Rules for madness

[caudor]

Does anyone know of a d20 or OGL game book (or .pdf) that tackles the topic of madness (maybe offers up a few rules)?

I checked the DM's Guide and can find nothing on this subject. I would like to add a powerful magic item in my campaign that can cause someone to go mad if they handle it.

 

[The Little Raven]

Does anyone know of a d20 or OGL game book (or .pdf) that tackles the topic of madness (maybe offers up a few rules)?

I checked the DM's Guide and can find nothing on this subject. I would like to add a powerful magic item in my campaign that can cause someone to go mad if they handle it.

It's not OGL, but the Call of Cthulhu d20 book has some rules for sanity... some very good rules, in my opinion. Also, the Ravenloft d20 book has rules for fear, horror, and madness.

 

[caudor]

Thanks a bunch...that will give me two places to look.

 

[kuroshidaku]

I'll second Call of Cthulhu. The sanity rules in it are great. Has details for just about any type of mental disorder.

 

[Darklone]

In some KoK adventures and source books IIRC there are some mad clerics with the Madness domain and a Madness rating (essentially a bonus to their wisdom for spellcasting and the same amount as penalty to wisdom for anything else).

Or was it some Scarred Lands stuff? Prolly.

 

[Caliber]

The first time I saw a mechanic like Darklone mentions was Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, where some Clerics possess a "Madness" stat. It adds to Wisdom for casting, but subtracts for everything else. Makes those DCs quite nasty.

 

[Darklone]

The first time I saw a mechanic like Darklone mentions was Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, where some Clerics possess a "Madness" stat. It adds to Wisdom for casting, but subtracts for everything else. Makes those DCs quite nasty.

And the bonus spells....

 

[kramis]

flavor

I found adding the Wild Magic template added a nice madness flavor to a spell caster, as long as they could roll play other aspects of it.

DotF does have a madness domain for clerics though, a little less interesting ... I think roll playing or using a completely unique template would be the way to go (I made a template like this once, it was pretty cool ... lot's of weird bonuses and penalties ... like you always believed illusions, but sense motive always failed against you, things like that).

 

[Plane Sailing]

There is also a great madness mechanic in Wheel of Time - allowing for male magic users to gradually go mad and contract a horrible wasting disease too. The same basic mechanism is used for wolfbrothers who go mad and lose their humanity.

Cheers

 

[kramis]

easy way out

Alternately, you can take a totally easy way out and if you just want some side effects from a powerful magic item, you can have them be subjected to an Insanity spell (duration permanent, random action every round). If you wanted something more encompasing, just pull the character aside and ask them to roll play it. Give them their "madness level" each session, which in theory should be slowly increasing, and see how well they play it. You can give them bonus experience for good role playing so that if they ever get rid of the madness they still have the experience ... could be really fun for everyone.

I find this ends up being the most entertaining types of situations ... my players love (and hate) it. It's no uncommon for one of them to fall under the influence of mind control secretly and then they have to roll play in such a way that no one else find out. It's great fun all around, and can really test their roll playing skills.

I'm running my characters through a temple of chaos right now and there are a lot of madness types of traps and spells. I used a lot of Confusion and Insanity spells to make it easier, but there are also templates they can pick up.