[Interest Check] Survival-Horror Game (likely to be extreme)

[TheHangedOne]

Hey all. It's been well over a year since I ran a game, and that didn't go over all that well. But, I feel I've gotten better over all, so I want to try my hand at it again.

For now, I will start with an interest check, to see if there are people interested. Ideally, it would be 4-6 players.

The setting is the Spring of 2014. The location is a quaint,  vast stretch of land, full of camping grounds.  The characters will be hikers, campers, nature enthusiasts, etc. There will be no magic or fantasy elements, except for some supernatural elements which will serve as an antagonist(s) for the story.

Some brief bullet points:
*Inventory management will factor into the game.
*Starting 'equipment' for characters will be limited to a list (I will type this up later on, if interest is shown) of typical camping supplies.
*Surviving will be an emphasis. Characters will need to eat, drink, avoid exposure, and generally handle the day-to-day needs that come with relatively intense physical activity.
*Horror will be an emphasis.
*Characters have realistically limited capabilities. These aren't true heroes or the stuff of legends; they aren't adventurers; these are fairly ordinary people subjected to amazingly harsh and hostile situations.
*Character death is a distinct possibility. I will generally try to avoid killing characters; that is rarely fun, though it can certainly add dramatic tension to the story. In general, I am pretty lenient with this; but if your character does something stupid, like trying to make an unassisted 20 foot jump across a ravine, they're going to go 'splat' at the bottom.
*Each character will have one special skill, picked from a list (Will type it up later on, if interest is shown). This skill will help them in surviving, and will be related to wilderness survival. You'll need to work into your characters bio how they came to possess the skill; for instance, someone good at hunting might have gone on hunting trips with their father when they were young.
*There will be a simple dice rolling element.  Depending on preference of players, I may just handle all the rolls.


Regarding sex: Have at it, if you want. People deal with stress in different ways, and fucking is one of them.  In general, though, sex is not likely to be a major focus of the story. I will also say, having sex in unsafe locations could count as a stupid thing that gets a character killed.

Regarding posting rates: 1 or 2 posts a week will be a minimum. Posting order will be established, at times.  Aim for at least 2 full paragraphs for posting size.

Any questions, thoughts, ideas, concerns? Let me hear them.  :-)

So, for character sheets:

Code Select Expand


[float=left]Picture url here[/float]
[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Gender & Sexuality:[/b]
[b]Personality:[/b]
[b]Brief History:[/b]
[b]Special Skill:[/b]
[b]Equipment:[/b]
[list]
[li] Items
[li] Go
[li] In
[li] These
[li] Spaces
[li]
[li]
[li]
[li]
[li]
[/list]

There are ten inventory slots, but characters will be limited to selecting five items of Equipment.

equipment

*Backpack: A hiking backpack. This is actually a freebie; all characters have one.
*Tent: Standard tent for recreational camping. Provides shelter from the elements. Stakes, ground tarps, and other applicable things come bundled with this item. If you don't pick this, then you are using one of the camps Adirondack shelters.
Sleeping bag: Something to keep you warm and comfortable when sleeping. Remember, it's spring, but the nights get chilly.
Flashlight: Standard hand-held flashlight with batteries.
Fire-maker: This can  be a lighter, magnesium stick and striker, flint and steel, waterproof matches; pretty much, whatever you want. Make a note of what it is.
Emergency Glowsticks: A pack of five emergency glowsticks. These are larger than normal, being about 10 inches in length, are nearly twice as bright as usual glowsticks, and they last for eight hours. Variety of colors possible. Each one has 12 inches of string attached to it, so they can be suspended from fixtures.
Camp tools: Small handsaw, small hammer, scissors, and Swiss army knife, all in a little kit that can be carried by hand or stowed in a backpack.
Camp Cooking Gear: A small, single burner, fueled by butane. Comes with a full, small canister of butane. Plus, a small pot and pan, aluminum field bowl, plate, and cutlery; all the tools needed to make and enjoy a meal.
Food: A mixture of canned goods, dried goods (such as jerky and trail mix, dehydrated vegetables, flour, etc), powdered drink mixes, coffee and/or tea, cooking oil, etc. Basically it's your choice of raw ingredients that would complement the Camp Cooking Gear, or pre-packaged and ready to eat food (MREs could be counted, too), or some mixture of the two. No matter what it is, it's enough food for a single person for three days.
Toiletries: Deodorant, natural soap, shampoo, conditioner, toilet paper, brush and comb, tooth paste, tooth brush. Small, travel sized.  The camp does have showers and restrooms, for those that don't want to give up that creature comfort of the civilized world.
Laundry: Sets of clean clothing, and towels.
Water Filtration System: Some people will bring along bottled water; others may wish to find some clean water sources (but boil it first). But, for those who don't have the time to boil water, and don't have bottled, they will need to rely on  something such as a Lifestraw, or other system for purifying water. Drinking water straight, even from natural springs, is a good way to get sick.
Entertainment: Walkman, iPod, portable gaming system; or maybe something more traditional, like books. whatever fits your tastes. The camp does have a place for recharging.
Survival Books: Books specifically detailing flora and fauna. If you want to forage but aren't skilled at it, this may be a handy item. Consulting will take time, but helps reduce the danger.
First Aid Kit: A 45 piece first aid kit.

