Going crazy in stages

[Glistam]

Besides Crazies from Rifts, are there any other character classes or races in Palladium which develop insanities over time that represent a gradual accumulative loss of sanity? I'm trying to gauge a good way to implement such a mechanic in a game due to a plot device that affects many people/beings at once, and I'm looking for some cannon inspiration to help guide me.

Thanks for your help.

[drewkitty ~..~]

Temporal Wizards and Warriors.....well the longer they stay with their Temporal Raider the more they end up with.

hummm.....

The song Juicer from the down under book?

[arouetta]

Necromancers in PF.

[Antimony]

One O.C.C I've always thought would be fun to try was the Dream Maker from Nightbane.

Source: Between the Shadows (page 95)

[Brayon]

If you play by strict canon rules, all O.C.C.s will develop Insanities over time. Every Horror Factor, Near Death Experience, and other situations will prompt a roll on the Random Insanity Chart.

[Bill]

If you play by strict canon rules, all O.C.C.s will develop Insanities over time. Every Horror Factor, Near Death Experience, and other situations will prompt a roll on the Random Insanity Chart.

This. I don't run insanities by the book because it's a hassle and I don't think it models the resilience of hardened veterans versus green recruits well. I also think that randomly assigning insanities are missed opportunities for storytelling.

[The Dark Elf]

If you play by strict canon rules, all O.C.C.s will develop Insanities over time. Every Horror Factor, Near Death Experience, and other situations will prompt a roll on the Random Insanity Chart.

This. I don't run insanities by the book because it's a hassle and I don't think it models the resilience of hardened veterans versus green recruits well. I also think that randomly assigning insanities are missed opportunities for storytelling.

I give the insanities at this points mostly - ie if someone has a near death experience being captured and nearly boiled alive by cannibals then the phobia or insanity will be something relating to it (heat, water, food(!), meat, confined spaces, being tied up, tribal primitives etc.)

I love insanities. I see them as the penalty or dying (or nearly dying) without actually having to kill the player character and end the game. Love em!

[Snake Eyes]

The Brain Implant Augmentation Super Soldier from PU2 comes to mind

[Glistam]

If you play by strict canon rules, all O.C.C.s will develop Insanities over time. Every Horror Factor, Near Death Experience, and other situations will prompt a roll on the Random Insanity Chart.

If you play by strict canon rules, insanities are optional.

I don't run insanities by the book because it's a hassle and I don't think it models the resilience of hardened veterans versus green recruits well. I also think that randomly assigning insanities are missed opportunities for storytelling.

Well said!

I'm not a fan of the random insanity table or random insanities in general, but in this case I'm inheriting a plot device and I'd like to make sure the mechanic is not as frustrating to my players as it was to me when I played.

Thanks for the O.C.C. suggestions, I'll take a look through those for guidance.

[Killer Cyborg]

We had fun with the old insanity tables, where getting put into a coma could make you gay.
Glad they updated that at some point, though.

And I had a PFRPG Wolfen who has several phobias, and would wet himself when there was a loud noise.
Not to mention the ogre who was afraid of the dark, and loved being dominated by dwarves.

[Bill]

Kind of too little too late, but I just came up with a quick houserule that might make progressive insanity easier to manage for more classes in general while modelling psychological trauma and recovery a little better.

When rolling for a random insanity, roll 1d4 to determine the basic duration for that insanity in weeks. The character may control his or her behavior related to the insanity, and the player should look at this as an opportunity for creative roleplay; hinting that the character is troubled and struggling with something internally. For this duration, the character no longer rolls for further random insanities. Instead the player rolls an additional 1d4 and adds the result to the number of weeks that the insanity will last without treatment. When an insanity's total duration, including time passed, reaches 26 weeks the insanity becomes permanent until treated and severe enough that the character can no longer manage the symptoms. The character will roll for another random insanity when next prompted to.

Too complicated? Too much bookkeeping? 26 weeks, or six months, of symptoms is part of the diagnostic criteria for many mental disorders by the way.

[Glistam]

I like that mechanic a lot Bill!

[Glistam]

Kind of too little too late, but I just came up with a quick houserule that might make progressive insanity easier to manage for more classes in general while modelling psychological trauma and recovery a little better.

When rolling for a random insanity, roll 1d4 to determine the basic duration for that insanity in weeks. The character may control his or her behavior related to the insanity, and the player should look at this as an opportunity for creative roleplay; hinting that the character is troubled and struggling with something internally. For this duration, the character no longer rolls for further random insanities. Instead the player rolls an additional 1d4 and adds the result to the number of weeks that the insanity will last without treatment. When an insanity's total duration, including time passed, reaches 26 weeks the insanity becomes permanent until treated and severe enough that the character can no longer manage the symptoms. The character will roll for another random insanity when next prompted to.

Too complicated? Too much bookkeeping? 26 weeks, or six months, of symptoms is part of the diagnostic criteria for many mental disorders by the way.

In revisiting this I just wanted to clarify - the character is only rolling the additional 1D4 if something else triggers a roll on the insanity tables during the duration of the previous temporary insanity, correct?

