Book Review: New Tales of the Miskatonic Valley

Complex tales that subvert expectations is amazing for a GM. Being able to tell an engaging story while keeping your players in the dark through a clever scenario keeps games interesting and fresh.

New Tales of the Miskatonic Valley (NTMV) is a volume of scenarios published by Stygian Fox in 2020. Featuring investigations set in the 1920s it provides multiple different ways to surprise and terrorise your players. The seven tales in this 241 page book provide details on iconic locales from a new perspective. From the mysterious Arkham, to cursed Dunwich and secretive streets of Innsmouth, players will get a chance to see a different sides to these locales that challenges them to interact differently to the mythos.

And yes, another great thing about this book is that the scenarios can be tailored to suit various groups and settings. For example, Proof of Life could easily become a Wild West story with a unique tie in – a death threat. Filled with dusty streets, farmers feuding and a mythos threat it could become a dynamic scenario. In a similar way, Wasted Youth which centres on youth crime, camping and a scouts organisation could be transitioned to the modern day with ease.

Boasting a detailed book layout and artwork that skilfully captures the setting, MTMV will capture the setting in ways to bring the 1920s setting alive. With detailed props and handouts it will help you get into the zone of the era. Pictures and maps of each town are highly detailed within this tome; and pre-generated characters have pages of information available for a player to jump into the game. As a result, you can easily adapt and change the resources for use in other scenarios.

While not as familiar as Stygian’s most notorious title, Fear’s Sharp Little Needles, this book provides new life for a popular setting. So check this out folks, because you won’t regret it!