Von Azathoth bis Zoth-Ommog

[Der Läuterer]

 

Alone against the Dark

Locations: Arkham, New York, Athens, Egypt, Germany, Antarctica

Creatures: Ghast, Ghatanothoa, Hound of Tindalos, Mummy

Tomes and Artifacts: Die Mythe, Cultes des Goules, Liber Ivonis, Marvels of the Spirit World, Nameless Cults, Pnakotic Manuscripts, Le Culte d'Aten, Die Goules

SYNOPSIS:

An old friend, a quiet linguistics professor at Miskatonic University, is arrested for the theft of a relic. His friend (the investigator) sets out on leave to try and aid his old friend. It quickly turns out that the case is far more sinister - and dangerous - than it appears, as a series of friends are drawn into a desperate quest across the world.

 

The adventure begins on September 1st, 1931 with a telegram from your old friend, now in prison in Athens. The first PC, Professor Grunewald, gets permission to leave the University, obtains some resources and heads off. The journey offers various activities, and potentially hazards too. On arrival, his friend has apparently committed suicide, and Grunewald can only make enquiries about the case. He quickly finds himself faced with dangerous enemies, both human and non-human, determined to perform a terrible ritual that will see the world conquered by ice.

As each investigator is overcome by the forces of darkness, another friend is drawn in to take their place. The playable characters are Professor Grunewald, Nora McShane (journalist), Ernest Holt (financier) and Devon Wilson (Navy).

Appears in: Alone against the Dark (CoC2 1985)

 

Alone against the Wendigo

Locations: The Hanninah valley

Creatures: Mi-Go, Sasquatch, Ithaqua, Wendigo, Vampire

SYNOPSIS:

Deep in the Big Woods of Canada, you canoe up the "River of Power," the mysterious North Hanninah, in search of the unknown. An anthropologist, you have brought your best students, and an Indian guide. It will take all of your combined skills, ingenuity, and luck if any of you are to survive after daring the forces of the North.

 

The investigator is a professor leading a Miskatonic University expedition into a remote part of Canada, the Hanninah valley. The scenario allows a great deal of freedom about the degree of exploration involved, and some areas can only be accessed by random die rolls. A variety of animals, strange creatures and Mythos entities may encounter the party, including Ithaqua. The player decides how far to push their luck in search of knowledge and the rewards discovery can bring.

Appears in: Alone against the Wendigo (CoC2 1985)

 

Asylum, the

Locations: Greenwood

Creatures: Proto-shoggoth, Arwassa the Silent Shouter of the Hill

Tomes and Artifacts: An Inquiry Into the Hermetic Mysteries, With Dissertations on the More Celebrated of the Alchemical Philosophers, scrying window, Pnakotic Manuscripts

SYNOPSIS:

A typical sanatorium which has an excellent record with difficult cases and an impeccable reputation for patient care.

 

The Asylum is run by a deranged psychiatrist. The man is a mad scientist and a cultist. He has discovered a way of creating proto-shoggoths. So he experiments on the inmates with shoggoth tissue.

Appears in: Asylum and Other Tales, the; Cthulhu Casebook, the

 

Auction, the

Locations: Auction House, Vienna, Austria

Creatures: Ghoul, Byakhee, Fire Vampire, Hunting Horror

Tomes and Artifacts: Egyptian ankh, Manuscript of Beth Eloim, 19th-century ritual objects, Hand of Glory, African fetish and drum, The Magus, Sword of Paracelsus, human skull, brass head, I-Ching sticks, Book of the Dead, Prodigies in the New England Canaan, medallions, Dictionairre Infernal, Eskimo shaman’s medicine bag, gold ring

SYNOPSIS:

The Investigators have been invited to Vienna, Austria. The renowned House of Ausperg is holding an exclusive auction of occult paraphernalia. Auctions are at least occasional ways for exotic items to fall into the hands of investigators; this one is a genuine Mythos artifact.

 

The Investigators are attending a prestigious auction of occult items in Vienna, where there are some rather malignant items up for bid. The auction house is invaded by a madman with ghoul allies who help him steal an artifact, that proves to have its own secrets, and hazards that far outstrip the trouble the investigators went through to recover it.

The atmosphere of the auction is stressed, and the other buyers are well fleshed out - until it all goes horribly wrong.

Appears in: The Asylum and Other Tales, The Cthulhu Casebook

 

Madman, the

Locations: New York

Creatures: Byakhee

SYNOPSIS:

Mysterious disappearances in the small town Black Knob, a community of 2500, have been well-publicised recently. Farm animals and townsfolk are inexplicably disappearing.

 

A man has a split personality. The Good Adam is as gentle and as nice a person as can be... but the Bad Adam has a plan to get rid of the Good Adam by summoning Hastur.

Naughty. One interesting twist is the substitution of an insane investigator for the individual responsible for these strange occurences.

Appears in: The Asylum and Other Tales, The Cthulhu Casebook

 

Mauretania, the

Locations: Atlantic Ocean

Creatures: Dimensional Shambler

SYNOPSIS:

The investigators are aboard a passenger liner and travel to a far off destination. It's a relaxing, high-society cruise across the Atlantic on the most luxurious passenger liner in the world.

 

Some interesting passengers are aboard including Russian assassins, cultists and a psychopathic killer.

Appears in: The Asylum and Other Tales, The Cthulhu Casebook

 

Westchester House, the

Locations: San Francisco, San Jose, Westchester House, California

SYNOPSIS:

A well-known heiress hires the Investigators to examine spirit manifestations in her home. The house is not haunted but several people pretend it is.

 

The Westchester House is such a weird place that the investigators will be jumping at their own shadow, but there really is a perfectly rational explanation for the whole thing. It involves forged paintings, jealousy, and murder - good mystery stuff. But no monsters or anything like that. It's just a perfectly normal mystery in a really weird setting.

Appears in: The Asylum and Other Tales, The Cthulhu Casebook

Edited May 20, 2018 by Der Läuterer

[Der Läuterer]

 

Beginning Scenario For A Campaign

Locations: Montpelier, Vermont

Creatures: Mi-Go

SYNOPSIS:

The investigtaors are all strangers on a tour bus on a trip in the autumn hills of Vermont when things go horribly wrong.

 

The driver of the tour bus is killed and replaced by Mi-Go. The Montpelier Sheriff warne the investigators that they are in danger from the Mi-Go. They are given a clue leading them to the Old Adams Place.

Appears in: Core Rulebook 1st Ed., Core Rulebook 2nd Ed., Core Rulebook 3rd Ed.

 

Behold the Mother CoC5

Setting: 1920s

Locations: Arkham, Dunwich

Creatures: The Twin-Creature, The Spawn, The Mother of Pus, Shub-Niggurath

Tomes and Artifacts: Nameless Cults, Journal of Hillary Hetfield

SYNOPSIS:

A female acquaintance of an investigator suffered a gruesome death near the city dump. The enquiries draw the investigators to Arkham's seedy slums, to the degenerated town of Dunwich, to an extremely wicked relative and into a mystery of dark secrets that started decades ago. And one of these secrets may help herald the return of the Old Ones...

 

The victim, a normal seeming woman had deep secrets of the mythos, hidden even from herself. She blocked out the suffered trauma, found a job and a home and created a normal past for herself.

