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09:55, 28th March 2024 (GMT+0)

IC: Intro to Call of Cthulhu.

Posted by liblarva
liblarva
member, 620 posts
Mon 16 Mar 2020
at 04:16
  • msg #1

IC: Intro to Call of Cthulhu

I’m curious if there’s interest in a game specifically for introducing new players to Call of Cthulhu.

I’d run short intro scenarios designed to show new players what to expect from Call of Cthulhu. To speed up getting into the action we would be using pre-generated characters.

Teaching the rules is part of the point of the game, so if you’re completely new, this game is for you.

So, would a game like this generate any interest?
This message was last edited by the user at 04:28, Mon 16 Mar 2020.
Sithraider
member, 180 posts
Mon 16 Mar 2020
at 05:00
  • msg #2

IC: Intro to Call of Cthulhu

What version and setting? I’ve watched quite a few reviews by Seth Skorkowsky and I’m definitely interested.
liblarva
member, 621 posts
Mon 16 Mar 2020
at 05:14
  • msg #3

IC: Intro to Call of Cthulhu

System: Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition. This is the latest edition and the one Seth talks about in his videos.

Setting: Classic 1920s.
Ganurath
member, 40 posts
Mon 16 Mar 2020
at 05:46
  • msg #4

IC: Intro to Call of Cthulhu

*looks at the Introduction video of the person in question for the game in question*

Back when I was in middle school, one of my friends tried to introduce me to the Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card game by playing a few games. In these games, he always used his strongest deck, and always made me play with an extremely underwhelming deck built around a specific set of house rules that none of our games used. He was playing to win, not to convince me to play the game, and thus I never spent a penny on it.

In the intro video, Seth denounces the stereotypes that a Call of Cthulhu game has to end in the TPK, doesn't have any combat, and must cleave to the Lovecraftian roots of the game. Despite having no experience playing the game, I know these stereotypes aren't hard and fast rules because Old Man Henderson wasn't the only character in his group to last more than one session. These stereotypes, especially the first, made me have flashbacks to my brief experience playing Yu-Gi-Oh! While I'm interested in abstract, you say these are designed to show new players what to expect from Call of Cthulhu.

Should the new players expect the stereotypes?
Elfy
member, 62 posts
Mon 16 Mar 2020
at 05:54
  • msg #5

IC: Intro to Call of Cthulhu

I'm interested. Will there be a large pool of premade characters to choose from, or just a few to choose from? Can we make our own if none of the premade characters are appealing?
liblarva
member, 622 posts
Mon 16 Mar 2020
at 06:38
  • msg #6

IC: Intro to Call of Cthulhu

Ganurath. I agree with Seth. Call of Cthulhu doesn’t have to end with the entire party going insane or dying. That said, it’s a horror game. Character death is definitely on the table, but it’s certainly not required. This myth mostly comes from the more realistic and deadly combat system of Call of Cthulhu and players familiar with D&D assuming that’s how Call of Cthulhu plays as well. It doesn’t. If you try to play Call of Cthulhu as if it were D&D, your character will not last long at all. Call of Cthulhu is a horror-mystery game. You can have entire campaigns without combat, but there absolutely can be fights. They just tend to be brutal and short. Recovery takes time. Call of Cthulhu aims for more realism than D&D and it focuses on cosmic horror, horror, and mystery. It started from Lovecraft’s Mythos, but it definitely isn’t limited to the Mythos.

Elfy. There are plenty of pre-made characters to choose from, so making your own for these scenarios isn’t really an option. I don’t mind teaching people the system, including character creation, but the main goal is getting people playing the actual game fairly quickly. But if players enjoy the game and want to make it something longer, we can tweak or rewrite the pre-gens or make characters from scratch.
Elfy
member, 63 posts
Mon 16 Mar 2020
at 07:05
  • msg #7

IC: Intro to Call of Cthulhu

I see. I look forward to seeing the selection of premade characters and what adventure you are going to start with.

Similar to "Seth Skorkowsky", "Don't Stop Thinking" has a whole series on Youtube on how to play Call of Cthulhu 7E.
This message was last edited by the user at 07:07, Mon 16 Mar 2020.
Elfy
member, 64 posts
Mon 16 Mar 2020
at 21:14
  • msg #8

IC: Intro to Call of Cthulhu

Will these scenarios be Purist Cthulhu only, or will there also be some Pulp Cthulhu scenarios thrown in?
liblarva
member, 623 posts
Tue 17 Mar 2020
at 03:23
  • msg #9

IC: Intro to Call of Cthulhu

Classic Call of Cthulhu. So purist. Pulp Cthulhu is not my cuppa tea.
Ganurath
member, 41 posts
Tue 17 Mar 2020
at 03:56
  • msg #10

IC: Intro to Call of Cthulhu

Well, I'm interested in learning, and this wouldn't be the first time I've played a game that encourages constant vigilance and attention to detail.
liblarva
member, 624 posts
Fri 20 Mar 2020
at 21:02
  • msg #11

IC: Intro to Call of Cthulhu

Okay. Let's give this a try.

Anyone interested in learning Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition, feel free to stop by.

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