Miskatonic University Podcast

This episode Keepers Bridgett & Evan visit Innsmouth via of Chaosium’s newest Call of Cthulhu book: Innsmouth.

Patreon Plug & Update

Hey guys! It’s us. Bridgett and Evan. We uh, we went to Innsmouth to do some field research for you guys, and um… now our car won’t start. It’s too far to walk. Uber and Lyft says that this location doesn’t exist. The only way out is by bus, and we don’t have any money…

We’ve risked everything to bring you guys good content. We’ve traveled to places that Papa Johns doesn’t even deliver. And now we’re struck. We need your help. We can barely afford these website fees, hosting fees, spam filter fees, storage fees, and editor payment fees, let alone a bus ticket to get back home….

But for only $2/month, you, dear listener, could save us from Innsmouth. And economic disaster. By backing us on patreon at http://patreon.com/MUP. We just want to get home. To you.

The Discord Plug

MUP has a Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you to our editor GENE for editing this episode.

Main Topic

Let’s take a tour of the Innsmouth book! Join hosts as we riff, play, and discuss potential story options!

Homework

What’s your favorite part of the Innsmouth setting? Tell us over on the MUP Discord, channel Ep 361!

This episode, Keepers Bridgett and Evan discuss Target Audiences with Zach from Pretending to be People!

Patreon Plug & Update

Hey, guys! We have a patreon. That’s right. That’s how we pay our editors, web hosting, storage, spam filters, website fees, and more!

And our backers make it possible. See, our backers are our target audience. They also enjoy weird or horrific roleplaying games. And they also choose to hang out with Evan and I every other week. You hear that Evan? People pay to be here. They pay to keep us going? ….What’s wrong with them?

I don’t know, but we’re not in a position to look a gift horse in the mouth. Fees are going up. We need the money. And we need subscribers. So, do just like our newest backer:

Matthew Dawkins

just did, head over http://patreon.com/MUP and subscribe. For as little as two bucks a month, you too can support Bridgett as she rudely interrupts and laughs over me. Or, you can force us to continue to pander to our corporate overlords, such as this episode’s sponsor:

Ad for MythosMarket Cosmic Prediction Market

For Zach

You’ve probably heard from your bros about their little prediction markets. “Oooh I can place a bet on the election! Ooh I can do a little insider trading on a celebrity death!” WHO CARES? Your bros are thinking small.

You know how to play the big markets. When will Great Cthulhu rise? When will the stars be right again? How long until laws and morals are thrown aside and all people shout and kill and revel in joy?

You’ve studied the books bound in human skin. You’ve correlated the contents of your mind. You have the inside track on the apocalypse, and you use that knowledge on Mythos Market, the cosmic prediction market.

The Discord Plug

MUP has a Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you to our editor Ben for editing this episode.

Main Topic

Hello, everyone, and welcome everyone to the Main Topic! Tonight, we are here discussing: target audiences. We’re going to define what that is, discuss why it matters, and give you some tools, tricks, and support to recognize how these strategies directly impact you!

Homework

Dear listener, tell us – what’s YOUR target audience? Let us know on the Discord, channel ep-360.

This episode, Keepers Bridgett & Evan discuss horror gaming ideas based on the culture, folklore, and history of Mexico with Carlos Salazar!

Patreon Plug & Update

Are you excited to be getting out into the world with us? Learning new things? Encountering previously-unimagined terror? Well. Honey. Doing that is not free.

That’s correct! We didn’t all get good enough grades for a study abroad scholarship… I think I’ve taken the college metaphor as far as it can go. OK. The point is, YOU can be our spiritual, temporal, and financial benefactors, by heading over to http://patreon.com/MUP to subscribe. For as little as two bucks a month, you can help us pay our editors, pay for web hosting, and pay for storage.

And hey, we get it. If monetary support isn’t possible, a like, a share, a nomination to your favorite podcast awards, or a review goes such a long way! Because if you don’t engage, or support, then we’re forced to include ads from our backers, like this unholy nonsense from backer James (Ibis):

[In obnoxious 90s commercial screech]: Nahum Gardner’s Ba-LAaaasted Heath Sunbathing, in the West Arkham Hills mini-mall! Get a tan that is out of this world! (Editors: Gnarly 90’s guitar riff here?) Funky fake tan colors? NO WAY! Nahum Gardner uses the power of the cosmos to help you achieve color that is OUT OF THIS WORLD!

…OK. That’s as long as I can do that voice. James, thank you! And curse you.

The Discord Plug

MUP has a Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you to our editor EQUINOX for editing this episode.

Bridgett’s Pet Pic Shout Out

Tonight’s Pet Pic Shout Out is of Jackson Elias, the puppers of Targard and Bev in Stitches! He’s got his eyes on you… he’s seen beyond sight… he knows beyond knowing… and hims still the bestest boy! Love you Targard!

Main Topic

Welcome everyone to the Main Topic! Tonight we are discussing horror gaming ideas based on the culture, folklore, and history of Mexico! Previously we’ve touched on the idea of looking into specific cultures for inspiration for your horror gaming, like when we dove deep into the Depression-era Mississippi Delta in our two Sinners episodes with our guest Quinn Murphy. And we’ve talked about the ways that the idea of “madness” evolves and shifts across cultures and across time.

And just to revisit a couple of general ground rules here when we start to play with the Mythos and horror and real-life cultures:

• The Mythos is not responsible for factual, historical evils that humans commit.
• We don’t mess around with tropes of backwards tribes who worship the mythos because they haven’t been enlightened by white man.
• The stories and mythologies of real-world cultures are not “secretly, actually” referring to Mythos entities.
• We don’t do misery tourism.
• Define and deny racial fetishizing

OK! So! Carlos, let’s dive in!

