When the creative juices run out

**Bryan Stewart** · 05-18-2011, 08:17 PM

When the creative juices run out what do you do?

I have hit a roadblock with creativity and am taking a break. I started writing a Call of Cthulhu adventure and my juices petered out. Im reading game books to get ideas and breaking out the old Bloodcurdling tales and getting ideas from the stories as well.

so, what do you do?

**Cheshire** · 05-19-2011, 12:27 PM

Television is a great place to replenish those juices. SyFy and chiller channel is great. Show that would help for Cthulhu would be X Files, Kolchack The Night Stalker (availble on netflix for instant download), Supernatural, etc. If you don't have those channels or netflix, go to TV.com and look up the shows and read the full episode recaps.

**Corey Lake** · 05-19-2011, 01:54 PM

Personally I like local flavor for horror games. I turn to all of the strange stuff that happens in "them thar hills" of West Virginia. There's enough spookiness that goes on in this state to float a battleship. Look to The Tell-Tale Lilac Bush and Coffin Hollow for classic ghost tales. Check out resources on the net for local cryptozoology. If you can strike a heartstring with your players (regardless where their characters are from) it will make for great immersion.

**Travis Orders** · 05-19-2011, 03:22 PM

DVR Ancient Aliens on The History Channel. It is a bunch of shit, but entertaining in that it gives DMs great ideas, and fun to watch the talking heads/"specialists" talk about this crap.

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**Bryan Stewart** · 05-19-2011, 09:31 PM

thanks for the help, I used to read the weekly world news and get ideas from it...it made for some crazy games.

I get a lot of ideas, just hammering them out is the thing. I play D20 Cthulhu because it is a bit easier on the players and they like the feats and such hell one layer was a psychic and rp'ed the hell out of it.

I wanted to use powder of Ibn-gazi (the see invisible powder) but i felt anything I Threw at the players that was invisible would be hella tough....
I don't know I'll hammer something out.

**Cheshire** · 05-20-2011, 10:26 AM

Just make sure to give them a way to see the thing as long as they think creatively. Where ever they face it down at, maybe it was going through some construction and there are a few buckets of paint lying around. Or near a kitchen with flour. If they think creatively they will grab the substance and throw it arround so they can see the invisible thing.

**nightgaunt98c** · 05-21-2011, 02:06 PM

That's the thing about Cthulu. Everything is hella tough. You're not supposed to fight it physically. Make them find other ways to defeat the things. Spells or rituals to banish the creature, or something similar. A special weapon that can instantly beat it, but they have to find what it is, and how to get it. The d20 version would be a little different, but it'll still work out.

**dannylilly2000** · 05-29-2011, 10:33 AM

I've been getting inspiration from an odd show, River Monsters. I keep seeing it and thinking those would be a great monster.

**Travis Orders** · 06-02-2011, 06:38 AM

Lol Danny! The fish certainly are frightening, and the show does a great job of setting up for the reveal of a big ugly ass carp/catfish/etc.

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**Bongo Tau'Kat** · 12-07-2012, 01:50 PM

Originally Posted by Travis Orders

DVR Ancient Aliens on The History Channel. It is a bunch of shit, but entertaining in that it gives DMs great ideas, and fun to watch the talking heads/"specialists" talk about this crap.

Agreed. I only have to look at any show that involves less than reputable or ridiculous material on History, Science, Discovery, etc. Within two or three episodes you should have enough for a campaign in any genre.