Sample file investigator handbook TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter One: Introduction 10 Chapter Seven: Introduction . 12 Life As An Investigator 146 Example of Play . 13 Monster Size Comparison Charts . 158-159 What You Need to Play Call of Cthulhu. 15 Chapter Eight: Chapter Two: The Roaring Twenties 160 The Dunwich Horror 18 Chronology of the Roaring Twenties . 166-167 Useful Information for 1920s Investigators . 168 Chapter Three: 1920s Biographies . 184 Creating Investigators 40 Notable Libraries and Museums . 202 e Steps . 43 What the Numbers Mean . 46 Chapter Nine: Example of Investigator Creation . 47 Advice For Players 208 Period Names . .54-55 Setting the Scene . 210 Other Ways of Creating Rules Advice . 215 Investigators (Optional Rules) . 58 Chapter Ten: Reference 224 Quick Reference Chart A Hundred Years and More. 226 for Half and Fi h Values . 59 Speeds and Distances . 236 Quick Reference: Equipment, Travel & Weapons: 1920s . 238 Investigator Generation . .64-65 Modern Day . 247 Chapter Four: Occupations 66 Weapons Table . 250 List of Occupations . .68-69 Converting from Previous Editions . 256 Map of Arkham . 260 Chapter Five: Skills 94 Map of Lovecra Country . 261 Skill List. 97 Living Standards . 102 Index 262 Becoming a Believer . 103 Optional Rules . 121 Investigator Sheets 1920s . 266-267 Chapter Six: Investigator Modern-Day . 268-269 Organizations 122 Acknowledgements Sample Investigators. 130-141 Playtesters. 270 Members of e Society for the Kickstarter Backers . 271 SampleExploration of the Unexplained . 142-145 file Sample file Sample file investigator handbook Introduction elcome to the Call of Cthulhu Investigator mythology, further advancing its concepts and constituent Handbook! parts. Today "Cthulhu" stories are still being written (and Call of Cthulhu is a game full of lmed) by the heirs to Lovecra ’s literary legacy. secrets, mysteries, and horror. Playing Do not be concerned if you’ve never read one of the role of a steadfast investigator, you Lovecra ’s stories or don't know anything about the will travel to strange and dangerous Cthulhu Mythos; such information will unfold during the places, uncover foul plots, and stand game. A lot of the fun is to be found in discovering secrets against the terrors of the night. You will encounter sanity- and unraveling the mysteries set up by the Keeper of Arcane blasting entities, monsters, and insane cultists. Within Lore, who "referees" the game. strange and forgotten tomes of lore you will nd secrets that man was not meant to know. About this Book You and your companions may very well decide the fate is book has been written for people who will be playing of the world… the roles of investigators in Call of Cthulhu games, and Call of Cthulhu is a horror roleplaying game based on contains rules for creating investigator characters and a the writings of Howard Phillips Lovecra . Lovecra penned guide to playing, which includes information for games set a tremendous body of work during the 1920s and 1930s in the era of H.P. Lovecra ’s stories—the 1920s—as well as concerning both horrors from beyond and from within. contemporary settings. Following his death in 1937, Lovecra ’s stories of cosmic As well as this book, you will need gaming dice, pencils, horror have grown in reputation and stature, and today he notepaper, and some friends—one person must have the is recognized as a major American horror story writer of Call of Cthulhu Keeper Rulebook and act as the Keeper of the twentieth century, in uencing numerous authors, lm Arcane Lore for the game. directors, and amassing a huge following of devoted fans. Indeed Lovecra himself could now be considered a cult Purpose of the Game gure in his own right. Lovecra ’s ction ranges from science e aim of playing Call of Cthulhu is to have fun with your ction to gothic horror and into nihilistic cosmic terror— friends as you explore and create a Lovecra ian story. perfect material on which to base a roleplaying game. Players take the role of intrepid investigators of the unknown Lovecra ’s most famous invention has become known ("investigators"), attempting to seek out, understand, and as the Cthulhu Mythos, a series of stories sharing common eventually destroy the horrors, mysteries, and secrets of the plot elements such as certain mythical books of arcane lore Cthulhu Mythos. A game moderator, known as the Keeper and alien godlike entities. e Cthulhu Mythos red the of Arcane Lore ("Keeper"), is necessary for this game, and imagination of other authors, mostly protégés and friends his or her role is, within the rules of the game, to set up of Lovecra , and soon they were adding to this complex situations for the players to confront. e investigators need not be anything at all