Earn Your Merit Badge in Cosmic Horror With Call of Cthulhu Campfire Tales

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Over the past 50 years, the Call of Cthulhu RPG has let players take on the role of some pretty unusual investigators, with everything from mad scientists and exorcists to psychics and circus freaks. Chaosium’s latest supplement, however, may offer some of the most unlikely options yet.

Campirefire Tales: Scouts Against Cthulhu is a new supplement that puts players into the khaki shortpants of a troop of 1920s Scouts willing to risk life, limb and neckerchiefs in pursuit of eldritch horrors. The book, which was just released at the end of April, is available now from local game stores, Chaosium, DriveThru RPG and Amazon.

So does this new Call of Cthulhu supplement worth putting your sash on for? Be prepared as we dig into all the answers.

Whats’ included in Campfire Tales: Scouts Against Cthulhu?

Campfire Tales is a 180-page supplement for Chaosium’s Call of Cthulhu 7th edition that’s designed primarily for Keepers (although there are player facing options). The book includes:

• New Rules: In particular, it offers mechanics for creating young Investigators, along with new skills and a detailed system for using scout Merit Badges. The book also includes rules for how to transition your scout-investigators to adulthood and use them as a fully grown Investigator in other campaigns.
• New Setting: The book introduces the new town of Westhaven, which is located near the iconic Call of Cthulu setting of Arkham, Massachusetts. Set in the 1920s, Westhaven also includes detailed locations, NPCs and adventure hooks.

• New Scenarios: There are four scenarios, all of which take place in Westhaven. These can be run as one shots or strung together to form a complete campaign. The scenarios all involve players taking on the role of adolescent members of a scouting troop and are as follows:
  • Tremors Below: A hiking trip goes awry, with players encountering a dark woodland presence.
  • Box of Evil: A mysterious package unveils a series of dark secrets and a terrifying arcane power.
  • Treasure of the Secret Way: A treasure map leads to a quest for lost gold and an encounter with restless spirits.
  • Shadow Over Westhaven: A weekend in the woods uncovers a dark conspiracy with tentacles reaching to the heart of Westhaven.

How much is Campfire Tales: Scouts Against Cthulhu?

The hardcover book retails for $42.99 USD (not including shipping and handling). The PDF version retails for $21.99 USD and is available exclusively through DriveThru RPG.

Notably, the price point isn’t bad considering the amount of content you get and is comparable to other recent Chaosium Call of Cthulhu releases.

Why we’re excited about Campfire Tales: Scouts Against Cthulhu?

• A brilliantly bizarre theme: The idea of pitting 1920s Scouts against the Cthulhu mythos is absolutely genius. And while the vibe and content might not be for everyone, it feels like a nice change of pace.
• Scout mechanics: New mechanics for Merit Badges sounds amazing and definitely worth exploring. The ability to also play your scout as a grown up character feels equally intriguing (and offers the potential to run the material as flashback sessions).
• A new town to explore: Including both a brand new setting and a series of associated Scenarios to run within it feels like a smart move on the part of Chaosium and a chance to step away from the usual haunts of Arkham and Miskatonic University.
• The design team: The book features content created by several Chaosium vets, including maps by staff cartographer Matt Ryan and design material from longtime editor Paul Fricker. Suffice to say, the quality here is likely top notch.

Final Thoughts

Regardless of whether or not Campfire Tales is something you want to run at your table, the fact is it’s one of the most unique Call of Cthulhu products to come out in years, and it’s great to see Chaosium take this kind of risk with one of their biggest franchises.

We’ll be putting together a complete review shortly, but in the meantime, you can pick up a copy of the book now from local game stores, Chaosium, DriveThru RPG and Amazon.