Fear Checks and Insanity

[Piperdog]

Anyone else here have a system for Horror style games, where characters who fail certain Fear checks gain insanity points or quirks or whatever. I remember this is big in Warhammer Fantasy. I think in a dark world like Inzae, the possibility to degenerate from the horrors of adventuring would be neat to add. Makes it a little more grim. Definitely out of the question if the spirit of the campaign is light hearted high adventure with heroes who are unfazed by the eldritch nightmares from beyond.

Let me know if you have house rules for this and let's talk about it!

Pip

[serleran]

I have rules for insanity, but they are a bit academic.

[Turanil]

There are Sanity Rules in the d20 (GASP! ) SRD...
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Homebrews Wiki a list of campaign settings on the web.

[DangerDwarf]

If I were to add sanity rules. I'd add the ones from Cursed Empire. Simple and easy. PLus adds a whole possibility of nightmares beyond the regular mental problems of loosing your sanity

[Treebore]

I use the rules from 3E Ravenloft. Which are very similiar to those in the SRD. Plus they have "taint" rules too.
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The Ruby Lord, Earl of the Society

Next Con I am attending: http://www.neoncon.com/

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[serleran]

Welp, here are the ones I cobbled together one day. I don't suggest they are awesome or anything, and are likely to be too obtuse to be useful for a normal C&C game, but they may be inspiring or interesting, nonetheless:
Castle Keeper Warning

A character suffering from a psychosis can be difficult to roleplay, so it is suggested that Castle Keepers refrain from simply allowing such detriments, save for those players that have shown exemplary ability and skill, and have the maturity to handle both the mental challenges and the penalties for such situations. It should also be noted that affliction of a psychosis is never a desired thing, as the negatives far outweigh possible positives. Therefore, these rules, while equally applicable to player

characters, are intended for use by the Castle Keeper only.
General Notes

Psychoses are dormant until triggered by a stimulus; generally, environmental factors are keys, though a few are constantly in effect; in fact, many afflicted are unaware of the condition, or they compound it with denial, rage, or paranoia. Whenever a psychotic is exposed to the trigger mechanism, or in the case of those lacking such devices, the psychosis manifests, with full intensity. However, psychoses are treatable, and they can, in most circumstances, be resisted; permanent treatment is dangerous, difficult, long, and most often, done with the aid of powerful magic, at incredible cost. Castle Keepers should remember that competent healers of these conditions are rare, and are often considered the final resort, their methods sometimes bordering, or even crossing, the line it is trying to cure. Every psychotic character suffers differently, some having stronger tendencies, and others showing little evidence of their

state. Therefore, whenever a character obtains a psychosis, the intensity must be determined as well. Intensity functions as both a means to gauge the severity of the psychotic attack, and also to determine its length after manifestation. Successful treatment can lower the intensity, greatly aiding the individual so treated; if intensity ever becomes zero, the psychosis has been conquered, though the character remains susceptible to agitation. To resist the urges caused by a psychosis, the intensity is an unmodified check, much like Spell Resistance; a d20 is rolled, and the result must be higher than the intensity in order to be successful. Furthermore, as noted above, intensity is used to determine the duration of a psychotic episode; the intensity is multiplied by the base time listed in the relevant description to determine the specific duration. To determine the intensity of any psychosis, roll 2d8. Some spells and effects can temporarily alter psychosis intensity, though such treatments cannot

permanently cure the condition.

TABLE I: PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS

[quote]Code:


Developmental: Developmental disorders are conditions associated with children, such as bedwetting, language delay or dysphemia, and separation anxiety. Other forms of developmental psychoses exist, as well, and are generally considered a handicap, rather than a psychosis; such conditions include autism, mental retardation, and dyslexic impairment. These disorders are nearly always permanent, and cannot be resisted, though intensity should still be determined to gauge the impact

of the psychosis; Castle Keepers may allow specific forms of developmental disorders to be resisted, in which case it is suggested the intensity is determined, with a base time of manifestation of one day. Unless the condition is extreme (an intensity above nine), there is little effect on functionality; specific forms of this disorder, notably those of the secondary type mentioned above, with a high intensity dramatically inhibit the abilities of the sufferer. Those disorders which are of high intensity should have their specific effects determined by the Castle Keeper; the following are examples of possible developmental disorders:

Abandoned Child Syndrome

Autism

Bedwetting (Nocturnal Enuresis)

Childhood Disintegrative Disorder

Dysphemia (Stuttering)

Encopresis

Expressive Language Disorder

Learning Disorder (Dyslexic Impairment)

Mental Retardation

Pica (Nonfood Appetite)

Selective Mutism

Separation Anxiety Disorder

Note that there generally are no triggers for this psychosis.

