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  Cthulhu in Space (Fate Edition)
  A Sci-Fi/Cosmic Horror Tabletop RPG
  by
  Brett Fitzpatrick
  Publisher Information
  Published by Brett Fitzpatrick
  Credits 
  Some star map backgrounds, and astrological impressions are based on ESO images. 
  http://www.eso.org/ public/outreach/copyright.html
  The rules system is pure FATE. Here is the attribution text;- This work is based on Fate Core 
  System and Fate Accelerated Edition (found at http://www.faterpg.com/), products of Evil Hat 
  Productions, LLC, developed, authored, and edited by Leonard Balsera, Brian Engard, Jeremy 
  Keller, Ryan Macklin, Mike Olson, Clark Valentine, Amanda Valentine, Fred Hicks, and Rob 
  Donoghue, and licensed for our use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license 
  (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/). 
  All other material, including (but not limited to) gear, robots, aliens, aliens, setting and illustrations, is
  original to Cthulhu in Space, Copyright 2014, by Brett Fitzpatrick.
  
                                                                  3
  Table of Contents
  CTHULHU AMONG THE STARS  
   
                                                                                                                                             
   
   
  ..........................................................................................................................................
   
   6  
  Cosmic Horror
   
                                                                                                                                                                       
   
   
  ....................................................................................................................................................................
   
   7  
  Timeline
   
                                                                                                                                                                                
   
   
  .............................................................................................................................................................................
   
   8  
  Earth 
   
                                                                                                                                                                                        
   
   
  .....................................................................................................................................................................................
   
   13
    
  New Arkham   
   
                                                                                                                                                                    
   
   
  .................................................................................................................................................................
   
   13
    
  R'lyeh 
   
                                                                                                                                                                                 
   
   
  ..............................................................................................................................................................................
   
   13
    
  The Remnants
   
                                                                                                                                                                          
   
   
  .......................................................................................................................................................................
   
   14
    
  Abyss
   
                                                                                                                                                                                  
   
   
  ...............................................................................................................................................................................
   
   16
    
  Celephaïs
   
                                                                                                                                                                            
   
   
  .........................................................................................................................................................................
   
   16
    
  Crag 
   
                                                                                                                                                                                   
   
   
  ................................................................................................................................................................................
   
   16
    
  Dylath-Leen 
   
                                                                                                                                                                       
   
   
  ....................................................................................................................................................................
   
   17
    
  Enwood 
   
                                                                                                                                                                              
   
   
  ...........................................................................................................................................................................
   
   17
    
  Gug 
   
                                                                                                                                                                                    
   
   
  .................................................................................................................................................................................
   
   18
    
  Kadath 
   
                                                                                                                                                                               
   
   
  ............................................................................................................................................................................
   
   18
    
  Leng  
   
                                                                                                                                                                                  
   
   
  ...............................................................................................................................................................................
   
   21
    
  Sarkomand 
   
                                                                                                                                                                        
   
   
  .....................................................................................................................................................................
   
   21
    
  Serannian
   
                                                                                                                                                                           
   
   
  ........................................................................................................................................................................
   
   22
    
  Y'ha-nthlei
   
                                                                                                                                                                           
   
   
  ........................................................................................................................................................................
   
   22
    
  Zin 
   
                                                                                                                                                                                      
   
   
  ...................................................................................................................................................................................
   
   22
    
  CHARACTER CREATION 
   
                                                                                                                                                       
   
   
  ....................................................................................................................................................
   
   23
    
  Character Name
   
                                                                                                                                                                 
   
   
  ..............................................................................................................................................................
   
   23
    
  Life Before Mythos
   
                                                                                                                                                              
   
   
  ...........................................................................................................................................................
   
   24
    
  Equipment
   
                                                                                                                                                                           
   
   
  ........................................................................................................................................................................
   
   27
    
  Weapons
   
                                                                                                                                                                             
   
   
  ..........................................................................................................................................................................
   
   28
    
  Miscellaneous Equipment
   
                                                                                                                                                   
   
   
  ................................................................................................................................................
   
   29
    
  Cybernetic Modification 
   
                                                                                                                                                     
   
   
  ..................................................................................................................................................
   
   33
    
  Aspects 
   
                                                                                                                                                                              
   
   
  ...........................................................................................................................................................................
   
   33
    
  Character Skills 
   
                                                                                                                                                                  
   
   
  ...............................................................................................................................................................
   
   34
    
  Stunts
   
                                                                                                                                                                                  
   
   
  ...............................................................................................................................................................................
   
   35
    
  Refresh
   
                                                                                                                                                                               
   
   
  ............................................................................................................................................................................
   
   35
    
  Stress
   
                                                                                                                                                                                  
   
   
  ...............................................................................................................................................................................
   
   35
    
  Consequences
   
                                                                                                                                                                    
   
   
  .................................................................................................................................................................
   
   35
    
  The List of Skills 
   
                                                                                                                                                                 
   
   
  ..............................................................................................................................................................
   
   36
    
  Fate Points 
   
                                                                                                                                                                         
   
   
  ......................................................................................................................................................................
   
   45
    
  ACTIONS, OUTCOMES 
   
                                                                                                                                                          
   
   
  .......................................................................................................................................................
   
   47
    
  Dice-Roll Outcomes
   
                                                                                                                                                            
   
   
  .........................................................................................................................................................
   
   49
    
  Challenges and Contests 
   
                                                                                                                                                   
   
   
  ................................................................................................................................................
   
   51
    
  Invoking Aspects
   
                                                                                                                                                                 
   
   
  ..............................................................................................................................................................
   
   52
    
  CONFLICTS 
   
                                                                                                                                                                            
   
   
  .........................................................................................................................................................................
   
   54
    
  Turn Order 
   
                                                                                                                                                                         
   
   
  ......................................................................................................................................................................
   
   55
    
  Resolving Attacks 
   
                                                                                                                                                              
   
   
  ...........................................................................................................................................................
   
   55
    
  Consequences 
   
                                                                                                                                                                   
   
   
  ................................................................................................................................................................
   
   57
    
  Recovery
   
                                                                                                                                                                             
   
   
  ..........................................................................................................................................................................
   
   59
    
  Conceding the Conflict 
   
                                                                                                                                                       
   
   
  ....................................................................................................................................................
   
   59
    
  Getting Taken Out 
   
                                                                                                                                                              
   
   
  ...........................................................................................................................................................
   
   60
    
  Movement 
   
                                                                                                                                                                          
   
   
  .......................................................................................................................................................................
   
   61
    
  Advantages in a Conflict 
   
                                                                                                                                                    
   
   
  .................................................................................................................................................
   
   62
    
  Ending a Conflict 
   
                                                                                                                                                                
   
   
  .............................................................................................................................................................
   
   62
    
  Teamwork 
   
                                                                                                                                                                          
   
   
  .......................................................................................................................................................................
   
   62
    
  Vehicle Onion Skins
   
                                                                                                                                                            
   
   
  .........................................................................................................................................................
   
   63
    
  
  4
  THE GAME MODERATOR  
   
                                                                                                                                                     
   
   
  ..................................................................................................................................................
   
   65
    
  NPCs  
   
                                                                                                                                                                                      
   
   
  ...................................................................................................................................................................................
   
   66
    
  Background NPCs
   
                                                                                                                                                              
   
   
  ...........................................................................................................................................................
   
   66
    
  Supporting NPCs 
   
                                                                                                                                                               
   
   
  ............................................................................................................................................................
   
   66
    
  Main NPCs 
   
                                                                                                                                                                         
   
   
  ......................................................................................................................................................................
   
   67
    
  Monsters
   
                                                                                                                                                                             
   
   
  ..........................................................................................................................................................................
   
   69
    
  Common Characteristics
   
                                                                                                                                                    
   
   
  .................................................................................................................................................
   
   69
    
  Amorphous Piper 
   
                                                                                                                                                               
   
   
  ............................................................................................................................................................
   
   70
    
  Azathoth
   
                                                                                                                                                                              
   
   
  ...........................................................................................................................................................................
   
   70
    
  Blackness from the Stars 
   
                                                                                                                                                   
   
   
  ................................................................................................................................................
   
   71
    
  Cthulhu 
   
                                                                                                                                                                              
   
   
  ...........................................................................................................................................................................
   
   73
    
  Deep Ones
   
                                                                                                                                                                          
   
   
  .......................................................................................................................................................................
   
   74
    
  Dhole 
   
                                                                                                                                                                                 
   
   
  ..............................................................................................................................................................................
   
   74
    
  Elder Things
   
                                                                                                                                                                        
   
   
  .....................................................................................................................................................................
   
   76
    
  Ghoul
   
                                                                                                                                                                                  
   
   
  ...............................................................................................................................................................................
   
   77
    
  Hounds of Tindalos  
   
                                                                                                                                                           
   
   
  ........................................................................................................................................................
   
   77
    
  Mi-go 
   
                                                                                                                                                                                  
   
   
  ...............................................................................................................................................................................
   
   80
    
  Nyarlathotep 
   
                                                                                                                                                                      
   
   
  ...................................................................................................................................................................
   
   80
    
  Serpent People  
   
                                                                                                                                                                 
   
   
  ..............................................................................................................................................................
   
   83
    
  Shoggoth
   
                                                                                                                                                                            
   
   
  .........................................................................................................................................................................
   
   83
    
  Shub-Niggurath 
   
                                                                                                                                                                  
   
   
  ...............................................................................................................................................................
   
   85
    
  Subterranean Raptor 
   
                                                                                                                                                         
   
   
  ......................................................................................................................................................
   
   86
    
  Tsathoggua
   
                                                                                                                                                                         
   
   
  ......................................................................................................................................................................
   
   86
    
  Yithians   
   
                                                                                                                                                                            
   
   
  .........................................................................................................................................................................
   
   87
    
  Beatle People  
   
                                                                                                                                                                   
   
   
  ................................................................................................................................................................
   
   89
    
  SCENARIOS 
   
                                                                                                                                                                           
   
   
  ........................................................................................................................................................................
   
   90
    
  Campaigns
   
                                                                                                                                                                          
   
   
  .......................................................................................................................................................................
   
   91
    
  Mythos Books 
   
                                                                                                                                                                    
   
   
  .................................................................................................................................................................
   
   92
    
  Uncanny Powers 
   
                                                                                                                                                                
   
   
  .............................................................................................................................................................
   
   96
    
  Example Scenario (Awaken)
   
                                                                                                                                            
   
   
  .........................................................................................................................................
   
   101
   
   
  Creating Backdrops
   
                                                                                                                                                          
   
   
  .......................................................................................................................................................
   
   103
   
   
  Planetary Aspects
   
                                                                                                                                                             
   
   
  ..........................................................................................................................................................
   
   104
   
   
  Secrets
   
                                                                                                                                                                              
   
   
  ...........................................................................................................................................................................
   
   108
   
   
  Cults
   
                                                                                                                                                                                  
   
   
  ...............................................................................................................................................................................
   
   111
   
   
  Describing the Setting 
   
                                                                                                                                                           
   
   
  ........................................................................................................................................................
   
   114
   
   
  Hazards
   
                                                                                                                                                                             
   
   
  ..........................................................................................................................................................................
   
   114
   
   
  Vehicles
   
                                                                                                                                                                             
   
   
  ..........................................................................................................................................................................
   
   115
   
   
  Space Stations
   
                                                                                                                                                                  
   
   
  ...............................................................................................................................................................
   
   119
   
   
  Robots
   
                                                                                                                                                                              
   
   
  ...........................................................................................................................................................................
   
   120
   
   
  Advancement
   
                                                                                                                                                                         
   
   
  ......................................................................................................................................................................
   
   121
   
   
  Milestones 
   
                                                                                                                                                                        
   
   
  .....................................................................................................................................................................
   
   121
   
   
  Sharing the Load
   
                                                                                                                                                              
   
   
  ...........................................................................................................................................................
   
   122
   
   
  The Role of Combat
   
                                                                                                                                                          
   
   
  .......................................................................................................................................................
   
   123
   
   
  Scenario Ideas
   
                                                                                                                                                                  
   
   
  ...............................................................................................................................................................
   
   123
   
   
  
                                                                  5
  
  6
  CTHULHU AMONG THE STARS  
  The year is 250,000 AD, and the empire is shrunken and weak, the Earth itself is a 
  wasteland. The catastrophic damage to Earth was caused thousands of years ago by the 
  rampage of terrible Ubbo-Sathla. Ubbo-Sathla emerged from its subterranean lair and 
  ‘absorbed’ all the living things it encountered, as foretold in the Books of Eibon. 
  Surprisingly few were able to evacuate the planet, and the ground was left twisted and 
  barren.  
  Humanity is only now attempting to resettle Earth, but things are not going well. Many 
  consider the planet to be cursed. Without Earth at its centre, the empire has also fallen 
  apart. The crippled empire is stitched together by FTL Fast Ships that nobody has the 
  technology to build any more. Settlements of any size attract doom, and are destroyed. 
  Only small outposts and sparsely populated planets remain. For humanity, the galaxy is a 
  bleak place. 
  A game like Cthulhu in Space is different from other games. In games where players take 
  the role of superheroes, for example, or the archetypes of fantasy fiction – fighter, mage, 
  thief – their eventual victory is often assured. In a universe overshadowed by the Mythos, 
  the opposite is the case. The eventual doom of the PCs is pretty much assured. 
  Compared to other Mythos Creatures, humans are very fragile and short-lived entities. 
  Mythos Creatures are alien to the point that they can not be predicted or understood. 
  Their motivations and actions seem capricious and unfeeling. Some seem little different to
  bloodthirsty monsters, but this is a misunderstanding. They are much more advanced and 
  intelligent than any representative of humanity. Our inability to understand their cruelties 
  and random behaviour is a limitation of our intelligence.  
  In the face of super advanced, super intelligent monsters served by pervasive networks of
  fanatical cultists weaving conspiracies of labyrinthine complexity, victory is impossible. 
  The schemes of the Old Ones are so involved and intricate that every possible action of 
  the characters has been predicted. The PCs may sometimes think they have thwarted 
  some scheme, but they are, in fact always advancing some larger agenda. Small personal
  successes are possible, perhaps substituting a cultist on a sacrificial alter instead of a 
  character's sweetheart, but a final victory against the Old Ones is absolutely impossible. 
  The tone of the game is increasingly grim and beset by madness as the characters find 
  out more about what they are up against. There are dark cults, hideous monstrosities, 
  truths so terrible that none may comprehend them and remain sane. Extradimensional 
  phantoms hover unseen, overhearing and mocking every thought and secret. The more 
  the characters discover, the more overwhelmed they are going to feel. 
  
                                                                  7
  Cosmic Horror
  Cthulhu in Space is built around a version of the Cthulhu Mythos that strips away a lot of 
  the bloat and reinterpretation that has built up around it. For example, August Derleth's 
  additions and alterations have been completely removed, to bring the Mythos back to the 
  unique cosmic horror that its creator, H P Lovecraft, originally intended. This means, for 
  example, that there is no moral conflict between ‘good’ Elder Gods and ‘evil’ Old Ones. 
  In this game, the terms Elder Gods and Old Ones are interchangeable and refer to the 
  same unknowable beings. There are no benign deities to intercede on humanity's behalf, 
  and the Elder Gods/Old Ones are not even gods at all, but strange and unknowable alien 
  entities. 
  This game also attempts to get closer to the original vision of the Mythos by doing away 
  with all the hundreds of different Old Ones imprisoned in various obscure locations. Only 
  one or two of the terrible creatures remain, worshipped under many names, and they are 
  not trapped. Not even Cthulhu is imprisoned, though many tomes erroneously assume 
  that he is. His slumber in his sunken city is more like hibernation than imprisonment. He 
  was wounded in combat with other Old Ones and has been healing. His worshippers often
  repeat the phrase, Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn, "In his house at 
  R'lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming".
  August Derleth also assigned elements to the Old Ones and Elder Gods. This seems to 
  be an attempt to align them with traditional occult ideas about demons and devils. He 
  even invented new Old Ones to fill in elements that were vacant. This game strips out all 
  this. The Old Ones are not demons or elementals. They have no connection to earth, air, 
  fire, or water. They are utterly alien and resist any human attempt to project morality or 
  myth onto them. 
  Although the game is based on the original conception of the Mythos, as created by H P 
  Lovecraft, which is full of ideas that are visionary and unique, it seeks to avoid including 
  some of the more unsavoury aspects of Lovecraft's stories. Specifically, this game makes 
  a conscious effort to avoid the racism and misogyny that can be found in some of 
  Lovecraft's original fiction. 
  
  8
  Timeline
  This is the history of how the strange creatures of the Cthulhu Mythos have interacted with
  humanity, since before humanity was even spawned. The timeline details what terrible 
  events have led to humanity’s terrible situation, and the events that are foretold by the 
  Yithians to come after. Cthulhu is currently in a state of death-like hibernation, but this 
  state will not last forever. Humanity can thrive during this brief respite, but it will eventually
  come to an end. 
  380,000 years after the big bang
  The fog of the early universe clears. The Old One known as Azathoth coalesces at the 
  heart of the universe, a powerful survivor of a previous universe. His court of Old Ones 
  starts to form around him.  
  30 million years after the big bang
  Stars first appear in the universe. More Old Ones evolve, including Cthulhu, and 
  energised by the heat left over from the big bang, carve out territories for themselves 
  among the new stars. 
  200 million years after the big bang
  The Milky Way, the Earth’s home galaxy, forms. Old Ones from surrounding regions of 
  space are drawn to its warmth, and war over its resources. 
  8 billion years after the big bang
  The Elder Things evolve and start to carve out an intergalactic empire.  
  9 billion years after the big bang
  The Earth and it’s solar system forms.
  9.5 billion years after the big bang
  The Hounds of Tindalos evolve and spread throughout the galaxy, including Earth before 
  normal life had come into being, and the Earth was a terrible and alien place.  
  10 billion years after the big bang
  Cthulhu comes down to the young world of Earth from the sky, wounded in a terrible battle
  with a rival Old One. He feasts on the Hounds, eradicating them. He establishes various 
  cities, including R'lyeh. Mi-go also arrive on Earth as an infestation among the alien 
  stones used by Cthulhu to build his sunken city base. Cthulhu goes dormant, intent on 
  healing and recouping his eldritch power. 
  12 billion years after the big bang
  Elder Things come to the Earth. They immediately start exterminating Mi-go. Most Mi-go 
  leave Earth in favour of Saturn and Jupiter. The empire of the Elder Things lasts for 
  
                                                                  9
  hundreds of millions of years. Their numbers, however, are small and this leaves plenty of 
  room for other lesser empires to share Earth with them. These empires are founded by 
  creatures spawned in the Elder Things' own experiments and escaped from their labs. 
  Indigenous life on Earth actually begins as a bi-product of Elder Thing experiments and 
  technologies. As well as direct genetic experiment the Elder Things also used a process 
  of unnatural selection to produce their servitor creatures. The most successful of these 
  servitor creatures are the Serpent People, who slowly establish a large and advanced 
  civilisation.
  250 – 66 million BC
  The Eltdown Shards are written in the strange symbols of the Serpent People, capturing 
  their knowledge at the pinnacle of their civilisation. The Yithians create  a prehistoric 
  civilization that supplants that of the Serpent People. It goes on to populate much of the 
  Earth, lasting millions of years. It is finally destroyed by Flying Polyps 66 million years 
  ago.  
  200,000 BC
  The Elder Things are still the dominant life form on Earth, as they have been for hundreds 
  of millions of years. They create many useful organisms including shoggoths and humans.
  A batch of humans escapes from an African base, and infest the surface of the planet. 
  Humanity proves better able to survive successive ice ages than the Flying Polyps. 
  710 BC
  Alhazred, a worshipper of Yog-Sothoth and Cthulhu discovers the ‘nameless city’ below 
  Irem and starts work on the Necronomicon. The Cthulhu signal is strong at this time, 
  causing many mass suicides. 
  2070 AD
  Humanity starts to escape the confines of its crowded home planet with a permanent 
  colony on Mars. Advances in computing power see AI beginning to play a major role in 
  business and government decisions. There is accelerated expansion of the lunar colonies 
  and their automated mining operations. By now, a full-scale environmental catastrophe is 
  unfolding on Earth, with sea levels forcing the large-scale evacuation of many cities. 
  2200 AD
  Practically all of the world's energy comes from either fusion or renewable sources now. 
  Artificial intelligence – having begun to merge with human intelligence in the previous 
  century – now surpasses it, reaching whole new levels of cognitive and intellectual 
  capability. There are regular manned trips to the gas giants; huge mining operations in the
  asteroid fields; and the first probes to Alpha Centauri. 
  
  10
  10,000 AD 
  Venus and Mars are terraformed and many large cities are established. The Moon, too, 
  has millions of permanent inhabitants. The gas giants and their moons are dotted with 
  scientific stations, but their infestation of Mi-Go make them resistant to attempts to 
  terraform or colonise them. The Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud are host to mining operations 
  harvesting an untold quantity of resources. Beyond the Oort Cloud, a huge network of 
  telescopes is deployed. Meanwhile, anti-matter propulsion is allowing the first manned 
  exploration of neighbouring stars, with Alpha Centauri and various other systems gaining 
  permanent settlers.
  100,000AD
  Faster than light engines are developed, allowing humanity to start to stitch together a 
  galactic empire, which encounters the Elder Things. The Elder Things are much fewer in 
  number and Humanity initially has much success in supplanting them, but then, as human
  numbers climb, 
  199,999AD
  ...a doom comes on humanity. 
  200,000 AD
  Ubbo-Sathla emerges and absorbs all living things on the planet Earth, the centre of the 
  Human Empire. Only humans and samples of the biosphere off planet at the time survive. 
  After its orgiastic feeding, Ubbo-Sathla retreats back to its lair.
  250,000 AD
  Attempts to repopulate Earth have resulted in just a few scientific missions to the surface, 
  and a single city – New Arkham. The New Arkhamites bioengineer Beetle Servitors to aid 
  in the rebuilding of the planet. 
  This is the period when the game is set. Among the humans trying to understand the 
  doom that has come onto their empire, trying to keep the empire from collapse and 
  recolonise the rubble of Earth. 
  300,000 AD
  Humanity fail to repopulate Earth, and the planet, instead, is repopulated by ‘Beetle 
  People’. These are the servitors bioengineered in New Arkham. Humanity abandons 
  Earth and searches for a new home among the stars, as the empire continues to contract 
  and collapse. 
  500,000 AD
  Nyarlathotep hunts down and destroys the last remnants of humanity. The minds of the 
  Beetle People back on Earth are usurped by the Yithians. The Yithians again rule Earth in 
  
                                                                  11
  the far future, as they did in the distant past.
  1,000,000 AD
  Yithian culture carries on advancing, becoming incredibly advanced. Yithian planet-sized 
  computers dominate the Local Group of galaxies. The Yithians are aware of the dangers 
  lurking beneath the Earth's surface, but feel confident enough to stay, due to their ability to
  see through time. 
  7,200,000 AD 
  The continent of Zothique forms, and becomes the centre of the Yithian Star Empire, 
  which they rule from Earth. 
  7,600,000 AD
  Phobos is ripped apart by Mars' gravity. Cthulhu finally awakes and rips apart the Earth. 
  The Yithians, powerless to stop him, have already left Earth in a giant mental migration. 
  10,000,000 AD
  The rubble that is all that remains of Earth is sterilised by lethal levels of gamma radiation.
  5,000,000,000 AD 
  Sol becomes a red giant and swallows up any remaining trace of Earth. 
  1,000,000,000,000 AD
  Star formation declines across the universe.
  20,000,000,000,000 AD
  Even red dwarf stars start dying.
  Much later
  The dark era of the universe. Cthulhu finally considers himself powerful enough to 
  challenge Azathoth for rule of the universe to come. The next universe, that will form in a 
  big bang after the final heat death of the present universe. 
  
