The Gaming Buffs and Debuffs of Fibromyalgia

The Gaming Buffs and Debuffs of Fibromyalgia

Sometimes trying to explain Fibromyalgia, my chronic pain condition, can be really difficult. The main problem is it’s not just one thing, but a body-wide malfunction that causes goodness knows how many symptoms and byproducts. What I’ve found even harder is trying to explain it to gamers I come across when chatting to them in-game. Twitter is one thing, but when you meet strangers, maybe group up with them, it’s hard to get a level of understanding before you suddenly have a quest to complete. And when others think you “should” be alright doing certain content, or playing a certain role, it becomes an upwards fight. After all, a group only functions if all players perform their duties, same as any job.

If Fibro Warrior Were a Class in an MMO

So I thought “how do I explain Fibromyalgia to gamers?” and I came up with this: The Gaming Buffs and Debuffs of Fibromyalgia. Imagine “Fibro Warrior” as a combat class in a game. Let’s see what they are.

Here I have used screenshots and terminology from SWTOR, LOTRO and FFXIV. I’ve also made up some stats along the way. Enjoy!


Class Abilities

Before addressing key buffs and debuffs, I need to explain what class-wide limitations there are first.
When rolling a Fibro Warrior character, you should bear in mind the following class-wide equipment restrictions.

Leather Armour

Medium/Leather Armour

While heavy armour affords more protection, Shoulder Crush is likely to cause the Fibro Warrior more pain. Too much weight on shoulders that already hurt will lead to a degredation of combat performance if not perma-stunned.

Light armour exposes such Warriors to a greater elemental debuffs, such as Frost Damage which can sieze up muscles.

Therefore Medium Armour affords some protection while maintaining a level of pressure on the muscles to mitigate agility debuffs. A little pressure on the shoulders can ease pain levels.

Weapon Proficiency

Weapon Proficiencies

Staves, Brands, Books, Magical/Force attacks. If fighting in space, one Lightsaber or Saberstaff should be manageable if built with light metals.

Most swords, axes and other melée wapons will likely be too heavy with extended use. Do not attempt to force a Fibro Warrior to dual-wield (See Single-Minded).

Due to Hand Pain, carrying heavy items or things requiring a strong or tight grip will increase the Drop Chance, causing a few seconds of being Disarmed.

Buffs and Debuffs of Fibromyalgia

The Fibro Warrior class comes with a number of buffs and debuffs. Please note: while food, coffee and additional time between tasks may help mitigate debuffs, this is not guaranteed and is subject to RNG. A Fibro Warrior must ensure the correct food, potions and stims are taken before any mission. A healthy stock of medpacks and healing potions or scrolls must always be carried in inventory.

Single-Minded

Single-Minded

Fibro Warriors suck a multi-tasking. Group members should give them one task at a time and help them to focus on it. Once they settle to a task or mission they will complete it. Single-Minded affords a reduction of vendor prices as, very often on lower quest rewards, they have to spend longer looking for the lowest available prices for their supplies.

  • Mind: -20 in Solo quests, +20 in Group quests
  • Vendor Prices: -5%

Death Resistance

I Shall Not Fall (Yet)

Despite suffering many illnesses and injuries, killing the Warrior takes more combat than it first appears. Fibromyalgia is life-long, but not usually fatal in itself. Other debuffs could lead to critical damage being received, however.

Defeats crush the spirit of the Fibro Warrior, adding a Damage debuff to that quest if they try it again.

  • Death Resistance: +5
  • XP Reward (Same Quest upon Defeat): -33%

Normality Aura

Normality Aura

Though feeling awful inside, enemies will believe you look like every other Warrior. The strong prey upon the weak, so don’t look weak. Fibromyalgia is an invisible illness, so they don’t need to know you’re already in pain.

The Fibro Warrior’s ability to Mind Trick is buffed as they need not activate a skill on the quickbar for it to be effective.

  • Enmity Aggro: -3
  • Mind Trick Success: +25%

Easily Infected

Easily Infected

Fibro Warriors catch illnesses easily, so will be susceptible to rabid wolves and poisoned blades. Moreover, healers will struggle to cleanse these effects as Fibro Warriors take more damage over time. Healers with Compassion over 70 and Patience over 80 should accompany groups comprising a Fibro Warrior. No sooner has one illness been cleansed than another takes its place.

  • Disease/Poison Resistance: -10
  • Cleanse Resistance: +5
  • Damage Over Time Received: +3%

Unnatural Ice

Unnatural Ice

Muscle stiffness like the frozen hills of Hoth or the Misty Mountains reduces the Fibro Warrior’s ability to dodge attacks, or their own clumsiness. This combat class does not suit quests involving: balancing, narrow caves, or war zones with attacks from multiple directions.

