Emotion and Insanity Tracks
Emotions are a complex part of your character. People typically are not influenced by a single emotion, conveying a variety of different emotions at any given moment. The following rule set defines how the Unbound system tracks and applies emotions on a mechanical level.
All the emotions are broken up into opposing categories, with your emotional state being the net difference between opposed emotions. Depending on your position on an emotion track you may gain minor benefits in certain situations, but at extremes these can turn into negatives. In addition to the mechanical effects, these tracks also give general examples of how you may act at each point in the track. This gives the GM a base guideline when running NPCs and ruling how players might react in extreme circumstances.
These rules can be used as a simple guideline, strict rules or somewhere in between depending on what the game calls for.
Composure
Composure is broken up into two pieces. First is your Composure score which you will use as a modifier to any Composure checks that a GM calls for. This composure score is the combined total of your Fellowship modifier, plus your Spirit modifier, plus any other modifiers that may apply. If you fail a Composure check you take whatever effects the GM calls for, moving on the different emotion tracks as appropriate.
Second, you have an Emotional Health score that is the total of your Fellowship score and Spirit modifier plus other modifiers. Whenever you would fail a Composure check or have something directly attack your emotions, you lower your Emotional Health by the change on the emotion track. Your restore an amount of Emotional Health equal to your Fellowship modifier (minimum 1) on a Long Rest. Other effects and abilities may change how much emotional health is lost or gained. If you reach 0 Emotional Health, you must make a Mind Save (DC 10+combined total of emotion tracks). If this save fails, you may have to increase your Insanity track in 1 or more of its axis and potentially gain Trauma. See Insanity and Trauma rules below for more information.
Depending on the game, tracking emotional health may be considered too gritty or realistic. In that case the emotion systems work with just the base composure score rules.
Opposed Emotions
You have multiple emotion tracks that may change independently of each other. Each track is split into two, representing two opposing emotions such as anger and tranquility. You start at a neutral point in between these two emotions moving left and right towards each emotion depending on the situation. Unless otherwise noted you can only be positive on a single side of the dual track at a time. For example, if you have two points of anger and would gain a point of tranquility, the anger track goes down by one. If two more points of tranquility would be gained beyond that, the anger would go to 0 and tranquility would go to 1.
Courage – Fear
Courage
This emotion causes you to act in a steadfast manner and not be deterred from the actions that you take. You gain a bonus to saves against Fear effects equal to half of your Courage track and once you reach 4 or higher on the Courage track you may suppress one instance of a Fear source for the remainder of an encounter with a successful Composure check equal to the DC of the Fear effect. However, you struggle to calculate risks or withdraw from dangerous situations; requiring a Composure check with a DC equal to 10 + Courage Level to retreat or fall back.
Fear
This emotion causes you to feel uncomfortable and may act paranoid in certain situations. You gain a bonus to AC, Defensive Actions such as Repel and Parry, Perception, and physical saves against ambushes or unseen sources equal to half of your Fear track, and once you reach 4 or higher on the Fear track you may always take a free Movement type action during a surprise round as an Immediate reaction to a new threat appearing. However, you are more likely to run from threats; requiring a Composure check DC 10 + Fear level to not run away for a number of rounds equal to half of your Fear level whenever you are ambushed or gain a Wound.
Happiness – Sadness
Happiness
This emotion causes you to act in an upbeat manner and have a joyful demeanor. You gain a bonus to resist negative morale, or Fellowship based effects equal to half of your Happiness track, and once you reach 4 or higher on the Happiness track you may reduce the time any action that would allow a rushed attempt without suffering the penalty of doing so. However, you are more likely to get distracted; requiring a Composure check DC 10 + Happiness level to not become focused on something else, even in the middle of combat, possibly provoking as you move toward your interest.
Sadness
This emotion causes you to seem disinterested and resigned in your emotions. You gain a bonus to resist Emotion and Compulsion checks equal to half of your Sadness track, and once you reach 4 or higher on the Sadness track you are able to make a Quick Action even when your actions would be reduced to a single Basic Action. However, you are more likely to give up or think that something will not help a situation; requiring a Composure check DC 10 + Sadness level to not resist tactical, aid, or morale bonuses.
Love – Disgust
Love
This emotion causes you to act compassionately and show signs of affection. You gain a bonus on any check that will help another creature directly equal to half of your Love track, and once you reach 4 or higher on the Love track you reduce the time taken to take any Aid Another actions by 1 step, minimum of an Immediate Action. However, you may become infatuated with the source of your love; requiring a Composure check DC 10 + Love track to target any creature other than the source of your infatuation.
