Eldritch Instinct System Reference Document (v0.4)
Eldritch Instinct is an adventure game for one facilitator (the Warden) and at least one other player. Players act as curious investigators of the strange and unexplained. They will run from delusional cultists, hide from stalking shadows and face terrifying monstrosities. And they will change - through encounters with the unnatural forces of the Mythos and the limits of their own Humanity.
Eldritch Instinct was designed to run scenarios and campaigns using streamlined rules while following the axioms of the old school style as described by Ben Milton, Steven Lumpkin and David Perry in the Principia Apocrypha. It is inspired by and combines mechanics from games like Mothership by Tuesday Knight Games (Critical Wounds), Cthulhu Dark by Graham Walmsley, Nemesis by Arc Dream Publishing (Notches), Cairn by Yochai Gal, Call of Cthulhu by Chaosium Inc. (Magic, Bonds), Into the Odd by Chris McDowall, Blades in the Dark by John Harper (Position and Effect) and Rats in the Walls by Kobayashi (Research).
The names and gear tables in the character creation section are based on the United States of America roughly in the middle of the 20th century. Other than that, this system is not tied to any particular place or period.
For the purposes of this game, the Mythos is a collection of stories, entities, characters and places conceived by Howard Phillips Lovecraft with contributions from his contemporary authors such as Clark Ashton Smith, Robert E. Howard and Robert Bloch. Since then, many authors, directors, artists and scenario designers have contributed their, often contradictory, ideas to the Mythos. The Warden may choose freely which elements of the Mythos to include in their game.
The Eldritch Instinct SRD is licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0 and is is derived from Yochai Gal’s Cairn SRD (cairnrpg.com). Download the game in other formats (including Markdown, OpenDocument Text) and character sheets from here.
Written by Linus Weber. Images from oldbookillustrations.com. Featuring public domain art by: Oswaldo Tofani, Frederick Catherwood, Peter Newell, James Davis Cooper, Gordon Browne, Arthur Rackham, William John Hennessy, Jules Férat, Tony Johannot and Alphonse de Neuville.
Table of contents
Overview
Eldritch Instinct was written with the following design philosophies in mind:
External Interaction
Players interact with the fictional world directly through questions and descriptions, instead of mechanics. Questions are gameplay.
Roll-Play
Mechanics should create tense situations and force players to make tough choices. They are not a simulation.
Immersion
The rules, or the absence thereof, and the principles help players immerse themselves in the fictional world and create verisimilitude where it matters.
Fail Forward
Players roll saves to avoid complications in risky situations. Don’t think of success and failure as binary options.
Neutrality
The Warden’s role is to portray the rules, situations, NPCs, and narrative clearly, while acting as a neutral arbiter.
Assumed Competence
Player characters are generally able to find information they are looking for, or to remain undetected if they try.
Rulings
The Warden and the players make this game their own by leaving out rules they don’t like and by adding procedures and spot-rules they want.
Death
Characters are ordinary people faced with incomprehensible horrors. Death is always around the corner, but it is never random or without warning.
Character Development
Characters are changed by encounters with the Mythos and gain new skills, contacts and knowledge through in-world efforts.
Principles
The Warden and the players each have guidelines that help foster a specific play experience defined by critical thinking, exploration, and an emergent narrative.
Shared Objectives
Players trust one another to engage with the shared setting, character goals, and party challenges. Therefore, the party is typically working together towards a common goal, as a team.
Principles for Wardens
Information
- Provide useful information about the game world as the characters explore it and present hooks that the players can pull to uncover more information.
- Tailor your answers to the character’s occupation: a doctor would pick up on different details than a police officer or a journalist.
- Players do not need to roll dice to learn about their circumstances.
- Respond honestly, describe consistently, and always let them know they can keep asking questions.
- Telegraph serious danger to players when it is present. The more dangerous, the more obvious.
Rolls
- Is what the players describe and how they leverage the situation sensible? Let it happen. Reward clever ideas and creative use of equipment or the environment.
- Ask for saves to introduce interesting complications in very intense situations; not to see whether an investigator is able to do something.
- Consider the margins of success or failure. Failure could mean that the situation gets much worse, or that success comes at a cost (time, resources, harm, situational disadvantage).
Motivations
- NPCs act independently of the PCs and are guided by their own motivations.
- They remember what the characters say and do, and how they affect the world.
- NPCs and even monsters don’t want to die. Infuse their own self-interest and will to live into every personality.
Narrative Focus
- Pay attention to the needs and wants of the players, then put realistic opportunities in their path.
- A dagger to your throat will kill you; there is no obligation to use the combat rules or other procedures in every situation.
Questions
- Make sure that there is room for interaction between characters and allow players to inject details into the fictional world.
- Ask a lot of questions like: what is going on in your head? How does that make you feel? How do you respond? What are you doing?
- Employ Jason Cordova’s Paint The Scene technique: “if there is an idea, theme, or visual motif that is particularly important for an encounter or scene, ask the players what their characters observe in the scene that reinforces that idea, theme, or motif.”
