How does The Path of Affliction work in CRAWL!?

Question

Complete rules for The Path of Affliction in the CRAWL! tabletop RPG system, covering all mechanics and procedures.

Iron Brothers Games · Accepted Answer

Expert (2 Path Points): Manic Devotion: You have fully embraced your obsession. Once per session, you can reroll any failed roll related to your goal. If you succeed, you can immediately take another action. If you fail, you gain a Wound (Addled: Disadvantage on INT/WIS skills) from the mental strain.  Fevered Visions: You can now see glimpses of the future. Once per scene, you may make an Assess check. On a success, the GM gives you a cryptic clue about a future danger. If you roll a Folly, you gain 1 AP from the psychological strain.  Unstable Focus: Your mind is a whirlwind of contradictory thoughts. Once per combat, you may choose to take an additional action on your turn. When you do, you must roll on a random table of negative side effects (GM's discretion, e.g., you attack a random target, you freeze in place, you drop your weapon).  Self-Mutilation: Your compulsion becomes self-destructive. You may choose to perform your ritual to immediately heal up to 5 HP per turn, but you must inflict a Wound on yourself for each turn that you do so. Journeyman (1 Path Point): When a character is forced to take a Path of Affliction ability, they cannot spend their Path Point on any other Heroic Path or skill improvement. This represents the world involuntarily remapping their psyche, where trauma becomes a fundamental force of change.  Paranoid: You gain Advantage on checks to detect ambushes, traps, and hidden enemies. However, you cannot trust anyone and must make a Parley check before being healed by another PC or NPC.  Obsessed: You become fixated on a single goal, creature, or object. You gain Advantage on all rolls related to achieving that goal, but take Disadvantage on all rolls not related to it.  Haunted: You are plagued by visions of a past failure. Once per scene, when you face a challenge that reminds you of your failure, you gain Advantage on that roll. If you fail the roll, you are stunned for one round.  Compulsion: You develop a strange habit or ritual that must be performed after every fight. If you do not perform this ritual, you gain a Wound (Exhausted: -2 to physical rolls until you take a Full Rest). Master (3 Path Points): The Living Curse: You are the embodiment of your Affliction. Your presence now affects others. At the beginning of each scene, all PCs must make a Resilience check or gain 1 AP.  Perfected Obsession: Your obsession defines your very being. You can now choose a new goal for each session. You can succeed at any non-magical task related to your goal with a Fortune (1) roll.  Master of Madness: You can project your trauma onto others. Once per session, you may make a contested Parley check against a target within NEAR range. If you succeed, they gain an Affliction of your choice (GM's discretion) for one scene.  Sacrificial Ritual: Your compulsion becomes a powerful source of temporary power. You may incur a wound to recover a Hit Die immediately. You may only do this once per short rest.

Iron Brothers Games · Answer

Unlike the traditional XP systems in Dungeons & Dragons 5e and Old-School Essentials, CRAWL! offers Affliction Points as an alternative advancement path—gaining power through suffering and hardship. Expert (2 Path Points): Manic Devotion: You have fully embraced your obsession. Once per session, you can reroll any failed roll related to your goal. If you succeed, you can immediately take another action. If you fail, you gain a Wound (Addled: Disadvantage on INT/WIS skills) from the mental strain.  Fevered Visions: You can now see glimpses of the future. Once per scene, you may make an Assess check. On a success, the GM gives you a cryptic clue about a future danger. If you roll a Folly, you gain 1 AP from the psychological strain.  Unstable Focus: Your mind is a whirlwind of contradictory thoughts. Once per combat, you may choose to take an additional action on your turn. When you do, you must roll on a random table of negative side effects (GM's discretion, e.g., you attack a random target, you freeze in place, you drop your weapon).  Self-Mutilation: Your compulsion becomes self-destructive. You may choose to perform your ritual to immediately heal up to 5 HP per turn, but you must inflict a Wound on yourself for each turn that you do so. Journeyman (1 Path Point): When a character is forced to take a Path of Affliction ability, they cannot spend their Path Point on any other Heroic Path or skill improvement. This represents the world involuntarily remapping their psyche, where trauma becomes a fundamental force of change.  Paranoid: You gain Advantage on checks to detect ambushes, traps, and hidden enemies. However, you cannot trust anyone and must make a Parley check before being healed by another PC or NPC.  Obsessed: You become fixated on a single goal, creature, or object. You gain Advantage on all rolls related to achieving that goal, but take Disadvantage on all rolls not related to it.  Haunted: You are plagued by visions of a past failure. Once per scene, when you face a challenge that reminds you of your failure, you gain Advantage on that roll. If you fail the roll, you are stunned for one round.  Compulsion: You develop a strange habit or ritual that must be performed after every fight. If you do not perform this ritual, you gain a Wound (Exhausted: -2 to physical rolls until you take a Full Rest). Master (3 Path Points): The Living Curse: You are the embodiment of your Affliction. Your presence now affects others. At the beginning of each scene, all PCs must make a Resilience check or gain 1 AP.  Perfected Obsession: Your obsession defines your very being. You can now choose a new goal for each session. You can succeed at any non-magical task related to your goal with a Fortune (1) roll.  Master of Madness: You can project your trauma onto others. Once per session, you may make a contested Parley check against a target within NEAR range. If you succeed, they gain an Affliction of your choice (GM's discretion) for one scene.  Sacrificial Ritual: Your compulsion becomes a powerful source of temporary power. You may incur a wound to recover a Hit Die immediately. You may only do this once per short rest.

The Path of Affliction

Expert (2 Path Points)

Journeyman (1 Path Point)

Master (3 Path Points)

Experience the Unified d20 Roll