  • Agility: -20
  • Dodge Chance: -25%
  • Parry Chance: -25%

Spiritual Sensitivity

Spiritual Sensitivity

The constant personal pain can render some Fibro Warriors more sensitivity to others. Due to this, missions requiring diplomacy or tact suit characters of this class.

Many may also show aptitude in spiritual or mystical professions. If the Warrior is in a galaxy far, far away, Warriors may be Force Sensitive.

  • Spirit Attunement: +8
  • Persuasion: +2
  • Diplomacy: +10

Quiet Encourager

Quiet Encourager

Fibro Warriors don’t demand help from others even if they need it. As such, Healers and Tanks may need to be more aware of mobs surrounding the Fibro Warrior.

Despite their constant pain, they will try to encourage the group and want them to be happy even in challenging missions. Groups benefit with 5% extra HP.

  • Group Morale/HP: +5%

Cloak of Diversion

Cloak of Diversion

Fibro Warriors do not draw attention to themselves. This can improve their ability to infiltrate enemy camps, but means many are unsuited to being Tanks.

Note: depending on environmental conditions, the +2 Stealth is usually counteracted by the Agility debuff. They can be clumsy and loud, metal objects and set of traps they haven’t seen.

  • Aggro Range: +3m
  • Stealth: +2

Feet of Iron Mornings

Feet of Iron of Mornings

Getting going in the mornings is a quest in itself. Fibro Warriors may need buffing foods and potions or stims to simply get out of bed. After that movement can be sluggish until much later that day. Because of brain fog, the chance of completing anything to a high standard is halved.

The following debuffs apply until midday:

  • Movement Speed: -25%:
  • Intelligence, Mind: -15%
  • Critical Rating: -50%

Afternoons of Alacrity

Afternoons of Alacrity

If buffed by sufficient caffeine and stims, a Warrior can think much quicker in quests undertaken in the afternoon. Mental and Physical speeds are increased.

  • Movement Speed: +5%
  • Mind: +5%

Note: Feet of Iron Mornings should have worn off, though there may be overlap time between effects.

Limited Resources

Limited Resources

While loyal, altruistic and hardworking, do not expect the Fibro Warrior to undertake the same number of missions as other classes. When they reach their daily quest limit, give them until the next limit reset before calling them again to arms.

Fibro Warriors simply cannot do the same amount of stuff as other people.

  • Daily Quest Limit: -50%

Porous Mind

Porous Mind

Fibro Warriors suffer from poor memory. Number of quests and tasks they can retain at any time is halved. They also see reduced Damage (or Healing) per second as they often forget how to do anything efficiently, especially in stressful or group scenarios.

  • Trackable Quests: -50%
  • DPS/HPS: -10%
  • Mind: -5%

Sleep Resistance

Who Needs Sleep?

Fibro Warriors really struggle to get to sleep. Even when they manage it they easily wake up and the sleep they get is restless. This debuff is intrinsically linked to Iron Feet of Mornings.

Enemies will struggle to cast a sleep Crowd Control skill on a Fibro Warrior. However, their Rested XP suffers for it.

  • Sleep Resistance Rating: +45%
  • Rested XP: -85%

Healing Resistance

Anti Anti-biotics

Despite catching illnesses quickly, the Fibro Warrior is very resistant to Healer abilities. This results in healing treatments, including potions and medpacs, to be less effective.

Also, Fibro Warriors need longer between stages of a mission, out-of-combat morale and power regeneration are much slower.

  • Healing Received (All Sources): -25%
  • Out of Combat Morale Regen: -50%
  • Out of Combat Power Regen: -50%

Studious Learner

Studious Learner

When able to find a task they enjoy, a Fibro Warrior will learn it as best as they can. Non-combat skills, such as crafting, and tasks involving channel times are improved in effectiveness.

It takes a Fibro Warrior many attempts to find something they can excel at. Guilds, Kins and Free Companies should show extra patience with them while they discover this.

  • Crafting Skill: +25%
  • Spellbook Effectiveness: +10%
  • Channelled Abilities: +10% Potency

Shoulder Crush

Shoulder Crush

Extreme pain in the shoulders means Fibro Warriors cannot lift heavy objects or carry as many supplies when questing.

This does not reduce the size of the bags, of course. If too much is placed in them, movement speed is reduced by 35%.

