Tag Archives: Role Playing Public Radio

Hurtling into the void of a New Year

130227173855-black-hole-super-169(Technically we are always hurtling into a near void, as our solar system spins along on the outer edges of the Milky Way, itself tumbling ever outwards… maybe I shouldn’t have watched all those episodes of the Expanse last night?)

So, 2015 has come and gone and 2016 is rapidly piling up on my doorstep.  Happily with the new year comes actual progress on various fronts, some at a satisfactory speed, others at a rate that only a geologist could love.  Nevertheless, part of that work is updating ye old blog.  To that point I’ve updated a few bits and pieces here including:

  • Checking the various links on the right-hand side of the page.  I deleted a few defunct ones, noted the date of last posting if a personal blog’s not been updated in more than a year (in blogging terms that suggests a blog is dead, but that more an art than a science), and added a link to Hans-Christian Vortisch’s new blog “Shooting Dice” which is about RPGs and firearms… appropriate considering he’s the author of Investigator Weapons Vols 1 & 2 for Sixtystone Press.
  • I’ve also updated my list of Lovecraftian RPG products for 2015.  It is a rather idiosyncratic list of products and I am sure I’ve missed something, so I’ll probably update it at some near point.  I don’t know if I’ll run down the various books for 2015 at any point as I’ve not actually purchased all of them and my time is at a premium of late.

Golden Goblin Press unleashed one more product under the calendrical wire for 2015, making the scenario “Goblin on Bourbon Street” available via the GGP website for $5.  This is apparently a convention scenario the GGP crew has run multiple times and a not-quite-reached stretch goal from the Tales of the Crescent City kickstarter.  I don’t know the page count of the scenario or much beyond the blurb:

When four people turn up dead of an apparent wild animal attack in the French Quarter of New Orleans the police are quick to close this case. If that weren’t strange enough one of the dead is reported to be a Mordechai Whateley of Massachusetts. Could he be from the decayed line of the Dunwich Whateleys, rumored in certain circles to be a powerful clan of degenerate sorcerers? Things just don’t add up and nobody really seems to care. It’s clear, to the investigators at least, that something dark and dangerous is at work here. If they don’t get to the bottom of this mystery no one else will.

cydotanukaai4uy

I am oddly fond of this card…

In other gaming news, Squamous Studious is now offering the public a chance to buy their excellent and amusing card game ‘Feed the Shoggoth’.  In the game each player takes on the role of a cult leader (the cults being very familiar to Call of Cthulhu players I suspect) with the goal of being the last one standing once everyone else has been devoured by the titular shoggoth.  $20 (and shipping) gets you fine Lovecraftian amusement, perfect when some of your gaming group is late or you’re waiting in a crypt until the ghouls finally awaken.  I played it at Necronomicon 2013 and am a very satisfied Kickstarter backer.  Check it out.

Keeping a Festival all its own (for ten years now!) the Delta Green Mailing List had its annual Shotgun Scenario competition.  There were 12 entries this year and I look forward to seeing which one is chosen by the DGML readers as the winner.  Check out this year’s entries (and vote for your favorite) HERE.

And, finally, what madness has come up in the realms of podcastery since our last post?

Advertisement

What I’ve been up to, Lovecraft Country links, and a podcast roundup

July’s past the midway point and the gaming goes ever on…

I’ve been working on the finishing touches for issue #3 of the Arkham Gazette.  it’s not ready yet, but I will definitely be finished soon.  I’m excited and more than a little relieved.  Sorry it took so long.  The issue issue will be done sooner!  (If you’re interested in writing for the Gazette check out our most recent call for submissions.  We’ve already had two!)  I’ve also been slowly picking my way through the Jackson Elias scenario for the Masks Companion kickstarter backers.  Lastly I’ve tinkered at the giant bibliography of New England’s gravestone carvers, adding a few new references and links to academic articles we can find online.

Speaking of Lovecraft Country, here are some recent links from the Sentinel Hill Press blog and our G+ group:

In more general Call of Cthulhu news, Chaosium have restarted their Keeper promotions program and GoKeeper promotions programlden Goblin Press have received the print copies of De Horrore Cosmico; shipping starts tomorrow.

