Looking at the quotes from Styx and the Sanctifiers article has me thinking: If a person loses all memories, wouldn't that mean he/she cannot speak? A person would lose their school lessons as well as their classes and whatnot...how does a DM cope with this conundrum?
Styxian Corollary (Grammar school?)
Sat, 2007-07-21 00:21
#1
Styxian Corollary (Grammar school?)
Sat, 2007-07-21 02:15
#3
Styxian Corollary (Grammar school?)
Well, from what I've heard, a lot of amnesiacs (like the ones you always see on TV) only lose memories of certain skills, or may lose their memories of events without losing their skills, so it is perfectly reasonable that a magically targeted form of amnesia would remove your memory of events but keep your skills intact. People who do forget learned skills through amnesia also tend to relearn them much more quickly than they did the first time. Here's Wikipedia's entry on Retrograde Amnesia if you want some background.
Sat, 2007-07-21 08:28
#4
Styxian Corollary (Grammar school?)
Interesting question. Looking at Duckluck's post and accompanying link, the 'retrograde amnesia' option is the one that seems to feature most in myth and legend - including The Amnesiac Hero from Pages of Pain - even lacking their memories, heroes still enjoy heroic stature. This is probably the best option for mid-campaign encounters with the Styx - the effect of a quick splash rather than a full dunk.
As it stands the Styx is actually based on the Lethe from Greek myth, and its power was complete memory loss. Since I've got Wikipedia open:
Some ancient Greeks believed that souls were made to drink from the river before being reincarnated, so they would not remember their past lives.
As mentioned in the article's feedback, this option is probably best saved for the start of a campaign (or a major encounter), as its essentially an "instant kill" effect. A great excuse for a variety of odd races to be together, no so great if its your beloved 15th level mage falling in... although it's a good opportunity to take the characer in a different direction.
Looking at the quote above, maybe drinking from the Styx is the key to total irrevocable memory loss? More minor exposure (briefly falling in) might well have lesser effects like retrograde amnesia. Casual splashing might produce even lesser effects, but its a delicate matter of balance to keep the Sty as dangerous but still a playable area.
Mechanically speaking, level drain is probably the easiest way to simulate memory loss - literally losing part of yourself, whether that's just a bit or everything. Whether the DM artificially accellerates a victim's XP total afterwards as they remember their levels is up to them.
Can't remember if any official PS material has dealt with Styx exposure - Hellbound features a brief trip with a Styx Oarsman, but I can't recall the details.
Sat, 2007-07-21 09:27
#5
Styxian Corollary (Grammar school?)
Thanks all! I guess my main concern centers around the PW encyclopedia entry which states:
The worst thing about the Styx is its amnesiac properties. Even touching the water in most planes is enough to make you forget your entire life.
Entire makes me think of basic education and childhood development as much as midlife adventuring and experiences. O'course, each DM is different, so alternate takes on that meaning will exist.
Plus, sometimes ya got to keep your players from going postal on you for nixing their characters' minds. 
Wed, 2007-07-25 09:03
#6
re
Can't remember if any official PS material has dealt with Styx exposure
Planescape: Torment involves a side quest in which the Nameless One is asked to fetch a bit of the Styx so an old man - whom had experienced everything - could drink of it and begin anew. In that game the man had some memory of who he was (if I recall) and could recognize his own hand writing enough to realize a note, left to himself instructing he pay the pc, was valid.
I would suggest that it really is dependant on three factors: 1) The type of exposure (touch, ingestion) 2) the ammount/duration of exposure and 3) What works best for the story. Naturally, the last consideration is most important - because things vary so widely on the planes you needn't worry over much about consistancy, there are any number of reasons why a different level of exposure might effect people differently at different times.
In my games I have a business which offers to remove unpleasant memories from willing berks by careful application of Styx wash ... of course, they require the individual sign a waver prior to the process; just in case.
Wed, 2007-08-01 03:17
#7
Styxian Corollary (Grammar school?)
Can't remember if any official PS material has dealt with Styx exposure
The Styx plays a pretty important part in "Squaring the Circle". It gives a fairly good bit of information of what happens if the party don't let go of the Maldeur in time.
very carefully I suppose. There are examples of real world amnesiacs who have experienced this situation... they range from having to relearn *everything* to simply knowing how to do something once exposed to it - and not necessarily knowing where from or having the dis-cognizance of not knowing.
The brain is a very very flexible sort of organ, capable of wiring itself around things that don't 'fit' - or when mis-wired, producing phantom sensations, objects, images and the like...
So... I guess what I'm getting at is a GM could handle it however he thinks would be most interesting and intriguing for the player.
Tailor it to the game.