diff --git "a/README.md" "b/README.md" --- "a/README.md" +++ "b/README.md" @@ -1,2573 +0,0 @@ -Quick-Start Rules -“The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear.” -—H. P. Lovecraft - -CREDITS -Authors - -Mike Mason with Paul Fricker, -Sandy Petersen, and Lynn Willis - -Editorial - -Lynne Hardy - -Cover Art -Lin Hsiang - -Interior Art - -Lin Hsiang, Victor Leza, Rachel Kahn, -Andrey Fetisov, and Albeerto Bontempi - -Layout - -Nicholas Nacario - -Licensing - -Michael O’Brien, James Lowder, and Mike Mason - -Call of Cthulhu Creative Director -Mike Mason - -Clear Credit - -The Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game was originally written by Sandy Petersen, with later revisions by Lynn Willis and others. The 7th edition of the -game was a collaboration between, and written by, Mike Mason and Paul Fricker. This Quick-Start revision written by Mike Mason and based upon -work by Paul Fricker and Mike Mason. Investigator sheet design by Matt Ryan and Max Harrison. -Cthulhu of Cthulhu: Quick-Start Rules © 1990, 2007, 2018, 2021 Chaosium Inc. All rights reserved. -Call of Cthulhu © 1981–2021 Chaosium Inc. All rights reserved. -Call of Cthulhu, Chaosium Inc., and the Chaosium logo are registered trademarks of Chaosium Inc. -This is a work of fiction. This book includes descriptions and portrayals of real places, real events, and real people; these may not be presented -accurately and with conformity to the real-world nature of these places, people, and events, and are reinterpreted through the lens of the Cthulhu -Mythos and the Call of Cthulhu game in general. No offense to anyone living or dead, or to the inhabitants of any of these places, is intended. -This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Reproduction of this work by any means without written -permission of Chaosium Inc., except for the use of short excerpts for the purpose of reviews and the copying of character sheets, maps, and handouts -for in-game use, is expressly prohibited. -Chaosium recognizes that credits and copyrights for the Cthulhu Mythos can be difficult to identify, and that some elements of the Mythos may be -in the public domain. If you have corrections or additions to any credits given here, please contact us at mythos@chaosium.com. -chaosium.com -Chaosium Inc. -3450 Wooddale Ct. -Ann Arbor, MI 48104 -Chaosium publication 231@@ -ISBN-13: 978-1-56882-@@@-@ -Printed in @@@@@. - - TABLE OF CONTENTS -DO YOU HEAR THE CALL OF CTHULHU? 5 -Overview 6 -Roleplaying Dice 6 -Equipment Required 7 - -INVESTIGATORS 8 -GAME SYSTEM 10 -Skill Rolls and Difficulty Levels 10 -Opposed Rolls 10 -Bonus and Penalty Dice 11 -Luck Rolls 12 -Sanity  12 -Combat  12 -Close Combat 13 -Fighting Maneuvers 13 -Outnumbered 14 -Firearms 14 -Hit Points, Wounds, and Healing 14 -Other Forms of Damage 15 - -THE HAUNTING  25 -Collected Player Handouts  32 - -READY-MADE INVESTIGATORS  34 - - 4 - - welcome to - -DO YOU HEAR -THE CALL OF CTHULHU? - -Call of Cthulhu is a horror-themed roleplaying game -concerning both horrors from beyond and from within. The -game is inspired by the 20th century horror and weird fiction -written by H. P. Lovecraft and other writers like Frank -Belknap Long, Lin Carter, and August Derleth, as well as -contemporary writers like Ramsey Campbell (to name but -a few). The game draws upon the fictional invention of what -has become known as the “Cthulhu Mythos,” a selection of -stories sharing common plot elements—such as mythical -books of arcane lore and alien god-like entities. The game -draws on the imaginative ideas and creations arising from -the Cthulhu Mythos, while avoiding Lovecraft’s own -distasteful personal views and racism, which have no place -in the game. If you have not read any Cthulhu Mythos -stories we encourage you to do so—there are many to -be found alongside Lovecraft’s own, including modern -reinterpretations of the Cthulhu Mythos seen through the -eyes of differing cultures and heritages. -These Quick-Start Rules gives you all the information -you will need to begin playing and having fun with the Call -of Cthulhu roleplaying game, and include a brief overview -of the core rules and how to play the game. If you enjoy -the experience, we recommend you consider moving on to -the Call of Cthulhu Starter Set, which includes the full basic -rules, a simplified investigator creation system, and four -introductory adventures. Once you have mastered and played -through the material in the Starter Set, you’ll be ready to use -the Call of Cthulhu: Keeper Rulebook, which contains the full -rules and a complete investigator creation system, as well -as a plethora of game information. You can purchase these -products from good game and hobby stores, large bookstores, -online, and directly from chaosium.com. - -Interested in Chaosium’s Call of Cthulhu? You are not alone! -Call of Cthulhu is Chaosium’s tabletop roleplaying game of -mystery and horror, where ordinary people delve into weird -events and lore, and confront the terrifying and alien forces -of the Cthulhu Mythos. -The game has won many awards for gaming excellence and -is published by Chaosium Inc., one of the oldest roleplaying -game companies in the world. Chaosium is famous for -publishing engaging games—including Call of Cthulhu, -RuneQuest, Pendragon, 7th Sea, and many more. -All you need to play Call of Cthulhu for the first time is -this Quick-Start Rules guide, some polyhedral dice (or a -dice-rolling app), plenty of imagination, and your friends. -Welcome to the worlds of Call of Cthulhu! - -INTRODUCTION - -Call of Cthulhu is a game full of secrets, mysteries, and horror. -Playing the roles of steadfast investigators, you and your -friends will travel to strange and dangerous places, uncover -foul plots, and stand against the terrors of the night. Within -strange and forgotten tomes of lore you may discover secrets -that humanity was not meant to know. Along the way, sanityblasting monsters and insane cultists work to bring about -your demise. You and your companions may well decide the -fate of the world! - -5 - - WELCOME TO CALL OF CTHULHU - -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 -9 -0 - -AN OVERVIEW -OF THE GAME - -Keeper takes on the roles of all the supporting characters and -monsters in the adventure, while each of the players just plays -one role—that of their investigator. -“Winning” in such a situation depends on whether the -investigators succeed in their goal, and “losing” is what happens -if they fail to achieve it (though they may be able to try again -later). During the game, investigators may become injured, -suffer sanity-shattering experiences, or even die! However, -someone has to make a stand against the cosmic horrors of the -Cthulhu Mythos, and the death of a single investigator matters -little if it means repulsing Cthulhu’s master plan to enslave the -Earth! In the game, investigators are mostly ordinary people -forced into heroic roles, but they are still fragile humans and -prone to injury and death. If an investigator must “retire” from -play, their player can pick up or create a new investigator to -join the team and continue the story. -Investigators who survive gain knowledge of horrendous -monsters, power from arcane volumes of forgotten lore, and -advancement in their skills as they become more experienced; -thus, the players’ investigators continue to progress until their -demise or retirement—whichever comes first. - -The aim of playing Call of Cthulhu is to have fun with your -friends as you explore and create a story of mystery and horror. -One player takes the role of game moderator, known as the -Keeper of Arcane Lore (“Keeper” for short), whose role is to -run the game for the rest of the players and apply the rules as -necessary. Everyone else takes the parts of intrepid Investigators -of the Unknown (“investigators”)—the heroes of the story— -attempting to seek out, understand, and eventually confront the -horrors, mysteries, and secrets of the Cthulhu Mythos. -As you are the person reading this book, we will assume -that you are going to take on the role of Keeper for the first -few games you play. The Keeper picks a story to run—these -are known as “adventures” or “scenarios.” You can find an -introductory adventure at the back of this book—a scenario -called The Haunting (page 17). Each adventure provides the -Keeper with the structure of a story (the plot) to present to -the players. The Keeper’s role is a little like that of a director -making a movie in which the actors don’t know how the story -will develop. The players are like actors, who have the freedom -to improvise their own scripts and actions within the game. -The investigators need not be anything at all like the -people who play them. Indeed, it is often more rewarding -and enjoyable for players to create characters entirely unlike -themselves—such as tough private eyes, wisecracking -journalists, or learned academics. Most of the game play is -a verbal exchange. The Keeper sets the scene, describing the -environment, the individuals, and encounters to the players. -The players tell the Keeper what they intend for their -investigators to do, how they interact with people and things, -and so on. The Keeper then tells the players what happens. -In play, the game takes the form of a group conversation, -with many twists and turns and fun along the way. Together, -everyone tells the group’s story—their version of how their -characters overcame (or not) the challenges of the adventure. -The game’s rules use polyhedral dice to determine if an -investigator’s action succeeds or fails when a dramatic “conflict” -presents itself—for example, whether the investigators are able -to leap out of the way of a giant statue about to crash down -upon their heads! The rules in this Quick-Start describe how -to decide the outcome of such conflicts. - -ROLEPLAYING DICE - -The Keeper and players use a set of roleplaying dice in the game. -These polyhedral dice include: percentile dice (D100), a foursided die (D4), a six-sided die (D6), an eight-sided die (D8), -and a twenty-sided die (D20). Such sets can be purchased from -game hobby stores—only one set is needed, although players -often like to have their own dice sets; alternatively, you may -prefer to use a dice-rolling app instead. The letter “D” stands for -“dice.”The number after the D is the range of numbers available: -1D8 generates random numbers 1 through 8, for instance, while -1D100 generates the numbers 1–100. In an adventure, the text -will call for different dice rolls using this terminology. So, if the -text says a monster delivers 1D8 damage, then roll the 8-sided -die once to determine how much damage is actually caused. -Reading D100 (Percentile Dice) - -Winners and Losers - -In Call of Cthulhu there are no winners and losers in the standard -competitive sense—play is cooperative. The participants work -together to attain a common goal—usually to discover and -then foil a nefarious plot being perpetrated by the minions -of a dark cult or some devious monster. The opposition that -the investigators face can often be an alien or hostile situation -controlled by an impartial Keeper, not another player. The - -6 - - WELCOME TO CALL OF CTHULHU - -NEVER PLAYED A ROLEPLAYING GAME BEFORE? -If you’ve never played a roleplaying game before you may -be wondering what this is all about. To set you on the right -track, it may be useful to describe an average session of play, -which can take place in person around a table or online over -a video conference. - -responds to this, putting on the voice of their investigator to say -that such things are “Complete hokum.” As the story unfolds, -everyone becomes involved, describing what their characters are -doing or saying. Some of the players decide to speak in the manner -of their characters, such as with a New York accent, while others -prefer not to “act” out their character and just speak normally. -Dramatic conflicts arise and dice are rolled to determine the -outcome, with John being the referee of the rules. -Sometimes the players get their way, while at other times -events appear to conspire against them. It is all played out simply -by talking and rolling dice to determine the outcome of certain -situations; people aren’t getting out of their chairs to act it out, -neither are they donning costumes. -Everyone ceases play at around ten-thirty, and then chat for a -while before calling it a night at around eleven o’clock. Everyone -is looking forward to meeting up again next week to find out how -the story develops. - -Debbie and their partner Alex, along with their two friends -Morgan and Susan, meet up at John’s house on Friday evening -at around seven o’clock. After catching up on the week’s news and -getting some drinks and nibbles, they sit down in the lounge, -ready to play. John hands out some ready-made investigators -along with some paper and pencils, and everyone is ready to start. -It’s now about eight o’clock. John kicks off the game by describing -the opening scene from the adventure they have chosen to play, -telling how the investigators find themselves talking with a man -who wants them to check out an old property he owns; rumor -has it that it might be haunted! One of the players