Depending on the culture, many traits have social stigmas associated with them. As a result, you may be reluctant to be open about your experience. In such cases, depression may result. You may choose or roll a Baseless Emotion that reflects your experience.

Thoughts that you don’t like enter your head, such as thoughts of committing atrocities, doubts about your identity or relationships or value, and you can’t get rid of them. While everyone has such thoughts, you can’t easily get past them, and they happen a lot. You fear that you might act on those thoughts, or that, even though they’re not based on evidence, that they indicate something about you or your life. You have a −(IE) penalty on saving throws against being frightened. Because you’ve honed your critical thinking skills as coping strategies, you have a +(IE) bonus to saving throws against illusion magic.

Real-world Examples

Anxiety, Depression, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Assistive Options

Because you are often ashamed of intrusive thoughts as they don’t reflect your character and values, it’s hard getting help from others. Realizing that these are “junk thoughts” that your brain produces, not urges, and don’t reflect on your character, can help you feel better about yourself when these thoughts come, but they don’t eliminate the thoughts or affect game mechanics. If you have a trusted friend that takes time to talk to you about it, or if you keep a journal where you list evidence for and against the truth of the thought with a statement that acknowledges the thought and demonstrates that it’s false, you can use your action to check it, and for either of these, the IE reduces by 1 for 2d4 – (IE) (minimum 0) hours.

You have trouble organizing yourself, including your thoughts, your possessions, your emotions, your time, and your memory. You have trouble making decisions about what to do next to the point of being unable to act on a choice at all. You have a −(IE) penalty on all initiative rolls, and on an initiative roll of 1 or less (or a natural 1), you cannot use your action or bonus action for the first round due to indecision, but you can still use your reaction. In some cases, you may have trouble transitioning unexpectedly to a new task or changing plans. You have a −(IE) penalty on your passive Wisdom (Perception) to determine surprise, and if the plans for the day change, you must succeed on a DC 8 + (IE) Constitution saving throw or have disadvantage on all Wisdom and Charisma checks for (IE)d4 minutes while you mentally adapt to your new circumstances and plans. On any attempt to find something that you previously possessed, you have a −(IE) penalty on Wisdom (Perception) checks to find it. You have a −(IE) penalty on all reaction ability checks, saving throws, and attack rolls. Because you’re used to having to compensate for your decision-making, you have developed creativity and resilience, so once per day, when making a non-combat ability check, you can choose to do so with advantage. Multiple days in a row with high stress or demands can temporarily increase the IE. If you have multiple traits, you may choose Attention Difference, Amplified Emotion (Uncomfortable), Diminished Motivation, or Amnesia (Anterograde) as one or more of them.

Real-world Examples

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Dementia, Depression, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Schizophrenia, Autism

Assistive Options

Planning ahead helps organize thoughts, breaking down the upcoming days into manageable chunks of time. The party should do what they can to develop strategies for the future. Any situation that has been anticipated and planned accordingly reduces IE by 1 for that situation as you implement strategies to keep track of everything.

Magical Assistance

When the Haste spell is used on you, you can choose whether to gain the usual benefits or instead to reduce your IE by 2. The Foresight spell can also be used in this way with its longer duration, but casters may be unwilling to use a ninth-level spell slot for this purpose. A Handy Haversack can help you organize some possessions (if that’s where you put them).

You experience a lack of motivation to accomplish tasks that you need to do or usually enjoy doing. (Note: a task is a series of actions to accomplish a goal, not usually a single action.) This is not laziness — your subconscious is inhibiting your motivation. To begin a new task, you must succeed on a DC 8 + (IE) Wisdom check. You may reattempt a failed check every (IE)d4 minutes.

Real-world Examples

Depression, Schizophrenia

Assistive Options

A combination of factors can help. When you have at least three of the following, the IE reduces by 1:

• Allies who provide ongoing sincere encouragement throughout the day
• At least thirty minutes of exercise (as strenuous as walking) for five consecutive days
• Put your hands in soil, or eat a serving of non-alcoholic fermented food such as kombucha or yogurt
• Follow a daily routine
• Sleep for at least eight hours per night for five consecutive nights

Having multiple “disorders” can sometimes make it harder to cope with stressful situations. With OCD, anxiety, depression, and an immune disorder, sometimes it feels impossible to do normal things. But you just have to figure out a way to do it in your own way, get the tools you need, objects to focus on, an array of medications, and people you love that can help keep you grounded. That’s the real victory, living your own way the best you can.

