@Tally Dor: Alexander Huether - The Monstrous - F26522 @Raqueltrper: Julie Underwood - The Professional - 8DC73F @PatientBean: Tiffany Graves - The Spooky - 8F2845 @Passable Writer: Jordan - The Divine - EEE8AA @enmuni: Iustina Anghelescu, M.D. - The Wronged - CD5C5C @TokyoPewPew: Dr. Marion Lovelace - The Flake - 7BCDC8
He'd been skulking the forests surrounding Little Lamplight for hours, bloodshot eyes scouring the treeline for any sign of the beast. In one hand, the aging lone survivor gripped a weathered ax with a roughly-shaped spruce handle. The feeling of the splinters digging into his skin kept him alert in the cold that threatened to drag him into the black. His other hand, calloused and slick with blood that wasn't his own, clenched at a swinging lantern, frosted glass serving as a bulwark against the howling winds. The man had abandoned his human need for warmth, venturing out into the forests alone and uncovered, swinging at shadows that dared to cross his path. Anger seeped through his teeth in thickening, crystallized froth, a visible reminder of the effect that losing everything had on him.
As he trudged through the building snow, head wildly craning around at every slight sound, he thought of how Enoch was a fool. Had the formerly alive leader of the town left well enough alone, perhaps Little Lamplight wouldn't be barren, running afoul of every damned spirit whose lives were lost in the cascade of great and terrible events. No, the man thought. Enoch was greedy, but William was the one who kept insisting we should dig. Even in this cycle of rumination, the man couldn't help but think he was partly to blame, simply by being there. Perhaps he could've went further west, to the shorelines of California. Maybe there, she would've survived.
The trees shook, branches freeing themselves from the burden of snow. The old man turned to watch as a shadow slipped and weaved through the trees, the sheer shoonk! of something sharp gouging bark out of the wood giving away the beast's position. However, the man refused to give chase. No, something was off, and the man knew it: he was no longer on the offensive. He had become the prey, yet again.
He shifted his feet, wheeling about as he broke away and into a sprint in the opposite direction of the trees. His breath caught in his throat as he suddenly became aware of how human he was, his voice hoarse as he growled with every step. Yet, the vibrations in the ground were getting stronger and more intense, a sign that the beast was closing in, and quickly. The man could hear the blood pounding in his ears, his hold on the ax getting tighter. At some point, he knew he'd reach a dead end. He'd have to fight. It was something for which he was under-prepared, but what else could he do? What else did he have?
The cliff was the answer to the question, terminating in a sheer dropoff that the man narrowly avoided, stumbling and crashing down into the snow. He choked and gasped for air, his lungs burning from the effort of escape as his head turned to the treeline behind him, waiting. Sure enough, through the screaming of6 the blizzard that whipped about the region and threatened to bury the history of Little Lamplight and its past in a white grave, he could hear it.
foom... foom... foom...
foom...
foom...
Pale ivory light from the moon blanketed the treeline in a eerie glow. From the depths of the umbral realm emerged a tall creature, its silhouette vaguely humanoid and contorting in odd, painful angles. It hung at the gateway made from the merging of branches from adjacent trees, its thin and large claws slowly slicing through the surface of the trunks to either side. Among the alabaster skin of the white oaks that separated the old man from any hope of civilization, he could see the beast's unwelcoming antlers, like thorns fashioned from wrought iron. Sunk into the shadows were two white orbs where the beast's head would likely be, vigilant and bearing the stare of hunger.
The old man saw the invitation and crawled to his feet. His hands were numb by now, yet still he clutched at the ax, dropping the lantern and listening to it fall over the side of the cliff and hit the rocks below. There was nowhere else to go. If he couldn't stop it here, there was no hope for retribution.
"Come on," he muttered, his voice stolen by the banshee-like and frigid winds. "Come get me."
The beast responded in kind, suddenly launching itself from the treeline, its claws primed and pointed forward as it sailed through the air. The last thing the old man saw was the off-white of bone and a sheet of crimson.
September 17, 2016
Stone's Throw, Oregon
Clara Mathews was frantic.
