The ‘ Only the Insane Shall Prosper ’ sidebar on page 289 states, "If the tens digit of a PC’s Insanity points total is double (or more) a creature’s Fear level, the character is unaffected by that source of Fear….” Since Fear (4) is the highest level, once a PC’s Insanity is 80+ it would seem a PC will never make another Fear Test - was that really the intention? On the one hand, 80+ Insanity Points is a lot and I like the idea of becoming slowly inured to the horrors - but becoming immune is really drastic - outright immunity is typically not as fun, IMO. (Btw, I'm aware this rule existed in 1e, but the question still remains.)

Page 286 makes reference to Insanity scores reaching 100, so it would seem to be expected that PCs could reach 100. How is that possible if an Acolyte is immune to all Fear Tests? This aforementioned sidebar does make the specification of “creature’s” Fear level - possibly meaning that this sidebar doesn't apply to non-creature Fear Tests...but that would seem to be an unintended loophole.

I know there are ways for PCs to gain Insanity besides Fear Tests, but I'm not sure there's many. The Inquisitor's Handbook Cybernetic Resurrection (p87) called for PCs gaining Insanity Points. A few other Elite Advances in that same book caused Insanity Point gain - but that's not during "active play", if you will. That's all 1e, it should be noted - none of that exists so far for 2e.

Perhaps instead of the PCs consulting tomes with warpish patterns and making Fear Tests that then result in possible Insanity gains - after a PC has 80+ Insanity they no longer make Fear Tests and therefore no longer make rolls on the Shock Table - but still gain a set # of Insanity Points? However, that would seem to run counter to the sidebar's central thrust that the PC is inured to that horror.

So, the question becomes - how may a PC gain Insanity points after they have 80+ Insanity Points?

There are certain things that give insanity without a test, mostly chaotic items. It's a small amount of course, but that's how.

At 80+ they should be gibbering messes anyways with more than a few madnesses.

Thats kinda the point, at 80+ your mind is so broken its like a shattered cup, there is not much left you can do to it.

If one gets to 80 insanity and somehow manages to remain playable, I'd say they deserve their fear immunity.

It is only meant to apply to Fear rating of the creatures. You can still ask for Fear Tests for non creature related things... though by this point it would have to be really shocking to in any way further disturb the nutjob with 80+ insanity.

Seeing daemonic energies, hearing the terrible truths of the warp... all are things that can still give insanity points to jaded/fearless players, which are things that an acolyte commonly meet.

Tongue-kissing the Slaught.

I have to agree with the sentiment here. If you're at 80 insanity and still playable, then you've earned that immunity to Fear (4).

BYE

I don't like that you get insanity points only when you fail fear test by 3 DoS or more. I think that I'll stick to the old table, when you always got insanity point or two on a failure. I tested this new system in Only War campaign, and after few thousand xp, the players had maybe 15 insanity tops. In the good ol' DH1, you started with that amount!

Makes the game more grimdark, and less hero-hammer, considering that a stupid mutant with cleaver has 60 WS and 50 Ag, the ammount you get after several thousand xp, if you only invested in stats. That game is designed with characters that have 25+2d10 starting stats. Even the sample character has that much.

No, I kid, but the truth is, that by the end of Haarlock Legacy (begining of Dead Stars), my players had something like 40-60 insanity and some had the same ammount of corruption (like pact bound Malefic Scholar). I don't see that happening in the DH2.

I have to agree with the sentiment here. If you're at 80 insanity and still playable, then you've earned that immunity to Fear (4).

BYE

The only change I'd like to add is that I see no reason why Fear would be capped at Fear (4). Now, I'm fine with greater daemons on average having Fear (4) or something, but mechanically, a Fear (4) cap never made sense to me, it seems so arbitrary, especially considering that later rulesets than DH1 sometimes added fear modifiers together (very common in BC).

I suspect that it is to make sure that even a starting character should have a slim chance to resist Fear, but that that got lost in post-DH1 books because of the ever-increasing power creep so prevalent in the medium.

I don't like that you get insanity points only when you fail fear test by 3 DoS or more. I think that I'll stick to the old table, when you always got insanity point or two on a failure. I tested this new system in Only War campaign, and after few thousand xp, the players had maybe 15 insanity tops. In the good ol' DH1, you started with that amount!

Makes the game more grimdark, and less hero-hammer, considering that a stupid mutant with cleaver has 60 WS and 50 Ag, the ammount you get after several thousand xp, if you only invested in stats. That game is designed with characters that have 25+2d10 starting stats. Even the sample character has that much.

No, I kid, but the truth is, that by the end of Haarlock Legacy (begining of Dead Stars), my players had something like 40-60 insanity and some had the same ammount of corruption (like pact bound Malefic Scholar). I don't see that happening in the DH2.

So absolutely, getting Insanity should be easier than 3 DoF or more.