Miskatonic Monday #421: Nothing but the Wind

Much like the Jonstown Compendium for RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha and The Companions of Arthur for material set in Greg Stafford’s masterpiece of Arthurian legend and romance, Pendragon, the Miskatonic Repository for Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition is a curated platform for user-made content. 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: Nothing but the Wind

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: JP Stephens

Setting: New World in the Dark Ages

Product: Scenario
What You Get: Seventeen page, 2.15 MB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: Vikings versus Wendigo

Plot Hook: Vikings versus Wendigo

Plot Support: Staging advice, four pre-generated Vikings, one map, and several Mythos monsters.

Production Values: Plain

Pros

# Technically a scenario for Call of Cthulhu and Mythic Iceland

# Could be run using either Cthulhu Dark Ages (or even Age of Vikings)

# Low preparation, easy set up and run

# Ososphobia

# Ancraophobia

# Frigophobia

Cons

# Straightforward and fairly obvious

# It is going to end in a fight (and it does)

Conclusion

# Easy to set up, low preparation scenario

# Vikings versus Wendigo, claws versus sword action

Miskatonic Monday #374: Plus Ultra

Much like the Jonstown Compendium for RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha and The Companions of Arthur for material set in Greg Stafford’s masterpiece of Arthurian legend and romance, Pendragon, the Miskatonic Repository for Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition is a curated platform for user-made content. 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: Plus Ultra

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Michał Pietrzak

Setting: Hispaniola, 1665

Product: Scenario
What You Get: Twelve page, 499.59 KB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: Zombies of the Caribbean

Plot Hook: “This town (Town)

Is coming like a ghost town”

– ‘Ghost Town’, The Specials

Plot Support: Staging advice, four pre-generated Investigators, five NPCs, and some zombies

Production Values: Plain

Pros

# Unwinnable war against a warlock can turn into a time chase

# Decent pre-generated Investigators

# Kinemortophobia

# Necrophobia

# Chronophobia

Cons

# Unwinnable war against a warlock can turn into a time chase

Conclusion

# An experience in horror before the Investigators have the chance to put the knife in

# Can be the end of the world if the Investigators do not get the hint

Miskatonic Monday #267: Flash Cthulhu – Fair Porcine Prize

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: Flash Cthulhu – Fair Porcine Prize

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Michael Reid

Setting: Dark Ages England

Product: One-Location, One-Hour Scenario for Cthulhu Dark Ages
What You Get: Eight page, 2.02 MB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: Harvest horror as a horrid hog hogs it all.

Plot Hook: A missing pig means everyone is slop!

Plot Support: Staging advice, four pre-generated Investigators, one Mythos TomeTale, one Mythos spell, and one Mythos pig.

Production Values: Plain

Pros

# Some pigs are destined for bigger things. Are the Investigators?

# Mini-scenario for Cthulhu Dark Ages

# Short, sharp, encounter

# Easy to slot into a campaign or between scenarios

# Easy to adapt to other times and settings

# Potential convention mini-scenario

# Mysopobia

# Phagophobia

# Swinophobia

Cons

# Needs a slight edit

# No village map

Conclusion

# “That’ll do, Pig. That’ll do.” NO! It damned well, won’t do!

# Short, strange swinishly scarey encounter that is easy to use no matter the time and setting

Miskatonic Monday #238: The Stench of an Open Grave

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: The Stench of an Open Grave

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Marcus D. Bone

Setting: Dark Ages Wessex

Product: Scenario
What You Get: Forty-seven page, 2.86 MB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: An introductory Cthulhu Dark Ages investigation

Plot Hook: A hunt for a missing monk reveals dark doings in the hills.
Plot Support: Staging advice, three pre-generated investigators, no handouts, one map, eleven NPCs, and one Mythos creature.

Production Values: Decent

Pros

# Scenario for Cthulhu Dark Ages

# Classic isolated village horror Straightforward investigation suitable as an introduction to the setting

# Suitable for two to three Investigators

# Plenty of historical and regional background

# Dysmorphobia

# Hemophobia

# Traumatophobia

Cons

# Needs a slight edit

# Sanity losses light in places

# Classic isolated village horror

Conclusion

# Solid, straightforward introductory investigative scenario for Cthulhu Dark Ages

# Combines a missing monk, an isolated village, and strange beliefs in well done classic isolated village horror scenario

Miskatonic Monday #148: After the Rain

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: After the Rain: A Samurai Era Call of Cthulhu Scenario

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author Kevin Konieczko

Setting: Warring States Era Japan

Product: Scenario
What You Get: Thirty-six page, 12.54 MB PDF

Elevator Pitch: Seven Samurai versus the Mythos

Plot Hook: Ronin hired to deal with bandits who have just turned more vicious
Plot Support: Staging advice, eight handouts including one map, six NPCs, and two Mythos monsters.

