Let's Talk About Call of Cthulhu

Yes! Let's talk about it.

I happen to think that Call of Cthulhu is the greatest role playing game ever made.

It can be scary. Horrifying. There is palpable terror in the game, partially because it is so unforgiving. Dungeons and Dragons players, especially newer players, are likely to be horrified by how easily they die. But that serves to increase the tension of the game. You cannot run around getting into gun fights without massacring the party.

And even if you stay out of gunfights with gangsters or cultists, the ticking clock of your sanity spurs you to action. If you spend too much time messing around, your investigator will be a drooling moron.

My introduction to Role Playing Games was DnD 4th Edition. I played on and off for three years and I think we may have had one character death. Last summer, we played through Masks of Nyalarthotep. I think we had 15-20 character deaths easily. I was saving the character sheets for some sort of memorial at the end, but the stack got too unruly.

I guess what I'm saying is, reason one that I like COC is the stakes. In my experience, if there aren't sufficient stakes in an RPG, there just isn't much fun to be had. At least an RPG that takes itself somewhat seriously.

And like all role playing games, you don't need much to get started. Grab a copy of the Call of Cthulhu RPG rulebook on eBay on Amazon, some friends and some dice.

I might also recommend a beer? Shoot me an e-mail at admin@cthulhudice.com or leave a comment below and tell me your best Call of Cthulhu story or ask your best Call of Cthulhu question.