some help with a game...

[Zeernebooch]

I recently decided since the other person that runs games in my group is taking his sweet ass time writing new stuff for his game that I would try and run a second game on the night he runs his game usually. I basically decided after finishing the book Monster Hunters International that I wanted to run a game where the players are monster hunters. After failing to come up with ideas for my own monster hunting organization I decided that I would just steal everything in the book and use it as my setting. I decided that i would run it using CoC/BRP, partially because I have been meaning to try out the system and partially because it seems like the right one for the job. Last Saturday was spent rolling up the characters and giving them a rundown of the system and setting. I did not have much time to prepare however so it seemed kinda clunky (probably just my lack of experience as a GM coming through >.< )

The one of the issues I am having is that I find it difficult to Rp the characters as they are in the book. Another is that I cannot figure out how best to integrate the characters into the setting. I have them starting out as new recruits at the MHI (the Monster Hunting firm in the book). One of my ideas for this are to fast forward some and have them be sent to another area that will be their designated place to handle the jobs the company throws at them. I am going to start it out with some small stuff and them set them against some sort of crazy mythos creatures, since there are lots of Lovecraftian things in the world of MHI (Lovecrafts work was based on reality in it, as well as many other fantasy an horror authors. There is a great twist on elves that made me laugh for a long time.)

Most of all I think I am looking on advise on how to use things like that as well as some tips on running the system.
Thanks in advanced to anyone who helps

[Tadanori Oyama]

Only advise I can give you is about playing NPCs. And that advise is to dive in as hard as you can. Make movements, use accents and gestures, try to do with your body what you can't with your voice. ACTING!

[Zeernebooch]

Only advise I can give you is about playing NPCs. And that advise is to dive in as hard as you can. Make movements, use accents and gestures, try to do with your body what you can't with your voice. ACTING!

Yeah i have that covered with the 4ED game that I usually run. Going to be rereading through the book and trying to get a better feel for the way the NPCs would sound and act.
Best part of GMing is all the practice with acting I get hehe....and getting to kill the players....

[clockworkjoe]

To make memorable NPCs, give each one a few quirks. The merchant is missing three fingers and tells a different story each time about how he lost them. The surly guard is constantly sick with a cold. The priest tugs at his beard. Small little quirks. Start with that and see how your players respond.

Also, think of things from the NPC's perspective. The merchant wants to make money but fears dangerous characters like the players so he won't lie to them but will puff up every item he sells them. The guard wants to go the tavern and drink and just wants to be left alone and so on.

[JonHook]

Also, you may want to start your players in an adventure that you think that they can survive. This will do two things...

1. Give them some experience with the game system and their characters can get some experience in using their skills.

2. The players/characters can become a little over-confident in their ability to face down monsters, then you can turn up the lethality of the game!! 

I love the CoC/BRP game system and Lovecraftian monsters. I would begin with an adventure involving ghouls. You could have the players hired to cleanse some old military cemetery of an infestation.

You could have the players encounter a few ghouls in the graveyard itself, and then as they investigate a mortuary on the grounds they could discover an entrance to an underground "city" of ghouls and maybe the funeral home running the cemetery has been burying empty coffins for years, and has instead been feeding the ghouls the fresh corpses. Maybe the funeral home uses the ghouls to conduct crime sprees throughout the city.

Anyways, I personally think ghouls are a fun, creepy monster that can be used in many ways and can be defeated by regular weapons by the players. This will give the players experience in the game and game system, and give them just a bit too much confidence in your next adventure.

[Maze]

Sounds like a good premise for a cool campaign.

Have you thought of actually having your player operate from a home base where they would come back in between assignments? Write down a couple of NPCs with a bit of info about them for the operator, the commanding officer and other operatives; some friendly, some pompous. If you make other operatives accomplish things in the background, new recruits join and veterans die, it really gives the feeling of a world that is alive.

Maybe even have a map of the place with facilities to train, exercise, research info and of course, have it get attacked at some point.

Just a thought.

Oh, and maybe run the game in your town. That's always fun.