She'd abandoned her high heels minutes ago, favoring the grip of her feet against the moist asphalt of the alleyways that were recently caught in the rain. She'd called for help as she ran, but not a single soul was seemingly awake at this time. Not even an hour prior, Clara was at Hopper's, a local bar owned by the titular Hopper, chatting sweet nothings to a man that would've been an easy lay. She knew better, however - she had a few drinks, and she was in no shape to make what could've been a regretful decision. At closing time, though, one regretful decision was replaced with another. Despite not living particularly close to the bar itself, she decided that it would be a good idea to get some air and walk home. The streets would be empty, she thought. It would be easy to get home.
The walls of the alleyway shifted and swam in Clara's vision, making it hard for her to find her footing in the darkened corridors. Suddenly, in her harrowed pace, she felt a sharp pain in her arm as she slammed the side4 of her body against a near-camouflaged dumpster with a metallic thunk. She collapsed to the ground, crying out in pain as she grabbed her shoulder. The speed at which she hit the dumpster surely dislocated her shoulder from the socket, she thought. She could hardly move it, and as the footsteps began to close in, Clara started to crawl.
k'thok... k'thok... k'thok...
k'thok...
k'thok...
A shadow seemingly blacker than the darkness in the alley loomed over Clara. Instinctively, she flipped over and laid on her back, trying to scoot away from the source as tears began to flow from her dilated hazel eyes. In the reflection of her fearful gaze, a creature towered above her, errant prongs of wood emerging from various points on its body. It reached a jagged claw into a cavity in its abdomen, pulling from it a shimmering golden gel that slipped in large, gloopy droplets through the gaps of its fingers. It knelt down and pushed the claw toward Clara, who began screaming in horrific, bloodcurdling, cold fear.
Somewhere in the Dark Mile, a bell tolled. The grains of sand were becoming few and far between.
Welcome to Stone's Throw!
Founded by Philip Forrester in 1925, Stone's Throw has grown from a small settlement of less than 60 citizens to a burgeoning town of just over 4,000! We're a pretty close knit community here in our quiet little town, but don't take our silence for boredom - we have plenty of things to do and sights to see! Looking for a little history lesson about the area? Sign up for a free tour of the Roukeshaw Forest History Museum, where our tour guides will tell you all about the history of Stone's Throw and of our ghost town neighbor, Little Lamplight!
You've never heard of Little Lamplight? You're in luck! On the western edge3 of town, you can ascend Kings' Mountain and look through the telescope that's affixed to the former mining settlement's very location! Cool!
(Travel to Little Lamplight is expressly forbidden and subject to immediate apprehension and prosecution by the United States government. We have been advised to remind you that Little Lamplight is highly contaminated and poses an extreme risk of lethal chemical poisoning.)
We have a lively recreational area in the town, the crown jewel of which being Stoneskipper Water Park, home of the locally famous ride, the Stoneskipper! Hold on for dear life in the labyrinth of slides and tubes until you shoot out and skip across our Olympic-sized swimming pool! First one to reach the other side gets a special prize!
Perhaps you fancy a lesson about the geology of the region? If that's the case, our very own Dr. Okata has you covered! You'll get an in-depth explanation about rocks and... more rocks! Neat! (Dr. Okata is not available during the months of September to November.)
But, maybe, you're just passing through and looking to take in the lush scenery of the region. Well, have no fear, the Layback Lodge has you covered. The owner of the cozy stay-in, Martha, will make you feel welcome, right at home, and so comfy that you won't ever want to leave! (Stays past three nights are subjected to extra fees, per town law.)
Looking to relax after a hard day's work? Hopper's is the place for you! The proprietor of the bar, Hopper himself, has a vast selection of spirits and brews for sale. Not to mention, every Wednesday, Stone's Throw hosts its very own billiards tournament! Come play against the best of the best - this year, the winner gets an all-expenses-paid trip to Reno, Nevada! (Entry fee is $20. Registration ends on September 30th. Motel vacancies only.)
No matter what your fancy, Stone's Throw has it for you! Be sure to stop in and say hello to our wonderful citizens, and we'll make you feel like you've been living here the whole time.
