| Title |
Publisher |
Price |
Explore a new world of monsters and manners in this darkly captivating regency romance novel with an eldritch twist from renowned roleplaying game, Call of Cthulhu.
When Cassandra Wright’s father was accused of murder her whole life fell apart, leaving her with no prospects, no money, and a broken engagement. But Cassandra always suspected foul play. Five years later,... [click here for more] |
Aconyte Books |
$9.95
|
Episode 73 – What's New in Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition
We’re back, and we’re taking a whistle-stop tour through what’s new in Call of Cthulhu7th edition. While we’ve done episodes on some of the new mechanics before, and Paul has recorded a series of videos summarising the 7th edition quick-start rules, we realised that we’d never actually given an overview of what has changed.... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
|
Episode 76 – Styles of Play in Call of Cthulhu
We’re back and we’re looking at all the different ways in which people use Call of Cthulhu at the gaming table. Conveniently enough, we have Call of Cthulhu line developer Mike Mason on hand to help us with this. Between the four of us, we probably have over 100 years of Call of Cthulhu experience, so we’ve seen... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
|
Episode 78 – The Good Friends reveal the secret history of Call of Cthulhu 7th edition
Around a year ago, when we believed the print release of Call of Cthulhu 7th edition was imminent, we spent a day chatting with Mike Mason about how 7th edition had come about, on the assumption we would release the discussion within a month or two. The events that followed now make this seem a little ill-informed.... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
|
Episode 79 – The Good Friends reveal more of the secret history of Call of Cthulhu 7th edition
We’re back with the conclusion of our discussion about how Call of Cthulhu 7th edition came about. Once again, we’re joined by Mike Mason, line editor of Call of Cthulhu, who co-authored 7th edition along with our very own Paul Fricker. I’m saying “once again” like we... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
|
Episode 85 – The Good Friends fight off combat fatigue
We’re back and we’re resorting to violence again. Combat is a large part of roleplaying games, arguably disproportionately so. Even in Call of Cthulhu, a game where academics, librarians and antiquarians carefully search crumbling ruins and pore over forbidden tomes in search of knowledge that will either save or doom humanity, sooner... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
|
Episode 109 – The Good Friends answer The Call of Cthulhu
We’re back and we’re talking about one of Lovecraft’s best-known stories. The Call of Cthulhu probably boasts more name recognition than any other Lovecraft tale. This is largely due to the ubiquity of old squidhead himself. Between the term “Cthulhu Mythos” and Chaosium using the story’s name for their groundbreaking RPG, Cthulhu... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
|
Episode 110 – The Good Friends hold for The Call of Cthulhu
We’re back and we’re still being haunted by those hellish dreams surfacing from lost R’yeh like bubbles of pure madness. This is the second part of our discussion of Lovecraft’s classic weird tale, The Call of Cthulhu. Last episode we talked about the first two acts of the story. This time, we wrap up the synopsis, discuss adaptations... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
|
Episode 128 – The Good Friends fuss over cats in Call of Cthulhu
We’re back and we’re chasing our tails, trying to lick our nether regions and hissing at anyone who looks at us funny. Meow. This is our look into the role of cats in Call of Cthulhu. Lovecraft was famously fond of cats. He kept them as pets throughout his life, and wrote about their exploits in his letters and stories. Inevitably,... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
|
Episode 136 – The Good Friends analyse insanity in Call of Cthulhu
We’re building on last episode‘s discussion of the theme of mental illness in Lovecraft’s work. This time, we turn our attention to the role of insanity in Call of Cthulhu. Obviously, Call of Cthulhu is based upon Lovecraft’s writings, but how much does the sanity system actually reflect the source... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
|
Episode 143: Violence in Call of Cthulhu
If you’ve spent any time discussing Call of Cthulhu online, you’ve probably had someone tell you that if your investigator so much as enters combat, you’ve lost. This is a game of careful investigation, putting pieces together and learning secrets man was not meant to know. If that’s the case, why do most of our games end up with everything... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
|
Episode 144: Call of Cthulhu for Beginners
Call of Cthulhu‘s position as one of the most popular tabletop RPGs means that it may be many people’s first game. Even if you have played something like Dungeons & Dragons before, Call of Cthulhu is different enough to warrant an introduction. So, after almost 150 episodes, we thought it was time to help people get into this Call of Cthulhu thing.... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
|
Episode 176: Ghosts in Call of Cthulhu
This is the first of two episodes looking at ghosts and how they tie into Call of Cthulhu. Our original plan was to do it all in a single episode, but we talked too much.
