Arkham Horror - Testing the waters for a game

[Praxis]

So there's a boardgame called Arkham Horror.

Here's the rules.

http://fantasyflightgames.com/PDF/arkhamrules.pdf

and

http://fantasyflightgames.com/PDF/DH_rules_english.pdf

For those of you not into rules, that's fine...you can play blind which might be a bit more exciting for you albeit a bit confusing to start.

Make no mistake, this IS a board game, but I tinkered up an online version on a message board for my friends and I to play but it never flew because we all got busy.

There's a bit more I need to type up and ready, but before I commit to it I wanted to see if people might be interested.

Basically you take the role of an investigator and you post like you would in any game.  You need to discover which "Greater Old One" is trying to break into reality, and stop it from happening.

Tentacles, vampires, zombies, monsters and demons...

Which might lead some of you to thinking, "Cool, but what about the sex?"

The sex would occur in a sex thread detailing the encounter you had with the other player, or extra-dimensional creature.  So if you want to have sex.  You can.  If you don't.  You don't. :)

In fact we might need some extra players to play the role of monsters and NPCs in the game to flesh out combat encounters and sex scenes if that floats an individual's boat.

I already have the "untested" mechanics worked out, so all you would need to do is sign up, and jump in.

It's a fun little board game, albeit a bit complicated but I'd be handling all the mechanics so all you need to do is focus on fleshing out your character and immersing yourself in the wackiness of H.P. Lovecraft's writing.

So...nothing solid yet, but just checking to see if anyone would be interested.

L8R;

S.

[slavetomydesire]

  Oh boy! I love Cthulhu. Lovecraft kept me up late at night many a time when I was in junoir high and high school. I'd love to play even if I don't get raped by a deep one. Mmm the potential for tantacle sex with a shoggoth, yummy.

[Spookie Monster]

If you'd be handling all of the mechanics, I'm definitely in.  I'm a massive Lovecraft fan.

Spel

[Praxis]

Thanks for the interest so far.  :)

I was working on it over the weekend and I think if we could get three more players it would be an interesting game to play.

Stay tuned.

[Cosmo_ac]

Just curious but what time setting will the game take place in?  Ie, 1926 or will it be a current day setting?

[Ajoxer]

This... might very well be the coolest board game I have ever seen.

Ever.

[Dreamy]

I must confess to liking the idea, I just don't know how well it would mesh with my schedule or my intention to maybe not join too many games. I'll sign up as a 'maybe' for either a slot as a player or aide while you see if you can get a full cast together without me, if that would be fine?

[Spookie Monster]

Incidentally, Ender, I'm willing to play both a traditional investigator and a monster within the same game.  I'm interested in playing the game proper, but I'm also interested in ravishing a couple of hot tomatoes (which is only natural for a cookie-loving bugger like myself).  I do understand that we'll still need more players if we are in fact going to play, but I just wanted to make a mention of my eagerness to get involved in both aspects of the proposed game.

I must confess to liking the idea, I just don't know how well it would mesh with my schedule or my intention to maybe not join too many games...

Oh, yeah.  I know what that's like... ;D

Actually, I have a question before I go: Any idea of how long the game itself would last?  Potential players might be more inclined to join up if they knew how long they'd need to commit...

Spel

[Dreamy]

Oh, yeah.  I know what that's like... ;D

8)

-

Another relevant question might be the speed of the game? A game with many players can easily be slow enough that it really isn't much of a strain. (Except trying to remember what went on last)

[ZK]

Sounds rather interesting. I love H.P. Lovecraft. ^^

[Praxis]

Alright!  The interest looks solid.

I'll answer everyone's questions tomorrow as it was a brutal day and I need to rack.

Answers will be forthcoming on the 'morrow.

:)

[Ajoxer]

I'd love to do some aide work. Monstrous!

[Celestial Goblin]

Will I fit in? Sounds too good to pass up!

[Praxis]

Alright guys.  I've been having some trouble getting Elliquiy to show up at work and I'm actually busier at home than I am at work.

