Quote:
Originally Posted by johndallman
I think it dates back to the invention of Fright Checks in the first GURPS Horror. The reason seems to be so that Fright Checks are always something to be taken seriously, and not incurred lightly. Having higher Will and other bonuses mean that Fright Checks at penalties get easier.
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Also, Terror is meant to be a, well,
terrifying monster ability, not a minor bit of color. Monsters with Terror (major demons such as the bayanganaga, Elder Things such as the mindwarper, greater undead such as the specter, many large dragons, etc.) are bosses by definition. Delvers are
supposed to be afraid of them, even if their players are not.
As written, between basic Will and the +2 from mandatory Combat Reflexes, the Fright Check profile of
out-of-the-box delvers is {10, 11, 11, 12, 12, 13, 14, 14, 14, 14, 15} (mean 12.8, median 13, mode 14). All can optionally add at least one of IQ (and with it, Will), Will, Combat Reflexes, Daredevil, or Fearlessness; better than half can add two or more of those. And then there's holy warriors with Higher Purpose and bards with optional Xenophilia (yes, it gives a bonus), which are very likely applicable vs. the sorts of monsters that have Terror. And
then there are whole parties getting a bonus from Leadership (
Exploits, p. 57).
In the face of that, a cap of 13 is mostly a way of ensuring that Terror stays scary without having to give all monsters a -3 or -4 that would paralyze all the "brave" – but lower IQ, and hence lower Will – fighters while the casters ignore it.
It's also important to recognize that there are no "mundane" Fright Checks (for dead bodies, startling noises, unexpected violence, etc.) in the
DFRPG. They're always caused by monsters, the Song of Terror, or spells like Mystic Mist and Terror. So this cap is a way to ensure that certain abilities aren't completely "nerfed" for delvers and monsters alike. It serves a purpose similar to the Rule of 16.
In short, there are pretty good reasons in the
DFRPG and GURPS Horror for this rule to exist, but they aren't the
same reasons.
I'll add that in either game, for characters for whom "
I am FEARLESS!!!" is supposed to be a thing, there's Unfazeable. That costs 15 points and doesn't really do anything else useful, so the cap at 13 further makes heroes who have it stand out.