Is Call of Cthulhu Better Than Dungeons & Dragons?

[@Longlius]

"Dungeons and Dragons is like Final Fantasy back when it was good" savage

[@larsdahl5528]

Yes, Dungeons and Dragons have been good (But, yes that was long time ago!).

[@Nildread]

@@larsdahl5528 they meant when final Fantasy was good.

[@benjaminstorace6699]

Meanwhile in Britain . . . "CoC or DnD?" "Why not both?" holds up a copy of Warhammer Fantasy RPG

[@ElionoNailo]

CoC or DnD? Why not more? Holds up a bookshelf of GURPS System books.

[@curnott6051]

Reminds me of a thing I did in a one shot. Call me lazy, but I basically ripped of Darkest Dungeons "Stress" system and applied it to D&D, with character's each having a Stress level based on certain ability scores (I set it up that CON, WIS, and CHA gave the most boosts to stress), but it also had more emphasis on approaching problems carefully and ability/ skill saves. Because like in Darkest Dungeon, you'd get insanity if your stress got to high. Which could be anything from a nervous tick to going insane and needing to be put down by the rest of the party. Though there were Wisdom saves aplenty (maybe a bit too much) I also tried to incorporate lesser used saving throws. A mad man shouting about the end times, roll a Charisma saving throw to rally yourself against despair, then roll Persuasion to motivate your party to move forward. Pinned under a rock? Roll a Strength save to get yourself out of it or else you'll take additional damage and stress every round! Decided to look at those eldrich runes beyond mortal comprehension? Intellect save! Even though it needed some kinks to work out, everyone seemed to enjoy it.

[@daiamonto2517]

Roll a heresy check guardsman

[@kainuipenaloza9395]

Clash of Clans or Dunk n Donuts? (Dips phone in coffee) Now you have both! 😁

[@AndreTheCrab]

@@kainuipenaloza9395 but you can't play clash of clans because the coffee destroyed your phone.

[@terrybeal2252]

In Dungeons & Dragons you are a hero. In Call of Cthulhu you are a victim. 🐙😵

[@kevinsullivan3448]

You might be the victim. My character is an investigator.

[@JoseMolina-ij3xx]

That depends on the setting to be honest in D&D. In Ravenloft, your hero status means nothing and you're basically in danger every moment. Far Realm? You're lucky to have a humanoid shape or mind when you come out. The Abyss? You're a survivor, not a hero.

[@Mythteller]

But Advanced D&D had a pantheon of 'The Great Old Ones' aka. 'The Ancient Ones' in their earlier Deities & Demi-Gods c1980😱😳

[@thebrawlinghunter1899]

ROLEPLAYING...WHAT FXCKING ROLE AM I PLAYING THE VICTIM!

[@RicksPoker]

In D&D you are a an ever increasing set of powers and damage dealing. I can mow down enemies endlessly, getting better and better, but I rarely feel like I've done much that is dangerous. After all, the monsters are always supposed to be BEHIND my power curve. In CoC, you are an every-man, facing things that infinitely more powerful than you. Sometimes you win, but some times you lose. (Lose as in permanently dead.). Sometimes you win, but at vast personal cost. When I manage a win in CoC, I FEEL heroic.

[@Xenos_hive]

IVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT GETTING INTO CALL OF CTHULU THANK U CJ

[@TaLahsTales]

Call of Cthulhu is really awesome

[@XenoTheTurtle]

I really love D&D, but, honestly, CoC seems so much better

[@TaLahsTales]

@@XenoTheTurtle It is!

[@Lairsoldier113]

I've just started about a month ago, definitely fun. The coolest thing you might learn out of CoC that's completely different from any other RPG tabletop is the whole Chase mechanic.

[@EXXTSON]

"Even if youre a diehard dnd fan, you should really try COC" Woah, kinky.

[@jonathanklinker5192]

LOL XD

[@captainpufen5064]

Dinamyte, cigarettes, and a lot of alcohol, best solution to CoC

[@firekram]

So I'm hearing that you invite the eldritch horrors over for a shin dig and switch thier cigar for a stick of TnT once thier wasted on booze for easy kills?

