Kammergericht Nights: Monster-hunting in Post-WWII Berlin | NC-Exotic

[Lokus]

Kammergericht Nights: Monster-hunting in Post-WWII Berlin

Based on (but not using) Malcolm Craig's RPG: Cold City

In an alternate history the last years of WWII grew increasingly... ...weird. The German forces were aided by soldier who couldn't seem to be killed, or who were armed with strange weapons, or bizarre flying craft. These devices were named X-technology. Although the casualties these caused were significant, the strange devices were too few in number, and the Allies were victorious.

Post-War Berlin was divided into four sectors, one for the British, the Americans, the French and the Russians. All four nations had a vested interest in recovering as much of the strange X-technology, discovering the sources and preventing its spread.

The Berlin Reserve Police Agency was founded in the last days of 1945 to investigate the many strange occurrences in Berlin, often linked to X-tech, and to control information, collect artifacts, and discover their sources. As no one nation could trust the others to do so alone, each team of RPA consists of one American, one British, one French, and one Russian agent. With black trench-coats and fedoras, and an RPA badge they stalk the city

The Agents are all officers of their nation's military*, and faced X-technology in the war. They have seen the damage inflicted, and through skill, determination or luck survived. Each group (if we get four players) will have an American, a Brit, a Frenchman and a Russian. The Russians and French have the option to play as female characters. In the case of the French, a spy/resistance leader. In the case of the Russians, one of the rare but documented female combat officers (or perhaps a surviving Night Witch pilot).

Each player will choose the Agenda their Nation gave their character and their character's Personal Agenda.

Trust will be a critical factor in the game. High levels of trust with a partner will buoy skill rolls -- but their inevitable betrayal of their trusted ally to accomplish their own personal goals remains a possibility.

Early in the game there will be an event that will change characters genders. Players may opt out, but I hope that most of them engage. I don't intent to run "all futa squad" but it is certainly possible that one of the transformations (in either direction) only partially works resulting in a trans or futa character.

I picture the game to be 25% smut and 75% story.

Posting frequency: Hopefully people can post every other day, at a minimum.

Although Non-Con is the limit, any NC will only occur when involved parties have agreed OOC.

Although there may be young people in the city, they will not be involved in any adult scene (and will flee violence, hopefully Agents of the RPA don't initiate violence toward young NPCs).

There is likely to be a good deal of physical and firearm violence in the game.

The system I'll be using is a narrative light homebrew which I will detail in my next post.

We will not be historically rigorous. No degree in post-war Berlin should be required, no knowledge of the German language is required.

I've got "real table top D&D" tonight. When I get home I'll lay out the narrative mechanics I will be using.

I encourage any questions.

[wigglebiscuit]

What sort of nc/exotic scenes do you envision for female characters?

[Lokus]

What sort of nc/exotic scenes do you envision for female characters?

There was a lot going on in the last days of the war. Alien, magic, and the supernatural are all a possibility. Most of these creatures are seeking to invade or increase their influence in the setting world. Thus defeating an agent of the RPA, or catching them at a vulnerable moment, may not result in the PC being killed outright. In the case of the aliens, repeated exposure to intense and traumatic mind control aids them in being able to eventually "break" an agent, and turn them to their side.

In the case of the more bestial opponents, it is probably an expression of demonic lust, or depraved and failed programming, that sees the opponent begin an NC scene. 

The main aliens are much more like D&D Mind Flayers than the standard "Grey" alien. With powerful mind control abilities the NC scene may in fact be all in the character's head. (Tentacle, mind control aspects).

Demonic creatures (including incubus/succubus cognates) will certainly be present.
(Size, or possibly number of NPC, overpowering strength and horrific nature)

And there were a number of battlefield monstrosities (werewolf cognates) although I think I'll tend to stay away from the undead soldiers.

Having seen none of the player applicants, and what they want from the game, my initial plan is that most of the exotics will be aliens. Currently I don't have any specific NC scenes in mind. I'm certainly willing to collaborate with a player to accomplish mutual goals.

Thank you for the question.

[Lokus]

Kammergericht Night, the System

The system is fairly light (and thus abstract) and is a bit of a cross between the original Cold City system, over the Edge and Dogs in the Vineyard

Step 1, pick one of the four nations.

Is the character American, British, French or Russian? French or Russian character may start as female.

Ex.1 Player 1 decides to play Political Officer Igor Komenoshenko, a Russian.

Step 2, pick a simple background.

Did they encounter weird "x-technology" in the war? What did they do in the war? Why were they sent to the RPA, a very small and secret organization.

