Super Genius Games

Call of Cthulhu: Snows of an Early Winter

Super Genius Games

(based on 2 ratings)

It's Halloween in an election year. New Yorkers prepare to celebrate with masked revels and parades, while the city's powerful hold fund raisers and give speeches. Business as usual in the Modern Gomorrah, but when someone or something hunts New York's streets, eviscerating stray animals, slaying the homeless where they huddle, and stealing women from shelters—it threatens a councilwoman's reelection bid.

Dangerous occult texts missing from the massive 5th Avenue Public Library, mad politicians hiding in their posh Park Avenue apartments and a new Egyptian exhibit premiering at the Metropolitan Museum this Halloween embroil the investigators in a secret war for access to the halls of power. From New York's high society to her mean streets, stalked beneath Times Square's busy lights by Things Man Was Not Meant to Know, the investigators must swiftly unravel a bloody skein of occult clues and confront the power behind the killings—or this Halloween may prove their last.

Snows of an Early Winter is a stand-alone Call of Cthulhu adventure set in modern day New York City. It contains everything a group needs for two or three evenings of investigation and horror, including the scenario, pre-generated characters, handouts and is 116 pages! It is the latest in the innovative line of officially licensed Call of Cthulhu scenarios and supplements from Super Genius Games.

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Average product rating:

(based on 2 ratings)

A fantastic modern adventure

sigfriedtrent — Jul 12, 2011, 12:41 am

I had the pleasure of running Snows recently and it played just as well as I'd imagined upon reading it.

The adventure does a great job stringing together many different and compelling encounters with a wide range of challenges and dramatic situations.

If you are a game master that loves to do voices and play up NPCs this thing is a gold mine with evocative dialog and great descriptions.

I must warn folks that this is a complicated adventure with multiple factions and lines of clues spanning many locations and with a good many NPCs. It does a remarkable job making it easy to understand, but its still a challenge to keep all the facts straight and juggle the curve balls the investigators can throw at you. There are a couple spots where a key piece of information is not where you would expect it and had me scrambling to find what I'd read earlier, but given the complexity of this adventure and how often it makes things easy for you, it was very forgivable.

It was easily the best CoC adventure I've ever run and even if you never run it, its a fun read.

Modern, non-linear Cthulhu of the highest quality

Endzeitgeist — May 15, 2010, 10:03 am

I usually don't buy modern modern Cthulhu adventures due to a personal dislike for all the possibilities our day and age offers for the investigators.
This adventure is the exception to the rule.
SoaeW features a non-linear plot that is nevertheless easy to keep track of, thanks to a simple, but effective marker-system. The plot is divided up in several stages, all of which have multiple possibilities for the investigators to get clues. I've read the massive 118p adventure thrice now and still can't imagine any kind of situation that would result in a grinding halt and players unsure of what to do.
There is always a whole set of alternatives waiting for the investigators, up to the point where I can see completely different experiences each time the adventure is run.

Furthermore, it features 11 handouts, extensive and well-researched guidelines to convert in to the 1890s or 1920s (4 pages) is concisely written and feels fresh due to the avoidance of many of the CoC-clichés.
SoaeW also manages to pull off a climax worthy of the name, as deadly and awesome as a CoC-climax is supposed to be.

My only gripe is that I found some minor typos. Not enough to annoy me, but they are there.

Not yet sold in spite of the low price for 118p?

I've got one argument left:
(Minor spoiler ahead!)

Which CoC-adventure you know actually has the chance for the investigators to meet Elvis? Hail to the King, baby!

Product Discussion (37)

Search Thread

R. Hyrum Savage Super Genius Games

Dec 21, 2009, 11:52 pm

Now available here at Paizo!

Hyrum.

Louis Agresta Contributor

Dec 22, 2009, 08:37 am

Yes! This is awesome!
(Because I'm the author).
But still!

Adam Daigle Director of Narrative

Dec 22, 2009, 10:25 am

I preordered the print version!