Pacing
- Know how to escalate a scenario if the PCs are taking too long to solve a situation, based on the monster’s or NPCs’ motivations.
- During tense situations, keep up the time pressure in real life as well. Demand quick answers during a fight or chase, or use sand timers to limit how long the players get to plan before the monster finds them.
- Jump cut between players when they are separated to keep players involved, and fade out scenes when nothing new is happening to keep the game moving.
Expectations
- Before playing, establish shared expectations with your players. Show them these principles and use something like Patrick O’Leary’s CATS method (Concept, Aim, Tone, Subject Matter).
- Prepare a strong introduction for your session in order to create the right mood, pull your players into the fictional world and serve as an example for the players.
The Trajectory of Fear
- Your goal is not to explicitly scare your players, but to create an immersive, eerie atmosphere and to build tension.
- Summarized from Ash Law’s original source, start with establishing Normality as a baseline. Next, introduce signs that something is not quite right, building up Unease. Follow up with Dread, which is the suspicion of looming danger. Terror is knowing that something terrible is about to happen, but has not been revealed yet, and is the most tense kind of fear. Lastly, Horror is the brutal revelation of the threat, and releases built-up tension.
- Slowly build up from one kind of fear to the next, and utilize small releases of tension before you reveal the final horror.
Principles for Players
Exploration
- Asking questions and listening to detail is more useful than any stats, items, or skills you have.
- Take the Warden’s description without suspicion, but don’t shy away from seeking more information.
- There is no single correct way forward.
Talking
- Treat NPCs as if they were real people, and rely on your curiosity to safely gain information and solve problems.
- When you want something from an NPC, consider what you are asking for, what the NPC wants, whether they respect you and whether you have something that forces their hand.
Atmosphere
- Engage with the fictional world and include details provided by the Warden in your own descriptions and questions.
- Feel free to contribute details to the scene and describe your actions in a colorful way.
Caution
- Fighting is a choice and rarely a wise one; consider whether violence is the best way to achieve your goals.
- Try to stack the odds in your favor and retreat when things seem unfavorable.
- Prepare to die; combat is extremely quick and violent. Make your last moments count.
Planning
- Think of ways to avoid your obstacles through reconnaissance, subtlety, and fact-finding.
- Do some research and ask around about your objectives.
- Keep notes to help you remember details and clues from your investigation.
Motivation
- Investigators are confronted with life-threatening violence, mind-breaking revelations and demanding tasks.
- Conceive the reason why your character would push on despite all of this.
Agency
- Attributes and related saves do not define your character. They are tools.
- Don’t ask only what your character would do, ask what you would do, too.
- Be creative with your intuition, items, and connections.
Teamwork
- Seek consensus from the other players before barreling forward.
- Stay on the same page about goals and limits, respecting each other and accomplishing more as a group than alone.
Character Creation
Name, Background & Traits
First, choose or roll a name for your character, then their occupation and speciality, which informs their knowledge and potential skills. Note however, that PCs do not hold positions of power.
Next, roll for your character’s personality (five factors) and think of one detail about your PC’s face and clothes, each.
Ability Scores
Player Characters (PCs) have three attributes: Strength (STR), Dexterity (DEX), and Willpower (WIL).
When creating a PC, the player should roll 3d6 for each of their character’s ability scores, in order. They may then swap any two of the results.
Hit Protection
Roll 1d6+2 to determine your PC’s starting Hit Protection (HP), which reflects their ability to avoid damage in combat.
HP does not indicate a character’s health or fortitude; nor do they lose it for very long (see Healing on page 10).
Magic Points
A PC’s Magic Points (MP) start at the PC’s WIL and are used to cast spells.
Mythos Knowledge
A PC’s Mythos Knowledge (MK) starts at 0. It represents how much a character has learned about the Mythos.
Languages
Every character understands their own native language and one other language. Choose from current languages (like French, Italian, German etc.) and ancient languages (like Greek, Latin, Arabic, etc.).
Contacts
Every PC knows one person they trust and who will help them with favors such as research, translation or transport. Give them a name, two languages and an occupation.
Bonds
Roll on the Bonds Table to determine the four most significant things that tie your PC to this world and mark one as their Key Connection. Use the results as a starting point and come up with something short and specific.
Motivation
Investigators are confronted with life-threatening violence, mind-breaking revelations and demanding tasks. During play, conceive and adapt the reason why your character would push on despite all of this.
Inventory
Characters have a total of 9 inventory slots. Most items such as a magazine or a flashlight take up one slot, and small items can be bundled together.
Bulky items take up two slots and are typically two-handed or awkward to carry. Anyone carrying a full inventory (e.g. filling all 9 slots) is reduced to 0 HP. A PC cannot carry more items than their inventory allows.
As carrying bulky weapons would raise suspicion, it is generally assumed that PCs keep their bulky weapons hidden in their car or at home, unless the players say otherwise.
If you have a gun, divide the circle labeled Magazine into a number of sections equal to the weapon’s Shots value. A loaded magazine does not count towards the inventory limit.
