recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Dangerous Photography

(Back to 1920's Era Information)

Taking photographs indoors or in low-light conditions requires the photographer to use flashpowder to create a burst of light. The camera is mounted on a tripod and the shutter is opened, while the photographer ignites the prepared flashpowder in a special tray mechanism.

Flashpowder is effectively an explosive, with almost twice the amount of power of gunpowder, and accidents are common. The flashgun is basically a metal tray with a handle and some form of ignition, such as a hammer (like that of a shotgun) which when released, falls on an explosive cap. The flashpowder is poured into the tray and held above the photographer's head. When the photographer takes the picture, the trigger is pulled and the flash ignited. If all goes well, the flash produces a 6" to 12" tall sheet of white flame.

Photographers normally prepare flashpowder by grinding the necessary components in a mortar and pestle. There are risks, including the loss of fingers and hands, as well as death in a few cases. In humid weather or if the flashpowder is allowed to become damp, the powder can "cake" and instead of a flash there may be an explosion - similar to that of a small hand grenade!
Occupation List

(Back to Occupations)

**Key**:

Occupations are listed alphabetically. Some entries group related occupations; for example Bank Robber, Bootlegger, Burglar, Conman, Forger/Counterfeiter, and Assassin are all listed under the Criminal occupation.

* (**Lovecraftian**) Occupations important in Lovecraft's stories.
* (**Classic**) Occupations only available in the Classic 1920s period.
* (**Modern**) Occupations only available for modern-day game settings.
* **Occupation Skill Points**: Determines which Characteristics are used to derive the investigator's occupation skills.
* **Credit Rating**: Determines the number of occupation skill points that must be spent on Credit Rating. Each entry is a range, and any number within this range may be chosen and that amount of occupation skill points spent.
* **Suggested Contacts**: Suggestions of the type of people and/or society that a member of this occupation might know in their day-to-day pursuits. These may serve as ideas for the investigator's backstory.
* **Skills**: The eight skills that define this occupation. Occupation skill points are spent on these skills; Personal Interest skill points may also be used to further top-up these skills if wished. Add such points to the base skill value noted by each skill on the investigator sheet.

Accountant

Acrobat

Actor

Alienist (Classic)

Antique Dealer

Criminal

Mechanic (and Skilled Trades)

Occultist

Pilot

Police Detective/Officer (Lovecraftian)

Undertaker
Insanity Side-Effects 1: Phobias and Manias

(Back to Sanity)

While the investigator is sane, a phobia or mania acts solely as a roleplaying trait. For example, if the player wishes for their (sane) investigator to overcome claustrophobia and crawl through dark tunnels, the phobia won't prevent this. However, while the same investigator is insane, the phobia or mania takes on a greater significance.

See also Phobic and Manic Responses While Insane
Language, Other (Specializations)

(Back to Skill List)

**Language, Other (Specializations) (01%)**

When choosing this skill, the exact language must be specified and written next to the skill. An individual can know any number of languages. The skill represents the user's chance to understand, speak, read, and write in a language other than their own.

Ancient or unknown languages (such as Aklo, Hyperborean, etc.) should not be chosen (unless agreed with the Keeper), but ordinary Earthly languages may be. The Keeper may raise the difficulty level if archaic speech or writing in that language is encountered. A single successful Other Language roll normally allows comprehension of an entire book.

Suggestions regarding the Other Language skill:

* At 5% skill a language can be correctly identified without the need for a roll.
* At 10% skill simple ideas can be communicated.
* At 30% skill transactional requests can be understood.
* At 50% skill a person is fluent.
* At 75% skill a character can pass for a native speaker of a foreign language
* To identify a present-day human language (unknown to the investigator), use an EDU roll.
* To identify an extinct human language, use an Archaeology or History roll
* To identify an alien language, use a Cthulhu Mythos or possibly an Occult roll

**Opposing skill/Difficulty level:** Regular conversation, perhaps with pauses for clarification (when not speaking to a less than fluent foreign speaker) does not require a roll for those who are fluent.

* Regular difficulty: conversation (perhaps at speed); written material containing a few technical or uncommon terms.
* Hard difficulty: high content of unusual technical terms, historically archaic phrases; speaker has unusual dialect.

**Pushing examples**: taking longer to think through the words you want to say; taking long pauses to answer what you have been told; referencing other books to make a translation.

**Sample Consequences of failing a Pushed roll**: exaggerated or loud discussions between investigators and third parties alert some enemy faction to the investigators' intentions; a word or phrase is misunderstood (perhaps the meaning is reversed); the listener takes offense to an unintentional slur, and they respond with their fists, or turn everyone in the neighborhood against you.

* If an insane investigator fails a pushed roll, they begin to speak in tongues, or imagine that they are using the Enochian language.
Occultist

Occultists are students of esoteric secrets and arcane magic. They fully believe in paranormal abilities and actively attempt to learn about and discover these powers within themselves. Most are familiar with a broad range of different philosophies and magical theories, some believing that they can actually perform feats of magic - the veracity of such abilities is left to the Keeper to determine.

It should be noted that, in the main, occultists are familiar with "earthly magic" - the secrets of Mythos magic are unknown to them, save in tantalizing hints referenced in ancient books.

