Introduction

If you're reading this, it means you're interested in expanding what it means to be a good social character in TTRPGs. Welcome to a brighter future.

Social engagements in 5e suffer from two great problems:

Social engagements bring a hell of a lot of abstraction into a single Charisma roll. In the span of one roll, a bard with reliable talent could conceivably convince a king to sabotage his entire kingdom. There are no rules that say you can't, simply DM fiat that it's not 'reasonable'.
The system of moral axes centered on law vs. chaos / good vs. evil is flawed. Most actions can be rationalized away in such a manner that it would fit with someone of a particular morality. As well, there is no real consequence aside from personal player buy-in that will cause a character to suffer for going against their character sheet alignment.

These two problems are what I seek to solve in this port of the Intimacies and Social Action systems of Exalted 3rd Edition. By tying character morality to specific principles they hold dear and social actions to the manipulation and creation or destruction of these principles, characters can channel their ideals as great strengths... or suffer them as weaknesses when they are manipulated by others.

A Warning in Using This System

By the nature of tying character actions to in-game mechanics and not exclusively to personal choices, players who use this system must be prepared to play a game in which what their characters do at any point can and will not align with what they personally want to do, one in which the DM's NPCs are capable of changing how their players act. A character may be convinced a trap is not present and walk into it, or be convinced another party member is engaging in traitorous action when they know from out-of-game knowledge that that is not true. If you wish to use this system with your players, they should be ready to:

Spend more time than what 5e has traditionally dedicated to Charisma-based checks
Have their character's actions, perceptions, and beliefs forcibly altered by the roll of dice from charismatic opponents
Amplify the powers of the Wisdom (Insight) check and all Charisma checks

TL;DR

Instead of simply rolling a d20 for social rolls, you must take into account the disposition of the character, what they care about, and why what you care about is in alignment.

Part 1: Intimacies

Intimacies are a character's loves, hatreds, ideals, and goals - if someone feels strongly about something, they have an Intimacy towards it. An Intimacy can be one of two different forms, Ties or Principles.

Ties are Intimacies formed for people, objects, organizations, or other things which exist physically or politically. Ties are written as "Tie (Reason for Tie) (Level of Tie)". Examples include "My Wife (Love) (Defining)", "Marswick (Affection for Hometown) (Minor)", "Bahamut (Devotion) (Major)", and "Asmodeus (Hatred) (Major)".
Principles are Intimacies formed for abstractions like beliefs and ideals, and are never for things which exist physically. Principles are written as "Statement of Principle (Level of Principle)". Examples include "Only a coward ever lies (Major)", "It's eat or be eaten in this world, and I'm looking to eat (Defining)", "The teachings of the divine Pelor are all that is needed for one to live well (Defining)", and "As long as a single person is starving and dying of sickness, my work is never done (Major)".

Ties and Principles both have the same basic mechanics, but can be affected differently by spells and certain abilities.

Intimacy Intensity

All Intimacies are one of three levels of intensity; Minor, Major, and Defining, which defines the bonus or penalty granted when attempting to act towards or against the Intimacy.

Minor Intimacies are parts of a character's worldview, but are typically relevant only when they are explicitly invoked. The bonus/penalty on a Minor Intimacy is 2.
Major Intimacies are more influential, becoming relevant even in situations that are only indirectly relevant to the Intimacy. The bonus/penalty on a Major Intimacy is 4.
Defining Intimacies are the stones on which a character's worldview is made, the lens by which a character perceives all other actions. The bonus/penalty on a Defining Intimacy is 6.

Gaining Intimacies

A player has a minimum of 4 Intimacies in the first session of a game, but is encouraged to have more. At least one of them must be Defining, one must be Major, one must be negative (something the character opposes or dislikes), and one must be positive (something the character supports or likes). One intimacy can count for multiple of these.

To gain a new Intimacy, a character can:

Have a Minor Intimacy created or a higher Intimacy reinforced by one level via other characters' social influence
Whenever a particular social or emotional moment has transpired, if the DM agrees, the player may add a new Minor Intimacy or reinforce a higher Intimacy by one level
In extraordinary circumstances, a character may gain a Major or Defining Intimacy where there was none before at the DM's approval. A character witnessing a deathknight they never knew existed before mutilating a party member could go straight to a Major or Defining tie of hatred towards the deathknight, or a previously uncared-for god bringing down divine intervention to assist a character may gain a Defining Tie to that god near-instantly.

Losing Intimacies

You can lose intimacies in the following ways:

Degradation of an existing Intimacy or removing it altogether (if it is Minor) by social influence.
Whenever the player feels it appropriate and the DM approves, a Minor Intimacy may be removed or a Major or Defining Intimacy may be degraded one level - with time and a lack of invocation, an Intimacy is simply not cared about as much anymore. An Intimacy should be degraded in this manner only if a great deal of time (appropriate to the Intimacy's details) has passed in which the Intimacy has not been invoked in any way. An Intimacy should never be dropped as soon as they are acquired, even if the Intimacy is unwanted, such as irrational fear.

A player works over time to conquer an unwanted Intimacy, allowing them to remove an unwanted Tie or Principle by concentrated dedication to its removal. Such a process requires action on the part of the player, but are capable of being degraded even as they are continuously invoked in the story, and may potentially be degraded faster. A character conquering a Defining Tie of fear to a warlord is not likely to degrade this Tie to them by apathy in a plot which revolves around destroying the warlord, but they are capable of working to degrade this Tie through great effort.
If the DM judges that one of a player's Intimacies hasn't been reflected in roleplay for a while, the DM may declare that that the Intimacy has degraded or disappeared on its own completely. This is to keep characters from stockpiling on Intimacies that are not at all relevant, since few people can keep up the emotional intensity that multiple Major or Defining Intimacies can impart to a person for too long.

Your words have as much power as a sword or magic to move people's hearts. Using social actions, you will discover others' Intimacies, protect their own from discovery, exploit others' Intimacies for your own gain, instill others with Intimacies to affect their beliefs, and strengthen or weaken Intimacies others already hold.

Your Intimacies both defend against and render you more vulnerable to manipulation. Whenever you are targeted by a social action that opposes one or more of your Intimacies, you add a bonus to the roll that is based on the intensity of the most applicable Intimacy. If the social action supports one or more of the character's Intimacies, however, you subtract that intimacy's bonus from your roll.

