Creating Emotional Attributes

[James Maliszewski]

I'm in the process of attempting to create a new racial stock for my own Burning Wheel campaign setting, in this case the descendants of angelic-human unions. Their emotional attribute is Pride and it represents their struggle against the overweening sense of self-importance that led to the Fall and the inauguration of the Second Creation.

The problem is that the example emotional attributes we have are quite varied and I'm unsure of how to proceed. Monster Burner doesn't give a lot of guidelines on this subject, so advice and suggestions would be helpful.

[Thor Olavsrud]

The problem is that the example emotional attributes we have are quite varied and I'm unsure of how to proceed. Monster Burner doesn't give a lot of guidelines on this subject, so advice and suggestions would be helpful.

The first thing we need to figure out is what does Pride do? How do you imagine it working in the campaign? What is the price of maxing out your Pride? What sorts of things increase Pride or test it? Is there any player incentive to INCREASE Pride?

We need to answer these before we start talking about numbers.

[James Maliszewski]

Pride tests a character when he is confronted with the opportunity to lord it over other of "lesser" station than himself. Pride is advanced any time the character takes charge or assumes leadership that's contrary to the established order, whether by being outright tyrannical or simply not properly deferring to those in legitimate authority (or, should the character have such authority, treating his underlings with due respect).

As I conceive it now, Pride would be used to fuel certain natural magical abilities that stem from the character's angelic heritage. Pride is not in itself a bad thing and appropriate pride in one's abilities and place in the universe is praiseworthy. So, ideally, I'd like it to be a double-edged sword such a character must contend with in order to avoid Luciferian fall from grace.

[Thor Olavsrud]

ok. Awesome. That's a good start. What role do you see these Nephilim playing in human society? Are they open about what they are? Are they revered? Hunted? Mistrusted? Worshipped?

What are the consequences of Pride that reaches exponent 10. Do they lose material existence and Fall to Hell? Do angels come to punish them? Do they succumb to such extreme megalomania that they challenge armies single-handedly?

[James Maliszewski]

ok. Awesome. That's a good start. What role do you see these Nephilim playing in human society? Are they open about what they are? Are they revered? Hunted? Mistrusted? Worshipped?

Non-fallen angelics, that is those whose Pride hasn't reached 10, exist in human society side by side with ordinary mortals. Their numbers are few and most of them are accorded noble status, although, by and large, they're excluded from positions of great power out of concern for the taint of their blood.

What are the consequences of Pride that reaches exponent 10. Do they lose material existence and Fall to Hell? Do angels come to punish them? Do they succumb to such extreme megalomania that they challenge armies single-handedly?

More the latter. I am envisioning Pride 10 angelics as consumed with megalomania and the need for others to bow down before them and acknowledge their power. Many such angelics become evil free agents, but some join the ranks of Hell in seeking to bring down the Second Creation in which mortal men have been chosen as Heaven's champions. However, the choice is theirs, so I don't want Pride 10 to force all angelics to serve the Adversary unless they make that decision for themselves.

[Thor Olavsrud]

However, the choice is theirs, so I don't want Pride 10 to force all angelics to serve the Adversary unless they make that decision for themselves.

You actually need to come to a decision on this, and it is eminently fair to take away player choice in this regard. When an Emotional Attribute reaches 10, the character is removed from play as a PC. Elves with Grief of 10 either waste away and die from their Grief or pass West. Dwarves with Greed of 10 lock themselves up with their hoards and die of starvation while entranced by their wealth. Orcs with a Hatred of 10 go on a homicidal ramapge and kill everything they can lay their hands on until they are killed or commit suicide.

So what do your angelics do? What happens to them? How will they be removed from play? This is the part of the Pride attribute that you are going to use as a stick. This is the part you want your players getting nervous about when their exponent starts getting high. Sure, their Pride has made them powerful, but call on it too much and they are going to get wacked by this.

[James Maliszewski]

Yes, you're right. I suppose, given the rather black and white morality of the setting overall, succumbing to overweening pride is one of the greatest of sins, so such an angelic is lost forever to evil. That'll work just fine.

[Thor Olavsrud]

Ok. Good. We've got a basic foundation. Now, the next step:

We know that Pride allows characters to open certain Angelic powers. How does Pride interact with those powers?

For instance, most Elven Songs are actually rooted in Will, not Grief. Grief just gives them ability to learn them. A few songs are actually rooted in Grief though. Are you going to model the powerz on Elven Songs/Dwarven Arts?

Will Angelics be able to 'Tap' their Pride the way Elves, Orcs, and Dwarves can tap their Grief/Hatred/Greed? In other words, will they be able to spend Deeds to add Pride dice to a roll?

Also, Dwarves are often put in situations where Greed forces them to make Steel tests and then react to a situation. Do you see Pride working like that? It's a more visceral experience than Elven Grief in that regard, and has a profound effect on the play experience.

Also, it's probably time to start thinking about a "hierarchy of sins" so to speak. Look at the Obstacle guides for Grief, Greed and Hatred, and use that as a template to conditions for Pride tests. You want Ob 1 to be really common. Something that happens all the freakin' time. And Ob 10 is a really over the top situation.

How does a character get the Pride trait? Are you designing a Born Angelic lifepath? Or do you want to use the Human LPs and make Pride an optional trait that players can buy on the Human Born... LPs?

Or do you want it to be a non-LP trait that any human character can buy at a premium (i.e., full price).

[James Maliszewski]

Some very excellent questions. I'll be pondering answers to them over the next couple of days and posting them here for additional feedback.

Thanks for your help so far; this has been a great help to me.

[Thor Olavsrud]

No problem James. My pleasure.