RPG: Pax Cthuliana – The Slumbering God Awakes
The year is 1927. The place is London. The Stars are Right, and slumbering Cthulhu wakes.
Pax Cthuliana is a “dramatic scenario” set in London in 1927. It pits a team of experienced Investigators against all the thrills, chills, and ills that the world of H.P. Lovecraft’s Mythos can throw their way. Players will face time travel, the occult past of England, devious puzzles and more as Great Cthulhu’s slumber nears an end and the very fate of the world is at stake before the night is over.
They say Dramatic Scenario–but reading it, it looks like it’s more an immersive experience. Rules and skill rolls take a back seat to player knowledge, puzzle solving, and wits. And the goal of the campaign (which is meant to be played out in a single night) is to draw a specific symbol gathering clues from the campaign. This sounds more like a mystery/escape room–or, more precisely this sounds like a Nordic LARP-lite.
If you’ve never played a Nordic LARP, they are all about immersion. All about sinking into character and playing through an experience, as opposed to winning your objectives. Sometimes players will intentionally fail–and given that there are at least two different endings a “normal” one that sees the Investigators defeat Cthulhu (…for now),and an ominous…alternate option…it’s setting off all those bells and whistles.
They’ve already blown past their funding goal and are unlocking all manner of fancy stretch goals. So head on over to the Kickstarter and hop on in.
via Two Starving Gnolls
“Pax Cthuliana” is a dramatic scenario designed for experienced players set in the world of H. P. Lovecraft.
Through investigation, puzzle solving, time travel, knowledge of the Mythos, situational music, timed events and horrible scenes, the players will experience an interactive and unique scenario—an epic mini-campaign playable in one (long!) gaming night. The setting is London 1927, though the investigators will soon discover the need to dig deeper into England’s occult past. The scenario may be played as a standalone event or incorporated into an ongoing campaign—preferably its end, as the very world itself may collapse should the investigators fail.
Puzzle solving: The players need to draw a powerful sigil to keep the dark powers at bay, but the sigil consists of several symbols in a special pattern. During the scenario, more pieces of the puzzle become clear, but do they have the skills to fit them all together and complete the sigil before the world ends…?
Situational music: At three key events during the scenario, music plays an important role. Three specific soundtracks heighten the mood and accompany the situation, as well as function as a time limit for the investigators to complete certain tasks. The soundtracks are not provided with this Kickstarter but are easily found on any musical service like Spotify, iTunes, Google Play or YouTube.
AdvertisementKnowledge of the Mythos: As stated, this is a scenario meant for experienced players. They need to have some scenarios under their belt, as well as some basic knowledge of the Mythos. If they have never heard of R’lyeh before, then this scenario is not for them. Yet.
Cultural knowledge: The players will meet famous and historical persons of the time. They will also dig into England’s past to uncover some horrible truths. Any real knowledge of persons like Christopher Wren, Alistair Crowley or a certain J. R. R. Tolkien could prove useful. Though such knowledge is not necessary, it could prove to tip the scale towards saving or ending the world…
Epic: From a small and seemingly irrelevant situation, the players will soon find themselves facing the horrors of great Cthulhu himself. As they discover more and more of the past and its shocking implications though puzzle solving and investigation, they will soon feel the burden of humanity’s future on their shoulders. They have never, and will never again, be this close to total destruction.
Subscribe to our newsletter!Get Tabletop, RPG & Pop Culture news delivered directly to your inbox.By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Playing time: Initial playtesting of the raw material suggests a play time of about six hours. This could easily be expanded, as the scenario will come with optional false leads and expanded situations to suit your needs. This versatility may easily expand the scenario into a mini-campaign.
Two endings: In the very last moments of the scenario, it becomes up to the GM to decide how it ends. The “normal” ending will (hopefully) result in the players as victorious against the dark powers—this is a satisfying option for the players since they have fought hard with brains and skills to achieve their goal; huzzah! The “other” option is something completely different; this is an ending that will turn upside down everything the players have found out and believed throughout the scenario. This is an option that will leave their jaws dropping and produce “I did not see that coming!” reactions. It’s your choice. You’re the GM.
AdvertisementAction-oriented or not?: Some players (or GMs) may want to solve some situations using muscles & guns, though this scenario is meant to be completed without firing a single shot. For those players (or GMs) an “alternative action approach” (AAA) is included where relevant.
Skill use: The purpose of the scenario is to create a special atmosphere where the Mythos feels eerily alive everywhere. As such, rules and skills are less emphasized so as not to “disturb” this purpose. The scenario may be played almost exclusively using the character’s knowledge and ideas; only a few skill rolls are necessary. So how does it work? Let’s say you find a strange book entitled The Book of Eibon. You are not meant to do a skill roll to discover what this book is; you’re supposed to have heard about it before, both as a player and character. And if you stumble upon a lot of clues in a pile, you’re not supposed to roll a Search, Luck or Library Use to find the “correct” clue; you’re supposed to use your own wits and investigation throughout the scenario to figure out which are the correct ones. The use of skill rolls will be needed from time to time, but only to give alternative approaches to different situations, and never to interfere with the atmosphere.
Check out Pax Cthuliana’s Kickstarter
Even now I hear them, Kickstarting at the window…now in the hall…now the door–
