Pax Cthuliana - RPG Review

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Review and Game Master tips for the adventure Pax Cthuliana, an investigation scenario set in 1920’s London that uses music and puzzles as the key elements. It's also completely system-neutral, meaning you can run the adventure with any RPG system you like.
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Опубликовано:

13 мар 2018

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Комментарии : 96

@derekburge5294 6 лет назад

Thank YOU, Jack the NPC! I'm rather fond of this world, so it's nice to see it get saved once in a while.

@Squirrelbslayer 6 лет назад

The Professor Tolkien thing actually makes a bit more sense than you might think. Ungoliant (Shelob's light devouring mother) is an eldritch horror for nearly certain. And the line "Far, far beneath the deepest delvings of the dwarves, the world is gnawed by nameless things." You could work that in without much trouble. It's very possible he'd been taking peeks into that copy of the Necronomicon.

@IdiotinGlans 3 года назад

I now imagine PCs bring up the Necronomicon to NPC Tolkien and he calmly explains to them that as a fellow professional of linguistics he respects the translator but he believes he made some glarring mistakes, quotes some random line and then says he believes it should be the line about dwarves you brought up.

@Skullkan6 3 года назад

Plus he was a renowned linguist

@brendancoulter5761 2 года назад

I get what you are saying but its not like Love craft was the first to make stories including mysterious other worldly monsters of unspeakable horror. For Pete sake the Bible had forces so terrible you would be turned into a pillar of salt if you gazed apon them. Lovecraft does not own horror.

@mikewagner1319 2 года назад

@@brendancoulter5761 that is true however this is a game based on his stories…

@J2982able 2 года назад

@@brendancoulter5761 The archangel Michael (IIRC) is the one that turned Lot's wife to salt for turning and looking back at Sodom's destructio, after having been instructed not to do so.

@NefariousKoel 2 года назад

Tip on creating puzzle pieces, or any kind of tokens: Get a pack of cheap floor tiles with adhesive backing. Then print off whatever you need on regular paper, remove the adhesive cover off the back of the floor tile, and press your print-off onto the adhesive. It's easy to smooth out as you press it on. Then take a utility knife, preferably using a metal ruler for straight-line cuts and a cutting pad underneath, and cut those suckers out. It takes some pressure but you can get them in one cut. While the tiles are slightly flexible, they're very tough and have a good weightiness to them for their size. I pillaged this idea from a tabletop wargamer years ago who was busy crafting his own print-n-play stuff. I've since used it to make mini-flats and rulers for a warship minis game and some other odds and ends. The pack of tiles will last me through quite a few self-crafted games.

@oz_jones 2 месяца назад

Thanks, will try this sometimes

@NefariousKoel 2 месяца назад

@@oz_jones You may want to go with heavier printer paper stock as the adhesive on the back of the tiles can be rather heavy duty and may show through after awhile.

@ClutchSituation 6 лет назад

I'm surprised you didn't comment on the editing of the adventure given that you are usually appropriately critical. I think viewers deserve to know that the product is full of errors. Granted, these guys aren't native English speakers and that should be considered. I read somewhere that they got some editing help as they prepared to get the product in it's final form. Whomever they got to help them with the editing didn't do a very thorough job. I hope they keep making products because this was clearly a labor of love and I do not regret purchasing it in any way. My stretch for them is to continue to improve editing over time to unlock more doors for them.

@SSkorkowsky 6 лет назад

Little things like typos don't bother me as long as I understand what it is they're saying (Hell, I rarely notice most typos unless they jar me). I leave that for the abundance of reviewers who read a module and review it without ever actually playing it. The only real error that I noticed was the Handouts numbering in John Doe's flat, which could potentially confuse a GM (as it threw me for a bit), so I mentioned that. The typos I normally point out fall into the category of confusing, such as mis-labeled maps (Madness in London Town) or mentioning of characters who aren't actually in the adventure (Dead Light). However, I will harp on it if the layout of the book is confusing to read in-game (The Derelict, The Star on the Shore).

@jesternario 4 года назад

Is it bad that I now want to hear Jason Stratham do his best impression of Dick Van Dyke’s chimney sweep?

@DJSeeker67 4 года назад

Thanks for the review, Seth. Based on your review, I used this adventure with some heavy modifications to make it work in The Laundry universe. It worked very well. This is a great module with a lot of room for additions and alterations that all lead up to the same endings.

@SSkorkowsky 4 года назад

I'm glad you all had fun with it.

@euansmith3699 4 года назад

So, if C'thulhu couldn't return until St Paul's is destroyed, that would explain what the real target of the London Blitz was during WW2. ;)

@bennitori4 3 года назад

My god.... we've had to deal with nazi vampires and nazi zombies. Now you're telling me we got nazi cthulu cultists too? I don't even know how you'd begin to approach that kind of menace.

