Miskatonic Monday #182: Of Fathers

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: Of Fathers

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Aleksi Martikainen, Sean Liddle, Jef Wilkins, Jukka Särkijärvi, & Petri Leinonen

Setting: Jazz Age Chicago
Product: Scenario

What You Get: Twenty-Six page, 2.09 MB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: Revenge isn’t something you just dream about. 

Plot Hook: Your father was murdered and the police say you did it. 

Plot Support: Staging advice, eight NPCs, one handout, and one Mythos entity.

Production Values: Decent.

Pros

# Straightforward, detailed plot 

# Potential introduction to the Mythos

# Potential introduction to the Mythos for a cultist!

# Easy to adapt to other time periods and settings

# Somniphobia

# Oneirophobia

Cons

# Needs a strong edit and further localisation

# Underdeveloped in places

# Oddly out of period photographs

# Linear plot
# No maps

# No pre-generated Investigator included

Conclusion

# Linearly plotted murder-mystery which wafts in and out of dreams tempting the protagonist with the power of revenge

# Murder-mystery with the potential to create a hero or a villain