Miskatonic Monday #183: Saturday the 14th

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: Saturday the 14th

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Sabrina Haenze

Setting: 1980s Maine
Product: Scenario

What You Get: Twenty-Eight page, 9.55 MB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: Friday the 13th meets Groundhog Day (sort of...)

Plot Hook: How many times can you die before you solve the crime?

Plot Support: Staging advice, four pre-generated Investigators, four NPCs, twenty-five victims, three handouts, and two Mythos monsters.

Production Values: Plain.

Pros

# Clever twist upon the repetitive slasher movie horror cliché

# Straightforward and very direct plot 

# Movie night one-shot

# Diokophobia

# Chronophobia

Cons

# Clever twist upon the repetitive slasher movie horror cliché

# Straightforward, linear, and very direct plot

# Needs an edit

# This is a cliché 

# Pre-generated Investigators scruffily presented

Conclusion

# Ups the ante on the clichéd slasher movie by making the Investigators relive it multiple times to solve the crimes

# Undemanding movie night horror