  12
  
                                                                  13
  EARTH 
  Earth has been ruined by the Ubbo-Sathla, reduced to rubble and bones. There are huge 
  eerie planes with giant spikes growing from them, husks of cities, poisoned oceans and 
  deep holes leading down to tunnels and chambers of horror below. The environment is a 
  permanent storm that intensifies and lessens, but never entirely calms. The sky is full of 
  evil, brooding clouds that prevent any but the most twisted of vegetation from growing. 
  New Arkham 
   
  This is the only human settlement on Earth. It is a city of a few thousand driven and 
  dedicated people, who want to claim back Earth. They believe Earth was destroyed by a 
  combined environmental  and disease catastrophe, and only a few of them suspect the 
  real source of the ‘plague’ that claimed the planet. 
  New Arkham consists of a few tens of large self-sufficient compounds, each home to a 
  few hundred inhabitants. Each compound is surrounded by high walls and defences, 
  against the mutant monstrosities that stalk the surface of the wasted planet. 
  There is just a single space port on the surface of the planet, and a space station in orbit. 
  Visiting Earth is like visiting a newly discovered planet where colonisation has only just 
  begun. There are precious few facilities and visitors must fend for themselves, unless they
  are visiting New Arkham. 
  The people of New Arkham are aware that there is an alien structure on the surface of the
  planet. They call it the ‘Artefact’ and they think that it was constructed recently. They little 
  realise that it is Cthulhu's resting place, and that it has existed for the entirety of human 
  history. 
  R'lyeh 
  R'lyeh is surrounded by a black, slimy salt marsh with the skeletons of marine animals 
  poking out of it. The city is created of exotic materials that bend and twist space time, 
  making the architecture behave in strange ways. A flat surface will appear to rear up to 
  vertical as space time curves, but will settle down to horizontal again when approached. 
  Everything seems to writhe and shift as the observer moves around. The nightmare 
  corpse-city of R'lyeh was built in measureless eons behind history by vast, loathsome 
  shapes that seeped down from the dark stars. Great Cthulhu and his hordes slumber 
  here, hidden in green slimy vaults. 
  Cthulhu is now stronger, after millions of years of healing and rebuilding his devastated 
  frame. He feels like the time is close when he will rise again to do battle with fellow old 
  Ones among the stars. This has led to an increase in activity at the corpse city. Swarms of
  Cthulhu Spawn regularly fly out, usually flying straight upwards on missions to deep 
  space. 
  
  14
  THE REMNANTS
  The remnants are the other planets colonised by humans. They are what is left of Earth's 
  once mighty empire. They are a scattering of planets and habitats in widely dispersed 
  systems, where humanity still clings to echoes of its civilisation and technology. 
  These are sparsely populated systems. Even where the planets are covered in urban 
  development, which is sometimes the case, the vast majority of it is now empty and 
  ruined. This is a depleted people huddled together for safety. Natural human population 
  growth has become glacial, completely incapable of keeping up with the speed at which 
  humanity is being driven towards extinction. 
  Kadath is now the administrative centre of what is left of humanity, and has been since the
  doom that came to Earth. There are some characteristics that all the Remnants share.
  AI Government 
  All government functions have been given over to a group of machines with artificial 
  intelligence.  The AIs are much more advanced than their human ministers, and they 
  suspect many of the secret truths contained in the Mythos. They have decided that it is 
  better that their human subjects do not know these secrets. They actively cover up some 
  Mythos activity, where they are aware of it, and spread disinformation and lies. 
  Weapon Restrictions
  All weapons are usually banned for public use within settlements of all sizes, though they 
  are sometimes tolerated in some frontier areas. Weapons and armour must be removed 
  and stored in locked chest. 
  Wearing such ‘wargear’ will attract the attention of local law enforcement. Special forces 
  will be delegated to engage characters carrying weapons and wearing armour, and, if 
  possible, they will be arrested and interrogated to ascertain if they are attempting to incite 
  rebellion, carry out acts of terrorism, or engage in any other undesired activities. Some 
  jurisdictions even scan for implanted weapons and armour and insist that any such 
  equipment is surgically removed before the character can gain entry to their territory. 
  Mythos Names
  The Cthulhu Mythos has become deeply embedded into the subconscious of human 
  society, which has expressed itself in many of the planets colonised by humanity being 
  given Mythos names. 
  
                                                                  15
  
  16
  Abyss
  This is a massive planet, with heavy gravity. The human settlements are located in 
  caverns within the planets underworld. There are numerous space ports, which were all 
  busy thousands of years ago, when the planet was in its golden years. Now many are 
  empty and dark, though some still use them to make planetfall, especially if they want to 
  avoid being noticed. The underworld is inhabited by a huge number of night-gaunts.  
  Night-Gaunts 
  Nightgaunts are black humanoids with bat-like wings, rubbery bodies, inward pointing 
  horns, barbed tails, and no face. They inhabit the mountain Ngranek and are the reason 
  people fear to climb too high on that mountain. They attack at night.  
  Aspects: Stubborn, Sly. 
  Skills: Great (+4) Physique, Good (+3) Fight (+2) Stealth 
  Uncanny Powers:
  Flight: the night-gaunt can fly at a leisurely 40 km/h but is slower above ground, only 
  reaching 30km/h
  Celephaïs
  This is an ‘artificial world’, location of a series of secret research bases operated by the AI 
  government, with little or no human involvement. It is designated a ‘Safe Planet’ by the 
  government because of its concentration of military assets. The government already 
  foresees a time when humanity will be forced to make a last stand, and this is the planet 
  that the AI Geat Ones have selected. The environment is made up of high cliffs and dry 
  gorges, hot winds and frigid winds. There are two seasons, a wet season and a dry 
  season. One brings drought, and the other brings flooding. 
  Celephaïs has just a single city, with the same name as the planet, situated in the valley of
  Ooth-Nargai beside the Cerenerian Sea. Important landmarks in Celephaïs are the 
  turquoise temple of Nath-Horthath and the Street of Pillars. The rest of the surface is 
  peppered with research bases and military installations of various levels of security. 
  Sightseeing tours of the surface are discouraged and all flights within the atmosphere and 
  close orbit are challenged by Drop Fighter patrols that can be scrambled from their mother
  ships in seconds. There are 1d6 Fast Carriers in orbit at any one time.
  Crag 
  This is a rugged planet, dominated by the Peaks of Thok. Uncounted miles below the 
  highest of the peaks is the bone-filled vale of Pnath. Enormous worm-like creatures, 
  known as dholes, burrow through the vale. 
  Crag is the oldest human colony. It has a deserved reputation for having the most 
  advanced medical establishments in the Empire, as well as a very clear commitment to 
  medical ethics. Human habitation is centred around The Crater which is geothermal and 
  
                                                                  17
  releases gases that help to provide a breathable atmosphere for the ring of cities 
  contained underneath huge biodomes that collect and concentrate the gases. The planet 
  has a single orbiting habitat which is immense, with space for millions, and was once a 
  byword for opulence, luxury and success. This all changed however, with the decline of 
  the Empire. As the habitat became increasingly deserted. It now houses only a few tens of
  thousands of citizens.  
  Dylath-Leen 
  Dylath-Leen is a very urbanised planet and the streets of its cities are dark and uninviting. 
  It is one of the most mysterious of the Remnants. It trades in rubies from its giant mines, 
  interspersed between the cities. These rubies are transported in sinister black Fast Ships. 
  The Fast Ships of Dylath-Leen are autonomous, and their AIs have barbarous accents. 
  The deserted areas of the planet's cityscape are inhabited by a local life form called a 
  ghast. 
  Ghasts 
  Ghasts are about the size of a small 
  horse with a scabrous and 
  unwholesome hide. They have a 
  curiously human face, despite the 
  absence of a nose, a forehead, and 
  other important particulars. They can 
  see in the dark and have a strong sense 
  of smell. They have a pair of hoofed, 
  hind legs, and are swift, strong, and 
  agile. Ghasts prefer to dwell in complete 
  darkness and have no tolerance for 
  natural light, sunlight will kill them 
  quickly, in a matter of minutes. They 
  prey mostly on the gugs, but have no 
  qualms about eating other denizens of 
  the underworld. 
  Aspects: Wild and Hungry
  Actions: 2  
  Skills: Superb (+5) Physique, Good (+3) Fight, Fair (+2) Will 
  Stunts: 
  Darkvision: Ghasts are at no disadvantage in darkness,  even complete darkness. 
  Enwood 
  This is a planet with huge areas of forestation. Only a scattering of small cities and 
  settlements are to be found among the vegetation. The most numerous inhabitants of the 
  planet of Enwood are small rodent creatures called zoogs. The planet is home to a unique
  
  18
  type of tree whose seed was originally transported from one of the planet's moons, which 
  is now barren and lifeless. This tree's sap can be fermented to create a potent drink. 
  Enwood's terrain was largely covered by massive, tightly-knit pine and redwood forests. 
  However, the planet also contains limited areas of dry desert, grassy plains, small oceans,
  secluded lakes, and mountain ranges. The planet is temperate and mild, with polar caps 
  regulating the sea levels, to create one of the most pleasant climates within the Remnants
  of Empire. Flora includes many types of fruit including the unique sleep berrys.
  Gug 
  The surface of Gug is a colossal, horrifying cityscape of huge towers. Its most prominent 
  landmark is the Tower of Koth, which contains a huge space port embedded in the upper 
  levels. Close by the city is the Cemetery of the Gugs, its graves marked by huge stone 
  monoliths. Very fewe of the original inhabitants of the planet are left over, but the 
  cemetery is still in use by the planet's new human owners. The huge cemetery is where 
  dead from across the entire planet are brought for burial. 
  Gugs 
  Gugs are a race of horrifying giants. They are mute, and their method of communication is
  unknown. A single paw is fully two feet and a half across, and equipped with formidable 
  talons. Each arm has two paws, attached by short forearms to a great black-furred arm. 
  The head of a gug is large as a barrel with two pink eyes. The eyes jut two inches from 
  each side, shaded by bony protuberances overgrown with coarse hairs. But the head is 
  chiefly terrible because of the mouth. The mouth has great yellow fangs and runs from the
  top to the bottom of the head, opening vertically instead of horizontally. 
  Aspects: Ravenous and Vile 
  Zones: 3 (1-body, 2-head, 3-limbs)
  Actions: 4 (one per paw)
  Skills: Superb (+5) Physique, Good (+3) Fight, Fair (+2) Will 
  Stunts: 
  Darkvision: Ghasts are at no disadvantage in darkness,  even complete darkness. 
  Kadath 
  Kadath is an urbanised planet, dominated by a huge castle atop a mountain. Since the fall
  of Earth, Kadath is now the administrative centre of what is left of humanity. Humanity's 
  leaders, a number of super-advanced AIs, are located at the castle, and they are referred 
  to as the Great Ones. 
  Kadath has been so completely exploited that the land is blighted and subject to unstable 
  weather. Outside the settlements around Castle Kadath, the local population barely 
  survives as nomads wandering between the few areas with remaining resources. The 
  
                                                                  19
  capital fortress survives only on food imports from other worlds in exchange for the few 
  minerals that can be extracted from extensive and massively automated subterranean 
  mining. Other than base minerals, a local breed of horse, salvaged from DNA rescued 
  from Earth, is also profitable.
  Kadath operates a specially modified fleet of Fast Ships with a stable deck, used to 
  transport this valuable cargo across human space. The horses of Kadath are a great 
  status symbol, and where the local environment does not easily support equine lifeforms, 
  the rich build large atmosphere tents, or floating race tracks to shelter and show off their 
  horses. 
  The Great Ones have many agents working for them, and they are controlled from 
  Kadath, where Fast Ships often leave quickly and in secret, to complete a delicate mission
  for the Great Ones. 
  
  20
  
                                                                  21
  Leng 
  A cold, arid planet that has strange geological features, which are hard to explain by 
  weathering or geophysical processes. The planet is covered in spikes, jutting up from the 
  ground to enormous heights.
  The planet has a gravitational field equivalent to 0.86 of that on Earth. The planet's crust 
  is made up of basalt lava flows. Despite this evidence of past volcanic activity, as well as 
  ongoing volcanic processes in the planet's core, the surface currently exhibits no 
  discernible volcanism or tectonic activity. This past volcanic activity is not capable of 
  explaining the rock spires that encrust the surface, and the spires seem to be remnants 
  from a time before the planet was heavily volcanic. They survived the upheavals of the 
  crust without a scratch.  
  The planet's geological structure has led to the conclusion it did not form within the local 
  star system. It is thought to be a recently captured body, a previously rogue planet that 
  entered the system within the last 40 million years or so. 
  The planetoid's initial indigenous atmosphere was described as "primordial", consisting 
  mainly of nitrogen, water vapour, carbon dioxide, trace particles of oxygen and small 
  concentrations of methane and ammonia. It was then ‘processed’ and is now capable of 
  sustaining human life without the need of environment masks. It is constantly racked by 
  strong winds, although the planet is too small for potentially dangerous very large storms 
  to form. These constant high winds are called the ‘Perma-Storm’ by the people of Leng, 
  and, along with the rock spires, they make piloting rolls on the planet more difficult than on
  planets with more predictable weather and terrain.
  The cities of Leng, imaginatively named Leng 1, Leng 2 and Leng 3, are carved from the 
  rock of the planet, with windows access points, bay doors, communication equipment, 
  chimneys etc, protruding from the surface of the rock. The cities have the look of metallic 
  fungus growing from the bases of the spires, with cleared areas between, here and there, 
  to allow Fast Ships to make planetfall. 
  Sarkomand 
  This was already a ruined and poisoned planet when humans first arrived. It was home to 
  the ruins of a long-dead civilisation. Humanity settled the planet long ago, and the ruins of 
  the alien civilisation were concreted over or relegated to museums and historical sites. 
  Sarkomand is described by engineers as a ‘toxic planet’ that is difficult to keep 
  terraformed, but rich in mineral resources. It was eventually terraformed into beauty and 
  comfort under the Empire, before the doom that came to Earth and the Empire's 
  subsequent contraction. Its capital of Halon was a popular tourist destination. As 
  technology levels and resources are falling across the Empire, however, it is proving 
  difficult to prevent the planet from reverting to its previous state. Large areas of the 
  
  22
  surface can now only be accessed with the aid of an environment mask, and it is only a 
  matter of time before the entire planet returns to its original uninhabitable state.
  Serannian
  This planet is a gas giant, surrounded by a number of moons. There is a band of habitable
  atmosphere among the clouds. There a number of cloud cities in this band, although one 
  recently ‘fell’ to a lower level within the planet and was presumed lost, crushed by 
  unimaginable gravitational forces.
  There are remnants of floating Mi-Go bases and cities at lower levels within the planet, but
  these are now deserted after some doom came upon them. Human research teams are 
  scouring the remains of the Mi-Go civilisation in the hopes of explaining what happened to
  them, and finding clues to how humanity can avoid a similar fate.  
  The planet has two habitable moons, both with human cities. Those two worlds both have 
  atmospheres and Earth-like gravity, and in fact have very similar local life. The theory is 
  that life was transferred from one moon to the other by meteorites. The moon settlements 
  are each just a few thousand people and are administrated by the much larger cities 
  within the gas giant they orbit. The moon dwellers think of themselves as Serannians 
  rather than as a distinct culture or society. 
  Y'ha-nthlei
  Y'ha-nthlei is a planet without a single centimetre of surface crust. The entire surface is 
  water, dotted here and there with space ports and landing platforms. Humanity lives deep 
  beneath the waves in undersea cities. At least one of the undersea cities has been taken 
  over by the Deep Ones. This is a cold planet with artificial islands, home to the landing 
  platforms and ports, tethered to the ocean floor, far below. It is known for its dreaming 
  stones, valuable iridescent gems produced from the shells of sea creatures, much in the 
  manner of pearls. 
  Zin 
  This is a planet with very little water, and huge expanses of arid land. It is a beautiful 
  planet, like Earth in many ways, but at an earlier stage in its evolution. The local fauna is 
  fern-like and the animals are mostly lizards. There are many ranges of low hills, and 
  among the low hills are entrances into ancient tunnels, left behind by a mechanical form of
  life that inhabited the planet long before the arrival of humanity. 
  It is a planet with an orbital space base and 1d6 carriers at any one time. Its main 
  importance to the empire is a secret underground bunker where ‘backups’ of the Great 
  Ones are kept, safe from harm if Kadath should fall. 
  
                                                                  23
  CHARACTER CREATION 
  These rules, including character generation, conflict resolution, skills and advancement 
  etc, are a distillation of the rules found in FATE Core. They are intended to give you the 
  game mechanics you need to play the game, without having to refer to the FATE Core 
  manual. However the FATE Core manual is available free, and provides a lot of additional 
  information to make running the game even easier and more fun. 
  Character creation is collaborative and is best done as a group activity. It can take a full 
  session to do, as everyone talks about your characters, makes suggestions to each other,
  and establishes some of the detail of the setting. 
  Character Name
  A character's name does a lot of heavy lifting. It creates a world and sets a mood. A name 
  can be destiny, Chance, for example, is a great name for a character who is shooting for 
  the stars. There is the potential for idiosyncratic names to do half the work of character 
  creation for you. On the other hand, deciding not to give your character a first name can 
  be a powerful statement. It suggests intimacy denied, motive obscured. 
  Some players look for inspiration in mythology, a great source of powerful and enigmatic 
  names. Another source for character names that many players use is popular novels. TV 
  shows and movies are popular sources of inspiration too. You don't have to use TV 
  character names directly, but can instead change and adapt them a bit. 
  You can draw on your past. You can use the name of your first boss, or the surname of a 
  teacher. Take a look through your inbox. It sometimes helps to find some meaning within 
  the names, especially with surnames. Combining two ordinary words can sometimes 
  provide an interesting name, such as Darkraven, from dark and raven. 
  Whatever your ‘process’, naming a character is one of the most important steps in 
  character creation. 
  
  24
  Life Before Mythos
  Once you have a name, you next design the 
  character's backstory. Decide where the character 
  was born, what language or languages they speak, 
  and what job they do. 
  Before the PCs became aware of the Mythos they 
  were living ordinary lives in the fading days of 
  empire. To simulate this, every character has a 
  background career. Whatever this previous career, 
  nothing can really prepare your character for the 
  world they have just been sucked into. Even so, 
  your character's life before getting sucked into the 
  orbit of the Cthulhu Mythos will be the basis on 
  which their new life is built. 
  An engineer who discovers something they 
  shouldn't have while excavating the foundations for 
  their latest project will have a different skill set and a
  different approach to that of a professor who saw 
  something unsettling in the night as a child.  
  Astro-Engineer
  You design and build space stations, asteroid installations and many other indispensable 
  parts of the infrastructure of the spaceways. There isn't much work creating new 
  infrastructure now, and most of your time is spent in a desperate attempt to stop the 
  essential systems that support the Remnants from failing completely. 
  
                                                                  25
  Corporate Security
  You work for one of the big firms. A company with 
  enemies and secrets that needs security. You are 
  the best at what you do, but you don't feel good 
  about it. 
  Diplomat
  You are an important cog in the machinery of 
  imperial diplomacy. It is a glamorous life, which still 
  has a lot of the pomp and luxury of the days before 
  imperial decline.   
  Experimental Subject 
  You lived most of your life in a lab before escaping 
  to become an adventurer. You don't know exactly 
  what they did to you, they never explained. The lab 
  was destroyed by the ‘other side’ and you hid 
  among the dead. The enemy soldiers, if that's what 
  the attackers were, didn't seem to want to leave any 
  of the test subjects alive.   
  Farmer
  Your farm is no more. Lots of your friends lost their farms too, in the cataclysm. The official
  story is that the planet was attacked by aliens, but there are rumours that the doom that 
  came on your home planet actually came from underground, that it had been lurking there
  all along, and that the government knew.  But if the Great Ones really knew, why didn't 
  they do anything to stop it. 
  Frontier Healer 
  You never went to medical school. All your skills are self taught, but you seem to have 
  healing hands, and a way with people. 
  Labourer
  When people tell stories of the dirts jobs they've had, you always win. You've always done
  the hardest, dirtiest work. You have worn protective suits to be sent into antimatter 
  reactors, just after they have been taken off line, before they cooled. The sweat bursting 
  from your temples, you remember scrubbing and scrubbing at the tiny imperfections 
  created in the reactor walls. Your arm muscles were like cords against the resistance of 
  the gravitic fields. 
  
  26
  You have even dug ditches. Nobody digs ditches any more, that's ‘dumb’ robot work, even
  the lowest grade of AI droids won't do it, but you have, and you weren't paid by the hour 
  either, you were paid piecework. The overseer weighed the earth you had moved at the 
  end of every day. It was clay soil too, in the never-ending, driving rain of that damnable 
  planet. When it comes to a contest based on sheer hard work, you always win. And you 
  could tell some stories about the unclean thing that were dug up on that planet too. 
  Prospector 
  Looking for planetary sites, strata within gas giants, 
  and asteroids that might contain valuable raw 
  material is always the best part of the job. The 
  donkey work of actually setting up and operating 
  mines is always a little of an anticlimax, and you 
  never know what unholy things could lurk beneath 
  the surface, ready to be unearthed by your 
  machines. 
  Trader
  You move goods from areas of low demand to areas of high demand. It's elementary 
  economics. It is a career that has served you well and made you wealthy, though it 
  sometimes best not to pry to much into exactly what is being transported in some of the 
  containers within the hold of your Fast Ship. They certainly have very specific 
  requirements about the atmosphere they require, and it's a terribly toxic mix. 
  
                                                                  27
  Equipment
  Gear provides additional aspects that the character has access to when they have their 
  gear with them. Usually there is also an extra aspect that represents an items 
  disadvantages. The character can have any gear their heart desires at the start of play. 
  The gear a character has at their disposal will constantly be changing. If a player wants to 
  keep a particular piece of gear with them, a signature weapon or their trusts spaceship, it 
  must be mentioned as part of one of the character's aspects. Otherwise the GM can 
  destroy it at any time. 
  The adventurers will need more than just their skills and experience in a world of combat 
  drones and nanobots. Few humans can survive in such an environment without the aid of 
  advanced equipment. The difficulty of buying equipment in the game is decided by the 
  gamemaster on a case by case version. The following ladder will help give an indication of
  the difficulty of purchasing various items. 
  +8 Legendary = cloud city, entire planet 
  +7 Epic = space station 
  +6 Fantastic = large spaceships 
  +5 Superb = medium spaceships 
  +4 Great = small spaceships 
  +3 Good = planetary vehicles 
  +2 Fair = weapons 
  +1 Average = tools 
  +0 Mediocre = disposables, cartridges 
  –1 Poor = quality food, drink 
  –2 Terrible = inexpensive food, drink 
  Gear can be chosen from the lists below, or the players can design their own gear, 
  assigning one positive and one negative aspect if the gear is significant enough to warrant
  this.
  Some example gear aspects include;-
  It just slows you down
  It sure stopped that one 
  I can fly 
  This needs more power 
  Blunderbuss
  Surgical strikes 
  Out of Ammo Again 
  Bulky and Clumsy 
  Safety Features 
  
  28
  Weapons
  The weapons used across the Remnants are very standard. They are based on advanced
  laser technology and these advanced lasers are referred to as blasters. Their laser 
  mechanism's don't cut: they burn. They turn part of the target into plasma. This plasma 
  then expands very rapidly in all directions with a loud explosion, hence the ‘blaster’ 
  nickname. The muzzle flash is much less noticeable than with chemical rounds from a 
  conventional slug thrower. Being hit by a blaster feels like an impact, but none of that 
  momentum comes from the laser: it comes from the explosion. They also make bloody 
  holes, similar in appearance to those made by large calibre slugs, except the holes are on
  the front of the target. There are no exit wounds. The idea that blasters cauterize wounds 
  is a misconception. 
  Blaster Rifle 
  Unwieldy – Great Range 
  These are both cheap and do a lot of damage. Usually as long as a humanoid arm, but 
  thicker. It looks lethal and commands respect. Blasters have no appreciable recoil. 
  Blaster Pistol  
  Easy to Conceal – Lacks Punch
  The blaster pistol is the most commonly used weapon in existence. It is a tough, reliable 
  design. It runs off a single power cell inside the stock.
  Blaster Carbine 
  Good Punch – Good Range 
  Somewhere between the size of a pistol and a rifle, you hold this weapon by a pistol grip 
  about a third of the way down its length. It has a folding metal stock which rests against 
  your shoulder when you fire it. A boxy weapon with a short, heavy barrel. 
  
                                                                  29
  Miscellaneous Equipment
  Equipment can be bought, or printed out from a 3D printer and there is a huge amount of 
  equipment that can be obtained. The following is just a tiny selection of some of the more 
  useful and common items. 
  Antigrav Belt 
  Fair cost
  I Can Fly – Slow and Clumsy Flight  
  A slightly bulky belt which levitates its user a maximum of 10m in the air and allows them 
  to move at a fast walking pace.
   
