5 comments about Cthulhu Dark Ages (Call of Cthulhu Horror Roleplaying, Chaosium #2398).

1. Cthulhu Dark Ages is a stand-alone RPG, and a "prequel" to Call of Cthulhu set around the turn of the first millennium, in the 10th century A.D. I could stop this review right there and you'd pretty much have it, but I should mention that Stephane Gesbert, the author, shows a pretty solid grasp on the grubby physicality of the era that comes out in the text. (The historical material is okay, but necessarily pretty superficial.) This is Cthulhu without shotguns, or libraries, or any of the other crutches that can vitiate the horrors of the Mythos. It's just flickering torchlight and the cold wind from the North -- and it works really quite well. I didn't begin enraptured with it, but the more I read the better I liked the material. Every so often, Gesbert throws you a curve ball, with some surprise identifier of medieval monsters with Mythos creations that evokes Delta Green in its vertiginous cleverness (star-spawn as dragons), or a well-thought adaptation of the basic rules set for medieval assumptions (the disease table goes a long way to reinforce the difference a millennium makes to us mayfly humans). A lengthy scenario completes the book; intriguingly there are no d20 Call of Cthulhu stats given.
   



2. The Dark Ages and the Dark Gods of the Cthulhu Mythos: what could be more pleasingly horrific?

   Want to know how dark the "Dark Ages" could really have been, from the Lovcraftian perspective? Your wish is granted!

   Curious about what happens when midieval role-play gets mixed with cosmic horror? Then this is for you!

   "Cthulhu Dark Ages" opens up a new doorway on the world of "Call of Cthulhu" role-playing, providing a venue for players and Keepers who want to explore a time when the amenities of the post-Industrial Revolution world do not exist even in the wildest of dreams . . . but horrible things still lurk in the dark places of the world, and just out of sight in the corner of one's perception! This truly is a new world for CoC players, where things are VERY different from the way they're used to having them! No firearms, explosives and electric lights to fall back on here, folks!

   This book is the perfect cross-over for CoC Keepers and players who want to take their Lovecraftian horror RPG into the realm of either a historic or fantasy midieval setting. It will tie in neatly with any number of popular fantasy or Middle Ages RPGs out there (I won't name them; you already know what they are if you're into them). And it's a great addition to it's own parent Call of Cthulhu system, too, of course!

   This is an essential addition to any die-hard CoC player's or Keeper's collection. I can't recommend it enough!




3. Though a bit thin on background. Considering, however, that this is a more historical game than some other sword and sorcery style systems, it is easy to get background on the times and people from your local library. The adaptations of the Basic Role Playing System found in the standard Call of Cthulhu rules are interesting and logical. The idea of dark horror in these dark ages is interesting (like the game Vampire: The Dark Ages).
   
   The only negative I found was the idea of point expenditure for character creation. Instead of rolling random dice you have a number of points to seperate between all attributes. One of the intriguing things about CoC is the range of characters that the random rolling method creates. However, this is a minor point, considering you can always just use the standard dice method if you prefer. The point method appears to be an attempt to achieve game balance, which is kind of funny considering your average Cthulhu entity can eat your face off even if you are armed with a machine gun.



4. I second most of the other reviews. It's a great stand alone game (you really don't need anything else to get informed and going). I'd add though, that they try to "fantasy" it up a bit, given that it's set in the past. They add some fantasyish magic, and a few other unrelated fantasy creatures that many might consider as taking away from the general theme of the game. It's all usable at the player's/game master's discretion, of course, so it's all good.
   
   None of the former would cause me to give it a poor review however, but the historical overview and related tidbits on these erroneously called "dark ages" do. It is so full of factual errors, outright contradictions, and false cliche and bias that it could make someone incensed with anger. Of course, it's not all error, but if one doesn't know anything about the era, well, take it all with a grain of salt.
   How much of that is done intentionally in order to promote a "dark" and "depressing" setting for the game, who knows?
   Anyway, the history lesson is only a portion of the book, and information on that abounds elsewhere.



