CoC: Everyone is dead.

[mmadsen]

In Cthulhu characters are expected to die horriblely, or to go insane, or to suffer a far worse fate.

But that genre convention doesn't actually match Lovecraft's writing as accurately as people like to think. More than one Lovecraft hero makes it out alive and sane.

 

[Horacio]

But that genre convention doesn't actually match Lovecraft's writing as accurately as people like to think. More than one Lovecraft hero makes it out alive and sane.

Some characers too... the first time. Butb they are fool enoguh to tr a second or even a third. Their luck cannot last forever.

 

[Vaxalon]

But that genre convention doesn't actually match Lovecraft's writing as accurately as people like to think. More than one Lovecraft hero makes it out alive and sane.

Hero? No, lovecraft fiction doesn't HAVE heroes. Generally speaking, it has investigators, and witnesses. Investigators die, or go insane. Witnesses write the accounts so that we can know about them.

Yes, yes, I'm sure there are exceptions, I haven't read more than 90% of the available Mythos fiction, but I've read enough to see the trend.

 

[Wicht]

In the strictly "this world" writings of Lovecraft there are few true heroes. However if one takes into account his dream cycle I think you find that Lovecraft was not a total pessimist. In his dream tales, his heroes are a bit more heroic. The Dreamquest of Unknown Kadath is the perfect example of this. Randolph Carter (who does not die) experiences horrors on this plane (i.e. the Statement of Randolph Carter, the Unnameable) but he also becomes a great dreamer, exploring and conquering. He speaks with ghouls and flies on the back of Nightgaunts. He takes on the gods (namely Nyarthealop) and escapes (albeit barely) with his life and his sanity. Eventually he finds a portal to join with his youthful self and then enters permanantly into the dream realm in a later story.

Taken as a whole, Lovecrafts cycle seems to say that this world is too horrifying for mankind to deal with but the land of dreams contains our future.

edit- I would also suggest that the Dunwich Horror contains heroics of a sort.

 

[NemesisPress]

No one plays roleplaying games just to see their characters die. In fact, the more depth to the roleplaying, the more disconcerting that would be. If you are playing with disposable characters you're in a different genre altogether. And while I'm sure there are some GMs and players that like carnage, none of the published scenarios for CoC imply that.

Meanwhile, the sanity rules of CoC are the major weakness of the game. All they do is put a half-life on your characters without expanding the opportunities for roleplaying. Combining the fear/horror/madness rules from Ravenloft and the info on personality and sanity from the Book of Broken Dreams would be much more productive.

 

[NemesisPress]

Meanwhile the d20 version's use of temporary characteristic drain for spells - particularly the intelligence score - is a very poor and heavy-handed mechanism to use - again for the lack of roleplaying opportunities.

 

[Wicht]

Meanwhile, the sanity rules of CoC are the major weakness of the game.

At least in your opinion. I myself think the sanity rules are what sets CoC apart from DnD. They are in fact, in the mind of I would guess quite a few people, the strength of the game.

And they will only limit role-playing if you let them. A smart player will try not to go insane and try not to die while still staying in character. But role-playing is roleplaying and if you go insane you get to roleplay it. That IMO is an expansion of the role-playing possibilities not a limit.

Meanwhile the d20 version's use of temporary characteristic drain for spells - particularly the intelligence score - is a very poor and heavy-handed mechanism to use - again for the lack of roleplaying opportunities.

I will admit it's heavy handed but I fail to see why it is a poor mechanism if the intent is to show magic is a dangerous business for humanity. And I fail to see how it limits role-playing opportunities to show that there is a palpable penalty for casting spells. IMO it does what many have said they wanted in DnD, namely a magic system that puts a drain on the caster and is not a memorization based system.

 

[mmadsen]

Meanwhile the d20 version's use of temporary characteristic drain for spells - particularly the intelligence score - is a very poor and heavy-handed mechanism to use - again for the lack of roleplaying opportunities.

And your proposed mechanic is...?

Ability Drain seems better than Spell Slots, Power Points, or Vitality Points, and gives a better handle for roleplaying.

 

[Horacio]

Ability drain, as a mechanism to show magic fueling from inner energies, magic that drains the mage inner self, are wonderful...

 

[teitan]

ANother Mechanic

What about a conversion of POW? I don't have my book handy but you could base it one wisdom and the die roll specified in the spell would indicate how much Power is drained and when the PC gets to 0 POW he passes out? CHarisma would prolly be a better score for the POW. A feat could be created call Enhanced Pow that adds +3 and stacks.

My concern is the Psychic Feats costing sanity. I haven't allowed Psychic feats yet, but may if I go with this POW mechanic.

Jason