"None More Black" Handouts

Over on Reddit, Nelog has posted a collection of handouts for the "None More Black" adventure from Chaosium's "Doors to Darkness" scenario collection.  The investigators are tasked with finding out what's going on after a student at Miskatonic University dies after taking a dangerous black-market drug.  The original version was set in the classic era of the 1920s.  Nelog had the brilliant idea to run it as a "Delta Green" scenario, transplanting the action to 1980's Miami.  "Miami Vice" meets the Mythos?  Sign me up.

He was kind enough to make all of the documents he created for the game available over here on Google Docs. 

 

Merchant Mask and Armor

I've been a fan of artist Tomàs Barceló for some time, as his past appearances here on the blog can attest.  Head over to his ArtStation page and you can see this mask and armor set he created for himself when he's appearing at shows.  He has a real gift for creating pieces that feel like artifacts from the past.

 

 

Reproducing Vintage Documents

Dean Adelaide of Cthulhu Reborn is no stranger to these pages.  Over the years he has become one of the go-to resources for all kinds of prop documents and handouts for Mythos gaming.  He's distilled some of that experience into an excellent post providing detailed, step by step instructions for creating your own vintage prop documents. 

"Over time I have developed quite a selection of techniques for using digital tools — designed to make crisp and precise artworks — to make things that are not at all crisp or precise. I thought that folks might be interested in seeing how different techniques can come together to make something like the example above look old … so here’s a quick run-through of how I approach creating designs like this.

Although the techniques I mention below make particular reference to features in Adobe Illustrator (my tool of choice), I’m sure that most if not all of them are also available in other drawing packages. BTW: for all images shown on this page, you can click to see larger versions."

 

The Crawling Chaos

Molech996 brings us this excellent clay relief of Nyarlathotep.  

 

 

The Mythos Papers

 "In November 1927 several floods ravaged the state of Vermont. Once the waters settled, some strange stories appeared about bodies found floating in some of the rivers after the flooding. The number of stories was such that even the press picked up several of these testimonies. A group of experts from the University of Miskatonic came to the region to study what was true in them, being the present document part of the field notebook of one of the professors." 

Artist Ion Ander has an ongoing project illustrating creatures from the Mythos in the form of notebook pages.  His entry for the Mi-Go is one of the best takes on the Fungi from Yuggoth I've seen.

 

Homunculus Brain

After a too long absence, Burned Raven Tales returns to our pages with this homunculus brain specimen.  

 

 

Running Cults

Seth Skorkowsky's latest video is an in-depth look at cults in tabletop role-playing games.  In most campaigns, they're just mooks dressed in funny robes motivated solely by a desire to be EVIL!!!111!!!  That's not how real cults work, and Mr. Skorkowsky provides some great examples of what really drives someone to become part of one.  He also has a lot of praise for the Netflix series "Archive 81" for...reasons that are a bit spoilery.  Let's just say I have a reason to renew my Netflix subscription.

Honningbrew Mead Bottle

Fifteen years after The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim was released the community is still making amazing props.  Hero Wares and Supplies brings us this Honningbrew Mead bottle, inspired by one of the best side quests in the game. 

 

Cthulhu Fhtagn! Romphoe Edition.

Artist Sqooex Romphoe brings us this masterful take on the traditional Cthulhu idol.  It features some incredible detail work and is one of the very few asymmetric sculpts I've seen. 

 

Crafting the King in Yellow

Hail to the King, baby.

Over on YouTube, Greig Johnson has succumbed to the corrupting influence of the Yellow Sign.  Driven by forces unknown, he's crafted his very own King in Yellow from bits and bobs.  That includes everything from a miniature Marvel super-villain to repurposed jewelry and toy rats.  It's inspiring to see such a creative mind at work, and the resulting wall art is pretty cool.

Cthulhu Returns to Dungeons & Dragons

Cthulhu is coming back to Dungeons & Dragons.

Those of us of a certain age can remember when Lovecraft's Great Old One (and much of the Mythos) was statted up in the first edition of the Deities & Demigods handbook.  For many, TSR's heavily Derlethian write-ups were their introduction to Lovecraft's work.  That gateway closed after the second printing, when Chaosium politely pointed out they'd "officially" licensed the Mythos for their Call of Cthulhu TTRPG.

