Sample file - DriveThruRPG.comwatermark.drivethrurpg.com/pdf_previews/56336-sample.pdf · Sample file. Sandy Petersen ... William Hamblin, Scott David Aniolowski, Michael Tice, Shannon

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Sixth EditionPublished 2005

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HowardPhillipsLovecraft

Author,Scholar,Gentleman

Born 1890Died 1937

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Sandy Petersenmajority of 1983 text

&Lynn Willis

most of current text

Project, layout: Charlie Krank editorial: Lynn Willis

based on the design of: Pegasus Spieleadditional text and information: Keith Herber, Kevin Ross, Mark Morrison, William Hamblin, Scott

David Aniolowski, Michael Tice, Shannon Appel, Eric Rowe, Bruce Ballon, William G. Dunn,Sam Johnson, Brian M. Sammons, Jan Engan, Bill Barton, and friends

section illustrations & sidebar decorations: Paul Carrickadditional illustrations: Gene Day, Tom Sullivan, Lori Deitrick, Gus DiZerega, Chris Marrinan, Dreyfus,

Lisa A. Free, Earl Geier, John T. Snyder, Tony Ackland, Drashi Khendup, and Caryad.

Chaosium is: Lynn Willis, Charlie Krank, Dustin Wright, Fergie, Kyle Grutze

& various odd critters

®Horror Roleplaying in theWorlds of H.P. Lovecraft

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C a l l o f C t h u l h u

4 I n d i c i a

Clear CreditKeith Herber wrote the Necronomicon chapter, Mythos Prehistory, H. P.Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos, The Edge of Darkness, Prehistory ofthe Cthulhu Mythos, and (with Kevin Ross) Books of the CthulhuMythos. Mark Morrison (with Lynn Willis) wrote Dead Man Stomp. LesBrooks created the ready-to-play investigators and compiled samplegear and prices. Kevin Ross tracked down many quotes and sources,and added material and statistics. Scott Aniolowski concentrated onmonster descriptions and statistics. Long ago Bill Dunn wrote the Guideto Sanity Losses. William Hamblin wrote three Sadowsky episodes heresummarized as “In Rerum Supernatura.” Michael Tice, Eric Rowe, andShannon Appel assembled much of the present Sanity information.Shannon Appel also constructed the Alien Technology section, usingsome inventions from past supplements, and did revisionary work onDeities, Creatures, and Mythos Prehistory. Bruce Ballon, Chaosium’spsychiatric consultant, updated the Sanity chapter and wrote theDangerousness Criteria example, the timeline, and the summaries ofdrugs and treatments. Jan Engan contributed the occult book sum-maries. Brian Sammons created the two-part Mythos tomes table. SamJohnson wrote the tournament notes for the keeper’s chapter, more statsfor the weapon table, and about research modifiers in the keeper’s tool -kit section. The 1890s prices and skills derive from the work of BillBarton, as do the stats for Chaugnar Faugn, the Colour, and others.

Thanks to Alexis G. Diaz, whose questions provoked 5th edition, andto John Tarnowski.

PlaytestersUtah playtesters for the first edition of Call of Cthulhu were SteveMarsh, James Memmot, Wade Round, Paul Work, Scott Clegg, MarcHutchison, Bill Hamblin, and Eric Petersen. Chaosium playtesters wereAl Dewey (keeper), and in alphabetical order Yurek Chodak, AllanDalcher, Charlotte Coulon, Al Dewey, Bruce Dresselhaus, JerryEpperson, Sherman Kahn, Ken Kaufer, Charlie Krank, Fred Malmburg,Hal Moe, Steve Perrin, Rory Root, Greg Stafford, Anders Swenson, andLynn Willis.

Special ThanksThanks are also due to the original authors (especially Steve Perrin)and play group connected with the 1978 roleplaying game RuneQuest,now owned by Hasbro, from which the mechanics of Call of Cthulhuwere adapted via the intermediary and out-of-print Basic Roleplaying.Mark Morrison has remarked that when he wishes to see how someproblem of physical action is handled in a game, he turns first toRuneQuest. He is not the only one.

