Brainstorming Randolph Carter

[Vestnik]

I thought about putting this in the Champions section, but Lovecraft was a pulp writer, so here in goes.

One thing I like doing with my supers characters is basing them, loosely or closely, as the case may be, on characters from mythology or fiction. Being a Lovecraft fan, I've often wanted to do something with his work, but somehow it has never gelled -- probably because Lovecraft's heroes aren't very swashbuckling and are usually doomed.

A partial example is Randolph Carter of the various dreamquests. So, if you were going to write up Mr. Carter -- either as depicted in Lovecraft or suitably altered for an adventuring pulp or supers game -- what would you do with him?

[FireTiger]

A partial example is Randolph Carter of the various dreamquests. So, if you were going to write up Mr. Carter -- either as depicted in Lovecraft or suitably altered for an adventuring pulp or supers game -- what would you do with him?

I'll have to read the particular stories that Randolph Carter appears in again for details, but at least one ability comes to mind easily. Extradimensional Movement. (Since his body seems to have actually crossed into the Dreamlands in at least oen of the stories.

As an aside, there was an adventure in the Superworld boxed game that introduced certain Lovecraft critters into a superhero world. The Shock and Stress rules from Horror Hero for 4th ed. can be useful for Lovecraft-style stories. (I don't know if these rules have been updated for 5th ed. anywhere yet, I don't own much of the new rules in print yet.)

[Vestnik]

Hooray! A response! :)

I've actually reenvisoned the character somewhat, making him into the grandson of Pickman (of Pickman's Model), who took a ghoul wife. He has enhanced physical abilities and senses due to his heritage, lots of occult knowledge, much skill in things related to ghouls and their ways (AK: Ghoul Tunnels under Boston, CuK: Ghouls, LNG: Ghoul [Idiomatic, Fluent], and various Summon spells). Oh, and of course PS: Painter.

I like him an awful lot actually.

[Susano]

I'd start with his stats from the Dreamlands supplement, port them to Hero, and then look at the original stories for anything they've missed.

[Vestnik]

I'd start with his stats from the Dreamlands supplement, port them to Hero, and then look at the original stories for anything they've missed.

I don't really agree with most of the stats Call of Cthulhu uses -- so for instance to make a Shantak, since Lovecraft descibes it as being larger than an elephant (I assume slightly larger), I just used the Elephant from the Bestiary as a template and then fiddled with it, adding wings and such.

[Susano]

I don't really agree with most of the stats Call of Cthulhu uses -- so for instance to make a Shantak, since Lovecraft descibes it as being larger than an elephant (I assume slightly larger), I just used the Elephant from the Bestiary as a template and then fiddled with it, adding wings and such.

Well, it is a start. But yes, some of CoC's stats don't quite make sense.