My Thesis on KULT Divinity Lost: An Exceptional TTRPG That Hates Itself

My take on what Kult: Divinity Lost thinks it is and why it is so polarizing in the TTRPG community.
What it really is and what you can get from it.
Btw the cam problem was fixed by not using a cam. Simple enough...Still trying to nail the sound settings in Resolve
If you like what you see and want to help me unleash my creative thinking bursts into the interwebs more often, consider gifting me a mini:
/ barlowkeep
ko-fi.com/barlowkeep
--- Useful Links! ---
The changes between editions:
kultrpg428229752.wordpress.co...
Esoterica talking about Demiurge:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTnQ_...
Esoterica talking about Archons:
• Who are the Archons - ...
Online tool for intrigue maps:
intrigue.app/#/
github.com/Tiinusen/intrigue
A Keeper explaining all around Kult lore:
• Kult Divinity Lost, Wo...
Seth Skorkowsky's Kult videos:
• Kult: Part 1 - Introdu...
To Oakwood Heights:
kultdivinitylost.com/wp-conte...
To Kult tools website:
kult.tools/
My favorite Kult adventure playthroughs:
/ @redmoonroleplaying
--- Other Links ---
Black Rose by Muyo5438 -- freesound.org/s/711277/ -- License: Attribution 4.0
feelings of twilight loop.mp3 by ShadyDave -- freesound.org/s/333811/ -- License: Attribution NonCommercial 4.0
Melancholic Violin Melodies by Fabio_Martinez -- freesound.org/s/731615/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Background music I used in the video: freesound.org/people/ZHR%C3%9...
Intro/Outro music by: Barlow Keep
Intro/Outro animation by: Hooxy - www.artstation.com/hooxy
--- Timecodes ---
00:00 Start
01:03 Intro
01:20 Disclaimer
01:32 Why this game hates itself
05:44 My Take On Safety Tools
07:04 Lore & Premise of the game
09:16 Feeling the Vibe of the game
12:56 Going deeper into the Vibe
15:04 How to satisfy players in Kult
20:28 How I use this setting
26:09 Game System & Cool Mechanics
30:37 Conclusion
32:40 Reading the first paragraph

[@BarlowKeep]

Sorry for all the onscreen text disappearing fast, Haven't cought that. I think some of it is still crutial info

[@Jcraft153]

A new channel!? With high production quality!? And a backlog of videos!? With only 130 or so subscribers!? The KZbin algorithm has blessed me!

[@alexroman6424]

Hahaha

[@BarlowKeep]

Hey thanks, you are too kind! I am glad you like the content so far! I am kind of blown away by the feedback I am getting while feeling like have no idea what I'm doing 😅

[@neoravencroft]

When I first ran Kult, I fell in live instantly. I really needed a game that was dark enough for my taste and I finally found it. The game isn't made for everyone, but that is why the Horror Contract is made in the game so you can talk to your players about the themes that will occur in your game.

[@FortheSakeoftheComments]

Yes! This was the first game I ran that wasn't AD&D, about 20+ years ago. The depth of the game and the ability to give the game layers and without hard-and-fast alignments was amazing. While I do not like the new edition, the older editions remain one of my two top favorites to run.

[@DTinkerer]

which one

[@neoravencroft]

@@DTinkerer Divinity Lost, unless you were referring to ForTheSakeOfTheComments post

[@DTinkerer]

the other one sadly

[@mikerojas6513]

This looks like an advanced version of 'Don't Rest Your Head.' DRYH was small and sharp, like needles. This looks bigger and serrated.

[@qaztim11]

Out of all the things that would lead me down a rabbit hole of Gnosticism and mysticism eventually leading me to this TTRPG, i would have never expected it to be Genshin Impact, Lobotomy Corporation and Library od RUina. Great video, hopefully i can convince my playgroup to give this a shot since we have been playing "darker" systems for the last few months(Cthullu/Vampire)

[@BarlowKeep]

Hahahah nice, i was led into that rabbit hole by researching for my taro vids of all things. This is waaay different than CoC. Next week I will make a video on how to get a group into this...as official material is just too much for most groups.

[@qaztim11]

​@@BarlowKeep Thanks! I'm mostly good on this subject matter, my favorite book series is The second Apocalypse and it is all about depravity and corruption of men, with every single horrible thing happening to or around the main characters, and most of them being powerless to do anything about the larger forces controlling them but there are people on my table that can't even read Berzerk and other works due to it being too dark, hopefully your next video can help tone down some of the hotter stuff so i can slow cook them and slowly acclimate them to the madness. I was also trying to get them to play Jubensha (chinese style narrative rpg) but since sexual crimes/power plays are a big part of the genre tey also thought it was too dark

[@Morta1337y]

Would love to see more videos on Kult. I like your video style.

