Tabletop Roleplay Spotlight Review: Call of Cthulhu

Call of Cthulhu: The Terror of the Unknown

Call of Cthulhu is not a game about being a hero; it’s a game about being a fragile human who discovers that the universe is far stranger and more terrifying than they ever imagined. Based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft, this TTRPG is a masterclass in cosmic horror and investigation. Your character isn't a powerful adventurer but an inquisitive person, like a professor or a private detective, trying to unravel a sinister mystery that they find themselves embroiled in without losing their mind.

The Mechanics: Sanity and Investigation

The game uses a d100 roll-under system. To succeed at a task, you roll a percentile die and must get a result equal to or lower than your skill rating. The most famous mechanic is Sanity, as your character witnesses horrifying events, their Sanity points decrease. If their Sanity drops too much too quickly, your character goes temporarily insane, and can develop new phobias and disorders, or if they loss too much then they will become permanently changed by the horrors they've seen, losing their minds.

A character's success is not just tied to the whims of the dice roll, a player can choose to push a failed roll, describing how their character tries a little harder or takes an alternative approach. However, if you fail a pushed roll then the consequences can be a lot more severe. Not wanting to push your luck to gain a success a player cane choice instead to send a characters Luck, a finite resources that can be used in those important moments when you just need a win.

Who is This Game For?

Call of Cthulhu is for mystery lovers and horror fans. It’s perfect for groups who enjoy a tense atmosphere and prioritize clever investigation and problem-solving over combat. If the idea of a game where you might "win" by not dying, but end up in a padded cell, sounds appealing, this is the game for you.

Personal Thoughts

What I Like

I am a massive Lovecraft and eldritch horror fan so Call of Cthulhu really does it for me. I am also a fan of the d100 roll under system, it is extremely simple to understand with some extra degrees of complexity with its Hard and Extreme successes and failures if required.

I absolutely love the Sanity mechanic. It creates a palpable sense of dread and forces players to make difficult decisions. The low-combat nature means that encounters with monsters are truly terrifying and memorable.

How I run it

I run these as loosely connected investigations using the modules, things like Dead Lights and the Saturnine Chalice are great for new players and can be completed in an evening. There are loads of different versions of Call of Cthulhu as well, including a more action based version Pulp Cthulhu which shifts the timeframe to the 1930s and giving the player characters a little more of a heroic nature with skills and abilities that reflect.

Call of Cthulhu Investigations