CoC Sanity rules in D+D

[sfgiants]

Hello, I am toying with the idea of adding the sanity rules to my dark fantasy d+d game. Has anyone else used the CoC appendix with the sanity resistance? If so, how does it work out? Is it worth it? What do you think?

 

[Neowolf]

Could I make a suggestion? If you use them, don't have the PCs roll sanity every time they run into an iddly-piddly little monster. Try to reserve it for big, scary monsters and sights that would be truly shocking/disturbing. That could help you avoid the "Aaaah! A goblin!" *runs and hides* stuff.

 

[LostSoul]

I'm using it in my Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil campaign. I'm also using the optional rule of Sanity Hardness in the Call of Cthulu book - characters gain a resistance to Sanity loss equal to their level + 3. So even a 1st level character won't lose Sanity from seeing an Orc (0/1d4).

 

[Yuan-Ti]

When CoC d20 first came out someone else suggested this. I will say what I said then... I think sanity rules make sense in D&D if and only if your world starts from the notion that certain things don't exist. In FR everyone knows that orcs exist, everyone knows that dragons exist. Therefore, while someone might be scared when they run into either one, it is not going to be a mind-blowing experience. Even Cthulhu himself, rising from the depths, will be horribly frightening, but your average realms adventurer will merely turn and yell, "Egads, a sea monster!" Now there might be some exceptions to this. There are indeed some monsters so horrific in appearance that they might cause some sanity loss to look upon (usually treated in the rules with fear effects). But with magic commonplace, there is no, "By Mystara, how can that thing possibly exist?" The answer to anyone who has seen anything is, invariably, magic.

My best example to you is the year 1200 here on Earth. A knight is out riding and runs into a dragon (bear with me here). Does he go mad at the mere sight of what surely is a dragon, something that cannot possibly exist but by which he is confronted? No. He grew up hearing stories about knights slaying dragons. He is surprised to see one since few others have ever even claimed to have seen one. He might be so scared he pisses his armor. But go mad? No.

Science has made it possible for us to go mad when confronted with nightmare creatures. Science has taught us that such creatures do not, and in some cases cannot, exist. Magic cannot exist. Therefore, when we see something we cannot explain by science, it strains our sanity to imagine that all we have been taught might be wrong.

Just my two cents.

 

[LostSoul]

I think sanity rules make sense in D&D if and only if your world starts from the notion that certain things don't exist.

That is one interpretation; another is that these creatures are so foul and abhorrent that encountering them causes your mind to slip down that slope leading into the abyss...

 

[Yuan-Ti]

That is one interpretation; another is that these creatures are so foul and abhorrent that encountering them causes your mind to slip down that slope leading into the abyss...

Unless you are a high enough level? Why, because a higher level character has "seen enough" not to lose sanity at seeing only somewhat abhorrent creatures?

 

[sfgiants]

level has very little to do with sanity. A character gets 1d6 extra sanity per level, but has actually lost probably more than this each level. The sanity score is based off wisdom which doesn't change a lot. Also, the monsters with higher cr's dont always have higher sanity cost, but some do...

 

[LostSoul]

Why, because a higher level character has "seen enough" not to lose sanity at seeing only somewhat abhorrent creatures?

That's one way to handwave it, yep.

 

[Yuan-Ti]

That's one way to handwave it, yep.

But I see that as the same argument as I was making... if you know such things can and do exist, then it won't affect your sanity to see them. If I know orcs exist because my uncle was killed by one, the local militia proudly displayed the body of an orc raider they had killed, then my being Zero level should not make it possible for me to lose sanity by seeing an orc. Same goes for dragons, gnolls, elves (if there is sanity loss for seeing orcs, then surely for seeing elves as well?), giants, pegasi, unicorns, brownies, centaurs, etc.

I know this argument won't go anywhere, because it really is a matter of opinion and taste in campaigns, but I still like having it.

 

[Yuan-Ti]

level has very little to do with sanity. A character gets 1d6 extra sanity per level, but has actually lost probably more than this each level. The sanity score is based off wisdom which doesn't change a lot. Also, the monsters with higher cr's dont always have higher sanity cost, but some do...

Yes. I was referring to LostSoul's use of a the optional level rule for sanity loss. In that case, character level acts as a sort of "damage resistance" for sanity loss.