Wer den Szenarioband Blood Brothers II besitzt, wird sich vielleicht an die B-Movie-Story schlechthin erinnern: An Alien Kicked Sand in My Face. Hier erleben ein paar coole Surfertypen mit heißen Bikini-Mädchen ziemlich verrückte Abenteuer, nachdem ein UFO ins Meer gestürzt ist. Für alle die mit dem Surfer-Horror-Genre so gar nichts anfangen können, hier mal ein Trailer:

[youtube NCImy5YTzDg]

Ich bin mir ganz sicher, dass der Autor des Szenarios diesen Film gesehen hat ;-]

[youtube Xs50qyWAZ40]

Wenn ich mich an die Diskussion im Cthulhu-Forum erinnere, dann kommt Arkham Now bei Game Geeks viel besser weg, als es eigentlich sollte. Wer also mit dem Gedanken spielt das Buch zu kaufen, sollte durchaus noch mal diesen Thread anschauen.

The holdings of the British Empire included present day Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Burma, and parts of Iran and Afghanistan. It was an area comparable in size to the continental United States, or Europe west of the Ukraine.

The historical background and religious traditions of the Indian subcontinent rival those of other regions such as the Middle East and China. Humankind has lived and worshipped here for millennia. India is a fertile place, and there is much room for the Mythos to fester and grow.

This book is designed to provide enough information to set Call of Cthulhu adventures and campaigns during Gaslight India (approximately 1890 a.d.).

By Michael J. Daumen. 100 pages. 8.5 x 11″ Perfect-Bound, Paperback.

Die Monografie wird $ 17,95 kosten. Wer keine gedruckte Version braucht, kann sich das PDF bereits jetzt für $12,95 herunterladen.

Mich würde mal interessieren ob sich das Teil lohnt. Das Thema ist ja sehr interessant (wir hatten ja selbst schon ein paar Artikel zum Thema Indien), aber vielleicht ist man mit einem guten Geschichtsbuch über die Region besser bedient…

Transmitted by Dustin Wright of the Leng Embassy, TX.

This R’lyeh Report contains some crunchy Chaosium info.

March finds Chaosium with fancy plans and pants to match. We have quite a few Spring books in the works so I’ll jump right in.

Arkham Now, a modern day sourcebook for Call of Cthulhu, should have made it to you local shop by now.

Strange Aeons II, a book of Call of Cthulhu adventures through time and space, is at the printer and may ship to distributors by the end of March.

The Yith Cycle, an anthology of Yith related tales collected by Bob Price, should be sent to the printer this month for an April Release.

A Masks of Nyarlathotep reprint will likewise become available in April or May.

The Chronicles of Future Earth, an introductory sourcebook for a new Techno-fantasy BRP setting should release in May or June.

Cthulhu’s Dark Cults, an anthology of short stories based upon some of our popular Call of Cthulhu campaigns, is being proof-read for a release this June.

There are plenty of books in the works for the Summer as well.

Thanks for your continued support!

–
Dustin Wright
Chaosium Inc.

Nicht viel Neues würde ich sagen :-]

“Lost in a Book” — in the 1920s, affluent bibliophile Stuart Portman had the finest book collection in all of Arkham, including the several bookshops that serviced the town at the time.

Portman was also quite the degenerate, with many rapes to his credit. His wealth, family status, and natural cunning insulated Portman from the fallout of such despicable behavior.

Toward the end of his life – a lifelong smoker, Portman developed cancer of the lung in his late fifties – he began frantically searching for any means to prolong his existence. With so many crimes of the flesh attached to his soul, Portman in his final years developed a conscience, or at least was fanatically determined to put off any punishment for his sins that he so deftly avoided in his mortal existence.

Medical science of the day was no help – Portman was a goner. He turned to his collection of books, to the queer, strange books on black magic and occultism that he had merely collected as expensive novelties; now they might hold something of true value for the failing bibliophile.

Scenario by Brian Courtemanche . 16 pages. 8.5 x 11″ watermarked PDF.

Hello all,

Well, I’ve finally gotten the go-ahead from various important parties, and can now sort of mostly officially announce that there is a new edition of Cthulhu by Gaslight in the works, and a Gaslight campaign is being written as we speak. Write. Read. Whatever.

Von allen Zeiten ist Gaslicht für mich wirklich die faszinierendste. Ich habe nichts gegen die 20er oder auch Now, aber an Gaslicht kommt wenig heran. Einzig für die 50er Jahre würde ich meine Teetassen in den schrnak zurückstellen! Aber da ist leider kein Quellenbuch in Sicht, also zurück zu den neuen Gaslicht Produkten:

Chaosium will release Cthulhu by Gaslight 3rd edition sometime later this year. This won’t be a simple repackaging of the previous material, but an overhaul of the whole works. We’re dropping the Holmes and Wells material and the Time Travel article, and replacing these items with a more elaborate character creation system, more information on the Victorian world (emphasizing London and the UK — see later comment), and several new articles and expansions to existing ones.

Mehr Hintergrundmaterial ist immer gut und die besagten Artikel werde ich jetzt auch nicht unbedingt vermissen…

Since the big Holmes scenario is being dropped, we’re plugging in two new ones more suitable for beginning Gaslight characters. There’ll also be articles on fictional characters from the period, British legend and folklore and, most importantly, the Cthulhu Mythos in Britain. All told, the new edition should be about half again as long as the original book, with new material making up almost 2/3 of that total. Plus new art and a new cover. I’m hoping this will be what Gaslight fans new and old have been waiting for for close to 20 years now. Authors include Bill Barton, Scott Aniolowski, Dave Hallett, yers truly, Richard Watts, and Glyn White.

