"Call of Cthulhu" Topic

Just wanted to oen the horror board with a nod to the greatest horror RPG, greatest con game, and one the best games in general ever made. People love to run around, die, go insane. It's so opposite of normal gaming. Stout-hearted 1920 gansters packing Kansas City typewriters flee at a strange bump on the door. I play this game at every con I can. It's just perfect.

Warwick13

Anyone think it would make a good minis game? I've always thought a game of 1920s investigators holed up in a house surrounded by hordes of beasties would be very cool.

There are a lot of good systems that could do the job. The pain is trying to make the house floorplan big enough for 25mm figures. But it sure would be cool. I've got zombies. What I need are common people, maybe with guns.

RAFM does make miniatures for Call of Cthulhu. You could easily game with them. Though I think a lot of the game might be running away or futily getting torn to shreds. I'm sure there's a way you could make it work, but really, what's the average guy going to do against a cthonian?

For people with guns of about the right era, what about Copplestone's back of beyond line?

Bob Murch sculpted the RAFM Call of Cthulhu figures. He's doing twenties era figures on his own as well.

pulpfigures.com

I agree, a CoC miniatures game probably would include alot of running away and quick deaths. I feel CoC works better as an RPG, where a player's imagination brings some unspeakable horror to life, where as a miniatures setting just presents another objective to eliminate.

I think games like Resident Evil, or perhaps Dino Crisis would make a better setting for a miniatures game. Enemies in these games, while numerous and often powerful, do have weaknesses that make them challenging opponents. This stands in contrast to a CoC based game, where just seeing the opposition might wipe out half the party, while the other half is eaten trying to run away.

I'm sure there would be plenty of weaker monsters you could use/invent.

I was also thinking of having rules that try to simulate insanity and confusion, eg-

-Allow the Cthuloid player to reposition some of his models every turn.

-Have "hallucination" minis that can be moved around but do not actually fight.

-Have several identical models that have different stats.

-Give monsters stats disproportionate to their appearance.

-Randomly bring on or take off monsters.

-And most of all, never tell the investigator player what's happening.

Basically, do things to mess with the other player's head.

Savage Worlds could handle it...I have already toyed with the idea. IMHO you would not really be able to make a full scale competitive minis game out of Lovecraft's fluff unless you played on the wars of the elder races.

CC.

Have you looked at the Hills Run Wild? Ghouls, cultists, Wheatlys, etc fighting to obtain a copy of the Book. Works well with figures.

Steve Barber does a good line in Prohibition era gangsters.

I still think that leaves the investigator team at a major disadvantage. It wouldn't be fun to spend several turns trying to take down some monster, only to have it be fake, or have it just disappear before its death, only to have another monster just like it reappear somewhere else.

Being able to mow down a legion of CoC baddies severly lessens the threat they pose. Its either that, or most scenarios invlove running away from something.

Right now, I see it workable maybe if it was investigators against cultists, with creatures as special to the cultists. In that case, I guess the investigators would get... maybe a tank or a nuclear warhead or something? Or perhaps both sides go insane if someone conjures up something that shouldn't be, and it runs wild on everyone.

Actually as gavandjosh02 mentioned there is a miniatures game for CoC, it is called The Hills Run Wild. You actually use a tape measure (included) to do your movement on the tiles. They use cardboard pieces, but you could easily replace those with real miniatures.

Anybody seen or heard of the old CoC board game that Chaosism put out about 10 -15 years ago called Arkham Horror?

Basically the players are all playing together to kill monsters or destroy gates before the world is overrun with Cthulthu monsters. I have always wanted to play this game as a miniature game, I have almost all of the miniatures that you would need. You don't have to destroy the Great ones just sneek pass them, find the gate, go through, survive, and then destroy the gate. When you destroy the gate the monsters get sucked back in. Lots of magic items to be found, exploration of buildings etc, and spells to be cast. Oh and of course SAN or hit points to worry about.

All of my minaitures are 25/28 variety from Grenadier and Rafm.

