I got to thinking over the time I had after he brought all this up, and I realized he was right. We're very different Keepers with different games we like to run. I focus more on a heavy narrative style to set the tone, while he prefers letting the players flounder through and make their own story. I like to have a wealth of well-made props I can use and abuse as needed, while he likes to have just the props needed, but ensure they are of the highest possible quality he can create with his skills in Photoshop. I prefer Classic Era Cthulhu and weird experimental settings like the Neolithic Era, while he much prefers Delta Green and Modern scenarios. It's as different as day and night, and both styles work well for the type of games we run.
That got me considering how other types of Keepers tend to go, though, and that made me realize there really are about four different types of Keepers. There's also the small qualifier of how serious versus flexible the Keeper themselves is - how well they tolerate interruptions, joking around, and general hyperness of players at the table. So then, not only are there styles of Keeper, but there are substyles of conflict management as a Keeper, and I may be the only person out there who has considered divvying these Keeping styles into groups like this. I'm probably not, of course, but I certainly like to think that I am!
In keeping (pun not intended I swear) with some of my family members' Wiccan traditions of having "patron deities", I have assigned each style to an Outer God: Azathoth, Nyarlathotep, Shub-Niggurath, and Yog-Sothoth. The names kind of tell you all about what that Keeping style emphasizes, but I will go into further detail below. In addition, I have assigned a Great Old One to each of the substyles of Keeper conflict management: Ithaqua, Hastur, Cthulhu, and Dagon. These substyles are on a sliding scale from conservative to liberal in distraction tolerance, and a Keeper may be one, all, or in between two of them at any given time. These are also explained below. Now then, let's get this thing started, shall we?
THE FOUR KEEPING STYLES:
- Azathoth, the Dreamer-Keeper: Azathoth Keepers seem like they are off in their own world, but in reality they are planning great things and creative side-plots in that head of theirs. They daydream, they think, but they do not plan and often don't write ideas down, much to their detriment. They may occasionally spout out thoughts for feedback, but more often tend to keep their thoughts to themselves. Their notes can be unclear, messy, or just unorganized - a bunch of sticky notes inside the Keeper screen is fine for them. Many older Azathoths already have most of the Keeper Manual memorized - at least the important bits. They are often old hands, and have been at this for a while, able to come back swinging from a hiatus in Keeping. Or, they may be fresh-faced newcomers totally oblivious to how to run, and they are unorganized and unclear due to inexperience. Either way, these Keepers love to make their own plots up, and often write some damn good home-brew adventures. A Mi-go and humans needing to work together to solve a new, bigger issue? No problem. Deep Ones using a Tillinghast Resonator to send people into altered states of consciousness, where Cthulhu can get at them more easily? Also good. A game taking place almost 100% in Lost Carcosa, but there are Hounds of the Tindalos there too? Great, when do we start? Their ideas can sound absolutely insane and bizarre, but when run, it's clear there's a sound reason these things were put together in such a way. When they run these adventures, the passion for Keeping is clear and obvious, and can be extremely refreshing to other Keepers. Their style of running a game is to use unique concepts to pose unique challenges to their players, with other concerns taking more of a back seat. They generally prefer a "Theater of the Mind" style to their games, rather than using minis or too many props. It's easy to get frustrated with an Azathoth Keeper, because they do things their way rather than the obvious way, but this is only because they are trying their best to make the game as cool to the players as it was in their heads. The flip side to that is their tendency to be a bit absentminded, or not keep things organized. This can lead to messy, unorganized games at the very worst. They also may need mentorship from other Keeping styles, especially if newcomers. At their best, however, Azathoth Keepers have an infectious passion for CoC and always bring something new to the table with them, making them an awful lot of fun to have running a game.
