Tag Archives: Horror on the Orient Express

An update to converting ‘modern’ scenarios to Delta Green

(Updated 5/20/16)

Way back at the predawn of time (1999) there was a discussion thread (started by Shane Ivey no less) about porting ‘modern’ Call of Cthulhu scenarios into the Delta Green setting.  The gist of that discussion was archived on the Fairfield Project .

There was also a modern scenario guide by Jacob Busby (now posted on Delta-Green.com) that I believe originally appeared on the old Ice Cave site (I couldn’t find it on a the Wayback archive in a quick search but I didn’t try very hard) that was much more comprehensive in scope but with only a few comments per scenario: Delta Green Scenario Guide

With the release of the new stand-alone version of Delta Green, I thought this collection of conversion notes should be updated to include those published since then.  A good number of  new ‘modern’ scenarios have been released since Mambo #5 topped the charts, so I thought I might start a list here, hoping that others with more time might do the heavy lifting of writing some conversion notes.  I’m linking to this post on the DGML and Yog-sothoth.com since I’m hoping the motivation there will be greater on more general RPG sites like RPG.net etc.

I’m omitting all of the scenarios previously covered on the two lists linked to above, although I suspect new adjustments will be required in running some of these modern scenarios even in the intervening 17 years (for example, the Fractal club mailed ‘zine and 5 1/4″ floppies that feature in “The Fractal Gods” from The Stars are Right (1992).)  Some of these have been covered in earlier discussion on the DGML about specific scenarios or collections – I did a very rough link to each book, if I could find one, but can add more narrow commentary should I find it.

I am skipping over anything actually published by Pagan/Arc Dream since those usually already include a mention of Delta Green.  Likewise no “scripts” for Cthulhu Live since I have no idea about how one converts those to table-top play.  I am also omitting magazine scenarios and those scenarios from Chaosium’s monograph line as that would be an even more enormous list; I might do a separate list of those later.

I’ll endeavor to keep this list up to date with links to other folks conversion suggestions, as they are posted or as I find them (I haven’t delved into YSDC’s enormous forum archives yet).

Professionally Published ‘Modern’ Call of Cthulhu scenarios since 2000

Ramsey Campbell’s Goatswood, and Less Pleasant Places (Chaosium, 2001) – All set in the UK, in Campbell’s fictional Severn Valley towns.

  • The Windthorpe Legacy
  • Gothic
  • Silent Scream
  • Cross My Heart, Hope to Die
  • Watcher Out of Time
  • Unpleasant Dreams
  • Blessed Be
  • Of Dreams and Dark Waters
  • Third Time’s the Charm

 

Unseen Masters (Chaosium, 2001) – Scenarios set on the US East Coast – NYC or Rhode Island.

  • The Wild Hunt
  • The Truth Shall Set You Free
  • Coming of Age

 

The Stars are Right, 2nd Ed  (Chaosium, 2004) – Two scenarios were added for this 2nd edition- one set in US southwest, the other in the Rocky Mountains.

 

Secrets of Japan (Chaosium, 2005) – All scenarios set in Japan and tie into the authors idiosyncratic take on the Mythos in Japan.

  • The Hin-no-Maru Slayings
  • Meiro (the Laybrinth)
  • The Yonaguni Monuments

 

Our Ladies of Sorrow (Miskatonic River Press, 2009) – All scenarios set in the U.S.

  • The House of Shadows
  • The Desert of Sighs
  • The River of Tears
  • The Final Cut

 

Cthulhu Britannica (Cubicle 7, 2009) – scenarios are all (spoiler) set in the U.K.

  • Wrong Turn

 

Arkham Now (Chaosium, 2009) – All scenarios set in ‘modern day’ Arkham

  • Lonely Hearts (Taste Great)
  • Lost in a Book
  • I Did What the Virgin Asked

 

Snows of an Early Winter (Super Genius Games, 2009) – Set in New York City

The Arkham Case Files: Deep Morgue (Solace Games, 2012) – Set in Massachusetts

Lost in the Lights (Sixtystone Press, 2013) – Set in Las Vegas; contained notes for running as part of an Delta Green campaign.

