5 comments about Delta Green: Countdown (Call of Cthulhu Horror Roleplaying, Modern Era).

1. If you already have Delta Green, Countdown should be your next purchase (if you don't have Delta Green, BUY IT!!!). Countdown adds write-ups for PISCES (Britain), GRU SV-8 (Russia), The Skoptsi, The Outlook Group, Phenomen-X, Keepers of the Faith (Ghouls), and a new look at The Hastur Mythos. Add rules for the Gift (Psychic Powers) and international templates from all over the world and you have a book that would be cheap at twice the price!!

   Pagan Publishing has done it again!!!




2. Well worth the seemingly hefty price. In addition to containing source material that benefits *any* modern-day game (e.g. details on international law-enforcement agencies), it includes expansions on things alluded to in the main Delta Green book, such as the Army of the Third Eye, and new icky horrors like the Skoptsi.

   There is also wonderful information on ghoul society and on the "King in Yellow"/Hastur mythos, concluding with "Night Floors," which is in my opinion one of the best damn adventures ever written.




3. This product is awesome, but i don't receive form amazon, i buy from others sellers because the delay of order.
   
   This order be canceled.



4. If Delta Green is the Best RPG suppliment ever, then this is Number 2. You get more bang for the buck out of this book for $40 than you do in 4 $20 books. It's very well written and is a great read as well. It is how a RPG SHOULD be written.
   If you're a Call of Cthulhu gamer, then this book is a MUST! If you like horror, X-Files, etc...then check it out.



5. This book adds more to mix than found in the earlier Delta Green Book and will expand the RPG experience further. I would highly recommend buying this book after getting the core book for Delta Green. Expands the conspiracies outside of the United States in both enemies and allies. Much more disturbing than the groups in the original Delta Green book and adds different plot angles. Very well written and compelling. A must have the Delta Green enthusiast

5 comments about The 1920s Investigator's Companion: A Core Game Book for Players (Call of Cthulhu).

1. I bought the book on a recommendation from a gaming friend because I was having a dickens of a time find references on the 1920's. This book touches on so much more than I'm used to finding in most straight non-fiction books on the era (who basically want to just talk about flappers and gangsters--not helpful to me at all).

   While this isn't a be-all-and-end-all reference on the era, I found it extremely helpful in helping me focus what I wanted to do with my own research. It also came with bibliographies which have been extremely helpful. I'm glad I got the book.




2. As the saying goes, "If you must buy one supplement to Call of Cthulhu..." A great role-playing game is generally playable out of a single book. Core rules, including character generation, should be simple enough to fit easily. Expansion books then add new elements to your main book.

   For "Call of Cthulhu," I find the "The 1920S Investigator's Companion" to be the only expansion I use every game. The additional Investigator occupations add an exciting element and allow for more customization for players. For the Keeper, the "Investigator's Companion" does not add any complication to game play, as many expansion and optional rule books do.

   The book is packed with information about the 1920's, and can really fill out your campaign. The optional character classes, such as "Athlete," are adaptable to other eras. "The 1920S Investigator's Companion" is a very well put-together supplement, and is easy to navigate.




3. The book quickly skims 1920's songs, fashion and general lifestyle and has many hundreds of cool little gems of information -- What was the main newspaper of Amsterdam in the 1920s? What hours was the Library of Congress open to the public? What songs were popular in 1924?

   It also has a small but reasonable set of purchasable items like clothes, vehicles and weaponry which the main sourcebook sorely lacks and wonderful information on 1920's forensics and criminal investigation.

   Unfortunately, there's a section of occupations in the middle which takes up half the book. There are little nuggets of information like famous members of that occupation in the 1920's -- Woodie Guthrie the Hobo, Howard Carter the Archaeologist and so on -- but overall, it's just a set of additional sets of skills the player can take and extra benefits and powers. None of it is as unbalancing as Unearthed Arcana was to first-edition AD&D, but it's still a step in the wrong direction, and having it take up half the book is pretty silly.

   Still, the good far outweighs the bad and unless you're already an expert on the 1920's, you'll find a very large amount here to like and to learn from. If you're only buying one Call of Cthulhu sourcebook beyond the basic, I'd still recommend getting one of the Arkham Country books (Arkham Unveiled, Kingsport: City in the Mists, Return to Dunwich and Escape From Innsmouth) instead of this one since they address specific settings. The Arkham book in particular gives excellent specifics that will be more useful to you than the grand, worldwide events of the 1920's Investigator's Guide.

   Of course if you're willing to spend the money, both/all are good purchases.




