A Cthulhu reading primer

Posts: 7604 · Posted: Fri May 27, 2005 6:58 pm

hehehe hey i just want a beat up rule set for playing around with and maybe a few scenarios to utilise Smile

will just have a hunt around on ebay - no doubt i can find a few things which will suit me just fine from all the info i have been given *swoons* Very Happy

Posts: 4467 · Posted: Sat May 28, 2005 10:33 am

bclarkie wrote:

Hey All, What is the rule set like for CoC. Is it stat/ability based like D&D or is it different?

It is percentage based, like other Chaosium RPGs such as Runequest, Stormbringer (Elric), etc. Very easy to use and learn IMO.

Mike B.

Posts: 286 · Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2005 6:54 pm

All,

With regard to Lovecraft, the Arkham House hardbacks edited by S.T. Joshi are indispensable.
Notwithstanding the fact that they encompass his fiction in the order (I believe) it should be read, these volumes also have intangible qualities (like the binding, the font, etc) that make them a great addition to any library.

There are so many modern anthologies based on Lovecraft's mythos, I'll only mention my favorite: Shadows over Baker Street, edited by Michael Reaves and John Pelan, Ballantine Books, 2003. The premise is simple: What if Holmes and Watson confronted Cthulhu and its minions? Great reading.

Can anyone out there recommend the best publisher of CAS' work? And the order his fiction should be read? I've not had the pleasure to read much of Smith's work down through the years.

Thanks,
Keith

Posts: 2910 · Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2005 1:37 am

Keith wrote:

There are so many modern anthologies based on Lovecraft's mythos, I'll only mention my favorite: Shadows over Baker Street, edited by Michael Reaves and John Pelan, Ballantine Books, 2003. The premise is simple: What if Holmes and Watson confronted Cthulhu and its minions? Great reading.

Now that's going onto my wish lists! Thanks for the tip, Keith Very Happy

Quote:

Can anyone out there recommend the best publisher of CAS' work? And the order his fiction should be read? I've not had the pleasure to read much of Smith's work down through the years.

The rights to CAS' works are in disupte and have been for quite some time. I've enjoyed the Necronomicon Press editions of his Hyperborea and Zothique stories; Hippocampus Press has been doing a lot of CAS stuff recently, including various never-before-published manuscripts; AH has a few, of course, including a recent reprint of A Rendesvous in Averoige; there are a few other publishers out there, but I just packed my CAS books up, so you'll have to check out http://www.eldritchdark.com/ to see what else catches your fancy.

Posts: 286 · Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2005 8:14 pm

Thanks, Grodog.

I really appreciate your taking the time to educate me on the status of Clark Ashton Smith's work.

It's really nice and refreshing to find a forum where members are helpful and polite.

Keith

Posts: 2910 · Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2005 10:00 pm

Keith wrote:

Thanks, Grodog. I really appreciate your taking the time to educate me on the status of Clark Ashton Smith's work.

De nada, always happy to help a kindred spirit out Very Happy

Quote:

It's really nice and refreshing to find a forum where members are helpful and polite.

All-in-all, I've found the Acaeum membership to be a most helpful and laid bad bunch, in general. I'm sure you'll fit right in.

Oh, and if you're interested, the boards at www.yog-sothoth.com are quite good also.

Posts: 2910 · Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2005 3:05 am

Now here's some serious HPL/CAS loot: http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZepagana

Posts: 1742 · Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2005 6:02 am

I am not an expert on Lovecraft valuations. I do know however that he was a prolific correspondent - and that reliable estimates of the total number of letters he wrote in his lifetime sits at nearly 100,000

So I suppose, caveat emptor.

On the other hand…

Original HP Lovecraft manuscript of his short story Dagon?

http://dogbert.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=194197788

Bit pricey...

Smile

Posts: 941 · Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2005 2:00 pm

"right. in order to play a game of CoC in the 1920's again, what is the minimal material i would need - and of course a nice module too..."

Hey, I just noticed that they a have free download (pdf) of quickstart rules for Call of Cthulhu at the Chaosium website. Includes everything to make characters and run an adventure & it includes a complete introductory adventure - The Haunting (aka The Haunted House) that was in the original rule set.

Posts: 286 · Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2005 11:11 am

FYI ... an e-Bay seller is offering a very nice copy of The Outsider and Others. The seller has also just listed Beyond the Wall of Sleep.

A simple search for "Outsider and Others" will take you there. The seller is "goodestatestuff".

Evidently he is going to be listing a lot of very rare HPL material.

Alas, I wish I were rich. I'd love to bid on some of these. Maybe some of you will have some luck.

Keith

Posts: 7604 · Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2005 11:59 am

zhowar1 wrote:

"right. in order to play a game of CoC in the 1920's again, what is the minimal material i would need - and of course a nice module too..."

Hey, I just noticed that they a have free download (pdf) of quickstart rules for Call of Cthulhu at the Chaosium website. Includes everything to make characters and run an adventure & it includes a complete introductory adventure - The Haunting (aka The Haunted House) that was in the original rule set.

cool! just the jobbie! could you please let me have the link?

Alan

Posts: 186 · Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2005 1:18 pm

Try here:
http://www.chaosium.com/index.php?section_id=30

and some adventures are available here:
http://www.yog-sothoth.com/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=viewdownloa d&cid=2

Posts: 286 · Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2005 7:47 pm

All,

The July issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction has a book review on H.P Lovecraft: Tales, The Library of America, 2005.

The review is written by James Sallas under his "Books" column. It's a very thoughtful and well-researched review, and well worth your time.

It's really good to see HPL gaining prestige among the literati. I think we have Joyce Carol Oates to thank for this.

Keith