If more than two Intimacies support or oppose a social action, then only the most intense of the supports and oppositions are used. For example, if you have a Defining Tie of hatred towards the Red Wizards of Thay, and a Major Tie of hatred towards the Red Wizard Harlow, and Harlow attempts to convince you to perform an action you know will support the Red Wizards, you add only your bonus on this roll from your Defining Tie against the Red Wizards, not adding the additional bonus from your Major Tie of hatred towards Harlow.

Sometimes you may be in a situation where a positive Intimacy and a negative Intimacy are in conflict with each other. For example, the Oath of Devotion paladin Sweetly Drifting Atop the Glass Lakes has a Defining Principle from his oath that "Those who justly have authority over me should be obeyed", so if somebody tries to convince him to disobey his superior General Targovi with whom he has a Major Tie of Hate, both of these Intimacies would be in conflict. The total bonus to the roll would be (Positive Intimacy - Negative Intimacy).

Instinct is not Intimacy

All creatures desire to live, need to consume food, dispose of waste, interact as is appropriate for their species, and for some of them, to mate, reproductively or not. Biological urges, from sexuality to the need to consume food, etc., are not Intimacies, as they are urges built into a creature's biology. Intelligent creatures (or unintelligent ones affected by magic) can create an Intimacy against an instinct, but such Intimacies must be defined against an instinct and never for it.

Major Intimacies are relationships or beliefs that influence the way you act in many area of life. Even in situations where they're tangentially or indirectly relevant, these Intimacies influence your behavior. Someone with a Major Tie of "My Partner (Love)" has a strong relationship that dictates how they act even beyond the context of their relationship. A follower of Pelor with a Major Tie to Pelor's teachings (Devotion) acts in a way according to the teachings of Pelor in almost every aspect of their life. Major Intimacies add a +4 bonus against Social Combat actions that impose them, but impose a -4 penalty on Social Combat actions that support them.
Defining Intimacies are the pillars by which your personality is supported, placing them above all others and refusing to compromise on them. A Defining Intimacy always affects every aspect of a creature's life. A person with a Defining Tie of "My Partner (Love)" does not simply love their partner, but their relationship influences practically every point in their life. A person with a Defining Tie to Pelor's teachings (Devotion) abides by Pelor's teachings in practically every point of their life. Defining Intimacies add a +6 bonus against Social Combat actions that impose them, but impose a -6 penalty on Social Combat actions that support them.

Negotiations rarely go the way either side plans.

There are limits as to what a creature will believe when they already have strong opinions to the contrary. The Instill action can always be used to create a new Minor Intimacy, but altering an already existing Intimacy needs to fulfill certain conditions:

To strengthen or weaken a Minor Intimacy, you must use a different Minor or greater Intimacy the creature has that supports the attempted Instill action.
To strengthen or weaken a Major Intimacy, you must use a different Major or greater Intimacy the creature has that supports the attempted Instill action.
To strengthen or weaken a Defining Intimacy, you must use a different Defining Intimacy the creature has to support the attempted Instill action.
To strengthen an existing Intimacy, the evidence raised or argument made in favor of strengthening the Intimacy must be more compelling than what caused the Intimacy to arrive at its current intensity. For example, a shopkeeper with a Minor Tie towards the Guild (Mistrust) caused by hearing gossip that the Guild is undercutting local merchants would need stronger evidence to strengthen their Intimacy, such as learning that a Guild merchant seeks to buy out his shop or learns that the Guild in town has sold former partners into slavery.

If a piece of evidence to support an opinion is drastic enough, it could potentially increase the intensity of an Intimacy beyond a single level.

Reading intentions isn't magical. Using the Read Intentions action is analyzing the appearance, body language, patterns of speech, innuendo, and clothing of the creature you're analyzing to determine what they are thinking. You could determine that the prince on his throne is in forbidden love from the wistful look in his eye he casts as a suitor clumsily attempts to sway him, but unless the forbidden suitor is present and in eyeshot of the prince or the prince has some evidence relating to this, there aren't many ways that one can determine the object of the prince's affections.

A creature who is unaware of being observed suffers a -3 penalty to all Charisma (Deception) checks.

Every social action has a roll a creature can make to resist. If the creature fails to resist the social action, they are persuaded or moved by your words and act accordingly. But there are ways to resist these rolls even if they lose the roll.

If a form of influence wishes to change how a creature feels, such as by creating, destroying, or changing an Intimacy, the creature may choose to:

Stop the Intimacy from being created, refusing to invest itself in a new person or cause.
Stop a Major or Defining Intimacy from being weakened, having put too much investment into that Intimacy to give it up now even if they want to.
Reject an Inspire action, suppressing their swelling passions by their force of will.

Acting with such sheer force of will is exhausting. A creature who suppresses a feeling in this manner has disadvantage on the next social Wisdom (Insight) roll it makes on a social action before it takes a long rest, making it more vulnerable to future convincing.

Intimacies and Roleplay

People are complex. Intimacies should be seen not as an attempt to program people to certain stimuli alone, but instead to capture some of this depth. The mandate that a character start with 4 Intimacies is to make them engage with this system immediately.

There are no minimums or maximums on how many Ties and Principles a character may have, but players should be aware what it means to have many or few Intimacies. A creature with zero Intimacies has entirely detached itself from all emotions, a state that not even the most ascetic monk would have (such a monk would have a Defining Principle to the philosophy of asceticism and several lesser Intimacies to things and concepts related to their asceticism). Such a person has essentially become a non-entity. A character who has many Major and Minor Intimacies is capable of raising and leveling mountains with their passions, but it makes them incapable of changing their mind and makes them easily manipulated by someone who claims to be on their side.

Exploiting the System. DMs should take care with broad Intimacies like "I will never kneel to anyone" or "I will not ever reason with one who opposes me", because while these are possible Intimacies, they are also broadly applicable and so they are powerful, meaning that a player might play such a powerful Intimacy at a higher level than how they actually use the Intimacy in roleplay. Intimacies that are vague enough that the player defines their use by whatever they want it to mean from one moment to another (e.g. "Some people are just generally suspicious") and ones that abuse game rules or directly invoke the language of the rules (e.g. "People trying to manipulate me in ways I don't like (Hate)" or the Principle "I despise social influence caused by spells") should never be allowed. Some players might refuse to gain any Intimacies, viewing them only as mechanical weaknesses. In such a situation, the DM should work with the player to assign Intimacies based on that character's history in the game, and if a character is not playing towards their Intimacies, the relevant Intimacies should be reassigned or added/subtracted to fit the way the character is being played. Heroes (and villains!) are not wholly apathetic, no matter how depressed or traumatized they may be.

