Wiki Tag: Trichophagia - Wyrmworks Publishing

If you or someone you care about struggles with addiction in real life, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357), (also known as the Treatment Referral Routing Service) or TTY: 1-800-487-4889 in the USA or Text HELP to 55753 or call the National Problem Gambling Helpline (800) 522-4700. If you are outside the USA, opencounseling.com offers hotlines in other countries.

Your mind or body craves a substance or behavior that causes a compulsive pursuit of its associated reward in spite of consequences. This desire causes anxiety that can be alleviated through certain substances, actions, or patterns, but these responses reinforce the anxiety overall and create a cumulative dependence on the behavior. Choose or roll on the following table, or choose a different stimulus. When you encounter the stimulus or an opportunity to follow your compulsion, you must succeed on a DC 8 + (IE) Wisdom saving throw or follow your compulsion, repeating the saving throw every (IE) minute(s) until successful.

Every time you follow the compulsion, you must make a DC 5 + (IE) Constitution saving throw. On failure, the IE increases by one.

If you have multiple traits, you may choose multiple Alleviation Behaviors, Intrusive Thoughts, Obsessive Thoughts, or Eating Disruption (Binge Eating) as one or more of them.

My life is endless order and constant second-guessing myself.

– Marya

d100	Stimulus
1–6	Aggression
7–10	Body-Focused Repetitive Behavior
11–18	Cleanliness
19–26	Exercising
27–31	Gambling
32–33	Harm
34–36	Hoarding
37–38	Hyperawareness
39	Kleptomania
40	Magic
41–44	Material Order
45–47	Moral Scrupulosity
48–51	Perfectionism
52	Pyromania
53–54	Real Event
55–57	Reassurance Seeking
58–61	Ritual Order
62–64	Sensory Stimulation
65	Shapeshifting
66–71	Shopping
72–73	Spiritual Obsession
74–90	Substance
91–00	Workaholism