The problem was coming up with the buildings for Arkham. A museum, library, police station, train station etc. At each town location, you roll a dice tosee what happens. Could be a monster appears, or the funky old lady serves you tea.. Better yet you find a new spell or magic item like the an elder sign.

Great game, too bad it is out of print but easily adapted to miniatures. It might be time to dragged that game back out.

Cultists vs. 1920s Army unit in desperate race to stop a horrible ritual....

I would use a a 1920's Adventure background to run a mini's game. Lead the players to believe they are searching for a lost city or missing companion, etc. gradually introduce the horror elements by using cultists, lesser monsters (ghouls, deep ones, serpent men, Sand Dwellers, etc). It would be ideal if this could be played out as a short campaign with map movement, etc while having some sharp tabletop engagements. This could all lead to a final confrontation with Nyarlahotep or whoever where the god can be dispelled or the gate closed and so on. The great thing about miniatures at this time is all of the Back of Beyond, Pulp Miniatures, Darkest Africa stuff available. If you need a Cthulu player in the game have one of the explorers be a cultist who can summon monsters in secret using points. Only the GM and the player would know until discovery or the final confrontation.

Chaosium was supposedly re-releasing Arkham Horror due to popular demand. Last I heard about it was roughly a year or so ago. I don't seen to be able to drum anything up on it...maybe they changed their minds?

CC.

Reaper has several Chtulhu-ish creatures, including a 'frog demon'

Black Tree design also has a nice frog demon.

Dragglestown has the 'darkages' range which includes some apes by Bob Murch.

Graven Images do some great cultists, the best Frankenstein's Monster I have ever seen, Zombies, a big Deep One, loads of Adventurer types, evil posessed toys, and more besides that would be fantastic in Cthulhu!
From Beyond - Kevin Adams new company also does some evil toys, Ghouls, and a range of Scare-Crows - which also includes their spooky creators - The Crowman!
Monolith does a huge range of Gothic Horror scenics, including some that are specifically Cthulhu Mythos in origin - and if you don't want to play with them they also make great ornaments to decorate your den (as I have with mine!)

What's Kevin Adams new company and is there a website???

Kev's new company is called From Beyond. At the moment there is no site, however Monolith are donating some space on their website, because they are acting as manufacturer/distributor in the UK (They are also available from Virtual Alchemist in the US). They should be up before the end of the year.
First releases include 2x packs of 4 scarecrows, 2x packs of 6 lesser scarecrows, The Crowman and his evil midget doppleganger waking a dormant scarecrow, 2x packs of 6 evil toys and some ghouls.
The figures show a much darker side to Kev's psyche, and have the great characterful faces he is renowned for. They also display superb animation!
There is also a limited edition release called the Goblin King's Court it comprises of 10 figures, and there are only 500 sets being made - 250 from Monolith, 250 from Virtual Alchemist

I ran The Hills Rise Wild! game at Con-Quest in 2001. I took the base game & translated it all into miniatures, with full terrain, painted figures for all the gangs & all the specialty items. It was loads of fun both to make & to play. I'd highly recommend THRW!. Unforunately, the publisher never followed through with a Reanimator expansion set.

It would be hard to simulate some of the average sort of things taht happen in CoC stories in a minis game. After all, even the weakest craetions of Elder Gods are pretty powerful.

One demonstration I know was the game where the players stayed in a group ( For once ), drove up to a house wher the cultists were operating and simply emptied a few magazines each from their Thompsons into it, a la "The Gauntlet" Las Vegas scene. When they walked back to the car, it was almost gone.

Almost.

The engine block was still there.

With a chunk bitten out of it.

Reviresco also has some rather nice figures that would work well in a CoC miniatures game, including some submerged deep ones. ( Called 'gill men' They can be found in the Victorian Science Fiction area of their web site.
tin-soldier.com

The Auld Grump

The new Octopons from the 50 Fathoms line would work well. They are nicely sculpted and tentaclicious!