Safety Net

Since Intimacies are the key to avoiding sustained mental influence, it's important to grant yourself some "safety net" Intimacies while creating your character. It might be useful to make some Intimacies such as "My word is my bond" or "The opinions of my comrades are most important", allowing yourself to draw upon them in defense against the appeals of the charismatic.

Any persuasion attempt that doesn't exploit an Intimacy strong enough to support the task.

For example, the cleric elf Saelma tries to convince the fire elementals of the Caldera to stop stealing cattle for their sacrifices. This would be a Serious (Major) task, as it would stir the rage of the phoenix buried in the volcano and directly harm the elementals if it ends up going wrong. Saelma, however, is relying solely on the Minor Intimacy of friendliness she cultivated with the elementals to convince them to perform the task, and no other Intimacy held by the elementals is relevant, so the elementals can reject the ask out of hand.

Bargaining attempts that have massively underwhelming incentives to the bargained creature or Threaten attempts that do not have any actual threat implied within them.
Any influence that causes a character to kill themselves or do something that they know will lead to certain death, unless the character is in such a bad mental state as to be in a position to be talked into suicide, as determined by the DM.
Any influence that would lead a character to completely abandon or end an existing Defining Intimacy.

For example, a druid with a Defining Tie towards their desert (Protection) could be convinced to leave the desert behind for a while in the pursuit of something else, but could never be convinced to leave behind their desert for good or to perform an action that would lead to the habitat's destruction, even if another Defining Intimacy could support that action, since the Intimacy is still Defining, allowing them to treat it as unacceptable influence. The Intimacy would have to be weakened to Major or Minor before it can be contradicted in such a manner. As well, someone with a Defining Tie towards a person such as (Love) or (Loyalty) could never be convinced to kill that person since fulfilling the Intimacy becomes impossible if that action is performed.

Any attempt at seduction that violates a creature's sexual orientation (defined by a player or DM).
Certain spells and powers may define specific kinds of influence to be treated as unacceptable as part of their effects.

The Red Rule

The Intimacies system typically treats players and NPCs as mechanically indistinguishable. Only the Red Rule provides a difference.

A player-controlled character can be seduced or otherwise put in a sexual situation, even by magic, if and only if the player is okay with it. Otherwise, any such attempt fails automatically. A player always has discretion as to whether or not to refuse attempts at seduction or sexual imposition, and can waive the protection the rule grants them whenever they wish for whatever reason they wish, with no expectation that they explain why they did or did not do it. The rule can be invoked at any occasion and even reinvoked in the middle of a previously allowed attempt at seduction. Consent can be revoked at any time, and players should not feel that they are pressured to allow a sexual situation to occur if they do not want it.

At some tables, all players may allow themselves to be seduced with no invocation of this rule, and that is exactly as okay as a table where nobody wishes to be seduced. In groups where people feel comfortable expressing seductive prowess with NPCs, the DM's personal comfort level with roleplaying seduction must be taken into account, as well; as they are as much a player as anybody else.

When a social action fails, you cannot produce the same old arguments that failed before and expect a different result. In order to retry a form of social action, you must meet the conditions as described below.

There should be some sense granted in adjudicating retry conditions. If you attempt to bribe the queen's vizier with a chest of gold and fail, and then another member of your party attempts to ask for the same favor from the vizier, you cannot use the same bribe, and must use a bigger bribe than what was originally offered even though the other party member wasn't the one who failed the first roll.

PART 2

Character Creation

Every class in D&D is perfectly suited for having Intimacies. A barbarian is just as suited to passionate personalities and deep emotional dedication as any fighter or wizard. Some particular classes and subclasses, however, have certain Intimacies as a fundamental part of their personality.

Classes and Built-In Intimacies

If you play a class that grants Intimacies to you, you have advantage on all rolls made to prevent this Intimacy from diminishing and on all rolls against being persuaded to act in opposition to these Intimacies, as they are fundamental to your character.

Below is every subclass presented in mainstream content from Wizards of the Coast for D&D 5th Edition. The Intimacies given as examples are simply that: examples. You are at full liberty and are encouraged to find unique Intimacies to describe your character if your character is required to have Intimacies, unless you are a paladin in which all Intimacies listed are required. Subclasses that are from Xanathar's Guide to Everything are marked with a *, while subclasses that come from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything are marked with a **, and subclasses that come from the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide are marked with a ^.

If a class/subclass requires you to have a certain number of Intimacies relating to your class/subclass, then those Intimacies do not count against your require 4 Intimacies on character creation. If a subclass has special rules that contradict the class's rules, the subclass's rules are used instead.

Barbarian

All barbarians must have at least 1 Intimacy relating to their subclass, as the rage that defines a barbarian must come from a source integral to a barbarian's being.

Path of the Ancestral Guardian*

Ancestors (Ancestor Worship) (Defining)
Tattoos (Reminder of Past Glory) (Major)
Those older than me (Deep Respect) (Major)

Path of the Battlerager^

"I enjoy inflicting pain on others" (Major)
Dwarves (Appreciation) (Major)
"I will throw myself in front of danger before any of my allies can" (Major)

Path of the Beast**

"I act in an animalistic manner befitting the animal I most closely emulate" (Major)
Shapeshifters (Kin) (Major)
Animal pelts (Deep discomfort) (Major)

Path of the Berserker

"When I fly into a rage, anyone who's in my way will find no mercy at the end of my axe (Defining)
"Only certain people I trust can ever take me out of my rage / There is nobody who can remove me from my rage except for myself" (Defining)
Blood (Fetishistic desire) (Major)

Path of the Totem Warrior

My totem animal (Spiritual Connection) (Defining)
"I feel the emotions of animals strongly, being closer to them than other humanoids" (Major)
Pets of my totem (Unjust imprisonment) (Major)

Path of Wild Magic**

"I have a deep appreciation for uncontrollable magic" (Major)
My ancestors (Source of my power) (Major)
"My emotions are volatile and can change when I'm exposed to different magical effects" (Major)

Path of the Zealot*

Choose two Defining Intimacies from a cleric domain within your higher power's purview. These are Defining Intimacies for you.

Bard

All bards must have at least 1 Intimacy relating to their subclass.

