How to Buy the Rulebook for Beginners Who Want to Start Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition
Introduction
Hello everyone. I am Okosama Lunch, editor-in-chief of the Kyoto University RPG Research Society.
Out of the 8 notes currently posted by this circle (including this one), this is the third one I have written. While the extreme bias might make it look like personal use to outsiders, it really just happened to be my turn by pure coincidence. Please believe me.
In this note, I have summarized Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition, commonly known as CoC7e, for beginners who want to start playing, specifically which books to buy and how to buy them. It goes without saying, but since everyone has their own way of buying things, I recommend that if there is a book you want, you should just go ahead and buy it.
Quick-Start Rules
First, for those of you who have watched replays and want to try Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition, take a breath before buying the rulebook.
To be honest, TRPG is a genre that people either love or hate. Therefore, if you buy a damn expensive rulebook and it turns out not to be for you, you will end up feeling a tremendous sense of loss.
So what should you do? Actually, the kind official team has released a trial version of the rulebook called Quick-Start Rules. And it's free.
Naturally, the content is thinner compared to the real thing, but it should be enough to get a feel for the atmosphere. I recommend using this to check if it suits you before moving on to the next step. You could say it's like testing the temperature of the bathwater with your toes before getting in.
Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition Rulebook
The next step is purchasing the rulebook. Various supplements have been published, but they are all written with this rulebook as a prerequisite, so please make sure not to buy those by mistake first. Be especially careful with Cthulhu 2020 and Cthulhu 2026, as their names sound similar.
I'll be honest. It's damn expensive!
6,600 yen including tax is an amount that would make anyone hesitate unless they are a huge millionaire. There are roughly three ways to purchase the rulebook.
Call of Cthulhu TRPG Rulebook PLUS (Subscription)
Purchase a new physical copy
Purchase a used physical copy
Each method has its pros and cons, so let's introduce them.
Call of Cthulhu TRPG Rulebook PLUS
Pros
View the rulebook for a minimum of 480 yen per month
Easy to carry around
Includes search function
Disadvantages
Because it is a monthly subscription, the cost will eventually exceed the price of a physical book
Not suitable for sharing among multiple people
Due to the subscription model, it does not become your own property
This is the official rulebook app. What catches the eye is, of course, the overwhelming affordability. It is impossible to view all supplements for 1,000 yen per month with physical books, let alone starting from 480 yen per month. On the other hand, it is a major disadvantage that it is difficult to share among multiple people. When sitting around a table with friends in person, if there is only one app version of the rulebook, the tempo of referencing it becomes a bit slow.It is best to consider it for personal use onlyI suppose.
Buying a new physical book
Advantages
You are guaranteed to get a pristine book
Easy to reference even with multiple people
Depending on the bookstore, you can check the contents a little beforehand
Disadvantages
High price
Bulky and gets in the way
Takes time to look up pages until you get used to it
This is the method of purchasing a new physical book. By the way, I bought my rulebook this way. I still remember having a clerk at Kinokuniya help me find where it was. Since it is new, being able to get a pristine copy no matter what is a wonderful point. It is also a good point that it is easy to share with friends around the table. However, it is expensive. It is too expensive. It is a price point that is hard to commit to unless you have the resolve that you will keep playing this. Also, it is bulky. One rulebook is fine, but if you start putting supplements and such in your backpack to carry around, you will hurt your shoulders. I personally recognize that this is half the cause of my stiff shoulders. By the way, the other half is caused by my writing activities on the computer. Please tell me how to deal with this.
Buying a used physical book
Advantages
Relatively cheaper compared to new ones
Easy to reference even with multiple people
If you choose the store carefully, you can get one that is almost like new
Disadvantages
Condition varies
Bulky and gets in the way
Takes time to look up pages until you get used to it
This is the method of purchasing the physical book used. I currently purchase almost all of my supplements this way. Personally, I am not a fan of subscription models and prefer one-time purchases, which is why I ultimately reached this conclusion. Most of the advantages are as stated when purchasing new, but being able to buy it a little cheaper is something I am very grateful for. As for the disadvantages, I mentioned that the condition varies, but actually, if you choose your seller carefully, you can almost always get items in excellent condition, which is why this is the method I most recommend to beginners.
Conclusion
I have discussed how beginners can purchase the rulebook. Now it is time to purchase various supplements. There are too many supplements to easily choose ones to recommend to others, but if I had to pick one, it would be Call of Cthulhu TRPG Malleus Monstrorum Vol.1/Vol.2. When you decide to try writing a scenario, it is useful for thinking about which Mythos creatures to place at the center of the story. Perhaps because they are not widely distributed, used copies do not appear often at major retailers, so if you see one, it might be worth buying.
Finally, as an aside, Call of Cthulhu TRPG Cthulhu 2026 will be released on Friday, May 29th of this year. It contains additional rules and occupations for modern-day Japan, so if you are interested, please consider purchasing it.
This work is a derivative work of the "Call of Cthulhu TRPG" series, which is copyrighted by Arclight Inc. and KADOKAWA Corporation.
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