Madness & Incidents Reference - Horror

⚡ Short-Term Madness (d20)

Lasts 1d10 minutes, triggered by minor horror

d20	Symptom	Effect
1	Uncontrollable Laughter	Hysterical giggling at inappropriate times, can't stop
2	Catatonic State	Frozen in place, staring blankly, unresponsive
3	Compulsive Counting	Must count everything - tiles, stairs, heartbeats
4	Violent Outburst	Attack nearest person or object in rage
5	Paranoid Suspicion	Everyone is enemy, trust no one, defensive
6	Overwhelming Dread	Paralyzing fear, unable to act or move
7	Compulsive Babbling	Can't stop talking, nonsense or secrets spill out
8	Fleeing Panic	Run away screaming, hide, refuse to face threat
9	Hallucinations (Visual)	See things that aren't there - bugs, faces, shadows
10	Memory Blank	Forget who you are, where you are, why you're here
11	Uncontrollable Crying	Sobbing, tears flowing, can't be consoled
12	Seizure/Convulsions	Body shakes uncontrollably, collapse
13	Speaking in Tongues	Unknown language pours from mouth
14	Sensory Overload	Everything too loud, bright, painful
15	Compulsive Cleanliness	Wash hands repeatedly, can't feel clean
16	Mutism	Unable to speak, voice completely gone
17	Fainting Spell	Pass out cold, wake disoriented
18	Nausea & Vomiting	Physically sick from horror witnessed
19	Repetitive Action	Open/close door repeatedly, tap wall, etc.
20	Time Disorientation	No sense of time passing, hours feel like seconds

Lasts 1d10 weeks, major trauma required

d20	Condition	Persistent Effect
1	Chronic Paranoia	Everyone plotting against you, constant vigilance
2	Severe Phobia	Irrational terror of specific thing (darkness, crowds, etc.)
3	Obsessive-Compulsive	Rituals must be performed or something bad happens
4	Dissociative Identity	Develop second personality that emerges under stress
5	Chronic Nightmares	Can't sleep without terror dreams, exhaustion accumulates
6	Persistent Hallucinations	See/hear things that aren't real regularly
7	Suicidal Ideation	Constant thoughts of ending it all
8	Catatonic Episodes	Periodically freeze up, unresponsive for hours
9	Violent Impulses	Struggle to control urge to hurt others
10	Amnesia Gaps	Lose hours or days with no memory
11	Agoraphobia	Can't leave safe spaces, panic in open areas
12	Delusions of Grandeur	Believe you're chosen, special, destined for greatness
13	Persecution Complex	Convinced supernatural forces target you specifically
14	Emotional Numbness	Can't feel happiness, sadness, fear - empty
15	Kleptomania	Compulsively steal, especially forbidden items
16	Pyromania	Obsession with fire, urge to burn things
17	Trichotillomania	Pull out own hair compulsively
18	Hypochondria	Convinced you're dying, constant medical fears
19	Anhedonia	Nothing brings pleasure anymore, gray existence
20	Depersonalization	Feel like you're watching yourself from outside

Permanent until cured, cosmic horror exposure

d12	Madness	Permanent Effect	Treatment
1	Cosmic Nihilism	Nothing matters, humanity is insignificant, apathy total	Years of therapy
2	Entity Worship	Devoted to cosmic horror witnessed, serve it willingly	Deprogramming
3	Reality Denial	Refuse to believe world is real, living in own fantasy	Medication + therapy
4	Prophetic Visions	See terrible futures constantly, can't distinguish from now	Mystical cure
5	Alien Possession	Believe entity lives inside you, controlling actions	Exorcism (maybe)
6	Time Dilation Madness	Experience time non-linearly, relive moments endlessly	Unknown
7	Forbidden Knowledge	Know things humans shouldn't, mind breaking from truth	Memory erasure
8	Permanent Catatonia	Mostly non-responsive, occasional lucid but terrified moments	No known cure
9	Homicidal Mania	Must kill to stop cosmic plan, everyone is potential sacrifice	Institutionalization
10	Living Nightmare	Reality and dreams merged, can't tell which is which	Experimental
11	Eldritch Speech	Speak only in alien language, painful to hear	Unknown
12	Complete Break	All personality gone, empty shell occasionally screaming	None

