A Roleplaying Game by S. John Ross and John Kovalic

Review copyright © 2001 by Tim Morgan

That is not dead which can eternal lie,
and with strange aeons even death may die!
To bring down our masters on an icy night,
And to claim the power when the stars are right . . .
Derleth!
Bloch!
Team Eibon! Stand fast to resist our rage . . .
Or flee to the safety of a new dark age!
Ftaghn! That's right!

Pokethulhu is a satirical roleplaying game combining Pokemon with the Cthulhu Mythos. With cute little monsters like Pikathulhu and Bulba-Zhar, cultists wander throughout the world seeking adventure and more 'thulhu. It is a hilarious world that everyone who loves the Cthulhu Mythos and who hates Pokemon will enjoy.

The first part of the book is a funny "Introduction to Role Playing" written and illustrated by John Kovalic and the Dork Tower crew.

The following 8 pages is a section of rules. They are very simple, easily comprehendible by children. In fact, my 6 year old daughter and I have been playing the game for the last few weeks, and she has the rules down pat. The system uses 12 sided dice, which is a nice change of pace.

The third section is a series of adventure ideas, and this, in my opinion is the best part of the book. It is 11 pages of hilarious plots and adventures that had me rolling on the floor. Imagine the inane style of Pokemon the television show trying to deal with a Lovecraftian plot. Give everyone cute names and adorable little Elder Gods and you have a good idea about these scenarios.

The last section has the stats and history of 3 Pokethulhu and some illustrated standups. My only objection to his section is that it was too short. Also, the standups have no names which would have been nice to include.

While the game is obviously never meant to actually be played (it says as much at one point in the rules), it does, in fact, play fairly well. While I certainly wouldn't recommend it for a serious group of adult gamers, it could be appropriate as a drinking game among adults or as a less-than-serious one-shot game. It could work very well as an introductory roleplaying game for kids (ages 6 to 8, maybe), especially if the GM took out most of the Cthuloid elements and stuck with the Pokemon bits.

I heartily recommend this book, but not for the game. It's a book of humor, in the form of a game, but it does this very well. Definitely worth $5.95.