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Chaosium Digest Volume 19 Number 05
Chaosium Digest Volume 19, Number 5
Date: Sunday, May 11, 1997
Number: 3 of 4
Contents:
The Adventure Files, Part Three (Cedric Chin) MYTHOS
--------------------
From: Cedric Chin <cchin@frk.com>
Subject: The Adventure Files, Part Three
System: Mythos
** THE ADVENTURE FILES **
** PART THREE **
** KNEE-DEEP IN DOOM TO THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY **
Knee-Deep in Doom (+5/+2)
Limited Edition
Summary: Yeah, whatever. This Adventure requires 40 points of
Monsters, to follow the "Two of a Card" guideline. That's a lot of
Monsters and Sanity.
Dimensions and Regions: In the Waking World, Arkham (LC); or any other
subregion. Or, in the Dreamlands, any subregion.
Required Cards:
* 20 POINTS OF MONSTERS: Dimensional Shamblers; and "Travel by Air"
Monsters. Dimensional Shamblers have the highest
point-to-Sanity-cost ratio (4 points, -1 SAN), and Join
themselves. If you have a deck needing "Travel by Air" Monsters,
Byhakees have the highest point-to-Sanity-cost ratio (4 points, 0
SAN), but do not Join.
Additional Cards:
* 197 E. Pickman: Several Locations have a re-usable Gate, but this
Location has the fewest restrictions and SAN costs in reusing the
Gate. To reuse a Gate costs 1 SAN.
Comments: Once you put the Dimensional Shamblers and Byhakees in your
deck (4x4 + 4x4 = 32 points), it's not obvious what the last 8 points
should be. Possibly Limited Edition Shantaks (4 points, -1 SAN, do not
Join). The Sanity costs to play all these Monsters is around ten
points, but the Sanity gain is only two points. Because this Adventure
requires high-point Monster cards, it actually has little overlap with
many Adventures. This Adventure should work fine in a multi-Regional
deck, however.
***
A Lender Be (+5/+2)
Dreamlands
Summary: Yeah, whatever. Useful in an East-West deck, and a
East-West-Exotic Location deck.
Dimensions and Regions: In the Dreamlands: Celephais (East); and
Ilek-Vad (East); and Ulthar (West); and possible Dylath-Leen (West).
Required Cards:
* TUKOR: Tukor, Steadfast Librarian, Any Library.
* TWO TOMES IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES: Any English Tome, Any Tome in
another language your Investigator speaks.
* TWO SPELLS WITH DIFFERENT ICONS: Any such Spells.
* THREE DIFFERENT GREAT LIBRARIES OF THE DREAMLANDS: Any such card,
Celephais, Ilarnek, Ulthar and possibly Dylath-Leen, Rare.
Additional Cards:
* Celeano Library: Exotic Location, Space, Unique. Any of the Great
Library cards allow you to walk to this Location.
Comments: The Celeano Library is Unique, so you'd need another Exotic
Location to obey the "Two of a Card" rule. The Celeano Library also
requires that you breath space (with Thag Weed), but then if you add
two Sky Galleons, you can reach the Far Side of the Moon.
***
Lost in the Catacombs (+6/+2)
Limited Edition: +6 / +2 SAN
Summary: Are you kidding??? Too few points for a multi-regional
Adventure.
Dimensions and Regions: In the Waking World, Europe; and any Lovecraft
Country for a church, see comments.
Required Cards:
* CATACOMBS OF ROME or CATACOMBS BENEATH PARIS: Catacombs of Rome,
Europe; or Catacombs Beneath Paris, Europe.
* SKELETON: Skeleton, Living Dead, Monster.
* ZOMBIE: Zombie, Living Dead, Monster.
* MUMMY: Mummy, Lesser Servitor, Monster.
* CHURCH: Any Church, Lovecraft Country.
* VAMPIRE: Vampire, Living Dead, Monster.
* DAWN OF A NEW DAY: Dawn of a New Day, Day, Event.
Additional Cards:
* Closed Cockpit Monoplane: Travel by Air, Event. Cockpit Monoplane
allows immediate play of a Location in another Region.
* Flee to a Special Room: Event. This Event protects Samuel from being
buried by an opponent.
* Samuel Winsor: Steadfast Priest, Any non-Gate Location, MSGS. Samuel
can add the Church Attribute to any non-Gate Location.
