Optimizing Call of Cthulhu

[Lord_Drayakir]

So, I've been invited to a game of CoC 6E. And everywhere I look, everyone seems to be unanimous in that you cannot powergame CoC. You can't build an optimized thing, and so on. Now, after doing a cursory read via Google, I found one thing, where it says that once you hit 90% in a skill, you regain 2d6 sanity. Which becomes a viable option then.

So my question then becomes, what are other tips and tricks I can use to optimize my character? Just with the knowledge that I do have, I'm sort of tempted to go for a spellcaster, with high skills, who can regain sanity by training skills. Any other suggestions?

Also, please don't talk to me about the "spirit" of the game. I'm very much familiar with the works and tone of Lovecraft. I'm more interested in this as an exercise of "can I," not "should I?"

[Khedrac]

The general rules for Call of Cthulhu character creation are:

1) Power is the most important stat as it sets your initial Sanity which you want as high as possible.

2) Intelligence is the most important stat as it sets the number of skill points you get during character creation.

Yes, I know those conflict. I tend to go with Int if my Pow is also 14 or better.

3) Education is very useful as it also gives skill points during character creation.

4) When creating your character assign skill points to Dodge, just because its base is calculated from your Dex does not mean you cannot improve it and it can literally save the character's life.

5) Don't start with a skill over 89% because (as you noted) there's a San gain for getting to 90 which the keeper may not give if you start that high. (Note: this is very unlikely to matter.)

6) Constitution probably comes next for stat importance, but after that it is down to how you envisage the character. Despite the loss of hit points small size can be an advantage. Don't worry about your melee damage bonus, if you want to attack things you have guns and dynamite for a reason. Melee is for fools. (That said Grapple can be surprisingly useful.)

Whilst it is good to be decent at a few skills, there is also a lot to be said for having a smattering in a lot as well. If you put all of your points into a handful of skills you won't be able to do anything else. Generally I pick a few to be competent at then spread around a load to have some knowledge is a range of areas.

If you can co-operate with the rest of the players during character creation it helps to have:
a) Multiple people with a fair first-aid skill.
b) Lots of languages - try to get good coverage rather than overlap within the party.
c) Someone who knows how to use explosives.
Also where people are specializing in non-combat skills, it usually helps if different characters cover different areas. Having 6 chemists is great - until you need an astronomer.

Have fun - CoC is usually a great game.

[Fri]

If you can co-operate with the rest of the players during character creation it helps to have:
a) Multiple people with a fair first-aid skill.
b) Lots of languages - try to get good coverage rather than overlap within the party.
c) Someone who knows how to use explosives.

This amuses me. This makes me think they all are related

Need to know multiple people with fair first aid skills, because the party is full of people who know how to use explosives but speak different language with each others/

[Telok]

This amuses me. This makes me think they all are related :smallbiggrin:

Need to know multiple people with fair first aid skills, because the party is full of people who know how to use explosives but speak different language with each others/

Luck, dodge, throw, chemistry, shotgun, drive, first aid.

Luck: starting sanity and luck rolls
Dodge: yes
Throw: explosives
Chemistry: explosives
Shotgun: 4d6, also double barrel
Drive: running isn't enough
First aid: my but you're an optimist aren't you?

Get someone else to read the books.

[Starbuck_II]

Well, Explosive in most CoC the strongest and most useful weapon/tool if you got enough of them.

[Mordar]

So, I've been invited to a game of CoC 6E. And everywhere I look, everyone seems to be unanimous in that you cannot powergame CoC. You can't build an optimized thing, and so on. Now, after doing a cursory read via Google, I found one thing, where it says that once you hit 90% in a skill, you regain 2d6 sanity. Which becomes a viable option then.

So my question then becomes, what are other tips and tricks I can use to optimize my character? Just with the knowledge that I do have, I'm sort of tempted to go for a spellcaster, with high skills, who can regain sanity by training skills. Any other suggestions?

Also, please don't talk to me about the "spirit" of the game. I'm very much familiar with the works and tone of Lovecraft. I'm more interested in this as an exercise of "can I," not "should I?"

Keep in mind the following:

• To improve skills you must successfully use them and then at the end of an adventure roll above the skill on % to improve them;
• Learning spells requires studying Mythos tomes which will increase your Mythos knowledge;
• Your max SAN (calculated from your POW) is reduced by your Mythos Knowledge score.

So, to be a spell caster you have to learn spells which increases Mythos Knowledge which decreases your max SAN. To gain SAN via skills you must use that skill to impact during a story and then at the conclusion of the story roll higher than your skill rating. So perhaps 1 in 10 of your 89% skills will increase, netting you an average of 7 SAN...so long as you don't go above your max SAN.

At best, you're probably hoping for a wash between the SAN loss from the spells and story impacts and the SAN you gain from skills over 90% and story success. It might keep you afloat for a while, but eventually all the big spell casters turn out looney.

- M