Starting Gear
All PCs begin with:
- Two items from the Gear Table.
- One item from the Bonus Items Table (optional).
The PC with the lowest ability score total also starts with a source of light.
Name & Occupation (d20)
Female Names
| 1 | Mary | 6 | Ruth | 11 | Clara | 16 | Lillian |
| 2 | Anna | 7 | Florence | 12 | Bertha | 17 | Edna |
| 3 | Margaret | 8 | Ethel | 13 | Minnie | 18 | Grace |
| 4 | Helen | 9 | Emma | 14 | Bessie | 19 | Annie |
| 5 | Elizabeth | 10 | Marie | 15 | Alice | 20 | Mabel |
Male Names
| 1 | John | 6 | Joseph | 11 | Harry | 16 | Albert |
| 2 | William | 7 | Frank | 12 | Thomas | 17 | Clarence |
| 3 | James | 8 | Robert | 13 | Walter | 18 | Samuel |
| 4 | George | 9 | Edward | 14 | Arthur | 19 | Roy |
| 5 | Charles | 10 | Henry | 15 | Fred | 20 | Louis |
Surnames
| 1 | Smith | 6 | Davis | 11 | Anderson | 16 | Martin |
| 2 | Hopkins | 7 | Conway | 12 | Fink | 17 | Thompson |
| 3 | Williams | 8 | Wilson | 13 | Jackson | 18 | Garcia |
| 4 | Meyer | 9 | Moore | 14 | Brooks | 19 | Donahoe |
| 5 | Brown | 10 | Kennedy | 15 | Harris | 20 | Robinson |
Occupation
| 1 | Journalist | 6 | Priest | 11 | Scholar | 16 | Private Investigator |
| 2 | Librarian | 7 | Sailor | 12 | Trades | 17 | Drifter |
| 3 | Custodian | 8 | Artist | 13 | Criminal | 18 | Pilot |
| 4 | Police Officer | 9 | Bureaucrat | 14 | Author | 19 | Antiquarian |
| 5 | Doctor | 10 | Ranger | 15 | Farmer | 20 | Mechanic |
Bonus Item (optional)
| 1-8 | 9-14 | 15-17 | 18-20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melee Weapon | Pistol | Shotgun | Rifle |
Gear Table
| d100 | Item | d100 | Item | d100 | Item | d100 | Item |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-1 | Beverage | 26-27 | Matches | 52-53 | Umbrella | 78-79 | Painkillers |
| 2-3 | Sandwich | 28-29 | Glue | 54-55 | Cigarettes | 80-81 | Treats |
| 4-5 | Bottle of Water | 30-31 | Padlock & Chain (1 m) | 56-57 | Magnifying Glass | 82-83 | Makeup |
| 6-7 | First Aid Pack | 32-33 | Rope (15 m) | 58-59 | Bible | 84-85 | Sewing Kit |
| 8-9 | Lantern | 34-35 | Chalk | 60-61 | Briefcase | 86-87 | Suit / Dress |
| 10-11 | Flashlight | 36-37 | Shovel | 62-63 | Newspaper | 88-89 | Book |
| 12-13 | Flare | 38-39 | Tools | 64-65 | Flute | 90-91 | Torch |
| 14-15 | Binoculars | 40-41 | Net | 66-67 | Harmonica | 92-93 | Playing Cards |
| 16-17 | Compass | 42-43 | Grappling Hook | 68-69 | Handkerchief | 94-95 | Watch |
| 18-19 | Bear Trap | 44-45 | Handcuffs | 70-71 | Suspenders | 96-97 | Pen and Paper |
| 20-21 | Tape Recorder | 46-47 | Whistle | 72-73 | Walking Stick | 98-99 | Marbles |
| 22-23 | Sack | 48-49 | Gloves | 74-75 | Camera | ||
| 24-25 | Candles | 50-51 | Oil (flask) | 76-77 | Lock Pick |
Weapons Table
| Weapon | Damage | Shots | Special |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magazine | n/a | n/a | Occupies one inventory slot unless loaded. |
| Unarmed | 1d4 | n/a | |
| Knife, Machete, Crowbar | 1d6 | n/a | |
| Colt M1911 | 1d6 | 6 | Spend 3 shots to deal d6 + d6 + d6 damage. |
| Stevens 311 Shotgun | 1d6 | 2 | bulky, blast. Fire both barrels for 1d10 damage. Must be close. |
| Fire Axe, Baseball Bat | 1d8 | n/a | bulky |
| Lee-Enfield Mk III | 1d8 | 4 | bulky. d12 when used as a sniper rifle from a controlled position. |
| Thompson Submachine Gun | 1d10 | 3 | bulky, spend 3 shots for blast |
| .30 Browning Machine Gun | 1d12 | 4 | mounted, blast |
| Frag Grenade | 1d10 | 1 | blast |
| Molotov Cocktail | 1d4 | 1 | blast, lasts 3 rounds |
| Dynamite Stick | 1d6 | 1 | blast, explodes at least one round after being lit |
| Flamethrower | 1d6 | 4 | bulky, blast |
Bonds Table
| 1 | Family | 6 | Sports | 11 | Music | 16 | Personal Interest |
| 2 | Work | 7 | Friend | 12 | Faith | 17 | Activism |
| 3 | Pet | 8 | Outdoors | 13 | Community | 18 | Going out |
| 4 | Partner | 9 | Travel | 14 | Contemplate | 19 | Home |
| 5 | Literature | 10 | Art | 15 | Self-Care | 20 | Gardening |
Optional Rules for Character Creation
Backstories
First, write a sentence about your character on the back page and pass your character sheet on to the player on your right. They add a sentence linking their character to yours. Repeat this process one more time.
