Social Stigma: Thought Criminal

[jason taylor]

This at first glance sounds like something a totalitarian state would come up with. Well among humans that is what it would mean. And it may mean that in this scenario. But I mean something different. I am talking about the context of a telepathic society where Authority can literally police people's thoughts and even more of a nightmare "adjust" them.

This can be played for horror, say telepathic aliens maintaining an occupying government over humans (heck they would probably consider most of our thoughts criminal). More subtly this can be used as an innate part of a society which is not indefensible but does have Deliberate Values Difference. For that they would have to perhaps ignore most deviant thought if it is not flagrant enough to be antisocial (the way cops might ignore underage drinking if not to obnoxious).

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

This at first glance sounds like something a totalitarian state would come up with. Well among humans that is what it would mean.

While I would generally be more inclined to use a negative Reputation, it occurs to me that Social Stigma: Thought Criminal would also be an appropriate trait for someone who has been successfully "Canceled" in modern society.

Originally Posted by jason taylor

But I mean something different. I am talking about the context of a telepathic society where Authority can literally police people's thoughts and even more of a nightmare "adjust" them.

I'm... not sure how the Social Stigma would work in that case. A Social Stigma is something that is known just from a look (or a cursory search), and if the authorities can "fix" your WrongThoughts into RightThoughts while being able to clearly notice you have WrongThoughts (from the Social Stigma), I don't see how you can continue to have your WrongThoughts - and if you can so long as they aren't too wrong, it seems like having such shouldn't mark you as having a Social Stigma. If instead it's that you get some sort of psychic mark when your thoughts get fixed telling people "Hey, this guy has a criminal record," that's just Social Stigma: Criminal Record. If everyone is psychic and thus others detect your minor WrongThoughts and treat you poorly for it, that's arguably an Odious Personal Habit rather than a Social Stigma (although the lines between Reputation, Odious Personal Habit, and Social Stigma are admittedly a bit blurry).

[Aldric]

It's not like you can normally look at someone and say "He has a criminal record" so Social Stigma might work just as well.
Or maybe it could be a Secret, with law enforcement as an enemy if it's discovered (however that may happen)

[Donny Brook]

In a telepathic society, thoughts might well have more tangibility than in other societies. This could mean that a thought crime is a legitimate matter of concern, similar to how speciously shouting "fire!" in a crowded theater is regarded.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

This at first glance sounds like something a totalitarian state would come up with. Well among humans that is what it would mean. And it may mean that in this scenario. But I mean something different. I am talking about the context of a telepathic society where Authority can literally police people's thoughts and even more of a nightmare "adjust" them.

This can be played for horror, say telepathic aliens maintaining an occupying government over humans (heck they would probably consider most of our thoughts criminal). More subtly this can be used as an innate part of a society which is not indefensible but does have Deliberate Values Difference. For that they would have to perhaps ignore most deviant thought if it is not flagrant enough to be antisocial (the way cops might ignore underage drinking if not to obnoxious).

Being able to adjust them would eliminate the stigma. So having it as a stigma would mean that your wrongthoughts could be detected but were not in themselves a crime. Just something that creates widespread suspicion that you will commit crimes.

Then there's one of the worlds in my atlas, Harmonia. As a result of the Transhumanist party coming into power 40 years, free brain implants that provide a link to the planetary dataweb and augmented reality to everyone were provided to every citizen free of charge and refusing or removing the implant became a social stigma. But it would also be a social stigma to have been banned from highly popular communications channels for obnoxious usage of them, something that could be detected when your AR gave it's initial "who is this person" poppup when encountering them.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Aldric

It's not like you can normally look at someone and say "He has a criminal record" so Social Stigma might work just as well.
Or maybe it could be a Secret, with law enforcement as an enemy if it's discovered (however that may happen)

My personal headcanon for how Social Stigma: Criminal Record works is that it assumes a cinematic setting where characters simply know that someone is a criminal (or a small area where everyone is already aware of it), that your character has some visible mark (a brand or tattoo somewhere visible, a letter/symbol on clothing, missing body parts, etc) that identifies the character, or that it's sufficiently easy to find out if you have a criminal record that anyone who would care is going to know just about immediately. If you're in a setting where you having a criminal record is something people won't know immediately, either modify the cost for Social Stigma: Criminal Record using the rules for Reputation, or give your character a Secret.