[@captainpufen5064]

@@firekram lol gotta try that sometime

[@RandomPerson-nd2ey]

Sounds like my kind of party... wait, what were we talking about? Oh yeah, tabletop RPGs. *sips Cuba Libre*

[@PossumMedic]

@@firekram So I'm hearing that you invite the eldritch horrors over for a shin dig and they all drop their keys in a bowl! ;p

[@fabianpohl4335]

Hard to compare: DnD is about growing up and fall in love with a charachter over time and give him an epic saga. CoC on the other Hand is about Horror and Insanity, the constant decline into Madness and the enevibitle downfall of the players. So both Sytsem trnslate very different Playstyles and Gamefeelings and are Hard to compare. But if you want to run a Horror-Setting go for COC

[@destroyerinazuma96]

Interesting. In contrast with Dnd, japanese tabletop games are more about the drama, even tragedy of things crashing down around already powerful characters. Games such as Double Cross are meant for one-shot or "few-shot" sessions and while leveling up exists, a "season" isn't meant to be as long as years-long DnD campaigns. With that being said, Japan does have more DnD-like fantasy ttrpgs such as Sword World. However the proportion of players to population is much smaller than in the US and EU. Japanese people are workaholics who hardly have time to spare on even weekly 3-4 hrs sessions. Thus they mostly listen to ttrpgs podcasts or read "game logs" (a bunch of novels, anime etc are action based on those). Or play video games.

[@Kasino80]

I've been co-dm'ing for a group for little over a year, and my main issue is that it is seriously difficult to find time for 6 people to meet. We just had two players cancel our latest game night, meaning we haven't played for over two months, and now we're in the summer holiday period, making it even more difficult to meet up. The flow of the narrative comes to a screeching halt when there's 3-4 months between meet ups. Call of Cthulhu is much easier to finish in one session and have feeling of accomplishment and progress. In this way the story doesn't have to be continuous. You just make self contained episodes of a TV show.

[@ColumnBlack]

Head to Seth Skorkowsky's KZbin Channel, for his Call of Cthulhu reviews. They are perfect for new keepers to explore possible one-shots to run, get inspiration and tips, and become more secure in how to run a succesful CoC one-shot or campaign.

[@nerdherd1819]

Aye, a good channel. That said, I do still anticipate CJ’s rendition of how to play CoC. He’s quite thorough and clear, and having another perspective/explanation may be of some great help.

[@Prinny9000]

I've been trying to convince my D&D group to play Call of Cthulhu and this may sound crazy but a Resident evil 2 campaign using the call of Cthulhu rules set

[@Lairsoldier113]

Hell yeah, I might use that for my next campaign.

[@tyholbrook7664]

Sounds epic. Probably using the Pulp supplement would help

[@kevingooley9628]

While back I ran a Resident Evil style game in 4e D&D. Went well. If you like the more violent Resident Evils, I'd recommend using D&D, Savage world's, etc. But if you prefer the puzzle versions of the RE franchise, then I'd say use CoC.

[@Prinny9000]

@@kevingooley9628 I'm planning to do the more focused the puzzle sided of RE and include few combat encounters I.E William Brikins, and the giant alligator

[@KushWizard_BO-085]

My friend played COC as an irish priest who throws "holy fire" which was really a molotov cocktaile.

[@bumblebot2458]

Gonna put some of that into the notes real quick, just hold on...

[@kevingooley9628]

Was his day job as a member of the RA?

[@GoldenSerpentTree]

Write that down WrItE tHAT DOWN

[@gabrielvanzuita5153]

Been playing D&D for some years, Friday gonna be the first time being a Keeper, I think I will get more insane than my friend's characters

[@MisterTutor2010]

When playing Call of Cthulu, you can break the game by playing a graduate student, invincible because you cannot kill that which has no life :)

[@NamelessFacelessWhoa]

Funny enough, I have a Delta Green character I’m playing right now who does almost nothing with his free time besides doing raids in World of Warcraft. Truly has no life haha

[@nikki5380]

Ive never played call of chuthulu but..its looks good

[@riccardoconti6682]

It is 😁💪

[@thepaulwalkerexperience8727]

It's great but don't get attached to your character. PCs tend to die or go insane with alarming regularity, especially if a character does something blatantly stupid such as sticking around to unload a gun at a Shoggoth rather than run away as fast as possible. On the other hand, if you can get a character to last for a few scenarios, it feels like quite an accomplishment.

[@fikrimf]

it is fun ! and devastating.... death is... a quite thing in CoC, so when your character survive from soo many event you start wondering what kind of death that he/she will face....