So for example, the first time a character rolls on the insanity table he or she ends up with a Phobia of darkness that lasts for 2 weeks. It's manageable at this point, but it's there. IF, during those two weeks, the character has to roll for an insanity again, the character will instead roll 1D4 and add that to the duration of the current insanity. BUT, if the two weeks of the initial duration passes and no rolls are required for insanities, then the character will have to roll for a new random insanity the next time circumstances force him or her, and roll 1D4 for a new duration of that insanity.

I think in the case I'm looking at, I may make it 2D4 rather than 1D4, but I'm still working this all out. Thanks!

[say652]

Yggdrasil gift of Knowledge, antimonster, ultra crazy, Berzerkers, its a Juicer option, its an Achilles heel, some demons have insanity as well.

[Glistam]

Yggdrasil gift of Knowledge, antimonster, ultra crazy, Berzerkers, its a Juicer option, its an Achilles heel, some demons have insanity as well.

Yes, but do those examples have an insanity progression, where over time they gain new insanities either from levelling up or from just the passage of time?

[say652]

In the Blackvault under Achilles Heels, a mega vulnerability causes progressive insanity.
That can be tacked on anywhere mega is allowed.
Also opens the option to Munchkindeal your game. Lol

[Bill]

In revisiting this I just wanted to clarify - the character is only rolling the additional 1D4 if something else triggers a roll on the insanity tables during the duration of the previous temporary insanity, correct?

So for example, the first time a character rolls on the insanity table he or she ends up with a Phobia of darkness that lasts for 2 weeks. It's manageable at this point, but it's there. IF, during those two weeks, the character has to roll for an insanity again, the character will instead roll 1D4 and add that to the duration of the current insanity. BUT, if the two weeks of the initial duration passes and no rolls are required for insanities, then the character will have to roll for a new random insanity the next time circumstances force him or her, and roll 1D4 for a new duration of that insanity.

I think in the case I'm looking at, I may make it 2D4 rather than 1D4, but I'm still working this all out. Thanks!

That is correct. I think the appropriate number of dice to roll depends on how often you're having people check for insanity and how frequently you want it to progress into a permanent insanity. I went with 1D4 in that I expect to make the check relatively often, at least once every couple sessions, but I don't want to saddle the player characters with permanent issues too often. 2D4 every few sessions would achieve the same, but more often and you'd likely see characters descending into compound psychoses with frightening regularity.

In the Blackvault under Achilles Heels, a mega vulnerability causes progressive insanity.
That can be tacked on anywhere mega is allowed.
Also opens the option to Munchkindeal your game. Lol

It's like you're speaking an entirely different language.

[say652]

I get that a lot.

[say652]

Controlled Progressive Crazy.
Use Rfits Japan Ninja Crazie table. Meds and therapy and mental conditioning lessen the effects to a degree.

For full batsnippet Nuts.
Use basic Crazie chart, Start them as A Crazy hero for additional insanities, side effect table: No facial Features for a few more.

[Glistam]

In revisiting this I just wanted to clarify - the character is only rolling the additional 1D4 if something else triggers a roll on the insanity tables during the duration of the previous temporary insanity, correct?

So for example, the first time a character rolls on the insanity table he or she ends up with a Phobia of darkness that lasts for 2 weeks. It's manageable at this point, but it's there. IF, during those two weeks, the character has to roll for an insanity again, the character will instead roll 1D4 and add that to the duration of the current insanity. BUT, if the two weeks of the initial duration passes and no rolls are required for insanities, then the character will have to roll for a new random insanity the next time circumstances force him or her, and roll 1D4 for a new duration of that insanity.

I think in the case I'm looking at, I may make it 2D4 rather than 1D4, but I'm still working this all out. Thanks!

That is correct. I think the appropriate number of dice to roll depends on how often you're having people check for insanity and how frequently you want it to progress into a permanent insanity. I went with 1D4 in that I expect to make the check relatively often, at least once every couple sessions, but I don't want to saddle the player characters with permanent issues too often. 2D4 every few sessions would achieve the same, but more often and you'd likely see characters descending into compound psychoses with frightening regularity.

Cool. Thanks!

[Alrik Vas]

I get that a lot.

It's one of my favorite things about you, slag.

[mercedogre]

The Lyvvork R.C.C. have insianities and progressively worse as they level up

[ShadowLogan]

Besides Crazies from Rifts, are there any other character classes or races in Palladium which develop insanities over time that represent a gradual accumulative loss of sanity? I'm trying to gauge a good way to implement such a mechanic in a game due to a plot device that affects many people/beings at once, and I'm looking for some cannon inspiration to help guide me.

Thanks for your help.

Borgs are mentioned to pick up insanities IIRC

VR 'bot operators also (Triax and MiO use them)

De-toxed Juicers do essentially given they have an aversion to augmentation IIRC.

[Glistam]

Thanks for the suggestions and help everyone! For the mechanic that I inherited I decided to go with Bill's suggestion. I think it made the most sense to represent how magical energy (P.P.E.) had been "tainted" by an evil source and was slowly driving characters who used too much of it (like mages casting powerful spells) or relied too much on it (like the gods) crazy over time.

[Alrik Vas]

Some who go through too much conflict lose their minds. Hardly the majority, but you don't need an OCC to be crazy.

[say652]

Alignment should affect the results as well.

Not much is going to bother a miscreant character.

[Alrik Vas]

Some could argue that you're evil because there's something wrong with you mentally.