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Episode five of our blockbuster Call of Cthulhu actual play series is now up on YouTube! Outnumbered and outgunned, our investigators turn to extreme measure and strange allies... Featuring guest NPCs Belinda Cornish - who is also one of the co-writers of the show! - and Becca Scott. Graveyards of Arkham episodes premiere weekly on TwitchTV, Wednesdays at 6:30pm PT / 9:30pm ET, followed by YouTube the following Sundays at 2:30pm PT / 5:30pm ET. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and you won't miss a thing! Starring Mark Meer as Keeper of Arcane Lore, and Investigators Patrick Logan, Josephine McAdam, Lucia Versprille, and Noura Ibrahim. Guest NPCs Belinda Cornish and Becca Scott. Original Story by Belinda Cornish & Darren Ormandy. Grateful thanks to all the Graveyards of Arkham Kickstarter backers: we couldn't have made this blockbuster Call of Cthulhu actual play show without your generous support!

Unnatural Selections #82: Graveyards of Arkham is a hit with viewers! The 'Unnatural Selections' series is our regular round up of notable Chaosium reviews worth a look. The early reactions were ecstatic, and now four episodes in viewers continue to love our actual play series Graveyards of Arkham. Here's a sampling of YouTube comments by viewers from episodes two, three and four! "Great sequel to the Bookshops of Arkham series! Just top notch all around and once again enjoying the fantastic work of Mark Meer!" — @SilverViper219. "Woot! I'll be a keeper for my first time in March. This is fun and informative for me." — @MiniatureMashup "Fantastic stuff from Mark and the cast as always!! But also hats off to the ‘NPC’ this week [Paula Deming]! Great work!" — @phoenixiwaki "Another excellent slow-burn episode - with some great Keeper NPCs and Guest NPC - the creepy tension gathering to a storm cloud as the mysteries unfold..." — @aztecjaguar6571 "I love the way you have organised and projected this game. So, as we all know, CoC is just a "game" but you bring this to life as a play - almost a slice of real, if creepy, life. The scene setting, the costumes, the background music and of course the multiple roles played by you are vivid and engrossing. Real talent, thank you for your efforts." - Tim "I love the sets and the costumes...they really are a nice touch...but I could just relax, close my eyes and become immersed in this "actual play" due to the fantastic audio and voice talents. Bravo! I guess this is similar to what people were entertained with before television and movies." — @rpmfla "The chemistry this cast has, man. There's something so perfect about the Keeper having to pop into the middle of a conversation between investigators to remind them of their leads, because both the players and the investigators are just spiralling into confusion ... Chef's kiss. It just makes me want to hunt down a group and start playing. Chaosium, thanks for a lovely series. (again)" — @yourspoookyaunt "This was great. I loved how everyone really came alive. Archibald with his past. Vic with the great distressing with the twine. Betty being catty and mean. And Theodore dealing with death. This was an amazing chapter for all these characters. 100% loved it." — @TheFaulkned "Tension deliciously builds. Becca enters at the cliffhanger." — @AetherflyerGames "I'm not sure why but CoC actual plays are the only ones I can consistently consume. I just love them so much. I originally only intended to watch Andrew Leman's episode as I'm a lifetime member of the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society (Leman is one of the founders) but this ended up making me subscribe to Chaosium's channel and follow this particular series. Given the other comments I've seen, I'll probably check out Bookshops of Arkham, too." — @ryanahr2267 "So nice to see some effort; costumes and a set rather than a series of zoom boxes. I appreciate this has a production budget but it really helps the atmosphere and immersion. Top level stuff!" — @ashleyblake4899 "Goosebumps on top of goosebumps!" — @dee_w784 "The dinner was truly horrifying. The players really got rattled by the feast presented to them!" — @LightningRaven42 "I mean Bookshops of Arkham was already excellent, but this is absolutely next level!" — @niccolomereghetti4808 "All the cast is so good. Their performance in the dream scene is deeply moving." — @Himbros "Becca Scott in 1920s attire looks she is a character straight from The Great Gatsby." — @aztecjaguar6571 "Not to be missed, a classic." — @FleshyInterloper "A BIT of a cliffhanger? Talking about an understatement there 😉 So when is the next one??" — @sanja2776 Watch Graveyards of Arkham episodes premiere weekly on TwitchTV, Wednesdays at 6:30 PT / 9:30 ET, followed by YouTube the following Sundays. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and you won't miss a thing!