[@BarlowKeep]

Hey thanks for the comment! Thank you very much for the kind words :) There will for sure be more Kult content! But..I don't want to misrepresent this as a KULT/Horror channel...i oscillate between Medieval High Fantasy and Modern Horror with a bunch of different things in between all the time...I kind of get an itch ...a vibe of a certain genre or setting pulls me in and I start creating around it until something else pops up :)

[@FortheSakeoftheComments]

@@BarlowKeep Have you ever played Numenera? It is a weird mix of sci-fi/fantasy that can be tweaked towards one side or the other as you like. It ties with Kult for my favorite game to run because it's VERY heavy roll-play.

[@BarlowKeep]

Never played it, but looks dope! I like the vibe. Thanks for recommending :)

[@FortheSakeoftheComments]

@@BarlowKeep I hope you enjoy it! I'm starting a new campaign on Saturday that I'm looking forward to

[@nattmaramardrom4621]

Thank you for a great video! I really liked it. Recently gotten into KULT but I love it. Would really like more videos about the world, the different dimensions and so on.

[@BarlowKeep]

Thanks! I might do such a vid series...but now I will probably go with the flow with video topics week for week :) Check the description there is a guy i linked to that goes through the lore

[@nattmaramardrom4621]

@@BarlowKeep will check! Thank you.

[@NOopulence]

Me falling in love with Kult sent me down a really deep rabbit hole of learning about gnosticism, the occult and other such topics. I never knew I'd get interested in theology so much. But I became obsessed with learning about where this game had gotten its inspiration from. One thing that has always stood out to me about the setting and lore of Kult is that when you look past the amount of edginess and dark content there is quite a bit of capacity for grandiose but still gritty and solemn Urban Fantasy under all of it. I made the mistake of first talking to some of my friends about this game within the context of the most shocking things i'd read in the book without them knowing about the wider setting and I don't know if I'll ever be able to get their attention back lol I did however run this game once for a few friends. I ran gallery of souls and it went really well. I guess that adventure has the benefit of the characters having done bad things in the past but are still somewhat sympathetic. That adventure is maybe a bit tame compared to other kult scenario's aswell. Some Kult adventures feature just awful characters. Which is interesting to explore in its own way but is a bit too much for some players I guess.

[@sugoiuseismoeabuse4058]

Thank you for the mature video about Dark Themes.

[@Akeche]

Nothing, nothing. Will ever be as wild as FATAL.

[@lorefox201]

aah,another veteran, pleased to meet you!

[@BarlowKeep]

That game is a different kind of unhinged...and a totally accurate representation of the present in the part of Europe I am from.

[@DTinkerer]

God that final reading

[@BarlowKeep]

Glad you liked it! I was very sceptical if I should leave it in ...the recording was a lot better...but it was over copyrighted music so I had to rerecord - Celladoor from Kilimanjaro Darkjazz ...soooo goood!

[@nyanekomancer2423]

The reading of the 1st paragraph along with the art, that was beautiful.

[@alexroman6424]

Hey dude, just came across your channel, this is the second video suggested to me. Subscribed and looking forward to your content

[@BarlowKeep]

Thanks for the comment and sub, more is sure to come :)

[@MegaHasmat]

Before the plague, my gaming group had a lot of rotating gms. After we couldn't easily play together anymore, one of my friends in that group said another guy ran a game with explicit and out of nowhere noncon (Everyone involved in that game was an adult, and the assumed trust soured the game and immediately ended it. They had a talk with him about why that was blatantly wrong). We had never used safety tools before the plague, but I was already starting to incorporate them as I started playing with more and more strangers. That friendly anecdote told me that safety tools are for everyone, not just strangers. Obviously, you do you, and if it works for everyone at your table, then all cool. I will personally never risk the type of situation that happened with my players, and if anyone refuses to use safety tools, then nothing personal, I just wont play with them. There is an ocean of people who will respect those boundaries I have also found that with clearly defined limits, it's easier to draw on other topics for tension. It makes the game more personalized as suitable and safe boundaries are pushed.