4. The Call of Cthulhu RPG core rule book is amazingly good (I am want to think of a single core rule book which is fuller or better); and being such, I am not sure whether I should find it odd that the source books tend to be more "sturdy tools" than full fleshed additions. Take the 1920's Companion, it is largely dry reading, strong on the fleshing out of a 1920's campaign but not something that you will read and reread unless you need to look up the data. But, at the same time, the amount of stuff that this book gives you (and makes you realize that you might have forgot to account for in your 1920's game) is pretty astounding. You characters are aided in the assembly of their personality and personal belongings. Timelines are good even in "alternate history" campaigns, and can help you to rewrite history if you wish. Essays and charts flesh out more hard data on procedure and product of the 1920's. On the more technical side, there is one piece of errata that I know of and typos are minimal (besides that one mistake, none come to my mind). The specific page layout is not always attractive...but still, this is one sturdy tool to use. Highly recommended as an extension to the already wonderfully complete world of the CoC RPG.



5. I would like to give this publication a Zero but it won't allow me to. This is one of those books that really did not need to be written. It is utterly featureless. It is comprised of bland writing, recycled source material, and lackluster illustrations. I didn't learn anything from reading this page-turner.lol Anyone with half of an imagination and slightly familiar with America in the 1920's should not buy this book. It offers nothing new to the Cthulhu Mythos.

5 comments about Shadows of Yog-Sothoth: A Global Campaign to Save Mankind (Call of Cthulhu Horror Roleplaying).

1. This 176 page soft cover book is a seven part campaign adventure for the Call of Cthulhu role-playing game. Set in the late 1920's, the scenarios can be played independently or as part of a massive campaign to halt the threat of a sinister cult who is trying to raise the city of R'Lyeh from the ocean's depth and release the Great Old Ones on the world. The campaign is geared towards more experience players although you could take a couple of newbies along as well.
   
   In the first scenario, the investigators learn of the Group called the Hermetic Order of the Silver Twilight. The group has a secret cult interior that most of its members do not even know about. The investigators will join the Order and attempt to infiltrate its secret cult in order to discover its sinister intentions.
   
   In the second adventure, a new group called "Look to the Future" attempts to finance and carry out the plots of the Silver Twilight. This adventure will result in a player or two taking a short but memorable jaunt into the future.
   
   Part three takes the investigators to Scotland and the town of Cannich to encounter witches and the mythical Serpent people, in search of a missing archaeologist who discovers some ancient Pictish ruins and a mysterious disk. A tale influenced by Arthur Machen and Robert E. Howard!
   
   The fourth adventure finds the investigators contacted by a Hollywood millionaire who wants them to find out the source of the problems on the set of his new film. They'll encounter ghostly images on an outtake reel and discover the sinister history of Devil's Canyon.
   
   From Hollywood to Portland, Maine for the next scenario as the true plots of the Silver Twilight unfold and the investigators are faced with three terrible deathtraps.
   
   Scenario six takes the action to one of the most mysterious places on Earth-Easter island and it's massive stone statues in what will be the most dangerous adventure yet.
   
   Everything climaxes in "The Rise of R'lyeh" as the investigators travel to that island, now risen from the ocean, for the final battle against the Lords of the Silver Twilight.
   
   In addition to these seven connected adventures, the book also provides two additional scenarios geared towards newer players. "People of the Monolith" is based upon "The Black Stone" written by Robert E. Howard in probably his most famous Cthulhu Mythos tale. The other scenario, "The Warren" takes the players to Boston to investigate the deserted Boucher estate and attempt to locate a friend of one of the investigators.
   
   While I've been role-playing for over 25 years, I'm a relative newcomer to "Call of Cthulhu". What impresses me most is how great a job the designers do in making things easy on the GM or Keeper. It makes no assumptions that you're already an expert and leads new Keepers like myself along with thorough information. The inclusion of handout materials in the form of mock newspaper articles, telegrams, photos, etc, that can be copied for the players is a great touch and does a far better job of conveying the feelings of suspense and dread than I eve could if I merely tried to describe the action for the players. They realize full well how important mood is to this game and do everything they can to help the keeper convey that to the players. They even provide tips on what kind of music would be appropriate to play in the background during certain adventures. I never saw that in D&D before! An excellent campaign for players of this game. Better for experienced players but even new players can get through it with a little help from the Keeper.
   
   Reviewed by Tim Janson



2. Sandy Petersen, et.al.'s Shadows Of Yog-Sothoth: A Global Campaign To Save Mankind (1568821743, $23.95) also adds to the 'Call of Cthulhu' roleplaying game, presenting a seven-part campaign revealing the Silver Twlight organization. Chapter connections, biographical sketches of characters, numerous line drawings and complex plot details will be welcomed by avid roleplayers.