Download for free! – maps and handouts for Call of Cthulhu: Arkham, the definitive guide to the signature setting of Call of Cthulhu. This includes the Player and Keeper Maps of the haunted city, Arkham Outskirts Map, and Massachusetts 1922 Map. Plus the complete four page Arkham Advertiser newspaper, created specially for this book by award-winning prop makers The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society. You can download the free handouts pack directly from the Call of Cthulhu: Arkham product pages, and at our Itch.io page. Call of Cthulhu: Arkham is also available at DriveThruRPG and at Roll20.

Available for both; however we can't dictate how swiftly distributors and then game stores are going to order in copies.

To be released at Chaosium Con in Ann Arbor next month...

For questions you might have about the BRP Design Challenge, please see our FAQ at this post on Chaosium.com.

Please do not include AI content (e.g. Midjourney. ChatGPT etc) in your BRP Challenge submission.

Last year at the Ballarat Heritage Festival David Waldron's Call of Cthulhu live actual play production William Bailey's Haunted Mansion was a great success; it was then published in the Miskatonic Repository, Chaosium's platform for independent Call of Cthulhu creators at DriveThruRPG, and even went on to receive a commendation in the 2023 Victorian Community History Awards. This year David is back for the 2024 Ballarat Heritage Festival with an all new Call of Cthulhu actual play production Spectral Schemes, adapted from fellow Miskatonic Repository creator Kat Clay's scenario The Hammersmith Haunting. The scenario is set in the turbulent 1890s of the historic city of Ballarat in Victoria's Goldfields, Australia: It is the year 1890 and the streets of Ballarat have become gripped by ghost fever. The nightly depredations of the Ballarat Ghost have turned the gaslit streets of the city into a place of fear and dread. Even in the halls of the City Council The panic has reached such a state that a bounty has been offered for thye capture of "the person playing the ghost" in the dark corners of the city. Meanwhile, a far more sinister threat lurks beneath the city from a long forgotten crime. Will our party of brave investigators be able to put an end to the terror of the Ballarat Ghost? David and the team from the award-winning Tales from Rat City podcast have produced an amazing live play theatrical event for the 2024 Festival, including figurines, live music, and many more surprises. Spectral Schemes takes place on Thursday, 23 May 2024 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM at the Ballarat Town Hall and online. This event is free, but requires a ticket: get yours here! Chaosium is proud to support this event in association with the City of Ballarat, Guf Games Ballarat, Good Games, Federation University, and Ballarat Libraries.

Thanks @AndreJarosch We're offering serious money in this design challenge. Entrants absolutely do not need to be existing small publishers, or have released something before. But our expectation is they'll take it seriously. There are plenty of robust and thriving independent TTRPG creator communities and forums online where such advice can be sought and will be cheerfully given. Some good examples close to home include the Jonstown Compendium Creators Circle and Miskatonic Repository Creators Circle on Facebook. Both these groups also have "creators helping creators" databases with rates for artists, editors, layout specialists etc.

Basic Roleplaying's Universal Game Engine is available royalty-free for personal and commercial use under the Open RPG Creative (ORC) license. Use these rules, and focus on creating your worlds, scenarios and even books to sell! Download the free BRP ORC Content Document nb this is essentially the entire text of Basic Roleplaying Universal Game Engine, which you can use royalty-free for personal and commercial purposes: Basic Roleplaying ORC Content Document - RTF (Rich Text Format) Basic Roleplaying ORC Content Document - PDF Find out more at our new Getting Started - Designing Games page. And check out the BRP Design Challenge: its goal is to financially assist new and upcoming creators in bringing their games to independent publication (be that digital or print). Chaosium seeks to empower designers from all walks of life, with original ideas, concepts, and systems, with the goal of seeing all shortlisted entries eventually published independently. All entrants retain ownership of their work in its entirety. *With the release of BRP Orc Content Document, please also use this thread to report any typos or errors spotted. Please note here, quoting the page number, the error, and the suggested correction.

