Roleplaying Light Psychosis? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Roleplaying Light Psychosis? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Lord of the Ninth
09-28-03, 05:13 PM I'm playing a cyberpunk character (using the rules at This Site (http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/elaineob/) ). And my character has enough cyberware to have light psychosis. Now, this is the part I need help with (no knowledge of cyberware or the cyberpunk genre is needed). How do I roleplay a character who suffers from light psychosis?

This character has a para-military background, they were altered to make them a more perfect assassin. So I'm thinking a sort of abrasive, anti-social personality, possibly with sadistic tendencies, but to be honest I really have no idea exactly what being "lightly psychotic" entails.

Thanks.
Dragan_Timeripper
09-29-03, 03:26 PM Hello, Ninth.

Ah, psychoses...such a fun field. If you're playing a character with a psychosis, it depends on which psychosis you choose. For instance, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD, or Shell Shock) means that you would be extremely jumpy. However, Dimentia Praecox (Split Personality Disorder) would mean that you jump to an alternate personality in stressful times, one that could handle the stressful situation, such as a hero or mentor.

If you would like to e-mail me about this topic, you can find the button that says "e-mail" at the bottom of the screen, and we can correspond in that way. I hope this helps.
The_Dark_One
10-05-03, 02:35 AM You could believe that your cyberware itches . Imagine watching someone constantly scratch an artificial arm.

Paranoia

Delusions of granduer

Belief that you are invulnerable
VirgilCaine
10-05-03, 07:03 PM He said a LIGHT psychosis.

A minor dementia praecox might be an interesting thing--only when he totally can't handle a situation, a superior personality comes in control.
The_Dark_One
10-06-03, 02:58 AM Delusions of Granduer can be a very mild psycosis. My case is very mild indeed. Of , course I am the pinnacle of human perfection.
lordasrael
10-09-03, 03:24 PM Try always refering to yourself in the third person. Or plural, like us.
Lord of the Ninth
10-09-03, 06:40 PM I think having the arm itch would work, as might having him always speak in the plural. I don't think it would work for him to speak in 3rd person, because that would make remembering his name too easy, which is a bad habit for a spy/assassin. So I'm thinking either 1st person plural, or what I like to call 4th person ("This one doesn't like you"), it has all the detachement without the confusion as to who he's talking about.

I don't want them to have delusions of grandeur, because he is supposed to be very good at what he does, and a little creepy about it (he's a bit of a sociopath). As for the multiple or alternate personalities, I might do that, one personality wants to have fun (this is the one that was mostly dominant before his spy training), but now there is another personality that is very serious and sadistic.

So maybe there is Frank (his name before his training, or at least what he thinks his name was), and Agent X17 (who is very mission oriented and even in noncombat situations thinks about the most efficient methods of killing the people he encounters). Frank seems relatively normal, but X17 always says "this one" instead of "I". And both of them act like the arm is a normal arm (aside from using the hidden Desert Eagle in it to shoot people), and occasional scratch and even complain about it itching.

Thanks everybody :cool:
VirgilCaine
10-09-03, 09:06 PM I like that 4th person idea! I'll have to use that sometime.
green_yawgmoth
10-12-03, 05:06 AM Originally posted by lordasrael
Try always refering to yourself in the third person. Or plural, like us. or both, like they do! that would be really fun.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Lord of the Ninth 09-28-03, 05:13 PM	I'm playing a cyberpunk character (using the rules at This Site (http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/elaineob/) ). And my character has enough cyberware to have light psychosis. Now, this is the part I need help with (no knowledge of cyberware or the cyberpunk genre is needed). How do I roleplay a character who suffers from light psychosis? This character has a para-military background, they were altered to make them a more perfect assassin. So I'm thinking a sort of abrasive, anti-social personality, possibly with sadistic tendencies, but to be honest I really have no idea exactly what being "lightly psychotic" entails. Thanks.
Dragan_Timeripper 09-29-03, 03:26 PM	Hello, Ninth. Ah, psychoses...such a fun field. If you're playing a character with a psychosis, it depends on which psychosis you choose. For instance, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD, or Shell Shock) means that you would be extremely jumpy. However, Dimentia Praecox (Split Personality Disorder) would mean that you jump to an alternate personality in stressful times, one that could handle the stressful situation, such as a hero or mentor. If you would like to e-mail me about this topic, you can find the button that says "e-mail" at the bottom of the screen, and we can correspond in that way. I hope this helps.
The_Dark_One 10-05-03, 02:35 AM	You could believe that your cyberware itches . Imagine watching someone constantly scratch an artificial arm. Paranoia Delusions of granduer Belief that you are invulnerable
VirgilCaine 10-05-03, 07:03 PM	He said a LIGHT psychosis. A minor dementia praecox might be an interesting thing--only when he totally can't handle a situation, a superior personality comes in control.
The_Dark_One 10-06-03, 02:58 AM	Delusions of Granduer can be a very mild psycosis. My case is very mild indeed. Of , course I am the pinnacle of human perfection.
lordasrael 10-09-03, 03:24 PM	Try always refering to yourself in the third person. Or plural, like us.
Lord of the Ninth 10-09-03, 06:40 PM	I think having the arm itch would work, as might having him always speak in the plural. I don't think it would work for him to speak in 3rd person, because that would make remembering his name too easy, which is a bad habit for a spy/assassin. So I'm thinking either 1st person plural, or what I like to call 4th person ("This one doesn't like you"), it has all the detachement without the confusion as to who he's talking about. I don't want them to have delusions of grandeur, because he is supposed to be very good at what he does, and a little creepy about it (he's a bit of a sociopath). As for the multiple or alternate personalities, I might do that, one personality wants to have fun (this is the one that was mostly dominant before his spy training), but now there is another personality that is very serious and sadistic. So maybe there is Frank (his name before his training, or at least what he thinks his name was), and Agent X17 (who is very mission oriented and even in noncombat situations thinks about the most efficient methods of killing the people he encounters). Frank seems relatively normal, but X17 always says "this one" instead of "I". And both of them act like the arm is a normal arm (aside from using the hidden Desert Eagle in it to shoot people), and occasional scratch and even complain about it itching. Thanks everybody :cool:
VirgilCaine 10-09-03, 09:06 PM	I like that 4th person idea! I'll have to use that sometime.
green_yawgmoth 10-12-03, 05:06 AM	Originally posted by lordasrael Try always refering to yourself in the third person. Or plural, like us. or both, like they do! that would be really fun.