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Old 06-29-2011, 09:45 PM   #1
Whitelaughter
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Default Imperfections: Human 'dissonance'

Although Discords can be used as Disadvantages for humans, most are too major for practical use; frex a single level of Obese is an additional 100 pounds!

So how about some human-scaled problems? These can be used all mortals, both humans and animals.

Imperfections
Imperfections aren't worth cp, and fill the same niche for mortals that dissonance fills for celestials - and are normally exploited by demons and treated by angels.
An Imperfection check is handled in the same way as a dissonance check.

Allergies

Usually inherited or the result of exposure to Vaputech, exposure to the allergen reduces an attribute (determine randomly when Allergy acquired) by a point (typically for a number of hours equal to the Allergy level) and forces an Imperfection check. Failing the Imperfection check increases the level of the Imperfection by 1.
Truly deadly Allergies, frex to peanuts are capped at 6 - above that the mortal begins acquiring levels of Vulnerability to the trigger.
Exposure to an allergen while under the influence of CelHarmony allows a Imperfection check, with success reducing the level of Imperfection by 1. Novalites frequently do this and hide their clestial nature by claiming the treatment was due to natural medicines - Jean hates this, as it results in pseudoscientific human beliefs. However as it hides the existence of angels, Dominic cannot intervene: although he'd like to.

Unsafe Environment
A flaw in the management of a workplace/settlement rather than the mortal, this lets the GM judge the damage that poor work conditions etc do. Bad lighting might be 1 level, a civil war would be 5 or 6!
Each year, make an Imperfection check - failure inflicts Damaged Sense, Crippled, or death! Vaputech installations can inflict Pallid, Stigmata or Discoloured.

Out of Shape
Usually the result of a sedentary lifestyle. The mortal's body has got used to having a few extra pounds, has lost endurance, and so forth. It typically take a year or more of poor lifestyle to acquire OoS. Failing a Running check with a CD lower than your level of OoS means you must stop, winded. A mortal with Gluttony and/or Sloth must make an imperfection check every (13-Gluttony+Sloth) years to avoid acquiring a level of Obese.
Humans can get rid of OoS with a years' work; they can do this themselves if their Will is higher than any Disadvantages drawing them back (sadly this includes most Addictions). If they are Servants, then they can add their Servant level to their Will (assuming that their superior wants them to get fit, of course).

Religiousity
Common in new converts and old fanatics, Religiousity is an obsession with minor 'infractions' (the classic example is stepping on two pieces of straw that had by chance formed a cross). Religiousity can be treated with Knowledge (Psychology or Religion) over a period of months or years. Make an Imperfection check whenever an infraction occurs; failure grants a level of Guilt. Religiousity is unpopular with both Heaven and Hell; Heaven dislikes the obsession with irrelevant matters, hell hates Guilt as humans can cure themselves, giving them an effective immunity to ethereal attacks. As such Religiousity is very common is groups who are isolated from the War.



Shellshock/Trauma
The result of truly horrific suffering. Beleth finds it amusing, as every time a mortal with Trauma is ethereally 'killed', in addition to Ethereal Disadvantages, the mortal must make an Imperfection check or acquire a level of Twitchy.
Trauma can be treated using the Healing Dream Attunement, but also requires a Lucid Dreaming roll to speed internal time - although only an hour will pass outside the dreamscape, the healing process takes several years of subjective time. The Lucid Dreaming roll can be made either the angel or mortal.
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Old 06-29-2011, 10:02 PM   #2
DBloch2012
 
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Default Re: Imperfections: Human 'dissonance'

My answer is that I do not like the treatment mundane Humans get in In Nomine. On the one hand, I've learned they are a substantial part of the Symphony (e.g., their apparent importance for forming Tethers). However, they are not allowed access to the same goodies that a Celestial might have. This confounds me, especially since they are supposed to have Essence (which a Celestial gets to use) just like any other living being.

Also, "Disadvantages" sounds more like GURPS than In Nomine to me.

If I had my way with a campaign, I would allow Humans to use their Essence just like a Celestial would. This includes causing Resonance and Dissonance (and eventually Discord) within the Symphony. I've been told that a Celestial does not actually cause any disturbance in the Symphony, just in themselves; however, I find it more poetic and more significant if their choices and actions affect the world around them and not just themselves.

The Symphony is neither "good" nor "evil," so it means that whenever someone does something to disrupt it, it goes against the very nature of the Universe because the Universe had programmed things to be a certain way with that individual Celestial and they went against it.

