Everyone knows the best way to defeat otherworldly gods is to cross the streams, which perhaps explains why two of the best tabletop RPGs are teaming up, in a Call of Cthulhu scenario by Gary Gygax’s son, Luke. This adventure takes place in the late 19th century at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, the birthplace of Dungeons and Dragons.
The Madness at Geneva Lake is a Call of Cthulhu adventure which debuts on March 20 at Gary Con, a gaming convention in honor of the DnD founder that’s also held at Lake Geneva. The scenario is written by Luke Gygax and fantasy map cartographer Alyssa Faden. According to a press release it “brilliantly weaves this little-known chapter of TSR’s history into a tale of cosmic horror, blending Chaosium’s mastery of Lovecraftian storytelling with Lake Geneva’s rich roleplaying legacy”.
Few concrete details about the adventure have been released, but one interesting tidbit is that it’s set in 1891. This is long before Gary Gygax was born and over 80 years before his company, TSR, was founded, so it makes me wonder exactly what references to Dungeons and Dragons the adventure might have. How can it be a “chapter of TSR’s history”?
That date does give me a pretty strong hunch about the historical basis for the scenario, though. It’s the year that a luxurious paddle steamer, the Lucius Newberry, caught fire and sank on Lake Geneva.
Actually, now that I look into it, the shipwreck of the Lucius Newberry was discovered in 1981, when TSR was in full swing, so perhaps it’s this event that will relate, in some way, to a piece of Dungeons and Dragons history. It’s about when the moral panic around DnD’s ‘satanic’ nature took hold, so maybe that has something to do with it?
Tin-foil theories about possible DnD links aside, my theory about the main plot is supported by the front cover of the book. This shows a steamer ship on Lake Geneva, with some naughty Deep Ones preparing to steal aboard.
The Madness at Geneva Lake is a collaboration between Luke’s company GaxxWorx and Call of Cthulhu publisher Chaosium, and helps mark the latter’s 50th anniversary. The book is 72 pages long and, after initially being available for purchase only at Gary Con, will later receive a general release.
Gary Con XVII takes place March 20-23, 2025 at the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa. The convention was founded by Luke in 2009, in memory of his father, the year after the DnD inventor’s death. As well as memorializing the game’s founder, the event is a celebration of the tabletop RPG hobby, especially the old school style.
This year, Chaosium is Gary Con’s premier sponsor and will be running a series of seminars and workshops.
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Source: Wargamer
