However, with conscription in play, it is just as likely that a soldier was just a regular joe drafted to protect his nation see the sidebar above for more information on the armed forces of the various periods.
Creating an Investigator You have an understanding that the world is filled with horrible secrets, and it is your imperative to risk body and mind to protect the world from the unspeakable horrors of the Cthulhu Mythos.
You have looked over the archetypes and have a general idea of what type of character youd like to create. Now, its time to get down to the details. Carefully select those that fit your overall character concept. While it might be nice to be a terrific fighter, that may not be the best approach when creating your scholarly professor.
On the other hand, his skill at brawling could become his most notable feature. Distribute 5 points among them in any way you wish. Raising an attribute one die type costs 1 point, and you may not raise any attribute above d Raising a skill one die type costs 1 point as long as it is no higher than the linked attribute.
Raising a skill above its linked attribute costs 2 points. All skills in the Savage Worlds core book are available. Parry is equal to 2 plus half your Fighting. Charisma is a combination of your investigators appearance, manner, and general likeability. It is added to Persuasion and Streetwise rolls. Toughness is equal to 2 plus half your Vigor. Sanity is equal to 2 plus half your Spirit minus Corruption.
This is your investigators mental toughness. For more details on this, jump ahead to the Setting Rules section. CorruptIon This attribute tracks the dark toll that continued contact and knowledge of the unspeakable extracts from the soul of every man. It begins at 0 and increases by 1 for each die type increase of Knowledge Mythos. If so, you may use them to gain one of the benefits below.
Unlike the Savage Worlds core rules, you may take up to four points of Hindrances in any combination of Major worth 2 points each and Minor worth 1 point each.
For 1 Hindrance Point you can: Gain another skill point Gain additional monies equal to your starting funds Nearly all the Edges and Hindrances listed in the Savage Worlds rulebook are available to your investigator. Check the Setting Rules section for exceptions. Skills, Hindrances, and Edges unique to Realms of Cthulhu are found within these pages. An investigator can automatically speak and when appropriate read and write his native tongue.
Additional languages require the player to choose the Language interest. Step 4: Gear All investigators begin the game with a set of normal clothes and an amount of cash in their pocket determined by era, as shown in the table below. Later on, youll find all the stuff to get your investigator kitted out right away.
This list is by no means exhaustive. Players are free to come up with additional items that fit their investigator, subject to their Keepers approval. No investigator may ever take Knowledge Mythos as a defining interest. Remember, a defining interest provides only a general knowledge of a topic and is not as detailed as someone who takes a specific Knowledge skill.
Keepers wishing for a bit more pulp to enter into their games can certainly allow investigators to develop their defining interests during play. Once defined, however, an interest cannot be changed. For example, Thomas Howell has Smarts d6, giving him three defining interests. He decides to keep one interest as undefined.
During play, the group encounters a strange Assyrian tablet. At this point, Howell reveals how he used to date a girl back in college who taught him how to read and speak Assyrian, thus fleshing out his third and final interest. Step 5: DefininG intereStS Every investigator is a sum of their parts, and in addition to their skills and traits, possesses a number of interests and hobbies that may have nothing whatsoever to do with their professional pursuits, or may, at best, complement them on occasion.
Your investigator begins with a number of defining interests equal to half their Smarts die type. Any permanent increase in an investigators Smarts grants them the appropriate number of additional defining interests that should be selected at the time of the increase. When they come across evidence of Mythos creatures, an investigator with this skill may make a roll to identify it.
Should they encounter a dread creature, the investigator may identify the creature or something of relevant interest, such as its behavior or its possessions.
This skill could be used as well to allow an investigator to identify a spell being cast or to recognize a Mythos book by skimming a few pages. This skill is also used by investigators to cast spells they have learned. As this Knowledge damages the very core of a persons psyche, no investigator may elect to take this skill to start, nor ever put skill points into the development of this Knowledge. The complete details on how this skill is gained and the resulting impact upon the investigatorare revealed in the Setting Rules section.
Example 1: Amanda Locke, a parapsychologist, has Smarts d8, giving her four defining interests. The player decides Amanda studied abroad at the University of Cologne where she learned German. Although she majored in psychiatry and took that as one of her skills , her other interests include anthropology, natural history, and physics. Example 2: Jordan Green, a professional football player, has a Smarts d6 and three defining interests. Someone quotes poetry to him and normally he would have a Common Knowledge roll at 2 as most athletes arent familiar with the world of rhyme.
This must be done within the golden hour. Each attempt takes 20 minutes. A success eliminates one level of madness, while a raise eliminates two. Further details are found in the Setting Rules section. Some Hindrances, like Dark Secret, are more or less subjective. They help you roleplay your investigator. Others, like Milquetoast, have an actual effect within the game. You may take any combination of Hindrances, however you cannot gain more than four bonus points by doing so.
