Great video! When I ran the Lightless Beacon for my friends, I researched for other newbie scenarios. How you talk and adore The Haunting makes me wish I had you as a Keeper. I didn't have a great time with The Haunting as a player. So I believe that if the Keeper enjoys power tripping, The Haunting would be such a dangerous first scenario. I mean, our Keeper locked us in the house and withheld so much information. When you talked about letting players research, I never felt so vindicated. I'm so using your video as reference when I feel like I can run the Haunting!
@runawayfromtoads674 Hiya! I'm extremely touched to hear that! Thank you. But I'm just another doofus who loves roleplaying and anyone who does that can run games well. Always great to hear someone picking up the torch to be a Keeper for CoC. Lightless Beacon is an ace module. Sorry to hear your The Haunting player experience was dampened. Your comment actually sparked a conversation between my wife and I all about the unfortunate instinct GMs can get to bash the players onto the "right" path. In theory, they mean well as they want you to have the "best" story but in practice it's bad times all round. I wish you well for when you run it and without arbitrary lock-ins.
Maybe Knott won the house in a bet. Or LOST it in a bet or lost it after putting it up as collateral and the debtor is a mobster whos mad that his new house is worthless.
SUPERB video. Let's clarify something...ALL PLAYERS HAVE TO DO is just show that the house isn't haunted so he can rent the place. EASY... AND he is paying 20$ A DAY. Remind your players that this is equivalent to 235.00$ in today's money..A DAY!!! I wish someone would pay me 235$ a day to show a house isn't haunted. THAT should be motivation enough (to start!)...JUST REMIND THE PLAYERS ITS THAT MUCH!
Maybe I misunderstood, but pg. 31 of the scenario describes the “special” quality of finding the knife (and gaining control of it) with a pretty huge payoff for this scenario. I love the idea of adding some ongoing attributes as an artifact, though!
@@dezert7685 Heya! You're absolutely correct about the paragraph on p.31 about it being able to "quickly" dispatch that person. I originally recorded a few lines about this paragraph being written a bit vague and how it leads to confusion what quickly means. a) If meaning instant, it has a "golden snitch" effect where it can put all the battle instawin on a single roll at the start of combat. If not used, the knife remains seeming unspectacular. b) If meaning it just skips flesh ward, which is a very specific use if just that but could be awesome if it bypasses all magic defenses, though perhaps too awesome and also not something in the knife's description. c) If meaning it is the only way of finishing him off its okay but still leaves the knife without any qualities of its own going forward. d) It just meaning that it will help dispatch him, regardless of his control of it (my reading). Again if that's the case the knife is nothing special then or afterwards. In the end I cut the lines explaining it because 1) Though unintentional, it came a bit bitchy to critique the phrasing (I similarly had a section about disagreeing with Seth's use of Jack the guiding NPC that was meant to be lighthearted but also got cut for sounding bitchy. I don't want to be another snarky RPG guy.) 2) I was really awkward and waffly explaining it, distracting from my main point about giving the knife importance and showing it BEFORE the fight, in case the group haven't met the Macarios. 3) The vid was getting LONG. Original cut was 45 minutes! But you are ABSOLUTELY correct and I am glad you pointed it out. I would very much like to see that paragraph cleaned up on future printings. And thank you for both watching the vid and your kind words about making the knife an artifact! Edge of Darkness tips is coming soon. Currently butchering that edit down. It's still at 40 minutes and I need to learn to shush!
I’m really looking forward to your Edge of Darkness video! I loved this entire video and honestly would have stuck around if it was 45 min long! I’m running this scenario for the first time and trying to absorb all of the keeper tips and tricks. Thanks for putting this out!
With the blackmail angle I think the players might meet up and start plotting against Knot. The first time I ran The Haunting (back in the 1990s) the players were such cowards the NPCs had to force them back in at gunpoint. My current group didn't really need much motivation. With my current group everyone was part of a club that was into the Spiritualism that was popular at the time. If they wanted to get into the club's inner circle and access the resources they had to investigate something weird.
@@danmorgan3685 Good point! I do admit it is a worry they'll want to turn on Knott if he's holding favours over them. It's something I have worried about! But hasn't happened on a run...yet. One thing I think stops the rebellion is If the promise is to wipe the slate clean (e.g cancel debts, burn incriminating evidence, consider matters closed) doing this job is a lot easier than trying to take Knott on. Especially if doing so would just cause more trouble for them. After recording I did also remember something I forgot to mention I did on my last run, which was to promise the players a share of the house sale if they did this. I WISH I had included that! Definitely lessens the resentment.
@@therocketboost Yeah, a cut of the sale would provide them with a really strong incentive. Of course that would also obligate you to look up housing prices in Boston during the 1920s.