-MicroBioDM

Display Emotion

function displaySymptom() { const symptoms = [ "Dread", "Guilt", "Hopelessness", "Irritability", "Loss of Interest", "Panic/Nervousness", "Restlessness", "Suspicion", "Worrying", "Worthlessness" ];

const randomSymptom = symptoms[Math.floor(Math.random() * symptoms.length)];

document.getElementById("symptom").innerHTML = randomSymptom; }

You feel 2d4 of these emotions without any necessary stimulus. In addition to the listed traits, any day that you experience these for more than four hours, you need to take a short rest or take one level of exhaustion due to the physical toll they take.

• Dread. You feel something looming, as if an unexpected event or entity will come to bring harm. Dread differs from worry in that it has an object, even if you don’t know what or who that object is. You have a −(IE) penalty to resist Charisma (Intimidation) checks and saving throws against the frightened condition.
• Guilt. You feel guilt, like you’ve done something wrong, even if you don’t know what it is, or excessive guilt over a minor offense. You have a −(IE) penalty on all Charisma (Persuasion) checks.
• Hopelessness. You have the overwhelming feeling that your circumstances will only get worse, either your immediate circumstances or your entire life or both (and which of those doesn’t matter). While experiencing this, you lose advantage on all ability checks.
• Loss of Interest. You don’t enjoy the activities that you used to and have trouble motivating yourself to do them. You have a −(IE) penalty on all proficiency bonuses (minimum 0 bonus).
• Panic/Nervousness. You have an overwhelming feeling of panic. All spell casting and ability checks require that you either succeed on a Constitution saving throw to maintain concentration or make the subsequent check with a −(IE) penalty, and tasks that normally require a Constitution saving throw are made with a −(IE) penalty.
• Restlessness. You feel agitated or panicked. Something is wrong, and maybe it’s related to a specific subject, or maybe not. Even if all evidence says things are fine, you have an unavoidable feeling to the contrary. This causes you to be hypervigilant, giving you a +(IE) bonus to all Wisdom (Perception) in contested Dexterity (Stealth) checks but a −(IE) penalty to notice harmless details.
• Suspicion. You worry about what people think of you and have trouble trusting people. You have a −(IE) penalty on all Wisdom (Insight) checks and a +(IE) bonus to resist being charmed.
• Worrying. You have an overwhelming fear of the future, both near and distant. You have a −(IE) penalty on saving throws against the frightened condition and a −(IE) penalty on Charisma (Persuasion) checks as your own doubt makes you less convincing to others.
• Worthlessness. You feel persistent self-doubt that your abilities or value as a person are inadequate. Trying to compare you to others only makes it worse. This makes you reluctant to take risks and causes you to second-guess your actions. This gives you a −(IE) penalty to initiative rolls.

Real-world Examples

Anxiety, Depression, Imposter Syndrome

Assistive Options

Several behavior changes can have a positive cumulative benefit. Upon keeping three of the following for seven days, the IE decreases by 1 as long as you maintain them: a set daily routine, set daily goals, exercise, eat a regular nutritious diet, get enough sleep on a regular schedule, and/or spend an hour each day doing something fun. If you change which you’re doing, at least three must stay the same, or you lose the benefit for seven days.

You are unable to experience pleasure from social interactions and relationships (50%) or tactile stimuli (50%).

Social. You have resistance to being charmed and a +(IE) bonus against other forms of enchantment magic but a −(IE) penalty on Charisma (Performance) checks.

Physical. You have resistance to effects that cause euphoria but a −(IE) penalty on Charisma (Performance) checks and cannot receive the benefit of Bardic Inspiration.

Real-world Examples

Depression, Schizophrenia, Parkinson’s Disease, Chronic Pain

Assistive Options

Assistance involves compassionate patience by trustworthy allies who acknowledge your experience.