5. Cthulhu Mythos in the Dark Ages just plain makes sense. For nittier-grittier sword and sorcery, this system is probably better than any of the d20 systems. This is also a much more streamlined system which allows you to focus on story and role playing rather than mechanics and dice chucking.
   
   While I like it, too much of it is given over to rules, not setting, etc. I would have liked to see this more as a supplement to the core Call of Cthulhu game than as a stand alone product. That said, its a good alternative for people who only are PCs, never a keeper. Keepers should have both this and the Call of Cthulhu "big book".

3 comments about H.P. Lovecraft's Arkham: Unveiling the Legend-Haunted City (Call of Cthulhu Horror Roleplaying, Chaosium # 8803).

1. The wonderful thing about roleplaying games are their endless possibilities for action- one can literally do anything within the framework of the rules; the only limit is the glass ceiling of your imagination. Though there IS the limitation put forth by the necessities of playing a particular module or campaign- if the game takes place in Canada, it is probably a good idea to go there and not to Somalia. With this book, all limitations are gone.
   
   The homebase of H.P. Lovecraft's Call of Cthulhu investigators is in all probability Arkham, perhaps being their place of employement or residence. With this new Sourcebook, H.P. Lovecraft's Arkham, we now have a literal blueprint of the town. Who lives where, what is the criminal underground like, what are the industries and buisnesses, public transporation, what do the govement and police consist of, etc. It literally creates an entire world for the player to exist in.
   
   We have not even bothered to play any of the game scenarious at the back because just existing in the town and creating our own situations have been fascinating enough. For example, we had the investigators encounter and befriend an underground movement of Anarchist whom attempted to unionize the immigrant factory workers, wipe out the Arkham govement, simultanously blew up the three power stations in the town and the water tower, did battle with the national guard and took over!
   
   There is literally endless possibilities for play. Think Grand Theft Auto times a thousand. The book is brilliant and besides having the original Call of Cthulhu sourcebook, I see this book as being absolutly essential. There are gangs and cults and underground movements and plenty of beasts and forbidden tomes and strange people and places to go and situations to become involved in, besides ones that the Storyteller creates herself. Included is also information on the Miskatonic University and its professors, campus, and library.
   
   Also included is information pertaining to the surrounding area around Arkham for those Investigators brave enough to leave town, for, indeed, there is much that is truly monsterous writhing about the periphery.
   
   Although I see this book as essential, if you dig it, there are other simular and exciting books for those wishing to expand your play world- there is H.P. Lovecraft's Kingsport, H.P. Lovecraft's Dunwich, and Escape From Innsmouth. Thus opening up the possibility to wander throughout four complete, though completly unique and hideously decadent, towns all within reach of each other. I can't wait for the release of the hardcover Miskatonic University sourcebook.



2. First, let me say that this is a huge book. At 250 pages, you are really getting your money's worth. The town info is great, lots of useful characters, and the scenarios are excellent. I do have some complaints - the layout is more primitive than the other books, especially the neighborhood maps. On the other end of the scale, all the portraits are computer generated. First, it looks pretty hokey (maybe CGI was not as good back then?); second, the facial proportions are wrong for many of the people. This isn't a big deal for, say, Dunwich, but Arkham is somewhat repesctable and misproportioned faces just clashes with the attempted realism of CGI.
   
   The standard layout of these books is to have a story by HPL featuring the town, to discuss town history, to break down the town into neighborhoods and show each one in detail, and then to have scenarios.
   
   The opening story is "Dreams in the Witch House", which is probably the best available. I really like opening these books with a story by HPL - it is a reminder of how the whole thing got started. The neighborhoods take up a lot of space and describe a great many people, places, and things to meet in Arkham. I wish they would have spent some time talking about architecture in the town history section - I still don't know the difference between "gable" and "gambrel". Some real problems: street names are not clearly marked on the neighborhood maps, even when they are referred to. The combined map is not reprinted in the neighborhood section, nor is each neighborhood map shown as one piece; we only see fragments at a time. I think the Kingsport sourcebook does this best, so I assume that the layout people were still pefecting their craft at this early stage. As always, the town directory is helpful considering especially that there are so many entries that an index is needed to quickly find anything. All of the scenarios are great, although one ("the Hills Rise Wild") really would have been better in the Dunwich book, which was short on good scenarios.
   