Cognitive / Memory: Disorders that affect the memory and cognitive functions of the brain, this type of psychosis can be extremely damaging, ranging from dementia to various forms of amnesia; delirium, too, is a form of cognitive disorder, though it is often not considered a psychosis. The more intense a disorder of this nature is, the more harmful it becomes, and the more likely it is to be permanent and incurable via mundane treatments. Any cognitive / memory disorder with an intensity

above eleven prevents the sufferer from having Intelligence as a Prime, and thus rendering any arcane spellcasting impossible, as well as negating any class ability based on the attribute. Alternatively, a Castle Keeper can allow an unmodified check with the spell level as the difficulty to allow any specific spell to be cast, rolled each time a spell is attempted; class abilities can be used, but the character should not be entitled to add level as a bonus. Furthermore, should the intensity be greater than six, the

character suffers a -1 penalty on initiative, with an additional -1 if the intensity is twelve or higher. Amnesia effects reduce potential experience awards, at a rate of one percent per intensity; specific forms, such as anterograde amnesia may, at the Castle Keepers discretion, actually prevent gaining of experience and level advancement. Those suffering from delirium experience symptoms similar to those of a schizophrenic, whereas a demented person has symptoms similar to amnesia

coupled with those of delirium. The general base time for this disorder is one day. The following are samples of this type of psychosis:

Alzheimers Disease

Anterograde Amnesia (Long-Term Memory Disorder)

Aphasia

Body Memory

Delirium

Dementia

Dissociative Amnesia

Fugue State

Global Amnesia

Picks Disease

Source Amnesia

Traumatic Amnesia

Amnesia effects are generally triggered by stress, or trauma, and often are curable; other forms of this psychosis are actually diseases, and are triggered by age, or inherited defects, making them very difficult to permanently heal. However, it is suggested that any time the psychotic is exposed to tremendous stress, as determined by the Castle Keeper, or suffers massive damage (considered equal to half the maximum hit points of the character), a check must be made to see if the psychosis manifests. If the check is successful, no negatives apply; if the check fails, the penalties noted above apply. Note, too, that experience penalties should not apply to the entire adventure, unless the adventure takes place during the manifestation of an amnesic episode; they do, however, apply to specific encounters.

Disease-Related: Disease-related disorders are often secondary effects of a serious illness, such as speech impairment caused by the suffrage of a stroke. Such psychoses are not true psychological malfunctions, though they can often mimic such, having a wide gamut of forms and symptoms. They are generally permanent, unless the illness that serves as the catalyst is treated; whenever the character suffers the effects of the causing illness, the psychosis manifests, remaining so until the subsiding of the illness. Essentially, this condition can have the effects and penalties of any other psychosis, save it cannot be resisted.

Addictive: This psychosis results from the addiction to a substance, or activity, such as alcoholism or nymphomania. The trigger is always exposure to the addictive, though it may be resisted with a successful check against its intensity; failure results in the character consuming, or acting, on the impulse, generally in excess. Addictive disorders are a double-edged sword, however, as the sufferer gains a +2 bonus on all Charisma saves immediately after taking the substance, but also

suffer a -2 penalty on Intelligence and Wisdom saves; additional penalties and bonuses may exist, based on the nature of the addictive substance. The base time for this condition is one hour, during which the character abuses the substance or activity of addiction. One special rule exists for this psychosis: addictive disorders cannot be cured; the lowest intensity possible is one.

