Post/Author/DateTime	Post
MisterD1223 02-03-05, 10:22 PM	I am entering a Call of Cthulhu game next week. I had one character (a teacher) but he is dead now so let us forget about him. It seems the more offensive characters did better so That is what my next character will be. (a combat one) I got to this thread via D20 info so I think we are not just limited to AD&D here (If I am wrong, let me know) So far the info I have is 1) The Call of Cthulhu book from wizard games. 2) Stat rolls are 18, 17, 16, 16, 15, 14. (rolls witnesed by GM) 3) Character will be level 1 I am looking for 1) stat placement 2) feat choices (nothing to do with Magic or Psychic stuff... yet) 3) Maybe skills (any must haves) Thank you in advanced.
catharz 02-03-05, 10:42 PM	You realize that no matter how much you Min/Max, you (your character) [b]will[/i] go insane, or die, or both, right?
happycows 02-03-05, 10:49 PM	So bank on him being insane.
Toasdy 02-03-05, 11:44 PM	Can you give us more information than 'a combat character'? You need to give us a little more specific type of combat. (eg things you would like to be able to do)
Max Overload 02-04-05, 12:07 AM	WP: Shotgun + Weapon Focus: Shotgun Damage and accuracy. Con for the highest capacity model available. No pump actions. Str 15 (All you need to be able to carry is a shotgun, and shells. No, not even a flashlight. Being able to see where you are going is often worth more sanity loss than firing blindly at any scraping or squelching noises in the dark.) Dex 18 (Be able to outrun mythos monsters, be accurate with the shotgun, and be able to outrun your fellow victims.) Con 16 (Having more HP can't be a bad thing.) Int 16 (Knowing more isn't always a good idea in the Mythos, but high ranks in Psychoanalysis could help, as can Heal. Profession: Demolitionist is strictyl optional.) Cha 14 (It's well documented that the mythos likes to eat cute things. Be as un-cute as possible. You certainly aren't going to get anywhere with Diplomacy checks against mythos monsters.) Wis 17 (Stay sane as long as possible.)
MisterD1223 02-04-05, 07:30 AM	Thanks Maxoverlord. The game will be COC modern. Ithought the charater would be a Special effects guy for sci-fi and horror movies. I am thinking some melee for cultists and such and guns for the others. unless I should stick with guns fully.
Vincent Grayson 02-04-05, 12:11 PM	You want to avoid melee as much as possible. In my CoC game, virtually every single time a character has almost died, it's been from melee attacks.
fendrin 02-04-05, 01:18 PM	Make Sure you carry some solid slugs for the shotgun, for when you aren't firing into the dark... not an area attack, but more damage. Oh, and make sure some of them are silver. Oh, and some loose shot that includes garlic and holy water. Oh, and in my CoC experience, the demolitions skill and a few pounds of dynamite at your disposal can work wonders. In fact, with that dex, make sure you have a few sticks of dynamite and a lighter with you at all times. The wealthy feat is great. Once had a character who's favorite method of taking out baddies was to ram them in his car. He was rich (and insane) enough not to care. He would then turn around and buy another car.
UMiskatonic 02-04-05, 05:49 PM	Guns are useful things in Cthulhu. They can open locks, signal comrades, intimidate shopkeepers, scare off normal animals and frighten primitive villagers. If you think being a good shot will help you at all in combat, you haven't really played Cthulhu. I'd make a reporter, with good ranks in Spot Hidden and Library Use, or a college professor who speaks several languages well and has a solid credit rating. Shoot it out, and you're shantak bait. Cheers, UMiskatonic
Shebnar 02-06-05, 01:49 PM	Ask for the LA of a Shoggoth and play it as a PC. Edited: P.S.: Remember to equip it with the mandatory Sherlock Holmes' hat to prove it's the best detective EVER! And don't forget the pipe.
Baneslayer 02-06-05, 03:35 PM	The only weapon for CoC worth having is Dynamite, everything else is to keep your morale up. :D Seriously though, Focus on your other skills and take just enough combat to keep the smaller minions at bay.
