Frayed Ends of Sanity(Rules for Sanity in Pathfinder RPG)

Outside of a few special sources, the Pathfinder Role Playing Game (PFRPG) as with most fantasy RPG's doesn't really deal with the idea of sanity. While I have heard rumors the next adventure path will have sanity rules, the game I currently run on Thursday nights needs those rules now. Considering this fact and given my general interest in the role of mental trauma and insanity in RPG's I have decided to create my own sanity rules.

What is Insanity?

The definition of sanity is "the state of being seriously mentally ill, madness". While this is indeed the definition of sanity, the question is how does that work as a system in a role playing game. How do we accurately reflect sanity in a game that has ability stats, skill checks, combat modifiers etc. For insanity to work as a mechanic in a RPG it has to have some kind of balance. This can be a bit tricky given the entire concept of insanity is about unbalance. This might be why there are not a lot of rules regarding sanity in RPG's outside of Call of Cthulu (where it's a foregone conclusion that someone, if not everyone, is going to go insane). Considering all of this I am going to define Insanity in the following way.

Insanity is an ability score used to reflect a characters reaction to mental trauma and exposure to realities beyond their ability to comprehend. This score will give a player an idea of how sane their character is and what kind of effects loosing sanity over time will have. The sanity score will work as a means of giving a character modifiers to various actions where a persons sanity would have a potential effect on the outcome.

Why Sanity and Insanity?

I am sure some people will wonder why I am bothering with these rules in the first place. The reason I am creating sanity rules is there are times when the characters will encounter things that are simply more than their minds can grasp. When this happens the character is forced to confront a reality that their mind is not prepared for. No matter who a character is there are just some things that you shouldn't confront. When a character confronts those things there is a consequence.

While I believe that insanity is best handled by role-playing, it can be difficult for some players to do this without some idea of what they should be doing. While any system will have it's flaws, in my experience having a system to cover this particular situation is a benefit both to myself as a Game Master and to my players. By having these rules both the GM and players have a set of guidelines that they can use to mechanically reflect an important element to some stories.

If you don't feel like sanity is a necessary part of a campaign that's fine, you don't have to use these rules. However, if you have ever given thought to including concepts from things such as Lovecraftian stories, extreme horror encounters, and the like than you might like what I have come up with.

Measuring Sanity
To measure a characters sanity a player will add their Wisdom and Charisma modifiers plus 10. As with all other ability scores sanity will have a modifier based on the score as follows.

0 and below - The character is permanently insane and can no longer be played as a PC.

1:         -5

2-3:      -4

4-5:      -3

6-7:      -2

8-9:      -1

10-11: +0

12-13: +1

14-15: +2

16-17: +3

18-19: +4

20-21: +5

22-23: +6

24-25: +7

The Sanity Check

A sanity check is a roll of a d20 with the sanity score modifier added or subtracted from the result. Each sanity check will have an assigned DC. Note, some sanity checks will be automatically failed with no chance of success.

When to use Sanity Checks

A sanity check should be used anytime a PC or NPC is confronted with mental trauma or something that challenges their understanding of the base nature of their world. For example a PC trapped in a room of half eaten corpses would need to make a sanity check.

Sanity Check DCs

Sanity checks should only be done on circumstances that are 15 or higher unless the Game Master feels a need to have a character make a sanity check of a lower DC. The following list is not all inclusive.

Some examples of instances that would require a sanity check

Watching a friend be tortured: DC 15
Causing the death of a friend: DC 15
Committing cold blooded murder: DC 15
Torturing someone for information: DC 15
Malicious betrayal: DC 15 (see below)
Witnessing the harm of an innocent: DC 15
Enduring torture: DC 15

Enduring sadistic torture: DC 20

Watching a family member or loved one be tortured:  DC 20

Causing the death of a family member or loved one: DC 20

Witnessing the death of an innocent: DC 20

Contact with an alien mind: DC variable (see below)
Encounter with an alien being: DC variable (see below)
Being exposed to profane information: DC variable (see below)
Being possessed: DC variable (see below)

Being Betrayed: The GM should not require a sanity check on every betrayal a character suffers through. However, when the betrayal is both malicious and pre-meditated and the PC is left in a very bad situation, then a sanity check should be required. An example of a malicious betrayal would be an NPC gaining the trust and confidence of a PC then leading them into a deadly situation and turning on the PC. The DC of this sanity check should be based on the level of trust gained by the NPC and the situation in which the PC is betrayed.

Contact with an alien mind: This is meant to reflect mind to mind contact with an alien being. While a GM can choose to include mental contact with beings such as devils and demons, it is more intended for contact with Lovecraftian outsiders and other unimaginable horrors. The DC of the sanity check should be based on the relative power of the being being contacted. For example a character contacting a member of a servitor race is going to be a relatively low DC, but if a PC were to contact an Elder God the DC would be nearly impossible to pass.

Being exposed to profane information: The GM should not require a check for a character being exposed to run of the mill profane information such as texts written by devils. This check is meant to be for times when a PC reads or learns of something truly horrifying. An example would be attempting to read a tome containing rites which would summon a being from beyond time and distance. The difficulty of the DC should be based on the relative power of the information being read or learned.

Being Possessed: Any time a character is possessed it creates a chance for the character to loose a part of themselves and thus requires a sanity check. However, not all possessions are equal. To calculate the DC of a sanity check caused by possession start at a base of DC 15 and add a +1 modifier for every two hit dice the possessing creature has above the characters level. For example a 4th level fighter is possessed by an 8 HD ghost. The base sanity check is DC 15 with a +2 modifier because of the difference between the character level and monster's hit dice.

The Effects of Sanity Loss:

Eventually a character is going to fail a sanity check. When this happens their mind becomes a little bit fractured. While one sanity loss is not likely to affect someone very much, repeated sanity check fails will start to take a toll on even the most sane characters. There are three levels of sanity loss, temporary, long term, and permanent. Each level has different effects on the character. The determination of which level of sanity loss the character suffers is determined by the amount the sanity check was failed by.

Sanity check was failed by less than five points: A loss of 1d2 points of sanity

Sanity check was failed by more than five points but less than 10: A loss of 1d4 points of sanity and the character gains a temporary insanity effect.

Sanity check was failed by more than ten points but less than 15: A loss of 1d6 points of sanity and the character gains a long term insanity effect.

