Intellect,Romance,Brutality, and Cynicism for Traveller

Going with appeal of Dr. Who as being “The Triumph of Intellect and Romance Over Brute Force and Cynicism” it crossed my mind that was a useful basis to establish the philosophical and cultures attitudes in a civilization for a traveler campaign that would go deeper and wider than I’ve seen others raise in the past without being needlessly picky and leave room for GMs to decide what those values mean in the context of their own campaign. So from the quoted line we have four factors to describe a civilization: Intellect, Romance, Brutality, and Cynicism.

Intellect: Reasoning and understanding objectively, esp. with regard to abstract or academic matters. Some view a purely intellectual universe would be austere and unemotional while others have argued true application of intellect would allow for comprehension and contact with the divine (I guess it depends on ones notions in regards to the other elements here). Worlds of high intellect may become academic centers or worlds where technological wonders would be devised on a regular basis.

Romance: an emotional attraction or aura belonging to an especially heroic era, adventure, or activity. Romantic love certainly falls within romance but does not exclusively define it. In a Romantic universe the actions and deeds of individuals matter even if driven by abstract and external forces. Romantic worlds would often be rich in poetry,art, and music ,mayhaps enough so to draw folks from other worlds.

Brutality: violent, cruel, and harsh treatment of others. Application of force is a defining element to a brutal universe. Different views of aliens like Klingons and Kzinti provide examples of brutal civilizations. A world with a high brutality score and law level would be a very unhealthy place for larcenous travellers. Brutal worlds may sponsor death-races or jousting as popular sports.

Cynicism: A general distrust of the apparent motives of individuals and institutions. A cynic has a lack of faith in individuals and institutions (often within the currently established parameters not that suitable alternatives need to be voiced in Toto for one to be a cynic). Classical cynicism had a libertine nature that leads folks to define modem and classical cynicism as distinct philosophies claiming modern cynicism is almost a reverse of the original, I’d argue that “classical cynicism” was cynicism tempered by romanticism against a civilization where intellectualism was not used to define the rights and privileges of individuals in an environment often hampered/controlled by brutality as such cynicism remains a useable definition across culture and time when kept in context with the other metrics here. Highly cynical worlds will find travellers monitored by the secret/cultural police while worlds with low cynicism may be ripe for interstellar con-men.

Each of the above could be rated in the classical hexadecimal pattern of Traveller.

Determining scores for a world’s Intellect, Romance, Brutality, and Cynicism using classic traveler parameters:

Intellect: 2d6-2 + DM listed below

TL 0  = -2, TL 1 or 2 = -1, TL 6-10= +1, TL 11 to 14= +3, TL 15+ = +4

Gov 3,5,or 6 = -2, Gov 4= +1, Gov 2= +2, Gov 9= -1

Pop A+ = +1

Romance: 2d6-2 + DM listed below

TL 1 to 3 = +2, TL 5+= -2

Gov 1 or 6 = -3, Gov 2= +3, Gov 8 or 9 = -2, Gov 10 or 12= +6, Gov 13 = +2

Pop 5 to 7= +2, POP 9+ = -2

High Romance (A+) worlds aren’t always stable as the locals are prone to flights of passion and whimsy based on the local notions of romanticism. Dueling wouldn’t be unusual on worlds with both Romance and Brutality scores of 7+.

Brutality: 2d6-2 + DM listed below

TL 0= +4, TL or 2 = +3, TL 9+= -2

Gov 1 = +1, Gov 5= +3, Gov 7 or 9 = +1, Gov A = +1, Gov B= +5, Gov D= +3

Law 3 to 7 = -2, Law 8+= -3

Pop A+ = -2, Pop 7 to9 = +2

High tech brutal worlds often end up being destroyed by war or terrorism.

Worlds of Brutality 7+ and lower Intellect may be prone to trial by ordeal or trial by combat.

