OOC - Characters and Other Discussion

We can discuss here if you have ideas about why your characters are travelling together and where you are from.

My 3 suggestions from the top of my head are:

You are friends
You are exchange students (you may be of different major and even different countries, put together by your shared situation)
Or you are a family (I guess adult characters would be easier tho')

Thanks for the invite, looking forward to this nordic camping trip!

Could it also be one of these team-building trips that they arrange in large companies? Office coworkers vs the Mythos...

Yeah, why not! Coworkers can create a nice dynamic and you could be from different backgrounds and ages.

Shoot, I had an idea for a character and just threw it together before seeing this thread.
I can edit my guy, no problem.

The book rules change Insanity to Insight.
Which shows "how far your character can see into the horror of the universe."
And when Insight goes to 6 you understand the full horror of the universe, and that typically results in insanity.

I'd have to do a slow reading to notice where there are other changes, but I think they are minor, and probably easier if we just all refer to the original free .pdf.

I like the office co-worker idea!

I don't have the rule set other than the free pdf so if there are meaningful changes we want to follow then I can either pick up the paid version or if folks just want to say what the changes are here then I'm happy to go by that.

Also love the setting, reminds me of a movie called Dead Snow: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Snow

@Roachtrout: Thank you for the invite!

I have put together a character with some background. For the moment I have them working Hellisheioi Power Station, where they are on secondment from University of Iceland, as a third year engineering student. Not sure if everyone wants to work for Hellisheioi Power Station, but I imagine it would have all sorts of different job rolls that could be chosen from? If not just let me know which business she is on a team-building trip with and I will update the sheet

Hello everyone and welcome!

Nice ideas everyone.

Re: rules, I'm riffing off from the free pdf and you don't even need that. It don't even matter to our purposes if we call it Insanity or Insight, I think I'm sticking to "Insanity" tho' - just because it feels more natural to me (stuck from my Delta Green games and all). But the idea is the same: going mad might be that you see how the universe "really" is behind the veil!

Basically the mechanics I'm using are these (I posted this in Game Details):

RULES:

Most actions we negotiate by situation. I can also call luck rolls for uncertain things. In a risky situation you may roll 1d6 if the thing you are doing is humanly possible or 2d6 if it's something that relates to your occupation or other advantage. You count the highest die. On a high roll you do well, on a low roll you barely succeed or suffer the risk. I'll frame the stakes before rolling.

If you encounter something shaking, terrifying or otherworldly, you roll your insanity with one d6. Rolling higher than the current insanity level (starting at 1) adds 1 to your insanity level and you roleplay how it affects you.

Physical wounds will be handled narratively and getting wounded will affect your possible actions.

To create your character:

1. Choose name and pronouns
2. Choose an Occupation
3. Write a short description of them

Your Insanity level is 1.

If we go with power plants we could even do an International Conference Of Energy hosted by University of Helsinki or Tampere, so you could be from various different backgrounds. Or you can be from the same place attending this conference. Even if you all are from Iceland, you can be from the university or from the power plant staff or you can be city planners / officials etc.

Anyways at the end of your conference you have some recreational activity planned: a trip to the country side, a weekend on a Finnish summer cottage and sauna + a tour around the swamp with a guide. You rent a car because you want to see some country by yourself and start your way there after the conference scheduale on friday afternoon. A couple of hours along the way sun begins to set and you think you might be lost. The cellphone service is (of course) bad and you don't know where you are. Then your car starts giving some sort of alarm and shuts down.

How's every one feeling about this?

@Rabbits @Drakis2

I read your characters just now and I think they are cool! I think we can fit them in as they are if we go with the Conference idea? Study on the mismanagement on the field of energy and power plants could be a reason for Mikko to attend.

Yes this sounds good to me.

I will play Esko Heikkinen who is an academic researcher in renewable energy from Aalto University. Esko gave a presentation at the conference on new energy methods, namely using icy cold water from the Baltic Sea as a power source. He knows most (perhaps all unless someone wants to be newish to the group, or just met at the conference) the characters here from his work and contacts already.

Esko's research is well known in the industry. He would know quite a few folks from various power plants, universities and other institutions for data gathering, research pursuits, and energy professionals (energy corporations, entrepreneurs, politicians, journalists, etc) who are interested in his research on renewable energy.

Given the timing of the conference and no teaching commitments at the moment at his University, it was a good time to take a break. He is looking forward for the chance to catch up with friends and renew professional relationships while taking in some nature from the beautiful countryside.

