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Old 07-11-2020, 03:05 AM   #1
Christopher R. Rice
 
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Default Eastern Style Enlightment

I'm working through some stuff for my fantasy wuxia campaign and I've decided I want to create a leveled "Enlightenment" advantage. Let's say, 8-10 levels or so. Assuming it's something like a meta-trait, what would you add to such a thing?
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Old 07-11-2020, 03:19 AM   #2
johndallman
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Default Re: Eastern Style Enlightment

The things that stand out in my view of "enlightenment" are self-control and understanding without prejudice or bias. However, building a trait that includes buying up self-control rolls and buying off other mental disadvantages is not simple.
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Old 07-11-2020, 03:26 AM   #3
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Default Re: Eastern Style Enlightment

You could look at the Initiate advantage from GURPS Voodoo. It represents a deeper connection to the spiritual world and an understanding of how the world really works.
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Old 07-11-2020, 03:33 AM   #4
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Default Re: Eastern Style Enlightment

I agree with JohnDallman. I would also add Empathy, Animal/Plant Empathy, some sort of Precognition, the ability to teach others and to understand/unveil the secret potential of others, the ability to "see" the true self of others even if they are disguised or acting/cheating, the ability to sense others even when blinded, the ability to use ki to power super-effort feats instead of fatigue, the ability to pass unnoticed as a harmless little ancient, high charisma, long life, odious personal habit: unfathomable and chryptic.

Another capability that some "high level" enlightened sages may have in pop culture is the ability to go to the dead realm and return if they wish even when they are not "truly" dead (or truly undead) or the ability to reincarnate. Examples: Virgo from Saint Seiya or Oogway from Kung Fu Panda.
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Old 07-11-2020, 06:56 AM   #5
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Default Re: Eastern Style Enlightment

Many of the Noumena Abilities from Powers: the Weird may be appropriate.

I'd give increasing levels of Selfless to accompany some of the levels.
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Old 07-11-2020, 07:00 AM   #6
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Default Re: Eastern Style Enlightment

Selfless is good. Sense of Duty (Humanity) would be appropriate as well. How about the Illuminated advantage? Wild Talent began its life a Harmony with the Tao, IIRC.
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Old 07-11-2020, 11:18 AM   #7
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Default Re: Eastern Style Enlightment

A lot of the supernatural powers attributed to ‘ancient masters’ and ‘wise sages’ in eastern folklore traditions is due to their enlightenment. I definitely second the Noumena powerset from Powers: the Weird as an example of what enlightenment would bring you. Think Neo from the Matrix or Mage:the Awakening/Ascension as examples of the kinds of things you could do with high enlightenment: straight-up reality warping, with the caveat that reality will push back if you push to hard.

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Old 07-11-2020, 12:33 PM   #8
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Default Re: Eastern Style Enlightment

Eastern style enlightenment could be represented by supernatural abilities with the Pact limitation (or any power modifier that requires a specific self-imposed disadvantage). For example, a swordsman could develop Danger Sense (Pact, -10%) [14] around the Code of Honor (Xia) [-10].

In general though, I would suggest limiting such abilities to no more than 10 CP per CP of self-imposed disadvantages, though the pact would become more impressive. For example, a pact of Code of Honor (Xia) [-10], Disciplines of Faith (Ritualism) [-5], and Vow (Major; Own no more than your horse can carry) [-10] would make a Pact worth -25% and would allow up to 250 CP in supernatural abilities.
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Old 07-11-2020, 12:54 PM   #9
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Default Re: Eastern Style Enlightment

