Call of Cthulhu vs Superpowered
Compare Call of Cthulhu and Superpowered side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Call of Cthulhu | Superpowered | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Horror, Modern | Modern, Superhero |
| Play Style | Investigation, Deadly, One-Shot Friendly, Atmospheric, Roleplay-Heavy, Mystery, Horror, Corruption, Skill-Based | Rules-Light, Superhero, Beginner-Friendly, Fast-Paced, Theater of the Mind, Character-Driven |
| 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. | Roll 2d6 + skill level vs. a difficulty number (4+ easy to 10+ formidable). Characters have 7 broad skills, Endurance (stamina), and Lifeblood (health). Superpowers are defined by a Power source (from 36 options like Fire, Cosmic, or Speed) that grants themed Abilities. Weaknesses grant bonus Abilities. D66 tables generate random powers and origins. |
| Dice | d100 | 2d6 |
| Complexity | Medium | Very Low |
| Accessibility | High | Medium |
| Runnability | Very High | High |
| License | Chaosium Fan Material Policy | OGL 1.0a |
| Cost | $$ | $ |
| Publisher | Chaosium | Stellagama Publishing |
| Year | 2014 | 2020 |
| Best For | Investigation-driven horror where combat is deadly and sanity is fragile. Great for one-shots. | Quick superhero campaigns with a simple 2d6 engine: build any hero from 36 power sources, take a weakness, and leap into four-color action without heavy rules. |
| 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. | Simple 2d6 rules, 36 diverse power sources with unique ability lists, quick character creation, OGL-compatible with Cepheus Engine material, includes heroes, villains, and creatures ready to play |
| 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. | Very niche, limited advancement system, superhero genre only, lacks the depth of crunchier supers games |