The Inside Scoop on Gaming

for their reluctance to publish unnecessary new editions of their games. This is especially true of Call of Cthulhu, which has only seen five full editions since its creation in 1981. That’s a remarkable record that few games can match nowadays. What’s even more remarkable is that many of the “half-editions” that Chaosium has also published are even worth the price of admission. The new Version 5.5 is one certainly such edition.

Call of Cthulhu 5.5 has a lot of nice features that make it a worthwhile addition to one’s gaming shelf. The first and most obvious is its terrific cover illustration by John T. Snyder. While every edition of Call of Cthulhu has depicted the Great Old One on its cover, none has ever explicitly depicted a scene from Lovecraft’s seminal story. I can’t begin to say how much I liked this cover. It adds a great deal of eery wonder to the game.

Of course, the inclusion of the complete text of Lovecraft’s story is also a thoughful addition. Admittedly, most old hands already have their own copies of this classic of weird literature, but newcomers won’t. I remember when I bought the first edition of the game way back in 1981 I had never read anything by Lovecraft, never mind The Call of Cthulhu. This few pages needed to include the story helps to make the game that much more accessible to neophytes. Bravo, Chaosium!

In terms of interior art and general layout, however, I do not think that Chaosium has much improved the game. Indeed, I like the general appearance of Version 5.0 better than that of 5.5. While there are some nicely done sidebars by Paul Carrick (who also did the excellent illustrations), most of the art is material recycled from old editions, some as far back as Version 1.0. There is nothing wrong with this in principle. Some of the art from previous editions is quite evocative. In my view, though, Chaosium chose some of the worst of their art. This is particularly true in the sections describing Mythos creatures and deities. Many of the new illustrations in these chapters are cartoonish and inappropriate to the flavor of the setting.

Likewise, the layout is sometimes cluttered and hard to read, especially in the creatures section. A more simple and clean look would have served the book better. At the same time, I do appreciate the inclusion of boxed material like optional and spot rules. This makes up for some of the other problems I see in the layout. Overall, though, the book is capably done - nothing innovative, mind you, but nothing blasphemous or obscene either.

Broadly, the book consists of four large sections. I shall discuss each section on its own below.

Game System

Version 5.5 continues to use the tried-and-true Chaosium house system that it has since its inception. There are, of course, a few new wrinkles in this edition that bear special mention.

Combat has been cleaned up and clarified further than in previous editions. This is well and good, as Call of Cthulhu has never in my mind been a game that much needed a complicated combat system. The clarifications are minor and the boxed spot rules make them quite understandable on a quick viewing.

All characters begin the game with a base of at least 1% in all skills except Cthulhu Mythos. To be honest, I am not very fond of this change in the rules. I suspect Chaosium wished to create a mechanism whereby there is always some chance for a character to succeed. Call of Cthulhu, however, evokes an atmosphere of desperation, of being alone against the dark with limited resources. This change softens that a little, not much perhaps, but enough that I am uncomfortable with it.

Sanity is treated at greater length in Version 5.5. The basic workings of the game mechanics are not much changed, but there are some small clarifications. What is new is advice on playing insane Investigators and using sanity loss dramatically in an adventure. These are nice additions that should serve even long-time Keepers well.

The rules governing the reading of Mythos books and spell learning have likewise been modified slightly. Mythos books now contain specific spells within them rather than a generic number to be set by the Keeper’s whim. I like this addition very much, as it is something I’ve used myself for some time.

Reference

This section concentrates on the Keeper’s material. There are few outright changes that I recognized, but many additions. The most obvious and useful of these are the pages devoted to advice on running Call of Cthulhu. The game has always had such information, but Version 5.5 contains much more of it. As is always the case, most of the advice is just common sense. Still, this is necessary. I remember my early days playing Call of Cthulhu. Advice is always a valuable commodity for newcomers.

A small chapter on Alien Technology is also included. It’s good to see that Chaosium has begun to address the “super-science as magic” motif that is essential to Lovecraft’s tales, but this chapter is far too short. I would very much appreciate a supplement or long article that more fully deals with this element of the Mythos.

