Insanity and Chaos

From: Mike Cule <mikec_at_room3b.demon.co.uk>
Date: Sat, 18 Feb 1995 19:51:12 GMT

No, I don't like the idea of using CoC mechanics in Glorantha. Quite the wrong feel. In Lovecraft-land, it is assumed that however heroic the efforts of the individual or indeed of the whole human race one day the stars will be right and Ryleh will rise. ("The Old Ones were, the Old Ones are the Old Ones will be. They ruled once where Man rules now. Where Man rules now, they will rule again. After winter is summer. And after summer, winter.")

(Come to think of it, the world-view of the Chaots in Lords of Terror, reminds me of this. They *know* that Entropy will eventually triumph. But that's not to say what they believe is true...)

So how about the following:

	Every time a person raises his Chaos Lore skill by a number divisable by
	10% the GM should *secretly* roll on the resistance table with 
	Chaos Lore/10 as the attacking factor and the character's POW (not MP) 
	as the defending factor. 

	If the roll succeeds 1d3 of the character's POW becomes 'tainted' by 
	Chaos. On a special the loss is 2d3 and on a critical 1d3+3. Again this
	result should be kept secret from the character.

	'Tainted' POW reduces the chance of a character resisting spells and 
	other special effects of a Chaotic nature. He no longer believes so
	strongly in the rightness of Law and the natural Order and his lack
	of confidence affects his chances of resisting chaos. -5% from 
	Resistance rolls per point of 'taint'.

	When all the character's POW is tainted he falls into the control of
	Chaos and becomes an NPC. He leaves his cult and seeks out the way of
	Entropy. (And this can happen when a character's POW drops due to DI as
	well as when he probes too deep into the Secrets Man Was Not Meant To  
	Know....)
 

• -- Mike Cule "Sin consists of hurting other people unnecessarily. The rest is just made up nonsense." Robert Heinlein.

  ---