Cost: Variable Mental Drawback
Choices: Emotional Problems: Fear of Rejection, Emotional Problems: Depression, Emotional Problems: Emotional Dependency or Emotional Problems: Fear of Commitment
Those with Emotional Problems react in unreasonable ways to some situations and problems. The reaction can be anger, pain or anguish, typically more extreme than normal. Maybe a traumatic event in this life (or even in a previous life) has made them this way. These emotional problems can be triggered by ordinary events in normal life, events that may bring distress to most people but which will prompt a very strong reaction from a disturbed character.
Some situations that can trigger emotional problems are discussed below.
- Fear of Rejection: This person is afraid of rejection, and when she experiences rejection (or thinks she has been rejected), she feels hurt and angry. People with this problem may be afraid to make friends or approach people they are attracted to, and if their fears come true, will harbor a great deal or resentment and anger. This is a 1-point Drawback.
- Depression: This character’s emotional problems make the very act of living seem like a hard chore. Common symptoms of Depression include sleep problems (either oversleeping or bouts of insomnia), severe procrastination (to the point that the sufferer may lose her job), and a lack of interest in anything. A character with Depression is at -2 to most Tasks, and tends to avoid becoming involved in anything. This is a 2-point Drawback. A severe shock may snap someone out of this state for a while (a life-threatening crisis will do it), but the character will sink back into inactivity afterwards. Certain drugs and psychiatric treatment can reduce the effect of this problem (which will also reduce its value).
- Emotional Dependency: These types tend to be “clingy” and overly dependent on others. Once they make a friend, they want to hang around her all the time. When involved in a relationship, they are excessively needy. This behavior tends to annoy people around them. This is a 1-point Drawback.
- Fear of Commitment: Whenever this character starts feeling too close to somebody, she becomes afraid and starts pulling back. Maybe she is afraid that if she lets somebody get too close, they will hurt her, and it’s not worth the pain. Or perhaps she fears that if she reveals too much about herself, the other person will see the “real her” and will be appalled or disgusted. This makes it very difficult to have a healthy relationship with either friends or lovers. This is a 1-point Drawback.
Note on Use
Overcoming an Emotional Problem: A common theme in fiction involves characters who in the course of the plot manage to overcome their flaws. Emotional Problems can be overcome by characters during play. This should always be roleplayed. If the player was able to convey the inner struggle of her character over the course of several Stories, the staff might allow her to eliminate the Drawback without having to “pay” any Experience Points to do so. Of course staff will want to /see/ this happening, not simply be told it happened or 'was off camera'. No RP? No buy off.