[@jacobdickmann7914]

@@thepaulwalkerexperience8727 A player in our game thought it would be a good idea to try and intimidate an NPC that was holding a gun to his head by reloading a shotgun. Needless to say, that was not a smart move.

[@thepaulwalkerexperience8727]

@@jacobdickmann7914 I had a player get awakened by a Star Vampire crashing through his bathroom window of his onfe floor house. So he jumps out of his bedroom window. No problem...until he got curious and tried to peep in though the smashed bathroom window even though he could still clearly hear the thing tittering.Naturally, it grabbed him by the head and drained all his blood from him.

[@JoseMolina-ij3xx]

In some cases, D&D reflects CoC. Heck, Ravenloft which is a part of D&D uses three very specific fear levels, with each getting progressively worse as the final level causes death of the character or permanent loss of control. D&D also uses Far Realm creatures and occasionally Eldritch Cosmic Entities from the lower planes like the Obyriths, Sibriex and Obox Ob. Far Realm creatures are easily comparable to Cthulhu Mythos type creatures. Heck even in 1st edition D&D features Cthulhu Mythos Gods as part of its lore. Chaosium caused the Cthulhu Mythos in D&D to be non-existent later on, due to trademark issues. Fighting an eldritch entity in D&D is every bit as deadly as the CoC's eldritch entities, since they're both based on each other.

[@adzi6164]

yay, Poland got a shout out! ...although the KING OF RPGS in Poland is actually Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, from the very first edition (but definitely not the 3rd. 4th is well liked, and has a localization release coming soon)

[@Poulpy37Cthulhu]

I was actually thinking of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay as the "perfect" game for people who like both DnD & CoC. I'm currently transposing "Shadows over Bögenhafen" in my D&D 5e campaign, just to add some intrigue. I'm a bit tired of WFRP rule system (as I am with CoC's 5e to be honest - I didn't try 7e yet), so I'm looking forward the french translation of WFRP 4th (just one more month :-) ). CoC has been n°1 game in France for decades...

[@fellzayel1305]

One simulates power, the other simulates powerlessness.

[@RossPitSharkHunter]

I've only ever played D&D, but CoC is far more up my alley.

[@yourboipower]

Clash of Clans?

[@bluehyper2692]

No, Call of Cthulhu

[@pepsicrusader535]

Well the call of Cthulhu May be better for you d&d is more popular

[@pepsicrusader535]

I mean it harder to find a COC Group

[@dynamicworlds1]

There are a _lot_ of great RPGs out there that people haven't heard of because of the overwhelming popularity of D&D sidelining everything else. I highly encourage people to not just stick to one system, especially not to the point where you don't even know what else is out there. On top of setting specific things like CoC and Vampire the Masquerade (to name just 2 of many), there are also some great setting-independent systems like Fate and Savage Worlds (my personal fav) that you can use to play almost any kind of game you want to run.

[@Etherwinter]

I run Call of Cthulhu! It's so much fun. I find it more fun DMing Cthulhu than DMing D&D--but I'd rather play a character in D&D than one in Call of Cthulhu. Funny how that works. It's so fun terrifying my players and making them panic while trying to figure out what's going on and how to rectify it. I run a normal CoC game, set in the 1920s, occasionally on Saturdays for my D&D friends when they need a break from D&D. They've bumped up with the occult and got deeper into it, to the point where now they've upset a huge cult and they're on the run for their lives. They've seen undead, been hunted by an alien abomination, fought an animated golem made from the parts of different animals... Sunday I'm planning to do an old west setting CoC. I haven't really mapped out the scenario yet, but I'm slowly working on it.

[@CossackGene]

I'm not sure about the explanation of Call of Cthulhu's loop with its fight and flight options. Generally, fighting the monsters and going deeper into the story is going to wreck your characters' sanity faster than running, hiding and avoiding things, but if you're into CoC, you're not the kind of person who wants to hide. I think the fun of playing comes from solving the mystery while managing risks: in this particular situation, which action will give me the greatest payoff? Those calculations can be very difficult, because unlike in D&D, the stories are rarely straightforward, and there's a lot that players don't know. (There's also some fun to be had while acting out your characters' downward spiral as they gain knowledge and lose sanity.)

[@knyghtmordhaus9170]

Alright cool ***SO HOW DOES IT TASTE?***

[@adzi6164]

blood and some weird mucus, that's how.