3. This is a nice scenario book. I can recommend it, having said that it is not perfect. The plot was ok, but not marvelous. A bit to linear and simple, but all in all good.



4. Shadows of Yog-Sothoth was one of the early adventures released by Chaosium for their Call of Cthulhu game system. Despite its age (more than a couple decades), the adventure still has bite and the foes are dangerous and the rewards great.
   
   The investigators are faced with a glocal conspiracy to raise Cthulhu himself. The book contains a variety fo adventures that must be dealt with. When Shadows was written, linear path from start to finish was the standard in the gaming industry. Thus, one can't complain about rail-roading the investigators a bit. Skilled Keepers will have to fill in the cracks when their players wish to investigator ancillary elements and plot points - but there is plenty to work with.
   
   Shadows paved the way for (arguably) the finest and most challenging adventure for CofC (or any other game): Masks of Nyarlathotep, 1st Edition (Call of Cthulhu) [BOX SET]. It deserves to be on every CofCer's shelf as a reference and nostalgic guide to the game's history.



5. I just bought this classic adventure (I owned the first edition years ago) for $8.98 in the used section. It was remaindered for some reason and shipping was free, so I bought this updated version. For $9 you have little reason to restrain your "add to cart" finger.

4 comments about H.P. Lovecraft's Kingsport: City in the Mists (Call of Cthulhu Roleplaying, 8804) (Call of Cthulhu Roleplaying, 8804).

1. I have already the Arkham book, with plans to soon purchase HP Lovecraft's Dunwich, but I have to say I absolutely love HP Lovecraft's Kingsport. It is fll of interesting descriptions, characters, and adventures, as well as a facinating cult that could easily center in a campaign. If there is one thing I do find annoying about this book, it is its size (not very large), but it was still easily worth my money. And one complement I have to give it is that it has finally found a way to drive away those omnipresent ghouls.
   All in all, it is a very good book, that portrays a very creepy little town, with enough horror in it to drive more than one investigator mad...



2. Lovecraft is, I think, best known for his adjectives. More than Cthulhu, even than the Necronomicon, Lovecraft distinguishes himself by a flood of adjectival description for every object, person, landscape, and sensation. The effect is hypnotic, causing the reader to feel immersed in the actual location. I have always thought of Dunwich's adjectives as grubby, ramshackle, and decayed; for Arkaham, I think of dark, secretive, ancient, and haunted. After reading the Kingsport sourcebook, I have an even stronger feel for that location: quiet, contemplative, shrouded in mystery. The rhythm of wave and tide pacing the flow of time from one generation to the next. The ubiquitous mists sheltering the town from the march of progress, allowing memories to accumulate. It seems like the perfect location for an ancient mystery to resurface.
   
   One excellent aspect of the Lovecraft country books is the inclusion of at least some of Lovecraft's original stories dealing with the town - that is why we're here, after all. Kingsport's stories are "The Strange High House in the Mist" and "The Festival". I would have also liked to see the inlcusion of "The Terrible Old Man" as well as "The White Ship", but that might conceivably be giving away too much.
   
   There follows some short sections on what life is like in Kingsport, the history of the town, and the low-down on the local cult (which I thought was pretty good). Afterwards is the standard breakdown of the locale into neighborhoods/regions. Each section lists any interesting residents, locations, and any useful items or information located there. I find this to be an excellent inspiration for ideas. If you are not completely into one-shots, an excellent long-term idea would be just to explore the town, investigating history and mystery. I know that my gaming group actually likes this sort of thing better than epic quests and whatnot. I also really like the town directory, sorting people, places and things into categories for easy reference with their page number.
   
   About half of the book is scenarios. There is a short section on how to use character dreams during gameplay and then 3 scenarios. I really can't say much about them without being a spoiler. I can say that "Dead in the Water" has a lot of material and looks very intense and draws out many of the unique characteristics of Kingsport.



3. This book is perfect for create any adventure you wuold like to set in Kingsport.
   Here you find all the information you need: people, buildings, legends, maps, and so on.



4. And the investigators just planned a calm vacation on a shore town...
   
   Kingsport offers a different feel for Call of Cthulhu campaigns. Few other locales are as tied to the Dreamlands as this small town. Not that Kingsport lacks some of the rugose and eldritch horrors of the Mythos, but Keepers can construct scenarious around some of the more fantastical, less ghastly elements that Lovecraft wrote. Chaosium delivers much potential intrigue in detailed descriptions of locals and locales.
   
   The included adventures range from merely good to the brilliant and harrowing, "Dead in the Water," one of the more challenging adventures written for the game. My players still talk about the dangers of the Star Mother years since their encounter - a testament to some ingenious writing and plotting.
   