Working for the Power Plant sounds fine. Maybe they introduced these new American-style team building activities. I think my character would resent having to go. The management strongly hinted that it was a voluntary thing, but that it would be a lot better for everyone if taking part.

Do you have a template character sheet for this game?

Jasper Villanen (he) - Hellisheioi Power Station Technician - an old-timer who has worked for the Station since the beginning. Grumpy and disapproving of these silly innovations introduced by the new management (like this stupid camping trip). Looking forward to retiring in 2 years' time.

Is Jasper a Finnish guy (judging by his name)? Just to be clear: the Hellisheioi is in Iceland. Nothing wrong with him working in there tho'. He could be an expatriot with Finnish origin. All the more reason to attend the conference and the camping trip!

If I've counted correctly everyone has a character: This is a small summary, please correct me if there's something wrong or you want to change something!

Mikko Alexander (Rabbits)
- a document maker and journalist of Finnish origin(?)

Greta Haraldsdottir (Drakis2)
- a junior engineer and a student at the Hellisheioi power plant

Dalvin Arnarson (Dr_B)
- older engineer at the Hellisheioi power plant

Esko Heikkinen (Dsquid)
- a researcher academic in the field of renewable energy from the Aalto University in Helsinki

Yeah, it's great!

@Dsquid could you submit a character to the game so you can post as your character.

All other characters have been admitted and I think we're about ready to go. Don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions as we venture fort!

Yes, he is of Finnish origin, but his parents moved to America for a good length of time (maybe his junior high to high school years), and then the family moved back to Finland. So he's culturally very American.

Great!

I'm starting to wonder if Mikko is a bit too grim of a concept. How do I share out my the character sheet so you can see?
I'm open to tweaking or changing.

Here's more on Mikko.


Mikko won several awards as an investigative journalist and documentary filmmaker, primarily focusing on exposing institutional failures and mismanagement. He has recently undergone chemotherapy and continues to need an oxygen concentrator, but his prognosis is good. His hobbies and interests include calligraphy, woodworking, and snowmobiling.

He was invited to the conference as a favor from a friend-- who pulled some strings to land him the gig. He's getting paid to do several low-stress, friendly, fun interviews of staff for a company profile spread. Something easy, relaxed, and no pressure to get him back on his feet. The fact that he investigates corruption and mismanagement has been kept a bit hush-hush.

How's that?

Ah yes, sorry wasn't sure if need since its one stat :) But forgot about avatar & posting. Will do so now!

Submitted!

Wonderful!

Yeah, if it weren't for the avatar and posting we could very well do without any sheets ?

Just wondering if his condition wouldn't be a hindrance for a camping trip / full-on outdoors activity? (exposure, physical effort, temperature swings...). Would his doctors allow it?

Yeah, I'm going to re-work him.

Ok, removed the health issues.
Now he's... infiltrated the group as an undercover reporter, trying to get dirt on the corruption in the energy industry. He's posing as an Engineering consultant but really has just basic knowledge to try to fake it.

nice - healthy and sneaky!

Sounds like a fun bunch for the Team Building trek! I bet Mikko is gonna be annoyed he's had to go on it though and, even worse, got matched with a bunch of nobodies instead of managers! Lol! But I am sure he'll find it easy to "social engineer" passwords out of the two employees

I just waited for everyone to figure their characters and the group out. I'm going to kick the game going today!

Okay, it's alive! Welcome to the In Character channel :)

Okay, it's alive! Welcome to the In Character channel :)

Okay, it's alive! Welcome to the In Character channel :)

I'm finding out Mikko is a bit of a jerk. I can dial back if needed.

Posting might be slower during the next 4 days because of christmas activities but I'm mostly available through xmas and new year's.

If any of you have engaging holiday activites that keep you from playing, please let us know!

Merry christmas to anyone who celebrates it and happy weekend to everyone!

Merry Christmas! I travelled abroad for the hols today, but I'm back online now.

Merry Christmas all! I will also be around and plan to continue posting, but likewise might be a bit slower to respond.

Hello, every one! I'm sorry for my slow pace. I've been terribly busy through the last week or so with work, game sessions and other stuff. Still here tho'!

Calling all campers, are we ready to move on?

Yep.

Still here

Sorry, I've been awfully busy at work and then I got a cold at the end of last week. But still here!

I consider this story dead. See you in other games, fellows!

Thanks for running it! It was fun.