StevilVanHostle 02-07-05, 02:23 PM	I find it a little odd that in your games it's the offensive characters that survive, because in all the games I've played in or heard about, it's been the defensive characters that have been the ones that survived. Anyway, here goes: Str: 16 Generally speaking, if you get into melee combat with any sort of mythos creature at low levels you should start rolling up a new character. That said, occasionally you need to be able to use brute strength to break things such as grapples and doors. It's a toss-up between Strength and Intelligence where your 4th highest roll goes, but since you wish to play an offensive character, I've put it in Strength. Normally, however, I'd put mine in Intelligence. Dex: 16 Having a high Initiative is handy, as is having a high Ranged To-Hit and AC. However, due to the darkness that is present in most Cthulhu games and the fact that your opponents will probably attempt to ambush you more often than not, you will probably be denied your Dex bonus to AC a fair bit of time. It's also the Attribute for some of the most important skills in the game. Note, though, that Reflex saves rarely come up in Cthulhu. 3rd highest roll here. Con: 17 With only a D6 for Hit Dice, you want to allocate your 2nd highest roll to Con. Fort saves will also be common. Int: 15 Extra skill points. 4th or 5th highest roll here. Wis: 18 Because of how often sanity checks are rolled in a typical Cthulhu game, your highest roll should always go in Wisdom. A high Will save is also very handy to have. Cha: 14 At higher levels I believe Charisma is used when casting spells (Someone please correct me if I'm wrong), but at low levels all this is good for is Bluff and Diplomacy. And frankly, when the proverbial hits the fan, neither is going to matter. Lowest roll here. My favourite feats are: Toughness In D&D this is too much of a waste of perfectly good pencil lead to even write down, but in Cthulhu you shouldn't have any long term plans for your character anyway so don't sweat this apparent waste of a feat. 3 (or even 6, if you take it twice) extra Hit Points can make a big difference in low level Cthulhu and you almost certainly won't ever make it to a level where you think to yourself "Gee, I wish I hadn't taken that feat now...". Run You don't need to be able to outrun that Hound of Tindalos, you just need to be able to outrun your fellow vict- er, companions. This feat helps you do that. Weapon Proficiency: Shotgun Pistols are too weak, rifles are too cumbersome, and other guns can be difficult to acquire. Shotguns are very sturdy, can be loaded with all sorts of ammunition (can you say fireball rounds (http://www.hi-vel.com/hvi_cover.jpg)?), can be cut down for concealability, and make a handy melee weapon in a pinch. 10 gauge's deal the largest amount of damage, but as far as I know, only Browning still make them. I recommend the Browning BPS Stalker with a +3-round magazine tube; it has the largest capacity I know of of the 10 gauges (Capacity 7 + 1 in the chamber, if anyone was wondering). Unlike real life, you can solve most of your Cthulhu problems by running away from them. In fact, sometimes, it's the only way to solve them. Your mantra when playing Cthulhu should be: 'Escape and evasion, escape and evasion'. Always remain mobile because if you ever get stuck somewhere, you're probably about 6 seconds away from death. To this end I recommend the following skills: Escape Artist, Drive, Tumble, Swim (If you think you will be near water), Climb, and Jump. In that order of preference. Other good skills to have are: Psychoanalysis to help overcome failed sanity checks, First Aid for physical injuries, Repair for when your car or mobile phone 'inexplicably' stops working, Hide and Move Silently to avoid problems you might otherwise have to run from, and Listen to hear things sneaking up on you. Spot can also be useful, but sometimes you don't want to see what's there. Research, also, has the potential to be very useful, but in my experience nothing good ever came from reading a book in Cthulhu. In fact, be illiterate, and convince some other sucker to be the bookworm. I suggest you take the following equipment: A vehicle of some kind, preferably with off-road capabilities. A mobile phone, set to 'Silent, vibrate-only', of course. A good Swiss-Army knife or Leatherman tool attached to your keys. A good credit rating, which was mentioned above, and a very good idea. A pet animal of some kind such as a cat or dog. An explanation on this final item: Animals can sometimes perceive things that humans can't, so when your pet starts freaking out you know something is wrong. Additionally, they can become a 'meat-shield', taking a hit that otherwise might have killed you, particularly if you can convince your GM that your pet is very very loyal to you. This might sound kindof cheesy, but this is the Character Optimization forum. Finally, some other equipment you might consider (if you can justify it for your character to be carting around): A spare petrol tank for your vehicle A torch (Mag-Light preferably) Duct Tape 10' of Guitar String A cigarette lighter 50' of nylon rope A hand mirror A small fire extinguisher Gloves A watch (With both analogue and digital displays, stop watch & count down functions, etc. Really trick it out.) Some sturdy shoes A tube of super glue A spare battery for your mobile phone, your vehicle, and any other electronic items you have. Caulk WD-40 A lockpick gun A towel A 'Slim Jim' I hope this helps. -Stevil