**Occupation Skill Points**: EDU x 4

**Credit Rating**: 9 - 65

**Suggested Contacts**: Libraries, occult societies or fraternities, other occultists.

**Skills**: Anthropology, History, Library Use, one interpersonal skill (Charm, Fast Talk, Intimidate, or Persuade), Occult, Other Language, Science (Astronomy), any one\* other skill as a personal or era specialty.

*\*With the Keeper's agreement, may include Cthulhu Mythos (with an advised starting maximum of 10%)*

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occult#Occultism
History

(Back to Skill List)

**History (05%)**

Enables an investigator to remember the significance of a country, city, region, or person, as pertinent. A successful roll might be used to help identify tools, techniques, or ideas familiar to ancestors, but little known today.

**Opposing skill/Difficulty level:**

* Regular difficulty: to recall some pertinent and useful information
* Hard difficulty: to know some obscure, detailed and useful information

**Pushing examples**: taking more time to examine; conducting further research; consulting another expert; hiring assistants to conduct detailed research, taking months, and at a huge cost.

**Sample Consequences of failing a Pushed roll**: consultations alert your adversaries, who become aware of your intent; your facts are erroneous and lead you into danger; much time and money is wasted on fruitless research.

* If an insane investigator fails a pushed roll, they are convinced that they are somehow displaced in time, or perhaps they start believing that they are living in a historic period, dressing and speaking in an archaic manner.
Survival (Specializations)

(Back to Skill List)

**Survival (Specializations) (10%)**

Knowledge of this skill provides the expertise required to survive in extreme environments, such as in desert or arctic conditions, as well as upon the sea or in wilderness terrain. Inherent is the knowledge of hunting, building shelters, hazards (such as the avoidance of poisonous plants), etc., according to the given environment.

You may spend skill points to purchase any skill specialization. The generic **Survival** skill cannot be purchased. An environment specialism should be determined when the skill is chosen, for example: **Survival (Desert), (Sea), (Arctic)**, etc. When a character does not have the obvious survival specialty, they may roll against an allied specialty with the level of difficulty increased (or Penalty die) at the Keeper's discretion.

**Pushing examples**: trying something risky (e.g. drinking water without purifying it first; eating unidentified berries); using all of one's clothing to improve a shelter; burning every possession to make a signal fire.

**Sample Consequences of failing a Pushed roll**: the cave you found is inhabited by an angry bear; having burned all of your clothes to make a signal fire, you have given away your position to your pursuers - will your rescuers reach you before the pursuers do?

* If an insane investigator fails a pushed roll, they believe themselves to be impervious to the elements and able to exist as a breatharian (able to exist without food and water).
Accountant

(Back to Occupation List)

Either employed within a business or working as a freelance consultant with a portfolio of self-employed clients or businesses. Diligence and attention to detail means that most accounts can make good researchers, being able to support investigations through the careful analysis of personal and business transactions, financial statements, and other records.

**Occupation Skill Points:** EDU x 4

**Credit Rating:** 30 - 70

**Suggested Contacts:** Business associates, legal professions, financial sector (bankers, other accountants)

**Skills:**  Accounting, Law, Library Use, Listen, Persuade, Spot Hidden, any two other skills as personal or era specialties (*e.g.* Computer Use (Modern))
The Tiergarten

(Back to Berlin - Weimar Republic)

(see also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiergarten,\_Berlin)

**The Tiergarten**

   Literally "Animal Garden", this region (currently covering 630 acres/255 hectares) was once a hunting preserve for the Kings of Prussia and populated with bounding deer. Nowadays, a different sort of animal, the "**Grasshopper**", may be found here, peddling her fleshy wares.

The largest public park in the city, the remoter parts are dimly lit and dangerous after dark, but the Siegesallee (Victory Avenue) is a popular spot for promenades. This broad boulevard is adored with 32 marble statues of kings, margraves, and electors from the history of Prussia and Brandenburg stretching all the way back to Albert the Bear. Behind each statue is a semi-circular marble bench flanked by busts of two of that ruler's advisors.

The park also features a large zoo, the Zoologischer Garten, opened nearly a century ago as the first of its kind in Germany. Over 13,000 animals dwell here, including lions, elephants, and tigers; many are kept in architecturally distinctive animal houses: the main gate is constructed in a Japanese style, the Antelope House is Moorish in fashion, while the Ostrich House recalls Ancient Egypt. Fronting on The Ku'damm (Kurfurstendamm) but accessible from the zoo is the city's aquarium, opened in 1913, housing both saltwater and freshwater fish, crocodiles, amphibians of many varieties, and even an "insectarium" on the top floor. Also to be found on a secluded and quiet street within the park is the Institut fur Sexualwissenschaft, the **Institute of Sexology.**

The northern edge of the Tiergarten proper is formed by the winding banks of the Spree, but the district encompasses land to the north of the river as well. For the purposes of this game, the "zone" of the Tiergarten runs along Alt-Moabit and includes the Kleiner (Little) Tiergarten and the nearby Criminal Court complex: two massive, stern buildings completed in the late 19th century that serve as a central clearing house for all criminal cases from all levels of Berlin law. Large prison complexes on the property hold male and female defendants awaiting trial, while a labyrinth of offices provides judges and lawyers with cramped working spaces to prepare and review cases. The air quality in these echoing halls and chambers is so bad that lawyers have been known to pass smelling salts to witnesses to keep them alert during testimony.

