[Basic] Disadvatage of the Week: Post-Combat Shakes

johndallman · 11-22-2019, 03:52 AM

Post-Combat Shakes [-5*] is a mundane mental disadvantage with a self-control roll. You suffer significant mental after-effects from being involved with combat, which might put you off the whole idea. This disadvantage seems to have appeared in Compendium I for GURPS 3e.

After a fight has ended, you need to make a self-control roll, which may have penalties for gory or gruesome events, at the GM’s option. If you fail it, treat it as if you failed a Fright Check: roll 3d, add the margin of failure, consult the Fright Check table and apply the results immediately. This goes well with Berserk or Flashbacks, and might be an intermediate stage in buying off Pacifism (Reluctant Killer).

Post-Combat Shakes is a fairly common disadvantage option on templates for characters who aren’t experienced with violence, and shows up on a few who are acquiring that experience, such as TL6 infantrymen. Fantasy: Portal Realms recommends it as a one-off occurrence for people who didn’t know they had Combat Reflexes, while Madness Dossier has drugs to cause this disadvantage. It’s a part of the Psionic Powers crippling rules, and of Tactical Shooting’s PTSD rules.

From experience in play, this is a disadvantage that bites surprisingly hard if you have a self-control roll of 12- or worse and fights are commonplace events in the game. You fail often enough that you start accumulating additional quirks and suffer fairly time-consuming reactions. If you just want to be someone who’s morally troubled by combat, take an appropriate quirk.

How has Post-Combat Shakes played in your games?

11-22-2019, 03:52 AM	#1
johndallman Night Watchman Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Cambridge, UK	[Basic] Disadvatage of the Week: Post-Combat Shakes Post-Combat Shakes [-5] is a mundane mental disadvantage with a self-control roll. You suffer significant mental after-effects from being involved with combat, which might put you off the whole idea. This disadvantage seems to have appeared in Compendium I* for *GURPS* 3e. After a fight has ended, you need to make a self-control roll, which may have penalties for gory or gruesome events, at the GM’s option. If you fail it, treat it as if you failed a Fright Check: roll 3d, add the margin of failure, consult the Fright Check table and apply the results immediately. This goes well with Berserk or Flashbacks, and might be an intermediate stage in buying off Pacifism (Reluctant Killer). Post-Combat Shakes is a fairly common disadvantage option on templates for characters who aren’t experienced with violence, and shows up on a few who are acquiring that experience, such as TL6 infantrymen. *Fantasy: Portal Realms* recommends it as a one-off occurrence for people who didn’t know they had Combat Reflexes, while *Madness Dossier* has drugs to cause this disadvantage. It’s a part of the *Psionic Powers* crippling rules, and of *Tactical Shooting*’s PTSD rules. From experience in play, this is a disadvantage that bites surprisingly hard if you have a self-control roll of 12- or worse and fights are commonplace events in the game. You fail often enough that you start accumulating additional quirks and suffer fairly time-consuming reactions. If you just want to be someone who’s morally troubled by combat, take an appropriate quirk. How has Post-Combat Shakes played in your games? __________________ The Path of Cunning. Indexes: DFRPG Characters, Advantage of the Week, Disadvantage of the Week, Skill of the Week, Techniques.