Miskatonic Monday #166: Stinky Orphans!

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: Stinky Orphans! A Call of Cthulhu Christmas Special

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Alison Cybe

Setting: Modern Day
Product: Scenario

What You Get: Twenty-five page, 2.42 MB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: Is it a pantomime? Is it horror? Why not both?

Plot Hook: “A Call of Cthulhu horror adventure for the holiday season”
Plot Support: Staging advice, four pre-generated Investigators, three NPCs, two maps, and two Mythos monsters.

Production Values: Plain.

Pros

# Short comedy-horror one-shot

# Kids as Investigators

# Escape from Grotbags!

# Pantomimic panic

# Breaks the fourth wall

# Glove puppet not optional

# Sphenisciphobia

# Pupaphobia

# Mr. Flibble strikes again!

Cons

# Short comedy-horror one-shot

# Kids as Investigators

# Breaks the fourth wall

Conclusion

# Oh so very knowing pantomimic panic best played at Christmas and only at Christmas

# “Blah, blah, blah, North Pole, blah, blah, blah, secret plans, blah, blah, blah, kidnapped Santa, Christmas ruined, blah, blah, blah, Cthulhu wins, blah, blah, blah.”