Walking farther east to the termination of the Alt-Moabit and crossing the Alsen Bridge over Humboldt Harbor one arrives at Berlin's greatest hospital, the Charite. Founded in 1709 by Frederick I to function as a quarantine house for victims of the plague, it has functioned as a teaching hospital associated with Frederick William University since 1810.
Dominate

(Back to Grimoire)

**Dominate**

**Cost:** 1 Magic point; 1 Sanity points

**Casting time:** Instantaneous

Bends the will of the target to that of the caster. For the spell to take effect the caster must succeed in an opposed POW roll with the target. If successful, the target obeys the commands of the caster without exception until the next combat round concludes.

The spell can affect only one individual at a time and has a maximum range of 10 yards. Obviously the command or commands must be intelligible to the target and the spell may be broken if a command contradicts the target's basic nature (such as instructing a human to fly).

**Dominate** can be cast and recast as many times as the caster finds possible, allowing a target to be controlled without interruption for several minutes. Each cast of the spell has the same costs and limits. Recasting is instantaneous.

**Alternative names**: *Command of the Wizard, the Chant of Possession, Baleful Influence.*
Law

(Back to Skill List)

**Law (05%)**

Represents the chance of knowing pertinent law, precedent, legal maneuvers, or court procedure. The practice of law as a profession can lead to great rewards and political office, but it requires intense application over many years - a high Credit Rating is also usually crucial in this regard. In the United States, the State Bar of a particular commonwealth or state must sanction one's practice of law.

When in a foreign country, it is suggested that the level of difficulty be increased when using this skill, unless the character has spent many months studying that nation's legal system.

**Opposing skill/Difficulty level:**

* Regular difficulty: understanding and utilizing the details of a relevant law or legal procedure.
* Hard difficulty: remembering or understanding an obscure legal precedent, or cross-examining a highly competent hostile witness.

**Pushing examples**: delaying to consider your argument; explaining in high detail the nuances of the case/situation; taking significant time to conduct research; bending the letter of the law to drive your argument.

**Sample Consequences of failing a Pushed roll**: misinterpreting a law or stepping outside of the accepted legal procedure leads you to break the law and draws police attention; wasting valuable time and money on research on legal fees; you are held in contempt of court and thrown in the cells for at least 24 hours.

* If an insane investigator fails a pushed roll, they will now believe that they are above the law.
Pilot

(Back to Occupation List)

Professional aviators may be employed by business, for example the U.S. Mail, or work as pilots for a large or small commercial passenger line.

In the U.S. there was no national regulation of pilots until the passing of the Air Commerce Act of 1926, after which time pilots' licenses were required. Thus, many in this time period work at carnivals, stunting, selling riders, or offering local air-taxi services in and out of small airports.

Some pilots actively serve in the military. Many aviators learn to fly during their service and, as a result, still hold commissions as officers in the Armed Forces.

**Occupation Skill Points**: EDU x 2 + DEX x 2

**Credit Rating**: 20 - 70

**Suggested Contacts**: Old military contacts, cabin crew, mechanics, airfield staff, carnival entertainers

**Skills**: Electrical Repair, Mechanical Repair, Navigate, Operate Heavy Machinery, Pilot (Aircraft), Science (Astronomy), any two other skills as personal or era specialties.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft\_pilot

**Aviator [Classic]**

An aviator is a stunt pilot, working at carnivals or offering daring leisure rides for those willing to pay. Often fame could be won by competing in organized air races, either cross-country or on fixed courses. During the twenties, Hollywood makes fair use of stunt pilots. A few aviators even find work as test pilots for aircraft manufacturers. Many aviators learned to fly during the Great War and, as a result, still hold commissions as officers in the Army, Navy, Marines, or Coast Guard. Younger pilots have either received military training during peacetime or learned on their own.

**Occupation Skill Points**: EDU x 4

**Credit Rating**: 30 - 60

**Suggested Contacts**: Old military contacts, other pilots, airfield mechanics, businessmen

**Skills**: Accounting, Electrical Repair, Listen, Mechanical Repair, Navigate, Pilot (Aircraft), Spot Hidden, any one other skill as a personal or era specialty

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft\_pilot
The Wish Doctors

(Back to Locations)

A small shop owned by Delia Dorn, who runs it with the help of her close friend Ophelia Winkler. The shop specializes in purveying occult goods, relics, books, identifying such objects for others, and divining fortunes and destiny for those who seek it. Previously owned by Delia's grandmother, Cecilia Dorn, who ran it solely as an occult book store.
Appraise

(Back to Skill List)

**Appraise (05%)**

Used to estimate the value of a particular item, including the quality, material used, and workmanship. Where relevant, the skill-user could pinpoint the age of the item, assess its historical relevance, and detect forgeries.

