by Steven Marsh
In In Nomine, the Malakim are able to determine the most noble and ignoble deeds of people they
come in contact with, as well as their greatest virtues and worst sins. Unfortunately, the existence
of such an ability encourages its use, much to the dismay of the poor GM who has to come up with
interesting virtues and sins on the spot. The Liber Servitorum has some sample virtues and vices,
with the number of NPCs your average Malakim is liable to run across (and over), that list runs out
quickly.
Here, then, is a table which allows for the quasi-creation of noble and ignoble deeds. Regrettably it
uses the d6666 system; if you wanted to pare it down to d666, you can delete one of the columns
("Location" is a logical choice, but choose whichever one you're most comfortable with making
up). Assign each die a column, and keep track of the results; then, using the results, weave those
elements into a virtue or vice.
Person
Location Intensity
affected
Virtue/Vice (if (if
(if
appropriate) appropriate)
appropriate)
The lower the roll, The lower the roll, The lower the roll,
Virtue
the closer the person the closer the location the less intense the
affected is to the is to the person. virtue/vice.
1. Honesty
person.
2. Compassion
For example, For example,
3. Determination
For example,
4. Justice
1. home (or self, 1. trivial
5. Sacrifice
1. family (or self, if appropriate) 2. minor
6. Courage
if appropriate) 2. home 3. significant
2. family 3. work 4. memorable
Vice
3. friend 4. neighborhood 5. major
4. acquaintance 5. state 6. monumental
1. Deceit
5. stranger 6. nation (or
2. Cruelty
6. enemy greater)
3. Sloth
4. Injustice
(animosity)
5. Want (greed,
gluttony, lust)
6. Cowardice
Example Rolls
Virtues
4, 3, 3, 2: Justice / Friend / Work / Minor. Standing up for a co-worker accused of doing
an ineffective job, despite the jeopardy it may place your own job in.
5, 1, 5, 4: Sacrifice / Family (or Self) / State / Memorable. Confessing for vandalism you
didn't do to protect your brother.
6, 6, 2, 5: Courage / Enemy / Home / Major. Giving first aid to the burglar you just shot as
he broke into your home, despite the danger it places you in.
Vices
5, 2, 4, 3: Want / Family / Neighborhood / Significant. Taking a piece of jewelry
belonging to your mother from your sister's apartment.
1, 5, 6, 1: Deceit / Stranger / Nation / Trivial. Cheating on your taxes by claiming your dog
as a dependant.
2, 4, 1, 6: Cruelty / Acquaintance / Home (or Self) / Monumental. Beating your neighbor
to death because his music bothers you.
Things to Remember
Keep in mind that the entire purpose of this table is to give you ideas; you may wish to delete
columns that don't make sense for a particular roll, or re-roll entirely if you don't get an idea
from a particular roll.
Although this table can be useful in determining the motivations of random NPCs, you may
want to give some thought to what the vices and virtues of major characters are.
Consider that the magnitude of the table probably changes depending on the Malakim's
result; for example, the most noble or ignoble thing a person has done in the past week is
likely to be less significant than the most noble or ignoble thing a person has done in the past
year. A "memorable" cowardly moment of the past week is probably not as significant as a
"memorable" cowardly moment in the past year.
Likewise remember that a major sin to a priest may not be as significant as a major sin to a
serial killer. Use your judgement.
The virtues and vices roughly parallel; honesty opposes deceit, compassion opposes cruelty,
etc.
If the Malakim scores a 5 or 6 on the check die, you may wish to consider adding pride and
humility to the possibilities in the first column. (Remember that 1-4 on the resonance check
die are from the person's own standards; most people don't consider their humility to be their
greatest virtue, nor do most prideful people recognize that to be their greatest vice.)
This chart should also be useful in any other systems that require the generation of instant
motivation, like Vampire: The Dark Age's Daimoinon or Auspex, Fading Suns's Psi and Theurgy
powers, or Mage or GURPS Psionics abilities.
* * *
This chart was inspired and influenced by the Ultima series of computer games.
Article publication date: April 28, 2000
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