Image by Cottonbro Studio
Berlin: The Wicked City 🏳️🌈 | A Mystery Sandbox | No AI
In 1920s Berlin, culture, politics, and the weird clash! Investigate mysteries of horror, conspiracy, and more in a city where anything goes!
$25.00
/ Session
Details
4 players following this game
Weekly / Thursday - 10:00 PM UTC
Session Duration / 3 hours
1 / 8 Seats Filled
Top Game Master
One of StartPlaying's top-rated GMs, a player favorite and highly recommended.
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Meet your party members
1/8
About the adventure
$10 from each player per session is donated to ME Action: https://www.meaction.net/. This is not an SPG charitable event. These donations are ongoing for the life of the campaign. Following the Great War, Berlin is a hotbed of the cultural avant-garde, innovations in media and science, as well as home to rising political movement. Become an artist, filmmaker, organizer, spiritualist, scholar, investigator, and more in a setting that offers a sandbox of mysteries. Go toe-to-toe with cultists, fascists, and the otherworldly in a historic setting with a twist! In Berlin: The Wicked City with Pulp Cthulhu rules, you can expect: 👑 Nobility on the run and in need of help 😈 Dark dealings with supernatural forces 🔫 Two-fisted adventures and heroics 🏳️🌈 Queerness and disability as active themes 🎬 A setting with arts and culture at its core 🌘 Spiritual and bewitching allies and foes 👊 A setting for punching fascists! With each game, you'll support organizing for the well-being of those with chronic illness. Pulp Cthulhu blends the rules for high stakes mysteries with mortal characters with a panache of superheroics inspired by Dick Tracy, The Shadow, and Golden Age Batman. Pulp Talents might allow you to have a quick draw, be a nimble athlete, be an impeccable performer, and more! You can still expect mysteries and dangers for the classic game of investigative horror! You can expect: 💫 A story defined by the player characters and your choices 🌈 Colorful characters and fantastical settings 🎭 Theatrical acting for side characters with a touch of voiceacting 🎉 Celebration of character success and plot beats 💜 Respect and consideration of my players As part of the Zero Session, players can determine how the game wants to address ableism, racism, trauma, and chronic illness. This setting is in the wake of the 1918-1920 Flu Pandemic (also known inaccurately as the Spanish Flu) as well as World War I, so disability, trauma, and war are part of the setting. Discounted pricing is available.
Game style
West Marches
Roleplay Heavy
Sandbox / Open World
Theater of the Mind
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(32)
1 year on StartPlaying
117 games hosted
Highly rated for: Inclusive, Beginner Friendly, Storytelling
Average response time: 1 hour
Response rate: 100%
About me
I offer: 🌈 A welcoming, inclusive play style 🔥 Player-focused flair and action 🧭 Open-ended storytelling following player cues 🎭 In-game action, horror, awe, and comedy ⚖️ Settings with themes of justice and transformation 📆 Over a decade of game mastering experience 🖋️ Know-how with dozens of systems Even in the midst of death-defying adventure or bone-chilling horror, I aim to be a warm and welcoming game master. LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC players can expect respect at my tables. I've run games for children, seniors, and all ages in between. Safety tools such as the X Card are always part of my table. I suffuse hope, respect, and warmth into every session I run. That's why I go by the Gentle GM. At thirteen, three of us huddled around the Dungeons & Dragons 3e starter set, laughing at a natural 20 to breakdown a door with the fighter's head. In high school, I found the Call of Cthulhu rulebook and made investigators, still clueless how to actually play. In 2014 with the launch of D&D 5e and Call of Cthulhu 7e, I committed to running these games and an old love sparked brilliantly to life! I've since taught dozens their first TTRPG! I'm an inveterate game dabbler. If you're curious if I run a particular game, just ask! I'm up to the challenge to try something new you're excited to play. I run games full-time. You can expect preparation and dedication at my table. Local cafes and bars also host my game sessions and workshops. My newsletter and itch page also share game design reflections and projects. Images are used with permission from James' RPG Art, https://jamesrpgart.com.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Character creation will follow the guidance in Pulp Cthulhu. Players can choose to take a previous experience package appropriate for the setting (such as former soldier, criminal, or corpsstudent). We will also use the Pulp Cthulhu Luck rules with Luck recovery happening with the completion of an investigation or other boon such as saving someone in distress.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Players will need: 1) Discord profile and to join the Gentle GM server 2) A mic and headphones (webcam is encouraged, but not required) 3) Computer access to Foundry (Foundry on tablet is experimental) Players can use physical dice if they prefer. Discord also offers Dice Golem for dice rolling.
What Caleb | The Gentle GM brings to the table
My players say it better than I can: "Caleb’s tables feel inclusive and safe. I love how he encourages player creativity. He tailors his games to the play group, so they are the right level of challenging and the right balance of battles and social encounters." - Cindy "I've been part of multiple table-top gaming groups in the past 10 years and Caleb's storytelling, world-building, knowledge of different systems, and ability to create an inclusive, safe space for every single player at the table is (and I say this with my whole chest) exceptional. If you are looking for a GM that will support, encourage, and wrap you up in the most amazing worlds, Caleb is that GM." - Jenna "When you sit down to play a game at one of his tables, you feel like you interact with the world and story better than I have felt anywhere else... it's like being given the keys to your dad's classic car on date night. Every game with Caleb is a breath of fresh air. I've played and run games for years now, and Caleb truly brings player involvement and agency to a different level than I see elsewhere." - Matt
Homebrew rules
We will also use the Pulp Cthulhu Luck rules with Luck recovery happening with the completion of an investigation or other boon such as saving someone in distress.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Headphones
Platforms used
Safety
How Caleb | The Gentle GM creates a safe table
For safety tools, you can expect: 1. The X Card hard pauses the session. No explanation needed. 2. Open Door: Step away or leave without penalty. 3. Content Warnings: These are in the listing. Any questions? 4. Rating: I'm expecting a PG-13 to R game depending on player feedback. 5. Lines: What content do we want to exclude altogether? 6. Veils: What content do we want to fade to black? 7. Deck of Player Safety to inform Lines & Veils. The 18+ Game: Teenaged players can join if they have an adult also playing at the table. Discussion of how this informs content and tone will be part of the zero session.
Content warnings
Safety tools used