The investigator receives a 4 Charisma reaction from anyone aware of his secret. If it becomes public knowledge in the course of play, the hero loses this Hindrance, replacing it with Wanted Major as well as the 4 Charisma modifier.
Whether its their eyes being set too close together, the slight webbing between their fingers, or a sallow appearance, people are uncomfortable around them.
The investigator suffers a 2 Charisma modifier except with others sharing their lineage. He suffers a 2 penalty on all soak rolls. The investigator receives a 2 modifier to Charisma except among others of similar stature. The investigator may reduce or eliminate this status over the course of game play by expending a leveling opportunity to eliminate this Hindrance at Seasoned or any time thereafter.
This hero may not take the Noble Edge. Requirements: Seasoned, Flexible Thinker. They suffer a 2 penalty to Spirit rolls to recover from being Shaken. The investigator may use a level up once he reaches Seasoned or any time thereafter to eliminate this Hindrance. This only applies to Spirit rolls called for by these tables. He still suffers from madness modifiers for other Trait rolls normally. These obligations can include nearly anything, such as a tenured professor giving lectures and teaching classes or an athlete checking in on a sick relative from time to time.
Failure to fulfill such obligations will eventually have serious repercussions. In essence, the Connection has a vested interest in the investigator, and is more likely to want to see them succeed.
On an odd result, he passes out for d6 hours, but suffers no Sanity loss. Requirements: Veteran, Jaded. This investigator makes Common Knowledge rolls without penalty. Up to five companions traveling with a doctor add the bonus to their natural healing rolls as well. With a raise, he halves the time normally required for the repair. Should the Keeper rule an encountered language is exotic or rare, this roll is made at 4. Each additional time this Edge is taken, select two additional languages.
Up to five companions traveling with a psychotherapist add this bonus to their mental recuperation rolls as well. A psychotherapist may also use their talents to eliminate indefinite insanities as detailed in the Setting Rules section. Requirements: Legendary. Requirements: Legendary, Determined. For everything else, refer to the Savage Worlds core book, reference works, and common sense. While this may vary a bit from historical reality, so does having dark horrors flying through the night air, so usually this works just fine.
If no cost is noted, the weapon is not normally available in that era. An aluminum bat, available in the modern era only, costs double the listed cost, but doesnt suffer the chance of breaking. Bullwhip: This heavy duty whip may be used to initiate a Grappling maneuver against a single opponent within range.
Sword Cane: Ranging from simple to elegant, a sword cane conceals a slender, tempered blade within. When sheathed, people rarely notice it as a weapon 2 Notice to be detected. Drawing this weapon quickly requires an Agility roll. Nitro: If an investigator gets a critical failure on an Agility test while carrying nitro, then it explodes.
A luxury usually reserved for the rich as a status symbol, horseless carriages were generally steam driven, though in rarer cases had gasoline engines. A number of companies manufactured them across the United States and Britain, most notably Benz. Though not particularly fast, they dont get tired either. A team of ten dogs pulls this sled through snow and ice.
The dogs arent included in the cost. Human-pulled rickshaws are mainly used in the Orient. A driver must be furnished by the owner. Steam-powered and full of energy, these are the workhorses of the most dangerous waterways the world over.
A basic one-to-two person small craft powered by paddling. These one or two masted vessels averaged 40 feet, and were commonly used by all major powers. Used in rivers and waters in and around the Orient.
These stats can be used to represent any small sail powered vessel. Pleasure boats of the wealthy have a few ornately appointed rooms and a full crew. This is your standard, relatively inexpensive automobile. Use these stats to represent any midpriced automobiles such as the Essex Terraplane, the Ford or Chevrolet coupe, the Buick Century, or the Hudson 8 Coupe. A good choice if youve got money to blow and a driver to shuttle you around. Style, comfort, and luxury are the hallmarks of this car.
Many have amenities like a wet bar, a driver intercom, and two rear bench seats that face one another. This one is a favorite of dignitaries and movie stars. Use these stats to represent any fancy highend vehicle that the rich and the famous would be. Nothing screams rich young playboy like one of these, the perfect vehicle for taking your date for a speedy drive. Although the prototype for this class is a big red motorcycle with a side valve, degree V-twin engine and a sidecar that holds one passenger plus a storage compartment , you can use these stats for your standard big motorcycles including those used by the military such as the Indian Big Chief or Harley Davidson The sedan is the preferred vehicle of gangsters and gunmen because of its ability to outrun most other vehicles.
Besides, whats cooler than spraying the coppers with your Tommy Gun while riding on the running boards at high speed?
