Strange Aeons is a brilliant campaign mod for Doom released in 2015 by Impie. It retains the basic Doom gameplay but has a great atmosphere and many elements heavily influenced by the works of HP Lovecraft, particularly "The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath". This strong emphasis on theme, the blend of horror elements and action coupled with very enjoyable and interesting level design make it an excellent Doom campaign well worth playing for fans of the Lovecraftian mythos and DOOM alike.
The imaginative application of Lovecraft's mythos into Doom inspired me to think about how its interesting bestiary and settings could serve as inspiration for an RPG. Here are some examples:
1. The King/Duchess/Person of High Authority's genius alchemist/inventor mysteriously disappeared right before finishing a grand invention. Coincidentally, a cult has recently emerged and is gaining great power through the use of their strange "boomstick" weaponry.
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| I completely support having the higher ranked members of the cult wielding one or two sawed off shotguns. |
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| Quality inspiration for how to portray the alchemist/inventor character. |
2. Having the dungeon/adventure area transform before the players or reveal an alternate (possibly more horrific) version of itself is a great way to surprise a party that is confident about its layout and denizens.
1D4 Dungeon Transformation Examples:
1. Classic horror film "everything gets fucking horrible" mode (Walls bleeding, dead creatures rise as walking dead, etc.)
2. Area reverts to the time period right before what made it a horrific dungeon happens (before unleashing the Balrog, starting a war between races and so on). The players now have a chance to try to prevent it but they will probably be opposed by the original inhabitants who believe that what they are doing is sensible/profitable/necessary to win the war/etc.
3. BIZARRO DUNGEON: Dungeon layout is flipped horizontally, all alignments for creatures are reversed (possibly make creatures the opposite of what they are), etc. There are clones of the party with reversed alignments and goatees.
4. Put the party in another adventure's dungeon.
3. Tall, imposing scaly creatures that blend in perfectly with the darkness. They greatly resemble Deep Ones but loathe being compared to them. They can breathe green flames and can also cause themselves to burst open and let loose the souls they've devoured as murderous, fiery apparitions. The ghosts disappear after 1D3 rounds of trying to murder the party. They are known to locals as "Shadow Fiends" due to their ability to disappear into the darkness but their true names are unknown.
Rough example stats: As Ogre, with 1-3 surprise chance in darkness, a breath weapon that deals 2d8 (save for half) damage, and upon death releases 1d4 fiery soul bastards (HD 2, AC 5 [14], 1d8 damage, incorporeal).
4. A fire demon resembling a huge red spider. It desires to escape the underworld so that it may burninate and raze settlements to the ground. It can also, through dreams, insinuate ideas and images into a mind it is aware of.
HD: 12.
AC: 0 [19].
Attacks: 1 spit jet of flame (2d6+2) or bite (1d10).
Special: Engaging it in melee without proper protection against its blazing heat results in 2d6 damage per round. It can insinuate insidious ideas and missions through the dreams of others, treat as the spell Suggestion but with a duration of a year instead of a week. Immune to mundane weaponry.
Movement: 60'.
Alignment: Chaotic Evil.
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| The Strange Aeons monster is actually this fine fellow. |
5. Shattered City: A strange sky realm that is a huge archipelago of the floating fragments of a once great city. Ladders, long nets for catching falling people and ten foot poles for pole vaulting are the most commonly used tools. Falling off any landscape causes you to continuously fall from the sky to the "floor" of the realm surprisingly slowly in a loop. Travel between distant settlements is possible through the aid of a sky ferryman who has learned not only how to sail the sky currents, but also navigate around dangers such as prideful hawkmen warriors and the Snatchers Through Time.
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| I personally imagine the Snatchers being like Floormasters from Zelda. |
6. The Goliath: A huge, rectangular steel structure on tank treads. It is essentially a mobile dungeon/fortress, a remnant of a prior age of super science and sorcery. What's driving it forward and why? Here's 1D4 possible answers:
1. Cultists! They've got slaves and initiates in the Goliath and are bringing them to a sacred place for nefarious reasons.
2. Cyborgs! They are one with the machine and wish to "bless" a nearby settlement with this unity.
3. A random humanoid warband! They found this thing one day, somehow activated it and are trying to bring it back to their lair to orchestrate a siege.
4. Itself! It's gone full on batshit AI Blaine The Mono insane and is moving towards the nearest city. It is trying to find its original creator and question why it was built to have a mind so limited. The creator him/herself has been dead for centuries.
7. A race of leonine humanoids wander the earth, seeking to bring justice to all the sinful. They are fully armoured, throw bolts of radiant energy and can divine all the sins you have committed. They have an extremely strict understanding of what constitutes a sin and thus are usually a danger for all but the most virtuous of people. Some sages theorize that they are the last shreds of the Prime Lamassu's divine power, manifested upon this earth after its death.
HD: 3 (7 for leaders).
AC: 2 [17].
Attacks: 1 sword (1d8) or radiant bolt (1d10).
Special: Throws goddamn bolts, Divine Sins.
Movement: 60'.
Alignment: Extremely Lawful Good.
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| This guy but armoured and much more judgemental. |
8. Spawn of Gla'aki (resembles a sickly green slug, 4 feet tall and covered with metallic spines).
HD: 4.
AC: 4 [15].
Attacks: 1 Spine (1d10, Save versus Zombification).
Special: Spine injects fluid into the victim and produces abysmal growths throughout the body, turning them into an undead slave controlled by the Spawn. It can have up to four zombies at a time.
Movement: 90' in water, 30' on land.
Alignment: Chaotic Evil.
Seriously, Gla'aki rules and would make for an awesome adversary regardless of setting. Next time you think about using one of the more popular Great Old Ones in an adventure, use Gla'aki instead.
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