Voluntary bout of madness?

[Michebugio]

I admit, this is a weird question: let's consider a Miserable character. The player knows that his character is going to fight soon, and he fears that he'll suffer a Bout of madness exactly during combat, which can be a catastrophe for his Companions.

To avoid this, can he decide to voluntarily suffer a Bout of madness before entering combat (so, without rolling an Eye for it)? Doing so he won't be Miserable anymore, and he will be sure that he won't abandon his companions in the time of need, accepting a permanent Shadow point and a Flaw while he may have avoided them accepting the risk of rolling an Eye in the middle of the fight.

Consider an appropriate narration for this, and maybe additional drawbacks: the Fellowship prepare an ambush but the Miserable character freaks out just at that time (voluntarily, from player's perspective), so the opportunity is lost and they will have to plan something different.

Would you, as Loremasters, allow this?

[Rich H]

I, personally, would not.

For me a Bout of Madness and more importantly when it occurs is something out of the players' control. I would however suggest that you go back and check the rules... I don't have them to hand but I'm pretty sure that a Bout does *not* have to occur immediately *after* an EYE is rolled by the said character. It's up to the LM when it happens. So, if they wanted to be easy going on the players they could delay such an event occuring until after the battle. Therefore, you could do what you suggested above but it would just be driven by the LM and not the players and *after* an EYE had been rolled some time in the past.

... But, no, voluntarily entering into a Bout of Madness would not be an option at my gaming table.

[zedturtle]

Right. I agree with Rich... you don't have to inflict the Bout immediately, and it can be a fun way of increasing the tension -- "You're not going to go mad now, but soon..." can really get everyone to the edge of their seats.

[Rich H]

Right. I agree with Rich... you don't have to inflict the Bout immediately, and it can be a fun way of increasing the tension -- "You're not going to go mad now, but soon..." can really get everyone to the edge of their seats.

I think it's nearly always the better way to go - it would hang over the players' head like the proverbial Sword of Damocles. Not that I've ever had a Bout at my gaming table yet, although a couple of times PCs have been Miserable.

[Michebugio]

That's probably the best way to go, but I'll have to check the rules some more. Thank you very much for the quick answer!

[Rich H]

Thank you very much for the quick answer!

No problem, I'm on a boring conference call at work so you're saving me from that!

[Michebugio]

Quoting from the Loremaster's book, page 59:

"Usually, a bout of madness is resolved right after the character got the Eye result, but the Loremaster can choose to postpone the reaction, letting the player keep control of his character, only to snatch it from him at a later, more appropriate moment. (the Loremaster might choose to do so especially when the roll that provoked the bout of madness wasn’t dramatically relevant)."

You were right, Rich

[Angelalex242]

Makes you wonder how long Boromir was miserable before finally rolled that Eye that caused him to attack Frodo...

[Yusei]

"Usually, a bout of madness is resolved right after the character got the Eye result, but the Loremaster can choose to postpone the reaction, letting the player keep control of his character, only to snatch it from him at a later, more appropriate moment. (the Loremaster might choose to do so especially when the roll that provoked the bout of madness wasn’t dramatically relevant)."

I'll put the emphasis on another sentence. Going mad during a battle is very dramatically relevant. I would not postpone the bout of madness in that case, but I would if the player sauronned a meaningless roll before battle.

On the other hand, if the player can find a good reason for having his bout of madness at a given time, I might allow him.

[Stormcrow]

Makes you wonder how long Boromir was miserable before finally rolled that Eye that caused him to attack Frodo...

‘Boromir, O Boromir!’ [Faramir] cried. ‘What did she say to you, the Lady that dies not? What did she see? What woke in your heart then? Why went you ever to Laurelindórenan, and came not by your own road, upon the horses of Rohan riding home in the morning?’

‘...it’s my opinion that in Lórien he first saw clearly what I guessed sooner: what he wanted. From the moment he first saw it he wanted the Enemy’s Ring!’