DOWN DARKER TRAILS Greetings, pilgrims. I've had a couple years' experience doing 5th edition DnD on Roll20 (though I ran tabletop in person for decades), and much as I have in face to face over my many years of GMing I find myself looking to do different genres. In past groups I've had, Call of Cthulhu was one of those alternatives I'd suggest as they moaned and groaned about their love for the fantasy campaign, but after a couple sessions they would often request it over the usual DnD. Non-fantasy campaigns may actually be more in my wheelhouse than any edition of DnD. My several successful Cthulhu campaigns were always set in the 1920's (both east coast and set in my hometown of Los Angeles), but for many years I have wanted to try my hand at other time periods and places. Victorian London, Ancient Rome, even prehistoric times. But the old west stands out more than most. I have often watched an old western show like Bonanza, or movies like The Good The Bad, and the Ugly and wondered how things would pan out if supernatural elements were present (and in some cases, like the old series Rawhide or Have Gun will Travel, occult elements would very rarely pop up). My CoC campaigns tended to lean less towards overwhelming encounters with god like beings and mean-spirited killer DM gross-out visual, and more towards pulp adventure. Role-play punctuated with action. The Mythos is all around us, but plenty of supernatural things and natural dangers abound that characters may actually be able to overcome with both smarts and lead. Outlaws. Town thugs. Skeletons in basements. Ghouls in graveyards. Cannibals in the hills. Cowboy and girls, bounty hunters, journalists, local natives, doctors, laborers, etc. are all possibilities for this setting. My inspirations in particular for this campaign would be Sergio Leone films, old series like Have Gun will Travel and Bonanza, and more recent stuff especially Deadwood. I especially have "Hateful Eight" in mind to inspire the first session (a variety of individuals stuck in a roadhouse during a storm). I'm looking at weekly or biweekly, three hours sessions (PST) Friday, Saturday, or Sunday afternoon/evenings. All to be worked out. In any game I run I consider my players collaborators. If you are truly interested, send me a PM telling me a bit about yourself (please, a bit more than "I'm interested in your game") and what appeals to you about this particular gaming possibility. And of course, question me! If enough interest is there (like 5 or 6 interested players), I'd like to start a week or two into the new year. Thanks for reading! Happy Xmas and all that.
