You’re a Student, it’s the 90s, you live in Innsmouth and something dark and terrifying is about to take your life by storm. This is High School Cthulhu, a teen drama role-playing game of cosmic horrors set in the mid-90s.
You’re a student, it’s the 90s, you live in Innsmouth, and something dark and terrifying is about to take your life by storm. As if adolescence wasn’t bad enough, now you’ll have to deal with the supernatural of cosmic horror on a stage lit by the bright, fluorescent colors of the Nineties. What a mix!
High School Cthulhu draws its inspiration from the teen drama series of the 90s—from Beverly Hills 90210 and Dawson’s Creek to the action & horror classics of the genre like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Roswell.
In the High School Cthulhu handbook, you will find everything you need to play, from how to create your student, to information about our beloved 1990s Innsmouth, its people, and attractions.
High School Cthulhu is powered by a highly cinematic game engine called Director's Cut. The system uses small pools of six-sided dice to determine the outcome of anything that involves a risk or a danger. When rolling dice, you're not looking to roll high or low, but to group as many matching symbols together.
This engine is by Two Little Mice, fresh winners of two Ennie Awards, and used in the big hits Outgunned, Outgunned Adventure and Household.
The Director's Cut engine is perfect for a game style that traces the progression of a TV series, and we have introduced some tools to bring out the best of the themes that characterize High School Cthulhu: Lovecraftian horror and teen drama.
The Spiral of Madness - When interacting with nightmarish entities and situations that transcend reality, madness and folly are natural companions. There are truths our brain simply cannot handle and this is exactly what the Spiral of Madness represents. Whenever you black a box of the Spiral of Madness out, you gain a Disorder that will influence your behavior to some extent.
Drama - The explosive cocktail of overwhelming passions and conflict with the adult world that adds tension to the emergent narrative is represented by Drama, an indicator ranging from 1 to 12 that allows the Ancient (the game master) to weave new variables, twists and obstacles into the story as it heads to its climax. Drama is a tool shared by all players and tracked by the Ancient.
Download the free quickstartif you want to get a more detailed overview of the game system.
You could be an altruistic jock, the best of the class, the school’s bully, a working student, or anything else.
Every Student is different in their parents, family, friends, and social background. What are yours?
High School Cthulhu allows you to choose between six different Styles. However, just the Style is not enough to define who you truly are. How do you live your style? Each Style articulates into three different Journeys.
the Jock - the Champ, the Bully, the Big Bro
the Cheerleader - the America’s Sweetheart, the Bitch, the Pretender
the Nerd - the Knowitall, the Techie, the Top of the Class
the Goth - the Metalhead, the Occultist, the Emo
the Self-made - the Worker, the Washout, the Hero to Zero
The events involving our Students take place in the small town of Innsmouth. As in any self-respecting teen drama, we're in the classic small town of the States, with emporiums, restaurants, diners, and, most importantly, Saint John's High School, beating heart of the community and home of the much-loved Amphibians, the local football team.
Innsmouth is a quiet place on the banks of the Manuxet River... were it not for its blasphemous history, culminating in the events that over sixty years ago made it little more than a festering heap of rotten wood and disturbing superstitions.
Be careful as you dig beneath the veneer of normality here; creatures beyond comprehension and secret cults await around every corner, ready to drag you into the abyss of horror and madness.
The history and topography of the town have been realized trying to be as faithful as possible to what Lovecraft described in The Shadow over Innsmouth, and the inhabitants and businesses draw inspiration from the characters described by the Recluse of Providence in his stories: in the handbook you will often find references to specific works by Lovecraft.
Prepare to dive deeper into the cosmic horrors of High School Cthulhu with Extra Curricular Horrors! This new adventure book, written by the talented Cristian Piovano, offers three chilling tales that will test your sanity and challenge your perception of reality. Experience the thrill of navigating the treacherous halls of high school while facing otherworldly threats and personal demons.
Delve into the minds of complex characters caught in the crossfire of adolescence and cosmic horror. Each adventure is carefully crafted to provide a unique and immersive experience, filled with intricate plots, Lovecraftian lore, and unexpected twists.
With over 150 pages of spine-tingling content and more to come with our stretch goals, Extra Curricular Horrors is a must-have for any fan of Lovecraftian horror and teen drama.
HIGH SCHOOL CTHULHU (200+ PAGES IN FULL COLOR, HARDCOVER, 15X23 CM)
In this handbook, you will find everything you need to play, from how to create your student, to information about our beloved 1990s Innsmouth, its people, and attractions.
EXTRA CURRICULAR HORRORS (170+ PAGES IN FULL COLOR, SOFTCOVER, 15X23 CM)
Extra Curricular Horrors is a collection of exciting adventures set in the mysterious world of Innsmouht! The book originates with three adventures inside, but they may grow in number during the campaign.
Audrey's Diary is the first creepy comic book set in the High School Cthulhu universe.
ANCIENT KIT (HARDCOVER SCREEN, THREE PANELS, 45X23 CM - MAP OF INNSMOUTH 60X40 CM)
The Ancient Screen provides helpful summary tables and the Map of Innsmouth offers topography of the town, with major streets and numerous activities and places of interest.
COSMIC HORROR DICE (SET OF 9 CUSTOM SIX-SIDED DICE)
High School Cthulhu has its own set of custom dice for better visibility and greater immersion. They’re not mandatory, but they’re cool as hell!
This is a list of rough estimates for shipping, add-ons are not included. We will charge shipping after the campaign concludes based on the actual costs incurred for shipping. We will collect this via our pledge manager.
