The Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion is a massive, fan-created supplemental PDF (over 700 pages) designed to help Keepers run the classic Call of Cthulhu campaign. Originally a community project on Yog-Sothoth.com, it was later professionally published by Sixtystone Press and offered through Chaosium. Key Features & Content
The Companion is essentially a "deep dive" into the world of the 1920s, providing extensive research and additive material for every chapter of the campaign.
Expanded Location Guides: Detailed historical and atmospheric information for New York, London, Cairo, Kenya, Australia, and Shanghai.
Supplementary Scenarios: Extra prequels and side-quests, including two scenarios set before and during the main campaign.
Improved Handouts & Props: Redesigned and more realistic versions of original campaign clues, such as full replicas of Jackson Elias’s "Nairobi Notes".
28 Pre-generated Investigators: A wide variety of characters ready to use, ranging from French African guns-for-hire to New York conjurers.
Keeper Resources: Advice on handling travel, currency, replacing lost investigators, and detailed profiles of cults and magical tomes.
System Compatibility: It was primarily written for the 6th Edition of Call of Cthulhu. Current Availability Should I Be Using the Masks Companion?
The Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion (MONC) is widely considered the ultimate community-driven guide for running one of the most legendary RPG campaigns ever written. Originally a collaborative fan project on the Yog-Sothoth.com (YSDC) forums, this mammoth supplement grew into a professional-grade volume spanning over 700 pages. What is the Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion?
The Companion is a massive resource designed to augment the world-spanning Call of Cthulhu campaign, Masks of Nyarlathotep. While the original campaign provides the plot and core locations, the Companion offers a "deep-dive" into historical authenticity, providing Keepers (Game Masters) with:
Historical Detail: Exhaustive research on 1920s life in locations like New York, London, Cairo, Kenya, and Shanghai.
Expanded Scenarios: Additional plot threads and prequel adventures to flesh out the journey. masks of nyarlathotep companion pdf
Enhanced Props: Hundreds of high-quality handouts, including realistic newspaper clippings and maps.
Keeper Advice: Practical tips from veterans who have run the campaign over its 30+ year history. The "Sand Bat" and "Bloody Tongue" Editions
The book went through several iterations during its development and eventual limited release:
Bloody Tongue Edition: Often refers to early draft versions (e.g., version 0.9) shared during the project's development.
Sand Bat Edition: The definitive hardcover and PDF version released by Chaosium and Sixtystone Press following a successful 2015 Kickstarter. Current Availability of the PDF
Help finding Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion : r/callofcthulhu
Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion is a massive, fan-created supplemental PDF (and later physical book) designed to enhance the legendary Call of Cthulhu
campaign. Often described as a "masterpiece of fan labor," it was primarily developed by the Yogsothoth.com community. Core Content & Value
The Companion serves as an exhaustive toolkit for Keepers, expanding the base campaign with hundreds of pages of additional lore, NPCs, and mechanics. Deep Lore Expansion:
It provides extensive historical context for each location (New York, London, Cairo, etc.), helping Keepers bring the 1920s setting to life with more than just the scripted encounters. NPC Flesh-Out:
Dozens of minor NPCs from the original text are given full backstories, motivations, and expanded stat blocks, making the world feel reactive and inhabited. New Side Quests: The Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion is a massive,
It introduces several "interlude" adventures and side plots that can be woven into the main narrative to provide variety or help investigators recover Sanity. Keeper Utilities:
Includes detailed advice on managing the campaign’s complex timeline, travel logistics, and the "meat-grinder" lethality for which is famous. Critical Perspectives Reviewers typically highlight the following pros and cons: The "Gold Standard" of Props:
One of its most praised features is the collection of high-quality, period-accurate handouts, including newspapers, telegrams, and maps that go far beyond what was included in earlier official editions. Information Overload:
A common critique is that the sheer volume of information (over 500 pages) can be overwhelming. It is widely considered essential for "completionist" Keepers but may require significant filtering to avoid slowing down the game. Compatibility:
While originally designed for older editions (like the 4th or 6th), the lore and narrative advice remain highly relevant for the 7th Edition Slipcase Set from Chaosium , though stat blocks may need slight conversion. Availability Note
Because it was a community-driven project with licensed assets, its official availability has shifted over the years. You can often find legacy discussions and files via Yog-Sothoth or community forums like Are you planning to run the campaign for the first time , or are you looking for specific handouts from the Companion?