Age
Decide how old your character is or roll 2d20+15 or roll two d8, one representing the tens digit, the other the single digit and add 6.
Organization
When you are playing a series of short and unrelated scenarios, you might want to come up with an organization that all players belong to or that they found after their first adventure. The organization should have a way of recruiting new members, should be sworn to secrecy and strive to study and suppress the Mythos.
Rules
Abilities
Each of the three abilities are used in different circumstances.
Strength (STR): Used for saves requiring physical power, like lifting gates, climbing, restraining a person, etc.
Dexterity (DEX): Used for saves requiring poise, speed, and reflexes like dodging, sneaking, balancing, etc.
Willpower (WIL): Used for saves to recall training, resist manipulation of your thoughts, deceive, etc.
Saves
A save is a roll to avoid bad outcomes from risky choices and circumstances. PCs roll a d20 for an appropriate ability score. If they roll equal to or under that ability score, they pass. Otherwise, they fail.
A 1 is always a critical success, and a 20 is always a critical failure.
For an opposed save, both the PC and their opponent make a save. Whoever rolls the highest number under or equal to their ability score wins the save. If both sides fail, the lowest result wins. Add any ability score above 20 to your result.
Difficulty
When a PC is in a favorable or in a particularly difficult situation and must make a save, don’t use a mechanical solution to make success more or less likely. Instead, limit or increase the risks and possible effects of the PC’s action purely in the fictional world.
Armor
Before calculating damage to HP, subtract the target’s Armor value from the result of damage rolls. PCs can buy Protective Clothing which provides 1 point of armor, but occupies one inventory slot and is destroyed when the PC is critically wounded.
Healing
Resting for a few moments and having a drink of water restores lost HP.
Ability loss can usually be restored with a couple of weeks’ rest in a safe place like a hospital or at home with the help of a medical professional.
A PC deprived of a crucial need (such as food or rest) is unable to recover HP or ability scores.
Die of Fate
Occasionally you will want an element of randomness (e.g. the weather, looking for specific items, etc.). In these situations, roll 1d6. A roll of 4 or more generally favors the players. A roll of 3 or under tends to mean bad luck for the PCs or their allies.
Tension Pool
This procedure is from The Angry DM’s blog.
Place a container (the Tension Pool) on the table and keep six d6 (Tension Dice) nearby.
When an investigator does something that takes time, like observing patrolling patterns, traveling to another location or picking a lock, they add a Tension Die to the Tension Pool. Likewise, they add a Tension Die if they add a detail to the fictional world that helps them accomplish their current task.
If a player does something reckless, like breaking open a door, sneaking close to opponents or as a consequence of a botched save, they roll all dice in the Tension Pool and if at least one die shows a 1, the Warden rolls 2d6 to determine a consequence. The lower the result, the worse the consequence. A consequence can be completely unrelated to the current task and does not necessarily mean that the PC fails at their task.
If there are no dice in the Tension Pool, roll 1d6 without adding it to the Tension Pool. Some tasks even require the player to both add a Tension Die and then roll all dice in the Tension Pool.
As soon as you add the sixth Tension Die, roll all dice in the Tension Pool and determine a consequence if necessary. Then remove all dice from the Tension Pool.
Example of Play
Mythos
Insight
When you see something unnatural, you might gain Insight. When you do, fill in the corresponding number of notches beginning at the 1 position (1 o’clock). If you’ve gained 5 or more Insight in one go, make an Insight Save. If you cannot fill enough Insight notches, you freak out and might suffer from delusions.
Freak out
You or the Warden come up with a reaction for your character based on the current situation, their bonds and their experiences. It should be disruptive, last for a few rounds (d4) and have them end up in a tough spot.
When you’ve had a chance to calm down, make a WIL save. On a success, draw a permanent box around an Insight notch starting at the 1 position going clockwise as you are Hardened. On a fail, cross out an Insight notch starting at the 12 position going counter-clockwise as you are Broken and write down a one word reminder.
Delusions
While you are suffering from delusions, you might perceive a twisted version of reality. You may attempt to see through the delusions with a WIL save. On a success, the delusions stop. On a fail, the delusions stay and you gain a Broken notch. It is at the Warden’s discretion to decide when you no longer suffer from delusions.
Broken
Broken notches cannot be filled when gaining Insight. If you cross out an Insight notch that is already Hardened, it temporarily counts as Broken instead. When you gain a Broken notch, describe how your character is affected and how they cope with their trauma.
