Pathfinder 1E World of Golarion going Lovecraft too much?

[Lwaxy]

For me, this definitely seems to be true. I don't mind the occasional bit of horror, but the inclusion of Lovecraft monsters takes it a bit too far for me. I love my CoC games every now and then, but when I want to play in Golarion, I want it to be new and different enough, not anything that's imported from elsewhere.

Players and me have decided to rename the monsters and alter them well enough to they aren't Lovevcraft anymore, but I begin to worry about my (momentarily) fav RPG world.

Does anyone else feel that way or are we the odd players?

 

[13garth13]

*shrug*

I suspect that Lovecraft/Lovecraftian elements are a moderately divisive topic amongst gamers....almost everyone I know LOVES them, but based on my time on EN World and the Paizo boards I would say that there is certainly a not-insubstantial segment of the gaming population that either doesn't groove to Lovecraft's tunes or just simply doesn't want his squamous horror chocolate in their arcane fantasy peanut butter.

So, while I personally disagree with you completely (and in fact would be overjoyed if their was even more dark madness and horror afoot in Paizo products....push that envelope!!), you are most certainly not alone in your tastes regarding Cthulhian elements in Golarion.

Cheers,
Colin

 

[ahayford]

Have there been recent campaign supplements that have made you feel this way?

 

[Nebten]

You are the odd players. The most rescent Adventure Paths and supplements have been supporting "vikings, ninjas and pirates."

The country of Ustalav has a Ravenloft/gothic horror feeling to it. There are mentions of Old Cults/Lost Gods in some matterials but not an huge amounts. Golarion isn't more influenced by the Dark Tapestry then Greyhawk and the Far Realms.

If you are dealing with a lot of aberration type monsters, it could be said all such monsters have a Lovecraft theme. Again, I point out that it isn't any more then what TSR/WotC put out for D&D.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

when I want to play in Golarion, I want it to be new and different enough, not anything that's imported from elsewhere.

Er, it's explicitly a kitchen sink setting -- a big gumbo of everything Mona and company think is cool. If you're looking for new and original, that's explicitly not what they're trying to deliver. Rather, it's a setting where, no matter what kind of stuff you like, there's a corner for you there somewhere.

 

[Dragonhelm]

Really, it's something I've noticed in a lot of fantasy RPGs, D&D and Pathfinder included.

I know there are a lot of fans of Lovecraft, but I don't understand the draw. Inclusion of Lovecraftian elements certainly seems to be a selling point. I've just decided that I'm not the target audience.

I suspect that Lovecraft is used quite a bit too because his works are public domain. Does the inclusion of Lovecraft elements equate to lazy writing? Perhaps, but no more so than the inclusion of any mythological element.

To each their own. If Lovecraft isn't your thing, then don't buy products influenced by his works.

 

[billd91]

I'm quite enjoying the addition of hounds of Tindalos, denizens of Leng, and moonbeasts to D&D. I think it's fantastic.

Of course, being entries in monster books, their use is entirely optional. There aren't even all that many that have been added.

 

[Drowbane]

Its all subject to the guy behind the DM Screen anyways. In my friday PF game, the DM is a huge Lovecraft fan and the rest of us are also, if to a lesser degree. So in our PF game, there may be more Lovecraft influence than you might find at another table.

This would not be reduced (in our game) by such critters not being printed in PF materials... the DM would just make it up on his own.

He tends to do that anyways.

edit: As long as we don't have to mess around with sanity rules, I am fine with the Things That Should Not Be running around in our campaign. "Hey look, its not another orc!"

 

[prosfilaes]

For me, this definitely seems to be true. I don't mind the occasional bit of horror, but the inclusion of Lovecraft monsters takes it a bit too far for me.

Why? All the stock elements of gothic horror are included on Golarion; werewolves, vampires, Spring-Heeled Jack and Frankenstein are running around. As others have pointed out, Golarion is very much a kitchen-sink setting, so a bit of everything is there.

Where are you seeing these monsters that they annoy you? If you really don't like Lovecraft, you might have to skip one of the adventures in the Carrion Crown series, or at least modify it a lot. If it's just the bestiary, I don't see the existence of monsters in the Bestiary that I won't use in my games to be a big concern.

 

[Shemeska]

I don't think that Golarion is doing it any more heavily than anyone else really. I think that there's just an increased interest in Lovecraft in the marketplace (concurrent with a rise in general appreciation of his influence in certain circles of the literary world now).

Right now we've got CoC, Lovecraftian influence in Golarion, previous stuff in D&D like mindflayers, Cthulhutech, and in 4e I think WotC let Bruce Cordell go off the rails somewhat with the Far Realms being front and center and making most every aberration both from there and even more bluntly Lovecraftian in detail.

Personally I love the stuff. HPL's work is some of what got me into writing in the first place, but I think his stuff is best used with a subtle hand when used outside of its genre for the most part. I think Paizo has struck a balance on the good side of that line of enriching influence versus overexposure.

HPL isn't everyone's ball of wax I understand, and I've been responsible for a bit of arguably Lovecraftian stuff in recent times*, but again I think in Paizo's case they've done it so that the monster isn't dragged out into the light and exposed as just a guy in a rubber cthulhu mask. They've integrated the cthulhu mythos material into their shared world and it fits I think, without seeming like an outside bolted on pantheon or set of monsters. Personally, I really like it.


*the reworking of Devourers in Paizo's 'Undead Revisited' and their nameless, intentionally undefined but alien progenitors from 'somewhere else'