immediately - -Percentile dice usually consist of two 10-sided dice, which -are rolled together at the same time. One die (units) is -numbered 1 to 0, the other die (tens) being numbered 10 -to 00. Both dice are rolled and should be read together— -e.g. “30” on the tens die and “05” on the units die is read as -35%. A roll of “00” (tens die) combined with a “0” (units die) -indicates a result of 100%, while a roll of “00” on the tens die -combined with any other roll on the units die indicates a roll -of under 10%; for example, a roll of 00 on the tens die and 3 -on the units die is read as 3%. - -EQUIPMENT REQUIRED -When you are ready to begin playing Call of Cthulhu, you’ll -need a few things to start: -• -• -• -• -• -• - -This Quick-Start Rules guide. -A set of polyhedral (“roleplaying”) dice or a dice-rolling app. -Some notepaper. -Some pencils. -At least one other person to game with. -A quiet place to play, such as around a kitchen table or -lounge. -• Two to four hours in which to play. -Of course, playing online is possible too. Instead of -a set of real dice you could use an online dice roller,” and -you could share investigator sheets as PDFs (you can -download writable PDF sheets at chaosium.com). Any video -conferencing platform could be used—you just need to make -sure everyone can see and hear everyone else in the game. - -Dice Roll Variations -Sometimes, a dice notation is preceded by a number other -than “1”—this means that more than one such die should be -rolled, with their results added together. For instance, 2D6 -means that two 6-sided dice are rolled and totaled (or roll a -D6 twice and add the results together). -You might also see 1D8+1 or 1D6+1, for instance. This -means that the number following the plus sign should be -added to the result of the die roll. For 1D6+1, the result must -be 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7. If a monster claws for 1D6+1+2D4 damage, -find the result of the attack by rolling the two requested dice, -totaling the results, and adding 1 (rolling 1D6 and 2D4, then -adding 1 to the total rolled across all of the dice). - -7 - - WELCOME TO CALL OF CTHULHU - -1 INVESTIGATORS -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 -9 -0 - -box would be “30” (half of 60) and the lower box would be -“12” (one-fifth of 60). See Skill Rolls and Difficulty Levels, -page 10, for what these values mean in play. -Each of the characteristics measures a certain attribute: - -This Quick-Start guide does not include the rules for creating -investigator characters from scratch—those rules are included -in the Call of Cthulhu Starter Set and the Call of Cthulhu: Keeper -Rulebook. Instead, at the back of this book you will find four -ready-to-play investigators—note that PDF versions of these -characters are available to download from chaosium.com. The -players can pick from these pre-generated characters and use -them when playing the included adventure, The Haunting. To -help understand the investigator sheet, here’s the lowdown on -what everything means. -Players record the details of their character on an -investigator sheet, which holds all the information they need -in the game. Each sheet is divided into sections: - -• STR: the raw physical power your investigator can bring -to bear. - -• CON: the health and hardiness of your investigator. -• SIZ: an abstracted value of your investigator’s height and weight. -• DEX: physical agility and speed. -• APP: the physical appeal or how “good looking” your -investigator is. -• EDU: a measure of the knowledge that your investigator -has accumulated through formal education or the venerated -“school of hard knocks” (i.e. street smarts). -• INT: a measure of your investigator’s cunning, problem -solving, and ability to make leaps of logic and intuition. -• POW: a combination of force of will, spirit, and mental stability. - -1. About Your Investigator: your investigator’s name, age, -gender, and occupation, as well as their birthplace and current -residence. In Call of Cthulhu, an investigator’s occupation -determines the skills they are most proficient with. -2. Characteristics: there are eight characteristics used to measure -Strength (STR), Constitution (CON), Size (SIZ), Dexterity -(DEX), Appearance (APP), Education (EDU), Intelligence -(INT), and Willpower (POW). Each of these has a “Regular” -percentile value between 1 and 100; thus, STR 60 means -Strength 60%. Note that there are two smaller boxes to the -edge of each characteristic—the upper small box is half value -(or “Hard” value, i.e. the Regular value divided by 2), while the -lower small box is the one-fifth value (or “Extreme” value, i.e. -the Regular value divided by 5). E.g. with STR 60, the upper - -In addition,there there are four key values for an investigator— -Hit Points (HP), Magic Points (MP), Luck (Luck), and Sanity -(SAN). These values may go up and down in play. -• Hit Points (HP): when your investigator suffers damage, -deduct damage points from hit points—at zero hit points -your investigator falls unconscious and may die—see Hit -Points, Wounds, and Healing, page 14. -• Magic Points (MP): used to cast a spell or some other magical -effect. When spent, magic points regenerate at a rate of 1-point -per hour. If a character uses up all of their magic points, any -further expenditure is taken from their hit points (becoming -physical damage)—see Corbitt’s Spells, page 31, in The -Haunting for an example of how magic points are used. -• Luck: used to determine whether external circumstances are -with or against your investigator (whether your investigator -can find a lantern in a dark barn, and so on)—see Luck -Rolls, page 12. -• Sanity (SAN): measures your investigator’s ability to deal -with the shock and corruption from exposure to alien and -mind-bending horrors of the Cthulhu Mythos. Sometimes, -when such things overcome your investigator, they lose Sanity -points, reflecting the lingering effect of such trauma—see -Sanity, page 12. Note that “Starting” SAN begins equal to -POW, but may later rise or fall through play, and the “Insane” -box is used to write in one-fifth of the “Starting” SAN value. -Running along the bottom of this section are Temporary -Insanity, Indefinite Insanity, Major Wound, Unconscious, -and Dying—these are checked when certain events happen -during the game. - -8 - - WELCOME TO CALL OF CTHULHU - -3. Skills: this section lists all of the common skills available. -Your investigator can attempt to use most of these skills -using the “base value” noted in parentheses next to the skill, -e.g. “Accounting (05%)” means that everyone has a 5% skill -in accountancy. On the ready-made investigator sheets you -can see that each character has increased values for certain -skills (these higher values supersede the base values). The -ones with increased values are the skills your investigator -is relatively proficient in; the higher the value, the more -skilled they are. -Note that there are two boxes to the right of each skill -box—the middle box is half value (or “Hard” value, i.e. -the Regular value divided by 2), while the box on the -right is the one-fifth value (or “Extreme” value, i.e. the -Regular value divided by 5). E.g. with a Charm skill of -50%, the middle box would be “25” (half of 50) and the -box to the right would be “10” (one-fifth of 50). See Skill -Rolls and Difficulty Levels, page 10, for what these -values mean in play. -4. Weapons: notes any weapons possessed by your investigator. -Each weapon has an entry for its Regular, Hard, and -Extreme skill values, the damage it can inflict (usually a die -roll), and the number of attacks (per round) it can be used; -and, for firearms, its range, ammunition, and its malfunction -number—see Combat, page 12, for more details. -5. Action Reference: this is a quick reference area showing -Move (the human average is Move 8), Build, Damage Bonus -(DB), and also a duplicate of your investigator’s Dodge skill -value—all useful during combat and other dramatic events! -6. My Story: use this to write in the personal history of your -investigator. You might add to and develop this during play. -7. Backstory: each entry is a way to further describe your -investigator, whether it’s a short description of how they -appear, their ideology and beliefs, or their traits and -mannerisms. You can also make a note about any significant -people in their life, treasured possessions, and locations that -are important to them. Most times, filling in two or more of -these sections helps to round out your character. Note that -Injuries & Scars, Phobias & Manias, Arcane Tomes, Spell & -Artifacts, and Encounters with Strange Entities are usually -filled out during play rather than beforehand. -8. Gear and Possessions: record important items, equipment, -and weapons carried on your investigator’s person. As a rule -of thumb, an investigator would be carrying the items they -would use day-to-day in their occupation, so there’s no need -to write every single thing down—only the important and -relevant stuff. - -CREDIT RATING -Credit Rating is a skill on the investigator sheet, and can be -used as a means to exemplify your investigators wealth (or -lack of it) and social status. -• -• -• -• -• -• - -Credit Rating of 0: Penniless, living on the streets. -Credit Rating of 1–9: Poor, has the bare minimum. -Credit Rating of 10–49: Average, a reasonable comfort level. -Credit Rating of 50–89: Wealthy, some degree of luxury. -Credit Rating of 90–98: Rich, great wealth and luxury. -Credit Rating of 99–100: Super rich, money is no object. - -9. Wealth: don’t worry about this section—it’s just for advanced -games, where a character’s money on hand and savings might -be important (these are covered in the Call of Cthulhu: Keeper -Rulebook)—see the nearby box about Credit Rating. -10.Fellow Investigators: record the names of the other -players in your game, as well as their investigators’ names. -11.Quick Reference Rules: a handy rules reminder and -something you might refer to once you have more -experience of playing the game. - -9 - - WELCOME TO CALL OF CTHULHU - -1 GAME SYSTEM -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 -9 -0 - -If you can justify it through your investigator’s actions, you -can “push” a failed skill roll. Pushing a roll allows you to roll the -dice a second time; however, the stakes are raised. If you fail a -second time, the Keeper gets to inflict a dire consequence upon -your character—you might partially succeed in your goal or not, -depending on the Keeper’s determination, but either way, your -investigator will pay some sort of price for failing the roll. Before a -pushed roll is made, the Keeper has the option of foreshadowing -what might happen if the pushed roll is failed; the player can then -decide whether it’s worth the risk to take the second roll or not. - -“Skill rolls” may be called for during dramatic situations in -the game. Walking down a well-lit hallway is not a dramatic -situation, whereas running down a rubble-strewn corridor -while being chased by monsters most definitely is! Only -make a skill roll when the outcome is uncertain and dramatic. -When attempting a skill roll, you should first agree a -goal with the Keeper—what is your investigator trying to -achieve? If your skill roll is successful, you achieve your goal. -Additionally, when you successfully roll a skill, put a check -mark in the box next to it on your investigator sheet. You -can only get one check per skill at a time. At the end of the -scenario, that skill could increase due to experience—your -Keeper will ask you to “roll for skill increases,” if you roll over -a checked skill’s value, you gain +1D10 points to that skill -(with a checked Climb skill of 40, you roll 1D100 and get -58, as this is above 40, you get to add 1D10 points to Climb). -In other words, the more you know, the hardier it is to learn -something new or to get better. -On occasion, you may need to roll a test that is not covered -by the skills on your sheet. If so, look at your investigator’s -characteristics and determine which one of them is best to -use and treat it like a skill. - -Example: your investigator is trying to open the heavy stone -door of a crypt—the goal is “open the crypt.” The Keeper decides -this is very difficult and asks for a STR roll, specifying that a -“Hard success” is required. Your investigator’s STR is 60, so a -Hard success requires a roll of 30 or below. You roll the dice but -the result is 43—you have failed, as you rolled above half your -investigator’s STR. You ask if you can push the roll, saying that -your character is picking up and using a spade to help lever the -door. The Keeper permits a second roll, but warns that if you fail -this roll, not only will the door still be closed but “something” -may hear you and could be coming for your blood! Note that we -used the STR characteristic here, as opening the door is feat of -strength rather than a specific skill; if the door had a lock on it, -you might instead use the Locksmith skill at Regular difficulty or -a Mechanical Repair roll at Hard difficulty. - -SKILL ROLLS AND -DIFFICULTY LEVELS - -OPPOSED SKILL ROLLS - -Your Keeper will tell you when you should attempt a skill -roll and how difficult the task is—you