DM's Guide to Better Roleplay through Stress Effects
Stressed Condition
Many players enjoy the drama of roleplaying but need queues or prompts from which to work. Likewise, many games need interpersonal drama to avoid devolving into a series of combats. Although, at times, other players can feel frustrated if one player is making roleplay choices at the expense of the team's success. One DM-adjudicated way to add drama in a way that fits naturally into a game, is by introducing the Stressed Condition.
When a character experiences extreme stress (or post-traumatic stress) the DM may call for a stress check.
- Character dropped to 0 HP (nearly died)
- Ally, friend, family member died
- Ally, dropped to 0 HP (nearly died)
- Character responsible for team failure or death
- Betrayal or breakup
- Failed to achieve a goal
- Acted against alignment (guilt)
- Destruction of home or beloved possession
- Witnessed widespread destruction
- Suffered frightened condition or facing phobia or enemy that previously caused harm/death/destruction
- Under extreme pressure to succeed
- Injured (<1/2 max HP), exhausted, diseased, or disfigured
- Extreme environment: cold, wet
- Facing hunger or thirst
When the DM calls for a stress check, the character must succeed a Charisma saving throw or suffer the Stressed Condition. The DM sets the DC for the stress check. A player can willingly fail if they think their character would be stressed in the situation.
Note: Remember the DC. It will be used in combat.
Stress Check DC
| DC | Condition |
|---|---|
| 5 | Had a bad day. Good reason to be irritable. |
| 5–10 | Suffered a disappointment or setback or faced a fear/phobia or presently under pressure. |
| 11–15 | Suffered physical trauma or minor loss. Life will be different for a while. Present situation uncomfortable; unbearable for some. |
| 16–20 | Suffered major loss or failure. Life will be different for a long time. Present situation unbearable for many people. |
| 21–25 | Suffered unexpected, life-changing event, or alignment change. Present situation unbearable for all but a few people. |
| >25 | Widespread destruction. Present situation unthinkable, unimaginable by most people. |
Stressed Condition
When a player fails a stress check, the character suffers a mental affliction. Roll d8 and consult the following table.
| d8 | Stress affliction |
|---|---|
| 1 | Angry |
| 2 | Embarrassed |
| 3 | Panicked |
| 4 | Hopeless |
| 5 | Irrational |
| 6 | Guilt-ridden |
| 7 | Paranoid |
| 8 | Selfish |
The DM does not need to reveal the nature of the affliction to the other players and the roleplaying of the affliction is up to the player.
Where appropriate, the DM can add disadvantage to a roll rather than denying a player an action as specified by their stressed condition. Also, if the condition is causing the actual player real stress, the DM may elect to ignore the condition's effects.
Ending the Stressed Condition
If exhausted, the stressed condition persists until the level of exhaustion is reduced or the character receives the greater restoration spell. If not exhausted, the stressed condition is removed after completing a short rest or receiving the lesser restoration spell.
Roleplaying Stress
When DM's include stress effects in a campaign, managing stress can become a key part of an adventure, enhance roleplay drama, and provide opportunities for character growth.
Players should be encouraged to roleplay their characters' stressed condition. During each round of combat or skill checks, the player must make a Charisma saving throw against the stress check DC (which the DM can vary somewhat according to the situation). A failed saving throw results in the player's character behaving in accordance with his or her affliction.
| Affliction | Behaviors during stressed turn |
|---|---|
| Angry | May miss this turn (take dodge action) in combat to criticize or shout. |
| Embarrassed | Disadvantage on Charisma-based skill checks. Actively avoids conversing with others and being in front of others or a center of attention. May preferentially take the hide action. |
| Panicked | Can only dodge, dash, disengage, hide, and move away from enemies this turn. |
| Hopeless | Sees failure as the only possible outcome. Suffers disadvantage on ability checks. |
| Irrational | Speaks nonsense. Acts without thought. May choose the wrong attack or less-critical target. |
| Guilt-ridden | May move toward closest enemy, reject healing or aid, risk self irrationally, or defer to others out of shame, though qualified to act. |
| Paranoid | Perceives irrational danger in impending tasks. May see allies as enemies, refuse to move forward, or reject healing or assistance. May accuse allies of conspiring or favoritism. |
| Selfish | May steal or hoard treasure whenever it is found, or choose to protect self or preserve own resources/spell slots, etc. rather than help an ally or share resources. Makes excuses when accused. |
Contribution Credits
| Type | Source |
|---|---|
| Inspiration | Cyrog's Stress Rules. Changes: altered wording from masochistic to guilt-ridden. Removed stress as a trackable number/score to simplify game play. |
Copyright notice
This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards of the Coast. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast, LLC.
Change Log
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| 2023.10.30 | Moved to arbitrary DC instead of only scaling with exhaustion. More useful and realistic. Added art. |
| 2022.10.23 | Changed title, rearranged order of presentation. Removed maximized and average crits, enumerated more stress events, removed unrelated things. Added embarrassed. |
| 2022.09.24 | Major revision to critical hit effects: made it "pick one" instead of dependent on weapon damage type, and made it in-lieu of critical hit damage. Removed the bleeding condition because it was too much to keep track of. Simplified pained because it was OP. |
| 2022.05.03 | Added stress effects |
| 2022.03.24 | Initial release |
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