Preview of the new dark ages, demon hunting investigative TTRPG, City of God, from Spilled Ink Studios, currently on Kickstarter. Note: I received a preview copy by the creator. This is also not a finished product, and so this is not a full review, only a preview of the main premise and system. A full review on completion will cover praise and criticism for more…
Review of Matthew Sanderson’s Call of Cthulhu scenario Dissociation, from Fear’s Sharp Little Needles. In-Short: A disturbing ride of a scenario that works best for experienced players with expectations to subvert, rather than new players who will likely just be confused. Spoiler-lite for Players and Keepers: Dissociation is extremely difficult to give any details about without delving into spoilers. The title by itself gives away…
Review of the Japanese Call of Cthulhu scenario Three Requests, by Uchiyama Yasujirou for the scenario collection Bibliothek 13. In-Short: A small-scale, freeform investigation that binds its puzzle and mystery to an easily adjustable rising tension that makes it a great, and one of my new favourite, one shot ‘intermediate’ scenarios. Spoiler-lite for Players and Keepers: Three Requests is the last of Uchiyama’s four scenarios…
Review of the Call of Cthulhu scenario Do Not Call Up That Which You Cannot Put Down, written by Brian Courtemanche for Stygian Fox’s Fears Sharp Little Needles. In-Short: A short scenario with a memorable and tense moral-dilemma final scene, but led up to by a largely-choiceless build-up. Spoiler-lite for Players and Keepers: Do Not Call Up That Which You Cannot Put Down is a…
(Kind of) Review of the ur-classic Call of Cthulhu scenario, The Haunting, originally written by Sandy Peterson. The review bit is short, because everyone and their dog and their dog’s dog has already written reviews for it. This is more a collection of additions I made to the spooky house. In-Short: The classic beginner scenario for a reason. An investigation and spooky house exploration that…
Review of the Call of Cthulhu scenario Swamp Song, written by David “Keeper Doc” Melville. In-Short: A investigation-heavy single-session scenario that makes full use of its setting and ambience and is well suited to ongoing or one-shot play, though it may benefit from having its teeth sharpened a bit. Spoiler-lite for Players and Keepers: Swamp Song is classic-style scenario set in the 1920s French Quarter…
Review of the Call of Cthulhu scenario The Plague of the Pharaohs, written by Allan Carey, the 12th and final entry in Type40’s Seeds of Terror series. In-Short: A linear, literal dungeon crawl with just enough colourful set pieces to keep the session interesting. Also, my favourite monster ever. Spoiler-lite for Players and Keepers: The Plague of the Pharaohs is the final scenario in the…
Review of the Call of Cthulhu scenario Mr. Corbitt, originally written by Shawn DeWolfe and updated by Lynne Hardy for Chaosium’s Mansions of Madness Volume I. In-Short: A small scale, though unassumingly complicated, scenario well suited to small groups or a duet session with an individual investigator. Spoiler-lite for Players and Keepers: Mr. Corbitt focuses on the eponymous Mr. Corbitt and on its face is…
Review of the Call of Cthulhu scenario Flute of the Gods, written by Phil Anderson and Allan Carey, and the 11th entry (also the second last) in Type40’s Seeds of Terror Series. In-Short: The most roleplay-heavy of the Seeds series, requiring heavy buy-in from the players, but if they do, they’ll be treated with a story very different from any other Seed or CoC scenario…
This is a short introduction to an equally short supplement for Call of Cthulhu I released a day or so ago, Memorable Major Wounds – Critical Tables and Expanded Injuries. It aims to do what it says on the tin. Make major wounds memorable. I’ve always been a big fan of games with critical or fumble tables, and if a game didn’t have them, it…