Schizophrenia / Delusional: Perhaps the most dangerous and most inclusive of psychoses, conditions of this nature involve perception and thought impairment, ranging from simple hallucinations to grandiose beliefs such as megalomania and paranoia. In some cases, catatonia and other physical manifestations occur; in others, pathologic crimes are committed under the direct influence of the psychosis. Visual and auditory keys are often the impetus for manifestation of this condition. Once

triggered, the psychosis remains evident for one hour as a base time. It is suggested that any schizophrenic / delusional psychosis with an intensity of twelve or more cannot be resisted without the aid of magical treatment , though the intensity should still be determined for purposes of length of the episode and for permanent treatment. Hallucinatory psychoses affect

initiative and Mental (Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma) saves at a rate of -1 per five intensity. Grandiose beliefs enhance a characters perceived abilities, granting a bonus of +1 to either Physical attributes, or level-based abilities, however, they also result in over-confidence, preventing the character from retreating under duress and causes any Mental save to be resolved as though it were not Prime. Catatonia is a paralysis effect, immobilizing the character for the duration of the episode.

All other effects are subject to the Castle Keepers discretion, with one exception: it is suggested that a character that suffers from a pathological crime schizophrenia not be subjected to alignment change, unless the character becomes aware of the condition and does nothing to atone; however, the character should gain glimpses of these crimes, generally as nightmares or hallucinations, which should cause self-doubt, and have numerous roleplaying possibilities.

Mood: Mood disorders are often classified as one of two types: depression or manic activity. A few psychoses involve both, such as bipolar disorder and cyclothymia. Other forms of mood disorders exist, exhibited by the display of inappropriate emotion to the situation; such disorders are typically not devastating, and have little impact on the character except for interpersonal relationships. All mood disorders are triggered by an emotional state, or stimulated by a stressor such as a death, loss, or failure; a rare few, such as seasonal affective disorder, are only evident during a specific time of the year. Characters suffering from depression are treated as though Charisma were not Prime; if the condition is clinical depression, both Charisma and Wisdom are so affected. In addition, for the duration of the episode, the character is fatigued as per the Primal

Rage ability. Manic mood disorders provide the character with a +1 bonus to initiative, but also prevent Wisdom from being a Prime attribute; characters suffering from bipolar disorder alternate between depression and mania, the mania immediately following the depression, having the same duration and intensity. The base timeframe for a mood disorder is one day, though clinical psychoses are measured in months. Possible forms of mood disorders follow:

Acute Depression

Bipolar Disorder

Clinical Depression

Cyclothymia

Emotional Incontinence

Hypomania

Mania

Melancholia

Postpartum Depression

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Psychotic Depression

Seasonal Affective Disorder (Winter Depression)

Permanent treatment of these conditions are extremely difficult, and some exhibit suicidal tendencies or have a death wish. In this case, the character should be treated as though immunity to fear were gained, as well as suffering from an overconfidence psychosis.

Anxiety / Phobia: Anxiety / phobia disorders are irrational reactions to otherwise common events, often resulting in paralytic conditions of retreat; in some cases, rage is manifested in response to the stimulus. In all cases, a specific circumstance must be prevalent, such as the appearance of a canine or the stress of arguments, for the disorder t o manifest. The duration for an anxiety / phobic episode is two minutes, though it can be mitigated if the stimulus is removed. Treatment of the condition often involves forced reaction, displaying the cause of the affliction, in hopes of shocking the mind into self-healing. Whenever the intensity check is failed, the character suffers from the effects of a fear spell; immunity to fear does not aid in resisting the effects of an anxiety disorder, but it does prevent the gaining of a phobic disorder. In addition, a Wisdom save is required whenever suffering through the condition to prevent the character from entering a mindless rage, having the same

effects as the Primal Rage ability. Following are some typical forms of anxiety / phobia disorders:

General Anxiety Disorder

Hikikomori

Hyperventilation Syndrome

Hypochondria

Insomnia

Isolationism

Neurasthenia

Obsessive- Compulsive Disorder

Panic Disorder

Paruresis

Shyness

Phobias There are numerous phobias, and the Castle Keeper is encouraged to develop additional ones:

Ablutophobia

Acarophobia

Achluophobia

Acousticophobia

Acrophobia

Aerophobia

Agateophobia

Agliophobia

Agoraphobia

Agrizoophobia

Agyrophobia

Aichmophobia

Ailurophobia

Alektorophobia

Alliumphobia

Amathophobia

Ambulophobia

Amychophobia

Androphobia

Angrophobia

Ankylophobia

Anthophobia

Anthrophobia

Antlophobia

Aphenphosmphobia

Apiphobia

Aquaphobia

Arachnophobia

Arcanophobia

Arsonphobia

Asthenophobia

Astrapophobia

Asymmetriphobia

Ataxophobia

Atelophobia

Atephobia

Athazagoraphobia

Atychiphobia

Aulophobia

Aurophobia

Autodysomophobia

Automatonophobia

Autophobia

Aviatophobia

Bacteriophobia

Ballistophobia

Barophobia

Bathmophobia

Bathophobia

Batrachophobia

Bibliophobia

Blennophobia

Bogyphobia

Botanophobia

Bufonophobia

Cacophobia

Caligynephobia

Carnophobia

Catagelophobia

Catapedaphobia

Cathisophobia

Catoptrophobia

Cenophobia

Chaetophobia

Cheimaphobia

Chelonaphobia

Chemophobia

Chirophobia

Chlorophobia

Chorophobia

Chrematophobia

Chronomentrophobia

Chrysophobia

Cibophobia

Claustrophobia

Climacophobia

Coimetrophobia

Coulrophobia

Cremnophobia

Crystallophobia

Cyanophobia

Cymophobia

Cynophobia

Cypridophobia

Decidophobia

Dementophobia

Daemonophobia

Dendrophobia

Dermatophobia

Dextrophobia

Dikephobia

Dinophobia

Diplophobia

Dipsophobia

Dishabiliophobia

Domatophobia

Doraphobia

Doxophobia

Dysmorphophobia

Dystychiphobia

Ecclesiophobia

Ecophobia

Electrophobia

Eleutherophobia

Emetophobia

Enosiophobia

Entomophobia

Eosophobia

Epistemophobia

Equinophobia

Ergasiophobia

Erythrophobia

Ferrumphobia

Galeophobia

Gephyrophobia

Gerascophobia

Geumaphobia

Glossophobia

Gymnophobia

Gynephobia

Hadephobia

Haemophobia

Hagiophobia

Harpaxophobia

Heliophobia

Helminthophobia

Herpetophobia

Hippophobia

Hobophobia

Hodophobia

Hormephobia

Homichlophobia

Hygrophobia

Hylephobia

Hylophobia

Hypengyophobia

Hypnophobia

Iatrophobia

Ichthyophobia

Iconophobia

Insulaphobia

Iophobia

Isopterophobia

Kakorrhaphiophobia

Katagelophobia

Kinetophobia

Kleptophobia

Kopophobia

Leporiphobia

Leprophobia

Leukophobia

Levophobia

Librophobia

Lilapsophobia

Limnophobia

Linonophobia

Lutraphobia

Lygophobia

Maimouphobia

Mastigophobia

Mechanophobia

Megalophobia

Melissophobia

Melanophobia

Melophobia

Merinthophobia

Metallophobia

Metathesiophobia

Methyphobia

Metrophobia

Microphobia

Mnemophobia

Mottephobia

Musophobia

Mycophobia

Myrmecophobia

Mythophobia

Necrophobia

Nephophobia

Nihilophobia

Nomatophobia

Nosemaphobia

Nyctohylophobia

Obesophobia

Ochophobia

Oenophobia

Olfactophobia

Ombrophobia

Ommetaphobia

Oneirophobia

Onomatophobia

Ophthalmophobia

Ornithophobia

Ostraconophobia

Panophobia

Papyrophobia

Paralipophobia

Parasitophobia

Parthenophobia

Pathophobia

Pediculophobia

Pediophobia

Pedophobia

Peladophobia

Peniaphobia

Phagophobia

Phasmophobia

Photophobia

Placophobia

Plutophobia

Pneumatiphobia

Pogonophobia

Porphyrophobia

Psellismophobia

Pteronophobia

Pupaphobia

Quadraphobia

Ranidaphobia

Retrophobia

Rhabdophobia

Scatophobia

Scelerophibia

Sciophobia

Scoleciphobia

Scotomaphobia

Selenophobia

Seplophobia

Siderophobia

Soteriophobia

Spheksophobia

Staurophobia

Stenophobia

Symbolophobia

Symmetrophobia

Tachophobia

Taeniophobia

Taphephobia

Tapinophobia

Taurophobia

Teratophobia

Textophobia

Thalassophobia

Thanatophobia

Theatrophobia

Theophobia

Thermophobia

Tomophobia

Traumatophobia

Tremophobia

Trypanophobia

Tyrannophobia

Vestiphobia

Wiccaphobia

Xanthophobia

Xenoglossophobia

Xenophobia

Xerophobia

Xylophobia

Xyrophobia

Ymophobia

Zoophobia

Somatoform: Somatoform disorders are conditions which are physically manifest, despite having no associated illness. In many ways, this type of psychosis is similar to a disease-related disorder, except the victim does not suffer from a real disease, but still shows the symptoms of one. The effects are identical to those of an illness, and range from rashes, high blood pressure, to paralysis or blindness. The episode is triggered whenever the psychotic feels endangered by a disease, though

