Miskatonic Monday #236: A Red Red Rose

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: A Red Red Rose

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Keith DEdinburgh

Setting: Modern Day Edinburgh

Product: Scenario
What You Get: Sixty-eight page, 4.40 MB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: Romeo & Juliet, Vampires & Ghouls & Ghosthunters! Oooh MY!

Plot Hook: Taking the tram leads to terror (it probably would have been nicer for everyone if you had all driven)
Plot Support: Staging advice, eleven handouts, three maps, five NPCs, one Mythos artefact, and twelve Mythos creatures.

Production Values: Excellent

Pros

# Modern day monster on monster action (and love)

# Falls under ‘Your Monsters May Vary’

# One-shot maggot mystery (or campaign starter)

# Excellent handouts, maps, and portraits

# Detailed discussion of possible outcomes 

# Includes an optional ghosthunt with nice link to The Pharaoh’s Sacrifice (Jumpity, Jumpity, Jumpity)

# Scoleciphobia

# Sanguivoriphobia

# Hevimetaruphobia

Cons

# Needs a slight edit

# Non-Mythos scenario

# No pre-generated Investigators

Conclusion

# Well done, monstrous treatment of a classic set-up

# Detailed and very well supported scenario