Back To Arkham... But Should I Stay There?

Arkham, Massachusetts is the iconic city created by horror author H.P. Lovecraft, and it is as much the center of the Cthulhu Mythos as anywhere else in his fictional setting. A seaside town that boasts the prestigious Miskatonic University, an asylum, and a black market of gangsters and rum runners, it's quite a cosmopolitan place to say the least.

And while I've spent a little time there as a designer, it wasn't until July 2022 that I put out something for the place with 100 Businesses to Find in Arkham. While it was fun writing a period piece, I didn't follow it up until 2023 with 100 Gangsters, Gun Molls, and Goons, which was meant to expand on the underworld present in Arkham. And while I took a hiatus from community creation platforms (largely due to the fact that they don't really pay me enough to keep my bills square), I decided to dip my toe back into the waters with my latest release 100 Books To Find in The Miskatonic Library (That AREN'T In The Restricted Section). The idea for this supplement was to fill out the books available in the campus library, and to offer alternative methods to get information into the players' hands that didn't require them breaking into the special collections where the real dark grimoires and tomes of power are kept.

However, I wanted to ask my readers something this week. Namely, do you want to see me keep kicking around in Lovecraft Country?

There's a lot to see there, and I haven't explored it all yet!

But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Should I Let The Investigation Die? Or Keep Digging?

I've been a fan of the Cthulhu Mythos as a whole since my teen years, and I love the twists and turns one can find in even a "normal" Call of Cthulhu game. However, as I mentioned above, I stepped back from community creation platforms because they only pay half as much up-front to me as original content does, which makes paying my bills tough. Still, variety is the spice of life, and I figured that adding another chapter to a couple of my older series might get some fresh readers interested in not just what's dropping now, but what I worked on a few years ago.

Additionally, while the stories for the Businesses and Gangsters supplements wrapped up in a two-part adventure, there is a fresh investigation beginning in 100 Books To Find in The Miskatonic Library (That AREN'T In The Restricted Section). So in addition to getting additional supplements in the future, it's very likely that readers would also get serial installments of the case being taken up by a Miskatonic academic and his strongarm associate as they head out beyond Arkham in search of lost tomes of eldritch knowledge.

So, if that's the sort of thing you'd like to see, now is your chance to weigh in!

What Do You Need To Do To Send A Message?

If you're the sort of player out there who enjoys my Call of Cthulhu content, and you'd like to see more of it, there are a few things you can do to help ensure that more of it gets put out. I've listed them in descending order of effectiveness, as well, so if you feel strongly about me staying in this particular arena, start at the top of the list and work your way down!

- Buy and review a copy of the three supplements I listed in the introductory section. The first two are at Silver metal status at time of writing, and the third is creeping up toward Copper. If those start pulling increased numbers and attention, that motivates me, personally.

- Check out the rest of the titles Azukail Games has for the Miskatonic Repository! While these are by various authors, the main reason these kinds of supplements have slackened has been lack of audience interest. The more people who pick up copies, and the more reviews they leave, the more likely the publisher is to put more energy into future titles from myself and others!

- Watch and share the videos I linked above, and leave comments on them! The Azukail Games YouTube channel is finally monetized, and getting a few thousand fresh views on these videos would make them stand out among our other audio dramas, and show that there's definitely interest in more Mythos expansion. Subscribing to the channel would also help us get closer to our next milestone, which would give us more resources to take more risks with.

- Leave comments on this blog, and on social media, to let us know what you'd like to see! While it's definitely valuable to give us your feedback, it's very easy to say what you want, but those kinds of asks carry a lot more weight when they come from folks who are buying our supplements, and boosting our signal!

And for folks who are curious, these same steps can help you get the attention of basically any publisher that you want to see go in a particular direction, but it's particularly effective with indie publishers because it doesn't take a whole lot of activity for them to perk up their ears and take notice. Hell, if even 100 people bought a copy of each of the three supplements I mentioned (a relatively small number when you think about the industry as a whole) that would basically be a shot across the bow that more CoC material is wanted immediately.

So, just something to think about in case you're one of my readers who like to see me venture out a little deeper into Lovecraft Country!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Blue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

My Latest Cyberpunk Audio Drama Series, "72 Hours" Is Now Complete!