• Cosmic perspective in a Mexican and Mexican American tradition

• Curanderismo: Mexican-American Folk Psychiatry by Ari Kiev
• Curanderismo: Mexican American Folk Healing, 2nd Ed. by Robert T Trotter II, Juan Antonio Chavira, Luís D León
• Daily Life of the Aztecs
• Bless Me Ultima, Rudolfo Anaya
• Mexican Gothic, Silvia Moreno-Gracia
• Fever Dreams of a Parasite, Pedro Iniquez

• Folklore from different populations and how to use them as a jump off point for Mythos horror
• Mesoamerican systems of writing and the almost near destruction of Mesoamerican texts

Also – yesterday was Mexican Independence Day! And we are just now entering Hispanic Heritage Month. Happy coincidences!

Homework

Dear listener, tell us – have you dabbled in horror gaming inspired by Mexico? Where would you like our Study Abroad program to go in the future? Let us know on the Discord, channel ep-359.

This episode, Keepers Bridgett and Evan discuss Survival Horror with Matthew Dawkins!

Patreon Plug & Update

Do you enjoy this content? Would you like to help us create more of it? Would you love to go to sleep at night knowing that you did your part to directly support this show and our surrounding community? Well. Do we have news for you!

You can be the hero that MUP deserves, and needs, by heading over to http://patreon.com/MUP to subscribe. For as little as two bucks a month you can help us pay our editors, pay for web hosting, and pay for storage. Do you know how much storage we go through each month? We need monetary support!

And listen, if monetary support isn’t possible, a like, a share, a nomination to your favorite podcast awards, or a review goes such a long way! Because if you don’t engage, or support, then we’re forced to include ads from our backers, such as this gem from Antonio Marchen:

This episode is brought to you by Grandma Sally’s Soap Shop, your online source for handcrafted soaps, beauty products, and other personal care items. We make our products in small batches using traditional methods, natural ingredients, and Grandma Sally’s own proprietary premium tallow blend.

Unlike mass-produced corporate soaps, Grandma Sally’s products are rendered slowly over an open fire in an authentic iron cauldron. Quality is assured by the watchful gaze of powers older than mankind. Customers describe our cleansers as “surprisingly fresh,” “deeply satisfying,” and “uncomfortably personal.” At Grandma Sally’s, we put a little bit of ourselves into every product. And sometimes… a little bit of somebody else.

The Discord Plug

MUP has a Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you to our editor NATE for editing this episode.

Main Topic

Welcome everyone to the Main Topic! Tonight we are discussing Survival Horror. What it is, what it isn’t, what makes it unique, and how to use this subgenre of horror as a vehicle to enhance and diversify your storytelling.

And to help, we’ve brought on prolific writer, award winning content creator, and honestly one my favorite GMs of all time, Matthew Dawkins! Matthew, please introduce yourself to the people!

So, we’re jumping into Survival Horror. Before we proceed, let’s first define it- Matthew, what is survival horror?

• What is it NOT? Let’s clarify by contrast, what is survival horror compared to cosmic horror, investigative horror, apocalyptic, or psychological horror?

• What type of core elements can you expect from survival horror? According to the internets:

• scarce resources,
• Isolation
• unreliable combat,
• unexpected attacks,
• puzzle solving,
• evade versus confront enemies,
• vulnerable characters,
• maze-like environments,
• perception limitation

• What types of gamers or playstyles would be most attracted to survival horror?

• What do you personally enjoy most about survival horror? What are your favorite games/system that rely on this texture of storytelling?

• Ten Candles
• Mutant Year Zero
• Twilight 2000
• Alien: the RPG
• Locus

• https://cobblepath-games.itch.io/locusrpg

• This War of Mine

• https://awakenrealms.com/games/awaken-realms/this-war-of-mine

• The World Below

• https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/500655/the-world-below-core-rulebook
•

• What should you remember when creating survival horror content?

• Accounting for PC deaths early in the session?

Connect with Matthew Dawkins

https://www.patreon.com/matthewdawkins

https://www.matthewdawkins.com

https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/onyx-path/jadestorm

Homework

Dear listener, tell us – what is your take on survival horror? Where has it be done well in your gaming experience? Got links? Drop em!

This episode, Keepers Bridgett & Evan welcome back Heinrich Moore to discuss collaborative RPG projects, such as scenarios and anthologies.

Patreon Plug & Update

Did you know that crowdfunding is a collaborative way to support your favorite podcast? We have a Patreon, through which you can support us! You can directly support the show, and our surrounding community, by becoming a Patron!

That’s right! You can head over to http://patreon.com/MUP to subscribe. For as little as two bucks a month you can help us pay our editors, pay for web hosting, and pay for my therapy when I have to deal with technical issues on the web hosting.

And listen, if monetary support isn’t possible, might I remind you that the black market rates for a gently used kidney are very attractive right now?

Evan, no. No, we are not having our listeners sell a kidney to support the show, because you know they would.

I didn’t say it had to be *their* kidney! But… fine. If we can’t get some of that sweet, sweet black market organ money, I guess we’ll have to sell space to advertisers, like this one!

[Heinrich:

Obed’s Seafood thinks you shouldn’t have to settle for soggy, bland fish sticks, fish filets and crab cakes. Your family deserves only the best, so why not give them the seafood that’s harvested from our own hidden fishery in New England, reef-caught and fresh-frozen. How do we attract such fantastic fish? That’s Obed’s secret!

From our boats to your table, Obed’s Seafood stays crispy and tasty. Ask for Obed’s in your grocer’s seafood aisle. – A division of Marsh Family Industries.]

