Convictions
The directions, the elements, the winds. What fills the sails of your soul?
Convictions are comprised of a Title, three Tenants of increasing difficulty, and a Conclusion.
Each Character has four of them.
| Investigate | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Take action toward the unknown |
| 2 | Find the important among the overlooked |
| 5 | Unearth something hidden that changes the course of a major event |
| C | Refuse to look more closely |
| Seek Balance | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Take action toward the unknown |
| 2 | Find the important among the overlooked |
| 5 | Unearth something hidden that changes the course of a major event |
| C | Refuse to look more closely |
The Title describes the core philosophy by which the Character lives, through which they view each moment.
The first Tenant is the easiest to follow and grants 1 xp. It should happen almost automatically at least once every session. It is the simplest act by which they Character can demonstrate their Conviction and should be almost second nature to them to do.
The second Tenant requires the Character to apply themselves, to break rules or endure inconvenience. Doing so grants 2 xp.
The third Tenant demands that the Character change the world around them, bringing their beliefs to bear within it, often at great cost or against the will of powerful adversaries. These are the high points of story arcs, the final conflict of building tensions, the finishing of a great task, or end of a hard won battle. They grant 5 xp.
Finally, each has a Conclusion. These events are the rarest of all and may never occur. They are not sought out, but happen as the result of a fundamental change in who the Character is and what they believe.
- The Investigator witnesses death at the hands of a secret order and decides that some stones are best left unturned.
- The Balance Seeker becomes desperate in their desire to improve the world and begins to want power, allying themselves with those who have it.
These are the deepest moments of Character development and they grant 20 xp.
The Conviction is then removed and nothing like it may ever be taken again by the Character in their lifetime.
While it is often clear what Conviction will be replacing it, it is often just as meaningful to leave the void of it in place, to roleplay both its emptiness and the search for new meaning.
Let the Character's actions take precedent, even if they don't make sense at first.