MU Podcast Episodes – Miskatonic University Podcast

MUP Ep 348 – Miskatonic Media Club Sinners Pt 2

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, we continue with Part II of our Miskatonic Media Club! This is where the hosts explore how to pull game design inspiration from movies, books, TV, and other arts! This episode, we’re joined again by game designer Quinn Murphy to discuss Sinners.

The Discord Plug

That’s right! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you to our editor Equinox for editing this episode.

Main Topic

Last time we got into a great conversation with Quinn about aome elements of Sinners that we want to use in our gaming, and we’re going to pick up where we left off. Evan, where did we leave off?

Well last time we talked about story development elements, incorporating music into a setting and game, and some great tricks and tools for representation of cultures and people.

So let’s dive into the next element!

Horror rooted in specific culture, with cultural responses (e.g. Hoodoo performed by a main character)
Survival horror; how to do that well in a scenario?
Integrating sexiness into your horror game?

MUP Ep 347 – Miskatonic University Media Club Sinners

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keeper Evan debuts a new segment called the Miskatonic Media Club! This is where the hosts explore how to pull game design inspiration from movies, books, TV, and other arts! This episode, we’re joined by game designer Quinn to discuss Sinners.

Patreon Plug & Update

Hey guys! Here is your friendly and loving reminder that MUP has a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Thank you to everyone has chosen to back and support us! You guys keep the lights on around here and we’re so thankful for all of you.

The Discord Plug

That’s right! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you to our editor Equinox for editing this episode.

Main Topic

MUP Ep 346 – March Madness Part 2 w/ Keeper Mav

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Bridgett and Evan welcome bestselling creator, Mav Haenze, back onto the show to explore ways that mental health, sanity and madness are used and misused in horror gaming, and ways that Keepers, players and writers can use them in the future to maximize the fun and the horror!

Patreon Plug & Update

Dear listeners! We have a patreon. Our patreon is how we pay our editors, our hosts, our editing software, the podcast hosting service, the podcast recording service, spam filters, and more. I know that we don’t like to discuss money, but it costs money to keep this show alive.

Our Patreons literally keep the lights on and make this show possible. So if you love this content, and you want to keep it alive, we ask that you visit patreon.com/MUP and subscribe to be a backer.

And if financial support isn’t in the cards right now, you can spread the good word of MUP in your communities by sharing a link and heaping glowing praise upon us where others can see. And furthermore, you can hang out with us on Discord!

The Discord Plug

Our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you to our editor NATE for editing this episode.

Main Topic

Tonight, we bring you PART TWO of March Madness, which is legally and ontologically distinct from any kind of sporting event you may be aware of. What did we do in Part 1?

In Part 1, we talked about ways that mental health, illness and trauma can be used and misused in horror gaming, with some expert advice from our friend Perry Clark. Now that we’ve set a baseline on the role mental health and sanity in general can play in gaming, it’s time to get into the game mechanics!

And as we mentioned, we are joined today by the extra-fantastic Maverick Haenze, beloved friend of the show. Can you tell folks where they may know you from, and what expertise you’re bringing to the conversation?

So: Let’s dive in to our discussion. Where have mental health and sanity mechanics been, where are they now, and where might they be going in the glorious future? Bridgett, can you kick us off? Do you have a favorite sanity or sanity-adjacent mechanic right now?

{For reference or review, some notable games with sanity/madness/mental health mechanics:

Call of Cthulhu, 1981, seems to have introduced the Sanity mechanic
- Experiencing horrors leads to a “bout of madness” and then, potentially, long-term effects such as phobias/manias
- More recently – players/Keepers can select long-term effects, and writers like Mav are introducing custom bout of madness tables in line with the story
Unknown Armies – get hardened by violence/horror, at a cost
Stress mechanics
- Delta Green’s Sanity; can burn connections to people (“bonds”) to cut down on stress; fight/flee/freeze as temp effects
- Trail of Cthulhu/Fall of Delta Green splits up into two tracks, Stability and Sanity – Stability is more like stress/mundane effects
- Alien has stress dice/panic rolls
- Blades in the Dark – vices which burn off your stress points
- Note that these systems all represent a particular narrative worldview about how to deal with your stress and trauma!
Madness (more operatic/literary, less representative of real-world issues)
- Trail of Cthulhu’s Sanity – affected mostly by exposure to mythos/unnatural
- Vampire’s humanity/hunger
Metafictional effects:
- Fear Itself (secret instructions to GM/players)
- Keeper tricks at the table (describing mundane humans as horrible monsters)}

Topics:

Favorite current mechanics
What supports realistic play? What is more fantastic/genre-leaning?
Things to be avoided (e.g. some people don’t like the old-school random sanity effects)
Things you recommend – what are effective, fun, supportive for Keepers/players?

Connect with Mav!

Name: Mav Haenze

Pronouns: They/Them

Mav is a prolific writer, Storyteller, and verbal purveyor of horror. Their AP work and scenarios can be found at https://linktr.ee/mavhaenze

Homework

What new mechanics or approaches will you try in your upcoming games? Do you mix and match approaches from different games at your table?

MUP Ep 345 – March Madness Part 1

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Bridgett and Evan welcome Licensed Family Therapist and gamer, Perry Clark, back onto the show to explore ways that mental health, sanity and madness are used and misused in horror gaming, and ways that Keepers, players and writers can use them in the future to maximize the fun and the horror!

Patreon Plug & Update

Dear listeners! We have patreon. Our patreon is how we pay our editors, our hosts, our editing software, the podcast hosting service, the podcast recording service, spam filters, and more. I know that we don’t like to discuss money, but it costs money to keep this show alive.

Our Patreons literally keep the lights on and make this show possible. So if you love this content, and you want to keep it alive, we ask that you visit patreon.com/MUP and subscribe to be a backer.

{New Patreon backer: DoctorSlaphammer}

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor GENE for editing this episode.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Friend of the show, Rach, swears that this cat, Goose, likes his lovely veil.

Listen. I’m not so sure. But I don’t speak cat! And the veil is dope.

Also. Where are my pet pics?!

Main Topic

March Madness is an exploration of the ways that mental health, sanity and madness are used and misused in horror gaming, and ways that Keepers, players and writers can use them in the future to maximize the fun and the horror.

Connect with Perry Clark!

https://linktr.ee/pclarkugcandukpodcast

MUP Ep – 344 Sex in Horror Gaming w/ Pippa Walton

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 12:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Bridgett & Evan are joined by special guest, Pippa Walton, intimacy choreographer and coach! Tonight we’re going to discuss sex in horror gaming. We’ll unpack topics such as why people may want to engage with sex in gaming, why sex and horror compliment each other so well, how to handle consent, what the experience may look like and more!

Recent Gaming

Recent Gaming is where we talk about the games we’re playing. This episode was recorded 2/25/2026. So whatcha been playing?

Patreon Plug & Update

Our Patreons literally keep the lights on and make this show possible. So if you love this content, and you want to keep it alive, we ask that you visit patreon.com/MUP and subscribe to be a backer.

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Ben for editing this episode.

Main Topic

Welcome to the Main Topic everyone! Tonight, we’re going to discuss sex in horror roleplaying games. We’re going to approach this topic with respect, curiosity, awareness, and sensitivity. That being said, we’re about to discuss how to introduce and navigate sex in gaming spaces. This content will not be explicit in nature, but we’re not going to run from it. So if this content isn’t your cup of tea, there are 343 other episodes to enjoy, and more incoming!

Questions:

Why would people want to explore sex in gaming?

Why does sex and horror go so well together?

What does sex in role-playing games look like?

Personal experiences

How can it be handled safely and respectfully?

Tools and perspectives to be mindful of.

Ways to introduce sex and have fun with it!

What role can sex have, any particular advantages/disadvantages, thematic elements that are fun to explore, things like that?

Resources, books, games, workshops, etc., to review for homework.

Special Guest Spotlight

Pippa Walton (she/her) has been involved in live performance through theatre since her first stage management job in 2015, and her work in the scene has spread into multiple mediums and expanded to include directing and intimacy coordination. Live action role play has become a treasured space where she uses her background in intimacy and fight work to help tell higher stakes stories with different kinds of emotional investment, and has been one of the most rewarding applications of her work. Her passions include gender-based analysis of theatrical practice, adapting her intimacy and consent practices for Live Action Role Play, being entirely too enthusiastic about musicals, and doing everything in her power to make theatre an equitable, comfortable, and uplifting space for the people around her. Her favourite video game to play is Stardew Valley, which can be considered horror media if you check how many hours she’s logged.

Homework

Does sex have a place in your tabletop roleplaying? Yes, no, maybe?

MUP EP 343 – How Scott Dorward Has Ruined Us Emotionally

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 12:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Bridgett and Evan discuss Scott Dorward and all the ways that he’s ruined us emotionally. Join us as we celebrate Scott’s writing, storytelling, and the many ways that he supports the gaming community!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a patreon!! If you would like to support the podcast and engage with other backers, please consider backing. If you’re already a backer, please take a look at the various tiers and consider moving to the next level up.

Our new benefits include regular content exclusive to our backers. And if you don’t have money to contribute, please like and review us on Spotify or Apple podcasts. They really help.

So yes – please back us on Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Thank you to everyone who has chosen to back us. We’re so thankful for all of you. Who we regularly see on…

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Equinox for editing this episode.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Undead Domain’s cat, sitting in a custom-made box full of toys, very intentionally sleeping and not engaging at all with the toys. Very catlike!

Main Topic

Tonight we want to talk about Scott Dorward. The writer, the podcaster, the legend… and all the ways that he’s ruined us.

Lamp Posts in Bloom on Ain’t Slayed Nobody

https://www.aintslayednobody.com/episodes/lamp-posts-in-bloom-unknown-armies-becca-scott

Cthulhu Dark Fairyland Part 1 — Ain’t Slayed Nobody – Call of Cthulhu Podcast

https://share.google/Jdi30tTLk0r36wolH

Fairyland Scenario

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/426490/fairyland

Murder Shack Ain’t Slayed Nobody

Unland

Sky Symphony Sonata

The Things We Leave Behind – An Anthology of Modern Day Call of Cthulhu Scenarios – Stygian Fox | Call of Cthulhu: Modern Era | DriveThruRPG https://share.google/LMZSGO74vJqWsqiIK

Homework

Tell us in the episode channel how Scott Dorward has ruined you emotionally. Tag him. Make it weird.

MUP Ep 341 – 2026 Miskatonic Debate Club Part 1

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 12:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Bridgett and Evan tackle gaming topics in our Miskatonic Debate Club (booth)! Part 1/2.

Patreon Plug & Update

Thank you to everyone has chosen to back and support us! You guys keep the lights on around here and we’re so thankful for all of you.

Backers helped cultivate this very episode.

The Discord Plug

That’s right! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you to our editor Gene for editing this episode.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

New arrival and fan of the show Christine Fisher just shared an adorable cat, fast asleep near a window, with the following caption: This is Anna Mae, celebrating the warmth of every new day.

And I just really appreciate the beauty and the simplicity of, “celebrating the warmth of a new day.”

Enjoy Anna Mae! And thank you for the reminder.

Main Topic

Welcome everyone to our reOccurring segment, the Miskatonic University Debate Club! During this segment, we’ve polled our patreon backers for topics that the hosts will argue to the best of our ability. The goal here is to demonstrate healthy argumentation, to have fun, to stretch our own debate skills, and most importantly to share valid perspectives to opposing topics in our industry!

Conflict resolution – mediation narrative or hard rolled mechanics!
Online conventions or in-person conventions
GM screen or no GM screen
Pulp versus Classic Style Horror

MUP Ep – 340 The Debutante Ball w/ Evan Perlman

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 06:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keeper Bridgett welcomes Keeper Evan Perlman as new host on MUP! Let’s introduce Evan and explore some of this favorite things to discuss in gaming and inform our listeners of future content!

Recent Gaming

Recent Gaming is where we talk about the games we’re playing. So whatcha been playing?

Patreon Plug & Update

Hey listeners! Did you know that money can be exchanged for goods and services? And one of those goods… or services… is this very podcast?

This podcast is not just a good service, it’s a great service to the horror gaming community, and I have been a Patreon backer for a long, long time.

The best way to get more of something you love is to support it, so guys, head over to patreon.com/MUP or click the patreon icon on the sidebar of our website. If you’re able to support us, we’d appreciate it! Patreon, we offer everything from exclusive backer only bonus content, Patreon only episodes, backer only hangouts, access to our backer only portal on Discord, and more!

The Discord Plug

We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you to our editor Ben for editing this episode.

Now it’s time for!

Main Topic

From Evan– Friends, fellow horror roleplaying gamers, it is an honor and a pleasure to join this podcast. I’d like to humbly introduce myself to you by talking with Bridgett about some of the horror gaming topics that I’m really interested in, or things that I find myself thinking about a lot.

I have a lot of interests and I think all of these could probably be longer topics, maybe shows of their own, but let’s do some quick hits and just skim the surface of them now. Call it an Evan Perlman Sampler Platter.

Getting Inspiration from Media

Aiming for specific emotional beats at the table

Trying new things in scenarios

Making friends and collaborative partners

Eat the Reich Actual Play as mentioned in Recent Gaming

MUP Ep 339 – Goodbye Keeper Dave

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 12:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keeper Murph returns with Keeper Bridgett to wish Keeper Dave a happy retirement from podcasting!

Patreon Plug & Update

If you would like to support the podcast and engage with other backers, please consider backing.

So yes – please back us on Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Thank you to everyone who backed us and contributed to our longevity. We’re so thankful for all of you. Who we regularly see on…

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Equinox for editing this episode.

Main Topic

How has our hobby and community changed since 2020?

MUP EP 338 – Accessibility in Game Design with Gregory Geiger

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 12:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Dave and Bridgett interview Gregory Geiger to discuss accessibility in game design.

Recent Gaming

–

Patreon Plug & Update

If you would like to support the podcast and engage with other backers, please consider backing.

So yes – please back us on Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Thank you to everyone who backed us and contributed to our longevity. We’re so thankful for all of you. Who we regularly see on…

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Nate for editing this episode.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

The Pet Pic channel is a community onto itself. On this channel, we post our beloved pets, fosters, pets of family members, and even wildlife shouting “go pods.” These animals, these pets, are members of our collective community. So when we lose a member of this community, one of our precious pets, we often grieve as a community. I’ve seen the recent pet loss guys. I just want you, and everyone who has ever lost, and will someday lose a pet to know, we’re here for you. We’re here for each other.

Main Topic

Links and stuff

GregoryGeiger.com

TryingToDoBetter.com

Extra Bold

https://www.bispublishers.com/type-tricks-user-design.html https://www.uxdesigninstitute.com/blog/accessible_design-inclusive_design/

MUP Ep 337 – Roleplaying Children with Jesse Ross

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 24 Nov 2025 12:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Dave & Bridgett discuss roleplaying as children with award winning creator, Jesse Ross!

Recent Gaming

Recent Gaming is where we talk about the games we’re playing. So whatcha been playing?

Patreon Plug & Update

If you would like to support the podcast and engage with other backers, please consider backing.

So yes – please back us on Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Thank you to everyone who backed us and contributed to our longevity. We’re so thankful for all of you. Who we regularly see on…

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Gene for editing this episode.

Main Topic

Let’s discuss roleplaying as children with award winning creator, Jesse Ross!

Trophy RPG

Girl Underground – Hedgemaze Press | DriveThruRPG

https://www.hedgemazepress.com/jesseross .com

MUP Ep 336 – Systemless Horror Games w/ Sarah Cole

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 12:30:00 +0000

This episode on MUP, Keepers Dave & Bridgett discuss Systemless Horror Game with creator Sarah Cole!

Patreon Plug & Update

If you would like to support the podcast and engage with other backers, please consider backing.

So yes – please back us on Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Oh! We have a new backer!

Jason Wiebe!

Thank you to everyone who backed us and contributed to our longevity. We’re so thankful for all of you. Who we regularly see on…

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Ben for editing this episode.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Tonight I’d like to shout out … from JZ!

Cowboy is the biggest of my cats and all muscle but such a sweet softie. They often have to run water at the vet to distract him from purring so they can listen to his heart and lungs.

Main Topic

Welcome to Sarah Cole. For those who don’t know you, please introduce yourself.

How we got here
- Dave has opinions on systemless horror – we should do it more
- Dave backed Terminus and bought and consumed DH&D quickly

Welcome! Let’s start with the most important question:

Patchwork Fez Games

MUP Ep 335 – Moral Ambiguity with Keeper Doc

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Dave & Bridgett discuss Moral Ambiguity in storytelling with Keeper Doc!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon that is directly used to keep our podcast going, pays the bills, the hosts, the editors, and everything else needed to run a podcast. If you would like to support the podcast and engage with other backers, please consider backing.

So yes – please back us on Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Thank you to everyone who has updated their levels and is engaging with our new tiers. We’re so thankful for all of you. Who we regularly see on…

The Discord Plug

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Tonight I’d like to shout out Hobie Brown, Large dog or baby Sasquatch, shared by listener Squirrel-in-a-ClaireMech!

Main Topic

Welcome to Keeper Doc, AKA Dactyl Doc – a good friend of the show and one of my favorite “doctors.” Bridgett and I, along with Keeper Murph and Heinrich, had the pleasure of playing in one of your games at Necro ‘22. So we go all the way back to those halcyon days. But for those who don’t know you, please introduce yourself.

So welcome!

Navigating the Crawling Chaos

https://mindfulgm.substack.com/p/sleeping-with-the-fishes

https://mindfulgm.substack.com/

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/486759/deliver-us-from-evil

Moral Ambiguity

How we got here
- Bridgett had wanted to talk about moral ambiguity
- You had just written a blog post on your recent scenario that was about exploring the grey areas
What is moral ambiguity and why do we care?
What makes it interesting and fun at the game table?
What are favorite gaming moments?
How can we best use it without railroading?

MUP Ep 334 – 3 Clue Rule with Justin Alexander

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 13 Oct 2025 11:30:00 +0000

This episode on MUP, Keepers Dave & Bridgett interview Justin Alexander on the Three Clue Rule and designing mysteries in gaming!

Patreon Plug & Update

So yes – please back us on Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Thank you!!!

Liz-Play

Thank you to everyone who has updated their levels and is engaging with our new tiers. We’re so thankful for all of you. Who we regularly see on…

The Discord Plug

Main Topic

3 Clue Rule

What is the 3 clue rule?
How did you figure it out?
What are the best applications of it?
From backer CD:
- How can a keeper “translate” a published scenario into a node-based scenario
- Advice for modifying or “shoring up” existing scenarios using the 3 clue rule, node-based design

https://thealexandrian.net/

MUP Ep 333 – Halloween Scenarios with Golden Goblin Press

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keeper Dave meets special guests Oscar Rios and Jeff Moeller from Golden Goblin Press to discuss Halloween Scenarios!

Patreon Plug & Update

So yes – please back us on Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Thank you to everyone who has updated their levels and is engaging with our new tiers. We’re so thankful for all of you. Who we regularly see on…

The Discord Plug

Main Topic

MUP Ep 332 – Mindful Online Gaming

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Bridgett & Dave discuss mindful online gaming.

Patreon Plug & Update

We have new and updated Patreon tiers and benefits. If you would like to support the podcast and engage with other backers, please consider backing.

So yes – please back us on Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Thank you to everyone who has updated their levels and is engaging with our new tiers. We’re so thankful for all of you. Who we regularly see on…

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Equinox for editing this episode.

Main Topic

Let’s discuss mindful online gaming habits, perspectives, approaches.

MUP EP 331 – HPLHS Purgatory Chasm & The H.P. Lovecraft Experience w/ HPLHS

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Bridgett & Evan welcome back the HPLHS to showcase their newly released awesomeness and epicness!

Patreon Plug & Update

Dear listeners– do you know that we have a Patreon? That’s right! We have a Patreon! How else do you think that we keep the lights on around here? Here at MUP we pay our editors, we pay our hosts, and we also pay plenty of hosting fees, site fees, software fees, fees, fees, fees, you get it!

Patreon earnings help support our efforts and keep the showing running. What do you get? Over on our Patreon, we offer everything from exclusive backer only bonus content, Patreon only episodes, backer only hangouts, access to our backer only portal on Discord, and more!

If you would like to support the podcast and engage with other backers, please consider backing. If you’re already a backer, please take a look at the new levels and consider moving to the next level up.

Please back us on Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Ben for editing this episode.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Tonight, I’m shouting out… a groundhog. A groundhog that’s looking deep into your house… into your eyes into your soul….. Definitely check out this bi-pedal groundhog shared by JZahler who is outside… looking all into this his house. Let’s give the wildlife a hearty “Go Pods!”

Main Topic

Tonight, we’re here with the HPLHS to discuss what they’re been up to, and what’s coming down the pipeline! They have some exciting things to share, but first, some introductions!

Purgatory Chasm – a new interactive Dark Adventure show hosted by Nick Offerman
https://www.hplhs.org/dartpc.php

The H.P. Lovecraft Experience – a new deluxe boxed set featuring the complete works of HPL, a Reader’s Guide by the HPLHS and whole bundle of nifty Miskatonic ephemera by the HPLHS
https://store.hplhs.org/products/the-h-p-lovecraft-experience

Audio Props – Call of Cthulhu game props rendered into an audio format. Instead of Keepers handing players a telegram, they might play our recording of the Western Union boy reading the telegram. We hope you’re going to like the audio props for No Time to Scream (GAHHHHHH!!!!).
https://store.hplhs.org/collections/games-props/products/audio-props-cthulhu-by-gaslight

MUP EP 330 – Tension in Storytelling Part II w/ Evan Perlman

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keeper Bridgett and Guest Keeper Evan Perlman discuss…wait for it…wait for it…waaaaaaait for iiiit… Tension in Storytelling. PART II!

We’ll discuss what tension is, why it’s important, how to deploy it, and how to keep your players on the edge of their seat!

We’ll also probably confuse “tension” and “suspense” because we’re professionals like that.

Patreon Plug & Update

Please back us on Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Nate for editing this episode.

Main Topic

Tension in storytelling Part II!

MUP EP 329 – Tension in Storytelling Part I w/ Evan Perlman

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keeper Bridgett and Guest Keeper Evan Perlman discuss…wait for it…wait for it…waaaaaaait for iiiit… Tension in Storytelling. We’ll discuss what tension is, why it’s important, how to deploy it, and how to keep your players on the edge of their seat!

Patreon Plug & Update

Please back us on Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Gene for editing this episode.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Tonight, I’m shouting out Muffin, pup posted by LauraB. I’m getting cinnabon vibes from this baby, but Muffin is a perfect pup with super sweet eyes. Thanks for sharing LauraB!

Main Topic

Tonight we’re discussing Tension in Storytelling. We’ll discuss what tension is, why it’s important, how to deploy it, and how to keep your players on the edge of their seat!

This is such an important topic and such a customizable skill. I know this. You know this, obviously, this was your episode idea, Evan, but our listeners may not. So let’s start off strong! What is Tension and why do we care?

MUP Ep – 328 Debate Booth Part II w/ Keeper Evan Perlman

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, we return to our new segment titled, “Miskatonic University Debate Booth.” During these segments, the hosts will poll debatable gaming topics from our backers and then argue them! Our personal beliefs don’t actually have to align with our defense, but we climb these hills to die upon! Guest Host: Keeper Evan Perlman

Patreon Plug & Update

We have new and updated Patreon tiers and benefits. If you would like to support the podcast and engage with other backers, please consider backing.

So yes – please back us on Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Thank you Rob Wilson!!!

Thank you to everyone who has updated their levels and is engaging with our new tiers. We’re so thankful for all of you. Who we regularly see on…

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Equinox for editing this episode.

Evan’s Pet Pick Shout Out

I have recently learned that beloved friend of the show IPwned has a chameleon! Named Perceval! As a pet! Head over to the Pet Pick channel to see this little dude wielding a lightsaber and being incredible. What a good reptile.

Main Topic

Welcome back everyone to a new segment that we’ve titled the Miskatonic University Debate Club!

During this segment, we’ve polled our patreon backers for topics that Evan I will argue to the best of our ability. The goal here is to demonstrate healthy argumentation, to have fun, to stretch our own debate skills, and most importantly to share valid perspectives to opposing topics in our industry!

Evan, are you ready to jump back in? Let’s go!

MUP Ep – 327 Debate Booth Part I w/ Keeper Evan Perlman

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, we debut a new segment titled, “Miskatonic University Debate Booth.” During these segments, the hosts will poll debatable gaming topics from our backers and then argue them! Our personal beliefs don’t actually have to align with our defense, but we climb these hills to die upon! Guest Host: Keeper Evan Perlman

Patreon Plug & Update

We have new and updated Patreon tiers and benefits. If you would like to support the podcast and engage with other backers, please consider backing.

So yes – please back us on Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Thank you to everyone who has updated their levels and is engaging with our new tiers. We’re so thankful for all of you. Who we regularly see on…

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Equinox for editing this episode.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Shout out to Sia, the gorgeous kitty from friend of the show, James- Big Jim, who is an SPCA rescue and only knows how to love! Thanks for sharing this gorgeous kitty with us, James!

Main Topic

Welcome everyone to a new segment that we’re titling the Miskatonic University Debate Club!

Evan, are you ready to jump in? Let’s go!

MUP Ep – 326 Live Tropes Live

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Dave & Bridgett rant about their favorite horror tropes in storytelling and compose our list of: Live Trope Live!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have new and updated Patreon tiers and benefits. If you would like to support the podcast and engage with other backers, please consider backing.

So yes – please back us on Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Thank you to everyone who has updated their levels and is engaging with our new tiers. We’re so thankful for all of you. Who we regularly see on…

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Nate for editing this episode.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Tonight I’d like to shout out Goose, who is part cat, part bunny, part feral, and possibly just came off of a bender! Thanks for sharing, Rach!

Main Topic

We did this last time, so we hope you listened to 325, but if you need a refresher, here are some definitions of trope:

a figurative or metaphorical use of a word or expression.
A trope is a word used in a nonliteral sense to create a powerful image.
Shorthand narrative device

It was way easier to think about stuff I love than the stuff I hate. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t ever want to see stupid kids in movies again. But I have a whole list of stuff I love.

MUP Ep – 325 Die Tropes Die

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Dave & Bridgett rant about their least favorite horror tropes in storytelling and compose our list of: Die Trope Die!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have new and updated Patreon tiers and benefits. If you would like to support the podcast and engage with other backers, please consider backing.

So yes – please back us on Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Thank you to everyone who has updated their levels and is engaging with our new tiers. We’re so thankful for all of you. Who we regularly see on…

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Gene for editing this episode.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Tonight, I’d like to shout out the cat of Charles T (HI CHUCK!) who is absolutely aiding in the edit a podcast episode. And by absolutely aiding, I mean precisely how I aid in podcast editing. I sleep next to the computer and lean on the professionals.

Main Topic

Die Trope Die

MUP Ep 324 – Miskatonic Country Roadtrip – Visit Cthulhu City

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 26 May 2025 11:30:00 +0000

This episode Keepers Dave and Bridgett complete our 5-part series where we travel on a Miskatonic Country Roadtrip! We’re joined by Special Guest Host: Gareth Hanrahan!!!!

Next stop? Cthulhu City!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have new and updated Patreon tiers and benefits. If you would like to support the podcast and engage with other backers, please consider backing.

So yes – please back us on Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Thank you to everyone who has updated their levels and is engaging with our new tiers. We’re so thankful for all of you. Who we regularly see on…

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Ben for editing this episode.

Main Topic

Welcome to the fifth stop on our Miskatonic Country Roadtrip– Cthulhu City! This series on Miskatonic Country is focused on finding new and interesting ways to make the part-fiction, part-fact region more gameable and fun, for Keepers new and veteran!

And thank you to our Tour Guide, Gareth, for taking us to Cthulhu City. Before we drive into town, Gareth, please tell us a little about yourself, what you do, and how you came to escape Cthulhu City and its fearsome Transport Police.

MUP Ep 323 – Miskatonic Country Roadtrip – Visit Dunwich

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 12 May 2025 11:30:00 +0000

This episode Keepers Dave and Bridgett continue our 5-part series where we travel on a Miskatonic Country Roadtrip! We’re joined by Special Guest Host: Julian Simpson!!!!

Next stop? Dunwich!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have new and updated Patreon tiers and benefits. If you would like to support the podcast and engage with other backers, please consider backing.

Back us on Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Thanks to

Gregory Geiger!

Thank you to everyone who has updated their levels and is engaging with our new tiers. We’re so thankful for all of you. Who we regularly see on…

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Equinox for editing this episode.

Main Topic

Welcome to the second stop on our Miskatonic Country Roadtrip– Dunwich! This series on Miskatonic Country is focused on finding new and interesting ways to make the part-fiction, part-fact region more gameable and fun, for Keepers new and veteran!

MUP Ep 322 – Miskatonic Country Roadtrip – Visit Innsmouth

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 11:30:00 +0000

This episode Keepers Dave and Bridgett continue our 5-part series where we travel on a Miskatonic Country Roadtrip! We’re joined by Special Guest Host: Keeper Chad!!!!

Next stop? Innsmouth!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have new and updated Patreon tiers and benefits. If you would like to support the podcast and engage with other backers, please consider backing.

So yes – please back us on Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Thank you to everyone who has updated their levels and is engaging with our new tiers. We’re so thankful for all of you. Who we regularly see on…

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Nate for editing this episode!

Main Topic

Welcome to the second stop on our Miskatonic Country Roadtrip– Innsmouth! This series on Miskatonic Country is focused on finding new and interesting ways to make the part-fiction, part-fact region more gameable and fun, for Keepers new and veteran!

MUP Ep 321 – Miskatonic Country Roadtrip – Visit Arkham

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 11:30:00 +0000

This episode Keepers Dave and Bridgett continue our 5-part series where we travel on a Miskatonic Country Roadtrip!

Next stop? Arkham!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have new and updated Patreon tiers and benefits. If you would like to support the podcast and engage with other backers, please consider backing.

So yes – please back us on Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Thank you to everyone who has updated their levels and is engaging with our new tiers. We’re so thankful for all of you. Who we regularly see on…

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Gene for editing this episode.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Oh man! The adventures of J Zahler on our pet pics Discord channel began with trying to coax a few feral neighborhood cats to eat food from his porch stoop, to him raising kittens! Check out the show notes to see these little babies as they begin to open their eyes!

Main Topic

Welcome to the second stop on our Miskatonic Country Roadtrip– Arkham! This series on Miskatonic Country is focused on finding new and interesting ways to make the part-fiction, part-fact region more gameable and fun, for Keepers new and veteran!

MUP Ep 320 – Miskatonic Country Roadtrip – Visit Kingsport

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 11:30:00 +0000

This episode Keeper Dave and guest host Bret Kramer begin our 5-part series where we travel on a Miskatonic Country Roadtrip!

First stop? Kingsport!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have new and updated Patreon tiers and benefits. If you would like to support the podcast and engage with other backers, please consider backing.

So yes – please back us on Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Thank you to everyone who has updated their levels and is engaging with our new tiers. We’re so thankful for all of you. Who we regularly see on…

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Equinox for editing this episode.

Main Topic

Welcome to the first stop on our Miskatonic Country Roadtrip– Kingsport! This series on Miskatonic Country is focused on finding new and interesting ways to make the part-fiction, part-fact region more gameable and fun, for Keepers new and veteran!

And thank you to our Tour Guide, Bret Kramer, for taking us to Kingsport.

MUP EP 319 – How to Schedule Games Like a Pro

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Dave & Bridgett discuss how to schedule games like pro!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have new and updated Patreon tiers and benefits. If you would like to support the podcast and engage with other backers, please consider backing. If you’re already a backer, please take a look at the new levels and consider moving to the next level up.

Our new benefits include regular content exclusive to our backers, like the backer-only episode we just released! And if you don’t have money to contribute, please like and review us on Spotify or Apple podcasts. They really help.

Oh hey, we have a new backer at the doctorate level!

Targrad

So yes – please back us on Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Thank you to everyone who has updated their levels and is engaging with our new tiers.

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Ben for editing this episode.

Main Topic

Tonight we want to talk about how to schedule games like a pro.

https://whenisgood.net/

https://sesh.fyi/timestamp/

https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html

Homework

Do you have a way to schedule games that works for you?

MUP EP 318 – Satisfying Game Conclusions

Bridgett Jeffries — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 15:40:23 +0000

This episode, Keepers Dave & Bridgett discuss satisfying game conclusions!

Patreon Plug & Update

Oh hey, we have a new backer!

PirateCadfael

Please back us on Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Nate for editing this episode.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Today I’d like to shout out Jayne, the sweetest most cuddly pittie of the day. This baby is wrapped in a snow blanket for a snowy day– and seeing as it’s snowy here in Ohio, I too wanna be this cozy! Thanks for sharing birdsbebirds!

Main Topic

Tonight we want to talk about how to be good at Satisfying Game Conclusions. What makes a game ending satisfying and why do we care?

2025 MUP ENnies Submission!

Bridgett Jeffries — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 23:59:54 +0000

Our 2025 ENnies submission is pulled from one episode: MUP EP 313 – GM Like a Pro: Why is Table Safety Important In Episode 313, we spoke with a certified

Continue reading2025 MUP ENnies Submission!

MUP EP 317 – Mythos Magic for PCs

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 17 Feb 2025 12:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Dave & Bridgett explore an often discussed but barely understood topic for Lovecraft Horror: Mythos Magic for your PCs. We’re using Call of Cthulhu as the ruleset but the principles can be used for any of the myriad Lovecraft investigation games.

Bridgett’s Pet Pic Shout Out

This episode, I’m shouting out the kittuh Fiona, submitted by Skip!

This curious cat is on two feet with curiosity and attitude on full blast. She’s giving disrespected meercat vibes and I love it.

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Gene for editing this episode.

Main Topic —

Tonight we want to talk about Mythos Magic and how to make it work for Player Characters.

MUP EP 316 – Horror Under the Sea

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Bridgett and Dave discuss horror unda the sea!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Hey! We have new members!

Matthew “The Gentleman Gamer” Dawkins WHAT A GENTLEMAN
Eric Topp just updated his membership! Thank you!
Antonio Marchena just updated his membership! Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who has updated their levels and is engaging with our new tiers. We’re so thankful for all of you.

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Equinox for editing this episode.

Main Topic —

Horror under the sea!

MUP EP 315 – GM Like a Pro: Bringing NPCs to Life

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 12:30:00 +0000

This episode, we continue with our GM Like a Pro series with another special guest to help us untangle your GMing needs. Welcome WRITER. DEVELOPER. GENTLEMAN GAMER, all the way from the United Kingdom, Matthew Dawkins. Welcome Matthew

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Hey! We have a new member! Whooooooooooo!

P Trolius

Thank you to everyone who has updated their levels and is engaging with our new tiers. We’re so thankful for all of you.

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Ben for editing this episode.

Main Topic —

Welcome to our new curriculum “GM Like a Pro.” Over this series of episodes we will bring you a solid set of tools you can use to up your game mastering and expand both your skills as well as strengthen your table and all of your players.

Tonight is session seven, “How to bring your NPCs to life!”

MUP EP 313 – GM Like a Pro: Why is Table Safety Important

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Dave & Bridgett are joined by Perry Clark, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Together we unpack some fundamental questions– what is table safety? What is it important?

Content Warnings:

And speaking of safety, let’s cover some potential Content Warnings that we may wander into:

Possible triggers

PTSD
Psychological Stress and Wounds
Just existing as a marginalized or intersectional person

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Hey! We have a new member! Whooooooooooo!

Antheny Giordano

Thank you to everyone who has updated their levels and is engaging with our new tiers. We’re so thankful for all of you.

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Gene for editing this episode.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

This episode, I’m shouting out Snowy, who is lost in the artic tundra blizzards of an all white rug. Thank you for sharing Steveo!

Let’s head to the main topic…

Main Topic —

Tonight is session six “Why is table safety important?”

Additional links!

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/untying-knots-minds-and-souls-untethered/id1590410522

https://www.voiceamerica.com/show/4033/untying-knots-minds-and-souls-untethered

MUP EP 312 – GM Like a Pro: How to Use Safety Tools

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 12:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Dave & Bridgett are joined by Lauren Bryant-Monk and Kienna Shaw, curators of the TTRPG Safety Toolkit! We discuss safety tools– what they are, what they aren’t, how to use them, and how to protect and elevate your gaming experiences!

Patreon Plug & Update

To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Equinox for editing this episode.

Main Topic —

Tonight is session five “How to Use Safety Tools.”

Additional links!

https://ttrpgsafetytoolkit.com/

https://kiennas.com/

https://www.starvingsoubrette.com/

MUP EP 310 – GM Like a Pro: How to Prep a One-Shot Pt 1

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 12:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Dave & Bridgett continue with our GM Like a Pro curriculum with part one of a two parter titled How to Prep a One-Shot.

We used B.W. Holland’s newest scenario A Lonely Thread from Chaosium’s book, No Time to Scream!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Nate for editing this episode.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Friend of the show Chad Bowser shows off the kittuh, Fudge, all ready for Halloween. In dragon ears!!! If you have furry or scaly babies in costume, post them to the pet pic channel!

Shall we head to…

Main Topic —

Tonight is session three of “How to Prep One-Shots Like a Pro,” with tonight covering the actual prep, how each of us goes about preparing for a game, and all the possible places things can go wrong.

MUP Ep 309 – GM Like a Pro: How to Build Great Atmosphere

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Dave & Bridgett continue with our new Curriculum Series: How to GM like a Pro.

Our second first class? Atmosphere! We’re joined by guest host, Your Friend Nate. So tune in and listen to how to build atmosphere your games!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you to our editor Ben for editing this episode. Thanks Ben!

Main Topic —

Tonight is session one “How to Build Atmosphere Like a Pro.”

MUP Ep 308 – GM Like a Pro: How to Pace Your Games

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 14 Oct 2024 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Dave & Bridgett roll out our new Curriculum Series: How to GM like a Pro.

Our first class? Pacing! Tune in and listen to how to pace your games!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Equinox for editing this episode. Thanks Equinox!

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

“Nate, Lost in Time and Space, our feared editor, has a couple of photos that are hilarious… two cats. One, Moon. Living their best life. Taking a nap. And Millie. Staring at Moon with sheet scorn, resentment, and hatred. It’s so petty. And delightful.”

Main Topic —

Tonight is session one “How to Pace Games Like a Pro.” Our first class is pretty fundamental, and I think is one of the most important skills we can develop as GMs.

And as mentioned previously, we asked our backers for inputs on these topics and many people wanted to know more about how to best pace their games. This was proved by all the specific questions we got from those same backers when we asked them – what do you want to know about pacing?

So most of these questions come from our backers, with some Bridgett and Dave specifics thrown in along the way. Shall we begin?

MUP Ep 307 – How to Make Space Scary with Graham Walmsley

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Dave & Bridgett discuss ways to make space scary with Graham Walmsley.

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Let’s take a moment to welcome our new backers to the show!

New members

Joe McMahon

Skip Morton

Joe Kontor

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Gene for editing this episode.

We have NEW EDITORS!!!!!!!

Guys! Let’s give a mighty GO PODS and a hearty welcome to our new editors!!!!

Gene, a long time TTRPG human, artist, producer, and mastering engineer!

Joe McMahon, a musician, photographer, and software engineer!

Luca Veronese, an Anthropology student in the UK and enthusiastic audio drama creator and late night music show host.

And of course we still have Nate, whom you met last episode for the Gaslight review. Nate has really been the third member of MUP for a while now, but we’re glad to have a whole new cohort to join him.

Welcome, welcome new editors and THANK YOU for supporting the show!

Main Topic —

Tonight, we’re here with some inspiration to help you make space… truly horrifying. As if it’s not horrifying enough.

MUP Ep 306 – A Tour of Cthulhu by Gaslight Investigator’s Guide

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 12:45:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Dave & Bridgett along with Editor Nate take a tour through the Cthulhu by Gaslight Investigator’s Guide! Join us as we delve into book, pull inspiration, become inspired, and explore creative ways to create your own Gaslight setting!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Nate for editing this episode. Thanks Nate!

Main Topic —

Riffing on the Cthulhu by Gaslight Investigator’s Guide

https://www.chaosium.com/blogreleasing-in-december-cthulhu-by-gaslight-investigators-guide

MUP Ep 305 – Keeper Dave does Necronomicon 2024

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keeper Dave take us on a tour of Necronomicon 2024!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Dave for editing this episode.

Main Topic —

Necronomicon2024

MUP Ep 304 – Cthulhu at the ENnies Pt 2 w/ Brian Holland

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Dave & Bridgett bring you part 2 of 2 for Cthulhu at the ENnies! We ‘re interviewing 2024 ENnie Nominated Call of Cthulhu creators on their works, what makes them unique, and their inspiration!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Nate for editing this episode.

Main Topic —

Guest Brian Holland is nominated for Best Writing and Best Adventure Longform!

https://www.chaosium.com/alone-against-the-static-hardcover/

MUP Ep 303 – Cthulhu in the ENnies Part 1 w/ David Waldron and Alex Guillotte

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 05 Aug 2024 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Dave & Bridgett bring you part 1 of 2 for Cthulhu at the ENnies! We‘re interviewing 2024 ENnie Nominated Call of Cthulhu creators on their works, what makes them unique, and their inspiration!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Nate for editing this episode.

Main Topic —

David Waldron and Alex Guillotte

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/475313/los-hobos-and-the-wolves-of-carcosa

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/455049/the-last-dance-of-lola-montez-a-call-of-cthulhu-modern-adventure

https://www.chaosium.com/blogcongratulations-to-our-2024-ennies-awards-winners/

MUP Ep – 302 How to Publish Call of Cthulhu

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Dave & Bridgett interview bestselling Call of Cthulhu writer, Rina Haenze, on how to publish for Call of Cthulhu!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

That’s right – our backers are getting a lot of great stuff these days. Through our curriculum they got special mini-episodes from

Josephine McAdam
Mike Mason
Sean and Andrew from HPLHS

New members

Traci Auerbach

Antonio Marchena

Jed Lackritz

Gene Williams

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Nate for editing this episode. Thanks Nate!

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

This episode, I’d like to shout out Maisy, the gorgeous puppers of fan of the show –Zondria! This baby is all smiles, all carefree joy, and is living her best life. Check out this photo in the show notes! It’s an uplifter.

Main Topic —

Tonight we kick off Lesson Six of our Curriculum Enhance your Call of Cthulhu storytelling, where we will cover all the various aspects of writing, running, publishing, performing, and generally vibing with Call of Cthulhu.

Over this six episode series, we will give you all the tools you need to become a Call of Cthulhu champion. Today is Episode 6 – How to Publish for Call of Cthulhu.

Rina is here to join us for more of a roundtable discussion!

https://linktr.ee/rinahaenze

MUP Ep 301 – How to Be a Professional Call of Cthulhu Streamer

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Dave and Bridgett interview the award winning actor, Josephine McAdam, on how to be a great Call of Cthulhu Streamer!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Dave for editing this episode. Thanks Dave!

Main Topic —

Tonight is Lesson Five of our New MUP Curriculum Cthulhu University, where we will cover all the various aspects of writing, running, publishing, performing, and generally vibing with Call of Cthulhu.

As you’ve heard over the last few episodes, we are providing you all the tools you need to become a Call of Cthulhu champion. In this advanced class, we will discuss professional performances and what it takes to take your gaming to the next level!

MUP Ep -300 How to Create Clues for Call of Cthulhu with the HPLHS

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 24 Jun 2024 11:30:00 +0000

This episode is MUP’s 300th Episode! GUYS!!! This is INCREDIBLE!!! Congratulations to all of the hosts, previous hosts, editors, previous editors, fans, patreon backers, listeners, supporters, and YOU!

For this special occasion, we’ve brought HPLHS onto the show to celebrate! Sean Branney and Andrew Leman join Keepers Dave & Bridgett as we continue with our Cthulhu University Curriculum Series and discuss how and when to use clues and props in your Call of Cthulhu experience!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a membership of sorts too! And our backers got their own short pre-show interview discussing rumors! How do I become an MUP backer? Bridgett?

To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Dave for editing this episode. Thanks Dave!

Main Topic —

Our topic tonight is: What makes good Clues and Props? And How to Make Yours Better

MUP Ep 299 – Cthulhu 201: How to Run a Good Call of Cthulhu Campaign

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Dave & Bridgett continue with our Cthulhu University Curriculum Series and discuss how to run a good Call of Cthulhu campaign!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Dave for editing this episode. Thanks Dave!

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

[No photo]

Tonight I’d like to shout out the “Go Pods Wildlife Movement” in the pet pics channel!

Here, listeners record video of wildlife, any wildlife, while encouraging the wildlife to give us a hearty”go pods.” There’s been a rabbit. A goose. Remind me guys and I’ll post a couple of these videos in the episode channel!

Main Topic —

MUP Ep 297 – Cthulhu 101: How to Be a Good Call of Cthulhu Player

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 13 May 2024 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Dave & Bridgett continue with our Cthulhu University Curriculum Series and discuss what it means to be a good Call of Cthulhu player!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Dave for editing this episode. Thanks Dave! You know what else is amazing!

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Introducing Sylvie the tiny Ferret, from Fogg Realm Games! It’s nice to get some pet pic variety! Welcome to the channel Sylvie. She looks like she’s at a furry rave

Main Topic —

MUP Ep 296 – Cthulhu 101: What is Call of Cthulhu?

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keeper Dave & Bridgett are excited to kick off a new series of episodes that provide you, dear listener, with a curriculum to enhance and grow your gameplay!

These curriculum – curricula? – will be a set of episodes organized like classes that are focused on improving one set of your gaming perspective and skills.

That’s right – and so we’re starting with our first Curriculum series now! Starting tonight we debut our first Curriculum– Welcome to Cthulhu University – From Neophyte to Elder God (and everything in-between)

Over the next 6 episodes, we will review the coursework for Call of Cthulhu, taking us from an introductory start, basically Call of Cthulhu for Dummies, all the way through career level professionalism. This series is targeted for both beginners and veterans alike. We’ll approach Call of Cthulhu from a fresh perspective with rejuvenating and inspiring ideas to elevate your CoC storytelling!

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

I’d like to shout out Miss Miskatonic’s cat Jack, and this absurd sleeping position. Upside down, inside out, twisted, folded, and knocked out. I’m impressed.

The Discord Plug

Thank you to our editor Dave for editing this episode. Thanks, Dave!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Main Topic —

As we discussed, tonight we kick off Lesson One of our New MUP Curriculum Cthulhu University, where we will cover all the various aspects of writing, running, publishing, performing, and generally vibing with Call of Cthulhu.

Over the next six episodes we will give you all the tools you need to become a Call of Cthulhu champion, but tonight we start with a simple introduction: Welcome to Call of Cthulhu.

Part 1 – What is Call of Cthulhu?

MUP Ep 295 — A Tour of Arkham!

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Dave & Bridgett visit the city of Arkham! Join us as we delve into book, pull inspiration, become inspired, and explore creative ways to create your own Arkham!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Max for editing this episode. Thanks Max!

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

I’d like to shout out the entire situation that is ARM1384’s cat, Loki. This cat is outright plotting on a dog. Just… go to the show notes and look at the photo. Apparently he was like that for 20 minutes.

Main Topic —

Riffing on the Arkham Book

MUP Ep 294 – Mike Mason’s Trip to Arkham

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 01 Apr 2024 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Dave & Bridgett interview Chaosium’s Creative Director, Mike Mason, as he takes us on a journey into Chaosium’s newest sourcebook: Arkham!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Nate for editing this episode. Thanks Nate!

MUP Ep 293 – Old Stranded Androids on the Side of the Road

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Dave & Bridgett discuss time periods and genre in horror gaming! What’s your favorite setting? Excluding either modern or the 1920s. Those are great settings that both deserve their own shows. So we have to get out of our comfort zones!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Sean for editing this episode. Thanks Sean!

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Cultist Damon got a new puppy!!! Four months and name TBD. She’s featured here with a piece of pizza crust she’s been carrying around today.

Main Topic —

Favorite horror setting and genre…

Topics

Favorite setting for horror
Favorite time period
Favorite “type” of horror

MUP Ep 292 – Convention Survival Guide

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 12:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Dave & Bridgett discuss attending conventions, especially as a first timer. Plans are starting for various 2024 cons and it’s a great time to start planning.

Patreon Plug & Update

Our Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

On our MUP Discord! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you to our editor Max for editing this episode. Thanks Max!

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

I’d like to shout out kittuh from Chad Bowser, Yelena! This gorgeous kittuh of in a hat. What’s that type of hat called? With the wings? Anyway, caption says, “Let it snow!! I’m staying inside anyway.” And I’m delighted. Photo in the show notes!

Main Topic —

First time conventions

Both your first time ever going to cons
And your first time at a particular con

Things to consider

What is your focus?
- Professional, volunteering, panels
- Games, people, buying
What and where is the convention?
- City and travel
- Hotel and location
- Size and convention focus – gaming versus hobby
Friends and community –
- who do you know, and how will you find them?
5/3/1 is key
Food Food Food
Regulate and hydrate
Finally, what games are you going to play?

MUP Ep 291 – A Special Message from Murph

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 12:30:00 +0000

This episode, we bring to you a special announcement from Keeper Murph.

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

MUP Ep 290 – Simpson in the Dark

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 12:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph, Dave, and Bridgett welcome back to the podcast, friend of the show and writer/director of the BBC’s Lovecraft Investigations… Julian Simpson! CW: Graphic discussion regarding torture of a literary character in the Whatcha Been book review section (approximately 7:47-9:23)

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Nate for editing this episode. Thanks Nate!

Main Topic —

Tonight’s guest is Julian Simpson, long-time BBC writer and director, as well as gamer and explorer of the arcane and forbidden. This is Julian’s fourth appearance on our show since March 2020, but for those who haven’t heard of you, please introduce yourself…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Simpson

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lovecraft_Investigations

https://www.pleasantgreen.co.uk/

MUP Ep 289 – Inspired by Consumption

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 12:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph & Dave talk about stuff. Good stuff. What stuff? Let’s find out together, because Bridgett, me, who writes WordPress, was out of town for this recording. Oh! Oh! I see the topic now! Recent media influences for TTRPGs

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Max for editing this episode. Thanks Max!

Main Topic —

Now what do we have here for a main topic?

Looks like… recent media influences for TTRPGs

Dave has 2 movies, 1 TV show, and one book (series)

Sicario
Mission Impossible
Boy and the Heron
Bodies
The Three Body Problem trilogy

Murph has TV show or two and book or two

Fringe
Blue Eyed Samurai
Mickey7
Dream Scenario (haven’t seen it yet)

MUP Ep 288 — A Host Year in Review

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 13:00:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph, Dave, and Bridgett reflect on their favorite gaming moments and episodes from 2023!

The Discord Plug

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

MUP Ep 287 – Bridge and Dave’s Otherworld Adventure

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 25 Dec 2023 12:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Dave and Bridgett explore an immersive art museum known as Otherworld in Columbus, Ohio! Afterwards, we unpack ways to activate your senses to bring flavor and sensation to your creative writing!

https://www.otherworld.com/

The Discord Plug

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

MUP Ep 286 – Waiting for Bridgett

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 12:30:00 +0000

Join Keepers Dave and Murph for a special travel episode! Part 1!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

MUP Ep 285 – Powered by the Bakers

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 12:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph, Dave, and Bridgett welcome Lumpley Games – Vincent Baker and Meg Baker!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

And as we discussed recently – we’ll be sending out a backer survey soon so we can tune our backer rewards in January. Dave is working on it now, so look for that in late November.

New Members

Davin Flateau

Lauren Williams

Heather Poirier

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Max for editing this episode. Thanks Max!

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Happy 5th birthday Thessaly from everyone at MUP! We hope that you’ve enjoyed your special day!

If you’re having a bad day, go to the show notes and check out bulldogs, in party hats, preparing to eat a cake. Get your serotonin hits where you can!

Thanks HelloSpaceBoy!

Main Topic —

https://lumpley.games/

Selected Portfolio

Games such as

The Wolf King’s Son (2023)
Under Hollow Hills (2022)
Bedlam Beautiful (2017; limited publication)
Apocalypse World (2010; 2nd Edition 2016) and the PbtA framework

https://www.patreon.com/lumpley

Our Travelling Home by Ash Crider?
- https://wundergeek.itch.io/our-traveling-home
Wolf Spell by
- https://epidiah.itch.io/wolfspell
Bloody Handed Name of Bronze by Joshua Newman
- https://joshuaacnewman.itch.io/the-bloody-handed-name-of-bronze
Mashed
- https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/199282/MASHED-A-Korean-War-MASH-RPG–Core-Rulebook
Sagas of the Icelanders
- https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/254224/Sagas-of-the-Icelanders
Pasions d’ Pasion
- https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/409558/Pasion-de-las-Pasiones
Nahual
- https://www.nahualrpg.com/

MUP Ep 284 – Gettin’ Pulpy with Pulp Cthulhu

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 12:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph, Dave, & Bridgett are back with another system unpack! And this time– we’re discussing Pulp Cthulhu.

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

And as we discussed last episode – we’ll be sending out a backer survey soon so we can tune our backer rewards in January. Look for that in late November.

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Sean for editing this episode. Thanks Sean!

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Two expert security guards dutifully protecting the home from local threats (ducks in the pond). Binx: Senior Security Supervisor. Finn: Grizzled Pro who shoulders their demanding job while fighting demons at the bottom of a bottle.

No, I didn’t write that copy. Zondrio, fan of the show did, when they posted the photo in our pet pics shout out page.

I love when my job is done well, and for me! Love these kitties!

Main Topic —

Tired of your investigators dying in quick succession when jaunting around the world in a desperate bid to save humanity? Wishing that sometimes your investigator could make a stand instead of hiding and waiting for the eldritch horror to pass? Pulp Cthulhu ups the ante and provides you with tougher, more capable heroes—ready to take on the villainous machinations of the Cthulhu Mythos!

MUP Ep 283 – Halloween Horror Stories

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph, Dave, and Bridgett are reunited. We discussed Halloween Horror Stories, Halloween Gaming, mentioned a few Halloween themed Call of Cthulhu scenarios… but mostly we just hung out.

And we made Murph sad.

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Also, we are going to update our Patreon rewards at the beginning of 2024. Before we do that we will send out a survey and gather some data. It’s approaching two years since we redid the tiers and rewards, and now that everyone has a better idea of what works and what doesn’t, we just want to evolve them.

The tiers themselves will not change. But we’re going to tune our rewards so that they are a) things that our backers really like, and b) we can deliver them.

So look for that survey in November, and new rewards in early January.

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Moe for editing this episode. Thanks Moe!

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

I’d like to shout out our own little Vaesen, Roxie, kittuh of UndeadDomain (aka Jesse). This bundle of cute is curled into a dice tray, surrounded by Vaesen books and sheets as her dad preps for a game.

Does that make Undead Domain a Thursday’s child??

Main Topic —

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/432915/Bayt-al-Azif-5-A-magazine-for-Cthulhu-Mythos-roleplaying-games

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/220315/The-Dare

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/412108/Trick-or-Treat-2

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/291464

MUP Ep 282 – Bill and Dean’s (Cthulhu) Eternal Adventure

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keeper Murph & Keeper Dave welcome Dean Engelhardt and Bill Adcock of Cthulhu Eternal and Cthulhu Reborn.

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Nate for editing this episode. Thanks Nate!

Ooh, Bridgett may not be here, but we still have….

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

[Using best Bridget voice]

Y’all have got to see this photo of Loki, cat of ARM1384.

This cat is asleep, eyes rolled back, and legit appears as if it’s actively summoning.

Spooky kitty vibes for the win!

Thank you for sharing, ARM1384! Cat-astrophically creepy.

Main Topic —

Please welcome to the show, friends and creative powerhouses… Dean Engelhardt and Bill Adcock from Cthulhu Eternal! Welcome gentlemen!

Home

Our Scenarios

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/5143/Cthulhu-Reborn

MUP Ep 281 – Black Armada Games and Lovecraftesque 2e

Dave Sokolowski — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 12:00:00 +0000

This episode, Keeper Bridgett & Keeper Dave talk to Becky and Josh from Black Armada Games about the upcoming launch of Lovecraftesque second edition!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

It’s the return of Dave’s MUP Movie Matinee. On Sunday, Oct 8th at 2pm we’re going to watch Jordan Peele’s Nope! Who’s in?

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Max for editing this episode. Thanks Max!

Main Topic

Becky Annison and Josh Fox of Black Armada games can be found at https://blackarmada.com/, where they have games, podcasting, blogs and more!

Lovecraftesque

Upcoming 2e for Lovecraftesque – link to Backerkit here

MUP Episode 149 with Becky Annison

Welcome Becky and Josh! Please, for our listeners who are not acquainted with all of your award-winning games, please introduce yourselves and Black Armada games.

MUP Ep 280 – Indefinite Insanity and Humanity in Horror Games

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keeper Murph & Keeper Dave discuss the gaming side of insanity mechanics and mental health!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Sean for editing this episode. Thanks Sean!

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Shouting out Spooky and Frida, twins and best friends, and kittuhs of James-Big Jim! Thank you for sharing these gorgeous kitties with us!

Also, MeWOW to that guitar selection in the background!

Let’s move onto the main topic.

Main Topic —

Up front, a disclaimer and Content Warning – tonight we want to discuss the gaming side of insanity and mental health. We look to be sensitive and earnest in how to portray these topics in games, but also discuss them from the gaming perspective. So while we don’t plan to wander into any specific triggering moments, it is a broad topic that may move into areas listeners find uncomfortable.

MUP Ep 278 – Breaking (Down) the Masquerade for VtM

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 21 Aug 2023 12:31:32 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph & Bridgett unpack Vampire: The Masquerade,.We’re joined by backer Mike Diamond! Listen as we attempt to crash through mechanics, lore, history, clans, disciplines, and more in under 90 minutes.

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we talk about recent Mythos-related events and happenings in the world. This episode was recorded Thursday, July 27th, 2023.

This has been a BIG quarter for Chaosium. The Pendragon Starter Set is out, they’ve released the first volumes of the Cults of RuneQuest books, multiple ENnie nominations including Rivers of London, the Bookshops of Arkham actual play, Community Content, and more! And now, they’ve just announced a new board game adaption of Call of Cthulhu’s Horror on the Orient Express!

Horror on the Orient Express: The Board Game brings the award-winning Call of Cthulhu horror and mystery TTRPG into the world of board gaming. Special rules, ongoing character development, and awesome play pieces all providing a challenging and exciting gaming experience.

Horror on the Orient Express: The Board Game is a cooperative game in which you and other investigators have to survive on the doomed train. To win, you must discover and hunt out the cultists to stop them performing a hideous ritual, as well as make sure that the train reaches its destination. With all manner of dangers facing you, the challenge is to survive, stop the horrors of the Dreamlands, and prevent calamity. The Kickstarter for the game launches next year, with a planned release date in 2025.

Speaking of ENnie nominees, let’s shout out just a handful of congratulations to our friends and previous guests who are being recognized! Apologies if we missed anyone, it wasn’t intentional!

In other news, the community is BUZZING! The Old Gods of Appalachia kickstarter books are shipping and folk are going bonkers! At the time of recording, they’re arriving in inboxes and mailboxes nation. I’ll actually be picking up my rewards in person at GenCon next week.

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Nate for editing this episode. Thanks Nate!

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Shouting out and also welcoming home, Jackson Elias, from listener Targard! Bear, his other dog, is already my baby, and Jackson Elias is already settling in so nicely!

Main Topic — Vampire: The Masquerade Unpack

MUP Ep 277 – Horror Where You’re At

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 07 Aug 2023 12:00:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph & Bridgett riff on single location horror scenario ideas!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Murph has a movie Night coming up on August 17th at 7:30pm Central time.

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Max for editing this episode. Thanks Max!

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

“Okay, listen. It’s worth going to our show notes to see Jasper, doggo of friend and fan of the show, FredKiesche. I recognize that it’s not winter, but you gotta see the look on this dog’s face as it launches itself through the snow. It’s the pick me up you need today, promise!”

Main Topic — Single location horror scenarios

Persons in house/apartment/room
Persons in vehicle
Locked-Room Mysteries

Class struggle in the vein of Upstairs, Downstairs but downstairs hears the prep, staging, production, fallout, and eventual aftermath of the event upstairs. The event could be the KiY or a ritual, mass murder, etc. Might be a staff only game of Regency, set entirely within the kitchens. (Sort of inspired by Miss Julie.) Players would have to defend against their mutated “Betters” who are storming downstairs to eat, pray, and be merry.

Guests are invited to a house party in a friend of a friend’s apartment. Their friend never shows up, and a few guests seemingly go missing. There could be some fatally locked room, akin to Bluebeard, but their friend is actually within the trunk/coffee table at the center of the living room (a la Hitchcock’s Rope).

A group of friends witness something horrible and are seen by the perpetrator, take a spin on Rear Window and have it based across the street from the original crime, with a single bad guy hell bent on murder, but a Charm skill that is astronomical.

Take a page from Coherence and have a group of friends get together while Miller’s Comet streaks by overhead. There is an exact replica of their house next door, populated with an exact replica of themselves as well. Unbeknownst to the players, one of the guests arrives late and stumbles into the wrong house, their house. Things go even further sideways when a third house is revealed to have been there in the opposite direction the entire time.. By the end no one should be able to determine which house is real nor who is the original version of themselves.

A one-shot maybe solo game, where the player(s) are part of a boiler room, akin to Glengarry Glen Ross even with a sadistic Alec Baldwin-esque boss. But the player(s) have to cold call a list of senior citizens and get them to send you money, in order to stay alive. Every dollar you gain is another second to live. After the first few calls, they find out that they can exchange a life for a life, giving the player(s) a moral quandary of whether they can help cause an old person’s death in order for them to live.

A pastiche of various scenarios done for a single or pair of players that is similar to Four Rooms. Each room would be a small self-contained scene that puts the player(s), the hotel staff, in dangerous and morally fraught situations. Could just mine other scenarios for single good scenes. But they are entirely separate from one another, once the hotel room door opens, it starts, and doesn’t stop until they leave the room. So it would have to be punchy and fast.

Paranormal investigators arrive to investigate the goings on in room 1408 of a downtown hotel. From the moment that they enter the room they are presented with an alternate reality. Everytime they attempt to leave the room, the scene within changes and they are just entering it again. Could actually merge with above…
Much like the film Exam, the players are all set in a closed room to take a test to see who will become the next CEO of a global corp. They are given three rules:
1. not talk to the invigilator or the armed guard
2. not spoil their paper
3. and stay in the room

The paper they are given is blank. They are given some tasks that allow them to work together at first, but then it is a free-for-all of violence as it turns into Thunderdome for the office-set.

Solo game, or maybe a GM +1, on a small spaceship where the player is alone floating in space amidst the shipwreck. They have one sealed chamber and a Jenga tower’s worth of Oxygen. Every action requires a brick to be moved in addition to skill checks with dice. Think of the beginning of The Stars My Destination by Bester mixed with Bissette’s The Wretched. Roll a 1d6 to see how many actions you have to do to stay alive today, each action requires a pull on the tower. They start with 10 tokens, each time they roll a nat 6 for the day, they remove a token, when they are out of tokens, they are rescued. A nat 6 also means that they don’t have to pull from the tower. (Could be modified to a single person on a sailboat a lá All is Lost, etc. where the tower = energy) I realize now that I am just bastardizing The Wretched, so maybe just play that instead?

The Wretched by Chris Bissette

Dockside Dogs by Paul Fricker

Full Fathom Five by Paul Fricker

MUP Ep 276 — A Conversation with Luka Rejec

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 24 Jul 2023 12:00:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph and Dave interview one of their RPG heroes, Luca Rejec, the author of Ultraviolet Grasslands, Witchburner, Let Us In, and so many more.

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Moe for editing this episode. Thanks Moe!

Main Topic — Luka Rejec

https://www.wizardthieffighter.com/

MUP Ep 275 – Unser Sommerurlaub Teil Drei

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 12:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph & Dave hangout without Bridgett as part of our final summer vacation shows.

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Speaking of backers, we have one new backer to thank!

Casey J Rudkin

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Sean for editing this episode. Thanks Sean!

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Hey guys! It’s Bridgett, even though I sound like Dave! He’s my voice because I either don’t have one, or am too tired to use it. I’m shouting out Thalia, kittuh of friend and fan of the show John Tyler! John is awesome! Ask him about co-running a Regency Cthulhu game with me at Origins! Also, “Yar, Yar, Yar, Nar.” He was also in the most hilarious Pirate Borg game of my life. Thanks John for being awesome, and thank you for sharing this gorgeous caramel chocolate brownie with us!

Let’s move onto the main topic.

Main Topic —

MUP Ep 274 – Summer Vacation vs Top Ten Games Part Two

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 26 Jun 2023 13:07:16 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph, Dave, and Bridgett continue with their top 10 RPGS.

Well, not Bridgett.

Because she didn’t follow instructions.

Enjoy!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Nate for editing this episode. Thanks Nate!

