Miskatonic Monday #97: Yellow Death

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 Yellow Death

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Batu Bozoglu

Setting: Waverly Hills Sanatorium, Kentucky

Product: Scenario
What You Get: Fifty-two page, 30.37 MB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: What if the terror of tuberculosis could be infected by something more terrible? 

Plot Hook: A brother dies too early and too crazy. The Investigators will have to follow in his footsteps to find out what happened.

Plot Support: Detailed plot, staging advice for the Keeper, twelve handouts, one map, fifteen NPCs, and four pre-generated Investigators.

Production Values: Decent.

Pros

# Interesting historical setting

# Self-contained hospital hell

# Detailed plot

# An expectorantly vile one-shot

# Could be adapted to Cthulhu by Gaslight or any time up to the 1950s

# Getting in is easy, getting out (and in what condition) is another matter

Cons

# Needs a good edit

# Illustrations do not always match the period

# Potentially overly plotted?

# No Sanity rewards?

Conclusion

# Interesting historical setting

# Detailed period one-shot

# Presents a vile vehicle for the King in Yellow in an expectorantly horrible hospital horror