There are many, many more spells in this edition than in previous ones. If you are a completist about this sort of thing, this edition has what you are looking for.

Scenarios

Version 5.5 contains four scenarios, ranging from the simple to the complex. All of them have seen print in previous editions. Interestingly, two of them first appeared in the first edition long ago. Be that as it may, I am glad to see so many adventures in a rule book. Too few games nowadays give much in the way of direction for the beginning game master. Call of Cthulhu 5.5 seems to have been the fruit of Chaosium’s conscious decision to avoid doing just that.

Utilities

This section contains a large number of charts, lists, tables, and other play aids for use by the Keeper in running Call of Cthulhu. These have all seen print before, including the wonderfully satirical Cthulhu comic that was missing from Version 5.0.

In summary, Call of Cthulhu 5.5 is a solid piece of work. Collectors will certainly wish to own it. Casual players of the game will find it contains little that isn’t already in Version 5.0. For them, it is hardly worth buying. However, I think that it is to newcomers that Chaosium is aiming this product. So many of the rewrites and additions to the game seem directed toward those who have never played Call of Cthulhu before. Indeed, this edition is called a “Core Game Book for Players & Keepers.”

I suspect that Chaosium is attempting to lure new players to the game and this is to be applauded. Too many games seem content with their current (dwindling) base of adherents and are unwilling to open up to newbies. Chaosium seems to decided that Call of Cthulhu is not one of those game. For that reason, Version 5.5 is a worthwhile undertaking. However, it does have enough new material that even old timers like me might find it a good buy. At bottom, though, Version 5.5, while well-done isn’t essential. It’s more, I think, “an investment in the future” for Chaosium, a way to ensure that there will still be enough Call of Cthulhu gamers in a few years to warrant a Version 6.0

Style: 3 (Average)
Substance: 5 (Excellent!)

