Miskatonic Monday #137: All Roads Point South

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: All Roads Point South

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author Michael Bertolini

Setting: Jazz Age USA

Product: Scenario
What You Get: Fourteen page, 2.38 MB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: A race against time to stop the Rise of R’lyeh

Plot Hook: A break in at Yale puts the Investigators on the trail of a dangerous cult.
Plot Support: Five NPCs, no handouts, and four Mythos monsters.

Production Values: Ordinary.

Pros

# Scriptophobia

# Thalassophobia

# Potentially interesting cult versus cult situation

# Perfect for the Call of Cthulhu Keeper who wants a project to develop of her own

Cons

# Needs a strong edit

# No final Sanity rewards or losses given

# Core clue difficult to obtain
# Underwritten and underdeveloped plot

# A collection of scenes rather than scenario

Conclusion

# A collection of scenes from an unfinished and underdeveloped scenario that vaguely apes elements of The Call of Cthulhu by H.P. Lovecraft.

# Underwhelming and uninteresting scenario whose roads point to the less than perfect Shadows of Yog-Sothoth as a better purchase rather than south.