manifestation typically requires one month, less one day per intensity of the psychosis. The disorder can be treated, though if means used to heal the false illness are used, the sufferer is likely to develop additional effects. Somatoform psychotics nearly always have hypochondria psychosis.

Factitious: These psychoses are false, invented by the character suffering from it, in an attempt to gain attention, or other objects such as narcotics, or money. The effects mimic those of any other psychosis, though, typically, at a lower intensity, and last as long as the psychotic desires; anyone trained in the treatment of psychotic disorders can recognize the truth with a successful Wisdom save. However, if the intensity of this disorder is above twelve, then the mimicked psychosis is real, albeit, at a lower intensity; roll 2d4 instead of 2d8.

Dissociative: Categorized by the segregation of experiences, dissociative disorders are protective ailments, allowing the psychotic to continue living despite previous traumas; in some ways, these psychoses are similar to amnesia, except the experiences are not forgotten, they are simply held in a state of dormancy, sometimes causing a rift in the psyche, and the

development of alternate personas. For the mildly affected, that is, having an intensity below five, disorders of this type are not burdensome, and are in fact, seen as healthy, being a natural reaction to stress; however, depending on the nature of the psychosis, intensities of five and greater cause severe social interaction difficulties, and can result in multiple identities. Dissociation is triggered by events which are traumatic, though dissociation identity disorder is triggered by both trauma and

stress, and typically lasts for a base time of one hour; dissociation identity disorder does not have a base time, as each detailed below. The following are variants of dissociative disorders:

Altered State of Consciousness

Depersonalization

Emotional Detachment (Stoicism)

Dissociative Identity Disorder This is a devastating disorder wherein the sufferer actually possesses multiple identities and personalities. The exact number of additional personalities is determined by the intensity of the psychosis divided by three. Each of these alternate identities shares the same Wisdom and Constitution scores, but the other attributes, except hit points, may be within two of the normal, dominant personality; in fact, the sub-personalities are allowed to have variant alignments, and even different classes than the dominant, as well as having alternate Primes. All non-dominant personalities are restricted to a very tight scheme of emotions, generally experience hatred, fear, passion, or other, singular quality; all the actions of these personalities must conform to the trait to which they are associated. Under duress, as determined by the Castle Keeper, an intensity check is needed, with failure resulting in an appropriate personality subsuming control over the body; control lasts

until the dominant personality successfully makes a Charisma check against the current controlling personality, or until successfully treated through normal means. Experience points earned during the course of an episode are awarded, at a rate of one-quarter, to the personality that was most often in control. Additionally, any time a character afflicted with this disorder is subjected to an effect such as charm person or trap the soul, each personality is entitled a save, until one succeeds; if all fail,

the effect is as normal, though, the first to succeed becomes the dominant personality as above. At all other times, the character affected by dissociative identity disorder is haunted by the actions of its other selves, and often suffers from depression with suicidal tendencies; some, additionally, suffer from delusional psychoses, hearing the voices of their alternate identities speaking to them. This psychosis can be treated, though it is extremely dangerous to do so, often resulting in an increase in the number of dissociated identities.

