I've made a mistake.
The SJGames forums has a discussion on the Callous disadvantage, primarily on how its disadvantages seem highly situational while its advantages seem rather common. In particular, the -1 it applies to reaction rolls only applies if people have suffered your cruelty before, or if they have Empathy.
In G-Verse, all Tennin, including their little Goblins, have some level of Empathy (even the Goblins are Sensitive). I've had the Goblins, in particular, react well to Lieutenant Sam Abrams, but she's known for her Callousness. Thus, they should probably react in a negative fashion to her. I'll have to discuss this the next time she's in the game, and try to remember that Tennin should generally dislike Callous characters.
don't you find -1 a bit too slight for "cruelty". Shouldn't suffering cruelty from someone automatically be a poor reaction... unless dealing with a masochistic or battered housewife syndrome?
ReplyDeleteIt's touchy, as the thread points out. Callous characters suffer a -1 reaction modifier if people have suffered their cruelty... but you're going to suffer some kind of penalty if you're cruel to someone even if you don't have Callous.
ReplyDeleteIn the case outlined above, our aliens are innately Empathic, and thus they can sense her capacity for cruelty, so that works fine, but Callous is indeed an odd disadvantage. I think those who call it "Free points" might have a point.