Fear

Terribly monstrous creatures, certain magical spells, and the disadvantage Fear of… can all induce Fear. Creatures react to fear in very different ways. Some won’t let the cause of their panic out of their sight, others try to back away or even flee, and still others clumsily try to get rid of the cause. Catatonia is an example of a very strong reaction. The negative effects of this condition persist as long as the cause remains close by. When the cause is removed, Fear lowers by 1 level every 5 minutes, unless stated otherwise.

Example: Rowena suffers 3 levels of Fear after someone casts the spell Horriphobus on her. All her checks receive a –3 penalty. The condition lasts as long as the spell remains in effect, but then immediately disappears. However, if Rowena had been scared by another means, the condition would drop by 1 level every 5 minutes (assuming the catalyst was no longer present; if it was, Rowena would continue to suffer the condition).

I Uneasy, –1 to all checks
II Scared, –2 to all checks
III Panicked, –3 to all checks
IV Catatonic, and therefore incapacitated