Modeling Improved Recovery From Mental Trauma

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by Otaku

Thank you for the prompt response, johndallman. I am once again happy that things are far, far simpler than I imagined. Especially as I realized I was about to make it so a trauma (mental Disadvantage) sticking around kinda needed an explanation. ¬_¬

May as well finish with confirming, this is all pretty general, yeah? That, even though I set up a particular set of circumstances, Mental Disadvantages acquired in play (such as from failed Fright Checks) can be dealt with the same as any other Mental Disadvantages. Meaning, you can use earned CP to buy them down/off. Or if time usage rules for character improvement are being used, and there's a plausible approach to dealing with such a thing (like therapy) that exists, investing the equivalent of the needed CP to again buy off or down the Disadvantage?

With the note that however you're paying it off you may have to narratively justify the recovery to the satisfaction of the group's standards. Just as with any other point expenditure.

I am not sure that buying off disadvantages with time use is strictly RAW, if that matters to you, but it certainly seems eminently reasonable. (Basic Set improvement through study specifically includes learning certain advantages but makes no mention of buying off disadvantages.)

[Otaku]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

With the note that however you're paying it off you may have to narratively justify the recovery to the satisfaction of the group's standards. Just as with any other point expenditure.

Right, Ulzgoroth. I wasn't sure if it went without saying, so I'm glad you brought it up.

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

I am not sure that buying off disadvantages with time use is strictly RAW, if that matters to you, but it certainly seems eminently reasonable. (Basic Set improvement through study specifically includes learning certain advantages but makes no mention of buying off disadvantages.)

Likewise this; I believe one of GURPS' strengths is its rules for time usage and how that time usage can be converted into Character Points. I didn't see anything in RAW stating it was intended to work this way, but even this just falls under "The is not RAW, but neither is it a big stretch." then I'll take it. :)

Originally Posted by Pursuivant

It seems to me that the proper advantage to recover from mental trauma should be Unfazable (Limitation: Accessibility (Only to recover CP lost due to Fright Checks), -60%)

The logic is that Unfazable loses its main benefits - Immunity to Intimidation skill and Immunity to Fright Checks, but like the Recovery advantage and unconsciuosness you quickly bounce back from failed Fright Checks.

Since this is how fright effects are portrayed in many genres of fiction and in many RPGs, the GM could just adopt "temporary fright" as a genre convention. ("The liche's Terror power forced you to run away, but you're big damned dungeon crawling heroes! After you stop running you rally, with no lingering psychological effects.")

IRL, there are some people who are highly emotionally resilient, in that they can survive Adverse Childhood Experiences unscathed, while anyone else would be in therapy or worse. Assuming that they're otherwise neurotypical, that sort of emotional resilience is a Perk. Effectively, it's a sort of "Signature Gear" which always allows the PC to buy off acquired mental disadvantages with no roll-playing, time or money needed.

GURPS 3E WW2 also had a nice set of limitations for Strong Will for Fright Checkcs that's easily ported over to Fearlessness in GURPS 4E. For -50% your Fearlessness can be "Brittle" meaning that its effects don't apply when determining the effects of a failed your Fright Check. Alternately, also for -50%, Fearlessness only applies to rolls to determine the effects of a failed fright check, not whether you resisted being frightenened in the first place.

I will also keep this in mind for character who are supposed to be especially resilient to recovering from such trauma. Thanks, Pursuivant.

[mburr0003]

I'm coming in late on this topic, but there are rules for Sanity and Corruption, and I've used modified variants for "acquiring, having, and recovering from" mental illness acquired through said Sane Loss/Corruption.

So, it's not RAW, but it's in there if you squint and are willing to hit the rules with a hammer for a bit.