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Good starting points for Cthulhu?
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jasonw1239
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Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 11:05 am

Thanks Mike,
Chaosium is thinking the same thing. They issued a "store newsletter" to their subscription list yesterday that featured the following:

MAYBE IN TIBET!
We have copies of a new monograph, SECRETS OF TIBET, on-hand. Timely, too, with Tibet currently in the news. This monograph offers a study of the religion, people and mythology of mysterious Tibet.

As I mention in the monograph, Tibet has a very long history with China including several invasions. There was one occasion where advisers to the Chinese Emperor was so afraid of Chinese technologies falling into Tibetan hands that they were ready to destroy every book in China to prevent it from happening.

In the western world we have a media-driven image of a peaceful people led by gentle monks. This may be true in recent history, but the stories tend to leave out many facts such as Tibet having legalized slavery up to the time of the 1950 Chinese invasion. "Non-lethal" ways of dealing with criminals such as publicly chopping off their hands and feet or sewing them up in leather sacks and tossing them in the nearest river. The recruitment of Tibetan bandit tribes during the 1950's and 60's by the CIA in operation ST CIRCUS. Many Tibetan warriors were flown to Camp Hale in Colorado for training in guerilla warfare and then returned to fight the Chinese out of the Mustang Kingdom in northern Nepal. This program was arranged by the Dalai Lama's brother. The order to stop fighting and lay down their arms was issued by the Dalai Lama only after the CIA cut off funding.

Check out my Chaosium sourcebook.
Secrets of Tibet

sauromatian
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Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 6:28 pm

jasonw1239 wrote:In the western world we have a media-driven image of a peaceful people led by gentle monks. This may be true in recent history, but the stories tend to leave out many facts such as Tibet having legalized slavery up to the time of the 1950 Chinese invasion.

Don't forget the bloodthirsty Tibetan Empire:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Tibet

At least, I make them as bloodthirsty as possible in my Dark Ages campaign, as a deliberate surprise to players' expectations otherwise.

Theleb
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Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 2:16 am

What's generally considered the best book on early 20th century Tibet is: A History of Modern Tibet, 1913-1951: The Demise of the Lamaist State by Melvyn C. Goldstein. It does defy the current media image we get of Tibet as a land of peaceful monks, and would certainly make for an interesting 1920s CoC campaign.

Xaxaxe
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Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 11:42 am

Thanks, everyone; lots of good ideas here. And I think I will waive my unofficial ban on '90s products, as it sounds like some of the more respected items came out during that decade.

jasonw1239
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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/

Check out my Chaosium sourcebook.
Secrets of Tibet

Badmike
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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!!!!

Mike B.

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jasonw1239
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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.

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.

Check out my Chaosium sourcebook.
Secrets of Tibet

g026r
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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.

"Reader, Carthegena was of the mind, that unto thoſe Three Things, which the Ancients held Impoſſible, there ſhould be added this Fourth ; To find a Book Printed without Errata's."

mnw
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Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 9:26 pm

Just pinched Trail in the nick of time!

Badmike
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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.

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.

"THE MORE YOU THINK ABOUT WHY i DONE WHAT i DONE THE MORE i LAUGH" Cougar
"The Acaeum hates fun" Sir Allen
"I had a collecting emergency" Nogrod
Co-founder of the North Texas RPG Con
NTRPGCON

g026r
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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...

"Reader, Carthegena was of the mind, that unto thoſe Three Things, which the Ancients held Impoſſible, there ſhould be added this Fourth ; To find a Book Printed without Errata's."

jasonw1239
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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.

Check out my Chaosium sourcebook.
Secrets of Tibet

jasonw1239
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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? ... tent&id=76

Check out my Chaosium sourcebook.
Secrets of Tibet

g026r
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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.

"Reader, Carthegena was of the mind, that unto thoſe Three Things, which the Ancients held Impoſſible, there ſhould be added this Fourth ; To find a Book Printed without Errata's."

grodog
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Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 10:11 pm

Blast, I missed Trail of Cthulhu :/

Allan Grohe ([email protected])
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Badmike
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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.....

Mike B.

"THE MORE YOU THINK ABOUT WHY i DONE WHAT i DONE THE MORE i LAUGH" Cougar
"The Acaeum hates fun" Sir Allen
"I had a collecting emergency" Nogrod
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sauromatian
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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.

Badmike
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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.

"THE MORE YOU THINK ABOUT WHY i DONE WHAT i DONE THE MORE i LAUGH" Cougar
"The Acaeum hates fun" Sir Allen
"I had a collecting emergency" Nogrod
Co-founder of the North Texas RPG Con
NTRPGCON

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