Why Call Of Cthulhu is my Favourite RPG

Ever fancied a break from High Fantasy? What about playing an ordinary person doing extraordinary things? I really feel you should have a go at the Call of Cthulhu starter set.

This is the 7th edition , showing that this RPG has been around for ages, not necessarily improving each time in my opinion, but this box set is slick.

It contains three books, dice, character sheets (blank) and cliched but ready to play characters with colour pictures, and handouts. Generous.

Let me set the scene, Id played CoC some years ago, having leapt from D&D through AD&D, MERPS and World of Darkness to have recently started back playing Dungeons and Dragons 5th ed with a great gang at my local pub. One of the Dungeon Masters there had read about Call of Cthulhu and was intrigued, It was like a (Great) old memory had reawakened.

Years of being a student had led to me selling everything except my Players Handbook (2nd ed, still gnarly and collectible) , but my wife was looking for something to get me for Christmas... Enter the Starter Set

Book one (Boxing day sorted) is a play alone adventure that requires no knowledge of the rules and plays like the good old 1980's books, 'If you run away, turn to page 13' that sort of thing. Very Very Good

Book two, Introductory Rules and how to write a character, Brilliant. Really simple, wrong word... Concise. Includes everything you need to get started (Lots of games make that claim, this one delivers). So what I need is an adventure to run and some friends...

Book Three: Paper chase and Other adventures. In-fact, thats four adventures in one box, outstanding value. Starting from a single player investigation, easily adapted to suit two players, the next two get more complex, but never too much.

So far Id not had to write anything (Glossy handouts for players are included), come up with anything or think on my feet, hmm. See it's all there, true, but whats in the box, glossy, full colour and shiny , is the bones of a campaign, and the best bit is that you can play through the box, without needing anything else, but it even gives you seeds for further adventures within, you can choose to have the game as complex or as simplistic as you like.

2020 was going to be a great year!!.....

I gathered around me a motley crew ranging from an avid video gamer, a Warhammer 40k enthusiast, two experienced D&D Dungeon Masters and Thesps, and a nice guy with pink hair who'd not rolled dice before. And we play online, its difficult to get used to and not the same as having the chaps round your table, but it can be done if you're flexible. (also cheaper on snacks, ahem) If people have access to the internet then almost anytime, even from work, they can tune in to the series that they're , in effect, writing.

And that's what I like about the game the most, were currently playing in the 1920's in America, concepts almost as alien to all of us as Cthulhu himself, but with an afternoons research I produced an orientation list for the players which is a dynamic working document which helped to set the scene. Didn't take much but now the more we learn together, the 'Realer' the setting becomes. At the same time I'm trying to keep it not quite real, frightening in-fact, and that's not difficult.

There are scores of books available for purchase, 7 editions of RPG stuff as-well as HP Lovecraft's work as well as a host of 1920s themed stories and poetry easily adapted to horror. No problems deciding what to buy for me this year.

However, the extensive resources, debate and ideas available online and for free is what makes this the best game ever, the community, internationally who are so willing to share ideas. Hope you enjoyed my first Piece, stay safe!