Hardened
Every three Hardened notches, you lose one of your bonds. At a reasonable point in time, narrate a small vignette describing your loss. You cannot have more Mythos knowledge than 10 times your number of Hardened notches.
Insight Save
When you experience something mind-shatteringly dreadful, roll 1d12. If it hits an empty Insight notch or a Hardened notch, you keep it together. If it hits a filled in notch or a Broken notch, you freak out.
Getting Better
There are a number of possibilities to remove Broken notches.
Self-help: When you spend time with one of your bonds, make a WIL save. On a success, remove a Broken notch. Otherwise, lose your bond. If you spend time with your key connection and roll a Critical Fail, lose your bond and gain a Broken notch.
Sanatorium: You may commit yourself to a sanatorium for one month. At the end of the month, make a WIL save. If you roll a Critical Fail, gain 3 Broken notches. Otherwise, remove a Broken notch.
Cover traces: Once per session, if you suppress knowledge of the Mythos (e.g. burning tomes or dealing with witnesses), remove a Broken notch. Severe trauma might require more drastic measures.
Conversation: Once per day and within the same day of a traumatic event, one PC may address the group and appeal to a personality factor of their choice. All other PCs, who have same value in that factor as the speaker, may remove a Broken notch they got this day. Give the talk first, then reveal the factor and value.
Mythos Knowledge
You may try to roll 1d100 under your Mythos Knowledge (MK) to see if your character knows anything about a creature, artifact, organization or something else Mythos-related.
Keeping a Journal
Once per day, you may turn up to 1d12 Insight into MK if you journal about your experiences or your studies and get a good night’s rest. Insight in Hardened notches cannot be turned into MK and vanishes at the Keeper’s discretion – probably at the end of a scenario.
Tomes
You can acquire knowledge of the Mythos through the study of ancient tomes, most of which were written in foreign languages and often provide only a partial or inaccurate understanding of the Mythos. An initial reading takes 2d6 hours and allows the reader to get an overview of the knowledge that is contained in the tome. The reader gains Insight equal to the tome’s Mythos Rating.
Further study of the tome takes 2d6 days, after which you may increase your MK by the tome’s full Mythos rating. You may study each tome at most 4 times. Every time, though, you must gain a Broken notch.
Spells
Some tomes might contain instructions for casting spells, which take 2d6 days to learn.
For the First Evocation, the PC must make an MK save. On a fail, they must either start over and learn the spell from scratch, or they may try again. However, if they fail the second save without starting over, all spell costs are multiplied by 1d6 and the Warden rolls on the miscast table.
Casting a spell can cost MP, WIL, generate Insight or require an Insight save. If you cast a spell, but do not have sufficient MP, subtract the remainder from your STR instead. You regenerate 1 MP per hour.
Some spells require you to win an opposed WIL save against your target. If you successfully cast a spell that was opposed by someone’s WIL, increase your WIL by 1 if you fail a second WIL save.
Miscast Table
| d8 | Lesser spells | Greater spells |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Small or weak life forms wither and die. | Mind shattering visions. Gain 6 Broken notches. |
| 2 | Unbearable stench. | Your body and face contort permanently. |
| 3 | Moon and stars vanish. Or total solar eclipse. | Devastating thunderstorm and tides. |
| 4 | Gusts of wind, rumbling, strange lights in the sky. | Your eyes change as you are possessed. |
| 5 | Loud and horrible screams. | Large and deep sinkholes form. |
| 6 | Your skin rots and forms pustules. | Large area bursts into flames. |
| 7 | A Mythos creature is summoned. | A horde of Mythos creatures is summoned. |
| 8 | Foul mist spreads around you. | Something or someone dear to the caster is annihilated. |
Investigation
Social
When the PCs encounter an NPC whose reaction to the party is not obvious, the Warden may roll 2d6 and consult the following table:
| 2 | 3-5 | 6-8 | 9-11 | 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hostile | Wary | Curious | Kind | Helpful |
When the PCs try to get a favor or information from an NPC, consider the following factors:
Stakes: do the PCs ask for a lot or just a small favor?
Motivation: does the PC’s proposition align with what the NPC wants?
Respect: does the NPC personally respect the PCs based on their behavior and reputation?
Leverage: do the PCs present anything that forces the NPC’s hand?
Most social encounters can be resolved by critical thinking. Sometimes, however, the NPC’s reaction is unclear. In this case, the Warden makes another reaction roll and applies a modifier between -4 and +4 to the result, based on the four factors. The NPC agrees if the result is ‘kind’ or ‘helpful’ (9+). If the result is ‘curious’ (6-8), the NPC can still be convinced considering the four factors, but if the result is ‘wary’ (3-5), it takes a lot more for the NPC to agree.
Research
A PC can do research by talking to strangers in bars, studying books in a library or scouring through records in an archive. First, they need to state a question they want answered, or a topic they want to explore. Secondly, they require access to the information and must be able to understand the language. When these conditions are met, the PC only needs time in order to get answers, which is represented by adding a Tension Die to the Tension Pool. The Warden may award only partial information after a certain amount of time and allow the players to spend more time with their research. In any case, the Warden should let the players know whether they have learned everything or if there is something they are missing.
