Mysteries to Secrets

I always enjoy finishing a book. There is no ritual I perform when this happens - maybe because even when a book is finished it isn't finished. There are still potential delays. Proofs to be reviewed, mishaps at the printer, and various other events that can "open" the project again. Even with all of those potential calamities, there is a sense of completion when looking at the final galley. Or even more so when the book is shipped off to the printer.

It so happens that Secrets of Morocco (formerly Mysteries of Morocco) is at the printer. In a previous post I mentioned the difference between the two "editions" of the book. Nothing much has changed since then. The book is still set in Morocco (this is a relief otherwise the title would make no sense), and it has plenty of information about the history of the nation from its early days as a Roman outpost through the 1930s. There is one thing that I didn't elaborate on previously, and that is the inclusion of some Pulp Cthulhu content. This material can be used by Call of Cthulhu players, or by Pulp Cthulhu players. At the very least, the Pulp Cthulhu content should offer a sneak peek into the upcoming Pulp Cthulhu book.

All that is left to do now is wait...

Blackmoore Global, Pulp Cthulhu & Voodoo Virus

Blackmoore Global Laboratories

The last few weeks have seen quite a bit of news releases flying about - distributors updating catalogs, retailers listing products. These are the things that get rumors started. And normally they are the fun type of rumors. In a recent post, Rob, had asked me about an upcoming Chaosium RPG setting titled Blackmoore Global Laboratories. While this project was announced by Chaosium yesterday, it still has a SECLEV 10 clearance (meaning super secret) - sorta). But there is information on the Internet about it. Probably more than most people realize. So I'll probably turn it into a contest. See below for the Blackmoore Global Corporation (BGC) rules.

Pulp Cthulhu

Is it coming out? Will it not come out? I've had many emails quoting the Indiana Jones films regarding Pulp Cthulhu ("You make hurry fast...," etc.). I'm presently doing the art direction, and I'm working with several fantastic artists. It would be nice to see the book at GenCon, and I think every effort will be made to make this happen. The project has changed hands several times. It moved from a d20 system to a BRP system, to the system I developed for Pulp - a Pulp BRP system. Those who have played it at GenCon will certainly know the differences from the Call of Cthulhu system (CoC) and Pulp Cthulhu. Still, all CoC books can work with Pulp Cthulhu - so there is a vast amount of resources out there already.


Voodoo Virus

Here is one that has popped up a few times. This is a "zombie" novel (or survival novel) that I'm writing for Chaosium. In Chaosium's history, they have published several non-cthulhu related books. This is another one of those. It is not under the "Call of Cthulhu" fiction line; rather, it is under a new series line, "Voodoo Virus Chronicles." And Jeff recently made remarks in a post comment about this book as well. The common email I've received on this is: Will there be an RPG setting. Let's hope so. :) But right now, it is a novel.


BGC Contest Rules

There are no rules. So, like the former Frontier Cthulhu, people are free to post what information they can, and any thing they decode. The three people who post or email me the most information about Blackmoore Global Laboratories (or corporation) will win a free copy of the book when it is published. It must be valid information.

This contest will run until July 1st (the book is slated to appear later this year - maybe August). Please share information with each other. Once your name is identified with the data, you will get credit for it - and remember the folks at Blackmoore Global Corporation are watching you as well. :) And that information you provide might help others. Of course, the point is to have fun.

Secrets of Morocco

I'm still at Penguicon, or at least the convention is still going, and I'm attending. However, I thought I'd make a quick post about a topic that has generate interest in the roleplaying community.

It seems that Morocco is traveling around the world. Okay, that's odd, but it's a metaphor, so it can be odd. Maybe. What I'm referring to is a "monograph" I published a few years ago for the Call of Cthulhu RPG, titled Mysteries of Morocco. At the time, it was a strange notion. To attept to capture a country, rather than the traditional CoC city, in a sourcebook. Obviously countries are quite a bit larger. So I schemed and came up with a format that at least allowed for an overview of a country, while focusing on particularly regions, and specific cities. It seems the experiment has some level of success.

