Chaosium Inc
About
The home of Call of Cthulhu, RuneQuest, Pendragon, 7th Sea, and Questworlds.
Our award-winning roleplaying games, boardgames, and fiction have been acclaimed as some of the most engaging and innovative of all time. For more than forty years, Chaosium Inc. has captivated gamers, readers and mythic adventurers worldwide.
The Chaosium was founded by visionary game designer Greg Stafford in 1975.
"The first published RPG was Dungeons & Dragons, shortly followed by some other imitative games. Chaosium, however, was never content to imitate but published games that were original in style of play, content and design. We quickly became renowned for our originality and creativity, and were responsible for introducing many things to the hobby that are standard today." - Greg Stafford
The roleplaying games RuneQuest, Call of Cthulhu, King Arthur Pendragon, HeroQuest – as well as such classic board and card games as White Bear & Red Moon (later called Dragon Pass), Nomad Gods, Arkham Horror, Credo, and Mythos all originated at Chaosium.
Many of Chaosium’s product lines are based upon literary sources. Most notably, H.P. Lovecraft’s 1920’s horror fiction provides the basis of our Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game line. The Lovecraft Cthulhu Mythos also provides the inspiration for many of the books in our Chaosium Fiction line.
We also publish Basic Role Playing (BRP), the core of our roleplaying game systems, and the first to use skills based upon the d100 mechanic. Call of Cthulhu, RuneQuest and most of our other RPG lines use BRP as the basis of their rules. Once you’ve learned to play one of these, you've learned to play the others.
Chaosium began as a board game publisher, and in 2017 returned to producing board games again after a twenty year hiatus, winning multiple ENnie awards with our first two releases. In 2018, the King Arthur Pendragon RPG returned to Chaosium ownership. In 2019, Chaosium acquired critically acclaimed 7th Sea RPG, and 7th Sea creator John Wick joined the company.
Over the years Chaosium has won so many awards that we have actually lost count, including more than thirty ENnie Awards since 2014. Greg Stafford won the Diana Jones Award for Gaming Excellence not once, but twice (2007, 2015), and both he and Sandy Petersen have been inducted into the Academy of Adventure Gaming Art and Design GAMA Hall of Fame. The Call of Cthulhu and Pendragon RPGs are also GAMA Hall of Fame inductees.
Chaosium celebrated its 45th anniversary in 2020. In 2016 Greg Stafford's World of Glorantha celebrated its 50th anniversary. In 2018, it was 40 years since the debut of RuneQuest, and 2021 was the 40th anniversary of Call of Cthulhu.
Games
Call of Cthulhu: No Time to Scream
- No Time to Scream contains three short-play scenarios for the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game.
- Each scenario is perfect for a single evening of mystery and horror, designed to be played in around two hours.
A Lonely Thread: something is wrong with Professor Thomas.Unfortunately, you didn't know that when you arrived at his charming woodland cabin. Can you act in time to save your friend? Or will a horrific secret devour all?
Bits & Pieces: a doctor's body lies next to an autopsy table, and the corpse he was examining has vanished! The only clue is a set of bloody footprints. A devilish game of hide and seek ensues-with gory consequences.
Aurora Blue: a band of US Treasury agents raid an illegal whiskey distillery hidden in Alaska's Chugach Mountains. The sun is setting... and that's when the really "bad things" come out to play.
Each scenario includes four pre-generated investigators, allowing you and your players to jump right into the action.
Call of Cthulhu: Order of the Stone
A HORROR MYSTERY IN THREE PARTS
In Ireland, an archacological team unearths an ancient horror trapped within three stone vessels.
The foul entity sets its followers on a journey to free it from its prison, crossing the Atlantic to New England and the backwoods of rural Massachusetts.
Can the investigators prevent the liberation of the Ruler of Chaos? Will they discover the secrets of the Order of the Stone?
Inside you'll find:
• A three-part, 1920s' cra mystery.
• Ideal for Arkham-based campaigns.
• Six pre-generated investigators included.
• Suite of downloadable resources: maps, characters, handouts.
The Order of the Stone is designed to be used with the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game, or with the Pulp Cthulhu supplement, both available separately.
Cthulhu by Gaslight Investigators Guide
ADVENTURE, MYSTERY, & HORROR IN THE LATE VICTORIAN ERA
The late 1800s-Victorian England. Mystery and adventure in fog-shrouded streets and alleyways.
Secret cabals pledge to bring horror and the ruin of civilization. Grisly murder and wicked crimes.
Cthulhu by Gaslight takes the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game back to the days of Queen Victoria. Whether in Great Britain or its colonies, or beyond to the banks of East Coast USA or the lands of Asia, the Victorian Age brims over with wonder and dark shadows.
This book introduces both new and experienced players to the Gaslight setting and the Call of Cthulhu tabletop roleplaying game. and contains all the rules for creating Victorian investigators, as well as the basic rules of the full Call of Cthulhu game, enabling everyone to get into the action and mysteries straight away. A companion volume, the Cthulhu by Gaslight: Keepers Guide, provides game masters with Victorian Age secrets and plots. and ready-to-run scenarios.
• Background on the 1880s to 1900 period.
• Full character creation rules.
• Call of Cthulhu basic rules.
• Investigator equipment and weapons.
• Victorian London, the Empire, and beyond.
• Exploration, Fringe Science, and the Occult.
