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The Pipeline: A Call of Cthulhu Scenario for the 1980s

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In the Fall of 1986, contact was lost with Exxon Pumping Station #31 near Telegraph Creek, BC Canada. The media reported that a radical environmental group called the North Wind sabotaged the facility, leading to the deaths of several Exxon employees and a number of civilian contractors. The official statement made it clear that all members of the North Wind were killed during the incident by a group of private security personnel hired by Exxon.

Following the incident, the pipeline was shut down pending further investigation by the Canadian government and unnamed US agencies. The matter was soon forgotten by the public and no more was heard about The Pipeline Incident.

Until now.

The material in this book is designed for 7th edition Call of Cthulhu, but is backwards compatible with other editions. Besides providing a great deal of classic 80s horror action, this scenario is intended to explore and expand the concept of survival in Call of Cthulhu by providing additional challenges and pressures for the investigators to face. This makes the scenario particularly deadly, and so Keepers may wish to consider using the Pulp Cthulhu rules if they want to give their intestigators a better chance of making it out alive.

In addition to the scenario, this book includes some additional definitions, rules, and arctic hazards that the Keeper can use at their discretion throughout the scenario to enhance the cinematic feel of the story. These environmental rules can also be used in other arctic settings if the Keeper wants to make things more cinematic and dangerous.

This book contains 78 pages of content (82 pages total) including: 7 arctic hazards, a 45 page scenario (with 18 pages of handouts), 8 pages of NPCs (with 8 playable investigators), a new monster, a new occupation (Arctic Guide), new equipment, and new archaic weapons.

NOTE:
This is The Pipeline 2.0 with new and improved content.

Print-On-Demand copies of the handouts only can be purchase HERE.


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Reviews (5)
Discussions (13)
Customer avatar
Ed S March 08, 2023 10:55 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Which file is the most current?
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Customer avatar
Alex G March 08, 2023 11:49 pm UTC
CREATOR
The 2.0 version.
Customer avatar
Steven W January 21, 2023 11:41 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Would it be possible to have the pumping station map available as a VTT map?
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Customer avatar
Alex G January 21, 2023 11:45 pm UTC
CREATOR
I don't really use VTTs, what format do you need for it?
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Customer avatar
Steven W January 22, 2023 11:13 am UTC
PURCHASER
A common or garden jpeg would be excellent.
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Alex G January 22, 2023 3:49 pm UTC
CREATOR
Do you know a minimum size?
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Customer avatar
Steven W January 23, 2023 7:35 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I'm sorry to say that I don't know what the minimum size is. I would like to use it with Roll 20 if that is any help.
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Alex G January 24, 2023 1:09 am UTC
CREATOR
Email me at: Alex@CriticalHitPublishing.com and I'll get you a link to the files.
Customer avatar
Lex H November 28, 2022 10:02 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I've had this idea to adapt this scenario to Delta Green and have some of the players be part of M-EPIC (the Canadian DG equivalent) and others be part of DG's Cowboys (some with fake credentials) for some time now, but haven't had the time to sit down & plot everything out. Do you think this would work & add some additional mistrust and player tensions?
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Customer avatar
Alex G November 28, 2022 11:09 pm UTC
CREATOR
That could actually be pretty cool. Over on the ZeroDead Podcast they're currently running their own DG version of The Pipeline if you're interested. So are the DG Cowboys infiltrating M-EPIC?
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Customer avatar
Lex H December 05, 2022 3:43 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Yes I recently found out about that! Haven't got around to listening to them yet though. Right now I'm thinking of using it to sow more mistrust between PCs.

Start the game off in closed sessions with some players as part of M-EPIC, some part of DG, and possibly some civilians (but that may be getting too much) -- each with a different briefing:

M-EPIC is informed about a recent theft of a known mythos tome to Shub Nigurrath and has reason to believe the suspect may have infiltrated protest groups around the station; mission is to retrieve, contain, and cover up.

