Monday, 7 August 2023

Miskatonic Monday #211: A Network of Tunnels

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—
Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Sean F. Smith

Setting: 1920s London
Product: Scenario
What You Get: Fourteen page, 1.63 MB Full Colour PDF

Elevator Pitch: Never leave a lawyer in a locked room when death is on the line
Plot Hook: A lawyer missing from his locked room
Plot Support: One map, three NPCs, and one Mythos monster.
Production Values: High School Power Point Essay.

Pros
# Interesting twist upon ‘Megapolismancy’
# More detailed outline than scenario
# Straightforward, tightly plotted
# Easy to add to a campaign
# Easy to adjust to other time periods
# Blennophobia
# Molluscophobia
# Gephyrophobia

Cons
# More detailed outline than scenario
# Underwritten
# Untidy layout

Conclusion
# Easy to add to a campaign ‘Megapolismantic’ scenario
# More underwritten outline than scenario, but otherwise a serviceable investigation

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