Cthulhu RimWorld Setup That Actually Works (Without the Madness)

        🚀 Quick Start
        ⚙️ Setup
        🕯️ Cult
        👁️ Deities
        🐙 Horrors
        🔌 DLC
        🤝 Factions
        📖 Story
      
🦑
Welcome to the Rim of MadnessTransform your RimWorld colony into a cosmic horror experience
Can your colony survive the unspeakable horrors of the Rim? This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to thrive when using the Call of Cthulhu mod series - from founding your first cult and managing sanity, to battling cosmic horrors and integrating with all major DLCs. New to RimWorld? Start with our complete beginner's guide to master the fundamentals before diving into cosmic horror.
🚀
Quick Start Checklist
Essential First Steps:

          
            
            1. Secure food & defenses (treat early game normally)
          
          
            
            2. Wait for "Something horrendous" event (~day 5-10)
          
          
            
            3. Build Forbidden Knowledge Center immediately
          
          
            
            4. Research occult until cult is founded
          
          
            
            5. Construct altar and assign preacher
          
          
            
            6. Monitor cult-mindedness (>75% = joins, <25% = resists)
          
          
            
            7. Prepare weapons & straitjackets for cosmic reprisals
          
        
⚙️
Mod Setup & Installation

          
            📦 Essential Mods
          
          Call of Cthulhu - Cults: Core cult mechanics
Cosmic Horrors: Lovecraftian monsters
Factions: The Agency & Coastal Villages
Industrial Age: Period furniture
Straitjackets: Sanity management
H.P. Lovecraft Storyteller: Horror-focused AI

        

            📋 Correct Load Order
          1. Core Game
2. DLCs (Royalty, Ideology, Biotech, Anomaly)
3. Harmony
4. JecsTools
5. Call of Cthulhu mods
6. Other mods
7. Combat Extended (if used, always last)

          ⚠️ Version Compatibility
        
For RimWorld 1.5+, use unofficial "Continued" versions by Mlie or community patches. Official mods support up to RimWorld 1.4.

          🔧 Proper mod manager interface - the foundation of a stable Cthulhu setup that won't crash
        
🕯️
Founding Your Cult
Within the first few days, a colonist will trigger an event investigating something horrifying. This grants the Occult Grimoire - your key to starting a cult.

              Pro Tip: Any colonist can trigger this event. Keep someone available to respond when it happens - don't send everyone on caravans early game!
            
Use the grimoire to construct a Forbidden Knowledge Center - a special research bench for occult studies. Place it in a secure room that will become your cult's inner sanctum. For comprehensive base planning that incorporates cult chambers and ritual spaces, see our optimal colony layout guide.
Requirements:
100 Wood/Steel
Occult Grimoire
Indoor location
Unlocks:
Cult-mindedness need
Occult research projects
Path to cult founding
Cult-mindedness determines who joins your cult and who resists. Monitor this carefully to avoid internal conflicts.
Above 75%
Will join cult and attend ceremonies
25-75%
Neutral, can be converted
Below 25%
Actively resists cult activities

          🌊 A thriving Deep Ones cult colony - proof that Cthulhu setups can actually work without madness
        
👁️
Eldritch Pantheon

        
          
              Deity
              Theme & Benefits
              Drawbacks & Risks
            

          
              🐙 Cthulhu
              Balanced offense; summons Star-Spawn; widespread madness induction
              High sanity loss for colonists (constant nightmares)
            

              🌊 Dagon
              Summon aquatic allies (Deep Ones); improve food sources
              Allies can be unwieldy; less useful inland
            

              🌳 Shub-Niggurath
              Strong creature summons (Dark Young); overwhelms foes
              Summons may go berserk; ecological havoc
            

              🎭 Nyarlathotep
              Mind control; stealth and trickery; easier recruitment
              Fewer direct damage spells; confusion risks
            

              👑 Hastur
              Mass enemy insanity; art-based buffs (Yellow Sign)
              Can curse colony with tainted art
            

              🐸 Tsathoggua
              Utility magic; speeds research; summons digestive oozes
              Passive deity; oozes may attack indiscriminately
            

              🐱 Bast
              Protective rituals; reduces mental breaks; luck buffs
              Limited offensive power; cat-related curses
            

        
      

          ⚡ Performing Rituals
        Animal Sacrifice
Early rituals. Use chickens or rabbits. Gives small spell effects and favor.
Human Sacrifice
Unlocks with tier-3 altar. Powerful effects but massive mood penalties.
Success Factors
Social skill, apparel quality, room impressiveness, timing.
🐙
Cosmic Horror Survival
🫗 Shoggoth
            