Cynicism:  2d6-2+ DM listed below

TL 2= +1, TL 3 to 9= +2

Gov 1= +4, Gov 2 = -2, Gov 5 pr 6= +1, Gov 8= -2, Gov 9= +5, Gov 11 or 13= +3

Law 3 or less -2,Law  5 to 8=+3, Law 9+ = +5

Pop 3 or less = -3, Pop 7 to 9 = +2, Pop A+= +3

Worlds with a Cynicism score of A+ likely wouldn’t stay that way for long if there is Intellect or Romance of 7 or more is present as folks will adapt over time. If the world has had cynicism for a generations at A or higher it’ll likely lower as society changes.

Using Intellect, Romance, Brutality, and Cynicism to determine TL, Gov,Law, and Pop will surely come up in a future post on traveller world creation (I’ve been updating my old alternative method).

The Triumph of Intellect and Romance Over Brute Force and Cynicism

I’m a casual Whovian, I’ve adored the series since I first stumbled on it turning the dial on my parent’s old black and white t.v. as a school boy in a crappy city just outside of Boston.  There’s been a lot of Whovian exposure online the past few weeks with the 50 year anniversary and all. I stumbled upon this delightfully goofy and dead-on spot from the Craig Ferguson Show from a couple years back: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9P4SxtphJ4. Yeah, it is comical and campy but it also summarizes Dr. Who perfectly “The Triumph of Intellect and Romance Over Brute Force and Cynicism”. I can’t imagine a more accurate description in so few words, it isn’t mired in unnecessary elaboration of chuff and ephemera. This description also defines what I care about and likely why I play RPGs.

When I discovered Dr. Who and RPGs I could have been out on the field playing sports (I like playing sports just don’t care for watching them), bouncing about to music (it was an amazing time where punk rock and new wave were pushing against over produced crap), wasting my time with pot , or worse (I had friends who were petty criminals and in gangs at such a young age).  I chose RPGs.

It wouldn’t have been hard to immerse myself even more in comics, television, and science fiction; video games were on the scene and becoming something more all the time. I enjoyed wargames and they were a passion before RPGS thanks to Diplomacy being a fad that caused my game loving family to explore other Avalon Hill boardgames, I wanted more than what was found in those cardboard conflicts. I liked toy soldiers and wargaming miniatures were an easy sell that just added to my love of toy soldiers. So, once again, I found myself enthralled by RPGs.

As a youth I rejected brutality and cynicism and I still do. It’s a surprising statement really I’m a terribly sarcastic bastard but in retrospect that’s because reality has failed to live up to my intellectual and romantic ideals (I suppose I’m more of a classical cynic). I enjoy combat, martial arts, and fighting but I realize that’s because I have a very classical and romantic attitude towards them that is tempered by   intellectualism (and perhaps a wee bit of cynicism).

I find it curious that the vast majority of rules for RPGs are mired in brutality (in it’s relevance, expression, and exercise). It’s a balancing act really an RPG that manages to express Intellect, Romance, Brutality, and Cynicism seems to stick around and become embraced. Sure rules for cynicism aren’t needed but you can see it in place in how classical and modern cynicism are both expressed in the imagined game world and it’s adventures. With detailed and precise rules on combat one can find a challenging game but it is ultimately a failure if it lacks romance that drives and embraces the achievements of individuals over logistics and cruel physics. RPGs allow for a romantic exercise of the intellect for those willing to put aside cynicism and physical brutality.

Failure of a rule set (or it’s players) to embrace the romance of a game's subject matter is what can drive people away. Intellectually practicality that recognizes the fragility and limits of the human body to the extreme folks just don’t bother being heroes is tragic; the reason so many folks don’t do crazy heroic actions in reality is because our intellects luckily keep us in check. Focusing on the numbers over what the numbers enable is a failure of intellectualism.

I could go one much more (and will in future posts) but I'm stopping here for now. I really do admire how not only Dr. Who but role-playing games are so well expressed by “The Triumph of Intellect and Romance Over Brute Force and Cynicism”.