CTHULHU NOIR

A RPG BY JOHN POWELL (c) 2012, BASED ON CTHULHU DARK (c) GRAHAM WALMSLEY 2010

Name: you get higher than your Ruin, add 1-5 to your
Ruin and roleplay your injury or illness.
Unarmed attacks typically do 1, while knives
and small guns do 2 and larger attacks 3+.
Occupation: Ruin decreases only when the Keeper deems
your Investigator has received a sufficient
amount of rest or medical attention in the
game. Usually 1 point for first aid, 1 for a
Insanity: OOOOO night's rest, and 2 for a full 24 hours of rest.
When your Ruin reaches 6 you are dead or
presumed dead. Describe for the other players
how your Investigator is slaughtered by an
Ruin: OOOOO
unspeakable horror, falls into a non-Euclidean
angle or is otherwise physically removed from
the scene. Make a new Investigator.
Rules of the Game: If your Investigator is presumed dead, the
Recommended for 2-5 players. One player Keeper may allow a return in a later scene or
takes the role of the Keeper who directs the story.
story for one or more Investigators. Keeper controlled entities - cultists, ordinary
This game uses six-sided dice. Your Insanity animals and people may take less Ruin to kill.
die and your Ruin die should be distinctive Mythos creatures may be immune to Ruin.
from each other and the other dice - e.g. a When trying to do things, roll all that apply:
green die for Insanity, red for Ruin and white 1 die if the task is within human capabilities.
for the other dice. 1 die if the task is within your occupational
Insanity starts at 1. When you see something capabilities.
disturbing, roll your Insanity die. If you get Your Insanity die, if you want to risk Insanity.
higher than your Insanity, add 1 to your Insanity Your Ruin die, if you want to risk Ruin.
and roleplay your terror. As your Insanity Your highest die shows how well you do. On
increases through the game, roleplay your a 1 you barely succeed. On a 6 you succeed
increasing fear. brilliantly.
When your Insanity reaches 5 you may Whenever your Insanity or Ruin dice are the
reduce it by Suppressing Mythos Knowledge: highest, you must make the appropriate rolls
for example, burning books, stopping rituals, or to see if your Insanity and/or Ruin increase.
destroying yourself. Each time you do this, roll Your Investigator fails if the Keeper or any
your Insanity die. If you get less than your other player describes how your action can fail,
Insanity, lower your Insanity by 1. You may and rolls a die higher than your highest die.
continue Suppressing Mythos Knowledge after You may re-roll as often as you like, but you
your Insanity has fallen below 5. must risk Insanity and/or Ruin on each re-try.
When your Insanity reaches 6 you go To cooperate: everyone who is cooperating
incurably insane. This is a special moment: rolls their dice. Highest die determines the
everyone focuses on your Investigator's last outcome.
moments as their mind breaks. Go out however To compete: everyone who is competing rolls
you want: fight, scream, run, or collapse. their dice. Highest die wins. On a tie, compare
Afterwards either make up a new Investigator 2nd highest dice (then 3rd, 4th, etc). If
or continue playing, madly, but retire the everything is tied, re-roll.
Investigator as soon as you can. Many thanks to Graham Walmsley for creating
Ruin starts at 1. When you are harmed through Cthulhu Dark. Find the original rules and more on
accident, combat or illness, roll your Ruin die. If his site at: http://www.thievesoftime.com/