              ★★★★
            
Amorphous blob with extreme HP and melee damage. Causes massive sanity loss on sight.
Strategy:
Never melee! Kite with ranged fire. Use incendiary weapons. Focus fire to kill quickly.
🦇 Star Vampire
            
              ★★★
            
Invisible until it feeds. High burst damage when revealed.
Strategy:
Use animals as bait. Once visible, overwhelm with focus fire quickly.
🐟 Deep Ones
            
              ★★
            
Humanoid fish-people in groups. Moderate combat abilities.
Strategy:
Standard raid tactics. Use chokepoints and focus fire. Watch for kidnapping attempts.
🌲 Dark Young
            
              ★★★★
            
Giant tentacled monstrosities in herds. Massive melee damage and trampling.
Strategy:
Trap funnels essential. EMP stun the big ones. Focus one at a time.

          ⚔️ General Combat Principles
        Focus Fire
Concentrate all firepower on one target at a time
Use Mechs
Mechanoids don't suffer sanity loss
Fortify Base
Strong perimeters and killboxes are essential. Learn advanced defense strategies for cosmic threats.
Manage Sanity
Keep straitjackets ready for mental breaks
🔌
DLC Integration

            ✊ Ideology
          
Create compatible beliefs that support cult activities.
Recommended Memes:
Supremacist (allows sacrifices)
Collectivist (unity bonus)
Raider (violence tolerance)

            👑 Royalty
          
Nobles can lead cults, psycasts complement spells.
Synergies:
Psycasts + cult spells = overpowered
Noble throne rooms can house altars
Empire aid against horrors

            🧬 Biotech
          
Gene-mod cultists, vampire leaders, fearless mechs.
Key Features:
Mechanoids immune to sanity loss
Sanguophages as immortal leaders
Custom "Cultist" xenotypes

            🌀 Anomaly
          
Official horror DLC with Entity Codex integration.
Integration:
Mod monsters in Entity Codex
Double horror threat level
Parallel story progression
🤝
Factions & Diplomacy
🕴️The AgencySecretive government organization

            Well-armed investigators with advanced weapons. Start neutral but may become suspicious of cult activities. Understanding faction technology levels helps you predict their capabilities and equipment.
          
Strategy:

              • Trade for advanced weapons early

              • Call for aid against cosmic horrors

              • Maintain cover story for legitimacy
            
🏘️Coastal VillagesInnsmouth-like fishing communities

            Deep One hybrids and Dagon worshippers. Often neutral, may trade strange fish and artifacts.
          
Strategy:

              • Recruit Deep One hybrids

              • Natural allies if worshipping Dagon

              • Trade for unique aquatic resources
            

          💡 Diplomatic Strategies
        Maintain Cover
Keep cult activities hidden from hostile factions. Build separate ritual chambers. If your builders are struggling with construction efficiency, check our builder AI optimization guide.
Use as Cannon Fodder
Call allied factions for aid when cosmic horrors attack. Better them than your colonists.
Sacrifice Sources
Hostile factions provide prisoners for sacrificial rituals. Manage relations accordingly.
📖
Storytelling & Roleplay

            🔥 The Slow Burn
          
            Don't rush into cult activities. Start as a normal colony with subtle hints of weirdness. Let the horror build gradually.
          
Example:

              "On the night of the eclipse, Dr. Chen discovered the artifact. Everything changed after that..."
            

            📔 Character Journals
          
            Use RimWriter mod to create in-game books documenting the colony's descent into madness.
          
Tips:

              • Write diary entries after major events

              • Create physical books in your library

              • Document each colonist's mental decline
            

            🎬 Cinematic Events
          
            Plan dramatic set-pieces like midnight rituals during eclipses or sacrificial banquets with visiting nobles.
          
Ideas:

              • Eclipse summoning rituals

              • Betrayal during royal visits

              • Final apocalyptic ceremonies
            

            👥 Character Arcs
          
            Give colonists personal goals and fears. Track their transformation from skeptic to believer to fanatic.
          
Examples:

              • The skeptical soldier's conversion

              • The scholar's dangerous curiosity

              • The innocent child's adaptation
            
💡
Advanced Strategies

          🧠 Sanity Management System
        Triggers
Seeing cosmic horrors
Participating in rituals
Witnessing sacrifices
Failed cult activities
Prevention
High mood buffers
Limited horror exposure
Use mechs for combat
Drugs for emergencies
Treatment
RimWriter mod journals
Straitjackets for breaks
Arrest and counsel
Time heals minor loss
For comprehensive medical and mood management strategies, see our beginner's guide medical section.

