Inspiration often gets forgotten in a game, and as the DM I would hardly use it because I have so many other things to keep track of. Using heavy inspiration from other sources, this is my resolution to inspiration by giving YOU control and giving you a mechanical advantage to roleplay your character how you designed them. First Add a 5 point tracker starting at zero that we will call "Stress" At level 1, choose your primary personality trait. Then, choose a primary flaw based directly off of that personality trait. (Our greatest strength is also our greatest weakness) At level 4, 8, 12 choose secondary personality traits with accompanying flaws. In play At any appropriate time you may evoke your personality trait to gain advantage. After gaining advantage in this way, add 1 point of stress. At 5 stress you lose your ability to evoke advantage from your personality trait, until the DM deems your character "snaps" with stress and acts out purely in their flaw, reducing your stress to zero. At any appropriate time before you reach 5 stress, you may opt to "act out" when trying to use your personality trait instead of gaining advantage. Each point of stress represents a -2 dice modifier. Stress resets to zero. Evoking & Acting out must be declared before you roll. Acting out & Snapping are the only ways to remove stress. There is no ongoing penalty to accumulated stress, only the above conditions. Example 1 Grognor the Barbarian chose his primary trait / flaw as "Assertive / Angry" A bandit attempts to shake down Grognor's party. Grognor: "You will do yourself a favor by pretending we were never here" I'd like to roll intimidation, and because im assertive I'd like to evoke advantage . Grognor rolls intimidation with advantage and gains 1 stress. Example 2 Grognor and his party are sitting with the city council to discuss a political mission. Previously, Grognor has gained 5 stress. When the council members are purely taking advantage of Grognor's party, he tries to be assertive to stand up for his party. But Grognor snaps , and explodes in a fit of anger at the council because his stress was too much to handle. Grognor's stress resets to zero. Example 3 Grognor is attempting to save a town from a bandit attack when he finds a woman cowering behind a house. Previously, Grognor has gained 3 stress. Grognor: "You need to take this path to live, there is no time. Move now!" Because of my stress, I am going to act out while attempting to give her directions. Grognor receives a -6 dice modifier to his persuasion role. Grognor fails his roll, and the woman becomes more terrified and freezes in place as a response due to the anger in his voice. Grognor's stress resets to zero.