[@BarlowKeep]

Hey thanks for sharing that. I might have my terminology a bit off...I am not opposed to all types of safety tools, I do mention the horror contract that kind of makes it your obligation as the DM to inform your PCs if there is going to be explicit content and tailor the session to the groups feedback or if you are playing frequently... reconfigure the group for that one session, whichever that group prefers more...put it up to a vote i would say. I don't use any safety tools for other games I run...but we can surely agree that the words "explicit" and "noncon" should not be in the same sentence while describing a game! I cast no shade on people that use safety tools, but my personal view is that ...if I run something where atmosphere is an important element (such as in Kult or Coc) and something rubs someone the wrong way ...they should leave the room...I will take notice but won't change the scene. I might shorten it, I see it as with going to the theater, as long as you know the general tone and you consented to that tone...if you don't enjoy the show, you don't interrupt it for others. Atmosphere is very hard to rebuild after an X has been thrown on the table.

[@movelea]

@@BarlowKeep I imagine atmosphere is also hard to rebuild after a player has a panic attack cause in the time it took someone to leave the room, you continued describing the triggering thing they were trying to separate themself from. Also, theatre is for no one in particular, ttrpg sessions are. If the players aren't "enjoying the show", there's no point in continuing, it's supposed to be for all of them. If it was only meant to be for the ones who stay, why is the other person there in the first place? If you HAVE to have whatever thing triggers the person/people in your game, don't invite them to play that game.

[@deaconlasagna8570]

thanks for the video. modern kult really sounds like 80s/90s urban dark fantasy/horror films as an rpg. I love those films but I'm not sure that's exactly the vibe I want in an occult rpg.

[@coup-de-grace]

Thanks for the video! As a Christian, no other game has been so disturbing, and thought provoking. I got the 4E book pretty much as soon as it came to Amazon. Since they are the living archetypes who hold the illusion together, playing the Archons and Death Angels like Lovecraftian horrors is the direction I would take it. If I ran it, any SA or CA would be fade to black, for sure. And I'd never roleplay those things with a player. I'm open to everything else as long as the table was.

[@BarlowKeep]

I do agree that fade to black is totally legit. Let the PCs imagination do the work ...it will dose it much better than a DM ever could. It is certainly very thought provoking and I love the Lovecraftian approach. I can see myself structuring my adventures as CoC adventures but with darker undertones. Thanks for the comment!

[@AClockworkHellcat]

It sounds like some very talented people made the perfect game for people who liked Blasphemous, Call of Cthulhu, Don't Rest Your Head, and the old World of Darkness.

[@milliebolin1663]

"I don't like and refuse to use safety tools... You should check out the kult horror contract." (A safety tool) This basically translates to you being an edgelord who thinks that a player having a problem in the moment isn't valid. Boundary discussions prior to the game are great but consent is ongoing and can be revoked at anytime. Horror is only fun if the players feel safe to be scared. If a player can't choose to use tools to stop at anytime, without repercussion, due to discomfort: you're doing it wrong. "I like to play with adults" has zero baring on safety tools, adults can have unexpected reactions to horror all the same.

[@pancake7117]

This sounds really interesting, sadly I don't think any of my friends would be up for it and I don't have the skill or knowledge as a GM to handle all of the heavy topics with the care they deserve

[@BarlowKeep]

Hey! Thanks for the comment! Understandable, and you shouldn't force it. The best way to go into something like this is to start slow and easy...get 2 friends that are into "horror" movies and would like to play and make your own simple one-shot. Check out my latest video on "Getting into horror" for a couple of tips :)

[@albertmilton9424]

Excellent video, love seeing such enthusiasm for Kult.

[@BarlowKeep]

Much appreciated!

[@FlipTheBard]

Interesting topic, video lenght makes it a good option to listen to while doing chores, well explained...yup. Subscribed!

[@Dragon-Nalla]

I found your video on Facebook group. Excellent job. Very helpful.

[@BarlowKeep]

Thank you very much. I am glad you like it!

[@OrmylLP]

Having tried to get friends into this and them being rebuffed by the endless amount of SA focused adventures and scenarios for this game i really feel this vid.

[@BarlowKeep]

Hey thanks for the comment! I've just written a wall of text explaining how you can still play with your friends and have fun. Not all is lost! But after writing for 20 mins I think it is actually a good video idea, so expect that during next week :) And thanks for the inspiration!

[@delongjohnsilver7235]

I really like the horror contract as it does require (force) players to dig deep into what they want to avoid prior to the game. A lot of lines and veils discussions I’ve had in play have felt more akin to icebreakers than anything. This game is meant to evoke melancholic catharsis with purpose, not misery pron.

[@BarlowKeep]

Spot on.

[@Apollo9898LP]

I'm gonna be real, that title alone made me click this video. Idk when I'm gonna have time to come back and watch it but the title is great

[@BarlowKeep]

Thanks, coming up with a title is by far the hardest part!

[@emrekulac3207]

Cool video, turned me onto this interesting game!

