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Has anybody got some rules for sanity. I would like to know how CoC handles this topis, as well as any other commercial or non-commercial systems/engines? I have only a very faint idea myself, but it's something like if you see a demon or an undead, you loose some sanity, if you see another of the same kind/specific type, you loose less, but what's the exact idea behind a sanity concept? I guess it's something like that PC with a high sanity does not believe in any supernatural stuff (or any evil stuff like demons and undead, if the PC otherwise know about non-demonic & non-necromantic magic, or even practices this.) Then, when the PC encounters a ghoul or zombie, his inner image of the world (world-map or world-conception) gets damaged, and when this has happened often enough, he has to develop some quirks as defenses (in a psychological sense), to attain a certain level of sanity (which is lower than the original) Maybe something like that a person with normal IQ has an equilibrium of 25% of starting SANITY. He can loose SANITY until he reaches 25% (he might start with 60 SANITY, meaning that eq=15) When he gets below 15 SANITY, he might become catatonic, and will be out of his mind (vague term) for some hours or days or weeks. During that time, the GM, the p_layer_, or both together, or some dice, or a combination of the three, decides some quirks (phobias, silly notions, wierd habits (Watch the movie Rainman, for a few ideas), which is a way of getting back SANITY, until the PC reached the equlibrium-value.         A person who has a IQ below average might have a higher or lower EQ value (say 15% or 20%) and the same will apply to high-IQ persons. But who should be punished, the 160's or the Forest Gumps? Maybe they both should get punished by a higher EQ value (30% or 35% of starting SANITY), or maybe they should both have a lower EQ, meaning they can take more shocks before they have to develop quirks. I haven't got a clear rationalization for which of the above mentioned should be true, but I feel like penalizing high IQ characters which gets a load of advantages otherwise (learning and/or using IQ-_base_d skills, this is probably also magic-skills) This is only a loose sketech, I would very much like to hear about different systems/approches, besides criticism of my idea (which should tend to be negative, as I haven't really got much of an idea here)

This is only a loose sketech, I would very much like to hear about different systems/approches, besides criticism of my idea (which should tend to be negative, as I haven't really got much of an idea here) I think it is very important to realise the role that sanity plays in a game and the influence it has on the way the game works. In CoC for example, the p_layer_s are all too frail and mortal. People cannot just hang out with a bunch of tentacled monstrosities and walking corpses without getting a bit rattled to say the least. Sanity is a useful (and arguably quite realistic) tool for handling ordinary human psyches trying to deal with the supernatural. This is also appropriate to CoC's genre - horror. In most fantasy games however, p_layer_s are expected to face a variety of hideous slavering demons and eat them for breakfast. Thus sanity would be an inappropriate game mechanism. Mighty fantasy warriors are simply not bothered by a bunch of ugly beasties. It may sound ridiculous, but it is consistent with the genre. May I ask what kind of game you wanted the sanity rules for?

Has anybody got some rules for sanity. I would like to know how CoC handles this topis, as well as any other commercial or non-commercial systems/engines? I have only a very faint idea myself, but it's something like if you see a demon or an undead, you loose some sanity, if you see another of the same kind/specific type, you loose less, but what's the exact idea behind a sanity concept? I guess it's something like that PC with a high sanity does not believe in any supernatural stuff (or any evil stuff like demons and undead, if the PC otherwise know about non-demonic & non-necromantic magic, or even practices this.) Then, when the PC encounters a ghoul or zombie, his inner image of the world (world-map or world-conception) gets damaged, and when this has happened often enough, he has to develop some quirks as defenses (in a psychological sense), to attain a certain level of sanity (which is lower than the original) Maybe something like that a person with normal IQ has an equilibrium of 25% of starting SANITY. He can loose SANITY until he reaches 25% (he might start with 60 SANITY, meaning that eq=15) When he gets below 15 SANITY, he might become catatonic, and will be out of his mind (vague term) for some hours or days or weeks. During that time, the GM, the p_layer_, or both together, or some dice, or a combination of the three, decides some quirks (phobias, silly notions, wierd habits (Watch the movie Rainman, for a few ideas), which is a way of getting back SANITY, until the PC reached the equlibrium-value.    A person who has a IQ below average might have a higher or lower EQ value (say 15% or 20%) and the same will apply to high-IQ persons. But who should be punished, the 160's or the Forest Gumps? Maybe they both should get punished by a higher EQ value (30% or 35% of starting SANITY), or maybe they should both have a lower EQ, meaning they can take more shocks before they have to develop quirks. I haven't got a clear rationalization for which of the above mentioned should be true, but I feel like penalizing high IQ characters which gets a load of advantages otherwise (learning and/or using IQ-_base_d skills, this is probably also magic-skills) This is only a loose sketech, I would very much like to hear about different systems/approches, besides criticism of my idea (which should tend to be negative, as I haven't really got much of an idea here) Hey, this is exactly the idea I have put into my game design!. Some elements of game play can result in losing Sanity Points. You begin with 10, and while at that value have no problems. If you lose even 1 point and drop to 9 or less, then for some actions you will have to make a roll against your sanity (on a D10) to take that action. If they roll equal to or less than their current Sanity they take the action, else they either take no action, or do something bizarre and unrelated to the original action (depending on the level of their current sanity). You regain sanity either by long periods of rest, or by developing some sort of quirk (or major character alteration) which will increase your sanity back to the optimum level. Of course a person can live for a long time only being slightly unstable.... (this probably includes much of usenet judging by the evidence) This is mostly _link_ed into my magic system, which should mean that mages and the like slowly get stranger and distinct from the general population, simply by practicing magic. Of course, they may elect to simply spend long periods without doing any magic, but this is less likely. Warren Grant This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Some things can raise your Sanity.  For example, destroying a vampire gets you 1D8 SAN; raising a skill (other than Mythos) above 90% gets you 2D6 SAN. What's the reason for that? (Did the game designers at Chaosium write why this is the case?) I'm just curious... Thanks for the info!

May I ask what kind of game you wanted the sanity rules for?         A good way to find out Not a specific game yet, but I'm working on an Engine, to be used in a special kind of fantasy world, with a dark mood and some kind of shadowy feeling. A bit like the medieval Europe, just with magic and (if I can make good enough rules) Priests that can channel Divine power.           The dark mood comes from demons and necromancers who constantly try to take control of parts of the world.         It's not for one specific world, but for any medieval tech-level fantasy world with a dark mood.

This is mostly _link_ed into my magic system, which should mean that mages and the like slowly get stranger and distinct from the general population, simply by practicing magic. Of course, they may elect to simply spend long periods without doing any magic, but this is less likely.         Here we disagree, not that I'm saying you are stupid, but I want to do something else with my RPG Engine. Very nice, then we (asuming they both get finished) get to RPg engines with slightly different slants, instead of two exactly alike.         I don't think you have to go insane just by knowing about magic. In a Ctulhu setting, this is of course a very rational consequence. Your world/concept seems to have a similar philosophy.