  Armoured Vac Suit
  Sure Stopped That Hit – Heavy and Bulky – I Can Breathe 
  A vacuum suit with armour panels. The armoured vac suit often has more sophisticated 
  systems built in too. It is possible find examples with stealth systems, infrared sensors, 
  motion detectors, and all manner of other detection technology. This has led to fashions in
  spacesuit and armour decoration that have moved away from camouflage and towards 
  brightly coloured armour that allows combatants to quickly work out who is on their side 
  among the confusion of combat. 
  Hand Scanner
  Fair cost
  Found You – Ghost Scans
  This can be used to scan for life signs, movement, precious raw materials, and many 
  other settings.
  Light Vac Suit
  Thank Goodness, You Wore Your Vest – Heavy and Bulky – I Can Breathe 
  This is the standard vac suit found in lockers near airlocks across human space. Even the 
  most basic examples are quite sophisticated, with heads-up displays of important 
  information and connectors that can configure themselves to receive oxygen and power 
  from a host spaceship.  
  Magnetic Shoes
  Fair cost
  Feet Locked on the Ground – I'm Stuck  
  These are not just magnetic, but can also use microfibre, like a lizard foot, and other 
  adhesive strategies to stick to just about any surface. The gamemaster may determine 
  that some surfaces, usually those of an ancient or alien design, have a resistance, or 
  immunity to such footwear.
  Manoeuvre Pack
  Fair cost
  
  30
  I Can Fly – Sort Of  
  This is used to get quickly from place to place on the exterior of a spaceship, or other 
  large zero-g construct. It is a small engine worn on the back by astronauts in space to 
  allow them to move around more freely at a fast running pace. 
  Power Source
  Good cost
  More Power! - It Just Fizzled Out 
  A small cylindrical device that generates power, and sends it to a maximum of ten devices 
  that request it within a 20m radius. No cables are required as the power is sent through 
  electromagnetic induction. 
  Limb Paste
  Good cost
  Regrow Limb – Ugly and Fragile
  This is smeared on the area where a limb has been lost, or a tail, and the limb then 
  regrows, taking 1d6 weeks. 
  Sentry Gun
  Fair cost
  Watch the Corridor – Wrong Target
  A weapon modified to be a sentry gun can also be mounted on a tripod and set to 
  "Automatic", in which case the computer will open fire on any moving object that gets 
  within its range. Both blasters and projectile weapons can be modified to be sentry guns. 
  This system is fairly stupid, but a lot cheaper than more capable combat droids. It can be 
  given simple instructions like not to shoot at people, or only to shoot at people, or not to 
  shoot at people who give it a particular radio signal or only to defend a particular arc of 
  fire. 
  Smartdust 
  Fair cost
  Map Maker – Spreads Slowly 
  This is a system of many tiny micro-electromechanical systems, consisting of a mix of 
  sensors, robots, and tools, that can detect, for example, light, temperature, vibration, 
  magnetism and chemicals. They are usually networked wirelessly; and are distributed 
  over some area to perform tasks, usually sensing. It resembles a canister of dust, or 
  specks, and when released into the air, it uses brownian motion to distribute over a wide 
  area, up to 2 km², and provides detailed data about the area. It is often used to map cave 
  complexes or the corridor layout of space wrecks before salvage operations begin. 
  Stealth Skin
  Good cost
  Gone – Betrayed by Environment 
  
                                                                  31
  The stealth skin counteracts bonuses to awareness gained by sensors, and such things 
  as infrared, motion and aura detectors. They can be of any rating from 1-100% but every 
  % point costs 200 credits. Many assassins have combat skins cybernetically integrated 
  within their own skin. This costs the usual additional amount for cybernetic implantation. 
  Survival Tent
  Fair cost
  This tent comes with an atmosphere scrubber to keep people alive for five days on a 
  planet with non-breathable air.
  Quick Seal
  Fair cost
  This is supplied in tubs and can be squeezed or poured to cover punctures in spacesuits 
  or vehicles. A tub fits snugly in most utility belt pouches. Using it on a puncture that is 
  undergoing decompression is more difficult because of rushing air. The character must 
  make an engineering roll and the gamemaster will assign a difficulty level based on the 
  circumstances.  
  Waldo 
  Fair cost
  A harness which enables humans to carry heavy weapons without needing to set up a 
  tripod, making them quicker to deploy, and easier to use on the move. This will allow a 
  humanoid to use a vehicle weapon, but the person reacts slower than when using a 
  personal weapon. 
  Utility Belt
  Fair cost
  All My Stuff in One Place – Bulky 
  A selection of plastic, metal or leather boxes on a bandoleer or belt for holding capacitors 
  for a blaster, cable for swinging across chasms, and many other useful things, the useful 
  things have to be bought separately however. The belt has eight small pouches, four on 
  the right, and four on the left. 
  
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  Cybernetic Modification 
  Cybernetic alterations to a persons physical and mental abilities are easy and 
  commonplace. Implants include both cybernetic and organic additions – sometimes quite 
  large ones - to the basic humanoid frame. Any item of equipment can be added as a 
  cybernetic enhancement. The cost is one level higher than the items original cost. 
  Cybernetics are treated just the same as any other personal equipment, except that 
  removing it is usually a more lengthy and sometimes painful procedure. It should be noted
  however that cybernetics can also be designed to be dockable and easily removed, for 
  another shift upwards in price.
  Aspects 
  Now create four aspects. Aspects define who a character is, and they provide ways for 
  you to generate fate points and to spend those fate points on bonuses. 
  Troubles 
  The first aspect you create is a ‘bad’ aspect. This is your trouble. Trouble brings chaos 
  into a character’s life and drives them into interesting situations. 
  Three More Aspects
  Then choose or create three more positive aspects. The most important thing about 
  aspects are that they are interesting. Aspects give you success when you need it and 
  draw you into danger and action. 
  Examples of good aspects that describe the characters personality are, ‘Easily Swayed by
  Clever Folk’ or ‘Always On Point’. Other sources of aspects include the character's 
  background, ‘Jungle Sniper Training’, for example, or an important possession, ‘My 
  Father's Bloodstained Book of the Occult’. The game moderator will use your aspects 
  when they are creating scenarios. If you have trouble thinking up some aspects, leave it 
  for now—you’ll have plenty of time during play to refine it.
  
  34
  Character Skills 
  Once you have chosen aspects, it’s time to pick skills. Your skills form a pyramid, with a 
  single skill rated at Great (+4), and more skills at each lower rating on the ladder going 
  down to Average (+1): 
  One Great (+4) skill 
  Two Good (+3) skills 
  Three Fair (+2) skills 
  Four Average (+1) skills
  Infinite number of Mediocre (+0) skills
  As characters advance, they can improve beyond Great (+4), but it’s more difficult than 
  improving skills rated below this. Mediocre (+0) is the default for any skill you do not take. 
  Note: a few skills have special benefits, notably those skills that affect the number of 
  stress boxes and consequences you have available. If you know you want a certain 
  number of those, put those skills on the pyramid first. 
  Precision 
  Looking over the skill descriptions, you might notice that there are a few places where we 
  give an abstraction for something that in real life depends on precise measurement. 
  Physique and Resources are good examples. Many people who are into strength training 
  have some idea of how much weight they can dead lift, and people spend specific 
  amounts of money from a finite pool when they buy things. 
  So how much can a character with Great (+4) Physique bench press? How much can a 
  character with Fair (+2) Resources spend before going broke? The truth is, we have no 
  idea, and we’re reluctant to pursue a specific answer. Though it may seem 
  counter-intuitive, we find that creating minutiae like that detracts from the verisimilitude of 
  the game in play. As soon as you establish a detail like, “Great Physique can dead lift a 
  car for five seconds,” then you’re cutting out a lot of the variability that real life allows. 
  Adrenaline and other factors allow people to reach beyond their normal physical limits or 
  fall short of them.
  
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  Stunts
  Now pick or invent three stunts. Stunts change how skills work for your character. You get 
  three stunts for free, and you can take up to two more stunts at the cost of lowering your 
  refresh by one. 
  Refresh
  A player character starts with a refresh of 3. That means they’ll start each session off with 
  at least 3 fate points. If you pick four stunts, your refresh is 2. If you pick five stunts, your 
  refresh is only 1. 
  Stress
  Now determine how much of a beating your character can take. This is represented by 
  stress boxes. Every PC has two different stress tracks, a physical stress track and a 
  mental stress track. The more boxes in a stress track, the more resilient the character is. 
  By default, a character has two boxes in each stress track. 
  Consequences
  Every PC also has three  consequence slots. One is mild, one is moderate, and the last 
  one is severe. Consequences are the injuries and traumas you can’t just shake off after 
  the dust settles. 
  Note: Skills such as Physique and Will provide more stress boxes. At Superb (+5) or 
  higher, such skills also grant an additional mild consequence slot. 
  
  36
  The List of Skills 
  These skills are intended to be broad and inclusive. There should be vary many ways that 
  each skill can be turned to advantage during play. 
  Athletics 
  Athletics is physical fitness. It is good for jumping, running, climbing, swimming. You can 
  creating an advantage with Athletics, by jumping to high ground, running faster than the 
  opponent can keep up with, or performing dazzling acrobatic manoeuvres. Athletics is 
  also rolled for defence in conflict, representing dodging sword blows, or ducking behind 
  scenery to avoid gunfire. 
  Athletics Stunts 
  Sprinter: move two zones in a conflict
  Rope monkey: +2 in rigging 
  Burglary 
  Burglary includes bypassing locks and traps, pickpocketing and filching, covering your 
  tracks, and other such activities. An advantage can be created by discovering 
  vulnerabilities to exploit. You can also examine the work of other burglars to determine 
  how a particular heist was done. 
  Burglary Stunts 
  Escapology: +2 on Burglary rolls to create an advantage and escape from a location
  Lock Maker: Your locks provide active opposition to thieves
  Thieves' Cant: You can use Burglary in place of Contacts when dealing with other thieves 
  and burglars 
  Contacts 
  Knowing and making connections with people. Represents using your information network
  to plant or acquire information. 
  Contacts Stunts 
  Ear to the Ground: on your turf, use Contacts instead of Notice for turn order, because you
  got tipped off in time
  Rumormonger. +2 to create an advantage when you plant vicious rumours about 
  someone else
  
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  Deceive 
  Lying to and misdirecting people. Use Deceive to bluff your way past someone, or to get 
  someone to believe a lie, or to get something out of someone because they believe in one
  of your lies. For nameless NPCs, this is just an overcome roll, but for PCs or named 
  NPCs, it requires a contest. 
  Deceive Stunts 
  Lies upon Lies: +2 to create a Deceive advantage against someone who has believed one
  of your lies already 
  Mind Games: You can use Deceive to make mental attacks, as long as you can base it on 
  a clever lie 
  Drive/Pilot
  The Drive skill is all about operating vehicles. Drive 
  is used to successfully accomplish movement in the 
  face of difficult circumstances, like rough terrain, or 
  stunt driving. Avoiding damage to a vehicle in a 
  physical conflict is one of the most common uses of 
  Drive. 
  Drive Stunts 
  Hard to Shake: +2 to Drive whenever you’re 
  pursuing another vehicle in a chase scene
  Pedal to the Metal: in chases or races, if you tie with
  your Drive roll, it’s considered a success
  Ramming Speed! When ramming another vehicle, you ignore two shifts of damage
  Empathy 
  Empathy involves knowing and being able to spot changes in a person’s mood or bearing.
  It’s basically the emotional Notice skill. You can use Empathy to read a person’s emotional
  state and get a general sense of who they are. Targets can defend with Deceive or 
  Rapport. You can also use Empathy to discover what circumstances will allow you to 
  make mental attacks on someone, figuring out their breaking points. This is the skill to go 
  to in order to defend against Deceive actions, allowing you to pierce through lies and see 
  through to someone’s true intent. Empathy is the main skill you use to help others recover 
  from consequences that are mental in nature. 
  Empathy Stunts 
  The Ring of Truth: +2 to all Empathy rolls made to discern or discover lies
  Nose for Trouble: use Empathy to determine turn order in a conflict 
  Psychologist: Once per session you can reduce someone else’s consequence by one 
  level of severity (severe to moderate, moderate to mild, mild to nothing at all) by 
  succeeding on an Empathy roll with a difficulty of Fair (+2) for a mild consequence, Good 
  
  38
  (+3) for moderate, or Great (+4) for severe. You need to talk with the person you’re 
  treating for at least half an hour in order for them to receive the benefits of this stunt, and 
  you can’t use it on yourself. 
  Engineering 
  Engineering is the skill of working with machinery. Engineering allows you to build, break, 
  or fix machinery. You can use Engineering to create aspects representing features of a 
  piece of machinery, pointing out useful features or strengths you can use to your 
  advantage (Armor-Plated, Rugged Construction) or a vulnerability for you to exploit (Flaw 
  in the Cross-Beam, Hasty Work). 
  Engineering Stunts 
  Improviser: You don’t ever have to spend a fate point to have the tools for Engineering, 
  even in extreme situations
  Better than New! When you succeed with style on a repair, you can immediately give a 
  new aspect to the device
  Fight 
  The Fight skill covers all forms of close-quarters combat, both unarmed and using melee 
  weapons. For the ranged weapons counterpart, see Shoot. Any number of special moves 
  can be covered with advantages: a targeted strike to stun, a ‘dirty move,’ disarming, and 
  so on. Fight can be used to defend, representing blocking a blow or catching a blade. 
  Fight Stunts 
  Backup Weapon: spend a fate point to declare you have a backup weapon, to a disarm 
  into just a boost 
  Killing Stroke: once per scene, you can spend a fate point to increase a consequence’s 
  severity (mild becomes moderate, moderate becomes severe, severe becomes taken out)
  Investigate 
  Investigate is the skill you use to find things out. Analysing a crime scene for clues, 
  searching a cluttered room for the item you need, even poring over a musty old tome to try
  and find the passage that makes everything make sense. Racing against the clock to 
  collect evidence before the cops show up or disaster occurs is a classic way to use 
  Investigate in a challenge. As long as you’re willing to take the time, you can find out just 
  about anything about anyone, discover nearly any detail about a place or object, or 
  otherwise make up aspects about nearly anything in the game world that your character 
  could reasonably unearth. 
  Investigate Stunts 
  Attention to Detail: defend against Deceive attempts by observing microexpressions. 
  The Power of Deduction: Once per scene, create an aspect that you can invoke for free.
  
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  Lore 
  The Lore skill is about knowledge and education. You might roll Lore to decipher some 
  ancient language on a tomb wall, under the presumption that your character might have 
  researched it at some point. More often than not, you’ll be using Lore to get a story detail, 
  some obscure bit of information that you uncover or know already, but you can use Lore to
  create advantages based on any subject matter your character might have studied, which 
  gives you a fun way to add details to the setting. 
  Lore Stunts 
  I’ve Read about That! spend a fate point to use Lore for one roll, if you can justify having 
  read about how to do it
  Shield of Reason: You can use Lore as a defence against Provoke attempts
  Specialist: in a field of specialization, such as, eldritch knowledge, or criminology, to get a 
  +2 to all related Lore rolls 
  Mythos Lore
  Starting characters do not have access to this skill. This skill represents a character's 
  understanding of the Old Ones and their ways and plans. It helps in identifying Mythos 
  occurrences, conducting rituals, and identifying monsters. Mythos Lore can also be used 
  to do magic, with the Ritual Magic stunt.
  As characters gain more understanding of this skill, their perspective on the world 
  changes radically, often leading them to speak and behave in ways that others consider 
  unhealthy or insane.
  The downside of Mythos Lore
  Mythos Lore is unlike any other knowledge or skill that a human can acquire. There are 
  serious consequences to acquiring Mythos Lore. The most serious is creeping insanity, 
  but there are also physical prices to pay too. A worshipper could develop a mysterious 
  itch, a deformity, a growth. They could start to partially occupy other dimensions, causing 
  them to bleed even though they don't have wounds. They can start to rot and they can 
  start to transform, usually into something foul and insectile or reptilian. 
  Every time the character goes up a level in Mythos Lore they must roll a saving throw 
  against a difficulty based on their Mythos Lore skill using their highest mental 
  characteristic. 
  
  40
  Aura
  Adventurers are susceptible from level +1 Average. 
  Being around Mythos Creatures rubs off on the sorcerers and adventurers that have 
  dealings with them. After too much delving, characters can sometimes gain a sickly aura 
  that can incite the mob.
  Madness
  The strange behaviour exhibited by initiates into the mysteries of Cthulhu is often 
  mistaken for madness, but it is not. It can not be 'cured' by counselling, psychiatry, 
  medication or any other form of therapy. It is actually the insane investigator who has a 
  better grasp of the realities of the world and it is their behaviour that is better adapted to 
  these realities. 
  The adventurer acquiring Mythos knowledge is irrevocably changed, and to outsiders, 
  these changes can resemble madness. 
  The levels of insanity. 
  1 - becoming frightened of things most people deem harmless - gain 1d6 phobias 
  Adventurers are susceptible from level +2 Fair
  2 - hearing voices - roll 1d6 voices that will try to persuade the character to do their 
  bidding 
  Adventurers are susceptible from level +3 Good 
  3 - catatonia - the character suffers 1d6 hours of catatonia per week as their mind learns 
  to travel to other places and times 
  Adventurers are susceptible from level +4 Great 
  4 - pyromania - the hideous significance of some patterns of urban development become 
  clear. They are invocations of summoning inscribed over the landscape. One such will be 
  discovered per month that must be dealt with by dynamite or fire. 
  Adventurers are susceptible from level +5 Superb
  5 - personality change - the host body becomes able to host visiting psyches, transferring 
  the intrinsic psyche of the adventurer to some alien body far removed in time or space. 
  These personality swaps last 1d6 hours and the adventurers behaviour can he very 
  bizarre, because it is not the adventurer at all, but some other creature inhabiting their 
  form 
  Adventurers are susceptible from level +6 Fantastic
  6 - transcendence - the character moves on from Earthly concerns, babbling and 
  gibbering, they confine themselves to contemplation of the true nature of the universe. 
  
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  They have periods where they crave human company and become lucid, but these are 
  short - only 1d6 hours per day.
  Adventurers are susceptible from level +7 Epic 
  Physical Transformation
  Adventurers are susceptible from level +8 Legendary
  At the GM's whim, the character develops a terrible itch, a deformity, or a growth, or they 
  start to partially occupy other dimensions, causing them to bleed at random times, or they 
  start to rot, or transform into something foul and insectile or reptilian. 
   
  Mythos Lore Stunts 
  Uncanny Power: Allows the character to perform magic and develop special powers, 
  which they can access and control with their Mythos Lore skill. 
  Dreamer: The character, when sleeping, is able to enter the Dreamlands voluntarily.
  Notice 
  The Notice skill represents a character’s overall perception, ability to pick out details at a 
  glance, and other powers of observation. You can use Notice to create aspects based on 
  direct observation, like finding an escape route in a debris-filled building. Notice can also 
  be used to find a Subtle Weakness in the enemy’s line of defence. For example, if you’re 
  in a brawl you could make a Notice roll to say that you spot a puddle on the floor, right 
  next to your opponent’s feet that could cause him to slip. You also use Notice to defend 
  against any uses of Stealth, or to discover that you’re being observed. 
  Notice Stunts 
  Danger Sense: Notice is unimpeded by, darkness etc, if someone or something intends to 
  harm you
  Body Language Reader: you can use Notice to learn the aspects of a target through 
  observation
  Physique 
  This represents the character’s physical raw strength and endurance. You can use 
  Physique to overcome any obstacles that require the application of brute force, like prison 
  bars or locked gates. Of course. 
  Special: The Physique skill gives you additional physical stress and consequence slots. 
  Average (+1) or Fair (+2) gives you a 3-point stress box. Good (+3) or Great (+4) gives 
  you a 3-point and a 4-point stress box. Superb (+5)and above give you an additional mild 
  consequence slot along with the additional stress boxes. This slot can only be used for 
  physical harm. 
  Physique Stunts 
  Grappler: +2 to Physique rolls made to create advantages on an enemy by wrestling or 
  
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  grappling with them 
  Iron Jaw: You can use Physique to defend against brawling attacks made with fists or 
  blunt instruments
  Provoke 
  Provoke is getting inside your opponent's head and eliciting negative emotional response 
  from them, like fear, anger, shame. You can Provoke someone into doing what you want. 
  You might intimidate them for information, or scare them into running away. Against PCs 
  or important NPCs, you’ll need to win a contest. They oppose with Will. You can create 
  advantages representing momentary emotional states, like Enraged, Shocked, or 
  Hesitant. Your target opposes with Will. You can also make mental attacks with Provoke, 
  to do emotional harm to an opponent. 
  Provoke Stunts 
  Provoke Violence: When you create an advantage, become the target of that character’s 
  next attack or action
  Rapport 
  The Rapport skill is all about making positive connections to people and eliciting positive 
  emotion. It’s the skill of being liked and trusted. Use Rapport to charm or inspire people to 
  do what you want, or to establish a good connection with them. You may have to enter a 
  contest to sufficiently ingratiate yourself to a named NPC or PC. 
  Rapport Stunts 
  Influencer: Twice per session, upgrade a boost into a full situation aspect with a free 
  invocation 
  Demagogue: +2 to Rapport when you’re delivering an inspiring speech in front of a crowd
  Resources 
  You can use Resources to get yourself out of any situation where throwing money at the 
  problem will help, such as bribery or acquiring rare and expensive things. 
  Resources Stunts 
  Money Talks: use Resources to influence people, in places where material wealth is 
  valued
  Super-rich: Twice per session, you may take a boost representing a windfall or influx of 
  cash
  
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  Shoot
  Can be used for trick shots, keeping someone under heavy 
  fire, and the like. This skill makes physical attacks from 
  several zones away, unlike with Fight. Range is usually only 
  truncated by line of sight obstacles, but the GM can decide 
  that a target is at long range or out of range. You can use it to 
  lay down some covering fire—which acts as a defence for 
  your allies by creating an advantage (Covering Fire or Hail of 
  Bullets, for example). 
  Shoot Stunts 
  Called Shot: spend a fate point and declare a specific 
  condition, like Shot in the Hand, in addition to stress
  Quick on the Draw: use Shoot to determine turn order in any 
  conflict where shooting quickly would be useful
  Stealth 
  The Stealth skill allows you to avoid detection, both when hiding in place and trying to 
  move about unseen. Sneaking past sentries and security, hiding from a pursuer, avoiding 
  leaving evidence as you pass through a place, and any other such uses all fall under the 
  purview of Stealth. Use Stealth to create aspects on yourself, setting yourself in an ideal 
  position for an attack or ambush in a conflict. That way, you can be Well-Hidden when the 
  guards pass by and take advantage of that, or Hard to Pin Down if you’re fighting in the 
  dark. 
  Stealth Stunts 
  Face in the Crowd: +2 to any Stealth roll to blend into a crowd
  Ninja Vanish: Once per scene, spend a fate point and vanish in plain sight, using a smoke 
  pellet etc. 
  Slippery Target: In shadow, use Stealth to defend against Shoot attacks from enemies, at 
  least one zone away
  Will 
  Represents your character’s mental fortitude. Will is the main skill you use to defend 
  against mental attacks, representing your control over your reactions. 
  Special: The Will skill gives you additional mental stress boxes or consequence slots. 
  Average (+1) or Fair (+2) gives you a 3-point stress box. Good (+3) or Great (+4) gives 
  you a 3-point and a 4-point stress box. Superb (+5) and above give you an additional mild 
  
  44
  consequence slot along with the additional stress boxes. This slot can only be used for 
  mental harm. 
  Will Stunts 
  Strength From Determination; Use Will instead of Physique on any overcome rolls 
  representing feats of strength 
  Hard Boiled: ignore a mild or moderate consequence for the duration of the scene
  Indomitable: +2 to defend against Provoke attacks specifically related to intimidation and 
  fear
  
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  Fate Points 
  Players also have a pool of points called fate points to use to influence the game. These 
  are refreshed each session, and you can never have a refresh of less than one. 
  STUNTS AND REFRESH 
  Three Stunts = Refresh of 3 
  Four Stunts = Refresh of 2 
  Five Stunts = Refresh of 1 
  Players spend fate points in order to be awesome in a crucial moment, and they get them 
  back when their lives get dramatic and complicated. 
  You might end a session of play with more fate points than your actual refresh. If that 
  happens, you don’t lose the additional points when you start the next session, but you 
  don’t gain any either. 
  Spending Fate Points 
  You spend fate points in any of the following ways: 
      Invoke an Aspect: Invoking an aspect costs you one fate point, unless the invocation is 
  free. 
      Power a Stunt: Some stunts are very potent, and as such, cost a fate point in order to 
  activate. 
      Refuse a Compel: Once a compel is proposed, you can pay a fate point to avoid the 
  complication associated with it. 
      Declare a Story Detail: To add something to the narrative based on one of your aspects,
  spend a fate point. 
  Earning Fate Points 
  You earn fate points in any of the following ways: 
   
  Accept a Compel: You get a fate point when you agree to the complication associated with
  a compel. 
  Have Your Aspects Invoked Against You: If someone pays a fate point to invoke an aspect
  attached to your character, you gain their fate point at the end of the scene. This includes 
  advantages created on your character, as well as consequences. 
  Concede in a Conflict: You receive one fate point for conceding in a conflict, as well as an 
  additional fate point for each consequence that you’ve received in that conflict. 
  
