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Surprised there's no mention of the excellent Pirate Borg game on your channel :)

A VERY streamlined version. Have always loved the overall system mechanics. Just WAY too many rules to read through. Way too many skills. Take a note from Savage Worlds. Trim down all of that stuff by a large factor by combining a lot of it. Especially weapon skills. I mean, many weapons are similar enough that you shouldn't need a skill for each one. I know it's more realistic, but it's too much. Generalize more.

Comments. 1. You made no mention of the Army vehicle(s) the soldiers would have come in, probably at least one truck. 2. Except for the grenades, they might have found rifles, and/or a pistol or two. 3. How did the alien know about or control the bombing by the aircraft? Overall, it sounds like a good adventure.

I'm planning on running this for two brand new players. As another way to have them contact the main land and/or fighting the deep ones, I was thinking of having two barrels of fuel that can either be set on fire as a massive explosion, to get the attention of the mainland, or as something that can be used as a defensive measure: torches, Wall of Fire (with the risk of burning down the light house).

The map on this thing was so confusing I drew it out on 3d graph paper to better understand the layout.

4th Edition became a weird boring and dry read. It's not easy to use or get around either. I tried so many times to get into 4th ed, and it just didn't work. I stuck with the main 3rd edition book and it just works. I have a ton of supplements, and it's just easy to use. The book is easy, and actually fun to read. Third is the best. :)

Great video!

Which version should i play if doing 5e? Do i need to modify? Newish dm here

Generated a lot of thoughts for a game I'm running next week! Thanks!

This is a fun adventure. I ran it with my group, and I enjoyed it very much. To kind of add to it I ended up having the English teacher also be necessary to cast the spell because she was able to read all of the big words. This was because of how they roleplayed their interaction with her previously. A big thanks for making this.

I love Orcslayer...runs great in The Fantasy Trip, GURPS or DnD...want to try it in Daggerheart and the new monolith Conan game now.

Dead space anyone

I agree, Gateways to terror adventures are far too simple, there are better beginners options that make the experience of playing call of cthulhu more fun.

Ran this not long ago as my forst ever session of CoC i loved it im so glad you wrote this its amazing and can thank you. I did some unique endimgs depending on how they ended it even included something crazy if they decided to go down the hole in the mine. It went smooth and was rly fun for my first ever session ive ran.

I have just played ths adventure with a group of experienced D&D players that were new to Cthulu. I loved how detailed everything is laid out and how tight and creepy the plot is. What I really disliked is, that the whole thing feels VERY railroaded in the end. The investigatprs dont really have much influence on the outcome of the whole thing. At some point the Seamen come and either flood/kill them or make them run away. This makes it so that I can only recommend this to players that are completely new t pen and paper RPGs. I just never feel good, railroading my players too much.

Great series, very well-made with a lot of smart ideas.

If the Red Crown always travel in three's, why did Heidelman travel alone to Etelka? It makes more sense that they will have thugs accompanying them in more civilized areas and swap them for mutants/beastmen in remote areas.

Great review. Sadly I'm afraid I found the adventure rather unsatisfying. As it's published, the Amundssens aren't actually guilty of Hedqvist's murder. Added to that, Hedqvist is not a particularly pleasant character - I looked it up, and both priests belong to a very conservative denomination. Also, unless I missed it, they aren't worried about or even aware of the disappearance of foreign sailors and the like, but just object to the folk of Wrecker Isle having a good old time. If it wasn't for the sacrifices, my sympathies would be entirely with the Amundssens. I changed the story a little so that Hedqvist shot and mortally wounded Paul when the barrel was opened. Hedqvist was then brained by Pete using a boat hook and left for the Mermaid who did whatever mermaids do with sacrifices and then discarded his body which was eventually discovered floating off Graveyard Isle by a neighbour of Orvar's. I also left a broken watch and spent bullet on the skerry for the players to find. To keep Orvar close, I had him ferry the characters around in his boat. Like you, I also invented an NPC, mine was a drunken and corrupt doctor in Fjallbacka who was summoned to Wrecker Isle the night of Hedqvist and Paul's death. It was also this doctor who declared Hedqvist's death natural - he tried to argue that the wound on the priest's head caused by the boat hook was caused by scraping against rocks. My group put all the clues together brilliantly and more or less worked out what was going on but with no clear way to resolve the adventure and no actual authority (or concrete evidence of a murder) they ended up going all D&D and killing Zach and Pace, although they spared Peter and Abela. With hindsight, I would have dropped in some stories about the disappearance of foreign sailors and hinted at an atmosphere of suppressed fear on the island. I think there's a great adventure in there, and my players assure me that they had fun, but for my part, I found it required a lot of effort to make it work. Anyway, like I said, great review, I'm glad you enjoyed the scenario.

