Looking for the right system to run a unique vision of the Cthulhu Mythos

[Hand_of_Vecna]

For some time I've been playing around with a vision of a game that draws from the Cthulhu Mythos. I'm certain I'll need to do some homebrewing, but I'm not even sure what skeleton to build on.

Introduction

The game will start with a fairly cliche scenario typical of a Call of Cthulhu one shot; solving a mystery which leads to uncovering a cult which must be stopped. The investigators set out to stop the cult to prevent a human sacrifice, but along the way realize that the powers the cult is appealing to are real and that the stakes are much higher than a few innocent lives. The group stops the cult and prevents a disaster, but realize that this cult is not unique and that there are others like it.

Game Proper

There are more cults and more rituals to stop, but as this is not a one-shot there are complications. From an outside perspective the party is traveling across the country, maybe the world later, and killing dozens of people at each stop eventually law enforcement will be after them. The party may also have to struggle with PTSD and other psychological problems not just from sanity checks from Shoggoths, but because they are repeatedly killing people which will inevitably include some innocents eventually like law enforcement that gets too close. They may eventually come to question whether they are insane and only imagining the squirming tentacles that justifies murder hoboing.

What I want from the system.


I want the combat to be fast and for bullets to be deadly. Debilitating effects would be preferable to static health pools.

There needs to be room for growth, but without crazy scaling. Over the course of play the investigators should be able to become passable at new skills and hone existing ones, but it doesn't fit for the characters to develop world class skills while on the run.

Sanity rules that include recovery would be a plus.

There's probably more that I'm spacing on.

[DeTess]

The only thing FATE doesn't have is innate sanity rules, but given how moddable it is, it wouldn't be too hard to include.

[Aliess]

That sounds like regular call of Cthulhu. What's the unique but you don't feel the basic rules cover?

[Hand_of_Vecna]

That sounds like regular call of Cthulhu. What's the unique but you don't feel the basic rules cover?

This may be contradictory with quick deadly combat, but I'd like the combat to feel . . . dynamic? CoC combat kinda feel like I swing now you swing to me. Also it's been awhile but the last time I played CoC I remember it having all or nothing health rather than an injury system.

I'm also interested in some abstract mechanics for evading the law like I've seen mentioned in downtime for some games geared to playing criminals. Like how well you destroyed evidence you were there and not getting noticed pumping gas between cases.

Season 7 of Supernatural, the one with Leviathans, is one of my inspirations for this game. Going for less camp though.

[Rhedyn]

Savage Worlds with the Horror Companion.

Fast mid-crunch game with a pretty easy to use wound system instead of HP. Sanity rules are in the Horror Companion along with creepy monsters, elder gods, and magic rituals. Cost like $20 for both current PDFs.

Advancements are common but things don't scale like D&D.

[Aliess]

Fair enough. Sounds like good fun

[Florian]

Hm. The whole WH40K line (Dark Heresy and such) has a pretty good and dynamic combat system with attack, parry, dodge and all that, along with an established insanity system that is en par with COC.

[Hand_of_Vecna]

Update: reading FATE srd. Looks pretty solid still open to other ideas and may read dark heresy next. Does anyone have suggestions for downtome rules that include having to lay low to elude law enforcement?

[The Glyphstone]

Dark Heresy's Second Edition rules (don't even touch the first edition, it's awful in many ways) have a fairly well-built Subtlety mechanic. In the game, it's intended as a way to judge how overtly/quietly the players are conducting their investigations as to not draw the attention of the evil cultists they are hunting; that could work as-is for you, with low Subtlety also representing their visibility to law enforcers.