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Call of Cthulhu Starter Set

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Horror, Mystery and Investigation In A Box!

The Call of Cthulhu Starter Set contains everything you need to play the world’s best roleplaying game of horror, mystery and investigation!

Updated for the 40th Anniversary of Call of Cthulhu

What is Roleplaying?

In a roleplaying game, everyone works together in a team, each playing an investigator character. One player runs the game—the Keeper of Arcane Lore—who referees the game and presents the story and adventure plots to the other players.

Dice and the rules of the game determine the success or failure for your character’s actions—all while you are propelled into dramatic and nerve-tingling situations! The emphasis is on having fun.

Promotional image of the Call of Cthulhu Starter Set

What's Inside

The Call of Cthulhu Starter Set contains books, dice, premade character sheets, maps, and enough content to keep a group busy for several roleplaying sessions.

This updated Starter Set also includes:

  • New box art by Lin Hsiang
  • Updated interior book cover designs
  • All errata and corrections
  • 40th Anniversary Investigator Sheets

Rules

Investigator

Three softcover manuals broken into rules and scenarios to guide you in playing Call of Cthulhu. The physical boxed version also includes all the dice you need to play the game: a D4, D6, D8, D20, Percentile D10, and an extra D10 in a different color for use as a bonus/penalty die.

Rules Example of using luck

Solo Scenario

Emberhead

Learn to play in the best way possible—by playing! The special introduction “Alone Against The Flames”, a solo Call of Cthulhu scenario, teaches you the basic rules of the game and character creation as you find yourself in the rural New England town of Emberhead—but can you escape?

The end of the first entry in Alone Against the Flames

Scenarios

Three scenarios designed for 3, 4 and up to 5 players.

Breaking in

In Paper Chase, the search for a missing professor leads to a grizzly discovery.

Farmhouse

Edge of Darkness sees a group of investigators fulfill the wish of a dying friend, and attempt to undo the mistakes of the past.

The Funeral Procession

Finally, in Dead Man Stomp, Harlem and jazz music serve as a backdrop to the nefarious schemes of an alien god.

Maps & Handouts

Brutal Murder

Player aids are an essential component to Call of Cthulhu gameplay. Each scenario has its own collection of maps, notes and player handouts. Each presented in full color, these play aids will enhance your gameplay, and help your players immerse themselves in each of the investigations.

starter-sample-character-sheet.png

What's Next?

Once you’ve devoured everything the Call of Cthulhu Starter Set has to offer, you’ll want to expand your horror experience with these! Just click on the images to get more information on each product.

Cover of the Keeper Rulebook

Keeper Rulebook: Everything you need for Call of Cthulhu at your fingertips, and will enhance all of your games.

Cover of the Investigator Handbook

Investigator Handbook: Expanded rules for creating players characters, a wealth of over 100 occupations and skill descriptions, as well as guidance on getting the most from the game.

Cover of Gateways to Terror

Gateways to Terror: Three short-play scenarios for the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game, ideal for beginning and experienced players and Keepers alike.

Cover of Doors to Darkness

Doors to Darkness: Five scenarios written especially for beginning Keepers and players of Call of Cthulhu.

Call of Cthulhu Logo for 7th Edition

Designed for 7th Edition Call of Cthulhu. Get the rulebook here.

Check out all our 7th Edition Products.

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Reviews (5)
Discussions (14)
Customer avatar
James L June 21, 2023 8:00 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Anyone else's Book 1 pdf have "shootingdeepones" down the left side every other page, rather than the runes that are in the other pdfs?
Customer avatar
Jay C May 19, 2023 11:24 pm UTC
PURCHASER
None of these PDFs in the 40th edition have layers, where as the version (2018) before did. Even for the pregen character sheets, we need to be able to turn off the background for printing.
Customer avatar
James N January 14, 2023 3:50 pm UTC
PURCHASER
It seems that the fillable character sheet is locked? How can I unlock this?
Reply
Customer avatar
Michael O January 17, 2023 2:36 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
The "auto-calc" character sheets may not work directly on your browser, but will work in a PDF reader.
Reply
Customer avatar
James N January 18, 2023 9:06 am UTC
PURCHASER
Got it. Already worked in a PDF reader. Thank you!
Customer avatar
Edward P January 13, 2023 4:44 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Could the image of the box cover be included in the pdf? The image is so striking and beautiful. It's one of the reason I purchased this starter pdf.
Reply
Customer avatar
Michael O January 27, 2023 7:26 am UTC
PUBLISHER
We've added Lin Siang's 40th anniversary cover as a separate file.
Reply
Customer avatar
Edward P January 27, 2023 3:22 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Thank you so much!
Customer avatar
Richard B August 20, 2022 3:18 pm UTC
Does anyone know if the maps and handouts are parsed out, or part of a single PDF booklet?
Customer avatar
Anil D July 25, 2022 1:34 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Where can I find the pre-generated character sheets?
Reply
Customer avatar
Anil D July 26, 2022 10:54 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I found them on the Chaosium website.

