Guns, lots of guns (and other news)

Time continues to race by, as it always seems to when I have a project overdue!

First off, I’m still working on issue #3 of the Arkham Gazette. Hopefully our next issue won’t take nearly as long! It will definitely be shorter. Our goal is to have a draft of the issue, sans scenario, available for our backers before the end of the month, with the issue itself getting a regular release soon after. I’m more likely to update the Kickstarter (and our G+ group) before I post something here, if you’re awaiting it with bated breath.

Text by Hans-Christian Vortisch, cover by Chris Huth

Sixtystone Press just announced that their Print on Demand version of their excellent Investigator Weapons vol 2: Modern Day is now available. Buy it now for an excellent discount!

We’ve had, oddly enough, lots of podcasts in the month since my last update:

• Yog-Sothoth.com just announced that there has been a second meeting of the Cthulhu Breakfast Club.
• The Good Friends of Jackson Elias celebrated 50 episodes with an overstuffed confection of a episode examining the cultural influence of H.P. Lovecraft.
• Ken and Robin Talked about Stuff: Good Italian witches (who, like good Italian sausages, require fennel), the Indian empire builder Chandragupta Maurya, the Electrical Messiah of John Murray Spear, and Ken’s latest Trail of Cthulhu creation Tombhounds of Cairo.
• The Miskatonic University Podcast covered vampires & 7th ed. grappling rules as well as keeping things moving in the game & their dream Lovecraftian RPG project.
• The Unspeakable Oath crew interviewed Oscar Rios (setting a record for having 2 episodes in as many months!)

(and very incongruously for the above gun and podcast talk, I am currently listening to this: https://youtu.be/Rgb8am3NQU0 . Such is life.)

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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.

More GenCon – the Delta Green scenario panel and KaRTAS post- Con show

The Unspeakable Oath podcast have released a recording of their second panel – the topic this time is scenarios, specifically creating those for Delta Green, but I think the comments and advice the panel* gives is of use to anyone writing their own material regardless of era or even game system.  Tragically the portion of the program dedicated to discuss the genius of my writing was cut off, just before they began discussing them, I heartily encourage you to give it a listen, even if it is just for Ken Hite’s fragmentary tale of a ruined riverboat casino.

*Dennis Detwiller, Adam Scott Glancy, Ken Hite, Shane Ivey, and Greg Stotze.  A real who’s who of CoC gaming (and beyond).

Ken Hite returns on the latest episode of Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff to discuss, with Robin Laws, their experience at GenCon 2014 and, especially, about their various awards.

Finally, on a personal note, my print copies of The Unspeakable Oath #24 has finally arrived.  Woot!

..

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!

 

How many Hit Dice do Smorgasbords have?

We’ve got a smorgasbord of Lovecraftian RPG stuff to note.  Grab a plate and make your own feast:

• The ENnie nominations have been announced.  Of particular interest to me are the Best Adventure nominations for the Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition Quick-start rules for best freebie, The Sense of the Sleight-of-Hand Man and Eternal Lies, Ken and Robin Talk about Stuff for Best Podcast, and Achtung! Cthulhu’s Keeper’s Guide to the Secret War for cover art, writing, and product of the year.  Voting starts July 20th.
• Manservant Hecubus reports that a new episode of the Unspeakable Oath podcast was recorded over the weekend, with special guest Ryan Macklin.  It is expected to be released in a few days.
• Do you want your own (mini) Sedefkar Simulacrum?  (For only 35,000€ you can have a ‘life-sized’ one.)
• This is an ad in the new issue of the Unspeakable Oath (you’ve picked up your copy, yes?) suggesting that there will be a Kickstarter for the long awaited Horrors of War this summer.  Fingers crossed?
• Want another fundraiser?  Dennis Detwiller has launched a Patreon account (? not sure what term to use here).  In short, you can pledge a fixed amount to Dennis every time he creates new content for Delta Green.  His initial goal is $750 but if he gets to $5000 he’ll devote himself to Delta Green full time.
• Feed the Shoggoth’s Kickstarter is drawing to a close and our last question is how many stretch goals it will hit.
• In the realm of completed fundraisers, Dave Sokolowksi (one of the many contributors to The Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion) has publicly released He Who Laughs Last(in PDF), a scenario for Cthulhu Dark.

That’s it for now.  Stay frosty.

The Long Quiet

Sorry for the lack of new posts for the past six weeks or so. We’ve been in the midst of a move – TiP HQ is mostly in boxes currently – and I’ve not had the time to keep up to date on matters of Lovecraftian gaming. Hopefully now that we’ve begun to settle into our new host, err, home, I’ll have some time to catch up.

In the mean time, occupy yourselves with a listen to Episode 10 of the Unspeakable Oath podcast, the 27th Episode of the Good Friends of Jackson Elias podcast, Episode 50 (!) of the Miskatonic University podcast, or join in the Kickstarter for Arc Dream’s Delta Green fiction anthologies “Failed Anatomies” vols I and II.

…and it turned into a podcast blitz

Lordy lou, have there been a bunch of podcast releases whilst I’ve been otherwise occupied desperately trying to finish my scenario for the London Boxed Set (the Kickstarter of which has nearly quadrupled its initial goal) and learning how to repair an F21 error on a Maytag 3000 washer.  Who knew socks were so dangerous?

