Miskatonic Monday #82: A Shrieking Violet

 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: A Shrieking Violet

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Jacob Parker

Setting: Jazz Age Chicago

Product: Scenario
What You Get: Nineteen page, 14.40.95 MB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: A husband’s body on the cobbles, his wife, a curse, and Chicago gangland.

Plot Hook: The detectives’ first nosedive just ain’t right.

Plot Support: Plot, three handouts, some Mythos monsters, and four pre-generated Investigators.

Production Values: Uneven.

Pros
# Chicago detectives, not Chicago mob

# Short, one-shot investigative plot

# Easy to set in other time periods

# Decent pre-generated ‘actual’ Investigators

# Scope to expand the scenario with the mob and the cops on its payroll

Cons
# Requires an edit

# Plain handouts
# No illustration of the scenario’s MacGuffin

# Connection between plot and climax unclear

Conclusion

# Scope for expansion, but plotting unclear

# Needs some development by the Keeper before play