here's the link: https://www.chaosium.com/call-of-cthulhu-starter-set/

Scroll near the bottom, and you will see the pre-generated character sheets under "Downloads for this Product".
Reply
Customer avatar
Michael O January 17, 2023 2:34 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
We have added the pre-gen characters to the downloadable files
Customer avatar
James L August 30, 2021 10:25 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Does this version come with the digital maps, tokens, and/or DungeonDraft map with the visual and light layers? What PPI are the maps at? I'd trying to figure out which if any have maps at ~140-150PPI for VTT use. If those aren't available, I can scale down 300DPI print maps, but first I need to know which what is where. ;)
Reply
Customer avatar
Rick M September 09, 2021 2:02 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
The Starter was not specifically designed for use on VTT platforms. The PDFs are all at least 144 DPI or higher resolution. They are not layered. These PDFs are set up for reading on computers, tablets, and similar. This product does not have digital tokens.
Reply
Customer avatar
Michael O October 03, 2021 7:10 am UTC
PUBLISHER
While as Rick M says the PDF version of The Call of Cthulhu Starter Set was not specifically designed for VTT use, there are VTT versions of it. See the Astral link on this page, plus the Call of Cthulhu Starter Set is also available on Roll20.
Reply
Customer avatar
James L October 03, 2021 9:00 am UTC
PURCHASER
Yeah.. No.. The Astral version and the Roll20 version are just links to unlock content on a webserver somewhere.

Neither one of them allows me to download content to run from home. Neither one allows to import content in to MY CHOICE of VTT platforms. I've already BOUGHT piles of Call of Cthulhu 7th Ed. content, but it's all useless to me until Chaosium releases the VTT content for the starter adventures...

My momma taught me that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. So.. :|
Customer avatar
Simon G February 04, 2021 8:12 pm UTC
Hi,

is there any chance of these adventures being converted for Fantasy Grounds?

Cheers.
Reply
Customer avatar
James L August 30, 2021 10:01 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Blech! Switch to Foundry and support a community that builds features it's users NEED.

Anyway, there is a separate VTT bundle with this stuff in it. I was digging around to look for a VTT pack myself when I noticed that the author missed your question. ;)
Reply
Customer avatar
Rick M September 09, 2021 2:02 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Fantasy Grounds is working on adding this product, but they have not provided us with an ETA for when they will have it ready.
Customer avatar
Jayme A July 29, 2020 1:33 am UTC
PURCHASER
Can anyone tell me if this PDF is watermarked? I'd like to print out handouts and stuff but it's annoying to see my name across the bottom of handouts. :P
Reply
Customer avatar
Michael O December 01, 2020 2:02 am UTC
PUBLISHER
The files are not watermarked.
Customer avatar
William S October 12, 2019 3:16 pm UTC
Can the physical version still be bought?
Reply
Customer avatar
Michael O January 14, 2020 9:48 am UTC
PUBLISHER
Yes, at the Chaosium website, and in distribution elsewhere
Customer avatar
Dave T October 11, 2019 11:34 am UTC
Here is a video review that I made of the 7e system as a whole:

https://youtu.be/XZSFlwU_C0Y
Customer avatar
Robert H February 18, 2019 6:55 pm UTC
PURCHASER
My Book 4 Handouts and my Player Handouts are exactly the same except that the Player Handouts also include the pre-gen Character Sheets and the blank sheet. Is this correct? Why bother having a Book 4 Handouts file if they are all included in another download? Thanks.
Customer avatar
January 16, 2019 1:47 am UTC
PURCHASER
The downloads appear to be missing the blank investigator sheets.
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 Recent History















Product Information
Adamantine seller
Pages
154
ISBN
978-1-56882-463-5
Publisher Stock #
CHA23178-PDF
File Size:
418.38 MB
Format
Original electronic Click for more information
Scanned image
These products were created by scanning an original printed edition. Most older books are in scanned image format because original digital layout files never existed or were no longer available from the publisher.

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For printed books, we have performed high-resolution scans of an original hardcopy of the book. We essentially digitally re-master the book. Unfortunately, the resulting quality of these books is not as high. It's the problem of making a copy of a copy. The text is fine for reading, but illustration work starts to run dark, pixellating and/or losing shades of grey. Moiré patterns may develop in photos. We mark clearly which print titles come from scanned image books so that you can make an informed purchase decision about the quality of what you will receive.
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Original electronic format
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File Last Updated:
July 05, 2023
This title was added to our catalog on December 12, 2018.