I chose this one over other scenarios because of its excellent balance between mystery and horror. This was the scenario that I ran for a group of my friends to introduce Call of Cthulhu to them. This scenario is designed to be an introduction to Call of Cthulhu for people, and based on the plot and the design of the scenario, I have to agree. All the vital information is bolded, so it is easy to find. You can run this scenario without ever going back to a previous page. The information is presented step-by-step, which doesn’t make me flip from page to page, double-checking information. The scenario also does a good job assisting the Keeper with when and what rolls to make and the outcome of those rolls. I really hope that we see more of this in future scenarios, as it’s a fun way to keep the sanity effect within the story that the scenario is telling. It’s a cool little thing that helps Keepers if they need help with the sanity mechanics and, most importantly, keeps the game moving. It tells you when the investigators hit their indefinite insanity, involuntary action, and bout of madness. It also has a section called “Insane Investigators” that aid the Keeper with the Sanity mechanic. The scenario also comes with four pre-generated investigators so that you and your group can just jump into the scenario. The Keeper can just focus on the room that the players are in. The Keeper doesn’t need to be thinking about the rooms the players are about to go into while they are still in the hallway. The scenario’s plot is also structured to let the Keeper focus on the details and events of the scenario one room at a time.
It’s easier for people to picture themselves in a horror movie scenario than in a mystery movie. Which, I think, is perfect for scenarios for new keepers and players. The plot of this scenario leans more toward the horror than it does the mystery aspects of Call of Cthulhu. Hard Nope! It’s being trapped and finding out that something supernatural is trapped in there with you, and they’re hangry. You think the horror was being trapped in a tomb with no way out. There is only one door out of this room, and it’s locked. Imagine yourself trapped in a dark room with an angry and hungry badger that wants to eat you. The best way to describe this climax is with an analogy. The climax of the scenario is the awakening of The Abomination. As they explore the tomb, they realize that it’s not your typical tomb as there are hintings to the Cthulhu Mythos, and worst of all, someone else has discovered the tomb before them. The players are plunged into darkness and must move forward into the tomb, hoping to find a way out. It seems like there was an accident involving the pulley system that was holding up the slab of stone that was blocking the entrance, as it’s not holding up the slab of stone anymore.
The scenario begins with the players uncovering an ancient tomb… and being imminently trapped within it. So if you are a fan of The Mummy or the Egyptian setting, this is a great beginner scenario. Where the players take the roles of members of an archaeological dig that is uncovering a tomb. The scenario takes place in the Valley of the Kings, Egypt, in 1924. Gateways To Terror: Three Evenings of Nightmare Unless you are like me and my group, which took us 4 hours to run The Necropolis because we were too busy making The Mummy jokes. Each scenario should take about one to two hours. The collection has three scenarios designed to introduce new players to Call of Cthulhu. The Necropolis scenario is from Chaosium’s Call of Cthulhu Gateways To Terror: Three Evenings of Nightmare. The Necropolis The Necropolis Scenario, Gateways To Terror book. * Oh, and heads up, there are spoilers for the scenarios.* So without talking too much, let me just list 5 scenarios that I would recommend to new Keepers. Someone new who is coming from a background of running systems that are more combat focus, such as Dungeons & Dragons or Pathfinder, may find it challenging to keep track of all the clues and possible pathways players can take in some scenarios. Meaning that it is a more roleplaying focus system, with a need to handle a mystery and an encroaching horror. The genre of the system is usually mystery/horror, meaning that the pacing of sessions is usually a slow burn that leads to an intense climax (at least, that is how I run the game). “ I think one of the hardest things about starting anything new is where should one begin.“Ī common question that I see being asked a lot on the internet from people who want to start running Call of Cthulhu:Ĭall of Cthulhu has many excellent scenarios and campaigns, but not all of them are the best for people who are just learning the system.