Miskatonic Monday #114: Annals of Flint's Detective Agency: The Case of the Stolen Golf Clubs

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: Annals of Flint's Detective Agency: The Case of the Stolen Golf Clubs

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Mark Potter

Setting: Jazz Age Chicago

Product: Scenario
What You Get: Thirty-six page, 2.35 MB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: The Case of the Cosmic Golf Clubs!

Plot Hook: Detectives hired to investigate a theft which leads back to Egypt and beyond!
Plot Support: Staging advice, four NPCs, five handouts, seven maps and floorplans, and six Mythos Monsters.

Production Values: Undermining.

Pros

# Solid plot with decent amount of investigation

# Easy to adapt to other cities

# Easy to adapt to Cthulhu by Gaslight

# Connects an Egyptian cult to a different Mythos entity

Cons

# A butler called Jives

# A professor called DeWho

# Really, REALLY needs an edit

# Underwritten staging advice

# No hue and cry for a missing baby?

# Requires more preparation than it really should

# Set in Chicago or the United Kingdom?

Conclusion

# Potentially solid investigative scenario undone by underwhelming production values and lack of editing which force the Keeper to decide which details are correct and which are not.

# Set in Chicago, but makes poor use of the city.