Call of Cthulhu Starter Set Review/Unboxing | Nerd Immersion
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- Опубліковано 21 жов 2024
- Get a copy of Call of Cthulhu for yourself: amzn.to/3X1Iv2M
Continuing with my unboxing series, this time we're covering @ChaosiumInc's Call of Cthulhu starter set!
Thanks for watching!
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Nerd Immersion is an entertainment network focused on Dungeons & Dragons. Our UA-cam Channel currently has over 900 D&D videos covering everything from D&D advice, D&D product reviews/unboxings, Top 10 videos, DM's Guild Module reviews, and play throughs of over 13 different D&D campaigns, and more.
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I really like them having a solo adventure that way can get a feel of the game before getting a group together
What I really like about the Cthulhu starter set is it's focus on gradual incrementing of game understanding. a solo adventure, then paper chase to be run with one or two players, then the rest being full table adventures (not sure if those adventures are the same as the box i have as the one in the video is the revised version that came out recently).
they call it a Starter Set, but i think it should be more accurately called a Tutorial Set
Chaosium participates in the Bits & Mortar scheme so you should get a free pdf copy of your box set from your retailer. Chaosium includes it automatically if you buy from them directly.
Yeah I would love to see you run one. I think that would be a good review of the material
I agree! I find watching Actual play to be the best introduction to a system, and I would enjoy seeing you demonstrate it.
One thing that is really cool about the solo adventure is that you create a character as the game goes along; you don't need to create one before hand or use one of the pre-made ones. It is a really good way to teach the mechanics of the game. "Alone Against the Flames" is what takes this starter box up a notch.
Also, the blue %die is in there because sometime during the solo adventure, you will need to roll both and take the best one. This way, you don't need to roll twice.
Back in maybe 2006, I ran a homebrew campaign of CoC that used the Dreamlands expansion. It's pretty good for varying the threat level through a campaign and allowing some whimsical moments rather than just wall-to-wall darkness.
Chaosium really does the starter sets extremely well. I have the CoC and the Runequest starters. At the time I bought it, the Call of Cthulhu set was by far the best starter set I ever bought, and Runequest blew that one away! Top notched products!
Runequest is low-key the RPG that no one is brave enough to get into. The commitment to it's world is pretty demanding, but it's mechanics and world blend seamlessly
@@gmphiljuth the setting is fantastic! We are actually going to try it out in another week. So we'll see but I'm pretty psyched!!!
@@DarkAutumnScribe this is great! I think you'll love it, my first advice to tell your group would be to not treat this like 5e/pf2e. It's very much a game where one swing could end a character, so pre-buff and reset your groups philosophy on engaging/avoiding encounters. Have a blast!
@@gmphiljuth cool, thanks!
I absolutely love the solo adventure! I got the starter set last week and I’ve been playing through it. It’s surprisingly satisfying- and difficult to survive. My advice is to treat it a bit like a funnel adventure and not worry too much about creating a perfect character, because the odds of dying are *high*. Edward, Nelly, Bertie, and Sarah definitely did not make it. :-)
I like what you have done so far. The one major weakness in your rating system is how well the adventures play, ease of the adventures to run, and how they give a feel for the game are not part of the rating system. While I understand that would take a lot of time and work and is probably outside the scope of what you are doing, it does put some games, like CoC that are more narrative at a disadvantage when compared to games like Pathfinder, that are more tactical.
This. You can't evaluate Call of Cthulhu the same way as a high fantasy rpg such as 5e or PF2e.
Agreed, maybe I'll do revisions of these once I play them!
I just got the starter set. It really makes learning the system easy.
The extra %die comes into play in advantage /disadvantage type situation iirc.
Honestly, think this one deserves a slightly higher rating because as you say battle maps and minis or tokens aren't really a thing in CoC. Instead they offer multiple adventures and (great examples of) immersion increasing handouts.
Yeah, the WotC starter sets are "double thick" but that doesn't take into account the spacer they put in the box that just leaves a bunch of empty space in the box for no reason other than to make the boxes take up more space on the shelf.