So...I haven't forgotten OR disappeared.  More to follow, but things are sortof aligned against me at the moment.

More to follow.

S.

[Praxis]

So...I can't tell you how long it will take.  Nor can I tell you about downtime because you good folks are my

"beta testers".  ;)

But...once we get up and running, any suggestions regarding the game will definitely be entertained and implemented if it fits into what I'm trying to do.

I have all the characters written up...nearly twenty and it seems like we'll have a good number of players to start as well as some people willing to help be monsters in fights and more personal encounters should the player be looking for that.

This week sucks hard...and not the good kind of suck...but I'll put in a formal request for a game this week and get threads started...etc.

[Praxis]

Cool...twenty-three characters.

:)

[Spookie Monster]

Thanks for all of the effort, dude.  I know how difficult it is to get a game prepared.  I'm definitely looking forward to playing! :)

Cool...twenty-three characters.

Ooo... perfect number for a supernatural game... ;D

(What with the 23 Enigma and all...)

Spel

[ZK]

So  what, ten investigators and 13 monsters? ^^

[Praxis]

Nah.

Everyone playing will be a character, with the option for every player to play the role of monsters in personal encounters with other players ontop of characters interacting with other characters.

Everyone gets to pick the character they want to play so with 23 there's plenty to pick from.

Everyone is working together as a team to stop the Greater Old One from awakening and skull-fucking reality into oblivion.

:)

If you take a moment just to read a bit of the instructions in my first post you'll have a better idea.

:)

[Praxis]

Just a preview of a character.  More to be revealed latah.





Sister Mary - The Nun

Sanity    --> 7                     
Stamina --> 3     

Guardian Angel:Any Phase Sister Mary is never "Lost in Time and Space".  Instead, if her Sanity is 0 she returns to Arkham Asylum.  If her Stamina is 0, she returns to St. Mary's Hospital.  If neither her Sanity nor her Stamina are 0, she returns to South Church, rather than being subjected to being Lost in Time and Space.

Home: South Church

Fixed Possessions: $0, 1 Common Item (Cross), 1 Unique Item (Holy Water)

Random Possessions: 2 Spells, 1 Skill

Focus: 1

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SPEED     1---------------2--------------3---------------4
SNEAK    4---------------3--------------2---------------1 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
FIGHT      0---------------1--------------2---------------3
WILL         4---------------3--------------2---------------1
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
LORE       1---------------2--------------3---------------4
LUCK       6---------------5--------------4---------------3
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Communication: Can call Ashcan Pete and Abbotsford.


The Story So Far:

Sister Mary has served the church faithfully for many years, so when she was sent to Arkham to work with Father Michael, a man whose writings she had admired for many years, she felt that she was truly blessed.  Now, after witnessing Father Michael's strange mood swings and seeing some of the bizarre practices that go on in this town, she's beginning to feel that she may have been a bit too hasty...

For instance, last night, there was a knock on the door of the church and when she answered it, there was nothing but a handwritten journal laying on the steps outside.  Reading it, she learned of strange cults and terrible creatures that lurk in the darkness.  Worse, when she laughingly showed it to Father Michael, he turned pale and threw it into the fire, yelling at her to forget what she had read.

Now, gathering her things and quietly leaving South Church, Sister Mary has decided to investigate this town, and in doing so, reaffirm her faith.

[ZK]

So we cannot simply wish to play as a monster only I take?

[Praxis]

Nope, you can but over the course of the "game" the monster will invariably get killed and you won't really be controlling the monster.

A dice roll will decide the combat and with the results known regarding if someone was killed, injured, or the investigator ran away, you and the person writing for the character can either just post the results, or flesh out a full on encounter with each other.






Here's another character.



Dexter Drake - The Magician

Sanity    --> 5                     
Stamina --> 5     

Magical Gift - Any Phase:  Whenever "The Great" Drake draws one or more cards from the Spell deck, he draws one extra card and then discards one of the cards.

