New HPL Game and other matters

Chrispy doesn't do a lot on games here. That's other people's blog-things. (See PS Mangus' blog click here) I tend to stick to historical and scientific nuances, but I know some people use my blog as a reference. Cool. In any event, I can't ignore Lovecraft in the 21st century. I even have labels for that purpose. You do use the "labels" for searching, right? :)



“The year is 1926, and it is the height of the Roaring 20s. Flappers dance till dawn in smokefilled speakeasies drinking alcohol supplied by rum runners and the mob. It’s the mother of all celebrations in the aftermath of the war to end all wars. Yet a dark shadow grows in the city of Arkham. Alien entities known as Ancient Ones lurk at the gates between worlds. Lots more here.

There's also this article:

How Lovecraft saved role-playing games
June 1, 8:30 AM

Excerpts:

Although some gamers may be familiar with Call of Cthulhu, many are unaware of the tremendous legacy the H.P. Lovecraft-inspired game bequeathed to the role-playing game industry.

Call of Cthulhu introduced a form of role-playing in the early 1980s that was unknown up to that point: investigation. Instead of just shooting up monsters and taking their stuff, investigators were encouraged to follow a trail of clues to help defeat the villain. These props became more and more elaborate, paving the way for live action role-playing games that use props in much the same way.

If it weren't for August Derleth and Chaosium's efforts, H.P. Lovecraft might well have fallen into obscurity. But thanks to Call of Cthulhu, the weird fiction of H.P. Lovecraft continues to influence role-playing games even today.