This was extremely helpful. I'm not a fan of spending an hour or more just trying to find a thread to follow and which NPCs to focus on. I'd love a whole series on just adventure reviews like this. Thanks.

It sounds like a mini-setting resource with an adventure hook as an afterthought.

Ran Unnight as is once and it kind of worked, but it ran better with the players as onworlders exploring the secrets of unnight.

We had a great campaign in Unnight, but I now know that the GM made up 99.9% of the adventure. We had a running battle with the Wizards, who had an uncanny knack of stealing and copying our high tech equipment, had a huge adventure figuring out the foam drive on the moon, and had many people wanting us to become kings of their little countries, so they could use our high tech fire power. Then our ship was sabotaged, and we had to improve the technology of one nation to be able to make rough, dangerous jury-rigged parts. (We needed to fix enough to get up to the Arc and find higher tech parts in orbit.) We knew that the adventure had gone beyond what was written in that slim book, but I thought a lot more of the early part of the adventure was from the author. I got a kick out of your review, brought back fun memories. Warm regards, Rick.

Love your videos!

I really enjoy your RPG Reviews, they are always a highlight of a day. The vibe I get from this setting it might work for something like mothership, if you play up the aspect of the wizards being futuristic genetic engineers with the morality of Medival kings. Maybe a fun idea for most systems would be the players are well received, as myth on Unnight tells of Ancient Wizards from the sky and the warlord claims them as proof of his legitimacy. They are showing up as he is being made leader, and is only all to happy to sign a trade deal with the Sky Wizards. Right before he can sign the agreement he is struck by the night dance and goes crazy, screaming his deepest secrets, random cybersecurity tips, and cursing a wizard who he had worked with to secure his position. This outburst could potentially turn the council and city against the players who are potentially being chased by a literal pitchfork and torch mob as they try to get back to the trade-ship. Which by the time they arrive might be being destroyed by those weird trees you mentioned. Leading to a discover a way off the planet type campaign.

This sounds like a great start to a Dresden Files

Always Awesomeness Insightful breakdowns, informative and Fun!! Rock on JC!!

I don't know, man. I do mostly sci-fi gaming, and it really is not harder than a fantasy. I also feel fantasy worlds are as unique as scifi; Warhammer fantasy world is very distinct from any d&d world, which is very different than a Runequest world which is very different than Tolkien... I mean, when we are getting into feelings of settings it gets subjective, but I never felt that a Diskworld game was in Greyhawk. Meh, up to you what you think, though.

I always enjoyed your GURPS

Perfect fit for Deadlands too!

Love this. Well explained and very generous for this well made adventure 🍻🍻🍻

Great video! Pretty sure I will run your adventure using savage worlds.

About to run this today. Wish me luck!

Simplifying the rules is a current fad in gaming right now, but mark my words, things will come full circle, and people will want more complexity. I think the system is well thought out enough to answer any question that might arise during a game. However, the books would benefit greatly from a complete artwork overhaul. The system works great, so why change it.

I think it's really important to note that the adventure itself mentions not using the Sotillo. It even says it's there only if you feel that you need another twist or really need some backup PCs (the game is supposed to be deadly but some bad luck rolls in a row can spoil the fun). So it's not there as a final act but rather an extra bit of flooring in case the players run out before the night is over

I was trying to use the pc you made. Do you have a copy that I am able to print out?

what is so bad about something rotten in kieslev?

Please make a video about your method of creating adventures.

Thanks for the heads-up on this! I want to run all the adventures in a Wicked Secret. Its namesake went extremely well, but took some revisions and additions. I really appreciate your videos!