Either way, Mysteries of Morocco was later published by Pegasus Spiele in Germany as Geheimnisvolles Marokko. They produced a great cover with some delightful interior layout. And they also included a scenario that did not appear in the English edition, written by Jakob Schmidt - whom I've never met. But, I can say from my weak reading of the German text, he did a great job at capturing the content of the book and expounding upon it.

Now it is re-appearing in a new version from Chaosium, as Secrets of Morocco. And, the announcement of this release has spurred a number of people to email about the book's contents. That is difficult to summarize, as the new content is scattered throughout the work. There are new characters, locations, and connections, as well as a additional scenario that can be linked into existing scenarios set in the region, or other Chaosium campaigns, or it can be played as a stand alone adventure.

(To the right is a draft version of the cover that Chaosium has published on their website. It is by Malcolm McClinton. Malcolm did a great job at capturing the "heat of the moment," and the feel of the region.)

For those who are curious, Secrets of Morocco covers the country's history, religion, culture, environment, and elements from the 1920s and 1930s that are important to the RPG setting. The book already had new skills for Westerners visiting Morocco - allowing for social conflicts based upon the differences between cultures. And as with the original monograph, there are some "beast" riding rules, allowing for horse and camel chases or races - those familiar with the somewhat recent films The Mummy or Hidalgo will see an immediate application (and there are myriad other films and books that deal with this topic). And of course, the Sahara desert, heat, and various secretive mythos related entities and cults are not overlooked. If you're not familiar with the monograph, there are also rules for "shots" (that's a drinking game unknown to most people). There is a scene from the film Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark that inspired these rules. (As another side note, most films set in the Middle East are actually filmed in Morocco).

That's probably enough words on the topic. If not, please feel free to email or post questions.

A Virtual War with World of Warcraft

My guess is that most of you are familiar with massive multi-player online games such as World or Warcraft and myriad others. For those of us (ahem) who lived in the early computer years, such gigantic creations are dreams come true (anyone remember Mega-Wars on CompuServe?). These online roleplaying games, or virtual worlds, are becoming worlds in themselves - the stuff of science fiction of two decades ago. Not only do they provide worlds, maps, entertainment, but they also create micro-economies. And when in doubt, if it has a viable "economy," it is as real as any other economy.

I know many people who enjoy these games, some who spend only a few hours a month playing them, and others who have given up their physical lives for virtual ones. But, this weekend, while I was attending CodCon XIII, I happened to overhear two young men (college students) discussing the woes of World of Warcraft (WoW). The basic and heated discussion was an old one. It seems both young lads had roommate/girlfriends who felt that the lads spend too much time playing WoW. From the sound of it, they dedicated a mere few hours a day to the game. Compared to television viewing, this might not seem like much time.

But the locus of their discussion was how unfair their roommates were treating them - accusing the fellows of not spending enough time away from the computer. Of course, both of these young men also attended bi-weekly pen-and-paper roleplaying games. For those who have played these games, just like the electronic counterpart, they can take hours. Really, these games (at one time) were the stuff of college life.

Here is the rub. Both of the WoW players felt they were being treated unfair. They both said they went to movies and rented videos with their girlfriends, even though they didn't enjoy those activities. Nonetheless, they did them to prove their devotion to the relationship. As a result, they both felt that being allowed a few hours of alone time, in another room, away from their roommates, was fair and deserved.

After a few minutes of rumination on the topic, both gamers decided they were most certainly being victimized by "girls who over rationalize everything." (I don't think they were using "rationalize" properly here, but I understood their meaning). One of the two said, "You just have to put your foot down. You can't give up all of your fun for 'her.' Sure she'll complain, but she goes shopping and to the gym. Is that fair to you?"

This statement garnered a positive response. The second fellow asked, "Is that what you did? Does (name deleted) understand why you play WoW?" The reply was: "We don't live together anymore. She said she was paying for half of everything and that she didn't want to pay for WoW."

