XerExaltedLite/Beliefs
Types of Beliefs
- XerExaltedLite/Socialize - back to Social Combat
The core of what a person believes are called their Foundations. These are typically a few base precepts which they hold absolute above all else. The strongest of these, in almost all cases, is their sense of Self, which draws from Willpower.
That which is derived from Foundations are called Doctrines. While Foundations can be expressed in short sentiments, Doctrines are large, ponderous arenas.
Foundations
At their core, people have certain fundamental beliefs. These are called Foundations. A Foundation can be expressed in a single sentance, although it can encompass a much larger work, some examples are:
- A given text(and sometimes a specific version of it) is infallible. Ie, the Immaculate Texts.
- Killing, outside of self defense, is wrong.
- Killing without need is wrong.
- I can be certain of my own existance.
- I can be certain that I do perceive, even if it may not be true.
- We must act on what we perceive.
- Everyone has a right to freedom.
- I have my own right to freedom.
- Anathema cannot tell truth.
- Anathema are masterful deceivers.
These are not all equal. It is easier, for instance, to find a conflicting statement in a large written text (and, of course, convince them it is conflicting) than it is to convince someone that they don't truly exist in any fashion. Some can even be shattered relatively easily - an Anathema can certainly tell the truth when it suits her, and one can argue that killing outside of self defense can be right (in defense of another, in need of food, and so on).
Many times, Foundations will merely change when it is determined that change is necessary. They are almost never shattered completely.
- Something like 2+2=4 is nearly infinite. Methods for arguing against basic logic are only going to stump the least intelligent of individuals - adding additional dimensions or playing games with the actual value of 2 is more of a joke than an arguement. These things should not be even considered Foundations.
Outside of trivial matters like the above, Players and Storytellers should know what these are for their important characters. Players have Foundations based off of their virtues, and a sense of self identity based off of their permanent Willpower. These are assigned much like Passions are for ghosts and indeed, many carry such things as devotion to their family into death. What a dot purchases, however, is different.
Each dot creates a point of regeneration for a specific belief, as well as adding a point to its soak. This gets applied after actual damage is dealt, but before damage's effects are resolved.
Doctrines
Beneath the Foundation are Doctrines. Doctines are often loosely based upon, or derived from, Foundations. A Doctrine is a set of beliefs covering a specific area - often morality, or large parts of myth (Anathema are Evil). Doctrines are a lot more detailed than the Foundations they grow from, even including a text that might be considered infallible.
For example, the Immaculate Doctrine has its statements about the evils of Anathema, but there are also countless stories detailing just what the Anathema all *did*.
Doctrines merely add the soak of the Foundation they derive from. Each Foundation will have a limited number of Doctrines supporting it.
Comments
this is very cool- HeWhoSpeaksOfDarkness
