Miskatonic Monday #194: Twelve Black Feathers

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.

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Name: Twelve Black Feathers

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: C.M. Arnold

Setting: 1890s Baltimore
Product: Scenario

What You Get: Thirty-two-page, 8.03 MB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: Ravens & Resurrectionists in 1890s The X-Files style

Plot Hook: A murder of ravens

Plot Support: Staging advice, four pre-generated Investigators, nine handouts, one map, several NPCs, and one non-Mythos monster, non-monster monster.

Production Values: High.

Pros

# Scenario for Cthulhu by Gaslight

# High production values and excellent photographs

# One-shot or an X-Files style campaign starter

# Nicely thematic mystery

# Non-Mythos, Mythos scenario

# Introduces the ‘Department of Concurrence’

# Kabourophobia

# Pteronophobia

# Ornithophobia

# Gynophobia

Cons

# Needs a slight edit

# Clue links not as clear as they should be

# The ‘Department of Concurrence’ undeveloped

# Baltimore... it had to be ravens.

# Non-Mythos, Mythos scenario

Conclusion

# X-Files: Life on the Street style one-shot or campaign starter

# Solid, but short mystery which needs a little more development beyond its high production values