De Profundis (Letter RPG)

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De Profundis is a letter role play by Michal Oracz .

Thematically, it is based on the literary work of HP Lovecraft and other authors such as Bram Stoker . The game incorporates elements of traditional pen & paper role-playing games . A special focus is on the role play Cthulhu, which is also inspired by Lovecraft .

Content and structure

The book is not only a set of instructions, but also a demonstration of the game itself. It consists exclusively of letters from the Polish author, Michal Oracz, to Ralf Sandfuchs, the German translator of the book. In these letters, which show that the writer is gradually losing touch with reality, they explain how the game works.

Basically, De Profundis is a letter role-playing game. The possible variations and the special approach of the game to reality make an exact classification difficult. The author sees the game less as a role play, but more as a psychodrama in the form of a letter.

First of all, each player thinks about a character whose role he will take on in the letters. The actual game consists of the correspondence between the players and their characters. The basic assumption is the existence of mysterious, dark forces behind the apparent reality, based on HP Lovecraft and his Cthulhu myth . There is no set goal or end of the game, and hardly any restrictions on plot or design.

It is important that the letters appear authentic. Because the contact between the players is limited to the letters, these are particularly expressive. For example, stylistic details such as shaky handwriting can indicate fear or insanity in a character.

variants

The basic form of De Profundis is the actual game, and forms the first part of the book. In the other two parts, variants or extensions of the game are presented. They can each offer their own game experience, which in turn can be incorporated into the content of the letters.

The author points out that a psychodrama like De Profundis can be dangerous for mentally sensitive people under certain circumstances. The two expansions in particular challenge the player to deal very intensively with a nightmarish fantasy world and are no longer limited to letters. On the back of the book there is the following note:

A storytelling game for mentally stable adults.
Not suitable for young people under 16 years!

Phantasmagoria

This is about seeing the world from a new perspective. The game is no longer limited to the letters, but extends to the entire environment.

The challenge is to use your own imagination to superimpose the real world and the dark fantasy world of De Profundis . Apparently normal processes and observations should, as seen through a filter, be linked in thoughts to gruesome, mysterious powers. It is essential to put yourself in the shoes of this experience with all your senses. The author also refers to the experience of Phantasmagoria as controlled paranoia or schizophrenia .

the recluse

The second variant adds another dimension to experiencing one's own imagination. It is characterized by an intensive examination of one's own psyche and an increasing abstraction from the perceived reality.

The real world represents a single playing field here, and blurs with the fantasy world. Rules are invented as required or derived from the internal logic of the game. Aids such as dice and tables are also used. However, human players are no longer necessary.

The sometimes confused suggestions in the book for this style of play can only offer little help. At this stage the narrator is completely insane.

literature