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Old 07-06-2018, 10:01 AM   #11
oneofmanynameless
 
Join Date: May 2012
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Default Re: [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Dread

Everytime I think about this disadvantage I always wonder what the experience of encountering something you have dread against is like. It's clearly not an overpowering and irrational fear as that would be better modeled as phobia. It's not pain or burning or something that would be a weakness instead. It's a supernatural restraining order. As a GM I've struggled with describing this to players who have dreads, and as a result have shied away from giving supernatural templates which players can acquire or start with this disad, usually favoring phobia or weakness or both. But I'm interested in other GMs experience with this, or methods of explaining and describing it in different instances.
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Old 07-06-2018, 10:52 AM   #12
AlexanderHowl
 
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Default Re: [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Dread

I generally run it as a compulsive avoidance.
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Old 07-06-2018, 11:29 AM   #13
Bruno
 
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Default Re: [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Dread

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Originally Posted by oneofmanynameless View Post
It's not pain or burning or something that would be a weakness instead.
You can suffer pain without taking damage, but GURPS has actual pain states.

You can also suffer an overwhelming psychological shut down without it being a fright check (although GURPS does tend to re-use the fright check mechanic for that). I'd call that a coma though.

Compulsions are accompanied by strong emotions, which are dissipated by performing the compulsion. Anxiety, awe, horror, revulsion, respect, fear (you're right, not incoherent fear - but fright checks don't actually make people run away...)

It could be a mind-control robotic frog march away from the object, but I'm betting any entity would be either freaked out by that, or frustrated, depending on how smart they are and how familiar they are with it.
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Old 07-06-2018, 12:32 PM   #14
David Johnston2
 
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Default Re: [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Dread

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Originally Posted by oneofmanynameless View Post
Everytime I think about this disadvantage I always wonder what the experience of encountering something you have dread against is like. It's clearly not an overpowering and irrational fear as that would be better modeled as phobia.
Nope. Because one thing about Dread is, you don't need to know the thing you Dread is there. If you have a Dread of virgins it kicks in even if she's dressed like a street walker and offering you a tummy rub. Additionally you're fine as long as you are far enough enough away from the focus. Someone with a phobia of cats can't calmly chat with a talking cat because it happens to be a certain distance away from them. Seeing them is enough. Dread is very specific. If any part of you is within the the zone of exclusion you feel desperate to remove all of yourself from it.
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Old 07-06-2018, 03:52 PM   #15
Pursuivant
 
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Default Re: [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Dread

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Originally Posted by David Johnston2 View Post
Dread is very specific. If any part of you is within the the zone of exclusion you feel desperate to remove all of yourself from it.
In that case, it could manifest as a sort of "force field" where you're involuntarily pushed away from the subject of your dread.

I think of it as manifesting like some sort of cosmic "panic attack," where your brain is giving you an overwhelming urge to bug out.

Having played a fair bit of fantasy/supernatural-focused GURPS, I think that Dread works pretty well as written.

Last edited by Pursuivant; 07-06-2018 at 03:56 PM.
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Old 07-06-2018, 09:32 PM   #16
Rupert
 
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Default Re: [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Dread

I think it would be like the urge to move away from the edge of tall building or cliff that many people have. It's not a phobia - you can be quite close to that edge and feel fine (but get closer and your monkey brain goes nuts). A 'panic attack' of sorts is probably a good way to look at it, or the way a cat or baby can freak out if they're being held and want to get loose, but as soon as they're loose they just chill out as if nothing had happened.
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Old 07-09-2018, 12:40 PM   #17
Railstar
 
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Default Re: [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Dread

One thing I'm thinking of as well is perhaps an "Insurmountable" enhancement on Dread - which means if a foe is keeping you at bay with your Dread, then you can't just shoot him or stab him or cast spells on him from outside the radius.

I'd also be interested in lesser versions of Cannot Be Trapped limitation, where the Dread doesn't stop having an effect if trapped, but if Dracula was cornered by a guy with a crucifix he could fight his way through the guy in his effort to get out.

