Trail of Cthulhu 2e and Broken Empires

I try not to back funding projects (on Kickstarter and the like) that often these days. This is because I backed a few in recent years that I now kind of regret (e.g., Shadowdark, Dolmenwood, Old School Essentials, a bestiary from Goodman Games, and a couple of other things, the details of which I've already largely forgotten).  As they trickle in (many of my recent "regrets" still linger in the ether somewhere) I find myself sighing and -- after briefly flipping through them -- putting the print products on my shelf and the PDFs into my ever-expanding dropbox of RPGs. 

To be clear, the products themselves might be fine or even quite good. For instance, Shadowdark certainly has some interesting mechanics, some of which I'm on the fence about (but which, I concede, very well may be vindicated in practice). But the cold hard truth of the matter is that I just don't see using this game that much (if at all) in the near future, as well as the other RPG products that have trickled in over the past few years (e.g., OSE). 

Having said all that, there are two funding projects that I have decided to back, albeit at a reasonably scaled back level (for me). 

The first is the second edition of Trail of Cthulhu. Now, I already have a surfeit of Cthulhu Mythos material (including ToC, but mostly Call of Cthulhu books, some 7th edition but mainly material for earlier editions). However, I've played a couple of ToC scenarios and thought quite highly of them. Indeed, one was probably the best "one shot" horror scenario I've ever gone through. So I will be backing the current Trail of Cthulhu 2e funding campaign because of its innovative treatment of the setting and the high quality of the scenarios. I also love the ToC art. (Plus, I had a distinctly unpleasant "experience" with some of the "new Chaosium" folk around 2016-2017 -- no one involved with 7e CoC but rather the Moon Design folks -- which has put me off their products ever since. Hence, I'm happy to go elsewhere for new Cthulhu material.) 

If you're curious about Trail of Cthulhu, check out the 2e Quickstart.

The other project that I'm backing is the Broken Empires FRPG (albeit, again, at a lower level than I have backed projects in the past). I'm curious about the system, as Mythras is one of its main influences, and it aims to be a "sim-lite" game. This means, roughly, that the game falls within the "simulationist" camp -- that is, it is a game in the mold of Mythras, RuneQuest, Harnmaster, Rolemaster, Middle-earth Roleplaying, Against the Darkmaster, and the like. These kinds of games (which generally belong to the "d100" BRP and RM "families") vividly and precisely describe, via their mechanics, what happens in the game world, with hit locations (in Mythras and related systems) or critical hits (in Rolemaster, MERP, VsD, etc.), different levels of success for skill rolls, and so forth. My tastes, I've (re)discovered in recent years, definitely lie in the simulationist region of RPGs. But Broken Empires also claims to be "lite" by achieving a high degree of "simulation" with fewer mechanics, dice rolls, and calculations. I'm frankly a little sceptical about the latter claim, but the game overall looks interesting enough for me to want to include it in my collection. I'm especially intrigued by the "free form" magic system (roughly, there are no "spells," but instead spell-casters describe what effects they are trying to realize, and they draw upon their relevant skills in order to do so).  

These are somewhat niche RPG interests, I suppose, but I thought that I would mention these projects in case others might be interested in them.

Gaming Update: Mythras, Against the Darkmaster, and farewell forever to 5e D&D

I’ve been quite busy at work lately, hence the lack of posting here over the past month. But thankfully, I’ve managed to keep up with my gaming (more or less). 

1. It looks like the Mythras campaign I’m in, Beyond the Mountains of Madness, will soon be reaching its climactic conclusion – and my character, the palaeontologist Dr. Klaas Klassen, is running dangerously low on tenacity (only 5 out of 14 points left)!

