Tidbits of Cthulhu 7th

Updates from the Kickstarter (and the AMA):

A quick summary, taken from the AMA:
*The rules have been revised to make certain situations flow more easily in the game (combat and skill use for example), its the same game in nature.
*The rulebook have been completely revised and restructured. The experience of play remains much the same. Some of the new rules include the option to 'push' skill rolls, opposed combat rolls and the optional use of Luck points as a resource that can be spent to buy off failure.
*The characteristics are now percentages (e.g. 60%) which allows for straight characteristic rolls rather than needing to x5 stats etc. This also allows for opposed rolls, which essentially eliminates the need to refer back to a resistance table.


From the Kickstarter:
Creating your Investigator
There are lots of great options for creating investigators, along with advice on integrating your investigator with the story. It also provides you with support and tools for generating an investigator’s backstory, enabling players to create fully rounded characters with a reason to investigate the Cthulhu Mythos.
Skill rolls
Not everything is so easy for the investigators -- if they attempt an especially difficult task the new rules introduce the ‘hard’ and ‘extreme’ skill rolls. Revised skill descriptions and new skills like Intimidate and Charm have been added to provide investigators with more ways to investigate and uncover the secrets of the Mythos.
Opposed rolls
No need to refer to charts -- everything you need is right there on the character sheet!
Pushing skill rolls
Sometimes your investigator fails a task. With the new rules, if you want to try a second time you can -- if you can justify it! But beware -- failing a second ‘pushed’ roll will have dire consequences -- opening the door for the Keeper to take the story in all sorts of new, exciting and sometimes unexpected directions.
Lots of Advice for Players and Keepers
The new rules have been written with a mind to helping all players get the most of Call of Cthulhu. Particularly, a special advice chapter for Keepers on how to construct a scenario, how to build tension and horror, and how to develop the story and engage your players. Whether you are new to the game or have been playing a while, there’s information and tips for everyone .
Toolkit
Over the decades many gaming groups have developed their own style of Call of Cthulhu play, and 7th Edition provides you with options, tools and advice on how to tailor the game in a way that will suit you and your group. Whether you like things more pulpy or gritty, there’s optional rules to build and scale the game you want.
Missed a clue? No worries!
Ever had your players get stuck because they don’t know what to do next? The new rules provide a mechanism for handling such tricky situations; a revision of the Idea Roll rule. Now you can throw tricky investigations at your players and not have to worry if they pick up every clue or not. The new Idea Roll helps to keep your game on track without unnecessary railroading of the players.
Sanity
The sanity track remains, however the Keeper is provided with new guidance on how to deal with episodes of insanity, including phobias, manias and delusions. Plus the Keeper is provided with advice on how to tamper with the investigator’s backstory -- potentially corrupting their relationships, their possessions and other important aspects of their life as they sink further and further in to the cosmic abyss of the Cthulhu Mythos.
Combat 
Sometimes your investigator will have to rely on his or her fists! All unarmed attacks now come under the one skill of Brawl, allowing you to describe your attacks as befits the situation. Weapons and firearms retain their own skill categories. Combat now works with opposed rolls, allowing you to resolve combat scenes faster than ever before and avoid drawn-out "miss - miss" situations, whilst giving players more options on the things they can do during a fight. Fast paced and exciting combat!
Combat maneuvers replace the old grapple rules. Now you just describe what you want to do and roll versus your opponent -- allowing greater freedom to create exciting fight scenes. Your investigator can do more during combat than just fight or flee!

Combat is still lethal (plus there is an optional rule to make it even more lethal). The main difference is that there should be less 'miss, miss' situations - our intention was to make sure something happens every combat round, rather than nothing happens.
In terms of investigative elements, the there is the pushing rule - which allows a character to justify why they might get a reroll, however if they failed a pushed roll something bad may happen - pushing the tension and story at the same time. Adding skills like Intimidate and Charm also allows for a wider range of approaches to getting information and interacting with NPCS.

Chases
An entirely new chase system that allows you to combine vehicles, monsters and pedestrians in exciting chase scenes. Remember the chase scene in Lovecraft's 'The Shadow Over Innsmouth' wherein the protagonist, Robert Olmstead, flees the Gilman House hotel via a window and is pursued across Innsmouth by deep ones? These new rules enable you to stage exciting chases like that in your game.
Monsters
You’ll find a host of old favourites here, along with a few new faces, as well as insightful marginalia providing details, notes and ideas on many of the monsters and gods therein.
Spells and Tomes
7th Edition provides revised rules for how to handle magic in your game and also revisits tome reading times, as well as providing advice and ideas on how to use tomes in your scenarios and games. If your investigator has never cast a spell before you may find you get more than you bargained for! Likewise, insane ancient Mythos wizards and monsters have access to deeper realms of magic and a range of spells have suggested effects for just this type of insane casting.