The zealot wants to start with an insanity. Granted, he doesn't know the insanity rules yet, but a player starting with a permanent insanity sounds a bit harsh.

Alternatively, making him work to get a temporarily insanity seems lame just so he can get his single benefit. If he sockets a temporary insanity, does he have to recover it at the end of the encounter or can he post-pone it?

No one has an opinion/idea on this?

Any other GMs out there with players in the career of Zealot?

If I was GM'ing and someone wanted to play a Zealot I'd tell them that they start with a permanent insanity - I'd be fairly lenient on which one they choose but they got to have one.

It may sound harsh to start with a permanent insanity but it fits the career and given that it's a very direct path to the Witch Hunter career I think it's fine.

Per the FAQ, a Zealot can spend creation points or advances acquiring an Insanity of his choice, treating like a Talent card. It's the player's option whether or not to do so.

If I understand your last sentence correctly, I believe that once an encounter is over and you are back in story mode, all recharge counters from cards are removed. In the case of a socketed Insanity, that would mean that the Zealot goes back to suffering from the effects of the Insanity since it is no longer exhausted. If you are going from one Act to another, with a Rally Step in between, only a single recharge counter would be removed, so if the Insanity card had any left on it when the next Act started, he would not be suffering from the Insanity and would continue to derive the career benefit instead.

Hi there...

I'm a GM and a player of mine has chosen to be a Zealot!

Both of us love the idea of an insanity with the starting character...it's (to me) very much in the style of WFRP. In my opinion, insanities, critical wounds, etc...are fun weaknesses for a character. This game has always, in every version, added flavor to the game experience and world with these types of effects.

Now, the Zealot can be seen as having a weakness in game terms but I believe it adds to the roleplay experience. But it does have benefits to game mechanics as well:

Our Zealot has chosen these actions/talents to utilize his "handicap"

1) The Zealot career ability has : "once per session exhaust your insanity to add fortune dice to any check equal to the severity of insanity"

2) Action: "Judgement of Vengeance" can only be used if you are suffering an insanity. "Add damage equal to the severity of the insanity" and possibly recover fatigue

I'm sure they'll be adding more options as supplements come out.

My over all feeling is this, and this is just my opinion and the way I play and run games:

Too often players get caught up in the "how can I make my character the toughest, most powerful, etc..." and overlook weaknesses. To me its the flaws of a character that make them interesting...how they overcome them and deal with them add plenty of grist to the drama mill.

Embrace them...and have a whole lot of fun