Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition Cheat Sheet

Core Mechanics

Difficulty Levels

• Regular: Roll equal to or under the skill/characteristic.
• Hard: Roll equal to or under half the skill/characteristic.
• Extreme: Roll equal to or under one-fifth the skill/characteristic.

Bonus and Penalty Dice

• Bonus Die: Roll an extra tens die; take the lower result.
• Penalty Die: Roll an extra tens die; take the higher result.

Push the Roll

• A failed roll may be retried if the Keeper allows it, but failure can result in worse consequences.

Opposed Rolls

• The highest level of success wins (Extreme > Hard > Regular > Fail).
• Ties favor the defender.

Combat

Sequence

1. Determine Order: Highest DEX goes first.
2. Attack Options:
   1. Dodge: Avoid damage (no counterattack).
   2. Fight Back: Counterattack if successful.
   3. Maneuver: Inflict a specific effect (e.g., disarm).

Outnumbered Penalty

• If a character dodges or fights back multiple times in a round, each successive roll incurs a penalty die.

Sanity

• Sanity Check: Roll against current SAN.
• Loss Examples:
  • Minor shock (1/1D4 SAN loss).
  • Horrifying event (1/1D10 SAN loss).
• Bouts of Madness:
  • Immediate effects (e.g., fainting, fleeing).
  • Long-term effects determined by the Keeper.

Damage and Healing

• Hit Points:
  • Major wound if damage >= half max HP.
  • Death if HP reaches zero and CON roll fails.
• Healing:
  • First Aid: Restores 1D4 HP.
  • Medicine: Restores 1D4+1 HP.

Chases

• Compare MOV values:
  • Higher MOV = Escape advantage.
• Actions:
  • Move 3+ locations: Requires 1 action.
  • Hurdles: Roll appropriate skill to overcome.

Firearms

• Base Ranges:
  • Regular range: No modifier.
  • Long range: +1 difficulty level.
• Modifiers:
  • Point-blank: +1 bonus die.
  • Aiming for 1 round: +1 bonus die.
  • Moving target: +1 penalty die.

Reference Tables

Armor Values

• Heavy Leather Jacket: 1 point.
• Kevlar Vest: 5 points.
• Military Body Armor: 12 points.

Insanity Effects

1. Phobias: Character must avoid specific triggers.
2. Manias: Character becomes obsessed with an idea or behavior.
3. Delusions: Distorted perception of reality.

Damage Levels

• Minor: Can survive without medical help.
• Major: Requires immediate treatment.
• Deadly: Fatal without intervention.

Quick Tips

• Use skills creatively to overcome obstacles.
• Keep an eye on SAN; long-term effects can derail plans.
• Communication and roleplay add depth to investigations.

Character Creation

1. Determine Characteristics:
   • Roll 3D6 for STR, CON, POW, DEX, and APP.
   • Roll 2D6+6 for INT and SIZ.
   • Roll 3D6+3 for EDU.

1. Calculate Derived Stats:
   • Luck: Roll 3D6 x 5.
   • HP: (CON + SIZ) / 10.
   • Sanity: POW x 5.
   • Move: Adjusted by STR, DEX, and SIZ.

1. Choose Occupation:
   • Select a profession (e.g., Detective, Antiquarian).
   • Allocate skill points: EDU x 4.

1. Choose Personal Interests:
   • Allocate additional points: INT x 2.

1. Flesh Out the Character:
   • Write a backstory.
   • Add connections, traits, and quirks.

1. Starting Equipment:
   • Based on occupation and Keeper guidance.