The spell "Horror"

[darthauthor]

Rifts Book of Magic page 106 and 107

So the person who fails their saving throw versus 16, it says they run away.

Are they too afraid to shot at the person or thing they are horrified of or can they blast away?

Is it conditional?

Like they will keep running or hide unless they are attacked.
IF they are attacked, then can they attack the person who cast the spell "Horror" on themselves, from a distance (like with an energy rifle)?

Would a spell caster be too afraid to focus their mind on casting a spell against the person or object the "Horror" spell has been cast upon?

[drewkitty ~..~]

The save for this spell is a combined 1st: save vs magic, 2nd: save vs HF.

If they are running away, then they are too occupied with that to shoot at the anchor of the spell. I would as a GM say that once the char runs outside the AoE of the spell, the running char can choose not to run anymore. But the can't be made to get close/interact with the anchor of the spell till the end of the spell. (If I was an Evil GM, I might have the char roll vs insanity to see if the effects are long lasting/persistent in that char, and if the effects are LoS for that char.)

Once outside the AoE of the spell...as a GM I would say the char would no longer have the overwhelming desire to just run away. Then the char can choose their own actions, as long as they comply with the text of the spell.

This is how I imagine it works (since I'm filling in the gaps in the description)....
1st: fail vs magic....the anchor of the spell freaks the char out, but they are still in control, but cannot be made to interact with/use the anchor of the Horror spell.
2nd: failing the HF save will cause the char to run till they are out side the range of the spell. Where they can keep on running or are able to stop and get in control of theirself. Would sort of base this on how poorly they rolled to save Vs HF.

It would take a trained fear reaction for the char to just shoot in reaction to the fear. Since there are not any Character Classes that have this as a class skill/power...talking about it is moot.

[darthauthor]

It's Rifts.

There is always an exception.

In this case, the Paratrooper O.C.C. in the Mercenary Adventures Source Book.
The O.C.C. has a special ability of "Nerves of Steel" that makes the immune to the effects of Horror Factor.

Part of the reason I ask is because I player asked, "IF I cast it on myself do the CS Grunts keep on running or turn and fire?"

Then I thought, "What do I tell a player who fails their save against this?"
You run away unharmed until the spell wears off and you realize it was all magic influence over you which has run its duration. Now you are free of the spell.

[drewkitty ~..~]

But if you look at the spell it isn't a "horror factor" spell like the fear spell is. It doesn't cause the effects of a normal failed HF roll. It is more a spell that triggers the Flight response in those in the AoE of the spell. Where Horror Factor response is to freeze.

So while the Paratrooper Character Class might be able to resist being put into a freezing mental loop. But the Horror spell induces a specific action in those that fail their save vs magic.

Yes, if you look at the words that are literally written in both the HF effects and the spell effects you find they do two different things. As such, using mental shorthand to think they are the same, is not the right thing to do.