**Opposing skill/Difficulty level:**

* Regular difficulty: an item that was not rare at its time of manufacture, and is made of a common material (*e.g.* 50 year-old gold watch)

* Hard difficulty: an unusual item, perhaps made of uncommon materials (*e.g.* a foreign-made object of several hundred years in age, such as an ancient tome)

**Pushing examples:** checking an item's validity with another expert; conducting testing; researching an item.

**Samples Consequences of failing a Pushed roll:** accidentally ruining the item in question; bringing the item to the attention of other people, leading to its theft; activating whatever function the item might serve.

* If an insane investigator fails a pushed roll, he or she could destroy the item, believing it to be cursed; alternatively they regard the item as their personal salvation and refuse to give it up to anyone else.
Listen

(Back to Skill List)

**Listen (20%)**

Measures the ability of an investigator to interpret and understand sound, including overheard conversations, mutters behind a closed door, and whispered words in a cafe. The Keeper may use it to determine the course of an impending encounter: was you investigator awakened by that cracking twig? By extension, a high **Listen** skill can indicate a good level of awareness in a character.

**Opposing skill/Difficulty level: Opposing skill/Difficulty level: Listen** can be opposed by Stealth when someone is creeping up on you.

* Regular difficulty: hearing something approaching you (with a Stealth skill of below 50); eavesdropping on a nearby conversation.
* Hard difficulty: hearing something creep up on you (with a Stealth skill of 50 - 89); eavesdropping on a whispered conversation.

**Pushing examples**: stopping dead still and listening; getting closer to the presumed source (e.g. putting your ear to the train track or the door); telling everyone to be quiet (making a noise yourself) and then listening.

**Sample Consequences of failing a Pushed roll**: the "thing" has caught you unawares; you misheard the conversation and get the facts mixed up; you are caught trying to eavesdrop, and find yourself in a very embarrassing predicament.

* If an insane investigator fails a pushed roll, they become overly sensitive to all sounds and are unable to operate without earplugs or something similar.
Drive Auto

(Back to Skill List)

**Drive Auto (20%)**

Anyone with this skill can drive a car or light truck, make ordinary maneuvers, and cope with ordinary vehicle problems. If the investigator wants to lose a pursuer or tail someone, a Drive roll would be appropriate.

Some other cultures might replace this skill with a comparative one: the Inuit might use Drive Dogsled, or a Victorian might use Drive Carriage.

**Opposing skill/Difficulty level:**

* Regular difficulty: to successfully weave through light traffic at speed to avoid pursuit.
* Hard difficulty: to successfully weave through heavy traffic at speed to avoid pursuit.

**Pushing examples**: driving the vehicle to its limit; not slowing down, regardless of the risk.

**Sample Consequences of failing a Pushed roll**: Crashing; skidding to a halt, unable to proceed; being seen and pursued by the police.

* If an insane investigator fails a pushed roll, they will be found behind the wheel of a stationary vehicle making "brum-brum" noises.
Game System

(Back to Call of Cthulhu: Nachtstadt Berlin Wiki)

Bonus Dice and Penalty Dice - General info and specific info on each

* Bonus Dice
* Penalty Dice

Charm, Fast Talk, Intimidate, and Persuade Skills: Difficulty Levels - How to use, and oppose, these skills

Credit Rating and Investigator Expenditure - What you make and how to live like it

General Living Standards - Standards of living

Insane Insight - Insight...into insanity
Permanent Insanity

(Back to Insanity)

When Sanity points are reduced to zero the investigator is permanently and incurably insane and ceases to be a player character. In the real world, all insanity is defined as indefinite insanity, since no one in real life can hope to predict the future as accurately as a *Call of Cthulhu* Keeper can.

Many disorders, especially congenital conditions, offer little hope of recovery. Lovecraftconcludes more than one story with the intimation that a lifetime of madness for the narrator will follow.

Every Keeper must work out what the end-point of madness is in the game. Now and then a quiet release might be made from a local asylum. Some thin, unnaturally pallid person, almost unrecognizable after soul-wracking terrors, can walk shyly into downtown Arkham or elsewhere, cast keen eyes about, and attempt to regain some semblance of their normal life - however, no player should count on such privilege as a right.
Armor

(Back to Combat)

(see also Armor Examples)

Armor reduces damage received, whether it is the natural armor of some monsters, body armor worn by a character, or the natural defense of an obstacle between the attacker and the target. Deduct the number of armor points from damage inflicted by attacks passing through armor.

Note that armor will not reduce damage from magical attacks, poison, drowning, etc.
Electronics (Modern)

(Back to Skill List)

**Electronics (Modern) (01%)**

For troubleshooting and repair electronic equipment. Allows simple electronic devices to be made. This is a skill for the present day - use Physics and Electrical Repair for electronic developments of the 1920s.

Unlike the Electrical Repair skill, parts needed for electronics work often cannot be jury-rigged: they are designed for precise jobs. Often without the right microchip or circuit board, the skill-user is out of luck unless they can contrive some form of workaround.

**Opposing skill/Difficulty level:** Time is a factor in fabrication or repair, and the difficulty level should be lowered if time is unlimited, especially if the character has access to manuals and parts.

