Insanity cards

[DullandRusty]

Just finished playing mansions of madness with some friends. It got me to thinking about creating a quest where every morcar turn a d6 is rolled, with #s 1-4 each assigned at the start of the quest to a hero. If their # comes up, they draw an insanity card. 5 and 6 result in no card being drawn.

The cards could have a range of results the heroes keep private... such as:
Some being benignlike : you are startled and realize it was just the wind (no effect),
or one person could end up drawing a card that decreases their attack by 1 due to fear (effect vanishes and card discarded the next time they are in a room with all the other heroes),
While a different hero may pull one that says: fear of crowds and has one less attack when in a room with more than 2 people, or goes insane when in room with the whole team and attacks a random person or monster and will do so each turn till the team is split up and not in the same room.

I would dress up the verbage on all those. There are plenty other phobias as well to lend ideas and different effects for insanity cards. (Ample no effect cards would need to be in the deck as well)

This wouldnt be an every quest thing, but who knows, could make it stressful but also exciting. Also makes the heroes work seperately, but if they are observant they can figure out what the other heroes insanity cards might be and can work together without ever verbally revealing them.


Any thoughts? Its late so i may be just tired and a little knockered so this may be a foolish idea, but if anyone thinks it might be fun for a sporadic homebrew quest here and there let me know.

Also, if you like the idea and have other insanity effects in mind list them as well.

[DullandRusty]

And if the every morcar turn seems like it could be too frequent, a fix could be to roll the d6 to see who has an insanity chance against them and then roll a combat dice with a skull resulting in a card being drawn.

I know there are evil wizard cards that do some insanity effects lasting one turn, but these would be something completely different that the hero carries with them till they perform the task to erase the effect (example: fear of being alone needing to get into a room with the entire party to erase and discard), and some could carry on the whole quest depending on what the effect was if not too overpowering.

You can also add potions of clarity into the treasure deck or monster loot deck etc. if desired to allow players to dispel an effect. But that gets to adding more things.

Anyway, just a fun late night thought with how to be a devious DM.

[mitchiemasha]

Ideas like this are great when playing against an automatic system, no EW. When playing an actual EW I don't think the randomness fits. Unless they were the result of some form of punishments, a reason behind what's happened. Simply rolling every turn as the trigger doesn't cut it for me. It's kind of like playing against a story that isn't your own.

[j_dean80]

If they didn't reveal what their card said...they would lie...just saying. In HQ it always says read the card out loud.

[burglekutt]

The best part of phobias would be the "acting" that is then required of the players, but only as long as they weren't to devastating, & as long the player got SOMETHING for "obeying" their Phobia. None of these last for more than one round.

FEAR OF VIOLENCE= Let another player GO FIRST into a room to attack & you gain a +1 to attack that enemy for one round only.
But only if you had the chance to go in n make an attack yourself.

FEAR OF PIT TRAPS= Let another player succeed first & you gain a + to your chance to jump. This would be great for the Wizard.

FEAR OF UNDEAD= You gain a +1 ATT if you got the MOVE to get BEHIND the undead creature. Otherwise stay back at -1ATT for one round.
Just throwing stuff out there:) Phobias shouldnt be all bad is what I'm saying. Force the hero to make sleight changes to their tactics according to the  Phobia.

I toyed with the idea of "Conviction,Honor,Code" related to D&Ds Alignments, where the hero must do a certain thing when confronted with a problem or lose/gain "Fame Points,hero points whatever.

LAWFUL HERO= Must accept hand to hand challenges. When the last Orc in the room knows he's out numbered & gonna die, throws his sword down in hopes for a hand 2 hand challenge. The Lawful player MUST accept this challenge or lose a Fame Point.  Doesn't mean Neutral/Chaotic players can't kill the Orc though:)

NEUTRAL HERO= Haven't thought any further than LAWFUL/CHAOTIC

CHAOTIC HERO= (Rogue,Necromancer) Must receive or cause 1BP of DAM to/from any fellow Hero to share treasure
found by the end of a Quest. "I found it, it's my treasure FU I'm keeping it!!" At the end of most Quests you'd have to beat your share of the money out of the Thief/Rogue lol. All Heros can gang up for this so the Rogue doesn't die.

The purpose of "Hero Fame Points" was to allow each player the option to accept or decline a challenge during quests. Positive & negative effects would be added to that Hero latter. Perhaps a Reputation level? That effects how you are treated by the town?

