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the OOD
2014-07-19, 01:05 AM
I'm looking for a good system to run an x-files-ish game, and would love any suggestions from the playground
ideally the system would feature most of these features:

realistic character abilitys: gunshots will mess you up; you are a capable human, no more, no less
slow/subtle leveling: the game is about the unknown, and slowly gaining artifacts and knowledge, not the climb to level 20
freeform skill mechanics: the biologist, neurologist, and spectrum analyst, or any other field should all be possible characters, and most of the game will be skill checks
simple combat rules: combat should not be the sole purpose of the system, and skill-based combat would be ideal
easy to hombrew content: I am going to be making a wealth of creatures, and everything from cloning pods to uber-transmitters

if you have something that fits, of any other suggestions, let me know!

for technique, I am going to be prepping printed info about anything the players will encounter from the fields of expertiese that players have, so the players can read and share what they learn from skill tests
PC1 "I roll 16 knowledge(genetics) to study the tissue samples"
GM "after an hour in the lab, here is what you have learned"
*GM passes note*
PC1 "all the samples are identical, so they are probably clones, and they all share a mutation causing cystic fibrosis a genetic disorder commonly..."
PC2 "wait, clones?, seriously?"
different info would be prepped for the chemist to share if she examined the tissue, and same for all the other players.

besides that, I will be living every moment by the Three-Clue-Rule, and prepping good olde fashioned gumshoe-type trails as well, and giving the player plenty of time to learn enough about what they are dealing with to have a vague idea of what it might be before facing it seriously for the first time

ClockShock
2014-07-19, 07:16 AM
Call of Cthulhu

I've used it for an X-files style game and it worked out great.

Here's a quickstart PDF:
http://www.chaosium.com/the-call-of-cthulhu-quick-start-pdf/

some guy
2014-07-19, 07:25 AM
Call of Cthulhu

I've used it for an X-files style game and it worked out great.

Here's a quickstart PDF:
http://www.chaosium.com/the-call-of-cthulhu-quick-start-pdf/

Seconded.

I believe the Delta Green setting for CoC has a lot of stuff on conspiracies and government agencies and all that. But CoC on it's own has all you need really.

Arbane
2014-07-19, 10:23 AM
Seconded.

I believe the Delta Green setting for CoC has a lot of stuff on conspiracies and government agencies and all that. But CoC on it's own has all you need really.

Also, CoC's default setting is Lovecraft's 1920s, wheras CoC (whoops) Delta Green is modern. (Well, more modern. It came out in the distant era of 1997.)

the OOD
2014-07-19, 12:37 PM
Call of Cthulhu

I've used it for an X-files style game and it worked out great.



Praise Cthulhu



ia! ia! Cthulhu fhtagn!
(pardon the paraphrasing)

sweet, I will check it out!:smallbiggrin:
I have played the 5th edition, but either we misinterpreted the rules, or investing in 99 dodge made you untouchable.:smallfrown: shame, cus I lived the skill-for-everything approach. (if anyone gets how those rules work, let me know)

tech level can be hacked up to modern easily enough all I need is mechanics, not setting, so no worries there.
to clarify, I won't be playing up the horror/suspense as much as I would in a full on horror campaign(wouldn't work in my group anyway), but will be focusing more on the aspects of discovery and the unknown.
heck, the players may end up more like the early days of torchwood then anything else:smalltongue:

LibraryOgre
2014-07-19, 02:42 PM
I might also suggest Apocalypse Prevention, Inc., which presumes a somewhat X-files like background, with a bit of Men in Black

Kid Jake
2014-07-19, 03:11 PM
I don't know how it got into my head, but I've been wanting to run an X-Files like game with Dogs in the Vineyard. It seems like the escalation mechanic could serve investigating pretty well, with the social fallout manifesting as powerful enemies who don't appreciate you poking holes in their pretty little conspiracy.

Not a perfect fit, but might be neat.

ClockShock
2014-07-19, 05:29 PM
(pardon the paraphrasing)

sweet, I will check it out!:smallbiggrin:
I have played the 5th edition, but either we misinterpreted the rules, or investing in 99 dodge made you untouchable.:smallfrown: shame, cus I lived the skill-for-everything approach. (if anyone gets how those rules work, let me know)


I used sixth edition, so it may have been improved across additions, but there were a few things that prevented dodge from being a shortcut to invulnerability:

- Roleplay / Rule 0 (such as, 'you need a strong justification for having a character with a skill in the 90s')
- You can't dodge what you can't see
- You can't dodge fall damage / the environment
- You can't dodge social situations
- I think there were also restrictions on dodging bullets as well, and it limited your ability to attack