The Call of Cthulhu RPG is designed to be a simple introduction to the H.P. Lovecraft-inspired tabletop role-playing system’s sometimes opaque and complex ruleset, and Chaosium is releasing an updated edition to commemorate the game’s 40th anniversary. Despite a few minor issues, I believe the starting set is one of the nicest I’ve encountered.
It’s pretty adaptable. The rules of the game have changed little in the six prior versions. It’s mostly changes in the amount of information or formatting of the book. The Call of Cthulhu 7e is the game’s first substantial revamp, though, to be honest, it isn’t as significant as it may appear at first.
The three volumes provided in the starter set are intended to be read in order to gradually expose both Keepers (Game Masters / Dungeon Masters) and players to the rules required to get started quickly.
Some basics
The basic role-playing rules are the fundamental game mechanics that are utilized in various ways for many of Chaosium’s games. Games like Dungeons & Dragons are ‘level based,’ which means that as your characters get enough experience points (often by killing something), they reach a new level and become instantly better at a bunch of things (they get stronger, quicker, etc.).
On the other hand, Call of Cthulhu is a ‘skill-based’ game, which means your character improves at the talents they practice. Do you want to improve your climbing skills? You must climb. Do you wish to improve your shooting skills? You have to shoot. For me, that brings the next level of realistic play into the game.
Call of Cthulhu is a big book with a plethora of interacting rules, but the beginning set keeps it simple, with only the essential rules needed to get started. Character creation is reduced to three phases that take around two pages. The dice system (Cthulhu employs a d100 system) is introduced, as are skills and example professions and Cthulhu’s iconic and crucial sanity system. While the rules offered are essential, they are sufficient to get players started on their first adventures before delving into more complex systems.
Sanity points
Its unique sanity points system represents a character’s mental stability. This feature allows you to determine the level of a character’s sanity, the highest level of stability a character can ever have, and the present level of sane reason that a character maintains, even after repeated shocks and horrifying discoveries.
Horrors, abnormal beings, or baffling activities threaten the characters’ mental balance. Such experiences reduce a character’s sanity level, risking temporary, indefinite, or permanent insanity. You can regain sanity points, but mental scars on your character may linger.
Insanity will result when you rapidly lose sanity points. Insanity isn’t guaranteed if sanity is low, but it’s more likely following an emotional trauma. Sanity can be restored in minutes, months, or permanently.
Easing into the world of Call of Cthulhu RPG
Learning a new tabletop system, particularly for DMs, Keepers, Storytellers, etc., may be daunting, especially with a game as sophisticated as Call of Cthulhu. It’s difficult to tell which guidelines are essential to learning, which are secondary, and where to begin.
The starter set elegantly streamlines this process by providing prospective Keepers with an adventure they may play on their own to become more acquainted with the system before ever looking at the rules.
The starter bundle includes three primary books: “Alone Against the Flames,” a solo adventure for novice Keepers; “Introductory Principles,” a brief 23-page book that covers the system’s core rules; and a selection of minor intro scenarios that grow in breadth and complexity as you go called Paper Chase and Other Adventures.
Honestly, I’d want to see other games using the “Alone Against the Flame” system of introducing new players to the game. It’s a solo experience, similar to the classic Choose Your Own Adventure novels, that not only introduces you to the location but also teaches you the fundamental principles of the game and assists you in creating a character.
It’s an excellent idea for an introduction box set, and I believe it should become an accepted standard for every TTRPG. I gave the adventure a brief go, and it seemed really nice. However, there was one moment when I felt locked in a feedback loop, but I eventually found my way out.
“Introduction to Rules” is self-explanatory. It thoroughly explains the mechanics of the Call of Cthulhu 7e. It’s a pleasant reminder that one of the reasons I’ve always liked TTRPG and its numerous versions is that the rules aren’t all that difficult.
The last volume,” Paper Chase and Other Adventures,” provides three adventures for new Keepers.
Brains, not brawn, is the name of Call of Cthulhu RPG
Unlike DnD, where prepping yourself for fights and dealing with a lot of monsters is a regular thing, Call of Chtulhu offers only a handful of brawling opportunities that you can entirely avoid.
After familiarizing themselves with the concept, players and Keepers are offered three initial stories that they are urged to play in sequence with the same or different characters (dubbed “Investigators”). The game also includes five pre-generated characters to help players get started fast, as well as handouts for various situations such as letters, journal entries, and telegrams.
There are three scenarios to play through, and each grows in scale and complexity, guiding both the player and the Keeper:
Paper Chase
The “Paper Chase” storyline is created for the Keeper + one player, but from my personal experience, you can get another investigator player in if you wish. Nevertheless, with some intensive role-playing, playing one-on-one may be a lot of fun.
And, to be honest, I would say it definitely seems more like a Lovecraft narrative, with social and physical isolation being a big theme. The story of “Paper Chase” will take you to a strange heist and a missing person case.
Edge of Darkness
This scenario includes 2-5 players setting and centers on the dying man’s last desire after inadvertently summoning an eldritch creature into an ancient farmhouse with his buddies while he was young.
“Edge of Darkness” is arguably the most classic of the three. It entails a lot of inquiry, a lot of non-player characters (NPCs) to chat to, some confined traveling, and exploring a deadly environment. I could picture it as a nice ‘getting the band together’ adventure, taking diverse player characters (PCs) and molding them into a team, or as the PC’s first mission from the occult organization they’ve all joined.
Dead Man Stomp
“Dead Man Stomp” is a 3-5 person game set in Harlem, where racial tensions, a cursed trumpet, and an Old Gods herald threaten to erupt.
This one can appear to be challenging at first because it would involve juggling a lot of game features, but if everyone is on board, it can make a pretty exciting game. Dealing with sensitive subjects such as racial tensions in the 1920s offers some fantastic investigations and role-playing opportunities.
Video game adaptations
The popularity of Call of Cthulhu brought in a couple of video game adaptations. The most well-known are “Call of Cthulhu Dark Corners of the Earth” from 2005 and “Call of Cthulhu” from 2018.
The first one is a first-person horror game with action and adventure aspects. When faced with the apparently tricky challenge of confronting evil incarnate, you will rely on your talents in exploration, research, and combat.
The latter will have you investigate the death of the Hawkins family on Darkwater Island in 1924. You will be thrown into a realm of creeping insanity and cosmic terror. Cryptic clues, sinister characters, and sheer dread stand in your path as you struggle to save your sanity while solving an unearthly mystery.
Both of these games have drawn the attention of Lovecraft’s fans and left them with mostly positive impressions. However, “Call of Cthulhu” is a bit closer to the original Lovecraft’s tabletop than “Call of Cthulhu Dark Corners of the Earth” since it doesn’t offer a lot of combat gameplay. Focus is on finding clues, investigating, and choosing your own path to the mystery’s solution.
If you’re looking for games that are similar to Dungeons & Dragons, check out this article!
Final ruling on the Call of Cthulhu RPG
In my opinion, the investigative components make Call of Cthulhu RPG one of the most popular tabletop games. Most TTRPGs are primarily focused on tactical fighting, which can be a lot of fun for an extended period of time. But, in Call of Cthulhu, you must use your brains to assemble facts and do actual detective work.
Furthermore, if you’re really cunning and clever, you’ll never have to fight anyone. I’m not going to claim it’s better or worse than other popular RPGs out there, but from time to time, we all miss a game with a nonlinear, more cerebral nature like Call of Cthulhu.
