A Mind-Bending Campaign for Pulp Cthulhu

By Christopher Smith Adair

Brendan Sterling sought answers in experimental past-life regression. Unfortunately, his mind isn’t the only one seeking answers in the past.

A Cold Fire Within is a campaign for Pulp Cthulhu. Set in 1935, a missing persons case leads to the discovery of a foul plot that could change time itself and bring disaster to the world. A cult intent on unleashing the power of the Great Old Ones leaves a trail through the Catskill Mountains and into the very heart of the planet!

Within the subterranean world of K’n-yan, the heroes will encounter forgotten secrets, strange lore, and bewildering inhabitants. Curious cities of gold, ruined temples, and dark forests are just some of the terrors that lurk below the ground. Yet, before the heroes descend into nightmare, they must contend with remnants of ancient worlds, unruly mountain people, and psychic devilry. Along the way, the heroes may find that going back to the end of an ancient city is the only answer! Perhaps in Lomar’s doom shall they unlock the secrets of both past and present.

Complete with New Rules, Skills, and Psychic Powers

A Cold Fire Within is a complete six-part campaign for Pulp Cthulhu. It presents new rules and skills for psychic powers—Parapsychology, Dematerialization, and Telepathy—new spells, details of the people and lands of K’n-yan, as well as a new hero organization—the Open Mind Group. Six ready-to-play heroes are provided.

Fearsome monsters, otherworldly designs, and psychic powers all mesh together to present your heroes with an epic and action-packed challenge!

Download the GM Reference and Handouts

• GM Reference - Maps, Notes, and Pre-Generated Characters
• NPC Portraits - More visuals for your players

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Dare you step into the darkness of lost worlds?

Contents

Introduction

• Timeline of Events
• Psychic Villains (and Possibly Heroes)
• The Open Mind Group
• Authoritarianism’s Ascent

Chapter 1: Past Lives, Future Deaths

• Involving the Heroes
• Melody Enters
• Following Brendan Sterling’s Trail
• Argus’ Home and Office
• The Other Missing Victims
• Checking in with Melody

Chapter 2: Wandering Minds

• Saugerties
• Woodstock
• Ghosts of the Slater Institute
• The Absent Director

Chapter 3: Into the Wilds, Into the Depths

• The Catskill Mountains
• Groth’s Village
• The Cave

Chapter 4: Lost Worlds in Blue

• Northeastern K’n-yan
• R’ga-lil’s Plantation
• The Road to the Temple of Nug and Yeb
• The City of V’Thruu
• Finding Yian-Ho
• The Fallen Temple
• The Tribal Lands
• The Dripping Forest
• Sea of Still Waters
• Temple Across the Sea
• Gru-lug
• Zyth-eb

Chapter 5: Black Sun Rising

• The City Between the Poles
• Dramatis Personae
• Arriving in the Forbidden City
• The Ritual Site

Chapter 6: Time Rescue

• Dream Lomar
• The Spaces Between
• While Olathoë Burns
• The Tower and its Prisoners
• Farewell to Doomed Lomar

Appendices

• Appendix A: Collected Handouts
• Appendix B: Tomes and Spells
• Appendix C: New Skills
• Appendix D: K’n-yanian Equipment and Vehicles
• Appendix E: Pre-Generated Heroes 

Ready-To-Play Heroes included:

• Boris Konev, age 55, Mystic cult leader
• Jean Bernard, age 25, Grease Monkey aviator
• Laura Ruth Sheversky, age 31, Hard Boiled investigative journalist
• Macario “Mac” Ortiz, age 28, Steadfast soldier
• Miriam Blackmore, age 26, Egghead scientist
• Morgan Dunhurst, age 37, Thrill Seeker explorer

What the Critics Say

"As a campaign, A Cold Fire Within does something different. There have been plenty of scenarios for Call of Cthulhu which deal with the Science Fictional aspects of Lovecraft’s Cosmic Horror, but not a campaign. It is very much not a campaign of Lovecraftian investigative horror in the eldritch sense, but rather one of fringe science—or ‘Science!’ and fringe theories ranging from Theosophy to the Hollow Earth."—Reviews from R'lyeh.

"Distanced as Pulp Cthulhu is from its better known big brother, it keeps on producing quality adventures that can't be easily found elsewhere. The first thing that struck me while preparing the adventure was how it managed to be both pulp and retain a firm anchor to reality. It blends together elements which on first sight don't have many things in common. The pseudoscience of the paranormal is one of them; the adventure strikes home the idea that back in the 1930s the scientific method was still used to prove or debunk weirdo theories that mostly belong to mythology. Nice!"—Antonios S. review, RPGNet.

Book
Format	Hardcover
Type	Campaign
Pages	176
Rule System/Engine	Pulp Cthulhu: Call of Cthulhu