Cthulhu by Gaslight: Horror Roleplaying in 1890s England

Call of Cthulhu RPG

by William A. Barton

Cthulhu and his minions, in the 1890s sharing the globe with the mighty British Empire, had duties to an empire of their own: a dark and cruel design against the ownership of the world and the dreams of humanity. Even in the peaceful fields of rural England only intelligent and energetic intervention could keep the shadows at bay.

"Cthulhu by Gaslight" includes a lengthy roleplaying adventure, "The Yorkshire Horrors" in which the investigators join forces with the world's most famous consulting detective, Sherlock Holmes Extensive background essays provide period skills, social classes, world politics, biographies and timelines for the 1890s, maps and London location notes (including the best stores of the time), travel, criminals and police, Cockney slang, cost of living, royalty and titles, club life in London, the occult in the 1890s, prices, and clothing. A lengthy essay considers time-travel rationales for moving investigators of another time into the 1890s.

Genres: Role Playing Games, Horror, Gaming, Cthulhu Mythos, Reference, Victorian

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

Reviews

[Matthew J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a lot of very useful information on London specifically and England in general in this Call of Cthulhu supplement. I found the historic information interesting, and I think it will help me make a game more immersive if I get around to running it. However, I did find that the book tended to lean into the sort of Victorian penny dreadful kind of setting, in much the same way Chaosium's 1920s supplements tend to lean more toward a pulpy vibe. There seems to be less interest in Cosmic Horror, existential dread, and mind shattering alienation, and more on monster hunting and ghost chasing. Even the two adventures feel more like something out of Bram Stoker than Lovecraft. Still, I think this will be a big help in future games I might set in the era.

[Arthur B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid supplement for Call of Cthulhu adventure in the Victorian period, revised to dial back the superfluous and genre-inappropriate Sherlock Holmes stuff in previous editions. Full review: https://refereeingandreflection.wordp...

[Al Capwned · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains all the details you need to know for Call of Cthulhu in victorian London plus a long scenario, in which a well-known fictional detective helps in solving the case...