DG Cowboys are informed that there is a Green Box with sensitive items stored a little too close for comfort near these protests. There is already a US resopnse being mobilized to address the protests & shutdown, so a few fake credentials make as good a reason as any. This should be a quick, quiet retrieval, then address the protest and get back across the border with the goods in tow to get around customs...See more
Customer avatar
Rheannon M July 03, 2022 4:08 am UTC
I know every table is different, but does anyone have a range of time needed to run/play this one? I'm looking for something with more meat than a one-shot and this seems rad. Thanks!
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Customer avatar
Alex G July 03, 2022 1:34 pm UTC
CREATOR
The average has been 3-4 four hour sessions. And thank you! I think it's rad too, especially if you're a fan of John Carpenter. :)
Customer avatar
omar B April 30, 2022 1:01 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I ran this module years ago with some friends and used the “dread” mechanic for the first session, with players drawing cubes out of a jenga tower to navigate the environmental hazards while the soundtrack from “the thing” played quietly in the background. It was awesome.
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Customer avatar
Alex G April 30, 2022 1:43 pm UTC
CREATOR
Wow, that's such a cool idea! I wonder if that's something we could (legally) add to a future scenario. :)
Customer avatar
Alex G August 17, 2021 4:11 pm UTC
CREATOR
I've had a number of requests for a regional map for players of The Pipeline, so I've made a version that can be found at the link below. Enjoy!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MpXAsn7nSfP56pZuFVGFxLeEvd8wQt1r/view?usp=sharing
Customer avatar
Greger N June 30, 2021 7:28 am UTC
PURCHASER
Is it possible to get the area map without and markings on it? Or the markings in a separate layer, or something?
I think it would be better to not have some of the markings on there when giving the players the map.
It also feels a bit strange that the abandoned snowcat is marked on it like it is a permanent fixture.
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Customer avatar
Greger N July 02, 2021 1:26 pm UTC
PURCHASER
After reading more of the scenario, I find it increasingly weird that things that are supposed to be clues during the scenario are marked in Handout #1
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Customer avatar
Alex G July 02, 2021 3:43 pm UTC
CREATOR
Email me at Alex@CriticalHitPublishing.com and I'll reply with an edited map. I hope you guys enjoy the scenario. :)
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Customer avatar
Scott C August 08, 2021 5:02 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Good morning Alex. I just recently picked up the book in the “Premium Colour Sale” and am now doing the initial prep read through (loving it as I live in BC.). Would I be able to email you for the modified map as well?
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Customer avatar
Alex G August 08, 2021 7:55 pm UTC
CREATOR
Sure, just drop me an email.

Alex
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Customer avatar
Scott C August 08, 2021 11:02 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Will do, thanks!
Customer avatar
Steven W September 13, 2020 6:18 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I'm going be running this with my group in a few days. One thing that caught my eye was the lack of vehicles at the pumping station, what happened to them?
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Customer avatar
Alex G September 13, 2020 9:07 pm UTC
CREATOR
There's actually two snowcats in the garage (one s under repair), and a smashed snowmobile in the maintenance shack. There were two other snowmoblies, but they're lost somewhere in the snow.
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Customer avatar
Steven W September 14, 2020 6:21 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Many thanks for the swift reply.
Customer avatar
Tony S May 14, 2020 2:01 am UTC
Hi Alex,

Thanks for your reply. Touche, although this was written in a world where an attention to detail and admitting mistakes is appreciated, not to mention setting them right if it's not too much trouble. It's not really that distracting, and I appreciate the work you put into this.

