This episode, Keepers Bridgett & Evan unpack the best ways to begin a scenario! We’re going to define what the means, things to consider, best practices, worst practices, and even provide you with some recommendations on authors who truly stuck the landing on a strong opener!

Patreon Plug & Update

Hey listeners! Did you know that MUP has a Patreon? That’s right! We do! 

You can directly support the show, and our surrounding community, by becoming a Patreon!

“Dr Weir’s Optometry and Travel Agency: Where you’re going, you won’t need eyes to see.” Submitted by iPwned

Head over to patreon.com/MUP or click the patreon icon on the sidebar of our website. If you’re able to support us, we’d appreciate it! Patreon, we offer everything from exclusive backer only bonus content, Patreon only episodes, backer only hangouts, access to our backer only portal on Discord, and more!

The Discord Plug

Our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D 

And thank you to our editor NATE for editing this episode. 

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Tonight, I’d like to shout out friend of the show, GroucyLenny and their cats, Lily and Camille, who are captured here with the caption– nefarious plan is to absorb all of the sun’s energy to destroy humankind.

Wait. You guys are getting sun? I’m in Ohio. I haven’t seen the sun since October 2025. Can I join this plan??

Thanks for sharing with us, GroucyLenny!

Main Topic

Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Main Topic!

Tonight, we’re going to unpack the best ways to begin a scenario! We’re going to define what the means, things to consider, best practices, worst practices, and even provide you with some recommendations on authors who truly stuck the landing on a strong opener! 

From a storytelling perspective and from a game design standpoint, this is such an important topic that I don’t believe it is getting enough affection. It needs some love, so I’m happy that we’re slowing down to really explore the impact that introductory scenes and onboarding have on the rest of your game and storytelling experience!

What is the beginning of the scenario?

Is this… a roundtable of character introductions? What do you look like, name, occupation?

Is this an opening scene?

Is this worldbuilding?

Why do we care about this topic?

Arguably, the introduction, climax, and conclusion are the most essential and vital points of storytelling

Essential things to establish?

The world

The vibe/genre/tone/expectation

Your PC’s place and impact in the world

Character connection

Level of buy-in/care

Good Examples:

1. Sorrow in Tsvao by Bridgett Jeffries (begins with a team meeting) buff.ly/3AvlvAr
2. Taken for Granite by Jade Griffin’s (begins with a car crash) https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/379700/taken-for-granite
3. Graham Walmsley’s Cosmic Dark 
4. Opening scenes for a campaign: Two-Headed Serpent drops you right in the action and sprays your face with blood, while setting up the central mystery of the campaign. HotOE lets you fool around at a party with some characters who later become important but it doesn’t do much to establish the plot.
5. [As a counter-example, the start of The Haunting often flops because it’s geared towards new players and doesn’t immediately put them in the action.] 

Homework

Dear listener, tell us of your favorite scenario start!  

This episode, Keepers Bridgett and Evan talk about how, why, and maybe where and when to teach players to play a tabletop RPG WHILE you play.

Patreon Plug & Update

Hey listeners! We have a Patreon, through which you can support us! You can directly support the show, and our surrounding community, by becoming a Patreon! Why support us through Patreon? Because if you don’t, we have to sell advertising to such beloved sponsors as:

Greyhounds of Tindalos Interdimensional Bus Company. Let’s face it: traveling between dimensions is a difficult experience at the best of times. Whether traveling for work, or pursuing the vacation of a lifetime to parallel realms that you could previously only glimpse with a Tillinghast Resonator, you deserve an option that’s convenient and in your budget. Whether you’re visiting Albuquerque, Azatoth, or any of the sharp corners in between, consider the Greyhounds of Tindalos for fast, budget-friendly service. Routes that travel through the Dreamlands may have higher rates.

Thanks to Patron Dan Tice for this ad idea!

Friends, you can STOP this madness and help us get to the topic at hand WITHOUT ads! How? Head over to patreon.com/MUP or click the patreon icon on the sidebar of our website. If you’re able to support us, we’d appreciate it! Patreon, we offer everything from exclusive backer only bonus content, Patreon only episodes, backer only hangouts, access to our backer only portal on Discord, and more! 

Welcome new Backers:

Adam Alexander & Antheny

The Discord Plug

Our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D 

And thank you to our editor EQUINOX for editing this episode. 

