Whether playing Masks of Nyarlathotep or enjoying a home-brew campaign, travel on a majestic ocean liner is the period-perfect mode to reach far-flung destinations. If seasoned investigators expect to sun themselves on the deck while enjoying a juicy Mythos tome or draw a quick redline to their next stop, these two random events tables help catch them off-guard and introduce some intrigue into their stately voyage. The first table provides action-packed situations that affect the entire boat, while the second creates personal predicaments and investigative threads. Depending on available time and investigator interest, these can be quick interludes or fuel for in-depth investigations. Storm at Sea: A fierce storm batters the liner, causing it to

Read on…Random Events – Oceanic Travel

Keepers planning their MoN campaign will frequently hear this valuable pearl: “Let them miss clues.” From the launch, you and your players will be afloat in a sea of intertwined leads, locations, and characters. With everyone immersed in the sprawling campaign world, players often find distractions from the campaign’s prescribed investigative threads. If your players overlook an important clue in the designated location, you should adhere to the aforementioned advice—do not force-feed them clues. While MoN may be a well-structured campaign, it should not function as an exercise in long-form railroading. Redirecting investigators back to missed clues compromises player agency and disrupts the game flow. With all that said, we would like to add a

Read on…On Clues – Missed, but not Lost

This is a follow-up to an earlier post, found here, which is spoiler-free. Be advised, the post below does contain some MoN spoilers. The Even with the best intentions and committed gaming crews, big campaigns falter. If you find yourself in such a situation and wish to continue playing, do not despair! There are potential solutions to reignite the adventure. It may not be a perfect, uninterrupted playthrough, but it’s still an amazing journey.  TPK Retcons: The history of MoN is littered with dead investigators, and TPKs account for many an arrested campaign. The introduction of Pulp Rules and modifications to the latest edition have toned down the death and destruction, but these things still

Read on…The Long Run: Reboots, Retcons, and Resets

“I’m going to finish this, even if it means I’m playing by myself.” -Keeper Dave (esteemed co-host of the MU Podcast) Disclaimer: This is not really an admonishment or castigation of others. In truth, it’s more of a conversation with myself. While the principal subject matter is MoN, this discussion applies to any long-form TTRPG campaign, creative project, or sustained effort.  Conventional internet wisdom cautions prospective Keepers to steer clear of MoN if they cannot guarantee dedicated time, committed players, and willingness to read the campaign at least once before launching the adventure. Being a fool, I openly refute these limiting precepts. I’ve previously suggested an alternative to the prescribed cover-to-cover study, so I will

Read on…The Long Run: On Getting MoN “Wrong”