Comments: Because Europe has no Churches, this becomes a multi-Region
Adventure. Allies are much easier to bury than non-Weapon Artifacts
and Tomes, so I would not recommend relying solely upon Samuel Windsor
to fulfill the Church requirement. Furthermore, to follow the "Two of
a Card" requirement, you would need two of him, and thus need to
purchase two MSGS sets. No thanks!
***
Make Money Fast (+10/+3)
Limited Edition
Summary: Go for it!
Dimensions and Regions: In the Waking World, Arkham (LC).
Attributes: Gate, Artifact, Tome
Requirements:
* OBSESSIVE/COMPULSIVE: Obsessive/Compulsive, Phobia, Unique.
* CTHULHU: GOO; requires Island and Waxing Moon.
* HERBERT WEST: Herbert West, Arkham.
* KITAB AL-AZIF: Tome, Arabic.
* DIRECT SUNLIGHT: Direct Sunlight, Event.
* UNEXPECTED CALAMITY: Unexpected Calamity, Event.
* SURPRISE MEETING: Surprise Meeting, Event.
* UNIVERSITY: Any Miskatonic University, Arkham.
Additional Cards:
* Arabic-speaking Investigator: To play the Kitab Al-Azif.
* Seal of Isis: Artifact. To protect the Shining Trapezohedron from
burial or discard.
* Shining Trapezohedron: Artifact, To replace Island requirement for
Cthulhu; Unique.
Comments: The play of a GOO via the Unique Shining Trapezohedron makes
play a little risky, but not much.
***
The Meow Ceremony (+7/+2)
Dreamlands
Summary: Darn reasonable. One of the few city-only Dreamlands
Adventures, this Adventure has a pretty neat theme, as well.
Dimensions and Regions: In the Dreamlands, Ulthar (The West).
Required Cards:
* CATS OF ULTHAR: Cats of Ulthar, Travel by Cats.
* THE MARKET-PLACE: The Market Place, City, Ulthar.
* THE WHITE WHALE INN: The White Whale Inn, Business, City, Ulthar
* CAT FROM SATURN: Cat from Saturn, Greater Independent, Monster.
* CAT CHIEFTAN: Cat Chieftan, Steadfast Chief, Ulthar.
* HOVEL OF THE CAT HATERS: Hovel of the Cat Haters, Home, Tome, Gate,
City, Ulthar.
* PETITION OF MENES: Peition of Menes, Dreamlands-Icon, Spell.
Additional Cards:
* Barzai the Wise: Steadfast Occultist, Unique. Barzai can cast
spells, and thus can allow play of the Petition of Menes.
* Book of Beautiful Devices: Dreamlands-Icon, Hyperborian, Tome. With
HP Lovecraft, this Tome can play the Petition of Menes.
* Book of Black Stones: Dreamlands-Icon, English, Tome, Rare. This
card makes playing the Petition of Menes MUCH easier.
Comment: The Petition of Menes is the difficult card to play in this
Adventure, because no Uncommon or Common Tome has the Dreamlands
Icon. Some alternate ways to play the spell are listed above, but the
Book of Black Stones is the best option, in my opinion.
***
A Midsummer Night's Dream (+8/+2)
Summary: Go for it!
Dimension and Regions: In the Dreamlands, Oukranos Wilds (The
West). And, in the Waking World, Arkham (LC); or Providence (LC). Must
be used in Waking Worlds / Dreamlands deck.
Attributes: Gate, Tome, and Artifact (for Additional Cards).
Required Cards:
* THE CHILDREN HAVE SWEET DREAMS: The Children Have Sweet Dreams,
Event. Rare.
* Waking World HOUSE: Any Arkham House, Arkham, or Any Providence House.
* GATE OF DEEPER SLUMBER: Gate of Deeper Slumber, Oukrandos Wilds
* CAVERN OF FLAME: Cavern of Flame, Oukrandos Wilds.
* NIGHTMARE: Nightmare, Threat, Event. Uses Gate.
* Waking World SITE: Hangman's Hill, Arkham, or Namquite Point,
Providence, MSGS.
Additional Cards:
* Gate of Oneirology, Diamond Icon Spell: To cross dimensions.
* Silver Key, Artifact: To cross dimensions.
Comments: Crossing dimensions uses Artifacts and Spells, while
crossing Regions uses Events and Monsters, meaning that it's easier to
cross a dimension than a region.
***
Moon Quest (+8/+4)
Summary: Go for it!