[@knyghtmordhaus9170]

@@adzi6164 Mmmm Tasty Thanks Para-medic

[@ChakkuGladiator96]

Tastes like chickent

[@probablynotasith5355]

Tastes like *Blood and Guts with a little bit of salty tentacle thrown in...*

[@jamesward9499]

I love DnD but my heart belongs to Call of Cthulhu. It is a great game especially if you love Role-playing and not just chucking dice. I hear a lot of comments about how CoC is only good for one-shots but actually the best long form campaign experiences I have ever had were playing CoC. Masks of Nyarlathotep is hands down the best RPG campaign ever written for any game system.

[@flyinhigh7681]

I’ve never played CoC, but I’ve read lovecraft’s work, and I think that the idea of being a character in this setting would be pretty cool

[@nickmanzo8459]

I got Call of Cthulhu for my birthday and ran it for all my friends. Since then, we have run CoC every single Thursday. We all met playing D&D and still play it weekly. I love D&D because it’s awesome, I love the setting, it’s ground zero of tabletop RPGs. I love Call of Cthulhu for its deeper role playing and the crazy plan making and discussions it brings up, as well as the nutty situations it often puts my players in. Doors to Darkness is a must own if you’re going to start this game!

[@mareczek00713]

While Vampire is my favourite, Sanity rating should supplement Humanity (or whatever ideology vampire uses to stay away from Beast) and Masquerade.

[@augustokonrad3572]

If anyone is interested in Call of Cthulhu, chck out Delta Green It's like CoC meets X-files meets Sicario meets True Detective meets SCP Foundation

[@MrTuteeeeeeeeeeeeeee]

Never tried it before but shit now I’m interested

[@ib4361]

I love how you did two different art styles for two different games

[@francescomaurizio5536]

Me and my friends tried to play Call of Cthulu once my old d&d campaing ended, in order to give me some time to create the new one. I never liked Lovecraftian themes, but decided to roll with it, just to try and also one of my friends was like super excited to play it. Well...turns out it wasn't for any of us (except for the one who was the game master at that time I guess?). After three sessions we decided to switch back to d&d, so I had to have everything prepared earlier than I expected. However, this is just how I (or we?) are made. Trying something new was cool and it was fun to be on the other side of the master's wall for some time

[@ebrand11]

Both are fantastic. Some seasons I'll be on fire for one or the other, they're both very different but equally fun. For those on the fence about getting into CoC, do it!!

[@micryt.]

I actually think that CoC is easier to GM.

[@thebag3429]

Micryt ! It depends on the type of players

[@Nionivek]

It also REALLY REALLY depends on what you want to do with your stories. I find CoC very difficult to run because I like to go all the way! I want every NPC fleshed out, every second panel on the map, every bookcase stocked... The works! As well since the game relies on more problem solving, it also means that giving proper clues requires finesse... BUUT I also know it is self-inflicted difficulty because I can make a stellar investigation in CoC with just a single room.

[@dynamicworlds1]

I think _most_ systems are easier to GM than D&D.

[@MrTuteeeeeeeeeeeeeee]

Nionivek yeah I agree with you, it is possible to make an amazing CoC story in just one house for example but I always end up making huge stories where the PCs can travel throughout an entire country going from town to town to solve a mystery and then the butterfly effect really kicks in, and since CoC is more investigation based than DnD there needs to be a lot more content and things to keep track of. That’s my experience being a CoC GM though I might be insane by now idk...

[@peacewasalwaysanoption8593]

oh thats interesting though! call of cthulhu needs a good storyteller as a gm, especially since you need to be scary!

[@lstcloud]

I like the majority of the points you made about CoC: I like the idea of it being more investigative-focused and the shallower learning curve. I like how it sounds easier to customize your character and I REALLY like the old black & white, art deco noire vibe it has, but I am just not a fan of horror games, movies, or well... horror anything. Even Vampire isn't REALLY horror-centric. That's the biggest thing that's kept me from playing Cuthulu.

[@gamewatch6861]

I remember playing this game. The character I made kept losing sanity points at nearly every opportunity. It’s a wonder he stayed sane.

[@jameshenderson4876]

Just came back from GMing a session of Delta Green - essentially modern Call of Cthulu. Good stuff!

[@TheLawliet10]

Perfect timing! I've got a friend who's been trying to pick up CoC for a future campaign! New series is going to help him a whole lot, thanks CJ.

