RPG Update (23)

It is almost a month since I started writing this post. So maybe now I will have the time and clear mind to do that.

 I think, that this post will be somewhat long. For my standard blog posts. It is about the Horror on the Orient Express campaign. But for the full view of the situation, I must go back in history for more than two decades, even to the earlier century. 

When we first play in this monster of a campaign, my Keeper invited one of my friends. But he didn't join that particular game. Years later he told me, that he was supposed to be Andre Coty - an art dealer from Paris, but in secret, he was supposed to be Comte Fenalic - one of the NPCs from that campaign. So this idea stuck with me for almost two decades. 

Back to last year. This notion of secret identity was so strong, that when I planned the new Horror on the Orient Express, I decided that every player has to have some secret. Something that will be nice to reveal during the game. When we created the character, we also created the secrets for them. During this 9 months-long campaign, some of them see the light of the day, another not yet. Doesn't matter. 

When I was planning the campaign, I also decided to have a core group of Investigators - 3 of them. 

My wife - she created Maria Francesca Ludewika Stefania Masseria - a NY socialite and law student, but in fact a daughter of one of the mob bosses of this city Mafia. Her father arranged her wedding, she was not so keen on this idea, so with nothing left to lose, she runs away. Then in London, she met with old friend prof Julius Smith. Her secret - being the daughter of a mob boss.

Maria Francesca Ludewika Stefania Masseria

One of my first players - he created a William Henry Rowlinsan character, a professor of archeology, loosely based on real professor Rowlinsan. His secret is being a member of the secret society of people who know the world isn't what is at a first glance. He also knows the professor.

William Henry Rowlinsan

His wife - she created a Russian medium - Tamara Diatlowa, who in secret is a lost daughter of Car Nikolaj. Living in London quiet life since escaping from Russia. She knows professor Smith since coming to this country. 

Tamara Diatlowa

But  I also invited others to join the game as a more support cast (using tv language). From the start, I decided to plan their role and told them about that. Everyone agrees with that idea. Firstly I invited the original player from long ago, he eventually had a chance to play Andre Coty (aka Comte Fenalik), the second of my friends agreed to play a role of a NY mob boss son (in the hunt for one of my core group investigators - You know who). Andre joins after the Paris chapter and disappears in the Venice chapter.

Andre Coty

 In the Trieste chapter, our heroes are joined by Frediano Buratti (second of my players).

Frediano Buratti

So... last Sunday during the Sofia chapter couple of these secret side stories come to a very enjoyable climax. Only girls in the core group told each other their secrets. So when Frediano joins the group, Maria and he have an affair.  When everything is going great in Sofia, when they obtain the head of Simulacrum and find lost in Venice chapter Andre Coty and get on the train nobody expects what happened next. I talk before the session with both support players, laid out my plan. So the son of the mob boss needs to confirm the origin of his mistress and then kill her. But at the same time, Andre Coty (Comte) listens to everything and joins the couple. Everything went just like in clockwork. Firstly in the steamy scene, Maria reveals her secret to Frediano, and he attacks her - stabbing her with a knife, then, when she screams everyone comes running to her compartment. Andre is at the scene first and attacks with abnormal strength and speed, ripping Frediano apart with bare hands. He says a couple of words and disappears in front of the two remaining players. The shock and surprise on everyone's faces were one of the most enjoyable experiences in my whole RPG life. I think that this will be the most memorable moment of this entire campaign. 

Uch! I hope You understand what I was hoping to write here. And here I am: 

Sinister Keeper waiting for my players to arrive!

Library Update (6)

 So... I've recently received a big pack of books. I thought that I will share with You my newest purchases. First is a little book with some of Lovecraft's Dreamlands stories, called "The Cats from Ulthar". It is from the publisher that already has created 5 other books with H.P.L text. Here it is in all its hardbound glory:

Another two books, that I'm very interested in, are classics from the father of all Sci-Fi! H.G. Wells!

First is The Island of Doctor Moreau. Never watch the film, but I'm more interested in the original text.

So here it is:

The second (and the one that I'm reading to my daughter now) is The Time Machine. One chapter per day is our little ritual every evening.

 Last but not least is another book from H.P.Lovecraft. But this time it is the second part of At the Mountains of Madness with illustrations of François Baranger. The third book in a gorgeous series of albums with astonishing artwork. So here it is.

