Call of Cthulhu vs Changeling: The Lost
Compare Call of Cthulhu and Changeling: The Lost side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Call of Cthulhu | Changeling: The Lost | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Horror, Modern | Horror, Fantasy, Modern |
| Tags | Investigation, Fear & Stress Mechanics, Mystery, Deadly, Corruption, Skill-Based, Atmospheric, One-Shot Friendly, Character-Driven, Narrative | Urban Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Fear & Stress Mechanics, Superpowers, Faction Play, Social Intrigue, Character-Driven, Exploration, Strong GM Support, Lore-Heavy |
| Core Mechanic | Roll d100 equal to or below a skill or characteristic. Hard and Extreme tests use half and one-fifth of that rating. Bonus and penalty dice select a better or worse tens digit. Eligible failed skill rolls can be pushed by taking further action, risking a harsher consequence. | Build a d10 pool, usually from an Attribute plus a Skill, and count each 8, 9, or 10 as a success. One success is enough for most simple actions, and five or more normally make an exceptional success. Tens in a normal pool are usually rerolled for a chance at more successes. A pool reduced to zero or fewer dice becomes a single chance die that succeeds only on a 10, has no 10-again, and suffers a dramatic failure on a 1. A character can spend a point of Willpower to add three dice to a roll. |
| Dice | d100 | d10 dice pool |
| Complexity | Medium | High |
| Accessibility | High | Medium |
| Runnability | Very High | Very High |
| License | Chaosium Fan Material Policy | All Rights Reserved |
| Third-Party Publishing | Commercial publishing allowed — Community content program | Commercial publishing allowed — Storytellers Vault |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Cost | $$ | $ |
| Publisher | Chaosium | Onyx Path Publishing |
| Year | 2014 | 2019 |
| Languages | English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, Chinese | English, French |
| Best For | Groups who want clue-driven horror with ordinary investigators and lasting consequences. Suits focused mysteries and campaigns where survival matters more than defeating every threat. | Groups who want modern fairy-tale horror about surviving abduction and rebuilding a life, with seasonal court politics, binding oaths, and journeys through the Hedge. It suits tables willing to explore trauma and abuse themes within agreed limits. |
| Highlights | Pushing a failed roll offers another chance at the goal with a more serious consequence if it fails. Learning Mythos lore reduces maximum Sanity, tying useful knowledge to lasting vulnerability. An Idea roll gets a stalled investigation moving again, with failure putting investigators into danger. | Clarity tracks a changeling's trust in her own perceptions, and Touchstones attached to the track reduce the damage that breaking points deal to it. Every Contract has a Loophole, a condition of the fae bargain that lets a changeling invoke its basic effect without spending Glamour. Hedgespinning spends surplus successes and Glamour from ordinary actions in the Hedge on changes to terrain, equipment, or Conditions. |
| Considerations | A major wound can leave an investigator dying, making direct confrontation dangerous. Bouts of madness temporarily place investigator actions under Keeper control. Foot and vehicle chases track relative speed and movement actions, adding a separate procedure to pursuit scenes. | Abduction, abuse, and trauma are core subject matter, so the group needs to agree on limits before play. Breaking points risk Clarity damage that can eventually leave a changeling comatose. Goblin Contracts normally add a point of Goblin Debt on each successful use, which the Storyteller can spend to penalize rolls or impose Conditions. |