This supplement works best with the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game and. optionally, with the Pulp Cthulhu supplement, both available separately.
Cults of RuneQuest: The Lunar Way
I BELIEVE IN THE RED GODDESS, MISTRESS OF LIFE AND DEATH
Cults of RuneQuest: The Lunar Way is the player's guide to the deities of the Red Moon. Bach cult dives deep into the mysterious and misunderstood Lunar gods, and provides mechanics for each of their cults to create your RuneQuest adventurer.
• 15 brand new cults, including Jakaleel the Witch,the Goddess of Youth Teelo Norri, the Chaos, demon known as the Crimson Bat, and the Red Goddess herself-all playable for the first time!
• An expanded treatment of the cult of the Seven Mothers.
• Rules to create brand-new RuneQuest adventurers belonging to these cults, detailing the skills, passions, spirit magic, and Rune magic each cult ofters.
• Details of the unique organization, history, and nature of each cult.
• A new and unique Lunar magic system, plus expanded rules for Lunar sorcery, and the unique way Lunar Rune spells are affected by the phases of the Red Moon.
• Rules for how your adventurer can grow into a God-talker, Rune Priestess, or even a mighty Rune Lord.
• The history of the Lunar gods, the Lunar Empire, the Red Emperor, and details for adventuring on the surface of the Red Moon itself.
This supplement can be used with the RuneQuest core rules, or combined with other Cults of - RuneQuest books to create a RuneQuest adventurer belonging to multiple cults.
Lands of RuneQuest: Dragon Pass
ENTER THE DOMAIN OF MAGIC AND MYTH!
Within the world of Glorantha lies Dragon Pass, an intensely magical region home to war and wonder, the birthplace of gods. Lands of RuneQuest: Dragon Pass is a player and gamemaster expansion for the signature setting of Bronze Age fantasy.
New and expanded Homelands for your RuneQuest adventurer, including Sartar, Esrolia, Lunar Tarsh, the Grazelands, Wintertop, and the Wilds.
The detailed history of Dragon Pass, from the fabled God Time to its occupation by the mighty Lunar Empire.
Additional guidelines for character creation, including new occupations and backgrounds for your RuneQuest adventurer.
Detail on villages, towns, cities, ruins, and places of interest throughout Dragon Pass-perfect for running a sandbox-style RuneQuest campaign.
8 New creatures, monsters, and spirits to encounter.
A roster of famous and generic characters to include in adventures of your own devising.
Lands of Rune Quest: Dragon Pass is designed for use with the Rune Quest core rules, and can be combined with additional supplements to further enhance your Gloranthan experience.
Pendragon Core Rulebook
What Kind of Knight Will You Become?
Will you fight to rid the world of injustice, or use clout and power to take advantage of those beneath you?
Pendragon is set amidst the glory and grandeur of King Arthur's Britain. Its innovative mechanics drive the emotional impact of play as your characters pursue Glory, overcome life-and-death struggles, cross blades with ruthless enemies, and fight for love and justice in a world of brutal medieval realism.
A detailed look at the world of King Arthur and the role of knights and nobility.
Full character creation rules.
6 pre-generated character templates for optional, faster character creation.
The complete core rules of the Pendragon game system, including Traits and Passions, Skills, combat, injury and recovery, Favors, Honor, and Glory.
Additional rules for Afflictions, Obsessions, Directed Traits, Ideals, ransoms and equipment lists.
Rules for The Winter Phase-the downtime period of the game for characters to train, age, and even go on side quests.
A Coat of Arms generator to make wholly unique heraldry for your Player-knight.
The Pendragon: Core Rulebook is your guide to Pendragon, containing all the rules you need to play. It is a standalone product which can be combined with other books in the line to enhance your Pendragon experience.
Pendragon: The Grey Knight
Challenge Death's Companion!
Arthur's right to rule is jeopardized when the fearsome Grey Knight accuses the King of murdering children.
Sir Gawaine steps forth to defend the King's honor-but Merlin foresees this champion will die at the hands of the Grey Knight.
The Grey Knight waits for vengeance,and time is running out! Can you find the treasure that holds the key to defeating this vile foe,and save the life of Sir Gawain and the kingdom itself?
* Everything you need to run the legendary Grey Knight campaign, fully updated for the new edition of the game.
* Meet Arthur, Guenever, Merlin, Morgan le Fay, and other famous characters!
* Attempt to turn the tide of Arthurian history by participating in famous battles.
* Two prequel scenarios bridge The Sword
Campaign from the Pendragon Starter Set to the adventures in The Grey Knight.
* A full chapter detailing the city of Carlion, including a full-page map.
The Grey Knight is a complete campaign and is fully compatible with both the Pendragon Starter Set and the Pendragon Player's Handbook.
QuestWorlds
QuestWorlds is a rules engine designed for play in cinematic, larger-than-life settings inspired by classic pulps, comic books, and weird fiction.
Inside, you'll find:
• A rules-light system focussed on resolving in-play confict quickly and easily.
• A simple core mechanic, and optional rules allowing you to customize your game to suit any setting.
• Fast character creation rules enabling you to start playing Straight away-ranging from an every-day accountantto an enigmatic super-human mastermind; the possibilies are limitless!
• Rules for designing your own QuestWorld settings-bringing the epic adventures of your dreams to the tabletop.
Quest Worlds is a self-contained roleplaying system. No other books are required to play.