Would you be interested in a Pathfinder Adventure of Lovecraftian Horror set in WWII?


Product Discussion


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With things like Lorefinder, the sanity rules of d20 Cthuluhu and the World War I rules of "Rasputin Must Die" all being in the OGL, I have been thinking about this idea a bit, but wanted to see if there was an interest in you purchasing a pathfinder adventure of lovecraftian horror set in World War II.

So I leave it open to the board.

Paizo Employee Design Manager

I'm going to say I can guarantee that our game group would be all over this.


*throws money at the screen*


Not even a little bit. The two words 'Lovecraftian' and 'Horror' make it an immediate no-buy for me.

That said, I'm certain one, perhaps two, people in the group would buy it.


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It's for Call of Cthulhu (as well as Savage Worlds), but Achtung! Cthulhu looks pretty sweet as well. :)

Sovereign Court Contributor

Rite Publishing wrote:

With things like Lorefinder, the sanity rules of d20 Cthuluhu and the World War I rules of "Rasputin Must Die" all being in the OGL, I have been thinking about this idea a bit, but wanted to see if there was an interest in you purchasing a pathfinder adventure of lovecraftian horror set in World War II.

So I leave it open to the board.

Is this pulp? Because I suspect a pulp-style horror adventure would work better mechanically and in flavour (given that Lovecraftian protagonists are traditionally pretty incompetent) unless it's super low-level. I imagine you could use the SGG Anachronistic Adventurer classes.

But it sounds really interesting. I have been thinking about using PF for a game set in God Rush San Francisco or Elizabethan England, and seeings some of the ways this is approached would be interesting on a design level, as well.


Short answer, yes
Long answer, wantwantwantwantwantwantwant, I need this product inside...my computer.


Yes, although, I'd actually rather it be in WWI. I feel that the occultism and mysticism of that era lends itself to Lovecrafting elements than WWII. And I feel WWI and the Edwardian era still feels sufficiently fantasy to me while having the juxtaposition of technology and industrialization, while WWII feel much more like the dawn of the modern era.

So yes, but I'd prefer WWI.


I would like to suggest looking into WWI as well as WWII. That might make for good support material for Rasputin Must Die!, and WWI is a cool setting as well.


I look forward to everyone's feedback. And I am open to doing World War I as well as World War II, though for now the focus is WWII.

The Exchange Contributor; Publisher, Kobold Press; RPG Superstar Judge

Short answer: I already have Achtung, Cthulhu!, and I think the Cthulhu rules are a better fit for this sort of scenario.

That said, I'd love for there to be more BRP or Trail of Cthulhu WW2 material.

RPG Superstar 2011 Top 8

Yes and WW2 because I thought it worked well with the beginning of the first Hellboy movie.

Shadow Lodge

While I'm always a proponent for more Mythos, I do think that the Mythos works better in other systems. BRP, GUMSHOE, or other systems. d20 is just a poor fit for it (as it was for so many of the games that came out with "d20 editions").


Yup.

I'm doing a 1930s Pathfinder campaign right now. I'd like to see others takes on pathfinder in the first half of the 20th century (and Lovecraft works well for a modern game).


*flings wallet at screen repeatedly*

Why isn't it showing up? What's wrong with you?

-Ben.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I actually once played a module adaptation of "The Keep".

Scarab Sages

I'd be interested and likely get it (though I am the one horror fan out of two different gaming groups). Would prefer something easy to use with CoC. Agree with others on WW1 or the period leading up to WW2.


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THIS BOOK SCREAMS WITH MIND-TENTACLES ON WAVELENGTHS OF GOLD-PLATED CELESTIAL BACON FOR YOU TO MAKE IT!!!

I LOVED 'Rasputin Must Die!' and want to have my players experience more material like this. That said, I would be fine with you guys writing the adventure in WWI or WWII, just so long as you capture the flavor of each. Your work has been pretty much 4-5 star in my opinion, so I know it will be done justice.

Bonus points if the adventure has some sort of quasi-religious occult group who are possible allies (Meaning NO THULE SOCIETY THAT IS PC FRIENDLY!)!

Extra bonus points for character support like feats, class archetypes, ect. Especially want archetypes for Thule mystics, battalion commanders, Mata-Hari style spies, and other such tropes, which would make running the adventure that much more awesome.

Extra, extra, read all about it bonus points if this were a FREAKING ADVENTURE PATH AND/OR CAMPAIGN SETTING! If you don't think it will sell, look at all the copies of Rasputin Must Die! And Achtung Cthulu! have sold. More over, look at the critical acclaim they received! I'm too lazy to check, but I believe the former was 5/5 stars and the latter was 4.5/5 stars. People WANT Earth-based adventures!

To sum it all up...
1. You make the book(s).
2. Gamers throw money in your face faster than Halfling could pilfer it.
3. If a Halfling DOES pilfer some money, we shoot it in the face with the new weapons you provide in the book, then throw our pilfered money at you guys.
4. We all squeal like 7 year old girls getting ponies (Cthulu-pony, anyone?).
5. We demand MOAR BOOKZ to throw our money at.
6. Cycle repeats.
7. Everyone's happy, except our girlfriends/boyfriends/wives/husbands who dislike our hobby, but they didn't kill Cthulu with a hijacked platoon of panzer tanks, now did they?

Liberty's Edge

I like the idea and would probably pick it up to pilfer ideas if not run. I do agree though that WWI would likely be a better fit than WWII, though WWII could still work just fine.


It would be amazing if this were available as both a CoC and a Pathfinder product.

I might buy it twice.

Shadow Lodge

In addition to Achtung! Cthulhu, are you aware of this?


Oh yes I am very aware :)

Jason Durall one of the authors, is the lead designer on Rite Publishing's Lords of Gossamer and Shadow (Diceless).


Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

I'm confused as to how this would work with the basic assumptions of Pathfinder races and classes. Would this be another "visitation" adventure a la "Rasputin Must Die" - that is, the PCs are whisked from their high fantasy world to Earth during World War II? Or do we assume that WWII-era Earth has clerics and elves?


Alzrius wrote:
I'm confused as to how this would work with the basic assumptions of Pathfinder races and classes. Would this be another "visitation" adventure a la "Rasputin Must Die" - that is, the PCs are whisked from their high fantasy world to Earth during World War II? Or do we assume that WWII-era Earth has clerics and elves?

At this point its an idea for an adventure, so I will probably give a couple of opitons I like the idea of a visitation adventure. I also like the idea of Owen's Anchronistic Adventurers who would just be human. The supernatural elements of the adventure would be based in real world mythology more so than standard fantasy, for example you might find yourself dealing with norse dark elves, slavic fey, or germanic dwergaz . But really in the adventure I would recommend staying with native humans, but still this is just at the idea stage.

The hardest part in my mind is the fragility of Cthulhuan investigators vs. the heroic made of iron nature of Pathfinder adventurers. I have a tenative solution, but it needs playtesting.


Anyone ever play Onimusha? That's kinda what I picture. It would be awesome.


I would be interested in something like this, but it is pretty tough to really capture the flavour of Lovecraft in an heroic RPG.

Lovecraftian stories work on the level of being anti-heroic tales set in a cosmos that is either completely indifferent or hates the protagonist. There are no heroes in Lovecraft, hope always fails and no one ever wins; that is where the stories find their life and is pretty counter to the direction of an RPG.

The Exchange

Like Kthulhu, I feel that the genre combination itself is worthwhile - though you may want to have a look at Savage Worlds' Weird War II and make sure you're not replicating something that already exists. I'm not convinced that Pathfinder is the game engine I'd choose for it, though. The concept of a "saving throw", to take just one example, is pretty much incompatible with an incoming 88mm mortar shell - or, for that matter, being devoured alive by the Goat with a Thousand Young. While being hit with an incoming 88mm mortar shell.


Normally I'd agree that there are far better options out there for Mythos gaming (Call of Cthulhu, Savage Worlds, etc.) and current settings exist already (Achtung! Cthulhu, Weird Wars: Weird War II, etc.). I did not like Call of Cthulhu d20. However, for me, Rasputin Must Die! proved that it is possible to use Real World war settings with the Pathfinder RPG system. I know the premise is still fantasy'ish and with the regular Pathfinder RPG experience in mind, but there's some potential there with some innovation and tinkering.


russ bellon wrote:

..... but it is pretty tough to really capture the flavour of Lovecraft in an heroic RPG.

Lovecraftian stories work on the level of being anti-heroic tales set in a cosmos that is either completely indifferent or hates the protagonist. There are no heroes in Lovecraft, hope always fails and no one ever wins; that is where the stories find their life and is pretty counter to the direction of an RPG.

Yes lots of this. The topic/output is both over saturated, with endless kickstarters as well as other products, and not at all pathfinder-level of 'heroic'

More WWI-era rpgs I would be interested in. I am from the UK and the effect of WWI on our country, psyche, culture, society etc was much more than WWII


idk, you'd be catering to not only one very spoiled group of affisciandos but two. Not the easiest order to fill, but I would be all over it if it tickles me in all the right places.


I would either get this or try to duplicate it myself


Maybe also a good opportunity to use SGG's Anachronistic Adventurers.

Might be fun if this were the reverse of "Rasputin Must Die", instead of sword & sorcery fantasy setting characters visiting WWI, it's Earth characters visiting a fantasy setting.


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Just a note for people about why this idea means something to me.

My Grandfather served in WWI (he lied about his age), as a munitions cart driver, and he put the gas mask on the mule first because it was harder to replace than he was (he was hit with mustard gas, and had a stint in his lung to drain fluid that accumulated all his life).

My Great Uncle severed in WWII in the China Burma India Theater, having served as a marine stationed in China before the war.

Shadow Lodge

Rite Publishing wrote:
My Great Uncle severed in WWII

What did he sever? Tentacles?

Sovereign Court Contributor

Interesting. My paternal grandpa was delivering Christmas presents (he was a mail clerk) in the Ardennes in 1944. He was unarmed except for a pistol when the surprise attack went off near his position. My other grandpa was a test pilot for the Navy in the Pacific.

My great-grandfather on my father's side was luckier - he was in the Army Air Corps as a mechanic in WWI. A whole bunch of English & Welsh cousins died in both wars, though.


TAKE MY MONEY!!!


I AM YELLING AT YOU BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED AND I CAN'T BUY IT. GET TO WORK NOW....... Please :-)


All of me wants this! Rasputin Must Die proved not only is Pathfinder compatible with a modern (fantasy) realm, but it does it with epic levels of awesome! I'd love to see something similar.


I'm interested.

Contributor

Of interest to this thread, perhaps: Pinnacle Entertainment has their Weird War II pdf (Savage Worlds) on sale through Sep 12th.


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GIMMIE GIMMIE GIMMIE GIMME!!!!!!

I would definitely want this. If this was an actual campaign setting I would probably kill for it (if me not killing someone would mean it was never published, I'm not a monster. DON'T JUDGE ME!.) I had even planned on doing someone like this eventually. In fact, if you need freelancers, I can provide references.

OOH! Make some of the top-ranking nazis serpent people in disguise, intent on conquering humanity through proxy. That'd be cool! And if they were a playable race, like renegades siding with the humans against the grand snake-nazi conspiracy, that'd be awesome.


Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Lost Omens Subscriber

Way late to this party, but I would totally be in for a project like this, particularly from Rite Pub.

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