How do you unite characters who don't know each other?

[JET]

Hey all,

This is my first post. I used to play Cthulhu RPG around 20+ years ago. We have recently started role-playing again and I'll be running some Cthulhu sessions in the future. I just ordered the most recent version of the rulebook, the Investigator's Handbook, and the Arkham sourcebook. As a group, we are most interested (at least initially) in playing some traditional New England style games. Here's where the problem comes in.

I want the idea that these guys are adventuring together to make sense. So my choices are to (a) either have the players make characters that are connected somehow, or (my preference) allow the all to make up their own characters however they want and have this group of strangers thrown into a situation together. The problem is, many adventures (like "The Haunting" from the quick-start rules) starts with investigators being hired. However, I like the idea of at least some of the starting characters being ignorant of all things occult.

Any recommendations of scenarios where regular guys get thrown into a scenario? I was pondering writing an into adventure where the characters are all passengers on a bus headed for Arkham, each with his own reasons (and perhaps secrets). The bus could break down and when the characters along with some other passengers walk to the nearest small community, problems start. Of course, if similar scenarios exist I won't bother writing one.

Thanks,
JET

[Mr. Bill]

"Edge of Darkness," from the core book, starts with a mutual acquaintance calling all the investigators to his deathbed, introducing them to each other, and begging them to help dispel an evil extradimensional force. "Dead Man Stomp," also from the core book, starts with the investigators just enjoying a night out at a New Orleans jazz club.

Mansions of Madness also has a couple scenarios that have the kind of intro you're looking for. "The Sanatorium" has the investigators invited by a psychiatrist friend to spend a relaxing week on the island where he runs, yes, a sanatorium. "The Plantation" starts when the investigators accidentally hit a little boy with their car. He's okay, but he does need their help... "Mr Corbitt" starts with the party hanging out at one PCs house when his neighbor gets home. Watching him through the window, the investigators see him pull a few bulky canvas parcels out of his car... when a child-size arm falls out of one of them. He glances around nervously, wraps it up again, and hurries into the house. I've always loved that as a compelling story hook.

Actually, there are a ton of scenarios that start with some innocuous reason for the investigators to start poking around. Normal, inexperienced people coming face to face with the horror of the Mythos for the first time is sort of the ideal situation for Call of Cthulhu, and certainly the most Lovecraftian. The game seems to assume that PCs will start with little to no occult experience and 0% Cthulhu Mythos skill.

[The_Tatterdemalion_King]

Ccenarios from Mansions of Madness seem to get recommended more than any scenarios outside the core book. I wonder if they're considering sticking Mr. Corbitt or Cracked and Crook'd Manse into the 7e core.

[Blackmyron]

Usually for one-offs or campaign starts it depends on the scenario and the characters that they are playing. Private eyes and parapsychologists are always the easiest to integrate; if the investigation starts with a particular person, then some or all of the PCs can have a connection (familial relation, old college friend, business acquaintance). And there's always "the right place at the right time", where people of varied background just happen to be at whatever event starts the adventure.

The last adventure I ran, the PCs were hired from a number of backgrounds by a person who wanted a supposed haunted location to be investigated.

[Varjag]

Leave it to the players to explain. a bit freeform before the game starts.
Ya know, when drawig up home blueprints and rolling up wives/husbands/pets/kids and choosing hobbies.

[SanitariumPr]

I am running 1890 Gaslight game this Sunday, and some of the characters might know others from their rep. But mainly nobody knows each other.

We have:
Aristocrat, Explorer, Physician & Adventuress now the reasons are all different but they got the same letter:


Dear Sir,

I have heard great deal of your skills and I am in dire need of them, I have been able to obtain an artifact from dig site in Cairo. My associate Mr. Bishop is at the scene in Cairo, and sent me a telegraph that he might need help on transporting the artifact safely to London. So I am offering reasonable compensation and travel costs to you for your assistance. The artifact it self is high value and belongs to the museum. All expenses are covered and ship is waiting you in the harbor, if there are some things that you will need on the trip do and meet me at The British Museum.

Sincerily yours
Albert Meenz

The Adventuress has been tied in the game through her dead husband who did get the letter after he died, in mysterious death while studying Egyptian artifacts.

