Samsara:Motives
MOTIVES[edit]
Motives are really just abilities that have a little quirk to them. SAMSARA can be run without them, but they were one of the reasons that it was developed.
The word is used here in a very literal sense: a motive is a thing that moves or motivates a character’s actions. Not every action. Just some. A character can be obsessed with revenge, say, and have that motivate everything he does, but that may not be the most interesting character in the world. Most folks have between one and three motives, with ratings also between one and three. More motives than that tend to make for a very schizoid fellow; higher ratings make for a compulsive lunatic. This is great if that’s what the game calls for.
The quirk about motives is that they are both a positive and a negative modifier, depending upon how they are being used. For contrast, regular abilities are always either plus or minus: Stealth + 3 means you are good at being stealthy. Period. But “Devoted to Justice” 3 can both help and hinder you depending upon circumstances. The Motive rating will act as a positive modifier when you act in line with it and as a negative modifier when you act against it.
Thus the archetypal paladin with “Devoted to Justice” 3 would get to add 3 to his roll when charging into an angry mob in order to save an innocent victim. But he would get a -3 to his roll if he was trying to fight a legitimate representative of the government or was forced to help a known criminal.
The dual-edged sword of Motives should be actively emphasized by the GM. Not because the GM has an antagonistic attitude to the players, but because Motives are there to be the focus of the story. Or, at least, a focus. The players should thus choose his Motives carefully and with the knowledge that many stories with this character will explore the nature and effects of his Motives. If the player doesn’t want to suffer in dealings with criminals, he shouldn’t choose “Devoted to Justice”. GM’s should bear in mind, at this point, the distinction between character and player: the player should want to explore his Motives and see the complications that result; the character might not want any of this, might pretend the Motive doesn’t exist, and might complain bitterly when the Motive activates. That’s okay.
It is worth repeating that a Motive only comes into play sometimes and is something unique about the character. That means that the selection of Motives must be carefully made. “Don’t want to suffer” might not be unique since almost nobody wants to suffer. The Motive also needs to be genre appropriate. A game about bold adventurers that features a great deal of physical combat should probably disallow Motive “defeat all opponents in combat” since this will be activated endlessly. On the other hand, a game about people trying to do good in the world might find that Motive interestingly complicating.
Particularly in a Romantic game, the line between abilities and motives can get fuzzy. A Western game run in the Romantic mode might feature a character with a modifier called “”Crazy-eyed killer”. This might be an attribute allowing him to intimidate folks and shoot them and do all sorts of Sergio Leone-style badness. But it might also be a motive, egging the character on to doing those sorts of things and penalizing him for playing nice. Which is it? That’s something for the GM and players to decide. But in a Romantic game, gamers should be open to the possibility of reinterpreting things. So maybe it started out as an ability, but then someone realizes that it could function as a Motive as well. Go for it. Remember that Motives are just special use modifiers anyway (for more on this topic, see Chapter 8, Romantic Mode: Themes).
Wrestling with Yourself[edit]
In particularly stressful situations, an actor may be forced to contest with his own motivations. Perhaps the paladin knows that helping the criminal is the logical course of action, but it might be very hard for him to break down and do it. He stands still, locked in internal turmoil, struggling to act.
In this case, he enters a contest (either Simple or Full), probably using just his WIL attribute (doubled, as with any straight attribute test, although WIL + INT would also make sense here as the rational brain tries to “defeat” the emotional brain). The opposing modifier is the Motive score doubled (just like any other attribute test). Note that the motive does not provide a modifier to the character in these cases, as that would be “double-dipping”.
If the Motive is defeated, the character may act howsoever he wills. If the character is defeated, the Motive has mastered him in this moment of crisis and he must act in accordance with it. The paladin in this example would punch the criminal for even suggesting that they team up. Severe checks (see the next section) will most logically apply to the mental sphere.
A high motive rating is both a blessing and curse and the GM should utilize both aspects of a character’s motive. The motive rating is another type of tactical decision. A fully interesting, balanced character can be had with small Motive ratings and a +/- 1 now and then is noticeable. Not everyone has to be a figure of operatic passions. Unless that’s what you want in your game.
Contents
2.Contests
6.Motives
7.Checks