Neue Szenarios, Hintergründe über britische Legenden und den Cthulhu Mythos sind sicher ganz spannend. Fraglich nur, ob da noch was Neues hinzukommt, wenn demnächst Cthulhu Britannica: Folklore von Cubicle 7 erscheint:

The Islands of the United Kingdom are steeped in history, myth, magic and folklore. Even the smallest hamlet or the most remote piece of land has some event or some story linked to it and, even if it doesn’t, people are more than willing to make one up for you.

Discerning the facts from all of these many layers of myth, history and retelling is the scholarly work of a lifetime. It is as dangerous to sanity as any other study of the Mythos, as one creeps ever closer to the terrible truth.

Cthulhu Britannica: Folklore gives life to strange tales and strange places where myth meets mythos in Britain’s darkest corners, including:

• Screaming Skulls
• The Wild Hunt
• Worms and Dragons
• Wreckers, Body Snatchers and more

———————————————–
Size: 72 pages, softcover
Interior Art: Black and white
Author: James ‘Grim’ Desborough

Aber es geht ja noch weiter:

I’m also compiling a Gaslight campaign for Miskatonic River Press. This is the tentatively titled Shiva, in Silvered Glass, advertised in the back of Our Ladies of Sorrow. I’ll try and hunt up the new version of that ad and post it here, but Shiva introduces a new mystical organization for Gaslight. The campaign follows the investigators and the members of the Trismegistus Club and their involvement in several very weird events in London. There are weird spirit mediums, living nightmares, anarchist bombers, doppelgangers, criminal thugs, not one or two or three but FOUR alien races, and a mad doctor who may not be mad at all. The basic idea is something like Sherlock Holmes meets Colin Wilson, with input from Henry Kuttner, H.G. Wells, Joseph Conrad, and Charles Dickens. Authors include Scott Aniolowski, Fred Behrendt, and yers truly again. Release date late this year or early next.

Klingt abgefahren und wandert zu 100% in mein Regal! Ross erzählt aber noch wie es mit Gaslicht auf lange Sicht weitergeht:

Now I know a lot of people want to see Victorian material set elsewhere in the world, but I think that should be fodder for a second or third Victorian book. My plan for Gaslight was always to cover London and use that as a base of operations, then the rest of the UK, and then move on to India, China, Egypt, etc.

Indien! Ich hoffe ja auch noch, dass Pegasus sich für Indien entscheidet bei einem neuen Expeditionsbuch, denn hier wäre wieder ein Quellenbuch für die 20er und die 1890er möglich. Mal abgesehen davon, dass dieses Land zugleich exotisch und doch, durch die britische Vorherrschaft, vertraut wirkt. Für alle Interessierten sei auch auf die aktuelle GEP EPOCHE Ausgabe verwiesen:

Indien
Maharadschas, Moguln, Kolonialherren: GEO EPOCHE präsentiert Indiens Aufbruch in die Moderne. Mit der Blätterfunktion können Sie bequem in unsere aktuelle Ausgabe schauen.

Was bleibt sonst noch zu sagen:

London and the UK fascinate me in a way the rest of the Empire doesn’t, so that’s the type of stuff I write. I think a book set elsewhere in the Empire is a good idea, but I’m not the guy to write it, so I’ll leave that to somebody more interested and better qualified than meself.

So there you have it. I’ll be posting more details as things firm up. I hope folks like what they see here.

Gaslight is not dead!
Kevin Ross
Victorian villain

Und Gott schütze die Königin! :-]

“The Great Old Ones were, the Great Old Ones are, the Great Old Ones shall be.” That famous saying is the essence of the Cthulhu Mythos. The Great Old Ones are a cosmic evil that have existed since before time, and shall exist long after humanity has gone the way of the dinosaurs. This book illustrates the eternal struggle between man and the forces of the mythos.

This book contains nine scenarios that run the chronological gambit from prehistoric times to a distant future. Each adventure comes with six pre-generated characters for the players to use, allowing for quick play with a minimum of fuss. While each scenario is meant to be a standalone experience. Here are brief descriptions of the nine eras the investigators explore:

“CURSED BE THE CITY” can be described as cavemen vs. Cthulhu. While not entirely accurate, it is fun to say, and gives an idea of what the players will be up against.

“CHILDREN OF A STARRY HEAVEN” is set in ancient Greece, the birthplace of many great philosophers and thinkers. Unfortunately some great minds dwell on things man was not meant to know.

“THEY DID NOT THINK IT TOO MANY” See the might of ancient Rome bring law to the wilds of Britannia. Witness two cultures trying to learn from each other. Behold the terrible awfulness of the Mythos and how even the mightiest empire of man is powerless before it.

“MASTER WU’S MARRIAGE” a lovely springtime wedding, surly nothing bad can happen here. Unless the wedding takes place in Call of Cthulhu, then all bets are off.

“THE IRON BANDED BOX” set in feudal Japan, it’s like what would of happened if Akira Kurosawa directed an adaptation of a H.P. Lovecraft story. Beautiful, strange, messy, and with swords!

“TO HELL OR CONNAUGHT” it’s Protestant vs. Catholic, English vs. Irish, and mankind vs. the Cthulhu Mythos with Saint Patrick thrown in for good measure. Who will win? The smart money is on the Mythos.

“A HARD ROAD TO TRAVEL” set in the American Civil War, this scenario chronicles the horrors of war where brother fights brother…and then everyone fights a cosmic horror beyond description.

“THREE DAYS OF PEACE, MUSIC, AND TENTACLE LOVE” Taking place at the Woodstock Music Festival in 1969 with sex, drugs, rock-n-roll, and black magic. A terrifyingly trippy time is to be had by all.

“TIME AFTER TIME” is a fractured scenario for fractured minds. Here the investigators will think many things, only to find them all false. Identities, locations, adversaries, even correct eras are all anyone’s guess here.