Dimension and Regions: In the Dreamlands, Ilek-Vad (The East); and
Rinar (The East); and Far Side of the Moon (Exotic).
Attributes: Tome and Artifact (for Additional Cards)
Required Cards:
* NIGHT: Lunar Eclipse, Event. Increases value of Moon Beasts.
* KING OF ILEK-VAD: King of Ilek-Vad, Ally, Ilek-Vad, East.
* MERCHANT: Wandering Peddlar, Any Country.
* LOCATION THAT COSTS SANITY: Merchant's Quarters, Rinar.
* BLACK GALLEY: Black Galley, Event.
* FAR SIDE OF THE MOON: Far Side of the Moon, Exotic. Requires
Travel by Space to arrive, and Travel by Air to leave.
* MOON BEAST: Moon Beast, Monster.
Additional Cards:
* Aldeberan, Event: Removes Storms, which may prevent play of
Travel by Air and Travel by Sea cards.
* Angles of Tagh Clatur: Eye-Icon Spell. Summons Shantaks and Nightgaunts.
* Country Locations: To play Country Allies.
* Randolph Carter: Ally, Any Country. Need to play King of Ilek-Vad.
* Shantaks or Nightgaunts: When Summoned, acts as Travel by Air or Space.
Can Travel to the Far Side of the Moon.
* Sky Galleon: Travel by Air and Sea. Can Travel to the Far Side of
Moon.
* Zenig of Aphorat: Optional. Artifact found only on Exotic
Locations. Allows play of an Adventure with one less requirement.
***
The Mystery at Martin's Beach (+7/+2)
MSGS
Summary: Yeah, whatever. Two Unique cards make this Adventure a little
slow to play. This Adventure requires some Limited Edition Cards. This
is one of the few Miskatonic Valley Adventures.
Dimensions and Regions: In the Waking World, Miskatonic Valley (LC).
Required Cards:
* STEADFAST ALLY: Any Steadfast Ally.
* MARTIN'S BEACH: Martin's Beach, Miskatonic Valley, MSGS.
* THE MARTIN'S BEACH MONSTER: The Martin's Beach Monster, Greater
Independent, Monster, Unique, MSGS.
* PHOBIA: Any Phobia.
* HAMMOND'S NERVE AND BRAIN TABLETS: Hammond's Nerve and Brain
Tablets, Artifact, must be assigned to an Ally, MSGS.
* CTHULHU RISING: Cthulhu Rising, Event, Unique, MSGS.
Comments: None.
Compatible Adventures:
* One Dark and Stormy Night (+6/+2): Poor fit. There's very little
overlap (only the Martin's Beach), but the Mystery at Martin's Beach
and One Dark and Stormy Night are the only Miskatonic Adventures in
Mythos, and both Adventures are easy to follow.
***
On the Edge (+6/+4)
Limited Edition
Summary: Go for it! Toss this one in if you have a Sanity-sucking deck
in Providence.
Dimensions and Regions: In the Waking World, Providence (LC).
Attributes: None!
Required Cards:
* SANITY BELOW SIX POINTS: Sanity-costing Tomes and Artifacts,
Monsters and reusable Gates, etc.
* SANITARIUM: Any Sanitarium.
* DOCTOR: Dr. Marinus Bicknell Willett, Steadfast Doctor, Providence.
* CORRUPT CULTIST: Dr. Allen and Gomes, Corrupt Cultist, Providence, MSGS.
* TWO DIFFERENT PHOBIAS: Any Phobias, Event.
* CALL OF CTHULHU TOME: Call of Cthulhu, English, Diamond-Icon, Tome.
* "REROLL" YOUR INVESTIGATOR: Requires Call of Cthulhu Tome and Waning Moon.
Additional Cards:
* Waning Moon: Night, Event. Required to "Reroll" your investigator.
Comments: If you must have an Artifact in this deck, the Ring of Eibon
works fine. (This Artifact costs two Sanity to use, and its effect is
to allow you to play your opponent's next play!)
***
One Dark and Stormy Night (+6/+2)
Limited Edition
Summary: Yeah, whatever. This is one of the few Adventures that takes
place in Miskatonic Valley.
Dimensions and Regions: In the Waking World, Miskatonic Valley (LC);
and any subregion with a church (LC).
Required Cards:
* POWERFUL STORM: Powerful Storm, Storm, Event.
* THREE DIFFERENT MISKATONIC VALLEY LOCATIONS: Three different
Miskatonic Valley Locations, Country.
