Jump to content

Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion


Darius West

Recommended Posts

Some months ago I saw a project on Kickstarter for this product, paid in, and then completely forgot about it.  Imagine my surprise when I am delivered a 729-page hard cover tome that covers everything that opens and shuts about the many settings of Masks of Nyarlathotep.  The level of research that has gone into this product dwarfs most doctoral theses, it is impeccably edited and has information that can be used in many other C'thulhu Settings.  The reference section is immense too, and the index seems huge and useful.  This is obviously a labor of love, and the only RPG document I know of that is bigger is the Guide to Glorantha.  I think Misters B. Kramer, A. Warren, M. Pook, S. Zeitlin, D. Sokolowski, and J. Haughton deserve a pat on the back and a bit of acclaim for having produced this amazing product.  It is one of the more amazing things for CoC I have seen, though it is for 6th Edition.   Has anyone else purchased this one?  What do you think?

Edited by Darius West
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Finally seeing the finished MoN Companion also took my breath away, it sits nicely next to my hardcover edition of MoN, and if easily 4-5 times the size of the original campaign book.

I have been running a rollickling and rather sprawling Pulp Adventure/Investigation campaign (BGB+CoC+converted White Wolf Adventure! rules) intermittently over the past few years, using MoN as the foundation plotline for the campaign.

We have recently resumed this (now using CoC 7E + Pulp Cthulhu), and I can see I'll be getting so much use from the MoN Companion.

It is truly an amazing resource to add to an already great campaign.

Edited by Mankcam
  • Like 1

" Sure it's fun, but it is also well known that a D20 roll and an AC is no match against a hefty swing of a D100% and a D20 Hit Location Table!"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been holding off on reading the Companion for years now, not wanting to dive in until it was actually finished. Now that it is, and my hardback copy has arrived, I'm amazed; it's an astonishing labour of love, and makes me wish that I had the years of free time it would take to run Masks properly.

Well... maybe when we finish Horror on the Orient Express (2nd edition) I'll give it another look.

Great work, and lovely presentation.

  • Like 1

— 
Self-discipline isnt everything; look at Pol Pot.”
—Helen Fielding, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, trystero said:

makes me wish that I had the years of free time it would take to run Masks properly.

fwiw: I've run it three times (each time using the Companion and an absolutely *massive* amount of prop/handout work). The last time was over the course of six 4-hour convention time-slots (two conventions, one year apart):

24 hours total for the full thing, and I didn't feel anything was actually skipped from a proper run.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/16/2017 at 8:07 PM, mdomino said:

mvincent, that is really cool. I remember seeing that listed in time slots for Guardian Games? How did it go? Did you have mostly the same players, or different for each slot? Were they continuing characters?

Mike D

I handled it over two Gamestorm conventions (I also ran the first half during Cthulhucon, but the second half at Guardian games didn't work as well). About half the players were new at each slot. Plenty of deaths and dramatic endings in each session. I believe two Gamestorm attendees somehow managed to make it to all the sessions (and I believe one kept the same character all the way through). I had also used pre-gen characters sheets that resembled passports, and then stamped their passport in each episode.

Edited by mvincent
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Back in March 2015, 771 backers brought the Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion to life. Backers are now receiving their copies from Sixtystone Press, and have been amazed and astounded at the sheer size of the book (739 pages!) and the breadth of what it covers.

If you missed the Kickstarter, here's your one chance to get a Masks Companion of your own: Chaosium now has its royalty copies to sell, in a special hardcover 'Sandbat' edition.

Chaosium's copies will be available for purchase as a print + PDF bundle on DriveThruRPG from 12 noon EDT (5.00pm BST) on Saturday July 1st. This is strictly on a "first-come, first-served" basis. Once Chaosium's allocation is sold out, the Companion will be withdrawn from sale. More details at the link:

http://www.chaosium.com/blog/masks-of-nyarlathotep-companion-special-sand-bat-edition-available-from-saturday-july-1st/

screen-shot-2017-06-28-at-5.03.24-pm.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
1 hour ago, nclarke said:

Are you advocating anarchy where the rule of contracts does not apply because you didn't get what you want?