Main Topic

The hosts continue to unpack their favorite RPGS!

MUP Ep 273 – Summer Vacation vs Top Ten Games Part One

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 11:11:04 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph, Dave, and Bridgett offer up something strange… something new… to bridge the gaping pit which is, “we typically don’t record the month of June, but we’re attempting to do something about that.” So… yea.

Enjoy!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Max (or maybe Dave?) for editing this episode. Thank you!

Main Topic —

….Bridgett did not understand the assignment. And Bridgett is in charge of the WordPress.

So uh… Listen, I dunno. HAPPY JUNE BABIES!

MUP Ep 272 – Mysteries of the Flesh Pit Revealed!

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 29 May 2023 12:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph & Dave speak to Christopher Robin Negelein/Ganza Gaming designer of the new Flesh Pit RPG on KS

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Speaking of backers, we have two new backers to thank!

Chris Bates
Brendan Tang

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Sean for editing this episode. Thanks Sean!

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

This week, I wanna shout out Kaiba, who is pictured peering into the secrets of the universe, from listener Confused Ann. You gotta see this photo. It’s a scenario seed and writing prompt!

Main Topic —

Christopher Negelein

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ganzagaming/the-mystery-flesh-pit-national-park-rpg

https://www.mysteryfleshpitnationalpark.com/

http://www.thebrightcave.com/

MUP Ep 271 – Urban Legends

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 15 May 2023 12:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph and Bridgett riff on some of our local Urban Legends and Folklore in Games!

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we talk about recent Mythos-related events and happenings in the world. This episode was recorded on May 4th, 2023!

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/432915/Bayt-al-Azif-5-A-magazine-for-Cthulhu-Mythos-roleplaying-games

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/questingbeast/knave-rpg-second-edition

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ganzagaming/the-mystery-flesh-pit-national-park-rpg

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Speaking of backers, we have a belated thank you to

Bucho Rodenberger
Steven Nelson
GeeMo
Claire Mendelsohn

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Moe for editing this episode. Thanks Moe!

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

This week, I’d like to shout out Casper the rat from listener and fan of the show, Cultist Damon. This cutie could haunt me anytime. I wuv the wittle feeties.

Main Topic —

Local Urban Legends and Folklore in Games

MUP Ep 270 – Going Deep on Dark

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 01 May 2023 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Dave & Bridgett conduct a deep dive on Graham Walmsley’s Cthulhu Dark!

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we talk about recent Mythos-related events and happenings in the world. This episode was recorded on April 20, 2023, and here’s Keeper Bridgett with a report on Chaosium Con 2023!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Speaking of backers, we have a belated thank you to

Rachel Cutler, Graham Walmsley

I’m hosting the next movie night, and guess what, Dave? It’s gonna be on April 29th! The weird thing, it will have already happened by the time this show drops! Lol. It was an AMAZING time. Laugh were had. Unless it was a sad movie, then likely… laughs were still had.

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Max (or maybe Dave) for editing this episode. Thanks Max (or maybe Dave)!

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

This episode I’d like to shout out Leo, from listener and hype squad of the show, Evan Perlman! Leo is pictured at daycare with a dashing smile and model levels of posing. This Portuguese water dog is absolutely STUNNING! Thanks for sharing Leo with us, Evan, and thanks for breaking the bottle over the back of the “fresh MUP” ship each time it sails.

Main Topic

That Graham interview was so fantastic. I hope we can get him back sometime before 2033. At least 2032.

To build on that conversation, which I was sorry to miss, I wanted to get us talking about Cthulhu Dark and other rules light investigative games. We both have experience with CD, so let’s start with a couple questions about the gameplay.

First– let’s discuss the rules– because they’re decadent!

What are your favorite parts of running or playing in a CD game?
What is a favorite story from a CD game that couldn’t happen in a game with more mechanics?
What do you think is different when playing a CD scenario?
What do you think is different when running a CD scenario?
What do you think is different when designing a CD scenario?
Do you miss anything from CD or other rules light investigative games?
How would you design a rules light game differently?

MUP Ep 269 – Cosmic Horror w/ Graham Walmsley

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 17 Apr 2023 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph & Bridgett welcome back author, creator, and game designer Graham Walmsley!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Max for editing this episode. Thanks Max!

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

This week I’m shouting out Trouble aka cat of listener Rach. They’re seen lazily stalking a set of twinkle lights. Not at fast Zappy!

Main Topic —

Welcome to Graham Walmsley!

http://catchyourhare.com/graham.htm

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/4159/Graham-Walmsley

Tweets by grahamwalmsley

MUP Ep 268 – Arrrggg, Pirate Borg w/ Luke Stratton

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 03 Apr 2023 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph, Dave, and Bridgett welcome cartographer extraordinaire, the writer and publisher of Pirate Borg, Luke Stratton!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. LInk in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you to our editor Sean for editing this episode. Thanks Sean!

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

I’m shouting out the doggo Charlie from listener Dan Tice, who is absolutely SLAYING her Pirate Borg costume. Puppy pirates for the win. Now give her some booty!

Main Topic —

Welcome to Luke Stratton!

https://www.meetup.com/shipofthedead

https://linktr.ee/limithron

https://www.patreon.com/limithron

MUP Ep 267 – Return to the Garden of Ynn

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keeper Murph runs Keepers Dave and Bridgett through an impromptu game of mystery and delight as they return to the Gardens of Ynn!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Moe for editing this episode. Thanks Moe!

MUP Ep 266 – The Legacy of Arrius Lurco w/ Oscar Rios

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 12:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Dave and Bridgett welcome back friend to the show Oscar Rios to discuss Golden Goblin Press, Invictus, the definition of a hero, and The Legacy of Arrius Lurco.

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we talk about recent Mythos-related events and happenings in the world. This episode was recorded on February 23, 2023.

Step further into the dark with the latest supplement for Call of Cthulhu! Nameless Horrors contains 6 scenarios featuring brand new elements of the Mythos that will keep even the most seasoned Investigator on their toes! Available worldwide March 8th.

Good news – Laird Barron is home from the hospital! He of course has a long road to recovery but being home is a good indication that he’s heading in the right direction. For those who missed it, there is a Go Fund Me available to support his medical expenses that has raised $136,000 or so at the time of recording. Thank you to all listeners who supported Laird, and we wish him continued recovery.

Speaking of needing help, Lovecraft Arts & Sciences is holding its Lovecraft Arts & Sciences 2023 Winter Fundraiser. Similar to the situation a couple years ago, they find themselves coming up short on the funding needed to keep the business running. Turns out NecronomiCon, for starters, was much more expensive than usual – with prices increasing across the board and attendance overall down from its normal capacity. Necro, the store, and all the supporting infrastructure is already run mostly on volunteer labor, and so the shortfall from last year now puts longevity at risk. The fundraiser is nearing $12k at time of recording, and we all know how important Necronomicon is to the community at large. Please take a moment to donate – even $5 adds to the bucket.

Free League prepares to launch their kickstarter for The Walking Dead Universe RPG.

Free League released two new game licenses for community creators – a Free Tabletop License (FTL) for the Year Zero Engine and a third-party license for the upcoming Dragonbane fantasy RPG.

Finally, with the OGL controversy momentarily in our mirrors, the newest craziness occupying geek-minds is the rapidly growing proliferation of AI-generated materials, including art and now fiction writing, and probably around the corner… ttrpg scenarios and settings. The community has been struggling with AI-generated art for a while and now people are using ChatGPT and similar tech to create fiction wholecloth.

Neil Clarke, editor of SF fiction magazine Clarkesworld (among others), recently paused his submission intake due to being overwhelmed by AI-generated stories. He wrote a very detailed blogpost, including stats and stories on how this technology has blossomed to overtake his meager intake resources. Worth a read if you want to see how this is specifically affecting the broader community.

On the same note, Chaosium announced recently that it has banned AI art in its community creator communities, and one might think other creator communities would soon take similar measures.

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Nate for editing this episode. Thanks Nate!

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

This week, I’d like to shout Cashew in their Puppy Palace by listener and fan of the show GardenGM.

Main Topic —

Welcome Oscar Rios to the show!!!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/golden-goblin-press/the-legacy-of-arrius-lurco-updated-for-7th-edition

MUP Ep 265 — Men, Unsupervised

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 20 Feb 2023 12:30:00 +0000

This episode Keepers Murph and Dave are left unsupervised.

Not even Keeper Bridgett knows what happened.

Patreon Plug & Update

This episode was recorded on February 9, 2023.

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Dave’s movie night is on February 26th, so mark your calendars! This is a correction from the last episode where I said the 25th. So it’s the 26th at noon PT and 3pm ET – afternoon movie! At the time of recording our survey is still open for a few more days, but if I was a guessing man, which I most definitely am, I would guess that the 2018 remake of Suspiria is going to be our movie of choice.

Finally we need to acknowledge a number of new backers. We have been remiss in calling out you amazing people, so we’re going through a number of folks who joined last October when we stopped doing it for some unknown reason.

Steve Skellet

Jay Rendon

Justin Kahn

TLemon65

Kamuela Enos

John Tyler

Steve Wallace

Liam O’Connell

GardenGM

The Discord Plug

And thank you to our editor Sean for editing this episode. Thanks Sean!

Main Topic —

MUP Ep 264 – My Two Daddies w/ B. Dave Walters

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 12:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph, Dave, and Bridgett chat with industry superstar, leader, coach, author, screenwriter, professional GM (and more), B. Dave. Walters. Bridgett got super distracted with both his and Murph’s voice– hence the episode title. We’re not sorry.

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we talk about recent Mythos-related events and happenings in the world. This episode was recorded on January 26, 2023. Pound-sign facts.

Something that will come as a surprise to no one who funds TTRPG Kickstarters, Funagain Logistics is closing. Another casualty of the Covid-inflicted shipping crisis – they just couldn’t keep up with the chaos and demand on their operations. They will fulfill their current agreements and continue shipping through April 30th, but after that no more complaining about Funagain and their shipping of Free League kickstarters.

Update on Laird Barron and his condition, a GoFundME campaign has been started for the author Laird Barron who has been hospitalized in serious condition. Mike Davis from the Lovecraft eZine has organized this and so far they have managed to raise over $133k. Laird is still in the hospital but in stable condition, though he still has a long way to go, and that is going to cost a lot of money. American healthcare is bullshit.

Aint Slayed won the Top Actual Play Podcast from ENWORLD! Congratulations!!! Amazing team, fantastic games, and well deserved award for sure. Welcome to the Hall of Fame yo!

The OGL Fiasco rolls on. In the two weeks since we last recorded, the situation has evolved, and yet, everything that was put in motion with the leaked OGL 1.1 has continued in play. Wizards, through D&D Beyond, issued not one but two statements. The first when they tried to just “whoops we’re sorry!” and then slightly alter the terms of the new OGL. And then after that just made things worse, they apologized again and then created a new 1.2 OGL which they have actually released as a draft this time for the community to help determine the terms. Or something like that.

Meanwhile, as mentioned before, out of all the chaos many game companies have collected their D&D toys and left 5e behind. For good. Paizo, creator of the largest OGL 1.0 licensed-games Pathfinder and Starfinder, has announced they are creating the irrevocable Open RPG Creative License (ORC). They are tracking a still-growing list of companies that have joined them, at least 1500 publishers as of recording, including Chaosium, EN Publishing, Fantasy Grounds, Foundry and Roll20, Frog God Games, Goodman Games, Green Ronin, Kobold Press, Pelgrane Press, and many many more. You can find a link to an updated list on the Paizo community boards.

It looks like Wizards is now in full reputation rescue mode now, but it looks like the damage has been done. WOTC has also announced they are going to release the core rules of D&D as Creative Commons content later on another sure sign that they are desperate to fix their image. There is a movement to boycott the upcoming D&D movie that has gained some traction. People hope to send a message to Wizards that they don’t appreciate being viewed as dollar signs, and so they want to flip that around and hurt Wizards and Hasbro where it counts. Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves arrives in theaters on March 31, 2023 and you may want to avoid seeing it in the first week or so when it’s in theaters to help send a message.

It seems like most of the big moves have played out, at least for now, and if Wizards wanted to stop people from making money on 5e then they have most definitely succeeded. But we haven’t seen the actual ramifications yet, as content creators are still moving things around, the ORC isn’t actually a thing yet, and OGL 1.2 is trying to squeeze its way back into the collective consciousness. So we stay wary and alert, passing our Spot Hidden rolls with EXTREME success.

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Dave’s movie night is on! February 25th! Give me a couple days to organize it, but we should have surveys out by the beginning of February. Mark your calendars!

The Discord Plug

And thank you mucho mucho to our new editor Moe for editing this episode. Thanks Moe! And thanks Nate for editing 263. Great first edit.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

“Sending happy belated birthday love to Emmy, from backer Adam! This dog in the basket is too much. I can’t even. Happy birthday sweet girl! Tell your Dad that Auntie Bridgey says it’s okay for you to her extra belated birthday treats!”

Main Topic —

B. Dave Walters!

His academy: https://www.undisputedacademy.com/

Lead designer: https://motherlandsrpg.com/

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/writing-about-dragons-and-shit/id1566161120

And most people know him as Victor on LA by Night (Geek and Sundry)

MUP Ep 263 – Growing Up Hybrid

keepermurph — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 12:30:00 +0000

This episode Keepers Bridgett, Dave and Murph riff on what it must be like to grow up as a deepone hybrid!

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we talk about recent Mythos-related events and happenings in the world. This episode was recorded on January 12, 2023. Happy new year everyone!

The main topic of conversation for pretty much everyone in the whole TTRPG industry is the leaking of Wizards of the Coasts OGL 1.1 last week and coverage by Gizmodo in a story called The Dungeons & Dragons’ OGL 1.1 Tightens Grip On Competition. While Wizards has yet to release an official response to the leak and subsequent uproar and backlash, many prominent game publishers have already announced complete changes in their business models and game systems (including partnering with newer systems such as Mork Borg). The hashtag OpenDND was Trending earlier today on Twitter, and is an open letter to WOTC to back off.

Most prominently, Kobold Press and MCDM, both top publishers of supplemental 5e materials, have announced their own game systems that will be truly open and available for use by others. Other publishers have begun scaling back production and support for 5e materials,or shutter them entirely. Naturally, everyone has plenty to say about it all. Even Denis Detwiller and Arc Dream Publishing was forced to make a statement, which, to our listeners at least, should be funny as hell.

There’s a lot to unpack with the Wizard’s announcement, official or not. And they have not yet responded to the leak in any public fashion as of the time of recording, in fact they have delayed any such announcement several times. I know some of our audience may not know how this potentially affects them, but if you enjoy games or any other media products that rely on the OGL, then this affects you. There has been some claims that they are “dismantling the RPG Industry” which should raise alarmist concerns for those, like many of our listeners, that don’t deal with WOTC or DnD. But there are a few key things to take from Wizard’s proposed changes to the OGL:

They are seeking to revoke OGL 1.0a, which as unpopular as it may be, is entirely legal as far as I can tell.
They are taking a cut from the signers of the new OGL based on a tiered system that has the highest tier giving 25% of income to WOTC.
Signees of the new OGL will give the irrevocable, non-transferable rights to their creations in perpetuity to WOTC to use however they wish.
Any crowdfunding will also have to pay revenue to WOTC, as above,, and have additional strings attached
Virtual Tabletops will no longer be able to support OGL products, as everything OGL will likely have to go through OneDnD’s own VTT instead.

We are still in the early parts of how this rolls out, and by the time this is live we will have certainly learned more. But however this lands, it is sure to cast a long shadow over how creators engage with Wizards and 5e going forward.

And Paizo comes in with some last second additions to the news, announcing the Open RPG Creative license (ORC for short) that will be “built system agnostic for independent game publishers under the legal guidance of Azora Law, an intellectual property law firm that represents Paizo and several other game publishers.” The idea is to provide a system-agnostic license that anyone can use with their own ruleset to publicly release. You can find out more about this and all of our news in the show notes, or on our Discord where this is a constant topic of discussion.

Modiphius recently announced a new addition to their community content program! In addition to the standard 2d20 World Builder program, Modiphius is now offering creators the chance to create content for their beloved Achtung! Cthulhu IP. The content guidelines are different to the standard ones. You can find the 2d20 Licensed World Builders Content Guidelines and creator resources in the link below.

https://www.modiphius.net/pages/2d20worldbuilders

In a bit of bad news for the weird fiction community, a GoFundME campaign has been started for the author Laird Barron who has been hospitalized in serious condition. Mike Davis from the Lovecraft eZine has organized this and so far they have managed to raise over 100k. Our thoughts and dollars

https://www.gofundme.com/f/laird-barron-hospital-costs-medication-costs

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Dave needs to schedule his own movie night! Right Dave?

Yes! I want to watch something as an inspiration for the Masks game, so we’ll find something on Prime probably. A quick look at my watchlist says – Indiana Jones, Hellraiser, and The Lost City of Z are all available now. I’ll talk with my scheduler and get something on the books for February!

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you mucho mucho to Nate for editing this episode!

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

This episode I’d like to announce a rare sighting. HelloSpaceBoys’s nearly 20 year old cat, Mazikeen, was seen being adorable. Try not to make a big fuss– she’s super shy. Thanks for sharing your cat with us.

Let’s move onto the main topic.

Main Topic

Deep one hybrids. What’s life like for children of two worlds?

MUP Ep 262- Gardens of Chaos

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 09 Jan 2023 12:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keeper Murph runs Keepers Dave and Bridgett through an impromptu game of mystery and delight! Happy New Year, MUP family!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Main Topic —

The Gardens of Ynn.

This episode was recorded on December 29th, 2022.

MUP Ep 261 – Dave, Murph, and Professors Make a Rock Band

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 26 Dec 2022 12:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph & Dave talk with some of our Professor Tiered Patreons!

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we talk about recent Mythos-related events and happenings in the world. This episode was recorded on December 1st, 2022.

Looks like management of Noble Knight Games has shown bad faith in their employees’ ramp up to a unionization vote on December 8th. A story on Dicebreaker details the back and forth by management to dissuade employees from joining the unionization effort, as well as examples of management’s bad faith comments and attitudes. More in the story on Dicebreaker.

And hot off the presses, it seems that Noble Knight has decided to recognize the union! So congratulations to the workers, and management at Noble Knight for this landmark decision.

Keeper Dave’s Patreon Backer Masks Campaign Update

No new updates for my Masks campaign except to say that, as expected, response has been overwhelming. Probably just around the time this episode drops near the end of December we will have made player choices. We’ve got a mid-January start scheduled, and everyone is all in! More soon on this for sure.

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

And hey, look at three of our top tier backers hanging with us right now. One more incredible perk from backing MUP on Patreon.

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Max for editing this episode.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

“Hey guys! It’s me. Ya’girl Bridgett. I know, I know. This time I sound like Dave. I’ve got raaaange, baaaaby.

Tonight, I’d like to shout out James/Ibis’ gorgeous fur baby, Virgil. Listen, this photo of James and Virgil rolling around on the floor is the one of the most wholesome examples of the joy that comes with canine companionship. Thanks for sharing Virgil with us, Ibis. You really seriously consider getting that photo framed. The joy on both of your faces is priceless.

Oh, and I secretly love Dave’s accents.”

Main Topic —

This is our Professors show! Some of our top-tiered patrons came on the show to hang out with us!

MUP EP – 260 Humanity in Gaming w/ Sen-Foong Lim

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 12 Dec 2022 12:15:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph, Dave, and Bridgett sat down with award winning game designer Sen-Foong Lim!

Keeper Dave’s Patreon Backer Masks Campaign Update

This episode was recorded on November 17th, 2022.

The time is nigh! Keeper Dave (that’s me) will be running Masks of Nyarlathotep for our Patreon backers, starting in January 2023. Ending at the end of today, Monday, December 12th – when this episode goes live – I am closing the survey for backers interested in playing in my game.

Once the survey is closed today – we will be choosing from backers starting at the highest backer level – Professor – and moving down through the tiers until we have a full party of six investigators. If, by chance, there are still open slots after then, we will have a limited opening to other listeners. But if you want to get a seat at the table, becoming a backer is your best bet.

We will be playing bi-weekly – every other Friday – from 7-10pm ET, using Chaosium’s official Fantasy Grounds, as well as the Pulp Cthulhu rules. It will look and feel like David Cronenberg directed Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. It will be unforgettable.

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to MURPH for editing this episode.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Tonight, I’d like to shout out my absolute favorite chameleon ever, Godzilla, affectionately known as GiGi, by backer, mod, and friend of the show Chris! Gigi is a petpic channel highlight for me, because her photos typically drop with fun lizard facts and plus– she’s gorgeous and always looks to have to an attitude in her photos. Keep the Gigi and the facts coming, Chris!

Main Topic —

MUP Ep 259 – Lynne Hardy’s Regency Reputation

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 28 Nov 2022 12:30:00 +0000

This episode Keepers Murph & Dave sit down with Lynne Hardy to discuss Chaosium’s newest supplement, Regency Cthulhu!

Keeper Dave’s Patreon Backer Masks Campaign Update

The time is nigh! Keeper Dave will be running Masks of Nyarlathotep for our Patreon backers, starting in January 2023. Starting today, Monday, November 28th – when this episode goes live – and running for two weeks – there will be an open survey for interested backers.

Once the survey is closed – just after the airing of Ep 260 – we will be choosing from backers starting at the highest backer level – Professor – and moving down through the tiers until we have a full party of six investigators. If, by chance, there are still open slots after then, we will have a limited opening to other listeners. But if you want to get a seat at the table, becoming a backer is your best bet.

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Movie night preview by Murph – survey is over! The winner is…

The Northman

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to MURPH for editing this episode.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

“Hi, guys! It’s me! Bridgett. I know, I know, I sound like Murph again. I’ve been practicing my range!

I’d like to shout out KingofBlades113’s cat….Jim. because listen, human names on pets are my jam. Plus, Jim just got a new scratch post, so double win! Thanks for sharing Jim with us, KingofBlades113!

Oh! And since this worked last time. And by this, I mean, getting Murph to read exactly what I type…

I’m Lynne’s favorite.

Toodles!”

Main Topic — Lynne Hardy and Regency Cthulhu

MUP Ep 258 – Riff o’ the Wisp

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 14 Nov 2022 12:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph and Bridgett bring back RIFFING! That’s right, we’re riffing on a classic folklore monster, the will o’ wisp, will of the wisp, the willy wispy, whatever! You know what we mean!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to SEAN for editing this episode.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

This week I’m shouting out Odysseus and Circe! Gorgeous, high fiving kittuhs from listener Aiine! Thanks for sharing videos of these gorgeous cats with it!

Main Topic

Will-o-Wisps!

MUP Ep 257 — Soft Flexes of Paul St. John Mackintosh

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Dave & Bridgett interview writer Paul St. John Mackintosh about books, poetry, RPGs, and more!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to MAX for editing this episode.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Listen, I may have shouted out this dog before, but since she’s my daughter niece, I’m doing it again! Shout out to Kara, the most princess of all princess huskies from backer, moderator, and massive friend of the show, a whole ass Mike Diamond of The Old Ways Podcast!!!

Main Topic —

http://paulstjohnmackintosh.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Paul-St.-John-Mackintosh/e/B00CEH18BM

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/334163/Casting-the-Runes-Occult-Investigation-in-the-World-of-M-R-James

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/401006/Sleuths-of-the-Golden-Age-Mini

Cthulhu Mythos RPG and Games –

https://www.facebook.com/groups/675419816536523

MUP ep 256 – Xtra XP From XPLoveCat

keepermurph — Mon, 17 Oct 2022 11:30:00 +0000

This episode Keepers Murph and Dave talk with Youtuber XPLovecat about gaming and life!

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on October 5th, 2022.

We are looking for new Show Editors! If you want to help this show stay online, and help preserve my sanity, then I will teach you how to edit our audio. This isn’t for the faint of heart, however. Beginning audio editing can take many hours for one of our typical shows, but that gets better as you get better. As a thank you for this, we will give you a Professorial status as a Backer (minus the episode) and gain massive influence with us and some special Discord Channel access, etc..

Into the Odd Remastered is out and available to all to order! You can pick it up now at the Free League webstore or DriveThruRPG.

Judge Dredd: The Game of Crime Fighting in Mega-City is getting a re-release 40 years after its initial run. You can follow the link in the show notes to pre-order.

Patreon has rolled out a new type of billing that will charge patrons on the day that they started backing a content creator, as opposed to the beginning of the month. It is optional as to whether we swap to this method, but we thought we would ask you guys which you prefer. So let us know on our Discord server, or you can send us an email at mup.feedback@gmail.com.

Roll20Con 2022 is starting on October 21st through 23rd.

Speaking of email Dave, we got a bunch of email from people that listened to the last episode! So a hearty thank you goes out to…

Fred
Ritterton
Chris
Will
James

And in a bid to take over Cute Pet Picks Andrew Leman emailed a pic of his dogs as well, you’ll have to go to the Show notes to see those.

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Speaking of amazing backers we have new backers! Everyone welcome:

Puddletime
Brian Dunn
Pete Shanahan

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

Dave’s Discord discussion Call Out – what are we talking about today? #shelves-mail discussion on Kickstarters, fulfilled and not.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to MURPH for editing this episode.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

“Hi guys! It’s Bridgett! I may sound like Murph right now, but that’s just because I’m probably 36,000 feet into the air. I’d like to shout out the lovely kittuhs of 12gmsc: Franny, Edie and Charlie! Thanks for sharing these gorgeous cats with us in the petpics channel!” titty-sprinkles. Because Bridgett demanded I say it. titty-sprinkles.

Main Topic —

A chat with XPLoveCat. Leslie is a part of a fundraiser for the month of October called “Play Cancer Away” (https://twitter.com/playcanceraway?lang=en) which plays RPGs to raise money for Stand Up 2 Cancer. Check out her YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/c/xplovecat) and the editing services she provides for RPGs on her website (www.xplovecat.com)

Do you find that YouTube is a less toxic platform than the RPG blog-o-sphere, or convention gaming?
How’d you come up with the name XPLovecat?
Do you do your own video editing?
How does she decide what topics to make videos on? Do certain ones reliably get more traction?
What professional services do you offer for those in the ttRPG community?
What value does developmental editing add, and how should MR authors go about using it?

MUP Ep 255 — Mojave Helicopter Madness with the HPLHS

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 03 Oct 2022 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph, Dave, and Bridgett interview Andrew Leman and Sean Branney from the award-winning HP Lovecraft Historical Society!

Campus Crier

Patreon Plug & Update

Our Patreon Plug is where we update our listeners on all our backers and activities. This episode was recorded on Sept 22, 2022.

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Speaking of amazing backers we have a new backer! Everyone welcome:

John Arko

And thank you to everyone else that has updated their pledge to match our new tiers!

Drop us an email or discord note and let me know what you’d like to play – mup.feedback@gmail.com

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to MURPH for editing this episode.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

The Dog Squad by Plumbism

Main Topic

Podcasting, researching, burying live bodies, and helicopters over the Mohave with Sean and Andrew of HPLHS!

What follows is Andrews images and some text about the Helicopter Story told at the end of this episode.

Here was the giant symbol as seen from the chopper. The two little red arrows are pointing to cars, to give you some sense of how big the thing was. This photo has been retouched to hide the other rocketry symbol that was also present.

Here’s the unretouched picture:

And here’s an enhanced view:

Here’s the view as they were landing.

And here we are taking off at sunset.

The intrepid investigators: Stephanie Morey, Dan Harper, and Sean

This was the mummified corpse revealed by the earthquake that they flew out to examine. There is a creepy statue clutched in its right hand.

Here they are examining it:

Chris Lackey, also of podcast fame, played the sheriff. We turned my Toyota into a sheriff’s car.

Sean, as coroner, performed an autopsy on the mummy, removing its glass eye. That was how they identified the corpse as a fellow named J.D. Titan, who had disappeared in the 1930s while being investigated for murder. Titan was one of my old player characters from our original Call of Cthulhu days.

The photo used in this newspaper clipping was taken at one of our earlier Cthulhu Lives! games from around 1989.

MUP Ep 254 — Unpacking from NecronomiCon

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 19 Sep 2022 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph, Dave, and Bridgett discuss highlights, favorite purchases, and lessons learned from NecronomiCon.

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on Sept 9, 2022.

The convention organisers are pleased to announce the dates for the next convention being held on the Good Friends of Jackson Elias Discord! Bringing new levels of mind-bending chaos and anarchy, they are pleased to present, A Weekend With Good Friends : Dread Daylight Savings Con Edition running 4th – 6th November 2022; roll SAN!

Check the show notes for the dates.

The dates for the convention are as follows:

30th September – 13th October 2022 – GM signups
21st October – 27th October – Player signups
28th October 2022 – The Lottery results are announced
4th – 6th November 2022 – A Weekend With Good Friends!

They will shortly be adding the convention channels to the Good Friends of Jackson Elias Discord and updating the Blasphemous Tomes website with further announcements and information about the convention.

Now in worldwide release! Call of Cthulhu Classic – horror roleplaying in the world of Chaosium’s Cthulhu Mythos Available now exclusively from Chaosium.com: a recreation of the classic Call of Cthulhu boxed set from 1981, brought to horrific life 40 years later! Created thanks to the wildly successful Call of Cthulhu Classic Kickstarter, this product is very limited!

Chaosium is pleased to announce the release of Call of Cthulhu Classic, launched at GenCon in Indianapolis and online exclusively at chaosium.com. Both the Classic 1” Box and the Classic Deluxe 2” Box will be sold in limited quantities, while stocks last.

Miskatonic Repository Convention is a FREE three-day virtual convention celebrating Chaosium’s online collection of community content. Annnnnnd it’s coming back October 14th-16th, 2022! We’ll have games, special guest Keepers, panels, and more! Check this link for details and dates.

Chaosium has leaked some images of the upcoming Regency Cthulhu online a few days ago, and it looks fantastic!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

New movie night coming in Sept! Hosted by me and streaming on Netflix, I have collected a group of folks ready to watch 13 Ghosts on Friday, Sept 23rd!

Our backers are so incredibly important to us and we want to make clear our commitment to every one of you. We hope our updated tiers help you feel more connected to us and that your contributions are rewarded.

Speaking of amazing backers we have new backers! We’ve not recorded since before Necronomicon so we have lots of great people to mention! Everyone welcome:

Nathan Hughes

Ann

Steven Anderson

Antheny

Matthew C McHorris

Philip Rogers

Rina the Glitterfae

And thank you to everyone else that has updated their pledge to match our new tiers!

CALL TO ACTION

Drop us an email or discord note and let me know what you’d like to play – mup.feedback@gmail.com

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to SEAN for editing this episode.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Griffon by Keeper Gladius

Main Topic —

Necronomicon 2022 Recap

How was the return home and recovery?
What was your favorite part?
What will you/we do differently next time?
What was your favorite purchase?

MUP Ep 253 — LIVE from NecronomiCON 2022

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 05 Sep 2022 11:30:00 +0000

LIVE FROM NECRONOMICON!

That’s right friends– here is the LIVE recording from the MUP Live Show at NecronomiCon2022! Join Keepers Murph, Dave, & Bridgett as they discuss “why horror,” Dave does some reaaaaaally bad accents, Murph drops some gems, and Bridgett almost starts crying.

Thank you to all of the backers, fans, listeners, contributors, guests, editors, previous hosts, mods, Discord users, lurkers, family & friends.

It takes a village… and you are our village.

Recorded on Sunday, August 21, 2022

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

MUP Episode 252 — Mason Madness w/ Mike Mason

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 08 Aug 2022 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph, Dave, and Bridgett sat down with Chaosium Creative Director, Mike Mason! We took direct questions from our Patreon backers and put them before Mike. Join us as we discuss what’s in the Chaosium pipeline, Chaosium’s plans for the Cubicle 7 properties, and even what Mike has been reading lately!

Special Note

We are recording this episode on July 31, 2022.

While we don’t have much news this episode, I did want to give an update to those listeners that are traveling to NecronomiCON this year. Last episode I mentioned a Wednesday night meetup at Blake’s Pub, that has now changed however to the Trinity Beergarden which is located in Biltmore Park directly across the street from The Graduate. We will loosely be gathered there until they close at 9pm, and then we might traverse across the park to another venue if there is a need.

Also, the Miskatonic University Podcast Live Show will be Sunday at Noon. We hope to see all of you there!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Speaking of amazing backers we have new backers! Everyone welcome:

Angelo Chiriaco

Corryvreckan

And thank you to everyone else that has updated their pledge to match our new tiers!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Edwin for editing this episode.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Please meet Glacier and Toothless from Listener Arko!

Main Topic

Mike Mason

MUP Episode 251 — NecronomiCON 101 w/ Rob & Jess

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 11:30:00 +0000

This episode Keepers Murph, Dave, & Bridgett, sit down with Rob & Jesse, Head of Games at NecronomiCON!

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on July 14, 2022.

Niels, the man with the plan over at NecronomiCON Providence, has released an updated COVID policy on their website, you can find the link in our show notes, and has said that masks will be required for all events, and they are providing stickers for attendees to announce how comfortable they are with proximity to others. Niels is also recommending PCR tests before traveling, the same that is recommended by the WHO and the CDC, and will have KN95 masks on hand for distribution for those that might need it.

Avatar RPG has gone to print, finally! No word on when it will finish.

Roll20 and OneBookShelf are partnering up. The apparent merger will allow users “to manage content across platforms for nearly any tabletop game, connect more easily with other players, and step into games immediately, all in one place.” Ankit Lal, the current CEO of Roll20, will continue as the CEO, while Steve Wieck will join the Roll20 governing board and executive team. So far as fans are concerned, this partnership will allow any PDF in a user’s OneBookShelf Library to be available within Roll20.

The recently announced Alien novel, Infernos, will contain a free scenario for Alien RPG!

Ennies Shortlist announced

2022 ENNIE Award Nominees Announced

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Sean for editing this episode.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

“Look deep into my eyes…you are getting sleepy…so sleepy…you are feeling generous with the deli meat…so generous…” posted fan of the show, Bill Adcock, about his cat Atticus.

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Our backers are so incredibly important to us and we want to make clear our commitment to every one of you. We hope these new tiers will immediately help you feel more connected to us and that your contributions are rewarded.

Speaking of amazing backers we have new backers! Everyone welcome:

Dan Tice

Alex Marks

JF Boivin

And thank you to everyone else that has changed their pledge to match our new tiers!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Main Topic — Jess and Rob from NecronomiCON Providence!

MUP Episode 250 & Thicc w/ Celebration

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 11 Jul 2022 11:30:00 +0000

View Post

We’re BAAAAAACCCKKKK!!!!

This Episode, Keepers Murph, Dave & Bridgett, along with previous hosts, frequent guests, backers and friends, celebrate the recording of MUP’s 250th Episode! That’s right guys! 10 Years and 250 Episodes! Congratulations, MUP, and congratulations to you, the listeners! We did it!!!!

Campus Crier

We nah’d the Campus Crier for this recording.

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

When the cat thinks he’s a better podcaster than you. Shout out to Cooper, cat of John H! Thanks for supporting the Pet Pics Channel and sharing this awesome kittuh with us!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Most importantly though – after some butt kicking by Bridgett, we are formally announcing our new Patreon tiers. Frankly, we have really just been living on the good graces of our supporters, who have been wonderful enough to just support us when there has been a distinct lack of difference between all the tiers. We are solving that today.

First up – there are no changes to the tier names or their cost. So if you are a backer, your tier will stay exactly the same. However, now each tier will come with specific benefits that we will now outline (and of course will be on Patreon by the time you hear this). For each of the tiers, you of course get everything from the previous tier.

Freshmen $1: We’ll give you a shout-out and thank you on the show! You’ll have access to our exclusive, Backer-Only Discord channels. We’ll also notify you about scheduled guest appearances ahead of time so that you can send us your questions! Backers at this level also can sit in on Keeper Dave’s Trail of Cthulhu campaign, Bookhounds of San Francisco. You also get access to contests!

Sophomore $2: You can now join pop-up events, last minute pick-up games, and other special events hosted by the co-hosts!

Junior $5: You are invited to exclusive watch parties and movie nights with one of the hosts! Grab your popcorn, kick back, and hang with the hosts for a movie night! These events will be hosted quarterly.

Senior $10: You have unlocked access to private content to include Host-GM’d games, Team Up recordings with The Old Ways Podcast, locked bonus episodes, and more! You’ll also receive a unique annual postcard from your hosts! Host-GM’d games run monthly, will be pre-scheduled a year in advance, and offer you a tour of your favorite weird and horrific roleplaying games beside one of the hosts!

Graduates $15: You’ll receive a PDF copy of limited-edition playable content from your hosts! That’s right! Examples may include pamphlet adventures, system agnostic scenarios, etc. We plan to roll out 3 of these per year.

Professors $20: You, yes you, will be invited to join the hosts on air! Once a year, we’ll invite Professor Level backers to join the show and choose your own topic! Come talk, laugh, cry, and make fun of Murph on air!

Speaking of amazing backers –

New Backer Shout Out – Thank you Ash DelVillan!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Main Topic — 250 Episodes

MUP is nothing without our community, and in celebration of our anniversary, we reached out to a bunch of amazing people who we know and love in our community.

Ep 223 was Bridgett’s first episode as guest – – 27 episodes for Bridgett!

Ep 109 was Dave’s first episode as guest, Ep 190 as host – 60 episodes for Dave!

MUP Ep-249 800 Reasons to Love Skype of Cthulhu w/ Keeper Jim Phillips

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 16 May 2022 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph and Bridgett interview Jim Phillips, the founder and operator of Skype of Cthulhu, a Call of Cthulhu actual play who have just posted their 800th episode back at the end of April! Congratulations and welcome back, Jim!

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on May 5, 2022.

Free League’s Blade Runner RPG has launched and already broken $1m. And with that, it finally broke Dave’s wallet. I managed not to back this one!

Jason Cordova’s rpg Brindlewood Bay kickstarter is doing a smashing job with its small-town murder mystery setting. If you are a fan of small town mysteries such as Murder She Wrote, then this is your jam.

Chaosium released a shipping update on some highly anticipated releases to include

— Cults of Cthulhu*

— A Time to Harvest*

— Call of Cthulhu Starter Set (40th Anniversary edition, with new box art)

— Plus, fulfilment of the long-awaited Call of Cthulhu Classic Kickstarter! (if you missed the Kickstarter, we’ll be selling the remaining copies via Chaosium.com AFTER distribution to backers is completed).

We’re looking at May (and perhaps into early June).

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Shouting out Toast, listener and fan of the show, TLemon’s gorgeous kittuh. Seriously guys, this cat is like a dreamy combo of asphalt, concrete, stainless steel, and gorgeous!

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

We need to thank our newest backer, Nathan Pidde! HA! I just got an email from Nathan that made my heart smile. Hopefully you all will be hearing more from him soon!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Main Topic

Jim Phillips of Skype of Cthulhu

http://www.cthulhu.me

MUP 2022 ENnies Submission Reel

keepermurph — Mon, 09 May 2022 14:07:00 +0000

ENnies Logo

After not even getting a short list nod from last year’s ENnie judges, this year we outsourced the clip selection to our amazing Patreon Backers. This is our 15 minute submission reel for 2022. We have to thank all of the backers that helped to put this together, once again we’d be no where without you all.

MUP Ep-248 That Damned Majestic Cat w/ Michael Fryda

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 02 May 2022 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph, Dave, and Bridgett interview YouTuber and bestselling Miskatonic Repository author, Michael Fryda!

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on April 21, 2022.

The Old Gods of Appalachia Kickstarter is underway and is already crushing it with over 9300 backers and almost $1.3 Million raised. This kickstarter runs through May 6th.

The Alien Colony War book that includes a scenario by friend of the show Drew Gaska was released on April 26th.

The first round of the HPLHS Call of Cthulhu Classic Prop Box is starting to appear and it’s another top shelf item.

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Shout out to backer Cornysams– thank you for sharing your new kittuh with us, Sugar, or as his partner calls her, Shug.

Also, welcome to the best foster home ever to the bulldog, Eloise! Thank you listener, HelloSpaceBoy, for sharing this lovely baby with us!

And thank you beaucoup to Edwin for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

We need to thank our newest backer, Darrin Chandler!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Main Topic — Michael Fryda

@imaginingsRPG (Twitter)

https://www.youtube.com/c/RPGImaginings/videos

https://www.youtube.com/c/ClutchSituation

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?author=Michael%20Fryda

…You will worship her.

MUP Special — Heinrich’s Call of Cthulhu Guide to Character Creation

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 11:30:00 +0000

This BONUS episode, Keepers Murph and Bridgett welcome Heinrich Moore, Chair of the Miskatonic Repository Convention, 4-time best selling author on the Miskatonic Repository, and owner of the YouTube channel, Heinrich Moore Presents.

Join us as Heinrich walks us through his latest release, Heinrich’s Call of Cthulhu Guide to Character Creation! Buckle in… it’s quite the ride!

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Nathan (Hapless Mage on Discord)

Thank you, Nathan!!! You’re the true MVP!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Main Topic

Heinrich’s Call of Cthulhu Guide to Character Creation

For more information about Miskatonic Repository Convention, check out the Facebook Page or Discord!

To see more of Heinrich’s scenarios, you can check out his listing on DTRPG or his YouTube Channel!

MUP Ep-247 In Space, No One Can Hear Murph Scream…

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 04 Apr 2022 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph, Dave, and Bridgett dive into The Alien: RPG and take questions from the awesome MUP Fans!

This episode was recorded on March 24, 2022.

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

A shout out to DontStopMeNow’s baby, Axle, who you can see living his best life on the beach, in the desert, in the pool, ocean, mountain and more! She says that she works to provide for her dogs. Same, girl. Same.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Sean for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Main Topic — Alien RPG

This episode was recorded on March 24, 2022. We asked for a bunch of questions from our Discord community about the Alien: The RPG. And we shall now endeavor to answer at least some of them before our inadequacies become too apparent.

Bridgett’s Starter Questions

How do you handle cascading panic?
What are your favorite talents?
Does anyone actually use that section on space combat? Real talk? Did you read it?

Listener Questions:

(James) Ibis: What rules from the core book do you want to implement, but often forget in the heat of the moment?
iPwnedMSCS: How do you write agendas differently for early acts in cinematic scenarios vs later acts? Do you write agendas differently for single Act scenarios?
Could @Keeper Dave (he/him) talk about what from the five room dungeon concept did and didn’t work for his scenario?
(James) Ibis: Would you rather play Alien or Aliens? Why?
iPwnedMSCS: How intuitive do you find the chances of success with the base + stress dice mechanics?
iPwnedMSCS: What mechanics do you think are well implemented? What mechanics do you think could be improved?
iPwnedMSCS: What do you hope to see in future additions to the product line?
iPwnedMSCS: What’s your favorite chart in the book and why is it the panic table?
JZahler: Can Alien be run as a horror campaign? With only a single antagonist, xenomorphs, how would you keep it fresh over multiple scenarios? If the solution is to introduce other non-xenomorph Alien threats, is it still Alien?
iPwnedMSCS: How do you resolve combat oriented panic results in non-combat situations?
iPwnedMSCS: How do you feel about the layout of the character sheet?
iPwnedMSCS: Are there any content warnings, such as infestation horror, that cannot be removed without the game no longer being Alien?

MUP Ep-246 Better GMing in Pleasant Greens

Bridgett Jeffries — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 04:46:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph & Dave interview friend of the show, Julian Simpson, on how to be a better GM!

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

Keeper Bridgett would like to shout out Adam and his new puppy, Emmy. Welcome home, Emmy! She’s also confused how Adam has the time to read circles around her when he has a new puppy.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Max for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

After a short hiatus, our Recent Gaming segment is back. This episode was recorded on March 12, 2022.

Main Topic — How to be a Good Game Master w/ Julian Simpson

Julian’s Previous Shows:

MUP EP 195 – Julian in Darkness – March 23, 2020

MUP EP 215 – Shadow Over Simpson – Dec 28, 2020

Julian has a few websites that he posts too, but Cartoon Gravity is his most active.

Backer Questions

Did he ever get to play that Unknown Armies game he thirsted for in his previous visits to the show?

And if not, why? Why is it so hard to get a game we’re passionate about off the ground?

How does he approach long term character development in an audio environment during an age where video and visual queues have become the norm? Or, what makes the audio creative space enjoyable for him?

MUP Ep-245 The Gould Standard for Players

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 07 Mar 2022 12:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph, Dave, and Bridgett interview friend of the show, Helen Gould! Helen agreed to volunteer as tribute and test out a new (currently untitled) MUP segment where we bring on old friends and discuss/riff about random stuff!

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on February 27th, 2022.

R. Talsorian Games & Darker Hue Studios Team Up

R. Talsorian Games has signed an agreement with Darker Hue Studios to distribute Haunted West, a tabletop roleplaying game shining the light of truth on the old west.

Join the League of Free Agents

Free League has kicked off its organized play program, League of Free Agents. Dave has joined

Roll20 has doubled in size in two years, and Call of Cthulhu has grown with it – Chaosium Inc.

Roll20, and Chaosium’s associated products, have doubled in the past year. Dave plans to put Sun Spots on Roll20 in the next few months.

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

I’d like to shout out James from 1D4 con and their newest adoption, Rain! Welcome home, Rain! Get ready for the best days of your life.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Edwin for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Shoutout to Targrad

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Main Topic — How to be a Good Player

Find Helen Gould on Twitter and her own Patreon!

MUP Ep-244 Pseudo-Random Riffing

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 21 Feb 2022 12:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keeper Murph, Dave, and Bridgett enjoy some pseudo-random riffing.

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

I’d love to give a shoutout to Joe Stranger’s kittuh, Lulu, who was last seen helping her dad through Curse of Strahd.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Thank you to all of our backers!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Main Topic — Riffing

We want to hear from our listeners, and we have lots of ways you can reach out to us. For the complete list, check out our show notes – that’s where you’ll find our email address, which is mup.feedback@gmail.com, and a link to our Discord server!

Send us your questions, feedback and topic ideas – or join a discussion! Tell us who you are and give us a hearty “Go Pods” for our home team, the Fightin’ Cephalopods!

Find all the links you need to keep in touch – at mu-podcast.com, or on the Discord channel ep-244. And please back us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/mup

Thank you for joining us for another episode. Class is dismissed!

MUP Ep-243 Accessible Gaming 101 w/ Jacob Wood

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 12:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph and Bridgett sit down with special guest, Jacob Wood, who is the owner of Accessible Games! This past year he ran a successful KickStarter for Survival of the Able and he’s also an industry Accessibility Consultant. Welcome Jacob!

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on January 27th, 2022.

Free League announced Heart of Darkness for the Alien RPG. This is billed as a stand-alone adventure, but also serves as a conclusion to the Draconis Strain Saga begun in the cinematic scenario Chariot of the Gods and continued in Destroyer of Worlds, all written by our friend and previous guest, Andrew Gaska.

Player signups for A Weekend with Good Friend Gaming Convention begins on February 4th and will run through February 10th. Reminder, this is an online convention sponsored by the Good Friends of Jackson Elias podcast! It’ll be running from February 18th-20th, so be sure and sign up for as many games as you can!

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

I’d love to give a shoutout to Targrad’s absolutely adorable fur children, Bear and Robyn. He recently read them Lynne Hardy’s Children of Fear and their facial expressions are… incredible! Targard, thanks for always swinging through with the pup assist and constant pup love!

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Sean for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

WOW! BACKER LOVVVVVEEEE!!! Thank you new backers!!!

Cornysams

TammyTheTiger

Miranda Adams

Evan Perlman

JZahler

We really appreciate you guys for Backing. We are going through the results of the polling that we did for last show and will be making some changes I’m sure as a result of that.

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Main Topic — Jacob Wood

Accessible Gaming

Survival of the Able

Robot Claw Entertainment, publisher of Tears of a Machine SC:

http://www.robotclaw.info

Russell Collins is @RobotClaw on Twitter

Limitless Heroics Kickstarter:

Limitless Heroics: Better worlds via Dice & Disabilities 5e by Dale Critchley — Kickstarter

Only has 4 days to go, so it won’t still be running when the episode goes live. Might be good to recap though.

Accessible Gaming Quarterly, Year 3 Kickstarter:

http://www.bit.ly/AGQYear3KS

Runs from 2/2/22 through 2/16/22

Vision Layers website:

http://www.visionlayers.com

Broken Ruler Games, the company run by my colleague Todd Crapper

http://brokenrulergames.net

Todd is the mastermind behind Vision Layers and my go-to for layout and graphic design.

Accessibility in Gaming Resource Guide

By Jennifer Kretchmer

Accessibility in Gaming Resources – Google Docs

Accessible RPG, a Wiki designed to help people understand real-world symptoms and how they can impact a gaming experience:

http://www.accessible-rpg.com

Knights of the Braille, a website and Discord community of mostly blind gamers. They’re open to gamers from every background and also helpedhost the Everyone-Games event:

Knights of The Braille

Everyone-Games, an event we ran in October to raise awareness and charity money for disabled gamers. We hope to run it again next year:

Everyone-Games – A vision of accessible gaming for all

MUP Ep- 242 Arkham comes to Miskatonic w/ Bret Kramer

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 12:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph & Bridgett interview writer, editor, and all around awesome peoples Brett Kramer!

Due to the fact that we’re recording a lot later than usual (and Bridgett is going through severe nicotine withdrawal) we’re going to skip the Campus Crier. However, we would be remiss if we didn’t thank Ogdru Hem from the Discord for allowing us to use his music, Miskatonic Library, for the new intro bumper. You can find his work on YouTube, DTRPG, and BandCamp.

Campus Crier

Stay tuned next episode for more Campus Crier!

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

Today, I’d like to shout out listener and fan, Anthony Lee-Dudley and welcome home their newest black cat adoption, Ms. Fay. Anthony says, “we thought, we don’t have enough black cats… so they decided to adopt Ms Fay, too.” Welcome home, Ms Fay!

We also want to shout out fan and listener of the show, bdurfy. He’s currently recovering from a serious condition and we just want to let you know that we love you, brother, we appreciate your support, and we’re all rooting for you.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Jazmin Ospa

Hey– listen. Real talk. We appreciate our Patreon backers more than we can say… but we also recognize that we could do better about celebrating, supporting, and rewarding our backers. With that spirit in mind, the hosts are currently revamping our patreon tiers, backer rewards, and more! Current backers– check your inbox for a survey that is coming back soon. We’re rebuilding based on your preferences, because let’s face it, we’re only here because of you. Please, complete that survey and shoot it back over to us.

We’re still offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions! ALSO, we’re keep offering where Patreon backers will have an exclusive opportunity to play in games run by one of us co-hosts!

“It is our pleasure to announce that The Miskatonic University Podcast and The Old Ways Podcast are joining forces to bring a special series of Backer only games for their supporters in 2022!

In the coming months, a series of new stories will be told – all with the opportunity for both communities to engage and even join these recordings. We’re excited for this new partnership and for our supporters to join us in this new monthly series!

Beginning in February, Backers will hear a new actual play episode from one of many settings chosen by the two shows. These might feature new scenarios, homebrew content, and an array of guest cameos. We can’t wait for you to hear all the madness we have planned.”

And last, but certainly not least, Dave has approved Pateron Backers to gain access to the Bookhounds of San Francisco Game! Stay up to date on game scheduling in the Patreon Only Discord server. Drop by, laugh, cry, and join in on a thread of absolutely top shelf memes and gifs. “Look at the flowers, Owen. Just look at the flowers.”

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Main Topic — Bret Kramer

Sentinel Hill Press

MUP Ep 241 — Dead Pigeons Stuffed with Dynamite (A Host 2021 in Review)

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 10 Jan 2022 12:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph, Dave & Bridgett bid farewell to the good, bad, & ugly of 2021. We also discuss what we’re looking forward to in 2022!

Campus Crier

We forgot to mention it in the audio, but we need to thank Ogdru Hem from the Discord for allowing us to use his music, Miskatonic Library, for the new intro bumper. You can find his work on YouTube, DTRPG, and BandCamp.

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on December 30th, 2021.

Free League Publishing’s recent kickstarter, Vaesen RPG – Mythic Britain & Ireland, has wrapped up! In this expansion to Vaesen, a game about Nordic Horror Roleplaying, players face the mythic creatures of Britain and Ireland. Unsurprisingly, this kickstarter funded in under 6 minutes, and wrapped up with just under 8,000 backers.

Chaosium has sold enough tickets to ensure that the inaugural Chaosium Con is for sure happening!!!! April 8th and 9th, Chaosium will be hosting an in person convention in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Guys, this isn’t something that you’ll not want to miss. We’re talking seminars with Mike Mason, Lynne Hardy, Jeff Richard, Jason Durall, David Larkins. They have non stop gaming rooms, VIP gaming sessions with some of the heaviest hitting folk at Chaosium, an auction, LARPs, and more. This is going to be a blast, and I’d love to see you guys there if you can make it!

Speaking of conventions, Necronomicon pushed back badge sales for their 2022 show in Providence, Rhode Island. Advance badges to previous gold ticket holders have already gone out, and general tickets go on sale January 10, 2022. Keepers Dave, Bridgett, and Murph will be attending, along with friend of the show and previous guest, Michael Diamond. Definitely consider attending– it’ll be a good time.

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

Today, I’d like to shout out our own Keeper Murph’s baby, Lulu. Check out the Discord to see some of the biggest beggy eyes and the cutest cuddle selfies with Lulu and Murph!

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions! ALSO, we just kicked off a new offering where Patreon backers will have an exclusive opportunity to play in games run by one of us co-hosts!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Main Topic — The Hosts Unpack 2021

Send us your questions, feedback and topic ideas – or join a discussion! Tell us who you are and give us a hearty “Go Pods” for our home team, the Fightin’ Cephalopods!

Find all the links you need to keep in touch – at mu-podcast.com, or on the Discord channel ep-241. And please back us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/mup

Thank you for joining us for another episode. Class is dismissed!

MUP December 2021 Flash Update

Dave Sokolowski — Mon, 27 Dec 2021 12:00:00 +0000

No episode this week – RL has taken over and we needed a quick break. Next episode will be on schedule!

Also – THANK YOU for everyone who voted in Morrus’ Unofficial Tabletop RPG Best Talk Podcast of 2021… We won! Your love and support is incredibly important to us, and this award shows us that we are all one community.

Thank you so much to all our listeners and Patreon backers!

MUP Ep 240 — Philosophy of Horror with Cody Goodfellow

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 13 Dec 2021 12:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Dave and Bridgett interview writer, editor, actor, and longtime friend of the show, Cody Goodfellow!

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on December 2nd, 2021. December y’all. De-cem-ber.

Chaosium is currently working with EDGE to release an English translation of @alexdelaIglesia

‘s ‘La Broma Macabra’ in 2022. As well as being a long-time devoted Call of Cthulhu fan, Álex de la Iglesia is the acclaimed Spanish film director, screenwriter and producer, whose series 30 Monetas (“30 Coins”) recently featured on HBO in the United States.

HPL: Nyarlathotep Rising is a narrative game that will be released on PC and Mac. It follows the adventures of three protagonists in late 1929, just before the Wall Street Crash, as occult forces are at work to bring our planet under the dominion of the cosmic terror of dread Nyarlathotep. The game is intended for those who enjoy the atmosphere and horror of H.P Lovecraft novels, those nostalgic for Steve Jackson’s ‘Fighting Fantasy’ or the ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ books, and for lovers of narrative games that allow you to dive into multiple stories and histories.

It’s on Kickstarter right now, with about $6k of the requested $28k funded. We wish them luck.

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

Special shout out to Molly, the puppy with booties of snow! Listener and fan, BrokenShepherd shared a cute picture of Molly with snow covered paws! Join the Discord and drop those pet pics! Many thanks, BrokenShepherd, for being such an active and supportive member of the community. We see you, and we really appreciate you.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Sean for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Greg Fetzer

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!! I’ll try to remember to post in the general server, but definitely be watching all of these TeePublic holiday sales!

Main Topic

Cody Goodfellow

Let’s go back to ostensibly the start. I want to talk about Secrets of San Francisco because I’m running a Bookhounds of SF game and I’ve used your book multiple times. When you look back at that book – what is your perspective on its legacy? Either for yourself as author, or in the line of CoC books? Both?

Talk about New Maps of Dreams – where does the interest for Dreamlands come from? It seems like a rarely discussed or written-about sub-genre, but one that seems to be hard to fill successfully. How does this book add to the Dreamlands mythos?

Talk about your involvement with Skin Crawl magazine

Forbidden Futures

Finally, tell us about your new book The Flying None.

Cody – where can people find you?

https://www.codygoodfellow.com/

MUP Ep 239 – “It’s called range, Bridgett” with London Carlisle

Dave Sokolowski — Mon, 29 Nov 2021 12:00:00 +0000

Hello, and welcome to the Miskatonic University Podcast, Episode 239! This is the podcast dedicated to weird and horrific role-playing games. I’m Keeper Bridgett.

And I’m Keeper Murph. Tonight Bridgett and I are super excited to welcome London Carlisle to the show!

Bridget has a fan-girl crush moment…

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on November 18, 2021.

The creators of Mork Borg has launched a kickstarter for their new cyber-punk game using the same system called Cy_Borg. They have about $350k at the time of writing and are blowing through stretch goals.

Just when you thought Weird Tales was gone for good they are back! And this time it seems they might actually be able to stick around! Blackstone Publishing has entered into an agreement with the classic horror and pulp magazine to produce 50 books over five years with the Weird Tales Presents brand. The first offering is supposed to be released fall of ‘22. And they plan on a special release in 2023 for the 100 year anniversary of Weird Tales.

By the time this episode drops the latest kickstarter from Free League will be available. Vaesen: Mythic Britain and Ireland is a companion setting book for the weird horror RPG that came out in 2020.

Discord

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

Special shout out to Emma, dog of Evan Perlman. She’s featured in the petpic channel hanging out with Evan’s daughter princess dresses. Evan states, and I quote, “because she is a pretty pretty princess, damnit.”

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Dave for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions! ALSO, we just kicked off a new offering where Pateron backers will have an exclusive opportunity to play in games run by one of us co-hosts!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Chris Hall ran For the Queen — beautiful art cards — simple story creation — need to pick it up and carry around with me for cons, down time, etc

Y’all of Cthulhu Season 2 Recordings with Ain’t Slayed Nobody

Main Topic

London Carlisle can be found here: https://www.londoncarlisle.com/

Okay, so I have ALL the questions, but we only have like an hour… so before I delve into all of your awesome projects, can we please talk about how ridiculously awesome you are? You’re trained in the katana?!

Okay– these dialects though? Can we get a sampling? I have a thing for dialects!

Okay, talk to us about all of these podcasts and actual plays that you’re on! It’s a really impressive resume!

What’s your favorite genre of RPGs and why is it horror? Same vein, you do television, film, gaming, stage… what’s your happy place and why?

The Ending

Send us your questions, feedback and topic ideas – or join a discussion! Tell us who you are and give us a hearty “Go Pods” for our home team, the Fightin’ Cephalopods!

Find all the links you need to keep in touch – at mu-podcast.com, or on the Discord channel ep-239. And please back us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/mup

Thank you for joining us for another episode. Class is dismissed!

MUP Ep 238 — Sean McCoy, Mothership, and Spaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaace Madnessssssssssssssssss!

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 15 Nov 2021 12:30:00 +0000

This Episode, Keepers Murph & Dave interview Sean McCoy from Tuesday Knight Games about the uber-successful Mothership Kickstarter.

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on November 4th, 2021.

The big news so far as this episode is concerned at least is the massively successful Mothership Kickstarter which as of recording has over $700k in funding, and 7600+ backers! Murph, Dave, and Bridgett are backers and fans of the game and are super excited to see it do so unexpectedly well!

Paul Baldowski has another KS running just weeks after the last one delivered, Cthulhu Hack 2E has funded and is making Stretch Goals with $23k in funding so far with 24 days to go. (Murph has backed it!)

In a case of “why not see if there’s an update right before you record,” Paizo voluntarily recognized the new union of United Paizo Workers and announced it… while we were recording episode 237! So congratulations to UPW and we wish continued success in making working conditions fair and healthy for all RPG creators.

Cults of Cthulhu is out from Chaosium. This is the collection of scenarios by Chris Lackey and Mike Mason centering around the… well cults of the mythos. It is 368 pages long!

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

Last week Discord user BrokenShepherd found a lost and despondent dog without a collar, which they then were able to reconnect them with their owner – a similarly despondent and panicked human. Now that’s how it’s done! Wonderful work BrokenShepherd!

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

We want to thank our newest backer Curtis Dozier! Thanks, Curits!

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions! ALSO, we just kicked off a new offering where Pateron backers will have an exclusive opportunity to play in games run by one of us co-hosts!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

A single CoC session with Adam and Ambermancer from the Discord.

Main Topic

Sean and Tuesday Night Games
Kickstarter expectations and where you’re at – have you planned for anywhere near this success?
What does this say about your fanbase over the past few years?
Questions
- Talk about the niche you feel Mothership is filling. Clearly people are responding well and with great interest. What is the core of that interest?
- Talk about the recent Critical Role play of Mothership/Alien and how that affected both the hobby and your KS
- Talk about fulfillment logistics and the bonkers shipping quandary today

MUP Ep 237 – Of Teens and Terror

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph and Dave discuss building an age-appropriate horror campaign for teenagers. Which is in and of itself scary. So, how do you keep the terror in teen horror? Find out!

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on October 21, 2021.

This week we are most excited about the Kickstarter for Survival of the Able: Back from the Dead, an RPG about people with disabilities working together to overcome a zombie plague. It looks to do a great job of representation for the disabled community, is about zombies, and looks like a lot of fun! We’ve both backed it.

We have a couple news items regarding Chaosium. First is the announcement for their new Cults of Cthulhu book that will appear in PDF this Halloween, with a print version to appear later.

Not only that, but they’ve opened orders for the 40th Anniversary limited edition of the 7th Edition rulebook.

And finally in the ongoing saga of perpetually underpaid and overworked RPG artists, 35 workers at Paizo, publisher of Pathfinder and Starfinder, have created a union. There was a great story recently from Wired detailing the pretty terrible pay and working conditions for RPG creators as a whole. It’s definitely worth a read for anyone interested in our ongoing struggle with paying people living wages.

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

And from Bridgett, she wants to call out Roxie (the cat) of UndeadDomain

During my wedding we had a drink in honor of Roxie, who had to stay home cause the venue doesn’t allow pets ( I didn’t expect anything otherwise). We called it Roxie on the Rocks. Gin, Sweet & Sour, and Club Soda

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

Main Topic

Keeper Dave asks for advice on how to run age appropriate horror for a teen audience!

MUP Ep 236 – John Haremza & COREThulhu

keepermurph — Mon, 18 Oct 2021 11:00:00 +0000

This episode Keepers Bridgett & Murph speak with John Haremza of the Legends of Tabletop podcast and the new CoreThulhu RPG. Well, Bridgett tries to speak. Laryngitis, y’know?

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on October 06, 2021.

PAX Unplugged is coming back in December to Philadelphia and you will need a mask and full vaccination in order to attend. This is following a trend that other conventions, such as UK Games EXPO & ESSEN Spiel, have put into place for public safety. GenCON & Origins continued with only a mask mandate in place but no proof of vaccination or a negative test.

Chaosium has acquired Dhole’s House this week, the popular online character creation tool for Call of Cthulhu. And it has hired the former owner and site creator, Lee Carnell, as an in-house software developer.

In case you are not aware, The Calyx has started again and our very own Bridgett Jefferies is again on the cast! Becca Scott is the Keeper with Gina DeVivo, Paula Deeming, and Bridgett as investigators.

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

Special shout out to Mike, who returned home from Origins to find that his son had befriended a Wookie. Seriously, it’s a dog in a Wookie costume and his newborn baby. It’s SUPER cute.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Sean for editing this episode.

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions! ALSO, we just kicked off a new offering where Pateron backers will have an exclusive opportunity to play in games run by one of us co-hosts!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!! I rocked my MUP shirt at Origins and it was quite a delight and a privilege.

Main Topic

John Haremza from Legends of Tabletop

CORE Micro
COREThulhu
Link to their Discord

MUP Ep 235 – An Odd Talk with Chris McDowall

keepermurph — Mon, 04 Oct 2021 11:00:00 +0000

This episode Keepers Bridgett, Dave & Murph speak with Chris McDowall the author of Into the Odd & Electric Bastionland.

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on September 23, 2021.

The Ennies just wrapped up their awards for 2021, and a huge congratulations to all of the nominees winners. We’d like to send a special congratulations to Andrew Gaska and everyone at FLP for three ENnie Awards for their Alien: The RPG campaign, Destroyer of Worlds. Horror games really made a statement this year with awards and recognition going to Mork Borg, Vaesen, and even the Miskatonic Repository. Congratulations, Allan Carrey, for your silver on Hand of Glory

The Council of Shoggoths is proud to announce that all events for Friday and Sunday have sold out for Miskatonic Repository Con! The participation and support has been incredible, guys, and we really appreciate it. Check out the show notes for the link to sign up for Saturday events, join in on a panel, or just come hang out with some Call of Cthulhu creators! Reminder, the convention is going to be held, online, October 15-17th.

