Miskatonic Monday #230: Forbidden Seas and Perilous Coasts

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: Forbidden Seas and Perilous Coasts

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Alexander Smith

Setting: Regency-era South America

Product: Scenario for In Strange Seas: Horror in the Royal Navy for Regency Cthulhu and Regency Cthulhu: Dark Designs in Jane Austen’s England
What You Get: Twenty-three page, 13.03 MB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: A tale of exploration and retribution—and not in a good way

Plot Hook: Explore the island for King and Country.
Plot Support: Staging advice, six pre-generated Investigators, one map, and three (plus more) Mythos creatures.

Production Values: Okay

Pros

# Straightforward exploration and reaction scenario

# Easy to run

# Pleasingly odd illustrations

# Skelephobia

# Insulaphobia

# Cartilogenophobia

Cons

# No investigation

# No handouts

# Some locations on the map left undescribed

# Scenario title possibly too generic

Conclusion

# Easy to prepare, straightforward scenario for In Strange Seas

# Not so much one note as two note scenario—exploration and retribution