Ex2. Iosef Stalin awarded Igor the Star of Lenin for executing Soviet Guards Infantry who would not stand against Spezialeinsatztruppen (zombie soldiers) in the siege of Berlin. Igor's posting to the RPA is both a reward and a move to keep him safe from other Guards Infantry.

Step 3. Assign stats

There are three stats, Physical, Mental, and Social. Each player assigns 8d6 between the three stats. All stats must be at least 1d6, none can be higher than 5d6. They will form the basis of your "pool" in conflicts. As a special note, gun combat is controlled by Mental, a combination of Willpower, Perception, and Marksmanship training. Physical and Social combat are controlled by their respective traits.

Ex3: Political Officer Igor Komenoshenko has Physical 2, Mental 2, Social 4

Step 4. Choose 3 tags.

Each tag is something the player can call upon to give their character a +2d6 bonus to their pool.

Friendly Smile, Graceful as a Hunting Cat, Strong as an Ox, Sultry Expression, Medical Experience, Speaks Several Languages all work, but the list is not limited.

Each pool can only be effected by one tag at a time, so Deadly Shot, Lethal Shot, and Skilled Marksman would be a bad collection of tags.

Excessively vague tags, like Lucky, don't count. But Drives With More Luck Than Skill is a good tag.

Ex 4. Igor Komenoshenko takes: Fearless in the Face of Horrors, Dangerous Reputation, and Good at Concealing Weapons.

Step 5. Choose a Flaw

Unlike tags, flaws can be quite vague, we want them to be able to apply to all three trait pools. Unlucky, Insomniac, Undisciplined, all make good flaws, but the list is not limited. When activated a flaw takes one (in case of a tie) of the highest dice in your rolled pool away, but it "recharges" one of your tags. You may activate a tag, activate a flaw, then refresh that same tag all at once.

Ex 5. Igor takes Drunkard, he's often seen with a vodka or whiskey bottle in front of him and is often intoxicated.

Step 6. Pick two Agendas.

National Agenda:

What does your country want you to do? It should be a mission statement of some kind. Fulfilling your National Agenda earns you another tag and a new Agenda.

Personal Agenda

What does your character wish to accomplish. Successfully fulfilling your personal agenda may well take you out of the RPA. Otherwise it raises a trait, and you do not pick another Personal Agenda right away.

Ex 6: Igor's National Agenda is: "Find scientists involved in Project Valkyrie and either pump them for information and technology or eliminate them before they can be captured by Americans."

His Personal Agenda is: "Get the children of Project Valkyrie to safety out of Europe."

Who are the children? What is Project Valkyrie? That's a discussion I'd have to have with the player that made them up. Don't be afraid to imply things about the world, if I think you're too far off base I'll discuss it with you.

Step 7. Assign Trust.

This has to be done once everyone's assembled their characters. Each player assigns their character's trust in the rest of the team. You have a 1d6, a 2d6 and a 3d6 to assign. There are three other player characters. Note, they may trust you more or less than you trust them.

Trust controls how much aid you gain from another player helping a task.

If Marie is searching through an old filing cabinet for clues, and she trusts Igor at 2d6, if Igor promises to watch to see if anyone approaches she gains +2d6 on her task roll.

However when she finds the file on Project Valkyrie and Igor decides to betray her and knock her out? He adds her trust in him to his conflict pool. After a Betrayal trust is set to 0d6.

At the end of each mission each agent may increase or decrease one trust level (by a d6).

Example Characters:

Political Officer Igor Komenoshenko, Male

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Background: Iosef Stalin awarded Igor the Star of Lenin for executing Soviet Guards Infantry who would not stand against Spezialeinsatztruppen (zombie soldiers) in the siege of Berlin. Igor's posting to the RPA is both a reward and a move to keep him safe from other Guards Infantry.

Physical 2, Mental 2, Social 4

+ Fearless in the Face of Horrors
+ Dangerous Reputation
+ Good at Concealing Weapons
- Drunkard

Equipment: Silenced Tokarev light pistol (1d6), Long knife (1d6)

National Goal: Find scientists involved in Project Valkyrie and either pump them for information and technology or eliminate them before they can be captured by Americans.

Personal Goal: Get the children of Project Valkyrie to safety out of Europe.

Marie de Lisle, French Partisan

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Background: Marie was the point of contact for a German scientist working in France. The scientist leaked twisted technology secrets to the allies through Marie’s resistance cell.

Physical 3, Mental 3, Social 2

(+) Expert Saboteur
(+) Distracting charms
(+) As Quiet as a Mouse.
(-) Nightmares

Equipment: Walther PPK (light pistol) 1d6, garrote 2d6

National Agenda
Recover a major x-technology find to assist France in taking its rightful place among the new world powers.