   Also included is a tear-out map of Arkham on very nice paper, and an issue of THE ARKHAM ADVERTISER, which also becomes a handout.
   
   In all, this is a very informative sourcebook, with plenty of people, places, and things for investigators to explore. The only drawback, besides the poor maps, is that the spooky atmosphere was not convreyed very well. Reading the other sourcebooks, I definitely felt the atmosphere; Arkham didn't do that for me. It could have been better, but was still great.



3. Great book with a map inside that you can tear out. I used this book exclusively for a CoC group I ran for a whole year long. I really appreciated the block to block set up with the various places of import and the mythos related possibilities. This is a great place to have players start from and explore.

5 comments about Call of Cthulhu (d20 Edition Horror Roleplaying, WotC).

1. Okay, I'll be honest. I do prefer the original Chaosium CoC to Wizards Of The Coast's adaptation. What I supremely loved about the original Call Of Cthulhu was that knowledge that reading that obscure occult tome was NOT a good idea and that nothing at all was what it seemed. Yes, characters either died or went insane, but that's what made it fun. The original Call Of Cthulhu was about the journey rather than the end. The new d20 Call Of Cthulhu takes away from that paranoid feel of the original game, making it a bit more combat-intensive and less mood-oriented.

   However, let's be honest here. It's the GM that creates the mood for the game. It's all about imagination, baby. It's easy to create a more mood-oriented d20 CoC campaign - the book even gives pointers. The rulebook is quite adaptable, including tips on incorporating the Mythos creatures, deities, and Sanity rules into a D&D Campaign (I imagine that they can be added to a d20Modern campaign as well).

   If you already have Chaosium's core CoC rulebook, there's no need to get this unless you want to incorporate the Mythos into D&D. If you're a D&D3E fan and don't own Chaosium's rulebook and/or have never played Call Of Cthulhu but want to learn it in a familiar framework, you can do far, far worse than WotC's adaptation of a classic game. The d20 adaptation features gorgeous artwork, a recommended reading list, and even adaptations to older CoC supplements.

   Enjoy!




2. First, a word of warning to the shopper--although Amazon doesn't make it clear in the title, this is the d20 version of the Call of Cthulhu RPG.

   That out of the way--the greatest thing in this book is John Tynes' articles on how to GM a Call of Cthulhu game, and the background info on the Mythos. They are actually better than what's in the regular (non-d20) Call of Cthulu rulebook. Also, the rules for psychic characters are intriguing, and it's kinda kewl to have all those Mythos monsters and gods statted up for d20, so you can spring them on your unsuspecting Dungeons and Dragons characters.

   Those good points are so very very good that I give this product 5 stars, despite one very serious flaw: the rules are lame. Oh, Tynes and Cook do good things with them--many of their ideas were later used in other d20 products, and they certainly make some small improvements with the d20 rules. But it's still d20, and thus far clunkier and less elegant than the original Call of Cthulhu rules. Now, those CoC rules are far from perfect, but still, they are so much easier to learn and to use, and really, the *only* thing you need to buy to play CoC is the rulebook--no, not the "core" rulebook, because there *aren't* any other rulebooks! Oh sure, there are supplements, but unlike D&D, none of them is crucial to play. And unlike D&D, when Chaosium does a new edition, they don't change it so much that it's completely incompatible with previous material. Most of the changes are in gathering together published spells and monsters and equipment, so that (gasp!) you won't *have* to buy other supplements!

   So, I didn't actually buy it for the d20 rules--although that will allow me to introduce my local gaming group (some members of which refuse to play anything other than D&D) to CoC. I bought it as a supplement for the regular version of Call of Cthulhu--something entirely unnecessary, but beautiful and fun to have. Looked at that way, it's 5 stars, easy.




