Cheat sheet
GM checklist (Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition)
Before-session and during-session reminders.
Quick blocks
CoC GMing is about survivable horror: information, consequence, and the slow erosion of certainty.
Session checklist
- Clarify tone + safety boundaries (horror intensity).
- Decide what clues are discoverable even on failure (fail forward).
- Plan a recovery beat after major shocks (Sanity pressure).
- Keep combat rare, fast, and costly.
Common pitfalls
- Punishing curiosity
- Stalling with missing clues
- Turning every scene into a fight