09-25-2020, 11:24 AM | #1 |
Night Watchman
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cambridge, UK
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[Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Panic Attacks
Panic Attacks [-5, -10 or -25] is a mundane mental disadvantage. Under stressful situations, you are sometimes overwhelmed by feelings of fear and the fight-or-flight reaction. This disadvantage appeared in GURPS Horror for 4e.
This disadvantage can be triggered by many kinds of psychological stress, including being exposed to a Phobia, failing a Fright Check or making it exactly, withdrawal from Alcoholism or an Addiction, starvation, or a heart attack (!). Whenever it might be triggered, the GM rolls 3d, and on a 6 or less, you have a Panic Attack, whose effects add to any other effects of the situation. Hyperventilating is also a potential trigger, which normally happens after intense exercise, including combat. Panic Attacks have three levels, worth [-5], [-10] or [-25] as disadvantages. The levels have different durations (2d seconds, 1d minutes, or 3d minutes respectively), and impose penalties to all attributes and skill rolls (-2, -3 or -4) and active defences (-4, -5 or -6). The more severe levels have extra penalties: at [-10], you lose 2FP at the start of the attack, and can’t move from where you stand, unless you flee at full Move; at [-25] you lose 3FP and can’t move from the spot at all, although you can cower by crouching. Also, when a [-25] sufferer reached the end of an attack, it may trigger a new one; the GM makes a new roll. Horror suggests Panic Attacks as a part of the real-world problems Panic Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This suggests them as a suitable disadvantage for acquisition through prolonged stress, failed Fright Checks, or Corruption (Horror, pp. 146-48). Madness Dossier (also by Ken Hite) makes use of it, but no other GURPS supplements do so. I’ve never seen this disadvantage used in a game: it feels a bit too close to reality to attract me. Has it been used in your games?
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The Path of Cunning. Indexes: DFRPG Characters, Advantage of the Week, Disadvantage of the Week, Skill of the Week, Techniques. Last edited by johndallman; 09-25-2020 at 12:42 PM. Reason: Punctuation |
09-25-2020, 12:32 PM | #2 |
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
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Re: [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Panic Attacks
No, but I have Panic Disorder. Now I wonder what level I have...
Apparently [-5] since I can still move.
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09-25-2020, 03:08 PM | #3 | |
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: near London, UK
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Re: [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Panic Attacks
Quote:
But then again the only time I've even seen Fearfulness taken by a PC is when they want to max out IQ-for-skills and leave their Will and Per at a more normal-human sort of level. Something like this would be right out. Though I might well stick it on a pre-gen for a one-shot game…
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09-25-2020, 05:46 PM | #4 |
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Dreamland
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Re: [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Panic Attacks
I have the book but I haven't looked through it much. This definitely falls under the list of "stuff that's too depressing to take for anyone involved".
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09-26-2020, 07:35 AM | #5 | |
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon
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Re: [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Panic Attacks
Quote:
Mine are probably the -5 version but initiated by failure on a Phobia check not any other stressor so far. And on a couple occasions, too rarely thankfully for it to matter in Gurps terms, it got stuck in the on position for days. I think that's a factor to keep in mind for roleplaying realistic characters. While for rules, certain risks are below the game resolution, that they still can occur affects how one lives their lives. At 46, I've only had two "hell" level attacks that necessitated a hospital visit. But that possibility is always in the back of my mind when I get really anxious for "too long" in a safe place.
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09-26-2020, 07:40 AM | #6 | |
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon
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Re: [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Panic Attacks
Quote:
Maybe fun to add to a character temporarily then fix through montage therapy.
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09-26-2020, 03:59 PM | #7 |
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Dreamland
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Re: [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Panic Attacks
I could maybe see that. But this, Chronic Depression, and Alcoholism are like the big three disads that I feel are so depressing that it might almost be alienating and I haven't considered them with my groups or new players.
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09-26-2020, 05:25 PM | #8 |
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon
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Re: [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Panic Attacks
Perfectly reasonable. I feel similarly for Lecherousness. It's just asking for trouble with most players or groups.
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09-26-2020, 05:40 PM | #9 |
Join Date: Dec 2007
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Re: [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Panic Attacks
I've never done a real horror game as opposed to a monster hunting game and there's a reason why that disad was in Horror and not Basic.
Last edited by David Johnston2; 09-26-2020 at 05:54 PM. |
09-26-2020, 06:38 PM | #10 |
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Dreamland
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Re: [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Panic Attacks
It's definitely a thing of different gaming groups. I've never had any issues with Lecherousness or even Sadism, yet I'm certain many people don't have issues with players taking Addiction.
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