UA Sanity vs. HoH

[Calimehter]

Since it would be appropriate to the tone of a campaign I've been thinking of running soon, I've been considering adding an element of . . . well, "scary" back to the various horrifying situations and critters that the PCs are likely to run into.

I've looked over the UA Sanity rules, and I quite like them, but I've only given the numbers a cursory look, and I was a bit disappointed in a couple of things - such as the lack of solid descriptions of the game effects of the various insanities. I browsed HoH too, and while I really liked the mechanics that they used for the various phobias, and was also a fan of the tests being applied to existing save mechanics rather than a brand-new 'sanity' stat, there was much less guidance on when to apply the test - it seemed like you just had players taking tests on a whim, unlike the UA system.

I plan on looking into it further, but I was wondering if anyone had any experience with either (or even both!) and could lend any insight as to how it went.

Thanks!

[ShadowPsyker]

Not well.

Basically it became a new rule not only the players had to prepare for and remember, but one I had to recall in the course of the game. Something I was not used to and so... meh.

I know this is slightly off topic, but i found house ruling a horror save based on Level + the lowest of Int/Wis/Cha + any bonus from feats or abilities that could apply to fear. This way they could just keep a single number on their sheet and i could have them make rolls against arbitrary DC's when i felt it was thematically appropriate (i.e. when i remembered). My friend Mikey rolled a 1 vs an ettercap/spider ambush and when i had him roll a second time to see how bad his permanent psychosis would be; he rolled a 20, so now his barbarian acts like a barbarian when he sees a spider of notable size (becomes angry at his former weakness and smashes it). The spider not his weakness, although there is a little room for metaphor I suppose.

[Yukitsu]

I generally don't like either. Most of the stuff listed as possible should either be an existing condition already found in a typical adult of adventuring age, and would at any rate be completely unrelated to any singular devastating event at that age. The only ones that should really be on there are PTSD (about 90% of the list should be this), depression, insomnia (which should both also be possible without any sanity reducing event) and possibly a phobia or general anxiety disorder.

As for effects, I use the DSM IV. :p

[Morph Bark]

As for effects, I use the DSM IV. :p

So you need to upgrade soon too, huh?


In any case, I'd say it depends. HoH would be easier if you also want to use the Taint rules, since it's easier to just use those from HoH than use both Sanity and Taint from UA seperately. It should be noted though that it can be done a LOT more simple and you should probably just houserule it unless you can easily recall such rules.

[GreyMantle]

Unless you never fight anything weirder than a bear, and you never get to a level higher than 5 or 6, and your characters are never supposed to cast spells more than once a week or so, you probably do not want to use UA's Sanity rules. They were written for and adapted from Call of Cthulhu, and the assumptions of that system are totally different from D&D's.

The Taint rules from HoH are pretty cool. I used them and the Sanity rules for a "Cthulhu meets Fallout" game I did once. The Sanity did nothing but add headache and frustration, but the Taint added some nice tension and terror. There's a fair amount of DM judgment and handwaving involved in the system, but, for a horror game, that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's genuinely difficult to mechanically codify horror into a set of rpg rules. But, if your players trust you not to be a poncey DM, your handwaving is likely to work out.

[Yukitsu]

So you need to upgrade soon too, huh?

Sooooooo muuuuuuch moneeyyyyyyyy. :smallfrown:

[Ashtagon]

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=237912

You might find these fear rules useful. They change the dynamic from "okay gang, save or suck" to something that makes the monsters tougher but the party knows not how much tougher. Taking away player action causes player frustration. Making the monsters an unknown factor encourages fear.