{"id":1168,"date":"2013-04-02T11:28:41","date_gmt":"2013-04-02T19:28:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/usandacat.com\/thelair\/?p=1168"},"modified":"2013-04-02T11:28:41","modified_gmt":"2013-04-02T19:28:41","slug":"review-of-trail-of-cthulhu-by-pelgrane-press","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usandacat.com\/thelair\/2013\/review-of-trail-of-cthulhu-by-pelgrane-press\/","title":{"rendered":"Review Of Trail Of Cthulhu By Pelgrane Press"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Trail<\/a><\/p>\n

-== What is it? ==-<\/strong><\/p>\n

Trail Of Cthulhu (TOC)<\/i> is a horror RPG based on the writings of H.P. Lovecraft and the investigation based Gumshoe rules system from Robin Laws. The book focuses on the 1930’s but this can easily be adjusted by the GM. It was written by Kenneth Hite and published by Pelgrane Press in 2007. With a pedigree of Robin Laws and Kenneth Hite my expectation for TOC<\/i> are very high. I consider these two gentlemen to be some of the best RPG authors in the business. \ud83d\ude09
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\nTOC<\/i> has a color cover and a three color interior. The interior text is black and white but there is dark green shading to add atmosphere. The hardcover version of TOC<\/i> is 8.5\u00e2\u20ac\u009d x 11\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and is 248 pages in length. I am reviewing a print copy that I bought from Pelgrane Press. I ran six sessions of TOC<\/i> using the Purist rule set as part of my Armitage Files<\/i> campaign. (Watch this very blog for a review of the Armitage Files<\/i>.)<\/p>\n

-== What I Like ==-<\/strong><\/p>\n

TOC<\/i> uses the Gumshoe system previously presented in Esoterrorists<\/i> but skins it for Cthulhu. The primary enhancements are the addition of rules for Stability\/Sanity loss, spell-casting, and tomes. In these areas the product does a pretty good job. My group had little issue with the Stability rolls and seemed to take to them quickly even though as a GM I had some minor issues with them (see below). I do not plan on discussing the Gumshoe system in detail. If you want to read more about it you can check out my Esoterrorist<\/i> review here<\/a>. \ud83d\ude42
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\nThe TOC<\/i> rules cover two styles of play. There is a Purist mode and a Pulp mode. Purist mode is straight horror similar to that found in the Call Of Cthulhu<\/i> RPG. Pulp mode is two guns blazing against deep ones. \ud83d\ude42 For my campaign I used the straight Purist mode.
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\nThe rules presented in TOC<\/i> are very fast. I think pushing role-playing over gameplay works well for the horror genre. You don’t get caught focusing on strange rules you move along quickly. The game enforces this aspect of play really well with the Scene card mechanic. After all of the major clues are uncovered the GM holds up a card with the word “Scene” written on it. This lets the players know that they have all of the critical information related to the investigation. There could be details gained by further research but the major important clues are out. The Scene card worked great because it never seemed to distract from the role-playing. In fact I plan to steal the idea for other campaigns that I may run.
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\nThe investigative engine present in Gumshoe is a perfect fit for the Lovecraft horror genre. Often the research about a particular nasty is more important than your shotgun. The system naturally supports the style of gameplay that you want to evoke at the table.
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\nI really liked the way the Drive statistic is used to provide character motivation. When creating their characters players pick a motivation, or Drive, for their PC. For example, Curiosity. If they go against their drive they can incur a Stability loss. The mechanic worked well and the players enjoyed the interaction that Drive had on our gameplay.
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\nI really like the artwork and layout in TOC<\/i>. Even though there is dark green shading behind the text it is not distracting. The artwork can be dark but it really evokes the setting. Jerome Huguenin also knocked it out of the park with a fantastic cover.<\/p>\n

-== What I Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t Like ==-<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of my players pointed out that there are several “influencing people” skills without clear boundaries. I agree. I made some subtle changes in my campaign that really helped. I removed Flattery and rolled it into Reassurance. I removed Interrogation and rolled it into Intimidation. I flat out pulled Oral History. Those changes worked pretty well for us. It cut down on complaints and confusion quite a bit. \ud83d\ude09
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\nSeveral of the players did not like the fact that in TOC<\/i> Purist rules investigators do not earn experience. I came up with something that is not as open as the Pulp play style but is similar. Here is what I did.<\/p>\n