Elisabetta Golzio
For this review of Call Of Cthulhu: Arkham we thank Chaosium Inc for the digital copy of the manual. It is an in-depth guide to this famous setting, including some interesting new mechanics.
You can find it on sale in a physical edition at their website for $59.99 in English only.
The authors, already well known in the Lovecraftian universe, are Mike Mason, Keith Herber and Bret Kramer. Let’s start off by saying that this manual is an accessory: you will need the Keeper Rulebook and the Investigator Handbook in order to set up a campaign. In case you want to be guided in learning, there is also a Starter Set for sale that introduces the mechanisms and the setting.
In any case, it seems by now impossible not to know at least by reputation this universe of terror and otherworldliness created back in 1928 by H. P. Lovecraft. What more can be said about the Cthulhu universe that has not yet been written?
Welcome to Miskatonic Valley
Arkham is a fictional city created by Lovecraft, hypothetically located in Massachusetts. The entire geographical area in which most of the stories relating to the ancient myths come to life is called the Miskatonic Valley and is named after the river of the same name. Apart from the town that is the focus of the stories we are about to tell you about, there are no less than 27 other places in the handbook, including small villages, mountains and other points of interest.
Attentive readers will recognise references to the books of the Saga of the Great Old Ones in each of them. Essex and Innsmouth, for instance, are certainly some of the most famous settings of the Other World’s nefarious deeds.
We will therefore have a great variety of choices for setting our campaign, as well as everything we need to avoid making mistakes in terms of timing. A strong point of this guide, in fact, are the detailed and scaled maps that will allow us to get a precise idea of each individual city and the positioning of its streets.
The individual buildings have been described and marked with letters and numbers for easy reference and divided by use in special tables. Do you need a book shop in your story? In the commercial district, in location 432-A we will find Jaywil’s Book Store, complete with description and NPCs inside. Do your characters need to seek advice from an antiquarian? In location 409 we will find the Curios & Antiques shop and its owner George Tillinghast, a man of renown known throughout the city.
At our disposal, in all, 290 locations and 80 NPCs ready to become our best allies or worst enemies. One cannot but be astounded by the excellent setting work supported by the authors.
Review of Call of Cthulhu: Arkham – Chronology of Events
The accuracy with which the main historical events of these places are detailed is commendable.
Arkham is a relatively young town compared to its neighbours Kingsport and Innsmouth. Founded in the 17th century, settlers at the time found it inhabited by Native Americans. The wars waged by King Philip, however, decimated them, making them a minority. With the arrival of European migrants, a new, mysterious cult is also believed to have been imported.
A predominantly farming town, it saw its heyday in the 18th century, when it also became an important port for trade routes before Boston, Salem and New York cut it off.
In the 19th century, it was the scene of a typhus epidemic, which exterminated a large part of the population. Later, the flood of 1888 dealt the decisive blow to its economy.
H. P. Lovecraft sets his stories from 1920 onwards, with the shadow of the First World War still hanging over America. A new economic boom mixed with despair over losses are the focus of a new society, increasingly ready to lose itself in melancholy or the fame of power. But, more accurately, increasingly ready to lose itself in horror.
Investigating Arkham
As we all know,Call of Chtulhu is a role-playing game with a large investigative component. This manual gives us new skills and creates new patterns in the interpretation of our character, adding new optional rules that will allow us to flesh out the story.
For example, the success or failure of one of our knowledge tests will also depend on the time we have already spent in the Miskatonic Valley. Those born in Arkham will be more likely (starting with a basic skill of 40%) to know details about the history, geography or religion of the place. If we moved here shortly after our birth, we will still have bonuses, albeit lower than natives (20%). Being newly arrived, on the other hand, gives us no more opportunities than anyone else (1d6 + 1%).
Being a member or non-member of the societies in the city will also give us access to confidential information that we could not otherwise learn. Obviously, being a member of the Masonic Lodge will give us different clues than the University Clubs, but any knowledge will be important in solving mysteries.
The so-called ‘gossip’ is in fact an issue that should not be underestimated in this setting. We will find between these pages some tables with interesting hints to draw from the gossip what we need to continue our adventure. Sometimes the place to investigate will be literally mentioned, others we will only have some hints and we should deduce where to start.
Review of Call of Cthulhu: Arkham – the Reputation
Fame is another variable we will have to pay attention to. The higher the esteem the inhabitants have for us, the more information we will be able to glean.
Thus, if we are rated as a respectable person, we will have no penalty in our data collection rolls. If, on the other hand, we are perceived as a person who has distinguished himself positively in his actions, we will receive a bonus die. Conversely, if we are shamed, we will get between one and two penalty dice.
How can we change our reputation? During our campaigns, we may be asked to make a Fortune Roll (the operation of which is explained in the basic manuals). If the action was positive and the roll is passed, our status will improve because someone has noticed our actions and will tell the rest of the inhabitants about them. Similarly, if one of our Fortune Rolls fails while we are doing something against the law, rumours will circulate about our raids, inevitably affecting our name. Coming to the conclusion of an investigation when hardly anyone wants to talk to us will make the scenario much more difficult.
Basic Rules for Creating an Investigator
As we are reminded in the handbook, it is good to keep in mind the cornerstones of our character creation, fully expressed in theInvestigator Handbook.
Who are the people we care about in Arkham? For what reason? What are the places we are most familiar with in these lands? Relationships are the engine of our story, the reason why we will have to discover the truth. In addition, it would be important to know whether the protagonists of our story had anything to do with the war that has just passed, thus giving us the chance to orchestrate critical moments by recalling uncomfortable memories. Psychology will thus play a key role in the continuation of the story, totally changing our chances of sanity. That is, if anyone still thinks they can preserve it.
Conclusions of the Call of Cthulhu: Arkham Review
Call of Cthulhu: Arkham presents itself as a manual that can really make life a lot easier in terms of game preparation. Locations, characters and even weather tables will make a well-designed campaign more realistic. I was surprised to even find a list of films that could be played at the cinema in the 20’s and 30 ’s to lend credibility to every single detail.
The new mechanics deepen some technical aspects and allow for more narrative emphasis on certain character choices.
The graphics and lettering are designed to give a retro touch to the manual, as are the illustrations of the highest standard to which fans of the Great Ancients saga have become accustomed. Many artists have been involved in the interior illustrations: Helge C Balzer, Irene Cano with Kasia Smalara, Nicholas Grey, Joel Chaim Holtzman, Ania Jarmołowska, François Launet, Wayne Miller, Martyna Starczewska, John Sumrow and Aleksander Zawada. The cover, which immediately introduces us to a situation of danger and amazement, is by Loïc Muzy, who also did some interior design.
If you are a detail maniac, therefore, do not delay in buying it. The depth you will find there will be abysmal, as will the desperation of your players!