Exploration
Consider three kinds of information (by Anne on diyanddragons.blogspot.com):
Landmark information is everything that is immediately visible when you enter a room. The Warden gives this kind of information to the players for free.
Hidden information can only be learned if players specifically ask for it and directly interact with the fiction. It often comes at a cost: first, you probably have to spend some time to examine the object. Looking in the right place yields immediate results, but a general search of a room takes 1 turn (10 minutes). Second, you expose your PC to risk as you have to be close enough to touch the object you want to investigate.
Secret information always comes at a cost and there is a chance for failure. In general, information should almost never be secret. If players interact with the fictional world, they will get answers.
Finding clues should not present a challenge to players, and there are no mechanics for exploration in Eldritch Instinct. Rather, it is a conversation between the players and the Warden: when describing a location, the Warden begins by setting the mood and presenting landmark information, which often functions as threads, that the players can pull for more information. The players may then ask questions and describe their PC’s actions in order to uncover hidden information. The Warden answers truthfully, but should make sure that characters receive information that is appropriate to their occupation. The Warden should encourage the players to state what they want to know and what their characters do to figure it out.
Action
Combat
Rounds
The game typically plays without strict time accounting. In a fight or circumstance where timing is helpful, use rounds to keep track of when something occurs. A round is roughly ten seconds of in-game time.
Actions
In one round, a character may move somewhere close (15 m) and take up to one action. This may be checking someone’s vitals, attacking, reloading a gun, making a second move, dragging someone to the ground or some other reasonable action.
Each round, the PCs declare what they are doing before dice are rolled. If a character attempts something risky, the Warden calls for a save for appropriate players or NPCs.
Round Order
The Warden will telegraph the most likely actions taken by NPCs or monsters. Players act before their opponents. If there is a chance that the PCs are surprised at the start of combat, they have to make a DEX save in order to act in the first round.
Attacking & Damage
The attacker rolls their weapon die and subtracts the target’s armor, then deals the remaining total to their opponent’s HP. Unarmed attacks always do 1d4 damage.
Multiple Attackers
If multiple attackers target the same foe, roll all damage dice and keep the single highest result.
Attack Modifiers
If fighting from a position of weakness (such as through cover or with bound hands), the attack is impaired and the attacker must roll 1d4 damage regardless of the damage die used during the attack.
If fighting from a position of advantage (such as against a helpless foe or through a daring maneuver), the attack is enhanced, allowing the attacker to roll 1d12 damage instead of their normal die.
Dual Weapons
If attacking with two weapons at the same time, roll both damage dice and keep the single highest result. This is denoted as dX + dX.
Blast
Attacks with the blast quality affect all targets in the noted area, rolling separately for each affected character. Blast refers to anything from explosions to huge cleaving onslaughts to the impact of a meteorite.
Critical Damage
Damage that reduces a target’s HP below zero decreases a target’s STR by the amount remaining. They must then make a STR save to avoid critical damage. Additionally, some enemies will have special abilities or effects that are triggered when their target fails a critical damage save.
Any PC that suffers critical damage cannot do anything but crawl weakly, grasping for life. If left untreated, they die within the hour. If given aid and rest, they will probably stabilize: roll 1d100 on the Wounds Table.
Ability Score Loss
If a PC’s STR is reduced to 0, they die. If their DEX is reduced to 0, they are paralyzed. If their WIL is reduced to 0, they are delirious.
Complete DEX and WIL loss renders the character unable to act until they are restored through extended rest or by extraordinary means.
Unconsciousness & Death
When a character dies, the player is free to create a new character or take control of an NPC. They join the party not long after in order to reduce downtime.
Detachments
Large groups of similar combatants fighting together are treated as a single detachment. When a detachment takes critical damage, it is routed or significantly weakened. When it reaches 0 STR, it is destroyed.
Attacks against detachments by individuals are impaired (excluding blast damage). Attacks against individuals by detachments are enhanced and deal blast damage.
Retreat
Running away from a dire situation always requires a successful DEX save, as well as a safe destination to run to.
Wounds Table
| d100 | Effect | d10 | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00 | Scarred. You were lucky this time. | 0 | Legs |
| 10 | 1 | Arms | |
| 20 | 2 | Hands | |
| 30 | 3 | Shoulders | |
| 40 | 4 | Waist | |
| 50 | 5 | Back | |
| 60 | Injured. Effect to be determined by the Warden and the players. Lasts until you receive professional medical treatment. | 6 | Stomach |
| 70 | 7 | Chest | |
| 80 | Dying. Lose 1d4 STR every 30 minutes until you receive professional medical treatment which also takes 30 minutes. | 8 | Neck |
| 90 | 9 | Head |
Chases
During a chase, the PCs have to overcome three critical obstacles which require an opposed save each. Rolling a critical fail yields -1 point, a fail yields 0 points, a success yields 1 point and a critical success yields 2 points. A PC needs 1 point at the end of the chase in order to escape or catch their opponent.
