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Ravenloft™ in 4e Rule Set
Archived Post
Member Posts: 5,050,278 Bounty Hunter
I figured I might as well get started. I've been looking over the various sites that are considered the best quality conversions to 4e as far as rules considering the Land of Mists, but not all of them actually favor to me. So here are my own interpretations. So the first thing I am looking at is of course the various effects such as Fear, Horror and Madness.
-Fear-
Fear checks are encounter checks made under specific circumstances such as surprise, or finding out how powerful something truly is and react similarly to disease checks. Fear progression check is made every round until the source of the fear is removed or the character recovers. (the checks are in conjunction with the fear check modifiers from the book)
Attack: 1/2 Monster or Encounter Level vs. Will
Insight: improve DC 24, maintain DC 20, worsen DC 19 or lower
Recover: The character has overcome their fear and is able to act normally.
^
Shaken: The character suffers a -2 to attack, checks and saving throws.
^v
Frightened: The character is Shaken and must attempt to flee from the fear source. She is able to fight her way through and will fight if cornered. Any methods such as spells available to her to aid her escape she will instinctively use.
v
Panicked: The character is Shakened and has lost all composure, doing everything she can to run from the source of the fear, ignoring all obstacles or potential hazards along the way. She can't fight other than to try and push something out of her way and cowers if cornered until the source of the fear is removed.
-Horror-
Horror checks are made in specific encounter situations where a character could be disturbed by the particular scene in question. Horror is afflicted when characters discover a scene that simply should not be in normal adventuring, such as discovering a grisly scene, seeing the decaying corpse of a friend or ally or a malign paradigm shift. A malign paradigm shift would be something like discovering the inn you are staying at that the owners and patrons are actually werewolves.
Horror checks are specific to the effect in question. Seeing a pool of dried blood would be a basic die roll against a targets will defense, if even such an event was required, while seeing a scene of malicious agony (such as torture) might invoke a +7 attack against the targets will, with a malign paradigm shift would be a +15 attack versus the targets will. (Modifiers from the book for horror checks are used). The DM should decide on how strong the horror effect would be if called for.
If the character is horrified, they are stunned with shock at what they are seeing. Each round they make a saving throw (modified by horror checks). If the roll is 9 or less they remain stunned, their minds unable to process what they are seeing. If they roll a 10 or more they recover but suffer a -2 penalty to attacks, skill checks and saving throws for the next round. If the character remains stunned for two consecutive rounds and fails a third saving throw check, the character must immediately make an endurance check at a DC determined by the encounter. If the check fails the character bends over and wretches losing 1d8 HP. They are able to recover and act normally but suffer a -2 penalty to attacks, skill checks and saving throws for the rest of the encounter.
-Madness-
Madness I am still working on, but hopefully I will have something. Just looking for opinions from people for these ideas for how they should be handled.
-Fear-
Fear checks are encounter checks made under specific circumstances such as surprise, or finding out how powerful something truly is and react similarly to disease checks. Fear progression check is made every round until the source of the fear is removed or the character recovers. (the checks are in conjunction with the fear check modifiers from the book)
Attack: 1/2 Monster or Encounter Level vs. Will
Insight: improve DC 24, maintain DC 20, worsen DC 19 or lower
Recover: The character has overcome their fear and is able to act normally.
^
Shaken: The character suffers a -2 to attack, checks and saving throws.
^v
Frightened: The character is Shaken and must attempt to flee from the fear source. She is able to fight her way through and will fight if cornered. Any methods such as spells available to her to aid her escape she will instinctively use.
v
Panicked: The character is Shakened and has lost all composure, doing everything she can to run from the source of the fear, ignoring all obstacles or potential hazards along the way. She can't fight other than to try and push something out of her way and cowers if cornered until the source of the fear is removed.
-Horror-
Horror checks are made in specific encounter situations where a character could be disturbed by the particular scene in question. Horror is afflicted when characters discover a scene that simply should not be in normal adventuring, such as discovering a grisly scene, seeing the decaying corpse of a friend or ally or a malign paradigm shift. A malign paradigm shift would be something like discovering the inn you are staying at that the owners and patrons are actually werewolves.
Horror checks are specific to the effect in question. Seeing a pool of dried blood would be a basic die roll against a targets will defense, if even such an event was required, while seeing a scene of malicious agony (such as torture) might invoke a +7 attack against the targets will, with a malign paradigm shift would be a +15 attack versus the targets will. (Modifiers from the book for horror checks are used). The DM should decide on how strong the horror effect would be if called for.
If the character is horrified, they are stunned with shock at what they are seeing. Each round they make a saving throw (modified by horror checks). If the roll is 9 or less they remain stunned, their minds unable to process what they are seeing. If they roll a 10 or more they recover but suffer a -2 penalty to attacks, skill checks and saving throws for the next round. If the character remains stunned for two consecutive rounds and fails a third saving throw check, the character must immediately make an endurance check at a DC determined by the encounter. If the check fails the character bends over and wretches losing 1d8 HP. They are able to recover and act normally but suffer a -2 penalty to attacks, skill checks and saving throws for the rest of the encounter.
-Madness-
Madness I am still working on, but hopefully I will have something. Just looking for opinions from people for these ideas for how they should be handled.
