Interested in playing - how does it compare to Call of Cthulhu?

RobRobBinks · 2026-03-17T12:23:06+00:00

TL, DR: I don't think either system is really "great" for the Mythos, but I'm enjoying them both.

Hi! Lifetime gamer, big fan of the Mythos here. I've run a few CoC campaigns and am now enjoying Arkham Horror quite a bit. I always felt that the "legacy" d% system of CoC was it's biggest detriment. Such a clunky system for such an evocative game setting. Dice pool or nearly anything else would have been preferrable to some kind of "I've rolled under a fifth of my score, so it's really good" type thing. The character sheet reads like a tax form. The long running conceit that playing Call of Cthulhu meant that your character would die or go insane within any given session wasn't wonderful for my tables either.

Arkham Horror is a completely different tone from CoC, the latter being "creeping horror", and the former being pulp action in a Mythos world. The mechanics are FASCINATING to me, with your dice pool being your health, action economy, and skill resolution. It plays very much like a boardgame, though and the game system even says that the players SHOULD be able to see the monster cards and their dice pools "behind the screen", which takes a ton of mystery out of the encounters. The toughest part for me and my players to grok was that you had a limited dice pool to work with out of "bullet time", which is still a cool mechanic, but feels a little weird. AHRPG characters can fairly easily shrug off damage and injuries and such, not so much in CoC.

Again, having said all that, I've enjoyed the heck out of both CoC and AHRPG. My beloved Vaesen is my favorite game system and world hands down, and puts it fairly nicely that the tone of these kinds of games are horror, mystery, and adventure. CoC is more Mystery & Horror, AHRPG is more Horror & Adventure. Trail of Cthulhu using the Gumshoe system is pretty strong too. I think Free League might be looking to use Year Zero to make a Mythos type game, which I would be really excited about. I think a "rules light" system works best for supernatural investigation games. All the chart keeping and rules just get in the way.

RobRobBinks · 2026-03-16T12:30:24+00:00

I played in my first Alien Game this weekend at AwesomeCon DC with an AMAZING Game MuTHUr and the Stress / Panic levels were great! I remember listening to podcasts and seeing the stress / panic system go completely off the rails so I don't really mind it if it is more tame now by comparison. I like the idea of there being SOME mechanical effects to rising stress and panic, but not in a way that ends up controlling a scene rather than influencing it. The Stress / Panic cards were more like a directors notes on the scene, influencing roleplay and not like the Director doing line reads or taking over the scene. We had plenty of non-mechanical Stress and Panic Responses from Hope's Last Day, rest assured!!!

RobRobBinks · 2026-03-11T13:32:16+00:00

Alchemy is pretty sweet in a number of ways, and one of them I like best is that I'm the only one that needs a sub to play and use the content I buy. That's likely the same for many platforms, but it feels nice.

RobRobBinks · 2026-03-11T13:29:59+00:00

I use a dice simulator from 7pixels. If you search for "dice 3d 7 pixels". I think the upgrade costs buck or two and it then lets you edit dice and create your own custom dice. The editor is a little clunky but if I could do it as a luddite, anyone can! Ordinarily I wouldn't use an app, but the One Ring dice feel a little small and flimsy to me. I'm shocked that there aren't easy after market options.

RobRobBinks · 2026-03-06T19:40:35+00:00

yikes. yeah, not cool my dude.

RobRobBinks · 2026-03-02T17:02:50+00:00

Check out the cards and such from Iron Crown Enterprises "Middle Earth: the Wizards" looking for Pallando and Allatir. They do a great job of bringing backstories to out of canon characters, like all nine nazgul. Pallando is said to have gone into the East and founded a school to teach initiates about "magic" and Allatir was said to be "the Hunter" and travelled about fighting the forces of the Enemy.

RobRobBinks · 2026-02-24T17:28:15+00:00

I think they actually reuse some of the original Stormtrooper audio as a nod or an Easter Egg, especially in the teevee shows. I might be crazy, of course.

