A Review of the Role Playing Game Supplement Trouble At Scarrick Isle – Call Of Cthulhu One-Shot

Trouble At Scarrick Isle – Call Of Cthulhu One-Shot by Man Of Thousand Hobbies is a role playing game supplement published by Chaosium Inc. through the Miskatonic Repository Community Content Programme for use with Call of Cthulhu, the horror role playing game based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft. This is a 1920s scenario.

The supplement is available as a 10 page Pay What You Want PDF from DriveThruRPG. One page is the front cover and one the Table of Contents.

The Scenario Overview explains that it takes place on an island west of Annisquam in Massachusetts and gives an overview. The investigators have been hired to look into a recent disappearance. It mentions how the adventure could be used if it is played after Book of the Damned, but fails to explain just what that is or where it can be found, nor does it seem easy to find this out. Background is given, followed by details of various NPCs.

The locations are detailed next, together with clues of what can be found at them, if any. There are three events that take place during the scenario at fixed points; if the adventure is wrapped up earlier, some will not happen.

There are different potential endings, from finding the threat and confronting them, either with or without the villagers’ help, to just fleeing the island.

The final pages have stats, two maps of the island, the smaller one labelled for the Keeper and the larger one for players, and a handout.

Trouble At Scarrick Isle – Call Of Cthulhu One-Shot in Review

The PDF lacks bookmarks and has enough sections that these would have been useful. The Table of Contents covers the various major sections. Navigation is okay. The text maintains a two-column format and appeared to be free of errors. Bar the map and a family tree, there are no illustrations. Presentation is okay.

This is a simple enough scenario that is heavy on the roaming around and investigating. As it mentions, it should also be relatively simple to drop it into other locations and time periods. Though there is an obvious deduction to be made for the happenings, especially when the disappearance is solved, there is more going on than the characters might think, adding a twist. Trouble At Scarrick Isle – Call Of Cthulhu One-Shot can be found by clicking here.