Helping others
If a PC has 2 or more points at the start of the third obstacle, they may help a slow PC. The result of their third save is added to the points of the slow PC. If the slow PC does not have at least 1 point at the end, both PCs are caught.
Chase Obstacles
The obstacles that must be overcome should be what is in the path each fugitive chooses in the fictional world. Alternatively, the Warden may put one or two obstacles in the players’ way. Whether fugitives and pursuers roll using the same ability scores depends on the situation. This allows the players to split up and choose their own path, while giving the Warden opportunities to throw a spanner in the works. You can use the following table for inspiration.
| d20 | STR | d20 | DEX | d20 | WIL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Something is in the way (crates, furniture). | 8 | Get past something in time. | 15 | Find a place to hide. |
| 2 | You are being slowed down (thicket, people). | 9 | Get down a slope. | 16 | A deep puddle. |
| 3 | Climb a wall. | 10 | Run across open field. | 17 | Cross a busy road. |
| 4 | Jump across a gap. | 11 | A fallen tree. | 18 | Fog or darkness. |
| 5 | Climb stairs or ladder. | 12 | Sharp turn. | 19 | Find a shortcut. |
| 6 | Get over or through a fence. | 13 | Uneven ground (roots, stones). | 20 | Slippery ground (mud, ice, oil). |
| 7 | Cross a stream. | 14 | Someone drops something on the ground. |
Stealth & Deception
In Eldritch Instinct, players get ahead by using their environment, the fictional world or their gear to their advantage. They find creative solutions to obstacles, using critical thinking and making difficult decisions. Furthermore, assume that investigators are fundamentally capable of disguising themselves and remaining hidden as long as they are acting on their own. Allow the players to get in over their heads, then put the screws on them.
Stealth and deception is a complex area of play: what is the player trying to do? Does their character have occupational training that would help? How does the environment look like? Are the opponents on alert? Here are a few tools and illustrative situations to help you run kick-ass infiltration, heists and escapes.
Two concepts you should always have in mind are position (risk) and effect (see Difficulty on page 10): the player says what they want to do, the Warden decides whether there is a threat, and then the player describes how they want to deal with the threat. Next, the Warden communicates the position – which consequences could arise in case of failure – and the effect – how would it affect the fictional world. Position could be: 1. Controlled – simple task, you can wait, opponents suspect nothing; 2. Risky – daring task, your options are limited, opponents are on alert; 3. Desperate – daunting task, you must act immediately, nothing must go wrong, opponents are on to you.
After the player had the opportunity to adapt their approach, you resolve the situation with a save, the Tension Pool or just within the fiction. Failure in a controlled position could lead to a risky position, imply mild consequences, but might allow the character to step back from the attempt and try something else. Failure in a risky position might lead to more serious consequences and to a desperate position, but does not necessarily mean that the character is detected outright. Failure in a desperate position implies dire consequences and means that the character is exposed in a bad spot.
Illustrative Situations
- The investigators move through a forest as they notice a cultist patrol that is looking for them. They players decide to hide behind the trees and stay quiet. The position is controlled, as the environment offers places to hide in, the players noticed the cultists early and the cultists are not aware of the investigators’ presence. Every player makes a roll, and on a 20, that player is detected or there is a major compromise. (Don’t roll a 20!)
- The investigators must get through a cultist checkpoint to leave the village before they are caught and used as human sacrifice. Just going through the checkpoint hoping for the best would be a desperate position as the cultists would recognize strangers, and they would have to move past the cultists right in front of them, and the best case outcome is that after shortly passing the checkpoint a couple of cultists become aware of them and order them to halt. In order to improve their odds, they could go looking for drying clothes in the neighborhood to disguise themselves, adding a die to the Tension Pool. The situation is resolved with a WIL save. (Multi-stage plan)
- The investigator carrying an ancient artifact is being pursued by an unnatural creature and has just turned the corner into another room. The Warden could offer a number of choices: leave the artifact behind and escape safely; hide in the wardrobe with an 80 % probability, but on a fail the alien is right in front of you; or hide behind the door with a 40 % probability, but on a fail the alien is almost out of the other door before it notices you. (Offer decisions)
- The investigator is cornered by a couple of corrupt cops who have their guns trained on him, and wants to pick up a pistol off the floor. The Warden decides that the position is desperate: failure would result in an enhanced attack from both cops before combat starts; success would mean that both cops get a regular attack in before combat starts. The player decides to add a detail to the scene by adding a die to the Tension Pool: a slight distraction from down the corridor allows the investigator to shoot before the cops if the DEX save is successful. (Add details)
Downtime
In the background or between scenarios, players can do a number of things that are summarized at the table. They could read tomes, spend time with their bonds, improve an aspect of their character, craft something, research a topic, travel somewhere, make new acquaintances, or earn money.
These are just some suggestions, and the Warden should determine the effects and the amount of time that must be spent. A good rule of thumb for the length of a downtime action is two weeks, but the Warden should adjust the time to their needs.
