Production Team Table of contents

Game Created by Alexander Barker Introduction Master of Mechanics

What is Fear in the Foundation? 2 Mechanics Master 12
Based on Concepts Originally Created by the various authors of the SCP Wiki What’s a Tabletop Role-Playing Game? 2 Rolling Dice 12

How Does the SCP Foundation Work? 2 Abilities & Skills 12

Written by Alexander Barker So What is an Overseer? 2 Critical Rolls 12

What are the Game’s Basic Mechanics? 2 Advantage 12

Definitions 3 Challenge Levels 12

Proofread and Edited by aphelion, ConnorMcCoolguy, Dr Itzhak, Eclectic Slide, The General Layout of This Guide 3 General Rolls 12
ExAlbioTheHero, God’sTherapist (HAVOC), Maindz, Mirakuru Miki, trugami Opposed Checks 13
Master of Worlds Power Mechanic 13
The Foundation 5 Fear Mechanic 13
Cover Illustration by Sunhee Lee No Single Canon 5 Rest Mechanics 13
Official Canons 5 Medical Checks 13
Layout and Page Design by Alexander Barker and Alyssa Barrell World Building 6 Medicine Mechanics 13
Using the Wiki 6 Amnestics Mechanics 13

Playtested by aphelion, aphrodite, ConnorMcCoolguy, dandy, Em, ExAlbioTheHero, Master of Missions

Inventory 13
Leveling Up 13
GammaPsi, Henry, iblynx, kate, seagullfloaties, SteamPunk’d, the8bitcasual Command & Control 8 Forms of Injury 13
Mission Structure 8 Directing Sequences 13
Translated into Various Languages by 90377Sedna, Adrian Zaorski, AlphaOrion, Planning Things Out 8

Alwaid, Benji, catwill, Doktor Cyberion, Dr Itzhak, Dr. Sack, Dr Vulpes, DrAlberts, Types of Missions 8
Miscellaneous
Establishing a Tone 8
FlynnTheMessiah, Fourmil1, Gabitoon, Grimm, Herolles, hitsujikaip, IDMNS, Setting Boundaries 9
Copyright Statement 16

Kairento, Kpt. Brien D’Ammas, L2, Lo_Dev, Luke mcDonut, Maindz, Miles, Mirakuru Stakes of a Mission 9
Author’s Note 17

Miki, OldHelldog, RonnyModZz, ryno$, Sebzumbruck, SOYA-001, Stanislav, Tanija, Roleplaying 9

ThatGuyRichard, Thatonetranslator, TheBoxOfFun, TradeHumor Directing Players 9

Creating Encounters 9
Random Encounters 10
Special Thanks to Dr. Itzhak, gpfuns, ImaginaryFriend, and Jarbatalapus, for their Running Encounters 10
various contributions to the game’s development. Designing NPCs 10
We would also like to thank our patrons: Damon Sawyer, Etchy, Jack Rabbige, jordan NPC Party Members 10