2. The Greyhawk campaign I’ve been running for the past couple of years has concluded. I’m very happy with how this campaign went. It was a lot of fun! But that fun was due to the colourful player characters, non-player characters, adventures (mainly T1 and surrounding areas), and ‘Gygaxian’ Greyhawk setting. The system itself – 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons – is one that I plan to never use again* (despite drawing heavily upon its superior ‘old school’ variant, Into the Unknown). It’s hard for me to put into words how much I came to dislike this system while running it (although I would still take it any day over the horror that was 3e D&D). But I still had a blast with the campaign, which just goes to show how important it is to game with fun people. I plan to finish up the log posts for the campaign over the next month or so. 

3. My sporadic Against the Darkmaster (VsD) campaign set in Third Age Eriador (Middle-earth) is still going. (It’s the “alternative” game for my Mythras group.) Hopefully we will have our second session tonight.

4. I’m still working on my Ukrasia setting for my forthcoming VsD campaign. I should have some additional posts about this setting in the very near future.

Game on!

* Note: Despite my dislike for the “standard” D&D 5e system, I remain quite fond of the Adventures in Middle-earth system based upon it (and ran a great campaign using it). The updated version, Lord of the Rings RPG, looks even better. I would be happy to run a campaign using the LotR system in the future. So, I will not be unloading my 5e rulebooks quite yet…

The Laundry Files 2nd Edition is coming

It looks like Cubicle 7 is coming out with a second edition of their (now out-of-print) The Laundry Files RPG. (Flashback: here’s my post on the first edition from March 2010, including a brief note about the time I met author Charles Stross.)

Unlike the first edition, the new edition will not use the “d100” Basic Role-playing system (familiar from The Call of Cthulhu RPG). Instead, it will use something called “C7D6” – obviously a “d6” system of some sort. (Cubicle 7’s “clone” system for 5th edition Dungeons and Dragons currently goes by the codename “C7D20.”)

Over the years I’ve read the first six novels of Stross’s “The Laundry Files” series (as well as the stories, “The Concrete Jungle,” “Equoid,” and Overtime”). I last read one about five years ago (The Annihilation Score). Apparently, there are now thirteen novels in the series! Since I enjoyed (to varying degrees) the ones that I’ve read so far, so I hope eventually to read the others. 

The novels’ setting is a good one for a Mythos-themed RPG, I think, as the characters are agents working for the secret British government organization “Q-Division” (“The Laundry”), and hence charged with protecting the UK (and the world) from occult and Mythos threats. However, the novels contain a fair amount of dry humour, which I suspect may be difficult to translate into the game (probably best just to let any humour emerge organically in play).

I ran a fair amount of Call of Cthulhu back during “the teens,” including two short campaigns and a few one-shots (see here and here). My focus and interest have drifted away from Lovecraftian stuff in recent years, but perhaps they’ll drift back again in the future. In any case, I’ll definitely check out the new edition of The Laundry Files once it’s available. 

Fictional worlds and the RPGs that I would use for them

Below I list some of my favourite settings from fantasy fiction that I think could serve as viable RPG settings and the rules that I would use if I were to run adventures in them. 

Fictional setting: Middle-earth (as described by JRR Tolkien in The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, and so forth).

 

System: Adventures in Middle-Earth (a 5^th edition D&D variant, heavily revised with ideas from The One Ring RPG) for the Third Age (I had a very positive experience using the system).

Possible alternative: Against the Darkmaster (VsD)—for earlier eras or if I'm drawing a lot on my old Middle-earth Roleplaying (MERP) collection, since it’s easy to convert MERP stats into VsD.

(Why not MERP? In my view, VsD keeps everything that is great about MERP and makes some helpful improvements.)

 

A further thought on Middle-earth: I'd like to try The One Ring (2^nd edition) system sometime—I have the book and box set, and they’re gorgeous. I played a couple of games of 1^st edition TOR years ago and didn’t care for it—something about it just didn’t “click” for me. But that may have been because I didn't really understand the system (or I was just too tired or something). AiME imports a lot of ideas from TOR, so there must be something there.

Fictional setting: The Elder Isles of Jack Vance’s Lyonesse trilogy.

 

System: The Lyonesse RPG (a version of Mythras).

One of my favourite FRPGs (Mythras) adapted specifically for one of my favourite fantasy settings—what more could I ask for?

