Since someone brought up Virtues, seems like a relevant time as any to repost my
Virtue Hack and use that as a springboard for posting something else I have been tinkering with, using it as a mechanical foundation.
Revamped Natures:
Its no surprise to anyone that I'm fairly critical of "overly freeform" mechanics like 2e Motivation which make no attempt to help the player
use them ingame, or establish limits for helping create them. I was always a fan of 1e's Natures however, because while they were inconsistently-useful in scope and supplied you with a very simplistic cast of characters and motivating factors, it
did do an incredible job giving players short-term goals which could easily be slotted into a greater story than "Avenge my household upon the nobility of Gem" and similar. So while Motivation failed in making a "Character Arc Summary" which could be applied effectively, and Natures failed by making some options Vastly better than others (every action-centric game eventually self-selects over time for Gallants and Bravos), I still think there is some merit to be found in shorthand "Archetypal Sketches" to help players more easily scrape together who their characters Are and how they fit into the world.
So that said, there are some concepts I need to introduce first.
Attitudes:
Every character begins a scene with a goal or emotion in mind, either consciously or unconsciously, like angrily pounding down the door of an exploitative landlord, and this is what defines her Attitude. It is a one-word summary of her approach and demeanor which is visible to all parties, before she makes any attempt to mask her intent. Relevant examples would be Wary, Curious, Combative or Aloof.
Attitudes serve as the first impression she gives in social situations, such as playing the part of the bad cop during an intimidation attempt, or attempting to pass as an incorrigible flirt during a palace ball. It takes a full action to deliberately start projecting a new Attitude, as she centers her anger with purpose, breathes deeply to calm her emotions, 'switches on' her actor's persona, or otherwise takes obvious effort to change her outward demeanor.
Generally this "I was happy, now I am sad" information goes unspoken as a standard part of roleplaying a character, but is called out here for the sake of mutual clarity and establishing signposts for Storyteller and players to work together on. As an extension of roleplaying, characters can display any number of Attitudes representing the way her interactions are colored between herself and her audience, limited only by the number of people she is interacting with. Switching rapidly from one Attitude to another in full view of other parties will surely impact the general perceptions of the encounter however, such as snubbing someone by presenting a Playful Attitude one moment and being Cold the next, and so players should plan accordingly.
Shocks:
When a plan of approach conclusively does not work out as expected, unforeseen information comes to light, or the character is goaded into dropping all pretense of her original Attitude, this is considered a Shock. Perhaps Anger was not the correct direction to take the court proceedings and now she must backpedal to recover her position, or perhaps her day is ruined by overhearing news that her master has died. Forced to reassess herself and her perspective on the situation, she immediately displays a new Attitude which cannot be the same as any previous, though it may certainly be informed by it. It is only natural to go from Wary to Trusting when an informant reveals herself to be a friend is disguise all along.
Shocks are largely a tool for the player to announce when an Attitude is being changed in ways that don't map to a gradual change in mood or ongoing events. That being said, there are still external methods, such as social Charms, which can jar the player out of complacency and inflict a Shock on the character.
What are Shock Conditions?
Generally-speaking, a shock condition is a failure-state which narrows down the character's available Attitudes to those adhering to her Nature's associated Defining Virtue. When things do not go her way, her temper brews in silence, or when she finds herself on the back foot, it is her analytical mind which inevitably comes to the forefront.
Any time the character is forced to take on a new Attitude as a result of a Shock which targets the Defining Virtue of her Nature, instead she rolls its rating against a difficulty of how many Willpower she has regained in the scene from invoking that Nature, including those enabled by other players. On a failure or 0, the new Attitude chosen must be colored by the listed Shock Condition until her Attitude changes again or else that Willpower is deducted from her current total. Thankfully, this roll counts against the limit of one per scene that a character may be tested for her Virtues. If she wishes to gain back control of her emotions quicker, she must spend an action to deliberately apply a new Attitude, as above.
But mechanics aside, the purpose of Shock Conditions is to not to automate character responses, or take control away from her player. It is intended to encourage unexpected conflict, introduce changes caused by irrational decision-making, and sometimes force the player into proactively working against her better judgment and Virtues, as opposed to indulging them. While limited by her Defining Virtue, there is still freedom to interpret how that Virtue manifests in her Attitude, and while her outward impression may change, her behavior and actions are her own to decide.
Example Attitudes:
Empathy – Pity, Comforting, Remorseful, Ashamed, Encouraging.
Determination – Dogmatic, Purposeful, Calculating, Upbeat, Inspired.
Conduct – Demure, Pedantic, Fussy, Agonized, Discreet.
Wrath – Hateful, Righteous, Offended, Resentful, Cold.