wildrick, Matthew Hernandez, and Veritas Navigation 10

Between Encounters 10
Butterfly Effects 10

1

Introduction
What is Fear in the
Foundation?
Fear in the Foundation is a tabletop role-playing game set in the
world crafted by the authors of the SCP Wiki, a collaborative writing
project focused on the exploits of the SCP Foundation, a fictional
secretive organization that captures and studies anomalous entities,
items, locations, and events; in the pursuit of shielding such things
from the eyes of the public and keeping the world safe. “Anomalous”
is a broad term for anything that defies scientific explanation.
What’s a Tabletop
Role-playing game?
First, let’s define a role-playing game (RPG). An RPG is simply a game
where players take on the role of characters in a fictional setting,
often playing the character either by acting or through a complex
system of structured character development.
A tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) is a type of role-playing
game where players perform actions by speaking them into
existence, though there are often a set of formal rules dictating what
they can and can’t do. Many of these systems involve dice rolls. In
order to perform a certain action, often in an attempt to overcome
an obstacle, players must roll a certain number with their game
dice. The Game Master, or GM, is in charge of running the game and
directing the players. Game Masters in Fear in the Foundation are
referred to as Overseers.
How Does the SCP
Foundation work?
As stated before, the SCP Foundation, also simply known as “The
Foundation” is a secretive organization interested in the containment
and study of entities, items, locations, and events that defy scientific
explanation. The Foundation refers to these things as “anomalies.”
Anomalies can range from a gigantic lizard that hates all life to a pen
that kills someone every time it is clicked. Though not all anomalies
are harmful, the Foundation wants the world to maintain a sense of
normalcy, in which people go about their daily lives without having to
know that there are so many things out there that defy all logic.
Now, the more interesting question is how the SCP Foundation
actually functions. It’s hard to think that an enormous shadow
organization would have enough resources to realistically keep itself
going, let alone keep itself a secret from the majority of the world’s
population. Someone would have to uncover the Foundation at some
point, right? Well, that’s the thing. They hide in plain sight.
The Foundation collaborates with nearly every government, the
United Nations, and a number of other governmental entities in order
to advance its own interests. Most governments around the world
provide the Foundation with funding, manpower, and resources. The
Foundation also operates a number of front companies that it uses
for international surveillance, as well as employing field agents, who
act as spies in various agencies, organizations, and enterprises.
So what is an
overseer?
The Overseer (OV), named after the designation of the individual
members of the O5 Council, organizes the game and is in charge of
creating the details of a given Mission, while maintaining a realistic
continuity of events and keeping the game on track.
In effect, the Overseer controls all aspects of the game, except
for the actions of the player characters, and describes the player’s
surroundings to them. This also includes playing as all of the game’s
various Non-Player Characters (NPCs), which includes Foundation
employees, members of various Groups of Interest, and SCPs.
What are the game’s
Basic Mechanics?
As mentioned earlier, many tabletop role-playing games incorporate
the use of dice. To put it simply, dice rolls are used to add a degree of
variability to a game. If players could do whatever they wanted with
few restrictions, there wouldn’t be any suspense, and we’re all about
suspense here at Fear in the Foundation.
Fear in the Foundation utilizes a d100 system, similar to the one seen
in Call of Cthulhu. A d100 is a die with one hundred sides. Since these
dice can be rather large and impractical, the use of percentile dice is
recommended. A set of percentile dice is made up of two ten-sided dice.
One of the dice represents the tens place while the other represents the
ones place. So, for example, if you rolled a set of percentile dice and
got a 30 and a 2, your result would be 32.
Characters in the game have eight Abilities and sixteen Skills. Abilities
are broad, overarching attributes, such as Strength, Agility, Charisma,
and Education. On the other hand, Skills are more situational attributes,
such as Deception, Medical, Occult, and Sciences. When making a
character, players assign different scores to each of their Abilities,
then use the mean of the score of two Abilities to determine the score
of a Skill. For example, the value of a character’s Intimidation Skill is
determined by adding up their Strength and Charisma scores and dividing
by 2. So, if a character’s Strength is 40 and their Charisma is 60, their
Intimidation Skill would be 50 (40 + 60 = 100; 100/2 = 50).
So how do Abilities and Skills function in-game? Let’s say a character’s
Agility is 50, and they want to jump over an obstacle. The Overseer, who
runs the game, would ask the player to make an AGI Check. The player
would then roll their d100 or percentile dice. In order to successfully
jump over the obstacle, they would need to roll a 50 or lower. They roll
a 42, so they are able to successfully jump over the obstacle. If they had
rolled, say, a 68, they wouldn’t have cleared the jump.
To explain further, a “Check” is triggered when a player wishes for
their character to perform a certain action and the Overseer deems that
performing said action requires the use of a particular Ability or Skill.
Checks are used for general actions and making attacks during combat,
among other things.
2 3
Definitions
Now, before going further, it’s imperative that we define the terms that
are going to be used throughout this guide.
SCP Foundation-based Definitions
Amnesticization - A Foundation practice of using drugs or anomalous
effects to wipe people’s memories
Anomalous - Means that an entity or effect defies scientific explanation
Anomaly - An entity or phenomenon that defies scientific explanation
Cognitohazard - Anomaly that can affect people if it interacts with one
of their five senses (Sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste)
D-Class - Prisoners that are used as guinea pigs by the Foundation
Field Agents - Foundation personnel that are tasked with infiltrating
groups to look for and capture SCPs
Hazard - Shorthand used to refer to memetics, which can be divided
into cognitohazards and infohazards
Infohazard - Anomaly that can affect people if they know about it
Memetic Agent - Cognitohazard or infohazard; can essentially be
described as “infectious information”
Memetic Effects - The effects triggered by a Memetic Agent
Mobile Task Force (MTF) - A team of elite operatives that explore,
combat, and play a part in capturing anomalies
Researcher - Foundation personnel that are typically tasked with
studying and experimenting on SCPs
SCP - An anomalous phenomenon studied and sometimes contained by
the SCP Foundation
SCP Foundation - A shadow organization that studies and contains
anomalies. They’re named for their motto: Secure. Contain. Protect.
Security Officer - Foundation personnel that are typically tasked with
protecting sites and assisting in containment
Game-Based Definitions
Ability - A broad attribute that a character has, such as Strength
Armor Class - The level of protection a character has against attacks
Campaign - A full game of a TTRPG that is played in multiple sittings
Character - This refers to any living creature within the game
Check - A dice roll to determine if a character can perform an action
d(#) - “d” stands for “die;” while the number is how many sides it has
Encounter - An event where characters interact with non-party NPCs
Entity - Synonym for character; any living creature in the game
Feat-Based - Leveling up that is based on accomplishments
Hit Points - Used to determine a character’s full and current health
Mission - A particular campaign or one-shot that an Overseer and their
players participate in
Non-Player Character (NPC) - A character that is played by the
Overseer rather than the players
One-Shot - A full game of a TTRPG that is played in one sitting
Overseer (OV) - The person that is running the game,
commonly known as the Game Master (GM) in other TTRPGs
Party - Another name for a group of players that are working
towards similar or the same ends in a game. Often stay
together
Player - One of the people that is taking part in a Mission
Player Character - A character that is created and played by
the Mission’s players, rather than the Overseer
Round - This is a cycle during combat that ends once every
entity has had their turn. One round takes six seconds
Skill - A specific and particular attribute that a character has