As a result, this first part is largely us exploring what we think ghosts might be, as well as discussing what we do and don’t like in a ghost story. If you think... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
|
Episode 177: Ghosts in Call of Cthulhu part 2
This is the second of two episodes looking at ghosts and how they tie into Call of Cthulhu. The first focused on ghost stories and folklore. This time, we discuss how (and if) ghosts might fit into Call of Cthulhu and the wider Cthulhu Mythos.While Lovecraft wrote a handful of tales which might be considered ghost stories, these were usually... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
|
Episode 201: Occupations in Call of Cthulhu
This is our discussion of the role of occupations in Call of Cthulhu? Are they just character classes? How do they work? Are there any that can be difficult to fit into a game? How might we create some of our own? And are there any we find particularly appealing or off-putting?
Runtime: 61 min
Previous episodes include discussions of... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
Pay What You Want
|
Episode 208: Investigator Organisations
Once again, we’re delving into some of the underpinnings of Call of Cthulhu. In the more innocent days of the ’80s, we generally handwaved the reasons why a new investigator might step into the smoking shoes of their fallen predecessor. While this was convenient, it usually required active suspension of disbelief. Having some sort of organisation... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
Pay What You Want
|
Episode 223: Gangsters in Call of Cthulhu
Our latest episode delves into the deadly underworld of gangsters in Call of Cthulhu. Given that the classic era of Call of Cthulhu coincides with the advent of prohibition and the rise of organised crime in the USA, gangsters have always played a large role in the game. In this episode, we talk about the influences we’ve drawn upon when... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
|
250: Making Call of Cthulhu Weird
Given that this is our 250th episode, we thought we’d tackle a big topic. While Call of Cthulhu is primarily known as a horror RPG, the Mythos is so much more than simple scares. Its mixture of science fiction, fantasy and horror reflects its origins in weird fiction. But what does that actually mean? And, more importantly, how can we make our games weirder?... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
|
262: Time Travel in Call of Cthulhu pt 1
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias are ten years old! Well, not the Good Friends ourselves, obviously. One look at our grizzled countenances should disabuse you of that. If you tried to total up our lived years, you’d quickly run out of fingers. And toes. And any other protuberances you may have. But the podcast itself will have been around for ten years as... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
|
263: Time Travel in Call of Cthulhu (part 2)
As we mentioned last episode, we ran out of time to discuss time. This means we’ve gone back to the discussion, delving into psychic time travel as well as different varieties of time loops. We also spend a bit of time (it’s really hard not to make jokes here) talking about the way time travel has been presented in Mythos fiction and the Call of Cthulhu... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
|
VTT BATTLE MAP - LOVECRAFT INSPIRED: HALLS OF CTHULHU
Two 40x40 maps with large sea, obsidian stones and two cabins for... [click here for more] |
PenguinComics |
$2.95 $1.48
|
S.PETERSEN’S FIELD GUIDE TO LOVECRAFTIAN HORRORS A Field Observer’s Handbook of Preternatural Entities and Beings from Beyond The Wall of Sleep "With its clear visuals and hard-won information, this guide has saved my bacon on more thanvone occasion!"
—Ernest P. Wilderbeast, Visiting Professor of Preternatural Studies Miskatonic University Weird shapes in the park? Odd rumbling... [click here for more] |
Chaosium |
$17.95 $9.49
|
LOVECRAFT remains unique among the conceptualists and imagination drivers in weird fiction. Not only was he an intellectual and creative genius, he understood the unlimited power inherent in artistic collaboration. He even collaborated intensely with other literary artists that he would never meet. Through such entrusted sharing, he encouraged other writers and visionaries to enmesh their own visions... [click here for more] |
Kent David Kelly |
$4.99
|
Island of Ignorance: The Third Cthulhu Companion is a Call of Cthulhu sourcebook and scenario collection published by Golden Goblin Press (in print and PDF). Cthulhu Reborn, in conjunction with Golden Goblin, are pleased to release this deluxe edition of the props/handouts that pertain to the five scenarios found in Island of Ignorance.
