The Call of Cthulhu tabletop RPG brings the horrors of H.P. Lovecraft to your table. If the fantasy action of Dungeons & Dragons doesn’t quite do it for you, you might be looking for the mystery-thriller vibe of CoC. In this more difficult tabletop RPG, players are normal people who become wrapped up in the conspiracies surrounding elder gods, otherworldly beings, and the mark they leave upon our world. Victory is not easily achieved, and player characters are just as likely to end up in a mental institution as they are to have their head popped by a creature.
What Is Call Of Cthulhu RPG?
CoC tends to take place in the 1920s just like in many Lovecraft Cthulhu stories. Some editions dabble in the late 1800s or even the 1980s. There’s also been recent additions for more fantastical settings like the far future or Ancient Rome. Overall, however, the bulk of CoC gameplay stays the same: players investigate strange happenings until they reveal the dark powers behind all of existence.
A typical campaign will see players looking into cults, historical artifacts, or other understandable threats that can be dealt with by conventional means. Call of Cthulhu RPG character creation will see you making a reporter, scholar, war veteran, or other average person. Things will quickly escalate to where you’re facing threats more supernatural and unknown. When your character experiences true horror or incomprehensible concepts, their sanity takes a hit. Sometimes characters will even have to willingly sacrifice some sanity to command magic strong enough to stave off cosmic beings.
Call of Cthulhu RPG dice are also unique in that they don’t use the typical d20 found in other TTRPGs. Instead, players roll d100. And unlike most TTRPGs where high numbers win, CoC players target lower numbers for success. CoC character skills help reach those goals. Skills can be enhanced over time, but CoC characters don’t “level up” in the sense that their stats increase. This means that characters are always likely to die or lose all their sanity no matter how long they’ve been adventuring.
How To Play Call Of Cthulhu Games
Does the idea of Call of Cthulhu RPG gameplay intrigue you? It can make for a very unique experience under the right Game Master, or Keeper as it’s called here. Topics like losing one’s mind or brutal death can be rough to handle. Fortunately, StartPlaying Game Masters are professionals that have guided many groups through Call of Cthulhu! A professional GM will clearly set the tone and ensure everyone is cool with the game’s dark themes before starting. They can give you a Call of Cthulhu RPG character sheet to start with or they might help you create your own. Check here to find a Call of Cthulhu Learn to Play game!
There are also several digital tools for Call of Cthulhu characters. You can use VTTs like Roll20 for your Call of Cthulhu RPG character creator. These can auto-calculate your stats to help you build your first character. You can also find the starter Call of Cthulhu RPG PDF if you want to learn the game and run a beginner game. The current version of the game is Call of Cthulhu RPG 7th Edition.
Play Call Of Cthulhu Today
Look no further than StartPlaying for your CoC needs! Our hundreds of professional Keepers run games for beginners and deadly campaigns for experienced investigators. Tell your story, beat back the unknown evil, or meet your doom trying. Just don’t lose your head trying to figure it all out.