For Spring 2010
STRANGE AEONS II
CHA23117
MSRP $34.95
ISBN-10: 1-56882-326-6
ISBN-13: 978-1-56882-326-3
240 pages

THE IRON BANDED BOX und TIME AFTER TIME klingen interessant, aber warten wir mal ab. Auf alle Fälle ist das Cover GRAUENVOLL *schüttel*

ARKHAM NOW updates to modern times the famous and fabled city of Arkham, about which so much has been written by many talented and diverse hands. A conscious effort was made to make this book as timely as possible; rents, mortgages, salary rates, and the like are left purposely vague since these things change as years go by — this is no longer a city frozen in time, but yours to move into the future.

Most residents believe there is only one horror lurking in this legendary haunted town – the urban sprawl slowly eroding Arkham’s old New England beauty. Rushing by neon signs and mega-marts on a quest to obtain even more material possessions, no one has time to notice the more disturbing, underlying qualities of the city – the grotesque vegetation sprouting in some places, the sometimes odd taste from the reservoir’s drinking water, the disturbingly high rate of birth defects, the too frequent child abductions.

Those who begin to make inquires are usually scoffed at by citizens, rebuffed by local and state officials. The truly brave have continued to put the pieces together, posting their thoughts on the Internet. Many of these individuals drop off from cyberspace eventually – often due to the effects some of these discoveries can have on one’s mental health.

Though they would never admit it, many of the long time residents of Arkham know there is something not quite right about their town…

176 Pages plus a 17 x 22″ fold-out map of the city, MSRP $27.95

Sicherlich nett für NOW-Spieler in Neuengland. Vielleicht lohnt sich gar eine Übersetzung?

The festival came to town.

In previous years it was a joyful and cheery event. These attractions, however,  are outmoded and the infrastructure is old and neglected. A foul smell hangs in the air. The show consists of malformed people who disgust and frighten. Little joy is offered by the twisted clowns, and the barker’s outdated speaking-style and French-tinged accent strengthens a feeling of unease.

It is a dreadful show.

Just in time for your traditional Halloween Call of Cthulhu or Basic Roleplaying game, here are six Halloween-themed adventures — winners and honourable mentions of the 2009 Chaosium.com Halloween Adventure Contest.

Flesh Festival

Adventure by Victor M. Aguirre. Flesh Festival is an adventure for CoC which takes place during the Roaring Twenties, in some place of New England. The Gamemaster may have to adjust the scenario to the requirements of his campaign; any town of Massachusetts should fit perfectly. The date of the adventure coincides with the arrival of Samhain, although the exact year is left to the Gamemaster design. We recommend the investigators to have some experience, although it is not essential for the adventure to be played.

You are What You Eat

Written by Jason Lindsey. This story is for a group of investigators who have just finished with an adventure or a major campaign. Rusty’s diner is off the beaten path and lets them get a chance to clean up and recover for a bit before they depart for their next adventure.

This is where the fun begins.

The Faculty Party

Written by Jon Hook. The Miskatonic University English Department is holding their annual Halloween party, and you have been cordially invited. The English Dept. party is unlike the kind of party found at the local speak-easy; their party is a series of dramatic readings covering some of the greatest authors of horror fiction. The party-goers meet in a smoke-filled room and debate the authors over snacks, coffee, English and Indian tea.

Conversations and smoke float through the air as the faculty and guests are having a good time, everyone except Prof. Janice Moor. Prof. Moor teaches French Romantic Lit and has been in a blue mood for several weeks now. Her friends and co-workers had hoped that the party would help cheer her up, but no amount of joy has succeeded in lifting her out of her dark depression. Everyone secretly wonders what is bothering her.

Halloween Nuit

Adventure by Oscar Rios. It’s a special time for Miskatonic University, as well all of Arkham. A collection of artifacts has just arrived from The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities in Cairo. The collection is on a North American tour, and is scheduled to remain in Arkham until January before moving on to the Field Museum of Natural History, in Chicago. Until then local students, academics, and visitors will have the opportunity see first-hand some of the wonders of ancient Egypt.

Must the Show Go On?

Written by Jason Williams. Arkham is in for a very special treat this Halloween when a magician from Boston, who bills himself as Garlock the Great, plans to give the performance of his life at the Manley Theatre located at 670 Gedney Street. Rumors and newspaper stories precede his arrival with tales about his years spent learning secrets at the feet of the guru’s of Nepal. Excitement has built and the one night only show has sold out.

The Dead School

Written by Paul Hebron. October brings nothing but gloom and rain to the Temple Hill Private School, situated out in the Massachusetts woods. It is an exclusive home to the sons of the state’s wealthiest families, and its teachers provide a quality education—especially since George Edgerton came to be principal of the prestigious prep school. Edgerton has allowed, for the first time in the school’s history, a Halloween party to be held for all the staff and students to enjoy—except for the investigators whom have find themselves in detention. Day-dreaming of the fun they might have had, while waiting for the party to end, the investigators are suddenly brought back to earth by the sound of screams; and then they all black out. When they wake, they find a strange new land of death and voodoo!

By winners of the 2009 Chaosium Halloween Adventure contest. 80 pages. 8.25 x 11″ Perfect-Bound, Paperback.
Price: $14.95 (US) Print, $10.95 (US) PDF

Und dann haben wir noch eine weitere Veröffentlichung: Five Go Mad in Egypt

Investigating the Sphinx Tomb

A survivor of the Great War, the Professor suffered a horrible shock a month ago — his father was killed, and he was injured and is slow to heal. He gathers a team to investigate the legendary Sphinx Tomb, seeking those with expertise in security or weapons, or interest in the occult or ancient religions.

Purchase of this monograph entitles you to also download an extensive collection of player handouts.