Louis Agresta Contributor

Dec 22, 2009, 02:29 pm

Adam Daigle wrote:

I preordered the print version!

Awesome, Daigle, my man. Can't wait to hear what you think.

Cylerist

Dec 25, 2009, 07:53 pm

What system does it use?

R. Hyrum Savage Super Genius Games

Dec 25, 2009, 08:12 pm

Cylerist wrote:

What system does it use?

It uses the Basic Roleplaying engine from classic Call of Cthulhu.

Hyrum.

R. Hyrum Savage Super Genius Games

Dec 25, 2009, 10:20 pm

BTW, Lou (and Stan!) spend some time with the Atomic Array folks. You can listen to the podcast here:

http://atomicarray.com/

Hyrum.

Louis Agresta Contributor

Dec 25, 2009, 10:42 pm

For anyone who is interested, the first reviews are hitting:

Dave Chalker at Critical hits had this to say.

Nathan Collins of Drive Thru RPG added this:

Nathan Collins (excerpt) wrote:

I ran this adventure with several Cthulhu novices and one player who hates anything non-fantasy. It was pretty unanimous that it was one of the best times they have had gaming.

People had fun and this makes me glad. That's what its all about! So cool to hear.

Ed Healy Contributor

Dec 26, 2009, 01:39 pm

Cylerist wrote:

What system does it use?

BRP.

Direct Link to Atomic Array Episode.

Louis Agresta Contributor

Jan 2, 2010, 10:43 am

Snows just hit the RPGCountdown top 10! I'm pretty stoked.

Neil Spicer Contributor, RPG Superstar 2009, RPG Superstar Judgernaut

Jan 2, 2010, 10:43 am

Well-deserved.

Louis Agresta Contributor

Jan 2, 2010, 10:45 am

NSpicer wrote:

Well-deserved.

Thanks, my man! Here's hoping someone reviews it on Paizo...

I wonder if everyone knows that Otherworld is an imprint of Supergenius Games?

Mairkurion {tm}

Jan 2, 2010, 10:50 am

I downloaded the sample-preview. Hey, it's a start.
I find the whole imprint thing confusing, FWIW.

R. Hyrum Savage Super Genius Games

Jan 2, 2010, 10:55 am

Louis Agresta wrote:

NSpicer wrote:
Well-deserved.
Thanks, my man! Here's hoping someone reviews it on Paizo...
I wonder if everyone knows that Otherworld is an imprint of Supergenius Games?

Actually, it's the other way around.

OWC
|
|
SGG

Although I suspect that will change this year and we'll spin SGG off completely as its own company.

Hyrum.

Mairkurion {tm}

Jan 2, 2010, 11:46 am

For those like me new to BRP, Chaosium gives away quickstart pdfs for both BRP and Call of Cthulhu, if you poke around their website.

Louis Agresta Contributor

Jan 2, 2010, 02:15 pm

HyrumOWC wrote:

Louis Agresta wrote:

NSpicer wrote:
Well-deserved.
Thanks, my man! Here's hoping someone reviews it on Paizo...
I wonder if everyone knows that Otherworld is an imprint of Supergenius Games?
Actually, it's the other way around.
OWC
|
|
SGG

Although I suspect that will change this year and we'll spin SGG off completely as its own company.

Hyrum.

oops - my bad. Just wondering if people know the connection...

Jam412

Jan 18, 2010, 01:35 pm

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

Any idea when the print version will be around? I'm really excited for this.

R. Hyrum Savage Super Genius Games

Jan 18, 2010, 04:14 pm

Jam412 wrote:

Any idea when the print version will be around? I'm really excited for this.

The print version ships this Friday to distributors and then to stores. :)

Hyrum.

Larcifer

Jan 18, 2010, 04:20 pm

Congrats Louis!

Louis Agresta Contributor

Jan 18, 2010, 05:37 pm

Larcifer wrote:

Congrats Louis!

Thanks, my man! Hope you like it.