Production Values: Good.

Pros

# Suitable for Cthulhu Dark Ages

# Includes a primer on Sengoku Era Japan

# Detailed Investigators

# Teraphobia

Cons

# Involves a lot of combat

# Needs an edit

Conclusion

# Entertaining change of place in what is a samurai mini-sandbox supported detailed Investigators and historical background.

# Can be run using Cthulhu Dark Ages or Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition

Miskatonic Monday #95: The Haunted Grove

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 a 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: The Haunted Grove

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Andy Miller

Setting: Cthulhu Dark Ages England

Product: Scenario
What You Get: Twenty-two page, 15.63 MB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: When your only refuge is a lonely house in the woods, sometimes it is better to stay lost. 

Plot Hook: Lost in the woods, and at least some of the family are welcoming...

Plot Support: Detailed plot, staging advice for the Keeper, one floorplan, three (one) NPC(s) and their associated photographs, and two pre-generated Investigators.

Production Values: Reasonable.

Pros

# Mythos Folkloric horror scenario

# Short, one-session scenario

# Three strong archetypes for the Keeper to enjoy roleplaying

# Suited to smaller groups of Investigators

# Easy to adapt to elsewhere or for Cthulhu Invictus

# Includes advice for adapting it to Cthulhu by Gaslight, Down Darker Trails, or modern day Call of Cthulhu

# Potential addition to the scenario, ‘The Dragon and the Wolf’, from The Bride of Halloween Horror Monograph

Cons

# Women (woman) as monster(s)

# Includes mature, thematically appropriate scenes

# Keeper needs to know her Mythos magic

Conclusion

# Isolated, Mythos Folkloric horror scenario

# Includes mature, thematically appropriate scenes

# Classic Mythos interpretation of a classic occult trinity

Miskatonic Monday #85: The Secret of Silcestre

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 a 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: The Secret of Silcestre

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Andy Miller

Setting: Dark Ages Wessex

Product: Scenario
What You Get: Fifty-two page, 38.35 MB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: There be dwarves in them thar hills—and they be evil. Evil, I tell ye!

Plot Hook: What secrets and treasures lie in Silchestre’s Roman past?

Plot Support: Detailed plot, three good handouts, eight maps, seven NPCs, three Mythos entities, one Mythos tome, and four pre-generated Investigators. 

Production Values: Decent.

Pros
# Multiple set-ups for the scenario

# Solid support for Dark Ages: Cthulhu

# Decent quartet of pre-generated Investigators

# Multi-factional treasure hunt

# Roleplaying opportunities for negotiating with the factions

# Could be adapted to other periods and settings, but not easily

# Potential campaign set-up

Cons
# Requires a fair degree of set-up and exposition

# All male pre-generated Investigators

Conclusion

# A treasure hunt in Merry Olde Englande

# Take the treasure themselves, give it to a nickname and have juicy thoughts about making it yours, promise it to another faction. Ultimately, the outcome is down to the players.

# Good support for Dark Ages: Cthulhu

Miskatonic Monday #83: The Mad Priest

 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 a 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: The Mad Priest

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Marco Carrer

Setting: Dark Ages Iceland using Cthulhu Through The Ages and Mythic Iceland

Product: Scenario
What You Get: Ten page, 792.80 KB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: A plague upon their crops, a plague upon their animals, what madness has come upon the village?

Plot Hook: The price of hospitality can lead to horror.

Plot Support: Plot outline, one handout, two NPCs, two Mythos monsters, and five pre-generated Investigators.

Production Values: Plain.

Pros
# Short, one-session one-shot or convention scenario

# Support for Cthulhu Through The Ages, Mythic Iceland, and Cthulhu Dark Ages

# Best to fit the scenario to Investigators’ village

Cons
# No Sanity losses for failure

# Underdeveloped plot 
# Needs an edit

# Needs development

Conclusion

# Compact scenario waiting for a Keeper’s input

# Support for Cthulhu Through The Ages, Mythic Iceland, and Cthulhu Dark Ages

Miskatonic Monday #29: A Colour in a Dark Age

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 a 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: A Colour in a Dark Age

Publisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Jonathan Baxter

Setting: Cthulhu Dark Ages or Cthulhu Through the Ages: Guidelines for Playing Call of Cthulhu in Seven Different Eras
Product: Scenario
What You Get: 28.29 MB nineteen-page, full colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: In the Dark Ages there is only one colour between them.
Plot Hook: A draining experience could be spreading...
Plot Development: Warring factions, cowed villagers, heresy, religious persecution, a siege, and a cookbook.
Plot Support: Investigator strategies, sixteen fully-stated up NPCs, and seven full colour maps.

