Personal Effects

One of the reasons the "Call of Cthulhu" TTRPG resonates with me is that I love the classic Mythos era of the 1920s and 30s.  Everything from the clothing and architecture to magazine advertisements fascinates me.  Hence my enthusiasm for this excellent video from Gentleman's Gazette.  The channel normally concentrates on matters sartorial, but their "12 Things Every Man from the 1930's Had in His Pockets" focuses on the everyday carry of close to a century ago.  That includes everything from the different styles of billfold in use, to the popularity of pocket knives- some of which weren't too different from modern-day multitools.    

 

Fake Chat App

Over on the Reddit Delta Green forum, jdavenport has posted a great tool for anyone running tabletop games in the modern era.  It's Chatter, an app that generates screenshots from chat programs.  It currently has three modes- a modern smartphone messenger screen, the liquid crystal look of a vintage Nokia 3310 cell phone, and a Windows 95 AIM clone.  Here's a direct link to the web app itself.  The author has also open-sourced the program and uploaded the full code to GitHub.

 

 

Folded Almanac Book Prop

The talented Eric Jordan is back.  This time he brings us a handy guide for dungeon delvers in the form of a medieval-era folding almanac.  He not only shares an extensive gallery of the finished prop, but an entire thread about the creation process.  That includes the trial and error approach he used to determine the page layout for the book.  He not only had to deal with multiple pages, but those pages themselves unfold into even more leaves.

 

Wikipedia has a great write up about this unique style of pocket library.

"A folded almanac, sometimes called a physicians folded calendar, girdle book, or vade mecum, refers to a type of medieval English almanac consisting of multiple folios which are folded multiple times and bound together to create a dense yet compact vessel for information which would be used in medical practice."

Handouts for Operation Fulminate

Over on Reddit, the intriguingly named Mothmansight has posted a collection of handouts for Operation Fulminate: Sentinels of Twilight, the introductory scenario in the Delta Green Handler's Guide.  They help round out an investigation that already includes an impressive number of printed props. 

 

Cthulhu By Gaslight

Good morning, friends.  Seth Skorkowsky returns to our pages with a review of "Cthulhu by Gaslight", Chaosium's official campaign transplanting "Call of Cthulhu" into the Victorian era.  He offers details on the differences from a 1920s campaign, both in terms of rules and historical background, with great advice on some of the unique quirks of the specialized gaslight skills.

If you aren't following him already you should add him to your viewing list.  He's consistently one of the best sources of "Call of Cthulhu" information on YouTube.

 

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.

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. 

 

 

Cthulhu Architect Handout Generator

I want to give a ringing endorsement of the Cthulhu Architect Handout site.  It's one of the most practical, high-quality, and user-friendly tools available for game masters looking to up their game.  Best of all, it's absolutely free.

Over 250 templates are available, the vast majority tailored to classic-era scenarios.  The site allows you to generate authentic-looking 1920s documents in minutes, including standbys like telegrams, newspaper clippings, police reports, and handwritten notes.  The interface is easy to use and allows you to customize every bit of text with a variety of typography and layout choices.  You can even add "bloodstains" or coffee rings for that extra touch of wear.  When you're done customizing your document they're easy to export for printing or digital use. 

 

The focus is on period paperwork, but you'll also find a variety of modern templates.  That includes contemporary drivers licenses, computer screens, and CCTV overlays.  Just the thing if you're running a modern-era Mythos game like Delta Green.

 

While the site offers a wealth of functionality for free, the premium "Cultist" option provides more storage space, early access to new templates, and direct export to FoundryVTT.  It's clear that this site was built by someone who loves the hobby. The interface is clean, the updates are frequent, and it's the perfect tool for game masters running a high-touch, handout heavy game.

 

Vintage Ocean Liner Passage Paperwork

The Gjenvick-Gjønvik Archives hosts a fantastic collection of vintage ephemera, much of it aimed at geneological research.  It includes an extensive repository of classic-era ocean liner travel documents that would make ideal handouts for Call of Cthulhu and pulp games in the 1930s.  A passage contract receipt is just about the perfect "show, don't tell" clue for figuring out where someone came from or was planning to travel to.

 

 

Free Call of Cthulhu Scenario- No Place of Honour

This is pretty cool.  Thomas E. Shkurti has released a free Call of Cthulhu tabletop scenario set in gaslight-era Australia. 

No Place of Honour is a tale of mystery, science, tragedy, time, and Victorian hubris, set deep in the Australian Outback in 1888. Investigators will be joining a medical aid mission to the remote mining settlement of Monument Station, which has been stricken by a mysterious plague- or, have the miners instead awakened an ancient, invisible killer?

The scenario includes 137 pages of slow-burn, sandbox exploration and investigation; with 6 full-color maps, 12 handouts, and 6 full-page illustrations, along with 6 pre-generated characters. It provides roughly 15-20 hours of play, and best accommodates a small group of 2 or 3 players.

The full scenario is available for free download from Google Drive here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1kzbe9SAzUEmSycs1LHLsM1Lt6mxypo2L

Based on a quick read-through, it's an interesting period adventure with a great twist.  (You can find out more about that by clicking through to Mr. Shkurti's Reddit post and looking at the spoiler text.)  The complete adventure package includes an impressive collection of maps and handouts, exactly the kind of thing that's our bread and butter here at Propnomicon.

Kudos to Mr. Shkurti for an intriguing scenario and a willingness to share it with the community free of charge. 

