We’re back and we’re raising the dead. Well, sort of. After all that discussion about Joseph Curwen’s necromantic exploits, we thought we’d try something on a larger scale. Instead of tomes of forbidden knowledge, however, we’re poring over history books. Their visions of the past shall bring our historical games of Call of Cthulhu to shuddering, ghastly life! But can we get the details right enough to avoid subjecting our games becoming ye liveliest awfulness…?

Main Topic: Bringing Historical Games to Life

This episode delves into techniques and inspirations for enlivening our historical games of Call of Cthulhu. That said, the ideas we explore can be applied to any historical RPG scenario. We discuss why we’re drawn to historical settings, expanding on some of the media that influence us and how we can bring all this into our games.

Regular listeners will know that Paul has now left the Good Friends, and that this is our first episode without him. Matt and Scott are keeping the podcast going, inviting interesting people we know to join us as guest hosts, bringing fresh perspectives and their own personal expertise to our discussions.

Our Guest Host

We are delighted to welcome Ross Bryant as our inaugural guest host for this new era of the Good Friends. You may know Ross from The Improvised Shakespeare Company, Dropout TV, The Glass Cannon Network, or the many improvised Call of Cthulhu games he and Scott have played together on Ain’t Slayed Nobody. He is currently developing a new historical Call of Cthulhu actual play podcast called Walking Shadows, with Rashawn Scott, Becca Scott, and Zach Reino. The first episode will be out soon, wherever you find your podcasts.

News

Blasphemous Tome Issue 13

We are hard at work on issue 13 of The Blasphemous Tome, the fanzine we put out twice-yearly for Patreon backers of The Good Friends of Jackson Elias. This new issue will contain “A Social Responsibility” — a brand-new and gruesome Call of Cthulhu scenario from our own Matt Sanderson, set amidst the urban decay of modern-day Northampton.

Anyone backing us at the $5 level or higher by the end of this year can expect a printed copy of the Tome, signed by our own fair extremities. Backers at the $3 level will receive a voucher for a discounted print-on-demand copy, and everyone will receive the PDF.

Don’t forget that backing us also gives you access to the entire back catalogue of the Tome in PDF format, which includes a wealth of Call of Cthulhu scenarios you won’t find anywhere else.

Christmas Story Reading on the Good Friends Discord

With Christmas fast approaching, Mike Perceval-Maxwell of Mr Spike’s Bedtime Stories is once again organising a full-cast ghost story reading on The Good Friends of Jackson Elias Discord server. This time, we shall be reading two tales of William Hope Hodgson’s occult detective, Carnacki the Ghost Finder. Specifically, we will be reading “The Searcher of the End House” and “The Horse of the Invisible”.

So fire up your electric pentacle and join us by the fireplace at 22:00 GMT (note updated time — the time mentioned on the podcast is wrong) on the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th of December. Don’t despair if you can’t make the live performances, as we plan to record them and release them as special episodes on the podcast feed.