The Best Scenarios To Play In The Call Of Cthulhu TTRPG

There are plenty of horror tabletop games out there. Some take you to the dark depths of space, while others look to history for their ghouls and goblins. Perhaps none of them hold the weight that Call Of Cthulhu does.

It’s been around since the early 80s, and since then, it’s honed not only the rules it’s based on but also the creepy adventures it takes you on. With all the different scenarios to run over the decades, you may find it hard to pick which one to run for your party. Luckily, some of these scenarios stand out above the rest.

15

The Haunting

A Classic Mystery

With something like Lovecraftian horror, you expect some pretty wild stuff, so it’s surprising to come across a CoC scenario with such a simple name as The Haunting. With it being an older scenario, everyone has their own ideas about it.

Don’t let the mix of reviews dissuade you, though; it has earned itself a sort of classic status at this point. As you’d expect, this scenario follows your investigators looking into a haunted house, but in the way only cosmic horror can. It’s a classic three-part plot that’s easy to follow.

This is perhaps the best scenario for new players. It’s a simple plot that keeps things interesting, which makes it perfect for those who are new to TTRPGs or horror ones at that.

14

Edge Of Darkness

To The Brink Of Madness

The Edge Of Darkness is another classic scenario for CoC that feels a little more modern with all that it contains. It has a little bit more in the way of cosmic horror that the newer ones are known for, whereas the older ones can lean more toward supernatural horror.

This is a great choice for those who have dabbled in TTRPGs and maybe a few horror ones here and there. It allows for your investigators to be more dynamic, and there are plenty of twists and turns. Not to mention some ominous powers and maybe a cult here and there.

13

The Secret Of Castronegro

A Secret Best Left Alone

This is one of the shorter scenarios out there. Made by some of the creators over at Chaosium, this adventure runs best in the 1920s setting and takes place in scenic and arid New Mexico for a bit of a change of scenery.

Your characters start off in Silver City, where they slowly hear more and more information about dead cattle, disappearing people, and even a few missing babies. It can be cut down further by having them move to the titular Castronegro at the beginning of the game, but either way, it’s a fun change of location for a classic adventure.

12

Dead Light

A Scenic Vacation?

Few of the scenarios do intrigue and just general eeriness like Dead Light does. Set in a quiet, cozy little cottage, you and your investigators get to relax for a moment. But would you believe that things don’t stay that way for long at all?

Where some of the earlier scenarios are leaned towards investigation, this one focuses more on survival, as most of the later edition scenarios do. But, don’t worry, there are still plenty of secrets to uncover in the wilderness surrounding.

Make sure if you want to run this scenario (or one similar) that your players understand that CoC will more than likely end in at least one player’s death. Or more likely, all of them.

11

The Lightless Beacon

Back To Massachussets

The Lightless Beacon is another great introductory scenario, but it doesn’t water down the game or the themes that make CoC great. It’s a free scenario from Chaosium released on the anniversary of the passing of the company’s founder, Greg Stafford.

A coastal town in Massachusetts, a lighthouse, and something sinister behind it all; there aren’t many scenarios that feel at home in Lovecraftian horror as this one does. This is also a great scenario to springboard into a longer campaign, that is, if your party survives the horrors that await them.

10

The Fungi From Yuggoth

Not Mushroom For Error

For the fans of Call Of Cthulhu who want a longer adventure, The Fungi From Yuggoth is a great one, and it shows off some of the world traveling that CoC was well-known for in the days when it first came out.

Named after Lovecraft’s set of poetry, this adventure starts in NYC, looking for a psychic medium gone missing. Like any good adventure, everything goes wrong from there as you travel the globe unveiling horrible secrets.

This is one of the more difficult adventures to pare down. It’s best to approach this one with the knowledge that you’ll need multiple sessions.

9

Trail Of Tsathogghua

The Curse Grows Stronger

Trail of Tsathogghua is unique for being one of the few of the pre-made scenarios that doesn’t take place in the U.S. Instead, your investigators are transported to icy Greenland (not green Iceland) to look into some odd occurrences.

