Page 1 of 1

original creatures?

Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 7:11 am
by hastur
how many keepers stick to the usual gamut of creatures and unspeakable things of the cthulhu mythos, versus inventing their own?
if you invent your own, how do you go about doing it?

Re: original creatures?

Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2014 1:47 am
by hastur
i suppose i should start with something more.

in a game like call of cthulhu, based on an extremely strong background of source material, it may be impossible to run a game without some mythos creatures. even in those stories which might be expected to stand on their own, apart from the known mythos and with wholly invented things lurking in the shadows, lovecraft often refers to mythos-creatures-not-appearing-in-this-story with a measure of abandon which suggests that the reach of cthulhu and his kind cannot be escaped, even by the author.

in my own games, i tend to use the common bestiary of the mythos, to keep with the flavor and language of the setting, but altered. firstly, because investigators should never know what they're up against. secondly, because its a vast and alien cosmos, and things which do not fit neatly into boxes also keeps with the flavor and language of the setting. and lastly, because i don't actually like some of the mythos creatures very much, and as keeper am free to correct the errors in their conception.

i'd like to invent more creatures, but they always seem to end up being variations on the mythos in the end.

Re: original creatures?

Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2014 1:54 pm
by trevlix
If you have not yet, read Stealing Cthulhu. It sounds like its right up your alley.

I have created a few "original" mythos creatures, but while they are unique unto themselves, I tend to steal the stats from creatures already stat'd up. Its just easier that way for me.

Re: original creatures?

Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2014 8:42 pm
by hastur
trevlix wrote:If you have not yet, read Stealing Cthulhu. It sounds like its right up your alley.
i have, and it has some excellent advice for where i feel i've already been.