Free League just announced their plans to publish the Blade Runner RPG and my wallet just imploded. Enough with the amazing IP, art, design, game mechanics and just all around fantastic game experiences!

In celebration of their 40th Anniversary, Chaosium recently released their Call of Cthulhu 40th Anniversary Keeper Rulebook. This limited edition release features a new black and red leatherette cover and dust jacket design. Additional material includes personal accounts by some of the early creators and contributors to the game and the re-inclusion of the classic scenario ‘The Haunting.” Advance copies sold out at GenCon and it looks like they’ll be arriving at Origins Game Fair as well! The official release date is October 2021.

Bridgett is stoked to be joining the main cast of Ain’t Slayed Nobody’s podcast for Y’all of Cthulhu Season Two. This is a custom Call of Cthulhu 7e campaign in the Down Darker Trails setting. She’s playing an acrobat named Noni. The show just wrapped Season One and Season Two will start in early 2022. Subscribe to Ain’t Slayed Nobody on your favorite podcast app.

And finally, writer and publisher of Electric Bastionland, Chris McDowall, has teamed up with Free League to reprint and update the original rule set Into the Odd in a new Kickstarter that has already blown through most/all of its stretch goals since it launched earlier this week. Fortunately we have Mr McDowall with us tonight to talk about the kickstarter. Chris?

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

Special shout out to fan of the show, Rina, and their cat Garak, who naps in positions that still make my lower back ache. Good luck with the move, Rina and Garak!

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Max for editing this episode.

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions! ALSO, we just kicked off a new offering in September where Pateron backers will have an exclusive opportunity to play in games run by one of us co-hosts!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store! Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Main Topic

Chris McDowall

Into The Odd Remastered Kicstarter

Pateron Questions:

From Diesel: what are your thoughts on the evolution of the OSR, from the retroclones to the games we see being produced today. What was it that pulled him into that scene, why does he think it evolved like that, and where does he think it’s going next?

iPwnedMSCS — In your contribution to Knock! Issue 2, how one would use the horror cheap trick “cut off mid-sentence”. Using the example from the article of “The wardrobe is covered in cobwebs. You slowly crack it open and feel the air get cold around you. You smell rotten wood and see…” do you eventually finish the sentence after letting it hang for a couple beats or do you do something else with it?

Also – what’s next for you after this kickstarter?

Where can people get in touch with you?

BastionLand.com

MUP Ep 234 – The Hosts of Horror

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 20 Sep 2021 11:00:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph, Dave, & Bridgett discuss the definition of horror, what type of horror appeals to us… and then we kinda started rambling about our most influential or memorable horror films and novels. Get your pens ready!

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on September 13, 2021.

The Miskatonic Repository Con is shaping up beautifully! At the time of recording, there are over 37 events listed and 3 panels with some of the heaviest hitting and insightful professionals in the industry to include Mike Mason, Lynne Hardy, Oscar Rios, Sean Branney, Helen Gould, Michael Fryda, all of your friendly neighborhood Chaosium Community Ambassadors, and more! You can check out the facebook page or we’ll include the Table Top Events scheduler in the show notes! GM Submissions will have ended by the time of release, but Player Sign Ups start on September 17th!

Free League Publishing released award-winning RPGs Vaesen – Nordic Horror Roleplaying and Symbaroum on Foundry VTT. All the released game modules on Foundry are fully integrated with the VTT platform with online maps and diagrams, player handouts ready to share, and more.

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

A special shout out to Porgy, the gorgeous border collie of one of our new Discord followers, OberonViking.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Kevin West (No relation)

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

We also have a new offering for our Patreon backers, starting tomorrow! Come game with the hosts!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Main Topic — What Does Horror Mean To You?

MUP Ep 233 – The Many Projects of Alison Cybe

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 06 Sep 2021 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Dave & Bridgett interview award nominated fantasy and horror author, freelance RPG Writer, and all around rockstar, Alison Cybe!

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 29, 2021.

Keeper Dave is very proud to announce the arrival of Apocthulhu Part 2, Terrible New Worlds. If you remember way back in episode 205 (which was August 2020 in forever-ago times), we interviewed Dean Englehart and Jo Kriel about their massive Apcothulhu project. Well, now the second book has arrived, which includes a scenario by yours truly. Do we want to talk about the editing process and how good editors (like Dean and Jo) can turn a pretty good idea into a great scenario?

In what feels like a Herbert West style reanimation, Chaosium has acquired the entire Cubicle 7 Call of Cthulhu line, including Cthulhu Britannica and World War Cthulhu. This even includes the rarer Cold War materials, that our own Keeper Chad contributed to. The line is highly regarded and is sure to fill out Chaosium’s already growing line of materials – how quickly they’ll get it to shelves is yet to be determined.

Hasbro has unveiled their own rpg system for their newly licensed materials, which include GI Joe, Transformers, and Power Rangers. This rpg line is not part of WotC, and uses its own new Essence20 system as mechanics. As an aging Gen Xer who watched a LOT of GI Joe and Transformers, (and who doesn’t like using 5e for non-fantasy games) I have to say that I am mildly intrigued.

Kickstarter news: The Delta Green reboot of their original materials is well funded and sitting around $350k as of time of recording. Much like Chaosium reprinting their older materials that fetch extreme prices on the secondary market, Arc Dream is republishing their original book and other 90s materials, updated to their new Delta Green system. The Kickstarter ends on Sept 10th, I believe, and so there is still plenty of time to get in on the action.

Friend of the show, fellow Call of Cthulhu and all around great guy Bill Adcock has… a sister, who also is an rpg writer. Nice family! Anyway, she is running a kickstarter based on labor rights in the coal industry called The Price of Coal.

Finally, the most successful RPG kickstarter of all time will be done by the time this episode airs, but whew! The Avatar RPG has crossed $7.5m. Here’s to our industry’s breakthrough.

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.
-0- Updated August 29 by Dave -0-

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Andy Miles

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

MUP Ep 232 – Heinous Cainous and the Peckerus

keepermurph — Mon, 23 Aug 2021 11:00:00 +0000

This episode Keepers Bridgett & Murph combine forces while visiting the Beastiary to create a brand new monster from scratch!

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

I want to personally congratulate each of the Alumni of the Storytelling Collective’s Write Your First Adventure Workshop last month. The market has been flooded with over 50+ titles on the MR, Chaosium’s Community Creator Content hub. Ya’ll, I’m so proud of each and every one of you. These scenarios look amazing, the cover arts are BOSS, the Miskatonic Repository Creator’s Circle is buzzing, you’re being featured in Chaosium newsletters, and you’re making your first sales. I’m just– I’m just so proud of you guys. Congrats! Head over to the Miskatonic Repository and make someone’s day by checking out their newest creations!

Annnd speaking of the Miskatonic Repository, Miskatonic Repository Con GM Signups just opened up! This virtual con will be hosted October 15th – October 17th. We have 3 awesome panels and over 16 events already submitted! So, come play some 7th Edition Call of Cthulhu with us! A link to the TTE will be in the show notes… and you can email MisktatonicRepositoryCon@gmail.com to get in touch!

Innsmouth The Missing Child: A Gamebook is a choose your own adventure styled solo game book where you are an investigator brought in to find the whereabouts of a missing child amongst the odd and terrible inhabitants of Innsmouth. It has funded with $23k of a $1300 goal and still has 23 days left at the time of recording. The art looks sparse, but that’s what I would expect from a product of this type. You can get a PDF for as little as $9 and a physical starting at $17. Overall it looks pretty neat, and I’m trying to not back it.

Free League has another Kickstarter out for two new products in their Forbidden Lands line, this time a bestiary of sorts called Forbidden Lands: Book of Beasts and a campaign called The Blood March. As we have come to expect from Free League, the art on display is absolutely gorgeous. And this seems to be a no brainer for any fan of the weird fantasy setting. You can get a pdf of both books for $35 or either individual book in print for $35. If you want both in print it will cost you $69. The project has already funded with $285k of a $12k goal, and will have another three days left at the time of this release.

Good friend of the show and proprietor of The Old Ways Podcast, Mike Diamond, has officially announced a third campaign for their excellent live play series, but this time with a twist! They are currently accepting GM pitches for a new campaign run by a new Storyteller. So if you have a campaign in mind and have it well thought out put in your submission at the link in the show notes. You can also find Mike on our own Discord, where he is a mod, or over at The Old Ones Discord, or you can just email him at theoldwayspodcast@gmail.com

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

A big birthday shout out to Zelda, the pup of patreon backer, Al Smith, who if you’re lucky enough to get a seat at this table, she’ll probably make an appearance. Also, good luck to the kitties, Spaghetti and Meatball, who are currently in foster care with one of our awesome listeners.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

During the episode I mentioned the Shit Demon that I created for an Extra Life game at Necronomicon in 2017. Here is the basic write-up for that done at the time. It isn’t perfect, but it is here.

Patreon Backers have exclusive access to Murph’s write-up of Peckerus, Lord of Dogs in the Patreon feed!

Murph’s Giant Shit Weasel Download

MUP Ep 231 — Two Days Without Coffee w/ Jared Smith

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 09 Aug 2021 11:00:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph, Dave, & Bridgett interview multi-best selling editor and author, Jared Smith, of the Bayt Al Azif: A Magazine for Cthulhu Mythos Roleplaying Games. Tune is as Jared explains the origins story of his unique magazine title, talks about how he commissions covers, content, and more!

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 2, 2021.

UK Games Expo is done and they’ve had a couple winners of interest. First, the Dee Sanction won the Judges’ Award at @UKGamesExpo for Best Role Playing Game! That’s a fantastic win for Paul and his company, so many congratulations for them!

Aaaaand, both Vaesen and Alien Destroyer of Worlds won for Best RPG and Best RPG Adventure, respectively. Another fantastic win for Free League Games at UK Games Expo.

The “A Weekend With Good Friends” virtual gaming convention is being held on The Good Friends of Jackson Elias Discord server and will take place the 20th-22nd of August 2021. With international participants, they’ll have games running around the clock. The main focus is CoC, however, other games are welcome! I’ve seen some Kult, Alien RPG, and more! GM Signs ups open as of the date of recording, and game sign ups occur on 8/6. It’s a well organized con and quite a bit of fun. Definitely check them out!

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

Seriously. Share those pet pics! BTW– The MUP Community is happy to wish a Happy Belated Gottcha Day to the super cool kitty, Roxie!

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Erik Choy

R. Thomas Thetford

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! We rolled this out and some of our best questions for Lynne from Chaosium were Patreon inquiries! So, back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store! HOT TIP! They’re on sale for 35% OFF for the next 3 days!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Main Topic

Interview with Jared Smith of Bayt Al Azif !

Congratulations on…

Issue 1- Gold

Issue 2 – Gold

Issue 3 – Electrum

Listen to find out when Issue 4 drops, how Jared named his magazine, how you can submit a scenario, how you can hire Jared for editing/proofreading, and more!

MUP Ep 230 — Suggestive Equations with Lynne Hardy

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 26 Jul 2021 11:30:00 +0000

This episode, Keepers Murph & Bridgett sat down with Dr. Lynne Hardy of Chaosium!!! Lynne talked us through Children of Fear, gave us a teaser on Rivers of London, discussed how big publishers handle play testing, answered direct questions from our Patreon Backers, and more!

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on July 11, 2021.

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of CoC, Chaosium is re-issuing a remastered version of this original box set (via Kickstarter) along with several of its first supplements. It funded in under 10 minutes. This 2” box includes the CoC Rulebook, a sourcebook for the 1920’s, a world map, character sheets and more! Backers are plowing through the stretch goals! Unlocked so far are:

In very related news, HPLHS is going to be creating a deluxe prop Set Box to go with the release.

Monte Cook Games announced Stealing Stories for the Devil, a fast-paced tabletop roleplaying game in which you save existence by bending reality to carry out the perfect heist. You play master thieves from the future. Stealing Stories for the Devil can be played by episode or campaign, and promises to digs into the reasons behind the decay of reality. This kickstarter isn’t live yet, but you can sign up to be notified at montecookgames.com

And just to let everyone know, it looks like the ENnie nominations have been pushed back to August 13th now. So we all have to wait another month to see if a certain podcast you know of will be shortlisted again.

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

A special shout out to MUP’s special girl, Phryne (fry-knee).

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Edwin for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Michael Daumen

Exciting news! We’re going to start offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! That’s right! Would you like to know who is on the line up before an episode lands? Would you like an opportunity to post questions, thoughts, and topics to be sure that we cover with the guest? Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Main Topic

Interview with Lynne Hardy

Questions

Pateron Backer Al Smith: Can you talk us through the playtesting process with games like CoF and RoL?

Another Pateron backer wanted to verify… How long would it take to run the entire campaign?

Children of Fear is said to have a flexible plot to allow investigators to determine the journey that they take. Was that challenging to write (lol), surrendering that degree of control?

…and more!

Thank you, Lynne, for joining us!

MUP Ep 229 — Elven Orgy Candles

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

This Episode, Keepers Murph, Dave, & Bridgett allegedly discuss writing scenarios… and when to know when they’re complete. We were derailed by Elven Orgy Candles. It’s kinda hard to explain. Listen at your on risk. Oh, and definitely stay afterwards and listen to some of the outtakes.

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on June 28, 2021.

Creators! Awesome news. Chaosium recently joined forces with the Storytelling Collective’s RPG Writer Workshop. The Call of Cthulhu path of the program has been designed by award-winning RPG designer Paul Fricker, co-author of Call of Cthulhu 7th edition. Sign up, today!

TSR Games is back, but it isn’t TSR Games, and it isn’t TSR, Inc., And it isn’t even the TSR from way back when. It’s all a bit petty and strange and offensive, but if you want, you can read about it over at ENWorld.

Goodman Games is running a Kickstarter for Jack Vance’s seminal fantasy series The Dying Earth for their own Dungeon Crawl Classic RPG. This is an old school boxset that has been licensed by the Vance Estate and will include new Classes, spells, new monsters, & six new adventure modules. As of recording it is funded with 23 days left and has $170k towards their $20k goal. It is $50 for the boxset alone, or $110 for the boxset with the 6 adventure modules, which is a bit strange but they must be pretty hefty.

If you have been looking at getting into Pelgrane Press’s excellent King in Yellow RPG then now is the time! A new Bundle of Holding has been released that will get you the Core Book and some music for $18. But for $28 you get The corebook, music, The Absinthe in Carcosa campaign, The Annotated King in Yellow (which is really quite nice), The Missing and the Lost, and the fiction compilation The New Tales of the Yellow Sign.

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pic fans. A special shout out to Apache! This poor pup recently suffered from hip issues, but after much rest and lovings, recent photos and updates have shown that the baby is doing much better! So, join the Discord. Post your pet photos, sign up for a game, or connect with us there!

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you very much to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Main Topic — When to Know When Your Scenario is Finished

…And Elven Orgy Candles.

We want to hear from you!

By email: mup.feedback@gmail.com

By Twitter: @MU_Podcast

Discord server invite link https://discord.gg/up4hRX

MUP Ep 228 — Left Unsupervised

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 28 Jun 2021 15:12:49 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

This episode, Keepers Dave and Bridgett were left unsupervised while Keeper Murph took some well deserved time off with his family. So, uh… listen at your own risk as the Keepers discuss Playtesting!

That’s right… why you should do it, what to look for, finding the “heart” of the scenario, and what do to with conflicting feedback. Good luck. As they say, while the cat’s away… the Mi-Go will play…

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on June 17, 2021.

Chaosium’s new hardcover campaign for Call of Cthulhu, The Children of Fear, was released in hardcover this week. Children of Fear was written by Lynne Hardy and clocks in at a whopping 416 pages. This massive campaign centers the story on Asia, and explores myths and legends of Central Asia and Northern India. You can find all sorts of goodies on the Chaosium website, including maps, pre-gens, and other clues. The hardcover book retails for $52.99 and of course, if you buy from Chaosium directly you get the PDF instantly with your purchase.

The Dying Earth setting for DCC, based on the Jack Vance stories and a patient zero influence for Gygax’s D&D, should be going live on Kickstarter at the end of June, links in the show notes.

We in the Council of Shoggoths are proud to announce that MiskatonicRepositoryCon will return this year, as a three-day virtual convention running Friday through Sunday, Oct. 15, 16, and 17.

And let’s not forget our friends and partners over at the Good Friends of Jackson Elias are hosting another virtual con. The next Weekend With Good Friends will run from the 20th to the 22nd of August 2021, on their discord server.

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pic fans. A special shout out to the MUP’s cutest rats, Yoshi and Specter! Last I checked, they were watching Lost Boys with their Mommy! Seriously. Join the Discord. It’s a blast over there.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you very much to Sean for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Three new backers!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Main Topic — Playtesting!!!!

Discussions Points for Playtesting

What do you do with contradictory feedback?
What do you look for in a playtest?
Who is your target audience?
What type of attitude should you have when conducting a playtest?
Suggestions on how to conduct your playtests!
How to show gratitude to your playtesters.

We want to hear from you!

By email: mup.feedback@gmail.com

By Twitter: @MU_Podcast

Discord server invite link https://discord.gg/up4hRX

MUP Ep 227 – Gaska’s Aliens

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 14 Jun 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

Today the MUP Keepers talk with Andrew Gaska, lead writer on the Alien and Terminator RPG!

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on May 27, 2021.

There is a new Kickstarter for a very cool OSR sourcebook called the Knock, issue 2. It’s 224 pages of old school art, rules, tables, classes, maps, and just a whole smorgasbord of OSR RPG goodness. It’s very well funded as of today, and still has 28 days left, so you want to pick this up if you’re into old school role-playing.

Miskatonic Repository Con will be returning this year. Watch their Facebook for announcements on dates, panels, guests, sign-ups, and lots more on their Facebook page! This convention premiered last year and focuses on creator made content for the M.R. So if you’re a creator, or looking to be a creator, or are just interested in some great Call of Cthulhu, definitely follow their page. As one of the organizers, ping Keeper Bridgett on Discord or Facebook and she’ll be happy to answer any questions!

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias have announced the dates for their next online convention, “A Weekend With Good Friends.” The con will be August 20-22 with GM Signups July 31 to August 5th; Player Signups are from August 6th to the 13th. You can find more details on their Discord server!

Free League released the long-awaited pdf for the Colonial Marines Operations Manual. You can pre-order the book and get the PDF now, though the PDF is not available for stand-alone purchase at this time.

Our own former host and both Friends of the show Jon Hook and Seth Skorkowsky have a new podcast, Modern Mythos, with three episodes already available! I’m not sure what their release schedule will be moving forward, but definitely go check them out. We have a link, as always, in the show notes.

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pic fans. A special shout out to the master of cute jowls, the bloodhound Ernest!

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Max for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Two new backers!

James Winfield

Zachery Bir

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Main Topic

Interview with Andrew Gaska.

Andrew Gaska has been a freelance franchise consultant to 20th Century Fox for the past three years, writing series reference bibles, maintaining continuity, streamlining in-universe canon, and creating detailed timelines for the legacy franchises Alien, Predator, and Planet of the Apes. He served as a visual consultant to Rockstar Games for seventeen years on the Grand Theft Auto series, Red Dead Revolver, and all other releases.

He also has extensive graphic novel and creative consulting credits. Aaaand he is the lead writer for the upcoming Terminator RPG and, of course, the Alien RPG and all of its scenarios and sourcebooks. And Yesterday was Andrew’s birthday!

Blog: https://roguereviewer.wordpress.com/

Licensing Expo in Las Vegas

Alien RPG by Free League Facebook Group

We want to hear from you!

By email: mup.feedback@gmail.com

By Twitter: @MU_Podcast

Discord server invite link https://discord.gg/up4hRX

MUP Ep 226 – Interview with Becca Scott

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 31 May 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

This Episode Keepers Murph, Dave, and Bridgett sit down with fellow podcaster and all around rockstar, Becca Scott, to discuss Call of Cthulhu, The Calyx, working as an actress in Los Angeles, GM Burnout, and more!

NO Campus Crier

With an episode this energetic and thoughtful, the Keepers have decided to skip the Campus Crier! Stay tuned next episode for the next Campus Crier.

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pic fans.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Edwin for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks so much for backing the show!!

Main Topic

Interview with Becca Scott!

Tonight we have a special guest, a woman that hardly needs an introduction. She is an actor, a podcaster, she was Sophie Gray in South Park… but most importantly for us, she is the Producer and sometimes GM of The Calyx Call of Cthulhu live play from Good Time Society on Youtube. It’s Becca Scott! Welcome Becca!

Good Times Society on Twitter and YouTube Good Time Society

The Calyx – Call of Cthulhu RPG Anthology Series on You Tube

All of her links here: @goodtimesociety

We want to hear from you!

By email: mup.feedback@gmail.com

By Twitter: @MU_Podcast

Discord server invite link https://discord.gg/up4hRX

MUP Ep 225 – Sanctioning the Hack w/ Paul Baldowski

Bridgett Jeffries — Mon, 17 May 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

This Episode Keepers Bridgett, Murph and Dave sit down with friend of the show and fellow podcaster Paul Baldowski to discuss The Dee Sanction and Cthulhu Hack.

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on May 10, 2021.

Deadline reports that handsome master of flies and chaos theory Jeff Goldblum will be joining the D&D podcast Dark Dice. Why can’t we get him as our fourth host?

Friends of the show Dean Englehart and Jo Kreil’s Apocthulhu book, featuring a great scenario by other friend of the show Chad Bowser, have released Chad’s scenario Amber Waves on Roll20 for a pittance! A pittance I say! $4.99 for the entire scenario, including all the text, background, maps, and pre-gens. Really this is a steal. Fellow gamer Adam has run this a few times and it’s a fantastic world that could easily move beyond just this scenario, and this price is a steal for it.

Gosh, there was something else that happened in the world of Call of Cthulhu gaming this last week… What was it… oh yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

The Discord Plug

Dave – We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of Call of Cthulhu and horror gaming fans.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Thank you backers! We have three new Backers we need to mention!

I am Tigers – which is possibly the best Patreon handle ever
Dj Shadow Penguin
Keeper Doc

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks so much for backing the show!!

Main Topic

Interview with Paul Baldowski, author of The Dee Sanction and The Cthulhu Hack

MUP Ep 224 – Diamond Campaigns 101

keepermurph — Mon, 03 May 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

Campus Crier

First things first. You might think that we have two guests on the show, but you would be mistaken! Bridgett Jefferies has agreed to co-host MUP with us on a trial basis to see how she likes it! So let’s give her a heart welcome!

New Comet Games has released their latest Kickstarter, Corsairs of Cthulhu! It’s pirates versus tentacles on the high seas! As of the time of recording they have completely funded with more than 28 days left on the campaign. So to Ben Burns and the crew over at New Comet Games. Congratulations!

Friend of the show and all around brilliant artist Pat Long, aka SpiderQueenLong as she’s known on our Discord server, is one of the creative people behind “ChangedStars a Feminist Scifi roleplaying game set in a more hopeful future with some serious hurdles still ahead.” The Kickstarter went live, or will go live, on the 27th of April. If you haven’t seen Pat’s amazing inked art then you are in for a treat, it bleeds classic sci-fi. You can pick up a PDF of the game for $15 and $40 will get you a hardback. As always we have links and in this instance, art in the show notes.

The Shadow of Cthulhu is an art Kickstarter that is from Bryan Fyffe, an all around amazing artist, that is a friend of Former Keeper Jon and is a Disney artist. His campaign has a plethora of small and large art pieces of varying medium, from paper, to sculpture, to framed prints. The campaign has already been funded.

Another Kickstarter that has already funded but that you might be interested in is The Bleakness. Billed as an “… uniquely immersive horror experience. Players assume the role of pilgrims, struggling to survive on an ancient road fraught with danger and mysteries. The Bleakness is a system, campaign setting, and detailed adventure arc bound in one text [with] gritty survival mechanics and the threat of the unknown [to] create a high-tension game like no other.

There is still 1 day left on the Academies of the Arcane Troika! Kickstarter from Melsonian Arts Council. The book “is a comprehensive toolkit—it will work as well with any game where you might need magical schools, students possessing horrifying cosmic powers, and manipulative and petty faculty members.” I’ve backed this, because Troika!, and I think it might be an interesting drop-in to combine with the PowerWord zine that should be coming soon and some of the other little indie rpgs that I have, like Dee Sanction.

Cthulhu in the Deep South is a shifting POV historical fiction podcast series that starts in the Antebellum South and continues through the Civil War and into Reconstruction. They’ve just launched Book 5 which is about a carpetbagger getting mixed up in some cosmic horror. Our own Keeper Murph will be a guest on their interview feed on the 1st, but no idea when that will actually drop as of this recording, since it is in the future, but we are in the past. Timeslip problems…

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of Call of Cthulhu and horror gaming fans.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Thank you backers!

We have two new Backers that we need to mention!

Arjen Poutsma

Al Smith! Al is a phenomenal person and an incredible GM. He’s in a bunch of horror communities and runs games often. So, if you see him running games, you won’t be disappointed to sit at his table.

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks so much for backing the show!!

Main Topic

Running Long Campaigns and podcasting

Diversity and Belonging at the RPG table and podcast

MUP Ep 223 – At the Livestock Fair w/ Bridgett Jefferies

keepermurph — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on April 12, 2021.

Chaosium has just re-released two of their most famous campaigns in brand new hard covers. Beyond the Mountains of Madness and Horror on the Orient Express are both now available from the Chaosium website. Both campaigns have a new layout in the easier to read two-column format, but have not been updated to 7th Ed. rules. We have links as always in the show notes.

https://www.chaosium.com/beyond-the-mountains-of-madness-hardcover/

https://www.chaosium.com/horror-on-the-orient-express-2-volume-set/

Dune the RPG is available for pre-order

https://www.modiphius.net/pages/discover-dune-roleplaying-game

1d4 Con is a one day virtual con for charity

Quick Information

https://tabletop.events/conventions/1d4con-2021-one-day-virtual-event/schedule#?query=

Card Catalog

This episode we have a card catalog that goes along with Keeper Dave’s imminent running of Bookhounds of San Francisco nee London, from Ibis on the Discord channel. It is an article about a gang of “acrobatic book thieves” that pulled off a series of daring heists, and how they were eventually captured by law enforcement officials from across Europe.

The parallels between this and any Tome-driven scenario, such as Bookhounds, is easy to see.

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of Call of Cthulhu and horror gaming fans.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Thank you backers!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks so much for backing the show!!

Main Topic

Bridgett and Carousel of Fears
Gnome Stew article
Symphony Entertainment

A symphony of horror…

MUP Ep. 222 Boschian Demons

keepermurph — Mon, 05 Apr 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on March 25th, 2021.

Modophius has rereleased Achtung! Cthulhu using their own in house 2d20 system. You can pick up the Player’s Guide for 30 pounds, and the Game Master’s Guide for 40 at their website.

Free League has released the fifth title in their Chronicle of the Throne of Thorns campaign called Alberetor: The Haunted Waste and will send players far to the south of Davokar and into the Lost Kingdoms of the South. You can preorder it from their website for $43, and as always we have links in the show notes.

Monte Cook has a new thing, and it’s… pretty fucking cool. The Darkest House is something totally different for online play. I’ve downloaded the demo and it’s… I’m not saying it’s a game changer, but it’s trying.

Discord

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of Call of Cthulhu and horror gaming fans.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Edwin for editing this episode.

Patreon

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Main Topic

This episode we decided to do another Bestiary, but at the behest of our guest, that we will meet momentarily, we decided to imagine a beast pulled from the works of Hieronymus Bosch!

So after a year and a half we finally found him living in a cave made of scrolls from Babylon and Ancient Greece nestled in the bowels of the History Department’s archives, Please welcome Dr. Gerard.

HyperLab Omni – www.hyperlabomni.com

http://nathanmoody.bandcamp.com

Chad — Tree Man with Boat Shoes, from the Hell panel of the triptych The Garden of Earthly Delights.

Murph — For my beast I choose the female bird demon from the Hell side of The Garden of Earthly Delights, specifically the blue little bugger sitting on the high privy chair eating people, and shitting out their souls in the pit of Hell.

Dave — Tondal’s Vision has everything… everything. But I want to talk about the round guy with the trumpet nose… and the doll with the empty eyes and coins coming out of it?

MUP Ep. 221 – Just the Two of Us!

keepermurph — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

This episode Keepers Murph and Dave talk about the future of the podcast, and answer some remaining questions from listeners from episode 220.

Campus Crier

Some Chaosium titles have been shortlisted for the 2020 Prix Rôliste Prize! Runequest has been nominated for Best Interior Art & Design and Berlin The Wicked City has been nominated for Best Cover Art! Congratulations to Chaosium! You can find out how to vote in this the French equivalent of the ENNies from the link in the show notes.

Fresh news from Free League! Alien and Forbidden Lands are now available over on The Foundry VTT! So if that is your virtual tabletop of choice you can make use of it.

In case you are not on the Discord, you might have missed a neat little video clip of a rouge-like video game I posted called Worship. Well it’s now on Kickstarter!

Here’s something you don’t see every day. SF/Fantasy RPG set in a world where the Americas were never colonized. It’s called Coyote and Crow and you should back it now.

Another really interesting KS coming out now is Remarkable Cults and Their Followers, a system-neutral source for GM’s to add in cults and nefarious groups to your fantasy games.

Sponsor

We want to thank Noble Knight Games for returning to sponsor our show. Noble Knight Games has just completed a major revamp of their website! The new site was designed after collecting lots of customer feedback, and the result is a site that’s cleaner, prettier, easier to navigate with improved search functionality. Be sure to check out the Publisher’s Spotlight section, too. Check it out at www.nobleknight.com.

In addition to games and game books, Noble Knight Games also has a wide range of dice, paints, and game supplies. They’ve got Army Painter primer, Citadel paints, dice, token trays, and tons of other supplies to pimp-out your games.

And just for listeners of our show, Noble Knight has a discount code you can use at checkout. Enter the Gift Card code of CHILLS for 10% off any order of $10 or more. This insane discount is valid from now until March 31, 2021!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store! We have a brand new Elder Mic design from friend of the show Diana McKenzie! It’s a really crazy morphing of an old on-air mic and an Elder Thing! We’ll be adding in more designs in the near future, so check back often.

MUP Discord

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of Call of Cthulhu and horror gaming fans. MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

MUP Patreon

To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Main Topic

MUP Ep 220 – Goodbye and Farewell Jon

Dave Sokolowski — Mon, 08 Mar 2021 12:00:00 +0000

This episode Murph and Dave bid farewell to Keeper Jon, who is leaving the podcast after nine years.

Sponsor

MUP Discord

MUP Patreon

To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Main Topic

In preparing for Jon’s final episode, the hosts reached out and asked Discord listeners for questions in an Ask Us Anything. We covered the following questions with more to follow next episode…

If you could worship any Great Old One, which would it be?

With all of the flavors of Lovecraftian gaming out there, is there a type of game or corner of the HPL universe that would make for innovative/ must play gaming?

If you would receive a salary for a year and a reasonable budget for support (e.g. art, layout, tech support, audio equipment), what gaming-related project would you work on for a year?

What are you curious about right now?

What is something that is true about gaming that almost no one agrees with you on?

There have been some cool releases in the past few years based on settings established in other media. What are some other IPs that are ripe for a ttrpg adaptation?

What episode(s) of MUP are you the most proud of?

We wish Jon the greatest of luck and success in his next adventures. Goodbye and goodnight Jon!

MUP Ep. 219 – Amidst the Saturnine Code

Jon Hook — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 12:00:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

This episode, the gang is back together as Keepers Murph, Jon and Dave dissect and analyze a few scenarios that are currently available for purchase, Amidst the Ancient Trees, The Code, and Saturnine Chalice!

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on February 11th, 2021.

The Japanese really like Call of Cthulhu!. In an article on Dicebreaker, Chaosium announced that the Japanese language version out-sells every other language of Call of Cthulhu… COMBINED.

Kickstarter’s ZineQuest 3, has gotten officially underway. For those of you who don’t know what Zinequest is, every February for the past three years Indie RPG creators have been funding, and creating, small zines in the month of February.

Wizards of the Coast has settled another lawsuit, this time against Gale Force9, the miniatures manufacturer. The partnership between the companies will continue.

Keeper Jon’s Announcement

Keepers Jon has decided to step away from the show. The next episode will be his last. Please join our Discord to wish him well in his future endeavors.

Sponsor

MUP Discord

MUP Patreon

To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Main Topic

Keeper Dave’s topic: Amidst the Ancient Trees by Matthew Sanderson and Mike Mason

Available in the 7ed Keeper’s Handbook
Good Stuff
- Glaaki and cultists in the remote mountains of Vermont = LOVE IT
- Want to update for a modern setting, great opportunity for FBI/Marshall/BATF tracking down kidnapper… Or remove the kidnapper element and turn it into a decades-old AWOL search that goes south when the feds run afoul of anti-gov preppers
- Has the potential to be a really sharp and tight 4-6 hour chase , open with the gun fight with the preppers?
- Love the dreams that show up early and then become real when the party reaches the lake
Needs Improvement
- Lots of actors, too many groups: cultists, artists, kidnappers, surveyors
  - Just the vets and the artist colony, maybe preppers
  - Keep the dreams and the jewel that the cultists have nearly removed
- Update Civil War vets to Vietnam war, hiding out and slowly recruiting artists to help them uncover Glaaki’s gem
- Update digging at lake to former artist colony just like in Campbell’s story, abandoned houses by the lake
- The extended chase is fundamentally a railroad and has inherent structural challenges – we could discuss on a whole episode
The Final Word
- Lots of great potential, especially for one of my favorite GOO
- Include the Tomb Herd so the woods become this super creepy and recursive time loop
- I want to update for today, I love Glaaki by the lake, and I love the opportunity to update the Inhabitant by the Lake
- Plan to turn this into a con game that I can run over and over

Keeper Jon’s topic: The Code, by Chris Lackey and Lynn Hardy

This is a fantastic scenario that allows for lots of roleplaying as the house is explored
It includes elements that can promote (unnecessary) player-versus-player conflicts
It has a great red herring villain in the time-traveling bug people
Keeper Jon encourages Keepers to add a Hound of Tindalos into the scenario… it doesn’t even have to attack anyone… just having it walk through a hallway will freak players out
In all likelyhood, the players will want to try to use the time-traveling suit, which is the central item in this scenario… but without an accompanying spell from Yog-Sothoth, you can’t control the suit. Keeper Jon always kills every player that puts on the suit since it either launches them to the infinite end or beginning of time… and thus erases them from history

Keeper Murph’s topic: Saturnine Chalice by Matthew Sanderson

From the Dead Light and Other Dark Turns book from Chaosium.
Make Veronica’s journal with the words fairly easy to find, then
add in more marked items that can be mistakenly seen as part of the glyph. This should force them to either try multiples or make them solve the puzzles on several to make sure they get it.
Remember that the 4 correct items are all of lead, so make sure that you mention that it is lead when they find it, perhaps the false ones are of wood, silver, gold, etc.
You may even add in some extra squares of paper that have been filled out, and are floating around the house, not literally, as a red herring.

MUP Ep 218 – The Drain

Jon Hook — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 12:00:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

This episode, Keepers Jon and Dave welcome Ian Yusem to talk about his new Kickstarter for Zine Quest… The Drain!

Please keep Keeper Murph in your thoughts as he and his family continues to struggle with his father’s advancing cancer diagnosis.

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on January 28th, 2021.

Delta Green: Black Sites collects Delta Green operations that were previously published only in PDF or in standalone paperback modules. They lock bystanders and Agents alike in unlit rooms with the cosmic terrors of the unnatural. Unwanted survivors rise from death or slumber into the nightmarish life of humanity. The Black Sites hardcover is available for preorder, and will ship in February.

Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman are officially returning to the Dragonlance franchise. Weis recently announced that she and her writing partner, Hickman, will be writing a new trilogy set to follow their classic fantasy novels with Del Rey Books, with the first installment to tentatively hit stores late 2021.

Murph saw on Reddit that painter Francois Baranger, who’s been illustrating the Lovecraft books being published by Free League Press, is currently finishing a secret project related to “The Call of Cthulhu,” (by which we assume the story, not the roleplaying game), and then he’ll be working on The Dunwich Horror which should be released in 2022.

DEATH IN SPACE is an upcoming science-fiction tabletop roleplaying game, where players take the roles of explorers and laborers looking for their next big score. Inspired by the gritty science fiction of films like Prospect and Outland, Death in Space takes you to a Universe where technology is rusty and broken and society is harsh and desperate. And although there is something lurking out there, man is still the greatest enemy. In terms of rules, the main influences are the rules-light games of the indie and OSR scene.

Chaosium welcomed two new employees, Simeon Cogswell and Matt Ryan. Simeon will be their in-house layout artist and graphic designer, and Matt will be their in-house cartographer. Congratulations to them both!

Blue Fox Comics, a UK based comic book publisher, recently published The Mountains of Madness, a graphic novel that is a sequel to Lovecraft’s story, At the Mountains of Madness.

Sponsor

MUP Discord

MUP Patreon

To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Main Topic

Download and listen to Ian Yusem describe his zero-level adventure for the Mothership RPG called The Drain. It is part of the ZineQuest event on Kickstarter.

MUP Ep 217 – The Auction & The Pale God

Jon Hook — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 12:00:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

This episode, Keepers Jon and Dave dissect and analyze to classic scenarios, The Auction and The Pale God!

Also, please keep Keeper Murph in your thoughts as he and his family continues to struggle with his father’s advancing cancer diagnosis.

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on January 16th, 2021.

The Vaesen RPG Launched Today on Fantasy Grounds & Steam. If you play RPGs on FG and want to play Vaesen, then you are set.

The Malleus Monstrorum Keeper Deck is a collection of 66 monster cards that enhance your Call of Cthulhu gaming experience, and is now on sale on the Chaosium site for $14.99. Now you can have all those tasty monster goodies right at your fingertips.

World of Darkness and D&D RPG writer and designer Jackie Cassada dies of COVID-19. Jackie was a big contributor to the WoD line, as well as to the Ravenloft setting for D&D. She died in December but her partner is still suffering from complications to COVID-19 and there is a Go Fund Me page to help with her medical bills.

New trailer for a new Lovecraftian horror movie Sacrifice is out and it looks pretty crazy and weird and horrible. And Barbara Crampton! Sacrifice is set to hit select theaters on February 5 and will be followed by a VOD release on February 9 and Blu-ray debut on February 23.

A new Kickstarter for Svalbard by Two Starving Gnolls — Kickstarter is out and it looks very cool. A roguelike scenario that’s got time travel and Azathoth and respawning, oh my! There is also Mythos Monsters: 40+ Lovecraftian horrors for DnD 5E by Legendary Games which is doing gangbusters on KS.

There are TWO, count them ONE TWO Mork Borg Kickstarters now! MÖRK BORG CULT: HERETIC by Johan Nohr and Corpsewake Cove for Mörk Borg by Ember + Ash — Kickstarter.

Chaosium just announced today on Facebook a second printing of Horror on the Orient Express is coming soon! It will be two hardcover books, plus a fold-out poster-sized map. It will be a print-on-demand product. It’s not yet known if the books are going to be updated for 7th Edition, (but we think it will be), and the release date was not given yet, other than to say, “Soon.”

Sponsor

MUP Discord

MUP Patreon

To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Main Topic

Keepers Jon and Dave discuss a couple of classic Call of Cthulhu scenarios, and how to run them for a 7th Edition audience.

MUP Ep 216 – 2021 Game Resolutions

Jon Hook — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 12:00:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

This episode, Keepers Jon and Dave discuss their game resolutions for the new year!

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on January 2nd, 2021.

Free League has announced and put up for preorder the first campaign frame book for Alien… Alien RPG: Colonial Marines Operations Manual.

The Good Friends are holding another online gaming convention: A Weekend with Good Friends: January 14-18. I ran and played in the last one and it was great. This episode will air on the last day for player signups, so if it’s still Monday, Jan 11, you still have time. Also they have pick up games and just a bunch of great people hanging out.

Sponsor

MUP Discord

MUP Patreon

To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Main Topic

Keepers Jon and Dave talk about their gaming resolutions for 2021. Download the episode and give it a listen!

MUP Ep 215 – Shadow Over Simpson

keepermurph — Mon, 28 Dec 2020 12:05:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

This episode, Keepers Murph and Dave speak with the talented and always enjoyable Julian Simpson, writer and director o BBC Radio4’s Shadow Over Innsmouth!

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on December 19th, 2020.

In your living room, no one can hear you screaming for joy. A new TV series set in the ALIEN universe is being developed for FX and Hulu by Fargo creator, Noah Hawley.

The funding campaign continues for the Lovecraft Arts & Science center. If you are a fan of this community, please consider donating or purchasing something from their online store. Every little bit helps.

Jon discovered a fan made online comic book, Batman: Eldritch. As the name implies, it blends Batman and the Cthulhu Mythos. It’s a fairly short read. The story’s not bad and the art is pretty cool looking. Very evocative for the subject matter. Check it out.

The Malleus Monstrorum hardcover two-volume slipcase is now available from the Chaosium website! This is a beast, (pun intended)! Chaosium also released a short YouTube video that displays the new slipcase edition of this immense bestiary.

It looks like a production company, Full Moon, is looking to create a television series called Miskatonic U which will center around the university and the town of Arkham, Massachusetts. According to a Screen Rant article, it will be structured like the Stephen King series, Castle Rock. So far, there’s no indication on when this series would launch or who would be carrying it.

Sponsor

Main Topic

Interview with Julian Simpson, the writer/director of BBC Radio4’s Lovecraft Investigations.

MUP EP. 214 – Vintage Stu Horvath

Jon Hook — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 15:07:05 +0000

In this episode, Keepers Dave, Jon and Murph welcome Stu Horvath, co-host of the Vintage RPG Podcast and the puppet master of Unwinnable.com! Enjoy!

Noble Knight Games

We want to thank Noble Knight Games for sponsoring this episode. Noble Knight Games just completed a major revamp of their website! The new site is cleaner, prettier, easier to navigate with improved search functionality. Be sure to check out the Publisher’s Spotlight section, too. Check it out at www.nobleknight.com.

Time is running out! Take advantage of our exclusive discount code: MADNESS, for a 10% discount from your entire purchase. Browse through thousands of new and vintage games and game books and expand your collection of your favorite games.

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is the Miskatonic University’s student newspaper. This edition was collected on December 1st, 2020.

Chaosium has released a new set of jigsaw puzzles over on their Redbubble store. The different puzzles include much of the iconic art from the company’s run and includes many Call of Cthulhu and Runquest images. A number that are from the Berlin sourcebook that look really cool.

The first Apocthulhu book is available in POD! Keeper Dave got his contributor copy and it’s huge and colorful and lovely in many apocalyptic shapes and sizes.

You can get Free League’s At the Mountains of Madness from their store now! It’s a beautifully illustrated book, Keeper Jon already has a copy and can attest to it.

Some news from Niels Hobbs and the Lovecraft Arts and Sciences Council that is pretty worrying for any of us that is hoping for a Necronomicon 2021. Niels has sent out an email and started a GoFundMe page to help cover expenses that have been incurred due to a lack of business because of COVID-19. He is asking for $30,000 in donations to help pay for rent, payroll, insurance, etc. Personally I have no issue helping them out and if I’m honest I feel a little bit guilty that I haven’t bought more stuff from their online store in the past. As of recording he has raised roughly 1/3 of the total in about 12 hours. I really hope that this helps Niels out, and that this allows for the massive undertaking that is the planning for a conference like Necronomicon to proceed in the future. Personally, I can’t imagine not going to Providence next year. It would seriously impact me if I was unable to go.

MUP Patreon

If you haven’t heard yet, we have redesigned our Patreon and so far the feedback has been all positive! We are greatly appreciative of you, our listeners, and would ask that if you can please back us! Our next goal in funding will pay our worthy editors for their time! Also all backers, regardless of level will have access to the outtakes reel that we are going to put out on a special RSS feed from Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

MUP Discord

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

Contact MUP Keepers

You can email the podcast, and give us a hearty “Go Pods!”, at mup.feedback @gmail.com.

Main Topic

Download the episode and join us as we talk to Stu Horvath and his love of Call of Cthulhu campaign games.

MUP EP 213 – Go-Go Golem!

Jon Hook — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 12:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Keepers Dave, Jon and Murph kick it old school… medieval even… as they go back to the Bestiary and talk about Golems! Enjoy!

Noble Knight Games

Also, it’s that time of the year again… the holiday season is upon us. Running from November 11th to December 3rd is Noble Knight Games’ annual holiday sale, with their lowest prices throughout the year. So remember, the holiday sale prices supersede the discount code normally available to Miskatonic University Podcast listeners, so go now and get those books that you’ve been waiting for.

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is the Miskatonic University’s student newspaper. This edition was collected on November 20th, 2020.

Paradox brings Vampire: The Masquerade tabletop game development back in-house, the company announced Thursday. This comes after Paradox yanked the product line from the then White Wolf company after many Alt-Right and LGBTQ+ worries arose from the 2018 Vampire 5th ed release. Paradox admitted to having little or no oversight of Whitewolf and gave the product line to Modiphius to develop. In the last two years Modiphius only released one product, Fall of London, in that time which tried to change game mechanics and mythology. So Paradox is now managing Vampire the Masquerade in house under the World of Darkness brand.

Chaosium is releasing the Alone Against The Tide PDF just in time for Thanksgiving for even more solo horror adventures. The PDF is less than $7.

There’s not just one but TWO Symbaroum Bundles of Holding. Symbaroum is Free League’s dark fantasy setting, and the bundles are for sourcebooks for the SYMBAROUM dark-fantasy tabletop roleplaying game, as well as all the Symbaroum Settings a GM needs for adventure in the primeval forest of Davokar.

Mike Diamond and the Old Ways Podcast are going to the Orient, specifically the Horror on the Orient Express. Mike shared a teaser video with us that will be available by the time this episode is released.

Our friend Bret Kramer at Sentinel Hill Press has released Miskatonic Country Scenarios – A Keeper’s Guide. You can get it on DriveThru for $5.

It looks like Wizards of the Coast is being sued again this time by Gale Force 9 for failing to approve products already agreed to be released. This is basically the same case as the Dragonlance suit from a few months ago.

Bayt-al-Azif #3 is out! It’s got a number of new scenarios, including 1920s, modern and 1960s; an interview with the Great Old One Sandy Petersen himself; as well as an article by friend of the show Dean Engelhardt. At 124 pages for $8 on DTRPG, it’s well worth the purchase price. It has articles and scenarios by a whole bunch of new authors, and I think it’s a great way to hook up with some fresh new content at a very reasonable price.

MUP Patreon

MUP Discord

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

Contact MUP Keepers

You can email the podcast, and give us a hearty “Go Pods!”, at mup.feedback @gmail.com.

Main Topic

Download the episode and join us as we talk about how to use golems in your Call of Cthulhu games.

MUP Ep.212 – A Wee Bit o’ Troika!

Jon Hook — Mon, 16 Nov 2020 12:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Keeper Murph runs Keepers Dave and Jon through a quick game of Troika!

Noble Knight Games!

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on November 5th, 2020.

Chaosium has appointed ambassadors to both their Miskatonic Repository and Jonstown Compendium fan content communities. Allan Carey is the ambassador for the Miskatonic Repository, and Nick Brooke is the ambassador for the Jonstown Compendium. The ambassadors will be the first point-of-contact for fans looking to contribute new products to each of those platforms.

There’s a new horror RPG on Kickstarter right now called Shiver. According to the Kickstarter, “SHIVER is a tabletop roleplaying game bringing tales of the mysterious, the peculiar and the strange to life.” The Kickstarter is already more than 200% funded. It uses unique symbols on the dice to merge storytelling and game mechanics, and fans can download a free quickstart PDF to try the game before committing to the Kickstarter.

If you act quickly, you might still be able to back Alan Moore’s Providence Compendium on Kickstarter. It is a giant 480 page graphic novel that fully collects all twelve issues of Alan Moore’s Providence comic book series.

Artist François Baranger’s next illustrated Lovecraft story is At the Mountains of Madness. It is being published by Free League Games, and is available now for preorder. François Baranger previously illustrated The Call of Cthulhu for Free League. At the Mountains of Madness will be produced in two volumes; volume one is currently available on preorder.

Gale Force 9 has updated their website to include more information about their soon-to-be released Aliens: Another Glorious Day in the Corps board game. A few review videos are starting to come out on YouTube, to include one by Shut Up & Sit Down. This new Aliens board game looks really cool. Keeper Jon can’t wait for his copy to arrive.

The Dee Sanction is a new RPG on Kickstarter right now by Paul Baldowski, the writer of The Cthulhu Hack. I’m just going to quote their: “The Dee Sanction is a tabletop roleplaying game about serving Queen and country in the late Tudor period, in a time where kingdoms vie for power, the Church splinters under the pressure of reform, and creatures of folklore emerge from enforced hiding seeking revenge against those who imprisoned them. You’re a bad person — sentenced to hang for dabbling in magic — given a chance to redeem yourself and earn freedom in service to Queen Elizabeth’s newest line of defense.”

MUP Ep. 211 – Good As Gould

keepermurph — Mon, 02 Nov 2020 12:27:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

This episode Keepers Dave and Murph talk with author, sensitivity reader, & member of Rusty Quill, Helen Gould!

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on October 24th, 2020.

Chaosium has released the PDF version of their newest CoC campaign by Lynne Hardy, Children of Fear. You get it for $26.99 at their website.

Mork Borg Cult Feretory has been released for general purchase at their website! So If you missed the KickStarter for whatever reason, you can pick it up now from their website!

Friend of the show and fellow podcaster Mike Diamond has started a Patreon for his actual play podcast, The Old Ways Podcast. Show them some love by going and backing this amazing actual play podcast!

The Discord

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of Call of Cthulhu and horror gaming fans.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Sean for editing this episode.

Sponsor

We need some new copy for this…

We want to thank Noble Knight Games for returning to sponsor our show. Has the COVID got you hunkering down at home? Are you looking for an online store with a huge selection of new and out-of-print games and game books? Then look no further than Noble Knight Games, at NobleKnight.com.

And just for listeners of our show, Noble Knight has a discount code you can use at checkout. Use MADNESS for 10% off any order of $10 or more. This insane discount is valid from now until December 22, 2020! {lawyer voiceover: “Not valid with other site-wide discounts”}

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Thank you backers!!

Recent Gaming

Have you been able to play anything recently? What have you been doing in gaming?

Rusty Quill Podcast

Corporation Game

Murph – I played in the finale of Destroyer of Worlds for Alien RPG run by our friend Chris aka iPwned on the Discord. It was great! I was able to determine that Roll20 only allows you to roll 18 dice at a time, so my attempted 90d6 roll had to be done in chunks.

Then I also ran a game of Troika! for some of my Wednesday Group. And it was soo much fun! Troika! is an rpg that was apparently created by putting a magic-mushroom eating Lewis Carrol and William Burroughs on junk in the middle of the Surrealist Exhibition in Birmingham and asking them to create an RPG setting. It’s fantastic.

Dave – I am waist deep in play-testing my super secret Cthulhu game, and that’s going great. I am also prepping to run Alien Chariot of the Gods for my Sunday group, and will start that tomorrow. I’ve been watching the Alien movies in preparation, director’s cut and all. Covenant… sigh.

Main Topic

If you would like to listen to Helen in action then check out The Rusty Quill/ Stellar Firma Halloween special where Helen is the GM running Grant Howlitt’s Beautiful Space Pirates or on her Patreon & blog.

An excellent speech Helen gave about the subtle forms of racism in SFF is here as well.

Tweets by Alecto101

MUP Ep. 210 – A Chat with Cat Tobin

keepermurph — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on October 10th, 2020.

Our friend and editor of the show, Edwin, is involved in the Midderland 5e setting Kickstarter! The book is a setting and bestiary for the “green-hued dark-fantasy” based on middle England. Edwin did the 5e conversion for the setting and Ennie Award winning artist, Glynn Seal is the primary author, artist, and layout artist. I’ve seen the 11 page teaser PDF and it looks really quite cool. You can get a PDF for $25, $35 for a POD softcover, and $45 will get you a hardback with an amazing fold out map.

There is a PDF “taster” available here: https://1drv.ms/b/s!Asryxq7YIiBZhtYMcbTPSbPWDiKf9Q?e=0fsfef

Good Friend of Jackson Elias and all round awesome guy Paul Fricker has a new scenario for Call of Cthulhu out in the Miskatonic Repository called Full Fathom Five, a reference to Shakespeare’s Ariel’s song. It is set on board a whaling ship in the Pacific ocean in 1847 and involves a series of deaths or murders on board. Some of our own illustrious members, past and present, have played this as playtesters including Keepers Dan & Chad, Editor Max and a whole slew of other people we know and love. It looks really fantastic, so go and check it out. You can get the PDF at DriveThru for $6.99

Mork Bork and the Swedish Kartel are releasing an LP! Putrescence Regnant is billed an “ear-shattering, rot reeking bog crawl for Mork Borg.” A little more info was leaked with the cryptic announcement at the Mork Borg Discord server of which we have a screenshot in the show notes.

Cyberpunk Red, Mike Pondsmith’s iconic dystopian sci-fi RPG, finally has a release date and a price point! Cyberpunk Red will come in at $60 for the physical book and $30 for the PDF, and should come out on November 19th and Nov 14th for the digital. Thanks to a data dump at the R. Talorisian website, we know the book has 457 pages and 211,000 words and 143 individual pieces of art! Murph is excited about this one.

Brett Kramer’s Sentinel Hill Press has finally re-released The Dare, that fantastic CoC scenario that we all love, and updated it for 7th edition! You can pick it up at DTRPG for $14.99, and that price will be discounted from the eventual price of a physical book that is also coming out soon! Congrats to Brett for getting this all wrapped up!

Sunken the gm-less RPG using Trophy Dark, of which I am a backer, is at the printers! I’m really excited about this and can’t wait to have this book in hand, because the PDF was absolutely gorgeous.

Arkham Relic Hunt from Squamous Studios, something else that Dave and Murph have backed, is about to ship out within days of this recording.

Children of Fear, a new Call of Cthulhu campaign set in classic 1920s mentioned way back in 2019 is finally getting some updates from Chaosium! Lynne Hardy’s campaign across Asia will come out early 2021 and is 416 pages long. The cover was released through all of their social media outlets.

A DG hack of Cthulhu Dark called Cthulhu Deep Green has been released on DTRPG and it looks really quite cool. The latest scenario that was just released and is called The Linear Men. You can get both of these from DTRPG and both have a POD option that at the time of recording was $12 & $15 each, so a pretty good deal. And I’m a sucker for Cthulhu Dark clones and so I’ve already bought Deep Green and it is pretty awesome.

The Discord

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

Sponsor

Do you have games or game books that you’re interested in selling or trading? Check out Noble Knight’s Buy-Sell-Trade program, (link in the show notes). Noble Knight will buy almost anything that is a tabletop game or tabletop game adjacent. Board games, card games, RPG books, painted or unpainted miniatures, collectibles, fantasy novels, accessories… if it’s nerdy and gamey, they probably want it. If you want to know more about this program, email them at trades@nobleknight.com

And thank you beaucoup to Max for editing this episode.

Main Topic

Pelgrane Press New Community Content Program

Gumshoe Community on DriveThruRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/340/Pelgrane-Press/subcategory/561_34434/GUMSHOE-Community

Gumshoe Community Content Contest on Pelgrane Press site: https://site.pelgranepress.com/index.php/gumshoe-community-content-contest/

MUP EP 209 – Dealing With GM Burnout

Jon Hook — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 11:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Keepers Murph and Dave discuss the highs and lows of GM Burnout. Enjoy!

Thank you Noble Knight Games!

Do you have games or game books that you’re interested in selling or trading? Check out Noble Knight’s Buy-Sell-Trade program. Noble Knight Games will buy almost anything that is tabletop game or tabletop game adjacent. Board games, card games, RPG books, painted or unpainted miniatures, collectibles, fantasy novels, accessories… if it’s nerdy and gamey, they probably want it. If you want to know more about this program, email them at trades@nobleknight.com

And just for listeners of our show, Noble Knight Games has a discount code you can use at checkout. Use MADNESS for 10% off any order of $10 or more. This insane discount is valid from now until December 22, 2020! {lawyer voiceover: “Not valid with any other site-wide discounts”}

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is the Miskatonic University’s student newspaper. This edition was collected on September 24th, 2020.

The Mansions of Madness hardcovers by Chaosium are available. This is the first of two volumes filled with scenarios set in horror-haunted homes. This volume contains five adventures, two classic scenarios, Mister Corbitt and The Crack’d and Crook’d Manse, and three new scenarios, The Code, The House of Memphis, and The Nineteenth Hole.

Friend of the show and fellow podcaster Michael Diamond has a new book Time of the Serpent on the Miskatonic Repository. This awesome new adventure even includes audio clues!

A new version of The Thing boardgame is on Kickstarter now. It looks like this may be an enhanced and updated version of the previous edition. If you’re a fan of The Thing, you need to check this out.

Helstrom the TV series is coming out on Hulu. This looks like it is the Marvel Comics character, Helstrom, the Son of Satan. The trailer looks cool.

Heroquest is coming back! Hasbro is taking pre-orders and funding the game through their own in-house funding campaign called HasbroPulse. They were looking to collect $1,000,000, and they’ve already funded with 43 days remaining in the campaign at the time of this recording.

Recent Gaming

After Dave’s break, he’s back at it with his modern Call of Cthulhu game playtesting. Also running and playing in games at Yog-Sothoth.com ConvoCation! Should be fun!

Murphs has started playing in the Alien campaign Destroyer of Worlds run by iPwned (aka Chris) from the discord channel. And our editor Max has started an Icons game on Wednesday that has been rather fun.

MUP Patreon

MUP Discord

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

Support the Show

Contact MUP Keepers

You can email the podcast, and give us a hearty “Go Pods!”, at mup.feedback @gmail.com.

Main Topic

Download the episode and join Murph and Dave as they discuss GM Burnout.

MUP EP 208 – Pacing into the Darkness

Jon Hook — Mon, 21 Sep 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

In this episode, Keepers Jon, Murph, and Dave welcome Thom Raley, creator and host of the Into the Darkness club, a Call of Cthulhu actual play show on YouTube. Enjoy!

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is the Miskatonic University’s student newspaper. This edition was collected on September 12th, 2020.

Keeper Jon’s scenario, The Shadow Over Providence, is now available in a softcover format. You can order it from Chaosium. If you buy the softcover it also includes a copy of the PDF.

Harlem Unbound (2nd Edition) has been added to Roll20 virtual tabletop. The module includes seven scenarios that are fully integrated and optimized for Roll20’s virtual tabletop experience. It features over 100 NPCs and 14 maps with GM layers and dynamic lighting, player character tokens, digital dice, and macros.

And, speaking of Roll20, Free League has announced that Tales From the Loop is now available as a Roll20 module, and that ALIEN will soon be adapted for the virtual tabletop platform too.

Keeper Jon’s run of Spawn of Azathoth has begun! I hope everyone has an opportunity to watch or listen to it on Into the Darkness. I and the players are playing in-costume with green screened backgrounds, to make it more entertaining to watch. But, if you don’t have the time to watch the show, Thom Raley also updates the shows into a regular audio-podcast format that is available from your favorite podcatcher.

Mork Borg now has an open 3rd Party License. Similar to the Miskatonic Repository and the Free League Workshop, fans of Mork Borg can create their own content and sell it. Just like the game itself, the license rules are really light and super easy to follow. But, unlike the Miskatonic Repository and the Free League Workshop, the use of the Mork Borg 3rd Party License does not provide a central storefront on DriveThruRPG for fans to sell their homemade products. So, fans will need to be creative on how and where they market and sell their stuff. This might change in the future, so if you’re interested in this, keep checking the license for updates.

Recent Gaming

After Dave’s break, he’s back at it with his modern Call of Cthulhu game playtesting..

As noted in the news, Jon’s Spawn of Azathoth game has begun. Also, Jon was invited by some friends to run ALIEN: Chariot of the Gods for them, so far we’ve had one session and it is awesome. And, he’s gotten back into his Blades in the Dark game, which is super-cool.

MUP Patreon

MUP Discord

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

Support the Show

Contact MUP Keepers

You can email the podcast, and give us a hearty “Go Pods!”, at mup.feedback @gmail.com.

Main Topic

Download the episode and join us as we talk to Thom about pacing games, especially for games run in specific time periods. And we learn a lot about the Into The Darkness channel on YouTube.

Into the Darkness Club

Into the Darkness YouTube Channel

MUP EP 207 – Muddied & Bloodied with Liam Stevens

Jon Hook — Mon, 07 Sep 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

In this episode, Keepers Dave and Jon welcome Liam Stevens, game designer and podcaster. Liam co-hosts the Mud & Blood Podcast. Enjoy!

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is the Miskatonic University’s student newspaper. This edition was collected on August 28th, 2020.

AfterShock Comics announced Miskatonic, a new Lovecraftian horror series by writer Mark Sable and artist Giorgio Pontrelli. The series promises “a mix of historical crime fiction and Lovecraftian-horror that dives deep into the American nightmare.”

The full APOCTHULHU core game has been released! Only the PDF is available on DriveThruRPG, but if your intent is to obtain both the PDF and a printed edition of the game, then have no fear. Each purchase of the PDF comes with a discount code that will enable you to buy the print edition at a reduced price. The discount will be equal to the full PDF purchase price. The print edition is expected later this year.

Composer Graham Plowman has posted an hour of original orchestral music on YouTube that you can play as background music for your Call of Cthulhu or other horror tabletop games. The composition is called From the Vault of the Miskatonic Valley. Plowman has other cool orchestral mood music on YouTube too, including The Great Old Ones and Other Beings.

Matic Games and Red Scar Publishing have released their Hellboy RPG Quickstart rules for free on DriveThruRPG. The Kickstarter for the fully Hellboy RPG rules is live now. The game was funded in one hour, and is well on its way to knocking down several stretch goals. The game is designed to use D&D 5E rules.

Actress and YouTube personality, Becca Scott, is the Keeper of Arcane Lore for The Ties that Bind, a YouTube actual play sponsored by Chaosium. This amazing all-woman game features Gina DeVivo, Amy Dallen, Whitney Moore, and Stef Woodburn. The game series, initially streaming on Twitch, is archived on YouTube.

Jon recently contributed to Shoggoth.net. Please go check out my short essay on shoggoths. It includes a brief description of the types of shoggoths in the Keeper Rulebook and Malleus Monstrorum, scenario hooks, and a brand new type of shoggoth that I call a Tindalosian Shoggoth.

Dave will also be writing something on Shoggoths for Shoggoth.net! And there’s a new trailer on YouTube for a movie called Intersect that looks cool. It’s set at Miskatonic University! It doesn’t look like a big-budget movie, so the quality is definitely in question, but it could be fun.

Recent Gaming

Dave’s played both Call of Cthulhu and Dungeon World, but otherwise has taken his first real break in months. It’s weird.

Jon has begun an ALIEN game on Mondays; “It’s been amazing and fun.” And he’s preparing notes for the Spawn of Azathoth campaign that he’s going to be running for the Into The Darkness YouTube channel. He’s also in the early stages of planning a game with Seth Skorkowski; “I’m going to run my Shadows Over Providence for him and two other players. So I’m looking forward to that too.”

MUP Patreon

MUP Discord

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

Contact MUP Keepers

You can email the podcast, and give us a hearty “Go Pods!”, at mup.feedback @gmail.com.

Main Topic

Download the episode and join us as we talk to Liam about game design and the Mud & Blood podcast. To explore more about Lian and the Mud & Blood podcast, use the following links:

Mud & Blood Podcast

https://discord.gg/MjyPgfZ

Tweets by _Boganova_

www.mbcast.co

MUP EP 206 – “Hello Internet!” It’s Seth Skorkowsky!

Jon Hook — Mon, 24 Aug 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

In this episode, Keepers Dave, Jon and Murph welcomes author and YouTube darling, Seth Skorkowsky! Seth’s fun and informative YouTube show has garnered him an ENnie award, as did his contribution to the recently published New Tales of the Miskatonic Valley (2nd Edition), published by Stygian Fox, Enjoy!

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is the Miskatonic University’s student newspaper. This edition was collected on August 13th, 2020.

Although I imagine none of you listening need the reminder, Lovecraft Country arrived over a week ago! Have you seen it yet? We haven’t because it is in the future, but alas in the past for you. We imagine it is amazing! EDITOR’S NOTE — It was indeed, amazing!

Free League has their Twilight: 2000 Kickstarter currently running. It funded in 7 minutes, and as of this recording, it has 20 days to go. Currently, it has raised more than a quarter of a million dollars; it wouldn’t be surprising if it’s well over one million by the time the funding campaign ends.

