Are you a new Keeper? Here's some tips and options!

[klecser]

If you are a new Keeper to Call of Cthulhu, whether a veteran role-player or new to the hobby, you may be wondering what the "tiers" of engagement are for the game. Here is my view of what I recommend at different levels. There is a lot of experience on this board, so CoC vets, please feel free to chime in.

Also remember that if you purchase the PDF in advance directly from Chaosium.com, you get a coupon for that cost off the physical book version when released. Chaosium is really good at packing boxes so it will stay safe through the mail!

What should I get first?

Whether a veteran role-player or new to the hobby, you should pick up the Call of Cthulhu Starter Set. It contains everything you need to get started, plus more. You'll get dice, the basic rules of the game, a solo adventure to help you to start prepping character creation, three scenarios, handouts, character sheets, pre-generated characters and more.

If you want to see what's inside, here is my expose of why this particular Starter Set revolutionized the ttrpg industry:

 

Veteran role-players may say: "Why should I get a Starter Set? Starter Sets are dumb and not useful." Chaosium is reinventing the Starter Set for the role-playing hobby, in my opinion. This isn't like Starter Sets you've seen for other large RPGs that shall remain unnamed, with a lot of flash and little substance. This Starter Set has depth. The scenarios are all classic scenarios, but with two key changes: 1) the production values and art have been upgraded tremendously and 2) the writing has been massaged to progressively teach Keepers and players how Call of Cthulhu "works" as they play through these scenarios.

Two key differences between Call of Cthulhu and other role-playing games are that CoC is investigation-focused, not combat-focused. That means that even experienced role-players are going to find something new with this game. Rather than "gearing up" for an encounter you "knowledge up" in CoC. This also means that CoC is a handout/clue-focused game in which players are handed papers and objects that add to the immersion. The Starter Set includes models of what this is like so you, as Keeper, whether veteran or new, can see what the "prep" looks like for this game. There is more prep than most role-playing games, but that prep is VERY rewarding when you see players reacting to the immersion.

What is the next best product?

In my opinion, Arkham. It is a huge sandbox of a classic setting of both literature and this game. It embodies Classic Era Call of Cthulhu. You could spend hundreds of hours telling stories from this book and the basic rules in the Starter Set.

Check it out...

 

What scenarios will help me continue beyond the Starter Set?

 I recommend these two scenario collections as being excellent for new Keepers: Deadlight and Other Dark Turns and Gateways to Terror. 

If you only have one Keeper and one player, the one-to-one scenario collection Does Love Forgive? is tailored to you.

Doors to Darkness is also designed for new players and Keepers. These scenarios work well as is for new Keepers, and experienced Gamemasters will see opportunities to flesh them out even more.

If you are a solo player, consider Chaosium's range of "Alone Against the..." scenarios. I think that Alone Against the Tide, which started on the Miskatonic Repository, is excellent. I also recommend the recently released Alone Against The Static. It has a much more skill- and psychology-focused scenario that will appear to players that enjoy psychological horror.

Ok, we played and really enjoyed it! What next?

The Keeper Rulebook, for sure. This is the Core ruleset, and will also give you a very rich introduction into the Mythos, how it works, and what your players could encounter (or try to avoid!).

The Keeper Screen Pack is another great resource that is also a good value. A solid Keeper screen, two scenarios, a gorgeous map of Arkham, plus more.

I'd also recommend that you check out Seth Skorkowsky's YouTube Channel. Seth is, I think it is fair to say, the preeminent Call of Cthulhu YouTuber. He has an 11 Part series walking you through the rules of the game, with tips on how to make them "pop" for your players.

Also CJ Leung's videos on How To Play are excellent!

I think that James Coquillat is a top Call of Cthulhu Keeper and you can learn a LOT from watching him work. Here he is running The Necropolis (from Gateways to Terror) at Nexus Online for new players. Here he is running Dead Light (from Deadlight and Other Dark Turns) at Pax Online for an All-Star cast. These are both shorter-than-average RPG sessions for Intro scenarios. You can learn a lot about many key Keeper skills, like time management, player involvement, player story contributions, tension-building, descriptive language, and quick mechanics explanations that don't slow down game play. Plus more. James is a master.

What if I just want to play, but want a great collection of ways to immerse myself in the setting and genre?

Chaosium has you covered:

 

 

After that?

Well, that's up to you! By that time I think you'll be developing your own tastes of what you like.

Cults of Cthulhu is not only a scenario collection, but a detailed guide of both some example Cthulhu cults, and rules for the creation of cults.

