Anonymouswizard
2016-06-21, 02:22 PM
Because I like to run semi-cosmic horror story style games, I've been thinking about how Insanity is generally handled. Now the standard way seems to be how Call of Cthulhu does it, where you lose Sanity Points/gain Insanity Points and losing too many too quickly or hitting certain milestones gives you more defined conditions, but I've been wondering if there's a better way.
For example, I like how Unknown Armies does it, where you can go mad in two ways, either 'mad' or disconnected. When confronted with a stimulus you see if you're already disconnected enough to be able to ignore it. If not you make a Mind check, a failure means you gain a failed notch on the relevant madness meter, descending into madness. However, passing the check means you gain a hardened notch on the madness meter, and become more disconnected from humanity. Normally hardened notches don't matter as much (except if you're an Avatar, where getting too many can make you lose your powers), but it's interesting.
I also like an idea I've seen of letting players decide when they gain insanity points (I have to admit I saw it on Trekkin's I Rolled A Zero blog), which would definitely work with the right group but not most I've played with (who would never opt to take an insanity point). I wondered if it would be a good idea to let the player suggest any more permanent insanities their character gets.
Does anybody else have any suggestions or systems they think are good?
I also don't like how often Call of Cthulhu calls for SAN checks, especially for modern day games. I think that there's enough Zombie media out there that most people wouldn't be affected by them until destroying the brain doesn't work, to give an example. I would definitely call for a SAN check if someone was subjected to torture though (which, in my games, doesn't make it any more likely you'll get reliable information), and the discovery of a race or secret society controlling the town/country/world would also in my view qualify. Does anybody else have problems with what's classed as insanity-inducing in games.
I also want to say that I get confused Call of Cthulhu Sixth Edition not saying that violence or killing someone could cause a SAN check if people aren't used to it, only that particularly shocking instances of it do, and can only assume that it's to streamline play.
For example, I like how Unknown Armies does it, where you can go mad in two ways, either 'mad' or disconnected. When confronted with a stimulus you see if you're already disconnected enough to be able to ignore it. If not you make a Mind check, a failure means you gain a failed notch on the relevant madness meter, descending into madness. However, passing the check means you gain a hardened notch on the madness meter, and become more disconnected from humanity. Normally hardened notches don't matter as much (except if you're an Avatar, where getting too many can make you lose your powers), but it's interesting.
I also like an idea I've seen of letting players decide when they gain insanity points (I have to admit I saw it on Trekkin's I Rolled A Zero blog), which would definitely work with the right group but not most I've played with (who would never opt to take an insanity point). I wondered if it would be a good idea to let the player suggest any more permanent insanities their character gets.
Does anybody else have any suggestions or systems they think are good?
I also don't like how often Call of Cthulhu calls for SAN checks, especially for modern day games. I think that there's enough Zombie media out there that most people wouldn't be affected by them until destroying the brain doesn't work, to give an example. I would definitely call for a SAN check if someone was subjected to torture though (which, in my games, doesn't make it any more likely you'll get reliable information), and the discovery of a race or secret society controlling the town/country/world would also in my view qualify. Does anybody else have problems with what's classed as insanity-inducing in games.
I also want to say that I get confused Call of Cthulhu Sixth Edition not saying that violence or killing someone could cause a SAN check if people aren't used to it, only that particularly shocking instances of it do, and can only assume that it's to streamline play.