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 them 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 of the 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 Night Door
Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Jon Hook
Setting: Jazz Age/Lovecraft Country
Product: Scenario
What You Get: 13.14 MB, 40-page full colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: A friend in need, but someone’s burning down the house.
Plot Hook: When a friend’s family cabin goes up in flames, she needs emotional support, but it is not the only one.
Plot Development: Boy scouts to rub together, a dragon, and a Dover snake for dinner in the Well of Souls.
Plot Support: Six NPCs; twelve decent handouts; three pre-generated investigators.
Production Values: Needs an edit and maps; given art and maps scrappy.
Pros
# Short, focused investigation
# Limited number of investigators
# Limited number of NPCs
# Simple, straightforward plot
# Easy to add to a Lovecraft Country campaign
# Adaptable to the period of the Keeper’s choice
# Adaptable to Pulp Cthulhu
Cons
# Sanity rewards slightly high in places
# Missing useful maps of the Dover area
# Slightly Combat focussed
# Fire-based encounters underwhelming
Conclusion
# Reasonable one-session scenario
# Suitable for the new Keeper
No comments:
Post a Comment