Author: Hunter Logan (---.uu.net)
Date: 07-24-2003 13:36
Hi Eric,
As usual, you've written a very good article. I think the madness meters are a good mechanical way to monitor psychological well-being for a character. That said, I probably wouldn't use them. My preference is for more of a freeform monitoring system with a mental attribute (cool, inner strength, will, whatever) as a check against wigging out. It's a squishier approach. I rely more on character description and personality to determine what effects the shocking stimulus would have. Maybe most important, I look at what the player wants out of the character. Maybe the player has some dramatic plan to show his character turning from a green rookie into some sort of hard-boiked professional or from a near psychopath back into a human being. Either way, declared actions should definitely impact on the process, and the whole idea of madness meters is very well conceived.
Thanks again for a damn fine article! Keep up the good work!
-Hunter
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