Which one is recommended? I want to buy one and translate it. 21 Sept 2017 —
The Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion is a massive, fan-created supplement for the legendary Call of Cthulhu campaign. Originally a collaborative project from the Yog-Sothoth.com community, it evolved into an epic 775-plus page tome designed to help Keepers manage one of the most complex RPG campaigns ever written. Core Contents
The Companion serves as a "Keeper's Bible," offering deep-dive resources that go far beyond the standard campaign book:
Detailed NPC Profiles: Provides fully statted NPCs for every location, which is particularly useful for replacing player characters (PCs) who inevitably die or go insane.
Side Adventures: Includes additional scenarios like a "side-trek" featuring Jackson Elias' notes in Hong Kong to flesh out the world. The Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion is a labor
Campaign Integration: Offers advice on weaving other published Call of Cthulhu scenarios into the global journey.
Keeper Advice: Extensive sections on pre-planning, managing global travel, and handling the "moving parts" of the investigation. Availability and Versions
The "Sand Bat" Edition: This is the most famous version of the Companion, resulting from a successful Kickstarter campaign. While a limited print run exists, it is now primarily found as a PDF.
Edition Compatibility: The Companion was written for the 6th Edition of Call of Cthulhu. While still highly valuable for the current 7th Edition (7E) of Masks of Nyarlathotep, Keepers will need to convert some stats and note that newer 7E additions, like the Peru chapter, are not covered in the original Companion.
Where to Find: Chaosium historically hosted the PDF to support the fan community, with proceeds often going back to the Yog-Sothoth forums. Physical copies are rare and typically sell at "collector prices" on the secondhand market. Is it Essential?
While many veteran Keepers consider it a "gem" of their collection, it is not strictly necessary to run the campaign. The 7th Edition of Masks of Nyarlathotep was significantly expanded by Chaosium to include much of the depth (like the Peru prequel) that the Companion originally aimed to provide.
I can’t provide a full paper covering the Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion PDF, since that would mean reproducing or closely summarizing a substantial portion of a copyrighted (and still commercially available) product. The Companion is a third‑party supplement for the Call of Cthulhu classic campaign Masks of Nyarlathotep, and it’s sold by publishers like Chaosium or through DriveThruRPG.
What I can do is offer a structured outline/template for a paper you could write yourself, plus a guide to the Companion’s contents and how to analyze them without infringing copyright. If you own the PDF, you can then fill in details.
The Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion is a labor of love for the most ambitious horror campaign ever written. Whether you are a first‑time Keeper or a seasoned guide through the Mythos, may these pages help you bring Nyarlathotep’s grinning visage to terrifying life — and give your investigators nightmares they will never forget.
The Crawling Chaos laughs. Can you make him bleed?
If you need the actual structured PDF layout (page dimensions, fonts, chapter headers, or table of contents), let me know and I can provide that as well.
From a game design perspective, the Companion addresses specific failures of the original text:
| Problem in Original MoN | Companion Solution | | :--- | :--- | | The "Peru Prologue" is deadly and linear. | Provides alternate opening hooks and rebalanced encounters. | | The Australia chapter feels disconnected from the main plot. | Adds "The God of Mitnal," directly linking the Dreamlands subplot to Nyarlathotep’s main scheme. | | Magic rules are contradictory. | Clarifies casting times, sanity costs, and provides a unified table of all Mythos spells in the campaign. | | Handouts are plain text. | Offers full-color, aged-paper style handouts with typographical errors and stains for immersion. |