Fear and Loathing In TFT

[JohnPaulB]

Originally Posted by larsdangly

Something you could build on to this end that is part of TFT canon is the Personality option rules on p.7 of ITL. I'm focusing on material for the core published rules right now, but I have a 'module' in my house rules that uses this as a launching off point and develops it into ways of handling horror, morale, and religious piety.

I think this is a great idea for an underutilized extant rule. Sure, it was meant for rolling up NPC characters to give them personality. But it can be used to forward your game too. You can make them when you create your character or you can make them on the spot when you need them. (just log it on your character sheet.)

This Personality options comes right after Select Fighter/Wizard and Race, but before Selecting Attributes: ITL page 7
"PERSONALITY - roll 2 dice to determine each facet of your personality.
Bravery: 12 (very brave) to 2 (total coward)."

and the rule goes on to suggest other Personality traits you can make, with 6-8 being character "average." Other rolls shade you toward the extremes. For creating Personality traits, the high number should be what trying for, thus a high number in Appearance trait gives you more chances at succeeding in a test involving appearance.

Rather than rolling for the personality trait (which goes counter to TFT’s control on building characters), my feeling is that you should envision what your character is like and choose that level of the personality that fits your character.
Example: If you feel that the Joe has little integrity when it comes to holding a position on something, he might get a 4 on Integrity. This means he has a small chance of not wavering if pressed to keep from giving in on a stance.
If you cannot decide what your character should do Or if you want a random forced result that is out of your control, you roll on the Personality Trait.

Same concept when you apply this to Courage. A character with high courage would could be Courage 9. A Courage test result of 11 would be a failure and you suffer the consequences of failing to be courageous.

Same could apply to Willpower or Fear.
As these are not Stats per the official TFT rules, you are not adding new Stats.
Personality Traits results could be suggestions to the player on how to proceed or could be enforced results that take the choice out of the players hands, depending on the player agreements on this before the game starts.

These personality traits could be modified by Talents for certain situations.

To make this fit more into the 3d6 style of rolls, instead of having a 2d6 spread for personality traits, make them 3d6. The GM could even use the crit success or failures concept to this if he wishes. And come to think of it, maybe the personality rolls should be done by the GM and kept secret, with only a descriptive of what the result does.

Originally Posted by Steve Jackson

Plain old 3d6 roll could make sense, modified by GM according to any effective roleplaying of the character's history. I'd give Heniochus the Brave a bonus to stand fast, if only because he thinks he can settle everything with his sword.

If an advantage/disadvantage system is introduced, Bravery, Prudence, and Cowardice might all be descrived in terms of morale/fear/horror rolls.

To my mind, this should be used only for the BIG stuff (Cthulhu) or the transitory stuff (who gets initiative when surprised by something unnatural). I would not roll for fear against natural foes.

I'd like to see Ty's "fear Table".

- Hail Melee