@@danmorgan3685 As a one shot, you can largely handwave the exact amount and offer a percentage, since they're never cashing it in! But as an ongoing campaign, there's fortunately a list of real estate prices in the core book on page 396. As someone who obsesses over a lot of period detail, I think getting more accurate house prices might be my limit haha.
This is a great breakdown/guide, but I have to disagree with the money not being a great motivator. In 1921 (roughly the year the adventure is set in based on some of the research you can find), $20 dollars would have been roughly $350 by today's standards. I guess if you are splitting it with other people it might be a little bit rough, but that's about $1,750 to $2,450 for a work week give or take weekends.
@doomcrab4271 Heya! I actually mention that it is a lot of money, so I do understand what you mean. However, I think it's not that guaranteed to be gripping unless a player character has getting rich as their ideology or desperately need money. For some players, cash and coin is a huge driver, for others, not so much. Appreciate your comment tho, as well for providing some more detail to the cash values (I should have included those!).
A fun scene is if the players ask mr Knott what is in the basement, to which he replies, "NOTHIN! THERE AINT NOTHING IN THE BASEMENT AND YOU AINT GOT NOW BUSINESS DOWN THERE ANYWAY!! STAY OUT! STAY OUT! (Reference: the shining by Stanley Kubrick, when Danny asks doc whats in room 237. Watch the actual scene for inspiration.)
Mr Knott is very old, and rich. A 70 something year old man isn't gonna do this. Also, he hires "outside people" because their REPUTATIONS are expendable. His isn't. His peoples isn't. If players go there directly nothing happens. (Unless they start to uncover clues!)...besides, knott makes the mission clear: PROVE ITS NIT HAUNTED...the answer is in the RESEARCH, not the house itself. (Knot has obviously been there and seen nothing unusual.). I also place the scenerio in the winter!! The snow makes life more interesting for investigators....
Great video! When I ran the Lightless Beacon for my friends, I researched for other newbie scenarios. How you talk and adore The Haunting makes me wish I had you as a Keeper.
I didn't have a great time with The Haunting as a player. So I believe that if the Keeper enjoys power tripping, The Haunting would be such a dangerous first scenario. I mean, our Keeper locked us in the house and withheld so much information. When you talked about letting players research, I never felt so vindicated. I'm so using your video as reference when I feel like I can run the Haunting!
@runawayfromtoads674 Hiya! I'm extremely touched to hear that! Thank you. But I'm just another doofus who loves roleplaying and anyone who does that can run games well. Always great to hear someone picking up the torch to be a Keeper for CoC. Lightless Beacon is an ace module. Sorry to hear your The Haunting player experience was dampened. Your comment actually sparked a conversation between my wife and I all about the unfortunate instinct GMs can get to bash the players onto the "right" path. In theory, they mean well as they want you to have the "best" story but in practice it's bad times all round. I wish you well for when you run it and without arbitrary lock-ins.
Great Ideas! I am about run this for the third time with new players. Thanks!
No problem! I'd love to know how the changes compare, good or bad! Thanks
Maybe Knott won the house in a bet. Or LOST it in a bet or lost it after putting it up as collateral and the debtor is a mobster whos mad that his new house is worthless.
SUPERB video. Let's clarify something...ALL PLAYERS HAVE TO DO is just show that the house isn't haunted so he can rent the place. EASY... AND he is paying 20$ A DAY. Remind your players that this is equivalent to 235.00$ in today's money..A DAY!!! I wish someone would pay me 235$ a day to show a house isn't haunted. THAT should be motivation enough (to start!)...JUST REMIND THE PLAYERS ITS THAT MUCH!
Appreciate the sound effects during the plot lol! I was the one in my group to get flung out the video after the bed attacked me 😅
That bed is a menace! Thank you.
Well done video! Looking forward to more in the series!
@@sirguy6678 I'm blushing. Thank you.
Solid advice right here, mate.
Kind of you to say! Look forward to making more.
@@therocketboost I'm looking forward to you _posting_ more!
Very handy, thank you.
@@kokokakanomane You're very welcome! Next episode is in the final edit stages.
Is that Tim Curry in "Clue"? He was epic in Psych; 'American Duos'.
@@doylemoulder5590 It is indeed! Tim Curry is the absolute standout of the cast, which is impressive because its a hell of a cast.
Maybe I misunderstood, but pg. 31 of the scenario describes the “special” quality of finding the knife (and gaining control of it) with a pretty huge payoff for this scenario. I love the idea of adding some ongoing attributes as an artifact, though!
@@dezert7685 Heya! You're absolutely correct about the paragraph on p.31 about it being able to "quickly" dispatch that person. I originally recorded a few lines about this paragraph being written a bit vague and how it leads to confusion what quickly means.
a) If meaning instant, it has a "golden snitch" effect where it can put all the battle instawin on a single roll at the start of combat. If not used, the knife remains seeming unspectacular.
b) If meaning it just skips flesh ward, which is a very specific use if just that but could be awesome if it bypasses all magic defenses, though perhaps too awesome and also not something in the knife's description.
c) If meaning it is the only way of finishing him off its okay but still leaves the knife without any qualities of its own going forward.
d) It just meaning that it will help dispatch him, regardless of his control of it (my reading). Again if that's the case the knife is nothing special then or afterwards.