that is meant to deal with particular issues
Speed - How far an entity can move during combat. This is
measured in five foot increments, using the customary system
Status Effect - An effect that enhances or hinders a character’s
abilities. Most of these effects hinder a character
Target - The entity that a particular Check, attack, or action is
directed towards
The general layout
of this guide
This guide is divided into three different sections: Master of the
World, Master of Missions, and Master of Mechanics.
Master of the World. The Overseer crafts the world that
any particular Mission takes place in, and ultimately has
authority over that world during gameplay. This section provides
Overseers with some of the things they may need to know while
creating and controlling their own little worlds.
Master of Missions. Since the Overseer is also in charge
of creating and running Missions, this section includes many
aspects of that, including those before a Mission even begins,
such as planning things out, establishing a tone, and setting
boundaries. There are also descriptions of things Overseers
should do during gameplay.
Master of Mechanics. Lastly, the Overseer acts as a sort of
referee for the game’s mechanics. They have complete control
over the mechanical aspects of the game and have the final say
on disputes related to them. Since the game’s mechanics are
covered in the Player Guide, this section mostly covers what the
Overseer needs to do to keep the game running smoothly, from
a mechanical standpoint.
 Master of the World
The Foundation
The SCP Foundation is made up of a lot of interconnected, moving
parts. Researchers are constantly conducting experiments to learn
more about anomalous phenomena. Security officers put their bodies
on the line to keep Foundation assets secure. Field agents work
hard to infiltrate various organizations and watch out for anomalous
activity. When creating narratives, Overseers can utilize the complex
nature of the Foundation’s structure and operations to enrich stories
and keep things interesting.
Additionally, as was mentioned in the Player Guide, there are
a number of organizations that the Foundation has to deal with,
such as the Chaos Insurgency, the Manna Charitable Foundation,
and governments all around the world. Missions could easily include
interactions with one or more of these groups, adding to the overall
narrative and giving players more things to do.
No Single canon
There is no official canon in the SCP universe, meaning what is true
is really up to an individual’s interpretation. This gives Overseers
a lot of room to be creative with their world. Is the Foundation in
this particular Mission extremely cold and competent, or are they a
somewhat serious group of fools bumbling their way through things?
Are things seemingly grounded and normal, or has the Foundation
failed to contain an anomaly that altered the very fabric of reality,
changing the way all humans go about their daily lives?
Overseers can make a number of different structural choices when
creating their world. For example, their world could include more
or less Foundation employee classifications than what is found in
the Player Guide, or include a new Group of Interest not found on
the Wiki. Overseers can create anything they want and interpret the
Foundation and its universe in a number of different ways.
official canons
Though there is no one overarching canon within the SCP universe,
there are a number of individual canons listed on the site. Each of
these canons include a number of SCPs articles, tales, and other
works that revolve around one central premise. One prominent canon
is known as the End of Death, where a strange event has led to all
life on Earth suddenly becoming physically incapable of dying. In this
scenario, the Foundation spends a great deal of time and effort trying
to find a way to kill living beings, since immortality offers a number
of significant challenges to the human race as a whole.
Like the End of Death, many SCP canons are based around some
event that led to the re-structuring of the Foundation and/or life for
all of humanity. The Broken Masquerade, one pretty popular canon,
details a scenario in which the Foundation is no longer a secret from
the rest of the world, and many of its efforts are widely known to
the public. Daybreak revolves around the events following those
described in S.D. Locke’s proposal for SCP-001, in which the sun
becomes an active threat to all life in the solar system.
However, not all canons concern themselves with earth-shattering
or Foundation-shattering scenarios. Stealing Solidarity follows the six
instances of SCP-2085 “The Black Rabbit Company” as they go around
causing chaos and getting themselves into trouble. AIAD, which stands
for the Artificial Intelligence Applications Division, covers the work of
several instances of artificial intelligence that assist the Foundation in a
number of ways.
Here is a list of some of the canons found on the SCP Wiki:
Canon Description
The Confederacy wins the American Civil War,
Aces and Eights
changing the Foundation’s situation
A dangerous anomaly leads the Foundation to
Ad Astra Per Aspera
abandon Earth, heading out into the stars
Follows the exploits of a number of artificial
AIAD
intelligence working for the Foundation
Apotheosis
A strange anomaly causes millions of human
beings to start developing anomalous abilities
The entire world learns about the
Broken Masquerade
Foundation’s existence, changing everything
The Foundation and other groups, namely GRU
The Coldest War
Division “P,” battle it out during the Cold War
Set in the world of S.D. Locke’s 001 proposal,
Daybreak
where the sun threatens life on Earth
All living beings become unable to die, which
End of Death
the Foundation seeks to remedy
Focuses on members of the Horizon Initiative
Et Tam Deum Petivi
as they pursue their theological goals
Follows the exploits of personnel employed by
GOC Casefiles
the Global Occult Coalition
Covers events around the great Sarkic empire
In Memoria, Adytum
that once endangered the world
Events and phenomena set around SCP-012: a
On Mount Golgotha
music piece that drives people mad
Details a Foundation project designed to
Project Heimdall
understand and counter alien invasions
Reality itself is falling apart due to the
Rat’s Nest
absence of an energy that perpetuates reality
Reconstructs and revives the original “central
Resurrection
narrative” of the SCP Wiki as a whole
Follows the exploits of the SCP-2085 entities,
Stealing Solidarity
known as “The Black Rabbit Company”
Set in a world where paranormal technology
Third Law
becomes normal, changing the world forever
Set in a world where the Foundation never
Unfounded
existed, but things are pretty much the same
Enormous anomalous entities begin attacking
War On All Fronts
the Earth constantly, changing everything
The full list of SCP canons can be found on the Canon Hub page of the
SCP Wiki. It is compromised of 39 distinct canons.
5
 Theoretically, an Overseer could place a Mission within any SCP
canon, though they should consider whether or not doing so would be
in any way relevant to the Mission as a whole. Is it really necessary for
a Mission to be set in the Broken Masquerade if the party never has
to interact with the outside world in any meaningful way? Setting a
Mission could be really interesting, if done in a way that really affects
the things characters end up having to do and the choices they have to
make. However, if a canon is used flippantly, it could end up harming the
overall experience.
World Building
There are a number of ways Overseers can develop the world their
Mission is set in. They can create NPCs, maps, Foundation facilities, past
events, story lines, and more.
Another important aspect of world building is actively explaining the
world to players during playthroughs. This includes using exposition,
explaining things through the dialogue of NPCs, letting characters find
documents that include details about the world, and small details and
clues that players will see as they make their way through the setting.
Using the SCP Wiki
Though SCP sheets may have the majority of information that you will
need to know in order to use an SCP in-game, there could possibly be
a few things missing. In Fear in the Foundation, some of the details
regarding certain anomalies are removed for brevity. However, some
of these omitted details could be useful for an Overseer who is trying
to focus on a particular anomaly, or is unsure about the mechanics of
an anomaly due to an error on Fear in the Foundation’s part.
In these cases, please prefer to the SCP’s article on the site wiki.
Simply go to http://www.scpwiki.com/, select the SCP series that
the article can be found in, and find the SCP’s article. The articles
are arranged in numerical order, and each series is comprised of
1,000 articles. Series I is SCP-001 up to SCP-1000, Series II is SCP-1001
to SCP-1999, and so on. There are six series in total.
6

