Call of Cthulhu: Horror on the Orient Express ,

by Chaosium Inc., Mike Mason (Editor)

HORROR ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS contains a massive and legendary campaign, of up to nineteen adventures and more than 700 pages, for Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition. Beginning in 1920s London, the investigators journey to Paris and thence to the ancient city of Constantinople. With luck, they also return home. Optional episodes are set in ancient times or special places (Roman-era, Dark Ages, Gaslight-era, the Dreamlands), so that the players can experience the founding, creation, and discovery of crucial elements of this campaign. Also included is a modern-day coda to the storyline, an alternate ending for those wishing a shorter campaign, and a built-in survival guide to aid beleaguered investigators. Two-Volume Hardcover book set includes the complete campaign & player handouts. 24 x 18 inch full color Poster Map

Genres: Role Playing Games, Horror, Cthulhu Mythos

700 pages, Hardcover

Published July 15, 2021

Reviews

[Tatiana Alejandra de Castro Pérez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una campaña muy interesante que recorre media Europa hasta llegar a Turquía. Cuenta con escenarios opcionales, algunos de ellos en el pasado, y con bastante información sobre las ciudades en las que para.

[Timothy Grubbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take a train through Lovecraft Country…though it remains to be seen if you’ll make it to your final destination…

Horror on the Orient Express is a MASSIVE campaign setting set on the most famous train in the world (one more significant to past generations than the modern day).

Set from January to May 1923, the trip takes you from London to Constantinople through over a dozen possible adventures at all points in between. Fortunately, not all of them are required for the larger meta plot of the campaign (assuming the Keeper even chooses to use the full story), with some being just option side stories.

Every destination is accompanied by maps, shady locations, myriad NPCs (both staff, passengers, and locals at each stop), and mysteries that might drawn in investigators.

Obviously considering the setting, the backgrounds of the characters are relevent (also determing what kind of accommodations they have and why they are on the train). Meanwhile news stories that will pop up throughout the trip help shape the fears of the world at large and if Europe is on the verge of another war…

It’s a gargantuan challenge considering the size and scope, but if you have a group interested in pursuing it then buy a ticket for Constantinople and don’t worry about the return trip (that can be handled should you survive).

[Arthur B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Convenient rerelease of the material previously in the overly lavish box set. The additions to the campaign are stronger than the original material on average. Full review: https://refereeingandreflection.wordp...

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this one on Amazon, like a few other RPG books I've reviewed.

This is a legendary module for CoC, and for good reason. The players embark on the world renowned Orient Express in Europe and, while en route to the Middle East, get caught up in a dark mystery revolving around a strange artifact that has been split into multiple parts and spread all around the world.

This book is huge. I've always loved to read but I've rarely enjoyed it as much as I did while reading through this book. The story is amazing and the inclusion of smaller modules from other CoC settings as possible side adventures is a great touch. I do have a few substantial issues, though. The first is the quality of the book. The binding glue is not great and the paper feels like the old disposable text books I had as a kid in school. The second issue is the visuals in general. The book is entirely in black and white and the layout is very poor, particularly where the small side modules are concerned. The page numbers are hard to figure out as they didn't bother changing the page numbers of the small modules when incorporating them into the book. All of these seem especially criminal in light of the beautiful books that have come out in the last few years, particularly the Masks of Nyarlathotep set. That just tells you how great the writing is, though, that none of that was enough to ding my score.

[Cloudy_Avalon · Rating 5 out of 5]

TL;DR: a must-have for any Call of Cthulhu fan. A good read even if you are not planning to play it. A huge NO for any DM just starting out (I mean as a first/second scenario), as it gets very complex narration-wise.

-------------------------Possible accidental/mild spoilers ahead. -----------------------

First of all, this is one of the most influential campaigns ever written. This is long, sprawling, and very exciting! Definitely won't recommend as a material for a beginner keeper, since one might just go crazy handling all the tiny details this story is full of.

I won't go into details about how I like the full story, since this review is just for the first book out of two.

The amount of historical information is just right. It is not flooding the pages but is sprinkled right at the place where it is required. This fact makes the book an interesting read even if you are not planning on running the campaign. Also, IMO, at least some of the scenarios can be run as standalone. Some people might not agree with me, but here I stand. It might be hard to assemble a party of adventurers with the required dedication to play such a long campaign. Smaller stand-alone scenarios are much more accessible.

Some of the scenarios distort the standard linear flow of the story and require the investigators to play some "historical bits," which is both refreshing and demanding of the DM.

All the scenarios are greatly written, but 2 of them are absolutely outstanding, if you ask me: the one in France and the one set in the Dreamlands. The latter one can be run as a stand-alone, and I would be eager to accept the challenge of running outside of the main campaign; it is just that brilliant.

Bottom line—a must-have for any Call of Cthulhu fan. You can also check out my review on the second book for the full picture.

~ Cloudy A