Stone's Throw - We're Making Waves!
"What a bunch of horseshit."
Welcome to Lamplight.
Stone's Throw, Oregon is a small town, and you are among its inhabitants. Perhaps you've lived here for a while or even your whole life, perhaps you're a fresh face in the town and looking to settle in. Maybe you're not someone who feels they could belong here, at least not yet. Whatever the case may be, you're here now, for better or worse.
Over the course of the next several sections, I will help you become a bit more familiar with the system that we will be using to govern this campaign: the 2015 Revised Edition of Monster of the Week, developed by Michael Sands. Those of you who expressed your intent to join in the interest check already have a base knowledge of a few things, but these next sections will go more in-depth and help you become familiar with your eventual characters. I will be covering the basic knowledge you'll need to understand in order to play the game, but as the campaign continues, I will also cover more advanced mechanics as they come up. For ease of access to everything explained about the game, be sure to refer to the 0th post in this thread, where I'll link everything about the system that is1 needed in order to enjoy the game.
Let's get started!
There are two main roles in the game. The Keeper, played by myself, serves as the Master Hand of the campaign. I tell the story, I introduce challenges and situations to overcome, and I try to make the experience fun for all, among other8 things. A core tenet of the Keeper is that they are fans of the players and their characters, meaning that everything I do should be in service of making everything you do more exciting and enjoyable for everyone involved, and I aim to accomplish that in whatever ways take form.
The Hunters, played by yourselves, are the focal points of the campaign. Everything in this campaign should feed back into how your character interacts with (and develops in) the world. Your characters will face dangerous trials, and relationships in the game may be tested and even broken, but if the rolls are in your favor and your choices are sound, you should and will come out on top, and the threats you face will be nothing more than a leaf in the passing wind.
Most importantly, as spoken by the very manual itself, the game is a conversation.Monster of the Week is a system that focuses on evolving the narrative of a game and doesn't bog the player down with complex mechanics, though dice rolls will be present and maybe even common. Although I have a story to tell and to place you in, how that story evolves and unfolds and what actually occurs will be a result of both you and I building the intricacies of that story together.
Moves
Moves are actions your character performs that are outside of what a normal person can do, and these actions require dice rolls. To clarify, if your character were to open a door, they can do so without needing to roll. But if your character were to try opening a door while a dangerous creature was chasing them, this would qualify as a Move and would therefore require a dice roll. All actions that require a dice roll are categorized into the following Basic Moves:
HELP OUT - This is used to help another Hunter in their task. If the roll is successful, the Hunter you help out gets a bonus for their task.
INVESTIGATE A MYSTERY - This is used to help you find out what kind of threat you're dealing with, what it's capable of, and what it might be planning. Actions under this Move might not be able to give you information flat-out, but they will get you closer to dispatching your threat.
KICK SOME ASS - This is used for when you want to... well... kick some ass. Melee and ranged attacks all fall under this move.
MANIPULATE SOMEONE - This is useful for when you want to get someone to do what you want. However, no one can be convinced without a reason, so make sure you've got a way to convince them. Sometimes, words alone just won't work.
PROTECT SOMEONE - When you want to protect someone and shield them from danger, this is the Move that does so.
READ A BAD SITUATION - This Move is used to work out what dangers are immediately threatening you. If you think you're about to walk into a trap, or you want to do some tactical analysis, this Move works best.
USE MAGIC - This is useful for when you want to cast any magic spells, perform rituals, or use enchanted objects. Magical attacks would fall under this Move.
ACT UNDER PRESSURE - This is a catchall Move for any dangerous and/or difficult actions that might not fit the other Moves.
However, there's one more Move that isn't quite basic, but is available to the magically-inclined:
Big Magic
When the USE MAGIC basic move isn't enough, BIG MAGIC is needed instead. Often more complex and more involved, BIG MAGIC requires more resources and steps in order to perform, with these details determined by the Keeper. Some examples in which BIG MAGIC can be used might include locating a missing person with only a photograph to go on, banishing a creature into another plane, or bringing someone back from the dead.