- Nyarlathotep, the Jack-Of-All Keepers: The trickster. The showman. The liar. Nyarlathotep Keepers don't just run a game for players, they actively play their players. They love keeping players on their toes, and relish playing little mind games. They are often excellent orators and consummate liars, and can probably mimic several accents and noises. The best Nyarlathoteps can even gaslight their players somewhat. This is because they pride themselves in staying one step ahead of their players. CoC is a game of strategy to them. Horror is an art, their players and the atmosphere are their clay, and the world they create is their oyster. Nyarlathotep Keepers can and will pick at your personal fears and flaws, turn players against each other, get in players' personal spaces, and sew paranoia. They can also be excellent mentors to new Keepers and players, and tend to keep organized notes. They have a method to their madness, approached with a near scientific precision, and they like it that way. Their prop game is often excellent, and they love to experiment with gameplay rules, settings, and concepts - these are the Keepers most likely to try a Dreamlands campaign or a campaign set in the Viking times, or port in new rules and ways of doing things from other systems. They also like a challenge, and may tackle projects too big for their skills if they're new to the game. Nyarlathoteps excel at improvisation and misdirection, often flying by the seat of their pants with an intuitive "feel" for how a game should go. Strict interpretations are not their style, and they can be very flexible in that regard. Their style of campaign tends to be narrative-heavy, psychologically thrilling, cerebral, Theater of the Mind type gaming, and great props as well as atmosphere are key to that. They almost never use minis, and may not even use maps in some games. To them, atmosphere and narrative heaviness is everything; like any magician, without the flash and show of good background their act can fail pretty hard. This means they dislike distractions to the point of neurotic control freak levels, are tethered to the strength of their ability to read others and control the table, and can be a bit petty when they aren't used to letting players take the wheel. These are the "Killer GMs" your friends warned you about at their worst, and the absolute cream of the crop in terms of story-telling and atmosphere at their best. Count yourself lucky if you have a good Keeper of this style, because the more effort you put out as a player, the more effort they will put into the game!
- Shub-Niggurath, the Monster Spawning Keeper: Do you like monsters? You want a battle-heavy campaign? How about a new, unique creature that is wholly unfamiliar to you? These Keepers have you covered. Shub-Niggurath style Keepers love nothing more than to bring in new and exciting beasts. They get quickly bored with the standard Mythos beasts, and may have worked their way through the Bestiary already. Chances are, if you have been consistently playing with some rather offbeat Mythos beasts or gods in your group and the monster spawns are massive, you've got this type of Keeper. They enjoy creating new horrors as well, even though they are fascinated with the beasts of the Mythos and they aren't afraid to show it. Shubby Keepers also excel at characterizing NPCs and giving the monsters motives. They understand that the Mythos is not black and white and that monsters are not always going to attack, and may have mundane goals like eating and sleeping. The Mythos races may or may not be hostile to humans, or to other Mythos races. The deities have well thought out motives and methods, even if those motives and methods are utterly alien to the players. Their style of game focuses on combat as well as on tensions between the Mythos and humanity, and as such may include miniatures or maps with grids. On a different note, like their namesake, they have a tendency towards taking a matronly role, caring deeply about their players' lives and commitments, and especially so with new players. They make excellent mentors, as they will scoop newbies up and make sure they know everything they need to, but let them learn hard lessons. Shubby Keepers do not and will not nuke the monsters of the Mythos for the sake of aiding intractable players. This can make them seem unfair, or even harsh, to those used to a D&D style experience. At their worst, Shubby Keepers can be overbearing and too aggressive in their liberal use of monsters, causing more than one unfortunate TPK. New Shubbies don't know how to temper this well yet, and must learn from experience or be mentored by another, more experienced Keeper. At their best, however, they are caring Keepers that take new players under their wing, and often bring interesting new creatures into the game by making them up or allowing less used beasts a chance to shine.