If the investigator has the correct parts and instructions, putting together a standard computer should not even require a skill roll.

* Regular difficulty: repairing minor damage to a computer or electronic device - the kind of service one might expect under warranty.
* Hard difficulty: use scavenged parts to

**Pushing examples**: taking longer to construct or repair a device; researching new or other methodologies.

**Sample Consequences of failing a Pushed roll:** fry circuitry or other delicate parts; take damage from electric shock, create a device that does something other than what was intended.

* If an insane investigator fails a pushed roll, they become paranoid, convinced that every item they come across contains electronic bugging devices: the telephone, the television, the refrigerator.
The Effects of Insanity

(Back to Sanity)

Both Temporary and Indefinite insanity take the investigator through two distinct phases of Insanity. First, the investigator experiences a short bout of madness (phase one). This is then following by a longer period of underlying insanity (phase two), which lasts until the investigator has fully recovered (hours in the case of temporary insanity, months in the case of indefinite insanity).

Insanity Phase 1: A Bout of Madness

* A Bout of Madness - Real Time
	+ Bouts of Madness - Real Time (roll 1D10)
* A Bout of Madness - Summary
	+ Bouts of Madness - Summary (roll 1D10)

Insanity Phase 2: Underlying Insanity

Insanity Side-Effects 1: Phobias and Manias

* Phobic and Manic Responses While Insane

Insanity Side-Effects 2: Delusions and Reality Checks

* Reality Check Rolls

Insanity Side-Effects 3: Insanity and the Cthulhu Mythos
Schoneberg

(Back to Berlin - Weimar Republic)

(see also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sch%C3%B6neberg)

**Schoneberg**

Located to the south of Nollendorfplatz, Schoneberg has transformed over the last 30 years from an almost provincial village to one of the city's classiest, most upscale districts. Home to a large number of Bavarians, the district is also sometimes called the Bavarian Quarter. But it is the district's Jewish population who are chiefly responsible for its transformation. Starting in the late 19th century, the textile manufacturer Salomon Haberland and his son Georg began buying up properties in the village of Schoneberg and building large, country-style houses with an eye toward creating a desirable commuter suburb for well-off Berliners. The plan worked better than they might have hoped, and by the dawn of the Great War, the town was populated with sprawling 10-room estates, all decked out in full Wilhelmine splendor.

The district's centerpiece is Viktoria-Luise Platz (called "Vicki" by the locals). Less than a mile south of The Ku'damm (Kurfurstendamm), with its fountains and border colonnades, it it feels like a different world entirely. Here may be found some of Schoneberg's finest mansions, as well as a variety of restaurants and cafes catering to locals and visitors alike.

The area around Bayerischer Platz, meanwhile is home to many artists and intellectuals, including psychoanalyst Erich Fromm and film writer/director Billy Wilder. The district's most well-known resident, however, is unquestionably the physicist Albert Einstein, who maintains a residence at Haberlandstrasse 5 from 1911 to 1933.
Bonus Dice and Penalty Dice

**(Primarily for Use with Opposed Dice Rolls)**

Sometimes the prevailing conditions, environment, and available can hinder or benefit a skill or characteristic roll. Certain conditions mean that the Keeper may grant a Bonus die or a Penalty Die to a roll.

Bonus dice and Penalty dice are not trifling small additions or subtractions to a few percentage points, and so should not be used without good cause. If a factor is so small that it would only modify a roll by a few percentage points then don't bother with it. Driving in light rain should not inflict a Penalty die, but racing against another driver in heavy torrential rain (opposed Drive Auto roll) - now there's your penalty!

In most cases, the Keeper would boost or penalize a roll with a single "bonus die" or "penalty die", but where conditions are highly advantageous or dire, a second Bonus die or Penalty die could be applied.

One Bonus die and one Penalty die cancel each other out.

See Difficulty Levels vs. Bonus/Penalty Dice
Sleight of Hand

(Back to Skill List)

**Sleight of Hand (10%)**

Allows the visual covering-up, secreting, or masking of an object or objects, perhaps with debris, cloth, or other intervening or illusion-promoting materials, perhaps by using a secret panel or false compartment. Larger objects of any sort should be increasingly hard to conceal. Sleight of hand includes pick-pocketing, palming a card, and clandestine use of a cell phone.

**Opposing skill/Difficulty level: Sleight of Hand** is commonly opposed by Spot Hidden. Adjust the difficulty level according to the size of the task. If it is a small item (which would fit in a pocket or up a sleeve) that is being palmed or concealed, no adjustment is required. If the item is larger, the level of difficulty may be increased.

* Regular difficulty: picking the pocket of someone with less than 50% Spot Hidden skill.
* Hard difficulty: picking the pocket of someone with 50% to 89% Spot Hidden skill.

**Pushing examples**: taking more time to study the target and their behaviors; physically touching or bumping into the target; setting up an elaborate rig inside one's jacket to conceal a card or loaded dice; having someone cause a distraction.

**Sample Consequences of failing a Pushed roll**: you feel a policeman's hand on your shoulder; while no one can prove you pick-pocketed the priceless diamond, someone has their suspicions and you begin to notice that for the last week you have been tailed by a mysterious dark figured; you're caught red-handed and the mobster doesn't take kindly to thieves! You're taken out back and shown the business end of a couple of baseball bats.