◊
Handouts... [click here for more] |
Cthulhu Reborn |
FREE
|
Episode 80: The Good Friends get pulped by Pulp Cthulhu
The bulk of the episode is taken up by a brief overview of what you can expect to find in Pulp Cthulhu, an explanation of what sets it apart from standard Call of Cthulhu, and discussion of our experiences of playing and running the game. Although the PDF is only just on the cusp of release, we each spent much of last year running Pulp Cthulhu,... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
|
Episode 95 – The Good Friends scan the Mythos for science fiction
We’re back and we’re setting our long-range scanners to search the cosmos for the insidious influence of the Mythos. One of the things that set Lovecraft’s work apart from the Gothic tales that had previously dominated the genre was the way it incorporated elements of science fiction. This isn’t to say that Lovecraft was... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
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Episode 153: Keeping Cthulhu Fresh
This episode is almost the opposite of our recent look at Cthulhu For Beginners. Between us, we’ve been playing Call of Cthulhu for something like 90 years. Not quite strange aeons, but still a pretty damn long time. How do we keep our games fresh? Are we happy playing the same kinds of scenarios and characters or do we prefer to shake things up? What keeps us coming... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
|
Episode 160: Keeping Cthulhu Scary
This episode is our look at what makes a game of Call of Cthulhu scary. We focus on Call of Cthulhu because that’s what we do, but the elements we discuss could apply to any horror game. Fear is a pretty universal thing.
When we say that fear is universal, we mean that there are some main strands of fear that run through us all. The specifics and triggers may... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
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Episode 232: Cthulhu
This episode is the latest in our ongoing exploration of the deities of the Cthulhu Mythos. Previous entries include Dagon, Shub-Niggurath, Yog-Sothoth, Nyarlathotep, Hastur, Azathoth, Nodens, Ubbo-Sathla and Mordiggian, Ithaqua, and Daoloth and Eihort.
We have discussed Cthulhu as a pop-culture icon and Lovecraft’s original story, “The Call of Cthulhu”,... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
|
Morality in the Cthulhu Mythos
We’re continuing last episode’s discussion of morality. This time, we’re looking at the role of morality in the Cthulhu Mythos. Do the entities of the Mythos follow any kind of morality we can comprehend? How do we best use antagonists who exist outside our concepts of good and evil? And do they always have to be antagonists anyway?
Runtime: 60 min
Previous episodes... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
|
Der Leere Blick ist eine deutschsprachige Version des "Sight Unseen"-Skripts für das Live-Action-Rollenspiel Cthulhu Live 3rd Edition und wurde für die Verwendung mit den Regeln dafür entwickelt. Dieses Skript kann auch leicht für andere Horror- und Mythos-orientierte Spiele wie Call of Cthulhu angepasst werden. Es ist ideal für... [click here for more] |
Skirmisher Publishing |
$2.99
|
VTT BATTLE MAP - LOVECRAFT INSPIRED: R'LYEH TOWER
Four 40x40 maps that create a large two level 80x40 Tower.
"The sciences, each straining in its own direction, have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality,... [click here for more] |
PenguinComics |
$2.95 $1.48
|
Episode 59 – Secrets and Conflict at the Gaming Table
We’re back, and we’re watching each other from the corners of our eyes. Paul is hiding something behind his back, Matt keeps glancing at the door, and I’m trying to look nonchalant. It’s only a matter of time until one of us tips his hand. All of this is a needlessly wordy way of saying that we’re talking about secrets conflict at... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
|
Episode 65 – The Good Friends get stuck into Karl Edward Wagner’s Sticks
We’re back and we’re looking at another classic horror short story. This time it’s Karl Edward Wagner’s Sticks, a nasty little tale that is both of the Cthulhu Mythos and about it. The story draws from a number of real people and events, blending them with fiction to create a delirious nightmare. The imagery... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
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Episode 66 – The Good Friends horrify themselves
We’re back, and we’re mulling over a topic suggested to us by good friend of the Good Friends, Tore Nielsen: what is the appeal of horror? Our discussion veers all over the place, like a teenage camper trying to escape an axe-wielding maniac. We take in films, television, books and games in our attempt to try to work out what appeals to us about... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
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Episode 67 – The Good Friends find god(s)
We’re back, and we’re doing another top three countdown. This is a spiritual follow-up to episode 62’s look at our favourite Lovecraftian monsters, only this time we’ve set our sights a bit higher. We each champion our three favourite Mythos deities, giving some background on each, followed by some unusual ways to use them in your Call of... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
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Episode 68 – The Good Friends go Barker mad
We’re back, and we’re looking at the two Clive Barker feature films that aren’t Hellraiser. We have nothing against Pinhead and his cruel crew of sadomasochistic sybarites (just trying to say that is a torture that would no doubt arouse them), but Nightbreed and Lord of Illusions deserve some unwholesome love too.... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
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Episode 69 – The Good Friends reveal their true colours
This time it’s the turn of The Colour Out of Space, an unsettling tale that Lovecraft considered the closest he came to capturing the essence of cosmic horror. It revolves around an alien entity that crashes in from deep space to suck the life out of an unsuspecting community, leaving the residents as shambling, empty husks.... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
|
Episode 70 – The Good Friends reveal more of their true colours
We’re back, and we’re wrapping up our discussion of H P Lovecraft’s eerie mix of the Gothic and the cosmic, The Colour Out of Space. This time we’re looking at various adaptations, as well as deciding what we would steal for our games (the answer is almost everything — we’re shameless).
