THIRD PART OF THE MOCKUP - INVENTORY / SOME FURTHER MECHANICS / INVESTIGATION SKILLS
[HEADING=3]Continued from:[/HEADING] http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.162130?page=3#4171817
...With the Mythos Meter now in Yellow, the Team's journals prompt them with a notification of a service being shut down and updates with an optional objective.
Jake(Hard Case / TL): Ok guys, the Transit point service just went down. We can either go and prop it up or do it later. Suggestions?
[With the meter in yellow, a random service has been shut down, in this case the Transit point. In this case since it was the Bus transit point, it is portrayed as a road block that prevents anyone using the bus to enter or leave the zone. Players may attempt to clear the road block via Demolitions or other means if they so choose too.]
Tom (Sapper): I dont think we have anything to worry about as such, we are pretty much in the green still sanity and health wise, I dont see anyone need a agent change right away except Alex maybe?
Phil (Doctor): Err...hey Alex, how is your agent holding up?
Alex (Merlin): Oh no major issues, yeah he failed the roll, but it really was bad luck. Most of my Agency points have been dumped into Lore, in order to prevent such crap so this was kinda unexpected.
[Alex has specialized his Agency in one of the five stats - Forensic, Procedural, Lore, Physical Training and Hardware. In this case, adding points to the "Lore" rating provides his Agents more resilience against Insanity in the form of a bonus to Sanity rolls]
Harry (Sneak): Ugh. My Agent is ok, I mean I really am not much of a direct combat character anyway, so even at 50% of my HP, I dont think I need to do a switch for the moment.
Jake(Hardcase /TL): Ok then where too next? Do we still take a look at the Farmyard or head straight for the manor?
Phil(Doctor): Shouldn't we go back and take a look at the corpse and the creature? I mean I would like to see if I can identify it, and maybe look for any other clues.
Harry (Sneak): Yeah for one thing, how the hell did it get in there? Since I heard the sound of stone scraping on stone, I bet there is a secret passage or something.
[Some encounters per scenario are scripted with regard to when a monster spawns and where it spawns. However even if the script demands a particular class of creature, it would still allow for a great amount of variation, as each creature would effectively be a template from which random attributes and abilities are generated. This will lead to more interesting encounters rather than forcing players to endure Mob Deja Vu]
Sam (Sapper): Yeah for sure. Maybe it would lead to something major, for the moment I say we stick to the original path.
Jake(Hard Case / TL): Ok if everyone agrees we go back and take a look? But before we do I need to go to the General Store. Got to get a maintenance kit for my Shotgun, just realized I didn't repair it since my last mission.
The team agrees and they head over to the General Store.
[A note on Inventory: A classic element of most horror games has been inventory management. Agents are not Doom marines that can carry any amount of weapons, equipment and ammo. The inventory system will include sufficient slots to allow a reasonable and comfortable amount of items, with smaller items being stackable in each slot. I envision a Diablo style inventory system - slots for head / Arms / chest etc, and then a specific number of "backpack" slots that will provide for the bulk of carried items. However, all items will have both Volume AND Weight. So someone who decides to carry a small yet, heavy item will find he has reached his weight limit, (Exceeding your weight limit results in Fatigue and you can no longer run) and likewise carrying a light yet large item means that the player cannot carry more than one or two - as the case may be.]
Jake purchases the maintenance kit from the NPC store owner, and then applies it to his Shotgun, increasing its durability count.
[Weapon and Armor Degradation: Weapons degrade through use, with higher quality weapons being less prone to degradation - having more durability points - than lower quality weapons. This also holds true for armor. As a weapon or Armor degrades, it begins to loose effectiveness so the players must maintain their equipment. One of the reasons for this is simply in terms of having an monetary sink by which players find the need to spend any money they acquire. We take a look at the game economy in detail later.]
Jake (HC / TL): Ok lets head back to the Crypt.
The team heads back to the Crypt. Finding the body of the creature still there but it seems someone else has taken the Ezikiel's corpse from his coffin.
Jake: Oh wonderful. Ok Harry, Tom and I will take a look around for a secret passageway or something, Phil you and Alex take a look at the corpse.
Tom initiates the search for the hidden passageway, while Jake interacts with Tom's avatar, and selects "Assist". Alex does the same for Phil.
[ I envision the assist system as simply an easy means by which players can combine relevant non-combat skills and abilities, but with diminishing returns. Assisting players mirror the action or skill of the Assisted agent, automatically adding their skill bonus to the attempt, but with a diminishing return for each additional agent who assists the primary.