And if you would like to create a mythos or horror-related ad for us to read, please visit the Patreon Chat on our Discord.

The Discord Plug

Yes, MUP has a Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you to our editor GENE for editing this episode.

Main Topic

Welcome everyone to the Main Topic! Tonight we are discussing collaborative RPG projects, such as scenarios and anthologies. And we have with us, fresh off masterminding the phenomenally successful Year of the Goat anthology… HEINRICH MOORE! Heinrich, you’ve been with us on MUP before, for a special episode where we played through your Guide to Character Creation. But for those few folks who don’t know you yet, tell us who you are!

[Heinrich does so]

Year of the Goat was an anthology of 12 scenarios, by 12 different authors, and in bringing it to life, Heinrich and I learned a LOT. We want to pass those lessons on to the listeners, both to encourage you to try putting together your own collaborative projects, and to help you get over some of the barriers.

Level-set: What is a Collaborative Project? Why do it?

• A written project where two or more people are contributing text, editing, art, or other skills and content.
• It can have one or two people leading the project, or be a collaboration of equals

Some critical tools and tips for doing this well:

• Clear Concept

• Concept paper
• Topics – what’s in scope and not
• Any content restrictions

• Clear format and requirements

• Templates
• Style guide
• Word Count

• Clear roles and responsibilities

• Writing
• Editing (different kinds) – who has final say over text?
• Art (including providing inspiration or public domain art)
• Marketing (including promos, submitting for nominations, making videos, sending to reviewers)

• Deadlines and contingencies
• Payment split – ideally, decide on this BEFORE ANYONE DOES WORK

Homework

Dear listener, tell us – have you led a collaborative writing project for Call of Cthulhu or another system? Have you been part of one? How did it go, and how could it have gone better? Come to the Discord, channel ep-357, and share what you’ve learned!

This episode, Keepers Bridgett and Evan discuss ways to make a scenario your own with Holly and Lex of the RPG Reanimators!

Patreon Plug & Update

Bonjour, les auditeurs! We have a Patreon, through which you can support us! You can directly support the show, and our surrounding community, by becoming a Patreon!

That’s right! Head over to http://patreon.com/MUP to subscribe. Because we know how things are out there, our tiers are surprisingly affordable! Oh… I don’t mean t-i-e-r-s, although the backer tiers are quite reasonable. I mean our actual tears, from our actual eyes. We’re selling them in little glass vials. Bringing in such esteemed guests as the RPG Reanimators IS NOT CHEAP! Help us. Help us, guys. Don’t make us sell our tears.

And listen guys– if monetary support isn’t in the cards for you? A like, a share, a referral, a nomination, engagement on spotify, engagement on Discord… all of those points of contact truly do make a significant difference. So yes, please, back us on Patreon!

And if you would like to create a mythos or horror-related ad for us to read, please visit the Patreon Chat on our Discord. Like this one!

• [Movie trailer announcer voice] Asenath Waite is ready to make her way through life alone. The only woman enrolled at Miskatonic University, she doesn’t have time for romance. But when she meets Edward Derby, it’s more than just a fling on the doorstep. Can she learn to let go and have fun? Can he be the man she wants him to be? They’ll just have to… Waite and See. A new romantic comedy, coming this fall.

And if you’d like to make Evan apologize to you in person for the terrible, terrible puns in that ad, you can do that! At…

The Discord Plug

Our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you to our editor BEN for editing this episode.

Main Topic

Welcome everyone to the Main Topic! Tonight we are discussing ways to make a scenario your own! This is a natural continuation of episode 355, where we talked about how to develop your own GM style. So once you know yourself a little better, how can you take that and make changes to the scenarios you run to make them reflect your own way of doing things?

Define: Making it your own: written scenarios? Improv?

Address: Why does it matter?

Perspective: Some things you can adjust to make it your own:

• Plot points, structure, rules
• Areas of focus: action, emotion, mystery, suspense, NPC interactions, level of OOC humor, tactics
• Tone and pacing
• Move it to a setting you love (time, place)
• Lean into certain kinds of horror you like – body horror, weird science, chases, absurdity

Personal “calling card:” a certain NPC or voice; a plot or setting element; a running joke with players (or an audience) who know you;

Presentation: lean into things that reflect how you like to move and speak at the table or online

• What things can you adapt in a scenario to suit your storytelling style?

Clarify: Is this something you can do as a new GM, or do you need to really have a sense of who you are first? Should you feel obligated to change things?

• How do you know if players walk away feeling like this is an experience they can only get with you GMing it?

Homework

Dear listener, tell us – what do you do to make a scenario your own? Join the Discord and on channel: ep-356, give us your best tips and tricks. I feel like this is going to be a hot topic. I just have that feeling. Let’s see if I’m right.

This episode, Keepers Bridgett and Evan welcome GMs Alex and Nathan of the RPG Reanimators to discuss how to hone your GM Style!

Patreon Plug & Update

Hellloooo, listeners! We have a Patreon, through which you can support us! You can directly support the show, and our surrounding community, by becoming a Patron!

That’s right! Head over to http://patreon.com/MUP to subscribe. We have tiers as low as $2 a month, or $24 a year, or $240 a decade! And listen guys– if monetary support isn’t in the cards for you? A like, a share, a referral, a nomination, engagement on spotify, engagement on Discord… all of those points of contact truly do make a significant difference. So yes, please, back us on Patreon!