Master of Missions
Command & Control
The Overseer ultimately has control over everything that happens
during a Mission, outside of the things the players decide to do and
the results of player’s dice rolls.
Additionally, during Exploration and Re-Containment Missions, the
Overseer can take on the in-game role of Command. During many
Foundation operations, operatives out in the field are in contact with
researchers or other personnel stationed at a Foundation facility,
who sometimes instructs them or simply asks for status updates and
reports. The extent to which Command is involved in the Mission can
vary. In some Exploration or Re-Containment Missions, players may
not be connected to Command at all, or may lose contact with them
at some points or indefinitely at some point during the operation.
Mission structure
There are two styles Missions are typically played in, depending on
their length: Campaigns and one-shots. A campaign is typically played
in a number of different installments where players and Overseers
come together to continue the story. One way to think of each
session of a campaign is like an episode in a TV show. A one-shot, on
the other hand, involves a Mission both starting and resolving in the
same session. Think of a one-shot more like a movie.
When planning out a session for a campaign, an Overseer basically
just needs to plan enough to get through one episode of the “show”
that is the campaign. It’s never a bad idea to plan ahead, but
planning out at least one “episode” is a good idea. This means that
the Overseer should have some kind of end in sight. The end doesn’t
necessarily have to be super clear cut, and tabletops are structured
in such a way that an Overseer should be able to find plenty of
decent stopping points within any campaigns. A stopping point could
be the end of an Encounter, the end of a conversation with an NPC,
or the party figuring out which task they need to do next.
However, when planning out a one-shot, an Overseer needs to plan
out the entire thing, since one-shots are essentially self-contained
narratives. As was mentioned earlier, one-shots are more like movies.
They should be able to stand alone. In some cases, players may not
be able to finish a one-shot in one session, which may cause it to
become a short campaign with a small number of separate sessions.
Planning things out
Given that Overseers run the game, they typically have to do some
prep in order to be ready for a session. This prep may include writing
out notes to help with remembering characters and events, planning
out encounters, creating new NPCs, preparing maps, and more.
There are typically two types of Game Masters/Overseers, when it
comes to planning for a session. There’s the more meticulous planner,
who spends hours preparing for sessions, planning out everything in
detail and considering all of the choices that players may make.
On the other hand, there’s the less structured planner, who plans
for a session, but much less than the meticulous planner. They lean
more heavily into improvisation and planning things proactively, as
players make choices.
Both of these styles of planning are valid ways of approaching planning
out sessions. Different things work for different people. Some Overseers,
and in fact some players, may enjoy a more planned-out approach, while
some may prefer a more improvised feel. It really just takes testing
things out and finds what works best for the Overseer and the players.
Overseers should make sure not to get too stressed when it comes to
planning. If you get overwhelmed while planning, make sure to take a
break. Fear in the Foundation is a game, after all, and the main goal is
to enjoy it. An Overseer should always take care of themselves.
Types of Missions
As was covered more extensively in the Player Guide, there are three
main types of game modes in Fear in the Foundation. Containment
Breach, Exploration, and Re-Containment.
Containment Breach Missions are typically take place in a Foundation
site or area where anomalous entities and objects are kept under lock
and key. In these missions, some catalyst, such as a site-wide blackout,
has led to many anomalies breaking out of their holding areas and
roaming around the site. Some freed SCPs, due to their very nature,
are going around causing chaos and/or attempting to break out of the
facility completely. Players have many problems to deal with in this
game mode, from dysfunctional parts of the site to dangerous anomalies
ripping people apart.
These missions feature four classes that are pretty distinct from one
another: Researchers, Security Officers, Field Agents, and D-Class.
One of the Foundation’s main goals is understanding the anomalous.
Because of this, they often send personnel in to learn more about
anomalous entities, locations, and other phenomena. In Exploration
Missions, a team of MTF agents, field agents, or D-Class is either sent
out into the field or directly into an anomaly to investigate it. In some
missions, personnel will have a great deal of information and resources,
while in others, they will have much less.
In Re-Containment Missions, a team of MTF agents is sent out in
order to either capture or terminate an anomaly that has escaped
containment. The MTF that is sent out depends on the anomaly.
Establishing a Tone
Establishing a tone is an important part of preparing for a mission.
Players and the Overseer should have a mutual understanding of what
they want the mission to be. Is there going to be a more serious tone, or
a more carefree and comedic one? Is horror going to be one of the main
themes? If so, what level of horror is everyone comfortable with?
It’s important for the Overseer and their players to communicate
before the start of a mission to make sure everyone is on the same page.
It could be very unfortunate to start a Mission and then realize not
everyone was up for the way the story is being told.
One way to help establish a more serious tone, if that’s what the
party wants to pursue, is to use jargon often seen in the SCP Universe.
For example, in Exploration or Re-Containment missions, Command, as
well as MTF Agents, can call team members by their designations, such
as “Mercury,” “Atlas,” and so on.
8 9
Overseers should also note that newer players may prefer a less
serious tone, especially if they are not entirely familiar with the SCP
universe. New players are more likely to be nervous while playing, and
adopting a less serious tone can make them feel more comfortable.
