Appendix N: Read Lovecraft's "The Statement of Randolph Carter"

Last year and to an extent this year, I resolved to read more. What better way than a book club? I've never participated in book clubs before as I haven't read a book in less than a month in decades. Furthermore, most book selections I feel iffy towards. However, I discovered social media page devoted AD&D 1E Appendix N (the inspirations for Dungeons & Dragons - for Gygax) decided to do a virtual book club. The first month is selection of stories by H.P. Lovecraft.


I own both an annotated book containing a selection of his fiction as well as a leather-bound containing all his of Lovecraft's fiction. Opening those pages excites me.


My first reading is "The Statement of Randolph Carter". At five pages, it is the shortest of the selections. Baby steps, baby steps.


Suppose you're wondering why I am blogging this. You may be wondering 'You're reading, Matt. Great. Bravo.'


Instead of posting my responses on book club's page, why not blog my thoughts! Also helps me to remember too... ahem...


 What didn't you like about the reading? At five pages, "The Statement of Randolph Carter" is more like a vignette.


What did you like about the reading? Loved the ambience. Learned about technology one simply doesn't know existed until stumbles upon it such as the portable telephone, which is essentially two telephones connected by wire. Thank you annotated book! Envisioned the portable telephone in my mind. The annotated book displayed the patent. Was half right.


As a horror story, the story successfully built up the suspense until the end and - gotcha!


Finally, as I recently became reacquainted with regularly listening to audio dramas, The Statement of Randolph Carter reads very much as a radio drama. If two people could read the story out loud and include sound effects, it's practically the script for a teleplay!


In what ways do you think "The Statement of Randolph Carter" inspired the creation of Dungeons and Dragons? - Randolph Carter is clearly a low level adventurer journeying with a higher level one to a far off, hidden locale.


Both Carter and his mentor carry quite a bit of adventuring gear including some that are not run-of-the-mill objects. Any player of D&D can tell of adventuring gear such ten-foot poles and sun rods. Let's not forget more mundane items such as rope and lanterns. Not a lot of shovels but crowbars are carried by many a PC.


Honestly, D&D  was shares quite a bit with a story spanning a mere five pages!


There's powerful terror lurking below the surface. A terror too powerful one individual no matter how experienced can't defeat. The PCs only hope for survival is running away. Yeah, later editions kind of do away with such difficult challenges. Oh and the terror can communicate with the PCs...


PCs being fluent in more than one language. Tomes containing archaic languages or unrecognizable symbols; and those tomes are either the objects of or initiators of quests.


The authorities aren't friendly to the PCs. They are neutral, indifferent, or hostile toward them.


Splitting the party can be both bad and good depending on where the danger is.


In what ways can you use The Statement of Randolph Carter to inspire your own games? Use more tomes written in a foreign language (as opposed to the common language of the area) using a secret code or mixed with archaic language. Don't often place entrances to secret underground areas under slabs in cemetery or any other ruin.


Unusual mundane items are just as much a part of a table-top role-playing game as magical items. Communication devices are a great way to build tension. Splitting the party is headache as it can foster either meta-gaming or loss of interest.


Using language to develop ambience particularly when the encounter includes sublime or exotic. Reading a story rich in ambience reminds how much a gripping adventure requires it. Until combat occurs anyway...


On to the next Lovecraft story! Haven't decided which though but I have read none of the remaining three before. No use mentioning them until I read them.


Happy Reading!


Next time!