And if you would like to create a mythos or horror-related ad for us to read, please visit the Patreon Chat on our Discord. It’s easy, fun, and leads immediately to spiritual enlightenment and emotional fulfillment. Just ask backer Steve-O who suggested the following ad:

• Are you a new student at the Miskatonic or spending a pleasant summer strolling the seven hills of Arkham, you can have all the comforts of home. Wondering witch house to stay at? Ma’s Boarding House in Arkham is the next best thing to being at home with your own Ma. Three hot meals a day with laundry included. Bringing a pet with you? Ask about staying in our pet-friendly attic loft. When you’re far from home, let Ma’s Boarding House in Arkham take care of you. You’ll never stay anywhere else.

And if you’d like to hobnob with other Patreon supporters of high moral character and super personal hygiene, you can find them at…

The Discord Plug

Our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you to our editor EQUINOX for editing this episode.

Main Topic

Welcome GMs Alex and Nathan of the RPG Reanimatorsto help us discuss how to hone your GM Style!

GM Style Points to consider:

Viewpoint & Tone: What’s your attitude towards the story (e.g., humorous, serious, cynical, or empathetic)? Does your personality shape the narrative?

Structure & Pacing: Note if they tell stories chronologically (linear) or use flashbacks and non-linear jumps to build suspense. Evaluate how quickly or slowly events unfold to maintain tension.

Sensory Details: Look for the balance between showing and telling. See if they rely heavily on figurative language (metaphors, similes) or use dialogue and raw thoughts to paint a picture.

Content Engagement: How much agency do you provide your players? How included are they in the narrative?

How do we hone?

Practice

Feedback

Soundboarding

Engaging with storytellers whose style we wish to implement

Trying new things

This episode, Keepers Bridgett & Evan discuss ways to spice up your scenarios with something new!

Patreon Plug & Update

Hellloooo, listeners! We have a Patreon, through which you can support us! You can directly support the show, and our surrounding community, by becoming a Patreon!

That’s right! Head over to http://patreon.com/MUP to subscribe. We have tiers as low as $2 a month, or $24 a year, or $240 a decade, or… well, tell you what, you tell me how long you plan on living, and I’ll help you budget things so you can continue to support this fantastic community of friends, collaborators, and sometimes even enemies-to-lovers. (I mean, it’s not impossible that that could happen.)

And listen guys– if monetary support isn’t in the cards for you? A like, a share, a referral, a nomination, engagement on spotify, engagement on Discord… all of those points of contact truly do make a significant difference. So yes, please, back us on Patreon!

And if you would like to create a mythos or horror-related ad for us to read, please visit the Patreon Chat on our Discord. Don’t be shy! Don’t worry about making it perfect! We just read the words that are here on the sheet! We will read anything that’s put in front of us!

For example, I will now read: THE DISCORD PLUG.

The Discord Plug

Our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you to our editor NATE for editing this episode.

Main Topic

New Things You Can Do in a Scenario:

• Scope and Stakes:

• If you usually play world-spanning campaigns where the fate of the Earth is at stake, try limiting yourself to one city, one neighborhood, or even one building, like the airship or submarine scenarios.
• Try playing for small, personal stakes. One person, maybe not even life or death, maybe just their ability to continue living the life they thought they knew.

• Threat/Antagonists

• What to do instead of cults? Instead of a big monster?
• Think antagonist rather than villain
• Or little monsters that do horrible things when they gang up on you (gnomes, puppets, dolls, cloud of vampiric gnats, etc)
• Try a scenario where the threat is unconventional – I’ve done a few where the threat is basically just a spell, that exists, but it draws people in and ruins them

• Pacing

• If you usually do long, leisurely multi-session scenarios, try a tight 1 or 2 hour event that starts fast and doesn’t let up. You can check out No Time to Scream as a place to start.

• Structure and Clue Trail

• Shoutout to Heinrich – start the scenario *after* the bad thing has already happened
• Emphasize or de-emphasize the clue trail
• In a short scenario, try fewer “Acts”
• Try improv – Players can do this too, leave your background blank and fill it in as you go, or roll randomly and make it fit the emerging story

• Tone

• Pulse-pounding vs. cerebral, quiet and sad, loud and shooty, comic, uncomfortable
• Singing! An opera/sung-through-musical

• Setting:

• Try a new time in a familiar place, or a new place in a familiar time
• Give your brain lots of new things to explore
• Try Pulp in any setting

• For Players

• Play a totally different kind of investigator: brainy vs. brawny, different social background, different approach to solving problems
• See what happens if you don’t optimize for the traditional Cthulhu skills; Keepers, are you willing to reward a player who puts points in Climb, Swim, Throw, and Track?

This episode, Keepers Bridgett & Evan discuss meaningful and creative ways to bring back retired PCs.

Patreon Plug & Update

Hellloooo, listeners! We have a Patreon, through which you can support us! You can directly support the show, and our surrounding community, by becoming a Patreon!

That’s right! Head over to http://patreon.com/MUP to subscribe. We have tiers as low as $2 a month. JUST $2/month. So let’s do the math… for under $25, you could subscribe for a whole year at once, and know that you’ve invested in both content and a community that you celebrate and enjoy!

And listen guys– if monetary support isn’t in the cards for you? A like, a share, a referral, a nomination, engagement on spotify, engagement on Discord… all of those points of contact truly do make a significant difference. So yes, please, back us on Patreon!

And if none of this is possible, don’t worry! We can always run to the loving arms of our sponsors, like Skitter. Listen, we know you’re busy, and it can be hard to find time in the day to fill your home with the right balance of beetles, ants, spiders, and other insects and arachnids. You’ve seen the research, you know how important it is to maintain a home that is simply brimming with chittering arthropod life in every corner. That’s why Skitter makes it easy. With one monthly subscription, we send you a box full of a new and interesting variety of chitinous animals, every month. All you need to do is take the box inside, open it, and relax. The insects will take care of the rest. I’ve been using Skitter for six months now, and I’ve never been more terrified in my own home.