Call of Cthulhu, Edition 5.5
Author: Sandy Petersen & Lynn Willis Category: game Company/Publisher: Chaosium Inc. Cost: $29.95 Page count: 288 ISBN: 1-56882-134-4 Playtest Review by James Maliszewski on 07/19/98. Genre tags: none	for their reluctance to publish unnecessary new editions of their games. This is especially true of Call of Cthulhu, which has only seen five full editions since its creation in 1981. That’s a remarkable record that few games can match nowadays. What’s even more remarkable is that many of the “half-editions” that Chaosium has also published are even worth the price of admission. The new Version 5.5 is one certainly such edition. Call of Cthulhu 5.5 has a lot of nice features that make it a worthwhile addition to one’s gaming shelf. The first and most obvious is its terrific cover illustration by John T. Snyder. While every edition of Call of Cthulhu has depicted the Great Old One on its cover, none has ever explicitly depicted a scene from Lovecraft’s seminal story. I can’t begin to say how much I liked this cover. It adds a great deal of eery wonder to the game. Of course, the inclusion of the complete text of Lovecraft’s story is also a thoughful addition. Admittedly, most old hands already have their own copies of this classic of weird literature, but newcomers won’t. I remember when I bought the first edition of the game way back in 1981 I had never read anything by Lovecraft, never mind The Call of Cthulhu. This few pages needed to include the story helps to make the game that much more accessible to neophytes. Bravo, Chaosium! In terms of interior art and general layout, however, I do not think that Chaosium has much improved the game. Indeed, I like the general appearance of Version 5.0 better than that of 5.5. While there are some nicely done sidebars by Paul Carrick (who also did the excellent illustrations), most of the art is material recycled from old editions, some as far back as Version 1.0. There is nothing wrong with this in principle. Some of the art from previous editions is quite evocative. In my view, though, Chaosium chose some of the worst of their art. This is particularly true in the sections describing Mythos creatures and deities. Many of the new illustrations in these chapters are cartoonish and inappropriate to the flavor of the setting. Likewise, the layout is sometimes cluttered and hard to read, especially in the creatures section. A more simple and clean look would have served the book better. At the same time, I do appreciate the inclusion of boxed material like optional and spot rules. This makes up for some of the other problems I see in the layout. Overall, though, the book is capably done - nothing innovative, mind you, but nothing blasphemous or obscene either. Broadly, the book consists of four large sections. I shall discuss each section on its own below. Game System Version 5.5 continues to use the tried-and-true Chaosium house system that it has since its inception. There are, of course, a few new wrinkles in this edition that bear special mention. Combat has been cleaned up and clarified further than in previous editions. This is well and good, as Call of Cthulhu has never in my mind been a game that much needed a complicated combat system. The clarifications are minor and the boxed spot rules make them quite understandable on a quick viewing. All characters begin the game with a base of at least 1% in all skills except Cthulhu Mythos. To be honest, I am not very fond of this change in the rules. I suspect Chaosium wished to create a mechanism whereby there is always some chance for a character to succeed. Call of Cthulhu, however, evokes an atmosphere of desperation, of being alone against the dark with limited resources. This change softens that a little, not much perhaps, but enough that I am uncomfortable with it. Sanity is treated at greater length in Version 5.5. The basic workings of the game mechanics are not much changed, but there are some small clarifications. What is new is advice on playing insane Investigators and using sanity loss dramatically in an adventure. These are nice additions that should serve even long-time Keepers well. The rules governing the reading of Mythos books and spell learning have likewise been modified slightly. Mythos books now contain specific spells within them rather than a generic number to be set by the Keeper’s whim. I like this addition very much, as it is something I’ve used myself for some time. Reference This section concentrates on the Keeper’s material. There are few outright changes that I recognized, but many additions. The most obvious and useful of these are the pages devoted to advice on running Call of Cthulhu. The game has always had such information, but Version 5.5 contains much more of it. As is always the case, most of the advice is just common sense. Still, this is necessary. I remember my early days playing Call of Cthulhu. Advice is always a valuable commodity for newcomers. A small chapter on Alien Technology is also included. It’s good to see that Chaosium has begun to address the “super-science as magic” motif that is essential to Lovecraft’s tales, but this chapter is far too short. I would very much appreciate a supplement or long article that more fully deals with this element of the Mythos. There are many, many more spells in this edition than in previous ones. If you are a completist about this sort of thing, this edition has what you are looking for. Scenarios Version 5.5 contains four scenarios, ranging from the simple to the complex. All of them have seen print in previous editions. Interestingly, two of them first appeared in the first edition long ago. Be that as it may, I am glad to see so many adventures in a rule book. Too few games nowadays give much in the way of direction for the beginning game master. Call of Cthulhu 5.5 seems to have been the fruit of Chaosium’s conscious decision to avoid doing just that. Utilities This section contains a large number of charts, lists, tables, and other play aids for use by the Keeper in running Call of Cthulhu. These have all seen print before, including the wonderfully satirical Cthulhu comic that was missing from Version 5.0. In summary, Call of Cthulhu 5.5 is a solid piece of work. Collectors will certainly wish to own it. Casual players of the game will find it contains little that isn’t already in Version 5.0. For them, it is hardly worth buying. However, I think that it is to newcomers that Chaosium is aiming this product. So many of the rewrites and additions to the game seem directed toward those who have never played Call of Cthulhu before. Indeed, this edition is called a “Core Game Book for Players & Keepers.” I suspect that Chaosium is attempting to lure new players to the game and this is to be applauded. Too many games seem content with their current (dwindling) base of adherents and are unwilling to open up to newbies. Chaosium seems to decided that Call of Cthulhu is not one of those game. For that reason, Version 5.5 is a worthwhile undertaking. However, it does have enough new material that even old timers like me might find it a good buy. At bottom, though, Version 5.5, while well-done isn’t essential. It’s more, I think, “an investment in the future” for Chaosium, a way to ensure that there will still be enough Call of Cthulhu gamers in a few years to warrant a Version 6.0 Style: 3 (Average) Substance: 5 (Excellent!)

Call of Cthulhu, Edition 5.5