Dogta Green

Dogs are man's best friend.

Since the dawn of time, they've held that they are the dearest companions of their humans, the ones who've always held the most respect, mankind's right-hand species, cats need not apply. They, before any other animal, were humanity's partners in crime.

And dogs in general hold that this was a pretty smart move, because humans are freaking wizards. With their mighty Human Magic, they can turn night into day, cross big distances in their "kahrs," and build caves that go into the Up. (dogs, as a rule, don't quite get vertical distances.) They've even managed, say the wisest of dogkind, to send themselves into an uppier Up than Up: The Big Up. And the humans took their best friends along for the ride.

But Bad Things lurk in the corners. What were once whispers from a long distant past became a startling reality when, on April 2nd, 1925, (human years) after about a week of dogs fussing over their sleepless humans, Tyr, ship's dog of the Emma, watched in helpless horror as his humans accidentally unleashed a monster thought long dead: The Evil Octopus Man. His report, spread throughout the world by word of mouth, shocked and horrified the dog community. They wondered if such things could be true, and why the humans weren't doing anything about it.

But the deathblow to the previous, sedentary age of innocently trusting in their humans to take care of everything came in the August of 1928, in the library of sleepy Miskatonic University, when Tuffy the bulldog successfully killed the Bad Thing Wilbur Whately, and in so doing, saved every human being on the planet. The call went out. The enemy was real, and they could die. Dogs around the world listened frantically to any news that they could get their paws on, making sure that they'd be prepared for the horrors from beyond, so that when their time came, they could protect their humans from the horrors they could not even comprehend.

And so, they stood fast, protecting their humans as best they could.

You are a dog, and you love your human. He might be smarter than you about a lot of things, but not about this. And no matter what comes after your human, be it the Things from the Big Up, the Fish Men, or even the Evil Octopus Man himself, you're gonna protect him.

 

You are a dog. While that locks you out of a lot of important abilities that humans take for granted, like being able to use doorknobs, or communicate complicated concepts, or remember things that happened yesterday with precise detail, there are still plenty of things that you can do in order to keep your human safe. Here, we will explain the primary mechanics of this quest: Skills and Dog Points.

Skills are the percentile chance that you have of succeeding at a specific task. While skills vary from dog to dog, they have a base level, assigned by breed, although some skills are universal. They are listed below:

Attack: This is a very important skill to have if you want to successfully fight Bad Things. Proficiency level varies by breed, but if you’re playing a mutt, then the base is 40%.

Communicate: This is a skill for communicating with your fellow dogs. Unlike human languages, dog communication is terrible at relating complex thoughts. The higher your Communicate skill, the better your chances of successfully telling other dogs about such things as, say, how the rabbits in cages are pets, not food, or how humans hate it when you crap on their lawn, or about the evil fish people trying to kill your human. This is a skill possessed by all dogs, and every dog has a 45% base skill in Communicate.

Comprehend Humans: A very useful skill to have, this skill allows you to figure out what your incomprehensible best buddies are up to. It lets you figure out why humans do what they do. All dogs possess this skill with a 35% base, because while you love your humans dearly, you really don’t get why they do most of the things that they do. It also lets you understand what they’re saying, although you can only get the gist of things, not a complete understanding of what all the words mean.

Dig: You might not have fancy human tools, but you’ve got two paws and a whole lot of spirit! You can use this skill to tunnel through the ground, and to bury things. Just be sure not to track dirt onto your human’s floor. This skill varies between breeds, but if you’re playing a mutt, the base skill is 45%.

Listen: Those big ears of yours aren’t just for show! The listen skill lets you pick up sounds, which can be really useful for all those hidden dangers that humans aren’t good at picking up! While this skill’s base level varies from breed to breed, if you’re playing a mutt, then the base is 85%.

Run: Sometimes, discretion is the better part of valor, and those times tend to come in rapid succession when you’re facing off against incomprehensible nightmare monsters. This skill varies from breed to breed, but if you’re playing a mutt, the base is 45%.

Scent: This skill is the bread and butter of most dogs. Your sniffer is incredibly powerful, and can be used to track things, or pick up unseen enemies. It varies from breed to breed, but if you’re playing a mutt, then the base is 80%.

Spot: The art of using your eyes to find things. This is… easier for humans than it is for you, but you can still use it. The base for all dogs in this skill (because no breed was specifically bred for eyesight) is 45%.

Swim: The art of moving in water. How well do you doggy-paddle? This skill varies by breed, but, if you’re playing a mutt, the base is 40%.

Think: This is a skill that all dogs possess, and is used to think things through, and understand the world around you. This varies by breed, but if you’re playing a mutt, the base is 20%.

