The Dwindered & the Dhustone: a lovecraftian solo for MSPE

[tp]

****WANTED: A PLAYER****
Apply within.

I plan to do a solo adventure one paragraph per day (ish) and I need a player.

Reply to this thread if you are interested, first come, first served.

Rules:
MSPE with an extra stat: Sanity (aka Will Power, Emotional Stability, Guys, etc). Only pre WWII equipment allowed. No psionics.

Background:
You are a paranormal investigator of some sort one of your friends/colleagues went missing three weeks ago, his body has just turned up in the Shropshire market town of Ludlow. You go to investigate.

[ElvenScribe]

I'm interested. But I do have a few questions:
1. Does your player have to have MSPE rules?
2. By "solo" in this case do you mean one player with one GM? Or do you plan to hand off a classic style solo to a player to field test by themselves and then report back to you?
a. If the former, would be "play by post" or by real time virtual connection (like Google Hangout or comparable service)?

I am intrigued.

[tp]

1. Ideally yes, mainly for character creation.
2. One player and one GM. I would be keeping it more in the vein of a solo adventure so you would be given options rather than it being entirely open. Play by Post, in this thread, hopefully at around one paragraph a day.

[ElvenScribe]

Hmmmmm, I don't have the MS&PE rules. Oh well, good luck to you!

[marionarsis]

I'll play, tp. I have the rules and am very familiar with the game. Let me know how you wish to handle character creation, starting equipment, etc. and I'll create a character and off we'll go. 

[tp]

Cool stuff!

Character creation is by the book plus the 8th attribute of sanity (created exactly like the rest). Starting equipment is bought as per the rule book. Any remaining money though should be converted in to stirling at a rate of one dollar = 1 shilling. In case you are unfamiliar with predecimal stirling it is based around Pounds, Shillings and Pence (£/s/d). 12d=1s. 20s=£1.

[marionarsis]

Ok. 

How are we handling dice rolls for character creation, SRs, combat, etc? Are we using a site? I'm rolling dice myself? 

Once I know, I'l start creating a character. 

[tp]

For character creation and combat roll your own dice. I'll trust you, as they say you would only be cheating yourself.

For SRs I'll roll them. Purely to speed things up. So if one paragraph ends: make a DEX roll, if you pass go to paragraph x if you fail go to paragraph y, then I will make that roll for you and put the next paragraph straight up.

[marionarsis]

Okay, first, the dice rolls. This is from a site I have another game in.

13:17, Today: Artemis Black rolled 5 using 3d6 with rolls of 3,1,1. Starting Money .
13:14, Today: Artemis Black rolled 10 using 3d6 with rolls of 2,3,5. Attributes
13:14, Today: Artemis Black rolled 14 using 3d6 with rolls of 6,3,5. Attributes
13:14, Today: Artemis Black rolled 11 using 3d6 with rolls of 5,1,5. Attributes
13:14, Today: Artemis Black rolled 10 using 3d6 with rolls of 4,5,1. Attributes
13:14, Today: Artemis Black rolled 11 using 3d6 with rolls of 5,1,5. Attributes
13:14, Today: Artemis Black rolled 14 using 3d6 with rolls of 4,5,5. Attributes
13:14, Today: Artemis Black rolled 7 using 3d6 with rolls of 1,2,4. Attributes
13:13, Today: Artemis Black rolled 8 using 3d6 with rolls of 2,5,1. Attributes

Now, the character sheet from the above rolls. Note that I've spent 3 points to make Elocution and Diplomacy level 2 skills at character creation.


Name: Artemis Black

Attributes:
ST-8; IQ-11; LK-14; CN-10; DX-14; CH-11; SP-7; SAN-10

HtH Adds: 3
Missile Weapon Adds: 2

Starting Money: $500 (5x100)

Employment: Paranormal Investigator

Adventure Points: 30

Skills:
Firearms: Revolver: 1 (DX) = 0/1,000
Pugilism: 1 (-) = 0/1,000
Tracking/Tailing: 1 (IQ) = 0/1,000
Ambush/Silent Movement: 1 (IQ or LK) = 0/1,000
Diplomacy: 2 (IQ) = 1,050/3,000
Elocution: 2 (IQ) = 1,000/3,000
Lock Picking: 1 (DEX) = 0/1,000
Languages: English (* Native Language)

Free Skills:
Driving: 1 (DX) = 0/1,000
Swimming: 1 (DX/ST) = 0/1,000
Cooking: 1 (IQ) = 0/1,000

Equipment:
.38 Special Colt-Detective (3d6); Capacity 6; Cost: $300
Ammo, Box of 50 bullets ($14.50)
Lockpicks Cost: $100
Flashlight: No cost given

Money Remaining after purchases: $85.50 or 85.50 shillings (85 and 4 pence, or close to), minus the cost of a flashlight.

