I have found that the Soul attributes are very under-represented. It is my belief that all attributes should carry with them about the same weight. That way one attribute is not preferred over another, based solely on the fact that it is USED more than the others (i.e. Physical Prowess, hint, hint---it was not just used more than other attributes, we ABUSED it). Hence the reason I wanted to take closer look at our Soul attributes.
Soul represents more than just the supernatural. It is a representation of the character's inner self. A self that truly governs all areas of self (Mental, Physical and Spiritual). Furthermore, a player should be able to use the character's Soul attributes in EVERY game, not just games or campaigns that have supernatural events or actions. In trying to adhere to these two concepts, I have constructed three new Soul attributes (replacing our old ones).
They are as follows: Command, Power, and Perseverance. Each of these names are pulled right out of scriptures, since that was the original idea of these attributes. In this post, I will suggest some ideas I have of how to use these. I would like you guys to add some more uses.
Let us start with Power. The universe is full of strange energies and sources of power both supernatural and natural. The character's Power attribute is a measurement of how much of those powers the character can gain access to. Think of an analogy of an electrical device or circuit. Power would be the voltage that passes through the wire.
Where supernatural abilities do not apply to a certain campaign, Power can measure how often a character might heal. It can also measure how often or how many character points a player might earn for completing a certain task. A GM might allow a player to roll a Power roll to save them from catastrophe, like a collapsing wall that the character could not get out from under. This is the ability to tap into Divine Intervention and Providence. Some might call this Luck when it is not united with a high Command attribute.
Let us look closer at Command. Command is the ability to alter or manipulate the world around you. Do not confuse this attribute with Influence; Influence is the ability to persuade others to your way of thinking or to rally others to your cause. Influence is governed by prestige and logic. Command directs or allows control of the natural and supernatural energies and powers. Thinking back to the electrical analogy, Command is the ability to direct where the voltage goes. It determines which direction is the flow of current and to what circuits are powered.
Command can be used to direct the outcome of a character point. We know that character points can be used to better the outcome of the campaign. Yet, it does not have to be the best outcome for ALL the party. The GM can throw in IRONY. Command can be used to reduce this, so that he/she determines what might occur. Example: A player attempts to shot a fleeing orc with a last minute arrow. This orc is carrying the item needed to win the game. The player rolls to hit and misses! He uses a character point to hit the orc. The game master has the player roll a feat of Command. If the Command is successful, the player choose the outcome (with certain limits of course). He might choose a gust of wind (which he had been praying for) to suddenly extend the flight of his arrow hitting the orc with an instant kill. If the Command roll fails, the GM decides the outcome. Maybe the orc still flees, but drops the item in an attempt to dodge the arrow. This still benefits the party, but is not optimal for that player.
Command is also used with controlling super powers and abilities when these are included in a game.
Last, Perseverance. This attributes is a measurement of the amount of energy and power the character can ACTUALLY handle at a given moment. It is also a measurement of time a character can withstand the maximum energy (any energy). This includes both kinetic and metaphysical energy. Both inflowing energy or outgoing energy. In the analogy electricity, this is best represented by the resistance of the wiring (I think this is correct). It measure the amount of electrical load a circuit can take before short circuiting or blowing a fuse.
Perseverance is much like the Palladium attribute M.E., but has some elements of P.E. as well. It would be the base for the secondary attribute I.S.P. (inner strength points). A "save vs." feat would be handled by Perseverance in most cases. It reflect the mind over matter, which is really based more on belief (Soul) than that of the mind. It is a measurement of hope and belief in a particular power.
The last attribute that I wanted to update is Intelligence. I have never liked an attribute that actually represents the player. Intelligence is one of those attributes. It says that a smart player can play an intellectually dumb character, and vice versa. This is absurd. The player is the logical and rational mind of the character. Attributes should represent the way that the player is able to relate to the imaginary world of the GM through his character. The character is the player's avatar, if you will. Therefore, the use of an Intelligence attribute is useless. BUT, the true attribute that we have been using doesn't really correlate to intelligence of the player, in the case of I.Q. of the Palladium. It is different. In fact, the problem is not the attribute, but rather a misnomer of the attribute. I believe we should call this attribute Aptitude, rather than Intelligence. Aptitude measures the ability to adapt to new situations and changes. It is the ability to learn things well and learn it the first time. It is also the ability to see and recognize changes in ones environment or a system; and be able to come up with a solution (okay that last part will be left up to the player). When the player performs an Aptitude roll, he or she is trying to gain deeper access into the details of what is going on. Now this does not work when interrogating an NPC for information, that would be handled by the Influence attribute. But, Aptitude could pick up on nonverbal ques that the NPC might be displaying (i.e. "You notice a slight tilt of his neck to the right" or "He suddenly displays a slight show of disgust in his lips.") Interpreting this information would either require another successful roll of Aptitude or the reasoning powers of the player. Aptitude also aids in the die that represents a characters natural combat ability along with Coordination attribute.
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