Horror: Demonic Possession

Demonic Possession

Many cultures, including Biblical Palestine, believed insanity to be caused by demonic possession – and in a horror game, it might be! In a secret-magic campaign, a successful Psychology (Clinical) skill roll reveals only that the possessed patient's malady has no known cause. The GM may impose a "skepticism" penalty of -3 or worse on such rolls. Failure diagnoses the patient's problem as conventional madness; psychiatric drugs prescribed for it may reduce the symptoms but automatically come with -10-point side effects.

In any campaign, diagnosing demonic possession requires a successful roll against Expert Skill (Demonology), Occultism, Theology, or similar – or in some backgrounds, use of a supernatural capability like Detect (Demons). Curing it calls for Exorcism.