just describe what your -investigator is doing, and the Keeper will advise you if a skill -roll is needed. - -If two investigators are opposing one another, or if an -investigator is in a conflict with a significant Keepercontrolled character (a monster or NPC, i.e. one for whom -statistics are listed in the scenario), the Keeper may require -an “opposed roll.” To resolve an opposed roll, both sides -make a skill (or characteristic) roll and compare their levels -of success. A Regular success beats a Fail, a Hard success -beats a Regular success, and an Extreme success beats a Hard -success. In the case of a draw, the side with the higher skill -value wins—if both skills are equal, then have both sides roll -1D100, with the lower result winning. - -• A regular task requires a roll of equal to or less than your -skill value on 1D100 (a Regular success). -• A difficult task requires a 1D100 roll result equal to or less -than half your skill value (a Hard success). -• A task approaching the limits of human capability requires a -1D100 roll equal to or less than one-fifth of your skill value -(an Extreme success). - -LEVELS OF SUCCESS -(worst) FAIL — REGULAR SUCCESS — HARD SUCCESS — EXTREME SUCCESS (best) - -10 - - WELCOME TO CALL OF CTHULHU - -Bonus and Penalty Dice - -(see fig 1.) The units die reads 4 and can be paired with either of -the two tens dice to give scores of 44 or 24. Malcolm’s player takes -the lower result 24—a Hard success. Malcolm wins the opposed -roll, and his proposal of marriage to Lady Greene is accepted. - -Sometimes, the prevailing conditions for the investigators, -their environment, and/or the time available can hinder or -benefit a skill or characteristic roll. Under certain conditions -the Keeper may grant a “bonus” or a “penalty” die to a roll. -One bonus die and one penalty die cancel each other out. -Such bonuses and penalties operate in a similar way to -raising the difficulty of a roll, and can be used instead of, -or in addition to, an increased difficulty. Normally, though, -bonus and penalty dice are used primarily with opposed rolls. - -For each penalty die: roll an additional “tens” die alongside -the usual pair of percentile (D100) dice. You’re now rolling -three separate dice: one “units” die and two “tens” dice. For a -penalty, use the “tens” die that yields the worst (higher) result. -Example: in a dire turn of events, two investigators—Felix and -Harrison—have been captured by the cultists of the Scarlet Smile. The -cultists decide to have some “fun” at the investigators’ expense, decreeing -that both must undertake the Ordeal of Pain, from which only one can -survive as the loser will be sacrificed to the cultists’ foul god. -The Ordeal of Pain involves lifting a huge rock and holding it -aloft. Whoever holds the rock up the longest wins. This requires an -opposed STR roll from each of the investigators; however, the Keeper -rules that Harrison must take a penalty die, as he recently suffered a -major wound (he received an injury when he was captured by the -cultists) and is still recovering. Felix’s player rolls 51 against STR -65—a Regular success. Harrison’s STR is 55. His player rolls 20 -and 40 on two tens dice and 1 on the units die (see fig 2.), which -can be combined to read 21 or 41. The extra die was a penalty die, so -Harrison must take the higher result—a Regular success -Both players have achieved a Regular success; Felix wins -because he has the higher STR value. Felix is able to hold the rock -above his head for longer than Harrison. The cultists jeer and lead -Harrison off towards their altar… - -For each bonus die: roll an additional “tens” die alongside -the usual pair of percentile (D100) dice when making a roll. -You are now rolling three separate dice: one “units” die and -two “tens” dice. To take the benefit of the bonus, use the -“tens” die that yields the better (lower) result. -Example: two rival investigators, Malcolm and Hugh, are vying -for the affection of Lady Greene. Only one can gain her hand in -marriage, so the Keeper decides that an opposed roll is needed to -determine the outcome of their wooing. It is decided that an opposed -Charm roll should fit the scene. The Keeper reviews the events of the -scenario so far: Malcolm has visited Lady Greene twice, each time -lavishing expensive gifts upon her, while Hugh has only visited -once and brought no gifts at all. The Keeper states that Malcolm has -an advantage and receives a bonus die in the opposed roll. -Hugh’s player rolls first against his Charm skill of 55, getting -45—a Regular success. Malcolm’s player rolls against his Charm -skill with one bonus die, rolling one units die and two tens dice - -Fig. 1 - -Fig. 2 - -11 - - WELCOME TO CALL OF CTHULHU - -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 -9 -0 - -LUCK ROLLS - -In addition, when falling insane, an investigator suffers -a “bout of madness”—roll 1D10 and refer to the Bouts -of Madness Table (page 29). If the investigator is in the -presence of other investigators, play out the result round -by round (the player has, more or less, control of their -character, but should be guided by Keeper in terms of their -investigator’s portrayal of madness). If the investigator is -alone you may use the result to describe how the investigator -is found sometime later in a bad way, perhaps hiding in a -cupboard, drunk in a gutter, or unconscious under a tree. -If your investigator is temporarily insane, the Keeper -may decide to add a phobia or mania to your sheet -(such as “fear of the dark,” “fear of confined spaces,” or -“kleptomania, an irrational compulsion to steal things”). -Alternatively, they may decide to rewrite one of your -existing backstory entries, perhaps corrupting it in some -way (where you wrote “Trusting” under Traits, the Keeper -corrupts this to “Fearful.”) -While temporarily insane, the Keeper may present your -investigator with “Delusions” (hallucinations)—is that a -zombie creeping up on you or is it just a homeless person -asking for spare change? You can only be certain by asking -to make a “reality check”—electing to make a Sanity roll; -if you’re successful, you see through the hallucination, but -if you fail, you fall deeper into the madness and believe -the delusion! -Once 1D10 hours have passed, the investigator is sane -once more and cannot be affected by more delusions; -however, altered backstories or phobias or manias gained -while insane remain in effect. -Unfortunately, regaining lost Sanity points can be a long -and arduous process. Checking characters into some form -of care while they take a break from the action, or undergo -some form of psychotherapy, are ways to recover small -amounts of Sanity. Successfully completing investigations -also provides a way to gain Sanity points. But, such gains -often do not outweigh the steady loss of Sanity, which tends -to be a downward spiral. As Sanity slips away, investigators -become less stable and their ability to deal with new horrors -diminishes. Full rules for Sanity and Insanity in the game are -more fully explained in the Call of Cthulhu: Keeper Rulebook. - -Luck rolls may be called for by the Keeper when -circumstances external to an investigator are in question, -and also when determining the fickle hand of fate. If, for -example, an investigator wants to know if there is an item -lying nearby that could be used as weapon, or if the flashlight -they have found has any juice left in it, then call for a Luck -roll. Note that if a skill or characteristic is more appropriate -to a situation, then it should be used rather than Luck. To -succeed with a Luck roll, the investigator must roll equal to -or under their current Luck value. -If the Keeper calls for a “group Luck roll,” the player whose -investigator has the lowest Luck score (among those present -in the scene) should make the roll on behalf of the group. -Example: finding a cab doesn’t require a dice roll, but getting one -before the investigators lose sight of the car that they wish to pursue -could. Credit Rating could be a factor in attracting the attention -of a cabdriver on the lookout for a well-dressed fare who may tip -generously. However, quickly getting a ride at two o’clock in the -morning on the undesirable side of town might not be so easy. -Would there even be a cab to hail? No skill is going to make a cab -appear at that moment. It is a matter of chance whether a cab may -be driving down that road, hence a Luck roll is required. - -SANITY (SAN) - -Whenever an investigator encounters the horrors of the -Cthulhu Mythos or comes across something mundane yet -horrific (such as stumbling across a friend’s mutilated corpse), -make a percentile roll against the investigator’s current Sanity -score. If you roll over your current Sanity, you lose a greater -amount of Sanity points. If you roll under, you will lose less -or none. The Sanity loss is generally described for an event as -something like “0/1D6” or “2/1D10.” The number before the -slash mark tells you how much Sanity your character loses -if the roll is equal to or under their current Sanity score; the -number after the slash is how much your investigator loses -if you roll over their current Sanity score (the worst result). -When you fail a “Sanity roll” the Keeper gets to -momentarily dictate your investigator’s next action as the -fear takes hold; perhaps they unwittingly scream, freeze, or -squeeze the trigger of the gun they are holding. -If an investigator loses 5 or more Sanity points as the -consequence of a single Sanity roll, they have suffered major -emotional trauma, and the player must roll 1D100. If the -result is equal to or less than their Intelligence (INT), the -investigator fully understands and comprehends what has -been seen and goes temporarily insane (for 1D10 hours). If -they fail the roll, their mind is closed to the horror and they -remain sane (for now). - -COMBAT - -When you are confronted with the horrors of the Cthulhu -Mythos it is generally a better idea to run away or avoid -confrontation altogether, as such entities are very powerful -and often resistant to bullets! However, sometimes there is -no other choice than to go in, guns blazing, and make the -best of it. - -12 - - WELCOME TO CALL OF CTHULHU - -When a combat occurs, all investigators, as well as -characters and monsters controlled by the Keeper, act in -order of their DEX values. The investigator, character, or -monster with the highest DEX acts first and then the others -go in descending order from there. -The duration of a combat round is best described as “long -enough for everyone to take one significant action.” The -Keeper controls the flow of the round. On each character’s -DEX turn, the Keeper decides or asks (if an investigator) -what action is being taken; usually this is something as -simple as, “I attack the monster,” “I pull out my revolver,” or “I -run away!” The Keeper should give everyone a chance to do -something, while being aware of the narrative flow of the -events taking place. -Investigators have three combat skills: Fighting, Dodge, -and Firearms. Two of these skills are made up of multiple -specializations, such as Fighting (Brawl) or Firearms -(Rifle/Shotgun)—each investigator may have different -specializations (or none at all). Note that the Fighting -(Brawl) skill includes unarmed combat and the use of simple -weapons (like knives and clubs); however, wielding a sword -requires the Fighting (Sword) specialization. -You make a combat roll using the appropriate skill, just -like any other skill roll; however, you don’t get to “push” -combat rolls—you simply make another attack next round. - -“extreme damage” if they win the combat with an Extreme -success—if a blunt weapon, extreme damage deals maximum -damage plus damage bonus (if any); if an impaling weapon -(like a knife), extreme damage deals maximum damage (of -the weapon) plus an additional dice roll for the weapon’s -damage and also damage bonus (if any). E.g. when a -knife with 1D4 damage causes extreme damage, it deals -4+1D4+damage bonus (if any). - -Close Combat - -If a player describes a goal in combat that is something -other than simply inflicting harm, it can be resolved with -a “Fighting Maneuver.” A successful maneuver allows the -character to achieve one thing, such as: - -Example: a ghoul initiates, swinging a clawed hand at Susan, -who elects to dodge. The Keeper rolls 03—an Extreme success -(below one-fifth of the ghoul’s skill). Susan rolls 20 for her Dodge -roll—a Hard success. The attacker has achieved a better level -of success than the dodger, so Susan is hit, automatically taking -maximum damage of 6+1D4 (1D6+1D4 damage bonus) because -the attack was an Extreme success. -The ghoul is a monster with 3 attacks per round (all of its -attacks take place simultaneously on its DEX). On its second -attack it tries to bite Susan, who fights back. Susan achieves a -Hard success; the ghoul achieves a Regular success. Susan has -a better level of success than the ghoul, so she successfully fights -back—not only does she avoid injury, but she also inflicts 1D3 -points of damage on the ghoul. - -Fighting Maneuvers - -On a character’s turn in the DEX order, they may choose -to initiate an attack against an opponent. In