#43: Monte Cook’s World of Darkness at 6th Level

[RPGnet Columns]

http://www.rpg.net/columns/brave/brave43.phtml

Summary:

McWoD comes together.

Go to the column (http://www.rpg.net/columns/brave/brave43.phtml) for more information.

[Tori Bergquist]

Hmmmm!.....wow.

The only thing this is missing is Batman....maybe Darth Vader....Captain Kirk....

Seriously, though, interesting campaign, very odd mix of premises, and some real oddities (like trying to imagine how or why a Mi-Go would sacrifice itself for anything human-related whatsoever).

[Kravell]

Hmmmm!.....wow.

The only thing this is missing is Batman....maybe Darth Vader....Captain Kirk....

Seriously, though, interesting campaign, very odd mix of premises, and some real oddities (like trying to imagine how or why a Mi-Go would sacrifice itself for anything human-related whatsoever).

Well, I read at the Mountains of Madness and the destruction of the mi-go seemed to be a mistake or misunderstanding. The real monster was the creature the mi-go had created. So this time around, the mi-go and humans got along a little better. Which makes sense since half the "humans" are actually "monsters" themselves!

As to Captain Kirk, the mask is actually from the movie, Halloween. Michael Myers wears a Captain Kirk mask painted white. Don't know why, but I like the idea. Makes it extra-creepy in my mind. And still horror.

Batman is an interesting idea, though. Hmmm....

Charlie

[Dormammu]

Batman versus the batmen?

[Droogydroog]

Well, I read at the Mountains of Madness and the destruction of the mi-go seemed to be a mistake or misunderstanding. The real monster was the creature the mi-go had created. So this time around, the mi-go and humans got along a little better. Which makes sense since half the "humans" are actually "monsters" themselves!

As to Captain Kirk, the mask is actually from the movie, Halloween. Michael Myers wears a Captain Kirk mask painted white. Don't know why, but I like the idea. Makes it extra-creepy in my mind. And still horror.

Batman is an interesting idea, though. Hmmm....

Charlie
Dude, what? There were no Mi-Go in the Mountains of Madness, the Fungi from Yuggoth were in The Whisperer in Darkness. It was the Elder Race that created the shoggoths that later ate them.

[Kravell]

Dude, what? There were no Mi-Go in the Mountains of Madness, the Fungi from Yuggoth were in The Whisperer in Darkness. It was the Elder Race that created the shoggoths that later ate them.

I've got At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft open in front of me. Here's a quote: "Had any of the Old Ones shifted north ahead of the creeping ice cap? Existing geology shows no sign of their presence. Had the frightful Mi-Go been still a menace in the outer land world of the north?"

If you're using D20 Cthulthu as a reference I can see the confusion. Under Shoggoth, the authors say they were created by the Elder Things. However, Lovecraft repeatedly calls the Mi-Go the Old Ones: "They were the great "Old Ones" that had filtered down from the stars when earth was young...."

So the Mi-Go appear in both sources.

Charlie

[Kravell]

Batman versus the batmen?

Yeah, I'm thinking an Awakened who thinks he's Batman hunting Manbat (a vampire).

Now if I can just figure out how to throw in a really creepy Joker....

Charlie

[Droogydroog]

I've got At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft open in front of me. Here's a quote: "Had any of the Old Ones shifted north ahead of the creeping ice cap? Existing geology shows no sign of their presence. Had the frightful Mi-Go been still a menace in the outer land world of the north?"

If you're using D20 Cthulthu as a reference I can see the confusion. Under Shoggoth, the authors say they were created by the Elder Things. However, Lovecraft repeatedly calls the Mi-Go the Old Ones: "They were the great "Old Ones" that had filtered down from the stars when earth was young...."

So the Mi-Go appear in both sources.

Charlie

Looking back on the source materials I'll agree the descriptions do match up a lot closer than I recalled. Maybe CoC did screw me up. My apologies.

[Soundchaser]

Thanks for the column, it has renewed my interest in running MC's NWoD... and I like the idea of bringing in something from COC. I might try starting the party out with a "lurker at the threshold" basic adventure to get them leveling up... maybe friends/associates of the key relative who inherits the home and papers somewhere in Chicago's 'burbs.

[Kravell]

Looking back on the source materials I'll agree the descriptions do match up a lot closer than I recalled. Maybe CoC did screw me up. My apologies.

No problem. The Old Ones sometimes cloud our minds.:)

Charlie

[Kravell]

Thanks for the column, it has renewed my interest in running MC's NWoD... and I like the idea of bringing in something from COC. I might try starting the party out with a "lurker at the threshold" basic adventure to get them leveling up... maybe friends/associates of the key relative who inherits the home and papers somewhere in Chicago's 'burbs.

Sounds like a great campaign idea. Chicago works well because so many people just turn a blind eye to all the murders and madness going on around them.

We just ran a running gun battle between a caddy bristling with weapons and an ambulance with an M-60 poking out the back and the cops didn't even show up until it was all over. They let the IDA handle the whole thing.

If you run MCWoD I do suggest you use D20 Modern and/or D20 Cthuthlu for backup unless you have a lot of free time. Statting up opponents takes time, like any D20 Modern based game.

And if you want to really go Lovecraft on your players, maybe drop the IDA and put the Intrusion under the ocean. That way, no one will know what is going on and the PCs will be truly isolated. They may even wonder if they are going mad when they start to see lurkers in darkness.

Which, of course, they are. Doesn't mean they aren't right, however!:)

Charlie