From: craa27@ccsun.strath.ac.uk ( Steve Holmes, Computer Centre )
Newsgroups: alt.horror.cthulhu
Subject: Re: conversion of players to CoC
Date: 8 Jan 93 16:34:56 GMT
Reply-To: craa27@ccsun.strath.ac.uk
Organization: Strathclyde University Computer Centre.

In article 726496713@starbase.spd.louisville.edu, cesnyd01@starbase.spd.louisville.edu (Cris Snyder) writes:
>Ok, I have a Dnd group, and they said they would play a game of Cthulhu with me as GM.  No problem.  They are a good Dnd group, used to all sorts of nastys.
>Problem.  
>
>How does one take a person who has fought deamons and ghoulies and (literaly!)
>had lunch with dieties go to a game system where part of the goal of the GM is 
>to scare the socks off of him?  I don't think these folks are going to be 
>impressed when a Bakee (Sp?) come fluttering down the hall way - they'll laugh!
>
>What do I do?
>
>I'm already planning to use physical eliments - low lights, candles, dark colors
>etc. maybe even some spooky music in the background - I think this will 
>deffinetely help.
>
>Another big problem is how do you get it thru their heads that taking a week
>(game time) and living in a library can almost be expected of them?  We're 
>talking about Fantasy gamers who are used to obliterating anything they dont
>understand with the exception to the fact that it's trying to eat them!
>
>Any other thoughts? 
>
>					AlberCrombie. 
>
>
>-- 
>--==-=-=-=-=-====-==-----===-=-====-----=-==-=-=-=-=-===-=-====-=----===-===---=
>			cesnyd01@starbase.spd.louisville.edu		
>
>		AlberCrombie ---- The One And Only Space Gopher
>
>				.sig?  what .sig?
>-===--=--==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==---===-=--===-==-==-=---===----=-=-=-=---=-=-=-=-=--

Well it's tough, I don't think a few trimmimgs to the room are really the key to atmosphere.

Try to analyse the main differences between the CoC game and that which your friends have played (Sounds like D&D).

1) No Exp pts - so killing is useless unless you gain something else.
2) Skill based (If they're real munchkins they'll try to tick every skill ASAP.
3) Sanity: Wheras all D&D attributes tend to rise, this one generally gets lower and lower.
4) Insanity: These Fantasy types generally have full control of their characters, wait for the first
     temporary insanity, then have something embarrasing happen to the sufferer (Say Screams,
     Drops all Weapons and Craps His Pants),  This might do a fair bit for the "Conan" personality - Not.
5) Magic: Even the helpful spells tend to have a price in san or POW. Don't dish out "Battle magic"
6) Weapons: Rifles of the 1920's are heavy as are Tommy guns and heavier weapons. Don't let the
      players become gun platforms. Remember that loads of baddies are relatively immune to most
      weapons.
7)  Alignment: There isn't one, the players will often appear to be doing awful things, which can only
       be rationalised if one believes in the Mythos . Just get a John Wayne type Sheriff
       "But he was a Cultist leader sir" said investigator 1 with the smoking shotgun.
        "The hell he was !" (sound of cell door slamming).
8)  Mystery. If possible don't let the players see the books for the early games. Then they;ll have to guess
      about how powerful everything is (This is why there is no FEAR in D&D:  "It's only got 3 hit dice !! Get it").
       Eventually they'll get some idea of what';s bad and what's very bad, somebody will probably get their
        own copy of the rules. Therefore, everything in your literature should have an alias.
       Spells should not be presented by their real name, at best "A Summoning" should be given.
       Or dream up some arcane names. Same with creatures, if they're intelligent and can talk, have
        the old books refer to the creature by name (like a familiar) not by it's species name.
        Many creatures would have gone by different names in different cultures, so don't always use the one
        from the game book. Exception: When there';s something really nasty coming, you can use the real name.
        Especially good where the players have learned that it's big enough that they've gotta fear it.
9)    Scale: Huge Architecture, obviously carved by giany aliens is good for atmosphere, especially where it's
        apparently deserted. Let them find that the pond is actually shaped like a giant footprint.
10)  Slime: Familiarity breeds comtempt, so don't have too many meetings with monsters. Let them encounter
         monster's leaving's more frequently (Half a cow with obvious toothmarks), trails of slime, large openings
         leading into the earth.
11)  Black Car: This is a device which just crept into an adventure. Tracking some urban cultist/mobsters, my 
         players had been trailed by a Black Sedan with a couple of heavies inside. After a while, they'd ask
         "Can we see a black Car" every time they went on the roads. Well as Henry Ford once said ......
          I caught on to this, and threw in the odd Innocent black car, which usually induced a hurried
          turning off the main road, several drive rolls etc etc. Eventually one player got so upset at this that he rammed
          the next black car that he saw (Nothing to do with the Baddies at all). Now he had quite a bit of Fast Talk ing
          to do after that.

Finally atmosphere isn't just atmosfear, many of the above situations are great chances to bring
in a bit of humour. In fact, plain unchanging fear soon wears off, and sees the adventurers checking
everything (Like the D&D forls with their 10 foot Pole).  Let em enjoy themselves, and they'll relax
into the next trap, then the horror will feel even more real. 

After the black car got rammed, we didn't stop laughing for 15 minutes. Horror and Humour sit
very well together.

Just a few thoughts. I'm sure some folks in rec.frp.misc will have more thoughts on the subject.

Finally

12) It's OK to kill COC Characters, something which tends to happen very little in D&D.
        Aim for a couple of kills in your first adventure, they'll hate it, but it will snap them out
         of their invincibility pretty quick. (Of course have a way out of the Kills, but not 
         by fighting. It could be as simple as running away)

Example: Something nasty approaches (Dark Young of SN)
          1 guy goes insane and runs away real fast, other 3 pull out their revolvers
           and blaze into the monster.
           Monster doesn't really care, and starts to eat one (selected at random).

Result: Guy who ran away survived, those who stood and fought died.
               Hopefully those who weren't grabbed first will also start running,
                Maybe have another SAN roll for the sifght of their friend being mangled.

Hope this helps a bit

Steve