I found the Greek myth elements to be a fresh take on chilling creep of classic Cthulu.

The relaunch of RuneQuest through RQ:G got me back into Glorantha, but these volumes got me back into running a game. At the end of every session the players all want to know when is the next one, so it is not just me that is hooked, either.

A beautifully written scenario by Momiji san that sets in Uji, an old Kyoto town in Taisho Era (the early 1920s), translated with great care and respect by David san. Simple storyline but very intriguing with the fusion of Japanese folklore and Cthulhu Mythos.
I run this to a group of mixed experienced and new players, they all enjoyed the historical setting behind the story as well as interesting NPCs and unique handouts. To maximise the players satisfaction, I recommend to allow them to take time and digest the information obtained. David san added many amazing Japanese artwork and old pictures, along with the map of Uji, which help the players immerse deep into the Taisho era Kyoto. Nice work.

I don't think the achievement that this book is can be overstated. It is THE most impressive Runequest/Glorantha related book that has come out at least since the Guide to Glorantha. And yes, I'm including any Chaosium publication.

Mark Smylie is one of the best suited artists ever for portraying the everyday people of Glorantha, and Katrin Dirim is one of the most apt at portraying the mythological aspects. Both of them have dozens of pieces in this book, making it perhaps the best illustrated Gloranthan book. Like the author's legendary "Armies and Enemies of Dragon Pass", this book is a detailed reference work packed with information, but it is also an entertaining read with dozens of pages colorful narratives and personality,

If you have any interest in Glorantha, owning a copy should be a priority.

Es una aventura chulísima. Mucho folk horror en la España profunda de primeros de siglo XX perfectamente entrelazado con las controversias políticas y los mitos de Cthulhu.

Roy's art is a wonderful enhancement for the 'Pavis & Big Rubble Companion: Director's Cut'. I am very grateful he is a fan of the series and wanted to contribute, and fully recommend this independent series of awesome game aids. Great work!

Overview: The Lottery is a solid first adventure from Robert Stoll; I look forward to seeing more adventures from him. This adventure is fairly short and easily playable in a few hours.

The artwork was very good and greatly aided setting up the VTT. Most of the NPCs had artwork associated with them. Most groups immediately recognized the clue on The Deep Cut map and took advantage. The tactical map for Salmon Run is really nice. The other two tactical maps aren't as well detailed. Players were somewhat confused with the Serpentine map and needed GM input to understand the vertical nature of the map.

The adventure comes with six pregenerated characters; I used this with a group of already generated PCs. To a minor extent, the adventure assumes some skills that are present in the pregenerated characters and this caused some minor difficulties. (See below for more detail.)

While the players will easily spot the type of story challenges when Samorela volunteers for the ritual, the players were still OK with it and flowed with the story.

Overall, the players enjoyed the adventure and I heartily recommend it to other GMs.

SPOILERS BELOW

The adventure makes two important assumptions regarding the PCs that can lead to problems.

The first assumption is that the PCs won't immediately go chasing after the cultists. However, the PCs have been hired on as the guards for the caravan, but they are expected to let the cultists leave Hill Ridge with their employers. The preferred outcome has the employers captive for 1-2 days while the PCs figure out how to make a rescue.

The second assumption is that the PCs both know that the Crimson Bat is no longer in the Middle World and that they are able to persuade the people of The Deep Cut about those facts. Unless the PCs include someone able to read New Pelorian, they can't find the the excerpt that will get the locals to help in the rescue attempt. (None of my PCs could read New Pelorian. They either had to persuade the locals to help or attack the cultists with no help from the villagers.)

Finally, does it really matter that the Crimson Bat isn't present in the Middle World? The Lunar Empire wants to summon the bat back and any prior agreements with Lunar subjects should still be in force whether the villagers will be sacrificed directly to the bat or sacrificed to summon the bat. From the perspective of the Lunar Empire, the people of The Deep Cut have resisted the Lunar Empire in a key military objective. It seems to me that the Lunar Empire will return (at some point) and take all of the villagers as sacrifices for the crimson bat.

