[tabletop] Advice for CoC?

[superluser]

[Mods: This is not a video game, but since it's a game and I found another tabletop thread in this section, I figured it was close enough.  If I'm wrong, feel free to do whatever needs to be done.]

So I found a D&D group again, and due to a series of events, I'm thinking of running a Call of Cthulhu game and I think the current DM might be interested in participating in a CoC game after we finish our current campaign.

Independent of this, I was talking to one of the other players, and for his next character, he wants to play a mindflayer.  At some point, I made an offhand comment about Cthulhu, and it subsequently became clear that he's never even heard of HP Lovecraft.  So I ordered a copy of The Call of Cthulhu film, which should be fun.

Anyways, my question: I've never played CoC before, and I've never GMed before, so my first step would probably be to try to GM something a little easier, like a short D&D session, and then try the quickstart.

But then, I'm going to need books.  Has anyone played?  Which books are necessary, and which are not?  Any advice on running campaigns?  I'm boning up on my Lovecraft, but are there any stories to recommend for this?  On my list of have read or going to read: Dream-Quest, Silver Key (and through the gates of the...), Unnamable, Statement, Call of Cthulhu, Dagon, Pickman's Model, The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, Dunwich, Whisperer, The Shadow Out of Time, The Thing on the Doorstep, Innsmouth, and the History of the Necronomicon.

[Reese Tora]

I can't really help you vis CoC, but I do ahve a little experience with D&D, so I'll give it a shot...

To run a game, you have the basics of play in the player's handbook, and the setting/environment rules in the dungeonmaster's guide.  The first is a good diea for players, and the second practically a necessity for the DM.  The monster manual is useful if you end up needing to create your own encounters, but you don't need it so much to run a purchased module since those usually include monster stats. (and the good ones include the specific info needed from the Dungeonmaster's guide.)

Beyond those three books, you might want to look in to setting, terrain, or class specific materials, especially if you're going to build your own materials (either to crib ideas frmo or to sue as guidelines fro some stuff)

I'm not so up on 4th ed, if that's what you're going to use, but what I said about the core books should hold true there too.

[ShadesFox]

I have one bit of advice, though it may sound mean.  Be prepared to screw up horribly the first time.  You're gonna do it, so just be ready for it.  If you can get over it you should be fine.

[Tipod]

To win, don't lose

[superluser]

I have one bit of advice, though it may sound mean.  Be prepared to screw up horribly the first time.  You're gonna do it, so just be ready for it.  If you can get over it you should be fine.

I'm not stupid.  That's the whole reason I'm starting with a D&D scenario and then trying the CoC quickstart scenario.  I figure the first will be decent enough to get input from other players who have run D&D before, and I figure that they wouldn't choose a challenging module for the quickstart scenario.  But yes, I do plan that at least once I will crash and burn.

I'm also keeping in mind that No Design Survives Contact With The Players.

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

For your booklist, just run on to a library and get a short story collection (or collexion, as Lovecraft would write it) A lot of his stories are more or less interchangeable, with horror themes of totally alien, powerful, amoral and uncaring creatures stepping on little buglike man. After about 5 or so, you should get a feel for it, even if you've neverread the call itself (which never particularly impressed me. Try the Dunwich Horror instead)

As for Dming, I find that while No Design survives contact with the players, it really does pay to heavily invest in the sort of world you're creating. When I design a dungeon or a habitation or whatever, I might not kow what room the players will visit first, and I might not have 300 pages of notes covering every concieveable choice by the players, but I'll have a thorough enough understanding of the world to cover the likely choices and be able to make up appropriate details off the cuff for the more unlikely alternatives as needed. You can never overprepare if you prepare smart.

[superluser]

For your booklist, just run on to a library and get a short story collection (or collexion, as Lovecraft would write it)

One of the nice things about Lovecraft is that he wrote for pulp magazines in the 20s and 30s, meaning that many of his stories were over 75 years old in 1998 (the year copyright was extended), and for those that weren't, the pulps often failed to renew the copyright, meaning that most of his works are now in the public domain, and can be found online for free here:

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Author:H._P._Lovecraft

even if you've neverread the call itself (which never particularly impressed me. Try the Dunwich Horror instead)

I thought that one was fun.  I still think the Statement of Randolph Carter was one of the best, despite the fact that it's quite short.  But I'll do the Dunwich Horror next.