Noctum is a pen and paper survival horror Role-playing game

Role-playing game

A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...

 developed by Mischa L Thomas. There are two earlier Swedish editions published by Wicked World Games 1.1. The third edition is published by Mongoose Publishing

Mongoose Publishing

Mongoose Publishing is a prolific British manufacturer of role-playing games, miniatures, and card games, actively publishing material since 2001...

 under their Flaming Cobra imprint.

Game Universe

Noctum is set in our day and age. The players take on the roles of everyday people—although some are more engrossed in the hidden world from the start. Each character has one or more weakness (Insane Heritage, Marked, Crossover, etc) that has formed his life in one way or another. The horrors of the game often centre on the state of our society and the crimes and atrocities that humans subject each other to. Rape, murder, starvation, religious zealotry turned deadly and drug abuse are but a few if the occurrences that give rise to dark manifestations and incarnations. Most people are apathetic, and look the other way as these things pass them by. An unknown outer force uses the greed and sadism of mankind to its own end. It lies in the layered dimensions beyond the world we normally view as reality.

System

Noctum uses 2D10s when calling for dice rolls. In many cases an automatic success mechanic is employed, often when dealing with investigative scenes. The system shifts when handling ritual magic and psychic abilities, using cards instead of dice.

Combat can be dealt with using one of two modes, Suspense Mode or Duke Mode. The Duke Mode is usually used when running a game with a high level of combat and action; while stories with a different focus typically use the Suspense Mode. The damage system is extremely deadly and gritty: A well placed bullet or a single stab wound can be enough to kill or severely injure a human character.

As with most RPG’s focusing on horror

Horror fiction

Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...

, Noctum has a system that deals with mental instability and mental disorders. Beyond this, each player can use the EKG strip to keep track of his or her character's adrenaline levels, changed stats, and Fight or Flight

Fight-or-flight response

The fight-or-flight response was first described by Walter Bradford Cannon....

 reaction.

Styles of Play

This is entirely up to the gamers and there are probably dozens of different possible styles. However, Noctum comes with some background on nine classic styles. The main myth never changes, only the part of it that the characters are exposed to during play.

Ancient Gate

The myth of the game is filtered through ancient religions and belief systems focusing on banished malevolent creatures which stand to re-enter our world. Research and investigations (often revolving around the academic world) are common elements. Violence plays a small part, if any. Hindering crazed sects from calling their dark masters into our world is a typical concept.

Hack & Slash

This is almost a mode of play. The focus is violence and the stories are driven forward by high octane action. By using the Duke Mode the action is kept quick and dirty. Here the actual killing of antagonists by different methods is the main thing.

Legions of Hell

This style is often played with an even mix of action, research and investigation. The game universe is viewed through the lens of biblical scripture and Judeo-Christian-Islamic mythology. Possessions, entities that display demonic features (strengths/limitations), and prophecies are common elements.

Morose Miroir

Atrocities incarnate and dark desires manifested are the bread and butter of Morose Miroir. Here our world overlaps with nightmarish dimensions that in most cases are the result of a terrible crime, sin or other similarly horrific occurrence. Driven to the brink of insanity by the shifts in reality the character has to solve puzzles and find answers in order to survive. Violence plays its part, but the terror is often on a pure psychological level.

Paranormal

There is seldom confirmation of the otherworldly. In this style one is subjected to the ravages of the paranormal/occult world but is often left without proof. Shattering conspiracies, avoiding shady agencies, and finding the truth is pivotal. Violence and investigation often have an equal part to play.

Thriller

Here there are seldom any encounters with the otherworldly. Instead the antagonists are very human: in Thriller style, players concentrate on profiling and hunting brutal and sadistic serial offenders. Profilers descend into madness as they try to get inside the head of the killer they’re chasing. Psychological pressure, mental anguish, and being the obsession of a psychotic killer with a plan is part of the deal.

Urban Fantasy

Most characters have the ability to use ritual magic or psychic abilities. In Urban Fantasy the otherworldly is something that is a bit more common to the characters. They use supernatural abilities to fight off organizations and entities in the dark back alleys of the city. The hidden world waits just around the corner.

Wicked City

The characters are immersed in a violent cold world of jaded hitmen and killers. This style is very much inspired by the “Neo Noir” frame of mind. The supernatural is seldom seen, but it can be hinted at. There are rumors that speak of entire mob crews turning up ripped to shreds, with signs of shooting in every direction without hitting a thing. Corruption, brutality, and greed are important elements. Violence is also something that can play a big part.

Virus

Virus centres on genetic experimentation and viral weaponry gone haywire. Large, unethical, and greedy corporations and clandestine agencies conduct their unlawful experiments in their hidden laboratories. Violent viral outbreaks, mutations, and genetically altered monstrosities are the focus. In many cases there is both an air of psychological suspense, research, and hardcore violence thrown in the mix. There is seldom any form of supernatural explanation as such; everything that happens can be explained through cutting edge science.

