The Britten Institute Case Files #001 Hints of Horror: An Intro to Call of Cthulhu

About the adventure

The Britten Institute is a well known organization based out of Southern California devoted to studying the paranormal. This institute is currently recruiting new investigators, as their previous team of experienced hunters of the unknown have... become indisposed. Any backgrounds, educational or experiential, are welcome, simply come with a thirst for knowledge and a fervent belief in the supernatural. New recruits will be sent immediately onto the field, to investigate the disappearance of one Timothy Partridge, a resident of Lakewood. Good luck, investigators. (Notes: this game is based on a fictional institute, in early 1900's California. Sequel games to come soon!)

Additional Details

How to prepare

For this episode, players need only a zoom account and preferably a fantasy grounds demo account. A link to the character sheet will be given to the players prior to game start, and we will fill them out together during the beginning of the session. Game play and rules will be explained during the session.

What I provide

I will be keeping track of players and their characters so that the characters can be reused in future episodes, if they survive. If they don't, don't worry! Call of Cthulhu is designed so that players can play multiple characters, even in the space of the same session. And the Britten Institute has no shortage of new recruits...

Gameplay details

This is an introduction not just to the fantastic game of Call of Cthulhu, but the beginning of a series of games set in the Britten Institute and the surrounding areas. These games can be played in any order, though I recommend playing them in order of creation. Each game is a different mystery, with a minor meta story-line in place to reward players who play through them all (but again, not required.) Call of Cthulu is a game of exploration, investigation, and (very occasionally) fighting your way through Eldritch Abominations. It is not a game of heroes and villains, but instead of very human characters up against supernatural, often horrific entities. Be prepared to lose characters, as a single misstep can mean a very swift and violent end. This series will delve into many different themes and horror tropes, from supernatural serial killers to potentially world ending phenomena. It is up to the players, and their characters, to solve each mystery and (with luck) survive to see the next investigation. (Notes: this series will mostly be played using the theater of the mind strategy, with maps and props being given to the players through Fantasy Grounds. Given Call of Cthulhu's focus on storytelling, combat is light and is usually focused on getting away. This is a horror game; while the first episode is relatively light, later episodes will deal with violent, often explicit or disturbing content. Not for the faint of heart or stomach.)

Content warnings

(none)

Safety tools used

(none)

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.