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THE REANIMAT OR

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RETURNS
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A 1930s Pulp Call of Cthulhu scenario
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about Weird Science, Madness and
Horror
by
LEOPOLDO RUEDA
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You can listen to a play-through of this scenario, GMed by Braydon

Fiveash, freely available as part of the Stars Are Right actual-play
podcast.
Visit www.starsareright.com or search Stars Are Right

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 CREDITS
Devised and written by: Leopoldo Rueda

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Lead Editing: Braydon Fiveash

Assistant Editing: Phaedra

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Art: Mr Howl mrhowl.carrd.co

Layout and Page Design: Phaedra, Mr Howl

Keeper Playtesting: Braydon Fiveash, Phil “Dylath Leen”, Martin Greenhalgh, Jivko Jeliazkov

Playtesting: Mr Howl, Tiranamisu, Seb, Jayson, Luna Love, Andy Cairns, Martin Greenhalgh, Jivko
Jeliazkov, Brewtallyhonest, Rx Oliver

Useful Suggestions: Alex J

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Content Warnings:
Body horror, dismembered animals (cows), scientific experimentation on humans and animals (dogs),
ochlophobic triggers (angry mobs), zombie-like creatures, isolation, nazis
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Disclaimer: This scenario was written as a sequel to H.P. Lovecraft’s 1922 book, Herbert West Reanimator,
and draws inspiration from Lovecraft’s classic work. This scenario contains descriptions and portrayals of real
world events, places, and people. These portrayals are not presented accurately and instead have been reimagined
through the lens of the Cthulhu Mythos. No offence to persons living or dead is intended.

Images: Historical Images are public domain from Wikimedia Commons, and all other photos have been released
free of copyright under creative commons CC0 and do not require attribution.
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Reproduction of material from within this book for purposes of personal or commercial profit, by any
means, is prohibited. Any similarity between characters in this book and entities who are living is entirely
coincidental. Call of Cthulhu is the Registered Trademark of Chaosium Inc., and is used with permission under
licence.
www.chaosium.com

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.

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 RUNNING THE REANIMATOR RETURNS.. ........... 1
Keeper Information............................................................ 1
Creating heroes ................................................................. 3
Dramatis Personae ............................................................ 4

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Involving the heroes.......................................................... 8
Player Introduction........................................................... 9
Colter Fields...................................................................... 9

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Arriving at Colter Town.................................................... 14
The Colter Manor.............................................................18
Conclusion.. ..................................................................... 26
Rewards........................................................................... 26
Continuing the Horror..................................................... 26

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CHARACTERS AND MONSTERS. . ....................... 27
Allies................................................................................27
Adversaries.......................................................................27
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General Colter Fields Farmer Mook Statistics Block........ 33

APPENDIX A: BODY PARTS TABLE.. .................. 34

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APPENDIX B: TOMES........................................ 35

APPENDIX C: HERBERT WEST'S JOURNAL. . ..... 36

APPENDIX D: HANDOUT & MAPS. . .................... 46

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APPENDIX E: NPC PORTRAITS. . ........................ 50

APPENDIX F: PREGENS.. ................................... 52

ABOUT THE CREATOR......................................60

MORE FROM STARS ARE RIGHT!...................... 61

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 RUNNING THE REANIMAT OR RETURNS
The Reanimator Returns is a Pulp Cthulhu scenario Clapham-Lee shares this leadership capability over
set in June of 1933, twelve years after Herbert West’s the Reanimated and sees the new Reanimated West as
disappearance, and is most suited for a group of an equal ally. The pair have been using Colter Town as

3-5 players. This scenario sees the heroes trailing
through the Vermont backcountry to uncover strange
happenings in Colter Fields, only to uncover a horrific
plot to raise an army of undead weapons. Will the
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a safe-haven to continue West’s horrific experiments
and house their unholy creations. Major Clapham-Lee
seeks to establish an army of unrelenting soldiers and
to militarise West’s creations, fusing the Reanimated

heroes stop those responsible before the world is
changed forever?
The Pulp Cthulhu rulebook is available on Chaosium’s
website, or through their DriveThruRPG catalogue.
KEEPER INFORMATION
What is Happening
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with machinery and weapons to enhance their combat
effectiveness.
In order to achieve their ultimate goal, Clapham-
Lee and West have allied themselves with a Nazi
engineer by the name of Helmutt Müeller, who has
agreed to assist the duo with their experiments. Müller
is enthusiastically trying to secure his government’s
approval of the project, so that they can adopt it into
the German military. Unbeknownst to Müller, in order

