Miskatonic Monday #64: One for One – Old Man Tompkins

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: One for One – Old Man Tompkins
Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Sean Liddle

Setting: 1950s Massachusetts

Product: Introductory Scenario
What You Get: Six page, 387.14 KB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: Sometimes the Old Man who lives at the end of the lane really is the monster...

Plot Hook:  No town can be this perfect—and it takes teenagers to see it.

Plot Support: Map, plot, and staging advice.

Production Values: Rough.

Pros
# Decent introductory scenario

# Solid, single-session horror scenario

# Potential convention scenario

# Keeper can design her own NPCs
# Different historical setting

# Mythos-lite
# Simple, direct plot

# Inexpensive

Cons
# Needs an edit
# Keeper needs to create her own NPCs

# Does not name the books

# Mythos-lite

# Inconsistent Sanity losses

Conclusion
# Needs an edit
# Simple, single-session horror scenario

# Requires some preparation