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d20 Call of Cthulhu

Aeris Winterood

First Post
After watching this book sit on the shelf at my local hobby store for a year and a half I finally decided to buy it. After perusing the tome I think the system and game rocks.

I wonder how many out there play the game? Are there good sites on the internet for info... support and stuff? I have the old Dark Matter hardbound book and plan to use some of the info in that for game play. Any comments. Thanks...
 

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haiiro

First Post
The best resource for d20 CoC is the wealth of good BRP CoC material that's already out there. The mechanics are different, but the tone and themes are the same. If you're in the market for scenarios, I'd recommend trying out some of the compilations -- things like Mortal Coils and The Resurrected III: Out of the Vault (both from Pagan Publishing), or older books like Great Old Ones (from Chaosium, long OOP but can be found).

Chaosium has started releasing dual-stat material (with everything statted out for both systems; H.P. Lovecraft's Dunwich and H.P. Lovecraft's Arkham are the first two such products, but neither is a good place to start if you're new to the game), but there's also a conversion guide to help with the older stuff. The conversion guide comes with the d20 CoC Gamemaster's Pack, which also includes a 3-panel screen, errata, an adventure, etc. (you can read about it on Chaosium's website: http://www.chaosium.com/cthulhu/d20cthulhu/8801.shtml).

I've played BRP CoC for years (it's one of my favorite games), but I've never played the d20 version. I do own it, and there's a lot to like about it (the rules for psychic characters are particularly good). In fact, the chapter on the Cthulhu Mythos is probably the best introduction to the setting and mood of CoC ever written, and the following chapter (GM advice) is also excellent.
 

Henry

Autoexreginated
www.chillingtales.com is run by our very own Jaerdaph, and is a good resource for d20 horror material, though not specific to d20 CoC.

Another good place to pick up info would be www.montecook.com, home of the book's author. In fact, he is currently hosting a PDF of an intro call of cthulhu adventure that he recently had published - Check it out!

Good luck on your gaming - I have only played the d20 version once or twice, and my group had a load of fun with it!
 
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Shapermc

First Post
Welcome to the fold :D

I picked this game system up after avoiding the BRP version for about 10 years. I was never a fan of learning new systems and the d20 version allows you to use your existing comprenhision in a new "world" so to speak.

If you plan on running the "End of Paradise" game that is included in the book I have a small handout for the players that I made up at my site. www.shapermc.com . I am also (delayed as it is) about to e-publish a free adventure as well.

If you are interested in picking up some CoC supplemental things I would like to recomend that you get the GM Screen which comes with a "pulp" adventure, and a conversion system from BRP. There are tons of BRP adventures online for free and this will help you with that (aside from the very uniformitive and small one at the back of the Core book). I would recomend, if looking for more adventure/scenarios, that you get the Arkham book. I wrote up a mini-review of this but need to expand on it now that I have read it a few times. Here it is.

I will just add quickly that the adventures included in the Arkham book work really well for all levels of players and it woudl tie EXTREAMLY well into the Dunwich book.

If you have anymore questions please ask, me and several others are more than willing to discuss CoC stuff here any time.
 

Thunderstorm

First Post
I concur with you wholeheartedly Aeris. I too recently purchased said tome and I find it extremely enjoyable.
As I expect to be more of a player than GM, I am looking forward to many hours of fun. Although I already have many thoughts and ideas for some adventuring running through my mind.....:rolleyes:



"There are vocal qualities peculiar to men, and vocal qualities peculiar to beasts; and it is terrible to hear the one when the source should yeild the other..."
 


Assenpfeffer

First Post
CoC d20 is a very touchy subject in my group - we have a couple of guys who are big fans of the classic version and get all agitated when the subject of d20 Cthulhu comes up.

I think it's an excellent product - and it'd be ideal for running non-Lovecraftian horror games, like, say, Buffy or All Flesh Must be Eaten. (I much prefer it over Eden's Buffy RPG.) Nevertheless, I wouldn't run Lovecraftian horror with it - I prefer the simpler BRP system for that, since so much of what CoC is about is atmosphere, mood and the ultimately fragile nature of characters. I think those things are better conveyed to the players with the BRP system. In addition, I believe that the level system as it's used in baseline d20 (including D&D and CoC) is frankly incompatible with traditional CoC character design. (There's an easy fix for that, though - just set level at wherever you think the competency level of the PCs ought to be - and never give out experience again. Occasionally grant characters a skill rank or two instead.)

I've got both Dunwich and Arkham. Both are very well-done, but I agree with haiiro in that I don't think either book is an ideal first pickup for the Cthluhu neophyte. I'd say pick up some of the BRP adventures and convert them - it's easy enough to do on the fly (and if you're reluctant to do that, there's guidelines in the GM Pack) and they are usually very good adventures. I know one guy who ran the entire Beyond the Moutains of Madness campaign - twice - while converting it in-game as he went. It ain't hard.
 

Aeris Winterood

First Post
questions and info...

Shapermc said:
Welcome to the fold :D

If you are interested in picking up some CoC supplemental things I would like to recomend that you get the GM Screen which comes with a "pulp" adventure, and a conversion system from BRP. There are tons of BRP adventures online for free and this will help you with that (aside from the very uniformitive and small one at the back of the Core book). I would recomend, if looking for more adventure/scenarios, that you get the Arkham book. I wrote up a mini-review of this but need to expand on it now that I have read it a few times. Here it is.

I will just add quickly that the adventures included in the Arkham book work really well for all levels of players and it woudl tie EXTREAMLY well into the Dunwich book.

If you have anymore questions please ask, me and several others are more than willing to discuss CoC stuff here any time.

I have DMed two sessions now of CoC... It is a modern campaign. There are two pc's... an FBI agent, from the criminal investigations dept. and a college professor of history and mythology...

...a murder of an NSA agent in northern Michigan has led to an ancient scroll containing lost lore (spells)... the "suspect" is found to have had at least 7 aliases now... but worked for the DIA in the 1970's in remote viewing program called "Project Stargate".... the two pc's are trying to catch up to the suspect... they are currently in Cordoba, Argentina.... have found clues to an ancient order "Shemsu- Hor" .... and are continuing on....

So far about 6 hours of game play and not one combat... The player enjoys it so far... I think the game rocks! I have many secret orders and cults for this that the game just seems to stand out.... I hope to see more "modern' supplements for CoC.
 

Shapermc

First Post
Re: questions and info...

Aeris Winterood said:
I hope to see more "modern' supplements for CoC.
Well Delta Green with d20 stats was expected to get released last month, so I expect that it will happen by September. It seems like you would really like that.
 

Jürgen Hubert

First Post
Re: questions and info...

Aeris Winterood said:
I hope to see more "modern' supplements for CoC.

Well, "Secrets of Japan" comes out soon, which is modern day, and hopefully they will publish "Undying Mars" one day, which is a monster of a campaign set on a future Mars... (last thing I heard, they have the manuscript lying around in the office, but they haven't edited it yet.)

If you are interested in a near-future setting, there is "GURPS Cthulhupunk", a mixture of the Cthulhu Mythos and cyberpunk. It is GURPS, of course, but the rules stuff in there is minimal, so using it shouldn't be a problem.

And if you haven't gotten them already, try to get "Delta Green" and "Delta Green: Countdown", which are possibly my two favorite RPG books ever. The latter has even inspired several noteworthy Forgotten Realms and Warhammer adventures...
 

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