In the end I cut the lines explaining it because
1) Though unintentional, it came a bit bitchy to critique the phrasing (I similarly had a section about disagreeing with Seth's use of Jack the guiding NPC that was meant to be lighthearted but also got cut for sounding bitchy. I don't want to be another snarky RPG guy.)
2) I was really awkward and waffly explaining it, distracting from my main point about giving the knife importance and showing it BEFORE the fight, in case the group haven't met the Macarios.
3) The vid was getting LONG. Original cut was 45 minutes!
But you are ABSOLUTELY correct and I am glad you pointed it out. I would very much like to see that paragraph cleaned up on future printings. And thank you for both watching the vid and your kind words about making the knife an artifact!
Edge of Darkness tips is coming soon. Currently butchering that edit down. It's still at 40 minutes and I need to learn to shush!
I’m really looking forward to your Edge of Darkness video! I loved this entire video and honestly would have stuck around if it was 45 min long! I’m running this scenario for the first time and trying to absorb all of the keeper tips and tricks. Thanks for putting this out!
Thank you for an awesome video. It is quite helpful!!!
@SanJacintoArtGuild Cheers! Glad to be of help.
@dezert7685 The Edge of Darkness video came out by the way!
With the blackmail angle I think the players might meet up and start plotting against Knot. The first time I ran The Haunting (back in the 1990s) the players were such cowards the NPCs had to force them back in at gunpoint. My current group didn't really need much motivation.
With my current group everyone was part of a club that was into the Spiritualism that was popular at the time. If they wanted to get into the club's inner circle and access the resources they had to investigate something weird.
@@danmorgan3685 Good point! I do admit it is a worry they'll want to turn on Knott if he's holding favours over them. It's something I have worried about! But hasn't happened on a run...yet.
One thing I think stops the rebellion is If the promise is to wipe the slate clean (e.g cancel debts, burn incriminating evidence, consider matters closed) doing this job is a lot easier than trying to take Knott on. Especially if doing so would just cause more trouble for them.
After recording I did also remember something I forgot to mention I did on my last run, which was to promise the players a share of the house sale if they did this. I WISH I had included that! Definitely lessens the resentment.
@@therocketboost Yeah, a cut of the sale would provide them with a really strong incentive. Of course that would also obligate you to look up housing prices in Boston during the 1920s.
@@danmorgan3685 As a one shot, you can largely handwave the exact amount and offer a percentage, since they're never cashing it in! But as an ongoing campaign, there's fortunately a list of real estate prices in the core book on page 396. As someone who obsesses over a lot of period detail, I think getting more accurate house prices might be my limit haha.
@@therocketboost I forgot about that. The base book does have a lot of info.
@@danmorgan3685 Honestly, a marvelous book. The only gripe I have with it is the inconsistent art style, and that is so very very minor.
This is a great breakdown/guide, but I have to disagree with the money not being a great motivator. In 1921 (roughly the year the adventure is set in based on some of the research you can find), $20 dollars would have been roughly $350 by today's standards. I guess if you are splitting it with other people it might be a little bit rough, but that's about $1,750 to $2,450 for a work week give or take weekends.
@doomcrab4271 Heya! I actually mention that it is a lot of money, so I do understand what you mean. However, I think it's not that guaranteed to be gripping unless a player character has getting rich as their ideology or desperately need money. For some players, cash and coin is a huge driver, for others, not so much. Appreciate your comment tho, as well for providing some more detail to the cash values (I should have included those!).
“The haunting “ is a hold over from the “Dungeons & Dragons “ types of games- in the beginning, CoC was D&D with shotguns and dynamite 🧨
A fun scene is if the players ask mr Knott what is in the basement, to which he replies, "NOTHIN! THERE AINT NOTHING IN THE BASEMENT AND YOU AINT GOT NOW BUSINESS DOWN THERE ANYWAY!! STAY OUT! STAY OUT! (Reference: the shining by Stanley Kubrick, when Danny asks doc whats in room 237. Watch the actual scene for inspiration.)
Mr Knott is very old, and rich. A 70 something year old man isn't gonna do this. Also, he hires "outside people" because their REPUTATIONS are expendable. His isn't. His peoples isn't. If players go there directly nothing happens. (Unless they start to uncover clues!)...besides, knott makes the mission clear: PROVE ITS NIT HAUNTED...the answer is in the RESEARCH, not the house itself. (Knot has obviously been there and seen nothing unusual.). I also place the scenerio in the winter!! The snow makes life more interesting for investigators....