A Review of the Role Playing Game Supplement Eldritch Invertebrae

Eldritch Invertebrae by Bethany Minchew is a role playing game supplement published by DRAKAT Games. It is primarily intended for use with Call of Cthulhu, the horror role playing game supplement based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft.

The supplement is available as a 13-page PDF from DriveThruRPG for $0.85 but was purchased at a reduced price during a sale. One page is the front cover, half a page the front matter and Contents and one is ads.

This is one of three supplements, the other two being Eldritch Fauna and Eldritch Flora, for the company’s Darkisle setting. The opening paragraphs explain that it is a resource intended to be used by a GM or Keeper to add unpleasant flavour to the remoter parts of the world. The supplement contains an in-character pamphlet written by Reverend Alfred Purefoy, and this part lacks game stats or location references.

The supplement is in two parts. The first part is the pamphlet, which the cover can be used with. This has five invertebrates, each of which has History & nomenclature, Description, Habitat and Notes, together with an image.

The Banded Earthworm is a large earthworm with tiny, sharp teeth. The Dreen Leech is a leech that can drain over a pint of blood. The Lattur Slug has a toxin that slows or paralyses creatures. The Swarming Spider comes together to create a large web containing many of the spiders during mating. The Yar Fly is rumoured to lay eggs inside the ear, and the maggot tunnels into the brain.

Notes for the Keeper/GM is the second part of the supplement. This states that the folklore about the creatures could just be that, or it could be true. Call of Cthulhu stats then follow for each of the creatures, together with Eldritch Options in some cases. Though killing any of the creatures is easy – they are, after all, pretty small – they can still do damage.

Eldritch Invertebrae in Review

The PDF lacks bookmarks and has enough different sections that these would have been useful. The Contents just lists the major sections. Navigation could be better. The text maintains a single column format and appeared to be free of error. There are five illustrations, one for each creature, stock images that have been altered to fit. Presentation is decent.

This is a nice little supplement. The pamphlet part could be printed out and used as a prop with a bit of work and the GM’s section adds some added unpleasantness though the game stats. These stats should give an idea as to how to use the creatures with other systems. Eldritch Invertebrae is a nice and inexpensive little supplement that adds interesting creatures to the game and it can be found by clicking here.