3 comments about At Your Door (Call of Cthulhu Horror Roleplaying, Modern Era, #2326).

1. This is one of the classic modern campaign supplements for Call of Cthulhu, and I'm surprised to see it still available 13 years later. There's a lot of good ideas to mine here, but I've never known anyone to run it without major modifications. It seems like everyone hates different sections. The root problem is, it's too all-over-the-place: Too many widely divergent scenarios, themes, and creatures, haphazardly slapped together. Even so, there are a lot of parts that I love, and some bits--such as Mr. Shiny, Tcho-tcho restaurants, Dawn Biozyme, and the City of Samson--have become enduring parts of CoC canon.

   What I'd really like to see is a total makeover of this supplement, along the lines of the redone Day of the Beast and Masks of Nyarlathotep. The scenarios could be made more consistent, the monsters more logically related (I mean, really, why would shoggoths and cthonians work together in a vast consipracy? Gimme a break.). And it's a perfect opportunity to add a chapter on how to turn the whole thing into a Delta Green mission.




2. Wait, this is Cthulhu. Sorry, wrong game. I was confused; you see, in AT YOUR DOOR you play investogators who travel the country, meet a wide array of monsters and chum up with guest stars (like Mr. Shiny, before he was famous). All that's missing is Don Knotts making a cameo. Actually, I'm sorely tempted to try the idea...
   
   I have heard many people complain that AT YOUR DOOR suffers from "monster-of-the-week" syndrome. In a sense that's true; there are dark young, serpent people, a shoggoth lord, mutated humans, tcho-tcho people, and chthonians, and it's hard to grasp why the investigators would be encountering this much weirdness. You can always sweep it under the End Times rug, when anything can happen and usually does. Alternatively the GM can play up the Shub Niggurath connection. All of the disparate adventures have some connection to that Mythos deity and some minor tweaking would allow this aspect to come to the forefront. Alternatively, the campaign could be played as a series of independent adventures. The weirdness doesn't have to be connected in some subtle conspiracy; if you look hard enough, the sane world falls away and you discover what is happening beneath the surface. If the PCs feel that there is some terrible conspiracy to uncover, let them run with that.
   
   As a series of loosely connected adventures (MANSIONS OF MADNESS is like this), I think AT YOUR DOOR is outstanding. As an actual campaign, it feels disjointed. Most of the adventures are interesting and, as mentioned by the previous reviewer, have become classic bits of Mythos lore. If you don't know about Mr. Shiny, bak bon dzshow, or the Milk of Shub Niggurath, this is the place to find it. AT YOUR DOOR seems to have strongly influenced the unofficial Delta Green mythos, and I would particularly recommend that it be converted to Delta green scenarios.
   
   As a bonus, the cover art is outstanding.



3. I bought this scenario in hope I could use it as a challenge for a Modern campaign. After all, there is a wonderfully evocative, creepy cover, and covers don't lie? Or can they...?
   
   While the campaign does introduce an intriguing opponent in "Mr. Shiny," it fails to live up to its promise due to the contrived way each scenario seems to lead to the next one. You have to practically railroad the players to go forward as they puzzle over how the last scenario had anything to do with the one they are embarking on. Any player taking notes would be baffled after a few sessions of this campaign, which incidentally introduces us to a giant canine and a B-movie style giantess, which begs the question, "Is this just an extended "Blood Brothers" scenario?" I like camp, but the tone in this campaign just never settles down enough to play it as "Call of Cthulhu" or even as "Attack of the Giant Woman." (Did I mention it features a giant dog? I am not kidding.)
   
   The completely random assortment of opponents keeps the pace moving, but really most of the threat is having one or more of the players raise their hand and ask, "What that heck was that about?" Like the other reviewers, I had to significantly revise it to make it flow, but if you spending money on a complete campaign, there is no excuse for having to fix a botched attempt. If somebody sold me a bicycle with two bent rims that caught fire periodically, I wouldn't give it four stars and kindly suggest that "its a flawed classic" or needs revision to make it work. No, I would be mad as hell that the bike I paid for makes me look like a drunk, Special Ed version of the Ghost Rider riding to school on a banana saddle.
   
   But I digress...
   
   "At Your Door" is very bad science-fiction excruciatingly pounded into a "Call of Cthulhu" campaign. Lacking atmosphere and cohesiveness from the get-go, "At Your Door" is badly written, and graced with awful interior art that succeeds only in showing us in pictures that yes, "At Your Door" really does belong "In A Landfill."