(I think that this system also could be used for a “Cugel-level” Dying Earth campaign.)

 

Fictional setting: The Eternal Champion multiverse, including especially the worlds described in Michael Moorcock’s Elric (the “Young Kingdoms”) and Corum stories.

System: Mythras, especially with the (now out-of-print) RuneQuest II (MRQII) Elric supplements. Since Mythras is a direct descendant of MRQII, conversion would be a non-issue. (I played in an excellent Young Kingdoms campaign using MRQII a decade ago.)

 

Fictional settings: The Hyborian Age (as described in Robert E Howard’s Conan stories) and the Atlantean Age (as described in REH’s Kull tales).

 

System: Crypts and Things if I want something fast and furious; Mythras for detailed bone-crunching action.

 

Fictional settings: Clark Ashton Smith’s “Averoigne,” “Hyperborea,” and “Zothique.”

 

Systems: Again, either Crypts and Things or Mythras, depending on what style of game I want to run.

 

Fictional setting: The “First Law” world, as described in Joe Abercrombie’s original trilogy, and the post-trilogy stand-alone books (I think that the regions covered in Red Country and Best Served Cold would make excellent campaign settings). (Note: I haven’t read the “Age of Madness” trilogy yet.)

System: Either Mythras or Against the Darkmaster.  

 

Fictional setting: The “Cthulhu Mythos” universe (as described by HP Lovecraft and others).

 

System: Call of Cthulhu (naturally)—or possibly a modified version of Mythras (I'm playing in an excellent Mythras “Return to the Mountains of Madness” campaign now).

 

 

Mythras News: Supes and Polynesia

There’s a new member of the Mythras RPG family: the superhero role-playing game Destined. It’s available now at the Design Mechanism’s new home store, and will become available at Lulu and DrivethruRPG on the 23^rd of April.

 

Also, another Mythic Earth setting book is in production: Mythic Polynesia. I don’t know when it’ll be available, but the cover looks rather cool:

 

 

I’ve probably played more Mythras (including its predecessors RQ6 and MRQII) than any other role-playing game over the past eleven years. (By coincidence, I vaguely recall meeting Loz in early spring 2011…) I’ve played in the Young Kingdoms (Elric’s world), Mythic Britain, the Luther Arkwright multiverse, and (currently) Mythic Babylon. Soon I’ll be taking part in a Mountains of Madness campaign (converted to Mythras). I can’t recommend the game highly enough!

Herbert West, Health Inspector

And so, another autumn term begins! I start teaching tomorrow.

I (thankfully) will be teaching online. My university is pursuing a "hybrid" approach to instruction during the 2020-21 academic year, with roughly 60% of teaching purely online, 20% a mix of online and in person instruction, and 20% in person (with everyone wearing masks, staying 6 feet apart, etc.).

Reading the various memos from the administration on the reopening of the campus over the past couple of weeks has led me to think that their plans for in person instruction are as grounded in reality as this piece:
"Arkham Board of Health Feedback on Miskatonic University's Draft Plan For A Safe Campus Reopening."

Anyhow, best wishes to all the teachers, professors, and students out there. Stay well!

Lovecraft Country coming to HBO

Looks like HBO may have a something to fill the void left by The Watchmen and The Game of Thrones: it’s Lovecraft Country, a series based upon the 2016 novel by Matt Ruff.

The novel has been on my ‘to read’ list for a couple of years now (it’s actually sitting in a stack of four novels on the table beside me as I type this). I just promoted it to the top of the pile, so that I’ll have read it before the series starts in August.

Happy Valentine's Day from HPL

H. P. Lovecraft (in a letter to J. Vernon Shea, 1934):

"I didn't slop over in youthful romance, since I didn't believe -- and still don't -- in the existence of sentimental 'love' as a definite, powerful, or persistent human emotion. I have always regarded marriage as composed of friendly regard, mental congeniality, social foresight, and practical advantage; to which at first the element of biological eroticism is added."

