Call of Cthulhu: The Order of the Stone

Game Review

Vile creatures, frighteningly devoted cultists, eldritch horrors ready to be set loose upon the unsuspecting, and more await in this Lovecraftian campaign from Chaosium.  After scientists in Ireland unearth a collection of corrupted urns, players will send their investigators on a trans-Atlantic mission in The Order of the Stone for Call of Cthulhu. A sinister chain of events spanning two continents will test even the most resolute PC as they search for a small group of fanatics. Players must track down a deranged madman and his followers to prevent the execution of a series of demented rituals- rites that may release a powerful force that has been carefully guarded in secret for a long time. Will the investigators stop the researchers from unsealing the containers, releasing a terrible force upon the planet? Only the bravest or most foolish will find out. 

Reading through this campaign, I was struck by how tightly made it is. It glides seamlessly from one scene to the next, provides plentiful opportunities for PCs to explore, and has clear limits so players have a sandbox that subtly hems everyone in. It would be tough for trivial details to derail the players.

Moreover, it’s substantial but manageable despite being about a hundred pages long. The text feels complete from start to finish and is not large enough to smother the Keeper. Nothing feels overwhelming, except maybe the eerie horrors sapping the PC’s sanity, but hey! It’s Call of Cthulhu.

The text provides a lot of help for whoever might be running the game. Whether someone is an experienced Keeper or a newbie, this product will make your life easier during the sessions. Personal favourites are all the suggestions for different ways to run the game depending on previous outcomes. “If this key NPC died in the last section, then do…” followed by what might be best if that same NPC had lived through the last section.

Additional welcome elements are the NPCs that keep the artefacts central to the story sealed and hidden. I could easily lift them from this campaign and reuse the group later. The secret society had a clear mission and purpose, and could be great allies to drop into gaming sessions occasionally. 

The biggest strike against this product is that it doesn’t break the mould. The story is too predictable for what I think of when I define something as “Lovecraftian.” Most of the campaign takes place in and around Boston. There’s an evil cult. There’s a powerful evil force ready to destroy humanity. These three things are all central to the plot, like Lovecraft’s stories. Some people will love this product’s fidelity to the original fiction, but it isn’t pushing the envelope. 

Despite not being a completely innovative product, this is an excellent Call of Cthulhu campaign. It is perfect for fans who want material that maintains fidelity to Lovecraft’s body of work but tells a specific story. The product is high quality, with great attention to detail and playability. Overall, it is a strong campaign and a great way to put players through their paces.