@pendularnuncius2618 3 года назад

That's a good way to link this into a campaign! St Paul's cathedral is bombed, and the players, maybe a few of which are descendants of the heroes of this scenario, know about this possible plot from the Nazis, and have to try to end the return, choosing a new holy place

@doeliewaaje1761 6 лет назад

These videos have inspired so many of my campaigns, keep up the great work seth!

@dixieflatline9772 4 года назад

What a coincidence that I would meet Tolkien using my short, shoeless, opium addicted character.

@Incrediblefatslug 6 лет назад

Seth always bringing those high quality videos. Keep it up man. I've learned so much from you

@MaxWriter 6 лет назад

Nicely done. I always enjoy these.

@rickeymariu1 6 лет назад

I love these!!!!

@michaelarkangel518 6 лет назад

Man, I’ve been waiting to hear your thoughts on this! Thanks for the great review Seth!

@faaroncarthy680 6 лет назад

Another great video, I can't wait until your cthuluh play setup on chase mechanics.

@evilscientistrecords 6 лет назад

Thanks, Seth, for this walkthrough! It's great to hear reviews from people who have actually played it -- that's the true try of any adventure, obviously.

@adreakane5447 5 лет назад

OMG, Jack is Thranduil the elven king!

@joedredd1168 Год назад

Wow! Never thought I'd see Professor J.R.R. Tolkien, Aleister Crowley and Cthulhu mentioned in the same video. By the by it would be the single most awesome and epic thing ever to see J.R.R. Tolkien do battle with Eldritch horrors alongside H.P. Lovecraft, C.S. Lewis and Robert E. Howard.

@DFloyd84 7 месяцев назад

If they made a film adaptation of the battle, it would star W.C. Fields and be directed by D.W. Griffith.😄

@alissaholiday3724 3 года назад

I'm just glad he pronounced Crowley's name properly

@NefariousKoel 6 лет назад

I know you know what I know you know 4:03 In Media Res On Elm Street 5:23 What's up (again) Doc? 7:21 The 'Butt Map' to Saddam's Gold 9:02 The Zodiac's Trailer House 9:39 Is it nice, my preciousss? Is it juicy? 12:47 I am become Nick Cage, Tennessee Vampire 15:29 Schrodinger's Bullet-Time Cat 16:48 I'm going to Disney World! 19:40 Your videos inspire me Seth. Thank you. Love the content! B-) Only wish I had got around to doing this hits list earlier.

@jsanz6964 6 лет назад

Man, I thought this was about Rome. Like you know pax romana or something like that.

@johnjustjohn5866 5 лет назад

If you expect anything in call of cthulhu then you're probably wrong.

@3rdtimesthecharm376 Месяц назад

It pays homage to the Pax Britannica

@Tysto 2 года назад

I hope Chaosium notices it's worth it to have decent character portraits….

@wanderinghistorian 6 лет назад

I like your videos before watching them now. I don't run Cthulhu, but your videos give me all kinds of ideas for my D&D games. Plus I may eventually run Cthulhu too. :)

@calvinmaynardtmt 3 года назад

I ran this for my usual players and a couple of guests -- we had a BLAST, even though we literally only ended up rolling dice once during an entire evening's session.

@NoFlu 6 лет назад

Ahh it seems like Jack's credit rating went up.... Nice Review as always....

@OldtimerOfSweden 4 года назад

I can see why you recommend steering the players away from this being a hunt for the five pieces of the puzzle - since not all them are actually placed in the adventure. I went the opposite way and made it very much about hunting down the pieces (as well as the clues of how to arrange them), placing then all in the adventure. I reproduced the puzzle pieces out of clay and fitted them with small magnets on the sides, so they would stick together. I also covered the top with a layer of glow-in-the-dark paint and sat prepared with a UV-flashlight for when the correct arrangement was reached and the symbols activated. It made for a fantastic hand-out and didn't detract from the role-playing one iota.

@TheMerrox 6 лет назад

I could buy this book for just the art, looks great.

@verlandes1 5 лет назад

I ran this with my group, and it just didn’t jive with us. The opening was really hype and my players were pumped up, but as soon it turned into a clue chase it stagnated.

@joshlipay9713 Год назад

Jack's line at 7:25 is pure gold 😂

@jesternario 6 лет назад

I would love to see any outtakes that may have happened while you were filming this. That aroma joke must’ve taken two or three takes. The. Again, the salt on the hat scene from the slug monster adventure must of taken a few games as well.

@TheodoreKalamov 6 лет назад

Absolutely love your Cthulhu videos, Seth! Have you played any games using the Pulp Cthulhu supplement, and what's the general experience that you've had with it?

