I apologize if this has been covered already because I've only been skimming the recent, jargon-filled posts, but you plan to reduce the duration of negative status effects/ailments based on the victim's attributes: "turn reduction"? That prompts the question of if it's possible to extend the duration as well, or is it static and competitors simply reach a point where a given ailment is no longer an issue? You need to consider very carefully when determining which attributes will affect status duration here, because different NPCs will be impacted differently thanks to their varied attribute builds (and if it's static, how easy is it for the player or a well-rounded NPC like Cassie to achieve immunity to most/all of the ailments?). It seems appropriate that the Power-heavy Jewel is highly resistant to being stunned and KO'd because she's a martial arts master, but are you ok with Mara being the only one to resist mind control? Is this system accommodating enough of custom or future NPCs, if that's a concern to you? To be clear, I do like the idea, but the devil is in the details, so I'm curious about the specifics.
Frenzy represents raw animal lust overtaking your good sense, so Willpower is my first thought for resisting it. You could also use Ki for the discipline angle, if you're fine with using advanced attributes; if you are it'll expand your options (or make things complicated, depending on your perspective).
On a related note, maybe you could use current Stamina/Arousal/Mojo/Willpower percentages (weighted by the maximum values and attributes, because player agency matters) for a more dynamic system. Striking a balance that way might be precarious though, so use your judgement on if you think it'll produce a meaningful distinction.
I'll have to muse over the potential costs of using pets. On one hand, they can be quite potent so it's reasonable to expect the owner to give something up for their help. On the other hand, they frequently spend a lot of turns doing nothing, and sometimes even when they do act they don't necessarily do anything valuable. Because they're such a random element in their current state, I'm having a hard time swallowing that they should cost much. Assuming you agree with this assessment: Do you like the risky element here (you pay for the pet and hope they're helpful more often than not), or would you be for something like making them more consistently useful, as a trade-off for the higher price tag?
Frenzy represents raw animal lust overtaking your good sense, so Willpower is my first thought for resisting it. You could also use Ki for the discipline angle, if you're fine with using advanced attributes; if you are it'll expand your options (or make things complicated, depending on your perspective).
On a related note, maybe you could use current Stamina/Arousal/Mojo/Willpower percentages (weighted by the maximum values and attributes, because player agency matters) for a more dynamic system. Striking a balance that way might be precarious though, so use your judgement on if you think it'll produce a meaningful distinction.
I'll have to muse over the potential costs of using pets. On one hand, they can be quite potent so it's reasonable to expect the owner to give something up for their help. On the other hand, they frequently spend a lot of turns doing nothing, and sometimes even when they do act they don't necessarily do anything valuable. Because they're such a random element in their current state, I'm having a hard time swallowing that they should cost much. Assuming you agree with this assessment: Do you like the risky element here (you pay for the pet and hope they're helpful more often than not), or would you be for something like making them more consistently useful, as a trade-off for the higher price tag?
