[Mortal Coil] Passions

[Brennan Taylor]

OK, here is one part of the system I am currently working on. Basically, this game is a diceless system where actions are taken by allocating Action tokens toward a goal. All characters also have several passion attributes in the game, and they work as follows:

Passions
There are several dramatic passions a character possesses as well. These should be used in play to bring a bit of drama to a character, as well as to define her motivations and connections to other individuals.

The Passions
These passions describe some powerful emotion the character possesses:

Duty: A passion for duty indicates something that the character feels obligated to do, for whatever reason, but does not truly enjoy. Duty is generally pursued out some sense of higher responsibility, a feeling that some things take priority over emotion. Duties could include such things as diverse as family, the priesthood, service to another individual, loyalty to one's organization, a principle (journalistic integrity, for example), etc.

Fear: A passion of fear is some area where the character is completely terrified and motivated quite strongly out of aversion. Fear motivates the character to avoid the object of the fear, or, if that is not possible, to cower or bargain in attempt to avoid perceived harm. Fears can include phobias, other individuals (often the case with servitor beings in the spirit world–they fear their master rather than love him), or more abstract fears such as loneliness, abandonment, etc.

Hate: A passion of hate motivates the character through his loathing and longing to destroy something. This passion is similar to fear, but the character is motivated to act rather than avoid acting. The character will do what he can to harm, hinder, or otherwise damage the object of his hate. Hate could be directed at an individual, the mob, drug dealers, one's self, certain nationalities or skin colors, the police, etc.

Love: A passion of love is someone or something that the character cares deeply about. Like duty, a character is motivated to act selflessly toward the object of her love. Love can also inspire jealousy. Regardless, the character is motivated to help and protect the object of her love. The character will willingly make sacrifices on behalf of her love. Love can be directed at an individual, a group, an activity, some abstract concept (art, for example), one's self, etc.

You can have more than one of the same type of passion (a love for more than one thing, for example).

Starting Passions
All characters must spend five points on their passions. These points should be distributed among the things the character cares about. It is rare for an individual to have only one passion, and really rather unhealthy. The rankings of the passions are listed below:

1: Mild. The character has a great interest in the source of this passion, and will devote time and emotional energy to it whenever she feels she is able.

2: Strong. The character's passion is beyond an interest and is now a calling. This passion motivates her on many levels, and she will go out of her way to make time for this passion.

3: Profound. The character devotes most of her time and energy to the pursuit of this passion. This passion has become the main focus of her life, but she still has room for other things.

4: Feverish. The character is nearly consumed by this passion. It is constantly in her thoughts, and she rarely takes action unmotivated by this passion.

5: Obsessive. The character is completely ruled by this passion. She thinks of nothing else, and every action she takes is considered through the prism of this passion. Passions of this level are extremely pathological
and unhealthy.

Calling on Passions
During play, a character can call on her passion when performing some action. If the action has a direct and positive relationship to the character's passion (she is attempting to help a person she loves, for example), she gains a free passion token to sacrifice on the action. This passion token may only be used for the action in question, and is lost if
not used. The character's score in the passion indicates how many times per session she can call on her passion in this way.

Conversely, if a character's action directly contradicts a passion (she is trying to face the object of her fear, for example), she must commit an extra action token just to perform the action. The GM can rule that a character must do this a number of times per session equal to the character's passion score.

Passions in Play
The higher ranked the passion, the more likely some conflict involving the passion is going to come up. Characters with five points in a passion are unlikely to take any actions that do not directly relate to the passion.

Passions are not static. Players can choose to move points from one passion to another during play. New passions can be created and old ones retired in this way. If some event has taken place in play which the player
believes will change his character's passions, he must merely announce his intention to move points. With GM approval, he can do so.

One of the things missing from this mechanic, I think, is a really strong tie into the reward system. I think when passions are evoked during play, the character should earn a bonus token (usable to boost action success in the game). Actually, my reward mechanic is the weakest part of the system so far, I think.

Any thoughts?

[TonyLB]

Are you only looking at actions that the player intends their character to suceed at?  It seems like that would disproportionately encourage Love and Duty, while punishing Hate and Fear.

By contrast, I think the system would balance out nicely if you could also gain a Passion token (for use on any later action) by deliberately failing to face your fears.  It encourages the player to buy into their characters limitations, by giving them a chance to be a more forceful protagonist later (in exchange for voluntarily weakening themself now).

Obviously you can also succeed at things because of Hate, or fail at things because of Love.  But many actual campaigns will have a slant one way or another, and if you only represent the success side of the coin then your players become vulnerable to that slant, whatever it turns out to be.

I hope this helps!

[Brennan Taylor]

Are you only looking at actions that the player intends their character to suceed at?  It seems like that would disproportionately encourage Love and Duty, while punishing Hate and Fear.

Yes, it seems a bit biased, esp. against Fear, because of that. (Hate is actually surprisingly useful for actions in game, at least in play so far.) I think maybe your suggestion would be a good one. Obviously, there needs to be a quick, tangible reward for using these. Maybe the player could be rewarded for using them against his own character as well.