* If an insane investigator fails a pushed roll, they act like a Kleptomaniac.
Fist Fights

(Back to Combat)

To explain the combat rules, we shall start with a simple, old-fashioned, one-on-one fist fight. Later we can add rules for melee weapons, multiple opponents, firearms, and other options.

This fight might be a barroom brawl, or any situation where two people are determined to hurt one another in unarmed combat. This is not a boxing match or a martial arts class; there are no holds barred here. This is down and dirty: fists fly, feet lash out, hair is pulled, foreheads clash, nails rake, fingers twist, vulnerable parts are targeted, eyes gouged, and teeth spat out. This is all encompassed in one skill: Brawling. The alternative to attacking is to try to avoid being hit, and this is represented by the Dodge skill.

Melee attacks are resolved using opposed skill rolls. When attacked, a character has a simple choice: either dodge or fight back.

* If the character chooses to fight back, use the target's Fighting skill to oppose the attacker's Fighting skill.
* If the character choose to dodge, use the target's Dodge skill to oppose the attacker's Fighting skill.
* If the target is neither fighting back nor dodging, refer to surprise attacks.
Accounting

(Back to Skill List)

**Accounting (05%)**

Grants understanding of accountancy procedures and reveals the financial functioning of a business or person. Inspecting the books, one might detect cheated employees, siphoned-off funds, payment of bribes or blackmail, and whether the financial condition is better or worse than claimed. Looking through old accounts, one could see how money was gained or lost in the past (grain, slave-trading, whiskey-running, etc.) and to whom and for what payment was made

**Opposing skill/Difficulty level:** If someone were trying to conceal something, the difficulty level would be based on the Accountancy skill of the person doing the concealing:

* Regular difficulty: comprehensive and well-documented set of account books.

* Hard difficulty: disorganized and partial accounts.

**Pushing examples**: taking more time to review documents; visiting banks or businesses to validate findings; double checking the math and data.

**Sample Consequences of failing a Pushed roll:** discussion between investigators and third parties alert some enemy faction to the investigators' intentions; a vital part of the accounts is destroyed or lost (perhaps in their tired state the investigator spills coffee over them).

* If an insane investigator fails a pushed roll, they might be found having partial eaten the accounts.
Bouts of Madness - Summary (roll 1D10)

(Back to A Bout of Madness - Summary)

**1) Amnesia:** The investigator comes to their senses in some unfamiliar place with no memory of who they are. Their memories will slowly return to them over time.

**2) Robbed:** The investigator comes to their senses 1D10 hours later, having been robbed. They are unharmed. If they were carrying a **Treasured Possession** (see **investigator backstory**), make a **Luck** roll to see if it was stolen. Everything else of value is automatically missing.

**3) Battered:** The investigator comes to their senses 1D10 hours later to find themselves battered and bruised. Hit points are reduced to half of what they were before going insane, though this does not cause a Major Wound. They have not been robbed. How the damage was sustained is up to the Keeper.

**4) Violence:** The investigator explodes in a spree of violence and destruction. When the investigator comes to their sense, their actions may or may not be apparent or remembered. Who or what the investigator has inflicted violence upon and whether they have been killed or simply harmed is up to the Keeper.

**5) Ideology/Beliefs:** Review the investigator's backstory entry for Ideology and Beliefs. The investigator manifests one of these in an extreme, crazed, and demonstrative manner. For example, a religious person might be found later, preaching the gospel loudly on the subway.

**6) Significant People:** Consult the investigator's backstory entry for Significant People and why the relationship is so important. In the time that passes (1D10 hours or more) the investigator has done their best to get close to that person and act upon their relationship in some way.

**7) Institutionalized:** The investigator comes to their senses in a psychiatric ward or police cell. They may slowly recall the events that led them there.

**8) Flee in panic:** When the investigator comes to their senses they are far away, perhaps lost in the wilderness or on a train or long-distance bus.

**9) Phobia:** The investigator gains a new phobia. Roll 1D100 on Sample Phobias, or the Keeper may choose one. The investigator comes to their senses 1D10 hours later, having taken every precaution to avoid their new phobia.

**10) Mania:** The investigator gains a new mania. Roll 1D100 on Sample Manias, or the Keeper may choose one. The investigator comes to their sense 1D10 hours later. During this bout of madness, the investigator will have been fully indulging in their new mania. Whether this is apparent to other people is up to the Keeper and player.
Credit Rating

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**Credit Rating (00%)**

A measure of how prosperous and financially confident the investigator appears to be. Money opens doors; if the investigator is attempting to use their financial status to achieve a goal then use of the Credit Rating skill may be appropriate. Credit Rating can be used in place of APP to gauge first impressions (*i.e.* wealthier people tend to dress in more expensive clothing).

Credit Rating is not so much a skill as a gauge of financial wealth, and should not be ticked as other skills are. A high Credit Rating can be a useful resource in play, and so should be paid for with skill points when creating an investigator. Each occupation has a starting range for Credit Rating, and skill points should be spent to achieve a rating therein.

