Sowing Seeds of Madness

[Faux_St_Hooligan]

Greetings all, we've just started a new game of TtB and I am playing a sneaky, spooky little girl who makes a game of driving people crazy in true Cthulhu fashion.  I've already spoken with my Fatemaster about writing up a variation on the General Talent in Under Quarantine "From Beyond".  But instead of being immune to Haunted Condition negative effects, and occasionally gaining cryptic insight from the spirits that follow you, we use the "Crazy" Condition instead, and the insight gained is from the whispers of inner insanity.

What I've been struggling with is that I'd like to develop the ability to issue Crazy Condition, harvest it from those around me, and then channel it into different abilities or functions- without unbalancing the game. I'd love to have a way to issue Crazy after some attack or ability, and then a separate one that can draw off Crazy from those in range and perhaps use as a driving resource to perform either...

• Buff or Self Heal?
• Create a 1 off Obey (self harm or attack friendly characters)?
• Summon Nightmare rank equal to levels of Crazy removed?
• Or some sort of Blast mental attack?

I've looked at different immuto that issue Conditions, but they are all temporary ones that remove after a turn or so, whereas Crazy is a lasting Condition that is challenging to reduce or remove.  I'm sure the best approach to something along these lines is by using Manifested Abilities and Powers.  But the couple early write ups I've made I immediately scrapped for being too overpowering.

Any Suggestions how to work such a Rube Goldberg ability in TtB?

Thank you in advance, I don't expect anyone to come up with a Rote write up for me.  Just fishing for suggestions 

[Preposition_the_Noun]

You could make a new talent that gives the following trigger on all melee, and/or magical attacks:

• Suit of choice(I feel crows would probably be the best fit) : After succeeding, increase the value of the target's Crazy condition by +1.

Alternatively, it could be a Manifested Power against the target's Willpower and increases the value of the target's Crazy condition by +1 and an additional +1 per Margin of Success.

From there, you could make Manifested Powers that use the enemy's Crazy condition: 

• Reduce the Crazy condition of each target in Pulse 4 by -1 and heal by the total value reduced.
• Deal a 1/2/3 magical attack, reduce the Crazy condition of the target by -X and add +X to the damage dealt.

Those are just examples, obviously;  Target Numbers, ranges, and damage values would need to be tested, but I don't think those kinds of abilities would be game-breaking.  Honestly, there's a lot of potential there.  You could easily make a whole custom Pursuit out of it.

[Faux_St_Hooligan]

Great input! Thank you very much.  Hadn't thought about trying to do a Pursuit write up, but hmm...

I like the trigger add, that will definitely be looked at closely, the pulse is dead on, and will be discussed with my FM.

 

Also, yesterday I was delving through all my books searching for anything referencing the "Crazy" Condition.  As I delved something jumped off the page and caught my attention (seemed rather obvious in hindsight lol).  I was looking at the stats for the Insidious Madness in the Revised Core Book, and I noticed it's "Psychotic Influence" Attack.

• Psychotic Influence [Prestidigitation/Tenacity] Range:9 Resist: Willpower- Target suffers 1/2/2 damage and gains the Crazy+1 Condition.

Induce Phobia: After damaging, the target must make a TN 10 Horror Duel.

I think I will be looking for other ways to play with Crazy, and reactions to nearby enemy characters failing WP flips.  As much of what this character does is Resisted by WP.  Thanks again, very helpful!