Miskatonic Monday #119: Cold Hunger

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.

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Name: Cold Hunger

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Paul Dimitrievich

Setting: Jazz Age Canada

Product: Scenario
What You Get: Seventeen page, 1.40 MB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: A missing persons case leads to madness on the tracks.

Plot Hook: Has a missing reporter on a magazine of the unexplained gone missing because of his current case? 
Plot Support: Staging advice, four handouts, two floorplans, seven NPCs, two monsters and Mythos creatures, and four pre-generated Investigators.

Production Values: Serviceable.

Pros

# Canada and no sasquatches!

# Straightforward plot

# Easily adapted to other time periods with trains

# Easily adapted to other northern climes

# Solid pre-generated Investigators

# Wolves in winter inspired by ‘Pickman’s Model’

# Potential for Investigator versus Investigator action

Cons

# Plain handouts and floorplans

# No explanation of what the ‘CPR’ is

# Potential for Investigator versus Investigator action

Conclusion

# Serviceable plot ends in blood and desperate fashion which does not work as well if the Investigators are armed for bear

# Blood, madness, and dinner on the tracks in a straightforward plot at the horrifying height of winter