So it seems, one of the relationships dissolved over the dispute of time sharing and a virtual world and "real" economics." Undaunted, the second fellow decided to give his roommate an ultimatum. He was determined to play WoW. In fact, he said if he couldn't, then he would do "much worse things." I took this to mean that his fidelity might be in question if not allowed to play WoW.

And that led to the next topic. It seems the two girlfriends felt the gamers were finding virtual girlfriends while online. This also fueled the fire on both sides.

In the end, both students decided to take a stand for their basic human rights, and were determined to find females who understood and accepted them, and didn't "over rationalize everything."

Now I'll add into the mix that Congress recently held hearings about virtual worlds. This is truly an historic moment. It seems there are national security concerns about terrorists using Second Life (another VR system) to plot, communicate, and plan future attacks. Not to be outdone, several members of Congress made WoW jokes about experience points and levels during the session.

I suppose what I find interesting is how "real" the "unreal" is becoming. With economic engagement and emotional engagement and national interests at stake, these VR worlds are becoming just as much of a problem as the former analog world (that's the one we live in presently, although many argue it is just as fabricated, except with human brain/computers - we see what we want, in other words).

Honestly, all of the above is something I would have expected to read in SF books (particularly cyberpunk novels) back in the 1980s. Today, they are very serious problems. Life decisions are being made around entertainment systems. And if what some people claim is true, even the security of human lives are at risk due to digital creations.

Perhaps all of this is called escapism, and no different from reading a favorite genre novel or watching a film. But when it overlaps with the real world, or influences the "real" world, maybe it becomes just as "real" as the "real" world. There are so many possibilities, I wonder where all of this will lead?

Herbert West in Pulp Cthulhu

As promised, here is another -- almost monthly in the gaming world -- update on Pulp Cthulhu. A number of people have inquired recently, and my thanks go to them for keeping in touch with the project. While I cannot state a release date, I can say that I'm working with a gaggle of artists from around the world on the inner art. Basically, providing details for spot art and supporting art. After that stage comes layout, and the book will be printer ready. In that area, all I can say is that Chaosium is dedicated to getting the book released as soon as they can. And for anyone interested in playing Pulp Cthulhu, try by the CodCon convention if your in the neighborhood. I'll be a Guest of Honor, and there will be pulp.

For this months peek into the game, I thought I'd take H.P. Lovecraft's literary creation, Herbert West and transform him into an investigator for Pulp Cthulhu. For those who've read "Herbert West - Reanimator," you'll know that he is quite a devious and troubled character. For those who haven't read the tale, give it a try. It is quite fun. (And for those new to the blog wanting to find other Pulp Cthulhu articles, just go to the TOPICS heading and click on Pulp Cthulhu.

Dr. West is a very pulpy character by most any standards. However, as most everyone defines "pulp" differently, I've tried to keep the game mechanics flexible enough to allow "pulp" to be anything form a hyped action/adventure game to a super-hero game. The players tune the engine to meet their needs. In this case, I'm creating a High Pulp character, using 3-5 Traits. It will be the Traits that allow the player to bring out the aspects of Herbert West, and make him unique as compared to . . . say another player's Reanimator.

Herbert West Reanimater
Academic Lore, Academic Standing, Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Conceal, Dodge, Fast Talk, Hide, Library Use, Medicine, Occult, Other Language: Latin, Persuade, Pharmacy, Psychology, Spot Hidden.
Traits: Agile, Haunted, Gifted, Weird Knowledge

Traits:
I've selected 4 Traits that help Herbert gain needed skill levels and arcane knowledge to "become" the character he was in Lovecraft's tale. I'll gloss over the Traits to offer some insight about their selection and game use.

Agile will aid him with his surgery -- and it may be argued that West wasn't a very skilled surgeon. But, to stitch together body parts did take quite a bit of talent given he did it in the early 1900s.

Haunted is just what West was by the end of the story. In Pulp Cthulhu, this Trait adds personality to the investigator as well as provided roleplaying opportunities and some bonus points to the Cthulhu Mythos skill (needed for what West does). Keepers can have quite a bit of fun filling West's mind with nightmare's (part of the Haunted Trait).

