Masks | Of Nyarlathotep Companion Pdf
Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion is a massive 700+ page unofficial supplement designed to expand upon the iconic Masks of Nyarlathotep campaign for Call of Cthulhu . Originally a project by fans at Yog-Sothoth.com
to celebrate their 15th anniversary, it was later published via a successful Kickstarter by Sixtystone Press Current Availability
Finding a legal PDF today is difficult because it was a limited-license project. Kickstarter Official Storefronts
: The PDF is generally no longer available for direct purchase on the webstore or DriveThruRPG Secondhand & Free Versions
: Some early, less-complete versions (often referred to as the 0.9 version) were previously released for free by Cthulhu Reborn
. Full physical editions like the "Sandbat Edition" are now primarily found on the secondhand market (e.g., eBay or Noble Knight Games).
Help finding Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion : r/callofcthulhu
The Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion is a massive, fan-created 666-page supplement designed to enhance the legendary Call of Cthulhu campaign. While the campaign itself follows investigators across the globe to stop the Outer God Nyarlathotep, the Companion adds deep historical context, expanded NPC backstories, and additional side quests to flesh out the world. The Core Story: The Carlyle Expedition
The campaign centers on the mystery of the Carlyle Expedition, a wealthy group of archaeologists who vanished in 1919.
The Hook: Investigators are drawn in by the death of a friend, Jackson Elias, who was researching the expedition's fate.
The Journey: The story spans multiple global locations, typically starting in New York and moving to London, Cairo, Nairobi, and Shanghai.
The Threat: Investigators discover that the "disaster" that befell the expedition was actually a cover for a global conspiracy involving a cult worshiping Nyarlathotep, the "Crawling Chaos". What the Companion Adds masks of nyarlathotep companion pdf
The PDF serves as a "Keeper's support" tool, providing extra layers to the narrative:
Historical Immersion: Deep-dives into the 1920s setting, including period-accurate travel logistics and societal norms.
Extended Content: New scenarios and side-plots that can be woven into the main global trek.
NPC Enrichment: More detailed motivations and interactions for the many "masks" (avatars) and cultists Nyarlathotep employs.
If you are planning to run this campaign, the Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion is highly regarded by the community for its level of detail, though it was originally released in limited print runs and via digital PDF packages.
The Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion is a massive, fan-created supplement for the legendary Call of Cthulhu campaign. Originally a collaborative project from the Yog-Sothoth.com community, it evolved into an epic 775-plus page tome designed to help Keepers manage one of the most complex RPG campaigns ever written. Core Contents
The Companion serves as a "Keeper's Bible," offering deep-dive resources that go far beyond the standard campaign book:
Detailed NPC Profiles: Provides fully statted NPCs for every location, which is particularly useful for replacing player characters (PCs) who inevitably die or go insane.
Side Adventures: Includes additional scenarios like a "side-trek" featuring Jackson Elias' notes in Hong Kong to flesh out the world.
Campaign Integration: Offers advice on weaving other published Call of Cthulhu scenarios into the global journey.
Keeper Advice: Extensive sections on pre-planning, managing global travel, and handling the "moving parts" of the investigation. Availability and Versions Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion is a massive 700+
The "Sand Bat" Edition: This is the most famous version of the Companion, resulting from a successful Kickstarter campaign. While a limited print run exists, it is now primarily found as a PDF.
Edition Compatibility: The Companion was written for the 6th Edition of Call of Cthulhu. While still highly valuable for the current 7th Edition (7E) of Masks of Nyarlathotep, Keepers will need to convert some stats and note that newer 7E additions, like the Peru chapter, are not covered in the original Companion.
Where to Find: Chaosium historically hosted the PDF to support the fan community, with proceeds often going back to the Yog-Sothoth forums. Physical copies are rare and typically sell at "collector prices" on the secondhand market. Is it Essential?
While many veteran Keepers consider it a "gem" of their collection, it is not strictly necessary to run the campaign. The 7th Edition of Masks of Nyarlathotep was significantly expanded by Chaosium to include much of the depth (like the Peru prequel) that the Companion originally aimed to provide.
8. Bibliography
- Chaosium (2018). Masks of Nyarlathotep [Revised edition].
