Miskatonic Monday #244: The Worm of Wall Street

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: The Worm of Wall Street

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Paul StJohn Mackintosh

Setting: Modern day New York

Product: Scenario
What You Get: Twenty-four page, 25.79 MB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: Hedge Fund Horror!

Plot Hook: A Wall Street flash crash triggers an investigation into a hedge fund which stands untouched.
Plot Support: Staging advice, eight pre-generated Investigators, two NPCs, two maps and floor plans, one Mythos tome, and two Mythos creatures.

Production Values: Serviceable

Pros

# Intriguing, novel setting

# Simple, straightforward one-shot

# Easy to adapt to other time periods

# Feels very eighties

# Possible links to Shadows of Yog-Sothoth, Lovecraft Country, and Keziah Mason

# Scoleciphobia

# Kinemortophobia

# Anthropophagusphobia

Cons

# Needs an edit

# No pre-generated Investigator backgrounds

# Keeper will need to generate Investigator links and motivations

Conclusion

# Solid, eighties-style Hedge Fund Horror on Wall Street

# Unique location with surprisingly timely plot