* TRAVEL BY CAR: Travel by Car, Event.
* CHURCH: Any Church. No Churches are available in Miskatonic Valley.
Additional Cards
* Samuel Windsor: Steadfast Priest, Any non-Gate Location, MSGS. Flip
Samuel Windsor to give any Location the Church Attribute.
Comments: None.
Compatible Adventures: See The Mystery at Martin's Beach.
***
One of the Circle (+7/+2)
Limited Edition
Summary: Are you kidding?!? Unless you use Surprise Meetings, the
number of Locations and need for Region hopping to play Allies doesn't
justify the number of points for this Adventure.
Dimensions and Regions: In the Waking World, Providence (LC); and
London (Europe).
Attributes: Tome
Requirements:
* EDGAR ALLEN POE: Edgar Allen Poe, Ally, Providence.
* LORD DUNSAY: Lord Dunsay, Ally, England.
* HP LOVECRAFT: HP Lovecraft, Ally, Providence.
* ROBERT W. CHAMBERS: Robert W. Chambers, Ally, Any Site.
* ARTHUR MACHEN: Arthur Machen, Ally, Europe.
* TOME: Diamond-Icon Tome, for the Fly spell.
Additional Cards:
* Aldeberan: To remove Storms preventing play of Cockpit Monoplane.
* Closed Cockpit Monoplane: To immediately play a new Region.
* Create Gate Spell: Eye-Icon, to return to a Location to play an
Ally.
* Fly Spell: Diamond-Icon, to allow Walking to a new Region.
* Surprise Meeting: To play an Ally in a Location where he would not
normally be encountered.
Comments: Playing Allies from different Regions is relatively
difficult. You need three cards to play an Ally: a means to arrive to
the Region the Ally is in, the Location of the Ally, and the Ally
himself. Four Surprise Meetings and no European Locations can make
this a Providence deck, which by itself is quite effective.
***
The Outsider (+7/+3)
Limited Edition
Summary: Close to being Darn reasonable.
Waking World: In the Waking World, Innsmouth (LC); or Providence
(LC). Or, in the Dreamlands, Mnar (The West); and Ulthar (The West).
Attributes: Tome, Artifact
Requirements:
* CORRUPT CULTIST: See below.
* HOUSE WITH A GATE: See below.
* THREE ARTIFACTS OR TOMES: Any Artifacts and/or Tomes.
* WAXING MOON: Waxing Moon, Night, Event.
* BUSINESS: See below.
* TOWNSFOLK RIOT: Townsfolk Riot, Event.
* IN THE NICK OF TIME: In the Nick of Time, Event.
Requirements, Providence:
* CORRUPT CULTIST: Gomes and Dr. Allen, Allies, from MSGS set.
* HOUSE WITH GATE: Robert Blake's Study, The Shunned House.
Requirements, Innsmouth:
* CORRUPT CULTIST: Barnabus Marsh, Ally, Unique.
* HOUSE WITH GATE: Marsh Mansion, Waite House.
Requirements, Mnar / Ulthar:
* CORRUPT CULTIST: Ghost Being of Ib, Ally, Mnar.
* HOUSE WITH GATE: House of the Cat Haters, Ulthar.
Comments: Many subregions have Corrupt Cultists, but many of them are
Unique and the subregion does not have an additional Corrupt Cultist,
so that two can be placed in a deck (See the "Two of a Kind" rule).
***
Perchance... (+5/+2)
Dreamlands
Summary: Yeah, whatever.
Dimensions and Regions: In the Dreamlands: Celephais (East); or
Ilek-Vad and Rinar (East).
Attributes: Artifact.
Required Cards:
* DAY: Any such card.
* WINE OF PNOTH: Wine of Pnoth, Artifact, must be played on an Ally.
* TWISTER: Twister, Storm, Event.
* HOUSE: King Kurane's Mansion, Celaphis; or Hester Payne's House,
Rinar.
* PALACE: King Kurane's Palace, Celaphis; or Opal Throne, Ilek-Vad.
* MONSTER: Any Monster.
* EVENT: Any such card, such as the second Day or Twister in your deck.
Additional Cards:
* Any Ally: Any Ally, such as HP Lovecraft, to receive the Wine of
Pnoth.
Comments: None.
Wish List: Add a Palace to the Waking World, to make this Adventure
playable there.
***
The Price (+8/+3)
MSGS
Summary: Go for it. The need for Unique cards, and to summon a GOO
every one who's played the MSGS knows about makes this Adventure hard
to score. This Adventure has a high overlap with Alone in the World.
