D&D 5E In Your Opinion: Should Amnesia Impair Class Abilities?

[Sunseeker]

I am glad you asked. I hadn't thought about there being different kinds of Amnesia.

I'd say a character that took the Background Enhancement I'm writing would have Amnesia that is complete--they have no memory of their lives before being abducted (see below) and can only make new memories post abduction.

Sure.

Along with a temporary loss of health (read: hit points) and vitality (although the abduction takes a few moments, the character is aged by at least a year) the amnesia is the result of the character being magically abducted from their home plane somewhere in the multiverse and deposited in a region of the King's Forest, in Cormyr (Forgotten Realms).

The abduction magic is based on (or piggybacks--I haven't decided yet) a trait of the Nine Hells; specifically the Whorl spells that abduct lesser creatures from other realities and drop them into the Hells, to feed the denizens of the Pit.

I'd been thinking about finding interesting ways players could insert characters from other worlds into the Realms, as well as bring characters starting at higher levels into a Realms campaign, and after browsing the section on Background in the SRD, I figured this idea of mine might be a way to do it.

EDIT: The stolen life force, health and memories do go somewhere.

It's worth pointing out, the Vetala vampire feeds on memories, so if you're suggesting they can't get back their memories, that's an alternative to literally sending them through Hell.

I had a campaign start similar to this, as a way of allowing players to play races, classes and creatures that didn't normally exist in the campaign setting. Basically, the magical barriers between universes were breaking down on this world, allowing bits of other places to leak through. Sometimes it was people, sometimes it was whole parts of other worlds.

Also reminds me of the premise for Event Horizon. I don't know if you want to go the horror route, but it's not an unreasonable claim to make that when you pass through Hell, sometimes you might bring something back with you. Maybe the whole reason you can't remember who you are is because you're not you. You're a doppelganger, maybe in this case, a failed one, which is why you ended up on the wrong plane (IE: Hell's dumping ground).

 

[Morinth]

From a mechanics standpoint, I'd say keep it simple. For all abilities based on a physical attribute, there is no problem. The character knows how to swing a sword, tie a knot, disable a trap. If it is Wisdom or Charisma-based, then have them do a Wisdom or Charisma save in instances where you think there's a chance they wouldn't be able to perform that ability. Make it easier as time goes on for them to actually make these saves if they have to repeat them often. Over time, these abilities should be accessible. The only really thorny issue is Intelligence-based abilities, and you have to make the call that anything that relies on knowing people, places, etc., is just gone. So, History and Religion are pretty much reset to 0, while Arcana and Nature probably would require a skill check or Intelligence save, depending on the circumstance. Naturally, if the player is a Wizard with amnesia, this is going to gimp the character quite a bit. I personally think it would be a fun thing to roleplay, but some players might balk at being less "optimal".

With regard to spellcasting, I would say the wizard would need to have access to her spellbook, but she should be able to use her cantrips without any trouble. This is what clues her into the fact that she is a spellcaster, since she has forgotten. There should also be a period of uncertainty, where anytime she tries out a spell for the first time, she has to make an Intelligence save, or it doesn't work. She can retry the next day, and she'll be at +1 to succeed, until she finally learns the spell. I think the DC should be the Save DC for that level spell, it stands to reason. The character should have a high Intelligence, so she should make the save more often than not. Once the character successfully casts the spell the first time, she no longer should need to make the Intelligence saves or Arcana checks.

But all of this begs the question: What is the narrative purpose of the amnesia? Is it just a device to bring high-level characters from one campaign setting into another, "incompatible" one? Because that seems like a long way to go for something like that. I think there needs to be more substance to it from a story standpoint. Otherwise it's just a gimmick.

 

[Warbringer]

Definitely yes... But I forget why

 

[Jeremy E Grenemyer]

I had a campaign start similar to this, as a way of allowing players to play races, classes and creatures that didn't normally exist in the campaign setting.

That's the vibe I am after: a way to feed the urge to use material outside of the Realms, in the Realms.

I keep seeing the Gunslinger Martial Archetype on the top of the DMs Guild top sellers list each time I visit the DMs Guild website, and it makes me think of Roland Deschain from Stephen King's Dark Tower saga, and I think it would actually be kind of cool to play a contemporary of Roland's in the Realms.

You'd need the right DM and the right group of players, but it could work.

I like your idea about maybe being caught up in the Hells during an abduction. I'd envisioned the process bypassing the Hells all together (in favor of the Realms), but the abduction process need not always go smoothly. <insert evil grin>

But all of this begs the question: What is the narrative purpose of the amnesia? Is it just a device to bring high-level characters from one campaign setting into another, "incompatible" one? Because that seems like a long way to go for something like that. I think there needs to be more substance to it from a story standpoint. Otherwise it's just a gimmick.

Thank you for the feedback.

I want to give players the option to start a campaign with a character from another world, and to give DMs an out to make this happen so they don't have to use up valuable planning time addressing the how and why of the PC showing up in a world where his or her kind don't necessarily exist (for example: I've seen more threads about Warforged in the Forgotten Realms than I can count). High level characters would also be an option, too, but I'm thinking 1st level since that's where most campaigns start.

The purpose of the amnesia is to help ground a PC in the Realms. A campaign could focus on the amnesia and other worlds bit--especially if it's a solo campaign--but I'm figuring DMs will carry on with whatever Realms adventure or story arc they'd originally planned to use.

