Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition occupation
Dilettante
Dilettante is an occupation in Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition: Independently wealthy amateur with the time, money, and standing to chase a mystery anywhere.
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Key facts
- Skills
- Art/Craft, Firearms, Language, Ride, Persuade, Pilot, Credit Rating
- Credit Rating
- 50-99
Overview
The Dilettante's real ability is a Credit Rating of 50 to 99, the highest band any occupation here offers. Money in Call of Cthulhu buys travel, lawyers, private rooms, expert consultations, and the equipment a scenario demands, which is why one wealthy investigator often keeps an entire party solvent and mobile. The skill list reads as a list of hobbies: Art/Craft, an extra Language, Ride at base 5 percent, Pilot at base 1 percent, Firearms, and Persuade. None of them are research skills, and that is the trade you are making. Skill points come from APP × 2 plus EDU × 2, so the Dilettante rewards a high-Appearance character and is the one occupation where being received well is mechanically load-bearing.
How it works
Occupation Skills: Art/Craft, Firearms, Language, Ride, Persuade, Pilot, Credit Rating Credit Rating: 50-99% Skill Points: APP × 2 + EDU × 2 (spent only on the occupation skills listed above) Typical Equipment: A car and the means to replace it, a private plane or boat if you took Pilot, a town house and a country place, tailored clothes, membership in clubs that decide things
Tips and playstyle
Best For: Parties with no money, players who want to fund and drive the plot, investigators who need a reason to drop everything and sail for Egypt. Playstyle: Set Credit Rating high inside the 50 to 99 band and treat it as your main skill, because it is what the group will lean on every session. Pilot starts at 1 percent and must be named for a vehicle type, so take it only if the campaign will use it. Put Personal Interest points (INT × 2) into Spot Hidden or Library Use, since the occupation list gives you no way to investigate anything. Character Concepts: Heir avoiding the family business, socialite with an aviation habit, big-game hunter who saw something in the Congo, patron funding an expedition, bored aristocrat collecting occult curiosities.
Frequently asked questions
What does a high Credit Rating do?
It sets your standard of living and what you can buy without making it a scene. At 50 and above you have a car, staff, travel on short notice, and enough standing that officials answer your letters, which repeatedly turns a session-long problem into a telephone call.
Is the Dilettante useless once combat or research starts?
The occupation contributes little to either, so use Personal Interest points (INT × 2) for Spot Hidden at base 25 percent or Dodge at half DEX. Firearms is on the occupation list, so a Dilettante who took shooting seriously as a hobby is a legitimate gunhand.
Why does APP matter for a Dilettante?
Skill points are APP × 2 plus EDU × 2 rather than the usual education-only pool, so a high Appearance buys you more skill directly. Mechanically this is the occupation built on looking the part and being welcomed everywhere.