Trail of Cthulhu play test

Skyman · Post by **Skyman** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 1:18 pm

I was given a scenario for ToC by Pelagraine press to test out. Anyone interested?

SpaceMonkey · Post by **SpaceMonkey** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 3:49 pm

Skyman · Post by **Skyman** » Fri Apr 30, 2010 4:31 pm

Anyone else interested?

jimmy corrigan · Post by **jimmy corrigan** » Fri Apr 30, 2010 4:49 pm

it would depend on when.

Cthulhu · Post by **Cthulhu** » Sun May 02, 2010 8:31 am

I am.

Skyman · Post by **Skyman** » Sun May 02, 2010 1:50 pm

What would work best for folks. A week end or a week day?

Skyman · Post by **Skyman** » Sun May 02, 2010 4:05 pm

How about this wednesday?

Cthulhu · Post by **Cthulhu** » Sun May 02, 2010 4:48 pm

Wednesday's good for me.

SpaceMonkey · Post by **SpaceMonkey** » Sun May 02, 2010 5:22 pm

good to go.

Sven · Post by **Sven** » Sun May 02, 2010 6:04 pm

May I join the Cthulu fun this Wednesday? Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!!

-Sven

Skyman · Post by **Skyman** » Sun May 02, 2010 6:37 pm

Yes that would be cool

Skyman · Post by **Skyman** » Wed May 05, 2010 10:09 am

7 at my place

Cthulhu · Post by **Cthulhu** » Wed May 05, 2010 10:15 am

What time are we starting?

SpaceMonkey · Post by **SpaceMonkey** » Wed May 05, 2010 10:20 am

You guys are supposed to post those last 2 things in the opposite order, for clarity.

Skyman · Post by **Skyman** » Wed May 05, 2010 1:15 pm

~~[quote="Cthulhu"]~~What time are we starting?[/quote]

7 at my place

I'm making carne asada and some other puffy stuff with hummus

Skyman · Post by **Skyman** » Wed May 05, 2010 1:16 pm

~~[quote="dnd3eplayer"]~~You guys are supposed to post those last 2 things in the opposite order, for clarity.[/quote]

Cthulhu is non-euclidean time

jimmy corrigan · Post by **jimmy corrigan** » Wed May 05, 2010 11:33 pm

that was fun, thanks again, sky!

Skyman · Post by **Skyman** » Thu May 06, 2010 12:03 am

Had a great time thanx for showing up and shariung your time with me. Sorry it went late

mordraine · Post by **mordraine** » Thu May 06, 2010 8:58 am

How did you guys like the GUMSHOE system?

SpaceMonkey · Post by **SpaceMonkey** » Thu May 06, 2010 9:12 am

Seems to run ok. I'm not sure it's 'toothsome' enough for me, sometimes felt like we were just saying 'i do this' too often without need for any external resolution. This seems in a way more realistic (a skilled professional would just know or remember things intrinsic to their craft after all) but somehow less fulfilling from a 'game' standpoint to me.

Perhaps the above is partly due to my 'point-hoarding' tendencies (we had a ton of them and only one session to use them all if we wanted). I think i only 'spent' like 5 during the session.

The system was fairly easy to grasp though (not having played it at all otherwise I can't say if we were missing some nuances or anything) and ran quickly without a lot of rules questions. We had a little cheat sheet also.

I did feel like the categories of the different skills/abilities were sometimes oddly picked though. Sometimes had to search about a little to find 'what thing would i use for X', but that is also somewhat normal in an unfamiliar system.

Off hand I would say Gumshoe is something I would try out again, though it isn't immediately jockeying for top spot in my 'games of choice' list* or anything. While we may have sometimes felt like we didn't know where we should go next in terms of the adventure, the system never seemed to 'get in the way' like sometimes happens in investigative type games, so it fulfilled that (from what i understand) Gumshoe system goal.

-Sam

* Chris would probably dig it, I'm thinking.

SpaceMonkey · Post by **SpaceMonkey** » Thu May 06, 2010 9:19 am

Also, Simon let me know if you see a light blue d20 lying around. Would have a Homer 'D'oh!' for the 1. Dunno what happened to that thing.

Skyman · Post by **Skyman** » Thu May 06, 2010 9:41 am

~~[quote="dnd3eplayer"]~~Also, Simon let me know if you see a light blue d20 lying around. Would have a Homer 'D'oh!' for the 1. Dunno what happened to that thing.[/quote]

I'll look around today when I clean up

Skyman · Post by **Skyman** » Thu May 06, 2010 9:49 am

~~[quote="mordraine"]~~How did you guys like the GUMSHOE system?[/quote]

It was ok did not get in the way of play but obviously makes combat almost a third priority as opposed to others systems where the system is woven around combat as a main priority.

@ Sam I think the point dumping into clues works in the sense of explaing what the clues mean in more detail, not that it gives you more clues per se, like it does more thinking for the players.

cczernia · Post by **cczernia** » Thu May 06, 2010 3:01 pm

~~[quote="dnd3eplayer"]~~* Chris would probably dig it, I'm thinking.[/quote]

I picked up Exoterrorists at Gencon last year and after reading it the system left me feeling confused. It seemed like a system where you just collect the clues the GM has. All your skills do is color how you find the clues.

It that sense it felt very railroady to me. I was also confused by spending extra points during an investigation that might or might not help you. It all seemed GM heavy.

I wish I could have made the oneshot but I was playing tennis that night.

Skyman · Post by **Skyman** » Thu May 06, 2010 5:16 pm

~~[quote="cczernia"]~~
It that sense it felt very railroady to me. I was also confused by spending extra points during an investigation that might or might not help you. It all seemed GM heavy.

I wish I could have made the oneshot but I was playing tennis that night.[/quote]

Yeah I thought it was rail roady when I first read it. Now I don't. I think it's information heavy and requires a lot of descriptive because players are given a lot of it...in different degrees. Funny thing is the players still gotta put it all together.

Yeah Wednesday is my tennis night too but the guy that gets us together is in India for a wedding