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You could spend your time searching ancient bookstores, or the stacks in libraries that have been around for centuries to find cursed spellbooks, and Grimoires of unknown origin. You could risk your very soul by delving into the dark places, where nameless cults make rituals that will harrow your soul… or you could buy The Grand Grimoire by Chaosium.
Filled with fantastic and horrifying art to accompany the full list of spells for Call of Cthulhu, this book has been a staple at my table.
The Book
A hard cover book, the Grand Grimoire by Mike Mason and Matthew Sanderson is a hard cover book, with tables of ingredients and components to help structure the spells being cast, as well as an almost endless list of spells, ranging from the simple to the horrendously insidious. You can summon Gods, torment ne’er do wells, and do-gooders alike, twisting bones and brewing space ale.
The cover, while a little too textured for my taste, belies the well organised interior. Each spell is listed in sections based on what it does. The spells do not list components, not out of fear of actual casting, but to roll from a table to make the journey a little different each time the spell is cast. With a helpful glossary at the back you can find exactly what spell you are looking for.
The Artwork
Not only is the Grand Grimoire filled with spells, it also has accompanying artwork. Imagined terrors of every kind are included in the book. The artwork is detailed and I found it helpful when describing the consequences of some of the spells. Though sometimes because of the artwork it was difficult to randomise the spells when getting the players to roll for what spell they find when they open the tome and risk the sanity.
Favourite Spells
Candle Communication
Allows two sentient beings to communicate magically by voice at a distance without other apparatus. This spell requires two casters, and it’s so much easier than finding a landline in a time where there is no wide spread communication.
Knot Flesh
A spell that causes the bones and flesh of a targets body part to become extremely flexible, twisting into knots. The spell can be reversed but the caster can choose to make in permanent at a cost. Terrible and quite disturbing, but I have not used this on my players… yet.
Demon Senses
Effectively this spell doubles a cashers hearing or vision. If the caster chooses, they can do both, but that too comes at a cost. The question you must ask yourself when casting a spell from this book, is if it is worth it.
Overall
If you are experienced or just starting out, this book is perfect for adding a little bit more magic into your Call of Cthulhu Campaign. If you are building scavenger hunts for your players, or simply wanting to randomise the spells for more chaotic encounters The Grand Grimoire of Cthulhu Mythos Magic is the perfect edition for anyone who hasn’t memorised 30 years of spells from every campaign book ever written