1. Humans are utterly insignificant with no understanding of the true reality of the universe. Neither logical nor illogical thought have any hope of providing truth. 2+2 is never 4, not that there are exceptions or even we live in a special case where it's basically always 4. It is never 4 and never has been. Everyone continues to believe 2+2=4 because it seems to work from their perspective. But you know if they just knew it was not 4, things would be different. 2+2=[REDACTED]. It always was. What is the difference between that and madness?

  2. [REDACTED] is an Eldritch Horror themed script built around the very idea of unspeakable horrors.

    It seeks to severely punish those that fly too close to the sun - whether it is their endless pursuit of knowledge, skirting the edges of madness or "trusting thy neighbour" a little too much.

    My thanks go out to all the community members that have helped me build and playtest this script. I've gotten a lot of feedback and awesome suggestions to realise this vision. Special thanks to Kinksy for flavour assistance, and Luis & Utku for character concepts.

  3. Changelog


    20apr2024: added how-to-run

  4. Actor

    Each night, learn an alive, in-play character. If you are "mad" about being the Actor, lose this ability.


    How to Run

    Keep checking in with the Actor to see if they are maintaining madness. If they break it, put the "No ability" reminder token on them. As long as they are alive & maintaining madness, show them an in-play, alive character every night. Make sure the Actor gets to see a variety of character types; and maybe you can even confirm the Demon type.

    Townsfolk

  5. High Priestess

    Each night, learn which player the Storyteller believes you should talk to most.


    Townsfolk

  6. Anthropologist

    Each night*, you learn if you nominated an Outsider yesterday. [+1 Outsider]


    How to Run

    When the Anthropologist nominates, mark that player down with a "Nominated" reminder token. During the night, if they nominated an Outsider, wake them and nod yes. Otherwise shake no.

    Townsfolk

  7. Cellist

    Each night*, choose an alive player (not yourself or your neighbour): their neighbours are safe from the Demon tonight.


    How to Run

    When the Cellist chooses a player, add a "protected" reminder token to their 2 neighbours until the morning. Safe means that they are not affected by any harmful abilities originating from the Demon. Non-harmful abilities (like Nyarlathotep with the Mi-Go ability) still function as normal.

    When building a grim, keep in mind that the Cellist has a very strong protective ability, that falls off over time. Use Calamities accordingly.

    Townsfolk

  8. Exorcist

    Each night*, choose a player (different to last night): the Demon, if chosen, learns who you are then doesn't wake tonight.


    Townsfolk

  9. Dreamwalker

    Each night*, you may choose to learn & then use the ability of the last player that died by execution: if you do, one or more players die.


    How to Run

    Wake the Dreamwalker when the previous executee would have normally woken, then ask them if they would like to use their ability. If they do, add a "dead" reminder token to one or more players. Then, show them the token of the ability they gained and prompt them how you would normally prompt that character. It is generally advised to kill only one player with the Dreamwalker ability, but you may kill more if you deem this healthier for overall game state (especially if the ability is used excessively). Don't forget that the extra death can also help "confirm" the Dreamwalker, so run other characters accordingly.

    Townsfolk

  10. Courtesan

    On your 1st day, you may privately visit the Storyteller to learn a statement: you always know if it's true, even if you die at night.


    How to Run

    When the Courtesan consults the first time, they learn their statement. Make sure that this is a statement that is able to change in validity throughout the game. This can be from 1 big event, or from several changes like people dying. To keep track, keep the "True" reminder token on the Courtesan if it is true, and remove/add it every time it changes. Then, if it does at night, immediately wake the Courtesan and inform them that it has changed. The Courtesan can consult you at any time during the day to ask if it is true or false. --- If the Courtesan dies at night, add a "Has Ability" reminder token to them to remind you that they should keep being informed even if they die at night.

    Townsfolk

  11. Police Officer

    Each Day*, you may visit the Storyteller to learn 2 Calamities, at least one of which happened yesterday or last night.


    Examples

    A Calamity happened last night: the PO learns "A Barber-swap was offered to the Demon OR the Storyteller gained an out-of-play Minion ability.". No Calamity happened, the PO learns "No Calamity happened OR a Barber-swap was offered to the Demon.". A Calamity happened last night, the PO learns: "No Calamity happened OR a Barber-swap was offered to the Demon."

    How to Run

    The Police Officer can visit the Storyteller every day after the first to learn 2 Calamities, at least one of which happened the day or night before. Since it is possible for no Calamities to happen, "No" is a valid Calamity for them to learn.

