Fear takes effect in combat.
When an Acolyte is confronted by such a frightening event or
adversary, they must take a Fear Test; this is a Willpower
Test, modified by how frightening the thing is. If the
Acolyte passes this Test then he may continue to act as
normal. If he fails however, he succumbs to Fear.
Degrees of Fear
Some things are clearly more frightening than others; for an
Acolyte, having a gun waved in his face by a ganger, although
obviously dangerous, is not sufficient to call for a Fear Test.
However, having a gun waved at him by the walking corpse of
his dead brother, while luminous white spiders scurry in and
out of his bloodless open wounds—that calls for a somewhat
severe one. The Fear Test Difficulties Table offers
some guidelines on the severity of Fear Tests.
| Fear Test Difficulties | | |
|---|
| Severity of Fear |
Test Mod |
Example
Adversaries |
| Fear (1) Disturbing |
0 |
Nightwing, Revenant,
Synofian Bore Worm |
| Fear (2) Frightening |
–10 |
Carnosaur,
Dusk Stalker,
Murder Gholam |
| Fear (3) Horrifying |
–20 |
Incarnate Daemon,
Astral Spectre,
Psychneuein |
| Fear (4) Terrifying |
–30 |
The King in Rags
and Tatters |
Failing the Fear Test
If in a combat situation a character fails a Fear Test, he must
immediately roll on The Shock Table, adding
+10 to the result for each degree of failure. The effects listed
are applied immediately to the character.
If in a non-combat situation the character fails the Fear Test, the
character becomes unnerved and suffers a -10 penalty to any Skill
or Test that requires concentration on his part. This penalty lasts
while the character remains in the vicinity of the object of their
Fear (simply leaving and coming back again doesn’t stop this!).
In addition, if a non-combat Fear Test is failed by 30 or
more, the character also gains +1d5
Insanity Points.
Shock and Snapping out of it
Characters may be able to shake off some of the effects of Fear after
the initial shock has worn off. Where specified on The
Shock Table that a character may “snap out of it”, a character can
make a Willpower Test when it is his next Turn. If this succeeds then
he regains his senses, shrugs off the effects and may act normally
from then on. If he fails this Test, the effect continues and he may try
again when it is his next Turn.
| The Shock Table | |
|---|
| 01–20 |
The character is badly startled. He may only take a single Half Action when in his next Turn, but afterwards
he may act normally. |
| 21–40 |
Fear grips the character and he begins to shake and tremble. He is at a –10 penalty on all Tests for the rest
of the encounter unless he can snap out of it. |
| 41–60 |
Reeling with shock, the character backs away from the thing that confronts them. The character cannot
willingly approach the object of his fear, but may otherwise act normally, with a –10 penalty on all Tests
until the end of the encounter. The character gains 1 Insanity Point. |
| 61–80 |
The character is frozen by terror. The character may make no Actions until he snaps out of it. After snapping
out of it, the character will make all Tests with a –10 penalty for the rest of the encounter. The character
gains 1d5 Insanity Points. |
| 81–100 |
Panic grips the character. He must flee the source of his fear, if able, as fast as he can, and if prevented from
doing so he may only take Half Actions and is at a –20 penalty to all Tests. The character gains 1d5 Insanity
Points. Once away from the danger he must successfully snap out of it to regain control. |
| 101–120 |
Fainting dead away, the character keels over and remains unconscious for 1d5 Rounds. Once he regain
consciousness he is still shaken and takes all Tests with a –10 penalty until the end of the encounter. The
character gains 1d5 Insanity Points. |
| 121–130 |
Totally overcome, the character screams and vomits uncontrollably for 1d5 Rounds. During this time he is helpless,
may do nothing and drop anything he is holding. Afterwards, until the end of the encounter, the character may
only take a single Half Action each Turn until he can rest. The character gains 1d5 Insanity Points. |
| 131–140 |
The character laughs hysterically and randomly attacks anything near him in a manic frenzy, firing wildly
or using whatever weapon he has to hand. This effect lasts until the character snaps out of it, or until he is
knocked unconscious. The character gains 1d5 Insanity Points. |
| 141–160 |
The character crumples to the ground for 1d5+1 Rounds sobbing, babbling and tearing at his own flesh,
and may do nothing. Even after he returns to his senses, he is a complete mess and at a –20 penalty on all
Tests until the end of the encounter. The character gains 1d5+1 Insanity Points. |
| 161–170 |
The character’s mind snaps and he becomes catatonic for 1d5 hours and may not be roused. The character
gains 1d10 Insanity Points. |
| 171+ |
The character is so affected that he begins to see strange and terrible visions as his hold on reality shatters.
The character suffers the effects of “acute hallucinations” (see Disorders ) for 2d10 Rounds. After
the hallucinations fade, the character will make all Tests with a –20 penalty while the encounter lasts. The
character gains 2d10 Insanity Points and takes 1d10 points of permanent Willpower damage. |
Very Bad Things
Fear Tests in non-combat situations are very much the GM’s call as to when and where they occur and should not be
considered to be automatic. They should instead be used to build dramatic tension to your games, as their over-use will
diminish their effectiveness and novelty, as well as grind down your Acolytes. That having been said, here are a few
appropriate examples of events that can cause Fear:
Disturbing : Viewing the scene of a gruesome murder, minor unknown supernatural or psychic phenomena—strange
lights, spectral voices, weeping statues, etc.
Frightening (–10): Meeting someone you know to be dead, being buried alive, major supernatural or psychic phenomena—
the skies raining blood, a painting forming shrieking mouths, etc.
Horrifying (–20): Sudden, shocking and inexplicable death (the man next to you on the shuttle suddenly dies, vomiting
maggots), hideous moments of revelation (finding yourself covered in blood, surrounded by bodies with a meat cleaver in
your hand and no memory of how you got there), the dead rising across a whole planet, etc.
Terrifying (–30): Experiencing a full-scale Daemonic incursion, discovering your failure is responsible for the deaths of
millions, staring unprotected into the warp.
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