CoC - Secrets of New York

Sometimes with RPG material it will serve better for purposes other than what it was originally published for. Secrets of New York almost accomplishes that. It still works as a sourcebook for the Call of Cthulhu game so it wears multiple hats. This book would be worth owning by anyone who plays any game that might have reason to be in New York during the 1920s.

This book does not portray a version of New York where there are cultist or mythos creatures around every corner. It instead gives a solid representation of what New York City was during that time period. There is information on how the mythos is present but it is a city where they are present not city where the normal people are intruders. It includes two adventures that are average but it shines in letting the GM know what New York was like in the 1920 and that is better than almost any adventure.


From the back of the book:

The City that Never Sleeps

During the day ships, barges, tugs, and pleasure boats ply New York’s bay and rivers, dashing beneath bridges and disgorging thousands of people upon the city's shores. Each brings hope and dreams of a new life. At night the city blazes with myriad lights, diamonds dazzling in buildings that scrape the sky. Music, food, dance, dark rituals, and clandestine cults flourish beneath the mantle of New York City.

Since that first landing of Henry Hudson's ship Half Moon to the Declaration of Independence, dark things have suckled on New York’s underbelly; the city’s boroughs have always hidden secrets countless, sinister, and horrifying. From the savage massacre at Throg's Neck to the things beneath the earth on Barren Island, New York City has always been protective of its mysteries — now all come to light in one book.

SECRETS OF NEW YORK is a compendium of one of the oldest and most popular cities in the new world, and is a supplement for the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game. This volume explores the strange events above and below the streets and avenues that crisscross the world's financial capital during the 1920’s. With a plethora of characters to bring the city to life, and a detailed history to build scenarios upon, Secrets of New York is an indispensable tool for keepers and players setting adventures in the Big Apple. Included are maps and historical documents and photographs of 1920’s New York City, as well as several scenarios that explore the most popular and less savory locales of this grand metropolis.