No comments about Call of Cthulhu: Fantasy Role-Playing in the Worlds of H.P. Lovecraft (3rd Edition).

No comments about Blood Brothers (Call of Cthulhu No. 2329).

1 comments about Resection of Time (Call of Cthulhu).

1. This is a very engaging adventure for "Call of Cthulhu" in the modern-day setting. Although written for a modern-day setting, the adventure can be made to work for other eras as well, particularly the 1920's, with a little work by the Keeper. I suspect it will work very well run just as presented, although I saw fit to modify some of the particulars to fit in with my own players' likes and the preferences of our ongoing campaign.
   
   Chief amongst my relatively few complaints about the adventure was the treatment of Arkham and the Miskatonic University in this supplement. Both are seedy, run-down places that are apparently just a step above being totally abandoned and razed.... not a fitting fate for the city and university around which many of H.P. Lovecraft's stories revolved! This simply had to go, in favor of a modern Arkham and M.U. that are more a modern-day equivalent to what Lovecraft described.
   
   The remainder of the adventure, on the other hand, is quite good indeed, and needs little adjustment other than a few tweaks to make it personal for the players. It should be noted that the adventure will work best if the players' adventurers include a number of professors or similar academic types who will have reason to be interested in the archaeological background about "Mayan-Mythos cross-over" that is so important as a "hook" for the adventure.
   
   Chaosium's summary text:
   
   "At first, the death of successful archaeologist Kyle Woodson seemed an accident, an autombile crash turned fatal. When certain medical irregularities became apparent, and then the body was quickly cremated, the case became much more sinister to trained eyes.
   
   "In this adventure, the investigators are challenged by the strange case of Kyle Woodson. Inquiries will take them across the United States of the 1990s, from San Francisco, and the Sanbourne Institute for Pacific Studies near Los Angeles, to decaying modern Arkham. In the end, all clues lead to ancient Mayan ruins, deep in Central America.
   
   "This 64 page scenario book can be played in two to three nights. It contains twenty-five handouts, many featuring genuine Mayan glyphs and annotated translations. Artwork includes many thumbnails, several drawings of Mayan artifacts, and a number of beautiful gray-scale illustrations."

No comments about Secrets of Kenya: The Mythos Roams Wild (Call of Cthulhu) (Call of Cthulhu).

1 comments about Spawn Of Azathoth: Herald of the End Of Time (Call of Cthulhu Horror Roleplaying).

1. Chaosium has a reputation for producing some of the finest RPG adventures and "Spawn of Azathoth" for the Call of Cthulhu game is no exception. Originally released in 1986, this world-spanning campaign of nine linked adventures set in the 1920s places the players' investigators into a cruel catch-22 of cosmic proportions - literally. Circling around the Earth is a piece of the god Azathoth - its spawn, as it is generally known - that appears to be a twin dark star circling our own sun. The spawn has caused mass destruction on our pale blue planet for eons and will do so in its future. Once the investigators are drawn into adventure's plot they discover that there are individuals and groups that either want the spawn of Azathoth to destroy the Earth, or that want to save humankind from its ravages by putting them into a form of magical suspended animation. Neither prospect is very promising for the fate of humankind, but like all good investigators, they must take action to help the better of the two.
   
   The nine adventures in this 200-page book are fairly short, probably only taking one or two evenings to play. The two starting adventures take place in Providence, Rhode Island. From the there the players are free to go on adventures set in Montana, Florida, the Andaman Islands in the Indian Ocean, in the Dreamlands, and finally in Tibet for the grand climax of the campaign. Additionally, there are numerous handouts for the players - 45 in all - that serve as clues to help out the investigators.
   
   My only problem with this Chaosium product is its poor graphic design - unusual for a company that has been a touchstone for quality for so many years. The location maps have been crudely rendered on some sort of basic computer publishing program and they have a slightly blurry look about them as if the were a copied from a photocopy. Likewise, most of the artwork is amateurish and crude, and those that are not (presumably some of the art from the original issue) have the same blurry quality about it that plague the maps.
   
   Like most classic Call of Cthulhu adventures, "Spawn of Azathoth" does not disappoint. It has both mundane and exotic locales, bizarre creatures, well-developed personalities, and great plotlines. This second edition expands and updates the original 1986 issue, but since I've never seen the first edition I do not know what changes and additions have been made.

No comments about Last Rites: Four Present-Day Adventures for Call of Cthulhu (Call of Cthulhu Roleplaying Game) (Call of Cthulhu Roleplaying Game).

No comments about Secrets (Call of Cthulhu).

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.

2 comments about The Great Old Ones (Call of Cthulhu Horror Roleplaying, 1920s Setting).