All characters possess one special skill that will help them, and maybe even the others, survive.

Skills

First Aid: You are likely a lifeguard, first responder, EMT, or have otherwise had some sort of official training. You are not only good at treating and diagnosing injuries, but you are great at improvising slings, bandages, etc.. You always diagnose injuries easily, and know the exact proper treatment.
Forager: Perhaps you've read the books dozens of times, or were an avid camper, or even a survivalist of some sort. Regardless, you intuitively and thoroughly know what berries are edible, and which will make you ill, what mushrooms can be consumed safely, and which are poisonous, and other such things. You don't need guides to forage safely. Furthermore, you will always be successful at foraging attempts, as you also know where forage-able foods grow readily.
Shelterer: You know how to construct shelters of all sorts, whether it's with gear (like tents and tarps), or with purely natural materials. Improvised shelters are always sturdy, and built in record time.  If you choose this, and no tent, and want to opt out of an Adirondack shelter, you can have constructed your own natural shelter. You can also camouflage shelters into their surroundings, offering a significant source of safety.
Navigator: You know that moss grows on all sides of rocks and trees, not only on the north side; that's just bullshit. You know fact from fiction, and you can easily find true north through other means. You know how to travel by the stars, and instinctively make note of landmarks. You have a thorough knowledge of the trails of this park. You're not the kind of person that gets lost, typically.
Mentally Prepared: The mind and its processes are critical to survival. The will to live in a life and death situation often separates those that live and those that do not. Stories of heroic feats of survival by regular people with little or no training, but a strong will to live, are not uncommon. You possess this power. You are also not prone to panic, and your mind is resilient against outside influences.
Hunter/Fisher: Whether it's with a rifle, a bow and arrow, fishing line, or snares and traps, you know how to take down animals. Not only does this provide you with a way of gathering food that is relatively safe, but knowledge of trapping can come in handy in more ways than one.
Highly Perceptive: Your eyes are keen and sharp, as is your hearing, and sense of smell and taste. You are usually not distracted, and able to process lots of information from your surroundings easily. You are not likely to miss important details.

[Chreestafer]

Hey THM! I'm interested, however is this a systems game or freeform?

[TheHangedOne]

Hey, Chrees. It will be free-form.  :-)

[Chreestafer]

whelp! I'm definitely in then!!! :)

[PhantomPistoleer]

So, what's the supernatural element that everyone is avoiding?

[TheHangedOne]

So, what's the supernatural element that everyone is avoiding?

Cryptozoological monsters.  I don't want to say too much, though, at least initially.

[Prosak]

Survival? Check.

Horror? Check

Cryptozooological monster's.....? I guess check.

Tight inventory management which plays to my gaming OCD? Yeah, check!

Ok, interested. :)

[Dashenka]

Sounds good. Interested for now.

[TheHangedOne]

Cool. That's four, so, later on, I'll get up a character sheet, and those lists I mentioned.

