Sanity checks ahoy
I got the new Masks of Nyarlathotep today. Only just had a brief chance to skim through it, but it really is an epic. If I did have one criticism, it’s this: there’s not enough art. Older copies had amazing colour plates, but they’re black and white in this edition, and the remaining art is of middling quality. I’ve considered getting the Companion for it too, but now that I’ve seen the contents for that I’m not so sure.
I’ve run Call of Cthulhu before, but never as a campaign so it will be something of a new experience for me. At least good old Byahkee is still around, so I can use that for characters. There’s quite a lot of handouts as well for it, so I’m going to need some form of “evidence locker”. I’m thinking of maybe finding an old-style manilla folder or storage box for this purpose. It might help to evoke a proper atmosphere – although I’ll likely be running this at ORC in the Meadow Bar pub. Well, don’t all RPGs start in the pub (or at least an inn)? 
The end of the month sees my completion of the Cthulhutech mini campaign, “When the Ocean Wept” for my Through the Looking Glass setting. I’ve been finding it difficult to sit down and finish it. Kanly and Donalds, the two detectives in the first bit of CT fiction I wrote, “Under a heavy rain“, appear in a new piece of fiction I’m writing called “Corporate Ties”. It bridges the link between my Tager game and the mecha game this month. However I’m struggling a bit to finish it – I’ve got the plot and characters sorted, but just can’t seem to translate it into published form.
The Kindle is working really well – especially when I’m on the bus. I’m currently just getting into the Dresden files, and I’m about halfway through Storm Front. As first novels go, it’s pretty good and decently plotted. I found it quite amusing that one of the Amazon reviewers accuses Butcher of being a Luddite and bashing technology – he’s a computer support technician!
It’s my birthday on Tuesday 23rd. I’m not likely to be going all-out this year, although LSD and I are going out for a meal at Vittoria’s on Leith Walk tomorrow night. Ah well: goodbye 36, hello 37. At least I’ve still got my hair, even if it is a bit grey around the temples (which I actually think doesn’t look too bad).
A question of time
Argh, argh, argh. It’s ironic that all my previous blog entries have been song lyrics to some extent: however in a post about ideas, I couldn’t come up with a song to match very quickly. It’s probably time to use a regular titling convention for my Blogs.
Anyway: so many ideas, so little time! Not only do I have a pile of things to organise at work but I’ve got so much else to do as well! For instance, gaming-wise I’ve got the following on the go:
- DM for Against the Odds (D&D 4th Ed.) running every four weeks at ORC.
- DM for Ashes of Freedom running every four weeks at ORC.
- GM for Cthulhutech, for the final part of Through the Looking Glass: When the Ocean Wept at ORC. I also need to finish off some of the short fiction I had planned for TtLG.
- I’m a player in the New World, also running at ORC.
- Web updates for the ORC website, notably upgrading the Wiki area there. The Kunena forum may also need updating too, but it currently lacks modules for “Popular Posts” and “Recent Posts”.
- Update the Wiki for Against the Odds.
- Try and play some more of the X-Box games I seem to have stockpiled.
- Get some of the character sheets uploaded
Ideas-wise, here’s what I have on the go:
- A linked WH40k (Warhammer 40000) campaign that involves Edinburgh wargame clubs and a group of GMs running scenarios for Deathwatch, Dark Heresy, and Rogue Trader. I’m likely to put this on the back burner, as it’ll be a lot of work to organise and arrange, and I don’t intend to do so alone.
- Call of Cthulhu. I’m running Masks Of Nyarlathotep next year as Ashes of Freedom winds down. I’ve also got a load of ideas for my new CoC setting, Arunstoun. It’ll be fun to run it again.
- Try and get some artwork done. I’m not bad at drawing but it’s been a few years since I sat down with a sketchbook.
So that’s quite a bit of stuff on the go, and I think I may be overcommitted. Mind you, I’m not the only one I reckon.
Call of Cthulhu
I’m a huge fan of the Call of Cthulhu RPG from Chaosium. I’ve run the game occasionally over the years, but I intend to kick off the epic Masks of Nyarlathotep campaign at ORC over the next year, and I also have Shadows over Scotland to run! Arunstoun, my new setting, is also going to be part of the Dark Edinburgh theme – details will be appearing in the wiki soon!
The system is also what I use to run my Necroscope games too.
NOTE: this page is still under construction!!!