  • Physical Mastery (Strength): -15%
  • Inventory Space: -25%

Meaningful Repetition

Meaningful Repetition

Despite Porous Mind, any task requiring repetition will often be learned and retained. Fibro Warriors should be allocated ranged DPS roles in groups where quickly-repeated rotations are required.

Alternatively, with adequate Healer support, a simple off-tank role may also suit.

Note, however, I main tanks in all my games – at least for Solo content! For me too much repetition, too quickly wrecks my hands. From tanking in FFXIV, there is still repetition, but not as quick as DPS as cooldowns are longer.

I have found Red Mage to work well for me as that’s a combination of quick swordscraft and channel times.

  • Ranged DPS: +5%
  • Skill Speed: +5%

Don't Touch This

Don’t Touch This!

Fibro Warriors are over-sensitive to touch. Allied Healers should focus on ranged healing skills.

However these Warriors are also more susceptible to damaging attacks or flailing limbs as many unexpected touches will hurt more than they should. This makes them susceptible to short-range melée attacks.

  • Ranged Healing Received: +5%
  • Melée Damage Received: +10%

Elemental Sensitivity

Elemental Sensitivity

Depending on race, Fibro Warriors are better or worse suited to quests in certain environmental conditions. Cold and humid weather hugely adversely affects combat performance, whereas they can fight better in warm, dry climates.

  • Cold Resistance: -30%, Frost Damage: +10%
  • Heat Resistance: +15%, Fire Damage: +10%
  • Humidity Resistance: -20%

The Dreamer

The Dreamer

Who Needs Sleep? impacts night-time rest, but this doesn’t stop the Fibro Warrior’s mind from drifting massively during the day. This mental detachment has its advantages: seeing the bigger picture when puzzle solving and an increased role-playing immersion.

Sadly, when Wandering Mind debuff is active, missions take longer to perform and The Dreamer suffers a reduced Confidence rating due to this.

  • Puzzle Solving: +25%
  • Mission Efficiency: -20%
  • Role-playing: +10%
  • Confidence: -20

Tick Tick Boom

Tick-Tick-Boom

Deadlines, expectations and timed tasks do not sit well with a Fibro Warrior. They are stressful and massively degrade their clarity of thought. Success Rate and Confidence are debuffed in timed quests.

However, they will try a few times to succeed before giving up. Their evading of that quest in future is buffed.

  • Timed Quest Success: -50%
  • Confidence: -20%
  • Persistence: +35%
  • Evade Rating: +45%

Heart's Home

Heart’s Home

When not needed to defend freedom, a Fibro Warrior is often found at home. They will make it as comfortable a place to live as possible. A boost to craft XP and decoration quality is granted.

  • Home Decoration Crafting: +20% Quality
  • Crafting XP: +10%

Make Do

Make Do

Defer your need to upgrade your gear and save coin. If your group includes a Fibro Warrior, they can repair your wear and tear between battles. Their lower quest coin rewards necessitates ‘make do and mend‘ instead of buying new. They may be seen at vendors where others sell their “scrap”, in order to clothe themselves with such “scraps” (e.g. Charity Shops, Second-hand Facebook groups. Incidentally we need less inventory space (Wardrobe) as we do not hoard clothes as there is no need.).

Depending on their Pride rating, Fibro Warriors may be open to assistance with acquiring, or crafting new armour. The same applies to cosmetic clothing. Or just…clothing.

  • Armour Durability: +25%
  • Cosmetic Clothing Cost: -50%

The under-worked, underpaid

The Underworked, Underpaid

Being in pain means a Warrior is able to perform significantly fewer paying quests. And due to various debuffs they can only undertake lower paying quests. Coins from rewards are reduced and the ability to level up and progress the same as non-Fibro Warriors is hampered. Often, impossible.

  • Quest Coin Rewards: -75%
  • XP from Quests: -50%
  • Level Cap: -15 Levels

TL;DR A Light Approach to a Heavy Subject

I hope this has been an unusual way to think about Fibromyalgia Symptoms. It affects everything I do, whether I’m conscious or not. It feels like there are more disadvantages than advantages but I hope I can understand my strengths (buffs) to harness them. It’s not an easy life, neither in a game nor out of it. But I’m still alive, so I guess there are more quests still to do. And I’ve only just started that brand new “Parenting” Expansion Pack too!


About the Author

Fibro Jedi
Fibro Jedi

I have been playing MMOs for about ten years and began writing guides to The Lord of the Rings Online in 2017. I've only been creating content about Final Fantasy XIV since 2022, but I am glad for the mix. My current games include LOTRO, FFXIV and the occasional Palia session too.

LOTRO Posts | FFXIV Posts | Please support me on Ko-Fi Donate Coffee | Author Page


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