This is also the best way that I've found so far to explain Free Will in In Nomine. That one person, Celestial or Human, can use their Essence to rewrite themselves in the Symphony any way they wish: To obey its wishes, or not.
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Last edited by DBloch2012; 10-10-2012 at 07:53 PM.
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Old 06-29-2011, 10:48 PM   #3
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Default Re: Imperfections: Human 'dissonance'

Quote:
Originally Posted by DBloch2012 View Post
I've been told that a Celestial does not actually cause any disturbance in the Symphony, just in themselves; however, I find it more poetic and more significant if their choices and actions affect the world around them and not just themselves.
Not quite. They cause dissonance in themselves (a tainting of the soul) and Disturbance in the world around them (a noise that can be heard by the Symphonically perceptive and that can also prevent new Tethers from coming about). So there is both an inner and an outer effect.
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Old 06-29-2011, 11:53 PM   #4
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Default Re: Imperfections: Human 'dissonance'

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rocket Man View Post
Not quite. They cause dissonance in themselves (a tainting of the soul) and Disturbance in the world around them (a noise that can be heard by the Symphonically perceptive and that can also prevent new Tethers from coming about). So there is both an inner and an outer effect.
More particularly, Humans don't cause Disturbance when performing normal human activities (including spending Essence to improve skill rolls; non Aware humans use Essence haphazardly, and only for skill checks, but can't use Songs). Humans who can use Songs or Attunements cause Disturbance just like Celestials and Ethereals, but the latter categories also cause Disturbance when they damage/destroy things on the material plane because it's not their native dimension. Resonance is something that is peculiar to your Choir/Band, which humans don't have.
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Old 06-30-2011, 08:40 AM   #5
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Default Re: Imperfections: Human 'dissonance'

Quote:
Originally Posted by DAlillama View Post
More particularly, Humans don't cause Disturbance when performing normal human activities (including spending Essence to improve skill rolls.
there's a qualifier on that; humans who make a Focused Effort(CPG p20) to spend essence on skill rolls don't create Disturbance. That's the only way a mundane can spend essence; Soldiers can choose to do so, but if they fail or choose not to make the test then they create disturbance.


:/
3 comments, but no interest in my original post. Oh well.
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Old 06-30-2011, 09:52 AM   #6
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Default Re: Imperfections: Human 'dissonance'

To your original topic.

I don't like the concept of humans having dissonance, being "out of touch" with the way they naturally are supposed to be, because I don't see how well that interacts with the Fate/Destiny aspects of the human condition. Does being Out of Shape mean someone is closer to his Fate? Being a human in IN is already a huge disadvantage, why punish them more?

Generally speaking, all of these things seem easy enough to hand-wave/RP into the setting without creating a whole new set of rules to deal with them.

(I really liked the bit about working in a Vaputech installation inflicting the Pallid Discord, though.)
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Old 06-30-2011, 11:32 PM   #7
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Default Re: Imperfections: Human 'dissonance'

Adding Imperfections to the game seems like yet another unnecessary number to crunch; why not treat those traits as standard Disadvantages, as described in the CPG? Furthermore, comparing some negative traits to celestial dissonance implies that they're the character's fault somehow.

Consider a character with problems similar to my real-life condition: unable to walk since birth, and disabled even further by an accidental injury. Obviously, that character is Crippled as described in the CPG; s/he may also be Obese if weight-bearing exercise is impossible. Using the "Out of Shape" rules as written, implies that this person is Hellbound by default--or at least more likely to achieve a Fate. Neither Gluttony nor Sloth is to blame for every out-of-shape PC; sometimes, it's a matter of a few bad rolls in game terms. ;-)
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Old 07-01-2011, 02:03 AM   #8
Whitelaughter
 
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Default Re: Imperfections: Human 'dissonance'

Thanks for your response ISNorden.
The reason for not treating them as ordinary Disads is that Disads are simply too powerful - even a single level is life changing.
While anything can appear to be implied, I did specifically state causes for each: horrific suffering, vaputech, genetics and so forth - the only one that is usually the fault of the bearer is Out of Shape. (Dissonance is also more often inflicted/the result of bad luck than the fault of the victim, btw: a common move in the war is to force an opponent into taking dissonance).

Disadvantages (and here, Imperfections) do not draw humans to Hell. In fact, the humans most likely to have Disadvantages are Soldiers of Dreams, due to the ongoing risk of ethereal combat. One of the primary advantages of going to Heaven is the ability to shed Disadvantages at will!

thanks again,
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Old 07-01-2011, 11:19 AM   #9
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Default Re: Imperfections: Human 'dissonance'

So, these are more like character quirks? An interesting notion. Personally, I don't know that I'd want to subject limitations on any PCs outside of part of their character RP & Background, at least not without some sort of reward. Perhaps if 3 "imperfections" granted an additional character point? It'd keep the munchkins away, but if these imperfections could also be forced up on a player by another (with VapuTech!), then at least they'd be given a boon for going along with mini-disadvantages.
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Old 07-01-2011, 06:47 PM   #10
Whitelaughter
 
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Default Re: Imperfections: Human 'dissonance'

@Acolyte - oh sorry, for some reason didn't see your post! No, this wouldn't be related to Fate/Destiny. Thanks for the commment on pallid/Vaputech.

@Attercap - I've yet to see or hear of a successful human PC in IN, and see no reason to try again. This is intended for NPCs (my apologies for not pointing that out). It gives angels and demons a reason to interact with humans, and keep them as pets, rather than treating them as mobile scenery.
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