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Taint of Madness: Insanity and Dread within Asylum Walls is a 1995 Chaosium sourcebook for Call of Cthulhu, not a standalone adventure or a clinical guide. It explores sanity and insanity in play, the history of psychiatric treatment, asylums, and the law, and includes asylum scenarios set across different eras.
What kind of Call of Cthulhu book is it?
Chaosium published Taint of Madness as a supplement to Call of Cthulhu. Its contents make it a broad reference for investigators and keepers—covering roleplaying and sanity rules alongside historical and setting material—rather than a single scenario. The title page credits Michael Tice, Shannon Appel, and Eric Rowe as authors, with additional material and editorial work by Lynn Willis. The book’s imprint and contents provide the primary details.
What does the supplement contain?
The book moves from background and rules to institutions and scenarios. Its contents include:
- A short history of lunacy and discussion of sanity, insanity, and roleplaying investigators.
- Material on the psychiatric interview, insanity in society and law, and historical asylums and institutions.
- Alternate asylum ratings and rules for recovery from indefinite insanity.
- A glossary, annotated bibliography, and index.
- Asylum scenarios for more than one historical era.
RPGnet’s catalog summary also describes discussion of psychotherapy history, medications past and present, symptoms of mental disorders, temporary and indefinite insanity, commitment, and institutions associated with the Victorian, Jazz Age, and modern eras. That is a summary of the game book’s scope, not validation of its medical or legal material as current guidance. RPGnet’s edition summary is useful for that overview.
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Which edition is it for?
The bibliographic record identifies the book as Chaosium Publication 2354, first edition, published in August 1995, ISBN 1-56882-042-9. RPGnet associates it with the fifth edition of Call of Cthulhu. A sixth-edition rulebook search result notes that some concepts in its sanity chapter first appeared in Taint of Madness, which indicates historical influence but does not establish that this supplement’s mechanics work unchanged with sixth edition or any later ruleset. Check the rules edition you are using before importing its procedures or tables. Chaosium’s catalog independently lists the title and number as a 1995 Call of Cthulhu publication: Chaosium Con II auction catalog.
How should its psychiatry and asylum material be read?
As historical roleplaying material. The book deals with real-world subjects—mental illness, treatment, institutions, and laws—but it was published in 1995 and presents them for a horror game. Its descriptions and game mechanics should not be treated as current psychiatric information, clinical advice, or a guide to present-day law or commitment procedures. Keep that distinction clear when using the material at the table, especially when a scenario draws on institutional settings or historical terminology.
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The available bibliographic evidence confirms that a physical edition was published; it does not establish current authorized print or digital stock. To look for a physical copy, search by the full title or ISBN 1-56882-042-9, then verify the edition, condition, seller, and authorization. A Scribd page hosts a user-uploaded scan, but that does not establish that the upload is an authorized edition or a recommended way to obtain the book. A Toronto Public Library collection result also records the title as part of its Call of Cthulhu holdings: Toronto Public Library catalog.
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- RPG BOOK: Musketeers Vs. Cthulhu is an A5-sized hardback campaign book with 112 pages.
- READY TO PLAY CHARACTERS: Pick-up & play pregenerated character sheets, that enable you to play as one of the three Musketeers: Porthos, Aramis or Athos. BUILD YOUR OWN CHARACTERS: Also includes rules to create your own Musketeers.
- 4 PART CAMPAIGN: Includes a four-part campaign where you, the Musketeers are attempting to keep the Shining Trapezohedron from the clawed hands of Nyarlathotep.
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