Price: $25.95 (US) Print, $17.95 (US) PDF

Bestellen kann man bei Chaosium (hier und hier) und die Info hab ich bei www.yog-sothoth.com gefunden :-]

Und wie ich gerade hier lese: Die Neuauflage von Secrets of New Orleans dürfte auch verfügbar sein:

BIG-EASY SECRETS— The strange goings-on of Mythos agents residing in and around the city of New Orleans are exposed in SECRETS OF NEW ORLEANS. Long-time Call of Cthulhu fans should note that this is a new edition of our guide to the city, long out of print.

Da ich die alte Ausgabe nicht habe und auch nicht kenne, werde ich mir das Buch wohl auf der SPIEL kaufen. Dann wird sich zeigen ob es was taugt. Vom Setting her gefällt mir New Orleans nämlich sehr gut. Hier noch ein paar Worte zum Inhalt:

A 1920′s Sourcebook to the Crescent City

NEW ORLEANS IN THE 1920s is a city of many faces. The gaiety of Mardi Gras is juxtaposed with the rampant corruption that earned New Orleans the nickname “The City That Care Forgot.” The genteel decline of the French Quarter, the location of the city’s original settlement, stands in contrast to the rich opulence of the Garden District, where the Americans later built their mansions. Voodoo and Catholicism exist peacefully side by side. And beneath it all, the face of the Mythos can sometimes be glimpsed . . . .

This guidebook includes detailed chapters on: the history of New Orleans, the French Quarter and the greater city, and the bayous and coastal area. A chapter on voodoo includes guidelines for integrating it into Call of Cthulhu. New occupations unique to the Crescent City and the area are suggested, and five secret societies are covered. A scenario designed to acquaint investigators with most of New Orleans’ areas completes the book.

By Fred Van Lente; Illustrated by Earl Geier and M. Wayne Miller; Cover by Scott Baxa. 96 pages, illustrated, indexed. 8.5 x 11″ perfectbound paperback.

So, das waren die News von Chaosium. Jetzt geht es wieder zurück an die Arbeit :-]

All roads lead to Rome, the greatest city of the Ancient World. Anything you desire is available in this city of over a million people. It’s all here: goods from far off Parthia; pottery from Brittania; food from Egypt; vile tomes from Syria; and murderous cults from Africa. The mighty Empire is pressed on all sides by foes, both mundane and otherworldly. Forces within the Empire itself are growing in power, drawing on the most ancient of horrors to corrupt it from within. Welcome to Rome.

Cthulhu Invictus is a new setting for Chaosium’s Call of Cthulhu RPG. Players take on the roles of Roman citizens seeking to protect the Empire from the horrors of the Cthulhu Mythos and ancient myth. Cthulhu Invictus includes an adventure to jump start your Roman campaign, a large fold out map of the Roman empire, 41 creatures and entities from folklore and ancient mythology, 12 new cults, 21 new occupations, and much more. Requires the Call of Cthulhu rulebook for play.

Price $26.95
168 pages
Includes a 15 x 22 inch map of the Roman Empire
Written by Chad Bowser, Andi Newton, & friends
Edited by Jeff Tidball
Cover Art by Steven Gilberts

Cthulhu in der Antike, noch dazu im dekadenten Rom klingt verlockend für eine Mini-Kampagne. Allerdings glaube ich, dass dieses Buch der Monographie Cthulhu Invictus entspricht (siehe Review bei www.rpg.net). Aber vielleicht bekommt das Buch ein anständiges Lektorat, eine gute Bindung und noch ein paar hübsche Bilder spendiert und man kann es anschließend beruhigt kaufen. Das Setting finde ich jedenfalls interessant. Seit ich ROM gesehen habe und Vampire: Requiem for Rome gelesen habe ergibt sich auch ein düsteres, plastisches Bild vor Augen. Noch immer spukt mir eine römische Szenarioidee durch den Kopf, aber im Moment ist einfach viel zu tun…

Neben Cthulhu Invictus wird im September noch Secrets of New Orleans erscheinen:

New Orleans is a city of many faces. The gaiety of Mardi Gras is juxtaposed with the rampant corruption that earned it the nickname “The City That Care Forgot.” The genteel decline of the French Quarter, the location of the city’s original settlement, stands in contrast to the rich opulence of the Garden District, where the Americans later built their mansions. Voodoo and Catholicism exist side by side. Behind it’s shining mask the leering visage of the Mythos can be found.

This guidebook includes detailed chapters on the history of New Orleans, the French Quarter and the greater city, and the bayous and coastal regions. A chapter on voodoo includes guidelines for integrating it into Call of Cthulhu. New occupations unique to the Crescent City and surroundings are suggested, and five secret societies are included. An adventure provides a starting point for your explorations of The Secrets of New Orleans.

Price $16.95
96 pages
Written by Fred Van Lente

Mit 96 Seiten ist es ganz sicher zu dünn Als ich vor ca. einem Jahr Fiebertraum (auch bekannt als Dead Man River) von George R.R. Martin (er schreibt noch immer am besten Fantasyepos überhaupt: Das Lied von Eis und Feuer) gelesen habe, da quoll einem der Gestank des verschlammten Mississippi nur so entgegen (also eine ganz klare Leseempfehlung!!!). New Orleans als verruchtes Setting im heißen Süden der USA ist ganz sicher ein gefährliches Pflaster für allzu neugierige Investigatoren. Außerdem spielt in New Orleans noch ein ziemlich genialer Film mit Mickey Rourke & Robert De Niro… Angel Heart!

Traumlande

Die Traumlande sind erschienen. Insgesamt sind es nun 950 und nicht 850 Exemplare geworden. Im Forum hat Frank geschrieben:

Ursprünglich waren 850 Exemplare anvisiert, die Druckerei hat aber 950 geliefert – umso besser für alle Interessierten, da dies sicherstellen dürfte, dass es die Traumlande noch eine Weile zu kaufen geben wird.