1. THE GREAT OLD ONES is widely acknowledged to be one of the best products an early Chaosium put out. Having had it recommended to me, and having been able to chase down a copy, I can say that the adventures look interesting, original, and well-researched, although somewhat primitive in their development. I think all 6 of the scenarios would be fun to play or to run. They can be run separately or as part of a continuous campaign.
   
   "The Spawn" - The "Broad Vein" and "Copper Lady" are adjacent mines in Coppertown, NM. One is producing loads of rich ore, and the other is losing money. But it might surprise you at which one the miners are given easy hours and high pay. It certainly surprised IWW, the big union of the 1920s. When one of their undercover agents is killed, the other calls on the investigators for help. There's more than one way for them to discover what lurks at the bottom of the mine, and at least one involves them not leaving again.
   
   "Still Waters" - Many investigators are book hoarders or bibliophiles, always trying to get a leg up on the next tome. They are supposed to meet fellow enthusiasts to look at a unique tome, but the family has disappeared. Clues lead to an archrival, a mask covering a horrible face. Talk about not judging a book by its cover ...
   
   "Tell Me, Have you Seen the Yellow Sign?" - Being a King in Yellow afficionado, this scenario really appealed to me. Plus, it is set in Mardi Gras. How fun! And as we all remember, New Orleans was the site of the last victory against the Cthulhu cult. Perhaps there is more here than meets the eye?
   
   "One in Darkness" - The baddie you have to fight here is a god. Good luck!
   
   "The Pale God" - What an opening scene - describing it would take away some of the punch from playing the scenario, but if you know Ramsey Campbel then you know what is coming. Most creepily, the little white things are everywhere throughout the scenario - How exactly do they infect and infest? This could lead to some brilliant paranoid roleplaying.
   
   "Bad Moon Rising" - The first half of this scenario is an excellent conspiracy game. I'd move the time forward some and use it as a Delta Green scenario; maybe set in the 1940's when it was OSS, or maybe early 50s when it was still legal. The British Navy is hiding something, a secret installation that has already cost the lives of four men. Can the investigators get in on the action? They'll have to be practically black ops to do so, but the rewards are worth it.
   
   There is a distinct second half of this scenario that the keeper might want to adjust. Whether it should be a dream, or shared delusion, or some twisted reality, I don't know, but it doesn't seem to fit witht he first half. Maybe just run the first half without the second? Actually, with a different introduction, the second part could stand on its own. I have the feeling that the latter was added to the former for the purposes of having a GOO (and thus being appropriate for inclusion).
   
   Well, THE GREAT OLD ONES definitely has some great material. It has plenty of convoluted plots, deadly encounters, and chances for players to show their stuff. I think keepers will also have to develop some of the empty space on their own, depending on their players. Well, roleplaying should be fun for players and keepers too.



2. "The Great Old Ones" represent one of the finest collections of adventures available for Chaosium's 1920s "Call of Cthulhu" role playing game. Each of the six adventures deal in some way, be it directly or through minions, with the so called "Great Old Ones," or ancient, malevolent gods of the Cthulhu mythos. Ostensibly, these disparate adventures can be linked to form a campaign, though, a Keeper must create these links as none are provided in the book. As is typical of "Call of Cthulhu" products of this era quality of paramount. The artwork, the plots, the locales, the personalities, and creatures really shine in these adventures.
   
   "Still Waters" takes the investigators to rural Mississippi to probe the doings of two followers of Great Cthulhu himself.
   
   "Tell Me, Have You Seen The Sign?" takes the investigators to New Orleans and the machinations of minions of Hastur and the King in Yellow.
   
   In "One In The Darkness" the investigators are pitted against the Boston mafia and an avatar of Nyarlathotep.
   
   "The Pale Gods" find the investigators in Ramsey Campbell country in old England where the brood of Eihort is plaguing a town.
   
   Now the two real gems from this book are "The Spawn" and "Bad Moon Rising." Both are phenomenal examples of how character, plot, and event meld to form exciting, memorable adventures. In the former, the investigators get tangled up in the affairs of a miners' union and some bad mine owners that are really tools of chthonians. In the latter, the investigators find themselves on a British base on the Moon and find that they are not alone.
   
   "The Great Old Ones" comes highly recommended and can be used for any edition of the "Call of Cthulhu" game with little adjustment (except maybe for the d20 version).

5 comments about Delta Green: Alien Intelligence.

1. I really enjoyed reading this book. As with any collection of short stories, I liked some more than others, but there were none in here that I didn't like. There were a couple that I consider to be real gems. My only real complaint is that it's not much book for 12 bucks. It's about half an inch thick, with eight stories in it. I guess maybe it's priced higher than most paperback books because of the cost involved for a small company to have smaller quantities of a book like this printed, but I must admit I was a bit disappointed with it in this respect.



