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I love the modern era as a setting for Call of Cthulhu adventures. The juxtapositioning of the comforting advancement in medicine and technology versus the sanity shattering alien nature of the Mythos can be especially horrifying. What is done now affects an unknown future. In the historical settings of the 1890s and 1920s, there is comfort in knowing that the course of the adventure is in the past. It is that love of horror in our modern age that drove me to pick up a copy of Resection of Time.

Resection starts in the Bay Area, carries the investigators to Los Angeles, Arkham, and finally, the jungles of Belize. The actual monster appearances are far rarer than they seem. The creatures are often just around the corner. That unseen menace is genuinely frightening, especially for veteran investigators who will strongly suspect the nature of what they cannot see. Sanity is worn away at a rate paralleling the unfolding of the plot. The threat becomes more tangible as the adventure progresses, paced beautifully to carry the player characters along a path of uncertainty, suspense, and finally terror. The climax is one of discovery rather than fighting. The PCs find what they were looking for and wish for all their sanity that they hadn't.

Players can follow the plot at their own pace and course. Entire locations can be skipped without losing the thread. To GMs'/keepers' dismay, plots that don't require them to nudge the players from scene to scene are too rare in commercial adventures.

There are several places where a scene that might be too deadly has a release valve of sorts, allowing the investigators to live to the next scene. It's safe to say that few, if any PCs will necessarily end up doing the big sleep. That doesn't mean the investigators will be back at work after the adventure. Their sanity is carved away throughout the entire scenario. Resection also presents one of those Lovecraftian fates worse than death or insanity.

The section set in San Francisco suffered from a continuity problem that should have been picked up long before the scenario went to print. The person for whom the investigators are searching was initially said to have been killed when his car was struck by another car. Later it is said that this same person was actually on foot, walking toward his car in the parking garage. After finding that out, the keeper will note that the dead man's car is still in his garage at home, under a car cover. The first story is from the person who asked the party to look into the matter, and the second account is from the police. Some supporting evidence backs the second story, negating the first. This could put the investigators on the wrong path and delay or even derail the entire scenario as the group decides that the person they're supposed to trust is misleading them. Another quibble is that the whole basement/garage area in the investigatee's house is without description beyond the map. The players can search the rest of the house, but they can't go down into the basement and investigate.

Provided that the keeper figures out what the real story is and changes or adapts the first part, Resection of Time can be two or three nights' tension and insanity, like a family reunion, but with fewer apparent mythos creatures.

Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)

A Resection of Time
Author: Sam Johnson Category: game Company/Publisher: Chaosium Cost: $11.95 Page count: 64 ISBN: 1-56882-095-X Capsule Review by C.H. Gallant on 07/12/98. Genre tags: none	I love the modern era as a setting for Call of Cthulhu adventures. The juxtapositioning of the comforting advancement in medicine and technology versus the sanity shattering alien nature of the Mythos can be especially horrifying. What is done now affects an unknown future. In the historical settings of the 1890s and 1920s, there is comfort in knowing that the course of the adventure is in the past. It is that love of horror in our modern age that drove me to pick up a copy of Resection of Time. Resection starts in the Bay Area, carries the investigators to Los Angeles, Arkham, and finally, the jungles of Belize. The actual monster appearances are far rarer than they seem. The creatures are often just around the corner. That unseen menace is genuinely frightening, especially for veteran investigators who will strongly suspect the nature of what they cannot see. Sanity is worn away at a rate paralleling the unfolding of the plot. The threat becomes more tangible as the adventure progresses, paced beautifully to carry the player characters along a path of uncertainty, suspense, and finally terror. The climax is one of discovery rather than fighting. The PCs find what they were looking for and wish for all their sanity that they hadn't. Players can follow the plot at their own pace and course. Entire locations can be skipped without losing the thread. To GMs'/keepers' dismay, plots that don't require them to nudge the players from scene to scene are too rare in commercial adventures. There are several places where a scene that might be too deadly has a release valve of sorts, allowing the investigators to live to the next scene. It's safe to say that few, if any PCs will necessarily end up doing the big sleep. That doesn't mean the investigators will be back at work after the adventure. Their sanity is carved away throughout the entire scenario. Resection also presents one of those Lovecraftian fates worse than death or insanity. The section set in San Francisco suffered from a continuity problem that should have been picked up long before the scenario went to print. The person for whom the investigators are searching was initially said to have been killed when his car was struck by another car. Later it is said that this same person was actually on foot, walking toward his car in the parking garage. After finding that out, the keeper will note that the dead man's car is still in his garage at home, under a car cover. The first story is from the person who asked the party to look into the matter, and the second account is from the police. Some supporting evidence backs the second story, negating the first. This could put the investigators on the wrong path and delay or even derail the entire scenario as the group decides that the person they're supposed to trust is misleading them. Another quibble is that the whole basement/garage area in the investigatee's house is without description beyond the map. The players can search the rest of the house, but they can't go down into the basement and investigate. Provided that the keeper figures out what the real story is and changes or adapts the first part, Resection of Time can be two or three nights' tension and insanity, like a family reunion, but with fewer apparent mythos creatures. Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 4 (Meaty)

A Resection of Time