If you've picked up any of my TTRPG supplements over the past few years, then you've likely noticed I like to include a little piece of flash fiction in the front of the books to kind of set the tone, and to show at least one of the creations from the supplement in action. Several years ago I started turning these little vignettes into audio dramas on the Azukail Games YouTube channel, and as I got really stuck-in with this project it changed the way I started telling the stories. At first I started having recurring characters, such as the Hedge-diving ogre Jacoby in my Changeling: The Lost supplements, but then I started turning these sections into little series of short stories so that folks who bought all the supplements could get the story from beginning to end as a kind of collectible extra.

I completed the first of these series last year around this time, detailed in My Sci-Fi Audio Drama Series is Now Complete!, and it was last Fall when I followed that up with My Cyberpunk Audio Drama Series is Now Complete! I've completed a third series, and this time I went for a quadrilogy, giving you all a series of 4 stories instead of the previous sets of 3!

So what are you waiting for? Check it out below!

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Installment #1: Ordered Arms

The first short story, Ordered Arms, was the introductory fiction for the TTRPG supplement 100 Secret Societies For a Sci Fi Setting. In this story we find an ex-military operator just trying to live his life in one of the city's most corrupt districts. He's got information on all the dirty dealings all throughout this part of the city, but when he tried to take it to security services they threw him a beating, and told him to stay out of it. Someone was listening, though, and they offered the former Captain Masters the tools he needed to get the job done himself... assuming his conviction was strong enough, of course.

Installment #2: Blood In The Water

The second part of this story takes us to Detective Johnny Denton. Denton has been following a series of hits that have been going down in the district for the past several days... in 72 hours there have been dozens of casualties, if you count the gangs, vice cops, and organized crime squads who've wound up dead. He's digging into the cyberpunk version of the darkweb called the DrekNet and trying to find answers in Blood In The Water, the intro story from the supplement 100 Resources and Rumors to Find on The DrekNet.

Installment #3: Conspiracies and Crosshairs

In the third story, Conspiracies and Crosshairs which comes out of the supplement 100 Rumor Mongers and Information Brokers, Denton manages to find a shred of evidence to substantiate the existence of this so-called Angel of Death that's cleaning up the streets. He doesn't know what it means, though, so he seeks out the infamous net diver Simon Sez to get some information. While he gets something, as soon as Denton's back is turned, Simon sends out an SOS. Whoever this mysterious vigilante is, he knows somebody's onto him... and how to find Denton in turn, as the hunted becomes the hunter.

Installment #4: Safeties Off

With a real, solid lead, Denton races through the city to recruit someone else who might be able to help him wrap this case up before anyone else gets hurt. Dwight is a bounty hunter with a bit of a reputation, and the two of them have history. Of course, Denton has barely gotten a chance to explain to Dwight what it is he needs him onboard for, when the Angel of Death himself makes an appearance. Is this curtains for Denton? Or is there some way he can convince the vigilante to stop his killing spree, even while he's under the gun?

Safeties Off is the last installment of the series (for now, at least), and it comes from the TTRPG supplement 100 Professions For a Sci Fi Setting!

Would You Like To See More Series?

While the reaction to the various series I've been putting out seems to be positive overall, some folks have asked when I'm going to make longer, connected episodes to tell bigger, more involved stories. Well, once the Azukail Games YouTube channel gets monetized, that's on the docket for projects to discuss with the publisher. So if you want to see bigger projects, like I talked about in Windy City Shadows: A Chronicles of Darkness Podcast Proposal, then help us get the watch hours we need to get past that 3K minimum (which should only be about 500 hours and change at time of writing).

So if you want to see bigger, more involved audio projects from me, this is the fastest way to make it happen! So share this blog to make more folks aware of my projects, share the videos around on your social media pages, and leave some comments on the videos to let me know which sorts of things you'd like to hear more of! Anything that helps us get a little closer to our goals makes a big difference... and don't forget to like and subscribe if you haven't already!

What's Next on Table Talk?

That's it for this installment of Table Talk! What would you like to see next? I'm listening for your comments and votes!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archives, as well as the YouTube channel for Azukail Games. Or, to check out books like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, my hard-boiled noir series featuring the street beasts of NYC in Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, or my recent short story collection The Rejects, head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter, as well as on Pinterest where I'm building all sorts of boards dedicated to my books, RPG supplements, and greatest hits. Lastly, to help support me and my work, consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron! Even a little donation can have a big impact.

Ever Hear of "Weird Detective Mystery Adventures"? Well, Neither Had I!

One of the fun things about going to conventions is that it allows you to discover unique things you would never come across in your day-to-day experience. Even though I spend most of any given day up to my elbows in RPG content, I never would have come across Weird Detective Mystery Adventures, and I feel confident in saying the same for all my readers out there.

