Core Rules deep dive: State of Mind

Welcome to the last deep dive I planned (actually there are some other topics to cover... let's see if this is really the last one...). This is dedicated to the State of Mind. This is a feature that traditional RPGs have not taken in consideration. I have always played with FRPG (with one exception: a campaign of RIFT) but I've been told about the concept of sanity in Call of Cthulhu. This might be considered as an equivalent concept translated to traditional FRPGs.

Before any further description, some thoughts that led me to add SoM in my game:

  1. Characters are never subject to a peculiar moment, with their fixed stats they are always "steady" and seems they have never met moments down (or up!)... or better, while a good role-player can act in order to show this through his character's behavior, there is no rule which includes it.
  2. Whenever there is an interaction with other characters, it is clear that the gap in the previous point is showing a hole in the overall role-playing; in addition this aspect is truly important when a character faces new experiences (for instance, what are the consequences on the character when he is betrayed by a friend? Rules-wise nothing happens but this is something simply shocking any conscience... this is not acceptable)
  3. The traditional RPGs have often understated the concept of reaction for NPCs (assuming that PC are not subject to the reaction rule)... I have rarely seen GMs looking after this aspect in terms of rule application: this means that a good GM can decide to skip the rule and use common sense to give a realistic outcome... but the gap is anyhow present in the rules.
With these considerations, I felt in the position to try to find at least a patch to such a context. As a matter of fact I didn't want to upset any already existing logic and therefore I really found a patch.

A character has a mood which can go from an exalted state to a panicked one. This state cannot be a stat as it is not as fix as a traditional stat but it is however linked to a stat. In that sense I made up the feature called State of Mind (or SoM): it is a variable stat which naturally tends towards a real stat, the equivalent of  wisdom (do you remember I mentioned it in the deep dive for sequence here?). With this solution any character has a SoM with a base score which is the same of the one of a Known Stat called Empathy. Events, new experiences and any fact the GM deems relevant to the eyes of the characters can modify this score (in both senses). If a character max this score, then he is considered as "exalted" (a status which grants some useful advantages); on the other hand, if the character reaches the minimum score, he is then "panicked" (with consequent disadvantages).

The score of SoM is variable not only by effect of external events. As I've written here above, it tends to the score of a KS: this means that over time the SoM score will gradually move until it reaches its "baseline". This means that an exalted character will not be forever (and a panicked one as well!): time will smooth this state until the baseline score is reached.

The SoM score is used for reaction. This means that the GM can ask even a PC to have a check against his status to assess his behavior in a certain situation. The check is based on the SoM, therefore it depends on the score the character has in that precise circumstance. Based on this approach a character can react differently for the same situation according to the score of SoM he has in that moment. 

I am more than sure that experienced game designers have more effective options to develop, but this is simply a proposal, the plainest I had in mind in order to see if the overarching concept works or not... The playtest can be the only moment of truth for it.

...well let me add a detail (spoiler alert!!!), even if this is a simple approach, I have in mind a scene: after a long quest the group of adventurers have made their path in the lost temple through deadly traps and lethal foes just to reach the sancta santorum... in the darkness over there two red and brilliant eyes are looking the characters... a lich with a gaze makes them all panicked before they reach the arci-villain... they are overwhelmed by fear and nightmarish visions harass their minds... they failed due to the gaze of fear of the lich... muuuaaahhhahahhh!


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