Use Human Stuff: This is a complicated skill, and one that no dog normally possesses. However, it can be bought using the free skill points in character creation, or by spending Dog Points to increase skills.

Use Human: The bread and butter of every dog, this skill is the array of tricks and techniques you possess, passed down from your ancestors, by which you can get the humans to do what you want, be it taking you out on walks or getting them to RUN AWAY, THIS HOUSE IS EVIL! This skill varies by breed, but if you’re playing a mutt, the base is 50%.

Now, at this point, you’re probably thinking that you’re outgunned. And yes, you totally are. You’re going up against incomprehensible horrors that you don’t understand, and humans go crazy trying to understand, and you’re just an ordinary dog who, if we’re being honest here, probably isn’t all that bright. Fortunately, you have something to even the playing field: Dog Points.

In Human Words, Dog Points are in fact some sort of abstract representation of the karmic bond between human and canine, and how you work best together. In Dog Words, it’s basically just Dog Magic that you earn by being a Good Dog. Where humans have their Human Magic, dogs have their Dog Magic. Simple as that.

Regardless, in this quest, the Dog Points are your friend. They can be spent to grant you a reroll, permanently boost any one Skill by five, or do some other amazing feat of doggery, subject to QM discretion.

However, be warned. You begin with a finite amount of Dog Points. You can gain more Dog Points by being Good but being Bad will cost you Dog Points. If your Dog Points go into the negative, you will be a Bad Dog, and begin to take truly monumental penalties as the karmic imbalance eats away at you.

So, be careful. And be Good.

 

What sort of dog are you?

Let's start off with something simple. What's your name?

[ ] Name (Write-in)

Okay, now are you a boy, or a girl?

[ ] Male

[ ] Female

Good to know. Now, what level of freedom do you enjoy around the house? Are you neutered?

[ ] Free Range (begin the game with only 10 Dog Points, plenty of freedom)

[ ] Indoor Dog (Begin the game with 25 Dog Points, limited freedom, they'll let you outside in the yard)

[ ] Lap Dog (smaller dogs only. Begin the game with 50 Dog Points, but you have next to no freedom, because you're more or less a living teddy bear)

[ ] Yes (no benefits, but no penalties either, unless the check involves trying to reproduce)

[ ] No (no benefits, and different penalties. If you're male, you'll be constantly distracted by your own rampant instincts. If you're female, every once in a while your body will both figuratively and literally f*ck you over, and then leave you with a litter of puppies. Also, your owners might put you up for adoption over something that is in no way your fault.)

Ah. Well, that's fine, then. What breed are you? (Below listed breeds are merely base suggestions, write-ins allowed, barring QM veto)

[ ] Rottweiler: Your breed gets a bad rep, and everybody thinks that you're dumb. Point of fact, you are dumb, but you love your human, and he does most of the thinking for you. And if anything ever tries to hurt your human, you'll make them regret it. Base Skills: Attack 90% Communicate 45% Comprehend Humans 35% Dig 50% Listen 75% Run 60% Scent 70% Spot 45% Swim 55% Think 10% Use Human Stuff 0% Use Human 30%

[ ] Beagle: Your breed is small, hunting dogs to the last. You're smart, tenacious, and walking sensor suite. Sure you're a bit on the small side, but you won't let that slow you down.
Base Skills: Attack 30% Communicate 45% Comprehend Humans 35% Dig 55% Listen 85% Run 60% Scent 90% Spot 45% Swim 30% Think 20% Use Human Stuff 0% Use Human 50%

[ ] Chihuahua: You the world's smallest dog breed, and, above all others, have mastered the art of getting humans to do things for you. Sure your physical prowess is limited enough that you have to struggle in order to fight a rat, but who cares when you know how to get your human to do it for you? Base Skills: Attack 5% Communicate 45%
Comprehend Humans 35% Dig 10% Listen 80% Run 15% Scent 80% Spot 45% Swim 15% Think 30% Use Human Stuff 0% Use Human 70%


[ ] Mutt: You're a breed unto yourself. (Use base stats listed in Quest Rules. You gain an extra 25 Skill Points to customize your dog, and can gain more by lowering skills below their base stat. These Breed Customization Skill Points cannot be used on Universal Skills [Communicate, Comprehend Humans, Spot, and Use Human Stuff.])

[ ] Something else (Write-In)


Now that I know your breed, what are you good at? (You have 50 Skill Points with which to customize your dog. Just a word of advice: Remember that dogs, like humans, are social animals. They work best in a team.)