New backers: Robby H

The Discord Plug

Our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you to our editor GENE for editing this episode.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Tonight, I am shouting out our editor, Nate, LOST TO TIME AND SPACE, and his kittuh in their rendition of… if I fits… I SITS!!!!

Main Topic

Removal from Play:

• Insanity

• Totally insane

• Death

• Physically destroyed/died
• Massive injury

• Relocation

• Retired to an asylum
• Jettisoned to another plane of existence
• Relocated from the story by unsolved mystery, disappearance, fade to black off screen, etc

• Age

Resurrection Opportunities:

• Insanity

• Totally insane

• Reset Sanity
• Hardened
• Explore Cowboys with Big Hearts

• Death

• Retcon
• Return as new version of themselves
• Paid a terrible cost

• Physically destroyed/died

• Relocation

• Retired to an asylum

• Released/escaped/healed/worsened

• Jettisoned to another plane of existence

• Returned/rescued/etc

• Relocated from the story by unsolved mystery, disappearance, fade to black off screen, etc

• Veil dropped (could be cinematic)

• Age

• Flush out the family dynamics

When and Why to Consider These Options:

Bridgett Thoughts:

• Dave made a good point in 350 about the PCs agreeing to the death event, so I think to honor the story, and table, the entire table should consent to the resurrection or the experience could feel cheap and thoughtless or worst, annoying
• Check your grief. The story may have ended before you were ready, but is resurrection really what’s best for the story, or for you? Sometimes, you need to let go.

Evan Thoughts:

NPC Variants on Resurrection

This episode, Keepers Bridgett & Evan unpack the best ways to begin a scenario! We’re going to define what the means, things to consider, best practices, worst practices, and even provide you with some recommendations on authors who truly stuck the landing on a strong opener!

Patreon Plug & Update

Hey listeners! Did you know that MUP has a Patreon? That’s right! We do!

You can directly support the show, and our surrounding community, by becoming a Patreon!

“Dr Weir’s Optometry and Travel Agency: Where you’re going, you won’t need eyes to see.” Submitted by iPwned

Head over to http://patreon.com/MUP or click the patreon icon on the sidebar of our website. If you’re able to support us, we’d appreciate it! Patreon, we offer everything from exclusive backer only bonus content, Patreon only episodes, backer only hangouts, access to our backer only portal on Discord, and more!

The Discord Plug

Our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you to our editor NATE for editing this episode.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Tonight, I’d like to shout out friend of the show, GroucyLenny and their cats, Lily and Camille, who are captured here with the caption– nefarious plan is to absorb all of the sun’s energy to destroy humankind.

Wait. You guys are getting sun? I’m in Ohio. I haven’t seen the sun since October 2025. Can I join this plan??

Thanks for sharing with us, GroucyLenny!

Main Topic

Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Main Topic!

Tonight, we’re going to unpack the best ways to begin a scenario! We’re going to define what the means, things to consider, best practices, worst practices, and even provide you with some recommendations on authors who truly stuck the landing on a strong opener!

From a storytelling perspective and from a game design standpoint, this is such an important topic that I don’t believe it is getting enough affection. It needs some love, so I’m happy that we’re slowing down to really explore the impact that introductory scenes and onboarding have on the rest of your game and storytelling experience!

What is the beginning of the scenario?

Is this… a roundtable of character introductions? What do you look like, name, occupation?

Is this an opening scene?

Is this worldbuilding?

Why do we care about this topic?

Arguably, the introduction, climax, and conclusion are the most essential and vital points of storytelling

Essential things to establish?

The world

The vibe/genre/tone/expectation

Your PC’s place and impact in the world

Character connection

Level of buy-in/care

Good Examples:

• Sorrow in Tsvao by Bridgett Jeffries (begins with a team meeting) buff.ly/3AvlvAr
• Taken for Granite by Jade Griffin’s (begins with a car crash) https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/379700/taken-for-granite
• Graham Walmsley’s Cosmic Dark
• Opening scenes for a campaign: Two-Headed Serpent drops you right in the action and sprays your face with blood, while setting up the central mystery of the campaign. HotOE lets you fool around at a party with some characters who later become important but it doesn’t do much to establish the plot.
• [As a counter-example, the start of The Haunting often flops because it’s geared towards new players and doesn’t immediately put them in the action.]

Homework

Dear listener, tell us of your favorite scenario start!

This episode, Keepers Bridgett and Evan talk about how, why, and maybe where and when to teach players to play a tabletop RPG WHILE you play.

Patreon Plug & Update

Hey listeners! We have a Patreon, through which you can support us! You can directly support the show, and our surrounding community, by becoming a Patreon! Why support us through Patreon? Because if you don’t, we have to sell advertising to such beloved sponsors as:

Greyhounds of Tindalos Interdimensional Bus Company. Let’s face it: traveling between dimensions is a difficult experience at the best of times. Whether traveling for work, or pursuing the vacation of a lifetime to parallel realms that you could previously only glimpse with a Tillinghast Resonator, you deserve an option that’s convenient and in your budget. Whether you’re visiting Albuquerque, Azatoth, or any of the sharp corners in between, consider the Greyhounds of Tindalos for fast, budget-friendly service. Routes that travel through the Dreamlands may have higher rates.

Thanks to Patron Dan Tice for this ad idea!

Friends, you can STOP this madness and help us get to the topic at hand WITHOUT ads! How? Head over to http://patreon.com/MUP or click the patreon icon on the sidebar of our website. If you’re able to support us, we’d appreciate it! Patreon, we offer everything from exclusive backer only bonus content, Patreon only episodes, backer only hangouts, access to our backer only portal on Discord, and more!