    Townsfolk

  12. Aristocrat

    Once per game, at night*, you may choose to learn how many players are drunk. Players who are "mad" that you aren't your alignment might be drunk until dawn.


    How to Run

    Try to keep track of players being "mad" that the Aristocrat is evil. If the Aristocrat has claimed Aristocrat to the person being "mad", and they are not making a genuine effort to get the Aristocrat executed, only make them drunk if this would help the evil team. In general, a lot of discretion is required for this character. Any good-faith attempts should be rewarded, and if a person genuinly believes the Aristo is evil, or if an evil player is trying to paint the Aristocrat as evil via worldbuilding/executions, they should become drunk.

    Townsfolk

  13. Biographer

    If you die at night, learn if the first Necronomicon statement was true.


    Townsfolk

  14. Debt Collector

    2 players of opposing alignments start the game blinded.


    Blinded: A blinded player does not learn their character, alignment or team. A blinded evil player is not learned by their team (excluded from demon & minion info or announced as body snatcher).

    How to Run

    Add 2 blank tokens to the bag. Out of the 2 players that drew a blank token, choose which one is evil & which one is good, then replace their token on your grim with the correct character and add a "blinded" reminder token. Do not wake them up for Minion & Demon info (including the learning of bluffs). Wake them up for any action they would normally take.

    If a Debt Collected player is drunk or poisoned, you can wake them up incorrectly. I would advise against this under most circumstances.

    Townsfolk

  15. Alchemist

    You have a Minion ability. When using this, the Storyteller may prompt you to choose differently.


    Townsfolk

  16. Translator

    You register as the opposite alignment while visiting the Necronomicon.


    Townsfolk

  17. Cultist

    You have a Townsfolk ability; if in-play, they are drunk. If you are "mad" about being the Cultist, some Cultists might die. Up to 3 Cultists can be in play.


    How to Run

    Cultists follow regular outsider count logic: they cannot add extra Cultist to the bag unless they have a Townsfolk ability that manipulates the bag. A Cultist does not have to duplicate the ability of a Townsfolk. If it does, the in-play Townsfolk is drunk.. Cultist madness functions in the same way as Mutant: once broken, it can always be triggered. The Cultist acts immediately after their duplicated Townsfolk. Cultist abilities are not considered to be "in-play characters" - the Cultist is in play, not the Townsfolk ability they possess. This can have some strange consequences. A Cultist ability can be shown as a Demon bluff, and Cultist Alchemist abilities do not prevent Nyarlathotep from gaining said Minion ability.

    Outsider

  18. Yellow Sign

    Each night*, a calamity happens, even if you die. Each day, you may visit the Storyteller to privately learn the next one you cause.


    Outsider

  19. The Entranced

    Each day, you must visit the Necronomicon & it is read for you. If you are "mad" about being The Entranced, you might be executed.


    How to Run

    The Entranced player must consult the Storyteller every day. If they are sober, they automatically read the Necronomicon. If they are drunk, they have to prompt first.

    Outsider

  20. Body Snatcher

    You might be evil. You think you are a good Townsfolk, but you're not. If you die, learn your alignment and character tonight & a player becomes the Body Snatcher of your alignment. The Demon knows you. [If evil, -1 Minion]


    How to Run

    The Body Snatcher is, in essence, a moving Drunk/Marionette. If the BS is good, it is advised to move the BS to an alive Townsfolk. If the BS is evil, you should only ever turn 1 extra player evil. After that, you should sink the new BS into the first, dead BS, essentially making the token disappear. When the Body Snatcher dies, wake them and show them "You are" + the BS token, then show thumbs up for good, or thumbs down for evil. Then, inform the Demon on who became the new BS.

    Outsider

  21. Cthulhu

    Each night choose a player: if they are a Cultist, you both learn this and their team loses if executed the following day. [+2 Cultists]


    How to Run

    During setup, make sure there are at least 2 Cultists in the bag. These can be added as extra Outsiders, or as a replacement for Outsiders that otherwise would have gone into the bag (making Cthulhu +0-2 Outsiders per ST discretion). Each night, wake Cthulhu to point at a player. If that player is a Cultist, show Cthulhu the Cultist token & add a "Dread" reminder token to that player. Then, wake that player and show them the Cthulhu character token.

    Minion

  22. Harpy

    Each night, choose 2 players: tomorrow, the 1st player is mad that the 2nd is evil, or both might die.


    How to Run

    Do not tell the chosen player that they have been made "mad" by the Harpy. Simply point to the 2nd chosen player & tell them they are "mad" that the 2nd is evil.

