Midnight's Toll - Free Session 0
Chicago: The shadows of already dangerous nights are cast deeper by ill omens and dangerous foes. Rise above them and seize new power and position.
About the adventure
The springtime nights of Chicago have grown restless with the plots and schemes of the undead. Your coterie is new to town and looking to cement your place amongst the elite, but unseen enemies are closing in and secrets are being brought into the moonlight. What sinister threats will you uncover, and can you save the city from those who would destroy it and bring you low? This is a story heavy game. While there is combat, the bulk of game time will be spent building a narrative and exploring both character and setting. As such, we'll be using theater of the mind, using Forge for dice and character sheets. (The current version of Forge does not support video/voice Livekit for a stable server. If video/audio becomes an issue we can use Discord.) Because we will be combat light, newer players have found this to be a welcoming game. Experienced players have enjoyed the engagement and intrigue of a varied cast of npcs, ranging from Chicago By Night to all new characters filling out the city. The threats and challenges will be matched to your skill sets and play style. Flawed and unique characters, rather than perfectly streamlined machines, are often more fun to play. You won't be penalized for making a character you want to explore rather than just a great set of attributes.
Game style
Roleplay Heavy
Theater of the Mind
Game themes
$15.00
/ Session
Details
Weekly / Friday – 10:30 PM UTC
Session Duration / 3–3.5 hours
1 / 5 Seats Filled
GAME MASTER
Chris Murrill
he/him
5.0
(5)
Each player will be charged when a session starts.
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Meet the Game Master
5.0
(5)
Less than a year on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Storytelling, Creativity, Inclusive
About me
My name is Chris and I've been running games consistently for the past ten years, with periodic games for the fifteen years prior. My preferred systems are World of Darkness and Call of Cthulhu, and I currently run games of both Vampire: The Masquerade and Call of Cthulhu for friends. I also have a few years experience with Mage: The Awakening, 2nd Edition. My games have run from one-shots to multi-year campaigns. While I have run modules, such as Masks of Nyarlathotep or Horror on the Orient Express, my games are primarily written by myself. I much prefer theater of the mind to miniatures and tactical games.
View Profile →Reviews (5)
Proficiencies
Players say this GM is great at:
Storytelling
Creativity
Inclusive
Malrion
I belong to a group of players for whom Chris has been running games since 2018. In that time, he has run Mage: The Awakening twice, Vampire: The Masquerade twice, Pulp Cthulhu twice, Wraith: The Oblivion once, and we're currently wrapping up another Call of Cthulhu game called Masks of Nyarlathotep. Next up will be Werewolf: The Apocalypse, and I have no doubt that it will be fantastic. He is particularly good at creating memorable NPCs that are fun to interact with in-character, ranging from hated rivals to romantic interests and everything in between. His NPCs make the world feel more vibrant and vivid, and they provide excellent opportunities to showcase the roleplaying of the player characters as we navigate the interpersonal relationships. Also, while he knows how to run all of these games by-the-book, he tends to be selective regarding which rules he chooses to enforce. If a rule would slow things down or make things less fun for the group, he has been known to disregard it. An example of this would be a character's Credit Rating in Call of Cthulhu, which, if consistently applied, would require additional bookkeeping without necessarily enhancing the experience. In our group, he has the curious habit of rolling his dice in full view of the players. I don't know if he plans to continue this practice online, but it does set him apart from other game-masters I know, so it seemed worth mentioning.
Sythesith
Consistently brings sessions up to another level. Knowledge of lore & rules is essentially a hobby for him, but is no stranger to the Rule of Cool. Even if the players go off on a tangent, he adeptly & spontaneously will world-build to see where it goes, though also able to course-correct seamlessly if required. Creates a safe & inclusive gaming environment from the start, and encourages individual creativity as it allows him to delve further into various NPC roles. Patient with new and seasoned players. Will include props and visual aids when the sessions call for it, or just for fun.
LunchBox
Chris is an amazing storyteller. I have been playing World of Darkness and Cthulhu games with him at the helm for over 5 years. His NPC's and plots can be very cunning, intricate, and even devious, yet he always focuses on the players and gives them room to sculpt their own stories. I like that he isn't rigid in style and will adapt the story and characters as needed base on the party and their actions. Chris is masterful at describing scenes and acting out NPC's. I would recommend anyone that has a chance to let him be your game master. He truly is exceptional at it.
