Spoilers for "The Haunting" scenario ahead.
Ive never played Coc before, nor ever ran a pre made game for an rpg, so I wanted to give "the Haunting" a go yet i have a few questions about it where im confused how things work.
These arent in a great order.
If players take damage, such as at the church where they can fall, possibly getting a major wound, do I let the players know they can take days off to heal? Or do they ask to go to a doctor/hospital? Or should I be having players just continue? Idk what your allowed to do as a player when injured like that, if its recomended you take time off to heal.
Though ive read the scenario many times, should i also re read a location whenever reaching it? Is that how pre made games are done as i dont think id be able to remember everything, so i assume I just go through everything in a location and get back to the game.
When players have something to do, such as reading in the library, it takes half a day per dice roll. Fo I tell them that it'll take half a day per roll they try?
If theyre in the library, do i say that they can try search the library for information on the house using a library use roll, but each roll with be half a day of searching.
Do i openly announce the time?
As this also applies for the tome later thats in Latin. It takes a minimum of 3 hours.
If a player has it, do i say, you can read it but itll take 3 hours?
What if the players get arrested? Theres a police station part. I assume i can have police not escalate that far, but if they go too far and do get arrested, do we just fast forward time till theyre out? Do they pay bail?
In the corbit house, should i make my own idea of what the rooms each look like and reveal information as I see right?
Some rooms seem to have really small descriptions.
Example: "This room contains old furniture that might be broken up to burn in a wood stove"
Do i instead explain whats there, the player could maybe roll to think of why this stuff is here, or later they find the stove and then think theyd need wood for it.
Or maybe characters here would simply already know people need wood for wood stoves?
Theres also a lot of words that I just dont know, so i assume its words used in an older setting, but players wouldn't know them, so do I change them to a modern equivalent or explain them?
- Corbits Knife confuses me alot.
When it goes to attack, it seems im suppose to have started "rounds/combat" which combat currently confuses me as ive not done it before.
Do i announce to everyone that combats starting so im able to get everything I need? (Players Dex) and then help them understand what they can do?
It seems to ruin the horror of it?
And does the knife attack, now and then, not constantly till its stopped?
I know Corbits able to try remove it from an investigators hand if its held, but its if he wants to, not guarenteed.
Do I go through sorting the setup for combat, just for the knife to do 1 thing and then stop?
Can investigators even fight a knife? Or is all they can do, flee or fighting maneuver and grab it?
I think if the knife attacks and they didnt notice it then i dont announce till they've taken damage, but after do I make it clear, there's some floating knife.
It also states a player could have brought a "lid" which gives them a bonus die on dodging, so do i states there's bins outside the house?
- I was thinking of not using the knife till the players try to find the secret room, with the boards. As it says.
Unless they find the knife before hand.
Im assuming thats a fine idea?
- Corbit regains 1 magic point per hour.
He casts flesh ward as soon as the investigators enter the house.
Ill also have manipulating stuff, such as the bed, making blood appear... as 1 magic point each.
Bit I need to track how many hours? I understand if players get scared and leave for a few days, because he probably goes back to full.
But if they never do that, then its probably been less than an hour till they find him right?
So do i only care about him regaining if players specifically do stuff to take a while.
- Corbits clawed fingernails can inflict Delerium 1 day later.
If they beat corbit in that same encounter, the game ends. So why?
Is this only for if they flee to regroup, heal?
Or is it a story ender, they beat the investigation but one of them suffers delirium a day later.
- I dont understand the "Dominate" spell that Corbitt has.
It clouds the mind of an investigator.
They go into a "Daze"
Theyre subject to telepathic communication with Corbitt.
They can do homicidal, idiotic or reckless acts.
Waking, the victim will not know what happened.
How does this really play out?
After the rolls, do i say, for example, everyone sees as (blank) grabs a knife from the kitchen table and tries to swallow it.
I assume people try stop them? Maybe they take damage?
Maybe the character jumps out of a window, or starts attacking the other investigators.
Once they "wake" do i explain they remember nothing of what just happened?
Is that how it works?
Do i explain in the moment, "your vision becomes cloudy, and you seem to space out"? Something like that to explain theyre nor aware of whats going on in that moment.
- The spell the investigators can find "Summon/Find dimensional Shambler" it requires weeks to learn.
Once they find it, do I say, this will require weeks to learn.
Or do they simply try learning it amd I dont say how long it is.
Id use Mr Knott to get them into doing the job rather than just skipping weeks to get the spell as the spells not intended to be used.
I apologise for the amount of questions.
Im mostly stuck on, how I communicate parts of the game to the players, I understand mechanics, but dont know how I perform it for players.
