The Sanity Rules as They Currently Stand


Rules Questions


The way they currently work practically everything one encounters in an adventure would have a deleterious effect on a PC. It's ridiculously easy to go mad with the current rules. I'm thinking of a different way to reflect reactions to various things but I haven't quite got it the way I want it. I've even considered the classic Call of Cthulhu/Cthulhu d20 Sanity Points rules. I'm not sure about that one yet. I'd like there to be a horror aspect to the game but this just needs work. What do you guys think?


DungeonmasterCal wrote:
The way they currently work practically everything one encounters in an adventure would have a deleterious effect on a PC.

Could you elaborate on this?


I was being a bit facetious, but just seeing a dead body could cost 1d3 sanity points? To me that's not scary and certainly not enough to merit a possible madness. A scene of a gruesome death maybe, but not 1d6 points of sanity. I wouldn't think a roll is really necessary until they get to the "see something horrific" level. Undead would be worth losing some points over as would SOME aberrations. From that point on yeah, those things would and probably should force a Sanity check. Bear in mind this is just my opinion.


I can understand that, but check out the notes on those situations. It's the first time the character encounters a dead body (my assumption is this expects a sentient, humanoid body and goblins or orcs probably don't count), and has a DC 10 will save to be fine. Even at level 1 with poor will save class and -2 wisdom, that's a 40% minimum chance you don't suffer the sanity damage from your first body. More often you're looking at a +1, maybe even with a good will save for total +3 (55%-65% chance you don't suffer sanity damage) or better if you make it past level 1 before things that look like you start dying.

I'm not saying you're wrong, but a level 1 character is hardly a well seasoned hard boiled hero, especially in a horror themed campaign. Anything above level 3 is probably going to shrug off this one time only check, and move forward to failing his sanity check against the first major aberration instead.

Dark Archive

It's easy in Pathfinder? Have you ever played Call of Cthulhu? You can't usually survive two encounters without going bonkers. And vampires can use guns too!

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