Sandy Petersen, who authored the original Cthulhu rules, laboredlong and to great effect on his game’s behalf. He still exercises stronginfluence on the game through his thoughtful forebearance and in hisagreeable notions of rules economy. Everywhere his words have beenweighed and mined.

Call of Cthulhu is published by Chaosium Inc.

Call of Cthulhu (6th edition) is copyright ©1981, 1983, 1992, 1993, 1995,1998, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005 by Chaosium Inc.; all rights reserved.

Call of Cthulhu® is the registered trademark of Chaosium Inc.

Similarities between characters in Call of Cthulhu and persons living or deadare strictly coincidental.

All material concerning Shudde-M’ell and the Cthonians, and all other inven-tions of Brian Lumley as portrayed in his works, specifically The Burrowers

Beneath, are used with his kind permission. J. Ramsey Campbell’s “Cold Print”©1969 August Derleth. William Lumley’s and H. P. Lovecraft’s “The Diary ofAlonzo Typer” ©1970 by August Derleth. Colin Wilson’s “The Return of theLloigor” ©1969 August Derleth. Frank Belknap Long’s “Hounds of Tindalos”©1946 Estate of Frank Belknap Long. Clark Ashton Smith’s “The Return of theSorcerer” ©1931 Clayton Magazines Inc. Clark Ashton Smith’s “The NamelessOffspring ©1932 Clayton Magazines. Inc. The quotes from “The Inhabitant ofthe Lake” are ©1964 by J. Ramsey Campbell. Clark Ashton Smith’s “The SevenGeases” ©1934 Popular Fiction Publishing Co. Derleth’s “The Dweller in

Darkness” ©1953 August Derleth. Eddy C. Bertin’s “Darkness, My Name Is”©1976 Edward P. Berglund. Bloch’s “Notebook Found in a Deserted House”©1951 Weird Tales. Derleth’s “The Gable Window” ©1957 Candar PublishingCo. Derleth’s “The Lurker at the Threhold” ©1945 August Derleth. Donald J.Walsh, Jr.’s “The Rings of the Papaloi” ©1971 August Derleth. Derleth’s “TheThing That Walked on the Wind” ©1933 The Clayton Magazines Inc. Blish’s“More Light” ©1970 Anne McCaffrey. Kuttner’s “The Salem Horror” ©1937

Popular Fiction Publishing Co. Clark Ashton Smith’s “The Treader of the Dust”©1935 Popular Fiction Publishing Co. Derleth’s “The Lair of the Star-Spawn”©1932 Popular Fiction Publishing Co. Carter’s “Zoth-Ommog” ©1976 Edward

P. Berglund. Brennan’s “The Seventh Incantation” ©1963 Joseph PayneBrennan. Henry Hasse’s “The Horror at Vecra” ©1988 Cryptic Publications.H.P. Lovecraft’s works ©1963, 1964, 1965 by August Derleth. Works within are

quoted for purposes of illustration.

Section illustrations and additional sidebar illustrations are by Paul Carrick.Smaller design elements, as well as the illustations in the scenarios, are by

Dreyfus. Personalities are all by John T. Snyder. Monsters, deities, and animalsinclude art by Tony Ackland, Lori Dietrick, Earl Geier, and Tom Sullivan. AlienTechnology illustrations are by Drashi Khendup. Additional illustrations are byGene Day and Tom Sullivan. Except in this publication and related advertising,or unless otherwise agreed to, artwork original to Call of Cthulhu remains theproperty of the individual artist, and is copyright by that artist under his or

her separate copyright.

The reproduction of material from within this book for the purposes of per-sonal or corporate profit, by photographic, optical, electronic, or other media

or methods of storage and retrieval, is prohibited.

Address questions and comments by mail to Chaosium, Inc.