Brandon Snyder
Even though I have been a player in Chris's games for years, I would still consider myself fairly lightweight in the roleplaying scene. I enjoy hanging out with like-minded individuals and playing a fun game, but don't have the personal patience or time to get lost in the nuance of the games we play. I want to start here before I get to the main review, because Chris has a skill that I think is vital to point out up front, and that's his ability to be welcoming to people of all levels of skill and interest. His patience to assist and ability to work with me and the group to keep the pace and experience leveled are exceptional, and I can tell it takes a level of mastery to do that. Sessions we play, whether they're Vampire: the Masquerade, Mage: The Ascension, or Call of Cthulhu, are always well-paced and engaging and always leave me feeling pumped, entertained, and sometimes exhausted (in a good way). In the end, when I go home, I spend the rest of the day pondering what the heck is coming next, only to be blown away again. He also has a keen ability when he personifies characters to embody them in a way where I feel like I am actually interacting with that person. More importantly, I always feel like I am playing the game as intended and not fighting against a GM's ego, which is very comforting for me. It's clear that Chris's drive is to provide a great and entertaining experience for everyone involved. He keeps things fun and engaging, clearly has a passion for the games he runs and a natural ability to tell a great story. Simply put, you won't be disappointed by what he has to offer.
John Quinn
Outside of his undefeatable magic dice. (Kidding) Chris has been the best GM I have ever played with. He has an amazing ability to build his world and make it feel like it is just for us. You know he is adapting and changing as players sow chaos but you would think it was all part of his master plan. He has a great ability to give us high stakes but that sweet spot of a window where we can succeed. He is a players GM. He is all about it being our adventure. To let us role play the heck out of it. You will feel the weight of your decisions and will take your characters on a great ride. I have enjoyed every minute of it.
Character creation
Creating your character
Character creation can be completed in Session 0, or there will be a few pre-generated characters from which to choose. Camarilla vampires are required, to include the clans of Gangrel, Nosferatu, Toreador, Tremere, Banu Haquim, Hecata, and Ventrue. (Malkavian PCs are restricted due to personal limits on depictions of mental health. Malkavian npcs are limited in exposure. It is simply too easy for a character with a mental health disorder to become a caricature.) Other clans are up for discussion, depending on reasoning and back story. Why are you with the Camarilla and this coterie in particular? We will do character creation based upon the core rule book for a 13th generation vampire, meaning you will do base character generation and then have 15 xp to spend. Homebrew rules: Do not spend money on basic resources. Unless your character is truly wealthy we will safely assume a level of standard income commensurate with their backstory. Bookkeeping is boring and it's more streamlined to assume you have middle class income to toss around. A haven is being assigned to you by the Primogen Council. Unless you would like a personal haven aside from the group, don't bother putting points into Haven.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
We will be playing through Forge, and it will handle the dice and character sheets. You will need: - webcam - microphone - Discord account (game information, communication, safety tools) - The Forge account (free, player level)
What Chris Murrill brings to the table
This game will utilize theater of the mind. It is primarily story driven (80%), with some combat elements (20%). I differentiate npcs by manner of speech, cadence, body language, and attitude. We will have minor homebrew changes to the rules for our game, such as not using Hunger dice in non-stressful situations. (If you're researching the origins of a clue at your leisure I don't feel you should be at risk of a beastial failure and tearing the library, or librarian, apart at the seams.)
Homebrew rules
Hunger dice will not apply to certain rolls, particularly in non-stressful situations. Do not put dots into Resources unless your character is particularly wealthy. We will assume a basic level of income commensurate with back story. Bookkeeping is no fun and fretting over bank accounts isn't engaging.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Webcam
Platforms used
Safety
How Chris Murrill creates a safe table
In our Discord we have a document of topics to be removed from play and topics that require careful or limited exposure. Any player can post publicly or message me privately to add to the document. We also make use of the X card system. Players can call for a stop to a scene or step away for a break as needed. Anything that threatens to become too much for a player should be addressed.