Cthulhu Britannica

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Cthulhu Britannica is a series of role-playing game supplements produced by the British game company Cubicle 7 Entertainment for use in the Call of Cthulhu role-playing game produced by Chaosium. The series allows for games to be set in the United Kingdom.

Publication history[edit]

Cubicle 7 used their license for Call of Cthulhu to publish the Cthulhu Britannica (2009) core book,[1][2]: 432  the first product in the line which included five scenarios.[3][4] Additional books were then released every year until 2012, including Shadows over Scotland.[1] In 2013 a Kickstarter campaign was run in order to produce a boxed set and series of supplements set in London, with the London Boxed Set set being released in the following year.[5][6] A dozen titles were produced for the Cthulhu Britannica line, and they spanned the British Isles with information from British folklore.[7]

Supplements[edit]

  • Cthulhu Britannica a collection of five scenarios. These are set in different time periods with the first being in Victorian London and the last being set in the future.
  • Avalon - The County of Somerset is a sourcebook detailing the county of Somerset. It includes four new scenarios as well as background information on setting games in the county.
  • Shadows Over Scotland deals with Scotland in much the same way as Avalon deals with Somerset, although it is a far larger book. Six scenarios are included.
  • Folklore details the use of British folklore in Call of Cthulhu games. It also includes nine plot hooks that can be fleshed out into larger adventures.
  • London is a boxed set which consists of three books - guidebooks for the Keeper and for Investigators and a collection of adventures. There are also four poster-sized period maps and six sheets of hand-outs for use in games.
  • The Curse of Nineveh is a campaign with seven adventures. It and its two companion books formed part of the Kickstarter campaign.
  • The Journal of Neve Selibuc is a companion to The Curse of Nineveh and is used in conjunction with that book, providing the investigators with clues and information that can help them complete the scenarios.
  • The Journal of Reginald Campbell Thompson is a second companion book to The Curse of Nineveh and also is used to provide clues.
  • London Boxed Postcard Set is a collection of nineteen-twenties style postcards to be used as plot hooks in the game with a companion book expanding on the ideas provided. The cards are written by different role-playing game writers and was available exclusively to backers of the Kickstarter. It was due for release in 2016.
  • Cards from the Smoke is a set of illustrated cards for use in the game. Each provides an illustration plus text about a location, person, threat, plot hook or other item that can be slipped into an adventure. Also part of the Kickstarter it was due for release in 2016.

Awards[edit]

Shadows over Scotland won Best Roleplaying Supplement or Adventure at the 38th Annual Origins Awards (2011)[8] and 'Gold' for Best Setting at the ENnie Awards (2012)[9]

Legacy[edit]

Stu Horvath in the 2023 book Monsters, Aliens, and Holes in the Ground, Deluxe Edition: A Guide to Tabletop Roleplaying Games from D&D to Mothership explained how "Before renovating Call of Cthulhu proper, Mike Mason and Paul Fricker did interesting work at the helm of Cthulhu Britannica for Cubicle 7 (2009), which also produced an odd fusion of war story and cosmic horror with their World War Cthulhu line (2013)."[10]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b ONeill, John (2014-03-23). "New Treasures: Cthulhu Britannica: Shadows Over Scotland by Stuart Boon". Black Gate. Archived from the original on 2024-03-23. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
  2. ^ Shannon Appelcline (2011). Designers & Dragons. Mongoose Publishing. ISBN 978-1-907702- 58-7.
  3. ^ S, Antonios (2016-04-08). "Review of Cthulhu Britannica". RPGnet. Archived from the original on 2024-03-23. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
  4. ^ Babb, Shelby (2010-06-28). "Review of Cthulhu Britannica". RPGnet. Archived from the original on 2024-03-23. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
  5. ^ "'Cthulhu Britannica London Boxed Set'". ICv2. 2015-01-13. Archived from the original on 2024-03-23. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
  6. ^ thegaminggang review
  7. ^ Jarvis, Matt (2021-08-23). "Call of Cthulhu studio acquires Cthulhu Britannica and World War Cthulhu, confirms re-releases and new titles". Dicebreaker. Archived from the original on 2024-03-23. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
  8. ^ 2011 Origins Award winners
  9. ^ "2012 Noms and Winners". ennie-awards.com. 20 August 2012.
  10. ^ Horvath, Stu (2023). Monsters, Aliens, and Holes in the Ground, Deluxe Edition: A Guide to Tabletop Roleplaying Games from D&D to Mothership. Cambridge: MIT Press. p. 87. ISBN 978-0-262-04822-4. Retrieved 2024-03-23 – via Google Books.

External links[edit]