Pros
# Support for Cthulhu Dark Ages# Can be played just using Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition
# Designed for three players (but playable by more)
# Creepy opening scenes
# Open-ended design
# Scope for scenery-chewing NPCs
# Scope for inter-factional skulduggery
# Big climax

Cons
# Support for Cthulhu Dark Ages
# Poorly explained set-up
# Open-ended plot
# Not suitable for the new Keeper
# Possible party split
# Potentially easy access to powerful Mythos tomes

Conclusion
# Unfamiliar setting
# Underwritten set-up
# The Mythos meets B-Movie, blood & guts, hack & slash with a whiff of a rose!

A Yuletide Domesday

The Yuletide Spirit and Trouble at T'Mill is the second supplement released for Maelstrom Domesday, the Norman set RPG published by Arion Games as a prequel and second edition to the highly regarded 1984 RPG, Maelstrom. This new RPG is set in 1086, some twenty years after the Norman invasion of 1066, and presents a country still recovering from repeated invasions—by the Scots and the Danes; from repeated rebellions and suppressions within; and finally from the ‘Harrying of the North’, the violent suppression of not just a series of Anglo-Saxon uprisings, but of the Anglo-Saxon peoples in the region, resulting in the death of tens of thousands. This is the year in which the Domesday Book, a great survey of the men and lands of the King William the Conqueror is completed, even as the king’s attention continues to be divided between consolidating his rule over England and holding off the French king’s designs upon Normandy. Thus the king’s men cannot be everywhere and when his peace is disrupted, the taxes cannot be collected, there are further signs of rebellion, or things that cannot truly be explained, other powerful men of the kingdom are prepared to step in to support both king and church. Often they cannot act directly and arrange to have their agents act for them—agents such as the player characters, who each have had some kind of encounter with the supernatural that is the Maelstrom…!

Characters in Maelstrom Domesday are ordinary men and women—they can be archers, beggars, craftsmen, huntsmen, knights, ladies, men-at-arms, outlaws, peasants, priests, squires, and wisemen/wisewomen. In the default campaign set-up, the characters each have an encounter with something weird and been employed by a local lord to investigate strange things going on in his holdings. It should be noted that this is historical game, which means that there are many occupations that will not be available to female characters. Further whilst magic using characters are possible, it is rare that one will be rolled up during character creation. In fact, it is far more likely that character will have theological knowledge than knowledge of magic, though knowledge of the supernatural will also not be uncommon, though frowned upon.

The Yuletide Spirit and Trouble at T'Mill presents two short adventures that can each be run in a single session or so. Like The Beast of Ledsham, both are set in isolated locations and both involve hauntings of a sort. Trouble at T'Mill was originally packaged as the Maelstrom Domesday Quickstart, whilst The Yuletide Spirit was released on its own. In The Yuletide Spirit, the player characters have been sent by their liege lord to investigate sightings of a black dog in a nearby village. This could have been the ‘beast of Ledsham’, but now in the depths of winter, they find themselves caught out as the weather turns and they are forced to seek shelter. This is at an isolated grange or monastic farm which belongs to the abbey of St. Mary’s in York. It is worked by a mix of monks and lay brothers, who will welcome the characters with some slight reluctance, though mostly because they are busy with their farm work and their religious observances.

All this takes place on Christ Mass Eve and after they bed down for the night, they are awoken by ghostly chanting in Latin. The question is, what is the cause? As investigators into the odd and the supernatural for their liege lord, the characters are bound to investigate. This will not actually take all that much investigation, but it is enough for a single session.

With a title echoing a certain Monty Python sketch, Trouble at T'Mill takes place in the manor and village of Welburn. The characters are sent there for two reasons. First, their patron has an important guest and wants them out of the way. Second, Welburn has not been sending the milled grain it should, only unmilled grain, and their patron wants to know why. This is a lengthier, more involved scenario than the earlier The Yuletide Spirit, with more villagers to interact with, as the characters attempt to find out why the miller has stopped working in the mill.

The greater array of NPCs means that the Referee will have more to work with and have more in portraying them. Similarly he should have as much fun, if not more, portraying what happens if the characters spend any time in the mill. The cause of the problem is a relatively obvious and straightforward and it is a plot that has been seen elsewhere before. This should not necessarily be held against the scenario or its author, as it is handled in as unfussy a manner as you would wish.

Physically, The Yuletide Spirit and Trouble at T'Mill is presented in an open and accessible fashion. It feels untidy and the layout could be cleaner and easier. It should be pointed out that the book does not include the pre-generated players characters that it says that it has. Further, there is no advice as what the Referee should create in terms of pre-generated characters, though some suggestions can be extracted from the text. Better advice would have been a nice touch.

