SCP Classes

## **PRIMARY CLASSES:**

These are the most common Object Classes used in SCP articles, and make up the bulk of the objects.

**KETER:**

Merely being inimical to human life is not in itself cause for classification as a Keter-level object. A Keter classification indicates that not only is this subject capable of inflicting devastating harm to human life and civilization, but that containment protocols must be extensive, involved, and precisely followed in order to prevent it from doing so. Research into the neutralization of Keter-class SCPs is always a top priority for the Foundation.

Cases where Ketern-class objects that can be neutralized by Foundation personnel persist in Foundation custody are rare, and are grouped into three main categories. In addition to cases where destruction of the object continues to be unfeasible due to apparent invulnerability or similar circumstance, there are some Keter-class objects with significant tactical value for the Foundation, as well as Keter-class objects that threaten more harm to humanity from their neutralization than from their continued existence.

The Foundation has harnessed some Keter-class SCPs, but such situations are rare exceptions: for example, SCP-076-2 only agreed to work with the Foundation due to its unusual relationship with Agent [REDACTED] and its ability to communicate with us, and even that didn't last. The majority of Keter-class SCPs are insentient, and most are inanimate objects. This status may change as research and discovery continues.

"Keter" means "crown" in Hebrew and is the uppermost level of the Sephirot in Jewish Kabbalah.

**SAFE :**

The designation "Safe" is assigned to subjects or objects that may be effectively and reliably contained. Safe designates may have individual containment procedures, but these procedures are not expected to fail frequently, or be subject to later revision as more information is obtained about a subject.

Some Safe designates are human, humanoid, and/or sentient. To prevent injury and/or death to personnel and SCPs, interaction with such designates should be professional and courteous, taking into account special containment procedures.

It should be noted that Safe does not indicate that the containment procedures are unnecessary. Many Safe-designated objects can be quite dangerous in the right contexts. The important distinction that defines a Safe object is that it can be handled safely with appropriate containment procedures. An example of a Safe object would be a gun, a nuclear weapon, or polonium.

**EUCLID:**

An SCP object is classified as Euclid when its behavior cannot be unerringly predicted, either because the item is sentient, it behaves outside of current scientific knowledge, or its nature is simply poorly understood at present. Euclid-class objects do not pose the same existential threat to humanity due to containment breach that Keter-class objects do, but they still generally require more diligence to keep contained than Safe-class objects.

Although many Euclid-class objects could be used for the benefit of the Foundation or of humanity, they may have unforeseen ramifications after their use due to their unpredictable nature. Some Euclid-class SCPs are eventually understood well enough to be reclassified as Safe, but most remain inscrutable even to the most rigorous of experimentation.

The following is a list of the twenty-five highest rated Euclid articles

SCP's

**Anomalous:**

Any object that has been appraised by the Foundation as not meriting further study or special containment. Some of these objects may be catalogued in the Log of Anomalous Items. Note: No object with an SCP designation is categorized as Anomalous, but some SCP objects were *once* categorized as Anomalous before being assigned an SCP designation.

**Neutralized:**

Any object that has since been destroyed, or in some way has no odd, extra-dimensional, or adverse effects. Objects classified under this class should have a note stating what class it was while it was an active SCP.

## **Non-Standard Object Classes**

The following Object Classes are sub-classes that supplement the object's primary (or former) classification.

**Explained:**

Explained SCPs are commonly articles about anomalies that are completely and fully understood to the point where their effects are now explainable by mainstream science or phenomena that have been debunked or falsely mistaken as an anomaly.

**Esoteric/Narrative Classes:**

Esoteric Object Classes, also occasionally referred to as Narrative classes, are Object classes that do not fall into any of the above sections. They are generally only used once and are created to further the narrative in a particular SCP. It is highly recommended that SCPs use one of the standard Object Classes listed here. While some authors choose to introduce exceptions to these rules, they are only very rarely done and need to justify their existence and placement. Many site members will downvote for non-standard Object Classes if used without merit.

**Decommissioned:**

Decommissioned SCPs are an Object Class that was used by senior staff in the past to not only delete unwanted articles but place them in a sort of "Wall of Shame" to serve as examples of what not to do. This Object Class is *not* used anymore.

Decommissioning articles is not done anymore, partly because such heavy-handed edits by SCP staff are no longer allowed and partly because decommissioning ended up backfiring. See the History of the Universe Hub for more historical information about Decommissioned SCPs and their usage in the past.

## Object Class FAQ

**What is the Locked Box Test?**

The Locked Box Test is an informal guideline used to determine an object's most appropriate Object Class. It goes like this:

* If you lock it in a box, leave it alone, and nothing bad will happen, then it's probably **Safe**.
* If you lock it in a box, leave it alone, and you're not entirely sure what will happen, then it's probably **Euclid**.
* If you lock it in a box, leave it alone, and it easily escapes, then it's probably **Keter**.
* If it *is* the box, then it's probably **Thaumiel**.

Note that as a special consideration, something that is autonomous, alive, and/or sapient is almost always *at least* Euclid-class. That is, if you lock a living thing in a box and forget about it, it will eventually suffocate or starve to death, and that's not a good outcome. Something that is intelligent could also end up being smart enough to outwit its containment procedures and/or stop cooperating with the Foundation's attempts to contain it, making it more dangerous than it otherwise might be.

**What if I find an SCP that is the wrong Object Class?**

The Object Classes are intentionally left vague as to not limit the author's creative freedom; a rigid, defined system of classes might hinder an author's ability to write the way they would want to, and as such multiple proposals to create better-defined systems in the past have been turned down by SCP Wiki staff.

**If an SCP is very dangerous should its Object Class be higher?**

No, danger does not really affect an SCP's Object Class. As has been reiterated several times above this, an item's Object Class is more based on the difficulty of containment rather than the danger it otherwise poses. For example, a button that can destroy the entire universe when it's pressed would be safe, whereas a cat who randomly switches places with another cat anywhere on earth would be considered keter.