C thulhu H ow ?

So you want to play a Horror Alright, let's see. Once upon a ferociously
thunderous night...
RPG with Cthulhu...
H.P. Lovecraft
M aybe there is a movie you can watch
instead. It all goes back to the life's work of this
Rhode Island racist who wrote a lot of
weird stories and letters up to 1937 when he
You can simply buy the rules and play the died from cancer without literary success:
Howard Phillips Lovecraft.
adventure in the back.. Sadly Chaosium no
longer provides the quickstart for free. His pen pal August Derleth founded Arkham
House and published what Lovecraft had
not been able to sell, as well as other
works by different authors in the same
You're still here? Hm. Maybe this will work... vein, including his own.

http://www.miskatonic-university.org/ The stories are mostly short episodes about

disturbing unnatural events in some corner
http://www.esotericarchives.com/ of our world beyond human perception or
h ttp://www.scp-wiki.net/ understanding full of old and mighty beings
whose very existence is so far removed
http://www.palinola.com/projects/lab/greenbox/ from our reality and scale that merely a
http://paranormaldatabase.com/ glimpse of that lore drives a lot of
characters to insanity or a pitiful demise.
http://thefearmythos.wikia.com/wiki/The_Fear_M The entirety of Lovecraft's works and those
ythos_Wiki of many others paying homage to his ideas
form the Cthulhu Mythos. It is not a
http://www.creepypasta.com/dear-abby/ consistent continuity but a collection of
http://www.cthulhulives.org/toybox/PROPDOCS/Fr frequently mutually exclusive fragments.
eeProps.html Have a look, it works in interesting ways.
http://hplovecraft.com/ (complete works)
Last chance? Lovecraft's intention was to unsettle his
audience. He did not just write creepy tales,
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/121 he designed them so that they would affect
30366/ the reader. For this he used any device at
his disposal. Plot, pacing, language,
implication, subconscious association, he
was more like a modern movie director
than a contemporary author in what he
attempted to achieve.
Table of Contents
H.P. Lovecraft........................................................................................................2
Perhaps my questionable qualifications can More than just Lovecraft.................................................................3
discourage you. I have been playing Call of Chaosium's Call of Cthulhu............................................................3
Cthulhu and some other Horror genre RPGs Systematic Intimidation.........................................................................4
for barely 10 years, have been the GM of Delta Green .................................................................................................4
lousy convention games, played LARP and Laundry .............................................................................................................4
online Horror rounds with morons and idiots, Cthulhu Dark.................................................................................................4
and have been an occasional OP on /tg/ Trail of Cthulhu........................................................................................4
for over 5 years now. Beyond that I have Nemesis................................................................................................................4
been working with movie props on set and Dread........................................................................................................................4
off (nothing you have seen) and I dabble in Dungeoncrawl below Dunwich?..........................................5
game design but am not getting shit done. Plot Structure of Despair...................................................................6
Mindfuck.........................................................................................................................7
Written in 2013
More than just Lovecraft Chaosium's Call of Cthulhu
Lovecraft: The universe is older, bigger, Since 1981 Chaosium has released 7 editions
and weirder than anyone could ever of Call of Cthulhu (CoC) using the Basic
imagine. Mankind is insignificant. There is no Roleplaying System (BRP). The editions do not
good or evil, or any other ordering differ much in crunch and are fully
structure man can grasp except might. And compatible as far as I have seen.
people who glimpse a shadow of these old
powers are like a snowflake in a furnace. Players roll standard attributes and select
Derleth: Man and his morale can prevail. skills from a list that is on every character
sheet. Any skills including weapon skills and
There are malicious things lurking in every even sanity are expressed in numbers from
dark crevice as there always have been. 0 to 100+ (masters of their field can
But humans carry a spark in them that can sometimes exceed 100). Any task including
at times overcome the deepest darkness combat is resolved with a d100 roll that is
and shine into every corner with interpreted to be as good a result as the
compassion and safety in numbers. Or it amount the roll is below the skill value. It is
can fail and be infested by the evil it was very simple and quick to play.
charged to dispel.