Mythos Case Files: Fungi Mine (Solace Games, 2013)

Horror on the Orient Express, 2nd Ed. (Chaosium, 2014) – Set in Istanbul

  • The Simulacrum Unbound

Nameless Horrors (Chaosium, 2015) – Set in the UK?

  • The Moonchild
  • The Space Between

Jib Jabber from Beyond

Tempus fugit, eh?  The longer I go between updates, the longer posts take to write.  I’m sure there’s a mathematical function to chart that problem, but you’ll have to work it out for yourself.

I thought it might be a useful exercise (for me at least) to put down in pixels exactly what I’m up to (or was up to, or should be up to) on the writing front, but first, let’s recap what’s been going on in the wider Lovecraftian Gaming world:

Gaming news:

  • The dust has (hopefully) begun to settle at Chaosium.  Communications, with their Kickstarter backers and with the wider gaming community, have been much improved, and European backers of the Horror on the Orient Express Kickstarter have actually started receiving their long-promised copies.  I think the change, at least so far, has been for the good.  As far as I can tell their warehouse-clearing sale (up to 50% off certain whole lines, including monographs and licensee products) is still going on, so snag a copy of whatever you might have been waiting to pick up.
  • Cubicle 7 has launched their Kickstarter for World War Cthulhu: Cold War.  If you thought fighting the Mythos was too easy in the Roaring Twenties, have fun trying to slip something past Section 46 in the 1970s.  It has already blasted past its initial stretch goals, so who knows where things will end up. 
  • Pelgrane Press is hinting about some announcement in four days, give or take.  I’ve no clue what they are announcing – they’ve said it is unrelated to “Cthulhu Apocalypse” or even if it is Lovecraftian, but I’ve got to make some assumptions I suppose.

    Look kids – Big Ben, Parliament!

  • Golden Goblin Press have released the PDF of De Horrore Cosmico to their Kickstarter backers. Excelsior!

What about all the Lovecraftian Podcasts?

Necronomicon (or is that NecronomiCon?) 2015’s schedule is now available for your plotting and planning.  I’m still up in the air when it comes to attending.  Sorry!

Moving from news to… err… me, here are the projects I’ve got in and around my plate:

  • Finishing Issue #3 of the Arkham Gazette.  On my end, this is editing and slimming down our featured scenario “The Queen of Night”; who knew a scenario with dozens of NPCs set all over Arkham and beyond would be so large?  I’m still hoping to get the final text of the issue, albeit in rough form, out to backers by the end of the month.  Chris Huth, who is doing our layout work, has been otherwise handling similar tasks for Pelgrane Press’ Dracula Dossier, so he has been otherwise occupied, but the Gazette is next on the to-do list, happily.
  • Prepping call for submissions for future Arkham Gazette issues.  Like a true masochist, I cannot wait to get to work on future issues of the Gazette.  I’m preparing to solicit articles for future issues of the Gazette, with suggestions for articles and general encouragement for contributors.  I think we are going to offer two or three main topics for our next issue(s), since topics help get submissions it would seem, but I’m not fixed on any particular one.  Ready your (virtual or otherwise) pens!
  • Kickstarter stretch goals: We’ve already put several out to Kickstarter backers – including the autopsy of Walter Gilman and a giant handout all about the Unvisited Island – but there are still two scenarios, a scenario seed, and the revamped versions of our first two regular issues of the Gazette to go.  The scenarios are both written, with one being readied for layout and the other in editing.  The scenario seed being worked on currently and the older issues are being left aside for now until Chris’ finished his work on issue #3; the work required there is primarily in layout, but we may be adding a little content here and there, so a close reread is in order as well.
  • Sundry Sentinel Hill Press side projects are further down in my queue: There’s our Keeper’s resource for running games in Lovecraft Country, part bibliography, part gazetteer, part overview.  Ditto for updated versions of earlier issues.
  • My scenario for the Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion Kickstarter.  I’m about 2/3 done with the writing, trying to make sure the scenario serves as not just some CoC fun, but a good way to introduce Jackson Elias.
  • Unspeakable Oath submissions – a Mysterious Manuscript/Arcane Artifact, a Tale of Terror.  A few ideas I’ve been kicking around but none are quite ready for submission.
  • A solicited scenario for a collection, about which I can say no more.
  • Other stuff – New England research.  Always ongoing.
  • Orphan projects – sundry scenario ideas I’ve had, none worth mentioning in particular.