Folgendes kostenloses Zusatzmaterial zum Traumlande-Buch gibt es:

Handouts im Klartext als PDF
http://www.pegasus.de/646+M544b8300f02.html

Charakterbögen
Der Traumlande-Charakterbogen in Farbe und der neue Katzulhu-Charakterbogen sind hier kostenlos herunterladbar:
http://www.pegasus.de/455.html

Ich hatte zwei bestellt, aber bisher nur eins bekommen. Mal gucken ob sich das fehlende Buch noch irgendwo bei Pegasus versteckt Aber der Band sieht wirklich sehr gut aus (Silberseiten) und wird jeden Traumlande-Fan zufrieden stellen.
Pickmans Schüler klingt nach einem spannenden Abenteuer und auch das Szenario von Peter Schott Stadt der Schädel ist ein schöner Alptraum geworden. Ich habe übrigens die Nummer 643.

Neues von Chaosium

Auf www.yog-sothoth.com wurde der neue Chaosium Newsletter veröffentlicht. Es gibt mal wieder einen Halloween-Szenariowettbewerb. Vielleicht sollten wir so was auch mal anbieten? Ich glaube das würde sich wirklich lohnen. Die Szenarios könnten als pdf veröffentlicht werden… Ich werde mal darüber nachdenken. Weiterhin sei auf den neuen Szenarioband Terrors From Beyond verwiesen:

Terrors From Beyond is here!
We just received copies of the new Call of Cthulhu adventure collection Terrors from Beyond. Terrors From Beyond is a collection of 1920s adventures for Chaosium’s Call of Cthulhu, designed for play with pre-generated characters.  The book provides fine opportunities for an impromptu game or tournament play and -  because the characters are intimately connected with the plot – roleplaying challenges not normally available in most published material. An excellent adventure collection for new and veteran Call of Cthulhu players alike.

Nightmares Unravelled in Six Scenarios

Perched on a bleak and inhospitable rock off the coast of Scotland, the Hallowsay Light has guided sailors for over seventy years. Now its beacon has gone inexplicably dark, imperiling the ships that ply the waters of the North Atlantic. The news has reached the lighthouse tender Helios, already steaming toward the island of Hallowsay for its fortnightly relief of the station. A search party, made up of three volunteers from the crew of the Helios and a relief keeper, is sent to investigate. What awaits them are horrors from beyond!

Ghost Light: The keepers of a remote Scottish lighthouse have vanished.  What fate awaits those who come to investigate the disappearances?

Grave Secrets: The people of Stafford, Rhode Island, live much the same as their colonial forbears, making only gradual concessions to the encroaching tread of progress. Now, a fate both formless and awful has befallen a family in town. One by one, the children succumb to a newly arrived, yet ancient, menace.

The Dig: Miskatonic University students on an excavation at nearby Dunlow Woods uncover ancient secrets, murder and horrors from the past.

A Method to Madness: The investigators have been committed to a private asylum. Are they really insane? Is their impending cure now worse than their derangements?

Death by Misadventure: Evidence suggests that Charles Stanhope was killed by the accidental discharge of a faulty shotgun at his home in the Lincolnshire Fens. The Coroner’s verdict is death by misadventure – but is there a suggestion of something far more sinister?

The Burning Stars: The investigators recover in a US Military hospital in Haiti suffering from on-going and prolonged blackouts. The last seven days of their lives have vanished from their minds — is it amnesia, or a fear of remembering?

By Gary Sumpter, John Almack, Glyn White, Brian Courtemanche, Brian Sammons, and David Conyers. Cover painting by Rick Sardinha; interior illustrations by David Lee Ingersoll and David Grilla. 208 pages, illustrated, indexed. 8.375 x 10.875″ Perfect-Bound Paperback.

Price: $25.95 (US)

Two Chaosium.com Contests
We’re holding two Adventure Contests this summer. Our Annual Halloween Adventure Contest is starting a little earlier this year. With any luck we can have the resulting monograph available well in time for your Halloween gaming. Deadline for entries is August 1st 2009. Our second BRP Adventure Contest has a July 1st 2009 deadline. For more details about both contests visit us at chaosium.com.

Chaosium Gazette
We have a one-page newsletter available for your propaganda needs. Print a handful and take them to your local gaming convention if you can. Be sure to bring one to your next game session as well. Thank you in advance for sacrificing some print toner for the cause!

Imminent Releases
June – Terrors from Beyond. A new collection of Call of Cthulhu adventures.
July – Mysteries of the Worm 3rd edition. A collection of Robert Bloch Cthulhu Mythos tales.
July – In Search of the Trollslayer. A Fantasy Dungeon Crawl adventure for Basic Roleplaying.
August – Cthulhu’s Dark Cults. A new anthology of Call of Cthulhu short stories.

Worlds of Cthulhu 6

Außerdem ist die neuste Ausgabe der Worlds of Cthulhu erschienen. Sie bietet folgenden Inhalt:

• The Sense of the Sleight of Hand Man—Part One of a dark Dreamlands phantasy by Dennis Detwiller
• Sunset at Sandy Gulch—Wild West Mythos Terror! by Oscar Rios
• The Worship of Tsathoggua through the Centuries—an examination of the devotions to the slothful god
• Brood of the Beetle—perfect Twenties horror in the Vermont woods by Frank Heller
• The Perfect Non-Player Character—how to build a better supporting cast
• Directives from A-Cell—Post 9/11 Delta Green

132 pages (soft cover)
Price: $17.95 (US), £13.99 (UK)

Cthulhu Con

Letzte Woche habe ich meinen Con-Beitrag gezahlt und ich bin schon fleißig auf der Suche nach Szenarios. Ich werde wahrscheinlich etwas aus Blood Brothers 2 präsentieren, aber ich bin noch nicht ganz sicher auf welchen „Film“ die Wahl fallen wird. Außerdem überlege ich noch einen Workshop zu machen, aber ich bin mir wirklich nicht sicher ob und was ich überhaupt Interessantes zu erzählen habe
Es sei aber noch mal gesagt: Lasst euch die Convention nicht entgehen! Ich bin selbst kein großer Con-Gänger und ich hatte eine Menge Spaß im letzten Jahr. Gutes Essen, gute Zimmer, gute Spielrunden und freundliche, nette Menschen die genauso wahnsinnig sind wie du und ich. Also schließ dich uns an. Wir haben noch Platz in unserer Mitte

Danke auch noch an den fleißigen Dominik, der im Rollenspiel-Almanach Werbung gemacht hat. Ich hatte ganz vergessen ihm was dafür zu schreiben Peinlich, peinlich!