Chaosium is excited to announce the Basic Roleplaying Design Challenge! The goal of the BRP Design Challenge is to financially assist new and upcoming creators in bringing their games to independent publication (be that digital or print). Chaosium seeks to empower designers from all walks of life, with original ideas, concepts, and systems, with the goal of seeing all shortlisted entries eventually published independently. Entry to the BRP Design Challenge is free. As part of submission, entrants will need to provide: A pitch for their game (both in long and short form). A production budget for their game. An outline on how the winnings from the BRP Design Challenge will help bring their game to life A competitor market analysis of their game, showcasing where it fits in the market as a product. How the BRP rules have been used in their game. What makes their use of the BRP system, their setting, and/or the gameplay experience unique. All entrants retain ownership of their work in its entirety. Chaosium does not require the signing over of rights of any kind in order to enter the BRP Design Challenge. Winners and shortlisted entries will also retain ownership and—regardless of what winnings may be received as part of this competition—may still publish their games royalty-free under the ORC license. “We’re very excited to give a selection of independent game designers a leg-up in making their dreams a reality,” Chaosium Vice President Michael O’Brien said. “Basic Roleplaying is a core system that is so easy to use and tweak to any setting or genre, and we cannot wait to see the imaginative worlds and innovative designs submitted.” THE PRIZES Each award will also receive a trophy. You can submit your game to the BRP Design Challenge here! Looking for some helpful information on getting started? Check out the Chaosium primer for designing games with BRP! Submissions close on May 31st, 2024 at 11:59pm Pacific US time. Questions? Contact us at brian@chaosium.com

BTW, Becca here is shown holding a copy of the Arkham Advertiser. This four page, stunningly authentic 1922 newspaper comes as a physical prop as part of our newly-released Call of Cthulhu: Arkham supplement. The Arkham Advertiser was created by Andrew Leman and Sean Branney of the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society. Andrew was also guest NPC in Graveyards of Arkham episode one!

Episode four of our blockbuster Call of Cthulhu actual play series is now up on YouTube! When every clue points squarely at the supernatural, our investigators are forced to contend directly with forces beyond their understanding... Featuring guest NPC Becca Scott! Graveyards of Arkham episodes premiere weekly on TwitchTV, Wednesdays at 6:30pm PT / 9:30pm ET, followed by YouTube the following Sundays at 2:30pm PT / 5:30pm ET. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and you won't miss a thing! Starring Mark Meer as Keeper of Arcane Lore, and Investigators Patrick Logan, Josephine McAdam, Lucia Versprille, and Noura Ibrahim. Guest NPC Becca Scott. Original Story by Belinda Cornish & Darren Ormandy. Grateful thanks to all the Graveyards of Arkham Kickstarter backers: we couldn't have made this blockbuster Call of Cthulhu actual play show without your generous support!

And in other shipping news, Arkham (hardback and leatherette) and Alone Against the Static will be available from our Australian warehouse later this month, coming the long way to Botany Bay via the Cape, due to pirate activity in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Wow, that was fast! We've SOLD OUT of Call of Cthulhu: Arkham Leatherettes in the US and UK (still got some copies left in the EU warehouse). No wonder, the book looks so g-o-o-d. A restock is on the way, and we'll announce when it is available again in these locations. Meanwhile, you can still get the regular hardcover version of Arkham in the US, UK, and EU. It's also a thing of beauty, and when you order from us direct we include the PDF in the price: https://www.chaosium.com/call-of-cthulhu-arkham-hardcover

Alone Against the Static will be available in Australia later this month, making their way to Botany Bay this long way round the Cape. As will Call of Cthulhu: Arkham (hardback and leatherette). The longer journey is necessary due to pirate activity in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

The Arkham leatherette is incredibly popular. A restock is on the way to the US and UK warehouse, and soon as they are available again in these locations we'll make an announcement. Call of Cthulhu: Arkham (hardback and leatherette) and Alone Against the Static will be available in Australia later this month, making their way to Botany Bay this long way round the Cape.

Note that unlike Cults of Cthulhu and A Time to Harvest, Arkham comes with three physical add-ons slipped within the covers: two fold-out maps and the Arkham Advertiser newspaper (which I'm holding in my hand right now; it is a wonder to behold, and a testament to the fiendish genius of Andrew Leman and Sean Branney of the HPLHS). Yes, however the Keeper Rulebook was first released nine years ago (and the MSRP hasn't changed). However all the development costs to create new books have increased in that time. As a point of comparison, WotC's latest release Vecna: Eve of Ruin is 256 pages and has an MSRP of USD$69.95; Pathfinder's next release the Tian Xia World Guide is 305 pages with a MSRP of $79.95; C7's coming Warhammer 40K book Aeldari: Inheritance of Embers is $46.00 and 160 pages; and FL's recent Walking Dead RPG core rules is $55 and 175 pages long. Their Mork Borg game is $43, but's only 96 pages long. There's a $43 preorder for the 228 page Dragonbane rules too, but that's in softcover. We think the $59.99 MSRP for our 270 page Arkham Book is on the mark, and excellent value.