The Assisted Agent or Primary gets a "buff" Icon which tells him he is currently being assisted. If he then uses his skill, the Assisting agent adds his bonus to the Primary's roll, and both Agent's skill goes on thier relevant cooldowns if applicable.
Players CANNOT chain their assists. So If Jake assists Tom, Jake cannot in turn be assisted by Phil and so forth. Only the Primary can be assisted. In each case, the relevant bonus is reduced with each additional agent.
For example: Assuming that Tom has a search hidden skill of 10. Jake Assists him and adds his own bonus of 10, but minus 20% so his actual addition to Tom's bonus is 8. Then Phil also assists Tom with his bonus of 10, but at a 40% penalty, or 6. etc etc]
Tom finds the passageway. Phil completes his forensic report on the creature, but has yet to identify it. However because Alex is assisting him, and happens to have a high lore skill, it makes matters much easier.
[ Such challenges like Forensics and Lore identification take the form of a mini-game, with the higher the skill the easier for the player to complete the game.
In the case of the Forensic game, I envision a somewhat macabre exploration of the corpse's organs and physiology. The higher the skill the more organs and physiological aspects already identified. Organs and elements that remain to be identified take the form of a blacked out area on the Forensic Chart. Players can then attempt to extrapolate the creature from a given set of possible selections - the higher the Lore skill the fewer the selections. Should the players get it wrong they can try again of course, but with the usual cool down penalties in effect. Players with high enough skill bonuses can essentially auto-resolve for a 100% success if the challenge is easy enough.
The whole point of the above mechanism is to give players who may not have a high enough skill rating to use their own brains to try and solve the challenge without resorting to an arbitrary failure or "cannot be done" message. This will not be possible in every case, as some basic requirements will still need to be met, but at least it provides an option.]
Phil succeeds in his attempt. The creature happens to be a Ghoul and its sub-variant. The Players' Mythos compendium now updates itself with the relevant information.
[Information in the form of the above is always useful. Since it reduces the chances of failing sanity checks later on, and provides details on the creature's resistances and weaknesses and so forth. Sub-variant information provides additional information with regard to the strengths and weaknesses of that sub-type. Information can also be bought and sold as reports to NPC or other Players, so that agents have a stream of revenue or an asset to trade.]
Jake(Hard Case /TL): Ok cool. That will actually come in handy. Most likely that there is more than one of them, so lets press on. Ok as before I will take point, Harry you bring up the rear.[footnote]If the players had remained in the crypt after the original encounter with the Ghoul, the passage way will have three additional ghouls waiting for them, snce they left the crypt right after, the body of Ezikiel is gone and the passage way is empty. Each encounter or decision tree has some reprecussion down the road. More on this later[/footnote]
The passageway goes on for some distance, they arrive at a door that has been bolted from the outside.
Jake: Tom can you blast it open?
Tom : Yeah sure. Give me a moment, everyone head back some ways.
Tom sets a demolition pack against the door, and sets the time for 30 real time seconds. He is successful in setting the charge, and in 30 seconds it explodes as expected.
Jake: Ok lets go.
The Team find themselves on the sea shore coming out in a small cove, just behind them from where they emerged from the hidden entry way is an overhanging cliff. Checking their maps, they realize that they have come up near the Corbin manor which is located on top of the Cliff above. Nearby is winding pathway that leads up the cliff toward the Manor.
Phil: OK. I think we are getting close. Err... anyone else get the feeling that we are walking into something?
Tom: Yeah well, meter is ticking, and I quite frankly don't want to be around when it goes into orange.
Jake: Lets move, no point delaying the inevitable.
Proceeding to the top of the Cliff they arrive near the Manor. The top floors seem to be gutted with roof caved in, only the lower floor seems to be intact. There are no signs of activity around. The team heads in. A behind the screen Listen roll is triggered, and the roll for everyone happens to succeed. The sound of movement and perhaps conversation seems to be coming from below.
Jake: The Log says its coming from below. A cellar maybe?
Tom: Great. Another cramped space. Good thing none of us here is Claustrophobic.
Harry: Ok I found the Cellar door, how do we do this?
Jake: Lets try and quietly sneak in, and this time try and get the drop on whatever is in there.
Alex: Sun is going down we better hurry.
Phil: We still have some time on the meter. But yes, lets move, BAD things tend to happen whenever the sun goes down.
