Like The 1920s Investigator's Companion , the guidebooks give both raw material, like topical news articles and historical timelines, and site-specific info. The most recent of these publications, The New Orleans Guidebook , features a local history from the first French settlement of the area in 1718, information on local climate and social customs, detailed info about certain points of interest and several useful Non-Player Characters, a section on Voodoo including several new spells, and a scenario that climaxes at a ritzy Mardi Gras tableau ball. There are, in addition, countless hints and ideas for keepers wishing to devise their own demented scenarios based in or around New Orleans. Masks has been in and out of print for years, in various editions. It's a classic not to be missed.
Masks is a masterful work of mystery, adventure and terror.
It begins innocently enough, with a horribly mangled corpse. A brief aside here to explain that an Elder Sign is a star-shaped symbol from Lovecraftian literature, which is reputed to deflect some of the malice of the demonic denizens of the Cthulhu Mythos, similar in effect to a crucifix versus a vampire. This is another true classic and an adventure that few investigators will survive, let alone solve. S. Petersen's Field Guide to Cthulhu Monsters is just what everybody needs. Coming Up Next issue, we'll be taking a final look at the Call of Cthulhu game system.