Carcosa

[VengerSatanis]

Maybe this is mentioned in another forum thread, but it seems as though Carcosa is tailor made for DCC.

http://www.lotfp.com/store/index.php?ro ... uct_id=145

I've read some informative reviews and own the original booklet. What do you guys think? Does Carcosa take the infernal cost of sorcery too far, or is this perfect for more adult-oriented, horror-based dark fantasy?

VS

[Skars]

I love Carcosa and plan to utilize it for a short stint in another dimension in my existing campaign. But, part of me wants to try running it with the rules provided. I do think it fits the feel of DCC, for sure, but as you can see I haven't quite figured out yet how I want to present it to my players.

[beermotor]

I just checked out the preview. The theme fits my games perfectly. But the "child sacrifice" ritual stuff in the second or third page of the preview was a little much. Mostly because I don't think the fun of playing in a "horror" type RPG comes from, you know, being the bad guys, or knowing what they do or how they do it. The fun comes from trying to stop the horrors, against ridiculous odds, and ... very often losing, in deliciously splattery fashion. Thus we are reminded of our own struggles and squishyness, and yet we continue to try, anyway. For example, none of the Lovecraft that I can immediately recall involves the primary main character seeking to awaken ancient demons or whatever, it's usually some antagonist who's done something like that, or just a mere accidental interloping that uncovers something terrible. That's sort of the essence of the Gothic story... but nobody wants to actually play, at least I don't think so, for any real length of time, the inbred spawn of Count So-and-so, who now preys on the local village.

I may still get it but that's sort of my immediate reaction... could probably be trimmed significantly, at least my for DCC purposes.

[Ravenheart87]

Carcosa is a very good setting if your players aren't from the planet, but from a different world. It's a perfect "punishing plane", like Ravenloft for the varios D&D worlds, but more hardcore and weird and fucked up.

[funkaoshi]

Carcosa is fantastic. I have a long long review over on my blog for those interested.

[ragboy]

I love Carcosa and plan to utilize it for a short stint in another dimension in my existing campaign. But, part of me wants to try running it with the rules provided. I do think it fits the feel of DCC, for sure, but as you can see I haven't quite figured out yet how I want to present it to my players.

This is exactly how I'm going to use it -- though I'm using the idea of it and populating it with my own stuff.

[VengerSatanis]

I love Carcosa and plan to utilize it for a short stint in another dimension in my existing campaign. But, part of me wants to try running it with the rules provided. I do think it fits the feel of DCC, for sure, but as you can see I haven't quite figured out yet how I want to present it to my players.

I agree. Carcosa is a great place for adventurers to visit... but who wants to live there slogging through a long campaign? That's how the saying goes, right? A side trip or possible scryed view of a purely chaotic sorcerous world.

I just checked out the preview. The theme fits my games perfectly. But the "child sacrifice" ritual stuff in the second or third page of the preview was a little much. Mostly because I don't think the fun of playing in a "horror" type RPG comes from, you know, being the bad guys, or knowing what they do or how they do it. The fun comes from trying to stop the horrors, against ridiculous odds, and ... very often losing, in deliciously splattery fashion. Thus we are reminded of our own struggles and squishyness, and yet we continue to try, anyway. For example, none of the Lovecraft that I can immediately recall involves the primary main character seeking to awaken ancient demons or whatever, it's usually some antagonist who's done something like that, or just a mere accidental interloping that uncovers something terrible. That's sort of the essence of the Gothic story... but nobody wants to actually play, at least I don't think so, for any real length of time, the inbred spawn of Count So-and-so, who now preys on the local village.

I may still get it but that's sort of my immediate reaction... could probably be trimmed significantly, at least my for DCC purposes.

Certainly, if child sacrifice, mass killing, rape, etc. were the only ways of casting spells in one's campaign world - that would be a one way ticket to nihilism avenue. I wouldn't want that either. However, the worst kind of villain or the most alien/monstrous might be comfortable with that approach to magic. Doesn't mean your DCC-world adventurers have to descend into that kind of sorcery.

Also, none of Lovecraft's primary main characters actively sought to practice magic, except maybe Randolph Carter in the dreamlands.

Carcosa is a very good setting if your players aren't from the planet, but from a different world. It's a perfect "punishing plane", like Ravenloft for the varios D&D worlds, but more hardcore and weird and fucked up.

Reminds me of Quor'toth from the Angel tv show: http://buffy.wikia.com/wiki/Quor'toth

Carcosa is fantastic. I have a long long review over on my blog for those interested.

Will read it after finishing this post.


VS

[smathis]

I love Carcosa and plan to utilize it for a short stint in another dimension in my existing campaign. But, part of me wants to try running it with the rules provided. I do think it fits the feel of DCC, for sure, but as you can see I haven't quite figured out yet how I want to present it to my players.

This is exactly how I'm going to use it -- though I'm using the idea of it and populating it with my own stuff.

That's pretty much my approach to it as well. It's highly imaginative and definitely pushes the envelope. But I'm not sure if I'd use it as an all-the-time setting unless I were doing a sword-and-sorcery type of campaign with the villains being the Sorcerers. I'd probably draft up setting-specific mercurial magic and corruption tables to highlight the twisted and immoral aspects of casting spells in the setting.