Return of the Ripper - An 1890s Scenario for Call of Cthulhu - and Cthulhu By Gaslight - Sourcebook for Adventure in Victorian London’s East End

Oct 6, 2026

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Return of the Ripper presents an 1890s adventure scenario for Call of Cthulhu and Cthulhu By Gaslight, set in late-summer to early-autumn 1893 London. A renewed killing spree by Jack the Ripper follows his five-year absence, while investigators must uncover terrible secrets tied to a Cthulhian ritual that transformed him into something more—and less—than human. The plot unfolds through clues, encounters, locations, red herrings, and optional dangers, leading toward the ripper’s identity while confronting ancient, occult horrors far deadlier than the Ripper himself.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time9 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

The Current Murders

Enemies & Allies

Places of Interest

Clues & Rumors

Encounters

Stopping the Ripper

Endgame & Aftermath

Appendixes

Maps: Central/East London, East End/Whitechapel, Central London

Return of the Ripper An 1890s Scenario for Call of Cthulhu® and Cthulhu By Gaslight (And a Sourcebook for Adventure in Victorian London’s East End) By William A. Barton Respectfully dedicated to Robert Bloch, not only for his contributions to the Mythos but for his almost as plentiful additions to Ripper lore Return of the Ripper is ©1986, 2007 by William A. Barton. Call of Cthulhu and the Call of Cthulhu game system are © Chaosium, Inc. Call of Cthulhu is a Registered Trademark of Chaosium Inc. All rights reserved. All artwork, except where noted, is in the public domain. No part of this book may be reproducedin any manner without written permission from the author, artist, or publisher, except brief quotations in critical articles or reviews. Any resemblance between any persons, living or dead, real or fictional, and those in this scenario is strictly coincidental. (The character of Cyrus Barker was created in 1985 and, except for a common inspiration, has nothing to do with the character of the same name in a series of excellent Victorian mystery novels by Sherlockian Will Thomas.) Playtesters: (Detroit) Pam Wisniewskii, Michael L. Galligan, Bill Yates, Laurel Goulding, John Schippers, Mark Moellering, David Schmitt, Steve Sterling; (Indianapolis) Vicki Barton, Bruce Coleman, Ross Rannells, Larry Wheeler, and Nathan Hammer—many thanks! Table of Contents Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………….. 3 The Current Murders ……………………………………………………………………. 11 Enemies & Allies …………………………………………………………………………. 19 Places of Interest ………………………………………………………………………… 46 Clues & Rumors …………………………………………………………………………. 63 Encounters ……………………………………………………………………………….. 83 Stopping the Ripper ……………………………………………………………………. 107 Endgame & Aftermath ………………………………………………………………… 111 Appendixes ……………………………………………………………………………… 115 Maps: Central/East London, East End/Whitechapel, Central London …………….. 119 Art on pages 19, 26, and 38 are © 2007 by Ronda David-Burroughs Art on page 40 is © 1985, 2007 by Kim Strombo Graham (Warning: Because of the subject matter of this scenario, parental guidance is strongly advised.) Time Magazine’s Man of the Year, 2006! Author’s Bio: William A. Barton is the author/designer of the first two editions of the award-winning Cthulhu By Gaslight (and a co-author of the upcoming third edition) . His other CoC adventures include “The Curse of Chaugnar Faugn,” originally published in Curse of the Chthonians, and “The Killer Out of Space,” in Cthulhu Now, plus the M.U. monograph Menace from the Moon. His contributions to the latest editions of Call of Cthulhu include the 1890s skills, price lists, and weapons and the Mythos descriptions and spells for The Colour Out of Space, Chaugnar Faugn, and the Rat-Things, as well as assorted other tidbits. Outside of Call of Cthulhu, he was a contributor to Chaosium’s Superworld RPG; co-author of the first three editions of Steve Jackson Games’GURPS Space and GURPS Space Atlas I (and contributor to several other GURPS supplements); and designer/publisher of his own RPG, So Ya Wanna Be A Rock’N’Roll Star! A Rock’N’Role-Playing GameTM. (This award-winning RPG is available directly from Bill for $18 pp. at P.O. Box 26290, Indianapolis, IN 46226-0290; on the Web, visit [http://bill-barton-games.iwarp.com](http://bill-barton-games.iwarp.com); the game also includes several spoofs of and references to the Mythos.) Bill currently works as an editor for Wiley Publishing, in Indianapolis, Indiana, a division of John Wiley & Sons—original publishers of Edgar Allen Poe’s tales. He lives in Indy with his wife and four cats. Hobbies and interests (besides CoC and RPGs) include Sherlock Holmes (check out [http://surrey-shore](http://surrey-shore) [freeservers.com](freeservers.com), for his scion’s Website), Victorian England, the Mythos in general, Fortean phenomena (especially Planet X and alternative archeology), Godzilla (whom he pitted against Cthulhu in a 2006 Gen Con

FAQs

What time period and setting does the scenario use?

It takes place in London during the late summer to early autumn of 1893, with the Keeper able to adjust exact dates to fit the campaign.

Why has Jack the Ripper returned?

He returns after a five-year absence to continue his killings, but the scenario also reveals he was shaped by a Cthulhian ritual.

What structure does the adventure follow?

It includes clues, encounters, and locations, with significant red herrings and peripheral dangers. It is less linear than many Call of Cthulhu scenarios and contains optional side tracks.

Oct 6, 2026

Upload by Ezra