[TheHangedOne]

Double posting, but: I have the character sheet up, and equipment up as well. Skills will be within the next hour. If anybody feels like I've missed something, or would like an off-the-list item/skill, feel free to talk to me about it, and we'll see what can be done.

[Dashenka]

What kind of land is it? Green lush hills? Barren wasteland? Tundra? Will it just be our characters or will there be other people with us? Is there a goal our characters have to achieve?

[TheHangedOne]

What kind of land is it? Green lush hills? Barren wasteland? Tundra? Will it just be our characters or will there be other people with us? Is there a goal our characters have to achieve?

Green, hilled forest, with a web of small and large streams, ponds, and a lake. The days will be moderately hot, and the nights cool or chilly. There will be NPC campers, hikers, and park rangers.  The goal will be to escape the campgrounds alive.

I should also say, for the first in-game day, nothing will seem wrong. The first night is when the shit will hit the fan.

[Chreestafer]

What are the age groups your looking for? Is this a camp for like highschoolers or are we college kids? Adults?

[TheHangedOne]

Well, I would like the ages to be above 18, just to make sure we don't go poking and prodding at any of the E rules. This is a not a summer camp, though; it's a national park with camping areas.

[Chreestafer]

Ok :) just curious on making my character fit the game.  Why are they camping again?  Just friends in the woods?

[Dashenka]

I should also say, for the first in-game day, nothing will seem wrong. The first night is when the shit will hit the fan.

Ooh surprises... I like them :D

But as the gentleman without the belt asked, what is the relationship between our characters, if there is one? A group of friends seems easiest.

[Chreestafer]

Ooh surprises... I like them :D

But as the gentleman without the belt asked, what is the relationship between our characters, if there is one? A group of friends seems easiest.

Yes the belted man has man great questions! Oh wait... that's me :)

[TheHangedOne]

Ooh surprises... I like them :D

But as the gentleman without the belt asked, what is the relationship between our characters, if there is one? A group of friends seems easiest.

I was going to leave that up to individual players to work out amongst themselves. You're right, though, a group of friends does seem the easiest to get it to work.

Would anybody have an objection to that?

[Dashenka]

Could also be two couples but since I'm the only female player and we got five people interested, that would be hard and from experiences I've learned that when the characters are completely unrelated, it gets tricky to get them together.

So a group of friends on a hiking trip does sound fun and logical. If anybody is interested and everybody else is okay with it, I don't mind playing some one's girlfriend?

[Chreestafer]

Dash is right we need more female players ;)

But while we wait. *points to Dashenka like the fonz* "how you doin' " ;)

[Dashenka]

We don't need more females perse. Four guys and a girl as a group of friends hiking is good enough I guess. Makes it easier. I prefer this number. Not more but that's not up to me :)


I'm good btw :D Got a new car recently... still in love with it and driving it around for no other reason than to drive it :D

[TheHangedOne]

I was looking for 4-6, and five happens to be right smack dab in the middle, so that does work.  :-)

Okay. A group of friends--maybe college age?-- went for, say, a weekend of camping, and hiking, and such.  I'll let all the players hammer out exact details for why they went, their exact relationship with the others, etc.

Skills and everything are up now, so everybody should feel free to work on characters.  :-)

[Lurking]

Hey HangedMan, room for one more at all? A survival-horror game sounds like fun, I'd love to join if there's still room.

[TheHangedOne]

If Dashenka doesn't mind, I'd love to have you along for the ride, Lurking. 

[Dashenka]

Why would I mind? Let's first see who even gets the sheet up :D

[Lurking]

I take that as a yes then? Woo.
I'll get working on my CS as soon as I get a chance. ^.^

[abandoneddolly]

If you still have room I'd love to play too.

[Chreestafer]

Ill have a CS up tonight after work :)


And Dash what kind of car is it? 

[Dashenka]

This one.

[Chreestafer]

Bah! This is all the car anyone needs!

