Roleplaying Hypnosis
- Thread starter fiat_knox
- Start date
I seem to remember something like that being in an adventure. Expedition to Zhodane? Maybe? Not by my books right now.
Icosahedron
SOC-14 1K
No, but it's an interesting scenario that could make for a good discussion. I imagine that a PC putting a NPC under could be played reasonably easily, but it might cause some problems the other way around.
I'm not sure just how effective involuntary hypnosis is in reality, but that's another issue, related to your game's rating on the cinematic scale.
It touches on something I raised in another thread recently (can't remember where) about the lack of a willpower stat in Traveller and the problems that created for the GM in making PCs do something they didn't want to do - such as falling for feminine charms. I imagine a similar system would handle both situations, but I haven't a clue what that system could be. Any ideas of your own?
I read a good idea the other day about using torture to make PCs talk. Too many PCs would have unrealistic bravado - 'bring it on, I've got plenty of hit points and I'll get em back after a night's sleep anyhow'.
The system proposed there was 'talk or roll', where a d66 table of potential consequences is handed to the player, and if they choose not to talk, they roll on the table. Consequences include permanent reduction of characteristics, loss of limbs and faculties, etc, which will have to be roleplayed in future games.
Faced with the prospect of running a weaker character, players find themselves in a real dilemma about revealing what they know.
I'm not sure yet if a similar system could be used for other 'willpower' situations.
I'm not sure just how effective involuntary hypnosis is in reality, but that's another issue, related to your game's rating on the cinematic scale.
It touches on something I raised in another thread recently (can't remember where) about the lack of a willpower stat in Traveller and the problems that created for the GM in making PCs do something they didn't want to do - such as falling for feminine charms. I imagine a similar system would handle both situations, but I haven't a clue what that system could be. Any ideas of your own?
I read a good idea the other day about using torture to make PCs talk. Too many PCs would have unrealistic bravado - 'bring it on, I've got plenty of hit points and I'll get em back after a night's sleep anyhow'.
The system proposed there was 'talk or roll', where a d66 table of potential consequences is handed to the player, and if they choose not to talk, they roll on the table. Consequences include permanent reduction of characteristics, loss of limbs and faculties, etc, which will have to be roleplayed in future games.
Faced with the prospect of running a weaker character, players find themselves in a real dilemma about revealing what they know.
I'm not sure yet if a similar system could be used for other 'willpower' situations.
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
Real hypnosis or fictional hypnosis?
http://www.asch.net/genpubinfo.htm
http://www.hypnosis.edu/articles/myths
etc. etc. etc.
EDIT: Not that I'm vouching for the reliability or accuracy of said sites, they were just the top hits for hypnosis myths, my point being it may not be what you think it is. Do some research then decide how realistic or operatic you want it to be in your game, and go from there.
http://www.asch.net/genpubinfo.htm
http://www.hypnosis.edu/articles/myths
etc. etc. etc.
EDIT: Not that I'm vouching for the reliability or accuracy of said sites, they were just the top hits for hypnosis myths, my point being it may not be what you think it is. Do some research then decide how realistic or operatic you want it to be in your game, and go from there.
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I had a horror game wherein the players were 'influenced' into beleiving they were someone else. The storyline had them slwly recall their real identities and defeat the secret menace. So...I set forth a plan to fool the players themselves...
Having a wonderful set of players willing to go along with my whims, they were told to quickly create new characters - but these would be used to 'rescue' their original ones. That info, of course, would not be know by the characters themselves. to 'make things quick',the players should jsut adjust their current characters stats, rather than re-roll/re-spend experience and such.
The characters would soon uncover oddities about their 'lives' and a mystery pertaining to the 'oriignal' characters, plus a growing mistrust of what they thought were friends in the township. Eventually, when they could cast a 'spell' to undo the pyshic damages, the players could draw out their old characters sheets and finish the bad guy. They then were allowed to choose whatever changes they wanted between the old charcters and the new as a lingering result of the spell.
We had fun. I tricked them good and they were able to adjust some experienced characters in a way not normally allowed by 'reality'. One decided to officially change her name to the 'false' character. One picked up some sorely lacking combat skills. One was able to unlock psionic ability.
Having a wonderful set of players willing to go along with my whims, they were told to quickly create new characters - but these would be used to 'rescue' their original ones. That info, of course, would not be know by the characters themselves. to 'make things quick',the players should jsut adjust their current characters stats, rather than re-roll/re-spend experience and such.
The characters would soon uncover oddities about their 'lives' and a mystery pertaining to the 'oriignal' characters, plus a growing mistrust of what they thought were friends in the township. Eventually, when they could cast a 'spell' to undo the pyshic damages, the players could draw out their old characters sheets and finish the bad guy. They then were allowed to choose whatever changes they wanted between the old charcters and the new as a lingering result of the spell.
We had fun. I tricked them good and they were able to adjust some experienced characters in a way not normally allowed by 'reality'. One decided to officially change her name to the 'false' character. One picked up some sorely lacking combat skills. One was able to unlock psionic ability.