Aggression. You react disproportionately aggressively to situations with little or no thought to consequences. Use the Alleviation Behavior mechanics above with stress as the stimulus and reacting violently as the behavior. If you are a barbarian, if you fail your Wisdom check, you begin to Rage involuntarily, using up one of your daily Rages. You have a +(IE) bonus to Charisma (Intimidation) checks but a −(IE) penalty on Charisma (Persuasion) checks. If you have multiple traits, you may choose Baseless Emotion (Irritability) as one of them.
Body-Focused Repetitive Behavior. You feel a need to pick at, pull, bite, and/or eat parts of your own body, including your skin, nails, nose, or hair. You must succeed on a DC 8 + (IE) Wisdom check to resist this behavior. Depending on the specific behavior, if it affects your appearance due to visible effects, especially to your hair or face, when people who don't know you see you, they usually only see your hair or face. This gives you +(IE) to Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks but −(IE) (up to −4) to disguise checks or Dexterity (Stealth) checks to blend into a crowd as well as a −(IE) penalty on Charisma (Persuasion) checks due to many people’s discomfort around those with unexpected appearances. If you have behaviors that damage your skin, you must succeed on a DC 5 + (IE) Constitution saving throw every day of occurrence or develop Infection. (Note: This is not the same as self-harm. BFRB focuses on the behavior, and the harm it may cause is a consequence of the behavior. It is a form of grooming that continues to the point of harm. Self-harm (non-suicidal self-injury) specifically intends to cause harm to the body.)
Cleanliness. You experience discomfort due to exposure or perceived exposure to unhealthy substances, including dirt, toxic substances, body fluids, and sick people. When you believe you have encountered these contaminants, you must succeed on a DC 8 + (IE) Wisdom saving throw or experience a −(IE) penalty on all ability checks until the stimulus is removed, and you use (IE) actions to wash the affected area or, in the case of an airborne contaminant, washing all exposed skin.
Exercising. You have an obsession with physical fitness and exercise to the point of physical harm. Whenever stopping for a rest, you feel compelled to exercise instead of resting and must succeed in a DC 8 + (IE) Wisdom check to avoid doing so. You have a +1 to all Strength ability checks, but a −(IE) penalty on all Constitution saving throws due to your approach to exercise. If you have multiple traits, you may choose any Eating Disruption as one of them.
Gambling. You have an obsession with games of chance with financial or other stakes to the point of compromising your own wellbeing or relationships. When you don’t have access to a casino or other organized game, you will attempt to make bets with those around you based on your environment or circumstances, regardless of what resources you can afford to lose or the odds against you. If you have multiple traits, you may choose Attention Difference, Baseless Emotion, Amplified Emotion, or Emotion Fluctuation as one or more of them.
Harm. You have unwanted thoughts about harming others and fear that you will follow through on them or already have, so you take measures to avoid the behaviors you fear. The stimulus for this Obsessive Thought can be any stressful situation or no stimulus but the thoughts themselves, determined by the trait’s Frequency. If you fail your Wisdom check, your actions may include hiding or discarding weapons and other dangerous objects, avoiding stories of violent adventures, researching violent criminals to avoid becoming like them, frequently questioning yourself and others about your nature, retracing your steps to make sure you haven’t harmed someone unknowingly, or acting as meek as possible to avoid confrontation.
Hoarding. You feel a deep need to collect or keep certain items that others would consider useless or excessive for fear of harm to yourself or someone else if you don’t. You notice details and over value items intrinsically that others consider disposable. When you buy equipment, you must succeed on a DC 8 + (IE) Wisdom saving throw or purchase 1d4 extra, and when you use a consumable item with a container or acquire an item to replace something you already own, you must succeed on a DC 8 + (IE) Wisdom saving throw or feel compelled to retain the container or previous item indefinitely. Note that the item need not be carried on your person if you have a storage location that you consider safe.
Hyperawareness. You have a constant awareness and thoughts about a part or function of your body such as a mole, how your clothes feel, blinking, or swallowing. This can lead to compulsive behaviors to avoid the thoughts, such as self-checking on the feeling, trying to distract yourself with other thoughts, or reassurance-seeking. You have a −(IE) penalty on Constitution saving throws to maintain concentration and your passive Wisdom (Perception) due to this distracted focus.
Kleptomania. You feel the recurrent urge to steal things you don’t need or that have little value. The urge focuses on the act itself, not keeping the item stolen. You have a −(IE) penalty on Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks due to the obsessive nature of your stealing. If you have multiple traits, you may choose a Personality Difference, Baseless Emotion, Amplified Emotion, or Emotion Fluctuation as one or more of them.
Magic. You feel the need to cast spells or use other magic to perform tasks that would not require it, using up spell slots, item charges, and consumable magic items as a first choice given any task. This may lead you to prepare spells that you’re sure to be able to use even when other spells, though more useful, are slightly less likely to be needed. You also make choices that prioritize magic as an end instead of a means to an end, like spending money on new spells or scrolls whenever you get the chance, regardless of whether you can afford it.
Material Order. You feel a need to keep the objects in your environment organized in a specific pattern, grouped by category, or arranged symmetrically, and worry about negative consequences if they’re not. When encountering disordered objects (GM and player should discuss applicable stimuli), you must succeed on a DC 8 + (IE) Wisdom saving throw or experience a −(IE) penalty on all ability checks until the stimulus is removed or you use an action to arrange the disordered objects. You have a +(IE) bonus to all Wisdom (Perception) related to noticing pattern irregularities.
Moral Scrupulosity. You have obsessive thoughts about living up to a personal or religious moral standard and worry about how the slightest failure or immoral thought reflects on you. This leads to excessive praying, confessing, Reassurance Seeking, repetitive religious rituals, excessive altruism, inability to act due to struggling over the most ethical choice, and avoiding situations that you believe to be sources of temptation. You have a +(IE) bonus to Intelligence (Religion) checks specifically related to moral standards and rituals but a −(IE) penalty on initiative rolls due to indecision.
Perfectionism. You feel the need for certain experiences, environmental features, or actions to be just right. This can manifest in your grooming, clothing, writing, rituals, responses to décor, or other stimuli. If you fail your Wisdom check, you must repeat your actions or adjust your environment to achieve symmetry, repeating the Wisdom check after each attempt until you succeed on the check. You have a +(IE) bonus to passive Wisdom (Perception) to notice pattern or other detail irregularities, but when you notice, it triggers the compulsive action and required Wisdom check.
Pyromania. You have a fascination with setting or seeing fires to the point of being harmful. This compulsion happens every 1d100 ÷ (IE) days before experiencing withdrawal traits. When preparing spells, you must succeed on a DC 10 + (IE) Wisdom saving throw or choose fire-based spells over potentially more useful ones. If you have multiple traits, you may choose Baseless Emotion, Amplified Emotion, or Emotion Fluctuation as one or more of them.
Reassurance Seeking. Caused by any number of fears, Phobias, or Obsessive Thoughts, you need constant reassurance of a particular fear or group of fears, which leads to compulsive checking, either to reassure yourself or to ask others repeatedly for reassurance. You have a −(IE) penalty on saving throws against being charmed, but because you’re so meticulous, you have a +(IE) bonus to Intelligence (Investigation) checks, although any check takes (IE) times as long due to repeated attempts to verify.
Ritual Order. You feel a need to keep your actions organized in a specific pattern, ritual, or arranged symmetry and worry about negative consequences if they’re not. When beginning an action with specific steps, you must succeed on a DC 8 + (IE) Wisdom saving throw or experience a −(IE) penalty on all ability checks until you use a bonus action to finish the ritual. Spells with somatic components may need to be modified to work within your comfort range, requiring a day for every hour normally needed to inscribe into your spellbook and double the cost due to experimentation materials. Spells not reformulated accordingly require the above Wisdom check when performed.
Sensory Stimulation. You feel compelled to experience a category of stimuli such as visual, musical, or tactile. The player and GM should work together to determine the type of sensory input and how you typically express the compulsion and what its typical negative effects are.
Shapeshifting. You feel compelled to magically change your shape by whatever means you can find, whether by using magic on yourself or having someone do so for you. When preparing spells, you must succeed on a DC 10 + (IE) Wisdom saving throw or choose spells that alter your shape or appearances over potentially more useful ones. If you have multiple traits, you may choose Baseless Emotion, Amplified Emotion, Emotion Fluctuation, or Personality Difference (Loss of Self) as one or more of them.
Shopping. You feel compelled to spend money, whether or not you can afford it. You obsessively think about what your next purchase will be and use shopping to manage uncomfortable emotions. When haggling over a price, you have a −(IE) penalty on Charisma (Persuasion) checks due to your obsession with acquiring the item.
Spiritual Obsession. You have an obsession with religion beyond usual expectations. You become focused on fulfilling rules and worship to the detriment of your responsibilities, financial well-being, and relationships, needing religious experiences or rituals for emotional stability. If you have multiple traits, you may choose Baseless Emotion, Amplified Emotion, or Emotion Fluctuation as one or more of them.
Substance. You use a medicinal substance or alcohol outside of its recommended use or quantity. When you use the substance, if you continue to fail your Wisdom saving throw, you become Intoxicated until being incapacitated or according to the effects of the substance. If you go without the stimulus for 1d6 − (IE) days, you experience the following, adding one per 1d4 days in order up to (IE) withdrawal experiences: Baseless Emotion (Irritability), Hand Tremor, Vertigo, Hallucinations unless you succeed each day on a DC 10 + (IE) Constitution saving throw for (IE)d4 days. Once the withdrawal period ends, you are “recovering.”
Workaholism. You have an obsession with your work, focusing on it at the expense of other responsibilities and relationships. While player characters spend a lot of time focused on their class, a workaholic specifically focuses on the abilities and features associated with their class at the expense of other responsibilities. You have a +1 bonus to checks on skills for which your class gives you a bonus but a −(IE) penalty on all other ability checks.

