Thread: OPH (Shameless)
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Old 11-06-2018, 01:09 AM   #1
Pursuivant
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Default OPH (Shameless)

I created this variant OPH for a Star Trek rules variant to model typical Ferengi behavior (i.e., sell your own mother for profit, then try to get sympathy because you're an orphan), but it seemed apropos given other threads about modeling antisocial behavior.

Shameless (-5, -10, or -15 points)

You have no (or a very limited) sense of guilt, remorse, or shame. While you might have some sort of internal pattern of behavior - possibly even a warped Code of Honor - which guides your actions, you otherwise have no moral standards.

If necessary, you will ignore conventional ethics, social standards, and even the law, to achieve your goals. On the other hand, if being honest, playing by the rules, and appearing to be honorable and ethical make it easier to achieve your ends, you can just as easily pretend to be all those things. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter as long as you come out ahead.

For -5 points, you are merely “Shameless.” You will flout social conventions and push the boundaries of expected standards of conduct for your culture, but you find it easier to (mostly) operate within societal and legal boundaries, and might even have certain moral limits which even you won’t cross.

At this level, you might even still be able to have a -5 point Code of Honor such as “Pirate’s Code of Honor” or “Professional Ethics,” as long as such a code makes it easier for you to get along in society.

You might also have similar self-imposed “moral” disadvantages, such as Honesty or Disciplines of Faith, at the -5 point level, but only as long as you believe that your society demands such behavior from you and will severely punish you for not conforming. Even so, you don’t truly feel any real moral attachment to your behavior and must immediately “buy off” any externally-imposed disadvantages as soon as you are no longer constrained by the expectations of your society.

People who know about your problem react to you at -1, although your lack of morality might not immediately be apparent. People harmed by your behavior, and people who follow strict moral codes, react to you at -2. Other Shameless people react normally to you, although they might pretend to disapprove.

For -10 points, you are “Severely Shameless.” You seriously and regularly push the boundaries of common courtesy, decency, ethical behavior, and always skirt laws and regulations when you think you can get away with it. You will not, however, “burn your bridges behind you” unless you believe that the rewards massively outweigh the risks. At this level, you cannot have “moral” disadvantages beyond the Quirk level, and these quirks represent the pretense of having certain moral traits, rather than an actual attempt to abide by moral strictures.

People who know about your problem react to you at -2. People harmed by your behavior, and people who follow strict moral codes, react to you at -3. Other Shameless people react to you at -1, recognizing that your lack of moral standards makes you harder to predict or manipulate. You might also have a bad Reputation due to your behavior.

For -15 points, you are “Totally Shameless.” You flout laws and social conventions on a regular basis, to the point that you have trouble fitting into society. You will violate social norms, or even commit serious crimes, if you believe that the rewards outweigh the risks.

At this level, you can’t even pretend to have a sense of guilt, morality, or shame, and might even have difficulty understanding those concepts. You are very likely to have other disadvantages associated with your immorality, such as Odious Personal Habit, bad Reputation, or Social Stigma (Criminal).

People who know about your problem react to you at -3, and other shameless people react to you at -2. People harmed by your actions, and people who follow strict moral codes, react to you at -4.

This disadvantage is a classic symptom of sociopathy or psychopathy. Combined with traits such as Bully, Delusion, Megalomania, Sadism, or Selfish, it can represent someone who is malignantly narcissistic. Combined with traits such as Callous, Cowardice, Greed, Impulsiveness, Lecherousness, or Selfish, it can represent various forms of sociopathy. Combined with traits such as Fearlessness, Unfazeable, Bad Temper, Bully, Callous, Compulsive Behavior, Confused, Impulsiveness, Lecherousness, or Sadism it can represent various forms of psychopathy.

Note that this trait is different from similar disadvantages associated with immoral behavior, such as Callous, certain Compulsive Behaviors, Compulsive Lying, Greed, or Lecherousness. Those traits all force you to behave in a particular fashion, which might be unethical. By contrast, OPH (Shameless) removes some or all ethical constraints.
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