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

FredKiesche’s wildlife tour!

Main Topic

Tonight, we’re going to talk about how, why, and maybe where and when to teach players to play a tabletop RPG WHILE you play.

Why should you teach during play?

Homework

Dear listener, tell us – do you have any tips for teaching at the table?

This episode, Keepers Bridgett & Evan discuss losing PCs. We explore how to pay tribute, celebrate, and honor the stories that have ended. We share personal experience and offer varied insight on how GMs could approach PC loss. To aid in the discussion, we’ve resurrected hosts, Keeper Murph and Keeper Dave!

Patreon Plug & Update

Dear listeners! We have a Patreon. Our Patreons literally keep the lights on and make this show possible. So if you love this content, and you want to keep it alive, we ask that you visit patreon.com/MUP and subscribe to be a backer. Because if you don’t, we’ll have to start selling ad space to trusted corporate partners like Curwen and Ward’s Essential Saltes Company! 

Yes, that’s Curwen and Ward’s Essential Saltes. Bridgett, are you feeling tired, run-down, and lacking in your vital energies?

{Yes}

Are you in need of a good revivification? 

{Yes}

Then turn to Curwen and Ward’s, America’s most trusted provider of alchemical and mystical supplies. That’s Curwen and Ward’s Essential Saltes, a family company since 1662. [Thank you to IPwnedMSCS for the ad suggestion!]

And if financial support isn’t in the cards right now, you can spread the good word of MUP in your communities by sharing a link and heaping glowing praise upon us where others can see. A like, a share, a nomination in your favorite podcast award platform, even a review goes such a long way!

And if are a Patreon backer and you’d like us to advertise YOUR favorite mythos company.

The Discord Plug

Our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D 

And thank you to our editor BEN for editing this episode. 

Chaosium Con News Brief

Main Topic

Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Main Topic! Tonight we celebrate 350 episodes of the Miskatonic University Podcast. This is an incredible milestone and a fantastic achievement. And as we continue to breathe life and tell amazing stories with this beautiful MUP community, we decided the that the best way to celebrate is to honor the PCs who took their final breath and tell stories no more.

Why does this topic matter? Why do we care?

What makes a strong, memorable, and meaningful PC death.

Roundtable where we recount and retell our favorite horror PC deaths!

This episode, Keepers Bridgett and Evan welcome back Perry Clark to continue our discussion on Madness in Culture and Era! Let’s discuss why this topic matters and dive into Invictus, Dark Ages, Regency, Gaslight, and 1920’s Classic!

Patreon Plug & Update

Dear listeners! We have patreon.Our Patreons literally keep the lights on and make this show possible. So if you love this content, and you want to keep it alive, we ask that you visit patreon.com/MUP and subscribe to be a backer. 

And if financial support isn’t in the cards right now, you can spread the good word of MUP in your communities by sharing a link and heaping glowing praise upon us where others can see. And furthermore, you can hang out with us on Discord!

The Discord Plug

Our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D 

And thank you to our editor GENE for editing this episode. 

Main Topic

Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Main Topic! As mentioned in the intro, tonight we’ve gathered to discuss Madness in Culture and Era! How did this topic originate? What does it mean? Let’s unpack!

Questions: 

Why does this topic matter? Why do we care?

Each setting/culture has its own:

Relationship to the supernatural/religion

Relationship to violence

Understanding of mental health

Ways of treating and dealing with trauma (or not)

Invictus

1. https://www.chaosium.com/invictus/
2. https://goldengoblinpress.com/

1. Dark Ages
   1. https://www.chaosium.com/cthulhu-dark-ages-3rd-edition-hardcover
   2. Highlights from sourcebook: Humors table; no diagnosed conditions; religious healing (monasteries, pilgrimage, relics)

1. Regency
   1. https://www.chaosium.com/regency-cthulhu-pdf/
   2. Highlights from sourcebook: Mesmerism & Reassure; Reputation

1. Gaslight
   1. https://www.chaosium.com/cthulhu-by-gaslight-keepers-guide-pdf
   2. Highlights from sourcebook: Alienist occupation; Mental health, asylums, Bedlam; insanity as a legal defense
      1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susto
      2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture-bound_syndrome 
      3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanganyika_laughter_epidemic 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_mania

1. 1920s (Classic)
   1. https://www.chaosium.com/call-of-cthulhu-keeper-rulebook-pdf/

Sources Cited: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lJ_QxYrGrTzTkAr_Gb1O-P9sDzfze1MtufSepHM8PkE/edit?usp=sharing

Homeworkd

Dear listener, tell us something new that you learned from this episode, or some inspiration that you’ve gathered to launch your own research into the topic! 