Einige Seiten des Buches Eibon

Amel hatte in letzter Zeit ein paar cthuloide Themen, schaut mal rein!

• Holidays im Sunny Valley
• Arkham Tales 3
• Ein ungewöhnliches Cthulhu-Abenteuer von Chaosium
• Und verpasst auch nicht den Story Now Artikel!

Das wars. Gute Nacht :-}

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Happy Spring!

The big news this month is that we have a book at the printer. Terrors from Beyond is a collection of six Call of Cthulhu adventures set in the 1920s and 1930s. While it’s possible the book will show up in late April, expect to find it at you local game shop by the end of May.

The next book to be printed should be the Robert Bloch collection Mysteries of the Worm 3rd edition.

Two Chaosium.com Contests

We’re holding two Adventure contests this summer. Our Annual Halloween Adventure Contest is starting a little earlier this year. With any luck we can have the resulting monograph available well in time for your Halloween gaming. Deadline for entries is August 1st 2009. Our second BRP Adventure Contest has a July 1st 2009 deadline. For more details about both contests visit us at chaosium.com.

Chaosium Gazette

We have a one-page newsletter available for your propaganda needs. Print a handful and take them to your local gaming convention if you can. Be sure to bring one to your next game session as well. Thank you in advance for sacrificing some print toner for the cause!

Imminent Releases

May – Terrors from Beyond. A new collection of Call of Cthulhu adventures.

June – Mysteries of the Worm 3rd edition. A collection of Robert Bloch Cthulhu Mythos tales.

July – Cthulhu’s Dark Cults. A new anthology of Call of Cthulhu short stories.

Upcoming Summer Conventions

We’re planning to attend several conventions this summer: Tentacles (Germany) and KublaCon (CA) in late May; Origins (OH) in June; Gen Con (IN) in August. We’ll likely have exhibitor booths at each, but that will largely depend upon cash flow later in the year. If we’ve been publishing books, we’ll likely have booths!

Hier mal ein paar Infos zu dem Szenarioband, direkt von der Homepage:

Terrors From Beyond

Nightmare Unraveled, In Six Scenarios

CHA23113
ISBN 1-56882-287-1
ISBN13 978-1-56882-287-7
Price $25.95
Page count 208
Trade paperback, Illustrated.
Cover Art by Rick Sardinha

Terrors From Beyond is a collection of 1920′s adventures For Chaosium’s Call of Cthulhu, designed for play with pre-generated characters. The book provides fine opportunities for an impromptu game or tournament play and – because the characters are intimately connected with the plot – roleplaying challenges not normally available in most published material. An excellent adventure collection for new and veteran Call of Cthulhu players alike.

GHOST LIGHT – Gary Sumpter
The keepers of a remote Scottish lighthouse have vanished. What fate awaits those who come to investigate the disappearances?

GRAVE SECRETS – Brian Courtemanche
The people of Stafford, Rhode Island, live much the same as their colonial forbears, making only gradual concessions to the encroaching tread of progress. Now, a fate both formless and awful has befallen a family in town. One by one, the children succumb to a newly arrived yet ancient menace.

THE DIG – Brian Sammons
Miskatonic University students on an excavation at nearby Dunlow Woods uncover ancient secrets, murder and horrors from the past.

A METHOD TO MADNESS – John A. Almack
The investigators have been committed to a private asylum. Are they really insane? Is their impending cure now worse than their derangements?

DEATH BY MISADVENTURE – Glyn White
Evidence suggests that Charles Stanhope was killed by the accidental discharge of a faulty shotgun at his home in the Lincolnshire Fens. The Coroner’s verdict is death by misadventure – but is there a suggestion of something far more sinister?

THE BURNING STARS – David Conyers
The investigators recover in a US Military hospital in Haiti suffering from ongoing and prolonged blackouts. The last seven days of their lives have vanished from their minds. Can they not remember, or can’t they bear to?

Happy Spring!

Spring & Summer Releases

Here is my best guess as to what Chaosium will release over the next four months.

May – Terrors from Beyond. A new collection of Call of Cthulhu adventures.

June – Mysteries of the Worm 3rd edition. A collection of Robert Bloch Cthulhu Mythos tales.

July – Cthulhu’s Dark Cults. A new anthology of Call of Cthulhu short stories.

We have other titles in the works of course, including Interplanetary for BRP, Pulp Cthulhu, Voodoo Virus, R’lyeh Rising, and Blackmoore Global Laboratories. These titles will likely release late in 2009. There are other manuscripts being worked upon as well. I’ll be happy to mention them once they are being laid out for printing.

Upcoming Summer Conventions

We’re planning to attend several conventions this summer: Tentacles (Germany) and KublaCon (CA) in late May; Origins (OH) in June; Gen Con (IN) in August. We’ll likely have exhibitor booths at each, but that will largely depend upon cash flow later in the year. If we’ve been publishing books, we’ll likely have booths!

As always, thank you for your continued support!