Collaborating with Roll20 on Bookshops/Graveyards of Arkham has no bearing on us working with other VTTs, other than allocation of resources.

As noted in the book's introduction, the primary purpose for presenting Arkham in 1922 is to enable Keepers to take full advantage of the decade to build a campaign that could, if desired, include events and characters from Lovecraft’s and others’ fiction. Thus, rather than being too late to join Dr. Henry Armitage on his mission to defeat the Dunwich Horror, or miss out on becoming embroiled in the Edward Pickman Derby and Asenath Waite affair, this book provides useful information for Keepers to weave into their campaigns so that their players can indeed become part of those stories and, in doing so, make them their own. The Arkham Sanitarium is present - as noted in the text of the book (see p.95), that's how locals informally refer to the institution whose official name is the Pickering Psychopathic Hospital. Just like how in RW London St Bernard's Hospital was colloquially known as the Hanwell Insane Asylum (being located in Hanwell) or how the Philadelphia State Hospital was popularly known as the Byberry Asylum, being located in Byberry. (Even DC Comics' Arkham Asylum has a formal name - it's the "Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane".)

The badges for Chaosium Con Australia are available now, please help spread the word! https://www.chaosium.com/blogget-your-badge-for-chaosium-con-australia-june-89

Unveil the secrets of the legend-haunted city at Roll20 - our newest release for Call of Cthulhu is available for VTT play! Call of Cthulhu: Arkham is the definitive guide to the signature setting of Call of Cthulhu. A Sandbox Setting With 290 locations detailed across 9 neighborhoods, Call of Cthulhu: Arkham is the perfect supplement for a sandbox-style campaign. The compendium also contains Gossip & Rumors to use as scenario seeds, and over 80 fully-detailed NPCs with their own secrets to discover—investigators will never be without a lead to follow up on! New Rules & Game Aids The product contains 25+ maps of the city, its suburbs, and their buildings. Each map has secret information displayed on the GM layer and they can all be repurposed by Keeper's to stand in for other houses in their own Arkham campaigns! Tables for rolling names, Arkham gossip, locations, and even the weather are all included for ease of use in the Arkham Addon. Call of Cthulhu: Arkham also introduces new rules and skills for Arkham investigators. Roll20 Enhancements: All maps, handouts, art, and character sheets fully integrated and ready for the virtual tabletop. Maps with GM layer information and dynamic lighting support (requires plus / pro subscription). Arkham Compendium (rules for creating investigators and playing in Arkham, 100+ NPCs, 290+ locations, new items and tomes to discover) Arkham Addon (25+ pages of maps, appendix of references, collected handouts and art to be shared with players, rollable tables) Arkham Token Pack (190+ tokens ready to be used in your Call of Cthulhu campaigns) Get your copy of Arkham and begin your own explorations! Call of Cthulhu Arkham on Roll20 VTT: $29.99 Also available in the following formats Hardback: $59.99 (price includes PDF) PDF: $29.99 Special leatherette edition (price includes PDF): $99.99 DriveThruRPG: $29.99. More Call of Cthulhu available on Roll20! Explore the wide range of Call of Cthulhu releases on the Chaosium Marketplace page at Roll20.com.

