Dungeons & Dragons has a multitude of gaming and literary influences, but two that stand out are H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos and the sword-swinging barbarian character Conan by R.E. Howard. D&D brings the two together in a fashion that's become standard fantasy now, but was revolutionary for a role-playing game.
[h=3]Lovecraft's D&D Influence[/h]Of the two influences, H.P. Lovecraft's literature had the most immediate impact. Cthulhu himself was formally mentioned in the 1975 Greyhawk Supplement I for the Original Dungeons & Dragons boxed set. There would be many more references in the future, from the subtle (mind flayers are obviously inspired by Cthulhu; "ghoul" and "ghast" were lifted from "The Dream Quest of Unknown Kaddath" but are presented differently) to the overt (the Lovecraftian Mythos were covered in The Dragon #12, and later formally included in the 1980 Deities & Demigods rulebook for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons before they were removed in a later printing).
But what's lacking is the sense of dread and cosmic horror that Lovecraft's writing inspired. For an example of how that influences changes gameplay, look no further than Call of Cthulhu. Measureless Eons summarizes the difference:
The two games have different power arcs, with D&D characters growing in power and CoC investigators losing it (literally and figuratively). Books of Brian puts it this way:
Lovecraft's stories have heroes, but they aren't adventurers by nature. They are often students of the unknown, sometimes prone to fainting, and shaken to the core by what they experience. This is in sharp contrast to how most D&D characters deal with Mythos horrors, and for that they have a barbarian to thank.
[h=3]Howard's D&D Influence[/h]Co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, Gary Gygax, cited R.E. Howard's Conan series as inspiration in his "Appendix N." Robert E. Howard, like Lovecraft, borrowed liberally from his fellow authors, peppering their respective universes with references to the other. This shared universe meant that Lovecraftian horror seeped into Conan's stories, but they didn't stay for long. Books of Brian again:
Much of the spirit of Conan's stories are felt throughout D&D, establishing many of the tropes that are common to most fantasy RPGs today. Tim Callahan explains how much "Red Nails" influenced D&D later:
Of course, the actual barbarian class that epitomizes Conan himself wouldn't debut until Dragon Magazine #63 in 1982, and in Advanced Dungeons & Dragons' Unearthed Arcana in 1985. The original barbarian was full of superstition against magic, a trait that gradually disappeared in favor of emphasizing the Conan's rage. With each edition of D&D the barbarian has become more and more a part of a traditional adventuring party, such that it became a core class with Third Edition.
[h=3]Did You Just...Yep, You Did[/h]In contrast to Lovecraft's diminishing of the heroic individual, D&D embodies the trope "Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?":
For all the aboleths, ghouls, ghasts and mind flayers that Lovecraft helped spawn in D&D, it seems his good friend Howard will always be there to lend a helping hand -- or clenched fist -- to get rid of them.
Mike "Talien" Tresca is a freelance game columnist, author, communicator, and a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to http://amazon.com. You can follow him at Patreon.
[h=3]Lovecraft's D&D Influence[/h]Of the two influences, H.P. Lovecraft's literature had the most immediate impact. Cthulhu himself was formally mentioned in the 1975 Greyhawk Supplement I for the Original Dungeons & Dragons boxed set. There would be many more references in the future, from the subtle (mind flayers are obviously inspired by Cthulhu; "ghoul" and "ghast" were lifted from "The Dream Quest of Unknown Kaddath" but are presented differently) to the overt (the Lovecraftian Mythos were covered in The Dragon #12, and later formally included in the 1980 Deities & Demigods rulebook for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons before they were removed in a later printing).
But what's lacking is the sense of dread and cosmic horror that Lovecraft's writing inspired. For an example of how that influences changes gameplay, look no further than Call of Cthulhu. Measureless Eons summarizes the difference:
All Dungeons & Dragons characters, regardless of species, alignment, or adventuring skill, can be assumed to want to kill monsters and take their treasure as a means of increasing their own personal power. It’s the typical idea of kicking in a door, killing the monster, and taking its treasure. In finding treasure, the characters buy cool magical items and gain XP to get more and more powerful. All Call of Cthulhu Investigators, likewise, can be assumed to be actively investigating, which is to say seeking out (or at least not actively avoiding) occult mysteries to solve as a means of defeating (or at least stalling) servants of the evil alien god Cthulhu or similar monstrosities. The goal here is not to gain XP to get stronger. The goal here is simply to SURVIVE.