That’s all of them… hopefully!

Post-Yule Post

Shockingly, between the Arkham Gazette Kickstarter (48 hours to go!) and other seasonal obligations, I’ve had scant little time to update good old Tomes in Progress.  Sorry!

So, here’s what has been going on in the world of Lovecraftian roleplaying games.

In other news, Shane Ivey might possibly have had the best Christmas of us all.  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Finally, a bit of seasonal poetry from HPL himself:

Festival

by H.P. Lovecraft

There is snow on the ground,
And the valleys are cold,
And a midnight profound
Blackly squats o’er the wold;
But a light on the hilltops half-seen hints of feastings unhallow’d and old.

There is death in the clouds,
There is fear in the night,
For the dead in their shrouds
Hail the sun’s turning flight,
And chant wild in the woods as they dance round a Yule-altar fungous and white.

To no gale of earth’s kind
Sways the forest of oak,
Where the sick boughs entwin’d
By mad mistletoes choke,
For these pow’rs are the pow’rs of the dark, from the graves of the lost Druid-folk.

And mayst thou to such deeds
Be an abbot and priest,
Singing cannibal greeds
At each devil-wrought feast,
And to all the incredulous world shewing dimly the sign of the beast.

News bonanza

Sorry for the lack of updates recently; real life has kept me otherwise engaged, stealing away those free moments when I might be blogging, instead insisting I deal with ailing family members, logistical luggage arranging, and (most recently) snow removal.  Note to past self – budget more time for everything.

This is, however, a blog about Lovecraftian RPGs (and my occasional involvement therein) with a dash of my other hobbies, not a chat about the mundane adversities that strike anyone who is not a sociopathic millionaire orphan.  Let us instead turn to the world of polyhedral die and polymorphic nightmares…

Podcasts – Despite some technical glitches with the feed on iTunes, the Good Friends of Jackson Elias have released another episode covering all the best game master techniques they’ve cribbed from other Keepers.  (They’ve also set up a Patreon page to cover some of the show’s costs, so far netting them a princely $15 a show).

The muttering miscreant mavens of multi-sided mayhem at the Miskatonic University podcast had some technical issues of their own with episode 67.  The audio for their first try was so poor they scrapped nearly the whole thing, save for the news from the Campus Crier section – including a lovely summary of the October-ganza on the Sentinel Hill Press blog; listen to that preserved fragment here.  The redo attempt turned out a far better piece (in audio terms a least – who knows what bon mots were lost in the sonic catastrophe that was ep 67 mark I ?!?), covering the delayed release of CoC 7th ed, one player/one Keeper games, and Science Fiction (mostly gadgets) in Lovecraftian RPGs.  It’s also that rare beast when all four hosts are (eventually) in attendance.  But what of Keepers Shemp and Murphy-Joe?

Kickstarter offers an abundance of news, large and small, so let’s bullet point these:

In other news, Dreamhounds of Paris is now available for pre-order.  Awesome!

That’s plenty for now, isn’t it?

Twice the weight of a human brain!

A few quick items before you depart for GenCon (or look in the direction of Indianapolis with envy in your heart… or ignore the whole damn thing, make another cup of tea, and dive back into that book, it is all up to you…

There is a new episode of the Miskatonic University Podcast, covering among other topics, weapons. The MUP crew will be at GenCon; follow them on Twitter @mupgc. Don’t forget to ask Keeper Chad about his nightmare ride with Large Marge.

Cthulhu Reborn has announced their next upcoming free release – the Machine King, a scenario for Gaslight with an alternate Dreamlands. I look forward to seeing it!