I'm sure that my spouse will swoon once she reads this written in her card tonight...

A Lovecraft Cinematic Universe?

H.P. Lovecraft’s classic story, “The Colour Out of Space,” is one of my all-time favourites. So I’m relieved to see that the reviews for the new film based upon it, directed by Richard Stanley and featuring Nicolas Cage, have been generally positive. It’s at “84% fresh” right now at Rotten Tomatoes.

I don’t know when I’ll be able to see it myself — the film doesn’t appear to be in wide release, and is not currently playing anywhere in Milwaukee — but see it eventually I shall!

(Alas, the film title uses “Color” not “Colour” in its title. Pity. I’ve always found amusing Lovecraft’s adamant use of British spelling in all his works, despite being American himself. And as a Canadian, “Color” just looks wrong.)

This review at Ars Technica, in addition to including a nice slideshow of stills from the movie, has a brief explainer called, “Why Aren’t There More Lovecraft Movies?” But it looks like we will be getting at least two more, including The Dunwich Horror. This in particular looks intriguing:

“With Dunwich Horror, we'll go on campus and get back to Miskatonic University… We'll also get to deal with the Necronomicon, the black book at the core of the mythos.”

I really hope that this new “Lovecraft cinematic universe” does not disappoint fans of the original tales!

Cthulhu, utilitarian

Only Existential Comics could portray the great old one Cthulhu as a rational utilitarian:

EC’s series on ‘Philosophers and Dungeons & Dragons’ is simply wonderful. If you haven’t read them yet, I highly recommend doing so! (I previously posted on parts I, II, IV, V, VI, and VIII—hmmm, not sure why I didn’t mention parts III or VII here.)

Temple of the Flayed Lord

In case you need some inspiration for a new Cthulhu Mythos style cult (also eminently useable for fantasy and historical role-playing games):

Mexican experts say they have found the first temple of the Flayed Lord, a pre-Hispanic fertility god depicted as a skinned human corpse.
[...]
The institute said experts found two skull-like stone carvings and a stone trunk depicting the god, Xipe Totec. It had an extra hand dangling off one arm, suggesting the god was wearing the skin of a sacrificial victim.
Priests worshipped Xipe Totec by skinning human victims and then donning their skins. The ritual was seen as a way to ensure fertility and regeneration.
The Popolocas built the temple at a complex known as Ndachjian-Tehuacan between AD 1000 and 1260 and were later conquered by the Aztecs.

More information on the charming Xipe Totec and his ancient Popolocas followers can be found here.

Ancient ship = Eldritch horrors

From NPR's article: "'Oldest Intact Shipwreck Known To Mankind' Found In Depths Of Black Sea":

“More than a mile beneath the surface of the Black Sea, shrouded in darkness, an ancient ship sat for millennia unseen by human eyes — until the Black Sea Maritime Archaeology Project happened upon its watery grave last year.… [T]he trading vessel plied the waves in the days of Plato and Sophocles, when the city-states of ancient Greece had scattered colonies all around the Black Sea.”

Sometimes a real world news event writes a cool Call of Cthulhu scenario for you…

(Though I’d replace the “Black Sea Maritime Archaeology Project” with the “Black Sea Miskatonic Archaeology Project” -- and move everything back to ~1930.)

The Resistance inside Nyarlathotep's Death Cult

"In the year-and-a-half since the Black Pharaoh replaced the Oval Office with a literal blood fountain throne, I’ve watched as the hits keep on coming. The executive cabinet is wracked with scandal, ordinary citizens who signed the cultist oath are making good on their grave pacts, and, of course, the entirety of the country’s water supply is now teeming with pulsating eggs from some kind inter-dimensional parasite. It’s easy to look at these kinds of headlines, to read these sorts of leaked stories from the desiccated Capitol Hill, and see an unsustainable administration. Rumors of reversal incantations are beginning to make the rounds, and if our Commander-in-Chief is not careful, It could find Itself cast back among the stars beyond the universe. The past few weeks, in particular, have seen our President certainly live up to our campaign slogan 'I See All, and It Shall Burn.'" 

