Tag Archives: Trail of Cthulhu

The Plain People of Gaming: Tactical Goals in Trail of Cthulhu

Tactical Objectives in Trail of Cthulhu Knowing that the Thing could surely overtake the Alert until steam was fully up, he resolved on a desperate chance; and, setting the engine for full speed, ran lightning-like on deck and reversed the wheel. There was a mighty eddying and foaming in the noisome brine, and as the steam mounted […]

Pepys’ Broadsides

A Bookhounds of London adventure seed by Adam Gauntlett The Bookhounds are asked whether or not some broadside ballads found by a builder really belonged to famed diarist Samuel Pepys, only to discover that the ballads might get them killed. Broadside Ballads This information is a 0 point spend, Bibliography, History, Library Use or similar: […]

The Plain People of Gaming: The Fall of Cthulhu City

   where we wake up electrified out of the coma by our own souls’ airplanes roaring over the roof they’ve come to drop angelic bombs the hospital illuminates itself    imaginary walls collapse     – Allen Ginsburg, Howl Cthulhu City slides into The Fall of Delta Green like a cartridge into a chamber. As written, Great Arkham’s […]

Hungry Ghosts

A scenario seed for Trail of Cthulhu by Adam Gauntlett The return of a Deep One infected with bubonic plague causes a public health crisis in 1930s Hong Kong. History Hong Kong in the 1930s is a sophisticated and wealthy British colony, administered largely by British Ta-Pan. Its laws are British, its culture is Chinese, […]

See P. XX: Bar the Gates!

See P. XX a column about roleplaying by Robin D. Laws Buffy’s hometown had one. You fall into one when you open a Hellraiser cube. The Stranger Things gang can’t seem to stay out of them. Like any basic horror trope, the sinister portal to another world fits any GUMSHOE game that journeys into fear. […]

The Vampire’s Ring

by Adam Gauntlett The Vampire The opening of a new Odeon cinema sparks a vampire craze, and presents the Bookhounds with an unusual opportunity for profit. This is nominally set in 1936, the year Dracula’s Daughter is released, but could be restaged at the Keeper’s convenience. Odeon The Odeon chain of cinemas get their start […]

See P. XX: Using a Game’s Core Activity to Sharpen Your Creature Design

See P. XX a column about roleplaying by Robin D. Laws A well-designed modular element for an RPG, whether we’re talking about a GMC, location, conspiracy, or occult tome, does more than extrapolate from an evocative premise. The text you write, explicitly or otherwise, indicates to the GM how it will be used in play. […]

The Plain People of Gaming: The Window on Standish Road

This quick Trail of Cthulhu adventure first appeared in the Dragonmeet 2018 program book, and is based on genuine historical events that took place within a few minute’s walk of the convention centre.  The Window on Standish Road What was reputed to be the appearance of the mischievous person? In white sometimes, and sometimes in the skin of […]

Call of Chicago: A Thousand Pages, Give or Take a Few

“’Wait a minute!’ the man hissed. ‘Are you after more books like that? I know where we can get some.’” — Ramsey Campbell, “Cold Print” (1969) The 1960s were a great decade for occult books, featuring waves of bestsellers launched by Jacques Bergier and Louis Pauwels’ million-selling Morning of the Magicians in 1963. Some of […]

Call of Chicago: The Re-namable

“Like all decadents he was exquisitely sensitive to the color and atmosphere and names of things …” — H.P. Lovecraft, “Medusa’s Coil” Much of the ironic entertainment of playing in Lovecraft’s universe comes from playing, well, in Lovecraft’s universe, or at least his Earth. Specifically, from playing with his names. And not just the Big […]

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