So if you've been looking for a game with gangsters, gun mals, masked vigilantes, super heroes, mad scientists, and more, this is a game you could use to scratch that itch.

An offer that might be tough to refuse.

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron!

Lastly, to be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree!

Let's Start With The Good

The best part of any proposal.

Right off the bat, what is Weird Detective Mystery Adventures? Well, it's an RPG that uses 2d6 and a lot of charts to help you tell stories that are just what it says on the tin. If a story can be found in the canon of weird or pulp fiction, then you could emulate it with this RPG. Whether you want to do gritty private eyes digging into gangland deals, masked vigilantes stopping bank robbers, or superheroes fighting supernatural cultists and their dark gods, all of that is possible within this system.

Aside from power scaling, which is quite important for any game, the rule book is pretty thorough when it comes to all your options. Everything from contacts you can call on, to a superhuman accuracy with firearms, to mastery of disguises, to being filthy rich, or being bulletproof and able to fly is covered in here. And while there are sequels and extra content planned for future installments, the core book is all you need to play the game.

As to the system itself, it has a decidedly old-school feel to it. A single chart is used to determine success or failure for a majority of actions, ranging from stunts and tricks with metahuman abilities, to standard punch-ups with goons in a bar. The base stats all have their own unique names one needs to get used to, but once you get in the groove figuring out success, failure, and your odds of either, the game becomes pretty easy to manage.

Now Onto The Bad

You didn't see nuthin', got it smart guy?

Nothing is perfect, and I wouldn't want anyone tracking this game down without making them aware of the flaws it has, as well as its benefits.

First and foremost, if you came into gaming via d20 games, this is going to be like learning a whole new language for you. While I've seen games with similar systems before, if you're more used to various editions of DND, or even the World of Darkness, this will be something of a rough start for you. Additionally, this book is thick... we're talking old-fashioned Yellow Pages thick. While you may not need to read all of it depending on the game you want to play, there's a lot of material in there, which will not be to a lot of players' tastes. Particularly in this age of short rulebooks and minimal mechanics gaming. Lastly, for all of the material the book does give you, this game isn't meant to take place in a particular setting or world; details like that are left largely up to the storyteller to figure out for themselves. So while you have a big skeleton with a lot of moving parts, everything from the era, to the lore, to the world is on you to figure out.

Lastly, and this is the one that struck me strange, this book is damn near impossible to come across. To get yourself a copy you must go to the Weird Detective Mystery Adventures website and buy one, or come across the game's booth at a convention. You can't find copies of it on DTRPG, nor can you locate it on Amazon. Even stranger, there is no PDF version of the game available at time of writing, and the physical copy is rather large at just under $50 for a paperback version. For someone who hasn't played the game themselves and is only curious to check it out, that is a rather large risk to take.

The Ugly

You knew this was coming.

I want to start this section by making one thing clear; I didn't dislike my read-through of this game system. While it's certainly a heavy game in terms of options, it has a certain nostalgic quality that will draw you in a bit, and it presents a lot of interesting ideas that would be fun to play with.

However, this game is definitely not going to be for everyone. Worse, though, it feels like this game is attempting to re-invent the wheel in a lot of ways.

As a for instance, everything I mentioned about different game styles, scaling power, power sets and abilities, etc., could also be said of Mutants & Masterminds. Also, while not a simple game, M&M was far easier for me to grasp when I was presented with it, and it has a great deal of supporting material one can choose to use if they want, like the Player's Guide To Emerald City, Hero High, or the Supernatural Handbook, depending on the needs of your game. And if one wanted a simpler game with easier-to-digest mechanics, but which still boasted all of those positive aspects already mentioned, then Savage Worlds Adventurer Edition would work just as well. Especially since one could add in all the other material they want for their game piecemeal, such as hunting monsters with the Rippers Resurrected player guide, Weird War I player's guide, Arcana and Mysticism, or any of a dozen other books and supplements that are available to customize one's playing experience.

Both of these other options are available as digital copies, they're easier to learn, and they're easier on your wallet if you're looking for a game of pulpy adventure that's all over the board in terms of what you can bring to the table.

Again, WDMA isn't a bad game. But if you're interested in giving it a closer look, I would definitely recommend looking through the homepage to make sure it's going to appeal to you and your play style. Because as of this moment there isn't a free sample or a starter's guide to let you try before you buy, and it's got a pretty hefty price tag attached to it.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!