Religious Horror, with Zach Reeves

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We’re back and we’re testing our faith. Sure, we understand that the Mythos is utterly indifferent to crucifixes and holy water, but maybe we can still find some comfort in religion. But we’re also worried that the wrong kind of belief could end up doing more harm than good, especially if it all turns a bit fanatical. Maybe religious horror is more complicated than just muttering a few Hail Marys and hoping for the best. We haven’t got a prayer, have we?

Main Topic: Religious Horror

From vampire hunters wielding crucifixes to Taoist priests battling jiangshi with talismans, horror media is filled with religious protagonists who use their faith to fight evil. But the expression of religion in horror media often goes beyond mere window dressing and becomes a serious vehicle for examining or criticising religious belief.

But how does all this connect to Call of Cthulhu? What books or films can we draw upon for inspiration? And how can we incorporate religious horror into our games?

We have discussed related topics in The Mythos as Religion and Cults.

Our Guest Host

We are delighted to welcome Zach Reeves back to The Good Friends of Jackson Elias! Zach is the game master, producer, and editor of Pretending to be People, a horror/comedy actual play podcast. Zach enjoys karaoke with his wife, dancing with friends, and creating elaborate scavenger hunts. He is afraid of losing his mind and Styrofoam.

Things we mention in this episode include:

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Connecting Scenarios in Call of Cthulhu, with Zach Reeves

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331: Connecting Scenarios in Call of Cthulhu

We’re back and we’re making a monster. While we have all these pre-written campaigns on our shelves, we’ve decided to go full Frankenstein and cobble one together from parts. The stitching can be rough at times, and we sometimes realise we’ve ended up with two spleens and no left arm, but that’s never stopped us. Our players can usually look past such faults and see the beating heart of our creation. Oh, bugger! We forgot that too!

Main Topic: Connecting Scenarios in Call of Cthulhu

Call of Cthulhu is famous for its epic published campaigns. We’ve all played elaborate treks around the world, punching eldritch evil in the face. But what about the less formal approach where we string together unconnected adventures into an ad hoc campaign? How do we adapt scenarios to this approach? What are some of the possible pitfalls? And are there any specific tips we’ve picked up over the years?

Our Guest Host

We are delighted to welcome Zach Reeves to The Good Friends of Jackson Elias! Zach is the game master, producer, and editor of Pretending to be People, a horror/comedy actual play podcast. Zach enjoys karaoke with his wife, dancing with friends, and creating elaborate scavenger hunts. He is afraid of losing his mind and Styrofoam.

Things we mention in this episode include:

News

Just One More Thing

For a little over a year, Matt and Scott have been putting out a bonus podcast for Patreon backers of the Good Friends every four weeks. Called Just One More Thing, this is an opportunity for us to revisit recent episodes and offer second thoughts and pieces of research we couldn’t fit into our main discussion, along with some responses to our listeners’ comments.

We put out a sample episode on our main feed earlier this month, with additional insights into our two recent discussions with Ross Bryant. If you enjoyed this and want to hear more, you can gain immediate access to the full back catalogue by backing us at any level.

Just One More Thing episode 14

Matt on Acquisition Disorder

In what surprisingly turned out not to be an intervention, Matt recently recorded an episode of Acquisition Disorder with Nathan from RPG Reanimators, discussing all the money he has spent on Warhammer 40,000 RPGs. You can find this on the RPG Reanimators podcast feed in the near future.

rpg reanimators logo

Another Bloody Game

Following our recent discussion of board games with Paula Deming, Scott has been joining Paula, cuppycup, and a variety of guests on a new livestream called Another Bloody Game. This is a spin-off from Push the Roll, using their Twitch and YouTube channels. Recent games have included Betrayal at House on the Hill and Deep Regrets.

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Cryptids and Call of Cthulhu, with Paula Deming

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We’re back and we’re blurry. Sure, your camera phone might have all the pixels, but we remain resolutely low-res. You don’t get to maintain your status as a cryptid by being in focus. Mothman would never speak to us again. And before you complain, do you really want a clear picture of the Michigan Dogman’s notorious genitals? Actually, on second thoughts, don’t answer that one.

Main Topic: Cryptids and Call of Cthulhu

Call of Cthulhu is full of strange creatures that live in the dark corners of the world, only occasionally encountered by unlucky humans. But how does this relate to the cultural phenomenon of cryptozoology? Which cryptids do we find particularly fascinating? And how might they inspire our games?

Our Guest Host

We are delighted to welcome Paula Deming back to The Good Friends of Jackson Elias! Paula is an actress and YouTuber making entertainment-focused videos about board games on her channel Things Get Dicey, and talking about board games on the comedy panel show This Game is Broken. She plays tabletop RPGs with the Glass Cannon Network and Ain’t Slayed Nobody, and you can find her as a regular cast member on Push the Roll With Ross Bryant. Importantly for this episode, Paula was also the co-host of a podcast about cryptids, called Death By Monsters. More recently, Paula has run “Servants of the Lake” for Tickingtimebob Gaming.