@SSkorkowsky 6 лет назад

I love Pulp Cthulhu. We converted to it over a year ago and results have been great. I'll be doing a review of it eventually, probably when I'm wrapping up my big How-To for Call of Cthulhu 7e.

@NodDisciple1 6 лет назад

12:04. Could Blue Oyster Cult music be used for this part since one of the symbols looks like the logo for the band?

@nicknumber1512 3 года назад

Hmm. In the Presence of Another World? It has a nice spooky, reasonably thematic intro for the first 1:20, then abruptly jumps into a rocking guitar line. This would give the players a little time to work on the puzzle, before shattering their concentration. You could try to time it to have someone interrupt them and kick off an action sequence just then. Maybe turn the song off about halfway through though. It does go on a little too long IMO.

@PossumMedic 3 года назад

Main takeaway: We need to hear your British accent! xD Thanks for the review! :D

@jamesonstalanthasyu 2 года назад

This puzzle was also easy to just make as a clay item irl.

@AliceBaker 3 года назад

Oh I would love you take on kickstater items. while they are underway

@jesternario 6 лет назад

If you run Dungeons & Dragons, I would highly recommend Delving the Dark by DM G. A nice 5 level dungeon crawl that is non-system specific, which means you can play it with whatever game you want. Also, it can be purchased for as little as a dollar if you don’t want the deluxe version.

@Frivolitility 4 года назад

Not sure the cover artist intended for Cthulhu to look adorable.

@ladybuzzkillington2072 3 года назад

Im definitely excited to one day have my players play this module. However before that, im gonna use that national treasure vibe in my current campaign. Tomorrow im doing Idol of Thoth which im using as a hook for my general campaign im writing. But now im going to move a few things around in location and give then a National Treasure vibe for part of it. Hunting through the tombs of the Founding Fathers

@zerg0s 6 лет назад

...can we get bloopers of Jack attempting the access? Please?

@fastsniperfox6250 6 лет назад

Hey Seth, do you have any plans on reviewing the Paper Chase scenario written by John Sullivan? It's a great starter scenario and can be run for a solo player character. Would love to hear your thoughts on it, cheers.

@SSkorkowsky 6 лет назад

It's actually on my short-list of scenarios to run. My best friend and I have been discussing doing a bunch of solo games (which there are too few of). Once I've run it, I'll definitely give it a review.

@fastsniperfox6250 6 лет назад

That's awesome! I've been using it to introduce people to the Cthulhu Mythos and RPG gaming in general, I will be eagerly awaiting the video.

@connorschultz380 4 года назад

Well, he has now

@JessiD618 3 года назад

Are plans for the clay puzzle available for 3D printing?

@JoeKerr019 5 лет назад

can you please review Masks of Nyarlathotep and Beyond Mountains of Madness...or Achtung! cthulhu?

@krispalermo8133 4 года назад

13:40 Dam it ! Someone open the BOX !

@Susrek 6 месяцев назад

Please do Svalbard.

@Wolfphototech 3 года назад

🌟 *Please do character creation guides / overview for other systems you & your groups play .* *Just like you did for Call of Cthulhu 7th edition .* *I really want to learn more about RuinQuest RolePlaying in glorantha , Conan , aliens , delta green & Advanced Dungeons & dragons 1 & 2 .*

@mattfrandsen1244 3 года назад

Seeing that I'm handy with a tile saw, I'm going to make my puzzle with some spare tile I have lying around.

@SSkorkowsky 3 года назад

That sounds like a great plan. I want pics when you're done. Also, stick some felt pads or something on the bottom of the tiles so your players can slide them around into position without scratching the table.

@mattfrandsen1244 3 года назад

@@SSkorkowsky I definitely will Seth. While mowing my lawn I was thinking of making them with a combination of different mediums. Like tile, wood block printings, and carvings.

@krispalermo8133 4 года назад

This game is set in 1940 ? You could place the game in the middle of WWII fire bombings of London !

@MortisLegio 4 года назад

1927

@verlandes1 6 лет назад

I’m about to run this, been reading it over a couple of times and making preparations. One thing: it seems real easy for the PCs to miss Angel. Only one clue leads to her, and it doesn’t really make her seem that important. Any tips on how to better stress that they should pay her a visit?

@SSkorkowsky 6 лет назад

My players didn't have any trouble, but if there's a hitch and your players miss it, then Vitas Varnas can make an appearance and say something cryptic about Angels, bodyguards, and the Necronomicon book club. Or, you can change it to where she had the dreams, too and they bump into her at St Pauls.

@cosmicwartoad2587 3 месяца назад

Ever thought of downloading alien looking fonts or using design software to design your own runes?

@greglong7170 6 лет назад

Have you considered filming your group going through the adventures you review to let folks see how they play in action?