Lastly, a note on presentation and use. Each Nature has three Keystones which define the character, her methods or her personality. Beyond simply being the seed at the center of a concept and possibly forming some of her Intimacies, if another player explicitly invokes one of these Keystones or a relevantly-tied Intimacy to spur the character into action, both characters gain the respective Willpower bonuses from her actions.
Groups who make heavy use of each other characters Keystones will find themselves with consistently more Willpower at the beginnings of each scene than those who push onward alone. This is a deliberate design decision, both to keep players invested in eachothers characters and reward them for doing so, and also prevent characters from stalling out on Willpower gain because she has not yet had the creativity or right circumstances show up to shine properly.
And that said,
Natures:
The Caregiver: "Nothing is broken, simply neglected."
The character has a
Special Gift or Knowledge that she wields to enrich others and reduce suffering, bolstered by
High Ideals About The World. Where problems lie and inequalities appear, she will shoulder them, because someone has too. But this persistent urge to protect and make a difference may find her confronted with
A Cause Worth Dying For. Without anyone to support her own struggles in return, how much will she sacrifice for those in need?
Gain a Willpower during a scene when you've measurably improve the life of another, and one more at the start of the next scene if the recipient was ungrateful for the gesture.
Shock Condition: Act selfishly, you've earned it.
Defining Virtue: Compassion
The Creator: "Small goals make for small minds."
The character is driven to
Create a Lasting Legacy to endure through the ages, whether it be a new social order, a kingdom or artistic movement. Her imagination and skill are her tools to
Bring Order and Progress to a staid land of countless miseries. But while she toils to accomplish great things, the urge to begin
Second-Guessing is an ever-present pitfall. Will she achieve her mighty legacy, or compromise her goal for something more safe and secure?
Gain a Willpower during a scene when you organized unexpected ingenuity, and another at the start of the next scene if it was wasted effort.
Shock Condition: Divert blame away from yourself.
Defining Virtue: Temperance
The Crusader: "I alone will succeed."
The character has
Something To Prove either to herself or some greater power, but no matter the circumstances will not be denied. There is an
Unspoken Innocence to her desires, insisting if she will be held to a high standard and punished for not meeting it, then she must be the one to set the bar. But while none other will hold sway over her, by becoming
Her Own Judge and Jailer she closes herself off from those who care. Is self-validation truly the secret to happiness she has been missing, or does she war with herself to resist changing her attitudes?
Gain a Willpower during a scene when you put yourself in danger to make a point, and another at the start of the next scene if that danger was preventable.
Shock Condition: Make the situation all about you.
Defining Virtue: Valor
The Destroyer: "Remove every flaw, and what you have left is perfection."
The character
Demands Change and forges her own path through every obstacle against it as an
Indiscriminate Force. Ineffectual authorities, unrecognized weakness or shortcomings, she will strip out every single one to make her revolution a reality. She strives, and by striving chips away at even monolithic entities under the weight her righteousness. It is possible she can perform her job too well though, punishing herself and alienating those closest to her with
Impossible Ideals to live up too. Does her worldview end with fresh beginnings, or a renewed cycle of violence?
Gain a Willpower during a scene when you purge a harmful influence, and one more at the start of the next scene if it held significant value despite this.
Shock Condition: Cause irreparable damage to an important object, relationship or goal.
Defining Virtue: Conviction
The Explorer: "Fresh dirt under your feet is like new air in your lungs."
The character quests to leave behind
An Old Past and lead a more fulfilling life, something perhaps very well hidden away with lost places, peoples and things. Potential for the unexpected fuels her
Wanderlust, and she keeps abreast of current events of all kinds for the latest experiences to add to her impulsive pilgrimage. But living as a free spirit is not everything it is cracked up to be, because sights and sounds cannot hope to fill an
Inner Emptiness of Purpose. With an entire world laid out ahead of her, does she have a destination in mind or plan to run from her problems forever?
Gain a Willpower during a scene when you discover something remarkable, and one more at the start of the next scene if it wasn't worth the trouble.
Shock Condition: Find an escape from the situation.
Defining Virtue: Valor
The Fool: "Everything comes and goes."
The character pursues
A Nobler Cause and does not feel worthy to command it, yet nevertheless
Wishes to Belong among the kind of folk who hold such values so tightly. Taking center stage is not her way, though she will push from below with all her strength to see her allies into victory on that common faith. But this desire to support and follow orders is tempered by her
Lack of Ambition to demand greater things of herself and those around her. Will she find someone or some thing worth throwing her weight behind, or will she settle for a lesser vision when the time comes to march headfirst into hell?
Gain a Willpower during a scene when you take the easy route, and another at the start of the next scene if you get no credit for your success.
Shock Condition: This has become all your fault now.
Defining Virtue: Compassion
The Jester: "If anything is worth doing, it's worth enjoying."