The beauty of Call of Cthulhu is that there is nearly 40 years worth of material to draw from. Everything produced in the past for CoC is compatible with 7th edition with very little conversion time. This game isn't about stats so much as characters and situations. Out of this huge past catalogue, I think a solid intermediate scenario collection is Mansions of Madness.  It also just got the first part of a 7th edition release! Mansion of Madness Volume 1: Behind Closed Doors.

I also particularly like A Time To Harvest as an accessible mid-range campaign for improving Keeper skills and showcasing a good variety of the sorts of scenarios and encounters that make Call of Cthulhu great.

One of the great challenges of Keeping any role-playing game is how critical the use of description is to immerse players. The Malleus Monstrorum is indeed great as a collection of Cosmic Terror monsters and deities. But I'm going to recommend it here because it contains some great advice about how to provide evocative descriptions to your players. Doing your best with those descriptions can really make or break your ability to help your players get into the terror and squirm in their seats. I recommend this discussion between Call of Cthulhu line editor Mike Mason and some great Scandinavian Call of Cthulhu authors for some deep consideration into playing monsters: YouTube Discussion on Effectively Playing and Designing Monsters in Call of Cthulhu.

The Miskatonic Repository is an amazing fan-content community on DriveThruRPG! Heck, I've published a scenario there called Test Subjects. Check it out!

Check out licensees like New Comet Games and Golden Goblin Press. Check out Seth Skorkowsky's Channel or my Channel (RPG Imaginings) for more product unboxings, scenario reviews, product overviews and Keeping advice.

Daniel Harm's The Cthulhu Mythos Encyclopedia is an invaluable resource for Keepers wanting to understand the lore of the Mythos better. 

There are also two major Podcasts with an incredible backlog of tips for running the game: The Good Friends of Jackson Elias Podcast, and The Miskatonic University Podcast. Both have major authors/designers of Call of Cthulhu as hosts.

What is the absolute cream of the crop?

If you don't know Call of Cthulhu's history, it is important to consider that this game holds what is considered to be one of the greatest role-playing campaigns of all time: Masks of Nyarlathotep. The newest set, updated for 7th Edition, is a remarkable product. If you're looking for something fancy to treat yourself with, this might be it.  It was one of the early pioneers of role-playing campaigns that gave players freedom to decide what order to tackle locations and challenges. "Sandbox" started here.

It doesn't stop there. Horrors On The Orient Express and Beyond The Mountains of Madness are two other massive campaign classics.

My personal opinion is that the 2020 release of Dr. Lynne Hardy's Children of Fear campaign is destined to become a modern classic. It has the advantage of being a great campaign that is a more economical buy-in, since it is contained within a single volume.

Both of these campaigns are for you if you are looking to challenge your Keeper skills. They are more complex to run than most other campaigns, but the potential rewards are great.

Why should I purchase direct from Chaosium?

I fully support helping your FLGS often. Lord knows I've purchased from FLGS' in my area when I didn't really need a product just to support them.

Chaosium is a small publisher. They do a great job to get product into the hands of their fans. There are quite a few perks you get from purchasing direct from Chaosium. @DreadDomaindid a great job of summarizing them:

On 3/31/2021 at 9:31 PM, DreadDomain said:

I buy direct from Chaosium for a few reasons:

• To support them
• I get the PDF for free and I get it immediately even if the hardcover is not yet available
• Customer support has been good and responsive
• Delivery is fast, packaging is solid
• I can access my PDFs from the store at any given time and redownload them
• I trust the store (and access to my PDFs) will not disappear anytime soon.

You can head to RPG Imaginings to see examples of how well they pack their products: 

What about different "eras" of the game?

Call Of Cthulhu is a very flexible system. Part of the reason for that, in my opinion, is that it focuses more on theme and feel than setting. Cosmic horror is about how people feel. So, it can be set at any point in human history. Although the 1920's are the "default" era, many gamers prefer playing Modern, 1990s, 1970s, 1950s, 1930s, WW2, Gaslight, French Revolution, Dark Ages, etc...

@EldorfDragonsbane  has some great commentary on eras for Keepers:

Quote

One tip I love to remind both new players and new keepers is while the core game is set in the 1920's it isnt set in the 1920's you may have learned about in school. Think of it being set on an parallel earth where the Great Old Old Ones and Magic exist, for the most part it mirrors our world but at the same time it is different, certain events did happen, while others might not have. Who's to say that the Great Depression didnt start a year later or a year earlier, when you are running the game its your world to do what you want with, you can play it as accurate to history as you want, or you can have some divergence. The key thing to remember is to have fun both playing and running the game, who cares if certain things aren't realistic.

