Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post - Is there a way to have mental Hit Points with DF?

tbone · 07-02-2020, 01:05 AM

Over the years I've seen a lot of praise for Call of Cthulhu's Sanity Points. And maybe that's a perfectly good mechanic for the genre. But whether or horror or fantasy or whatever, I've come to appreciate GURPS'/DFRPG's treatment of applying actual mental conditions (or not applying them, if the individual resists). "Sanity" isn't some actual quantity, and the loss of it has no particular meaning unless it yields some specific mental effects. I'm fine with GURPS dispensing with the "middle-man" stat, and getting right to applying those effects.

I'm on board Kromm's cautions, but if you do want to experiment with something like Mental HP . . . well, as I always say, it's just a game; hack at it! Start with Will as the pool, think of some appropriate affliction caused by a mental "Major Wound" (Stun? Fright Check?), then effects of having points reduced to less than 1/3 (big penalties on Will rolls and self-control rolls?), and down to 0 and lower . . .

If you come up with something that plays well, it'd be fun to hear about it.

07-02-2020, 01:05 AM	#12
tbone Join Date: Aug 2004	Re: Is there a way to have mental Hit Points with DF? Over the years I've seen a lot of praise for *Call of Cthulhu's* Sanity Points. And maybe that's a perfectly good mechanic for the genre. But whether or horror or fantasy or whatever, I've come to appreciate *GURPS'/DFRPG's treatment of applying actual mental conditions (or not applying them, if the individual resists). "Sanity" isn't some actual quantity, and the loss of it has no particular meaning unless it yields some specific mental effects. I'm fine with GURPS* dispensing with the "middle-man" stat, and getting right to applying those effects. I'm on board Kromm's cautions, but if you do want to experiment with something like Mental HP . . . well, as I always say, it's just a game; hack at it! Start with Will as the pool, think of some appropriate affliction caused by a mental "Major Wound" (Stun? Fright Check?), then effects of having points reduced to less than 1/3 (big penalties on Will rolls and self-control rolls?), and down to 0 and lower . . . If you come up with something that plays well, it'd be fun to hear about it. __________________ T Bone GURPS stuff and more at the Games Diner: http://www.gamesdiner.com Twitter: @Gamesdiner \| RSS: here ⬅︎ Updated RSS link \| This forum: Site updates thread (occasionally updated) (Latest goods on site: GLAIVE Mini levels up to v2.4. Update to melee weapon design tool, with more example weapons and commentary.) Last edited by tbone; 07-02-2020 at 07:33 AM. Reason: Nuked an apostrophe that should not have been there.