Delivery vans are a common sight on the city streets. Six-wheel designs are the most prevalent, and nearly all cargo-haulers have a capacity of at least 3 tons, but rarely more than 6 tons. With sleek design and air-cooled, V-twin engine, these motorcycles are on the cutting edge.
This is the preferred method of transportation for thrill seekers and rumrunners. Most cars made after have air bags standard. Small cars or trucks that hold four adults in close quarters; these are commonly seen on the roadways across the United States and Europe.
While all have luxury features, the upper end models often sport wet bars, built in televisions, GPS, and internet connectivity. These vehicles are a cut above compact cars, providing a bit more space and allowing three adults to sit in the back seat as the situation warrants.
Commonly seen on roadways throughout the world, these vehicles range from the Kia Spectra to Ford Taurus and include vehicles that could be considered lower end luxury models, such as the Nissan Maxima and entry level BMWs and Mercedes.
Top of the line vehicles that are both roomy and spacious while providing ample room for six adults, these cars often warrant a second glance in some. Rising in popularity through the latter part of the 20th Century and into the 21st until rising gas prices curtailed production, the sports utility vehicle is still a dominant presence on roadways and byways. Providing luxury features and stylish looks combined with ample space, they still retain a great degree of popularity. Those with the need for speed often choose the sports car.
Popular among teenagers, motorheads, celebrities, and those going through mid-life crises, such models include the Mustang and Camaro on the low end up through the Porsche and Maserati and the pinnacles of performance, the Ferrari , Lamborghini Murcielago, and the Buggati Veyron In the s, as cars became common, all individuals have the ability to drive a vehicle, unless their background indicates otherwise.
The same goes for the modern era. In the s, if the hero possesses the Riding skill, they may have a horse at the Keepers discretion. If they are Rich, they begin play with a horse and buggy. If they are Very Rich or Noble and have the Driving skill, they may begin play with a steam carriage. In the s, if they possess the Driving skill, they may have a jalopy, mid-range car, or high end car, depending upon any wealth Edges.
In the modern era, everyone is driving and each investigator may have a vehicle reflecting their income level, regardless of whether they possess the Driving skill or not.
Also known as a tractor trailer in the United States and an articulated lorry in the UK, the semi is a mainstay of transport of goods the world over. The big rigs most known brand is hands down the Mack Truck. Other brands include Peterbilt and International. Found on streets the world over, the street bike includes any two-wheeled motorized vehicle design for road travel from a Moped to a Harley Davidson.
Off-road motorcycles, dirt bikes have superior suspensions designed to absorb the shocks of travelling at great speeds over uneven terrain. Popular brands are made by Kawasaki, Suzuki, Honda, and Yamaha. A high performance boat, the cigarette boat earned its nickname from its popular use in smuggling cigarettes into Canada. Originally called a go-fast or dance boat, these have been used extensively for the smuggling of all types of contraband since the s and are difficult to detect by radar except on flat calm seas or at close range.
A basic one-to-two person small craft powered by paddling, the rowboat is typically aluminum. A recreational boat encompassing two classes: sailing and power yachts. A small yacht caps out around Though primarily made of wood up through the s, fiberglass became the main material in their construction.
A 1 on the Fighting Die hits the user instead. If you find it really interesting reading, there are law libraries around the world with shelves on it. Within the confines of gameplay, the campaign framework laid out by the Keeper should more or less dictate what they do and dont allow.
Listen up, Keepers, if you are planning a straightlaced, s Dark Spiral campaign, where combat is fierce and deadly, then firearms should be more restricted than in a rollicking s Heroic Horror. A little common sense goes a long way as well.
Most civilized societies of the 21st century frown on, if not outright prohibit, the possession of sidearms, the United States being a notable exception. At the end of the day, if the investigators show their weapons and their Keepers due respect, the Keeper should let them have access to a reasonable personal stash of firepower. They are going to need all the help they can get. One setting rule that should be preserved, regardless of the focus of the campaign is the following:.
These are set by the Keeper and should not fluctuate from session to session, but should remain consistent for the duration of the campaign. For our purposes, they are referred to as Pulpy and Gritty.
These factors determine how Physical and Mental damage is managed, and do not have to be identical. Given these factors, you can have four different campaign styles. Yours may well vary to suit the flavor of you and your group.
Fate Is unkInd Any time a player rolls snake eyes, they may spend no further bennies on the roll in question.
This rule reflects the fact that the cosmos does not always favor the fortune of the investigator. Were certain Lovecraft would approve. Some, however, are not appropriate for this particular setting. An investigator does not visit the Incapacitation Table until they have suffered more than three wounds. This promotes a very cinematic play style where combat is frequent and investigators often emerge victorious.
