Locations for CTHULHU...."Help oh knowledgable ones!".....

[isaanmini]

I need some help from the more knowledgable Lovecraft/Cthulhu fans.
I want to create a background for a pbem game.
I am quite new to this genre of game and I want to do it properly,so my question is this .
Without spending a fortune on books and game aids,is there somewhere(on the web) or someone (perhaps an established group) who can help with basic questions.

For example ....where could I find a reasonable map of turn of the 20th century United States.
I am thinking particularly about the areas where mythos stories are based, such as New England.
For that matter,where are they based?.....Where is Innsmouth?  I believe it is fictional, but where?
Arkham?........I would be gratefull for any help that can be offered

Regards

Barry

[Red Orc]

Arkham = Salem, Massachussets.

Innsmouth = Ipswich, also Massachussets.

Dunwich is Dunstable, Massachissets.

OK, I only know a couple of places in Massachussets to be honest.

I'm sure there's plenty of stuff on the web you can use. There's a previous thread about old maps here that should provide some useful stuff.

A few great things that people on LAF have come up with, that I haven't got round to using in my campign, are this - http://bldgblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/city-laid-out-like-lizard.html - which is about 'lizardmen' (Deep Ones?) living under LA; and finally there's a great site at - http://www.subbrit.org.uk/category - that might give you some locations if some of the action happens to take place in the UK.

Oh, really lastly, and I know it's more Weird World War Two than Cthulhu particularly, but the Operation: Fallen Reich site has a great scenario generator as well as background stuff on occult organisations and suchlike that might be of use; their scenario generator is here - http://www.fallen.se/the-story/page/668/100-million-scenarios - and there's other cool stuff on the site, have a poke about.

Good luck with your campaign, hope some of this is of use.

[isaanmini]

thanks very much for that....I had a google around ,but I think these Lovecraft fans might be a bit on the strange side....I didnt dare sign up for anything....
I will have a good look at the links you provided.....thanks again

[twrchtrwyth]

Some in the UK, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Severn_Valley_(Cthulhu_Mythos)

[archangel1]

Probably one of the greatest resources for Mytho-related ephemera is Propnomicon.  The Webmaster there has collected and created, over the past couple of years, a whole raft of stuff pertaining to the Big C and his ilk - maps, props, postcards, product labels, pins, patches, photos, documents, you name it.  Most of it is free to download but he may still have a few physical bits, left over from his limited edition prop releases, available through his eBay store.  Lots of links to related sites, too.  It's on my list of sites that I visit daily and is updated very regularly.  Good fun! You could probably also contact him directly if you had a specific question.

http://propnomicon.blogspot.com/

Here's a link to one of the free maps he offers - the London Zoological Gardens from 1922.

http://propnomicon.blogspot.com/2011/07/london-zoological-gardens.html

And, here's a photo of the 'Innsmouth Wharf', looking towards Devil Reef.

http://propnomicon.blogspot.com/2010/03/innsmouth-wharf.html

Chaosium also has a couple of generic books relating to the world of HPL.  Check out The Keeper's Companion or The Investigators' Companion for some good background to the period.

[Red Orc]

Totally not as amazing as Propnomicon but a fast and customisable (if one-trick) site is http://www.fodey.com/generators/newspaper/snippet.asp - if I can get it to work, the results should be something like this:


This edition of the 'Innsmouth Examiner' for Sunday July 30th, 1922, took me a few minutes to knock up. It probably took as long to save the image to my desktop then upload it to photobucket to generate the image tags and post it here.

All newspapers look the same however, whether it's the Innsmouth Examiner in 1922, the Strelsau Gazette in 1875, or the Mordor Times in 3019 of the Third Age. That is a drawback; but for a one-off, or if you want to generate an on-going series of articles from the same paper, it's quick and fairly easy.

[Etranger]

Barry - I can usually find most such stuff over t'internet.  (High speed connection & some spare  time at work!  ) PM me the specifics & I'll see what I can find.

Useful stuff here
http://www.cthulhulives.org/toc.html
http://www.yog-sothoth.com/content/

I've got some other links on my other (home) computer.

[Etranger]

.

For example ....where could I find a reasonable map of turn of the 20th century United States.
I am thinking particularly about the areas where mythos stories are based, such as New England.
For that matter,where are they based?.....Where is Innsmouth?  I believe it is fictional, but where?
Arkham?........I would be gratefull for any help that can be offered

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lovecraft_Country and links
http://www.zazzle.com.au/postcard_map_of_united_states_1921-239588055665800579

[Etranger]

And, before I forget, this old thread from LA has an excellent chthuloid plot line. Sadly the author dropped out after this thread but there's a great story in it! http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=149.0


Actually it will make a great back story for Gauntmans disappearance! I can work it up if you like.

[isaanmini]

Hi guys
Not much time today, but I wanted to say thanks for the imput on both threads.
I am still certainly hoping that Gauntman will turn up to run the pbem.......but if not I think that we can make a start as we are doing ,on the players wanted thread.
I can see some good possibilities for interactions betwean the characters that have introduced themselves so far.

I am going to give it a week or so, then skip to where Carter-Smythe arrives to inspect the house and lands that he has inherited

Barry

[Etranger]

More useful stuff here http://www.yog-sothoth.com/local_links.php?catid=10&sort=N&page=5&pp=15