# The Madness System ### For A Darker World Not all worlds in the Dungeons and Dragons universe are the same. Every hero has resolve, incredible skills, and powers, yet not very often are the stresses and effects on the mind of our beloved heroes exemplified in our worlds. The madness system aims to correct that, by giving players and characters the option to experience a more realistic setting filled with everything an adventure has to offer, and more. #### Madness Each player character gains a madness pool. A madness pool represents the level of madness and stress each character is experiencing. Each character's madness pool begins at 0 and can have a maximum amount of 15 points of madness at any given time. A player can never have less than 0 points of madness. Whenever a character gains 1 or more points of madness, that character adds the number of points to his or her madness pool. When a character completes a long rest, his or her madness pool loses points of madness equal to half the character's level. When a character completes a short rest, the character may spend hit dice in order to lose points of madness. The number of points of madness lost is equal to the number of hit dice spent. Additionally, the number of failed death saving throws does not reset to zero upon regaining hit points, but instead upon finishing a long rest. #### Gaining Madness Throughout any hero's travel, they will find terrible beasts, bloodthirsting traps, and debilitating fear. All of these symbolize the true toll that adventuring can take on a character. The following is a list for events that will give players points of madness. Each triggering event will give an affected player points of madness equivalent to that shown in the table. The effects of stress in an adventure are numerous, and the DM may implement other ways to incorporate points of madness into the game. ##### Gaining Madness | Points of Madness | Triggering Event | |:----:|:-------------| | 2 | You are successfully hit by a critical hit. | | 2 | You are reduced to 0 hit points. | | 1 | You witness an ally be reduced to 0 hit points. | | 1 | You start your turn frightened. | | 5 | You witness an ally die. | | 2 | A spell or ability curses you. | | 2 | You are surprised at the start of combat. | | X | You take fall damage. You gain X points of madness for every 20 feet you fell. | | 2 | You gain a level of exhaustion. | | 2 | You trigger and are affected by a trap. | #### Losing Madness Even in madness, however, the fruits of happiness and life can be found. An adventuring life has its times of laughter, love, and enjoyment. These effects help to get rid of points of madness, and overall lessen a characters resolve pool. The following is a list for events that will reduce players madness level. Each triggering event will reduce an affected player's madness pool by an amount equal to that shown in the table. Madness can be reduced in a multitude of ways at any time during an adventure, and the DM may implement other ways to reduce points of madness into the game. ##### Losing Madness | Points of Madness | Triggering Event | |:----:|:-------------| | 1 | You score a critical hit on an attack roll. | | 1 | A curse is ended on you by the means of a *remove curse* spell. | | 3 | You are targeted by *greater restoration*. | | 2 | You successfully disable a trap. | | 1 | You reduce a creature to 0 hit points. | | 1 | You roll a natural 20 on an ability check or saving throw. | | 2 | You surprise a creature at the start of combat. | | 1 | Whenever you regain hit points through a spell or class ability and you roll the maximum number on at least one of the dice. #### Miracles and Miseries After a character has accumulated enough stress and madness, their mind begins to falter and their resolve is tested. Upon a character gaining 10 points of madness, the character must then make a resolve saving throw, the ultimate test of a character's willpower. This saving throw, much like death saving throws, is not tied to any ability score, and is thus aided only by spells, class features, and hope. The DC for the saving throw is 16. On a failure, roll a d6. The character gains a misery of the number rolled from the misery table. The misery lasts until the character's madness pool reaches 0 again. On a success, the character reduces its madness level by 5 and rolls a d6. The character gains a miracle of the number rolled from the miracle table. The miracle lasts until you finish a long rest. Once a character is effected by a misery or miracle, they cannot be effected by another one until the character's current misery or madness is no longer effecting them. #### Heart Attacks On some fatal occasions, a character may reach 15 points of madness and experience a heart attack. The character immediately fails a death saving throw, and their madness level is reduced by 5. \pagebreakNum ##### Misery Table | d6 | Misery | |:----:|:-------------| | 1 | **Forlorn.** You've abandoned all hope, and lost faith in your friends, your quest, and your own being. You subtract a d6 from all attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws. | | 2 | **Flagellant.** Self deprecation and harm fill you with glee. Whenever you complete a short or long rest, you lose an amount of hit points equal to your total character level. | | 3 | **Shaken.** You have been subjugated to your bones, freezing you in your ability to move. Your movement speed is halved. | | 4 | **Egotistical.** Your power is unmatched, your brilliance unrivaled. Creatures have advantage on attack rolls against you and you cannot willingly move away from a hostile creature within 5 feet of you. | | 5 | **Afraid.** Hope is lost, abandon all danger now or surely perish. You have disadvantage on ability checks and saving throws. | | 6 | **Hallucinations.** You see images of death and suffering, all marking your fatal end. Whenever you gain madness, you gain 1 more point. | \columnbreak ##### Miracle Table | d6 | Miracle | |:----:|:-------------| | 1 | **Inspired.** You are unwilling to give in, and driven to survive. You add a d4 to all attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws. | | 2 | **Mighty.** The torment you have suffered has motivated your ability to fight back. Whenever you roll damage dice, you can choose to reroll a number of dice equal to your proficiency bonus. | | 3 | **Inspirational.** Your capacity to hold fast in the face of adversity spreads to those around you. You immediately gain an amount of inspiration points equal to your level. Choose any creatures within 60 feet of you, and divide your inspiration points amongst them. The chosen creatures reduce their madness level by an amount equal to inspiration points given. | 4 | **Unflinching.** These wayward enemies cannot shake you. Your AC increases by an amount equal to your proficiency bonus and you have advantage on all saving throws. | | 5 | **Rejuvinated.** Take a deep breath and shrug it off, the worst is yet to come. At the start of each of your turns, you regain hit points equal to your Constitution modifier if you have no more than half of your hit points left. You don’t gain this benefit if you have 0 hit points. | | 6 | **Foretelling.** You see your future and know that this is not where it ends. Whenever you reduce madness, you lose 1 more point. |