Hugh Neilson Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 Re: Disads for Dana Scully It was central to a couple of sub plots. The all knowing Wikipedia can fill you in. That's just the GM noticing a Disad he hasn't used in five+ years of gaming and overcompensating Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Waters Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 Re: Disads for Dana Scully How is being Catholic a disadvantage? Just wondering. You're not a catholic, are you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nexus Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 Re: Disads for Dana Scully So, no go for the Unluck? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nexus Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 Re: Disads for Dana Scully **insert obligatory DnD joke ** "This is my +5 Vorpal Sword: Beauty." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Waters Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 Re: Disads for Dana Scully Btw... a number of you guys would hate my write up. I only gave her a 14 COM. IMHO she's very cute, but shes not drop dead gorgeous. What i think your actually responding to her presence, which I gave her 16, and her intellect, which is 18. No, that's fine, the plan wasn't to spend all night looking at her... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vondy Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 Re: Disads for Dana Scully I'm pretty sure all COM scores should be appended with "+/-" (with mods of up to 4 for personal taste). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FenrisUlf Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 Re: Disads for Dana Scully In general, I'd say it isn't. But in the specific case of Scully, with the adventures she participates in, I'd say it is. It restricts her actions (which is all that's required to be a Disad... Disads don't have to be negative, after all) by causing her to view some things she encounters in a different way than the preponderance of evidence she finds would support. In other words, to some extent, and within the world of the X-Files only, clinging to Catholic teachings in the face of contrary evidence is almost a sort of delusion. I'm not saying it's a delusion in real life... just that for Scully specifically, given what she's seen and what she knows, clinging to it is probably an irrational reaction. But was it really all that much of a delusion? There were a few occasions when it seemed like genuinely divine and/or demonic forces were operating. Usually, Scully went in as a wary believer, while Mulder went full-core skeptic when this happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidume Posted February 15, 2008 Report Share Posted February 15, 2008 Re: Disads for Dana Scully A low level CvK could be justified. A small Watched: FBI could also fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer84 Posted February 15, 2008 Report Share Posted February 15, 2008 Re: Disads for Dana Scully Nobody has mentioned Hunted by Death Tribble yet? I was worried I'd have to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Waters Posted February 16, 2008 Report Share Posted February 16, 2008 Re: Disads for Dana Scully I'm pretty sure all COM scores should be appended with "+/-" (with mods of up to 4 for personal taste). Beauty is in the eye of the beholder: COM is not considered an absolute measure but an indication of general features that others might find attractive. When meeting someone or assessing their attractiveness, make a 3d6 roll modified by 11 per COM/5 of the person you are assessing and +1 per your own COM/10. If the modified roll is 11 or less then you find the person attractive, and if 12 or more, you find them unattractive. The roll determines your 'attraction factor' in respect of that person. This amount is the 'attraction factor'. In appropriate situations the GM might allow some or all of this amount to influence social interaction rolls. If the attraction factor is greater (whether positive or negative) than your EGO/5, you might act irrationally in that person's presence (fawning over them, or refusing to speak to them, for example). The attraction factor can change over time, but should not be recalculated unless some reasonably major event occurs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Waters Posted February 16, 2008 Report Share Posted February 16, 2008 Re: Disads for Dana Scully But was it really all that much of a delusion? There were a few occasions when it seemed like genuinely divine and/or demonic forces were operating. Usually, Scully went in as a wary believer, while Mulder went full-core skeptic when this happened. Catholicism is not just a matter of belief system and a 'cynicism modifier'; a genuine catholic (and catholic (small c) actually refers to all Christians being of one church), but also of the beliefs embodied in the religion. A true christian probably shouldn't be wandering around shooting people, but that is probably not what is meant here. Roman Catholicism embodies all sorts of concepts not shared by the wider Christian church: the transfiguration of bread and wine to the actual body and blood of Christ during communion being a major one. There is also the concept of sin to be taken into consideration. You can sin in all sorts of ways, and it should be treated as a sort fo 'code of conduct', everything from turning the other cheek to loving thy neighbour and it also embodies the whole concept of self sacrifice, which is not something to be sniffed at. Then there is the guilt thing. Oh boy...I could write a book....= Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vestnik Posted February 16, 2008 Report Share Posted February 16, 2008 Re: Disads for Dana Scully When meeting someone or assessing their attractiveness, make a 3d6 roll modified by 11 per COM/5 of the person you are assessing and +1 per your own COM/10. I often do this on dates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Neilson Posted February 17, 2008 Report Share Posted February 17, 2008 Re: Disads for Dana Scully Catholicism is not just a matter of belief system and a 'cynicism modifier'; a genuine catholic (and catholic (small c) actually refers to all Christians being of one church), but also of the beliefs embodied in the religion. A true christian probably shouldn't be wandering around shooting people, but that is probably not what is meant here. Roman Catholicism embodies all sorts of concepts not shared by the wider Christian church: the transfiguration of bread and wine to the actual body and blood of Christ during communion being a major one. There is also the concept of sin to be taken into consideration. You can sin in all sorts of ways, and it should be treated as a sort fo 'code of conduct', everything from turning the other cheek to loving thy neighbour and it also embodies the whole concept of self sacrifice, which is not something to be sniffed at. Then there is the guilt thing. Oh boy...I could write a book....= I wouod suggest catholocism is not itself a disad, but rathner SFX for any of a number of disad's. Which sins will this character specificaly refrain from, which will have an in-game efect? Will they turn the other cheek rather than fight back? Do they follow the command that Thou Shalt Not Kill? The religion is the reason for these aspects of the character's personality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Waters Posted February 19, 2008 Report Share Posted February 19, 2008 Re: Disads for Dana Scully I wouod suggest catholocism is not itself a disad' date=' but rathner SFX for any of a number of disad's. Which sins will this character specificaly refrain from, which will have an in-game efect? Will they turn the other cheek rather than fight back? Do they follow the command that Thou Shalt Not Kill? The religion is the reason for these aspects of the character's personality.[/quote'] To the extent that 'Catholic' defines a code of behaviour it fits with the useage of disadvantages, but I agree that different people will define 'Catholic' in different ways, so splitting it into discreet disadvantages probably makes sense in terms of both game pleay and point efficiency. Still, those Catholic girls...and back to number 87 in a series of pervy little mental vignettes...(series 7: FBI Redheads) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
st barbara Posted February 21, 2008 Report Share Posted February 21, 2008 Re: Disads for Dana Scully Would having "Cancer Man" and his cronies taking an interest in her count as a "hunted" ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackalope Posted February 24, 2008 Report Share Posted February 24, 2008 Re: Disads for Dana Scully How is being Catholic a disadvantage? Just wondering. Any belief system that a character adheres to in a meaningful way can be taken as a disadvantage because it can create a limit on the character's behavior, and puts a handy ring through the character's nose that can be used by the GM to manipulate that character. A strongly devout Catholic can be presumed to have a code against killing, to be opposed to aggression except in self-defense, to be opposed to capital punishment, unwilling to use sex as a bargaining tool (no seducing the enemy for example), etc. A more moderate Catholic might have to make an EGO roll to do things forbidden by the religion. Or consider if a Catholic character does engage in premarital sex an either gets someone pregnant, or gets pregnant themself. Abortion isn't an option, and the GM could insist that the character gets married. Clearly, this is all well-within the normal range of things covered by the Psychological Limitation. Religion can also be a Social Disadvantage, if your character is known to be a member of a religion. In some settings (the American South during the Depression) being known to be Catholic would be a serious social limitation (my grandparents, Italian-American Catholics, had crosses burned in their yard while my granddad was working in Alabama, this was in 1956), in others (modern day) less so. But even in modern, tolerant and liberal America is can still be a social disadvantage to be known as a member of a religion, even a majority religion. You become subject to stereotypes, you may have to deal with angry people who want to use you as a proxy for other members of your religion who hurt them, people are more likely to accuse you of hypocrisy and make assumptions about your beliefs, and