[ ] I'm good at... (write in, include how you're allocating your points)


Now, how many humans are in your pack? (This sets the difficulty level, specifically, how many humans you need to protect, and how many people you have keeping an eye on you. The more you've got, the more likely you lose one.)

[ ] One (easiest mode. Just you and your human.)

[ ] Two (medium difficulty. Your human just picked up a mate)

[ ] Three (hard. Your human, his mate, and their pup)

[ ] Four (even harder. Your human, his mate, and their two pups, one of whom is a toddler.)

[ ] Five (masochistically hard. You have your human, his mate, and their three pups, each of which is already a menace to their own well-being without factoring in eldritch horrors)

[ ] Six+ (are you f*cking insane?)

Well, then, I think that we're done here. Go on out their and protect your humans.

 

Name: Sif

Sex: Female (neutered)

Breed: Rottweiler

Skills: Attack 95% Communicate 65% Comprehend Humans 35% Dig 50% Listen 75% Run 75% Scent 70% Spot 45% Swim 55% Think 20% Use Human Stuff 0% Use Human 40%

Dog Points: 8

Current Statuses: Sustained Misunderstanding (-15 on social and mental rolls related to THE HOUSE for seven days, or until convincing proof is given to her that this is not, in fact, a prolonged walk.)

Humans: Max (Your human and best friend, safe and healthy)

 

Your name is Sif, and you love your human.

His name is Max, and the two of you are best friends. He takes you on walks, gives you tummy rubs, lets you sleep on his bed, and even trusts you enough to let you roam through the neighborhood.

Lately, though, he's been acting weird. A little like he does when he's about to go off to "wurk," but... more. You ponder his actions, and decide...

Comprehend Humans Roll: Base Chance 35%-20% (complex concept)+5% (plenty of time to figure it out)+ 5% (Max semi-seriously tried to explain what was going on to you)= 25% Success chance.

Charles Flynn rolled 1 die of 100 faces, total: 59

For: Comprehend Humans

Rolled on: December-16-2020, 05:34pm

See dice roll details

59

59! Fail!

He's going to go off to wurk and leave you forever!

You, of course, try to be the best girl you can possibly be to try and get him to stay, but no amount of going tricks or puppy-dog eyes can convince him to stop his preparations.

Then, one day, he packs up all his things into the kahr, sits you down in the passenger seat, and then drives off.

It takes you three hours to figure out that you might have misread the situation a bit.

All right, Max has packed up his things, and gone on a really long drive, and he brought you with him in the kahr. This all adds up to mean that...

Comprehend Humans Roll: Base Chance 35%-5% (semi-complex concept)+5% (plenty of time to figure it out) +5% (Max semi-seriously tried to explain what was going on to you)+ 10% (blindingly obvious)= 50% Success Chance

Charles Flynn rolled 1 die of 100 faces, total: 100

For: Comprehend Humans

Rolled on: December-16-2020, 05:44pm

See dice roll details

100

100! CRITICAL FAILURE!

He must be taking you on the longest, most awesome walk ever!

(Thanks to that critical failure, Sif gains the status effect "Sustained Misunderstanding" She thoroughly believes that this is all just a really long walk, and will suffer a -15 penalty on social and mental skill roles related to The House as a consequence. [i.e. Communicate rolls to explain what's going on, Use Human to try and get Max to leave] This conditions will go away after seven days, or when she is presented with irrefutable evidence that this is not simply a prolonged walk.)

Anyways, after a while, he drives up a hill, and comes to a stop at an old, crumbly house located next to a dirty-looking lake, surrounded by sickly, unpleasant-looking trees.

"Well, here we are, girl!" he says as he gets out of the kahr, and opens the door for you. "Our new home. If we need anything, Arkham is just an hour's drive away."

Comprehend Humans Roll: Base 35%-15% (Sustained Misunderstanding) + 10% (hey, you know that word!)+20% (RED FLAG!)= 50% Success Chance

Charles Flynn rolled 1 die of 100 faces, total: 77

For: Comprehend Humans

Rolled on: December-16-2020, 05:58pm

See dice roll details

77

77! Fail!

You're too distracted by a shiny beetle to pay attention to what he's saying. Then, you look around at your surroundings.

Think Roll: Base Chance 20%- 15% (Sustained Misunderstanding) + 10% (this place throws up so many red flags you could make a carpet out of them) +20% (YOU SMELL SO MUCH EVIL!)= 35% Success Chance

Charles Flynn rolled 1 die of 100 faces, total: 94

For: Think

Rolled on: December-16-2020, 06:02pm

See dice roll details

94

94! Fail!
(AN: Dammit, Sif, you had ONE JOB.)