[@TheNamelessOne]

Also, if you like lethal combat, versarile character creation, and more versatile games, try the GURPS system. It's a lot more math, but it's combat is probably some of the most rewarding and cinematic combat I have seen as both a DM and a player. Plus it allows you to build a character concept first instead of picking a class and race and finagling it to fit your concept. One of my favorite examples is how my buddy literally made a sapient muffin. Imma just let that one sink in.

[@StephenFishbach]

Thanks so much for this, CJ. The best gaming experience I ever had was in a Call of Cthulhu scenario, and I've been wanting to learn it - I'm so excited for your incredibly clear explanation of how to play!

[@cascade1460]

Just played Call of Cthulhu, then saw your video, you know how to make a man happy I'll give you that.

[@Caspin]

You were the one who taught me how to play 5e, can't wait to learn to play COC too!

[@DontStopThinking]

So, what do you think? With all the differences listed, do you think CoC is a better game than D&D?

[@queenannsrevenge100]

Don't Stop Thinking - To me, it’s like comparing apples and oranges, as the old saying goes. I have rarely had any success with a Call of Cthulhu campaign, because of the character drop-off rate giving players less investment in the campaign. It works great for limited series, or for one-shots, but MUCH harder to keep a campaign going. I applaud your effort, though, and look forward to your new series! Maybe I’ll get inspiration for how to keep things going a bit longer. Also, could I ask if you are covering the Pulp Cthulhu supplement in one of your episodes? It’s likely the best thing I’ve seen for keeping a campaign going without straying too far from the CoC look and feel. It’s also written by the fantastic gents who run the “Good Friends of Jackson Elias” podcast - a podcast all fans of CoC should get a listen to.

[@queenannsrevenge100]

Don't Stop Thinking - also, kudos on the recommendations for branching out and playing different games! Oh, and love the makeover! 😀

[@Clarkarius7]

I would not say that either one is better, only that each system is suited better towards a specific flavour of roleplay. If the story is intended to be more grounded in realism, systems like Call of Cthulu are much better at instilling a certain level of threat, where your players are almost always walking on a knife edge, and are relatively powerless to take on anything beyond their normal capabilities. By contrast, D&D is the exact opposite as it is very much a system about surpassing one's capabilities to take on increasingly greater foes. Both systems are great in their own ways, but preference would very much come down to what type of stories you enjoy and what types of experiences you are looking to get out of roleplay.

[@Nparalelo]

I would need more knowledge to know for sure. If only someone made a guide for me to understand CoC... Oh wait. THANK. YOUUUUUU.

[@kaliptristan1365]

@@queenannsrevenge100 I find it better to do adventure path style for CoC campaigns a series of one shots that are loosely connected and sometimes has a b plot going on in the background, like how a TV show does. Mostly because if investigativors die they can come in more easily between cases or be used has a hook into the next one. But yeah CoC wasn't really designed to have those large scale hard back D&D length adventures.

[@Pioootr]

Few cprrections: CoC is based on a LOT of stories by HPL and other autors. There are first party suplements and adventures in different eras from ancient times (Cthulhu Invictus) to space conquere or postapocliptic (Icarus and endtimes). And in Poland it is very popular but DnD is similarly popular and the most popular is probably Warhammer 2nd eddition.

[@Anthrojedi]

I just wanted to thank you cj. It's thanks to your how to that I was able to get a grasp on the DnD life after animators like puffin got me excited to play. Since I can't drop the dosh on another set of core rule books I eagerly await your new series. Best of luck to you!

[@jkops2]

Can’t wait to play Call of Cthulhu. Thank you for your videos!

[@fauzananindya1436]

You have done well, my friend. A messenger of the Great Old Ones shall grant you a like and has now subscribed to your channel. Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtag!!!

[@echolazyboy5341]

Im playing a COC campaign on WW2,im enjoying that sooooo much more than D&D

[@cowboy_dogg2124]

I saw this video and thought, huh I should watch some videos on how to play COC. Then CJ answered my call

[@0ceancr4wler85]

There's also this one that takes place in modern day and one that takes place in Roman Empire and the Cold War and in Japan honestly just keeps going

[@BBP081]

The contrast between the two works as a nice pallet cleanser. Wrapped up your 2 year long D&D campaign? A short CoC scenario will change the tone. Then when you go back to D&D using action surge or fireball will feel way cooler.

