<LONG> Re: [DL] Fear levels/effects

[Kirk Monsen <munchwolf@yahoo.com>]

> > I've been thinking of making
> > up a table to help people come up with their own
> > unique fear effects.  It's based off of the 52
> card
> > deck with either a d6 or d8 rolled for the
> specific
> > effect (leaning more toward the d8).  That would
> give
> > over 400 different effects (from minor curses, to
> > random tornados, to people just fading away at
> higher
> > levels of fear).

--- Dirk <darklord@dark-sky.net> wrote:
> That would be totally awesome, like what do you have
> in mind?

Since you asked, here's my preliminary design:


Fear effects

An idea for how to apply fear effects to a local area

Each area of fear gets a number of fear points (FP)
equal to its fear level.  Draw a card, a Club is level
1 (worth 1 pt), a Diamond is Level 2 (worth 2 pt), a
Heart is Level 3 (worth 3 pt), and a Spade is Level 4
(worth 4 pt).  If the value of the card is higher than
the FP's left, ignore it and stop drawing.  Otherwise
apply the effect of the card to the area and subtract
its worth from the FP of the area, and then draw
again.

Example:  An area has a fear level of 3.  The queen of
clubs is drawn (value 1).  It is applied to the area,
and the FPs drop to 2.  Note the fear level doesn't
change.  Drawing again yields a 4 of spades.  It is
higher than the available FPs, so it is ignored, and
you stop drawing.  Had a Club or Diamond been drawn it
would have been applied to the area, and you would
draw again.  So therefore only the Queen of Clubs is
applied and despite having a fear level of 3, the area
only gets a level 1 fear effect.

Jokers:  If a joker is drawn, draw again and ignore
the worth on the card (it has a value of 0).  So if in
the above example a black joker was drawn before
drawing the 4 of spades, that card would still go into
effect and the would still be 2 FPs left.  Draw again.

Other considerations:  If you are playing with Fear
Brokers, add 1 pt to the starting FP for a greater
Manitou, and subtract 1 pt from the starting FP for
lesser manitous. (Um, side note: Ignore Fear Brokers
for now, I'll explain them later


The result is the high fear effects become rare (which
they should be) and lower fear effects become more
common in high fear areas and rarer in low fear areas.
 The end result is the players should not really
notice a new system applied because it would only
happen occasionally.

What the levels mean:

Level 1(Clubs) - This is a rationally explainable
effect that is barely noticeable unless you've been in
the area for a few weeks.  No one really gives it a
second thought.

Level 2 (Diamonds) - This is also a rationally
explainable effect that is more noticeable if you stay
in the area for a few days.  People will talk about
this a lot, but most likely won't attribute it to the
supernatural

Level 3 (Hearts)- This is a completely unexplainable
phenomenon (although people will try) that people may
or may not talk about (due to fear) but can easily be
noticed within a few hours.

Level 4 (Spades)- This is another completely
unexplainable phenomenon (which baffles experts) that
people most likely won't talk about due to fear, and
would be noticed immediately.  At this level
abominations form.

With 13 different cards, there are 13 different
categories for effects (weather, senses
(light/dark/sound), hunting grounds, sins, Arcane, the
Horsemen, flora, fauna, etc, etc...).  Here is a
sample of one category in the raw form:

Weather - These are effects that deal with the
climate/temperature/wind

Level 1) More unusual weather than normal.  Storms
could be more/less frequent, more/less snow in the
winter than expected, the days are colder/warmer than
they used to be, or there could be more/less wind. 

Level 2) Abnormal weather.  Same as (1) but it's lasts
longer.  I may have rained 10 days straight, while
nearby areas are unaffected, or the area could be in a
constant drought.  Maybe in a smaller area the wind is
constantly blowing and tornadoes are more common, or
there could be no wind at all.  Maybe the temperature
is higher than normal, with summers being extremely
hot, spring and fall feeling like summer, and with
winter colds never getting below 60.  No snow falls
all winter.

Level 3) Unexplainable weather.  Tornadoes touching
down without warning (and consistently in the same
area).  Snow in summer, or 90 degree weather in
winter.  Acid rain that quickly (over a few weeks)
erodes buildings (requiring constant care). 

Level 4) Abominable weather.  Blood rain, Toads
falling from sky, Dust devils appearing


Each particular level in each category (ie Card) will
be broken down into 8 random choices, but will also
give some guidance so that Marshals can think of their
own variations.  So level 1 of weather (which would be
the 3 of Clubs with the way I have things set up)
would be broken down into:

Level 1) More unusual weather than normal.
1- Storms are more frequent.  In winter this means
more snow (in cold areas), and in summer more rain. 
As an side effect this would mean plants growing more
in the summer, as well as there being a higher insect
population.
By spending a white chip the Marshal can whip up a
storm in a matter of minutes.  By spending a blue chip
the Marshal can affect the area with a Deluge (F&B pg
85)
2- The days are colder than they used to be.  This
would add slightly to the harshness of winter, and
hamper crop growth in the summer.
By spending a white chip the Marshal can drop the
area's temperature by 20 degrees.  With a red chip 40
and with a blue chip 60.
3- etc, etc

Ok, so why is this any different than the present
system?  Well, it helps explain why so many posses are
trapped in cave, mines, or houses by storms :). 
Really though it just increases your various means to
explain why people are frightened.  Instead of saying
the house on the hill looks gothic and foreboding, the
real reason why the town folk won't go near it is that
they get cold chills anytime they get close, or that
their hunting dogs shy away from the place.  It gives
a more specific and tangible effect than a generic
spooky atmosphere, giving each fear location a more
unique feel.

Now I've got the 13 categories decided upon, and most
of it mapped out (ok, maybe I have 11 categories, I'm
still debating).  My biggest peev is whether or not to
include the idea of the Marshal spending fate chips or
not.  I know there are plenty of Marshals who complain
they have nothing to spend fate chips on, and for some
effects I can see it being useful, but personally, the
whole idea irks me a bit.  Maybe have it so that
spending fate chips bumps effects up a level
temporarily.

Anyway what do people think?  Ideas, suggestions?

-Munch Wolf

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