Miskatonic Monday #7: The Knife

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 Knife

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.

Author: Doctor Michael LaBossiere

Setting: Modern Day

Product: Scenario

What You Get: 1 MB, 6-page full colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: Murder and possession is knife-tenths of the law in this university town!

Plot Hook: The investigators look into a series of bloody murders as a serial killer goes on a heart-stopping killing spree.

Plot Development: Missing hearts & missing blood; copycat ahoy!; possible prequel to ‘Forget Me Not’ from Things We Leave Behind or an investigation for Saucerwatch from Delta Green?

Plot Support: Two NPCs; very straightforward plot.

Production Values: Needs a slight edit. Update to Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition of a scenario previously released in 1992 and 1996.

Pros

# Short one-session scenario 

# Easy to run

# Simple plot
# Can be run in the background of a campaign
# Easy to set in the university town of the Keeper's choice
# Experienced Keeper can run and improvise from the page
# Easy to adapt to other periods

Cons

# Linear

# Keeper may need to develop the victims and minor NPCs

# No suggestions as what the media might call the killer
# Information could have been organised

# No illustrations

Conclusion

# Slight investgative scenario

# Investigator involvement underwritten
# Solid one-session/one-night scenario