Sanity check was failed by more than 15: A loss of 1d8 sanity points and the character gains a permanent insanity effect.

temporary insanity effects:
Temporary insanity effects are short lived and overcome in a short period of time.

To determine the temporary insanity effect roll a d6 and consult the following table;

1 - The character is stunned for 1d4 rounds
2 - The character is dazed for 1d4 rounds
3 - The character is confused (as per the spell) for 1d4 rounds
4 - The character is sickened for 1d4 rounds
5 - The character is immobile for 1d4 rounds
6 - The character falls prone and is unable to get up for 1d4 rounds

long term insanity effects:

Long term insanity effects last until the character is able to succeed on a daily sanity check. A daily sanity check to recover from a long term insanity effect can not be made until twenty four hours has passed. A daily sanity check can only be attempted once in a twenty four hour period.

To determine the long term insanity effect roll a d6 and consult the following table;

1 - The character suffers from nightmares.

A character suffering from this affliction is cursed with terrifying and unusual dreams that deprive the character of sleep.

A character afflicted with this insanity effect is unable to rest well and thus unable to regain lost spells, heal from wounds naturally, and unable to regain special class abilities that give a daily allotment of uses (such as a Barbarians rage). Another effect of the lack of sleep is a cumulative -1 penalty per day to Will Saves and wisdom based skill checks(-1 day 1, -2 day 2, etc).

2 - The character suffers from acute paranoia.

A character afflicted with this insanity finds it difficult to put their trust in other people. This causes the character to question everyones motives and to respond to even the closest ally with distrust and hostility.

A character afflicted with this insanity effect is unable to trust other people. This lack of trust results in a -4 modifier to all charisma based skills. Along with the penalty to charisma based skill checks the character must pass a Will save of DC 15 in order to either eat or drink. For every twenty four hour period in which the character was not able to eat or drink they receive a cumulative -1 penalty to all die rolls (-1 day 1, -2 day 2, etc)

3 - The character becomes easily enraged.

A character suffering from this effect is easily irritated and feels their temper rise for little reason at all. A character with this insanity effect is often quick to snap at people and can fly into a mindless rage.

When a character suffering from this effect encounters a situation in which they fail at a skill check or combat roll by more than 10, they fly into a rage. When the character is enraged they are not capable of doing anything but attacking the nearest enemy. If an enemy is not present randomly determine which one of the nearby people (including other PCs) they attack. If no one is present the character will mindlessly attack inanimate objects until they are able to regain their composure.

The character will be enraged until they succeed in a will save of DC 15. During the rage the character will not be able to use weapons or cast spells. The character also suffers a -2 penalty to all combat checks and is unable to make skill checks.

4 - The character suffers from acute depression.

A Character suffering from acute depression finds little joy in life. The character feels a sense of deep and unrelenting melancholy that effects their entire life. A character suffering from this effect sees no point in preparing spells, praying to gods, or even helping their friends.

While under the effect of acute depression the character is -2 to all die rolls. Along with this penalty the character is unwilling to memorize spells or pray to a deity.  Along with being unable to prepare spells or pray a character suffering from acute depression is not able to use any ability that has a daily reset such as ki, rage, and similar abilities.

5 - The character becomes manic.

A Manic character is the exact opposite of a depressed character. Where the depressed character finds little to no joy in life, the manic character is filled with positive feelings for nearly everything. A manic character will speak faster, move faster, and respond faster than everyone else.

While the character is manic they find it nearly impossible to concentrate or sleep but has an unusual amount of stamina and energy.While under the effects of mania, the character receives 10 temporary hit points that come off the bottom and gains a +2 bonus to all saves and skill checks that are based on constitution. Conversely because of the characters inability to rest or concentrate they receive a cumulative penalty of -1 on all die rolls daily (-1 day one, -2 day two, etc.) until the manic effect ends. Along with the -1 penalty to all die rolls the character must succeed at a DC 15 concentration check in order to memorize spells or regain granted abilities.

6 - Hallucinations.

A character suffering from hallucinations sees and hears things that do not exist. The line between reality and fantasy become difficult for the character to discern which affects their ability to rationally interact with the real world.

While a character is affected by hallucinations they are unable to interact with the real world appropriately. Because the character can not tell what is real from what is a hallucination they must make a will save of DC 15 to take any action that requires a roll. The inability to see the world the way it really also incurs a -2 penalty to all intelligence based skills and a -2 penalty to all combat die rolls.

Permanent Insanity Effects:

Permanent insanity effects occur when a character suffers from a catastrophic mental trauma. This event fractures a characters personality and reality to such a high degree that any chance of recovering from the insanity is incredibly difficult requiring weeks of rest and some kind of treatment (see recovering from sanity loss below).

Before a GM uses permanent insanity effects they should consider whether or not they are right for the campaign. While permanent insanity effects can add a great deal to the role playing element of the game, they can also create an incredible challenge for some players.

Permanent Insanity effects have few mechanical penalties as using numbers to reflect such a deep mental wound is difficult. Instead when a player has a character suffering from a permanent insanity the character must succeed in a daily will save. A fail on the save indicates that the player is under the control of the GM for the next twenty four hours. For groups who do not wish to use this rule, it is suggested that the player do their best to role-play the insanity correctly.

Permanent Insanity Table

1 - Multiple Personalities
2 - Borderline Personality
3 - Addiction
4 - Paranoia
5 - Amnesia
6 - False Innocence

Multiple Personality.

In a character with multiple personalities the character's mind becomes so fractured that it invents several personalities as a means of coping with the trauma. When a character is stricken with this insanity they roll a 1d4 and create that many new characters. These characters can be of any race, class, and gender. Once the player has the characters created any future failed sanity checks results in one of the new personalities taking over. Not only does the character believe that they are someone completely different their entire body changes to match the concept of the new personality.

example:
Bill is playing a human fighter that gains a permanent insanity effect. When this happens bill rolls 1d4 and gets the result of 2. This means Bill has to create 2 new characters. Bill then creates a female halfling thief and a male half orc sorcerer. From this point forward whenever Bill's character fails a sanity check Bill randomly determines which personality is now in charge of the character.

Borderline Personality

Borderline personality is often described as Jekyll and Hyde syndrome. When a character is afflicted with this insanity in essence they become two different people. While the character may act as two different people, they differ form those with multiple personalities in the fact that they are fully aware of the actions of the other "half".