Gritty: This damage system, detailed below, promotes a more lethal vision of combat. When an investigator takes damage, they may not spend bennies to soak wounds, and every time they suffer a wound they must make a successful Vigor roll or go to the modified Incapacitation Table found later in this section.
This damage system encourages the investigators to approach each combat with a bit of fear and trepidation, whether they deal with man or monster. You should think of Sanity as your investigators mental toughness, their ability to stave off severe mental shocks, such as when encountering a Mythos creature or some horrible event that your Keeper throws at you.
When this breaking point is surpassed, you are either Shaken or gain madness depending upon the degree of the terror to which you succumb. We are aware that this means you could have investigators that are staggering around at a massive 6. If the Keeper is paying attention, with fatigue, the investigators could potentially still be standing with a 8! While this is highly unlikely, it is a possibility and indicates that the investigators are probably doing something seriously wrong or are overwhelmingly outmatched and should probably withdraw, regroup, and find their way to the nearest hospital or asylum.
Specific details follow this general overview. Pulpy: Using this approach allows your investigators to hold onto their psyche a bit longer and spend bennies to rationalize prevent mental suffering. An investigator does not visit the Mental Disorder Table until they have suffered the loss of more than three levels of madness. This makes tics and twitches less common among your investigators, and frequently lets them escape from Mythos encounters without suffering any long term ill effects.
Gritty: This approach works well to underscore the dangers of facing off against cosmic terrors. When an investigator suffers mental trauma, they may not spend bennies to rationalize the effects away. Every time they suffer a mental trauma they must make a successful Spirit roll or go to the Mental Disorder table.
This variant encourages the investigators to be wary of any encounters with the Mythos, no matter how well prepared they may be. When these two factors are combined in their four variations, it affords the investigators and the Keeper four different play styles. When entering a new campaign, be sure to ask your Keeper what play style he has defined for you and your group. Below, you will find a brief synopsis of each. With physical and mental factors set to pulp, opportunities for highflying games of horror abound.
This is least like the traditional Mythos tales, but can be fun for those wanting high action adventure games set against the forces of cultists, Cthulhu, and their kin. Pulp action combined with gritty mental damage rules provides a framework for games where the investigators can take a punch or two, but the dangers of the Mythos are still as eminent as ever.
By ratcheting up the dangers of physical confrontation, the investigators must carefully weigh the pros and cons of every encounter. The threat of insanity is reduced, which can increase the sustainability of long term campaigns. The tension of the Mythos is preserved via the very real chance of death for the unprepared.
The most in keeping with the traditional feel of the Mythos, this play style has both factors set to gritty, which makes the whole world a dangerous place for body and soul. Harsh: Each investigator begins with one benny, but no Wild Die.
As they move from Novice to Seasoned, they gain an additional benny and a d4 Wild Die. When they reach Veteran, they cap out with a d6 Wild Die and 3 bennies.
Fate is Cruel: Identical to Fate is Unkind, except the investigator loses any remaining bennies they possess. Ties that Bind: Investigators who fight the good fight against darkness forge bonds that are stronger than the night.
Investigators who have ranked up together gain the Common Bond Edge. Be sure your players are aware of the differences before you start play, or they could be in for a rude shock when they try to soak their first wound! Each wound inflicts a 1 penalty to all Trait rolls, to a maximum penalty of 3. Investigators cannot make Soak rolls! They can spend their bennies on the nasty Vigor rolls that may follow, however. If the roll is successful, there is no further effect.
If the roll is failed, your investigator is Incapacitated see below. Raise: The victim is only stunned and is not Incapacitated. Hes still Shaken and retains his wounds, and suffers a temporary Injury that fades after the combat is over or if the character is completely healed of all wounds. Roll on the Injury Table to determine what that injury is.
Success: The victim is knocked unconscious until healed or 2d6 hours later. Roll on the Injury Table. Failure: The investigator is knocked unconscious as Success above, and suffers a permanent wound roll on the Injury Table. Unfortunately, hes also Bleeding Out and must make a Vigor roll at the start of each round before Action Cards are dealt.
Success means he must roll again next round. Failure means he dies. A raise on the Vigor roll or a successful Healing roll stabilizes the bleeding and no further rolls are required. Critical Failure: The victim expires instantly. With the introduction of mental damage, it is possible for an investigator to be Shaken from a mental attack as well. What then? Whatever caused the second Shaken result governs whether the investigator suffers a wound or madness.
The situation in which this is most likely to arise is when the investigator is Shaken as a result of encountering a Mythos creature and is then subsequently attacked. If the attack causes another Shaken result, the investigator is wounded. Alternately, if an investigator is Shaken by a punch to the face and then Shaken by witnessing a Mythos event, he incurs madness as his unprepared mind crumbles just a bit.
