Ok, I am running Ghost Cartels and we're about halfway through 'Dirty Pretty Money' and my PCs in trying to decide to fabricate evidence endicting Evan Goldman, they decide to get the PC spy to disguise himself as Goldman. In addition, they basically hack both Goldman's car and his wife's (gaining full Admin on both and backdooring the cars). Disguised as Goldman and using his car at night (when Goldman is asleep) they go to a dodgy, illegal Russian brothel (owned by one of their contacts). Getting access to surveillance footage and cameras he's carrying, they decide they are going to create a homemade video of 'Goldman' having sex with an illegal Russian immigrant hooker (who also happens to be 16).

At which point, 'Goldman' thinks to himself "Hang on - I have a LOT of drugs on me. How can I make this video more damning?"

So he pulls out a tab of tempo - one for him and one for the girl.

Long story short - 'Goldman' makes a VERY convincing selfmade porno video (he's a mundane cyber-freak experiencing his first astral jaunt while getting his rocks off, experiencing a feedback loop off her tempo high).

I get the PC to make an Addiction test. Passes physical test, fails mental test. I decide the intensity of the experience is enough to warrant an Addiction (Mild) to Tempo.

I read out the description of Addiction (Mild) and the player says to me "Ah, well, that doesn't sound too bad." I didn't say anything to him about the downsides obviously.

My question now is this - now the PC is addicted, how/where/when do I decide when the other side effects come in? There are no mechanics covering this. I'm trying to work out if my PC will experience a moment like Haze did (I think it would e fantastic to throw that one out there).

I'm also keen to hear how other GMs handled this as I am sure other GMs encountered this dilemma.

Well, the possessions only start occuring later. I always thought that you need to be using a lot for you to be a good conduit. Plus, it's not like the spirits have time to possess everyone - only a small fraction of people were being used as meat condoms. So I wouldn't do anything at all at first, for a while, and only later could you start thinking about messing with the character's head. I'd make it coincide with something else, like a mage the team just met, make it seem like he's being used by him or something have them go up in arms against people that have nothing to do with this, or whatever. You don't them to think it's tempo making him get possessed.

The rub is that ANYONE using tempo can be used. One time, several times, whatever - at least that was my reading of it. Although principally I would agree with you that it would require someone who is a regular user to experience these symptoms. Haze was already a habitual user before the incident.

The "other" effects of temp don't kick in until the person has a burnout addition, I believe. I think it says that somewhere in the book.

"Hardcore addicts and abusers can accrue additional long term secondary eff ects such as fugue states (lost time and memory), some trance-like or mesmerized states, and temporary personality changes ranging from mild to radical. Gamemasters should refer to The Secret of Tempo, p. 133, for further information on these secondary effects."