03-20-2012, 03:46 PM | #1 |
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Brooklyn, NY
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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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-JC |
03-20-2012, 04:29 PM | #2 | |
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
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Re: Fright Checks and Soiling Yourself...
Quote:
Bill Stoddard |
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03-20-2012, 04:37 PM | #3 | |
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Brooklyn, NY
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Re: Fright Checks and Soiling Yourself...
Quote:
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-JC |
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03-20-2012, 09:07 PM | #4 |
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Oregon
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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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03-21-2012, 08:42 AM | #5 |
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Vermont
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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.
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My ongoing thread of GURPS versions of DC Comics characters. Last edited by aesir23; 03-21-2012 at 11:26 AM. Reason: fixed typo: would to wouldn't |
03-21-2012, 09:12 AM | #6 |
Banned
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Europe
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Re: Fright Checks and Soiling Yourself...
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03-21-2012, 09:25 AM | #7 |
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Brooklyn, NY
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Re: Fright Checks and Soiling Yourself...
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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-JC |
03-21-2012, 09:43 AM | #8 | |
Careful Wisher
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Oregon, WI
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Re: Fright Checks and Soiling Yourself...
Quote:
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ P. Mandrekar, Geneticist and Gamer Rational Centrist "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts"- Daniel P. Moynihan |
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03-21-2012, 11:25 AM | #9 |
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Vermont
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Re: Fright Checks and Soiling Yourself...
I meant player choice.
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My ongoing thread of GURPS versions of DC Comics characters. |
03-22-2012, 07:43 AM | #10 |
World Traveler in Training
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Chicago, IL
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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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"People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use." -- Kierkegaard http://aerodrome.hamish.tripod.com Last edited by Phaelen Bleux; 03-22-2012 at 07:51 AM. |
Tags |
fright checks, humor |
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