Psychological Negative Qualities? Options

[DireRadiant]

Has anyone made a table of psychological negative qualities
similar to the allergy table?

Here's an example where I've switched the Damage Value
increase with a composure test, and changed the physical
damage for the severe to immediate stun damage.

PSYCHOLOGICAL NEGATIVE QUALITY TABLE

Uncommon 2 The situation or condition is rare for the
local environment. Examples: Full Moon light, wild animals
downtown.

Common 7 The situation or condition is common for
the local environment. Examples: sunlight, Heights
or enclosed spaces in urban areas, open spaces
or flora and fauna in the wilderness
-------------------------------------------------------
Mild 3 Conditions are discomfiting and distracting.
Apply a - 2 dice pool modifier to all tests
made while a character experiences the
conditions.

Moderate 8 Situation produces intense
discomfort. Apply a - 4 dice pool modifier to all
tests made while a character experiences the
conditions. Composure (WIL + CHA) test to voluntarily
continue exposure to the condition (include - 4 dice
pool modifier when making this test).

Severe 13 Conditions results in immediate
stun damage. The character receives
3 box of stun damage immediately and 1 for every additional
minute he remains exposed to the condition.
Apply a - 4 dice pool modifier to all tests
made while a character experiences the
condition. Composure (WIL + CHA) test to voluntarily
continue exposure to the condition at + 4 threshold
(include - 4 dice pool modifier when making this test)

[BishopMcQ]

So to play the Devil's advocate, what keeps me from playing the severaly agoraphobic hacker who runs VR for everything and uses relays and connections (dataline taps etc) to hack remote servers that are offline?

Also why the stun damage? I understand the raised threshold due to anxiety and stress, but I've never seen even a highly psychotic individual break out in a rash of bruises as if pummeled.

[DireRadiant]

[DireRadiant]

[ogbendog]

[BishopMcQ]

I understand that the system can be abused through allergies and other flaw combinations. I chose the position of Devil's Advocate because it is one I use with my players--before you add a new set of rules, explain to me how it fits in with the established system and how it is not going to be abused. Does the existence of a related game concept mean that this one should exist?

From a GM standpoint, I would rather see a mental disorder such as agoraphobia and the like role-played out and allow the player the flexibility and free-will to determine their own penalties. By codifying it, I think it will limit the interactivity with my players. Obviously each group is different.

The wording is also fairly vague and open to interpretation--for an individual with severe claustrophobia, what is a confined space? An opera hall, a supermarket, a bar like "Cheers", an elevator, a coffin?
Could it be codified to by Willpower, the stronger willed an individual is, the smaller a space than can handle? Would that be reflective of human psychology where the measure of how stubborn an individual is has little direct bearing on their agoraphobia--the relationship between the two is highly arbitrary in any given case.

[Phoenix (A-Team)]

It seems to me that the idea has merit, but you may want to consider all of the other posibilities. What if a character does have a psychological problem of somekind? It does make for intriguing gameplay when a character has a deathly fear of heights but is forced to be tied to the landing strut of a helicopter because there's not enough room inside (and the other team members feel like chuckling the whole way)... not that my character would have any such knowledge of an experience.

These kinds of things can get better or get worse because of adventure situations. Why wouldn't it have an effect on them similar to a choas or confusion spell? Temporary penalties inflicted by the experience of the stressor that make the situation worse. After all, the idea is psychological... why wouldn't a decker who's afraid of heights have a terrible time in the matrix where one has the sensation of being disembodied and freefloating in a world of pixels? People just playing Halo can get kind of a sick feeling in their stomachs if they jump from tall heights (whether it hurts their avatar or not). A fear of water would make problems for an Native American Shaman wanting to cross the bridge to Council Island in order to escape a bloodthirsty party of mobsters.

Likewise, as the Qualities insist from the get-go, a GM and player should sit down together and discuss what would work best for their character. The idea is about making gameplay more fun after all.

Just my few cents

[TheHappyAnarchis...]

[RunnerPaul]

[PlatonicPimp]

see my post here.

http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?showtopic=11207