Moral power sources OTHER than Good/Evil, Order/Chaos?

[Phantasm]

It must've gotten buried, but I'm surprised no one has commented on my suggestion of Purity vs Corruption.

"Purity" : It is by embracing your true nature - whether that nature is of a carnivorous beast, a vampire with the classic thirst for fresh blood, or the loyalty of a mutt - that you gain power. The power is often used to strengthen others' true natures.

"Corruption" : It is by rejecting your true nature - a carnivorous beast that tries to live among its traditional prey without harming them, a vampire that denies its thirst for blood, or a mutt who turns on its master - that you gain power. The power is often used to spread your manner of corruption.

It may be interesting to note that Purity is the easier course in a lot of ways. Kind of the opposite of the Light/Dark sides of the Force.

[GoodGame]

Originally Posted by Asta Kask

Liberalim vs. Conservatism vs. Socialism?

Could be interesting in a modern game.

Say, the political compass?
Authoritarianism<->Libertarian, Left<-> Right
(Left and Right will vary with the particular society and it's morals)

http://www.politicalcompass.org/composers


A completely different one could be based on the horoscope. 12 signs equals twelve different powers to swear by. You could get funky and figure out the planets/houses as variations of a power. Make each power a particular value, like 3e D&D gods, but give them full freedom to ally, betray, fight the other powers in any pattern they like.


Another modern/romantic one could be based on the mottos/values of each nation in the campaign world, with some overlap of values allowed. E.g. could be German vs. French vs. American, etc...

[Qoltar]

Objectivists vs. Second-handers?

In an Ayn Rand based game setting of course.


- Ed Charlton

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Asta Kask

Liberalim vs. Conservatism vs. Socialism?

Could be interesting in a modern game.

What magic powers do people get from Liberalism?

[nyu2]

Rationality/Science vs Religion? They seem to be at odds a lot in America right now...

[Phantasm]

Originally Posted by nyu2

Rationality/Science vs Religion? They seem to be at odds a lot in America right now...

Hate to break it to you, but they've essentially been at odds since the Renaissance. Check out Galileo's Church-imposed house arrest for his observations in his telescope, including the four major moons of Jupiter, Saturn's rings, etc. Also check out the flack over Copernicus and his solar-centric layout of the universe, based on geometry, algebra, and observations of the planets' movements, including when they go retrograde across the sky. And, for a more recent case, who can forget Darwin's theory of evolution, which has been proven in the laboratory under controlled conditions (as reported in a National Geographic and elsewhere some years ago) using a thousand generations of fruit flies, and still decried as a "false heresy" by the various Christian sects. Plus, there are those religious folks that think the Earth was formed in 4004 BC, despite archeological evidence otherwise (interestingly enough, that date seems to fit for the start of the Sumerian civilization....).

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by nyu2

Rationality/Science vs Religion? They seem to be at odds a lot in America right now...

Yes, but religion has no particular morality. <pause for boggling> Individual religions do teach morality (although usually as the edicts of a god which would be a Divine, not Moral power source) but they teach different moralities even as followers of the same god. "Rationality" on the other hand doesn't make a bad Moral power source except...what supernatural powers would you get from it? Kind of a inherent conflict there.

[GoodGame]

Originally Posted by Qoltar

Objectivists vs. Second-handers?

In an Ayn Rand based game setting of course.


- Ed Charlton

Anthem: Objectivists vs. Mindless droids/drones (maybe an alt-Clone Wars where the Jedi are actually objectivists? :) )

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

What magic powers do people get from Liberalism?

That begging a political discussion. For a semi-realist setting, the political orientation could be like a patron/affiliation bonus. E.g. Like +3 to relationships with people of like political philosophies.

[Anaraxes]

"Rationality" on the other hand doesn't make a bad Moral power source except...what supernatural powers would you get from it?

Static (Magic), Mana Dampener, Magic Resistance, Dispel Magic or Anti-Illusion, DR against magic attacks only, and so on.

I have a half-baked thought for a campaign where the world is literally centered around a monastery on a mountain. The World is an island formed from a sea of Chaos. The monks are rigorously trained, physically to help mental discipline, to impose order on their surroundings. The world near the monastery is rational and peaceful. Further away, it gets stranger and more magical. Near the edges of the island, monsters and powers abound. Too close to the edge, and it's easy to die freakishly or just be swallowed by the amorphia. The best of the monks are sent out to suppress the monsters and magic, and to try to extend the domain of the World.

Could be played either way, with PC monks battling evil Chaos, or with fascist monks oppressing the people that could use a little magic in their lives.

[martinl]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

"Rationality" on the other hand doesn't make a bad Moral power source except...what supernatural powers would you get from it?

Rationality might not supply supernatural powers, but rationality and critical thinking are freaking powerful tools.