Miskatonic Monday #37: Return to the Monolith

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 of the Dead, Rise of the 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 depths of the Miskatonic Repository.

—oOo—

Name: Return to the Monolith

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Michael LaBossiere

Setting: Modern era Hungary

Product: Scenario
What You Get: 1.39 MB fourteen-page, full colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: A sequel to the classic ‘The People of the Monolith’ from 1982’s Shadows of Yog-Sothoth.  
Plot Hook: Some mysteries are just too dangerous to research for television.
Plot Development: A record of investigating the strange, plenty of research, Hungary-bound, and stone-cold creepy night scenes.
Plot Support: Six NPCs, two handouts, and a minor Mythos race.

Pros
# Simple set-up
# Great set-up around a documentary mystery series
# Sequel to a minor classic scenario
# Suitable for experienced investigators
# Plenty to research
# Variety of NPCs
# Potential modern campaign set-up

Cons

# Linear plot
# Too many NPCs?
# Research overly difficult?
# Plot too similar to ‘The People of the Monolith’
# Investigators are known for investigating the Mythos (or the weird)

Conclusion
# Plot too similar to ‘The People of the Monolith’
# Potential modern campaign set-up
# Decent one-shot or introduction to Lovecrafian investigative roleplaying