@SSkorkowsky 6 лет назад

We discussed it and the decision was that Game Days are our personal time for a group of long-time friends to hang out and just have fun. A camera in the room would feel intrusive.

@greglong7170 6 лет назад

Understandable. You guys ever consider setting up special gaming events to specifically record outside of the normal game day? I lack a group of people who enjoy this kind of horror as much as I do (they like WoD but that isn't the same kind of horror. Or even horror in some cases). Well, ok. I lack a group right now period. But I've been enjoying listening to adventures online for games that I feel I'll never get a chance to experience :)

@meaninglessprose 6 лет назад

Maybe, instead of Game Day intrusion, you and your players can do a game playing skit? like a demo thing? A play demonstration, or a show of how things could get off track, etc etc etc? Cause it would be super cool to see your group, though also disappointing if they aren't all you in various guises/roles.

@meaninglessprose 6 лет назад

I have mild anxiety, as much as I would love to play at a group in person, I get panic attacks over it, so I play over on roll20, you should consider online play, it comes in all sorts of forms. play by post, play with mics and cams, mics only, text only, (which I do) different websites, apps and programs too.

@greglong7170 6 лет назад

I'm very familiar with the various forms of online play. My statements about not finding a group also relate to online play as much as it does offline play.

@Gavgoyle 6 лет назад

Seth, have you ever played/considered playing the Chaosium super-adventure 'Beyond the Mountains of Madness?' I picked it up a few years ago, but never had a good Call of Cthulhu group that I was able to run with.

@SSkorkowsky 6 лет назад

Haven't played it. I love the original Lovecraft story, so it does interest me.

@Gavgoyle 6 лет назад

Cibithulhu #Bates World Good gaming to you! It looks pretty epic in scope!

@raphaelperry8159 6 лет назад

Cthulu scenarios have a habit of forcing in historical figures. I recall a rather well written scenario from White Dwarf featuring Dashiel Hammet, Theda Bara and a Hound of Tindalos. From what I can recall Theda Bara had hired Dashiel Hammet to investigate the disappearance of a co star or something like that. He was tired & frustrated because his investigation was drawing blanks (because the monster was coming from another dimension to make its attacks).

@raphaelperry8159 6 лет назад

Obviously this was back when White Dwarf was a magazine. Before it became a glorified catalogue.

@VitasVarnas 6 лет назад

So would that mean once I’ve passed away, I might be considered a historical figure?

@raphaelperry8159 6 лет назад

Perhaps. You might even get to appear as a cameo role as an npc in someone else's game :).

@VitasVarnas 6 лет назад

Haha you’ll be surprised that I actually have quite a few already: FTL, Legends of Callasia, Mages of Mystralia, Fear Effect Sedna, etc 😉

@michaelarkangel518 5 лет назад

If you are running this on Roll20, the music is all available on that site!

@RCP641 4 года назад

Am I the only person that has Ozzy Osborne stuck in his head after watching this video? Mr. Crowley to be specific.

@JohnSmith-qq7fm 3 года назад

One in 240 chance, a tiny possibility. Someone has never watched a player roll 00 on percentile twice in a row....

@johnpineda9373 6 лет назад

Samantha bee put her ad up and I blocked her channel the ad instantly goes away. Now for the sexiest man in Role Playing Games, the second is Mathew Mercer.

@shotgunridersweden 3 года назад

Im always confused when i hear the word "heavily roleplaying" and then in the same sentence or next refering to what the players know. I mean a characters knowledge wouldnt be the same as my own, if im relying on my own knowledge, im kinda meta gaming the whole thing rather than roleplaying it? This is actually my biggest problem with the OSR stuff as well as its focusing more on the players than their charactwrs. But i digress. Anyway you might have meant this another way, maybe i misunderstood you, would yiu like to clarify?

@SSkorkowsky 3 года назад

Sure. With this adventure, there's little to no need for game mechanics. No need for 'Search' or 'Knowledge' types of skill rolls. Hit points or any of that don't really matter. So it's not, "Roll the dice and tell me if your character succeeds." It's more, "Tell me what your character does and how they go about it." Player knowledge is best in that the players have at least know basic knowledge of the Cthulhu Mythos. (i.e. There's a big squid-faced interdimensional horror named Cthulhu who when it awakens is going to mess everything up. Magic is a thing. Basic stuff like that.) Many Cthulhu-type games, learning that world information is part of the game for both the players and characters. With this, discovering that information isn't the objective. It's best if the players walk in knowing the foundations, that way we can just focus on the adventure at hand.

@shotgunridersweden 3 года назад

@@SSkorkowsky thanks, now i understand that i misunderstood :-)

@EHAmos 4 года назад

The only problem I have with this review is that, for some reason, the author used "Game Master" and "Keeper" interchangeably, so you'll want to be sure to pick one and commit to it before you play it for your PCs.