Disgust
This emotion causes you to act with obvious disdain and avoiding the source of your disgust. You gain a bonus on any check to avoid physical contact equal to half of your Disgust track, and once you reach 4 or higher on the Disgust track you can take the Withdraw action with a single Basic Action. However, you are reluctant to physically interact with others; requiring a Composure check DC 10 + Disgust track to directly target another creature.
Tranquility – Anger
Tranquility
This emotion causes you to act in a calm manner seeming at ease in any situation. You gain a bonus to resist Mind-Affecting effects equal to half of your Tranquility track, and once you reach 4 or higher on the Tranquility track you may choose to take 10 on Initiative and reaction checks. However, you are more likely to act in a placid manner; requiring a Composure check DC 10 + Tranquility track to act in a Surprise round or take Immediate Actions.
Anger
This emotion causes you to act with obvious frustration and you may lash out depending on the situation. You gain a bonus on any check to Intimidate or physically manipulate something equal to half of your Anger track, and once you reach 4 or higher on the Anger track you gain an additional Immediate or reaction each turn. However, you are more likely to lash out in anger and not think clearly; requiring a Composure check DC 10 + Anger track to not violently lash out whenever you are slighted.
Trust – Surprise
Trust
This emotion causes you to act with confidence of how those around you will act, trusting what they will do. You gain a bonus to resist any effect that would cause you to doubt or act against an ally or even neutral person and once you reach 4 or higher on the Trust track, you increase your Aid Another bonus for such people by a quarter of your Trust track. However, you are more likely to blindly believe what is told to you; requiring a Composure check DC 10 + Trust track to not instantly believe anything said to you.
Surprise
This emotion causes you to act in a wary and cautious manner. You gain a bonus to any check to gain new information or perceive hidden details equal to half of your Surprise track, and once you reach 4 or higher in the Surprise track, you may gain an additional Basic Action during a Surprise round. However, you are more likely to disbelieve an act with suspicion; requiring a Composure check DC 10 + Surprise track to trust or believe a unverified source.
Emotion Manifestations
Your emotions can manifest in a variety of ways dependent on your general demeanor and alignment. For example, a wrathful person will display anger in a more blatant way, while a diligent personality may seem calm only to be bubbling with rage beneath the surface. In addition, if you are feeling multiple different emotions, you may convey a mix of the strongest emotions. For instance, a person feeling anger and sadness may manifest an attitude of disgust towards the source of these emotions.
Emotional Trauma
Extreme emotional circumstances may leave a lasting impact on your mental state. This can manifest in a multitude of diverse ways. Some being benign character quirks, with others being severe drawbacks influencing your actions. After enough time or care emotional trauma can be removed. However, severe enough trauma may take extended amounts of time or may even require being downgraded to lesser forms before it can be removed.
Types of Trauma
There are many different ways trauma can manifest in a person. Even the same type of trauma can manifest differently in different people. Because of this the following section provides some general categories for trauma to fall into. While these categories attempt to encompass most common forms of trauma, some situations may call for more specific effects. Feel free to use this as a guideline to create your own effects for a situation.
Quirks
This type of trauma tends to be more passive or learned behaviors. They don’t necessarily negatively impact you, acting more as simple roleplay points that make you stand out. These may be removed or suppressed with concerted effort.
Triggers
This type of trauma typically has a specific situation or event related to it that triggers a response. When such an event occurs, it is common for you to be set to a predetermined point on an emotion track based on the trauma among other effects. This type of trauma may be resisted in the lesser variants, but extreme cases may potentially inflict more trauma.
Acute
This type of trauma is commonly gained from a single event. Effects of acute trauma usually are based around a single emotion and may set you to a set position on the emotion track. These effects tend to remain active until the trauma is addressed or enough time for the trauma to fade has passed.
Chronic
Similar to acute trauma, this type of trauma is usually caused by a single severe or multiple lesser traumatic events. However, the impact of this type of trauma is much greater and longer lasting than lesser forms. Chronic trauma may even grow more serious over time if not addressed.
Complex
After accruing multiple lesser traumas, your emotional damage may evolve into a complex trauma. The culmination of a series of events, this type of trauma gives unique effects based on the trauma it evolved from. Before even being able to attempt to remove complex trauma all underlying traumas must be addressed.
