Post/Author/DateTime	Post
LadyCreator 03-12-05, 12:10 PM	I am using the Sanity rules from UA and I'm curious about how to deal with forbidden knowledge. I have a bard in my party who is very interested in that sort of thing. UA refers to tomes of forbidden knowledge - but what exactly does that consist of? Would it be a way to convey some clue about the campaign that an ordinary mortal wouldn't be able to find out any other way? Or some secret about the history or the planes? I'd like to meet this player's needs and I'm intrigued by the idea - so I'm just curious, how have other campaigns dealt with this? Thanks.
Jaerom Darkwind 03-13-05, 10:07 PM	Ever heard of the Far Realms of Insanity?
rbingham2000 03-14-05, 11:43 AM	In the original game that the Sanity rules were designed for, Call of Cthulhu, the "forbidden knowledge" that sucked away your sanity pertained to the alien gods and horrific monsters that comprised the Cthulhu Mythos. "Forbidden Knowledge" in your campaign world would pertain to things like the undead, demons, dark gods, and other forms of supernatural evil. Depending on the tome, it would also give insight to the workings of magic, which also sucks away your sanity because you have to follow alien patterns of thought in order to use it. The Sanity rules would be best suited for a warrior-oriented "sword and sorcery" campaign, because most spellcasters in this kind of setting end up insane as a result of using their powers.
LadyCreator 03-14-05, 10:34 PM	I'm using a modified version of the sanity rules where horrific experiences cause normal sanity loss, but only higher level spells have sanity costs. Far Realms of Insanity??
HailSpork 03-15-05, 01:24 AM	You should probably be a little gentler on some of the triggers for sanity loss in DnD compared to Cthulu. If I (not my character) see a demon or undead, it's going to take a hit to my sanity. If my character does, he's going to start swinging his sword at it with no real shock. Now, walking through a sea of corpses on the other hand... Both me and my character would be shaken from that. On the lighter side of things, I think a candidate for sanity loss from casting is spider climb (uneschewed). Or am I the only one who can't stand the thought of swallowing a live spider?
Korimyr the Rat 03-15-05, 01:34 AM	On the lighter side of things, I think a candidate for sanity loss from casting is spider climb (uneschewed). Or am I the only one who can't stand the thought of swallowing a live spider? If you're an average human, you do this eight times per year. You just happen to do it in your sleep. Pleasant dreams. :)
HailSpork 03-15-05, 01:36 AM	hehe, good point. But then again, if you're unconscious and you're dragged through the sea of corpses, you're not risking sanity loss either ;)
The People 03-15-05, 04:02 AM	The way I understand it, Cthulhu Mythos (and forbidden knowledge), is that wich was never to be known by mortal minds, so not just any old book on necromancy or demons, but knowledge that is so vile that it's meer ixistance is an affront to reality. I strongly suggest looking at and probably purchase the Call of Cthulhu RPG and read some of lovecrafts storys if you want a good idea of what will cause sanity loss (not seeing something that can be described and comprehended, but something Unkowable and impossible) Also a look at the way that COC does spell and using both the COC spells and the D&D way of casting, with the COC spells representing the quick, unnatureal danerous way of casting and the D&D classed representing the 'natural' way of things. Perhaps eaven have a world where the People, planet and gods are insignificant when compared to the vast sea of cosmoc otherness. Enjoy! P.S. My sig is an example of Lovecraftian hopelesness
Drachasor 03-15-05, 09:04 AM	The way I understand it, Cthulhu Mythos (and forbidden knowledge), is that wich was never to be known by mortal minds, so not just any old book on necromancy or demons, but knowledge that is so vile that it's meer ixistance is an affront to reality. The Cthulu mythos is that the nature of reality is fundamentally not understandable by humans. Trying to understand it inherently drives you insane. -Drachasor
The People 03-19-05, 12:50 AM	The Cthulu mythos is that the nature of reality is fundamentally not understandable by humans. Trying to understand it inherently drives you insane. -Drachasor That is beautifully true…
scwolf 03-19-05, 01:38 AM	The Cthulu mythos is that the nature of reality is fundamentally not understandable by humans. Trying to understand it inherently drives you insane. Contrast with the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Mythos, where the nature of reality is potentially understandable, but the instant any sentient mind achieves understanding, everything resets, replaced by something more confusing and nonsensical, and generally harder to understand. And this has already happened several times, resulting in our current mess of a reality.
HailSpork 03-19-05, 06:25 AM	Contrast with the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Mythos, where the nature of reality is potentially understandable, but the instant any sentient mind achieves understanding, everything resets, replaced by something more confusing and nonsensical, and generally harder to understand. And this has already happened several times, resulting in our current mess of a reality. Also beautifully true.