Fall will be here sooner rather than later. For many parents and kids, that’s new classes, new books and a shift away from the summer schedule. For many others that means spooky season, skeletal decor and the Cthulhu Mythos.
With H.P. Lovecraft’s birthday just around the corner it seemed like a good time to highlight some of the newest and neatest Cthulhu Muthos games and books. They include giftable deluxe editions, expansions to classic role playing games and brand new historical settings. Review copies were provided by the publishers for this article.
The H.P. Lovecraft Experience
Lovecraft’s writings have gotten the deluxe treatment ove the years. The H.P. Lovecraft Experience collects the most vital works of fiction into a pair of hardbound books that neatly fit into a 3d box that has an unnatural squishiness to reinforce the horror. The accessories from the folks at The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society help this boxed set trult stand out.
The softcover reading guide highlights ten of the most vital works to the Mythos. It provides discussion questions, historical context and quotes from the author discussing each of these important stories. For anyone looking for a crash course on the most important of the author’s works this is a great place to start.
For the collector, the book comes with a small handful of props that are the speciality of the HPLHS. They center on Miskatonic University, the fictional college that often serves as a home back for the investigators of the Mythos. With a steady hand and the included template, anyone that picks up this set can get a personalized degree from this august body they can hang up on the wall.
Choose Cthulhu
Fans looking for a way to experience Lovecraft’s work from a unique perspective should Choose Cthulhu. This book series rewrites six classic stories into choose your own adventure style books. They are available in hard copies and PDF digital copies.
Lovecraft’s stories can go into some strange places. These books match that energy with all sorts of wild twists and turns including making the reader the bad guy. It’s tempting to be the one that casts the deadly spell rather than fighting against the darkness.
Call of Cthulhu The Sutra of Pale Leaves – Twin Suns Rising
One of the things that makes the Mythos fascinating is its timelessness. The Old Ones move through time and space humans can’t comprehend. Investigators encounter them at multiple times in human history.
While it pains me to consider the 1980s a historical era since I was alive during them, The Sutra of Pale Leaves – Twin Suns Rising highights this flexibility by setting three cases in an unusual era. Most Call of Cthulhu campaigns are set during the 1920s or in the modern day, This one pits the players against the unspeakable Hastur in Japan during the 1980s.
Is Hastur bringing Carcosa to our world or our world to it? That’s what the players must discover and prevent during the course of the campaign. An upcoming volume, Carcosa Manifest, expands the story with more mysteries, monsters and Mythos.
Cohors Cthulhu
Cohors Cthulhu takes the battle against the Mythos to the ancient world. Players find themselves fighting side by side with Roman soldiers against monsters, cultist and other threats to the civilized world. They also seek out ancient powerful relics to keep out of evil hands.
The game is set in the same world as Achtung Cthulhu, an alternate World War II setting. Publisher Modiphius offers a full selection of accessories like minatures and adventures for both games. Cohors Cthulhu offers historical inspiration for those fans that want a little Spartacus intrigue or Troy action mixed in with their investigations.
Doom Guard
One of the most compelling aspects of most Mythos games is the struggle against the ancient beings. For the most part it’s regular people, maybe armed with a spell or two, doing their best to take down god like beings. What would happen if the Avengers got the call to face off against Cthulhu?
Doom Guard, currently funding on Kickstarer, pits players in a board game against these unkowable entities. The big heroes and villains of the setting have put aside their differences to stop Cthulhu and the Old Ones from destroying their world. It’s a co-operative board game where everyone wins together or the world ends.
