Paper Chase (Starter Set) - Module Review for Call of Cthulhu (2025)

TL; DR: Paper Chase is a short, investigation focused adventure that eschews combat. Which makes it great for those getting into TTRPGs, especially novice Keepers, and/or a duet one-shot. However, experienced players and those looking for a more standard Call of Cthulhu experience (i.e. nearly getting killed) will find it lacking as is.

Full Review

Paper Chase, written by John Sullivan and revised by Mike Mason, is the first of three Keeper led modules in the Call of Cthulhu 7e Starter Set. As such, its goal is to guide new Keepers through their first forays behind the screen. Which it does with aplomb by emphasizing investigation and a short run time. (One run takes me an hour to an hour and a half. However, two to three hours seems a more reasonable run time frame.)

From here on out, there will be spoilers. Especially as I share my suggestions, having run Paper Chase multiple times.

The Hook

Paper Chase opens as Thomas Kimball calls the Investigators. Over the past week, someone has stolen books bequeathed to Thomas when his uncle disappeared, along with the house, an armful at a time. Despite the locked door.

Many other reviewers, like Seth Skorkowsky and MJR RPG, suggest giving the Investigators a personal connection to Thomas or Uncle Douglas. More so if you’re running Paper Chase as duet, as it gives you more time to dig into role play and the relationship. (My favorite one, as suggested by MJR RPG, is turning Thomas into the Investigator’s brother and Uncle Douglas into their father.)

The set up is also going to tip off a fair few players that Uncle Douglas is the book thief. Which is fine, humans like calling things early. Paper Chase is also a beginner adventure. But, as written, Investigators hunker down in the study and fast forward to the part where Uncle Douglas shows up again. Which is too easy to be satisfying.

A better solution is to make the theft a few days old and a one-time event. That way, if the players get stumped, a second theft can occur while the Investigators are sleeping. You just need to point out that it’s getting late in the story. Then, like Christmas, a “new” set of clues appears in the morning.

How helpful Thomas is also adjusts difficulty. On one end he suspects little and can only answer questions about locals. On the other, Thomas can tag along or “checkup” on the Investigators, providing timely clues, thought provoking questions, or acting as a sounding board for ideas. (Just be careful you’re not taking too much agency away from the players.)

Introducing the Initial Clues

As written, Paper Chase hands the players a list of locations and lets them run free. Which isn’t a bad idea per se. It prevents players from stonewalling themselves. But I have three problems with the execution:

1. It gets uncomfortably close to analysis paralysis. A rule of advertising is to give two to five options, or split it by filters. Beyond that, people get overwhelmed.

2. Being handed a list isn’t immersive.

3. Some of the options don’t match what the Investigators would have on their radar. For example, going from book theft to graveyard is a non sequitur.

There’s also an easy fix: start with the players arriving at Thomas’s house. From there, he can give the Investigators a truncated location list while walking them to Uncle Douglas’s Study, the crime scene. (Players won’t notice the rail roading. They’ll just think “oh, we start here.”)

The truncated list should be limited to Thomas’s knowledge and previous attempts. So, the neighbor Mrs. O’dell, the police, and, through the study’s window, the graveyard. Which, if you’re comfortable with role playing, gives added opportunities for characterization. For example, Thomas’s previous attempt to talk to Mrs. O’dell failed because she was more insistent on having him meet her “lovely niece.” (Yes, that’s a spiderman reference. Run with it as you will.)

As for the two remaining locations, the library and newspaper, I suggest allowing the NPCs to distribute the information. Preferably slipped in with other things a la Sly Flourish’s Secrets and Clues. (Something Paper Chase largely already does.) Worst case scenario, you just reinforce the clues given.

Now, I should mention, there is utility in giving the players a place of common locations to look for information, like libraries. As it will prevent players from getting stuck during Paper Chase and future adventures.

Investigating the Locked Room Crime and Beyond

Overall, I consider the investigation and locations in Paper Chase solid. They’re well-written for new Keepers, as they remain short, easily parsed, and lean into failing forward. (If you’re not familiar with “failing forward,” it’s the concept that a failed check should cause additional problems for player, not stone wall them. A classic problem with checks to find clues.)

That all said, the study needs extra clues, especially if you’re using it as the first location. By default, you want the players to notice Douglas’s Diary (which tells why he went missing) and a cloven hoof print in the dust. If an Investigator’s Spot Hidden roll succeeds, they’ll find another hoof print on the desk under the window. (No check if a player deliberately asks to look in the correct spot.)

The hoof prints make it clear something unnatural is a foot. While the second one on the desk encourages players to check the window, how Douglas is sneaking in, and to check outside for more. Both of which make the adventure run smoother, even if it risks skipping over other locations.

The Climax: Finding Uncle Douglas

Once the players have discovered there’s something in the graveyard, the Paper Chase begins pushing toward the climax. This is when the Investigators encounter Uncle Douglas. Which, in a fun twist, likely won’t lead to combat. Depending on the set up, it may even turn into quite an emotional event if the Investigators have ties to Douglas or bring Thomas along.

If you’ve taken my suggestion earlier to disallow players from just camping in Douglas’s study, then climax will happen in the graveyard at night or in the tunnels. And you’ll want to make the signs of Uncle Douglas around that area more pronounced.

If you’re trying to launch a larger campaign, changing the reason the ghouls are filling their tunnels and retreating from the surface world. Instead of fearing human intrusion, they sense the awakening of an eldritch god and give a warning to that extent. For example, Douglas might send the Investigators toward Ruppert Merriweather, the quest giver for Edge of Darkness (second starter set adventure).

There is one potential problem with Paper Chase most relevant to the end. It doesn’t lean into horror, and that’s what some players came for. So, if you’re running for strangers or one those players, add a ghoul who vocally wants to taste an Investigator or two. It’ll create the feeling of danger the player is looking for while Uncle Douglas helps the Investigators get away.

Closing Thoughts:

Paper Chase is an excellent starting adventure for those learning Call of Cthulhu on both sides of the screen. In particular, its willingness to eschew combat makes it better at teaching the fundamentals of investigative game play. However, some players may want more horror and less emotional catharsis, making The Haunting, which I reviewed last week, or The Necropolis (Gateways to Terror) a better choice.

Thank you for reading. If you’d like more reviews, please subscribe to Reviews from the Far Realms below. Next week is Edge of Darkness.