Harlem Unbound
Details
1st Edition
Publisher: Darker Hue Studios
Product Code: 1
Publishing Year: 2017
Pages: 274
Cover Price: $? (Hardcover), $25.00 (PDF)
Author(s): Chris Spivey, Bob Geis, Ruth Tillman, Alex Mayo, Sarah Hood, Neall Raemonn Price
Artist(s): Brennen Reece (cover), Nino Malong, Philip Jean Pierre
Format(s): Hardcover, PDF
ISBN: ?
2nd Edition
Publisher: Chaosium
Product Code: 23166
Publishing Year: 2020
Pages: 356
Cover Price: $49.99 (Hardcover), $21.95 (PDF)
Author(s): Chris Spivey, Bob Geis, Alex Mayo, Sarah Hood, Neall Raemonn Price, Steffie de Vaan, Cameron Hays, Noah Lloyd, Ariel Celeste
Artist(s): Brennen Reece (cover), Alex Mayo (art and maps), Jabari Weathers
Setting(s): 1920s
Format(s): Hardcover, PDF
ISBN: 978-1-56882-422-2
Setting(s): 1920s
Contents
1st Edition
Introduction: A brief welcome to both the Harlem Renaissance and H.P. Lovecraft, and the first glimpse of how we're going to put them together.
History: The history of Harlem is long, and the Mythos runs through her.
Locations: Harlem is small but has a global impact, and you’ve got to know the lay of the land. The section is also sprinkled with plot hooks to jump start sessions.
People: Harlem is jam-packed with people, and it's time to meet some of them. This is another section sprinkled with plot hooks to jump start sessions.
Character Creation: Six distinctive Harlem character classes are presented for both Call of Cthulhu and GUMSHOE. The Conjure Man has awakened!
System Mechanics: Rules, tweaks and new mechanics for GUMSHOE and 7th Edition Call of Cthulhu.
Storytelling: Helping new and experienced Keepers run a game steeped in the history of racism, horror, and the celebration of life.
2nd Edition
- Introduction: In Their Footsteps
- Chapter 1: Song of Harlem (history of Harlem)
- Chapter 2: Harlem Stride (history and highlights of the Harlem Renaissance)
- Chapter 3: Harlemites (character creation options)
- Chapter 4: Souls of Harlem (notable Harlemites and Harlem-based organizations)
- Chapter 5: Harlem Herself (geography of Harlem)
- Chapter 6: Storytelling (Keeper and player advice for race-conscious roleplaying in an era of acute inequality)
- Chapter 7: Scenarios (see below)
- Appendices
- Supporting Cast
- Glossary of Harlemese
- Timeline
- Recommended Media
- Bibliography
- Index
Scenarios:
- Harlem Hellfighters Never Die
- Harlem (K)nights (First edition only)
- The Contender: A Love Story
- Dreams and Broken Wings
- That Jazz Craze (Second edition only)
- An Ode for the Lost (Second edition only)
- Whispers of Harlem (Kickstarter exclusive PDF for first edition; included in second edition)
- Your Name in the Book (Second edition only)
1st Edition Front Cover Text
A Sourcebook for the Call of Cthulhu and GUMSHOE Roleplaying Games
1st Edition Back Cover Text
I was leaving the South to fling myself into the unknown... I was taking a part of the South to transplant in alien soil, to see if it could grow differently, if it could drink of new and cool rains, bend in strange winds, respond to the warmth of other suns and, perhaps, to bloom. RICHARD WRIGHT
HARLEM UNBOUND
Investigate Mythos mysteries in 1920s NYC’s Harlem Renaissance! An RPG sourcebook for Call of Cthulhu and GUMSHOE.
PICTURE THIS...
New York City in the 1920s: Prohibition is in full swing, and bootleggers are living high. African Americans flee the oppressive South for greener pastures, creating a new culture in Harlem. The music of Fats Waller and Duke Ellington pours out of the city’s windows and doorways, and the sidewalks are crowded with women in stylish skirts with silk stockings, and men in white gloves and Chesterfield coats. There’s a feeling of possibility in the air, like never before. But even in this land of promise, Harlem is a powder keg. While classes and cultures collide, Lovecraftian horrors lurk beneath the streets, creeping through dark alleys and hidden doorways into the Dreamlands. What Great Old One shattered our reality? Can you hold it together and keep the Mythos at bay for one more song?
This sourcebook flips the standard Lovecraftian view of minorities on its head, putting them in the role of heroes who must struggle against cosmic horrors while also fighting for a chance at equality. By default, the protagonists of Harlem Unbound are African American, not white (which is the standard assumption found in Lovecraftian fiction). Our heroes and heroines come from all walks of life with regard to class, ethnicity, race, religion, gender and sexual orientation.
The heart of the Renaissance was a revolution aimed at changing the world through art, ideas, and the written word. It was a uniquely powerful movement against the unjust status quo, a time in history that still inspires today. The history, people and stories in this book shine the spotlight on the people of Harlem, their successes and their struggles.
The Skinny on the Goods
- Seven unique Occupations
- Five new Mythos creatures to terrify your investigators
- A bunch of ready-to-play PCs/NPCs
- A random scenario generator
- A crash course on addressing race in gaming
Beautifully designed in the Art Deco style, Harlem Unbound contains everything the Keeper needs to run adventures in the Harlem Renaissance for either Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition or GUMSHOE.
2nd Edition Front Cover Text
Harlem Unbound 2nd Edition
A Sourcebook for Call of Cthulhu
2nd Edition Back Cover Text
Investigate the Cthulhu Mythos during the Harlem Renaissance!
Picture This:
New York City. Prohibition is in full swing and bootleggers are living high. African-Americans flee the oppressive South for greener pastures, creating a new culture in Harlem. The music of Fats Waller and Duke Ellington pours out of the city’s windows, while women in stylish skirts and silk stockings, and men in white gloves and Chesterfield coats crowd the sidewalks. There’s a feeling of possibility in the air, like never before.
But, even in this land of promise, Harlem is a powder keg, ready to explode. While classes and cultures collide, the horrors of the Cthulhu Mythos lurk beneath the streets, creeping through dark alleys and hidden doorways to infect the hopes and aspirations of the unwary. Can you hold it together and keep the terrors at bay for one more song?
The Skinny on the Goods…
- Seven scenarios (four new to 2nd Edition).
- Unique occupations tailored to Harlem.
- New Mythos monsters to terrify your players.
- Ready-to-play investigators.
- Random plot generator.
- Crash course on addressing race in gaming.
Comments / Trivia
- 2018 Diana Jones Award for Excellence in Gaming Nominee
- 2018 Gold ENnie for Best Cover Art, Best Setting, Best Writing
- 2018 ENnie Nominee for Best Rules, Product of the Year
- 2018 Indie Groundbreaker Award for Groundbreaking Supplement
- 2018 Indie Groundbreaker Nominee for Best Setting
Links
Link to outside reviews
- [Link 1]
- [Link 2]
Spoilers - Keepers Eyes Only
Players should not read any further.
Comment here to Keepers about this book. Comments on specific Scenarios and Campaigns go on their respective pages. Keep DISCUSSION on the talk page.