* With Vaesen, lean into the creature's quirks, obsessions, weaknesses, and motivations. Make the individual & special!! Player's LOVE figuring these out and using them! I ran this adventure a few months back. It was wildly successful but took a lot of thought and prep! My additions: - As the investigators approached the farm, things were getting worse (a cow lost per day). - Locals were worried that the festival would be cancelled, but no one wanted to get near. - I added another milkmaid (2 per cabin), and a roommate for Gustav, to help with interviews + more potential victims. - Gustav's roommate was supposed to stand guard but fell asleep (magic) and was just fired for it. - Gustav is letting his roommate stay with him (on the sly) until he gets a new job, and he feels guilty. - Gustav had the Neck's sacrificial knife, but it took it back when he chickened out. Now Lisbett has been making the cattle sacrifices with it. Gustav thinks that the Neck is doing it alone. - Jenny had tried numerous other avenues of help before a milkmaid suggested the Society. - On a starry night, out of the water, those with the sight could see lost souls walking on the underside of the water's surface. - Mattias' cat was sacrificed and became the Neck's familiar - and was in the barn spying. I called it an EtterCat (spidery). - There was a bear in the woods, and it came after the investigator when Gustav's cabin was investigated. - The tapestry was hidden in Gustav's wall, and a church history book was under the bed). - Jenny and staff had breakfast & supper together and prayed together. They were close so the threat was meaningful. - Both Gustav and Lisbet wanted to learn the Neck's music - it had promised that they could be experts fast! - With sacrifices, Gustav & Lisbett could learn magic too (very D&D warlock pact). - Gustav & Lisbet had both been charmed and seduced by the Neck (shapeshifter) and heard parallelling lies. - Their "recruitment" started with nightly fiddle jam-sessions across the lake with strangers. - Each got "catfished" by the Neck (Niklas/Nicolette) and fell in love with their partner before it revealed its supernaturality. - Lisbett & Gustav don't know that the other is in league with the Neck, and is competitive with the violin jams (rap battles). - Lisbett & Gustav have a ton in common (poor & hard times background) and are desperate to leave & get rich & famous. - Lisbett's roomate - Mattias - is in love with her. Per is like a sister to them both. - The Neck wants human souls as a source of energy and entertainment. The last batch of ghosts has faded with time & use. - The local church had the tapestry, but it was stolen as well as a church history book. The book has details on the Neck event. - The local church had an ancient church bell blessed by a historical bishop and a crotchety old pastor who loves church lore. - Long ago, the Neck was drawn to the singing at a festival, and the Neck nearly charmed all the locals into the Lake. - An assistant rang a church bell to disrupt the Neck's musical spell & the pastor used a violin-string cutting knife ward. - The pastor then chastised the Neck three times while whipping it with a cat-o-9-tails made of lake willow. Your players will LOVE this if they pull it off!! Mine borrowed the Bell, and this formula was followed as the Neck was lured into the meadow for a fiddle-battle. Just as the player lost, the bell was rung, and she slashed the Neck's fiddle strings with his own sacrificial knife (that had been used on the cows and cat)!

Your rewrite sounds fun. It would be great to see it fleshed out and given the full treatment on your website!

I am just about to run this. Thank goodness you made this video. Hopefully your Power Behind the Throne video will be out by the time I get to it. I am right now trying to better establish morivatipns for my PCs.

+1

The only thing i agree on is absolutely the skills lists 😂 I hade my GM with me during creation but I was still like: "Do i need basic math?" "Do i need how to read?" "Do i need to know how to Use a knife?" Gurps is awesome, but it really need to move away from all them skills 😅 its ridiculous

When I saw the cover, Iron Maiden started playing in my head "CAUGHT SOMEWHERE IN TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIME!"

I think an additional interesting way to open the tomb would be to add a spell that the players could find to open the a door out. This would work as a way to introduce them to Call of Cthulhu's magic system.

Website link didnt work when I clicked on it. :D

As a fan of Wild West adventures, I can’t wait to run this with my players.

I cut the Sotillo as well. We had quite the climax, and with one survivor left ejecting in the EEV before the Kronos went up, there was no need for the extra chapter. Perhaps one of the most cinematic games I've ever had the pleasure of overseeing. The Aliens game is great.

This might be kinda fun to slip into a normal wild west game in between adventures to keep your players on their toes.

Very nice review. I especially liked your advice on improving the story. Good work. Warm regards Rick