Quick Contest of...Disadvantages?

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by Kromm

Different strokes, I guess.

First, I like this flavor of conflict – I find roleplaying more fun if PCs are complex, and can count on themselves less often than they can count on their allies at times! For example, Bad Temper + Pacifism (Self-Defense Only) is cool because it adds depth: you see noncombative venting of temper like social cutting, or injuring oneself by punching a wall instead of an enemy, when Pacifism trumps Bad Temper – and you get episodes of guilt when Bad Temper trumps Pacifism. Whereas forcing Bad Temper guy to pick something like Fanaticism instead of Pacifism, or requiring Pacifism guy to choose a trait like Honesty instead of Bad Temper, results in too much of a muchness. You get psychos and milquetoasts too often for my liking, and far too few heroes who seem human and conflicted.

Second, I don't require (or see the rules requiring!) all disadvantages to be in effect at all times. The way I see it, if Catfall only saves the PC's bacon once in a long adventure, because falls off high places really aren't very common, or if an Ally can simply not show up, then Bad Temper should really only fry the PC's bacon once in a long adventure, and Pacifism might not even come up. To me, disads are "hooks" that I can elect to use (or abuse) as the GM. If they're always on, and all on at once, they lead to annoyingly "emo" characters who can't just clear their mind and act.

Good stuff. Regarding your first point: I do not have an issue with complex PCs. If you are willing to put up with the gaming and roleplaying issues that allowing potentially conflicting traits in one character can entail, you might as well let players have that option. A caveat might be to ensure that the effects of both traits come out, even in a conflict situation, to avoid the pitfall of one trait being "washed out" while the other is acted upon. Your rule would come into play here.
I find that such things can be modeled using Quirks to represent traits that will lose out in a conflict with a full-blown disad, but still present hooks for roleplaying purposes.

I am not completely clear on your second point. Certainly, a PC with Bad Temper is not going to be emotionally stressed all the time, but will need to make SC checks according to the in-game situation. Are you talking about you (as the GM) controlling what is going on around the PC so that those situations just do not come up as often?

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