Personal Agenda
Find her husband Armand, captured by the Nazis in the last days of the war.

Using the System

There are two kinds of dice rolls: simple tests and conflicts.

Tests

Tests

A test is often used to overcome an obstacle, or a person in a non-interactive role. Can your character sneak past the guard? Can they search through a purse before the owner returns from the bathroom?

1. Declare a goal and the approach.

2. Select if a Tag and/or Flaw if appropriate.

Igor doesn't have a tag to help him search through Marie's purse quickly, but if Marie is trying to sneak back in unnoticed then Quiet as a Mouse would help her.

3. The GM may reduce the pool by 1 or 2 dice for very difficult tasks.

4. Roll the adjusted Pool dice.

5. A total of six (6) or higher is a success. A total of nine (9) is two successes, twelve (12) is three successes, and so on, for each +3.

Conflicts

Conflicts

There are three kinds of Conflicts. Social < Physical < Gun.

A Social Conflict can be escalated to a Physical or Gun Conflict. A Physical Conflict can be escalated to a Gun Conflict. But conflicts cannot be deescalated in a scene.

The consequences of Social Conflicts are Boons. Boons have a non-mechanical RP effect only.

The consequences of Physical Conflict are Cuts & Bruises. Harm reduces pools, and can be healed with rest.

The consequences of Gun Conflict are Wounds. Wounds reduce pools and can only be healed through medical procedures and convalescence.

Each conflict follows these steps:

1. Set Stakes.

2. Roll appropriate pool.

3. Compare successes and resolve.

4. Choose to barter or escalate.

5. For physical and gun conflicts, If stakes are not met, go back to 1.

1. Setting Stakes

Each party in a conflict sets stakes. Stakes can be opposed, indifferent, or aligned.

Opposed stakes cannot both be fulfilled at the same time. Physical and gun conflicts are often opposed.

Ivan wants to to mislead Marie about Project Potemkin. Marie wants to discover details on Project Potemkin

Opposed stakes don't allow for Bartering. They are certainly open to Escalation

Winning an Opposed Conflict grants a boon. the opposing character is predisposed to grant your agenda. If they do not the boon remains, and affects other social conflicts.

The loser my ignore the boon and Escalate.

Marie grabs Ivan and slams him against the wall. "Tell me what I want to know!" That conflict has now become a Physical Conflict.

Indifferent stakes have no direct relation to each other.

Ivan wants to seduce Marie. Marie wants information on Project Potemkin.

Indifferent stakes can be Bartered or Escalated.

The winner gets a boon.

The winner may barter:

Ivan rolled out of bed and opened the drawer on his end-table. He reached in and handed a thick manila envelope inside to Maria, who was adjusting her stockings. "This is what you wanted, nyet?"

The loser may ignore the boon and escalate.

Ivan maneuvered the French woman toward his room. As he unlocked the door he caught a shift in shadow, and sprang aside as Marie's stiletto sliced through the wool of his jacket!

Aligned stakes are effectively identical.

Ivan just wants to get laid, Marie wants to seduce Ivan.

Aligned stakes cannot be Escalated, but they should be Bartered.

2. Roll Pool

Roll pool and any appropriate tags. Subtract dice for harm or wounds. Add dice for tools (like guns in a gun fight).

3.Compare successes.

Generally the most successes wins. A larger degree of success may impart more harm, or more wounds.

In the case of ties in a Social Contest, both parties may barter.

In Physical and Gun Contests both parties take one harm or wound.

4. Bartering and Escalating

Bartering: If the winner fulfills the loser's stake, the loser must fulfill the winner's stake. It does not force the loser's hand.

If a conflict is escalated, boons are discarded. Harm is not. Wounds are never discarded.

Immediately set new stakes, as per stage 1.

[Metraxa]

I would be interested in this. It seems like there's a lot of opportunities in it, and the last time I had a supernatural itch it didn't quite get scratched. So, fingers crossed.

[Lokus]

I would be interested in this. It seems like there's a lot of opportunities in it, and the last time I had a supernatural itch it didn't quite get scratched. So, fingers crossed.

Hey Metraxa,

There hasn't been a lot of interest shown in this, but I'm hoping to pull it together. I'm going to continue to let it sit for a while, and we'll see what develops.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask them.

[Callie Del Noire]

I confess to an interest also

[Lokus]

I confess to an interest also

Thanks Callie -- that's two, and in theoory the game *could* work at three players (although the four factions would be ideal).

[Callie Del Noire]

Thanks Callie -- that's two, and in theoory the game *could* work at three players (although the four factions would be ideal).

