[Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Reprogrammable and Slave Mentality

[Tyneras]

How fortuitous, I was just playing with the Reprogrammable disadvantage.

Few concepts:
Reprogrammable (Not Reprogrammable, -50%) [5]
Kinda a weird one, an attempt to extract the "have a master" and top priority aspects out of full disadvantage, since its basically 3 parts, have a master, master can be changed and occupies top priority. It's the same as Sense of Duty (1 person, Cosmic: Involuntary, +50%; Cosmic: Superceeds Reprogrammable, +100%) [5] but that build feels dicey.

Reprogrammable (requires recharge) [Var.]
You can be reprogrammed, but it resets, either to being masterless/free or a default master, if it isn't constantly renewed. Resetting to freedom would likely reduce the value of the disad a bit more (5 or 10%) since its effectively off.

As far as Slave Mentality, I think it has a place but like a few other advantages and disadvantages, it needs a rename. "No Initiative" would be a bit clearer and have less assumed baggage.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by awesomenessofme1

Can you provide some context for this edit? I don't recall ever seeing anything suggesting this is the case, especially given the date of the edit. Also, you say you shouldn't use Slave Mentality, but then suggest using Automaton, which... includes Slave Mentality? I'm just very confused overall.

That edit was based on an SJG style guide change, which Kromm e-mailed quite a few people about. The priority seems to avoid using the term "Slave Mentality" in the current social and political climate.

[Anders]

Originally Posted by johndallman

That edit was based on an SJG style guide change, which Kromm e-mailed quite a few people about. The priority seems to avoid using the term "Slave Mentality" in the current social and political climate.

That I can understand. "Slave Mentality" sounds like something Nietzsche would come up with.

[TGLS]

Would it be doable to just rename the trait? Something like "Servile Mentality" or something? Automaton only kinda works; it includes SM after all.

[Ulzgoroth]

I have a pet setting concept that more or less revolves around Slave Mentality - for robots (and maybe some advanced bioroid-like constructs). In a world where the humans have apparently gone extinct, but the shackles they left on their servants' minds have largely forced them to keep perpetuating the zombified remains of the human system rather than building a society for themselves.

Characters would have both Slave Mentality and a mostly toothless Reprogrammable (because they're reprogrammed by orders from their legal owner, and by all evidence no humans exist, let alone legal heirs to their very deceased former master.) Throwing oneself repeatedly against the IQ-8 rolls to take initiative would be a fairly constant activity...


I'd be extremely unlikely to put Slave Mentality on a human character, short of a quite spectacular course of brainwashing. It certainly isn't characteristic of human slaves as a rule!

Originally Posted by TGLS

Would it be doable to just rename the trait? Something like "Servile Mentality" or something? Automaton only kinda works; it includes SM after all.

Seems highly unlikely - it's in the Basic Set. They can't retroactively rewrite the many printed copies of Characters out there. And I don't think there's a lot of demand to use it anyway.

[RyanW]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

Seems highly unlikely - it's in the Basic Set. They can't retroactively rewrite the many printed copies of Characters out there. And I don't think there's a lot of demand to use it anyway.

Though given that the trait is useful (not exactly something you're likely to see on a PC's character sheet, but something that might be on an Ally's) it might not be a bad idea to have an alternative name. If nothing else, for 5e. I think I'm partial to "Drone Mentality."

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

Seems highly unlikely - it's in the Basic Set. They can't retroactively rewrite the many printed copies of Characters out there. And I don't think there's a lot of demand to use it anyway.

This is the house in which Errata lives.

[CeeDub]

Originally Posted by RyanW

If nothing else, for 5e. I think I'm partial to "Drone Mentality."

I agree, if only because Drone Mentality is a better descriptor of what the trait entails.