RP tips: HOW TO PLAY "immune to fear" CHARACTER

[dkist]

Can you help me? My DM says you cannot fear anyting even death. I reply than there will be no 4rd level paladins all of them killed by RED WIZARDS of THAY or EVIL GODS:smallfurious:

[Metahuman1]

Ok,

Immune to fear does not mean you do not feel fear.

Immune to fear means you can control your fear period, and it cannot get so out of control that it would hinder you (Via causing penalty's.)

It's like that line in the new Conan movie. "He Neither Fears Death, Nor does he foolishly run off too meet it!"

[Prime32]

Bravery is not the absence of fear, it's not letting fear affect you. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courage)

Some creatures with fear immunity simply have minds too alien to acknowledge the concept, but paladins just overcome it with willpower. The Ravenloft Campaign Setting even states that paladins are only immune to magical fear effects, and can still be afraid of things normally (otherwise it would defeat the point of a horror setting).

[dkist]

{Scrubbed}

[Morty]

What they said. A Paladin who's immune to fear will recognize overwhelming odds when he sees them and he will not want to die, but he'll never panic, be shaken or otherwise let fear cloud his judgement.

[deuxhero]

Bravery is not the absence of fear, it's not letting fear affect you. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courage)

Some creatures with fear immunity simply have minds too alien to acknowledge the concept, but paladins just overcome it with willpower. The Ravenloft Campaign Setting even states that paladins are only immune to magical fear effects, and can still be afraid of things normally (otherwise it would defeat the point of a horror setting).

I thought Paladins were immune to Intimidate use?

[Ajadea]

Not in Ravenloft.

Some things do not understand fear. Some do, but ignore it. Some feel fear, but they will never let it cloud their judgement or shake their resolve. The third is awesome. The first is scary. The second needs a therapist.

[SamBurke]

Not in Ravenloft.

Some things do not understand fear. Some do, but ignore it. Some feel fear, but they will never let it cloud their judgement or shake their resolve. The third is awesome. The first is scary. The second needs a therapist.

+82. Considering Sigging that. OK?

[NOhara24]

I'm currently playing a Paladin now. Occasionally, he can be a bit overconfident, but I made a point to the DM when I was building him, he isn't stupid.

That's largely the same thing. Fear largely comes from overwhelming odds, or magical effects. If it's a magical effect that he's exposed to, while everyone else in the party is shaken he's largely "Don't worry guys, I got this."

If it's a fear effect from thousands of Orcs bearing down on him at once, he knows the smart thing to do is flee, and he doesn't see that as cowardice or anything of the like. He'll quickly but calmly pack his stuff and go.

tl;dr Your character can be scared, but it will never cloud his judgement, and he will never show it.

[Metahuman1]

I'm currently playing a Paladin now. Occasionally, he can be a bit overconfident, but I made a point to the DM when I was building him, he isn't stupid.

That's largely the same thing. Fear largely comes from overwhelming odds, or magical effects. If it's a magical effect that he's exposed to, while everyone else in the party is shaken he's largely "Don't worry guys, I got this."

If it's a fear effect from thousands of Orcs bearing down on him at once, he knows the smart thing to do is flee, and he doesn't see that as cowardice or anything of the like. He'll quickly but calmly pack his stuff and go.

tl;dr Your character can be scared, but it will never cloud his judgement, and he will never show it.

Simplifying the latter part of this.

Ok, It's the 1 paladin against a hoard of 10,000 Orc Barbarians and there charging down hill. Running away does not make him a coward at that point, it just means he's not willing to throw his life away to kill a few Orcs unless is serves some other purpose. Maybe if he had reason to believe he could hold them for a bit of time and in doing so ensure the escape and survival of others, but at that point it's noble Sacrifice, not dieing because he refused to needlessly face impossible odds.

[Ajadea]

+82. Considering Sigging that. OK?

Of course! I'd drop the Not in Ravenloft bit personally.

[Prime32]

http://www.quotegarden.com/courage.html


Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear.

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear. Except a creature be part coward it is not a compliment to say it is brave.

Courage is being afraid but going on anyhow.

Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared.

Courage is being scared to death... and saddling up anyway.
A timid person is frightened before a danger, a coward during the time, and a courageous person afterward.


Some have been thought brave because they were afraid to run away.

Have the courage to live. Anyone can die.

