Whats the deal with Arkham? or Im Lovecrafts Virgin Lovechild!

[Angelsboi]

What is the big deal with Arkham and even though my game is set in Modern day atlanta (i will be doing a story hour), will it work?

 

[DMaple]

The deal with Arkham is that it was the location of where many of Lovecraft's books were based. Home to the Arkham Asylum and the Misskatonic University.

Innsmouth was another classic CoC town, with a large number of the population being the offspring of Deep One/Human interaction. Kingsport, Dunwich, Boston and other parts of New England are all classic Lovecraft settings.

Sure if your running a Modern day adventure you could set it anywhere, but what you lose is the feeling of isolation that you get playing in the small towns and out-lying farms in the 1920's when your car breaks down or won't even manage the roads once they are awash with mud.

 

[DnDChick]

When I try to explain to newbies who HPL was, I use the analogy that he was the Stephen King of the early 20th century only wierder. And, much like Stephen King's stories nearly always taking place in Maine (Castle Rock, Derry, etc...), HPL set many of his stories in or around the ficticious town of Arkham. Its just a setting, and doesnt really have to be part of any CoC game.

 

[Hand of Vecna]

...... or does it?!

 

[Horacio]

When I try to explain to newbies who HPL was, I use the analogy that he was the Stephen King of the early 20th century only wierder. And, much like Stephen King's stories nearly always taking place in Maine (Castle Rock, Derry, etc...), HPL set many of his stories in or around the ficticious town of Arkham. Its just a setting, and doesnt really have to be part of any CoC game.

O.K., it's just a setting. But I would say it's the setting.
You could play Dragonlance outside Krynn, or Madness in Freeport outside Freeport too

 

[Angelsboi]

See in Atlanta, theres Midtown, Downtown. Buckhead (VERY RICH section) the steel mills (think Freddy Krueger), A beach in Savannah, Lawerenceville (isolated), Cobb County (Isolated), etcetc ec

 

[Horacio]

See in Atlanta, theres Midtown, Downtown. Buckhead (VERY RICH section) the steel mills (think Freddy Krueger), A beach in Savannah, Lawerenceville (isolated), Cobb County (Isolated), etcetc ec

O.K., Angelsboi, the campaign can work GREAT in Atlanta. You don't need Arkam, or the Miskatonic University. But if you use it, the mood will be more automatically set.

Let's use the Dragonlance analogy: you can have a campaign where old gods are returning and aan army of dragonlike people is attacking the world, where a group of heroes must find an object of power of the ancient good gods to bring them back and where there are a pesky little race of thief.
Or you can use Dragonlance.

Both campaigns will go fine, but Dragonlance will be easier, because you have lots of stuff done for it

YMMV, of course

 

[Tsyr]

I think I disagree with Horacio... Arkam isn't key to CoC, nor is it really that much easier... it's only easier if your readers are famliar with lovecrafts works and know about Arkam. If they don't, it doesn't establish the mood any more than any other town would.