A Review of the Role Playing Game Supplement Pickman’s Legacy

Pickman’s Legacy by Keegan Sullivan is a role playing game supplement published by Chaosium Inc. through their Miskatonic Repository Community Content Program. The supplement is a modern day scenario for Call of Cthulhu, the horror role playing game system based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft.

This is an 11 page PDF that is available as a Pay What You Want supplement from RPGNow. One page is the front cover, one the front matter and one the Table of Contents.

The Introduction states that Keepers will benefit from reading the short story Pickman’s Model, and that it can be set at other times than the modern day, but will be difficult to run prior to 1926, which is the year that Richard Upton Pickman disappeared.

The Keeper Information provides some background; about how a relative of Pickman’s disappeared several years ago.

The investigators are hired by Joseph Pickman, the father of the disappeared woman, to find out what happened as the police have now given up. The investigators will go to Boston, New York and, probably finally, Arkham, questioning various people who have information that may be helpful. Once they discover the truth of the matter, should they survive, the investigators will then have to decide what to tell Pickman about his daughter. It can be guessed from the title what this adventure involves.

One page has stats for characters and monsters and the final to pages are handouts.

Pickman’s Legacy in Review

The PDF lacks bookmarks and, although it is short, these would have been useful. The Table of Contents covers the major and some of the minor sections. Navigation is okay, but could be better.

The text maintains a single column format and no errors were noticed. Excluding the cover image, there are no illustrations. Presentation is adequate at best.

There are a couple of ways that characters could become involved in the adventure. Prior acquaintances – terrible, but common – or through their reputation – much better, should they have one. This is a decent small side quest that could perhaps be slotted into a bigger adventure, if investigators are in the right area. Pickman’s Legacy is a decent short adventure and it can be checked out for free by clicking here.