When a character gains this sanity the player chooses an alignment on the evil moral axis. Whenever a character with borderline personality fails a sanity check they act as though they are of the new alignment. The player will stay this way until they either are able to rest or fail another sanity check.

Addiction

When some people suffer a mental trauma they turn towards substances or certain behaviors as a means of dealing with things. When a person become reliant on these substances or behaviors it is known as addiction. When a character is addicted they can not function properly unless they are under the effect of their chosen addiction. When they can not use the preferred addiction a character will begin to suffer withdrawal symptoms.

When a character first gains the addiction insanity they must roll on the addiction table below. Once the addiction is chosen the character must find a source to feed that addiction by succeeding in a knowledge (local) check of DC 15 each day or begin to suffer the effects of withdrawal (see below). Once the character engages in the addictive behavior they may appear and act normal.

Withdrawal:

While a character is suffering the effects of withdrawal they receive a daily cumulative penalty of -1 to all die rolls (to a maximum of -5) It is possible for a character to resist addiction by succeeding on a will save of DC 15. For each day beyond the first the character attempts to resist the addiction (or is unable to find a source to feed the addiction) the Will save DC is modified by +1. Thus the first day would be a DC 15, the second day would be a DC 16, the third day DC 17 etc. This check can not exceed a maximum DC of 25. If the character makes this save 28 days in a row then they are clear of the addiction and no longer need to make the will save unless they suffer any sanity loss.

Addiction Table

1 - Alcohol; Alcohol is a fairly easy addiction to feed and thus only requires that the character spend money to insure they have a ready source of alcohol. For effects of intoxication see the core rule book.

2 - Illicit drugs; The character becomes addicted to some kind of illicit drugs. In order to locate a source of their drug of choice the character needs to succeed on a knowledge (local) check of DC 15. A failure indicates an inability to find the drug and withdrawal symptoms begin.

3 - Sex; The character becomes addicted to sex. The character may either find and pay a prostitute (Knowledge local DC 15) or find a cooperative partner which requires a  diplomacy check of DC 20. If the character is unable to find a sexual partner they will begin to suffer the effects of withdrawal.

4 - Violence; The character becomes addicted to the exhilaration of violence. In order to satisfy this addiction the character must engage in some form of violent activity every day. This does not have to be killing another individual but does have to involve some form of damage against another creature. If a character can not engage in violent behavior they begin to suffer from the effects of withdrawal.

Paranoia

A character suffering from paranoia does not trust anyone, believes some unknown person or group is out to get them, thinks their food is poisoned etc. A paranoid character will question everyone they know about their intentions. The character will take extreme steps to make sure they are protected such as block off all doors and windows into their domicile, disguise themselves as someone different and other such behaviors.

Because a paranoid character is suspicious of everyone they find it incredibly difficult to be around other people. If a paranoid character wishes to be in the presence of other people they must succeed a will save of DC 15. If the save is made they may spend up to twenty four hours in the presence of people before needing to make the will save again. If the paranoid character fails this will save and is unable to flee they must make an immediate insanity check of DC 20. A fail indicates the paranoia becomes overwhelming and the paranoid character will become incredibly hostile (see becoming enraged under long term sanity effects) and will remain so until they are either incapacitated or are able to flee.

Amnesia

A character stricken with amnesia can not remember anything about themselves or their history. While the character retains all class abilities they do not remember how they got them. While under the effects of amnesia the character is still able to relearn new spells and gain granted abilities. If a character with amnesia attempts a knowledge check they must first succeed on a will save of DC 15. If the save is successful the character rolls the check like normal. If the character fails they are not allowed to make the knowledge check at all.

Facade of Innocence

The horrors the character has experienced have such a profound effect on their psyche that their mind retreats into a false belief in their innocence. A character afflicted with a facade of innocence is unable to see the ugliness of the world and refuses to consider any action that might harm another individual. While on the surface the character may seem to be harmless a roiling mess of emotions lies just underneath the surface. If the character is ever confronted with violence or fails a sanity check they will be required to make a DC 15 will save. If the save is successful the character will continue on acting innocent. If the save fails the facade of innocent crumbles and the character is now a homicidal lunatic.

If an character suffering from false innocent becomes a homicidal lunatic they feel compelled to murder someone in the next twenty four hours. This murder must be a cold blooded murder of a humanoid (or goblinoid if the character is a goblinoid). Because the character suffers from unconscious guilt the character must make a will save of DC 20 or they will leave some kind of clue as to their identity. After the murder is committed the character will again resume the facade of innocence forgetting about the murder they committed. They will find such an act atrocious and may involve themselves in the investigation to find the perpetrator of such a heinous crime. If this character is confronted with evidence that they are the murderer they must make a sanity check of DC 20 with a failure carrying the normal results.

Recovering From Sanity Loss

Because of the stiff penalties incurred from sanity loss it would be unbalanced to not give PCs some method of recovering from sanity loss. While in the real world dealing with mental illness is still a puzzle we do not fully understand, putting that restriction on a fantasy role playing game is counter productive. While any fantasy world is unlikely to have a better understanding of mental illness than we do in our world, there are tools in a fantasy world that we do not have access to in the real world. These tools include things like healing magic, arcane magic, skill checks, saving throws and more. With these tools available it stands to reason that we should incorporate them in dealing with sanity loss.

Recovering from temporary insanity.

While all of the temporary insanity effects are fairly short lived, there are times when a character suffering from such an effect could be incredibly detrimental to the party. When a character is suffering from a temporary insanity effect a cure light wounds (or equivalent spell or ability such as lay on hands) can shorten the duration by one round for every hp cured.

Recovering from long term insanity

A character suffering from long term insanity is allowed a daily saving throw. However, if the character receives a cure moderate wounds spell they are allowed to make an additional  saving throw with a +1 bonus granted for every 2 points of healing they receive. If the character succeeds in the saving throw they are no longer afflicted by the long term insanity effect. If the character fails they may attempt the daily saving throw as normal or receive another cure moderate wounds spell.

Recovering from permanent insanity

Because of the nature of permanent insanity effects, the only way these can be cured by magical means is through a wish or miracle spell. If such a spell is not available then the character must have a full week of rest at which point they may make a will save of DC 20 to regain their sanity. At this point the character is not cured but is no longer under the effects of the insanity. If the character fails a sanity check in the future they will once again fall under the effects of their permanent insanity.