Thanks,

Tony

PS: "You're on your way, with Esso...(ding! ding!)" Glad to hear an Esso filling station does make a cameo in Highway of Blood.
Customer avatar
omar B March 05, 2020 12:32 am UTC
PURCHASER
question. i'm running (and very much enjoying) this scenario, and the players are at the pump station. they've started finding clues/evidence, but i can't figure out how they're supposed to figure out the timeline of the ritual. am i missing something in the text? i'm trying to add some additional clues of my own because it doesn't seem to be included
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Customer avatar
Alex G March 05, 2020 4:26 am UTC
CREATOR
The PCs won't necessarily know about the ritual. They should be drawn to the location by other means, such as an NPC or a PC taken by the Urayul. Another option would be to have William let it slip. Sorry to be so cryptic, but I don't want to give too many spoilers here.
Customer avatar
Tony S March 02, 2020 6:18 am UTC
Why is Esso called "Exxon" in this adventure? While Esso changed its name to Exxon in the USA in 1972, in the 1980's it was (and still is today) operating under the Esso brand name in Canada. For example, we don't have Exxon-branded gas stations here in Canada, we have Esso stations.
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Customer avatar
Alex G March 02, 2020 6:47 pm UTC
CREATOR
Thanks for your questions! The simplest answer is that this takes place in Lovecraft's fictional version of our world that includes places like Arkham and Dunwich, so not everything is going to be a perfect match with reality.
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Customer avatar
Alex G March 02, 2020 6:51 pm UTC
CREATOR
On a side note, there IS an Esso gas station in our other scenario Highway of Blood. ;)
Customer avatar
Wayne S November 20, 2019 12:11 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Quick note its a 1980's adventure yet someone has the job as web designer.
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Customer avatar
Alex G November 20, 2019 3:36 pm UTC
CREATOR
She's sells rustic crafts, specializing in dream catchers or "webs". ;)
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Customer avatar
Wayne S November 29, 2019 11:32 am UTC
PURCHASER
LOL it didn't quite mesh especially with the email exchange handout :) I re-did them as fax's.

We ran it and its really good, we had an issue after they reached the station with impetus. We felt it would of been better if there was more evidence there were survivors at the dig site. Maybe even a helicopter pilot etc. But players loved it.
Reply
Customer avatar
Alex G December 01, 2019 4:13 am UTC
CREATOR
Actually, Exxon was using email in the early 1980s, so I thought that a state-of-the-art facility like pumping station #31 would use it.

In any case, I'm so glad you enjoyed it, and I appreciate your feedback.

Alex
Reply
Customer avatar
Kyle M April 27, 2021 6:50 am UTC
PURCHASER
Email and the web are vastly different things. Email, chatrooms, bbs's, etc all vastly predate the world wide web and web browsing.
Reply
Customer avatar
Alex G April 27, 2021 2:57 pm UTC
CREATOR
Well, this is Lovecraft's universe where there are different places that don't exist in our world like Arkham and Dunwich, so perhaps the world wide web shows up a few years earlier too. ;)
Customer avatar
Daniel Enoch T November 06, 2018 3:12 am UTC
Any chance of a POD of this?
Reply
Customer avatar
Alex G November 06, 2018 9:34 pm UTC
CREATOR
I wish I could, but the Community Content rules don't allow for it. If they do, I will definitely do it.
Reply
Customer avatar
Alex G November 26, 2018 3:06 pm UTC
CREATOR
Daniel, while I am not able to make the entire scenario available as a print-on-demand book, I was able to make the handouts available for print at the link below. I hope that helps.
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/258304/The-Pipeline-Book-of-Handouts
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Customer avatar
Alex G January 25, 2019 3:20 pm UTC
CREATOR
Just following up, Daniel. It looks as if I will be getting The Pipeline available for print-on-demand within the next few weeks. I guess it pays to ask. Thanks!
Reply
Customer avatar
Daniel Enoch T January 28, 2019 4:43 am UTC
You gots a customer then! Thx!
Reply
Customer avatar
Alex G February 01, 2019 8:46 pm UTC
CREATOR
Just to let you know, the print-on-demand is now available. Thanks!
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File Last Updated:
August 17, 2021
This title was added to our catalog on September 08, 2018.