The woman was born out of wedlock pregnancy and she had a siamese twin. A brother, who had been removed from her back soon after their birth. But unknown to everyone, but her insane mother, the brother survived and kept hidden in the attic. This creature is a warped and twisted mockery of malice and scar tissue. Half a year ago he raped her, because her mother intents to create a goddess of rot and decay. A goddess to guide the world toward the return of the Great Old Ones... When the investigators discover the journals of the cultist mother, and the dread pages of the Unaussprachlichen Kulten of von Junzt, they learn of the coming of the Mother of Pus, the avatar of Shub-Niggurath, and harbinger of the end times.

The investigators may have the opportunity to prevent, or rather delay, the apocalypse, in a showdown at the town's municipal dump. Nonetheless, even if they succeed, they will have the chance to see the Black Goat of the Woods far closer than they should like to, and have to battle both mother and the loathsome spawn of her two offsprings. Should they fail, the consequences are suitably terrible.

DEAD RECKONINGS

Great scenario - highly atmospheric - MUST PLAY

 

Black Devil Mountain

Locations: Maine

Creatures: Cthonian, Ghoul, Skeleton, Zombie

Tomes and Artifacts: R’lyeh Text, enchanted glass from Leng, Plutonian drug, Pipe of Dreams, iron dagger, wooden whistle, medicine bag

SYNOPSIS:

The brother of an investigator (every investigator seems to have a huge family full of self-destructive fools) is dying and leaves him a small estate in northeast Maine. Unsurprisingly, the Mythos is at fault in the brother's death.

 

The estate contains a haunted mound.

Appears in: The Asylum and Other Tales, The Cthulhu Casebook

 

Bryson Springs; NO SECURITY, Horror Scenarios in the Great Depression, Hebanon Games

Locations: Bryson Springs Ranch, US Southwest

Creatures: Kuileixi Shi Marionnette, Fisher of Men

SYNOPSIS:

June 1935. The Dust Bowl plagues the American Southwest. The crops fail. Then the banks fall, crushing every honest man on the ledgers beneath their rubble. The fertile lands are turned to dust, the modern marvels are turned into slums. Spirits are the last to go, but in the end they break like everything else. But for the unluckiest few, they are coming, drawn from other realities to feast off the misery. Horror lurks in the shadows of the Great Depression. A third of all people are out of work. And the government’s path to recovery is far from certain. Amidst this Great Depression, the Bryson Springs Ranch suffered a hardship altogether more extraordinary.

The American dream has become a curse. Hope - a memory. Some whisper about revolution. Others talk of Armageddon. People are dying in the migrant workers’ shantytown, dying in horrific, mind-boggling ways. A FBI agent is ordered to investigate the death even though he is currently transporting a mafia hitman to prison. A reporter from L.A. and a professor of anthropology also converge on the area, drawn by fate or curiosity. The investigators are cast about by the hard times and find themselves surrounded by a horror they cannot imagine, let alone perceive. They must band together to confront the things which stalk the desert night, hunting the downtrodden for their dark and blasphemous god.

 

 

 

Shadows Over Hollywood

Locations: San Gabriel Mountains, California

Creatures: Nightgaunt, Shantak

Tomes and Artifacts: Libro Augustin, Necronomicon

SYNOPSIS:

The investigators are called upon to investigate a sighting of strange dark winged figures at the ruins of a Spanish mission in the San Gabriel Mountains.

 

The mission was no ordinary Christian mission, but the work of a group of Spanish mystics, the cult of Santa Maria de la Sombra Segunda. Overreaching themselves, they attracted the attention of both Nodens and Nyarlathotep and were wiped out. The winged figures are nightgaunts, sent to seal the warp.

The scenario gives the investigators a passive role, with little to do but observe and document the activity. The Mythos activity in progress is more or less benevolent, as they're basically tidying up the mess left by the cult. Trying to attack the nightgaunts is not only counterproductive, but dangerous; even if the investigators beat them off, a group of shantaks turns up for revenge.

NOT to be confused with the scenario 'The Shadow Over Hollywood' in 'Secrets of Los Angeles'; 2007

Edited May 20, 2018 by Der Läuterer

[Der Läuterer]

 

Cultists' Lair, the

SYNOPSIS:

Natives perform a ritual inside a volcanic crater.

 

A priest summons a monster to devour some of the cultists. A Great Old One then makes a brief appearance.

Appears in: Core Rulebook 1st Ed., Core Rulebook 2nd Ed., Core Rulebook 3rd Ed.

 

Paper Chase

Locations: Arnoldsburg, Michigan

Creatures: Ghoul

SYNOPSIS:

The investigator is called in by Thomas Kimball after a burglary. He would like them to track down his vanished uncle's stolen books, and to try and establish whether his uncle is still alive.

 

Kimball, a misanthrope and keen reader, encountered a ghoul a year ago and was gradually drawn into their society. He has become a ghoul himself, but eventually returned to retrieve some more of his beloved books. The single Investigator is able to track him down to the graveyard, and even speak to the transformed Kimball. What they do with their discovery is left to the player.

Appears in: Cthulhu Companion, Core Rulebook 3rd Ed., Core Rulebook 4th Ed.

 

Mystery of Loch Feinn, the

Locations: Loch Feinn, Inverness, Scotland

Creatures: Lloigor, Gatanothoa

Tomes and Artifacts: Unaussprechlichen Kulten

SYNOPSIS:

The rumored existence of a surviving Plesiosaurus has drawn famed professor Willard Gibbson to Scotland. But before he can gain conclusive proof, he is found murdered. Will the investigators succeed in solving both the murder and the puzzle of the beast?

 

The investigators are drawn in following the murder of Professor Gibbson, either as old friends, to investigate the murder, or to follow up on the Professor's research. They may be recruited by his daughter or by the British museum. The Professor has found a number of interesting megaliths, and been observing the Loch. However, the powerful MacAllan clan were obstructing his work and threatening him. He became concerned by some of what he learned, particularly cryptic hints dropped by a drunken MacAllan, and concealed his journal shortly before his murder. The MacAllans have a history of strange dabbling, and the town has many legends of a Water Horse, which has been blamed for many missing animals and people.

The MacAllan clan are, in fact, cultists of a lloigor colony under the ruins of an old castle. They are helping the lloigor to extend their psychic influence by restoring the standing stones. To foil the plot, either the stones must be destroyed or the MacAllans elminated.

Appears in: Cthulhu Companion, Core Rulebook 3rd Ed., Core Rulebook 4th Ed.

 

Rescue, the

Locations: Highmark, Appalachen, Maryland

Creatures: Werewolf

Tomes and Artifacts: Monstres and Their Kynde, Les Lupus Horrifique

SYNOPSIS:

A counsel for the U. S. State Department is found savagely mauled, and his daughter vanished. While conducting research at the Library of Congress, the intrepid investigators have been informed of the case by a mutual friend at the State Department.