Additionally, due to their nervousness and unfamiliarity with the game,
Overseers should remember to be patient with them.
Setting Boundaries
Before starting a mission, it’s important to know where players’
boundaries lie. This is especially important for Fear in the Foundation,
considering that the game involves a good deal of horror, and content
from the SCP Foundation can get into some particularly difficult areas,
including intense violence, sexual assault, and the like. All players
should feel that they are in an environment where they can feel
comfortable and safe.
There are a number of different methods an Overseer can use
to ensure that they aren’t pushing any of their players’ personal
boundaries. One of these is the “lines and veils” method. “Lines” are
subject that players aren’t willing to touch at all during a mission or
campaign, while “veils” are things that they may feel comfortable
having to some extent, as long as the things don’t have to be role-played
or described in detail.
For example, if one of a player’s lines is torture, that subject should
not be broached at all during the mission. However, if torture is one of
the player’s veils, it can be mentioned during the campaign, but only
in passing, such as an NPC perhaps briefly mentioning that someone or
something was tortured.
Lines and veils should be discussed before a mission even begins. The
Overseer should ask each player to provide them with a list of their lines
and veils, describing the concept to them if they are unaware of it. The
entire group should be aware of each other’s lines and veils in order to
avoid a situation where someone unknowingly violates another person’s
line or veil, which could lead to a difficult time.
In addition to lines and veils, tabletop groups can use things such
as the X-Card. This strategy mostly work for in-person games or games
using video chat. The X-Card is an index card with an X drawn on one
side. When a player is uncomfortable with the content for any reason,
which could be a phobia or PTSD, they tap the card, or hold it up to
show the Overseer. The Overseer should then move on, avoiding the
topic that the player seemed uncomfortable with. If the Overseer is
unsure of what the player wanted, they should ask them privately, in
order to clarify.
One addition an Overseer could make to the X-Card would be to have
players put an O on the other side of the index card. When the session
includes something that players would like to see more of, they hold up
the O side of their card to include that to the Overseer.
Stakes of a Mission
One important thing to consider is that the Foundation offers a
good mix of high and low stakes. On the one hand, if an anomaly like
SCP-058 escapes, it may wipe out a whole city or hide for months and
cause untold harm before the Foundation is able to bring it back in.
Some anomalies even have the capacity to restructure the very fabric
of reality if they’re released out into the wild. However, on the other
hand, the Foundation also deals with pretty trivial things, like SCP-1689,
a bag that contains a spatial anomaly that allows it to hold many more
potatoes than it should be able to.
A mix of high and low stakes can be good for any campaign, even ones
where horror is the primary focus. Light, low stakes can give players a
little space to have fun with the campaign. Additionally, if every single
thing that players have to deal with is the end of the world, it may
lead to burnout. Like most things, though, it depends on the players, so
Overseers should talk to their players about what kind of stakes they’d
prefer to deal with within the purview of a particular Mission.
Roleplaying
To reiterate, a tabletop RPG is basically a collective improvisation
exercise where a player rolls to see if they can do the things they
wish to do. The story that everyone involved collectively weaves
is shaped not only by their own decisions, but by the rules of the
universe they’re in and the power of random numbers.
Roleplay is the theatrical aspect in this setup. While in the game,
players make choices not based on their own rationale, but the
rationale of the character they are playing. This can be very difficult
for people not familiar with roleplay, and some days it can even be
difficult for those that are. Staying in-character and thinking like
one’s character would can be quite challenging.
The Overseer has a fundamental role in leading the mission in
a certain direction, and has the ability to introduce role-playing
scenarios to players in order to keep them engaged. One way to do
this is to set up situations for characters to interact with one another
or with NPCs.
Beyond this, the Overseer can also help players develop their
character. Before a mission even begins, an Overseer can try to
perform a one-on-one interview with each of their players where
they ask them to answer a number of questions while in character.
This can make the player think of aspects of their character they
might have not even considered. For example: What’s their favorite
ice cream flavor? If they could go back and change one decision
they’ve made, what would it be?
Directing Players
Another one of an Overseer’s responsibilities is directing players.
Overseers are in charge of describing a player’s surroundings to them,
which includes the world they exist in. But, beyond that, Overseers
are in charge of giving players things to do.
Overseers create the scenarios that players find themselves in, so
they sometimes must lead players through these scenarios in one way
or another. This could be as simple as providing players with direct
instructions through the use of Command. A similar things Overseers
can do, in Missions where Command may not be applicable, is add a
knowledgeable NPC to a party, who could be a useful tool in steering
players in the right direction.
However, Overseers can also use mysteries and clues to direct
players in a less direct way. For example, when players walk into a
room that contains some interesting information, Overseers can tell
them to make a Perception Check. Sometimes players will do things
like this on their own, but it’s sometimes alright for the Overseer to
give them a little push.
Creating Encounters
Encounters are a pretty integral part of most Missions. An Encounter,
as is defined in the Introduction of this guide, is an event where
characters interact with non-party NPCs. Though some Encounters
are likely to result in combat, not all of them have to. They can
