[] Go out to see who the hell is puking in your bushes at 4am.
[] Offer the poor bastard a hand, or at least, a wet towel.
[] You want no part of this, go back to bed and let the man suffer.
[] Other?