Call of Cthulhu: Horror Roleplaying in the Worlds of H. P. Lovecraft, 6th Edition

To begin with,Call of Cthulhu is and has always been an incredible game.Based upon the works of H.P. Lovecraft and others of the horror and sci-fi genre's, this game has great atmosphere.Taking on the roles of everyday people,called investigators, who eventually become entangled within the mysteries of the mythos.This can lead to some terrifying events for the investigators.Unlike games such as D&D or Pathfinder,Call of Cthulhu is not about direct combat,but surviving and avoiding combat if possible.Thats not to say that there wont ever be combat,but should be done so cautiously.The skills of the system uses percentile,aka d100,to resolve.This makes the flow very smooth when required to make checks,attacks,ect.The best part of Call of Cthulhu is the sanity system.During play,the investigators my stumble upon ancient and disturbing tomes,twisted and deadly creatures and other mythos(and sometimes non-mythos) related events that can shake the very fabric of the mind,which therefore causes sanity loss.This can result in some very interesting role playing situations.The default setting is the 1920's,but there are additional settings within the rulebook,1890's and present day.This allows different keepers(gamemasters) to play in any era they choose.The game is extremely fun and will entertain player's for years.I reccomend this game for it's ease of play and the pure theme of horror and the unknown that transpires.This game alone has earned more than 30 awards and has grown over the years.I understand that no rpg is perfect,and i am by no means stating such.But this game is incredible.The rulebook discusses the various sanity effects that can come about during play,disorders and other facets that can arise.Investigators can learn magic.(not the D&D or Pathfinder style),but a more darker form that taxes one's sanity to manipulate a power not meant to be known.I rated this game as 5 stars and is due mainly for the fact of the quality of fun and enjoyment in which it offers,and all with minimal hassel.Character creation takes a very minimal amout of time,which causes no delay in game time.If your a fan of horror or the unknown,and always wondered just how far one's sanity can be streched,this game is for you.But you dont need to take my word for it,but once you play this game,it'll speak for itself.

So much fun! Had a bad experience with DnD which colored my view of TTRPGs; I left thinking this sort of thing wasn't for me. Then I heard about CoC and, by extension, the world of H.P. Lovecraft. Thinking I could easily enjoy the world, I introduced it to some friends who had background in DnD and offered to be the DM (CoC equivalent is Keeper) for an experimental session. The only thing I feared was whether or not I'd understand the ruleset itself -- DnD seemed really complicated and nobody had either explained things to me or given me resources where I could figure it out by myself. However, this rulebook was amazingly explanatory; the authors did an excellent job introducing the world, explaining the mechanics, and giving the beginning player or Keeper the basics to get them started. There are a ton of supplements so that people, like me, who aren't as familiar with Lovecraft will still be familiar with some aspects of the world he and others created. So yeah, this is a great RPG ruleset and a great rulebook to get you started!

I can't even tell you how much I love this roleplaying game. This short review won't even try. I'm simply going to point out a few negative things I noticed, which you can take into consideration after reading the other reviews. * Yes, the new art is beautiful. I'm glad I own 6th Edition. It utilizes a few gallons of blank ink, which truly does make the game--not only LOOK darker--feel darker. But, man, it's just murder on the copy machine. Lots of black backgrounds with white font. KINKO'S is going to hate you. * I'm not sure if I found anything else new about the game. I was hoping they'd catch some of the typos that have spilled over from previous editions. They did not. I was hoping they'd put the weapons table in alphabetical order. They didn't. And it would have been nice if they'd taken all of the house rules that have appeared over the years and incorporated them into the bulk of the text. The game feels like a quilt of rules. * I was eager to see how they beefed up the investigator record sheets. The 1920's investigator sheet looks good. But the present day sheet contains a major misprint. Instead of "Investigator Skills" they wrote "Sanity Points." And the 1890's investigator sheet has no labels at all. * I was hoping they would expand a few areas. I felt the combat system needed a little more explanation. A few more examples. * I was hoping they'd give us a new adventure, too. Maybe a couple of maps to accompany the Arkham section. SOMETHING to set this edition apart from the others. Having said all that, I must repeat: it is an attractive book. And it's a great game.