Chaosium has announced the creative team for the upcoming Rivers of London RPG and boy does it look like a good lineup! The creators are Paul Fricker, Adam Gauntlett, Lloyd Gyan, Lynne Hardy, Gavin Inglis, Keris McDonald, Helena Nash, and Lucya Szachnowski. You can learn more about each of them at Chaoisum, links in the shownotes. here.

Powered by the Dreamr is a Powered by the Apocalypse RPG ‘zine “You are the Dreamr with power over dreams and nightmares. When awake, you are an everyperson, an individual with no supernatural distinction. But when you close your eyes, the mundanity of the world is replaced with one where you are its guide.”
You can find it for $6 over at Itch.io and DTRPG.

It seems like physical copies of Dissident Whispers is making it out to Europeans, but as of recording we haven’t heard of them being seen State-side as of yet.

Mork Borg had a pretty interesting article in The Guardian on Aug 11th. If you haven’t read it yet, you should check it out for sure.

Also if you haven’t had a chance to back Golden Goblin’s newest fiction Kickstarter, there is still time left! The KS ends on Aug 30th.

Recent Gaming

Murph just finished playing Eclipse Phase using the Elemental rulesset from Gildor Games, and we made characters for a Supers game that editor Max is going to run using the Icons ruleset. My character is a called “The Queen’s Counsel” and it a Gadgeteer that wears an exo-suit, can duplicate himself 6 times over, has a forcefield, and can strike with all six clones at once causing the target to think they are in an illusion of a British Courtroom. Oh and he has a metal solicitor’s wig on his helmet.

Dave had a so-so time at virtual GenCon, and he had an amazing run of his modern Call of Cthulhu scenario.

Jon just finished running The Code, from the new Mansions of Madness Vol.1, for the Into The Darkness actual play video podcast on YouTube. Getting ready to start an ALIEN game on our Discord. And I’ll be starting the classic Call of Cthulhu campaign, Spawn of Azathoth, with the Into The Darkness crew very soon.

MUP Patreon

MUP Discord

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

Contact MUP Keepers

You can email the podcast, and give us a hearty “Go Pods!”, at mup.feedback @gmail.com.

Main Topic

Download the episode and join us as we talk to Seth about his writing, his amazing YouTube show, and the importance of stakes in games. How can game masters motivate their players to dive deeper into dangerous and mysterious scenarios? What keeps the characters invested in the game, instead of turning tail and running away?

MUP EP 205 – APOCTHULHU!

Jon Hook — Mon, 10 Aug 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

This episode, Keepers Dave, and Murph welcomes back, (for the “first” time), authors Jo Kreil and Dean Englehardt, where they discuss Mythos apocalypses and their new game, Apocthulhu. Enjoy!

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is the Miskatonic University’s student newspaper. This edition was collected on July 30th, 2020.

Just a quick note about programming here at MUP. As you might have noticed in the leadin we have expanded our coverage area. We at MUP have all been playing more and more games in the generic horror and dark fantasy genres recently, and we wanted to talk about those games on the show more often. So we will be. So expect some more talks about Alien RPG, Mork Borg, and Symbaroum in addition to our normal coverage of CoC, Delta Green, Gumshoe, etc. And expect our lead-in to shift as we find a new line that we can all live with. We don’t think this will be that big of a shift for many of our listeners, but we wanted to be upfront and let you know.

There will be an Live Play of Harlem Unbound over at the Darker Hue Twitch channelthat has some pretty awesome talent lined up to play including Misha B, Ariel Celeste, Jennifer Kretchmer, Matthew Mercer, Quinn Murphy. You can watch the game August 16th at 2pm Eastern time on Twitch.

Chaosium released a surprise pair of scenarios on June 30th, just in time for GenCon2020. Does Love Forgive? provides users with a pair of one-on-one scenarios called “Love You To Death” and “Mask of Desire”. Both scenarios were originally released earlier this year in Poland by authors Airis Kaminska and Anna Maria Mazur. The English version lists Lynne Hardy as author as well. This looks like an awesome pair of adventures and you can get the PDF from Chaosium.com and DriveThruRPG for $6.

Free League have announced a release date for the Alien RPG Starter Set and the Destroyer of Worlds setting! Both products will be available on September 8th! But you can pre-order them both now at the Free League store.

The Vaesen RPG has been released! I received my physical copy in the mail last week, and it is really nice. Anyone interested can now purchase the game from your favorite retailer. Free League also has a Live Play of the game that is going online July 31st. So check that out if you want to see how this is supposed to be run.

Lovecraftesque is looking for writers!

“Lovecraftesque Companion – call for writers – We are planning to publish a Lovecraftesque Companion, of scenarios, campaigns, essays and tools for Lovecraftesque, and perhaps other cosmic horror games. We want to hire diverse writers from around the world. You can express interest using a linked form.“

For those who don’t know it, Lovecraftesque is an awarding-winning GMless storytelling game of creeping cosmic horror. It is aimed at recreating the style and feel of Lovecraft, but with fresh horrors, and actively unpicking HPL’s bigotry. You can find out more about the game here.

Murph read an interesting article about running OSR games for kids, but the GM has eliminated player deaths. It is an interesting article and series over on the Dreaming Dragonslayer blog.

And speaking of OSR, Old School Essentials will be launching a kickstarter in August 2020 to finish up the AD&D clone by Necrotic Games. There is no official launch date as of yet but they have a landing page for sign-ups. They will be producing two variants of the rules, one a set of five slim and modular tomes, the other 2 massive books.

Recent Gaming

Murph and his players just finished up the intro scenario for Symbaroum. And they just played Eclipse Phase using the Elemental rulesset from Gildor Games and GMed by friend of the show, writer, editor of Hypergraphia, Skype of Cthulhu alum, and all around amazing guy. KeeperGladius aka Matt Puccio.

Dave took a week off normal games to play games with his annual group. They played their fourth year of DCC. And, Dave’s starting a fantasy campaign with folks from his daughter’s school, so all his bluster two episodes ago is being called out! Listen to the episode to hear Dave talk about Dungeon World briefly.

Card Catalog

Ipwned, on the Discord channel, shared a link to 1600 occult books that have been digitized. The list is pretty awesome and has some amazing books and we can thank Dan Brown, the author of the Da’vinci Code, and the Rittman Library in Amsterdam. This online gallery is huge and as of recording has over 2100 digitized texts that are free to view. It is an amazing resource and it just bursting with new magical tomes that you can use in your games.

MUP Patreon

MUP Discord

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

Contact MUP Keepers

You can email the podcast, and give us a hearty “Go Pods!”, at mup.feedback @gmail.com.

Main Topic

We speak with Dean Englehardt and Jo Kreil about the new RPG Apocthulhu! You can follow Dean at his website Cthulhu Reborn, or on Twitter @cthulhu_reborn. You can follow Jo on Twitter at @KreilJo.

You can purchase the Apocthulhu Quickstart Rules in PDF from DriveThruRPG. While you are there you might as well check out the plethora of other products from Dean that we talked about as well, Convicts & Cthulhu, and Dateline Lovecraft.

Since recording this episode, the day after actually. Dean was able to move forward on the print run of Apocthulhu as well! More details can be found on his blog.

MUP Ep 204 – Story Time with Oscar Rios

Jon Hook — Mon, 27 Jul 2020 11:02:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

This episode, Keepers Dave, Jon, and Murph welcomes President of Golden Goblin Press, Oscar Rios. Golden Goblin Press is about to launch a new Kickstarter for a pair of short story collections, so we thought it’d be a great time to read some short stories and discuss them. Enjoy!

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is the Miskatonic University’s student newspaper. This edition was collected on July 16th, 2020.

One Book Shelf, the company behind DriveThruRPG has informed Chaosium that starting immediately they are suspending Print On Demand options for items within the Miskatonic Repository. Going forward only titles with Electrum status (250 sales or more) will have the POD status.

This is the same as a rule that DM’s Guild has had in place for some time now. The reasoning for the change is due to OBS just being swamped.

Good Friends of Jackson Elias Con has ended and it was a lot of fun! Jon ran some games, that I’m sure he will talk about endlessly in just a few minutes. Congrats to the Good Friends for putting together a wonderful online convention.

MUP Patreon

MUP Discord

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

Contact MUP Keepers

You can email the podcast, and give us a hearty “Go Pods!”, at mup.feedback @gmail.com.

Main Topic

Oscar Rios, President of Golden Goblin Press, returns to talk about short stories. GGP is about to launch “Growing Up / Overnight: Two Horror Short Story Collections,” a Kickstarter for a pair of cosmic horror short story anthologies. The first is Children of Lovecraft Country: An Eldritch Legacy, and the other is Between Twilight & Dawn.

For the episode discussion, the guest and hosts each read one or more stories. Please listen to the episode for the full discussion. The stories we read are:

Oscar Rios read: The Shortest Way, by David Drake, published in Vettius and his Friends.

Keeper Jon read: The Future Eats Everything, by Don Webb, published in The Mammoth Book of Cthulhu, and The Horror Out of Time, by Randall Garrett, published in Acolytes of Cthulhu.

Keeper Dave read: The Inhabitant of the Lake, by Ramsey Campbell, and The Secret Painting of Thomas Cartwright, by W. H. Pugmire, both published in The Children of Gla’aki.

Keeper Murph read: Horns, by Joe Hill.

MUP Ep 203 – Voting with Our Dollars

keepermurph — Mon, 13 Jul 2020 11:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Keeper Murph returns from his yearly sabbatical to speak with Keepers Jon & Dave about diversity in the RPG market-space and how we can affect change by voting with our dollars. Huge thanks should be given to Jo Kriel and Dean Englehardt for recording a different episode 203 twice before that was lost due to technical issues on our side.

This episode was recorded on July 5th, 2020.

More trouble is brewing at Dark Onyx Press and DriveThruRPG as yet another employee has been accused of sexual misconduct.

Matt McElroy the operations manager at Onyx Path and an employee at DriveThruRpg had been accused of grooming, gaslighting, and abuse. This is coming just days after his predecessor, Shane DuFreest (not employed with Onyx Path), at DTRPG was accused of rape.

This is a tragedy for Jaym, the accuser. And it appears that Onyx Path is in CYA mode. They have stopped the sale of the Vampire line of books which contains art from DuFreest from the White Wolf days. And they are suspending McElroy and doing an internal investigation, while also asking him to attend sensitivity training.

In an article in GeekNative, it appears that the accuser attempted to tell Onyx Path of the abuse before going public, but it fell on deaf ears. They mention hiring a new HR manager to make sure that doesn’t happen in the future.

Needless to say, these are extremely disturbing allegations stemming from actions that should never have taken place. All of us here at MUP stand with the accusers and demand that this sort of systemic abuse, and the abusers that cause it, be removed from the hobby that we all love.

Jacym’s accusation: https://www.facebook.com/mornara/posts/10157255496355753

McElroy’s Response: https://www.facebook.com/matt.m.mcelroy/posts/10157540571638443

Fans of Berlin: The Wicked City have a resource available to them, it’s a wikipedia article with terms, concepts and ideas that are useful to understanding the political situation in the Weimar Republic.

Comic book writer (and super-cool dude), Cullen Bunn is about to write an illustrated sequel to H. P. Lovecraft’s Re-Animator. Bunn’s project is titled, “Reanimator: The External Lie.” The graphic novel is soon to be available for pre-order through IndieGoGo. The link in the show notes opens a sight for interested fans to sign up for a newsletter so they can be informed once the IndieGoGo funding site goes live.

For your quarantine listening pleasure, the nearly 3 ½ hour long BBC 4 radio drama of Steven King’s story, Salem’s Lot, is available for free on YouTube.

Indie game designer Orion D. Black (them/their), known for “plot Armor” and “Mutants in the Night” has quit Wizards of the Coast citing racism, plagiarism, and generally crap behavior on Wizard’s part. Their struggle with WotC culminated as the BLM movement forced the company to make a recent statement that they valued their employees’ diversity and will be redesigning the races within D&D to eliminate the presence of “evil races,” a move that while lauded, many say should have come about years ago.

“Then, as social unrest continued global due to BLM, the D&D team comes out with their statement. It was like a slap in the face. How much they care about people of color, how much changing things (that I and others had been pushing for months, if not longer) was just going to happen now. It took weeks of protesting across the globe to get D&D to do what people they hired have been already telling them to fix. You cannot, CANNOT say Black lives matter when you cannot respect the Black people who you exploit at 1/3rd your pay, for progressive ideas you pick apart until it’s comfortable, for your millions of profit year over year. People of color can make art and freelance, but are never hired. D&D takes what they want from marginalized people, give them scraps, and claim progress.”

Orion goes on to detail the company’s use of freelancers as diversity hires and using those people to prop up their own marketing value.

“EVERYTHING involving D&D will continue to farm marginalized people for the looks and never put them in leadership. They wont be put on staff. They will be held at arms length. I hope they prove me wrong.”

You can read Orion’s full text at the links provided in the show notes. And we at MUP have comments on this very thing in this make-up episode.

https://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1sra9pq

Jon – The 2020 ENnie nominations are out, and there are a lot of amazing products this year.

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode! (The audio actually says Max, but something came up and so I stepped it!

Discord

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of Call of Cthulhu fans.

https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

Patreon

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

We also have a bunch of new backers that we need to mention!!

Robert Sager
Eric Christensen
Ryan Douglas Macy
Weston Flippo
Patrick Groulx
Frank Delventhal
Jesse Aponte
Tim Collins

Main Topic

Diversity and voting with our dollars in today’s RPG market-space to affect change.

MUP Episode 202 – #BlackLivesMatter & Dissident Whispers

Jon Hook — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

This episode, Keepers Dave and Jon welcome guests Kat Welsford and Vi Huntsman. Kat and Vi helped create an amazing anthology of RPG adventures titled, Dissident Whispers, and they’re here to talk about that project. Enjoy!

The Old Ways Podcast

The Old Ways Podcast is a weekly Call of Cthulhu actual play “slow-burn” style radio drama where a great group serves up entertainment to you using new and published scenarios. With two seasons of material, listeners begin their journey with the investigators in 1920s Chicago, as they sink into the blood-soaked ground of Windy City horror. Season two picks up as they dive head-long into Chaosium’s legendary Masks of Nyarlathotep campaign where the investigators pull at the very threads which herald the end of days.

With more than 35 hours of available content, they’ve got you covered for all your sanity destroying quarantine needs! The Old Ways Podcast is available on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and many more! Snag the RSS Feed and never miss our Mythos Monday episode drop!

Find them on Facebook, Twitter, or deep in the Miskatonic University library’s Restricted Section desperately hunting for the right dusty occult tome!”

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is the Miskatonic University’s student newspaper. This edition was collected on June 18th, 2020.

Roleplaying giant, Wizards of the Coast, publishers of Dungeons & Dragons, has issued a statement about diversity in their game. They are modifying the types of playable characters so that certain species are not portrayed with inherent traits — orc players do not have a penalty to their intelligence, for example. The article is informative and enlightening.

It seems like fans can find similar conversations about diversity on a variety of social media platforms and websites, too. For example, Morrus’ Unofficial Tabletop RPG News site was also linked on Facebook with a robust conversation on the topic.

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias podcast and its listeners are having a virtual convention, and they’re calling it The Good Friends of Jacks-Con Elias virtual RPG convention. The Good Friends themselves will be in attendance, along with hosts of the Miskatonic University Podcast, How We Roll, Ain’t Slayed Nobody, and possibly more to come.

The convention will take place over the weekend of the 9th-12th of July 2020. People from all over the world are offering games around the clock. Game sign-ups go live on the 1st of July.

While the main focus is Call of Cthulhu, there are plenty of other games on offer, including Tales From the Loop, Dungeon Crawl Classics, Unknown Armies, Kult, and the new Alien RPG.

The planning for the event is taking place on the Good Friends Discord server, although by the time this episode goes out, we will also have details on blasphemoustomes.com. (Discord server link: https://discord.gg/5xzvNZj )

And, Chaosium has just released the 2-book volume of the new Malleous Monstrorum!!! It’s huge and amazing. The MUP hosts have all picked it up, and we look forward to diving deep into it in a later show.

The Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA) has recently held election for their officers, and Chris Spivey of Darker Hue Studios was elected to the position of Vice President! Full election results can be found here.

MUP Patreon

MUP Discord

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

Contact MUP Keepers

You can email the podcast, and give us a hearty “Go Pods!”, at mup.feedback @gmail.com.

Main Topic

Dissident Whispers is an anthology of 2-page RPG adventures for a variety of game systems. Ninety people helped contribute to the project… writers, artists, layout artists, editors, and publishers. All proceeds from the sale of Dissident Whispers goes to support the National Bail Fund Network, in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

You can show your support by buying a copy of Dissident Whispers from Tuesday Knight Games or DriveThruRPG.

MUP Episode 201 – The Silent Clowder

Jon Hook — Mon, 15 Jun 2020 11:00:41 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

This episode, Keepers Jon and Dave play a game of Call of Cthulhu! The scenario is titled “The Silent Clowder,” and it was exclusively available to backers of Goodman Games’ Kickstarter to fund Keeper Jon’s book, Age of Cthulhu #9: The Lost Expedition. Enjoy!

The Old Ways Podcast

Find them on Facebook, Twitter, or deep in the Miskatonic University library’s Restricted Section desperately hunting for the right dusty occult tome!”

The Silent Clowder

This is an unusual episode… no news, no card catalog, no listening room… just Jon and Dave as they play a quick game of Call of Cthulhu. This adventure is one of Keeper Jon’s “Isolated Investigator” adventures, designed to be played with one Keeper and one investigator.

MUP Episode 200 – Bicentennial Bonanza!

Jon Hook — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 12:00:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

This episode, the whole Keeper Krew is back! Keepers Dan, Chad, Murph, Dave, and Jon talk about everything. It goes off the rails far and wide. Enjoy!

The Old Ways Podcast

Find them on Facebook, Twitter, or deep in the Miskatonic University library’s Restricted Section desperately hunting for the right dusty occult tome!”

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is the Miskatonic University’s student newspaper. This edition was collected on May 21st, 2020.

(Former Keeper) Chad and a co-host from his mysterious past named Jason have launched HyperLab Omni, a podcast that uses Omni magazines as a lens to examine the weird, sci-fi nature of our present. Recording started more than a year ago, and about 15 episodes are already in the can. It’ll be one “season” that covers Omni issues from 1979, with all kinds of riffs on short stories, art, philosophy, science, and high weirdness. We might end up with about 20-25 episodes for the season. They run so far on average about 40 minutes. An electronic music composer from the Bay Area created an original intro theme for the show AND original underscore music that uses AI and generative processes to make freaky, spacey stuff. Check out the super weird side of Keeper Chad at HyperLabOmni.com. Sound design and music is by Nathan Moody. Visit nathanmoody.bandcamp.com to hear more from him.

Pelgrane Press just published a cool set of tables on the News page of their website that they’re calling “More Hideous Randomness.” Keepers can use the tables to generate a Mythos mystery for the investigators to explore. Don’t expect a cohesive mystery from a set of randomized tables, but they can be used to energize and kickstart the Keeper’s imagination.

Reanimator Incorporated is a graphic novel being funded on Kickstarter now. At the time of this recording, it has 26 days remaining, and it’s already fully funded, and then some. Quoting from the Kickstarter, “Based on H.P. Lovecraft’s ‘Herbert West – Reanimator’, Reanimator Incorporated: Chapter One is a complete reimagining of the original story. Taking inspiration from Lovecraft’s original text, and from Gordon’s 80s movie adaptation, this 72-page graphic novel modernises West’s machinations, whilst weaving literary mythology (Lovecraftian and beyond) into the tale. Think Reanimator meets From Beyond, with a splash of Dante’s Inferno, a dab of King’s Pet Sematary… And then some…”

No surprise, if you haven’t already heard, both Gen Con and Essen Game Fair are cancelled. The coronavirus pandemic has claimed two of the largest game conventions in the world, in addition to everything else as well.

Pelgrane Press’ YouTube channel has recently started releasing a Night’s Black Agents – Dracula Dossier actual play campaign. It has some great video quality, music, and game play.

MUP Patreon

MUP Discord

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

Contact MUP Keepers

You can email the podcast, and give us a hearty “Go Pods!”, at mup.feedback @gmail.com.

Main Topic

200 episodes, eight years of podcasting, and two ENnies later — the Miskatonic University Podcast Keepers are happy to be here so we can continue to talk about the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game, as well as other horror and other Lovecraft-related roleplaying games too. In this milestone episode it is a full crew of past and current MUP hosts. We talk about a lot of things, some of them are even relevant to the Call of Cthulhu game… some. We hope you enjoy this episode.

MUP Episode 198 – Mike Mason Through the Ages!

Jon Hook — Mon, 04 May 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

This episode, Keepers Jon, Dave and Murph talk to Chaosium’s Call of Cthulhu Line Editor, Mike Mason, about the upcoming releases from Chaosium and playing Call of Cthulhu in different time periods.

Noble Knight Games

This episode is generously sponsored by Noble Knight Games. They have the largest selection of out-of-print games in the world. Including a huge selection of Lovecraftian RPG game books. They even stock Age of Cthulhu books! If you’re collecting any of Chaosium’s new or vintage Call of Cthulhu game books, then you really need to check out Noble Knight Games.

Noble Knight Games has generously offered a special discount code for MUP listeners. If you go to their website, you can use the code NOBLETONIC for 10% off your entire order. This code is valid through 5/9/2020. During these times of actual pandemic crisis, now is a perfect time to game online with your friends. And you can get your gaming materials from Noble Knight Games at a discount!

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is the Miskatonic University’s student newspaper. This edition was collected on April 23rd, 2020.

Chaosium has released another SRD, this time for the HeroQuest system originally designed by Robin Laws, and is called QuestWorlds. The system can now be used by creators as a base for different genre packs that can be written for the base ruleset.

From the files of the “Strange but True” news desk we have discovered a Cthulhu Suncatcher is currently being funded on Kickstarter. Actually, this project is already funded, so it is going to happen. It is a sculpture of Great Cthulhu poking his head through a R’lyehian portal. It will be cast in a color-tinted resin so sunlight can pass through it. This sculpture was created by the artists of Mythos Monsters.com.

If you’re stuck at home during this time of pandemic, and you’re eager for some entertainment, then be sure to check out Chaosium’s YouTube channel, where there are several multi-part actual plays of some of their published and soon-to-be-published adventures, including A Cold Fire Within and The Dead Within.

In that same vein, be sure to also check out the Into the Darkness YouTube channel. They have an impressive catalog of Call of Cthulhu actual plays for you to choose from, including Masks of Nyarlathotep, The Two-Headed Serpent, and The Pipeline.

Just released on YouTube is the latest Investigative Roleplaying Masterclass, by Pelgrane Press’ Kenneth Hite, Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan, Cat Tobin, Ruth Tillman, and it’s moderator Robin D. Laws. They talk about how to conduct an investigative roleplay game, and it features examples from the GUMSHOE line of tabletop rpgs.

Also listen to Keeper Murph play in the Peru Chapter of Masks of Nyarlathotep on the How We Roll Podcast!

MUP Discord

Contact MUP Keepers

You can email the podcast, and give us a hearty “Go Pods!”, at mup.feedback @gmail.com.

Main Topic

Keepers Jon and Dave talk with Mike Mason about the latest Call of Cthulhu books coming soon from Chaosium and about the appeal to play Call of Cthulhu in a variety of time periods, and we use Cthulhu: Through the Ages to guide us through time itself!

MUP Episode 197 – ‘Lo That From the Dark Ages!

Jon Hook — Mon, 20 Apr 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

This episode, Keepers Jon, Dave and Murph talk to author, Chad Bowser, about the new 3rd edition of Cthulhu Dark Ages.

Noble Knight Games

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is the Miskatonic University’s student newspaper. This edition was collected on April 9th, 2020.

Reckoning of the Dead’s Matt Ryan has a brand new podcast that he’s doing with his family. Matt is running his wife and daughter through the adventures in the House of R’lyeh book as a loose campaign. His new podcast is called Reckoning of the Dead Radio, and it’s available on Spotify and iTunes. Matt’s calling his actual play episodes, “The Ryan’s in R’lyeh!”

Chaosium has released their BRP SRD. The BRP Systems Reference Document (SRD) contains guidelines for publishing content under the BRP Open-Gaming License.

The Miskatonic Repository continues to grow with some amazing content. Including, A Tableau of Red, by Helen Yau. This is an amazing modern adventure set in Barcelona. The teaser blurb for the scenario: “For the past few weeks, summer school artist Cesar Dominguez has been dreaming of a strange world. Walking through a landscape of vivid colours and patterns, his vision pulsates in time with discordant melodies and whispers. Strange moving shapes in the corner of his sight have been urging him to share his visions with others, so they too can join in the harrowing beauty.” The PDF is less than $5, and the production quality is outstanding. Check it out.

With physical conventions off the table for the moment, Pelgrane Press is cooking up a series of virtual panels over on our newly bustling YouTube channel. To kick things off Ken and Robin entered the Dreamlands of Zoom to take questions from a crew of stalwart volunteers. Now you too can watch as they nerdtrope the 100 Years War, share online RPG play tips, blackguard Joseph Campbell, praise Charles Portis, contemplate socially distant game snacks, and more.

The COVID-19 virus has impacted another convention; the Origins Game Fair has been postponed to October, and Origins Online is now scheduled for June. Fans and attendees should consult the Origins website for further details.

MUP Discord

Here is an invitation link to our Discord server: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

MUP Patreon

Contact MUP Keepers

You can email the podcast, and give us a hearty “Go Pods!”, at mup.feedback @gmail.com.

Main Topic

The Keepers talk with Chad Bowser to learn more about the new Cthulhu Dark Ages! Listen to the episode to hear all about it.

MUP Episode 196 – Failing Forward

Jon Hook — Mon, 06 Apr 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

This episode, Keepers Dave and Murph talk about what to do when things go wrong at the table.

Noble Knight Games

This episode is generously sponsored by Noble Knight Games. They have the largest selection of out-of-print games in the world. Including a huge selection of Lovecraftian RPG game books. They even stock Golden Goblin Press books! If you’re collecting any of Chaosium’s new or vintage Call of Cthulhu game books, then you really need to check out Noble Knight Games.

Noble Knight Games has generously offered a special discount code for MUP listeners. If you go to their website, you can use the code NOBLETONIC for 10% off your entire order. This code is valid through 5/9/2020. During these times of actual pandemic crisis, now is a perfect time to game online with your friends. And you can get your gaming materials from Noble Knight Games at a discount!

Campuc Crier

The Campus Crier is the Miskatonic University’s student newspaper. This edition was collected on March 26th, 2020.

These are uncertain times we live in. Many of our listeners of this show are under some form of quarantine, whether self-imposed or mandated. And all of us just wanted to reach out and remind people to try and keep in touch with people, even in a world of increasing social distancing.

Amidst all of the uneasiness and stress, remember to take care of yourselves as well. Our community as a whole has a known issue with mental illness, it is something that Keeper Murph has struggled with for decades. And we just want to remind people that are working from home for the first time, (or that have been stuck inside their houses for days on end), to not close themselves off to those people around you that are willing to listen.

If you are feeling alone and need someone to talk to reach out to someone. Anyone. Our own Discord server has a lot of nice people on it, likewise with the Good Friends of Jackson Elias’s, and many many others. Please don’t get lost inside worries and stresses and forget to take care of yourself.

So if you are already feeling alone, or worried that you might be soon, you can always email us at mup.feedback@gmail.com, or catch us on the Discord server. Someone will listen. You are not alone.

During this Coronavirus crisis, Chaosium is trying to help those who may never have played an RPG online before. So they posed on their website a guide to online gaming, and how to get started. The webpage is filled with tips and options on how you can get into online gaming if that’s something you’ve never done before.

The new 2nd edition of Chris Spivey’s Harlem Unbound is now available in PDF. This new edition expands upon the first edition with 4 new scenarios, (for a total of 7 in the book), unique investigator occupations tailored for the Harlem setting, new Mythos creatures, new pre-generated investigators that are ready to play, a random scenario generator, and guidelines on how to address racism in gaming.

With the Coronavirus pandemic keeping people indoors, Chaosium has made their Call of Cthulhu Coloring Book available as a free download. It’s filled with some really cool art that will drain your sanity as you’re coloring.

It is with great sadness that we report the death of the filmmaker and writer, Stuart Gordon. Stuart passed away Tuesday night from multiple organ failure at the age of 72. He is best known for creating the cult classics, Re-Animator and From Beyond. He will be missed.

MUP Discord

Here is an invitation link to our Discord server: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

MUP Patreon

Main Topic

We had a totally different show planned for this episode. But things happen, and things change. And given the fact that more people are cooped up and looking for entertainment, we couldn’t just cancel on you, dear listener. So we talked about what to do when things go bad while running a game or when you are playing in a game. Rather apropos, isn’t it? Listen to the episode to hear our thoughts.

MUP Episode 195 – The Julian in the Darkness

Jon Hook — Mon, 23 Mar 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

This episode Keepers Dave immerses himself into the show by asking Keepers Jon and Murph some probing questions. And Jon & Murph interview Julian Simpson, the writer and creator of the Case of Charles Dexter Ward and The Whisperer in Darkness audio programs for BBC Radio4.

Noble Knight Games

This episode is generously sponsored by Noble Knight Games. They have the largest selection of out-of-print games in the world. Including a huge selection of Lovecraftian RPG game books. They even stock Golden Goblin Press books! If you’re collecting any of Chaosium’s new or vintage Call of Cthulhu game books, then you really need to check out Noble Knight Games.

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is the Miskatonic University’s student newspaper. This edition was collected on March 9th, 2020.

Chaosium released a statement on March 5th to say that they are no longer working with Chris Spivey and Darker Hue studios on the planned Afro-Jewish Space RPG titled, Kadimah. It seems that the pair are still working together on other projects, however. Spivey’s own super-hero themed sourcebook for Pulp Cthulhu and the re-release of Harlem Unbound 2nd Ed. are still happening with Chaosium. Chaosium’s executive editor James Lowder cites the development of the Rivers of London line and the expansion of Pendragon and 7th Sea as the reasoning behind the split, and says that “Spivey is a talented designer… We hope to see his name alongside the Chaosium dragon for years to come.”

And speaking of Chris Spivey, he is one of the contributing writers on the new Dune: Adventures in the Imperium RPG coming out from Modiphius Entertainment. Like their Conan and Star Trek RPGs, Dune will utilize the 2d20 engine. Modiphius is looking to roll out the Dune RPG during the 2020 end of year holiday season, and into 2021.

Artist Sara Bardi is doing a Kickstarter for Eldritch Tarot, a complete tarot deck that features her art of the Cthulhu Mythos. I’ve actually backed this to get a physical copy because I love Sara’s artwork and these cards look fantastic!

Free League announced that they are partnering with Sophisticated Games to publish the popular One Ring roleplaying game that is set in Middle-Earth and based on the books by J.R.R. Tolkien. Francesco Nepitello, author of the game series alongside Marco Maggi, will continue as its lead designer. They also announced that they will produce a 5E iteration of the game to boot.

Quiet & Bold: Consultants Paraordinary – Comedy audio adventures from the weird worlds of 1920s American horror author H.P. Lovecraft, following the paranormal investigations of Randolph Bold, Dr. Silence Quiet and Quiet’s ever-ready housekeeper Mrs Humble, as they battle the forces of supernatural evil with mad science and occult mysticism. This audio series is available for free on YouTube and features Chris Lackey (from the H. P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast).

MUP Discord

Here is an invitation link to our Discord server: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

MUP Patreon

Main Topics

We begin with Keeper Dave asking both Keepers Murph and Jon a series of probing questions, which included:

Can I call myself an award winning podcaster?
I am not replacing Chad… or am I? Here are the ways I am like or not like Chad…
What rock band model fits my arrival
What is your favorite gaming moment?
What do you like most about this podcast?

Listen to the episode to hear our… witty?… poignant?… or just direct responses. You decide.

Interview with Julian Simpson

And, Keepers Murph and Jon had a fantastic conversation with writer/director Julian Simpson. He is a UK-based creator with an extensive range of work. But our listeners will recognize his latest podcast offerings from BBS Radio4, The Whisperer in Darkness and The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. Please listen and enjoy the interview with him.

We had asked for Julian to provide an image, so he sent this one from his antique light-bleeding Hasselbeck!

Writer/Director Julian Simpson

MUP Episode 194 – Jellyfish Shark Showdown!

Jon Hook — Mon, 09 Mar 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

This episode Keepers Murph and Dave, (along with guest Keeper Matt Wiseman, via email), judge a monster creation contest between Keeper Jon and the president of Golden Goblin Press, Oscar Rios. And Jon & Murph interview MAtt Madigan about his new Kickstarter, The Grand Tower Hotel.

Noble Knight Games

This episode is generously sponsored by Noble Knight Games. They have the largest selection of out-of-print games in the world. Including a huge selection of Lovecraftian RPG game books. They even stock Golden Goblin Press books! If you’re collecting any of Chaosium’s new or vintage Call of Cthulhu game books, then you really need to check out Noble Knight Games.

Campus Crier

This episode was recorded on February 27th, 2020.

One of Chaosium’s newest videos on their YouTube channel is of Keeper Jon doing an unboxing of the Gateways to Terror book.

Guest from last episode Ruth Tillman’s Kickstarter finished and funded at 227 backers pledged $4,029. I backed while recording the last episode, and it looks really good.

In other Kickstarter news, backers of the Cthulhu Alphabet are finally receiving their books! Jon did an unboxing video for the contributor copies for it too. These are some fantastic looking books. The Cthulhu Alphabet is filled with fun tables to spice-up your Mythos themed game, regardless of the game system.

Britannia & Beyond Kickstarter set to launch March 13th. A setting for Cthulhu Invictus detailing the province of Britannia, and the barbarian kingdoms of Caledonia and Hibernia. Main author Stuart Boon, supporting authors Oscar Rios, Jeffrey Moeller, William Adcock, Editing by Jeffrey Moeller, Art by Alberto Guerra, maps by Gregg Shipp and Alyssa Faden, layout and design by Mark Shireman, special pendants and idol by Joe Broers.

MUP Patreon

We have some backers that need to be named this episode! Fred! Chris! Scriven! Stefan!

Listening Room

Since Oscar Rios is a guest in this episode, we also have the final installment of the third season of the Glimpses into the Empire series. This episode recounts the tale of Rome’s Greatest Wife.

Interview

Jon and Murph speak with Matt Madigan about his kickstarter, The Grand Tower Hotel. For more information, visit the Kickstarter page here.

Main Topic — A Clash of Jellyfish Shark Titans!!!

This all started when a friend of Oscar’s, Justin Mansfield, (Oscar’s ancient language specialist), posted a facebook status of “I’m so tired I just read “selfish jerks” as “jellyfish sharks.” So Oscar naturally called DIBS, just in case Keeper Jon was anywhere around the internet, so he couldn’t steal the idea for one of his scenarios. And that joke became the foundation for this competition.

Each author, (Oscar and Jon), wrote a Call of Cthulhu stat-block for the Jellyfish Shark. We keep it a secret from everyone. Then, once we were done, we had Golden Goblin (and friend of the show) Bill Adcock email our monster write-ups to the judges, (Keeper Murph, Keeper Dave and guest judge Keeper Matt Wiseman), that way the judges wouldn’t know which person authored which monster. And so here we are. The judges can now talk about and rate each monster with a scale of arbitrary points, but the end result is that the judges need to vote on which one of the two monsters is the winner. At that point, the winning author will reveal himself.

There are prizes at stake too. The losing author must send the winner one signed book and send another signed book to the Extra Life RPG charity. So, now we present to you the monsters created by Oscar and Jon.

Oscar’s Jellyfish Shark

Kuragesame (coo-ah-gee-sah-meh) or Jellyfish Shark

These massive and mysterious creatures usually live deep in the sea, but can be summoned to hunt near the surface by certain spells and rituals. It is thought these creatures are servitors of The Father-Of-All-Sharks, an obscure avatar form of the Great Old One Cthulhu or The Great Old One Cthylla, the daughter of Cthulhu. The creatures have been given the name Kuragesame, Japanese for Jellyfish Shark, by a survivor of a Jellyfish Shark attack.

In appearance Kuragesame look like an enormous jellyfish, with a smooth dome like body of translucent white, blue, and pink, trailing hundreds of tentacles of varying length. The size of a large whale, the main body of the creature is seldom seen by its victims. Its name comes from the only part of its usually seen, the tips of its four specialized hunting tentacles. The Kuragesame’s hunting tentacles can be over 1000 yards in length and end in a specialize lure to attract prey. These lures are incredibly life-like and convincing, able to move and act like the animal they are designed to mimic. Typically these lures are shaped like either White Tipped or Blue Sharks, with the tentacle linking the underside of the shark shaped lure.

The Kuragesame has a very specific prey item, human beings fishing for sharks. These are typically fishermen trying to harvest the shark’s fins, for the making of Shark Fin Soup. The creature drifts into a fishing ground where such fishing vessels work, and then sends out its lures. The Kuragesame then directs its lure into the path of such ships, in an effort to get lure hauled up onto the ship’s deck by the crew for harvesting.

When the lure of the Jellyfish Shark is brought onto a ship’s deck it begins thrashing about, much like a normal shark, in an attempt to attract as many humans to it as possible. This would be done to restrain the shark so it could not hurt a crewmember or escape back into the sea. The Jellysfish Shark can see, hear, and smell everything within 100 yards of its lure. Once enough humans have gathered around the lure it quickly drops its camouflage, becomes a translucent gelatinous thing shaped like a shark, and then explodes.

Those caught in the blast radius of an exploding lure are victims of a Deadly Attack, suffering 2d10 points of damage, with an Extreme CON success reducing damage by half and avoiding paralytic effects (see below). The exploding lure covers everything in the blast radius with a sticky gelatinous substance containing an extremely powerful neurotoxic attack. The toxin causes seizures, followed by paralysis and (in the cases where the 2d10 points of damage proves fatal) occasionally death.

Anyone killed, paralyzed, or entangled by the exploding lure is then dragged overboard and down into the main body of the Kuragesame. Victims can be cut free by damaging the strands entangling them for a total of 8 points before they are dragged into the water. Victims can pull themselves free of the lure by making an Extreme STR check, by cutting themselves free (see above) or by pouring at least three cups of alcohol on the entangling tentacle (which dissolves their adhesive properties). Up to 500 SIZ points of victim can be dragged away per lure. Victims are usually dead before they are drawn into the body of the creature, either from the neurotoxins of by drowning. Victims are digested within the main body of the creature over a 36 hour period after ingestion. Victims who are poisoned but rescued before being drowned regain use of their muscles within 2D6 hours.

To drive off a Kuragesame all four of its hunting tentacles must be severed, with each having 30 HP. Once all four hunting tentacles are destroyed the creature withdraws to the ocean depth until they are re-grown, a process which takes one year. To completely destroy a Kuragesame would be difficult, because they seldom come within 50 feet of the surface. Specialized weapons, such as depth charges, weighted explosives, or spells, would likely need to be employed.

If forced to defend itself it can strike out with a pair of larger, stronger tentacles it used for locomotion, with large paddle like ends. These tentacles don’t have neurotoxin membranes but can smash, lash out, or constrict for 1D8+damange bonus points of damage. A desperate Kuragesame would not hesitate to smash a surface vessel to splinters with such attacks if it felt threatened. There are rumors of these creatures using lures shaped as Bluefin Tuna as well, but so far these are unconfirmed.

Kuragesame, The Jellyfish-Shark

char. averages rolls

STR 250 (4D6+36X5)

CON 125 (2D6+18X5)

SIZ 250 (4D6+36X5)

DEX 65 (2D6X5)

INT 80 (3D6+6X5)

POW 70 (4D6X5)

HP 37

Average Damage Bonus: +5D6

Average Build: 6

Average Magic Points: 16

Move: swimming for 6 or 24 for a short period six round period once her day.

ATTACKS

Attacks per round:

Fighting attacks: Four tentacle lures which explode for a Deadly attack.

Two large flipper tentacles 60% (30/12), damage 1D8 + Damage Bonus 1D4-2

Dodge 20% (10/5)

Armor: 2 points of rubbery gelatinous flesh.

SANITY LOSS: 0/1D8 points to see a Kuragesame

Jon’s Jellyfish Shark

It was under the sea, at first for food and later for other purposes, that they first created earth life—using available substances according to long-known methods. … When the star-headed Old Ones on this planet had synthesized their simple food forms and bred a good supply of Shoggoths, they allowed other cell groups to develop into other forms of animal and vegetable life for sundry purposes, extirpating any whose presence became troublesome.

– H. P. Lovecraft, At the Mountains of Madness

During their time when they lived under the seas, the Old Ones formed the shoggoths to facilitate their acts of creation and then they formed the jellyfish sharks to service their acts of destruction. The jellyfish shark is an enormous protoplasmic and bioluminescent creature; it has a translucent dome-like body covered in black eyespots and numerous ribbon-like tentacles trailing below it. Centered on the underside of the body dome is the creature’s razor tooth lined mouth. The sphincter-like orifice is designed to grab and pull inward anything placed within its mouth. A pair of large intestines is contained within the body dome; digested mass is broken down into its base elements and are then excreted by the jellyfish shark. A matured jellyfish shark averaged a body dome forty-five feet in diameter and crested twenty feet high in the center. The creature’s mouth was twelve feet in diameter, and the tentacles varied between sixty and eighty feet in length.

Whenever a lifeform became a nuisance, the Old Ones dispatched the jellyfish sharks to consume it. And should the lifeform exhibit a negative behavioral trait ingrained in the species cellular makeup, then the jellyfish sharks would consume that entire species to eradicate every trace of the negative trait. The jellyfish shark paralyzed its prey with a chemical shock delivered through the tentacles. Once incapacitated, the jellyfish shark can consume the prey without resistance. The creature’s razor-like teeth shred the prey as it is consumed, then the digestive system dissolves the prey and reduces it down to its essential chemical components. Those components are later ejected by the creature’s intestinal system so the Old Ones can collect them and reconstitute them into a new biological lifeform. The jellyfish shark never sleeps; it continually patrols the oceans looking for prey the Old Ones commanded should be eradicated and recycled.

SPECIAL POWERS

Spells: None.

JELLYFISH SHARK, Bioluminescent masters of extirpation

char. averages rolls

STR 262 (15D6 x5)

CON 227 (13D6 x5)

SIZ 490 (28D6 x5)

DEX 87 (5D6 x5)

INT 15 (1D6 x5)

POW 15 (1D6 x5)

HP: 71

Average Damage Bonus: +8D6

Average Build: 9

Average Magic Points: 3

Move: 7 swimming

ATTACKS

Attacks per round: 2

Fighting attacks: The bioluminescent lights within the jellyfish shark’s body dome and tentacles twinkle and glitter; this subtle strobe effect can distract prey just long enough for the jellyfish shark to get close enough to paralyze it with a tentacle. During combat, the jellyfish shark’s tentacles are lifted in a defensive posture, making it difficult for aggressors to get to close. The creature’s body dome has numerous eyespots all over the circumference of the body dome, allowing the creature to see spherically all around itself; it cannot be approached unseen.

Bioluminescent strobe (mnvr): As the jellyfish shark approaches prey, or if it is being approached, the bioluminescent lights begin to strobe. Anything viewing the strobing lights must make a successful POW roll or be mesmerized for 1D3 rounds. Mesmerized creatures cannot fight or flee; they just stare at the strobing lights. Creatures can only be mesmerized once; anyone with a successful POW roll are unaffected by the strobing lights.

Defensive posture (mnvr): With its tentacles held up protectively in a defensive posture, aggressive creatures approaching the jellyfish shark must make a Hard DEX roll to avoid the tentacles in order to make a melee attack against the jellyfish shark. Touching a defensively postured tentacle could result in paralysis. Ranged attacks do not require a successful DEX roll prior to the attack roll.

Paralyze (mnvr): The jellyfish shark secretes a powerful neurotoxin that may paralyze creatures that touch, or are touched by, its tentacles. When touched, the target creature must make a successful Hard CON roll to avoid being paralyzed for 2D3 rounds. Paralyzed creatures are unable to take any action, other than breathing, during the length of their paralysis, but the creature is conscious and fully aware of its surroundings during that time.

Fighting: 60% (30/12), damage equals damage bonus, or it can paralyze the target

Dodge: 43% (21/8)

Armor: 3-point gelatinous hide. Electrical attacks do double damage. Jellyfish sharks regenerate 2 hit points per round.

Sanity Loss: 1D6/1D20 Sanity points to see a jellyfish shark.

And the winner is…

Listen to the episode and find out!!!

MUP Episode 193 – Snake People & Black Magic

Jon Hook — Mon, 24 Feb 2020 12:00:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

This episode Keepers Murph and Jon catch up with Ruth Tillman as they discuss her Kickstarter, Snake People: A Post-Apocalyptic Story Game, and her contribution to Black Star Magic, a supplement for the Yellow King RPG.

Campus Crier

This episode was recorded on February 13th, 2020.

Free League Publishing has announced their community content program over on DriveThruRPG! So fans can now upload scenarios for Mutant: Year Zero, Coriolis: The Third Horizon, Forbidden Lands, and Symbaroum!

Pelgrane Press has released its version of the Yellow Sign into the Public Domain, allowing anyone to use it personally or commercially. You can get the Yellow Sign Image Pack, which has 17 different variations of The Sign from their website.

The first episode of the Dead of Winter Live Play event with Mike Mason as GM is now up on Youtube for those of us that missed the livestream even on Twitch.

Modiphius Entertainment has announced another RPG this time based on the popular Dishonored video game series. The 300 page core book using the 2d20 system is slated to be released in Summer of 2020.

Discord Invitation: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

MUP Patreon

We have some backers that we need to thank!

Republic of Folk Thanks so much for backing us!

And a special thanks to Professor Rondy Reeves, who is the Head of the Tobacco Studies and Smoking Department at Miskatonic University.

Graham’s Card Catalog

This week’s Card Catalog comes from Graham over on the #card-catalog channel on the Discord server! The Proper People is a YouTube channel that explores abandoned buildings and is filled with loads of creepy locations that GMs could use in their games. For the more tech savvy of you, you might be able to play particular clips of walking down hallways to your players to get them more involved.

Listening Room

This episode Mr. Tyler is back! This time to speak about his favorite Cannibalism Story! You don’t want to miss this one; download and listen to the episode now!

Main Topic

Keepers Jon and Murph catch up with Ruth Tillman to discuss her new Kickstarter, Snake People: A Post Apocalypse Story Game, and her adventure in the soon-to-be released Black Star Magic, for Pelgrane Press’ Yellow King RPG. Ruth is an amazing guest. Fans can keep up with Ruth on her website. Download the episode now!

MUP 192 – Classic Monster Mash!

Jon Hook — Mon, 10 Feb 2020 12:00:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

In this episode Keepers Murph and Jon are joined by our Discord friend, Ambermancer to talk about using classic monsters in your Lovecraftian games. This episode was recorded on January 30th, 2020.

Campus Crier

Black Star Magic! Investigators in the Yellow King RPG, from Pelgrane Press, gain the use of mind-bending spells! Playtesting is set to begin soon on the new QuickShock Gumshoe supplement. The book is said to contain 144 spells and 4 scenarios.

Close friend of the show and all around awesome guy Jason McKittrick is bringing back the Cryptocurium Inner Sanctum after five long years of laying dormant. The new offering has a preview of what is included in the three different tiers, with more info coming out on the 31st. Right now they are priced at $100, $200, & $300 dollars. And they look amazing.

Mike Mason is playtesting the new campaign from Tim Wiseman, Dead of Winter on Twitch.tv and then on YouTube starting on February 4th at 8pm. If you haven’t had a chance to watch Mike in action, then this is the spot to watch a great GM at work.

“The Dead of Winter is an epic story of intrigue, love, and horror set in 1929 across London and Russia. The strange reappearance of people long gone from the investigators’ lives precedes the arrival of two curious letters, both asking for help from unexpected sources. The investigators are drawn into a series of events taking them far from home and into the unfamiliar and potentially dangerous landscape of Soviet Russia where friends may be enemies and enemies might be friends.”

Speaking of the Chaosium YouTube channel, Mike Mason has been doing some interviews there the latest is with friends of the show and a good friends of mine, Christopher Smith Adair, Paul Fricker, and Brian Courtemanche!

This month is New Gamemaster Month! If you know someone who would like to run a game, or perhaps you yourself would like to, then there are a number of resources at the links below to help you out! The NewGmaeMasterMonth website has a series of posts that help to start and plan out your first session and each post is specifically geared towards Numenera, Unknown Armies, Trail of Cthulhu, and 7th Sea.

Monte Cook Games is releasing a horror game add-on for the new Cypher System RPG, called Stay Alive. You can pre-order the game now at their website for $44.95 and it ships in February. The art in this looks awesome, it’s Monte Cook Games written by Charles Ryan who has done writing for just about everything, and I’ve got a growing interest in the Cypher system so this looks pretty cool!

And for your meat-space games there is a new Kickstarter offering a solution to the lack of space at the gaming table. The Level Up is a raised gaming platform for miniatures that provides a 24”x36” tiled base that is lifted 6 inches from the tabletop. This project has funded already with 28 days left as of recording. It’s a novel and useful idea to provide more space and sort of acts like a shield as well.

Call of Cthulhu – the story illustrated by French artist François Baranger, available from Free League Publishing. It is an amazing collectible that is a must-have for any fan of Lovecraft or Baranger.

Discord Invitation:

Please come join the community on the MUP Discord channels: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

MUP Patreon

Graham’s Card Catalog

And in line with today’s topic, it’s Ask a Mortician! Ask a Mortician is a YouTube series that covers everything you could ever, (and maybe never), wanted to know about what happens to us after death. Aside from the purely practical information about embalming and body preparations, there is a lot of history covering death and strange murders that have involved funeral homes and funeral directors. Some of this stuff is ready made for a scenario!

Main Topic — Vampires, Zombies, and Ghosts… oh my!

Listen to the episode to hear Keeper Jon, Keeper Murph, and Keeper Amber talk about the wide range of uses for vampires, ghosts, zombies, skeletons, werewolves, and mummies.

Keeper Jon’s classic monster ideas:

Ghosts – echoes of past lives that do not directly interact with the investigators, but the investigators need to observe and interpret the ghosts to gain certain clues. As seen in the Netflix series, The Haunting of Hill House.

Vampires – the creature eats something other than blood, like salt, or emotions. A good example of a salt vampire can be seen in the classic Star Trek episode, The Man Trap. As for emotional vampires, it could be a coven of goth kids running a heron den. They feed other kids the drugs, and they “drink” the depression that flows out of them as they get high.

Zombies – a perfect example was illustrated by Lovecraft in his story, Cool Air. In it, Dr. Munoz (dead 18 years) is an intelligent undead creature, not driven to consume human flesh, but to further his life and pursuit of science.

Skeletons – they can be used as oracles and source of information, similar to the Library of Skulls in the classic Saturday morning TV show, Land of the Lost.

Werewolf – bend this classic monster to become a Mythos creature; use the lycanthropy of a human so it transforms into a dimensional shambler.

Mummy – long dead wizards with their spells written onto their wrappings. Also, since it was only a very few who were mummified, and their vital organs were removed and put into canopic jars, then they are immortal as long as at least one of their canopic jars is whole with its enclosed contents.

Listen to the episode to hear Keeper Murph’s and Keeper Amber’s recommendations.

MUP Episode 191 – The Slide Ruler of Mythos Encounters

Jon Hook — Mon, 27 Jan 2020 12:00:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

This episode Keepers Murph, Jon, & Dave talk about how you can scale encounters to fit your group of investigators.

Campus Crier

We received some exciting news from Chaosium today that a project, (believed to be dead) has risen from the depths! Cthulhu: Dark Ages 2nd Edition is coming! The new edition has been completely updated by Chad Bowser, Andi Newton, Mike Mason, & James Holloway to fit 7th Edition rules. There is a new optional Sanity mechanic to mirror the medieval mindset, rules for the oral tradition of storytelling, rules for mounted combat, spells, folk magic, a full bestiary, and a fully fleshed out Anglo-Saxon community of Totburh in England’s Severn Valley.

The book is 272 pages, 8.5×11 hardcover. The PDF will be released in February 2020, with the physical book coming out in May 2020; it will retail for $44.95!

Aint Slayed Nobody is a new actual play podcast for the Down Darker Trails flavor of Call of Cthulhu.

Stygian Fox has released the PDF for the New Tales of the Miskatonic Valley 2ed for Call of Cthulhu, and is now available for sale on DriveThruRPG. Looks great from top to bottom, and the updated maps and design really do it service.

And speaking of Stygian Fox, they have a pack available on Bundle of Holding currently. But more importantly, there is a little bit of insight into the company that is somewhat surprising that was included in the Bundle of Holding email that was sent out. Apparently Steve Turner from Britannia Game Design is “is administering the funds from this Bundle offer to help bring Stygian’s New Tales of the Miskatonic Valley and The Wild Hunt across the finish line.” Discussed on YSDC.

YSDC has started another podcast! Beyond the Vale has just one episode released as of this recording which features Paul Baldowski of Just Crunch Games about The Dee Sanction – a game of Covert Enochian Intelligence. They are releasing the show in two formats, The Outer World which is open to all, and The Inner World which is available only to YSDC Patrons.

Casting the Runes – a Gumshoe investigations based on the ghost and suspense stories of MR James – is live on KickStarter

Mystery Adventure for 5e D&D is doing smoking hot on KickStarter

Return to Dark Tower is ALSO live on KickStarter

Patreon

Main Topic — Mythos Mass Combat!

Listen to the episode to hear Keepers Jon, Murph, and Dave discuss how to scale down battles with the Mythos in your tabletop roleplaying games.

MUP Episode 190 – Modern Sokolowski of Horror!

Jon Hook — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 12:00:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

In this episode, Keepers Jon, Murph and special guest Dave Sokolowski talk about what makes modern horror modern.

Campus Crier

The recently funded Vaesen RPG has released some alpha material to backers that includes monster descriptions, plot hooks, a weakness, and a ritual, along with some new unpublished art! They have a cool section on “Horror, Mystery and Adventure” which delineates between different modes of play — it’s a cool way to clarify up front what the game will be like.

In case you didn’t realize the guys who rebooted Sherlock for the BBC have a new reboot of Dracula that has been released on Netflix in the US. The entire three-episode series is available now.

Also from the world of Kickstarter , backers for the Cthulhu 1968: Black Sun 28mm skirmish game have been given the full color PDF ruleset of the game according to their lastest post on the Kickstarter page.

Roll20 has finally has added Call of Cthulhu to their popular online virtual tabletop system. The Call of Cthulhu Keeper Bundle sells for $54.95 and includes the Rules Compendium, 2 scenario modules Crimson Letters & Amidst the Ancient Trees, and a Character Art Pack. Inside are “over 30 NPCs and monsters, tables, macros, and pre-generated characters.” It looks like there is a new CoC character sheet to go along with all that as well.

MU Discord server invite link

MUP Patreon

If you haven’t heard yet, we have redesigned our Patreon, and so far the feedback has been all positive! We are greatly appreciative of you, our listeners, and would ask that if you can please back us! Our next goal in funding will pay our worthy editors for their time! Also all backers, regardless of level will have access to the outtakes reel that we are going to put out on a special RSS feed from Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Some of the backers that we need to mention this show are….

Christopher B. – Keep a lookout for a link to Jon’s scenarios on DriveThruRPG!
Adam F.
The Farquhar

Graham’s Card Catalog

This week we’re highlighting a YouTube channel that Graham put us onto a few weeks ago. HorrorBabble is a small UK audio production company that is doing horror story readings of Mythos tales and some other obscure short stories.

Listening Room

And in the Listening Room for the first show of 2020, we have the fifth installment of The Laura Logan Files.

Modern Horror in Call of Cthulhu

The Keepers contemplate…

What makes horror “modern”? What is the difference between “modern” and “contemporary”? does it matter?
what makes “good” modern horror? What are examples of good modern horror? (RPGs, movies, books)
“bad” horror? It can’t just be about not getting a signal on your phone
what are the best places and takes on modern gaming horror? worse?

The Keepers discuss…

There’s the new podcast of Whisperer in Darkness from the same folks who did the Case of Charles Dexter Ward was a quite good modern take on Lovecraft. What is game-able from this?
New Delta Green keeps coming out — the Labyrinth from John Scott Tynes just sent out final PDF — how has it morphed through the ages to keep up?
Stygian Fox has two modern books out – what makes them award winning and good for modern horror? I think there’s a strong impulse of looking deeper into modern anxieties and mental health that have been examined before.

Examples of Modern Horror in gaming and media:

Silent Legions RPG

Don’t Fuck with Cats

West Marches style (RPG Game)

The Ritual Movie

The Autopsy of Jane Doe

John Dies at the End

Weird Detective

MUP Episode 189 – Chadey Chadey Gone Gone

Jon Hook — Mon, 30 Dec 2019 12:00:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

In the final episode of 2019, Keepers Jon, Dan, & Murph bid a fond and scathing farewell to Keeper Chad.

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is Miskatonic U’s student paper. This is where we keep all the Mythos-related news and feedback to the podcast. This episode was recorded on December 16, 2019.

Chaosium has released the fourth and last installment of their organised play campaign, Flotsam & Jetsam, for Call of Cthulhu. “On the Banks of the Ohio” has already been released to Cult of Chaos members on the BRP Central forums.

Hunters Entertainment and Paradox Interactive has teamed up for Werewolf: The Apocalypse 5th Edition. They are hoping for a 2021 release and the project will be marketed and distributed by Renegade Games.

Alien the Roleplaying Game is officially out! It looks amazing. It’s definitely worth checking out.

The Fall semester at Taylor University came to a close today, and Refractions of Glasston is now available to download for free at the Miskatonic Repository, Chaosium’s Call of Cthulhu community content resource at DriveThruRPG. Refractions of Glasston is the result of a creative collaboration between the Professional Writing department at Taylor University, Upland IN and Chaosium Inc. The creators are all students at Taylor University. Though many of the team are members of the professional writing major, this is their first foray into the world of RPG writing. With help and advice provided by Chaosium’s Mike Mason and Lynne Hardy, these writers, editors, and RPG enthusiasts set out to create a unique adventure for Call of Cthulhu fans to enjoy.

Dead Light is back, with two “unsettling” encounters on the road…DEAD LIGHT AND OTHER DARK TURNS contains two scenarios dealing with the theme of roadside adventure, along with six story seeds for the Keeper to expand and develop.

In the classic ‘Dead Light’ scenario, now revised, a chance encounter with a distressed young woman leads the investigators into the hideous aftermath of a crime gone terribly wrong. While in the brand-new ‘Saturnine Chalice’ scenario, seeking help from a nearby homeowner after their vehicle runs out of gas traps the investigators in a house where nothing is quite what it seems. Available in PDF now from Chaosium.com, with print to follow (buy the PDF direct and get the full price of the PDF off the print version when it is released)

From Arc Dream Publishing: Delta Green: The Labyrinth is now available in PDF. If you’re a Kickstarter backer, log in to your account and download your copy. If you missed the Kickstarter you can either purchase the PDF from DriveThruRPG or pre-order the hardback and receive the PDF now for free. They anticipate hardbacks to begin shipping to customers some time in January. There’s a link in the show notes to a whole newsletter with other news from Arc Dream.

Nine episodes of the The Whisperer in Darkness program on BBC are available, with Episode nine having dropped on Dec. 16.

And lastly, the Yellow King RPG which was kickstarted by Pelgrane Press is finally in the hands of backers. This new version of the Gumshoe system is called the QuickShock Gumshoe, and it looks amazing! Look for this game too.

(Chad) MU Discord server invite link

Patreon Plug

End of an era as we say good-bye to Keeper Chad!

Keepers Dan, Murph, and Jon say good-bye to their friend Keeper Chad as he moves on to dedicate more time to his writing. In addition, the Keepers field questions sent in by the listeners. A couple of fans even sent in audio clips to say farewell.

MUP Episode 188 – Audio over Kingsport

keepermurph — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 12:00:00 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is Miskatonic U’s student paper. This is where we keep all the Mythos-related news and feedback to the podcast.

Golden Goblin Press has posted a few updates. For the recently completed Lovecraft Country Holiday Collection, Oscar just wrapped up the rewrite for Christmas in Kingsport (…so topical, right?). It’s currently clocking in at more than 28,000 words, but that’ll be streamlined in edits. He also posted a picture of the open manuscript for Britannia and Beyond, which is part of the Invictus line. He’s reading it now. And all maps and interior art are in house for An Inner Darkness.
Noah Lloyd of the Reckoning of the Dead website has released a scenario for the Miskatonic Repository on DriveThru RPG. It’s called A Lark in a Cage, it’s for the Gaslight era set in London in 1895. “A family discovers that their child has been replaced by . . . something else. When the investigators take the case, they find themselves on a tour across the soot-choked streets of East London, revealing new threats to the city, wicked enemies, and even wickeder allies as they race against the clock to save the child.” I got to playtest it, and it’s a solid atmospheric and haunting scenario that’ll make you think.
The 5th issue of Blasphemous Tomes from our pals at The Good Friends of Jackson Elias is hitting the press. This is the print-only fanzine that we create for Patreon backers of The Good Friends podcast. It contains articles about RPGs, horror films and weird fiction, not to mention plenty of sanity-blasting artwork and original content for the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game. Everyone backing them via Patreon by the end of December 2019 will receive at least one copy of the Tome.
Some news from Chaosium this week! Chaosium will be developing a brand new RPG based on the Rivers of London series of urban fantasy novels by Ben Aaronovitch. The game is set to bring in the unique feel of the novels and its special department of the MET along with gods of the rivers, strange mythical beings and ghosts all set in a modern day London. Lynne Hardy will be the project lead for the development which is set to use a modified version of the BRP system to account for the series’ use of Newtonian Magic and odd beasties.
Fresh from the Unexpected News Desk, Chaosium confirms they are creating a Basic Roleplaying ruleset to be released as an OGL SRD. There are a few catches, however, mainly that games created with the SRD can’t use the Cthulhu Mythos or be used to re-create Pendragon or, presumably, any of their other properties. We have a link to the original thread on the BRP forums where Jeff Richard confirms the information in the show notes.

MU Discord server invite link

https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to SEAN for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

Graham’s Card Catalog

Graham spotted an obscure piece of California history in the form of a 1950s article on a short lived monorail that served an Epsom Salts mine between 1924 & 1926. The article is preserved on the way back machine of Archive.org.

Just because it makes sense for today’s show topic, let’s highlight a blog post from Bret Kramer from 2015 that includes a downloadable list of all the Lovecraft Country scenarios to that point. He also talks about his favorite scenarios for each of the main settings.

Main Topic

Kingsport — The City in the Mists

Kingsport is a fictional coastal town that’s featured in three of Lovecraft’s stories. The Terrible Old Man, The Festival and The Strange High House in the Mist. It’s mentioned in other stories. And other writers have used it as a setting. In Call of Cthulhu, Kevin Ross extrapolated a whole fleshed out setting and history for the town that is his own imagining. It’s important to keep in mind the distinction between Kevin Ross’s Kingsport, and a much more vague setting that’s open to interpretation and Ross’s details are not set in stone.

It’s very well established from Lovecraft’s letters that he was inspired by Marblehead, Massachusetts, though he wrote the first Kingsport story before he even visited Marblehead. When he did visit the city he described a kind of ecstatic orgasm when he saw the town in 1922. “that instant — about 4:05 to 4:10 pm., Dec. 17, 1922 — [was] the most powerful single emotional climax during my nearly forty years of existence.”

“Efficiunt Daemones, ut quae non sunt, sic tamen quasi sint, conspicienda hominibus exhibeant “
Lactantius

“They make it, the devils, that the things which are not, so far, however as they perceive them to perform.”
“Devils work so that things which are not appear to people as if they were real.”

Ross’s Kingsport starts as a colonial farming and fishing village, and involves generations of Kingsport Cult shenanigans, culminating in 1722 with a Green Flame invocation from the Congregational Church and an armed mob running them out of town.

What do you like most about the setting?
What entices you to play or run games there?
What are the big themes or characteristics you see in Kingsport that are different than Arkham or other CoC settings?
What are things you would like to see in Kingsport that would improve or expand on the setting to make it your own?
What Kingsport scenarios do you like?

Jon’s scenario — Malice Everlasting, by Oscar Rios (New Tales of the Miskatonic Valley — Miskatonic River Press — slated to be reprinted by Stygian Fox)

Chad’s: Shades of Tomorrow Lost from More Adventures in Arkham Country by Scott David Aniolowski.

Discord server invite link https://discord.gg/up4hRX

MUP Episode 187 – Cultes des Fools

keepermurph — Mon, 02 Dec 2019 12:00:00 +0000

Back us on Patreon!