2. There is a good deal to recommend this book. It is for the most part well-written, and the idea behind the book is outstanding. However I have quite a few problems with it. The opening tale by John Tynes is somewhat too short to overcome by backstory and characterization a rather ugly incident that takes place within it, equating experience with the Deep Ones to a version of combat syndrome, and that taints the rest of the book. Other tales fare somewhat better, and have some very thought-provoking concepts, adding a bit of science fiction to the world of the Mythos. One can become a ghoul, for instance, by reading a certain book, and a certain Great Old One can tear holes in the spacetime continuum in order to attract males for her followers (kind of silly, but effective within the tale). On the whole, I liked it, but for me that is the crux of the biscuit-I wanted to love it, and did not. Fell far short of the expectations that were engendered in me by the blurbs on the back cover and the front cover recommendation from Lucius Shepard. Can't give it a thumbs-up, but worth looking at if you have the money. Slim for the price.



3. I have always been a fan of way-out-there lunatic sci-fi/horror but unfortunatly most of the sci-fi and horror out there is just really insipid banal mainstream garbage. This book is different, the stories pull no punches and will blow you away. There is some violent violence and BIZZARE sexual stuff in this book so it is probably NOT for kids. Highly recommended and far better than the other Delta Green fiction "Rules of Engagement."



4. DELTA GREEN is the modern adaptation of Call of Cthulhu. Drawing on the same body of UFO lore and paranormal activity as the X-Files, DELTA GREEN has tapped into something very deep. And of course, once you have a successful RPG, you might as well start the fiction flowing, right?
   
   "Alien Intelligence" is a collection of vigniettes that explores the world that DELTA GREEN inhabits and adds further detail to many hints, clues, and allusions from the DELTA GREEN RPG book. It gives more substance to the conspiracy of silence by our goverment on the supernatural, extraterrestrial, and subterrestrial.
   
   Some situations explored by the authors are a resurgence in the colonization of humanity by aquatic beings who seem almost human, a review board examining a failed mission to stop a dimensional disturbance in South America, a sojourn into a spirit-realm by two ghouls, alternately trying to save or damn the soul of an unwitting agent, the last testament of a man who has spent his life trying to decode a message in alien technology and intends to use that message to escape from his captors, among other stories that will give you an idea of the psychological torment that must wrack these defenders of humanity.
   
   Because the monsters, magic, and aliens are just a backdrop; the story is about men and women who become something they don't want to in order to protect those that they love. Who lose thir humanity to protect it in others. Who were just following orders until they realized it was what they wanted all along. Because when you take away the monsters, all that remains is a mirror, and you see yourself.



5. Note: mild spoilers are included.
   
   Not to keep anyone in suspense (not that anyone was in suspense), I really liked this story collection. It may be hard to come by so if you really want this title (and you should!) just be diligent.
   
   One overall impression: this was a relatively new genre, outside of RPG for the DG crew. I found The Rules of Engagement and the first few stories of Dark Theaters to be superior. I have not read the original source book but it did not lessen my enjoyment of the stories.
   
   John Tynes - The Dark Above: There were certain things
   about this story I thought were too over the top, particularly the lead man going ballistic when he smelled a fish-like odor from a woman. Also I don't know if Forrest was a character from the source book, because you just had to accept his hardened attitude toward the deep ones half breeds. What I mean was this emotional aspect of character development wasn't as well realized as the rest of the story. Too bad, because the actual substance of the story and its imagery were terrific.
   
   Dennis Detwiller - Drowning in Sand&#8221: A great read!
   
   Ray Winniger - Pnomus: Another great read!! Both of these stories epitomize the best of modern, creative mythos fiction.
   
   Bruce Baugh - Climbing the South Mountain: An OK conventional brain robbing mythos type story in poem form. I'm not
   too into mythos poetry. The very end of the narrators's poem and the memo from Delta Green were the best parts for me.
   
   Greg Stolze - Potential Recruit: Yet another great read, this time about trying to infiltrate cult with darker connections than suspected.
   
   Adam Scott Glancy - An Item of Mutual Interest: Perhaps
   the most coventional type mythos story in the book. Enjoyable but nothing special.
   
   Bob Kruger - Identity Crisis: Did not knock my socks off. Maybe it tried to cover a little too much ground and would have
   worked better as a short novel. Still a very agreeable read.
   
   Blair Reynolds - Operation Looking Glass: A fast paced roller coaster ride to ice the cake of this nifty anthology.
   
   My complaints are perhaps too cantankerous. This collections beats out any of the Chaosium collections (except maybe The Hastur Cycle) for consistent overall quality. Those anthologies have too much chaff with the wheat. It tops most of the Fedogan and Bremer collections too (except Cthulhu 2000, the first place I saw Black Man With A Horn).
   
   Essential reading for the modern Cthulhu mythos reader.