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Monday, 19 December 2022

Miskatonic Monday #165: The Ghost of Bonnington Nunnery

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 InvictusThe PastoresPrimal StateRipples from Carcosa, and Halloween Horror, there was Five Go Mad in EgyptReturn of the RipperRise of the DeadRise 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—

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Any Miller

Setting: Dark Ages England
Product: Scenario
What You Get: Thirty-two page, 22.80 MB Full Colour PDF

Elevator Pitch: Nuns!
Plot Hook: ‘A Cthulhu Dark Ages Yuletide Scenario’
Plot Support: Staging advice, two pre-generated Investigators, one handout, four NPCs, five NPC portraits, three maps, and no Mythos monsters.
Production Values: Decent.

Pros
# Single session scenario for Cthulhu Dark Ages
# Locked room (Nunnery) situation
# Classic haunting tools and devices with which to prod, pull, and poke the Investigators
# Suitable for one or two or more Investigators
# Classic Christmas ghost story
# Extensive background
# Extensive playtest notes
# Notes included on adapting the scenario to other time periods
# Phasmophobia
# Scenisciphobia

Cons
# Only two pre-generated Investigators
# Extensive background

Conclusion
# All the means to run a (pre-Christmas) classic Christmas-themed ghost story for Cthulhu Dark Ages.
# Snowbound in a nunnery with ghost nuns—what more could you want?

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