It's All About Back Story Part 1: Ten Questions to Get Started

I still remember the first time I stared at a character sheet. I was nine years old and after months of begging, my uncle finally agreed to let me play Dungeons and Dragons (DnD) with him. I don't know if I knew it then, but that character sheet would be the start of a lifelong hobby that has been a huge part of my life. In the 30+ years I have been playing role playing games (RPG's) I have grown as both a player and a game master (GM). Yet, even today any time I look at a blank character sheet I feel the exact sense of wonder and mystery I did at the age of nine.

For me, looking at a character sheet is much more than just thinking about numbers and bonuses. Looking at a character sheet is the first step in creating an entire person. This person is more than a class, some saving throws, and combat modifiers. This person has a name, a family, a homeland, and more. Even when I was nine the greatest interest to me was the scribbled back story on the back, not the numbers on the sheet.

As I developed my GMing style my love of character back story influenced how I approached character creation. I wasn't happy with my player's simply putting down a set of numbers and saying "let's go!". I wanted something more. I wanted my players to invest time in their characters by thinking about them beyond a set of numbers. I did this because I believed (and still do) that when a player invests in their character it becomes more real to them. When a character becomes more real to a player the dangers of adventuring life become that much more exciting and this makes the game better.

The problem is that not everyone can whip up a back story easily. This would frustrate me and I would get angry and decide I wasn't going to GM. Looking back at this immature version of myself, I can see why I wasn't the most popular GM in my gaming group. The nice thing about age is that it does bring wisdom. While I might have started as a demanding brat, my desire to be a good GM forced me to learn how to improve my own shortcomings.

Over time I tried a number of ways to help people develop backgrounds. I used the secondary skills, personality traits out of the first edition Dungeon Master's Guide, and more. I created thousand of tables that describe everything from parents through schooling. I read thousand of articles on creating character background. However, the thing I found most useful, what I go back to time and time again is ten simple questions.

These questions are easy for pretty much anyone to answer. On the rare occasion someone simply can't (or doesn't want to) create a background for their character I let it go. It is their character after all. I always believe that a player who invests in their character will enjoy the game more, I have also learned I can't force someone to do something they really don't want to do. However, for those that do I always have the following questions ready.

Who Were your Parents?

Just like in real life a characters parents will determine a lot about the character. Maybe the character was born in a small village to parents who owned a mill. Maybe the character was born to a noble family that was forced into exile. By answering this question a player will have the beginning of a character concept that is built on a solid base.

Where Were you Born?

Again, like in real life, where you were born has a huge impact on who you become as a person. If your character was born in a big city they will have a different set of skills and values than someone born on the frontier of a growing kingdom. If your struggling answering this question look a map of the world or the DM's campaign and pick a spot that looks interesting. Maybe your character was born on the edge of the dark wood or maybe they were born in the city of the wizard tyrant Hermicules. By having a place that your character more or less calls home you will be able to determine a lot about the person.

Who were your Friends?

Our friends shape us and we shape them. Maybe you had dozens of friends or maybe you didn't have any. When people look back on their lives they not only remember the event, but they remember the people they were with at the time and who weren't and this influences their view of the world. If your struggling here think back on some of your own friends (or people who were not your friends) and think of how they made you feel. Did the make you feel smart? Good looking? Funny? Ugly? Dumb? When you answer these questions think of how it has influenced you today. Now do the same thing for your character.

Have you had Any Romantic Relationships?

There is not a more confusing aspect to everyone's lives than love. Love is that thing that all of us never really understand but we spend a lot of our time trying to. When it comes to character background this is probably one of the most under used aspects of life. Don't be sacred to have a character that has had a couple of relationships in their past. Maybe they left home hoping to earn the respect of a potential spouses parents. Maybe the character lost their love to a rival and is now trying to get as far away from that pain as possible. Romantic relationships are something that can be a lot of fun to put in a background. Conversely lack of these kind of relationships can lead to an entirely different look on life.

What, if any, Traumas Have you Suffered?

Trauma and getting hurt is a part of life. You can't escape being hurt in the modern world and in a world roughly based of the middle ages, trauma was even more common. Perhaps your parents dies in a fire or your best friend drowned in the river or your entire village was slaughtered by orcs. Take a moment to think about the kinds of traumas your character might have suffered and how these have effected them through their life. Thinking of trauma is an uncomfortable experience so don't spend to much time here, just enough to give your character a bit of depth.

Who were your Mentors?

Mentors are those people who instilled some kind of value and knowledge on us. While parents do count as mentors, this question is aimed more at the other people in a characters life who took the time to teach them things. A player doesn't have to think of everyone who could count as a mentor, just one or two who helped shape who the character is. Maybe the militia captain trained the character how to use a sword, maybe the weird old guy at the end of the village taught a character about various herbs in the forest. The best way to do this is to decide who taught the character the skills their class required.

What do you Want Out of Life?

Everyone has at least some vague idea of what they want out of life and your character is no different. This is probably one of the harder questions to answer, but it doesn't have to be to detailed. Maybe your character wants to be rich some day or maybe your character wants to earn a noble title. By giving some thought to this question you give your character a goal to reach for that will influence the choices you make in your adventuring life. If, for example, your character is pursuing a noble title, they would be more likely to try and do favors for the nobility they encounter. You might not ever see your character reach their goal, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't have one.

What are you Afraid of?

Everyone has some kind of fear and we tend to go to great lengths to avoid confronting them. This is beyond the stuff like spiders or lightning, but instead is about concepts like failing or bringing dishonor to their parents. This is another one of those hard questions to answer, but answering it will tell you how your character is going to react when confronted by certain situations. A character who is afraid of failure may not take risks when they are unsure of the result. A character who doesn't want to dishonor their family might try to hide a crime they committed. Knowing what your character fears will help act as a guide when your role-playing in certain situations.

Why are you an Adventurer?
Very few people in the real world would choose to strap on a sword and go out into the world to face death on a nearly daily basis and a fantasy world is no different. While this may be true for a majority of the people in a fantasy world, this is not true of your character and there is a reason for it. Maybe your character is adventuring because they want to bring vengeance to the evil warlord who led the orcs that slaughtered the characters village. Maybe your character wants to earn renown so great that the parents of their love happily allow them to marry. You don't have to try to be overly original here either. A simple reason such as "I want to find a lot of gold" is just as good as any reason. It doesn't matter what the reason is, just that your character does have a reason.