Ill introduce you to my baby :)

"my baby" 1973 trans am

[Dashenka]

As I said in the link... I do see the appeal of muscle cars but I wouldn't wanna own one :)


Anyways... allow me to be the first to drop my character sheet. (Sorry for the stereotypes, they are meant as a compliment)

Name: Amber Redford
Age: 23
Gender & Sexuality: Bisexual
Personality: I’m a social and friendly person, a good listener and always in for a laugh. Friends say I'm calm and sometimes a bit too careful or shy in conversations. To me it just matters who is around me. To friends I'll share everything and I can talk about everything, when I'm around strangers, I prefer to stay in the background. I'm not the average girly girl but more the tough chick like Lara Croft, except for the fighting skills and the boobs. I like being pampered in luxury but I enjoy being in the wild with only the bare necessities even more.

Brief History:  I’m Amber Redford, 23 years old and the daughter of George L. Redford III, governor of Texas. For years I’ve been in the shadow of my deeply republican parents who forbid everything that God had said. Funny how I grew to like all that which God had forbidden.

During my time in university, I wanted to stay in the campus dorms but my dad said no and bought me a nice condo downtown. The parties were wild and chicks were even wilder.

I failed my finals and ended up dating a girl and then another and another, etc, etc. Obviously when my parents found out, I had to leave my condo and was basically banished from their very existence. Recently I’ve started a job in a small roadside diner. It doesn’t pay much but I’m happy.

When I’m not at work I like to be around friends, party a lot and have a good time. I’m also a fanatic hiker/camper and I love going out with nothing but some basic gear and a tent and wander around the country alone or with my friends.

Special Skill: Mentally Prepared: The mind and its processes are critical to survival. The will to live in a life and death situation often separates those that live and those that do not. Stories of heroic feats of survival by regular people with little or no training, but a strong will to live, are not uncommon. You possess this power. You are also not prone to panic, and your mind is resilient against outside influences.

Equipment:

• Backpack
• Tent
• Sleeping bag
• Toiletries
• Camp Cooking gear

Extra pics

[MusicNoteAngel]

I am definitely interested :)

[TheHangedOne]

Looks good, Dashenka.  First one with a sheet in, and first approved.  ;D

[Dashenka]

Come on boys and girls... submit your character!

[Chreestafer]

I plan on it tonight lol

[TheHangedOne]

Was just re-reading stuff, Dashenka, and realized that something slipped my notice earlier. You picked only four items. Everybody gets the backpack, and five pieces in addition to that. Sorry, everyone, if I wasn't clear.

[Dashenka]

Ooh okay. I'll edit soon :D

[Chreestafer]

Name: Kyler Bishop
Age: 22
Gender & Sexuality: Male, Bi Curious
Personality: A very quiet soul, but smart and nerd like, still athletic though.
Brief History: Born to a mother who is an airheaded nurse and father who is a drunken and abusive army general, Kyler found himself moving quiet often and learning to survive on his own.  At a young age, his father enrolled him as a boy scout, and when he turned 18 he held the title of Eagle Scout.  Over the years from cub scouts leading to his eagle scout status, Kyler had to hide or make excuses for the bruises that magically appeared on his body.  At first Kyler tried to stop his father and tell his mother, but she brushed it off as her son was being bad and soon the beatings got worse and worse yet she was never home to witness them.

The physical abuse of Kyler soon gave him a speech impediment after his father almost killed him one night.  Since that night Kyler's voice stutters so rarely anyone finds him talking. His father originally wanted him to enroll and serve under him in the army.  However, Kyler held his own dreams of a future, and his father was livid when he found out his only son would rather go straight to college then to serve.  Many an eventful fight, filled with black eyes and broken bones, led to Kyler moving out on his own to find an apartment. 

One of the only things that helped him cope with stress and relax for a while was his time in the wild.  The quiet and quant atmosphere one can find in the wood helped Kyler find inner peace.  These reasons lead to Kyler making friends through out college who held the same interest in camping and hiking in the wild.
Special Skill: Either Hunter or Navigator (leaning towards navigator)
Equipment:
~Backpack~

• Fire-maker: This can  be a lighter, magnesium stick and striker, flint and steel, waterproof matches; pretty much, whatever you want. Make a note of what it is.
  -Zippo Lighter / Extra can of lighter fluid
  
• Camp tools: Small handsaw, small hammer, scissors, and Swiss army knife, all in a little kit that can be carried by hand or stowed in a backpack.


