About the Call of Cthulhu 7e advancement
Horror investigation RPG
Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition is investigative cosmic horror. Percentile rolls under skill, pushed rolls, Sanity and Luck tracked live.
Call of Cthulhu uses percentile skills: roll d100 and succeed if you roll at or under your skill. Difficulty often shifts the threshold (Regular/Hard/Extreme) and Sanity loss is a core pressure loop. The roll flow has 3 steps: Pick the relevant skill (e.g., Spot Hidden, Library Use). Roll d100 and compare to your skill rating (and difficulty threshold). Apply consequences: information gained, complications, or Sanity loss when appropriate.
This page walks through how characters grow in Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition. It lists 3 workflow steps that take you from earning progress to recording it on the sheet.
How to use this page
- Read the workflow once before a session ends so you know what to track, then return to it between sessions when you spend what your Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition character has earned.
- Open the Call of Cthulhu 7e dice roller when a rule asks for a roll, so the result follows the same mechanic described above.
- Track what changes on your Call of Cthulhu 7e character sheet, which supports 3 creation modes, so the next session starts from the current state.
- Move to a sibling page when the question changes: quickstart, rules reference, glossary, or GM resources. Each one is built from the same Call of Cthulhu 7e data, so terms and numbers match across pages.
- Return to the Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition guide for the full overview, including character creation and every tool for this game.
Nothing on this page replaces the published Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition rulebook. It is a working reference for the table: short summaries of the 3 advancement steps listed here, plus links to the tools that act on them.
Quick workflow
During play: mark skills you attempt (especially successes).
After the session: roll to improve marked skills (if your roll is above your current rating, you increase it).
Track sanity and long-term consequences alongside skill growth.
Context: how Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition plays
Character creation in Call of Cthulhu starts with choosing an Occupation. From Antiquarian to Private Investigator, each occupation provides specific skill bonuses and starting equipment. Roll or assign your eight Characteristics plus Luck: STR, CON, POW, DEX, APP, and Luck use 3d6×5 each, while SIZ, INT, and EDU use (2d6+6)×5 each. Calculate derived stats: HP = (CON+SIZ)/10, Sanity = POW (current and maximum), MP = floor(POW/5).
Track progression in one place
Save your character, keep notes, and maintain a clean history as your campaign evolves.