Petersens Abominations is a collection of five modern horror scenarios for the tabletop RPG Call of Cthulhu, created by Sandy Petersen, the original creator of the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game.
Unlike many classic Call of Cthulhu campaigns set in the 1920s, most of the scenarios in this collection take place in the modern day. Players are confronted with horrors lurking beneath the surface of modern society, scientific research, corporations, new technologies, and remote locations.
Each story explores a different aspect of the Cthulhu Mythos and gradually reveals how human curiosity, greed, or reckless experimentation can lead to catastrophic consequences.
The book contains five standalone scenarios:
- Panacea investigates the pharmaceutical company ZyMedBio Corp, which is testing a new drug with seemingly miraculous effects. Behind the promise of healing lies something far more terrifying.
- Hotel Hell takes players into the remote wilderness of British Columbia, where an inheritance and the secrets of an old hotel conceal a threat of global proportions.
- Mohole is set on a repurposed oil platform in the North Sea, where a secret project to drill through the Earth's crust awakens an ancient horror.
- The Derelict centers on the recovery of the lost ship Groenland Tropisch, trapped on an iceberg in the North Atlantic, where investigators uncover a deadly secret.
- Voice on the Phone follows the story of brothers Diego Lopez and Juan Lopez, whose family history and mysterious events lead to a horrifying conclusion.
Because the collection was designed by Sandy Petersen himself, many fans view it as a direct insight into the storytelling style of one of the most influential authors in the history of Call of Cthulhu. The scenarios showcase his signature blend of investigation, cosmic horror, and shocking revelations that gradually uncover the true nature of the threat.