Welcome new Backers:

Adam Alexander & Antheny

The Discord Plug

Our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you to our editor EQUINOX for editing this episode.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

FredKiesche’s wildlife tour!

Main Topic

Tonight, we’re going to talk about how, why, and maybe where and when to teach players to play a tabletop RPG WHILE you play.

Why should you teach during play?

Homework

Dear listener, tell us – do you have any tips for teaching at the table?

This episode, Keepers Bridgett & Evan discuss losing PCs. We explore how to pay tribute, celebrate, and honor the stories that have ended. We share personal experience and offer varied insight on how GMs could approach PC loss. To aid in the discussion, we've resurrected hosts, Keeper Murph and Keeper Dave!

Patreon Plug & Update

Dear listeners! We have a Patreon. Our Patreons literally keep the lights on and make this show possible. So if you love this content, and you want to keep it alive, we ask that you visit patreon.com/MUP and subscribe to be a backer. Because if you don’t, we’ll have to start selling ad space to trusted corporate partners like Curwen and Ward’s Essential Saltes Company!

Yes, that’s Curwen and Ward’s Essential Saltes. Bridgett, are you feeling tired, run-down, and lacking in your vital energies?

{Yes}

Are you in need of a good revivification?

{Yes}

Then turn to Curwen and Ward’s, America’s most trusted provider of alchemical and mystical supplies. That’s Curwen and Ward’s Essential Saltes, a family company since 1662. [Thank you to IPwnedMSCS for the ad suggestion!]

And if financial support isn’t in the cards right now, you can spread the good word of MUP in your communities by sharing a link and heaping glowing praise upon us where others can see. A like, a share, a nomination in your favorite podcast award platform, even a review goes such a long way!

And if are a Patreon backer and you’d like us to advertise YOUR favorite mythos company.

The Discord Plug

Our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you to our editor BEN for editing this episode.

Chaosium Con News Brief

Main Topic

Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Main Topic! Tonight we celebrate 350 episodes of the Miskatonic University Podcast. This is an incredible milestone and a fantastic achievement. And as we continue to breathe life and tell amazing stories with this beautiful MUP community, we decided the that the best way to celebrate is to honor the PCs who took their final breath and tell stories no more.

Why does this topic matter? Why do we care?

What makes a strong, memorable, and meaningful PC death.

Roundtable where we recount and retell our favorite horror PC deaths!

This episode, Keepers Bridgett and Evan welcome back Perry Clark to continue our discussion on Madness in Culture and Era! Let's discuss why this topic matters and dive into Invictus, Dark Ages, Regency, Gaslight, and 1920's Classic!

Patreon Plug & Update

Dear listeners! We have patreon.Our Patreons literally keep the lights on and make this show possible. So if you love this content, and you want to keep it alive, we ask that you visit patreon.com/MUP and subscribe to be a backer.

And if financial support isn’t in the cards right now, you can spread the good word of MUP in your communities by sharing a link and heaping glowing praise upon us where others can see. And furthermore, you can hang out with us on Discord!

The Discord Plug

Our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you to our editor GENE for editing this episode.

Main Topic

Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Main Topic! As mentioned in the intro, tonight we’ve gathered to discuss Madness in Culture and Era! How did this topic originate? What does it mean? Let’s unpack!

Questions:

Why does this topic matter? Why do we care?

Each setting/culture has its own:

Relationship to the supernatural/religion

Relationship to violence

Understanding of mental health

Ways of treating and dealing with trauma (or not)

Invictus

https://www.chaosium.com/invictus/

https://goldengoblinpress.com/

Dark Ages

https://www.chaosium.com/cthulhu-dark-ages-3rd-edition-hardcover

Highlights from sourcebook: Humors table; no diagnosed conditions; religious healing (monasteries, pilgrimage, relics)

Regency

https://www.chaosium.com/regency-cthulhu-pdf/

Highlights from sourcebook: Mesmerism & Reassure; Reputation

Gaslight

https://www.chaosium.com/cthulhu-by-gaslight-keepers-guide-pdf

Highlights from sourcebook: Alienist occupation; Mental health, asylums, Bedlam; insanity as a legal defense

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susto

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture-bound_syndrome

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanganyika_laughter_epidemic

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_mania

1920s (Classic)

https://www.chaosium.com/call-of-cthulhu-keeper-rulebook-pdf/

Sources Cited:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lJ_QxYrGrTzTkAr_Gb1O-P9sDzfze1MtufSepHM8PkE/edit?usp=sharing

Homeworkd

Dear listener, tell us something new that you learned from this episode, or some inspiration that you’ve gathered to launch your own research into the topic!

This episode, we continue with Part II of our Miskatonic Media Club! This is where the hosts explore how to pull game design inspiration from movies, books, TV, and other arts! This episode, we're joined again by game designer Quinn Murphy to discuss Sinners.

The Discord Plug

That’s right! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you to our editor Equinox for editing this episode.

Main Topic

Last time we got into a great conversation with Quinn about aome elements of Sinners that we want to use in our gaming, and we're going to pick up where we left off. Evan, where did we leave off?

Well last time we talked about story development elements, incorporating music into a setting and game, and some great tricks and tools for representation of cultures and people.

So let's dive into the next element!

Horror rooted in specific culture, with cultural responses (e.g. Hoodoo performed by a main character)

Survival horror; how to do that well in a scenario?

Integrating sexiness into your horror game?