• Water Filtration System: Some people will bring along bottled water; others may wish to find some clean water sources (but boil it first). But, for those who don't have the time to boil water, and don't have bottled, they will need to rely on  something such as a Lifestraw, or other system for purifying water.


• First Aid Kit: A 45 piece first aid kit.


• Flashlight: Standard hand-held flashlight with batteries.

Additional Photos

[TheHangedOne]

Looks good, Chrees. Let me know when you decide on a skill.

[Chreestafer]

I believe im going to choose navigator in this one, Kyler seems the more solemn type versus the fighter, not that he couldn't hold his own in a fight.  He just doesn't fit the "warrior" classifications if you know what I mean. 

and im also going to open it up does anyone wish to have past relations with Ky? be it when they were kids, Be it best friend, Be is sexually.  Just let me know and we can work on ideas :)

[Sharon]

Got room for one more on this crazy camping trip?

[Dashenka]

We only have two characters confirmed so far so I'd say go for it and create a sheet :)

[Sharon]

Name: Cat Mary Jones
Age:24
Gender & Sexuality:Female Bisexual
Personality:Cat is a real go getter in life as she always learn that she could over work herself as she enjoy the simpler things of life. She opened minded person and very out spoken most. She will let everyone if she has a bad feeling about something.

Brief History:Cat was always being drag out to family camping trip as she was rise by her grandparents. Her grandpa thought she would need to know basic of survival. Though he only wish he could show her everything that she would need to know as he past on the known how to know what she could eat on a daily basic from the land. Of course he show her how to fish but she never liked waiting for fishing she wanted something that would be a little more moving. Which made her enjoy learning about pants and such.

At a young age she wanted to be a herbalist when she grow up. Once she was out of high school she went straight into college to know her dream of being and Herbalist though with some ups and down of life and the death of the only family she knew making her take a short brake from school. In the memories of her grandparents she was going to go camping. As she ran off to go camping she forgot a few things that she would normal would bring along with her on trips like this such things like cloths and toiletries and even the box of food she had packed the night before all of that was sitting next to her apartment door calling her name, "Cat you forgot us!"

The one thing she did as an honor her grandfather's memories was "if you forget it you didn't need it so you can deal without it." and this was what she was sitting to as she got there looking over such things and realized that she forgot her tent and even sleeping bag.

Special Skill:Forager: Perhaps you've read the books dozens of times, or were an avid camper, or even a survivalist of some sort. Regardless, you intuitively and thoroughly know what berries are edible, and which will make you ill, what mushrooms can be consumed safely, and which are poisonous, and other such things. You don't need guides to forage safely. Furthermore, you will always be successful at foraging attempts, as you also know where forage-able foods grow readily.

Equipment:

Starter list:

• Water Filtration System: Some people will bring along bottled water; others may wish to find some clean water sources (but boil it first). But, for those who don't have the time to boil water, and don't have bottled, they will need to rely on something such as a Lifestraw, or other system for purifying water. Drinking water straight, even from natural springs, is a good way to get sick.
• Camp tools: Small handsaw, small hammer, scissors, and Swiss army knife, all in a little kit that can be carried by hand or stowed in a backpack.
• Camp Cooking Gear: A small, single burner, fueled by butane. Comes with a full, small canister of butane, plus, a small pot and pan, aluminum field bowl, plate, and cutlery; all the tools needed to make and enjoy a meal.
• Fire-maker: This can  be a lighter, magnesium stick and striker, flint and steel, waterproof matches; pretty much, whatever you want. Make a note of what it is.  (Thinking on this I have a few questions on this.)
• First Aid Kit: A 45 piece first aid kit.

more picture

My question on Fire starter can we have two things that is fire starter? [/list]

[Dashenka]

Oe I like her :D

You know how to create some space between the picture and the text?

After you had 'height=xxx' you put 'paddin=5' Or 10 or 15 or how ever much you want. So it should look like this [ /url=blabla img height=500 padding=10]

[Sharon]

I am glade you like her but I like how I have it set up...

[Dashenka]

Okay good :)

Some people didn't know that it was possible (myself included :D)

[Sharon]

I see.

[TheHangedOne]

That makes sense, Chrees. And yeah, I know exactly what you mean. 

