Is dread dreadful enough ?
I've been rereading the rules concerning dread because it didn't seem to have any great impact in our ongoing campaign. (We played 4-5 sessions so far.) As I see it, PCs don't get dread that easily if the GM doesn't spend DSPs (and it's not cheap, mind you) but most importantly, dread appears to be really easy to get rid of :
- you can spend a Chronicle point to get rid of it all
- you can also sleep and recover half MST per night (this means at least 3 points, plus healing wounds)
- you can also spend Momentum to steel nerves (-1 dread/momentum)
- you lose a point for a scene change/milestone
- and if it's not enough, one of your buddies can make a psychotherapy test but this is the least efficient way.
In my game, the most dread a PC accumulated was 5, I think, but his MST is 10, so, all gone in one night.
That made me wonder about how other people handle those rules at their table. Does it have an impact on your games ? How often are you willing to spend 2 DSP to inflict 1 dread on a PC ? Do players really worry about their dread tally ?
- you can spend a Chronicle point to get rid of it all
- you can also sleep and recover half MST per night (this means at least 3 points, plus healing wounds)
- you can also spend Momentum to steel nerves (-1 dread/momentum)
- you lose a point for a scene change/milestone
- and if it's not enough, one of your buddies can make a psychotherapy test but this is the least efficient way.
In my game, the most dread a PC accumulated was 5, I think, but his MST is 10, so, all gone in one night.
That made me wonder about how other people handle those rules at their table. Does it have an impact on your games ? How often are you willing to spend 2 DSP to inflict 1 dread on a PC ? Do players really worry about their dread tally ?
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My understanding of Dread is that it's really a short-term fear mechanic. Longer term mental health problems are simulated with Mental Wounds and Mental Trauma (and those can create "uncurable Dread").
Dread can also come about in other ways. Remember, you get 1 Dread for becoming Seriously Wounded and then you take 1 Dread for every point of Critical Wound damage you suffer. It makes perfect sense that your Dread goes away if you get stabilized and know you are going to live.
You also have Dreadful weapons, which inflict 1 Dread per DSI generated on damage. An azogar buzzing by my head would certainly fill ME with dread!
Finally, every DSI generated on a mental assault damage roll ALSO inflicts a point of Dread.
There are lots of ways to quickly generate Dread. I see it as something that is fairly fluid. Also, the effects of Dread are really, really bad. Even 5 Dread increases your Repercussion range to 18-20. You are three times more likely to generate Complications in that state than someone not suffering from 5 Dread. The maximum Dread creates Repercussions on 16-20, which is FIVE times more Complications than normal. That's really scary.
Dread can also come about in other ways. Remember, you get 1 Dread for becoming Seriously Wounded and then you take 1 Dread for every point of Critical Wound damage you suffer. It makes perfect sense that your Dread goes away if you get stabilized and know you are going to live.
You also have Dreadful weapons, which inflict 1 Dread per DSI generated on damage. An azogar buzzing by my head would certainly fill ME with dread!
Finally, every DSI generated on a mental assault damage roll ALSO inflicts a point of Dread.
There are lots of ways to quickly generate Dread. I see it as something that is fairly fluid. Also, the effects of Dread are really, really bad. Even 5 Dread increases your Repercussion range to 18-20. You are three times more likely to generate Complications in that state than someone not suffering from 5 Dread. The maximum Dread creates Repercussions on 16-20, which is FIVE times more Complications than normal. That's really scary.
[Last edited Apr 24, 2016 18:01:47]
-Apoc527
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