range from the party being attacked by SCP-049 to them running into
a researcher in need of medical help.
Below are some examples of non-violent encounters:
Two injured researchers are trying to get to safety
Security officers are searching for a dangerous SCP
Three Records personnel are exploring the archives
Medical staff are trying to find an injured individual
Containment specialists are searching for an anomalous item
Horticulturists are collecting gardening-oriented supplies
Maintenance staff are going around fixing cameras for security
The party suddenly sees SCP-5842, which triggers POW Checks
SCP-208 approaches the party, offering to help them out
 Here are some Encounters that could result in violence:
The party encounters SCP-058 attacking someone in a hallway
An enemy tosses SCP-323 at the party and runs away
SCP-817 flies down the hallway, striking the party as it goes by
A member of the party is struck by SCP-343 as they enter a room
The party finds Chaos Insurgency agents destroying computers
SCP-4680, out of anger, shoves a member of the party
A security officer attempts to capture a D-Class in the party
Random Encounters
Encounter Rolls can be a useful tool to add a sense of randomness
and general unpredictability to a Mission. As is mentioned in the
Player Guide, an Overseer may want to roll a d20 at certain times,
such as when players enter a new room or take a Rest. If the result
is higher than 10, the party has a random Encounter, which doesn’t
necessarily have to result in combat.
If an Overseer decides to use this mechanic, they may want to
have a premade list of Encounters at the ready, to help the game
move along more quickly.
Running Encounters
Some Encounters may be entirely based on roleplay, with players
having conversations with NPCs. However, a good number of
encountering will result in combat. Here’s a short guide on how
Overseers should run Encounters that feature combat.
One. If the players are unaware of the threat and it makes the first
attack, the Overseer should have everyone in danger roll a Perception
Check. Whoever fails is eligible to be a target of the attacking entity,
or entities, in their surprise round.
A surprise round is a round of combat that takes place before
everyone rolls for Initiative, typically because some entities catch
others by surprise. Attacking entities will get to attack unaware
entities with Advantage.
Two. After the surprise round is over, or if there is no surprise
round, all entities involved in combat will roll for Initiative, which
will determine in which order they will all take their turns. If their
are any ties, the entities who tied should re-roll until one of them
rolls lower. After everyone’s rolled Initiative, an Overseer should
write down the turn order to make sure they don’t forget it.
NPCs do not have Initiative Bonuses, so Overseers simply have to
make straight d100 rolls for them. In some cases, an Overseer may
want to make one roll for multiple NPCs, in order to make things
easier. For example, if there are four instances of SCP-2324, an
Overseer may want to give them all one initiative score rather than
rolling for each of them individually, then take all of their turns
consecutively.
Three. Once Initiative has been dealt with, the Overseer will be in
charge of directing combat by letting everyone knows whose turn it
is and playing all of the NPCs. Each entity should make their attacks,
actions, and movements during their turns, of course.
There are two main ways that combat can end. First, it can end
when all members of one side are removed from the area, typically
because they have retreated or been pushed out in some other
way. Second, it can end when all members of one side are killed,
incapacitated, or other restrained and unable to take actions.
Designing NPCs
Just as players design their own characters, Overseers design their own
NPCs. Though the game currently provides a number of premade NPCs,
they likely won’t be enough to carry a longer campaign.
While making NPCs, Overseers should treat it like they’re making player
characters, just with fewer details. Each NPC should have a bit of a
background and a few defining character traits, which could be directly
taken from list of Personality Traits, Flaws, and more that are found in
the Player Guide.
NPC Party Members
NPCs can be a vital tool to any party, whether these NPCs serve
as scholars on the workings of the Foundation, valuable spies, or
juggernauts during combat. These NPCs can range from normal humans
to friendly, powerful anomalies, such as SCP-275 or SCP-999.
Navigation
Depending on the Mission, players may find themselves having to
navigate a vast and complex SCP facility, an overgrown forest, or some
other location. In some cases, navigation may become difficult for the
party. In these instances, Overseers should make an effort to help the
group find their way.
This can be done by the use of certain markers or by NPCs.
Between Encounters
In any Mission, there will be a good number of things that characters can
do between Encounters. In many cases, downtime between Encounters
will involve exploration and investigation. Many Missions will involve
great deals of mystery, which are useful for generating suspense and
keeping players interested in the Mission. Time between Encounters may
also be spent taking Rests or repairing damaged supplies and machines.
Butterfly Effects
Butterfly Effect Chart can be used to keep up with what’s going on in
a campaign and make sure that the choices players make come back
around to affect the overall story. It’s an easy way to keep up with
everything that’s going on.
One method is to keep up with how decisions and events affect each
character in order to decide how they could next affect the events of
the story. Overseers should probably try to write these charts soon after
a session, while the events of the session are still fresh in their mind.
Below is an example of a typical Butterfly Effect Chart:
Officer O’Neil Butterfly Effect Chart
O’Neil, along with Officer Akers, goes along with the party
Event 1
after they visit a Security Station
O’Neil leads SCP-XXX away from the party when Dr. Sullivan
Event 2
commands her to, separating from the group
O’Neil survives and returns to the party, arriving just in time
Event 3
to help them fight the SCP-XXXX entities
O’Neil is badly injured but survives. She does a great deal of
Event 4
damage to the entities, saving Diana in the process
10

