Black School Days

isf · 08-14-2009, 05:02 PM

I'm going to be starting a Cabal campaign using the Black School Days framework (pg 86). I'd like to set it in the US in the US in 2007. The characters will all be starting their first term. I want to run this with a fair amount of horror and I'd like to play up the conspiratorial and secrecy elements of the game.

I'm looking for suggestions for npc's, events and locations in particular though any comments are welcome. Cultural references and in jokes are also appreciated; I'm going to work in some kind of Scooby Doo reference somewhere even if is just in passing. I plan on going through IOU for ideas though the silly campaign wouldn't work.

NPC's
Joseph Roddan or Anna Dale: School Janitor: Master/Mistress of Rats, (Mind Control, Possession and Ally group) [Joey and Roddan are both slang for rats, annadale is a rat species]
Pomona Smith: Head gardener: Acolyte of Vertumnus who is trying to summon an avatar of the god [Pomona is part of the Vertumnus legend]
Ingvar (or Inga): School doctor necromancer/healer with an urge to experiment [Ingvar is the root name for Igor].

Curriculum
Liberal Arts
Occultism (specializations optional)
Astronomy and Astrology
Alchemy
Languages
Hidden Lores
Magic

Locations
the Pentagon (stolen from IOU, but has no magical significance)
Arkham House
Library- with the obligatory special collections
Museum- with ancient near east collections
Gymnasium set up for some nonhuman students
Labyrinth either a topiary maze or steam tunnels

Events
The usual holidays
Unusual Pagan holidays
13 august, Vertumnalia
magically potent times
Solstices and equinoxes and other astrological events.

Rules

Magic
I like there to be many paths to power and plenty of opportunities for corruption and ill considered short cuts.
Magery based magic traditionally allows spells to be learned and cast in two ways. Ritual magic uses college based skills and spells as techniques for flexible slow (*10 casting time) casting. Battle magic (need a better name) has spells learned in the standard spell as skill system but is much faster.
Power Investiture exists for many Briahic gods and other forces.
Demonic Black Magic is an option though it is rarely legal.
Qluippothic magic requires a secret and will be harshly punished if discovered.
Alchemy and equivalent enchantment is known and practiced though it is often viewed as more of a trade than an art.

capnq · 08-14-2009, 10:43 PM

Mundane school cafeteria food can cause fright checks. One of my college roommates was rushing through and spotted the word "Parmesan" on the menu, but not the word before it, which was "Eggplant". He was really disturbed at the color of the "veal" when he cut it open. Our campus store sold T-shirts that read "I survived Skibo Cafeteria" with a skull and crossed dirty silverware.

IOU has the Borgia Center (p.76) for you to draw on. "Mystery meat" can get really exotic, as can food fights.

arnej · 08-14-2009, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by capnq

[i]IOU has the Borgia Center (p.76) for you to draw on. "Mystery meat" can get really exotic, as can food fights.

For this in real life, check out the cafeteria at CU Boulder, the Alferd Packer Grill, named for the only American ever convicted of cannibalism.

Arnej

RedMattis · 08-15-2009, 01:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by capnq

"Mystery meat"

"Mystery Meat?" Fallout reference?

carllarson · 08-15-2009, 03:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedMattis

"Mystery Meat?" Fallout reference?

Pretty sure we had mystery meat when I was in Junior High, and that predates small computers, let alone video games.

isf · 08-15-2009, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carllarson

Pretty sure we had mystery meat when I was in Junior High, and that predates small computers, let alone video games.

Yes, mystery meat has been around for a while. Given that some of the student body has very different dietary requirements, I think that the food issues should provide a lot of color and some creepiness.

isf · 08-15-2009, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arnej

For this in real life, check out the cafeteria at CU Boulder, the Alferd Packer Grill, named for the only American ever convicted of cannibalism.

Arnej

Maybe I'll have an ALferd Packer Cabal that is trying to find magical uses for cannibalism; summoning/creating/manifesting a wendigo sounds like a good start :)

capnq · 08-16-2009, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedMattis

"Mystery Meat?" Fallout reference?

Never played that. Mystery meat is quite old student slang.

08-14-2009, 05:02 PM	#1
isf Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Jacksonville, AR	Black School Days I'm going to be starting a Cabal campaign using the Black School Days framework (pg 86). I'd like to set it in the US in the US in 2007. The characters will all be starting their first term. I want to run this with a fair amount of horror and I'd like to play up the conspiratorial and secrecy elements of the game. I'm looking for suggestions for npc's, events and locations in particular though any comments are welcome. Cultural references and in jokes are also appreciated; I'm going to work in some kind of Scooby Doo reference somewhere even if is just in passing. I plan on going through IOU for ideas though the silly campaign wouldn't work. NPC's Joseph Roddan or Anna Dale: School Janitor: Master/Mistress of Rats, (Mind Control, Possession and Ally group) [Joey and Roddan are both slang for rats, annadale is a rat species] Pomona Smith: Head gardener: Acolyte of Vertumnus who is trying to summon an avatar of the god [Pomona is part of the Vertumnus legend] Ingvar (or Inga): School doctor necromancer/healer with an urge to experiment [Ingvar is the root name for Igor]. Curriculum Liberal Arts Occultism (specializations optional) Astronomy and Astrology Alchemy Languages Hidden Lores Magic Locations the Pentagon (stolen from IOU, but has no magical significance) Arkham House Library- with the obligatory special collections Museum- with ancient near east collections Gymnasium set up for some nonhuman students Labyrinth either a topiary maze or steam tunnels Events The usual holidays Unusual Pagan holidays 13 august, Vertumnalia magically potent times Solstices and equinoxes and other astrological events. Rules Magic I like there to be many paths to power and plenty of opportunities for corruption and ill considered short cuts. Magery based magic traditionally allows spells to be learned and cast in two ways. Ritual magic uses college based skills and spells as techniques for flexible slow (*10 casting time) casting. Battle magic (need a better name) has spells learned in the standard spell as skill system but is much faster. Power Investiture exists for many Briahic gods and other forces. Demonic Black Magic is an option though it is rarely legal. Qluippothic magic requires a secret and will be harshly punished if discovered. Alchemy and equivalent enchantment is known and practiced though it is often viewed as more of a trade than an art. __________________ Travis Foster

08-14-2009, 10:43 PM	#2
capnq Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Pittsburgh PA USA	Re: Black School Days Mundane school cafeteria food can cause fright checks. One of my college roommates was rushing through and spotted the word "Parmesan" on the menu, but not the word before it, which was "Eggplant". He was really disturbed at the color of the "veal" when he cut it open. Our campus store sold T-shirts that read "I survived Skibo Cafeteria" with a skull and crossed dirty silverware. IOU has the Borgia Center (p.76) for you to draw on. "Mystery meat" can get really exotic, as can food fights. __________________ Cap'n Q When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained. -- Mark Twain

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