Now, decades later, Cthulhu is returning to the game.  WOTC have announced Ravenloft: The Horrors Within, an expansion of the popular setting incorporating new realms and darklords.  Cthulhu rules over Innsmouth, an island based on the town that debuted in Lovecraft's The Shadow Over Innsmouth.  On the bright side, it's always nice to see the Mythos getting more exposure, but it remains to be seen how effectively it will be incorporated into the wider 5th edition milieu.  

That said, there is one thing I'm excited about.  Beadle and Grimms, the company that specializes in producing super-deluxe editions of WOTC's campaigns, have announced Strahd's Silver Edition of the Horrors Within.  It includes a slew of high-end accessories including maps, gaming aids, handouts, a new Tarroka deck, and...the Cthulhu Mist Talisman.  

 

The cast metal amulet looks pretty cool.  The physical prop apparently represents the in-game magical item needed to enter the Innsmouth realm.  

Wooden Cthulhu Idol

I love this primitive carved wooden Cthulhu idol from artist Cheng YuYu.  Realistically, there are probably a lot more of this kind of effigy in this world than the ornately sculpted pieces we normally focus on.   

 

Beninside Cthulhu Idol

Thai artist Beninside brings us their Cthulhu idol, featuring a paint job from Paneaw Colour.  It's always nice to see a take incorporating the multiple eyes of Lovecraft's original sketch.

 

 

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Paper Props

Over on Reddit, SkipperShinema has posted a great selection of paper props from the Indiana Jones and the Great Circle video game.  You can tell how much the developers loved Indy by the sheer amount of faux ephemera they created for the project.

 

 

Grimoire of the Eye

Mille Cuirs brings us the Grimoire of the Eye, a handcrafted leather tome featuring custom embossments and an inset glass eye in the cover.

 

 

Shaman's Head Dress

Brutal Workshop brings us this incredible shaman's head dress.  The way they create layer after layer of texture really sets their work apart.

 

 

Cthulhu Fhtagn! Landron Edition.

Landron Artifacts returns to our pages with this very nice Cthulhu idol.  The stone texture is really well done. 

 

Making a Glowing Skull Lantern

Skill Tree has a detailed tutorial on crafting a glowing skull lantern.  The materials are easy to acquire and it doesn't require any wiring at all.  A couple of hours work and you'll have a great prop for your gaming room or LARP event.

 

 

Before and After

Over on Reddit, the Muff1nKing posted a look at the clue board he created for his run of the Call of Cthulhu scenario "Tatters of the King".  The first photo is from the second session of the campaign, while the second comes from the tenth.  It features some great props and handouts, but it should go without saying the images contain significant spoilers.  

Clueboards are a fantastic tool for both Keepers and their players.  They allow everyone to keep track of their progress, and are an ideal way for players to get into the groove again at the start of a new session.  They're also a good reminder for the Keeper of a journaling campaign what handouts he'll need multiple copies of for the players. 

 

D&D Themed Gaming Room

This is the very best kind of gamer pr0n.  Andrew Havlicek brings us this look at "The Storm's Respite", his recently completed Dungeons and Dragons gaming room. It's pretty darn impressive.

 

Casper

Spooky Jack returns to our pages with "Casper", a wonderfully aged fetal skull specimen. 

 

 

Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes Props

I absolutely love discovering obscure props created by passionate fans.  This thread over on the Replica Prop Forum is a prime example.  Like all right-thinking people, Lukeiswho is a huge fan of the Granada Television Sherlock Holmes series starring Jeremy Brett.  Over the years he's created an impressive collection of props based on those used in the show, recreating them in excruciating detail.  You really need to click through to appreciate the level of dedication on display.  

 

Mummified Fairy

This outstanding mummified fairy sculpt comes to us from artist Hector Lim Choon Hoong.

 

 

Yeray Llinares Cthulhu Idol

The talented Yeray Llinares returns to our pages with this excellent Cthulhu idol.   

Update:  An anonymous commenter has accused Mr. Llinares of plagiarizing the work of fellow Mythos artist Yoneyama Keisuke.  As evidence, they provided a link to his Cthulhu sculpt posted on Instagram back in 2018.  I've posted the best side-by-side comparison I can manage below.  Just click through on the link to see the comparison in higher resolution.   I've made Mr. Llinares aware of the accusation on his own Instagram post.

 

Update II:  Mr. Llinares contacted me directly and explained he created the sculpt years ago using a reference photo from Pinterest.  He's pulled the original post and followed up with an acknowledgement he was inspired by Mr. Keisuke's work. 

 

 

Great Cthulhu

Philadelphia artist Jason Leach brings us this nicely done Cthulhu plaque. 

