Fear

Fear is a feeling induced by perceived danger or threat, causes a change in metabolic and organ functions, and ultimately a change in behavior. Fear may occur in response to a specific stimulus occurring in the present, or in anticipation or expectation of a future threat perceived as a risk to body or life. When the body reacts to fear, there are one of three major response categories: Fight, Flight, and Freeze. Accordingly, there are three different fear response scales. The GM will decide the appropriate one to use. Often disadvantages will determine this. In all case, the character will roll a Fear Check with their Will. Penalties may be given because of phobias, current situational characteristics, or perceived ability to respond to the threat successfully. The Required Success Table shows the number of success. If the individual is trained in handling these situations then subtract 4 bonus dice from the required amount.

Levels of Fear

(from https://www.themichaelteaching.com/the-7-levels-of-fear/) Long ago Michael postulated 7 Levels of Fear. The Consortium has expanded this array to explain their implications. Fear seldom is visually detectable as trembling or cowering. Fear acts like a drop of food coloring entering clear water. In a very short time, it diffuses throughout every aspect of the person’s life, and a subtle but detectable haze hangs in the person’s energy field. Subsequently their moods reflect it in degrees of anxiety, rage, or depression.

Magically, it takes 20 power to increase 1 level of fear. This is always a resisted Mana test.

1. Apprehension/Discomfort/Covert Hostility/Resentment -- Average level of ambient vigilance which maintains social interactions and creates performance stress.
2. Denial/Ignorance/Rationalization/Pretense -- Increase in agitation and actively seeks to mask the effects, often from a survival fear of appearing weak.
3. Fright/Reaction/Violence/Threat -- Nor-epinephrine is generated and you begin to produce adrenaline which motivates you into the flight or fight reactions
4. Retreat/Worry/Despair/Dread -- Feeling of dread, exhaustion, or desperation
5. Terror/Paranoia/Panic -- Uncontrolled frenzy. Fueled by terror and panic rational thinking is crowded out
6. Numbness/Trauma/Madness --
7. Apathy/Resignation/Collapse

As fear deepens, it affects the quality of the entire life. The object(s) of fixation, where fear is either projected onto or is detected from, may be localized to a particular person, issue, or situation. Yet, it can be impersonal and diffused in the atmosphere of Souls; with some fanning the flames into hysteria. But as long as a person refuses to engage their own fears with compassion, courage and truth they will hold that energy in their physical body, as well as their unseen subtle bodies. The result is a state of dis-ease: physical, mental, or spiritual.

Required Successes

Ss	Description
1	Eerie surroundings, Implied threats, public speaking, Heights of less than 10 meters
2	Snakes, Spiders, mice, or other animals; People in scary surroundings; Heights greater than 10 meters
3	Direct threats of nearly guaranteed pain (but not death) even if possibly avoidable
4	Direct threats of guaranteed pain and possibly death, even if possibly avoidable
5	Direct threats of guaranteed extreme pain and possibly death, even if possibly avoidable
6	Direct threats of likely death, but a clean quick death
7	Almost certain death, but a clean quick death
8	Direct threats of likely death, but a painful death
9	Almost certain death, but a painful death
10	Almost certainly a slow, painful death

Fight Responses

Missed Ss	Response	Effects
1	Verbal threats and warnings	-1 to all skills
2	Physical posturing and verbal threats	-2 to all skills; -1 to all Attributes
3	Physical attacking to hurt or fear, not necessarily to kill	-3 to all skills; -1 to all Attributes
4	Physical attacking to incapacitate or inflict pain	-4 to all skills; -2 to all Attributes
5	Physical attacking to cause extreme pain	-5 to all skills; -2 to all Attributes
6+	Physically attacking to kill	-6 to all skills; -3 to all Attributes

Flight Responses

Missed Ss	Response	Effects
1	Negotiation	-1 to all skills
2	Begging	-2 to all skills; -1 to all Attributes
3	Slowly backing away	-3 to all skills; -1 to all Attributes
4	Retreating quickly	-4 to all skills; -2 to all Attributes
5	Running	-5 to all skills; -2 to all Attributes
6+	Blindly running	-6 to all skills; -3 to all Attributes

Freeze Responses

Missed Ss	Response	Effects
1	Sweating, laughing, blushing, or crying	-1 to all skills
2	Vomiting, soiling oneself	-2 to all skills; -1 to all Attributes
3	Inability to make a decision or talk	-3 to all skills; -1 to all Attributes
4	Loss of muscular control	-4 to all skills; -2 to all Attributes
5	Complete Paralysis	-5 to all skills; -2 to all Attributes
6+	Catatonia	-6 to all skills; -3 to all Attributes