Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition occupation
Photographer
Photographer is an occupation in Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition: Working photographer who gets close to things, records them, and knows how to develop the result.
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Key facts
- Skills
- Art/Craft, Persuade, Psychology, Science, Spot Hidden, Stealth, Credit Rating
- Credit Rating
- 9-30
Overview
The Photographer has one of the best-balanced lists in the game: Spot Hidden at base 25 percent, Stealth at 20 percent, Psychology at 10 percent, Persuade at 10 percent, Art/Craft named as Photography at 5 percent, and Science at 1 percent, which is normally taken as Chemistry for darkroom work. The occupation is built around producing evidence the party can carry away. A photograph of the site, the body, the symbol, or the person who was not supposed to be there is the kind of hard clue that moves a scenario forward, and Stealth is on the list because getting that picture usually means standing somewhere you should not be. Credit Rating 9 to 30 keeps the Photographer freelancing and hungry for the next sale.
How it works
Occupation Skills: Art/Craft, Persuade, Psychology, Science, Spot Hidden, Stealth, Credit Rating Credit Rating: 9-30% Skill Points: EDU × 4 (spent only on the occupation skills listed above) Typical Equipment: Camera and lenses, film stock and flash powder, a darkroom or reliable access to one, press and society contacts who buy prints, a satchel that explains why you are standing there
Tips and playstyle
Best For: Parties that need physical evidence, players who want a stealth character with real social skills, campaigns where proof matters as much as knowing. Playstyle: Take Art/Craft (Photography) and Spot Hidden first, because one finds the thing and the other records it. Name Science as Chemistry so you can develop your own plates instead of handing Mythos evidence to a commercial lab. Stealth at base 20 percent is your entry method, since you have neither Locksmith nor Law on the list to get you in legitimately. Character Concepts: Newspaper stringer, society portraitist with a scandalous sideline, crime-scene photographer for hire, expedition documentarian, spirit photographer who knows exactly how the fakes are made.
Frequently asked questions
Will my photographs of Mythos entities come out?
That is a Keeper ruling and a classic scene. Many Keepers rule the image comes back distorted, fogged, or wrong in a way that costs Sanity to look at. Ask before the campaign starts, because the answer decides whether your occupation's core output counts as usable evidence.
Why is Science on the Photographer list?
Developing film is chemistry. Take Science (Chemistry), which starts at 1 percent, so you can process your own negatives in private, and as a bonus you can analyze residues and substances the party brings back.
How do I get close enough to take the picture?
Stealth at base 20 percent and Persuade at base 10 percent are the two routes, and they suit different scenes. Persuade gets you invited to the gathering, Stealth gets you onto the roof opposite it, and a Photographer wants both rather than one specialty.