CoC for newbies

[Happybandit]

I've got some friends who I think would enjoy Call of Cthulu. I'm looking for a good scenario for beginner players (and I've never GM'ed).  I'd prefer a modern setting, but will take what I can get. I do want pregen characters. Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks.

[clockworkjoe]

The quickstart rules have everything you need to run a basic haunted house scenario including character generation rules http://www.chaosium.com/article.php?story_id=87

If you look at the bottom of this website you'll find a bunch of free CoC scenarios http://detwiller.wordpress.com/

[Shallazar]

Alternatively there is PX Poker Night, which includes Pregens but if you are unfamiliar with CoC its better to stick with the haunting.

I'm going to be running it for some grad students who have never played RPGs before. Its a really great starting scenario.
If you're having some trouble with making characters just stick with the Nine essential ones.

I like to use this generator for building pregens:
http://www.prismnet.com/~jwtlai/CoC/CoCchar.html

PX Poker night can be found:
 http://www.tccorp.com/site09/images_09/DG_PXPokerNight.pdf

[Setherick]

If you want to turn them off of the game completely, you could always run Detweiler's Future Perfect.

Death Scenario 1: Eaten by a dinosaur.

Death Scenario 2: Radiation poisoning from shutting off the time gate.

Only Live Scenario: Walk away, let the dinosaur continue eating people, pretend nothing is happening in Southern California when the gate malfunctions and pulls the Triassic Period into the Present.

[Happybandit]

Thanks for all the advice.

[Teapot]

I think you left out Death Scenario 3: Get gunned down by the hordes of incredibly well armed and entrenched security goons. (I think that's later in the set? Future/Perfect 2 or 3?)

[clockworkjoe]

After Future/Perfect 1, I decided to never run another Future/Perfect scenario unless I have nothing else to run.