3. Very simple. If you want to roleplay, love character (personality) development, truly love the horror of Lovecraft's brilliant world and want a memorable experience, buy Chaosium's original, elegant game.
   
   If you want a combat oriented game with a clumsy, ugly gaming system, go d20.
   
   Your choice.



4. This d20 Call of Cthulhu is probably not to the liking of purists since it presents, to begin with, a set of different rules. As you know, people don't like to change of game mechanics. So, if you really like the d20 / D&D 3rd rules, this d20 supplement is for you!! In fact it is an excellent product, with nice layout and illustrations, and well written. Just if you wanted to add the Mythos to D&D 3rd ed., this book is worth the purchase. Now, as much the purists want to see a Call of Cthulhu game as one where player characters are expected to die within a couple of sessions, some others don't!! There are also players who like games where the PCs survive and thrive. As such, a combat oriented d20 CoC is not necessarily a bad thing! Anyway, if you really would like to do a "pulp" Cthulhu, you would better add some d20 Modern to it, since d20 CoC nonetheless goes for characters who are weak and nearly hopeless.



5. I had the Chaosium Cthulhu book for a few years when someone recommended that I get the WotC D20 Cthulhu book for additional ideas. After buying and reading it, I feel that it stands well on its own. So I won't be reviewing it in comparison to Chaosium's BRP book, or recommend which one is better, but just to review it as it stands.
   
   First, the externals. It is a nice book - a solid hardback, with art to look like a grimoire or other tome. I like a sturdy rulesbook that structurally feels in flavor for the game it is made for. The interior art is in color (!) and is mostly very good, with the chapter heading paintings looking particularly realistic. The layout is readable, the paper feels dependable, and the page coloration changes subtly by chapter (for quick flipping). In short, it looks and feels like a book you might like to own (sometimes I feel guilty about owning ugly books).
   
   Next, I'll note that the mechanics are included. That's good, because I don't intend to buy any more d20 products (wait, that's a lie. I have already bought another d20 book to use with this one; I definitely wouldn't have if the d20 rules weren't spelled out). Everything you need to know about generating a character, advancing in levels, acquiring skills, and combat is included (which I didn't necessarily expect when I bought it - I guess it's a true stand-alone). It was difficult to sort through, and not terribly well organized. I assume that the mechanics were squeezed in so that more could be spent on Cthulhu than on d20. I did feel that my old AD&D 2E book was more clear (not saying the mechincs were better, just that I understood the presentation better after reading it). Feats and skill ranks are new to me, so I can't really review that section other than to say that it's there. I personally think that for all the rules, tables, and modifiers, the DM is just going to pick a dice check number that matches the difficulty he/she thinks the situations should have relative to your skill, so why bother with all the crunchiness? But I'm not a big shot like Monte Cook or John Tynes, and this is d20, so I'll take their word for it.
   
   Guns and other equipment is covered in excellent detail - nice to have it all in one place.
   
   Magic - tomes are covered very well, and even BRP Cthulhu people might benefit from reading the section on how sanity loss from reading Mythos books occurs. Specific tomes are covered, along with all the spells from the BRP game.
   
   Creatures - all the major critters have entries. I think the stats are a little silly, and not consistemt with descriptions or at appropriate levels relative to other monsters. Also, given the deadliness of some monsters' descriptions, the challenge ratings seem much too low.
   
   The Mythos - the idea of Lovecraft's vision is explained. Also, each decade is explained in terms of the progression of the End Times, and how each decade might be played along with movie and literature references that are appropriate for inspiration.
   
   How to run a game - this is probably the most useful chapter in any game book I've ever bought. There are 40 pages on how to create backstory, create good horror, keep a game going, and please your players. I wish all gmaes came with this kind of explanation about what are the elements of a good game with lots of examples. Even if you never play d20, this is great for any other horror game.
   
   The two scenarios are well-designed with plenty of investigation that is also accessible to the players. All useful details are included for what may be a first-time GM.
   
   At the back are a Monstrous Compendium of deities for use if you want in a D&D game. I feel like they need to be in the book, and the stats hardly matter anyway. There is also a conversion table for BRP and d20, as well as a bibliography of Cthulhu books to read.
   