 

The Whittakers blundered into a den of werewolves during a hike; Rogers was killed and Edith captured as a potential mate. Roger's mangled body has been found in a stream, clearly mauled by an animal. The family doctor, Dr. Dare, has some unusual suspicions based on his own occult interests, but doesn't initially voice them. The Investigators will encounter some beggars with Communist leanings, and some surly girls (the Peltons) confronting a pack of dogs. The former know about the werewolves, but are under their power; the Peltons are werewolves themselves. Investigating the Pelton farm will unearth a number of clues, and the Peltons will set an ambush using Edith as bait, either in the farm itself, or in the ravine nearby. This is a fairly dangerous fight, and unless well-prepared and cautious, Investigator deaths are likely. The werewolves try to eliminate the party before any escapees can rouse the town.

Appears in: Cthulhu Companion, Core Rulebook 3rd Ed., Core Rulebook 4th Ed.

 

Secret of Castronegro, the

Locations: Castronegro, Silver City, New Mexico

Creatures: Servitor of the Outer Gods, Rat-Thing, Familiar

Tomes and Artifacts: Nameless Cults, Liber Ivonis, Thaumaturgical Prodigies in the New England Canaan, The Dark Angel's Kiss, Latin tome on cannibalism, Leng statuettes, wax cylinder recording, Rat-Thing statuette, sacrificial chalice, ring of immortality, assorted minor Mythos texts.

SYNOPSIS:

Weird disappearances, bestial cattle mutilations, and depraved demoniacal rites are baffling New Mexican Authorities.

Investigators are drawn in by three unexplained disappearances in Silver City, New Mexico, and reports of cattle mutilation. They find the disappearances all link back to a quiet little town where nothing much ever happens.

 

The mysterious disappearances are all linked to the town of Castronegro, though quite some investigation is needed to determine that. Two of the missing men are occultists who'd recently been there, or at least been showing a lot of interest in the place. The third is a young resident of the place who'd apparently run away from home.

The scenario is complicated by the quietly sinister atmosphere of the old town, a number of red herrings and minor Mythos artefacts lurking in the town shops, and the odd behaviour of the local police.

As it eventually turns out, the town is dominated by two sinister, inbred cult families who are barely human, ruled by a powerful and ancient sorcerer. The missing men have been sacrificed. There is a monster under the clan's barn, and hundreds of cannibal degenerates lurking beneath the town, while the sorcerer himself lives in a black stone castle, kept alive by a magical ring. Investigators may try to infiltrate the castle and destroy the monster, or may prefer to hightail it at the earliest opportunity.

Appears in: Cthulhu Companion, Core Rulebook 3rd Ed.

Edited May 20, 2018 by Der Läuterer

[Der Läuterer]

xxx Edited May 20, 2018 by Der Läuterer

[Der Läuterer]

SHADOWS OF YOG-SOTHOTH

Chaosium - 1982, 1983 - CoC1 / 2004 - CoC6 Extended 2nd Edition

Cthulhu Classics

Chaosium - 1989 - CoC4

 

Scenarios:

The Hermetic Order of the Silver Twilight

Look to the Future

The Coven of Cannich

Devil's Canyon

The Worm that Walks

The Watchers of Easter Island

The Rise of R'lyeh

The Warren

The Pits of Bendal-Dolum Appears in: Terror from the Stars

The Temple of the Moon Appears in: Terror from the Stars

Dark Carnival Appears in: Curse of the Chthonians

The Secret of Castronegro Appears in: Cthulhu Companion

CLASSIC 1920 SETTING

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

1st Edition 72 pages / 2nd Edition 176 pages

Edited July 8, 2017 by Der Läuterer

[Der Läuterer]

 

BLOOD BROTHERS; 1990; Chaosium; CoC4 Edition; The scenario is based on horror films.

 

The thirteen adventures are as follows:

 

Uncle Timothy's Will

In this haunted ghostly place scenario the investigators are the greedy scum of grandchildren who want to lay hands on their uncle's will. In order to inherit the money, they have to spend a weekend in their uncle's house. As the weekend goes on, Uncle Timothy, who's spiritually occupying his own body's rendered fat in a vat on his stove, spends his time butchering one by one through a variety of proxies, including possessing the servants to creating zombies to summoning a demon from the depths of hell.

It reminds of 'The Ghoul' (1933), 'The Frightened Lady' (1963), 'Kwaidan' (1964) or 'The Cat and the Canary' (1978).

 

This scenario uses the movie theme of “Haunted Ghostly Places.” A generally isolated setting with characters threatened by one or more “malevolent otherworldly beings” is the shortened form of this style, though to some extent, that simple description fits most horror films. This type tends to have a uniting thread as to why the characters are together and often a connection, however tenuous, to the beings in question. In the film in question, the investigators are all relatives of the titular Uncle Timothy, whose will is to be read at his estate. Each of them has character flaws and/or troubles in their past that motivated them to attend the reading.

 

Timothy is, while dead, not quiescent in it, having been a wizard who uses a demonic pact and a bizarre ritual to attempt to gain ongoing life and increased power, and the deaths of his potential heirs is part of his plan. To help him in this, two servants who are under his control, the aforementioned demon, and some animated dead, as well as the threat of Timothy himself form the ultimate threats to the survival and sanity of the investigators in this variation of the haunted house motif. To me this scenario is very successful, nicely creepy, although potentially slow to start, it has major potential, hearkening to a feel reminiscent of many films of the Amicus anthology movies of the seventies and a few somewhat like it. This scenario is very playable, and while difficult if not impossible to put into campaign play, if you can find a way to get campaign characters into it, can make a wonderful change of pace scenario. If worked into campaign play, it is not too difficult to twist the demonic entity into a Mythos entity, if you wish, but there is no reason to change it that much. I would, however, suggest that in campaign play, leaving the demon unexplained as much as possible. Failing that, it excels as a one shot.

 

Oath of Blood

In this gangster scenario with a twist in the form of a vampire horning in on the New York Mafia's business with a new—and nasty—gang of his own. While the sidebar is naturally about vampires, the writers might've done well to throw in a few vintage gangster films such as Little Caesar or Public Enemy to help set the mood. (Innocent Blood would've been a perfect candidate for the viewing list had it not come out in 1992.) This is a fun adventure, but as with "Uncle Timothy's Will" some of the descriptions are a bit nastier than even pre-Hays Code films would have ever allowed.

 

Nemesis Strikes!

Nemesis Strikes Back! is the weakest scenario in the book, not because of the writing, but because the basic premise doesn't allow the players to do anything more than gamely trot behind the Dr. Phibes-inspired villain and watch as he dispatches people in various unlikely ways. As it's written, though, the players have nothing more to do than to watch the cool murders take place - and if they stop it, then where's the fun? It's more fun to see the director of the play get impaled by a crescent moon from his own play's backdrop than it is to save him and say "Wow, that would have really done some damage" while the director looks shaken. It's kind of like playing a game in which the object is to prevent Wile E. Coyote from being mutilated by his own contraptions, rather than sitting back and watching all the fun. A great scenario to read, no fun to play.