 

 

The Deep Ones of Ancient Europe

This sounds like the first act of a Mythos story, but it's absolutely true.  

In the late 1950s the governments of Romania and Yugoslavia decided to move forward with the Iron Gate hydroelectric dam.  The project would create a massive artificial lake, impounding the water of the Danube and flooding the banks of the river.  Archeologists started to survey the soon to be inundated areas and discovered evidence of a previously unknown culture dating back to 7000 BCE.  The buildings were arranged in a complex geometric pattern, and excavations uncovered dozens of idols depicting human/fish hybrids.  Even stranger, it's the only European site where a "double sunrise" astronomical alignment has been found.

Author Dan Davis has a great look at the Lepenski Vir site over on YouTube.  It's just the thing if you're looking to incorporate some real-world inspiration into a Mythos scenario.  You can find even more information, including the effort to relocate the entire complex above the flood line, in the Wikipedia entry.

Using Wax Seals

Wax seals are one of the easiest ways to take tabletop RPG props to the next level.  Christina Makes Things over on YouTube has posted a great video covering the basic technique and some more advanced procedures.  That includes blending colors, highlighting, and the use of wax molds and sticker backings.  

Classic Era Camping Gear

One of the attractions of classic era Mythos gaming is the sheer romance of it all.  Much of the world was still terra incognita in the 1920s.  Expeditions to the dark corners of the earth (see what I did there?) were a prominent feature of pulp adventure in general and Lovecraft's work in particular.  Miskatonic University made a habit of exploring the blank areas of the map, with teams heading to Australia in "The Shadow Out of Time" and the infamous Antarctic expedition of "At the Mountains of Madness".

That's one of the reasons I love things like this in-depth look at period camping gear from Waypoint Survival.  Horace Kephart was one of the giants of recreational "roughing it" in the classic era.  If you find the video interesting you'll definitely want to check out "The Book Of Camping And Woodcraft" it's based on.  Digital copies are available for free over on archive.org.  

The Gatsby Lounge

If you've been looking for a source for classic-era music, might I recommend The Gatsby Lounge on YouTube?  They have dozens of hour+ videos featuring jazz from the 1920s and 30s.  I'm not crazy about the AI-generated thumbnails, but the music selection is top-notch. 

 

"The Haunting" Handouts

"The Haunting" has been the introductory adventure for the Call of Cthulhu TTRPG for decades.  Over that time multiple keepers have gone all-in to make it a more immersive experience for players.  That includes MrKennyG41, who posted all of the handouts he collected and created to Google Drive.

 

Classic Era Camping

If you've ever wondered what kind of gear a classic era expedition or campsite would have, this video is for you.  Mr. Dyer of Honorable Outfitters brings us this look at a recreation of a 1920s hunting camp.  It features multiple re-enactors using everything from very basic backpacking kits to full blown tent setups with all the bells and whistles.  I'm always surprised at just how sophisticated some vintage equipment was.

 

Give My Regards to Broadway

Pomchop returns to our pages with another collection of excellent handouts.  This time it's for "Great Old Ones on the Great White Way" from Chaosium: 

I’ve just run ‘Great Old Ones on the Great White Way’ as a one-shot for some theatrical/roleplaying friends. Here are the handouts I made for the game. Unfortunately the investigators didn’t find them all, but they go to the bottom of the mystery with one indefinite insanity and no deaths.

For those of you who don’t know the scenario, it was originally printed in the Chaosium halloween monograph ‘Dead Leaves Fall’ and features a missing actress and a fishy broadway show. I feel to get the most out of the scenario the players should have a knowledge of musical theatre which, thankfully, my group did. It went down well and took 4 1/2 hours to run (with breaks).

He's very kindly made all of them available for free.  You'll find a PDF with most of them over here, while the playbill for the show is over here.

 

 

Classic Era Camping

What kind of gear would adventurers use in the classic Mythos era?  Here's the answer to that question.

Mr. Dyer is a high school teacher and historical reenactor concentrating on the early 1900's. That extends to not only researching and collecting period equipment, but actually creating modern versions of vintage hardware like the Preston Mess Kit.  This video is a good example of his work, and it just happens to combine two of my hobbies- bushcraft and 1920's history.  In it you'll find a full rundown of the clothing, implements, and bric-a-brac an outdoorsman or woman would use back in the Lovecraft era.  It's fascinating stuff, and you'll be surprised how little some things have changed in the intervening century.

 

 

Blackwater Creek Super Deluxe

Over on Reddit, mrwhite_20 posted this gorgeous tableau shot of the upgraded prop set they created for the Call of Cthulhu scenario "Blackwater Creek", one of the two included with the Keeper's Screen.

Even better than the glorious prop pr0n, they've generously made the source files available over on their website.   Click through on the link and you'll also find upgraded props for a number of other scenarios. 

 

Low's Pocket Cable Code

I am a huge fan of the telegram.  They're one of the easiest game handouts to create (try this, this, or this), with a potential player impact all out of proportion to their ease of manufacture.   More importantly, they're the perfect vehicle for providing clues.

"Low's Pocket Cable Code" was one of the innumerable booklets used to encode messages during the classic era of the Mythos.  It was intended to help American tourists traveling abroad stay in touch with home by condensing common phrases into shorter code words.  The primary purpose was helping them save money.  Telegrams were expensive, and condensing a message could significantly reduce the cost.  It also happened to provide a bit of security from prying eyes.  Just click through on the link above to download a copy from Google.