Cthulhu Dreamt TTRPG
Plus Dolmenwood, Men in Black, & Blue Öyster Cult
The worlds of heavy metal and tabletop roleplaying games have collided again with the recent launch of the Cthulhu Dreamt TTRPG Kickstarter.
Cthulhu Dreamt is a band/project started by Reed Reimer. They have several albums available from their Cthulhu Dreamt Bandcamp page. In this Metal Anarchy interview, Reed says that they are influenced by science fiction as well as musicians/bands like Gojira, Hans Zimmer, Trent Reznor, TesseracT, Mastodon, and Opeth.
The Kickstarter campaign is to fund an “original near-future Sci-Fi tabletop RPG system, including a fully-illustrated campaign with an accompanying heavy metal soundtrack.” The premise is that “you and your team of Survivors will explore a near-future Earth that is suffering under the influence of Cthulhu and his cosmic denizens.”
A neat aspect of the game is the way the music is integrated into the playing experience:
“The game features a custom soundtrack, with songs composed specifically for scenes in the main campaign of the book. Facilitators will be able to scan QR codes present in the book to play original songs composed specifically to highlight cinematic moments from the campaign.”
The Kickstarter funded in 30 minutes and includes some cool perks, including a vinyl version of the soundtrack album. I’ve been digging the band’s music and enthusiastically submitted my pledge.
Dolmenwood Vinyl Soundtrack
Another active TTRPG Kickstarter also has an option to receive a vinyl album. The very successful Dolmenwood Tabletop RPG campaign includes a pledge/add-on option for a “10 track Dolmenwood soundtrack album by the artist Tales Under The Oak, available as 12" LP and digital download.” I can officially declare that vinyl albums for TTRPGs are a trend!1
Men in Black and Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult is a first ballot Appendix LP hall of fame band for me. Here’s how I described them in the first issue of the Critical Hit Parader zine:
BÖC’s lyrics contain a treasure trove of RPG ideas. They feature occult, Lovecraftian conspiracies via the Imaginos lyrics, collaborations with genuine fantasy and sci-fi authors (including Critical Hit Parader patron saint Michael Moorcock), and songs about vampires, UFOs, and monsters.
Therefore, I was excited to see this Far Out magazine article that examines the band’s influence in popularizing the “men in black” UFO concept.
So if you are looking for some X-Files2 styled UFO conspiracy inspiration for RPGs like Delta Green, Night's Black Agents, or Monster of the Week, give a listen to BÖC songs like “Take Me Away,” “E.T.I.”, and “The Vigil.” You might even want to be on the lookout for the out-of-print Men in Black: The Roleplaying Game from West End Games.
Once these Kickstarters close, I will also be able to declare bankruptcy.
Blue Öyster Cult bassist Joe Bouchard had a band called the X Brothers. It’s all part of the conspiracy!