*Call of Cthulhu* is not a game that requires money to be carefully tracked; however, it is useful to know the bounds of an investigator's financial reach - for example, can the investigator afford to employ a team of archaeologists and workers to excavate an Egyptian tomb? An investigator's Credit Rating can change over time. Investigators of the Cthulhu Mythos are prone to insanity, and this may lead to a loss of employment and thus a lowering of the investigator's Credit Rating score. See Credit Rating and Investigator Expenditure for a more in-depth study of Credit Rating and its use.

**Opposing skill/Difficulty level:**

* Regular difficulty: getting a loan from a bank or business; bypassing a demand for credentials; gaining a line of credit in a store or casino; getting the best table in a fancy restaurant.
* Hard difficulty: obtaining credit or a loan while implicated (or found guilty) in a criminal investigation; gaining favorable attention after being vilified in the media.

**Pushing examples:** you offer your house and/or other valuables to secure money from a loan shark; you attempt to pressure the bank manager into giving you a loan.

**Sample Consequences of failing a Pushed roll**: the loan shark turns nasty and directs his boys to teach you a lesson; the bank manager calls the police; you are loaned the money, but it is a ploy to put you deeper into debt with a mobster who plans to buy you out of your debt and later call on you for a favor.

* If an insane investigator fails a pushed roll, they lose all faith in Capitalism and begin to freely hand out their money to passersby.

(See General Living Standards for more details)
Scarred Man

(Back to Non-Player Characters)

A bald man with a long scar over his left eye.

He came into The Wish Doctors and purchased a book on archaic ritualistic sacrifice. Mentioned by store owner Delia Dorn to Detective McQuaid, who was investigating a string of strange murders in the area over the past few weeks.
Non-Player Characters

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Billy

Ruth Blake (Records Keeper at the Boston Globe)

Walter Corbitt

Father Cunningham

Dark Shape

Kim Debrun (receptionist at Central Police Station)

Mr. Dooley

Cecilia Dorn

Daniel Ellsworth

Councilman Peter Ellsworth

Dr. Feinlander

Felipe (orderly at Roxbury Sanitarium)

Captain Franklins

Johann (orderly at Roxbury Sanitarium)

Steven Knott

The Macarios

Man in Black

Nurse

Receptionist (Boston Globe)

Receptionist (Roxbury Sanitarium)

Rolly

Scarred Man

Pastor Michael Thomas

Henry Webber

Arty Wilmot (editor at the Boston Globe)
Charm, Fast Talk, Intimidate, and Persuade Skills: Difficulty Levels

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An investigator may have a Charm skill of 75%, but this does not mean that they can charm anyone and everyone 75% of the time. The difficulty level is based on the opposing factor; in this case the matching social skill (either Charm, Fast Talk, Intimidate, or Persuade) or Psychology skill (whichever is higher). Thus, if the opposing skill is 50% or higher, a Hard success is required (a roll equal to or below half skill). If the opposing skill is 90% or higher, an Extreme success is required (a roll equal to or below one-fifth of skill). For the vast majority of non-player characters, these skills will be below 50%, and so the difficulty level will be Regular and the player only needs a regular success.

* If the non-player character is positively inclined towards the player's goal, don't bother rolling dice, but simply have them agree.
* If the non-player character lacks strong feelings towards the player's goal then no modification to the difficulty level is required.
* If the non-player character is strongly opposed to the player's goal, the difficulty is raised by one or two levels.

* If the player comes up with something to support their case, such as a substantive argument (if using Persuade), or is holding a weapon and is clearly willing to use it (in the case of Intimidate), the Keeper should lower the difficulty by one level.

The lowest chance of success requires an Extreme success (equal to or below one-fifth of the skill), but in some rare circumstances the Keeper may rule that there is no chance of success and that no roll is allowed.

*Brian's investigator is trying to intimidate a cultist into revealing the name of the cult's contact in the police force. The cultist is a doctor by profession, and the Keeper decides that the doctor's Intimidate and Psychology skills are below 50%. The difficulty level therefore begins as Regular. Of course the cultist strongly desires not to reveal his contact, and so the Keeper increases the difficulty level by two steps to Extreme.*

*Brian fails the skill roll. Brian seeks to push the roll by threatening violence. He pulls out a crowbar, swings it near the doctor's head and then looks the doctor straight in the eye to make sure that he understands the implied threat. The Keeper lowers the difficulty level to Hard. Brian fails the pushed roll, and the Keeper tells how Brian gets carried away and, in his frustration, hits the doctor's head with the crowbar, causing a nasty injury. Brian did not intend this - it was the consequence of failing the pushed roll. Things don't always go as intended! If the player had succeeded in the Intimidate roll, the Keeper would be compelled to give up the name of the contact (as it was the player's goal), but as the roll was failed, it is now entirely up to the Keeper whether the doctor is forthcoming, regardless of any further action the investigators may take against him.*
Firing into Melee Combat

(Back to Firearm Attack Modifiers)

Combatants in melee combat are constantly on the move and may obscure one another. One Penalty die is applied when targeting a combatant involved in melee combat. A fumble indicates an ally has been hit. If multiple allies are in the line of fire, the one with the lowest Luck score is hit.
Cover and Concealment

(Back to Firearm Attack Modifiers)

The degree of protection offered by cover is at the Keeper's discretion; a wooden fence may not stop a bullet, but it does obscure the target, making the shot more difficult. Concealment of at least half of the target adds one Penalty die to a firearms attack.