This episode, Keeper Evan debuts a new segment called the Miskatonic Media Club! This is where the hosts explore how to pull game design inspiration from movies, books, TV, and other arts! This episode, we're joined by game designer Quinn to discuss Sinners.

Patreon Plug & Update

Hey guys! Here is your friendly and loving reminder that MUP has a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Thank you to everyone has chosen to back and support us! You guys keep the lights on around here and we’re so thankful for all of you.

The Discord Plug

That’s right! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you to our editor Equinox for editing this episode.

Main Topic

This episode, Keeper Evan debuts a new segment called the Miskatonic Media Club! This is where the hosts explore how to pull game design inspiration from movies, books, TV, and other arts! This episode, we're joined by game designer Quinn to discuss Sinners.

This episode, Keepers Bridgett and Evan welcome bestselling creator, Mav Haenze, back onto the show to explore ways that mental health, sanity and madness are used and misused in horror gaming, and ways that Keepers, players and writers can use them in the future to maximize the fun and the horror!

Patreon Plug & Update

Dear listeners! We have a patreon. Our patreon is how we pay our editors, our hosts, our editing software, the podcast hosting service, the podcast recording service, spam filters, and more. I know that we don’t like to discuss money, but it costs money to keep this show alive.

Our Patreons literally keep the lights on and make this show possible. So if you love this content, and you want to keep it alive, we ask that you visit patreon.com/MUP and subscribe to be a backer.

And if financial support isn’t in the cards right now, you can spread the good word of MUP in your communities by sharing a link and heaping glowing praise upon us where others can see. And furthermore, you can hang out with us on Discord!

The Discord Plug

Our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you to our editor NATE for editing this episode.

Main Topic

Tonight, we bring you PART TWO of March Madness, which is legally and ontologically distinct from any kind of sporting event you may be aware of. What did we do in Part 1?

In Part 1, we talked about ways that mental health, illness and trauma can be used and misused in horror gaming, with some expert advice from our friend Perry Clark. Now that we’ve set a baseline on the role mental health and sanity in general can play in gaming, it’s time to get into the game mechanics!

And as we mentioned, we are joined today by the extra-fantastic Maverick Haenze, beloved friend of the show. Can you tell folks where they may know you from, and what expertise you’re bringing to the conversation?

So: Let’s dive in to our discussion. Where have mental health and sanity mechanics been, where are they now, and where might they be going in the glorious future? Bridgett, can you kick us off? Do you have a favorite sanity or sanity-adjacent mechanic right now?

{For reference or review, some notable games with sanity/madness/mental health mechanics:

Call of Cthulhu, 1981, seems to have introduced the Sanity mechanic

Experiencing horrors leads to a “bout of madness” and then, potentially, long-term effects such as phobias/manias

More recently - players/Keepers can select long-term effects, and writers like Mav are introducing custom bout of madness tables in line with the story

Unknown Armies - get hardened by violence/horror, at a cost

Stress mechanics

Delta Green’s Sanity; can burn connections to people (“bonds”) to cut down on stress; fight/flee/freeze as temp effects

Trail of Cthulhu/Fall of Delta Green splits up into two tracks, Stability and Sanity - Stability is more like stress/mundane effects

Alien has stress dice/panic rolls

Blades in the Dark - vices which burn off your stress points

Note that these systems all represent a particular narrative worldview about how to deal with your stress and trauma!

Madness (more operatic/literary, less representative of real-world issues)

Trail of Cthulhu’s Sanity - affected mostly by exposure to mythos/unnatural

Vampire’s humanity/hunger

Metafictional effects:

Fear Itself (secret instructions to GM/players)

Keeper tricks at the table (describing mundane humans as horrible monsters)}

Topics:

Favorite current mechanics

What supports realistic play? What is more fantastic/genre-leaning?

Things to be avoided (e.g. some people don’t like the old-school random sanity effects)

Things you recommend - what are effective, fun, supportive for Keepers/players?

Connect with Mav!

Name: Mav Haenze

Pronouns: They/Them

Mav is a prolific writer, Storyteller, and verbal purveyor of horror. Their AP work and scenarios can be found at https://linktr.ee/mavhaenze

Homework

What new mechanics or approaches will you try in your upcoming games? Do you mix and match approaches from different games at your table?

This episode, Keepers Bridgett and Evan welcome Licensed Family Therapist and gamer, Perry Clark, back onto the show to explore ways that mental health, sanity and madness are used and misused in horror gaming, and ways that Keepers, players and writers can use them in the future to maximize the fun and the horror!

Patreon Plug & Update

Dear listeners! We have patreon. Our patreon is how we pay our editors, our hosts, our editing software, the podcast hosting service, the podcast recording service, spam filters, and more. I know that we don’t like to discuss money, but it costs money to keep this show alive.

Our Patreons literally keep the lights on and make this show possible. So if you love this content, and you want to keep it alive, we ask that you visit patreon.com/MUP and subscribe to be a backer.

And if financial support isn’t in the cards right now, you can spread the good word of MUP in your communities by sharing a link and heaping glowing praise upon us where others can see. And furthermore, you can hang out with us on Discord!

{New Patreon backer: DoctorSlaphammer}

The Discord Plug

Our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you to our editor GENE for editing this episode.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Friend of the show, Rach, swears that this cat, Goose, likes his lovely veil.

Listen. I’m not so sure. But I don’t speak cat! And the veil is dope.

Also. Where are my pet pics?!

Main Topic

March Madness is an exploration of the ways that mental health, sanity and madness are used and misused in horror gaming, and ways that Keepers, players and writers can use them in the future to maximize the fun and the horror.