[@robertwhitsell8159]

I had played in and DMed over 10 different games systems before the end of 1990. D&D, Top Secret, Marvel Super Heroes, BECMI D&D, Boot Hill, Call of Cthulhu, Star Frontiers, Shadowrun, and World of Darkness. At this point, I cannot even keep up with the number of different games I have been involved with the massive amount of money spent on them. I currently DM Fantasy Flight Games Force and Destiny, D&D 5e, and Adventures in Middle Earth on a weekly basis. I agree, expand your horizons and seek out more games to play instead of being like my poor son-in-law that is unwilling to try a new system. His loss.

[@nickh3205]

They both have advantages and disadvantages, so it’s really up to the person themselves to decide

[@paulcoy9060]

I got into both D&D and Cthulhu at about the same time in high school, 1980. BUT: (A) I read Cthulhu/Lovecraft/Mythos books, not D&D novels. AND: (B) I play D&D games, not Call Of Cthulhu. SO: The best thing to do is combine the two. The Wizard has been noticed by a Hound Of Tindalos. The Paladin is about to come face to face with one of the Spiders of Leng. The Sorcerer is just now feeling the touch of a Colour From Outer Space. And when D&D 3.5 Edition had it's own Cthulhu Sourcebook, I bought that immediately.

[@kevingooley9628]

Lol, I too have the 3.5 version of CoC, I've managed to play it a few times, but yeah, it mostly gets used as a sourcebook for stats to introduce Lovecraftian monsters into D&D. One gm even used to 4e conversion rules to convert some.of them into his 4e game.

[@Slainte_Mhath]

CoC is a really great way to expand your channel. Really looking forward to it.

[@Randomdudefromtheinternet]

Imagine if a CoC GM played as a DM. It'll be the best campaign ever

[@carinaelliott8388]

Something to consider is that this is much different if you aren't using modules, in which case both are more open than they are presented here.

[@paulbushell6451]

2 of the 4 best RPGs out there! I have played D&D (before 5e), CoC, Shadowrun and Warhammer 40K! Love them all but all for different reasons.

[@matthewconstantine5015]

Call of Cthulhu is one of my favorite games. I got into RPGs through Chaosium's Worlds of Wonder, which became Basic Role Playing, and it was my go-to system for most of my gaming life. Call of Cthulhu is usually the game I use to introduce new players to the hobby.

[@AppledirtArchive]

I've ran some some horror games in D&D before, and was thinking about getting CoC. Now I'm even more strongly inclined to get it. And apparently even without that I've apparently I've been playing it differently than normal.

[@Nionivek]

I find Call of Cthulhu to be an entirely different mindset than Dungeons and Dragons... and to an extent I feel like too many DMs get into a DnD mindset when running it. The best way I've seen the difference described is that in Call of Cthulhu if there is a monster down a well, and you fill the well with cement... not only is this a success but that is the typical idea.

[@evandugas7888]

When I have played D&D I have always used checkpoint leveling. For one keeping track of XP is a pain and the other is punishes healers or roleplayers who will choose more creative options to get to their goal.

[@sachigame924]

That's pretty funny how you compared Cal of Cthulhu to Resident Evil, because I'm actually working on my own Resident Evil homebrew for CoC right now!

[@beauvillamor621]

god, I aways loved the art style of this channel but the new one is gorgeous, especially loved the small taste at the end with the flapper gal

[@oniaeon]

That cityscape at 1:58 is absolutely gorgeous :O

[@Gaiacrusher9fan2]

That outfit is definitely quite snazzy. Surely fits the 20s theme.

[@cinnabunz1532]

Been wanting to try call of cthulu, cant wait to see your series

[@TalkingAboutGames]

You can have something of both worlds with Eldritch Tales; it's basically old school D&D set in Lovecraft's version of planet Earth. And for those that like Pathfinder, you can turn any Pathfinder game into Call of Cthulhu using Sandy Petersen's Cthulhu Mythos.

[@thebearting]

Thanks, CJ, for this video and the exciting news of your new How to Play series. I have been trying to get my DnD group to explore Call of Cthulhu and I hope this might give them that push!

[@gukusama]

I don't think is better o worse... It's a different experience. Also, both are cool in what they do to catch players

[@UnnamedVibesTree]

Oddly, Sandy Petersen (the creator of CoC) only ever plays campaigns in Modern settings. The reason the game is set in the 1920's is that, in the early 80's, most people didn't know anything about HP Lovecraft. But, by framing the game as "horror in the gilded age", it was more intersting to pen and paper gamers of the time..