I do want to leave the door open to explore the why behind an otherworldly character's abduction, but only if I can do it without making it seem like a requirement.

 

[Morinth]

I think it might be simpler to simply decide that warforged or whatever exist in the realms in a place that seems like a logical fit, that they are something new, and that the PC is in fact one of the first. With warforged, this is a pretty easy thing to do, since they are living constructs. With other races, I don't know, I have to wonder what is so special about some exotic race that the multitudes of offerings already in the Realms aren't sufficient to pull from. To me, when a player wants to play something really off the wall and not of the world setting, it tells me that she isn't really as into the character and story aspect of the game, and just wants to play something exotic for its own sake. I honestly don't even choose my character race first when I'm joining a new game. I see what the setting offers, where the campaign is going to be set within the setting, and what race, if any, might make for an interesting dynamic within the story. If there is a story that takes place in an area dominated by dwarves, it might be interesting to play a dwarf exile with ties to people within those communities. Or maybe it's an area between human and elven settlements, with hostile relations on both sides. Maybe a half-elf could be fun sort of outcast to navigate in that world. But most of the time I end up playing good ol' humans, because when it comes right down to it, a memorable character isn't memorable because she's a good-aligned half-rakshasa or whatever.

 

[pemerton]

As someone who has had amnesia, I thought I might chime in!

In my case, I lost memories of the previous three years or so, and also lost the ability to lay down new memories. Over the course of a week or so, my memories came back (except for the first 24 hours or so, which I don't remember at all; and some of that week is pretty hazy). Over the same period I became able to lay down new memories.

One thing about prospective amnesia (not being able to lay down new memories): it confines you to fairly simple tasks, because you can't carry out plans. I don't know when, exactly, my ability to remember fully recovered because I spent weeks just resting at home, recovering from my illness - and under these circumstances, being able to remember something new for a few hours is pretty much enough to be functional!

As for retrospective amnesia (not remembering the past): I didn't remember my job, or people whom I'd only met during that time, but I had my professional knowledge, and I think I knew that I had that knowledge and was certainly able to deploy it - I know from what others have told me that I was using my professional knowledge even during the period when I was "resetting" every 5 minutes because I couldn't lay down any memories of what was happening to me.

If I was playing an amnesiac character, I would expect most of my skills to work (and certainly my mental stats woudn't change). But I mightn't know what my PC's goals are, or how I got to where I am. I would add - this is quite unnerving, and the character might be expected to easily take comfort in someone who seemed able to help him/her understand what is going on, and to find his/her way around an unfamiliar environment.

 

[delericho]

As the title of the thread asks, should amnesia impair a character's class abilities?

Temporary or permanent amnesia? And does it happen during an ongoing campaign or before the start of the campaign?

Assuming it happens during the campaign...

If the amnesia is short-term (in that the character will remember within a session or two at most), then I'd say it's reasonable to restrict a few of the character's abilities. I would, however, make sure to compensate the character in some other way, probably by giving that character automatic Inspiration at the start of every encounter.

If the amnesia is long-term (whether truly permanent or simply more than a session or two... or if it's not certain whether the character will ever recover at all), then I'd say "no" - that's highly unlikely to be fun or interesting for the player at all, so don't go there.

However, if it happens before the campaign, then I'd take a slightly different approach - the characters 1st level abilities represent those few things he does recall and as he gains levels he 'remembers' the various other powers he picks up. Until, that is, the player decides that the character has chosen to reject his former self, at which point he stops remembering and instead learns some new abilities instead.

(And, for the most part, I'd handle such a character using an "Amnesiac" background. I've no idea what the traits for that should be. )

 

[Wednesday Boy]

I want to give players the option to start a campaign with a character from another world, and to give DMs an out to make this happen so they don't have to use up valuable planning time addressing the how and why of the PC showing up in a world where his or her kind don't necessarily exist (for example: I've seen more threads about Warforged in the Forgotten Realms than I can count). High level characters would also be an option, too, but I'm thinking 1st level since that's where most campaigns start.

The purpose of the amnesia is to help ground a PC in the Realms. A campaign could focus on the amnesia and other worlds bit--especially if it's a solo campaign--but I'm figuring DMs will carry on with whatever Realms adventure or story arc they'd originally planned to use.

I do want to leave the door open to explore the why behind an otherworldly character's abduction, but only if I can do it without making it seem like a requirement.

Is amnesia included so the player doesn't reference the abducted character's home world and the GM can focus only on Forgotten Realms? I think it would be more interesting to allow the abducted character to retain knowledge of their home world and explore how they would react to differences in the worlds. For example a character abducted from Dark Sun might have a fear of FR halflings because they're used to Athas' cannibalistic halflings. Or a dwarf abducted from Dragonlance might be surprised to be welcomed as one of Bruenor's kin when they're a lowly gully dwarf.

 

[LightningArrow]

Knowledge-based skills would certainly be impaired, or lost completely. The rest is up to you, I guess.

 

[Ganymede81]

Based on my understanding of amnesia, which is limited to several viewings of the Guy Pierce film Memento, the only character abilities that would be significantly impacted by it would be those involving recall and memory (History/Arcana/Nature/Religion checks, etc.).