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Full disclosure: This product was sent to us for an honest and objective review. No promises were made of financial remuneration, free gifts or holidays in the sunny Bahamas…….sadly.
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After sharing my thoughts recently on two genuinely excellent RPG starter sets from the good people at Chaosium, RuneQuest and Call of Cthulhu, the company saw fit to send on to me both the PDF and physical version of the newly released Regency Cthulhu for review…… so here goes!
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“A time of social niceties, grand balls, romantic intrigues and disappointments.Twisted horrors that have lain dormant for centuries now seek to burst forth into England.“
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The latest release for the award-winning tabletop horror game, Call of Cthulhu, released worldwide recently, allowing players to expand their game to the Regency-era of England, made famous by the novels of Jane Austen.
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Regency Cthulhu: Dark Designs in Jane Austen’s England is a historical sourcebook for Call of Cthulhu. Inside, you’ll find:
Details on Regency-era England (1811–1820).
Rules for creating Regency-era investigators, along with new period-appropriate skills and occupations.
A detailed primer on the fictional town of Tarryford, for use as a campaign setting in both 1813 and 1913.
Two scenarios with handouts and maps, designed to introduce players to the Regency era and the mysteries of Tarryford.
New rules for character Reputation and Estates, as well as Regency-era equipment and weapons.
Six pre-generated Call of Cthulhu investigators and six Pulp Cthulhu investigators, ready to pick up and play.
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The folks at Chaosium sent me both the hardcover & PDF version for review. There is also a delicious-looking leatherette cover option available to purchase as well as the pdf versions. The nice touch as always from the company is that each purchase of a physical copy will also automatically entitle the buyer to a copy of the PDF.
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The level of historical detail from writers Andrew Peregrine, Lynne Hardy (and friends) is incredible. There is no assumption from the writers that everyone will be familiar with the wider Georgian & more limited Regency periods. Instead there is, as the kids on the street call it, a real deep dive into the whole background. However, if you are the type of person that tends to avoid history lesson write-ups in core Rule books then I would encourage you to avoid that habit and dive into the historical narrative that is included here.
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This is not a dry rendition of a long-gone era. Instead, it’s an informative and entertaining examination of an time that many of us, through the works of Austen, Thackery etc, think we know about. I found myself transfixed by the descriptions of class, sexuality and race that made me quickly realise just how previously lacking I had been in knowledge about this period. What immediately comes across in the introduction is the influence of an acutely short period of history that the regency was (essentially 11 years) had on literature and the influence that it still continues in popular culture to this day.
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The book also introduces a brand-new mechanic to Call of Cthulhu: Reputation. In a similar vein to the likes of Sanity and Luck, Reputation is a fluctuating statistic that measures a character’s standing amongst others in high society and will increase and decrease during play. Your reputation essentially will guide and help or miss-speak and hinder you in your progress along the game’s narrative.
It seemingly acts in a way as your pass to explore a rich and intricate approach to roleplaying, helping to unlock the plethora of formality, etiquette and manners in this textured and layered regency world. I cannot wait to incorporate this new and exciting feature into my first gameplay.
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A nicely detailed primer on the fictional English town of Tarryford gives a beginning Keeper everything they need to use the town as a setting for their Call of Cthulhu games in both 1813 and 1913.
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Regency Cthulhu also includes an additional two scenarios designed to introduce players to the Regency-era. The scenarios can be played as one-off games, or used as the foundation for an ongoing campaign.
The Long Corridor, the investigators discover a curious architectural feature during a ball at the home of Lord and Lady Northlake. One of the corridors in the house is longer than it should be. But this is not just a bizarre design trick on the architect’s part—a nightmare is beginning to unravel around young Miss Elizabeth, the Northlake’s only child; one that reveal’s long forgotten secrets and terrors.
The Emptiness Within uncovers more of Tarryford’s macabre mysteries. A strange sleeping sickness takes hold of the town. Something that has lain buried for centuries is now unearthed, and the investigators must travel beyond the veil of sleep if they hope to put it to rest.
The level of cartography for the maps is of a high and consistent quality throughout.
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The good folks at Chaosium were also kind enough to send me the PDF version of the book and associated materials. along with the Regency Cthulhu Keeper and Player Resources – 120 pages of FREE resources to all, including Plain Text Handouts. This seems to be the ‘new normal’ in terms of releases from Chaosium, essentially simultaneously releasing pdf and physical copies instead of the traditional delay between the two forms……So check them out!
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Conclusions
I cannot help but say that Chaosium have once again set the highest of bars for their releases – this time nailing the release of an expansion to an already much-loved game. For a start, the book is beautifully designed – the cover itself is stunning with the characters in the foreground displayed in a delicious deathly blood-red hue, while the background is a familiar Austenesque manor house bathed in country sunshine. All of which immediately suggests that danger, death and horror are not too far underneath the surface of everyday mannered existence.
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Throughout the book, the artwork is sublime as is not only supports and exemplifies the core rules of the game but also looks beautiful as a separate entity on its own with an impressive attention to detail and historical accuracy.
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From the level of fascinating historical detail, through the delicious artwork on display throughout, to the bounty of free resources that come with the product – it is practically perfect. Yes, it could be argued for some new to the Cthulhu mythos that in parts it can be somewhat dense in tone and detail when it comes to exploring the mechanics, for example. However, I would advise newbies to this wonderful universe to take it steady and you will find it an incredible ride as you immerse yourself in the worlds of Regency England and Cthulhu……what a delicious combination!
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However, don’t just take my word for it……check out some gameplay for yourself. Chaosium have released an actual play of REGENCY CTHULHU and is available on the Chaosium YouTube channel. The event features Saige Ryan (Pixel Circus), London Carlisle (Ain’t Slayed Nobody), Paula Deming (Things Get Dicey), and Cynthia Marie (New York By Night). The game is run by Chaosium’s Marketing Director, Brian Holland.
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About Chaosium
Chaosium was founded by visionary game designer Greg Stafford in 1975. For more than forty years, Chaosium has captivated gamers, readers and mythic adventurers worldwide. Its award-winning roleplaying games, board games and fiction have been acclaimed as some of the most engaging and innovative of all time.
www.chaosium.com
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