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The Reanimator Returns is set in the fictional locale
of Colter Town and the farmlands surrounding it. The
isolated Colter Town was once a promising agro-town
at the centre of many miles of farmland, but since West
to control him, Clapham-Lee and West plan on killing
and reanimating the Nazi engineer, but only after the
German government green-light the adoption of West’s
creations in their military. Germany’s adoption of the
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and Clapham have taken over, they’ve slowly killed off Reanimated will give Clapham-Lee and West an army
and reanimated the town's inhabitants. Herbert West at their disposal, and could spell disaster for the world
and Clapham-Lee started their takeover by killing off if they’re not stopped.
and reanimating the outlying
farms, before reanimating key
figures in town: Colter Town’s
priest, sheriff, and general store
KEEPING PULP COMBAT DYNAMIC
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manager, and then reanimating

the rest of the town’s small Running Pulp Cthulhu for the first time can be a nerve wracking
population. task for a Keeper used to running standard Call of Cthulhu, or other
When Major Sir Eric TTRPGs that aren’t combat-focussed, but it doesn’t have to be. One
Moreland Clapham-Lee was tip to keep combat in Pulp Cthulhu from turning into a boring dice
alive, he shared West’s interest rolling contest is to utilise a dynamic environment. Make your players'
actions have an impact on the environment around them!
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in reanimation, and after taking

West’s head as a prize, he
reanimated him. When West
was reanimated, his creations
stopped seeking revenge against
him and acknowledged him as
their creator, now that he was
one of them.
For example: the players run into the street to fight the mob head
on. One of the heroes shoots their pistol, but the bullet flies stray
and strikes a weather vane of a nearby building. At the start of the
next round of combat, the heroes notice the weather vane tumble off
the roof and hit an oncoming vehicle. The vehicle loses control and
crashes into a nearby building, exploding and sending a blast of fire
out into the street.
Each new round of combat can feel fresh by adjusting the
environment and adding obstacles, pitfalls, and boons depending on
their actions. This is Pulp Cthulhu after all, so go wild and have fun!

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 READING RECOMMENDATIONS
A Keeper looking to run the Reanimator Returns can gain a better understanding of the character of Herbert West
and Major Clapham-Lee, as well as a better understanding of the Reanimated by reading the original tale from
H. P. Lovecraft: Herbert West—Reanimator. It is from the ending of this short story that this scenario picks up.

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 CREATING HEROES Pre-generated Hero List
Character sheets for the pre-generated heroes
All heroes are required to be new members of
below are provided at the end of the scenario, and
Department 29. This is their first assignment as a team.
include backstory information about their life before
While most of the heroes have their fields of expertise,
Department 29.
they should have never experienced the horrors of the
Cthulhu Mythos. They may have heard rumours and

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Doctor Christine Wilkes, 32, Engineer
stories from within the department, but all files are
• A scientist being brought along on this mission as a
classified and are on a “need to know basis”.
consultant. Doctor Christine Wilkes is an engineering,
Useful Skills biology, and chemistry triple threat, with a knack for

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invention!
A Keeper who is looking to run The Reanimator
Returns may want to give their players an idea of what Jack Stone, 36, Former Soldier
skills may prove useful during the playthrough. Here
• A former soldier and auto mechanic who joined
are some recommended skills for this scenario:
the NYPD post-WW1, and was soon drafted into
Disguise, Drive Auto, Electrical Repair, Fast Talk,
Department 29 for this mission. Jack is the strong
Fighting (all varieties), Firearms (all varieties), First
silent type, and is dedicated to the fight for good.
Aid, Listen, Locksmith, Mechanical Repair, Medicine,
Navigate, Psychology, Spot Hidden, Stealth. Jane Castle, 28, Federal Agent
• An accomplished FBI agent who specialises in
Useful Pulp Talents
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Tough Guy, Hardened, Alert, Lucky, Weird Science,
Shadow, Master of Disguise, Resourceful.
undercover work. She was personally selected
by Director Hoover to join this mission. She
weaponizes her intelligence and charm!

Buck Jones, 35, Federal Agent

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Keeper Note: It is recommended that Keepers allow
• A ruthless veteran of the FBI, who was recently
heroes who are utilising the Weird Science Pulp Talent
suspended after some brutal tactics in a sting
to have access to a relatively low impact Weird Science
operation. His brand of justice might not be right
gadget at the start of the scenario. A list of sample
for the streets of New York, but made him a perfect
gadgets are available on page 87 and 88 of the Pulp
fit for the odd cases investigated by Department
Cthulhu rules supplement book. Examples of “low
29. He's here to make the hard decisions and dish
impact” gadgets are the Auto-Lock Pick, the Voice
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out sweet, sweet justice.

Mimicking Box, the Linguistaphone, the Portable
Telephony Device, and the Brain Enhancer

Jane Castle
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Dr Christine Wilkes

Buck Jones

Jack Stone