Re: [DL] Fear in D20 (was: The Scart Table)

[P-A Beaulieu <beaulieu@pipcom.com>]

To add a D20 side to the conversation...

The fear rules in D20 leave a lot to be desired. A bunch of cumulative -2 to
actions doesn't go very far towards creating the sort of dark Deadlands
(leaning towards Call of Cthulhu) atmosphere my co-Marshall and I want to
create. We want a chance, however minute, that someone can go completely mad
from fear.

To that effect, we've imported wholesale the Fear, Horror and Madness rules
from Ravenloft D20 (from Sword and Sorcery Studios / White Wolf). They add
layers of realism to the whole affair, with different levels of effects
depending on how badly you miss your Will Save. They also make distinctions
between Fear effects (being ambushed by an abomination) and Horror effects
(suddenly realizing that the travelling circus / freak show you work for was
burned down 50 years ago and was animated by a powerful Manitou, who is
looking for the accursed descendants of those who burned the circus. You
should have seen our players' faces when we pulled that one). If you botch a
Horror Save badly enough, you have a chance of going mad. Wheeee!

-P-A


----- Original Message -----
From: Jeff Yates <jyates@primaryfunction.com>
To: <deadlands@gamerz.net>
Sent: Friday, April 18, 2003 1:27 PM
Subject: RE: [DL] The Scart Table


> <Lots of snippage of rest of thread>
>
> Our group is in it for the horror, and after the first session a couple of
> players sank all their possible chips/bounty into upping Guts/Spirit.  We
> use the scart table, we reroll aces, we've lost two characters to heart
> attacks, and we like it.  We also don't roll for Walkin' Dead anymore, but
> Walkin' Dead are usually the least of their problems now.  (Minor horrors
> just don't phase people the ninth, tenth, umpteenth time you see 'em.)
>
> But that's us.
>
> The original group in question doesn't sound like they want to play a
horror
> game, but the Marshal does.  There's nothing wrong with either playstyle,
as
> long as everyone agrees to it.  Discuss it with your players, and come to
> happy medium.  Use a little less of the Guts-check-inducing elements, and
> have the players admit that their characters are gonna have to have decent
> Guts scores to stand up to some critters like they'd like.  Sometimes a
> character is just scared of scary things.
>
> And thanks for the new phobias/dementias ideas.  Always good to have more.
> We've used the Warhammer Fantasy Role Play book for additional ideas too.
I
> hear Call of Cthulu is also a good source of nuttiness.
>
>
> Jeff Y.
> Marshal of the Dynamite Gang
>
>
>
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