What is the main psychological difference

[JCD]

Thread Resurrection:

I think one of the EXTERNAL differences between Celestials and Mortals can be put down to Society.

Who and what Celestials are answerable to are far different than what a human is. This, in some ways SEEMS like freedom ("Oh my God! You just broke that window/shot that man/insulted the President") but are instead driven by necessities outside the human social framework ("Be a good girl for daddy!")

This lack of cultural training, this being outside the social web except where it fulfills their purposes, makes their actions and reactions opaque to humans.

[Rocket Man]

Originally Posted by JCD

Thread Resurrection:

I think one of the EXTERNAL differences between Celestials and Mortals can be put down to Society.

Who and what Celestials are answerable to are far different than what a human is. This, in some ways SEEMS like freedom ("Oh my God! You just broke that window/shot that man/insulted the President") but are instead driven by necessities outside the human social framework ("Be a good girl for daddy!")

This lack of cultural training, this being outside the social web except where it fulfills their purposes, makes their actions and reactions opaque to humans.

That's a good point, and a valuable reminder for any RPG. Change the motives, even a little, and you can create a very different being.

EDIT: Part of it you could also chalk up to CS Lewis's version of short and long-term perspective. You act differently when you think that mortal society will outlast your life, versus knowing that your life will outlast any mortal society.

[JCD]

I am not sure this is the proper place to put it, however there are all kinds of 'drives' in a human that a celestial avoids.

C's are more likely to wander outside without the proper clothing due to temperature...though the occasional fashion catastrophe is also likely in a beginner.

No need for food or water. They can and will stand in the sun, rain or dark without hesitation, when a human would seek shade/cover/light as a natural instinct.

I can't imagine what, if any, eating practices a Malakim or demon would engage in if forced to dine.

And ideas of social precedence and appropriate behavior....um. ("Excuse me sir. I have a few questions. Lovely dress, my dear, but do you really deserve to be wearing white at the wedding? This will only take a few moments of your time.")

A lot of the 'shenanigans' could easily be faked by thinking of the Celestial as a tourist without a clue about local practices...and not a lot of desire, necessarily to learn

What other ideas or practices might they not understand?

[Jason]

I had one game where most of the players spent several minutes trying to figure out a way to monitor a mortal they'd learned may be in danger. The PCs snuck into her workplace, pretending to work in the office themselves, and argued from a distance about how to do this stealthily. Then one new player sent her PC right up to the mortal and said, "Hey, I'm new here! Just getting to know people around the office." She got invited out to go out with a group after work.

At the time, I thought this was just a function of my group being hilariously socially inept and too deeply ingrained with D&D-seeded murderhobo habits compared to the RPG newbie. (And, well, it probably is.) In retrospect, though, I think it paints a wonderful picture of celestials on the job who've just never worked in an office before. :)

[Whitelaughter]

Humans get take backs.

If a human is Angry, they can work at controlling their Anger and gradually buy it off. In Heaven, they can just choose not to be Angry (and in theory they could do so in Hell as well).

An Angry Celestial is Angry - until a more powerful being strips the Angry Discord. The actions that caused the dissonance that caused the Discord can no longer be undone.

[JCD]

Originally Posted by Whitelaughter

Humans get take backs.

If a human is Angry, they can work at controlling their Anger and gradually buy it off. In Heaven, they can just choose not to be Angry (and in theory they could do so in Hell as well).

An Angry Celestial is Angry - until a more powerful being strips the Angry Discord. The actions that caused the dissonance that caused the Discord can no longer be undone.

Hmm. So it's like any psychological 'trauma' of negative (or positive) emotion isn't one of the many states of flux, as in a human. It leaves 'channels' in the mind of the Celestial. If Maven is angry today, he is likely to be angry tomorrow...and the next day etc until acted upon by a larger influence whether by crisis, Superior or what not.

Interesting and maybe I am not understanding it totally. IF I understand it correctly, this seems to make them MORE prone to falling etc.

[Whitelaughter]

Originally Posted by JCD

IF I understand it correctly, this seems to make them MORE prone to falling etc.

Yes, both by causing actions that will give dissonance and my making the dissonance rolls harder.

[alexondria]

Originally Posted by JCD

Hmm. So it's like any psychological 'trauma' of negative (or positive) emotion isn't one of the many states of flux, as in a human. It leaves 'channels' in the mind of the Celestial. If Maven is angry today, he is likely to be angry tomorrow...and the next day etc until acted upon by a larger influence whether by crisis, Superior or what not.

Interesting and maybe I am not understanding it totally. IF I understand it correctly, this seems to make them MORE prone to falling etc.

I don't think they meant angry like the reaction to another action which generates anger, but more like the people you would say have anger issues.

[JCD]

Originally Posted by alexondria

I don't think they meant angry like the reaction to another action which generates anger, but more like the people you would say have anger issues.

Not sure I am following, but I am slow today.

So Thug insults Maven in an attempt to make him angry. This...does not work since it is an externality?

But if Maven CHOOSES to be angry, that inflicts his psyche like water through a sand castle because it is internal?

Just playing with the ideas a bit.

[JCD]

Originally Posted by Whitelaughter

Yes, both by causing actions that will give dissonance and my making the dissonance rolls harder.

This seems more 'rules gaming' than discussing the internal differences. I don't care what the differences are because of a DICE roll.