GUMSHOE – Unbound Publishing

…It began, like all these stories do, with a brief message from a friend. This note was simple enough, and at the time one could little expect it to have as much an impact on my life and future as it would. So it was with little concern or trepidation that I clicked on the link provided in the aforementioned communique, expecting to find within it nothing more than a spark of light entertainment or, at worse, a selection of humour that one would find reluctant to share in one’s workplace. Imagine then, dear reader, my despair to discover that this link did not only lead me deep within the internet but would also reveal a dark and mischievous plot dedicated to parting your humble author from his hard-earned coin… yet another RPG Kickstarter!

Casting the Runes is a roleplaying game of Edwardian¹ ghost stories and mysteries, written by Paul StJohn Macintosh, and published by The Design Mechanism. Based on the works of M R James, an English scholar and weird tale author of that period (whose style I have so ham-fistedly attempted to replicate above), it uses the GUMSHOE mechanics to reproduce investigative mysteries steepled in British graveyards, sprawling mansions, and occult practices.

For anyone who knows me, it will come as no surprise that this sort of setting and system are right in my wheelhouse, so much so that I’ve even attempted to do my own version of a gaslit GUMSHOE game once or twice in the past. The core book was funded via Kickstarter in early 2020, and I received my copy of the deluxe edition hardback a few weeks ago ². Given the myriad of other Kickstarter games and items I’ve backed in the past, you have to be impressed by both the speed and quality of this crowdfunding campaign (although I believe at the time of this writing, the last of the North American backers are yet to get their copies – not long now, Covid impacts I believe!). I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised at such a professional approach to the crowdfunding campaign, as the talent behind The Design Mechanism, Lawrence Whitaker, and Pete Nash, are top blokes, but in this day and age, even the most successful of publishers seem to be beset with delays and issues (only some of which, I reluctantly mention seem to be outside their influence).

If I’ve ever publicly made a complaint about Pelgrane Press’ The Esoterrorists roleplaying game (powered as it is by the GUMSHOE system), then it has been the fact that no concerted effort has ever seemed to be made to really define its setting and background. As such, it often gets called a knock-off of other, more detailed, modern horror settings such as Delta Green, Hunter, or even good old Conspiracy X. (As an aside, I personally think this is an opinion that is a little unfair, given the unique approach The Esoterrorists takes on the conspiracy-horror genre, but hey!)

Despite this, it is still a valid point to say that if there is anywhere that Pelgrane Press has not done the game justice then it has been in its ongoing support. Sure, over the years we’ve had an expanded second edition of the game, a couple of official scenarios and even a campaign or two, but what has always been missing is that comprehensive explanation of the Esoterrorists world, i.e. the ‘this is The Esoterrorists bible’ or a guide that explains the game fictional premise in a concise manner. If that wasn’t unfortunate enough, what information there is about the ‘world of The Esoterrorists’ is spread between three separate products (these being the core rulebook, the excellent Esoterror Fact Book, and the supplement to which this review is dedicated – The Esoterror Summoning Guide)¹.

So, why do I call The Esoterror Summoning Guide a vital part of the Esoterrorists’ core, and just what does this supplement add to the game? Well, read on and let’s see what’s inside this short but intriguing supplement, one that I think should be in everyone’s The Esoterrorists collection.

Tag: GUMSHOE

A Study in Quaint Horror: A Review of Casting the Runes

[Review] The Esoterror Summoning Guide