[AugustNights]

I seem to remember an episode of Courage the Cowardly Dog that may be useful. His computer possess his owner and starts doing all manners of wacky stunts, largely out of boredom and lack of fear. Towards the end it gets tangled up in a... in an... uhm... I forget precisely what, but there is a chance that an electrical... thing...with words that mean things... will end the existence of both the computer and his owner. The computer says something along the lines of, "I'm not afraid to die, I'd just rather not."

Not being afraid, and making tactically stupid errors are not the same.
Such a character may not be above being the one to make a dramatic yet terribly important self sacrifice, but is also not going to throw itself off cliffs or ram swords through its own head because 'they aren't afraid to do so.'

[Morph Bark]

Not in Ravenloft.

Some things do not understand fear. Some do, but ignore it. Some feel fear, but they will never let it cloud their judgement or shake their resolve. The third is awesome. The first is scary. The second needs a therapist.

This would be part of the book Why Paladins Are Not Abberations From Beyond Time And Space And Sanity And How To Recognize The Difference.

[Andreaz]

Choose how you want to play your character's understanding of fear, the common options are those
1) Not there at all
2) There, but not a problem


I presume you'll go with the latter, so...
When scared, he could just yell louder and louder to all who want to hear that he's going to get his job done, so as to keep fear under control. A variant could be that he's more worried about reassuring his men, and shakes off his fear that way.

He can also just not seem to be fazed by it at all, but it's going to be subtle and not really interesting from the table's perspective.

[Metahuman1]

Another option, have him have a thing for simply taking deep breaths too keep strong emotions in general under control so they don't cloud his thought pattern. From there, Fear is just an emotion he subdues like any other. '

Or have him take so much comfort in his prayers he can keep fear locked down to a level were he can still think.

[Andreaz]

Or have him take so much comfort in his prayers he can keep fear locked down to a level were he can still think.

This one goes particularly well with a Litany that he can chant while fighting.

[Metahuman1]

This one goes particularly well with a Litany that he can chant while fighting.

It most certainly does.

[The Glyphstone]

It most certainly does.

As long as his litany isn't stolen from Dune.:smallcool:

[Andreaz]

As long as his litany isn't stolen from Dune.:smallcool:

Take it from warhammer40k then.

[Karoht]

Some people LIKE fear.
They like the rush it provides. The like the rush and clarity that mastering that fear provides. They enjoy acting after mastering that fear.

[Metahuman1]

@ Glyphstone and Andreaz: I was thinking Green Lantern, interestingly enough. (I love that he's got a movie out no so when I bring him up I know there's a fair chance the other person will be familiar with him!)

[Vangor]

Can you help me? My DM says you cannot fear anyting even death. I reply than there will be no 4rd level paladins all of them killed by RED WIZARDS of THAY or EVIL GODS:smallfurious:

I would say immunity to poison does not negate the fact poison or venom is on or in you only you do not suffer any negative effects. For immunity to disease, you do not suffer any negative effects, but I see no reason you could not be a carrier (though this may have rules I am unaware which support or negate this). The same could be said of fear where you do not suffer any negative effects, but this does not mean powerful forces are any less terrifying.

Being fearless and foolish are vastly different things. Paladins do not suddenly lose the ability to calculate risk.

[Cerlis]

i'm not sure if there are anyother classes that grant immunity to fear, but there is a non paladinic route to it. I really like chanting idea.

tools someone uses to overcome the fear they should be feeling would be interesting.

Another idea is i have this image of someone subjected to horror/fear/whatever and his eyes go blank like hes staring into nothing, as he goes into a special place in his mind to protect himself from it. going into a bit of a trance.

i believe it was mind control, not fear, but i remember the girl in A Wrinkle in Time, counted (prime?) numbers in order to keep her mind focuses.

I can see a smart rogue or wizard doing the second. or someone reciting magical formula, or verses from a book , in order to keep their mind focused.

[Zale]

As long as his litany isn't stolen from Dune.:smallcool:

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

What? Someone had to! :smalltongue:

[Metahuman1]

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

What? Someone had to! :smalltongue:

I'm sure they did.

In Brightest Day, In Blackest Night, No Evil Will Escape My Sight, Let Those Who Worship Evils Might, Beware My Power, GREEN LANTERNS LIGHT!

[ericgrau]

There is a fine line between stupidity and bravery. I would continue to use your best judgement in each situation, but do not flinch. It's more of an asset than a drawback. The rare situation where it might be bad would be where it makes sense to take a risk as far as you know, but extra caution would save you against the unknown.

[Greyfeld]

I was always a fan of the character that had seen everything, so everything that was supposed to be scary just made him bored. It's a very anime-esque concept.

