

Potential Sanity loss is usually shown as two numbers or die rolls separated by a slash, such as 0/1d4. On a successful check, the character either loses no Sanity points or loses only a minimal amount. The check succeeds if the result is equal to or less than the character's current Sanity. When a character encounters a gruesome, unnatural, or supernatural situation, the GM may require the player to make a Sanity check using percentile dice (d%). Anything that permanently reduces a character's maximum sanity, such as Wisdom drain (but not damage), also reduces her current sanity by the same amount.Ī character's current Sanity score can fluctuate almost as often as his hit points, though that isn't common. Certain situations may reduce this limit. After creation, a character's current Sanity often fluctuates considerably and might never again match starting Sanity.Ī character's current Sanity can never be higher than 5× her Wisdom score or 99, whichever is lower. This score represents a starting character's current Sanity. Current Sanity cannot exceed maximum Sanity.Ī character's starting Sanity equals his Wisdom score multiplied by 5. Sanity is measured in two ways: current Sanity and maximum Sanity. This attribute provides a way to define the sanity inherent in a character, the most stability a character can ever have, and the current level of sane rationality that a character preserves, even after numerous shocks and horrid revelations. Sanity points measure the stability of a character's mind.

The character's Sanity may be regained after a few minutes, recovered after a few months, or lost forever.Ī character may regain Sanity points, and even increase her Sanity point maximum. Insanity does not necessarily occur if Sanity points are low, but a lower Sanity score makes some forms of insanity more likely to occur after a character experiences an emotional shock. Insanity occurs if too many Sanity points are lost in too short a time. Mental stability and lost Sanity points can be restored, up to a point, but psychological scars may remain. Such encounters cause a character to lose points from his Sanity score, which in turn risks temporary, indefinite, or permanent insanity. Normal mental balance is endangered when characters confront horrors, entities, or activities that are shocking, unnatural, and bewildering. Sanity is the natural mental state of ordinary life. This ruleset is a variant of the Sanity mechanics from Unearthed Arcana and the d20 Call of Cthulhu campaign setting.
