Personality Traits in D&D 4e
Apr. 6th, 2010 08:32 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kent_allard_jrFive years ago I posted ideas for personality stats in D&D. After leafing through Pendragon last night, I thought I'd return to the subject.
I would never want die rolls to compel PCs to do one thing or another; fundamental decisions should always be left up to the player. Nevertheless, there is a fundamental divide between players and their characters, related to sensation. You don't see what your PC sees, you can't feel the aching in his joints, the hunger in his belly, or the pain of a blade piercing his skin. This is necessary to a certain extent: Most of us wouldn't go adventuring if we had to suffer as much as our PCs; heroism is much easier when you're guaranteed physical comfort. Still, we may want to know when our characters are suffering, and a personality stat system could help with that.
I chose three traits -- Lust, Pride and Sloth -- in the original article. Trait names were taken from the Seven Deadly Sins (obviously), but I chose those that represented fundamental human drives and desires. I combined Gluttony and Sloth together because, in a fantasy game context, I thought they could be satiated at the same time.
In 4e terms, each trait is generated like a standard ability score, as shown in the Player's Handbook. Each trait starts at 10, and you spend 11 points between them; alternatively assign an array of 10, 12, 16; or roll 4d6 for each and add up the highest three values. Traits increase as the character levels up; add 1 to each at 4th, 8th, 14th, 18th, 24th and 28th level, and 3 to each at 11th and 21st level.
Every time the character levels, the player must make three attack rolls against his Will defense, one for each of the three personality traits. These rolls can be skipped if the character has satiated the given "drive": Had pleasurable sex, received significant validation, or spent time in rest and comfort. Success in attack roll means the character is distracted and demoralized. What this means in game terms is, well ... something that needs to be determined. Watch this space, I guess.
I would never want die rolls to compel PCs to do one thing or another; fundamental decisions should always be left up to the player. Nevertheless, there is a fundamental divide between players and their characters, related to sensation. You don't see what your PC sees, you can't feel the aching in his joints, the hunger in his belly, or the pain of a blade piercing his skin. This is necessary to a certain extent: Most of us wouldn't go adventuring if we had to suffer as much as our PCs; heroism is much easier when you're guaranteed physical comfort. Still, we may want to know when our characters are suffering, and a personality stat system could help with that.
I chose three traits -- Lust, Pride and Sloth -- in the original article. Trait names were taken from the Seven Deadly Sins (obviously), but I chose those that represented fundamental human drives and desires. I combined Gluttony and Sloth together because, in a fantasy game context, I thought they could be satiated at the same time.
In 4e terms, each trait is generated like a standard ability score, as shown in the Player's Handbook. Each trait starts at 10, and you spend 11 points between them; alternatively assign an array of 10, 12, 16; or roll 4d6 for each and add up the highest three values. Traits increase as the character levels up; add 1 to each at 4th, 8th, 14th, 18th, 24th and 28th level, and 3 to each at 11th and 21st level.
Every time the character levels, the player must make three attack rolls against his Will defense, one for each of the three personality traits. These rolls can be skipped if the character has satiated the given "drive": Had pleasurable sex, received significant validation, or spent time in rest and comfort. Success in attack roll means the character is distracted and demoralized. What this means in game terms is, well ... something that needs to be determined. Watch this space, I guess.
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no subject
Date: 2010-04-06 09:53 pm (UTC)How about Fear spells in D&D, or Phobia disads in GURPS, or the Berserk disad in Champions?
no subject
Date: 2010-04-06 10:09 pm (UTC)I guess the problem with personality traits is that they have the potential to dictate behavior to everyone at any time. Fear spells (and compulsions) last a few rounds; disads only effect those who take them; you don't worry about Sanity except when the Cthulhu Mythos wanders into town. Abuse the Lust rules, though, and you force everyone to behave like porno characters.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-07 01:32 am (UTC)Seriously, it depends on how you implement the personality mechanics. The edition of Pendragon I read stated explicitly that giving in to Lust didn't mean your character immediately tried to jump someone's bones, it just meant that they indulged their lust in some way. Flirting with your liege's wife would qualify, for example.
In third-edition Fate, Aspect compels can be used for a personality mechanic, but it's made clear that the person whose character is being compelled gets to decide on the form it takes, as long as it's something that causes them some kind of trouble.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-07 02:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-07 02:32 am (UTC)Shouldn't your scores, given the scaling, be named after the Seven Heavenly Virtues? You know, Chastity, Temperance, Humility, etc...
no subject
Date: 2010-04-07 02:55 am (UTC)