Some thoughts on H.P. Lovecraft.

"It's my estimation that every man ever got a statue made of 'em was one kinda sombitch or another."

--Cpt. Malcolm Reynolds,
Firefly, "Jaynestown"

Whether it's gaming, comic books, science fiction or fantasy, nerd culture is no longer the mainly-white-male-cis-gendererd-heterosexual-club that it used to be. As we welcome more and more non-whites, women, and LGBT members into our community of weirdos, there is bound to be some tension between our new brothers and sister geeks and those in the Old Guard who want to keep things status quo. Particularly contentious is how should we approach sexual and racial matters in our favorite media?  One of these issues that comes up again and again is how the various branches of geekdom should approach H.P. Lovecraft and his works.

Sigh... Lovecraft.

Over the years, I've come to be of two of minds about HPL. On one hand, I've enjoyed reading his stories and playing Call of Cthulhu and other related RPGs since I was in 8th grade. I love the Mythos: the cosmic nihilism, the tentacled alien deities and the diabolical cults that worshiped them, the strange blending of occult horror and science fiction. Certainly, there was much to admire about the man himself. He was quite intelligent and erudite. He loved knowledge, science, and appreciated critical thinking (at least in some things). He loved language--boy did he love language! He also loved cats. That's usually a big plus in my book.

But yeeeeah... On the other hand, he was a racist and xenophobe and a pretty vile one too by all accounts. According to his ex-wife, Sonja Greene, during his brief residence in New York City, he'd yell at any groups of immigrants with whom he came in contact with. His private letters defended Southern lynch mobs and initially spoke glowingly of Hitler. You can see his obvious disdain for anyone who wasn't a WASP—or, in his case, a WASA: "White Anglo-Saxon Atheist"—in stories like "Hebert West: Reanimator" and "The Horror At Red Hook." The cults of the Great Old Ones where usually filled with "degenerate" half-breeds and led by shadowy Orientals, secluded in China or the Himalayas. The Deep Ones were a conglomeration of Lovecraft's paranoia over miscegenation and his dislike for fish. He even named one of his cat's "Nigger Man."

So while I think he was an excellent, imaginative writer, I also think he was kind of an asshole.

Of course, like many fandom communities, there are those who will militantly defend HPL from such criticism then make lame justifications for his beliefs in a attempt to rehabilitate his image. Yes, you can say he was a product of his time, when casual racial bigotry was the norm. Yes, he had a sheltered childhood, raised by a broken family that was rapidly deteriorating both financially and psychologically (i.e. both his parents died in an asylum). Yes, he himself probably suffered from various mental health issues. Those are all very good reasons for Lovecraft's behavior, but I don't think they are excuses.

In my opinion, the best and most honest thing we Lovecraft fans can do with try to distill the positive products of Lovecraft's talent while openly acknowledging and condemning him for his foibles. No more excuses or justifications. It's entirely understandable why some defend him some vehemently. No one wants to think less of their heroes, especially when you are dealing with something as odious as racial and/or sexual prejudice. However, in the end, you're efforts to defend the indefensible will only further tarnish his reputation. It's best to know when you are on the losing side of a lost cause.

Personally, I see HPL as a-man-who-could-have-been. He was someone who had the capacity for greatness but is largely overshadowed by his flaws. I love the horror writer, I hate the racist "sombitch," and, most of all, I pity the human being who was Howard Phillips Lovecraft.

Creatures of Mu: Spawn of Yuggoth

Spawn of Yuggoth:

Hit Dice: 2
Armor Class:  9 [10]
Attacks: 2 x Pincers (1d4)
Saving Throw:  16
Special: Fear, Flight, Greater Than Human Intelligence, Weapons Resistance (See Below)
Move: 4/10 (flying)
Challenge Level/XP: 6/240

These bizarre aliens resemble nothing less than pinkish, man-sized crustaceans with a convoluted, pulpy ovoid mass covered in short cilia and antenna answering for a head. Large membranous wings sprout from their back and they have several sets of insectile limbs protruding from its underbelly. Composed of matter beyond normal human understanding and possessing an anatomy that is more fungoid than animal, they are quite resilient to damage from physical attacks. Any non-magical weapon does the minimal amount (plus any Strength bonuses) possible. They are capable of communicating with humans through a buzzing parody of our speech.

