Cold dread seizes the heroine as she enters the lost tomb. A rancor emerges from the cave, roaring at the adventurers who threaten its lair. An investigator stumbles upon a scene of grisly, ritualistic carnage.
These rules reflect the horror of these terrible situations upon your heroes’ psyches.
The Basics: Characters make a Spirit roll when confronted by creatures or situations that cause Fear.
The heroes make a Fear check (a Spirit roll as a free action) when they first spot a creature with the Fear ability.
Success means a character manages to overcome the situation and carry on. A failed Fear check means the unfortunate soul faces the consequences below, depending on whether the source of fear was grotesque or terrifying in nature:
NAUSEA: If the scene was grotesque or horrific, such as a grisly discovery or learning a secret “Man Was Not Meant to Know,” the character is Shaken and Fatigued. Critical Failure means the victim must roll on the Fear Table as well.
TERROR: A terrifying trigger, such as a monstrous creature or unknowable evil, is much more intense. Extras are typically Panicked. Wild Cards must roll on the Fear Table (at +2 with a Critical Failure on the Fear check). Roll a d20 and add the monster’s Fear penalty, if any, to the roll (a -2 adds +2 to the roll, for example).
After encountering a particular type of creature, the character shouldn’t have to make Fear checks every time he sees another in that particular scenario. The Game Master might require a roll if the heroes encounter such horrors in a particularly different or frightening situation, however.
d20* Effect
1-3 Adrenaline Surge: The hero’s “fight” response takes over. He acts as if he had a Joker this action!
4-6 Distracted: The hero is Distracted until the end of his next turn.
7-9 Vulnerable: The target is Vulnerable until the end of his next turn.
10-12 Shaken: The character is Shaken.
13 The Mark of Fear: The hero is Stunned and suffers some cosmetic physical alteration - a white streak forms in his hair, his eyes twitch constantly, or some other minor physical alteration manifests.
14-15 Frightened: The character gains the Hesitant Hindrance for the remainder of the encounter. If he already has it, he’s Panicked instead.
16-17 Panicked: The character immediately moves his full Pace plus running die away from the danger and is Shaken.
18-19 Minor Phobia: The character gains a Minor Phobia Hindrance somehow associated with the trauma.
20-21 Major Phobia: The character gains the Major Phobia Hindrance.
22+ Heart Attack: The hero is so overwhelmed with fear that his heart stutters. He must make an immediate Vigor roll at -2. If successful, he’s Stunned. If he fails, he’s Incapacitated and dies in 2d6 rounds. In the latter case, a Healing roll at -4 saves his life, but he remains Incapacitated. He may be treated normally thereafter.
* Add the creature’s Fear penalty as a positive number to this roll.