Roll20 uses cookies to improve your experience on our site. Cookies enable you to enjoy certain features, social sharing functionality, and tailor message and display ads to your interests on our site and others. They also help us understand how our site is being used. By continuing to use our site, you consent to our use of cookies. Update your cookie preferences .
×
Create a free account
This post has been closed. You can still view previous posts, but you can't post any new replies.

Need help setting up a homebrew.

1542356424

Edited 1542357177
TL;DR at bottom. I'm relatively new to the whole tabletop RPG scene, so new that I haven't even played a single session with anyone. However, despite this, I already have ambitions to run a homebrew game that uses the Call of Cthulhu system. My issue however is my lack of knowledge in the system itself. To provide context, I love horror, and thought it would be cool to run my own world ( that is similar to Silent Hill <- Important ). I figured Call of Cthulhu would be the best for this because it focuses on horror, and using realistic weaponry. The issue I'm running into is what seems to be the gist of Call of Cthulhu's system itself. I find that monsters and opponents are VERY dangerous, like, if you don't run or hide you are bound to get easily hurt or go insane. For any normal game, that's fine. I love the brutal reality of it. For my homebrew however? Well, I still want it to be difficult for the player, but not "Oh you decided to fight the monster? One of you is going to have their arm clawed to pieces." Like Silent Hill, I want an emphasis on "You can fight, and you  probably  will win, but it is preferable to run or hide." If they decide to fight, then by all means they should be able to get out with nothing more than a moderate wound. Again, like Silent Hill in a sense. What do I do to mitigate this? Of course in the beginning the characters may suffer to even the most common of monsters, and certain monsters  would  be very dangerous throughout the entirety, to the point where you have almost no option BUT to run, but again, just a little less harsh. This also applies to sanity. Ya some monsters should cause loss of sanity, and even normal monsters, but I would want the sanity loss to be lower, with some monsters not causing sanity loss if the players have encountered them enough. (And again, some substantially more difficult monsters being truly sanity-draining) Trail of Cthulhu  seems like an option. From what I got, they simplify the combat (don't know if that means easier) and makes sanity a little more tactful. Would it also be possible to just  alter how Call of Cthulhu's  difficulty works and just make monsters easier with lower saves needed for Sanity? Let me know what you think I should do! Any advice is helpful! TL;DR : I'm homebrewing my own Silent Hill-like world through the Call of Cthulhu system. But Call of Cthulhu is a bit harsh on combat and sanity. How do I lessen the threat to where encounters don't always result in imminent severe danger or losses of sanity from each monster, but where running and hiding is still preferable? Would Trail of Cthulhu help with this, or is there a better option? Thank you for reading!
1542358812
Andreas J.
Forum Champion
Sheet Author
Translator
Don't know the system, and I'm not familiar with horror-focused games, but... I'd advice you to run your first game with a rpg system as it is, rather than homebrewing something. It's one thing to be a new GM, but to also be new to rpgs or the system you wanna run, I'd say gamebalance/fun could be hard to make work right, unless you have good judgement on balance from videogames, and that itself wouldn't probably help much. If you don't feel the system is good enough without houserules, I'd sugest to run your game in some other system. If you never riden a bike, would your first thought be to fix it a bit to how you think it should work, or would you rather take a look at other bikes and ask people if there is one that better suits what you're after? Now after reading your post a few time, I think you might have an okay shot at what you're attempting, as I don't immidietly recall a system that would fit you better, but that doesn't mean one exists. That being said, places like /r/rpg  would be better suited for questions not specific to Roll20. As said in the Roll20 CoC thread : Intended Use The Roll20 Forums exist to discuss topics directly relating to the Roll20 program and systems. Anything that could more fittingly be discussed on another site should be discussed there.
1542382083
keithcurtis
Forum Champion
Marketplace Creator
API Scripter
Andreas J has the right of it. I'll need to close this thread, but you might find more luck in: Here are some good places to discuss this topic: /r/rpg /r/gamemasters /r/callofcthulhu rpg.stackechange.com