What is your character's Virtue/Vice?

[WanderingWordsmith]

This is based incredibly loosely on White Wolf's New World of Darkness system. NWoD has characters select one Virtue and one Vice that roughly defines that character, and rewards them for fulfilling either of them. Let's bring this to your character. Pick one Virtue and one Vice, and explain why both is an intrinsic part of your character's personality. Note that despite their names, these traits are not necessarily good or bad things; a Virtue could just as easily manifest as a fatal flaw, and a Vice may end up as a redeeming trait. It's all about context.

 

The Virtues and Vices listed in the core rulebook are:

 

Virtues:

Charity - Your character has an innate desire to help others, even at risk of loss or harm to themselves.

Faith - Your character is able to forge meaning and resolve from chaos and tragedy.

Fortitude - Your character will withstand overwhelming temptation or pressure to alter their goals, even at great personal cost.

Hope - Your character refuses to let others give into despair, even though doing so might risk their own goals or well-being.

Justice - Your character will do the right thing - to the letters of a code of conduct, from the law to religious commandments - even at the risk of personal jeopardy.

Prudence - Your character will resist a greatly beneficial opportunity to further his goals, even if refusal will cost them later on.

Temperance - Your character believes in moderation in all things, and will resist any excessive indulgences despite any obvious rewards it might offer.

 

 

Vices:

Envy - Your character is never satisfied with what they have. There is always someone else who has more, and your character has no qualms with taking it.

Gluttony - Your character makes any sacrifice to feed his insatiable appetite for the next pleasurable high.

Greed - Your character believes there is no such thing as having too much. If that means snatching someone else's hard-earned reward just to feather one's next, that's the way it goes.

Lust - Your character is consumed by a passion for something, and uses any means at their disposal to satisfy that lust.

Pride - Your character believes unswervingly in their own ability, and will take any opportunity to exert their wants (not needs) over others at some risk to themselves.

Sloth - Your character avoids hard work at every opportunity, even if it risks jeopardy to themselves or others.

Wrath - Your character is easily consumed by anger, and will lash out even when doing so is potentially dangerous, inappropriate, or entirely unwarranted.

 

I'll post mine in a little while. Have fun!

[Warren Castille]

Posting here before every Highlander I know uses Justice/Wrath.

 

It's a good combo, and a lot of fierce fighters will use it to justify both going above and beyond and then further across a line.

 

I'd probably consider Warren Faith/Pride. They sort of lend to one another as well, but I like the play between them.

[C'kayah Polaali]

According to that virtue list, C'kayah has none of them.

 

Therefore I'd like to trade in my unused virtue slot for 2 additional vices, which should just about cover it: Greed, lust and pride.

[Knight Kat]

I think that there are more virtues and vices that exist other than the ones listed, but if I had to choose from that list; Kiht Jakkya would have Faith as a virtue, and Pride as a vice.

 

She has been through a lot of hardship, but never looses her faith in the Twelve, or faith in her traditions. She sticks to a code of honor that she has almost absolute faith in. This has even caused problems for her; including, her greatest regret. And yet, she still has faith.

 

As she has observed the world around her, she often feels that many others are more problematic or dysfunctional than she is. She takes pride in her judgement and perceptions to a high degree. She often lectures other people, but does not easily take being lectured -by- other people well. Her pride is not as bad as some other characters she has met, and she can also be very humble. However, the pride is there, and it is strong.

[111]

I will pick Charity and Pride.

 

Nat really does care about people, and do her best to help them. She is even help to lend a hand to strangers or others in need.

 

However, sadly for those Nat helps, her Pride tends to make her think she knows best how to help them... which can cause problems.

[DreamedReality]

Hm... As an avid player of both new and old WoD... I tend to create characters based loosely off how I make them for WoD. So I had picked Fortitude/Gluttony for Jaques. A stuck-in-his-ways drunkard. But after getting to know the character better and the character changing over time... I'd say he's more along the lines of Charity/Gluttony. Jaques is turning out to be a bit of a bleeding heart. And as for the vice. The lure to just say 'Fuck it' and drink himself into a coma when life tosses him curve balls is very much still him. Kinda bad when he had nothing else left to loose. Worse now that he's found things to loose again.

[chaoticsleepy]

Oooh. This one actually made me have to think quite a bit and get a little creative in terms of interpretation. But for Xheja..

