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<blockquote data-quote="AbdulAlhazred" data-source="post: 8278431" data-attributes="member: 82106">I think it is quite easy to do solid Cosmic Horror with CoC/ToC. You have all the elements. Really the main concern is whether or not the players are interested in short lifespan characters, because you pretty much won't see them coming back for another adventure. In my, long ago, CoC games attrition was HIGH. The players created a sort of 'society' to provide a bit of continuity, so each adventure might be mostly new PCs, but they could count on having a common background support system and a group history. Still, presaging things like Laundry Files, the group's overall mission was at best to stave off the final end of humanity, or keep their home town from being eaten YET. Obviously SOME level of success is required, and you have this balancing act. You can see it in Laundry Files where the overall trajectory is 'down the tubes' but the actual PCs can advance a bit and learn how to cope. Of course everything they learn just shows them how much worse the situation really is than they suspected. I'd call that cosmic horror.So, yeah, there's going to be a bit of 'pulpiness' in any sort of game like this, especially set in the 1920's like CoC is. Still, you can get to the existential dread part without THAT much trouble. The rules certainly don't get in your way here. PCs are fragile, monsters ridiculously dangerous, and the SAN/Mythos clock/dilemma is always working against you. Nobody escapes for long. If something doesn't rip your PC limb-from-limb, her mind will surely be fried in a couple adventures. I mean, who can actually survive Masks with a positive SAN? It is practically impossible.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="AbdulAlhazred, post: 8278431, member: 82106"] I think it is quite easy to do solid Cosmic Horror with CoC/ToC. You have all the elements. Really the main concern is whether or not the players are interested in short lifespan characters, because you pretty much won't see them coming back for another adventure. In my, long ago, CoC games attrition was HIGH. The players created a sort of 'society' to provide a bit of continuity, so each adventure might be mostly new PCs, but they could count on having a common background support system and a group history. Still, presaging things like Laundry Files, the group's overall mission was at best to stave off the final end of humanity, or keep their home town from being eaten YET. Obviously SOME level of success is required, and you have this balancing act. You can see it in Laundry Files where the overall trajectory is 'down the tubes' but the actual PCs can advance a bit and learn how to cope. Of course everything they learn just shows them how much worse the situation really is than they suspected. I'd call that cosmic horror. So, yeah, there's going to be a bit of 'pulpiness' in any sort of game like this, especially set in the 1920's like CoC is. Still, you can get to the existential dread part without THAT much trouble. The rules certainly don't get in your way here. PCs are fragile, monsters ridiculously dangerous, and the SAN/Mythos clock/dilemma is always working against you. Nobody escapes for long. If something doesn't rip your PC limb-from-limb, her mind will surely be fried in a couple adventures. I mean, who can actually survive Masks with a positive SAN? It is practically impossible. [/QUOTE]

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