 

What if I need more help?

Most of all, feel free to ask questions here. We would love to help you get started, or extend your experience!

Edited March 10 by klecser

[JonHook]

That is all fantastic and solid advice. I would also add a couple of other resources, the Miskatonic University Podcast, and the Good Friends of Jackson Elias Podcast.  

Each of these excellent podcasts discus ways to run your Call of Cthulhu games. If I don't mind saying so myself, each podcast is hosted by a roundtable of guys with years of experience running Call of Cthulhu. They're witty, sarcastic, and imaginative. I think fans of the Call of Cthulhu RPG greatly enjoy both podcasts. 

[Eddy]

Or maybe you can go on Ebay and just pick up an old 5th Edition copy of the rules (or even older) for about £20 and maybe some of the older scenarios or campaigns for about the same price and away you go. There is no need to buy all of the new recently released stuff from Chaosium. You will soon get the hang of the rules. There is tons of stuff out there. Some about 40 years old but it is great stuff.

[Spence]

On 5/8/2019 at 11:38 AM, JonHook said:

That is all fantastic and solid advice. I would also add a couple of other resources, the Miskatonic University Podcast, and the Good Friends of Jackson Elias Podcast.  

Each of these excellent podcasts discus ways to run your Call of Cthulhu games. If I don't mind saying so myself, each podcast is hosted by a roundtable of guys with years of experience running Call of Cthulhu. They're witty, sarcastic, and imaginative. I think fans of the Call of Cthulhu RPG greatly enjoy both podcasts. 

If they posted transcripts it might be of use.  Podcasts have pretty much ended a lot of games up where i play.  getting spare time to game is rough, spending valuable time listening to people talk on the off chance they drop a nugget of useful info is a no go these days. 

[JonHook]

1 hour ago, Spence said:

If they posted transcripts it might be of use.  Podcasts have pretty much ended a lot of games up where i play.  getting spare time to game is rough, spending valuable time listening to people talk on the off chance they drop a nugget of useful info is a no go these days. 

Sorry to hear that, Spence. 

As one of the co-hosts of The Miskatonic University Podcast, I can attest that publishing transcripts is not possible, since ours is not a scripted show. 

Should you discover time in your day to listen to entertaining audio media while you're relaxing or doing some other task that doesn't require your full attention, then I hope you rediscover the fun of RPG podcasts. 

[Spence]

On 5/13/2019 at 1:25 PM, JonHook said:

Sorry to hear that, Spence. 

As one of the co-hosts of The Miskatonic University Podcast, I can attest that publishing transcripts is not possible, since ours is not a scripted show. 

Should you discover time in your day to listen to entertaining audio media while you're relaxing or doing some other task that doesn't require your full attention, then I hope you rediscover the fun of RPG podcasts. 

It's possible.  Maybe once I retire and suddenly have spare time measured in hours 😜

For me I want to usable information that I can read in 5 minutes or so.  What products are in the pipe and when do they expect to hit the shelf.

With the love affair with pod-casts no one appears to be able to succinctly impart information anymore.  

Now I am not in anyway saying that people should not watch or like pod-casts. They are entertainment.  Do you like the show?  The only difference between a pod-cast, a TV show or a movie is what the watcher finds interesting and what they are willing to spend 30 to 90 minutes of their free time to see it.   But if you like the show, then watch/listen to it. More power to the people that are pod-people. 

 

 

[Lordabdul]

I find myself that podcasts are easier to fit into my schedule than YouTube channels -- I only have a short commute to work, and a bit of workout/running to let me eat chocolate like I used to, so I listen to podcasts during that time. In comparison, YouTube channels require your full attention. But there are also written-word feeds you can follow if that's more your jam -- I follow some filtered version of RPG.net and ENworld news, and receive the newsletters/follow the official blog feeds from Chaosium and other usual suspects (Pelgrane Press, Arc Dream, etc.).

Back to the OP, I think another good book people might buy pretty soon after the Starter Kit and Core Rules book is the Pulp Cthulhu book. I've seen people get into Cthulhu with the wrong idea: they thought you could create characters with magic powers from the get go, or they didn't think it would be as hopeless and bleak (expecting action/horror instead of cosmic horror for instance). I think the Pulp Cthulhu sourcebook lets non-HPL/cosmic-horror fans still have tentacle-rich fun, and that's probably an option they need to know about early on.