Chaosium Con is coming to Australia in June, and we're excited to announce tickets are now on sale! It's going to be an epic weekend parts mythic, epic, heroic and horrific, with Chaosium's favourite games on offer, plus local and international guests, panels, an auction, and more! Please join us! International guests are Mike Mason, Andrew Logan Montgomery, and Bridgett Jeffries! Dates: June 8th-9th 2024 (King's Birthday Weekend) Location: Moonee Valley Racing Club, Melbourne VIC Australia. Convention Hotel:The Sebel Moonee Ponds (a short walk from the venue) -- all prices in Australian Dollars and include GST -- Chaosium Con Australia Badge - Full Weekend Price: AUD$150.00 Saturday June 8 - Sunday June 9 2024 Moonee Valley Racing Club, Melbourne VIC Badge includes: Access to all standard game sessions, seminars, auction, vendors and events 10am - 8pm each day Free parking on site: gates open 9am - 9pm Add Ons: Invitation to VIP Welcome Party (Friday evening June 7) - $49.00 Access to VIP game sessions (announced soon) Chaosium Con Australia VIP Welcome Party Price: AUD$49.00 Friday June 7 6:00pm - 8:00pm TOTE Bar, Moonee Valley Racing Club, Melbourne VIC Includes: Welcome and interact with Chaosium Con Australia’s International and Local Guests of Honour First drink (alcoholic/non-alcoholic) Finger food Door prizes Chaosium Con Day Badges (Saturday, Sunday) and Student Badges also available! Details here. -- Moonee Valley Racing Club -- Chaosium Con Australia Refund/Cancel Policy We are offering full refunds until March 31st, 2024. After that date there will be no refunds under any circumstances. If you are unsure about being able to either afford or attend our show, please do not buy a badge to our show. However, we acknowledge that things happen. So, if you do buy a badge and/or special event tickets and you have to cancel after March 31st, 2024, we will credit your chaosium.com account with those amounts. The only limitation on this is that the request for a credit must be received by us by June 6th, 2024. After that, only special event ticket returns will be honored in person at the show. There will be no badge returns after this point. Again, if you are unsure that you can either afford or attend our show, please do not buy a badge. Chaosium Con Australia FAQ Q: How will events at the convention be organised and timetabled? A: We will be organising events using Tabletop Events (same as is used for Chaosium Con in Ann Arbor USA). Everyone who buys a badge will be sent a link to the Chaosium Con Australia page at Tabletop Events in March 2024. Q: How do I buy a seat in a VIP Game? A: We'll be announcing VIP Games soon. They'll be ticketed, and you can purchase them in the same way you bought your badge. You must have a badge to buy a VIP Game seat. Q: Are children welcome at Chaosium Con Australia? A: We do not have events specifically for children or a play area. Our games and events are suitable for people aged 13+. Q: I would like to be a volunteer for the convention. How can I help? A: We're seeking a team of volunteers to help support the Chaosium Con Australia. Nine scheduled hours over the course of the weekend means a free badge, worth AUD$150.00. For more information see here. Q: Will there be food or refreshments available on site? A: The convention will have a coffee cart, light snacks, soft drinks, juice, and mineral water available for purchase on site. Free water is also available. There is also a cafe across the road, and Moonee Ponds' main shopping street is less than 10 minutes walk away, with a wide variety of places to eat and drink. Q: How easy is it to get to the venue? A: Moonee Valley Racing Club is about six kilometers from the Melbourne CBD. It's also on the same side of the city as Melbourne Airport. Tram and Bus stops are a 5 minute walk from the venue, the Train station is 10 minutes. The venue offers free parking for Chaosium Con Australia attendees, 9am - 9pm. Q: Where is the convention hotel? A: The convention hotel is the Sebel Moonee Ponds, a short walk from the venue. Our International Guests will be staying at this hotel, along with many other attendees. Q: How do I get the special Chaosium Con Australia convention rate at Sebel Moonee Ponds hotel? A: To get 5% off the best unrestricted rate plus complimentary wi-fi and welcome amentity, email the Sebel Moonee Ponds and quote "Chaosium" in the subject line, or call directly +61-(0)3-8593-9678. Q: Where else can I stay that's convenient for Chaosium Con Australia? A: Other local places to stay include the Royal Hotel, Punt Hill Serviced Apartments, and the Alexander Motor Inn, all a short tram ride away (or long walk). Melbourne's CBD is also not far away via public transport, with literally dozens of places to stay. Q: I have another question to ask about Chaosium Con Australia. A: Feel free to contact our convention coordinator Andrew and he'll be able to assist!

Now available at the Chaosium Redbubble store! These are the unrolled versions of the maps that come included as folded maps with the newly released Call of Cthulhu: Arkham. Perfect for Call of Cthulhu campaign play, worldbuilding, or just firing your imagination as you wander around the city streets and landmarks. Available as posters, framed prints and other wall art! Arkham Street Plan Map Arkham Street Plan Map (Keeper version) Arkham Outskirts Map Call of Cthulhu: Arkham - Massachusetts Map plus, Graveyards of Arkham Official Movie Poster, our blockbuster actual play series, showing weekly now on Twitch (Wednesdays 6:30pm PT / 9:30pm ET) and YouTube (Sundays at 2:30pm PT / 5:30pm ET).

Did you know that Call of Cthulhu: Arkham, the definitive guide to the signature setting of Call of Cthulhu, is also available at DriveThruRPG? When you purchase our new Arkham book at DriveThruRPG, in addition to the 272 page PDF you get to download: The Arkham Advertiser - created by our friends the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society, this full sized newspaper is the perfect prop for any game set in Arkham. Four poster-sized Arkham Maps Arkham NPC Portraits Arkham Floorplans - both Keeper and Player versions Call of Cthulhu: Arkham is also available in full color hardback from Chaosium.com in hardback and special leatherette edition, price includes PDF.