  46
  The GM and Fate Points 
  The GM compels for free. Whenever a scene starts, the GM gets one fate point for every 
  PC in that scene. You can use these points on behalf of any NPC you want, but you can 
  get more in that scene if they take a compel, like PCs do. 
  You reset to your default total, one per PC, at the beginning of every scene. 
  There are two exceptions: 
  You accepted a compel that effectively ended the last scene or starts the next one. If that 
  happens, take an extra fate point in the next scene. 
  You conceded a conflict to the PCs in the previous scene. If that happens, take the fate 
  points you’d normally get for the concession into the next scene and add them to the 
  default total. 
  If the immediate next scene doesn’t present a significant interaction with NPCs, you can 
  save these extra points until the next scene that does. 
  
                                                                  47
  ACTIONS, OUTCOMES 
  You do not need to roll dice for trivial tasks, such as driving a car or ordering a drink. Dice 
  are rolled for more challenging situations, such as shooting at a dodging enemy, jumping 
  from a moving train, or persuading a guard to take a bribe.    
   Choose the character’s skill that is appropriate to the action. 
   Roll four Fate dice. 
  Fate Dice (also called Fudge dice) are six sided dice with two sides labelled with a +, two 
  sides with a -, and two sides that are blank. They are usually rolled in groups of four, and 
  the + and - sides are added together to get a number between -4 and +4, with positive 
  usually being better. 
  They can be bought from hobby stores, or alternately just use ordinary D6. If you have a 
  device with internet at the table, search for ‘fudge dice roller’ and roll your dice with a 
  mouse click.  
  The result on the dice isn’t your final total, however. If your character has a skill that’s 
  appropriate to the action, you get to add your character’s rating in that skill to whatever 
  you rolled. 
  In Fate, we use a ladder of adjectives and numbers to rate the dice results, a character’s 
  skills and the result of a roll. 
   
  
  48
  Here’s the ladder: 
  +8 
  Legendary 
  +7 
  Epic 
  +6 
  Fantastic 
  +5 
  Superb 
  +4 
  Great 
  +3 
  Good 
  +2 
  Fair 
  +1 
  Average 
  0 
  Mediocre 
  -1 
  Poor 
  -2 
  Terrible 
  -3         Terrible 
  Results can go below and above the ladder. 
  Interpreting Results 
  When you roll the dice, you’re trying to get a high enough roll to match or beat your 
  opposition. That opposition is going to come in one of two forms: 
  Active opposition, from someone rolling dice against you, or 
  passive opposition, from an obstacle that just has a set rating on the ladder for you to 
  overcome.
  Most of the time, your target will actively oppose your roll. Targets that are not capable of 
  active opposition, such as surprised opponents, inanimate objects, and unimportant NPCs
  provide passive opposition instead.  
  If you beat your opposition on the ladder, you succeed at your action. A tie creates some 
  effect, but not to the extent your character was intending. If you win by a lot, something 
  extra happens (like doing more harm to your opponent in a fight). 
  If you don’t beat the opposition, either you don’t succeed at your action, you succeed at a 
  cost, or something else happens to complicate the outcome. Some game actions have 
  special results when you fail at the roll. 
  The difference between your opposition and your result is what we call shifts. When you 
  roll equal to the opposition, you have zero shifts. Roll one over your opposition, and you 
  have one shift. Two over means two shifts, and so on.
  
                                                                  49
  Dice-Roll Outcomes
  When you roll the dice, either you’re going to fail, tie, succeed, or succeed with style. 
  Roll lower than your opposition, you fail. There may be a serious cost.
  Roll the same as your opposition, you tie. You get what you want, but there may be a 
  minor cost or lack. 
  Roll higher than your opposition by 1 or 2 shifts, you succeed. 
  Roll higher than your opposition by 3 or more shifts, you succeed with style. You also get 
  an added benefit. 
  The added benefit that the character gets could be a boost. 
   
  On an important roll, a serious cost may make the current situation worse somehow, 
  either by creating a new problem or exacerbating an existing one. Bring in another source 
  of opposition in this scene or the next one for example. A minor cost may just be a 
  narrative detail, showing how the PC just barely scratched by. 
  Some examples of characters rolling dice include, defending against negative effects, 
  trying to create an advantage, and directly attacking an enemy. They are all handled in a 
  very similar way. 
   
  Creating an Advantage 
  If you’re doing something to actively change your circumstances (like throwing sand in an 
  opponent’s eyes or setting something on fire), or trying to discovering new information that
  helps you (like learning the weakness of a monster through research), you are creating an
  advantage. 
  Create advantage is easier if the advantage was already there, like the monster's 
  weakness. 
  If the advantage must be newly created… 
      When you fail, you don’t create the aspect, or you do but it backfires.
      When you tie, you only get a boost. (Rough Terrain becomes Rocks on the Path). 
      When you succeed, you create a situation aspect with a free invocation. 
      When you succeed with style, you get a situation aspect with two free invocations 
  instead of one. 
  If the advantage was already existing, and must just be exploited… 
  
  50
      When you fail, your attempt backfires. 
      When you tie or succeed, you place a free invocation on the aspect. 
      When you succeed with style, you place two free invocations on the aspect. 
  Attacking 
  An attack isn’t always physical in nature; some skills allow you to hurt someone mentally 
  as well. 
      When you fail at an attack, you don’t cause any harm to your target.
      When you tie an attack, you don’t cause any harm, but you gain a boost. 
      When you succeed on an attack, you inflict a hit on your target equal to the number of 
  shifts you got. That forces the target to try and “buy off” the value of your hit by taking 
  stress or consequences; if that’s not possible, your target gets taken out of the conflict. 
      When you succeed with style on an attack, it works like a normal success, but you also 
  have the option to reduce the value of your hit by one to gain a boost as well. 
  Defending 
  Whenever someone attacks you in a conflict or tries to create an advantage on you, you 
  always get a chance to defend. This isn’t just about avoiding physical sources of danger, 
  you can also defend against attempts to harm your mind or damage your resolve. 
      When you fail at a defence, you suffer the consequences of whatever you were trying to
  prevent.  
      When you tie or succeed at a defence, you successfully avoid the effects.
      When you succeed with style at a defence you also gain a boost as you turn the tables 
  momentarily. 
  Boosts
  Boosts are a super-transient kind of aspect. You get a boost when you’re trying to create 
  an advantage but don’t succeed well enough, or as an added benefit to succeeding 
  especially well at an action. You get to invoke them for free, but as soon as you do, the 
  aspect goes away. If you want, you can also allow another character to invoke your boost,
  if it’s relevant. 
  
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  Challenges and Contests 
  Most of the time, a single skill roll should be enough 
  to decide how a particular situation in play resolves. 
  You could use a single Athletics roll to find out 
  whether you can safely navigate a rock face that will
  take twenty minutes to climb. 
  Sometimes, however, you’ll be in a situation where 
  you’re doing something really dramatic and 
  interesting, like pivotal set pieces in a movie or a 
  book. When that happens, it’s a good idea to zoom 
  in on the action and deal with it using multiple skill 
  rolls. Most fight scenes fall into this category, but 
  you can zoom in on anything that you consider 
  sufficiently important—car chases, court trials, 
  high-stakes poker games, and so on. 
  A court battle might require several successful law 
  rolls, for example. One at opening remarks, one 
  during the trial, and one at closing arguments, or the
  closing arguments roll could be attempted with 
  charisma. These rolls could be made against a 
  passive difficulty level set by the game moderator for
  the court, or an opposition lawyer could provide 
  active opposition.  
  During any exchange, you can try to create an 
  advantage before you make your roll. 
  
  52
  Invoking Aspects
  Aspects are mostly there to give you an ‘edge’. Simply, explain why the aspect is relevant,
  (this may require a fate point), and you can choose one of these benefits: 
  Add +2* Or Reroll all your dice. 
  * This +2 bonus is added to your skill roll, or another character's skill roll, or even passive 
  opposition.
  You can invoke multiple aspects on a single roll, but you cannot invoke the same aspect 
  multiple times on a single roll. So if your reroll doesn’t help you enough, you’ll have to pick
  another aspect (and spend another fate point). 
  Creating an advantage is a free invocation. (If you succeed with style, you get two 
  invocations). 
  If you spend a fate point to ‘add to’ your free invocation, it becomes double power. So you 
  can get a +4 bonus instead of a +2, two rerolls instead of one, or you could split the 
  benefits, getting a reroll and a +2 bonus. You can also stack multiple free invocations 
  together. 
  After you’ve used your free invocation, if the aspect in question is still around, if the fire 
  you started hasn't gone out yet, for example, you can keep invoking it by spending fate 
  points. 
  If you want, you can pass your free invocation to another character. A whole team can 
  create an advantage and pass their free invocations onto one person, then that person 
  stacks all of them up at once for a huge bonus. 
  Compelling Aspects
  The other way you use aspects in the game is called a compel. If you’re in a situation 
  where having or being around a certain aspect means your character’s life is more 
  dramatic or complicated, someone, very often the game moderator, can compel the 
  aspect. 
  Whoever is getting compelled then has two options: 
  Accept the complication and receive a fate point – or – Pay a fate point to prevent the 
  complication from happening. 
  If a player wants to compel another character, it costs a fate point to propose the 
  complication. The GM, however, can always compel for free. Suggesting ways that your 
  
                                                                  53
  aspects can complicate your character's life, so the game moderator can use them for 
  compels, is a good way to earn fate points. 
  
  54
  CONFLICTS 
  In a conflict, characters are actively trying to harm one another. It could be a fist fight, or it 
  could be a shootout. It could also be a tough interrogation, or a mental assault, as long as 
  the characters involved have both the intent and the ability to harm one another. In 
  physical conflicts, you suffer bruises, scrapes, cuts, and other injuries. In mental conflicts, 
  you suffer loss, loss of composure, disassociation from reality and other psychological 
  trauma. 
  Setting up a conflict: 
  Set the scene, describing the environment, creating situation aspects and zones.
  Establish who’s participating and what side they’re on. 
  Determine the turn order. 
  Start the first exchange: 
          On your turn, take an action and then resolve it. 
          On other people’s turns, defend or respond to their actions as necessary. 
          At the end of everyone’s turn, start again with a new exchange. 
  The conflict is over when everyone on one of the sides has conceded or been taken out. 
  Setting the Scene 
  Interesting features of the environment should be made into situation aspects. Good 
  options for situation aspects include: 
      Anything regarding the general mood, weather, or lighting—dark or badly lit, storming, 
  creepy, crumbling, blindingly bright, etc. 
      Anything that might affect or restrict movement—filthy, mud everywhere, slippery, 
  rough, etc. 
      Things to hide behind—vehicles, obstructions, large furniture, etc. 
      Things you can knock over, wreck, or use as improvised weapons—bookshelves, 
  statues, etc. 
      Things that are flammable- traditionally, curtains 
      Things that are toxic – for example in an abandoned genetics lab, where it was easier 
  to start again than to clean up the mess. 
     Things that are contagious – a deserted hospital, where the hospital has been cleared 
  due to the danger posed by one of the patients/inmates 
     Things that are caged – a prison, only a few days away from riot and disorder 
      Deserted things – behind a police cordon, evacuated, and where the power has been 
  cut
  
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  Zones 
  GMs, if your conflict takes place over a large area, you may want to break it down into 
  zones for easier reference. A zone is an abstract representation of physical space. The 
  best definition of a zone is that it’s close enough that you can interact directly with 
  someone (in other words, walk up and get in their face). If the area is separated by stairs, 
  a ladder, a fence, or a wall, it could be divided into zones, like two floors of a house. 
  Above and below can be different zones, especially if moving between them takes some 
  doing, as with the airspace around something large, like a blimp. 
  Turn Order 
  Your turn order in a conflict is based on your skills. In a physical conflict, compare your 
  Notice skill to the other participants. In a mental conflict, compare your Empathy skill. 
  Whoever has the highest gets to go first, and then everyone else in descending order. If 
  there’s a tie, compare a secondary or tertiary skill. For physical conflicts, that’s Athletics, 
  then Physique. For mental conflicts, Rapport, then Will. 
  You only get to make one skill roll on your turn in an exchange, unless you’re defending 
  against someone else’s action—you can do that as many times as you want. You can 
  even make defend actions on behalf of others, so long as you fulfil two conditions: it has 
  to be reasonable for you to interpose yourself between the attack and its target, and you 
  have to suffer the effects of any failed rolls. 
  Full Defence 
  If you want, you can forgo your action for the exchange to concentrate on defence. You 
  don’t get to do anything proactive, but you do get to roll all defend actions for the 
  exchange at a +2 bonus. 
  Ramming
  If you want to ram a vehicle, or a huge slobbering monster, you can attack with Drive, but 
  you take the same shifts of harm you inflict.
  Resolving Attacks 
  A successful attack lands a hit equivalent to its shift value on a target. So if you get three 
  shifts on an attack, you land a 3-shift hit. If you get hit by an attack, one of two things 
  happen: either you absorb the hit and stay in the fight, or you’re taken out. 
  To stay in the fight, you can take stress and/or consequences – or – you can also 
  concede a conflict before you’re taken out, in order to preserve some control over what 
  happens to your character. 
  If you want to forego your defence and take a hit (like to interpose yourself in the path of 
  an arrow that’s about to skewer your friend), you can, but because you’re not defending, 
  
  56
  the attacker rolls against Mediocre (+0) opposition, which means you’re probably going to 
  take a bad hit. 
  Stress 
  This represents the after effects when you just barely avoid taking the full force of an 
  attack. It looks bad but is really just a flesh wound, or you wind yourself a little by diving 
  out of the way at the last second. Mentally, stress could mean that you can feel terror like 
  a monkey’s fist in your gut, but it hasn't taken control of you yet. Stress boxes also 
  represent you running out of luck—you only have so many last-second saves in you 
  before you’ve got to face the music. 
  On your character sheet, you have a number of stress boxes, each with a different shift 
  value. By default, all characters get a 1-point and a 2-point box. You may get additional, 
  higher-value stress boxes depending on some of your skills (usually Physique and Will). 
  When you take stress, check off a stress box with a value equal to the shift value of the 
  hit. If that box is already checked, check off a higher value box. If there is no higher 
  available box, and you can’t take any consequences, you’re taken out of the conflict. 
  You can only check off one stress box per hit. You can not use multiple stress boxes. 
  If you take stress from a physical source, you check off a physical stress box. If it’s a 
  mental hit, check off a mental stress box. After a conflict, when you get a minute or two, 
  maybe five, to breathe, any stress boxes you checked off become available for your use 
  again. 
  Vehicle Stress Boxes 
  Being inside a vehicle is a huge advantage in 
  combat. This is because many vehicles have stress 
  boxes of their own. Before occupants can be 
  targeted, all the vehicles stress boxes and 
  consequence slots must be filled in, and the vehicle 
  taken out. The crew is usually safe from external fire
  however, and they must be extracted, or a boarding 
  party must be sent in before the crew can be 
  harmed. This goes for ships, tanks, and APCs. Any 
  vehicle that has stress boxes and a character sheet,
  rather than just providing aspects counts as a 
  vehicle for this rule. 
  After a vehicle is taken out, it must be boarded and the crew taken out individually. The 
  attacker must therefore sometimes take out a ship, then board, then finally take out the 
  
                                                                  57
  defender after they are extracted from their armour. 
  Affecting Multiple Targets 
  Area-effect attacks create an aspect on the scene, rather than on a specific target. A 
  Gas-Filled Room has the potential to affect everyone in it. The aspect calls for a skill roll 
  from anyone in the scene to resist. It may cause damage, or just make things more 
  difficult for those affected. 
  You don’t need to apply any special rules—you roll for the attack, and everyone in the 
  zone defends as normal. Depending on the circumstances, you may even have to defend 
  against your own roll, if you’re in the same zone as the attack! 
  Consequences 
  A consequence is more severe than stress—it represents some form of lasting injury or 
  setback that you accrue from the conflict. Consequences come in three levels of severity
  —mild, moderate, and severe. Each one has a different shift value: two, four, and six, 
  respectively. Your consequence slots are listed on your character sheet. 
  When you use a consequence slot, you reduce the shift value of the attack by the shift 
  value of the consequence. You can use more than one consequence at a time if they’re 
  available. Any of the hit’s remaining shifts must be handled by a stress box to avoid being 
  taken out. 
  However, there’s a penalty. The consequence written in the slot is an aspect that 
  represents the lasting effect incurred from the attack. The opponent who forced you to 
  take a consequence gets a free invocation, and the aspect remains on your character 
  sheet until you’ve recovered the consequence slot. While it’s on your sheet, the 
  consequence is treated like any other aspect, except because the slant on it is so 
  negative, it’s far more likely to be used to your character’s detriment. 
  Unlike stress, a consequence slot may take a long time to recover after the conflict is over.
  Also unlike stress, you only have one set of consequences; there aren’t specific slots for 
  physical versus mental consequences. This means that, if you have to take a mild 
  consequence to reduce a mental hit and your mild consequence slot is already filled with 
  a physical consequence, you’re out of luck! You’re going to have to use a moderate or 
  severe consequence to absorb that hit. The exception to this is the extra consequence 
  slot you would get from a Superb (+5) Physique or Will is reserved for physical or mental 
  harm, respectively. 
  Naming Consequences 
  Mild consequences don’t require immediate medical attention. They hurt, and they may 
  present an inconvenience, but they aren’t going to force you to rest. Examples: Black Eye,
  Bruised Hand, Winded, Shaken Nerves, Temporarily Blinded. 
  
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  Moderate consequences represent fairly serious impairments that require dedicated effort 
  toward recovery (including medical attention). Examples: Deep Cut, First Degree Burn, 
  Exhausted, The Shakes.  
  Severe consequences go straight to the emergency room—they’re extremely nasty and 
  prevent you from doing a lot of things. Examples: Second-Degree Burn, Compound 
  Fracture, Guts Hanging Out, Trauma-Induced Phobias, PTSD. 
  
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  Recovery
  Recovery can only happen through the use of a Lore stunt, representing some form of 
  medical or psychiatric training. In order to regain the use of a consequence slot, you have 
  to recover from the consequence. That requires two things—succeeding at an action that 
  allows you to justify recovery, and then waiting an appropriate amount of game time for 
  that recovery to take place. 
  Physical injury, requires some kind of medical treatment or first aid. For mental 
  consequences, the action may involve therapy, or counselling. The difficulty for this action 
  is based on the shift value of the consequence. Mild is Fair (+2), moderate is Great (+4), 
  and severe is Fantastic (+6). If you are trying to perform the recovery action on yourself, 
  increase the difficulty by two steps on the ladder. 
  If you succeed at the recovery action, or someone else succeeds on a recovery action for 
  you, you get to rename the consequence aspect to show that it’s in recovery. So, for 
  example, Broken Leg could become Stuck in a Cast, Nearly Gutted aspect could be 
  Bandaged, Lost My Nerve could become Night Sweats, and so on. This doesn’t free up 
  the consequence slot, but it serves as an indicator that you’re recovering, and it changes 
  the ways the aspect’s going to be used while it remains. Then, you just have to wait the 
  time. 
  For a mild consequence, you have to wait 1d6 days after the recovery action, and then 
  you can remove the aspect and clear the slot. For a moderate consequence, you have to 
  wait 1d20 days after the recovery action. For a severe consequence, you have to wait 1d6
  months after the recovery action.
  Conceding the Conflict 
  When all else fails, you can also just give in. Maybe you’re worried that you can’t absorb 
  another hit, or maybe you decide that continuing to fight is just not worth the punishment. 
  Whatever the reason, you can interrupt any action at any time before the roll is made to 
  declare that you concede the conflict. This is super-important—once dice hit the table, 
  what happens happens, and you’re either taking more stress, suffering more 
  consequences, or getting taken out. 
  Concession gives the other person what they wanted from you, or in the case of more 
  than two combatants, removes you as a concern for the opposing side. You’re out of the 
  conflict, period. 
  But it’s not all bad. First of all, you get a fate point for choosing to concede. On top of that, 
  if you’ve sustained any consequences in this conflict, you get an additional fate point for 
  each consequence. These fate points may be used once this conflict is over. 
  Second of all, you get to avoid the worst parts of your fate. Yes, you lost, and the narration
  
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  has to reflect that, but this can make the difference between, say, being mistakenly left for 
  dead - or ending up in the enemy’s clutches, in shackles, without any of your stuff.
  Getting Taken Out 
  If you don’t have any stress or consequences left to buy off all the shifts of a hit, that 
  means you’re taken out. You can’t fight any more, and you are at the mercy of the victor. 
  Character Death 
  There’s not a whole lot keeping the victor from administering a ‘death blow’ and killing 
  your character. But a decision like this might be pretty controversial depending on what 
  kind of group you’re in. Some people think that character death should always be on the 
  table, if the rules allow it. 
  Others are more circumspect, and consider it very damaging to their fun if they lose a 
  character upon whom they’ve invested hours and hours of gameplay, just because 
  someone spent a lot of fate points or their die rolls or they were particularly unlucky. 
  We recommend the latter approach, also because, sudden character death is a pretty 
  boring outcome when compared to putting the character through hell. On top of that, all 
  the story threads that character was connected to just kind of stall with no resolution, and 
  you have to expend a bunch of effort and time figuring out how to get a new character into
  play mid-adventure. 
  That doesn’t mean there’s no room for character death in the game, however. We just 
  recommend that you save that possibility for conflicts that are extremely pivotal, dramatic, 
  and meaningful for that character. If, as a GM, you’ve got the feeling that you’re in that 
  kind of conflict, talk it out when you’re setting the scene and see how people feel. 
  At the very least, even if you’re in a hardcore group that invites the potential for character 
  death on any taken out result, make sure that you telegraph the opponent’s lethal intent. 
  Players then know which NPCs really mean business, and can concede to keep their 
  characters alive if need be. 
  The universe of Cthulhu in Space is replete with dermal regenerators, biogel and other 
  sources of ‘instant’ healing. Powerful healing technology like this eliminates the need to 
  roll for a recovery action, and reduces the severity of a consequence by one level. A 
  severe consequence turns into a moderate one, making the recovery time much shorter. 
  The PC has to spend at least one scene where the consequence could affect things, 
  before you let it go away. 
  
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  Movement 
  The area where conflicts take place is divided into zones. Normally, it’s no big deal to 
  move from one zone to another, you can move one zone in addition to your action for the 
  exchange. 
  If you want to move more than one zone, if a situation aspect suggests that it might be 
  difficult to move freely, or if another character is in your way, then you must make a roll 
  using Athletics, which counts as your action for the exchange. 
  Use the number of zones the character is moving combined with situation aspects to 
  gauge the difficulty of passive opposition. If another character is impeding the path, roll 
  active opposition and feel free to invoke obstructing situation aspects in aid of their 
  defence. 
  If you fail that roll, whatever was impeding you keeps you from moving. If you tie, you get 
  to move, but your opponent takes a temporary advantage of some kind. If you succeed, 
  you move without consequence. If you succeed with style, you can claim a boost in 
  addition to your movement. 
  Vehicle Movement
  Vehicles often become locked in combat, dogfighting, or chasing each other. The combat 
  may be moving forward at very high speed, several hundred km/hr along a freeway for 
  example, but that is not relevant to those involved. 
  The vehicles involved in the chase or the dogfight are stuck inside the same zone with 
  each other, perhaps dogfighting for position, but nevertheless stuck, even as the world 
  streaks past at high speed. Moving out and away from the zone occupied by a dogfight or 
  chase is the same mechanic as moving zones, and a combatant seeking to escape can 
  gradually open the range between themselves and their pursuer, hopefully before they get
  taken out.
  
