Terror Runs Out?

[Micah Davis]

So, Terror says it triggers a fright check. Ordinarily, characters eventually habituate themselves out of Fright Checks - Even dead bodies or serial killer violence. But is there ever a point where a Demon-summoner, handmaiden of Aphrodite, or Servitor of The Unspeakable Equation just isn't affected any more? Or does Terror work around that?

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Micah Davis

So, Terror says it triggers a fright check. Ordinarily, characters eventually habituate themselves out of Fright Checks - Even dead bodies or serial killer violence. But is there ever a point where a Demon-summoner, handmaiden of Aphrodite, or Servitor of The Unspeakable Equation just isn't affected any more? Or does Terror work around that?

Probably not. There's a difference between Fright Checks that are just the product of seeing the scary and unfamiliar and Fright Checks that are produced as a result of an actual superpower.

[Taneli]

You could probably envision one having resistance or an immunity to a Terror, though.

You could probably even develop such an ability from frequent enough encounters with such Terror, or something.

[transmetahuman]

Originally Posted by Taneli

You could probably envision one having resistance or an immunity to a Terror, though.

You could probably even develop such an ability from frequent enough encounters with such Terror, or something.

You can be Resistant or Immune to [specific fear source] for [2], [4], or [5] as a Rare effect, which could represent gradually becoming jaded/inured/used to it.

Or you could look at the precedent of the Resistant to [specific poison] quirks in PU2: Perks, realizing that only being resistant to one dragon's or demon's aura is much more limited than the Rare examples, and give +3 or even full Immunity for a perk. The Immunity version is exotic; the +3 version anyone could take, so I would go with +3 for [1], +8 for [2], and disallow Immunity if the effect only represents mundanely getting used to something.

[Mysterious Dark Lord v3.2]

That's the Unfazable Advantage, as I recall. Nothing says that it can't be earned.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by transmetahuman

You can be Resistant or Immune to [specific fear source] for [2], [4], or [5] as a Rare effect, which could represent gradually becoming jaded/inured/used to it.

1, 2, or 5. The trait definition says to drop fractions. 5/2 = 2 1/2, drop the 1/2; 5/3 = 1 2/3, drop the 2/3.

I would also allow Resistant or Immune to all forms of Terror (but not to mundane causes of fear) as Occasional, I think, for base cost 10, cost 5 for +8, cost 3 for +3.

[Anaraxes]

As always, consider the game setting and genre when choosing rarity levels. Characters are much more likely to run into Terror in Call of Cthulhu than they are in dungeon fantasy than they are in tramp freighter space opera.

[Plane]

Originally Posted by Micah Davis

So, Terror says it triggers a fright check. Ordinarily, characters eventually habituate themselves out of Fright Checks - Even dead bodies or serial killer violence.

I'd prefer that this be reflected in character points. IE constant exposure to corpses gives a reason for the GM to allow you to purchase "Fearlessness +1 (corpses only -80%)" or something like that.

Or "Resistant" as others have stated above, which appears to be cheaper.

Originally Posted by Micah Davis

But is there ever a point where a Demon-summoner, handmaiden of Aphrodite, or Servitor of The Unspeakable Equation just isn't affected any more? Or does Terror work around that?

Terror by default gives an hour's worth of immunity to that power (probably not Terror used by others though, or if you had 2 separate Terror powers? reason to buy it twice?) if someone saves against it.

You can make it last longer by buying the Increased Immunity or Decreased Immunity enhancement in GURPS Powers.

Basically if someone has a higher bonus to their fright check they're more likely to enjoy that immunity.

In terms of modifying how these immunities work, the closest thing to "I have a benefit where the level of enhancement attacks against me used is reduced" that comes to mind is Hardened +20% levels on Damage Resistance (counteracts the Armor Divisor enhancement on Innate Attack)

I don't know if there's a way to extrapolate that to changing how you respond to Terror though. If you only bought partial levels of Hardened DR then non-hardened DR would still be divided...

Decreased Immunity in theory divides your Will/Fearlessness from infinite (automatic pass) to it's usual number (roll as usual) which would create a problem with partial levels because 1xinfinite=infinite.

It might work if we replaced "immune for an hour" to something like "if you pass a fright check, successive rolls to resist this ability are x2 for next hour" though. This makes terror a bit more interesting (less all or nothing) too.