Good starting points for Cthulhu?

Posts: 1200 · Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 6:38 pm

If anybody is looking for any of the newer Chaosium products they have a 30% off sale for the next 24 hours.

http://catalog.chaosium.com/

Posts: 4548 · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 1:30 am

jasonw1239 wrote:

If anybody is looking for any of the newer Chaosium products they have a 30% off sale for the next 24 hours.

http://catalog.chaosium.com/

Used the discount to pick up a few monographs I've been looking at, including Jason's (Mysteries of Tibet and Undying Leaders). I figured they could be good reads, and if not, I'd ebay them (I never see monographs on Ebay so I figured they'd sell for cover or better). Uh, not that I'd sell YOUR monos, Jason, I have a feeling they are definitely keepers!!!! Very Happy

Mike B.

Posts: 1200 · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 8:12 am

I ordered some extras and will be ebaying them as signed monographs.
Probably put up a couple at the RPGMarketplace site also. Very Happy

Also used the discount to pick up Trail of Cthulhu and Cthulhu Invictus.

Edit: Mike, there has not been a lot of feedback on my first monograph (Undying Leaders). If you get a chance to read it I would not mind hearing your comments, particularly about the three interlocking scenarios that completes the book. Since having it published I have had some second thoughts about a few sections and would probably heavily edit/modify them if given the opportunity.

Posts: 1117 · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 8:37 pm

jasonw1239 wrote:

If anybody is looking for any of the newer Chaosium products they have a 30% off sale for the next 24 hours.

http://catalog.chaosium.com/

Dammit. I dithered too long and the two Nephilim books I was missing sold out. Mad

Posts: 406 · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 9:26 pm

Just pinched Trail in the nick of time!

Posts: 4548 · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 9:39 pm

jasonw1239 wrote:

I ordered some extras and will be ebaying them as signed monographs.
Probably put up a couple at the RPGMarketplace site also. Very Happy

Also used the discount to pick up Trail of Cthulhu and Cthulhu Invictus.

Edit: Mike, there has not been a lot of feedback on my first monograph (Undying Leaders). If you get a chance to read it I would not mind hearing your comments, particularly about the three interlocking scenarios that completes the book. Since having it published I have had some second thoughts about a few sections and would probably heavily edit/modify them if given the opportunity.

Actually, I ended up ordering almost all the monos. I plan on reading them all, keeping the good ones and dumping the others on ebay. I'll let you know what I think...I may write reviews for yours Jason (promise to be gentle!!!)

Mike B.

Posts: 1117 · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 9:54 pm

If you picked it up: watch out for the monograph on Hungary. I haven't been hearing many kind things about it...

Posts: 1200 · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 9:56 pm

Badmike wrote:

Actually, I ended up ordering almost all the monos. I plan on reading them all, keeping the good ones and dumping the others on ebay. I'll let you know what I think...I may write reviews for yours Jason (promise to be gentle!!!)
Mike B.

Don't hold back for my sake. If I have any chance of improving I need constructive and honest criticism.

Posts: 1200 · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 9:57 pm

g026r wrote:

If you picked it up: watch out for the monograph on Hungary. I haven't been hearing many kind things about it...

I have not read it, but the review on the Yog-Sothoth site makes it somewhat unattractive.

http://www.yog-sothoth.com/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id =76

Posts: 1117 · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 10:02 pm

Yeah, I haven't read it either -- can't justify spending even 70% of cover on it -- but that review is about the same as the other things I've heard.

I believe "reads like somebody ran the text through Babelfish and didn't bother to get anyone to edit it afterwards" was another description.

Posts: 2938 · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 10:11 pm

Blast, I missed Trail of Cthulhu :/

Posts: 4548 · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 11:51 pm

g026r wrote:

Yeah, I haven't read it either -- can't justify spending even 70% of cover on it -- but that review is about the same as the other things I've heard.

I believe "reads like somebody ran the text through Babelfish and didn't bother to get anyone to edit it afterwards" was another description.

Ouch. One for the ebay pile already, it seems..... Shocked

Mike B.

Posts: 508 · Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 12:41 am

Badmike wrote:

One for the ebay pile already, it seems.....

In the future, this one will be collectable. Much of our hobby focuses on the pre-spellcheck era of amateur publishing train wrecks: instances of 'Grayhawk' or 'Glorontha;' stolen trademarks like Hobbits or Balrogs; the woodie art badly redrawn from Dr. Strange; typewriter fonts & off-center pages; plus to rule over them all an humble orange module so bad it was destroyed en masse by TSR management the day of its debut.