"But it’s important Americans know there are still some of us upholding the tenets envisioned by the original Necro-Party. We are part of a different kind of Resistance, one that still supports the foundations scrawled within the Tome of Infernal Torment, and not the whims of a Mad Anti-God who cares not for the literalist interpretations we hold so blasphemous. We believe the Tome is, was, and will forever be instrumental in wresting reason from the minds of the multitude. It may provide faint solace, but we felt we owe it to our fellow subjugates to let them know all is still very much for naught." 

"We still believe utter ruin can be brought to the land through the proper rituals and unhallowed traditions, not by this fly-by-the-seat-of-your-tentacles kind of governing."

From: "I am Part of the Resistance Inside Nyarlathotep's Death Cult" by Andrew Paul at McSweeney's.

The 'Piano Man' of Erich Zann

The title of this article says it all: 'Someone Realized An HP Lovecraft Poem Maps Perfectly to Billy Joel’s “Piano Man”'.

The poem in question is 'Nemesis'. And it's classic Lovecraft.

I think that the first version of the song is especially good.

Thanks internet!

Best pint in R'lyeh?

So I had a pint of the "Blood of Cthulhu" Imperial stout tonight. (Once I spotted it on the board at The Oxley, how could I not? I'm akratic!)

It had a nice flavour: dark chocolate, cherry, and tart. Also, it packed a subtle punch (9.5% alc.).

It's definitely not a "session" drink: far too rich for that. But it's a nice way to finish a delicious meal.

When it arrived, however, I didn't know whether to say "Sláinte" or "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn"!

Massachusetts 1920s – Call of Cthulhu 7e – Campaign Index

[A lovely cheesecake created by two of my players]

Since it’s Halloween I thought it appropriate to post (finally!) the index for my 7th edition Call of Cthulhu campaign.

The campaign actually has been on hiatus for several months now. I’m not entirely sure when I’ll return to it, as I’m focused more on my Middle-earth campaign right now, and a friend is planning on running the Laundry RPG soon. But since the Cthulhu campaign did go quite well (only one character death!) and was a lot of fun, it would be a pity if I didn’t finish the scenario summaries and post links to everything related to it on this blog.

So here is the index (to be updated when I post the final summaries)…

7th Edition (‘non-campaign’) posts:

·       Some initial impressions of the 7^th edition of Call of Cthulhu.

·       I ran the ‘one-shot’ adventure ‘Missed Dues’ at the 2016 Loz Con.

The Investigators:

• Bertrand Smyth. Lecturer in Archaeology. Originally from London.

o       Visiting lecturer at Harvard University (1922-23); permanent lecturer at Miskatonic University (1923+).

o       Specializes in Ancient Greece.

o       A veteran of the Great War.

o       Cousin of Stephen Knott (property-owner and collector of rare artefacts).

o       A bit of a ‘fuddy-duddy’ (dresses in an unstylish Edwardian manner).

• Max Brewster. Private Investigator. Bostonian (originally from Lowell MA).

o       A forty-ish, slightly greasy, gumshoe.

o       A specialist in dodgy divorce cases.

o       Plenty of street smarts, but little formal education.

• Helen Tilton. Freelance photographer and journalist.

o       Originally from Toronto.

o       Sometimes works for the Boston Globe.

o       Has Marxist sympathies.

• Kellen Tilton. Football coach at Miskatonic University.

o       Originally from Toronto.

o       Brother of Helen.

o       A veteran of the Great War.

The Massachusetts scenarios:

Except for the first one (which is a classic that has been around since the beginning of CoC), all of the adventures that I ran for this campaign are new for the 7th edition. After the each summary I provide some general reflections on the adventure.

·       The Haunting (September 1922).

·       Dead Light (late November 1922).

·       Blackwater Creek (September 1923). [Summary coming soon.]

·       Crimson Letters (October 1924). [Summary coming soon-ish.]

Happy Halloween!