Depravity (Taint) and Sanity

[Katowice]

It seems to me that Depravity (from Heroes of Horror) and Sanity (from Unearthed Arcana) are two different game mechanics looking at the same issue (madness). Since Expedition to Castle Ravenloft uses depravity for dealing with madness, I'm assuming this is WotC preferred mechanic.

Having said that, I liked certain elements of the Sanity rules, such as Sanity loss for witnessing horrific events, seeing creatures or dealing with forbidden lore. Has anybody adapted parts of the Sanity rules to expand the rules for depravity in Heroes of Horror?

 

[frankthedm]

Since Expedition to Castle Ravenloft uses depravity for dealing with madness, I'm assuming this is WotC preferred mechanic.

Taint is a trade off, get enough and you get bonus feats IIRC. Sanity points are more of a time limit. Taint meshes more with the heroic antics and power up accumulation over a long time of D20. Sanity is better for systems where weighing the risks of an inexperienced but stable character to an experienced but phobia riddled veteran is a harder choice. Building up a character to professional level takes many, many sessions in d20 since you start as a ‘teen’, fresh and learning fast.

Sanity hails from a system were experience adds to the character’s flexibility far more than it adds to their raw power. Call of Cthulhu, starts the players as professionals in thier fields.

 

[Nyeshet]

I tend to prefer the Fear / Horror / Madness system found in Ravenloft, but then that was the first such system I ever encountered / used, so I might be a little biased, I admit . . .