Good Beginner Game? Call of Cthulhu or Warhammer Fantasy RPG?

Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:

No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
Times and dates in your local timezone.
Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.

If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

**rockerbikie**

Out of Call of Cthulhu or Warhammer Fantasy RPG which one would be easier for a group of newbies who have no experience with RPGs to play?

**robertsjf**

First, I love CoC. That being said WFRP would be the easier game to start with.

**Manchu**

I don't think either is a good starting game. But tell us more about what you're looking for, please.

**ChocolateGork**

WFRP has some unclear rules but has simple dice and simple mechanics. It is also pretty easy to create adventures for.

I have the rulebook but haven't read it for COC however from skimming it seems like it is more complicated than WFRP mechanics wise and as a horror/mystery your adventures will need to be pretty intricate and/or well thought out to be enjoyable.

BUT it depends on your groups experience as a whole and your interests.

Please post more info.

**rockerbikie**

Manchu wrote:I don't think either is a good starting game. But tell us more about what you're looking for, please.

I am looking for a good easy starting RPG with a good difficulty curve which is easy to start out and learn with.

**ChocolateGork**

Whats your previous experience level/levels?

Do you like horror/mystery of fantasy more?

How many people are in your group?

How much cash do you have?

**rockerbikie**

ChocolateGork wrote:Whats your previous experience level/levels?

Do you like horror/mystery of fantasy more?

How many people are in your group?

How much cash do you have?

I have 4 people in my group. I have $200 to spare. I have no experience in RPG. I like Fantasy more but I can relate a lot more to Cthulu.

**ChocolateGork**

CoC is a thirty year old game in its 6th edition (good thing)

Costs very little comparatively

There is less stuff to store and mess around with

Higher Learning Curve

Other RPG's with less bits and more math, will become easier for you to pick up.

Awesome tentacle monsters and gothic horror.

Ruleset is primarily used for 1910s (i think) but can be used for any other time period up to the present day and quite a bit further back

More planning required by the GM and more thinking required by the Players

WFRP is in what is really actually its 1st edition

Very expensive

Not a very complete game

Lower learning curve

Stuck with a fantasy setting (not a bad thing depending on the view but does somewhat reduce re-playability)

Less planning required by the GM and Less thinking required by the Players

It depends entirely on your group.

Are you and/or your group the kind of people who like to adventure in a medieval fantasy world

OR

Roleplay smart but tough and resourceful investigators in a frightening gothic horror world.

I GM my group and sadly they aren't the most imaginative or intuitive bunch. So its mostly action based adventures i run.

Will you be GMing? if so you should pick whichever one you want to run. You WILL be learning ALL the rules and you WILL be doing the homework.

Otherwise ask your gm. He is the most important part of the puzzle

Can you elaborate on your ability to relate to cthulu?

Personally if i had a group of like minded people then i would go with CoC and get a bunch of dice for everyone, a nice screen, and any other RPG's your interested in with the remaining cash.

Sorry if this is fractured and messy. Its really late while im typing this.

**rockerbikie**

ChocolateGork wrote:CoC is a thirty year old game in its 6th edition (good thing)

Costs very little comparatively

There is less stuff to store and mess around with

Higher Learning Curve

Other RPG's with less bits and more math, will become easier for you to pick up.

Awesome tentacle monsters and gothic horror.

Ruleset is primarily used for 1910s (i think) but can be used for any other time period up to the present day and quite a bit further back

More planning required by the GM and more thinking required by the Players

WFRP is in what is really actually its 1st edition

Very expensive

Not a very complete game

Lower learning curve

Stuck with a fantasy setting (not a bad thing depending on the view but does somewhat reduce re-playability)

Less planning required by the GM and Less thinking required by the Players

It depends entirely on your group.

Are you and/or your group the kind of people who like to adventure in a medieval fantasy world

OR

Roleplay smart but tough and resourceful investigators in a frightening gothic horror world.

I GM my group and sadly they aren't the most imaginative or intuitive bunch. So its mostly action based adventures i run.

Will you be GMing? if so you should pick whichever one you want to run. You WILL be learning ALL the rules and you WILL be doing the homework.

Otherwise ask your gm. He is the most important part of the puzzle

Can you elaborate on your ability to relate to cthulu?

Personally if i had a group of like minded people then i would go with CoC and get a bunch of dice for everyone, a nice screen, and any other RPG's your interested in with the remaining cash.

Sorry if this is fractured and messy. Its really late while im typing this.

I have been choose to play as Gamemaster because I seem to know how to place a good difficulty curve and I am good at Narrativing the events. I have read Call of Cthulu and a lot of Lovecraftian Horror Stories. I know about the Dangerous Cthulhu, the old ones and the other gods have on Earth. I have good knowledge on the creatures and how the unnatural effects has on the human mind. I have a lot of knowledge in to the Cthulu language and the mindsets of Cultists.

**Manchu**

Do you want to run a Cthulhu type game? What do you players want to do? CthulhuTech might be what you're looking for -- go mix of action and horror ... but it's a science fiction setting rather than contemporary or fantasy.

**ChocolateGork**

If you have more knowledge of the ctuhulu universe then i would definitely run that

**Balance**

WFRP might win because it's dark, but still more 'traditional' than Call of Cthulhu. WFRP plays much more like a tough, tricky, console or computer RPG in the general 'flow' (not the actual mechanics). It's still got the 'basic cycle' of adventure -> advance -> bigger adventure. It's tough, but characters should expect to improve, albeit slowly.

CoC is a bit of an acquired taste as survival itself is often the best the player characters can hope for. Some CoC variants change this around, though.