Dimensions and Regions: In the Waking World, Kingsport (LC); and
possibly another subregion with a Corrupt Cultist (LC).
Required Cards (MSGS):
* SERVITOR MONSTER: Servitor of the Outer Gods, Unique; and any other
Greater of Lesser Servitor Monster.
* CORRUPT CULTIST: The Old Man, Kingsport, Unique.
* STEADFAST ALLY: Granny Orne, any Ally that can be encountered in Any
City, etc.
* KINGSPORT LOCATION: The Forgotten Crypt, Underground, Kingsport.
* N'KAI: N'Kai, Exotic Location; requires Walking from an Underground
Location.
* ENCHANTED KNIFE: Enchanted Knife, Weapon, Artifact.
* TULZSCHA: Tulzscha, GOO, requires Dawn Solstice and Underground
Location, Monster.
Additional Cards:
* Any Kingsport Underground Locations: To summon Tulzscha.
Comments: None.
Compatible Adventures:
* Alone in the World (+7/+2): Add a Phobia, an Ambush, more Cemetary
Locations, and the Forgotten Crypt.
* The Interesting Shop (+5/+1): Most Kingsport City Locations have the
Tome and/or Artifact Attribute.
***
Questionable Judgement (+5/+1)
MSGS
Summary: Yeah, whatever.
Dimensions and Regions: In the Waking World, Providence (LC); and
another city (LC). Or, in the Dreamlands, Mnar (the West), Dylath-Leen
(The West); and Ulthar (The West).
Attributes: Gate, Tome.
Required Cards, Lovecraft Country:
* LIBRARY: The Athenum, Providence Library, John Hay Library,
Providence; Any Library.
* TOME: Any Tome.
* TWO GATE LOCATIONS IN DIFFERENT CITIES: Any such cards.
* MONSTER: Any Monster.
* SPELL: Any Spell.
* CORRUPT CULTIST: Dr. Allen and Gomes, Providence.
Required Cards, Dreamlands:
* LIBRARY: Great Libraries of the Dreamlands, Ulthar and Dylath-Leen,
Rare.
* TOME: Any Tome.
* TWO GATE LOCATIONS IN DIFFERENT CITIES: Hovel of the Cat Haters,
Ulthar; and Any Gate in Dylath-Leen.
* MONSTER: Any Monster.
* SPELL: Any Spell.
* CORRUPT CULTIST: Ghost Being of Ib, Mnar.
Comments: For Dreamlands, such a three-subregion deck, where you need
enough Mnar Locations to encounter the Ghost Being of Ib, probably
isn't worth the trouble.
Wish List: Add more Corrupt Cultists to subregions, or remove the
Uniqueness dot on some of the Corrupt Cultists.
***
The Royal Geographic Society (+7/+2)
Limited Edition
Summary: Are you kidding? This Adventure requires too many Locations
and too many Allies for too few points.
Dimensions and Regions: In the Waking World, Lovecraft Country; and
Europe; and the Middle East.
Required Cards:
* LOVECRAFT COUNTRY SITE: Namquit Point, Providence.
* CATACOMB IN EUROPE: Catacombs in Paris, or Catacombs in Rome.
* TOMB IN THE MIDDLE EAST: Any Middle East Tombs.
* AUTHOR: HP Lovecraft or Edgar Allen Poe, Ally Providence.
* ARTIST: Robert Harrison Blake, Providence
* SCHOLAR OR PROFESSOR: William Channing Webb, Any City
* INVENTOR OR EXPLORER: Crawford Tillinghast, Corrupt, Providence, Unique.
* ARTIFACT OR TOME COSTING AT LEAST ONE SANITY: Any Tome with
Eye-Icon, for Angles of Tagh Clatur Spell.
Additional Cards
* Aldeberan: Removes Storms preventing Travel by Air.
* Angles of Tagh Clatur: Eye-Icon Spell. Summons Nightgaunts or
Shantaks as Travel by Air.
* Create Gate: Eye-Icon Spell. Return to a previous Location to play
an Ally from there.
* Nightgaunts or Shantaks: Travel by Air.
* Surprise Meeting: To play Allies from a different Region.
Comments: Playing Allies from different Region is difficult: You may
have the Ally, but not Location to play him in; or, you may have both
the Ally and Location, but not the means to arrive in the Location
because you are in another Region.
--------------------
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