Sexual / Gender: Disorders of this nature are either identity-based, in that the afflicted thinks themselves a member of another gender, or manifests as a sexually-based infatuation, such as fetishes. These are normally not counter-productive to normal living, though they often make blackmail bait; some forms, especially those of the mutilative variety cause permanent damage. High intensity disorders prevent the character from experience pleasure, or recognizing the self, unless specific conditions are

met. The triggers for such conditions are opportunity and environment, and the disorder has a base time of one hour. Possible forms of sexual / gender disorders are as follows:

Andromimetophilia

Anorgasmia

Dyspareunia

Exhibitionism

Gender Identity Disorder

Impotence

Paraphilias (Sexual Fetishism)

Piquerism

Premature Ejaculation

Skoptic Syndrome

Transvestic Fetishism

Vaginismus

Eating: Eating disorders are compulsory, involving one of three categories: overindulgence, under-indulgence, or ingestion of nonfood items; in many cases, combinations of these types are developed. In all cases, these disorders, if untreated, are life threatening. The condition can be resisted, but a success causes the next check t o increase by one, triggered by opportunity and environment; successful treatment prevents the accumulation of difficulty, in addition to lowering the intensity as normal. The base time for an eating disorder is one month. Those afflicted with an eating disorder find their Physical stats (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution) being reduced, at a rate of one per failed check; if any of these statistics reaches zero, the character dies. This psychosis consists of the following:

Anorexia Nervosa

Beriberi

Binge Eating Disorder

Bulimia Nervosa

Compulsive Overeating

Hyperphagia

Orthorexia Nervosa

Rumination

Sleeping: Disorders of this type often have little impact of the daily life of its victim, though some variants interfere with emotional and physical needs, causing both fatigue and a slow whittling of the mind. These conditions cannot be resisted, and always has a time frame of one night, automatically triggered when the psychotic is asleep; some treatments aid, but none cure the condition. The Castle Keeper is at his discretion as to the specific effects of these psychoses, though it is suggested none

are more potent than the spell nightmare; somnambulism and narcolepsy are exceptions, as they might cause the character to be led into trouble.

Variants of sleep disorders include the following:

Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome

Desynchronosis

Narcolepsy

Parasomnias

Pavor Nocturnus

Periodic Limb Movement Disorder

Rapid Eye Movement Behavior Disorder

Restless Legs Syndrome

Sleep Apnea

Sleep Paralysis

Snoring

Somnambulism

Impulse-Controlled: Impulse-controlled disorders are uncontrollable urges to perform some activity, such as writing, or speaking, though to a lesser extent than an addiction. The psychotic individual often does not realize they are afflicted, and so does not attempt to resist the psychosis, which manifests anytime there is opportunity. Some manifestations, such as

pyromania, are illegal, and have repercussions, though the majority of these disorders simply prevent the character from doing other activities, for as long as they are physically able to perform their chosen one. Treating these disorders is often much easier than treating other types, though one must be careful of the psychotic can develop obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Adjustment: Disorders of this type are typically short-lived, and mimic the effects of sleeping, depression, and anxiety disorders, triggered by incredible stress, often at the loss of a loved one, or the destruction of personal property. Unlike other psychoses, disorders such as these are easily treatable, having an intensity of 1d4; however, if the condition persists for longer than six months, true depression, anxiety, or sleeping disorders develop, with full intensity. This type of disorder is generally

considered a healthy reaction, and is seen as part of the grieving process.

Personality: Personality disorders are rigid patterns of thought and behavior, causing severe interpersonal difficulties. This condition is triggered by environment conditions, though they cannot be resisted, for doing so is contrary to the nature of the psychosis; in fact, the victim often assumes they are perfectly healthy and everyone else is afflicted, much like paranoia. The duration of the episode is equal to the length of time the victim remains within the triggering environment. In general, having

this psychosis prevents the character from having Charisma as Prime and from using abilities based on the attribute. Personality disorders include the following:

Antisocial Personality Disorder

Avoidant Personality Disorder

Borderline Personality Disorder

Dependent Personality Disorder

Histrionic Personality Disorder

Masochistic Personality Disorder

Narcissism

Paranoid Personality Disorder

Passive-Aggressive Personality Disorder

Sadistic Personality Disorder

Schizoid Personality Disorder

Self-Defeating Personality Disorder