[WW] Re: weirdwars-digest.20011030

["Joseph C. Wolf" <coyote@net-link.net>]

weirdwars-owner@gamerz.net wrote:

> Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2001 15:40:39 -0600
> From: gathomas4@juno.com
> Subject: [WW]  Failed Will Saves
>
> i've been looking in both Wierd Wars and Deadlands D20 and in neither one
> can i find the effects of failing a fear based Will save.
>
> Presumably the characters become some combination of Shaken, Frightened
> and/or Panicked (DMG84-85.)
>
> If a character fails a save does the status progress from Shaken and get
> worse?  How long does the character remain in such a state?
>
> If all this is in the WM's hands, that's fine, but what is the official
> word one way or the other?

Basically, if you blow the Will save your character becomes "shaken" for a
period of time, which I recall was 1d4 hours afterwhich he's assumed to have
recovered.

My suggestion requires a little work on the Warmaster's part but it's well
worth it. Each circumstance and/or encounter is rated according to whether it
inspires a shaken, frightened, or panicked state. For common stuff such as a
relatively fresh corpse, brutes, or seeing a minor supernatural event I'd
recommend Shaken. For truly spooky things like werwolves, zombies or other
mangled corpses, or spooks rising from their graves, that'll probably induce
a Frightened state. As for the Panicked state, this should be reserved for
really horrific stuff like really really really mangled corpses, gore
drenched ghouls caught in mid-feast, and other such terrible occurances which
are bound to occur. If the Will save is successful, there is no other effect
and the character performs as expected. If the Will save is not made, the
character suffers the effects of the state. If the Will save is failed by 10
or more, increase the effects of the state by one level, i.e. Shaken becomes
Frightened. If the Will save roll is a 1, the character suffers a minor heart
attack requiring a Fort save DC 15 otherwise he/she suffers 3d6 temporary Con
and Str loss, if either of these ability scores is reduced to 0 or less, the
character becomes worm food as his heart gives out from the strain.

In terms of modifications to die rolls, fear states do not stack. If the
character is already enduring a pre-existing state and fails another roll
resulting in a higher level of fear, bump up his state to the new level.

Hopefull you'll find this useful,

Many regards,

>>Joseph C. Wolf

--
Joseph "the Ogre" Wolf
coyote@net-link.net
Line Developer, Dark Heaven Legends
Reaper Miniatures, Inc.