[Noble]

If your not wanting to pick up other books and you have the free quick start rules only, play the haunting, but change it up, if they like the stranger idea the house is no longer in a city, it's in the middle of no where, or on an Island and they have just all come off a broken down bus, ferry, plane even! They don't know one an other the storm outside is lethal and they have to enter the abandoned building to survive, once inside something wants to take no of the players bodies so it can escape the lonely house.

[psyberwyche]

I also play Gaslight almost exclusively, and use the Gentleman's Club as a device to get the characters together. I use the fictional 'Diogenes Club' from the Sherlock Holmes stories, in fact - it's a club for 'unclubbable men', which explains why people from quite varied occupations would be together. The limitation of this method is that all the characters have to be male, and at least upper-middle class.

The very first adventure I ran, I used the most senior (read 'titled') character in the group as a catalyst - a letter from a friend in need summoned him away from London. He used his influence as a member of the Club's committee to gather together the Club members who would prove most useful on the case. The opening scene had them in a carriage travelling to their destination, introducing each other. The only player who knew what was going on was the senior Club member, who I handed a note with brief details of who the other guys were, and why he'd picked them. The rest had to be roleplayed out.

I've recently had a lady join my group, and the base of operations has naturally moved away from the Club, although there are sometimes amusing scenes where she has to wait in the Club's guest room for the men to finish their cigars, for example, and gets annoyed and starts to cause a scene...

Hope that helps!

[JET]

Thanks for the input guys.

If I decide have the characters start together, one of the more regular players has agreed to play some sort of british ex-fighter pilot playboy dilettante who has fallen in to the fashionable interest surrounding the occult. He has decided to come travel to America, primarily to see the rare collection at Miskatonic University. When he arrives, he gets wind of something he'd like to investigate and puts out an ad in the local paper to hire companions. Any characters who have an interest in investigating might answer the call, as well as those who are down on their luck and willing to do work for money.

If I decide to go with a party of complete strangers, I was thinking of a bus on the way from New York to Arkam breaking down in the middle of nowhere. The passengers would have to walk to the nearest small community/farmstead/sawmill, or what-have-you. I could "encourage" the player characters to go looking for help while the other passengers stay on the bus and wait for help OR have everyone go together. The small community could be abandoned. Perhaps passengers disappear one-by-one as they explore the abandoned town. Perhaps there are cultists behind it. Perhaps not.

Anyway, as you can see, I'm still wide open to ideas. I didn't realize that there were four adventures in the rulebook. How many adventures are in the Arkam rulebook?

[Sir Wulf]

There are times that the "we just met randomly" introduction works. If you want to keep them together, you need to add some reason that they should stick together later. Perhaps one of the villains escapes, vowing revenge... Some other factor could draw them together, such as a shared curse.

[tanstaafl]

Here's the intro I used for my last campaign.

When it first started raining you were annoyed. The bus route from New York to Boston travels along the coast and takes long enough under normal circumstances, the rain would only lengthen it further.

Then the winds started picking up and the rains changed from drops to torrential sheets of water. While your watch claims that it is still several hours before sunset the sky has been pitch black for hours, though the near constant lightning clearly illuminates the storm tossed trees to one side of the road and the mad dashing of waves against the base of the cliff that the road is now winding along on the other. The cacaphonous pounding of the rain and bursts of hail against the sides and roof of the bus almost drowns out the continuous peals of thunder rendering any thought of rest or conversation impossible and for hours you have been helpless as the bus seemingly makes its way though the dark depths of Tartarus.

You can see Ezekial Coldman, the bus driver, straining to hold the bus steady against the thunderous gusts of wind and pounding rain, his shirt soaked in sweat as he leans forward over the wheel trying to see the road before him. He suddenly straightens up and points, shouting back at you over the howling winds.

"That's the Perkeston Lodge!" he shouts. "We're going to have to stop here; there's no way we can keep going in this storm."

You look around at the other passengers, themselves showing the stress of the journey, and nod in agreement.


The bus pulls into the drive and you and the other passengers dash through the downpour and into the open door of the lodge. Inside is an inviting glow of oil lamps and the heavy oaken timbers of the lodge muffle the sound of the storm.

An elderly woman carrying an oil lamp approaches you. "More visitors?" she says, somewhat surprised. "Well please, come in. It is certainly terrible weather we are having, isn't it? But please, come in, come in. Please, make yourselves at home in the lounge; you can warm yourselves by the fire in there. I'll have Jacob retrieve your bags from your vehicle for you."