    Minion

  23. Bast

    You know all dead players. Each night, you may gain one of their abilities until you choose again.


    How to Run

    Each night*, when you wake Bast, point to all dead players and show their character tokens. Bast then points to a player and immediately uses their ability (at their point in the night order). If it is a lingering ability (Courtesan, Aristocrat, Cultist, etc.), they keep the ability until they wake again. Note that every time Bast re-uses the ability of a player, this is NOT a new instance of the character coming into play. It is as if the character "is Bast", and therefore depends on new instances of Bast.

    Minion

  24. Mi-Go

    Once per game, at night*, choose a player: you switch characters with them & they can no longer switch characters this game.


    How to Run

    Each night, wake the Mi-Go and ask them if they wish to use their once per game ability. If they do, switch their character token with that of the player they chose. The "Can't Switch" token is put on the player they selected; this token cannot be removed for the remainder of the game even if this instance of Mi-Go leaves play - think of it like a Fang Gu jump.

    Minion

  25. Yog-Sothoth

    Each night*, choose a player: they die. Outsiders killed this way are "mad" about being a Townsfolk or might be executed. [+1 Outsider]


    Demon

  26. Azathoth

    Each night*, a player might die. You might register as a Minion. Evil wins if (& only if) all Azathoth are dead. Calamities help the opposite team. [Most players are Azathoth]


    Demon

  27. Nyarlathotep

    You have the ability of all out-of-play and dead minions (excluding setup). Each night*, the Storyteller chooses who dies.


    How to Run

    Nyarlathotep wakes several times in the night. Each time a out-of-play or dead Minion would act, wake Nyarlathotep. Show them the token of the character ability they are currently using.

    Demon

  28. Hastur

    Each night*, choose a player: they die. If a good player is "mad" that you or the Yellow Sign are in play, your team might win. [+Yellow Sign]


    How to Run

    The Hastur's "might" ability is to leave open room for interpretation. It is fully up to the ST to draw the line at when madness becomes excessive. Do not be scared to give Hastur the win if the good team blurs the lines between what is acceptable, or build worlds that are impossible in a non-Hastur game.

    Demon

  29. Necronomicon

    Each day, alive players may visit the Storyteller to learn a true or false statement alternating. If too many good players visit, a Calamity might happen.


    How to Run

    A Calamity is "something bad" that gets increasingly worse depending on the amount of previous Calamities. The information is the same for everyone, it alternates true/false between DAYS, not between visits. If too many good players visit, invoke a Calamity. Calamities cannot cause droisoning.

    The reccomended amount for "too many good players" is alive players divided by 4, rounded up (Calamity on 3+ visitors at 12-8, 2+ at 8-4, 1+ visitor at 4-3). The punishment also scales with amount of players that visited in excess. 5 good visits on D1 should be punished more severely than 4, and therefore ramp up Calamity scaling quicker.

    Fabled

  30. Alchemist

    A blinded Alchemist does not learn their ability.


    Jinxes

  31. Mi-Go

    If the Mi-Go is good and switches characters with the Demon, they also switch alignments.


    Jinxes

  32. Nyarlathotep

    If the Exorcist chooses Nyarlathotep, the Storyteller cannot kill with Nyarlathotep's ability.


    Jinxes

  33. Reality

    Each day, you may visit the Storyteller to choose a character and 2 words. The Storyteller alters that character's ability to contain those 2 words and they learn this (if the character is a bluff, the Demon learns this instead)


    Traveler

  34. Prophet

    Each day, at dawn, publicly state a unique topic: that day's Necronomicon statement will in some way relate to it.


    Traveler

  35. Moon-Beast

    Each day, you may facilitate a deal between another player and the Storyteller.


    Traveler

  36. Blinded


    Demon

  37. Blinded

    You start not knowing your character, alignment or team. If evil, your team does not learn you, including Evil Body Snatcher.


    Townsfolk

  38. Night Order

    First Night

    Alchemist
    Cthulhu
    Harpy
    Mi-Go
    Nyarlathotep
    Actor
    High Priestess

    Other Nights

    Yellow Sign
    Dreamwalker
    Cellist
    Exorcist
    Cthulhu
    Harpy
    Mi-Go
    Azathoth
    Hastur
    Nyarlathotep
    Yog-Sothoth
    Bast
    Body Snatcher
    Biographer
    Anthropologist
    Actor
    Aristocrat
    High Priestess
  39. this almanac generated using Bloodstar Clocktica