I’m thinking a Brit, maybe someone based on someone like Alan Turing. A ‘boffin’ who wound up getting switched with an alternate version of himself in an accident involving X-tech that dealt with alternate universes. Either some as simple as him winding up with the ‘evil’ version of himself as his body, complete with goatee, dueling scar and monocle (his counterpart being more a ‘man of action’ than him) or all the way to a rule 63 female version of himself. Might take a bit of time to suss out the rules as I’m with my folks for thanks giving

[Lokus]

I’m thinking a Brit, maybe someone based on someone like Alan Turing. A ‘boffin’ who wound up getting switched with an alternate version of himself in an accident involving X-tech that dealt with alternate universes. Either some as simple as him winding up with the ‘evil’ version of himself as his body, complete with goatee, dueling scar and monocle (his counterpart being more a ‘man of action’ than him) or all the way to a rule 63 female version of himself. Might take a bit of time to suss out the rules as I’m with my folks for thanks giving

Which reminds me, I still haven't posted the sections on Opposed Conflicts, Escalating Conflicts, and Harm!

[Callie Del Noire]

Which reminds me, I still haven't posted the sections on Opposed Conflicts, Escalating Conflicts, and Harm!

Or to take both winds up in the body of multiple alternate counterparts given your earlier posts.

[dicequeer]

Would people be interested in playing with queer characters?

[Lokus]

Would people be interested in playing with queer characters?

Sure. My "gaming table*" is open to anyone.

*There isn't a table, obviously

[Mac84]

Ooo, looks interesting. A former Heer Panther commander is popping in mind.

[Lokus]

Ooo, looks interesting. A former Heer Panther commander is popping in mind.

In a standard Cold City game the Germans form the fifth faction, only available after the other four factions have been chosen. West Germany (BDR) doesn't exist until May '49, East Germany (DDR) not until Oct '49... ...Germany is a region formed by four occupational zones.

However, to add some balance, if we have a Russian player character we can certainly include a German from the Soviet Zone -- an attempt to balance the team against two player characters from the Western zones.

That character is going to need a hook though: why would the Soviets trust a German Army officer this soon after the war? What do they have on him that makes them think his loyalty is beyond question?

[Callie Del Noire]

Hope this is the sort of thing you we’re looking for

Name: Wallace Aiden Burthold-Campbell
Nationality: British Citizen
Background: Technical Analyst, MI10 (Scientific/Technical Intelligence). Has a commission in the Army as a Major in Intelligence.
  Wallace was born to a pair of teachers in Edinburgh, his father a specialist in engineering who taught civil engineer course at the University of Edinburgh while his mother taught linguists and foreign language at the University. His father’s family had ties with the diplomatic and intelligence service going back quite a ways and his grandfather coaxed him into the area of ‘field research’ after he earned his degree.
During the war, he was part of a team that recovered a X-tech device that they tested on a tidal island called St Micheal’s Mount. During an initial power test the device ‘fluctuated’ and for a period of 48 hours vanished. When it reappeared after those two days Wallace was the only survivor, though to him it had only been a period of twenty minutes according to all the time keeping devices that had been with the team. Wallace had acquired a massive scar on the side of his face and several ‘issues’ appeared to have come up in his examination. Scars he was known to have were no longer then.
The device’s ‘misfire’ had overlaid the THIS version of St Micheal’s mount over another one and the other members of the team had been further away from the device and as a result their ‘merge’ with their alternate versions had not gone as well as Wallace’s. They had merged partially with their counter parts to varying degrees or with landscape features in ways that killed them all. The lucky ones had died nearly instantly.
The Defense Ministry explained that the island was ‘contaminated’ with a bioweapon that would be decades in resolving safely, much like Gruinard Island was labeled after the testing of an anthrax bio-weapon. After extensive examination Wallace was cleared for duty and typically was the ‘man in the field’ to examine potential X-tech items and effects. The device was unrecovered as it was in the middle of a ‘warping field’ that no one else could penetrate. He was dispatched to Berlin to assist in the recovery of X-tech, as well as notes on it as well as any researchers still alive.
Wallace has ‘flashbacks’ from time to time from the alternate version of him that he’d merged with, as well as the occasional flash of memory. He has not told anyone of this issue, though his flashbacks have been labeled as ‘battle stress’ when he can confidently hide the physical symptoms. He suspects that the device that was lost isn’t the only one in existence and he tries to focus his free time on a specific project of the German’s called ‘Project Strum.’
His skill in language and brilliance in the sciences, make him a good person in the field to work with researcher who need coaxing out and understanding anything that other’s might find.