No, I most certainly have my copy, I merely sympathize with those who are not so fortunate.  Less anarchy than socialism I fear.

Edited by Darius West
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Numtini said:

A kickstarter page is not a contract. If you want to take it as a contract,

You are missing the point. Sixtystone as a licensee is contractually obliged to give Chaosium a set number of books. It was these books that Chaosium was selling. Chaosium did us a favour by printing themselves so we didn't have to find £1300 printing and delivering them to Chaosium. If we print any more, and we breach a set level we owe Chaosium another lot of books. So we aren't printing anymore.

 

5 hours ago, Numtini said:

in fact the owner of the site is selling his personal possessions to make good the printing costs. It also says it will only be available at chaosium.com, so if we wanted to be literal minded, the sales at drivethrurpg.com and by Chaosium at conventions are counter to the literal wording of the kickstarter.

Incorrect. Paul had the KS money in safe keeping. I had to request to draw on it to complete the KS. The reminder will be returned to Paul when the KS is complete. It does mean we made less than we originally planned but that's what 2 years inflation does to plans. Paul's selling of his collection is his personal decision.

What you are saying is incorrect. The availability at chaosium.com refers to the Sand Bat edition, which is the contractually obliged Chaosium edition. This is the only edition Chaosium will be selling. The edition Chaosium is entitled to sell. And which was stated in the KS pitch.

Adam Crossingham
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief | Sixtystone Press Limited

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I really truly apologize for any details I got wrong. I am just another person who thinks it's an amazing book that obviously had an enormous amount of work put into it and hate to see a situation where there are people with money on one side who want to get a copy and a great website that can use the money on the other.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Didn't know about the Kickstarter. Since both Chaosium and Sixtystone Press representatives are on this thread, as a potential customer I'd like to see the two of you negotiate someway to put this as a Print on Demand + PDF bundle through OBS. Contracts can be renegotiated if both parties agree to it. Obviously, I don't expect you to do so publicly, but hopefully in private you at least entertain the idea.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

38 minutes ago, Spellslinging Sellsword said:

Didn't know about the Kickstarter. Since both Chaosium and Sixtystone Press representatives are on this thread, as a potential customer I'd like to see the two of you negotiate someway to put this as a Print on Demand + PDF bundle through OBS. Contracts can be renegotiated if both parties agree to it. Obviously, I don't expect you to do so publicly, but hopefully in private you at least entertain the idea.

A big incentive to get people to back the Masks Companion Kickstarter all those years ago was its exclusivity and allure of rarity. The Kickstarter stated: "This Kickstarter will be the only place to acquire a copy of the Masks Companion other than Chaosium.com" (meaning Chaosium's royalty copies). Making a new print version available is a decision for the project creators, and any discussion about that would be between them and the original Kickstarter backers.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 19/07/2017 at 3:21 AM, Spellslinging Sellsword said:

Since both Chaosium and Sixtystone Press representatives are on this thread, as a potential customer I'd like to see the two of you negotiate someway to put this as a Print on Demand + PDF bundle through OBS.

You can like as much as you want to. However the KS was pitched and backed so we're going to keep to to what we said.

The KS ran for a month, it took two years to deliver in which time a late backers scheme was running quietly in the background. Where were you? Were you dead?

Adam Crossingham
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief | Sixtystone Press Limited

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, Gundamentalist said:

You can like as much as you want to. However the KS was pitched and backed so we're going to keep to to what we said.

The KS ran for a month, it took two years to deliver in which time a late backers scheme was running quietly in the background. Where were you? Were you dead?

Wow, what a rude reply.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Chaosium is selling its final 20 copies of the monumental 775 page Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion at Gen Con, Indianapolis IN, starting August 17.

This is the hardback "Sand Bat" edition, produced as royalty copies for Chaosium for the Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion Kickstarter.

These will be available from the booth (829) on a first-come-first-served basis, at a cost of USD$95 (price includes the PDF). 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...