Despite Arkham Horror being the boardgame of the Call of Cthulhu rpg there are a number of inconsistencies between monsters in AH and CoC. The latest example of this I have noticed is the Proto-Shoggoth from the IH expansion. The picture on the monster token is actually a Shoggoth, and the text on the back also describes a normal Shoggoth. A Proto-Shoggoth is described in CoC as follows:

“Proto-Shoggoth tissue is the colour and texture of human flesh, though it is mobile and can change at will. A mass of proto-shoggoth tissue looks like a large piece of human flesh, light brown or tan coloured, with nipples, navels...intestines and other organs.... Proto-shoggoths are not true shoggoths....unlike true shoggoths they are often very intelligent....small proto-shoggoths may move undetected among humans while in human form.” So the incarnation in AH is incorrect.

There are a few other examples too (eg. Servitors of the Outer Gods, there is no reference (in CoC rpg (rulebook or any of the monster/creature companions) or any of the fiction) that I have found indicating they can fly, indeed they move by rolling along the ground. Also they are immune to all but magical weapons and attacks). In the case of these two examples they perhaps warrant some changes most notably 'Evasive' ability in the case of the Proto-Shoggoths; and changing of movement colour from blue to black and the addition of Physical Immunity with regard to Servitors of the Outer Gods.

It may be that I am being a bit anal about this, but it has started to bug me considering the licence. If I find the time (and the will) I shall go thru the monster roster with a view to correcting these 'flaws' <?> Maybe there is some game balance/mechanic reason that Kev Wilson or Richard Launius can shed some light on?

In the meantime...meanwhile....erm, well if anyone else has spotted similar inconsistencies with the monsters between the two games you could list them here (save me some work! heh)?

I think it also matters what version of the CoC RPG are you getting the monster stats from? The Caosium game from the 80s? The D20 book?

If all the creatures where designed "top-down" to reflect as accurately as possible what the RPG sourcebooks say, there'd be less variance and very little game balance. Especially when it comes to AOs. Almost all of them should have Physical Immunity.

Also, some of the Cthulhu manuals contradict each other and the source material (Lovecraft's et al's "Cthulhu Mythos", which, to be fair, is full of contradictions even in itself.)

The flavor is close enough for me, anyway. And the most important thing is that the game is playable.

Well I was working from the 5.5 edition of Call of Cthulhu printed in 1998, I don't think there is much variation in the later editions. As for the D20, certainly not, that was a terrible version. Don't get me wrong I agree with what you are both saying about balance and variety (I believe I suggested as much) it's just that some thematic stuff is incorrect without any apparent reason (such as in the case of the Proto-Shoggoth, which is purely a cosmetic; incorrect image and text) and I'm sure changing the Servitor to a non-flying monster wouldn't cause major issues. As for the majority of interpretations in the game, I think they are pretty close. As for the AO's I think a more suitable thematic representation of the final battles (there is another thread which gives an excellent narrative example) would remove a lot of the unlikely mental images of a group of people battering an immense cosmic alien horror/god into submission with a handful of weapons and spells. Fine in a traditional fantasy game but a bit at odds with AH/CoC. To be honest I've always been more in favour of the idea that if the investigators were unable to stop the AO waking then that is the end, whereas if they succeed they still have to fight the AO who is weakened due to their actions. This also adds theme to the final battle. Does require some tinkering with the rules, and I'm not sure if it would break some parts of the game. Hmmm, anyway I've off topic a little bit.

Though I have played RPGs, I never played COC. Consequently, I have no expectations about the monsters in AH with regard to their equivalence to CoC.

I'm not as versed in the Lovecraftian backround material as many here, however, I have read quite a bit and find the AH monsters quite consistent withthe mythos I have read.

Nghtflame7 said:

Well, I suppose in these cases it's knowledge about the Cthulhu mythos that matters, not just Lovecraftian background, if I don't err.

Besides the problems of toughness that all monsters in Arkham Horror seem to have, I don't think there are too many egregious departures. The Protoshoggoths are still Shoggoths, so could conceivably morph into the form shown on the monster marker. As for the flying servant of the Outer Gods, yeah, I guess that's different. They do float around Azathoth when they are busy playing for him...her...it..., but that is kind of different.