Monster Hunters by Gaslight - Whitechapel, London, Hell?

[Dalillama]

Originally Posted by Icelander

*Which is either a hotel, if there are any suitable ones for a couple of months stay in London before the opening of the Savoy, or a rented furnished apartment.

There should be; Claridge's opened in 1812 as Mivart's, and was sufficiently luxurious to host the Empress of France. It was later bought out by the Savoy Group in 1894.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by Dalillama

There should be; Claridge's opened in 1812 as Mivart's, and was sufficiently luxurious to host the Empress of France. It was later bought out by the Savoy Group in 1894.

Excellent, thank you. Of course, it lacks en suite bathrooms at the time, which were an innovation when the Savoy introduced them in hotel rooms, but I guess it still doesn't count as roughing it.

Does anyone know about historical prices? At modern prices, 'only' Wealthy people wouldn't stay at top-notch hotels for months, but the relative value of luxury lodging seems to have been lower in the past (other things are so much cheaper for us comparatively).

A furnished apartment may be a more reasonable choice. Whichever better suits Status 2 CoL for a character without non-portable assets.

[Polydamas]

Originally Posted by Icelander

Does anyone know about historical prices? At modern prices, 'only' Wealthy people wouldn't stay at top-notch hotels for months, but the relative value of luxury lodging seems to have been lower in the past (other things are so much cheaper for us comparatively).

Depending on your time and cash budget, I suspect that there are guides to Sherlock Holmes' London or to writing Late Victorian fiction with a lot of these details. The reliability probably varies, but they should be good enough for gaming purposes ...

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by Polydamas

Depending on your time and cash budget, I suspect that there are guides to Sherlock Holmes' London or to writing Late Victorian fiction with a lot of these details. The reliability probably varies, but they should be good enough for gaming purposes ...

If it saves me significant time and/or adds enjoyment, I can drop a hundred bucks or so on the campaign. More if the books are interesting in themselves or can be useful in other campaigns.

Does anyone have suggestions for things to buy? Preferably available in some electronic form, as shipping takes a month or more.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

I do a bi-monthly installment on my blog of various critters you can use. Comes with Monster Hunters stats too. You can find them here.

Interesting.

Would you say that any of these were especially suitable as the result of humans, animals or mundane objects typically found in the East End of London being twisted into horrific shapes or forms by an abundance of life energy, but not life as we know it? With a side order of undeath and a garnish of Evulz?

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Icelander

Interesting.

Would you say that any of these were especially suitable as the result of humans, animals or mundane objects typically found in the East End of London being twisted into horrific shapes or forms by an abundance of life energy, but not life as we know it? With a side order of undeath and a garnish of Evulz?

Considering many of them are Cthulhu-ish monsters...sure. You could even twist them about. For instance, Animated Scarecrows could become some form of golem or demonically infested garbage pile or even a mass of clothing from a clothesline. Shan'tac's could be something your players deal with as some sort of mutant beast escaped from a menagerie or just a mutated horse.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

Considering many of them are Cthulhu-ish monsters...sure. You could even twist them about. For instance, Animated Scarecrows could become some form of golem or demonically infested garbage pile or even a mass of clothing from a clothesline. Shan'tac's could be something your players deal with as some sort of mutant beast escaped from a menagerie or just a mutated horse.

Those are great ideas!

I was worried that they were too specific to source material that I wasn't using*, but little tweaks like that make them just right.

Apart from the classic shaggy ones, what other monsters would you associate with a horrific take on the Great God Pan? Or could result from a surge of life that comes from a place where no life should be?

Do you have ideas for similar twists for more of these monsters? Or using the stats of something from Monster Hunters: Enemies, with a new origin and skin?

*And I've already got quite a bit in the blender, so thematic consistency will have to receive some nods.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Icelander

Those are great ideas!

I was worried that they were too specific to source material that I wasn't using*, but little tweaks like that make them just right.

Apart from the classic shaggy ones, what other monsters would you associate with a horrific take on the Great God Pan? Or could result from a surge of life that comes from a place where no life should be?

Do you have ideas for similar twists for more of these monsters? Or using the stats of something from Monster Hunters: Enemies, with a new origin and skin?

*And I've already got quite a bit in the blender, so thematic consistency will have to receive some nods.

Hmmm, differently the lycanthropes. Consider using fast zombies as those who have gotten in touch with their animal sides and are now cursed (change their type to shapeshifter). You could use the beetle form of the Mummy as a giant insect. The possibilities are pretty endless really. :-)

[VulpesFulva]

Heck use Velociraptors and "skin" them as Dire Chickens or similar.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by VulpesFulva

Heck use Velociraptors and "skin" them as Dire Chickens or similar.

Hmmm... while that much of a size increase seems egrerious, just demonic chickens has possibilities. If they're faster, fiercer and stronger than they've any right to be, as well as being small, agile and hard to hit, they could be a significant and oddly horrific threat. Who wants to have his tendons pecked out while he's trying to defend himself from a flying gargoyle or a Spring-Heeled Jack?