[Andreaz]

I'm sure they did.

In Brightest Day, In Blackest Night, No Evil Will Escape My Sight, Let Those Who Worship Evils Might, Beware My Power, GREEN LANTERNS LIGHT!

THERE IS ONLY THE LAST RITES, THE BLESSING OF PURITY
WE ANOINT YOU WITH FIRE, GO IN PEACE TO YOUR REST
WE ARE SWORN TO PROTECT, WE ARE GIVEN TO PRESERVE...
WE RELEASE YOU FROM YOUR TORTURED THRALL...
TO ALLIES WE GIVE HONOR, TO ENEMIES OF MAN, RUIN!
OUR DUTY IS HONOR, AND DEATH IS OUR REWARD,
FOR WE ARE THE CHOSEN, AND WE SHALL KNOW NO FEAR
WE CARRY THE LIGHTNING, WE BRING THE THUNDER!
WE HOLD THE STRENGTH TO LET HUMANITY PROSPER
WE CARRY THE VIRTUE TO SMASH ITS ENEMIES INTO DUST!
THERE IS NO ENEMY BEYOND OUR MIGHT!
THERE IS NO SAFETY AGAINST OUR WRATH!
WE ARE PROUD TO LIVE, WE ARE PROUD TO DIE!
WE ARE FORGED IN WAR, WE ARE TEMPERED IN BLOOD
IN OUR SOULS WE CRAFT THE VICTORY OF ALL MANKIND!
BURN, HERETIC! BURN IN CLEANSING FLAME!
REJOICE IN THE FIRES OF YOUR ABSOLUTION!
TO THE DARKNESS, WE BRING FIRE!
TO THE IGNORANT WE BRING FAITH!
TO THE HELPLESS WE GIVE OUR HAND,
TO THE CORRUPT WE GIVE OUR FIST!

Taken with a few cuts from Shinji&Warhammer40k

[KoboldCleric]

Immunity to fear does not necessarily mean going on despite fear; it can also take the form of one's resolute acceptance of factors outside one's own control to the point that fear is, in fact, wholly absent. I've never understood the common sentiment that without fear there can be no reason nor rational judgement, nor indeed how one could make such a leap. The prototypical paladin is acting on behalf of his god, and believes that he is acting rightly; what fear is there in the absolute certainty that one is pursuing the will of one's god unerringly? When one's only concern is one's own action, there is no more fear in wielding a sword than in washing the dishes. Thus, as a paladin, say not with Aristotle that courage is a mean with regard to fear and confidence; say instead with Jackson that the duty is ours, and the consequences are God's. A subtle difference, perhaps, but a monumental one.

[Stix]

I have to ask: are we talking specifically Paladins being immune to fear? or just characters that are immune to fear in general.

i always see a paladin as the type to have marshaled his own emotions down so far that he is aware of his fear but sees it only as another sensory input. He knows that dragon could end him but that doesn't mean his only options are flee or obey.

OtOH a Kender (i believe) simply is not capable of fear because that emotion is replaced by wonder/curiosity/ignorance. She sees a dragon and in a state of joyous discovery walks up to it and says "Wow, you're HUUUGE." (happened in game, luckily the dragon simply found this entertaining and not insulting)

so it's really all a matter of what kind of fearless you are

[Drelua]

As someone else mentioned, I see it as being much akin to poison immunity, in some cases, such as a monk. In The Cleric Quintet by R.A. Salvatore, Danica the monk was poisoned by an imp, (a lethal poison in Faerun, it turns out) and she entered a sort of trance, and forced the poison out of her body through the cut on her shoulder. Its not a matter of poison having absolutely no effect on her, just a matter of her discipline overcoming, as I see it being with paladins and some other things that are immune to fear.

[Ason]

If you want some gamer-related inspiration, you could also look to the Space Marines from Warhammer 40K. I always loved one of their tag-lines: "...and they shall know no fear." Granted, like all games over time, their fluff has since become a tad contradictory since then from what I can gather, but those guys' immunity seems reminiscent of a paladin's. They can recognize impossible odds and make smart retreats, but they can also die bravely as countless millions of daemons stream over their position. Fearless does not always equal Suicidal.

Don't quote me on this, however, as I've yet to play a 40K tabletop game, so I make no claims to being an authority.

[hamishspence]

That's pretty much right actually. In Deathwatch, and I think in the main rulebook, it mentions that their "immunity to fear" is more like extreme control over their emotions. They experience it, but it doesn't influence their actions.