[Basic] Disadvantage of the week: Absent-Mindedness and Short Attention Span

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Its worth remembering "Focused" in this discussion. It gives a +3 for certain tasks, but in effect gives a temporary absent mindedness effect.

If I took both, would I get -10 to notice my surroundings, or would it just be -5 at all times? would you as a GM allow it?

I did once. It was fine, I did the "stacking" not the "all the time" method.

But then that character was IQ 16 and I think Per 14, so he wasn't suffering badly when not absolutely Focus driven.

[RogerBW]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Its worth remembering "Focused" in this discussion. It gives a +3 for certain tasks, but in effect gives a temporary absent mindedness effect.

If I took both, would I get -10 to notice my surroundings, or would it just be -5 at all times? would you as a GM allow it?

(The perk from PU2 p. 13 I take it?)

I'm not sure there's anywhere I'd use that. If a character took both I think I'd probably throw both the penalties on, and consider that a lengthy noncombat task might well become boring too.

[ericthered]

I suppose if you're playing the absentminded guy there is no point in not giving him crushing penalties to notice things. -10 it is. And yeah, most of those characters will have decent per to start with, so it generally won't go into negative numbers.

Originally Posted by RogerBW

(The perk from PU2 p. 13 I take it?)

I'm not sure there's anywhere I'd use that. If a character took both I think I'd probably throw both the penalties on, and consider that a lengthy noncombat task might well become boring too.

sorry, Single-minded, not focused. page 85.

I would never give a character both focused and short attention span. They seem just too contradictory. Either one might work for absent minded though. I might stick a limitation on short attention span that makes an exception for certain types of tasks though, and that would be compatible with single minded.

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by ericthered

sorry, Single-minded, not focused. page 85.

Yeah, I knew what you meant without noticing the error.

The character actually had Absent Minded, Single-Minded, and Focused (Repair Work)... so there were a few times he just ignored being shot to get repair jobs done. Granted he often also took precautions like setting up barricades, locking doors to the repair space, etc to ensure he could work relatively unmolested.

He did pass out once due to missed sleep, meals, and dehydration. But that's what happens when you lock the repair bay doors and don't notice the people banging on them for a few days.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Its worth remembering "(edit)Single-Minded" in this discussion. It gives a +3 for certain tasks, but in effect gives a temporary absent mindedness effect.

If I took both, would I get -10 to notice my surroundings, or would it just be -5at all times? Would you as a GM allow it?

I'd let you stack them, for the -10.

I wouldn't let you stack the Attentive quirk (B.163) or the Focussed (task) perk (PU2 p13) with Single-Minded, since I reckon they're basically subsets of Single-Minded.

[draxdeveloper]

Since we are here...
Those two disads are part of ADHD, what else you would use to compound it?
I use Absent-Mindedness, Short Attention Span, Impulsiveness, Bad Temper
Maybe Klutz, Laziness , Odious Personal Habit
There things that i don't know how to put.
Bad Temper is just anger but ADHD's have emotional instability (not just with anger)
Laziness is aversion to work, but even this is true a lot of time is not the full picture (ADHD's have less "motivational fuel" so sometimes is more like depression, but not with vital stuff but instead with interesting stuff)
Hyperactivity i really don't know how to put in game
Also, the mitigator don't always work and most of time it's reduces but don't nullify the effects (so to all self control rolls, you would "down" one or two levels, like if is 12 you put as 15)