[tp]

You arrive by train at the sleepy market town of Ludlow, deep in the English countryside. At sometimes of year maybe everything is green, but not now. Most things are grey. Grey or brown. A chill rain hits your face as you leave the train. You shudder, just from the cold? Ludlow is famous for its castle, which hangs over the town like a medieval tyrant. It is only half past four yet already the sky is cast into twilight, the castle towers inky black.

You are expecting to be met by a PC Savage of the Shropshire Constabulary and indeed there is a policeman stood hunched against the ticket office. You hail him warmly, glad to have a foothold in this dark town. He, however is not so enthusiastic. He turns an expressionless, sallow face towards you. His skin reminds you of cold rice pudding. He nods a perfunctory greeting and beckons for you to follow him.

Are you from Shropshire?
Are you British?
Are you American?
Are you from some other country?

[marionarsis]

From Boston, Black had been on a business trip in London when he got the word that a business associate, his prime contact, had ... just what exactly? Fallen ill, had an accident, was the victim of an assault. The details were a bit sketchy, but he didn't hesitate in boarding a train to find out for himself firsthand and lend any aid that he could.

Raining. Of course. Always. He pulled the lip of his fedora down over his eyes and looked around the gloomy town of Ludlow. The hotel manager back in London told him a policeman would be waiting for him, a fellow named Savage. Ah, there he is by the ticket booth. Doesn't exactly look like the pleasant sort, but given the circumstances ... "Hello."

American

[tp]

Upon hearing your American accent Constable Savage becomes even less less friendly. He makes several sarcastic comments about the yanks coming to save their bacon. When you ask about Dr Goodfellow [your dead colleague] Savage clams up completely:

'Dunna know nuffin bout thart,' is all he will say.

Make a L1 INTELLIGENCE (Diplomacy) roll.

[3 + 5 + 11 INTELLIGENCE + 2 Diplomacy = 21 = Pass. 8 Character APs & 50 APs in Diplomacy.]

Savage is not only lying but is also scared. You can tell there is no point pressing him though and so he leads you to your lodgings in sullen silence. The Red Lion is a comfortable looking, half timbered pub. Savage directs you to the old lady behind the bar, then disappears into the gloom. The old lady greets you warmly and bids you to sit down by the fire and have a drink while the maid freshens up your room.

Do you wait as asked, taking the opportunity to talk with the handful of locals who are in the pub?
Do you say you'd rather go straight to your room?
Do you leave your luggage and make your way to the police station to make a start on your investigations?
Do you leave your luggage and go to the morgue to inspect Goodfellows body?
   

[marionarsis]

Strange, the reaction of Savage. His failure to maintain eye contact suggested deceit, or was the topic uncomfortable? Perhaps both. The cop was obviously lying, but why? Savage was also scared. Scared at the mere mention of Goodfellow's name. He wasn't going to talk now, but Black was determined to get to the bottom of whatever was going on now. He didn't know what to expect when he came here, but now things were starting off on a weird note.

At the Red Lion, he took in the place with a glance, and sat by the fire as the lady suggested. He kept an eye on his bags and scoped-out the clientele. Maybe they knew something about the Goodfellow case. He decided to talk to a few of them and find out.

Character sheet updated

[tp]

The Red Lion is warm and comfortable and as you sit in the large leather chair, your misgivings from earlier begin to ease. Maybe there is a perfectly normal explanation for Goodfellow's death. Maybe Savage's attitude was just the result of a lifetime in a dark, wet small town in the middle of nowhere.

There are 5 other patrons, plus the publican. Which do you want to talk to?

The old lady behind the bar?
A man and woman (father and daughter?) sat in one corner, drinking and laughing?
Two men in what look like workman's clothes, drinking stout and smoking?
A twisted and stunted man, sat in a dark corner by himself, nursing a pint of mild?

[marionarsis]

Goodfellow dead. And the way things were shaping up, his death wasn't some careless accident. Who was likely to know something first hand--someone that likely gets around town a bit, sees things that escape the notice of everyone else?

Black stood, took his bags, and approached the man sitting by himself in the corner. He cordially introduced himself to the fellow and gradually worked into the conversation if he'd heard of Goodfellow's death, but more importantly if he knew anything about his death.