I've played through this solo adventure a few times. It's pretty fun trying to get different results at the end.
Yes please! Play-throughs would be sweet. This could be a huge boost to smaller games as well. Something like a "Watch It Played" series for RPGs (Shout out to Rodney Smith!) A rate of one a week or every other week, one unboxing, one game summary, and a Play-through video?
This contains so much actual player value compared to anything else I’ve seen, the solo adventure is probably one of the best ideas I’ve seen. It comes with literally everything you need to play right out of the box without the need for a group, has several adventures to play with a group, for once you don’t need to spend a week drying out paper you made look old, or drafting letters from npcs. No other starter set I’ve seen literally preps you to play out of the box, therefore I’d justify that this is doing the job of a starter set the best I’ve seen it done so far
Have an older starter set and the solo adventure is a great intro and a light choose your own adventure to the ttrpg. Really enjoy the system (uses d10s primarily) and their take on skill advancements. Wish more systems used a similar approach to setting skill difficulties.
I played the single player adventure, and I failed every single check, only the very last ones I succeeded staying alive. What an awesome adventure! Love the box and can't wait to find some players
Just played my very first CoC (and overall tabletop RPG) session, and I had a similar experience. Failing every single skill check except the last one and surviving till the end :-)
Looks really cool, going to have to give it a try.
you should really have a look at RuneQuest which is also from Chaosium. It's set in a mythology inspired Bronze Age setting so kinda unique
This is a great starter set. I also recommend just the referee’s book as it comes with two adventures if you’re more experienced at GM’ing.
Particularly because “the haunting “ is free online and one of the best starting scenarios available.
CoC is too dark for me to run comfortably, but I love playing it!! And the system is fun to run other than the content 😅
I know I'd enjoy seeing you going through a solo adventure. It would really show how effective some of these games are when running a solo campaign. I'm a big fan of Cthulhu, so seeing this was great. Many thanks for going through this box set.
I think I like the slim box. The D&D starter sets are quite big for the content they carry, which is like this just a few booklets and a set of dice. This looks easier to carry and store.
Yeah, I like the slim feel also. The dnd starter set big boxes are for when kids get some mini's, they can put them in the box and keep it all in one place. Then expand later. But since CoC doesn't need mini's, it can keep the slimmer profile without buyers feeling they don't have space to keep the extras.
The blue one is your penalty & bonus die ( Advantage & Disadvantage )
Call of Cthulhu is a D100 system.
All the rest of the dice are just for character generation & damage dice.
Cthulu play throughs would be entertaining. GMing mystery and Cthulu mythos can be a bit of a challenge relative to the typical D&D adventures but should be a blast. One of my very first multiparty adventures was a CoC haunted house.
Don't forget, if you buy from Chaosium, you get the PDFs free
The solo adventure is amazing! And you can start with ZERO understanding of the rules. It only teaches you the rules as they come up.
And yes, the players can play through it. It's a great adventure. They also have 3 other solo adventures (Alone against the tide, alone against the frost and alone against the dark)
The first adventure (Paper Chase) is a 1-1 game (one player and one GM or Keeper) - although it can be played with more
This helps ease you into the role of Keeper
It's the best starter set I've ever used to get into an RPG
just wanna say the CoC Starter set isn't actually much smaller, if smaller at all, than the D&D starter sets. The D&D starter sets decieve the consumers by putting a cardboard filler in it to make it look like a bigger product than it actually is.
Exactly. And when Chaosium release a thick box set it is always filled to almost overflowing and weighs a ton. You get what you pay for, unlike WotC.
That is a pretty good set. The last of the 3 adventures is very well done.
I would love to see a review of the One Ring RPG starter set from Free League Publishing!
The blue die is for bonus/penalty rolls, basically advantage/disadvantage. Alone Against the Flames was really fun. I was getting creeped out sitting by myself in my sunny kitchen. If you buy direct from Chaosium, they throw in the PDF for free, at least they did when I bought it a couple years ago.
