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Old 06-23-2021, 07:01 AM   #1
Gumby Bush
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: FL
Default Narcolepsy

How would you design narcolepsy as a disadvantage?

My current thoughts are:

Treat it as Chronic Pain, but treat each +20% an effect is worth on Affliction as a base -5 (giving a base -35 or -40 for Sleep's +150%).

Treat it like Nocturnal, but replace "daytime" with a Self Control roll during, say, stressful/exciting situations, triggering a (half?) hour of sleep with a HT roll to wake up at the end and each interval thereafter.

Some build with Sleepy + Not Sleepy (limited)?

The first two both give values of around -20, so maybe I should just describe the effects and guess that -20* is the right value?

Narcoleptic [-20*]:
You fall asleep at inopportune moments. Make a self control roll whenever you get excited or are put under intense stress. On a failure, you fall asleep for a half-hour (or until someone wakes you up), at the end of which time you may roll against HT to wake up.
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Old 06-23-2021, 07:48 AM   #2
Stormcrow
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ronkonkoma, NY
Default Re: Narcolepsy

I wouldn't try to "simulate" the effects of narcolepsy like that; I'd just do what you did at the end and make a new disadvantage. -20 seems reasonable, given that adventures are typically filled with stressful and exciting situations. I wouldn't make it a self-control roll, though: this is a physical disadvantage, not a mental one.* Instead, I'd make it either an IQ roll or a HT roll, depending on whether you'd consider resisting a narcoleptic attack a mental or physical effort.

* The proof: if your mind were transferred to a new body, you wouldn't expect your narcolepsy to follow you.
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Old 06-23-2021, 08:03 AM   #3
Anders
 
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
Default Re: Narcolepsy

We really need a disadvantage that says "you suffer condition [x] from time to time." A consolidation of Epilepsy, Chronic Pain and some others I can't think of at the moment (Flashback, maybe?).
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Old 06-23-2021, 09:01 AM   #4
Gumby Bush
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: FL
Default Re: Narcolepsy

Quote:
Originally Posted by Stormcrow View Post
I wouldn't make it a self-control roll, though: this is a physical disadvantage, not a mental one.
Huh. Somehow it had never registered that the self-control roll mechanic was only used for mental issues. My aim was to decouple it from an initial HT roll, similar to how Chronic Pain works.

The reason the idea came up was discussing a cast of characters who had disadvantages making them terrible at their nominal DF professions. This was for the barbarian, who typically would have high HT, which I don't want to offset this.
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Old 06-23-2021, 09:21 AM   #5
shadowjack
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Endor
Default Re: Narcolepsy

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anders View Post
We really need a disadvantage that says "you suffer condition [x] from time to time." A consolidation of Epilepsy, Chronic Pain and some others I can't think of at the moment (Flashback, maybe?).
I've got a write-up for one in my house notes, based on Chronic Pain, inspired by the Affliction modifiers; mostly untested, though. I call it...

Chronic Affliction [cost varies]

...Works like Chronic Pain, with the base cost, and the duration of the attacks, both depending on the particular Affliction. Interval and frequency of appearance cost modifier just like Chronic Pain.
  • Choking [-25 points] (Seconds) Severe asthma.
  • Cough/Sneezing [-5 points] (Hours)
  • Daze [-12 points] (Minutes) Petit mal seizures.
  • Drowsiness [-25 points] (Hours) Narcolepsy.
  • Drunkenness [-5 points] (Hours) Not literally drunk, probably, but same general effect.
  • Ecstacy [-25 points] (Minutes) Wireheading, hentai curse, etc.
  • Euphoria [-8 points] (Hours)
  • Hallucinations [-12 points] (Minutes)
  • Heart Attack [-75 points] (No duration; instead you just suffer the attack.)
  • Itching [-2 points] (Hours)
  • Nausea [-8 points] (Hours)
  • Pain, Moderate [-5 points] (Hours) Replaces "Mild Chronic Pain."
  • Pain, Severe [-10 points] (Hours) Replaces "Severe Chronic Pain."
  • Pain, Terrible [-15 points] (Hours) Replaces "Agonizing Chronic Pain."
  • Pain, Agonizing [-25 points] (Minutes)
  • Paralysis [-40 points] (Hours)
  • Retching [-12 points] (Minutes)
  • Seizures [-25 points] (Minutes) Grand mal seizures.
  • Tipsiness [-3 points] (Hours)
  • Unconsciousness [-50 points] (No duration; instead you just pass out.)
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Old 06-23-2021, 01:31 PM   #6
Pursuivant
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Default Re: Narcolepsy

Realistically, Narcolepsy is related to Epilepsy. Practically, it might be closer to being a Chronic Affliction or Blackouts depending on its severity and duration.

Shadowjack's HR version of Chronic Affliction looks to be similar to a version I posted here:

http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread...nic+affliction

There are good points about both versions, so I will be updating my version to incorporate Shadowjack's ideas.

I recently posted a HR "Blackouts" disadvantage here:

http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread...ight=blackouts

My HR version of Narcolepsy is based on Epilepsy but has a "Frequency of Appearance" roll based on HT, and a base cost of -20 points*.

Narcolepsy (-20 points*): You are in subject to seizures which cause you to suddenly fall asleep. If you fail your self-control roll you fall into a deep sleep which lasts 1d minutes. During this time you sleep normally, and might even dream, but you can’t wake up until the seizure is over. On a critical failure you hurt yourself as you fall and take normal falling damage for 2 yards.
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Old 06-23-2021, 02:09 PM   #7
Willy
 
Join Date: Dec 2020
Default Re: Narcolepsy

Since I met a few narcoleptics I would add in all cases being tired and unconcentrated. Advantages like very fit or less sleep / deep sleeper should be ruled out. Some people also have problems with there BMI which tends to go upwards, and in some extreme cases patients suffer from hallucinations.

Last edited by Willy; 06-23-2021 at 02:18 PM. Reason: spelling error, added example
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Old 06-23-2021, 02:14 PM   #8
johndallman
Night Watchman
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cambridge, UK
Default Re: Narcolepsy

At TL7+, there are fairly effective mitigators for narcolepsy. Getting them prescribed can be challenging, because they're powerful nervous system stimulants, like amphetamine.
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Old 06-23-2021, 10:17 PM   #9
shadowjack
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Endor
Default Re: Narcolepsy

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pursuivant View Post
http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread...nic+affliction

There are good points about both versions, so I will be updating my version to incorporate Shadowjack's ideas.
And I may heist some of yours. :) (I like the expanded interval table, and the "damaging" modifier.)
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