the morality of your actions may come under greater scrutiny. I don't really agree that Catholicism is a disadvantage for Dana Scully (aside from giving Mulder opportunities to tease her, it creates no real limitations on her character), but it certainly can be a disadvantage for other characters. For Dana I wouldn't give her more than 5 points for it, it's really more of a character quirk than a driving part of her character. Some things to consider about Dana: She is part of the Shadow Government's secret abduction and experimentation program, and was occasionally abducted throughout the series (usually to cover those times Gillian Anderson was pregnant, but it works). A Hunted by the Shadow Government would be appropriate, probably at an 11-. Even a 14- wouldn't be inappropriate, as the Shadow Government/Men in Black (lead by the Cigarette Smoking Man) were a major and constant presence in the series. Most of Scully and Mulder's Disads points should be coming from that right there. She had a tracking device implanted in her shoulder that allowed the Shadow Government to keep tabs on her. Also related to the tracking device is her cancer, which would threaten her life if the implant was removed. I'm not sure if that's a Physical Limitation or Susceptibility, but it's there. She's a member of the FBI, that's a whole slew of Socials right there. Lots of rules and regulations she has to follow. She was Hunted by that weird creepy necrophilliac/demon dude who appeared in two episodes. Later versions of the character would have DNPC (William Scully, 8-) and a Reputation as she became known for her loyalty to Mulder (which would make it difficult to convince her superiors she was acting objectively). A Rivalry with Agent Diana Fowley might be plausible, if you're really fishing for points. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Neilson Posted February 24, 2008 Report Share Posted February 24, 2008 Re: Disads for Dana Scully Any belief system that a character adheres to in a meaningful way can be taken as a disadvantage because it can create a limit on the character's behavior' date=' and puts a handy ring through the character's nose that can be used by the GM to manipulate that character.[/quote'] Well, I agree to this point. A strongly devout Catholic can be presumed to have a code against killing Like the Crusaders? to be opposed to aggression except in self-defense Like boxers trained by priests? I think the problem is not that the code of conduct a catholic could adopt might be restructive, but that "Catholic" means so many different things to even those who practice the religion that the disadvantage is not sufficiently defined, and should be fleshed out. If you think it means your character will tithe, believe premarital sex is inappropriate and would never use birth control, and your GM decides it requires you to turn the other cheek rather than retaliate when physical harm is inflicted upon him, to prefer loss of his own, or another's, life to aggression against anyone else, and to follow any edict of the Pope fully and blindly, then one of you is going to be very unhappy with the way the game goes. Like many other disadvantages, the question here isn't whether it is disadvantageous, but whether both player and GM are on the same page as to its impact and its resulting point value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackalope Posted February 25, 2008 Report Share Posted February 25, 2008 Re: Disads for Dana Scully If you think it means your character will tithe' date=' believe premarital sex is inappropriate and would never use birth control, and your GM decides it requires you to turn the other cheek rather than retaliate when physical harm is inflicted upon him, to prefer loss of his own, or another's, life to aggression against anyone else, and to follow any edict of the Pope fully and blindly, then one of you is going to be very unhappy with the way the game goes. Like many other disadvantages, the question here isn't whether it is disadvantageous, but whether both player and GM are on the same page as to its impact and its resulting point value.[/quote'] That's true of every disadvantage. I was simply referencing the beliefs presented as the dogma of the modern Catholic Church, which are conveniently laid out with historical explanations in the current Catechism of the Catholic Church. It's cool. Want to know what a "perfect Catholic" believes about magic? Got ya covered. What's a "perfect Catholic" think about violence? Again, got ya covered. Seriously, I wish all religions had something like this. It's great for gaming. Religioustolerance.org is a great resource for a lot of religions, but is nowhere near as comprehensive. But if you wanted to define, say, "Wiccan" for a game, this would probably do for gaming purposes. (And by "perfect Catholic" I don't mean a "superior" catholic, only a Catholic who believes exactly everything the Church teaches, one who is perfectly in line with all the Church's teachings) This topic probably deserves it's own thread, since it really has nothing to do with Dana Scully. (X-Files 2 coming soon! ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackalope Posted February 25, 2008 Report Share Posted February 25, 2008 Re: Disads for Dana Scully Okay, now I have my books out and can do this properly: 30 Hunted by the Syndicate (Hunter is More Powerful, Hunter has extensive Non-Combat Influence, PC is very easy to find (implanted tracking device), Hunter desires to Mildly Punish the character (control, impede, experiment, discredit), 14-) The presence of the Syndicate (or at least their representatives in America, the Cigarette Smoking Man and the Men In Black) is felt constantly, even when they aren't directly involved in the story. They clearly were not merely watching Scully: she was kidnapped multiple times, experimented on, forced to term, and made barren; she was assigned to the X-Files at their request, dismissed at their request, reassigned at their request, assigned new partners at their request; her evidence was stolen by them, her investigations were impeded by them, and she was used and manipulated by them. They were unwilling to kill her, but they were constantly "punishing" her for her loyalty to Mulder. It's easy to think of the Syndicate as "Mulder's Enemy," and in many ways they are more Mulder's enemy than Scully's. However that's not what the Hunted disad is for. If Lex Luthor comes round your house and pees in your cheerios every week, he's your Hunted even if you're not Superman. And the Syndicate messed with Scully hardcore, the entire run of the show. I mean she had a mutant alien hybrid baby with superpowers, and it was all because of the Syndicate. 10 Psychological Limitation: Skeptic (Common, Moderate) Fairly self-explanatory. I'm calling it moderate because her religious beliefs can overcome her skepticism, and because her skepticism doesn't cause her to reject reality when it conflicts with her beliefs. She's not fanatical enough about her skepticism to warrant Strong or Total. 10 Social Limitation: FBI Agent (Frequently, Minor) Being an FBI Agent comes with a lot of restrictions and regulations. These restrictions are frequently limiting to Scully's investigations, and infractions can be used against her. This is probably worth a lot more points in reality, but she only needs these 10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Waters Posted February 25, 2008 Report Share Posted February 25, 2008 Re: Disads for Dana Scully Like the Crusaders? Well, theoretically, the Pope is pretty much infallible, so if he decrees that violence shall be done that is the nearest you get to the Word in earthly form. However, as with so many things, the Crusades were probably not really about religion, that was just the excuse that was used. I think most good catholics (as opposed to perfect catholics) know enough of the dogma to feel guilty a lot and then go to confession. Dana is not a 'perfect catholic', but she's got the guilt down pat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vondy Posted February 25, 2008 Report Share Posted February 25, 2008 Re: Disads for Dana Scully Social Limitation: Controversial Looks, Leaves Men Arguing Over Whether She's a Hottie in Her Wake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FenrisUlf Posted February 25, 2008 Report Share Posted February 25, 2008 Re: Disads for Dana Scully Well, theoretically, the Pope is pretty much infallible, so if he decrees that violence shall be done that is the nearest you get to the Word in earthly form. However, as with so many things, the Crusades were probably not really about religion, that was just the excuse that was used. I think most good catholics (as opposed to perfect catholics) know enough of the dogma to feel guilty a lot and then go to confession. Dana is not a 'perfect catholic', but she's got the guilt down pat This is getting VERY off-topic, but my understanding is that the Pope is only considered infallible in matters pertaining to the interpretation of Christian and Catholic dogma. On anything else he's as capable of error as anyone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vestnik Posted February 26, 2008 Report Share Posted February 26, 2008 Re: Disads for Dana Scully This is getting VERY off-topic' date=' but my understanding is that the Pope is only considered infallible in matters pertaining to the interpretation of Christian and Catholic dogma. On anything else he's as capable of error as anyone else.[/quote'] Not only that, infallibity has only been involved a handful of times (four, I think) on central questions of dogma, like the ascension of Mary. The Pope doesn't even claim infallibity on abortion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Waters Posted February 26, 2008 Report Share Posted February 26, 2008 Re: Disads for Dana Scully This is getting VERY off-topic' date=' but my understanding is that the Pope is only considered infallible in matters pertaining to the interpretation of Christian and Catholic dogma. On anything else he's as capable of error as anyone else.[/quote'] You may be right: I'm not the Pope Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vondy Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 Re: Disads for Dana Scully You may be right: I'm not the Pope Since you are not infallible: you may be wrong about that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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