Shadows over Stillwater is a campaign supplement for the tabletop RPG Call of Cthulhu, published by Chaosium, and set in the Wild West setting of Down Darker Trails.
The story blends classic Lovecraftian horror with the American frontier. Players take on the roles of investigators, bounty hunters, lawmen, or other adventurers who find themselves in the small town of Stillwater, located in the New Mexico Territory. What initially appears to be a routine hunt for a wanted criminal quickly turns into a mystery filled with strange townsfolk, mysterious lights in the sky, walking dead, and an ancient extraterrestrial threat.
The core of the book is the three-part campaign The Shadow Over Stillwater:
- Lazarus, in Spades brings the players to Stillwater in search of the fugitive Hank Hanratty, but they soon discover that very unusual events are unfolding in the town.
- Trouble on Knife Cut Mesa moves the investigation to the surrounding mesas and mountains, where the players encounter the Mescalero Apache and a threat that originates from the distant past.
- Shattered Earth, Poisoned Sky serves as the dramatic conclusion of the campaign, in which earthquakes, paranoia, and ancient plans threaten the entire region.
The supplement also includes the standalone adventure Beneath the Burning Sun, which can be played independently or as a continuation of the main campaign. In it, the players become involved in a bank robbery, a manhunt for outlaws, and the exploration of an abandoned Spanish fort.
In addition to the adventures, the book contains a detailed description of the mining town of Stonegarden, which can serve as a new setting for numerous additional adventures in the world of Down Darker Trails.
RPG enthusiasts are likely to enjoy this supplement because of its excellent combination of Western adventure and Lovecraftian horror. The campaign offers plenty of investigation, mystery, suspense, and the constant feeling that something unexplained lurks around every corner. It is also designed so that the Game Master can easily adapt it to groups of different sizes.