addition, each -time a character is attacked, they get to choose how they will -respond, be it by dodging (attempting to avoid the attack -completely) or fighting back (attempting to avoid, block, or -parry an attack while also hitting back). Both attacker and -defender roll percentage dice (1D100) and compare their -levels of success. - -• Disarm an opponent. -• Knock an opponent to the floor. -• Seize and hold an opponent, whereupon the opponent must -apply one penalty die to their actions until they can break -free with an opposed STR roll. - -• If you are initiating the attack: roll your Fighting skill and -compare the result to your opponent. -• If you are responding—fighting back: use your Fighting -skill. You need to achieve a higher level of success than -your attacker (you inflict damage instead of your opponent). -• If you are responding—dodging: use your Dodge skill. Your -attacker needs to achieve a higher level of success than you -(if you equal or exceed your attacker’s level of success, you -successfully dodge and avoid taking damage). - -A maneuver is treated the same way as a normal Fighting -attack, using the Fighting (Brawl) skill. The opponent may -dodge or fight back as usual. Compare the Build of the two -combatants. If the character initiating the maneuver has a -smaller Build than their opponent, they take a penalty die for -each point of difference (to a maximum of two penalty dice). -If an opponent exceeds the attacker’s Build by three or more -points, any fighting maneuvers are ineffective; the attacker -may be able to lay hands on their opponent, but lacks the -strength and size required to take advantage of their grip. - -The winning side avoids receiving any damage and inflicts -damage (unless they are dodging) on their opponent. Note -that, when fighting back (responding to an attack on you), -the best a person can achieve is “regular” damage, whereas -a character initiating an attack (if successful) could achieve - -Example: Susan attempts to push a ghoul out of a window (a -Fighting Maneuver). Susan’s Build is zero and the ghoul’s Build is -1, so Susan suffers one penalty die on her attack roll. Susan rolls 02 - -13 - - WELCOME TO CALL OF CTHULHU - -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 -9 -0 - -and 22; as she had a penalty die, she must take the higher result—a -Hard success (under half Susan’s Fighting skill). The ghoul is -fighting back, and it rolls a Regular success on its Fighting skill. -Susan has achieved a better level of success and so her maneuver is -successful—she shoves the ghoul through the window. - -through stabilizing the character. If a character suffers points -of damage greater than or equal to their maximum hit points -in a single blow, they die instantly. -• Characters without a major wound naturally heal 1 hit point -per day. -• Characters with a major wound must make a healing roll -(rolling equal to or under their CON) at the end of each -week—if successful, they regain 1D3 hit points, or 2D3 -points for an Extreme success. The major wound condition -is removed if either an Extreme success is rolled or current hit -points are healed to half their maximum value or greater. Thus, -it may take a number of weeks for a major wound to heal. - -Outnumbered - -A character outnumbered by the opposition is at a disadvantage. -Once a character has responded to an attack (either fought back -or dodged) in the present combat round, all subsequent melee -attacks on them (in the same round) are made with one bonus -die. This does not apply to attacks made using firearms. - -Firearms - -You may shoot a firearm on your turn in the DEX order -to initiate an attack (usually, firearms cannot be used in -fighting back reactions). Make a percentile (1D100) roll and -compares the result with the Firearms skill. - -Successful First Aid can heal 1 hit point, as well as rousing -a character from unconsciousness. If First Aid is used on -a dying character it, extends the character’s life so that the -Medicine skill can use used. The Medicine skill can heal -1D3 hit points, but takes at least one hour and appropriate -equipment and supplies. If Medicine is used on a dying -character, it allows a healing roll at the end of one week. - -• Readied firearms act at DEX+50 for the purpose of -determining the DEX turn order. -• If firing 2 or 3 shots from a handgun in one round, apply -one penalty die to each shot. -• If at point-blank range (within one-fifth of DEX in feet), -the shooter gains one bonus die on the skill roll. - -Example: Brian starts with 12 hit points. On Monday he gets in -a barroom brawl, taking damage from three separate slugs to his -jaw of 4, 2, and 4 points. This is a total of 10 damage, reducing -his hit points to 2. He has not taken a major wound (as no single -attack delivered significant damage) and recovers at the rate of -1 hit point per day. On Thursday, Brian (now at 5 hit points) -clumsily falls out of a window; suffering 7 hit points of damage. -This is a major wound (7 damage is more than half of Brian’s - -The target of the shot cannot fight back (you can’t -dodge a bullet) but may instead “dive for cover” by rolling -against their Dodge skill. If the Dodge roll is successful, the -attacker’s roll(s) to hit are made with one penalty die (i.e. -make the Dodge roll before the Firearms roll). A character -that opts to dive for cover forfeits their next attack or action -(regardless of whether they were successful or not), or if they -have already used their attack this round, they forfeit their -attack in the following round. - -WEAPON DAMAGE -• -• -• -• -• -• -• - -Unarmed attacks (human): 1D3 + damage bonus -Small knife: 1D4 + damage bonus -Machete: 1D8 + damage bonus -Small club: 1D6 + damage bonus -Baseball bat: 1D8 + damage bonus -Handgun: 1D10 -Shotgun: 4D6 (at close range*, otherwise 2D6; does not -impale) -• Rifle: 2D6+4 - -HIT POINTS, -WOUNDS, AND HEALING - -Points of damage are deducted from a character’s hit points. -Hit points cannot fall below zero, so do not record a negative -value. When a character’s hit points reach zero, they fall -unconscious and, in some situations, may die. -When a character takes damage of greater than or equal -to half their full hit points in a single blow, they have -received a “major wound”—they must make a CON roll or -fall unconscious. If a character with a major wound falls to -zero hit points they are close to death (dying). They must -make a successful CON roll at the end of the following -round and every round thereafter or die. Only successful -use of the First Aid skill can alleviate the dying condition, - -*Close range: within DEX in feet (i.e. if DEX is 60, close -range is 60 feet). - -14 - - WELCOME TO CALL OF CTHULHU - -maximum 12 hit points). A friend administers First Aid and -rushes him to hospital. After seven days have passed, a successful -CON roll is made for Brian and he regains 2 hit points on a -1D3 die roll. At the end of the second week, Brian’s player rolls -an Extreme success on the CON roll and regains 4 hit points on -a 2D3 roll of the dice, and his current hit points now stand at -6. This erases his major wound marker (he has regained half his -maximum hit points), after which he heals at 1 hit point per day. - -ABOUT THE READY-MADE INVESTIGATORS -The four ready-made investigators are designed to be used -with The Haunting. Give these to your players and get them -each to pick whichever one they prefer. Each player can decide -the name and gender of their investigator, and write these -details in the top left-hand box on their character’s sheet. The -four characters are a team, brought together to solve a case, -although it’s ok if you have less than four players—every -player takes on the role of one of these characters. - -OTHER FORMS OF DAMAGE - -Often the Keeper will be forced to judge the amount of -damage caused by some random event. Whatever the cause, -consider the likely injury and rate it against the left-hand -column on the Other Forms of Damage Table. Each injury -type is for one incident or one combat round (one round -of being punched by an attacker, one bullet, one round of -drowning, one round of being burned, etc.). The character -takes further damage on each successive round that they are -exposed to the source of the harm. - -• -• -• -• - -A weary private detective -An enthusiastic graduate student -An open-minded academic -An author with an interest in the occult - -OTHER FORMS OF DAMAGE -Injury - -Damage - -Examples - -Minor: a person could survive numerous -1D3 -occurrences of this level of damage. - -Punch / kick / head-butt / mild acid / breathing smoky atmosphere / a -thrown fist-size rock / falling (per 10 feet) onto soft ground. - -Moderate: might cause a major wound; -1D6 -it would take a few such attacks to kill. - -Falling (per 10 feet) onto grass / club / strong acid / breathing water / -exposure to vacuum / small-caliber bullet / arrow / fire (burning torch). - -Severe: likely to cause a major wound. -One or two occurrences would render a 1D10 -person unconscious or dead. - -.38 calibre bullet / falling (per 10 feet) on to concrete / axe / fire -(flamethrower, running through a burning room) / being 6 to 10 yards -from an exploding hand grenade or stick of dynamite / mild poison. - -Deadly: the average person has a 50% -2D10 -chance of dying. - -Hit by a car at 30 mph / being 3 to 6 yards from an exploding hand -grenade or stick of dynamite / strong poison. - -Terminal: outright death is likely. - -4D10 - -Hit by a speeding car / being within 3 yards of an exploding hand -grenade or stick of dynamite/lethal poison. - -Splat: outright death is almost certain. - -8D10 - -Being involved in a high-speed head-on collision, being hit by a train. - -15 - - 16 - - THE -HAUNTING -PREPARING FOR PLAY - -This scenario is designed for new Keepers and players. Advice -for the Keeper is included within the text (Keeper’s Notes) on -how and when to use dice and rules, as well as guidance on how -to run the scenario. Once you have read through this scenario, -copy or print out the ready-made investigators and ask your -players to each choose one to play. -The boxed text within the scenario is meant to be read aloud -to the players—paraphrase these lines in your own words or -just read out what is written. -Player handouts are marked in the text and have been -collected at the end of the scenario to allow Keepers to copy -them for presentation to the players when directed. -The year is 1920 and the location is Boston, Massachusetts, -although this scenario could be transported to a modern setting -if desired. - -Give each of your players one of the four ready-made -investigators (pages 34–41). If you have more than four players, -just duplicate the sheets as necessary. Each player can decide -their character’s name and gender. When ready, tell the players -the premise of the scenario. -You are going to be hired to investigate an old house in 1920s -Boston—rumor has it that it may be haunted! -The players are a team of professional and amateur detectives -who have volunteered for the task. Encourage the players to -introduce their characters and write a few notes about their -backgrounds in the My Story box, and discuss how they know -each other. Keep it all reasonably brisk and avoid getting -bogged down with unnecessary details. -Note down each investigator’s name, appearance (APP), -Credit Rating score, and any notable aspects of their backstory -for your reference during play. - -THE KEEPER’S SECRET - -The body of Walter Corbitt is buried in the basement of the -Corbitt house. The mind of Walter Corbitt still lives, aware of -events within the house. He haunts the place. Corbitt knows -Mythos magic that preserves his identity and enables him to -animate his body after death. He sometimes vampirically preys -upon residents of the house, driving away or slaying those who -learn his secret. -To solve the mystery posed to them, the investigators must -learn about Corbitt. While they do this, Corbitt will be aware -of the investigators and will try to mislead them and scare them -away. Failing that, he will try to murder them. - -LOCATION 1: -INTRODUCTION -KEEPER’S NOTE: This introduction takes place with -the investigators meeting up with the landlord. Perhaps in -his home or in a café. The location isn’t overly important, but -take a moment to set the scene. Then read the following aloud, -roleplaying the landlord’s discussion with the players. . - -17 -17 - - WELCOME TO CALL OF CTHULHU - -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 -9 -0 - -Handout 1 - -The clippings files are not open to the general public and the -investigators will have to Persuade Arty Wilmot (a Boston -Globe editor) of their case for access. Arty enjoys the little -power he has and will try to deny the investigators access; -play up his pomposity and encourage the players to strive to -gain access to the morgue. - -A landlord, Mr. Knott, asks you to examine an old house -in central Boston, known as the Corbitt House. The former -tenants, the Macario family, were involved in a tragedy and -the owner wishes to understand the mysterious happenings at -the house and set matters straight. Mr. Knott has been unable -to rent the house out since the tragedy