Irrationality
Mild
Whenever your character is threatened with violence or suffers extreme tension by being persecuted, challenged or accused, she might react without logic or reason. Roll her Resolve + Composure to keep her cool.
The persecution, challenge or accusation needs to bear some realistic threat to your character's wellbeing, whether related to finances, emotional security or social standing. A hobo threatening to sue is no real threat, but a rich executive who says he's going to ruin your character qualifies as a threat. Likewise, a society-page gossipmonger who threatens to expose your characterÕs faults is a threat if your character relies on that crowd for social acceptance, but not if he is a bicycle messenger who's never been inside a penthouse.
The persecution, challenge or accusation needs to bear some realistic threat to your character's wellbeing, whether related to finances, emotional security or social standing. A hobo threatening to sue is no real threat, but a rich executive who says he's going to ruin your character qualifies as a threat. Likewise, a society-page gossipmonger who threatens to expose your characterÕs faults is a threat if your character relies on that crowd for social acceptance, but not if he is a bicycle messenger who's never been inside a penthouse.
Symptoms
Effect: On a failed roll, your character's only way to comfortably deal with confrontation is to act crazy or over the top, in wild hopes that she will scare away her oppressor or at least mitigate her own fears. This behavior persists for the remainder of the scene. Ironically, she takes dangerous risks that might harm her worse than the actual threat posed. If a bouncer demands to know what your character is doing in an off-limits part of a club, she might overreact and get in his face. Make a Wits + Composure roll for her to be able to take any action that removes her from the scene or that directly diffuses the situation (such as accepting a hand offered in a conciliatory handshake). The truly ironic part about this behavior is that during such a bout, your character cannot initiate violence, only respond to it if it occurs. She can threaten or cajole challengers, but canÕt take the first swing. (That, in fact, is what her crazed behavior tries to avoid.)
Type
Mental