Who Ya Gonna Call of Cthulhu: Ghostly Halloween Scenarios
Reading through the collected body of Lovecraft’s work its noticeable that for all the supernatural entities, sorcerors, and general magical nastiness that can occur, the overall absence of ghosts is conspicuous. It is only in his story “The Mound” (and I will argue that “The Electric Executioner” is a ghost story. Fight me in the comments section.) that ghosts play a concrete role in the overall tale.
While ghosts may not have been a major trope in Lovecraft’s, possibly due to his rationalist approach to the world, there are plenty of ghostly or haunting-oriented scenarios in the Call of Cthulhu rpg game. The narrative of some spectral force terrorizing the investigators is a prominent one, and has been used with great effect and diversity.
Following is a list of some of what I consider the better haunted scenarios that Call of Cthulhu has to offer. Most of them are one-shots, so they make themselves excellent opportunities for some Halloween fun:
An Amaranthine Desire
A scenario from Chaosiums Nameless Horrors collection, the investigators are thrown back in time to 13th century Dunwich, England. There they must try to stop a witch’s curse that threatens the lives of everyone in Dunwich. This isn’t even the worst part.
Curse of the Screaming Skull
A scenario in Bumps in the Night, it centers around two antiquities. Both are haunted by old spirits. One is beneficial, yet still pretty awful. We won’t go into how bad the other one is.
Nakuko
A gritty horror jaunt from Stygian Fox. Take “The Grudge” and ramp it up to 11. That pretty much describes Nakuko without giving a lot a way. The scenario comes with pre-gen investigators which is definitely a good thing. I wouldn’t want you taking the time to roll up one you could get attached to.
Adding this to the article is a little bit caddy of me, as it has only been made available for supporters of the Stygian Fox Patreon, and its availability to the general public is not immediate. In the spirit of this post, however, I needed to get it stuck in your craw. This is a genuinely disturbing scenario, and you’re going to want to run it or play it when it comes out.
The Haunting
The Haunting is a classic Call of Cthulhu scenario. Strange goings on in a rented home send the investigators to learn why. Furniture can royally kick your ass. A great starter for new Keepers and players. You can get it here for free with the quick start rules.
The Inheritance
The Inheritance is one of the better scenarios in Horrors from the Red Room. It sends the investigators to a haunted house in order to help declare a previous owner legally dead. The good news is yes, he is. The bad news? You can probably guess. Messed-up time flows just add to the fun.
The Lurker in the Crypt
The Lurker in the Crypt is a fairly lengthy scenario in the Fatal Experiments collection of scenarios from Chaosium meant for more experienced players and investigators, but it’s worth it for the range of horror they will run into. You get ghosts, sewer witch cults, Great Old Ones, and ghouls. A meat grinder if ran wrong. Fun stuff!
Of Wrath and Blood
Written as a sequel to The Haunting, Of Wrath and Blood continues Walter Corbitt’s endeavors to do evil through the world. This time, it is not a house he haunts.