   Excellent presentation, excellent material, useful to more than just d20 players but contains everything needed to play d20. An excellent buy for anyone in horror gaming, I think.

2 comments about Malleus Monstrorum: Creatures, Gods, & Forbidden Knowledge: Roleplaying Game Guide (Call of Cthulhu Roleplaying Game).

1. of this amazing collection of CoC beasties. I don't play CoC currently, but this book is so useful that it's worth having and converting d20 to CoC is fairly simple.



2. I play Call of Cthulhu by Chaosium and this resource book is great for Keepers to draw from. Enough monsters and Old ones for any investigation. BRP is easy to convert to D20 so those folks into that will have no problem throwing into a D20 scenario/campaign. The most notable thing outside the content is the art work. Seems to take old photos/Ads/Artwork and splice mythos flavor into it. I recently used an avatar of nylarthotep in the book in one of my games with fun results. Makes designing encounters easier and fun.

No comments about The Keeper's Companion 2: Prohibition, Firearms, Tomes, & Creatures (Call of Cthulhu Roleplaying, 2395).

2 comments about Miskatonic University: A Sourcebook (Call of Cthulhu Horror Roleplaying).

1. Miskatonic University...that renowned institution of higher learning made famous (or infamous) in the tales of the Cthulhu Mythos by H.P. Lovecraft and others, comes to life in this fantastic supplement for the Call of Cthulhu role-playing game from Chaosium. Within these pages you'll find everything you'll need to attend, work at, or investigate the hallowed and haunted halls of Miskatonic. This is without a doubt a long awaited supplement for this horror RPG. The designers of this supplement have brought Miskatonic to life and created a setting that will excite players for a long time.
   
   The first chapter begins with a lengthy history of the university and its founding in mysterious Arkham, MA, in 1690. Noted is the role that the town of Arkham played in the witchcraft hysteria of 1692 as some residents fled Salem to come to Arkham. Even one of Miskatonic's founders would be accused of witchcraft. Miskatonic's history and expansion is traced from its founding right up through the 20th century. A campus guide and detailed map notes the locations of all the buildings on campus including the dilapidated "Witch House" at 197 E. Pickman St. There is a lengthy section on Orne Library, one of the most important buildings, which provides maps of each floor, profiles of employees and frequent visitors as well as the noted collections housed there. These include some of the most famous tomes of dark lore in the world including The Book of Eibon, the Malleus Maleificarum (Hammer of the Witches), Nameless Cults, and, of course, the Necronomicon. Stats are provided for each book that detail sanity checks for reading them, weeks to study, and the spells/benefits gained once the book has been completed.
   
   Thinking of attending or working at Miskatonic? Then chapter two gets you started with details on campus life, where to live and dine, social life, student organizations, honor societies, academic clubs, and secret societies. For those looking to join the Miskatonic staff there are details on faculty tenures and salaries. Each school is briefly profiled along with the important staff members. Chapter three further fleshes out life in and around Miskatonic with detailed information on topics such as tuition, financial aid, student employment, grades and report cards, academic requirements, and more. New skills such Cryptography and Zoology are included as well. There's even a section on creating a student investigator character.
   
   All this leads up to chapter four, the Miskatonic Secrets! There are mazes of sewers and tunnels under the school, many predating the schools founding. What lies within those tunnels is up to the players to find out. Tunnel maps and the various entrance and exit points are noted. Information on known occultists, secret cults such as the Esoteric Order of the Dragon and The Witch Cult, and various legends and mysteries are included and can make for great adventures. There are over a dozen adventure hooks in all in this chapter and the Keeper should have no trouble coming up with his or her own.
   
   Chapter five is a lengthy introductory scenario as players, either students or faculty characters, investigate the mysterious death of a student who was found dead in the Orne Library. The adventure moves briskly and gives players a great feel for the Miskatonic atmosphere and its abundant secrets. Finally the appendices include over two dozen new spells, as well as additional skills and playing information.
   