College of Creation**

My Creations (Pieces of Fine Art) (Major)
Constructs (Things of Beauty) (Major)

College of Eloquence**

"I'm always happy to be in front of a crowd" (Major)
"I chew scenery like a teething baby" (Defining)

College of Glamour*

"I'm irresistible, and I know it." (Major)
The Fey (Appreciation) (Major)

College of Lore

"I must pursue the truth, not the politically convenient" (Major)
"I love to hear stories whenever possible" (Major)

College of Valor

"I'd do a lot to expand my repertoire of heroism." (Major)
"I place myself near anyone I feel is fated to do great things" (Major)

College of Whispers*

"Only a chosen few / none can ever know my true nature" (Major)
"I can't trust anyone; after all, anyone could be me" (Major)

Cleric

All clerics have a Defining Intimacy for their higher power in some fashion, as for better or worse, if you're a cleric, your higher power is deciding your behavior in many different ways.

When you are choosing Intimacies for your domain, you must choose at least 2 Defining Intimacies related to your domain. If you ever act against these Intimacies, or these Intimacies are reduced in their intensity, you are considered to be in violation of your higher power's demands of you as a cleric. This does not count if you act against your cleric Intimacies as a result of mind control, but any cleric worth their salt would give at least perfunctory penance for their trespasses to their higher power in this situation.

Arcana Domain^

Mythals (Works of art) (Defining)
"I am the line of defense against otherworldly creatures" (Defining)
Wizards (Rivalry) (Major)
Fiends (Existential threat / Grudging sources of knowledge) (Defining)
"I have unique insight into the nature of reality" (Defining)

Forge Domain*

"Even the ugliest heart or the most bent metal can be wrought back into proper shape" (Defining)
Works of art formed of metal (Protective) (Defining)
Fire (Endless Fascination) (Defining)
Smiths (Respect) (Defining)
My own work (Pride) (Defining)

Grave Domain*

Undead (Hatred) (Defining)
The afterlife (Acceptance) (Defining)
"All who are suffering in this life must be helped" (Defining)
"Denying death is anathema" (Defining)
Negative energy (Sobering Respect) (Defining)
"I must respect all funerary rites" (Defining)

Knowledge Domain

"All the knowledge I learn should be shared with as many people as possible" (Defining)
"The knowledge I learn should be kept away from anyone who doesn't need to know it, and most people shouldn't know most things." (Defining)
The ignorant masses (Disdain or Future Students) (Defining)
"I will do a lot to get new knowledge" (Defining)

Life Domain

"Anyone who I can heal, even an enemy, must be healed" (Defining)
The sick and hungry (Responsibility to assist) (Defining)
Undead (Hatred) (Defining)
Sickness (Hatred) (Defining)
Death (Denial) (Defining)
Plant life (Caretaker) (Defining)

Light Domain

"The darkness of lies should be exposed to cleansing light" (Defining)
Internal beauty (Appreciation) (Defining)
Artistic pursuits (Passion) (Defining)
Undead (Hatred) (Defining)
"My form of artistic expression is an act of holy reverence" (Defining)

Nature Domain

Nature (Must Preserve) (Defining)
Monsters (Hatred) (Defining)
"Nature's wrath is mine to make manifest on whoever it is that would invoke it" (Defining)
"Those who attempt to dominate nature instead of live with it are my enemy" (Defining)
The beasts of nature (Allies) (Defining)

Order Domain**

"Legitimate hierarchies are to be maintained absolutely" (Defining)
"Those who fail to maintain good laws are to be replaced with force" (Defining)
Devils (Respect for the law) (Defining)
Those inferior to me (Paternal) (Defining)
"It is my responsibility to dispense justice" (Defining)

Peace Domain**

"Any opportunity to resolve a conflict should be considered" (Defining)
"Keeping the peace is necessary" (Defining)
Angels (Respect) (Defining)
"I must make enemies into allies at best and neutral parties at worst" (Defining)
"Violence is always a last resort and a short-term solution" (Defining)

Tempest Domain

Natural disasters (Fascination) (Defining)
"Any enemy to my higher power is to be crushed with extreme prejudice" (Defining)
The sea (Love) (Defining)
"The weak are to be dominated" (Defining)
"Worship will require sacrifice" (Defining)

Trickery Domain

"People need a better sense of humor" (Defining)
"Whatever the current system is, it needs to be shaken up so it won't go stagnant" (Defining)
"Traditions should be challenged at every level" (Defining)
"No need for a direct confrontation where indirect will do" (Defining)
Slavery (Hate) (Defining)

Twilight Domain**

The darkness (Comfort) (Defining)
The weak (Protection) (Defining)
The moon (Love) (Defining)
Evil monsters (Enemies) (Defining)
Undead (Enemy) (Defining)

War Domain

"Violence is an answer. It's often the fastest way to get things done" (Defining)
My weapons (Extensions of myself) (Defining)
"Pain builds character" (Defining)
"My fight must be just or else it is worthless" (Defining)
"Civilians are noncombatants; anyone who doesn't meet me on the field of battle should be ignored" (Defining)

Druid

All druids have a Defining Intimacy to some area of nature which they have dedicated themselves to guarding, whether a desert, a river, a city, etc. In addition, they must choose at least 1 Intimacy from their subclass:

Circle of Dreams*

The Feywild (Love) (Defining)
Fey (Wondrous Infatuation) (Defining)
"I must bring joy to the hearts of the downcast" (Defining)
The Summer Court of the Fey (Aligned) (Defining)

Circle of the Land

Non-dominant cultures (Must preserve) (Defining)
The Old Faith (Religion) (Defining)
"I must maintain oral traditions in a world that works against them" (Defining)
"Primitive cultures are called that only because they're not the dominant one" (Defining)

Circle of the Moon

"I am the defender of all nature, and its enemies will die at my teeth" (Defining)
Aberrations (Mortal Enemy) (Defining)
"I have residual behaviors from the last form I Wild Shaped into" (Defining)
"My mood is mercurial and prone to change from small things" (Defining)

Circle of the Shepherd*

Small animals (Protector) (Defining)
The fey (Protector) (Defining)
"I relate more to beasts than I do humanoids" (Defining)
"I am uncomfortable being in cities and towns, and am much more content in the wilds" (Defining)

Circle of Spores**

"Undeath is a natural part of the life cycle" (Defining)
Decay (Fascination) (Defining)
"I do not cry when others die. They are simply in a part of a cycle that will bring them back to life again" (Defining)
Molds and fungi (Exemplars of life) (Defining)

Circle of Stars**

Astrology (The path of fate) (Defining)
"All knowledge should be learned and then preserved against future cataclysms" (Defining)
"Prophecies should be followed as closely as possible to allow the proper passage of fate" (Defining)
Creatures from beyond the stars (Mortal enemies / Enigmatic beings) (Defining)

Circle of Wildfire**

Fire (Endless Fascination) (Defining)
"Many cruelties may be necessary for the greater good" (Defining)
My wildfire spirit (Eternal ally) (Defining)
"I will sacrifice much for the sake of my goals" (Defining)

Fighter

The Fighter class is totally protean in its ideology; two fighters with the same class can have totally different ideas, as fighter classes tend to be fighting styles and not ideologies or political orientations. For this reason, unlike clerics or paladins, etc., Fighters do not have to take any number of the Intimacies presented as examples below, but they are presented to provide inspiration.