We’ve made some long awaited changes to our Patreon page, which you can find here, and we humbly ask you to help us keep this show going forward! Keeper Murph will be adding Patron-only posts there, and Backers can look forward to an exclusive outtake reel of each episode. We can’t thank all of our listeners enough, backer or not, you listeners are the reason we keep going on! If you have any questions please email us at mup.feedback@gmail.com!

Campus Crier

HBO has released the “first look” trailer for their shows coming out in 2020. Included in this cornucopia of shows are some very brief snipits of Lovecraft Country, by Jordan Peele. A full trailer to advertise Lovecraft Country should be coming soon.

The 2019 Delta Green Shotgun Scenario Contest is afoot! It does wrap up soon, on December 7th, so jump in now. Entries must be set in the Delta Green-verse, and be 1500 words or less. You can submit as many Shotgun Scenarios as you want. To submit an entry, there is a link in the show notes. Go there first so you can see all the specifications, and you’ll see the email address to send them to.

The folks at HPLHS have launched a new podcast, titled “Voluminous.” This is Andrew Lehman and Sean Branney’s endeavor, to read and discuss some of HP Lovecraft’s copious personal letters. The first few episodes have dropped, and cover Lovecraft letters to August Derleth, Robert H. Barlow, and…his mom.

There’s a new zine on Kickstarter that would cover a lot of the MUP topic wheelhouse. It’s called TPK, and it’s billed as “a new zine dedicated to exploring and celebrating horror, dark fantasy and the Old School Revival movement of role playing games (OSR).” This is the work of Michael Francis of Canberra, Australia, a veteran zine publisher with titles such as the “Atomic Elbow Professional Wrestling Fanzine,” “Soda Killers” and the “Slash Dance” horror zine.

It has been a while since Haunted West closed out, but just to follow up, it finished strong with 889 backers at just under $54,000. The backerkit survey went out a few days ago, and Chris has pledged monthly updates as it progresses through production. This is the stand-alone game we talked about a few episodes, that pieces together stories of forgotten people of the Old West who have been whitewashed by history.

Modiphius is at it again playing the licensing game this time with an Agatha Christie based card game called Death on the Cards. The game for 2-6 players can and last up to 20 – 40 minutes and features many of the characters from the fiction, Miss Marple, Poirot, etc. You can get the game at their website now for $19.33 US. We have a link in the show notes.

Our own Keeper Dan sent us a link to some news that there is a Lovecraftian cinematic universe in the works. SpectreVision’s Elijah Wood and Daniel Noah are partnering with Color Out of Space director and writer Richard Stanley to create a cinematic universe based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft. Noah and Wood told ComingSoon that they’re working on an adaptation of The Dunwich Horror as a way to “build out a Lovecraft universe.”

A big thanks to our own Keeper Murph for editing this episode!

Join us on Discord! You can use the widget on the right of the home page to join or you can click this link!

Card Catalog

This episode, Graham brings us a couple of links from Project Gutenberg that could be useful for Gaslight or an Old West horror game like Haunted West or Down Darker Trails. This is an 1870 history of gambling, lots of ways to induce Investigators to lose their shirts and who knows what else (They may end up wearing barrels…). “The Gaming Table: Its Votaries & Victims, In all Times & Countries, especially in England and in France by Andrew Steinmetz, Esq (1870)

And a related link: an interesting paper on the game that was played in the Old West more often than Poker, Faro. Get ready to ‘Buck the Tiger’… http://jgi.camh.net/index.php/jgi/article/view/3724/3684

Cultes des Fools

In Call of Cthulhu, cults often fall into old familiar tropes, with robe-wearing worshipers meeting in stone circles making ritual human sacrifices. Many of these tropes come from a parody of religion from the Lovecraft era, and are caricatures of groups like the Theosophists and the hysteria of a secret “witch cult” in Europe, which turned out to be bogus. While there’s plenty of room to be creative within those tropes, let’s look outside the box a bit.

Let’s look at other groups of people who show “cultish tendencies” that we could infuse with Mythos flavor and work into games.

A Word of Caution: We are using real-world groups for villains, we should just be mindful of “other-izing” real people and trying to punch up when possible instead of punching down at groups that are already “otherized” and marginalized.

How might we look at cult-like behavior in groups that fall out of the traditional tropes, and use them for inspiration to make antagonists for games?
What kinds of unconventional “cult” groups do we already see in Call of Cthulhu’s deep back catalog? Got a favorite?

Jon’s Cults

Fallstaff Academy Preparatory School for Boys

Some of the staff within an all boy’s prep school
Boys with a high enough GPA, but also with a history of disciplinary actions
Initial threat of expulsion is leverage used to fold the boys into the cult until they’re brainwashed enough to participate voluntarily
They worship Yog-Sothoth
The goal is to groom the boys to infiltrate the highest positions in industry and politics so they can eventually herald the coming of Yog-Sothoth

Patronage of the Bloodied Thumb

Patrons of a gifted contemporary artist
The artist “signs” artwork with a red thumbprint
Artist creates art after tapping into the Mythos through her dreams
Admirers of the artist’s work, if they seem sincere enough, are approached by the other patrons to join their “circle” of support for the artist
Artist is interpreting dreams from Cthulhu

Clockmakers Guild

Collection of mechanical and science-minded people
Worship the Tick-Tock Man, an avatar of Nyarlathotep
The cultists include clockmakers, watch makers, toy makers, and inventors – anyone who uses tiny jeweler-level tools to build, fix, and invent
These cultists network with each other, but are typically isolated individuals who prefer to work alone – except for their mechanical servants and assistants
Anyone wishing to join the cult must demonstrate a high level of mechanical mastery

Nursemaid Sisterhood

Group of nursemaids, doulas, and nannies
They are strong proponents of homeopathic and natural remedies
They worship Shub Niggurath
One of the tenets of the cult is to test newborns to see if he/she qualifies to be gifted to Shub Niggurath – then a changeling is brought in to replace the newborn as the real baby is gifted to their goddess
Each cult cell is led by a “Den Mother” – the bulk of the cultists are young women – the incredibly few men in the cult serve in a laborer or maintenance capacity

Chad’s Cults

Meme theory as a way to explore cultish groups, and multi-level marketing as a vector.
1. Imagine a race like the Mi-Go, but instead of biological experiments, they are conducting sociological experiments on groups of humans.
2. They launch a multi-level marketing experiment of cultish door-to-door salespeople, with separate groups competing in the same market, each one with different “meme” traits to test recruiting capability.
Reality Shows
1. Stochastic terrorism. Just as the show runners manipulate the subculture of the show’s participants, a Mythos entity could also be pulling the strings behind the scenes.
2. Naked and Afraid, or Lost, or Abandoned, or this one that was cancelled (called Eden).
Satirical Groups
1. Political Parties “frivolous political parties.” Inanimate Objects Party.
2. Art experiments, like The Institute or the OWL Party.
Hobby/Interest group: Amateur electronics kit makers and radio operators in the 20s stumble upon a strange pirate radio broadcast and discover it’s coming from space

Murph’s Cults

Murph has a companion post that will be released to Patreon backers first, and then will be released to all listeners shortly thereafter.

Special Announcement – Keeper Chad

keeperchad — Thu, 21 Nov 2019 14:44:27 +0000

Hello MU Nation. This is a short special report to cover some podcast news. Keeper Chad has decided to step down as cohost of the show at the end of 2019. There are several reasons coming together for this decision, but a big one is he wants to redirect some of the time spent on podcast stuff into other creative projects. But fear not, Jon and Murph will continue producing the show in 2020.

Message from Chad:

Thank you to everyone in this weird and wondrous podcast community; to listeners, friends, guest hosts and people I got to meet along the way. It has been one wild ride.

MUP Episode 186 — Dateline Malleus Mike Mason

keepermurph — Wed, 20 Nov 2019 01:17:49 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

Campus Crier

Jon talked about Robert Bloch’s story, Black Bargin’, in our previous episode, which centered on a malevolent shadow — well, he has created a new spell and a new monster based on that shadow creature for Call of Cthulhu, and I call it Shade of Yog-Sothoth. It’s available now from the Miskatonic Repository.

Dave Heath has a blog, called “Dave’s Corner of the Universe,” and in a pair of recent posts he talks about the “Final Girl” movie trope. Dave’s blog talks about how to introduce a “Final Girl” occupation into your Call of Cthulhu game:

The Final Girl Trope for CoC 7e. Part 1.

Old Gods of Appalachia is a Lovecraftian horror anthology podcast. Long before anyone lived in those hills, beings of immeasurable darkness and incomprehensible madness were entombed beneath them. Old Gods of Appalachia is set in an alternate, (or shadow), Appalachia. An upside-down Appalachia, if you will. This is an anthology podcast of original weird short stories set in this alternate version of the Appalachia.

Chaosium has announced a contest for a new logo for the Cult of Chaos! They are looking for a logo that will pay homage to each of Chaosium’s current main RPG lines. The winner will be given a contract from Chaosium and a sub-license for it to be used for Cult of Chaos properties. Oh and $60. We have links in the show notes.

“Gateways to Terrors – Three Evenings of Nightmare” was just released by Chaosium. The book contains three short scenarios that were originally designed to be run as demonstration games of Call of Cthulhu. The included scenarios are: The Necropolis, by Leigh Carr, The Dead Boarder, by Todd Gardiner, and What’s in the Cellar, by me. I have a copy, and I can attest that it looks amazing! Shout out to Matt Ryan who did the maps and handouts, I know for my scenario, he did a fantastic job making them look amazing for both the Keeper and the players.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you so much to Max for editing this episode.

Graham’s Card Catalog

This episode, Graham brings us a YouTube channel called ‘Curious World‘ a tale from 2016, where he said the circumstances immediately made him think of Ithaqua.

Listening Room

The Listening Room is closed for renovation today. Sheets of newsprint have been taped to the inside of the windows, and while several undefined shadows can still be seen skulking about in an oddly flickering light, there are no sounds coming from in there. None. In fact, if you get too close to the windows, you’ll even stop hearing any sounds. Even the sound of your own breath, or the trepidatious scuffling of your feet against institutional carpeting…

Main Topic

A new edition of Malleus Monstorum – is in the works! What can Mike say about it?

2. Journalist investigators – “What aren’t all investigators journalists? Discuss.” – What are the inherent problems of a journalist investigating the Mythos? Ethics, greater good vs. suppressing information, game-rich dilemmas…

Resources: a Free Newspaper Article Generator

Ethics case studies from the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)

The ethics page for National Public Radio (NPR)

The ethics page for The New York Times

A security guide from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)

Here is a guide from the Ethical Journalism Network listing “the five principles of journalism.”

Five Principles of Journalism

3. Pacing your horror games – “Keeping on time – why directing your players is not a bad thing.”

MUP Episode 185 – Pilfering Storytime

keeperchad — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 02:23:01 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

Campus Crier

Have you guys seen The Birch on Facebook Watch yet? It’s a great horror story available exclusively on Facebook, and it’s produced in partnership with CryptTV, (who have a channel on YouTube). There are five episodes so far; each is about 18 minutes long. I like the way they are telling the story. Episode 1 introduces our main character and sets up the world she lives in. Episode 2 suddenly introduces whole new characters, (without explanation at first), but then we learn that this is the origin story of the monster. Episode 3 returns to the world of our main character, but we relive events from Episode 1, but from the antagonist’s POV… which was cool. Episode 4 is more of the monster origin, and then Episode 5 is back with our protagonist as her story advances from where we really left off with her from Episode 1. It probably sounds confusing as I describe it, but it’s plays really well on screen.

Robin D. Laws, Lynne Hardy, and Cat Tobin recently attended The Kraken convention, where they panelled the “Investigative Roleplaying Masterclass.” The panel is now available on YouTube; it’s a really great panel on structuring an investigative role playing game scenario. We highly recommend this video for anyone interested in writing an investigative adventure.

A Cold Fire Within and Berlin the Wicked City have both been released in the special leatherette edition both featuring gold stamped covers. They are available through the Chaosium website only for $90 and $95 respectively.

There is also a very favourable review of Berlin The Wicked City that has been released over on RPG.net. The conclusion sums it up: “Berlin – The Wicked city doesn’t just present a new, impossibly alluring setting for original Call of Cthulhu adventures, but comes out as a treatise on how to write sourcebook/adventure books. It is well-targeted, thoroughly researched, evocatively written, and as useful for gaming purposes as a supplement can be. It will soon rake in the awards and be hailed as a classic; there’s no doubt about it.”

Good friend of the show, and all around nice guy Dean Englehart has released the next segment in his popular Convicts and Cthulhu line called Ticket of Leave #15, Death Knells. It is written by Dean and Geoff Gillian and is available right now for free at the Cthulhu Reborn site. AuZtralia is an adventure/exploration board game by Stronghold Games for 1-4 players set in an alternate reality 1930s. Following the Restorationist war, the northern hemisphere lands lay poisoned and starvation was the norm. Intrepid adventurers set out to explore and settle new lands. Little did they know, after the war, the surviving Old Ones and their remaining loyal human armies made their way to the outback of Australia to lick their wounds. Riches from the land, mixed with darkness and insanity await you in the outback. Will humanity prevail or will the Old Ones wreak their revenge?

MU Discord server invite link >>

And thank you so much to Sean for editing this episode! (Not Max, as we say repeatedly during the episode. Thanks to Max for editing other episodes that are not this episode.)

Random Crier mentions

Field Gun Competitions

Graham’s Card Catalog

Spotted an episode of the ‘Small Arms of WWI’ YouTube series you might like to watch. It covers the first semi-automatic rifle to enter full military service. Quite the ‘steampunk’ gadget, goes into the background and how the rush nature of the design limited it to only being handed out to those best able to use/look after them. Although if pre-war plans had worked out you would have seen the classic 19thC ‘two lines of infantry’ using these things. And it looks like the designers of the Garand rifle might have copied from this… Here is the link to the episode:

Listening Room

And now we’re back in the Listening Room with a further installment of Mr. Tyler’s after school gaming club…lecture and powerpoint presentation. This afternoon, he’s got some more scenarios ideas spurred from Cthulhu Wars – this time covering a certain…tittering rodentia.

Topic

Mining Short Stories for Scenario Ideas

Chad — I Am the Doorway, by Stephen King

It was first published in the March 1971 issue of Cavalier magazine, but I found it in Stephen King’s 1978 short story collection “Night Shift.”

The story opens with Arthur, the narrator, sitting on a porch talking nervously with his friend about something mysterious involving a body. We know he uses a wheelchair and that his hands are bandaged and itching. It turns out he is a former astronaut, and he recounts his two-person mission to observe Venus from orbit. There was an accident on re-entry that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Then we learn that his hands are bandaged to cover up eyeballs that broke out on his fingers a while after the mission. And those eyes seem to be the remote organs of an alien species, probably from Venus, that are observing Earth through his eyeball hands. He also sees through their eyes a bit when the bandages are off. Because of that, he knows that they view humans as horrifying monstrosities which they fear and hate intensely. Then the aliens take control of his body and cause him to kill a boy by exploding his head with alien powers. He buries the body, but when he goes with his porch-friend to dig it up, it has been moved. Through Arthur, the aliens summon a storm and kill his friend with a bolt of lightning. To try to get his humanity back, Arthur douses his hands in kerosene and sets them on fire. He lives, gets prosthetic hands and the alien presence goes away for seven years. But then the eyes appear again in a circle on his chest, and the story ends with him about to kill himself with a shotgun.

Jon — Black Bargain, by Robert Bloch

Summary — A man desperate for wealth and power conducts a ritual to make a pact with an unnamed entity. The price for his wish is that the man would have one rival for his accumulated wealth and power. That rival turns out to be his living shadow. The shadow eventually swaps lives with the man.

The story was originally published in Weird Tales, May 1942 (vol.36, no.5). My copy of the story is in a Bloch anthology of short stories titled, The Living Demons.

Murph — The Pool, by Daphne du Maurier

Scenario Seeds From The Pool

Sound Credits

deep bass rtkrb1 4.wav by ERH | License: Attribution Noncommercial
Climactic Boom.wav by lagomen | License: Attribution
Amen Break F (180 BPM) (16 BARS) by Kevcio | License: Creative Commons 0
Cold_3.wav by Flick3r | License: Attribution
Subby Kick.wav by Walter_Odington | License: Creative Commons 0

MUP Episode 184 – Ooky-Spooky Halloweeny!!!

Jon Hook — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 16:39:18 +0000

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is where we keep all the mythos related news and info for the podcast, this episode was recorded on August 16, 2021.

And finally, it is with great sadness that we have to say a final goodbye to RPG Legend Steve Perrin, who passed away earlier this month. Goodbye Steve, safe travels.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogvale-and-farewell-steve-perrin-1946-2021/

The Discord Plug

We have our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you beaucoup to Murph for editing this episode.

Patreon Plug

We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

One new backer!

Brolin Graham

Just a reminder, we’re offering Patreon Backers a sneak peek into future episode guests! Back us for an opportunity to ask your favorite creators in the TTRPG circuit your questions!

And you can also help out the show by buying some merch from our Teepublic store!

Thanks to our backers so much for supporting the show!!

Recent Gaming

Bridgett – Pale Rider Playtest 2

MepaCon Man’s Best Friend by Jazmin Ospa

Main Topic

We create a monster from scratch!

The Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is Miskatonic U’s student paper. Here’s where we go through Mythos related news and feedback to the podcast.

Check out Keeper Jon on the Into The Darkness video podcast on YouTube as they play The Shadow Over Providence, a new scenario published by Chaosium, written by Keeper Jon to celebrate the Necronomicon 2019 convention. The series of videos is only three episodes long. The first two episodes are already available on YouTube, with the third and final episode coming very soon.

Ep. 01: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-TOd08syBo&list=PLJQ7JbI3-ZhI7EllbO7gv8bYb0kJndVDa

Ep. 02: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwB9PJ2hV3w&t=2s

Chris Spivey’s Haunted West Kickstarter has been wrastling up the stretch goals after meeting its 10,000 dollar goal in less than three hours. It has pushed past the 35,000 mark at the time of recording, which means our own Charles Gerard will be writing that Mythos chapter add-on that we mentioned last show.

On October 10th, Chaosium released The Lightless Beacon for Call of Cthulhu, a short introductory scenario by Leigh Carr with Lynne Hardy for their We Are All Us campaign in remembrance of Greg Stafford. You can check out this and the other free scenarios released for the campaign on their website.

The Lovecraft Country Holiday Collection from golden Goblin Press almost doubled its funding goal by the time it closed out for a total of more than 22,500 dollars. It knocked down nine out of ten stretch goals, including more scenarios, more art, more maps, more stuff. It’s closed now so you can’t have any of that. But if you didn’t back it, keep your eyes peeled for this book to reach book racks of various kinds soon.

Stygian Fox put out a pack of maps for Lovecraft Country that bears checking out. It includes interesting stuff like a poverty map of Arkham, and maps of all the classic Lovecraft Country settings plus some less covered sections.

This October, Bret Kramer is doing what he is calling “Book-tober.” For the month of October he is featuring one short horror* story that has influenced him in some way, wherein he talks about his relationship to the story, how it impacted him, what others have said regarding the story, and links to the story itself (for reading and adaptations of it) so readers can experience it for themselves.

Welcome to Book-tober!

Chaosium’s “Cthulhuween” “Julia, our ‘merc of merch’, has just declared the month of October as Cthulhuween. She’ll be adding a new piece of haunting artwork from Chaosium’s Call of Cthulhu RPG line to the Chaosium Redbubble merchandise store every day this month. Check them out for wall-art, clothing, home decor, and more!”

The second installment of the Flotsom & Jetsom Organized Play scenario was released by Chaosium today. It is called “Inheritance;” it is written by Matthew Dawkins and it is available now for download from the Cult of Chaos forums in the BRP Central forums.

MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

Trick or Treat, by Scott David Aniolowski

Listen to the episode to hear Keeper Murph, Keeper Chad, and Keeper Jon discuss way to run this amazing scenario at your table during the spookiest time of the year. And, to help run the scenario with the current Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition rules, we asked Chaosium for permission to write-up and give to you, the listener, updated 7th Edition write-ups of the monsters, investigators, and spells.

“Trick or Treat” scenario and characters copyright 1990 Chaosium Inc., all rights reserved, used with permission.” You can purchase a PDF copy of Blood Brothers from Chaosium’s website: https://www.chaosium.com/blood-brothers-pdf/

7th Edition Conversion Notes

~ When the investigators attempt to bash-in the closet door in Jeremy Wolfe’s apartment, a Hard STR roll successfully breaks down the door.

~ The Sanity loss for the discovery of the extended family members seems high. Keepers might consider reducing those losses to 1/1D3, but keep the Sanity losses dictated for the discovery of the investigator’s friends who have been murdered by the scarecrow.

~ The discovery of Tierney’s car should not be a whole series of rolls. Have a Group Luck roll — with any failed roll, it takes 3 hours to find the car; with a standard success, it takes 2 hours to find the car; with a hard success, it takes 1 hour to find the car; and with an extreme success, it takes 30 minutes to find the car.

~ The Keeper may consider making any one or two of the pre-gen investigators Wiccan characters who know spells. As the pre-gen characters are originally presented, only one character is a Wiccan who knows spells. This might be difficult if the game has less than six players, and that investigator is not used in the game.

The Oak Tree

STR 200 CON 1000 SIZ 300 POW 150

HP 130 MP 30 DB +5D6

Weapons: Branches & Roots 40%, 1D6 striking or piercing

Entangling Mnvr: 25% to entangle with roots and vines, crushing victim on subsequent round for 5D6 damage. Entangled victims need an Extreme STR roll to escape, each person helping adds on Bonus Die, for a maximum of two bonus dice. Once a victim is dead, the tree hurls the corpse at the other investigators.

Armor: 2 pts of thick bark

Animated Corpses

	STR	CON	SIZ	DEX	POW	HP	DB	Sex	Archetype
1	70	60	65	30	5	12	1D4	M	Salesman
2	60	70	60	35	5	13	0	F	Housewife
3	75	60	80	40	5	14	1D4	M	Farmhand
4	65	70	65	45	5	13	1D4	M	Hobo
5	75	65	65	25	5	13	1D4	F	Teacher
6	60	50	50	45	5	10	0	M	Pastor
7	90	75	85	20	5	16	1D6	M	Mechanic
8	70	65	70	35	5	13	1D4	F	Reporter

Move: 6 (each)

Weapons: Maul (tooth & nail) 35%, 1D3+1 + DB damage

Remember the Outnumbered rule on pg.108 of the Keeper’s Handbook

The Scarecrow

STR 100 CON 75 DEX 30 SIZ 95 INT 80 POW 180

HP 17 MP 36 DB +1D6 Move 5

Weapons: Claws 60%, 1D6 + DB damage; Scythe 45%, 2D6 + DB damage

Armor: 1 pt. of hard wood. Impaling weapons do minimal damage, and fire causes only 2 pts of damage per round while the scarecrow has magic points available. If the scarecrow’s magic points fall to zero, then it can be harmed normally by weapons. Magic always does normal magic damage.

Spells: Bring Pestilence, Call Lightning, Command Plant, Control Elements, Create Storm, Enchant Scarecrow, Implant Fear, and Nightmare

SAN Loss: 0/1D8

Karyn Basianti, Veterinarian (27)

STR 25 CON 65 SIZ 40 DEX 65 APP 75

INT 90 POW 75 EDU 90 SAN 75 LUCK (3D6)

HP 10 MP 15 DB -1 Build -1 Move 8

Fighting (Brawl) 25% (12/5), Dodge 32% (16/6)

Firearms (Pistol) 35% (17/7)

Skills: Charm 40% (20/8), Credit Rating 25% (12/5), Fast Talk 25% (12/5), First Aid 50% (25/10), Library Use 30% (15/6), Medicine 65% (32/13), Other Language (Latin) 35% (17/7), Ride 25% (12/5), Science (Pharmacy) 35% (17/7), Science (Zoology) 50% (25/10)

Weapons: .45 Revolver (1D10+2 dmg)

Quote: “Make my day.”

Karyn is a quiet woman, although known for her sharp wit when provoked. She is very intelligent and her love for all animals prevents her from harming or being part of any harmful acts to animals. While small and quiet, she does know how to use a rather powerful weapon!

Alek Burnett, Artist (20)

STR 40 CON 85 SIZ 45 DEX 75 APP 80

INT 80 POW 65 EDU 70 SAN 65 LUCK (3D6)

HP 13 MP 13 DB 0 Build 0 Move 8

Fighting (Brawl) 55% (27/11), Dodge 40% (20/8)

Firearms (Pistol) 20% (10/4)

Skills: Anthropology 10% (5/2), Art/Craft (Draw) 55% (27/11), Art/Craft (Paint) 45% (22/9), Art/Craft (Photography) 40% (20/8), Drive Auto 20% (10/4), Fast Talk 60% (30/12), History 25% (12/5), Library Use 30% (15/6), Listen 35% (17/7), Navigate 20% (17/7), Mechanical Repair 25% (12/5), Occult 40% (20/8), Sleight of Hand 25% (12/5), Stealth 20% (10/4)

Weapons: .22 Revolver (1D6 dmg); Pocketknife (1D3 + DB dmg)

Quote: “You think this is some kind of Halloween costume? This is a way of life!”

Alek is a talented and creative artist. He often has realistic and bizarre dreams on which he bases much of his work. These dreams are psychic or precognitive at times. He is moody and while small, he does not run from trouble and can, (at times), be antagonistic. He dabbles in the occult. Alek is known for his auto mishaps! Jeromy Wolfe was a very close friend. Alek tries to make a statement in the way he dresses and wears his hair – he is seldom seen without his pin and stud-covered leather coat and his black hair is often spiked up and colored with streaks of white.

Tim Coniff, Doctor (30)

STR 65 CON 70 SIZ 80 DEX 50 APP 65

INT 75 POW 70 EDU 90 SAN 65 LUCK (3D6)

HP 15 MP 14 DB +1D4 Build 1 Move 7

Fighting (Brawl) 45% (22/9), Dodge 25% (12/5)

Firearms (Pistol) 25% (12/5)

Skills: Credit Rating 50% (25/10), First Aid 50% (25/10), Law 20% (10/4), Medicine 60% (30/12), Occult 20% (10/4), Other Language (Latin) 30% (15/6), Psychoanalysis 30% (15/6), Psychology 40% (20/8), Science (Astronomy) 10% (5/2), Science (Chemistry) 10% (5/2), Science (Pharmacy) 30% (15/6), Spot Hidden 30% (15/6)

Weapons: Scalpel (1D3 + DB dmg); .32 Automatic Pistol (1D8 dmg)

Quote: “This won’t hurt a bit.”

Tim is a good-natured soul who goes to any length to help people. He is reserved and unobtrusive by nature and sometimes awkward around strangers, not being a really social person. He is a very good young doctor. His best friend is Nathan Hennings, and the unlikely pair spend a great deal of time together.

Nathan Hennings, Dilettante (25)

STR 80 CON 80 SIZ 65 DEX 65 APP 70

INT 80 POW 70 EDU 70 SAN 70 LUCK (3D6)

HP 14 MP 14 DB +1D4 Build 1 Move 8

Fighting (Brawl) 55% (27/11), Dodge 32% (16/6)

Firearms (Rifle) 45% (22/9)

Skills: Climb 75% (37/15), Credit Rating 65% (32/13), Drive Auto 60% (30/12), Listen 30% (15/6), Navigate 15% (7/3), Other Language (Any) 10% (5/2), Persuade 15% (7/3), Pilot (Sm. Aircraft) 60% (30/12), Science (Archeology) 20% (10/4), Science (Botany) 20% (10/4), Spot Hidden 30% (15/6), Swim 30% (15/6), Track 50% (25/10)

Weapons: 30-06 Bolt Action Rifle (2D6+4 dmg)

Quote: “Did I ever tell you about the time…”

Nathan is very good-natured and friendly, and always has some tall tale to tell. He seems to know a little about almost everything. He is active, a survivalist and adventurer. Everyone likes Nathan, even with his endless bits of trivial information and fabulous stories. He owns a small plane which he keeps at a private airfield a few miles south of Lockport.

Michael Sardonski, Author (38)

STR 70 CON 85 SIZ 60 DEX 75 APP 55

INT 85 POW 60 EDU 80 SAN 60 LUCK (3D6)

HP 14 MP 12 DB +1D4 Build 1 Move 9

Fighting (Brawl) 25% (12/5), Dodge 37% (18/7)

Firearms (Shotgun) 35% (17/7)

Skills: Drive Auto 35% (17/7), First Aid 35% (17/7), History 40% (20/8), Library Use 45% (22/9), Mechanical Repair 30% (15/6), Occult 65% (32/13), Other Language (Gaelic) 30% (15/6), Other Language (Ogham) 25% (12/5), Psychology 45% (22/9), Spot Hidden 35% (17/7), Stealth 20% (10/4), Track 20% (10/4)

Weapons: 12-Gauge Shotgun (4D6/2D6/1D6 dmg); Wood Axe (1D8+2 + DB dmg)

Quote: “Wait a minute, why do you want me to drive?”

Michael is a talented writer who has had several horror novels published by a small firm in California. He is friendly and a good person but known for his pessimism and paranoia. He is a team player, but ultimately looks out for number one. He has a very sharp wit and a cutting sense of humor. Although close friends, he and Karyn Basanti would appear to be arch enemies – they continually throw barbs and insults back and forth… all in fun, of course!

David Scott, Chef (28)

STR 75 CON 80 SIZ 80 DEX 50 APP 65

INT 75 POW 80 EDU 70 SAN 80 LUCK (3D6)

HP 16 MP 16 DB +1D4 Build 1 Move 7

Phobia: Acrophobia – Fear of Heights

Fighting (Brawl) 30% (15/6), Dodge 25% (12/5)

Firearms (Pistol) 25% (12/5)

Skills: Accounting 15% (7/3), Art/Craft (Cook) 80% (40/16), Drive Auto 25% (12/5), First Aid 35% (17/7), Listen 30% (15/6), Occult 50% (25/10), Other Language (French) 50% (25/10), Persuade 25% (12/5), Spot Hidden 30% (15/6), Stealth 15% (7/3)

Weapons: .38 Revolver (1D10 dmg); Butcher Knife (1D6 + DB dmg)

Spells: Cast Circle, Chant of Thoth, Command Animal (Bird), Healing, Levitate, Power Chant

Quote: “What’s the point?”

David is friendly, yet very moody, known for his sudden and unexplained mood swings. He has a very dry sense of humor and a quick wit. He is a Wiccan – a modern witch, although only Alek Burnett knows this as he keeps that part of his life very private. While large and relatively strong, he would be the first to avoid violence. He is afraid of heights, although flying does not bother him. His best friend is Alek, to whom he is teaching Wicca.

Spells

Other than Enchant Scarecrow, all of the other spells in this adventure can be found in The Grand Grimoire of the Cthulhu Mythos, which is also available from Chaosium’s website: https://www.chaosium.com/the-grand-grimoire-of-cthulhu-mythos-magic-pdf/

Enchant Scarecrow

Cost: 5 magic points; 1D8 Sanity points

Casting time: 30 minutes

This spell creates a living scarecrow that can follow complex commands. Such enchanted creatures slowly amble with a speed of Move 5. They have limited INT and POW but are strong and menacing servants. The animated scarecrow has 1 point of POW, 1D4 INT, 2D6 DEX, 3D6 CON, and 3D6+3 STR and SIZ, and it obeys the spell caster totally until destroyed.

Deeper magic: This spell can also be used to prepare the scarecrow to host a human soul after mortal death. The caster must expend 10 magic points, 5 POW, and 1D8 Sanity points, and it takes two hours to complete the ritual. Once completed, the enchanted scarecrow becomes animated and functions exactly like the standard version of this spell until the caster dies. Upon the caster’s death, his soul is transferred to the prepared scarecrow. An enchanted scarecrow with a human soul retains the INT and POW values from the caster’s human body, but all of the scarecrow’s physical attributes remain unchanged.

Alternate names: The Knight of Samhain, All Hallows Eve Sentry, Hellfire Guardian

MUP Episode 183 – Chris Spivey, Haunted West, and Puppies of Tindalos

keeperchad — Mon, 07 Oct 2019 14:11:32 +0000

Discord server invite link >>

Campus Crier

Berlin the Wicked City is available now in hardback direct from Chaosium – stock is now available warehouses in the US, UK, and Australia. You can read a blog post on David Larkins about the making of this book and what it meant via a link to the Sir Larkins site.

The latest Call of Cthulhu Organized Play campaign has been launched; it is called Flotsam & Jetsam. If you’re a member of Chaosium’s Cult of Chaos, you can download it now and run it for your players.

Congrats to friend of the show, Christopher Smith Adair as the Pulp Cthulhu campaign, A Cold Fire Within has been released in hardcover! We have links available in the show notes.

Darker Hue Studios also has a Discord server! The invite link is here >>

And thank you so much to Edwin for editing this episode!

Topic

This episode we speak with Chris Spivey about several projects in the pipeline, including:

Haunted West, a Historical Weird West RPG Corebook

Scion: Masks of the Mythos

Harlem Unbound, Second Edition

Free Harlem Unbound Char Sheets >>

Superhero campaign for Pulp Cthulhu (which Dan and Chad play tested) – interview on ENworld

Dr. Who, from Cubicle 7

The art of Jabari Weathers…

http://jmwillustration.com/

Hounds of Tindalos

Original story by Frank Belknap Long here >>

Read about Randonauts here…

https://theoutline.com/post/7881/i-became-a-randonaut-to-try-to-glitch-the-simulation-and-all-i-got-was-a-bottle-of-pee?zd=1&zi=wincnczj

MUP Episode 182 – NecronomiQuiz – The Recap Show

keeperchad — Mon, 23 Sep 2019 14:26:38 +0000

This episode, Jon and Murph talk with Oscar Rios about his Kickstarter for a book focused on holidays in Lovecraft Country, and together they each recap highlights of their time at NecronomiCon 2019. This episode was recorded on September 12, 2019.

Discord server invite link >>

Campus Crier

October 10th marks the 1 year anniversary of Chaosium’s Greg Stafford passing. And to honor him they are asking people to play a game in his memory in the month of October. To that effect, Chaosium will be releasing a free scenario for each of the main RPGs in their catalog on October 10th (CoC, Runequest, Pendragon, 7th Sea, and HeroQuest).

Big updates were announced on Chaosium’s Central Asia game, Children of Fear. Lynne Hardy posted on the Chaosium website that “all the art, maps, and handouts are in progress, and the final stages of editing are almost finished.” She has also re-confirmed the mid-2020 release date. The post also includes sneak previews of the art that will be in the book, and it looks really, really good. Link in the show notes.

The new addition of Masks of Nyarlathotep has won at DragonCon this year, bringing home a Dragon Award for Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Miniatures/Collectible Card/Role Playing Game. Congratulations to Chaosium!

Chris Spivey took to Twitter on 2nd of September to announce that The Haunted West kickstarter will be going live in October. You might well remember that this is a Weird Western RPG that uses a new system developed in house at Darker Hue. And just like Harlem Unbound it “features people of color as protagonists… [highlighting] the people of color who are often overlooked in stories about the Old West.”

Big news! Haunted West Kickstarter: October 2019. #gaming #ttrpg #diversity #oldwest Sign up to get all sneak peeks here: https://t.co/EBkGU3c3rA pic.twitter.com/jaHsWeS8t9
— Chris Spivey (Darker Hue Studios) (@Darker_Hue) September 2, 2019

Hypergraphia #2 is now available! This is a digital fanzine of dark horror gaming for multiple systems including Call of Cthulhu and Cthulhu Dark. This issue covers “the use of doorways, portals, and gates in your horror games. We bring you a plethora of NPCs, artifacts, and scenario seeds about entries, thresholds, and openings. Included is Goodcliffe, a short Cthulhu Dark scenario, wherein your players will plumb the depths of a depressingly dismal mine. Contributions from members of the Miskatonic University Podcast, Skype of Cthulhu, Weird Works, and Squamous Studios.

The second issue of another Mythos fanzine, Bayt al Azif, has been released on DrivethruRPG. Within you will find:

3 adventures dual-statted for CoC 7 & GUMSHOE
An overview of every Cthulhu Mythos RPG release of 2018
A review of the history of Masks of Nyarlathotep
An interview with Lynne Hardy
And much more!

More news from Chaosium as they deal with the fallout of Critical Roll’s Shadow of the Crystal Palace’s detrimental impact on their North American supplier. They have announced that anyone ordering a physical product from them in the month of August will have a choice between a free PDF of Alone Against the Dark, or a $10 coupon if your order was over $20. The nice thing is that offer applies to anyone globally, even those unaffected by the North American shipper.

Mysterious Creatures Field Guide by Eli Libson — This is an amazing book of fantastic fantasy creatures with awesome painted illustrations of each creature. It feels like the Wayne Barlow book of alien creatures. This would be perfect to populate the Dreamlands with these creatures.

Topic

This episode we speak with Oscar Rios about his latest KickStarter, The Lovecraft Country Holiday Collection.

And we have a NecronomiCon 2019 Recap in a slightly different format from the ones of the past.

MUP Episode 181 – PODCASTING CAGE MATCH! Live Show at NecronomiCon with Some Good Friends!

keeperchad — Mon, 09 Sep 2019 13:00:21 +0000

This episode is our 2019 NecronmiCon live show in Providence, when The Miskatonic University Podcast and The Good Friends of Jackson Elias girded for a battle royale that will pit Host vs. Host in a “lightning debate” format over a passel of divisive topics. Hosts: Charles “Keeper Chad” Gerard, Scott Dorward, Paul Fricker, Jon Hook, Brian “Murph” Murphy, and Matt Sanderson. This episode was recorded on August 23, 2019. WARNING: This episode contains explicit language, and nothing was bleeped.

Discord server invite link >>

Topics

MUP and the Good Friends of Jackson Elias convened at NecronomiCon in Providence on August 23, 2019 for the second combined live show after the inaugural in 2017. We decided to try a “lightning debate” format, and after gathering suggestions from listeners and brainstorming for a few weeks, landed on some very silly prompts to tussle over. Sadly, Keeper Dan was not present. But stay tuned for a rousing audience-generated “thank you” to the MUP mastermind.

“Lovecraft’s stories would make terrible Call of Cthulhu scenarios.”
FOR: Chad, Jon, Matt…and Murph as an accidental turncoat.
AGAINST: Scott, and…Mike Mason as pinch hitter.
Paul serves as referee.

“Sometimes, you just have to fudge dice rolls.”
FOR: Murph, Matt.
AGAINST: Chad, Scott and Paul.
Jon serves as referee.

“An Army of Deep Ones would beat an army of Mi-Go.”
FOR: Paul, Scott
AGAINST: Jon, Murph, Matt
Chad serves as referee.

“Historical scenarios are better than modern or contemporary scenarios.”
FOR: Matt, Jon
AGAINST: Scott, Paul, Murph
Jon serves as referee.

Audience-suggested topic #1: Professor Armitage, hero or villain?
HERO: Paul, Jon
VILLAIN: Matt, Chad, Scott

Audience-suggested topic #2: Wilbur Whately vs. Harry Potter?
POTTER: Matt, Scott, Murph, Paul
WILBUR: Chad

“August Derleth was the best thing to happen to the Cthulhu Mythos.”
FOR: Matt, Jon, Murph
AGAINST: Scott, Chad
Paul serves as referee.

MUP Episode 180 – TV Horrors in Spaaaace

keeperchad — Tue, 27 Aug 2019 03:48:26 +0000

This episode, all four hosts are back for a rare quorum, and we’re taking sci-fi tv shows and Mythosifying them. This episode was recorded on August 15, 2019.

This is our brief-brief-brief pre-NecronomiCon episode, before we get together in Providence.

A big thank you goes to Golden Goblin Press for sponsoring this episode!

Campus Crier

First thing – a huge thank you to Murph for a Herculean and almost Sisyphean effort to revamp, redesign, spackle and patch the MU forums as well as the website. This was a huge rabbit warren of tasks that started with a barrage of spam posts on the forum, too many details to list here, but we’re talking about full days of work to get us up and running again as well as updated, secure and pretty. Thank you, Murph.

Chaosium has announced the release of Flotsam and Jetsam, a new four part series of scenarios for the CoC Organized Play Campaign. The scenarios will be released monthly to Keepers of the Cult of Chaos. Friends of the show Brian Courtemanche and Anthony Lee-Dudley are the authors of the first and fourth scenarios respectively, Congratulations to them both.

WEIRD TALES IS BACK! The magazine that never dies has returned — with Bram Stoker Award-winner Jonathan Maberry leading the way as Editorial Director. You can find more info at their website.

Chaosium’s Masks of Nyarlathotep has been nominated in the 2019 Dragon Awards in the Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Miniatures / Collectible Card / Role-Playing Game category. Check out the link in the show notes for voting details.

By the way, the video for the ENnies award ceremony is back up now.

Discord server invite link >>

And thank you so much to Edwin for editing this episode.

Sponsor

Thanks to Golden Goblin Press for their sponsorship this episode. We appreciate it!

Listening Room

This time, Oscarious Tabularis brings us the fourth installment of this season’s Glimpses Into the Empire. This one is called “A Haunting in Athens.”

Topic

“A “riff” of our own on Space Horror settings. We take sci fi movies or books or TV and turn them into space horror. We gave a time limit of 4 minutes. Chad failed to meet that utterly.

Chad – Lost in Space

Jon – TOS Star Trek

Murf – StarGate-SGU

Dan – Space: 1999

Space 1999’s Top 10 Scariest Moments

MUP Episode 179 – I Cast Summon Scenario

keeperchad — Mon, 12 Aug 2019 18:50:43 +0000

This episode, Chad, Dan and Murph are casting spells to conjure scenarios. A big thank you to Golden Goblin Press for sponsoring this episode! This episode was recorded on August 1st, 2019.

Campus Crier

Correction one. Some foreign correspondents have expense accounts. Vanishingly smaller numbers over the last few decades, but yes, it is a thing. On big stories, normally you get a budget for reimbursement, and it’s usually paltry, and you have to show receipts for everything, even when you are a full-time correspondents. It has been like that for a very long time.
Correction two. Listen. Vampires are horror. Yes. No argument there.

Choose Cthulhu – from Sans Detour…
So last year Chaosium said the French company Sands Detour was was extremely late in payment of royalty fees for their licensed material. Chaosium decided not renew their Call of Cthulhu license. They ended their relationship with Chaosium on a sour note, with two large books owed to Kickstarter backers. The deal struck with Chaosium allowed them to finish fulfillment of those KS’ers, but thereafter revoked their right to make licensed CoC material. But recently they announced that they were about to launch another KS for a brand new Cthulhu-related product under a system-free set of game books. They have been told by Chaosium that the latter believe this new KS is a breach of Chaosium IP.

Critical Roll has started their Call of Cthulhu campaign Shadow of the Crystal Palace and after just 24 hours, it has almost 240,000 views! This is a pivotal moment for CoC and it comes in just days after a report from Roll20 that lists Call of Cthulhu as the third most played system on their platform behind Dungeons and Dragons and Pathfinder. So congratulations Chaosium!

Discord server invite link >>

And thank you so much to Chad for editing this episode.

SPONSOR

Thanks to Golden Goblin Press for their sponsorship this episode. We appreciate it. And congratulations to the whole GGP team for your ENnies Award!

Listening Room

Oscarious Tabularis brings us the third installment of this season’s Glimpses Into the Empire. This one is called “People are Strange.”

More info on Pliny the Elder on Blurry Photos >>

Mr. Tyler is finally out of detention hall, and this time he’s launched an after school gaming club that’s a little short on budget, but long on bloviate.

How to Play Cthulhu Wars – by Geek and Sundry

Hey, by the way Bret Kramer mentioned that the magic book in Mr Tyler’s segment last time was released in a critical academic edition by Dan Harms. Bret actually did a little gumshoe fact checking on that book, and ended up in some kind of antiquarian society library.

Feedback

Hey guys,
I recently began listening to and enjoying the M.U. podcast, including the huge back catalog of episodes. The interview with Mike Mason from back in March 2018 stood out. Having myself published on the Miskatonic Repository, and looking at publishing a second module in the next couple of months, I’m wondering if you’ve considered focusing on the Repository in another episode, something along the lines of the state of the Repository one to two years in, as well as what some of the products or scenarios posted have contained that you’ve enjoyed, what you think is lacking, and any improvements that could be made to the Repository.

Additionally, is M.U. hosting or running any events at Necronomicon? I’ll be attending together with Randy Partain of the Cosmic Indifference Postcast (https://cosmicindifference.org/), and it would be great to get to see all of you in person.
Finally, apologies if this is already in episodes of yours I have yet to hear. As I said, only recently started listening.
Go pods!
Best regards,
HDM

Gentlemen:
I’ve been listening to the podcast for some time, I think since episode 152 or so. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to it popping up in my playlist.
Because you guys seems to know everything about mythos-related gaming, I figured you’d be the best people to ask this question. Has there ever been a setting for Call of Cthulhu in space? There’s been one supplement for Traveller — that I know about — with a mythos theme (Cthonian Stars), which kind of gets to the goal by pasting H.P. Lovecraft into a game set in space, but I was wondering if there was anything that went the other way: going into space and finding THEY HAVEN’T COME TO OUR WORLD! WE’VE GONE TO THEIRS!
Keep up the great work and Go Pods!
Dan in Illinois

Greetings Keepers!
I have been a big fan of your podcast since its incarnation, and from time to time will chime in with a comment or question regarding my favorite tabletop RPG. Last time I sent an email, it was regarding The Raid on Innsmouth scenario and making it work for Pulp Cthulhu. Needless to say, we have just wrapped up the campaign and it was a great success, piloting subs, firing .50 cal machine guns, having “Deep One flambeau” with flamethrowers, and finally using torpedoes and artillery fire to take down Father Dagon in the nick of time! With some bumps, bruises, and some sanity loss for the lucky ones, while others now suffer from ichthyophobia (fear of fish, the sea, etc, ) or have met their demise from a Deep One’s coral trident (definitely not a great way to go!).

Now that this is over, I set my eyes on a new campaign, The Masks of Nyarlathotep. My main problem, and the reason I’m writing you is how I can incorporate this adventure in the timeline we are currently in, which is 1929. I have always tried to incorporate little nuggets of history that happened back in that time, and nothing bigger coming up than Friday, October 29th or Black Tuesday. With the amount of despair that rocked the US (and the world, honestly) at that time, I thought it may tie in very well with this campaign, as well as their ties with the government, which ended amicably.

After skimming through the adventure, it seems like I can just “bump up the dates” to fit my timeline (right now, it’s mid February 1929 ), but is there something crucial in the adventure that needs to stay within the written timeline in the story? Or is it flexible enough that I can go ahead, start with the Peru adventure and adjust to fit? Or should I set my eyes at something “less epic” to coincide with the time period?

Sorry for rambling on and throwing so much at you, but your expertise in this would be greatly appreciated!
Go Pods!!!
Keeper Mike

Topic

Turning random spells into scenarios!

MUP Episode 178 – Mythos in Your Apocalypse, Swordplay, and Cultist Hijinx!

keeperchad — Mon, 29 Jul 2019 14:11:00 +0000

This episode, Murph, Jon and Chad are digging up some non-Cthulhu material from other games, to practice the fine art of ripping things off. A big thank you once again to Type40 and Golden Goblin Press for sponsoring this episode! This episode (most of it) was recorded on July 18, 2019.

Campus Crier

A quick minor correction. There is actually already a Foreign Correspondent profession outlines in the Investigator Handbook, page 80. “Foreign correspondents are the elite of news reporters. They work on salary, enjoy expense accounts, and travel the globe. In the 1920s, the correspondent may work for a large newspaper, a radio network, or a national newsgroup. Modern-day reporters might also work freelance or be employed to file reports for a television network, an Internet news provider, or international news agency. The work can be very varied, often exciting, and sometimes hazardous as natural disasters, political upheaval, and war are the primary focus of the foreign correspondent.”

As of this recording, NecronomiCon Providence 2019 is only 5 weeks away. When we recorded at first the daily schedule of gaming events and panels had not been finalized, But now it is! NecronomiCon Panels Link

Cthulhu 1968: Black Sun Tabletop Skirmish Game — Just like the title says, this is a 28mm scale miniatures wargame. It looks like it is set during the Vietnam War; it has a US Army faction, a Deep Ones faction, a strange (maybe lost relic holdover) WWII German faction that has allied with Ghouls, plus a weird Bug faction and a Golem faction. Looks cool painted. They’re about halfway funded with another 20 days to go as of this recording. Link here!

Modiphius has started their Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition Organized Play Campaign. The first scenario will be the upcoming Fall of London which they expect to have out in PDF before Christmas. Sign up here

The Yellow King RPG from Pelgrane had some bumps in the road. There were delays in shipping, and Simon managed to track down the Managing Director of the company at UK Games Expo. Their print liaison had left the company rather suddenly due to mental health issues, leaving a lot of money owed and contracts breached, in his wake. They discovered that the books were all printed, but had been put into storage, with no understanding of who they were for or what was to be done with them.TL;DR – they are hoping to be able to start shipping everything in early August.

The MU Discord server invite link is here And thank you so much to Max for editing this episode!

Check that out and more on the Type 40 site here >>

And once again remember that if you are going to GenCon, Type40 is planning to be right there at the Chaosium booth, where you can catch Allan Carey and chat about Call of Cthulhu and immersive props. More from Type40 here >> Thanks also to Golden Goblin Press for their sponsorship this episode. We appreciate it. He’re a recorded message about the Cthul Invictus line.

Listening Room

First up, Oscarious Tabularis is back! We have our second episode of Season Three of Glimpses Into the Empire. Settle in to this origin story of a known hero. Next up, Mr. Tyler once again talks about what he wants to talk about. Check out this third and final chapter of his series on witchcraft in Pennsylvania. Hex novel >> Documentary

Topic

Using your old non-Cthulhu modules in Call of Cthulhu…

Jon: Gamma World’s — Legion of Gold (GW1), by Gary & Luke Gygax and Paul Reiche III

Chad: Flashing Blades https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/585/Flashing-Blades https://www.geeknative.com/50/flashing-blades/ “Combatants choose attack methods (such as sword thrusts and lunges, or dirty fighting techniques like tripping a foe and then stomping on him), along with defensive actions such as parries, sidesteps and dodges. When your character scores a hit, you choose a body location (such as the chest or an arm) and roll twice on a hit location table. The closest result to your chosen area is where your character actually hits. These mechanics really do make a change from the usual roll-to-hit, roll-for-damage variety of many other RPGs.” https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/12491/Knights-and-Musketeers-Swashbuckling-Adventures https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/185462/7th-Sea-Core-Rulebook-Second-Edition?src=also_purchased

Murph: SuperNormal the Cultist Revamp https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eUVOfhBeB2vs7zs1cKxeqGv08k_muME_15NQRAc_PWM/edit?usp=sharing https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/281709/Supernormal?term=supernormal

MUP Episode 177 – An Ounce of Experience is a Pound of Roleplay

keepermurph — Mon, 15 Jul 2019 05:08:28 +0000

This episode, all four hosts are in the house to talk about “experience packages” for your investigators. Plus we go over ENnies nominations, news updates, Listening Room segments, and more. This episode was recorded on July 4, 2019.

This episode was proudly sponsored by TYPE40 and GOLDEN GOBLIN PRESS.

TYPE40 has an Official Chaosium Call of Cthulhu Investigator’s Notepad with an Elder Sign embossed on the cover. Or, you can protect yourself from the Mythos with a classic Elder Sign embossed leather key fob. Or, you might consider a hand made Chaosium Call of Cthulhu leather document wallet. Check out these amazing products, (and more), at the TYPE40 website. And remember, that if you are going to GenCon 2019, TYPE40 is planning to be right there at the Chaosium booth, where you can catch Allan Carey and chat about all of their Call of Cthulhu immersive props.
GOLDEN GOBLIN PRESS was honored with an ENnie nomination, (more on that later), and GGP President, Oscar Rios, honored the Miskatonic University Podcast by sponsoring this episode which features the Season 3: Episode 1 of Glimpses Into the Empire, by Oscarious Tabularis! Take a listen HERE!

THE CAMPUS CRIER

The first big news item is that the ENnie nominations have been announced!

For the sake of keeping this focused, we are going to stick to stick to horror- and lovecraft-related role playing games. Sometimes it’s hard to tell exactly what should count as horror. Sorry in advance if we stuff that up. We’re also going to skip over the lists of authors or creators unless there is a clear single creator named. We’ll have a link to the whole nominations in the show notes, along with the link to Chaosium’s announcement post, which covers some nominations for Glorantha, Runequest and other non-horror games. And we’re skipping over categories that have no noms in our range of coverage.
So….

Best Adventure
- Masks of Nyarlathotep, Chaosium
- The Persephone Extraction, a campaign for Night’s Black Agents by Pelgrane Press
Best Aid/Accessory – Non-Digital
- Masks of Nyarlathotep Gamer Prop Set, The H. P.Lovecraft Historical Society Inc.
Best Art, Cover
- Bluebeard’s Bride: Book of Mirrors, Magpie Games — Artist: Rebecca Yanovskaya
- Call of Cthulhu – Terror Australis 2nd Edition, Chaosium — Artist: M. Wayne Miller
- KULT: Divinity Lost, 4th Edition of KULT – Core Rules, Helmgast AB — Artist: Bastien Lecouffe-Deharme
Best Art, Interior
- KULT: Divinity Lost
Best Cartography
- Lamp’s Light Sanitarium: A Horror Campaign for 5e, Saturday Morning Scenarios — Cartographer: Toby Lancaster
Best Electronic Book
- Fear’s Sharp Little Needles, Stygian Fox Publishing
Best Free Game / Product
- Die Laughing, Sliced Up, NerdBurger Games — Author: Craig Campbell
Best Game
- Mothership: Player’s Survival Guide, Tuesday Knight Games (a great space horror game)
Best Layout and Design
- Bluebeard’s Bride: Book of Mirrors, Magpie Games – Miguel Angel Espinoza (another great game)
Best Monster/Adversary
- Hideous Creatures: A Bestiary of the Cthulhu Mythos, Pelgrane Press
- Sandy Petersen’s Cthulhu Mythos for 5e, Petersen Games
Best Online Content
- Seth Skorkowsky
Best Podcast
- Asians Represent!
- Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff
- Plot Points
- Red Moon Roleplaying
- She’s a Super Geek
Best RPG Related Product
- Bluebeard’s Bride: Book of Lore, Magpie Games
- Dark Adventure Radio Theatre: Masks of Nyarlathotep, The H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society
- Deven Rue Map Weights Set, Campaign Coins (not horror)
- Miskatonic University: The Restricted Collection, Chaosium
Best Rules
- Call of Cthulhu Starter Set, Chaosium
- Mothership: Player’s Survival Guide, Tuesday Knight Games (space horror game)
- Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Core Rulebook, Cubicle Seven Entertainment (but is is horror??)
Best Setting
- Call of Cthulhu – Terror Australis 2nd Edition, Chaosium
- The Fall of DELTA GREEN, Pelgrane Press
Best Writing
- KULT: Divinity Lost
- Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Core Rulebook (but is it horror??), Cubicle Seven
Product of the Year
- Masks of Nyarlathotep Gamer Prop Set, The H. P.Lovecraft Historical Society
- Mothership: Player’s Survival Guide, Tuesday Knight Games
Best Supplement, (making an exception to the rule of not reading full lists of creators)
- The 7th Edition Guide to Cthulhu Invictus, Golden Goblin Press
  - Authors: Oscar Rios, William Adcock, Stuart Boon, Chad Bowser, Charles Gerard, Jon Hook, Mike Mason, and Jeffrey Moeller

Awards will be announced at Gen Con on August 2nd at 8:00 PM Eastern at the ENnies Ceremony at Union Station in Indy. Tickets are free via Gen Con event registration, and the ceremony will be streamed on the ENnies YouTube channel.

In Other News…

Chaosium and Adam Scott Glancy announced in a statement that the Call of Cthulhu license for Horrors of War, which was Kickstarted in 2014, will remain expired indefinitely.

Stygian Fox had launched a new Kickstarter for something called Innsmouth 86, a set of Call of Cthulhu adventures for 1980s in that Lovecraft Country town, much in the spirit of Stranger Things. Consumers filed complaints to Kickstarter about Stygian Fox launching a new Kickstarter while they still had six previous funded projects not yet fulfilled. Kickstarter rules require creators to fulfill all previous projects before launching new ones. In a message to Stephanie MacLea, Kickstarter announced it has suspended Innsmouth 86. Read the update here.

DISCORD — Be sure to join the conversations happening on MUP Discord Server!

LISTENING ROOM

In addition to the start of a new season of Glimpses Into the Empire, we have Mr. Tyler’s latest session of detention. Mr. Tyler continues his series on Pennsylvania witchcraft.

TOPIC

The Optional Experienced Investigators rule on page 61 of the Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition: Investigators Handbook is a novel way to “load” newly created investigators with some prior experience either in their current career, or it could reflect experience from a previous career. The key to using these experience packages is to first determine the age of your investigator, and then apply any age modifications to the investigator’s characteristics, and any additional skill points earned through EDU advancements. Once that is completed, the player can add-in the character modifications from the experience package.
The Investigators Handbook includes a War Experience Package, a Policy Experience Package, an Organized Crime Experience Package, a Medical Experience Package, and a Mythos Experience Package. So the hosts decided to make their own experience packages, and we present them to you here…
Jon created…

Dreamer Experience Package
The investigator is an experienced dreamer and has traveled to the Dreamlands. Discuss with the Keeper the extend of the investigator’s travels and experience in the Dreamlands. The investigator should already be a “believer” in Mythos magic and lore.

Based on the investigator’s level of experience as a dreamer, increase Cthulhu Mythos skill to a level agreed with the Keeper (from 1D6+3 as a beginner, up to 1D12+5 as a veteran).
Deduct SAN equal to amount of Cthulhu Mythos skill gained.
Add two of the following to the investigator’s backstory: Injury/Scar, Phobia/Mania, or an Encounter with Dreamlands Entity.
Distribute between 25 (beginner) to 45 (veteran) bonus skill points among the two Dreamland skills: Dreaming and Dream Lore.
Distribute 30 bonus skill points among the following skills: Art/Craft (any), Charm, Climb, Fighting (Sword), History, Jump, Listen, Natural World, Ride, Swim, Throw, and Track.
Spells – with the Keeper’s permission – the Keeper will determine what spell(s) the investigator has access to.

Pulp Thrill Seeker Experience Package
This hero lives to push the boundaries of human experiences, but in that quest has also seen the edge of inhuman existence. This hero has had a glimpse of the Cthulhu Mythos, and hungers to see even more.

Choose a starting age of 25 or over.
Deduct 1D10 from SAN and add that same amount to Cthulhu Mythos.
Add two of the following to the investigator’s backstory: Injury/Scar, or a Phobia/Mania associated with a daredevil activity.
Distribute 60 bonus skill points among any of the following skills: Art/Craft (any), Charm, Climb, Diving, Drive Auto, Fast Talk, Jump, Mechanical Repair, Navigate, Pilot (any), Ride, Stealth, Survival (any), Swim, or Throw.
Add 1 insane talent; roll on Table 12: Insane Talents, from the Pulp Cthulhu

Chad created…

Spy Experience Package

The investigator has been involved in espionage of some kind in the past. Since this is an experience package, that most likely means they are burned or retired spies. If it fits the game concept, keepers and players could also craft a background together for an “active” spy from a foreign government. Remember that even allies frequently spy on each other.

Starting age of 30 or over.
Suggested Contacts: A former handler or agent, plus one or two strong contacts within the network they operated, like an informant, a specialist, or a rogue from another agency. Remember that bridges usually burn when the spy is burned, and making contact again could be a serious violation of protocol. Another contact might be one other burned spy (from any agency, including rival) who you like to swap “war” stories with.
Deduct 1D10 from SAN – and explain what mundane horrors caused this. While there may be some trauma from “wet work” violence associated with spy experience, assassins and are not the majority of spies. Remember that many are desk-jockey diplomats or mundane professionals that simply target high-power sources of information. Interesting non-murder types of spy trauma include:
- Getting caught and exposed in a sketchy situation. What’s the spy’s “getting burned” story?
- Kidnapping and/or torture.
- Loss of close colleagues.
- Indirectly causing death or injury to innocents (intentional or not).
- Exposure to scary mundane “truths,” such as ubiquity of black market nuclear weapon sales, state enemies with greater power than publicly perceived, or horrible operations/conspiracies carried out by a home agency, etc.
Add a Injury/Scar or Phobia associated with espionage work.
Distribute 60 bonus skill points among the following (consider the type of spy you were): Accounting, Art/Craft (Acting), Disguise, Firearms, Listen, Other Language, Spot Hidden, one interpersonal skill (Charm, Fast Talk, Intimidate, or Persuade), Psychology, Sleight of Hand, Stealth.
Immune to sanity losses from seeing corpses or human cruelty.

Foreign Correspondent

The investigator either worked as a freelance correspondent or was posted abroad by media organization (newspaper, radio, TV if 1950s or after, digital if about 2004 or after) in their home country.

Starting age of 25 or after
Deduct 1D10 from SAN OR 2D10 from Luck as an option.
- For SAN loss, describe what mundane horrors caused this. Interesting types of Foreign Correspondent trauma include:
  - Their story did harm to people inadvertently.
  - Witnessing in close contact the human cost of natural disasters, effects of war, genocide, epidemics, harmful policies, cruelty, injustice. Maybe even write the story.

Immune to SAN loss from corpses or cruelty.
Distribute 60 bonus skill points among: Accounting, Art/Craft (Photography), two interpersonal skills (Charm, Fast Talk, Intimidate, or Persuade), Library Use, Own Language, Up to two Other Languages, Survival, Psychology, First Aid

Lots of cool examples from history to model your characters on. Vincent Sheean, (alfred hitchcock made a documentary about him), Mary Roberts Rinehart who covered the Belgian front in WWI, Louise Brooks who covered the Russian front, Carl J. Murphy who covered World War I from Germany for an African American newspaper in Baltimore that his father founded, and Earnest Hemmingway was a foreign correspondent in Paris in the 1920s.

Murph created…

Bookstore Owner Experience Package — A Purveyor of Fine Books (Non-Mythos / Base Package)
This experience package is crated with those investigators in mind that have spent their lives deep in their own personal libraries. The knowledge is vast, branching out to many subjects. But it is not their knowledge that they are known for. These Investigators, these bibliophiles, are adept salesmen. They are able to read a person when they come in and work them little by little until a sale is made. The Investigator has owned and operated a successful bookstore for a number of years.

Starting age must be at least 35.
Distribute 30 bonus skill points among the following skills: Accounting, Appraise, Charm, Library Use, Spot Hidden, Fast Talk, Persuade, Psychology, Own Language
Distribute an additional 30 points to as many diverse skills as possible. This represents the vast knowledge that the Investigator has gained by reading the tomes that has passed through his hands. Impose a 7 point limit from this pool of points to each skill.
- Conversely, more flavor can be added to the package in terms of a Specialized Bookseller. Specialized Booksellers would only sell books and ephemera associated with one or two genres. Perhaps place more than half of the points in those two appropriate genre skills (Nature or Crafts/Photography for example) but leave some left over to place in some new skills not yet known.
Reduce the Investigator’s SAN score by 1D6 points. There are some really disturbing books in the world, even before we go looking for the Mythos.

Bookstore Owner Experience Package — (Mythos Package)
Follow the rules above but exclude the SAN loss and instead add the following steps. As a side note, there are no Specialized Booksellers that deal with the Mythos, therefore you cannot choose that option and then claim Cthulhu Mythos is your genre’s skill, but it was a nice try.)

Before proceeding you must determine if the Investigator is a True Believer or not. If they are a believer in the almighty power and sanity-blasting terror of indifference that is the Mythos, then proceed as normal. If you decide that the Investigator has read all of the books but has chosen to ignore the mounting piles of evidence that he deals in on a regular basis, then add the normal amount of points to the Cthulhu Mythos as below. Then make a note, and inform you Keeper of the amount of SAN that should have been lost. That SAN will now be banked and will be lost all at one time for the Investigator when they are presented with facts that obviously prove the Mythos is real, good luck. Also, Non-Believers will not have access to spells as described below.
Add 1D10+3 to the Investigator’s Cthulhu Mythos skill. I’m pretty sure we know why we are doing this.
Remove the same amount of SAN from the Investigator that they gained in Cthulhu Mythos skill above.
With your Keeper’s input, determine if the Investigator can have spells at the start of the game. If so work with them to determine 1D4 spells that the Investigator knows from reading the forbidden knowledge of his own back room.

MUP Episode 176 – Board It Up!

keeperchad — Tue, 02 Jul 2019 12:29:50 +0000

This episode we’ll be looking at our game shelves and asking – can I use a board game for my role playing game? And we have Edwin joining us on the horn to help us out. Thanks to Type40 for sponsoring this episode. This episode was recorded on June 20, 2019.