Things we mention in this episode include:

Thylacines
Bunyip
Megalodon
Mothman statue (arse not pictured)
Mongolian death worm
Jenny Haniver

News

Matt at ConTingency

Matt will be heading to the ConTingency convention in Hunstanton very soon. Please say hi if you spot him lurking there, and you may even be able to find space in one of the many games he is offering.

Monsterhearts on Ain’t Slayed Nobody

Scott recently ran a campaign of Monsterhearts for Ain’t Slayed Nobody, with Mary Lou, Kat, Chuck, and cup as players. It is a backer-only release for now, and you can find the first episode on the ASN Patreon now.

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Bonus: Just One More Thing

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We’re back with something a little different.

As our Patreon backers know, we put out an extra episode every four weeks in which Matt and Scott revisit the previous two episodes. This gives us a chance to bring up any ideas or research we couldn’t fit into the main discussions, as well as new insights or changes of heart about the things we said. We also read out selected listener comments, offering replies or thoughts about them.

We thought we’d offer everyone a chance to hear this for themselves, so we’re putting out the latest Just One More Thing on our main feed. This episode revisits our two recent discussions with Ross Bryant, specifically Narration in Call of Cthulhu and The Birds.

We hope you enjoy this little bonus! If you do, and you would like to hear more, Patreon backers at any level gain full access to the back catalogue of Just One More Thing, as well as new episodes as they come out.

Covers of Tomes of yore

Don’t forget that backers also gain access to the entire back catalogue of The Blasphemous Tome, the fanzine we produce for patrons of The Good Friends of Jackson Elias. Each issue contains a full Call of Cthulhu or Pulp Cthulhu scenario. Issue 14, due later this month, will contain two scenarios — one each from Matt Sanderson and Scott Dorward, including a follow-up to “Blackwater Creek”.

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Cthulhu and Board Games, with Paula Deming

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We’re back and we’re wiping ichor off our meeples. Cthulhu and board games can be a messy combination, but also a popular one. Cynics may tell you that this is because Cthulhu is in the public domain, so anyone can slap his tentacles on a game for a bit of brand recognition. We prefer to think the truth is more insidious than that, however. Every die roll, every card played, every token moved towards its inevitable doom is done in Cthulhu’s most terrible name, the terrible luck of the players and the curses they utter when they lose sustaining him deep beneath the waves. Plus, they’re a fun way to pass the time until the stars come right.

Main Topic: Cthulhu and Board Games

Cthulhu’s tentacles have wriggled their way into every aspect of popular culture, and board games are no exception. Lovecraftian horror has been part of board games for as long as Call of Cthulhu has been around, and it’s only grown in popularity. But what are some of the main Cthulhu-tainted board games people should look out for? And what are our own experiences of playing them?

Our Guest Host

We are delighted to welcome Paula Deming to The Good Friends of Jackson Elias! Paula is an actress and YouTuber making entertainment-focused videos about board games on her channel Things Get Dicey, and talking about board games on the comedy panel show This Game is Broken. She plays tabletop RPGs with the Glass Cannon Network and Ain’t Slayed Nobody, and you can find her as a regular cast member on Push the Roll With Ross Bryant.

Things we mention in this episode include:

arkham horror
cults across america
cthulhu wars
mansions of madness
cthulhu gloom

News

The Great God Pan

You may have noticed four bonus episodes in your podcast feed this month. These were the festive ghost story readings of Arthur Machen’s classic weird tale “The Great God Pan”, directed by our good friend Mike Perceval-Maxwell of Mr Spike’s Bedtime Stories. These readings took place on The Good Friends of Jackson Elias Discord server, where you can find story readings throughout the year offered by our wonderful listeners.

We would like to thank Mike for all his hard work in making this happen, and to thank all the readers who brought it to life: Andy Goodman, Anthony Lee-Dudley, Brian Murphy, Graham Walmsley, Jen Fridy, Sarah Dovey, and Sue Savage.

You can also find our previous Christmas ghost stories below.

Matt on the Innsmouth Book Club

Matt recently joined our good friends Rob Poyton and Tim Mendees over on the Innsmouth Book Club podcast, discussing Call of Cthulhu and his own contributions to the game. He also did a reading from Clark Ashton Smith’s “The Maze of the Enchanter” for their sister podcast Strange Shadows.

Blasphemous Tome Issue 14

Issue 14 of The Blasphemous Tome will be going out in early January of 2026. This bumper issue includes two new scenarios by Matt and Scott, presenting loose conceptual sequels to “A Social Responsibility” and “Blackwater Creek”.

Anyone backing us at the $5 level or higher at the end of December will receive a print copy of the Tome, signed by our own gnarled hands. Backers at the $3 level will receive a voucher for a heavily discounted print-on-demand copy, and every backer will receive the PDF.

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