"Strange Carol" for is a masterfully balanced custom scenario with captivating artwork that elevates the gaming experience. The unique and intriguing concept unfolds seamlessly, offering a thrilling yet fair challenge. I highly recommend it to fellow Cthulhu enthusiasts, as it delivers an immersive and memorable journey into the mysterious and macabre.

Great use of historical photos, investigators, a compelling hunt and good use of my fav Mythos monster, but a strong obstacle against the party. Writer anticipates some choices by your players, gives you an area map, and floor plans for a high class manor, make for an easy to run scenario.

Read the full review: https://stygian-muse.com/william-baileys-haunted-mansion-call-of-cthulhu/ William Bailey’s Haunted Mansion is a historical Call of Cthulhu scenario set in 1890s Ballarat, a mining town in Australia. William Bailey, the local mining baron, has been losing sleep due to a series of break-ins and a particularly unsettling encounter with something he swears was inhuman. This scenario is a lively and well put-together one-shot that practically runs itself.

This review was originally published on my website, https://akhelas.com/2024/01/26/review-sacred-earth-sacred-water/ Disclaimers: I received a free PDF copy of Sacred Earth, Sacred Water from the publisher. Thank you! I feel it’s worth noting that I’m a prior purchaser of all the collected adventures. This review may contain spoilers. I contributed to playtesting and proofreading “Stone and Bone,” and I am included in the additional thanks for this volume.

Sacred Earth, Sacred Water collects together the following adventures:

In Stone and Bone the adventurers meet the shaman Erhehta and confront a scorpion man nest while helping retrieve sacred mud to cleanse him of the Bone Curse. The Gifts of Prax sees the adventurers wander across the Plains of Prax to prepare for a ritual taking revenge on the Impala Tribe shaman Maserelt. Finally, the mini-campaign of Erhehta and Maserelt’s feud concludes with the adventurers confronting The Lifethief in the magic-less Dead Place. Meanwhile in The Temple of Twins the adventurers heroquest into a wounded temple to discover the fate of its Rune Priestess. The volume also contains a new, comprehensive description of the Straw Weaver Clan of the Bison Tribe. This 20-page chapter is densely packed with useful information about Praxian myths, culture, family structure, cults, and politics. By providing additional context about life in the Bison Tribe this chapter helps the gamemaster play Praxian non-player characters within their own worldview. There’s no implication that the gamemaster must get something “right.” Rather, I see this content as designed to help the table roleplay engaging with an imaginary culture distant in time and space from our own.

It’s also worth emphasizing this chapter’s value for inspiring new adventures. Clan and tribal rivalries offer excuses for raids (and why raids might go wrong), while myths like “The Stone that Spoke” provide an intriguing starting point for a heroquest. Many of the non-player characters in this chapter are not tied into the adventures. I see this as a strength, because it offers the gamemaster freedom to use them without accidentally mucking up a later plot.

The “Notable Personalities” section, in my mind, has an interesting parallel to Chaosium’s Lightbringers book. Lightbringers provides a great deal of context and setting through its description of the included religions. In compliment with that, the characters in Sacred Earth, Sacred Water demonstrate how those cults are lived by actual people. By providing concrete examples of Khans of Waha and Storm Bull, Praxian Humakti, Herd Mothers, and shamans, this book highlights the emotional experience of worshiping these religions. Few—if any—characters struck me as molded wholly by their cult. For example, Erhehta is a Daka Fal shaman, but his Water Rune defines his mercurial personality. The secret sauce for the personalities is that they’re provided within their own context. Their hopes and fears are tangible.

The stories in Sacred Earth, Sacred Water focus on the adventurers as outsiders assisting the Straw Weavers with various problems. These mostly revolve around the shaman Erhehta and his feud with the Impala Tribe shaman Maserelt. Together, those three adventures form a mini-campaign with ample hooks by which the gamemaster can hang additional adventures. “The Temple of Twins” also involves the Straw Weavers, but does not have the same focus on Erhehta.

