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Eerie
2010-03-29, 03:55 PM
The Good gods want you to do good deeds. The Evil gods want you to do evil deeds. The good gods grant you powers to do good magic if you do good deeds, the evil gods grant you powers to do evil magic if you do evil deeds.

But it seems the gods have some communication problem:

Kill the serial murderer who prowls the town in the night - you will get good powers.

Kill the noble captain of the Guard who prevented many crimes - you will get evil powers.

Need all the magic you can get? Kill them both. You get the good and the evil powers.

Definitely, the gods are dumb.

What do you think of such a system? Will make for an interesting gameworld?

Ranos
2010-03-29, 04:44 PM
So basically, people have good points and evil points, you get points opposite to theirs by killing them.
As long as you warn your players beforehand that your system of good and evil is actually more of a red team/blue team thing, it could work for a highlanderish game.

Eerie
2010-03-29, 04:50 PM
Exactly. It doesn`t have to be killing only, all good and evil deeds grant you "points".

Ranos
2010-03-29, 04:52 PM
Now that I think about it, it has a few interesting implications. Most powerful people would be running around causing problem only to come back and solve them later. It would probably make the "players" of this good/evil thing generally hated amongst the powerless populace.

Mongoose87
2010-03-29, 04:53 PM
Evil will win, because good is dumb.

Eerie
2010-03-29, 05:00 PM
Now that I think about it, it has a few interesting implications. Most powerful people would be running around causing problem only to come back and solve them later. It would probably make the "players" of this good/evil thing generally hated amongst the powerless populace.

It gets worse - you probably get some good or evil points by killing virtually anyone. :smallamused:

Jack of Spades
2010-03-29, 07:56 PM
Seems to me that it would turn the 'good' player characters into Rorschach... Which is awesome :smallbiggrin:

Also, if this were applied to a world, I'm pretty sure it would create utter anarchy (well, bloodthirsty feudalism). Those on top would kill anyone who stepped out of line, which would only give them more power.

So as for your question:

What do you think of such a system? Will make for an interesting gameworld?
I think it would create an interesting situation, and turn human society into a pack of wolves (once again, I love this). You would have to be careful about which technologies exist, simply because in this world it doesn't seem likely that many advances would be made that don't involve killing.

Now, I'm sure that you'll point out that killing isn't the only way to gain good or evil 'points'; in fact, you already have. My answer would be this: it is likely the most direct way to gain points, as well as being the most potent. The only thing I could see being worth as many 'points' as taking a life would be to pledge your life to the cause of good/evil. This would make for some interesting paladin-types, because even if they are philanthropists and spend their entire life giving soup and blankets to the homeless, they are still doing these things for a very selfish reason.

Now that I think of it, this world would probably end up bearing some resemblance to New Eden, in Bioshock. I probably don't have to add this, but just like my other two comparisons, I find this titillating :smallsmile:

Mongoose87
2010-03-29, 08:40 PM
Can you get power by doing any good or evil deed, or only killing? Society would disappear awfully fast if death was the only way up.

Jack of Spades
2010-03-29, 08:49 PM
Can you get power by doing any good or evil deed, or only killing? Society would disappear awfully fast if death was the only way up.

It doesn`t have to be killing only, all good and evil deeds grant you "points".

But what could be more good/evil than killing a(n) evil/good-doer?

Mongoose87
2010-03-29, 08:52 PM
The issue isn't how much more good or evil, it's Supply and Demand. If the best way to become powerful is to kill, then those who are already powerful are going to kill more, and I just don't see the population being able to support it.

Flickerdart
2010-03-29, 08:53 PM
The issue isn't how much more good or evil, it's Supply and Demand. If the best way to become powerful is to kill, then those who are already powerful are going to kill more, and I just don't see the population being able to support it.
How is this different from adventuring to gain XP?

Zexion
2010-03-29, 08:53 PM
Well, what about if you raise children (good), then kill them (evil). Won't the good god notice that?

Jack of Spades
2010-03-29, 08:59 PM
How is this different from adventuring to gain XP?

Well with the XP system, the characters themselves are supposed to not notice it happening. The payout is that you've learned-- which may give you more abilities and whatnot. With this system, the payout of good/evil acts is raw power, meaning quicker returns.


Well, what about if you raise children (good), then kill them (evil). Won't the good god notice that?

I imagine that the good god would, at the very least, see that you're not raising children any more :smallwink:

Eerie
2010-03-30, 07:21 AM
My original idea was that not everybody can use this system, just the magic users. A world where everyone is a mage will be weird enough as it is.

Eerie
2010-03-30, 07:29 AM
Well, what about if you raise children (good), then kill them (evil). Won't the good god notice that?

Depens on how you raise the children. If you starve and torment them, it will most likely be also considered evil. So you only get evil points.

Ranos
2010-03-30, 10:41 AM
My original idea was that not everybody can use this system, just the magic users. A world where everyone is a mage will be weird enough as it is.

So do you want all the PCs to be magic users ? Because if you intend to have melee characters, they might feel left out since all the plotting and dickery will most likely happen around that good/evil thing.

As for me, I think it would be best to let anyone use the system. Now, that doesn't mean everyone in the setting has to be empowered. Most likely, there is an overwhelming majority of "powerless" people. This is where everyone starts, and most people remain all their lives. They all have a few points and could, potentially, become empowered themselves, but they'd need some sort of jumpstart, like a lifelong commitment or a huge rampage, before they can gather enough points for the effects to be noticeable. They are the mundanes, the peasants, the ones the empowered exploit and kill on a whim.

And the worst thing is, if they defend themselves and, by some fluke, actually kill one of the empowered, then like it or not, they'll become empowered themselves. Their old friends will start hating them. Other empowered will hunt them down. They'll be forced to become what they hate or die.