Ratings
Each of your Hunters comes with a selection of Ratings, which you will be able to select within your Hunter Playbook during character creation. These modifiers are important in describing how good your character is in certain areas when it comes to hunting monsters. They are defined as follows:
Cool - how calm and collected you are. It is added to your die roll for the ACT UNDER PRESSURE and HELP OUT basic moves.
Tough - how strong and mean you are in a fight. It is added to your die roll for the2 KICK SOME ASS and PROTECT SOMEONE basic moves.
Charm - how pleasant and persuasive you are. It is added to your die roll for the MANIPULATE SOMEONE basic move.
Sharp - how observant you are. It is added to your die roll for the INVESTIGATE A MYSTERY and READ A BAD SITUATION basic moves.
Weird - how attuned to the supernatural you are. It is added to your die roll for the USE MAGIC basic move.
These Ratings might also be used for other things apart from Basic Moves, as well.
Rolling
For every Move you make, as well as a few other things, you will have to make a dice roll. There will be a thread set up for this purpose here on the forum, which will be linked in the 0th post in this thread, but for the purposes of easy understanding, here's the rundown on the ranges:
10+ - this is a full success. Whatever you try to do, you do it as intended with this result.
7-9 - this is a partial success. You succeed in your action, but it comes with a consequence.
2-6 - this is a failure or miss. When you roll this on your action, I get to make things worse for you. This could be an oncoming danger getting closer, a bit of harm dealt to your character, a missed opportunity for vital information, or even something further down the line that happens because of a particular failure, that you might not even remember until, unfortunately, you are... reminded. However, as a bit of balancing, every time7 you fail a roll, you earn one experience point.
Most Moves, if not all of them, will have unique results based on these ranges. When a roll is made and a result is determined, I might reach out and elaborate on those results, depending on the Move taken. Some of the results might contain choices that you must make, and they might contain choices that I must make.
Each character has two vital stats that should be closely monitored at almost all times.
HARM is the threshold of damage your character is allowed to take. When you take damage from someone or something, I will let you how damage is accrued, as well as how much harm it dealt your character. Some attacks can be 0-harm, such as being tossed over a table or being stunned, for example. Other attacks, however, can be very serious and even potentially lethal. Because of this, there are a couple things to keep in mind.
A 0-harm wound will cause a momentary problem, but is usually healed quickly, after which it becomes purely cosmetic.
A wound that is anywhere in the range of 1-3 harm is considered a moderate wound. It doesn't go away quickly, but with first aid or appropriate rest, you can reduce the harm you have accrued by 1.
However, if you ever accrue 4 or more harm in total without it having been healed, you become unstable. Unstable wounds will get worse over time if they are left untreated, which means that - as the Keeper - I will tell you to occasionally take an extra point of harm. Unstable wounds can and will eventually kill you unless you treat them. A healing spell, a visit to a doctor or hospital, spending time in recovery in someone's haven, or even a Hunter's healing move can help treat these wounds. Once your total harm is back under 4, you are considered stable again.
There are also specific healing moves that can make you stable even if you still remain at 4 harm or more. If you take damage while in this range, you immediately become unstable again.
If your Harm ever reaches 8 or more, you die.
LUCK is a special point pool every Hunter has that allows them to turn the tide of their situation. There are two effects to choose from when using a Luck point:
You reduce harm taken from a wound you just suffered to 0.
Right after you make a roll, retroactively change its result into a 12.
WARNING: Luck is finite and cannot be regained. When you run out of Luck points, not only will you no longer be able to change your fate, but bad things will begin to happen to you more often.
When you make a roll and determine a result - as well as potentially given out by the Keeper, sometimes you might get a bonus to another roll, or you may be asked to "hold". The following terminology will help you understand what these terms mean:
Forward
If you gain a bonus forward, this bonus applies only to your very next roll.
Ongoing
If you gain a bonus ongoing, this bonus applies to every roll you make until the situation no longer applies.
Hold
If you gain a hold, you'll be given a number of points (ex. "hold 3"). These points can be spent one-for-one to get a specific effect. The move associated with the hold will determine what that hold can be spent on.