As BWT’s promotional material states, Sacred Earth, Sacred Water contains “four acclaimed scenarios.” This acclamation, in my opinion, is best explained the adventures’ diversity of conflict. It’s easy to boil Praxian activities down to “raid someone” or “fight Chaos.” Throughout the whole book, BWT resists that urge with aplomb. There’s a great deal of horror in Sacred Earth, Sacred Water—but there’s also strangeness, and compassion, and magic. Some of my favorite examples include the gleeful way scorpionmen babies “bite with cute, tiny toddler teeth,” the possibility that one’s sacred duty is not saving the Rune Priestess, and the various problems of feeding a condor chick while in the chaparral.

Adventurers of both martial and spiritual archetypes (or perhaps Waha and Eiritha?) have a meaningful impact on each adventure. Despite playing out around a feud between two powerful shamans, these adventures place a strong focus on the players’ choices. The players absolutely have a say in the plot’s resolution. Heroic adventurers are needed, not mere assistants. For example, “The Gifts of Prax” culminates in Erhehta’s ritual to stampede Maserelt with a herd of ghostly bison. However, Maserelt’s apprentice has informed the adventurers of why she cursed Erhehta in the first place. The adventurers influence the story’s outcome by choosing the extent to which they assist Erhehta—or indeed, if they persuade him that looming Chaos is more important than the irascible shaman’s vengeance.

Each adventure’s outcome is not fixed in stone (or bone). They revolve around the players’ choices and their adventurers’ deeds.

Finally, Sacred Earth, Sacred Water is supported by a whopping 40-page appendix of Praxian encounters. These encounters can be used to extend any of the adventures—especially “The Gifts of Prax,” which involves the most travel—to offer problems while adventurers are traveling from A to B, or to inspire longer adventures. What if that hill claimed by a squadron of peccaries has the only spring in the area?

These encounters are largely drawn from the original publications of Gifts of Prax, The Lifethief, and The Temple of Twins. Working from memory of when I read the originals, I believe that a handful of new encounters have been added, more have been illustrated, and that many have been revised. This appendix really is a goldmine for anyone venturing into Prax. Much like the conflicts in the adventures “proper,” the encounters are creative and diverse. Some of my favorites include a tumbleweed Aldryami, a honey badger with “Give a Damn 0%,” and a stodgy Pure Horse People ghost.

Sacred Earth, Sacred Water is produced to a high standard of prose quality, textual polish, and graphic presentation. BWT’s accomplishment shares the same space as books like Ships & Shores or The Voralans whose production quality blurs the line between “independent” and “full-scale” publisher. Speaking from experience, getting a book this tidy with a small team is hard work.

BWT’s prose in particular deserves a shout-out. I can tell their work is very well edited because it is generally—but not always!—concise and straightforward. That last 10% of flash is not a mistake. It’s the little bit of flash which really helps a book of adventures shine. There’s lovely little gems throughout Sacred Earth, Sacred Water which improve its “armchair” quality without getting in the way of the gamemaster. That’s a difficult target to hit, and the team has done it admirably.

The text’s polish is strong as well, though perhaps a dash less than the editing. I’m compulsive about proofreading, I know. The main typo ninjas I noticed were the occasional missed capital on spell or season names.

On a related note, I do think the book would have benefited from a bit more uniformity in presentation. For example, spell names seem to be italicized in “Temple of Twins” and “The Straw Weavers,” but are roman in the other adventures. As another example, I suggest that the “Aftermath” and plot hooks could share unified presentation at the end of each adventure (whether it’s a chapter or a heading, whether or not to use bullet points, etc.).

The art in Sacred Earth, Sacred Water is excellent. My favorite piece is probably the cover (shown above). Throughout, there is a focus on single-figure illustrations—especially portraits—with each adventure’s cover art used as a full-page plate on the adventure’s first spread. Most of the new art is in the “Straw Weavers” chapter. I believe there’s a few pieces in the encounters appendix which are new as well.

A young morokanth playing with the family’s herd man. Sacred Earth, Sacred Water‘s illustrations work well with the book’s focus on usable and informative content for the table. The art features details of Praxian culture within portraits and scenes which the players encounter. As a gamemaster, I’d feel encouraged to show players images from the book without fearing spoilers about the story. Line illustrations throughout the volume add an additional charm to the publication. These typically feature animals, Runes, or objects as they might be drawn by the Praxians themselves.

