New Outlook Rules
The Outlook of a character is the conscience and temperament that forms the basis for morality and behavior. A player needs to utilize these two primary statistics in order to quantify roleplaying psychological stimuli. While this is a defining baseline for attitude and behavior, it is not a cardboard caricature. The character is not bound to the same actions but is given a spectrum of behavior based upon their worldview.
The Conscience is the root morality of the persona. This is derived from four basic archetypes and the willpower of the character. This morality is shaped from experiences and education over time. The Temperament is the standard modus operandi for the persona. While moods will vary from day to day, this is the basic attitude description for character behavior.
This will determine much about how the character is role-played. It is not necessary to display these traits at all times, but they do affect the way you react to a situation. Moods can change, particularly with the temperament, however the outlook is who the character is and a WILL Roll may be necessary to act against your Outlook.
Keep in mind that culturally speaking, different outlooks will be perceived differently. What may considered abhorrent behavior by the French might be high society to the Romans. With so many cultures and historical periods in one place, decorum and morality often clash.
Changing an outlook is possible, although it should not be done often. The Arbitrator and the player should determine if a change in outlook is needed and if the circumstances have made it logical. Sometimes, the actions of a persona or the events happening over a course of time to the persona will give cause for the Arbitrator to justify changing the outlook for a player. As with all things it should be a logical change and rare.
The conscience is divided into four archetypes as follows:
Heroic: You look at the world as if you are but part of the whole. Your goals are important, but so is the greater good. Ultimately, when faced with a crisis of morality, you choose the needs of the many over the needs of the few.
Sinister: You look at the world as if it is there to facilitate your existence. You are not evil, but your goals are simply more important than those of others that run counter to yours. When faced with a crisis of morality, you choose the needs of yourself over the needs of others.
Fanatic: You have found a code of ethics and follow it exactly. Morality does not interfere with the letter of your code. Your actions are seen as stubborn and foolhardy at times, but you are not insane and will bend when needed, but you are dedicated to your cause. When facing a crisis of morality, you follow your code above all others.
Apathetic: You generally could not care less about anything. You are seen as unreliable or at times worthless by some and amicable or easy-going to others. The truth is that you believe in doing whatever is expected in the situation. You will follow a leader where possible, otherwise when facing a crisis of morality, you opt to follow whatever precedent is set by law or others before you.
Choosing the Outlook
To pick the Conscience, first take 6 points and put them in any of the four categories. Each must have at least one to start. Next take the value of the WILL from the persona and add one point for each WILL to any of the consciences up to a total of 6. Additional Willpower bought with EXP will likewise improve the conscience in this fashion.
Conscience can also be changed by roleplaying effort. Temperament is likewise chosen at character creation, but may be changed permanently as determined by the Arbitrator due to roleplaying.
Crisis of Morality
When a persona is faced with a decision that might pose a moral dilemma, it is called a crisis of morality. In these occasions the choice must be made to act according to one’s conscience or to act against this morality to a different end. This means that the two (or sometimes more) options must be weighed and judged.
To determine action, the player will roll their appropriate conscience vs the corresponding conscience to see if they how they follow. Much like the fabled angel and devil on the shoulders, whichever conscience value rolls higher will determine action.
Should another player attempt to talk a player our of actions that would run according to their conscience, they would roll their CHA vs the WILL of the player first to determine if they can force the player to enter a crisis of morality.
Example:
Jacques Le Peyton discovered that the small town with abnormal riches was taking advantage of a witch’s child. Knowing that this child was barely a year old but capable of granting wishes and changing reality meant that in the wrong hands this child could become a tyrant’s tool or worse, grow up to be a monster herself. Jacques was faced with a Crisis of Morality - to destroy the heretical child and end the threat or to allow a clearly innocent child to live and risk a greater threat.
Jacques rolled his Heroic 3 (the needs of the many) vs his Fanatic 3 (Law says never harm innocents or children) for a result of (H)3,6,2 and (F) 2,5,1. In this case, the needs of the many (Heroic Conscience) won the day and Jacques destroyed the child as he wept at what he had to do.
Example:
In Breitenburg, when Phillip was fighting the vampire lord Raziel, Phillip became aware that Raziel was no longer an empowered vampire. His code told him not to kill the weak mortal, but Cadhla made the case that Raziel will just come after them or others again. He rolled his CHA (3,5) vs Phillip’s WILL (6,3,4) and was unsuccessful. Phillip did not roll Crisis of Morality and left the room, Raziel lived for a few more moments - until Cadhla, who had less conflicting morality, finished the job.
Note: These rules are optional to existing rules for Outlook found in the core rulebook. The Arbitrator should establish which ruleset she will be using during the adventure.
