Cyrog's Stress Rules

# Cyrog's Stress Rules
Exploring long-forgotten passageways and staring down beasts with nothing but your wits, equipment and perhaps a bit of torchlight is enough to make any hero mentally fatigued from the strain of adventuring. Stress allows all players to track how much mental anguish his or her player is suffering. The player's Stress level will rise and fall throughout the course of an encounter, delve, adventure and campaign.

### Increasing Stress
Whether it is facing a hideous monster in a dank cavern or witnessing a companion walk into a dangerous trap, specific experiences during the course of an adventure will result in the character's Stress level increasing.

The following examples result in an increase in the player character's Stress level.

| Stress Increase | Action Type |
|:----:|:-------------|
| 2d8  | Receiving a critical hit from an enemy |
| 2d6  | Witnessing a companion hit by a critical hit from an enemy (within 20') |
| 1d6+6 | Experiencing a critical failure on an attack or skill check |
| 1d6 + 2 | Hearing or witnessing Stress-induced act committed by companions (within 20')
| 1d6 | Witnessing a critical failure by a companion on an attack or skill check (within 20') |
| 2d8 | Activating a trap |
| 2d10 | Falling more than 10' |
| 10 | Fleeing from combat |
| 15 | Witnessing a companions drop to 0 hit points (within 40') |
| 25 | Witnessing a companion die (within 40') |
| 30 | Dropping to 0 hit points |

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### Decreasing Stress
Not all adventuring produces despair and woe! Certain actions can result in the character feeling more positive about his or her chances during a quest.

The following examples result in a decrease in the player character's Stress level.

| Stress Decrease | Action Type |
|:----:|:-------------|
| 10 | Disarming a trap |
| 2d6 | Witnessing a companion inflict a critical hit on an enemy in combat (within 20') |
| 2d8 | Inflicting a critical hit on an enemy in combat |
| 2d10 | Taking a short rest in an unsafe environment |
| 15 | Killing a substantial enemy during combat |
| 25 | Sleeping in an Inn, Tavern, or Church |

### Afflictions

Characters that reach 50 or 75 points of Stress damage must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or immediately develop an Affliction, which represents the mental strain and difficulty his or her character is experiencing.

Afflictions can be removed only when the character is able to take an extended rest in a civilized area or through the actions of a non-playable character, such as a sage or healer.

| Affliction | d100 |
|:----:|:-------------|
| Abusive | 0 -14 |
| Fearful | 15 - 29 |
| Hopeless | 30 - 44 |
| Irrational | 45 - 59 |
| Masochistic | 60 - 74 |
| Paranoid | 75 - 89 |
| Selfish | 90 -100 |

### Death's Door

Characters that reach maximum stress (typically 100, but it can be increased with the help of  items, potions, or other effects) are at risk of being removed from play, possibly permanently. Depending on the situation, this may manifest as a lethal heart attack, permanent catatonia, incurable babbling madness, etc.

If a character at maximum stress is either dealt damage or increases in stress, they must make a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or instantly be removed from play.

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### Roleplaying Stress

Players should be encouraged to act out their characters' blossoming Stress level as a routine part of his or her characters' actions until the Stress level is back under 50 / 75 and the Affliction has been cured. During each round of combat or skill checks, the player must make a saving throw to determine if they behave according to their Affliction (DC 10). A failed saving throw results in the player's character behaving in accordance with his or her Affliction as demonstrated in the table below.

For example, during the course of an adventure, the rogue has be exposed to numerous sources of stress and last round peaked over 50 Stress for the first time. The Dungeon Master assigned them the Hopeless Affliction. During the rogue's next turn to act, they roll a saving throw and the result is an 8, which means they must succumb to the effects of the Hopeless Affliction. During their turn, the rogue's player roleplays the hopelessness by exclaiming, "We're never going to make it out of here alive. We're all doomed!" Any companions within 20' must suffer 1d6+2 Stress damage.

The Dungeon Master may decide if certain Afflictions call for Disadvantage on specific attack rolls.

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##### Affliction Behaviors

> ##### Stress Management!
> Create other sources of Stress for players as they traverse the world, such as specific monsters attacks and abilities in addition to environmental effects and auras. Stress can also increase during non-combat encounters such as tense negotiations or becoming lost in the wilderness.