I built this mostly for laughs because I know Hero's would cut everything to pieces if they could, or if the Hero wanted a better reputation could demand the other hero's STAY BACK, I GOT THIS so he can get a Fame Point, or in your case "Obey his Phobia."

[burglekutt]

Even a Goblin Shaman could demand a Hand2Hand challenge & the other Heros could sit back n laugh as they watch the Wizard get down for a Fame Point!

At the same time watching a Gargoyle with 1BP drop his weapons in defeat & demand a "fair Fight" would be an epic win for a Hero so bold to accept &win. Possibly 2 Fame Points depending on the Bosses BPs.

Just rambling, but your "Phobias/Insanity" cards might be one of the few ways to get the players to actually rollplay what their character is going through. Thats why i say it should only matter once per room/corridor, for one round only and benefit the hero by obeying it.

[Daedalus]

Ideas like this are great when playing against an automatic system, no EW. When playing an actual EW I don't think the randomness fits. Unless they were the result of some form of punishments, a reason behind what's happened. Simply rolling every turn as the trigger doesn't cut it for me. It's kind of like playing against a story that isn't your own.

I agree. If played as an independent set of cards, I'd key them to a Hero's action in a room. Something like: "The first Hero that searches the bookcase discovers a forbidden collection of perverse texts. Draw a Trauma Card."

If the trouble was taken to create a set, I think they would best be included in a Quest Pack backed with a horror theme. Something like a haunted castle would do the trick.

If they didn't reveal what their card said...they would lie...just saying. In HQ it always says read the card out loud.

I agree if the cards are to be treated as Treasure Cards, as those are read out loud. As a new card set, there is no need to follow this convention.

However, they could function well as new hazard Treasure Cards. Something like: "In a dusty corner you uncover a bizarre idol hidden behind a loose stone. As you handle it, an unsettling feeling caresses your mind. Lose one Mind Point."

Cards aren't even necessary, as a Notes entry for a room can handle any special situation. For instance:

• If a Hero searches for treasure, ask him if he wants to disturb the tomb of a rich noble. If he says yes, the occupant's ghost rushes at him. For the remainder of the Quest the possessed Hero is filled with greed. He must always attempt to search for treasure in any room, as soon as possible.
• Each turn any Hero attacks the Mummy Lord from an adjacent or diagonal square space, he must roll one red dice for each of his Mind Points. Unless a 6 is rolled, that Hero attacks with just one combat die.
• When the Ogre is killed, his body transforms back to the young Baron. Filled with grief over this misdeed, the Hero who killed him goes into "shock" until he can attack Bale, the Sorcerer that cursed the hapless noble.

[burglekutt]

I'm starting to think Sanity might be very important to a game like this since hero's playing to long &getting to powerful causes it's own problem(leveling etc).

Say you had 10 Sanity points &at the end of each quest you roll 1d6 to see how many you lost, but you could get back two maybe three between quests by drinking at the Tavern in town.

Sanity not regained carry over to the next quest till you lose your mind completely & become evil & end up an enemy latter. Which makes a good plot line to try & redeem you.

If you don't have the money or make the rolls nesisary at the Tavern to gain your sanity back, you can always sit out a quest & gain 4 Sanity.

This is where you allow a niece, nephew or apprentice to take your place for the one or two quests you sit out.
You will play this person/relative like normal & though they don't have your Skill/Feats Cards, they get all your equipment/scrolls etc. Maybe minus a few artifacts he couldn't get off his drunk, unhinged uncle.

This could be fun for other players to yell at the "replacement relative" YOU SUCK, WE WANT YOUR UNCLE BACK!

Your main Hero regaining his Sanity back in town though could make some fun rolls dealing with life. Drunken fights, owing ppl money, can't pay rent &sleeps on the street for a night, lose a reputation point. Or on the positive side Falls in love, gains +1 good Reputation point doing charity work etc. Roll for good n bad.

This all has many benefits to the game.
Let's you introduce a relative who COULD die & now you want revenge. If you don't take this "time off" you could become Evil. Allows your Hero to developed a story outside of just dungeons. Let's other players yell at you that your nephew was more useful than you are:) Is a back up character for you in case you die who has a bit of history &can take over for you.

Imagine the nephew having to face the now evil uncle in a quest & save him, at which point you get your origional hero back to play. Hoping the other players aren't jerks & having to kill him:)

Just some ideas since I was bored.