Their main abode in our solar system is a distant, dark, dwarf planet called “Yuggoth” by some priests and arcane scholars, is only a small colony of a larger interstellar civilization. Eons earlier, the Spawn of Yuggoth came to Earth and built a great city around Mount Yaddith-Gho where they mined the volcano for rare elements. With them, they brought the Great Old One, Ghatanothoa , which they kept within their mountain colony for some unguessable purpose. After many millennia, the Spawn's colony became deserted; some believe they died out, others say it was abandoned.

While they can also be adept spellcasters, paying homage to Shub Niggurath and The Crawling Chaos when their uneartlhy designs require it, their scientific knowledge is vast. Artifacts from their reign are highly prized by scholars and sorcerers, particularly the magical lagh metal which only a few human artisans have learned to sculpt and smith into weapons or other devices.

Creatures of Mu: Crypt Dwellers (Ghouls)

Crypt Dwellers (i.e. Ghouls):

Hit Dice: 2

Armor Class: 7

Attacks: 2 Claws (1d4), 1 bite (1d4)

Saving Throw: 16

Special: Fear

Move: 9

Challenge Level/XP 3/60

These bestial, nocturnal. humanoids are marked by their canine features, hoofed feet, and fore claws. As carrion-eaters with a taste for putrescent human flesh, they haunt burial grounds and live in subterranean crypts and tunnel systems under major cities. They have no difficulty speaking Naacal and other human languages and communicate with each other in their gibbering, meeping tongue.

While they can be vicious opponents who will occasionally attack humans, Crypt Dwellers are not necessary inimical. Crypt Dwellers have been discovered in the service of powerful sorcerers, and some have even been employed to guard the tombs of powerful priests and nobles in exchange for being allowed to feast upon the bones of lesser personages. They have even been known to assist human adventurers with whom they find common cause. Human's who are welcomed to live in their warrens have a tendency to slowly mutate into Crypt Dwellers over time. However, for the most part, they just wish to be left alone.

(Note: The Nacaal would not use the word “Ghoul” since that name is derived from Arabic, a language that will not be uttered for thousands of years to come. Terms like “Crypt Dweller,” “Carrion Eaters,” “Grave Kin” and other similar phrases are the most common names given these creatures.)

Creatures of Mu: Deep Ones

Here we're going to start to translate some of the more popular Lovecraftian creatures into stats for the Swords & Wizardry version of my Mu Campaign. I'm using Chaosium's classic Call of Cthulhu as a guide for conversion as well as S&W's monster creation rules to help create the stats. First off, let's look at those ichthyic servants of Great Cthulhu, the Deep Ones:

Deep One:

Hit Dice: 2
Armor Class 6 [13]
Attacks: 2 claws (1d4) or weapon (1d8)
Saving Throw: 16
Special: Breathes Water, Fear
Move: 6/12 (Swimming)
Challenge Level/XP: 4/120

These amphibious humanoids resemble nothing less than an obscene melding of fish, frog, and man. They tend to be gray-green with pale bellies and their long, webbed hands with razor sharp claws, scaly backs and palpitating gills slits on the sides of their necks. They are superb swimmers, but can walk on land by lopping and hoping about. Their glassy eyes never shut and their croaking, baying voices are capable of generating human speech.

Despite their obvious genetic differences, the Deep Ones are somehow capable of interbreeding with humans. At first, such hybrid offspring would initially appear human, but upon reaching adulthood will slowly begin to change into a Deep One, eventually forsaking the land joining their fellows beneath the seas. Unless killed through violence, Deep Ones are virtually immortal, dwelling for centuries in their undersea cities and praying monstrously to Cthulhu and his cohort's Da'gun and Hi'dra. They yearn for the day when they will rise up and overthrow the simian surface dwellers, paving the way for the return of their slumbering lord. They often target desperate coastal communities, offering plentiful fishing and gold in exchange for devotion to Great Cthulhu, human sacrifices, and breeding stock.

Mu/Gary Con Update

Yes, I will again be gracing Gary Con with my august presence and this year I will be GMing an event:

Slavers Of The Dead 

Why do the serfs of the remote, decaying village of Ny'Cha fear the night? What sinister forces are rifling through the bones of their ancestors? Can a motley band of travelers unravel Ny'Cha's secrets before more potent horrors are unleashed upon the land? 

Welcome to Mu, the dark, bloody and decadent world of sword and sorcery adventure and Lovecraftian horror. Pre-generated characters and variant rules summaries will be provided.

I also wanted to run a Savage Worlds/Realms of Cthulhu adventure where the players take the roles of mobsters sent to the mountains of Kentucky to find out what happened to a hooch supplier. Unfortunately, that game was not approved. Oh well, far less game master drudgery for me.