The above ten questions are by no means all inclusive, but they will help get the ball rolling. Keep in mind you don't have to write a novel detailing every day of a characters life but instead are looking for broad strokes that begin painting a picture. Most likely your character is going to start out kind of young and with luck there is a lot of living for your character to do. While developing a character background is a little work, in the end it will make for a more rewarding play experience.

Do you have questions you like to answer for your characters? Are you a GM that uses a different method for creating backgrounds? Feel free to sound off in the comments below and let me know.

Girls in Gaming: What they Bring to the Table

I was about halfway through the first draft of this article when I had a bit of a sudden realization. In the first article I was listing ten things that women bring to the table. I was excited about this idea because I felt it was a great way to show how different women are and how their approach to gaming is different. Then I realized that I was pretty much doing the exact thing I want other people to stop doing. I was explaining women like they are some alien species that needs to justify their place at the table. When I realized this I felt like a complete idiot.

There I was being Mr. self-satisfied mansplainer thinking that I was doing women some kind of service with my thoughts about how they are different. I was arrogantly thinking that I was somehow gonna point out the difference between men and women and that would make the gaming table a better place for women to be. Sometimes my arrogance astounds me. Thankfully I am learning how to think about things differently. It's a slow process and I am going to make some mistakes, but I am trying.

Yes, men and women are different, but this shouldn't be the focus at the table. We shouldn't look at a woman joining a game as some kind of invasion or as an opportunity to flex our rules knowledge. Nor should we expect a woman to live up to the ideal that we have in our heads. Instead we should do our best to look at women as simply another gamer and treat them as such. This isn't going to be easy but if we try to do it I think that a gaming table will be better for it.

Imagine for a second if a guy walks up to a gaming table. The dudes there are not going to be thinking about things like "can he play the game?" or "Does he know the rules?" in fact we are pretty much going to assume that they already know how to play the game unless they tell us differently. Why can't we do this with women too? Why do we feel a need to see a woman approach and suddenly bust out the mansplaining voices that pretty much say "don't worry you simple little woman I will help you!"?

Does every single Game Master do this when a woman comes to the table? No, but I have seen enough of them do it, have done it enough times myself, that I do know it happens a lot. I get why this happens, women in gaming is still a somewhat unusual thing and there is this natural assumption that they don't know anything. I don't know when or if this will ever completely go away, but I want it to.

I started out this series of articles with this idea that I was going to champion the cause of women in gaming. I was going to show everyone what a sensitive forward thinking guy I was. Instead what I have discovered is that women don't need a guy to blaze a path for them, they need community to simply say "Welcome to the table now let's game!"

So what do women bring to the table? The same thing we all bring to the table, a character sheet, some dice, and a willingness to spend some time with other people playing let's pretend.

I want to give a shout of thanks to my friend Melody Dickson for looking the article over and making sure I didn't make to many egregious grammar mistakes.

She also suggested an article about the unique traits that women bring to a game would be a good idea. I would like to hear what other people think. Feel free to let me know how you feel about this article and if there is anything you would like me to talk about. Until next time be well :)

How to deal with a Problem GM

In my time as an RPG player I have read countless articles on how to deal with problem players, how to be a better player etc. While I have found many of these article to be incredibly useful, I don't recall ever seeing an article on how to deal with a problem game master. I get this, after all the number of players willing to take on the role of game master is fairly small and most gamers are pretty happy to simply have a game to play in. The problem is that there are bad game masters and a lot of players don't know what to do about the problem. While I am not all knowing and have my share of bad game mastering habits, this article (and likely a couple follow up ones) is my attempt to help people dealing with a problem GM navigate a fairly intimidating situation.

Because of the rather subjective experience of player and game master interaction, it is rather hard to say "this is what makes a bad GM". Instead of going that route I am going to list a few types of "bad GM's" discuss why they are a problem and offer suggestions on how to deal with them. Keep in mind I am not all knowing. While I have been playing RPG's since the age of nine, I do not know everything there is to know about every game ever played. If I miss something feel free to let  me know.

Mr. Entitled,

Mr. Entitled is the GM who thinks just because he is the GM everyone should kiss his butt and thank him for taking the time to run a game. This person generally acts like everyone at the table owes him something simply because he is there and willing to run a game. This kind of GM will insist the players bring him food, drinks, etc. and if you don't he will punish you in some way ranging from in game harm to threatening to kick you out of the game. Mr. Entitled will also do things like insist you show up on time or you won't be allowed to play or get angry when you miss a game. The biggest problem with this guy is that he is often one of the few Game Masters in town and knows it. This has led him to believe that he is needed more than the players are and his attitude shows it.

My first suggestion on how to improve things with Mr. Entitled is explain how you feel. This might backfire and make him mad, but at the same time there is a chance he will hear what you are saying. In my experience Mr. Entitled types genuinely want to run a good game and are not above hearing out a player. While talking things out with your GM is always a good idea, try to approach the subject in as friendly a way as possible. Mr. Entitled often feels like you owe him something so when you want to contradict this idea he can be a bit put off.

The biggest issue with Mr. Entitled is that he is generally the only GM you know. When this is the case, the best way to solve the situation is to find another GM to play with. Hang out at a game store for a bit, meet other player's and you will likely meet other GM's who will be happy to invite you into their game. This is likely going to make Mr. Entitled a bit grumpy but it will also let him know he is not the only act in town. This might not solve the problem with him but it will give you another option and sometimes that is the best option.

Mr. Winner,

Mr. Winner is the GM who thinks that the game is a competition between himself and the players. This guy seems to have entirely missed the concept that the game is  intended to be a cooperative experience and wants to turn it into a competition. Generally this kind of GM wants to prove that they are the smartest person at the table and will go to some extreme lengths to prove it. He will often omit important information on purpose, add abilities and hit points to monsters, and other similar things that are designed to give him the edge. Perhaps the most frustrating thing about Mr. Winner is that he will do all this under the guise of providing "challenging content" which is a bunch of BS because most games are already balanced to be challenging without the GM having to make them tougher.

