Horror Factor

[Veknironth]

Well, I don't care for this aspect of the game. It doesn't take into account the character's background or experience into account. For example, if you have the spell Screaming Wall of Flame, would you be frightened by it when someone else casts it? If someone in your group has that spell, would it scare you, even if you're warned? What if they show it to you first? Since mages aren't necessarily immune to the effects of their own spells, would a Warlock have to save against it's own spell?

How many times does soemone have to see a Wolfen before they are no longer having to overcome a HR of 12?

-Vek
"Does anyone use this functionally or just ignore it?"

[Kraynic]

I tend to use horror factor on first or surprise encounters with something. After that, it depends on in-game history and encounters. If a character was killed by an alu demon and resurrected, they are likely to have trouble with alu demons and maybe anything of at all similar form (which could include wolfen if the character is of a canine race). Basically, initial encounters and trauma based reactions is what I use it for.

I haven't done it yet, but I keep meaning to try incorporating ideas from Rifter 48 (reputation, environment, supernatural, and other modifiers for HF and reactions) into my games. I haven't started anything new recently though. With that sort of change, I like to have it in from the start rather than springing it on players during the course of a game.

[kiralon]

I play the horror factor as the base for surprise checks, with modifiers, and when the HF gets over 20 you have to make a HF check to interact with said thing like attack, speak too etc and that is qithout surprise being needed. If you fail the horror check you are broken and run away until you can make a morale check and if you make it you are now classed as shaken, otherwise you are still broken and keep running.
You can also make another morale check when shaken to remove the shaken condition, but this usually needs intervention from a 3rd party.

One of the special abilities my modified OCC Bard (and others) has is the ability to get people to make morale checks with one of his own actions.

So a wolfens HF wouldn't come into play unless there was a surprise situation, or modifiers got it to over 20 (Deformities, extra large, on unholy ground, in the dark, with fog, makes scary noises)

[Library Ogre]

I've never been a real fan of Horror Factor. It's one of those things that got tacked on, later in the system and, while BTS is 30+ years ago, it still hasn't really been integrated into the system. Like, ME doesn't canonically protect against horror factor, because it was added after the system was codified and never really updated.

[Prysus]

Greetings and Salutations. I was hoping to give a detailed response to this thread, but looks like it'll be a long weekend (with two medical issues that have arisen for those around me). But I have some downtime with my phone in hand so ...

I don't generally use Horror Factor much in my games, but try to use it when thematically appropriately.

With that said, I wrote some expanded Horror Factor rules a while back: http://www.prysus.com/horror_factor_expanded.htm

The basic concept is there are 3 different types of Horror Factor: Mortal, Magical, and Supernatural. Mortal Horror Factor, such as Wolfen, can be prepared for and, if you're expecting it, can be ignored.

Magical Horror Factor is magical. Whether or not you're prepared, this is the effect is like saving from a magical spell. So you can't ignore it, only save against it.

Supernatural Horror Factor is an aura. Like magic, it can only be saved against, and then there's some additional rules for how Supernatural Beings will interact with each other based on Horror Factor.

Then there are additional rules for modifiers, group Horror Factor, and multiple Horror Factors (from different types, not a single group/type).

Hope some of that helps. Farewell and safe journeys.

[The Dark Elf]

I add some common sense to the horror factor rule.

For example on eof the players has armour bizarre (Rifts) which has a HF so every time he uses it I let the players who saw it have an additional +1 to save.

The backstories are important too - if my family was murdered by Wolfen I might be even more frightened and I might be at -2 to save or similar.

I like a HF roll but using it is something that we play fairly loosely - maybe first 2-3 time you see the same type of creature, or if you know a lot about that species you are frightened less (or more).

[drewkitty ~..~]

Well, I don't care for this aspect of the game. It doesn't take into account the character's background or experience into account. For example, if you have the spell Screaming Wall of Flame, would you be frightened by it when someone else casts it? If someone in your group has that spell, would it scare you, even if you're warned? What if they show it to you first? Since mages aren't necessarily immune to the effects of their own spells, would a Warlock have to save against its own spell?

How many times does someone have to see a Wolfen before they are no longer having to overcome a HR of 12?

-Vek
"Does anyone use this functionally or just ignore it?"

All of the above questions are answer by each GM for their games.

Wall of flame....if it is coming at you from the one you're fighting you're going to be afraid of it, cause it is coming at you.

Yes, even if warned the sudden appearance of a WoF can be startling. Even if you've experienced it in several fights with your party.

A being's HF is a measure of how easily that being's presence will startled people. A GM will be able to adjust this from character to character and time to time, to make the story flow according to the character's exp. with that particular being or that sort of being.

So there would be a few types of modifier charts that would modify the HF score: how common the event happens to the char, timing of the appearance, the type of reasons why the event is startling (say wolfen it is just their appearance/looks that are startling, or is it the numbers encounted, or is it an supernatural arua that is the cause like with dragons, gods and demons.)