Home: Ye Olde Magick Shoppe

Fixed Possessions: $5, 1 Spell (Shrivelling)

Random Possessions: 1 Common Item, 1 Unique Item, 2 Spells, 1 Skill

Focus: 1

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SPEED     2---------------3--------------4---------------5 
SNEAK    4---------------3--------------2---------------1  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
FIGHT      1---------------2--------------3---------------4
WILL         3---------------2--------------1---------------0
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
LORE       2---------------3--------------4---------------5
LUCK       3---------------2--------------1---------------0
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Communication: Can call Jenny Barnes and Joe Diamond.


The Story So Far:

After returning from his stint in the army during WW1, Dexter became a stage magician, and proved to be very successful at his trade, but he always longed to find real magic.  As they say, be careful what you wish for.  Years  later, in a rundown store, Dexter came across a burnt and torn fragment of the Necronomicon itself.  Intrigued by this ancient piece of occult knowledge, Dexter began to use his wealth in search of the truth about the ancient lore, and what he found horrified him.

Now, the more he learns, the less he wants to know, but his studies have led him to believe that a great evil will soon rise in Arkham.  He knows that he may well be the only person with the ability to stop this evil from swallowing the world, so he has to come to that sleepy town to speak with the proprietor of Ye Olde Magick Shoppe, one of the few magic shops that contain true lore, and not merely the stage tricks he once studied.

[Praxis]

I was also curious as to if the players would want the setting to be in the late forties early nineteen-fifties like the actual stories or if you guys want something more contemporary in this age?

[Praxis]

So we cannot simply wish to play as a monster only I take?

Also, you can write for as many monsters as you have the stomach for.

:)

[Cosmo_ac]

I was also curious as to if the players would want the setting to be in the late forties early nineteen-fifties like the actual stories or if you guys want something more contemporary in this age?

Personally, i would kind of prefer contemporary, as i'm not too knowledgable about the 1950's.  I'm not sure if it would impact the game at all though if it was in the 2000's though.

[Dreamy]

I'm pro-old, since all you have to think is "no cellphones" and "no computers" and the rest can be faked  ;D

But on the other hand I might not have time to write long threads (nor be inclined to do so as a loosing investigator ;)) so my word shouldn't get to carry much weight  8)

[Ajoxer]

Personally, I'd like the 1940-50s. And I call Dexter for character!

[Celestial Goblin]

1950 for me too. It's not really such a weird time at all.
It's got folks like this:





Those folks watch TV and drive around in cars. If the TV set is a colour one, the folks are as happy as someone who just got connected to the internet.

Cars would probably look like this:


Weapons would include all the WW2 goodness you can shake a rifle at.

:)

[Cosmo_ac]

any update on the game?

[LordAnubis]

I just played the board game on friday.
Joe Diamond, man with the gun.

Best character for taking out the monsters, double dice on clue points, enchanted sword in one hand .45 automatic in the other, Cut a bloody path threw them all.

Don't have time to play, but I strongly recomend the board game to everyone.

[Spookie Monster]

I just played the board game on friday.
Joe Diamond, man with the gun.

Best character for taking out the monsters, double dice on clue points, enchanted sword in one hand .45 automatic in the other, Cut a bloody path threw them all.

Don't have time to play, but I strongly recomend the board game to everyone.

Sounds very cool.  Thanks for the info! :)

Spel

[Ajoxer]

I got the board game! WHOO! It looks incredibly awesome.

[Spookie Monster]

I got the board game! WHOO! It looks incredibly awesome.

Whoa... sweet.  This game seems to be a humble hit!  I know someone else who got it for Christmas, and I learned a couple of days ago that somebody almost bought it for me myself for Christmas.  Kudos to Fantasy Flight Games!

So, Ajoxer, have you had the chance to play it yet?  If so, how is it?

Spel

[Ajoxer]

A bit, yeah. It's superb! The great thing is, you can even play it with only one player, though it's a lot easier with at least three players, heh.

[Ajoxer]

Made a useful little chart that should help people to keep track of things without the board.

