Powers and Perils

Character Motivation

This character motivation system is a variant of one I created a long time ago for my 2300ad game, but lost the actual data for. This document is an attempt to recreate it. In a way, this system is the reverse of others I have seen...with it you determine the motivations of the character, then you derive the personality to go along with those motivations. You can have a truly evil bastard who is doing it all for love!

The key to the system is the idea of separating the actual form of the motivation from the "direction". This allows us to compress over a hundred possibilities into a small space. Granted, some combinations would make no sense, so the die rolls for random generation are picked to only generator those I think are valid. However, if you feel a combination is possible, feel free to use it anyway (and send me your reason -- I'm always interested in making this more complete).

The use of "keywords" makes any roll open for interpretation to provide hooks for the players or GM. If you believe I have missed some directions or forms, please let me know.

111-134 Activity
The character is motivated by either some specific activity or task, or an activity in general.
111-112To Gain
113 To Promote
114-116 To Keep
121 To Protect
122-123 To Lose
124-125 To Destroy
126-131 To Avoid
132-134 To Prevent
135-153 Belief
The character is motivated by some belief system or faith in an entity or organization.
135-136 To Gain
141-142 To Promote
143-144 To Protect
145-151 To Destroy
152-153 To Prevent
154-214 Control
The character is motivated by the control over others by some person or group, or by some outside force's control over him.
154-155To Gain
156 To Promote
161-162 To Keep
163-164 To Protect
165-166 To Lose
211 To Destroy
212-213 To Avoid
214 To Prevent
215-236 Environment
The character is motivated by some sort of living, working or natural environment.
215-221 To Gain
222 To Promote
223-224 To Keep
225 To Protect
226-231 To Lose
232 To Destroy
233-235 To Avoid
236 To Prevent
241-253 Event
The character is motivated by some man-made, natural, or un-natural event.
241-242 To Gain
243-244 To Promote
245-246 To Avoid
251-253 To Prevent
254-312 Fame
The character is motivated by fame (or infamy).
254-255 To Gain
256 To Promote
261-262 To Keep
263 To Protect
264-265 To Lose
266 To Destroy
231 To Avoid
232 To Prevent
313-331 Friendship
The character is motivated by friendship in general or by a specific friend or group of friends.
313-314 To Gain
315 To Promote
316-321 To Keep
322-323 To Protect
324 To Lose
325 To Destroy
326 To Avoid
331 To Prevent
332-352 Group
The character is motivated by or for some group of people or some organization.
332-333 To Keep
334 To Promote
335-341 To Keep
342 To Protect
343-344 To Lose
345 To Destroy
346-351 To Avoid
352 To Prevent
353-414 Influence
The character is motivated by influence over some person or group, or by their influence over him.
353-355 To Gain
356 To Promote
361-362 To Keep
363 To Protect
364-365 To Lose
366-411 To Destroy
412-413 To Avoid
414 To Prevent
415-425 Justice
The character is motivated by the forces of justice or by a sense of justice. Alternately, it could be vengeance that motivates him.
415-416 To Gain
421 To Promote
422-424 To Avoid
425 To Prevent
426-435 Knowledge
The character is motivated by some fact or information in general.
426-431 To Gain
432 To Promote
433-434 To Avoid
435 To Prevent
436-446 Life
The character is motivated specifically by life or survival.
436-442 To Keep
443 To Protect
444 To Lose
445-446 To Destroy
451-465 Location
The character is motivated by some location or site.
451-452 To Gain
453 To Promote
454-456 To Keep
461 To Protect
462 To Lose
463 To Destroy
464 To Avoid
465 To Prevent
466-524 Love
The character is motivated by the love of or for another, or for the idea of love in general.
466-511 To Gain
512-513 To Promote
514-515 To Keep
516 To Protect
521 To Lose
522 To Destroy
523 To Avoid
524 To Prevent
525-544 Object
The character is motivated by some object.
525-531 To Gain
532 To Promote
533-534 To Keep
535 To Protect
536 To Lose
541 To Destroy
542-543 To Avoid
544 To Prevent
545-554 Person
The character is motivated by or for some person.
545-546 To Gain
551 To Promote
552-553 To Avoid
554 To Prevent
555-614 Pleasure
The character is motivated by entertainment or some pleasurable activity.
555-561 To Gain
562 To Promote
563-564 To Keep
565 To Protect
566 To Lose
611 To Destroy
612 To Avoid
613-614 To Prevent
615-634 Reputation
The character is motivated by his or her reputation.
615-616 To Gain
621 To Promote
622-623 To Keep
624 To Protect
625-626 To Lose
631-632 To Destroy
633 To Avoid
634 To Prevent
635-651 Violence
The character is motivated violence or danger.
635-636 To Gain
641-642 To Promote
643-645 To Avoid
646-651 To Prevent
652-666 Wealth
The character is motivated by wealth, either cash or other assets.
652-653 To Gain
654 To Promote
655-656 To Keep
661-662 To Protect
663 To Lose
664 To Destroy
665 To Avoid
666 To Prevent

Direction Descriptions

The directions indicate both the current state and the motion based on that state. Note that "state" and "property" are used here as a condition rather than a political entity or real estate.

To Gain

The character does not have the property or state but wishes to gain it for themselves. "To Gain" can also be takes as "to find" or "to discover".

To Promote

Similar to "gain", but in this case the character is motivated to help others gain the indicated motivation. This aid may or may not be desired.

To Keep

The character has some state or property and wishes to retain it. Obviously, some external force or internal conflict is causing the state to lessen or leave. "To Keep" could also be taken as "to maintain".

To Protect

Similar to "keep", but the character is motivated to help other retain their state or property. Again, this may or may not be desired by the other party.

To Lose

The character has some state or property and wishes to rid themselves of it. It is possible that some external force is trying to keep this state with them against their will. "To Lose" can also be take as "to reduce".

To Destroy

Similar to "lose" except that the character is trying to make someone else lose the state or property. This may be with or against their wishes. "To Destroy" can be taken as "to inhibit" or "to contain".

To Avoid

The character does not have some state or property and is trying to keep from getting it. There may be some outside force trying to impose it on him.

To Prevent

Similar to "avoid" except that the character is trying to help others avoid the state or property. This may or may not be desired by that other person. Can also be taken as "to deny" or "to stop".

Burton Choinski

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Motivation table

The motivation table above as a separate document.

Design: Burton Choinski

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Expanded Motivation Table

This is an expanded motivation table, removing some of the ambiguity and making it more easily usable by GM's.

Design: Burton Choinski

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Die roll sheet

Excel 97 sheet used to calculate die rolls.

Design: Burton Choinski