I feel this is well worth the price, but if you are hard up for cash Chaosium offers the quickstart rules as a free download on their site. Even if you get the starter set you should download it, as that one includes the scenario 'The Haunting' which is a classic and a great time. (At least we all liked it.)
Tbf with the D&D Starter Set (at least the original 2014 one). It had a spacer put into the box to maks it bigger
5 premade characters?
Runequest: Hold my mead...12 pregens work for ye?
Chaosium set the bar with this starter set then surpassed it with the RQ one.
Yes I’d be interested in you planning through of them
Check Seth Skorkwoski here on UA-cam for his perspective on how to maintain the horror as Call of Cthulhu is his favorite game.
Skorkowsky. Not being a jerk, just want folks to put the right spelling in their search. Great suggestion, cheers!
Would like to see warhammer fantasy and the one ring. Liked both of those
The solo adventure is great, plus they have several more that are available, the "Alone Against ..." series.
As most of the system relies on percentages, the different coloured d10/100 are to ease players into it: blue is the "tens" green is the singles. So you always know what to look out for.
Now do the RuneQuest Starter set and the Starfinder Beginner box.
I love this starter set!
I have this set but haven’t opened it yet. I really need to open it and learn it.
The solo adventure is good for making characters. I played through it personally.
Great set, would definitely recommend. You can get "the haunting" scenario for free with the CoC quick start rules online. The Haunting is one of my favorite scenarios of all time for any RPG.
Definitely interested in solo plays of these adventures and any others you may be interested in playing
Price is right for this set. There is a high medieval period source book for CoC from the same publisher.
You do not need any preparation whatsoever to start the solo adventure.
Just pickup one of the prepare sheets and play through the scenario.
After playing the solo adventure you read the rule book then you have a small adventure after.
I really wish more people where into this game, I would like to hear their feedback.
Maybe once you get through them all or 10 of them at least you could do a Ted's Top Ten of starter sets. (Including lost mines, stormwreck, essentials kit)
Like it - thanks for the video! I've heard a lot of good things about this system.
A solo game where you're seeing it for the first time would be fun. Familiarity is over rated!
Did you ever do the playthrough of the solo adventure? I have the starter set coming in the mail, so I'll be checking it out soon, but I'd be interested to see it.
I really enjoyed the adventures in the box; I noticed the amount of stuff in this little box was still way more than a D&D box.
Would love to see you do a solo adventure to see how it goes!
I'd love to see more solo rpg content in general
You should review the Rune Quest Starter Set. Never played it but it seems interesting and the starter set is cheap.
They need start doing book sets for systems so get dm and player and monster book in one
With most games you don't tend to have those multiple books. CoC you only need one book, the investigators book is optional.
it's such a fun game. ive played 3 campaigns. it's so hard to not make a hobo with a shotgun All I want to do is tramp the rails and investigate cosmic horrors!
also. I found with that game if your DM does not pull punches The monster difficulty will definitely put some fear into you.
My first guy and his first encounter was that Indiana Jones guy. and he got his face ripped off so fast. and everyone else ran and they were still running by the time my second guy caught up with them several days later.
This one is the best Starter Set I've found in the ones I've looked at.
This is the first of these reviews you've done that I've watched and I have to say I'm a little disappointed. Looking at the handouts and flipping through the booklets and then rating it on that misses the point of reviewing it. To a rating on something you need to actually look at what you're rating. Read through the rules a little. Look through one of the modules, something.
You've always had one of my favorite gaming channels. Very in-depth coverage of everything you talked about. However, if WOTC burned you so bad that you aren't going to really cover DND anymore at least devote the same effort to what you are going to cover, please. This just feels like content for the sake of content. Sorry.
Could you review the Avatar Legends Starter Set? It's available at Target for now, but I think the quality of the Starter Set is better than the D&D sets for only $5 more, but I'd like to know what you think.
