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!

 

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What a year (part 1)

By great Nodens beard I’m beat, but, dear reader, I feel obliged to start my year-end wrap up before 2014 is too long in the tooth.

First off, I want to thank every one for the kind words regarding Oliver, on and off-line.

Secondly, in looking back at the past year in Lovecraftian gaming, I realize how much of it I haven’t had either the time or inclination to read. This is, in a way, a good thing, since it suggests just how much material was produced for Call of Cthulhu and related systems. I hope no one is too put out that I am not going to give a comprehensive review to every release.

Let’s get started!

Arc Dream Publishing
The Unspeakable Oath #22
The Unspeakable Oath #23

I’ve written for the Unspeakable Oath, so I’m far from unbiased, but I look forward to every issue. The Oath put out two issues this year, which is a pretty good pace. Hopefully now that they’ve had a successful subscription drive they’ll have the resources to do even more in the future. My only criticism is that, as much as I liked “Cold Dead Hand”, Adam Scott Glancy’s Soviet scenario in issue #23, I would rather it have been a stand-alone publication rather than 75% of one issue of the magazine. I want more Oath.

The Sense of the Sleight of Hand Man

I realized yesterday that I hadn’t actually finished reading the campaign (I got distracted around page 200), so I can’t say I’ve read the whole thing, BUT I think this is a great book. It’s a unique campaign, only the second ever set in the Dreamlands (after Kevin Ross’ neglected “The Dreaming Stone”). It is a fresh approach to the setting that I think should disabuse Dreamlands detractors of their disdain. It can seem a little railroaded, but I think most players will enjoy the ride so much, they won’t notice.

Cubicle 7
Folklore (print version)

It was nice to finally see this in print. Not essential, but an enjoyable addition to my collection, especially useful to those running games set in the UK or using Celtic myths and legends.

World War Cthulhu

Confession time… I haven’t read this and I’m not likely to pick it up any time soon. WWII just isn’t a gaming setting that piques my interest. It sounds as if the Cubicle 7 version is less pulpy than Modiphius’ Achtung! Cthulhu, but if I’m using the War, I think I’d go even darker.

Golden Goblin Press
Island of Ignorance

Last for today, but most certainly not least, is Golden Goblin Press’ first foray. A really solid scenario collection with a couple outstanding pieces, Island of Ignorance is an impressive debut from this fledgling publisher. My own tastes would have replaced the supplemental articles with scenarios but I respect Oscar Rios’ desire to emulate the CoC Companions of old. GGP also ran the best Kickstarter I’ve yet seen – on time and with very open lines of communication. Let’s hope they keep up the good work, which I very much think they will.

That’s enough for now – next time, the rest of the books

Non-NecronomiCon news (updated)

(Let me try this one again… sadly a laptop crash ate my first attempt to post this.)

Whilst I collect my thoughts about the last half of Saturday and Sunday at NecronomiCon, I thought I might update other doings in the world of Lovecraftian gaming otherwise unrelated to the recent madness in Providence…

1. The Sense of the Sleight of Hand Man has been released.
2. The Unspeakable Oath won a Silver Ennie at GenCon.  Awesome.
3. Other Lovecraftian winners include Modiphius Games and Pelgrane Press.
4. The audio of the Delta Green panel discussion at GenCon is now available.
5. There has been a new episode of The Good Friends of Jackson Elias.
6. On that note, Chaosium has announced that Mike Mason will become their Call of Cthulhu line editor.
7. The Kickstarter for Raider of R’lyeh has begun.  I’m in; it sounded interesting and I’ll jump at any new material from Kevin Ross (he’s doing a supplement about occultists in the Arkham area!)

I’m sure there is more but I hesitate to not post this post-haste and have it swallowed by the ether.

News update

I’ve got a couple of news items that I wanted to share.  Excuse my brevity, I’m still neck deep in assorted projects and need to get cracking before sleep overtakes me (or I give in to my dark addiction to playing “just a couple more minutes” of Fall Out: New Vegas… and fall asleep doing it,again.

• There is a new episode of the Miskatonic University podcast – their guest this time is Mike Mason (of 7th Ed. CoC fame).  They also have a news recap, talk about their favorite Lovecraftian films, and reveal some of the secrets of hopping Indonesian zombies .  Yes, hopping zombies.  No, they are not a zombie with pop rocks around the rim.
• Adam Crossingham has announced that Sixtystone Press is looking for playtesters for Colonial Lovecraft Country.  I’ve had the pleasure of reading Kevin Ross’ manuscript as well as several of the scenarios and I highly recommend it.
• Did I mention Raiders of R’lyeh?
• Do you want to listen to Dan Harm’s talk at Treadwells in London from a few months back?  You can now!
• Shane Ivey has started posting notes from his playtest of the Sense of the Sleight of Hand Man.
• I’ve sent out a draft of the Arkham Gazette Issue 0 to a proofreader.  Huzzah!  It should be done soon (fingers crossed).

Six years of the Masks Companion and other news

The Companion

It is a little hard for me to comprehend, but I’ve been working on the Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion for over six years now.  Damn.  In that interval I’ve lost two cats, created a homunculus, and eaten a great deal of pudding.  I hope to have news to announce soon… good news.

In other news Arc Dream has announced its production schedule for 2013, including (ideally) four (!!) new issues of the Unspeakable Oath, release The Sense of the Sleight of Hand Man, and a bunch of other stuff.  Hopefully I’ll wrap up my latest submission to the Oath and it will see print soon.  I think it is one of the creepier things I’ve written.

The Dan Harms media empire also had similar news about his Ghouls sourcebook, Tales of the Sleepless City, some secret project (oooooh!), and a bunch of non-fiction about magic (an oxymoron I suspect, save from an academic perspective).

The DGML Shotgun scenario contest has wrapped with a total of six entries.  Members should vote now.

Oooh, shiny

We’ve had some nice developments in the land of Cthulhu.  Aside from my receipt of Bumps in the Night a couple days back, I’ve also had an update from Dennis Detwiller regarding The Sense of the Sleight of Hand Mancampaign (including a little preview, woooo) Kickstarter project.  Looks to be shaping up very well.

Finally, Shane Ivey has posted the audio recording of the Delta Green seminar at GenCon this year.  Give it a listen, here.

Outside of gaming, I have also learned a bit more about a more obscure burial site in Worcester County, this time the Baptist Church at Harvard at Still River.  Looks like one of the stones is legit (or the late Deacon William Willard, d. 1793) but the other two are discarded stones found in secondary use near to the church.  My thanks to the Harvard Historical Society for the information.  (Oh, and I’ve finished a preliminary survey of Middlesex Co. graveyards on my Graveyards page; Norfolk County is up next.)

All that, plus it is once again apple picking season here in Lovecraft Country so I’m happily saited with cider and fine varietals.  Yum.