Call of Cthulhu Investigator Handbook 7th Edition

289 Pages·2015·111.896 MB·English

by  Sandy Petersen, Mike Mason, Keith Herber, Paul Fricker, Lynn Willis

Originally written by
Keith Herber
Th is revised 7th Edition is a collaboration between
Mike Mason Paul Fricker
and
Editorial: Scott Dorward, Paul Fricker, Charlie Krank, and Mike Mason
Design Format: Badger McInnes, Meghan McLean, and Mike Mason
Layout: Badger McInnes, Meghan Mclean, Nicholas Nacario, and Rick Meints
Art Direction: Mike Mason and Meghan McLean
Cover Illustration: Sam Lamont
Chapter Illustrations: Jonathan Wyke, Paul Carrick, François Launet, Victor Leza,
Charles Wong, Mike Perry, Mariusz Gandzel, Cyril van der Haegen, and Linda Jones
Interior Illustrations: Alberto Bontempi, Rachel Kahn, Grilla, Chris Huth, Paul Carrick, Jonathan
Wyke, Robert Hack, Francois Launet, John T. Snyder, Nathan Rosario, Chris Lackey, and Earl Geier
Cartography: Stephanie McAlea
Cristoforo Font: Th omas Phinney

investigator handbook
Th e Call of Cthulhu Investigator Handbook Address questions and comments by mail to:
Th e authors would like to thank the following people for their Chaosium, Inc.
ongoing support and assistance: Charlie Krank, Keary Birch, 3450 Wooddale Court
Alan Bligh, John French, Matt Anderson, Scott Dorward, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 U.S.A.
Dean Engelhardt, Matthew Sanderson, Tim Vincent, Garrie
Hall, Dan Kramer, and of course Sandy Petersen, without Please do not phone in game questions; the quickest answer
whom none of this would have happened! may not be the best answer. Our web site www.chaosium.
com always contains latest release information and current
Clear Credit prices.
Th is book was developed and written by Mike Mason and Chaosium Publication 23136
Paul Fricker. Mike Mason wrote and revised the Occupations
and Investigator Organizations, with development and ISBN 9781568824314
additional material from Paul Fricker. Life as an Investigator
and Th e Roaring Twenties revised with additional material Published in October 2015.
by Mike Mason. Paul Fricker and Mike Mason wrote Advice
for Players. Th e Equipment Lists were revised and updated Printed in Germany.
by Mike Mason with assistance from Dan Kramer. Paul
Fricker revised the Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition rules with Follow Chaosium on Twitter @Chaosium_Inc
development and additional material from Mike Mason. 7th
Edition investigator sheets designed by Dean Engelhardt. Find Chaosium on Facebook
Updated equipment costs were provided by Mike Mason www.facebook.com/ChaosiumInc
and Dan Kramer. Joe Schillizzi also helped with the revised
weapon tables. Th is book additionally draws from earlier
publications, including Th e Investigator’s Companion Vol.
1 & 2, as well as previous editions of the Call of Cthulhu
rules. Th e following authors’ work has been used or revised
in this current edition: Sandy Petersen, Lynn Willis, Keith
Herber, Kevin Ross, Mark Morrison, William Hamblin,
Scott David Aniolowski, Michael Tice, Shannon Appel, Eric
Rowe, Bruce Ballon, William G. Dunn, Sam Johnson, Brian
M. Sammons, Jan Engan, Bill Barton, Les Brooks, Gregory
Rucka, Gary O’Connell, John Crowe, Kenneth Faig Jr., Justin
Hynes, Andrew Leman, Paul McConnell, Ann Merritt, Lucya
Szachnowski, and friends. Tony Williams assisted with
Cristoforo font typesetting.
Period photographs were taken from Wiki Commons or
Flickr Commons are in public domain.
Call of Cthulhu is published by Chaosium Inc.
Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition) is copyright ©1981, 1983,
1992, 1993, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2013, 2014
by Chaosium Inc.; all rights reserved.
Call of Cthulhu® is the registered
trademark of Chaosium Inc.
Similarities between characters in Call of Cthulhu
and persons living or dead are strictly coincidental.
Th e reproduction of material from within this book for the
purposes of personal or corporate profi t, by photographic,
optical, electronic, or other media or methods of storage and
retrieval, is prohibited.
6
investigator handbook
For Lynn Willis
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investigator handbook
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter One: Introduction 10 Chapter Seven:
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Life As An Investigator 146
Example of Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Monster Size Comparison Charts . . . 158-159
What You Need to Play Call of Cthulhu. . . . . . 15
Chapter Eight:
Chapter Two: The Roaring Twenties 160
The Dunwich Horror 18 Chronology of the Roaring Twenties . . . 166-167
Useful Information for 1920s Investigators . . . . 168
Chapter Three:
1920s Biographies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183
Creating Investigators 40
Notable Libraries and Museums . . . . . . .202
Th e Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
What the Numbers Mean. . . . . . . . . . . 46 Chapter Nine:
Example of Investigator Creation . . . . . . 47 Advice For Players 208
Period Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54-55 Setting the Scene. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .210
Other Ways of Creating Rules Advice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215
Investigators (Optional Rules) . . . . . . . . 58
Chapter Ten: Reference 224
Quick Reference Chart
A Hundred Years and More. . . . . . . . . .226
for Half and Fift h Values . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Speeds and Distances . . . . . . . . . . . . .236
Quick Reference:
Equipment, Travel & Weapons: 1920s. . . .238
Investigator Generation. . . . . . . . . . . .64-65
Modern Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .247
Chapter Four: Occupations 66 Weapons Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250
List of Occupations . . . . . . . . . . . . .68-69 Converting from Previous Editions. . . . .256
Map of Arkham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260
Chapter Five: Skills 94
Map of Lovecraft Country . . . . . . . . . .261
Skill List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Living Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102
Index 262
Becoming a Believer. . . . . . . . . . . . . .103
Investigator Sheets
Optional Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121
1920s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266-267
Chapter Six: Investigator Modern-Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268-269
Organizations 122
Acknowledgements
Sample Investigators. . . . . . . . . . . 130-141
Playtesters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .270
Members of Th e Society for the
Kickstarter Backers . . . . . . . . . . . . . .271
Exploration of the Unexplained . . . . 142-145