Miskatonic Monday #125: Overdue

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: Overdue

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Nathan Pidde

Setting: Modern Day Massachusetts

Product: Scenario
What You Get: Fifteen page, 1.29 MB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: Hell hath no fury like a librarian scorned

Plot Hook: A missing boy leads to a missing book leads to a...
Plot Support: Staging advice, five handouts, four pre-generated teenage Investigators, three NPCs, and one Mythos monster. 

Production Values: Decent.

Pros

# One night one-shot

# Enclosed space, focused scenario

# Decently detailed handouts

# Rats in the Library

# Entertaining NPC for the Keeper to portray

# Potential for an NPC to become an ‘Investigator’

# Inspired by H.P. Lovecraft’s ‘The Dreams in the Witch House’

Cons

# Needs a slight edit

# NPC switch could have been better developed

# Primary NPC has to be very persuasive

# Artwork not always appropriate

# Slightly clichéd pre-generated Investigators

# No floorplans

Conclusion

# Short, focused booked-based investigation inspired by H.P. Lovecraft’s ‘The Dreams in the Witch House’ which delivers an entertaining single session of horror.