The Team makes it way down the cellar. Heading down the short stairway, they enter a large room, filled with the detritus and broken down pieces of old furniture. A spot and listen check points out there are signs of something being dragged to the far wall, which happens to be a false wall currently ajar, through which there is another door, and also there is the sound of some guttural chanting from behind the door.
Jake: Ok places everyone, light level is decent so we dont need the torches, we can bring out the heavy stuff.
[A note on Light levels: In order to provide an indicator as to varying degrees of light and how they will affect player rolls, I envision a small Thief-like indicator that brightens or darkens to reflect ambient light level. Mousing over the indicator provides detailed information in terms of a specific rating that affects player rolls. For example: A Poor rating would carry a minus three penalty to all spot, search hidden or other visual investigation roles. Combat is not factored, since it is a manual affair which then takes into account damage and spread etc.]
The Team arms themselves. Tom with a machine gun, Harry with two pistols, Alex pulls out a baton in one hand and an Artifact of some kind in the other, Phil takes out a shot gun and Jake likewise follows. Everyone flanks each side of the door, and then Jake get into position to open it.
Jake: Ready?
Tom: Go.
Jake interacts with the door which opens, quickly moving in they are confronted by three ghouls who are blocking their path. The chamber seems to be part study part congregation hall. On the far side of the room on a raised Dias, a fourth Ghoul in purple robes is chanting over the corpse of Ezikiel Corbin which is laid upon an altar.
The ghouls attack - Sanity checks are rolled for each agent and they all succeed - having grown accustomed as to what to expect and drawing some insight from the autopsy, they gain bonuses to their sanity checks. The Ghouls have no unique weaknesses or strengths, being only vaguely sentient by human standards they do not use firearms preferring rather to use only their claws and fangs in combat.
Alex activates his Artifact, a thin beam of azure light shoots out from the artifact striking the far left ghoul which fails its save, taking full damage. The ghoul disintegrates, and Alex is prompted that his Artifact has gained a experience point. A second behind the screen role is triggered however, and this causes Alex to experience a sanity attack - fortunately this time he does not fail the Sanity check and is unaffected.
Jake opens fire on the middle of the three ghouls and scores a direct hit, which turns into a critical. The ghoul falls down dead. The final ghoul is likewise dispatched by Phil and Harry.
When the final ghoul dies, there is a flash from the Dias. the dessicated corpse of Ezekiel seems to disappear, and the floor of the chamber turns red with blood that overflows from the Altar.
Sanity checks are once again rolled. Everyone but Tom succeeds, and it causes Tom to hallucinate that he is drowning. Tom's screen changes, his avatar finds himself looking through a murky sea, his controls turns sluggish as though he walking on the bottom of the ocean and can no longer use his abilities.
Meanwhile, the Robed Ghoul screeches something and runs through what seems to be another cellar located behind the dais.
Jake: Ok people lets take our bearings. Tom you snapped out of it yet?
Tom: Yeah I have, but I have developed a moderate phobia dammit.
Phil: What is it?
Tom: Necrophobia - fear of the dead.
Harry: Ouch. That's bad. Way things are going you will be seeing a lot more dead people.
Tom: Yep. May need to switch out to another agent.
Jake: I dont think we can risk having the current agent along. It will probably cause problems later.
Phil: Yes but you forget, Transit point is down. We will have to clear the road block first.
Jake looks at the Mythos meter. It is more than halfway to the next level.
Jake: We may be able to do this, but just barely. If we head over to the road block right away and then Tom can switch agents while we gear up.
Phil: Shouldn't we take a look and see whats around here first? There is a desk and some old books and stuff.
Jake: Yeah lets do it quick.
The team begins searching through the various items and furniture in the room. On the book shelf there are multiple arcane tomes.
[These tomes which can be looted and stored for future use. These tomes may provide access to new spells, specific lore or even new investigations. The tomes can also be traded if the investigator so wishes.]
Alex: Ohh nice. I may be able to learn a new spell or something.
Jake: Yeah but don't risk it now! We already have one mental case at the moment.
Tom: Thanks a lot.
Phil: Hey there is something on the desk. Seems like an old map of some kind.
Accessing the map, the Team's journal is updated. It seems there is a network of tunnels below the manor accessible from the same stairs behind the dais through which the robed ghoul ran into.
Alex: And down we go... Ugh. Anyway before we go any further suggest we deal with the Transit point first.
Jake: Agreed.
The team heads back to town and then proceeds to the roadblock.. the meter draws close to the next level.
