Pyramid Review
Mansions of Madness: Six Classic Explorations of the Unknown, the Deserted, and the Insane (for Call of Cthulhu)
Published by Chaosium, Inc.
Written by Fred Behrendt, Michael DeWolfe, Keith Herber, Penny Love, Wesley Martin, Mark Morrison, & Liam Routt with David Conyers, William Dunn, & Charlie Krank
Cover by Lee Gibbons
Illustrated by Janet Aulisio, Sam Inabinet, & David Lee Ingersoll
Cartography by David Conyers, Lydia Ortiz, Carol Triplett-Smith, & Pegasus Spiele
160-page b&w softcover; $21.95
Like 2006's The Stars Are Right, this Chaosium anthology for Call of Cthulhu is a reprint given a makeover and some additional new material. Originally published in 1990 as a quintet, Mansions of Madness: Six Classic Explorations of the Unknown, the Deserted, and the Insane returns as a sextet, presenting domestic tales despoiled by dark dreams, murderous malignancy, and insidious insanity. It differs from The Stars Are Right in that this anthology is for the game's classic period of the 1920s rather than the modern era, but any of the scenarios here could easily be transposed to the 1890s of Cthulhu by Gaslight or the here-and-now of Cthulhu Now. That said, the Keeper will have to work hard to make them suitable for Delta Green. In addition, the collection contains a good mix, suited to both the experienced and the inexperienced player and investigator alike. Further, many are suited to play by small groups, even by a single player and Keeper.
Physically, Mansions of Madness is . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: November 30, 2007
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