Miskatonic Monday #193: The Well of All Fear

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: The Well of All Fear

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Kat Clay

Setting: Regency Cthulhu: Dark Designs in Jane Austen’s England
Product: Scenario

What You Get: Eighty-two-page, 15.98 MB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: Sometimes it is not enough to take the waters, sometimes you have to give back

Plot Hook: A missing brother, and of course, scandal!

Plot Support: Staging advice, five pre-generated Investigators, eighteen handouts including five maps and floor plans, and nine NPCs.

Production Values: Excellent.

Pros

# Fully plotted, period piece

# Well written mystery

# Excellent handouts

# A spa town other than Bath!

# Non-Mythos, Mythos scenario

# Derbyshire without the lycanthropy!

# Kefalitemnophobia

# Aquaphobia

# J9dobphobia

# Gynophobia

# Arithmophobia

Cons

# A spa town other than Bath!

# Needs a slight edit

# Buxton underwritten

# All spa’d out

# Non-Mythos, Mythos scenario

Conclusion

# Stravinsky has nothing on this scandal—though the scandal and its scenario has much to recommend it!

# Bounders, blackmail, and badasses in Buxton in a thorough,  Austentatiously detailed and enjoyable investigation which takes Regency Cthulhu up north