 

[align=center]VIRTUE:  Fortitude[/align]

When it comes to learning about the aether and - by extension - her own current condition, there is very, very little that would actually stop Xheja from her goal of knowledge and answers. However, this is not necessarily always a 'good' thing. While she does make an effort to be discrete and considerate, things like social stigmas about her research and methods would not truly stop her from pursuing them if left no other choice.

 

It is also entirely possible that she would turn on an ally or go against their wishes in the right situation if there was some kind of promising glimmer of knowledge to be had from it - though this isn't entirely part of her innate personality, and more of a side effect of the changes she's undergone since the Calamity.

 

[align=center]VICE:  Greed[/align]

This is another trait that manifested itself in Xheja only in recent years, specifically since she began her own business. She's come to adapt to Ul'dahn culture over the years and, with it, has gained a considerable appetite for coin. Though really it isn't the coin and riches themselves that appeal to her. More like it's the power, status, and freedom that comes with having an abundance of it.

[FreelanceWizard]

Ah, the nWoD Virtue/Vice system. Always a fun one.

 

L'yhta's virtue is Hope. She honestly believes that the world is on a constant path to being a better place, despite the occasional Umbral Erasmissteps and that everyone wants to do the right thing, even if they sometimes make the wrong choices and need to receive the ultimate sanction for doing so. She's always trying to get people to look at the bright side of things and tries, albeit sometimes clumsily, to make them feel better and to rouse their spirits.

 

As anyone who's heard her introduce herself knows, her vice is most definitely Pride. She is, in her own mind at least, "Limsa Lominsa's most splendiferous sorcerer," charged with a Great Destiny and wielding power that, naturally, only she knows how to use judiciously. While her pride sometimes lets her accomplish amazing feats (as she's quite stubborn about Being the Best There Is At What She Does), it more often causes her to do stupid things and take wildly unnecessary risks.

[Chika Ito]

For Chika Ito;

 

Virtue; Her virtue would most certainly be Charity. She is the mother of five children, so the motherly instincts in her are incredibly strong. Seeing others suffering, or in need of something, strikes a cord inside of her heart. So sometimes, without even having to think, she'll give something of hers up. If she sees a homeless person in Ul'dah she will donate some clothes from her business to them, along with a blanket and pillow, and give them some gil to get food for a week or to use it on an inn room. Chika knows she can make her money back easily with her business. So it has little value to her. Why stuff her face, and line her pockets, and not care about others who are less fortunate? 

 

 

 Vice; Now we are at the interesting flaw in her personality. Her vice is very much Lust. Specifically sex. When she was seventeen she was forced to work in a brothel by her own mother's hand. While she hated having male clients she adored the women, and sort of became hooked on intimacy. This has lead to some pretty low lows in her life, but this is also how she came about finding someone whom she gave reason to to leave the prostitute business. In the end it was ultimately her vice that actually helped her straighten herself out, and find some happiness in this life.

[Crisiet]

Crisiet... Hmmn.

 

Charity and wrath. *nods*

 

Charity: Though he seems to dislike people, those he does like (or at least identifies as an ally) he remains incredibly loyal to. He will go to great lengths to help them, even if that comes at a risk to his own life.

 

Wrath: Crisiet is often argumentative and sometimes downright rude. His personality tends to clash with others and he does not hesitate to express his dislike. He also tends to hold grudges.

[W'seckhi Asah]

Virtue: Fortitude

For Fio, he'll stop at nothing to see his ideal Eorzea come to bear. Even with the defeat of the XIV Legion, he still diligently holds his post for what he views as the inevitable return and triumph of the Garlean Empire.

 

Vice: Pride/Lust

 

 

Here, I couldn't decide which to go with. Fio is a relentless flirt in pursuit of sex, but at the same time, he's wont to show off his abilities. When it comes down to a real fight, he doesn't hold back and even views himself as an unstoppable force on the battlefield. In his mind, he's invincible. That if a whole army came at him, he'd be the one getting out unscathed. He's wrong, of course.

[Antain]

This is a very interesting way to look at things. While Vaughn doesn't quite fit into any of these, the ones I chose seem to work the best to describe him.

 

Virtue: Charity

As a companion, he was expected to give whatever his client asked of him without question. This has led to him not caring much for his own needs in favor for everyone else's.

 

Vice: Gluttony

I bet you're surprised it's not lust! But Vaughn can never have quite enough of what he enjoys. He shows great restraint though, and often tries to help others who have a difficult time with their vices. Still, when he loves, he loves with everything he is, giving his partner (and those he calls friend) anything they ask for when they ask for it. He can't get enough of the pleasure he receives from helping others, from spending intimate time with his fiance, and until recently he couldn't get enough of the sedatives he took on a regular basis to calm his nerves.