This episode, we continue with Part II of our Miskatonic Media Club! This is where the hosts explore how to pull game design inspiration from movies, books, TV, and other arts! This episode, we’re joined again by game designer Quinn Murphy to discuss Sinners. 

The Discord Plug

That’s right! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D 

And thank you to our editor Equinox for editing this episode. 

Main Topic

Last time we got into a great conversation with Quinn about aome elements of Sinners that we want to use in our gaming, and we’re going to pick up where we left off. Evan, where did we leave off?

Well last time we talked about story development elements, incorporating music into a setting and game, and some great tricks and tools for representation of cultures and people. 

So let’s dive into the next element!

• Horror rooted in specific culture, with cultural responses (e.g. Hoodoo performed by a main character)
• Survival horror; how to do that well in a scenario?
• Integrating sexiness into your horror game?

This episode, Keeper Evan debuts a new segment called the Miskatonic Media Club! This is where the hosts explore how to pull game design inspiration from movies, books, TV, and other arts! This episode, we’re joined by game designer Quinn to discuss Sinners. 

Patreon Plug & Update

Hey guys! Here is your friendly and loving reminder that MUP has a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Thank you to everyone has chosen to back and support us! You guys keep the lights on around here and we’re so thankful for all of you. 

The Discord Plug

That’s right! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D 

And thank you to our editor Equinox for editing this episode. 

Main Topic

This episode, Keeper Evan debuts a new segment called the Miskatonic Media Club! This is where the hosts explore how to pull game design inspiration from movies, books, TV, and other arts! This episode, we’re joined by game designer Quinn to discuss Sinners. 

This episode, Keepers Bridgett and Evan welcome bestselling creator, Mav Haenze, back onto the show to explore ways that mental health, sanity and madness are used and misused in horror gaming, and ways that Keepers, players and writers can use them in the future to maximize the fun and the horror!

Patreon Plug & Update

Dear listeners! We have a patreon. Our patreon is how we pay our editors, our hosts, our editing software, the podcast hosting service, the podcast recording service, spam filters, and more. I know that we don’t like to discuss money, but it costs money to keep this show alive. 

Our Patreons literally keep the lights on and make this show possible. So if you love this content, and you want to keep it alive, we ask that you visit patreon.com/MUP and subscribe to be a backer. 

And if financial support isn’t in the cards right now, you can spread the good word of MUP in your communities by sharing a link and heaping glowing praise upon us where others can see. And furthermore, you can hang out with us on Discord!

The Discord Plug

Our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D 

And thank you to our editor NATE for editing this episode. 

Main Topic

Tonight, we bring you PART TWO of March Madness, which is legally and ontologically distinct from any kind of sporting event you may be aware of. What did we do in Part 1?

In Part 1, we talked about ways that mental health, illness and trauma can be used and misused in horror gaming, with some expert advice from our friend Perry Clark. Now that we’ve set a baseline on the role mental health and sanity in general can play in gaming, it’s time to get into the game mechanics!

And as we mentioned, we are joined today by the extra-fantastic Maverick Haenze, beloved friend of the show. Can you tell folks where they may know you from, and what expertise you’re bringing to the conversation?

So: Let’s dive in to our discussion. Where have mental health and sanity mechanics been, where are they now, and where might they be going in the glorious future? Bridgett, can you kick us off? Do you have a favorite sanity or sanity-adjacent mechanic right now?