[@jameshenderson4876]

To be fair, the CoC/Delta Green loop isn't so complex: investigate > encounter eldritch horror > go insane or die > end

[@protean_persona]

I think I'll always be a Call of Cthulhu fanboy. Everything about my CoC experiences has outdone D&D imo, games don't get bogged down in everyone looking up obscure or complex rules, one shot adventure are actually possibly (with my group), and players can't min/max to the point where they become the only viable character and take all the glory. Plus CoC is the only ttrpg that has actually made me feel paranoid when driving home from a session. It's just spectacular.

[@tubbdoose]

Call of Cthulhu sounds so cool!

[@Master_E444]

Does anyone really wanna see more of that Flapper Gal? She looks fun and has fashion sense.

[@Shatterverse]

In America the difference is more generational. Kids getting into d&d these days, I suspect a lot of them never branch out like us old school games because there are a lot more choices and d&d wears kid gloves compared to older editions, especially anything before 3.5e, which really started the modern RPG Renaissance.

[@Jeromy1986]

Personally I'd avoid Call of Cthulhu for the very same reason as I'd avoid portraying a Great Old One Warlock in 5e D&D, being that I'll always feel insufficiently prepared to convey the Lovecraftian mythos through my character.

[@dynamicworlds1]

It's kinda best left up to interpretation, especially since the mythos is both a collaborative work from many authors and the whole idea of having things laid out in a precise, catalogued way is (as much as we may enjoy it) kinda antithetical to the entire concept of cosmic horror beyond our understanding (and greatly dilutes the fear of the unknown) For a great (and entertaining) example of following the spirit of the mythos more than trying to adhere to the letter of things others have written for it, I _highly_recommend watching kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZqbLoo2af52mrbM If I may borrow a quote from the Keeper from that game in his preface: make it about what scares _you_

[@rangerecho]

a new How to Play Call of Cthulhu series would be awesome, I've been wanting to try other games besides D&D for a while now

[@PossumMedic]

lol love the sanity roll for the comments joke! xD I'm not a huge fan of fantasy (enjoying it more now but didn't like it at all as a kid) so I REALLY wish I knew about other table top games when I was younger! Even when I started playing D&D we used home brew to lesson or get rid of magic and species other than human until we realized how many different RPG rule sets are available! I really like how the "heroes" in call of Cthulhu are just people dealing with every day issues of the 1920's and physiological horror! Thanks for sharing this info! :D I really wish I knew this when I started playing D&D! Ps. would love to see some vids on the Cypher system! :D

[@federicocarlucci7973]

I'd love to play CoC but I'm new to mastering RPGs and the sheer popularity of Fantasy literature makes it sooo much easier to build a DnD group of players. It will be fun to have your series available if I'll ever have the chance to branch out though!

[@TheXBladeist]

Metal gear Refferences on point there! Edit: Yooooo CJ that's an awesome thing! I can't wait to hear about it!

[@Dracolych69]

This is why I like the Palladium's RPG system. Want Fantasy? Palladium Fantasy. Want Horror? Nightbane for a CoC-like game or try their zombie game. Then you get weird stuff Post-Apocalyptic with Rifts. Same general system, very similar rules, but very different settings. I think GURPS is like this too, but I've never played it. Incidentally, yeah, I love the World of Darkness systems, such as Vampire: the Masquerade and Mage: the Ascension. Always up for something new, though. LET THE HOW TO PLAY SERIES ROLL!

[@Buckpwns]

Yeah I used to play Call of Cthulhu with West End games system I got to where I start was playing white wolf Studios vampire masquerade

[@hjuliochaparrochapapapa9081]

And then there is Kult, that is like Silent hill.

[@tombombadil9529]

I’ve run CoC scenarios in my 5e campaign to great effect. My favorites are The Haunting, Edge of Darkness, and Paper Chase.