   A Must-By for any CofC Keeper.
   I can say that "Dead in the Water" has a lot of material and looks very intense and draws out many of the unique characteristics of Kingsport.

No comments about Secrets of San Francisco: A 1920s Sourcebook for the City By the Bay (Call of Cthulhu Horror Roleplaying).

2 comments about H. P. Lovecraft's Dreamlands (Call of Cthulhu Horror Roleplaying).

1. This hardback copy of HP Lovecraft's Dreamlands is an improvement over the 4th edition. Previously removed adventures were restored, with Lovecraft's original conception of the land of Xura. It still has Lumley's description of Zura and the Eidolon Lathi, which many people resented. I just found it interesting that the scenario involving Xura (not Zura) admits that the decription is different from the one in the sourcebook, but was still worthy of inclusion.
   
   To begin with, it is a nice hardback book. I like my source books to be hardcover for more use. I tend to mangle softcovers that are used a lot for reference. There is a nice color landscape on the inside covers. However, all other graphics are black and white, which at least cost less. Some of the pages weren't bound well either.
   
   The material begins with a description of dreaming, the land of dream, and how to get there. This edition says that in order to enter through dreams, characters must have less than 300 points of modern skills (science and technology); they can still enter via other methods (artifacts, magic, and chemicals). The dreaming skill is described, which allows MP and POW to be used to alter reality within the dreamlands.
   
   The next section is a paraphrase of "The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath". I assumed it would merely leave out some prose from HPL, but it also includes further information on each of the areas that Carter visited - very informative and fun to read! The Gazeteer of the Dreamlands follows, which divides the world into the North, East, West, Seas, Oriab, the Moon, and the Underworld. I didn't feel that these sections were well-developed; it was almost just a list of places and people. It really would have been more productive to focus on a few sites of interest and add more background to those than do a lukewarm job on all of them.
   
   Afterwards, there are sections on people, creatures, and gods of the Dreamlands. These are mostly complete, but the major races and gods ere only references to read the core rulebook. I would have preferred to see the entries repeated than have to pull out another book for the most important denizens of the Dreamlands. There are also artifacts, books, and many spells - the magic of the Dreamlands is much more powerful in its ability to warp "reality".
   
   There are then 6 scenarios presented. The first is two pages, and really just a suggestion to travel through the Dreamlands to meet a friend - big whoop. This is a "seed", not a "scenario". "The Land of Lost Dreams" and "Season of the Witch" are powerful narratives with physical and psychological challenges for investigators to overcome. "Pickman's Student" is a horrific transformation of a friend into a fiend from the Underworld, requiring a travel to the Dreamlands to gain assistance to end the change. "Lemon Sails" seems like a fun adventure for Dreamlands-only characters, although the plot is forced.
   
   One huge point in favor of this book is a section on creating a dreamlands character, with rolls, skills, and a character sheet. There are occupation skill sets listed and weapons more common to dreams. This allows the Dreamlands book to be used as a standalone, which I think adds a LOT of value. There is also a bibliography of authors and stories referenced in the dreamlands - a great reading list!
   
   I think this book has some weak points - a lot of names of cities and people, but not much info. Clearly, this allows the Keeper to improvise a lot, but then if you wanted to do that, why buy the sourcebook? But there is a lot to approve of - the restoration of all the scenarios, the acknowledgement of the difference between Lovecraft and Lumley on some points, the rules for creating a character so that this supplement can be a standalone, and, well, the hardcover itself. Might be worth upgrading if you own 4th edition, otherwise a good buy for anyone new to dreams.



2. After I bought the Core Book for Call of Cthulhu I did not think any of the Supplementals could rival the information, story, and imagination but Dreamlands comes very close. It encapsulates HPL's world very concisely and accurately. It even includes a nicely illustrated Dreamland map.

No comments about Mansions of Madness (Call of Cthulhu Horror Roleplaying, 1920s Era).

5 comments about Cthulhu Dark Ages (Call of Cthulhu Horror Roleplaying, Chaosium #2398).

1. Cthulhu Dark Ages is a stand-alone RPG, and a "prequel" to Call of Cthulhu set around the turn of the first millennium, in the 10th century A.D. I could stop this review right there and you'd pretty much have it, but I should mention that Stephane Gesbert, the author, shows a pretty solid grasp on the grubby physicality of the era that comes out in the text. (The historical material is okay, but necessarily pretty superficial.) This is Cthulhu without shotguns, or libraries, or any of the other crutches that can vitiate the horrors of the Mythos. It's just flickering torchlight and the cold wind from the North -- and it works really quite well. I didn't begin enraptured with it, but the more I read the better I liked the material. Every so often, Gesbert throws you a curve ball, with some surprise identifier of medieval monsters with Mythos creations that evokes Delta Green in its vertiginous cleverness (star-spawn as dragons), or a well-thought adaptation of the basic rules set for medieval assumptions (the disease table goes a long way to reinforce the difference a millennium makes to us mayfly humans). A lengthy scenario completes the book; intriguingly there are no d20 Call of Cthulhu stats given.
   



