Miskatonic Monday #113: Sermon of Sludge

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 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: Sermon of Sludge

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Bored Stiffs

Setting: 1970s Los Angeles

Product: Scenario
What You Get: Forty-four page, 18.37 MB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: End of Days and ‘high’ madness in L.A.

Plot Hook: Fringe science is about to get freaky!!!
Plot Support: Staging advice, nine NPCs and nine NPC portraits, fifteen handouts, five maps, one Mythos Monster, and five pre-generated Investigators.

Production Values: Fabulously freaky.

Pros

# Fringe science meets the end is nigh on the streets  of L.A.

# Entertainingly gonzo layout and art inspired by Gilbert Shelton

# Investigator sheets done as comic book small adds

# Could be adapted for Pulp Cthulhu: Two-fisted Action and Adventure Against the Mythos

# Easily pushed back to the sixties

# Connection to Plagues of Egypt hints at possible sequels
# Potential convention one-shot

Cons

# Period piece

# May need careful timing to run as a convention one-shot

Conclusion

# Thematically entertaining scenario

# Counterculture calamity as fringe science clashes with freaky faith in a downtown doom!