The Chaosium

http://www.chaosium.com

Zusätzlich gibt es noch eine neue PDF-Monografie mit dem Titel Jovian Nightmares:

A Sourcebook for Cthulhu Rising – Call of Cthulhu roleplaying in the 23rd Century

By the late 23rd century, the gas giant Jupiter and its sprawling system of rings and moons is home to a colonial population of millions.

Over the century and a half since the colonisation of the outer planets began in earnest, an aggregation of settlements and outposts have developed to mine the raw materials which drive the economy upon which the United Earth Federation depends. The types of settlements found in the region are varied, ranging from the subterranean conurbations at the top of Europa’s oceans to the harsh mining towns of Io; from the Callisto orbitals to the countless corporate research outposts.

Despite its location in the most densely populated and heavily-policed star system in the United Earth Federation, Circum-Jove remains a fertile breeding ground for a multitude of subcultures, outlaws and weird religious cults. It’s also a hotbed of new technologies research and home to corporate infighting at its worst.

Humanity is not the first star-faring culture to have visited this region. There are beings far older than Man. Ancient, malign beings that would be described in human terms as pure evil, but for whom such a label is meaningless. Here, they wait. Beneath aeons old ice and rock. In the dark spaces between the stars. Waiting for when the time is right.

Some nightmares are very real. Jovian Nightmares.

Contents:

# Introduction
# About Jovian Nightmares
# About Cthulhu Rising
# Acknowledgements
# Dying in a Winter Wonderland
# Circum-Jove: History
# Jupiter
# Io
# Europa
# Ganymede
# Callisto
# Other Locations
# Organisations
# Jovian Investigations
# Jovian Secrets
# Cut Back Blues
# Escape Velocity
# Adventure Seeds
# Glossary

By John Ossaway. 90 pages.
Price: $11.95 (US) PDF

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FAT DRAGON GAMES TO PUBLISH OFFICIALLY LICENSED CALL OF CTHULHU GAMING TERRAIN

Fat Dragon Games is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement with Chaosium to create 3D gaming terrain sets for the Call of Cthulhu role playing game. These cardstock terrain sets will feature some of the best known locations of the Cthulhu mythos, complete with gaming stats using the Basic Roleplaying system.
“It is an incredible privilege to bring these iconic settings to life for Call of Cthulhu fans,” said Tom Tullis, owner and lead designer of Fat Dragon Games. “Call of Cthulhu is one of my all time favorite RPGs, and I look forward to working with the legendary creative minds at Chaosium on these model sets.”

“I’m looking forward to seeing Call of Cthulhu terrain from our friends at Fat Dragon Games. I’ve always wanted to own a little piece of Innsmouth. Now I can!” said Dustin Wright of Chaosium Inc.

The first two sets are set for a summer 2009 release, with additional terrain releases scheduled for late 2009 and early 2010.

Ob man sowas für die eigene Cthulhu-Runde braucht weiß ich nicht, aber ein paar windschiefe Häuser aus Innsmouth (samt einiger Bewohner) könnte ich mir gut im Regal vorstellen.

ACES HIGH is a mythical, western role-playing game where Davey Crockett exists along side The Man With No Name. The relationship, however, may be an uneasy one.

Violence is an everyday occurrence on the frontier of Civilization. Dust swirls around a crimson sun, reminding every one of their possible success, telling them of their mortality. Settlers make a grab for the fertile land, destroying whatever does not fit their ideal.

Prospectors are raping the hills for precious metals; dumping their waste in the fresh, clear rivers. Trappers slaughter vast herds of buffalo for their valuable pelts, leaving a wake of rotting carcasses, a mountain of bone and skulls. The Law can barely cope, as lynch mobs leave cadavers hanging from the trees.

The Redskins fight for their very existence, caught between death and degradation. The old powers cannot compete with the new power from the East. The wise have begun to abandon hope; the young still believe they have a chance to even the score.

The people drag a living from the land of dreams but everything is not always as it seems. Ancient mysteries are discovered as the white man slowly conquers this strange new world, mysteries that they are not prepared for.

Aces High is a deadly supplement for the Basic Roleplaying game. Firearms are very common, it would be considered unusual if your character did not have a firearm of some description. Healing is generally restricted to First Aid and Medicine delivered by a Doctor. Other than that, only natural healing can be relied upon, and that is slow. If your character is involved in a shoot-out you should expect swift and bloody death from all directions.

BASIC ROLEPLAYING MONOGRAPHS are longer works by one or more authors on a subject of import to Basic Roleplaying players. On these products the author has also fulfilled the functions of editor and layout artist; we at Chaosium have done little in the way of editorial. We found these works compelling and thought that you would enjoy them. Through the publication of monographs we can offer our most loyal fans more information more easily, and evaluate the potential of these works for eventual release to the wholesale market.

By Stuart Godbolt. 112 pages. 8.25 x 11″ Perfect-bound Paperback.

Und es gibt sogar noch ein paar weitere Informationen zu den einzelnen Kapiteln aus dem BRP-Forum:

Chapter 1
Character Generation – the rules and optional rules that will be used from the standard BRP rule book. Including cross referenced page numbers to the BRP book, and a modified character sheet, to allow for those options.

Chapter 2
Extraordinary Abilities – No magic, mutations or psychic powers for the player characters (as a general rule). However, there is an optional Table for random Extraordinary Abilities. Increased (or decreased) attributes, special skills, affinities and Psychosis, Phobias, Dependencies and other weirdness.

Chapter 3
New Skills – quite a short chapter refining and clarifying the basic rule set. Quick Draw, or Fast Draw, becomes an ability that anyone can use at anytime. Additional rules for Two Pistol Style, shooting rifles with one hand, shotguns with solid or scatter shot, firearm modifications, and pistol whipping.

Chapter 4
Occupations – specific occupations from both sides of the Law, for Slaves, Women and Chinese player characters. Be a Lawman, a Hired Killer or a Shaolin Monk!

