Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition Character Creation
Face the unknowable
Create an investigator brave or foolish enough to uncover cosmic horrors. Your Sanity is your most precious resource. Spend it wisely.
Quick Reference
Step 1: Choose Your Occupation
Your occupation defines who you were before the horrors found you. It determines your occupation skills and Credit Rating range. Choose based on the investigator you want to play.
Dealer in rare books, artifacts, and historical objects. Perfect for uncovering forbidden tomes.
Medical professional who treats injuries and illness. Essential for keeping investigators alive.
News reporter who investigates stories. Natural investigator with information-gathering skills.
Professional investigator solving cases. Core skills for mystery-solving campaigns.
Academic with deep knowledge. Access to libraries, colleagues, and institutions.
Student of the occult and supernatural. May already know things mortals should not.
Legal professional with persuasive abilities. Knows how to work the system.
Information professional managing knowledge. Expert at finding obscure information.
Researcher studying natural phenomena. Analytical approach to the unexplainable.
Visual artist documenting events. Can capture evidence of the impossible.
Lawbreaker with street smarts. Knows how to get into places and disappear.
Law enforcement maintaining order. Combat capable and legally empowered.
Step 2: Roll Characteristics
Roll for each characteristic to determine your investigator's innate abilities. You can roll randomly or use point-buy with Keeper approval.
Physical power and muscle. Used for melee combat and feats of strength.
Stamina and toughness. Determines how much damage you can take.
Physical mass and build. Affects hit points and damage bonus.
Reflexes and coordination. Used for dodging, shooting, and precise tasks.
Physical attractiveness and first impressions. Affects social interactions.
Reasoning and learning ability. Determines personal interest skill points.
Willpower and mental fortitude. Determines starting Sanity and Magic Points.
Formal training and knowledge. Determines occupation skill points.
Step 3: Calculate Derived Attributes
Calculate your derived attributes from your characteristics. These determine your survival odds.
Step 4: Assign Skills
Spend EDU × 4 points on occupation skills and INT × 2 points on any personal interest skills. Each skill has a base value you improve from.
Library Use and Spot Hidden are essential for every investigator.
At least one social skill helps when dealing with witnesses and suspects.
Occult becomes valuable once Mythos elements appear in the campaign.
Dodge is crucial for survival. Firearms is valuable in dangerous situations.
First Aid can save lives. Drive Auto helps with getaways.
Understanding Sanity
Sanity is central to Call of Cthulhu. Your investigator will encounter things that test the limits of human comprehension.
When you encounter something horrifying, roll d100 against your current Sanity. Failure means you lose more Sanity than success.
Losing 5+ Sanity at once triggers a temporary insanity. You might flee, faint, or develop a temporary phobia.
Your maximum Sanity is 99 minus your Cthulhu Mythos skill. Learning forbidden knowledge permanently reduces how sane you can be. This is the dark bargain at the heart of the game.
Step 5: Create Your Background
Define what makes your investigator human. These details become important when Sanity is tested.
- • Age and appearance
- • Birthplace and residence
- • Mannerisms and quirks
- • Religious or political views
- • Moral code
- • Worldview that will be tested
- • Family members
- • Close friends or mentors
- • Romantic interests
- • Meaningful objects
- • Family heirlooms
- • Symbols of identity