   One of the things I loved about the book is the interior art. Interior art in a role-playing game supplement is often unimportant and thus sometimes done haphazardly, but note here. The artists did a magnificent job of capturing the look and feel of 1920's/30's New England. Further, and maybe it's just me, but the character in most of the portraits look a bit crazy if not outright sinister which only adds to the dark mood of the setting. While the information is abundant, the designers didn't make it all encompassing. There is still a lot of room for the Keeper to improvise and shape Miskatonic anyway they desire. Bottom line: this is a fantastic setting that truly captures the essence of Lovecraft's work. Highly recommended!
   
   Reviewed by Tim Janson



2. The Miskatonic University sourcebook is a VERY useful item for anyone who plays Call of Cthulhu and wants an 'intellectual' character. I know that the information provided on Lovecraft's signature school provided a wealth of background for my CoC investigators. This book, combined with HP Lovecraft's Arkham (ASIN 1568821654), provides all the information you need to adventure in the shadow haunted city of Arkham.

No comments about Trail of Cthulhu Role-Playing Game.

3 comments about The Keeper's Companion: Blasphemous Knowledge, Forbidden Secrets: A Core Book for Keepers, Vol. 1 (Call of Cthulhu Horror Roleplaying, #2388).

1. One of the very nice things about the Call of Cthulhu role playing game from Chaosium is that they rarely publish pure junk or something that doesn't have something useful within its pages, somewhere. The Keeper's Companion is just one of those books, yes, it contains material from the main rules and Cthulhu Now, but expands upon it, it is also laid out in a clear fashion that makes finding things easy. The first section, "Good Cthulhu Hunting", is mainly sage advice for players and written with tongue firmly in cheek, but also makes a good deal of sense as a sort of `Dos and Don'ts' section. It is followed by a section for Keepers, a sort of thirteen ways to improve your game. Again, common sense advice for the foolish GM who might have let his investigators keep the repeating laser cannon they found in the last adventure.

   Call of Cthulhu is best played, not people who know the genre cold, but rather by novices who understand the mechanics, not the genre. Lovecraft's world is a mundane one, intruded upon by the not-so-mundane, whether it be something relatively minor as an encounter with a solitary Deep One or a sanity-blasting encounter with Yog-Sothoth, the all-in-one god, it is the character's imperiled peace of mind which will be steadily chipped away by the stuff of nightmares and that which mankind is best to ought not know. Players kept in the dark, fed only what they need or discover on their own, are the best players of all.

   There follows the advice section, pages on books of the occult, most or all are actual books, some of which can be found on Amazon, but that you would be better of not reading. Exciting sounding tomes like `The Book of the Dead' or the `Golden Bough' are deadly dull and won't do anything except upset your parents and Tipper Gore. However, it is a nice lexicon for GMs who may want to throw non-Mythos books at their players from time to time. Following that is a handy little section on languages, real and Mythos-related, and their origins. It also includes some badly drawn examples of things like Mi-Go runes and R'lyeh glyphs.

   The next section is an expanded and detailed listing of those oh-so-wonderful mind melting pages of actual Mythos tomes- those great books that burn through your sanity, but also give you spells your characters can use. It also adds a few new spells and creatures taken from additional stories written by other authors. Next up is Arcane Antiquities, which is basically magic items and happily it bears little or no resemblance to the back of the AD&D Dungeon Master's Guide. Magic items in Call of Cthulhu are extremely rare. There are a couple of mirrors, a dagger, a ring, and a few other odd devices, so don't expect any +4 swords of dimensional shambler slaying.

   Let's face it, cults make life interesting. Even in real life cults provide annual entertainment with their suicidal comet worshiping antics. In Call of Cthulhu they are a somewhat less self-destructive and instead are bent on summon up some moldering nightmare to screw with mankind's mojo. Cultists are great fun, both for Keppers and player alike. As bad as it was, the guys resurrecting Imhotep in the The Mummy Returns were great, if comical and somewhat inept, examples of cultists. Cultists can come in any flavor and hardly need to be justified since they're nuts.

