Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition skill
Art/Craft
Art/Craft is a skill in Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition: Creating, performing, or crafting in a chosen artistic or practical specialty.
Last reviewed
Key facts
- Base Value
- 5
Overview
Art/Craft is a specialization skill, each specialty represents mastery in a specific artistic or practical discipline. Specialties include painting, photography, writing, sculpture, cooking, carpentry, plumbing, and many others. You choose your specialty when you take the skill. In Call of Cthulhu, Art/Craft serves dual purposes. Creative arts like painting or writing can be outlets for processing the horrors investigators face, while practical crafts like locksmithing, carpentry, or photography directly support investigations. In the 1920s, practical skills are highly valued, and a skilled craftsperson can create disguises, forge documents, develop photographs, or repair critical equipment when no professional is available.
How it works
Base Value: 5% Key Uses:
- Creating works of art or craft in your specialty
- Evaluating the quality of works in your field
- Repairing or modifying items related to your craft
- Forging documents (Art/Craft: Forgery) Special Rules: Each specialty is a separate skill. Art/Craft (Photography) is different from Art/Craft (Painting). Common specialties include: Acting, Forgery, Photography, Writing, Carpentry, Cooking, and Fine Art.
Tips and playstyle
Build Advice: Choose a specialty that fits your investigator's background and supports the investigation. Photography is especially useful for documenting evidence. Occupation Synergies: Photography pairs with Spot Hidden for crime scene documentation. Writing pairs with Persuade for publishing findings. Forgery pairs with Disguise. Character Concepts: Photographer, journalist, painter, sculptor, carpenter, forger, actor.
Frequently asked questions
Which Art/Craft specialty is most useful?
Photography is arguably the most useful for investigators, documenting crime scenes, evidence, and creatures. Forgery is also powerful for creating fake credentials. But choose what fits your character.
Can Art/Craft help with Sanity?
Creative expression can be part of recovery from trauma, though mechanically, Sanity recovery uses Psychoanalysis. The Keeper might allow art as part of narrative healing.