22568 Mission Blvd. #423Hayward CA 94541 U.S.A.

Please do not phone in game questions; the quickest answer may not be thebest answer. Our web site www.chaosium.com always contains

latest release information and current prices.

Chaosium Publication 23106. ISBN 1-56882-181-6

Published in February 2005. Printed in U.S.A.

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F r o n t M a t t e r

C o n t e n t s 5

Table of ContentsThe Call of Cthulhu

I. The Horror in Clay ................................................................. 8

II. The Tale of Inspector LeGrasse .......................................... 12

III. The Madness from the Sea................................................ 18

Game SystemIntroduction ................................................................................... 24

Call of Cthulhu Terms ................................................................ 30

Resources for the Game ............................................................. 33

About Investigators ........................................................................ 35

Creating Your Investigator ......................................................... 36

Sample Occupations .................................................................. 42

Notes on Occupations ................................................................ 44

Creating Harvey Walters ............................................................ 48

Rules & Skills.................................................................................. 51

The Resistance Table.................................................................. 55

Spot Rules for Injuries ............................................................... 57

Spot Rules for Combat ............................................................... 59

Spot Rules for Firearms ............................................................. 63

Weapons Table ........................................................................... 64

Skills & Base Chances ................................................................ 69

Sanity & Insanity............................................................................ 75

Treatment of Insanity ................................................................ 86

Example of Play .............................................................................. 87

Magic .............................................................................................. 89

Examples of Occult Books ......................................................... 92

Major Books of the Mythos ....................................................... 94

More Mythos Tomes .................................................................. 98

Harvey’s First Spell: An Example............................................. 100

ReferenceThe Cthulhu Mythos..................................................................... 106

The Necronomicon ........................................................................ 112Howard Phillips Lovecraft ............................................................ 115

De Rerum Supernatura ................................................................ 120

Mental Disorders .......................................................................... 128

Keeper’s Lore ................................................................................ 133

A Keeper’s Toolkit .................................................................... 140

Creatures of the Mythos ............................................................... 148

Alien Technology .......................................................................... 176

Deities of the Mythos ................................................................... 181

Beasts & Monsters ........................................................................ 202

Personalities ................................................................................. 212

A Mythos Grimoire....................................................................... 217Call/Dismiss Deity Spells ......................................................... 221Contact Spells........................................................................... 226Contact Deity Spells ................................................................. 227Gate Creation Costs...................................................................229Enchantment Spells ................................................................. 233Summon/Bind Spells ............................................................... 245

ScenariosThe Haunting................................................................................ 250Edge of Darkness.......................................................................... 256The Madman ................................................................................ 265Dead Man Stomp.......................................................................... 270

UtilitiesA Guide to Lovecraft Country ...................................................... 280Guide to Arkham ..................................................................... 280Locales & Events ...................................................................... 282

Traveling: Land, Sea, and Air........................................................ 284Optional Rules: Vehicle Chases ................................................ 284Speeds & Distances.................................................................. 286

Costs, Equipment, and Services ................................................... 2881890s Costs, Equipment, & Services........................................ 2881920s Costs, Equipment, & Services........................................ 290Present-day Costs & Equipment .............................................. 292

References..................................................................................... 294Cthulhu Supplements............................................................... 296

Timelines ...................................................................................... 297Disasters, Natural and Man-Made........................................... 297Events Occult, Criminal & Futurist.......................................... 300A Hundred Years & More ......................................................... 303

Ready-to-play Investigators.......................................................... 3061890s Investigators .................................................................. 3061920s Investigators .................................................................. 307Present-Day Investigators ........................................................ 309

Charts & Forms ............................................................................ 310Monster Master........................................................................ 310Character Sheet (Front)—1920s ............................................. 311Character Sheet (Back)—Any Era........................................... 312Character Sheet (Front)—1890s ............................................. 313Character Sheet (Front)—Present........................................... 314Character Sheet (Half-size)...................................................... 315Blank Telegram Form .............................................................. 315

Play Aids ....................................................................................... 316Index............................................................................................. 318

Table of ContentsSa

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