The two games have different power arcs, with D&D characters growing in power and CoC investigators losing it (literally and figuratively). Books of Brian puts it this way:
Rereading Lovecraft’s stories, you’re constantly reminded of several things: 1) human insignificance, helplessness and hopelessness in the face of powers, forces and beings we cannot and will never be able to understand nor have the strength and ability to confront and / or overcome and 2) the fragility of human sanity. In his writing, we are, almost without exception, characterized insignificant occupants of a world that does not belong to us and which will eventually be taken away by beings so powerful and advanced that they rarely, if ever, acknowledge us as sentient, meaningful beings. Any attempt to understand, interact, confront or resist these beings inevitably leads to madness – we’re simply too weak as a species to merit continued existence in a hostile world that we can never understand.
Lovecraft's stories have heroes, but they aren't adventurers by nature. They are often students of the unknown, sometimes prone to fainting, and shaken to the core by what they experience. This is in sharp contrast to how most D&D characters deal with Mythos horrors, and for that they have a barbarian to thank.
[h=3]Howard's D&D Influence[/h]Co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, Gary Gygax, cited R.E. Howard's Conan series as inspiration in his "Appendix N." Robert E. Howard, like Lovecraft, borrowed liberally from his fellow authors, peppering their respective universes with references to the other. This shared universe meant that Lovecraftian horror seeped into Conan's stories, but they didn't stay for long. Books of Brian again:
Conan, on the other hand, responds so differently to similar challenges. You can find Lovecraftian antagonists / entities in so many of his stories – the demon in “The Phoenix On The Sword”, Yothga in “The Scarlet Citadel or Yag-Kosha in “The Tower Of The Elephant” – to name just a few. Upon initially encountering these entities, Conan always initially acknowledges the horror that they represent – but instead of freezing or fleeing or surrendering to insanity – he acts. He asserts himself, he refuses to assume that he is powerless, he confronts what he does not understand and, ultimately, he triumphs. This is one of the things that makes Conan durable for me and allows me to go back, reread and always enjoy the stories.
Much of the spirit of Conan's stories are felt throughout D&D, establishing many of the tropes that are common to most fantasy RPGs today. Tim Callahan explains how much "Red Nails" influenced D&D later:
Besides the general swordplay and combat, there’s also a flight through the wilderness, a hidden city, creepy catacombs, warring factions, ritual sacrifice, and foul sorcery. It’s got it all—in a package too small to even be called a “novella.” “Red Nails” doesn’t just seem like an inspiration for the flavor of D&D, it seems like an inspiration for the very nature of the types of adventures most often undertaken in the game. I’d say the average campaign module or the average home-brew adventure is closer to the events detailed in “Red Nails” than the kind of fancy high-adventure epics of the Tolkien school.
Of course, the actual barbarian class that epitomizes Conan himself wouldn't debut until Dragon Magazine #63 in 1982, and in Advanced Dungeons & Dragons' Unearthed Arcana in 1985. The original barbarian was full of superstition against magic, a trait that gradually disappeared in favor of emphasizing the Conan's rage. With each edition of D&D the barbarian has become more and more a part of a traditional adventuring party, such that it became a core class with Third Edition.
[h=3]Did You Just...Yep, You Did[/h]In contrast to Lovecraft's diminishing of the heroic individual, D&D embodies the trope "Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?":
This is generally the result of whenever you put an Eldritch Abomination from a cynical world in the same room as a Super Hero from an idealistic world, or anyone or anything else capable of hitting for massive damage. Do not expect this trope to appear in any Cosmic Horror Story worth its salt, except perhaps as a Hope Spot that will most likely end with you getting your arm broken punching out the abomination.
For all the aboleths, ghouls, ghasts and mind flayers that Lovecraft helped spawn in D&D, it seems his good friend Howard will always be there to lend a helping hand -- or clenched fist -- to get rid of them.
Mike "Talien" Tresca is a freelance game columnist, author, communicator, and a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to http://amazon.com. You can follow him at Patreon.