like the people who play them. Indeed, it is o en more rewarding and enjoyable for players to create characters entirely unlike themselves: tough private eyes, rude taxi drivers, or sinisterly genteel occultists. Most of the play is a verbal exchange. e Keeper sets Read Me First— the scene, describing the environment, the individuals, and encounters to the players. e players tell the Keeper How to Use this Book what they intend their investigators to do. e Keeper then tells them whether they can do it, and, if not, what If you are new to Call of Cthulhu, we recommend happens instead. In play the game takes the form of a group you read this Introduction all the way through conversation with many twists and turns and fun on the way. (especially the Example of Play on pages 13— e game rules use dice to determine if an action 15), followed by The Dunwich Horror story by succeeds or fails when a dramatic con ict presents itself; for H.P. Lovecraft (page 18), before reading through example, whether your investigators are able to leap out of the rest of the book. However, if you are already the way of giant statue that is about to crash down upon familiar with H.P. Lovecraft and previous versions their heads! e rules describe how to decide the outcome ofSample the Call of Cthulhu game, you will probably of such con icts. file want to jump straight in at Chapter 3: Creating Investigators and read on from there. 12 chapter 1: introduction Cooperation Example of Play If you’ve never played a roleplaying game before, you might and Competition still be wondering just how it all works. e following Gaming is a social pastime. If you want to use your example of play provides an illustration of a typical gaming imagination alone, you could simply read a book. However, session. Don't worry about some of the terms used, as you’ll be warned! When a number of people get together become better acquainted with them as you begin to play cooperatively, they build a communal fantasy far more the game. interesting and imaginative than a single person could—and Paula, Joe, Cathy, and Arnold are the players, each of the joint e ort results in an extremely fun and satisfying them controlling an investigator. Garrie is in the role of experience for all involved. Together you create and develop Keeper and is running the game (leading the story and a story in which each of your investigators plays a leading controlling the non-player characters and monsters in the role! game). Notice that though the players have di erent ways of Whether or not investigators cooperate, the players referring to their characters, Garrie the Keeper easily sorts should. Investigators may be played as nice people, as out their statements and feels no need for consistency. devious brutes, or however the players wish. Most of the We join the game in mid-session… entertainment of the game can be found in the ingenuity of (GARRIE) KEEPER: You have arrived just before closing players’ roleplaying and in-character conversations. time at the library. ere’s hardly anyone around. In fact Working cooperatively together, along with the Keeper, everyone seems to be leaving. You notice that a female builds an enjoyable and understandable game world librarian is sitting behind the checking desk. Well guys, within which to play. e rewards of cooperation are great. what’s your plan? Remember, the object of all of this is to have fun! PAULA: I want to speak to the librarian. I think the rest of Winners and Losers you should wait here. In Call of Cthulhu, there are no winners and losers in the All the investigators agree to Paula’s plan. standard competitive sense. Play is usually cooperative, the participants working together to attain a common (GARRIE) KEEPER: You make your way to the desk. e goal—usually to discover and foil some nefarious plot being woman behind it appears to be stamping a pile of books. She perpetrated by the minions of some dark cult or secret is middle-aged, wears large spectacles, and has an annoyed society. e opposition that the investigators face will o en look on her face. be alien or hostile—controlled by an impartial Keeper. It’s PAULA: Err, ahem. I clear my throat to get her attention the Keeper’s job to run the game and they will have prepared and give her a winning smile. a scenario (either a published adventure or one written by the Keeper) for you and the other players to play through. (GARRIE) KEEPER: She looks up at you with an even Winning in such a situation depends on whether the more annoyed look on her face. She stares at you and says, investigators succeed in their goal. Losing is what happens if “It's closing time you know.” they fail to achieve their goal (though they PAULA: “I’m very sorry, but I wonder if may be able to try again later).