Miskatonic University Campaign

In February - early March of '99 I ran a short Cthulhu campaign based around the adventures of four students at the Miskatonic University , Arkham, and their misadventures in the sinister township of Innsmouth. I prepared huge amounts of paperwork for the Miskatonic uni, based on Chaosium's excellent Arkham Unveiled and Miskatonic University supplements, both of which I highly recommend. On this page Keepers can find a small amount of material that may be of use to a keeper planning a Misky based campaign; or of interest to keeper's looking to introduce the University in some minor role. It is almost all player handouts.

Player Handout 1 below is a sample issue of the Miskatonic University student paper - I photocopied the adverts for Arkham Businesses from the Miskatonic uni supplement and pasted them into the text, to create a very attractive little paper, and encourage any keeper to do the same.

It also looks better in two colummns - I may get round to HTML'ing it into that format, but it's pretty easy to cut and paste the text into your wordprocessor if you really want a copy. It was designed to be given to new students; all the investigators were playing 18 year old first years arriving at Miskatonic. I ruled that they all had a starting EDU stat of 12 or 13, representing well educated kids of that age.

Editorial

Welcome to Miskatonic U! Fresher Students & Coeds alike are in for a great time; four years away from home, work and any responsibility but getting your term papers in! (oh, and attending lectures...) But before you get too excited remember; we have a nine o’ clock curfew, and unless you want to be sent down by the first train home you’d better remember that... 9 0’ clock!!! back in halls and safely tucked up like the poor helpless children we are. Oh yes; a few other sins against the forefathers to bear in mind. You an be expelled for failing to stand when a lecturer enters a room, chewing gum in class, swearing, drinking alcohol or otherwise breaking Federal, State or Arkham law, gambling, fighting, mopery, dopery or anything else that gets up the nose of the wonderful administration here. Now one lie they are keen to pin on you kids is that the staff are your first port of call if anything goes wrong. Don’t believe it; phone Arkham Samaritans on 441. I have for absolutely no reason been given 15 written warnings about conduct since I took over editorship of this paper, and had I not held this position of power I would doubtless have been expelled! But enough of my problems, before dear Dr. Swanson blue pencils me out of existence...

Student Food

A lot of students seem to believe the hype about the best food in any New England University... until their first meal! Hang on to your meal tickets though, they cost your folks $87.25 and their may be a time you are hungry enough to redeem them. Only ever buy the 2 course $87.25 option for lunch and dinner; you will never make it to breakfast and if you do you can pay a few cents and buy food over the counter anyway, or even better eat off campus! Foul indescribable muck. Ingestion may result in a need to call the hospital (Arkham 623) but then you are at the mercy of med. students! That’s right, Arkham’s only hospital is St Mary’s Teaching Hospital and part of the University. So if you wake up one morning after a night out with the med students or (heaven forbid!) the student nurses, and realise you have organs missing... you were warned! Dr. Swanson has asked me to point out that you will find your dining room in the basement of your dormitory block, and can also eat in the basement dining rooms at all of the Faculty Halls. If later accused of manslaughter, I’ll argue that I tried to warn you... Meals are served at 12 noon and 6.30pm in dorms and various times in Faculty Halls, but unless you are a medical student about the same.

The List of Staff

The eagle eyed amongst you have doubtless already noticed the Campus map and Staff list. Well the map is accurate, but the faculty list is only accurate to my arrival in 1924. Dr Shalad for example now heads the department of Orientalism, not existing then, and we have a new President, Dr. Harvey Wainscott. In fact it’s almost totally useless, but who expects our worthy lads at 333 to organise anything?
Incidently the crier offices are at 333 Hoyt in Administration - they like to keep an eye on us - and juicy gossip is always welcome. Phone 625 and ask for Editor, Crier. The student Societies is list has been updated however...

Courses

A complete list of all degrees offerred:- Ancient History (LLA;Antiquities) Archaeology (LLA;Antiquities)
Anthropology (LLA; Human Conduct) Astronomy (SCI; Natural Sciences)
Biology (SCI; Natural Sciences) Business & Economics (LAW)
Chemistry (SCI;Physical Sciences) Classical Languages (LLA;Rhetoric)
Engineering (SCI;Applied Sciences) Electrical Engineering (SCI; Applied Sciences)
English (LLA;Rhetoric) Fine Arts (LLA; Arts)
Geography (LLA; Human Conduct) Geology (SCI; Natural Sciences) Law (LAW) Medicine (MED)
Mathematics (SCI;Mathematics) Mettalurgy (SCI; Applied Sciences)
Modern History (LLA;Human Conduct) Modern Languages (LLA; Rhetoric)
Music (LLA; Arts) Nursing (MED)
Orientalism (LLA; Human Conduct) Philosophy (LLA; Natural & Revealed Religion)
Physical Education (MED) Physics (SCI; Physical Sciences)
Psychology & Sociometrics (LLA; Human Conduct)
Religion (LLA; Natural & Revealed Religion)
Basic Studies (LAW)
UProf course members may well pursue inter-disciplinary studies across two or more Faculties.

Required Courses

Students frequently fail to realise they must complete the following Core curriculum studies in year 1, hence preventing progress to year 2 while they try to catch up. They are
EN101 English Comprehension
MT101 Survey of Mathematics
MH101 American History
and either
AT101 History & Appreciation of Art or MU101 Introduction to Melody, Rythym, and Orchestration.
Different schools require different additional classes on top:-
LLA require
Any Foriegn Language at 100 and 200 level.

SCI require
German or French at 100 level, plus two 100 level classes from other SCI departments outside the major.

MED (except P.E.) require
One semester working night shifts at St. Mary’s after year 4 but before graduation, plus additional training there throughout course.

LAW require
One semester participating in a Club or Team sport, (Hockey preferred!).

Certain exemptions may be granted if a student can pass the required examination.

What’s on in Arkham?

* Well, you could enjoy High Tea at the Garden Cafe!
* Listen to the melodic strains of the Arkham Barbershop Quartet Competition!
* Visit the odd and unique displays from around the world at the University Exhibit Museum!
* Enjoy a blancmange at The Regatta on the riverbank!
* Go window shopping along Church Street, Arkham’s finest shopping district!
* Gaze upon the statue of dear Dean Halsey, and wonder if it stares back!
* Each Thursday night, attend the Moral Symposium and hear brilliant minds in edifying debate!
* Listen to Mozart at an outdoor performance of the Miskatonic Chamber Ensemble on Statue Lawn!
* Take an afternoon tour of the South End, the oldest section of Arkham, and enjoy a hearty lunch!
* Take the train to Boston for a weekend of big city life!
* Visit tourist haven Kingsport and see the spectacular views!
Last Updated 1^st September 1999; 18:48