Poe: At night the most mundane The GM can have a character roll directly
circumstances can construct demons in our against an attribute value when no skill fits
minds, and those demons kill. This creates the task. There are also secondary
an overlap, an ambiguity, and anyone attributes derived from the primary ones.
caught in this paradox will either fashion Things like Power (magic) or Luck can be
his own demise out of fear and mistrust, or tested with dice. But these details are of
explain away the perceived threat only to minor relevance and only involve a tiny bit
then be overcome by it. of math at character generation.
Shelley: There is infinite beauty and truth It is a system very flexible in genre from
to be found in the most unlikely and cave men to astronauts, just adapt the skill
revolting places. But unable to overcome list and you are ready to play. But the
fear and revulsion man cannot grasp that scope of the mechanics and the ways to
wisdom and himself becomes the monster express characters are limited to mostly
in his efforts to protect against them. skills. Backgrounds only find expression in
skill cost, there is no mechanism to motivate
Eco: (sneaked him in there) Every mind players to use character flaws, no way for
constructs the world from individual players to insert details into the plot, and
experience, and although seemingly the sanity stat is a bit too one dimensional
coherent at the surface, expectations and in some cases. Combat is deadly and
context differ wildly from individual to somewhat random.
individual. In this chasm madness is born
and carried into the world as lies, cruelty, The beauty of CoC is in the fluff. Chaosium
and murder. Over generations this becomes has mastered the art of providing elaborate
an ordering principle to the pitiful demise settings and adventures with superb
of the innocent, the inspired, and the honest. handouts that lavish in the era from the
late 19th to the early 20th Century. Little
Use what you think is best. Lovecraft islands of dread in a world changing at a
Mythos roleplaying is not limited to scary pace with ingenuity, art, even
Chaosium's Call of Cthulhu and Call of decadence at its iconic pinnacle while vast
Cthulhu is not limited to the Lovecraft parts of the world remain to be mapped -
Mythos. Just be aware of where it all came which means exploited - and war looms
from. As long as you do not start mapping over every continent... It is a very nice
dungeons on graph paper with encounters game.
to be fought and loot to be taken you
should be fine. And even if you do, I am Even if you pick another system to play, the
sure it could work somehow. CoC splats are the best in the industry and
are a great resource for any GM setting up
a flavorful game in the era.
Systematic Intimidation Trail of Cthulhu (http://www.pelgranepress.com/site/?cat=10 )

You can of course use any system you like Pelgranepress publishes this variation of
and play anything you want with it. But the Gumshoe system (from Esoterrorists on
some make it easier or put the focus on the same website). It attempts to model an
certain things that might matter to your investigation so that the players cannot
group. So let's have a look at the field and miss vital clues because of bad luck with
make sure to pick the right crunch for you. the dice. Generally it seems to come out
less scary and more pulpy. This is where
Old Man Henderson is still looking for his
Delta Green (http://www.delta-green.com/ ) wee men. (http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Old_Man
_Henderson).
Imagine CoC in a modern world with aliens.
