Mental Handicaps [Archive] - Wizards Community

Mental Handicaps [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Banaticus
05-19-06, 03:40 AM This is like one of those flaws or merits from Unearthed Arcana that you can choose at character creation, in that they don't take up a precious feat slot, mostly because they aren't balanced --they're handicaps. I tried to make either handicaps that "work all the time" or that will only "work" when it would actually be a handicap to "work". I tried not to copy effects of different mental handicaps. I tried to go for powers that either offered some small benefit in return or that would be really fun to see in action. I'm going mostly off of DSM-IV-TR.

Asperger Syndrom
Amongst other things, qualitative impairment in social interaction, no clinically significant general delay in language ... cognitive development or in the development of age appropriate self-help skills...
Every level, after spending skill points for that level, the character gains two +1 unnamed bonuses which can be applied to any Knowledge skill. These bonuses can be applied to two different Knowledge skills or to the same knowledge skill. The character cannot apply a bonus to a Knowledge skill if, for any reason, his bonus to that skill would be higher than his ranks in the skill.
The character has a -5 penalty on all Charisma related and Charisma based checks, including (but not limited to) clerical turn attempts, sense motive checks, etc.
The character has a -2 penalty on all Dexterity related and Dexterity based checks, including (but not limited to) armor class, tumble checks, etc.
The character has a penalty of -2 on all Listen and Spot checks.
Example: Bob has Dex 16. He has a cumulative +1 bonus to his AC from his Dexterity (normally a +3 bonus, but he has a -2 penalty on this for a total of +1).

Depression
Amongst other things, loss of energy, fatigue, feeling slowed down, being "burned out"...
The character has a -5 penalty on all Will saves.
Every time the DM makes a Wandering Monster check, or a Random Encounter roll, or whatever he/she is calling it, the DM should secretly roll a Will save (DC 15) for the character with the Depression handicap. If the character fails the save, the character becomes fatigued for 1d10 rounds if the Random Encounter roll suggests that combat could be emminent, otherwise for 1d4 hours. This fatigue can be removed by normal means (such as clerical spells and Holy Liberators), but it affects even those character who are normally immune to fatigue whether because of race, feat, ability, etc., such as undead characters, etc. If the character is already fatigued when he fails his initial Will save, he becomes exhausted instead for the specified time period.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder
The character receives a +5 unnamed bonus to Listen and Spot checks.
The character requires 12 hours of sleep to be "rested" (to rest up to rememorize or otherwise prepare to cast spells, whether sorcerer or wizard or cleric, etc.).
Each round of combat during a given day, the character must make a Fortitude save to not become fatigued, DC 1. Every two rounds of combat imposes a -1 cumulative penalty to these Fortitue saves that day. This all applies even if the character has some sort of racial/class ability or feat or whatever that would ordinarly prevent the character from having to make Fortitude saves or from becoming fatigued, such as if the character is undead.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder
The character must be a paladin and must be played the same way that most people play a paladin. :banghead:

So, what do you all think?
Banaticus
05-19-06, 09:47 PM Darn, I was hoping for some debate on this issue. Perhaps if I attempted to balance them?

For instance, let's take Depression.
Whenever another character attempts to Bluff you in combat, you receive a +5 bonus to your Sense Motive check.I don't know, though, does that fit Depression? What do you all think could help balance these yet still fit with the handicap?
Red_Bird_of_Chaos
05-19-06, 11:37 PM Darn, I was hoping for some debate on this issue. Perhaps if I attempted to balance them?