You experience emotions strongly and deeply across the emotional spectrum. Because they come quickly, often without warning, you cannot prepare yourself for them and you react instinctively with little or no control.

Enjoyable Emotions. You experience 1d6 + 2 of the following in excess of typical experience: excitable, energetic, euphoric, needing less sleep, unusually talkative, racing thoughts, distractible, risk-seeking. During this time, you have a −(IE) penalty on Wisdom (Perception) checks and must succeed on a Constitution saving throw with a −(IE) penalty to maintain concentration on spells regardless of stimuli, but you need only half the necessary time for a short or long rest, and you gain + (IE) on initiative rolls.

Uncomfortable Emotions. If you are a barbarian, anytime you experience an upsetting situation, no matter how minor, you must succeed on a DC 10 + (IE) Wisdom saving throw or begin to Rage involuntarily, using up one of your daily Rages. If not a barbarian, when encountering a stressful situation, you must succeed on a DC 10 + (IE) Wisdom saving throw or become overwhelmed by fear or anger. Failure on the saving throw gives you a −(IE) penalty on all ability checks that round, and this continues each round until you succeed. You have a +(IE) bonus to Charisma (Intimidation) checks but a −(IE) penalty on Charisma (Persuasion) checks.

Real-world Examples

Depression, Anxiety, Reactive Attachment Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism, Bipolar Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, Complex Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Assistive Options

If an ally uses their action to help you calm down, you have advantage on the Wisdom saving throw to control your emotions.

Magical Assistance

The Calm Emotions spell can counteract this trait for the duration, but immediately after the spell ends, the target must succeed on the Wisdom saving throw as noted, even if the stressful stimulus is gone.

You gain weight unrelated to diet and exercise. After every adventure or major campaign arc, you must succeed on a DC 8 + (IE) Constitution saving throw. On failure, your weight has increased by IE × 2d6 percent. On success, your weight has decreased by IE × 1d4 percent. For every fifty percent increase, you have a −1 penalty on Dexterity (Acrobatics) and Strength (Athletics) checks. For every ten percent decrease, you experience Temperature Sensitivity for 3d20 days as your body acclimates itself and must succeed on a DC 8 + (IE) Constitution saving throw or experience Fatigue until you succeed on the saving throw, which you can attempt daily after a long rest. You have a +(IE) bonus to Strength (Athletics) checks for swimming.

Real-world Examples

Hypothyroidism, Depression, Insomnia, Menopause, Cushing’s Disease, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Congestive Heart Failure, Sleep Apnea, Edema, Diabetes, Down Syndrome

Assistive Options

Because this gain is unrelated to diet and exercise, little can be done besides acceptance.

You get annoyed or restless easily, more than is typical, with less provocation than expected for your emotional response. This can lead to difficulty in social settings and relationships. When this feeling surfaces, you must succeed on a DC 8 + (IE) Wisdom (Insight) check to realize that your feelings are an agitation flare-up. On failure, you can make another check every round. Until successful, you have a −(IE) penalty on all Charisma checks except Charisma (Intimidation), with which you have a +(IE) bonus. You also have a +(IE) bonus to saving throws against being charmed.

Real-world Examples

Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Hypothyroidism, Autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Assistive Options

Using a short rest for relaxation, breathing exercises, or meditation will stop the episode and prevent another one for at least 1d4 hours after unless faced with significant provocation that would agitate a typical person.

Magical Assistance

The Calm Emotions spell eliminates Agitation for the duration of the spell on a failed saving throw, but you have a +(IE) bonus to the saving throw.

You experience mental fatigue that affects your memory, ability to concentrate and think clearly, and focus. You have a −(IE) penalty on concentration saving throws, and when you need to make an Intelligence check to remember something, you have a −(IE) penalty on the check unless you take 1 + (IE) times as long to think about it.

Real-world Examples

Autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Chronic Stress, Sleep Disorders, Menopause, Anemia, Depression, Diabetes, Sjögren Syndrome, Migraine, Dementia, Hypothyroidism, Lupus, Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Dehydration, COVID-19

Assistive Options

Regular sleep and exercise and a balanced diet may help. A rest will relieve Brain Fog for 1d6 hours. Keeping a journal, calendar, task list, or other notes can compensate for memory challenges.