Miskatonic Monday #177: All Part of the Game

 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 Part of the Game

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Matt ‘Doc’ Tracey

Setting: Jazz Age New England
Product: Scenario

What You Get: twenty-four page, 2.58 MB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: Murder mystery party most foul! 

Plot Hook: A university reunion is a chance to renew old friendships.

Plot Support: Staging advice, four pre-generated Investigators, five NPCs, two handouts, one map, and three Mythos monsters.

Production Values: Plain.

Pros

# Murder mystery meets the Mythos in a locked room set-up

# Short, focused scenario

# It could be the Yellow Sign...

# Easy to adapt to other modern time periods and settings

# Easy to adapt to elsewhere

# Masklophobia

Cons

# Needs a good edit

# What does the swirling sigil look like?

# Not necessarily a Mythos scenario

# Underwritten clues and investigation

Conclusion

# Murder mystery meets the Mythos—and whilst no spoilers—the culprit is the cliché!

# Mythos twist of the knife into the country house murder cliché undone by underdeveloped investigation.