Mental Anguish is damage that is applied against your investigators Sanity in the event you fail a Guts check, and is discussed in more detail in The Sanity Systems section. Allies who fail their Guts checks and suffer madness usually flee in terror from the scene, pass out, curl up into a ball, or are otherwise utterly useless for the duration of the encounter.
Exactly what happens is at the Keepers discretion. Wound Unmentionables: If the injury is permanent, reproduction is out of the question without miracle surgery or magic. Arm: Roll a die. Guts: Your hero catches one somewhere between the crotch and the chin. Roll 1d6: Broken: Agility reduced a die type min d4.
Leg: Roll a die. Head: The victim suffers a nasty hit to the head or face. Smarts reduced one die type min d4. Failing a Guts check, their mind, unable to process the cosmic danger, suffers the risk of shattering forever, and they suffer Mental Anguish. Sanity is the investigators second line of defense. Wild Cards can suffer no more than three levels of madness before they. The fourth lost point of madness pushes them over the edge and causes them to suffer Insanity.
If Mental Anguish is equal to or greater than your investigators Sanity, but no more than three points greater, they are Shaken. If an investigator gains madness and wasnt Shaken already, hes Shaken as well. If an investigator is already Shaken, he gains madness, but this isnt cumulative. Wild Cards only suffer one level of madness per raise whether they are Shaken or not. If they succeed, they are okay.
Should the Mental Anguish be no greater than three points over an investigators Sanity, the investigator is Shaken. For every 4 points of Mental Anguish above the investigators Sanity, they gain one level of madness. This is the investigators attempt to rationalize the encounter and reduce it to a form that his mind can comprehend. Each success and raise eliminates a level of the madness suffered by 1. The Pulp Example: Amanda Locke is wandering through a graveyard when a Ghoul springs out from behind a tombstone.
She fails her Guts check and suffers Mental Anguish in the amount of 10 points. This is applied against her Sanity and is just enough to give her a level of madness.
She decides to rationalize what she sees and spends a benny to make a Smarts roll. Succeeding on this roll, she suffers no madness and reconciles the fact that, evidently, the dead can indeed rise.
InsanIty Each time they gain a level of madness the character must make an immediate Spirit roll taking into account all modifiers as usual. Should they fail this roll, they must immediately make another Spirit roll and consult the Insanity Table on page Note: The investigator may not attempt to rationalize away the madness in the Gritty style of play and every time they suffer a level of madness, they risk the chance of Insanity. The Gritty Example: Amanda Locke is, again, wandering through a graveyard when a Ghoul springs out from behind a tombstone you think shed learn.
She fails her Guts check and suffers Mental Anguish. The Ghoul does 12 points of damage and she immediately gains a level of madness. Now, she must immediately make a Spirit roll at 1 to avoid rolling on the Insanity Table. She rolls snake eyes and, since fate is unkind, she may not spend bennies on this roll. She is in trouble and must make another Spirit roll and check the Insanity Table.
She manages to get a success, so she is Shaken and suffers a temporary insanity that lasts until her madness is eliminated. Her mind, in effect, has become unhinged from the terror before her. It might be worth noting that, since this is the first time Amanda has gone insane from encountering a Mythos creature, she also gains Knowledge Mythos d4 and loses one point of Sanity permanently. Compare the Mental Anguish damage versus the targets Sanity and consult the appropriate column.
Exactly how much madness is irrelevantanything more than three means Insanity. The exact effects of what happens next are determined by checking the Insanity table found later in this section. Insanity An Insane hero must make an immediate Spirit roll, applying all applicable modifiers. Raise: The investigator is Shaken and suffers Insanity that fades after the encounter is over or sooner if the madness is restored before then. Roll on the Mental Disorder Table for the effect.
Success: The investigator is Shaken and suffers Insanity that lasts until all levels of madness are eliminated. Roll on the Mental Disorder Table for the specific effect. Failure: The investigator is Shaken and suffers an indefinite Insanity. Critical Failure: The investigator has stared into the Abyss, and the Abyss accepts them into its warm embrace. The investigator falls unconscious for d6 hours or until restored to consciousness successful Healing roll and permanently loses 1 point of Sanity.
Should this reduce the investigators Sanity to 0, their mind is irrevocably lost beyond all hope. They can spend their bennies on the nasty Spirit rolls that may follow, however. Anytime an investigator suffers one or more levels of madness, make a Spirit roll including any madness penalties incurred by this attack.
If the roll is failed, your investigator is Insane. This could be a temporary or permanent affliction. If an investigator suffers from this disorder, take note of the event that triggered it. If reminded of the event in the future, the investigator must make a Spirit check or else the repressed memories flood back in.
