Cthulhu is coming back to Dungeons & Dragons.
Those of us of a certain age can remember when Lovecraft's Great Old One (and much of the Mythos) was statted up in the first edition of the Deities & Demigods handbook. For many, TSR's heavily Derlethian write-ups were their introduction to Lovecraft's work. That gateway closed after the second printing, when Chaosium politely pointed out they'd "officially" licensed the Mythos for their Call of Cthulhu TTRPG.
Now, decades later, Cthulhu is returning to the game. WOTC have announced Ravenloft: The Horrors Within, an expansion of the popular setting incorporating new realms and darklords. Cthulhu rules over Innsmouth, an island based on the town that debuted in Lovecraft's The Shadow Over Innsmouth. On the bright side, it's always nice to see the Mythos getting more exposure, but it remains to be seen how effectively it will be incorporated into the wider 5th edition milieu.
That said, there is one thing I'm excited about. Beadle and Grimms, the company that specializes in producing super-deluxe editions of WOTC's campaigns, have announced Strahd's Silver Edition of the Horrors Within. It includes a slew of high-end accessories including maps, gaming aids, handouts, a new Tarroka deck, and...the Cthulhu Mist Talisman.
The cast metal amulet looks pretty cool. The physical prop apparently represents the in-game magical item needed to enter the Innsmouth realm.
1 comment:
"Officially licensed" Cthulhu, eh? From whom? Not Barlow (HPL's own choice of executor, dead in 1951), nor Derleth (who wrestled for it, but died in 1971) Wandrei? Like Derleth, he had a poor claim to copyright on HPL's work --- the two men had bought Weird Tales, but since ca. April 1926 HPL had specifically reserved *second publication" rights, leaving Derleth & Wandrei holding, at most, only six HPL stories from before then. So who was entitled to grant any "license" regarding his ongoing character Cthulhu that he had gladly shared with other writers during his own lifetime? Since 2007, 70 years after HPL died, all his works have fallen into the public domain, no copyright, in even the most rigorous countries. Any exclusive claim to his works, his ideas, his concepts, or his characters, by anyone now living is utterly fallacious.
However, I will undertake to issue "licenses" for same at very reasonable fees, with very impressive forms for holders to wave at their gullible competitors. I can use the money as much as the previous "license" issuers can. Please apply to: Dewey, Cheatem & Howe, LLC.
Otherwise, see: https://lovecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Copyright_status_of_works_by_H._P._Lovecraft
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