Description: Spellcasters may perform some form of self-sacrifice to convert some of their life energy into magic. This translates into either an upgrade to the power of a magical effect, resistance to harm caused by magic or a bonus to spell rolls at the cost of ability score points, hit points or spell fatigue.
Find it in: Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG
Keywords: Dark, Fantastical, Gritty, High-Magic, Pulpy, Tense, Weird
Genres: Dark Fantasy, Low Fantasy, Superhero, Sword and Sorcery
Description: As a PC is dying, there is a chance, if they might not otherwise recover of bein approached by Death, a demon, or otherworldly entity in a vision, and offered a chance to return to the world of the living, but they must agree to a quest. If they fail to keep up their end of the bargain in a timely fashion, they will die and be unable to return to life again.
Find it in: Dungeon World
Keywords: Dark, Epic, Fantastical, Heroic, High Magic, Weird
Genres: Sword & Sorcery, Dark Fantasy, Eldritch Horror, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Superhero
Description: Characters trapped without light underground experience extreme terror that can cause confusing, trauma, or even death from the fear.
Find it in: the Black Hack
Keywords: Dark, Horrific, Dangerous, Gritty, Survival
Genres: Sword & Sorcery, Eldritch Horror, Survival, Horror
Description: A staple of Lovecraftian Horror, madness rules can be fairly easily ported to other systems. Some rely on a limited sanity resource, are connected to injury tables, or magical misfire effects. All add role-playing constraints and mechanical consequences.
Find it in: Low Fantasy Gaming, Call of Cthulhu, Tiny Cthulhu
Keywords: Dark, Weird, Horror
Genres: Sword & Sorcery, Eldritch Horror, Dark Fantasy, Horror
