Gravitas

Gravitas is the weight of being. It is a measure of one's attachment to and control of the fabric of the universe. The longer you live, the more you do, the greater your Gravitas. Gravitas can be used to purchase abilities which are unavailable to an average person.

All living things have at least one Gravitas. If a living thing is reduced to ZERO Gravitas, it can no longer interact with the world, and becomes a Shade.

Gaining Gravitas

Gravitas is gained by becoming more "real", more of a force of change on the world around you. It is not a measure of fame, you get Gravitas whether anyone knows what you have done or not. Anything that shapes the world around you in a lasting way can grant Gravitas. It is not meant to be an everyday occurance. Gravitas should be awarded for major life and game altering events. It is the GM's final decision as to what can grant Gravitas and how common it is in a story. It is important to note that, if it is easy for the players to accumulate Gravitas, it should be easy for NPCs, both allies and enemies to do the same.

The simplest way to obtain Gravitas is to simply live long enough, start a family, or master a skill. This is called Vitis Gravitas, or "the weight of life".

Firstborn child
1 pt of Gravitas. Leaving progeny ties you to existance fairly strongly. You do not gain additional Gravitas for having multiple children, but you may gain more for establishing a Dynasty.
Long Life
You gain one point of Gravitas for every 50 years of life experience. Note: Years spent in a quiescent state do not count toward this total. For example, you do not gain Gravitas for years spent as a Shade, in a coma, outside the flow of time, etc.
Lifework
Reaching the level of Grandmaster in a skill allows you to perfom a Lifework. Completion of a Lifework grants one point of Gravitas. You may only construct one Lifework per skill mastered, but you may master multiple skills and thus gain Gravitas for multiple Lifeworks.

The other predominant way to gain Gravitas is through Deeds. This is called "Factis Gravitas". By contributing to the structure of the world through mighty acts, you tie yourself more strongly to it. You do not gain Gravitas for fighting bandits, but you might gain Gravitas for defeating the Bandit King. Some examples might include: Killing a dragon, defeating a powerful sorcerer, founding a nation, starting a powerful religion or cult, restoring a deposed prince to his throne, etc.

The last and most insidious way to gain Gravitas is through destruction. This is called "Malis Gravitas". This is technically a subset of Factis Gravitas, because it is gained by Deeds, but the Deeds tear down rather than build up the foundations of the world. You effectively tie yourself to the weight of creation by creating lasting and destructive change.

Some examples include: Destroying a Lifework in its entirety (it is not enough to destroy the original, unless it is newly created. You must undertake to eliminate copies and references to it to gain Gravitas), Burning down the Library of Alexandria, committing Genocide, Wiping out the last of a royal bloodline, etc. It is not enough to simply destroy something of value, it must be an act of pure annihilation of an object, person, or idea that has significant Gravitas already.

For Deeds Gravitas, the GM should determine how much Gravitas a certain storyline is worth when running it and grant Gravitas only at the conclusion of that story. A sidequest to rescue a kidnapped maiden may not be worth any Gravitas, while a mission that successfully ends a war may be worth 2 or 3 Gravitas. Saving the world from certain destruction may be worth up to 10 Gravitas. It is the GM's job to set the power level of a campaign by controlling the flow of Gravitas.

Keep in mind that, anything a player can do to gain Gravitas is also available to NPCs, both allies and enemies.

Spending Gravitas

Gravitas may be spent on a skill roll to increase (double?) the result. This can allow amazing feats of superhuman ability. This could be a waste of good Gravitas if you're just trying to bargain down a merchant, though you may consider it worthwhile. If Gravitas is spent in an act worth of gaining Gravitas (the final killing blow against a Dragon), you may gain more Gravitas that you just spent! Isn't that cool!

Gravitas may be spent to SAVE YOUR LIFE. (reduce a deadly blow to a wound)

Gravitas must be spent to invest permanent magical effects into an item.

Gravitas Abilities

  • Magic Affinities
  • Increased Lifespan
  • Immunity to disease
  • Increased stats
  • Other

Eternal Bond

Two people who are so connected as to be considered an insepparable pair share an Eternal Bond. This can be True Love, Undying Friendship, or Ultimate Enmity. The bond can exist between just about anyone, but they must be so tightly connected that to refer to one is to imply the other. Romeo and Juliet, Samson and Delila, Abbott and Costello, Bert and Ernie, Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner, Scylla and Charybdis.

Those who share an Eternal Bond gain Gravitas as a unit. Often, they will be together, so they will gain Gravitas for the same deeds. However, any time one of them gains Factis or Malis Gravitas singly, the other also gains a point. One can also CHOOSE to spend Gravitas on the other, to increase their rolls, return them from a Shade state, save their life, and purchase abilites. One may not TAKE Gravitas from the other without their express consent though.

Unfortunately, when one of a pair dies, the other will not last very long alone. The remaining individual loses Gravitas at a rate of 1 per day until they become a Shade. This may give them just enough time to enact vengeance or somehow return their other half to life.

In the case of Eternal enemies, such is the cost of final conflict.

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