Excellent idea...I like the 0-level funnel idea, and think you could simply let folks pick whatever class they qualify for once in Hyperborea. Given Hyperborea's out-of-space, out-of-time "position", anything is possible. So, a couple of ideas:
1. Start as 0-level nobodies with a background (e.g., journalist, soldier, scientist, etc.), pick class if they survive the first session.
2. Use Eldritch Tales or Silent Legions as the "fake start" to a modern horror campaign, then have it get even weirder than they thought when they're cast into Hyperborea...Way Beyond the Mountains of Madness.

As for the magician, or any sorcerous class: I'd not sweat how their powers are granted, and let that develop in play.

Nice ideas, guys. I checked out those books and picked up a Silent Legions pdf. It has some real good stuff!

False start is cool too, because instead of simply having them start on a plane which crashes and they play the survivors, I could instead have their group be investigating a a mystery before herding them aboard the doomed plane. In fact, it might be interesting if they start with only one character while investigating, but once they crash I hand them a bunch of random civilians and begin the funnel.

Never ran or played a Call of Cthulhu ttrpg though. Silent Legions seemed almost directly compatible with AS&SH which is nice. I've just got this image of the characters seeing a impossibly massive volcano, surrounded by equally impressive mountains but still ones which pale in comparison to Mount Vhuurmithadon. Definitely like At the Mountains of Madness. Hope to have a Centaur eyeing them from a bluff too, barely visible in the building blizzard.

shankspeare wrote:

Nice ideas, guys. I checked out those books and picked up a Silent Legions pdf. It has some real good stuff!

I find all of Sine Nomine Pub's stuff great source material (especially since some are free, like Godbound, Stars Without Number, and now Worlds Without Number). His Red Tide setting is highly compatible with AS&SH, too.

Red Tide was originally a MUSH that Kevin did for 3.5 D&D. Kevin also did a FATE version that changed the setting details a bit. I was able to download the MUSH's old maps and a lot of the character, etc, a few years back along with the FATE version of Red Tide Kevin did by waybacking the MUSH's site.

The version of the Red Tide setting that is for sale now changed the setting up a bit and advanced the time line a bit. The current version is designed for Labyrinth Lord

The Scarlet Heroes game is in the Red Tide setting, but timeline was advanced slightly. The quick start version also has some stuff not in the full version.

Kevin hasn't released yet the free Wolves of God Art Pack to everyone, only the Kickstarter backers have a folder link to it, release to everyone got delayed last year, if your curious why it isn't on DtRPG.

I recommend you get everything Kevin has on DtRPG too when you can.
Kevin is also real good at answering questions if you ever need to email him with questions about his products.