“Here you have a story written with the sole object of inspiring a pleasing terror in the reader; and as I think, that is the true aim of the ghost story.”
– Montague Rhodes James
The has always been something of a quaint enjoyment from my reading of MR James’ ghost stories, and with Casting the Runes we get to re-enact these mysteries and adventures with our friends around the gaming table.
What is Casting the Runes?
Casting the Runes is a roleplaying game based on the antiquarian ghost stories created by Montague Rhodes James (1862-1936). Brought to life using the GUMSHOE system (a set of mechanics created to model “stories where investigators uncover a series of clues, and interpret them to solve a mystery”), it is a game of charming horror, strange mysteries and exploration into the unknown.
In Casting the Runes, the players take on the roles of “Investigators”, as they uncover mysteries replete with – in James’ own words – “malevolence and terror, the glare of evil faces, the stony grin of unearthly malice, and long-drawn, distant screams”.
Articles
Over the last few years I have completed a few reviews of the core book and its supplements over on RPGGEEK (and have linked these below):
- A Study in Quaint Horror – A Review of Casting the Runes Core Rulebook (Dec 2020)
- Quaint Mysteries and Curious Ghost Stories – A Review of The Predestination Engine & Other Stories for Casting the Runes (May 2023)