Miskatonic Monday #228: Alpaca on a Plane

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: Alpaca on a Plane

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: John Hedge

Setting: Modern Day Orkney

Product: One-Shot
What You Get: Twenty-nine page, 46.51 MB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: A whodunnit with a South American camelid mammal one stormy night.

Plot Hook: Survival from a plane crash turns into survival horror
Plot Support: Staging advice, six (or seven) pre-generated Investigators, one maps, four (five) NPCs, and one Mythos creature.

Production Values: Adequate

Pros

# Sequel to Alpaca in the Sheep Field

# Multiple antagonist options with suspicious actions and dark secrets

# One-shot murder mystery (or campaign starter)

# Great opening scene with the plane crash

# Nice sense of isolation

# Aerophobia

# Homichlophobia

# Alpacomaphobia

Cons

# Needs a slight edit

Conclusion

# Flexible set-up keeps antagonist mysterious

# Enjoyably isolated murder mystery with Alpaca bonus and great opening scene