- Chaosium (2020). Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion [PDF].
- Dorward, S., Mason, M., Hardy, L. – author credits.
- Review citations (add specific URLs or publication dates if writing for a class).
2. Authorship and Publication History
- Written by Scott Dorward, Mike Mason, Lynne Hardy, and others (many from the Call of Cthulhu 7th edition team).
- Published by Chaosium (or earlier, by the Masks fan/historian community – clarify edition: there’s the Masks Companion from the Masks of Nyarlathotep Kickstarter, often mis-cataloged as a “companion” when it’s actually the 2018 director’s cut + companion; the pure Companion PDF is separate).
- Note differences between the Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion (Chaosium, 2018/2020) and the older H.P. Lovecraft’s Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion (fan‑edited, 2000s).
3. The Para-Textual Function: Beyond Mere Handouts
Gérard Genette’s concept of the paratext—elements that mediate a text’s relationship with its reader—is useful here. The Companion functions as an epitext (material outside the original book) that alters the reception of the hypotext (the original MoN).
Final Note
The Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion is a labor of love for the most ambitious horror campaign ever written. Whether you are a first‑time Keeper or a seasoned guide through the Mythos, may these pages help you bring Nyarlathotep’s grinning visage to terrifying life — and give your investigators nightmares they will never forget.
The Crawling Chaos laughs. Can you make him bleed?
If you need the actual structured PDF layout (page dimensions, fonts, chapter headers, or table of contents), let me know and I can provide that as well.
Conclusion
The Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion is the difference between running a good campaign and running a legendary one. It fixes pacing issues, provides necessary historical context, and hands the Keeper the tools to make the 1920s come alive.
If you are a Keeper staring down the barrel of running Masks, this PDF is mandatory. It is the ultimate safety net, ensuring that even if your players go off the rails, you will have the material to keep the story moving forward.
Rating: 5/5 Stars
The "Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion" is a legendary resource in the tabletop roleplaying community. Originally created as a fan project by the community at Yog-Sothoth.com (YSDC), it grew into a mammoth 700+ page tome of advice, Keeper resources, and expansion material. It was designed specifically to support what many consider the greatest roleplaying campaign of all time: Chaosium's Masks of Nyarlathotep.
Whether you are a seasoned Keeper or preparing to run this massive campaign for the first time, understanding the history, contents, and digital availability of the Companion PDF is crucial. What is the Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion?
The Masks of Nyarlathotep campaign is famous for its complexity. It is a massive, globe-trotting sandbox where player characters investigate a cult conspiracy spanning several continents in the year 1925. Keeping track of hundreds of NPCs, clues, and timelines is a monumental task for any game master (Keeper).
The Companion was born out of the collective wisdom of Keepers who had run the campaign over several decades. It includes:
Keeper Advice: Deep dives on pacing, managing player death, and tracking complex clue networks.
Historical Context: In-depth dossiers on the real-world 1920s locations featured in the campaign, providing sensory details to bring the era to life.
Pre-Written Scenarios: Brand-new side adventures and a prequel to help onboard players or give them a break from the main plot.
Expanded Handouts: Hundreds of incredibly immersive, high-quality prop mockups, newspaper clippings, and telegrams. The PDF Availability Maze
Finding a legitimate digital copy of the Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion PDF can be incredibly confusing due to its unique publishing history. The Original Editions
The project was funded via a highly successful Kickstarter in 2015 to support the YSDC community hub. Digital versions were circulated to backers under names like the "Bloody Tongue Edition" or the "Sand Bat Edition". Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion special Sand Bat edition
Here’s a complete informational text for a hypothetical “Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion PDF” — a fan or supplementary guide for the classic Call of Cthulhu campaign. You can use this as the core descriptive or introductory section of the PDF. Chaosium (2018)
3. Handling the Globe
The campaign travels to nearly a dozen countries. A Keeper cannot be an expert on 1920s New York, London, Cairo, Nairobi, Perth, Shanghai, and Boston simultaneously. The Companion serves as a history and geography textbook tailored for the game. It provides historical context for each setting—the political climate, the social customs, and the geography—that allows you to run the game with a sense of authenticity without needing a library card.