Fear
Fear Damage is a form of mental damage caused by an overwhelming perception of danger, terror, or helplessness. It attacks the mind directly, disrupting judgment, concentration, confidence, and the ability to perform even simple tasks. Unlike ordinary fear, which can sharpen the senses or encourage a sensible retreat, severe Fear Damage can consume the mind entirely.
A victim overwhelmed by fear may flail uselessly, freeze in place, flee without regard for where they are going, or become incapable of taking meaningful action. The mind is no longer concerned with solving the problem. It is concerned only with escaping it. In extreme cases, fear can overwhelm the body as well, leaving the victim unconscious or even dead from fright.
Fear Sources
Fear Damage can come from creatures, magic, curses, or anything else capable of inspiring supernatural levels of terror. Some creatures possess an inherent fear effect, while others may project fear through their appearance, presence, voice, or supernatural abilities. Magical spells and curses can create fear directly or amplify an existing sense of danger until the victim can no longer control it.
Examples include:
- Creatures with powerful fear effects
- Magical spells that induce terror
- Curses
- Fear-inducing artefacts
- Supernatural or psychic effects
- Certain creatures, monsters, or entities whose presence alone inspires terror
- Unexpectedly large bills
Fear Saving Throws
Charisma is often the best defense against Fear Damage. Charisma represents confidence, presence, and the ability to maintain one's sense of self when confronted by something terrifying. The attitude is simple enough: I'm too cool to be scared.
Intelligence can also defend against fear by allowing the victim to recognize that the threat is not as dangerous as it appears, or to reason through the source of the terror. This is not actually scary.
Memory may provide another defense when the victim can recall that a similar threat was survived before, or remember that what appears terrifying has a rational explanation. I remember this is not a scary thing.
Will provides the final line of defense when fear has already taken hold. A strong Will allows a victim to continue functioning despite the mind's desperate demand to flee, freeze, or panic.
Fear Mitigation
Fear Damage can be actively mitigated by disrupting its source or reinforcing the victim's mind against it. Counter-magic, protective wards, and spells that remove or suppress curses can all reduce or end supernatural fear. In some cases, simply removing the victim from the presence of the creature or effect may prevent the damage from continuing.
Other forms of mitigation include:
- Counter-magic
- Protective wards
- Remove Curse spells
- Magical artefacts that protect against fear
- Breaking the creature's fear effect or concentration
- Removing the victim from the source of the fear
- Destroying or disabling a cursed or fear-inducing object
- Providing reassurance or restoring the victim's confidence
Fear Related Conditions
Feared is the primary condition associated with Fear Damage. A Feared victim is overwhelmed by terror and may be unable to perform even simple tasks, flee uncontrollably, or become incapable of confronting the source of the fear. The condition can persist even after the immediate danger has passed if the underlying supernatural effect remains.
In extreme cases, Fear Damage can cause Dying of Fright, in which the victim's mind and body are so completely overwhelmed by terror that the victim dies from the experience itself.
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