“But what of recent Lovecraftian podcasts?” you whisper, stroking an snow-white long-haired cat:

Speaking with the Unspeakable (Oath Podcast)

I had the distinct pleasure recently to talk with Shane Ivey, Adam Scott Glancy, and Ross Payton

An ashcan copy of the Companion

of the Unspeakable Oath podcast.  We talked about their respective projects (The Unspeakable Oath #25, Horrors of War, Role-playing Public Radio and other projects), my projects (The Arkham Gazette) and, for most of the show Masks of Nyarlathotep and The Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion.  Do give it a listen.

It was a lot of fun to chat with the UO crew and hear about their experiences running Masks.  I hope I remembered to speak slowly and enunciate.  If you haven’t taken a look yet, there are (currently) about 5 days to go in the MoNC Kickstarter.

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!

 

Four fingers and a thumb

Let’s organize things in a pseudo-Occult way!  Cue the Hand of Glory…

Pointer – Role-playing Public Radio have released their 100th episode (in two parts).  An interesting behind the scenes discussion and retrospective.  Speaking of podcasting mile-stones, the Good Friends of Jackson Elias have marked their 1st anniversary, which in the world of gaming is the used copy of X1 – the Island of Dread anniversary.

Index – I’ve added a new blog to the links list, this one dedicated to reviewing Call of Cthulhu scenarios, which goes by the enigmatic name of ‘Call of Cthulhu Scenario Reviews’.

Ring –  Goodman Games’ Kickstarter for “Starfall Over the Plateau of Leng” has about 11 days to go and has doubled the initial target.  Golden Goblin Press expects the PDF of “Tales of the Crescent City” should be available by the end of the month.  Why do I suspect Oscar Rios takes his authors’ and artists’ families hostage… 😉

Pinkie – Yet another assassination attempt on Cthulhu scholar Dan Harms has failed.

Thumb – Something I’ve been thinking about lately, is that, considering we’re 1/2 way through the year, that there has been so few Call of Cthulhu releases this year.  We have three ‘Trail’ products, a pair for ‘Achtung!’ and a ‘Laundry’ book (both PDF only), Cathulhu, and three (very well done) free fan-made products. I understand there is a hiatus waiting for the release of CoC 7th edition, but jeez.  This is the slowest year since the nadir of the game in 2003 and none of the professionally released books are for traditional CoC.  Let’s hope the back half of the year is better.

Still generally occupied, but if I don’t post about these now, they’ll get lost in the shuffle…

Here’s the podcast round-up:

The Delta Green Mailing List has held its annual Shotgun Scenario contest and are voting to pick the winner.

Cubicle 7’s London Box Set’s Kickstarter wrapped up at 600% of its funding target.

Did I mention Secrets of Tibet has been released, at least as a PDF?

We’re still looking for submissions for the next issue of the Arkham Gazette, as is Protodimension Magazine.

Books! Books! Books! (updated)

(Just after I posted this… accidentally mind you… I heard that the Unspeakable Oath released a new issue.  I’ve updated to reflect new info and fix my many typos.)

February has turned out to be very productive month for Lovecraftian gaming.  We’ve had some books-

  • Cubicle 7’s long-awaited Folklore has finally escaped from the electronic world into the medium of print and is now sitting on my night stand.
  • Chaosium also unleashed Atomic Age Cthulhu.
  • The newest issue of the Unspeakable Oath is now available. My reflections on all three shall be shared once I’ve had the chance to read them.

We also have had some podcast news and other odds and ends-

  • The gents at the Miskatonic University Podcast released another episode, this time covering prop making, problem players, and psychics (among other topics).  I want to kindly point out to my readers that they’re having a fund raiser and that for a scant $25 you can pick a topic for the crew to discuss (and for $50 you pick the main topic of an episode)… any topic.  That’s some cheap fun for the creative.
  • I’ve also been listening to Role Playing Public Radio a bit of late.  While they don’t always talk about Call of Cthulhu or other Lovecraftian games, it is hard to beat their summary of the straight to the dumpster 90s action ‘classic’ McBain.  Plus, loads of CoC actual plays are there for the listening.
  • Dean Englehart has also expanded his State of the Tentacle interviews with Graham Walmsley and Oscar Rios.

  • Medieval LARPers

    Finally, while doing some research I came across this fine site- the Medieval Macabre Gallery.  If you need something to punch up your bogus page from that 1588 Blackletter edition of the Necronomicon, here you go.  There are also links to all sorts of more mundane woodcuts