From: Mark C Wallace (mcwalla@algol.cs.umbc.edu)
Date: Thu 19 Mar 1992 - 09:56:33 EET
What is will?
Will is a measure of the character's innate confidence, self
assuredness, and indominatbility.
Each character gains will for the following:
Statistsics (Attributes, Skills, etc.)
Virtues
Deeds
Runic Power
Statistics:
Attributes: Each Statistic over 15 gains 1 point of will. E.g. STR 18 = 3
points. Each POINT of POW is 1 will (noncumulative; 16 POW = 16 WILL).
Count POW of allied spirits, familiars, and other creatures subject to the
adventurer, but not of bound spirits, etc.
Skills: Each skill @ 100% or more gives 1 point for each 20%. 99 = 0
will, 101% = 5 will
Magic: Each point of spirit magic, reuseable divine magic, or sorcery
known = 1 WILL.
Total the WILL for statistics, and record it.
Virtues
Each virtue over 15 = 1 WILL for each point of that virtue. 14 = 0 WILL, 16
= 16 WILL. Virtues are not printed on many character sheets, but are
paired;
Brave/Cautious
Chaste/Lustful
Energetic/Lazy
Forgiving/Vengeful
Generous/Selfish
Honest/ Guileful
Honorable/Pragmatic
Just/Arbitrary
Loyal/Independent
Merciful/Cruel
Modest/Proud
Pious/Worldly
Prudent/Reckless
Temparate/Indulgent
Trusting/Suspicous
* need non perjorative adjective. Check Pendragon or change to passion??
Each virtue is paired with its opposite (vice), but each culture
determines which is the virtue and which is the vice independently. For
example, the Orlanthi consider Lustful to be a minor virtue, and chastity
to be a minor vice; the Yelmists hold the opposite, that Chastitity is
a virtue, and Lustfulness a vice. Each culture should have a different
cultural template.
General Civilized Virtues:
Nobility: Brave, loyal, Proud, (P)Hospitable
Clergy: Loyal, Just
Peasantry: Indulgent, Lustful, Generous
Orrist Virtues:
Brave, Generous, Energetic
Pharr Virtues:
Cautious, Independent, Suspicous
Arkat:
Dormal: Generous
Saint Gerlant Flamesword: Just, Loyal RUNE:Truth
Saint Hrestol: RUNES: MAGIC,Mastery
Saint Malkion: RUNES: LAW, Mastery
Orlanth: Brave, Generous, Honorable, Proud
Saint Talor: Brave RUNES: LIGHT,DEATH
Saint Waertag: RUNES: OCEAN, MAN
Saint Xemela: mercy RUNE: Life
[NOTE: Gerlant = Gabrielite/Dominican
Talor = Michaeline/Templar
Urielist = /Jesuit
Gerlantists Hate Urielists]
The sum of the virtue and vice must always be 20. For Example, Harquin has
a deceitful score of 16, so his honesty must be 4. Each increase in a
virtue results in a decrease of the associated vice. Virtues may be
increased by virtue checks. Virtue checks are gained by choosing to act
virtuously in a situation which places the character, his or her party, or
the character's other passions or virtues at risk. When a character
chooses one virtue over another, or chooses virtue in the face of death,
s/he gains a virtue check. During the experience phase, a d20 is rolled;
if it is equal to or greater than the current virtue score, the virtue is
increased by 1. If it is less than the current virtue score, there is no
effect. Virtues can also receive negative experience; when a character
chooses to ignore the virtuous course of action, that virtue is marked
with a negative experience check. During experience phase, if the d20 is
equal to or higher than the virtue, no change takes place. If the d20 is
lower than the virtue, the virtue decreases by 1D4-1.
Example 1: Percippus the Priest has a Chastity of 15. He, and the party,
are staying at the castle of the Damosel of the Emerald Shroud. After
dinner, the Damosel reveals that in order to leave the castle, the party
must leave behind one member, who will act as her husband for a year and a
day; she has chosen Percippus. His Chastity would ordinarily forbid this,
but acting virtously would place the party, and its mission in danger.
Percippus must choose between Chastity and the mission. If he chooses to
assist the party, his Chastity is dropped by 1D3; if he chooses to remain
chaste, he gains a chastity check. A virtue check is rolled like an
experience check; roll equal to or above the number, and the virtue will
increase by one (decreasing the corresponding vice).
Example 2: Terquin the Forgiving must sit in judgement over a woman who
poached in order to feed her family. Justice demands that she be condemmed
to death for high treason. Mercy and forgiveness demand that she be set
free, since her crime was committed for understandible ends. Terquin has
a 17 in forgiveness, a 14 in justice, and a 12 in Mercy. Terquin must
choose which virtue he will uphold; that virtue will receive a virtue
check. Terquin must choose which of the other two virtues will receive
the negative experience check.
When adding virtues to an already generated character, assign each virtue
10
In addition, Each Passion over 15 is worth its magnitude in WILL.
Passions are player defined commitments to a given course of action.
Examples of Passions are Piety, (?Honor?), Amour, Love, Fear(subject),
Hate(subject), Loyalty([family, lord, etc]) etc.
Passions are increased and decreased in the same way as virtues; through
conflict with a character's life or other virtue/passion. Passions also
receive negative experience checks.
