Game in the Brain

Urge and Hubris should be THEMATICALLY DIFFERENT!!! How you GAIN or LOSE Urge should be different from Hubris. And they really should reflect the key concepts they embody. For Urge is the lack of Control and for Hubris -the narcissism of being touched by the divine.

Revised Mechanics for Gaining and Losing Urge: A Sanity-Based Approach

To align with the “losing control and grasp of reality” theme, Urge should represent the psychic’s struggle with mental trauma, unresolved issues, and the gradual erosion of their ability to differentiate between reality and their own fractured psyche. Instead of treating Urge like a punishment for external taboos (similar to sins in Hubris), it should be tied to internal struggles and personal failings, representing a more character-driven mechanic.

---

Gaining Urge: Mental Trauma and Toxicity

Psychics gain Urge when they experience events that cause emotional distress, unresolved trauma, or push them further into denial or self-deception. These triggers represent a psychic’s inability to process their emotions, leading to a slow spiral into instability.

Revised Table: Causes of Mental Trauma and Gaining Urge

Cause	Repress Roll	Ranks Gained	Example
Witnessing or causing the death of a loved one	Focus + Empathy	1–3	A psychic accidentally kills someone during a mission, or watches a close ally die due to their actions.
Betraying someone who trusted them	Focus + Wits	1–2	Manipulating an ally for personal gain or failing to warn them of a danger that could save their life.
Reliving a traumatic memory	Focus + Intuition	1	Encountering someone or something that reminds them of unresolved past trauma.
Being forced into a morally conflicting action	Focus + Will	1–2	A psychic is ordered to kill an innocent, or must break their own ethical code to survive.
Experiencing intense guilt	Focus + Presence	1	Failing to prevent a disaster or harm, or realizing their actions caused unintended suffering.
Breaking a deeply held personal code	Focus + Faith	1–2	Violating their own principles, such as betraying their culture, family, or honor.
Isolation from support systems	Focus + Presence	1	Being abandoned or feeling emotionally cut off from friends, family, or mentors.
Failing to protect others from harm	Focus + Faith	1–2	A psychic fails to shield innocents from a catastrophe, leading to deep guilt and self-loathing.
Experiencing hallucinations or delusions	Focus + Intuition	1–3	The psychic begins losing their grasp on reality, struggling to discern what is real.
Being gaslit or betrayed by a trusted ally	Focus + Empathy	1–2	A friend or mentor manipulates them, leading to feelings of betrayal and confusion.

Additional Notes:

• The Repress Roll uses traits tied to emotional resilience and self-awareness.
• Ranks Gained depend on the severity of the event and are determined by the GM.

---

Losing Urge: Recovery and Healing

Recovering from Urge focuses on resolving trauma, finding closure, and rebuilding trust in oneself and others. The psychic must confront their internal struggles and gain new perspectives to let go of their Dark Twin’s influence.

Revised Table: Healing and Resolving Trauma

Action	Reconcile Roll	Ranks Lost	Example
Confronting a past failure	Focus + Faith	1–2	Seeking forgiveness from someone they wronged, or openly admitting their mistakes.
Gaining closure on a traumatic event	Empathy + Presence	1–3	Reconnecting with a family member, friend, or ally tied to their trauma.
Forgiving oneself	Focus + Intuition	1–2	Accepting that they cannot control everything and letting go of guilt or shame.
Seeking therapy or spiritual guidance	Empathy + Faith	1–2	Working with a mentor, counselor, or religious figure to understand their feelings.
Helping others heal	Charm + Empathy	1	Supporting someone else through their struggles, offering kindness and understanding.
Experiencing a moment of clarity or revelation	Focus + Intuition	1	Understanding a larger truth that puts their struggles into perspective, like realizing their own value.
Rebuilding a broken relationship	Empathy + Presence	1–3	Repairing ties with someone they hurt, or working to mend a fractured trust.
Accepting and embracing their flaws	Focus + Wits	1	Acknowledging their Dark Twin’s existence and learning to live with it instead of fighting it blindly.
Sacrificing for others selflessly	Focus + Empathy	1–2	Taking a great risk or enduring hardship to save or support someone else.

Additional Notes:

• The Reconcile Roll ties to traits emphasizing empathy, faith, and personal growth.
• Success depends on the narrative weight of the deed and is determined by the GM.

---

Narrative Adjustments

The revised mechanics tie Urge directly to the psychic’s emotional journey and inner conflict, making it feel less like a “punishment for existing” and more like a consequence of failing to process and resolve their struggles. This also allows for more meaningful roleplaying opportunities, as characters must face their personal flaws, make amends, and seek closure in a variety of ways.

---

Examples of Mental Trauma and Recovery

Examples of Gaining Urge (Trauma)

1. Death of a Friend: A psychic fails to save their closest ally during a mission, leading to feelings of guilt and self-blame.
2. Forced Betrayal: The psychic is manipulated into selling out their mentor, shattering their trust in themselves.
3. Hallucinations: Stress causes the psychic to start hearing voices, questioning their sanity and decisions.
4. Ethical Dilemma: A choice between saving civilians or completing a mission results in innocent lives lost, haunting the psychic.
5. Isolation: Trapped in a distant outpost with no contact, the psychic starts to feel disconnected from reality.

Examples of Losing Urge (Healing)

1. Making Amends: A psychic apologizes to the family of someone they unintentionally harmed, seeking forgiveness.
2. Spiritual Renewal: The psychic undertakes a pilgrimage to reconnect with their faith and sense of purpose.
3. Mentorship: Helping a young apprentice avoid the same mistakes the psychic made brings a sense of closure.
4. Facing the Past: Revisiting the site of a traumatic memory and finding peace in the present moment.
5. Reconciliation: Repairing a relationship with someone they wronged, demonstrating growth and maturity.

---

By reframing Urge as a representation of trauma and inner conflict rather than societal taboo, it shifts the mechanic toward personal storytelling and meaningful growth, making it a deeper and more engaging part of gameplay.