D&D 5E (2024) Cthulhu Confirmed!

[Clint_L]

What else would he count as?

A cosmic force?

Typically a character has motives - wants, needs, flaws. Eldritch horrors are typically written as so alien that their motives are unknowable.

You can roleplay Asmodeus. With Cthulhu, its more like describing a natural disaster.

 

[Parmandur]

Because Cthulhu is also boring, in addition to being the product of one of the most vile people ever to grace our hobby's inspirational texts? But mostly because it is boring. At least people have the decency to re-invent elves every time they appear. Cthulhu is just the same big dumb monster that fails to be either scary or interesting.

Listen, Lovecraft is literally the worst person...but boring...?

 

[Parmandur]

Not to defend HPL, but that's a strong statement considering who all is in Appendix N.

That said, he's dead. His characters are public domain and lots of good people have done good things with those characters. I can understand some people not willing to accept Death of the Author, but in this case he's well and truly dead and his creations have far exceeded his own influence on them.

Yeah, for me public domain is where I personally draw the line. If someone vile profits from something, I will abstain. If it is public domain...let's consider the context.

 

[Parmandur]

A cosmic force?

Typically a character has motives - wants, needs, flaws. Eldritch horrors are typically written as so alien that their motives are unknowable.

You can roleplay Asmodeus. With Cthulhu, its more like describing a natural disaster.

To be fair, that is probably what this stat block is, a natural disaster to be faced by high Level PCs.

 

[Reynard]

Listen, Lovecraft is literally the worst person...but boring...?

Have you ever tried to actually read At The Mountains Of Madness? It is a SLOG.

Anyway, Lovecraft created a lot of interesting ideas, and others have made those ideas into good things sometimes, but his greatest contribution in vibes. We don't need yet another statblock for Cthulhu in D&D. We could use a new interpretation of cosmic horror in Ravenloft, though, once that builds on the past and makes it relevant to the present. Instead, we get Cthulhu. Again.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

We could use a new interpretation of cosmic horror in Ravenloft, though, once that builds on the past and makes it relevant to the present.

The Dark Powers themselves seem ripe for this. Cosmic horror, as you say, loses a lot of its power the more it's defined and detailed, which makes the DP a good fit for expansion in other ways, maybe with their presence being known, but not in any rational "ah, here's what they're up to" sort of way.

 

[Charlaquin]

Not to defend HPL, but that's a strong statement considering who all is in Appendix N.

That said, he's dead. His characters are public domain and lots of good people have done good things with those characters. I can understand some people not willing to accept Death of the Author, but in this case he's well and truly dead and his creations have far exceeded his own influence on them.

Death of the Author is one thing, but also his beliefs are deeply ingrained into is writing. And I’m not just talking about Rats in the Walls. In most of his stories, the fundamental fear being expressed is of regression to a more “primitive” state, especially through miscegenation.

Now, I love me some cosmic horror. But, IMO the best way to use cosmic horror is to deconstruct his writing and make something better out of the good parts.

 

[Seramus]

While I'm not the biggest fan of Cthulhu itself, it's nostalgic to see those old Cosmic Horror influences being rolled out again. I know it's corny, but there used to be so many stolen literary things just tossed into the game back then.

 

[Charlaquin]

Have you ever tried to actually read At The Mountains Of Madness? It is a SLOG.

I gotta disagree with you there. It’s a slow burn, but many of the best horror stories are.

 

[Reynard]

The Dark Powers themselves seem ripe for this. Cosmic power, as you say, loses a lot of its power, the more it's defined and detailed, which makes the DP a good fit for expansion in other ways, maybe with their presence being known, but not in any rationale "ah, here's what they're up to" sort of way.

I don't know a lot about Ravenloft beyond what is in the 5E setting book, since we never really played it back in the day, but I do like the idea of inscrutable forces ruling domains, with their whim and traumas shaping the very world the PCs are forced to live in.