  62
  Advantages in a Conflict 
  Remember that aspects you create as advantages can sometimes last until they’re made 
  irrelevant or the scene is over, and in some cases they represent as much a threat to you 
  as an opponent. 
  Covering Fire
  When you’re trying to prevent someone else from getting attacked, the main way to do it is
  by creating an advantage. You can pass your buddy the invocation and make it harder to 
  hit them. You can also use advantages to alter the environment to your benefit, creating 
  barriers to movement by scattering Loose Junk everywhere, or setting things On Fire. 
  Other Actions in a Conflict 
  In any exchange where someone attacks you or tries to create an advantage on you, you 
  must defend successfully in order to be able to make any other skill roll. So long as no 
  one has successfully attacked you or stuck an advantage on you, you can use your action
  to roll for your non-combat task. 
  Free Actions 
  Drawing a weapon, shouting a warning, or you quickly sizing up a room before attack, etc.
  These little bits of action count as free actions. 
  Ending a Conflict 
  Under most circumstances, when all of the members of one side have either conceded 
  the conflict or have been taken out, the conflict is over. All the fate points earned from 
  concession are then distributed. Players, take the fate points for aspects invoked against 
  them, make a note of whatever consequences were suffered in the fight, and erase any 
  checks in stress boxes. 
  Teamwork 
  Characters can help each other out. There are two versions of helping in Fate—combining
  skills, for when you are all putting the same kind of effort into an action (like using 
  Physique together to push over a crumbling wall), and stacking advantages, for when the 
  group is setting a single person up to do well (like causing multiple distractions so one 
  person can use Stealth to get into a fortress). 
  When you combine skills, figure out who has the highest skill level among the participants.
  Each other participant who has at least an Average (+1) in the same skill adds a +1 to the 
  highest person’s skill level, and then only the lead character rolls. So if you have three 
  helpers and you’re the highest, you roll your skill level with a +3 bonus. 
  If you fail a roll to combine skills, all of the participants share in the potential costs—
  whatever complication affects one character affects all of them, or everyone has to take 
  
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  consequences. Alternatively, you can impose a cost that affects all the characters the 
  same. 
  When you stack advantages, each person takes a create an advantage action as usual, 
  and gives whatever free invocations they get to a single character. Remember that 
  multiple free invocations from the same aspect can stack. 
  Vehicle Onion Skins
  Being inside a vehicle is a huge advantage in 
  combat. This is because vehicles have stress boxes
  of their own. Before occupants can be targeted, all 
  the vehicles stress boxes must be filled in, and the 
  vehicle taken out.
  The crew is still safe from external fire however, and
  they must be extracted, or a boarding party must be 
  sent in before the crew can be harmed. 
  The pilot is safe inside the vehicle until they are 
  extracted. This goes for spaceships, tanks, mecha 
  and power armour. Any type of armour that has 
  stress boxes and a character sheet, rather than just 
  providing aspects counts as a vehicle for this rule. 
  An opponent in power armour therefore has to he 
  taken out twice. 
  First the power armour is taken out, then the pilot ejects, or the armour is ripped open by 
  the attacker. Once the pilot is exposed they must then be engaged and their own personal
  stress boxes must be filled in before they can be taken out. 
  After a spaceship is taken out it must be boarded and the crew taken out individually. 
  Attacker must therefore sometimes take out the spaceship, then board, then take out 
  power armour troopers, then extract the wearers, and then finally take out the troopers 
  who were within the armour. 
  This process is like peeling an onion, where each skin must be removed before the 
  human, or whatever, at the core can be engaged. It makes vehicles much more powerful 
  than infantry, unless the infantry is provided with mecha, or power armour. 
  An extreme example of onion skinning is the final showdown with a powerful NPC. First 
  their giant space station must be taken out, A dreadnought launches from one of it's bays 
  and this must be taken out. Then a shuttle is launched, and also taken out. Then a mecha 
  ejects from the shuttle and must be taken out. The pilot ejects, but is wearing power 
  
  64
  armour. This power armour is then taken out. Then and only then can the bad guy himself,
  wearing only an armoured vac suit and toting a blaster rifle can finally be dealt with. 
  Boarding 
  Characters are relatively safe inside their vehicle, even if it is disabled or destroyed (taken
  out). Long and repeated salvoes, or scupper charges are required to completely reduce 
  the vehicle to shrapnel that no longer provides protection or cover. 
  Few attackers want to reduce valuable equipment to shrapnel anyway, with only the best 
  equipped and most arrogant of imperial navies even attempting it. Usually a boarding 
  party is sent into drifting vehicles after a battle to mop up or capture survivors, and take 
  what salvage they can in the time available. 
  Vehicle Movement
  Vehicles often become locked in combat, dogfighting, or chasing each other. The combat 
  may be moving forward at light speed compared to the rest of the universe but that is not 
  relevant to those involved. 
  The vehicles involved in the chase or the dogfight are stuck inside the same zone with 
  each other, even as the world streaks past at high speed. Moving out and away from the 
  zone occupied by a dogfight or chase is the same mechanic as moving zones. 
  
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  THE GAME MODERATOR  
  Making sure the game is fun and runs smoothly is a shared responsibility between all the 
  players, but the game moderator has a little more of the ‘heavy lifting’ to do. There are a 
  number of tasks that the GM must usually take responsibility for. It is a difficult role, but a 
  rewarding one.  
  Judge the Use of the Rules 
  It is the job of the GM to make most of the moment-to-moment decisions about what’s 
  legit and what’s not regarding the rules. Most often, they are going to decide when 
  something in the game requires a roll, and how difficult that roll is. They also judge the 
  appropriateness of any invocations or compels that come up during play. 
  Narrating the Action
  There is a bubble of action around every player, and
  the game moderator must make the action 
  interesting for every player, and give each one 
  something significant to do.
  Cosmic Horror
  The game moderator is responsible for creating an 
  atmosphere of rising tension and fear. Some tricks 
  that can he used are to make sure only to provide 
  fleeting glimpses of the monster in act one and act 
  two. The profound level of government infiltration 
  and infiltration of local law enforcement by cultists 
  can be very gradually revealed, ratcheting up the 
  tension. 
  Create Scenarios 
  You’re also responsible for making up all of the stuff that the PCs encounter and react to 
  in the game. That not only includes NPCs with skills and aspects, but it also includes the 
  aspects on scenes, environments, and objects, as well as the dilemmas and challenges 
  that make up a scenario. 
  Discovery vs Creation 
  From the player’s point of view, there’s almost no way to know what you’ve made up 
  beforehand and what you’re inventing in the moment. So, when a player looks for 
  information on something you haven’t made up yet you can use what they were looking 
  
  66
  for as inspiration to help you come up with the real information. If you’re really comfortable
  with improvising, this means that you can come to the table with very little prepared 
  beforehand, and let the players’ reactions and questions build everything for you. 
  Enhancing the Setting 
  As your players are making stuff up for their characters, usually during character 
  generation but other times too, they’ll also make stuff up about the galaxy around them. 
  You’ll end up with lots of new NPCs, organizations, places, things like that. Your players 
  are a great source of creativity and ideas, and it's your job to integrate the best bits of this 
  material into the game as it goes along.
  NPCS  
  First of all, keep in mind that you’re never obligated to give any NPC a full sheet like the 
  ones the PCs have. Most of the time, you’re not going to need to know that much 
  information, because the NPCs aren’t going to be the centre of attention like the PCs are. 
  It’s better to focus on writing down exactly what you need for that NPC’s encounter with 
  the PCs, and then fill in the blanks on the fly, if that NPC ends up becoming more 
  important in the campaign. 
  Background NPCs
  The majority of the NPCs in your campaign world are nameless and insignificant to the 
  story. The random shopkeeper they pass on the street, the archivist at the library, the third
  patron from the left at the bar, the guards at the gate. All they really need is two or three 
  skills based on their role in the scene.
   
  Bar-Keeper
  Aspects: I Don’t Want No Trouble in My Place 
  Skills: Average (+1) Contacts 
  Thug 
  Aspects: The Ways of the Streets, Violent Criminal 
  Skills: Fair (+2) Fight, Average (+1) Athletics and Physique 
  Supporting NPCs 
  Supporting NPCs have proper names and are a little more detailed than nameless NPCs. 
  They often have a relationship to a PC or NPC, or they tend to appear in the game a great
  deal. 
  Tim Lightfoot, Thief Extraordinaire 
  Aspects: Scoundrel, I Just Can’t Help Myself 
  Skills: Superb (+5) Burglary, Great (+4) Stealth, Good (+3) Lore, Fair (+2) Fight, Average 
  (+1) Physique [Note: 3 physical stress boxes] 
  
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  Stunts: Inside Man. +2 to Stealth in an indoor, urban environment. 
  Anton Koth
  A telepath from Crag with the ability to sense the minds of alien beings. 
  Aspects: Distracted
  Skills: Superb (+5) Lore, Great (+4) Stealth,  Fair (+2) Fight
  Uncanny Powers:
  See Through Time 
  Main NPCs 
  Main NPCs have full character sheets just like a PC does, with five aspects, a full 
  distribution of skills, and a selection of stunts. They are the most significant characters in 
  your PCs’ lives, because they represent pivotal forces of opposition or allies of crucial 
  importance. Because they have a full spread of aspects, they also offer the most nuanced 
  options for interaction, and they have the most options to invoke and be compelled. Your 
  primary bad guys in a scenario or arc should always be main NPCs, as should any NPCs 
  who are the most vital pieces of your stories. You can create a main NPC on the fly if you 
  need to, creating a partial sheet of the aspects you know for sure, those skills you 
  definitely need them to have, and any stunts you want. Then fill in the rest as you go. 
  You can also upgrade a supporting NPC. This is great for when a supporting NPC has 
  suddenly or gradually become a major fixture in the story, despite your original plans for 
  them. 
  Main NPCs come in two flavours — exact peers of the PCs who grow with them as the 
  campaign progresses, or superiors to the PCs who remain static while the PCs grow to 
  sufficient strength to oppose them. If the PCs are currently have a maximum skill level of 
  Great (+4), your main NPC badass should be able to afford a couple of Fantastic (+6) 
  columns or a pyramid that peaks at Fantastic. 
  The Corrupted One
  Nayarlathotep's current supreme cultist is the Corrupted One. She was once human, 
  hundreds, or even perhaps thousands, of years ago but is now much more formidable 
  than a base-line human. Despite her power, she is simply an emissary, and the degree to 
  which she has any free will at all is highly debatable. Half of her brain has been removed 
  and a fragment of consciousness grown specifically for this purpose by her master. This 
  has contaminated the eye on he left side of her face, which now looks like a black marble 
  with a red iris and no pupil.
  Aspects: Beloved of Nyarlathotep   
  Skills: Fantastic (+6) Mythos Lore, Superb (+5) Physique, Great (+4) Fight, Good (+3) 
  Provoke, Fair (+2) Will 
  Uncanny Powers:
  She knows five Mythos spells 
  
  68
  Mutated Sorcerer 
  In place of blood he has a greenish-yellow ichor. Yellow and black markings cover his 
  back. From the waist down his body is covered in course black fur. A sort of rudimentary 
  eye is positioned on each hip. When killed, his final words are an excerpt from the 
  Necronomicon. Immediately after death, the sorcerer’s corpse disintegrates into a sticky 
  white mass, apparently having no true skeletal structure 
  Aspects: Truly Alien   
  Skills: Fantastic (+6) Mythos Lore, Superb (+5) Physique, Great (+4) Fight, Good (+3) 
  Provoke, Fair (+2) Will 
  Uncanny Powers:
  He knows seven Mythos spells 
  
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  Monsters
  The most terrible secret that the characters will soon uncover, is that there be monsters. 
  The dark places of the world, and the depths of space too, are all full of giant slobbering 
  creatures that can not be understood or reasoned with, and which are much more 
  powerful than puny humans. 
  Common Characteristics
  Old Ones and their spawn and servitors come in an infinite variety of shapes and sizes, 
  but they have some characteristics in common. The first characteristic is that there is a 
  hierarchy among them. Species of a lower rank on the hierarchy find it very difficult to 
  harm creatures from a higher rank. There is a penalty of -1 for every rank of difference 
  between species. For example, Humans are Minor Things and are at -1 in any encounter 
  with an Avatar, and -2 in any encounter with a Great One. 
  Power Hierarchy
  All Powerful - eg Azathoth 
  Great One - eg Cthulhu 
  Avatar - eg Nyarlathotep 
  Minor Thing - eg Deep Ones and Humans 
  Another common characteristic of all Mythos species is the impossibility of definitive proof.
  No matter what the PCs witness, no monster corpses or other evidence is ever left 
  behind. Monsters disintegrate or are removed from the scene. Remains that are left 
  behind are ambiguous and open to different interpretations. 
  Various levels of immunity to damage.
  Mythos creatures have an immunity to damage which represents the fact that the 
  technology of species of less power or younger age has little effect on the more advanced
  creature. The GM can decide what they are immune to based on the needs of the 
  scenario. Mythos creatures are commonly immune to firearms, but might be wounded by 
  high explosives such as ‘thermite’ grenades.   
  
  70
  Amorphous Piper 
  These creatures squat amorphously, far away from the light, piping noisomely on what 
  looks like a separate device that resembles a flute, but is in fact one of the Piper's organs.
  Amorphous Pipers are popular at the courts of a large number of species. These 
  creatures are also not above attending rituals initiated by human cultist. They can also be 
  communicated with by humans who master their piping language. 
  Pipers are basically a brain, a teleportation and dimensional travel 'gland', a 'piping' organ,
  and an amorphous body wrapped in scaly skin. They can quickly exude a few legs arms 
  and eyes to better interact with whatever environment they find themselves in. Their pipe 
  interacts with the fabric of space and time to release power. This is what makes them so 
  popular at ceremonies. The power they release makes the ceremony more likely to 
  succeed. The ceremony is +1 for every attending Piper. 
  Aspects: Amorphous, Piping power 
  Zones: N/A human size 
  Actions: 2 
  Skills: Great (+4) Music Lore, Good (+3) Deceive
  Stunts: Create power for magic. All sorcerers within hearing of the piping are at +1 to cast 
  their spells and use their abilities.
  Magical flight: the Piper may spend a fate point to change the arrangement of his zones or
  exit a conflict at any time without conceding the conflict.
  Azathoth
  Azathoth is so powerful, that even its minions are considered god-like. Its minions include 
  the avatar, Nyarlathotep, a dangerous and powerful entity, but little more than a lapdog to 
  Azathoth. When not out in the universe causing havoc, the minions crowd around the 
  royal throne, enjoying being close to their god. 
  Azathoth is a kind of caretaker of our universe, requiring it to be aware of the universe in 
  its entirety at all times. Contacting Azathoth is a bad idea because even a glimpse of this 
  giant construct, which is held within the mind of Azathoth, can boggle the much more puny
  human mind. 
  Aspects: Kill With a Thought  
  Zones: 10
  Actions: 7 
  Skills:  (+8) Lore, (+7) Deceive, (+6) Stealth 
  Uncanny Powers
  Magical flight: Azathoth may spend a fate point to change the arrangement of his zones or
  exit a conflict at any time without conceding the conflict.
  Defensive Shield: If the players destroy any zone of the creature, it deals two stress to 
  
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  each character on the map, regardless of zone.
  Blackness from the Stars 
  The Blackness from the Stars is an immobile blob of living, sentient darkness, torn from 
  the primal fabric of the cosmos at the centre of the universe. Some call it an outcast from 
  the court of Azathoth. It is distinguishable in darkness only as vaguely shimmering oily 
  pitch. Although intelligent, it speaks no known language and ignores attempts to 
  communicate. 
   
  Aspects: Immovable and Irresistible  
  Zones: 5
  Actions: 4 
  Skills:  (+8) Lore, (+7) Deceive, (+6) Stealth 
  Uncanny Powers
  Magical flight: The Blackness may spend a fate point to change the arrangement of its 
  zones or exit a conflict at any time without conceding the conflict.
  
  72
  
                                                                  73
  Cthulhu 
  Cthulhu is a scaly humanoid with an octopus head and small deformed wings. Pulpy and 
  amorphous, it is a monster of vaguely anthropoid outline, with a face that is a mass of 
  feelers, a scaly, rubbery-looking body, prodigious claws on hind and fore feet, and long, 
  narrow wings behind. Cthulhu is a mix between a giant human, an octopus, and a dragon,
  and is hundreds of meters tall, with human-looking arms and legs. Cthulhu's head is 
  similar to the entirety of a giant octopus, with an unknown number of tentacles 
  surrounding whatever it uses for a mouth. Cthulhu is able to change the shape of its body 
  at will, extending and retracting limbs and tentacles as it sees fit.
  Cthulhu's body is maintained by some kind of symbiotic apparatus within it that sucks 
  energy out of the universe itself. This might be zero point energy or dark energy or 
  something else entirely, human technology is so primitive that humanity is never likely to 
  know for sure. 
  This energy can be seen entering the creature via the gills behind its octopus face 
  tentacles and below the eyes. It breathes this energy in once every 1d6 rounds and reality
  seems to whither and warp around it as it breaths. This also creates a distortion field that 
  destabilises human synaptic activity. Too long exposure often results in long-term 
  episodes of mental illness and also sometimes an instant psychotic break. 
  Aspects: Stomp and Thrash, Towering Doom 
  Zones: 7 (1-head, 2-thorax, 3&4-arms, 5&6-legs, 7-wings)
  Actions: 7 
  Skills:  (+8) Lore, (+7) Deceive, (+6) Stealth 
  Uncanny Powers
  Magical flight: Cthulhu may spend a fate point to change the arrangement of his zones or 
  exit a conflict at any time without conceding the conflict.
  Defensive Shield: If the players destroy any zone of Cthulhu, it deals two stress to each 
  character on the map, regardless of zone.
  Magical Smiting: When Cthulhu succeeds with style on a Fight attack he automatically 
  gains a full situation aspect with a free invocation in addition.  
  
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  Deep Ones
  The Deep Ones are semi-aquatic creatures, a hybrid of human and fish, under the 
  command of Cthulhu, who they worship as Dagon. They have acquired the technology 
  necessary to manufacture and command shoggoths, and they have huge influence on a 
  religious cult known as the Esoteric Order of Dagon. 
  They also have a liking for interbreeding with humanity to produce monstrous offspring. 
  The offspring all eventually return to the ocean to be with their own kind. For more details 
  on deep ones, see the chapter on the secret nature of humanity.
  Aspects: At home in water, Reek of fish 
  Skills: Superb (+5) Physique, Good (+3) Provoke, Fair (+2) Will 
  Stunts: 
  Horrid skin: Deep ones have a defensive bonus of -1 because of their thick and horrid skin
  Dhole 
  Dholes, which are also called Cthonians, live below ground on several planets and moons
  throughout space, and some areas ‘below’ are festering with gigantic Dholes. They can 
  rear up several hundred feet. They look bleached and viscous. Dholes are huge, slimy 
  worm-like creatures, of up to a thousand feet long. They exist in the Underdark and in the 
  Vale of Pnath in the Dreamlands, implying some deep physical connection between the 
  two places.
  Aspects: Huge,  At Home in the Dark
  Zones: 11
  Actions: 1 
  Skills: (+6) Stealth, Great (+4) Fight and Physique 
  Stunts: 
  Heavy Hitter: When a Dhole succeeds with style on a Fight attack and chooses to reduce 
  the result by one to gain a boost, it gains a full situation aspect with a free invocation 
  instead. 
  
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  Elder Things
  The galaxy is still home to a huge number of the Elder Things, though they keep the size 
  of each of their settlements small, to avoid a doom coming on them. They have tubular 
  bodies and starfish-shape heads. They are six feet end to end, three and five-tenths feet 
  central diameter, tapering to one foot at each end. Like a barrel with five bulging ridges. In
  furrows between ridges are curious growths – combs or wings that fold up and spread out 
  like fans, which gives almost seven-foot wing spread. They are vegetable-like in shape, 
  having radial symmetry instead of the bilateral symmetry of bipeds. They also differed in 
  that they have a five-lobed brain. The Elder Things exhibit vegetable as well as animal 
  characteristics, and reproduce using spores. 
  The bodies of the Elder Things are incredibly tough, capable of withstanding the 
  pressures of the deepest ocean. They are also capable of hibernating for vast epochs of 
  time. They prefer chilly temperatures and set up a research base at the both the Arctic 
  and the Antarctic. 
  They have created two huge black cities, seen from a human perspective, but just small 
  scientific settlements from the perspective of the Elder Things. 
  The city at the south pole has been discovered, though it is just considered an anomalous 
  rock formation below the ice. There is a staff of Elder Things and their servant shoggoths 
  entombed below, tending their giant cold machines. When the Elder Things were 
  investigating the only other structure on the planet that they were aware of, at the time 
  they arrived, the sunken city of R'lyeh. They triggered one of the city's automatic 
  defences. 
  The city quickly brewed up some spawn - powerful constructs that resemble the slumberer
  within the city. The old ones thought these constructs were inhabitants and fought a 
  century of wars against them before giving up and leaving the sunken city in peace. They 
  never realised that the constructs were little more than the response of the city's immune 
  system. The slumberer within the city was only dimly aware of these events and the 
  actions and strategy of the spawn were mostly automatic.
  Aspects: Huge,  At Home in the Dark
  Zones: N/A
  Actions: 5 (one per tentacle) 
  Skills: (+6) Stealth, Great (+4) Lore
  Stunts: 
  360º vision: It is very difficult (-2) to creep up on an Elder Thing. 
  Darkvision: Elder Things are at no disadvantage in darkness,  even complete darkness. 
  Unnaturally Tough: Elder Things are immune to cold , resistant to fire, and can even 
  survive in complete vacuum. 
  
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  Uncanny Powers 
  Go Dormant : an elder thing can go dormant when it needs to. This takes 1d6 hours. 
  While in this state, it can take no actions. An elder thing can remain in hibernation for as 
  long as it wishes. It does not need to eat or drink, nor does it age. Time effectively stands 
  still for a hibernating elder thing. If it is damaged while hibernating, an elder thing awakens
  in 1d6 rounds. 
  Spaceflight: an elder thing can survive in the void of outer space, and its wings allow it to 
  travel between planets. Journeys between planets in the same system take just a few 
  days, the Elder Thing goes dormant while it travels longer distances between the stars. 
  Ghoul
  Ghouls are seldom completely human, but often approach humanity to varying degrees. 
  Most of their bodies, while roughly bipedal, had a forward slumping, and a vaguely canine 
  cast. The texture of the majority is a kind of unpleasant rubberiness. They can grow to 
  colossal size. They have glaring red eyes, and bony claws. The less human-looking 
  versions have dog faces with pointed ears, bloodshot eyes, flat nose, and drooling lips. 
  Some have scaly claws and a mould-caked body. They move on hoofed feet.
  Ghouls can be bargained with by those that learn their language. The language is a 
  howling, gibbering mess to human ears. Only the most learned of ghoul sorcerers usually 
  bother to learn any human language. 
  Aspects: Stinky Rotten Creature 
  Skills: Superb (+5) Physique, Good (+3) Provoke, Fair (+2) Will 
  Stunts: 
  Darkvision: Ghouls are at no disadvantage in darkness,  even complete darkness. 
  Horrid skin: Ghouls have a defensive bonus of -1 because of their thick and horrid skin
  Hounds of Tindalos 
  A Hound of Tindalos is lean and always athirst. They have lean and hungry bodies. They 
  dwell in the distant past of the earth, when normal life had not yet advanced past 
  one-celled organisms. They were eradicated by Cthulhu and cannot remain in the present 
  for extended periods of time, owing to their great fear of him. They travel via the angles of 
  time, while other beings (such as humankind and all common life) are constrained by 
  curves. The Hounds are thought to lust after something in humankind and other normal 
  life, and will follow victims through time and space to get it. They have long, hollow 
  tongues or proboscis to drain victims' body-fluids, and excrete a strange blue ichor. 
  The Hounds are somewhat bat-like in appearance, but their tangential relationship with 
  reality means that their entire form is never visible at one time. Layers of skin, muscle, and
  bone appear and disappear constantly as the creature moves. The reference to Hounds in
  their name refers more to the creatures' habits than their appearance. 
  
  78
  Because of their relationship with the angles of time, they can materialize through any 
  corner if it is fairly sharp, 120° or less. When a Hound is about to appear, it materializes 
  first as smoke pouring from the corner, and finally the head emerges followed by the body.
  It is said that once a human becomes known to one of these creatures, a Hound of 
  Tindalos will pursue the victim through anything to reach its quarry. A person risks 
  attracting their attention by viewing or travelling through time.
  Aspects: Never Relent
  Skills: Great (+4) Stealth, Good (+3) Empathy, Fair (+2) Fight
  Uncanny Powers: 
  Tangential Presence: Because the hounds are not true inhabitants of our reality, most 
  attacks pass straight through without causing stress or consequences. Only 1 succesful 
  attack in 6, (on a roll of 6 on a d6), has its consequences recorded on the hound's 
  character sheet. 
  Life Drain: when a Hound of Tindalos forces an opponent to take a consequence, it can 
  spend a fate point to increase the consequence’s severity (so mild becomes moderate).
  