[Sounsyy]

Sounsyy is without question Fortitude / Envy.

 

Fortitude: For twenty years now Sounsyy has been unwavering in her struggle to liberate Ala Mhigo and see her people return to glory. Though her settings, circumstances, and allies have changed many times over the years, everything she has done has (in her mind) been for the sole purpose of letting her little sister see Ala Mhigo in all of its splendor.

 

Envy: Because of this single-minded devotion, those who have done little to achieve their wants bring about her ire. She loathes and pities those Ala Mhigans content to rot in Ul'dah, but yet she also envies them, that they can give up and die so easily.

[Yssen]

Heh. I actually use this for a thing running around in the game right now. It would be silly if I did not bite. So, here goes.

 

Yssen's virtue is Justice. He believes that society and law have very little to do with this concept, however. In point of fact he believe the world is a convoluted mess with very little justice in it at all. Mind you, he is not judgemental, just justice minded. Yssen has his own sense of what is right and wrong, as well as his own sense of when and what to do to balance the scales.

 

Yssen's vice is Wrath. Despite his outwardly calm nature, Yssen can get angry very easily. He is also quite vengeful when all the right buttons are pressed, and has been known to act completely out of anger. Once he has truly been set off, he tends to be very focused and a little bit terrifying. Very few things/people can get him out of his wrathful state, once it has been triggered.

[Val]

I would have to say that Val's virtue is Fortitude. He's generally pretty headstrong and if he wants something enough, someone will be very hard-pressed to convince him otherwise. While he does generally tend to just look out for himself, there have been times when he had a goal to ensure another's well-being and wouldn't let anything stop him, especially where a loved one is concerned.

 

Val's vice, of no surprise to anyone, is Lust. He loves pleasure. He loves things that make him feel good. He loves things that help him forget about his troubles. This of course includes wine and, until he met his significant other, intimate relations with just about any female that was willing to. Even fighting to him can be seen as a source of pleasure as it takes his mind off of everything going on around him. Now that he has his lady, however, he just focuses on keeping her happy instead and enjoys the fruition of his efforts.

[Erik Mynhier]

Erik is a walking bundle of Faith/Wrath.

[Nero]

Charity and Temperance balanced with Pride, Envy, and a little bit of Wrath.

[Siha]

This one really made me think and I'm still not sure if my Vice is accurate so I sort of squashed two together.

 

Virtue: Charity

I don't think that one is a surprise to anyone, Siha would do anything to help someone else regardless of what it would mean for herself. She doesn't know why she is this way just that any kind of suffering is suffering she doesn't want to see and so regardless of danger, reputation degradation, etc. she will help someone else in need.

 

Vice: Gluttony/Lust

Neither are really in the traditional sense of the word I guess? I wasn't sure on how to define her vice but it comes down to her intense need for love and acceptance. Having been denied by her own tribe and family for years, then finally getting a taste of love and acceptance by her new 'family' has cause her to subconsciously fear being alone or going back to her previous lifestyle. I guess you could say it's taken some of her independent nature away without her realizing it and losing her family would drive her to do just about anything to save, help, or keep them.

[Tiergan]

Tiergan's virtue/vice combo is:

Fortitude: Once Tiergan's mind is set on a goal, he will pursue that goal in a stubborn, bullheaded manner - even at great cost to himself to achieve it. It takes a great deal to get him to change his mind, to the point where it makes me question whether it's still a virtue. :V

Wrath: Tiergan's history is full of violence, so it's no surprise that he grew up to become a pretty angry, aggressive sort of fellow. He is extremely vengeful, definitely holds grudges, and will lash out furiously when pushed the wrong way.

[WanderingWordsmith]

There have been some excellent responses - I've been very interested in the explanations you've offered.

 

Averill's Virtue is Fortitude. He resolved to live on the road and has done so for just under a decade. His circumstances have changed considerably since that day, his membership in the Adventurer's Guild and a home at the Roost being some of the biggest changes. However, he still believes whole-heartedly that his wanderlust is who he is, and as a result refuses to settle for too long in any one place in spite of the obvious benefits.

