RE: [FMAS] Is this insane or what? Re: real-life FT playing (was: Re: Fighter Group Turn around time was: YAFS

Nathan wrote:

> When SAN breaks (either temporarily because of the 20% rule, or on
> a more long-term basis because of complete breakdown) isn't the
> Keeper supposed to get involved in the interpretation? A zero-SAN
> cultist is simply a tool to be used as the situation requires.
> Sorry to tear the umpiring curtain and all that.

I mentioned "temporary insanity" at one point, but what I really meant
was 
indefinite insanity. Indefinite insanity is the 5 point drop in one
sitting 
(or in a relatively close period of time). _Call of Cthulhu_ 5.5 has two

Indefinite Insanity tables, one short term and one long term. They are a

little bit open to interpretation, but not a whole lot.

I've always played it that Temporary Insanity (I always thought that the

terms "temporary insanity" and "indefinite insanity" should have been 
reversed), the drop in sanity by 20% or more is usually accompanied by 
Indefinite Insanity. After all, you can only lose 20% of your sanity and

_not_ hit the indefinite insanity threshold of 5 points if your sanity
is 
currently less than 25 points. For wargame purposes, Indefinite Insanity

would manifest. Temporary Insanity would only show up after the battle.

While a zero sanity cultist is used as a tool of the Keeper, zero sanity

cultists could appear a fair bit in wargames based on the Cthulhu
Mythos. For 
that matter, you might have your typical 20% or 10% sanity cultists in a

scenario. There's no reason why they should be scared of their shadow at
that 
level of sanity. They have a very poor grip on reality, which may
actually 
embolden them. After all, the sane person is the one that ducks when a 
machine gun opens up. 

--
Allan Goodall		   agoodall@att.net
http://www.hyperbear.com   agoodall@hyperbear.com