Cthulhu Matrix Game

What is a Matrix Game

The title "matrix game" make you think about grids laid out on paper. However this is misleading. This game is about telling a story. The players take turns advancing the story by making arguments for events that they want to happen. Once a player has made thier argument the other players decide if the argument has merit and rate it accordingly. Then the player makes a die roll to see if the argument becomes part of the story. If you want to read all about matrix games in thier various forms get your self over to Hamster Press.

During your turn you will try to progress the story and your characters goals. The players will be working together to achieve group goals but even if these goal are achieved individual players may still lose if they have not completed their characters own personal goal.

Making an argument

An argument can be about anything but should be structured in two main parts. Part 1 is "What Happens", Part 2 is "How it happens". Here's an example.

"My character kicks in the door, I can do this because the door has weak hinges"

You must pay special attention to the second part of the argument. If you do not provide a convincing reason then the other players are going to reduce your arguments strength.

A technique you should also bare in mind is that you can build up to big story points in little steps. Use your arguments to build upon one another to help you reach your goals. For instance an argument that your character has been in prison in the past would be a Strong argument. With that fact established you could add to it later. You could argue that your character learnt lock-picking while in prison, again a Strong argument. But compare this to this single argument. "My character picks the doors lock, he learnt this skill while in prison in his past". This argument is likely to be rated weaker by the other players because your trying to introduce two things at once.

Once a character has made his argument, the other players have to assess it and agree on a rating for it. Players should base this rating on what seems most likely considering what they know about the door. For instance, if the game has already established that the whole house is riddled with wood worm then the argument could be rated "Strong". However if the door is solid metal and the entrance to bank vault, then it would be appropriate to rate it as "Stupid".

Once the argument is rated, the player making the argument rolls a standard six sided die to determine if the argument is successful. The following table shows the various ratings and the number required on a die for success.

Strength	Success Roll
Very Strong	2,3,4,5,6
Strong	3,4,5,6
Average	4,5,6
Weak	5,6
Very Weak	6
Stupid	7

If an argument is successful it becomes part of the story and the event or action described in it has happened, and can be built on in future arguments. If the argument is unsuccessful the events in the argument do not take place.

How much can you do with a single argument? Generally speaking you want to limit arguments to a single purpose. Some examples:

• I pick the lock.
• I convince the butler to let us in.
• I fight the thug and beat him without getting hurt myself and he runs off.
• I swirl my drink around the glass sniff it and determine that the brand is "3 Spires".

Scenario

Reed the following to the players when your ready to begin, this sets the games starting place.

The players who are all strangers to each other are invited to a mansion. They each received a letter telling them that they are a benefactor in the death of a Reginald Carthwaite a gentleman that none of the players knew of before the letter arrived.

They are all sitting around the dinner table at the mansion waiting for the first course. No one is seated at the head of the table. Only the butler and a maid servant have been seen up to this point. Everyone suspects that one of the other people sitting around the table sent the letters, using the name Reginald Carthwaite.

A huge noise erupts in the garden, staring out of the French windows the players can see a wave a red robed men swarming towards the house brandishing large knives. Behind them coming slowly in their trail is a huge horrible shadow swathed monster.

Group Objectives

The players must resolve the following issues as a group.

• Survive the attack from the men and monster in the Garden.
• Establish who summoned the players to the mansion.
• Find the reason for summoning them to the mansion.
• What and where the monster came from.
• Prevent the culprit from carrying out another similar plan.

Characters

Each player in the game must assume one of the following characters. Each character has thier own personal goals as well as the groups goals. These are not secret.

• Dr Jonathon Stanley, a retired family doctor. He has a strong sense of duty and honour, and an awful fear of spiders. He MUST prevent any harm to any females.
• Ms Veronica Reeves, a hardened by field-work anthropologist/archaeologist. Often described as a tough little cookie. She is desperately short of cash for her research. She MUST procure $10,000 dollars.
• Mr Patrick O'Doyle, an active duty military pilot, currently on leave. His tough persona is offset by his childlike heart that makes him fall in love with nearly every woman he meets. He MUST procure a wife before returning to duty.
• Dr Angus Kool, a brilliant scientist outstanding in his field of geology. Unfortunately he is rude, proud and generally offensive to his intellectual inferiors ( everyone ). He MUST convince all player characters that he is a genius.
• Mr Andy Wright, a cab driver by profession who loves horses and can not bear to see them hurt. He has even been in jail for thrashing a man who was beating a horse. He MUST not allow any dumb animals to be hurt and must convince at least one other player to join his "Animal Defence Society".
• Mrs Jennifer Hortense-Burton, a lady of breeding who thinks that "work" is for the lower classes. Making lace is her hobby. She MUST sell a piece of her lace work to make herself feel better.
• Mr Rudolph Ansgar, a business man from Germany. His resources are huge, but he is a very thin man of doubtful constitution. He MUST find a medicine/method to shore up his health.

It is not necessary to have a player for each character listed above you can play this game with just two players. If you have more players than characters, you'll have to flex your imagination and create another character for each players. Even if you do not have a player for each character it's suggested the your game starts with all of the characters in the dinning room.

The Map

The following maps are optional. Having these maps in front of the players can help them imagine the situation their characters are in.

Ground Floor

Upper Floor

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