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Call of Cthulhu is coming to EPIC Ipswich!


 If you read our previous article about the riveting success that was 2022 Free RPG Day, you may recall that we mentioned the overwhelming demand for Call of Cthulhu. You can read that previous blog post here. In that article, I had hinted that Jon was running games of Call of Cthulhu on Saturdays at 4 PM, I can now confirm this is true! But what is Call of Cthulhu and did EPIC run games before? Let's dive into the insanity!

What is Call of Cthulhu?

If you're familiar with the popular game of Dungeons and Dragons, the premise is very similar. There is a game master (much like a Dungeon Master) referred to as The Keeper of Arcane Lore, it is their responsibility to ask players to make dice roles and narrate the story. Players will rely more on role play in Call of Cthulhu as it primarily takes place using 'theatre of the mind' or your imagination. Unlike D&D, Call of Cthulhu doesn't use a lot of combat, and if you have entered combat, it is very very likely you will perish.

The dice used in Call of Cthulhu are the two 10-sided dice most people don't use in D&D: the d10 and tens-ten. All rolls are usually a d100. The Keeper of Arcane Lore doesn't set the difficulty here, when you roll your die, to succeed on the check you must roll below your score on your character sheet. Players may also push rolls (think of it like a reroll with consequences) to try and better their results.

There is also a mechanic called sanity where it's near impossible to recover. Sanity induces bouts of madness every time you witness something alien or too horrific for the mind to comprehend. If the name Cthulhu didn't clue you in, this game relies and relishes on the horrific works of H.P. Lovecraft. 
Each "adventure" or scenario usually takes place in the 1920's. The time of art deco and radio, a dawn of a new age. Rather than D&D where players take on the roles of heroic adventurers who slay monsters, players in Call of Cthulhu take on the role of investigators, usually looking to solve a mystery and more often than not uncover truth too terrifying for their minds to comprehend. Investigators that fight a cosmic horror may as well kiss their characters farewell as combat is very lethal to characters, further adding to the horrific, fear-inducing fun of the game.


Did EPIC Ipswich previously run Call of Cthulhu?

YES! Yes we did and I have very greatly missed it. Back in times of old, when EPIC was first starting up. Wednesday nights were reserved for RPGs and Call of Cthulhu was popular! The tables were often laid out with handouts, clues, unlit candles, black tablecloths and skulls. Players even rocked up in their best 1920s deco! 

Those were the days. The one game we ran each night was packed! 9 Investigators in all not including the Keeper of Arcane Lore.

Unfortunately, The Keeper wanted to move their game away from EPIC and whilst I had run games of Call of Cthulhu, I hadn't the time due to working in store on a Wednesday evening. With no one to take up the torch, games couldn't continue and the RPG Wednesday transitioned into the EPIC League which is still being run in store to this day.


What can we expect from Call of Cthulhu at EPIC?

Lots of sanity rolls and insanity. Jon, one of our long-time patrons plans to continue running a series of weekly scenarios with myself as a backup Keeper of Arcane Lore should there be enough players for a second table. All I can say is I yearn to play this RPG again - controversially I prefer it to D&D as a player. I hope to see many a game and perhaps a campaign spring from what is one of the greatest RPGs in current rotation!

Your Fellow Investigator,
Lachy

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