Insanity or Madness

As we have seen in the kit descriptions of Chapter One, the mental demands placed on certain necromancers, as a result of their trafficking with the dead and lower-planar entities, will eventually wither the sanity of the most stable individuals. Because of their high wisdom, necromancers rarely go stark-raving mad. They are almost never incapacitated by their own insanity. Rather, the necromancer’s own twisted mind becomes a most insidious handicap. The wizard does not even realize that the mental disability exists, and even if he or she acknowledges its existence, the necromancer does not care to remove it!

At the DM’s option, when members of certain kits advance a new experience level, they must make an insanity check. Similar to the fear and horror checks employed in the RAVENLOFT rules system, an insanity check (also called a madness check) is a save vs. paralyzation. (Wisdom bonuses normally applied to saves vs. mental effects are also included.) The mental decay can be treated with cure insanity, heal, or restoration spells.

The necromancer’s “professional” madness does not usually result from a single, traumatic experience, but rather from a slow destabilization of the mind, a gradual erosion of the sanity that occurs while learning the terrible secrets of the Dark Art. A necromancer might also be driven mad by a successful powers check. For this special case, no insanity check is allowed, since it is considered a mandatory price by the evil god (which bestows a helpful Dark Gift in exchange). Madness can also result from a wide variety of causes outlined in the new 4th-level clerical spell cause insanity.

The forms of madness described in this section do not reflect modern medical definitions. They are intended to provide role-playing opportunities for experienced DMs and players alike.

1. Phobia	4. Paranoia
2. Melancholy	5. Hallucinations
3. Delusion	6. Amnesia

Phobia. The character develops an irrational fear of some creature or situation and will flee or cower whenever confronted with it (treat as if affected by a fear spell). The victim may also mention or want to discuss the object of fear in any conversation. Some possibilities are monophobia (fear of being alone), hemophobia (fear of blood), psychrophobia (fear of cold things), claustrophobia (fear of containment), necrophobia (fear of corpses), nyctophobia (fear of the dark), onomatophobia (fear of a certain name), hypnophobia (fear of sleeping), pnigerophobia (fear of smothering).

Melancholy. The character loses the will to act or participate in a suggested activity. He or she wants to be left alone and may become violent if disturbed. In any given situation, the subject is 50% likely to do nothing, regardless of the danger, even at the risk of personal safety. If berated, pressured, insulted, or otherwise made to feel inferior, the subject has a 50% chance of becoming violent. Violent fits last only 1d6 rounds, then the character lapses back into brooding silence and inaction.

Delusion. The character believes him- or herself to be something or someone that she or he is not. The wizard takes a new identity and tenaciously holds on to it. Usually, the character adopts the guise of someone or something unusually important. An apprentice necromancer may believe himself to be the legendary archmage Tzunk, who sundered the gates of the fabled City of Brass and scattered the legions of efreet with his terrible pronouncements from the Codex of Infinite Planes. By the same token, she may also think that she’s a flower or a cat or a brooch on someone’s jacket. In any case, the character does his or her absolute best to impersonate the person or thing that’s been identified with. If a player character is afflicted with this form of madness, the particular choice of a delusion for the character may be discussed between the DM and the player.

Paranoia. The character experiences delusions of grandeur, accompanied by the absolute conviction that everyone is thoroughly jealous and out to get him or her. For instance, a necromancer might believe that she or he has angered some extraplanar power by delving into the hidden secrets of the cosmos, and this evil deity (and its mortal minions) are now planning to eliminate him or her. The character does not trust anyone and may fixate upon a particular person or creature as the leader of the conspiracy. The necromancer sees evidence of the great cosmic conspiracy in everything and everyone.

Hallucinations. The character constantly sees things that simply aren’t there. He or she may see hallucinatory enemies in any combat situation or whenever a saving throw or ability check is required. Hallucinations can be most entertaining to role-play in combination with a phobia or paranoia. The character may be affected as if by fear, hypnotic pattern, or even suggestion.

Amnesia. This madness robs the character of minor or temporary memories and factual knowledge, effectively turning him or her into an “absent-minded” individual. The character cannot remember facts or events that didn’t take place within the last few hours. This form of amnesia blocks the ability to recall factual knowledge, similar to the new 4th-level wizard spell brainkill. It in no way affects professional performance, the ability to cast spells, and saving throws.

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