The Good Friends of Jackson... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
|
Episode 71 – The Good Friends bemoan the modern world
We’re back, and we’re chasing you young whipper-snappers off our lawns. Things just ain’t what they used to be, with all these mobile telephonic doodads skulking in people’s pockets, cheap flights to all corners of the world, and eldritch secrets only a mouse click away. How is a Keeper supposed to make players feel powerless and fragile... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
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Episode 72 – The Good Friends hand out some props
We discuss the different functions of handouts and props, including building atmosphere, providing at-table references and hiding information in plain sight. To avoid being too abstract, we flesh these out with examples of handouts and props that have impressed us, and things we have made with our very own appendages. Matt gives us a few tips for... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
|
Episode 74 – The Good Friends lose themselves in INLAND EMPIRE
We’re back, and we’re taking a look at David Lynch‘s 2006 film, INLAND EMPIRE. This is a strange, strange film, even by Lynch’s standards, and unravelling it almost proved too much for the three of us. Happily we were able to draft in some extra help, in the eldritch form of Call of Cthulhu line editor and fellow... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
|
Episode 75 – The Good Friends sing along to The Music of Erich Zann
We’re back, and we’re talking about everyone’s favourite eldritch curtain-twitcher, Erich Zann. Lovecraft’s short story, The Music of Erich Zann, is a highpoint of his early career. More importantly, it is a rare example of a work that all three of us agree about. The sanity-blasting revelations at the end of the... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
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Episode 77 – The Good Friends dice with death
This episode is our discussion of death in games. Well, specifically it’s a look at the different ways we can handle the deaths of player characters, the approaches to death taken by various RPGs, character deaths we’ve found particularly memorable and suggestions for ways you can make death meaningful and interesting. So, a real bundle of laughs.... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
|
Episode 81 – The Good Friends tremble in the Dead of Night
Described as “the roleplaying game of campfire tales, slasher movies and b-movie horror”, Dead of Night is a light, simple system designed for one-shots, and can easily be explained to new players on the fly. You can create a player character in a couple of minutes, which is a good thing, given that they’re known in the game text as... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
|
Episode 82: The Good Friends pose with Pickman’s Model
We’re back, and we’re tearing into the ripe meat of another Lovecraft story. This time we discuss the charnel pleasures and toothsome delights of Pickman’s Model. While there is nothing of the cosmic about this tale, it is one of Lovecraft’s best-known works, and perhaps the purest horror story he ever penned. It introduces... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
|
Episode 83: The Good Friends ponder the appeal of RPGs
We’re back, and we’re looking at the dice clutched in our hands, asking “why?” Seriously, sitting around a table with people you like while everyone pretends to be someone else sounds pretty weird. And yet, for many, roleplaying games are a passion that borders on obsession. The three of us have spent, appropriately for this episode,... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
|
Episode 84 – The Good Friends unearth some Mythos artefacts
Happily, the scarcity of Mythos artefacts has forced us to be honest this episode. There really are only three entries. We could have included tomes or the products of human mad science, but we decided to save those for future episodes. The items we have selected are all guaranteed 100% alien, eldritch and unwholesome. The ISO number for... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
|
Episode 86 – The Good Friends play with the conventions of convention games
We’re back and we’re mostly live! No, we haven’t fallen into the clutches of Herbert West. The bulk of this episode is a live recording of a seminar we gave at the Continuum 2016 convention in Leicester. Mike Mason joins us for a discussion of what makes convention games special. This is a subject close to all of... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
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Episode 87 – The Good Friends fall under the spell of The Witch
We’re back, and we’re talking about a horror film for the first time in far too long. The Witch: A New England Folktale is one of the most unusual and ambitious horror films of recent years. It is an intelligent, sinister and beautifully made period piece, set in the days of colonial America. Few horror films pay this... [click here for more] |
Paul Fricker |
FREE
|
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