The Call of Cthulhu (part 1)

We’re back and we’re talking about one of Lovecraft’s best-known stories. The Call of Cthulhu probably boasts more name recognition than any other Lovecraft tale. This is largely due to the ubiquity of old squidhead himself. Between the term “Cthulhu Mythos” and Chaosium using the story’s name for their groundbreaking RPG, Cthulhu has found a prominent place in pop culture. Despite that, comparatively few people who have heard the name know much about the story he comes from. This is the first of two episodes about The Call of Cthulhu. This time we’re focusing on the story itself, or at least the first two-thirds of it. The next episode will cover the climax of the story, an overview of its various adaptations into other media and some ideas about how to use elements in your Call of Cthulhu games. That said, if you can’t work out how to incorporate The Call of Cthulhu into Call of Cthulhu, maybe it’s time to give up. If you aren’t happy with merely hearing our insights, we have some added treats for you. Mike Mason, line editor of Call of Cthulhu, generously recorded some readings for us. Listen out for his eldritch tones throughout the episode. And none other than Sandy Petersen, creator of Call of Cthulhu (not The Call of Cthulhu — this could turn into an Abbott & Costello routine if we’re not careful) joins us for a short segment to discuss the influence of this particular story on his work. And speaking of his work, Sandy mentions a few future projects to look forward to. Chaosium is developing Tales of Sandy Petersen, a collection of Sandy’s Call of Cthulhu scenarios. There is also Sandy’s Cthulhu Mythos for Pathfinder book to look forward to. If you can’t wait for these goodies, however, fret not! The Kickstarter campaign for Cthulhu Wars Onslaught 3 has just launched. In the news segment, we mention that a number of projects we worked on are up for ENnie Awards. If you would like to vote for any of them, they are: Pulp Cthulhu (Best Supplement), the Keeper Screen Pack (Best Aid/Accessory, Best Cartography), The Things We Leave Behind (Best Adventure, Best Electronic Book), the Call of Cthulhu Investigator Handbook (Best Cover) and the Call of Cthulhu — 7th Edition Slipcase Set (Best Production Values). Be quick! Voting ends on the 21st of July. We also mention that we will be at Necronomicon in Providence, from the 17th to the 20th of August. While there, we will record a special episode with our good friends from the Miskatonic University podcast. We’re scheduled to appear on a few panels, run some games and spend a disgraceful amount of time in the bar. If you are at Necronomicon, please find us and say hi! The second most merciful thing in the world, I think, is that there is no singing in this episode. While another brave soul has offered his name up t...