Stats:
Physical: 2 Mental: 4 Social: 2

Tags: Lucky Shot, Brilliant Scientist, Speaks Several Languages.
Flaws: Flashbacks/Nightmares (of his Alternate’s life), Distracted by X-tech, Chain smoker

Agendas:
- National: Ensure British superiority in X-tech science
- Personal: Cure himself of his ‘Alternate’s’ influence.

Trust:

Equipment: Webley heavy revolver (+2d6)
Calipers and measuring tape
Small moleskin journal with pencil and multicolored pencil box.

[Lokus]

That's perfect, Callie, exactly what we're looking for.

As a Brit he can carry either the Browning "Pistol No II Mk 1" (+1d6) or the Webley heavy revolver (+2d6) That 2d6 comes at a cost -- you can only shoot every other round of a contest, as it has to be loaded frequently.

I would guess Chain-smoker and Distracted by X-Tech are more "quirks" (as you only get one Flaw and Flashbacks seems intrinsically tied to the character.)

[dicequeer]

Sure. My "gaming table*" is open to anyone.

*There isn't a table, obviously

Cool! I'll work on a character

[Callie Del Noire]

That's perfect, Callie, exactly what we're looking for.

As a Brit he can carry either the Browning "Pistol No II Mk 1" (+1d6) or the Webley heavy revolver (+2d6) That 2d6 comes at a cost -- you can only shoot every other round of a contest, as it has to be loaded frequently.

I would guess Chain-smoker and Distracted by X-Tech are more "quirks" (as you only get one Flaw and Flashbacks seems intrinsically tied to the character.)

Yeah. I’m good with that. The Webley seems good. The flashbacks/nightmares are actually lingering effects of the x-tech device and are alternate memories of more than one alternate version of him. Figure one alternate was a more German influced universe where the brits were more influence by the German royals that married into the English royal family.

[Mac84]

In a standard Cold City game the Germans form the fifth faction, only available after the other four factions have been chosen. West Germany (BDR) doesn't exist until May '49, East Germany (DDR) not until Oct '49... ...Germany is a region formed by four occupational zones.

However, to add some balance, if we have a Russian player character we can certainly include a German from the Soviet Zone -- an attempt to balance the team against two player characters from the Western zones.

That character is going to need a hook though: why would the Soviets trust a German Army officer this soon after the war? What do they have on him that makes them think his loyalty is beyond question?

Why would the german have to be on the soviet side?

[Callie Del Noire]

Think it was just meant as an example.

[Lokus]

Fair question.

Short answer:

No one in the occupational forces trust German military officers. The RPA is one of several foreign occupational forces, it is not a German force. Only the Soviets have the clout to get a German officer approved.

I've deleted my longer answer. I will include a portion of it.

The last year of the war was not an honourable duel between gentlemen combatants. German soldiers rose from the dead and fought until dismembered. German vehicles were armed with scorching heat rays that killed enemy crews but left equipment unharmed. Germans took Allied POWs and turned them into bestial monsters, unleashing them on the allies. Germans used strange X-tech chemical weapons that seeped through gas-masks.

And they still lost.

No one trusts an officer of the German military. Two and a half million German soldiers are still labouring in Russia at the time of this story (minus the 13% who would die in those camps), including thousands the western Allies shipped over to them.

[Callie Del Noire]

Good point. I figure that some of the folks who were interned would have. I met a gentlemen, who along with his father, spent time in a camp and doing road repairs (they were engineers) for being part of the wrong party when Hitler came to power.

[dicequeer]

Name: Dany Dupond
Nationality: French
Background: Originally a patient and eventually a student of Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld while he was exiled in Paris Dany is a doctor first and an solider second. Dany greatly bemoans the loss of a generation of queer people caused by the nazi party. He had every intention of returning to his life as a doctor when the war ended, but ran into a case of someone returning from Berlin in a different body. The possibility of harnessing such technology to help people feel at home in their skin, including himself, was enough for him to request a transfer to Berlin.
Stats:
Physical:2  Mental:3  Social:3

Tags: Well Read, Confident Doctor, Convincing Liar
Flaws: Obstinate

Agendas:
- National: Recover an X-Tech to be controlled by France Exclusively
- Personal: Use X-Tech to improve the lives of the populous.

Trust:

Equipment:
Medical Texts
MAB Model D Light Pistol (+1d6)

[Lokus]

Name: Dany Dupond

A Gun?

Excellent!

Dany does get a gun -- as a French officer he carries a MAB Model D Light Pistol (+1d6) - light pistols lack the 2d6 punch of heavy pistols, but can be used every round in a gun contest. They're also a little easier to hide, should that ever be an issue.