- Yog-Sothoth, the Time and Place Keeper: Keepers have expansive worlds and all of time-space and the Mythos at their disposal - and Yog-Sothoth Keepers absolutely love that about CoC. These Keepers love to world-build, create unique characters, and throw their players into interesting scenarios based around the universe they create. These are generally Keepers that have extensive notes on their worlds, and may even go overboard planning sessions. Yoggies put a lot of effort into props, because the more real the props look, the more believable their world is. They may also add in puzzles, roundabout ways of finding clues, red herrings, and extra subplots in their games to keep players looking for the truth while stuck in their theater of the mind world. Their style of campaign may include miniatures and maps, but more often sticks to a strict Theater of the Mind style. These Keepers, more than most, often give players the most control rather than guiding them, preferring a "man behind the curtain" style while players drive the story and they give subtle directors. Yog Keepers also can take a longer amount of time to get a scenario planned out, but only because they want it to be just right, just perfect for the story they are trying to tell. Their notes are meticulous and organized, and they keep relevant supplements close as needed. They tend to stick to the rules of the game closely, making good rules lawyers type mentors to new players. They also don't experiment so much with rules and concepts as they do situations, settings, social implications, and historical events. At their worst, they can be overly perfectionist, caught up in stories never being ready to game. It takes Yoggies a lot of time and personal energy effort to engage themselves into Keeperspace, meaning they often ping ideas off other Keepers for some help. They can struggle with improvisational material, and don't like flying by the seat of their pants until they absolutely have to. At their best, however, these Keepers tell rich, engrossing, engaging stories where players are forced to explore the world around them, drawing both player and Keeper further into the story and the game as a whole. Good Yoggy Keepers are diamonds in the rough, and players should count themselves lucky to have this Keeper type.
THE SCALE OF KEEPER CONFLICT MANAGEMENT SUB-STYLES:
- Ithaqua (Authoritarian): Do not piss these Keepers off. They do not tolerate distractions, they do not like people interrupting the game, and they do not like players having electronics at the table. They expect players to follow rules and play the game, leaving life at the threshold. Ithaquan Keepers manage conflicts with a firm hand and a harsh response, making them very much not fun to be around. They go overboard and cause rifts in friendships because they do not know when to let minor sleights and table drama go. Ithaquan Keepers do not like players who ask too many questions, joke around too much at the table, or otherwise distract. They almost never let players take the wheel, "No, you can't" might as well be their catchphrase. New Keepers can fall into this trap if they let their power get to their heads. Needless to say, this is not an ideal any Keeper should strive for. If this sounds like your Keeper, it's probably time to find another one.
- Hastur (Authoritarian-Authoritative): These Keepers have an even hand and a strict level of tolerance for interruption. Hasturian Keepers know that players will get off-topic, ask questions, and joke around. They will let this happen, so long as it doesn't affect the flow of the game. They will certainly never engage or entertain someone who continues, unless they keep causing issues. Hasturian Keepers have mastered the art of the death glare and speak volumes without having to say a word. When conflict rears its head, they take a no-nonsense attitude and attack it at the source, meeting out rules and guidelines easily. They can verge into being a bit overbearing, but it's clear they just want the best for their players, and the aggressiveness, while serious, is not the real them. While a bit less lax than most, they never let their low tolerance for interruptions and drama ruin the game, making them great at finding fair compromises and giving ultimatums to distracting players. They also have no problem kicking said players from the game, if it comes down to that.
- Dagon (Authoritative-Permissive): Much like their fatherly patron deity, Dagonian Keepers let Players get away with a lot. They have a higher threshold for interruption and joking around, and may engage themselves. Most of all, they just want players to have fun, but they also want them to understand that CoC is not a game where anything goes. They tolerate a certain amount of disruption, but expect players to know when to reign it in. When conflict occurs, they tend to try and work with their players to find a solution rather than give an ultimatum, as they do not like laying down the law so harshly. Dagonian Keepers understand that players have lives, but may become frustrated and angry when players are not listening to them. They ask only that players respect them as Keepers and come for the story, not the drama. If players can't give them this, they know to take breaks, stop the presses, and let things simmer down for a while. They don't like ruining anyone's fun, and that makes it hard for them to accept that sometimes, the hammer really needs to be dropped.
- Cthulhu: (Permissive): These Keepers might as well not even be there. In some games, a Cthulhian Keeper is great - if players keep themselves in line. If they don't, their games devolve into a mess and they have only themselves to blame. These Keepers don't like conflict and therefore never meet out punishments. They can be lost when trying to keep things under control, and may even feel like they're herding cats with their players. The players very much tend to press these Keepers' nerves and limits, leading to Cthulhian Keepers just wanting to give up. They can burn out easily as a result, as they would rather not run CoC than deal with it anymore. They tend to "sleep on" conflict resolution, but often offer no solutions to the problem. New Keepers often fall into this trap. If this seems like your Keeper's conflict management style, it may be time to find a new Keeper, or to suggest your Keeper find a mentor.