For veterans of the 6th Edition of Call of Cthulhu (or earlier iterations) the 7th Edition introduced a few new mechanics which are important to game play:

"Pushing" the Roll: In the event that a Skill roll is failed, many times the investigator has the option of "pushing" the roll and making a second roll to succeed. This second attempt usually has to be justified in some manner. As an example, say an investigator fails an Electrical Repair roll. A "pushed" roll could be justified by the investigator indicating that she intends to carefully study the electrical schematics of the item (or similar items) prior to making another attempt at repair.

The difficulty of a roll does not increase when it is "pushed". However, if the "pushed" roll is failed, the Keeper will generally make the consequences of failure more severe. In the case of the Electrical Repair example, failure on the "pushed" attempt would likely result in a short that destroyed the item in question, rendering further repair attempts impossible.

Please note that some rolls cannot be pushed, such as Combat and Sanity rolls.

Luck: In the 7th Edition rules, Luck is not simply a percentage that one makes an occasional roll against. It is a quantity that can be utilized to a degree by investigators in important situations.

Luck may be utilized to modify the outcome of a roll on a point-by-point basis. As an example: An investigator turns a corner to find a cultist preparing to plunge a knife into the chest of one of the investigator's friends, who is restrained with ropes. The investigator draws her pistol and fires, rolling a 75 against a Firearms (Handguns) skill of 50. The investigator elects to spend 25 Luck points, turning the miss into a hit.

Of course, the downside to utilizing Luck is that, as Luck points are spent, making successful Luck rolls becomes increasingly difficult. However, Luck points can be recovered during some phases of game play.

Please note that Luck cannot be applied to Sanity rolls.

Bonus and Penalty Dice: In some instances, circumstances may dictate that a particular test is easier or more difficult, prompting the Keeper to add either Bonus or Penalty dice to the roll.

When such dice are called for, the investigator rolls an additional number of "tens" dice, depending on home many bonus/penalty dice are required. Then, depending on if the dice were bonus or penalty, the best or worst outcome is selected as the final roll.

A maximum of two bonus or penalty dice can be applied to a single roll.

Example: An investigator is attempting to sneak down an alley to the back entrance of a warehouse without attracting the attention of the thug that is standing guard at the corner. The Keeper rules that because the night is overcast and conditions are foggy, one bonus die is called for. The investigator rolls two "tens" dice and a single "ones" die, coming up with rolls of 76 and 16 against a Stealth skill of 40. As it was a bonus die being applied, the better result (16) is deemed the outcome and the investigator slips down the alley unseen.

Were the above situation one where a penalty die were imposed, the worst of the two results (76) would be ruled as the outcome.

Difficulty Levels: The system recognizes three levels of difficulty with regard to skill and characteristics checks. They are:

• Regular: The investigator must roll equal to or below their skill/attribute score to succeed.
• Hard: The investigator must roll equal to or below half of their skill/attribute roll to succeed.
• Extreme: The investigator must roll equal to or below one fifth of their skill/attribute roll to succeed.

The simplest example of varying difficulties involves ranged combat. Shooting at an enemy within the normal range of a firearm requires a Regular skill check. Trying to hit an opponent at long range requires a Hard skill check. Attempting to hit a foe at extremely long range (the limit of the weapon's range) requires an Extreme skill check.

The vast majority of skill checks in the game are of Regular difficulty.

Often, with regard to rolls involving other characters, the skill of the character that would be used to oppose the investigator's skill will often determine the level of difficulty. If an investigator is trying to Fast Talk a none-too-bright late night security guard with a Psychology of 10%, the test will be of Regular difficulty. Trying the same con on a savvy defense attorney with a Psychology of 65% will require a Hard test to succeed.

Opposed Rolls: In instances where two characters are rolling against one another, the level of success (Regular, Hard, Extreme) on the roll will determine who succeeds. In instances of a tie, success will go to the character with the higher skill or characteristic.

Most brawling/melee combat rolls are opposed rolls.

Critical Successes and Fumbles: Any roll of 01 is a Critical Success, which indicates that a result far above expectations has been achieved.

Any roll of 96-100 is considered a Fumble, which indicates that something unwanted and unfortunate has transpired.

Of course, if you have any questions regarding any of the new rules, please don't hesitate to ask. I'm always happy to clarify and assist.