Failure on the Spirit check means the character immediately suffers the effect of a 2d4 Mental Anguish. Stacking Effects: If this disorder is caused by a similar event or memories of the original event, the Spirit check penalty increases by 1 as the memories become harder and harder to shut out.
Stacking Effects: Increase the penalty by 1. For every two levels of mania, the character suffers a 1 penalty to Charisma. Each time the investigator sleeps, they must succeed on a Spirit roll or suffer a nightmare so vivid they wake up screaming and cannot sleep for at least 8 hours.
The investigator gains a level of Fatigue for the next 24 hours. The only way to alleviate this penalty is through a full 8 hours of sleep. An investigator resorting to pharmaceutical means to achieve his needed rest runs the risk of addiction.
Stacking Effects: The investigator gains a 1 to Spirit rolls to avoid having a night terror. They cannot be certain if what they see is real or just the product of their own troubled mind. They have a 1 penalty on all Notice and Guts rolls. Stacking Effects: Increase the penalty on Notice and Guts rolls by 1. The object of the obsession.
He immediately loses a benny and starts each session off with 1 benny less than normal. By willingly reading a book of lore. In either case, the investigator gains Knowledge Mythos d4, reduces their Sanity by 1 permanently, and increases their Corruption by 1. He jumps at shadows and is always looking for danger.
Stacking Effects: Increase the penalty on Trait rolls as well as the bonus on Notice checks by 1. He suffers a 1 to all Trait rolls. The investigator must keep the object of their obsession close by at all times.
If the item is removed from the investigator for any reason, they become frantic and suffer a 1 penalty on all Trait rolls until the object is returned or the disorder is removed. Stacking Effects: Increase the penalty on all Trait rolls by 1.
He is at a 1 to all Trait rolls when others are around him. Stacking Effects: Select an additional phobia or increase the penalties of an existing phobia by 2 to a maximum of 4. They could range from simply repeatedly washing his hands to very complex patterns of behavior. This unsettles people around him, giving the investigator a 1 Charisma.
If the investigator is prevented from performing his rituals which take a full round , he suffers a 1 penalty on all Trait rolls. Stacking Effects: Increase the investigators Charisma penalty by 1 as well as his penalties for failing to perform his rituals. They may see terrifying hallucinations, suffer delusions, or become manic and rant wildly about the horrors they have witnessed or even curl up into a ball. Any time an investigator attempts a Guts check, he must also make a successful Spirit roll or be Shaken.
Stacking Effects: The Spirit roll is made at an additional 2. Such individuals seem strange to better adjusted folk. Stacking Effects: Increase the penalty and bonus by 1. Stacking Effects: Increase the penalty by 1 each. For every two levels of this disorder, the investigator suffers from a 1 Charisma modifier as they exhibit nervous twitches and other erratic behavior.
In the arms of madness When an investigator is stricken with madness and suffers a mental defect, good roleplaying is essential when dealing with this delicate issue. The cosmic terror and overwhelming dread that can crumble an investigators will like tissue paper is evidenced in the Sanity system. The Cthulhu Mythos weakens and corrupts, and the more absolute the knowledge gleaned about the cosmos, the greater the danger, hence the close connection between an investigatorss Sanity and their Knowledge Mythos.
While the Mental Disorders Table gives a comprehensive list of afflictions along with their mechanical effects on game play, they should not be viewed as a strait-jacket. These disorders provide room for the investigator and Keeper to flesh out the specifics within the confines of the scenario and campaign.
For example, an investigator may suffer a Weak Mind from an encounter with some horrible creature that jumped at him from the shadows, and may thereafter insist upon maintaining adequate illumination wherever they may go until their condition is restored if ever. Although such actions are not mandated, they reinforce the effects of the investigators madness, and raise the trauma from a mere description into a fully-fledged, more immersive game experience for all participants.
Voluntarily: An investigator may skim or read a book of lore. Whenever Knowledge Mythos is increased a die type, the investigators Sanity is permanently reduced by 1 point while their Corruption is increased by 1. Delving too deeply into the mysteries of the Cthulhu Mythos is a dangerous pursuit. Madness is the result of Mental Anguish and can be recovered through therapy and self-reflection.
Insanity, on the other hand, encompasses any mental disorder that an investigator may suffer as a result of going insane, and is only restored through long term treatment and care.
Each attempt takes 20 minutes, and requires a safe, quiet place in which to talk with the subject. If such a location is not available, the treating investigator suffers a 2 penalty to his roll. The treating investigator must also subtract the subjects levels of madness and wounds from his skill roll. Example: Amanda Locke discovers a book of lore. Should she spend the time to read it at length, her new attributes are: Spirit d8, Sanity: 4, Corruption: 2, and Knowledge Mythos d6, her grip on reality becoming shakier, even while her very soul is stained with newfound lore.