For instance, let's take Depression.
Whenever another character attempts to Bluff you in combat, you receive a +5 bonus to your Sense Motive check.I don't know, though, does that fit Depression? What do you all think could help balance these yet still fit with the handicap?

i would like to see a +2 bonus to disbelieve illusions. as when you are really depressed you disbelieve anything you see , especially disbelieving anything good could possibly happen. or maybe i am thinking of paranoia i don't know.
Banaticus
05-20-06, 04:34 PM I like the way you think, Red_Bird_of_Chaos. I think a permanent +2 bonus to Will saves against illusions will help to balance out the occasional fatigue.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Banaticus 05-19-06, 03:40 AM	This is like one of those flaws or merits from Unearthed Arcana that you can choose at character creation, in that they don't take up a precious feat slot, mostly because they aren't balanced --they're handicaps. I tried to make either handicaps that "work all the time" or that will only "work" when it would actually be a handicap to "work". I tried not to copy effects of different mental handicaps. I tried to go for powers that either offered some small benefit in return or that would be really fun to see in action. I'm going mostly off of DSM-IV-TR. Asperger Syndrom Amongst other things, qualitative impairment in social interaction, no clinically significant general delay in language ... cognitive development or in the development of age appropriate self-help skills... Every level, after spending skill points for that level, the character gains two +1 unnamed bonuses which can be applied to any Knowledge skill. These bonuses can be applied to two different Knowledge skills or to the same knowledge skill. The character cannot apply a bonus to a Knowledge skill if, for any reason, his bonus to that skill would be higher than his ranks in the skill. The character has a -5 penalty on all Charisma related and Charisma based checks, including (but not limited to) clerical turn attempts, sense motive checks, etc. The character has a -2 penalty on all Dexterity related and Dexterity based checks, including (but not limited to) armor class, tumble checks, etc. The character has a penalty of -2 on all Listen and Spot checks. Example: Bob has Dex 16. He has a cumulative +1 bonus to his AC from his Dexterity (normally a +3 bonus, but he has a -2 penalty on this for a total of +1). Depression Amongst other things, loss of energy, fatigue, feeling slowed down, being "burned out"... The character has a -5 penalty on all Will saves. Every time the DM makes a Wandering Monster check, or a Random Encounter roll, or whatever he/she is calling it, the DM should secretly roll a Will save (DC 15) for the character with the Depression handicap. If the character fails the save, the character becomes fatigued for 1d10 rounds if the Random Encounter roll suggests that combat could be emminent, otherwise for 1d4 hours. This fatigue can be removed by normal means (such as clerical spells and Holy Liberators), but it affects even those character who are normally immune to fatigue whether because of race, feat, ability, etc., such as undead characters, etc. If the character is already fatigued when he fails his initial Will save, he becomes exhausted instead for the specified time period. Generalized Anxiety Disorder The character receives a +5 unnamed bonus to Listen and Spot checks. The character requires 12 hours of sleep to be "rested" (to rest up to rememorize or otherwise prepare to cast spells, whether sorcerer or wizard or cleric, etc.). Each round of combat during a given day, the character must make a Fortitude save to not become fatigued, DC 1. Every two rounds of combat imposes a -1 cumulative penalty to these Fortitue saves that day. This all applies even if the character has some sort of racial/class ability or feat or whatever that would ordinarly prevent the character from having to make Fortitude saves or from becoming fatigued, such as if the character is undead. Oppositional Defiant Disorder The character must be a paladin and must be played the same way that most people play a paladin. :banghead: So, what do you all think?
Banaticus 05-19-06, 09:47 PM	Darn, I was hoping for some debate on this issue. Perhaps if I attempted to balance them? For instance, let's take Depression. Whenever another character attempts to Bluff you in combat, you receive a +5 bonus to your Sense Motive check.I don't know, though, does that fit Depression? What do you all think could help balance these yet still fit with the handicap?
Red_Bird_of_Chaos 05-19-06, 11:37 PM	Darn, I was hoping for some debate on this issue. Perhaps if I attempted to balance them? For instance, let's take Depression. Whenever another character attempts to Bluff you in combat, you receive a +5 bonus to your Sense Motive check.I don't know, though, does that fit Depression? What do you all think could help balance these yet still fit with the handicap? i would like to see a +2 bonus to disbelieve illusions. as when you are really depressed you disbelieve anything you see , especially disbelieving anything good could possibly happen. or maybe i am thinking of paranoia i don't know.
Banaticus 05-20-06, 04:34 PM	I like the way you think, Red_Bird_of_Chaos. I think a permanent +2 bonus to Will saves against illusions will help to balance out the occasional fatigue.