Like Dashenka said, there are only the two approved so far. I'll be holding out for five approved characters, six at the absolute most.

Besides a few omitted words and typos, the sheet is pretty solid, Sharon. Approved.

As to your question, yes, you can have two fire starters, or something that goes along with your choice (like how Chrees' character has both a zippo, and an extra can of fluid for it).

[Sharon]

I can take the bio and stuff through the Office words and fixes it. I was running short on time so I just throw it together. I will add the souse of fire she will have.

[Kerri]

Name:Lanie McClure

Age:21

Gender & Sexuality:Bisexual

Personality:Lanie isn't one to talk much. She's shy but in small groups has a tendency to loosen up quite a bit. The only time she really tends to speak up is when she sees someone who is being treated wrong. Willing to put others before herself, whether they are strangers, foe, or friend. She is a very loyal friend. She doesn't like injustice or back stabbing people. She doesn't humor gossipers nor will she talk poorly about someone behind their backs. She's a nonjudgmental person, believing "Live and let live" as long as no one is being harmed in the process.

Brief History:Lanie grew up in a family of five, the middle child of middle class parents. They worked hard for everything they had and she had learned quickly the value of money, and what was truly important in life. She was 10 when her younger sister, Sarah, was born, and Lanie quickly took over the role of second mother to her. Her older brother, by 2 years, didn't want much to do with either her or the baby at that point in his life, finding friends more important than family.

Necessity found her becoming a babysitter for the little girl when she wasn't in school, more often than not. Lanie didn't mind it though. It wasn't until Sarah turned two that things became difficult. Sarah was developing slowly and after a series of tests the doctors confirmed that she had cerebral palsy. It made caring for her more difficult, but Lanie took to it as well as any 12 year old girl could.

Lanie took all the first aid classes that she could, in the little bit of free time she had. She wanted her mother and father to be able to trust that she could take care of Sarah, and she needed the knowledge to feel safe in caring for her as well.

Lanie was an easy-going child, always willing to help. The only time she ever really got in trouble was when it came to protecting Sarah. She wouldn't hesitate to say something in response to rude comments from people about her sister. Literally having gotten into fist fights over it more than once when she heard comments from people her own age about her "retarded" sister.

Although Lanie was more than smart enough to get into a college of her choosing, she chose not to go, instead staying at home and helping her parents out. She got a job after graduating as a teacher's aide for a special needs class, in the very school her sister attended, although not in her sister's classroom. She was happy with her life, but often times found herself thinking of going back to school to become a teacher, wanting to lead the very classroom she was helping instead of just assisting.

The camping trip was unusual for her, but she was trying to find a way to get her classroom out of the school and into a more natural setting. Feeling that a fieldtrip at the beginning of the year would help the students and teachers bond. The teacher was willing to humor her idea, but she had to come up with a fully laid out plan before it could be presented to the principal of the school for approval.

Special Skill:First Aid

Equipment:

• Fire-maker = self igniting butane micro-torch

• Water filtration system

• Camp tools

• Camp cooking gear

• Food

(I'm not sure if you're still accepting characters and if not I understand. I just thought I would place my character sheet here and hope for approval. I must warn you though, I am relatively new to group games so I might need some guidance, if this is a problem just let me know and I'll either delete my character sheet or change whatever it needs)

[TheHangedOne]

Well, welcome to E and Group gaming, Kerri.  :-) I have no problems, and would love to help you get into the swing of things. If you have any questions at all, even if they seem silly or stupid, feel free to ask me. There's no such thing as a stupid question.  If I don't explain something clearly, feel free to say so, and I'll expound on whatever needs to be expounded on.

All in all, we have another solid sheet here. Definitely approved.  I do have one question, though, just to make sure I am understanding her history correctly: she is camping on her own, to see if the camping grounds would be a good place for the field trip, correct?

[Chreestafer]

I think she looks awsome Kerri! Good job!

[Kerri]

Thanks guys. Just to clarify (because I've made the same mistake before) I've actually been a member for a year now, I just don't know much about group games, and I know nothing about system games or dice rolling.

To clarify, yes she's alone, just scoping out the location for a future field trip for the class.