Here’s what been going on in the realm of Lovecraftian RPG podcasts:

• The Unspeakable Oath released the audio of a meal time conversation between Adam Scott Glancy, Ken Hite, Shane Ivey, Robin Laws, and Ross Peyton (and a waitress) that occurred at GenCon 2013 talking about their various works in progress.  While it is a wee bit dated, the geological pace that most gaming books progress at means that there is much to entertain and inform here, not the least of which is half-audible Muzak background.  Frankie Valli costs me 1/1d4 points of Sanity)
• The Miskatonic University Podcast crew (this time of Keepers Chad and Dan) have a grab-bag episode covering everything from Twists in gaming, baby farms, and the London Box set.
• The Good Friends of Jackson Elias have been very busy of late, release one episode a week!  Since I’ve mentioned them last, they’ve talked about The Rats in the Walls and spells in CoC 7th Ed.  Apparently my ribbing them about their monomaniacal hatred of “Attract Fish”* struck a nerve. 😉

Hopefully that will keep you occupied for a few hours.

* For my part – and I’ve not finished listening to the episode – all I feel obliged to say on this point is that “Attract Fish” is a simply little spell that the Deep Ones can bribe their human victims… err… friends with and are implied in the text of “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”.  Maybe we can just have a generic “Attract {Animal}” spell?

News roundup (yee-ha?)

Sorry to have been so remiss in my posting.  I’ve been focused on wrapping up the first regular issue of the Arkham Gazette as well as another writing project (more on that soon, I hope); when compounded with pressing real-life necessities, the blog had to take a pause.  That being said…

My copy of Island of Ignorance arrived (slightly dinged sadly), making Golden Goblin Press the first publisher to keep a deadline for any Kickstarter I’ve joined.  Nicely done.  The book’s great too; hopefully I can put together a review at some point.

Podcast news:

• The Good Friends of Jackson Elias have talked about their favorite spells  in CoC and conducted a video interview with author Rafael Chandler (also available in purely audio form).
• The Miskatonic University Podcast crew released another episode, this time talking about art and inspiration for your Call of Cthulhu game.
• The Unspeakable Oath has released a recording of a playtest of Cold Dead Hand, a scenario that appeared in their latest issue.
• Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff talked about Ken’s trip to Vermont and Marblehead MA and, more disturbingly offered preliminary reviews of Sleepy Hollow and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.  I cannot agree with their assessment of the two shows; I find it much easier to ignore some rejiggering of the Marvel Universe continuity than having real-world history put through the filter of the National Treasure movies.  In other words, Sleepy Hollow – bleh, Agents of Shield – eh.

 

Ivey, Sage, Scott Glancy, and Tyyyyynes

It looks like I won’t have to sic Hecubus on them after all, as the Unspeakable Oath gang have released a new three hour (!!) episode. This time John Tynes is the interviewee and they cover a full range of Cthulhu-y goodness, from a preview of UO #22, to a very naughty puppet, the greatness of Graeme Price, and the secret of the mysterious Mr. Cowan. (They even answer a few of my questions. Cool!)

Check it out.

 

How many synonyms for ‘potpouri’ are there?

No earth-shattering news, but since it has been about a week since my last update, I figured it was time to post my meager bits of new information:

• I have continued to add and expand the Massachusetts Graveyards page; in addition to expanded notes about resources I’ve also continued to enlarge my listing of sites for Middlesex County. I’m now up through the Ns.
• I managed, for the first time in a long time, to get to the library and do a little research. I found a copy of Inscriptions from Burial Grounds of the Nashsway Towns, which is a compilation from Lancaster and all its ‘daughter’ towns, which includes portion of gravestone inscriptions, some cemetery information, a little on some local gravestone carvers, and whatever the local historical society saw fit to include.  It is very helpful in those cases where they saw fit to include information about the history of a town’s graveyards (like for Sterling).  Still, it is odd when local historians overlook facts I’ve learned elsewhere (Lancaster’s cemetery list omits one family plot, Harvard’s records neglect the burials at the Still River church… for example)
• There has been an update from Thomas Phinney regarding Cristoforo, including a spiffy contributor only limited preview.  I must confess I had the pleasure of playing around with seeing a few of my titles up in ‘Cthulhu font’.  Looking forward to seeing the finished version in the fall.
• It looks like Goodman games has another Cthulhu release in the works – The Timeless Sands of India.  I would normally not mention yet-to-be-released products (though there have been so few of late) but the author, Jon Hook, and the editor, Matthew Pook, were contributors to the Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion, so plugging their book is the least I can do. {For the record Jon did the layout for our pre-gens, while Mr. Pook wrote, edited, and provided much moral support}.  Also, India is a seriously neglected corner of the world when it comes to Cthulhu gaming (a few brief sections of Spawn of Azathoth and Tatters of the King aside… and Mysteries of the Raj, a book I’ve not read) so anything set in the subcontinent is going to garner my interest.

  

• Voting for the ENnies is going on now.  Call and Trail of Cthulhu are well represented; give them some love, yes?
• LATE DEVELOPMENT: Shane Ivey is now reporting reception of our psychic emanations!  Behold: “Did I hear that correctly in the whispers the night brought me?”  Keep up the meditative focus people (and people-like entities)!