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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ahnehnois" data-source="post: 2010542" data-attributes="member: 17106">Why am I writing this review? The Call of Cthulhu d20 game has been around a while. The verdict is out: it's a successful and well-done game. There are a lot of reviews all over the internet of CoC. Why bother writing another? First off, I think I have a different perspective to offer, comparing Cthulhu heavily to D&D and taking into account the 3.5 revision in my review. Also, you can always use a second opinion (and a third, and so on). And I just feel like expressing myself.Call of Cthulhu is based on the Cthulhu Mythos, which is hard to define. Basically, it's the world and the ideas that permeate the writings of Howard Phillips Lovecraft, a horror writer who wrote in the early 20th century. Whether you ever play this game or not, go read Lovecraft. His stories are quintessential horror, very well written. The Cthulhu game is a horror roleplaying game that uses locations, monsters, and other elements of Lovecraft's short stories, as well as those of other writers who later emulated him.At $40 U.S., the book isn't cheap. However, the size and quality of the book justify the price. The cover is a deceptively simple and devilish looking face design; very appropriate. Inside, a strange green color permeates the page designs. The colors are dark and set the mood nicely. An odd layout through most of the book is also notable; columns get smaller or larger as you go up and down the page. It's a little strange and confusing, sometimes, but it also helps create the great mood that this book offers.It's written by Monte Cook and John Tynes. Monte Cook  helped design 3e D&D and has his own d20 publishing company. He's certifiably one of the most creative designers in the business. He also wrote the Book of Vile Darkness, a more up-and-down effort. Monte Cook works tend to be filled with random and sometimes brilliant ideas. However, he sometimes throws game balance to the wind (the BOVD prestige classes, for instance). Fortunately, having another writer apparently reins him in, and this book is both creative and mechanically sound, d20-wise.What's in the book (chapter by chapter):A short introduction starts right from the top, talking about HPL and defining the term "roleplaying game". You don't have to have played any other d20 game (or any RPG) to understand this book, although D&D players will find it makes sense more quickly.Character Creation describes the standard d20 ability scores and the Cthulhu class system. In CoC, you are always human, and you have a choice of two "options", offense or defense. Offense characters get better base attack (like rogue BAB, but speeded up by one level), and one good save of choice. Defense characters get bad base attack (like wizard BAB), but two good saves of their choice. Everybody gets d6 hit dice and 8+int mod skill points per level. A variant introduces a level-based defense bonus to AC. Your "core" (class) skills are determined by a "profession template". Basically, you pick skills you think go together logically and fit your character and the Gamemaster approves your skill list. The offense/defense option is strange, and doesn't even make that much sense to me (it would make more sense if there were three options so there could be a middle one for characters who aren't obviously either one), but the emphasis on skills is much appreciated. It sounds strange, but it's functional for a game in which combat prowess isn't that important, and it works surprisingly well.Skills describes basic d20 skills, often copying right out of the D&D PHB, as well as a few new ones. Psychoanalysis combats the insanity CoC characters are often beset by. Research is like Search, but covers getting information out of libraries or other such sources. Psychic Focus helps Psychic Feats (described later). Cthulhu Mythos doesn't work like a standard skill, you just plain get a rank for seeing something unnatural, with no maximum. It also reduces your maximum sanity, which becomes important later. Speak Other Language is a favorite change of mine. Basically, speaking a non-native language is not automatic. You buy Speak Language for each individual language (Speak Latin, Speak French, Speak Whatever), and you make a check to see if you can translate a given sample of that language (DC 15 or higher, usually). I think it's much more realistic than the core D&D rule of spending two skill points and being perfectly proficient with a language. This chapter should be revised a little to account for 3.5e D&D. Removing useless skills like Read Lips makes Cthulhu characters with their choice skill lists and heaps of skill points even more versatile.Feats are also pretty much out of the D&D PHB. Some of the advanced ones are excluded (Great Cleave and Spring Attack, for example, although Great Cleave is listed later as a monster feat). Some new feats dealing with firearms are presented, as well as some new +2/+2 skill feats. At the end, some feats are presented that make characters psychic, duplicating weak spells and psionic powers. Again, simple, but quite servicable. This is also a place to incorporate 3.5 revisions.Sanity is really impressive. A completely new idea for D&D players, sanity is copied from the old Call of Cthulhu game. You have a score that represents how sane you are (maxing at 99, less any ranks of Cthulhu Mythos, but you'll never get there). You lose sanity points for being shocked, particularly by horrific Lovecraftian monsters, and for using magic. Most harrowing events involve a percentage chance to reduce or eliminate the loss, your percent chance of success equals your sanity score. Certain amounts of sanity loss