Northside. White to Downtown, Black to merchant District.   
Downtown. Black to Northside, White to Easttown, connection to Merchant District.
Easttown. Black to Downtown, white to Rivertown.
Merchant District. White to Northside, Black to Miskatonic University, connection to Downtown and Rivertown.
Rivertown, black to Easttown, white to French Hill, connection to Merchant District.
Miskatonic University, white to Merchant District, black to Uptown, connection to French Hill.
French Hill, white to Southside, black to Rivertown.connection to Miskatonic.
Uptown, white to Miskatonic, black to Southside.          
Southside, white to Uptown, black to French Hill.

Terror Track: 0

Creature Tracker:

Clue Tracker:

Gate Tracker:

Player Trackre

Outskirts Tracker:

Doom Track:


Other Dimensions:
Another Dimension, RYGB
Abyss, BR
City of the Great Race, YG
Yuggoth, BY
Great Hall of Celeano, BG
The Dreamlands, RYGB
Plateau of Leng, RG
R'lyeh RY

Locations.

Location Key: U Unique item, C Common Item, Cl Clue, $ Money, * Blessing, A Allies, San Sanity, Sta Stamina, Sk skills, Sp Spells  Unstable! Unstable location.
Northside: Train Station, CU, Newspaper, Cl$, Curiositte Shoppe, CU, special- instead of having an encounter here, you may draw three unique items and purchase one of them for it's list price. Discard the other two items.
Downtown: Bank of Arkham, $*, Bank Loan- may take a bank loan here instead of an encounter, if you don't have one yet. Arkham Asylum, SanCl, instead of having an encounter here, you may recover sanity by recieving psychiatric care. You may either regain 1 sanity for free or 2$ for full sanity. Independence Square, ClU Unstable!
Easttown: Hibb's Roadhouse, $CUnstable!, Velma's Diner, $Sta, Police Station, CCl, can spend 10 toughness worth of monster trophies, 2 gate trophies, or 5 toughness worth of monster trophies and 1 gate trophy to become the Deputy of Arkham, and get the Deputy of Arkham card.
Merchant District, Unviisted Isle, ClSpUnstable! River Docks, $C Trade 5 toughness of monster trophies or 1 Gate Trophy for 5 dollars.The Unnameable, UClUnstable!
Rivertown: Graveyard, ClUIUnstable! Black Cave, CSpUnstable! General Store, $C Same as Curiosity shop, but for common items rather than Unique.
Miskatonic Unviersity, Science Building, ClUUnstable!, 5 monster toughness/1 gate trophy for 2 clue tokens. Administration, $Sk, pay 8 dollars to draw two skills and keep one. Library, USp
French Hill, The Witch House, ClSpUnstable!, Silver Twilight Lodge, ClUUnstable! With a Silver Twilight Membership, use the Inner Sanctum results for Encounters here.
Uptown, St Mary's Hospital, ClSta, same as Asylum for Stamina, Ye Olde Magick Shoppe, SpU draw two spells and keep one for 5 dollars, Woods $CUnstable!
Southside, Historical Society, SkSpUnstable!, South Church, San*, for 5 toughness or a gate trophy, get a Blessing. Ma's Boarding House, pay 10 toughness, 2 gate trophies, or 5 and 1 to pick an Ally of your choice.

[Cosmo_ac]

i recently bought this game too, and i have to say it's a bit of a bitch to learn all the rules and how to play.  There's like 20 pages of rules and instructions, but once you start playing, and give the book a good once over, you begin to learn quickly.

I will also say that this is a tough game!  Seriously.  My friends and i got our asses kicked from one side of the board to the other.  This is the type of game where you take out a video recorder and tape it because thats the only way people are going to believe you beat this game.