If you (like me) missed it live, you can hear Dan Harms’ local radio interview all about Lovecraft from the show’s archives HERE.

Chaosium has also posted some additional information about the forthcoming(?) reprint of Horror on the Orient Express – it weighs 7 pounds; it is also now available for pre-order. Also be on the lookout for the print release of Ripples from Carcosa.

The Hits Keep Coming

I guess we’re entering the pre-GenCon roller-coaster of news and new releases!

First off, there’s a new episode of the Unspeakable Oath Podcast. Regular host Ross Payton, Shane Ivey, and Adam Scott Glancy, are joined by their guest Ryan Macklin (no relation). Of particular interest is the possibility that there will be a Delta Green preview at GenCon and details about the pending Kickstarter for Horrors of War. My MKULTRA programming of Adam Scott Glancy continues to pay dividends as well. Mwahahahahah!

There’s also a new episode of the Miskatonic University Podcast; this time they’re talking about the Ripley Scrolls, the Voynich Manuscript, and their namesake, Miskatonic University.

In Chaosium news, they appear to have fixed the international rate for shipping on the new website, explained some of the delays for Horror on the Orient Express (printer trouble!), and released their first Call of Cthulhu product for 2014 – Ripples from Carcosa.  Quoting the product description:

RIPPLES FROM CARCOSA expands upon the mythology of “He Who Should Not Be Named” and gathers much of the varied material on Hastur into one place. The first chapter reviews The Great Old One Hastur and his various avatar forms. It examines the Yellow Sign, the play “The King in Yellow”, the Mythos tome of the same name, and the effects these things have on the human mind.

Next within these pages is a trio of adventures pitting investigators against Hastur and his human worshippers. These scenarios can be played as stand-alone adventures or as a linked campaign called “Ripples from Carcosa.” Investigators are provided for each scenario, but keepers should feel free to allow their players to use their own investigators if they so choose.

Cubicle 7 have announced they are now taking pre-orders for the next book in their World War Cthulhu series – Europe Ablaze.

“Europe Ablaze presents six missions demanding such resourcefulness and determination, all set in the European theatre of operations. Some are inspired by SOE missions or historical events, while others take a more imaginative view of the conflict, but all are rooted in the all-too-real horrors that the Second World War brought about. All of them add that special twist that being part of N’s network demands, and the dangers of the Mythos will prove at least as deadly as a bullet from the Gestapo.”

The PDF is available now.

 

Role-Playing Public Radio have begun posting their live play of the ENnie nominated The Sense of the Sleight-of-Hand Man.  Here are episodes 1 – 2 – 3.

Finally, Feed the Shoggoth‘s Kickstarter has wrapped up, hitting c. $15,000.  Congratulations Badger!

 

So many podcasts (and a few books)

Still working on my year-end-wrap-up but I didn’t want to miss out on the post-holidays batch of podcasts and new books and other news

Miskatonic University Podcast
They’ve had two episodes since I last mentioned them:
A long (long long) interview with Adam Scott Glancy and a not quite as long (but still substantial) interview with Kenneth Hite.

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias, slowing their pace down, talked about combat in 7th Ed. Call of Cthulhu and their favorite ‘weird’ movies.

Finally, the second part of the new Plot Points podcast’s discussion of Convergence is also out.

As for RPG stuff…
Secrets of Tibet is now available in print and Dead Lights as a PDF. If you have two grand (or were part of the Kickstarter) you can have a look at the proof of Horror on the Orient Express.

The Unspeakable Oath released the subscriber rewards – fiction from Adam Scott Glancy and John Tynes.

Oscar Rios has announced that the Kickstarter for Golden Goblin Press’ next book “Tales of the Crescent City” will start on January 24th.

And I tied for second in the most recent Shotgun Scenario contest on the Delta Green Mailing List.

There may be more, but I can’t think of it right now.

What a year (part 3)

And we roll on…

Chaosium
The Phantom of Wilson’s Creek (print version) {Monograph}

Haven’t read it. Sorry.