 

I gotta admit, I like this one in spite of myself, mainly because I'm a big fan of The Abominable Dr. Phibes and Theatre of Blood, both of which are on the recommended viewing list (as a "Theatrical Madmen" adventure, the sidebar also lists the various versions of Phantom of the Opera, but the adventure is based on the Price films alone). It reads wonderfully as an example of its genre, practically feeling like a lost Vincent Price film—which is also its weakness: anyone who's seen Phibes or Theatre knows that the investigators will be helpless to interfere with the murders until it's dramatically appropriate. Even if players are willing to accept this convention of the movies, there are still too many moments where the players simply sit and listen to the GM play out a scene for them. The writers should have structured this adventure so that the players take on the roles of the victims as well as of the people vainly trying to stop Nemesis, which would at least give the players the fun of acting out a terrible death with plenty of screaming and/or thrashing about.

 

The Land That Time Ignored

This one follows the ever-popular "Lost World with Dinosaurs and Forgotten Tribes" genre, but strangely, its recommended film list does not include The Land That Time Forgot! The adventure itself follows the plots of such films in a very straightforward way, with the interesting touch that the dinosaurs are always described as resembling the puppets, stop-motion puppets, or lizards with extra bits glued onto them that the audience will see—which may or may not help with the players' attitude. (Some of the most hilarious B-movie moments come from actors who, having not seen the final shots of the monster effects, play their reactions to them with much more seriousness and intensity than the monsters ever deserved.) This one would actually be a good candidate for the Abbott and Costello (or even the 3-D) optional rules in the intro, as it's the most lighthearted adventure in the book. Expect a player who's also a Simpsons fan to try out his or her best Troy McClure impersonation.

 

The Mummy's Bride

This is a fairly straightforward mystery adventure based on the Universal Studios Mummy films of the 1930s and 1940s (the recommended films list also includes Wrestling Women vs. the Aztec Mummy, but I think that film rightly belongs in its own genre of Mexican Wrestling movies). The adventure, much like the mummy itself in those vintage films, progresses slowly—perhaps too slowly for many gamers' tastes; a few action scenes in the vein of the Stephen Sommers Mummy films would certainly liven things up. On the other hand, players who are particularly familiar with the vintage mummy films might enjoy trying to decide who to trust, as we have both a suspiciously knowledgeable Egyptian (as in the 1932 movie) and a dubious Egyptian priest (as in the 1940s movies).

 

The Dollmaker

This adventure, set in the unusual setting of a 1930s London music hall, attempts to cover the small but broadly defined group of films involving animated dolls, statues, mannequins, or ventriloquist dummies. The problem is, while all those films have the common thread of animated imitations of humans, the approach each takes is quite different. Ventriloquist dummy horror often focuses on the confusion of personalities or balance of power between the ventriloquist and his dummy (as in Magic and the ventriloquist story in Dead of Night, a film which would have fit better in this adventure's recommended film list than it does in the one for "Uncle Timothy's Will"), while mannequin and wax museum horrors usually play on the fear of people around you (or worse, you yourself) being replaced. In contrast, Killer Doll films exploit both our fear of innocence turned vicious and a more general fear of Little Scuttling Things (it should be added that the lack of Trilogy of Terror, a movie which has one of the all-time great Killer Dolls, in the recommended film list is a real mistake!).

 

Since the PCs for this adventure are all described as fellow performers in the music hall, with only rather tenuous plot devices bringing them in contact with toy dolls, mannequins, or wax museums, I think this adventure would have worked best if the focus was solely on the Evil Ventriloquist Dummy storyline, with the PCs attempting to save the life and sanity of their colleague while the dummy (or is it?) tries to stop them by any means possible.

 

Ancient Midget Nazi Shamans

Well, this one certainly has the best title of all the adventures... It's supposed to be based on Gremlins and related "little beasties running amok" films of the 80s (like Critters), with WWII soldiers rescuing what they think is a child who has been tortured in Nazi experiments but is in fact a member of a foul and ancient dwarfish race (think Tcho-Tchos). One of the soldiers decides to adopt "little Klaus," and bring him back to his nice suburban town in the States, with horrible consequences to come.

 

This adventure takes place in three parts: the rescue of Klaus, local children discovering that Klaus is not at all what he seems, and the attack by Klaus and his resurrected fellow creatures on the town. In Darren MacLennan's review of Blood Brothers, he notes that the second stage of this adventure, featuring the death of some children, seemed too harsh even for an 80s-era horror film; what's more, the children's disappearance is quickly glossed over in the plot in order to move us quickly to the Thanksgiving battle. I also think this was a mistake, and that the adventure would have benefitted by staging the takeover attempt on Halloween itself and providing the players with more children characters (there's actually only one child character in the list of pre-generated PCs) who end up bringing the fight to the midget fiends when adults are either incapacitated or shown to be ineffectual—there's a lot of potential for fun with kids in costumes fighting the Midget Nazi Shamans with improvised kid tactics, mix-ups when Midget Nazi Shamans disguise themselves in cast-off Halloween costumes, and so on.

 

Honeymoon in Hell

Innocent married couples on a cruise in the Florida Everglades in the 1940s end up running afoul of a mad scientist and his experiments. The viewing list for Mad Scientists ends up covering a broad swath—everything from Frankenstein to Altered States—but manages to leave off the adventure's major influences, Curse of the Swamp Creature and The Alligator People. This wasn't an adventure that particularly impressed me: the two things that stood out in my mind were a fairly grim description of an experimental subject which would've fit better in a more exploitative/sleazy mad science film (something along the lines of 1974's The Mutations) and an epilogue that makes the most out-of-left-field reference in the entire book.

 

Dead On Arrival

This follows the grand tradition of gut-munching zombies kicked off by George Romero in Night of the Living Dead, particularly its more humorous spinoff Return of the Living Dead (the section of the adventure titled "Send More Investigators" rams this point home). This adventure, along with "Nemesis Strikes!", really captures the feel of the movies that inspired it well—and unlike "Nemesis" it doesn't fall into the trap of having scenes unfold that the players cannot participate in. Mind you, if it's like most zombie movies the death rate will be higher than most players like...

 

Notably, the Keeper's Information section of this adventure is structured much more like a cutscene, and I'd recommend actually running it as a prelude, with players taking on the roles of the various Dead Meat citizens to get into the mood for the adventure to follow.

 

(On a side note, I'd love to know if Al Bruno, CJ Carella, or any of the other minds responsible for All Flesh Must Be Eaten ever played this particular adventure.)

 

The Swarming

Though the title suggests an adventure based on horror films with insects (giant or otherwise), it's actually about werewolves. It feels most like The Howling, where an investigative reporter (or in this case, friends of the reporter wondering what happened to him) find themselves facing the threat of an organized group of werewolves and their plans for the locals. In the end, it's a basic siege situation that would make for a good evening's gaming. The subplot about the head werewolf wanting to make the townsfolk more vulnerable by lacing the water supply with a large quantity of LSD didn't really go anywhere for me, but a throwaway moment in the story's epilogue—a werewolf offering someone a sandwich with head cheese he made himself—coupled with the name of the place the PCs will stay at through much of the adventure (the Red Fox Inn) suggested that the writers might have considered a subplot based on a completely different subgenre of horror... which could have made for a more interesting (and gruesome) payoff.

 

Spawn of the Deep

This is our Fish People adventure, and while the film list includes Creature From the Black Lagoon and its sequels, the adventure is almost a dead-on RPG retelling of Roger Corman's infamous Humanoids from the Deep—which, being a film less well known for its quality than for its onscreen monster rapes, well... yes. Um. I didn't find this adventure particularly inviting to run or play, but your mileage may vary.

