Cthulhu Hack 2e is Available Now

Cthulhu Hack Second Edition is a simple game of Lovecraftian nightmares, pitting ordinary people against the terrors of a Dark Universe. The 156-page book contains almost all you need to start — you just need to find yourself some dice and something to write on.

CH has always been a fast and simple system with just two mechanics — Saves and Resources. These handle your ability to escape threats and manage your dwindling faculties for investigation and sanity — guided by Lovecraft’s fiction, where investigators into the Mythos follow a winding path toward self-destruction through bleak and unexpected revelations.

Streamlined and written from the ground up, 2e is compatible with all first-edition material – or just easily adapted with a little consideration. Speed and simplicity remain at the heart of the game, with guidance and a lengthy example of play to get you in the thick of it by the close of the Introduction.

The core book offers:

• simple mechanics to handle threats and investigation, using a standard set of seven polyhedral dice (from 1D4 to 1D20);
• ready-to-play archetypes for quick pick-up play or a fast and flexible character creation system to tailor Investigators to your specific needs;
• a horde of Mythos horrors – including the Deep Ones, Elder Things, Shamblers, and Shoggoth – to challenge your Investigators; and,
• a complete and expanded adventure – Save Innsmouth – rugose with colourful descriptions and plentiful guidance to make the investigation your own.

What’s changed from the First Edition?

CH2e is full colour. It features a cover and chapter images courtesy of Paul Tomes. Plus, in the current PDF, illustrations of the Mythos by Andrés Sáez Martínez, artist for the Spanish language edition of The Dee Sanction.

The page count provides more room for guidance and considerations on running Cthulhu Hack as a campaign – where individual connections survive, even if individuals do not. The core provides magic, plus mechanics for handling the benefits and threats provisioned by books of Mythos lore. And there’s an expanded intro adventure, Save Innsmouth – with variations, discoveries, strange plots, and horrible revelations.

2e presents Mythos creatures in greater detail, expanding on their origin and purpose. Cthulhu Hack 2e is about throwing off the shackles of preconception, giving the Mythos the opportunity to breathe. Random tables change up their motivations, purpose and physical appearance – and the book has a scattering of other tables and hooks to help you kickstart a new investigation.

Oh, and we lost the “The” in the title.

Want to try it out?

Cthulhu Hack: Nocturnal Rites – Jumpstart Rules provides a sanity-shattering glimpse into Cthulhu Hack – Second Edition, the game of cosmic horror and dark revelation.

The illustrated Jumpstart contains:

• A 3-page overview of Cthulhu Hack 2e’s core mechanics
• A 5-page jumpstart investigation, “Nocturnal Rites”, guides both the Game Moderator and the Players through the core mechanics of play.
• Two pre-generated characters.

“Nocturnal Rites” provides a brief session, intended to be run in 20 – 30 minutes, which you can easily expand into a full session or use to jumpstart your voyage into the Unknown.

Both Core Rules and Jumpstart are available now through DriveThruRPG. For physical copies of the Core Rules, head to All Rolled Up for the softcover, as well as the PDF.