New Modifier: Frenzy

[bawonsamdi]

I am not sure yet about Cost Level ... And the trigger's definition is a bit vague too.
Any comments are welcome.

Frenzy
CL = MN + 5
Description:
Due to some trigger (seeing the moon, sensing the aroma of fresh blood, being wounded, being attacked, ...) the character enter a state of bezerk fury and can't do anything but jumping at the throat of the nearest enemy. During this state, killing his enemy is more important than his own protection, so the character tends to take great risks without thinking about consequences (for him and for others).

Comments:
Great modifier for vampires, werewolves and several dangerous animals like sharks. Feral Wolverine (when he loose his adamantium) fall into this last category.
The "Others not shielded from power use" disadvantage will turn the frenzy into a blind rage where the character will be unable to make the difference between allies and foes ...

Rules for Modifier box:
The frenzy state will last a number of panels equal to the MN. Meanwhile, frenzyed character gain several bonuses:
- Mental defense bonus equal to MN
- a number of free stones in Close Combat equal to MN
- bonus equal to MN to Agility when determining order of action during a close combat
- energy recovering rate is not affacted by wounds
But, during this state, frenzyed character gain also several disadvantages:
- player can't shift red stones in defense from an action box
- character must engage in close combat the nearest prey/foe and/or spend energy stones into movement in order to get closer of his prey/foe.

If the character want to avoid frenzy, the player has to spend as much red stones from his energy reserve as MN each turn while in presence of the triggering effect. By doing so, the player can't spend more stones than is INT rating (i.e. if you have an higher MN than your INT, you won't be able to restrain yourself !)

[Neros]

hmmmm.... I like it... But arent agility allready used to determine order of combat? So how is that a bonus?

Is it anything that is dangerous that triggers the frenzy, or is it something special (I mean does the person has to specify what under character creation)?

[bawonsamdi]

neros said:

hmmmm.... I like it... But arent agility allready used to determine order of combat? So how is that a bonus?

My bad: i wanted to say something like "gain a bonus to his agility when determining action order". I have edited my post.

Is it anything that is dangerous that triggers the frenzy, or is it something special (I mean does the person has to specify what under character creation)?

I'm not yet sure of how to do this. I think that it is better to specify triggers during character creation. Maybe that a lot of triggers or fairly common triggers can lower cost level.

[tank]

I think the Player should most definately decide when his frenzy goes into effect and, it should always be the same trigger. I like the idea of lowering the cost by more common triggers. What about if they had multiple triggers. Maybe they could do it at will for an advantage. Say +2 levels.

[Neros]

Then what triggers should it be? How specific should the trigger be? Would Anger be enough, or should it be something special that triggers it (my friend is hurt)?

[stevie]

The trigger could be a disadvantage maybe. I mean wolverine can control it, he is forever intentionally letting his animal side reign when he needs to. You dont have to have a trigger, but maybe if you pump the cost up it would tempt the players into buying them to get the price down

[vicsage]

Why would "frenzy" improve your intitiative at all? What's the rationale for that? I could even see reasons it would decrease your intitiative, as you wouldn't be thinking clearly. Isn't that what the Mental Defense bonus reflects?

[bawonsamdi]

My explanation is because your only goal is to slit your ennemy throat: you don't make long chatter box, you don't hesitate , you don't look back to see if your friends are coming to help you, you don't think about a the best strategy, you are not afraid that your ennemy can strike back harder ...

The matter is not that you don't think clearly, it is that you don't think at all. And the fact that you don't think doesn't make you less effective for striking someone (quite the opposite) but certainly more vulnerable to others attacks.

[vicsage]

Hmm. That makes sense to me. Good explanation, bawonsamedi.

[maximus]

I like the idea of a trigger certain characters do really have triggers built into them. X-23's Trigger Scent is a prime example of this.