[Ajoxer]

Ashcan Pete, Drifter. 4 Sanity, 6 Stamina. River Docks Home. Fixed possessions, 1$, 3 Clue tokens, 1 ally (Duke). Random, 1 common item, 1 unique item, 1 skill.
When Pete draws from the Coomon Item, Unique Item, or Spell deck, he can draw from the top or bottom, his choice. He can also look at the bottom card of those decks at any time.
Soeed/Sneak: 0/6    Fight/Will: 2/5   Lore/Luck: 0/3. Focus 1.
Amanda Sharpe, Student. 5 Sanity, 5 Stamina, Bank of Arkham home, fixed possessions, 1$, 1 clue token, Rnadom Possessions, 1 common item, 1 unique item, 1 spell, 2 skills.
Whenever she draws from the skill deck, she draws one extra card and discards one of the cards of her choice.
Speed/Sneak: 1/4   Fight/Will:1/4   Lore/Luck:1/4 Focus 3
Gloria Goldberg, Author. 6 Sanity, 4 Stamina, Velma's Diner home, Fixed possessions: 7$, 2 clue tokens, random possessions 2 common items, 2 spells, 1 skill.
When drawing gate encounters in other worlds, Gloria draws two cards that match the color of one of the Other World's encounter symbols, then chooses which one she wants. This does not work when drawing location encounters in Arkham.
Speed/Sneak 1/3,    Fight/Will 0/5,    Lore/Luck 1/5, Focus 2
Jenny Barnes, Dilettante, 6 sanity, 4 stamina, Train Station Home, Fixed Possessions: 10$, RAndom Possessions: 2 common items, 1 unique, 1 spell, 1 skill.
Upkeep: Jenny gains 1$.
Speed/Sneak 0/4   Fight/Will 1/5   Lore/Luck 1/5 Focus 1
Monterey Jack, Archaeologist, 3 Sanity, 7 Stamina, Curiositie Shoppe, Fixed possesssions 7$, 1 clue token, Bull Whip, .38 Revolver, random possessions: 2 unique items, 1 skill.
Whenever he draws one or more cards from the Unique Item deck, he draws an extra card and discards one of the cards.
Speed/Sneak 1/3   Fight/Will 2/3   Lore/Luck 1/5 Focus 2
Joe Diamond, Private Eye, 4 Sanity, 6 Stamina, Home Police Station, Fixed Possessions 8$, three clue tokens, .45 Automatic, random possessions: 2 common items, 1 spell.
Joe rolls one extra bonus die when he spends a clue token to add to a roll.
Speed/Sneak 3/4   Fight/Will 2/3   Lore/Luck 0/3 Focus 3
Michael McGlen, Gangster, 3 Sanity, 7 Stamina, Home Ma's Boarding House, FIxed possessions 8$, Tommy Gun, Dynamite, andom: 1 Unique Item, 1 skill
Michael reduces all Stamina losses he suffers by 1, to a minimum of 0.
Speed/Sneak 2/4   Fight/Will 3/4    Lore/Luck 0/3 Focus 1
Darrel Simmons, Photographer, 4 Sanity, 6 Stamina, Newspaper Home, fixed $4, 1 Clue, 1 Retainer, Random: 1 common, 2 unique, 1 skill
When drawing location encounters in Arkham, draws two and chooses which he wants. Doesn't work when drawing Gate encounters.
Speed/Sneak 2/3   Fight/Will 2/4   Lore/Luck 0/4   Focus: 2
Vincent Lee, Doctor, 5 Sanity, 5 Stamina, Saint Mary's Hospital Home, Fixed 9$ 1 Clue, Random 2 common items, 2 spells, 1 skill
At Upkeep, can restore 1 Stamina to himself or another character in his location. Cannot raise a character's Stamina higher than Max.
Speed/Sneak 0/5   Fight/Will 0/4   Lore/Luck 2/4   Focus 2
Bob Jenkins, Salesman, 4 Sanity, 6 Stamina, General Store Home, Fixed 9$, Random 2 common items, 2 unique items, 1 skill.
Draws one extra Common Item when drawing, and discards one.
Speed/Sneak 2/3   Fight/Will 1/6   Lore/Luck 0/4    Focus 1
Kate Winthrop, Scientist, 6 Sanity, 4 Stamina, Science Building Home, Fixed 7$ 2 Clue tokens, Random 1 common, 1 unique, 2 spells, 1 skill.
Gates and monsters don't appear in Kate's location, they don't disappear if she enters their location, and monsters can move into her location as usual. No clue token on Science Building at the start of the game.
Speed/Sneak 1/5   Fight/Will 1/3   Lore/Luck 2/4   Focus 1
Carolyn Fern, psychologist, 6 Sanity, 4 Stamina, Arkham Asylum home, Fixed 7$, 1 Clue, Random 2 unique items, 2 common items, 1 skill.
May restore 1 sanity to herself or another at that location during Upkeep.
Speed/Sneak 0/3   Fight/Will 1/4   Lore/Luck 2/5   Focus 2
Suster Mary, Nun, 7 sanity, 3 Stamina, South Church Home, Fixed 0$, Blessing, Cross, Holy Water, Random 2 spells, 1 skill.
Never lost in Time and Space. Returns to normal places if all of something are lost, returns to South Church if neither.
Speed/Sneak 1/4   Fight/Will 0/4   Lore/Luck 1/6   Focus 1
Dexter Drake, Magician, 5 Sanity, 5 Stamina, Ye Olde Magick Shoppe Home, Fixe 5$, Shrivelling. Random 1 common item, 1 unique item, 2 spells, 1 skill.
Whenever he draws a card from the spell deck, he draws one extra card, and then discards one of the cards.
Speed/Sneak 2/4   Fight/Will 1/3   Lore/Luck 2/3 Focus 2
Harvey Walters Professor 7 Sanity 3 Stamina administration Building home, Fixed 5$ 1 Clue, Random 2 unique items, 2 spells, 1 skill.
Reduce all sanity losses suffered by 1.
Speed/Sneak 0/5   Fight/Will 0/3   Lore/Luck 3/4   Focus 2
Mandy Thompson Researcher 5 Sanity 5 Stamina Library Home Fixed: 6$ 4 Clues, Random: 2 common items, 1 unique item, 1 skill.
Once per turn, she can activate this ability after any investigator, including herself, makes a skill check. That investigator then re-rolls all of the dice rolled for that check that did not result in successes.
Speed/Sneak 1/5   Fight/Will 0/5   Lore/Luck 1/3

