Best call of cthulhu books according to redditors
We found 19 Reddit comments discussing the best call of cthulhu books. We ranked the 6 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 19 Reddit comments discussing the best call of cthulhu books. We ranked the 6 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
HotOE is definitely a good one and and a mainstay of the CoC greatest hits collection. However, when you say your group has run through one campaign previously, do you mean that's your only experience with CoC? If so, I would recommend starting smaller with some single scenarios to build a little group experience. HotOE is perhaps the most complicated module ever published for CoC, both for player and Keeper and shouldn't be taken lightly.
However, if I've misread you and your group does have CoC experience, I would recommend it. That said, it isn't my main recommendation. You should look into 'Masks of Nyarlathotep,' which is in many RPG reviewers view the best horror campaign ever published. Certainly it has become the quintessential CoC campaign. It has the same scale and scope as Orient Express, and a similar play time, but it is much smoother to run without sacrificing difficulty. Also it's only $35, which is much nicer than the $115 price tag on HotOE. If you want to make it even bigger and badder version, there is the massive Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion, which was kickstarted by Sixtystone Press. It's rather tricky to get a hold of at the moment since it has yet to be released to non-backers, but if you email Adam at Sixtystone, you can become a late backer and get access to it now.
I've never played the d20 version, but I play the standard d100 game. If you want to just give the game a try, you can download the quickstart rules, which come with a sample scenario. You can print out the rules, character sheets, and scenario, and run a game off of just that.
The only book you really need is the Call of Cthulhu rulebook. This book is pretty much a player handbook/DM guide/monster manual built into one. The great thing about Cthulhu is that the game is so basic that you only need 1 copy of the book (for the DM, or keeper) and can give the rest of the players quickstart rules that you can print online. Cthulhu is such a simple game that I think about 70 percent of the book is just flavor text and sample scenarios.
In that book, you can get some beginning sample scenarios that you can run with your group, which will give you a sense of how the game is run. One of the great things about Cthulhu is that the game is very story driven. Combat has very simple rules, and there are no experience points or levels, although you do increase skill points. The whole point of the game is that you are presented with a mystery, and the players must gather information and solve the mystery, at the risk of their own sanity. So don't expect any monster mashes or anything like that, unless that's how you want to run your game.
Masks of Nyarlethotep and Horror on the Orient Express are considered the gold standard of 7th edition CoC full campaigns. I'm currently running Time to Harvest, which is available for free to members of the Cult of Chaos (free to join Chaosium program) and will be released for purchase probably in 2018. I'm liking it a lot so far. I haven't run it, but the Ripples from Carcosa book looks really interesting. It includes 3 scenarios, each in a different time period (roman times, dark ages, the future) that can be played as a linked campaign (something like people connecting with their past lives and getting three opportunities to stop Hastur).
Edit: Masks isn't out for 7th edition yet, but will be in 2018.
List of Influential RPG Titles
Dungeons and Dragons - By TSR and WotC
Dungeons and Dragons 1st Edition - TSR
Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition - TSR
Dungeons and Dragons 3.0 - WotC
Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 - WotC
Dungeons and Dragons 4e - WotC
Pathfinder - Paizo Publishing
Not Dungeons and Dragons
World of Darkness - by White Wolf
"New" World of Darkness
AEG
Other
Authors to Look for
RPG Related Non-Fiction
RPG Fiction, also essential
Other Lists
Honorable Mentions
*Please add suggestions below, I'll add to the list as I revisit this thread throughout the day. Adding Amazon links now.
To answer your questions in order:
What do you need to get started?
Depends upon the system, but most require a couple players(3 friends works best for me) a GM, a set of dice, character sheets (most systems have character sheet PDF's you can print out, just google "SYSTEM-NAME character sheet"), pencils and snacks.
optionally: coins, poker chips, maps and mini's can be useful depending upon the system.
Start by choosing a system, getting the book, and following directions on what you need. Once you're started, if you want to invest more into your game, invest more.
How is a roleplaying game generally set up?
Several players and a GM gather around a table. The GM plays the part of NPC's and gives detail regarding the scene's they're in. The players tell the GM what they'd like to do, and the GM officiates. If the action the players want to make is easy, they generally avoid rolling dice, if it's difficult, the GM determines a target number that has to be beaten, and the players roll. Each system has their own method of determining difficulty.
I've heard you need sort of a game master, how does this work? Is this guy allowed to participate? Is it fun being a game master?
See question 2 for most of this information. The GM participates quite a bit, by setting the scene, playing the part of NPC's and providing a fun story for the players. The key is to keep the players involved, and the story moving. When running a game with new players, keep their motivation and goals very clear. It is very fun and rewarding to play as GM, especially as your games evolve and you see your players enjoy the game you setup.
What would be a good non-fantasy style RPG? Preferably horror or Sci-Fi; after a few plays of Arkham Horror which piqued my interest in that universe I think Lovecraft-style horror would be the best. Or possibly some kind of post-apocalyptic science fiction (taking place on earth).
