Psychopath Discipline;

by Baron Sengir

          Although no one sees them as a real Discipline, Psychopaths are not uncommon at all, in fact everyone could be one, your neighbor, even your wife or best friend. Psychopaths usually seem very normal, capable and real steady people, but when push comes to shove they'll do horrible things. (e.g. ripping someone apart with their bare hands). Often arrested for their deeds, Psychopaths usually end in prison or worse, yet there are rumours that heroic deeds believed to be achieved by fearless warriors and/or great mages are really achieved by Psychopaths and therefore twisted to suit public announcement. Until now, there are no factions KNOWN that are ruled, sustained and/or formed by Psychopaths.

Psychopaths usually worship the Mad Passions (normal Passions don't want them anyway). Most often chosen is Vestrial, coming second is Raggok and Dis is a good third. Because of this, one would come to think that Psychopaths are used to getting bad responses, well... they're not! They perfectly hide their Passion for as long as they want, which is a great advantage. A lesser point is that Psychopaths have those nasty knacks, like making great shows of their murders, sending anonymous notes to people that aren't involved with clues on them. (You know the stuff the TV shows you!)

I am not a mad man! I'm just touched in the brain.... now shut up or I swear to Vestrial, I'll rip you apart! - Thom Hammermade, Dwarven Psychopath

Racial Restrictions: none

Important Attributes: Strength, Willpower and Perception.

Talents at Circle:

I           Karma Ritual*

            Melee Weapons (D)

            Unarmed Combat (D)

            Silent Walk

            Rage*

            Mutilate*

II            Durability (6/5)

            Great Leap

            Disguise Self (D)

III        Detect Weapon (D)

            Empathic Sense

IV        Psycho Weaving (D)

            Resist Taunt

+1 Spell Defense

V            Massacre*

            Dissect*

+1 Social Defense

VI        Rip Apart*

            Conceal Weapon (D)

+1 Physical Defense

VII      Second Attack

            Discover Fear* (D)

VIII            Hypnotize

            Fright Paralyzation* (D)

May spend Karma at actions using Dexterity only.

IX        Bardic Voice

            Avoid Blow (D)

            Stalk*

+2 Social Defense

X         Body Blade

            Victimize* (D)

+1 Physical Defense

+25 Maximum Karma Points

XI        Destroy Faith* (D)       

            Convince Colaboration* (D)

+1 Spell Defense

May use Karma on actions using Willpower only.

XII      Bestial Rage* (D)

            Chameleon

+1 Rec. Test a day

May use Karma on actions using Strength only.

XIII            Intimidating Laugh* (D)

            Innonce* (D)

            Force Weapon*

+1 to Initiative Step

+1 to Social Defense

New Talents:

Karma Ritual

The Psychopath enters an empty room and starts a holocaust in his mind, making tests and combats to kill all the victims present (in his twisted mind). He mimics all the moves he would make in a normal holocaust. He must use many scenarios in half an hour, scenarios which could occur in a real hostage situation. If someone steps into the room during the Karma Ritual, he must be a Horror or a fast runner to survive.

(Although there are rumors of even Horrors dying;)

Rage

Step: R+S+3, action: yes, strain: 2.

Effects:

The character brutally hits a target with his bare hands, always causing 1 wound.

After making a successful Unarmed Combat Test the character may substitute the normal Strength step with the Rage step for Damage.

Mutilate

Step: N/A, action

Effects:

When using this talent for the first time the character must choose in which way he/she will be mutilating victims as a trademark. This must be done when the victims is dead or unconscious, if the victim is unconscious it will resolve in death.

For example:

                        Thom Hammermade, a Dwarven Psychopath, chooses to carve the image of a sword in                         the chest of his victims as his trademark. This he can never change again.

Massacre

Step: R+S+ Weapon's Damage step + 2, action, 4 strain

Effects:

With this skill a character ferociously attacks a victim with his weapon(s), this always causes 1 wound. After making a successful Melee Weapons step the character may substitute normal Weapon + Strength Damage for the Massacre step, the weapon step used must be that of the weapons wielded.