Bestiary
Cultist
5 HP, 8 STR, 10 DEX, 13 WIL, Dagger (d6)
- Some could know spells.
- Fanatics willing to give their life for their master.
Deep One Youngling
3 HP, 1 Armor, 5 STR, 11 DEX, 4 WIL, bite (d6)
- Usually appear in groups (treat as detachment).
- Can shoot a poisonous stinger that deals d8 damage to DEX for one hour.
Mi-Go Warrior
14 HP, 2 Armor, 14 STR, 7 DEX, 8 WIL, claws (d8 + d8)
- Can fly and call to summon additional Mi-Go.
Shoggoth
25 HP, 18 STR, 5 DEX, 5 WIL, tentacles (d8, blast), detachment
- Critical damage: grapples investigator, deals d4 damage per round until freed.
Creating Monsters and NPCs
Use the following template to model any more sophisticated Monster or NPC:
Name
X HP, X Armor, X STR, X DEX, X WIL, Weapon (dX)
- Engaging descriptor of appearance or demeanor
- Quirk, tactic, or peculiarity making this NPC unique
- Special effect or critical damage consequence
General Principles
Ability Scores: 3 is deficient, 6 is weak, 10 is average, 14 is noteworthy, and 18 is legendary. Adjust as necessary. Give average creatures 3 HP, give hardy ones 6 HP, and serious threats get 10+ HP. Use flavor and style to help them stand out.
Use critical damage to lean into the threat or strangeness of any aggressive NPC. Remember that HP is Hit Protection, not Hit Points. It’s a measure of resilience, luck, and gumption - not health.
Creating Tomes
Use the following template to model a tome:
Name
Language, Mythos Rating
- Appearance and condition
- Summary of its content
- Suggestion for spells
Book of Eibon
Old English, Mythos Rating 8
- Ancient, falling apart, only few chapters legible.
- Accounts of the wizard Eibon from Hyperborea.
Creating Spells
Use the following template to model a spell:
Name
X MP, X WIL, dX Insight, (opposed), X Casting Time
- Engaging descriptor of effects
Rules Summary
Saves
A save is a roll to avoid bad outcomes from risky choices and circumstances. PCs roll a d20 for an appropriate ability score. If they roll equal to or under that ability score, they pass. Otherwise, they fail.
A 1 is always a critical success, and a 20 is always a critical failure.
For an opposed save, both the PC and their opponent make a save. Whoever rolls the highest number under or equal to their ability score wins the save. If both sides fail, the lowest result wins. Add any ability score above 20 to your result.
Actions
On their turn, a character may move up to 15 m and take up to one action. Actions may include attacking, making a second move, or other reasonable activities.
Retreating from a dangerous situation always requires a successful DEX save, as well as a safe destination to run to.
Inventory
PCs have 9 inventory slots: Most items take up a one slot, but smaller items can be bundled. Bulky items take up two slots and are awkward or difficult to carry.
Anyone carrying a full inventory (e.g. filling all 9 slots) is reduced to 0 HP. PCs cannot carry more than their inventory allows.
Healing
Resting for a few moments and having a drink of water restores lost HP.
Ability loss can usually be restored with a couple of weeks’ rest in a safe place like a hospital or at home with the help of a medical professional.
A PC deprived of a crucial need (such as food or rest) is unable to recover HP or ability scores.
Round Order
The Warden will telegraph the most likely actions taken by NPCs or monsters. Players act before their opponents. If there is a chance that the PCs are surprised at the start of combat, they have to make a DEX save in order to act in the first round.
Combat
The attacker rolls their weapon die and subtracts the target’s armor, then deals the remaining total to their opponent’s HP. Unarmed attacks always do 1d4 damage.
If multiple attackers target the same foe, roll all damage dice and keep the single highest result.
If the attack is impaired, the attacker must roll 1d4 damage regardless of weapon. If the attack is enhanced, the attacker rolls 1d12 damage instead of their normal die. Attacks with the blast quality affect all area targets, rolling separately for each.
Damage
Damage that reduces a target’s HP below 0 decreases their STR by the remainder. They must then make a STR save to avoid critical damage. Failure takes them out of combat, dying if left untreated. To check the vitals of a downed investigator, roll 1d100 on the Wounds Table.
Insight Save
When you experience something mind-shatteringly dreadful, roll 1d12. If it hits an empty Insight notch or a Hardened notch, you keep it together. If it hits a filled in notch or a Broken notch, you freak out.
Freak out
You or the Warden come up with a reaction for your character. It should be disruptive, last for a few rounds (d4) and have them end up in a tough spot. When you’ve had a chance to calm down, make a WIL save. On a success, draw a permanent box around an Insight notch starting at the 1 position going clockwise as you are Hardened. On a fail, cross out an Insight notch starting at the 12 position going counter-clockwise as you are Broken and write down a one word reminder.
Getting Better
There are a number of possibilities to remove Broken notches: Self-help, commitment to a sanatorium, covering traces and conversation with other PCs. Each time you get rid of one Broken notch, increase your WIL by 1d10.