Jul 26, 2022
In this episode, Jon and Seth talk about some of their favorite
books, movies, and music that inspire their tastes in horror, and
they review Blackwater Creek, a scenario suitable for new players
and Keepers in the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game.
Topic 1: Inspirational Media for Horror
Games
- The Fisherman, by John Langan
- Other short short stories by John Langan (ex: Wide Carnivorous
Sky)
- The Color Out of Time, by Michael Shea
- Darkest of the Hillside Thicket (ex: Let Sleeping Gods
Lie)
- The Haunting of Hill House, Netflix
- Love/Death/Robots, Netflix
- 30 Coins, HBO
- Devil Rides out, Dennis Wheatley. Hammer Film
- Maltese Falcon, Dashiell Hammet
- Rosemary’s Baby, Ira Levin - Polanski
- Winter Tide - Ruthanna Emrys
- Archive 81, Netflix
Topic 2: Review of Blackwater Creek
- Written by Scott Dorward
- Published by Chaosium in the “Missed Dues and Blackwater Creek”
book which was included in the Call of Cthulhu Keeper Screen.
- 50 pages long:
- 33 page of text
- 6 pre-generated characters
- 6 handouts
- 5 maps
Pros:
- Sandbox scenario
- Author describes two ways to engage with the scenario
- Various “Keeper Notes” to guide novice Keepers
- LOVE the student who thinks his mother is alive.
Cons:
- More roadside encounters to engage novice players – For
example: a mutated wild pig that crashes through the foliage and
smashes into the investigator’s car. Good opportunity for Spot
Hidden rolls to recognize the animal as a mutated pig, (versus
maybe a wild boar), opportunity for a Drive Auto roll to avoid or
lessen the potential damage the pig could inflict, and an
opportunity for combat if the investigators pursue the pig. If the
investigators can gain possession of the slain pig’s body, it could
be studied to gain additional information or clues about the
mutating effects of the Mother’s Milk. - because there already is
Brutis, maybe a mutated deer.
- Blackwater Creek is a very well designed sandbox scenario, but
I think one or two of the roadside encounters described in
“Location 1: The Town of Blackwater Creek” need to be reformatted
into mandatory encounters. I can imagine novice Keepers being a
little overwhelmed with the cornucopia of encounters in each
location, and not realize how to select encounters that would
further the investigator’s drive to pursue the mystery.
- A note directing the Keeper to “The Mother’s Gift” is
mislabeled as “pg.28,” when it should be “pg.31.” – ignore this…
too nit-picky
- It’s suggested that the investigators might consider using the
home/shack that was once owned by the widow Hawkins as a temporary
headquarters, (the investigators don’t know that Hawkins is dead).
But her shack is right in the center of town, facing Sheriff
Sprouston’s home. I can’t imagine any investigators, (bootleggers
or academics), daring to just squat in someone’s home… especially
if they assume she’s alive and simply just not home yet, and
because it’s in full plain sight of the whole town.
- Pre-gens only for Bootleggers. Missed Dues, in the same book is
also criminals. Would have preferred those to go together and the
BWC pre-gens be the University option.
- Stage 4: Draws People to BWC, so with all the whiskey going
out, people should be arriving in town.
- Random infant Dark Young might be overpowered for the PCs
Patreon
Thank you all for your support
Link: https://www.patreon.com/modern_mythos
Discord
Link: https://discord.gg/t7Ud67zRG3
YouTube
Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmk5Y_OheFJL7-Xgvx-REJA/featured
Facebook
Link: https://www.facebook.com/jon.seth.921
RSS
Link: https://modernmythos.libsyn.com/rss
RedBubble
Link: https://www.redbubble.com/people/Modern-Mythos/shop?asc=u
ARTIFACTS BOOK
We immortalized a number of our Patrons in a book of Mythosy
artifacts appropriately titled, “Mythos Artifacts.” Available now
on the Miskatonic Repository on DriveThruRPG.com.
Link: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/390047/Mythos-Artifacts?manufacturers_id=2?affiliate_id=51821
We can’t do this show alone. We want to thank our amazing
editors Max Mahaffa and Edwin Nagy for their hard work and keen
skills at making us sound awesome!
We also want to thank John Sumrow, for our badass logo. He’s a
very talented artist, so please follow him on Facebook, check out
his official website, and please consider joining his Patreon
account. Links in the show notes.
https://www.facebook.com/johnsumrow
http://www.johnsumrow.com
https://www.patreon.com/JohnSumrow
And finally, we want to thank The Darkest of the Hillside
Thickets for generously allowing us to use their song,
Gluttony, as our intro and outro music.
If you are a fan of Lovecraft’s writing and the Call of Cthulhu
RPG, then you need to check out The Darkest of the Hillside
Thickets. Please check out their BandCamp site and their official
band site. Links in the show notes.
https://thedarkestofthehillsidethickets.bandcamp.com/
http://thickets.net/