 

Trick or Treat

This is the shortest adventure in the book—a mere four pages—and is a somewhat slasher-film-esque adventure featuring an evil Druid taking his revenge on the teens who disrupted a sinister ritual and caused his death. The viewing list for this adventure is pretty interesting, running the gamut from The Wicker Man (the original, thank goodness!) to the hilarious The Devil's Rain, although the adventure doesn't feel much like any of them (I would be tempted to loosely link it to Pumpkinhead or maybe Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers had the latter film not come out in 1995). It boils down to a face-off between the PCs and the druid (whose soul is bound in a tough old oak tree) and his army of minions (zombies and an animated scarecrow who serves as his eyes and ears). Frankly, as an adventure it did nothing for me, but I rather liked the monstrous druid and would consider revamping him for a different horror adventure, perhaps in a setting like Ravenloft.

 

Horror Planet

Not to be confused with "Planet Terror" from Grindhouse, this is an ambitious adventure that starts out in a gritty near-future city. The PCs, colleagues of a brilliant but eccentric scientist who has dropped out of sight, locate the scientist only to find that his experiments in inter-space teleportation has caused him to fall prey to a parasitic alien intelligence. During the course of the adventure, the teleportation device is activated, teleporting the PCs (and the alien) to the ship the scientist contacted, where they will have to fight for survival and the hope of being able to get the ship back to Earth. This is made extra difficult by the fact that the spaceship's engine was jettisoned by its original inhabitants and is now on the planet the ship is orbiting...

 

I like this adventure, but somehow I think it would've been better presented as just an outer space horror adventure without attempting to tie it in with movies—sure, the scenes on the spaceship evoke Alien, but so many derelict spaceship adventures have also done so in the years since that movie was made that it just doesn't stand out in that respect. It doesn't help that the recommended film list is heavy on 1950s SF/horror films like The Day the Earth Stood Still, which have little or nothing to do with this adventure's setting (the actual adventure introduction prefers to cite Robocop, Blade Runner, and Hardware).

 

One particularly intriguing aspect of the adventure is that one of the PCs is not human, but a chimpanzee, Argus, who was part of a project by two of the other PC scientists to improve intelligence in primates (for what reasons, we're not given). Argus can only communicate by sign language (though a kindly GM will probably let his player pass notes) and the challenge of playing a character with limited communication and a rather different psychological outlook than the other characters will excite the imaginations of the right players.

 

After all this, you may wonder if I in fact liked the book. The answer is yes—with reservations. The concept of movie-based RPG adventures is a fun one, and for the most part I liked the plots of the adventures, but it seems like most of the writers struggled with how to keep the tone suitably movie-like, either leaving in odd little anachronistic touches ("Uncle Timothy's Will") or just having a somewhat unfocused approach ("The Dollmaker"). The other difficulty is that even when an adventure did closely emulate its genre, the demands of movie storytelling and role-playing don't always play well with each other. (Sorry, "Nemesis Strikes!") Also, as a horror film fan I found that the recommended viewing sidebars were often lacking, though a lot of the omissions seem to have been due to the films not being readily available on video at the time of Blood Brothers' publication (the DVD revolution has really spoiled us). That said, if you can get your hands on copy of this book (it's been out of print for years, but copies do turn up on eBay) for a reasonable price, it's not a bad source of ideas and adventures.

Edited May 20, 2018 by Der Läuterer

[Der Läuterer]

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Gate from the Past

Locations: Arkham, Massachusetts, Miskatonic University

Creatures: Elder Thing, Shoggoth

SYNOPSIS:

Some Elder Things are fleeing through a time gate to the present day (the 20s) to escape the rampaging rebel shoggoths.

 

Because the gate distorts the space/time continuum, a hungry ceratosaur is wandering around from the other side of the gate in the Upper Jurassic, tromping through Arkham.

Appears in: The Asylum and Other Tales, The Cthulhu Casebook

Edited January 15, 2016 by Der Läuterer

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ARKHAM EVIL, the

Theatre of the Mind - 1983 - CoC2

CLASSIC 1920 SETTING

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Into the Throat of the Beast

Locations: Gibsville, Pennsylvania

Creatures: Nyarlathotep

Tomes and Artifacts: The Rath Fail

SYNOPSIS:

Coal miners have discovered a crystal cavern. The Investigators are recruited to conduct a scientific investigation.

 

The crystal cavern is the remains of a Mi-Go mine. Nearby, a druid cult is summoning Nyarlathotep.

 

Wanderer, the

Locations: Black Mesa, Arizona

Creatures: Serpent people, Sand-Dweller, Dimensional Shambler

SYNOPSIS:

An asteroid is approaching Earth. The Investigators are recruited to collect any radioactive pieces that land on the surface.

 

Three parties working independently attempt to steal the asteroid pieces.

 

And the dogs shall know you

Locations: Arkham

Creatures: Nyarlathotep's Spawn

SYNOPSIS:

Arkham University is hosting a symposium on the asteroid fragments found in Arizona. A series of strange murders begins, each performed by literally aging an innocent victim to death.

 

The culmination of a long and elaborate plan of Nyarlathotep to open a gateway between dimensions has brought several disparate elements together in Arkham. A horrible spawn of the Outer God haunts the streets commiting strange murders, each performed by literally aging an innocent victim to death. Although not obvious, each of the victims has a connection to an asteroid fragment recently recovered by the MU Physics Department, energy from which forms an important part of Nyarlathotep's scheme.

 

Edited January 17, 2016 by Der Läuterer

[Der Läuterer]

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CORE RULEBOOK

Chaosium - 1983 - CoC2

CLASSIC 1920 SETTING

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Haunted House, the / ie Haunting, the

Locations: The Corbitt House, Chapel of Contemplation, Boston

Creatures: Dimensional Shambler

Tomes and Artifacts: Liber Ivonis, magic dagger, pendant

SYNOPSIS:

The investigators are called to examine an old house, where a series of tragedies have occurred. The house is rumoured to be haunted, and the landlord wishes to set everyone's minds at ease about the case.

 

The most recent tenants, a family, reported haunting by a sinister presence and went violently insane. The source of the tragedies is an early resident, a cult member of the 'Chapel of Contemplation and Church of Our Lord Granter of Secrets', who was secretly buried in the basement and is slowly transforming into an undead monstrosity. He has been using his magical talents to leech energy from the inhabitants of the house, but his main desire is to keep anyone from learning his secret and to kill or drive insane anyone who discovers him. He uses his powers to mislead and bewilder trespassers, and sometimes to kill them.

Various archives report a series of tragedies in the house across many years, involving madness, death, illness and injury. These are the source of its reputation and influence.

The Chapel of Contemplation was shut down by police in a violent raid, after claims of kidnapping. The event was hushed up despite numerous deaths, and most of those arrested were mysteriously released, apparently because of corrupt intervention by an official. The Pastor escaped prison and was never recaptured.

El Clásico - MUST PLAY

Appears in: Core Rulebook 2nd Ed., Core Rulebook 3rd Ed., Core Rulebook 4th Ed., Core Rulebook 5th Ed., Core Rulebook 6th Ed.