Gifted provides some extra points for skills, and allows for the insane genius of Herbert West. Note, an investigator need not be insane if he or she is Gifted. I'm using Herbert West as a model, so the abundance of intelligence in this case were used for sinister endeavors.

Weird Knowledge is a broad Trait. It basically grants the investigator pre-game knowledge about the occult and Mythos -- not much, but a mild insight. As with most Traits, there is a price to pay with Sanity Points. From a roleplaying standpoint, this makes the investigator quirky. He's seen things other humans have not. He has a deeper understanding of the uncaring universe, and this shapes or re-shapes him.

The important thing to remember is that Traits do provide game mechanic advantages or disadvantages, but they also drive the role play. Traits are at their best when "played" beyond their game effects. A Haunted character will be suffered from night terrors, and when she has Weird Knowledge added to the mix, her fearsome dreams are all the more horrific! (Haunted investigators also have a basic talent at dreaming -- it comes from trying to avoid spooky dreams). Likewise, Gifted investigators can be subtle or annoying (having a super intellect has many facets).

So what I'm saying is that the Traits are both a part of the rules offering bonuses and alterations, but mainly they are elements that expand the personalities of the investigators. That is why I opted to use names such as "Weird Knowledge" and "Just Won't Die." These titles focus more on the roleplaying aspects than the "numbers."

As this is becoming a lengthy post, I'll continue the discussion in my newsletter. In Pulp Cthulhu there are some altered skills, such as Dodge and Block. These skills are very different in a pulp setting where the bullets are always flying.

Pulp Cthulhu – A Glimpse of the RPG

A while back I had posted that I would add additional Pulp Cthulhu “peeks” each month. A number of recent emails reminded me that I need to do that.

For those who are not familiar with Pulp Cthulhu, it is a roleplaying game set in the 1930s, focused upon the Call of Cthulhu background and system. When I was devising the pulp design, I decided to make the system malleable, allowing players to use any time period or level of pulp play. Three basic degrees are stipulated in the present Pulp rules: Low, Medium, and High (pulp). But, these are just guidelines. Any level can be produced by simply increasing or decreasing the number of Traits in the game. The system is also backward compatible for those players who want to use existing CoC material.

Many people have asked for more information about Supernatural Skills and Traits. Think of a Trait as a characteristic, an attribute, a “trait” of a particular pulp hero or villain from fiction. Conceptually, that is a Trait. Because the RPG has not yet been released, I’ll not delve into the mechanics. But, Traits are things that add to roleplay and allow investigators in Pulp Cthulhu to expand a character mentally, physically, supernaturally, or in background, abilities, and even “weird” abilities.

Supernatural Skills are additional skill sets that are not normally associated with the mundane world. An investigator with Supernatural Skills is likely to have a Trait that allows for these skills. They range from elements of the Mythos to the paranormal.

Below is another basic investigator template – the paranormal detective, or occult detective (I’ll include the “Reanimator template the next time). This template includes a new supernatural skill, and a few other Traits.

SUPERNATURAL DETECTIVE

City Lore, Disguise, First Aid, Fast Talk, Hide, History, Law, Occult, Sneak, Spot Hidden, Sensitive (supernatural skill), any one other skill as a personal or specialty.
Traits: Addiction, Haunted, Mentalist.

(c)Content copyrighted by Chaosium and William Jones

It is possible to see the other Pulp Cthulhu posts by selecting the label: pulp cthulhu

Lovecraft's Legacy and RPG Fiction

For those who didn't attend, Penguicon 5.0 was a grand convention. It was well organized, and had quite a variety of programming -- where else can you drop in a panel on airport security, scripting, manga, and H.P. Lovecraft in a single day?