and hopes that you can -clear things up and restore its good name. He offers to pay for -your time and trouble, at a rate of $20 per day. The landlord -gives you the keys, the address, and $20 cash in advance. -Knowing your jobs, you will want to conduct some -research before you head to the house. You could check out old -newspaper articles at the offices of the Boston Globe, head -to the Central Library, or go to The Hall of Records. The -choice is yours. - -Using Dice To... -Gain Access To The Clippings Files -KEEPER’S NOTE: Usually when encountering a -neutral non-player character you should roll versus the -investigator’s APP or Credit Rating; however in Arty’s case -the decision is preordained—he’s unhelpful. -First, establish a goal with the players, along the lines of -“gain access to the clippings files.” -Roleplay the interaction between Arty and the -investigators. Based on the way the roleplay goes, choose one -of the following options: - -Pass Handout 1 (page 29) to the players in case they -wish to refer to it later. Give them time to absorb the -information, discuss matters, and decide on a course of -action. Some players will be keen to head straight to the -house, but you should suggest that they would be better off -conducting some research first. -Mr. Steven Knott recently inherited the property and -would like to make a profit on the place somehow, either by -renting it or selling it, but has been unable to do either due -to the terrible reputation of the place. -Proceed to Location 2, 3 or 4, depending where the -players decide to go next. - -• If the investigator is trying to win Arty round with -friendliness, use the Charm skill. -• If the investigator is being aggressive towards Arty, use the -Intimidate skill. -• If the investigator is using rational arguments to persuade -Arty, use the Persuade skill. -• If the investigator is trying to con Arty, use the Fast Talk -skill. - -KEEPER’S NOTE: It is up to you to describe the locations -as you wish. Use your imagination and try to evoke the feel -of the places; the smell and noise of the printing presses at the -Boston Globe, for example. There is no need to go in to detail -when it comes to moving between locations—just cut to the -investigators arriving at the a new location. - -Ask the player doing most of the talking to roll percentage dice -(1D100) and compare the result with his or her investigator’s -Persuade, Fast Talk, Charm, or Intimidate skill, as appropriate. -If the roll is equal to or lower than the skill, the investigator has -succeeded in gaining access for the group. -KEEPER’S NOTE: Notice here how the difficulty level -for the players versus Arty is Regular; Arty’s profession -does not require a professional level (50%+) in Persuade, -Charm, Intimidate or Psychology. If it did, the difficulty -level would be Hard. - -LOCATION 2: -THE BOSTON GLOBE - -Pick up the roleplay again and incorporate the outcome of -the skill roll in to what Arty says: - -A DAILY NEWSPAPER OF GOOD REPUTE -KEEPER’S NOTE: As the players make their initial -enquiries at the newspaper offices, roleplay the people they -could meet—the desk clerk, a journalist, or one of the editors. -Be sure to mention the “morgue” (the newspaper clippings -files) in the basement of the Boston Globe. - -• If the investigators have won, have Arty back down in a -way that seems appropriate to you and allow them access -to the files. -• If the investigators failed, have Arty puff himself up and tell -the investigators to leave. - -18 - - WELCOME TO CALL OF CTHULHU - -Pushing The Roll? - -If an investigator flirts with or befriends Ruth Blake, the -record keeper in the clippings file (don’t bother with dice -here, the information isn’t crucial), she remarks that the -Globe files go back no further than a fire in 1878. If the -Corbitt House is mentioned earlier than that, there is no -record of it here. - -If the players fail the roll, ask if they want to persist in their -efforts to gain access to the clippings files. If they choose -to do so, they may attempt a Pushed roll by continuing to -pressure Arty in some way (they may change their approach -and use an alternate method at this point). -Depending on their course of action you should decide on -what will happen if they fail (a consequence); for example: - -LOCATION 3: -THE CENTRAL LIBRARY - -• If the investigators are using Intimidate, the consequence -might be that Arty calls their bluff, leading to an exchange -of blows. -• If the investigators are using Charm or Persuade, the -consequence might be that Arty takes offence and screams -at them to leave. - -This worthy institution has several interesting items tucked -away. For each half-day spent in research at the library, ask -each player to make a Library Use roll (rolling equal to or -less than their skill on 1D100). If failed, there is no need to -push the roll; the players can simply keep trying again and -again, but each roll means they have spent half a day more -in research. If they spend more than a day researching, have -their employer, Mr. Knott, contact them to ask how things are -progressing, urging them to resolve their investigations—time -is money after all. -For each success, give out one of the following Handouts -(in order). - -Whatever the consequence, ensure that it escalates beyond -Arty just asking them to leave—for example, have Arty call -on some strong-armed maintenance men for backup. - -The Clippings Files - -If the investigators gain access, describe the dusty shelves of -the clippings files morgue. -You are taken down some steps by Ruth Blake, the records -keeper, into a dusty basement filled with filing cabinets and -stacked high with old newspapers and other assorted junk. -The whole room smells musty and the boiler system in the -corner gives out a lot of heat. - -Handout 3 - -In 1835, a prosperous merchant builds the house, but -immediately falls ill and sells it to a Mr. Walter Corbitt, esquire. - -Handout 4 - -The pertinent clippings are filed by street address. Since -the players have already had to succeed in dice rolls to get -in to the morgue it would be churlish stop them getting -the one clue that is here, so it should be made obvious. Pass -Handout 2 (page 30) to a player. - -In 1852, Walter Corbitt is sued by neighbours, who petition -to force him to leave the area “in consequence of his surious [sic] -habits and unauspicious demeanor.” - -Handout 5 - -Evidently Corbitt wins the lawsuit. His obituary in 1866 -states that he still lived in the same place. It also states that -a second lawsuit was being waged to prevent Corbitt from -being buried in his basement, as provided by his will. - -Handout 2 - -Unpublished Story, Boston Globe 1918: A feature story, -which was never published. It states that in 1880, a family -of French immigrants moved into the house but fled after -a series of violent accidents left the parents dead and three -children crippled. The house long stood vacant. -In 1909, another family moved in and immediately fell -prey to illnesses. In 1914, the oldest brother went mad and -killed himself with a kitchen knife, and the heartbroken -family moved out. In 1918, a third family, the Macarios, -rented the house, but they left almost immediately under -mysterious circumstances. - -Handout 6 - -No outcome to the second lawsuit is recorded. - -19 - - WELCOME TO CALL OF CTHULHU - -1 LOCATION 4: -2 HALL OF RECORDS -3 -4 -5 Handout 7 -6 -7 -8 -9 -0 - -• Charm skill: A flutter of eyelids might gain access for a -charming investigator. -• Fast Talk skill: Perhaps this involves flashing a fake I.D. -This is a risky approach given the location. - -Ask for a Library Use roll. If successful, pass Handout 7 -to the players. Use the same guidelines as for the Central -Library. - -If the roll is successful, pass Handout 8 to the player. -If the players fail their roll, ask if they wish to continue -their efforts. They need to justify a Pushed roll. If using -Credit Rating, Persuade, or Charm, they risk overstepping -the mark, leading to a consequence such as causing offence -and earning the antipathy of the police (perhaps receiving a -shakedown or threats). - -Civil court records show that the executor of Walter Corbitt’s -will was Reverend Michael Thomas, pastor of the Chapel of -Contemplation and Church of Our Lord Granter of Secrets. -The register of churches (also available in the Hall of Records) -notes the closure of the Chapel of Contemplation in 1912. -If the players think to look up the Chapel of Contemplation -in criminal court records, they find references to actions -taken in 1912; however, the actual records are not present. If -the investigators have been courteous to the clerk, he points -out that serious crimes would be handled in the county, -commonwealth, or federal courts. A successful Law skill -roll can indicate the same thing. The records of city officers -participating in arrests or seizures are filed at the Central -Police Station. - -Handout 8 - -The file concerns a secret raid on the Chapel of -Contemplation. The police raid was occasioned by affidavits -swearing that members of the church were responsible for -the disappearances of neighborhood children. During the -raid, three policemen and seventeen cult members were -killed by gunplay or fire. Autopsy reports are singularly -lacking detail and uninformative, as though the coroner had -not actually performed examinations. -Though 54 members of the church were arrested, all but -eight were released. The records hint of illegal intervention -in the proceedings by an important local official offering -stories of the battle—the biggest criminal action in the city’s -history—that never appeared in print. -Pastor Michael Thomas was arrested and sentenced to 40 -years in prison on five counts of second-degree murder. He -escaped from prison in 1917 and fled the state. - -LOCATION 5: -HIGHER COURTS; -CENTRAL POLICE STATION - -Gaining access to these records will prove difficult, requiring -at least one player to make a successful skill roll. Players can -use one of the following: - -LOCATION 6: -THE NEIGHBORHOOD - -• Law skill: To establish that an investigator has an existing -contact within the courts who will grant access. If failed, -the player can ask to Push the Law skill roll to establish a -contact. You should make a concealed roll on behalf of the -player. Do not inform the players of the outcome of the -roll. Regardless of the dice roll, the investigator knows Kim -Debrun, a clerk in the Court offices. If the roll is successful, -Kim is warm and friendly and will allow the investigators -access to the file (Handout 8). If the roll is a failure, Kim is -unscrupulous and will demand a bribe before reneging on -the deal and claiming not to know the investigators. -• Credit Rating: If the player makes a successful roll and has -a Credit Rating score of 75 or more, they may impress a -clerk sufficiently to gain access. -• Persuade skill: The player should present a good case for -why access should be granted. - -Most of the people who lived in the area before the Great -War have moved away or died. New offices and businesses -have replaced the nineteenth-century homes, and the house -in question (the “Corbitt House”) with its overgrown front -yard is now the only private residence on the block. If the -investigators ask around they find a Mr. Dooley, a vendor of -cigars and newspapers, who knows the area. - -Using Dice To... -Gauge Mr. Dooley’s Reaction to the Investigators - -Establish Mr. Dooley’s reaction to investigators who -speak to him by rolling 1D100 and comparing it with the -investigator’s APP or Credit Rating. A dice roll that is equal -to or lower than one of these yields a positive reaction from -Mr. Dooley. Otherwise Dooley is less than forthcoming to - -20 - - WELCOME TO CALL OF CTHULHU - -that particular investigator. A different investigator may try -a Charm, Fast Talk, Persuade, or Intimidate roll to get -Dooley to talk. - -The Keeper can answer more questions, but Gabriela is -unable to give specific information. -The Keeper should end the interview quickly, since the -investigator’s questions will greatly upset her. -The two young Macario boys are being cared for by relatives -in Baltimore. The investigators can visit, but they know -nothing except that they miss their parents and that in their -former home they often had nightmares of a strange man with -burning eyes. - -Dooley Talks - -If the players manage to get Dooley talking and ask about -the Chapel of Contemplation, he is able to point out where -it stood a few blocks distant. If asked about the house, he will -refer to it as “the Corbitt House.” -Encourage the players to roleplay and engage Mr. Dooley -in conversation. Draw upon the following points and -incorporate them in to the conversation: - -LOCATION 8: -THE CHAPEL OF -CONTEMPLATION - -• The Macario family moved into the house a couple of years ago. -• A year after moving in, the father had a serious accident and -shortly thereafter went violently mad. -• They say he babbled about a haunting form with burning -eyes. -• About a month back, the old lady, Mrs. Macario, also went -mad. -• Mrs. Macario is with her husband over in Roxbury -Sanitarium, a few miles from Boston. -• The kids were