Funny thing is, I've been playing CoC on and off for the last 18 years, and I've never, ever bought a supplement for it. We've been running it out of the core book (5e) ever since. I think only the D&D RC compares in this regard.

Now I'm of a mind to pick up some CoC goodies.

First I thought of picking up Delta Green, which is, of course, out of print and goes for $200+ on Noble Knight when it shows up. So that's a no.

Then there's The Laundry. I admit to never having read the novels, though I'm vaguely familiar with the idea (a British government agency dealing with paranormal phenomena and mired in bureaucracy and office politics). How's that as a game book? I'm not inherently opposed to the idea of humor in my CoC games (I almost picked up Blood Brothers), but "Delta Green meets The Office" is not really what I'm looking for right now.

Cthulhu By Gaslight just got a new edition, and I've read some praise for it in these very forums. What's it like? Just a "guide to Victorian life", or does it have interesting Cthulhu-specific material?

The location books look interesting, which ones are the best?

What about the Malleus Monstrorum? Is it worth it? "Need new monsters" was never an issue in our CoC games. And if it was we'd just make up something. But I love bestiaries, especially when the critters inside offer good adventure hooks.

And I know absolutely nothing about the MU monographs, so all advice and information are welcome.

Some of the city books are  really good, especially Kingsport and Dunwich - efficiently presented, basically CoC sandboxes. You could get a campaign worth of play out of PCs just renting a room in Kingsport and going street to street snooping around in their neighor's business.

1920's investigator companion is handy, even if you have a decent american history background because it is a good table reference for likely adventuring practicalities (stuff like what's a lantern like ca. 192x, etc.) More of a convenience post google perhaps, but a pretty convenient convenience.

Many seem not to like Dreamlands but in my opinion it's worth it for the spells alone, especially if you play other BRP games.

I like Dreamlands. The adventures in my copy (I'm not sure which edition I have) are unbearably rail roady, but I'm big fan of the rest of the book. I think the problem that a lot of folks have with it is that it can more or less turn your CoC campaign into a S&S game. Personally, I'd love to play in a dreamalnds S&S game.

Quote from: The Butcher;457970First I thought of picking up Delta Green, which is, of course, out of print and goes for $200+ on Noble Knight when it shows up. So that's a no.

It is good though, if you see it at a reasonable price.

Quote from: The Butcher;457970Cthulhu By Gaslight just got a new edition, and I've read some praise for it in these very forums. What's it like? Just a "guide to Victorian life", or does it have interesting Cthulhu-specific material?

Gaslight is OK. The first half or so is the straight victorian guide with emphasis on the occult, it's not that heavily mythos oriented. Then there is a good chapter on mythos time travel, a chapter on Holmes and his timeline, a chapter about HG wells. The last third or so of the book is a workmanlike adventure. I don't know if the new edition contains additional material; my copy is from 1988.

Reading Cthulhu Invictus right now. Good stuff.

Quote from: Aos;457985I like Dreamlands. The adventures in my copy (I'm not sure which edition I have) are unbearably rail roady, but I'm big fan of the rest of the book. I think the problem that a lot of folks have with it is that it can more or less turn your CoC campaign into a S&S game. Personally, I'd love to play in a dreamalnds S&S game.

Like that, yeah.

Quote from: Benoist;457991Reading Cthulhu Invictus right now. Good stuff.

I've been meaning to get that one forever. Can you give a short breakdown of the contents?

OK first, if you don't have the Complete Masks of Nyarlathotep, you should own them. Period. THEN,

Quote from: The Butcher;457970The location books look interesting, which ones are the best?

Arkham Unveiled. It's great.

Quote from: The Butcher;457970What about the Malleus Monstrorum? Is it worth it? "Need new monsters" was never an issue in our CoC games. And if it was we'd just make up something. But I love bestiaries, especially when the critters inside offer good adventure hooks.

The strength of the Malleus Monstrorum is that it blends the mythos with actual archeological illustrations, mythological accounts and basically provides a lot of sketchy fluff and references that makes it feel "real" in the context of CoC. That's why it is such a great book. Absolutely a must-have, if you ask me, for the inspiration alone. It'll rock your socks and come up with billions of ideas just by looking at the art.

Quote from: Benoist;457997The strength of the Malleus Monstrorum is that it blends the mythos with actual archeological illustrations, mythological accounts and basically provides a lot of sketchy fluff and references that makes it feel "real" in the context of CoC. That's why it is such a great book. Absolutely a must-have, if you ask me, for the inspiration alone. It'll rock your socks and come up with billions of ideas just by looking at the art.

That sounds great; I should get hold of this.

Quote from: Cole;457994I've been meaning to get that one forever. Can you give a short breakdown of the contents?