Posts: 4548 · Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 12:45 am

sauromatian wrote:

In the future, this one will be collectable. Much of our hobby focuses on the pre-spellcheck era of amateur publishing train wrecks: instances of 'Grayhawk' or 'Glorontha;' stolen trademarks like Hobbits or Balrogs; the woodie art badly redrawn from Dr. Strange; typewriter fonts & off-center pages; plus to rule over them all an humble orange module so bad it was destroyed en masse by TSR management the day of its debut.

Actually, you are on to something. I believe the monographs go out of print periodically, and are reprinted at that point. So, the most popular/best monographs may have several hundred copies in several printings floating around, while the worst of the monos may have only been reprinted once, or perhaps never sold out of their initial print run......meaning less copies! Thus, the worst of the monos will be the hardest to find in the future, and perhaps the most collectible. Interesting!

Mike B.

Posts: 1200 · Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 7:07 am

If any of the monographs become collectible it might be the earliest ones which appear to be printed on a laser printer with card stock covers with black tape up the spine.

The two that I have like that are The Abbey and The Gaslight Equipment Catalogue.

Recent monographs are more professional perfect-bound printings.

Mike, if you get any with the taped spines that will indicate that those have a much smaller print run than the other monos.

Posts: 1117 · Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 8:08 am

My copy of The Parapsychologist's Handbook is like that.

It's not the first print run of it though, as it actually contains the index & errata.

Posts: 1200 · Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 8:55 am

g026r wrote:

My copy of The Parapsychologist's Handbook is like that.

It's not the first print run of it though, as it actually contains the index & errata.

I can see down the road where there will be confusion about the different versions of these monographs and the size of print runs, etc.

I am not aware of any "official" Chaosium policy about submitting errata for subsequent printings of monographs (as is apparent with the Parapsychologist's Handbook). It is rumored that these items are printed in small "on demand" runs so it is likely that the author contacted Choasium to ask about adding the index and errata, thus creating a "2nd printing" version.

Posts: 1117 · Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 9:08 am

jasonw1239 wrote:

It is rumored that these items are printed in small "on demand" runs so it is likely that the author contacted Choasium to ask about adding the index and errata, thus creating a "2nd printing" version.

Sounds about right. The errata-less copies supposedly amount to no more than 50, so small "on demand" batches would make sense.

Also would make sense from the point of view that they aren't huge volume items. I believe I read a comment from Chris Jerome somewhere that the recent versions of said monograph (the non-tape bound) mark the first official reprinting by the terms of his monograph contract -- which would amount to what? 500 copies over 4-5 years?

However, other than noticeable changes (when one changes from tape- to perfect-bound or when things get added such as with Parapsychologist or Machine Tractor Station) I don't think it's ever going to be possible to do any sort of print run identification on these things.

Posts: 1200 · Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 9:41 am

For anybody that purchased either of my monographs, firstly, thank you, and secondly, I have a zip file available for download of "props" for the Mysteries of Tibet. These are either items that I obtained to scan/photograph for illustration purposes, or create myself (such as the Tibetan characters).

The zip file includes:

- 6 images (3 double sided sheets) of 19th century Tibetan woodcut printings
- 5 scans of prayer flags that I purchased to use for illustrations
- Set of JPG images of hand lettered Tibetan language characters

http://tinyurl.com/37ltjw

Please note that I retain the copyright to these items and that they are to be used for Call of Cthulhu game purposes only in conjunction with my Mysteries of Tibet monograph. - Jason Williams

Posts: 4548 · Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 11:02 am

g026r wrote:

Sounds about right. The errata-less copies supposedly amount to no more than 50, so small "on demand" batches would make sense.

Also would make sense from the point of view that they aren't huge volume items. I believe I read a comment from Chris Jerome somewhere that the recent versions of said monograph (the non-tape bound) mark the first official reprinting by the terms of his monograph contract -- which would amount to what? 500 copies over 4-5 years?

However, other than noticeable changes (when one changes from tape- to perfect-bound or when things get added such as with Parapsychologist or Machine Tractor Station) I don't think it's ever going to be possible to do any sort of print run identification on these things.

Jason, if it's not secret/personal information, what was the print run on your two monos? Is it 500 each? After this, do they typically do another printing using "better" or more recent methods? Any light you could shine on this would be interesting.

Mike B.