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Old 03-10-2024, 12:44 PM   #1
Deathwindfr
 
Join Date: Nov 2022
Default Which disadvantage for general religious obligations?

Dear all,

I have a player who is going to play a Catholic nun able to use miracles and I was looking at the disadvantages linked to Power Investiture.

Power Investiture says you nearly always have to take and adhere to one or more of the traits listed under Self-Imposed Mental Disadvantages.

The aforementioned Self-Imposed Mental Disadvantages are listed (B. P121) as Code of Honor (p. 127), Disciplines of Faith (p. 132), Fanaticism (p. 136), Honesty (p. 138), Intolerance (p. 140), Sense of Duty (p. 153), Trademark (p. 159), and Vow (p. 160).

None of those disadvantages seem adequate to represent the general obligations a religious character (priest or nun) should have : like the 10 commandments : thou shall not kill, etc?

Code of Honor lists only codes that are non-religious (Pirate, Soldier, etc.).

Disciplines of Faith lists very specific set of rules within a religion : Ascetism, Monastic, etc.

Vow concerns also very specific subset vows like not speaking, no meat, etc.

Code of Honor does not sound right, it is not a question of honor. Vow seems to designate very specific requirements.

I am open to suggestions.

Thanks in advance.
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Old 03-10-2024, 01:09 PM   #2
Arith Winterfell
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Indiana, United States
Default Re: Which disadvantage for general religious obligations?

Well a few things that jump to my mind are things like:

Vow (Chastity)

Disciplines of Faith (Prayer rituals)

Honesty (already mentioned but there is an expectation of telling the truth)

Intolerance (can apply in a monotheistic focused religion who strongly reject ideologies of incompatible faiths)

Pacifism (in various versions to cover not killing on committing violence)
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Old 03-10-2024, 01:09 PM   #3
KarlKost
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Brazil
Default Re: Which disadvantage for general religious obligations?

Those are just generic examples. Disciplines of Faith for example can involve praying and fasting at determined hours for a nun. I'm an atheist from birth, so I'm not exactly sure how it is the routine of a Nun, but it certainly constitutes Disciplines of Faith, and I'm fairly sure they have many sets of "rituals" involving praying, before eating, sleeping, showering and so on. That's basically the "Monastic" version.

Code of Honor could embark for instance "preach the Gospel". This means always trying to convert unbelievers, always revert to biblical lessons and the sort. The 10 commandments themselves constitute a code of honor.

Honesty clearly is a great disadvantage for this character.

Sense of Duty is another excellent one. A Sense of Duty "to help all of those in need" would fit perfectly.

The crux as a Trademark fits, thou it's not mandatory

Vow? Vow is pretty much mandatory for nuns! "Chastity" is a HUGE vow after all. Some also have a Vow of poverty. And yes, there's even those that make vows of silence (usually temporary or at specific time frames thou, but there are some who do make it forever).

Fanaticism and Intolerance are more appropriate for some sort of "paladin" or the teutonic/templar knights.
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Old 03-10-2024, 02:07 PM   #4
Refplace
 
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Location: Yukon, OK
Default Re: Which disadvantage for general religious obligations?

All those look good but I would add Duty as an option.
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Old 03-10-2024, 03:34 PM   #5
Gold & Appel Inc
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: One Mile Up
Default Re: Which disadvantage for general religious obligations?

Catholic Clergy have so many Vows, notably poverty/chastity/obedience, that it's probably best to roll them into a single 15-pointer.
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Old 03-10-2024, 04:23 PM   #6
David Johnston2
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Default Re: Which disadvantage for general religious obligations?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Deathwindfr View Post
Dear all,

I have a player who is going to play a Catholic nun able to use miracles and I was looking at the disadvantages linked to Power Investiture.

Power Investiture says you nearly always have to take and adhere to one or more of the traits listed under Self-Imposed Mental Disadvantages.

The aforementioned Self-Imposed Mental Disadvantages are listed (B. P121) as Code of Honor (p. 127), Disciplines of Faith (p. 132), Fanaticism (p. 136), Honesty (p. 138), Intolerance (p. 140), Sense of Duty (p. 153), Trademark (p. 159), and Vow (p. 160).

None of those disadvantages seem adequate to represent the general obligations a religious character (priest or nun) should have : like the 10 commandments : thou shall not kill, etc?

Code of Honor lists only codes that are non-religious (Pirate, Soldier, etc.).

Disciplines of Faith lists very specific set of rules within a religion : Ascetism, Monastic, etc.

Vow concerns also very specific subset vows like not speaking, no meat, etc.

e.
Violating the basic strictures of the faith counts a violating a nun's Vow of obedience, which is not just to her immediate superiors but to the entire religion's rules. In fact just like the military, if her superiors order to do something that goes against the Church's fundamental rules, that order is illegitimate.
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Old 03-10-2024, 09:48 PM   #7
Pursuivant
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Default Re: Which disadvantage for general religious obligations?

As others have said, various Vows, possibly rolled into one bigger one, are going to be the core of any monastic discipline.

It best fits a monk/nun who's pretty much free to do as they please when it comes to kicking Evil's tuchus, but who otherwise tries to be true to their vows. It's also easier to shoehorn into the Ham Clause rules if you're using the Action rules.

Disciplines of Faith (Ritualism) is only meaningful for a cloistered monk/nun who strictly obeys the Benedictine Rule (or similar) and does things like praying at each canonical hour, observing fast and feast days, and generally avoiding contact with the secular world.
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Old 03-11-2024, 05:06 AM   #8
The Colonel
 
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Default Re: Which disadvantage for general religious obligations?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Refplace View Post
All those look good but I would add Duty as an option.
I would suggest - as elsewhere in the thread - that a typical monastic take either Discipline of Faith (Ritualism) for a cloistered and contemplative order, or Duty - for a ministering or martial order.

This in addition to the Vow (poverty, chastity and obedience) incumbent on all monastics.
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Old 03-11-2024, 01:20 PM   #9
pawsplay
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Default Re: Which disadvantage for general religious obligations?

Regardless of their job, a nun is defined by their vow, and it's that aspect that I think would hold the key to her blessings.
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Old 03-11-2024, 01:35 PM   #10
Dalillama
 
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Default Re: Which disadvantage for general religious obligations?

I would use Disciplines of Faith for pretty much anyone belonging to a monastic order, the value and details of which would vary, because it's easier than figuring all the vows and dutirs separately. Keep on mind that the descriptions in the book are just examples, details can vary. Presumably, this character isn't cloistered, so we'd be looking at a mendicant order like the Franciscans or a service order like the Poor Clares. The Rule of St. Francis, for instance, prescribes religious devotion, chastity, living off of charity, not owning more material possessions than a change of clothes, and having no permanent abode. I forget the fine details, it's been a while since I played the Franciscan mendicant character. That's Disciplines of Faith (Asceticism) [-15] and includes the whole category of being a good Catholic as a subset of it. The Poor Clares are allowed to take pay for their work, live permanently in whatever mission or charity house they organize, and otherwise probably have only a -10 point DoF
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