The only critique which comes to mind concerning graphics is that the primarily black and white art of “Stone and Bone” contrasts with the color art in the rest of the book. Naturally re-illustrating an entire adventure is a waste of time, but I think an extra bit of color in that chapter could have gone a long way.

(Yes, I am saying that I want color art of the scorpion man toddlers.)

Sacred Earth, Sacred Water collects and expands upon some of the best RuneQuest adventures produced for the current edition. It deftly blends a narrow focus on the Prax Homeland with easy accessibility to groups throughout the core Dragon Pass region. BWT’s work lands firmly on the “table” side of my “armchair or kitchen table” spectrum, yet retains a great deal of armchair entertainment value.

Apart from a bit more unity of presentation, just one other critique comes to mind. I feel the “Straw Weavers” chapter could use more explicit support for creating Praxian adventurers from the clan. For example, saying something like “Players who wish to play Straw Weaver adventurers should use the RuneQuest core rules for creating Praxians.” I also think there’s some space to expand on Straw Weaver adventurers (such as a Praxian trinkets table, or a unique Straw Weaver event during the Family History). Sacred Earth, Sacred Water doesn’t need a comprehensive adventurer creation section (as in the excellent Duckpac), but additional player options would have been a fun bonus.

Overall, I esteem this book among works like The Pegasus Plateau & Other Stories or Six Seasons in Sartar which are not, strictly speaking, mandatory. Nonetheless, all of these works offer enormous fun and utility to RuneQuest gamemasters, players, and readers alike.

If you haven’t explored BWT’s Prax before, Sacred Earth, Sacred Water is the perfect entry point. It is available in the following editions:

PDF: $19.95 Hardcover, Standard Color: $35.95 Hardcover, Premium Color: $49.95 At around 170 pages, any edition is an absolute bargain.

That said, this is an omnibus of prior content. I do think it’s valid, as a consumer who has previously purchased the PDFs, to consider if the PDF price is worth the new content. For me… probably not, actually. A lot of invisible work goes into revising, collating, producing, and print-prepping a book like this, and I don’t want to trivialize that. But the “Straw Weavers” chapter is the most overt new material, and I honestly don’t think I’d pay $20 for it.

With that in mind, I do believe $20 is the correct price for this book! The Jonstown Compendium just doesn’t really have the backend support to provide a more nuanced approach. That’s not the fault of BWT, or Chaosium, or anyone else involved in the program. (Hey, maybe DriveThruRPG’s ongoing rework will change that!) $20 is expensive for “Straw Weavers,” but as I said before, it’s an absolute bargain for new customers.

Further, I love that this work is finally in Print on Demand. It’s a product I’ve wanted to put on my shelf for a while, and now that opportunity’s available.

The real question: when does Sacred Air, Sacred Fire come out?

Even if I never use this in game, Sartar is so much clearer to me now. I can picture it more vividly, knowing how it is connected.

Visions of Myth collects Katrin Dirim's superb art from Ships & Shores, and it's a brilliant release, fully deserving of its own physical edition. The illustrations, detailed and gorgeous, range from the shorelines of Seshnela and the Holy Country to depictions of cities such as Nochet and Kaxtorplose, all of them filled to the brim with minute details visible to the sharp Gloranthaphile eye. All of the illustrations are accompanied by Martin's excellent text, which provides exhaustive context to the corresponding depictions. If you like Katrin's magnificent art, Martin's outstanding writing and insight - or both, as it should be - then do yourself a favor and get Visions of Myth. It's worth every cent.

An extremely amusing piece of propaganda, that made me laugh a fair bit, actually it was quite inspired and I found it a pleasing read, the art was also really nice, but the pitfall was in the game design, you can feel it's far from the original game and it sticks out a bit, if you are in for the joke or you actually believe this stuff you are in for a treat! but I suggest using it as flavour or making some mechanic changes here and there

What a trippy scenario, could be played as a suspicious members of the counter culture or as straight-edged detectives, a little Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, a Little Dragnet, Inherent Vice. Riding a line between real life events and a Cthulhu Purple pastiche of the past. Great use of public domain photos to really get you in the head space of the time period. Clever drug rules appendix for those who imbibe, but stay away from that blotter, my man, just sayin'