Magic in Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos Stories

[Geoffrey]

Other than a few mentions of an "Arkham cycle" in HPL's correspondence, it was Derleth who created the notion of a cohesive "Cthulhu Muthos," after the fact.

That is my understanding, too. In fact, even my short list of only eight Cthulhu Mythos tales by Lovecraft is not a cohesive whole. The following article by Daniel Harms shows that there are irreconcilable contradictions even amongst those of Lovecraft's stories that are commonly held to be part of a single mythology:

http://members.fortunecity.com/moderan/nonfic/oldones.html

 

[Desdichado]

That is my understanding, too. In fact, even my short list of only eight Cthulhu Mythos tales by Lovecraft is not a cohesive whole. The following article by Daniel Harms shows that there are irreconcilable contradictions even amongst those of Lovecraft's stories that are commonly held to be part of a single mythology:

http://members.fortunecity.com/moderan/nonfic/oldones.html

Those aren't inconsistencies; you're just not capable of comprehending the full horror of the mythos...

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

As far as the "Cthulhu Mythos" goes, here is the beginning of what Joshi & Schultz have to say, quoted from An H.P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia (a great reference book, btw, but a bit expensive)

Cthulhu Mythos. Term devised by August Derleth to denote the psudo-mythology underlying some of HPL's tales, chiefly the "cosmic" stories of his last decade of writing.
It is difficult to know how seriously HPL himself regarded his invented pantheon or his invented New England topography (which has also been regarded by later critics as an important componant of the Mythos). That pantheon developed from his earliest work--"Dagon" (1917)--to his last, and it was in a state of constant flux, as HPL never felt bound to present a rigidly consistant theogony from one tale to the next. His own references to his psudomythology are vague and inconsistant, suggesting that, even though he employed it often enough, it was merely for coloration, not the primary theme of his fiction.

In correspondance with James F. Morton, HPL notes that he has written The Colour out of Space, which is an "atmospheric episode of the Arkham cycle," and that The Dunwich Horror "belongs to the Arkham cycle." In a letter to Clark Ashton Smith he mentions that Yog-Sothoth is one of several "ingrediants of the Miskatonic Valley myth-cycle."

So, what does all this mean? Well, in my opinion, HPL was more concerned with the themes of the stories and the locations of the stories, rather than with any mythology in them. Yes, they had connections, but he used them without any real regard to consistancy between stories. references to the Old Ones were more for flavor than anything else.

What does all this have to do with the topic at hand? I'm not taking any sides in the magic arguement (I use whatever I want in the CoC games I run), but thought I could shed a little light on what two of the most well regarded HPL scholars think about the Mythos, and what HPL himself said about some of the connections in his stories.

 

[MattyHelms]

Those aren't inconsistencies; you're just not capable of comprehending the full horror of the mythos...

I know you're kidding around, but that point is something Tynes covered rather nicely in the d20 Cthulhu book. It's also a nice "in-game" justification to ignore or change parts of the mythos you don't like.

Later,
Matt

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

As the Librarian and other scholars on Lovecraftian fiction have said ... they're all just plot tools.

The people who came behind tried to create a "Mythos" from it all, and DID create a "Mythos" from it, but use it as you may.

Magic in those stories is, likewise, a plot tool. I don't think Lovecraft really made some sort of choice to "limit" or "expand" his use of magic in any story or whether or not to mix "magic and The Old Ones" in any particular story. He had a story to tell, he got it across in his way.

The "Arkam Cycle", the common names, themes, the "mythos" was a flavor element. You have to think about where his body of work appeared ... shorts in literary magazines, serialized in places. You read half a dozen "Fantastic" or "Horrific" tales and what stands out? Recurring names and themes, for one. Yog-Sothoth, the Necronomicon, etc etc. It made him stand out a bit, for one, and made for a handy hat to stick on a hook.

CoC as a game is, first and foremost, a game. It's different for everybody. So some people like different things.

I think, for the original poster, what would be a more effective exploration would be ... what spells, for you, serve the same effect as those spells served for Lovecraft?

You'll notice they were all plot devices. "Summon Yog-Sothoth" "Banish" ... Trap The Soul, a defense against Trap The Soul.

Just using these spells willy-nilly will as much bugger the feeling of Lovecraft's fiction as letting the character run about casting Fireball.

I'm not going to use magic and Tomes as: "You find a tome, you lose Sanity, *roll* it has 4 spells, *flip flip flip* the spells are _______" ... that, to me, would ruin the whole INTENT of the game.

The introduction of magic should have REASON. You don't find Dust of Ibn Gazi. You're told about it and given it by the crusty old half-mad sage and you use it on the invisible horror you'd normally have been unable to even SEE.

Non-"core mythos" spells can be introduced and still develop a lovecraft "feel". They just need to be present as plot hooks and very very rare. Specific spells introduced to combat or counter certain enemies. And never let the spells of the enemy fall into the hands of players unless they'll need the two-edged sword of magic to combat a very specific threat you've set up for later in the campaign.

--fje

 

[Olive]

If any CoC gamemasters want to model their games' magic system after pure Lovecraftian Cthulhu Mythos, I suggest using only the above spells, and even then only rarely.

But the Mythos can't be purely Lovecraftian... it woudn't exst with out the input of all the other Mythos authors.

And really, it's a game, not a simulation! Spirit is more important than letter methinks.