There was a strong turnout for the Lovecraft's Legacy panel, and a number of interesting topics where raised. In fact, too many to cover in the time allowed. One of focuses was "How to make Lovecraftian works" pack a punch today. Or, put in other terms, is there any horror left in Lovecraftian fiction?
A number of answers where proposed, but the consensus seemed to be "exploring a universe that cannot be understood." (Cosmic Horror) This is a broad answer and covers everything from war to personal terrors. Nonetheless, it is an important issue for fans of Lovecraftian writing. Does the fiction today inspire fear, or is the appeal the nostalgia? I doubt there is any one answer, but thinking about the issue (if you're a fan of this sub-genre) is worth the time.

[Above is a photograph from the panel; appearing left to right are Sarah Shefferly, Charlie Stross, Sarah Monette, Jeff Deluzio, and me. As there was no moderator, Sarah kindly offered to moderate. And that is a Cthulhu Plushie on Charlie Stross's head. The photograph to the right reveals that the Plushie is lurking in the audience.]

Another element discussed was the influences upon Lovecraft's writing. Of course, these are wide and varied, and often highly speculative. Something that I raised was the cultural influences of his day, which are commonly overlooked -- excluding his overt racism. To follow-up on this topic, I thought I'd post a series of brief articles about one of Lovecraft's tales, following it with its connection to the little known American Eugenics movement. That will come in the next post, and probably continue over several.

Another panel that was thin on panelists but had a strong audience was Writing RPG Fiction. This was an early morning event, and as such they seldom see much attendance. My thanks go out to those who pulled themselves out of bed to get there early Saturday morning.

(Steve Jackson/William Jones)

The theme of this panel settled around determining the difference between "Fanfic" and "RPG Fiction." For those who write fiction for RPG companies, the distinction is probably clear. However, Steve Jackson did raise the point that many people don't see a difference. Perhaps in this line of thinking the difference is between published and not published. Of course, that raises the question of who is doing the publishing. Some argue it is the level/quality of writing.

Other than raising nebulous questions, the meeting did produce a number of valuable ideas and approaches to writing fiction for RPG companies. I regret there are too many to cover here, but to summarize, approach RPG fiction like any form of fiction. Create strong characters, a engaging plot, and pay attention to the setting (in this case the RPG universe).

Pulp Cthulhu -- Reckless Adventures in the 1930s

For those who have been following Pulp Cthulhu, the manuscript is resting with Chaosium -- no publication dates have been set yet. However, the kind folks at Chaosium did give me the okay to post some snippets. So leading up to Gen Con, I'll occasionally post various bits about the project. One of the things I thought it best to start with was the basic template for a "Two-Fisted Adventurer" (given the subject of Pulp Cthulhu). Those familar with Call of Cthulhu will recongize some of the material; however, there are a few additions.

Not included are numbers or the various additions from hobbies or education. This is simply the basic template, which can be customized by players.

ADVENTURER (TWO-FISTED)

Natural Skills: Block, Catch, Dodge, First Aid, Hide, Listen, Mechanical Repair, Revolver, Sneak, Throw, any one other skill as a personal or specialty.

Traits: Ambidexterity, Blind Luck, Just Won’t Die.

(c)Content copyrighted by Chaosium and William Jones

So what has changed? The rules for "Block" have been altered quite a bit. Investigators can use most anything from a table to a book to absorb damage from an attack. Also, the "Catch/Throw" cominbation works well with the altered combat system rules, allowing a character to catch an object (such as a knife) and throw it in the same round of action -- or perform other melee actions.

Also, Traits are something new. The number of Traits is determined by the level of "pulp" the players want in a game. This allows for settings with mild elements of pulp action or high levels of pulp thrills, depending upon the final number of Traits. Likewise, there are a Supernatural Skills, but those are more likely to be used by other investigator types.

Geheimnisvolles Marokko

For fans of the Call of Cthulhu RPG who read German, some time in 2007, Geheimnisvolles Marokko will be published. This is a German translation of my English language book, Mysteries of Morocco. I've seen the preliminary cover art and it looks quite good. I'll have more details later.

Morocco is also one of the locales Rudolph Pearson visited in the short story "Harami." While the short story does not appear in either book, there are a number of connections between them.