Insanity is an option open to gamesmasters which enables the players to further develop the personalities of their characters. The idea is to simulate the stresses and mental trauma suffered by characters during their adventures, stresses which may, over time, lead to rather odd character traits. These traits may manifest themselves as neuroses of various kinds, more severe mental illnesses, drug or alcohol dependency, or total inability to cope.
To start with, gamesmasters have enough on their hands without needing the added complications of enforcing these factors on their players. The players, too, will need to establish what is the game norm before they will be able to go off into the abnormal. These Insanity rules are therefore recommended only for more experienced gamers.
Gaining Insanity Points[]
Insanity points are gained as follows:
- Critical Hits: One point is gained each time a character takes a Critical Hit. The point remains once any resulting injuries are healed and it is possible for a character to gain a great many points this way.
- Terror: 1 point is gained each time the character fails a Terror test.
- Deleriants: Insanity points may be gained as a result of using deleriant poisons.
- Other: Points may also be gained at the GM's discretion for any experience of a particularly horrible or disturbing kind - suffering torture, for example, or encounters with particularly vile creatures of Chaos.
The GM should decide how many insanity points are at stake and impose a Cl test. If the test is passed, no insanity points are incurred, but if the test is failed, the character gains the number of insanity points decided upon by the GM. There are several ways in which this can be done:
- A set number of points (1, 2, 3, etc.).
- A number determined by the result of the Cl test (e.g., 1 point for each whole 10 points by which the test is failed).
- A random number (e.g., D4, D6).
Note that insanity points caused by encounters with gods and daemons are covered in the rules on Terror - if the character passes the resulting Terror test, no extra insanity points are incurred.
The Result Of Gaining Insanity Points[]
Characters with 6 or more insanity points must make a Cl test immediately; character with less than 6 points need not test. If the test is passed, there is no immediate effect, although the insanity point total remains the same and the character must make this test again the next time additional insanity points are gained. If the first or any subsequent test is failed, the character develops a disorder but loses 6 insanity points.
Disorders[]
A character who failes the test outlined above becomes afflicted by a disorder. Whenever appropriate, the gamesmaster should choose an appropriate disorder from the list below. For example, a character whose illness was brought on by being tortured by a band of Orcs might develop a Fear of Orcs, while a character who had developed a disorder through excessive use of a deleriant poison may become Addicted to the drug. When it is not possible to pick an appropriate disorder, the GM should roll a D100 and select an entry from the list below:
| 01-02 | Agoraphobia |
| 03-10 | Alcoholism |
| 11-12 | Alignment Change |
| 13-14 | Amnesia |
| 15-16 | Animosity |
| 17-18 | Anorexia |
| 19-21 | Claustrophobia |
| 22-23 | Catatonia |
| 24-25 | Dementia |
| 26-27 | Depression |
| 28-30 | |
| 31-33 | Fear Of Darkness |
| 34-37 | Frenzy |
| 38-40 | Gluttony |
| 41-42 | Hatred |
| 43-44 | Heroic Idiocy |
| 45-46 | Introversion |
| 47-50 | Kleptomania |
| 51-54 | Manic |
| 55-57 | Manic Depression |
| 58-61 | Megalomania |
| 62-64 | Pathological Lying |
| 65-73 | Phobia |
| 74-75 | Schizophrenia |
| 76-00 | A Minor Disorder |
Minor Disorders: These can be regarded as the side-effects of mental trauma. They have a less serious effect on the character than the disorders listed above. Where it is not possible to choose a minor disorder, roll D100:
| 01-09 | Absent-Mindedness: These characters lose concentration quickly and can never remember where things are. They may move or take up during a round, but may never do both. |
| 10-18 | Allergy: Such characters are allergic to some substance, e.g., a particular food, animal hair, or dust. The nature of the allergic reaction will vary accordingly, ranging from a rash to uncontrollable sneezing or being violently ill. Dwarfs never suffer from allergies; if the dice indicate that a Dwarf character as an allergy, roll again for another minor disorder. |
| 19-27 |
Biting Fingernails: This disorder is self-explanatory. It is not harmful, although it may offend some characters. |
| 28-36 | Headaches: These characters suffer from blinding headaches which start immediately after any tests against Ld, Int, Cl, WP, or Fel, whether or not the test is successful. The headaches last for D100 game turns, during which time all percentage characteristics are reduced by 5 points. |
| 37-45 | Narcissism: Characters who develop this unhealthy fascination with their own image must test against WP every time they pass a mirror or other reflecting surface. If the test is failed, they stop immediately, lost in rapt contemplation of their reflection. They make another WP test every round in order to tear themselves away. |
| 46-54 | Nightmares: These characters suffer from recurring nightmares, usually of the trauma that caused the disorder. They thrash about and cry out in their sleep, but have no recollection of the dreams when awoken. This does not directly harm the character, but may be irritating to others. |
| 55-63 | Shaking: These characters suffer from uncontrollable trembling, which reduces their BS and Dex by 5 points each. |
| 64-72 | Skin Complaint: If a character breaks out in a nervous rash, roll on the Hit Location Chart to determine where the rash is. The rash is uncomfortable but not harmful, although a rash on the face will reduce the character's Fel by D6 points. |
| 73-81 | Stammer: Characters with a stammer suffer a penalty of 5 points to all Fel tests and may not use Public Speaking or Blather skills. |
| 82-90 | Talking To Self: These characters are constantly talking to themselves in a low mumble which is impossible for other characters to make out, but which is irritating and impossible to ignore. They must pass a WP test in order to stop muttering for D10 game turns and may not use Silent Move or Concealment skills while muttering. |
| 91-00 | Talking In Sleep: These characters talk in their sleep, either carrying on a one-sided conversation or giving some sort of running commentary. This is usually connected with the events that led up to the disorder. |
Curing Disorders[]
If the science of medicine is in its infancy in the Old World, psychotherapy is even more primitive. The options open to a character requiring treatment for Insanity are severely limited, usually painful, and often dangerous.