A target that breaks cover even briefly (to fire shots for example) may be targeted by another character - if that character is holding their turn.
Medicine (rules)

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(see also Major Wound Recovery)

Treatment of injuries using the Medicine skill takes a minimum of one hour and can be delivered any time after damage is taken. if this is not performed on the same day, the difficulty level is increased (requiring a Hard success). A person treated successfully with Medicine recovers 1D3 hit points (in addition to any First Aid they have received), except in the case of a dying character, who must initially receive successful First Aid, after which they must be stabilized using Medicine.
Acrobat

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Acrobats may be either amateur-athletes competing in staged meets - possibly even the Olympics - or professionals employed with the entertainment sector (*e.g.* circuses, carnivals, theatrical performances).

**Occupation Skill Points:** EDU x 2 + DEX x 2

**Credit Rating:** 9 - 20

**Suggested Contacts:** Amateur athletic circles, sports writers, circuses, carnivals.

**Skills:**  Climb, Dodge, Jump, Spot Hidden, Swim, Throw, any two other skills as personal or era specialties.
Interpersonal Skills: Disambiguation

(Back to Skills)

The relative values in the Charm, Fast Talk, Intimidate, and Persuade skills serve to define a character and how they interact with people.

It is not for the player to nominate which one of these four skills they are using in a given situation. Instead, the player should describe what their investigator is doing and saying, and it is then up to the Keeper to decide which of the four skills is appropriate.

* If the investigator is threatening violence or acting aggressively, the skill is Intimidate.
* If the investigator is attempting to befriend or seduce, the skill is Charm.
* If the investigator is using rational arguments and debate over a prolong time, the skill is Persuade.
* If the investigator is acting quickly to deceive, con, or trick, the skill is Fast Talk.

**When Use on Player Characters**

Each player (normally) has only one investigator through which they act in the game; it would therefore not be fair to allow one player to dictate the actions of another player's investigator. However, if one players wish to put pressure on another player's investigator to do their bidding, they might use violence (combat rules) or their investigator's social skills. The former could inflict damage and ultimately death; the latter is subtler.

When one of these four skills is successfully used on an investigator (either by an NPC or another investigator), the player is not compelled to follow the wishes of the other party. If the player refuses to act in accordance with the wishes of the character who is coercing them, the latter can inflict one Penalty die on the dice roll (of the coercer's choice) made by the player of the coerced investigator. This Penalty die need not be be applied to the very next dice roll, but does not last indefinitely. Only one Penalty die can be held by one character against any other character at a time.
Wounds and Healing

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Descriptions of injuries should be appropriate to the type and degree of damage received. Thus the investigator is not merely shot, but shot in one arm or the other; likewise a fall might mean the investigator has sprained an ankle, or now has a lump in the back of their skull as well as the hit point loss.

Keepers should describe the effects of damage and try to avoid simply saying, "You lost 3 hit points".
Phobic and Manic Responses While Insane

(Back to Insanity Side-Effects 1: Phobias and Manias)

Direct exposure (close physical proximity) to the subject of the phobia causes panic; equally, exposure to the source of a mania causes an obsessive reaction.

For phobias, actions other than fighting or fleeing may only be made with one Penalty die. This Penalty die does not apply to Sanity Rolls or Reality Check Rolls.

While in a state of Underlying Insanity, being exposed to the subject of their mania will cause an overwhelming response in the investigator. If the Keeper prompts the player towards some form of behavior appropriate to their mania, the investigator will suffer one Penalty die on all dice rolls until the obsession has been indulged in some manner, or the investigator is well out of range of the stimulus. For example, while in a place that serves alcohol, a dipsomaniac would take one Penalty die on all rolls unless taking a drink. Of course characters who fully succumb to their drug craving will be subject to the drug's effects, such as drunkenness or altered states of consciousness. In such situations the Keeper may alter the level of difficulty of certain skill rolls (or impose a Penalty die on opposed skill rolls) depending on the situation and state of the character.

Successful use of the Psychoanalysis skill upon an insane investigator enables the insane investigator to temporarily ignore a phobia or mania.

*Harvey has developed Selenophobia (fear of the moon). On exiting a theater with friends, the sight of the moon gives him a chill. Harvey is sane at present. His player describes Harvey's nervous disposition and his relief when he arrives home and closes the curtains.*

*A week later, Harvey, now suffering underlying insanity, finds himself in a similar situation and chooses to flee home to safety. On his way home, Harvey is followed by a sinister-looking individual. The Keeper offers a Spot Hidden roll to Harvey's player to determine if Harvey notices his pursuer. Since this roll has nothing to do with fighting or fleeing, and Harvey is still exposed to the source of his phobia, one Penalty die is applied to his Spot Hidden roll. Only when Harvey is safely in doors and the moon is out of sight will this penalty cease.*