Convicts & Cthulhu: Ticket of Leave #16 OC

Publisher: Cthulhu Reborn”Alas Poor Convict, I Knew Him Well … ‘Tis a Shame He Fell Prey to the Sydney Devil”

◊

One of the more surprising elements of the early penal settlements of Australia is the convict theatre. When one thinks of a brutal and isolated settlement filled with the most desperate and degenerate, playhouses and performances don’t readily spring to mind. And yet there was a convict theatre at Sydney almost from the time of the colony’s founding … and ironically its success was almost its downfall, since numerous instances were reported where thieves targetted houses of individuals they knew would be out watching the latest convict play. 

◊

Ticket of Leave #16 is our largest supplement to-date for Convicts & Cthulhu. It looks at the phenomenon of convict theatre in the early settlement, and provides a detailed depiction of the foremost theatre of the day.

In addition to offering historical source material, this supplement also includes a lengthy scenario which is designed to provide a challenging mystery suitable to experienced players of Investigative Lovecraft games. A series of unusually ravaged bodies have been turning up on the streets of Sydney … and the only apparent link between the victims is that they had all recently attended Sidaway’s convict theatre. Could it be that some deranged killer is targetting theatre-goers? But why does this ne’er-do-well dismember and partially devour those he kills? Or is there something more sinister at the theatre, perhaps even something to do with their next play — a surrilous piece called “The Devil To Pay”?
Can the investigators uncover the cause of the terrible slayings before the murderer strikes again? Can they stave off the rising tide of voices that wants the convict theatre closed down altogether? But most importantly can they uncover just what payment the Sydney Devil truly desires …?

◊

Tickets-of-Leave are self-contained additions to the Convicts & Cthulhu setting for Lovecraftian roleplaying in the early penal colonies of Australia. Each includes a selection of game elements which can either be used collectively as a thumbnail sketch of a scenario, or can be used in isolation to provide pieces that enhance a scenario of your own invention.

◊

This is not a standalone product, but relies upon the Convicts & Cthulhu setting also published by Cthulhu Reborn. The Convicts & Cthulhu core book is a lavishly illustrated 96-page sourcebook available in both PDF and print as a “Pay-What-You-Want” title.

Convicts & Cthulhu is designed to allow Call of Cthulhu Keepers and players to run scenarios and campaigns set in the penal colonies of early Australia. It particularly targets the historical period from 1795 to 1810.Price: $2.00
Go to Source