Arcane Archer*

Elves (Respect) (Major)
My bow (An extension of my body) (Major)

Banneret

"I must inspire greatness in others with my deeds" (Major)
My knightood (Family in arms) (Defining)

Battle Master

My artisan's tools (My personal craft) (Major)
Military history (Field of study) (Major)

Cavalier*

"I will throw my body in front of any pain my allies may take" (Defining)
My mount (A twin spirit) (Defining)

Champion

"Strength is my measure for worth" (Major)
"Pain is nothing to me" (Major)

Eldritch Knight

Wizards (Rivalry) (Major)
"Magic is a tool, not an art" (Major)

Psi Warrior**

Gith (Respect) (Major)
"I abstain from any actions that could lead to me having a headache" (Major)

Rune Knight**

Giants (Teacher) (Major)
A higher power of the giants (Worship) (Major)

Samurai*

"I am comfortable in high society" (Major)
"I am the last one off the battlefield and the first one on it" (Major)

Monk

Monks are instilled with the ideology of their monastic tradition in some form or another, as its stance is often incorporated into how they use their abilities. For this reason, all monks must have at least 2 Intimacies relating to their monastic tradition.

Way of Astral Self**

"The body is an illusion" (Major)
"All others should be encouraged to reach their full potential" (Defining)
"I must protect the weak" (Defining)

Way of Drunken Master*

"I will do much to play a joke" (Major)
"Anything to cause maximum frustration to my foes is irresistible" (Major)
Alcohol (A vice) (Major)

Way of Four Elements

Elementals (Respect) (Major)
"I am fascinated by the element that most aligns with my choice of disciplines and will take the time to marvel/study any special manifestation of it" (Major)
"I must protect the natural world" (Major)

Way of Kensei*

My weapon (A family member) (Major)
The written word (Art) (Major)
"Combat is one of the highest art forms" (Major)

Way of Long Death^

"I am excited by the possibility of witnessing death" (Major)
Blood (Not so guilty pleasure) (Major)"
"I love to capture and torture creatures to study their deaths" (Major)

Way of Mercy**

"I hide my identity to remain an anonymous bringer of mercy" (Defining)
"I can be counted on to triage those who suffer, with no fear and no emotion" (Major)
"I am no idealist; pragmatism is what's saved my patients" (Major)

Way of Open Hand*

"I am the superlative combat artist; anyone who thinks themselves better should prove it" (Major)
"I am unshakable; any attempt at disturbing my peace is worthless" (Major)
Weapons (Disdain) (Minor)

Way of Shadow

"'Underhanded' just means 'It's okay to do it except when it happens to me" (Major)
My teacher (Obedience) (Defining)
"I am sworn to keep many secrets, and they will all be kept" (Defining)

Way of Sun Soul*

Undead (Anathema) (Defining)
The sun (Holy icon) (Major)
"All people have an inner light that needs be expressed" (Major)

Paladin

Paladins are the exalted avatars of an oath - dedicating themselves so intensely to a set of principles that the innate puissance of these principles grants them power. The Intimacies presented for paladins are taken directly from their oaths, and all are Defining because they are integral tenets of an oath. If any of these tenets are violated by the character's own choice (i.e. not manipulated or made to perform an action via magic) or the Intimacy is degraded entirely, the paladin is at risk of breaking their oath.

Oath of Ancients

"I must act with mercy, kindness, and forgiveness to give others hope and beat back despair" (Defining)
"I will shelter all goodness, beauty, love, and laughter, and must stand against any force that would render it barren" (Defining)
"I must delight in the arts and in song and beauty, as I must be a beacon of what I seek to defend" (Defining)
"I must never fall into despair, as the moment I fall to despair, all others fall with me" (Defining)

Oath of Conquest*

"Any victory I strike against my enemy must be so overwhelming that my enemies' will to fight and live is crushed forever" (Defining)
"My word is absolute law. Any who follow it earn my favor, and any who defy it are to be punished as an example" (Defining)
"My strength justifies my rule. If I am weaker than another, I must grow stronger or die" (Defining)

Oath of the Crown^

My liege (Absolute loyalty) (Defining)
"The law is paramount, what holds together civilization, what must be respected" (Defining)
"My oaths of loyalty are total. Oaths and laws are meaningless otherwise" (Defining)
"I must do what needs to be done for the sake of order" (Defining)
"If nobody else will act to do what must be done, then I will take up that mantle" (Defining)
"I have total responsibility for the consequences of my actions and am responsible for fulfilling the duties and obligations thereof" (Defining)

Oath of Devotion

"My word is my bond, and I will never lie or cheat" (Defining)
"I must always have the courage to act, tempered with caution" (Defining)
"I must have compassion even to great enemies" (Defining)
"I must show mercy to any who beg for it, though of course this doesn't mean I will just let anyone go free for their crimes" (Defining)
"I will esteem all with fairness and lead by example" (Defining)
"I must do the greatest amount of good and do the least amount of harm" (Defining)
"I must take responsibility for my actions and their consequences" (Defining)
"I must protect those who are entrusted to my care" (Defining)
"I must obey those whose authority is maintained according to my sense of justice" (Defining)

Oath of Glory**

"I must act with glorious action, not words" (Defining)
"I will face any challenge given to me with courage" (Defining)
"I must work my body like a sculptor works marble, so that my full potential is realized" (Defining)
"I must discipline myself to overcome any failing that might cause my friends and I to stumble" (Defining)

Oath of Redemption*

"Violence is the weapon of last resort" (Defining)
"Diplomacy is always the better option for long-lasting peace" (Defining)
"People start off life as blank slates whom circumstance and evil influence drive to evil" (Defining)
"Anyone can be set on a righteous path" (Defining)
"I must be patient with those whom I want to change. The path of the wicked is long and winding and a way off it is not always clear" (Defining)
"Every creature may be redeemed, but there are some who act with such hate and so quickly that they must be killed for the greater good" (Defining)

Oath of Vengeance

"I will always fight the greater evil no matter how much I desire to fight the lesser evil" (Defining)
"My sworn enemies will never receive mercy" (Defining)
"Those who are not my sworn enemies may still receive mercy" (Defining)
"I must defeat my foes by any means available to me" (Defining)
"If my foes hurt others, it is my fault that I could not protect them, and I must help those harmed by their misdeeds" (Defining)

Oath of Watchers**

"I must remain always vigilant against any threats, never trusting too soon" (Defining)
"The more powerful someone is, the less I trust them" (Defining)
"I must never perform or accept any gift or favor from a fiend or one associated with fiends" (Defining)
"I am the shield of mortals against the terrors of the universe" (Defining)
Mortals (My charges) (Defining)

Ranger

Rangers, having taken up the role of defenders of civilization and the wild against each other's threats, serve as the more militant arm of nature's wrath. By the nature of their position as having taken an implied job with their class, rangers must take at least one Intimacy relating to their subclass.