The character wields her
Outgoing and Irreverent Humor to overcome sorrow and gloom, adding punchlines to cues given by insane circumstances. But this is not a selfish act at others expense, her pursuit of an entertaining demeanor masks an
Unexpected Mature Side urging hope and strength to continue despite poor situations. For all good intentions she is still human, and so her
Timing Can Be Suspect at best. With a playful nature as her only coping mechanism against the ills of the world, will her efforts be seen for the attempted comfort it is, or merely frivolous time-wasting?
Gain a Willpower during a scene when you lighten the mood or ease tensions, and another at the start of the next scene if this didn't remove the source of unease.
Shock Condition: Time to find a more receptive audience.
Defining Virtue: Conviction
The Lover: "Life is more than the sum of its parts."
The character thrives on personal connections and building
Bonds of Intimacy between those closest to her, intent on creating a
Support Network to shield tender hearts from loneliness, including her own. She is a loyal mediator, an enthusiast of relationships in every form, matchmaker and team-builder beyond measure. But her insatiable need to please can encourage her to
Live Vicariously Through Another instead of finding her own experiences. Will she create a voice for herself with these bonds, or define her life by who and what she holds dear?
Gain a Willpower during a scene when you place trust in someone despite the odds, and another at the start of the next scene if this is a mistake.
Shock Condition: Lash out unfairly.
Defining Virtue: Compassion
The Ruler: "The line is drawn here."
The character seeks out a
Power She Desires, and as a result she has or sees
Something To Dominate which defines her. Leadership and decision-making comes easy, and she stakes her worth on forcing others to react around her dominating figure. But with power comes
Potential For Loss, and her fears all revolve around that risk. When the time comes, will her demanding pursuit of authority and control protect her lofty ambition or undermine it?
Gain a Willpower during a scene when you issue an ultimatum, and another at the start of the next scene if you couldn't follow through on it.
Shock Condition: Escalate the situation.
Defining Virtue: Valor
The Sage: "Pay attention, everything teaches a lesson."
The character knows a
Riddle In Need Of An Answer, which if unlocked will increase her understanding of the world she lives in. Her
Rational and Methodological Approach always helps her weather the most unforeseen crisis, so long as she follows the proper procedures. But for all her desire to study and accumulate knowledge,
Small Sample Sizes can lead to losing sight of the bigger issues, caught up with and blinded by formal policies or minutia. Is her mission an attempt find objective truths, or just a quest for evidence to validate her own biases?
Gain a Willpower during a scene when you must alter plans because of new information, and another at the start of the next scene if that information was flawed or incomplete.
Shock Condition: Stall for time to think.
Defining Virtue: Temperance
The Survivor: "I'm fine."
The character endures through a
Reputation of Strength, which she has earned by accumulating a
Notable History of Trials and Adversity. With a combination of arrogance and courage she lives or dies by her own terms, leaving little room for those who cannot keep pace. But she is no fearless martyr, and suffers in order to overcome a
Hidden Weakness she refuses to recognize. How far can her personal limits be pushed before she begins to falter?
Gain a Willpower during a scene when you endure meaningful hardship, and another at the start of the next scene if keeping silent prolonged it longer than necessary.
Shock Condition: Take more pain, you can handle it.
Defining Virtue: Conviction
The Visionary: "Think about the big picture."
The character has an
Impossible Dream that exceeds her grasp for now, but she will shape it into being by the
Unflagging Intensity of her ideals. While she has dedicated her life to this task, she recognizes that her own is not the only dream, and working together to achieve many dreams can only help everyone involved. This communal enthusiasm, while laudable, can also cause her to become
Dismissive or Marginalizing of those incapable of seeing her agenda beyond the bounds of conventional imagination. When her plans shift to the final phases, was she always looking for allies, or just pawns to manipulate into supporting her grand vision?
Gain a Willpower during a scene when everyone could benefit from your proposals, and one more at the start of the next scene if it has unintended consequences.
Shock Condition: You might be wrong, but you're always right.
Defining Virtue: Temperance
Additionally as a final note, the old "Paragon" Natures gave some very good high-concept reads of what the various Exalt types were "about" insofar as their primary stories and themes, which was lost in the port to 2e. There is nothing especially stopping the option of Exalt-specific Natures in this vein, catering to particularly iconic concepts such as these:
Paragon of the Old World (Solar Exalted):
With such mighty power and the weight of history bestowed upon her, the Solar knows in her heart what is right and noble, and shoulders the
Tremendous Responsibility about how it should be used to benefit others. Though the ills of the world may have rendered her
Intolerant of Human Foibles, including her own, what stings the most is the lack of acceptance misconstruing her
Altruistic Deeds as self-righteous posturing. Does she truly act with the common good in mind, or are these the empty gestures of a guilty conscience seeking atonement for sins not of her own making?
Gain a Willpower during a scene when you reawaken an ancient dispute, and another at the start of the next scene if you or your own past life was the cause.
Shock Condition: Take command.
Defining Virtue: Conviction