3 comments about Taint of Madness: Insanity and Dread Within Asylum Walls (Call of Cthulhu Horror Roleplaying).

1. Taint of Madness is an excellent source of insanity! The detailed disorders and phobias as well as their possible "treatments" are a real dark spin to the game! A perfect explanation of how low the human mind can go! AWESOME!



2. This book is eggcellent! I couldn't put it down from the moment that I picked it up. I'm looking foward to more of Tice's works. This book is enTICEing!



3. Don't get me wrong. There are basic additional insanity rules, though not many. They've got a quick Asylum setting each for the 1890's, the 1920's and the 1990's. There are a couple of photocopyable handouts and scattered references to mythos beasties.

   But really this is a book about the treatment of the insane from the 1890's to the present. It includes treatments, attitudes, medical gibberish from the different eras -- even cure and death rates from historical Asylums! In between dark hints for investigators, the book is packed with a tremendous amount of historical information, and it delivers with a flourish. Beautiful.

No comments about Adventures in Arkham Country (Call of Cthulhu Horror Roleplaying, 1920s).

4 comments about The Bermuda Triangle (Call of Cthulhu Horror Roleplaying, 1990s Era).

1. This book is very good if you enjoy the modern adventures for this game. I really liked it because i am very interested in the Bermuda Triangle. I won't tell you any of the story because it would ruin the fun of the game. I wouldn't reccomend this book if you enjoy long campaigns like Beyond th Mountains of Madness (which took me a couple of months to complete with my friends). I would highly recommend this book to anyone except people who like the 20's or 30's adventures.



2. This book is a great addition to any CoC collection. Not only does it provide tons of information on the people, politics, and customs of the Bermuda triangle and surrounding areas, but it is loaded with useful creatures, ideas, theories, etc. It has many charts that all keepers should find useful, such as one that randomnly chooses a sea animal. And, to top it all off, it comes with a scenario that I cant wait to throw on my investigators. It is well worth the cost, and then some!



3. I have long been a fan of the works of the late Howard P. Lovecraft, and when I discovered a roleplaying game set in his horror universe existed, I knew I had to get it. From the modules to the setting books and creature compendiums, CoC has been a never-ending delight for my inner horror gamer. I highly recommend this sourcebook, along with every single other CoC sourcebook, module, and rulebook. Call of Cthulhu is definitely worth it!



4. I found this to be an excellent "modern-day" resource for the "Call of Cthulhu" role playing game. Fans of other settings for the game probably won't find it as interesting, or as useful, but if you like to play your "CoC" in the "here and now," this is definitely a must-have resource.
   
   Chaosium's summary text for this product reads: "What secrets lie within the Devil's Triangle? Why was the Mary Celeste abandoned after it passed through the triangle's waters? What caused the disappearance of an entire flight of Avengers in 1945? Why do electronics fail in the triangle for no apparent reason? Now, the answers can at last be revealed.
   
   "'The Bermuda Triangle' is a 1990s sourcebook centered around the famous mystery of the Devil's Triangle. It acts as a guidebook to the entire Caribbean region, detailing not only Bermuda, Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, and other nearby islands, but also exposing the mysteries of Rha'thylla, the Sargasso Sea, and more. Guidelines are included for running entire Caribbean campaigns. The book concludes with 'The Privateer's Diary,' a scenario."

2 comments about Call of Cthulhu Keeper's Screen.

1. Well, a screen is pretty much a screen. This one has some really excellent art on the backside, and a lot of good info on the Keeper side. One of the best things, to me, on the Keeper side, is a list of sections in the rulebook, and what page they can be found on. That comes in handy a lot when you want to look up something not on the screen. They made effective use of the space on the screen, for the most part. My only beef is what I guess is a misprint, the result of poor editing/proofing. The handy resistance table is, of course, on the screen. This is one of the most important things to have on the screen for this game system, for me, since it's one of the very few charts or tables you are likely to use with CoC. And it's screwed up. There are black bars across the top of the table and down the sides, but there should be NUMBERS on those bars for you to cross-reference, but there aren't. I printed up new bars on my computer and glue-sticked 'em on, but this shouldn't be necessary, especially since a little more care put into proofing the material before sending it off to the printer could have avoided this glaring mistake. I love CoC, but this sadly seems about par for the course with Chaosium.

