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Chaosium Digest Volume 15 Number 05
Chaosium Digest Volume 15, Number 5
Date: Sunday, July 7, 1996
Number: 1 of 1
Contents:
Necronomicon Adventures (Shannon Appel) MYTHOS
At the Mountains of Madness (Eric Rowe) MYTHOS
Elemental Creatures (Shannon Appel) NEPHILIM
Editor's Note:
This week, some new Mythos adventures from myself and Eric Rowe, and
also a couple of creatures for Nephilim, acting as a sort of preview
of one chapter of the upcoming _Nephilim Gamemaster's Companion_.
Shannon
MAGAZINE SIGHTINGS:
* Call of Cthulhu - "Crude Oil, Part 1", by DBA Productions, a ten
page adventure centering around oil wells, set in 1928. Part two of
this adventure, which will appear in the next issue, promises to be
a Cthulhu Now adventure, Shadis #26; Four pages of reviews of the
Cthulhu Line, and several Pagan Publishing Cthulhu products, Shadis
#26
* Mythos - "Mythos Player's Guide", a five page spoiler list for
Mythos, Expeditions of Miskatonic University and Cthulhu Rising,
including all attributes and card rule text, Inquest #16 [August,
1996]; a one-page Review of Mythos, Shadis #26
NEW ELECTRONIC RESOURCES
Annotated Unspeakable Oath
http://www.halcyon.com/rev/pagan.html
Web versions of issues 1-4 of The Annotated Unspeakable Oath are now
available under this HTML link. If you don't have access to a WWW
browser, you can also find these issues in the /pub/chaosium FTP site
at ftp.csua.berkeley.edu.
Black Sands Preview
http://www.halcyon.com/rev/bs.html
Blair Reynolds is working on self-publishing a Cthulhu Mythos adult
horror graphic novel called Black Sands, the first issue of which is
scheduled for this fall. This link contains a preview of the series.
Cthulhu Mythos Database
ftp://ftp.csua.berkeley.edu/pub/cthulhu/sources/mythos.zip
If you have acccess to windows, you should take a look at this new
Mythos Database program for windows. It contains tons of references to
Mythos-related books and stories. As a quick warning, the ftp.csua
site has recently been having problems with netscape-type browsers. To
access this file, you should try and use a normal FTP client.
--------------------
From: appel@erzo.org (Shannon Appel)
Subject: Necronomicon Adventures
System: Mythos
Following is a set of adventures all based at least partly on the
third Mythos expansion, _Legends of the Necronomicon_. Although
Necronomicon is the last Mythos expansion for a few months, watch for
_The Art of Playing Mythos_ at the very end of July, and then _Mythos
Standard Edition_ a few months down the road, in October.
THE CASE OF CHARLES DEXTER WARD * NECRONOMICON ADVENTURE *
Corrupt Adventure
+8 Points, +2 San
When CHARLES DEXTER WARD called you to the WARD MANSION and revealed
his plans to return his ancestor to life, you thought him mad. Then,
he showed you his TOME with a RESURRECTION SPELL and his GRECIAN
LEKYTHOS. You agreed to help, and searched TWO different CEMETERIES
for the essential saltes of the dead. Ward was able to resurrect
JOSPEH CURWEN, but was lost in the process (he must be in your story
deck). Nosy DR. MARINUS BICKNELL WILLETT discovered Curwen
masquerading as Ward, and thought the young man insane. You quietly
snuck into the night as Curwen was confined to an ASYLUM.
May not be used in conjunction with SEEKING EVERLASTING LIFE I or II.
THE GODS OF BAL-SAGOTH * CTHULHU & NECRONOMICON ADVENTURE *
Mythos Experience
+9 Points, +3 San
When the TYPHOON destroyed your boat (any TRAVEL BY SEA), stranding
your STEADFAST ALLY and yourself on the island of BAL-SAGOTH, all
seemed lost. Then, you had a SURPRISE MEETING with a (different)
FEMALE ALLY, and learned the island was inhabited. The natives had
treated your female ally as a goddess, but when she displeased them,
they set their other gods, the dark thing (a NIGHTGAUNT), the bird
thing (a SHANTAK) and the ape thing (a MARTENSE KIN) upon her. You
slew them all, killed the CORRUPT CULTIST who had controlled them, and
then fled the island IN THE NICK OF TIME, ahead of AN UNEXPECTED
CALAMITY.
PICKMAN'S MODEL * NECRONOMICON ADVENTURE *
Mythos Experience
+5 Points; +2 San
Your friend, RICHARD UPTON PICKMAN, has disappeared. You begin to look
for him in PICKMAN'S APARTMENT, and then investigate a MUSEUM where
his art is exhibited. Unfortunately, you are unsucessful. Not even
speaking with his closest associate (a different STEADFAST ARTIST or
STEADFAST POET) is helpful. The horror begins to loom when you search
the CEMETARY and an UNDERGROUND LOCATION (two different locations,
which may not be Pickman's Apartment). To your regret, you discover a
gibbering GHOUL! Pickman's model was a photograph from life!
--------------------
From: rowe@csua.berkeley.edu (Eric Rowe)
Subject: At the Mountains of Mythos
System: Mythos
AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS * MU & CTHULHU ADVENTURE *
Heroic Adventure
+9 Points; +3 San
You and TWO colleagues (PROFESSOR or STUDENT ALLIES) begin your famous
expedition at a MISKATONIC UNIVERSITY LOCATION and TRAVEL BY AIR to
the great southern continent. There, you brave POWERFUL STORMS and the
corpses of strange creatures (ELDER THINGS, which can be in your
threat when this Adventure is played) to use your TOME in GLYPHS to
translate the strange runes you find. Suddenly, you are chased away by
a SHOGGOTH, only surviving when GIANT ALBINO PENGUINS get in the
monster's way. Finally, you return home to publish your story in the
ARKHAM ADVERTISER.