   Forensics has always been a hobby of mine. One of the aspects of Call of Cthulhu I have always admired is their inclusion of real world details to really give Keepers and players a sense of how it all works. While Cthulhu Now pretty much gives anyone a brief history of forensics, from the first documented coroner inquests in England right up to DNA evidence- it's all here as well in easy to read and understand terms, complete with bibliography. From the ways people die to firearms and drugs, it's all distilled down into a handy reference.

   From the mundane we arrive at Alien Races, a collection of beings and their origins from Deep Ones to the fungi from Yuggoth to the Voormis of the Hyperborea, this section gives the reader a little more detail than the standard entries in the creatures section in the main rule book. Next is Mysterious Places and includes Atlantis (bleah!), Hyperborea, unknown Kadath, Lemuria (also bleah!), unfortunately, they only give us a scant three paragraphs on R'lyeh, the sunken city and tomb of Great Cthulhu. Finally, the last section is on Skills, adds some new ones and explains all in great detail.

   All in all a welcome addition to my growing Call of Cthulhu collection, a game that I have played for nearly twenty years. I miss the late eighties/early nineties covers and don't much care for the cover art. However, this is a good addition for Keepers who may want to add a little more detail to their campaigns. Like most of Chaosium's publications, it is well researched and exceptionally well written while being very readable, fun and occasionally funny. It may lack detail in some places, and this is probably it's only real flaw- the alien creatures and places section could have had a little more meat in them, but other than that it's a solid addition...




2. I got this as a gift for my son-in-law. I have no knowledge of the book itself other than the person for whom it was purchased seems to like it very much. For me it served its purpose very well.



3. Very good source of information. Contains detailed information about occult and Mythos books, artifacts, forensic medicine and more. There are also some alternate rules that look interesting (I haven't tried them yet). This book is not a "must have" but I think you will not regret if you buy it - contains lots of new details that make every game more interesting.

5 comments about The Art Of H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos.

1. Having read a ton of H.P. Lovecraft and played 'Call of Cthulhu' ,the role-playing game, it was nice to see some of these horrors ghastly images put on paper. A great book to scare all these little mutants into bed for years to come.



2. When I first saw this on the bookshelf, I saw the title and thought the book would be a comprehensive collection of art inspired by the writings of H.P. Lovecraft. Since the publisher is Fantasy Flight Games, it comes as no surprise that there is ample art from the Call of Cthulhu collectible card game published by the selfsame company. The art is quite fine, but there is disappointment upon realizing that the art is almost exclusively from the card game, with a few images from game books of the makers of the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game, Chaosium. Other reviews have pointed out that since these games have created their own settings and characters and situations, many of the art pieces featured in the book actually have little to do with Lovecraft outside of being set in the 1920's, and it's true. The irony is that some mythos-specific art from the games were not included. Furthermore, since many of the illustrations were created to appear in an area smaller than a playing card, the reproductions can only be blown up to a certain size before the illusion is lost. That being said, there are a lot of paintings to look at since they can fit several to a page, and many are quite nice.



3. Considering the increasing public awareness of HP Lovecraft and his infamous Mythos, I fully expected an 'art' book having a much wider variety of Cthulhu Mythos creatures represented as I had found in the Barlow's Guide to the Cthulhu Mythos (I think I may be a bit off on the title but I also think this book is out of print).
   In any case, a suprising number of the prints offered are of normal humans, presumably characters in a Mythos role playing game (I'm basing this assumption on the credits given to each picture). The painting/drawings of the Mythos creatures range from the nicely done to the uninspired with the later being the most frequent. I really can't see myself recommending this book unless you happen across it in a 1/2 off bin.



4. This is a clear and succinct collection of well-organized and presented art. Make no mistake. The printing quality and obvious layout work that has been demonstrated by this book is almost flawless; and well worthy of the tribute it is.
   
   However, even in the knowledge that much of this art comes from a TCG, and in the face of obvious streamlining as far as direction and theme are concerned; some fans of the mythos, such as I, could easily find themselves alienated in the almost 'cartoony' quality of the art itself.
   
