A psychological condition is a Trauma of the mind — a quirk, impulse, or disorder that colors behavior. Just as bodily harm is rated in Injury Levels, mental strain is rated in Psyche Stress Levels (PSY).
Psyche Stress Levels
Psyche Stress rarely arises on its own; it typically spins off from another event — for instance a Critical Failure on a Fear or Aural Shock recovery test. Every separate occurrence generates its own PSY level, normally in the range 1 to 6, and — as with each physical wound — each instance is recorded separately.
Psyche Stress Recovery Test
The victim makes a Psyche Stress Recovery Test for each PSY of a condition, every d6 days. Fatigue does not affect the test.
| Result | Outcome |
|---|---|
| CF (−1) | Grievous Stress — an indefinite condition becomes permanent, or a permanent condition increases PSY by one. |
| MF (0) | No recovery — the condition is unaffected. |
| MS (1) | Recovery — −1 PSY. |
| CS (2) | Recovery — −2 PSY. |
An indefinite condition goes away — the victim recovers — when its PSY reaches 0 or less.
Behavioral effects
Whenever a character suffers Psyche Stress, they acquire an indefinite psychological condition whose intensity is measured in PSY levels. It does not take hold immediately: it surfaces roughly ten minutes after the triggering trauma and then lingers for as long as any PSY remains (and over the course of recovery may become permanent). When it manifests, the victim gains 5 weakness fatigue per PSY level; further stress tied to the same condition raises its PSY.
| PSY | Presentation |
|---|---|
| 1 | Quirk — a mild presentation. |
| 2 | Impulse — a serious disorder that noticeably affects behavior. |
| 3+ | Disorder — a manifest, character-defining disorder that can drive behavior even when its source is absent. |
An Impulse or Disorder demands a Will test whenever it is triggered; on failure the condition expresses itself. An expressed condition lasts while the trigger is present and for roughly ten minutes afterward — a Critical Failure on the Will test lengthens that aftermath to d6 × 10 minutes.