Delta Green is a BRP system by ArcDream
and Pagan to run agents of a vast and Nemesis (http://www.arcdream.com/pdf/Nemesis.pdf )
confusing conspiracy along the lines of the
mysterious Blue Planet Project book The One Roll Engine (ORE) does just that, it
(http://www.metatech.org/BluePlanetProject.pdf ) with resolves the entire round of a character
Greys, Majestic-12, Area 51, but also plenty of with one roll of a simple dice pool. Into that
Mythos lore, that secretly runs the world pool go stats, skills, but also pretty much
and does so rather badly. Hopefully 2014 will anything else you design your game to do,
finally bring a new edition, the devs have like Relationships in Monsters and Other
been blogging for years. Childish Things (http://www.rpgnow.com
/product_info.php?cPath=&products_id=91119
&affiliate_id=48458. It has a fun gambling
Laundry (http://www.cubicle7.co.uk/our-games/the-laundry/ ) mechanic and is very fast. ArcDream's
Nemesis invents the variation Dark ORE
Charles Stross (http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog- which incorporates the brilliant Madness
static/) is writing his novels about an IT nerd Meter from Unknown Armies (http://www.atlas-
working for the most secret British Agency games.com/unknownarmies/ ). It provides generic
which is innocuously called The Laundry for Horror roleplaying in any setting but comes
historical reasons and because Her with only a few Mythos creatures as
Majesty's Occult Service just would not do. examples. Due to some overlap with the
Between mathematical magic threatening Delta Green developers there is hope that
his sanity and a complex public service this ingenious system will catch a lot more
bureaucracy doing much of the same he Mythos in coming years.
hunts down loose gorgons and renegade
cultists with a smartphone full of magic
apps and a tendency to navigate the Dread (http://www.tiltingatwindmills.net/dread/dread_quickstart_letter.pdf )
ensuing chaos with an intuitive For very quick and very dirty games of
understanding. Cubicle7 has molded that in
BRP. Horror there is always Dread. A Jenga
tower is used to replace dice. Players have
to move blocks up the tower. If the tower
Cthulhu Dark (http://catchyourhare.com/files/Cthulhu%20Dark.pdf ) falls the character dies. This gives the
game a steady pace of increasing tension
A one page RPG by Graham Walmsley that resulting in frequent character demise.
is very useful for a prepared plot with Trying to unnerve other players before
branches and multiple possible endings. It oneself has to handle the shaky tower
uses just one simple mechanic for should they succeed at it is not unheard of...
everything including fights which can be a
lot like the great Don't Rest Your Head Lovecraft created countless tropes and left
(http://www.evilhat.com/home/dont-rest-your-head-2/ ) In traces of his work in virtually every RPG
that you risk sanity to succeed. Degrees of published, from Great Old Ones in Pathfinder
success give you power in the story but too to entire books that revolve around moving
much can again damage your sanity. the Mythos into Science Fiction. There are
also systems like Savage Worlds, Gurps and
Try DRYH! It's not Mythos but it's really D20 that get modded for everything. But
fucking good! they go beyond the scope of this guide.
Dungeoncrawl below Dunwich?
How does it all come together? How to
create an atmosphere of titillating despair
with a table of dice virgins, or worse,
experienced Paladins and Troubleshooters?
It is a different kind of RPG and although
there are stats and attack rolls you really
have to look beyond a simple encounter
game and cultivate an atmosphere. One shots only! No fluff holds up to epic
heroes and remains Horror. Tease with
Setting is central. Much of CoC is about well fluffy details, use era as plot device, but do
portrayed locations and their cultural, not explain everything. Establish mystery.
historical, or scientific relevance. It builds
on these backdrops and contrasts their Describe sensory impressions, never
radiance with the abyss of infinity and foregone conclusions. I will get into this
madness. This reduces humanity as a whole further below. As a basic rule this is
to a fluke, and all its glory to probably the most important part of getting
inconsequential happenstance in the face of players involved. Do not think for them, just
older powers. see for them!

Limit the scope. It is always normality - little Rely on suspense rather than effects.
weird - imminent end of the world – death Roleplaying is not a visual medium., and
or madness. If you allow steps in between split second timing for jump scares is
or beyond you get Pulp not Horror. almost impossible at the table. You have to
Characters will get savvy and the Mythos work with narration.
will creep into their arsenal. Player Make the individual characters matter. The
character parties tend to act aloof and
trick is to not have a sudden need for a
purely utilitarian. Do not allow it. Involve
certain character that then passes, but to
them in the story and focus on individual
foreshadow and maintain that need
struggle with reason and emotion. Roll SAN
throughout the story
checks.
