We’re back and we’re under the influence. Sure, the alien entity taking up residence in our heads may not technically be a demon, but that feels like an academic distinction right now. It’s little comfort to learn that the thing messing with your thoughts is a giant insect from another planet or a discorporate consciousness from the primordial past. If it walks like a demon and quacks like a demon, we’re happy to call it a badly mangled metaphor. Possession in Call of Cthulhu is a messy business, leading to madness and terror, and not even innocent clichés are safe.

Main Topic: Possession in Call of Cthulhu

Following last episode’s discussion of Late Night With the Devil, we thought we’d look at the role of possession in Call of Cthulhu. While there may not be any literal demons in the Cthulhu Mythos, that doesn’t mean there’s no possession. Between Yithians, shan, deathless sorcerers, and whatever horrors you create for your own games, there are plenty of entities that can take over a human host and drive them to do weird or horrible things.

But how do we handle all this in our games? Can having their investigator possessed be a fun experience for players? Is possession an all-or-nothing deal? And what inspiration can we take from horror media?

News

The Blasphemous Tome Issue 12

Issue 12 of The Blasphemous Tome will be going out in early August. This is the fanzine we produce for Patreon backers of The Good Friends of Jackson Elias. The latest issue will contain “A New Dark Age”, a brand-new Call of Cthulhu scenario by our own Paul Fricker.

Every backer will receive a PDF of issue 12 as soon as it’s available. Anyone backing us at the $5 level or above by the end of June will also get a printed and signed copy.

Matt on RPG Reanimators and Roll to Save

Matt has recorded guest spots with a couple of podcasts recently. He appeared on the Acquisition Disorder series on RPG Reanimators, talking about Heaven and Earth. And then he took part in a roundtable discussion about Call of Cthulhu wit Roll to Save.