An investigator suffering from madness trying to cure his own madness doubles his madness penalties once for the distraction of his madness, and once for the severity of his madness and adds in any wound penalties he may be suffering from as well.
A success removes one level of madness, and a raise removes two. Investigators with Knowledge Psychology can reattempt their roll as often as they like within one hour of the incident causing the madnessafter this, only natural recovery or long term therapy can aid the unhinged investigator. A result of 1 or less, however, means the patient suffers an additional level of madness.
This new madness is treated as any other madness an investigator may receive under the governing Sanity system. However, no further treatment can be administered to an unhinged investigator for a twenty-four hour period. A success indicates they are okay, they were just terrified for the scene.
Failure indicates they are treated as Incapacitatedthey were so badly frightened that they are in a fugue, and a 1 on the Spirit roll indicates they were driven over the brink and are catatonic or worse the exact results are at the Keepers discretion. The successful use of Knowledge Psychology can restore an Incapacitated allys mental stability, but only long term care can help those driven over the brink. Example: An investigator whose companions are slain manages to escape into the woods, but has suffered a level of madness.
He knows that something still pursues him so cannot afford to slow down. He is 2 for rough traveling, 2 for no treatment, and 1 for madness for a grand total of 5. The odds are great that he will descend further into madness if he cannot find help. Luckily, he wanders out of the woods a week later with one additional level of madness and is immediately carried to an asylum.
He is at 2 for his madness and no modifier for the s facility housing him. Before long, he should be seeing the glass as half-full instead of half-empty. To do so, the patient must not be suffering from any levels of madness before therapy can begin. Wild Cards remove one level of madness with a success, and improve two steps with a raise. A Critical Failure on this roll increases a Wild Cards madness by one level.
An Extra loses their Incapacitated status with a success, and go over the brink if they roll a 1 on their Spirit die. Subtract wound and madness penalties from these rolls as usual, as well as any of the modifiers below. These are cumulative. Proper care means that someone with Knowledge Psychology is actively.
The investigator must make a successful Spirit roll at 4 to eliminate one level of a mental disorder. Only one mental disorder may be treated at a time. However, the psychotherapist gets to help out. The psychotherapist makes a Knowledge Psychology.
Once a level of mental disorder is successfully treated, a new disorder or further levels of the same disorder may be treated, and the consecutive week bonus resets. Example: Amanda Locke checks into a local asylum to get rid of her unhealthy obsession with graveyards. After recovering one level of madness, her therapy is properly underway. Amanda has Spirit d8. After the first week, she rolls a 5, but subtracts 5 4 for the base modifier and an additional 1 because she is away from her beloved graveyards , leaving her with a 0.
The psychotherapist gets a success and a raise. Her shrink gets a success, increasing the total to 3, not quite enough. The third week, she rolls a 4 again, which is reduced, after the base penalty of 4, to 0. Her mind is finally clear of her obsession!
As one might imagine, gaining Corruption is never a good thing, but its part and parcel of dealing with the darkness. Some secrets are best reserved for the Keeper. Complete details are found in the Keepers Section on page InCreasIng sanIty An investigator may increase their Sanity in one of two ways: either by increasing their Spirit attribute, or by taking various Edges that increase their Sanity.
Example 1: Continuing the former example, it would do Amanda Locke no good to take any Edges that would increase her Sanity, as she is already at her maximum. However, if she increases her Spirit by a die type, then her Sanity would go up 1 as well. Example 2: Poor Amanda increases her Spirit to d10, giving her a Sanity 5. Her Corruption 2 prevents it from being any higher. Her Sanity drops to 4 and she cannot increase another attribute until she goes up a Rank.
When she next levels up, she gets permission from the Keeper to take the Well Adjusted Edge as its a Background Edge, she normally could not choose it , stating she takes a sabbatical for a few weeks to get things into perspective. This Edge restores her Sanity to its previous level of 5. When an investigators Sanity is reduced to zero, they have either been driven horribly insane, or become a tainted servant of the very forces they once fought. In either case, the player turns over his character sheet to the Keeper and must create a new investigator.
Any investigator in a proper medical facility receiving proper medical attention is presumed to be managed in such a way that their levels of madness are not subtracted from their Natural Healing rolls. However, in the field, such equipment may be required so that investigators do not pick open their wounds or demonstrate other such erratic behavior that would inhibit medical treatment or their natural healing process.