Mr. Winner is a tough nut to crack when you want to see a change in the game. This guy doesn't look at the players and fellow contributors but rather as adversaries. For this reason he will often turn the conversation into an argument which he can "win". This of course means that getting him to hear your complaint will be a bit of a waste of time.

Instead of trying to get Mr. Winner to see your point of view I would suggest asking him to help you be a better player. While Mr. Winner wants to win, he also loves showing off his mastery of the rules. By asking him to help you be a better player you are talking to him in a language he can understand. While this might not improve the situation greatly it will give you a look into how he thinks and this can be useful. I wish I had better advice for this guy, if one of you reading this has a good idea, please let me know.

Mr. Power Trip,

Mr. Power Trip is a lot like Mr. Winner only worse. This guy doesn't even pretend to be providing you with an appropriate challenge. He is the master of his world and you are simple pawns in his game. Mr. Power trip is the guy who throws a ten hit die invulnerable demon at a first level party and laughs as he kills every character. He isn't a lot of fun to play with because you seldom achieve much with your character.

When it comes to dealing with Mr. Power Trip I honestly don't have a lot of advice. This kind of person tends to enjoy the power of game mastering to much to ever let it go and is normally quite resistant to change. The best way to handle him is to either grin and bear it while you focus on enjoying character creation or to simply quit his game. You can try talking to him and explain that you feel his encounters are to overwhelming. If he does listen he is still probably going to power trip in other ways but at least the encounters become a bit more fair.

Mr. Awesome,

Mr. Awesome is the GM who always has an NPC that is five thousand times as cool as any of your characters. In a game run by Mr. Awesome you will spend a lot of time watching his NPC's do cool things and encountering his past characters who achieved world shattering things. Mr. Awesome will often treat the other characters like side kicks while regaling you with tales of his NPC's. It won't matter how good your character is, his NPC will always be better.

The thing with Mr. Awesome is that a lot of times he simply wants to be able to play the game too. While the previously mentioned types of GM relish the role of Game Mastering, Mr. Awesome would generally rather be a player. A lot of the times his NPC's are characters he wants to run in games but he doesn't have anyone to run games for him.

My suggestion for dealing with Mr. Awesome is to find a time to talk with him one on one. Don't tell him that his characters are bad, but do tell him you often feel over shadowed by his NPC's and would like a chance for your character to shine. In my experience if you approach Mr. Awesome tactfully and without accusation he is willing to change things a bit. Maybe he will drop his NPC out of the group or maybe he will find a way to make sure everyone gets some spotlight.

Another thing I would suggest for Mr. Awesome is to run a game for him or find a game he can play in. a lot of times this will help Mr. Awesome feel a bit less like he has to run his characters as NPC's and instead give him a chance to actually play. While I can't speak for every Mr. Awesome out there, I do know that being given an opportunity to play helped me out.

Mr. Attached,

Mr. Attached is the GM who significant other in the game as well. While most of the time this isn't a problem there are times when Mr. Attached can show some incredible favoritism toward his significant other. When this happens the significant other genreally has the best character, the best gear, a more intimate knowledge of how the game world works, and other benefits everyone else is denied.

The biggest problem you will have with trying to talk to Mr. Attached is that you are asking them to detach their feelings for someone very important to them. This is not easy for anyone even under the best of circumstances and for Mr. Attached it might be even harder. A lot of times Mr. Attached is afraid that if he doesn't show favoritism his significant other will not like the game or get mad at him. While it doesn't help make the game better for you, it can also be hard to approach the subject in the first place.

I really don't know what to suggest someone do in this situation. While I am generally about talking things out in a gaming group this particular situation can be kind of tricky to navigate. Mr. Attached is probably going to be defensive of his significant other and anything that sounds like an insult to her is not going to be met well. If you do decide to talk about the problem do so in as mellow a way as possible. Make sure it is understood that your not asking him to pick a side nor are you asking him to punish his significant other. Instead do your best to explain what you would like to see different. Instead of focusing on the favrotism, focus more on how to make your character on par with Mrs. attached. Again this is a tricky situation and not one I would want to navigate.

Final Thoughts:

While there are plenty of other types of problem GM's, this article has gone on for long enough now. I will likely do a follow up article or two and perhaps spend some time really digging into each kind of problem GM. For now though I hope this has helped both player's and GM's understand the various kind of game masters players can find frustrating.

If you have a particular problem GM you would like to see discussed or have an experience you would like to share, please sound off in the comments either here on the blog or on my Facebook post. If you think I am wrong or just plain stupid, feel free to let me know that too.

Product Review: Monster, Monster, Vampires by Nuelow Games

Product Review

Monster, Monster, Vampires

One of the best parts about the existence of the OGL is that it has allowed for a lot of independently produced products. While a lot of these "off bran" products can be hit or miss, I have never run across an indie product that didn't give me some ideas for a new character, a new campaign, building on an old one and other useful tidbits. For this reason I have been a big supporter of small press gaming publishers. One of the best parts about deciding to do the game design thing full time is it is giving me time to do a lot of things I have always wanted to do. One of those things is doing product reviews on small press releases.


I have been a fan of Nuelow Games for a while now and purchases several of their products. Their mix of pulp comic goodness and gaming material appeals to me on several levels. Their price point is beyond fair and I have never been disappointed by one of their offerings. This meant I was super excited to be offered a chance to review their latest product Monster, Monster, Vampires.

Overview:

Monster, Monster, Vampire is about doing more with a vampire than simply making them the high level boss at the end of a dungeon. It starts out with a very well done comic titled "The Vampyre" created by Ed Fedory & Pablo Marcos that features a vampire who falls victim to a hemophiliac. I won't give away more because you really should read it. The comic alone made this product worth the price, but it gets better.

After the first comic we are treated to some interesting OGL content that goes beyond "here are some vampires go kill them.  Andrew Pavlides and Steve Miller take the vampire and change it up to give enterprising GM's five different variant vampires to throw into the mix. Without revealing to much (again you really should read the book for yourself) the five vampires included in the book can easily fit into just about any campaign. Not only are these variants different monsters, but they can work to give a campaign its own feel and theme.

After the variant vampires are some adventure seeds titled Vampire tales. The three tales presented in the book give a GM some solid material to work the new vampire variants into an existing campaign. Just after the adventure seeds there is a table for unusual vampire weaknesses and immunities which is just screaming to be used. I think my favorite was Black Anne but all three were well done and I will likely use them in a horror campaign sometime in the near future.