Master of Rules
Mechanics Master
In addition to controlling the world a Mission is set in and the
environment, they also act as a referee for the game’s mechanics. The
mechanics contained within this guide, the Player’s Guide, and the
Anomaly Guide do not have to be strictly followed. Rather, they are
meant to serve as a blueprint for how the game can be played.
Rolling Dice
While players use the d100/percentile dice for nearly all of their rolls,
the dice that Overseers used is more varied. Since the attacks rolls
of NPCs are made through the use of a d20, Overseers use this die
much more than players do. Additionally, many anomalies have unique
mechanics that require the use of certain dice, with the d20 being one
of the major ones. The d4, d6, and d10 are also used often, when it
comes to the mechanics of anomalies.
While players must accept the results of their dice rolls, Overseers can
decide to change the results of their own dice rolls, which is commonly
known as “fudging a roll.” Say an Overseer makes an attack roll for an
NPC, and the result is 15. Since the player they targeted has an Armor
Class of 12, this would hit them. However, if the player takes any more
damage, they will be downed, making combat infinitely harder for the
party, and possibly leading to their deaths. The Overseer may want to
lie and say that they actually rolled a 9, or something else that wouldn’t
lead to the attack succeeding, in order to keep the target alive.
Fudging rolls is a controversial topic within the tabletop RPG
community. Some say that it ruins the authenticity of the game, and can
make players less trusting of their Game Master, while others think that
it is a useful tool Game Masters can use to help players or make a game
more interesting in certain circumstances.
Abilities & Skills
A player’s Abilities and Skills cover the vast majority of rolls they
should need to make while playing the game. The Overseer’s job, when
it comes to these attributes, is to determine which Ability or Skill a
particular Check should require.
Here are examples of an action for some Abilities and Skills:
Ability or Skill Example
Strength Lifting a heavy object and carrying it
Agility Jumping over an obstacle
Endurance Preventing one’s self from vomiting
Intelligence Figuring out someone’s true intentions
Education Remembering details about a particular SCP
Power Resisting one’s fear of rats
Crafting Building a raft out of sticks and vines
Machinery Making a sharp turn while driving a truck
Nature Tracking an animal that escaped the party earlier
Sciences Making an explosive out of various chemicals
Critical Rolls
Some types of rolls, such as attack rolls, have set rules for what
happens when a player critically succeeds or critically fails. However,
when it comes to Ability and Skill rolls, Overseers decide what
happens on a Critical Roll.
On a critical success, players succeed in a fantastical way,
getting to do something they may have not been able to otherwise.
For example, a player who critically succeeds on a Perception or
Investigation Check may notice something hidden that they would not
have seen had they just succeeded normally.
Meanwhile, on a critical failure, players fail in rather stupendous
ways. A player who critically fails an Agility Check may fall Prone
or slip and drop their weapon. A player who critically fails an
Intimidation Check could become intimidated themselves.
Advantage
An Overseer’s role, when it comes to Advantage or Disadvantage is
determining when a roll should be granted one or the other. Though
the game’s basic rules cover some of these circumstances, there are
plenty of scenarios that exist outside of the encompassed subjects.
Additionally, Overseers have the ability to allow players to attempt
to perform certain actions that will could give them Advantage on
other ones. For example, say a player wants to use an anomalous
tool that will give them Advantage on their next Agility Check. The
Overseer asks them to make an Occult Check, which they pass.
Because of this, the Overseer gives them advantage on their next
Agility Check. Allowing for this sort of gameplay rewards characters
for being creative and making the most of the game’s mechanics.
Challenge Levels
As mentioned in the Player Guide, the typical Challenge Levels
for the game are 10, 20, and 30, though an Overseer can make a
Challenge Level whatever they want, theoretically.
Say a character wants to do something difficult, like throwing a
ball into a button from far away. The Overseer could tell them that
they must succeed by 20 in order to succeed. Challenge Levels can
also be a way to punish players for attempting particularly ridiculous
feats, if an Overseer wishes to use them for that purpose.
General Rolls
These are rolls that exist outside of typical rolling mechanics. Many
of these are straight rolls with no modifiers, which must be above,
at, or below certain values in order to make particular things
occur. Many rolls tied to the effects of individual anomalies can be
considered general rolls.
One of the most prevalent types of these rolls, and the only one
covered in detail in the Player Guide, is the Fortune Roll. Say a
group is being pursued by a group of six enemies and is trying to give
them the slip. The Overseer asks them to make a Fortune Roll with
a d100. If they roll a 50 or below, three of the pursuers will keep up
12
with them, but if they roll a 51 or above, all six will stay on their
tail. These rolls essentially take a little weight off the Overseer and Amnestics Mechanics
add even more unpredictably to the narrative, as they can throw
everyone, including the Overseer, for a loop. Without Amnestics, a party can end up being affected by a number of
memetic phenomenon, and/or lose all of their Power, causing them to
Opposed Checks become Insane. Therefore, in Missions where players face off against
SCPs with memetic effects, they should always have some Amnestics
either on-hand or nearby. Amnestics are essentially Medicine for the
The Overseer’s job, when it comes to Opposed Checks, is to know mind, and are effectively as vital to gameplay.
when the Checks need to be triggered, who is on the offensive and
who is on the defensive, and to verify who the winner is.
Inventory
Power Mechanic Managing Inventory is very important. If players were allowed to carry
An Overseer can use Power to instill a sense of fear and suspense in
infinite resources, the game could become incredibly imbalanced. An
Overseer’s role, when it comes to Inventory, is essentially making sure
players, since the difference between a successful or failed Power that characters, as well as NPCs, do not exceed their max Inventory.
Check can have pretty dire consequences. In some cases, Overseers
should even push a player’s character to the brink of insanity, slowly However, Overseers should also try to ensure that players have enough
lowering their POW value and exposing them to more and more resources to deal with the trials they are bound to face. If characters
horrific phenomena. Power is, to put it simply, a very powerful tool. don’t have opportunities to collect resources, Missions can become
overwhelmingly difficult for them, easily leading them to the grave.
On the mechanical side of things, one important thing Overseers
should remember to tell players, especially new ones, is that when a
Leveling Up
character’s POW drops, the values of Power-related Skills, Occult and
Perception, do not change. Essentially, if a character loses 10 POW,
and the value of their Occult Skill is 55, the value of their Occult will Since leveling up is based on feats, Overseers control when players level
stay at 55. The value of a character’s Power only dictates the starting up. Feats can include things like capturing dangerous SCPs, surviving
value of these Skills. After that, it is no longer attached to them. incredibly dangerous situations, achieving some major goal, or otherwise
making some major progress through the Mission as a whole. As such,
Fear Mechanic Overseers should make sure to facilitate scenarios in which players can
accomplish these goals.
Fear, as one could imagine, can play a central role in a number of
Forms of Injury
scenarios in the SCP universe. Characters in the game have fears that
they have before Missions start and can develop fears due to certain
circumstances that they find themselves in. There will be forms of injury that may happen during the game that are
not tied to attacks or fall damage. The following is a guide for how to
The Overseer has a number of responsibilities and goals when it assign damage values to these forms of injury. This guide does not need
comes to Fears. For one, they want to put the players in scenarios to be strictly followed. It’s simply a general guideline.
where their fears will be triggered. Second, they want to prompt
players to make Power Checks in certain high-stress situations so that
they have opportunities to develop new Fears. Type of Injury Damage (Average) Example
A small rock falling 10 ft and
Minor Injury 1d4 (1-4)
Rest Mechanics hitting someone in the arm
Tripping and falling down a
Moderate Injury 2d6 (7)
It’s important for entities to take Rests when they state to get few stairs before stopping
exhausted or are really low on HP and don’t want to expend a great Being set on fire and receiving
deal of resources to fix that issue. Overseers should give characters Serious Injury 4d4 (10)
relatively substantial burns
plenty of opportunities to take Rests, and should be proactive in
getting players to let their characters rest. The Overseer likely knows Tripping and getting impaled
Severe Injury 4d6 (14)
more about the road ahead than any of the players do, and should by a jagged piece of metal
keep that in mind when trying to convince eager players to let their Being heavily electrocuted
Critical Injury 6d6 (21)
characters chill for a little bit. while covered in water
Being slammed against a wall
Medical Checks Maximal Injury 10d12 (65)
at 160 km/h (100 mph)
These Checks are useful for players to restore HP within using any
resources or having to take a Rest. It’s best for players to use them
when they’re only lost a small bit of HP, or when they’re in combat.
Directing sequences
It’s best to remember that Medical Checks are rarely as effective as
Medicine or a good Rest. Overseers should make sure their players
remain aware of that.
During Missions, players basically state what they wish to do and the
Overseer decides whether or not they need to make a Check in order to
perform such the action.
Medicine Mechanics After Overseers decide an action requires a particular Check or
Checks, they direct the sequence of events that occurs due to the
choices the players decide to make. This sequence actively changes as
Medicine is one of the most vital tools in the game, especially in
players pass or fail the Checks they are asked to make.
Missions that are more centered around combat. One strong foe
or particularly good rolls from the Overseer can put a character in
For example, a player wishes to tie a rope around an axe and then
some incredible danger. Without Medicine, characters can die pretty
toss the axe into a door to brace themselves during a windstorm.
quickly. Like most other resources, Overseers should make sure they
Accessing the situation, the Overseer asks them to make a CRA Check.
provide their players with plenty of opportunities to restock.
13
 Pass Fail
They tie the rope around the axe They lose the rope in the wind

