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291: Non-Human Characters in Call of Cthulhu

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

Release Date: 07/15/2024

312: Comedy Horror, with Evan Dorkin show art 312: Comedy Horror, with Evan Dorkin

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

We’re back and we’re and we’re putting on our ponchos. They look a bit silly, but that works for us here. The important thing is that they’ll keep some of the gore off our clothes. Comedy horror can be a messy business, especially once you bring gardening equipment into play. We’re not sure whether to laugh or cry, so we’ll probably just scream. Main Topic: Comedy Horror This episode sees us delve into the bloody world of comedy horror, trying to pin down what makes the two genres work so well together, looking at some examples from media, and trying to work out how to perform...

info_outline 311: RPGs and Fiction, with Evan Dorkin show art 311: RPGs and Fiction, with Evan Dorkin

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

info_outline 310: Something Wicked This Way Comes, with Cuppycup show art 310: Something Wicked This Way Comes, with Cuppycup

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

info_outline 309: Theme Parks and Horror, with Cuppycup show art 309: Theme Parks and Horror, with Cuppycup

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

We’re back and we’re learning about protein spills. What sounded like an innocent sexual innuendo has turned out to be more scatological than any of us would have liked. The unpleasant realities of theme parks are well hidden behind twee language and cute costumes. Happily, once we strip them away, we can find some good horror inspiration. Although we do wish it all smelled a bit better. Main Topic: Theme Parks and Horror This episode, we visit the topic of theme parks, amusement parks, funfairs and the like, looking for Call of Cthulhu inspiration. As with so many things rooted...

info_outline 308: The Appeal of Vampires, With Josephine McAdam show art 308: The Appeal of Vampires, With Josephine McAdam

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

info_outline 307: Horror For the Nervous, with Josephine McAdam show art 307: Horror For the Nervous, with Josephine McAdam

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

We’re back and we’re hiding behind the sofa. Sure, the monsters, masked killers, and mutants can probably find us back here, but it still feels safer for some reason. Fear is rarely a rational thing, so why should our response to it be? Main Topic: Horror For the Nervous This episode came about when Scott was playing The Between with Josephine McAdam over on  and she mentioned that she rarely watches or reads horror media because she finds it upsetting. Given how many horror projects Josephine has been involved with, this seemed like something worth exploring, so we...

info_outline 306: Quatermass and the Pit show art 306: Quatermass and the Pit

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

We’re back and we’re digging up the past. Some of this excavation is purely physical, burrowing into the clay under London in search of the usual skulls and spaceships. The rest, however, is more atavistic in nature, uncovering the strange, alien memories buried within our minds. On reflection, we probably shouldn’t have used pickaxes for both jobs. Main Topic: Quatermass and the Pit This episode is our long-overdue exploration of the strange world of Professor Bernard Quatermass, and especially the 1967 film adaptation of Quatermass and the Pit. While we’ve mentioned Nigel...

info_outline 305: How to be an Investigator show art 305: How to be an Investigator

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

We’re back and we’re blundering. That’s not to say that we don’t have a clue, but we’re not quite sure what to do with the handful we’ve managed to find. We’ve tried pinning them to a board and running strings between them, but the result is more abstract art than anything functional. Maybe we’ll just keep punching NPCs until one of them finally tells us what’s going on. Main Topic: How to be an Investigator This episode is our attempt to sharpen our own skills as investigators, or at least hope that others can learn from our mistakes. Scott and guest host Seth Skorkowsky...

info_outline 304: Haunted Landscapes show art 304: Haunted Landscapes

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

We’re back and we’re digging deep. While you might expect to find ghosts in these haunted landscapes, mostly we’re unearthing history. Oh, and carcinogens. On balance, ghosts seem like the healthier option. Main Topic: Haunted Landscapes Building on last episode’s discussion of Lovecraftian horror and detective fiction explored in Heather Miller’s , we’re delving into another part of the book, which lays out the idea of haunted landscapes. The landscapes in question are haunted by the past rather than ghosts, with layers of history transforming their geography and meaning. We...

info_outline 303: Call of Cthulhu and Detective Fiction show art 303: Call of Cthulhu and Detective Fiction

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

We’re back and we’re sifting through evidence. Being a good detective requires a keen eye for detail, an analytical mind, and a thorough knowledge of the genre. But that happens when you find yourself in a different genre than you were expecting? Is your uncanny ability to piece together disparate clues really an asset when it leads you to horrifying revelations? Maybe this new dark age thing we’ve heard about isn’t so bad after all. Main Topic: Call of Cthulhu and Detective Fiction This episode delves into the complex relationship between detective fiction and Lovecraftian horror....

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We’re back and we’re doubting our humanity. It’s easily enough done. Whether it’s these gill slits on our necks, that pervasive smell of death surrounding us, or just the weird way our shadow shifts and twists, there’s always been something a little off. Normally, that doesn’t cause any problems beyond the usual revulsion. It does make us wonder, however, whether we’re really protagonist material. Is a background role the best a non-human character can hope for in this game, or it is finally our time to shine as investigators?

Main Topic: Non-Human Characters in Call of Cthulhu

There are plenty of creatures in the Cthulhu Mythos that resemble humans, both in appearance and intelligence. While it’s easy to categorise them as monsters, we explore how to present them as fully formed characters. Normally, their role would be as an antagonist, but the Mythos is more ambiguous and nuanced than that. Some of your best friends might be ghouls!

And, of course, Lovecraft’s protagonists often discovered that they weren’t quite as human as they’d believed. Why shouldn’t the same be true in Call of Cthulhu? What are some of the considerations of having non-human characters as investigators in your game?

Links

Things we mention in this episode include:

News

Paul at Gen Con

Paul will be attending Gen Con 2024 as part of the Chaosium presence. Seek him and the rest of the team out in room 134, off the Hoosier Concourse, or at any of the events in which he is participating. These include the scenario writing seminar and workshop, with Mike Mason, and a game with You Too Can Cthulhu. The Good Time Society will also be running some Call of Cthulhu, and our good friends from the HP Lovecraft Historical Society are offering one of their legendary LARPs.

The Blasphemous Tome Issue 12

Issue 12 of The Blasphemous Tome will be shipping very soon. This is the fanzine we produce for Patreon backers of The Good Friends of Jackson Elias. The latest issue contains “A New Dark Age”, a modern-day Call of Cthulhu scenario by our own Paul Fricker, set in a town near you.

Every backer will receive a PDF of issue 12 as soon as it’s available. Anyone backing us at the $5 level or above by the end of July will also get a printed and signed copy.