A large black man wearing a bellman's uniform steps from the shadows. Coldman has followed you inside and looks in your direction. "You go on in." he says. "Jacob here and I will get your luggage from the bus." He and Jacob nod at each other then step back out into the storm.

"This way." says your hostess. She leads you across the lobby and through a large, double door. On the other side is a large room, well lit by a number of oil lamps and a large fire blazing in a fireplace. The occupants of the room look up as you enter.


Several chairs and a sofa sit in front of the fireplace. A man sits reading in one of the chairs while another stands in front of the sofa. A woman sits on the sofa and, from your first impression, she and the standing man have been quietly arguing about something.

In one corner of the room there is a piano. A woman has been playing but she stops and looks up as you enter. A second woman stands behind her, but she seems more intersted in the couple by the fireplace than in you.

Finally, there are several tables scattered about the room. Two couples are seated at one of them and appear to be playing cards. One, an older couple, looks up at you with a smile. The other is a younger couple. The younger man jumps in surprise when you enter then sits back down in obvious relief.


Your hostess addresses the room. "Everyone, we have some new guests. They have been stranded by this dreadful storm and will be staying with us for a while." She then turns to you. "I'll have the girls fix up some rooms for you. We will be serving dinner in a few hours; until then, please make yourselves at home here."

With a smile, she turns to leave, then stops and turns back. "Oh yes, I'm Elaine Perkeston. Please let me know if there is anything we can do for you. Oh, and welcome to Perkeston Lodge." With a final smile, she leaves.

[Varjag]

Anyway, as you can see, I'm still wide open to ideas. I didn't realize that there were four adventures in the rulebook. How many adventures are in the Arkam rulebook?

Sourcebook.

4 Adventures. 2 relatively easy, one of which can go terribly wrong... but reasonably easy to fix with a bit of flight and invention.
Another thats absolute slaughter if the BBEG uses all his powers. But not quite written like that (uncle silas)
And one that is rather destined for player massdeath (condemned)

[JET]

Hey Tanstaafl,

I was thinking of something similar except the bus would break down in the middle of a summer rainstorm. The bus driver would try to encourage everyone to stay on the bus until morning but, off in the distance, there is a light of a farmhouse. All of the npc passengers would refuse to leave the bus, however, I would "encourage" the players to go investigate. There's something gruesome just after taking place at the house (which I won't get into here) and the players are now trying to get out alive. When it is all said and done, they will "rescue" a person who will turn out to be an occult expert and will look to the players as potential employees for future situations. The practical reason to keep searching the house is that the person owns a car that is parked in the front of the house. Of course, the keys are in his pocket.

I think I'll head this direction so that everyone has free license to make up any kind of character they choose.

[Ged]

I'm luck that my group play together a lot and created their characters at the same time, integrating the back stories as they went along.

[Dwarin]

Leave it to the players to explain. a bit freeform before the game starts.
Ya know, when drawig up home blueprints and rolling up wives/husbands/pets/kids and choosing hobbies.

I'm luck that my group play together a lot and created their characters at the same time, integrating the back stories as they went along.

This is my option too: I'm starting a new Lovecraft Country campaign this Friday and we have an Antiquarian, a Journalist, a Professor of Archaeology and the last player still has to create her character. I don't know how they met. I just know that when the first adventure begins, they are already friends going home late one night and bumping into something unwholesome. Leave it to the players to explain how they met, if they ever need to (which I doubt).

What interests me is the NOW. The only caveat when they made their characters was that they had to be already GOOD friends, not just acquaintances. They could have met at the university or one some other related activity. I gave up a long time ago trying to explain how the characters met. The only important thing is that they know each other. This alleviates the burden of trying to find a suitable introductory adventure each time we create a new group.

Also, when new characters are introduced, it's only a matter of rationalize who he could be associated to? Is it a soldier? Then someone else was in the war (make it on the spot and integrate it in their backgrounds). Is it a nurse? Perhaps she met another investigator while he was hospitalized. A lawyer? A childhood friend with whom he kept correspondence? If you really need to explain how the characters meet, I find the Edge of Darkness the best of the lot. It provides a NPC who summons the group to investigate something. I also used The Case (from The Curse of Cthulhu) to good effect: the guy in the sanatorium is an old friend and his mother summons his best friends so they can, perhaps, talk to him and snap him out of it.