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Old 06-08-2018, 12:47 PM   #1
johndallman
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cambridge, UK
Default [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Disciplines of Faith

Disciplines of Faith [-5, -10 or -15] is a self-imposed mundane mental disadvantage. You live according to a strict set of rules, derived from the principles of your religion. This may be a personal choice, or the religion may demand it from members, possibly in certain orders or above a given rank. Not all religions allow this disadvantage, and few have all of its possible forms. It appeared during the 3e period, apparently in GURPS Religion.

Example disciplines in Basic include (Asceticism), (Monasticism), (Mysticism) and (Ritualism): their values depend on how restrictive they are. Disciplines of Faith are commonly prerequisites for advantages that allow drawing on divine power, and are very suitable for use with the Pact limitation on abilities.

Disciplines of Faith shows up fairly often as an option on templates for religious people, martial artists, and some kinds of charitable folk. Adaptions points out that some difficult skills, such as psionic or chi powers, may require extensive meditation and mental exercises, which amount to the same kind of behaviour without necessarily being faith-based. Banestorm Mystics, plus some Bards, have this disadvantage. DF clerics, druids, elementalists and shamans have (Mysticism) or (Ritualism) as options, and martial artists always have (Chi Rituals). Many of Madness Dossier’s Sandmen have this disadvantage, for post-ontoclysm religions, and the book adds (Voudun). LTC1 has material on the social impact of this disadvantage, and Plant Spells adds (Deep Ecologist). Power-Ups 6 has several quirks that specifically aren’t Disciplines of Faith. Powers suggests appropriate levels of this disadvantage for different power sources, and Divine Favor is an example implementation. Chinese Elemental Powers adds Taoist (Contemplation).

I haven’t used this disadvantage very much. A couple of PCs have had it at [-5], but the most interesting case was a concept for a Sikh as a Madness Dossier commando. The idea did not survive more detailed background development, and the character ended up as a Gurkha.

Have PCs shown discipline in your games?
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Old 06-08-2018, 10:03 PM   #2
Pursuivant
 
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Default Re: [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Disciplines of Faith

DoF is basically a specialized version of CoH or Vow. The net effects are generally that it sucks up a certain amount of free time which could be used for other things, makes the character's behavior a bit more predictable, and might restrict his freedom of action.

The big issue is how to make it meaningful in certain campaigns, like a survivors or "caravan" campaign where there aren't religious organizations "in the background" for the character to interact with.

Also, as a disad which is more of a "roleplaying" disad than something which directly interferes with a player's freedom of action, it isn't appropriate for all players or play styles.

I could also see limited or Quirk level versions of DoF, particularly where the full version of the disad doesn't fit with the campaign (e.g., a "caravan" where one of the characters is a monk who "should" be cloistered but isn't).
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Old 06-08-2018, 10:27 PM   #3
jason taylor
 
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Default Re: [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Disciplines of Faith

Some DoFs pretty much require being cacooned in a community that can provide a proper infrastructure. Being an Hasid or an Amish, has a lot of problems when in a party composed wholly of Goyim or Fancy Englishchers respectively.
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Old 06-09-2018, 01:43 PM   #4
RogerBW
 
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Default Re: [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Disciplines of Faith

Quote:
Originally Posted by johndallman View Post
Have PCs shown discipline in your games?
This only shows up once in my character files - on one of John's characters (an Atlantean priest).

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pursuivant View Post
DoF is basically a specialized version of CoH or Vow.
Yes; if I were trying to rationalise GURPS I'd roll this into a different sort of CoH, and maybe Vow too.
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