taken in by relatives down in Baltimore. - -Read the following to the players: - -What is left of the old church stands at the end of a crooked, -dingy street. The ruins are so weathered and overgrown -with greenery that the grey stone rubble seems more like -natural stone than former walls and foundation. You pass a -slumping wall bearing white-painted symbols, apparently -freshly swabbed—three Y’s arranged in a triangle so that -the top elements of each Y touch the other two Y’s. In the -center, so created, is painted a staring eye. - -KEEPER’S NOTE: Portray Dooley as you wish and -improvise his dialogue freely—not everything spoken -by a non-player character has to be true and he may well -exaggerate. He is a salesman and used to engaging in banter -and gossip. - -Handout 9 is an image of this symbol. Show it to the players. - -LOCATION 7: -ROXBURY SANITARIUM - -If the players decide to visit the sanitarium, they will find -Vittorio Macario is quite mad. He is clasping a bible to his -chest. At some point he may open the bible at a random -place (you decide where) and point to a passage (apparently -quoting), “By his own weapon is the devil worsted!” While -not a genuine quotation from the bible, this is a useful clue. -If remembered later on in the scenario, an attentive player -might realize that Corbitt may be killed with his own dagger. -Don’t overplay it—leave it up to the players to take note of -the clue or not. Nothing more can be gleaned from Vittorio. -Gabriela Macario is conscious and approachable. She can -explain that an evil presence lives in the house. At night she -would sometimes wake to find “it” leaning over her. When it -was angry, the thing might cause dishes or other objects to -fly around the room. Mostly, it hated her husband, Vittorio, -and concentrated its anger on him. - -While the investigators are near the signs, subtly describe -to the players how they begin to feel tingles in their -foreheads, like headaches, but not quite. When they leave, -the irritation stops. -Encourage the players to explore the ruins; try to describe -the scene and ask what they are doing. Prowling the chapel, -they find mostly blocks of granite, old half-burned timbers, -and ancient rubbish. At some point they should become -aware that the earth they stand on is covering weakened -floorboards. Call for Luck rolls: those that fail their Luck - -21 - - WELCOME TO CALL OF CTHULHU - -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 -9 -0 - -rolls must attempt a Jump roll to leap to safety or find -themselves falling as the floor gives way. The fall is ten feet -into the basement. - -The tome is a copy of the Liber Ivonis. A cursory look at the -book will show that it is in Latin and deals with matters of an -occult nature. An initial reading of this book (requiring either -a Read Latin skill of 50% or more, or a successful Read Latin -roll) will take a minimum of three hours. If an investigator -takes the time to do this then have that investigator gain 2% -Cthulhu Mythos knowledge (and reduce Maximum Sanity -by the same amount, from 99 to 97). - -• If the Jump is failed, ask the players if there’s anything they -can do to justify Pushing the Jump roll—perhaps they make -a last minute grab for the edge. -Each falling investigator loses 1D6 hit points. Increase -the consequence if a player fails a Pushed roll, though -perhaps rather than simply increasing the damage have that -investigator lose or break a personal possession. - -LOCATION 9: -THE OLD CORBITT PLACE - -KEEPER’S NOTE: This fall may be the first incident of -physical damage in the game. Tell the players to subtract the -damage from their current hit points. Refer to Hit Points, -Wounds, and Healing (page 13) as to whether a Major -wound has occurred and for rules on treatment, recovery, -and healing. - -Read the following aloud to the players: - -The brick building is overshadowed by taller, newer office -buildings on either side. The house fronts the street. In the -rear are overgrown plantings and a half-collapsed arbor. -Access to the rear exists on either side of the residence. - -If an investigator falls, read the following aloud: - -Studying the house, the observer is impressed by the way -the house seems to withdraw into the shadows cast by the -flanking buildings, and how the blank curtained windows -hide all understanding of what lies within. - -You’ve fallen in to a part of the basement that was sealed off -from the rest, originally reached by separate stairs now buried -under tons of rubble. Within this room, next to a cabinet, are -two skeletons dressed in tattered silk robes; perhaps they hid -from the police and then perished in the fire. - -The front door is secured with a single lock. Four additional -bolts seem to have been added within the last year or two. -If the investigators think to test the ground floor windows, -they find them all nailed shut from the inside. -Study the plan provided on the next page. Sketch out each -floor on a sheet of paper as the investigators explore it, or use -the “investigator” version of the plan provided on page @@. - -If the players search the cabinet it is found to contain -moldering church records. If they don’t think to look under -the cabinet, ask for a Spot Hidden roll—only point out the -journal and tome if player succeeds in the skill roll. Allow -the players to Push the Spot Hidden roll if they volunteer to -conduct a thorough, more time-consuming search. If -they fail the pushed Spot Hidden roll, they might step -on a nail or ruin their clothing. -With a successful Spot Hidden roll allow a player -to find a journal (of cult activities) and a tome. Read -the following aloud: -The musty old journal falls to pieces as you turn the -pages, but the name Walter Corbitt catches your eye. -An entry records that Walter Corbitt was buried in -the basement of his house, “In accordance with his -wishes and with the wishes of that one who waits -in the dark”. -Alongside the journal is an enormous volume, -handwritten in Latin, but so rotten and worm-eaten -that whole sections no longer can be understood.” - -22 - - WELCOME TO CALL OF CTHULHU -Corbitt House Map (Keeper Version) - -23 - - WELCOME TO CALL OF CTHULHU - -1 GROUND FLOOR -2 INTERIOR -3 ROOM 1, A Storage Room -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 -9 -0 - -ROOM 4, The Living Room -This room contains conventional furnishings: a radio, couch, -stuffed chairs, and shelves laden with gewgaws. You cannot -help but notice the unusual quantities of crosses, images of -the Virgin and other Catholic artifacts. - -The room is filled with boxes and junk, such as rusted water -tanks and old bicycles. At the right end of the room is a -cupboard, boarded shut. - -KEEPER’S NOTE: Try to build a creepy atmosphere -as the players explore the house. Remember Corbitt haunts -the place and at any time a noise might be heard upstairs -(Bedroom 3). - -If the cupboard is wrenched open, three bound books are -found within—the diaries of a certain W. Corbitt, a former -inhabitant of the house, as the address on the flyleaf of -volume one testifies. -The Corbitt Diaries are in English, though sometimes -strangely phrased. The three volumes take a total of two days -to read, adding +4 to Cthulhu Mythos skill and losing 1D4 -Sanity points. -The diaries describe Corbitt’s various occult experiments, -including the summoning of some unearthly spirit and other -magic, and clearly describe a spell entitled “Call Forth the -Opener of Ways” (an alternative title for the spell Summon -/ Bind Dimensional Shambler). No other spells exist in the -diaries. The spell takes 2D6 weeks to learn after the diaries -have been read. - -ROOM 5, The Dining Room -This is the dining room, complete with a long mahogany -table, a built-in sideboard, and seven chairs. Three places are -set and unused. Scraps of rice soup rot in a tureen. - -ROOM 6, Kitchen - -A conventional kitchen, with icebox, wood-fed stove and -oven, plus a meager larder. Some of the foodstuffs may be -edible—there is canned soup and meat, rice kernels, several -pastas, and a few bottles of homemade wine. The produce -which has not spoiled has been eaten by rats, judging by the -spoor left behind. - -KEEPER’S NOTE: This spell is not intended for use in -this scenario and is included as an added feature. It is unlikely -that this investigation will continue long enough for this spell -to be of use—not that summoning a dimensional shambler is -likely to be beneficial in any case! Details of the spell can be -found in the full Call of Cthulhu: Keeper Rulebook. - -UPPER FLOOR -ROOM 1, Main Bedroom -An ordinary bedroom, with a double bed, bookshelf and -window view. Apparently the room of Vittorio and -Gabriela. More crosses and many candles are here, and a -rosary and breviary rest on a table beside the bed. - -ROOM 2, A Second Storage Room -This room contains old furniture that might be broken up to -burn in a wood stove. - -ROOM 2, Children’s Bedroom - -ROOM 3, The Mud Room - -This room contains two small beds, toys, and dressers. -Pictures of aircraft and cowboys mark this as the children’s -bedroom. - -Here hang overcoats, galoshes, hats, and umbrellas. Several -bags of coal for the living room’s freestanding stove are here. -You notice that the side door is secured with three bolts and -two locks. - -24 - - WELCOME TO CALL OF CTHULHU - -ROOM 3, Spare Bedroom - -KEEPER’S NOTE: It is important to remain impartial -as Keeper, so when inflicting a dangerous event on the -investigators it is best to pick one of them at random. To do -this, choose the investigator with the lowest Luck score or -simply roll randomly. When selecting a player to be attacked -by the bed, be clear on who is standing next to the window, -and select among them at random. - -This room contains a bed frame, bare bedsprings, and a -dresser. Though unused, this room looks like the other two -bedrooms. -This was once the room of old Corbitt himself. He stayed -here so long that his psychic influence lingers on and he is able -to will certain deeds to happen in this room. Whenever he -does, a horrible smell manifests—a sure sign of the Mythos! - -If the investigator is struck by the bed, he or she is thrown -through the window. The broken glass and fall costs the -victim 1D6 + 2 hit points. -Anyone who witnesses the bed move of its own accord -should make a Sanity check (SAN 1/1D4). Those who pass -should lose one Sanity point, and those who fail should roll -1D4 to determine how many Sanity points they lose. - -KEEPER’S NOTE: Though Corbitt lays low at first, if -the investigators seem determined to learn the secrets of the -house then Corbitt tries to convince them that this room is -the centre of the psychic disturbance. To this end, he makes -pools of blood appear and tries to frighten the investigators -off with thumping sounds on the doors and walls. If an -investigator is not convinced by Corbitt’s haunting routine, -Corbitt tries to lure him or her into this room to be killed (see -Bed Attack), attracting the investigator to the window by -making it rattle. - -KEEPER’S NOTE: The bed attack has the potential to -deliver a major wound to an investigator. In the unlikely -event of investigator death, have Mr. Knott (the landlord) -brought in for use by that player. - -ROOM 4, Bathroom - -Pick any of the following events and have them happen as -and when you wish: - -A bathroom containing a sink, bathtub, and a water closet with -an overhead tank. Towels and other possessions are still here, -typical to a family of four. A brackish pool of water has collected -in the bathtub, fed by a dripping faucet which cannot quite be -closed off. - -• Corbitt can cause loud thumping noises to emanate from -this room. These noises can be heard from anywhere in -the house. -• Corbitt can form a pool of blood on the floor or to drip -down from the ceiling or walls. -• Corbitt can make a rattling, scratching sound on the -windowpane or door. -• Corbitt can impel the bed at good -speed, fast enough to strike a strong -blow against anything in the room -(see below). - -Bed Attack - -Corbitt will lure the investigators to -inspect the window in the spare bedroom, -then make the bed fly across the room -at high speed toward an unfortunate -investigator. Ask the player of the -investigator inspecting the window to -make a Spot Hidden roll: if successful -the player may attempt a Dodge roll to -avoid being hit by the bed. - -25 - - WELCOME TO CALL OF CTHULHU - -1 THE BASEMENT -2 ROOM 1: Storage -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 -9 -0 - -With a successful Spot Hidden roll, the investigator finds -Corbitt’s knife (see The Floating Knife) and may pick it up. -Once picked up, the knife will try to wrest itself free from the -investigator’s grasp and attack the investigator (see Having -Hold of the Knife). -If the player fails the Pushed Spot Hidden roll, the -unaware investigator catches a hand on the possessed knife -and it slashes him or her for 1D4+2 hit points of damage. - -The door to the basement has a lock and three bolts, able to -be opened from the upstairs side only. Below is the main -basement storage room. The stairs are in poor repair and the -electric light bulb does not work. The walls of the basement -are lined with closely fitted boards. - -KEEPER’S NOTE: Notice how you can inflict automatic -damage as the result of a failed Pushed roll. There’s no need -for an attack roll in this instance—the harm was the -consequence of failing a Pushed roll. - -Corbitt has turned off the electricity to the basement at the -fuse box upstairs in the kitchen—if the investigators turn it -back on, Corbitt can switch it off again when it best suits him. -The stairs are perilous; all the more so because Corbitt -can make them move. One at a time, ask each investigator -descending the stairs to make a DEX or Climb roll. Treat -this as a Combined roll: the players should roll dice once and -compare the result with their DEX and Climb skills. Rolling -equal to or below one of these values counts as a success. -Anyone failing the DEX / Climb roll should be told -that the stairs are too dangerous and that to go further risks -injury. They now have a choice: remain upstairs or Push the -roll and risk falling. Failing the Pushed roll will result in the -loss of 1D6 hit points as the investigator slips and crashes to -the basement floor. - -The walls are lined with wooden boards, a cursory inspection -of which will reveal hollow areas (rooms 2 and 3). - -The Floating Knife - -An old knife with an ornate hilt, whose blade is coated with -oddly thick rust. This is Corbitt’s magic dagger and the rust -is the dried blood of victims. If the players find it, Corbitt -will use it to attack. If they do not find it, he will attack -them with it if they begin tearing down the wooden wall that -conceals his body. -Attacking With the Knife -The knife floats into the air and stabs at an investigator. This -costs Corbitt 1 Magic point per combat round. The knife can -make one attack per round. - -KEEPER’S NOTE: In a situation such as this, one -investigator (who successfully negotiates the stairs) might -volunteer to help another. You need to be a little creative -with the rules in such a situation. As one investigator has -already been successful, grant the second player a bonus die, -but this time if the roll is failed then both fall and take -damage. In this way the player who is pushing the roll has -an increased chance of success, but both players are sharing -the risk. This creates a moment of tension and drama, exactly -as dice rolls should do. - -• Roll 1D100 and compare the result with Corbitt’s POW. -• Ask the player to roll 1D100 and compare the result with the -investigator’s Dodge roll. -• Compare Levels of Success and decide whether the -investigator is hit: -• If Corbitt rolls a Fail (91 or over), the investigator has -avoided being hit with the knife. -• If Corbitt achieves a Regular success (46 to 90) and the -investigator achieves a Fail, inflict 1D4+2 damage. -• If Corbitt achieves a Hard success (19 to 45) and the -investigator achieves a Fail or Regular success, inflict 1D4+2 -damage. -• If Corbitt achieves an Extreme success (18 or below) and -the investigator achieves a Fail, Regular, or Hard success, -the attack has impaled, driving deep into the investigator’s -vitals and inflicting 6+1D4+2 damage. -• If the investigator picks up a garbage can lid for protection, -grant a bonus die on the Dodge roll. - -Tell the players that in this smallish room are scattered -tools, pipe, a trash can lid, lumber, nails, screws, and so -forth. If an investigator searches through the mess, ask the -player to make a Spot Hidden roll. Treat this as an Obscure -Clue (don’t give the clue out if the player fails the roll). The -player might Push the roll by taking time to conduct a more -thorough search. You can foreshadow the consequence of -failure by pointing out the many sharp things among the -mess and the risk of injury. - -26 - - WELCOME TO CALL OF CTHULHU - -• If the investigator is unaware of the attack, ask the player to -make a Spot Hidden roll to notice the dagger floating into the -air. If the investigator fails to notice the dagger, award a bonus -die to the attack roll and do not allow a Dodge roll. The attack -inflicts 1D4+2 damage, or 6+1D4+2 if an Extreme success is -rolled, and only misses if a fumble (100) is rolled. -• Seeing the knife attack in this manner requires a Sanity check -(SAN 1/1D4). If successful, the investigator loses 1 Sanity point. -If unsuccessful, lose 1D4 Sanity points. -KEEPER’S NOTE: When the knife floats in to the air you -should begin a combat round. Corbitt’s DEX is low, so the -investigators will probably get to act first. If they decide to flee, -the knife will attack anyone left in the basement or the last person -to get to the stairs (it moves quite fast). Whether it pursues people -through the house is up to you. - -Having Hold of the Knife - -If an investigator has hold of the knife, Corbitt may attempt -to wrench it away on future rounds: each combat round -costs Corbitt another Magic point. To keep hold of the -knife the player must succeed in an opposed roll, using the -investigator’s STR versus Corbitt’s POW. - -Room 2: -An Empty Storage Bin - -A storage bin, once intended for coal. The door to the outside -coal chute has been nailed firmly shut. - -ROOM 3: Corbitt’s Hidden Lair - -Using a Fighting Maneuver to Grab the Knife -The investigators can try to grab the knife out of the air using -the Fighting Maneuver rules (see Fighting Maneuvers, page -13). The player’s goal is to grab the knife. The players use their -investigator’s Fighting (Brawl) skill in an opposed roll against -Corbitt’s POW. -If the player scores a higher level of success than Corbitt then -the knife has been grabbed. In the case of a draw, the side whose -turn it is wins the roll (if it was Corbitt’s action, the knife would -hit on a draw; if it was the investigator’s action they would grab -the knife on a draw). Usually a player would compare his or -her investigator’s Build with that of the opponent to resolve -a fighting maneuver, but since no one is actually holding the -dagger this can be ignored. If the players are creative and use a -thick coat to help them in catching the knife, you -may award a bonus die. -KEEPER’S NOTE: All characters present in -the basement get to initiate one action each combat -round, and this includes Corbitt, using his floating -knife. The one Magic point Corbitt spends to -activate the knife covers all actions made with it -during that round. - -27 - -If the boards in the cellar are broken or removed, a crawl -space is revealed between two wooden walls. Foul odors -emanate from the rats that nest here. -A pack of rats live in the wall. If the investigators do not -give the rats room to escape, they attack whoever tries to -explore this space. The rats will use their Overwhelm attack -against one investigator. Once one rat has been killed, those -remaining will flee. - -Rat Pack - -Individual rats are not worthy opponents; however, an -infestation of rats can be daunting. Assume ten rats per pack. -A successful attack by an investigator kills one or two rats -and usually chases away the rest of that pack. -Rat packs exist only for the purposes of gaming. - - WELCOME TO CALL OF CTHULHU - -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 -9 -0 - -RAT PACK - -STR 35 -CON 55 SIZ 35 -HP: 9 -Average Damage Bonus: -1 -Average Build: -1 -Move: 9 - -POW 50 - -OPTION: Corbitt Casts the Dominate Spell - -DEX 70 - -At any time, whether he has moved or not, Corbitt may cast -his Dominate spell (see Corbitt’s Spells). He does not need -to move at all to cast the spell. The casting time for the spell -is instantaneous. Add 50 to Corbitt’s DEX for determining -his turn in the round if he is casting this spell. Casting the -spell in combat requires him to use his action for the round. -He may choose to cast it as the investigators are breaking -through the wall. - -Combat -Attacks per round: 1. -Fighting attacks: Rats attack with teeth and claws. - -ROOM 4: -CORBITT’S HIDING PLACE - -Overwhelm (fighting maneuver): As a pack they may assault -and overwhelm an individual using the Fighting maneuver -rules, because of their numbers they gain one bonus die on -the attack. Such an attack would involve swarming over the -target, biting, and scratching as they do so. - -Lying motionless and seemingly dead on a pallet in the -centre of the room is a drawn, wooden-looking, wizened -figure of some six-feet. Skinny and naked, with ghastly -wide-flaring, saucer-like eyes and a nose like a knife blade. -Some sort of chain rests around his neck. He has lost all hair -and his shrunken gums make his teeth look very long. From -him comes a sharp, sweet, churning scent, like rotten corn. -The floor is earthen and there is a table in the southwest -corner with some curled papers on it. - -Fighting 40% (Hard 20/Extreme 8), damage 1D3 -Overwhelm (fighting maneuver) damage 2D6 -Dodge -42% (Hard 21/Extreme 8) -Carved into the inner wall of the crawl space are the words -“Chapel of Contemplation” in irregular, scratchy letters (treat -this as an Obvious clue, do not ask for a Spot Hidden roll— -not finding it will not add anything to the game). -If the investigators break through this wall, they find -themselves in Room 4. - -The papers on the table crumble to dust if touched. What the -investigators can see upon the papers looks like a horoscope. -If they retrieve or photograph this material, the Keeper -should disclose its true nature in some later adventure— -whatever this may be is up to the Keeper to determine and -is placed here as a scenario seed for Keepers to -use in future adventures with the same group of -investigators. - -Corbitt Attacks - -By spending 2 Magic points, Corbitt can move -his body for five combat rounds. Given the cost, -he is reluctant to move at all unless threatened. -SANITY ROLLS: When he rises from his pallet, -ask all players who have an investigator present to -make a Sanity roll (1/1D8). Those who fail the -roll make one involuntary action of the Keeper’s -choice, perhaps dropping their gun or screaming. -If an investigator loses 5 or more Sanity points, -the player should make an INT roll. If the INT -roll is passed, the investigator has understood the -full implications of the situation and is driven -temporarily insane (see Temporary Insanity as -a Result of Meeting Corbitt). If the INT roll is -failed, the character is shaken but remains sane. - -28 - - WELCOME TO CALL OF CTHULHU - -USING DICE TO RESOLVE COMBAT: A combat -round will begin when Corbitt first moves. Draw up a list -of the investigators and Corbitt in DEX order, highest first. - -BOUTS OF MADNESS - -• If a character has a gun drawn already, add 50 to the -investigator’s DEX on the list. If an investigator draws a -gun, it will be ready to use on the character’s regular DEX -this round. -• Start with the first name on the list. Given Corbitt’s DEX -of 35, it is safe to assume that an investigator will go first, -unless Corbitt is casting his Dominate spell, in which case -he acts on his DEX + 50 (during rounds in which he does -not cast the spell you should continue to use his DEX 35). -Ask what the player is doing. -• If an investigator is attacking Corbitt using the Fighting -skill, Corbitt fights back using his Fighting skill. Corbitt -will also fight back against subsequent attacks in the round -using his Fighting skill. -• If an investigator is attacking Corbitt using the Firearms -skill, simply roll to hit. Corbitt will not Dive for Cover. If -close enough, shots are made at point-blank range, granting -a bonus die to the attack. -• The second investigator to attack Corbitt should get a bonus -die for outnumbering the target (see Outnumbered, page 13). - -(CHOOSE OR ROLL 1D10) - -1. AMNESIA: The investigator has no memory of events that -have taken place since they were last in a place of safety. It seems -to them that one moment they were eating breakfast and the -next they are facing a monster. This lasts for 1D10 rounds. -2. PSYCHOSOMATIC DISABILITY: The investigator -suffers psychosomatic blindness, deafness, or loss of the use -of a limb or limbs for 1D10 rounds. -3. VIOLENCE: A red mist of rage descends on the afflicted -investigator and he or she explodes in a spree of uncontrolled -violence and destruction directed at their surroundings, allies -and foes alike, for 1D10 rounds. -4. PARANOIA: The investigator suffers severe paranoia for -1D10 rounds. Everyone is out to get them! No one can -be trusted! They are being spied on; someone has betrayed -them; what they are seeing is a trick. -5. SIGNIFICANT PERSON: Review the investigator’s -background entry for Significant People. The investigator -mistakes another person in the scene for their Significant -Person. Consider the nature of the relationship; the -investigator acts upon it. This lasts 1D10 rounds. -6. FAINT: The investigator faints, recovering after 1D10 -rounds. -7. FLEE IN PANIC: The investigator is compelled to get as -far away as possible by whatever means are available, even -if it means taking the only vehicle and leaving everyone else -behind. They travel for 1D10 rounds. -8. PHYSICAL HYSTERICS OR EMOTIONAL -OUTBURST: The investigator is incapacitated laughing, -crying, screaming, etc. for 1D10 rounds. -9. PHOBIA: Investigator gains a new phobia, such as -Claustrophobia (fear of confined spaces), Demonophobia -(fear of