Things that happen during mental episodes

d20	Incident	What Happens
1	Objects Move	Items shift position when not looking, keys vanish and reappear
2	Temperature Drop	Room suddenly freezing, breath visible, frost on windows
3	Lights Flicker	Electrical disturbances, bulbs pop, darkness pulses
4	Shadows Move Wrong	Shadows independent of light source, creeping closer
5	Whispers	Faint voices at edge of hearing, can't make out words
6	Mirror Anomaly	Reflection delayed, moves differently, or shows room differently
7	Footsteps	Sound of walking upstairs, hallway, behind you - nothing there
8	Door Behavior	Doors open/close by themselves, locked doors found unlocked
9	Electronic Static	Radio/TV static increases, voices buried in noise
10	Smell Manifestation	Sudden odor (rot, flowers, sulfur) with no source
11	Time Skip	Lose minutes or hours with no memory, clock jumped ahead
12	Phantom Touch	Feel hand on shoulder, breath on neck, nothing visible
13	Writing Appears	Words form in condensation, dust, blood - warnings or names
14	Animal Reaction	Pets stare at empty space, growl, flee in terror
15	Gravity Anomaly	Objects float momentarily, feel lighter or heavier
16	Echoing Sounds	Your voice echoes impossibly, sounds repeat from nowhere
17	Clock Stops	All timepieces freeze at same time, then restart
18	Bleeding Walls	Red liquid seeps from walls, ceiling - may not be paint
19	Phantom Figure	See person in peripheral vision, vanishes when looked at directly
20	Reality Glitch	Room layout wrong momentarily, furniture rearranged, then normal

What causes sanity loss in horror investigations

d20	Trigger	Description	Severity
1	Seeing a Corpse	Violent death, mutilation, unnatural state	Minor
2	Witnessing Death	Watch someone die horribly	Moderate
3	Monster Encounter	Face unnatural creature defying reality	Major
4	Forbidden Tome	Reading eldritch knowledge	Moderate-Major
5	Cosmic Entity	Seeing Great Old One or similar	Catastrophic
6	Possessed Person	Someone you know controlled by entity	Moderate
7	Ritual Witnessed	Watching dark ceremony in progress	Moderate
8	Unnatural Transformation	Person changing into something else	Major
9	Impossible Geometry	Space/architecture that can't exist	Moderate
10	Mass Death	Many corpses, massacre scene	Major
11	Betrayal	Trusted ally revealed as cultist/monster	Moderate
12	Personal Violation	Mind read, possessed, controlled	Major
13	Child in Danger	Innocent threatened or harmed	Moderate
14	Reality Breaking	Laws of physics violated obviously	Major
15	Prophecy Fulfilled	Predicted doom comes true	Moderate
16	Cursed Object	Touch/use artifact with terrible cost	Varies
17	Nightmare Made Real	Dream horror appears in waking world	Major
18	Loved One Turned	Family/friend now monster or enemy	Major
19	Cosmic Truth	Learn humanity's insignificance	Catastrophic
20	No Escape	Realize can't win, only delay inevitable	Major

d12	Method	Description	Effectiveness
1	Rest & Isolation	Time away from horror, quiet recovery	Slow but steady
2	Professional Therapy	Psychiatrist sessions, talk through trauma	Moderate
3	Medication	Anti-anxiety drugs, sedatives, stabilizers	Masks symptoms
4	Support Group	Other investigators who understand	Helpful
5	Routine & Normalcy	Return to everyday life, stable patterns	Gradual
6	Solving the Mystery	Understanding makes horror less maddening	Variable
7	Religious Faith	Spiritual comfort, belief in protection	Personal
8	Creative Expression	Art, writing, music to process trauma	Moderate
9	Physical Exercise	Channel fear into action, exhaust body	Temporary relief
10	Mystic Ritual	Cleansing ceremony, protective magic	If real, effective
11	Memory Suppression	Hypnosis to bury traumatic memories	Risky
12	Institutional Care	Asylum or hospital for severe cases	Containment