Overall, I really enjoyed this introduction to the 1920s game world of Call of Cthulhu. The order of the 4 included adventures feels really intuitive and allows new investigators and Keepers to get their feet wet without just tossing them headfirst into the deep end of the pool. My one criticism is that the adventures are really geared towards in-person play, and there aren't any suggestions for newbie Keepers about how to adapt them for online/virtual play. You can read my full review (which covers primarily Alone Against the Flames and Edge of Darkness) on my wordpress blog.

It is perfect to start here for Call of Cthulhu. THis is the real game and eases people into a large a complicated system. I have 40 years of experience and DM, and relied on this to bring people in to the game, and to bring myself back in after along hiatus!

Absolute first steps for The Call of Cthulhu 7th edition. Very well segmented to walk you through your first steps into the game. The Solo Scenario it contains is worth the cost, which in my opinion is very low for the quality you are getting. If you continue with the scenarios it contains, you will find that the handouts for your players are also amazing, and they’ll love them.

This is a fantastic product! The starter adventures are fun. The rules are clear. My only complaint is the introduction of the bonus/penalty dice system - which I despise and refuse to use. It is clearly a blatant "copy" of the advantage/disadvantage system from 5e. However, its implementation is messy. And it is illogical. If you really really really want to allow a player to reroll dice... than just let them reroll both d10's. Why muddy it up with reroling only the 10's of the d100? But an even bigger question: why do it all? If something is easier for the investigater to do, then just give them -10% or -20% to their chances of succeeding. If its harder, put a +10% or +20% on their dice rolls. This way the modifier is representive of the difficulty of the task. Rerolling is just giving more chances. Why not 3 rerolls? Why not 4, 5, 6? It makes just as much sense. The bonus/penalty dice system was a big silly mistake for 7th edition and I hope to never see it again in an otherwise perfect game system.

Video: https://youtu.be/BUavI100KGM The Call of Cthulhu 7e starter set does a fantastic job of guiding new Keepers through the process of learning this game. As someone who has only been playing TTRPGs for about 5 years with little experience outside of D&D, I found the ordered booklets (solo scenario > introductory rules > sample group scenarios) to provide a natural progression from beginner to GM. This intuitive format is reflected in the game mechanics themselves. I think Call of Cthulhu's straightforward, roleplay-heavy design allows for a level of creativity and adaptability that is perfect for new players and game masters, and I highly recommended trying this game. If you just want to see the basic rules, there is a free quickstart pdf available here on DriveThruRPG, or you can see my walk-through of the CoC introductory rules in the video above!

• Bob World Builder