RPG Update (22)

Warning! This blogpost includes spoilers for the Horror on the Orient Express campaign!

My last entry about the Horror on the Orient Express campaign I run for some time now was one month ago exactly - on the 7th of February. After this time I can say, that I was so wrong! But let me explain.  I said that the Trieste chapter was one of the most enjoyable parts of this campaign. Well, the Zagreb and Belgrade chapters were even more fun and scary at the same time. First on its heavy dreamlands style with Ligottis touch. And at the same time, I've received Thomas Liggoti's book, the first print in Poland "Songs of the dead dreamer" with the story on which this chapter was based on. 

So it went well. The great atmosphere from the beginning and increasing pace during the climax of this adventure were very pleasing. One of my players lose his scull in Zagreb, but we play in Pulp mode, so he lost lots of Sanity points, but he is traveling further. 

Then, after a short train trip, my players landed in Belgrade. From my perspective, the city part of this chapter was not so exciting. But after players went to the bazaar and buy the whole coffin (for Simulacrum) of Rakia, well that evening was... Interesting. After that came Orasak with Granny and her house. It was one of the most enjoyable parts of this campaign to date. I know, I know, I'm repeating myself. But what can I do? It is true! So now I'm prepping for Sophia's chapter. It will be wild!

RPG Update (21)

 After finishing Conspiracy X adventure "Convoy", we started creating characters for the Polish RPG system "Dzikie Pola". It is set in XVI century Poland, so it is heavy on my country's history. Next week we will have our first adventure. In the meantime, the second group is enjoying the lavish splendor of the Orient Express and the horrors of also. So as You can see we are going strong with that campaign. But about that in the next post. For now, I'm watching saber duels, thinking about plots for the game.

RPG Update (20)

Ah! The last two Sundays we ended with Horror on the Orient Express sessions. This time our group went to Trieste. What an adventure! What a city, what an atmosphere and what excitement! We used for the first time the Medium skill of one of our Player Characters here, to make contact with one of the plot points (no spoilers). So we eventually almost recreated a seance! Then we move up with the story. The abandoned villa, the caves... The shrieking Bora wind! I know, I know, too many exclamation marks. But it was one of the most enjoyable parts of this campaign to date. Cannot wait to run another chapter! 

RPG Update (19)

First three months of 2021 I've decided to experiment a little bit with different settings and systems. This will be some kind of pallet cleanser for me. I've even created for my players form in google forms to choose from many of my RPGs. Their first choice - and let me say a surprise for me was Conspiracy X! So I delve into the rulebook, but I wanted more adventures. So after a quick check on the web, I found nice two scenarios on the Unbound Publishing site. I've chosen to run as my first adventure Collection Schedule. It is a short and quick scenario. With a good balance between roleplaying and action inside. After that, I run Convoy from the rulebook. Next week probably we will end it and move to another system. For these adventures, I even use this page to make NPCs. But for now, we delve into a nostalgic setting somewhere between X-Files and Ghostbusters...

RPG Update (18)

Well, well... Since my last post I just run one session and played in another. Is it too much? Or maybe not enough? Cannot tell. You have to decide.

We ended the Venice chapter of the Horror on the Orient Express and we are moving into Trieste. So after two other attempts (one of them in the last century!) we fight the Milan curse and moved on! Cannot wait for the next chapter in this great game. I'm planning on introducing a new player with his new secret scheme. It will be fun! Especially I found this page on which there are many cool Orient Express handouts! Those maps! THOSE MAPS! Here is a sample:

Cars of the Orient Express from their page

The second game I've played since my last post was the 18th and as it turned out the ending chapter in my Alone Against the Dark mini-campaign. My fourth character - Devin Wilson went with the expedition (I will not spoil it for You wich one) and died with them, the evil unleashed upon the world. I know that in the future I will come back to this book and I will play it once again! I will not be defeated by this book! Cannot wait for other such adventures will be available in FLGS. I've started playing in 2019, so this is one hell of a campaign for me. It was nice 7,5 spread upon an 18 session, as I wrote earlier. Till the end, I didn't know what will be the end result of this game. I should have known after losing 3 other PCs that it will not be a happy ending... Oh well. Till next time!

English cover

Polish cover