Sufficient dread can cause a character to suffer insanity, which has more devastating effects in the long term. Dread can have minor effects, such as causing a character to become momentarily shaken, skittish, or distracted, but it can also have long-lasting or even deadly effects such as panic or heart attacks. The core of these rules are the concepts of dread and insanity. Profoundly disturbing experiences-those that shake the foundations of the mind and spirit-are the hallmark of a Mythos game. A doughty fighter, faithful cleric, jaded rogue, or potent wizard doesn’t risk dread because of something as minor as being startled by a monster or stumbling upon a dead body. Of course, heroic characters featured in the typical fantasy setting are exposed to danger, mayhem, and violence as a regular part of their lives. Exposure to the presence of an Elder Being, enduring the grueling mental assault of an eldritch magical attack, or observing a creature whose very presence can instill supernatural fear or unhinge the capacity for sane thought can wreak havoc on the most heroic of adventurers. The potent dread and insanity described herein are reserved for truly dire and horrific circumstances. 3.5.1 First Degree: Neurotic After-effects.The final section provides basic rules for visiting the partly mental, yet wholly physical plane of existence known as the Dreamlands: home to Dreamlands cats, the gnorri, and the zoogs, as well as all sleeping material minds. Thereafter, the chapter discusses the sanity-straining depths of the Aklo language.

This also opens up roleplaying challenges in portraying mental quirks that add depth to your characters. This page will teach you how to implement madness and insanity rules in your game. One cannot so much as learn of the terrors of the Cthulhu Mythos, much less face them in person, without suffering a profound effect, the best-known of which include madness, unreasoning terror, and ongoing neuroses. The Mythos entities are a challenge not just because of their physical power and the danger they present but because the mere presence of these soul-shattering beings can fracture a mortal psyche.

In the face of the Elder Beings, they can break entirely. When filled with the unknown, they can overflow. When exposed to that which lies beyond, they can be damaged. Mortal minds are, by definition, limited.

5e system shock table