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Old 03-20-2012, 03:46 PM   #1
JCurwen3
 
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Default Fright Checks and Soiling Yourself...

So here's a light-hearted question regarding advice on a house rule for failed Fright Checks and... well, peeing your pants and / or crapping yourself.

I personally have never known anyone that has ever "released" as a result of fear, nor have ever had anyone recount even second or third hand such a thing. I know a friend told me of a friend that peed herself, but that was from laughter and there was still the caveat that she had been holding it up. Maybe my experience is unusual and it actually happens much more often in the general public; I don't know. I know it certainly happens frequently in fiction (and, of course, probably ridiculously and unrealistically frequently in sitcoms and comedic fiction).

So does anyone have any idea what the actual realistic incidence of these phenomena are?

And where would you place these on the Fright Check table? GURPS Goblins (3rd Ed) had it occur on a 24 I think, but that was a "special" setting book.

I thought that perhaps a house rule might be that a player might be allowed to substitute once every few game-time hours (or just once per session) a "I peed my pants" for any stunning result (11 or less), and a "pooped my pants" once per session as a substitute for another result.

Or, alternatively, let players reduce the Fright Check result by some number if they pee, and reduce it by a greater number if they... poop. Not sure what would constitute reasonable numbers there.

Alternatively maybe everyone has a chance to do this on any Fright Check result of a certain level or above (again, only once every so often to allow for "recharge"), with a HT roll to resist. Or maybe it's a quirk or even levelled quirk that it happens.

To give it some game mechanical gas maybe for a short time they get a mild -1 to any appropriate reaction rolls with anyone that has heard about it if they peed themselves and for a longer time if they crapped themselves.

I would like to introduce at least the possibility of these things happening to occasionally lighten the mood with a wee bit of toilet humour, but I don't want to ham it up or make it unbalancing, unfair, or unrealistic either. This is for a high-realism, relatively serious and gritty game, wherein I like to occasionally inject some light-hearted humour, or at least the possibility of it, to relieve excessive dramatic tension.

Thoughts? Ever try out some rule related to this?
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Old 03-20-2012, 04:29 PM   #2
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Default Re: Fright Checks and Soiling Yourself...

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Originally Posted by JCurwen3 View Post
So here's a light-hearted question regarding advice on a house rule for failed Fright Checks and... well, peeing your pants and / or crapping yourself.
This is not something that I'd include in a Fright Check table. Yes, I know that it's said to happen, but I don't think it fits the genres of most campaigns I'd run. Not even horror campaigns; "Cabin boy, my brown pants—and hurry!" is just going to destroy the atmosphere of inhuman terror that should surround Cthulhu.

Bill Stoddard
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Old 03-20-2012, 04:37 PM   #3
JCurwen3
 
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Default Re: Fright Checks and Soiling Yourself...

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This is not something that I'd include in a Fright Check table. Yes, I know that it's said to happen, but I don't think it fits the genres of most campaigns I'd run. Not even horror campaigns; "Cabin boy, my brown pants—and hurry!" is just going to destroy the atmosphere of inhuman terror that should surround Cthulhu.

Bill Stoddard
HA! Well, I probably wouldn't even consider it ever in a CoC or any cosmic horror campaign, but then again, even if it did happen I'd let it stack with whatever other mental trauma that racked up along the way.
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Old 03-20-2012, 09:07 PM   #4
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Default Re: Fright Checks and Soiling Yourself...

I think soiling oneself would be highly situational (having more to do with holding it in than any specific trauma), but could potentially be triggered by any Stun result, especially if prolonged stun or unconsciousness occurs. This means it could be caused by Fright, physical damage, a Taser hit, etc. Having it occur would just be up to the GM, and should only be used in situations where it enhances the story (whether dramatic or comedic). Which is to say, I wouldn't have it happen randomly, or often.
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Old 03-21-2012, 08:42 AM   #5
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Default Re: Fright Checks and Soiling Yourself...

I heard that soiling yourself is a natural, evolved reaction, meant to free you up to run.

So in a sense, soiling yourself isn't the problem--wearing pants is the problem. :)

As realistic as it would be, it would completely ruin so many games--most rely on a certain amount of dramatic tension, or at least romantic heroism.

So I like your idea of making it a character choice, but I wouldn't expect it to be a popular option. Wish fulfillment is too important a part of why people game.

Last edited by aesir23; 03-21-2012 at 11:26 AM. Reason: fixed typo: would to wouldn't
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Old 03-21-2012, 09:12 AM   #6
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Default Re: Fright Checks and Soiling Yourself...

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So I like your idea of making it a character choice, but I would expect it to be a popular option. Wish fulfillment is too important a part of why people game.
Do you mean character choice or player choice?
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Old 03-21-2012, 09:25 AM   #7
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Default Re: Fright Checks and Soiling Yourself...

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Do you mean character choice or player choice?
I'm sure player choice is what was meant (it's certainly what I meant)... otherwise it'd be like you could pee yourself to become braver!!! :-)
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Old 03-21-2012, 09:43 AM   #8
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Default Re: Fright Checks and Soiling Yourself...

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Originally Posted by aesir23 View Post
I heard that soiling yourself is a natural, evolved reaction, meant to free you up to run.

So in a sense, soiling yourself isn't the problem--wearing pants is the problem. :)

As realistic as it would be, it would complete ruin so many games--most rely on a certain amount of dramatic tension, or at least romantic heroism.

So I like your idea of making it a character choice, but I would expect it to be a popular option. Wish fulfillment is too important a part of why people game.
Although, as a potential benefit, the PCs could just avoid wearing pants. :)
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Old 03-21-2012, 11:25 AM   #9
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Default Re: Fright Checks and Soiling Yourself...

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Do you mean character choice or player choice?
I meant player choice.
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Old 03-22-2012, 07:43 AM   #10
Phaelen Bleux
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Default Re: Fright Checks and Soiling Yourself...

In general, I think the realistic result of severe psychological stress is either vomiting or loose bowels, but generally after the stressful incident (more like Post Combat Shakes).

Although, as Aesir pointed out, lightening the load can help with the Flight response (birds often do it prior to taking off) and can be defensive (urinating/defecating in the attackers mouth to discourage predation in the moment), usually it's better to wait for negative physiologic reactions until after the danger is passed.
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