There are so many awesome things about this RPG that I can barely contain my enthusiasm! But I really can't. 1. The instructions for playing are clear and informative. The book also makes it very clear that the adventures require some sort of familiarity with the book and with the scenarios. It's not a book one can just pick up and play. However it's not something that requires a degree in rocket science in order to play. 2. This game runs on the D100 system, which was an odd duck to learn. I have been playing D&D for about two years, and the transition between playing D20 to D100 was confusing for me. I can't speak for everybody on that though. Some people will pick it up faster than I. 3. The book contains a very informative section on the mythos of Lovecraft, a detailed glossary of Old Ones, Monsters, Enemies, differences between the eras (1890's, 1920's, and Modern), and an incredibly detailed section defining each trait. 4. This book contains 4 scenarios in the back, each with their various levels of difficulty and various levels of how well they're written. The only one I've had a problem with is Dead Man's Stomp, which contains an unruly amount of flavor-text for my tastes. 5. If you're an experienced D&D player looking into this game, please take into consideration that "looting the room" is far less necessary than interrogations or library checks. Overall, this game is an awesome and refreshing game to DM and to play. Having knowledge in Lovecraftian mythos is not required, as you learn a LOT along the way!

If you want fancy books, this isn't it. In fact, this isn't as nicely done as prior additions. BUT... As a game, CofC is even more attractive to me than ever. With the d20 system taken over by endless amounts of crap, a simple, easy to play, easy to understand, very straightforward system that LETS YOU ROLE PLAY and develop a story is very welcome. The updated version does actually very little other than tweak a few bits and add a bit more source material, so you dont need to feel like you have to buy this if you have a prior edition. If you want a dice fest and super heroes in chain mail, play d20, if you want stories, characters, and fun, play CofC. The horror element doesn't even need to come into play! Monty Haul players, and folks who want to obsess "with what they can get" won't like this. People that want "a plan" for character development won't like it. That said, nearly every one I've ever played this with loves the game... but be warned, you're GMing skills will be put to the test because there is very little system to hide behind.

I was one of those people... You know who you are. You love roleplaying games. Read all about them. But can never find others like you and don't get to play. That was me growing up. I read almost every rulebook I could find, except for Call of Cthulhu. Though I knew about it and was always intrigued. But Dungeons and Dragons was always the focus. However, once again, I didn't really get to play. Well, fast-forward to almost 20 years later. I'm 34, and I've decided to get back into RPGs and to play them this time. I ordered this book, and it is amazing. Heck, even if I don't get to play, it is a great read. The research is terrific. The game system is great. And the flavor of the background makes reading even the rules creepy. I have been able to locate some possible players nearby, and I am working on getting up and going. I waited a long time to actually purchase this game, and I couldn't be happier about it. If you are reading this page and this review, the answer is simple. Buy the book.

This book offers you a very rare thing in the current role-playing game scene: a one-book game. This covers everything you need to enjoy the world of horror that is Call of Cthulhu. With the materials included, you can run a game in the 1890's, the 1920's, or the present. Of course, the game system is important too. And after so many years, this game has proven it's worth: it's VERY solid. You can buy this book, read it, and start playing within days. And it runs a lot more smoothly than just about any other game out there. Just don't get too attached to that poor character of yours...

A gamer friend introduced our social group to this game about a year ago. Many people think these games are just for kids. They aren't. We are 30 something to 50 something in age and we had a great time working together to solve our "case." If you have never played one of these role playing games, they aren't all about weapons and fighting. Yes there are monsters to deal with but this series is ripe with 1920's ambiance that makes the characters fun to play. This rule book contains several adventures to get you started and from there you can choose other scenerio's like San Franciso or New York during the same time period. Share the fun with friends and a good bottle of wine. You won't be disappointed.