Miskatonic Monday #292: Mystery Box

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: Mystery Box

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Ben Frayle

Setting: Jazz Age USA

Product: ‘Sidequest’ scenario
What You Get: Twenty-three page, 1.29 MB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: “Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.” – Dorothea Lange.

Plot Hook: How did a young woman go missing from a train?

Plot Support: Staging advice, six NPCs, and three maps.

Production Values: Plain

Pros

# Easy to slot into a campaign

# Can be run as a sidequest or full scenario

# Works with fewer (or even one) Investigators rather than more

# Decently done investigation
# Easy to adjust to other locations

# Scopopobia

# Francophobia

# Siderodromophobia

Cons

# Needs a good edit

# Does involve the Dreamlands

# No reactions from all of the missing
# No Sanity rewards for all of the missing

Conclusion

# In need of development and a polish

# A solid investigative horror scenario, whether as a sidequest or a full scenario

[Free RPG Day] Shock in Stormcrag

Now in its seventeenth year, Free RPG Day for 2024 took place on Saturday, June 22nd. As per usual, Free RPG Day consisted of an array of new and interesting little releases, which are traditionally tasters for forthcoming games to be released at GenCon the following August, but others are support for existing RPGs or pieces of gaming ephemera or a quick-start. This included dice, miniatures, vouchers, and more. Thanks to the generosity of Waylands Forge in Birmingham, Reviews from R’lyeh was able to get hold of many of the titles released for Free RPG Day.

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Humblewood: Shock in Stormcrag is a scenario for Humblewood Adventures, the anthropomorphic roleplaying game of birds and animals going on adventures using Dungeons & Dragons, Fifth Edition, and published by Hit Point Press. Designed to be played by four or more Player Characters of Sixth Level and above, it is preview of the forthcoming Humblewood 2: Beyond the Canopy supplement. The scenario is short. It can be played through in a single session—two at the very most—and it contains a good mix of mix of interaction, exploration, and action. ‘Action’ rather than combat, since although there is scope for combat in the scenario, it is not always the best solution.

Humblewood: Shock in Stormcrag is set in and around the village of Haver’s Cliff. The village stands on Flashcrest Mountain, famous for the thunderstorms that constantly circle its peak and empower the strange crystals that grow in the caves below and the villagers harvest to light their homes. The village is fairly isolated, but when a local, elderly sorcerer, Arlo Greenwood, goes missing, the Player Characters are hired to find out where he is. This is not the only hook provided for the benefit for the Game Master, but it is the primary one. Initial investigation reveals that Greenwood’s home has been broken into and there are signs in the mud of someone or something being dragged from the house. The clues point to the nearby Flashcrest Caves, which is where the bulk of the adventure takes places.

What has happened is that one of the Orephidians, the lithe lizard creatures that inhabit the tunnels and caves of the mountain and feed on the crystals, accidentally swallowed an ancient mining gadget and been corrupted by its hunger for the elemental energy stored in the crystals. The other Orephidians are intelligent enough to know that Arlo Greenwood can help them and so kidnapped him! Unfortunately, the Corrupted Orephidian kidnapped the sorcerer again and so the Player Characters will have to confront the overly energised creature to get him back and solve the problem. The Player Characters will need to deal with the different sets of Orephidians, explore the caverns—part of them are underwater, and rescue Arlo Greenwood. Careful players and characters are likely to be better rewarded and learn more than those who do not take as much care.

In addition to the map of the Flashcrest Caves and the stats for the NPCs and monsters, Humblewood: Shock in Stormcrag includes details of two magical items. One of which is the cause of the problems in the adventure, whilst the other will actually help the Player Characters.

Physically, Humblewood: Shock in Stormcrag is a small, short booklet. The layout is clean and tidy, and the artwork is decent. Magical items and monster stats are clearly marked throughout as being at the end of the book. Not all of the locations are marked on the map, but both are easy to work out where they are.

Humblewood: Shock in Stormcrag is a nicely done adventure that rewards the players and their characters for careful play and if it does not exactly punish them for leaping into combat, it certainly refrains from rewarding them for doing so.