Cthulhu Tech - Inspirations

Inspirations

CthulhuTech is inspired by various anime such as Robotech, The Guyver and Neon Genesis Evangelion, and by cyberpunk games like Shadowrun. The core inspiration is drawn from the works of HP Lovecraft and others. A few Mythos elements have been extrapolated into a futuristic setting, such as monstrous Ghouls and Byakhee, the alien Mi-Go, as well as Lovecraftian deities such as Cthulhu and Hastur.

Despite the use of races and deities created by Lovecraft and others, there is little to connect the game with the Lovecraftian style of horror; the game is more action oriented. While prominent elements of the Mythos described in some of Lovecraft's key works (such as Elder Things, Shoggoths or Yithians) are not used as NPCs or enemies and generally do not appear in the game, they are referenced in a section of the CthulhuTech Core Rulebook describing the background of the setting and intended for gamemasters. Notably, while the game itself is very loosely based on the Mythos and the aspects integrated into gameplay are extensively reimagined, the background section closely follows Mythos canon and is fairly accurate.

The setting features futuristic elements such as the architecturally efficient and futuristic arcologies, powered armor and mecha, energy weapons, and bio and nano-technology. In addition, the setting also includes many paranormal or fantastic elements, such as dangerous sorcery and psychic abilities, which take a toll on the sanity of the user, and the Arcanotechnology, a paranormal technology that produces near-endless amounts of efficient and clean fuel.