Space Opera?

[imposterzilla]

How would you do a Cthulhuesque space opera? Cthonian Stars offered some good ideas, however I think a battle between the Zarr and a space force of humans. The horror aspect would be when humans get on the ship and find out about how far removed from nature these things are and that their ships and powered by occult forces. How else would one do this and what alien races would be good to use? The Migo would be a must.

[DrPeterson]

Not an easy question, that.

In my experience, most of the background horror is derived from the fact that we're on an infinitely insignificant piece of rock in the middle of nowhere and that the human urge to "make a difference" is pitiable to say the least.
Putting humans in space takes a away a lot of that.

However, I think movies like Event Horizon and the first Alien could be a great source of inspiration.
The "aliens we can't possibly relate to" subject has been somewhat touched in Space: above and beyond, to name but one in a sea of many.


I hope this helps a bit.

[FNH]

As the good Doctor has said any aliens can provide a horror situation. What is horror in 1920's can easily be related to a similar situation in space with hardly any changes required.

Deep Ones breeding at Innsmouth, becomes Deep Ones breeding at New-Harlec on Erazmau-IV

Cthulhu sending people mad via dreams can happen anywhere...

Cults will operate where ever humans go.

A ships captain going insane, is universal.

I don't think you need to focus on any "special" or "particular" races or creatures 'cos you CAN USE THEM ALL! HUZZAR!!!!

Perhaps take a look at some of the free scenarios around and switch them into space I'd like to see that

[WiseWolf]

Good ideas already.

I ran one using Cthonians Stars. I changed that to BRP rules though, so I needed to add a few skills for the players to be able to handle themselves in space. My scenario was based on Russo A Ship of Fools. It worked perfectly fine for my players, they really liked it. We didn´t finish the sequence, and it was based using the Mi-go.

[Tigger_MK4]

You might like to check out Neal Ashers fiction, particularly the splatterjay series. While not Lovecraftian , his Prador aliens have a nice line in body horror that would be suitable for the mi-go. The prador are even crustatians....

As for scenarios, you can easily substitute "planets" for "countries"... So most of the major campaigns could be concerted. (i'm toying with the idea of a space opera version of MoN myself... But BtMoM and TotK strike me as also suitable...)

[Daylen]

Watch some old sci-fi horror. It doesn't even have to involve aliens to be cthulian horror. Involve a strange enough locality, some sanity checks and maybe npcs and many places can be horrific. I'd suggest limiting the other to the central theme only. Don't have the mode of travel be too weird or the players will be bored with the main part. Hard Sci-fi is probably the best way to govern the player's resources, so reaction motors even if its fusion, or even Bussard Ramjets for long distance travel.

[Max_Writer]

I think early space exploration and limiting human beings to the Sol System (or having humans only just having invented/discovered/found faster than light travel) works better than humanity being out there and having several successful colonies. It also means humanity hasn't really found out much about other systems yet.

The Bughunters game for Amazing Engine offered an interesting beginning to humanity going to the stars with the added benefit of the Isler Drive (ftl) causing disorientation, sickness, and even madness when humans go ftl, unless they are in hypersleep.

I also agree with Daylen - hard sci-fi works better for CoC (in any era actually). Weaponry should include slug throwers as opposed to lasers. Tricorders or sensors should be limited to tech only a little better than we have now (IR, spectroscope, radar, and the like).

[MrHandy]

You might like to check out Neal Ashers fiction, particularly the splatterjay series. While not Lovecraftian , his Prador aliens have a nice line in body horror that would be suitable for the mi-go. The prador are even crustatians....

As for scenarios, you can easily substitute "planets" for "countries"... So most of the major campaigns could be concerted. (i'm toying with the idea of a space opera version of MoN myself... But BtMoM and TotK strike me as also suitable...)

