Apathy on the Planes

Apathy runs rampant through the ranks of the Dustmen in like fashion of Madness to the Bleakers. In game terms, the rules for Apathy are essentially the same as for Madness. The effects of Apathy, however, are quite different. Though Apathy is more common amongst Dustmen, it can affect anyone. The effects of Apathy, unlike Madness, take time to manifest as well as accrue to visible levels.

The reasoning behind this sporadic gain is due in no small part to the grandeur of the planes. It’s hard to become so apathetic when exposed to new wonders at nearly every turn. For this reason, Apathy is hard to gain in the same way Madness can grip a character. In truth, a character is more likely to go mad than to grow apathetic.

Apathy slowly works on a character. While its manifestation affects people in various ways, apathy is an affliction that few recognize upon first glance. The jaded attitude of many planars, most notably suffered by citizens of gate towns and Sigil (amongst other major planar metropolitan cities throughout the multiverse), allows for Apathy victims to go unnoticed for quite some time. If you still cared, it would be one of the most horrifying ways to fade out of the multiverse.

As stated before, the same rules apply for developing Apathy ratings as they do for Madness in terms of how many points may be gained from a failed Will save. What isn’t as clear is when such a Will save is called for. Many situations will, by necessity, be arbitrary at best. However, there are some guidelines you can use in order to make an appropriate Apathy check. For the most part, Apathy stems from something taken to excess. The uncaring response is a defense mechanism of sorts to hide the character’s true emotional connection which otherwise would be painful.

Thus, the following list is meant to show a few generalized examples of when an Apathy check is necessary. As this is such an abstract system, you should feel free to apply a modifier for the condition. Use the Madness Save Modifiers table for conditions and modifiers that best fit the situation.

Example situations

• Character suffers humiliating defeat

• Character’s beliefs are mocked by a large group

• Death of an ally or family member

• Death of idolized person

• Character has plans thwarted

• Character is unable to spend time taking care of basic needs due to continuous adventuring

Check for Apathy: When a triggering condition occurs, the character makes a check for apathy. This is a Will saving throw against a DC equal to his Apathy rating. If the save succeeds, the character suffers no ill effects. If the save fails, roll 1d20, subtract the result from the character’s Apathy rating and consult the table below. The result indicates with symptom of apathy the character suffers at this time. A symptom of apathy remains with the character for the duration given on the table.

Madness Rating

-1d20 Symptoms Duration

05 or lower Bored 2d6 minutes

06-15 Aloof 2d6 hours

16-25 Removed 2d6 rounds

26-35 Unemotional 2d6 hours

36-45 Detached 2d6 rounds

46-55 Disenfranchised See text

56+ Disconnected See text

Explanation of Symptoms: If the character fails his check for apathy, he behaves in an erratic manner. The symptoms are described below in general terms; the exact manifestation is up to the DM.

Bored: The character is easily bored and distracted by anything other than what he’s working on.

Aloof: The character avoids the truth of the situation by becoming aloof. During this time, it is difficult for the character to acknowledge what’s going on and where he happens to be.

Removed: The character is convinced that he shouldn’t be involved with those connected to the situation. If he cannot flee, he attacks desperate to be anywhere else.

Unemotional: The character becomes unwilling to interact with the world emotionally. He may do things against his alignment in order to keep emotional stimuli as distant as possible.

Detached: The character functions without thought or care. He lashes out at the nearest available target if in combat, or goes on a violent rampage in other situations. Thereafter, he reacts erratically to events that would make others irritated, frightened, or otherwise stressed.

Disenfranchisement: When Apathy has progressed this far, the character falls prey to disenfranchisement (Will save DC 20). The character, no matter how resolutely adherent to his philosophy, becomes unable to act upon his philosophy.

Disconnected: The character’s personality has been lost entirely to Apathy. A player character becomes an NPC and most likely going to die within a week from starvation as the character has lost the will to function in any capacity.

Special Apathy Events

Apathy can be gained through deliberate attacks on a character’s mind. The same methods described for Madness work for Apathy as well. The Difficulty Classes to avoid such attempts, however, are lowered by 2.

Why: I wanted the Dusties to be eerily dispassionate in a way that could make them fascinating and dry at once.

Pro: It really makes the jaded attitude stand out. In the process, it shows that you can be too jaded.

Con: Similar minor bookkeeping issues as with the Madness rules.