Madness in the Moonshine | Beginner Friendly

Creating your character

Characters will be built together during a Session 0, with no major preparation needed. All you need to bring is a concept: think about who your character is, why they're in Arkham, and what connection they might have to someone with power over them. This could be that they work for them, a debt, a favor owed, a secret kept on their behalf, etc. We'll use the Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition Core Rulebook for character creation. Stats will be rolled using the standard method outlined in the book. Please stick to the 1920s occupations.

Preparing for the session

To get to the table, you'll need two things set up before Session 0: First, Discord. This is where we'll communicate between sessions and handle any out-of-table coordination. Before session 0, I will send an invite to join the server. We will also use Foundry VTT as our playspace, and you don't need to purchase or install anything. Foundry runs directly in your browser. Once accepted, you'll receive a link to the game. I would recommend looking into the VTT demo online to get a feel for how it works if you haven't used it before.

What Vynical brings to the table

Sessions will have atmospheric sound with attempts to use distinct voices for NPCs, and Foundry will be set up with maps, handouts, props, and lighting effects to make the game feel alive and organic. My GM style sits firmly in a narrative-first, rules-adjacent territory, as I will follow Call of Cthulhu's mechanics as written, but will try to make failures meaningful and dramatic rather than just punishing. Combat is fast, brutal, and usually something your characters should think twice about starting. I lean heavily into player agency and consequence, so prepare for scenarios and story beats that are structured, but can be flexible, as if your crew decides to go left instead of right, we go left. I also take player safety seriously: we'll establish Lines and Veils during Session 0, so everyone at the table feels comfortable pushing into dark territory together.

Homebrew rules

As of now, the only homebrew rule is something I call "By the skin of your teeth." If you were to be killed, instead, you may spend ALL of your luck stat to survive the action that would have killed you. This is a single lifeline to prevent unthematic deaths or to give you, the player, a shot of adrenaline as death brushes past your character.

How Vynical creates a safe table

During Session 0, there will be a discussion about Lines and Veils as your responses shape how I run the game, and we will also go over the X-Card system together. After sessions, I'll do a debrief and check-in to make sure everyone is good before we end. No pressure to share, just an open door. Remidner: This is a horror game, and it's meant to unsettle you, but there's a firm line between good discomfort and actual distress, and if that line ever gets crossed, I want to know.