When I bought my first Call of Cthulhu core book in high school, it contained three eras to set mysteries. The 5th edition had information on the modern day, the classic era of the 1920s and what it called the “Gaslight era” of the 1890s. Each of these time periods made sense in their own way. The modern era was the most relatable. The 1920s was contemporary to Lovecraft. The 1890s spoke to his inspiration with the origins of pulp fiction in the stories of Holmes. Thi era always seemed to get the short end of the stick compared to the other two even as the idea of stalking cultists through the fog shrouded streets of London had a unique charm. The 7th Edition of the game focused on the modern and classic eras of the game, but recently released a pair of books to give Victorian investigators their due. Chaosium kindly supplied both books for this article, though the Keeper's Guide will be a seperate review. Do they hold a candle to the other official eras of the game? Let’s play to find out.
Cthulhu By Gaslight: Investigator's Guide is credited to several authors: Keris McDonald, Mike Mason, William A. Barton, Kevin Ross, David Wade, Lynne Hardy, Russell A. Smith, Violet Fenn, Rodney Basler, VJ Kopacki, Garrie Hall, and Jason Bell. Clear credit is given to creators from earlier editions as well. The books are set up in a manner that reminds me of the historical lines of World of Darkness. They exist as their own thing but also as a spin-off line of the main game. They offer an expanded look into the era with this book focusing on the mundane aspects of late Victorian life with the Keeper’s book focused on the more shadowy and supernatural elements.
To kick things off the book dives into the different classes in the timeline. They split between upper, middle and low class with criminals generally called out as a subset of the working class. Each class gets a section talking about what life is like for them, where they live and how one might get invited into those homes. The rest of the chapter offers discussions about different topics ranging from religion to sexuality and how it differs not just from the modern day but also what people might think is ‘common knowledge’ about the era.
The book spends time setting up the social rules of the era but it also makes sure to call out ways in which the players can break them. There’s a section that suggests campaign setups for why characters of mixed social classes might congregate before being trauma bonded by their investigations. These selections include everything from being part of the same household to church groups and mutual aid societies. The book highlights historical figures that everyone in the era should know as well as examples of real people who bucked the system. It remains refreshing to see games set in historical periods giving participants the tools to shut down folks at the table who want to bog down games with erroneous historical accuracy arguments.
Though this book is built as a player’s guide, it reminds me of the Investigator’s Companions from earlier editions that were jam packed with trivia, facts and interesting stories from history. It’s easier than ever for everyone to do their own research online but there’s something to be said for a book written by talented writers who know the sorts of information a game needs. Wikis can be useful but they can also be lacking in important context and sources. This book is full of interesting information for any campaign in the era. It’s the best Victorian sourcebook I’ve read since Comme Il Faute.
Bottom line: by splitting Cthulhu By Gaslight into two books, Cthulhu By Gaslight Investigator’s Guide has plenty of room for interesting detail to use in Victorian era games.