Never play an irrelevant scene. If a player
Prep scenes not battles. In D&D an NPC
veers off course just give him what he
name and some combat stats is enough to
wants, make the scene relevant, or show
start playing. In CoC you usually deal with a
him the brick wall. Nothing kills Horror
conspiracy or secret ritual of some kind,
faster than boredom.
this needs foreshadowing. Never portray
NPCs as 'the bad guys', always maintain Art is important. Handouts can be crucial. If
some ambivalence and doubt. Trust is more your players have never seen a
important than damage per round. Play up Necronomicon (http://www.goominet.com/lovecraft/ )
innuendo and shifty looks. Position your then how should its mention unsettle them?
NPCs instead of burning them off in combat. Soundtrack can be useful. Beyond actual
Combat in general should be a last resort creepy music there is NASA's Symphonies of
and never a way for the PCs to dominate. the Planets and Conet Project's numbers
Combat creates problems, it does not solve stations. 'Slowed' is a good search term for
them. Even a victory always comes with a videos.
serious drawback because of escalation.
But getting the chief of police to believe Allow no food at the table. Food offers
what your characters have witnessed and displacement and satisfies the creature
act upon it without going insane, that is a inside. Sugary and caffeinated drinks make
real battle in CoC terms. players jittery, that can be productive. But
food is always bad.
No name dropping. Keep it vague. You do
not start with the identification of a Mythos Work with your players. No two groups play
Horror, your characters never see it and the the same game the same way. Be flexible
cultists call it The Great Inscrutable Master. and contrive a great game for everyone.
Plot Structure of Despair
The basic setup is usually that something The characters can run away. But in doing
old is discovered by somebody else out of so they inevitably doom the world including
chance or curiosity. That person is then themselves to be overcome by whatever
corrupted by its implications, effects, or horror they failed to stop when it could still
powers, and we now call him a cultist. This be overcome.
cultist has a detrimental influence on
society (people disappear, grave robbing, The world is entirely modular. If every
hypnotized or scared victims, unworldly creature and deity CoC offers was in
weather, poisonous dreams, livestock dies, contact with humanity then humanity would
running for president, portal that swallows be long gone. You just pick a setting and
reality, whatever). Traces of this is what come up with something abyssal behind the
puts the players on the map. Now they scenes. You do not even have to define
have to navigate this mind shattering which creature is involved, it can be vague
evidence and its trail and possibly recover to the end, it can be a book or a relic. I
somebody's brother or old college friend. once had a character destroy Paris with a
wrong flute. He played the song that got
They never actually have to find the thing stuck in his head during a dream.
that caused it all, but they can. The story is
in all the damage it has caused and how The fun is in the flavor, the setting, and the
that hints at more to come. This is slowly utter helplessness. Archeology in 1860s Egypt,
revealed to the players as they dive down safari in 1870s South Africa, Voodoo in 1880s
the rabbit hole. New Orleans, black market relics in 1890s
Shanghai, exploration of the 1900s Amazon
Isolate the group. All CoC adventures do basin, bogged down in WW1 Verdun,
this. The most obvious way is to cut them gangster wars in Prohibition Chicago, weird
off geographically. They are on a polar science in 1930s Berlin... CoC is about an era.
research station and the next supply ship is Find your place in it and show it to your
not due until next week. They are in a players.
remote estate and do not know the path
through the surrounding treacherous W ikipedia is your friend. Common
woodlands. They are on a vessel at sea, on misconceptions work for you, and using the
a moving train, or on a sailing airship. This players' primary research tool against them
does of course not work everywhere. You is a great effect. You can derive your
cannot be isolated geographically in solution from Wikipedia and your players
London, Casablanca, Budapest, or Warsaw. will think they are brilliant when they
stumble upon it. But even just to fluff out
So you use social isolation. Simply by what the setting it can be very useful
they have seen the player characters are
bound together because they know, and Most CoC books stick very close to
nobody else believes. Try to explain and historical accuracy. Combine them with
NPCs laugh at your joke, insist and they actual sources and references, steal old
start worrying about your sanity, act out photographs from the Internet, find old
and they take you to a doctor, keep radio broadcasts on video sites, or use
insisting and the loony bin awaits. Or they some ancient story your grandfather told
can get really scared themselves... you as plot inspiration. You can also just
call it Arkham or Dunwich and invent it all.