Atomic Age Cthulhu

I might not have an overwhelming urge to run a game set in the 1950s, but I think this book makes a strong case for that era as a setting for Call of Cthulhu. Of the scenarios, I think my favorite is L.A. Diabolical; they are definitely better than the recent Chaosium average.

The House of R’lyeh

I read one of the scenarios before release (and saw another when it was in Different Worlds #37) but I’ve not read the whole book. Terrible title, since R’lyeh doesn’t feature into any of the scenarios.

Missed Dues and Other Tales {Monograph; sold only at GenCon}

I wasn’t at GenCon, so I don’t have a copy.

Dark Crusade {Monograph}

Perfectly serviceable introduction to the Crusader States for non-historians. I may have read most of the source material in Grad school, but I suspect I’m not the norm in this. It was nice to see some additional material for Cthulhu Dark Ages since, to be frank, there is more action in the Levant than back in 1000 AD Europe. I do wish there had been a scenario.

Canis Mysterium

I reviewed this one already.

Horror Stories from the Red Room {Monograph}

Don’t have it.

Secrets of Tibet {PDF}

Ordered but it has not yet arrived.

Dead Light {PDF}

Not a classic, but an interesting scenario.

Horror on the Orient Express, ver. 2.0 {PDF, proof copy only; Kickstarter backers only}

I was excited to get my backer link and have a peak at the 2nd edition. I’ve not read it from cover to cover… there’s been a lot to read lately… but I was happy with what I saw. I do miss some of the character illustrations (some of my favorites in any CoC book) though, and I cannot get behind releasing 7th edition books before the damn 7th edition rule book comes out.

All in all, that was a lot of books for Chaosium. I really hope they’ve turned a corner, having had two very successful Kickstarter campaigns and appointed Mike Mason to head the Call of Cthulhu line.

Tomorrow – a few more comments, since I can’t stop blabbing.

All the time in the world! (crunch)

I’ve started preparing my notes for my 3rd annual year-end wrap up essay when Chaosium threw a spanner into the works releasing a Kickstarter-backer only preview of Horror of the Orient Express ver. 2.0 AND a new Lovecraft Country scenario called “Dead Light“. More news when I find the time to read all this stuff.

Throw another book (and a campaign) onto the to-read (or re-read) stack.

Memories of the Orient Express, Part 3: Why did Constantinople get the works?

Where last we left things (in my 1994-5 run-through of Horror on the Orient Express), my players had arrived in Constantinople, having recovered the whole of the Sedefkar Simulacrum from the Fenalik and the Brotherhood of the Skin.

A couple things about my players time in the City of the Sublime Porte {Beware, loads of SPOILERS yonder.}

  • I wish I had known more about Constantinople; I had the basic information presented in the campaign supplemented by a little bit of (Encyclopedia Britannica) outside reading, but having learned a lot more about the city in the decades since, I am confident I failed to fully capture the unique qualities of the city.  [Full disclosure: for unrelated reasons… probably… as part of my graduate school research I ended up doing a great deal of reading about Italian mercantile interests in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea during the Middle Ages, including Constantinople.]
  • I really disliked the whole Mehmet-as-Hakim (that was his name, yes?) plot.  There was a lot of mustache twirling going on during the campaign, wasn’t there?  Were I to do it again, I’d definitely cut that bit out.  While the cistern scene was interesting, most of the set-pieces, like the graveyard sequence and Beylab the Perspirer were far too scripted for my taste.  The ideas were good but the execution frustrated my players since they quickly sniffed out the fact that the campaign was leading them around by their collective noses.  Beylab in particular was so clearly a trap, down to the gigantic speech I had to read, that some of my players interrupted him to make a break for the door.  Hopefully that fight will be more Eastern Promises than Blue Brothers in the second edition.
  • The mandatory capture and escape sequence from the Red Mosque again proved a frustration to my players.  They had little to do but wait through a series of scripted scenes and gloating monologues.  Let me just add that very few of my players were surprised that Dr. Smith wasn’t quite himself.  The climactic conflict went a little better and seeing the Simulacrum in action was thrilling.

Next time- Back to London