Miskatonic Monday #235: The Tartarus Intercept

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: The Tartarus Intercept

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author Alex Guillotte

Setting: Outer Solar System, 22nd Century

Product: One-shot
What You Get: Sixty-Eight page, 36.32 MB PDF

Elevator Pitch: A mining survey beyond the Kuiper Belt strikes danger and madness more than minerals and money

Plot Hook: A chance to strike it rich, outfly the opposition, and be the first land on new planet? Who would miss that?

Plot Support: Staging advice, six pre-generated Investigators, seven handouts, two maps, two sets of deckplans, two NPCs, and three Mythos monsters.

Production Values: Excellent

Pros

# Solid Science Fiction Horror scenario

# Madness can come from the environment and the Mythos

# Scope for Investigator versus Investigator action

# Appendix on Hard Science Fiction includes new rules, skills, and equipment

# Not set in the Aliens franchise

# Good mix of the weird and the creepy

# Decent artwork

# Melanoheliobia

# Entomophobia

# Micophobia

# Chronophobia

Cons

# Not set in the Aliens franchise

# Plot not quite a cliché, but it feels familiar

Conclusion

# Professionally executed Science Fiction horror scenario

# A familiar, but well done and nicely supported plot, putting similar Science Fiction horror scenarios for Call of Cthulhu to shame