Chapter 5
Guns, Equipment and Supplies – a cross section of weapons for the wild west period with the year that they were most common to allow pre or post civil war gaming periods. Possible expansion may include pre and post Independence gaming periods with muskets and black powder weapons.

Chapter 6
Religion, Piety and Allegiance – Includes brief descriptions of Evangelists, 7th day Adventists, Fundamentalists, Spiritualism, Voodoo, Mormon, Quaker, the Millerites and others.

Chapter 7
A period map of America c.1870.

The Harsh Law – covering hangings and lynch mobs, Outlaws and the chance of being Wanted. Can you survive being hanged? What does it take to be Wanted Dead or Alive?

Attitudes of the West – how did people regard and treat Women, the Celestials, Red Skins, Mexicans and Negroes on a day to day basis.

A brief history of the Americas, from the Land bridge to 1900 – One idea is to allow historical play from any period in the Americas from prehistoric natives to 1900.

A list of Presidents – a brief description of what they did.

THE MASTERS SECTION
An Introduction from behind the veil, Secrets revealed.

Chapter 8
Townscapes – What can you expect to find in a frontier town? A settler village? A boom town? Will include suggestions on how to quickly find out what is most likely to be available.

A Map of Mystic Sites – where to find some of the odd critters that live there.

Chapter 9
The Animal Kingdom – animal descriptions and statistics from Alligator to Wolverine. Approximately 30 types of animal, nothing particularly unexpected, all mundane.

Mundane or Otherworld – Why do some spirits come from their ‘Otherworld’ to our ‘Mundane’ world, and how do they do it? More importantly, how can we send them back?

The Not So Animal Kingdom – Animal Ogres to Zombies, with some Red Skin gods and a few lake monsters thrown in for good measure. Descriptions and statistics for Traditional Indian myths and other weirdness, including…

BIG HEAD / BAT PEOPLE
The Bat People are an old, mysterious and malevolent race. They inhabit the high branches of dark and forbidding forests. They are grotesque and very large bat winged heads.

This demonic race of beings has been known to live in heavily wooded areas or high in isolated mountain ranges. They are accused of cannibalism and see other races and beings as things to exploit and torture. They are universally regarded as evil and malicious.

Otherworldly creature powers and descriptions.

Chapter 10
Arcane Lore in the West

Optional Player occupations – includes Diabolist, Voodoo Priest, Witches, Warlocks, the Drifter and the Red Skins.

The Diabolist sees all life as if it were a complex mathematical or symbolic cycle of enlightenment and ignorance. Diabolists are after the pursuit of Evil for its own sake, committing deliberate wickedness whenever the opportunity arises.

The Voodoo priest of the coloured folk is a source of great fear and respect. The people in the Voodoo priests neighbourhood are required to support him; in return he aids them in whatever ways he can. He will not take kindly to lack of respect and can curse as well as cure.

Whipping, torture and lynching have the power to create a Drifter but there are many other ways. Hate and pain have conspired to create this avenging angel. He has been put in the situation where he can see that he has lost everything. He understands his complete and utter destruction.

The Red Skins are steeped in mystery; few outsiders are allowed to freely explore the insides of an Indian camp without being harassed. They call themselves ‘the human beings’ and seek guidance from the spirits.

Chapter 11
Red Skin Tribes

Red Skin rituals – All of the American Indian tribes are closely linked in some way to a mystical power. These rituals put them in touch with their Totem Animal, reveal knowledge or heal.

Totem Animals for the Brave and Magic for the Shaman.

Animism, Totemism and Fetishism – Three points of view for the origin of Red Skins magic.

The American Indian Language Tree – many American Indian languages all stemmed from one original language. How easy is it for Apache to talk to Sioux? Optional rules to cover this fact.

Chapter 12
A short scenario…

Ich wusste gar nicht, dass die Monografien inzwischen zu einem festen Veröffentlichungsstandard (auch außerhalb Cthulhus) bei Chaosium geworden sind… Da ich diesen “Fanprodukten” doch eher skeptisch gegenüberstehe, wird man wohl einige Rezensionen abwarten müssen. Vom Inhalt her scheint das Buch ja nicht schlecht zu sein und sicherlich lässt sich dieser Weird West ziemlich einfach mit dem Cthulhu-Mythos unterfüttern. Aber ich glaube, das erste richtige Quellenbuch zum Thema werden wir von Pagan Publishing sehen.

R’lyeh Report
Random News for January 2009.

The Chaosium

http://www.chaosium.com

The R’lyeh Report
Volume 13, Number 01
January 29, 2009

Transmitted by Dustin Wright of the Leng Embassy, CO.

This R’lyeh report contains some crunchy Chaosium info. For more Chaosium news check out our website at http://www.chaosium.com

Looking back, 2008 was a pretty average year for us when it comes to new releases. We managed to get four new titles published: The Strange Cases of Rudolph Pearson, Basic Roleplaying, The Klarkash-Ton Cycle, and Secrets of Morocco. That’s pretty good for a year in which our company went through some big changes. With any luck, and more focus, perhaps we can get more than six new books out in 2009.

Here is my best guess as to what the first half of the year will bring us.

March – Terrors from Beyond. A new collection of Call of Cthulhu adventures.

April – Mysteries of the Worm 3rd edition. A collection of Robert Bloch Cthulhu Mythos tales.

May – Cthulhu’s Dark Cults. A new anthology of Call of Cthulhu short stories.

We have other titles in the works of course, including Pulp Cthulhu, Voodoo Virus, R’lyeh Rising, and Blackmoore Global Laboratories. These titles will likely release late in 2009.

We’re still working out which conventions we will be attending in 2009. The Californians will definitely be at Dundracon next month. http://www.dundracon.com/.

That’s all the news I know for January.

As always, thank you for your continued support!

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