AirborneXO did exactly that in Malleus Calixis, a play-by-post conversion of MoN into the Dark Heresy universe. I didn't play in it, but I read along with it and he did excellent work there. Unfortunately, the game has been archived. You can still read it, but you'd need to register and log in at Play@Yog-Sothoth.

I'm also running a sort of space opera scenario of my own devising there called The Ninth Planet, a combination of Doctor Who and Call of Cthulhu. It's late in Episode 3 right now, and things are getting really interesting. The scenario takes place on humanity's first base on Pluto in 2112, and it's a dark future with a militaristic dictatorship that rules the solar system. Humans don't have FTL travel yet, but they're trying to develop it. Most people are armed with traditional projectile guns, though there are some energy weapons (referred to as blasters). The setting works very well for isolation and paranoia. The Mi-Go are obviously involved, and they could easily squash the small number of humans on their planet if they felt like it. So why haven't they done it? And who are the bigger monsters, the Mi-Go or the humans? You can read along with this adventure as it plays out if you like, and there's even room for new players. Some of the PCs have been abandoned, and they're available to be taken over.

[Daylen]

AirborneXO did exactly that in Malleus Calixis, a play-by-post conversion of MoN into the Dark Heresy universe. I didn't play in it, but I read along with it and he did excellent work there. Unfortunately, the game has been archived. You can still read it, but you'd need to register and log in at Play@Yog-Sothoth.

I'm also running a sort of space opera scenario of my own devising there called The Ninth Planet, a combination of Doctor Who and Call of Cthulhu. It's late in Episode 3 right now, and things are getting really interesting. The scenario takes place on humanity's first base on Pluto in 2112, and it's a dark future with a militaristic dictatorship that rules the solar system. Humans don't have FTL travel yet, but they're trying to develop it. Most people are armed with traditional projectile guns, though there are some energy weapons (referred to as blasters). The setting works very well for isolation and paranoia. The Mi-Go are obviously involved, and they could easily squash the small number of humans on their planet if they felt like it. So why haven't they done it? And who are the bigger monsters, the Mi-Go or the humans? You can read along with this adventure as it plays out if you like, and there's even room for new players. Some of the PCs have been abandoned, and they're available to be taken over.

Sounds like it would be a most applicable setting, even though you seem to be begging the question with the Mi-Go. It would be like asking why a rancher hasn't run off all the cattle that came to the ranch (maybe even that he brought to the ranch).

[The_Tatterdemalion_King]

Space Opera is fundamentally regular pulp adventure stories with spacey dressing. "Wolf in the Fold" is still "Wolf in the Fold" whether it's set on Argelius II or in New Jersey.

[MrHandy]

Sounds like it would be a most applicable setting, even though you seem to be begging the question with the Mi-Go. It would be like asking why a rancher hasn't run off all the cattle that came to the ranch (maybe even that he brought to the ranch).

Well, there are obvious reasons for the Mi-Go to keep humans alive, and there are not-so-obvious ones. I don't want to say any more, as I want to avoid spoilers.

The crew of Styx Base are all pregenerated, each with his or her own secrets and agenda. They're more like distorted versions of space opera types, flawed human beings working for a tyrannical regime. The character of Captain Juliette Desjardins seems to fit the heroic pilot mold, and her player has done some awesome things with her in this game.

[FrankatronX]

I've started stating stuff for space CoC. it's tough but I believe it could really work.

[Clangador]

An interesting concept and one I have thought about myself. I'd be tempted to do some sort of Planet of the Apes type scenario except set it on Carcosa.

[rogerd4]

Someone has already said Doctor Who which automatically brings in Elric's Young Kingdoms.

Star Trek would be interesting with a Mythos injection especially if the Q are Nyarly
Space 1999 - there was a planet sized beastie IIRC.
Earth 2
Highlander would be cool.
Babylon 5

[The_Tatterdemalion_King]

Star Trek would be interesting with a Mythos injection especially if the Q are Nyarly

It already has Old Ones, Elder Things, Shoggoths...