CorruptIon Each time an investigator gains a die type of Knowledge Mythos , their Corruption increases by one. A d4 is Corruption 1, a d6 is Corruption 2, and so on. Example: Amanda Locke, Spirit d8, began play with a Sanity of 6. Over the course of play, her Sanity has dropped to 4 because her Knowledge Mythos has increased to a d6, giving her Corruption 2. An interrogation session cannot be attempted more than once per day on a given individual. Repeated attempts fail. Alternately, they may attempt to use this skill to get someone to reveal information, as per the Intimidation parameters above, however it is a roll opposed by the targets Smarts.
Failure indicates the target realizes they are being manipulated, and their reaction shifts down one category. Further attempts at manipulation are made at 4. Thats an active use of the Persuasion skill. If youre just trying to pass yourself off in an anonymous role, you need a success. If you want to pass yourself off as a specific individual, that goes against a persons Notice with a 4 modifier if the person knows the individual in question.
If you get into a prolonged interaction, youll be making continuous opposed rolls, so this is not something youd want to do for too terribly long unless youre extremely talented. Example: Amanda Locke wants to pass herself off as a reporter to get into a private party. She acquires suitable clothes and approaches the door man. He has an initial reaction of neutral. Its his job to keep out the riff-raff and if he doesnt, its on him. If hes the sole guard, the Keeper may determine that Amanda needs a Friendly reaction from him to get inside.
He doesnt know Amanda and wants to keep his job. If she successfully increases his attitude, hell let her in with no problem. Otherwise, hell need some sort of bribe to motivate him. Following, you will find how some skills can also be used within Realms of Cthulhu. Then Intimidation is key. Simply make an opposed roll against your opponents Spirit. With a success, you are able to dig out some minor piece of information, maybe more, if the opponent realizes you could get the information from multiple sources or is more afraid of what you can do to them than their boss.
With a raise, you are able to get out a major piece of information, if the target knows any, or a willingness to help. This is like having a friendly reaction. Two or more raises. Now Amanda must make an opposed roll against her hosts Notice with a 4 modifier. Luckily for Amanda, the good doctor is a bit in his cups, and she successfully manages to break away from the conversation before he sees through her ruse.
Its not necessary to have them at huge levels if they dont fit your vision, but its a good idea to at least take them at a d4 and build them up over time. Trust us. Youre using Repair to trick someone into doing something you want. Forged documents are often used as an aid in helping a person pull off a disguise, as well as supporting information. Should the investigator have some background in dealing with documents, something to work from, and have access to the proper tools, they may attempt to draft travel papers, edicts, and more.
Official papers often bear wax seals and governmental stamps to reduce the chance of risk of forgeries. The Keeper is encouraged to set the difficulty reasonably high. The forger makes an opposed roll of Repair versus Smarts of the examiner. Other items may also be forged, depending upon the investigators background, at the Keepers discretion. Are you cousins? Were you bitter rivals on the debate team who became the closest of friends?
Thinking about such matters adds resonance to your roleplaying and help explains why youre trudging together through a backwater salt marsh after midnight.
Certainly, you know the kind of trouble family and friends can get you into. Thats an excellent use of Stealth. This can certainly be modified by your appearance at the Keepers discretion, and definitely by what youre wearing.
More memorable or distinctively dressed people have a harder time blending in. Thats a sad fact, but its true. Example: Amanda has left the party, but one of the guests, a spy herself, realized she did not belong there and has begun pursuit. Amanda notices her as she reaches the market, and attempts to lose herself in a group of washerwomen wending their way home.
As she is attractive 2 modifier and nicely dressed 1 modifier , the Keeper gives her a 3 modifier to her Stealth roll. Had she a round or more head start, she certainly couldve muddied her appearance up to help her efforts.
As it is, her red silk dress and perfect complexion give her away. Its not just for looks. Take the time to fill out that line and think about their relation to your current investigator. Depending on your luck, your Keeper, and your play style, that name may well be investigating your disappearance one day. Heres the skinny on how thats handled. First, the attacker makes an opposed Fighting roll against the target.
If the attacker succeeds, the grapple is made. With a raise, the target is also Shaken. Once entangled, the defender may try to break free on his next action. Both parties pick either Strength or Agility and make an opposed roll. If the defender wins, he is free, but it consumes his action. With a raise, he may also act normally. Instead of breaking free, the defender may attempt a different action but at a 4 penalty.
Download a fillable Pulp character sheet A4 by Tony Williams. Altus Affero is a campaign frame for Trail of Cthulhu, based around an occult journal. Call of Cthulhu Adventure Conversions Chaosium and other companies have very kindly agreed to let us put conversion notes for their excellent adventures up here for ToC users.
Conversion Template 1. Courtesy of Nick Ingham. Crib sheet for fan-created variant Pillars of Sanity rules by Tony Williams read the article here. Simon Rogers. Search for:. This site uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. By browsing this website, you agree to our use of cookies. More info Accept.
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