Snorter

Jan 19, 2010, 03:37 am

I heard the Atomic Array show yesterday; it's always strange to hear the voices of people you previously only knew as pixellated avatars.
Well done to Ed, Rone, Lou, Stan! and of course, Dread Cthulhu for his cameo appearance.

I, too, confess I always feel the need to pronounce the exclamation point in Stan!'s name, though in my case, it takes the form of an involuntary forward lean, and a wrestling announcer voice, rather than punching the air.

Snorter

Jan 19, 2010, 04:37 am

I liked the discussion of adapting the adventure to different eras.
This went beyond the usual 'swap this modern weapon for this archaic weapon', and addressed the realities of New York City, such as the changing proportional ethnic population, areas and jobs that may be off-limits, buildings and institutions that may not have been built or formed.
The sample NPC who changes from an Egyptologist to a Greek scholar, if using the Gaslight era, reflecting the focus of the academic community of the day, is a good example of the above, and suggests that Lou has done some research on his chosen setting, and helps to bring things alive.

Mairkurion {tm}

Jan 19, 2010, 07:56 am

Yeah, the show really did a great job of making me want an adventure for a game system I had never played. Riding around a bus in Manhattan, watching the rain wash away the dirty snow in the street lights, I kept expecting Lou to get on the bus. Or maybe a suspicious character in a trench coat and hat. What was that that just poked out from beneath his coat?

baron arem heshvaun

Jan 19, 2010, 08:18 am

I just saw this Lou, a big congrats !!

I'll pick this up with my next order.

Now if Tim H and a few others can just persuade you to run a game in Manhattan ...

Greg A. Vaughan Frog God Games

Jan 19, 2010, 03:09 pm

Did I ever mention what an integral contribution playtesting made to the development of this product?

Mairkurion {tm}

Jan 19, 2010, 03:20 pm

Settles in his easy chair for droning Vaughan story.

Louis Agresta Contributor

Jan 20, 2010, 05:39 am

Mairkurion {tm} wrote:

Yeah, the show really did a great job of making me want an adventure for a game system I had never played. Riding around a bus in Manhattan, watching the rain wash away the dirty snow in the street lights, I kept expecting Lou to get on the bus. Or maybe a suspicious character in a trench coat and hat. What was that that just poked out from beneath his coat?

I'm just happy to see you. ;)

Louis Agresta Contributor

Jan 20, 2010, 05:41 am

baron arem heshvaun wrote:

I just saw this Lou, a big congrats !!

I'll pick this up with my next order.

Now if Tim H and a few others can just persuade you to run a game in Manhattan ...

Thanks man. As for running, in a heartbeat, dude. What about February?

Alternately, you and a couple of the guys are welcome at my little farm upstate. I keep...THEM...here and would be happy to...introduce...you.

You still have my email?

baron arem heshvaun

Jan 20, 2010, 09:49 am

A quick one was just sent !

God Bless !

Louis Agresta Contributor

Jan 20, 2010, 08:30 pm

baron arem heshvaun wrote:

A quick one was just sent !

God Bless !

Cool - will respond shortly.

Louis Agresta Contributor

May 15, 2010, 01:31 pm

Just saw the new review -- thanks Endzeitgeist. Really glad you liked this.
-Lou

Endzeitgeist

May 15, 2010, 02:20 pm

You're welcome, Lou.
I not only liked, the adventure, I loved it.
It's possible that this one may become a helloween-classic like the original Ravenloft module: Thanks to the variability and the extreme replayability, it won't get boring for the Keeper. Awesome work!

Louis Agresta Contributor

May 15, 2010, 02:24 pm

Endzeitgeist wrote:

You're welcome, Lou.
I not only liked, the adventure, I loved it.
It's possible that this one may become a helloween-classic like the original Ravenloft module: Thanks to the variability and the extreme replayability, it won't get boring for the Keeper. Awesome work!

Cool! That was the goal: total re-playability. So far every one of the 7 play reports I've received has been a radically different game. Very gratifying. As a writer/designer, I guess you really can't beat "...won't get boring..." Hit that mark and you've pretty much done it, haven't you?