Campus Crier

Our Crier was a little short this week. We’ll be back with more next show. The NecronomiCon Providence convention is only 60 days away, (as of this recording), and the list of panels is now available for fans to review. So if you’re going to be in Providence in August, check out the list to figure out what panels you’d like to attend. Check out our Discord server here >> Thank you to Edwin for editing AND guest-hosting the show!

Sponsor

Thanks once again to Type40 for sponsoring this episode! Type40 is a maker of all manner of high quality gaming props and items, lots of them specifically for Call of Cthulhu. One kind of tempting item they make are their campaign journals. They are bound in leather, and they have designed stamped or tooled into the covers. So you have one for The Dunwich Horror, with a Miskatonic University shield on it, you have one for At the Mountains of Madness, an official Chaosium one, with detailed art work from the HPLHS. They’re selling a set of them now signed by Mike Mason. Check out Type40’s whole catalog when you get a chance via the link in the show notes.

Type40

By the way, Type40 is planning to be at GenCon this summer, so for any of you planning to be in Indy this year, stop by the Chaosium booth. Allan Carey is a veteran Call of Cthulhu player so swing by for a chat, because he loves to talk about his passion for immersive props.

Listening Room

This week we’ve got Episode 3 of “The Journals of Laura Logan!” Once again Kerrie TC is available for voice over work if anyone has leads, please send them to kerrietcrpgs@gmail.com. Next up, Mr. Tyler is back with a new installment of his detention hall diatribes. Let’s crack open our text books and turn to page…witchcraft.

Topic

Board games as RPG inspiration!

1. Games that can help with setting and world building.

2. Board game (or card games) that have mechanics that could be used for horror RPGs. Mentioned in episode: Fury of Dracula Firefly Eldritch Horror Risk/Axis & Allies Tannhauser Illuminati card game Flux Pandemic

MUP Episode 175 – How Adair You

keeperchad — Tue, 18 Jun 2019 02:27:15 +0000

This episode we’ve got Christopher Smith Adair in the guest chair to discuss sundry projects, including a newly released (to PDF) Pulp Cthulhu campaign, a scenario for Golden Goblin Press’s An Inner Darkness, and much more. This episode was recorded on June 6, 2019.

Campus Crier

Yog-Sothoth.com is “going deep.” After 21 years, the site will now be available only by direct access to the 20,000+ members. In the announcement, founder Paul Maclean said the move would mean “we will have less of an issue with spammers and bots and more importantly it may also help foster a more “club-like” atmosphere (which remains open to all new members). We are far from the first to do this, but we’re probably one of the largest in what we cover. A natural concern is that by becoming part of the “Deep Web” we may miss potential members, however it’s become clear over the past year that this should not be the case. The most powerful form of promotion is word of mouth.”

Our own Jon Hook has a new adventure available on the Miskatonic Repository. It’s called “Spark of Life,” and it’s designed to be played with the Keeper and one player. He is coining a term for this style of game: “An Isolated Investigator Adventure.”

Mark Morrison is releasing on Drivethru RPG his second-ever scenario for Call of Cthulhu, called “The Saltwater Inheritance,” which was for a competition in White Dwarf Magazine around, and though it was a runner-up in the contest, the adventure never saw print.

We have wrapped up our first contest on the MUP Discord Server. The prize was a brand new copy of the Miskatonic University: Restricted Collection board game. Participants had to write a Lovecraftian or Cthulhueque haiku in the Contest_1 channel. There were a ton of great entries, so thank you to everyone who participated. The winner of the board game is… Tic! And his winning haiku goes like this…

The cold void yawns wide. Breaking my feeble mind on, Dread reality.

Jon was recently a guest on the amazing literary and gaming podcast, The Appendix N Book Club. This podcast is dedicated to reading all of the literature referenced by Gary Gygax in Appendix N of the Dungeon Master’s Guide, (old school AD&D). Jon was invited to read and speak about The Lurker at the Threshold, by August Derleth and H. P. Lovecraft, on Episode 48.

Want to check out the Discord server? Here an invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

Thank you to Max for editing this episode!

Listening Room

Episode 2 of “The Journals of Laura Logan.” By the way, the reader, Kerrie TC, is available for voice-over work if anyone has leads, please send them to kerrietcrpgs@gmail.com.

Feedback

From Danial: I was thinking of this topic with regards to video games, which typically prevent you from killing NPCs, and in the ones that don’t, you’ll usually be killed in retaliation in pretty short order. The “You Died” scenario could be resolved in CoC with the flashback technique you guys mentioned, but perhaps we could take a page from the games that prevent you from doing bad things in the first place. Say the guy wants to shoot the kid in the street. You could have an NPC run out screaming at them to stop, and the distraction then adds a Penalty Die to their shot. It’s not stopping them from doing it, but it’s making it a lot harder.

Topic

Christopher runs down a number of projects he’s embroiled with: Cold Fire Within – the Pulp campaign is now in the wild.

Arkham Gazette #4 – a scenario in Kingsport based details from a WH Pugmire story. Adair visited Marblehead while writing it and used some real-world inspiration.

“Dreams of Silk” for GGP in the Inner Darkness book – covering labor rights.

And “A Dread Gift of Flame,” a scenario set in Samoa that he is publishing with Stygian Fox for charity.

Also, a short-story collection that he is editing with a new small press, Stay Strange Publishing.

Check out the announcement for Too Many Eyes by Patrick Loveland.

Some other mentions during the discussion: Marblehead Museum, home of the J.O.J. Frost Gallery. Adair’s tribute to Wilum H. Pugmire. The announcement of the splitting of the Kingsport issue of the Arkham Gazette.

MUP Episode 174 – Truth and Consequences

keeperchad — Mon, 03 Jun 2019 19:30:46 +0000

This episode, Murph, Dan, and Chad talk about how to deploy “interesting consequences” for PCs who color outside the lines (of your group’s play-style coloring book, oops the metaphor just broke…). This episode was recorded on May 23, 2019.

Campus Crier

“Brendan Sterling sought answers in experimental past-life regression. Unfortunately, his mind isn’t the only one seeking answers in the past….” Out in PDF later this month* —A COLD FIRE WITHIN. A new & complete six-part #PulpCthulhu #rpg campaign by Christopher Smith Adair.
Director of the former San Pedro Lovecraft Festival, Aaron Vaneck, will be directing a new feature film based on a particular flavor of Cthulhu-esque spy-type roleplaying game that is similar to First Items First , written by friend of the show Bret Kramer. The script has been written by Adam Scott Glancy, and is about two government agents who investigates some supernatural shenanigans while trying to cleanse a former agent’s home after his death.
Kickstarter coming September 2019 from Golden Goblin Press. New expanded 7th edition versions of the classic Call of Cthulhu holiday themed adventures, Christmas in Kingsport and Halloween in Dunwich. Stretch Goals include two original scenarios, Easter in Arkham, and Innsmouth Independence Day.
Stygian Fox is launching a Patreon. The company is going to produce one or two-part adventures each month in PDF format for you to use at your gaming table. Every 4 months we’ll put those adventures up on DriveThruRPG in order for you to buy Print-On-Demand copies.
Out now from Arc Dream: Delta Green: The Complex offers 21 new dossiers for federal agencies and important contractors to enhance your Delta Green campaign. Each dossier describes the entity’s budget, operatives, organizational structure and history, mandate, areas of friction with other agencies, suggested professions for Delta Green agents, and what it’s like to work there.
Discord server invite link >>
Thank you to Sean! For editing this episode.

Feedback

(From May 12) Dear Campus Cryer,
Thinking about Call of Cthulhu settings I recently published an article on an artist (Jordan Baseman) who is reproducing the era of the Spanish Influenza outbreak through daily radio broadcasts (podcasts etc).
Spanning the period of 1918 to 1919 the audio art piece allows the reader to get into the progression of events of 100 years ago as they unfolded day to day. Concluding later this year, listeners get a sense of how the outbreak spread and how it affected communities at time. In as much as the story of the Spanish flu is a narrative on geography, mortality and statistics it is also a very harrowing human story. People came to terms with infection and the outbreak as an social entity in a variety of ways, sometimes nobly with understanding and empathy. But not always.
More info: https://www.trebuchet-magazine.com/psychohorology-jordan-baseman-on-using-time-as-a-canvas/
As a theme I’m sure that the Spanish Flu outbreak has been covered before but I thought your listeners might like the opportunity learn a bit more about that period. Who knows what ancient eldritch horrors sought to change the course of human history to benefit their nefarious appetites!
I love your podcasts and along with The Good friends of Jackson Elias and The Lovecraft Geek the urbane horrors of my commute are gleefully elevated to supernatural heights with every Lovecraftian listen.
Go Pods!

Listening Room

And up next we have a NEW segment Episode 1 of “The Files of Laura Logan” – let’s listen and let it speak for itself.

Topic

We talk about interesting consequences for trigger-happy investigators.
On related notes, here is an episode from the Good Friends of Jackson Elias where they talk about violence in Call of Cthulhu.
And here is an episode of Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff that covers how to make incarceration into an interesting springboard for adventure (prison breaks discussion starts around 2:30).]]>

MUP Episode 173 – Patchy Skin and Other Alien Tech

keepermurph — Mon, 20 May 2019 13:42:10 +0000

SQUAMOUS STUDIOS

Join the hunt, the Arkham Relic Hunt, from Squamous Studios. In this new tabletop card game, players are cultist acolyte in servitude to a dark god as they scour through the darkest corners of Arkham looking for relics and new initiates that must be delivered to the dark god.
Arkham Relic Hunt is a competitive card game for 2 – 4 cultists, designed by Damon Gregory. Acolytes gain points by moving through Arkham, discovering relics and new initiates for your order, casting spells, and sabotaging other players. The cultist with the most points, wins!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/323520698/arkham-relic-hunt

TYPE40

Type 40 have just released their third Kickstarter continuing with their theme of immersive props and in world artifacts.
This time round it is the Disk of R’lyeh from Chaosium’s Shadows of Yog-Sothoth! They have created two versions. A full sized , 12 inch, 14 lbs disk, in three pieces of solid cast aluminium, anodized in antiqued gold and encrusted with glass gems. And a tabletop version, 5 inch, 2 lb die cast nickel alloy version also in antiqued gold with glass gems.
Both look and feel exactly how you would expect an artifact if ancient evil to be and make wonderful in game props or mythos display pieces.
The Kickstarter runs for 21 days and was launched on the 5th May.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/329574091/disk-of-rlyeh-call-of-cthulhu

The Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is Miskatonic U’s student paper. Here’s where we go through Mythos related news and feedback to the podcast. This episode was recorded on May 9, 2019.

Chaosium announced that they will be having an official launch party for the newly released supplement Terror Australis on May 26th from 1:30 to 3:30pm in Coburg Australia. They also announced that Terror Australis has also been requested by the National Library of Australia to include the work for it’s “national significance.” Good job guys! I have the book myself and it is a brilliant addition to anyone’s mythos library, whether Australian or not.

At the time of this recording, The Cthulhu Alphabet Kickstarter, is north of $21,000. Well past their target of $15,000. As of the airing of this episode, the kickstarter has completed. I hope our listeners had an opportunity to check out the Kickstarter and back the project. This is a book that I contributed several entries, and the whole thing is chock-full of amazing art from cover to cover.

Another Kickstarter worth mentioning is the Orpheus Protocal from designer Rob Stith. It is billed as a “roleplaying game of cosmic horror and occult espionage” and has already funded with $18k of a $10k goal. This one was recommended by Mozy on the Discord, who has played the game and referred to it as “lighter and more pulpy than Delta Green.” Links are in the show notes.

We are running a contest for a brand new copy of Miskatonic University – Restricted Collection Board Game. Join the MUP Discord and go to the contest_1 chanel. To enter the contest, simply write a Lovecraftian or Cthulhu-esque haiku. Get your entries in ASAP, contest ends on May 31, 2019.
MUP Discord Invitation: https://discord.gg/hP2ZnuX

Chaosium also has announced Chaosium Con Down Under to happen on May 2 – 3rd at the Glebe Townhall in Sydney. We aren’t real clear on what is going to be on offer aside from the ability to play a bunch of Chaosium games and meet some people. But if you are interested they have a mailing list that you can join to find out more and be kept abreast of the fledgling con’s news.

Feedback:

The new Discord server is blowing up! Join us there for a wide range of discussions, including a channel for episode specific feedback. Like these from episode 172:
Jeff – I just finished 172, nice to hear the Stross reference! A good episode in general I thought, got me thinking a lot about how to port a believer-ish mechanic into 5e.
And…
Vathas – I could totally see myself playing a hardcore academic or clergy member who takes the non-believer stance. As the guys said, it’s mostly for RP flavor. But would be a nice change of pace from the normal characters I would play.

Allan from Type40 in an email –
“…one of my players is just starting a new investigator as a non believer who knows loads of Mythos but hasn’t encountered any and just doesn’t believe. I’m going to be racking up SAN loss behind the scenes for them to lose when they become a believer.”
He goes on to say that he’s “excited for the long term effects of the believer mechanic.” The investigator is an archaeologist who specializes in cursed objects. Basically Jonathan from The Mummy . I’m going to be having them as a font of knowledge. “Oh yeah that’s a passage from Von Juntz?. .” I think those creatures on the freeze are referred to as Llogoir by Dee? Use their current archaeology skill as the Mythos they have and then when it hits them strip them of their sanity Man I love this game.”

Game Review: Miskatonic University – Restricted Collection Board Game

Reviewed by Keeper Jon

The Pros:
It’s a light “mid-level” game — perfect to break out as you’re waiting for everyone else to show up for your Call of Cthulhu game. The core mechanics of the game include “Push Your Luck” and “Set Collection.”
Each player has a set of tools at their disposal to use to mitigate bad card draws. It is easy to throw caution into the wind in this game, but a bad draw can knock you out quick.
Each player is competing to collect cards for three different sets. Two of the sets, if completed, earn the player bonus victory points, the third set earns the player back a tool that may have been expended.
The Cons:
It’d be nice if each of the player boards were color-coded and distinct for each playable character.
It’d be nice if each playable character had one unique ability that set it apart from the other characters.
The cards will get a lot of wear-n-tear, so card you may want to sleeve the cards.

Mike Mason put the word out, (Facebook, and I assume other social media outlets), about gathering folks for a competition play of the game at Necronomicon, in Providence. The push your luck mechanic is a perfect player elimination tool in a competition. Come play Miskatonic University – Restricted Collection with the MUP hosts at Necoromicon in August!

The Topic: Alien Technology

Tech-using aliens:

The Fungi from Yuggoth — The Mi-Go
The Yithians
The Elder Things
The Serpent People

Keepers Jon and Murph discuss the various devices used by Mythos entities. They also each propose a new device that can be used in your Call of Cthulhu games.
Keeper Murph designed the Wilcox’s Royal KMM Typewriter:

Richard Wilcox at work with his special KMM
This Royal KMM typewriter from 1941 was refitted by sometimes cultist, newspaper journalist, and autodidact Richard Wilcox to have a Do Not Disturb mode. Once activated the typist will be invisible to any others and will be insulated from any outside distractions as they are phase-shifted to the Dreaming along with the room that he is in. This made him unreachable by any normal means and others entering the office would see an empty room but could hear the sound of distant typing, if they pass a Hard Listen roll for example, but will not be able to perceive the typist. The typist will be able to see anyone coming into the room as if through a fog, but no sound would ever reach them.
Enabling the Do Not Disturb mode of the KMM will cost the typist two Magic Points and can only be activated once per day. It is possible that shifting in and out of the Dreaming in such a manner would attract the attention of something undesirable, however. In fact Wilcox himself never returned from his last use of the typewriter, only his partially finished page was found set in the KMM.

Keeper Jon designed the Mi-go Spider Miner

Used by: Mi-go

The drudgery of mining the earth, sifting the soil, and the collecting of minerals is something the mi-go oversee and manage; typically they don’t debase themselves by actually digging into the ground. The spider miner is a device that looks like giant spider. The central core of the device is a housing designed to hold one mi-go brain canister. The brain within the canister is the pilot for the spider miner device. Eight large multi-articulated legs extend outward from the central core; fully stretched out, each leg has a radial reach of 12 feet.

The spider miner device is an alien amalgamation of organic and inorganic material; the mi-go have mastered the synthesis of merging biology and technology. Each leg is a metallic structure with biological enhancements laced throughout it. Biological enhancements include muscle structures and sensory organs for the pilot to see, feel, and smell its immediate surroundings. Each leg of the device has STR of 5D6 x5, HP equal to 1/5^th of STR, and Armor 1. The legs are capable of digging, scraping, scooping, lifting, and piercing.

It’s possible to modify a spider miner device to be operated by a live human pilot with a Hard Success on an Operate Heavy Machinery skill roll. Modified spider miner devices are graphed to each of the pilot’s limbs, both arm and legs. The live pilot is able to control two spider miner legs with each limb. Due to the graphing of the live pilot to the spider miner device, removal of the device inflicts 1D3 damage to the live pilot.

Go Pods!! ]]>

MUP Episode 172 – Becoming a Believer

keepermurph — Mon, 06 May 2019 16:40:22 +0000

MUP Episode 171 – Beware of Sebek’s Minions!

keepermurph — Mon, 22 Apr 2019 14:00:06 +0000

MUP Episode 170 – The Glamorous Gatsby

keepermurph — Tue, 09 Apr 2019 12:57:35 +0000

MU Special Report – Chaosium Announcement with Michael O'Brien

keeperchad — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 23:02:32 +0000

MUP Episode 169 – Scum and Villainy

keepermurph — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 03:27:00 +0000

This episode we’re gonna be baaaaad! Jon, Murph, and Chad workshop how to make good bad guys. This episode was recorded on March 14, 2019. We want to hear from you! By email: mup.feedback@gmail.com By phone: (401) 400-0MUP (0687) By Twitter: @MU_Podcast By Speakpipe: (Click the floating tab on the far right of this page) On our forum: mu-podcast.com/campus. On Discord: https://discord.gg/tMT2EcE Like what you hear? Please become a Patron! >> mu-podcast.com/patron << Campus Crier

The National Library of Australia recently approached Chaosium to ask if the company would donate Terror Australis to their collection, as part of the library’s mission to collect resources “of national significance relating to Australia and the Australian people”. So they sent a copy of the new edition plus the original version from 1987. The new edition is currently available in PDF, and it will be released in full color hardback later in March.
Chaosium’s “Berlin: The Wicked City” will be released by the time this episode drops. Did you notice the title change? It used to be something like Secrets of Berlin. Now the full title is Please note, the new title of this Call of Cthulhu release is: “Berlin: The Wicked City, Unveiling the Mythos in Weimar Berlin.”
The Miskatonic Repository has several new editions; included are:

NPC Sheets for CoC 7E & Pulp (resource), by Joshua Certain – Free
Voyage of Terror (scenario), by Stephen J. Jones – $6.00
The Solo Investigator’s Handbook (resource), by 5E Solo Gamebooks – $9.99
Cinematic Environs: Desert Wastes (resource), by Alex Guillotte and Davae Breon Jaxon – $4.95
When the Light Goes Out (scenario), by Megan Tolentino – $2.95
Unremembered (scenario), by Heinrich D. Moore – $4.95

There are many more quality fan-made products available in the Miskatonic Repository. So go check ‘em out.

A company called Just Crunch Games has released a new scenario for the rules-light system called The Cthulhu Hack. The scenario is called Valkyrie Nine, set in the late 21st Century on a lunar station. Valkyrie Nine is available in print (All Rolled Up) and PDF (DriveThruRPG).
Chaosium’s Miskatonic University – The Restricted Collection game is out in the wild!
Modiphius Entertainment have released Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition versions of their Achtung! Cthulhu Investigator’s and Keeper’s Guides.
At the time of this recording, Oscar Rios will be launching An Inner Darkness Kickstarter at midnight, Eastern. A sneak peak of the Kickstarter video was posted on Facebook, and it looks amazing. If you’re listening to this episode soon after it went live, you still have time to back this book.
2019 marks the 40th anniversary of Ridley Scott’s groundbreaking film, ALIEN! To celebrate, six short films set in the ALIEN universe are coming out from AlienUniverse.com . There were some public screenings at Emerald City Comic Con and C2E2, and the online releases of the films will be on IGN every Friday, starting on March 29th.

The Card Catalog: Longtime friend of the show, Graham, submitted an entry for the Card Catalog… The Chemical Formulary – A series of books that contain the formulas for a wide variety of compounds and items; for example: solidified fuel, tracer ammunition, epoxies, adhesives, resins, gums, and waxes. The first three volumes of the 1933 work are on the internet archive. Volume 1 Volume 2 Volume 3 Keepers might mine The Chemical Formulary for inspiration in scenarios where the investigators need to concoct their own chemical tool or chemical weapon. The formulas may also inspire Keepers to create their own Mythos Chemical Formulary. Thank you again to Graham for sending in this fantastic Card Catalog idea. If you have an idea for a Card Catalog entry, please email us or post it in our forums. The Listening Room: Mr. Tyler is back again – Back in Black, one could say, with a look at The Black Paintings of weird Spanish painter Francisco Goya. Please remember that if you have any interest in producing a segment for the podcast, please email us or post it in our forums. Main Topic: How to Make the Best Villains Questions to think about.

How do you define a villain? (for example, I’d say they are antagonists that are relatable on a human scale, and they have a certain competence about them.)
What is one of your favorite human villains in published scenarios? Why?
What’s the best Mythos villain? Why?
What makes a villain memorable?
What character traits make the best villain?

Online Resource: Left Behind author, Jerry Jenkins wrote a very interesting article designed for literary villains, but can also be applied to the creation of a good RPG villain. Jenkins even includes a Villains Characteristics Checklist:

He’s convinced he’s the good guy
He has many likeable qualities
He’s a worthy enough opponent to make your hero look good
You (and your reader) like when he’s on stage
He’s clever and accomplished enough that people must lend him begrudging respect
He can’t be a fool or a bumbler
He has many of the same characteristics of the hero, but they’re misdirected
He should occasionally be kind, and not just for show
He can be merciless, even to the innocent
He’s persuasive
He’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants
He’s proud
He’s deceitful
He’s jealous, especially of the hero
He’s vengeful

MUP Rando Human Villain-Making Exercise: http://cthulhugen.abillionmonkeys.com/ http://writingexercises.co.uk/random-job-generator.php https://www.dholeshouse.org/ https://twitter.com/BotCharacters Classic 1920’s Dorothy Pickman F 39 Butler Str 70 Dex 30 Int 70 Con 80 App 70 Pow 35 Siz 70 Edu 90 Luck 60 HP 15 MP 7 SAN 35

Using randomness websites above, generate a random character.
Pick one of the following flaws (or roll a 8-sided die)
1. Pride
2. Greed
3. Obsession
4. Envy
5. Decadence
6. Wrath
7. Hubris
8. Curiosity
Discuss what the character wants.
1. Method 1: Roll a random monster from Malleus. Discuss how the character THINKS this entity/creature might help the character get what they want.
2. Method 2: Pick a random Mythos artifact that the character THINKS will help the character get what they want. (will have to figure out how to randomize that).
How does it all go wrong?

]]>

MUP Episode 168 – Dark Projects and Golden Ages with Oscar Rios

keeperchad — Mon, 11 Mar 2019 06:02:06 +0000

This episode, Chad, Jon and Murph talk with Oscar Rios of Golden Goblin Press about a Kickstarter project that’s about to launch (check this space in a few days after the episode launches). And we also talk about a couple of episodes of a weird/horror/drama podcast that Oscar suggested, called Archive 81, and ways to draw possible game inspiration from that well. This episode was recorded on February 28, 2019.

We want to hear from you! By email: mup.feedback@gmail.com By phone: (401) 400-0MUP (0687) By Twitter: @MU_Podcast By Speakpipe: (Click the floating tab on the far right of this page) On our forum: mu-podcast.com/campus. Like what you hear? Please become a Patron! >> mu-podcast.com/patron <<

Campus Crier

Murph is a player on an Actual Play with How We Roll of the Peru prequel chapter of Masks of Nyarlathotep on Chaosium’s Twitch channel! The latest Hudson & Brand Kickstarter Shadows of the Past has completed by the time this has been released, at the time of recording the had raised $34,739 of a $7,981 goal. Friend of the show, and previous guest, Becky Annison has just gone live with the KickStarter for Bite Me! – A Game of Werewolf Pack Dynamics. This Powered by the Apocalypse game is centered around building and fleshing out the emotional, and often violent, relationships within the werewolf pack. The Wrestlenomicon card game features lush illustrations by Kurt Komoda. The core game features one Cthulhu deck and one Hastur deck, but if our Kickstarter reaches our stretch goals, we’ll be able to add more Great Old One decks like – Itlagua the Wendigo, Tsathoggua, Nyarlathotep, Yog-Sothoth, Yig. You name it, they’ll fight it! Arc Dream Publishing has a new Kickstarter going live on March, 5th for their new humorous Mythos card game, Wrestlenomicon. The art in this looks really cool, and made me, Jon, laugh. This comes to Kickstarter on March 5th (already underway). Oscar chimes in to mention that there is new free material on the Golden Goblin website. Behold, a new Mythos tome, Rituals of the Eternal Mother. Type40 has announced on their Twitter stream that they are a go for shipping Reiner Knizia’s Miskatonic University: The Restricted Collection Kickstarter. I believe that Jon has already received a shipping announcement and speculates that he will have it in hand within a fortnight. According to the @HPLHS Twitter feed, The Super Deluxe Limited Edition of Masks of Nyarlathotep is officially shipping! You can check out the photo of boxes in a storeroom here. Thank you to Sean for editing this episode!

The Listening Room

This episode, we’re back in the listening room to queue up a report from Agent Dinos with a return to the Thule air base…. Please remember that if you have any interest in producing a segment for the podcast, please contact mup.feedback@gmail.com.

Topic

An Inner Darkness – Kickstarter is live! The Golden Age – Episode 1 https://soundcloud.com/archive81/the-golden-age-part-1 The Golden Age – Episode 2 https://soundcloud.com/archive81/the-golden-age-part-2 The Archive 81 site is here. Transcripts can be found here and here.]]>

MUP Episode 167 – Do Not Abide Slugs, Mr. Mason

keeperchad — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 06:31:49 +0000

This episode, Chad, Jon and Murph get Chaosium’s Call of Cthulhu line editor, Mike Mason, on the horn to talk about some projects in the pipeline – and sundry “burning questions” from the hosts. The interview potion of the episode was recorded on February 10, and then Chad and Jon recorded the Crier on February 16 (plus some extras added at the last minute).

We want to hear from you! By email: mup.feedback@gmail.com By phone: (401) 400-0MUP (0687) By Twitter: @MU_Podcast By Speakpipe: (Click the floating tab on the far right of this page) On our forum: mu-podcast.com/campus. Like what you hear? Please become a Patron! >> mu-podcast.com/patron <<

Campus Crier

The Chaosium Cult of Chaos Cultists Midwest is running the excellent multi-table Call of Cthulhu scenario by 7th Edition co-author Paul Fricker, Gatsby and the Great Race at Gary Con XI in Lake Geneva, Saturday, March 9th, 2018 at 2 PM at the Grand Geneva Resort! The cultists have converted the scenario to be run using 7th Edition rules. Chaosium has generously provided prizes for the event, so come out and trade your best insane roleplay for awesome prizes from Chaosium’s Call of Cthulhu line! Sign up for this and other excellent gaming events of all types at Gary Con XI at their website:https://tabletop.events/conventions/gary-con-xi — For more convention information, check out Gary Con’s home page at: http://garycon.com Chaosium’s latest emailed newsletter announced that the Cult of Chaos Writing Contest has wrapped up. You’ll recall that this year’s contest was focused on RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha. The winners have been announced, and they are broken into two groups, 2019 and 2020. For 2019, they are: The Fainting Spirit, by Jean Chistophe Cubertafon, Remembering Caroman, by Paul O’Sullivan. For 2020, they are: Flowers of Romance, by Doyle Tavener, Trouble at Day’s Rest, by Benjamin Smith; Honorable Mentions went out to Rob Helm and Stephen Parish. Chaosium also announced in the newsletter some new Call of Cthulhu convention scenarios and a new demo scenario. The demo is The Crimson Carnivale, by Leigh Carr. The convention scenarios are: The Shooting Party, by Jonathan Mosedale; Blood Orgy on Vampire Island, by James Thompson; The Search for Brian Boru, by Shannon Mac. Additional details on Chaosium’s newsletter announcements should be available soon through their various social media outlets and on their website. This Person Does Not Exist — a website that uses an innovative A.I. algorithm called Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) to create realistic portraits of fictitious people. Shadows over Stillwater has dropped. It’s a three-part campaign for the wild/weird/old West setting, Down Darker Trails. Besides the main campaign from Kevin Ross, there’s also an additional scenario (Beneath the Burning Sun), adventure seeds and a “…fully realised town [Stonegarden] in which to base adventures”. Pick it up from Chaosium’s web site now, priced at $18 USD for the 176 page PDF. There’s a workshop out on YouTube called Let’s Write a Scenario with Thom Raley of Into the Darkness, with Tyler Hudak, Oscar Rios, Morgan Llewellyn, Zane Flemming, and Jason Melnichok. There’s two parts so far – Check it out! PART 1, PART 2. Pelgrane Press has released Even Death Can Die, the first scenario anthology for their roleplaying game Cthulhu Confidential. It features nine scenarios based around the characters introduced in the core rulebook, with Langston Wright by Chris Spivey, Vivian Sinclair by Ruth Tilman, and Dex Raymond by Robin Laws. It’s available to buy now in pre-order where on purchase you get immediate access to the contents in “pre-edit” form, with the finalised PDF and print editions following later in the year. The final form of Even Death Can Die will be a 360 page hardcover book available in Autumn 2019. Congrats to Squamous Studios on the successful Feed the Shoggoth Kickstarter. 150 backers pledged more than $6,400 to bring the expansion to life. Chris Spivey is reportedly updating The Pulp Superhero Sourcebook and it is slated to wend its way to Chaosium quote “any week now”. That’s the superhero Dan and I got to play testy and GenCon last summer, and it’s a thrilling ruleset for superpowered fun. Stay tuned for more details later this year. A little teaser about next episode, we’ll be talking to Oscar Rios about a project in the works that is slated to launch as a Kickstarter in March. It’s a book for Call of Cthulhu scenarios that explores social justice themes, called An Inner Darkness. Yours truly is a proud contributor as Charles Gerard, along with Oscar, Jeff Moeller, Helen Gould, Brian Sammons, Scott Aniolowski and Christopher Smith Adair. AND we’ll be discussing and riffing on a favorite weird horror podcast with Oscar. If you want to get yourself up to speed before we discuss and spoil it, give a listen to the two-part arc of Archive 81 called The Golden Age. Both parts are linked in the show notes.

The Golden Age – Part 1

The Golden Age – Part 2

Thank you to Max! For editing the pluspart of this episode.

The Listening Room

This show, we queue up a wintry dispatch from Agent Dinos, and are happy to welcome back Mr. Tyler! He’s got some thoughts to share on a topic that’s come up a couple of times on the show recently. Please remember that if you have any interest in producing a segment for the podcast, please contact mup.feedback@gmail.com.

Feedback

Friend of the show, Mike Medwick, wrote in after only partially listening to ep.166, his excitement was so great. His letter is too long to read here, but to summarize, he suggested that Keepers check out the Laundry Files series by Charles Stross to mine for ideas concerning technological Mythos terror. Mike said, “One of Stross’ most compelling themes revolves around the idea of computational demonology, which suggests that extradimensional predators pay attention to, and are attracted by, high volumes of computational activity in both sentient brains as well as technological systems.” Mike was also moved by Chad’s reflections of implicit horror that humanity might be the only spark of sentience in the universe. To which, he suggested that Keepers check out the Mythago Wood series by Robert Holdstock. I looked these books up on Amazon, and they look very intriguing. It was awesome to hear from Mike, and he said he is working on a topic idea for the show that he’ll share with us soon. Thanks, and Goooo Pods, Mike!

We’ve also got some feedback from “Kris”: Hey thanks for the podcast, interesting to hear Sam’s take on the LGBTQ identification with monsters. Monsters are the ultimate transgressive outsider. The best example of what Sam’s talking about for me is Clive Barker’s work. If you read his stories knowing he is gay, it opens them up in a new way. With him it’s more like projection onto the monstrous and grotesque than identification. Claiming it. Barker’s best example of monster projection I’ve read is Cabal, the story the movie Nightbreed was based on. The Barker “Cabal” cut of Nightbreed which came out a year or two ago shows it even more openly, I recommend it. Guy has strange urges, ends up finding a community of grotesque transgressive monsters, realizes he’s one too. Then some intolerant rednecks, a priest and a psychologist (reprogrammer?) who’s secretly the worst monster of all come to step on them. Thanks again! —Kris

Topic

Mike Mason talks about: The Starter Kit, Secrets of Berlin, A Cold Fire Within and Gaslight. We also delve into some of his personal fears, and fields some random questions from the hosts.]]>

MU Podcast Episode 166 – Ghosts of the Present

keeperchad — Mon, 11 Feb 2019 05:53:30 +0000

This episode, Jon and Chad catch up on some news and then discuss a few modern-day fears that we can build game ideas from. This episode was recorded on February 2, 2019.

We want to hear from you! By email: mup.feedback@gmail.com By phone: (401) 400-0MUP (0687) By Twitter: @MU_Podcast By Speakpipe: (Click the floating tab on the far right of this page) On our forum: mu-podcast.com/campus. Like what you hear? Please become a Patron! >> mu-podcast.com/patron <<

This episode was sponsored by Squamous Studios!

Campus Crier

Jon recommends the Alien Minute Podcast – it’s one of several “Movie Minute” podcasts that dissect and discuss movies one minute at a time. If you’re a fan of the sci-fi horror film, Alien, then I highly suggest that you check out this podcast. Chaosium has announce a new partnership with EDGE Entertainment. In a comprehensive new licensing deal, EDGE will publish Chaosium’s roleplaying games Call of Cthulhu and RuneQuest in both French and Spanish. Founded in 1999, EDGE Entertainment is based in Seville, Spain and Toulouse, France. A long-standing partner of the Asmodee Group studio Fantasy Flight Games, in early 2017 EDGE formally became part of the Asmodee Group. EDGE is the current licensee for Call of Cthulhu in Spanish. Gatsby and the Great Race @ GaryCon – Party like it’s 1930! The amazing multi-keeper and multi-table Call of Cthulhu gaming event, Gatsby and the Great Race, by Paul Fricker, is being run at this year’s GaryCon on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at 2PM. If you’re playing in this game, keep an ear out for me… I’ll be there… kinda. Dean Englehardt of Cthulhu Reborn has done a 5-part round up of Cthulhu news over 2018. Thank you to Edwin for editing this episode!

Sponsor Message

Thanks very much again to Squamous Studios sponsoring Episode 166. Squamous Studios is neck deep into a KS for its first expansion: “Feed the Shoggoth: Morsels of Madness!” It includes 42 cards, featuring: New Cult Factions, New Artifacts, New Spells, New Minions, Rules Summaries for the players, and more! Pledge via the box below!

Topic

We discuss a few little contemporary fears to explore, including: The Privacy Bargain – like with apps/websites/etc. Media Saturation Deep Fakes / Identify Theft Synthetic Meat]]>

MUP Episode 165 – Rethinking Cosmic Horror With Sam Riordan

keeperchad — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 06:15:16 +0000

This episode, Sam Riordan of MetaArcade joins Jon, Chad and Murph for a discussion about the interactive storytelling game Cthulhu Chronicles, as well as new angles on cosmic horror. And we’re happy to announce that this episode is sponsored by Squamous Studios, and we’ll have some more to say about that in a little bit. Thanks to Squamous Studios for the support! This episode was recorded on January 17, 2019.

Sponsor Message

Thanks very much again to Squamous Studios for signing on as official sponsor for Episode 165. We’re pleased to announce that the company has launched the first expansion of Feed the Shoggoth: Morsels of Madness! Feed the Shoggoth!: Morsels of Madness will include 42 cards, featuring: New Cult Factions, New Artifacts, New Spells, New Minions, Rules Summaries for the players, and more!

We want to hear from you! By email: mup.feedback@gmail.com By phone: (401) 400-0MUP (0687) By Twitter: @MU_Podcast By Speakpipe: (Click the floating tab on the far right of this page) On our forum: mu-podcast.com/campus. Like what you hear? Please become a Patron! >> mu-podcast.com/patron <<

Campus Crier

The ENWorld forum had a poll for favorite gaming podcasts, and the results were announced on the Morrus’ Unofficial Tabletop RPG Talk podcast. They did 10 of each in the categories of Talk and AP podcasts. Go listen to their podcast if you want to hear the whole list. For the “Talk” category: #1 Good Friends of Jackson Elias #2 Grognard Files #3 Fear the Boot #4 Ken and Robin Talk about Stuff For AP category #1 Adventure Zone #2 Glass Cannon #3 Androids and Aliens #4 Dungeons and Randomness THE CAMPAIGNER magazine #26 has a 8 page special feature about Call of Cthulhu, with a long interview with line editor Mike Mason. The digital edition is just $1, and well worth a read! Chaosium is looking for GMs for the upcoming year. Chaosium announces latest CoC licensee – Dog Might Games, who make wooden Keeper screens and dice boxes. Golden Goblin Press has posted a teaser about an upcoming Kickstarter. The project is called An Inner Darkness. “The dark and malevolent forces of the Cthulhu Mythos mostly ignore humankind. But these entities are also shrewd opportunists. Many of them see humans as a resource to be harvested, corrupted or enlisted for their dark plots. Humanity, with all its noble aspirations, has many flaws. Greed, lust, envy, hatred and fear are ripe fruits for these forces to exploit. Division and separation makes the humans easier to control. As investigators square off against the worst aspects of mankind, they also find themselves entangled with the parasitic powers of the Mythos.” Also, a new free downloadable PDF has been added to the GGP website, it’s called The Adepts of Teris, it’s a group for Cthulhu Invictus. Also, there’s a tip jar on the company website now. Stygian Fox has announced the release of an overarching campaign framework written by by Jeff Moeller that ties together scenarios in The Things We Leave Behind. It was a backer-only reward for the Kickstarter, but now that it’s been fully delivered that mini-campaign frame is now released publicly and you can get it on DTRPG. Cthulhu Reborn has released a free-slash-pay what you want 27-page PDF scenario for Dateline: Lovecraft – written by Noah Lloyd, who is half of the Reckoning of the Dead website. It is described as ”a rather gruesome newspaper-linked scenario called “Smoke Green” set entirely in Arkham. “When millionaire industrialist Reinhart Laine picked Arkham to be the site of his grand new Tobacco Rolling Factory, few could have predicted the rapid good fortune that his new “Reinhart Cigarettes” would achieve. A cover image for an upcoming Chaosium book “Secrets of Berlin” has been stealth released on social media. At press time, we’ve only seen the cover which tells is the subtitle is “Unveiling the Mythos is Weimar Berlin” – and we know David Larkins is the lead writer on this, “with Mike Mason and Lynne Hardy.” Chaosium now has an official Twitch channel. digital content producer Jamie Coquillat is leading the Twitch initiative. He said, “Our aim here is not only to promote Chaosium games and build up our content library, but also to engage with the Twitch and Youtube communities, and to reach new players – especially younger players who make video platforms their home. Each time we Stream, we will be uploading the stream, and a “best of” recut, to Youtube. We’re beginning with a session of Horror on the Orient Express. Thank you to all those involved. Roll sanity, and let’s go!”

The Listening Room

Agent Dinos is back with another FBI dossier to review, redact, or shred. This time listeners may detect a familiar recommendation… Please remember that if you have any interest in producing a segment for the podcast, please contact mup.feedback@gmail.com.

Feedback

Hey guys, it’s like a Christmas miracle, all four of you are in at the same time. In regards to the titles that Chris Spivey is working on, I seem to recall him mentioning that he was working on a Chthulhu with superpowers themed game. So that could be the Stillwater one. Or not, you know. Keep up the good work and go pods! Judge Jim Yoder Here’s one from Mike Medwick! “Greetings, esteemed gentlemen– I greatly enjoyed your extended discussion of “Crack’d and Crook’d Manse” — a venerable scenario that can offer a very serviceable introduction to the Lovecraftian milieu for those new to the game. It’s also one that’s well suited to allow new keepers to stretch their riffing and tweaking skills to address some of those awkward scenario elements you dealt with in this episode. I was tickled—absolutely tickled, I tell you—to hear that you have fond recollections of the single session of “Crack’d and Crook’d Manse” I ran for you back in 2015. Dan’s private investigator truly stood out in that session. But If I recall correctly, you all originally decided that the ENTIRE PARTY would be comprised of lawyers—which set me scrambling to invent some kind of skulduggery on the part of the Dodge Brothers that the party could uncover during their investigation of the house. I think Murph is absolutely right to say that somebody needs to die in this scenario to showcase what the monster can actually do, but I never really liked the Joe Viirelli angle. Instead, my plan was to have Reginald Dodge send some hired muscle to the house to deal with the investigators while they were on site. The idea was to engineer a gonzo, three-way confrontation between the party, the monster and the bad guys in which several NPCs could get killed in some spectacularly gruesome ways. Eh, maybe it would have worked, maybe not. In any case, I bitterly regret not finishing that scenario with you guys. As always, the MUP crew really shines when they turn their attention to workshopping scenarios in this way—and what a treat to hear all four of you together again for this episode. Keep up the great work, and greetings from the Great Plains of Nebraska—kinda like living on the Plateau of Leng, only more desolate and wind-blown. GO PODS!

Topic

Sam Riordan is: “An Interdisciplinary writer with a passion for interactive storytelling and unique gameplay experiences. Seeking to push the importance of diverse characters and their emotional connection with the audience.” MetaArcade has put out a call for creators for the MetaArcade platform – the launch of a closed beta for new universes.

Smash this link to read more >>

Blurb from Chaosium: “Cthulhu Chronicles is an interactive fiction game set with light RPG elements, adapted from Chaosium’s Call of Cthulhu tabletop RPG. The game comprises several stories, which tie together into a single plotline. You have 6 characters to choose from when playing, and each has different attributes and backstories that affect how the game unfolds. The story is set in 1920s Massachusetts within the Cthulhu Mythos created by H.P. Lovecraft. Players grapple with safety and sanity in a world of ever-encroaching horrors. ]]>

MUP Episode 164 – Hello the Edge of Darkness My Old Friend

keeperchad — Tue, 15 Jan 2019 00:36:23 +0000

This episode, all four hosts are back together to delve back into scenario analysis with a classic, The Edge of Darkness! This episode was recorded on January 3, 2019.

We want to hear from you! By email: mup.feedback@gmail.com By phone: (401) 400-0MUP (0687) By Twitter: @MU_Podcast By Speakpipe: (Click the floating tab on the far right of this page) On our forum: mu-podcast.com/campus. Like what you hear? Please become a Patron! >> mu-podcast.com/patron <<

Campus Crier

Congratulations to the winners of the 2018 Delta Green Shotgun Scenario Contest. The winners are: >>First Place (shared) – Rendezvous in Rama or “Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder” by Marco Menarini >>First Place (shared) – Mairzy Doats by James Estes >>Third Place – Yummy Yummy in My Tummy by InterstellarOwl Also, for the first time, a new award. Handler’s Choice. This was awarded to Ed Possing’s, (the 2018 Handler), personal favorite of the scenarios that didn’t place. This author is awarded a $5 gift certificate to DTRPG. And that winner is: Don’t Forget by Colleen Sellay It was a record-breaking 58 entries in this year’s contest. Update about Éditions Sans-Détour regarding preorder customers. From Chaosium: “Please be advised we have told Éditions Sans-Détour to cease all presales of Les Masques de Nyarlathotep (Masks of Nyarlathotep) and Le Jour de la Bête (Day of the Beast) on their website. As the license has been withdrawn due to non-payment of royalties and other cardinal violations of the contract, ESD has no legal right or authority from Chaosium to continue presales, or offer these books for retail distribution, or elsewhere.” Bret Kramer of Sentinel Hill Press announced in December that issue #4 of the Arkham Gazette is that the issue will be split into two. Both halves will cover Kingsport, but will loosely focus on a different ‘side’ of the city. Issue #4 will be “Kingsport: Dreams”. Highlights include new locations, The Hall School, a private school for girls, a look at the Cape Verdean community of Kingsport, 100 Items from Neal Hazlitt’s shop (Charles Gerard wrote a few of them, plus a profile of Neal himself), “Bones of Contention” – A short Call of Cthulhu scenario by Kingsport: City in the Mists author Kevin Ross! It’ll clock in at about 80 pages, and it’s still in the works. Issue #5 already has 12 articles lined up, including a new scenario by Christopher Smith Adair. A cover preview shows that it is to be called “Kingsport: Nightmares.” Also from SHP, artist Galen Pejeau has sent along a revised, color version of the cover for the Keeper’s Guide to Lovecraft Country Scenarios. It’s now in the layout phase. The initial PDF release will be just scenarios from Chaosium books, then it will expand to include licensees, magazines, MULA monographs, Miskatonic Repository works, and oddities as possible. Check the link in the show notes. Golden Goblin Press last month unleashed a “Free but Vicious Nemean Lion” to celebrate the holiday season. It’s a creature from the Cthulhu Invictus setting. The link to download the PDF is in the blah dee blah. Check out the Chaosium YouTube channel to see a new video series to mark the release of the CALL OF CTHULHU STARTER SET. The videos are hosted by someone named “Jess,” and they are specifically pitched to newcomers to roleplaying games and Call of Cthulhu, with very basic topics like “What is an RPG?”, “What is Call of Cthulhu?”, “How to Play”, “The Starter Set”, and “What Next?” https://www.youtube.com/embed/vnMcyGMdzgQ

The Listening Room

Agent Dinos takes us to the Keystone State with a look at something what lurks below. Please remember that if you have any interest in producing a segment for the podcast, please contact mup.feedback@gmail.com.

Feedback

Chris Fisher: Word of general support for Chad: I also don’t pay enough attention to the MPAA screens to talk that lingo. Also, the fish pedicure vector topic was really interesting to me, and between the gaming potential and the general “Icky! How neat!” factor, I wish it hadn’t gotten squashed.

From the MU Forums, trevlix: (summarized) If you look at my posting history on any CoC site, you’ll see that Crack’d & Crook’d Manse is my #1 scenario of all time. There are so many great things about it, and I’ve probably run it 15-20 times in my gaming career. I’ve even previously posted some tips here on running it. Needless to say, this was a great episode for me. Also, as in the episode, here be spoilers. One thing that wasn’t mentioned is that Crack’d & Crook’d Manse was originally written as a tournament scenario for Phantastacon 1984 and then published in the Multiverse magazine (issue 3)*. To me, this means this scenario was originally meant to be played as a one-shot at a con. I bring this up because I think thats where some of its quirks come from. The goal of the scenario was to run it for a bunch of people within a short time period and make it enjoyable. To that extent, I think it succeeds. In a con scenario – especially a tournament one – the players are more likely to go to the house even though in different circumstances they may not (e.g. they were in a long campaign). My own experience mirrors this. The majority of the times I’ve run this have been at cons, and even with people new to Call of Cthulhu, and it has always succeeded in that respect. IMO, the brilliance of this scenario is not that its a mythos take on a haunted house, but in how the creature works within the house. Since it moves within the walls of the house, it has agency to avoid the PCs for as long as you want it to. If its early in the scenario and the PCs really want to explore the basement, the creature can move upstairs (with the house moaning and creaking as it does). If its later in the game and the PCs are nowhere near solving it, have it appear and all hell break loose….Also, loved that you guys did this. Please analyze more scenarios like you did here in the future!

Read the full post here >>

Topic

We talk at length about the Edge of Darkness scenario by Keith Herber, which is now part of the Call of Cthulhu Starter Set. Along the way, we mention Seth Skorkowsky’s video review of the scenario: https://youtu.be/6OiP8yvK59k Here is the randomly referenced movie The Car >> Here’s the trailer that you have to watch >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6-yVoJTCo8 This is a bit of My Mother The Car >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riOcOgUE-W8]]>

MUP Episode 163 – Crack'd and Crook'd and Spoil'd

keeperchad — Mon, 31 Dec 2018 02:00:12 +0000

This episode, all four hosts (welcome back, Dan!) gather for a spoiler-filled discussion of the classic scenario by Mark Morrison called “Crack’d and Crook’d Manse.” This episode was recorded on December 20, 2018.

We want to hear from you! By email: mup.feedback@gmail.com By phone: (401) 400-0MUP (0687) By Twitter: @MU_Podcast By Speakpipe: (Click the floating tab on the far right of this page) On our forum: mu-podcast.com/campus. Like what you hear? Please become a Patron! >> mu-podcast.com/patron <<

Campus Crier

Golden Goblin Press is offering two collector packages via their website.

The Tales of Collection
. This includes the long out of print Tales of the Sleepless City from Miskatonic River Press, Tales of the Crescent City, and Tales of the Caribbean, as well as PDF’s of the bonus scenarios, Goblin on Bourbon Street, Chicken Merry Hawk De Near, and the PDF of Golden Goblin Press’ Guide to the Caribbean.
The Cthulhu Invictus Legacy Collection
. This includes a copy of the 7th Edition Guide to Cthulhu Invictus, the original version of Cthulhu Invictus autographed by Chad Bowser, the scenario collection De Horrore Cosmico, and one of two remaining numbered hard cover versions of the 7th Edition Guide to Cthulhu Invictus. Only a dozen of these were produced, and there are no plans print more of these, and if they are every reprinted they won’t be numbered.

Chaosium announced on December 8 that Éditions Sans-Détour (ESD), the Chaosium licensee that has handled all the much-celebrated Call of Cthulhu materials in French, that it is not going to consider license for any more Sans-Detour products, and that it no longer has permission to use trademarks, logos or any related intellectual property. Basically, Sans-Detour has not paid Chaosium any royalties on any of its sales since late 2016. The CALL OF CTHULHU STARTER SET has been released. Details of the set: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWwVlrCyYWI Join the Harlem Unbound 2nd Ed Preview List – Earlier this year we were pleased to announce that Chaosium is to publish a new edition of Chris Spivey’s critically acclaimed Call of Cthulhu supplement Harlem Unbound. Chris and his team are now hard at work on the new edition, which features additional scenarios, new maps and new art. And if you sign up to our special Harlem Unbound 2 pre-release list you’ll be able to get an insight into the creation and development of the new edition, as we share exclusive previews, art, maps and special content. Mike Mason FB post: This year I have worked on the following books for Call of Cthulhu: Masks of Nyarlathotep (published) Shadows Over Stillwater (soon to be published) Secrets of Berlin (soon to be published) Terror Australis (published) Scritch Scratch (published) Call of Cthulhu Starter Set (published) Gaslight (in writing) The Dreamlands (in writing) Plus a load of books in early development and writing – and that’s not counting the others sat waiting for editorial or play testing. It was just a handful of years ago that Chaosium were publishing zero to two books a year. I’ve been working to improve output, quality, and range of books for the line. I hope that you enjoy playing these and are ready for more adventure, mystery, and horror in 2019 – we have some amazing things in the pipeline that’ll be bursting into life! Upcoming Chaosium Books (announced by Mike Mason) Shadows Over Stillwater (soon to be published) Secrets of Berlin (soon to be published) Gaslight (in writing) The Dreamlands (in writing) Heads up… Hellboy trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_tkfKeWEro Chaosium announced that it acquired the rights to King Arthur Pendragon and Prince Valiant: The Storytelling Game from Nocturnal Media. King Arthur Pendragon was designed by Greg Stafford, and was originally published by Chaosium in 1985. Stafford himself considered King Arthur Pendragon to be his greatest work in the role playing genre. Prince Valiant was published by Chaosium in 1989. A new edition of the game was launched in 2018. David Larkins will continue to act as the line editor for King Arthur Pendragon, now under the auspices of Chaosium. Cthulhu Reborn, by Dean Engelhart, has announced the release of a fifth (and final) Convicts & Cthulhu product for 2018 … and the launch of a brand new line of supplements. Available for free download right now is Convicts & Cthulhu: Muster #1 — The Turbulent Mason. There’s more controversy surrounding White Wolf, the company behind the classic Vampire: The Masquerade tabletop role-playing setting. Leadership changes are underway after the studio used the imprisonment, torture, and murder of Chechnya’s LGBTQ community as the backdrop for a major plot point in that game. An independent team at White Wolf, owned by Paradox Interactive, has been working on a revamp of the game with a fifth edition. Paradox’s vice president of business development, Shams Jorjani, wrote in a statement that due to a lack of attention, “the result was a chapter that dealt with a real-world, ongoing tragedy in a crude and disrespectful way. We should have identified this either during the creative process or in editing. This did not happen, and for this we apologize.” EN World — Vote for Your Favorite RPG Podcasts of 2018 (this closes on January 8th).

The Listening Room

Agent Dinos is back with a case file from icy Greenland… Please remember that if you have any interest in producing a segment for the podcast, contact mup.feedback@gmail.com.

Feedback

Hey Guys, While listening to this episode, I couldn’t help but think of the classic “Attract Fish” spell. There is a Deeper Magic option in the Grimoire, but it’s more like an alternate version to me. My thinking was that a Deeper version could be that it can be cast upon a human target, and that fish would literally become magnetized to them. Walk past an aquarium and they’ll start piling up on the glass, or walk through a stream and they’ll become stuck to their legs. You could even go the horror route and have dead fish included, so walking along a beach might result in countless fish skeletons “jumping” out of the sand to envelope the victim. Cheers, Danial

Topic

Crack’s and Crook’d Manse]]>

Glimpses into the Empire – LIVE!

keeperchad — Fri, 28 Dec 2018 21:10:58 +0000

This special bonus piece is a live show presented by Oscarius Tabularis, recorded live at the CarnageCon convention in Killington, Vermont on November 2, 2018. It includes several previously We hope you enjoy this year-end audio treat!]]>

MUP Episode 162 – Plumbing the Magic Depths

keeperchad — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 06:30:27 +0000

This episode, Jon, Murph and Chad delve into the depths of Deeper Magic! This episode was recorded on December 6, 2018.

We want to hear from you! By email: mup.feedback@gmail.com By phone: (401) 400-0MUP (0687) By Twitter: @MU_Podcast By Speakpipe: (Click the floating tab on the far right of this page) On our forum: mu-podcast.com/campus. Like what you hear? Please become a Patron! >> mu-podcast.com/patron <<

Campus Crier:

Chad talks a little about Masks of Nyarlathotep. In relation to Masks and how the latest edition tackled problematic material, check out two episodes of the Good Friend of Jackson Elias.

Episode 133 – The Good Friends try on Masks of Nyarlathotep

Episode 134 – The Good Friends try on more Masks of Nyarlathotep

BBC Radio 4 has released a fantastic audio drama, “The Case of Charles Dexter Ward.” It is not a reading of the story, but instead it is a full cast radio drama that reinterprets the story as a podcast. The podcast hosts have a show called “The Mystery Machine,” and they do reference a lot of pop culture in the show. It is 10 episodes long, and they each average less than 30 minutes long. It is very well produced and the writing also pulls in many other Lovecraftian elements. This is an amazing production. At the time of release of this episode, voting is now open in the 2018 Delta Green Shotgun Scenario Contest. In a change from previous years, all of the entries were required to be no longer than 1500 words. So it shouldn’t be too difficult to skim through and read many, (if not all), of the submitted scenarios. Our own Keeper Jon has a scenario in this year’s contest, but he hasn’t revealed which one is his, even to us! We hope you roll a crit-success on your Luck, Jon. Squamous Studios is about to launch a Kickstarter for the first expansion-Feed the Shoggoth!: Morsels of Madness! It will include 42 cards, featuring: New Cult Factions, New Artifacts, New Spells, New Minions, Rules summaries. And it’s worth mentioning – Chad made the semi-animated intro video for it! The Yellow King RPG by Robin D. Laws update – The latest Kickstarter update contains both good news and bad. The Good: The PDFs for the four core books, one game supplement, and one novel, (depending on your backer level), are available for download. Backers should check their emails. The Bad: Pelgrane Press is having some printer issues, but they are working hard to resolve them. For more details, the backers can check the Kickstarter Updates. The Miskatonic University: Restricted Collections board game Kickstarter. The manufacturing is complete, and will begin shipping from China very soon. Backers should expect an update that contain the names of the cargo ships bringing the goods!

The Listening Room:

Due to Chad’s lack of being together in his act, we’re taking a break on the Listening Room despite having a few items in the bank. Agent Dinos, sorry about that. Jon suggests Project Bluebook, Chad suggests the Teapot Dome Scandal, Murph suggests a cabinet of curiosities gone wrong. However, please remember that if you have any interest in producing a segment for the podcast, please contact mup.feedback@gmail.com.

Feedback:

“I know I’m months behind in my response but I have a name suggestion the great old one: Xaryoop, (Zar-you-P) the Spark of Life, from the Rings of Saturn. Go Pods – Investigator Cory”

Topic:

Deeper Magic – Considering the Deeper Magic rules from Call of Cthulhu and then riffing on a variety of spells and possible deeper magic versions of those spells. Jon – Steal Life’s Blood (Grand Grimoire – pg.174), and Summon Byakhee (Keeper Rulebook – pg.263) Chad: Wither Limb, Powder of ibn Ghazi Murph: Summon Dimensional Shambler, and Lassitude of Phein]]>

MUP Episode 161 – Investigators From Away

keeperchad — Tue, 04 Dec 2018 14:57:31 +0000

This episode, Chad and Jon join Edwin, one of our fastidious audio editors and a podcaster in his own right, to talk about player-characters in horror games, who they usually are, how we might rethink the casting, and the whole “outsider” nature of protagonists in horror. This episode was recorded on November 16, 2018.

We want to hear from you! By email: mup.feedback@gmail.com By phone: (401) 400-0MUP (0687) By Twitter: @MU_Podcast By Speakpipe: (Click the floating tab on the far right of this page) On our forum: mu-podcast.com/campus. Like what you hear? Please become a Patron! >> mu-podcast.com/patron <<

Campus Crier

The Cult of Chaos Convention Scenario Competition 2019 has been announced and…according to the announcement, “With Call of Cthulhu already covered, we can turn our eyes to the other major roleplaying game that Chaosium publishes, RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha.” Mike Mason announced through social media that several special Call of Cthulhu adventures are available for free on Chaosium’s website. Along with the introductory solo scenario, Alone Against the Flames, Keepers can also download The Dead Boarder – Extended Demo Scenario (by Todd Gardiner with Mike Mason), What’s in the Cellar – One Hour Demo Scenario (by Jon Hook), and Camp Sunny – Convention Scenario (by Paul Fricker with Mike Mason based on an idea by Keary Birch). Terror Australis is available to purchase now on the Chaosium website.

Feedback

Greetings Keepers! I am an avid listener to your fantastic podcast, and had written previously, as a new keeper about questions regarding how to run The Haunting. While that was nearly a year ago, my group still meets every Saturday to play Call of Cthulhu, or Delta Green and we are having a blast! We are also planning on transitioning our C.O.C. campaign to Pulp Cthulhu, by the requests of my intrepid investigators. In our Cthulhu campaign, I have introduced them to some famous Lovecraftian characters (Jackson Elias,etc…), taken them through many of the classic Lovecraftian locations, and now plan on taking them to Innsmouth, running the classic C.O.C adventure Escape from Innsmouth / Raid on Innsmouth. My question to you guys, do you think the second part of the adventure, Raid on Innsmouth can be converted successfully into a Pulp Cthulhu adventure? Or should it stay traditional to the standard Cthulhu ruleset? My reasoning? Well, I was also planning on transitioning into the new “Pulp” converted Masks of Nyarlathotep, after introducing them to Jackson Elias in previous investigations, and thought running Raid on Innsmouth as pulp would help the jump from traditional Cthulu to Pulp Cthulhu. Am I over thinking this? I would love your input to my minor dilemma. Keep up the fantastic work gentlemen! P.S. I was curious why you reference Miskatonic University’s mascot by saying “Go Pods?” when in Chaosium’s Miskatonic University Dire Secrets & Campus Life resource book on page 18 notes their mascot as a badger? – Keeper Michael

(Listen to the show for answers on all of this, but look here for info on how the “Go Pods” thing started.)

Topic

The topic is representation in horror RPGs, examining and challenging the default assumption that investigators should usually be Westerners. We also talk about the trope of PCs being “outsiders” or “fish out of water” in any given setting, and how that can be both an asset and a problem to grapple with.]]>

MUP Episode 160 – Wordplay, Hypergraphia and Logorrhea

keeperchad — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 10:03:27 +0000

This episode, Dan and Chad join guests Badger McGinnes and Editor Sean to talk about Issue 1 of the horror gaming zine Hypergraphia, which has an overarching theme of language, words and books in horror gaming. This episode was recorded on November 9, 2018.

We want to hear from you! By email: mup.feedback@gmail.com By phone: (401) 400-0MUP (0687) By Twitter: @MU_Podcast By Speakpipe: (Click the floating tab on the far right of this page) On our forum: mu-podcast.com/campus. Like what you hear? Please become a Patron! >> mu-podcast.com/patron <<

Campus Crier

First, Keeper Dan announces that he’s taking a bit of a hiatus from MUP. He’s pretty overwhelmed with his mechatronics school program, so his appearance as co-host on MU will be spotty at best through the end of the spring semester. We all wish him best of luck at school, and look forward to his return. It seems that he’ll be able to jump in It’s time for the annual Delta Green Shotgun Scenario Contest! As usual, the aim of this year’s contest is to write short scenarios. How short? 1500 words or less short! Please note: There are two major changes to the rules this year. First, there will be a hard word count limit of 1500 words. Longer pieces will not be accepted. Second, in the voting period, voters will be asked to rate their top five favorite scenarios from the pool. Winners will then be determined by instant run-off voting. Horrors of War – yet another update. Yet another delay. Michael O’Brien granted Pagan Publishing a 6-month extension on the license for Horrors of War, until June 30, 2019. He granted the extension because of the following, according to a KS update. On October 1st Adam Scott Glancy heard from his co-author, John H. Crowe III, that he wanted to withdraw from the Horrors of War project and wanted all of his material removed from the proposed book. In his email, he mentioned unspecified personal and medical crises. John’s share of the project is three out of the eight scenarios and the weapons and common soldier’s equipment compendium for the various combatants. Glancy talks about the possibility of using partially finished scenarios to replace the lost work, and ways to get the investigator weapons section covered. Also of note: “given that extra time has been allotted by Chaosium, and since so much time has passed since this project was first solicited, I am also considering converting the project to 7th Edition Call of Cthulhu rules. I would appreciate any feedback from you concerning this possibility.” Here’s something that has been brought to our attention by a number of listeners. On Oct. 29, a post from one of RPG.net’s moderators spells out a new rule that bans any discussion of Trump support on the site’s forums. The post states that the move is “the result of over a year of serious debate by the moderation team. The decision is as close to unanimous as we ever get. It will not be the subject of further debate. We have fully considered the downsides and ultimately decided we have to stay true to our values. We will not pretend that evil isn’t evil, or that it becomes a legitimate difference of political opinion if you put a suit and tie on it.” And it says that the administration’s values no longer allow allow the site to remain neutral, and that “We can be welcoming to (for example) persons of every ethnicity who want to talk about games, or we can allow support for open white supremacy. Not both.” The post gives extensive citations and examples of policies and statements at the root of this move, including racism, hostility to transgender people, attacks against journalists and press freedom, mocking disabled people, use of “nationalist” identifier, stoking fear of outsiders. The official Call of Cthulhu video game has been released! The game “brings you deep into a world of creeping madness and shrouded Old Gods within Lovecraft’s iconic universe. 1924. Private Investigator Pierce is sent to look into the tragic death of the Hawkins family on the isolated Darkwater Island.” Badger has announced he has been names as Art Director for Stygian Fox. Congratulations, Badger! Hideous Creatures: A Bestiary of the Cthulhu Mythos for Trail of Cthulhu has been released. It’s on pre-order at Pelgrane’s web site, but an article comment reveals that you’ll receive the PDF as soon as you place the pre-order for the print edition. This is a new bestiary of Cthulhoid creatures. A new Cthulhu gaming magazine has launched: Bayt al Azif is 80 pages containing three scenarios and a solo adventure, reviews, interviews with Rogue Cthulhu and Chris Spivey, history pieces, comics and more. You can pick up a copy (PDF and POD) via DriveThruRPG. “With The Unspeakable Oath moving to a Patreon model, Bayt al Azif joins The Arkham Gazette as another traditional-style The Masks of Nyarlathotep Slipcase Set is available for purchase!

The Listening Room

First, Agent Dinos opens another dossier from the FBI files, and then, the last episode of Season Two of Glimpses into the Empire, this time on a man of “Iron.” If you have any interest in producing a segment for the podcast, please contact mup.feedback@gmail.com

Topic

Hypergraphia, available for download here!

]]>

MUP Episode 159 – Spin the Globe Again

keeperchad — Mon, 05 Nov 2018 02:21:30 +0000

This episode, Murph and Jon go back to the mixing cauldron to pair locations with monsters again! This episode was recorded on October 25, 2018.

