Disadvantage for being a witch?

[cupbearer]

Hi

I have two questions pertaining to costing out disadvantages:

1) what disadvantage would you use (and what would it cost) for a pseudo historical game where witches (who can actually practice magic) are hunted down and killed by the state (and 85% of adventures will take place here)? Lets assume the character in question is not known by the hunting organization, and there are no discernible marks or tests to determine who is and is not a witch, but obviously using magic with witnesses or being betrayed by people who know you're secret could result in the state coming after you with impossible to defeat forces?

2) same world, on the flip side, on the fringes of society there are faerie courts and such where religious people are hated, not nescessarily killed on sight, but say -4 reaction penalty and these societies make up 15% of where the adventures will take place, I assume you would use Social stigma but how would you cost it out?

thanks.

[David Johnston2]

Being a secret witch is a Secret.

I wouldn't use a Social Stigma for a reaction penalty that doesn't apply to the reference society. Instead I'd use "Reputation -4 from faeries"

[acrosome]

Originally Posted by cupbearer

1) what disadvantage would you use (and what would it cost) for a pseudo historical game where witches (who can actually practice magic) are hunted down and killed by the state (and 85% of adventures will take place here)?

That sounds like the very definition of a 30-point Secret (exposure may result in a death sentence), see Basic Set p.152.

Originally Posted by cupbearer

2) same world, on the flip side, on the fringes of society there are faerie courts and such where religious people are hated, not nescessarily killed on sight, but say -4 reaction penalty and these societies make up 15% of where the adventures will take place, I assume you would use Social stigma but how would you cost it out?

Sounds like a negative Reputation with a very small group size for 1/3x cost. Reputation is supposed to be personal reputation, though, so maybe Social Stigma does work better, again with the 1/3x modifier. Maybe even Social Stigma (Monster), which is -15 points, x1/3 = -5 points for the small group who considers you a religious monster. Social Stigma (Monster) is -3 reaction penalty.

[simply Nathan]

Secret: Possible Death, transforming into Enemy: Hunter if found out.

[Phantasm]

For the first, I would say Secret (Possible Death) [-30] for how you describe it.

For the second, I would probably just give Intolerance (Mortals) a common disad among the fae folk; I wouldn't apply any Social Stigma to the PCs because of the NPCs' Intolerance. I might give the PCs an Enemy (Rival) if they attract the unwanted attention of one of the Fae, though.

[(E)]

Possibly a limitation on the characters "witch" powers as well?

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by Phantasm

For the first, I would say Secret (Possible Death) [-30] for how you describe it.

For the second, I would probably just give Intolerance (Mortals) a common disad among the fae folk; I wouldn't apply any Social Stigma to the PCs because of the NPCs' Intolerance. I might give the PCs an Enemy (Rival) if they attract the unwanted attention of one of the Fae, though.

Op said their fey were intolerant of religious people not all humanity.
Even in very devout societies, most fervent believers can probably keep their mouths shut when dealing with the supernatural. That would make the loud zealots the minority, and honestly, who doesn't dislike them?
I'd call it a quirk intolerance for most settings.

[dfinlay]

Originally Posted by cupbearer

Hi

I have two questions pertaining to costing out disadvantages:

1) what disadvantage would you use (and what would it cost) for a pseudo historical game where witches (who can actually practice magic) are hunted down and killed by the state (and 85% of adventures will take place here)? Lets assume the character in question is not known by the hunting organization, and there are no discernible marks or tests to determine who is and is not a witch, but obviously using magic with witnesses or being betrayed by people who know you're secret could result in the state coming after you with impossible to defeat forces?

2) same world, on the flip side, on the fringes of society there are faerie courts and such where religious people are hated, not necessarily killed on sight, but say -4 reaction penalty and these societies make up 15% of where the adventures will take place, I assume you would use Social stigma but how would you cost it out?

thanks.

1) Secret (Possible Death) [-30] and I'd probably also put a limitation (-10% maybe) on their magic for "can't use openly". Do be wary of people taking less than 30 points of magic and just not using it - for this to be acceptable, there should be other ways for the secret to get out.

2) Social stigma needs to be readily apparent, so to get it, the character would have to, for example, always wear a cross openly, even when that would be a bad idea. If so, probably a -10 Social Stigma makes sense there (though note this usually only gives a -2 reaction penalty) and if not, Secret (Serious Embarrassment) [-5]. Either way, there should be an Accessibility on these for "Only in the fringes". By the chart in Powers, this would only be worth 5% of the disadvantage value for 15% of the time, but I would probably be generous and give them 20% of it. (so -1 or -2 points depending on how open about their religious nature they are).

[Andreas]

A Secret is not necessarily appropriate, at least not without a limitation.

Secrets come with plot consequences which guarantee that they will keep coming up, while many witches in a setting like that could avoid it just by not using their magic.

"Regardless of the solution, however, it’s only temporary – the Secret will appear again and again until either you buy it off with earned character points or it is finally revealed."

[talonthehand]

Originally Posted by Andreas

A Secret is not necessarily appropriate, at least not without a limitation.

Secrets come with plot consequences which guarantee that they will keep coming up, while many witches in a setting like that could avoid it just by not using their magic.

"Regardless of the solution, however, it’s only temporary – the Secret will appear again and again until either you buy it off with earned character points or it is finally revealed."

If your character has never used magic ever, then sure. But otherwise, you could still have a witchhunter snooping around if an old client ratted you out.