Miskatonic Monday #127: The Heat

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: The Heat

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Michał Pietrzak

Setting: Jazz Age Kingsport

Product: Scenario
What You Get: Eighteen page, 729.45 MB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: The family that feuds spreads its love as Kingsport heats up...

Plot Hook: Frayed tempers seem strange in a happy family, could it be the heatwave?
Plot Support: Staging advice, three handouts, seven NPCs, one floorplan, two Mythos monsters, three new spells, and one Mythos tome. 

Production Values: Reasonable.

Pros

# One night one-shot

# Straightforward investigation

# Potential Lovecraft Country campaign starter

# Low key, Mythos-infused twist upon Greek myth

# Underplayed introduction to the Mythos

# Interesting options given for scenario’s end

# Sympathetically portrayed villain

Cons

# Needs a good edit

# Backstory remains hidden, so hides the more subtle horror

# Straightforward investigation

# Big clue on the front page!

# Options given for scenario’s end incomplete

Conclusion

# Short, but direct investigative one-shot which could work as a Lovecraft Country campaign starter

# Horrifying Mythos-infused twist upon Greek myth that needs development in places, but still works despite that.