Post edited by Archived Post on
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Just basically look at the things that are suppose to be so horrifying that they could actually lead a mind to breaking and going insane; seeing a loved one turn into a horrifying monster, reaching out to the mind of a purely evil monster or hellish entity, being subjected to pure, hellish torture, seeing something so frightening you can't even close your eyes without seeing it and the list goes on and on. To me a hit point gauge for sanity sort of removes the fact that any one of those things could be a breaking point for the character, and just kills the actual flow of the horror aspect of the setting.
That's not saying I don't like what Jester wrote, for their stepping stones, I just don't like the insanity point system. It just doesn't fit and jive completely with what I believe should be something that should be treated a bit more ominously and not something that is just another hit point gauge. I think the DM should be the one to be the final judge if a scene or situation should actually invoke a madness check in a character, or in optional cases, if a player fumbles (ie rolls a 1) on a fear or horror check.
This is something I am going over in my head right now. This is how I thought of the fear and horror checks, as they happen to people in real life. When you get scared it's a gradual process, you see it and you start to get nervous or shakey, and as time goes on you either steal yourself up or you get more panicky trying to get away from the situation. And those that truly break down try to get away as fast as possible.
The same with horror, when people see something truly horrific, their brain tries to comprehend it at first and they sort of lock up before and either they get over it a bit queezy in the end (shakey for one round in rules) or they could actually completely lose their lunch and be weak kneed for a while (the endurance check).
The fact that Insanity points can be restored is also another reason I just don't like it as hit points. It just seems like too much control in what would normally be an unpredictable situation.
After reading this and looking around, I would recommend you modifying the rules of "Depravity" from this location treating the mild moderte and severe as a mental disease (but a disease none the less.)
As for "curing" said madness, whether that could be as something as simple as healing checks or as complex as the greatest rituals, I leave to you to determine. Personally I'd recommend it follow a similar recovery path to Fear but with wisdom-based or saving-throw based checks ending it as a disease as their sanity returns and the mental disease ebbs.
I like the way you are thinking. Let me suggest a realistic suggestion as to how I would deal with it. The 'cure' of insanity should have various checkpoints.
1 - Person realizes that he/she is insane. This should be will save or assisted save (i.e. spell). Potions etc. should not work. [Most difficult of all, will save a must = potion can be used to increase will save against san-loss but no cure can be used]
2 - The realization in 1 should hold all through the cure. If at some point during cure, person looses the realization, they revert back.
3 - Person finds a way to identify hallucinations that are unreal. The person still has those hallucinations, but now has a way to deal with them. Here the penalties due to san-loss are reduced, even while the level of insanity is same. So if fighter is supposed to kill innocent due to insanity, fighter will instead do no action in that turn. The fighter knows what is unreal. But whatever is real, fighter is not completely sure. This way can be used by Will save, reflex save, true seeing, other skills limited by designer's imagination.
4 - Here a spell, medicine potion is required. It will suppress hallucinations. If realization is lost (Step 1) before giving cure, person is dazed/confused and then reverts to insanity condition. [need fortitude save if medicine lower than spell level]
May induce a penalty to intelligence and dexterity [but not strength] as the medicine has to effect nerves.
Can this be applied? Let me know, the idea is quite interesting
The comments/applications are in color of hope
This situation was very nicely explained in a old cartoon series which inspired matrix.
In such a situation,
Step 1: You realize importance of indiviuality.
Step 2: You become apathetic to what you just felt from the perspective of other person as some dream.
Step 3: With time that feeling is lost and is more unreal.
Step 4: Here person is sane with only one problem. After having out of body experience, can the person remember to use the body like before? A potion/spell can help the person to use the nerves in the way he/she used to. Fortitude save - person regains the use of the nerves after leaving the body.
May I trouble you to read more of my opinions
For me, fear is something that threatens the basic instinct of survival. Greatest fear would be the fear of loosing soul as then I can't be revived. So looking at devil (would it bind my soul like a servant?), undead (Would I become like it?) , necromancer (would he capture my soul?) would make me afraid.
Must be will save. Wise people can overcome fear of death.
e.g.
Wise people = Yoda from SW; not afraid of death as he has accepted it. [accepting death = infinite will points]
There is danger of death, but if character does not fumbles, the PC knows they can get through.
PC thinks has a high probability of death.
PC thinks the fight is not worth the risk and should be fought another day, strategic retreat.
PC thinks that he/she can escape from the monster if it puts all strength in escaping.
No chance of escape or "There is nowhere to hide". The monster has 100% detection rate with X-ray vision greater than superman, sixth sense greater than spider-man and ability to teleport with a thought. Plus PC is on its dinner menu.
PC does not know what is real or what is not.
Wow! Thats cool. Psychology was my minor, and some of its theories, especially for group give a lot of insight practically too. Like the risk taking in big group or the dynamics of team to meet deadline.
But this model comes from 2 of my friends who underwent hallucinations. So sometimes to help in their cure etc., I had to gain knowledge and talk to people and professionals. Lucky both are completely fine now. Maybe it strikes those more who think too much. Its pretty easy for me to not think at all, for complex situations I go with instinct a lot rather than just logic [more WIS than INT I guess], so I guess I am immune
I would really like if she can come up with good numbers and then I can plagiarize *ahem* I mean copy *ahem* I mean get inspired(!) by those numbers to take them in my campaigns
knock knock?
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