Inside Trail of Tsathogghua are actually two interconnected scenarios that include getting to know the icy, and often lonesome, tundra, as well as some cryptid horror on top of the usual cosmic horror for extra fun.

The standalone scenario: The Haunted House, is also included in the DrveThru RPG purchase of this scenario for added fun.

8

Beyond The Mountains Of Madness

Building On A Classic

While CoC is built around the works of the founder of cosmic horror, none take a direct page from Lovecraft’s work like Beyond The Mountains Of Madness does. Taking place directly after The Mountains Of Madness, your investigators get to explore the setting on their own now.

As part of an expeditionary force of scholars and adventurers, your investigators are brought to the Arctic by plane. Not much has changed since this scenario first came out, and included are some interesting setting-specific rules on things like frostbite and snowblindness to boot.

7

The Travesty

A Twist On A Classic

Investigating an inn haunted by something supernatural may sound like it’s been done before, especially in CoC, but The Travesty balances the usual tropes with plenty of fun. The culprit doesn’t take too kindly to your meddling, and it’s up to you how you stop it.

The converging paths and options that this scenario allows are a great way to allow your players some choice, but making sure they stay in and around the inn itself also sandboxes them enough without completely railroading them.

This is one of the better scenarios out there for a wide variety of characters. Bruisers, academics, and everything in-between will have something to contribute.

6

The Crack’d And Crook’d Manse

A Lot In A Small Setting

This scenario is much like The Haunting in the way of setting as well as some of the plot points (haunted house, focusing on investigation, etc.), but The Crack’d And Crook’d Manse plays like a sequel for fans of that plot type.

It has a potentially smaller run time than some of the other ones on this list, but that depends on how thorough your investigators are or how lucky their dice rolls are. There’s a surprising amount of intrigue and horror packed into such a small setting and one that sometimes feels like it’s been done before.

5

The Burning Stars

Stare Into The Void

Not many of the scenarios take place outside of the mainland United States, at least not to begin with. This is just one of the things that makes The Burning Stars interesting. And all of the cosmic horror, of course.

Your adventurers wake up in 1920s Haiti in a military hospital during the height of political turmoil in the island nation. Sprinkle in some amnesia and some psychic trickery, and you’ll have quite the twist by the end of the plot.

4

Blood Brothers

Plenty Of Pulp

You may think this one is sort of a cop-out, but Blood Brothers deserves a place on this list. This is actually a collection of 13 different short CoC scenarios but for the price of what you would probably pay for a single one usually.

Blood Brothers is all about cheesiness. It’s B-Movie, pulp, gory, and amazing all the way through. Where else could you find scenarios that have vampires, werewolves, aliens, and plenty of other creatures all in one place?

3

Love You To Death

Madness And Love?!

Part of two “love themed” scenarios, Love You To Death sees your team as a group of private investigators tasked with something rather simple for once. Your employer simply wants their dog back.

The catch? The Chicago PD have the dog, and they’re going to be putting it down tomorrow morning. The other catch? Very little is as it seems. It’s an interesting look at where emotions and horror intersect that you won’t soon forget.

2

Masks Of Nyarlethotep

An Entity Unlike Any Other

Many of the scenarios of CoC will take your characters on journeys where they meet some pretty wild monsters, but few take you into the clutches of the elder gods themselves. Masks Of Nyarlethotep aren’t afraid to make your players small fish in a big pond.

This is by far one of the longest pre-made plots available, spanning seven different countries in the 1920s. It has been reimagined over the years, but not much has changed from the original intense journey.

You can run this in the 1930s/40s Pulp Cthulhu system, too, with just a bit of tweaking.

1

Horror On The Orient Express

Around The World

Every player has their own favorite CoC scenario, but a surprising number of them have Horror On The Orient Express in their top three, and it’s easy to see why, even from the first look at the adventure.

Horror On The Orient Express is pretty much a campaign split into nineteen distinct scenarios. It all starts with a string of murders in a hotel, but all three of the victims look the same. What follows takes you around the world, where you’ll meet a dynamic cast and fight plenty of monsters, supernatural and human alike.