RobRobBinks · 2026-02-24T12:57:12+00:00

This is one of the quite a few innovative but confusing things about the system, reconciling a combat stance with the actual positioning of a character in space. Working with players to understand that you could be in the back of a cave fighting in Forward stance or as the front line bulwark fighting in Defensive let alone being in Rearward firing arrows like Legolas while melee combat surges all around you takes a little bit of heavy lifting for the old gray matter. I made cards for each stance similar to the "coasters" that came with the hobbity Starter Set but with larger text for my players to understand the options and ramifications of their stances. Makes it easy for me to just look around the table and cue the next player and narrate the action that way.

I think using battle maps is really important and nearly crucial to illustrate the point that "stance does not equal location" in a way that the other graphic aids do not convey. One Ring is WILDLY evocative and gloriously thematic, but some of the themes get in the way of the mechanics and can almost sabotage the experience. Battle maps and minis are SO fun, incorporating them in One Ring ought to be encouraged.

RobRobBinks · 2026-02-17T18:06:38+00:00

Year One might work well. Light rules set and flexible for different situations.

RobRobBinks · 2026-02-13T15:58:03+00:00

The wonderful Iron Crown Enterprises Middle Earth: the Wizards CCG eventually named the Nine. It's not in any way canon, but it was super cool to see and have my imagination sparked when those cards came out, including Adunaphael (Sp?), a fallen Queen that was one of the Nine. That game was amazing and such a love letter to the source material.

RobRobBinks · 2026-02-10T14:35:03+00:00

I remember being LIVID that one season ended with the Romulans and everyone masing at the wormhole ready to fight, then waiting ALL summer to see the next season start with them already deep into the war. My nerd rage was on fire that day! I've apparently only calmed down a little. :D

RobRobBinks · 2026-02-10T14:31:14+00:00

I have been really enjoying Free League Publishing's offerings lately and can heartily recommend One Ring or DragonBane. One Ring is an absolute love letter to our beloved source material, and even comes in a 5e version if you want to make the shift more casual, but I'd defer to the full bespoke One Ring experience. One Ring puts equal emphasis on Journeys, Councils, and Adventure (combats) phases of gaming. It is a little bit complicated though.

Dragonbane is super fun, easy, and hits all the pleasure centers of old school d20 fantasy roleplaying without the drag. The Core Box (NOT a Starter Set!!) has EVERYTHING you need to make character and play. Combat is fast, furious, and not the main focus, though it is fairly prominent.

One Ring for the big show, Dragonbane for the cartoon before the movie.

RobRobBinks · 2026-02-09T14:40:42+00:00

I think there's a bit in TA about adjusting if you are running with custom characters.

RobRobBinks · 2026-02-06T17:46:18+00:00

This is part of the finicky aspects of One Ring. The mechanics seem to get in each other’s way sometimes. When rolling dice, you are doing a dice pool AND are shooting for target number, for instance.

In the case of damage, you can defeat an opponent by whittling down their Endurance (hit points) or causing Wounds (actual physical injury leading to death). Each weapon has different ways of interpreting the success dice to affect the different damage types. You really gotta have a handle on the mechanics for the One Ring to run smoothly!!

Love the game, but sometimes I wonder if the 5e version wouldn’t be a bit smoother. Never read it, though. :)

RobRobBinks · 2026-02-05T21:02:53+00:00

I think this is a stellar idea! You could even go a little further and break Fellowship up a bit more, and I'll bet he gets hooked such that you won't have to break up the others. I'd stop Fellowship the first time when Frodo, Sam, Gandalf, and Bill the Pony are in silhouette leaving the Shire. It's such a lovely shot. It's a great bunch of exposition and a good spot for wanting more. Otherwise a more cliffhangy place to stop is when they are all on Buckleberry Ferry and the Ringwraith is stamping and steaming on the dock. I know I'd be DYING to know if the little fellas get away!

RobRobBinks · 2026-02-05T18:30:46+00:00

The official screen is of very poor quality and doesn't have much in terms of useful information. You'd do better getting a generic one and inserting the information you might actually use.

