New GM Need help with sanity

[Madnessinabottle]

I'm running a turn of the 19th century adventure. It's a little bit James Bond, Indiana Jones and a bit Cthulhu.
My question is how best to deal with sanity?
I Had three Idea;

1) Roll against Intelligence, Damaging effects apply to intelligence
This is like the knowledge is driving them insane.

2) Roll against Intelligence, then against HT.
More like what they have seen provides such a shock that it could actually cause heart attacks and seizures etc

3)Roll against Intelligence, Damage to FP
This would be that what they see is so damning to their reality that it actually drains their will to carry on and do things.

I had thought about giving Disads ( no points awarded) to the players, but it seems like a lot of work remembering that.

What does a more seasoned player think?

[Turhan's Bey Company]

Have you looked at the Fright Check rules?

[johndallman]

The Fright Check rules on p360-1 of the Basic Set are the place to start. GURPS Horror has mechanics for dealing with insidious corruption eating away at the characters' sanity.

GURPS Screampunk is specifically about gothic horror in steampunk settings. It's somewhat obsolete, since it's for third edition, but it's only $2.99, available as PDF here.

[Madnessinabottle]

Cheers guys, Think i'll invest in Horror cause fright check isn't really cutting it.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Madnessinabottle

... fright check isn't really cutting it.

What's the problem? Do the PCs make the fright checks too often, or are failures not damaging enough, or something else?

[Madnessinabottle]

Fright check has a very random nature, I'm looking more for a cumulative feeling rather than a series of random bout of fear induced events.

More like everything they see that they fail a check to will add X amounts of points to their totals, and then at certain levels other effects would take place.

Slow descent into madness, not instant coma from first failure.

[Nereidalbel]

Originally Posted by Madnessinabottle

Fright check has a very random nature, I'm looking more for a cumulative feeling rather than a series of random bout of fear induced events.

More like everything they see that they fail a check to will add X amounts of points to their totals, and then at certain levels other effects would take place.

Slow descent into madness, not instant coma from first failure.

Horror has that covered with Corruption. Mundane scares use standard fright check rules, while anything other-worldly causes a fright check, with Corruption points added based on margin of failure.

[ArchonShiva]

I suspect he wants the progressive effect of Sanity rules that Fright Checks just don't offer.

At any rate, not IQ, Will - and use the optional rule that Will is bought from 10, so your high IQ characters don't get this for free. Give everyone an extra 10 points to compensate (but tell them you'll expect Will 12 as a base, obviously).

I own but haven't read Horror, so I don't know how that will solve your issues - although I suspect it'll be pretty neat.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Madnessinabottle

Cheers guys, Think i'll invest in Horror cause fright check isn't really cutting it.

February's Patreon Special for my patrons will include a new variant for keeping track of a character's sanity. It's quite good actually. I'll note I also have rules for using Mythos-style magic with the Ritual Path magic system (which may be of further interest).

[Badmash]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

February's Patreon Special for my patrons will include a new variant for keeping track of a character's sanity. It's quite good actually. I'll note I also have rules for using Mythos-style magic with the Ritual Path magic system (which may be of further interest).

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