CoC with 3rd edition

[Bobby Baratheon]

I've been introducing a group of my friends to roleplaying slowly, with a somewhat simplified version of 3.5 edition to start with. Now they want to do a Call of Cthulhu type campaign, what with cosmic horror and overmatched PCs and all. I'm bouncing around the idea of restricting them to NPC classes (with maybe a bonus feat to help them differentiate from each other and alleviate the weakness a little bit). I think that would help with the CoC feel a bit more, and make them feel more like normal people pressed into insane circumstances rather than crazy strong heroes. Might employ E6 as well.

Anyone here ever ran a campaign of this nature? Any advice, or particular splatbooks I should consider? I've been looking at Masque of the Red Death and Heroes of Horror.

[Telok]

The actual CoC game uses the BRP (basic role playing) system which is simpler and easier than any version of 3+e D&D. It's also been out for a long time so you might be able to easily and cheaply get a used edition. The mechanics have no significant changes over the editions so there aren't even any compatability issues.

The d20 CoC knockoff is generally held in poor regard. It inherits the D&D level-up paradigm which is about getting stronger and tougher until you can punch to death any problem that you can actually punch.

That said if I were absolutely forced to use a WotC D&D to try to emulate CoC I'd have to have the PCs be in an E6 style, the monsters would start at CR 9 and go up, everything would have a fear aura, and the evil head cultist would be working a spell to summon an atropal.

[Bobby Baratheon]

I don't think they want to learn another system at this point, though CoC is admittedly pretty easy to pick up. E6 does seem like it would be the way to go, doesn't it?

[Hurnn]

If you want to keep the power level down E6 is a good option as is limiting the pc classes. I would recommend out of core allow fighter, monk, paladin, ranger, rogue, and adept for the magically inclined.

[Ashtagon]

...

The d20 CoC knockoff is generally held in poor regard. It inherits the D&D level-up paradigm which is about getting stronger and tougher until you can punch to death any problem that you can actually punch.

That said if I were absolutely forced to use a WotC D&D to try to emulate CoC I'd have to have the PCs be in an E6 style, the monsters would start at CR 9 and go up, everything would have a fear aura, and the evil head cultist would be working a spell to summon an atropal.


If you want to keep the power level down E6 is a good option as is limiting the pc classes. I would recommend out of core allow fighter, monk, paladin, ranger, rogue, and adept for the magically inclined.

The WotC d20 CoC product did actually nerf the "zero to hero" paradigm quite severely. To recap its most salient features:


There was essentially one PC class, which was somewhere between commoner, warrior, and expert in power.
Most of the crazy stuff you can do with skills was nerfed. Skills followed 3.0 rules (which makes Jump, for example, notably weaker).
The way the Sanity rules works, if you do the usual D&D style kick in the door, you'll go nuts in short order (they're in the SRD btw).
Spellcasting was in theory available to everyone, but between the Sanity loss just for discovering a book, the sanity loss for reading it, and further Sanity loss AND ability score drain for casting spells, it wasn't all that great. Also, combat casting isn't a thing that could happen, due to extended casting times and lack of combat casting type feats. (The ability drain mechanic was roughly on par with the exalted/corrupt spells from BoVD/BoED).
Most monsters were immune to fire, which is about the only "mass" damage weapon the PCs might reasonably hope to acquire.
Massive damage thresholds for humans were (iirc) a lot lower than D&D.
Magic items were RARE, and by D&D standards typically cursed in some fashion, albeit technically usable.


If you want to re-create the feel of d20 CoC, I'd do the following:


Restrict PC classes to commoner, warrior, and expert. Exclude UMD and Iaijutsu Focus as skill options (maybe others too).
Use either the Sanity rules or the Taint rules from the SRD (if using Taint, make all Taint effects mental rather than physical).
Spells should require scaled-up casting times - at least double.
Spellcastings should cause either hit point damage to teh caster or ability score drain.
Remove all metamagic and casting enhancement feats.
Make magic items RARE, and quite probably Sanity/Taint-inducing too.

[Zombimode]

I'm bouncing around the idea of restricting them to NPC classes.

This is a very good idea. If your goal is that your PCs are normal people, let them be normal people.

In addition, don't use WBL (or, if you must, use NPC wealth).


I would recommend out of core allow fighter, monk, paladin, ranger, rogue, and adept for the magically inclined.

This, in the other Hand, is not.

Each of those PC classes is anything but normal. They develop abilities and skills that set them appart from the normal population.
Under equal optimization skill, each of them is miles ahead of the comparable NPC classes.

If you want the PC to be normal, don't let them be special.

[Bobby Baratheon]

Magic items are definitely going to be much rarer and much dicier (ha) to use. I'm not quite so mean as to make them be commoners, but expert, aristocrat and warrior should suffice. I'm debating whether or not to allow adepts in. If I do, there will be a percent chance of spell failure and failed spells will result in SAN loss and . . . fun times. A Peril's of the Warp style table would do nicely here, I think. If a PC wants to use spells, by all means go for it. Just be ready for the consequences :smallamused: I'll probably also let the other classes use scrolls, but with the caveat that they cannot have UMD as a class skill and a failed check will result in a roll on the Table of Doom (patent pending) just like a failed spell.

We will be most likely doing a modern-ish setting, but I'm not a big fan of D20 modern so I'm not going to use that. Expert/warrior/aristocrat are vague enough to just fine in a modern setting, I think. The potential addition of adept (with appropriately limited spell selection and the dangers listed above) shouldn't throw that off too badly.

E6 will definitely be in place. I'm not particularly worried about what a 6th level warrior can do to the horrors that will be inflicted upon them. I also don't care if they eventually curb stomp cultists; what else are cultists for? Congrats, you killed a 2nd level cultist with a bb gun. Now how about that chaos beast (with some appropriately CoC-esque resistances) ravening at the door?

That said, what spells would be appropriate for an adept in this campaign?