          🏰 Cosmic Horror Defense
        Layered Defense
Outer traps, middle turrets, inner safe room
Lighting Control
Dark perimeter, bright fighting positions
Escape Routes
Multiple fallback positions prepared
Cult Powers
Pre-ritual buffs before major fights
🔧
Troubleshooting & Common Issues
The cult initiation event should trigger within 5-10 days. If it doesn't:
Ensure Call of Cthulhu - Cults mod is active and loaded correctly
Check that JecsTools is installed and loaded before Cthulhu mods
Try starting a new game if adding mods mid-playthrough
Verify no mod conflicts in the mod list (red error text)
Ritual success depends on multiple factors:
Cult leader skill: Assign someone with high Social skill
Apparel quality: Craft fine/excellent cult robes
Room impressiveness: Decorate temple with art and furniture
Offering quality: Use healthy animals or valuable prisoners
Timing: Some rituals work better at night or during specific conditions
When multiple colonists break simultaneously:
Emergency lockdown: Restrict everyone to safe areas
Use straitjackets: Restrain the worst affected immediately
Drugs if necessary: Beer, smokeleaf, or psychite to calm nerves
Schedule party: Use recreation time to boost mood
Leader speech: If using Ideology, have leader rally the colony
Consider exile: Remove irredeemably broken colonists
Common compatibility solutions:
Combat Extended: Use compatibility patches or load CE last
Psychology mod: May conflict with sanity system - choose one or the other
Other cult mods: Don't run multiple cult systems simultaneously
Save incompatibility: Start fresh when adding/removing major mods

          📋 Clean mod list management - the key to avoiding conflicts and keeping your Cthulhu setup stable
        

        📋 Patch History & Updates
      
        
          
              Date (Version)
              Change
              Impact
            

          
              July 2021 (1.3)
              Ideology DLC released
              Manually align Ideology with cult needs
            

              Oct 2022 (1.4)
              Biotech DLC + mod maintenance updates
              Mechs for combat, gene-modding cultists
            

              Nov 2022
              Community "Continued" patches
              Stability on newer versions
            

              Aug 2024 (1.5)
              Anomaly DLC + unofficial integration
              Entity Codex integration, dual horror systems
            

        
      

            📚 Related RimWorld Guides
        
                    🌱 Complete Beginner's Guide
                
                    Master RimWorld fundamentals, medical management, and colony survival before diving into cosmic horror.
                

                    🏗️ Optimal Colony Layout
                
                    Learn efficient base building and infrastructure planning for cult chambers and ritual spaces.
                

                    ⚔️ Combat & Defense Mastery
                
                    Master defensive strategies essential for surviving cosmic horror attacks and eldritch threats.
                

                    🔬 Faction Tech Levels Guide
                
                    Understand faction technology levels and equipment to predict Agency capabilities and threats.
                

                    🔧 Builder AI Optimization
                
                    Fix construction AI issues for efficient cult chamber building and ritual infrastructure.
                

                    💀 Corpse Management Guide
                
                    Handle sacrificial remains and cosmic horror corpses without destroying colony mood.
                

        🦑 "That which does not kill us, makes us stranger." 🦑
      

        May your colonists' sanity (and limbs) remain intact... at least until the next raid!
      

        🚀 Back to Top
        •
        Guide Version: 2024.12
        •
        RimWorld 1.4-1.5
      
Deity	Theme & Benefits	Drawbacks & Risks
🐙 Cthulhu	Balanced offense; summons Star-Spawn; widespread madness induction	High sanity loss for colonists (constant nightmares)
🌊 Dagon	Summon aquatic allies (Deep Ones); improve food sources	Allies can be unwieldy; less useful inland
🌳 Shub-Niggurath	Strong creature summons (Dark Young); overwhelms foes	Summons may go berserk; ecological havoc
🎭 Nyarlathotep	Mind control; stealth and trickery; easier recruitment	Fewer direct damage spells; confusion risks
👑 Hastur	Mass enemy insanity; art-based buffs (Yellow Sign)	Can curse colony with tainted art
🐸 Tsathoggua	Utility magic; speeds research; summons digestive oozes	Passive deity; oozes may attack indiscriminately
🐱 Bast	Protective rituals; reduces mental breaks; luck buffs	Limited offensive power; cat-related curses
Date (Version)	Change	Impact
July 2021 (1.3)	Ideology DLC released	Manually align Ideology with cult needs
Oct 2022 (1.4)	Biotech DLC + mod maintenance updates	Mechs for combat, gene-modding cultists
Nov 2022	Community "Continued" patches	Stability on newer versions
Aug 2024 (1.5)	Anomaly DLC + unofficial integration	Entity Codex integration, dual horror systems