Cthulhu Lives!: a Descriptive Study of the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society
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CTHULHU LIVES!: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY OF THE H.P. LOVECRAFT HISTORICAL SOCIETY J. Michael Bestul A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS August 2006 Committee: Dr. Jane Barnette, Advisor Prof. Bradford Clark Dr. Marilyn Motz ii ABSTRACT Dr. Jane Barnette, Advisor Outside of the boom in video game studies, the realm of gaming has barely been scratched by academics and rarely been explored in a scholarly fashion. Despite the rich vein of possibilities for study that tabletop and live-action role-playing games present, few scholars have dug deeply. The goal of this study is to start digging. Operating at the crossroads of art and entertainment, theatre and gaming, work and play, it seeks to add the live-action role-playing game, CTHULHU LIVES, to the discussion of performance studies. As an introduction, this study seeks to describe exactly what CTHULHU LIVES was and has become, and how its existence brought about the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society. Simply as a gaming group which grew into a creative organization that produces artifacts in multiple mediums, the Society is worthy of scholarship. Add its humble beginnings, casual style and non-corporate affiliation, and its recent turn to self- sustainability, and the Society becomes even more interesting. In interviews with the artists behind CTHULHU LIVES, and poring through the archives of their gaming experiences, the picture develops of the journey from a small group of friends to an organization with influences and products on an international scale. By studying the game and the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society, one begins to see a unique medium that defies simple classification. Most importantly, this study looks at a performance entity that places “fun” directly at the center of its goals. There is plenty of discussion in general scholarship about performance styles that are political or artistic, or have some grand purpose. What is missing is what is found in this study: a description of CTHULHU LIVES, a performance medium that exists for the grandest of purposes, epic fun. iii The motto of the HPLHS and the RHS is Ludo Fore Putavimus: a Latin phrase meaning “We thought it would be fun.” And it is. –Sean Branney & Andrew Leman, “Who Are We and What i s CTHULHU LIVES ?” The Unspeakable Oath 13 iv To Stephanie, My partner in gaming, the arts, and life v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS In the Reverend Horton Heat song, “That’s Showbiz,” the hard-luck narrator turns to the audience and thanks everyone who “spit-shined and polished my way to the top.” I am nowhere near the top of anything, but I must also thank the multitudes of people who expressed interest in and encouragement for this project. It did not matter if it was a note in a book, a pat on the back, or declaring “I have to read it when you’re done,” these little interactions kept me going through the laborious process of creation. Thank you. To my committee, I give thanks for the directions they led me. The design class of Prof. Bradford Clark drew upon my gaming skills for a more theatrical purpose, and his class on Asian theatre was something I had been missing and wanting since my freshman year of college. Dr. Marilyn Motz’s class was the only Popular Culture class I was able to take, but it was integral to a lot of the ideas in this study. Many of the ideas found throughout these pages were introduced in that class before finding their way here. Leading the charge, I must thank my advisor, Dr. Jane Barnette. Her level of excitement and rhetorical skills kept me going and kept me hopeful. It has been a pleasure bouncing ideas off her, and then being able to put them in this study as my own. She led me to new ideas, and made sure I didn’t get too caught up in my own thoughts that I would forget to explain how I got from idea to idea. And thank the gods for her MLA skills, because Cthulhu knows I’m lacking in them. Speaking of the big ol’ Cthulhu, I must proffer humble and lavish thanks upon Sean Branney and Andrew Leman of the H.P. Lovecraft Society. It is their hard work (and play), I’ve just tried to give it the study it deserves. Despite their busy schedules, they gave of their time and resources to answer my questions. As a bonus, I now have two new recipes to satisfy my palette. I also must take the moment to acknowledge Darrell Tutchton, who expressed interest, vi though our schedules (primarily mine) didn’t provide the opportunity to query about his role in this shared madness. To my family, I have nothing but profound gratitude. If it were not for their endless support, there is no way I would have ended up even getting into my second semester of grad school. And when I mention my family, I include my beautiful fiancée, Stephanie Ruehl. She accompanied me to the Lovecraft Film Festival, drove me to computer labs when drafts needed printing, and kept me sane and on track. Without her, my failed sanity checks might have derailed this entire process. Finally, I give a hearty “thank you” to my players, wherever they have ended up. I’ve had the privilege to play with multiple groups of gamers, and I would not have the passion for gaming (or theatre) if it weren’t for the experiences we’ve had. This study has been the cause for hanging storylines and unfinished games, and I’d like to think it was well worth it. Here’s to the next “Night at the Opera.” All right. Enough of this. Though Cthulhu has a talent for waiting, it’s unnecessary to dally any further. On with the show. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION: WELCOME TO THE WORLD .................................. 1 CHAPTER II. LEARNING THE GAMER’S ALPHABET: RPGs & LARPs ................. 4 The History of a Medium and an Industry ............................................................ 5 The Poetics of an RPG ......................................................................................... 8 Taking it Outside: LARPs .................................................................................... 22 CHAPTER III. HPL: ONE MAN, THREE LETTERS, ILLIMITABLE INFLUENCE .... 32 HPL ...................................................................................................... 32 Translation into a new medium: Call of Cthulhu, the Game .................................. 37 Cthulhu Live: Fewer letters, more guidelines ........................................................ 49 CHAPTER IV. CTHULHU LIVES! ................................................................................ 60 CHAPTER V. BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE HPLHS, CONLCUSIONS ................... 96 From LARP to Slamdance: The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society ....................... 96 Conclusions ...................................................................................................... 106 Where Do We Go From Here: Avenues for Further Reasearch ............................. 112 WORKS CITED ....... ...................................................................................................... 115 APPENDIX A. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS CHARACTER SHEET .............................. 119 APPENDIX B. DELTA GREEN CHARACTER SHEET ................................................ 121 APPENDIX C. D&D VS. CALL OF CTHULHU ............................................................ 122 APPENDIX D. OVERVIEW OF A CTHULHU LIVES GAME ...................................... 125 APPENDIX E. INTERVIEWS ....................................................................................... 130 APPENDIX F. LETTER TO THE AUTHOR ................................................................. 169 viii APPENDIX G. CONSENT LETTER ............................................................................. 174 ix LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1 Character Abilities (Attributes) in Dungeons & Dragons....................................... 11 2 Character Skills in Dungeons & Dragons.............................................................. 11 3 Hit Points in Dungeons & Dragons ....................................................................... 12 4 Investigator Statistics (Attributes) in Delta Green ................................................. 42 5 Investigator Magic and Hit Points (Tallies) in Delta Green ................................... 44 6 Investigator Sanity Point and Mental Health (Tally, Description) in Delta Green .. 45 7 Investigator Sheet from Cthulhu Live, 1st ed. ......................................................... 52 Bestul 1 1. INTRODUCTION: WELCOME TO THE WORLD “Now, I’ve never played poker, but if it’s anything like Dungeons & Dragons, I’ll be up to my baldric in +1 scimitars before you can say ‘Cure Light Wounds.’” –Stephen Colbert, The Colbert Report, 1/30/06 Since a lot of this academic endeavor is drawn from my activities of the last two decades, the best way to start would be with a few personal recollections. As far back as I can remember, games have been an integral part of my life. It is a rare Bestul family gathering where someone does not break out a pinochle deck or cribbage board. This love of all things ludic has played a constant and important part of my life. Some of my earliest memories are of sitting on parents’ laps while they played cards. When I was old enough to play myself, my fascination with games did not stop with card games. It was in middle school where I first encountered role-playing games, and I have yet to put my dice down. Right alongside gaming has been my insatiable need to read, to learn, and to research. I was (and