The scenario was retitled 'The Haunting' in CoC5 to avoid confusion with the scenario 'The Haunted House' in 'The Trail of Tsathogghua'; 1984.

A ten page article was published in The Unspeakable Oath #18 describing the Chapel of Contemplation cult in three eras.

 

Madman, the

Locations: Jenning, Vermont

Creatures: Mi-go

SYNOPSIS:

The investigators hear strange tales about Harny Reginald, a resident of Vermont. There are tales that his insanity has taken the form of mysterious rituals on hilltops, complete with bonfires and sacrifices of Goatswood.

 

Harny is working with a group of Mi-go. The plan is to destroy the town of Jenning by summoning Ithaqua.

Appears in: Core Rulebook 2nd Ed., Core Rulebook 3rd Ed., Core Rulebook 4th Ed., Core Rulebook 5th Ed., Core Rulebook 6th Ed.

NOT TO BE CONFUSED with the scenario of the same name from 'The Asylum and Other Tales', 1983

 

Brockford House, the

Locations: Maine

Creatures: Deep One

SYNOPSIS:

The investigators are called in to investigate strange noises coming from beneath at night in a house newly acquired by a wealthy ship owner. The search uncovers hidden chambers, equally hidden secrets, and creatures that remember the old ways. The clock is ticking.

 

Deep Ones are using caverns underneath the house chanting to Father Dagon, Mother Hydra and Cthulhu. Thes are using secret panels to visit the home, and eventually the investigators and the resident of the house will be taken, unless the investigators can solve the mystery and remove the threat or convince the resident to relocate.

Appears in: Core Rulebook 2nd Ed., Core Rulebook 3rd Ed., Core Rulebook 4th Ed.

 

Beginning Scenario For A Campaign

Appears in: Core Rulebook 1st Ed., Core Rulebook 2nd Ed., Core Rulebook 3rd Ed.

 

Cultists' Lair, the

Appears in: Core Rulebook 1st Ed., Core Rulebook 2nd Ed., Core Rulebook 3rd Ed.

Edited January 17, 2016 by Der Läuterer

[Der Läuterer]

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CTHULHU BY GASLIGHT

Chaosium - 1986 Box - CoC3 / 1988 - CoC3 / 2012 - CoC6

GASLIGHT 1890 SETTING

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Yorkshire Horrors, the (1st and 2nd editions)

Locations: Holmes Manor in Northallerton

Creatures: Rat-Thing, Nightgaunt, Dark Young, Deep One, Serpent Man, the Black Man

Tomes and Artifacts: John Dee Necronomicon

SYNOPSIS:

The Investigators are summoned by none other than Sherlock Holmes. Holmes’ brother Sherrinford stands accused of murder, and Holmes is away on urgent Crown business that cannot be delayed even in such a case. He asks them to investigate on his behalf. They puzzle over strange events occurring on a Yorkshire estate, while great forces struggle for the Empire and the world. This case leads them into a deep and tangled web of crime, horror and the unbelievable.

 

The murder of Holmes’ servant was orchestrated by Moriarty. Moriarty, whose extensive scholarship included the Mythos, survived his plunge at Reichenbach Falls by means of an extradimensional gate he had prepared. After a long time spent in fantastic alien landscapes, he has returned to rebuild his empire.

Seeking revenge against Holmes, he schemes to lure him up to Yorkshire, where he has built an extensive coven (which would never have escaped Holmes’ notice in London). Here he plans to capture and sacrifice both Sherlock and Sherrinford to the Great Old Ones on Walpurgis Night. Holmes is not entirely unaware of these events. Terrible suspicions have arisen, and realising his own ignorance of the supernatural, he called on the Investigators to work on his behalf.

The Holmes manor proves to be infiltrated by Moriarty’s cultists, as well as rat-things. A stone circle is linked to Nyarlathotep, and the murdered man (and most of the thugs) are Deep Ones. Dark Young lurk in a nearby woodland. There is a Necronomicon in an abandoned church nearby, now used by the coven and full of rat-things, with nightgaunts in the attic.

Shortly, more murders follow, and Sherrinford is caught at the scene. He disappears from prison. The hired men and key servants immediately depart as well. Mycroft Holmes disappears en route to Yorkshire. Soon, Watson and Holmes also appear, though Holmes remains in disguise and out of sight.

Eventually, the trail leads to a series of gates, through which the Investigators can travel to find Moriarty at Stonehenge – and in the distant past. They also finally meet Sherlock Holmes. Dozens of cultists are embarking on a ceremony, with Nyarlathotep already present. They have no option but to try and rescue the Holmes brothers. Though various people may die along the way, there is no long-term consequence to the outcome.

 

Night of the Jackals, the (3rd edition)

 

Burnt Man, the (3rd edition)

Edited January 17, 2016 by Der Läuterer

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CURSE OF THE CHTHONIANS

Chaosium - 1984 - CoC2 / 2011 - CoC6

CLASSIC 1920 SETTING

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Dark Carnival

Locations: North Star Amusement Arcade & Pleasure Pier near Providence, Rhode Island

Creatures: Cthonian, Ghoul, Zombie

Tomes and Artifacts: Orb of Hraaki, Kagwamon K'thaat, Ring of Carneithos

SYNOPSIS:

A series of disappearances and a few grisly murders point to strange goings-on in the amusement park near Providence. Investigators drawn in by the mystery will not only find the vanishings are more than mere murders, but that they face a far more dangerous threat than they could have imagined.

 

The investigators examine various rides and inhabitants of this circus and eventually discover some of the secrets. The carnival is riddled with evil: all the permanent staff, artists and workers - many of them extremely dangerous - are devoted cultists of a cthonian cult, and capture visitors to sacrifice them. Several of the rides include trapdoors and other ways to lead visitors into the caverns below for capture, torture and gruesome death. Beneath the fairground are tunnels filled with Cthonians, Ghouls and Zombies. The cult is led by an invulnerable and powerful sorcerer and the investigators are liable to end up in serious trouble.

Appears in: Curse of the Chthonians, Cthulhu Classics

 

Curse of Chaugnar Faugn, the

Locations: New York

Creatures: Chaugnar Faugn, Dimensional Shambler, Shantak

Tomes and Artifacts: Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan, Book of Dzyan, Pnakotic Manuscripts

SYNOPSIS:

A female friend of one of the investigators, asks for help. Her father, a Professor, has been ill since he returned from an expedition to the Far East where he acquired a statue for the Museum.

 

The statue is a Great Old One, Chaugnar Faugn, in suspended animation. The Professor has been driven mad by the Great Old One and a curse placed on him that is tying him inevitably to the entity. While his behavior is erratic, there is little perceived reason to believe the professor has gone mad, but he has been marked as a sacrifice. Death at the museum, the peculiar dreams on the part of the ex and the professor, lead to a conclusion when an attack is made on the household by an apparent cultist riding a summoned flying creature, leading to a rather intense conflict, at the end of which the professor is briefly missing, found dead at the museum at the feet of the statue. The professor had been switching bodies with his daughter for a time, for greater and greater lengths of time, which was the source for her odd dreams, and the attack that left the professor dead was a ruse on his part, with the ex-girlfriend dying while in her father’s body, and the professor now in his daughter’s body, planning his final actions, a later body switch with one of the investigators, and his becoming a full thrall of Chaugnar Faugn, warping the stolen body into a barely human form in a certain time frame.

