Sanity Points and SAN Rolls

(Back to Sanity)

Sanity points should be tracked carefully, as the number can change up and down throughout the game. When investigators encounter a sanity-threatening situation, the Keeper may call for a Sanity roll. Each player whose investigator experiences this source of horror rolls 1D100. A success is a roll equal to or less than the investigator's current Sanity points. Bonus dice and Penalty dice are not applied to Sanity rolls (with one exception, Self-Help).


 * Note: If using the optional rule for spending Luck points, these may not be spent on Sanity rolls.

A successful roll means that the investigator loses no Sanity points, or only a minimal amount. A failed Sanity roll always means the investigator loses Sanity points. The amount lost depends on the spell, book, entity, or situation encountered.

In published Call of Cthulhu scenarios, Sanity rolls are shown as two numbers or rolls separated by a slash, for instance: SAN 1/1D4+1. The number to the left of the slash is the number of Sanity points lost if the Sanity roll succeeds. The die roll to the right of the slash is the number of Sanity points lost if the Sanity roll is failed. Sometimes this may be written as SAN 0/1D4; in this particular case, a successful Sanity roll means no Sanity points are lost, but if the roll is failed, the investigator loses 1D4 Sanity points.

Failing a Sanity roll always causes the investigator to lose self-control for a moment, at which point the Keeper should choose an involuntary action for the investigator. For example:


 * Jump in fright - causing the investigator to drop something (spectacles, flashlight, gun, book, etc.)
 * Cry out in terror - drawing attention, saying something inappropriate.
 * Involuntary movement - swerving the steering wheel dangerously to one side, throwing up one's hands in horror, cringing.
 * Involuntary combat action - if a Sanity roll is failed during a combat round, the investigator's action for that round may be dictated by the Keeper; for example, lashing out with a fist, squeezing a trigger, taking shelter behind someone else.
 * Freeze - stare disbelievingly for a moment but take no action.

A fumbled Sanity roll results in the character losing the maximum Sanity points for that particular situation or encounter.

Lose more than a few Sanity points at one time may cause an investigator to go insane.

When encountering one ghoul, the Sanity point loss is 0/1D6. It is the same when encountering multiple ghouls; the sanity effect is for the encounter rather than for each ghoul seen.

''Harvey Walters follows a trail into a crypt, where he finds a ghoul feasting on forbidden fruits among the coffins. The Keeper calls for a Sanity roll. Harvey has 45 Sanity points and his player rolls 83 - a failed roll. The Keeper describes Harvey's involuntary gasp of horror. The player picks up the 1D6, rolls a 5, and reduces Harvey's Sanity points by 4 points (45 - 4 = 41 Sanity points remaining).''