Call of Cthulhu vs Masks: A New Generation
Compare Call of Cthulhu and Masks: A New Generation side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Call of Cthulhu | Masks: A New Generation | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Horror, Modern | Modern, Superhero |
| Play Style | Investigation, Deadly, One-Shot Friendly, Atmospheric, Roleplay-Heavy, Mystery, Horror, Corruption, Skill-Based | Narrative, Rules-Light, Character-Driven, Drama, Beginner-Friendly, Open Source, Superhero |
| Core Mechanic | Roll d100 equal to or under your skill percentage. Success tiers at half (Hard) and one-fifth (Extreme) of the skill value. Bonus and penalty dice adjust the tens digit. Failed rolls can be pushed for a second attempt at greater risk. | PbtA moves: roll 2d6 + Label. 10+ = strong hit, 7–9 = hit with complications, 6− = miss (GM makes a move). Five shifting Labels (Danger, Freak, Savior, Superior, Mundane) represent how the hero sees themselves, and others can shift them. Influence and team mechanics drive interpersonal drama. |
| Dice | d100 | 2d6 |
| Complexity | Medium | Low |
| Accessibility | High | Medium |
| Runnability | Very High | High |
| License | Chaosium Fan Material Policy | CC BY 4.0 |
| Cost | $$ | $$ |
| Publisher | Chaosium | Magpie Games |
| Year | 2014 | 2016 |
| Best For | Investigation-driven horror where combat is deadly and sanity is fragile. Great for one-shots. | Teen superhero drama where identity, relationships, and emotional stakes matter more than punching villains. |
| Highlights | Tracking Sanity as a depletable score ties mental erosion to the fiction, so confronting cosmic horror mechanically wears characters down. The percentile skills resolve on a d100 roll-under, with Hard and Extreme bands at half and one-fifth of the rating. Bouts of Madness convert failed Sanity checks into temporary phobias, manias, or loss of character control. | Labels system makes identity the core conflict, 10 distinct playbooks, low prep for GM, encourages drama and character growth |
| Considerations | The chase rules add a detailed positioning subsystem whose complexity outweighs how often it sees use. Character creation allocates points across a long list of skills, a slow first step for new players. In long campaigns the sanity spiral can strip a character of player control as madness accumulates. | Labels shifting can frustrate players who want a stable character identity, Influence mechanic requires careful tracking, adult moves can overshadow teen PCs, limited mechanical growth beyond Label shifts |