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Oscar Rios is the president of Golden Goblin Press, specializing in Call of Cthulhu role-playing content. This year at Carnage 21, you can find Oscar running games of Robotech and Cthulhu Invictus, as well as performing Glimpses Into the Empire — LIVE!

TARA: What makes role-playing the Cthulhu mythos in a historical era uniquely interesting?

OSCAR: It’s a double escape for players. Their characters are living in another time and place, a citizen of a different historical period, be that the Jazz Era, the Victorian period, Dark Ages, or Classical period. Secondly, this individual is also involved in battling strange cults, monsters, and alien gods to defend mankind from their malignant horror.

TARA: How did you get involved with the Cthulhu Invictus setting?

OSCAR: I was a play tester to the original version, and became the setting’s biggest fan. I’ve written a large number of scenarios for the setting over the years, including the settings only published campaign, The Legacy of Arrius Lurco. My company, Golden Goblin Press, produced a supplement scenario collection called De Horrore Cosmico, and when we tried to publish a sequel  to that book Chaosium asked if we would take over the setting and convert it to 7th edition. We jumped at the opportunity and spent to next two years completely overhauling the setting from the ground up. Writing for Cthulhu Invictus for over ten years, I’d learned a lot about that period of history, its culture, mythology and the setting’s strengths and weaknesses.

TARA: Are you working on anything new you can tell us about?

OSCAR: We are finishing up several projects, including Riding the Northbound, a hobo-themed 1920s scenario; Tails of Valor, a Cathulhu scenario collection – yes, you play as a cat fighting the Cthulhu Mythos – I am re-writing a couple of scenarios for Britannia and Beyond, our first setting supplement for the new 7th edition Cthulhu Invictus; and will soon be writing a scenario for Tales of the Pacific, a 1920s scenario collection set across the Pacific islands).

TARA: What at Carnage are you excited about this year?

OSCAR: Getting away from my day to day grind, to relax gaming with great people on a mountain top resort in Vermont. What’s not to get excited about?  I’m also doing a live performance of Glimpses into the Empire on Friday night. That’s my fan-contributed segment on the ENnie Award-winning Miskatonic University Podcast, where I share amazing stories from the ancient world. There is also the Extra Life charity raffle, which we love supporting and participating in.

TARA: What’s your favorite thing about going to game conventions?

OSCAR: For gamers like me, it’s a safe place to be yourself, because this is my community. I’ve been going to gaming conventions since 1984, and it’s become a huge part of who I am. This is where people understand what I do, why I love it, and don’t judge me for it. That was true when I was 13, and it’s still true today. Gaming conventions are where I’ve made most of my friends. It’s where I found amazing people to work with in this industry, who helped me found Golden Goblin Press, and continue to help run it with me. In a cold and brutal world, gaming conventions are the warm glow of a window, the smell of a hot meal, and the soft bed of coming home. Sorry if I wax poetic, it’s kind of my thing.

To get in touch with Oscar, you can visit Golden Goblin Press’ official website and their Facebook page.

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