Since they passed, the Overseer asks them to toss the axe into a door
by making a STR Check with Disadvantage. The Overseer explains that
they have Disadvantage because they are throwing against the wind.

Pass
The axe goes into the door. This
allows the character to brace
themselves from the wind, which
gives them Advantage on the
Strength Check needed to avoid
being blown away by the wind
Fail
The axe comes back the
character’s way, and they take
2d6 of damage from a Moderate
Injury as the axe slashes their
shoulder

This is an example of a full sequence of actions that one could see

during a Mission. Some sequences will simply be one action, while others
may include a few or many actions. It simply depends on how complex
the action is.

14
 Copyright Statement
Fear in the Foundation, as with the SCP Wiki, is released under Creative Commons
Share-Alike 3.0 (CC-BY-SA 3.0). This copyright policy specifically allows for
commercial usage, but does not bar others from creating derivative works of the
game similar to how the game itself is a derivative work of the contents of the SCP
Wiki, where all ideas and concepts featured in the game originate. These ideas and
concepts are owned by the original authors of the works, as well as the SCP Wiki.
Others may create derivative works based on this game assuming they license it
under CC-BY-SA and properly credit the creator of this game as well as the creators
of all of the original writers of the content involved, including pages and articles
from the SCP Wiki.
If you are the creator of any of the content used in the game and either want to be
credited, in the case that we could not find the original creator of the content, or
want your content removed from the game for any reason, please contact the game’s
team through our email: fearinthefoundation@gmail.com. We apologize for any
problems you may have, and will respond to your request as quickly as possible.
16
Author’s Note
I’d like to thank everyone mentioned in the credits at the beginning of this book, as
well as everyone who has purchased the beta up to this point. I can’t thank all of you
enough for believing in this project and helping me fund its development. I’ve had a
number of creative and artistic passions since I was very young, but I don’t think any
of them have been realized to this extent. That is largely due to the help of dozens
of people willing to put their time, money, and effort into developing this project.
I’m so thankful for each and every one of you, and I hope you’re willing to stick with
me and see where this road takes us. This community has been amazing.
On that note, I promise that I’ll keep coming out with content well into the
future. For now, I’m preoccupied with polishing everything as much as I can before
the game’s full release, but after that, I’m excited to get started on expansions,
community events, and the like. I even have ideas for other games I want to develop
alongside Fear in the Foundation, and am looking into creating a TTRPG company of
my own, to fit a number of games under the same banner.
Lastly, I’d like to thank my girlfriend, who got me interested in TTRPGs in the first
place. Who knew a single campaign of D&D that started right before the beginning
of the pandemic would lead to all this, right? She’s encouraged me during the entire
process of making this game, and has made a number of suggestions that have
changed the game for the better. It’s impossible to put my appreciation for her into
words, though I’m trying my best here.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the game! Roll initiative!
- Alexander Barker
17