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  80
  Mi-go 
  Human-sized, with wings and globular heads covered with cilia. While technically fungi, 
  Mi-go bear a great resemblance to crustaceans. They have elongated bodies. These 
  creatures arrived on Earth as an infestation among the alien stones used by Cthulhu to 
  build his sunken city base. They were ousted by the Elder Things and have not lived on 
  Earth for innumerable thousands of years. They are to be found in the heart of gas giants,
  and sophisticated civilisations can colonise a gas giant, without any suspicion that the 
  Mi-go are lurking within. 
  Mi-go have mastered various fields of science, and are especially adept at surgery, and 
  can do things such as extensively modify their own bodies. They seem to assume that 
  other species are as keen on surgery without anaesthetic as they are. They like to remove
  human brains then hook them up to special machines for interrogation. 
  Aspects: Psychotically Alien 
  Skills: Great (+4) Lore, Good (+3) Deceive, Fair (+2) Stealth and Rapport 
  Stunts: 
  Skilled surgeons, +2 when conducting any type of medical or surgical procedure.
  Uncanny Powers:
  Spaceflight: Mi-go can survive in the void of outer space, and their wings allow it to travel 
  between planets. Journeys between planets in the same system take just a few days. 
  They must piggy-back on the travels of other species to travel between the stars.  
  Nyarlathotep 
  Nyarlathotep is best known by the name under which he was once worshipped in Egypt. 
  He is a malign deity who is also called the Crawling Chaos. In a human form resembling 
  that of an attractive Egyptian man or woman, he (or often she) wanders the earth 
  gathering legions of followers. He gains converts through demonstrations of strange and 
  seemingly magical instruments. 
  Nyarlathotep is a kind of itinerant showman or lecturer who holds forth in public halls and 
  arouses widespread fear and discussion with his exhibitions. These exhibitions consisted 
  of two parts, first, a horrible — possibly prophetic — cinema reel, followed by some 
  extraordinary experiments with scientific and electrical apparatus. Visitors to the shows 
  whisper in awe of his horrors, and warn against going near him. 
  Before a show, throngs of people are seen plodding through the night, all whispering in 
  fear and trepidation, all bound in one direction. They aren't yet cultists, they are still afraid,
  yet eager to see and hear the great, the obscure, the unutterable Nyarlathotep. These 
  followers gradually lose awareness of the world around them, becoming enthralled 
  cultists. 
  
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  It is possible for a very powerful sorcerer to make a pact with this entity, but they would be
  foolish to count on Nyarlathotep holding up his end of the bargain. 
  When not sporting with unfortunate human victims, Nyarlathotep rests among the Dholes 
  at the core of various planets, taking the form of a huge but faceless god. Nyarlathotep 
  can also take the form of a nocturnal tentacled, bat-winged monster. In this form it can 
  inhabit hidden corners of the meeting places used by the Starry Wisdom Cult. 
  As well as his relationship with humanity, Nyarlathotep has built up a close relationship 
  with the Mi-Go, where his cult has become their dominant religion. The Mi-go venerate 
  Nyarlathotep even above Cthulhu, whose influence is not felt as strongly within the cores 
  of the gas giants. 
  Even on Earth, Cthulhu is dormant, though his influence is still strong. Nyarlathotep, 
  however, is active and frequently walks among humans, on whatever planet they may 
  have settled, in the guise of a human being, usually a tall, slim, joyous individual. He has 
  thousands of other forms, most of these reputed to be maddeningly horrific. Nyarlathotep 
  seems to serve the interests of Azathoth, and may be a fragment, an avatar or even an 
  aspect of that deity. Nyarlathotep uses human languages and can be mistaken for a 
  human being. While the other Old Ones are mindless or unfathomable, Nyarlathotep 
  delights in cruelty, is deceptive and manipulative, and even cultivates followers and uses 
  propaganda to achieve his goals. In this regard, he is probably the most human-like of the
  Old Ones. 
  Nyarlathotep is a servant of Azathoth, his father, whose wishes he immediately fulfils. 
  Causing madness is more important and enjoyable than death and destruction to 
  Nyarlathotep. It is suggested by some that he will destroy the human race and possibly 
  the earth as well.
  Aspects: Cruel and Unusual Punishment, Gloating and Giggling  
  Zones: Variable, from N/A (human size) to 10
  Actions: 7 
  Skills: (+8) Lore, (+7) Deceive, (+6) Stealth 
  Uncanny Powers
  Nyarlathotep knows every spell in every Mythos Tome and can cast them without the need
  of performing a ceremony or requiring any ingredients or devices. 
  
  82
  
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  Serpent People 
  Serpent People worship the Great Old One Yig, who, as the flip side of Tulu, is an aspect 
  of Shub-Niggurath. The Serpent People were created untold aeons ago by Yig. Serpent 
  people have hypnotic gazes and lethally venomous bites, as well as terrible crushing 
  strength. After the decline of their empire, the Serpent people tried to reconquer the world,
  around 20,000 years ago. 
  The ancient serpent empire was based on sorcery and alchemy, but collapsed with the 
  rise of the dinosaurs about 225 million years ago during the Triassic era. They built 
  subterranean cities, of which only ruins remain in the modern age. Explorers from K'n-yan 
  visit Yoth frequently to learn more of the serpent people's scientific lore. Their downfall 
  came when they abandoned their patron deity Yig to worship a new god. As retribution Yig
  placed his curse upon them. 
  Serpent People are humanoids with scaled skin and snake-like heads. They possess 
  magical abilities, the most common of which is the use of illusion to disguise themselves 
  as a human. The serpent people became extinct on Earth, mostly, about 8,000 years ago. 
  They have survived in pockets throughout the galaxy, always in close proximity to Elder 
  Things. They are sometimes independent, and sometimes the slave-like thralls of their 
  Elder Thing masters.
  Aspects: Serpentine, Terrible Crushing Strength. 
  Skills: Superb (+5) Physique, Good (+3) Lore, Fair (+2) Will 
  Stunts: 
  Darkvision: Serpent People are at no disadvantage in darkness, even complete darkness. 
  Uncanny Powers: 
  Hypnotic Gaze: Serpent people can disguise themselves as human, or any other creature.
  Venom: They have lethally venomous bites, which increase any consequence one level.  
  Shoggoth
  The Shoggoths are a kind of artificial life, organic robots created by the Elder Things from 
  the most advanced biotechnology. They were created to function as slave labour and 
  cannot reproduce unless the Elder Things initiate reproductive protocols. They are an 
  example of an experiment that the Elder Things consider very successful. This is in sharp 
  contrast to humans, which are considered by the Elder Things to be a joke or mistake. 
  Since the time of the Shoggoths' creation, a very long time ago, the Deep Ones have 
  learned the secrets of creating and controlling Shoggoths. They currently serve as beasts 
  of burden for the Deep Ones in their cities, including on the planet Y’ha Nthlei.  
  Shoggoths are terrible things, vaster than any subway train. They are shapeless 
  conglomerations of protoplasmic bubbles, faintly self-luminous, and with myriads of 
  temporary eyes forming and un-forming as pustules of greenish light all over their bodies. 
  
  84
  They are massive amoeba-like creatures made out of iridescent black slime, with multiple 
  eyes ‘floating’ on the surface. They lack any default body shape and instead are able to 
  form limbs and organs at will. An average shoggoth measures fifteen feet across when a 
  sphere, though they can grow to much, much greater size. 
  They are intelligent to some degree, but they tend to deal with problems using their great 
  size and strength. The shoggoths build and maintain the underwater cities of their 
  masters, first the Elder Things and now the Deep Ones.  
  Aspects: Robotic, Only Following Orders 
  Zones: 3
  Skills: Great (+4) Physique, Good (+3) Lore Engineering, Fair (+2) Stealth 
  Uncanny Powers:
  Enormously Strong: Shoggoths can move objects much bigger than themselves and weld 
  them in place with glue secreted from orifices that form in their skin.  
  Ubbo-Sathla
  One particularly huge and powerful Shoggoth is called Ubbo-Sathla, or Abhoth. It was 
  created by the Elder Things in their ultimately futile battle with the spawn of Cthulhu. It is a
  huge protoplasmic mass resting in a grotto deep beneath the frozen earth. The being is of 
  a monstrous fecundity, spontaneously generating primordial single-celled organisms that 
  pour unceasingly from its shapeless form. It guards a set of stone tablets believed to 
  contain a huge trove of knowledge. The tablets that Ubbo-Sathla guards have been oft 
  sought by sorcerers, though no sorcerer has yet succeeded in acquiring them. 
  It was Ubbo-Sathla that emerged from its hiding, where even the most intelligent of 
  Earth's AIs had not suspected its existence, and inexorably destroyed the planet. It was 
  an orgiastic feeding that took months to complete, allowing some refugees to flee the 
  doomed planet. Human technology was completely impotent in the face of the creature, 
  being much more primitive than the technology of the Elder Things. Human technology 
  could not halt it, could not extract revenge, and could save precious few from the path it 
  cut across the surface of the world. Human technology is proving unequal from even 
  reclaiming the Earth from its depredations. 
  
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  Shub-Niggurath 
  Shub-Niggurath is an evil cloud-like entity located somewhere in space, often travelling 
  within solar systems looking for food. Its main form has long, stretching tentacles and its 
  main body is a pulsating mass of muscle. There are black shapes and many yellow eyes 
  among the flesh. Shub-Niggurath is a bestial, flesh eating presence, interested primarily in
  eating and all other organic bodily functions, and also in the torturing and destruction of 
  flesh. She cares little whether the flesh she is enjoying is snake people, human or some 
  more exotic Mythos creature. 
  She is a Great Old One with a long association with Earth. Her followers have evolved 
  over time from Serpent People, who knew her as Yig, all the way to her present day 
  human followers. The serpent people had long since deserted Shub-Niggurath, who is 
  now was unworshipped and alone for thousands of years, until humans, and some other 
  Mythos species, turned to her. 
  Shub-Niggurath is frequently mentioned or called upon in incantations, venerated with the 
  words, ‘Iä! Shub-Niggurath!’ The centre of human worship of this deity is in the Crimson 
  Desert, in the City of Pillars, where Shub-Niggurath is worshipped at underground shrines.
  She has many incarnations, including the All Mother, the Lord of the Wood and, the Black 
  Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young.  Shub-Niggurath's most common incarnation 
  when encountered resting in interplanetary space is an amorphous form with long 
  tentacles, but she also takes a more human form, the Black Goat, who is male. The Black 
  Goat is the most common earthly form of Shub-Niggurath. 
  Aspects: Kill With a Thought  
  Zones: Variable, from N/A (human size) to 10
  Actions: 7 
  Skills: (+8) Lore, (+7) Deceive, (+6) Stealth 
  Uncanny Powers
  The Black Goat knows every spell in every Mythos Tome and can cast them without the 
  need of performing a ceremony or requiring any ingredients or devices. 
  
  86
  Subterranean Raptor 
  Raptors can be tamed, and even trained but it is a sanity bending task that requires a 
  great deal of Mythos lore. They are hybrid winged things insectile, with black wings and a 
  long mole-like snout, they have the rotting legs and arms of human beings, with webbed 
  hands and feet. They flop limply along, half with their webbed feet and half with their 
  membranous wings. To control a raptor, the rider must hide their face, Cowled figures 
  seize and mount them, and ride off one by one along the reaches the unlighted rivers of 
  the Underdark, into pits and galleries of panic where poison springs feed frightful 
  waterfalls. 
  Aspects: Stubborn, Sly. 
  Skills: Great (+4) Physique, Good (+3) Fight (+2) Stealth 
  Uncanny Powers:
  Flight: the subterranean raptor can fly at a leisurely 40 km/h but is slower above ground, 
  only reaching 30km/h
  Tsathoggua
  Tsathoggua (the Sleeper of N'kai) is an Old One, a supernatural entity described as an 
  amorphous, toad-like creature. It's shape changes slowly, almost imperceptibly, but it 
  retains some characteristics in most of its forms. It is very squat and pot-bellied, with a 
  head more like a monstrous toad than a deity, and the whole body is covered with an 
  imitation of short fur, giving somehow a vague sensation of both the bat and the sloth. Its 
  sleepy lids are usually half-lowered over globular eyes. Its belly is of great girth and it has 
  batlike furriness and the look of a sleepy black toad. But Tsathoggua can perform more 
  radical transformations, for example moulding itself from a toad-like gargoyle to a sinuous 
  line with hundreds of rudimentary feet. 
   
  It dwells in a temple of basalt blocks without a single carving, and containing only a vacant
  onyx pedestal. The temple is located on Zin. Tsathoggua does not rise from this place, 
  even in the ravening of hunger, but instead waits in divine slothfulness for sacrifice. It was 
  once widely worshipped as a god, by species that came long before humanity. 
  Aspects: Kill With a Thought  
  Zones: 3 (1-body, 2-head, 3-limbs)
  Actions: 4
  Skills: (+8) Lore, (+7) Deceive, (+6) Stealth 
  Uncanny Powers
  Tsathoggua knows every spell in every Mythos Tome and can cast them without the need 
  of performing a ceremony or requiring any ingredients or devices. 
  Formless Spawn 
  Tsathoggua is served by the formless spawn, shape-shifting entities made of a black 
  viscous substance. Swellings, as if by the action of some powerful yeast, often bulge forth 
  to gradually produce perhaps an uncouth amorphous head with dull and bulging eyes on 
  
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  an ever-lengthening neck. Arms, alien looking and misshapen, likewise arise inch by inch. 
  Or they can create tentacle-like appendages in lieu of claws or hands. 
  They rest in basin-like beds, and when they are awoken the whole mass of the dark fluid 
  of its body begins to rise and ‘pour’ over the rim of the basin like a torrent of black 
  quicksilver. They take on a snake form to move quickly, with dozens of short legs 
  emerging from the undulating belly. They are surprisingly flexible and plastic, and can 
  quickly flow into a room through the tiniest of cracks. Formless spawn can take any shape
  and can attack their targets in nearly every conceivable way, cutting, slashing, biting, 
  trampling. They are extremely resilient and very difficult to kill. 
  Aspects: Oily and Slimy  
  Zones: 1
  Actions: 2
  Skills: Great (+4) Physique, Good (+3) Lore Engineering, Fair (+2) Stealth 
  Uncanny Powers:
  Enormously Tough: One successful attack in 3 is absorbed by their body with no visible 
  effect.  
  Yithians  
  The Yithians are  a prehistoric civilization that populated much of the Earth in the distant 
  past, and will populate it again in the far future. Their great power derived from their 
  mastery of time travel. They are almost omniscient. They set up exchanges with the minds
  of other planets, and of the past and future. They did not originate on Earth, but came 
  here from an artificial planet, a black, aeon-dead orb in far space called Yith. The Great 
  Race are beings of enormous intellectual and psychic powers. They escaped the 
  destruction of their home planet by transferring their minds to the bodies of a species 
  native to the Earth in the far distant past. They lived on this planet for 200 million years or 
  so, in fierce competition with the flying polyps, whom they initially subdued. However, this 
  enemy over time increased in number and near the close of the Cretaceous era (about 66
  million years ago), rose up and finally destroyed the civilisation of the Yithians, forcing the 
  Yithians to flee en masse to other bodies located far in the future. 
  The unique ability of this scientifically advanced race is to travel through time by swapping
  minds with creatures of another era. This allows them to satisfy their interest in human 
  culture, science, and occult beliefs. Occupied beings' minds transfer to Yithian bodies 
  against their will. These captive minds are queried by skilled inquisitors while the Yithians 
  using their bodies learn as much as possible. 
  
  88
  
                                                                  89
  Beatle People  
  Because the Yithians travelled to the future as well as the past, they foresaw their own 
  destruction by the flying polyps. Before the fateful day, the Yithians transferred their best 
  minds forward through time into the bodies of the ‘beetle folk’ (the Coleopterous species), 
  Earth's dominant species after humankind. The Yithians stats depend to a great degree 
  on the body they are inhabiting, but will always have Lore of +8. 
  The Beetle People are used by the Humans trying to reclaim Earth. They are a construct 
  that combines organic and cybernetic systems. They are programmed to be servants of 
  humanity, but they have the capacity to break this programming and become more 
  self-aware. They are strong, resilient and good fighters. They are more beasts of burden 
  than laboratory helpers, but a variant is being evolved with more fine motor skills, for tool 
  use. 
  Aspects: Loyal, Sly. 
  Skills: Great (+4) Physique, Good (+3) Fight (+2) Stealth 
  
  90
  SCENARIOS 
  The GM plans out the plot of the story where the player characters will become heroes (or
  villains, or rich, or whatever); creating the setting, populating that region of space with 
  villains and other NPCs, and assigning them any necessary backgrounds, motivations, 
  plans and resources. It is the most creative part of the game moderator's duties and many
  find it very rewarding. While authoring a session, it is important to remember a few points. 
  Give goals
  If there is to be a huge battle in the streets between warring vigilante tribes, and the 
  outcome is predetermined, allow the players some small victory that they can achieve. 
  The battle was lost, but the vital plans were extracted from the vigilante leaders surface 
  crawler car before it exploded in flames. 
  Names are Important
  Giving your characters, companies, villages and non-player characters memorable names
  will make them more interesting to the players. It is an opportunity to enrich your world 
  and story.  
  Reuse Previous Settings
  Revisiting the abandoned hospital from the first adventure creates a sense of familiarity, 
  and this time the characters may learn a strange new secret about it. 
  Characters Must Make Progress 
  Don't constantly move the party's goal further and further away, in case the players begin 
  to get a sense that their accomplishments are meaningless. Players should feel that they 
  are moving toward some sort of conclusion and that they are doing so because of their 
  decisions. 
  Let the Setting Reveal Itself
  The backdrop to the characters' adventures is impossibly huge. Luckily, you don't have to 
  teach any of it to the players. As long as you are consistent about your universe, the 
  players will gradually learn about it as they play. You don't need to explicitly explain 
  anything. The characters will work it all out for themselves.  
  Plan for Success  
  If your plot requires that the villain will win, you're setting yourself up for a fall. Players are 
  brilliant, especially when it comes to defeating your carefully planned scenes. When 
  you're authoring a session, you're pitting your own mind against the combined minds of all
  of your players. Have backup plans, villains, and plot twists to handle unexpected player 
  brilliance. 
  
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  Plan Failure 
  If the players must make a check to continue on the plot, such as to uncover a stealthed 
  assassin, they will probably fail. Have fall back plans. Can the characters call in a 
  professional to help? Will another attack by the villain reveal them this time? 
  Have Mini-Encounters Ready 
  Players can be very unpredictable. Things you thought would take a while happen quickly,
  or the players just ignore them all together. It's good to have some small adventure ready 
  at hand, to use to fill unexpected gaps when you run out of preplanned scenario to run. 
  Build up a store of generic encounters which can be tossed in almost anywhere. 
  Hit Their Aspects 
  A good way to figure out the interesting action for a scene is to turn to the PCs’ aspects, 
  and create a complication or an event-based compel based on them. This is especially 
  good to do for those PCs whose aspects did not come into play when you made up your 
  scenario problem, because it allows them to have some of the spotlight despite the fact 
  that the overall story does not focus on them as much. 
  Campaigns
  A campaign is a series of linked adventures. In Present day Cthulhu, the adventures at the
  start of a campaign will be very different to those at the end of the arc of a campaign. 
  Early Stage 
  At this early point adventures are characterised by mysteries where the Mythos creatures 
  are still hidden and the characters are still very confused. The characters encounter minor
  Mythos creatures such as ghouls and deep ones.
  Mid Stage 
  After several sessions, and after they acquire at least one Mythos tome, the characters 
  become armed with more knowledge. They can learn spells and become more powerful. 
  They start to learn what is actually going on and become less confused. 
  Late Stage 
  At this stage characters must travel the globe to try to avert disaster and major cultists are
  aware of them. Great forces swing into action to thwart their efforts. 
  
  92
  Mythos Books 
  So how do the characters become embroiled in adventures, scenarios and campaigns? 
  The answer is that, primarily, they learn all these terrible secrets from mythos tomes. It is 
  possible to learn a few morsels of information ‘first hand’ in conversation with ghouls, 
  Yithians and the like, but this is extremely dangerous, only to be attempted by the most 
  powerful of sorcerers. 
  The main purpose of these works is to enable readers, including the PCs, to gain occult 
  and eldritch knowledge that is unknown to the general populace. The books point the way,
  taking PCs into the way of adventure and peril. And sometimes the works themselves are 
  sources of extreme danger. Characters can seal their doom by casting a spell from an 
  arcane book.
  The descriptions of the books below often mention spells and special powers that can be 
  gained by reading the books. The game mechanics of these spells are explained later in 
  this book, in the Running the Game section. 
  Mythos tomes are never truly translated. A successful translation, perhaps requiring a 
  Languages roll to translate the tome, followed by a Mythos Lore role, will just be a partial 
  translation. It will just unlock a few secrets. Vast swathes of the book remain only half 
  understood or even untranslated because some passages were written by a different 
  author or were quoted by the author in the original possibly unknown language of some 
  Mythos creature. 
  Most books are now found in digital form, but truly powerful sorcerers will actually have 
  physical books, no matter the difficulty in preserving them and caring for them. 
  Book of Eibon 
  The Book of Eibon is a strange and rare occult volume. It has gone through a series of 
  translations from a prehistoric original written in a lost language. It is an immense text of 
  arcane knowledge that contains, among other things, a detailed account of Eibon's 
  journeys to the Vale of Pnath and the planet Shaggai, his veneration rituals of 
  Zhothaqquah (Eibon's patron deity, probably the entity that also calls itself Nyarlathotep), 
  and his magical formulae. These include spells for the slaying of some otherworldly 
  horrors.  
  Cultes des Goules 
  Cultes des Goules is a book of black magic written by Francois-Honore Balfour (Comte 
  d'Erlette) in 1702. It includes advice for contacting and making pacts with ghouls in 
  exchange for treasures and magical power.  
  
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  De Vermis Mysteriis 
  This book is the work of Ludwig Prinn, an alchemist, necromancer, and mage who 
  attained a miraculous age before being burned at the stake in Brussels. At the time of his 
  execution for sorcery, Prinn lived in the ruins of a pre-Roman tomb that stood in the forest 
  near Brussels. In this forest, there were old pagan altars that stood crumbling in the dark 
  glens. These altars were found to have fresh bloodstains when Prinn was arrested. The 
  book contains spells and enchantments, particularly those that can summon strange 
  entities. One such spell summons a shambler from the stars. It also contains knowledge 
  of Nyarlathotep. 
  One chapter of the book reveals secret assassin cults and information about making pacts
  with ghouls. It also describes ‘The Star of Sechmet’, a mysterious ‘power’ crystal. It 
  provides instructions on how to compound aconite and belladonna and draw circles of 
  phosphorescent fire on the floor when the stars are right. It describes melting tallow 
  candles and blending them with corpse-fat. It describes their use in meetings with ‘various
  parties’, cold deliberate directions for traffic with the ancient evil that is Nyarlathotep. It 
  also contains the recipe for a love potion. The book contains protective magics including 
  the Pnakotic pentagon, and the cabalistical signs of protection.
  Eltdown Shards 
  These are mysterious pottery fragments found in 1882 and named after the place where 
  they were discovered, Eltdown in southern England. The shards date to the Triassic 
  period and are covered with strange symbols. 
  G'harne Fragments 
  A set of miraculously preserved shards of obsidian that record the history of the 
  pre-human African city of G'harne. The lost city is located somewhere in the southern 
  Sahara Desert.
  Necronomicon 
  Contains an account of the Old Ones, their history, and the means for summoning them. It
  is the work of Alhazred, a worshiper of Yog-Sothoth and Cthulhu. He discovered the 
  ‘nameless city’ below Irem and died under mysterious circumstances in 738. The very act 
  of studying the text is inherently dangerous, as those who attempt to master its arcane 
  knowledge generally meet terrible ends. On the first page, it contains the lines, ‘That is not
  dead which can eternal lie. And with strange aeons even death may die.’ The ‘unabridged’
  version of the Necronomicon is over 800 pages long. It is bound in leather of various types
  and has metal clasps. The book was banned during various passages of history, and 
  there are numerous editions that have been disguised. For example, an innocuous 
  looking book might be opened, for the reader to discover to their disquiet that it is actually 
  the Necronomicon.
  