This place seems okay!

You're guessing that you'll have to stay at this place as part of your super-special, super-long, super-duper-awesome WALK, and you can't wait!

(Thanks to botching every roll to get the lay of the land, you gain the status effect Oblivious. You now take a -20 penalty to defend against and react to environmental threats until you successfully notice that SOMETHING IS WRONG HERE!)

What do you do while Max moves in?
[ ] Explore! This whole place seems like a super-fun wonderland of adventure, and you can't wait to discover everything! Do you explore...
-[ ] The house that looks like it was painted with human blood thanks to all the rust?
-[ ] The spooky, twisted woods that sound like the trees are screaming in agony?
-[ ] The lake that is actually glowing?


[ ] Spend time with your best buddy Max as he moves his stuff for some reason! Exploring this place is something that you should do together!

[ ] Look for new friends! Maybe there are other dogs around! (And maybe they're smarter than you!)

[OOC Do you wish to enable automatic burning of Dog Points on critical dice rolls? This will grant you a reroll if... well, if what just happened happens again.]
[ ] Yes.

[ ] No.

 

You follow Max around as he moves his things into the house!

He laughs as you trail along behind him, and then says-

Comprehend Humans Roll: Base 35% + 15% (familiar sentence) + 30% (he said your FAVORITE WORD!)= 80% Success Chance

60! Success!

"Be patient, girl. Once I'm done, I'll take you on a walk."

You obediently park your butt down by the kahr, and watch him as he goes between the house and the kahr, your tail stub wiggling eagerly the entire time.

As you wait...

Spot Roll: Base 45%= 45% Success Chance

24! Success!

Did those trees just move?

Think Roll: Base 20%+30% (grounded understanding of the mobility of trees from all the times you chased squirrels into them)= 50% Success Chance

13! Success!

You're suddenly a lot more on edge, as you start paying a lot more attention to what your nose is picking up.

Scent Roll: Base 70%= 70% Success Chance

47! Success!

You smell something... wrong. Alien. Bad.

Every hair on your body stands on end as you realize that your human is in danger, and that he doesn't know it.

(Oblivious status effect lost)

Then, Max walks out of the house, leash in hand.

"Hey, Sif! Ready for your walk?"

Where do you try to lead him?
[ ] The forest, so that he can see the danger and be aware of it! (Extremely risky, high chance of Max noticing the problem.)

[ ] The waterfront, so that he won't be in danger! (???)

[ ] Down the road, and AWAY FROM HERE. This is all part of one big, super-special walk, so maybe if you lead him away, he won't come back?

[ ] (write-in)

 

Once Max has clipped the leash to your collar, you set off, leading him away, down the road you came in through. You have to be careful. The road leads through the woods. And the woods... the woods aren't as motionless as they should be.

Listen Roll: Base 75%=75% Success Chance

25! Success!

You freeze, holding stock-still as you hear something lumbering in the distance. But it stays in the distance, thank dog, so soon you're back off, dragging your confused human along for the ride.

Finally, however, you come to the end of the road. Alright, you're out of the woods! Now, you just need to keep going, and-"

Comprehend Human Roll: Base 35%+ 20% (familiar Sentence)+ 20% (accompanied by physical action)-15% (sustained misunderstanding) = 60%

3! Success!

"Alright, Sif, that's far enough. Time to go back."

What? No! He can't!

Use Human Roll: Base 40% - 50% (trying to get him to leave his home without providing a reason) -15 (sustained Misunderstanding= -25 Success Chance.

36! Fail!

You plant your paws and refuse to turn, no matter how hard he tugs at his leash. You're not letting him go back there!

"Sif! Bad dog!" he snaps at you, and suddenly, you feel your strength fail you as the words sink in.

-2 Dog Points.

He thinks you're a bad dog? Why? You're just trying to keep him safe!

Comprehend Humans Roll: Base 35%+10% (familiar words) -15% (sustained misunderstanding) -10% (in shock from being called a bad dog.) = 20% Success Chance

65! Fail!

You don't really understand what he says next, but you follow him back down the road. Nothing comes too close, before your human gets back to the house, and unclips your leash. He kneels down and ruffles your ears.

"What were you even trying to do, you big goofball?"

You... you have to keep trying.

What do you do now?
[ ] Investigate. Maybe you can figure out what's going on, and tell Max so he won't think you're a bad dog! Do you investigate...
-[ ] The house?
-[ ] The woods?
-[ ] The waterline?

[ ] Guard your human. He doesn't know what's going on, so you won't leave his side.

[ ] Search for allies, whatever they may be. You can't protect your human alone.

[ ] Something Else (write-in)