The ’30s – Setting & Background
As mentioned above, ToC uses the 1930s as its default setting, and the author provides a really detailed overview of the the events and culture of the 1930s to provide the reader with some insight and inspiration about the time period. Of course, the section is fairly brief and any good Keeper is going to want to consult some outside material to provide further details, but even this is made easy since the book provides some recommended sources to start with. In terms of what is provided, actual historical events are interwoven with fictional material culled from the various Mythos stories seamlessly and it’s a very interesting read. This includes an overview of some of the major “hotspots” around the globe, providing both historical material and Cthulhu Mythos teasers and hooks for the Keeper to work with. One of the advantages of advancing the timeline in ToC by roughly a decade compared to the H.P.L. stories is that all of those events happened in the past, providing some historical Mythos events to build the campaign upon.
Wrapping Things Up
The remainder of the book consists of player and GM advice along with a set of sample “Campaign Frames” which are essentially thematic premises or concepts upon which a series of adventures can be built. Three are included in the book, with each providing an overview of the setting, style, Mythos details, key NPCs, and possible rules variations that can be incorporated in to the campaign. I have to say these are cool and evidently others, including Pelgrane Press, agree since two out of the three presented in the core rule book have since come out as fully fleshed-out supplements (The Armitage Files and Bookhounds of London). What I love most about the three that are presented is that each is completely different: one involves a purist-style group from Miskatonic University, another Pulp-style X-Files sort of government team, and the third a group of unsavory rare book dealers based out of London.
The book wraps up with a sample adventure, “The Kingsbury Horror,” which is set in Cleveland and was inspired by a real historical event.
The Verdict
By now it should be evident that I am a huge fan of Trail of Cthulhu. I think it manages to capture the feel Lovecraft’s stories, particularly when played in Purist mode, with rules built to complement the stories. GUMSHOE is a perfect fit for investigating the supernatural mysteries and horrors associated with the Cthulhu Mythos. It also is simple enough to be run in a more “off-the-cuff” improvisational style and doesn’t require a great deal of prep on the part of the GM, an important consideration for those of use with busy lives.
Another factor that makes ToC simply a great RPG is the quality of the supplemental material that’s been published to support the system: all of the adventures published to date are excellent as are the other supplements. While none of the material is essential, all of it is very interesting and useful, with a clear aim of providing support rather than providing an endless series of splat books. I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention that the huge volume of material that Chaosium has published over the past three decades can also be used with ToC with some minor conversion work, for which ToC provides guidelines.
In the end, Trail of Cthulhu is a roleplaying game I would highly recommend to anyone who is interested in Lovecraft’s stories, or horror investigation in general. The game’s system, setting, and supplemental material all work together to create an interesting and thoroughly compelling world to explore.
