Author: Keeper Doc

Cat Links Conventions

Chaosium Con III: The Extended Cut

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For more cogent and/or lucid recollections from Chaosium Con 2024,  please refer to the excellent accounts written by JR, Bucho, and Evan. In the words of veteran Detroit beat reporter Morrie Perlman: “It’s better to be fast than good.” With this axiom in mind, I’m trying to bang out this brief after-action report as I settle into my seat outside gate D31 of DTW’s North Terminal. I haven’t much time, but we’ll see what I can manage to recall from Chaosium Con III. Rest assured; it shall not be as long as my wandering recaps from prior conventions.   Pre-Con I spent months debating what I wanted to run. I had some Grindhouse scenarios set aside.

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So You Want to Run Impossible Landscapes?

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Delta Green is the system and setting of choice for my regular gaming group. We’ve been playing for years, but I’ve been reticent to run Impossible Landscapes for them long before its formal release. Dennis Detwiller released the first (or prologue) scenario of the campaign, Night Floors, in Delta Green Countdown way back in 1999. This 2021 release fully realizes the viral potential of the King in Yellow after germinating in Detwiller’s brain over decades. It’s establishing itself as a definitive This surreal and bizarre experience is a true departure from the X-Files-tinged Lovecraftian horror my players have come to love. And yet, they demanded it. Why not? The reviews are stunning. The praise is well

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What’s Happening at Prospero House

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Things have been quiet around here lately. Even during my lulls, I strived to get at least one post out per month. February got away from me. My Masks of Nyarlathotep campaign is currently paused in Australia on the eve of departure into the Outback. I have found myself balancing my gaming with increasing (and rewarding) work responsiblities, as well as a deeper commitment to family time. Despite this, I’m always turning over ideas, getting occasional words down, and lurking on the edges of the community celebrating the fun of others and admiring the latest developments. As life evolves, I suspect Prospero House will too, and I remain committed to our mission, but I also

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Cat Links Australia, MoN - Keeper

Trimming & Refining Australia

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Excluded from the early releases of Masks of Nyarlathotep, the Australia chapter finally saw publication in 1996, and, in many respects, still feels slightly perfunctory and out of place. For one, it lacks the geographic constraints imposed in the other chapters and spans an entire vast continent. While the scale of the search adds to the global flavor of the campaign and helps create late-game pressure by adding in lots of travel time, it also dilutes some of the excitement.  The cursory detail provided in the relatively brief descriptions of each location lacks the flavor and drama present in other chapters.  The chapter’s true heart lies beneath the parched earth of the sparsely populated Australian

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Heinrich’s Call of Cthulhu Guide to Carcosa – Review

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Disclosure: I playtested and proofread Heinrich’s Call of Cthulhu Guide to Carcosa. I have not received any free content, payment, or remuneration for this privilege or the following review. “No, he is not vicious, nor is he in the least demented. His mind is a wonder chamber, from which he can extract treasures that you and I would give years of our life to acquire.”   -Robert W. Chambers, “The Repairer of Reputations.” Since Ambrose Bierce first introduced the ancient mysterious city in his short story “An Inhabitant of Carcosa,” the otherworldly place presided over by Robert W. Chambers’ Yellow King is oft-referenced but infrequently captured. By nature, it eludes description as those who wander

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The Long Run: Reboots, Retcons, and Resets

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This is a follow-up to an earlier post, found here, which is spoiler-free. Be advised, the post below does contain some MoN spoilers. The Even with the best intentions and committed gaming crews, big campaigns falter. If you find yourself in such a situation and wish to continue playing, do not despair! There are potential solutions to reignite the adventure. It may not be a perfect, uninterrupted playthrough, but it’s still an amazing journey.  TPK Retcons: The history of MoN is littered with dead investigators, and TPKs account for many an arrested campaign. The introduction of Pulp Rules and modifications to the latest edition have toned down the death and destruction, but these things still

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Cat Links Keeper Tips, MoN - Keeper

The Long Run: On Getting MoN “Wrong”

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“I’m going to finish this, even if it means I’m playing by myself.” -Keeper Dave (esteemed co-host of the MU Podcast) Disclaimer: This is not really an admonishment or castigation of others. In truth, it’s more of a conversation with myself. While the principal subject matter is MoN, this discussion applies to any long-form TTRPG campaign, creative project, or sustained effort.  Conventional internet wisdom cautions prospective Keepers to steer clear of MoN if they cannot guarantee dedicated time, committed players, and willingness to read the campaign at least once before launching the adventure. Being a fool, I openly refute these limiting precepts. I’ve previously suggested an alternative to the prescribed cover-to-cover study, so I will

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Keeper Doc’s Top 5 Cthulhu-ween Picks

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So I missed getting this list of Halloween scenario picks out in time for the holiday. Am I distressed? Not in the least. First, there’s no bad time of year to play a Halloween-themed scenario. Second, in right around 11 months’ time, there will be blood-thirsty Keepers querying social media about the best one-shots for Halloween. And here we are. Waiting for you. In the dark. With some opinions. I will offer up five top picks, including some classics, a couple of Miskatonic Repository gems, and a phenomenal Delta Green recommendation.  To wrap things up, I’ll toss out some honorable mentions, as well as an out-of-print solo adventure. What I’m not going to talk about

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Running “The Dare” – Some Tricks and Treats

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WARNING: SPOILERS FOR “THE DARE” BELOW! As the leaves begin to change and the smell of apple cider and pumpkin spice waft through the air, many a Keeper commence their annual search for an excellent adventure to capture the Halloween spirit. Surprisingly, Chaosium offers no dedicated Halloween Call of Cthulhu scenario for the 7th edition. For our seasonal scares, we must turn to third-party supplements, out-of-print modules, the Miskatonic Repository, and alternative systems for dedicated selections. In this post, we intend to spotlight our second favorite Halloween adventure while offering some constructive analysis and posing suggestions to optimize the experience for your players. If you’ve already played “The Dare,” you can look forward to a follow-up

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Mythos Tomes – True Magick

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Location:  Stored in Ho Fang’s booby-trapped teak cabinet in the Shrine to the Bloated Woman (China) Alternative Location: On the desk in Carl Stanford’s room (China) Physical Description:  Bound in fine red Chinese silks depicting various Mythos creatures and symbols Author:  Theophilus Wenn, 17th-century Hermetic philosopher, produced no additional works believed to be a pseudonym, possibly Arthur Dee (eldest son of John Dee) or Elias Ashmole Publication History: Only a single copy exists, last recorded in the possession of the early 19th-century bookseller and American wizard John George Hohman. Records reveal it seemed to be a small and crumbling manuscript bound in disintegrating leather. According to scholars, medieval records from the University of Salamanca detail

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