Call of Cthulhu: Advice needed for a new GM

[Creamsteak]

My friend Josh is here with me now, and I'm going to be going over the things that I know about being a DM. He's an avid Cthulhu Mythos Reader, so he of course is allured by the context of a Call of Cthulhu game. I'm going to be playing in it, and helping him to the best of my ability.

So, to you Enworlders, who know about CofC far better than I do, what advice do you have for Josh? Is there anything you have to offer? And, if you don't think I should read (I am playing afterall), just note it at the top of your post and give me a 4 line skip between it and that context, and I won't have any trouble ignoring it.

Thanx in Advance,

Creamsteak.

 

[Volaran]

Actually, I just bought the book myself, and have started reading this evening with intent to run a one on one campaign for a friend of mind. I'll be playing close attention to the advice here as well. Thanks for conveniently bringing up the topic ^_^

 

[kengar]

Most of my GM experience is not CoC but there are a couple of things I'll mention.

Assuming no one in your group has played CoC before but are somewhat familiar with d20, then COC:d20 is a great game (personally, I think it's the best conversion of a game system out there). Monte & friends did a terrific job on it and everything you need is right there, from spells to monsters.

That said, if anybody in your group has played CoC before -under Chaosium "d100/BRP" system, they might find COCd20 a little more combat-oriented. Some folks have claimed it's too "Pulp" for classic COC play. <shrug> I think the GM's style is the real factor there.

OK, on to tips and advice. COC is generally more RP intensive than D&D. This means that A) combat is usually not a first (or second!) choice and B) players will need to "play their parts" more. COC is a game about tone. It is Horror RP, not Fantasy. One of the things that I think needs to addressed is that the players need to understand that it's kind of like going to a scary movie; part of you has to want to be scared. If the group is prepared to cooperate by helping to keep the mood as opposed to a "Go ahead, just TRY to scare me!" kind of attitude, things will run smoother.

COC adventures are usually "investigations." This means a lot of talking to NPCs, searching for clues, etc. As GM, prepare a lot of NPC names and descriptions ahead of time. If they talk to the nurse on duty at the hospital, they'll get into the scene and the "feel" if she is a character with a name and face as opposed to a "cardboard prop." The same goes for places, have descriptions ready. Not whole pages, but a line or two to distinguish the seedy saloon from the family diner in the players' minds.

Players should keep this 'investigative' aspect in mind when selecting feats and skills. Combat ability is fine and has its place, but shouldn't be the emphasis for the party.

Many folks have recommended creepy music and dim lighting. Don't overdo it but it can really help make things a bit spookier.

Often players, especially -it seems- those from a Fantasy background, will try to strategize their way out of the danger. Once they realize that COC is a more lethal game, NTM the Sanity issues, they might try to get themselves out of harm's way by just blowing up the old house from the start and never exploring the cellars, etc. The best advice I can give here is give them a reason that this won't help. Deep ones kidnapping folks? Running away won't save the party; because once the Deep ones have enough victims, they'll perform the rite that bring Cthulhu to the surface and the whole world is doomed (party inculded). Make a potential suicide mission the lesser of two evils, etc. Make sure the party has a chance to find this out before they buy the dynamite. If they fail to follow up on clues and blow the house up anyway, fine. Just describe to them in horrible detail what happens to the world and their characters when the rite is completed and ol' squidhead wades up on shore and eats them.

The COCd20 offers lots of good advice about runniing the game too. Also, I would really recommend that everyone playing have read at least one HPL short story. Many of them are available online for free reading (public domain).
Here's a link.

Oof! I babbled a bit more than I intended. Well, hope some of it helps anyway (I really shouldn't post before having my coffee )

 

[Morpheus]

GMing CoC (BRP or d20)

Call of Cthulhu is all about the atmosphere . It is the struggle against Things-Man-Was-Not-Meant-To-Know. It is also probably the most satisfying game for a GM when it is done correctly because it involves true roleplaying. Some things to keep in mind while GMing CoC:

1) Make your NPCs real people. Create them with their own voices, quirks, hopes and fears. You don't have to be a method actor and you don't have to do this for every single NPC, but the more you make them real, the better the experience.

2) Always have an alternate plan. CoC is an investigative endeavor and as a GM, you can't plan for every situation. For example, if the clue that leads to the mansion is located in the cemetary and the PCs don't go to the cemetary, place the clue somewhere where they do go. This way, you don't have to railroad them to the cemetary and they think that they are doing well when they find the clue.

3) Props, props, props...Old photographs and maps. A written letter. A stained diary page. Anything that makes the game seem more tangible and real.

4) Let the dice fall where they may. CoC is about the insignificance of Man in the greater scheme of things. What could relay that message more than rolling the dice in the open and showing the PCs that everything is arbitrary and their actions mean little?

Good luck and have fun. CoC is a great game...

 

[dave_o]

Muhahaha.

Don't read this unless you're a GM!













Just a thought, for atmosphere. In a dark room, build some suspense - then begin to casually slide wet spaghetti onto peoples laps/hands.

Muhahahahahaha. Tentacled doom!

 

[Barcode]

Mention this change in goal over most other roleplaying genres:

In Call of Cthulhu, going barking mad, or dying in a grotesque, horrific, or otherwise entertaining way is at least as respectable a conclusion as beating the bad guy and living to fight another day.

 

[ced1106]

Do a search on RPGnet. I think they has a recent discussion about new CoC GM there.

Summary of my two bits:

* Description: Do your best not to name the monster or even describe it fully. Describe as much as possible of the monster **as it approaches**. Include odors, evidence of its behavior, etc. etc.

* NPC allies: NPC allies make great "get the point across" cannon fodder. Send a 10th-level NPC to scout ahead and have the PCs encounter him in at least four different pieces. CoC traps usually don't affect the entire party (eg. reading some mind-destroying runes), so use NPCs to trigger traps if the party is smart enough to avoid them.


Cedric.
aka. Washu! ^O^