Calling Eruditus: Mental Gray Scale?

[Thor]

Hey Eru,

Any chance you're willing to share your mental grayscale mechanics from your Fires of Retribution game with us? Actually building the MTGS with Will + Perception is easy enough, but I'm interested in the mental "wounding" mechanics and if you have anything written out for pricing swaps between MTGS damage and derangement traits?

I liked the concept a lot. I don't think I would use it for most Burning Wheel games, but it seems a perfect addition for horror-themed games.

[eruditus]

Sure, I plan on writing these out in my mini-BW setting called Puritan Horror (after I am done with Epoch of Jade). Along with some equipment, new magic rules and some "monster" LPs, a "sanity" rule will go something like this:

As Thor pointed out rules are the same for MSCT as for PGST using Will as Forte and Perception as Power (yes, all kinds of arguements could be made to switch these...deal).

Damage is done based on several factors (I will probaly come up with a Horror Burner that goes through a building process to determine a mental damage) but basically damage runs between 4 and 10.

here are some solid examples of damage levels:
4 - 5: shock and surprise in tense situations
6 - 7: experiencing the pain and suffering of friends and family
8 - 9: experiencing personal brutality
10: shattering one's understanding of reality is a VERY real way

BITs and circumstance may modify these results. There is no upper or lower limit. Usually actual combat will significantly lower the mental effects of these stimuli (-4 to mental damage). Its up to a GM to determine what the PC remembers later to determine if the event really gets hold of her. Time and verbal support, etc, would lessen these blows.

Steel is akin to mental armor (and a GM can determine that certain types of stimuli may carry an ob penalty - mental VA :D ). With one exception, that successes only reduce mental damage, not eliminate it I am up in the air about this). The damage that gets through is then applied to the MGST and applied as physical damage would be.

Mental damage effects the user exactly like Physical damage and can only be healed through therapy (if it exists in a setting), support, rest, and significant successes in one's life. (I have yet to work out the specifics of mental healing but assume that it works identacally to normal wounds as I will be basing it off the Health attribute as usual).

Now here is the kicker. Unlike Physical damage you can get rid of mental wounds pretty easily. The player or the GM as appropriate can say I get rid of X wound and replace it with a mental affliction - phobias, delusions, hatreds, pathologies and more. The affliction should match the situation and the severity should match the wound. Keep track of the severity of the wound because then the affliction is healed the same way the wound normally would be.

Any questions of elaborations?