Removing Trauma
Once trauma is gained it can range from simple to difficult to overcome. There are different approaches to removing trauma from letting time pass, using consumable remedies, addressing the trauma, or overcoming repeated exposure to the trauma.
Time
Some traumas may be passively removed by letting enough time pass without another exposure to the traumatic event. If another Composure test is failed in relation to the trauma the duration is reset and potentially increased. Not all traumas will passively go away with time, with some even growing more severe. The scale of this can range from days to years depending on the severity of the trauma.
Remedies
From magic to tonics, various remedies are a quick, albeit expensive, way to suppress or even remove trauma. Typically, these effects make a check against the trauma, similar to treating a disease.
Addressing Trauma
The most common way to address trauma is reflecting on and coming to terms with said trauma. This can be done alone or with assistance from someone else by spending time doing so. The time required to address trauma depends on the severity. Commonly being days, weeks, or months. Regardless of the time increment one Composure check.
Exposure
Some traumas such as phobias and other triggers can potentially be removed with repeated exposure to the trauma in question. When attempting to remove a trauma with exposure, you are exposed to your trauma or various triggers and must succeed on a Composure check to resist and suppress the trauma. If successful a predetermined number of times the trauma is removed. However, if the Composure check is failed too many times the trauma check may increase in severity.
Trauma In Play
Over the course of a game trauma can be a useful tool to help shape your character and give you quirks to act out in-character. Any trauma you gain should be designed and worked with both the GM and the player to mesh seamlessly with their character and allow them to roleplay the situation accurately. Trauma should never be used as a tool to remove player agency unless in a previously agreed upon way.
Example Traumas
Insanity
As you experience repeated trauma or comes face to face with forces beyond comprehension your mind can begin to deteriorate. When this happens, you can become unstable or even disconnected from reality and may act out in an attempt to regain control.
The types of Insanity are broken up into four different tracks that do not interact with each other and can be increased individually. Insanity is gained in the same way that emotion tracks and trauma are with the exception that if you have a number of traumas equal to your highest Mind modifier, you may begin to naturally begin to accrue insanity levels.
Additionally, natural insanity can be removed in the same ways that trauma can be; however, supernatural insanity may require magic or other additional effort to remove.
Corruptive
If you have points in the Corruptive Insanity track, you have had your mind corrupted by insanity and knowledge that is not meant for mortals. This insanity causes you to be able to view things beyond normal comprehension as the veil between certain planes of existence grows thin.
Every point in this track causes the likelihood that you encounter events tied to the Feywild, Shadow plane, or The Void, to be increased in locations where such events could occur.
Additionally, this track is also increased by the highest of the other Insanity tracks if you are afflicted with them. Depending on the circumstances any events that occur due to Corruptive Insanity may only affect you with the insanity.
Emotional
If you have points in the Emotional Insanity track, you tend to act towards various extremes. Depending on the cause of your insanity or the source of said insanity two different emotions are chosen and each day you wake up, you must make a Composure check, with a DC 15 + Emotional Insanity track, to not become manic with one of the emotions.
To determine which emotion is active flip a coin. While in this manic state your Emotional Insanity track is added to that emotion’s level. This remains active until you succeed a Composure check to resist this insanity and if successful a second Composure check to not immediately flip to the other emotion of this insanity.
Personality
If you have points in the Personality Insanity track, you tend to have a shifting personality that is different than your normal demeanor. Depending on the cause of this insanity the other personality will act in a different way than the normal, typically to an extreme that you do not usually exhibit. This varies depending on how many points in the Personality Insanity track the person has.
The other personality may gain control and come to the forefront whenever you are confronted with the situation or trauma that triggered this new personality, unless you make a Composure check, DC 15 + Personality Insanity track. The original personality may attempt to regain control by making a composure check at the same DC each day or is given back control once the event that triggered the switch passes. These other personalities may even have different sets of alignments as appropriate.
Psychosis
If you have points in the Psychosis Insanity track, you typically have delusions or hallucinations that you may not be able to separate from reality. The type of delusions that you have depends on the level in the Psychosis Insanity track, commonly starting with auditory delusions and progressing to visual and eventually even physical hallucinations where you believe that you are interacting with, or that your delusions are interacting with you.
The type of delusion depends on the source of the insanity and may manifest in different forms. You must make a Composure check, DC 15 + Psychosis Insanity track whenever you are in a stressful situation or an appropriate situation based on the source of your insanity that would cause delusions to manifest or be unable to separate the delusions from reality. While in this state the GM should present everything as reality to not reveal what really is the delusion.