Lovecraftian-style Magic

[algesan]

Re: Lovecraftian-style Magic

 

Getting away from how the vamp's "sheer imagination" supported clothing... (Sorry, RL "explanation" given by a stripper I knew for how her required minimum costume stayed on.)

 

I gave a high fantasy campaign a touch of Lovecraft (Deep Ones in fact) as a bit of a side trip arc that ended up becoming a major arc. So now there are two more "things man wasn't meant to know" sequences at the end of the next two campaign arcs (we swap GMs around, so we plan it this way). I used the 4th Ed Horror Hero rules and it worked out fairly well.

 

Set up drain conditions for LT Stress (EGO/PRE drain as appropriate) (without telling the players) and kept track of the time (NND). Various triggers resulted in PRE drain attacks. If you are still working on it here is how I set it up:

 

LT Stress effects:

1st level (before notice odd architecture (nothing quite square)): 1pt/hour

1st level (after noticed, on random encounter roll of 10): 1pt/5 hours

1st level (after talking to dying human): 1pt/hour

2nd level (before the temple): 1pt/hour

2nd level (after the temple): 1pt/20 minutes

2nd level (if the party sits and watches the ceremony): 1pt the first 5 minutes, then 1pt/minute

2nd level (for each baby killed) 1pt

2nd level (if everything in the temple is killed and the babies saved): 1pt/hour

3rd level 1pt/hour

 

 

+1 LT Stress (up to 5 max) added each time a new level of PRE attack (+0,+10,+20,+30,+40) is achieved on a general PRE attack, remember that the characters EGO & PRE may be drained some.

 

 

General PRE attacks:

1st level: 2d6 after finishing the combat at entrance

1st level: 4d6 after dealing with the gibbering human

 

2nd level: 4d6 after leaving 2d level entry

 

2nd level: 6d6 when viewing the temple for the first time

 

2nd level: 6d6 again if watching the ceremony

2nd level: +1d6 for each baby killed

2nd level: +2d6 (11d6! Total) if the ceremony is completed

3rd level: 4d6 after entering

 

The party bailed out after dealing with the temple, so all they ended up with was a few odd temporary effects except one permanently picked up an "extra" 5 points higher Enraged (1 level harder to recover).

 

Worked out fairly well, the main reason they bailed was some of the "tough guy" troops they had for assistance started gibbering and drooling a bit.

 

Main thing is to not tell them and predetermine the various levels of "failure" for each character. The Enraged negative was prechosen and the other melee type got a temp Overconfidence "bonus" (which actually saved the party from worse because he charged into the sacrifice ceremony). The bard-type character (highest PRE & EGO) talked them out of going further (one melee starting to get twitchy in rage, the other starting to think he was invulnerable and the NPC melee wanting to be anal about finishing the scouting mission).

 

Not strictly a "Cthullu" connection, it is just some strange demonic thing to them with low level stress effects to work on them. Nice change of pace and added a bit of fear and loathing to the run.

 

Good luck.