For the Stat/Stat, this represents the leftmost marker.


The quick notes version of the character sheets, helpful if you use this information on the template shown above.

[Cosmo_ac]

not to be a pest or anything, but do we have any news about this game?

[Spookie Monster]

not to be a pest or anything, but do we have any news about this game?

Hmmm... I for one haven't heard anything.  I'll message Ender... see if anything's up...

UPDATE: Message sent.

UPDATE (evening of January 8th): Sorry, droogs and devotchkas - no word yet.  Then again, it appears that Ender hasn't logged in since I sent him the message, so...

UPDATE (afternoon of January 13th): Sorry - no word yet.

UPDATE (evening of January 18th): Sorry... nothing yet.

Spel




Edited to indicate 1) that I had in fact sent the message in question, 2) that I hadn't received a reply yet, 3) that I still hadn't received a reply, and 4) that I still hadn't received a reply.  I rock...

[Cosmo_ac]

looks like the games a no go

https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=8527.msg297580;boardseen#new

[ZK]

And it's such a kickass board-game too...I seen it and the expansion at my local comic store...damn box is HEAVY. o.o

[Cosmo_ac]

i agree ZK.  I bought the board game about a month ago, and i've never seen such a elaberate rule heavy board game with so many cards.  Frankly, i find it rather inspirational.

[Spookie Monster]

looks like the games a no go

https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=8527.msg297580;boardseen#new

Alas, alas... tears run down Spel's fur. :'(  Oh, well... no biggie... perhaps next time. :)

By the way, Cosmo_ac: Great catch!  I probably never would have spotted Ender's post there.  Thanks for posting... :)

Spel