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Originally Posted by oneofmanynameless View Post
Everytime I think about this disadvantage I always wonder what the experience of encountering something you have dread against is like. It's clearly not an overpowering and irrational fear as that would be better modeled as phobia. It's not pain or burning or something that would be a weakness instead. It's a supernatural restraining order. As a GM I've struggled with describing this to players who have dreads, and as a result have shied away from giving supernatural templates which players can acquire or start with this disad, usually favoring phobia or weakness or both. But I'm interested in other GMs experience with this, or methods of explaining and describing it in different instances.
I think it's somewhat left vague so you can put your own spin on it, or have special effects. I love seeing "monster-eye-view" perspectives on the world, where something appears different to the monster. A recent game called Vampyr shows the effects of a crucifix very interestingly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cKN...antha%27sVault
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Old 07-09-2018, 03:32 PM   #18
Pursuivant
 
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Default Re: [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Dread

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Originally Posted by Rupert View Post
I think it would be like the urge to move away from the edge of tall building or cliff that many people have.
That's another good way of describing it, especially if you know the subject of your dread is present. (I wonder if devil children play games of chicken about who can get closest to the holy symbol without flinching? :) )
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Old 07-09-2018, 03:49 PM   #19
Pursuivant
 
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Default Re: [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Dread

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Originally Posted by Railstar View Post
One thing I'm thinking of as well is perhaps an "Insurmountable" enhancement on Dread - which means if a foe is keeping you at bay with your Dread, then you can't just shoot him or stab him or cast spells on him from outside the radius.

I'd also be interested in lesser versions of Cannot Be Trapped limitation, where the Dread doesn't stop having an effect if trapped, but if Dracula was cornered by a guy with a crucifix he could fight his way through the guy in his effort to get out.
Those are cool ideas. Lessee:

Insurmountable (+50%): Not only do you Dread a particular substance, you also temporarily fear and avoid anyone wielding or carrying that substance, and can take no direct or indirect offensive action against them. All you can do is flee or take other purely defensive actions to protect yourself.

Cannot Physically Attack (+10%): This is a limited form of the Insurmountable special enhancement. You can't attack the subject of your dread, or the person wielding it, physically, but you can use other sorts of direct attacks, such as mind control or spells which impose non-harmful effects on the subject.

Cannot Attack Directly (+20%): This is a limited form of the Insurmountable special enhancement. You can't attack the subject of your dread, or the person wielding it, directly, but you can use indirect attacks against them, such as coercion, or launching attacks outside the forbidden zone which create hazards within it.

Flight Only (-20%): You cannot enter the forbidden zone of your own volition, but if carried there by an outside force, or if an opponent wearing, carrying, or representing the thing you dread forces you into the forbidden zone when you cannot safely retreat, you can attempt to escape rather than just cowering. You can't attack the source of your Dread, but you can take any other action necessary to leave the forbidden zone. Once you escape the zone, the prohibition reactivates. This is a limited form of the Cannot Be Trapped limitation, you cannot have both limitations.
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Old 07-09-2018, 05:22 PM   #20
Railstar
 
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Default Re: [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Dread

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Originally Posted by Pursuivant View Post
Those are cool ideas. Lessee:

Insurmountable (+50%): Not only do you Dread a particular substance, you also temporarily fear and avoid anyone wielding or carrying that substance, and can take no direct or indirect offensive action against them. All you can do is flee or take other purely defensive actions to protect yourself.

Cannot Physically Attack (+10%): This is a limited form of the Insurmountable special enhancement. You can't attack the subject of your dread, or the person wielding it, physically, but you can use other sorts of direct attacks, such as mind control or spells which impose non-harmful effects on the subject.

Cannot Attack Directly (+20%): This is a limited form of the Insurmountable special enhancement. You can't attack the subject of your dread, or the person wielding it, directly, but you can use indirect attacks against them, such as coercion, or launching attacks outside the forbidden zone which create hazards within it.

Flight Only (-20%): You cannot enter the forbidden zone of your own volition, but if carried there by an outside force, or if an opponent wearing, carrying, or representing the thing you dread forces you into the forbidden zone when you cannot safely retreat, you can attempt to escape rather than just cowering. You can't attack the source of your Dread, but you can take any other action necessary to leave the forbidden zone. Once you escape the zone, the prohibition reactivates. This is a limited form of the Cannot Be Trapped limitation, you cannot have both limitations.
Awesome! I really like these!
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