Drink As a Method to Cope

[myrmidon]

How would one model a character drinking to get drunk and forget mental trauma? Would that be considered Alcoholism? I don't think such a person is truly an alcoholic as described in the disadvantage, but I don't know what else it would be. The mental trauma would be manifest as Nightmares and Flashbacks (with some Bad Temper, though that is more restrained).

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by myrmidon

How would one model a character drinking to get drunk and forget mental trauma? Would that be considered Alcoholism? I don't think such a person is truly an alcoholic as described in the disadvantage, but I don't know what else it would be.

I don't see why it wouldn't be Alcoholism. The reason you became addicted to something doesn't alter the mechanics you'd use for your addiction.

I suppose this could describe a character who drinks voluntarily, as a point of characterization, and could opt to skip drinking that day given a sufficiently good reason. That character has no drinking related disadvantage at all. Maybe a quirk of the same sort as anybody else who has an expensive and/or time consuming useless hobby.

[AlexanderHowl]

The Mitigator limitation would actually be a good fit. For example, if the character experienced trauma that results in uncontrollable anger when they do not drink every day (in the form of Bad Temper (6-) and Berserk (6-)), daily drinking could mitigate the expression at -60%, turning -40 CP in disadvantages to -16 CP in disadvantages. Alcoholism and Amnesia would just be separate disadvantages that could also occur if the character goes too far in burying their memories.

[Inky]

Is there any category for "mitigator with awkward side effects"? Doesn't seem quite fair that "mitigated by daily drinking" should cost no less than "mitigated by wearing glasses".

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by myrmidon

How would one model a character drinking to get drunk and forget mental trauma? Would that be considered Alcoholism? I don't think such a person is truly an alcoholic as described in the disadvantage, but I don't know what else it would be. The mental trauma would be manifest as Nightmares and Flashbacks (with some Bad Temper, though that is more restrained).

Tactical Shooting has a section on p. 34 ("Shell Shock") about disadvantages acquired through stress, such as failed Fright Checks. Nightmares, Flashbacks and Bad Temper are all available; you could take a better Self-Control Roll on Bad Temper.

Taking disadvantages with a Mitigator may demand creativity with the Mitigator limitation. Most places, alcohol is fairly easily available, cheap and legal, which makes it easier to get than drugs from a pharmacy, so maybe this is only a 50% mitigator?

Of course, getting drunk every day on a sustained basis can readily turn into full-strength Alcoholism.

[Gumby Bush]

P3/103 converts Fright Checks to a Sanity Point based system, quite similar to AtE's FP system in that it has Sanity Points and Long-Term Sanity Points.

Anyway, in that system, "Much as a meal while resting restores an extra FP, certain indulgences (massage, sex, brandy, etc.) restore one extra SP."

Mitigator (Drinking -55%) is another route, as others have mentioned. You might not be an alcoholic, but you may well become one. I added +5% because of the potential for annoying side effects, analogous to "special (and possibly expensive)".

[The Colonel]

"Self medication" very rarely helps in practice. In the end it probably just means that you are getting points on two disadvantages: Nightmares and Alcoholism.

[Michael Cule]

I think that the person relying on such a crutch (which they can give up any time, honest) should have to make a regular check against the lower of Will or HT to keep it as just a crutch. Monthly? Yearly? After every binge?

And if they fail either they go directly to full Alcholism or gain penalties on their next roll to control the behaviour.

Alcohol is an addictive drug, after all.

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

The Mitigator limitation would actually be a good fit. For example, if the character experienced trauma that results in uncontrollable anger when they do not drink every day (in the form of Bad Temper (6-) and Berserk (6-)), daily drinking could mitigate the expression at -60%, turning -40 CP in disadvantages to -16 CP in disadvantages. Alcoholism and Amnesia would just be separate disadvantages that could also occur if the character goes too far in burying their memories.

...have you ever actually seen what happens when a person with the slightest inclination toward aggressive behavior drinks? You can't put out a fire with gasoline.

[Anders]

Originally Posted by Gold & Appel Inc

...have you ever actually seen what happens when a person with the slightest inclination toward aggressive behavior drinks? You can't put out a fire with gasoline.

The only really effective way I can think of is giving him very very very much to drink.

I think having "Mild Neurological Disorder" mitigated by Alcohol is a reasonable way to model "the shakes".