Connect with Perry Clark!

https://linktr.ee/pclarkugcandukpodcast

This episode, Keepers Bridgett & Evan are joined by special guest, Pippa Walton, intimacy choreographer and coach! Tonight we're going to discuss sex in horror gaming. We'll unpack topics such as why people may want to engage with sex in gaming, why sex and horror compliment each other so well, how to handle consent, what the experience may look like and more!

Recent Gaming

Recent Gaming is where we talk about the games we’re playing. This episode was recorded 2/25/2026. So whatcha been playing?

Patreon Plug & Update

Dear listeners! We have patreon. Our patreon is how we pay our editors, our hosts, our editing software, the podcast hosting service, the podcast recording service, spam filters, and more. I know that we don’t like to discuss money, but it costs money to keep this show alive.

Our Patreons literally keep the lights on and make this show possible. So if you love this content, and you want to keep it alive, we ask that you visit patreon.com/MUP and subscribe to be a backer.

And if financial support isn’t in the cards right now, you can spread the good word of MUP in your communities by sharing a link and heaping glowing praise upon us where others can see. And furthermore, you can hang out with us on Discord!

The Discord Plug

Our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you to our editor Ben for editing this episode.

Main Topic

Welcome to the Main Topic everyone! Tonight, we’re going to discuss sex in horror roleplaying games. We’re going to approach this topic with respect, curiosity, awareness, and sensitivity. That being said, we’re about to discuss how to introduce and navigate sex in gaming spaces. This content will not be explicit in nature, but we’re not going to run from it. So if this content isn’t your cup of tea, there are 343 other episodes to enjoy, and more incoming!

Questions:

Why would people want to explore sex in gaming?

Why does sex and horror go so well together?

What does sex in role-playing games look like?

Personal experiences

How can it be handled safely and respectfully?

Tools and perspectives to be mindful of.

Ways to introduce sex and have fun with it!

What role can sex have, any particular advantages/disadvantages, thematic elements that are fun to explore, things like that?

Resources, books, games, workshops, etc., to review for homework.

Special Guest Spotlight

Pippa Walton (she/her) has been involved in live performance through theatre since her first stage management job in 2015, and her work in the scene has spread into multiple mediums and expanded to include directing and intimacy coordination. Live action role play has become a treasured space where she uses her background in intimacy and fight work to help tell higher stakes stories with different kinds of emotional investment, and has been one of the most rewarding applications of her work. Her passions include gender-based analysis of theatrical practice, adapting her intimacy and consent practices for Live Action Role Play, being entirely too enthusiastic about musicals, and doing everything in her power to make theatre an equitable, comfortable, and uplifting space for the people around her. Her favourite video game to play is Stardew Valley, which can be considered horror media if you check how many hours she’s logged.

Homework

Does sex have a place in your tabletop roleplaying? Yes, no, maybe?

This episode, Keepers Bridgett and Evan discuss Scott Dorward and all the ways that he's ruined us emotionally. Join us as we celebrate Scott's writing, storytelling, and the many ways that he supports the gaming community!

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a patreon!! If you would like to support the podcast and engage with other backers, please consider backing. If you’re already a backer, please take a look at the various tiers and consider moving to the next level up.

Our new benefits include regular content exclusive to our backers. And if you don’t have money to contribute, please like and review us on Spotify or Apple podcasts. They really help.

So yes - please back us on Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Thank you to everyone who has chosen to back us. We’re so thankful for all of you. Who we regularly see on…

The Discord Plug

Our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you to our editor Equinox for editing this episode.

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Undead Domain's cat, sitting in a custom-made box full of toys, very intentionally sleeping and not engaging at all with the toys. Very catlike!

Main Topic

Tonight we want to talk about Scott Dorward. The writer, the podcaster, the legend… and all the ways that he’s ruined us.

Lamp Posts in Bloom on Ain’t Slayed Nobody

https://www.aintslayednobody.com/episodes/lamp-posts-in-bloom-unknown-armies-becca-scott

Cthulhu Dark Fairyland Part 1 — Ain't Slayed Nobody - Call of Cthulhu Podcast

https://share.google/Jdi30tTLk0r36wolH

Fairyland Scenario

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/426490/fairyland

Murder Shack Ain't Slayed Nobody

https://pca.st/episode/a4324459-6603-4291-aeef-c30c5c1bd4d2

Unland

https://pca.st/episode/524d3f47-8254-48db-ba34-1bea7b9c539c

Sky Symphony Sonata

https://youtu.be/xnUlacQAMRM?si=AfBJk3MtUPR08meD

The Things We Leave Behind - An Anthology of Modern Day Call of Cthulhu Scenarios - Stygian Fox | Call of Cthulhu: Modern Era | DriveThruRPG https://share.google/LMZSGO74vJqWsqiIK

Homework

Tell us in the episode channel how Scott Dorward has ruined you emotionally. Tag him. Make it weird.

This episode, Keepers Bridgett and Evan tackle gaming topics in our Miskatonic Debate Club (booth)! Part 2/2.

Patreon Plug & Update

Hey guys! Here is your friendly and loving reminder that MUP has a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Thank you to everyone has chosen to back and support us! You guys keep the lights on around here and we’re so thankful for all of you.

Backers helped cultivate this very episode.

The Discord Plug

That’s right! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you to our editor Nate for editing this episode.

Main Topic

Welcome everyone to our reoccurring segment, the Miskatonic University Debate Club! During this segment, we’ve polled our patreon backers for topics that the hosts will argue to the best of our ability. The goal here is to demonstrate healthy argumentation, to have fun, to stretch our own debate skills, and most importantly to share valid perspectives to opposing topics in our industry!

Classic versus Original Monsters

Roll mitigations

Dice verus gimmicks