  94
  On the Sending Out of the Soul 
  This is a slight looking eight-page pamphlet on astral projection. The pamphlet first 
  appeared in 1783 and circulated among occult groups. Many copies were destroyed in the
  wake of a series of grisly murders. The eighth page details a formula for effecting astral 
  travel. Among the required ingredients are a brazier of exotic drugs. The formula is always
  successful but sometimes (one time in six) has an unforeseen side effect. It attracts the 
  attention of local mythos creatures. 
  Parchments of Pnom 
  The Parchments of Pnom is a manuscript in an ancient and forgotten language that 
  contains a detailed account of the lineage of the creatures worshipped at the time as 
  gods. These ‘gods’ are in fact mythos creatures.
  Pnakotic Manuscripts 
  The Pnakotic Manuscripts is a tome that originates from a time before humanity. The 
  original manuscripts were in scroll form and were passed down through the ages, 
  eventually falling into the hands of secretive cults. The Yithians produced the first five 
  chapters of the Manuscripts, which, among other things, contain a detailed chronicle of 
  their history. They were kept in the Yithian library city of Pnakotus. They cover a variety of 
  subjects, including descriptions of mythos creatures, the location of mythos sites, rituals, 
  and other secrets. They were originally found by the people of Lomar, who studied them 
  diligently. Later, additions were made in ancient times by a scribe in Zobna. The 
  Manuscripts survived into historical times, protected by a secretive cult known as the 
  Pnakotics, and an English translation was made in the 15th century. 
  Ponape Scripture 
  A manuscript found in the Caroline Islands by Captain Abner Exekiel Hoag sometime 
  around 1734. The pages were made of palm leaves and its binding was of an ancient, 
  now-extinct cycadean wood. It was authored by Imash-Mo, high priest of Ghatanothoa, 
  and his successors. 
  Nameles Archive
  This is a data dump from a hard drive that came from a government research facility 
  investigating sleep and ESP. The drive is usually encountered as a zip file or targz file. It 
  behaves strangely, unpacking itself and corrupting the host computer. Skilled data 
  analysts can retrieve chunks of information however.
  Revelations of Glaaki 
  The revelations were written by an undead cult worshipping a creature they call Glaaki. 
  This creature is undoubtedly a great old one, perhaps Cthulhu himself. Whenever their 
  master slept, the members of its cult had periods of free will, and they wrote down what 
  they remembered of the strange dreams and thoughts that emanated from their deity. The
  
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  text is nine volumes in length.
  Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan 
  The Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan is a collection of writings with many secrets 
  concerning the finding of Kadath. It relates primarily to the Dreamlands and seems like a 
  work of fantasy to readers who are unfamiliar with this strange dimension. 
  Testament of Carnamagos 
  The writings of an evil sage and seer named Carnamagos, which were discovered a 
  thousand years ago in some Graeco-Bactrian tomb. The original is said to have been 
  written in the blood of an ‘incubus-begotten monster’. It is the chronicles of great sorcerers
  of old, and the histories of creatures that these sorcerers considered to be ‘demons’. They
  describe different types of demons, earthly and ultra-cosmic, and the veritable spells by 
  which the demons could be called up and controlled and dismissed. Many copies are 
  bound in shagreen and fastened with hasps of human bone.
  Unaussprechlichen Kulten 
  A tome written by Friedrich von Junzt. The first edition of the German text appeared in 
  1839 in Düsseldorf. The English edition was issued by Bridewall in London in 1845, but 
  contained numerous misprints and was badly translated. A heavily expurgated edition was
  later issued in New York by Golden Goblin Press in 1909. Original editions in German 
  have a heavy leather cover and iron hasps. The text contains information on cults that 
  worship pre-human deities, very likely to have been in actuality mythos creatures. It 
  includes the tale of the doomed heretic T'yog. It also describes the Temple of the Toad, 
  most likely to be found in Honduras.
  Zanthu Tablets 
  These are twelve engraved pieces of black jade inscribed by Zanthu, a wizard and high 
  priest. They are written in a form of Naacal, the language of the sunken continent of Mu. 
  The tablets reveal a partial history of Mu, describing Zanthu's struggle against an upstart 
  cult and his own religion's decline. Zanthu also describes his failed attempt to release his 
  god from its prison. Upon witnessing three black, beaked, slimy heads, ‘vaster than any 
  mountain’, rising from a gorge, he flees in terror when he realizes that they are merely the 
  god's clawed fingertips. A rough translation was published in 1916. Ten years after 
  publication the translator died in an asylum. 
  Zhou Texts 
  An ancient manuscript found in Asia, written circa in 1100 BC during Zhou Dynasty. It 
  contains rituals to summon a ‘Great Old One’.
  
  96
  Uncanny Powers 
  These powers are not available to starting characters. They can only be acquired by 
  characters by arcane researches in Mythos tomes, and other unhealthy ways. If they are 
  willing to delve into Mythos mysteries, uncanny powers can be developed by any 
  character. Uncanny powers depend on the Mythos Lore skill to be used effectively (the 
  Uncanny Power stunt) and they can not be accessed at all without it. 
  Banish Human 
  This spell forces a human to run in terror until they are at least 300 metres away, or have 
  a reached a place that they consider to be safe. This spell also works on ghouls and Deep
  Ones, due to their close affinity with humanity. The human must be bested using Mythos 
  Lore, making it relatively easy to chase away innocent bystanders with no understanding 
  of the Mythos. 
  Banish Spawn of Yog-Sothoth 
  This spell does exactly what it says, but only if the caster manages to best the creature in 
  a contest of Mythos Lore. This should only be attempted by the most powerful and learned
  of sorcerers. The Spawn is spirited away through a rift in space and time.
  Become Servant of Nyarlathotep
  Cultists are given a secret name by Nyarlathotep and enter into a deep relationship with 
  this terrible creature. They are given a slim chance of attracting the creature's attention 
  and summoning it, based on 10% of the level of their Mythos <lore skill. 
  Bind Shoggoth
  These are the commands and gestures used to command shoggoths and other servitors 
  of the Elder Things. They can be learned by humans and the relevant servitor species will 
  obey commands, even very complex ones. It is one of the few spells that can be cast from
  memory by a human. 
  Create Power for Magic 
  A musical instrument is required to create this effect, traditionally pipes or flutes, but any 
  instrument will do, even a banjo. All sorcerers within hearing of the piping are at +1 to cast
  their spells and use their abilities. 
  Defense against Immortality  
  This spell protects the caster from the Immortality spell, (which allows a soul to steal the 
  bodies of others), by giving +2 to the battle of Mythos Lore.  
  Defensive Fire
  If enemies destroy the caster, or any zone of it, if it is a large creature, it deals two stress 
  to each character on the map, regardless of zone. 
  
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  Dematerialise  
  The character becomes invisible, and unable to effect reality around them or be effected 
  by reality around them, but they can still watch, listen, and even smell.
  Dho Formula 
  This spell allows a caster to view any area of the universe, or any other dimension. It 
  requires a very difficult and complex chant, lasting 1d6 hours, and provides visions lasting 
  1d6 minutes. The caster does not need to have been to the targeted location before, but 
  must have heard of it.
  Dho-Hna Formula 
  This spell allows a caster to travel to any area of the universe, or any other dimension. It 
  requires a very difficult and complex chant, lasting 3d6 hours, and the journey time is then
  1d6 days. The caster does not need to have been to the targeted location before, but 
  must have heard of it.
  Dimensional Travel Power
  Curves and angles are smeared on walls by the sorcerer with blood, or some other 
  viscous liquid, and the sorcerer walks a path created by these lines. These are lines and 
  curves that are made to point out directions leading through the walls of space to other 
  spaces beyond. It requires 1d6 hours to create the path, but walking it takes a single 
  round. 
  Dream Usurpation 
  This power allows a victims dreams to be invaded. The usurper must win a contest of 
  Mythos lore. The invader can then create a landscape or room or some other structure 
  within their victim's dreams, for use as their base. They can then travel from that location 
  to hunt down their victim. 
  Cabalistical Signs of Protection 
  These are written in blood, or some other essential fluid, and they protect a single building
  from the attentions of Mythos creatures. They take 1d6 hours to inscribe and provide +1 in
  Mythos Lore combat against creatures trying to enter the building. 
  Extreme Desiccation 
  The power rapidly destroys an organic target by sucking all the moisture out of it. The 
  initial stages of the attack see steam pouring from the target's skin as the skin dries and 
  cracks. Then large patches of flesh fall away in cascades of dust, before the target finally 
  loses structural integrity and collapses into a powdery pile of debris. The initial stages 
  require a Mythos Lore roll, the second stage requires another roll, and a final roll is 
  required for the kill. The spell therefore takes three rounds to cast. 
  
  98
  Go Dormant 
  The caster can go dormant when they need to. This takes 1d6 hours. While in this state, 
  they can take no actions. The caster can remain in hibernation for as long as they wish. 
  They do not need to eat or drink, nor do they age. Time effectively stands still for the 
  hibernating character. If they are injured while hibernating, they awaken in 1d6 rounds. 
  Life Drain 
  When the caster forces an opponent to take a consequence, they can spend a fate point 
  to increase the consequence’s severity (so mild becomes moderate). 
  Magical Flight 
  The caster may exit a conflict at any time without conceding the conflict, even if deep 
  underground. 
  Magical Smiting 
  When the caster succeeds with style on a Fight attack they automatically gain a full 
  situation aspect with a free invocation in addition. 
  Mind Control 
  Use Mythos Lore to set a ‘mind-controlled’ aspect on the target, who must obey all 
  commands, until that aspect is removed.  
  Open the Gates
  This spell is used to pen up the gates to Yog-Sothoth with the long chant from page 751 of
  the complete edition of the Necronomicon. The chant takes 1d3 days, and it's curtains for 
  the Earth. Yog-Sothoth will first send through the most minor of its minions, allowing a 
  small window when they can be defeated and the portal closed, but the Old One itself will 
  soon follow. 
  Pnakotic Pentagon 
  Protects an area up to six square metres. The sorcerer makes one Mythos Lore roll, which
  is then used as a difficulty to overcome by attacking creatures, regardless of the level of 
  Mythos Lore of any people within the pentagon. 
  Powder of Ibn-Ghazi 
  The formula for creating this powder is complex, and the ingredients cost thousands of 
  dollars, those that are available to buy that is. It must be thrown, and a successful attack 
  must be made, using Mythos Lore rather than any physical skill. Invisible creatures are 
  instantly revealed, which can be a sanity bending experience.   
  
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  Reanimate Corpse 
  Reanimate corpse allows a single corpse to be revivified and, depending on the skill of the
  reanimator, the corpse can be hard to distinguish from a living being. The reanimation 
  process takes 1d6 days, and equipping a lab for the process takes 1d6 months. 
  Reduce to Essential Salts  
  The reduction process is long and involved and requires a laboratory. Once a body, or 
  more rarely a living volunteer, has been reduced to salts, they can be stored, potentially 
  for centuries, ready for reanimation at a time judged fit by fellow cultists. The reduction 
  process takes 1d6 days, and equipping a lab for the process takes 1d6 months. 
  Resurrect from Essential Salts 
  The resurrection is much easier, requiring only a bottle of essential oils that must be 
  poured on the salts to revivify them. A living body constructs itself, in quite a disgusting 
  show, from the ground up, feet first. The reconstruction takes 1d6 rounds. 
  See Former Times 
  The character must be with human remains from these former times to be able to 
  'commune' with them. The character falls into a deep slumber, but believes that they 
  physically travel back in time, where they can interact with people they meet and, 
  potentially, change the course of history. The spell takes moments to cast, less than a 
  round, but the slumber is long, lasting 10+1d6 hours. 
  Spaceflight 
  Allows the character to survive in the void of outer space, and grow wings to allow them to
  travel between planets. These are permanent changes that effect the character's 
  appearance, although this is not always made clear in the Mythos tome that contains the 
  spell. Journeys between planets in the same system take just a few days, the must go 
  dormant while they travel longer distances between the stars.
  Tame Subterranean Raptor 
  Raptors can be tamed, and even trained. This process is outlined in the tome where the 
  spell is found, but it is long and involved. It takes 1d6 weeks to tame a raptor, and a 
  further 1d6 weeks before it can be ridden. Any other tricks, such as ‘homing’, require 
  another 1d6 weeks each. 
  Tangential Presence 
  Allows the caster to move to a tangential dimension. Because they are not true inhabitants
  of our reality, while the spell is in effect, most attacks pass straight through without 
  causing stress or consequences. Only 1 successful attack in 6, (on a roll of 6 on a d6), 
  has its consequences recorded on the character sheet. 
  
  100
  Telepathy 
  This allows the caster to read the mind of a target. Victory in a battle of Mythos Lore is 
  required for every thought overheard. 
  Voorish Sign 
  The sign only has power over a creature if the caster bests it in a contest of Mythos Lore. 
  Invisible creatures are instantly revealed, which can be a sanity bending experience.
  
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  Example Scenario (Awaken)
  On a deserted planet, a shrine has been discovered. A research station was set up to 
  study the ancient structure. The shrine and research station are located in the planet's 
  polar region. Temperatures regularly plummet to below -50˚C, winds can reach over 
  100mph and nearly a third of the year is spent in total darkness. Each year the ice shelf 
  moves 700m and over a metre of snowfall accumulates on its surface, gradually 
  entombing and crushing built structures. It is not clear how the alien temple survives the 
  terrible forces that it is subject to. It stands like a dark prism jutting from the ice, which is 
  forced round to either side. 
  To cope with these conditions the research base consists of a series of seven linked 
  modules. The modules are on skis and can easily be pulled to a new location. The base 
  has two ground crawlers, each of which is capable of repositioning the base. The modules
  are brightly coloured -  blue for the science pods, green for the sleeping quarters, and a 
  vivid red for the largest, central module, which forms the base’s social hub. 
  The scientists had been studying the temple for many years without much success. They 
  suspected that the structure contains interior areas but have not been able to gain access.
  Then the base botanist, Horiks, finds a strange organic seed, and estimates it has been 
  buried in the ice for twenty thousand years. 
  Horiks discovers that the seed is growing larger and he believes it is absorbing power 
  from the base generators. Another scientist, Winter, is near the pod when it opens. A 
  tentacle emerges and stings him. When Horiks and another scientist, Mobius, find him, 
  Winter's body is covered with green growths. 
  In the sickbay, his body temperature and pulse drop rapidly. His face and body become 
  completely covered with green fungus. His blood is found to have been replaced by a 
  strange vegetable sap. (When the characters arrive there are samples and recordings of 
  the transformation, and of the transformed creatures escape from the sick-bay pod). The 
  creature goes out to the temple and is admitted. It emerges to gradually pick off the other 
  scientists, turning them into monstrous cultists. 
  Within the temple sleeps a wounded Spawn of Cthulhu. The crystalline temple is like a 
  protective covering it weaves around itself. It is almost completely healed and ready for 
  awakening. For this to occur, however, the creature requires some assistance to ‘jump 
  start’ its organic-cybernetic core. It could weave crystalline servitors, in the same way as it
  created the temple, but it is easier to use the scientists. It exuded the organic pods into 
  the ice, and when the scientists found them their doom was sealed.  
  The Spawn's systems are rebooted using a device that broadcasts a ‘wake-up’ signal. The
  device is being constructed by the mutated scientists, but their mutations are so extreme 
  that they may die from them before the device is completed and ready to transmit the 
  
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  signal. 
  The monstrous cultists have decided to send out a distress signal. This brings the 
  characters to the planet. The monstrous cultists will initially hide in the temple where they 
  can not be detected with sensors.
  Characters descending in a Fast Ship or a shuttle will be confronted with a wrecked base, 
  an alien temple and two ground crawlers, all partially disassembled and used to construct 
  a strange and alien looking device. 
  Once the characters have started to investigate the base, the monstrous cultists will 
  attempt to disable whatever Fast Ship or Shuttle has brought the characters to the 
  planet's surface. Next they will try to pick off each character, transforming them into a 
  vegetable monstrosity. Next they will complete the signal projector device. The Spawn will 
  awaken 1d6 hours after the initiation of the signal, and lay waste to the area around the 
  shrine. 
  Monstrous Cultists
  The former scientists are now twisted and deformed shadows of who they once were. 
  They are dark green and sap drips from their mouths. Their arms have become disjointed 
  and rubbery, and spines now grow from their fingers. They attack using these spines, and 
  anyone who is touched by them is doomed to transform into one of the monsters.  
  Aspects: vegetable and twisted 
  Actions: 2  
  Skills: Superb (+5) Physique, Good (+3) Fight, Fair (+2) Will 
  Darkvision: the monstrous cultists are at no disadvantage in darkness,  even complete 
  darkness. 
  
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  Creating Backdrops
  Humans Fast Ships have the technology to stop and take orbit in uncharted and 
  unpopulated systems. These systems will sometimes have to be quickly designed by the 
  GM on the fly. A system will consist of a selection of the features listed below, rolled 
  randomly or selected by the gamemaster to suit their needs. 
  Star 
  Systems include at least one star. Roll 1d10 to determined how many stars the system 
  contains, and what type they are.
  1 Main sequence star – with a star system similar to that of Earth's and a habitable zone 
  1AU from the star.  
  2 Blue giant – habitable planets are 300 AUs from the star. Inner rocky terrestrial stars are
  likely to have been consumed. 
  3 Young main sequence star – surrounded by close orbiting planetesimals. 
  4 Red supergiant – only a few habitable planets remain, over 300 AUs from the star. Inner
  rocky terrestrial stars have been consumed. 
  5 Black dwarf – a cinder that emits no light or heat. The planetary system remains intact; 
  however, it has become barren and frozen.
  6 Brown dwarf – a cold system of planetesimals with little heat or light. 
  7 White dwarf – typically surrounded by rings of wreckage that were once planetary 
  bodies in its system. White dwarfs emit little light or energy, and the rings surrounding 
  them are usually cold and dark. 
  8 Neutron star – the star has exhausted its fuel source and is now mere kilometres in 
  diameter. Planets orbiting a neutron star are typically cold, lifeless, and severely 
  irradiated.
  9 Black hole – this is a depleted and irradiated system. Only planets over 300 AUs out will
  have survived the star's death. But, these few remaining dark and cold planets orbiting the
  black hole are exactly the sort of place where the most terrible of Mythos horrors are to be
  found.
  10 Pair of stars, roll again for each star.
  Asteroid Belts
  Each system has 1-3 Asteroid belts, roll 1d6/2 to 
  determine the number of asteroid belts present 
  within the system. 
  Asteroids can be small, not even as big as a fighter, 
  but can also be very large. Some asteroids are 
  hundreds of kilometres in diameter and have smaller
  asteroids in orbit like moonlets. Groups of asteroids 
  in complex orbital patterns around a central point 
  are also often encountered. 
  
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  Planets 
  Planets, planetesimals, habitats, asteroids etc, are the primary bits of real estate in the 
  system. An older main sequence star will have the full range of different types of planets. 
  Larger stars will have consumed many of their planets, or even blasted them off into 
  space. 
  Number and Type
  Most, if not all planets will fall into one of the following physical types, and most systems 
  will have a handful of each. 
  1-6 rocky terrestrials, roll 1d6 per system
  1-6 gas giants, roll 1d6 per system
  1-3 space bases, roll 1d6/2
  1-10 space stations, roll 1d10
  1-3 habitats, roll 1d6/2
  1-20 scuttled, patrolling, wrecked, abandoned or otherwise permanent spaceships, roll 
  1d20
  1-3 strange floating alien ruins, roll 1d6/2
  Planetary Aspects
  Some planets, planetesimals, habitats and other bodies have unusual surroundings and 
  situations, and these can often have a profound effect on the conditions at the planet's 
  surface.
  Moons
  These are the heavenly bodies that have been trapped by a planet, and have taken up an 
  orbit around it. Some can be every bit as large and capable of supporting life as a planet, 
  but others are little more than the big bits in the belts of rubble often found orbiting gas 
  giants. Don't forget to give any system a sprinkling of interesting moons (1d3 for 
  example), especially round the gas giants, which can have as many as 1d10. 
  Civil War
  The system is home to two or more competing corporations or cultures, and open warfare 
  has broken out. This is the bitterest kind of war, and can be confined to a single planetary 
  continent, or rage across the entire star system.
  Drifting Hulks 
  Relics of a long ago war, of either human or alien origin are all that populate the system. 
  The sterilised surfaces of the planets are littered with debris too. 
  
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  Feral Complexes
  These are hospitals, amusement parks, research 
  centres, factories and the like that have for one 
  reason or another become dangerous environments
  for their inhabitants. The AI may be compromised, a 
  deadly infection may have gotten loose, a Mythos 
  monster roams the corridors, or general infection of 
  systems by military viruses.
  Empty Cities 
  Population numbers have slumped in some parts of 
  human space. This has led in some areas of space 
  to a landscape of empty self-repairing cities which 
  have been left alone so long that – even if they had 
  not been taken over long ago by alien monsters – 
  they might not have been too welcoming to humans.
  Natural Disasters
  The system is at the edge of some source of natural
  disasters, such as an accretion disk around their 
  stellar primary afflicted with unpredictable tides, or 
  an oscillating star. Some valuable resource or 
  traditional importance means the system can't easily
  be abandoned, so the locals have learned to live 
  with occasional system-wide disaster. 
  Environment Aspects
  Planets dominated by a single type of terrain are a sci-fi trope, but they are also fun and 
  atmospheric. Most planets however will have a mix of the following terrain and features. 
  Beach
  The technical term for these features is liquid/rock interfaces. The area within 20k of any 
  beach is susceptible to tidal waves and tsunamis, caution is advised until it is possible to 
  confirm computer simulations of the planet's tidal patterns. 
  Craters
  Planets without atmosphere or tectonic activity or usually absolutely covered in craters 
  and fields of boulders and debris. Crater walls provide excellent cover.
  Gas Layers
  Gas giants have a characteristic layered structure. They often have a super-dense metal 
  
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  core, above this is a dense liquefied gas layer, and above this is the stable part of the 
  atmosphere. The calm layer is where floating cities and other assets are usually found. 
  Mecha are not often used in this environment, but have been employed in assaults on 
  larger floating cities. 
  Gravel Flats
  These are mostly stable, but there can be dangerous areas, where a thin covering of 
  gravel covers deep crevasses and pits. 
  Liquid Ocean 
  Some planets have islands ranging above the surface, and perhaps a continent or two, 
  but many do not. Where life has evolved on these aquatic worlds, it tends to have 
  produced some large and fearsome creatures. 
  Plains
  Often the result of terraforming, this is when the surface of the planet is unusually smooth.
  It is a landscape of wide horizons and big skies.
  Paper Rock 
  This looks like solid terrain, but is fragile and will collapse on a failed reflexes roll. It can 
  cover an enormous area, and seeing a huge area collapse is an awesome, but dangerous
  experience. 
  Sandy Dessert
  This is a planet with huge expanses of sand dunes, almost impossible to map, with rock 
  islands poking up between them. Mechs with special wide feet, vehicles with huge tires 
  and burrowing vehicles have been very successfully used in this environment. 
  Sea of Ooze 
  This has the same dangerous character as quicksand, but there is a huge expanse of it. It
  can be navigated, but only in specially designed vehicles called ‘suboozibles’.
  Swiss Cheese
  This is an umbrella term used to cover any feature with lots of tunnels and openings. 
  These could be the results of natural weathering on planets with chaotic atmospheres, 
  tunnelling by alien life forms, the remains of transport systems, or a very large number of 
  other causes. It is often hard to tell the original source of the tunnels, but caution in 
  landing and operating on such terrain is advised. 
  
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  Vegetation Covered
  Any terrain may be covered, lightly, or heavily, with 
  vegetation. Life is very adaptable, and a healthy 
  covering of lush alien vegetation is no guarantee of 
  the stability of the terrain below. 
  Ice Crust 
  For example on a frozen moon, this crust can easily 
  be stable and kilometres thick, or dangerously thin. 
  