Appears in: Curse of the Chthonians, Cthulhu Classics

 

Thoth's Dagger

Setting: 1920s

Locations: Boston

Creatures: Sand Dweller, Ghoul

SYNOPSIS:

At an auction of rare books, antiques and art collection of a famed occultist, an antique egyptian dagger is bid over, and subsequently stolen in the conclusion of the auction.

Watchers who bring slaughtering daggers in cruel fingers,

Who slay those who follow Osiris -

May they not prevail over me!

May I not fall under their daggers!

--- The Egyptian Book of the Dead ---

 

The investigators become involved in the chase, and end up in possession of the dagger and inherit its curse. The possessor of the dagger is haunted by dreamlike visions that grow longer with each successive one, and the curse is revealed through research, the cursed person's soul at risk, and a ritual needing to be performed in Egypt at a particular location being the only solution. With a cultist hounding them from hiding if possible, the investigators are drawn to unexplored ruins in Egypt, and will find themselves ultimately in subterranean chambers, confronting Nyarlathotep himself in one of his more human guises.

Thine enemy is given to the fire;

The Evil One hath fallen.

--- The Egyptian Book of the Dead ---

Appears in: The Asylum & Otter Tales, Cthulhu Classics, The Cthulhu Casebook, Curse of the Chthonians, Different Worlds #27

 

City without a Name, the

Locations: Arabia

Creatures: Chthonian, Ghost, Sand-Dweller

Tomes and Artifacts: Das Alphabet in Mystik und Magic, Kabbala Denudata, Sefer ha-Zohar

SYNOPSIS:

Dreams lead the investigators to a scholar of the Kaballah, who starts them on a path that leads to a quest to find the Nameless City.

 

The investigators visit a Rabbi in Jerusalem. The Rabbi interprets a vision received by one of the investigators using the Kabbalistic Science of Gematria. The investigators journey to the infamous City Without a Name - which actually has a name, Iram of the Pillars - but the expedition has a traitor in their midst. Inside the city, the investigators find themselves confronted by ghosts and the traitor's plans to use them to feed hatchling chthonians in a vicious nursery.

Appears in: Curse of the Chthonians, Cthulhu Classics

Edited January 17, 2016 by Der Läuterer

[Der Läuterer]

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DEATH IN DUNWICH

Theatre of the Mind - 1983 - CoC2

CLASSIC 1920 SETTING

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Locations: Dunwich

Creatures: Zombie

SYNOPSIS:

An art dealer, Dale Plunckett, was found dead outside Dunwich. The Investigators are recruited to find out the reason for his murder.

 

Plunckett was a member of an occult secret society, the Right Hand. He was killed by an agent of the opposing secret society, the Left Hand.

 

Edited January 17, 2016 by Der Läuterer

[Der Läuterer]

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DIFFERENT WORLDS

US MAGAZINE

Published by Different Worlds Publications

--- Date of publication 1979 to 1987 - 47 issues ---

 

DIFFERENT WORLDS #27

1983 - CoC2

CLASSIC 1920 SETTING

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Thoth's Dagger

Appears in: The Asylum & Otter Tales, Cthulhu Classics, The Cthulhu Casebook, Curse of the Chthonians, Different Worlds #27

 

DIFFERENT WORLDS #30

1983 - CoC2

CLASSIC 1920 SETTING

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Wail of the Witch, the

Locations: Salem, Massachusetts

SYNOPSIS:

A strange death in Salems, Fairfax Cemetary brings the Investigators face to face with a threat that spans the ages.

 

The investigators come to Salem, Massachusetts, where a reporter's death in an old cemetary hints at something sinister lurking there. The investigators try to learn what story the reporter was working on and uncover clues which originate at the time of the Salem Witch Trials and a cult dedicated to Nyarlathotep.

Appears in: Different Worlds #30, Day of the Beast

 

DIFFERENT WORLDS #34

1984 - CoC2

CLASSIC 1920 SETTING

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Crystal of Chaos, the

 

DIFFERENT WORLDS #38

1985 - CoC2

CLASSIC 1920 SETTING

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Eye of Sitar, the

Edited January 17, 2016 by Der Läuterer

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FRAGMENTS OF FEAR

THE SECOND CTHULHU COMPANION

Chaosium - 1985 - CoC2

CLASSIC 1920 SETTING

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Underground Menace, the

Appears in: Fragments of Fear, Different Worlds #19

 

Valley of the Four Shrines

Locations: Belgian Congo, Africa

Creatures: Great Race, Flying Polyp, Guardian Thing, Sentient Flame, Byakhee, Creature Summoned by the Altar, Zombie

SYNOPSIS:

A dangerous quest leads the intrepid investigators into the 'heart of darkness' of the Belgian Congo jungles.

 

The adventure starts with the discovery of a notebook page and map inside the cover of a mythos book describing a lost valley in the Congo containing Mythos carvings. The investigators explore four titular shrines with guardian monsters and magical treasures. A floating temple on the valley's lake gives them the opportunity to meet an entity form the earth's distant path. The cultists in the valley are actually amongst the friendliest folks encountered and no threat to anyone, despite the inherent evil of their patron deities.

The scenario is a dungeon crawl that offers lots of random encounters.

Edited January 17, 2016 by Der Läuterer

[Der Läuterer]

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FUNGI FROM YUGGOTH, the

Chaosium - 1984 / 1987 - CoC2

 

Fungi from Yuggoth 1st Edition material:

Introduction: The Prophecy

Plot Synopsis: The Brotherhood of the Beast

Chapter I: The Dreamer

Chapter II: The Thing in the Well

Chapter III: Castle Dark

Chapter IV: Sands of Time

Chapter V: Mountains of the Moon

Chapter VI: By the Bay: Part I

Chapter VII: By the Bay: Part II

Chapter VIII: Day of the Beast

Conclusion: Foiling the Brotherhood

Optional Scene 1: Halls of Celaeno

Optional Scene 2: Voice Out of Time

CURSE OF CTHULHU*

1990 - CoC4

 

Curse of Cthulhu - Edition material:

Add. Adventure: The Case

Add. Adventure: Wail of the Witch

The Fungi from Yuggoth

I: The Dreamer

II: The Thing in the Well

III: Castle Dark

IV: Sands of Time

V: Mountains of the Moon

VI: By the Bay: Part I

VII: By the Bay: Part II

VIII: Day of the Beast

Conclusion

Optional Scene 1: Halls of Celaeno

Optional Scene 2: Voice Out of Time

Add. Adventure: The Haunted House

DAY OF THE BEAST**

1998 - CoC5

 

Day Of The Beast - Revised Edition material:

PART ONE - Forbodings of Doom

I: Suffer Little Children (new)

II: Black Hills - Blackest Secrets (new)

III: The Dreamer

IV: London Calling (new)

PART TWO - Dreams of Nophru-Ka

V: The Thing in the Well

VI: Castle Dark

VII: Halls of Celaeno

VIII: Sands of Time

PART THREE - Day of the Beast

IX: Mountains of the Moon

X: By the Bay: Part I

XI: By the Bay: Part II

XII: Day of the Beast

PART FOUR - Appendix of the Beast

CLASSIC 1920 SETTING --- from 1927 til 1929 ---

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

1st Edition 76 pages / Revised Edition 128 pages

 

SYNOPSIS:

In ancient Egypt, a priest called Nophru-Ka was a secret worshipper of Nyarlathotep. Nophru-Ka plotted against the Pharaoh but was assassinated. As he died, Nophru-Ka spoke a prophecy telling of the destruction of the Pharaoh’s kingdom.

