The creation of a Sin-Eater

[Christopher R. Rice]

So for my current game I am trying to work up a ability requested by a player for her character. She eventually wants to be a Sin-Eater. I'm at a bit of a loss on how to create such a ability, I figured I could start with a Affliction of some sort but from there...no darn clue. I'd really like to see what comes to other's minds so thanks ahead of time for any reply.

Also I'm not stuck on the idea of a strictly powers-build approach, spells, rituals, etc. are fine too but I would prefer a powers-build just due to the nature of of how I perceive the ability itself in the setting.

Ghostdancer

[tg_ambro]

This sounds like an application of a skill to me, perhaps some form of exotic Religious Ritual?

I'm having trouble trying to understand just what it does.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by tg_ambro

This sounds like an application of a skill to me, perhaps some form of exotic Religious Ritual?

I'm having trouble trying to understand just what it does.

Assuming there is a Hell, and if you do bad things you go there. You can do bad things all the way up to your death and as long as the sin eater is there at the end you go to heaven...because they take your sin (or some such).

Huh. that might be a idea there, some sort of technique for Religious Ritual....not bad.

Ghostdancer

[copeab]

For the deceased, it seems close to the 3e ritual Lay To Rest (Path of Spirit-0). However, I think it lacks the resistance to summing the deceased's spirit, but does allow the spirit to go to a happier place in the afterlife.

Now, as to what the caster suffers ... there doesn't seem to be enough information. There does seem to be a poor Reputation and/or Status, but that's not actually part of the power)

[Dinadon]

<Checks Pyramid>

Well there's an article on Sin Eaters in Tools of the Trade: Clerics. However it's not a rules article, more a setting where there are Sin Eaters.

[BaHalus]

Well, I think ht is just a ritual and the social implications.

Or the afterlife will afect the game?

If he gains some power, it can have the limitation of requiring the ritual to recharge.

[Corlock Striker]

"What sins your forgive are forgiven, what sins you hold are held." See the Heath Ledger film The Order for a good treatment of Sin Eaters. With a very interesting idea being that the Sin Eater can choose to eat the sins of the dying, or force them down the dying's throat and thereby damn him/her to hell.

[Sunrunners_Fire]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

So for my current game I am trying to work up a ability requested by a player for her character. She eventually wants to be a Sin-Eater. I'm at a bit of a loss on how to create such a ability, I figured I could start with a Affliction of some sort but from there...no darn clue. I'd really like to see what comes to other's minds so thanks ahead of time for any reply.

Also I'm not stuck on the idea of a strictly powers-build approach, spells, rituals, etc. are fine too but I would prefer a powers-build just due to the nature of of how I perceive the ability itself in the setting.

Ghostdancer

I'd say you're approaching it the wrong way. Ignore the concept. What does she want it to do? What are the effects she wants to happen when her character does this?

If there aren't any effects (that impact the campaign), then its' a primarily social religious ritual.

If there are effects ... we can build that. But "I take their sins into myself so that they can go to their reward" doesn't tell us what it does.

Otherwise, eh: Neutralize with Power Theft, Cosmic: Can Steal Disadvantages and a bit of GM fiat allowing her character to treat appropriate disads as having a power modifier ("Sin").

Or, Affliction with Negate Disadvantage ("Sin") and Permanent, pricing Negate Disadvantage for the highest disad value she can negate.

If she wants to be able to feed other people the sin her character has eaten, that'd be Affliction with Afflict Disadvantage and Accessibility ("Only Sins I have previously negated") and Accessibility ("Only if I have not afflicted this Sin more times than I have negated it").

Or something like that.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by copeab

For the deceased, it seems close to the 3e ritual Lay To Rest (Path of Spirit-0). However, I think it lacks the resistance to summing the deceased's spirit, but does allow the spirit to go to a happier place in the afterlife.

Now, as to what the caster suffers ... there doesn't seem to be enough information. There does seem to be a poor Reputation and/or Status, but that's not actually part of the power)

Yeah I thought of that but it doesn't work the way I wanted it too. From what I've read (very little) being a sin-eater historically wasn't a Good Thing(TM) you took all the sin of others onto yourself and regardless of whether you lived a righteous life or not...you went to hell.

Originally Posted by Dinadon

<Checks Pyramid>

Well there's an article on Sin Eaters in Tools of the Trade: Clerics. However it's not a rules article, more a setting where there are Sin Eaters.

Yep, first place I checked, didn't have what i needed though. :)

Originally Posted by BaHalus

Well, I think ht is just a ritual and the social implications.

Or the afterlife will afect the game?

If he gains some power, it can have the limitation of requiring the ritual to recharge.

Yes, the campaign is very much in the vein of the Constantine movie with a lot of other factions present, the character herself doesn't want to do anything but give absolution where the church won't, thus her asking me about the ability.

Originally Posted by Corlock Striker

"What sins your forgive are forgiven, what sins you hold are held." See the Heath Ledger film The Order for a good treatment of Sin Eaters. With a very interesting idea being that the Sin Eater can choose to eat the sins of the dying, or force them down the dying's throat and thereby damn him/her to hell.

Yep. Excellent movie, and thats sort of how I want to emulate it but I really just don't know where to start. What advantage would give one a clean slate? I'm leaning towards afflicted Blessed because PK used that as a basis for his Consecrate Ground ability from GURPS Powers: Divine Favor

Ghostdancer

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Sunrunners_Fire

I'd say you're approaching it the wrong way. Ignore the concept. What does she want it to do? What are the effects she wants to happen when her character does this?

Damnation and Salvation are big themes in the setting, she wants to be able to mete out her own justice since she views both the Host and the Damned as self-serving manipulative entities.

Originally Posted by Sunrunners_Fire

If there aren't any effects (that impact the campaign), then its' a primarily social religious ritual.

If there are effects ... we can build that. But "I take their sins into myself so that they can go to their reward" doesn't tell us what it does.

Yeah, I guess I was a bit vague. I don't want to create a mechanic to represent sins...I think that would just be silly but you bring up a good point, how does one measure sin in a meta-game view.

Gah. Overthinking...

Originally Posted by Sunrunners_Fire

Otherwise, eh: Neutralize with Power Theft, Cosmic: Can Steal Disadvantages and a bit of GM fiat allowing her character to treat appropriate disads as having a power modifier ("Sin").

Or, Affliction with Negate Disadvantage ("Sin") and Permanent, pricing Negate Disadvantage for the highest disad value she can negate.

If she wants to be able to feed other people the sin her character has eaten, that'd be Affliction with Afflict Disadvantage and Accessibility ("Only Sins I have previously negated") and Accessibility ("Only if I have not afflicted this Sin more times than I have negated it").

Or something like that.

Hmm...Negate Disadvantage...must break out Powers now.

Ghostdancer