[David Scott]

On 5/11/2019 at 6:38 PM, Eddy said:

Or maybe you can go on Ebay and just pick up an old 5th Edition copy of the rules (or even older) for about £20

Normally I'd agree with this. I have a fifth edition rules set and have played a lot of CoC over the years. I've never seen the need to upgrade as basically in my mind versions 1-6 are the same. However this changed when I watched Mike Mason, one of the 7ed authors run a game on Penny Arcade: 

It was great, as the game unfolded the 7ed rules looked better and better! So I got the CoC Starter set and ran the first adventure last night with two players. The rule book is very small, but has all the needed stuff. The new rules really changed the way the game was played, % characteristics, regular, half and fifth rolls, when you fail a roll you can push if you want - do a re-roll with a consequence, and there are now bonus and penalty dice if needed. The only thing that annoyed me was that the new luck rules aren't in the Starter set (I don't have the full 7ed rulebook) the new luck rules were the first thing that caught my attention in the video.

Disclaimer - I work for Chaosium and know Mike. That aside as a gamer I was really impressed with the show, the Starter set and the 7ed rules.

[Lordabdul]

Yeah I have only GM'ed one short adventure with the 7ed rules so far, but it's the first time ever that I feel CoC has a "proper" system. Before, I would usually use a different system, with house-rules for making sanity rules feel "CoC-y". But now, with 7ed's better combat system, better fleshed out magic system, and all kinds of other tweaks, I actually want to use the rules as written.

[seneschal]

The main thing I need to be a Keeper is ... players.

[Spence]

On 5/22/2019 at 8:43 AM, lordabdul said:

Yeah I have only GM'ed one short adventure with the 7ed rules so far, but it's the first time ever that I feel CoC has a "proper" system. Before, I would usually use a different system, with house-rules for making sanity rules feel "CoC-y". But now, with 7ed's better combat system, better fleshed out magic system, and all kinds of other tweaks, I actually want to use the rules as written.

While I won't say 7th is the first time I thought CoC worked since I have played it on and off for years since 1st Ed.  I will say I was very very pleased with the changes that 7th added.  I won't say it "fixed" anything, but I will say it definitely "smoothed over the last rough spots".

 

I also like Pulp being broken out into its own book.  Though I do think people still misunderstand what CoC Pulp is when compared to "Action Pulp".  I have read a lot of pulp era horror/mystery/thriller pulp stories, and they are not Indiana Jones.....

 

And Down Darker Trails is just Awesomeness incarnate 😁

[klecser]

Edited above to include PDF links to Deadlight and Other Dark Turns and Gateways to Terror. I think both are fine new Keeper options.

Also, added a link to CJ Leung's excellent videos.

Edited December 16, 2019 by klecser

[Dethstrok9]

Truly wonderful advice! 

 But I have one thing to add. No matter if your a Keeper or a Investigator, the one thing all role-players need is imagination. At the end of the day, statistics aside, all RPGs are collaborative narrative exercises and you need to understand how a story or character works. One should discover all the richness of storytelling first, then purchase all the rulebooks and supplements. Learn about character arc and the three act story, solid backstory and world building, and anything else you can! Life is short, don't waste it on a sub-par role-playing experience. Actually read ALL of Lovecraft's available fiction. Learn about the three stages of horror.

 After you have learned the basics of story development, you should move on with the starter set and the Keeper Rulebook. This is the best RPG system I've ever played, and there's no way you can go wrong with these products. Also, unlike wizards of the coast and hasbro, Chaosium actually cares about their customers and is a company I am proud to support. "We are all us."

 

 

[klecser]

Edit: Updated to switch PDF Links of above to physical product. Added PDF of 7th Edition Mansions of Madness Volume 1, since I explicitly mentioned the prior iteration as a solid intermediate scenario collection.

[klecser]

Big Edit adding a lot of different resources. Daniel Harm's Encyclopedia, references to Good Friends and MU Podcasts, and Malleus Monstrorum as a great resource for how to play creatures.

[Dethstrok9]

5 minutes ago, Tranquillitas Ordinis said:

Do not trust anyone who says that you need to spend money to start playing a game that requires just... imagination.

I mean, Klecser made a very useful tool for newer Keepers which could be helpful, but I know what you mean.

