# Cthulhu Dark tags: #game/rpg/cthulhu-dark ![[Cthulhu Dark (cover).jpg]] _Cthulhu Dark_ is a roleplaying game for those who find standard Mythos games too optimistic. Written by Graham Walmsley, it is a rules-light engine designed to simulate the bleak, spiraling descent into madness that characterizes Lovecraft’s actual stories, rather than the pulp adventure "tentacle-punching" simulations you might be used to. In this game, you do not fight the monsters. You do not level up. You simply investigate things you shouldn't, learn truths your little gray matter can't handle, and eventually break. It is elegant, brutal, and refreshingly honest about your mortality. ## Core Mechanics The system is deceptively simple, presumably so even the terrified can remember it. ### Die Resolution When you attempt an action, you roll a pool of six-sided dice (d6). You take the single highest result. - **1 die** just for being a human (congratulations on meeting the bare minimum). - **+1 die** if your occupation applies. - **+1 die** if you risk your fragile sanity (the "Insanity Die"). ### The Results - **1:** You succeed, but barely. The universe mocks you. - **4:** A standard success. You get what a competent person would get. - **5:** A brilliant success. You learn everything humanly possible. - **6:** You learn too much. You glimpse the truth of the cosmos. This counts as a success, but you must make an Insanity roll. ### Investigation If you are investigating, you **always** find the clue. Failing to find a clue is boring, and we can’t have that. The die roll simply determines how much _extra_ horrific context you acquire. ### Insanity (or Insight) You start with an Insanity of 1. When you see something disturbing—or roll a 6 on your Insanity Die—you roll that die against your current Insanity score. If you roll higher than your current score, your Insanity increases by 1. When it reaches 6, you are removed from the game. Permanently. ### Combat The combat rules are my favorite part. To quote the text directly: _"If you fight any creature you meet, you will die."_ There are no hit points. There is no initiative. You run, you hide, or you die. ## Editions There are primarily two distinct versions of the text, though the skeleton remains the same. - **Original Edition (2010):** A four-page pamphlet. It is brutally efficient. It uses the term "Insanity Die." It fits in your pocket, leaving plenty of room for your last will and testament. - **Full Edition (2017/2018):** A 200-page hardback funded via Kickstarter. It renames the "Insanity Die" to the "Insight Die" to better reflect that you are seeing the truth rather than merely breaking, and to avoid stigmatizing mental health terms. It adds extensive "Director" advice and four distinct settings (_Arkham 1692_, _London 1851_, _Jaiwo 2017_, and _Mumbai 2037_). It turns a pamphlet into a coffee-table book, but the core mechanics are largely unchanged. # References - [The original rules (free legal PDF) - Catch Your Hare](http://catchyourhare.com/files/Cthulhu%20Dark.pdf "null") - [Purchase the full 200-page edition (PDF) - DriveThruRPG](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/341997/cthulhu-dark) - [Review of the game's mechanics and tone - The Indie Game Reading Club](https://www.indiegamereadingclub.com/indie-game-reading-club/cthulhu-dark/ "null") - [Video review and briefing - Role Over Play Dead (YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8GhaoHIzWs "null") - [Purchase the physical book - Indie Press Revolution](https://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Cthulhu-Dark-Print-PDF.html "null")