D&D General Cthulhu by Torchlight Brings Mythos To D&D

Dungeons & Dragons 5E lead designer Mike Mearls' latest project combines his current and former employers--on D&D Beyond you can now access a digital exclusive product from Chaosium which brings the Cthulhu Mythos to D&D 5th Edition.

The supplement is called Cthulhu by Torchlight and includes subclasses, feats, and spells designed for 5E.

Cthulhu by Torchlight adds a new subclass to each of the character classes in the new Player’s Handbook, along with over two dozen Mythos-themed spells, a new background, and new Origin feats. For DMs, it holds over 20 horrid monsters of the Cthulhu Mythos. Rules for Passions and Dreadful Insights amplify roleplaying by putting mechanics behind your characters’ personality, while the skill challenge rules provide a framework for investigation, interaction, and other non-combat encounters.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

I bought the translated edition of Sandy Petersen's Mythos and I have rereaden the pages about the PC species. I had forgotten the exotic charm of the "zoogs".

I wonder we could see more Chaosium-WotC collabs in the future, for example a d20 version of "7th Sea", or "100% fluff, 0% crunch" sourcebooks. The dreamland cats, the guls, gnorri (like nagas with snake heads and three arms)

* I didn't know there is a new edition of Chulthu tech. I like the concepts for new PC species.

 

[Weiley31]

Wait: for real?

 

[mearls]

The book is designed with the idea that you want to add the mythos to an existing or new campaign. It assumes that the PCs are 5e-level powerful, so the mythos isn't necessarily something you run from.

In terms of mechanics, the CoC feel is driven by its adaptation of Pendragon's rules for passions. Passions in this product are supercharged roleplaying cues that explain why your character is willing to confront the mythos. You can use a passion to gain a bonus to a d20 roll.

The DM can invoke your passion to raise the dramatic stakes. Let's say your passion is curiosity. Your character is driven to uncover the secrets of the universe. In exploring a cultist's abandoned home, you find evidence that he was conducting experiments in a hidden chamber beneath his house. While it might be smarter to get the rest of the party before exploring the chamber, you or the DM can invoke your passion to explore it alone.

Mechanically, if you follow your passion into danger you get heroic inspiration and some temporary hit points. Basically, the mechanic provides a little safety padding to encourage the players to take the kind of risky, perhaps unwise, actions that investigators or pulp fantasy heroes sometimes seize.

The book also provides a skill challenge framework with options for chases and a few other examples.

More than happy to answer questions here.

 

[mearls]

Any word on if the monsters have 2014 or 2024 stat blocks?

2024 formatting, but the mechanics are all found in 2014. Monsters work in either version.

 

[mearls]

Wait: for real?

I hope so! Otherwise, someone went to a LOT of effort to prank me...

 

[Zaukrie]

Tell us more about the skill challenges! As you know, I have all your old articles on file and read them occasionally....

 

[Vexorg]

Is this the first 3rd party book released directly as partnered content? It seems like most of them are successful prior to their inclusion, but I might be wrong.

 

[mearls]

In terms of digital only, when I joined Chaosium I had pitched a CoC/D&D crossover book. The biggest risk was that it would be confusing to BRP players, since they might think it was a fantasy supplement to CoC. From my understanding, when CoC d20 released all those years ago retailers and distributors had trouble keeping the lines straight.

Partnering with D&D Beyond solved that challenge for us.

 

[darjr]

Interesting that it’s dndbeyond exclusive.

How many other ddb 3PP exclusives have there been?

 

[Mistwell]

What is the ability of the Feline Court class to turn into a cat like?