[HEADING=3]Continued from:[/HEADING] http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.162130?page=3#4171817
...With the Mythos Meter now in Yellow, the Team's journals prompt them with a notification of a service being shut down and updates with an optional objective.
Jake(Hard Case / TL): Ok guys, the Transit point service just went down. We can either go and prop it up or do it later. Suggestions?
[With the meter in yellow, a random service has been shut down, in this case the Transit point. In this case since it was the Bus transit point, it is portrayed as a road block that prevents anyone using the bus to enter or leave the zone. Players may attempt to clear the road block via Demolitions or other means if they so choose too.]
Tom (Sapper): I dont think we have anything to worry about as such, we are pretty much in the green still sanity and health wise, I dont see anyone need a agent change right away except Alex maybe?
Phil (Doctor): Err...hey Alex, how is your agent holding up?
Alex (Merlin): Oh no major issues, yeah he failed the roll, but it really was bad luck. Most of my Agency points have been dumped into Lore, in order to prevent such crap so this was kinda unexpected.
[Alex has specialized his Agency in one of the five stats - Forensic, Procedural, Lore, Physical Training and Hardware. In this case, adding points to the "Lore" rating provides his Agents more resilience against Insanity in the form of a bonus to Sanity rolls]
Harry (Sneak): Ugh. My Agent is ok, I mean I really am not much of a direct combat character anyway, so even at 50% of my HP, I dont think I need to do a switch for the moment.
Jake(Hardcase /TL): Ok then where too next? Do we still take a look at the Farmyard or head straight for the manor?
Phil(Doctor): Shouldn't we go back and take a look at the corpse and the creature? I mean I would like to see if I can identify it, and maybe look for any other clues.
Harry (Sneak): Yeah for one thing, how the hell did it get in there? Since I heard the sound of stone scraping on stone, I bet there is a secret passage or something.
[Some encounters per scenario are scripted with regard to when a monster spawns and where it spawns. However even if the script demands a particular class of creature, it would still allow for a great amount of variation, as each creature would effectively be a template from which random attributes and abilities are generated. This will lead to more interesting encounters rather than forcing players to endure Mob Deja Vu]
Sam (Sapper): Yeah for sure. Maybe it would lead to something major, for the moment I say we stick to the original path.
Jake(Hard Case / TL): Ok if everyone agrees we go back and take a look? But before we do I need to go to the General Store. Got to get a maintenance kit for my Shotgun, just realized I didn't repair it since my last mission.
The team agrees and they head over to the General Store.
[A note on Inventory: A classic element of most horror games has been inventory management. Agents are not Doom marines that can carry any amount of weapons, equipment and ammo. The inventory system will include sufficient slots to allow a reasonable and comfortable amount of items, with smaller items being stackable in each slot. I envision a Diablo style inventory system - slots for head / Arms / chest etc, and then a specific number of "backpack" slots that will provide for the bulk of carried items. However, all items will have both Volume AND Weight. So someone who decides to carry a small yet, heavy item will find he has reached his weight limit, (Exceeding your weight limit results in Fatigue and you can no longer run) and likewise carrying a light yet large item means that the player cannot carry more than one or two - as the case may be.]
Jake purchases the maintenance kit from the NPC store owner, and then applies it to his Shotgun, increasing its durability count.
[Weapon and Armor Degradation: Weapons degrade through use, with higher quality weapons being less prone to degradation - having more durability points - than lower quality weapons. This also holds true for armor. As a weapon or Armor degrades, it begins to loose effectiveness so the players must maintain their equipment. One of the reasons for this is simply in terms of having an monetary sink by which players find the need to spend any money they acquire. We take a look at the game economy in detail later.]
Jake (HC / TL): Ok lets head back to the Crypt.
The team heads back to the Crypt. Finding the body of the creature still there but it seems someone else has taken the Ezikiel's corpse from his coffin.
Jake: Oh wonderful. Ok Harry, Tom and I will take a look around for a secret passageway or something, Phil you and Alex take a look at the corpse.
Tom initiates the search for the hidden passageway, while Jake interacts with Tom's avatar, and selects "Assist". Alex does the same for Phil.
[ I envision the assist system as simply an easy means by which players can combine relevant non-combat skills and abilities, but with diminishing returns. Assisting players mirror the action or skill of the Assisted agent, automatically adding their skill bonus to the attempt, but with a diminishing return for each additional agent who assists the primary.