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  Secrets
  Even after thousands of years of contact with Mythos Creatures and the destruction of 
  Earth's population by a terrible Old One, there are still may secrets about the Old Ones, 
  and even humanity itself that are known only to a few.
  After research in mythos tomes it becomes clear to the reader that humans are not the 
  result of natural selection. It becomes clear that humanity was created accidentally, as a 
  joke or mistake, a bi-product of more successful experiments. Humans were very likely 
  created by the Elder Things and are among the weakest of their creations. 
  But this is not even the most startling secret about the nature of humanity. Detailed 
  consultation of ancient tomes, or for the more adventurous, experimentation on live 
  subjects, will reveal some even more interesting secrets about humanity.  
  Deep Breeding
  Deep ones are a servitor species that was 
  produced at the same time as humanity, by the 
  same creators, the Elder Things. In fact, the 
  Elder Things inadvertently created almost all 
  complex life on Earth. Their ‘failed experiments’ 
  often crawled away and evolved on their own, 
  gradually creating an entire biosphere. 
  Deep ones look strikingly different to humans. 
  Their predominant colour is a greyish-green, 
  though they have white bellies. They are shiny 
  and slippery, but the ridges of their backs are 
  scaly. Their forms vaguely suggested the 
  anthropoid, while their heads are the heads of 
  fish, with prodigious bulging eyes that never 
  close. At the sides of their necks are palpitating 
  gills, and their long paws are webbed. They are 
  equally comfortable moving on two legs or on 
  four. They have croaking, baying voices, and 
  they are intelligent and capable of articulate 
  speech. 
  They are a species of 
  undersea-dwelling humanoids whose 
  preferred habitat is deep in the ocean.
  However, despite being primarily 
  marine creatures, they can come to 
  
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  the surface and can survive on land for some time. All Deep Ones are immortal, though 
  they can die by accident or violence. They serve Cthulhu.
  Humans breed easily with deep ones, producing strong hybrid offspring. Hybrids between 
  human and deep one are often given away their shared heritage. They often have bulging 
  eyes and thick lips. Hybrids are human until some time after puberty and then transform 
  into a deep one, when they feel compelled to ‘return’ to the ocean. 
  The written language of the Deep Ones looks like an aquatic version of hieroglyphics, 
  formalised pictograms featuring fish, octopus and other more ancient forms. They have 
  huge cities in the deepest parts of the oceans of many planets, including those thought of 
  as exclusively human. 
  Ghoulish Nature
  Humans must interbreed to produce deep ones, but
  this is not true of humanity's relationship to the 
  ghouls. The easiest transformation for humans is 
  becoming a ghoul, which does not require 
  interbreeding, simply some incantations and 
  thought disciplines. There is, in fact, essential no 
  difference between human and ghoul. They are 
  considered by some to be the same life form. 
  Ghouls and humans are so closely related that a 
  human can become a ghoul by a fairly simple 
  mental reprogramming. Physical changes, such as 
  sharp digging claws, come later, triggered by the 
  mental changes. The return transformation is also 
  fairly simple leading many to see human and ghoul 
  as inextricably linked forms of the same species.
  This can be tested by any character who learns the 
  incantations of transformation. Each transformation 
  lasts longer and makes more deep changes, until 
  the transformation becomes permanent.
  Ghouls are quite sick puppies indeed, fond of collecting corpses, and delving deeply into 
  the exotic and macabre.  They consider themselves to be artists of the macabre, 
  creatures of grace and style who just happened to rob graves. Ghouls who have not yet 
  fully transformed can easily pass for human, though on close inspection they elicit the 
  impression that they are not quite human, the feint stench of someone who delves into 
  
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  forbidden things. 
  Once the transformation is complete, there is little left of their humanity. Their human 
  voices are replaced by the faint deep-toned baying of some gigantic hound. Human teeth 
  are replaced by long, firm teeth. Ghoul features are repellent in the extreme, savouring at 
  once of death, bestiality and malevolence. They have large eye sockets, reflecting their 
  preferred subterranean habitat. 
  Ghoul society has a symbol that they venerate, a crouching winged hound, or sphinx with 
  a semi-canine face, often worn round the neck as a green jade amulet.
  Ghoul sorcerers are famous for triumphing over death and becoming immortal. As long as
  their skeleton is not disrupted, they can regenerate their flesh and return from seemingly 
  mortal wounds. The process where the skeleton recovers itself with rotting flesh takes 1d6
  days.  
  When not under ground, ghouls like to inhabit old churchyards, deep woods, cliffs by the 
  sea, brick tunnels, and ancient panelled rooms. They inhabit a world beneath our feet, 
  their tunnels connecting to graveyards, tunnels and vaults. 
  Extraterrestrial Interbreeding
  Humans can interbreed with Old Ones. The sexual act, birth and offspring of such a 
  mating are very different to the conventional biological mechanisms employed by humans 
  and human/deep one hybrids. 
  Yog-Sothoth, for example, has produced ‘hybrid’ offspring with a human. Such matings 
  are extremely rare events, but the fact that something so alien is even possible points to 
  something strange lurking within human DNA. 
  This process is instigated by human sorcerers, and does not happen spontaneously, but 
  hints at the strange powers that can be produced with just human flesh as a medium. 
  
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  Cults
  Human society is also very different to surface appearances. Almost all human 
  governments, military and law enforcement have been thoroughly corrupted. The Great 
  Ones suspect this and have their own, ostensibly loyal, agents, but even these networks 
  are not completely immune. The main vector of this corruption is a signal that can be 
  ‘heard’ by susceptible subjects in their mind. This signal often manifests in the onset of 
  strange dreams, changes in personality, and focused effort towards tightly defined goals. 
  The recipients of these dreams often, but not always, become cultists, fanatical and 
  dangerous. 
  The source of cultist dreams is Cthulhu's subconscious and unconscious mind, which is 
  why the dreams seem so strange to human minds. Although Cthulhu is mostly dormant, 
  some small areas of its mind are active. These are the areas that deal with automatic 
  defence and keeping the massive carcase of the beast alive, and these are the areas that 
  are broadcasting the signal. 
  These autonomic defences seek the destruction of any beings that might pose a threat to 
  Cthulhu. But Cthulhu only sees beings as a threat if they are about to reach a certain level
  of intelligence and awareness, or if they have reached a technological advancement 
  potent enough to challenge and endanger Cthulhu. Humanity is on the cusp of this level of
  advancement. The defence lobes of slumbering Cthulhu's brain alternately notice 
  humanity and plot its eradication and then forget humanity again as it seems to be too 
  weak and fleeting a species to be worth the effort of eradication. 
  The signal effects human minds, but also data processors, including computers. It even 
  influences complex but non-sentient systems such as bee hives, causing the bees to 
  dance in strange patterns when the signal is particularly strong. Sometimes even the 
  waking thoughts of humans can be directly influenced. The signal can also cause mass 
  suicides, and, when particularly strong, is capable of reprogramming and warping DNA, 
  transforming the victim into a monster in a matter of days.
  The victims of the signal, the cultists in thrall to their sleeping god, are damned to a 
  robot-like life of following the god's mental bidding. Few are allowed any measure of free 
  will or any time off. This dislocates them from society, sometimes making their language 
  and behaviour odd, making it possible to spot them.
  Cthulhu does not have just one cult doing his bidding but many.  These cults include the 
  following, but there are many more besides. 
  
  112
  Chorazos Cult 
  The Chorazos Cult is a religious sect dedicated to the worship of one of the Outer Gods 
  known as Yog-Sothoth. This enigmatic but extremely religious cult was founded in the 
  mountains of Romania in the late 16th century, but later spread to England and then 
  Scotland, and later went into space with humanity. The cult is intent on attempting to allow
  Yog-Sothoth access to our dimension. The cultists believe they are doing this at the 
  behest of their god, but it is actually Cthulhu who is directing their actions and sending 
  them dreams. It is Cthulhu that wants Yog-Sothoth to be brought to our dimension, for 
  reasons of his own. 
  Cult of Cthulhu 
   
  The Cult of Cthulhu consists of primitive, secluded groups who have not been completely 
  turned into robotic slaves, but retain some measure of humanity. They can be found in 
  isolated areas on any planet or other human habitat. They believe that Cthulhu will usher 
  in an era of chaos and uninhibited violence. They believe they will be able to take 
  advantage of the chaos unleashed during this time, and can rise to the top of human 
  society. They have been profoundly misled about the true nature of their god. To these 
  people, Cthulhu represents cosmic and natural forces that has no mind of its own, yet can
  affect humanity even to the point of destruction. 
  Church of Starry Wisdom 
  The Church of Starry Wisdom, or Starry Wisdom Cult, is a cult that worships Nyarlathotep 
  in his aspect as the Haunter of the Dark. The cult uses a sacred relic known as the 
  Shining Trapezohedron to summon the Haunter of the Dark, who demands outrageous 
  sacrifices in return for limitless knowledge of the universe. The cult holds an extensive 
  library of mythos literature. It is, of course, Cthulhu who makes the connection between 
  Nyarlathotep and his subjects, overseeing the communication between them, 
  manipulating it. 
  Cult of the Yellow Sign 
  Anyone who possesses, even by accident, a copy of the sign is susceptible to insidious 
  mind control. The sign amplifies Cthulhu's signal within the mind of anyone who gazes on 
  it. The original creator of the sign was Cthulhu, who revealed it to his anointed in a dream,
  but any skilled calligraphist or graphic artist can produce a copy. The sign can be 
  represented physically or digitally. The power of the sign is not in the materials, but in the 
  sign itself. The cultists worship Cthulhu, but know him as Hastur. The cult commits human 
  sacrifice, and has striven throughout history to suppress rationalism. The cultists become 
  more and more obsessed with the horrific otherworldly visions they receive when staring 
  at the sign. As their obsession grows, their humanity ebbs away and their loyalty to 
  Cthulhu increases.
  
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  Esoteric Order of Dagon  
  The Esoteric Order of Dagon is mostly restricted to coastal areas of planets with oceans 
  and seas, or to the inhabitants of undersea complexes. Its promises of expensive gold 
  artefacts and increased fish catches are primarily attractive to fishing towns. The central 
  beings venerated by the Order are the Deep Ones but they are seen largely as 
  intermediaries between the cult and their god. The god that the cult worships is Cthulhu, 
  but the cult knows him as Dagon. The cultists sacrifice strangers and researchers to the 
  Deep Ones at specific times in exchange for a limitless supply of fish. The Esoteric Order 
  of Dagon has three oaths which members have to take. The first is an oath of secrecy, the
  second, an oath of loyalty, and the third, an oath to marry a Deep One and bear or sire its 
  child. 
  Pnakotics
  The Pnakotic Manuscripts survived into historical times, protected by a secretive cult 
  known as the Pnakotics. The information in these manuscripts is of importance to Cthulhu 
  and he established this cult to make sure that the book is protected. Cthulhu wants to 
  ensure that a few copies can be found, to take pride of place on the shelves and among 
  the data hordes of those that Cthulhu determines should be exposed to its influence.
  
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  DESCRIBING THE SETTING 
  Howard Lovecraft is very florid in his descriptions, so keep a thesaurus handy when you 
  are writing descriptions of the sites that characters visit. Don't be frightened of giving 
  individual rooms their own descriptions, and it helps the atmosphere to describe what the 
  characters see, of course, but also what they hear, smell, the temperature etc.
  Make the NPCs seem like real people. Give them their own names and voices because 
  the more you make them real, the better the experience for the players. 
  Try not to use the monster's name when PCs encounter it. Don't even describe it fully 
  enough for the players to work out what it is. Just give an impression of its size and power,
  its odours. Let the players find evidence of the monster having been there before them, 
  and imply that it might still be nearby. Let them hear sounds, have animals react.
  “You enter the base's control centre, and in the room there is a Deep One,” is not the way 
  to go if you really want to spook your players. 
  The players should never have all the answers, either. There should be some common 
  threat or reward to pull them in, and they should have some idea that there is more to 
  their situation than is obvious, but they should never know the whole situation from the 
  start. 
  The PCs must also be brought together and kept together, and made to gel as a group. 
  This can often require a few coincidental meetings and might require the suspension of 
  disbelief, but separating the players too often and for too long can slow the game down a 
  lot. 
  Hazards
  When populating the setting with hazards it is useful to decide if the hazard is something 
  that can harm a PC. In this case it can be given a skill and it attacks just like an opponent.
  If it is more of a distraction or harassment than a direct threat, let it create aspects. 
      
  And in return, let the PCs use their skills against the threat just like they would an 
  opponent. An automated security system might be vulnerable to ‘attacks’ from a PC’s 
  Burglary skill, or they might escape a trap by winning an Athletics contest. If it makes 
  sense for the hazard in question to take a good deal of effort to surpass, give it a stress 
  track and let it take a mild consequence or two. If a hazard, such as a fire, is too big for a 
  PC to put out, the scene should focus on avoidance or escape, and work like a challenge.
  
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  Vehicles
  Machines are a simple advantage or have their own character sheet, just like a PC or 
  NPC. They tend to be minor NPCs. In addition to the advantages it confers, it's very useful
  to know how long your vehicle is, how heavy, and how many crew it might need. These 
  numbers can be freely made up, but it's good to base them on reality, if possible. 
  A good tip is to try to imagine real-world objects such as aircraft, ocean liners, and 
  skyscrapers next to your sci-fi vehicle, in order to visualize how big they really are. You 
  can even draw your real-world object next to your design for scale. If you are designing a 
  sci-fi all terrain vehicle, then it is probably going to be close in size and weight to a current 
  version. You can simply look up details like weight, length, and height on manufacturers' 
  websites and Wikipedia.
  A small spaceship, for example, might range from 50 meters to 300 meters long and have
  a crew of 8-10. Larger vessels may range up to a thousand meters long and have a crew 
  of hundreds. A space station, so big it can be mistaken for small moon, could be even 
  thousands of meters long, with cities full of people inside. Any starships that are larger 
  than about 2000 meters long can include huge spaces for substructures like buildings and
  recreation grounds. 
  Surface Cars
  Aspects: Armoured 
  AI Skills: Good (+3) Drive, Shoot  (+1) Physique 
  [Note: 3 physical stress boxes] 
  These are wheeled vehicles that do not have grav 
  engines and were becoming increasingly rare before
  the decline of the Empire. Now that advanced 
  technologies such as grav motors are becoming 
  more difficult to fix and manufacture, surface 
  vehicles with wheels and tracks are becoming 
  increasingly common again.
  
  116
  Tug
  Aspects: Big Engine, Strong Arms, Slow
  Skills: (representing the ship’s AI) 
  Good (+3) Notice 
  Fair (+2) Shields, Pilot  
  A tug is a small spaceship with powerful 
  manoeuvring engines. Many tugs also have large 
  articulated limbs for manipulating space debris and 
  small asteroids. These are normally provided by star
  ports and space stations, to help larger spaceships 
  navigate to a tricks dock.
  It is not unheard of for some of the more enormous spaceships to have a tug, or even a small flotilla
  of them, hidden away in a corner of some cavernous docking bay.
   
  Freighter
  These are the little workhorses that carry high value 
  goods on short trade runs between destinations 
  within a system. Most systems have just a single 
  colonised planet, but there are usually still 
  numerous habitats, research stations, mining 
  outposts and other settlements that support a 
  surprising amount of intrasystem trade. Bulk goods 
  are taken by tankers or container spaceships. 
  Aspects: Fastest Ship on the Trade Route, Hidden 
  Cargo Compartments
  Skills: (representing the ship’s AI) 
  Good (+3) Notice 
  Fair (+2) Shoot, Pilot 
  Stunts: Pour On The Speed - gives +2 on any Pilot rolls to win a contest of speed. 
  Fast Ship
  A Fast Ship is a spaceship with an FTL drive. These tend to be freighters with some 
  limited passenger carrying capacity, but also include passenger ships and bulk carriers. 
  Humanity still has a handful of military spaceships too, although these are ageing and 
  unreliable now. 
  The distance between human colonies averages around 300 light years and FTL drives 
  travel 10 light years per day. This means that a voyage across the breadth of human 
  
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  space can take a month or two. 
  Aspects: FTL 
  Skills: (representing the ship’s AI) 
  Good (+3) Notice
  Fair (+2) Shoot, Pilot 
   
  
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  Space Stations
  These may be ring-shaped, with a dock for  space 
  ships at the centre of the ring, rod shaped, 
  spherical, or even a less regular shape.  Doughnut 
  shapes with docking around the edge are also very 
  popular. 
  They can also be large outposts that orbit planets, 
  are built into asteroids or float through the vastness 
  of the interstellar medium. 
  Space stations can also be constructed of concrete, 
  made from asteroid dust and comet ice, giving the 
  space station a very architectural feel. 
  Space stations are only rarely equipped with 
  engines that are of any use during combat. They 
  simply serves as a base for other spaceships, and 
  various other operations, such as manufacture, 
  research and mining. 
  Since the decline of the Empire it is becoming more 
  and more common to encounter deserted space 
  stations throughout former human space. 
  These have been left without maintenance, without upgrades to their AIs, and can be very
  dangerous places indeed. Some have even be taken over by cultists and Mythos 
  monsters for use in their nefarious schemes and mayhem.
  
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  Robots
  Robots range from affordable helpers that can easily
  be purchased by a starting character, to huge 
  machines that would require a loan or other 
  financing to purchase. 
  Many planets are now populated primarily by robots,
  who outnumber their human masters. They were 
  once required in much greater numbers, but are 
  now another sad reminder of the state which the 
  Empire has fallen to. 
  Some humans feel this very personally, and it is not 
  unusual to find entire complexes on the surface of a 
  planet where robots have been banned, and the 
  humans try to live a more self-sufficient life. 
  External Repair Droid
  Skills: Fair (+2) Engineering, Average (+1) Athletics
  and Pilot  
  This friendly robot is intelligent and helpful. It has 
  four strong legs underneath with magnetic pads to 
  grip a spaceship hull, and two tentacle tool arms 
  mounted on its head to do repairs.
  Skills 35% (engineering 60%) Robustness 1
  Guard Drone
  Skills: Fair (+2) Shoot, Average (+1) Athletics and Shields 
  A guard drone is a robot that is sophisticated, but has less than full AI. It is tasked with 
  guarding its owner from threats. They often take the form of a small metal globe that floats
  unobtrusively near the person being protected. 
  Messenger Droid
  Skills: Average (+1) Athletics
  This droid is built for speed, but does not have a grav engine. Instead it runs elegantly on 
  its oversize legs. 
  
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  ADVANCEMENT
  Your characters aren’t going to remain static through the entire campaign. As their stories 
  play out, they’ll have the chance to grow and change, sometimes for the better, 
  sometimes for the worse, in response to the events that happen in play. 
  Character advancement in Fate comes in one of two flavours: either you can change 
  something on your sheet to something else that’s equivalent, or you can add new things to
  your sheet. The opportunities you get to do this are collectively called milestones. 
  Milestones 
  A milestone is a moment during the game where you have the chance to change or 
  advance your character, often the end of a session, the end of a scenario, and the end of 
  a story arc, respectively. 
  Minor Milestones 
  Minor milestones usually occur at the end of a session of play. It is more about changing 
  your character rather than making him or her more powerful, about adjusting in response 
  to whatever is going on in the story. Sometimes it won’t really make sense to take 
  advantage of a minor milestone, but you always have the opportunity if you should need 
  to. 
  During a minor milestone, you can choose to do one (and only one) of the following: 
      Switch the rank values of any two skills, or replace one Average (+1) skill with one that 
  isn’t on your sheet. 
      Change any single stunt for another stunt. 
      Purchase a new stunt, provided you have the refresh to do so. (Remember, you can’t 
  go below 1 refresh.) 
      Rename one character aspect that isn’t your high concept. 
  In addition, you can also rename any moderate consequences you have, so that you can 
  start them on the road to recovery, presuming you have not already done so. You should 
  be able to justify the change you’re making in terms of the game’s story. 
  Significant Milestones 
  Significant milestones usually occur at the end of a scenario or at the end of two or three 
  sessions. Significant milestones are about learning new things. In addition to the benefit of
  a minor milestone, you also gain both of the following: 
      One additional skill point, which you can spend to buy a new skill at Average (+1) or 
  increase an existing skill by one rank. 
      If you have any severe consequences, you can rename them to begin the recovery 
  
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  process, if you haven’t already. 
  When you spend your skill point, it’s worth one step on the ladder. You can use it to buy a 
  new skill at Average (+1), or you can use it to increase an existing skill by one step on the 
  ladder—say, from Good (+3) to Great (+4). 
  Skill Columns 
  During character creation, you organized your skills into a pyramid. You don’t have to stick
  to that for character advancement. 
  However, there’s still a limitation you have to deal with, skill columns. This means you 
  can’t have more skills at a certain rank than you have at the rank below it. So if you have 
  three Good columns, you have at least three Average (+1) skills and at least three Fair 
  (+2) skills to support your three Good (+3) skills. 
  Major Milestones 
  A major milestone should only occur when something happens in the campaign that 
  shakes it up a lot—the end of a story arc (or around three scenarios), the death of a main 
  NPC villain, or any other large-scale change that reverberates around your game world. 
  Achieving a major milestone confers the benefits of a significant milestone and a minor 
  milestone, and all of the following additional options: 
  Take an additional point of refresh, which allows you to immediately buy a new stunt or 
  keep it in order to give yourself more fate points at the beginning of a session.  
  Reaching a major milestone is a pretty big deal. Characters with more stunts are going to 
  have a diverse range of bonuses, making their skills much more effective by default. 
  Characters with higher refresh will have a much larger fountain of fate points to work with 
  when sessions begin, which means they’ll be less reliant on compels for a while. 
  Sharing the Load
  As the characters learn more about the Cthulhu Mythos it is possible that they may 
  become regular travellers to the dreamlands, the ancient past, the far future and other 
  dimensions. This is an opportunity to share the game moderator duties. One player could 
  be the game moderator responsible for present-day Earth adventures, another for the 
  Dream Worlds etc.
  
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  The Role of Combat
  In a game where PCs are facing Mythos creatures, 
  combat should usually not be the first choice and 
  players will need to do more role playing than in 
  more adventure orientated games. 
  But, if the players decide to go toe-to-toe with 
  cosmic beings and attempt to duke it out, you 
  should let the dice fall where they may. The Mythos 
  is about the insignificance of humanity in the greater
  scheme of things. 
  If done well, combat doesn't take long. Try not to 
  insist that every fight must last until every NPC has 
  taken 3 consequences. This should only happen in 
  important fights with main NPCs. 
  This is because it drains PC resources and the combats end up taking up a lot of valuable
  game time. If every fight is a struggle to the death every time, it's going to drag. Sane 
  opponents will not normally fight to the death - they'll try to run away or surrender long 
  before that. Even fanatical cultists will be calculating their worth to the cause if they live to 
  fight another day. They will be more than willing to make an escape if they think it is the 
  logical thing to do. 
   
  Fate points also have a huge influence on how dangerous, or not, combat is. If you keep 
  the characters low on fate points, they become much more vulnerable to having combats 
  go against them and not have anything to do about it.  
  This encourages characters to concede conflicts and ending up having to run from 
  encounter after encounter. There is nothing wrong with this, and it is actually a good way 
  of making things more Mythos like. 
  A much better way of punishing characters than killing them is to advance them along the 
  madness track, towards total gibbering insanity.
  The people doing most of the falling down dead should be the players' NPC allies. Send a
  skilled and trusted NPC to scout ahead and have the PCs encounter them all shrivelled up
  in a pool of strange coloured goo. 
  Scenario Ideas
  One of the disadvantages of games in a Mythos universe is that you can't just send them 
  
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  down a dungeon full of monsters and expect them to survive. Most Mythos creatures are 
  tougher than humans and this is an easy way to get all the PCs killed.
  The GM has to spend some extra time trying to come up with ideas that will allow the 
  players to interact with monsters, but also be able to run and hide when they inevitably get
  into deep trouble. A few plot ideas follow to help you come up with challenging situations 
  for your players.
  Dangerous Ground
  The PCs stop for the night and their Mythos Lore allows them to notice something not 
  quite right about the local population. Perhaps they notice the pale scaly skin and slit 
  mouths of the Deep Ones, who they know are always up to no good.
  Captive Audience
  The players ate on a Fast Ship when it is hijacked by cultists. The cultists want to use 
  their vehicle full of sacrificial victims to summon something truly awful. The vehicle will 
  make planetfall and crash and burn, after the ceremony, which will hide all evidence. 
  Mythos Menace 
  The PCs must capture or kill a Mythos creature that is terrorising a local community. The 
  innocent fools of the local law enforcement think they have a prolific serial killer on their 
  hands, but the characters know better. 
  Rip in Space and Time
  A portal has been opened that connects to another planet, or perhaps a whole other 
  dimension. The PCs must deal with the incoming monsters and close the portal, before 
  the whole planet is overrun. 
  Investigating the Ruins
  Recently, an entire remote town or scientific facility has been demolished and all life has 
  been eradicated from it. The PCs aren't the first on the scene, but they might be the first 
  who have a chance of working out what happened. 
  Missing Memories 
  One of the characters has been periodically hosting a Yithian. The Yithian has been 
  conducting its own peculiar research projects, using the PCs body, and this has been 
  causing misunderstandings. Especially when the character is caught breaking into a 
  high-security government facility. 
  
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  Extortionate Sorcerer 
  A sorcerer gains some useful bit of knowledge about one of the PCs and uses it make the 
  PC do their bidding, at least until the PC can locate the sorcerer and deal with them. 
  This can be almost anything, bought from some monster that managed to infiltrate the 
  character's dreams and find secrets they have never shared with anyone. 
  The details of this life destroying secret can be worked out between player and GM. 
  Missing Person
  The PCs realise the Mythos connection behind the abduction of a local businessperson or
  politician. They may offer to help the family find their loved one, or they may have to work 
  in private. 
  Breaking and Entering
  To prevent cultists the PCs must gain a counter charm. They must break into a secure cult
  location in an exotic place to retrieve it. 
   
  
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/FATE (fudge) [multi]/FATE - Cthulhu in Space [2014].pdf