Beast Master

As a beast master, your beast always has a Defining Tie of Loyalty to you and two Major Ties to quirks associated with its behavior as an animal. The beast's Defining Tie towards you cannot be removed even by magic, but it can be trained out of its quirks or be given new ones.

My beast (Life partner) (Defining)
"I am a natural when it comes to speaking with animals" (Major)

Fey Wanderer**

"I am a font of mirth and joy for those around me" (Major)
The fey (Allies) (Major)

Hunter

"I can never really be a member of civilization, it's far too alien to me" (Major)
"Not all monsters need to be killed, but civilization will need protection in some form or another from them" (Major)

Gloom Stalker

"I am comfortable in places of darkness, whether in caves or in dark alleys where evil dwells" (Major)
"I feel no fear, often to the point of foolhardiness" (Major)

Horizon Walker*

Good extraplanar creatures (Allies) (Major)
"I am a defender of any rifts between the worlds, that any interaction between them does not lead to tragedy" (Major)

Monster Slayer*

"All monsters should be made extinct" (Major)
"It is my responsibility to destroy all threats to civilization" (Defining)

Swarmkeeper**

My swarm (Extension of myself) (Defining)
"I am naturally gregarious and good at building community" (Major)

Rogue

Rogues as a class are fundamentally pragmatists who have many different reasons for being who they are. For this reason, rogues are not required to have any special Intimacies as a result of their subclass.

Arcane Trickster

"I love dressing myself up in illusions" (Major)
"My mage hand often ends up getting used in place of my real hands for most tasks" (Major)

Assassin

"I have no compunctions about the murdering of people, even innocents if it is for a purpose" (Major)
My contractor (Work relationship) (Major)

Inquisitive*

"I can't resist trying to figure out a mystery" (Major)
"I don't trust anyone until I've excruciatingly figured out their true identity. Anyone could be a shapeshifter" (Major)

Mastermind*

"I've seamlessly learned the social expectations of every social class and how to move in them" (Defining)
"I see people more as toys than as other creature on my level" (Major)

Phantom**

"Necromancy is just as much a part of life as any non-necromantic life" (Major)
Shadowfell (Spiritual connection) (Major)

Scout*

"I often end up being the dirtiest of my companions with how long I spend outside roughing it" (Major)
"I truck with rangers and barbarians, as I travel in the same circles" (Major)

Soulknife**

"I sit apart from others, my abilities making them treat me with suspicion" (Major)
"I have great sympathy for creatures with emotional powers" (Major)

Swashbuckler*

"I will steal my opponents's hearts even as I cut them down" (Major)
"I will do anything to make my encounters have a flair for the dramatic" (Defining)

Thief

"My allies are the only ones who can keep my kleptomania in check" (Major)
"All that I steal goes into the hands of the poor" (Major)

Sorcerer

The origin of a sorcerer's power is always critical to their background, requiring them to take an Intimacy related to their sorcerous origin.

Aberrant Mind**

Aberrations (Inseparable Bond) (Defining)
"I feel others' emotions much more strongly, giving me hyperempathy" (Major)
"Feeling emotions gives me headaches, keeping me from expressing any emotion and understanding those of others" (Major)
"I will speak in telepathy whenever possible out of principle" (Major)

Clockwork Soul**

Constructs (Inseparable Bond) (Defining)
"I refuse to cause chaos where order can succeed instead" (Major)
"I pick apart other people's positions like a machine" (Major)
"I can be perfectly impartial, devoid of biases" (Major)

Divine Soul*

Angels (Inseparable Bond) (Defining)
"My rightful place is guiding others with my gift" (Defining)
"I'm fated to a higher purpose, so I should be invincible" (Major)
My divine source (Parentage) (Major)

Draconic Bloodline

Dragons (Inseparable Bond) (Defining)
"I have a dragon's pride, with those below me not worthy of notice" (Defining)
"I have a dragon's greed, and I will demand gold, gold, GOLD for my services" (Defining)
"I have a dragon's nobility, and carry myself in high society as if I were a king" (Defining)

Shadow Magic*

Undead (Inseparable Bond) (Defining)
"I am unflappable in the face of death, not even emoting" (Major)
"I have some of the habits of a vampire, e.g. not entering houses unless let in, not drinking wine, not crossing running water) (Major)
My hound of ill omen (Inseparable partner) (Defining)

Storm Sorcery*

Elementals (Inseparable Bond) (Defining)
The sea (A home) (Major)
"I can tell stories like a bard, with even more drama" (Major)
"The lightning in my blood compels me to take action over thinking. Lightning strikes without consideration and all respect it still" (Major)

Wild Magic

"I am at ease when everybody else is in a situation full of chaos" (Major)
"Variety is the spice of life" (Defining)
"My emotional highs and my emotional lows are much more dramatic than typical" (Major)
Colorful clothing (Favorite) (Minor)

Warlock

Warlocks are defined in large part by their relationship to their patron. Because of this, all warlocks have a Defining Tie to their patron, with a context of their choosing.

Even if a warlock's powers cannot be taken away by a higher power as a cleric's can (Mystra notwithstanding), warlocks are often warped and molded (some nicer patrons might say "brought to clarity") by their patrons to act in ways that are more aligned with their own interests. For this reason, a warlock must have at least 2 Intimacies from their subclass.