2. The Dark Ages and the Dark Gods of the Cthulhu Mythos: what could be more pleasingly horrific?

   Want to know how dark the "Dark Ages" could really have been, from the Lovcraftian perspective? Your wish is granted!

   Curious about what happens when midieval role-play gets mixed with cosmic horror? Then this is for you!

   "Cthulhu Dark Ages" opens up a new doorway on the world of "Call of Cthulhu" role-playing, providing a venue for players and Keepers who want to explore a time when the amenities of the post-Industrial Revolution world do not exist even in the wildest of dreams . . . but horrible things still lurk in the dark places of the world, and just out of sight in the corner of one's perception! This truly is a new world for CoC players, where things are VERY different from the way they're used to having them! No firearms, explosives and electric lights to fall back on here, folks!

   This book is the perfect cross-over for CoC Keepers and players who want to take their Lovecraftian horror RPG into the realm of either a historic or fantasy midieval setting. It will tie in neatly with any number of popular fantasy or Middle Ages RPGs out there (I won't name them; you already know what they are if you're into them). And it's a great addition to it's own parent Call of Cthulhu system, too, of course!

   This is an essential addition to any die-hard CoC player's or Keeper's collection. I can't recommend it enough!




3. Though a bit thin on background. Considering, however, that this is a more historical game than some other sword and sorcery style systems, it is easy to get background on the times and people from your local library. The adaptations of the Basic Role Playing System found in the standard Call of Cthulhu rules are interesting and logical. The idea of dark horror in these dark ages is interesting (like the game Vampire: The Dark Ages).
   
   The only negative I found was the idea of point expenditure for character creation. Instead of rolling random dice you have a number of points to seperate between all attributes. One of the intriguing things about CoC is the range of characters that the random rolling method creates. However, this is a minor point, considering you can always just use the standard dice method if you prefer. The point method appears to be an attempt to achieve game balance, which is kind of funny considering your average Cthulhu entity can eat your face off even if you are armed with a machine gun.



4. I second most of the other reviews. It's a great stand alone game (you really don't need anything else to get informed and going). I'd add though, that they try to "fantasy" it up a bit, given that it's set in the past. They add some fantasyish magic, and a few other unrelated fantasy creatures that many might consider as taking away from the general theme of the game. It's all usable at the player's/game master's discretion, of course, so it's all good.
   
   None of the former would cause me to give it a poor review however, but the historical overview and related tidbits on these erroneously called "dark ages" do. It is so full of factual errors, outright contradictions, and false cliche and bias that it could make someone incensed with anger. Of course, it's not all error, but if one doesn't know anything about the era, well, take it all with a grain of salt.
   How much of that is done intentionally in order to promote a "dark" and "depressing" setting for the game, who knows?
   Anyway, the history lesson is only a portion of the book, and information on that abounds elsewhere.



5. Cthulhu Mythos in the Dark Ages just plain makes sense. For nittier-grittier sword and sorcery, this system is probably better than any of the d20 systems. This is also a much more streamlined system which allows you to focus on story and role playing rather than mechanics and dice chucking.
   
   While I like it, too much of it is given over to rules, not setting, etc. I would have liked to see this more as a supplement to the core Call of Cthulhu game than as a stand alone product. That said, its a good alternative for people who only are PCs, never a keeper. Keepers should have both this and the Call of Cthulhu "big book".

No comments about Secrets of Los Angeles: A Guidebook to the City of Angels in the 1920s (Call of Cthulhu Roleplaying).

1 comments about Secrets Of New York: A Mythos Guide to the City That Never Sleeps (Call of Cthulhu Horror Roleplaying).

1. First off, I enjoyed reading this book. The history of the city tinged with Mythos lore made for a fun evening diversion. My practical use for the book in the game was more indirect, however.
   
   I was running the players through "Look to the Future" in Shadows of Yog-Sothoth (which takes place in New York). I found this book to be extremely helpful in setting the mood for that chapter of the campaign. The characters wanted to know where hotels, restaurants, etc. were, and Secrets of New York delivered.
   
   I haven't had the chance to run either scenario, but they both look promising.
   
   I would certainly recommend this book to any Keeper.