Hubris

If a player has a 6 endurance score, and he rolls a 6, then the Furies are aware that he is testing his mortal limits. In this case, he makes a mania check with 1d20, which is less likely to succeed then a coin toss, with even the most maniacal heroes like Achilles or Alexander having only a 9 until they have survived various misfortunes.

The roll of exactly his mania, a 1 in 20 chance, results in simple success.

A roll of less then his mania indicates that the Furies are pleased, and results in a number of concurrent advantage checks equal to the die difference and the applied to all consecutive actions. No saving these blessings. So, if Private Ed, the natural mechanic, was about to unjam that .50 Cal mounted on his dead captain’s Little Willy Jeep, and his roll of 6 against his 6 Kit ability, brought other-wordly attention. Forced to roll his pathos of 5 or less or face disaster, Ed scored a 2 on that 1d20, his next 3 actions will all be blessed with an advantage re-roll. If he rolled a 1, aside from the above advantages, he will check his Rout mania to see if he can go Audie Murphy on those Krauts. He has a 0 Rout, so gains a 1-3 [1d6 halved], rolls a 3, which becomes a 2, gains 2 Rout mania and, for now, 2 additional advantages.

Advantage re-rolls, if the first is not successful, may be used against the same failed result, Ed, if his player is bad enough with the dice, possibly burning up all 5 of his re-rolls, trying to knockout that Kraut armored car.

But, but, what is more likely, is that this smart ass who can fix anything, as he is about to turn the tide of battle against the Natsy counterattack at Kaserine Pass, has been singled out for punishment by the Furies, that he rolls a 10 against his 5, and his next 5 successful actions incur a disadvantage check, which means a re-roll of anything that DID succeed.

Folly

It is sometimes thought that a fool, a person who has a hopelessly low ability in something, is, on occasion, favored by Fate, for she is a she and does dote on certain mortal pets.

A person who has been cursed with a 1 ability, and is forced to make an ability check, might declare that he is praying. In such a case the roll of 1 is still successful, but a roll of 6 is also successful.

IF successful, this adds 1 to the player’s pathos.

If the character was successful by rolling a 6 he also gains an animism point [A huge deal, possibly resulting in increasing his Rout mania].

If he fails with an odd number, the 3 or 5, he is also afflicted with a disadvantage on his next action.

If he fails with a 2 or a 4, the even numbers, and yet survives this test, he has learned something and adds 1 to his 1 ability, increasing it to a 2.

Warriors, in GRUNT learn in action, not in some fencing school or training camp. Those venues, if there was any formal training at all, are regarded as already in their past and part of their active make up.

No ability may exceed 6. [Except with beasts and monsters, see Chapter 8.]

No overall ability may exceed 18, except for pathos, yet pathos checks of 19 and 20 still fail as per the rules.

Manias may increase through player action and exterior actions, though do not exceed 18.

Madness

If any character has a play result that would increase a mania beyond 18 he earns a madness point. When a player has earned 7 madness points he commits a suicidal act, hopefully taking many enemy with him, like Samson in the Philistine palace.

If he has 6 madness points and he rolls a 6 on his madness check he goes nuts then and there, doing as much damage to the world as possible, as he earns that 7th madness point. If he wins that battle, he dies by his own hand or in a fit of melancholy, perhaps burning himself on a pyre like Heracles.

Until that Herculean end, any time this player uses his pathos or mania, or is called upon to check his pathos or mania, he must make a madness check with 1d6. If he fails, rolling higher than his madness score, then he commits a mad act of combat, with his increased madness score, increased to that number he rolled. He may then return to the margins of sanity and continue his career of mundane rapine.

If he succeeds, there is no reprieve, he gains a madness point.

Berserkers

Intentional, functional madness, is the subject of this rule. Berserkers are a type of suicidal warrior who inflict madness upon themselves by going into a fury before battle, perhaps the night before, in some ritual. Once a berserker has inflicted madness on himself through whatever ritual he uses, he will always be subject to that condition, even if he declines more rites. Reversing this condition through a journey to a shaman or wizard might for the basis for a retirement adventure?

1 point of madness is gained in each of these rites.

In certain formal societies, these rites must be observed, if battle is known to be nigh. In other societies this process might be a lone, personal rite. In such a case, a second rite could be engaged in to intensify the state.

If the battle or duel, or fight is not pre-meditated, then the berserker gains his powers for the battle, increasing his madness by 1 at its outset.

Every time he survives battle, a berserker then makes a madness check. If they fail, then their madness increases by 1.

A check that succeeds increases one body or spirit ability, and possibly also a mania and his pathos.

The berserker’s powers are three:

#1: His animism ability is added to his body ability for combat. This may not exceed 18, though his Hit Points may. This is a separate distinct temporary ability, which, combined with the other abilities below, causes the berserker to make his madness check the night after the battle. So, he can fight until night in this state, in as many battles as he can survive.

#2: His madness score is added to the damage he does when he strikes—yikes! A few points of damage is a big deal in Grunt.

#3: His esoteric score is also added to his hit points, which are his overall body/madness points, permitting him to fight with mortal wounds, like a bear. That night, as he loses his powers and makes his madness check, if his wounds exceeded his body [hit] points at all, he shall die. This is the Furies’ price for being able to fight at negative body points when a none berserk man is incapable of fighting at 0.

Now that we know how your Grunt functions under stress, let’s go onto forms of play.