Alcoholism in Dungeon Fantasy

[mlangsdorf]

What was the reasoning for not classifying Alcoholism as a Recommend Disadvantage? It seems like it has a lot of potential disadvantage fodder: Living expenses in town are increased by $7 a week, the hero has to carry extra supplies of alcohol while traveling and might (will) be drunk on watch, and there's always the chance that he'll swill down the prize keg of beer in the middle of the dungeon. It's almost a stereotypical disadvantage for Barbarians. So why was it kept out?

[Bruno]

I would assume that whatever the reasons, they're the same for why Addiction is nixed too.

Incidentally, I'd say barbarians are Compulsive Carousers, not alcoholics. Alcoholics sit by themselves and drink, barbarians go out and quaff and get into bar fights.

[Kromm]

Being an alcoholic or any other kind of addict is out-of-idiom for dungeon fantasy. Played by the book, these problems are about as physically crippling as missing a leg or being deaf. The dollar cost is the least of your worries, and hardly enough to rate that many disadvantage points. Compulsive Behavior, as Bruno suggested, is quite another matter. Fantasy is full of heroes with Compulsive Behavior . . . and the templates in DF 1 offer many kinds of CB. Five of them recommend Compulsive Carousing, which comes with fun roleplaying hooks and is what most people actually mean by "alcoholic" in unrealistic adventure subgenres.

Put another way, Alcoholic [-15] = perpetually adventuring with -1 or -2 DX and IQ, and -2 or -4 to self-control rolls, due to being tipsy or drunk (p. B428), and suffering brain and liver damage that costs you attribute points. It makes the character a pathetic wreck. Compulsive Carousing [-5] = acting the goat, spending a little extra time and money on partying, and getting -1 reactions from the merchants in town. It makes the character the classic fantasy barbarian.