   The screen also comes with a booklet containing a highly-decent adventure set in Red Hook, Brooklyn. It's nothing ground-breaking, nor is it particularly long, but neither is it fluff thrown in as mere filler, either. It's not at all a bad adventure.

   Finally, there are also foldout charts, one with weapons, and one with spells. Both are pretty handy. Some of the "Spot rules for whatever" from the rulebook are reprinted on these loose pages, as well as some blank character sheets.

   Overall, a decent product for the price, but a far cry from being "the essential Keeper's aid." If you like to have a cool screen to use, this is a good one, if you don't mind correcting the resistance table on it. You also get some handy stuff along with it, but there is nothing here that, to me, makes this product stand out as anything more than average.




2. Keepers playing Call of Cthulhu from behind a screen are doing it all wrong. They would have a hard time weaving a story with a barrier in the way.

   However, screens have their uses, mainly as a quick reference for charts and as a means of hiding maps and dice rolls. The "Call of Cthulhu Keeper's Screen" does the job just fine, and organizes the charts in a logical manner. The artwork on the front is not great, and could use improvement. It can be distracting to players.

   The main defect of this screen is the misprint where they did not add the numbers to the "Strength vs. Resistance" chart. This is one of the most important charts in the game, and I am gobsmacked that such a major defect made it onto the market.

   If you are running "Call of Cthulhu," it will be useful to have a screen. Just beware of the limitations.

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

No comments about The Dreaming Stone (Call of Cthulhu Horror Roleplaying, Dreamlands Campaign, #2368).

No comments about Mortal Coils (Call of Cthulhu).

2 comments about Coming Full Circle (Call of Cthulhu).

1. Coming Full Circle is yet another excellent sourcebook of Lovecraftian horror produced by Pagan Publishing. This book contains a wealth of game-related material on the more legendary myths of New England. Here the witch, the phantom, and the vampire of ancient legend take center stage to the sanity- blasting eldritch horros of the Cthulhu mythos. Additionally, this sourcebook offers great material for psychic investigators (ala late Fox show "Millenium"). I highly recommend this book for serious players and readers of Lovecraftiana.



2. This is a solid collection of non-Mythos CoC scenarios set in New England in the late 1920's and the 1930's. It would be easy to change it to earlier in the 1920's if desired. There are four scenarios which can either be played separately or linked to form a modular campaign. It's an especially good choice if your gaming group does not have the time or inclination to plow through an extended, continous campaign. The scenarios feature plenty of investigation and roleplaying, as well as possibilities for combat. It's classic supernatural horror brought to gaming.

4 comments about Ramsey Campbell's Goatswood and Less Pleasant Places: A Present Day Severn Valley Sourcebook and Campaign for Call of Cthulhu.

1. I've waited a long time for this one, and the wait was worth it! It's chock full of scenarios (forming a campaign which you can ignore if you want), and lots of background material on Ramsey Campbell's Severn Valley. I wish there'd been more maps and maybe more info on some of the locations but all in all, this is a COOL package!



2. I'm a longtime Cthulhu keeper but new to Ramsey Campbell (other than the material in the rulebook). The first half of the book is devoted to resource material covering magic, monsters and locations in the fictitious Severn Valley (well the Severn Valley itself isn't fictitious of course). The second half is devoted to a campaign of 7 or 8 scenarios. Everything is well written, well thought out and seems very playable. I'm looking forward to running it!



3. It's good to see Chaosium getting back to topnotch books again. This one along with Unseen Masters, represents a "new wave" of Call of Cthulhu - as good or better than any of the stuff released in years.

   You can't really go wrong with this package, it's got background resource material for the Goatswood area and a nice bundle of scenarios that look like fun to run (I can't wait to spring some of them on my group! HEH HEH HEH) I don't want to give away any spoilers but there's an S&M club, and the "GUARD" at the club is such a wicked idea not to mention the dude who runs the place. Good to see Ramsey the man himself giving the introduction, read his Silent Children book if you really want to get chills!

   The artwork is decent, and lots of it. Plenty of handouts too, which are really important as far as I am concerned. One thing I could do without though is the side illustrations, they take up too much room that could maybe be used for information. But that's a small jibe compared to the value.




4. Having played in a CoC campaign by one of the authors (Steve Spisak) for several years, I can personally attest to the level of detail and playability of his work. This book is excellent and well thought out, as well as being eminently playable. 5 Stars.