Aside from that, awesome collection of resources! Yes indeed you can play with just the free stuff, and have fun while you do so:)

[klecser]

27 minutes ago, Tranquillitas Ordinis said:

Inspired by this message I propose a different approach, which I find more reasonable. Why? If you sum up the prices of just pdfs of the books mentioned by klecser in the first post (I ignore "After that?" paragraph and use current DriveThruRPG values) you get $88. If you constrain yourself just to pdfs of the Starter Set and the Rulebook you get around $38. Probably in the USA it is a fair price, but people in poorer countries might not be able to spend that much on their hobby. Especially, not knowing much about the game, not sure if they will like it after all, if they can find interested players, if the official adventures suit their style of playing etc. etc.

I respect the fact that you are contributing free options. Everyone's financial situation is different and it is up to anyone to decide how much they are willing to spend on role-playing games. I think that it is worth mentioning that this is the official message board of a game company. Game companies have to make money to survive. They don't sell product, the game doesn't grow. My goal in creating this post was two-fold: 1) As an information resource to help prospective Keepers. I think it does this. Note that I suggest several free resources as well. and 2) To showcase some of the products available for sale that, as an experienced gamer, I think could be useful to people. 

You seem to be making the argument that I'm being disingenuous in making a bunch of suggestions for people. I am not saying to buy all these things.  The post starts with "Pick up the Starter Set." The PDF costs 10 USD and the physical product is 25 USD. I then follow with a variety of options. I'm trusting the reader to make some informed judgments on their own. 

I recognize that you also may be interpreting the word "need" literally.  I'm using "need" in a very casual way here. When I talk to gamers they ask "What do I need?" and I suggest several options to them.  

Edited June 16, 2020 by klecser

[Dethstrok9]

2 hours ago, Fred said:

Hi, I saw there was a thread with any errata updates on some of the products. Do you guys know if the physical products are updated in regards to this?

They are, they get reprinted and updated.

[klecser]

@Fred every book has an errata/corrections thread. I don't think that there is an announcement whenever there is an update. Like most errata documents, the last date of update is listed.

I reorganized the original post to put some short scenario collections right after the Starter. This includes the addition of "Does Love Forgive?" one-to-one scenarios. I haven't read them yet, but they were released with the Polish version so I expect that they'll be good. I think being explicit about a one-to-one option is important here for people trying to find any way to play. Folks in rural areas or who are very busy with jobs/family frequently seek out one-to-one play options.

Edited July 30, 2020 by klecser

[Joe]

Hi,

New Keeper here; not sure if this is the place to make a proper introduction but new to these forums.

Not new to TTRGPGs (D&D, Vampire, World of Darkness) but fairly new to CoC. I have all the 7e rulebooks and looking to start a game, (or join one) plus downloaded all the great free resources posted here. Just curious if someone can point me out to any streaming shows that I can watch to get a hang for being a keeper and if there are any online game platforms like Discord where I can join or start a game.

Much thanks,

Joe

Edited August 23, 2020 by Joe

[klecser]

Hey @Joe, welcome! I recommend Mike Mason (Call of Cthulhu lead writer and editor) running a scenario for Penny Arcade: 

 

Also, Mike running The Dead Within, a forthcoming campaign for the game:

 

To begin to help you wrap your brain on how Keeping differs in Call of Cthulhu from many other games, the key is to recognize that Call of Cthulhu is an investigative role-playing game. Combat in CoC is frequently side-lined in favor of seeking and interpreting clues of mysteries. Physical handouts and managing access to clues and their locations are a big part of the ebb-and-flow of the table. Players are ordinary people and the most effective are most often academics with lots of smarts and willpower.

Feel free to drop further specific questions!

klecser

Edited August 23, 2020 by klecser

[Lordabdul]

I'll second the live plays with Mike as the GM -- he's really good: just enough narration to get in the story, but short enough to keep those videos from going too long.

As for Discord, there's an unoffical Chaosium Discord server, on which you'll find obviously people playing Chaosium games... there's also the Discord servers for a couple of CoC-related podcasts: Miskatonic University Podcast (scroll down and check out the Discord widget on the right), and the Good Friends of Jackson Elias (scroll down until you find the Discord icon).

[klecser]

Added links to two of James Coquillat's showcase games that he ran at digital Cons recently. I think that he is also an excellent Keeper model for any CoC Keeper, new or experienced.

[klecser]

I continue to update links to physical books when they release. In addition, I've added a mention of the solo scenarios to expand usefulness for players who prefer solo gaming. I've also added a section on what I perceive to be the "advanced" campaign options for CoC Keepers: Masks and Children of Fear. I can see experience gamers coming from other games having the GM skills needed to run these right off the bat, so it seemed silly not to include them in the suggestions.

[Joe]

much appreciated, thank you!!!