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Call of Cthulhu is a horror role-playing game that emphasises investigation and storytelling. Based on the cosmology created by H. P. Lovecraft, it’s set in a murky and mysterious world of cosmic horrors and secret cults.
The tone to this role-playing game is best encapsulated by H. P. Lovecraft himself in the opening line to his 1927 essay Supernatural Horror in Literature: “The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.” This cosmic horror differs from traditional horror in its preoccupation with the fear of the unknown, unfathomable abysses where humans are at the mercy of a cosmic order utterly indifferent to their fate.
What sets Call of Cthulhu apart from classic role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons is its doom-laden atmosphere and focus on characters’ mental state, immersing players a world where their greatest fear is losing their mind as they grapple with forces beyond their comprehension or control.
The game is based on a printed handbook that provides the rules, story and characters. First published in 1981 by Chaosium, it was created by Sandy Petersen using the Basic Role-Playing (BRP) system that had already been used for RuneQuest. BRP uses percentile dice to determine the outcome of actions. Characters, known as investigators in the game, are built around characteristics such as investigative skill, arcane knowledge and mental strength in the face of terror.
Call of Cthulhu has evolved over the past 40 years from an innovative new title in table-top gaming to a mainstay of the horror RPG genre. Along the way, it has enthralled generations of fans and spawned spin-offs, including miniatures, video games and card games.
Where it all started: the story behind Call of Cthulhu
With titles like Call of Cthulhu and Vampire: The Masquerade, table-top role playing games evolved in the eighties and nineties, as publishers explored new ground beyond traditional fantasy. One such publisher was Chaosium, which had made a name for itself with games such as RuneQuest. Its first foray into cosmic horror, Call of Cthulhu was actually based on Dark World, a game commissioned by the publisher but never released.
Under the guidance of Sandy Petersen, Chaosium published Call of Cthulhu in 1981. Unlike other RPGs available at the time, with their valiant heroes and epic battles, Call of Cthulhu put players in the shoes of ordinary people – detectives, doctors, journalists, professors, students and artists – struggling to keep their sanity while they confront indescribable horrors. In so doing, it switched the focus from combat to investigation, and explored themes such as madness and humanity’s insignificance in the face of cosmic forces.
The game is set in a world where the unknown and the incomprehensible rule. Players must battle ancient monsters and try to survive revelations that threaten to drive them insane. Each character is an investigator looking for clues rather than an adventurer hunting for treasure and monsters.
With storytelling based less on generating action and more on creating a dark and oppressive atmosphere, Call of Cthulhu marked a milestone in table-top role-playing games, and deeply influenced the horror genre for decades to come.
The rules of the game: how to get started with Call of Cthulhu
Call of Cthulhu is a role-playing game based on cooperation rather than competition: participants must collaborate to uncover and foil dastardly plots orchestrated by shadowy cults and extraterrestrial beings.
You need at least two people to play:
- One person takes on the role of Keeper of Arcane Lore (equivalent to the Dungeon Master in D&D): they devise the plot, describe the setting and control the non-player characters (NPCs), including monsters and cultists, while also maintaining the game’s atmosphere and ensuring that every player contributes to the investigation.
- The other players are Investigators of the Unknown. They look for clues and gather information as they try to identify the person or cause of the original misdeed, which may lead to a final showdown. Other than this, characters must simply survive.
Players create their investigators based on a range of characteristics. They also establish their character’s background, motivations and ability to cope with events that challenge their sanity: because in Call of Cthulhu, each investigator is confronted with unspeakable horrors and forces beyond human comprehension, all of which can lead to madness – or death.
In addition to a Keeper to tell the story and people to play the investigators, the following are essential:
– The rulebook: this essential book contains the basic rules, game mechanics, spells and monsters. It’s also used by the Keeper and Investigators to create characters. There is also an Investigator’s Book, which players can consult for more information on professions and equipment, but this is an optional extra.
– Die with different numbers of sides (D10, D4, D6, D8, D20) for resolving actions
– Paper, pencils and a rubber for creating character sheets and keeping track of progress
For newbies, there’s also a set of quick-start rules for the seventh edition, which also contain ready-made investigator sheets to print and fill out.
Every edition of Call of Cthulhu
From 1981 to date, seven main editions have been released by a number of different publishers, including Chaosium and Wizards of the Coast.
1. First and Second Edition – 1981
The first edition of Call of Cthulhu was published in 1981. A second edition followed shortly afterwards in the same year. The second edition brought tweaks to the rules to improve the creation of characters and the management of magic points.
2. Third Edition – 1983
With its hard cover and colour illustrations, the third edition marked a substantial improvement in production values. It also included a “Companion” section with new creatures and adventures.
3. Fourth Edition – 1989
The fourth edition brought further enhancements in layout and graphic design. Sandy Petersen, the original author, was not involved in this edition, which was produced in-house by Chaosium.
4. Fifth Edition – 1992
The fifth edition heralded another major evolution, with new eras in which to set adventures, including the present day and the year 1890.
5. Sixth Edition – 2004
This transitional edition was based on content published to mark the game’s 20th anniversary in 2001. Design-wise, it’s one of the worst, with confusing font choices and a cluttered layout.
6. Seventh Edition – 2016
The most recent edition of Call of Cthulhu was published in 2016 and brought refreshed game content and visual presentation. With 432 colour pages and updated rules, this edition offers more modern and accessible gameplay.
Printed Call of Cthulhu rulebooks: what’s inside?
The key book for the seventh edition of Call of Cthulhu is the Keep Rulebook. Like most modern RPG books, it’s a premium-quality publication designed to withstand frequent consultation by the Keeper. Here’s what you’ll find inside:
- It’s a hardback
- It has 432 pages, all of which are printed in full colour on gloss paper and feature stunning illustrations
Aside from the brief introduction, the contents are organised into a grid, as follows:
- Two-column pages: on most pages, text is laid out in two columns
- Boxes with images or statistics: the two-column grid often inlaid with different coloured boxes containing images or statistics
Each column consists mainly of text, interrupted here and there by sidebars and tables about rules, items and characters.
The book is packed with text that’s easy to read and rarely extends beyond the two-column grid. Apart from a few dedicated pages, illustrations do not go beyond exceed the confines of the grid, either, unlike other those seen in other RPG rulebooks.
The book opens with a tribute to Lovecraft, then continues with an introduction to the world Cthulhu and some handy tips for newcomers to role playing.
Next comes an explanation of the Cthulhu Mythos, followed by a long section on how to create investigators.
That’s all for now on Call of Cthulhu, a table-top role-playing game set in a world of cosmic horror where humans are mere pawns in the unfathomable universe, forced to confront the darkest depths of their minds.
We hope this article inspires you to play Call of Cthulhu and, who knows, perhaps even create your own richly imaginative role-playing game one day.