Chapter IX: The Game Master
to possess great insight, prognosticatory powers, and perhaps even the ability to speak directly to the Gods of Chaos. Cultists of Tzeentch are especially fond of the insane because they believe the warping of the mind to be a direct gift from their God. These cultists kidnap lunatics for study, experimentation and unholy rites. Few survive the adoration.
considered frightening and difficult to trust. And those who loudly slander the Gods or use their names in vain should be careful of who
might be listening. Blasted Brain
d Isorders The Beast Within
Sometimes an adventurer witnesses a scene so monstrously horrible that his mind, in order not to snap like a twig, blocks out the memory of it completely. Such a drastic action has costly consequences, as the character suddenly finds himself unable to recall any of his memories, including his past or who he is. A character suffering from a Blasted Brain undergoes a total memory loss. He can’t recall his name, past history or spells. Skills and talents are not lost, but the character doesn’t realize he has them until reminded by another. Once per month the victim of a Blasted Brain may make an Intelligence Test to try and overcome his condition. Should he succeed, he remembers everything about his life except for the events that led to his disorder. If he fails, he immediately gains 1 Insanity Point. Furthermore, when a Blasted Brain tries to recall the specific events that caused his condition, he must first make a Will Power save or gain 1 Insanity Point. Finally, should a Blasted Brain encounter something or someone that specifically relates to the traumatic moment that triggered his condition, he must immediately make a Will Power Test or gain 1 Insanity Point. However, he is then allowed to make an Intelligence Test to remember more of the details surrounding that moment. The setbacks of suffering from a Blasted Brain are obvious. But another danger to these individuals is the followers of Tzeentch, who believe that the Blasted Brain is a gift from their hideous God and seek these people out for sinister study. Body of Rot An adventurer can spend a great deal of his time crawling about in disgusting places like sewers, mouldering castles, and Goblin caves. Furthermore, he can come into brutal, physical contact quite frequently with the filthy, vile, and unclean minions of Chaos. All of that putrescence the character wallows in…what if it somehow got into his body? Through his skin, his mouth, nose, into his lungs and gut and brain; turning black and rotting, emitting terrible smells, attracting crawling insects, creating blisters and hideous, burning rashes; and perhaps other more serious deformities… A character driven to believe he possesses a Body of Rot operates under the delusion there is something terribly wrong with his body. In reality, there is absolutely nothing wrong with him at all, unless he’s lost a limb or eye, in which case the character often believes that is how the trouble began. What specifically the character believes is wrong with his body is up to the GM. Some suggestions: noxious odour, rash, blisters, bizarre mole, tumour or growth, imaginary insects living under the skin or in hair, head changing shape, limbs changing shape, or some specific body part rotting or becoming grotesquely large. The character feels this rebellion by his body is very obvious to others, and suffers a -10% Fellowship penalty in all social situations, and a –20% Fellowship penalty in large gatherings, parties, or meetings with important figures or strangers. Furthermore, when meeting a new person, the character must make a Will Power Test or be unable to resist talking in a disparaging way about his supposedly hideous countenance. A character with a Body of Rot spends a great deal of time searching for a cure for his imaginary condition. He visits physicians of all sorts,
The Old World is a dangerous and terrible place. An adventurer spends most of his life constantly fighting and killing, encountering sights
so disturbing they can drive someone mad. For a character with the Beast Within, the brutality of his life has poisoned his mind into believing that concepts such as love, friendship, truth, and authority are meaningless, that people are irrelevant, and the only thing that matters is his own immediate personal gratification. A character with the Beast Within is also incapable of feeling guilt, ignores the consequences of his actions, and has a reckless disregard for his safety and the safety of others. He is easily bored and has a low tolerance for frustration. Finally, he becomes a masterful, malevolent liar, and use deceit for both profit and pleasure. In short, he will lie, cheat, steal, torture and murder to get what he wants. The cruel, depraved behaviour this disorder brings about is considered unacceptable by society and the law, and most probably by the other members of the character’s adventuring party as well. GMs should be aware that a character with this disorder may cause a great deal of upheaval in his adventuring party. It’s also important to point out that while the character doesn’t think about the consequences of his actions, the GM should. The character is sure to become a criminal at some point, double- cross or steal from the wrong person, or kill someone with vengeful allies. He’ll probably spend the rest of his life being hunted down by individuals and organisations looking for justice or payback. If he’s caught, he could face imprisonment, the hangman’s noose or a thousand other gruesome deaths. Blasphemous Rage The life of an adventurer has its rewards, such as money, fame, and the satisfaction of defeating the foes of civilisation. But there is a downside. First, there is the constant threat of mutilation or death. Second, the growing knowledge that the forces of Chaos are everywhere, they are horrible to behold and chances are, they will ultimately succeed in destroying the world. The anxiety created by this downside builds in a character suffering from Blasphemous Rage until it explodes in a wild, uncontrollable fit of wrath and violence. Whenever the character must make a Will Power Test, regardless of the outcome he must then pass an additional Will Power Test or become enraged. The rage lasts 2d10 rounds, during which time the character suffers a –10% penalty to Weapon Skill, Ballistic Skill, Intelligence, Will Power and Fellowship. During the rage he yells blasphemous obscenities against the Gods while smashing things, and attacks people at random, even his own friends. A character cannot force himself into a Blasphemous Rage and there are no benefits to being enraged in combat. In fact, the character is so blinded by his overwhelming anger that his actions become erratic, careless and sloppy. Without his level head, he fights like a drunken maniac. At some point, a character suffering from Blasphemous Rage may find himself on the wrong side of the law. Furthermore, he could be
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