Do you Cthulhu?

I know I do!  Ok, not as much as I used to but that is only because I’m getting old.

I hear your old man jokes.

Get off my lawn!

Where was I…Oh, Do you Cthulhu?  If the answer is yes then I may have a book for you.

Casting Call of Cthulhu is a collection of 120 npcs for any Cthulhu game set in the Modern Era written by R J Christensen.  It breaks down these individuals into 15 different categories with eight examples under each category.  Each individual is nicely fleshed out.  You are given a name, an occupation, appropriate stats, and a nice blurb to make the person both interesting to read as well as making it easier for the keeper to create an engaging portrayal of the character.

If you are like me, this will be an invaluable reference material.  When I am running Call of Cthulhu, I have difficulty coming up with npcs for my scenarios.  I have no problem creating the npc that will serve as the impetus for the adventure.  The other associated personnel prove difficult for me to both think of and create before hand.  This book solves this problem for me handily.  If the players need a person to stitch up their wounds on the fly, I can turn to this book.  Voila! I have Charlie Ferrari, paramedic ready just for such an occasion.  Problem solved and the players now have a contact with some handy skills whenever they are in a pinch.

My favorite character in the book is filed under unusual as the role playing game writer.  Christensen has inserted himself into the book with a nice little blurb about him and thanks the reader for picking up his monograph.  Little things like that always tickle me as I am a big fan of Easter eggs.  In addition to the role playing game writer, the npcs in the book provide a nice cross section of society.  The offerings provide a nice selection of gender, ethnicity, and social status.

If you do Cthulhu, then this is a good book to add to your library.  It will definitely be a labor-saver for any keeper.  Go check it out!