(Skill) Conviction

[Gideon Linvaille]

There's bound to be someone else out there who enjoys the idea of someone who believes in something strongly. I know there's a lot of lore about religions and deities in particular, but what about someone who shows devotion in something, and not even necessarily one of those deities?

My idea is tied into the commonplace theme of zeal; the Azenth have their own purposes, but even some of them are hardcore on the idea of freeing Ivak from his prison. Benshira have deep rooted faith. So I figured that there might be people who develop that faith into something deeper.

And I came up with this idea: Conviction.

At its most basic level, its the faith of someone in something, such to the point of living their life according to its code.

I see it looking something like this:

Novice: The novitiate believer has a basis in their faith, such to the point of understanding simple rituals, prayers and stories about it when relative to a god/goddess. Be it religious or personal belief system, they are usually motivated to follow a code of ethics, though not necessarily in a strict manner. One with a low level of conviction is not firm in his faith, and could certainly be shaken from it with some effort.

Competent: A competent person with conviction in their beliefs is steadfast in most situations. They have the belief in perseverance, that with time and faith they will prevail over situations and consequences. They are difficult to crack, more so than a novice, but still have questions regarding their beliefs. They seek to learn more, to understand why, and to answer the questions of the doubtful, sometimes even encouraging more in themselves. They are rather strict about the things they let themselves get away with, and hard on themselves when they make mistakes or slip from their morals.

Expert: A truly convicted person knows their faith intimately and firmly answers the questions of the doubtful. To shake them is almost as difficult as moving a mountain; with tremendous effort, it is quite possible to move them from their beliefs, but nothing short of a miracle might do the trick. They will press onward through any challenge and adhere to their moral compass with burning tenacity. They are insanely hard on themselves, and it is not often when one is caught reprimanding themselves for faltering. At this point, the faithful emanate an aura of tenacity and devotion that is inspirational to those who would stand with them.

Master: One who has become a true zealot in their faith will go to great lengths to defend it. The slightest question raised about what they believe in will spark a fervor that most men and women may never know. If they must defend what they believe in, they will even at the cost of their life. To slip from their beliefs is no better than death, and such is the fate of one who treads the path of the convicted- to be duty bound to it forever. Their discipline matches that of a seasoned knight or an elder priest; they need no one to remind them of what they stand for, and no one would dare question their faith. Woe betide the enemies of the righteous and their kindred spirits.

[Panex Iustitia]

Hmm... I dunno. Conviction doesn't seem to strike me as a skill. More a personality trait. Skills are something that must be taught or acquired through basic lessons. Conviction can exist in anyone.

[Alistair deGrey]

Okay, I apologise, but I don't believe we can justify devotion/zeal as a skill. A skill is something you might train to gain more proficiency in. Those without the skill cannot perform in that area as well as others who do. People who attain the level of "master" have usually trained for years and have a borderline supernatural skill. What the integration of this skill would imply is that devotion is something that must be honed over years, and those without the Conviction skill would have little to no devotion at all.

It seems illogical to me to suggest that one must work and strive to achieve such a mental state. It does not take years to devote yourself to something, it can sometimes take a matter of moments. If, for some reason, this skill is different in that somebody can attain the rank of Master in seconds, then that is another story. But that probably is not the case.

Sorry, but I think Conviction should limit itself to a personality trait, and not a skill.

[Zinic]

I'd have to agree.

It isn't a skill, it's more of a personal decision. You see, any one can decide that they wanna be...I don't know, let's say....christian. Conviction isn't just about saying that you are a christian, conviction is following the path that was set down before you. The safe way. No one said it would be easy, mind you.

Any ways, I'd have to say that any one can have conviction if they believe in something strong enough. It doesn't take a skill level to believe in something you feel in your heart is the god honest truth.

[Liminal]

Sadly, I'm going to have to agree with the above comments. I don't think conviction is something that can be trained; faith in a deity is likely to be rewarded with gnosis marks, and faith in something else, while an excellent plot and character idea, doesn't lend itself to a skill.

[Zinic]

Hear, hear!

Wise words. XD