Hey everybody,
So it’s not too long since the Dunwich Legacy campaign has ended, but already I’m on my way with a new campaign – working my way through things in publication order, it’s the turn of The Path to Carcosa to begin!
I’m really excited about this, as it’s like the first time playing once again – having previously played The Dunwich Legacy, while I did enjoy it the second time around, there was that element of having been here before. With The Path to Carcosa, however, it’s all new and I don’t really know what to expect. Obviously, we’ve got the element of artists and madness that usually accompanies any mention of Hastur, but who knows where I’m headed!
As always with these things, there is going to be an element of spoilers for the game, so be warned!
Let’s dive in.
Curtain Call is the first scenario in the box, where the investigators attend a performance of The King in Yellow and everything goes a bit… crazy… Much like my experience with The House Always Wins, there was an incredible atmosphere to the game, as my guys were exploring the deserted theatre in an attempt to find out what happened between the acts. This one was a little bit bonkers though, as it feels so different from the Dunwich Legacy scenarios. Right from the start, it just felt a little bit like anything could happen. As things went along, I really felt like my choices were going to matter, and I was getting a bit worried about whether I was making the right decision!
Campaign Log
Despite the things that I witnessed in the theatre, I chose not to go to the police, which gave me one doubt. Something that I think is interesting on this campaign is this introduction of doubt and conviction, which has ramifications further down the line. Also, the Stranger is on to you – Ashcan Pete has become haunted by the Man in the Pallid Mask!
The Last King is a much more straightforward scenario, in that it is very reminiscent of The Midnight Masks from the core set. The task is quite simple, claim the clues from five Bystander cards that are discovered at each location, after which we’re said to have interviewed each one. However, things are all a bit, well, weird. The guests are all liable to go a bit crazy, or is it just the effects of an ongoing madness that makes you think they’re going mad?
The way this scenario works is just phenomenal, and the overall effect of playing the two together on a game night really gives a fantastic effect for the story being told.
Campaign Log
I interviewed all five of the VIPs at the party, however both Constance Dumaine and Jordan Perry succumbed to the madness and were slain.
As with The Dunwich Legacy, there is an Interlude that follows the two scenarios, which serves to set the investigators on the right path for the first mythos pack of the subsequent cycle, regardless of the outcome of the two scenarios. Here, I fled the dinner party, and attempted to barricade the door of the manor house.
What can I say about the Path to Carcosa so far?! It’s an excellent start to the proceedings, as we get the real sense of something wrong taking place in Arkham. We’re just on the brink of it, and it’s that tension that I’m really enjoying.
I’m playing Ashcan Pete and Daisy Walker, a Survivor and a Seeker deck, respectively. Previously, I’ve played Daisy during the Night of the Zealot campaign, but it was very early in the game’s life and I didn’t have a great deal of luck, I suppose because the card pool wasn’t all that great at the time either. Now, however, with both more experience behind me and an enlarged card pool, I can begin to properly get to grips with her as an investigator.
Pete, however, I’m not so sure about. This is the first Survivor deck that I have played, and I’ve not properly got to grips with what the class is trying to do. It seems like there is a great deal of making the best of a bad situation, although I feel in the main that this might be the sort of support class, maybe?
It’s going to be a much more interesting campaign, I think, than the Dunwich Legacy campaign, both due to the unknown aspect as well as having potentially some difficult plays coming from the investigators that I have chosen!
Stay tuned as I attempt to uncover the madness surrounding The King in Yellow!
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