In the 12th century AD, Baron Hauptman and Lang-Fu created the Brotherhood of the Beast to fulfil the prophecy. The Brotherhood protected the descendants of Nophru-Ka (the Royal Family) and laid the financial and political foundation for a plan called the Day of the Beast. On the Day of the Beast, terrorists will attack government leaders and monsters will be summoned to destroy cities across the globe.

The year is 1927. For America it is a time of growth and prosperity. Lon Chaney, Babe Ruth, and Charlie Chan are celebrities, while the average young American enjoys speakeasies, jazz, and the new "talkies." All that is about to change. A young psychic who is also a famous medium, Paul LeMond, has visions of the Day of the Beast, and it is a sight which has driven him insane. These clues will lead the Investigators to key locations providing background information about the Brotherhood and their current activities.

 

 

PART ONE - Forbodings of Doom

 

Suffer Little Children**

Creatures: Ghost

 

The Tannerhill House is haunted by a couple kids, as well as the psycho mother who physically and mentally abused them, killing one in the process.

 

Black Hills, Blackest Secrets**

Creatures: Shan

 

Dreamer, the (Expanded**)

Locations: New York

Creatures: Great Race of Yith

Tomes and Artifacts: Pnakotic Manuscripts, Yithian Communicator

 

The Investigators are requested to look into the mysterious disappearance of famous New York spiritualist Paul LeMond. LeMond was once possessed by a Yithian. As a result, he has real psychic abilities but suffers nightmares from his repressed memories. Because of his deteriorating mental state, he was kidnapped and committed to a sanatorium by his manager. Another Yithian intends to kill LeMond.

Appears in: The Fungi from Yuggoth, Curse of Cthulhu, Day of the Beast

 

London Calling**

Creatures: Serpent Man

 

 

PART TWO - Dreams of Nophru-Ka

 

Thing in the Well, the

Locations: Boston

Creatures: Dimensional Being

 

An unusual dream by Paul LeMond sends the Investigators to Boston to investigate the city’s recent child-murders. Dr Cornwallis, a member of the Brotherhood of the Beast looked after Edward Chandler, heir to Nophru-Ka, when he was young. The wife of Cornwallis was attacked and impregnated by a Thing from another dimension. The resulting offspring lives in the abandoned Cornwallis Mansion. It is hungry and now kills for food.

Appears in: The Fungi from Yuggoth, Curse of Cthulhu, Day of the Beast

 

Castle Dark

Locations: Romania

Creatures: Nyogtha, Star Vampire

Tomes and Artifacts: Al-Azif, De Vermiis Mysteriis

 

A series of cryptic letters written in German leads the Investigators to Romania in search of the mysterious Baron Hauptman. Baron Hauptman still lives in a crumbling castle overlooking the village of Drovosna.

Appears in: The Fungi from Yuggoth, Curse of Cthulhu, Day of the Beast

 

Halls of Celaeno (Expanded**)

Locations: Celaeno

Creatures: Byakhee, Sleeper in the Lake, Parasite, Non-Terrene Elder Things, Servant of Ghat

 

The Investigators travel six trillion miles to a library in search of a scroll containing a vitally important spell. If an Investigator takes anything from the library, they will be taken by the Sleeper in the Lake.

Appears in: The Fungi from Yuggoth, Curse of Cthulhu

 

Sands of Time

Locations: Egypt

Creatures: Byakhee, Mummy

 

The Investigators go to Egypt in search of the lost tomb of Nophru-Ka. An archeological team from Miskatonic University is searching for the tomb. One of the Arab workers is an agent of Baron Hauptman.

Appears in: The Fungi from Yuggoth, Curse of Cthulhu, Day of the Beast

 

 

PART THREE - Day of the Beast

 

Mountains of the Moon

Locations: Peru

Creatures: Fungi from Yuggoth

Tomes and Artifacts: Mi-Go weapon

 

Another dream by Paul LeMond sends the Investigators to the mountains of Peru to investigate the recent unusual earthquakes there. The earthquakes are caused by a Mi-Go mining site. New World Inc is working with the Mi-Go to extract a substance required to summon Dholes on the Day of the Beast.

Appears in: The Fungi from Yuggoth, Curse of Cthulhu, Day of the Beast

 

By the Bay: Part I

Locations: San Francisco

Creatures: Deep One

Tomes and Artifacts: Coat of Life

 

The Investigators follow the mysterious shipments of Blue John from Peru to San Francisco. The shipments are processed into incense supervised by Lang-Fu. The incense is shipped to cultists for use on the Day of the Beast.

Appears in: The Fungi from Yuggoth, Curse of Cthulhu, Day of the Beast

 

By the Bay: Part II

Locations: Oakland, California

Creatures: Thing From Between the Planes

 

An attack by one of the Investigators by a mysterious being leads them to the NWI research facility in Oakland. The facility is run by Dr Dieter, a mad German scientist. A treasury agent working for Dieter can provide the Investigators with inside information.

Appears in: The Fungi from Yuggoth, Curse of Cthulhu, Day of the Beast

 

Voice Out of Time**

Locations: New York

Creatures: Nophru-Ka

 

The Investigators request a seance with Paul LeMond to contact the spirit of Nophru-Ka. LeMond will be possessed by Nophru-Ka. Nophru-Ka will provide some information but will then attempt to kill LeMond in order to escape.

Appears in: The Fungi from Yuggoth, Curse of Cthulhu

 

Day of the Beast

Locations: Egyptian

Creatures: Abu Hol, The Beast

 

The Investigators return to Egypt to foil the Brotherhood and the prophecy made millennia ago. The leaders of the Brotherhood of the Beast are assembling in Cairo. They will Call the Beast using the Great Sphinx.

Appears in: The Fungi from Yuggoth, Curse of Cthulhu, Day of the Beast

 

Case*, the

 

The investigators visit an old friend who has apparently lost his mind.

'The Case' is directly taken from the 'The Case of Charles Dexter Ward' by H.P. Lovecraft.

 

Wail of the Witch*, the

Appears in: Different Worlds #30, Day of the Beast

 

Haunted House*, the

Locations: Michigan

Creatures: Haunt

 

The investigators travel to Grand Rapids to ghost bust a house haunted by strange and deadly events. The house is plagued by strange and deadly events. It is possessed by the spirit of a druid.

Appears in: The Trail of Tsathogghua, Curse of Cthulhu

NOT TO BE CONFUSED with the scenario 'The Haunted House', 1983, i.e. retitled 'The Haunting' from the 'Core Rulebook' 2nd to 6th Ed.

Edited January 17, 2016 by Der Läuterer