Antagonists

There’s a wide range of antagonists, everything from serial killers to ancient dark demigods. The most common type is the so called Half-Breed. Most are manifestations of atrocities and horrible crimes.

Chainer

Depraved sexual crimes sometimes give rise to different creatures that are manifestations of the pain, death and degradation of the victim. Chainers are the result of those whom have been killed in the snuff film

Snuff film

A snuff film is a motion picture genre that depicts the actual death or murder of a person or people, without the aid of special effects, for the express purpose of distribution and entertainment or financial exploitation. For-profit snuff films are generally regarded as an urban legend, whose...

 industry. After returning to the world of the living they’re given a loathsome body that is an incarnation of death, pleasure and pain. They often hunt for victims in the red light districts. Upon acquiring a victim they subject them to inhuman torture and sexual abuse, killing them in the end.

Flesh Doll

The media image of beauty has left many men and women broken. Some become anorectic or bulimic, while others go under the knife in search of the perfect look. Flesh Dolls are the incarnation of those whom suffer from cosmetic surgery addiction and have died as a result of it. As many of the Noctum universe creatures the Flesh Doll stalk our world with a twisted sense of vengeance and a depraved need. Their flesh constantly decomposes and falls off, and in order to keep themselves “beautiful” they hunt and kill young women/men, whom they flay. They then staple the skin onto themselves. If given the opportunity they attack plastic surgeons, torturing them to death through sadistic medical procedures as they blame them for their condition.

Forsaken

The Forsaken are the souls of children who have died at the hands of their abusers. After they die their souls are hurled through dark realms and infused with negative energy of twisted vengeance. This gives their soul a physical form and as perverted creatures they return to the world of the living, looking pale and broken in body. They have a distorted sense of things and exact their revenge on parents and children alike whom have a good life, which the Forsaken never had when still living.
Their small size and childish looks are misguiding as they’re extremely resilient to damage and have an array of abilities which makes them much more dangerous than any human.

Influences

Noctum has been inspired by many different sources within the horror genre. The use of dimensional shifts and dark worlds created by atrocities, twisted desires, nightmares, and madness is a common horror concept seen in Silent Hill

Silent Hill

is a survival horror video game series consisting of seven installments published by Konami and its subsidiary Konami Digital Entertainment. The first four games in the series, Silent Hill, Silent Hill 2, 3 and 4, have been developed by an internal factor, Team Silent...

, Darkness

Darkness (2002 film)

Darkness is a 2002 horror film directed by Jaume Balagueró about an American teenage girl who moves into a haunted house with her family in the Spanish countryside. The film stars Anna Paquin, Lena Olin, Iain Glen, and Fele Martínez....

, Hellraiser

Hellraiser

Hellraiser is a 1987 British and American horror film based upon the novella The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker, who also wrote the screenplay and directed the film. Hellraiser explores themes of sadomasochism and morality under duress and fear. The film spawned a series of sequels...

, and A Nightmare on Elm Street

A Nightmare on Elm Street

A Nightmare on Elm Street is a 1984 American slasher film directed and written by Wes Craven, and the first film of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. The film features Heather Langenkamp, John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Amanda Wyss, Jsu Garcia, Robert Englund, and Johnny Depp in his feature film...

.

Possessions, entities capable of body jumping, and curses which can take over a person and twist a location into a deadly maze are other dangers which the characters can encounter. The Amityville Horror

The Amityville Horror (2005 film)

The Amityville Horror is a 2005 horror film directed by Andrew Douglas. It is a remake of the 1979 film of the same name which itself was based on the 1977 novel of the same name by Jay Anson, which documents the alleged experiences of the Lutz family after they moved into a house in Long Island...

, The Exorcist

The Exorcist

The Exorcist is a novel of supernatural suspense by William Peter Blatty, published by Harper & Row in 1971. It was inspired by a 1949 case of demonic possession and exorcism that Blatty heard about while he was a student in the class of 1950 at Georgetown University, a Jesuit school...

, House on Haunted Hill

House on Haunted Hill (1999 film)

House on Haunted Hill is a 1999 American horror film, directed by William Malone and starring Geoffrey Rush, Famke Janssen, Taye Diggs, Ali Larter and Jeffrey Combs. It also includes a cameo appearance by Peter Graves...

 and 1408

1408 (film)

1408 is a 2007 American psychological horror film based on the Stephen King short story of the same name directed by Swedish director Mikael Håfström, who earlier had directed the horror film Drowning Ghost. The cast includes John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, and Mary McCormack. The film was released...

 are movies that use this concept. There are also aspects which are seen in The Thing, Resident Evil, and similar games and movies where an entity or pathogen mutates, changes or replaces individuals, causing violent outbreaks.

Material

• Noctum Core Book 3rd edition (May 2009)
• Vivisection (June 2009)

External links

• Noctum official site
• Interview with Mischa L. Thomas(2006) - in Swedish
• Interview with Mischa L. Thomas(2009) - in English
• Mongoose Publishing
• Mind of a Killer