IHandbook Chapter 1

Introduction

Call of Cthulhu is a horror roleplaying game based on the writings of Howard Phillips Lovecraft. Lovecraft penned a tremendous body of work during the 1920s and 1930s
concerning both horrors from beyond and from within.

Purpose of the Game

Players take the role of intrepid investigators of the unknown (“investigators”), attempting to seek out, understand and eventually destroy the horrors, mysteries, and secrets of the
Cthulhu Mythos.

A game moderator, known as the Keeper of Arcane Lore (“Keeper”), within the rules of the game, sets up situations for the players to confront.

The game rules use dice to determine if an action succeeds or fails when a dramatic conflict presents itself.

Time Covered

Many Call of Cthulhu scenarios are set in the United States in the 1920s called the Classic Era. This book uses both the Classic Era and our own Modern-Day as period settings.

Preparations

• The Call of Cthulhu Rulebook—only needed by the Keeper.
• Roleplaying dice.
• Paper.
• Pencils and an eraser.
• Two or more people to game with—one person must play the role of Keeper.
• A quiet place.
• Three or four hours in which to play the game.

Players and Keeper should each have their own set of dice:

• percentage dice (D100), consisting of two10-sided dice rolled at the same time,0 - 9 and 00-90 respectively.
• a four-sided die (D4)
• a six-sided die (D6)
• an eight-sided die (D8)
• a twenty-sided die (D20).

Cooperation and Competition

Gaming is a social pastime. Whether or not investigators cooperate, the players should.

Winners and Losers

In COC, there are no winners and losers in the standard competitive sense.

• common goal: to discover and foil some nefarious plot being perpetrated by the minions of some dark cult or secret society.
• opposition: alien or hostile controlled by an impartial Keeper.

Winning in such a situation depends on whether the investigators succeed in their goal.

Survived investigators will gain:

• power from arcane volumes of forgotten lore
• knowledge of horrendous monsters
• advancement in their skills (as they become more experienced! )

The players’ investigators will continue to progress, un
til their demise or retirement.