[@BarlowKeep]

Thanks! Although I wouldn't advise you jump straight into it if you are new to horror. I've just released a bit of a guide on how to get into horror RPGs (mostly KULT based), you might find it interesting :)

[@theglitcher4434]

I like your analysis, but as a massive Kult player, after Divinity Lost came out I thought it finally reached its design apex. :) The fact it really became a urban/intimate spiritual horror from the get go (removing 80% of that “pretend you don’t know much” middle school part) made the game shine above the many gaming controversies and system gateways it had before. The excesses in it are really flavorful and well thought in my opinion, to the point they are really needed to explain how the “in world” distorted perceptions work. Kult is not a game about having many limits imho. I really and genuinely believe that if you start placing limits and thresholds, probably it’s not the game for you. I would never play Kult with limitations over a little bit of common sense and, for sure, I wouldn’t play it with strangers. And by contrast, I can safely say that it really helped me grow as a person. It’s the kind of horror you somehow need to plunge into (if interested) in order to understand how it’s “not that far” from how real life cults, extremists and bigots think. It’s a way to exorcise fears and delve into those unacceptable limits within the borders of a very cultural and rich roleplaying game. IMHO. ❤

[@BarlowKeep]

100%

[@MrBIYOP]

I loved the video and I think you should check out Hell Night. A doom biker cousin to Kult.

[@BarlowKeep]

Looks dope! Thanks! I will surely check it out :)

[@FortheSakeoftheComments]

You had me at "I don't use safety tools." Subscribed.

[@movelea]

5:53-5:54 i think you had the wrong text there mate

[@BarlowKeep]

Thanks, but unfortunately I can't change it after uploading :/

[@milov3154]

I found it unfortunate that the mechanics use pbta as just standard skill rolls rather than thematic moves. The pitch of the game has so much potential for flavourful moves, but instead so much of it is just "can I do x action?" type stuff

[@BarlowKeep]

I do agree. But then again there is a lot of flavour in other parts of the game...I think if even the moves were a bit obscure It would be harder to get more people playing it. These ones are stupidly simple to explain :)

[@lorefox201]

at 4:05 and following you see everything that went wrong with the new version of Kult, except point 6. Point 6 was my takeaway from Kult the original edition game ever since I was 13. The game is inherently humanist, the whole cosmology exists to keep us down which of course means humanity is the Protagonist. Not, ofc, fake enlightened humanity like in Star Trek, which for instance "goes beyond the need for profit" lmao, but ACTUAL humanity, Human nature unchained from limits.

[@BarlowKeep]

This is the first edition I've come across and I've based my opinions (or at least the yt-friendly ones) around that edition...although I would LOVE to own the older editions. I tried so hard to get my hands on them :/

[@lorefox201]

@@BarlowKeep my copies are physical unfortunately, if you know what I mean by this

[@movelea]

Discussing the themes and your players setting boundaries on what they aren't ok with, then changing the senario so that their hard limits don't come up *is* a safety tool. What are you talking about you don't use safety tools?

[@BarlowKeep]

I call that a conversation with the players, not a "safety tool" ...I talk to them before the session, not in the middle of it...I change what I can and talk to them again...if someone doesn't feel ok with what I pitch they skip the session. I guess this is not sustainable if you DM professionally or occasionally and with people not close to you...but I am lucky to be able to play a different game every week, just as a hobby, with my friends...Still, I could never imagine myself using X cards or platforms for anonymous trigger warnings and all that stuff

[@movelea]

@@BarlowKeep I do my best not to talk to players about triggers in the middle of a session too, and while I've never used X cards, if one or more of my players breaks character in a session to say "hey, I'm actually really not comfortable with this", like it sucks but i'm not continuing without talking to them about it. The game is supposed to be for everyone so I'd scrap that day's play session and talk about what would work better, come back next week with it rewritten. The exception is when a player actively said "I'm not enjoying how dark this is getting but I'm ok sitting out while everyone else finishes the campaign.", but even then encounters and story stuff had to be tweaked to account for that player's character being gone now.

[@IcePhysicsGaming]

Sounds like they based the premise off of scientology, at least as I understand it.

[@reallivebluescat]

More like gnosticism. Scientology stole alot from other mythology, and from sci fi

[@BarlowKeep]

Gnosticism is a very old interpretation of Christianity with this idea of a false "evil" god Demiurge enslaving people with the help of Archons... And while doing some reading up on that I found this sentence: "Scientology as contemporary Gnosticism" ...it has the same idea of the divine human core stripped away from us while we lie imprisoned ...but the Demiurge is an alien with a name straight out of starwars or something like that

[@IcePhysicsGaming]

@@reallivebluescat I see. I didn't know that. Interesting.