Finally, Monster, Monster, Vampire wraps itself up with another comic. Again I don't want to reveal to much of the story but I have always wondered about how many vampires have human "canteens" (insert maniacal laughter). Overall Monster, Monster, Vampire is a worthwhile and entertaining read.

The Good:
The Art (4 out of 5) - One of the things I like about this book and the other offerings from Nuelow Games is the art. It has an awesome old school pulp vibe to it that takes me back in time. While the art does have a pulp vibe it is still modern and well done.

The Crunchy Bits (4 out of 5) - I feel like the mechanics of the new variants are well balanced. I also think that the way the variants are presented makes creating a new and interesting vampire encounter pretty easy. After reading them once I had a good idea of what each variant did and how to use it in an encounter.

Flavor (3.5 out of 5) - I am actually breaking the flavor rating into two parts. The art I would actually give a 4 out of 5 rating to as far as flavor and mood go. It might just be me, but I dig the whole pulp style it has going on and I think it really adds a unique element to Nuelow's products. However, when it comes to the overall flavor of the book I have to give it a 3 out of 5. I don't give it this rating because of anything wrong, I do it because vampires are vampires are vampires. While I think they did an excellent job at creating interesting variants, at the end of the day we are still talking vampires and vampires are far from new or cutting edge. With that said, Nuelow did an excellent job taking this subject on from a new perspective.

Value (5 out of 5) - While there are a lot of inexpensive products out there, I think Nuelow hits the perfect balance between quality and cost. Monster, Monster, Vampire is completely affordable and you get a lot out of it for your money. If every indy company worked as hard to provide this kind of quality for this kind of price the RPG market would be better for it.

The Bad:
Depth (2 out of 5) - The only real knock I have against Monster, Monster, Vampires is that I felt it could have been a bit deeper. While I think the idea of introducing a few variants was a good one and I think the execution was very well done, I would have liked to see more. However, Nuelow is about the quick hit and leaves the GM a lot of room to make their own stuff out of the book.

Final Verdict:
Overall I am giving Monster, Monster, Vampire a 4 out of 5 rating. The artwork is well done and something I want to see more of. The crunch of the book is easy to understand and use. The flavor is interesting enough to give some inspiration. Finally, I can't say enough about the value of the book. In the end this is a product I was happy to have some time to read and is something I will definitely use in my game sometime soon.

If you want to pick up a copy of Monster, Monster, Vampire (or any of the other Nuelow Games offerings) you can check it out at: RPG Now

If you would like me to review a product feel free to let me know.

Girls and Gaming: Part 1: Why We Need to have this Conversation in the First Place

Women in Gaming Part 1:
Why we need to have this conversation in the first place

When I had this concept suggested as an article to write I wasn't sure what I would do with it. I had some ideas on where to go and I had some ideas I thought would make a good article. All of those disappeared when I did a google image search on the term "Women in Gaming Memes". I don't know what I was expecting, but what I got was a bit of a slap in the face.

The above picture shows a small sampling of some of the memes I got. As I browsed through a random collection of outright objectification, dismissal of women's intelligence, poorly disguised revenge fantasies, and the occasional positive meme, I realized that I had a subject that I not only wanted to write about, but needed to. While I wish it wasn't the case, the gaming community needs to have a serious conversation about women and their place in gaming.

Before I get to deep in this conversation I am going to explain what this article (and the ones that follow it) won't be. These articles are not going to be some kind of anti-man rant. They won't be about how much men suck, how much women suck, how much anyone sucks. These articles won't be about how to pick up girls, make girls like you, or anything like that. Instead these articles are going to be an attempt to bring a serious issue into the light. I want people to start talking about this stuff. I want to make gaming tables all across the world a better place for women to be. I want this because those girl gamers people are objectifying and calling stupid happen to be my wife, my daughters, and my friends.

I will be honest, I feel a bit strange writing about this. I am not a woman, I will never be a woman unless you count playing a female character on occasion. I feel like this issue is something that a woman would be far better at articulating than me. However, part of the problem is that there are not enough women in the gaming community. Not only are there not enough women in the gaming community, there are even fewer who are willing to stand up and point this problem out. Yes, there are some, and those brave individuals have my utmost respect. Yet, I can't let them fight this battle alone. Some day my daughters are going to be at someones table and I want that table to be a good place to be.

I really don't know the best place to start this conversation. This issue is a lot bigger than I originally thought. In fact, this whole thing is a bit intimidating. Yet, even though I am a bit scared of the topic, I have to start somewhere and that somewhere is here on this blog. I really wish I didn't have to have this conversation, but the fact is I do.

The reason I need to have this WE need to have this conversation because there is a very real problem. Women are being emotionally (and sometimes physically) assaulted by men and women in the gaming community. Somehow gaming has become a vestige of male of anger towards women and this is not okay. Gaming has become a thinly disguised realm of female objectification and this is not okay either. If we keep ignoring these things or expecting someone else to fix it, this will continue to be a problem. I can't accept that, I won't accept that, finally you shouldn't accept it either.

Hook Line and Sinker: Short Adventure Hooks Number 1 A Twist on the Iconic Bandit Attack

A Twist on the Iconic Bandit Attack

Outside of the Inn, there may not be another iconic start to any adventure than being hired as guards for a caravan. When you look at the nature of most fantasy role playing games this actually makes a lot of sense. Caravans offer several things. One, they offer a chance for the characters to meet. Two they offer a great way to move the characters from location to another. Third, they offer a great way to add a couple of encounters in to either spice things up a bit or increase the party's wealth and experience. For these reasons guarding a caravan makes for a very useful tool in an Game Master's arsenal.

The problem with the entire "You get hired to guard a caravan" adventure hook is a lot of Game Master's overlook a prime opportunity to introduce encounters that are beyond the rather blase attacks by bandits or bands of humanoids. Don't get me wrong here, there is nothing wrong with the tried and true bandit attack. They offer a fairly challenging fight, tend to yield a bit of treasure, and can be a great way to build party identity. However, after about the tenth attack from a band of bandits even the most slaughter happy party is going to want something a little different.


The goal of this article is to give GM's a little help in creating interesting encounters that go beyond the standard bandit attack. The following hooks are designed to be used for a fairly general fantasy campaign and should be easy to adjust and modify how the GM sees fit.

1: Bandits within the caravan.