The Assisted Agent or Primary gets a "buff" Icon which tells him he is currently being assisted. If he then uses his skill, the Assisting agent adds his bonus to the Primary's roll, and both Agent's skill goes on thier relevant cooldowns if applicable.
Players CANNOT chain their assists. So If Jake assists Tom, Jake cannot in turn be assisted by Phil and so forth. Only the Primary can be assisted. In each case, the relevant bonus is reduced with each additional agent.
For example: Assuming that Tom has a search hidden skill of 10. Jake Assists him and adds his own bonus of 10, but minus 20% so his actual addition to Tom's bonus is 8. Then Phil also assists Tom with his bonus of 10, but at a 40% penalty, or 6. etc etc]
Tom finds the passageway. Phil completes his forensic report on the creature, but has yet to identify it. However because Alex is assisting him, and happens to have a high lore skill, it makes matters much easier.
[ Such challenges like Forensics and Lore identification take the form of a mini-game, with the higher the skill the easier for the player to complete the game.
In the case of the Forensic game, I envision a somewhat macabre exploration of the corpse's organs and physiology. The higher the skill the more organs and physiological aspects already identified. Organs and elements that remain to be identified take the form of a blacked out area on the Forensic Chart. Players can then attempt to extrapolate the creature from a given set of possible selections - the higher the Lore skill the fewer the selections. Should the players get it wrong they can try again of course, but with the usual cool down penalties in effect. Players with high enough skill bonuses can essentially auto-resolve for a 100% success if the challenge is easy enough.
The whole point of the above mechanism is to give players who may not have a high enough skill rating to use their own brains to try and solve the challenge without resorting to an arbitrary failure or "cannot be done" message. This will not be possible in every case, as some basic requirements will still need to be met, but at least it provides an option.]
Phil succeeds in his attempt. The creature happens to be a Ghoul and its sub-variant. The Players' Mythos compendium now updates itself with the relevant information.
[Information in the form of the above is always useful. Since it reduces the chances of failing sanity checks later on, and provides details on the creature's resistances and weaknesses and so forth. Sub-variant information provides additional information with regard to the strengths and weaknesses of that sub-type. Information can also be bought and sold as reports to NPC or other Players, so that agents have a stream of revenue or an asset to trade.]
Jake(Hard Case /TL): Ok cool. That will actually come in handy. Most likely that there is more than one of them, so lets press on. Ok as before I will take point, Harry you bring up the rear.[footnote]If the players had remained in the crypt after the original encounter with the Ghoul, the passage way will have three additional ghouls waiting for them, snce they left the crypt right after, the body of Ezikiel is gone and the passage way is empty. Each encounter or decision tree has some reprecussion down the road. More on this later[/footnote]
The passageway goes on for some distance, they arrive at a door that has been bolted from the outside.
Jake: Tom can you blast it open?
Tom : Yeah sure. Give me a moment, everyone head back some ways.
Tom sets a demolition pack against the door, and sets the time for 30 real time seconds. He is successful in setting the charge, and in 30 seconds it explodes as expected.
Jake: Ok lets go.
The Team find themselves on the sea shore coming out in a small cove, just behind them from where they emerged from the hidden entry way is an overhanging cliff. Checking their maps, they realize that they have come up near the Corbin manor which is located on top of the Cliff above. Nearby is winding pathway that leads up the cliff toward the Manor.
Phil: OK. I think we are getting close. Err... anyone else get the feeling that we are walking into something?
Tom: Yeah well, meter is ticking, and I quite frankly don't want to be around when it goes into orange.
Jake: Lets move, no point delaying the inevitable.
Proceeding to the top of the Cliff they arrive near the Manor. The top floors seem to be gutted with roof caved in, only the lower floor seems to be intact. There are no signs of activity around. The team heads in. A behind the screen Listen roll is triggered, and the roll for everyone happens to succeed. The sound of movement and perhaps conversation seems to be coming from below.
Jake: The Log says its coming from below. A cellar maybe?
Tom: Great. Another cramped space. Good thing none of us here is Claustrophobic.
Harry: Ok I found the Cellar door, how do we do this?
Jake: Lets try and quietly sneak in, and this time try and get the drop on whatever is in there.
Alex: Sun is going down we better hurry.
Phil: We still have some time on the meter. But yes, lets move, BAD things tend to happen whenever the sun goes down.
