Bathtub Reviews are an excuse for me to read modules a little more closely. I’m doing them to critique a wide range of modules from the perspective of my own table and to learn for my own module design. They’re stream of consciousness and unedited critiques. I’m writing them on my phone in the bath.

Roadhouse Feast is a 16 page module for Eldritch Instinct by Linus Weber. In it, you’re stranded with a damaged car and are drawn into a dark ritual when you are forced to stay at a local roadhouse near Arkham, Massachusettes. Eldritch Instinct is a new release cosmic horror game based on Cairn. I received a complementary copy from the author.

Layout here is in A5, single column, with a single map and no other art. It’s a short module, with only 9 locations and 3 events, so the use of simple headers works well. The cover by Vishnu Prasad is excellent. There’s not much else to say.

The first page is a timeline, summarising matters. This is great summary; it might benefit from tighter formatting, given the name of two enemies are highlighted, but the NPCs are not, and it’s not clear precisely the timeline at a glance due to the paragraphing structure. The antagonist is sympathetic, and tied to other NPCs in a compelling way, which is likely to cause some very compelling drama, which complicates the pulpy, cosmic horror vibes in a pleasant way. This is covered in more detail on the next page, and it’s good stuff – terse, straightforward, compelling. Next we have a few examples of ways to foreshadow doom for the adventure — I like this as an inclusion in a horror module a lot; it’s brief, but useful.

The next page is a hook and a prologue; the prologue is a brief few paragraphs of read aloud text. The hook is a little messy, for me — just a few suggestions rather than concrete hooks. I’d always prefer concrete and specific of general suggestions. I do like the addition of specific “bodily insecurities” to the characters, that can be used in both the foreshadowing and in conversation with the dark god that will use them against the characters.

The locations are briefly and well described, and contains a series of very creepy scenes. I’m concerned that, despite these, most of the clues are entirely in 2 rooms. The structure of this module doesn’t really focus on these clues or locations, which I think is a disappointment — while the player characters here are referred to as investigators, there’s very little investigating to be done. Rather, the plot will march forward through the events, of which there are three. This makes for a far pulpier module than I expected (admittedly in the end notes, it states it’s aiming for pulp, but you don’t get there until page 15). I think this works, to be honest, for something intended as a one-shot — keeps the investigation moving, but I’d love a little more potential for the pleasure you feel as a successful investigator.

Roadhouse Feast leans solidly into the pulp rather than investigation side of the genre. I’d be careful re: content for certain groups — there’s a fair bit of ritual mutilation and violence to both animals and people in here — and if the group really wants to lean into their player agency this module will struggle with coping with it unless you’re a great improviser. But it’s a good introduction to early 20th century cosmic horror roleplaying, and is an excellent con one-shot that you could hurry through, or lean into the drama and characterisation for a longer and deeper session. I’d definitely consider Roadhouse Feast, if I was looking for a horror module with a classic feel.

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