Power and Position & IC and OOC
Arasaka 28 Apr 2011 12:48
IC
- PCs will have positions of power (e.g. Princes, Primogen, Garou rank, whatever mages do).
- Those offices may invest that PC with power over your PC.
- PCs with status or power are not obligated to be nice to you ICly.
- PCs of position are not obligated to treat your PC fairly ICly.
- PCs of position are often corrupt, mean, ruthless and backstabbing. How do you think they got where they are in the first place?
- Your society says you are obligated to do what they tell you to. This does not render you a mindless drone. You can choose to disobey. Keep in mind that if you disobey it could lead to IC consequences. ICA = ICC. So before you mouth off to the Prince and embrace your ghoul, keep in mind that it is with in his IC power to punish you for doing so.
- On the flipside, PCs of position can be removed from power if they abuse their office once too often. No one likes a tyrant. Weaker PCs or PCs with less status are encouraged to organize and remove a tyrant from office. It might be good to be King but never forget you have a target on your back.
- Justice in the World of Darkness is harsh. Justice in cyberpunk is usually non-existent. Different sects and races deal with transgressions of their laws and customs differently:
- Vampire
- The Camarilla - expect a warning, a blood bond, a boon, a blood hunt or whatever cruel or unusual punishment the Prince can think up. Keep in mind, there is no Code of Milan here just the Traditions. The Camarilla offers only what rights the Prince offers and can enforce. If you aren't old, chances are you have no rights.
- The Sabbat - Sure you are free. The Code of Milan says you can tell the Archbishop to go fuck off and die. You can always call for monomancy but the thing is, if you haven't earned it no one is going to grant it to you. If you haven't proven yourself to the sect expect to have your nose removed, your face branded, to be tortured, dismembered, used in experiments, turned into something bizarre or killed in a cruel or unusual manner.
- Werewolf
- Expect to have your crystals take and your drum smashed.
- Mage
- Traditions - Most of the time the Traditions police their own given each of the 9 trads has a different idea of justice. If a particularly large problem arises then the local chantry leaders hold some sort of pow-wow and work out a solution which could mean escalating to the Council proper. Common punishments include banishing, ostracism, monitoring, gigul or death.
- Technocracy - The Union mirrors the Traditions in that the conventions police their own and problems are solved collectively. The Union favors more structured forms of discipline and more invasive punitive actions. After all you are just an other number.
- The Nephandi - Patrons are exceedingly punitive if you disobey them. Expect their justice to be swift, harsh and inhuman.
OOC
- Players playing empowered characters ARE obligated to be civil when communicating OOCly.
- Players are encouraged to work conflicts out in a manner that is fun and tells a good story.
- Keep in mind, it's probably not personal. The PC in power is just doing his or her job.
- Tell yourself over and over: it's just a game…it's just a game…it's only a game.