   I will, however, give this four stars; as it clearly pulls across a great degree of scope; covering many more aspects of the Cthulhu mythos than i thought possible or likely. The sheer variety is impressive in it's own right.
   
   A committed and beautifully presented artifact - even if not as dark, disturbing and violent as it could have been.



5. When I think of Lovecraft, the first thing I think of is of course his nightmarish creatures. Unfortunately, while there are some great paintings of them in this book (including the amazing cover art!), I was very disappointed to find that most of this book was in fact uninteresting paintings of flappers and gangsters and such. -- In other words human secondary characters created for the Call of Cthulhu CCG.
   
   I was expecting much more in the way of monsters and cults, etc., but the vast majority of the paintings have little to do with this.
   
   Still, the ones that I did like were so good (my fave was the painting of Shub Niggurath) that the book still earns a passing 3-star rating from me.
   
   If buying this book, be prepared to get only a very minimal creature fix, along with a large dose of the irrelevant.

5 comments about Call of Cthulhu: Horror Roleplaying in the Worlds of H. P. Lovecraft, 6th Edition.

1. Become an investigator, and soon realise that the most important thing in the world is trying to hang on to your sanity. Avoiding being
   destroyed by creeping monsters and crazed cultists, is good, too, but a quick axe murder might be preferable in some cases to a life and existence of crazed, terrified insanity.



2. If you want fancy books, this isn't it. In fact, this isn't as nicely done as prior additions. BUT...
   As a game, CofC is even more attractive to me than ever. With the d20 system taken over by endless amounts of crap, a simple, easy to play, easy to understand, very straightforward system that LETS YOU ROLE PLAY and develop a story is very welcome. The updated version does actually very little other than tweak a few bits and add a bit more source material, so you dont need to feel like you have to buy this if you have a prior edition.
   
   If you want a dice fest and super heroes in chain mail, play d20, if you want stories, characters, and fun, play CofC. The horror element doesn't even need to come into play!
   
   Monty Haul players, and folks who want to obsess "with what they can get" won't like this. People that want "a plan" for character development won't like it. That said, nearly every one I've ever played this with loves the game... but be warned, you're GMing skills will be put to the test because there is very little system to hide behind.



3. I haven't played the game for over two decades (I don't know what edition), but decided to pick up the sixth edition.
   
   I will separate my review into game play and content.
   
   **Content**
   Pros:
   Excellent content. Truly reminds me of the old game I played.
   
   It also goes further with more descriptions of monsters and new monsters.
   
   HP's backgorund, though already known by me, gives the reader a sense of history and where the game came from.
   
   Cons:
   Considering it is the sixth edition, I would have thought they would have caught all the typos and grmmatical errors by now. I am a tech writer and a little sensitive about this. (I would love to copy edit for you guys! It would be a labour of love!)
   
   Also, I wish they gave examples of how some of the skills were used. Or, for the ones that did have examples, go into more depth. The game is very skill intensive and they seem to have glossed over it.
   
   **Game Play**
   Pros:
   A lot of fun! What more can I say.
   
   Cons:
   Combat could be tweaked a bit more. And, you die like a dog when you encounter a "monster", but I think that can be attributed to the group that I play with. (Picture 1920's librarians yelling Booyah and rushing into combat with shotguns).
   
   **Conclusion**
   Overall, my rating does not reflect the quality of the game itself, but rather that after six editions they have not addressed the weaknesses of the design. But, they have beefed up the strong points of the game.
   
   Gameplay: 4 out of 5 stars
   Content: 2 out of 5 stars



4. I am a newbie in RPG games but I have to say that CoC is definitely one of my favorites. I am browsing thru the manual in my spare time (very lil) and I am definitely looking forward to run an adventure. The manual is well written, informative and quite complete. Sometimes its structure might be not perfect but it does the job and really provides anyhting you might need.



5. I will be a first time GM, and I've heard that CoC is not a game for beginners GMs, despite that warning, I found the book clear and easy to understand. I look forward to my first game, if I can ever get my gaming group to meet at the same time.