{For reference or review, some notable games with sanity/madness/mental health mechanics:

• Call of Cthulhu, 1981, seems to have introduced the Sanity mechanic
  • Experiencing horrors leads to a “bout of madness” and then, potentially, long-term effects such as phobias/manias
  • More recently – players/Keepers can select long-term effects, and writers like Mav are introducing custom bout of madness tables in line with the story
• Unknown Armies – get hardened by violence/horror, at a cost
• Stress mechanics
  • Delta Green’s Sanity; can burn connections to people (“bonds”) to cut down on stress; fight/flee/freeze as temp effects
  • Trail of Cthulhu/Fall of Delta Green splits up into two tracks, Stability and Sanity – Stability is more like stress/mundane effects
  • Alien has stress dice/panic rolls
  • Blades in the Dark – vices which burn off your stress points
  • Note that these systems all represent a particular narrative worldview about how to deal with your stress and trauma!
• Madness (more operatic/literary, less representative of real-world issues)
  • Trail of Cthulhu’s Sanity – affected mostly by exposure to mythos/unnatural
  • Vampire’s humanity/hunger
• Metafictional effects:
  • Fear Itself (secret instructions to GM/players)
  • Keeper tricks at the table (describing mundane humans as horrible monsters)}

Topics:

• Favorite current mechanics
• What supports realistic play? What is more fantastic/genre-leaning?
• Things to be avoided (e.g. some people don’t like the old-school random sanity effects)
• Things you recommend – what are effective, fun, supportive for Keepers/players?

Connect with Mav!

Name: Mav Haenze

Pronouns: They/Them

Mav is a prolific writer, Storyteller, and verbal purveyor of horror. Their AP work and scenarios can be found at https://linktr.ee/mavhaenze

Homework

What new mechanics or approaches will you try in your upcoming games? Do you mix and match approaches from different games at your table?

This episode, Keepers Bridgett and Evan welcome Licensed Family Therapist and gamer, Perry Clark, back onto the show to explore ways that mental health, sanity and madness are used and misused in horror gaming, and ways that Keepers, players and writers can use them in the future to maximize the fun and the horror!

Patreon Plug & Update

Dear listeners! We have patreon. Our patreon is how we pay our editors, our hosts, our editing software, the podcast hosting service, the podcast recording service, spam filters, and more. I know that we don’t like to discuss money, but it costs money to keep this show alive. 

Our Patreons literally keep the lights on and make this show possible. So if you love this content, and you want to keep it alive, we ask that you visit patreon.com/MUP and subscribe to be a backer. 

And if financial support isn’t in the cards right now, you can spread the good word of MUP in your communities by sharing a link and heaping glowing praise upon us where others can see. And furthermore, you can hang out with us on Discord!

{New Patreon backer: DoctorSlaphammer}

The Discord Plug

Our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D

And thank you to our editor GENE for editing this episode. 

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Friend of the show, Rach, swears that this cat, Goose, likes his lovely veil. 

Listen. I’m not so sure. But I don’t speak cat! And the veil is dope. 

Also. Where are my pet pics?!

Main Topic

March Madness is an exploration of the ways that mental health, sanity and madness are used and misused in horror gaming, and ways that Keepers, players and writers can use them in the future to maximize the fun and the horror.

Connect with Perry Clark!

https://linktr.ee/pclarkugcandukpodcast

This episode, Keepers Bridgett & Evan are joined by special guest, Pippa Walton, intimacy choreographer and coach! Tonight we’re going to discuss sex in horror gaming. We’ll unpack topics such as why people may want to engage with sex in gaming, why sex and horror compliment each other so well, how to handle consent, what the experience may look like and more!

Recent Gaming

Recent Gaming is where we talk about the games we’re playing. This episode was recorded 2/25/2026. So whatcha been playing?

Patreon Plug & Update

Dear listeners! We have patreon. Our patreon is how we pay our editors, our hosts, our editing software, the podcast hosting service, the podcast recording service, spam filters, and more. I know that we don’t like to discuss money, but it costs money to keep this show alive. 

Our Patreons literally keep the lights on and make this show possible. So if you love this content, and you want to keep it alive, we ask that you visit patreon.com/MUP and subscribe to be a backer. 

And if financial support isn’t in the cards right now, you can spread the good word of MUP in your communities by sharing a link and heaping glowing praise upon us where others can see. And furthermore, you can hang out with us on Discord!

The Discord Plug

Our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D 

And thank you to our editor Ben for editing this episode. 

Main Topic

Welcome to the Main Topic everyone! Tonight, we’re going to discuss sex in horror roleplaying games. We’re going to approach this topic with respect, curiosity, awareness, and sensitivity. That being said, we’re about to discuss how to introduce and navigate sex in gaming spaces. This content will not be explicit in nature, but we’re not going to run from it. So if this content isn’t your cup of tea, there are 343 other episodes to enjoy, and more incoming!