Quote:
Originally Posted by Christopher R. Rice View Post
I'm working through some stuff for my fantasy wuxia campaign and I've decided I want to create a leveled "Enlightenment" advantage. Let's say, 8-10 levels or so. Assuming it's something like a meta-trait, what would you add to such a thing?
Depends on what your looking for of course. Many involve a deeper understanding and piercing the illusion of reality and the chains of our ego and desires.
As noted by pothers Noumina and the Empathy advantages fit that.
Also Indomitable, Unfazeable, and leveled traits like Hard to Subdue and Fearlessness seem appropriate. Perhaps Fearlessness leading to Indomitable for a leveled trait.
Traits like Oracle and Precognition or even See Invisible with TrueSight could represent this as well. Making a core Enlightenment metatrait that supports other traits, perhaps bought with Requires Skill Roll, Meditation seems like an option.
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Old 07-11-2020, 02:25 PM   #10
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Default Re: Eastern Style Enlightment

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gumby Bush View Post
Many of the Noumena Abilities from Powers: the Weird may be appropriate.

I'd give increasing levels of Selfless to accompany some of the levels.
I would agree based on what I understand. Although I'm more familiar with Hinduism then Taoism or Confucianism or Buddhism.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (who was a Hindu holy man and perhaps most famous for being the Beattles Guru, for reference) taught that enlightenment came in many stages with varying powers and capacities regarding each stage. He also taught that all the stages were actually the same stage and that differentiating them is useful to the intellect but not really true.

Cosmic Consciousness occurs when an individual attained a permanent awareness of the essential Self, the abstract absolute pure awareness at the core of existence. With the individual identity subsumed into the cosmic identity the individual transcends suffering and the cycle of karma to become truly free willed. Beyond the cycle of karma they enjoy broad support of nature as the world arranges itself to meet their needs.
In GURPS terms they should probably have the Impassivity and Self-Mastery abilities from the Noumena power of Powers: The Wierd, at maxed out levels. As well as substantial Serendipity, and perhaps even Independent Income in the form of luck based windfalls. Also, if Impassivity and Self-Mastery do not cover the benefits of Unfazeable and Indomitable they should also have those traits, as well as immunity to mind control. They also have the Pact of Rest perk, as when they die they re-unite with the cosmic self and their individuality ceases to meaningfully exist as it has fulfilled it's ultimate purpose, thus reincarnation by any means (including resurrection) won't happen.

God Consciousness occurs when an individual in Cosmic Consciousness begins to look back outward onto the world of the relative with their transcendent consciousness, thereby begin to see the deeper truth of all things as interconnected expressions of the cosmic self. Seeing the truth of all things as expressions of the cosmic self they become once again invested in the happening of the world and likely committed to the betterment of it, while retaining their transcendence of suffering. This deeper understanding of the world as expression of the cosmic self empowers all actions they take. Furthermore, it is accompanied by a spiritual connection to the will of the cosmic self.
In GURPS terms they should acquire the Gnosis and Truesight abilities from the Noumena power, as well as Illuminated (enlightened individuals, Cosmic), Oracle (inspired, possibly with reduced time, Cosmic), as well as just about any sort of ESP ability you can think of including Psychometry, Precognition, Empathy, Mind Reading, Reawakened, the ability to read other peoples past lives and to use empathy and mind reading on them, etc.
The empowerment of all of their actions manifests as greater levels of serendipity and considerable luck as well as any probability alteration power you could want. They also gain the ability to use Sutres and similar mystical formulas to far greater degree then those who have not attained this stage of enlightenment.
The spiritual connection to the will of the cosmic self should include substantial disadvantages, namely Sense of Duty (humanity). As well some sort of trait that models getting cosmic guidance about how you should go about fulfilling that sense of duty.
Finally, they trade in their pact of rest perk for a Spirit Metatrait that is triggered by death.

Brahman Consciousness is attained when God Consciousness is fully integrated into the awareness. At this stage the individual... is basically an incarnation of god and should have Demiurgy and Nonlocality as well as any other sort of world shaking power you can dream of, but severe self-imposed disadvantages that restrict and/or define their actions. They're really not a PC anymore... but then really anyone who has any of these levels of enlightenment are no longer PCs.
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