trigger temporary fits; tables are included to roll up results, but the GM can just circumvent them and tell the player something appropriate to do while he's insane. At -10 sanity, you're gone for good, permanently insane. The sanity mechanics are different from normal d20, but work incredibly well. As in Lovecraftian horror, there's not much you can do to resist the lure of darkness and of madness (no will saves or anything), and yet, the player still plays a part in determining whether or not he'll go insane (by his actions). Brilliant work.Combat is little different from D&D. Attacks of Opportunity are included only as a variant, which will please some people. Some nomenclature is changed, you have "attack actions", not "standard actions". The massive damage is changed to 10, meaning any time you take 10 damage you have to roll a fort save (DC 15) or die. This one little change makes the game a lot more suited for horror, since it's easy to die quickly even if you're high in level. It's basically a really simple way of doing what otherwise would be done via an alternate rules system replacing hit points altogether. The massive damage change accomplishes its goal pretty well though. This chapter is obviously another place where D&D 3.5 should be incorporated.Equipment is mostly unremarkable, offering sample prices for items for both the 1920's (for a more traditional Lovecraftian game), or for the present (if you'd rather live in the now). The big thing is d20 firearms rules. If you're an afficianado in real life (I'm not), this chapter is probably really important. Fortunately, generic firearms rules are provided for those of us who just don't want to understand the longer, more complicated, more realistic rules. It's a good choice of them to offer, and both rule sets accomplish what they're supposed to.Magic in Cthulhu is another really great element. All magic has a cost, either in sanity, ability damage (or even permanent drain, which can't be restored by anything in this game). Any character can learn any spell and cast it as often as he wants, but the costs of the spells make magic an object of fear, not a munchkin's paradise. The spells do not include much healing, and although some conversions are present, the powerful and iconic D&D mage spells are not getting in this game. Magic artifacts and tomes are also presented with good rules for identifying and using them, as well as for what can go wrong if you try and you aren't the right monster to use the black magic item in question. This chapter really helps with the horror. Unlike in D&D, magic is unknown, largely dangerous to caster and target, and definitely something to be feared.Creatures covers the monsters of Mythos lore, done in d20 form, as well as a few templates. Animals are briefly presented, so you can run a game without even having the D&D Monster Manual (which of course is the intent). The monsters are generally powerful, and even little ones can kill a character pretty easily. Sanity losses for even seeing them are included in the stat blocks. The monsters are definitely helpful to the DM looking to create an atmosphere.The Cthulhu Mythos gives a brief overview of H. P. Lovecraft's philosophies (humans are so inconsequential you almost wish your GM would let you play a monster of some sort). It also covers Lovecraft's gods and old ones. It's a great primer for someone who isn't a Lovecraft expert.The Gamemaster covers all the miscellaneous rules that aren't in the previous chapters, as well as providing some advice on creating the right atmosphere and mixing the elements of horror without overusing any one. The next two chapters contain a higher volume of more specific GMing advice.Stories offers ideas about constructing a horror/mystery plot, and contains a lot of advice any GM should take to heart, whether you're doing CoC or not. It also contains sidebars to explain how the examples presented later in the book incorporate the chapter's advice. Cthulhu GMing is an advanced job and a tough one, and the advice is definitely appreciated.Settings offers suggestions about when and where you set your story, whether it be in the late 19th/early 20th century, like Lovecraft's were, or whether you prefer to use his setting in New England or not. A timeline of possible settings is included, noting what Lovecraftian horror characters existed during a given time and providing plot ideas galore. This is again useful beyond belief to someone who hasn't GMed this sort of game before, which unless you played the original Basic Roleplaying Call of Cthulhu, you probably haven't.Appendices cover integrating Call of Cthulhu and D&D material in hte respective games. Gods and Great Old Ones of Lovecraftian horror are statted out for your players to die against (they're virtually unbeatable for even 20th level Cthulhu characters). A brief conversion system covers using characters from the old BRP game in this one.All in all, the CoC game is in many ways the class of the roleplaying game industry. The production values are solid, the work offers usable d20 rules that really mimick Lovecraftian horror quite well, as well as great flavor text and roleplaying advice. You could easily use The Shadow over Innsmouth, The Whisperer in Darkness, or even the story Call of Cthulhu as a model for an adventure and it would run perfectly well.I've GMed a couple sessions of this game myself, and I can attest that the system is simple enough to really support a high-roleplaying, low power-gaming horror/mystery campaign.If you're looking for a game to do off on the side of your D&D campaign, or if you want to start a Lovecraft-type horror/mystery game in general, Call of Cthulhu d20 is absolutely the way to go.</blockquote>

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