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

I am talking about the context of a telepathic society where Authority can literally police people's thoughts and even more of a nightmare "adjust" them.

As an alternative, consider OPH.

The difference is Social Stigma (Thought Criminal) is externally imposed. People who the authorities, or at least the majority of society, consider to be guilty of "wrong thoughts" get sanctioned. You're automatically a suspect when certain crimes happen. You might face special legal sanctions which limit your freedom of action or movement. Respectable people avoid you, you can't get certain jobs, and you might have trouble in other areas such as getting decent housing, credit, insurance, etc. On the other hand, other people of your type might take you in, providing a sort of community.

OPH is inherent to the character. If you're constantly radiating "negative thoughts" or are otherwise someone that most people in your society don't want to interact with, you'll have a hard time making or keeping friends and might have a hard time getting or keeping certain jobs, but the government doesn't keep track of you. In a world where everyone is connected to a global gestalt web telepathic link or an immersive 3D cyberspace, you might get along fine if your OPH just applies to your physical presence, or you might be persona non grata because you're the equivalent of an internet troll or spammer, even if you're not nearly as objectionable in person.

In either case, a Social Stigma or OPH which just applies to online or psionic interaction in a campaign where much of the action takes place in cyberspace or psionic communion is going to carry a limitation. Likewise, a social problem which just applies to your physical persona, but not your online persona will also carry a limitation. Cost of the limitation depends the importance and pervasiveness of cyberspace or psionic gestalt interaction.

[The Colonel]

Originally Posted by Varyon

My personal headcanon for how Social Stigma: Criminal Record works is that it assumes a cinematic setting where characters simply know that someone is a criminal (or a small area where everyone is already aware of it), that your character has some visible mark (a brand or tattoo somewhere visible, a letter/symbol on clothing, missing body parts, etc) that identifies the character, or that it's sufficiently easy to find out if you have a criminal record that anyone who would care is going to know just about immediately. If you're in a setting where you having a criminal record is something people won't know immediately, either modify the cost for Social Stigma: Criminal Record using the rules for Reputation, or give your character a Secret.

For those who have managed to play the new Cyberpunk cRPG, for example, where known criminal affiliations can get tagged onto someone's image in your augmented reality view.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by Pursuivant

As an alternative, consider OPH.

The difference is Social Stigma (Thought Criminal) is externally imposed. People who the authorities, or at least the majority of society, consider to be guilty of "wrong thoughts" get sanctioned. You're automatically a suspect when certain crimes happen. You might face special legal sanctions which limit your freedom of action or movement. Respectable people avoid you, you can't get certain jobs, and you might have trouble in other areas such as getting decent housing, credit, insurance, etc. On the other hand, other people of your type might take you in, providing a sort of community.

OPH is inherent to the character. If you're constantly radiating "negative thoughts" or are otherwise someone that most people in your society don't want to interact with, you'll have a hard time making or keeping friends and might have a hard time getting or keeping certain jobs, but the government doesn't keep track of you. In a world where everyone is connected to a global gestalt web telepathic link or an immersive 3D cyberspace, you might get along fine if your OPH just applies to your physical presence, or you might be persona non grata because you're the equivalent of an internet troll or spammer, even if you're not nearly as objectionable in person.

In either case, a Social Stigma or OPH which just applies to online or psionic interaction in a campaign where much of the action takes place in cyberspace or psionic communion is going to carry a limitation. Likewise, a social problem which just applies to your physical persona, but not your online persona will also carry a limitation. Cost of the limitation depends the importance and pervasiveness of cyberspace or psionic gestalt interaction.

OPH would work very well.

[Alden Loveshade]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

This at first glance sounds like something a totalitarian state would come up with.

Yes. But....

There are a number of things a citizen of the United States can legally do in another country that are illegal if done in the United States. A U.S. citizen generally cannot be prosecuted for that.

But if U.S. authorities can prove the person thought about doing such a a thing while they were in the United States, that person can be prosecuted and convicted for it.

And a citizen can be prosecuted and convicted for planning to do something illegal while in the United States even if they never actually do it.

So while those may not be exactly thought crimes, they come close.