Questions:

Why would people want to explore sex in gaming? 

Why does sex and horror go so well together?

What does sex in role-playing games look like? 

Personal experiences 

How can it be handled safely and respectfully?

Tools and perspectives to be mindful of. 

Ways to introduce sex and have fun with it! 

What role can sex have, any particular advantages/disadvantages, thematic elements that are fun to explore, things like that?

Resources, books, games, workshops, etc., to review for homework.

Special Guest Spotlight

Pippa Walton (she/her) has been involved in live performance through theatre since her first stage management job in 2015, and her work in the scene has spread into multiple mediums and expanded to include directing and intimacy coordination. Live action role play has become a treasured space where she uses her background in intimacy and fight work to help tell higher stakes stories with different kinds of emotional investment, and has been one of the most rewarding applications of her work. Her passions include gender-based analysis of theatrical practice, adapting her intimacy and consent practices for Live Action Role Play, being entirely too enthusiastic about musicals, and doing everything in her power to make theatre an equitable, comfortable, and uplifting space for the people around her. Her favourite video game to play is Stardew Valley, which can be considered horror media if you check how many hours she’s logged.

Homework

Does sex have a place in your tabletop roleplaying? Yes, no, maybe?

This episode, Keepers Bridgett and Evan discuss Scott Dorward and all the ways that he’s ruined us emotionally. Join us as we celebrate Scott’s writing, storytelling, and the many ways that he supports the gaming community! 

Patreon Plug & Update

We have a patreon!! If you would like to support the podcast and engage with other backers, please consider backing. If you’re already a backer, please take a look at the various tiers and consider moving to the next level up. 

Our new benefits include regular content exclusive to our backers. And if you don’t have money to contribute, please like and review us on Spotify or Apple podcasts. They really help. 

So yes – please back us on Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Thank you to everyone who has chosen to back us. We’re so thankful for all of you. Who we regularly see on…

The Discord Plug

Our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D 

And thank you to our editor Equinox for editing this episode. 

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Undead Domain’s cat, sitting in a custom-made box full of toys, very intentionally sleeping and not engaging at all with the toys. Very catlike!

Main Topic

Tonight we want to talk about Scott Dorward. The writer, the podcaster, the legend… and all the ways that he’s ruined us. 

Lamp Posts in Bloom on Ain’t Slayed Nobody

https://www.aintslayednobody.com/episodes/lamp-posts-in-bloom-unknown-armies-becca-scott

Cthulhu Dark Fairyland Part 1 — Ain’t Slayed Nobody – Call of Cthulhu Podcast 

https://share.google/Jdi30tTLk0r36wolH

Fairyland Scenario

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/426490/fairyland

Murder Shack Ain’t Slayed Nobody 

https://pca.st/episode/a4324459-6603-4291-aeef-c30c5c1bd4d2

Unland 

https://pca.st/episode/524d3f47-8254-48db-ba34-1bea7b9c539c

Sky Symphony Sonata

https://youtu.be/xnUlacQAMRM?si=AfBJk3MtUPR08meD

The Things We Leave Behind – An Anthology of Modern Day Call of Cthulhu Scenarios – Stygian Fox | Call of Cthulhu: Modern Era | DriveThruRPG https://share.google/LMZSGO74vJqWsqiIK

Homework

Tell us in the episode channel how Scott Dorward has ruined you emotionally. Tag him. Make it weird. 

This episode, Keepers Bridgett and Evan tackle gaming topics in our Miskatonic Debate Club (booth)! Part 2/2.

Patreon Plug & Update

Hey guys! Here is your friendly and loving reminder that MUP has a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup!

Thank you to everyone has chosen to back and support us! You guys keep the lights on around here and we’re so thankful for all of you. 

Backers helped cultivate this very episode.

The Discord Plug

That’s right! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D 

And thank you to our editor Nate for editing this episode. 

Main Topic

Welcome everyone to our reoccurring segment, the Miskatonic University Debate Club! During this segment, we’ve polled our patreon backers for topics that the hosts will argue to the best of our ability. The goal here is to demonstrate healthy argumentation, to have fun, to stretch our own debate skills, and most importantly to share valid perspectives to opposing topics in our industry! 

1. Classic versus Original Monsters
2. Roll mitigations
3. Dice verus gimmicks