On the course of the campaign, your characters will eventually find, buy, or be given various items in the form of armor, weapons, and other special items. These items will come with 'tags' which are shorthand descriptions of their properties. The built-in tags of those items are as follows:
#-armor - The item will protect you against X amount of harm when you take damage in the associated area.
#-harm - The item will deal X amount of harm in damage to whoever it hits.
area - The item will hit multiple foes. You can divide the harm dealt by the attack among every foe that was hit the attack.
balanced - The item is easy to handle and maintain a grip on.
barrier - The item inflicts harm on any who pass through it, as well as counting as armor against any attacks that pass through it.
close - The item is effective in close quarters, just outside arm's reach.
far - The item is effective at long range.
fire - The item can set things on fire.
forceful - The item can push things around. Useful for "putting a foe where you want them", in addition to normal effects.
hand - The item is effective within arm's reach.
life-drain - The item can transfer the life energy of a target to the wielder, healing them. If the item were to deal 1-harm, for example, the wielder would heal 1 harm.
heavy - The item is heavy and difficult to handle.
holy - The item is effective against foes that are weak to holy items.
ignore-armor - The item can ignore protective armor during an attack. However, if the armor has the magic tag, then the attack will need both ignore-armor and the magic tag to bypass said armor.
innocuous - The item will not draw suspicion when used.
intimate - The item is effective at the closest of quarters - within the embrace of your foe.
loud - The item can easily draw attention when used.
magic - The item is enchanted and can affect certain monsters and armors that otherwise immune to normal items.
many - The item is often small, and multiple can be carried.
(material) - The item is made of the listed material, which might be useful against monsters weak to that material.
messy - The item can spread a lot of blood and gore around. (Anyone see The Substance?)
quick - The item is fast to draw and use, which will help the wielder act first more often.
reload - The item has limited ammunition, and will need to be reloaded once emptied.
restraining - The item has the ability to ensnare or grab its target.
slow - The item is slow to prepare and attack with.
small - The item is tiny and easy to conceal.
unreliable - The item will need consistent maintenance, otherwise it will malfunction and not work.
useful - The item has other uses outside of violence.
valuable - The item is an antique, or is made of valuable materials.
volatile - The item is dangerous and unstable.
There are potential custom tags that might come up on various items, depending on the item gained or presented for purchase. When those come up, I'll explain what they do.
Leveling Up
Over the course of the campaign, your character will gain experience. There are two ways in which this happens: by failing a dice roll, and at the end of every session. Seeing as how we'll be playing through text posts, the end of a "session" will be determined by myself - and will typically come when a pivotal moment in any particular arc shows itself. When I see that we've reached a pivotal moment for an arc, I'll ask you a series of questions out of character. If the majority answer for at least one or two of those questions is a yes, everyone will receive an experience point. If it's a yes for at least three or four of those questions, everyone receives two experience points.
After your character has received five experience points, you will reset your experience to 0 and gain a level up. Each level up can be used to purchase an improvement for your character. Each Hunter playbook contains the improvements currently available to you. When you level up at least five times, you gain access to advanced improvements - which can make your character even stronger and more capable - and can then choose from the basic or advanced improvements for every level up thereon. Some advanced improvements are also Playbook-specific - improvements that are only available to your specific Hunter.
And that's it. Everything you need to know about how to play the game at its base level. New mechanics, not included in the system itself, will be made known once cross that bridge. If anything seems unclear and you want further clarification, or if you just have any questions, feel free to ping me or send me a PM. I'll do my best to answer any and all questions you have about the campaign and its system.
Once a Hunter type has been claimed by a player, it is unavailable for selection by other players.
Located here is the selection of Hunter Playbooks available to you. I would highly recommend that you bookmark this link for future reference, or even download the PDF at your own discretion (the source provided freely is from the publisher of Monster of the Week themselves). Make sure to discuss what Hunter you'd like to play with the other players in the thread, so there's no confusion when it comes to creating your character.