 

Spates Catalog of Nameless Horrors

"T. Watson Spates published an annual periodical, starting in early 1901. It was billed as a compendium of nameless horrors and sensationalized the occult. Spates often chose the most fantastic lore he could find. It found popularity with both students of the occult and those who simply loved reading fiction. It was said to be a favorite of Harry Houdini and H.P. Lovecraft. The periodicals were collected into a compilation titled "Spates Catalog". Spates ended the periodical in 1935 and retired a wealthy man."

That description of "Spates Catalog of Nameless Horrors" comes from the Ghostbuster's Wiki.  The book itself was only mentioned in passing in the original movie, but had significantly more backstory added in the IDW Ghostbusters comics.  Now the legendary Mignoli Props has produced a reproduction version, and it's pretty incredible.  The prop runs to 350 pages and is filled with dozens of articles, mixing real-world history, haunted locations, supernatural events, and quite a few easter eggs based on other media properties.  Ghostbusters News has a nice, in-depth look that will make it an instant buy for many.

Troll Witch

"The Troll Witch was inspired by the fantastic Brian Froud’s front cover illustration from the book ‘Trolls’ by Brian and Wendy Froud. We created her with the blessing and guidance of the Froud’s and she stands as a homage to Brian’s work.  Photo taken in Brian & Wendy’s garden, where the Troll Witch feels very much at home."

I don't think I've ever seen a better recreation of Froud's aesthetic than this figure from Elfenwild.  He was a huge influence on those of us that grew up back in the 70s and 80s.  To this day his design work for the Dark Crystal defines my mental image of what magic circles should look like.

 

Great Cthulhu

I adore this wonderful crocheted Cthulhu from The Yarning Portal.  What makes it particularly notable is that H.P. Lovecraft himself was an avid knitter.  In "A Means to Freedom: The Letters of H.P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard" there's a long series of letters describing their mutual love of yarn creations.  Sadly, the crocheted versions of Conan and Cthulhu they mention have never been found.

 

Great Cthulhu

This fantastic Cthulhu bust comes to us from Duncan Shadow.  Click through to the full size image and you can get a real appreciation for the phenomenal texture work. 

 

Curse of Strahd Props

Wolfspirit4W brings us this collection of physical props and ephemera for their run of the "Curse of Strahd" campaign for Dungeons and Dragons.  There are few things more effective than running a high-touch version of an already epic adventure series.  If you're planning something similar, the one suggestion I would make is producing enough copies of every paper prop that each player can have their own.  That allows them to do a running journal of the adventure with tons of inserts, akin to the grail diary from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.  That would be an amazing keepsake.

 

 

Nyarlathotep

This fantastic digital sculpt of Nyarlathotep comes to us from artist Alex Carratala.  Click through for a full gallery and 360 degree view.  It was directly inspired by Nyarlathotep's sonnet in Lovecraft's "The Fungi from Yuggoth". 

 

 

Infected Fae

This delightfully icky fungally infected fairy specimen comes to us from the talented Umbrateca.  The powdery, threadlike hyphae are a fantastic detail.

 

 

Polynesian Cthulhu Idol

The Monkey Rodeo returns to our pages after a long absence with this Polynesian-themed Cthulhu idol.  I love the sculpt, but it really needs a wash to bring out the details like the inscription along the base.

 

 

Yoneyama Cthulhu Idol

"c.godzilla" has posted some great pictures of this outstanding Cthulhu idol, originally sculpted by the talented Keisuke Yoneyama.

 

 

And My Axe!

This impressive barbarian warlord axe comes to us from Artdarme Workshop.  It's wild to me that LARP safe weapons like this are par for the course these days. 

 

1920s Prop Money

I knew Prop Movie Money was the go-to site for fake United States currency, but I assumed it was all modern bills.  Imagine my surprise when I discovered they also have a complete selection of cash from the 1920s.  Just the thing for classic-era Mythos and pulp gaming.  At $24.99 for 100 bills it's probably cheaper to buy from them than print your own.

While it's not a huge issue, I don't think their bills are accurately sized.  Up until 1929, the Treasury, National Banks, and Federal Reserve issued "large format" notes measuring 7.37 inches by 3.12 inches.  After that, they used our modern measurements of 6.14 by 2.61 inches. 

I was also surprised to see Prop Movie Money had $2 bills in their 1920s collection.  Turns out they were a thing in 1917 and 1918 before returning for a run in 1928.  After that they wouldn't return until 1953.