Asylums: The common reaction to characters of questionable sanity is either to let them wander the streets with beggars and the other dregs of society or to 'put them away' in an asylum. Since asylum owners charge a fee for their services, this latter option is generally only available to the more well-to-do, who pay handsomely to avoid the embarassment of having a member of the family wandering about as a known lunatic. Asylums are little better than dungeons: patients receive no treatment and are often subject to abuse by staff and other inmates. A spell in an asylum can often result in the patient's condition deteriorating, as their purpose is to keep lunatics confined rather than to cure them.
Surgery: A surgical approach can occasionally produce results, but in many cases the treatment is worse than the affliction. The generally accepted surgical treatments for personality disorders are the removal of a portion of the skull to relieve pressure on the brain or the application of red-hot irons to the head. A surgeon will generally agree to administer one of these cures, on two conditions. Firstly, a fee of at least 50 GCs must be paid in advance (although the amount may be reduced by bargaining) and, secondly, the patient or someone who has legal responsibility for the patient must sign a document exempting the surgeon from all legal liability resulting from the treatment going wrong. This done, the GM should test against the surgeon's Int and consult the following chart:
| Success by | Result |
|---|---|
| 21+ points | The character is cured of one disorder |
| 11-20 points | The character may test against WP to lose a disorder |
| up to 10 points | The surgery does neither harm nor good |
| Failure by | Result |
|---|---|
| up to 10 points | The surgery does neither harm nor good |
| 11-20 points | The character loses D10 Int |
| 21-30 points | As above; the character gains D6 insanity points |
| 31+ points | Disaster; the character must make a Risk test. If the test is failed, the patient dies as a result of the treatment. If the test is passed, the patient loses D3 x 10 points from all percentage characteristics. |
Each attempt at surgical treatment will cause D3 W; in addition, each application of hot irons will reduce the character's Fel by D6 points owing to scarring. Optionally, the GM may rule that the character's Fel is increased by this amount when dealing with races who respect scars, such as Orcs and Hobgoblins.
Drug Treatment: This is the least painful option open to characters suffering from personality disorders. A physician, herbalist, or pharmacist will supply the characters with drugs for a fee of 10 GCs per week, which may be reduced by bargaining. The drugs are supplied in batches, each batch containing the doseage for a week and the character must take one dose per day. The GM should test the Int of the character preparing each batch and consult the following table:
| Success by | Result |
|---|---|
| 21+ points | Each dose of the drug will suppress one disorder completely for a period of one day |
| 11-20 points | Each dose of the drug will suppress one disorder completely for a period of one day, provided the character makes a successful WP test on taking each dose |
| up to 10 points | The treatment does neither harm nor good; optionally, t he character may receive a 5% bonus to all WP tests, believing that the drugs are having some effect |
| Failure by | Result |
|---|---|
| up to 10 points | The treatment does neither harm nor good |
| 11-20 points | The treatment has no effects on the disorder; additionally, the character must make a successful WP test on taking each dose or gain 1 insanity point |
| 21-30
points |
As above, but the character gains D6 insanity points if the WP test is failed |
| 31+ points | Disaster; the character must make a Risk test. If the test is failed, the patient dies as a result of the treatment. If the test is passed, the patient loses D3 x 10 points from all percentage characteristics. |
If another disorder is brought on by unsuccessful drug treatment, it will usually be an addiction to the drug used in the treatment.
Magical and Mystical Cures: Characters may try to seek out magical cures for disorders. Any character with Manufacture Potions skill may be able to produce a potion which will suppress the disorder. The manufacturer of the potion must make an Int test, consulting the chart for drug treatment above. The GM should note that each potion lasts for a month rather than a day and will cost at least 100 GCs (subject to bargaining).
At the GM's option, Faith Healers may be able to cure disorders, making a WP test and consulting the chart for drug treatment above.