Archfey

"I must always look as flamboyant as possible" (Defining)
The Fey (Rivals) (Major)
"I will happily - perhaps too happily - indulge in any forms of entertainment available to me" (Defining)
"Life is far too short to waste any time" (Major)

Celestial*

"I am more merciful, more understanding of others" (Major)
"My conscience is a whole lot louder than anybody else's" (Defining)
"I must spend at least some time a day in prayer to my patron" (Major)
"Any clothing or armor I have must be altered to look as unassuming and non-gaudy as possible" (Major)

Fathomless**

"The sea is my friend, and I have nothing to fear from it" (Defining)
Bathhouses (Pleasure) (Major)
"I can never turn down a good drink" (Major)
The Plane of Water (Homeland) (Major)

Fiend

"I will be arbitrarily cruel when I can get away with it" (Major)
"Weakness is despicable to me and I cast it off like mud on my shoes" (Major)
"I harm myself to dull my senses to pain" (Major)
Fiends (Competition) (Major)

Genie**

Genies (Competitors) (Major)
"I have a strangely charitable side, wanting to fulfill others' wishes" (Defining)
"I am a sucker for a massive feast" (Major)
"I will not suffer anyone who disrespects me" (Major)

Great Old One

"I have an irrational fear of something totally alien and have no fear in the face of something primally horrifying" (Major)
"My moral code isn't black and white; it's blue and orange" (Defining)
"I keep myself cold and damp whenever I can" (Major)
"I speak in telepathy whenever practical" (Major)

Hexblade*

My hexblade (My lifeline) (Defining)
The Raven Queen (Guiding hand) (Major)
"I am fated to fight until the end of my days" (Major)
"A bloodlust overcomes me when my blade is drawn that won't end until I shed blood with it" (Major)

Undying^

"I cannot conceptualize my own death" (Major)
Undead (Kin) (Major)
"People's individual lives don't ever matter in my decision-making" (Major)
"I make plans very, very, very far in advance. I'm going to have a long life to live" (Major)

Wizard

Wizards are, to a person, ambitious individuals who have put a massive amount of time and energy into learning their craft. Their spells, however, define them more than their specific affinity to any particular school of magic, as most wizards align to their school of magic as a tool. For this reason, wizards are not required to take any Intimacies relating to their subclass. The Intimacies presented are for wizards who will tend to lean into their subclass more intensely than most.

Bladesinging**

Elves (Respect) (Major)
My weapon (Inseparable) (Major)
"I am an aesthete" (Major)

Order of Scribes**

"I am as bookish as bookish gets" (Major)
My spellbook (My ally) (Defining)
Libraries (My home) (Major)

School of Abjuration

"I am insular and tend not to put myself out there" (Major)
"It is my duty to protect the weak" (Major)
Extraplanar beings (Suspicion) (Major)

School of Conjuration

"It's my place to dominate other beings" (Major)
"I generally pack very light; after all, if I forget something, I can just conjure it up" (Major)
"I always sit myself in such a way that, if I ever get suddenly teleported, I won't fall" (Major)

School of Divination

"Everything is always going to plan, just, not always the first plan that comes out of my mouth" (Major)
"I get anxious quickly whenever things go wrong" (Major)
"I am above any petty superstition" (Major)

School of Enchantment

"I don't care much for the opinions of those weaker than I" (Major)
"Fighting is such a dirty practice, I'd much rather fight with words" (Major)
"I view other people as projects to be fixed or broken as I decide" (Major)

School of Evocation

"I am a sucker for spectacle" (Major)
The elemental planes (Source of power) (Major)
"I have learned to not have much care for personal property, what with a lot of it breaking apart around me" (Major)

School of Illusion

"People are just as much their facades as they are their 'real selves'" (Major)
"I love playing pranks on others" (Major)
Gnomes (Respect) (Major)

School of Necromancy

Necromancy (Misunderstood art) (Defining)
"I am most comfortable in darkness" (Major)
"Death isn't the end for anyone" (Major)

School of Transmutation

"People are bound to change their minds and hearts no matter what their past" (Major)
"I seek to remake my surroundings to my image" (Major)
"Any system that stays in place without being tested for too long is bound to stagnate" (Major)

War Magic*

"I am a killer at heart" (Major)
"I take opportunities to sate my bloodlust" (Major)
"There is a right and wrong way to conduct war, and it is my duty to make sure it is done correctly" (Major)

Backgrounds and Intimacies

Perhaps even more than someone's class, someone's background defines their worldview and what experiences they've had that make them who they are. For this reason, you must always have at least two Intimacies relating to your background, which can count for your 4 required Intimacies on character creation.

Acolyte

Acolytes have a Tie of at least Major intensity (though variable context) to the higher power they served.

A hero of my faith (Idolize) (Major)
"Anyone can have common ground found between them" (Major)
"The gods speak to me in omens and actions, and I must listen" (Major)
"I have unshakable optimism" (Defining)
"Sacred texts and proverbs are what I quote to justify actions" (Major)
"I am tolerant/intolerant of other faiths and respect (or condemn) the worship of other gods" (Major)
"My place is in high society; the temples never taught me how to live on the outside" (Major)
"I must preserve ancient traditions of worship and sacrifice" (Defining)
"I must help those who are in need, no matter what the personal cost" (Defining)
"I am the tool of the gods to bring about changes in the world" (Defining)
"I must rise to the top of my religious hierarchy" (Defining)
"My deity is the one in whom I place all my trust. All I need is faith in them and things will go well" (Defining)
"I must act to live up to my god's favor" (Defining)
Artifact of my order (Mission to recover) (Major)
Temple from which I was banished (Object of Revenge) (Major)
Priest who took me in (Total Loyalty) (Major)
"Everything I do is for the common people" (Defining)
My temple (Place of servitude) (Defining)
My sacred text (Life's mission to protect) (Defining)
"I judge others as I wish to be judged. I judge myself exceedingly harshly" (Major)
"I put trust in temple hierarchy" (Major)
"Those who profess faith in my god are trustworthy" (Major)
"I am rigid in my thinking" (Major)
"All strangers are suspicious and should have the worst expected of them" (Major)
"When I pick a goal, everything else in my life can fall so long as I can still follow that goal" (Major)

Charlatan

All charlatans have at least a Major Tie to some form of scheme that they like to perform on their marks, whether it be influencing games of chance, confidence artistry, smash and grabs, speculation bubbles, identity theft, black widowing, or street corner sleight-of-hand.