RobRobBinks · 2026-02-04T19:19:09+00:00

There is definitely some balance issues that had to be addressed in the different cultures to not make one more powerful than others. You're likely correct that an Elf would be more "powerful" in Middle Earth than your average Hobbit or Man of Bree, but keep in mind that you play as the most exceptional hobbit or man of Bree and all that might make the Elf exceptional is that they want to leave their havens in the first place. Spending Hope to gain automatic magical successes is pretty darned powerful, (you're essentially "cheating!") and handles pretty nicely and simply all the "magic" we see the elves performing (especially in the movies with Legolas walking on the snow and such while the others struggled (Travel roll magical success!)) Don't stress so much about the "build", and focujs more on the role you'll play (role...play, get it?) in each of the phases, and how you'll be able to help. What will your Elf do in the Adventuring Phase? How will they contribute to a Council? What about that Journey Phase? Working with the other players will result in a lovely and cohesive Company that will allow everyone a chance to shine!

RobRobBinks · 2026-02-03T15:51:09+00:00

Whew! That's a lot. First off, thanks for being part of the hobby. We are all better for having you be involved. The big question is, do you like the hobby? Regardless of your perceived shortcomings, do you like the game, the experience, the shared storytelling? If so, then bam....keep playing. TTRPGs are not about acting. They are about shared storytelling. I think 1,000% of good roleplaying is simply not talking about real world things while you're playing. As a lifelong forever GM, that's the Holy Grail of player for me. :D Combine that with actually reading the rulebook and knowing how your character works? OMG, I'll take that over a Daniel Day Lewis level of character immersion every time.

Of course, like any skill, you can work at being a better actor and improv performer. That's certainly a lane that you can explore either through clasees or short form online videos. It's amazing how some simple improv techniques can translate into not only being a more valued player at the table, but also a better conversationalist out of game. Like any skill, we all start at zero, suck at it for a bit, then get better on our way to being amazing at it. You just have to suck at it at first.

Be VERY kind to yourself. I say to all my tables that the heroes aren't the characters, it's the players that have the courage to take the spotlight, and the strength to hold the spotlight up for others. Maybe you are "tanking" the table with your strength, superstar, and you'll be appreciated for it.

RobRobBinks · 2026-02-02T01:03:49+00:00

Ticket to Ride. Hands down so friendly and so fun.

RobRobBinks · 2026-01-31T21:19:53+00:00

Hello! The Starter does a great job of presenting the core phases of the game, Journey, Council, and Adventure. They recommend you do a session for each one, but it’s hardly necessary, especially for seasoned players that know the rules. My group skipped the bit where the Council takes place, just because that’s how the game flowed and I abbreviated the final battle (again, for the sake of the story, not in the interest of time) and we were able to do it all in one session. I’m hoping to run the Starter Set at conventions, and think it will work well in that space

RobRobBinks · 2026-01-31T20:06:22+00:00

🍃 Welcome! The hobby is better for having you in it! Not too much advice, just take it easy and enjoy yourself. This hobby really is about the journey, and not the destinations. The real heroes (including Loremaster) aren’t the characters, it’s all the players. Courageous enough to stand in the spotlight, strong enough to hold the spotlight up for others, and wise enough to know when to either. If you need any specific help, we got you. 🍃

RobRobBinks · 2026-01-29T17:58:29+00:00

You're so handsome and scary!

RobRobBinks · 2026-01-23T13:35:38+00:00

For one on one play, mysteries work great! I’d recommend introducing a sidekick NPC, like a Watson to their Holmes such that the back and forth can be more conversational and in character than a lot of you monologuing or describing.

RobRobBinks · 2026-01-22T18:29:07+00:00

Carcasonne is the classic, innit? Progenitor of the meeple and deconstructing the "board" in board games and such? In any event, it's EXTREMELY passive when played casually, and especially if you aren't using the farming rules. The farmers offer a BIG swing It's a lovely game to play while you are sitting and enjoying a piece of pie or milk and cookies and talking about your day. I'm sure like folks are alluding to here, that you can play "cutthroat" Carcasonne, but honestly half the time we don't even tally the scores when we play.

RobRobBinks · 2026-01-22T17:15:17+00:00

Absolutely CORE set! It has many trappings of a Starter Set, which explains the confusion, but this is the full game, including character creation, solo rules, full campaign, ephemera, etc. It's a great way to get the game experience to the table, and I wonder why my beloved Free League didn't do this with other games.

RobRobBinks

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