spirits or demons), or Katsaridaphobia (fear -of cockroaches). Even if the source of the phobia is not -present, the investigator imagines it is there for the next -1D10 rounds. -10. MANIA: The investigator gains a new mania, such -as Ablutomania (compulsion for washing oneself ), -Pseudomania (irrational compulsion for lying), or -Helminthomania (an excessive liking for worms). The -investigator seeks to indulge in this new mania for the -next 1D10 rounds. - -Temporary Insanity -as a Result of Meeting Corbitt - -Bout of Madness: If an investigator goes temporarily insane -roll 1D10 and refer to the Bouts of Madness table. If the -investigator is in the presence of other investigators, play -out the result round by round. If the investigator is alone -you may use the result to tell how the investigator is found -sometime later in a bad way, perhaps locked in a cupboard or -drunk in a gutter. -Backstory: Take the investigator sheet and add a suitable -entry based upon the nature of the investigator’s bout of -madness. -Delusions: The investigator will remain insane for 1D10 -hours or until leaving the Corbitt House and having a good -night’s rest. Until then, the investigator will be prone to -delusions; however, given that the only event that has the -potential to cause insanity in this scenario is likely to occur in -the final scene, the scope for using delusions is limited. Here -are some suggestions: -• If the deluded investigator flees the cellar, have him or her -find a photo in the house that appears to be evidence that -Corbitt is his or her ancestor; it shows Corbitt and the -investigator’s grandfather together and names them as - -29 - - WELCOME TO CALL OF CTHULHU - -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 -9 -0 - -Extension - -brothers (though in actuality is nothing more than a scrap -of old newspaper). -• If the deluded investigator stays in the cellar, pass the player -a note to the effect that another investigator’s face and voice -have somehow changed and that he or she is mumbling -something in Latin (this is of course only a delusion). - -Keepers will have noticed the freshly painted sign on the rubble -at the Chapel, as well as the evidence of the cover-up following -the raid in 1912. Connections to what may be a great conspiracy -are available and might be returned to at some later time. -Also, consider the strange, crumbling paper that looked -like a horoscope—is this connected to the conspiracy or -something altogether different? -Both of these clues could lead the way into further -adventures of your own devising for this group of -investigators. - -Reality Checks: If the player questions a delusion, suggest -to the player that a Reality Check roll might be made if the -investigator wishes to discern the truth. If the player wishes -to make a reality check, ask for a Sanity roll: - -Walter Corbitt, Undead Fiend - -• If successful, drop the delusions and don’t present that player -with any more. -• If failed, have that investigator lose 1 Sanity point and -experience another Bout of Madness, and escalate the -delusions. - -STR 90 -CON 115 SIZ 55 -INT 80 -POW 90 DEX 35 -APP 05 -EDU 80 -SAN: 0 (ignore Sanity costs for spells) -HP: 16 -Damage bonus: +1D4 -Build: 1 -Move: 8 -Magic points: 18 (if spent, recover 1 per hour) - -Given that the temporary insanity is caused by a -manifestation of the Cthulhu Mythos, 5% should be added -to the investigator’s Cthulhu Mythos skill. - -Roleplaying hooks: -• Corbitt is full of malice and will seek to divide investigators -and turn them against one another. -• Corbitt seeks excitement and perverse amusement at the -investigators’ expense. -• He will seek to acquire any sources of Mythos knowledge -that are bought in to the house (such as the Liber Ivonis). - -CONCLUSION - -If the investigators have solved the mystery and -overthrown Corbitt, Mr. Knott the landlord pays them -promptly and happily. -If they fail to dispose of Corbitt and simply report to Mr. -Knott that nothing was wrong, he spends a night in the house -to make sure and is stabbed to death in the basement by -Corbitt’s magic dagger. The investigators will then be sought -by the police and must then seek to prove their innocence. -Of course things may not go so well for the investigators. -Both the knife and Corbitt are dangerous and, depending -how the dice roll, the players may find their investigation -ends in death or madness. -One possible ending would be to describe a brief epilogue -for each player: dead investigators are perhaps reanimated -by Corbitt’s magic, to repair the basement walls before their -bodies crumble to dust. Insane investigators flee screaming -into the night, never to return. -If the investigators are victorious then you may wish to -ignore the ongoing effects of Corbitt’s Claw attacks. - -KEEPER’S NOTE: Keep careful track of Corbitt’s Magic -points. Be sure to remember that he recovers at the rate of 1 -point per hour. Corbitt casts Flesh Ward as soon as anyone -enters the house. If intruders head straight to his body, they -may encounter Corbitt before he has regained those two -points. -Combat -Attacks per round: 1 -Fighting attacks: When animated, Corbitt is able to make -all regular attacks (kick, punch, etc.). Being wounded by -Corbitt’s clawed fingernails risks serious disease; if he lands -a successful attack upon an investigator, a Luck roll should -be made. If it is failed, the investigator has been raked by -Corbitt’s claws and a day later the victim becomes delirious -and must make a CON roll: - -Rewards - -If Corbitt is conquered and destroyed, each participating -investigator gains 1D6 Sanity points. -The investigators can claim the worm-eaten book from -the Chapel for their own. -Finally, the landlord gladly pays their fee plus a bonus of $30. - -• Failure: Delirium lasts 1D10 days; lose 1D10 CON. -• Success: Delirium lasts 1D6 days; no further CON loss. -• Repeat the procedure until the investigator recovers or dies. -CON lost does not regenerate. - -30 - - WELCOME TO CALL OF CTHULHU - -Corbitt’s Spells - -Weapon: Floating magical dagger. See The Floating Knife (see -page 23). Spending a Magic point to cause the dagger to attack -for 1 round counts as Corbitt’s combat action for the round. -Fighting -Dodge - -DOMINATE (Corbitt’s variant): Costs Corbitt 1 Magic -point and takes one round to cast. -With his version of the Dominate spell, Corbitt can -mentally cloud the mind of one investigator at a time, as long as -the target is physically in the Corbitt house. The player should -make an opposed POW roll versus Corbitt’s POW of 90. -If Corbitt succeeds, the target is in a daze for 1D6+1 -combat rounds. While in this dazed state, the victim is -subject to telepathic commands from Corbitt. These may -take the form of subtle and creepy hallucinations or direct -commands at the Keeper’s discretion. He or she will not -commit suicidal acts, though homicidal, idiotic, or reckless -acts (such as trying to swallow a butcher’s knife) might be -attempted. Waking, the victim will not recall what happened. - -50% (Hard 25%/Extreme10%), damage 1D3 + -damage bonus(1D4) + possible infection (see above). -17% (Hard 8%/Extreme 3%). - -Skills -Cthulhu Mythos 17%, Intimidate 64%, Listen 60%, Sleight -of hand 30%, Stealth 72%. -KEEPER’S NOTE: Only a few skills are listed for -Corbitt—those that might come into play. You may -improvise others if required. -Armor: Each point of armor reduces the damage received by -1 point. Corbitt has cast Flesh Ward already. Roll 2D6 for -his armor. Reduce his armor by one point for each point of -damage he suffers. -Spells: Dominate (variant, see below), Flesh Ward, -Summon/Bind Dimensional Shambler. -Magical Artifact: Floating dagger. -Sanity Loss: 1/1D8 Sanity points to see him move. - -FLESH WARD: Corbitt will already have cast this spell -before the investigators get to him, to provide himself with -armor (see Armor above). -• Cost: variable magic points -• Casting Time: 5 rounds -Grants protection against physical attack. Each magic point -spent gives the caster or the chosen target 1D6 points of -armor against non-magical attacks. This protection wears off -as it blocks damage. For example, if a character has 12 points -of Flesh Ward as armor and suffers 8 points of damage, the -character suffers no damage but the Flesh Ward is reduced to 4 -points. The spell lasts 24 hours or until the protection is used up. -Once cast, the spell may not be reinforced with further magic -points, nor recast until the old spell’s protection has been used up. - -ABOUT W. CORBITT, ESQ - -He might be silent at first, but at some point during the -confrontation with the investigators it will be more -convincing to have him growl, screech, cackle, or mock. He -does not breathe at all. -Corbitt is not truly a vampire, nor any recognizable monster— -he is a sorcerer in the process of transforming himself into -something entirely inhuman. -Sunlight causes him pain and is too bright for him to see -comfortably. It might kill him, but whether it does so is for -the Keeper to determine. Although he drinks blood for food, -he could also eat carrots—drinking blood is just more fun. -His Flesh Ward spell operates as described below, but -characterise its effect like this: bullets and blows only -chip off pieces of his body, making him look even more -horrific than he already does. His dried, iron-hard flesh is -invulnerable so long as the spell holds. If damage exceeds -the armor, his hit points reduce normally. He never heals -and cannot be knocked unconscious. Reaching zero hit -points, Corbitt crumbles into dust and never returns. -Corbitt controls the floating dagger, but if the -investigators manage to wrest control of it and successfully -stab Corbitt with it, he will quickly turn to ashes and dust, -regardless of any spells. - -31 - - WELCOME TO CALL OF CTHULHU - -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 -9 -0 - -Handout 5 - -Handout 1 - -Evidently Corbitt wins the lawsuit. His obituary in 1866 -states that he still lived in the same place. It also states that -a second lawsuit was being waged to prevent Corbitt from -being buried in his basement, as provided by his will. - -A landlord, Mr. Knott, asks you to examine an old house -in central Boston, known as the Corbitt House. The former -tenants, the Macario family, were involved in a tragedy and -the owner wishes to understand the mysterious happenings at -the house and set matters straight. Mr. Knott has been unable -to rent the house out since the tragedy and hopes that you can -clear things up and restore its good name. He offers to pay for -your time and trouble, at a rate of $20 per day. The landlord -gives you the keys, the address, and $20 cash in advance. - -Handout 7 - -Civil court records show that the executor of Walter -Corbitt’s will was Reverend Michael Thomas, pastor -of the Chapel of Contemplation & Church of Our Lord -Granter of Secrets. The register of churches (also available -in the Hall or Records), notes the closure of the Chapel of -Contemplation in 1912. - -Knowing your jobs, you will want to conduct some -research before you head to the house. You could check out -old newspaper articles at the offices of the Boston Globe, -head to the Central Library, or go to The Hall of Records. -The choice is yours. - -Handout 8 - -The file concerns a secret raid on the Chapel of -Contemplation. The police raid was occasioned by affidavits -swearing that members of the church were responsible for -the disappearances of neighborhood children. During the -raid, three policemen and seventeen cult members were -killed by gunplay or fire. Autopsy reports are singularly -lacking detail and uninformative, as though the coroner -had not actually performed examinations. - -Handout 2 - -Unpublished story, Boston Globe 1918. -1918 feature story, which was never published. It states that -in 1880, a family of French immigrants moved into the house -but fled after a series of violent accidents left the parents dead -and three children crippled. The house long stood vacant. - -Though 54 members of the church were arrested, all but -eight were released. The records hint of illegal intervention -in the proceedings by an important local official, offering -stories of the battle—the biggest criminal action in the -city’s history—that never appeared in print. - -In 1909 another family moved in, and immediately fell -prey to illnesses. In 1914, the oldest brother went mad and -killed himself with a kitchen knife, and the heartbroken -family moved out. In 1918, a third family, the Macarios, -rented the house, but they left almost immediately after -they all became ill at the same time. - -Pastor Michael Thomas was arrested and sentenced to 40 -years in prison on five counts of second-degree murder. He -escaped from prison in 1917 and fled the state. - -Handout 3 - -Handout 9 - -In 1835, a prosperous merchant builds the house, but -immediately falls ill and sells it to a Mr. Walter Corbitt, -esquire. - -Handout 4 - -In 1852, Walter Corbitt is sued by neighbors, who petition -to force him to leave the area “in consequence of his surious -[sic] habits and unauspicious demeanor.” - -Handout 6 - -No outcome to the second lawsuit is recorded. \ No newline at end of file