If anything is worth your specific interest, I think it's worth letting others potentially experience alongside your journey too (provided you're also willing to stream/share it too). In other words, if you want to give it a try, we'll be here to go through it with you.
Great stuff friend 👏 👍
Do City of Mist next!
I'm not a historian though, how do I run a game in the 1920s?
There is 1920s setting advice in the main books if you want to dive deeper, but the starter set gives you all you need to begin with.
There are also settings books specific to other periods: late 1800s American "wild west", Regency, Dark Ages, pulp style 1930, and 1930s Germany to name a few. Gaslight period book in the pipeline too.
The setting really just add seasoning to the cosmic horror, madness, and hopelessness though.
@@AngryPict sounds like I have a lot of reading to do lol thanks for the info!
Watch a few movies set in the 20s. The important things are culture and technology. Culture is more important- watching films will let you get a feel for the style of the time. Technology is always guesswork. Important things are how widespread (or not) telephones are, how telegrams work etc. Then there's prohibition and the great depression- big, life affecting political events of 1920s America. And that's it. No-one expects perfection, God knows Hollywood doesn't care too much about historical accuracy, but they can still make fun historical films.
Please keep making these videos. I'm sure a lot of people are going to get caught up in the scoring system when the best thing here is the exposure. I suggest keeping things simple so you have a positive ROI. You have a tremendous platform here to expose people to more TTRPGs and I would hate for you to stop once the wotc lull has ended just because the effort you put in was not returned in views and revenue. I would love to see you expand more into systems and modules etc. for instance comparing Abomination Vaults against Dragon heist (or something closer perhaps)
My favourite game
Sorry, but this is not much better than judging the set from the box and the blurb on it. For example, there is no mention that CoC is a D100 system, etc. No mention that Chaosium provides free PDFs, even if you buy elsewhere, etc. Very superficial “review”, esp. for such a popular game.
I don't think is fair to rate starter sets for systems you don't really play, because you can't really say if what's included in the box is too much, too little or just enough for a introduction to the system if you don't really know how the system plays. Even the solo adventure and the 3 starter adventures, you said it yourself that you don't know how long they are and also you wouldn't know how good they are as adventures, so I don't think rating the starter sets is appropriate.
Instead of reviewing the starter sets for many different systems, I would love if you picked a system and went more in depth with it, ran a few games, got some more books, maybe some adventure books and went more in depth into it. I'm a little biased because CoC is a favorite of mine, but I would love to see more content for it.
Streamed Solo Play Adventure +1
Love to see that.
6 dice? Mine came with 7!
*Gnomes, Aviators and point blank annihilation not included.
I think it is odd to rate this starter set so low (a 6 or a 7?) because it doesn't have a coupon or a poster (or there's a typo on the box). Everything you stated about the actual contents of this set is that they are quality items and includes all the things necessary to player CoC such as a solo adventure, starter rules, three adventures, pre-gens, dice and handouts, including maps. It's like you don't even know why you rated it so low. Such an odd rating after listening to your coverage of the contents and quality of the set.
Not interested in CoC, but comment for Algorythm.
Pointless comment. And you can't spell either.
@@simonfernandes6809 and a nice weekend to you as well. I hope you feel better now. Perhaps it felt for a moment as if your life had meaning, until you realised being a dick on UA-cam is not fulfillment.
Enjoy your weekend, and idi nah khuy, you waste of time.
This game is very fun, unless you're like my friend and never roll below a 75 on the d100.
As I sit and watch this video, it has 666 views. Coincidence? I think not!
I’m not a fan of the artwork & box cover… Very cheesy. I’d much prefer some cosmic horror-y art like the older editions… But I hear good things about the current version of the game, so I hope to try it with my group sometime.
dice is a joke ? i mean its most planiest dice i ever saw
Not pronounced Nev-odd-a ... it's Nev-add-a. Every time you say it the wrong way you piss off an entire state lol
-1/2 star for having an odd sized box...
Well, I don't know ted you tell me what's up.
Do it. Do . know you want to.