This episode we’re speaking about the unspeakable, mentioning the unmentionable and naming the nameless. More particularly, we’re talking about a recently published book that we co-wrote, Nameless Horrors, using this as a starting point for a discussion about the merits and techniques of creating your own unique take on the Mythos.
Here’s one we prepared earlier.
If you’ve played Call of Cthulhu for as long as we have, you can probably spot a Star Vampire without dusting it with the powder of Ibn Ghazi, sniff out the most freshly scrubbed of ghouls and identify what lurks under the Pallid Mask without taking a peek. The Mythos is a rich playground, full of many horrible things for a Keeper to use, but nothing will keep your players on their toes like making new stuff up.
Well, apart from hiding small snakes in their dice pouches.
I forgot to mention something in the previous show notes, where it would have actually tied into the correct episode! We would be ever so grateful if those of you who subscribe via iTunes could rate the podcast there. We’re a little under the threshold for having a visible rating, and we used all of our powder of Ibn Ghazi on that Star Vampire we mentioned earlier.
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I don’t mind working out what monster it is this time. I think I can distance myself from the discovery. In the last game Scott ran, it was very clear very soon what the threat was. I quite like playing stupid.
Great topic & looking forward to reading the book as it along with the Bumps in the Night book from Pagan Publishing or No Security from Hebanon Games, are great in the concept of it as it gives something outside the known collection of more common monsters. If you tie the creature in a web of the local folklore (so the person describing the creature just can give a few details before it took some family/friend & the person ran), it helps some. Another thing would be what you brought up which is the use of intelligence for the monsters plus whatever odd senses they might have, they will see the world differently but be able to learn or act intelligently to what the puny humans are doing.
Pair of recommendations on the topic:
Ken Writes About Stuff off Pelgrane Press where he looks at various folklore or ideas to put the creatures in a new light.
Another would be the book Stealing Cthulhu from Graham Walmsley & friends which breaks down the elements of the stories to see what you can steal for your games.
It is totally worth checking out No Security. The whole book is full of scenarios which are undoubtly perfect examples of “the mythos”, but without being taken directly from existing sources . The Wives of March, especially, is an amazing piece of work.