Miskatonic Monday #136: Gold Fever

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: Gold Fever

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Erik Åhlin

Setting: Jazz Age Sweden

Product: Scenario
What You Get: Twenty-nine page, 9.56 MB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: “All that glisters is not gold.”

Plot Hook: A missing son leads to murder, mystery, and the Mythos under the Midnight Sun.
Plot Support: Twelve NPCs, five (ten) handouts, and two Mythos monsters.

Production Values: Decent.

Pros

# Silver medalist for the 2022 national Swedish Call of Cthulhu scenario competition

# Solid Sweden-set investigation

# Detailed notes and handouts provided to adapt the scenario to the USA

# Engaging portrayal of period Sweden

# Good handouts

# Potential for expansion into the Dreamlands

# Easy to adapt to other time periods

# Ophidiophobia

# Aurophobia

Cons

# Needs an edit

# Clearer final Sanity rewards and losses needed 
# No Swedish pre-generated Investigators

# If the silver medal winning scenario is as solid as this, how good is the gold medal winning scenario?

Conclusion

# Worthy medal winner in the 2022 national Swedish Call of Cthulhu scenario competition 

# Impressively decent scenario combines solid investigation with an engaging portrayal of Sweden in the 1920s