[@IAmTheStig32]

A few other great things about Call of Cthulhu: Firstly is you don't necessarily have to go with 1920s Pulp Lovecraft, there's stats included for classic horror monsters too. You can play a group of Allied airmen from the Doolittle Raid pitted against deadly Jiangshi after crashlanding their damaged bomber in China; you can play as a sect of werewolf hunters in medieval Britain; or you can just play as ordinary modern Americans trying to stay off the menu when there's no more room in Hell. There's also Delta Green, which is basically SCP Foundation: The TTRPG, much more competent characters and much greater focus on action over story and atmosphere. Just because combat isn't the primary focus doesn't mean it's not good. Call of Cthulhu is awesome for edge-of-your-seat tactical combat that mirrors real life. There's no healing magic or instant-use potions. Firefights are bloody, terrifying and over in seconds, especially if at close range. Melee combat is even riskier and even if you win, you will probably be wounded in the scuffle. Having the element of surprise and good cover (or at least some body armour) will save your life. And second, Call of Cthulhu 7E is entirely backwards compatible with all past editions. If you want to run a module game from AD&D in 5E D&D, you're in for a nightmare, whereas a CoC Keeper wanting to run a module from 2E just needs to do a little converting (a guide which is conveniently provided in the core book) and away he goes.

[@rafaelcastor2089]

Am i the only one that when hears or reads "CoC" think of Corruption of Champions?

[@DR.DEMENTED]

D&D I like to fight and be in old med evil type terrain

[@TVMAN1997]

COC: your character always goes into insanity regardless of your choices DND: your character doesn’t go insane because of their choices

[@IAmTheStig32]

Though your DM might.

[@TVMAN1997]

J. Jonah Jameson Most dnd games don’t focus around cosmic horror.

[@thewhispererindarkness9117]

"COC: your character always goes into insanity regardless of your choices" It is a constant threat and temporary bouts of madness are quite common, but I've only twice seen a character be permanently lost because of it.

[@FredoGallardo]

Been a while! Glad to see you're back :D Great video too, I've always been curious about CoC

[@aleksanderfox1640]

Accualy from Poland and to 4:08 I'm speaking from personal expirience and what people tell. So from what I heard Warhammer holds the number one spot when it comes to RPGs in Poland I could be mistaken so take this with the grain of salt

[@Rey-cw4tg]

I can't wait I've started playing tabletop games only earlier this year and I've really wanted to try a more horror based table tabletop game

[@andersschmich8600]

I have played a lot of call of Cthulhu, I love the genre, I think that simple rules allow for ease of play and narrative creation without getting bogged down in mechanics, the percentage based system is intuitive and easy to grasp, while its awesome to play characters as different as a blue collar worker, flapper girl, or exiled Russian noble. That being said, I would like to try D&D to do something different, even though I haven't played D&D, I don't think one is necessarily better than the other so long as you're having fun.

[@dy5lexic]

One of my players got his RPG start in CoC and took to DnD 5e quickly so I'm curious what it's like moving from 5e to CoC. Looking forward to this series!

[@mr.depressed886]

It really just depends on what kind of game you want to play

[@Rageadam1989]

I played dnd for a long time but with the past 2 years my group has been playing other games. We played champions, then went into the fate system with a homebrew coc game, and now we are playing mage the ascension. The new games are fun but I will always have a soft spot for dnd.

[@ste7en777]

D&D you become awesome and fight monsters kthulu you slowly descend into madness

[@ste7en777]

that's a tough one

[@ste7en777]

if i'm honest i'd admit kthulu sounds more fun

[@ste7en777]

believe it or not... i'm bored of monsters

[@ste7en777]

i'll take the madness instead

[@nomanchaudhry8727]

Both, BOTH! Sometimes I wanna be Conan. Sometimes I wanna be Carnacki.

[@calebjackson3895]

You have the most awesome rolling R's I have ever heard!

[@chickensoundedmexicanyt9732]

I love playing D&D but CoC seems more fun to me

[@alphathehedgehogx96]

I love you for this man call of Cthulhu is one of my favorite Tabletop games to play

[@adriancastro3899]

I've been wanting to play Call Of Cthulhu but man is it gonna be tough being the Keeper since I've only GMed a game once before and no one else I know wants to do it 😅

[@thewhispererindarkness9117]

I'd definitely recommend starting with the module called The Haunting. It's like a tutorial scenario and is as old as the game itself.

[@xyonblade]

Every D&D Dungeon Master and Player should also play DCC RPG to appreciate a world that doesn't care if you live or die.

[@lunatic0verlord10]

I dig the animesque design you went for with your CoC characters.

[@armandstomass]

YOU HAVE MADE AN AMAZING DECISION, seams im geting back to your channel, thank you !