Rules reference
Equipment in Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition
Gear basics and how equipment impacts play. Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition is a horror investigation roleplaying game based on H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos. Players take on the roles of Investigators, ordinary people who uncover cosmic horrors beyond human comprehension. As you investigate mysteries, your character's Sanity slowly erodes, skills improve through use, and the line between reality and madness blurs.
Key points
Equipment changes what’s possible in the fiction: access, leverage, and risk management. This page focuses on the gear that matters most.
- Percentile skill system: Roll d100, succeed if equal to or below skill rating
- 8 Characteristics: STR, CON, POW, DEX, APP, SIZ, INT, EDU
- Occupation system: Each occupation grants skill bonuses and Credit Rating range
- Sanity mechanics: Starts at 99-POW, decreases with Mythos encounters
- Skill improvement: Mark skills during play, improve after sessions
- Derived stats: HP, Sanity, MP, Build, Damage Bonus calculated from Characteristics
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.
- 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.
The best gear changes what’s possible: access, safety, speed, and options. Track what lets you do something you couldn’t do before.
If a roll is dangerous, gear can change position: better tools, better cover, better information.
- Mistake: Tracking too many tiny items. Fix: Track gear that changes options, safety, speed, or access.
- Mistake: Buying gear without a use case. Fix: Ask: what scene does this gear make easier or safer?