Rating: 
Summary: Wow.
Review: I've never been a Cthulhu player, but i've always liked horror and Lovecraft, and i've played D&D on and off since first edition. I bought both the last edition of CoC and the newest one, just in case WOTC botched the transition from one game platform to the other. Fortunately, that is not the case, and what the new CoC turn out to be is an incredibly beautiful full color tome that captures the essence of Cthulhu. The rules are pretty much identical to 3E D&D, but with the added Sanity (which is the same as old versions of CoC). The art is phenomenal, and the entire book comes together as something that either Lovecraft readers,collectors, CoC players, or D&D players can all use. There are even stats for all the converted Elder Ones in case your players want to take on Cthulhu himself (he has 882 hit points, and Azamoth has over 2000--yikes). I hope old players of CoC don't mind the facelift to their favorite game. Aside from a few problems with game mechanics (i still don't get the autofire spray; the chance to hit is abysmal when emptying a full clip wildly) that the gamemaster can simply ignore or repair if he/she doesn't like it, the game is perfect. I hope this gives Chaosium a boost and that their future works fully support the system.
Rating:
Summary: A Great System
Review: I've read the many reviews on the subject of why d20 cthulhu is lame and why it isn't. Hardcore original system players don't like the action-oriented feel of d20 (which automatically brings to mind images of fighters and wizards battling the Mythos and winning!) I never played the original version, but i have read some of Lovecraft's stories and i like his fiction. I bought the old version at the same time i bought the new one, compared and contrasted the two, and in my non-professional opinion, i think they are both beautiful games that can offer tons of unique entertainment for gamers. If not for d20 cthulhu, i never would have been introduced to shoggoths and mi-go, colours from space and the machinations of the Great Old Ones. That was a main reason for publishign the book, and i doubt few players and gm's (or keepers) can say that it is not an attractive hardback. d20 Cthulhu is no less dangerous than Chaosium's game, although players WILL have an easier time churning through cultists and other adversaries due to all of the combat feats in d20. As for the mythos, these monsters have so much damage reduction that it would take a rocket launcher down one's throat to usually annoy them. In the meantime, just like in the old game, your character gets messily eaten and digested. It's all in the quality of the rules, the willingness of the players and the competency of the GM. I myself am an old school D&D player and DM who loves the vulnerability of the game and how your players cannot under most circumstances fight their way out of an encounter. My current players are D&Ders who like to see their characters live and grow, so although they like the imagery and fear factor of CoC, they don't like losing their precious little creations. So we don't play much. I'm bummed. So that's the face value of it. The game introduces the community to something they might not have been exposed to, while at the same time not ostracizing D&D gamers they had already roped in. When we started playing 3rd edition D&D it took a good year and a half to get used to the rules. It might take some dedicated CoC players just as long too. If you're an original version player of CoC and never had a complaint or cared for a more robust combat system/core book, then there's no need to buy the d20 version. Otherwise, for new players, i say jump in and enjoy a delightful and terrifying experience.
Cthulhu loathes you...
Rating: 
Summary: Unecessary
Review: If this book introduces new people into the worlds of H.P. Lovecraft, I suppose that is a good thing. However, as a longtime player of Call of Cthulhu, I see no real need for this book. I have done a few campaigns now using d20 Cthulhu. Quite a bit is lost in the translation to d20, and nothing is really gained. D20 makes for more combat-orientated roleplaying. Stats such as Armor Class seem strange in a game with no armor. (Defense, used in Star Wars d20 would have been a better choice.) The majority of feats are combat focused, and thus useless when facing down Mythos beasts. That essential feeling of helplessness, of fear when confronting the Mythos, is lost when your character can attack using "Great Cleave" and "Autofire." Experience points are hard to calculate when the main challenge is going to the library. The original Sanity system is retained, which does not make sense in a d20 system. The feel of this book is just not...Lovecraftian. It feels more like the "Evil Dead" trilogy than "Shadow over Innsmouth." An action movie that peppers Lovecraft in to lend it some mystique and street cred, rather than the Victorian atmosphere of Weird fiction. The original is still best. Chaosium's d100 Call of Cthulhu is pretty much a perfect roleplaying game, and there is nothing added by moving to the d20 system other than catching the eye of the D & D crowd. But, I suppose that is the point.
Rating:
Summary: 3ED, plus Sanity
Review: If you already play CoC, you don't need this book. The new version is simply the D20 rules (and in fact, almost all of 3E) with Sanity and Cthulhu Mythos pasted in directly - SAN checks etc are still percentile rolls, lower-the-better, and no attempt has been made to bring this (crucial) aspect of the game into the D20 frame of reference. Combat, skills, feats & spells all operate almost exactly the same way as 3E, with the one nod towards a more simple combat system being moving of attacks of opportunity to a "variant" rule rather than a standard one. Don't get me wrong - as a long term RPGer (20+ years) i think 3E is an excellent system, and D&D has benefited from a more robust rules system. Its just that CoC already had an excellent rules system, and was always far more a role-players game than a war gamers one.
Rating: 
Summary: Well-done adaptation
Review: In my humble opinion, Mr. Cook & Co. did a good job adapting 'Call of Cthulhu' to the d20 system. The essence of the game's original concept remains unchanged, and the book itself is a fine job (it's worth its price).
No doubt, the game looks more like D&D now, for the characters are more combat-like, and sanity is harder to lose. However, the Gamemaster (now) still has in his hands the power to control what does and does not happen in his world.
Besides, this game keeps a really high mortality rate, and preserves that feeling of helplessness for its players.