The Team makes it way down the cellar. Heading down the short stairway, they enter a large room, filled with the detritus and broken down pieces of old furniture. A spot and listen check points out there are signs of something being dragged to the far wall, which happens to be a false wall currently ajar, through which there is another door, and also there is the sound of some guttural chanting from behind the door.
Jake: Ok places everyone, light level is decent so we dont need the torches, we can bring out the heavy stuff.
[A note on Light levels: In order to provide an indicator as to varying degrees of light and how they will affect player rolls, I envision a small Thief-like indicator that brightens or darkens to reflect ambient light level. Mousing over the indicator provides detailed information in terms of a specific rating that affects player rolls. For example: A Poor rating would carry a minus three penalty to all spot, search hidden or other visual investigation roles. Combat is not factored, since it is a manual affair which then takes into account damage and spread etc.]
The Team arms themselves. Tom with a machine gun, Harry with two pistols, Alex pulls out a baton in one hand and an Artifact of some kind in the other, Phil takes out a shot gun and Jake likewise follows. Everyone flanks each side of the door, and then Jake get into position to open it.
Jake: Ready?
Tom: Go.
Jake interacts with the door which opens, quickly moving in they are confronted by three ghouls who are blocking their path. The chamber seems to be part study part congregation hall. On the far side of the room on a raised Dias, a fourth Ghoul in purple robes is chanting over the corpse of Ezikiel Corbin which is laid upon an altar.
The ghouls attack - Sanity checks are rolled for each agent and they all succeed - having grown accustomed as to what to expect and drawing some insight from the autopsy, they gain bonuses to their sanity checks. The Ghouls have no unique weaknesses or strengths, being only vaguely sentient by human standards they do not use firearms preferring rather to use only their claws and fangs in combat.
Alex activates his Artifact, a thin beam of azure light shoots out from the artifact striking the far left ghoul which fails its save, taking full damage. The ghoul disintegrates, and Alex is prompted that his Artifact has gained a experience point. A second behind the screen role is triggered however, and this causes Alex to experience a sanity attack - fortunately this time he does not fail the Sanity check and is unaffected.
Jake opens fire on the middle of the three ghouls and scores a direct hit, which turns into a critical. The ghoul falls down dead. The final ghoul is likewise dispatched by Phil and Harry.
When the final ghoul dies, there is a flash from the Dias. the dessicated corpse of Ezekiel seems to disappear, and the floor of the chamber turns red with blood that overflows from the Altar.
Sanity checks are once again rolled. Everyone but Tom succeeds, and it causes Tom to hallucinate that he is drowning. Tom's screen changes, his avatar finds himself looking through a murky sea, his controls turns sluggish as though he walking on the bottom of the ocean and can no longer use his abilities.
Meanwhile, the Robed Ghoul screeches something and runs through what seems to be another cellar located behind the dais.
Jake: Ok people lets take our bearings. Tom you snapped out of it yet?
Tom: Yeah I have, but I have developed a moderate phobia dammit.
Phil: What is it?
Tom: Necrophobia - fear of the dead.
Harry: Ouch. That's bad. Way things are going you will be seeing a lot more dead people.
Tom: Yep. May need to switch out to another agent.
Jake: I dont think we can risk having the current agent along. It will probably cause problems later.
Phil: Yes but you forget, Transit point is down. We will have to clear the road block first.
Jake looks at the Mythos meter. It is more than halfway to the next level.
Jake: We may be able to do this, but just barely. If we head over to the road block right away and then Tom can switch agents while we gear up.
Phil: Shouldn't we take a look and see whats around here first? There is a desk and some old books and stuff.
Jake: Yeah lets do it quick.
The team begins searching through the various items and furniture in the room. On the book shelf there are multiple arcane tomes.
[These tomes which can be looted and stored for future use. These tomes may provide access to new spells, specific lore or even new investigations. The tomes can also be traded if the investigator so wishes.]
Alex: Ohh nice. I may be able to learn a new spell or something.
Jake: Yeah but don't risk it now! We already have one mental case at the moment.
Tom: Thanks a lot.
Phil: Hey there is something on the desk. Seems like an old map of some kind.
Accessing the map, the Team's journal is updated. It seems there is a network of tunnels below the manor accessible from the same stairs behind the dais through which the robed ghoul ran into.
Alex: And down we go... Ugh. Anyway before we go any further suggest we deal with the Transit point first.
Jake: Agreed.
The team heads back to town and then proceeds to the roadblock.. the meter draws close to the next level.
. I'm looking forward to the next update, put life aside for it man!
