BRP Investigator

Thanks s lot, Nick!

So if I write a fictional encyclopedia or newspaper, can I use my own layout? I want it to look like an actual encyclopedia or newspaper from det the 1920s, not like an RPG product. I get that this might like stupid question, but I’ve seen that there are templates, so I wonder if I have to use them or if they are just there as a support for creators. 

I just read the guidelines. There are a few details that I’m not sure I really get. 
 

1. The following types of products are welcomed: Original scenarios, settings, spells, stats for monsters and background dossiers. Ok, I get that. But what about all the other types of stuff you can create? I’m thinking of maps, toolkits, generators, NPC collections and various kinds of in world-documents (like some kind of encyklopedia). Are those fine? I assume they are, but I wasn’t really sure.

2. If I want to write a prequel or sequel to an already existing Call of Cthulhu product, can I do that and sell it through the Miskatonic Repository? Can I then use NPCs and other stuff from the original Chaosium product? It could for example be a scenario set in Arkham. Or Harlem. Or Berlin. 

3. Lets say I create something that’s really handy to use for Call of Cthulhu - perhaps a new way to create mysteries - can Chaosium or other creators on Miskatonic Repository just take my idea and use it in their own products? I mean if I publish my stuff first on Miskatonic Repository. 
 

4. If I publish some kind of premise or concept on Miskatonic Repository, can I then use that - as long as it doesn’t include anything created by Chaosium creators - on my own platform, outside the Chaosium domain? 
 

I would like to have this stuff clear before writing and publishing any stuff. Thanks for your patience! 

17 hours ago, Ian Absentia said:

A couple of common scenarios from books, TV, film:

• Upon responding to an invitation to a home/office/event regarding an important matter, the Investigators are informed that their contact hasn't been seen in several days or weeks.  No one seems to be able to provide helpful leads.  Suspicious, but no explicit evidence of foul play.
• Same invitation, only the Investigators are informed that the person has recently died prior to their arrival.  Circumstances may be suspicious or mundane, but oddly coincidental given the recent invitation.
• Same invitation, only upon arrival the Investigators are informed that the person doesn't exist.  A fake invitation?  An elaborate ruse?

!i!

Thanks, man! That’s for sure useful. But what I meant was actually titles of published CoC scenarios with murders in the plot.

8 hours ago, Ian Absentia said:

"Missing Person: Unresolved" has figured highly in my experience.  It's generally spared the Investigators (and the Keeper) the legal entanglements of custody and questioning involved with finding an actual corpse, and sometimes motivated them out of frustration that there's no evidence of an actual crime for the authorities to investigate.

So, implied murder.

!i!

Interesting! That’s something else than arriving to a crime scene with a dead body. Could you perhaps give me an example or two? 

2 hours ago, Nozbat said:

In my view, it happens all the time. Life is cheap for cultists and whether it’s getting rid of potential enemies or sacrificing innocents to diabolical and uncaring gods, it happens pretty often in my writings. The best published scenario, in my view, Masks of Nyarlathotep starts with a murder. 
 

It’s common in my opinion and also very standard. If it’s a Scandi-noir type production, lots of murders are needed btw.

Ok, thanks! We have played a couple of scenarios so far, but I feel it might get a bit too predictable with more murders. Still, they are very handy to include in the plot. And since I have a sort of underworld focus, murders do make sense…

For the moment, I’m planning and writing a couple of CoC scenarios. It might end up in a longer campaign set in London, Berlin and probably also some Scandinavian capital (probably Stockholm). Murder investigations will be central to the plot. How common is that for this game? Is it more or less standard or just quite common? 

On 5/8/2023 at 3:36 PM, Ravenheart87 said:

From the above linked Q&A: "We’re sending it to press this week with all edits/errata/corrections fixed and it will be printed in Poland."

So probably this week.

Cool! So when will it be possible to buy the printed version?

4 hours ago, g33k said:

Honestly:  if you want to make a CoC adventure, or campaign, or sourcebook/supplement... I'd go with the Miskatonic Repository on DTRPG.
Similarly for RQ & the Jonstown Compendium.

You don't get 100% ownership/etc, but I think the advantages of those programs are IMHO (more than!) worth the %revenues that DTRPG & Chaosium get.

Each of those RPG's have specific names & subsystems -- product identity -- which are not covered under the ORC.  No ORC'ish Runes -- nor ORC'ish Tusk-Riders, nor etc -- for an ORC-licensed RuneQuest supplement, and similarly for CoC.

 

That is also a possibility that I’ll consider. I might actually write both ORC stuff and  something for the Miskatonic Repository. However, I do want my own approach even if I write something that’s specific for CoC. Are there strict guidelines for how the text should be written? I mean how you structure a mystery, what kind of images you can use (open access photos, AI images), and if you’re restricted by a detailed canon (events in other scenarios, well known NPCs, exactly how Arkham is described etc.).

Another aspect of all this is that I’m kind of both indie and OSR in how I view RPGs. That also change how I do things, even though I’m not rigid about how an RPG supplement should be structured.

Thanks for very informative answers! 
However, I do have an additional question: if I create my own stuff based on the ORC, can I promote it by saying it’s compatible with Call of Cthulhu or RuneQuest? 

My first post here… I just have a few questions regarding this. Sorry if it’s already been discussed or explained elsewhere in this forum.

1. If you create and sell your own game (but with the BRP engine included), do you have to share your profit with Chaosium? I couldn’t find any information about that. I’m sure it’s there.

2. If you want to create your own Lovecraftian horror game and use the BRP engine, could you do that? That’s not something I’m going to do, but I still think it’s an interesting question. I know that Lovecraft’s fiction isn’t protected by copyright anymore. Of course, you can’t just steal any stuff you like from Call of Cthulhu, but I’m more wondering how much they really own in terms of copyright. As you probably know, there are already several other Lovecraftian RPGs out there.

3. Chaosium has taken a clear stance against using AI generated images in their own products. I totaly get why. But I’m also wondering if they will allow third party creators to use AI services like Midjourney in their products. It does cut the cost significantly. I’m not looking for a discussion about this topic, just information about how Chaosium deals with it.