We want to hear from you! By email: mup.feedback@gmail.com By phone: (401) 400-0MUP (0687) By Twitter: @MU_Podcast By Speakpipe: (Click the floating tab on the far right of this page) On our forum: mu-podcast.com/campus. Like what you hear? Please become a Patron! >> mu-podcast.com/patron <<

Campus Crier

Keeper Chad contributed to a thing you can buy! He wrote part of a D&D supplement called “Dread Encounters: 13 Horrifying Hooks for Ravenloft.” This includes the work of four writers, Noah Lloyd, Tyler Hudak and Ed Possing, and “Charles Gerard.” AKA Keeper Chad. Each wrote three hooks for the Ravenloft/Strahd/Barovia setting, and then all collaborated on one single hook to make a total of 13. There are side encounters and strange items and NPCs and weird monsters that you can easily integrate into your Ravenloft campaign. This is now available on the DM’s Guild, as a PDF for $3.99. They are putting this up for sale with a generic cover, but the first $300 in profits will go toward an original cover to make it more appealing. Look for a shamelessly large link in the show notes.

Click Here To Check Out This Shamelessly Large Link for Dread Encounters >>

Type40 has created three official Chaosium Call of Cthulhu collectable enamel pins. Available at the Chaosium PAXAus booth, DT720. So if you’re Down Under go get your pins! Frozen Hell – The Book That Inspired The Thing – A newly discovered and expanded version of the classic sci-fi story, “Who Goes There?” by John W. Campbell, Jr. A Kickstarter to fund the new book. Friends (and editors) of the show Sean Murphy and Edwin Nagy are planning their 4th annual game-a-thon in support of the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Starting Nov. 16 at 6 PM Eastern on twitch.tv/enn321 (link in the show notes), they will stream live for 24 hours. At midnight, Sean is running Call of Cthulhu. During the entire event, your donations allow you to mess with the game (add monsters, design a trap, whatever!), make you eligible to win gaming prizes from their sponsors at Gallant Knight Games, Chaosium, and Frog God Games, and, of course, help sick children. Special this year for a donation of $100, Edwin will run (using 5e D&D) one hour of story of your choice. You can send him something ahead of time, or chat real time with him while he runs what you write. He will provide mechanics on the fly, if necessary. Contributions can be made at any time to Team NEG (New England Gamers) at Extra-Life.org.

Link for donations >> Link to Twitch stream >>

The Listening Room

Back in the “Listening Room” of Orne Library, first, Agent Dinos opens another dossier from the FBI files, this time on something called the “Kuala Tahan.” Next up, we have an episode of Glimpses into the Empire, this time we hear the story of “Tutula, Savior of Rome” Once again, if you have any interest in producing a segment for the podcast, please contact mup.feedback@gmail.com

Feedback

Hi there, I’m a keeper from the north of Spain currently preparing to run The Two-Headed Serpent. First of all I would like to say congratulations and thank you for your podcast. I have been listening to it for the past few months since I discovered it and well, I guess the time has come to say hi and thanks! It is really entertaining and useful, I have come across a lot of very interesting resources and products related to rpgs as well as having a very good time listening to it. I recommended it to all my friends and gaming group and even though the language is a barrier some of them have followed the advice. As I told you I plan on running TTHS in the near future and as part of preparation I listened to some old podcast concerning Pulp Cthulhu (amazing book, btw) to refresh rules, get new ideas… In installment 128, the one you interviewed Tyler Hudak (Trevlix), he talked about a globe-spanning pulp campaign involving occult/cthulhu horror and thulean nazis he run for his group. It sounded absolutely great and so much fun to play and I think he said something about officially writing it and perhaps releasing it. Did it finally happen? Is there any way to get a copy? Once again thanks so much for such a great podcast and Go Pods!! – Ilmaris Hey Guys, Really enjoyed this episode. So many writers come up with their own Mythos monsters, but it’s rare for someone to come up with a new deity. Jon’s “Spark of Life” brought to mind Annihilation. The whole zone was bursting with life, but in overdrive, so perhaps that could be one of the side-effects of its presence? Kind of like a bizarro Cthugha Chad’s GOO made my mind melt for the most part (in a good way), and with yet another pop-culture reference, reminded me of Langoliers. Instead of living just behind the present however, it’s living just in front. While I love the concept as a whole, I personally think the barnacles felt out of place (though I do agree that barnacles are creepy creatures). As for Murph’s, it’s reminiscent of a film called The Signal. Again, I really like this concept, and I was thinking, along the lines of what Chad was saying, that a certain frequency could be its kryptonite. Especially when you consider that inverted frequencies cancel each other out.I hope my comparisons with films doesn’t sound like I’m disparaging the ideas—I’m not. I’ve just seen a lot of movies is all, and it makes concepts easier to convey if compared to existing examples. I really liked all these ideas and hope they get to see life some time in the future. Cheers, Danial Carroll I wanted to start off by saying thank you for the birthday wishes and memorable song; and especially to Murph for all the help/ideas you gave to my wife and ultimately me. We were getting breakfast ready when I remembered a new episode dropped and started playing it, she was present and eating with me while that segment came on. Quite fortuitous. Also, great job on the work-shopping new Great Old One concepts, it was nice to have a glimpse into how your minds work and develop ideas in a new type of challenge. – Jeremie Hi MUP Guys! I just wanted to say thank you so much for all your help and the birthday wishes for my husband Jeremie. We both listened to it and laughed and smiled; it was just perfect! I then gave Jeremie his books that I purchased and he was grinning from ear to ear. As I went to work, he started reading the books. We are both excited for our first CoC games. Thanks again! – Kerrie

Topic

1. Coordinates: Latitude: 14.15193, Longitude: 103.11216, Distortion: 1.06 PLUS Spawn of the Winds Malleus Monstroum pg. 85 2. Coordinates: Latitude: -70.65189, Longitude: 11.12174, Distortion: 9.11 PLU Gnoph-Keh pg. 85 3. Coordinates: Latitude: -1.04924, Longitude: 144.24045, Distortion: 1.00 PLUS Skinless One pg. 204 4. Coordinates: Latitude: 34.87963, Longitude: 110.38426, Distortion: 1.49]]>

MUP Episode 158 – Your Feet Are in The Past, My Friends

keeperchad — Mon, 22 Oct 2018 09:00:49 +0000

This episode, Murph, Chad and Jon concoct and stew over a few of our own new Great Old Ones. This episode was recorded on October 15, 2018.

We want to hear from you! By email: mup.feedback@gmail.com By phone: (401) 400-0MUP (0687) By Twitter: @MU_Podcast By Speakpipe: (Click the floating tab on the far right of this page) On our forum: mu-podcast.com/campus. Like what you hear? Please become a Patron! >> mu-podcast.com/patron <<

Campus Crier

Once again, heartfelt condolences go out to friends and family of Chaosium founder Greg Stafford, who passed away on October 11 at the age of 70. There is a condolence thread on the Chaosium site, which you can find here. Chris Lackey has announced that he is working on a CoC supplement for Chaosium called Cults of Cthulhu. He said on YSDC’s News from Pnakotus that it involves using Cthulhu cults as antagonists an comes with three scenarios across different eras. Look for it “vaguely next year.” No more details have been released. There’s a new novel by Ben Monroe, who is the originator of the Monterey Jack character. In the Belly of the Beast and Other Tales of Cthulhu Wars: A Cthulhu Wars Novel – it’s inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft and the game Cthulhu Wars, published by Petersen Games. There are eight short stories and a complete novel Grave-tober: Bret Kramer of Sentinel Hill Press has been posting an item a day for the whole month of October – you may remember previous “Octoberganza” posts. This time, each item is a New England gravestone of particular interest to him, for reasons of artistic value or insight into some facet of history or folklore. They’re each short, around 250 words, but there are weird and horrific carvings nuggets like stones carved with undead imp creatures bearing darts, and freaking skulls with extra rows of teeth…check it out. Cody Goodfellow wrote an interesting piece about Lovecraft’s legacy and ongoing controversies about his racism. It recaps some of the upheaval in the community over the last few years, including his once-friend Robert Price’s comments and the World Fantasy Award statue – as well as more recent conflicts it’s a nice thoughtful read that adds something new to the convo. Sean Hillman of ENWorld interviewed Chris Spivey of Darker Hue Studios about various projects. It’s a cool rundown of work in both Cthulhu and non Cthulhu realms, and his work process, his influences, his goals. Good read.

LATE-BREAKING – Sentinel Hill Press is offering a bundle of Print-On-Demand softcover books PLUS PDFs for all four Arkham Gazette issues on DriveThru RPG at a significant sale price of $45, which is down from a $78 cost to purchase all of them separately. Check it out!

Click here to read more via this special MUP link >>

The Listening Room

This episode, a second installment from the cold files of Agent Dinos – this time, we’re looking at a strange item from the Istanbul station… And a holiday-themed episode of Glimpses into the Empire, about “rituals for the dead.” Once again, if you have any interest in producing a segment for the podcast, please contact mup.feedback@gmail.com Audio Credits for show notes… Scattered Ghost: http://www.freesound.org/people/qubodup/sounds/211646 by Iwan ‘qubodup’ Gabovitch http://freesound.org/people/qubodup under CC-BY 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode

Feedback, Corrections and Comments

On “Nuclear” in Azathoth: Danial Carroll — I believe HPL used the term “nuclear” with Azathoth to mean that it is the centre. It was subsequent writers that mistook that to mean nuclear energy, yet it has pervaded, so I guess it’s as canon as anything else From Max: Hollow Man is the bad movie with Kevin Bacon. There is a episode of The Twilight Zone from the 80s related to an “emo” version of The Invisible Man – “To See the Invisible Man.”

Hi guys, Greetings from Melbourne, Australia. Just wanted to drop you a line and thank you for the great job you do in producing quality content that is both informative and entertaining! I’ve gotten back into Cthulhu recently after a twenty-year hiatus! Loved the recent idea of creating on the fly using the Malleus Monstrorum and random Earth locations. You should seriously consider making it a regular thing. Compile them all as one-page adventure briefs and kickstart it, you’d have something very cool to share with the CoC community! If you haven’t already, you should definitely put out a shout-out to the Sassoon Files (on Kickstarter at the moment), a series of very cool 1920s Cthulhu sessions set in Shanghai! Have a fantastic day! Thanks again for your hardwork, it is much appreciated. – Phillip

Some notes you might be interested in with regards to your discussion of Spanish flu on the podcast. Canada, despite being at many of the bloodiest battles of the first world war had more people die to the flu then the war. The flu hit the central powers first and hard: When you have a flu hit on top of feeding your people on bread stuffed with sawdust, and already had a winter so bad it was known of the Turnip Winter due to the fact that is all there was to eat, having a pandemic is the last thing you want. There are historians who claim one of the major reasons for the end the war was the number of casualties Germany was taking from the flu. I’ve heard it reported that young, healthy people where actually more likely to die from it then the sick and the elderly. So instead of seeing the old and young die, you watched a lot of young, strong men, just back from the front die. We are in the middle of the 100 year anniversary of the Spanish flu. I follow three twitter accounts that are retweeting the events of WWI in ‘real time’ so you get a sense of how far apart things are. One of today’s tweets was: “The Spanish Flu has reached #London; 700 fall ill.” It has been tracking reports from around the world as various cities record the flu reaching them. It is too bad my report on the 2016 Evil Clown Epidemic wasn’t the first one I sent in, it would have been perfect for this episode. – Canageek

Hey Guys, My takeaway from this episode was the disease victims with the message across them that needs to be assembled like a morbid puzzle. That was great. Also loved the new Miskatonic Repository segment. Crossing my fingers that mine gets covered at some point. It’s not only my first Repository submission, but my first ever “home brew” scenario, so feel free to rip it to shreds if you do Cheers, Danial

A hotel dieu is a French term for a hospital. That episode was sick. – Bill Hi MUP guys! My husband, Jeremie, loves your podcast and has been a reader of the mythos for a very long time. He’s played and run various RPGs for over 2 decades ranging from Robotech, D&D to Supernatural and more recently Deadlands and ETU (from Savage Worlds). He would really like to get into Mythos type RPGs but isn’t sure which one to buy as there is some contradictory info out there. He’s looking at Call of Cthulhu, Pulp Cthulhu or Delta Green. What would he need for each of those and is CoC and Pulp Cthulhu mostly the same system? Looking at maybe getting some of this as a gift for him for his birthday at the end of the month. Also, if you guys could send him some birthday wishes on your podcast, that would be fantastic! His birthday is Oct. 28th. – Kerrie

Topic

This episode, Jon had the great idea of each of us creating an original Great Old One and then present it here for some workshopping. Chad: The Unraveling Jon: Sauthoth, The Spark of Life — needs a new name, calling out to the listener community for help. Murph: 10^18 Exahertz]]>

Tributes to Greg Stafford

keeperchad — Tue, 16 Oct 2018 17:04:11 +0000

Many in this community have heard news that Chaosium founder Greg Stafford passed away on October 11 at the age of 70. He founded the company in 1975, and was also designer for Pendragon, co-designer of RuneQuest, Ghostbusters, Prince Valiant and HeroQuest, as well as founding Chaosium and Issaries. Our thoughts and condolences go out to friends and family at this difficult time. There is a condolence thread on the Chaosium site, which you can read or contribute to here. We collected a few messages of condolence from people in the community, which we play in this short special report. Thank you very much to Chris Spivey, David Larkins, Scott Dorward and Lynne Hardy for sending these special messages on such short notice. Here’s the quote that David Larkins sent from a Gen Con 2014 panel on Gaming as Mythic Exploration:

“For me, we are all mythological creatures. We all have some part of ourselves that we’re not aware of and mythology is a language. It’s like a sense like sight and smell and sound. Unfortunately, we’ve lost most of it these days. It’s been learned—out of us. But, to me, role playing games are a way to interact with that. We have an unconscious ability to deal with myths. They have meaning. They have meaning that we don’t understand. They have intuitive meaning. They have obvious meaning. They have storytelling medium. A good game is one that taps into all of these things. I think every roleplaying game in which you make up and create an imaginary character activates that mythological self. The best games are the ones that fulfill that hunger within us.”

We may add other messages later in Episode 158, which we hope to air next week on October 22. If you want to add your thoughts about how Greg Stafford’s legacy affected you, or just send a message of condolence, please feel free to leave your own voice message on Speakpipe via the right-hand tab on this page, or as an attachment in an email to mup.feedback@gmail.com. ]]>

MUP Episode 157 – That Old Timey Science

keeperchad — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 18:58:32 +0000

In this episode, all four hosts gather to discuss classic vintage sci-fi and how to add an infusion of Mythos. This episode was recorded on September 27, 2018.

Campus Crier

Cthulhu Chronicles is now available on Android – Cthulhu Chronicles brings the terror and thrill of Chaosium’s award-winning role-playing game Call of Cthulhu to life on your mobile device. It emulates the tabletop experience, giving you choices to make, enemies to fight and mysteries to uncover. Mystery, intrigue, horror, and madness await your investigator, who can gain insights and lose sanity as they chart their way through Arkham City’s various interactive stories. Each story presents its own challenges and also plays a part of a larger campaign, which unfolds around you as you play. It is a great way to introduce yourself to the thrill of Call of Cthulhu, or, if you are already a player, to dive into a game and get a touch of Mythos on your own! Cthulhu Reborn has released Dateline Lovecraft #2 – Help Wanted by Jo Kriel on RPGNow as a pay what you want release. This is a 19 page extra scenario designed to work with the broadsheet styled newspaper released in Dateline #1. I’ve downloaded it and have started reading through it, and it is awesome. Retro Style Horror RPG ‘Cthulhu Mythos RPG -The Sleeping Girl of the Miasma Sea-‘ English ver. is Released on DLsite.com and Steam https://store.steampowered.com/app/938240/Cthulhu_Mythos_RPG_The_Sleeping_Girl_of_the_Miasma_Sea/ The Sassoon Files is a kickstarter that is set in Shanghai in the 1920s. They have already funded with $14k of a 5k goal. A creator called 2d6.io has created printable props for the Masks of Nyarlathotep campaign to represent two of the artifacts investigators may encounter during the prelude adventure in Peru. They include something called “The Golden Mirror” and “The Golden Ward.” These are STL/3D-Printer Files, and they are all available on thingiverse for free! This person is planning to continue making stuff for the campaign, so stay tuned. Link in the show notes. The Props of Nyarlathotep, the Perù chapter. Handcrafted props for the whole new prologue created for the awarded Call of Cthulhu RPG Campaign : the Masks of Nyarlathotep. Something is Wrong Here is an RPG based on the films of David Lynch, specifically Mulholland Drive, Blue Velvet, and Lost Highway. Do we really need more of a reason to back this? This has already been funded by the time you hear this, but it is worth a mention in case it drops on shelves near you. Golden Goblin update: By the time this airs, four Golden Goblin products will be newly available for download on the company’s site. Two game products and two fiction products. That includes Riot at Red Plank and the Guide to the Caribbean, after those are released to backers, and then Tails of Terror fiction and the Further Tales of Cthulhu Invictus – all available for for download. And probably the 7th Ed conversion rules for the De Horrore Cosmico – the first Invictus book that they did – will be available for free download. Also, the new Cthulhu Invictus book is scheduled to arrive at the Goblin Lair on Oct. 1 – so the first batch should be in the mail by the time this episode reaches your noise holes. ALSO all PDF versions of the company’s fiction line has been dropped. Many went from $10 to $8, for example. A quick update on the Occam’s Razor collection of modern scenarios by Brian Sammons – the KS will be done by the time this episode airs.

The Listening Room

Now we’re heading back to the “Listening Room” of Orne Library. Mr. Tyler is on hiatus for this week, but we have something new from the cold files of “Agent Dinos” – this is a new segment and I think you’ll dig it. Next up, we have another episode in Season Two of Glimpses into the Empire, about a particularly notable “informant” in Roman history. Once again, if you have any interest in producing a segment for the podcast, please contact mup.feedback@gmail.com

Card Catalog

Arkham Advertiser Editable PDF newspaper generator – 3 column front page newspaper with large AA bannerhead. It comes in two styles, with an ad on the front page, and without an ad. The creator also provides examples so you can see how to fill one out. Generic Newspaper Generator – This is most likely a reminder, but it’s always good to remind listeners of great game resources. This generator produces a great newspaper article JPEG that looks like a close-up of a folded Page 1 of a newspaper. Topic Lovecraftian Science, from a fantastic, Gothic angle, and how it could be twister and used in a Call of Cthulhu game at your table. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and other classic inspiration. Chad delves into Edgar Allen Poe’s sci-fi roots, with Poe’s scientific Hoaxes. Poe explored galvanism (Frankenstein-style electric revivification), time travel and weird speculative fiction. ‘The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfall‘ relates a man’s balloon journey to the moon. EThe boundaries between horror and science are blurred in stories such as “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar.” HOOKS: Fascinated by the voluntary nature of revivification experiments. Astral Projection. Once dead, you can go to certain places. But maybe it slowly corrupts you. Pulp: Once you are dead, you might be able to withstand the rigors of space travel. Moon race in 1830, sponsored by medical schools. Oh, and he randomly references The Powers of Matthew Star. Jon picks The Time Machine by HG Wells. PCs as giants in the past. Yes please. Time travel to the past and their sizes increase. Dan picks Jules Verne’s 20000 Leagues under the Sea (1870) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty_Thousand_Leagues_Under_the_Sea http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/164 https://www.amazon.com/000-Leagues-Under-Wordsworth-Classics/dp/1853260312 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty_Thousand_Leagues_Under_the_Sea https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20,000_Leagues_Under_the_Sea_(1954_film) Nuclear battleships and submarines powered by azathoth engines. Mecha based on a Dark Young. Stranbeests as monsters. https://www.mortalengines.com/ Murph picks HG Wells’ Invisible Man ]]>

MUP Episode 156 – In Sickness and in Health

keeperchad — Tue, 25 Sep 2018 20:52:51 +0000

In this episode, Jon, Dan and Chad talk about the horrors of plagues and pandemics to inspire game ideas! Please note that the Crier is a little short and hastily put together this week, and we know we’ve missed big news items. This episode was recorded on September 13, 2018.

We want to hear from you! By email: mup.feedback@gmail.com By phone: (401) 400-0MUP (0687) By Twitter: @MU_Podcast By Speakpipe: (Click the floating tab on the far right of this page) On our forum: mu-podcast.com/campus. Like what you hear? Please become a Patron! >> mu-podcast.com/patron <<

Campus Crier

‘Hardware’ director Richard Stanley’s adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s ‘The Colour out of Space‘ coming ‘in the near future’ Check out the first hour of Call of Cthulhu – watch as Focus Home Interactive and Cyanide Studio showcase the upcoming adventure.

Miskatonic Repository Reviews

Jon reviewed: Idol of Thoth by Joe Trier and Mizuumi no bakemono by Jean-Michel Abrassart. As a companion, here is Chaosium’s Secrets of Japan. Chad reviewed: “Plague” by Matt Ryan and Noah Lloyd.

The Listening Room

Now we’re heading back to the “Listening Room” of Orne Library. This episode, part two of Mr. Tyler’s punitive ramblings on “The Derelict.” Listen to the story ready by FNH on his Cthulhu Podcast- Part 1 and Part 2. Next up, we have another episode in Season Two of Glimpses into the Empire. This time, we’ll hear the story of a certain “demi-god.” Here’s some background about the “magical” rebel children in Myanmar, who recently reunited. And finally, this episode we have something from a longtime listener, and a familiar voice to our airwaves. Check out this report from Chemistry PHD candidate Matthew Brown, a deep dive into the mystery of the Black Eyed Children. Context: Blurry Photos episode Skeptoid episode Once again, if you have any interest in producing a segment for the podcast, please contact mup.feedback@gmail.com

Topic

Fun with diseases! We started here >> Each of us covered one disease, and we talked about related Mythos hooks. Chad: Cholera outbreaks of 1832-1866. Jon: 1918 Spanish Flu Dan: Typhoid fever Randomly, here’s a “plague fort” in Russia. ]]>

Chaosium's 'Cool of Cthulhu' GenCon 2018 Panel

keeperchad — Mon, 17 Sep 2018 09:00:24 +0000

This is Chaosium’s GenCon 2018 panel, “Cool of Cthulhu,” recorded on Saturday, August 4. The panelists were: James Lowder Mike Mason Paul Fricker Chris Spivey Sam Riordan The moderator was Michael O’Brien (a.k.a MOB).]]>

MUP Episode 155 – Where Are We and What Is That?

keeperchad — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 09:00:26 +0000

This episode, Murph, Jon and Chad put peanut butter into the chocolate as we mix together random monsters and random global coordinates. This episode was recorded on August 30, 2018.

We want to hear from you! By email: mup.feedback@gmail.com By phone: (401) 400-0MUP (0687) By Twitter: @MU_Podcast By Speakpipe: (Click the floating tab on the far right of this page) On our forum: mu-podcast.com/campus. Like what you hear? Please become a Patron! >> mu-podcast.com/patron <<

Campus Crier

[Keeper Chad joins the show late] Occam’s Razor, a collection of scenarios for Call of Cthulhu by Brian Sammons! This is a collection of modern scenarios that have a dark tone, “more akin to True Detective and American Horror Story and is written for Mature Gamers Only. The scenarios look into the dark heart of humanity and the mythos… but this book has a twist.” The twist is that the scenarios seem to have link to the Cthulhu mythos but they have mundane causes and outcomes. Zweihander is about to kickstart a new supplement called Main Gauche, which looks dark and weird as hell on their page. Doctor Cthulittle – an illustrated tale. This is a completed Kickstarter from December 2017, but Jon got it from his local comic shop – and it is amazing! Haunting of Hastur available in print or at DTRPG. The Haunting of Hastur just had a successful KS to produce the 5e and OSR 4-part adventure scenarios in print. But many of them you can get now on DTRPG. A big Salute to SKYPE OF CTHULHU for 500+ episodes!!! And a big thank you goes out to..wait…to DAN this time for editing the show! Thankorry very much Dan for editing this one.

The Listening Room

This episode, let’s kick it off with an installment from Mr. Tyler, with a deep dive into a seminal weird fiction story: The Derelict. Then, we have the first episode in Season Two of Glimpses into the Empire. Let’s gaze up at the timeless stars for a story about the surprising fate of one Roman Astrologer. Once again, if you have any interest in producing a segment for the podcast, please contact mup.feedback@gmail.com

Feedback

We have some audio feedback from Ritterton. The Google transcription is just too weird to post.

Topic

Riffing on a randomly generated monster in a randomly generated place. Here’s what we used: Random.org to randomly select a position on planet Earth Convert decimal to minutes/seconds.]]>

MUP Episode 154 – The Long and the Short of the Con

keeperchad — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 09:00:31 +0000

We want to hear from you! By email: mup.feedback@gmail.com By phone: (401) 400-0MUP (0687) By Twitter: @MU_Podcast By Speakpipe: (Click the floating tab on the far right of this page) On our forum: mu-podcast.com/campus. Like what you hear? Please become a Patron! >> mu-podcast.com/patron <<

This episode, Dan and Chad talk about their experiences at GenCon, and we catch up on a ton of industry news. The episode was recorded on August 16, 2018.

Campus Crier

The Diana Jones Award went to “Actual Play” Darker Hue Studios won three gold Ennies for Harlem Unbound: Best Cover Art Best Setting Best Writing In related news, Harlem Unbound is getting a second edition as a Chaosium book – with more scenarios and maps and art. Chaosium to publish second edition of the critically-acclaimed Harlem Unbound AND the book is on the syllabus for a course on American Horror this coming semester at Johnson C. Smith University, a Historically Black university in Charlotte, North Carolina. Chaosium’s Call of Cthulhu awards: Best Supplement — GOLD: Reign of Terror Best Monster/Adversary — SILVER: Down Darker Trails Fan’s Choice, Best Publisher — SILVER: Chaosium Inc. Arc Dream/Delta Green awards: Best Rules – GOLD for the DG RPG Best Game – SILVER for the DG RPG Product of the Year – SILVER for the DG RPG Best Production Values – GOLD: Delta Green: The RPG Best Electronic Book – GOLD: A Night at the Opera Best Adventure – SILVER: A Night at the Opera This year’s award harvest marks the 10th ENnie for Delta Green since 1996, as outlined on the Arc Dram site. http://theunspeakableoath.com/home/2018/08/delta-green-wins-its-10th-ennie-award/ Sidebar news: The ENnies announced after GenCon that it was going to be “reviewing the awards structure” to make them better – specifically citing “more secure voting systems, changes to the ways the judges are nominated, and more.” Announced on the GenCon panel “Cool of Cthulhu” were a few odds and ends. There will be a Call of Cthulhu collectible card game in digital form using Blockchain. Cthulhu Chronicles content lead Sam Riordan was there to talk about the interactive fiction game, which was being demoed at the Chaosium booth, and you can see an extensive blog interview on the Chaosium site. Mark Morrison ran a new Reign of Terror scenario on Twitch TV’s “Saving Throw Show” Issue #25 of The Unspeakable Oath has been released. It’s 68 pages of TUO #25 in both PDF and print via DriveThruRPG, now. It has artefacts, tomes, and scenario seeds for Call of Cthulhu…four Delta Green scenarios. Delta Green features on privacy (or the lack thereof) and tactics for agents… and more. The Delta Green panel from GenCon was posted on the Unspeakable podcast. Chaosium has recruited renowned role playing author Robin Laws (Feng Shui, Hillfolk) to write an updated version of the RuneQuest supplement Pavis & Big Rubble. The first of two volumes, A Big Rubble, will release late in 2019, with Pavis planned for 2020. Robin Laws is also the writer for the King of Dragon Pass and Six Ages games. The amazing Gamer Prop Set for Masks of Nyarlathotep is now shipping! This truly is the ultimate collection of authentic RPG gaming props, from the masters—our friends at the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society. Gen Con Reaches New Heights in 2018 with a Year of Firsts

INDIANAPOLIS (August 6, 2018) Gen Con, the largest and longest-running game convention in North America, has announced that its 2018 convention is the most attended ever, propelled by a record number of 4-Day badge sales, a 16% year-over-year increase in Saturday badge holders, and astounding 60% jump in year-over-year growth for both Sunday badge holders and children attending with wristbands.

Friend of the show David Larkins was announced as the new line editor for Pendragon and related titles. Mothership is a sci-fi horror roleplaying game where you and your crew try to survive in the most inhospitable environment in the universe: outer space! You’ll excavate dangerous derelict spacecraft, explore strange unknown worlds, exterminate hostile alien life, and examine the horrors that encroach upon your every move. http://www.tuesdayknightgames.com/mothership http://imboardwithlife.libsyn.com/pod/mothership-pt-1 http://imboardwithlife.libsyn.com/pod/mothership-pt-2 Stygian Fox News: Fear’s Sharp Little Needles is now available for purchase! This is an anthology of 26 one-night modern day scenarios for Call of Cthulhu. IMPOSSIBLY LONG LIST OF AUTHOR CREDITS: edited by Jeff Moeller, and written by Christopher Smith Adair, Glynn Owen Barrass, Simon Brake, Stuart Boon, Chad Bowser, Brian Courtemanche, Scott Dorward, Adam Gauntlett, Allan Goodall, Helen Gould, Tyler Hudak, Jo Kreil, Jeff Moeller, Andi Newton, Oscar Rios, Brian M. Sammons, Matthew Sanderson, Jennifer Thrasher, Joe Trier, Jason Williams, Matt Wiseman, and Simon Yee with art by Dean Engelhardt, Reuben Dodd, Badger McInnes Golden Goblin Press news: Riot at Red Plank has gone to proof-readers, 7th Edition Guide to Cthulhu Invictus is now at the printer, Tails of Valor and Terror is now in layout. And a big thank you goes out to EDWIN this time for editing the show! Thankorry.

The Listening Room

This episode, Mr. Tyler correlates the contents of notes passed in detention hall. Season two of Glimpses into the Empire is starting up again soon, and we already have two in the editing phase and other scripts trickling out. So stay tuned! Once again, if you have any interest in producing a segment for the podcast, please contact mup.feedback@gmail.com.

Feedback

From Danial: Oh my god, you guys blew my mind by discussing Moon Knight. He’s my favourite comic character and the majority of people don’t even know who he is, so to hear you guys talking about him made my day. I’ve got every one of his comics (except the most recent runs) and he even has his own space on my shelf (see attached) – Danial C From Lazlo Tamasfi: The Observatory webcomic is being bound and released as a graphic novel by Caliber Comics. The comic has a Lovecraftian wrapper that contains numerous shorter weird stories in between. It is a really neat book that you can pick up on Amazon for $12.99.

Topic

GenCon recap!]]>

MUP Episode 153 – Jon and Murph Go 'Off Topic'

keeperchad — Mon, 13 Aug 2018 09:00:03 +0000

In this episode – honestly I have no idea. This is Keeper Chad. Oh right…MUP won an ENnie! Go Pods! A big thank you to all who voted. While Dan and I were in Indy…Jon and Murph were minding the store and… [FYI, this one is explicit af.]]]>

MUP 152 – Beyond From Beyond

keeperchad — Tue, 31 Jul 2018 03:10:44 +0000

This episode, we’re talking about the Tillinghast Resonator and other ideas that spawn From Beyond. This episode was recorded on July 19, 2018.

We want to hear from you! By email: mup.feedback@gmail.com By phone: (401) 400-0MUP (0687) By Twitter: @MU_Podcast By Speakpipe: (Click the floating tab on the far right of this page) On our forum: mu-podcast.com/campus. Like what you hear? Please become a Patron! >> mu-podcast.com/patron <<

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is Miskatonic U’s student paper. Here’s where we go through Mythos related news and feedback to the podcast. This episode was recorded on July 19, 2018. Delta Green: The Labyrinth – Delta Green co-creator John Tynes presents a sourcebook of threats, allies, and mysteries to deepen the terrors of your campaign. Over the Edge – Return to the island of Al Amarja in this new edition of Jonathan Tweet’s freeform roleplaying game of paranormal chaos. Tails of Valor for Cathulhu has funded! It wrapped up at $16,380 with 320 backers (a the time of recording it was just past the $12,500 goal with 228 backers), and unlocked six stretch goals, including extra interior art and fiction stories, sinister seeds, and bookmarks. Also, Sentinel Hill Press did a Q&A with Oscar about the project, mostly on the Kingsport Council feline investigator group and Grey in the Dark”, a scenario also set in Kingsport. You can check that out in the show notes! Check out Cthulhu: Death May Die, a “cooperative board game for 1 to 5 players willing to take on the Cthulhu mythos like never before! Cultists are summoning one of the Elder Ones to consume our world, and it is up to the ragtag group of investigators to face the nightmarish forces and disrupt the ritual long enough to make the Elder One vulnerable. And then kill it dead.” Jon was a guest on Spellburn! Spellburn is a podcast that focuses on the Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG, and episode 70 is all about using the Cthulhu Mythos in your DCC fantasy game. Jon talked about his Cthulhu Mythos inspired DCC adventures and the upcoming Cthulhu Alphabet book coming soon from Goodman Games. Amazon Studios has greenlit, “Tales from the Loop,” an hour-long science-fiction series executive produced by “War for Planet of the Apes” director Matt Reeves. The series is based on the famous artwork of Simon Stålenhag. A co-production with Fox 21 Television Studios, the eight-episode series will be helmed by executive producer Nathaniel Halpern, with Mark Romanek directing the pilot episode. “Tales from the Loop” explores the town and people who live above “The Loop,” a machine built to unlock and explore the mysteries of the universe — making things possible that were previously relegated only to science fiction. In this fantastical, mysterious town, poignant human tales are told that bare universal emotional experiences while drawing on the intrigue of genre storytelling. Punktown is out in PDF! Originally a Kickstarter from Miskatonic River Press in 2012, various development problems (and the closure of MRP) meant that the Punktown setting book, based on the works of Jeffrey Thomas, has now been completed and made available through Chronicle City (@AngusA). The print edition of Punktown is still in process. MetaArcade have launched the next chapter in the Investigations in Lovecraft Country series of linked adventures for Cthulhu Chronicles – an original scenario called The Good Professor. It builds on everything you have experienced so far in Cthulhu Chronicles; tensions are rising, and your decision-making skills will be put to the test. Like all others, this scenario is available for 20 tickets, or you can play it for free using one of your trials. The Good Professor will be followed by 3 more scenarios, as the campaign arc reaches its epic conclusion. Are you ready for the challenge? Check out Cthulhu Chronicles on the Apple App Store today. MetaArcade have also confirmed an Android version of Cthulhu Chronicles is their highest priority post-launch. More details at the MetaArcade Dev Blog. And a big thank you goes out to MAX this time. Thank you so much for the editing MAX!

The Listening Room

Now we’re heading back to the “Listening Room” of Orne Library. This episode, Mr. Tyler is turning his chair backwards and getting a bit more serious about a personal matter. Please check out Tyler’s Once again, if you have any interest in producing a segment for the podcast, please contact mup.feedback@gmail.com

Topic

Beyond From Beyond! We talk about the original story, which you can read here. Other mentions: Artifact Zero Infrared sight experiments in WWII. Project Rainbow (Delta Green) The Man with the X-Ray Eyes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYowsdlWv1g]]>

HPLHS Masks Sets Correction

keeperdan — Wed, 18 Jul 2018 05:37:10 +0000

Masks of Nyarlathotep – Gamer Prop Set (No DART Audio) $ 95.99 Release August 1, 2018 Dark Adventure Radio Theatre – Masks of Nyarlathotep (Standard Version) $ 69.95 Release August 1, 2018 Dark Adventure Radio Theatre – Masks of Nyarlathotep Deluxe Edition Unknown cost Undetermined Release Date Masks of Nyarlathotep – Super Deluxe Limited Edition (This has the Deluxe DART and the Gamer Prop Set and MORE!) Unknown cost Undetermined Release Date]]>

MUP 151 – Is ENnie Body Out There?

keeperchad — Mon, 16 Jul 2018 05:20:32 +0000

In this episode, we take a look at horror-adjacent nominations for the 2018 ENnies, and then we do some riffing on how to make bad films into fertilizer for games. This episode was recorded on July 5, 2018.

We want to hear from you! By email: mup.feedback@gmail.com By phone: (401) 400-0MUP (0687) By Twitter: @MU_Podcast By Speakpipe: (Click the floating tab on the far right of this page) On our forum: mu-podcast.com/campus. Like what you hear? Please become a Patron! >> mu-podcast.com/patron <<

Campus Crier

First, thanks to everyone once again for making our Sesquicentennial so memorable! IMPORTANT CORRECTION: During the recording for this show, we mentioned that HPLHS prop sets for Masks of Nyarlathotep had sold out. This is not the case at all. There is a quirk with the website that displays “sold out” before it launches, but the text clearly explains that this is not true. Please accept our apologies for the error! ENnies! There are several horror-adjacent products on the list of nominations this year.

Click here to vote for your favorite ENnie nominees!

Chaosium won a total of 8 nominations, including 5 Call of Cthulhu products: BEST ADVENTURE: The Two-Headed Serpent BEST ART COVER – Down Darker Trails BEST MONSTER/ADVERSARY – Down Darker Trails BEST PRODUCTION VALUES: The Grand Grimoire BEST SUPPLEMENT: Reign of Terror Darker Hue Studios got 5 nominations: BEST ART COVER: Harlem Unbound, Darker Hue Studios BEST RULES: Harlem Unbound, Darker Hue Studios BEST SETTING: Harlem Unbound, Darker Hue Studios BEST WRITING: Harlem Unbound, Darker Hue Studios PRODUCT OF THE YEAR: Harlem Unbound, Darker Hue Studios Arc Dream also got a bunch of nominations: BEST ELECTRONIC BOOK: Delta Green: A Night at the Opera, Arc Dream Publishing BEST ADVENTURE: Delta Green: A Night at the Opera, Arc Dream Publishing BEST GAME: Delta Green: The RPG, Arc Dream Publishing BEST PRODUCTION VALUES: Delta Green: The RPG, Arc Dream Publishing BEST WRITING: Delta Green: The Way it Went Down, Arc Dream Publishing; Author: Dennis Detwiller Other horror game nominations include: BEST ELECTRONIC BOOK: Hudson and Brand, Stygian Fox Publishing BEST RULES: Cthulhu Confidential, Pelgrane Press; Authors: Robin D. Laws, Chris Spivey, Ruth Tillman BEST PRODUCTION VALUES: Bluebeard’s Bride, Magpie Games BEST GAME: Red Markets: A Game of Economic Horror, Hebanon Games; Authors: Caleb Stokes, Laura Briskin-Limehouse, Ross Payton And…MU PODCAST ALSO GOT A NOMINATION! Voting is open through Saturday, July 21, at 11:59pm Eastern Daylight Saving Time. The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on August 3rd at GenCon. https://www.chaosium.com/blogchaosium-receives-eight-nominations-in-the-2018-ennie-awards/ http://www.enworld.org/forum/content.php?5378-Congratulations-To-The-2018-ENnies-Nominees! There has been a little reorganization at Stygian Fox. Stephanie MacLea wrote on the publisher’s Facebook page, that frequent editor Jeff Moeller will be moving on to work on other projects, and after a series of effusive “thank yous,” she said: “we feel that Jeff and I have kinda run our course in terms of joint projects.” But before that, comments on the Kickstarter page for Fear’s Sharp Little Needles were initially tense and suggested the split was not on such good terms. But backers for Fear’s Sharp Little Needles have received a version of the book in PDF for review, and proof copies are on their way back from the printer. At the time of recording, Tails of Valor and Terror, the Cathulhu scenario collection from Golden Goblin Press that’s paired up with a feline horror fiction collection, was past the $9,000 mark out of its $12,500 goal with 148 backers and many days left to go. This looks on pace to fund and overshoot to reach some stretch goals, which includes extra art, bookmarks, stickers, and extra fiction stories. By the way, Sixtystone Press is offering a coupon to backers (above the $1 level) for 25 percent off the the purchase of the rules Cathulhu – Velvet Paws on Cthulhu’s Trail. YSDC has re-launched its longstanding newsletter after purging 18,000 email addresses. The new one is called Yog-Sothothery. It’ll come out monthly-ish, and you can sign up on the site. We’ll have link to the YSDC blog that has instructions for how to subscribe. They are giving away a copy of Fall of Delta Green to one subscriber. Fall of Delta Green from Pelgrane Press is now available. This setting adapts Arc Dream’s Delta Green RPG to Pelgrane’s own Gumshoe system, with Kenneth Hite creating a work focusing on the Delta Green of the 1960s leading to the official dissolution of the organisation at the end of the decade, following events in the jungles of Indochina. Syrinscape has released “Part One: Peru sound pack for Masks of Nyarlathotep” So this is funny: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpoDdihq5Mc Masks of Nyarlahotep has been released! We have it in PDF currently, with the print release not yet announced. And don’t forget the HPLHS Masks items – Dark Adventure Radio Theatre – Masks of Nyarlathotep, Gamer Prop Sets and more! A heartfelt thank you goes out to EDWIN for editing this episode.

The Listening Room

Sharpen your number 2 pencils and sit up straight, Mr. Tyler is about to take us all to reform s-GHOUL. Once again, if you have any interest in producing a segment for the podcast, please contact mup.feedback@gmail.com

Feedback

Via voicemail, Canageek talks about inter-generational gaming, Cthulhu Bob demands more game recordings from Murph and the Arseholes, and we cover some text feedback as well:

Just listened to your 150th episode, congrats! Catching up from the many I’ve missed due to life stuff. Great job for all the memories I’ve heard before and many I haven’t yet. As always, you’ve done an amazing job and drive me to make my Savage World’s ETU games better and always keep me entertained while assembling and painting minis or props. Still hoping for the Fighting Cephalopods car decals Go Pods! Happy to be able to back you again on Patreon. – Farquhar Congratulations on your Sasquatch Centennial This was a really enjoyable clip show which gave me many a chuckle. It seems that [insert deity here] may have been sending their congrats also, as while I was listening in the car, I passed this truck [see show image]. – Danial Carrol

Topic

We roll the dice on a random riff topic generator, and land on “make a bad movie into a good game idea.” We end up with the 1988 film “Hobgoblins.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0fhewrzBRM]]>

MUP 150 – Sesquicentennial in a Bottle

keeperchad — Mon, 02 Jul 2018 15:32:39 +0000

This episode is our sesquicentennial! To celebrate, the hosts review some clips from past episodes. Our editors, Sean, Edwin and Max (but particularly Sean) inserted some hilarious sections and throwbacks – and touching messages from friends of the show. This one really took some effort, and we are so very grateful. This episode was recorded over the course of 6 years, since March 2012. A big warning: this one is totally explicit and salty AF.

We want to hear from you! By email: mup.feedback@gmail.com By phone: (401) 400-0MUP (0687) By Twitter: @MU_Podcast By Speakpipe: (Click the floating tab on the far right of this page) On our forum: mu-podcast.com/campus. Like what you hear? Please become a Patron! >> mu-podcast.com/patron <<

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is Miskatonic U’s student paper. Here’s where we go through Mythos related news and feedback to the podcast. This Campus Crier was recorded on June 22, 2018. Chaosium has announced a PDF release date for the Masks of Nyarlathotep campaign: Sunday, July 1st – which was yesterday. It’s $60 for the PDF. That money will go toward the retail price if you buy a print copy later – maybe 3 or 4 months down the road. The PDF is 666 pages! The latest Kickstarter from Golden Goblin Press went live on Friday, June 29th. It’s called Tails of Valor and Terror. This will be the first supplemental material in support of Sixty Stone Press’ Cathulhu – Velvet Paws on Cthulhu’s Trail. Tails of Valor is a collection of three scenarios, where your feline investigators will battle the forces of the Cthulhu Mythos in ancient Rome, ancient Egypt, and dark ages France. The scenarios are by Jeffrey Moeller, Stuart Boon, and Oscar Rios. There is also a fiction collection with at least a dozen stories, featuring cat protagonists of various sorts. Check the Kickstarter page for more details. It will run through July 29th. Darker Hue Studios is making some news. First, Harlem Unbound has been named as a nominee for the Diana Jones Award! A big congratulations. Comments on the site: “While most games dodge the issues of racism, often claiming it not suitable for gaming, Harlem Unbound places them front and center and focuses the spotlight on them until they begin to smoke and burn. It’s an important book in that it takes games as a serious art form in which such matters can be explored, plumbed, and — if we’re lucky — understood.” Chris Spivey will also be a guest of honor at the “High Level Gaming” and “U-Con” this year. So that’s pretty cool. High Level Gaming is in Atlantic City in October, and U-Con is in Ann Arbor in November. AND Chris has also teased that he is working on a campaign for Chaosium using the Pulp Cthulhu rules for a modern superhero-Mythos campaign. He has been calling it [Redacted]. And I am teasing right now what I am under an NDA to playtest said [Redacted] project. AND Chris is developing a new Basic Role Playing-based science fiction line for Chaosium! More info will be released at GenCon!

He’s looking for contributors. Interested? Click here!

Sentinel Hill Press has announced that copies of the revamped and expanded version of Arkham Gazette #2, the “Innsmouth issue,” is now available, in print and in PDF on DriveThruRPG. That means all three of the first issues of the Gazette are available, and Arkham Gazette #4 is closing in toward completion. He says to look for it, hopefully, late this summer. Also, there’s an update on “The Dare” Kickstarter – Badger has sent along some sample pages. Layout is getting hammered out and Bret says there should be “a rough version for backers in the near term.” Chaosium has officially re-launched its fiction line, with James Lowder at the helm as executive editor of fiction. In September, we’ll see the humorous picture book H.P. Lovecraft’s Dagon for Beginning Readers, by R.J. Ivankovic. Coming in October is Sisterhood: Dark Tales and Secret Histories which is an anthology of horror and Mythos stories set in female religious communities around the globe and across the centuries, including some of the genre’s leading female voices. Then in November, The Leaves of a Necronomicon, a braided novel revealing the fates of the doomed owners of one particular copy of that infamous cursed tome. And a heartfelt thank you to SEAN for editing this episode, but also to his conspiracy partners of Edwin and Max for all the extra work on this particular episode.

Listening Room

Our resident disciplinarian, Mr. Tyler, is back in session, this time with a new topic for all the boys and GHOULS. A note about Tyler – you have got to check out the podcast he co-hosts, Book Reports Podcast, which covers all kinds of cool stories from Henry Kuttner and Ray Branbury and scads of others. That’s co hosted by Sam Tyler and Bryce Diener. This time we also throw back to “MU Podcast Episode 9 – Roll SAN,” the first appearance of Dr. Gerard’s History Lecture. Once again, if you have any interest in producing a segment for the podcast, please contact mup.feedback@gmail.com

Main Topic

This is our version of a “bottle episode.” Along the way, we mention a whole ton of shows and links. This section is a work in progress, because we have to send this episode to your ears now. Check back in a day or so for more links!]]>

Special Report – MUP & Legends of Tabletop Panel on Women in Gaming

keeperchad — Fri, 29 Jun 2018 18:02:19 +0000

This panel was a collaboration between the MU Podcast and Legends of Tabletop podcast. It features women in gaming who represent different aspects of the industry. This was one of our efforts for Women in Tabletop Gaming Month. This turned out to be quite an interesting discussion and it’s well worth a listen. Guests include Dani Neary, Monica Speca and Naomi Clark. We mainly provided background support and coordination for the event, but a big thanks to Leah Bond and John Haremza for hosting the panel and letting us use the audio that’s already in their feed – in our own feed. This was recorded on June 13th. If you don’t already know about Legends of Tabletop, you should go subscribe right away. They do tons of actual plays and excellent interviews. And they’re just good humans. Here’t a link to show notes for the panel on the Legends website, where you can also find more background on the guests. http://www.legendsoftabletop.com/?p=3635]]>

MUP 149 – Becky Annison is Lovecraftesque

keeperchad — Mon, 25 Jun 2018 09:00:51 +0000

This episode is the fourth and last for Women in Tabletop Gaming Month. Murph talked to writer and game designer Becky Annison about the game Lovecraftesque, among other topics. The interview was recorded on June 9, 2018. Once again, check out the Women in Tabletop Gaming Month website to hear more interviews, as well as Lynne Hardy’s blog series on women creatives who contributed to Chaosium over the years. Women in Tabletop Gaming Month >> Chaosium Blog, with Lynne Hardy’s interviews >> Black Aramada >>

We want to hear from you! By email: mup.feedback@gmail.com By phone: (401) 400-0MUP (0687) By Twitter: @MU_Podcast By Speakpipe: (Click the floating tab on the far right of this page) On our forum: mu-podcast.com/campus. Like what you hear? Please become a Patron! >> mu-podcast.com/patron <<

]]>

MUP 148 – Lisa Padol of Golden Goblin Fame

keeperchad — Mon, 18 Jun 2018 09:00:24 +0000

This episode, we have the third installment in our series of interviews with women in the horror-RPG realm, with Lisa Padol, staff editor for Golden Goblin Press. Plus, a Campus Crier catch-up, listener segments and feedback. The intro and Crier was recorded on June 7, and the interview was recorded a few weeks back on May 17, 2018. Please don’t forget to check out the Women in Tabletop Gaming Month website, and catch up on Lynne Hardy’s blog posts about women creatives at Chaosium!

We want to hear from you! By email: mup.feedback@gmail.com By phone: (401) 400-0MUP (0687) By Twitter: @MU_Podcast By Speakpipe: (Click the floating tab on the far right of this page) On our forum: mu-podcast.com/campus. Like what you hear? Please become a Patron! >> mu-podcast.com/patron <<

Campus Crier

There’s an update on Miskatonic River Press’s Punktown Kickstarter, (now nearing 5 years since it was launched in November 2012). Last year backers received a PDF of the first half of the book, and Angus Abranson of Chronicle City was overseeing completion of the second half. Chaosium has recently received the finished, laid-out book for final review. Angus has advised backers that printing and shipping is slated to start in mid-June. Call of Cthulhu books Down Darker Trails and The Two-Headed Serpent were named as recipients of 2018 UK Games Expo Awards. The two were picked from over 200 nominations. The Two-Headed Serpent garnered Best Roleplaying Adventure and Down Darker Trails landed the Best Roleplaying Expansion award. The winners were announced at UK Games Expo on Sunday 3rd June. Seth Skorkowsky has reviewed Jon’s Age of Cthulhu scenario Transatlantic Terror on Seth’s YouTube channel. It’s a nice thorough look at the adventure with some spoilers, FYI. But check it out if you’re thinking about running it. Issue #3 of Dark Times Magazine has been released. That’s the fanzine that picked up the ball from Protodimension. Lots of great articles and adventure seeds and content. Check it out, and if you have any inkling to write this stuff, submissions are rolling, contact the excellent humans behind the veil of secret history at darktimesfanzine@gmail.com. Pre-Order Dark Adventure Radio Theatre – Masks of Nyarlathotep from the HPLHS – Masks of Nyarlathotep – Gamer Prop Set 2018 200 Word RPG Challenge – fun contest, Max & I have entries. Max: Jordan: A Lifetime in One Hour, mine is Torture Traps: The Last to Die, Wins! BY THE WAY, a huge thank you to MAX, who is graciously editing this episode.

Feedback

From Forrest Aguirre: “Really enjoyed the episode on Tomes, but I felt like Jon’s idea of the binding (and, I assume, cover material) of the book having some mechanical effect didn’t get enough thought. I know, I host a podcast too, and “thinking” isn’t high on the agenda when you’re recording, I get it. Anyway, Jon’s question got me to thinking about the BBC production of “The Stone Tape,” written by Nigel Kneale, wherein some research scientists discover that a stairway carved of stone in the past recorded impressions of certain events that happened there, particularly traumatic events. I thought it might be cool to have a copy of (insert your favorite mythos tome here – the Necropnakoticthusspokezarathustraofglaaki, for example) bound not just in human skin, but in the human skin of a high ranking sorcerer of the cult who possessed the book. Because said sorcerer was SO powerful, those trying to cast a spell from this book will lose even more sanity than expected if they fail their sanity roll, however, they might be “rewarded” by lowering the number of magic points required to cast a given spell or by getting a temporary boost to POW to throw some extra “oomph” into the spell. Of course, you’ll want to make it very tempting and even more punishing for player characters to use, hence the risk of increased insanity. You can just bump it up the die chain, so if reading the tome would normally cost 1d6 sanity, the “improved” version would cost 1d8 sanity, or bump up from 1d10 to 1d12, whatever. You get the (nefarious) idea. — Just my 2 cents worth of tuition. From Ian Sandford: Hi Folks I just wanted to big thank you from here in Goatswood. I hit a brick wall writing a scenario based on “From Beyond” but through listening to your banter in podcast 143 my muse returned and blessed me with horrors upon horrors for my players. (Just in time for my game at the UK Games Expo this coming week!) I have not caught up with the podcast for a while but I still have fond memories of playing with you at Gencon a few years back. The memories of Chad’s character being hit by roof tiles after ‘pushing’ his luck too far still make me laugh. Anyway, I am back subscribing and enjoying. BTW – any thoughts on game ideas based around “From Beyond” and other technology based Cthulhu adventures would be very welcome. Though I guess that you probably won’t come up with WW2 German POWs trapped in a Goatswood Prison Camp like me. Cheers, Ian Sandford, Severn Valley, England

Voicemail from “Ritterton from the Columbia River” Voicemail from Mr. Tyler about last episode’s The Great Fire of Meireki

Card Catalog

The affable and scholarly Canageek wrote in to share a link to a recording of The Raven read by none other than Christopher Lee. He says: “Recordings of Poe by Christopher Lee seems like the sort of thing that fans of your podcast might enjoy.”

Segments

Now we have a contributor segment from Mr. Tyler, with the third in his series on SATH-ogwa. Once again, if you have any interest in producing a segment for the podcast, please contact mup.feedback@gmail.com.

Topic

Pre-recorded interview with Lisa Padol of Golden Goblin!]]>

MUP 147 – Ruth Tillman on 'Mythos Noir'

keeperchad — Mon, 11 Jun 2018 09:00:24 +0000

This episode Jon and Chad talked with Ruth Tillman, co-host of the Double Shadow podcast and contributor to Pelgrane Press. We’re releasing one episode per week during Women in Tabletop Gaming Month, so this time we skipped the Campus Crier, but tune in next week when we catch up on news updates, listener segments and audio feedback in Episode 148. Plus, on Wednesday, June 13 at 8:00 p.m Eastern Time, tune in as we team up with the Legends of Tabletop podcast for a LIVE forum with women representing various aspects of tabletop games. The audio from that will be re-broadcast in our feed, but click on the link below to watch on Wednesday and PLEASE ask some questions if you can stop by!

LIVE: MUP & Legends of Tabletop – Women in Gaming

Also, make sure you check out the Chaosium site for blog interviews from Lynne Hardy as part of Women in Tabletop Gaming Month. So far she has released interviews with Michelle Lockamy, artist for 13th Age Glorantha and RuneQuest, and Linda M Jones, full-time freelance artist who has illustrations RuneQuest and Call of Cthulhu. By the time this episode airs you will also be able to read interviews with Marion Anderson, Shel Kahn, Mara Braun and Kerie Campbell. And please stop by Women in Tabletop Gaming Month website to read and listen to more interviews with women in the RPG industry.

Topic

During the conversation with Ruth, we mentioned a few things to link to. Here is the first episode of The Double Shadow, a Clark Ashton Smith Podcast. Here is a feed of posts about her work on Pelgrane Press. She mentions some of her exploration of BIG STUPID SPACE WORMS with Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan for one of the “Cuttings from Hideous Creatures” installments.]]>

MUP 146 – Lynne Hardy, 'Of Chaosium'

keeperchad — Mon, 04 Jun 2018 09:00:16 +0000

This episode, we are kicking off our part of Women in Tabletop Gaming Month, which is the month of June. We’re talking to a number of women in the realm of horror and Lovecraft-related role playing games. To start it all off, we have a previously recorded interview with Lynne Hardy on a bunch of topics including a series of interviews with 18 women who have contributed to Chaosium for the company’s blog. The intro and Crier sections were recorded on May 24, and the interview with Lynne was recorded on May 13.

We want to hear from you! By email: mup.feedback@gmail.com By phone: (401) 400-0MUP (0687) By Twitter: @MU_Podcast By Speakpipe: (Click the floating tab on the far right of this page) On our forum: mu-podcast.com/campus. Like what you hear? Please become a Patron! >> mu-podcast.com/patron <<

Campus Crier

MUP has joined forces with Women in Tabletop Gaming Month as an official partner. This episode is the beginning of a series of interviews with women in our corner of the RPG realm, namely horror and Lovecraft-related RPGs. You’ll hear more about Lynne Hardy’s part of this in the main topic this episode. There has been an update from Adam Scott Glancy on the Horrors of War Kickstarter. He has informed Chaosium that the product will not be delivered by GenCon this year as promised in a meeting with them last year. Due to the number of complaints they’ve received about this Kickstarter, they have given him a deadline of December 31 this year to complete the work or lose the Chaosium license for this product. Chaosium issued its own statement that confirms this. To help appease waiting backers, he has sent the first part of a draft he submitted for a new Delta Green RPG scenario called “Iconoclasts,” that’s set in contemporary Ninewa province in Iraq. Dark Adventure Radio Theater has announced later this year that they plan to release six hours of “audio action”… and a special “Masks RPG Edition” with over 100 props! HP Podcraft is switching over to Patreon, and all of the episodes will be available now in the feed. “We’re still offering one free show a month, three additional shows for subscribers and if you sign up on Patreon you can get a listener comments show monthly as well as an additional show discussing whatever you want us to discuss…We’ve been at this show for almost ten years, and we’d really love to be with you for ten years more. Cthulhu Reborn has announced the release of the eleventh in the series of “Tickets of Leave” supplements for Convicts & Cthulhu, the Australian setting. It’s a 14,000 word, 25 page PDF. You can download it right now for free. It has a short sourcebook section, exploring an aspect of life in the colonies, followed by a lengthy scenario seed. The title for Ticket of Leave #11 is kind of irresistible – “The Dispensatory of Doctor Macdead,” which delves deeply into the seedy and somewhat primitive world of medical practice. A video game version of Mansions of Madness: Mother’s Embrace has been announced on Steam for release in the first quarter of 2019. In 1926, a mansion seems to be surrounded by mysteries and unexplained events… A team of investigators is trying to solve this mystery, but they will encounter traps, monsters and other Lovecraftian horrors as they descend deeper into the depths of madness.

Topic

Women in Tabletop Gaming Month has its own website, where you can see all the other partners, blog features, and a whole list of podcast episodes with women in the RPG realm. Check out Lynne Hardy’s series of blog posts about women who have contributed work for Chaosium over the years. And here is the official website for Women in Tabletop Gaming Month.]]>

MUP 145 – Rule Britannia, Stuart Boon!

keeperchad — Mon, 21 May 2018 09:00:34 +0000

In this episode, Jon and Chad chat with award-winning author, Stuart Boon, about Mythos and folklore fodder hooks for horror games set in the UK and many other topics along the way. But first, all four of the hosts jump in to go over Crier news and segments. The interview was recorded on May 6, and the Crier and introduction was recorded on May 10, 2018.

We want to hear from you! By email: mup.feedback@gmail.com By phone: (401) 400-0MUP (0687) By Twitter: @MU_Podcast By Speakpipe: (Click the floating tab on the far right of this page) On our forum: mu-podcast.com/campus. Like what you hear? Please become a Patron! >> mu-podcast.com/patron <<

Campus Crier

Squamous Studios has a couple of big announcements coming out. The first is an expansion for the Feed the Shoggoth card game! Final play testing is underway, art is in production, and a Kickstarter for this is expected in the Fall! And there is also a completely new game in the works! It’s called Arkham Relic Hunt, designed by Damon Gregory. In this game players move their Acolyte around Arkham collecting Relics and Cultists to add to their Cult and rack up points. It plays in about 30-60 minutes. 2-4 players. This is tentatively slated for a Kickstart in early 2019. You can look for them at Kublacon in Burlingame, California, this year from May 25th through the 28th. Lynne Hardy has a new scenario out called Scritch Scratch that will be available on the Cult Library on June 8th, just in time for FreeRPG Day. “Scritch Scratch is a one-sitting adventure, easily played in four hours. Perfect for an afternoon at the game store or an evening at your home (after Free RPG Day, of course). And we will have the PDF uploaded to the Cult Library on Friday, June 8th.” The list of participating games stores is here. There is a new short film from Boom Studios called Eldritch Code that is pretty sweet. UK Games Expo is having an all-star party line-up with a live audience adventure extravaganza! If you’re attending UK Games Expo on Saturday, June 2nd, you can be witness as Mike Mason, Benjamin Loomes of Syrinscape, John Kovalic of Dork Tower and Munchkin, Jason Bulmahn and Amanda Kunz of Piazo’s Pathfinder play Call of Cthulhu! This “Live RPG Plus” event is being hosted by Knightmare Live’s Paul Flannery. The audience members will also get to participate by offering up game twists and other suggestions to frustrate the players! The Kickstarter for the Miskatonic University: The Restricted Collection Board Game finished out very successfully with $106,994 pledged of $25,000 goal. A BIG THANK YOU TO SEAN for editing this episode!

Feedback

Cyaegha Episode Feedback – Hey guys, Yet another great episode. It was great getting information from the source material. I’ve never thought of using Cyaegha in a scenario before, but I am working on one with the Nagaae. In it, the PCs are a TV crew for a cryptid-hunter show. Their newest episode is on the “Loveland Frog” (which is an existing cryptid if you haven’t heard of it), and unlike their previous episodes that turned up nothing, this turns out to be real, and the “frog” is a Nagaae. Cheers, Danial – P.S. It’s true, my name is pronounced “Daniel” Voicemail from Bret Kramer (posting Google’s transcription because it’s just too great not to): Hello, Miska tonic University podcast, it’s Brett Cramer from Sentinel Hill. Press I enjoyed episode 144 Darkness deliver my players into the just had a couple of days now. I wanted to mention one. Is that okay? And I think a little bit of other coverage of Tioga show up in the keepers companion to in the article on like Combs, I think and then monsters at the end of it over they have stats in the game. I think of course when the Mally it’s months program and also one thing I wanted to mention is this actually a fans in called kayak. I think it’s put out by I’m not sure actually who but it comes periodically mostly could do a Mrs. Fiction, very small numbers. I think if you were the 100 copies So you might want to check that out. I can shoot you a link to put in the show notes. So they are up to think episode 20 is Justin out if I recall correctly. I don’t actually own it, but it is something that might be of interest to complete your Kai a good discussion. Anyway, so thanks for the show and go pods.

Segments

Oscarius Tabularis has sent us the sixth and final episode in this “season” of Glimpses into the Empire. He’s taking a little vacation in idyllic Ravenna for a while, but plans to come back for another series later. So sit back, peel some grapes, recline in your comfy “triclinium” and enjoy Episode Six – The Heretic. For those of you lamenting the end of Season One of Glimpses into the Empire, don’t fret. Oscarios has agreed to keep in touch while he’s away and answer questions the audience might have for him. So, if you want to know more about just who is Oscarios Tabularius, his personal life, his opinions on Roman history, politics, religion, and culture, or even about The Shadow War being waged in the empire against the forces of the Cthulhu Mythos, email them to Oscar@goldengoblinpress.com. The cut off date to submit questions is July 15th. He’s promised to record a bonus mid-break episode where he’ll answer some selected questions. The person who submits Oscarius’s favorite question will receive a small bag of coins, a Cthulhu Invictus Keeper’s Screen, and copy of the fiction collection of short stories Further Tales of Cthulhu Invictus as a prize. Next up, we have a segment from the strangest detention hall evar with Mr. Tyler, who’s back with something TOAD-ally weird. Mr. Tyler’s blog, Skullduggery in the Smoke, is here! Find out more about the UTTERLY HORRIBLE thing baby koalas put into their mouths with the Rifftrax crew.

Topic

Interview with Stuart Boon, author of Cthulhu Britannica: Shadows Over Scotland, a sourcebook for Scotland and Scottish adventures for the Call of Cthulhu role-playing game published by Cubicle 7. Shadows Over Scotland was published in 2011 and went on to win a number of awards, including Best Roleplaying Supplement or Adventure at the 38th Annual Origins Awards (2012), Best Setting at the ENnie Awards (2012), and Best Adventure Collection at the Diehard GameFAN 2011 Tabletop Gaming Awards. He has since logged lots of writing credits with Chaosium, Sixty Stone Press, Savage Mojo, Golden Goblin Press, and others. Stuart is working on a scenario for Golden Goblin for the upcoming book of scenarios for Catthulhu in the Invictus setting called “Tails of Valor,” and a setting book for Invictus in Britannia as well. A scenario called “Resurrection” for Fear’s Sharp Little Needles from Stygian Fox is also on the way.]]>

MUP 144 – Darkness, Deliver My Players Unto Thee

keepermurph — Mon, 07 May 2018 09:00:30 +0000

In this episode Dan, Jon, and Murph talk about the green eye in the sky, everyone’s favorite god of the caves, Cyaegha, and we also have some listener feedback to respond to. Plus, we have another addition to the Card Catalog, and two more listener submitted segments. This episode was recorded on April, 27th , 2018.

