Mental illnesses of this type are particularly debilitating. A person with a personality disorder has a distorted sense of self and identity. In extreme cases, a mentally ill person may have several identities concurrently. These illnesses are very difficult to treat and are also very rare.
[DID | Megalomania | Napoleonic Complex | Paranoia | Self-Harm | Simple Dissociation | Curing]People with this disorder have two or more distinct personalities. Generally, an individual with this disorder has one personality that is in the foreground the majority. This personality may or may not be the "original" personality. This personality is called the host, or primary personality.
Other personalities are called alters. These personalities are different in that they do not spend the majority of the time in the foreground. They do, however, often have the ability to communicate with the primary personality. This phenomenon is called co-consciousness. The primary personality may be able to hear the voices of the alters, or even see mental images of them during periods of co-consciousness. Alters do not have to be the same gender as the primary, or even the same race.
Alters tend to have less range of emotion than the primary personality, and their interests are less dynamic. For instance, a Protector-like alter may only be able to feel anger, and only care about self discipline and protecting the primary personality. Alters tend to be fiercely loyal to the primary personality
While alters have their own names, they will almost always answer to the primary's name if they are in the foreground and the primary personality is “away” or otherwise incapacitated. Each alter has his or her own Wisdom and Faith attribute, which is rolled separately from the primary personality. In addition, Intelligence and Dexterity can change by as much as two points up or down.
The result of triggering this insanity is that one of the alters comes forward and the primary personality falls away. The triggering event is usually specific things, like seeing blood, being touched, certain words being said (like "sacrifice", or "death"). The trigger may be specific situations, such as fighting, hiding, or sexual encounters.
During times of dissociation, the alter, not the primary personality, gets the experience for the encounter. Thus it is possible for an alter to initiate a separate class profession than the Primary personality. However, alters will always be of a lower level than the Primary.
The one advantage of having dissociative identity disorder is that it is nearly impossible to be defeated in spirit combat. If an evil spirit or other force overcomes the primary personality’s Willpower, the next most powerful alter rises to continue spirit combat (using the alter’s Willpower rating). If the alter is overwhelmed, then the next most powerful alter takes over, using that alter’s Willpower. Thus, a character with dissociative identity disorder can be defeated in spiritual combat only if the primary personality and all available alters are defeated.
Victims of dissociative identity disorder are susceptible to also acquiring the “self-harm complex” and “size distortion” mental illnesses.
People with this disorder tend to believe they are superior to everyone else. When the insanity is triggered, the victim will believe his Intelligence and Wisdom are two points higher and Strength and Dexterity are one point higher. Moreover, the megalomaniac will believe that his or her Comeliness and Charisma are three points higher than what is actually the case. So annoying is the megalomaniac that the perceived Charisma is actually three points less than actual (for each intensity of the insanity.) The trigger for this insanity is any situation in which leadership is required and that the megalomaniac has at least some chance of being qualified to lead.
It should definitely be noted that the victim of megalomania’s self-perceived attribute increases are illusionary. All checks relating to Wisdom, Intelligence, Strength, and Dexterity remain unmodified.
Victims of this insanity feel the compulsion to prove their self-worth through fighting. Typically, victims of Napoleonic complex will pick fights with people of larger stature. The trigger for this illness is whenever tall, muscular people taunt the victim.
The primary indicator of this illness is a complete lack of ability for the victim to trust anybody. Victims of paranoia will typically see ulterior motives in all things, will always suspect treachery, and will never take statements at face value. If a Panic check is failed, the victim will absolutely not believe truthful statements made by companions and bystanders.
Victims of this insanity get the overwhelming urge to inflict harm on themselves. Typically, this harming is not life threatening. The victim will instead usually cause minor burns or superficial cutting wounds. Self-inflictors who cut themselves are called "cutters". The trigger for this insanity is being alone in a stressful situation, or being humiliated. The maximum damage for self-harm complex is 10% of total hit points. People with this illness actually want their self-inflicted wounds to scar and will often try to keep their wounds from healing. This condition often grants the victim a great emotional release after self-injury, satisfying the need for 1d10 days. Typically, victims of this illness feel most alive just after hurting one's self.
In stressful situations, the victim of this insanity loses time. His or her body may function, and his or her companions may not know that the character is dissociating. However, when the stressful situation is over, the character “wakes up” to find that he has actually performed all required tasks (such as combat, spell casting, or some other difficult job), but cannot remember any details of what happened. On a successful Panic check, the person with this mental illness does not dissociate during a stressful encounter. On a failed check, the victim does dissociate. A person with this mental illness earns only ¼ normal experience for actions transpiring during an amnesiac dissociative incident.
All of these insanities can only be cured through the methods discussed at the beginning of this section, and even then, it is a difficult task.