I am planning out a CoC campaign combining several campaign books and it strikes me that investigators are very unlikely to succeed even one of them, much less 3. So my idea is to have 3 campaigns, 1890s, 1920s and 1990s all linked by viahistory and their backer.
The only thing that i can think of capable of being a backer and survive is a Serpent Man wizard. It would be knowledgeable enough to guide them, can operate in human society, knows enough to be a threat to major mythos entities and actually shares humans desire to save earth.
It also has the means to raise the money to fight something like NWI via corporate warfare, the knowledge to tell Einstein how to split the atom and replace politicians. I've got a pretty good idea of how i will handle it especially how to prevent it becoming a deus ex machina but how to deal with the investigators knowing what it is? If (most) of them knew the Serpent man was fighting for 'Earth' do you think they could tolerate working for it?
"Hey it's the boss, i don't know if you new guys read your dad's diary from the good old days but this is Franz Ferdinand, Nikola Tesla and your next President"
"But Professor, that is....
>Donald Trump shapeshifts into a 500 lb Lizard monster
"Letsssss makkke Americca Great Agaiiinn...."
When you get down to it, Serpent men are Earthlings. This is their planet as well. Yes they have contempt for us but we are their best option for mounting some sort of defense under their guidance.
Just not sure how to convince players that generations of their families are going to fight and die in the name of Thula Doom and it is a good thing. I'll be changing his name of course.
>>44402814
If you haven't already, check out The Cruel Empire of Tsan Chan, it's the only sourcebook I've seen that plausibly has mythos races working alongside humanityhttp://www.mediafire.com/view/bk27ecncatqtvcc/Call_of_Cthulhu_-_The_Cruel_Empire_of_Tsan-Chan.pdf
>>44402886
Thanks, let me check it out.
My original question still stands, how to get investigators to cooperate with something like a Serpent Man without them attacking him on sight and him him vaporizing them .
I just skimmed your download, if i don't use it as my official future history it will be a possible future the Serpent Man sees. Brings up the question: Do Serpent Men visit the Dreamlands of Earth?
>>44402886
Oh thank you nameless one, this is as a most useful download.
>>44402814
> knows enough to be a threat to major mythos entities and actually shares humans desire to save earth.
>threat to major mythos entities
Overall the idea sounds workable, but be aware you'll be pretty much abandoning any chance at the "classic" tone in favor of a more pulpy game. Not that that's a bad thing, existential terror isn't as potent nowadays when such fears are mainstream.
>>44403025
Put the players in a situation where an anonymous benefactor either seriously helps them out or even saves their lives. Then reveal said benefactor was lizard man.
This may only be the start of trust depending on your group however. I know if I were in their shoes I'd assume Lizardman set it all up to play us as pawns. Maybe use the momentary good will to drop his sympathetic motives?
>>44403095
Most notably, i now know who my serpent man shall become in 2015: Kim Jong Un,
>>44403155
>Put the players in a situation where an anonymous benefactor either seriously helps them out or even saves their lives. Then reveal said benefactor was lizard man
I intend a 1890s, 1920s, 1990s and 2300 campaign, by the time the Raid on Innsmouth happens he will control significant portions of the US government. Delta Green not so much and Area 51 not at all without PC help.
>This may only be the start of trust depending on your group however. I know if I were in their shoes I'd assume Lizardman set it all up to play us as pawns. Maybe use the momentary good will to drop his sympathetic motives?
They are all his pawns, as well as their families for centuries. He has total contempt for them and the only way they can gain his favor is to prove their usefulness as pawns for the greater good of this planet.
I intend to play him as ruthlessly logical, arrogant but capable of recognizing loyalty. If you take a hit for him or you watch his back he will reward you and not abandon you since you are a useful servant. I also intend for him to tolerate and defer to humans who show more knowledge than him in a particular subject. He will show deference to Einstein or Tesla if they are talking about atomic theory, he recognizes that they know more than him. But you will need to be a Einstein or a Tesla to hold a extended conversation with him, he knows alot.
>>44403328
Yeah, but how are you going to sell this to the players themselves? It's easy to justify stuff in-setting, but it's rare to have players who go by such logical things. Many will question "is having an only seemingly-beneficial lizard who doesn't like us in charge a good idea (who's backing up his word)?" or "well what has he done for me?". Unless you're just going to have them role up as Black Op agents who already are acclimatized to things like friendly lizardmen.
Or maybe you just have a better group than I do? All I know is if mine saw a lizard man (seeming ally or no) secretly controlling the US government they'd go Boothe or Oswald.
Just to be clear, I'm not trying to trounce the idea, I think it'd be cool. But if you have CoC vets here, they will likely be unwilling to trust any such entity, and quick to molotov them, so you'll have to compensate.
Maybe if later generations of characters are brought into the fold by the older PCs? Sill no idea how first contact would work though.
>>44403450
>>44403450
The 1890s investigators will have no real idea what is going on, the 1920s decedents will get some understanding. At least one 1990s investigator will be a Secret Service member who know what the President is.
Understand, not only do i plan for the 'modern day' Serpent Man President of the USA to be in complete control of the USA when he takes over but he will direct it's resources accordingly. The Gulf War was an excuse for him to use tactical nukes against temples of Nyarlathtep. Those restrictions against Muslims traveling? A cover so he could round up everyone with the deep one taint.
>
Maybe if later generations of characters are brought into the fold by the older PCs? Sill no idea how first contact would work though.
Treat them as interns maybe? Tell them that Trump doesn't want to eat a normal lunch, he wants 6 live rats to snack on and a cat and see how they react to him eating his lunch.
>>44403450
>how are you going to sell this to the players themselves?
Well that is the main problem isn't it?
How do i convince generations of investigators that this nearly omnipotent 75 million year old shape shifting reptile monster is really on the side of Earth? Yeah he is a total asshole when it comes to expending human lives but he does care about humanity.
If all humans die then he has no servants and no defenders. He is helpless without humans. So he is fanatically devoted to their survival as the last chance for his own species. .
>>44404752
You gotta understand, most players aren't logical. The Lizardman has gotta do something for them (even if it's just a blatant psychological play rather than affection). Have them receive massive pay bonuses, fire support ordered from on-high when they need it. Lizardman has to be gregarious, even if it's just to get trust.
>>44402814
that's retarded, you're retarded
