Unnatural Selections #45 - what critics said now and then about 'Trail of Tsathogghua', now part of our Call of Cthulhu Classic Kickstarter

"This one small scenario has done more to draw role-players to Call of Cthulhu than anything ever published for CoC, and I had the desire to exploit the concept to the max."

In a 2007 essay for Electronic Book Review,Trail of Tsathogghua author the late Keith Herber talks about his scenario in that book "The Haunted House", and how it builds on Sandy Petersen's original 'Haunted House' mini-adventure that came in the Call of Cthulhu core rules. 

"I wanted a scenario that threatened to drive investigators mad, rather than simply tearing them to pieces. I also wanted to see if I could create a scenario so difficult to unravel that most investigating parties would eventually give up and leave without solving the mystery, without destroying the haunt that inhabited the house. I wanted an adventure that would leave players with stories to tell. Best of all, it utilized the moral ambiguity inherent to Lovecraft and CoC. The haunt isn't really bothering anyone - save the rich man who inherited the house. The investigators - who generally assume themselves to be "good" - are actually there to evict the supernatural tenant and will be paid money for destroying a creature who is actually bothering almost no one."

The cover art is by Steve Purcell.

Here's what reviewers have said about this influential Call of Cthulhu work over the years:

Trail of Tsathogghua (1984)

"Man, Trail of Tsathogghua (1984) has the best cover art of early Call of Cthulhu books, hands down. Eisner award winning creator Steve Purcell is the culprit and I quite like his interiors too.

The standalone [scenario] “The Haunted House,” is a damn classic... the twist at its heart is so good. It is also maybe the Call of Cthulhu investigation with the most difficult to unearth solution. I expect a good number of players have given up without solving it. And it is in this scenario you can see Keith Herber’s future brilliance the clearest." — Vintage RPG.

"Best Call of Cthulhu adventure? 'The Haunted House' from Trail of Tsathogghua. Talking about it is a spoiler, but it's a brilliant premise." — Abject Questioner, RPGNet.

"One of the best covers of the Call of Cthulhu RPG." — The Outer Topic.

"If you've been happily devouring Chaosium's Cthulhu releases, rest assured that Trail of Tsathogghua is another top-notch effort. This is roleplaying at its finest, and I'm ready for the next one. And who knows . . . maybe it'll even have a title I can pronounce." — Rick Swan review, The Space Gamer #75.

"I think Keith Herber's scenario "The Haunted House" is one of the best scenarios ever published for CoC. So glad it's coming back into print." — Sean Branney, H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society.

Trail of Tsathogghua is available in the Call of Cthulhu Classic Kickstarter. Have you backed it?

The boxed sets and PDFs on offer are not only packed-full of nostalgia from the birth of the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game in 1981, but are also fully compatible with the 7th Edition of the game!