Unfortunately, there is little in the way of support for Maelstrom Domesday and The Yuletide Spirit and Trouble at T'Mill presents two decent scenarios that are easy to run and add to an existing campaign. Or indeed, used as one-shots to showcase the RPG. Of the two, Trouble at T'Mill is the better, deeper showcase, but The Yuletide Spirit is the easier of the two to run and the easier to run in a short time frame. As its title might suggest, The Yuletide Spirit would make a good adventure to run at this time of year. Both scenarios are easier to run and better presented than The Beast of Ledsham, as well as being more accessible. If there is an issue with The Yuletide Spirit and Trouble at T'Mill it is that there are similarities between the two scenarios that might preclude their being run too close together. Their brevity also highlights the fact that Maelstrom Domesday would benefit from longer deeper support, especially in terms of scenarios. Nevertheless, The Yuletide Spirit and Trouble at T'Mill presents a pair of solid scenarios that are easy to add to any campaign or run as one-shots.

A Beast of an Adventure

The Beast of Ledsham is the first supplement released for Maelstrom Domesday, the Norman set RPG published by Arion Games as a prequel and second edition to the 1984 RPG, Maelstrom. This new RPG is set in 1086, some twenty years after the Norman invasion of 1066, and presents a country still recovering from repeated invasions—by the Scots and the Danes; from repeated rebellions and suppressions within; and finally from the ‘Harrying of the North’, the violent suppression of not just a series of Anglo-Saxon uprisings, but of the Anglo-Saxon peoples in the region, resulting in the death of tens of thousands. This is the year in which the Domesday Book, a great survey of the men and lands of the King William the Conqueror is completed, even as the king’s attention continues to be divided between consolidating his rule over England and holding off the French king’s designs upon Normandy. Thus the king’s men cannot be everywhere and when his peace is disrupted, the taxes cannot be collected,, there are further signs of rebellion, or things that cannot truly be explained, other powerful men of the kingdom are prepared to step in to support both king and church. Often they cannot act directly and arrange to have their agents act for them—agents such as the player characters, who each have had some kind of encounter with the supernatural that is the Maelstrom…!

Characters in Maelstrom Domesday are ordinary men and women—they can be archers, beggars, craftsmen, huntsmen, knights, ladies, men-at-arms, outlaws, peasants, priests, squires, and wisemen/wisewomen. In the default campaign set-up, the characters each have an encounter with something weird and been employed by a local lord to investigate strange things going on in his holdings. It should be noted that this is historical game, which means that there are many occupations that will not be available to female characters. Further whilst magic using characters are possible, it is rare that one will be rolled up during character creation.

The Beast of Ledsham is a short adventure in which the characters are tasked with visiting the village of Ledsham to the west of York—the default campaign location in the core rulebook—where it is reported that something evil lurks in the surrounding woods, preying on game and the villagers. This matter has to be addressed quickly as the Norman baron Ilbert de Lacy will move to do what the characters have been ordered to do, but he will do so employing harsh, direct methods as he thinks that the villagers have been poaching his deer.

Written for use with novice or experienced characters, The Beast of Ledsham consists of a twenty-eight page booklet which mostly consists of a description of the village and its inhabitants. In order to conduct the investigation, the characters will need to interview the villagers. In the doing so, they will be faced with a prejudice or two—Normans are not always well liked in Ledsham—and perhaps uncover one or two things going on in the village. This is necessary, since it aid in their final uncovering of what exactly is going on in Ledsham.

The problem is that The Beast of Ledsham focuses on building the suspicions of the player character and in so doing, pointing them towards the village’s other secrets. This is necessary after all, but in the process, it initially completely ignores clues about the adventure’s obvious plot and leaves the GM with the task of creating them himself. Essentially, what is going to happen is that the player characters are going to turn up in Ledsham, start asking questions about the beast that has been threatening the villagers and their livelihood, and the GM will be unable to give those answers because it is apparent that they knowing nothing! Which is a problem because the player characters are going to want those questions answered—after all, it is why they are in Ledsham in the first place.

Once the investigators get on track, then The Beast of Ledsham presents a decent enough scenario. The investigation itself involves lots interviews and interrogations and except for a minor optional encounter at the start and the confrontation with the creature at the end, it involves little in the way of combat. Indeed, none of the female characters are given stats because when it comes to combat, they will flee rather than fight. 

For the most part, The Beast of Ledsham is decently enough presented. The artwork feels a bit rough and the book could do with an edit. Ultimately, that is what The Beast of Ledsham needed—another edit, someone else’s eyes going over—to spot the fundamental omissions. The Beast of Ledsham is not unworkable or unplayable, but it needs work to get there...