This encounter offers a slight twist on the standard bandit attack encounter. The number and power of bandits within the caravan should be roughly equal to the party. The number of bandits that will attack at the designated area should not exceed the number of party members and any other friendly combatants the DM wishes to include within the caravan. The bandits within the caravan should be of similar race to the party, but the bandits in wait can be of any race.

Along with the characters a group of would be bandits has hired on for guard duty as well. The bandits intend to slowly take out any other guards. At this point the bandits plan to have another part of their band attack the caravan and kill off all the merchants in the caravan. Once this is accomplished they are free to take over the caravan. It is up to the party to not only learn about the plan, but to find a way to foil it as well.

Hook: The party has been hired as guards for a caravan heading out the next day. When they arrive the caravan master introduces them to the other guards. The other guards are unfriendly and rebuff any attempt a character makes to get to know them.

Line: The GM should use some kind of roll or suggestion to give the players a clue that the other guards may not be all they seem to be. If the party becomes suspicious then allow them to take any kind of action they think will yield them information. Actions that can potentially lead to the characters gaining information could be spying, rifling through possessions, or attempting to befriend the bandits.

If the party decides on spying the GM should set up a situation where a group of the bandits are together at one time (such as at night when they cook their evening meal). Allow the characters to make the appropriate stealth, listen, and perception rolls and reward any success with bits of information. Bits of information can be learning about the plan, when the bandits intend to execute their plan, and other similar things.

If the party decides to rifle through the bandits' possession they they will need to find a way to distract the guards or sneak past the guards. This would actually be an ideal time to give the party a standard bandit attack. While this occurs one or more of the party members can use the opportunity to search the bandits belongings. If the party does manage to search the bandits possessions the GM should give them a couple of clues in the manner of notes, maps of a pre-arranged attack point, etc.

If the party attempts to befriend the bandits the GM should make this incredibly difficult but not impossible. The bandits are secretive and not very trusting but are always willing to take on new talent. If a character or two are adept at social maneuvering there is a chance that they can start to gain the trust of the bandits. However, before the bandits will let the character in on the plan they will likely require some kind of test of loyalty. This can range from committing a murder to stealing something.

If the character carries out this task they will include that character in on the plans. While this would allow for the character to know what is going on the GM should keep in mind that they bandits will be keeping an eye on the newest member. This means that the character might have a hard time relating the information to the rest of the party or even potentially try to get the rest of the party to join up with the bandits (which could make for another interesting situation)

Once the party is aware of the bandits plan it is time for them to decide what they will do about it and how they will do it. While there are a number of different ways a party can approach this, there are a few that are the most likely to occur.

1: The Party Attacks the Bandits Right Away
For combat heavy groups that like direct action this is probably the most appealing action. While there is nothing wrong with this and makes for a rather easy conclusion to the event, it does presents a couple of problems in the aftermath.

First, how does the caravan master feel about the sudden murder of guards in his caravan?

At first the caravan master is likely going to be angry about the death of guards he has paid for. In this situation the characters are going to need to both succeed in some social actions and likely provide some kind of proof. If they have already searched through the bandits possessions then this is an easy task, if they haven't then they will have to hope that there is some way to dig up proof (which depends entirely on how kind the GM is feeling)

Second, What does this mean for the rest of the band lying in wait further down the road?

It is unlikely that the remaining bandits will attack the caravan when it is actively guarded but an enterprising party may decide that tracking the bandits down to their layer is a good idea. This might create a bit of extra work for the GM but designing a bandit layers isn't very difficult. Use a nearby set of caves, an abandoned farm house, or something similar as the bandits base and go from there.

2: The Party informs the Caravan Master
If the party decides alerting the caravan master is the best idea then they are going to have to provide some kind of proof. The caravan master is a shrewd individual and does not believe things simply because one of his for hire guards tells it to him. If the characters have only overheard the plan at this point, then this will force them to find proof and that can be handled as mentioned above with searching the bandits possessions.

If the party doesn't provide proof the caravan master may decide to question the bandits. If this happens the bandits may decide that they have to act early. This could lead to an attack on the party, the bandits getting a message to the rest of their band, or midnight assassination attempts deciding on how the GM wants to deal with it.

If the party does provide proof (or in some other way convinces the caravan master) then the caravan master is likely to order the party to "deal with the problem". The party can approach this any number of ways ranging from direct assault to more subtle means. Whatever the party chooses the GM should make dealing with the problem challenging in some way.

3: The Party Sits on the Information Not Sure what to do
While most parties are likely to decide one of the above options there is always the possibility they feel a bit indecisive. If this happens the GM can move things along by having the bandits become the party knows of their plan in some way. A lot of how this is done depends on how the party found the information. If the party has been spying on the bandits there is always the chance they noticed and return the favor. If the party searched the bandits possessions, the bandits can easily discover their stuff has been messed with. If the party has attempted to befriend the bandits the bandits can decide they don't trust those "in the know" enough and attempt to get rid of them. Finally there is the option of simply allowing things to unfold naturally and having the party  navigate a much larger and deadlier battle when the bandits enact their plan.

4: The Party Decides to Join the Bandits
While this is the least likely thing to happen, it is not inconceivable that the party decides to join the bandits. If this happens the amount of challenge to the party is greatly reduced and the GM should adjust any rewards to reflect this fact. If the party does choose this way it can open up an interesting campaign where the party becomes part of a group of bandits. This offers a unique campaign where the party can jostle for a better position within the band of bandits, carry out various raids and robberies and more. While this most certainly would be a campaign for more evil characters, it doesn't mean it can't be fun.

Sinker: Once the party has dealt with the bandits in whatever way they choose the GM should give them some form of reward. It is probably wise to balance this reward with the difficulty of the encounters. It is unlikely that the caravan master will increase their pay, but if they slay or capture the bandits the caravan master is likely to allow them to keep some or all of the gear the bandits possess.

Along with the rewards the adventure can lead to another adventure involving tracking down the bandits hide out. It can also lead to the characters being hunted down by other members of the bandit gang. Finally, the characters should gain some kind of benefit by having done a job well (or by joining up with the bandits). This can include a favor owed by the caravan master, maybe their story being spread by the common folk, or something else entirely.

In the end this adventure should be fairly easy to drop into any ongoing campaign or even be used to launch a new campaign. Feel free to use it how you wish.