The Pokéthulhu Adventure Game

[ilzolende]

The Pokéthulhu adventure game looks very fun, but as someone who isn't all that familiar with the Cthulhu mythos or the Pokemon universe, my temptation is to take the game more seriously than it takes itself, rework the type system, and make the 'thulhu less Mythos-reference-centric.

The game features the aspects "decomposing, fishy, fungous, icy, luminescent, non-euclidean, squamous, and sticky", and I'd like to use more typical adjectives and add a few, producing a list something like "decomposing, fishy, fungal, icy, luminous, non-euclidean, scaly, sticky, subterranean" and maybe a few others. If we can get the list up to twelve, this would allow for random 'thulhu generation, especially if I could also throw together some other tables for use as needed (motive and base creature?) and reasonable roll-for-stats options.

Also I'd want to steal from the Exploring Egregores mythology maybe. I don't know. I need a better model of the setting.

Comments

[alexanderrm]

As someone who has never read a single H.P. Lovecraft story, I still found that list of aspects hilarious, but wanting to take it more seriously and make it less about Lovecraft jokes is understandable.

[contrarianarchon]

I think if you want to make things more serious you need to wind down the number of "Icky Lovecraft Monster" Types and increase the number which are metaphysically relevant? There are 9 egregores, so you could pin on of those to each type and then add three "generic" types to allow for beasts to dual-type without invoking two gods and for there to be generic pidgy-type monsters which aren't thematically tied to any one thing.

First draft: (And yes, I know these mechanics are far too indepth for Pokethuls engine. And frequently look like I'm brainstorming for a MTG set and not a pokemon ripoff)
- Cthuga - Luminous (Implies communication and laser/fire-natured damage)
- Yog-Sothoth - Non-Euclidian (Implied understanding and the lack thereof - Confusion style debuffs?)
- Hastur - Obscured (Self-buffing and self-sacrifice, re: black mana in MTG)
- Ithaqua - Icy (Implies isolation and grandeur. Big attacks which need set-up?)
- Cthulu - Scaly/Fishy (Implies tribal synergy. Unconventional cool attacks, probably involving rock/water aesthetics. Countered by itself)
- Shub Niggurath - Bestial (Implies wild nature. Strong by boring effects, if this was MTG, loyalty manipulation)
- Nylarthotep - Cunning (Psychic type? Schemes and plots and triplethink. Lie your opponent)
- Azathoth - Formless (Bypass everything by rendering it meaningless.)
- Tsathoggua- Normal (What, did you think he'd be the patron of a good type?)

And for the non-god types:
- Decaying
- Cthonic/Subterranean
- Humanoid

This is the product of a tiny amount of brainstorming. Not sure if it'll help.