Real-world Examples

Addiction, Intermittent Explosive Disorder, Autism, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Trichotillomania, Dermatillomania, Onychophagia, Trichotemnomania, Dermatophagia, Rhinotillexomania, Trichophagia, Onychotillomania (Note that, while we grouped addictions and compulsions, which often co-occur, compulsions seek specific rituals to cope with reality, while addictions seek an escape from reality.)

Assistive Options

Many of these stimuli could lead to either addictions or compulsions, depending on the subconscious mental process motivating it, and the assistance varies. We provide the information below as suggestions for those who wish to explore a recovery narrative, but as with all suggestions, this is not real-world medical advice, and any of these real-world experiences should be managed through a recovery program or licensed professional.

Addiction

The most important assistance with addiction is support from people who care about you who are willing to lovingly confront you and encourage you to replace the addiction with non-destructive behavior. If such people are with you and use their action to help you, you receive a +1 bonus per assisting person (up to +5) to your rolls to resist, including the Wisdom check to recognize and acknowledge the addiction.

Before you can begin recovering, you must first recognize the problems caused by the addiction. Every time you experience a negative consequence of an addictive behavior, you must succeed on a DC 15 + (IE) Wisdom check to recognize and acknowledge the addiction. The addiction is never cured, but when you encounter the stimulus, you must succeed on a DC 5 Constitution ability check to avoid following the compulsion.

Compulsion

For compulsive behavior, with professional assistance, gradual increased exposure and proximity to the compulsive stimulus can help reduce the compulsive reaction over time. The assisting cleric, druid, or physician must succeed on a DC 8 + (IE) Wisdom (Medicine) check to offer proper assistance. If the assistant fails this check or it’s made without an assistant, you make your Wisdom checks with disadvantage. You (the character) will not know that the assistance succeeded, but if they fail, you may notice over time that it’s not helping and seek a different assistant.

When attempting to reduce your compulsive reaction, begin with a representation such as a painting or imagining the stimulus and work up from there to maximum exposure with the real version. The player and GM should develop a strategy of eight to ten steps and may attempt this once per day. For the first step, you must succeed on a DC 8 + (IE) Wisdom check for three consecutive attempts. The days need not be consecutive. Once accomplishing that step, the DC increases by 1 and requires three consecutive successful attempts, repeating the process until every step is successfully completed. If you have a traumatic experience, you must succeed on an additional Wisdom saving throw equal to your current step roll or lose one step, even if you’ve completed all steps.