Table of Contents

Welcome to Rome, Capital of the Known World_______________________6
A Day in Rome 9 • Roman Society 10 • Roman Family 11 • Roman Housing 11 • Roman Entertainment 13 •
Eating in Ancient Rome 15 • The Roman Calendar 16 • A Brief History of Rome 18

A Short Tour Around Mare Nostrum__________________________________ 20
Travel 20 • Arabia Magna 21 • Asia Minor 24 • Britannia 28 • Aegyptus 32 • Gallia 35 • Germania Magna 38 • Graecia 40 •
Hispania 44 • Iudea 47 • Kush 49 • Northern Africa 49 • Parthia 55 • Scythia 57 • Syria 58

Character Creation_____________________________________________________ 61
Characteristics 61 • Birthplace and Language 62 • Gender 62 • Name 62 • Education 64 •
Age & Aging 64 • Money 64 • Occupations 64

Skills______________________________________________________________________ 73
Opposed Skill Rolls 72 • Skills Clarified 73 • Weapons Skills 76

Equipment and Supplies__________________________________________________ 78
Roman Currency 78 • Clothing 79 • Pets 80 • Transportation 80 • Various and Sundry Supplies 81

Recovering Sanity_______________________________________________________ 82
Violence and Sanity 82

Combat____________________________________________________________________ 83
Recording Damage 84 • Healing 84 • Poisoning 84 • Melee Weapons 85 • Shields 85 •
Missile Weapons 86 • Armor 86 • Medicinal Herbs 87 • Poisons 88

Roman Siege Weapons____________________________________________________ 89
Bows 89 • Launchers 90 • Incendiaries 90

The Grimoire_____________________________________________________________ 91
Roman Religion 91 • Roman Augury 91 • Magic 93 • Mythos and Occult Tomes 97 • Mythos Creatures 100

The Bestiary______________________________________________________________ 101
Apep 102 • Ataka 102 • Azi Dahaka 103 • Ba'al Hammon 103 • Bardi 104 • Basajuanak 104 • Basilisk 105 •
Blemmyes 105 • Blue Men of the Minch 106 • Bouda 106 • Brocken Spectre 107 • Buggane 107 • Centaur 108 • Cerberus 108 •
Cercopes 109 Charybdis 110 • Children of Cthugha 110 • Children of Lamia 110 • Cu Sith 111 • Cuegle 111 • Cyclopes 112 •
Dea 112 • Dybbuk 113 • Furies 113 • Gandareva 114 • Gorgons 114 • Grindylow 115 • Harpies 115 • Horses of Diomedes 115 •
Jinn 116 • Kalikantzaris 118 • Keto 118 • Kul 119 • Laestrygonians 119 • Lamia 120 • Lesij 120 • Lou Carcolh 121 •
Magliore 121 • Mas-da Sakkaru 121 • Mazikeen 122 • Meretseger 123 • Minotaur 123 • Mot 123 • Muses 124 • Pegasus 125 •
Sandwalker 125 • Satyr 125 • Scorpion Men 126 • Scylla 126 • Sirens 127 • Taranushi 127 • Tengri 128 • Trenti 128 • Typhon 129
• Ut'ulls-Hr'ehr 129 • Vodyanoy 130 • Zaratan 130

Cults and Secret Societies_____________________________________________ 131
Argonauts 131 • Beag ma Aisus 132 • Blade of Zarthosht 132 • Bull Dancers 133 • Christianity 133 •
Cult of Magna Mater 134 • Custus Notitiae 134 • Daughters of Isolation 135 • Fishmen of Lierganes 136 •
Followers of Dagon 136 • Followers of Urakhu 137 • Gnosticism 138 • Harii 138 • Kukeri 138 • Lotophagi 139 •
Mithraism 139 • The Olympians 140 • Priests of Melkarth 141 • The Qore 142 • Republicans 142 •
Sicarii 143 • The Titans 143 • Vestal Virgins 144

The Roman Legions_____________________________________________________ 145

Prophylaxis Panacea Efqa (scenario) _ ________________________________ 148

Scenario Seeds___________________________________________________________ 161

Selected Reading________________________________________________________ 162

Guide to Major Topics__________________________________________________ 164

Investigator Sheet__________________________________________________165, 168

2-Page Map of Rome_________________________________________________ 166-167

Fold-Out Map of the Roman Empire__________________ Inside Back Cover

Quote from: Benoist;458002Table of Contents

Sounds promising. What is the degree of mythos infusion into the historical/mythical stuff?

Quote from: Cole;458003Sounds promising. What is the degree of mythos infusion into the historical/mythical stuff?

I'd say subtle. Some cults for instance are reinterpreted as being fronts for Gods of the Mythos, some historical events may have double meanings, the Picts worship Yog-Sothoth and Shub-Niggurath, those kinds of things. So the slant and ideas are here for you to explore, but at the same time they may be ignored if you're searching for a generic Roman setting for a BRP game.

Quote from: Benoist;458008I'd say subtle. Some cults for instance are reinterpreted as being fronts for Gods of the Mythos, some historical events may have double meanings, the Picts worship Yog-Sothoth and Shub-Niggurath, those kinds of things. So the slant and ideas are here for you to explore, but at the same time they may be ignored if you're searching for a generic Roman setting for a BRP game.

How do you feel it compares to Pete Nash's BRP Rome, if you've read that?

Quote from: Cole;458003Sounds promising. What is the degree of mythos infusion into the historical/mythical stuff?

Oh I should also point out, because it's not obvious from the table of contents, but the time frame of Cthulhu Invictus is basically the First century AD. Claudian and Flavian Emperors, basically. I, Claudius time frame.

Quote from: Cole;458015How do you feel it compares to Pete Nash's BRP Rome, if you've read that?

I haven't had a chance to check it out, so I wouldn't know how the two compare. But I'm going to, now.

Quote from: Benoist;458016Oh I should also point out, because it's not obvious from the table of contents, but the time frame of Cthulhu Invictus is basically the First century AD. Claudian and Flavian Emperors, basically. I, Claudius time frame.

I think that is probably a better adventuring timeframe, really.