Tides of Madness

This is a free playtest version. Feedback appreciated.

Tides of Madness is a solo journaling RPG of doomed voyages, haunted ships, and unraveling minds. You play as the Captain of a vessel crossing a mythic sea where sanity frays, the crew whispers, and something vast stirs beneath the waves. Armed with a logbook, some dice, and your imagination, you’ll chart a journey through fog-choked regions, cursed ports, and supernatural encounters. That is, until the voyage ends in madness, mutiny, or myth.

Features:

• 22 pages of lean, atmospheric rules for solo journaling or improvisational play.
• A unique Mettle/Condition system tied to Sanity, Morale, and Ship Integrity.
• Tiered encounter tables that escalate across a 7–14 day voyage.
• Quirk system that tracks the psychological and supernatural decay of Captain, Crew, and Ship.
• Optional map and logbook templates.
• No saving the world. Just surviving it.

What you need:

• This book
• A journal or playsheet
• 2 six-sided dice
• A quiet hour
• A willingness to see what surfaces

Inspired by: The Terror, Sunless Sea, Moby-Dick, and Call of Cthulhu

Themes: Solitude. Madness. Command. Revelation. The unknowable sea.

Choose a voyage length of 7, 10, or 14 days. Then brave the unknown.