Stressed Moodle
| Stressed | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Class | Moodles |
| Type | Bad Moodle |
| Levels |
|
The Stressed Moodle shows how stressed a character is. It has four levels, from slightly on edge to the breaking point.
Stress works much like panic in a fight. It makes guns harder to aim and harder to clear when jammed, and from the second level it lowers melee damage. It also feeds unhappiness, which slows every timed action. Stress and panic together are especially harmful. Keeping stress low makes a character a better fighter and a happier survivor.
Stressed Moodle Levels
The moodle grows through these stages, from mild to worst.
| Level | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Tense |
| 2 | Agitated |
| 3 | Stressed Out |
| 4 | At Breaking Point |
Stressed Moodle Causes
Many things cause stress. Zombies banging on doors, windows and fences raise it. Nightmares and frightening events raise it too. Discomfort from clothing or from sleeping without a bed adds stress.
Infection is a major cause. A character carrying the zombie infection grows steadily more stressed.
Some traits add their own causes. A Smoker grows stressed without tobacco. That nicotine stress is tracked on its own and only tobacco removes it. It usually stops rising around the second level. A character with Fear of Blood grows stressed when bloody or handling bloody items.
Stressed Moodle Effects
Tense is the first level. Its tooltip reads "On edge." Guns become harder to aim, more so at range. Clearing a firearm jam gets a little harder.
Agitated is the second level. The character has a racing heart and confused thoughts. Unhappiness starts to rise. Melee damage drops slightly, and gun penalties grow.
Stressed Out is the third level. Shaking hands make it impossible to think straight. Unhappiness rises faster. Melee damage and aim both suffer more.
At Breaking Point is the last level. The character is at the limit and cannot go on like this. Unhappiness rises quickest here, and combat penalties are at their worst.
How to Fix the Stressed Moodle
Stress fades slowly over time when nothing is causing it. It stays the same during sleep, and discomfort can raise it while sleeping.
Several actions lower stress faster. Killing zombies lowers it. Reading literature helps, and so does washing up. Petting animals helps, though only once every half day. Picking flowers lowers stress too.
Certain foods and drinks lower stress. Smoking or chewing tobacco lowers it, though less well without the Smoker trait.
Clearing the cause matters most. Washing off blood helps a Fear of Blood character. A Smoker needs a regular supply of tobacco.
Stressed Moodle Traits
Smoker means unhappiness rises without tobacco, and stress and unhappiness drop after smoking. Nicotine stress is separate from other stress and only tobacco clears it. Fear of Blood means the character grows stressed when bloody.
Notes
- Stress and panic together hurt combat badly.
- Read literature or wash up to lower stress.
- Killing zombies lowers stress.
- A Smoker needs tobacco to clear nicotine stress.
- Stress feeds unhappiness at the higher levels.
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