Miskatonic Monday #6: The Kirkwood Farmhouse Massacre

Between October 2003 and October 2013, Chaosium, Inc. published a series of books for Call of Cthulhu under the Miskatonic University Library Association brand. Whether a sourcebook, scenario, anthology, or campaign, each was a showcase for their authors—amateur rather than professional, but fans of Call of Cthulhu nonetheless—to put forward their ideas and share with others. The programme was notable for having launched the writing careers of several authors, but for every Cthulhu Invictus, The Pastores, Primal State, Ripples from Carcosa, and Halloween Horror, there was a Five Go Mad in Egypt, Return of the Ripper, Rise ofthe Dead, Rise ofthe Dead II: The Raid, and more...

The Miskatonic University Library Association brand is no more, alas, but what we have in its stead is the Miskatonic Repository, based on the same format as the DM’s Guild for Dungeons & Dragons. It is thus, “...a new way for creators to publish and distribute their own original Call of Cthulhu content including scenarios, settings, spells and more…” To support the endeavours of their creators, Chaosium has provided templates and art packs, both free to use, so that the resulting releases can look and feel as professional as possible. To support the efforts of these contributors, Miskatonic Monday is an occasional series of reviews which will in turn examine an item drawn from the far reaches of the Miskatonic Repository.

—oOo—

Name: The Kirkwood Farmhouse Massacre

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.

Author: Fred Love

Setting: Modern Day, Dreamlands

Product: Scenario

What You Get: 4.3 MB, 10-page full colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: Murder expose takes The Haunting to Iowa—and beyond (via a slippery slope)!

Plot Hook: The investigators are literally investigators—journalists—looking to write an expose of serial killer murders in the 1920s.

Plot Development: Unincorporated towns; ghosts; possible prequel to ‘Forget Me Not’ from Things We Leave Behind or an investigation for Saucerwatch from Delta Green?

Plot Support: Free PDF, The Kirkwood Farmhouse Investigation, provides investigation and context; straightforward plot.

Production Values: Needs a slight edit. Hand-drawn maps.

Pros

# Short scenario 

# Easy to run

# Simple plot with few timed events

Cons

# Linear

# Ignores the greater plot and the other villains

# Sanity losses too high
# Ignores the journalistic process

Conclusion

# Slight investgative scenario

# Greater story left unexplored