Call of Cthulhu 7e GM checklist cheat sheet
Before-session and during-session reminders. At-the-table reference for Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition.
Call of Cthulhu Keeper checklist: prep clues, manage Sanity pressure, and keep investigation moving.
Before the session
- Write at least 10 clues; expect players to find 5.
- Each clue should be obtainable through at least 2 different skills or approaches.
- Prepare NPC motivations: who wants what, and what they'll reveal under pressure.
- Set Sanity loss values for each creature/event encounter.
- Decide on a timeline: what happens if the investigators do nothing?
During play
- Fail forward: a failed Spot Hidden still gives something (a sound, a feeling, a partial clue).
- Track Sanity loss carefully; use bouts of madness for dramatic reveals, not punishment.
- Keep combat rare, fast, and deadly. Investigators should fear fights.
- Offer at least 2 next leads at any point so the investigation never stalls.
- Use time pressure: evidence disappears, the cult moves, allies panic.
Common mistakes
- Single-point-of-failure clues stall the entire scenario.
- Over-explaining the Mythos early removes the mystery.
- Long combat grinds kill the horror atmosphere; end fights fast.