Among Masks of Nyarlathotep’s lists of bests is Best Use of Player Handouts. There’s just so many and of such variety (newspaper clippings, business cards, letters, notes, photos, a matchbook, and on) that player’s are awash in tactile clues. And that’s without no-brainer editions like maps and NPC portraits. This, more than any other RPG campaign, demands the use of a cork board and red string.

To that end, the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society did their thing and produced a lovely prop box for Masks. I hate the fact that this came out after we finished our run of the campaign. I bought it anyway. It is fricking amazing.

The newspaper clippings are on newsprint! With other stories and ads on the back! There are maps galore, a reproduction Chinese scroll, file folders, passports…oh man, the passports. They come with accompanying sticker sheets to use as passport stamps! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? My kid can’t turn 13 fast enough.

There’s also a reproduction Edison wax cylinder box. Inside, not a wax cylinder, but a thumb drive containing mp3s of actors delivering key monologues from the game. There are little cartoon hearts swirling around my head as I type this.

If you are going to run Masks, treat yourself and get this (or make your players chip in – it ain’t cheap). It will amp up the experience.

The HPL Historical Society does fantastic work. If Lovecraft is your bag, they’ve got tons of other stuff you’ll be into, including the silent movie adaptation of “The Call of Cthulhu” and a bunch of radio show versions of his stories.