For a horror game, I'd suggest something like Trail of Cthulhu, it uses the GUMSHOE system which has gotten some great reviews. With Call of Cthulhu often times there is a possibility that the players might get stuck or lose an important opportunity to find a clue, based upon a bad roll. ToC sidetracks this with their system quite well. Heads up, most Lovecraftian based RPG's have a high mortality rate which may be overwhelming for new players.
For a Sci-Fi based game, I'd recommend trying something like Savage Worlds. It has a generic setting, which means you can use it's rules to fit into any setting you like with a little adjustment. It also has the easiest learning curve I've encountered, and works great for new players. From there, you can either design your own setting, or use something like Savage Fallout:. If you want to use Savage Worlds rules for your horror game, try Realm of Cthulhu. It's a great supplement for SW, and works pretty well.
No. As far as I understand it, Trial of Cthulhu is its own separate game, playable by itself. You do not need CoC rules at all.
You could try Pathfinder expansions, or The Resistance (probably the Avalon version is most fun) is a great mix of board game and light RPG.
You can find out more about Pathfinder here: http://rpggeek.com/rpg/1627/pathfinder-roleplaying-game. Pathfinder is, as far as I know, an RPG system not just an RPG in of itself, that other RPGs can be played off if you have the core rule book handy, which some of which are listed in 'Linked Items' (to move through the pages, the link is hidden in the top right hand corner of the Linked Item box :) ).
You can also find out top ranked RPGs by the users of RPG Geeks here: http://rpggeek.com/browse/rpg, if you wanted them to get into a new RPG! Call of the Chtulhu is its own system, and apparently number 1! I've heard good things about it - if he's asking for a new RPG, the core rule book is here: http://www.amazon.com/Call-Cthulhu-Roleplaying-Lovecraft-Edition/dp/1568821816/. You can also buy spiffy dice for it here: http://www.awesomedice.com/rpg-dice-by-game/call-of-cthulhu-dice but they are pricey! The same site has nice sets of dice for D&D (so I THINK they can be used for Pathfinder but I'm not 100% - maybe check on /r/rpg for that) at a much more reasonable price, if you maybe wanted to opt for them!
The Resistance Avalon - there are bad guys and good guys, but not everyone knows who is who. The bad guys have to try and bluff their way through the game to sabotage all the missions, and the good guys have to try and stop them - but if the bad guys work out who Merlin is (and Merlin knows who all the bad guys are), then they automatically win anyway. Great group game (I don't own it but I know it), and fun. You can see the peeps from Shut Up & Sit Down play it here: http://susd.pretend-money.com/videos/v/play-the-resistance-avalon/
Someone else mentioned Pandemic, which I do own, and is a boat load of fun! A co-operative game trying to wipe out infections!
I've only played one RPG, once, before, so I'm not an expert! Board games are more my domain. But I hope this helps with your giftee! :)
You can buy the rulebook for like $25 on amazon
. I really like it, i've played like 4-5 sessions of it. It plays a bit like D&D but usually you play as detectives (More in actions then in title, unless you want to play an actual detective) And combat is SIGNIFICANTLY more deadly. You won't be much stronger than the average cultist.
[If you want to see it being played I'm particular to Dice Stormers on youtube.] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oi1i70iaUM&list=UUiHMbAFXhVslHs0wPd8-JrA)
You could try to get the RPG game from Chaosium and such, stuff like "Call of Cthulhu" (https://www.amazon.com/Call-Cthulhu-Horror-Roleplaying-Lovecraft/dp/1568821816/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1467686272&sr=1-3) and also some extensions like Delta Green (https://www.amazon.com/Delta-Cthulhu-Horror-Roleplaying-Modern/dp/1887797084). Most are nice to read even if you don't play the RPG.
Also books from Robert E. Howard (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_E._Howard).
http://smile.amazon.com/Call-Cthulhu-Horror-Roleplaying-Lovecraft/dp/1568821816/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1452378050&sr=8-2&keywords=call+of+cthulhu+rpg
No. I mean D100/percentile.
/u/amightyrobot speaks truth. I'd mentioned CoC yesterday, but I guess it was easy to miss around all of the other posts. It's very simple to learn, has a ton of good adventures and setting books, and all of the published material is 99% compatible across editions.
You can even get the core rulebook for cheap.
Here's an Amazon entry.
Here's DriveThruRPG's PDF of the same.
You could no doubt find cheaper ones with some effort, but that was just off the top of my head.
On Amazon it's only $24.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1568821816
I believe the one you can get on Amazon is for 6th edition as it has it on the back cover; as long as it doesn't look like the older versions on the yog-sothoth link below or the 7th edition pdf I think you should be good
https://www.yog-sothoth.com/wiki/index.php/Masks_of_Nyarlathotep
https://www.amazon.com/Masks-Nyarlathotep-Perilous-Adventures-roleplaying/dp/1568823290
Realms of Cthulhu
For posterity, I found it.
http://www.amazon.com/Realms-Cthulhu-REB20001-Savage-Worlds/dp/0981987443
What do you mean "if"?
http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Over-Scotland-Cthulhu-Britannica/dp/0857440462