Will gained through virtues and passions represent the sacrifices,
dedication and willpower which has been excercised to reach the high
score. Record WIll from virtues separately on the character sheet.
Deeds
Adventurers can gain will through famous deeds; this form of will is also
known as Glory, Fame or Repuation. There are two forms of Glory; Glory
gained by completing famous tasks, and glory gained through duel. The GM
will announce when a famous task merits glory, and award glory at the
completion of that task, which will be divided among the individuals who
participated.
Duels are a common way to gain Glory. Whenever two strongwilled
individuals pit themselves against one another, the winner of the contest
gains glory for defeating the loser. This contest can be a traditional
duel, or a contest of skill, if it is sufficiently intense and meaningful.
Whenever 1) anyone expends will to change the results of a contest, or 2)
either contestant has a will of over 100, or 3) the troupe recognizes the
contest as significant for the development of the characters involved, the
victor will gain honor from the loser. FAME is almost always gained
through contests between two individuals, not from melee. The amount of
Fame which is at risk is equal to the WILL derived from all the skills
involved in the contest,(? plus the number of points of WILL expended?).
In addition to the FAME at risk, each participant gains 1 point of FAME
for each critical scored during the contest. This fame is gained
independently of the FAME at risk; the loser of the contest still gains
fame for critical successes, even if s/he loses FAME in the contest
overall.
Example 1: During the siege of the Orlanthi temple in the rubble, Gluk
StormKhan encounters (is drawn by chaos sense to...) the Lunar General.
Since both are heroes (will over 100), and since the troupe recognizes that
this is a major battle, a hero contest will take place. Gluk derives 7
points of WILL from his sword skill, 5 from his parry, and 15 from his
passion of HATE(CHAOS). The Lunar General derives 10 from his weapon
skill, 10 from his dodge. If the general were reknown for bravery (15+)
that would also be at stake. If Gluk wins, he will gain 20 Glory from the
Lunar General. If the General wins, he will gain 27 from Gluk. In this
particular case, the loser will not need to worry about reducing his or
her honor. If the loser survives, the honor lost comes from the WILL
points recorded for deeds. This may result in a negative WILL score for
deeds; if so, it decreases total WILL by the same amount. For example, if
the Lunar General decided to save Gluk, and exhibit him on a tour of the
Empire as a tame Stormbull, Gluk would lose the 27 points of Fame (Deeds
based WILL). If Gluk had only 20 points of FAME (Deriving the remainder
of his WILL from skills and virtues), his FAME (Deeds based WILL) would be
-7, and his total WILL would be reduced by the full 27 points. The sum of
WILL from statistics, WILL from virtues, WILL from deeds, and WILL from
runic power would equal total WILL, but WILL from deeds (FAME) would be
negative.
Example 2:
Vincenzo is challenged to a poetry contest before the High King of the
Elves; each contestant must compose a poem and recite it before the court.
Because this contest is visible, and because it is important to the
development of the character, the troupe decides to award FAME to the
victor. Only one skill is involved; Compose Poetry. Vincenzo has a skill
of 95%, so derives no fame. The High King's Bard has a skill of 150% and
derives 7 FAME from the skill. If Vincenzo wins, he gains 7 FAME. If he
loses, the High King's Bard gains nothing. Such are the risks of heroes
engaging normal folks in contests. If both Vincenzo and the High King's
Bard critical their skill roll, both gain 1 point of FAME, and the contest
must continue for another round of poetry
Runic Power
Some characters will derive will from their association with various
runes. This source of WILL is only available to Heroes on the hero plane.
WILLPOWER: USE
Will should be recorded from each of the four categories, then totalled
for a total will score, which will be used in play. WIll can be used in
the following ways.
Ensure success: Before performing any skill, the character can expend one
point of will to ensure that the skill will be successful. The die should
still be rolled to see if a critical or special results. Fumbles and
botches should be ignored.
Cancel Negative: After rolling the die and receiving a Botch or Fumble,
1D6 will may be expended to shift the die result one category towards the
positive. (E.g. Fumble -> Botch -> Failure -> Success = 3d6 will) (E.g.
Success -> Critical = 1D6 WILL).
Any expediture of will places FAME at risk. If the character finds the
contest sufficiently interesting to expend will to ensure success, the
character's FAME is at stake. The amount of FAME is equal to the amount
of WILL derived from the skill, unless other reasons make it greater.
Example: Shang has an 18 STR, which is worth 18 WILL. While travelling
through Sartar, he stops for a drink in a bar one night. The local
Blacksmith notices his muscles and challenges him to an armwrestling
contest. The tables are cleared, the contest begins, and to his chagrin,
Shang discovers he is losing. He expends one point of WILL to ensure that
the next resistance roll will go in his favour. The roll is a critical,
meaning the WILL was wasted, and Shang wins; the Smith nonetheless gains
FAME = Shang's STR. Since Shang won, he loses no FAME. Had Shang lost
after expending the WILL, the FAME would have been deducted from his FAME
score and added to the SMITHS.
-- Mark C. Wallace breah Sullivan: noonaut Copyright 1992 Mark C. Wallace. This version is freely redistributable as long as this copyright message is included. Commercial rights for derivative works are retained by the author. ======================================================================
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