Fear conditions

[hong]

I too like this since it puts the choice into the players hands..

"The immunity would also apply if you run away but come back, because the spectacle of someone running, coming back, then running again, is just a bit silly."

Depends on how you narrate it. Joe the fighter runs away and hides behind a boulder. He huffs and puffs, focuses himself and says a prayer to Grog to protect himself.. reinforced by this mental preparation he bolts back into the fray...but is overcome by the sight of the Dragon rending Fred in half and jumps back behind the boulder into 'safety'...

Now, perhaps the second exposure increases the DC to recover...meaning its less likely Joe will be able to muster up the courage to try again..but a valiant hero just might try.

This is okay the first 2-3 times it happens. After that, it's just silly.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

True.. so add a +5 to the recover DC every time Joe runs away.

Or +CR to the recovery time if you think a measly +5 isn't enough

 

[hong]

True.. so add a +5 to the recover DC every time Joe runs away.

Or +CR to the recovery time if you think a measly +5 isn't enough

That sounds rather vindictive.

 

[Croesus]

Shaken: -2 to all d20 rolls (saves, attacks, skill checks)

Frightened: -6 to all d20 rolls

Panicked: -10 to all d20 rolls

One thing that jumps out at me is that it has little effect on spellcasting. Do you want to require a Concentration check to cast spells when affected by one of these?

 

[hong]

Hm, hadn't thought of that. That's a good idea.

 

[Nifft]

One thing that jumps out at me is that it has little effect on spellcasting. Do you want to require a Concentration check to cast spells when affected by one of these?

Seconded! or thirded.

-- N

 

[Kerrick]

I like this idea. And definitely, require a Concentration check for spellcasting/manifesting - being frightened is a state of mind, and it affects how you think, or if you can think at all.

I would edit this mildly by adding just a footnote that recovering from fear is not saving against the monster.

Yeah... you can run off and shake off the fear effect from, say, a dragon, but if you see that dragon again, you're still going to feel its fear. If you make the FIRST save, then yeah - you could be immune for 24 hours. If you fail the first one, but make any one after that (through application of a remove fear spell, e.g., but not running away), then you should gain a bonus to any subsequent saves (+4 maybe) for the next 24 hours. Either case follows the reasoning that you've bearded the lion before, so to speak, and it doesn't hold as much fear for you as it used to.

I think there should be a "broken morale" rule - say, if you roll a natural 1 or blow the roll by 10 or more (whichever you prefer), the PC just can't handle the thought of facing that creature/effect/whatever again, and he flees and/or hides out of the creature's sight until a) one minute has passed; or b) he receives a remove fear spell. This simulates the effect that some things are so overwhelmingly scary (like a huge freaking dragon) that some people just can't handle them at all. Seeing Fred the rogue torn in half might drive Bob the mage into catatonia, but it wouldn't really faze Harry the fighter, who's seen worse.

Now, what about the remove fear spell? IMHO it should remove ONE category of Fear automatically, and allow an immediate save to remove the whole condition, plus grant a +4 morale bonus on future saves. (As opposed to now, where it automatically removes fear, plus grants a +4 morale bonus on future saves.)

I like that too - it's better than the "all or nothing" effect that it is now.