Miskatonic Monday #206: As the Stars Fall

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: As the Stars Fall

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Jamie Burke

Setting: Modern day North American gaming convention

Product: One-shot
What You Get: Thirty-three page, 18.06 MB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: Your mother warned you about the dangers of your hobby. She was right.

Plot Hook: Some people think gaming conventions are odd. The attendees, even odder. This time, they’re right.
Plot Support: Staging advice, four/five pre-generated Investigators, three NPCs, five handouts, and some monsters.

Production Values: Reasonable.

Pros

# Familiar setting for many gamers

# Creepy tale of blood and possession

# Scope to create the convention

# Easy to adjust to the nineties, eighties, seventies, or sixties

# Hemophobia

# Demonophobia

# Chapodiphobia

Cons

# Could end in a bloodbath and possession

Conclusion

# Unsettling tale of blood and possession which ends under the stars.

# Short one-shot in a familiar setting