Mindfuck Similar things can be done for vision and
haptics. But you get how it works: Find out
...Ere the waning and fantastically which sense each player uses for memory
gibbous moon had risen far above the the most and then play into it. Do not be too
eastern plain, I was awake in a cold obvious or the player will feel manipulated
and abandon immersion.
perspiration, determined to sleep no
more ... As for actual fears, it works just the same.
Lovecraft intentionally used unsettling or Claustrophobia, agoraphobia, acrophobia,
unfamiliar language in his descriptions to arachnophobia, ophidiophobia, pyrophobia,
influence the reader's state of mind. This tryphophobia, Body Horror, ghosts, death, ...
does not translate directly into narration. Just find their buttons and push them.
But language can create subtle dissonances Gently at first, and then increasing with the
that lead to subconscious expectation. If pace of your plot.
used with care it can give your players In a Horror game your biggest issue is
perceptions and experiences they did not always pacing. All given suggestions only
anticipate, and they usually appreciate that. work if the timing is right. The pressure you
You can use malapropisms or foreshadow put on the players in their understanding of
with outright misplaced adjectives. the world creates the framework upon
Know your players. Watch them carefully. It which the entire plot depends. To utilize that
is like poker, when one blinks, you got him. you need two things: An ability to read your
Everyone has different phobias or anxieties. players' immersion, and plot devices to
Many are hard to recreate in narration. regulate tension.
There are neuro-linguistic programming The first takes experience and empathy.
tricks you can use, but it is always a long Look for general conversational clues like
shot. displacement behavior (tapping, chewing,
Every player has a primary mnemonic drinking, scratching) and listen to their tone
sense. Smell is the first candidate, it is very of voice. Take a baseline at the beginning
close to the lizard brain core and of the session and then slide it up
fight/flight. You often recognize him incrementally. Do not overdo it at first, you
because he draws deep breaths through want increasing waves of tension. The
the nose or smells his fingers when valleys are as important as the peaks,
nervous, he inspects food by smell before without relief and contrast you just get
tasting it. His displacement actions tend to action.
include his nose. You get him immersed by The second is all in the prep work. Give
becoming his sommelier, you learn to yourself room to react in your adventure
describe the world to his nose. Check wine and divide it up into natural seeming steps.
reviews and pick up adjectives for aromas. Do not give away too much too soon, it will
To unnerve this player light some incense. not increase tension at all. Instead
The second likely primary mnemonic sense foreshadow and provide clues, take away
is hearing. This player often gets annoyed options over time, and make the general
when too many people talk at once and he situation ever more dire in increments that
is the first to jump at unexpected sounds. can be felt by the players. This is where
You get him immersed by making him use table lighting and soundtrack can be your
his ears for playing and for imagining his best friends.
character. You whisper when an NPC talks Horror films with broken continuity still
to him. You describe sounds in detail just work. Logic subsides to immediacy. Human
for atmo, but also to hint at plot. You perception is a heuristics machine,
explain how his character is affected by whatever is most pressing in implication
some sudden noise when it fits your plot. It dominates, and causality be damned! So do
is important to leave some ambivalence not get held up by details. All that matters
when describing faint or foreign sounds, is to keep the players on their toes and the
keeps it exciting. And describe volume and suspension of disbelief generally
direction, influence of wind or structures., maintained.
anything to give sound plasticity.