We want to hear from you! By email: mup.feedback@gmail.com By phone: (401) 400-0MUP (0687) By Twitter: @MU_Podcast By Speakpipe: (Click the floating tab on the far right of this page) On our forum: mu-podcast.com/campus. Like what you hear? Please become a Patron! >> mu-podcast.com/patron <<

Campus Crier

Call of Cthulhu Leather Campaign Journals

The Kickstarter completed only hours before the recording of this episode.

Classic Lovecraftian boardgame Mansions of Madness is coming to PC.

Fantasy Flight’s award-winning board game Mansions of Madness is getting a video game adaption, which is due for release next year.

Miskatonic University: The Restricted Collection boardgame

FUNDED IN 16 HOURS, now graduating through Stretch Goals

Hellboy: The Board Game

Inspired by the visionary comics by Mike Mignola, Hellboy: The Board Game is a thrilling co-operative experience for 1 to 4 players.

New Tales of the Miskatonic Valley 2ed for Call of Cthulhu

‘New Tales from Miskatonic Valley’ 2nd Edition produced under license for the Call of Cthulhu RPG by Chaosium Inc. A BIG THANK YOU TO MAX for editing this episode!

Feedback:

From: Justin

The Darkhold ran as 9 issues for a comic book when they tied in the supernatural comics in the Marvel Universe into the Midnight Sons in the ‘90s. Each page of the book was a spell, and many of the spells had escaped as separate pages and a Group was trying to collect them together. It had a very Friday the 13th The Series feel and was a decent read, worth picking up since it was only a short run before being ended. Oh, and there was a dark little person associated with handing out the pages, this could be a servant of Nyarlathotep spreading discord.

From: Keeper Michael

Subject: Podcast and beginner keeper thoughts Hi everyone, I am a new keeper, though have had many years playing “that other medieval fantasy game” for over 20 years. A friend in my group turned me on to c.o.c. About a year ago and was instantly hooked! I listened to a few of your actual gameplays, and loved how taking a basic introductory adventure like The Haunting and turned it upside down on its head. Sadly you didn’t have time to finish it, but was curious about the table in Corbitts basement that had some random astrological stuff, books,etc. I am running this for the first time and would love to get some ideas as to how to spin what’s on the table into another adventure. I was thinking, if successful with this, to go either into dead mans stomp, or dead light, unless perhaps you think there may be something better to tie this into something just as creepy? Keep up the great work guys, I always look forward to each and every podcast! Regards, Keeper Michael

From: Grotonomus

Date: Wed, Apr 18, 2018 at 10:43 PM Subject: Sears Roebuck 1918 Hello Gents, Grotonomus here, Your friendly USFS Field Archaeologist with a secret weapon of mine when working on historic sites. The archive.org Sears Roebuck and Company listings with a few complete catalogs. https://archive.org/search.php?query=creator%3A%22Sears%2C+Roebuck+and+Company%22 1918 Catalog https://ia800209.us.archive.org/27/items/catalog1918sear/catalog1918sear.pdf Be mindful of the pdf load times. They are 1600 pages and about half a gigabyte. These catalogs are a treasure trove of consumer culture in the late 19th and early 20th century. Replete with some color art, prices, and shipping costs. You can find just about everything available at the time in these fine tomes. There are also home building plan catalogs and headstone/monument catalogs. Best wishes, and game on my good chums! Adam P.S. Yes, CoC helped me on my way to becoming an Archaeologist. Well, that and Indy of course.

From: Danial

Date: Tue, Apr 24, 2018 at 10:48 AM Subject: Cop Talk Feedback Hey Guys, Great episode. I just wanted to throw in another option I don’t believe you covered (I listen while driving so it’s possible I just missed it), but what if the police recruit you? They show up after your misdeeds and realize you’re chasing the same people so they look the other way in the hope that you’ll do all the hard work for them. This could be handled as either a “we could really use your help on this one” type deal, or a “do this or we’ll throw you in the slammer!” type jerk maneuver

Segments:

Oscarius Tabularis has sent us the next Glimpses into the Empire; Episode Five – Devotio Next up, we have another segment on horror folklore in Japan from Jonathan. This episode is about Hitobashira, or Human Pillars

Topic:

Created by Belgian sci-fi/horror writer Eddy C. Bertin in the story Darkness, My Name Is. Cyaegha is the god of caves that is worshiped by a small village in Western Germany. He is served by the Nagäae, a strange toad-like servitor race. And guarded and contained simultaneously by five lesser demon-like beings called the Vaeyen. He is a giant mass of black tentacles with a giant green eye in CoC. In the source material, he is made of a dark that is blacker than black and his tentacles are shadow and darkness. His eye is mistaken for a green moon. In combat he floats over an area and grabs victims and crushes them. CoC makes it sound rather dull, but the source material describes it as blotting out the sky and replacing the sky in the valley between the hills. One of the Nagäae is a giant transparent toad that slides across the ground, pushing itself forward with its hind-legs. This made Dan think of the 2nd for of Shin Godzilla. https://www.google.com/search?q=shin+godzilla+2nd+form&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjky7CzgdzaAhVKMd8KHRz-CooQ_AUICigB&biw=1440&bih=735]]>

MUP 143 – Cop Talk and Other Effluvia

keeperchad — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 10:00:27 +0000

In this episode, all four hosts are back together again to tackle a topic suggestion from “Uncle Tim” about how to use law enforcement without disrupting the flow of your game. Plus listener segments and more! This episode was recorded on April 12, 2018.

We want to hear from you! By email: mup.feedback@gmail.com By phone: (401) 400-0MUP (0687) By Twitter: @MU_Podcast By Speakpipe: (Click the floating tab on the far right of this page) On our forum: mu-podcast.com/campus. Like what you hear? Please become a Patron! >> mu-podcast.com/patron <<

Campus Crier

A new 12-page Delta Green scenario by Dennis Detwiller called “Sweetness” is available via DriveThruRPG in both PDF and Print on Demand. Blurb: “The Bernier family of Tampa, Florida, has been terrorised by a fire and weird graffiti. Police suspect a hate crime. The mark on the door, carved with a horn or a claw and smeared with blood and effluvia, makes Delta Green think otherwise. One of their experts says it’s the symbol of Kore, queen of the underworld, goddess of an ancient mystery cult.” A new rules-lite Lovecraftian-style roleplaying game from Les Livres de l’Ours is available on DriveThruRPG. The makers say the system was inspired by Advanced Fighting Fantasy, Traveller and others. This version is 34-pages and “art-free” at a pay-what-you-want price. Promo copy “So grab a character sheet, 2D6, pick a profession and a reputation and go fight the Old Ones or die screaming.” The money made by this version will pay for the art of the final version. Syrinscape and Chaosium have announced a new partnership to release “official sounds” for the Call of Cthulhu RPG. Syrinscape is an app that creates movie-like, immersive sound for tabletop games. There’a a Kickstarter for Call of Cthulhu leather campaign journals to enhance your gaming experience. “Be the dread author of your own story.” A new edition of Alone Against the Dark: Defying the Triumph of the Ice is out now from Chaoisum. This has been revised and updated to 7th Edition and is by Matt Costello. Murph got his RPGCoaster of Cthulhu last week, and it is awesome…. From Michael O’Brien: “The launch date for our Miskatonic University: The Restricted Collection Kickstarter has been set—April 17th. And they say they are excited to be launching our first Lovecraftian board game since 1987!” A BIG THANK YOU TO EDWIN for editing this episode!

Segments

First up, strap yourselves in to the Wayback Machine, Sherman, we’re on our way to Ancient Rome for a tale from Oscarius Tabularis about…the worst dinner party ever. Then, get your paper footballs ready to snap through the goalposts of ennui, as we settle into Mr. Tyler’s detention hall – for some more thoughts on a Mythos minion we’ve covered here recently. To read more from Mr. Tyler check out Skullduggery in the Smoke.

Topic

“Hello Miskatonic University Podcast this is Tim McGonagle here, long time fan of the show and occasional minion for Golden Goblin Press calling you gents from New York City. I have an idea for a topic regarding the authorities and consequences in Call of Cthulhu and the role the police and similar types may play in scenarios. When do the police become part of scenario if a player character crosses an obvious line into blatant illegal activity? As a GM, how do you balance keeping the game realistic and grounded if a character goes overboard with an illegal action and gets busted? How does a Keeper not let realistic consequences stymie the game when say one or more PCs are picked up by the coppers and are looking at an extended stay at the old graybar hotel? This topic could also be expanded to authority figures in relationship to a player character’s profession, and the consequences for them breaking the rules as it relates to their “day job” when they are doing Mythos investigator work. Would love to hear your thoughts on the topic. Keep up the great work you guys and of course G-O P-O-D-S, GO PODS!”

Roleplaying Tips Weekly E-Zine Issue #451 Roleplaying Tips Weekly E-Zine Issue #696 Scenarios where you can find info on crime and law include: King of Chicago – Secrets of Marseilles And here is a handy YSDC link for a list of scenarios where the players are criminals. Including: Toying with Humans The Eyes Between Worlds from Strange Tales of Dread & Wonder. Players take on the roles of Chinese Triads who have come to the Kingdom of Bhutan. The scenario in the Escape from Innsmouth book involves law enforcement in some interesting ways, including a potential jailbreak scene With Malice Aforethought from Arkham Country, there is a whole court case situation.]]>

MUP 142 – Tome Much of a Good Thing

keeperchad — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 09:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Dan, Jon and Murph dive into the old Special Collections vault to talk about tomes as story points. Plus, we have more audio segments from contributors, news and more! This episode was recorded on March 29, 2018.

We want to hear from you! By email: mup.feedback@gmail.com By phone: (401) 400-0MUP (0687) By Twitter: @MU_Podcast By Speakpipe: (Click the floating tab on the far right of this page) On our forum: mu-podcast.com/campus. Like what you hear? Please become a Patron! >> mu-podcast.com/patron <<

Campus Crier

The Campus Crier is Miskatonic U’s student paper. Here’s where we go through Mythos related news and feedback to the podcast. This episode was recorded on March 29, 2018. Chaosium announced last week that they will be Kick Starting a new board game by Reiner Knizia and Greg Stafford. Miskatonic University: The Restricted Collection is the company’s first foray into board games in 37 years. Thanks to Chaosium’s continued pre-launch updates we have also got some looks at the game mats in their final form. The Kickstarter is set to launch in April, and you can find links to everything in the show notes as always. This just in from Bret Kramer of Sentinel Hill Press: “The Arkham Gazette 2 has been raised up from its essential saltes and is now available on DTRPG. This issue was about Innsmouth and for $12 you get a pdf with over a dozen articles and a scenario. Print version coming soon” Also, Bret has a new $3 patron level on his Patreon page. “Vile Minions” will get all the lower level Sentinel Hill Press rewards plus an occasional post-card, short letter or possibly a few pages from an upcoming release. Links to find out more about both are in the show notes. Reports are coming in that the Raiders of R’lyeh RPG, which launched back in August of 2013 and we covered initially on Episode 38, has started showing up in people’s hands in the last few days. So if you are a backer be on the lookout. Congrats to creator Quentin Bauer for getting it out the door finally. Modiphius has released the next installment of their Living Campaign for Achtung Cthulhu. The scenario is called The Blessed of the Wind and is by Richard August, and centers around a Nazi troopship that is anchored in a nearby fjord. The scenario is free and available to members of the Living Campaign at Modiphius. A new kickstarter for Maximum Apocalypse: Gothic Horrors Expansion, for the popular card game Maximum Apocalypse, has been funded in two hours. The update will allow player to “[f]ace off against life draining vampires, ghouls and werewolves in a classic monster set or try and stop a bunch of cultists from summoning Cthulhu or other unspeakable Lovecraftian horrors.” They have already funded and are just chasing stretch goals for the remaining 27 days. Last episode Chris Spivey mentioned that a shop in Brooklyn called Anyone Comics was going to host a special game day for Harlem Unbound. Well, our very own Keeper Chad stopped by to check it out. He reports that the event was well attended, with two game tables set up in a basement room of the comics shop, with a total of about 15 players – their biggest attendance for “Indie RPG Day” yet since starting last year. Chad ended up playing a 4-hour session of a scenario seed from the book called “Blood is Blood,” and had a blast. There is even talk among attendees of a spinoff local group to keep playing Harlem Unbound. Shout out again to Anyone Comics for hosting! “Anyone” who wants to check for upcoming “Indie RPG Game Days” should check out the store’s Facebook page. A BIG THANK YOU TO SEAN for editing this episode!

Segments:

We have three episodes of ongoing segments from MU Nation.

We open a window into Ancient Roman weirdness with another dispatch from Oscarius Tabularis. This time, we travel across the Mediterranean to Carthage for a parable of a….marine nature…
Get ready to carve some heavy metal graffiti into your desks as we head back to detention hall for Part Two of Mr. Tyler’s gamer-eyed view of the story “Earth to Earth.” Here’s the for Mr. Tyler’s Blog, Skullduggery in the Smoke!
We have another segment on horror folklore in Japan from Jonathan. This episode is about the legend of the “Slit-Mouthed Woman.”

Card Catalogue:

Hi Guys, I’ve stumbled across an archive site devoted to comic books that fell into the public domain, thought it might make a useful addition to the cardfile. The comics can be viewed online, but you need to register to the site if you want to download them. – Graham

Topic

Tomes: Are they simply diaries to impart knowledge, spells, etc, or can they be used in different ways? Can a tome be the central focus of a scenario (the tome is the source of the horror/mystery)? Also, what is a tome? How does language affect the tome? Along the way, we mention: Darkhold, a fictional grimoire appearing Marvel comic books. Flag Books, a thing you should just click on the link to find out what it is. Unusual bindings for possible Mythos tomes. And a Pinterest collection of strange tomes to check out.

Audio Credits

d0 Meatslap on Glass 2 by dav0r | License: Creative Commons 0
Meat Slap 5.aif by MWLANDI | License: Attribution
storm door slam 01.wav by volivieri | License: Attribution
jungle ninja.wav by stk13 | License: Creative Commons 0
Scary Horn by ScreamStudio | License: Creative Commons 0
Horn002.wav by freefire66 | License: Creative Commons 0
crowd ext medium excited entertained walla and audience reactions to talent show performers raucous laughter and applause Uganda, Africa 2016.wav by kyles | License: Creative Commons 0
Dolphin Song 2.mp3 by abrez | License: Attribution
Ambience, Seaside Waves, Close, A.wav by InspectorJ | License: Attribution
Seagull on beach by squashy555 | License: Creative Commons 0
Coins by olver | License: Creative Commons 0
01260 water swimming splashing 1.wav by Robinhood76 | License: Attribution Noncommercial
Splash, Small, A.wav by InspectorJ | License: Attribution
Horror, Violin Tremolo Cluster, B.wav by InspectorJ | License: Attribution
Horror Sounds by GowlerMusic | License: Attribution

]]>

MUP 141 – Chris Spivey, Special Collections

keeperchad — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 03:38:05 +0000

This episode, we catch up with Chris Spivey of Darker Hue Studios to talk about Harlem Unbound and upcoming projects. Then we riff a bit on how to pull Mythos ideas from TV shows. This episode was recorded on March 15, 2018.

Campus Crier

Golden Geek Awards have been announced for stuff released in 2017, and Tales from the Loop got best RPG. It also got runner up for Best Artwork & Presentation. That’s the most notable horror-adjacent winner on the list. Check out the rest of the winners on the RPG Geek website – we’ll post a link in the thingy. Jon talks about a new ‘zine about Dungeon Crawl Classics that is available on DriveThruRPG called Crawl-thulhu. This ‘zine is written and produced by John Potts, and introduces a Sanity mechanic and DCC stats for 1920s firearms. It also includes an adventure titled “A Horrible Day at the Dunwich Fair.” This is all DCC compatible. If playing Call of Cthulhu with DCC rules interests you, then go check out this ‘zine quick. The advertised cover price is $8, but at the time of this recording it is on sale for $3. Chaosium has announced winners of the Cult of Chaos Scenario Writing Contest – there are seven of them and we’re not going to read them all, but there are two notable winners from MU Nation, including David Larkins for Wailing Woman for Down Darker Trails, and Shannon Mac for The Search for Brian Boru, Cthulhu Dark Ages scenario. Congratulations to all of the winners! There is a Kickstarter in progress for is a horror detective comic based on the works of HP Lovecraft called Hellcraft. The blurb reads: “Private investigator Hank Hellcraft must contend with a troubled family past, while becoming engulfed in mysteries that reveal indescribable horrors hidden just beneath the surface.” Check it out! Adam Crossingham posted some updates about SixtyStone projects on YSDC. The SixtyStone website is currently down, so after some speculation about the fate of the company, Adam posted updates on the forums. He says his top priority is getting the MONC KS finished, he’s still converting Colonial Mythos Country to 7e, the next two Investigator Weapons books have gone back to “Hans” for 7e integration, there are a lot of corrections to make on the Cthulhu by Arclight layout files, and he hasn’t decided whether to convert it to 7e or to DG. Other books will basically be done when they get done. More details are in the conversation thread on YSDC. Golden Goblin Press is holding a Spring Cleaning Sale, so you can get 20% off all physical items, an 30% off orders over $60 in for physical items. That includes RPG and fiction material. That sale runs until April 15th. The discount code is: G0blin$pr1n6. The Brazilian-Portuguese version of Call of Cthulhu successfully Kickstarted back on February 2 at about $71,000 (231,000 Brazilian Real). Behold: “Chamado De Cthulhu”! Chaosium has released Petersen’s Abominations in PDF and Hardback. As always, the PDF is free with a Hardback purchase. These are five of the modern-day con-games that Sandy Petersen runs at conventions each year. And a BIG THANK YOU TO MAX for editing this episode!

Card Catalog

We wanted to salute MUP’s resident librarian, Graham, and thank him for keeping the Card Catalog fully stocked. He recently sent in links to an amazing list of naval ships that are listed as fictional, though many are historical ships with fictional names. This is an amazing list of vessels broken down by nation and Year. Part I: Fictional Warships 1850-1899 Part II: Fictional Warships 1900-1945 – Section A-GB Part II: Fictional Warships 1900-1945 – Section Gr-Y Part III: Fictional Warships 1945-2020 Nations A-I Part III: Fictional Warships 1945-2020 Nations J-U Part IV & V: Fictional Warships Fictional Warships 2025-2100 & Non-State/Alternate Universe Warships 1850-2100 Appendix I/II/III: Fictional Aircraft/Weapons/Electronics

Feedback

Since we want to catch up on some of the lost feedback backlog we got over the last year, we’re going to roll the dice and read one now.

Hi Keepers! I’ve been running Call of Cthulhu again after a year and a half off. My first few games have been for new to Call of Cthulhu players with other RPG experience. As they got more comfortable with the system, they began to make Sanity rolls all on their own when they encountered anything weird. It was a bit weird to me but not really annoying. That is until they reached the final portion of the scenario (Amidst the Ancient Trees) and had very little SAN left. Two of the three players went insane before (avoiding spoilers) the end was revealed. The other ran away. So I didn’t get to finish the scenario, really. I’ve also been listening to a lot of live plays where players are voluntarily losing SAN without rolls. I was just wondering your thoughts on player initiated SAN loss and rolls. Thanks for the great show! Goooooooo Pods! – Keeper Kent

Segments

Three listeners have graciously submitted segments for us to enjoy this episode. Thank so much to each of you for the hard work and the richness you’re adding to the show. To the rest of you, if you still have ideas for segments simmering, it’s not too late to send us a pitch at mup.feedback@gmail.com. Introducing the second episode of Glimpses Into the Empire: we take a trip back to ancient Rome for “Episode Two – Omens.” (by Oscar Rios of Golden Goblin Press) Next, we have the first installment of a little segment called “Detention with Mr. Tyler” – this episode is called “Earth to Earth.” [Play Earth to Earth] (by Samuel Tyler) The link is for my Blog, Skullduggery in the Smoke https://skullduggeryinthesmoke.blogspot.com/ And finally we travel to the Land of the Rising Sun for a segment about “Stigmatised Properties in Japan” [Play Stigmatised] (by Jonathan, also known as flashbackj)

Topic

Chris Spivey and Darker Hue Studios! Below are some reviews and responses to Harlem Unbound: R’lyeh Reviews (Pookie) Gnome Stew Rolling Boxcars The Esoteric Order of Roleplayers Reckoning of the Dead During the discussion, we mention the X-Card, a concept first proposed by John Stavropoulos. X-Card. Chris also has a Patreon account that’s well worth supporting. If you want to see Chris’s advice about how to add depth and accuracy to the New York chapter of Masks of Nyarlathotep, check the community section of his Patreon page here.

Riffingness

What TV show plot could you rip off for a Cthulhu scenario or campaign? Chris – Life on Mars- the Cthulhu Campaign Chris – Ashes to Ashes (spin-off from Life on Mars) Jon – Misfits Dan – X-Files (Tombs episode) Chad – Dallas, the Roll Playing Game (designed by war-gaming superstar James F. Dunnigan – a review on RPG Geek here.) Murph – River Shout out to Anyone Comics in Brooklyn!

Audio Credits

Dry Thunder3.wav by juskiddink | License: Attribution
Horn of Doom by michalwa2003 | License: Attribution
Impending Doom by FoolBoyMedia | License: Attribution Noncommercial
Venditori Campo de fiori .L.wav by lollosound | License: Creative Commons 0
Medieval market by Metzik | License: Attribution
Hell’s Foundation D by CosmicD | License: Attribution
impending doom w fx.wav by AndreOnate | License: Attribution Noncommercial
Impending Doom by FoolBoyMedia | License: Attribution Noncommercial
Breath of Doom by jamesabdulrahman | License: Creative Commons 0

]]>

MUP 140 – Mike Mason, Midnight Shambler

keeperchad — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 09:00:24 +0000

In this episode, all four hosts talked to Mike Mason about the Miskatonic Repository and all kinds of tips for beginning writers. We also ended up revisiting a certain kleptomaniacal monster. The interview portion was recorded on March 3, and the Crier was recorded on March 8, 2018.

We want to hear from you! By email: mup.feedback@gmail.com By phone: (401) 400-0MUP (0687) By Twitter: @MU_Podcast By Speakpipe: (Click the floating tab on the far right of this page) On our forum: mu-podcast.com/campus. Like what you hear? Please become a Patron! >> mu-podcast.com/patron <<

Campus Crier

First, a big apology. Back in late 2016, we switched our feedback email over from an old MU website address that wasn’t working to a gmail account. mup.feedback@gmail.com. Due to a couple of tech glitches and a communication train wreck on our part, that address has gone unchecked since November 2016. We recently discovered – with complete dismay – that there were almost 40 unanswered feedback emails in the inbox. To all of you who sent something in only to hear resounding silence from us, we are very sorry. We have since contacted all of you that sent in an email, but if you think you have been overlooked, then please contact us again and let us know. Among the items we completely missed the boat on: From December 2017 Glenn emailed us and let us know about a Patreon for a Lovecraftian RPG that is currently in development called Journey to the Tree of Sorrows. A little more than a year ago RPG Coasters did a campaign to launch hardwood drink coasters themed specifically for Cthulhu RPG. These are pretty cool – they include investigator professions like parapsychologist and antiquarian so your game group can maybe have a special coaster for each party member. You can also have the text customized to say what you would like. I bought one of the Keeper coasters and will update us when it arrives. We also got a nice bit of feedback from a blogger who runs Brawl of Cthulhu, where they have a blog post about each of the monsters in the Malleus Monstorum. New News: The Masks expansion for Fantasy Flight Games’ Eldritch Horror is now out for general release. And has Chaosium announced that the Masks rewrite is behind schedule and is now expected “later in 2018.” There is a new Kickstarter out for Lovecraft Preparatory Academy, which seems to be a mash-up of Lovecraft, Miskatonic University, and Harry Potter. You can get the game in PDF for $15. The link is in the show notes. Yann Demange Enters “Lovecraft Country” for Jordan Peele! In his U.S. TV debut, British helmer Yann Demange is set to direct and executive produce the first episode of HBO’s high-profile straight-to-series drama “Lovecraft Country”, from newly minted Oscar winner Jordan Peele (Get Out) and his Monkeypaw Productions, J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot and Warner Bros Television. Friend of the show Matt Puccio has released “A Light in Darkness” – A dark, survival horror scenario for Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition, set in the Pacific Theatre during World War II. Includes 8 pregenerated characters, special-purpose insanity cards and weapon cards, maps, and other player handouts. Designed to run in 4-5 hours for 3 to 6 players.

Feedback:

From Graham: There is a novel series (Two books at the moment…) by an author named D.J. Baldock on Amazon called ‘Ascendant Untempered‘ and the plot line is ripe for a Superhero/Mythos mashup (The superheros draw their powers from non-Euclidian entities but don’t know it.) even if the author is rather too enamored of zombies for my taste (Both novels have featured them, albeit non-standard types.)

Topic:

We talk with Mike Mason about what the big idea was with the Miskatonic Repository, and some tips for new writers to keep in mind – from an editor’s point of view. We also wander into the Bestiary to discuss how to make Dimensional Shamblers less one-dimensional.]]>

MUP 139 – Stirring the Genre Stew

keeperchad — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 13:40:43 +0000

In this episode, Jon, Murph and Chad try a little mashup magic by randomly combining Lovecraftian horror with other RPG genres. This episode was recorded on February 15, 2018.

Campus Crier

Correction: In episode 137 Chad said that the DM’s Guild allows creators to write content for multiple versions of D&D. It doesn’t. It only allows 5th Edition. And (for now) it only allows the Forgotten Realms and Ravenloft settings only. Delta Green is releasing a book of six scenarios called “A Night at the Opera” in hardback. It’s now available for preorder. They are doing a kind of ransom model where they had to get 300 preorders before they would send the thing for print. The Fall of Delta Green, the Ken Hite adaptation of the setting to Trail of Cthulhu, set in “the blistering 1960s” is available in PDF to backers of the Kickstarter. The Fall of Delta Green will be available for further orders from Pelgrane Press “soon.” There is a Punktown update from January: Basically, they have character sheets to add to the book from Dean Engelhardt. Check out The Pallid Mask: King In Yellow tiki mug & RPG. Billy Joel meets HP Lovecraft – listen here! Feedback: iTunes review by drummerdave from USA on January 12, 2018:

Fantastic and funny, Great conversation and in-depth analysis on Cthulhu RPGs and horror themes in general. Funny, unique and interesting. Must subscribe!

Topic – The Genere-rator!

Here is a table we used for generating mashups with Lovecraftian horror. Roll 1d12: 1. Superheroes (V&V, Marvel, Godlike) 2. Espionage (Top Secret, Nights Black Agents) 3. Martial Arts (Bushido, Feng Shui, Legend of the Five Rings) 4. Swashbuckling (7th Sea, Flashing Blades, 50 Fathoms for Savage Worlds) 5. Traditional Fantasy (D&D, DCC, 1 million others) 6. Conspiracy (Esoterrorists, Delta Green, Kult) 7. Cyberpunk (Cyberpunk 2020, Punktown, Corporation) 8. Space Opera / Space Adventure (Traveller, Star Wars, Star Trek, Star Frontiers, Star Star) 9. Post Apocalyptic (Gamma World, Car Wars, Mutant Crawl Classics) 10. Transhuman (Eclipse Phase, Nova Praxis) 11. Romance (Monster Hearts, Breaking The Ice, Kagematsu) 12. Western (Boot Hill, Deadlands, Down Darker Trails) And here is an extra D6 if you want to add a time period or tech level to the settings: 1. Stone Age 2. Ancient/Medieval 3. Contemporary/Post Industrial 4. Near Future 5. Far Future 6. Alien / Interdimensional]]>

Call for Audio Segment Pitches

keeperchad — Mon, 19 Feb 2018 16:54:22 +0000

Hello! As mentioned before, we’re making some minor changes to the Miskatonic University Podcast, with a shorter editor-friendly show format. Given the brevity of topic discussion, we’d love to add some little extra audio segments to the shows. So if you have any of your own ideas for 3 to 5 minute segments that you might want to contribute that cover something related to horror and Lovecraft-related game stuff or connections to the Mythos realm in general, please let us know! No need to pitch strictly self-promotional segments. We cover product news and would be happy to mention your work in the Crier if you have something to promote. But it would be excellent to stone soup this podcast and bring in other voices from MU Nation. Basically, we’re looking or finished pieces that we can drop into the episodes without a whole lot of extra editing on our side, so we can increase the richness of each episode. What kind of segment, you ask? How about a history snippet about something weird and game-able? Maybe you want to make a creepy 2 minute audio landscape with no words at all. Maybe you want to make a 5-part radio drama about a troupe of Deep Ones who join a circus! Or game book reviews! Or forgotten Mythos Fiction! If something pops to mind and you think you might want to contribute, get in touch with us if you, and we’ll work with you on how to shape the idea for our show format and help you get it recorded and set up for broadcast.

The email to send ideas: mup.feedback@gmail.com.

looking forward to hearing what might surface from those who heed the call!]]>

MUP 138 – Shan We or Shan't We

keeperchad — Mon, 12 Feb 2018 13:06:25 +0000

In this episode, Jon, Murph and Chad head back to an old favorite, the Bestiary, to put a little bug in your ears about certain space monster castaways with powers of persuasion. This episode was recorded on February 1, 2018. Thanks very much to Max for audio editing on this episode!

Campus Crier

There’s a new Kickstarter underway from Stygian Fox! “The Wild Hunt” is an ancient Celtic myth about a force that rampages through the countryside: killing evil-doers and causing havoc. It is a 1920s adventure framed around a hunt that takes investigators “From New York to Boston.” Chaosium has released a sheaf of stuff for the Miskatonic Repository called the Miskatonic Collection, which includes forms, images, play aids and documents. They can be used for props in your own Call of Cthulhu games, but these are also meant for creators to used to spice up submissions to the Miskatonic Repository. Forms in the collection from Dean Englehart include Arkham Sanitarium Forms, City of Arkham Forms, Medical Forms, Telegrams, and more. There are also maps by Stephanie Maclea. Harlem Unbound from Darker Hue Studios is in the hands of backers, and reviews have been excellent. The company has also officially launched a Patreon page! From Chris Spivey: “If you like our work and want to help make safe spaces for diverse voices to be heard, and want to see diverse creatives making beautiful, engaging and authentic pieces that feature people of color – please consider backing us!” Skype of Cthulhu posted its first session about 7 years ago. Jim posted some impressive numbers and an infographic to celebrate.

“Since then we have released 445 actual-play sessions (with another 22 in the backlog) and have no intention of slowing down….The top six (Edwin, Gary, Jim, Jonathan, Max, and Randall) are all current, regular players – which is pretty cool. Our sincere thanks to each and everyone one of you.”

Chad was on Legends of Tabletop with John Haremza and Oscar Rios and Bill Adcock playing Invictus, with a character born during an as-yet un-aired MU Podcast AP with y’all. Horatius the “retired grain inspector” (code for spy in the Second Century Roman empire) joins Iavolenus the bodyguard and Lucius the Centurion on a trek to a remote village in the Alps.

Topic

]]>

MUP 137 – The Repository of Horrors

keeperchad — Sun, 04 Feb 2018 00:05:07 +0000

This episode, the full crew is finally back after a long winter’s nap for a discussion about Chaosium’s launch of something called the Miskatonic Repository. This episode was recorded on January 11, 2018.

Campus Crier

Chaosium has introduced the Miskatonic Repository, a “way for creators to publish and distribute their own original Call of Cthulhu content.” This is also our main topic, so see more below for extra links. Lynne Hardy has been named as Call of Cthulhu assistant editor at Chaosium. Congratz Lynne! Legends of Tabletop did an interview with Adam Scott Glancy that is well worth a listen. They cover Horrors of War as well as some interesting political territory. Kudos to John H and Leah for delving into touchy ground. Hudson and Brand has been released on PDF… Matt Sanderson is doing a sequel scenario to Call of Cthulhu in collaboration with propmaker Delphes Desvoivres. Pelgrane Press has released Ex Astoria, a scenario for Cthulhu Confidential – Spine-Tingling New York Mythos Noir from the Newsfiles of Vivian Sinclair. This is the Ruth Tillman creation for Cthulhu Confidential. Promo copy: “A brawl between picketers from the miner’s union and scab laborers working on the Winn Water Tunnel has turned into a riot, and Vivian Sinclair is on the scene reporting. But it seems the scab workers are the least of the miners’ concerns. Can Viv prevent further injuries and an environmental disaster?” The Dark Brood for The Cthulhu Hack – “The Dark Brood offers content about the Black Goat and its Thousand Young, creatures horrible and mindless, including six examples of the Dark Brood, two investigation seeds, Mythos spells and dozens of elements to add the essence of Shub-Niggurath to your game.” A PDF is $3.95. Cult of Chaos Convention Scenario Competition 2018 – a list of pitches has been selected for writers to turn their work into full-fledged scenarios. Round One Results: Seven new spider species from Brazil have been named after seven famous fictional spider characters. Including a Lovecraft creation! In other random weird science news, there’s a spider that looks like a pelican.

Listener Feedback

From Graham: Regarding those freshwater Deep Ones. I was re-listening to the most recent podcast episode and remembered that there is one scenario out there that has what could be freshwater Deep Ones in it. It was published twice, once in the late 80’s in a semi-pro fanzine called “North Coast Roleplaying” (Issue 7) and then in the early 90s in the first issue of “Vortext Magazine”. Entitled “Shadow Over Stockton” the scenario hook is someone catching a ‘strange creature’ (Deep One) on Lake Stockton in Missouri and then a sporting goods company puts up a huge reward for the next one captured. As an idea how this thing is supposed to play out, here is a small spoiler, the Phil Foglio illustration on the first publication depicts investigators coming across a boat-load of Deep Ones pretending to be ‘good old boy” fishermen complete with baseball caps, fishing rods and six-packs of beer. There is a writeup of the scenario on the YSDC wiki, based on the first printing, what if any changes were made for the second printing are unknown. – Graham

From Dave Sokolowski:

First, thank you so much for all of your great work. This year, which was rough and stressful for a few reasons, saw me spend a lot of time in my car, driving multiple hours from here to there. I decided to get back into podcasts, and ended up listening to a backlog of MUP that went back to mid 2015, more than two years ago — at least 50 episodes. I can be sentimental, and like many, memories tied to emotion grow deeper. I formed a connection with your podcast, and came to love your wacky but serious show on many levels. You’ve got a great thing going: topical and thoughtful conversation on game topics, intelligent and funny discourse about horror in general, and a congenial and friendly banter that is rare indeed. We, as a hobby, are much better off with you lot around, and I’m very thankful for all that you do. Here’s to many more fantastic episodes that I now listen to within a day of their release. With that done, I would now like to give you an exclusive release – I am currently working on another chapter in the Stygian Fox “Safehouse Series” called the Advocacy. Here is the elevator pitch for you: “The Advocacy is a modern day Safe House setting for Call of Cthulhu set in Washington DC. The PCs are fixers, soldiers and researchers who work discretely to solve problems in and around the home of the world’s largest bureaucracies. They have the best technology and resources in the world at their hands, which is important because their adversaries don’t play by the rules and often don’t even come from this world.” It’s in the same series as Hudson & Brand and is currently being written and play-tested. There is even a Facebook group for it, if you’re clever enough to pass your Computer Use skill check to find it. For all this work, I would love an opportunity to come on your show and discuss modern investigations. Not necessarily modern horror, which has been covered before, but contemporary investigations by professional investigators — how cameras have invaded every space, how data is available for those with the power, how even magic can be tracked on an app. With technology continually advancing, the methods for investigation grow more and more precise. Modern investigations have different tone and pacing that I’m trying to explore and embrace, and with an Advocacy playtest or two under my belt, I have lots of ideas to share and get feedback on. I would love to come on the show and talk about the Advocacy and all things modern, as well as just hear your lovely voices again. Thanks again for everything. Go Pods! -Dave

Topic

The Miskatonic Repository! http://www.yog-sothoth.com/topic/31756-miskatonic-repository-dms-guild-equivalent-coming-from-chaosium/ It follows the DM Guild rules. You can do pay-what-you-want or free or set your own price. You get a 50% royalty per download, and you pay $2 for each withdrawal. https://support.drivethrurpg.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005751243-Miskatonic-Repository-Chaosium- https://support.drivethrurpg.com/hc/en-us/categories/201257283-Community-Content-Programs Self-publishing resources mentioned: Scribus, a free layout program like InDesign. Scrivener, software to help organize big writing projects.]]>

Delays, Vampires and Robot School

keeperchad — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 13:13:59 +0000

Hello, MU Nation! So…you might have noticed a bit of a hiatus in our feed since late last year. Truth is, Dan and Murph both had computers blow up, Dan is now keeping vampire hours for professional reasons, and time has gotten away from all of us. Plus, Dan has been accepted to Robot School. Congratulations, Dan! But with all this going on, we’ve been talking about how to resurrect the podcast once again and how to keep it afloat in stormy seas. For one thing, we’re talking with some generous volunteers who may be able to help share the burden of audio editing, which is the most time consuming part of this little Mythos circus. We haven’t podfaded. It was just a pod-hibernation. But spring is coming, the glaciers are melting, and we’re all starving for berries and marmots. So stay tuned. And thanks for hanging in there!]]>

MUP 136 – Ripped from the Headlines!

keeperdan — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 05:15:00 +0000

In this episode, Dan, Jon, Murf, and Chad take some recent weird headlines and sow them as scenario seeds. This episode was recorded on December 4, 2017.

Campus Crier

Sandy Petersen’s scenario book is available on PDF CoC 7E won another award! This time from Beasts of War! Cubicle 7 and Chaosium have announced that the two are severing the longstanding Call of Cthulhu license agreement at the end of this year. Fantasy Grounds has added Pulp Cthulhu to their list of plugins for the system. Dark Trails – the weird western DCC game by David Baity Listener feedback- Voicemail from Ritterton Hey, this is Ritterton. Just calling and saying appreciated the campus prior shore episode. It was great listening to some neat things coming out. Just had to call though to make one suggested pronunciation correction. It’s Helena Montana. That’s a pretty common test out here in the west. So again great presentation and great information, always appreciate it. Looking forward to the full show when it comes here in the near future. Take care. Bye. Bye. Speakpipe message from Lee Williams of the Dark Times Fanzine

Topic

RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES Jon – Sharks in New York basement: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sharks-found-in-basement-pool_us_59b19819e4b0dfaafcf67219?section=us_weird-news Chad: fake corpses https://www.livescience.com/61089-syndaver-synthetic-humans.html Murph: http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/crime/article187442003.html https://www.wired.com/2016/05/soundself-vr-ego-death/ https://www.inverse.com/article/38980-psilocybin-mushroom-playlist-research Discuss this episode on the Campus Forum.]]>

MUP 135 – Talking Monsters with Monster Talk

keeperchad — Mon, 27 Nov 2017 01:49:51 +0000

In this episode, Dan, Jon and Chad talk with guest Blake Smith from the Monster Talk Podcast! We talk about cryptids as well as other monsters and Forteana. This episode was recorded on November 20, 2017.

Campus Crier

Carl Ford, editor of the 80s fanzine DAGON, has died. Read this excellent post with some backstory on the magazine here. Extra Life update: The New England Gamers Extra Life team wants to thank all of its many supporters and sponsors for their help in raising over $7,000 in 2017 to support the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Gamers participated in fundraising events at multiple conventions, including an exciting multi-Keeper event at NecronomiCon. At the 24-hour Twitch-streamed gaming marathon, over $1,800 in donations came in from around the world. Donors won 49 prizes valued at over $1000 total from our wonderful sponsors: Frog God Games, Kobold Press, Chaosium, Gallant Knight Games, Pacesetter Games, Squamous Studios, and the H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society. In addition, Frog God Games is providing $945 in matching PDFs for donations of $50 and up. The Cold Warning PDF is now on sale via the Golden Goblin Press website, and will soon (a few days) be available as Print on Demand via DriveThruRPG.com A reminder that the 2018 Chaosium Convention Scenario Contest has been announced – Submit adventure pitches to the Cult of Chaos on the BRP Central forums: https://basicroleplaying.org/

Topic

Blake has dropped Part 1 of a multi-part look at grimoires with the guest, Jerry Drake, who Blake says is probably as close to a Lovecraftian protagonist as he’s met in real life. Blake has been published in Fortean Times, Weird Tales, Skeptic and Skeptical Inquirer. He’s working on a book now called The Invention Fallacy which is about how technology works, ancient aliens and why people don’t understand Innovation. Links to sites that allow newspaper article creation for gaming. https://www.fodey.com/generators/newspaper/snippet.asp https://newspaper.jaguarpaw.co.uk/ Blake mentions The Beyond as a great Lovecraftian film (Trailer). The Bell Witch Jack Parsons (rocket engineer & wizard) Noirlathotep: Tales of Lovecraftian Crime Flatwoods monster Apophenia Ultraterrestrial– Interdimensional hypothesis Pangboche Hand The Mysterious Monsters The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society – The Whisperer in Darkness. Discuss this episode on the Campus Forum.]]>

MUP Campus Crier Catchup – November 2017

keeperchad — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 14:12:45 +0000

Keeper Chad gives a Campus Crier insert for the feed to keep the content rolling while we put the next episode together. We’ll be back next time with a full show. This episode was recorded on November 13, 2017. ● The Delta Green Shotgun Scenario Contest has been announced – This year once again the requested length is 1500 words. The last day for submissions is Saturday, December 9, 2017. You can submit as many Shotgun Scenarios as you wish, by the way. You can also write longer than 1500 words, but if you go over that amount, when the community votes, each vote only counts as half a vote. It’s not worth it, folks. Learn how to write to spec. It makes your editors happy. ● Speaking of writing contests, Chaosium has put out the word on its Cult of Chaos mailing list that that they are seeking scenarios for the 2018 Cult of Chaos Convention Scenario Competition. They want, and I quote engaging and dramatic convention scenarios dreamt up by the mind of the Cult of Chaos. This is your opportunity to share your experience and writing skills, and get your scenario played around the world as official Chaosium convention games. They are looking for scenarios that can can be run in a 3.5 to 4 hours slot and playable by up to 6 players. Ideally, scenarios should be set in the 1920s, 1930s, or modern day, but we are happy to see other time periods too. Pre-generated investigators should also be included with the scenario. Length wise, each scenario should plan on approximately 8,000-12,000 words maximum. The deadline for submitting pitches is December 1st, 2017. ● From Modiphius, a new Achtung Cthulhu supplement: Code of Honour: Zero Point 1942 – this takes us to Istanbul in 1942. At that time the City of Seven Hills is a neutral city, packed with spies. Nazis, Soviets, the Brits and the Yanks, the Japanese and a host of other nations, all waging a deadly war of wits against a backdrop of cocktail bars and polite smiles. While Turkey desperately tries to stay out of the war, the Führer’s armies mass less than a hundred miles away. ● Also from Modiphius – their Entertainment department is presenting a FREE short teaser from its forthcoming Achtung! Cthulhu Audio Adventure series. The full 30 minute pilot is due to be released shortly, followed by a ten part series of World War Two audio adventure! ● The Delta Green: Handler’s Guide is out now in PDF. ● Plus three new standalone scenarios for Delta Green have been released since the last Crier 1) “Kali-Ghati” “The Agents are soldiers, intelligence officers, federal agents or civilian contractors among the U.S. forces in Afghanistan.” 2) “Music From a Darkened Room” — a horrifyingly haunting scenario for Delta Green 3) “Extremophilia” — a terrifying scenario for Delta Green: The Role-Playing Game ● For Pelgrane’s one-on-one Gumshoe game Cthulhu Confidential, “High Voltage Kill” a Spine-Tingling L.A. Mythos Noir from the Casefiles of Dex Raymond, by Robin Laws. ● Streets of Arkham, an expansion for Mansions of Madness ● Sandy Petersen’s scenario thing is out (sorry, can’t find link, but it’s probably in Ab Chaos) ● Dave Sokolowski’s “Sun Spots”: Chaosium is pleased our friends at Weird8 have recently released the licensed Call of Cthulhu adventure Sun Spots in PDF on DriveThruRPG. Funded last year via Kickstarter at nearly $16k with 533 backers, Sun Spots was originally written by Dave Sokolowski nearly ten years ago under the editorial guidance of Cthulhu-maestro Keith “Doc” Herber. This was for an Old Ones-themed Call of Cthulhu supplement Herber was planning to bring out through his imprint Miskatonic River Press. ● YSDC has announced its Secret Shoggoth gift exchange, and you do not have much more time to jump in on this. If you are a YSDC member jump on the site, find out how to participate, and do it by this Friday, November 17. ● Backers of Golden Goblin Press’s Cold Warning Kickstarter have received their print copies, those who backed at that level. The stretch goals for that campaign are in the works, with Riot at Red Plank in the editing stages and Riding the Northbound undergoing rewrites and expansion. ● Sentinel Hill Press is editing text of THE DARE, in part based on some feedback from backers who got to look at a preview. Ian MacLean is busy art, including a final version of the cover. ● EXTRA LIFE brought in a tidy sum of 2300 in donations for the Children’s Miracle Network at CarnageCon in the first weekend of November. There was a raffle and a high-rotation gaming session, and a Star Wars LARP. Coming up on November 17, they will be streaming live on twitch.tv/froggodgames from 6 PM EST on Nov. 17 until 6 PM on Saturday. Between midnight and 6 AM EST, during a Down Darker Trails scenario, they will be giving away three PDFs from us: HPL’s CoC for Beginning Readers, a 7th Ed. Rulebook, and S. Peterson’s Guide to Lovecraftian Horror. Every donation of $1 or more enters you to win one of these prizes. In addition, they have prizes from the H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society, Squamous Studios (Feed the Shoggoth!), Frog God Games, Gallant Knight Games, Pacesetter Games and Kobold Press. In addition to winning fabulous prizes and helping out the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, with each donation, you can change the game. Add new monsters, spring a trap, locate a secret door, provide some sanity restoration…anything is possible when you all come together in support of this great charity. Donations to: https://goo.gl/bU82Ja. ● A book of scenarios by the name of Petersen’s Abominations: Five Epic Tales of Modern Horror for Call of Cthulhu – is now heading to layout. This is the aforementioned book of Sandy’s work that Mike Mason helped to shape and edit. It features “The Derelict” from last year’s Free RPG Day (with all-new layout and art), and four more never-published-before scenarios. SLated for release in the first quarter of next year. ● Next we have a new Kickstarter from Sandy Peterson Games, called The Evil High Priest- Awaken your Monstrous Master! This is designed by Lincoln Petersen, son of Sandy. ● The New Reanimator Movie Gets an Official Title. That title, wait for it, is Herbert West: Reanimator. This film, with zero connection to the Jeffrey Combs join of yesteryear, is being produced by Isle Empire Films, and – is meant to be a more faithful retelling of Lovecraft’s short story of the same name, Herbert West: Reanimator. ● The video game ‘Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth’ Gets New Life on GOG.com. The game was well received by most critics, but had only meek commercial success when it was released, and subsequent sequels planned by Headfirst were canned. So the game is already available on Steam, but there have been some compatibility issues, so GOG went through the code and fixed things up to allow for contemporary PCs to run it properly.]]>

MUP 134 – Nerdgasms & Mythosy Pulp Gizmos

keeperdan — Mon, 30 Oct 2017 02:06:19 +0000

In this episode, Jon, Chad, and Dan stay in the realm of Pulp Cthulhu with a little brainstorming on machinery that could be created by Mythos entities for PCs to then get their grubby little hands on. And Chad has a complete fangasm while recording. It’s pretty great. This episode was recorded on October 23, 2017.

Campus Crier

Praxis Black Monk The Black Monk is a series of five games set in a strange fantasy world where time means nothing anymore. Each game is set in a unique part of a desolate world, with strange characters passing the time until the Black Monk visits. In between these visits, the character’s lives are interrupted by sometimes trivial and other times confusing events. Everything seems to fit together like an elongated jigsaw puzzle, but no one can see the starter pieces stretching across the horizon. Then one evening, the sun stayed in the sky all day. When there should have been night, the sun remained. And now it feels as though it’s been years since the Black Monk came. But perhaps it was yesterday. Nothing is right… (Chad) In Episode 132, I mentioned – barely mentioned – that I was a guest on Legends of Tabletop during their NecronomiCon recap. I failed to mention any other guests and I want to do that now: http://www.legendsoftabletop.com/?p=348& (Travel blog) http://www.legendsoftabletop.com/?p=2949& (episode) John Haremza, one of the regular hosts. Leah Bond, regular host on LoT Jesse from the Dragon Fisters podcast Jef Wilkins from Into the Darkness Ash Darrow: Gothic studies graduate student and NCon panelist Brett Miller, Musician and composer Peter Rawlik, weird fiction author Also, they just dropped an episode with Niels Hobbs where they talk about a lot of topics including the two big controversies in 2017 and 2015. Also, the panel we were on with the Legends guys about gaming is now posted. While we’re at it, let’s post a round up of all the gaming panels we can find from the Good Friends feed and others here in the show notes! Good Friends of Jackson Elias recorded panels: Call of Cthulhu Campaigns Panel Pulp vs. Pure Panel – with Keeper Dan! Favorite Call of Cthulhu Scenarios Panel – with Keeper Chad! (Jon) AetherCon VI – November 10-12, this is an online RPG convention. The convention features a number of live panels that fans can attend via YouTube. I’m hosting two panels and running one game at the con. If anyone wants to try out the Yellow King RPG, my table is currently wide open. No one has signed up for it as of this recording. My game is scheduled for Saturday the 11th starting at midnight US Central Time. http://www.aethercon.com Panel: Dem Dry Bones Panel: Balancing Magic & Technology Game: Yellow King RPG – Dark Alley Deals IGN has purchased Humble Bundle. Humble Bundle last month announced that it had raised a total of $100 million for charity since the first Humble Bundle went on sale in 2010. Cthulhu Dark – Update 25 – If you check your BackerKit account, you’ll find As Good As A Feast, Mo Holkar’s wonderful mystery set in the 1930s Dust Bowl, which we unlocked as a stretch goal. I think you’ll enjoy it. From Edwin: Nov. 17 starting at 6 PM EST and running live for 24 hours on www.twitch.tv/froggodgames

Our goal is to raise $5000 for www.extra-life.org. Edwin Nagy will be running Rappan Athuk and some material from Kobold Press for a Bangor, Maine-based group of gamers. The event is being sponsored by Frog God Games and Kobold Press, and they will have prizes available during the entire affair. In addition, audience donations will control the game and allow the PCs to level up. New monsters can be added, plots can be twisted, health can be restored, all for the asking (and the giving). At midnight, Sean Murphy will run a scenario from Down Darker Trails sponsored by Chaosium and the H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society. Fabulous CoC-related prizes from them will be available to people who donate during the game. The crew will be on the chat the entire night. Please help them make it through the night with your donations and chatter. All this gaming goodness is in support of Extra Life, which gives the money directly to hospitals in the Children’s Miracle Network. That’s right—playing games to help save children’s lives. The New England Gamers team page is at https://goo.gl/bU82Ja or search at Extra Life for Team NEG

D20 CoC now available on RPG NOW Halloween Sale on Spectrum Games stuff (Macabre Tales, Stories from the Grave and Slasher Flick) – PDFs for crazy cheap: io9– All-Time Masterpiece RPG Call of Cthulhu Will Never Die The ‘Necronomnomnom’ Is a Horrific, Lovecraft-Inspired Cookbook Food and Wine’s article Bloody Disgusting- Someone Made a Necronomicon Pop Up Book and It’s Amazing Order it here! Card Catalog A Deep Background Item for the Card Catalog

Hi Guys, I stumbled across a site that contains a lot of background information on hand tools (wrenches, pliers, etc), who made them, when and under what brand names. One of the highlights is a three part look into the various house brands used by Sears and Roebuck (Craftsman, Cross Country, Dunlap Fulton (Also known as Fulton Tool Co.) & Merit) for their hand tool lines and who supplied those tools.0 This looks to be a good resource for deep background information. Reading through the site brought up one case of a tool company (S-K Tools) selling the same products under two different names, their own brand name and a ‘pseudo-brand’ (Brazil Tools) that individual retailers (Most likely auto parts shops.) could claim was their house brand. http://alloy-artifacts.org/index.html One idea that did spring to mind from all this would be the idea of someone offering hand tools from a new manufacturer that was in some way, shape or form tainted by the Mythos. Graham

Listener feedback–

Voicemail from John Sullivan. (Transcription by Google Voice)

This is John Sullivan. This is a message for keeper chat. I just wanted to say I listen to the pantech renada con panel that you were on and I wanted to say thank you very much for picking paper chase. I was deeply honored that you enjoyed it so much, and so did the rest of the panel apparently it’s really been inspiring encouraging for me as well. I’m trying to get back into gaming writing as well as doing some other stuff and miss cotati university podcast as that episode. I do not miss so thanks again, and thanks to everybody else for the podcast and go pods.

Topic –

Pulp Monster Tech! Jon- Elder Things – Exsiccate Ray & Glob Stick RPF thread of someone building the Dehydrator from Batman Chad- Formless Spawn of Tsoggua – formless spawn infused with 1930s Dust Bowl farm equipment The Phantom Empire (Gene Autry fighting subterranians!) The HPLHS Mum-E-Duster Giant machines fighting with meat tied to them! Dan- Serpent People – Drill Tank Elon Musk’s The Boring Company Article about the company Here are links to the fantastic BRP Gold Book with many more psychic powers- Print Edition PDF Edition Discuss this episode on the Campus Forums.]]>

MUP 133 – Pulp Magic, Psychics, and SCIENCE!

keeperdan — Mon, 16 Oct 2017 15:28:37 +0000

In this episode, Jon, Murph, Chad, and Dan are joined by Christopher Smith Adair to talk about Chapter 6 of Pulp Cthulhu, Pulp Magic, Psychics, and Weird SCIENCE! This episode was recorded on October 9, 2017.

Campus Crier

The Dare has funded and wrapped up. 667 backers. Over $10,400 raised. Met nearly all of its stretch goals, the last one of which I am helping with – Mythos and notable pulp writers and figures in child form as pregens. The Haunted Clubhouse is a lethal and harrowing Call of Cthulhu Role Playing adventure. Devil’s Swamp funded and only has three days left (will be closed by air time). 608 backers, +$21,400 raised. For the Love Of is available for download, and has been >745 times! Dark Times is out! Fantasy Flight Games has announced a Masks on Nyarly expansion for Eldritch Horror… Mythos Horrors during the French Revolution! Reign of Terror Focus Home Interactive’s Call Of Cthulhu has been delayed until 2018. From Edwin– A little something that you might want to share with the listeners (if you haven’t already), Reckoning of the Dead One of the hosts of site, Matt, ran an excellent game at NC that I played in.0p Correspondent report: Christopher went to the HPL film fest in Portland, Oregon http://www.hplfilmfestival.com/ Lovecraft Christmas Cards https://www.facebook.com/soundfromthedeep/ Listener feedback– 5-Star in iTunes by odder2100 from Denmark on September 14, 2017 Great source of (dark) knowledge “This is a fantastic podcast. I have learned so much, while being entertained at the same time. A special thanks to Jon Hook, as my first game as a keeper was with his terrific scenario “For the love of”, which is free on their website. Go Pods!” Topic – Pulp Cthulhu Chapter 6, Magic, Psychic Powers and Weird Science! Christopher talks about his experiences using these rules in his playtests of A Cold Fire Within, the Pulp Campaign he wrote for Chaosium. Discuss this episode on the Campus Forums.]]>

MUP 132 – Kid Dares, Gator Hunts, and Other Terrible Ideas

keeperdan — Fri, 29 Sep 2017 00:18:37 +0000

In this episode, Murph and Chad have drafted a couple of guest hosts to fill out the ranks, with Bret Kramer from Sentinel Hill Press, and Mythos veteran and Arkham Gazette contributor (and Chad’s Cthulhu Maker) Nick Bresinsky. This episode was recorded on September 11, 2017.

Campus Crier

The Dare, a single-scenario Kickstarter project that Bret Kramer talked about in this episode, is now live. (Full disclosure: Charles Gerard/Keeper Chad is helping with the project and edited the Kickstarter intro video – which he had way too much fun doing.) Dustin Wright, a resident of Rockport TX and longtime Chaosium employee is currently dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. A Go Fund Me account has been set up to help support him. This will help ensure Dustin’s immediate needs are met and offset costs associated with temporary living arrangements. Please feel free to donate what you can! Chaosium released a number of statements on fallow Kickstarter projects licensed under the company’s name. Horrors of War from Adam Scott Glancy, Punk Town from Miskatonic River Press and two Writhing Dark Kickstarters – all as-yet unfulfilled.

Horrors of War: “Chaosium met with Scott at Gen Con and discussed the Horrors of War license. We have confidence Scott can deliver on this project in the revised time frame he has put forward, and that he will give backers timely updates about progress until it is done.” Punktown: “Because a 50% preview of the book has been recently shared with backers, and the second half is in the final stages of layout, Chaosium has decided to keep the Punktown license in place and hopefully see this much delayed project through to completion in the coming months.” Writhing Dark: “We are well within our rights to terminate [Shane Tyree’s] agreement. But we don’t want backers to be prevented by Chaosium from getting what they paid Shane to produce. Because he has the actual product in hand and sincerely states that he still wishes to deliver, we have instead issued Shane a special license extension. This is strictly limited to fulfilling the original Writhing Dark and Extended Edition Kickstarter rewards and expires on completion. No additional or new material of any kind is permitted under this license. We have also encouraged Shane to reopen channels of communication with Kickstarter backers who have yet to receive their rewards.”

Pelgrane has released two products for Trail of Cthulhu: Out of The Woods – from Pelgrane Press is a new scenario anthology for Trail of Cthulhu with a woodsy focus. Features five scenarios by Adam Gauntlett, Lauren Roy, Chris Spivey, Ruth Tillman and Aaron Vanek, containing extensive handouts, maps and pre-generated characters for each adventure. Cthulhu City – “Cthulhu City is a setting for Trail of Cthulhu, usable for a full campaign in its own right or as a nightmarish intrusion into an existing game. The Investigators find themselves in a strange, corrupted Arkham, a ghastly metropolis. People – humans – live in the city, and seem bizarrely normal on first encounter – their concerns are the same mundane, day-to-day passions and trials of anyone in the modern world – but scratch the surface, and the Mythos spills forth. Motorcars drive down streets lined with sullen-eyed basalt cyclopean buildings raised by no human hand; at night, loathsome and titanic shapes move behind the clouds.” Andrew Leman is reading a retelling of Lovecraft’s The Picture in the House with famed Italian horror composer Fabio Frizzi providing the soundtrack. The release will also feature liner notes by weird fiction scholar S.T. Joshi with composition notes by Frizzi. Cadabra Records is releasing this for $32 on their website. There is also a “Liquid Blood-Filled Version” available fr $195. Cadabra has also released a number of other readings of Lovecraft accompanied with beautiful scores on their website, it’s worth checking out. Keeper Chad appeared on the Legends of Tabletop podcast for the NecronomiCon wrap-up. There’s a nice review out for the Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion by Paul St John Mackintosh. Chaosium fiction line editor James Lowder was interviewed extensively on the BAMF podcast. YSDC has released all of its actual play recordings for free to celebrate 12 years of play. They played 10 adventures, many of them campaigns, between September 2005 and September 2017

Topics

The Dare, kids and horror RPGs Monsters and Other Childish Things on RPPR Tales From the Loop Rachel Watches Star Trek, “Miri” Children of the Corn: (here is a copy of the movie on Blu-ray, and here is a copy of Night Shift, a collection of Stephen King’s short stories that includes Children of the Corn and I Am the Doorway, also mentioned during the show) https://www.amazon.com/Children-Corn-25th-Anniversary-Blu-ray/dp/B0026ICAOS https://www.amazon.com/Night-Shift-Stephen-King/dp/0307743640 The Brood, a film by David Cronenberg, which according to Wikipedia “follows a man uncovering an eccentric psychologist’s therapy techniques on his institutionalized wife, amidst a series of brutal murders committed from an offspring of mutant children that coincides with the investigation.” “It’s a Good Life,” an episode of Twilight Zone involving the creepiness of a kid whose wishes come true. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jlucx6rD7P4 What real-world places inspire your Lovecraftian imagination?]]>

MUP 131 – Post-Con Debriefing

keeperdan — Tue, 26 Sep 2017 01:13:44 +0000

This episode, Murf, Chad, Jon and Dan get together to talk about the amazing time it was at NecronomiCon Providence 2017! This episode was recorded on, August 28, 2017. Campus Crier Horrors of War — Adam Scott Glancy made an update to the Horrors of War Kickstarter on Aug 15th, the day before most of us went out to Necronomicon. In it he is apologizing for being mostly absent from the project and letting it linger this long. He also gives some very personal reasons for his absence. Scott suffered a devastating loss in his close personal family in late 2016. This unfortunately spiraled him into a depression that he himself didn’t realize he was in until he suffered another loss. The death of a close personal friend earlier this year brought the fact that he might have a mental illness to the forefront and he sought professional help. It is his full intention to complete this project in its entirety, but realizing his mistake he is offering a full refund on the project to any backer that might want it. He does not give a hard date on when the project should be finished now that he is better and refocused, but he does say it should be done by GenCon 2018. Pulp Cthulhu fans! The Dhole’s House generator for Call of Cthulhu investigators now supports creation of Pulp Cthulhu investigators! Go peruse it before I run out of exclamation points! https://www.dholeshouse.org/ Christopher Smith Adair’s Pulp campaign, A Cold Fire Within – a campaign that is shrouded in mystery wrapped in enigmas swaddled in NDA. Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition Masks of Nyarlathotep to feature an all-new chapter: Peru! https://www.chaosium.com/blog/call-of-cthulhu-7th-edition-masks-of-nyarlathotep-to-feature-an-allnew-chapter-peru https://www.chaosium.com/blog/a-new-edition-of-masks-of-nyarlathotep-for-call-of-cthulhu/ The final scenario for Horror on the Orient Express has been released! https://www.chaosium.com/blog/-horror-on-the-orient-express-kickstarter-ends-with-all-backers-receiving-free-bonus-20th-scenario/ Dan O’Bannon’s Lovecraft Adaptation ‘The Resurrected’ Gets Scream Factory Treatment Now Available for Pre-Sale http://bloody-disgusting.com/home-video/3452493/dan-obannons-lovecraft-adaptation-resurrected-gets-scream-factory-treatment/ https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/the-resurrected?product_id=5188 Someone Wants LEGO to Make an Official Call of Cthulhu Set! https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/245761/someone-wants-lego-make-official-call-cthulhu-set/ Dark Cult Games (Ben Burns) Star on the Shore We will be launching a new book in a month,or two, so keep an eye out for our next Call of Cthulhu project ‘Devil’s Swamp’. Which is now live! Devil’s Swamp – A Call of Cthulhu RPG Adventure Investigate ancient terrors in the heart of the Bridgewater Area during the 1920’s. Dare you enter the Hockomock? Expedition: The Horror The first expansion for Expedition: The Roleplaying Card Game. New mechanics, enemies and abilities inspired by Cthulhu! Bret Kramer is teaming up with Paul of Cthulhu for a podcast – called Sentinel Hill. An occasional podcast from SHP and YSDC. Not replacing the presscast. Available to patreon backers of either of those accounts. Ennie Winners –

Best Cover Art – Call of Cthulhu Investigators Handbook = GOLD
Best Interior Art – S. Petersen Field Guide to Lovecraftian Horrors = SILVER
Best Cartography – Call of Cthulhu Keeper Screen Pack = GOLD
Best Production Values – Call of Cthulhu 7th ed slipcase set = GOLD
Best Aid/Accessory – Call of Cthulhu Keeper Screen Pack = GOLD
Best RPG-related Product – Call of Cthulhu – The Colouring Book = GOLD
Best Adversary/Monster – S. Petersen Field Guide to Lovecraftian Horrors = GOLD
Best Adventure – Doors to Darkness = SILVER
Best Supplement – Pulp Cthulhu = GOLD
Fan Favourite Publisher – Chaosium = SILVER

Jon- Jon is running Yellow King for Skype of Cthulhu! Hypergraphia!

Topic

NecronomiCon! https://zombiequadrille.deviantart.com/gallery/ https://www.etsy.com/shop/DrVonDrachen http://www.magpiegames.com/category/bluebeards-bride/ Extra Life – Edwin “Thanks to you all, and many generous players, we raised $734 for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals during our four hours of chaos.” Discuss this episode on the Campus Forum.]]>

MUP 130 – Miskatonic University Podcast and Good Friends of Jackson Elias, Together – LIVE!

keeperdan — Wed, 30 Aug 2017 20:14:19 +0000