When creating your character sheet, you can use the following framework, and design your character sheet however you see fit:
Name: Age:(A Hunter can be almost any age, but for the sake of some consistency, no one younger than 15 or 16.) Pronouns: Hunter Type: Look:(I'm not hard-set on making you use the5 book to determine your look. If you'd like to use just a picture to depict your Hunter, I'll allow it.) Ratings:(This will be determined when you choose a line of ratings from your Playbook.) (Hunter-Specific Unique Details):(In each Playbook, you'll find unique details that relate to only that Hunter. For example, The Chosen gets a unique Fate, whereas The Crooked gets a unique Criminal Background. If you need help finding your Hunter-specific details, let me know.) Unique Moves:(Each Hunter has a selection of unique moves available only to them. Some will be automatically granted to you, while others need to be chosen. List those Moves here.)
These details can be rearranged however you see fit, as long as they're all included. When everyone has filled these details of their character sheet, we will discuss in further detail your interpersonal character histories, so you can disregard the History portion of your particular Playbook for now.
5-3-6-2-8-4-1-7
The rules are divided in two: general rules, and posting rules.
General Rules
Treat every player with respect. Any harassment or disrespectful behavior will result in your removal from the campaign and the systematic, potentially graphic destruction of your character in-game. Zero tolerance.
Profanity is fine, provided the Guild guidelines are being followed. You will come across your fair share of characters with a sailor's mouth.
Romance is not a goal in this campaign. If your characters somehow develop relationships with various NPCs or each other, that's fine, but let's not get granular with intimacy.
Less of a rule and more of a general guideline: If you have any questions about the campaign or the system used in the campaign, do not hesitate to ask, and I will answer to the best of my ability.
If, for any reason, you decide to leave the campaign, notify me directly through PM. If you ghost the campaign, I'll unceremoniously murder your character, but if you notify me of your intent to leave the campaign, we can work together to give your character a dignified send-off.
Include the hidden code in your character sheet so I can verify that you've taken the time to read through this post. Post your character sheet in the OOC section of the thread for approval, then in the Characters tab once approved.
Posting Rules
In every IC post, include your character's name, Hunter type, current level of Harm, and current number of Luck points. Any other additional character details may be added at your own discretion.
Whenever you intend to make a Move, include the name of the Move - in all caps - along with your roll result, separated by a comma and within a set of brackets next to the action related to the Move. ex. [KICK SOME ASS, 11], [INVESTIGATE A MYSTERY, 4]. If you need help determining what Move an action falls under, ask.
Your rolls will be made using the associated dice-rolling thread, which will be linked here and in the 0th post once created.
Every post you make should be at least one paragraph, composed of 4+ sentences. Posting frequency should be at least once every week.
All OOC questions and remarks should be made specifically in the OOC thread, unless related to your current IC post; in this context, all OOC chatter in an IC post should be bordered by double parentheses, ((like so)), and separated from your IC post by a horizontal line.
Looking forward to playing with you. See you in the Dark Mile.
Today is going to be super busy for me but hopefully Iβll be able to get something out sometime later tonight. Iβd enjoy the monstrous but I perfectly fine picking whatever if someone gets there CS done for it before me.
I am going to assume you want us to post our CS in the OOC first?
Edit: also I decided on The Spooky :)
Crud, did I mess up? I saw the "Post your character sheet in the CHAR section of the thread" part in the general rules. I ended up choosing the Professional because I saw others wanted the Monster in the other thread, but I will gladly switch things up and edit as need be.
@Raqueltrper I missed that part. I always assume to post it for approval first because what if you post a character that is just horrible and not a good fit for the RP (hard to do in this case but there are some weirdos out there)
I am going to assume you want us to post our CS in the OOC first?
Edit: also I decided on The Spooky :)
<Snipped quote by PatientBean>
Crud, did I mess up? I saw the "Post your character sheet in the CHAR section of the thread" part in the general rules. I ended up choosing the Professional because I saw others wanted the Monster in the other thread, but I will gladly switch things up and edit as need be.
Ah, you two make good points. It's probably a good idea to post your characters sheets here for approval and final edits first, before posting in the Characters tab. That mistake is on me.