--------------------
From: appel@erzo.org (Shannon Appel)
Subject: Elemental Creatures
System: Nephilim
_The Nephilim Gamemaster's Companion_, a nifty little tome which
contains history, artefacts, creatures, background and advice, all
designed to help Gamemasters run a Nephilim Campaign, is currently at
the printers. The book won't be ready to ship until the very end of
the month, but in the meantime, here's a short article with some new
Nephilim critters, to whet your appetite. There's lots more in the
_Companion_, on a variety of subjects; this article only gives a
preview of one chapter of the book.
The Stymphalian Birds would have appeared in the _Companion_ if not
for space constraints. The other creatures in this article are both
new, but were written with the new rules and creatures of the
_Companion_ in mind. The _Companion_ makes some ties between Creatures
and Emotions, much as _Chronicles of the Awakenings_ did for Nephilim.
That is reflected in the article below.
Shannon
FIRE CREATURES
Candle Flames
Appearing as floating, flickering flames no more than an inch in
height, Candles Flames would seem to be fairly insignificant. However,
they can be a major nuisance to certain Nephilim.
Candle Flames are attracted to magical artefacts. If any is within
their range, they will flock to it, hovering near it like agitated
fire flies. Certain secret societies have taken advantage of this
ability, and so keep candle flames in their headquarters to warn of
assaults, or use them to help hunt down Nephilim.
Nephilim besieged by Candle Flames often have troubles doing away with
them. This can cause extreme problems when they are trying to interact
with the human world.
STR 1 CON 1 DEX 3d6
Personality Trait: Creative
Ka-element: Fire 1 Hit Points: 1
Move: 5 Actions: 3
Attack: None
Armor: None. Destroyed only by Orichalka, or the touch of a Water
Elemental Creatures. A Water Elemental so destroying a Candle Flame
loses one point of CON.
Abilities: SENSE ARTEFACT. Any Candle Flame within a quarter mile of
an artefact, relic or masterpiece will be drawn towards it at its
maximum Move.
BURN. Whenever a Candle Flame is flickering about an area of highly
flammable items, it has a 20% chance of accidently setting something
on fire every hour.
Note: When Candle Flames are spontaneously created, 1d10 or more
usually form at the same time. They do not remain together, but rather
disperse in a random manner.
MOON CREATURES
Dogs of the Other World
These creatures appear to be lean, wiry hunting dogs, but have a
rather unusual coloration. They are pure, unsullied white, except
their ears, which are blood red. No appearances of the Dogs of the
Other World are known previous to the Tuatha de Danaan coming to
Ireland at the start of the eighth century, BC. Even today, they seem
most common in Ireland and the British Isles.
The Dogs of the Other World usually appear in packs. They are most
frequently hunting something, perhaps a small elemental creature, an
unfortunate human, or even a weakened Nephilim. After the relentless
dogs capture their prey, they drag it away, disappearing into whatever
other realm they came from.
A player making a critical success on a Hunt roll may follow the Dogs
of the Other World as they lope towards their home. After doing so,
she will find herself on the Subtle Planes, and unless she has been
well-trained, or is near to Agartha, she will probably have a hard
time finding her way home again.
STR 2d6 CON 2d6 DEX 3d6
Personality Trait: Energetic
Ka-element: Moon 2d6 Hit Points: equal to CON
Move: 8 Actions: 4
Attack: Bite 60%, Damage 2d6
Armor: 2 points of tough hide.
Abilities: HUNT. When a Pack Other World Dogs is set upon a scent less
than 5 days old, they will follow it unerringly (70 + 5 times the
Number of Dogs in the Pack) % of the Time. They will go without food,
water or even rest as they Hunt.
PASS WITHOUT TRACE. The Other World Dogs tread upon the Earth so
lightly that they are almost impossible to Track. A critical Hunt is
needed to follow them.
Note: Dogs of the Other World usually appear in pack no less than 1d6
dogs in size.
COMBINATION CREATURES
Certain combination creatures may be formed when two cataclysmic
elements come together. These combination creatures may also be born
of a nexus.
Stymphalian Birds
Though creatures of the Air, the Stymphalian Birds, named for an
ancient swamp where a permanent nexus once lay, are clothed in the
Earth. Their plumage is entirely made of beautiful, glittering bronze,
sharp and deadly.
The Stymphalian birds are quite large, at least the size of a stork.
This, combined with their voracious appetite for human flesh, makes
them one of the more dangerous elementals.
The only weakness of the Stymphalian birds is that they are cowardly.
A sudden, loud noise may drive them off if they are caught by
surprise.
STR 2d6+3 CON 2d6+3 DEX 2d6
Personality Trait: Hungry
Ka-Element: Earth 2d6 Ka-Element: Air 2d6
Hit Points: equal to CON
Move: 5 Actions: 2
Attack: Bite 40%, Damage 1d6+1.
Fling Plumage 30%, Damage 1d6
Abilities: None. Armor: 5 points of bronze feathers.
Note: Stymphalian birds usually appear in flocks no less than 2d6
birds in size.
--------------------
The Chaosium Digest is an unofficial electronic 'zine about Chaosium's
Games. In no way should it be considered representative of the views
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