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Nocturnum: Long Shades contains the first three adventures in a modern day campaign concerning the machinations of the Shk'ryth, a new independent race.

Overall, I found that adventures lacking in Lovecraftian atmosphere. At first, I thought this might be due to the fact that I'm used to the traditional 1920s setting, but upon further reflection, I decided there were more important factors involved, all of them having to do with the nature of the opposition.

The Shk'ryth just aren't very Lovecraftian nasties. They lack the awe-inspiring power of even the most minor of Mythos deities as well as the alien motivations of the other independent Mythos races. Furthermore, we are expected to believe that they lack any knowledge of the Mythos itself; indeed, for the most part, they see themselves as THE supernatural race, period, and a good percentage of them are even unaware of the existence of other Shk'ryth! If the lowly investigators can learn of the Mythos in their insignificant lifetimes, does it really make sense for the the Shk'ryth to be that supernaturally ignorant? (The explanation given -- that they're just too arrogant to accept the possibility of superior beings -- struck me as a bit silly.)

Contributing to the dilution of the Shk'ryth's Lovecraftian feel is their supernatural opposition. The fact that they have powerful foes of their own makes the investigators seem far less helpless and alone in the universe, even if in two of the adventures the enemy-of-their-enemy definitely *isn't* their friend. And it's certainly not made clear as to why these creatures should be of concern to the likes of Nyarlathotep, as is revealed in the final adventure. True, the Shk'ryth were spawned from the one coherent thought of Azathoth, but in terms of power, they hardly seem up to a tussle with a Shoggoth, Dark Young, or Flying Polyp, much less the Crawling Chaos himself.

Finally, the Shk'ryth, unlike most Mythos horrors, are very much concerned with the manipulation, conquest, and ultimate destruction humanity. Again, this makes them much more in line with traditional Gothic horror rather than the cosmic, nihilistic variety that is the hallmark of Lovecraft's work.

Now, does all of the above mean that these are lousy adventures? Not at all. It simply means they have a different feel than the traditional CoC adventure, owing far more to Stephen King or Peter Straub than to H.P. Lovecraft. Whether or not this is a good thing is entirely a matter of taste.

I don't think they're great by any means, but they're good. The atmosphere is consistently creepy and bleak throughout, the artwork is effective, and the boxed story sections detailing offstage events for the Keeper are a particularly effective and innovative touch. The layout is attractive, although the book does contain a few irritating mistakes -- paragraphs cut short and the like.

I found that the writers are a bit too fond of mandatory Sanity losses for scenes that, while certainly disturbing, don't really seem to warrant them. Also, while the individual adventures are enjoyable, be aware that they are essentially related only by the nature of the opposition. Only the third adventure actually leads into the campaign; the first two serve mainly as introductions to the Shk'ryth. Taking the investigators directly from one to the next is sure to stretch credulity without some major macguffin from the Keeper.

The first adventure, "Snowflake Valley", traps the investigators in a small, backwards mining town with a dark secret to uncover and a deadly horror on the loose. If the investigators are paranoid types -- and what CoC investigators worth their Sanity aren't? -- this one's sure to push them to the brink. If you liked The Shining or Storm of the Century, this one's for you.

The second, and the most innovative, is "The Madness of the Twilight Queen", an adventure reminiscent of Charles de Lint in one of his darker moods. A new and deadly drug is appearing on the streets of a small college town in which tensions between the townsfolk and students are already running high. It's all part of a struggle between the local Shk'ryth and a bizarre foe from a reality just a step away from our own. This one's sure to befuddle investigators stuck in "kill the cult" mode.

"Stillness", the final adventure, at last introduces the grand scheme of the Shk'ryth that is the subject of the larger campaign. It offers some delightful opportunities for Keepers to play with the minds of their players without actually putting them in harm's way. However, it shares the flaw of many CoC adventures in that the resolution hinges on the discovery of a few vital clues, and even then there is little for the investigators to do to affect the outcome other than escape. Still, it could be a fun ride.

So, does Nocturnum open up whole new vistas of horror for the jaded players of Call of Cthulhu? No... but it could offer a nice change of pace. If you're running a modern campaign, and if your players think they know all there is to know about the Cthulhu Mythos, you might want to give Nocturnum a try.

Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 3 (Average)

Nocturnum: Long Shades
Author: Darrell Hardy, Christian T. Petersen, and Andrew Warren, with Category: game Company/Publisher: Fantasy Flight Games Cost: $19.95 Page count: 120 ISBN: 1-887911-62-6 Capsule Review by Dan Davenport on 03/07/99. Genre tags: Modern_day Horror Conspiracy	Nocturnum: Long Shades contains the first three adventures in a modern day campaign concerning the machinations of the Shk'ryth, a new independent race. Overall, I found that adventures lacking in Lovecraftian atmosphere. At first, I thought this might be due to the fact that I'm used to the traditional 1920s setting, but upon further reflection, I decided there were more important factors involved, all of them having to do with the nature of the opposition. The Shk'ryth just aren't very Lovecraftian nasties. They lack the awe-inspiring power of even the most minor of Mythos deities as well as the alien motivations of the other independent Mythos races. Furthermore, we are expected to believe that they lack any knowledge of the Mythos itself; indeed, for the most part, they see themselves as THE supernatural race, period, and a good percentage of them are even unaware of the existence of other Shk'ryth! If the lowly investigators can learn of the Mythos in their insignificant lifetimes, does it really make sense for the the Shk'ryth to be that supernaturally ignorant? (The explanation given -- that they're just too arrogant to accept the possibility of superior beings -- struck me as a bit silly.) Contributing to the dilution of the Shk'ryth's Lovecraftian feel is their supernatural opposition. The fact that they have powerful foes of their own makes the investigators seem far less helpless and alone in the universe, even if in two of the adventures the enemy-of-their-enemy definitely isn't their friend. And it's certainly not made clear as to why these creatures should be of concern to the likes of Nyarlathotep, as is revealed in the final adventure. True, the Shk'ryth were spawned from the one coherent thought of Azathoth, but in terms of power, they hardly seem up to a tussle with a Shoggoth, Dark Young, or Flying Polyp, much less the Crawling Chaos himself. Finally, the Shk'ryth, unlike most Mythos horrors, are very much concerned with the manipulation, conquest, and ultimate destruction humanity. Again, this makes them much more in line with traditional Gothic horror rather than the cosmic, nihilistic variety that is the hallmark of Lovecraft's work. Now, does all of the above mean that these are lousy adventures? Not at all. It simply means they have a different feel than the traditional CoC adventure, owing far more to Stephen King or Peter Straub than to H.P. Lovecraft. Whether or not this is a good thing is entirely a matter of taste. I don't think they're great by any means, but they're good. The atmosphere is consistently creepy and bleak throughout, the artwork is effective, and the boxed story sections detailing offstage events for the Keeper are a particularly effective and innovative touch. The layout is attractive, although the book does contain a few irritating mistakes -- paragraphs cut short and the like. I found that the writers are a bit too fond of mandatory Sanity losses for scenes that, while certainly disturbing, don't really seem to warrant them. Also, while the individual adventures are enjoyable, be aware that they are essentially related only by the nature of the opposition. Only the third adventure actually leads into the campaign; the first two serve mainly as introductions to the Shk'ryth. Taking the investigators directly from one to the next is sure to stretch credulity without some major macguffin from the Keeper. The first adventure, "Snowflake Valley", traps the investigators in a small, backwards mining town with a dark secret to uncover and a deadly horror on the loose. If the investigators are paranoid types -- and what CoC investigators worth their Sanity aren't? -- this one's sure to push them to the brink. If you liked The Shining or Storm of the Century, this one's for you. The second, and the most innovative, is "The Madness of the Twilight Queen", an adventure reminiscent of Charles de Lint in one of his darker moods. A new and deadly drug is appearing on the streets of a small college town in which tensions between the townsfolk and students are already running high. It's all part of a struggle between the local Shk'ryth and a bizarre foe from a reality just a step away from our own. This one's sure to befuddle investigators stuck in "kill the cult" mode. "Stillness", the final adventure, at last introduces the grand scheme of the Shk'ryth that is the subject of the larger campaign. It offers some delightful opportunities for Keepers to play with the minds of their players without actually putting them in harm's way. However, it shares the flaw of many CoC adventures in that the resolution hinges on the discovery of a few vital clues, and even then there is little for the investigators to do to affect the outcome other than escape. Still, it could be a fun ride. So, does Nocturnum open up whole new vistas of horror for the jaded players of Call of Cthulhu? No... but it could offer a nice change of pace. If you're running a modern campaign, and if your players think they know all there is to know about the Cthulhu Mythos, you might want to give Nocturnum a try. Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 3 (Average)