Miskatonic Monday #93: The Hammersmith Haunting

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: The Hammersmith Haunting

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Kat Clay

Setting: Cthulhu by Gaslight London

Product: Scenario
What You Get: Fifteen page, 12.17 MB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: Who stalks fog-enshrouded fears in Old London Town?

Plot Hook: When the most punctual of men is not on time, there has to be a good reason... or a bad one.

Plot Support: Detailed plot, staging advice for the Keeper, three maps, four handouts, four NPCs, one new Mythos entity, and four pre-generated Investigators.

Production Values: Excellent.

Pros

# Delightfully crotchety old lady

# Delightfully crotchety even older lady   

# Good staging advice for the Keeper
# Solid straightforward investigation

# Good period feel and sense of history

# Diverse cast of NPCs and Investigators

# Multiple outcomes explored

# Handouts for failure and success

Cons
# Requires a slight edit

# Mechanics underdeveloped and presented

# Too linear and too straightforward an investigation for experienced players?

Conclusion

# Engaging period piece of horror

# Delightfully crotchety old ladies two

# Solid straightforward investigation to begin a Cthulhu by Gaslight campaign?