A Review of the Role Playing Game Supplement Sidebar #4 – Forbidden Knowledge and Corruption

Sidebar #4 – Forbidden Knowledge and Corruption by Lucus Palosaari is a role playing game supplement published by Fat Goblin Games for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. As such, it is covered by the Open Game License and some parts are considered to be Open Game Content as a result.

This is a four page PDF that is available from DriveThruRPG for $1 but was purchased at a greatly reduced price as part of a special bundle. One page is the front cover and front matter and one page is the Open Game License.

It starts with Forbidden Knowledge, the presumption that are Things-Man-Was-Not-Meant-to-Know, a common concept in Lovecraft-influenced works. There are four ways of reading such works, from briefly surveying them to in-depth studying. Each gains a different level of knowledge of the book and a different chance to gain corruption; the more intensive the read, the greater the knowledge and the greater the chance of corruption.

Corruption itself has brief examples of three forbidden tomes, with their Corruption DC and Insight Bonus. It explains that certain actions, events and places can trigger a corruption save; failing a save increases corruption. A sidebar covers a new ability, Otherworldly Insight, which gives bonuses, that can increase, to relevant checks and  reduces Sanity. It may also make the reader paranoid.

Finally are three systems for systems for using Corruption Points and Corruption Scores, with each having one commonality – when a Corruption Score is equal to or greater than character level + Wisdom modifier, they are Corrupted, become NPCs if PCs, change type to native outsider and acquire one negative level every 24 hours. Whether or not Corruption can be removed or reduced is up to the GM. Corruption can be used as an alternate to Hero Points, to reduce Sanity or as a twisted source of mythic power.

Sidebar #4 – Forbidden Knowledge and Corruption in Review

The PDF lacks bookmarks and, with only two pages of content, does not need them. Navigation is fine. The text maintains a two column colour format and appeared to be free of errors. There is a single black and white image on the title page. Presentation is okay.

This is a short and sweet coverage of something that is a fundamental part of games like Call of Cthulhu but not in D&D-derived games, although it does make use of optional Pathfinder rules. The material is interesting, but it feels too short and sweet; it could have had a more in-depth treatment. The forbidden tomes (all three are known) are only given a single line each with only name and game stats; hardly the proper treatment for such. The supplement could have been expanded a lot more, but it is inexpensive. Sidebar #4 – Forbidden Knowledge and Corruption is a good start on adding forbidden knowledge to a game which could be developed further and it can be found by clicking here.