Call of Cthulhu - Harlem Unbound

About the adventure

New York City. Prohibition is in full swing and bootleggers are living high. During the Great Migration, African-Americans fled the terror of Jim Crow in the South. They came to Harlem to find a place to set down roots and bloom in peace, to find a new home, to create a new culture in Harlem. The music of Fats Waller and Duke Ellington pours out of the city’s windows, while women in stylish skirts and silk stockings, and men in white gloves and Chesterfield coats crowd the sidewalks. There’s a feeling of possibility in the air, like never before. But, even in this land of promise, Harlem is a powder keg, ready to explode. While classes and cultures collide, the horrors of the Cthulhu Mythos lurk beneath the streets, creeping through dark alleys and hidden doorways to infect the hopes and aspirations of the unwary... Can you hold it together and keep the terrors at bay for one more song? Long before humanity walked the Earth, beings of crude matter warred with the offspring of gods, and their struggles crossed the entire world. Some remnants of this period remain--curious stone altars host to strange spirits, slivers of alien metal and bizarre architecture jutting from the fertile soil. The Wappinger Natives fought the earliest cultists of the Americas, seeking to stem the tide of darkness rising from unknowable prehistory. These cultists performed dark rites dedicated to the Black Man, an avatar of Nyarlathotep, whose malignant influence periodically re-infected the the island that would be known as Manhattan. Harlem Unbound is a supplement that challenges the preconceived notions of the standard protagonist and asks us to envision a different protagonist, a different unique identity for an investigator--an identity rooted in the time and space of the Harlem Renaissance. I embrace this principle with players and to provide everyone a chance to experience a new perspective in the world shadowed by the Cthulhu Mythos. What lurks beneath the social and cultural tensions of Harlem in the roaring 20s? Come with me and let's find out!

Additional Details

How to prepare

At the very least, should have a mic, possibly a headset or a webcam also. I am up for video if others would like to do audio + video for our game sessions. Also, need a discord account, and a roll20.net account for the virtual tabletop and character sheet repository. Please take a look at the Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition Quick Start Guide. Found here: https://www.chaosium.com/content/FreePDFs/CoC/CHA23131%20Call%20of%20Cthulhu%207th%20Edition%20Quick-Start%20Rules.pdf

What I provide

Handouts, maps, and knowledge of the scenarios and setting.

Gameplay details

The game works on a 1d100 or Percentage Based skill system. Call of Cthulhu leans heavily on investigations which could lead further into the dark truths of the horrific Mythos, or perhaps reveal the more mundane horrors of humanity. This is a game where magic takes study, sacrifice, and a bit of sanity.

Content warnings

(none)

Safety tools used

(none)

How will character creation work

I can supply pre-generated characters for new-comers, or -- for the more experienced player -- you can create your own character beforehand. Just reach out, I'm happy to discuss character creation.

Players can expect

• Find a game to join solo or search for a professional game master for you and your friends/coworkers/family.
• Book your session and wait for the Game Master to approve you.
• If you don't have a blast with your first game, your next game is on us.