I give it four stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Lovecraft has rolled in his grave...
Review: Not since the pitiful movies that have come out based on his work have I ever seen Lovecraft betrayed as in these rules. Yes, I am a long time CoC player, and as a previous reviewer put it, Cthulhu is about subtle bump in the night, not about combat. If it aint broke, don't fix it. The original rules were simple, and easy to incorporate non-experienced role players. The Keeper was really the only one who really needed to understand the rules well. Now, a slide rule is practically needed to figure how long it takes a character to walk across a room. Numbers and rules are great for playing Battletech or Warhammer, but they take away from role playing elements in RPG's. Call of Cthulhu games should play like The Others, or The Sixth Sense. This Combat-Cthulhu game has them playing more like Aliens or the X-Files, which is not the essence of Lovecraft's tales. I will say that the art is well done, but again it leans more towards cyber punk than gothic horror. Wanna blast away at zombies like in the Evil Dead? This is your book. Wanna draw straws to see who goes down in the basement to see what made that bumping noise, best be buying the out of print Call of Cthulhu items while you still can.
Rating:
Summary: A Fine Adaptation
Review: Okay, I'll be honest. I do prefer the original Chaosium CoC to Wizards Of The Coast's adaptation. What I supremely loved about the original Call Of Cthulhu was that knowledge that reading that obscure occult tome was NOT a good idea and that nothing at all was what it seemed. Yes, characters either died or went insane, but that's what made it fun. The original Call Of Cthulhu was about the journey rather than the end. The new d20 Call Of Cthulhu takes away from that paranoid feel of the original game, making it a bit more combat-intensive and less mood-oriented. However, let's be honest here. It's the GM that creates the mood for the game. It's all about imagination, baby. It's easy to create a more mood-oriented d20 CoC campaign - the book even gives pointers. The rulebook is quite adaptable, including tips on incorporating the Mythos creatures, deities, and Sanity rules into a D&D Campaign (I imagine that they can be added to a d20Modern campaign as well). If you already have Chaosium's core CoC rulebook, there's no need to get this unless you want to incorporate the Mythos into D&D. If you're a D&D3E fan and don't own Chaosium's rulebook and/or have never played Call Of Cthulhu but want to learn it in a familiar framework, you can do far, far worse than WotC's adaptation of a classic game. The d20 adaptation features gorgeous artwork, a recommended reading list, and even adaptations to older CoC supplements. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: A horror gamer's dream
Review: Take the beautiful simplicity of the d20 system, add the horrifying creatures and sanity-shattering game mechanics of the Call of Cthulhu RPG, and you get one of the finest RPG's to come down the pike in awhile. It's a bit expensive, but you get what you pay for. For you old-school CoC players, fear not, your baby has many classic traits intact, including the sanity rules, which are completely unchanged. The game is perhaps a bit more forgiving than previously (an improvement in my opinion), especially with the advent of the use of increasing hit points as characters advance in level. However, by far PC's are still mostly monster food if they charge in guns blazing. If they wish to do so, there is a 20+ page section on firearms, so if they want to play like Ash from Army of Darkness, they may do so (for all the good it will do them). Also, with the D20 system comes the wonderful world of character customization, so you no two characters are exactly alike. For those of you Keepers worried about ultra powerful PC's dominating the game, don't. Yes there are magic items (called artifacts, mostly of alien race manufacture) and magic spells, but the sanity and ability damage inflicted by these goodies usually relegate them to a I'll-use-them-if-my-life-depends-on-it status. All in all, well worth the ... price tag (less if you buy it here)
Rating:
Summary: Non-cthulhu uses
Review: This book is a good translation of BRP CoC to the d20 rules. It contains everything you need to run a game - there are explanations of the Mythos and its creatures, tips on running adventures, the spells, etc, and it is written really well. During the conversion, they have added a lot of combat/weapons rules which are rarely neccessary in a Cthulhu game, but they don't get in way.
But there are more possibilities - if you are even considering the possibility of running a 1900-2000 investigation/crime campaign, then this rulebook will be really useful for you- it's elegant class-less system, and d20 combat ruleas are suited really well for any 20th century action.
And, you get conspiracy ideas, supernatural monsters, and some very balanced magic as a bonus, so you can lure your unsuspecting gang of investigators in a true Mythos adventure, and interleave dangerous Mythos adventures with pure investigation and action adventures, without the supernatural.
I am using this book for modern campaigns, as it seems far superior to d20 Modern and Spycraft d20.
Rating:
Summary: A worthy second look at the CoC roleplaying universe
Review: This book mostly keeps the spirit of the original CoC roleplaying game while bringing the system a much-needed, solid underpinning in the new d20 system. If you are familiar with the old CoC system, you have nothing much to fear from this book: human characters are still remarkably fragile, Mythos beasts are still ridiculously powerful. The only big complaint old-timers will have is how the Cthulhu Mythos skill was totally bungled in the new system; however, this single oversight is something a talented GM can easily overcome. If you are not familiar with CoC but you are a DM for a 3rd edition D&D game, let it be known that this would make an excellent sourcebook for your campaign. When 3rd edition D&D came out I had a creative DM that added sanity rules to his game; it totally changed the nature of encounters and combat in a good way. There is an appendix in the back of the book detailing exactly how CoC material could be integrated into a D&D game. If you are not familiar with CoC, or even roleplaying, but you are familiar with Lovecraft you will probably love this book, as with this book you can bring the supernatural horror you read about to the tabletop and scare the pants off your good friends in the process. What a fantastic way to spend a weekend!
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