 

Averill's Vice is Envy. There is always someone who has fought a bigger monster. Always someone with a better tale to tell. Someone with more experience in survival than he. He welcomes them with open arms, sure that he can learn something from them, but several layers deep he habors a desire to experience those tales for himself. Without someone to check him his taste for danger, coupled with a desire to best his peers, borders on the extreme.

[Melodia]

For Ruru:

Charity and Gluttony

Ruru will always look out for his friends and those he considers family and does not care about the personal sarifices or consequences, even at the cost of his own morals.

 

He is also gluttonous, even in the simplest of things. He drinks too much, chases after women too much, and evn with friends, clings too much, etc. In the search for acceptance, he goes overboard in almost all actions.

 

For Melodia:

Faith and Wrath

Melodia's life has been a living hell for the most part and she has gone through multiple traumatic periods, and yet believes so hard in the goodness and potential for the future, this could be the only virtue I could choose for her.

 

However, those who have interacted with her already know she has a wicked temper and is willing to do whatever is necessary to get her way.

 

For Krell:

No virtues. 2 vices - Wrath and Pride

Krell, Ruru's brother, is not good. He has no virtues. Therefore the two vices listed her cover him well. His lingering grudges and thirst for revenge are a key component to his character. His belief that he can outwit and outsmart everyone simply by being him, made wrath and pride the perfect matches for him.

[Berrod Armstrong]

Berrod's would be Charity/Lust.

 

He goes out of his way to help out anyone he sees truly in need, and always tries to find a place for those who have none. It's not something he advertises -- quite the opposite; he hates to let people know that he's so giving. It ruins his image, you see.

 

Berrod is also a sexual being. A very, very sexual being, much to the exasperation of many of his friends. He's been likened to a teenaged boy, or a hound in heat. Though he has become far better at resisting temptations of the flesh, it will ever be his greatest weakness.

[Stormwind]

Took a little bit of work to figure this out. Alexander isn't what one would call an upstanding person but that isn't to say he doesn't have his good parts, they are simply obscured.

 

Fortitude- Alexander is nothing if not steadfast in his goals. Many a sleepless night have been spent pondering the mysteries of aether and magic all with his own goals in mind. When Dogberry lost his legs, Alexander worked tirelessly to get one of his greatest resources back on his feet, mentally exhausting himself in the process. When Alexander Stormwind gets something in his mind, good luck getting him off of it.

 

Pride- Alexander is a proud man. Proud of his abilities and proud of his heritage. He will exert his will over people if he can simply because it expands his power base and has no problem using and discarding people as he feels is his right. To him, everyone is a tool, fit to be used until discarded.

[Coatleque]

I also had to think about this for a while since Coatleque has a mix of too many virtues. I'd have to focus on the two most prevalent then. In addition to the 'seven deadly' vices, I used doubt as an eighth option.

 

Faith / Hope: She has great faith in the Twelve and that nothing happens in the world that has not been already ordained by the Crystal. There are quite a few people now who could testify to the hope she tries to instill in others to fight back despair and bolster resolve.

 

Doubt / Pride: On the flip side she does not hold much hope for herself and doubts the effectiveness of her own actions. Her pride is not in her own abilities, but in the position she holds, of her city, and her liege. To that end she would defend them to her death.

[Zyrusticae]

Wow, absolutely NO ONE picked prudence OR sloth. LOADS of charity and fortitude in here. And I just have to lol @ the number of people who picked pride (12 on the first page alone!)

 

Well, allow me to be the combo-breaker (and the ultimate hipster) here:

 

T'rahnu has Prudence as a virtue and Sloth as a vice.

 

As a natural pragmatist, she is greatly cautious of any opportunity that seems 'too good to be true', and will not take great risks even when the rewards clearly outweigh the risks. She's very, very careful about picking her jobs and her targets and will bug the heck out of there when things start to even remotely look like they're going south. If you're leading a treasure or bounty hunting team, she's probably NOT someone you want running with you, as she's just a little too unreliable for the really difficult jobs. Of course, this is something you'd have to weigh against her rather considerable skills.

 

The sloth thing is complicated, but the truth is simply that she is almost unnervingly naturally talented and never really had to work very hard to get what she needed in the first place, and the idea of 'hard work' is essentially alien to her. She will not engage in any hard physical labor if she can at all avoid it, and she'll defer to others to solve particularly difficult problems if she has the option (though these problems usually lie outside of her expertise anyway - things like magic or complex mathematics, and so on). While she is skilled in many forms of combat, in hunting, in navigation, and so on, and trains her body very well, she considers these activities relaxing and very different from 'work'.