Dissect

Step: N/A, action

Effects:

When using this talent for the first time the character must choose an INVISIBLE, INTERNAL ORGAN, he then removes that organ as his trademark. The victim must be dead or unconscious; if unconscious this hopefully will resolve in death.

Rip Apart

Step: R+Str, action, 2 strain, requires Karma: yes

Effects:

This talent allows the character to literally rip apart someone with his bare hands.

The victim must be dead or unconscious, if dead the character must beat the strength step of the victim, if unconscious the difficulty is the strength step + 4, when done with an unconscious victim this HOPEFULLY will result in death. The Karma point is just spent not used.

Discover Fear

Step: R+Per, action

Effects:

The character starts talking to the victim about all sorts of things and examines his reactions, out of this he can conclude something that must frighten the victim, be it the character self or a Windling. The character must beat the victim's Social Defense.

Fright Paralyzation

Step: R+W, action, 1 strain

Effects:

With this the character can use something the victim fears (something found with Discover Fear or Stalk) and rubs it in really good, thus putting the victim in a paralyzed state of shock, which lasts Rank hours. The difficulty is the victim's Willpower step or Social Defense; whichever is higher.

Victimize

Step: R+Wil, action, 1 strain.

Effects:

Using this the character makes the target believe there is very little change of escaping or the character turns an innocent into a victim just by talking, this renders the victim unable to concentrate on one thing (or talent) and makes him/her hesitate with every move, action or thought. The difficulty is the victim's Social Defense or Willpower step; whichever is higher. This also lowers a victim's Social Defense to 4 for the purpose of the Convince Collaboration Skill.

Destroy Faith and Hope

Step: R+Wil, action, 3 strain.

Effects:

This is the stronger version of Victimize, except that it totally destroys the victim's hope for salvation and his/her faith in others, with a Excellent success or higher the victim becomes suicidal, though this suicidal behavior will not manifest against the character. This lowers the victim's Social Defense to 3 for the purpose of Convince Collaboration.

Convince Collaboration

Step: R+Wil, action, 2 strain

Effects:

After using Victimize or Destroy Faith and Hope Psychopats usually try to convince a victim to help the Psychopath, for that MIGHT JUST BE HIS RESCUE, what the victim will do and not depends on his state; if he/she's suicidal he/she'll do anything,

but there will always be a cooperation. The difficulty is the victim's Social Defense.

Bestial Rage

Step: R+S+9, 5 strain, requires Karma: yes

Effects:

This is the stronger version of Rage, it works the same but the character will bite and claw at the victim instead of hitting him. The Karma point is spent on the attack test with which Bestial Rage is used.

Innocence

Step: R+Wil, action, strain 4

Effects:

Using this talent the character fakes being a victim that killed his "capturer", usually killing his captive with an improvised object like a kitchen knife or a fridge. Then he puts his weapon in the victim's hand(s) and acts a lot, sometimes Psychopats hurt themselves with the believed "Psycho's weapon", this costs 3 extra strain points.

The difficulty is the highest Social Defense among anyone who must believe it, +1 for each target beyond the first (highest)

Force Weapon

Step: R+W, action, 5 strain, Requires Karma: yes.

Effects:

This allows a character to create a weapon through sheer force of will; the weapon must be ONE-HANDED (size 3 normally, size 4 for Obsidiman and Troll), when striking from behind (unnoticed) add 8 steps to the damage step. The Karma is spend on the attack test.

Intimidating Laugh

Step: R+W, action, 2 strain

Effects:

This talent is used when a character wants to make his victim/captive/hostage(s) believe that attacking or resisting him is naughty and most likely will resolve in pain and/or death. Works nice after first killing one as an example.

The difficulty is the highest Social Defense or Willpower step among the victim's,

whichever is higher.

Stalk

step:Rank + Perception, action

Effects:

Using this the character stalks a specific victim-to-be, learning daily routines, maybe even fears. This also makes finding a Key Knowledge for a Thread Item much easier.

If the question of detection rises the victim-to-be must make a Perception test against a character's Stalk test result, if detected two times nothing happens, but when detected a third time only quick talking or striking is advisable.

Additional note: You might find it strange that the Psycho uses Willpower where normally Charisma is used... Well imagine you trying to talk fear into a victim... would you fear her/him with flair, no you need persistence. That's why.