"I fall in and out of love easily, and pursue someone at all times" (Major)
"I am always joking at all times" (Major)
"People love flattery, and I'm happy to give it to them" (Major)
"If ever there's a chance to take a risk for a potential payoff, I'm taking it" (Major)
"I lie about almost everything, even if there isn't really a good reason to" (Major)
"I fight first with sarcasm and insults" (Major)
"I have no loyalty to any particular deity, but that won't stop me from wielding all their symbols and invoking them when possible" (Major)
"If I can get away with pocketing something easily, I'm taking it" (Major)
"I'm a free spirit, and nobody is commanding me to do anything" (Major)
"I target only people who deserve it" (Major)
"I give freely of my spoils to those who need it" (Major)
"I would never run the same sort of con twice" (Major)
"Material wealth is worthless in the face of the bonds of friendships" (Major)
"I must do whatever I can to make something of myself" (Major)
The person who caught me in a fleece (Fear) (Major)
My mentor (Bitter Hate) (Major)
My illegitimate child (Obligation) (Major)
My noble lineage (Life mission to fulfill) (Defining)
Person who killed my lover (Mission to kill) (Defining)
Person who didn't deserve my swindle (Penance) (Major)
"The prettiest faces are the most trustable ones" (Major)
"Money leaves my hands very easily" (Major)
"I'm too smart for anyone to fool me" (Major)
"Anyone more powerful than me deserves to be taken down a peg or ten" (Major)
"I will be the first to run and hide when the going gets tough" (Major)

Criminal

All criminals have at least a Major Tie associated with some form of preferred criminality, such as blackmail, burglary, enforcement, fencing, highway robbery, assassination, pickpocketing, or smuggling.

"I'm the one counted on for when things go wrong" (Major)
"I will never, ever raise my voice or let my emotions control me" (Defining)
"Every location I enter is defined by where the valuables are / where valuables might be hidden" (Major)
"I want to make friends, not enemies" (Major)
"Those who seem the must trustable are the ones who have the most to hide" (Major)
"Never tell me the odds in any situation" (Major)
"Anyone telling me I can't do something is only going to motivate me" (Major)
"Any insult is enough to set me off" (Major)
"Others in my trade don't deserve to be robbed" (Major)
"I must break any chains that are formed, as well as those who form these chains" (Major)
"The wealthy do not deserve their draconic hoards; they belong to the people from whom they were stolen" (Major)
"Any method of acquiring wealth is legitimate" (Major)
My friends (The only people worth it) (Defining)
"Everybody has a spark of good in them" (Major)
An old benefactor (Monetary debt) (Major)
My family (The ones who receive my gains) (Major)
That which was stolen from me (To be taken back) (Defining)
"I will be the greatest thief who ever lived" (Defining)
The crime I committed (Motivation to be a better person) (Defining)
"I will never let anyone else whom I love die because of my mistakes" (Major)
"I am a kleptomaniac only kept in control by the prospect of bigger fish to catch" (Major)
"Money is so much more tangible a thing than the mercurial future I can have with my friends" (Major)
"No plan survives first contact with the enemy" (Major)
"I've unfortunately got a really bad tell when I'm lying" (Major)
"When things look bad, I'm turning tail first" (Major)
"I'm okay with innocent people taking the fall for my deeds" (Major)

Entertainer

All entertainers have at least a Minor Tie or two to different forms of entertainment that they like to perform, such as acting, dancing, fire-eating, jesting, juggling, playing instruments, poetry, singing, storytelling, or tumbling.

"I love to view situations through the context of stories of the past" (Major)
"I always want to be up to date on the gossip wherever I am" (Major)
"I'm a hopeless romantic, and want to find my special someone(s) anywhere I can" (Major)
"I can defuse any sort of tension" (Major)
"I'm entertained by good insults, even if they're directed at me" (Minor)
"I need to be the center of attention" (Major)
"I'm a perfectionist" (Major)
"My mood is easy to change" (Major)
"I wish to make the world more beautiful through my performance" (Major)
"The traditions of the past must be preserved and maintained" (Major)
"New ideas must be allowed to flourish and not be suppressed; people can make up their own minds" (Defining)
"Money is what drives me to action" (Defining))
"I live to see people's smiles on their faces when I perform" (Defining)
"People and art are best when they are at their most honest" (Defining)
The tools of my art (Most treasured possession) (Defining)
The one who ruined my art form (Spite) (Defining)
"I will never be satisfied until I am famous" (Defining)
An old hero(es) (Idolize and model after) (Defining)
My rival (Dogged competition) (Defining)
Members of my old performing group (Old friends) (Defining)
"Pretty faces are ones you can trust" (Major)
An old scandal (Deep embarrassment) (Major)
A noble whom I satirized (Fear of persecution) (Major)
"My whimsical desires can distract me from the mission" (Major)

Folk Hero

Folk Heroes always have at least a Major Tie to some dispossessed underclass in society, having come from it and been defined by it.

"Actions, not words, are how I judge people" (Defining)
"I am always ready to lend my help to those in trouble" (Major)
"It is incredibly hard to change my mind when I have chosen to follow a path" (Major)
"Fairness is important to me, and I will always try to end arguments with an equitable solution" (Major)
"I am confident in my own abilities and in those with whom I ally" (Major)
"I didn't become a hero by staying back and thinking. I need to act, now" (Major)
"Even if I really am smart, I try to act even smarter than I am through my language" (Major)
"I know I have an important destiny and I can't be satisfied just sitting around waiting for it to come to me" (Major)
"All people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect" (Defining)
"No one should have preferential treatment before the law, and nobody is above the law" (Defining)
"All hierarchies are ultimately unjust and the progression of society is tied up in their abolition" (Defining)
"I deserve to take what I want, no, deserve" (Defining)
"Nobody should pretend to be something they aren't" (Defining)
My family (Loyalty) (Defining)

The land I once worked (Obligation to protect) (Defining)
Nobility (Disdain) (Major)
Tools of my profession (Symbol of past life) (Major)
"I protect those who can't protect themselves" (Major)
My childhood sweetheart (Old flame) (Major)
The tyrant of my land (Personal hatred) (Major)
"My destiny is sure, and anyone who says it will not come to pass cannot see the full picture" (Major)
A secret of my youth (Shame) (Major)
"I deserve to partake in the vice that was denied to me" (Major)
"I deserve to be the one in authority" (Major)
"Allies who steal my thunder are bad allies, indeed" (Major)

Guild Artisan

Guild artisans always have at least a Major Tie to their guild and to their line of work, as they work with its members on occassion and as such can't help but have a storng opinion on it.

"I am a perfectionist" (Major)
"Fine art is one of the highest forms of expression, and anyone who doesn't appreciate it is less cultured" (Major)
"I want to know how people and objects ticks" (Major)
"I am one for spouting aphorisms and proverbs to show my worldliness" (Major)
"People who don't work hard don't deserve my sympathy" (Major)
"I love to hear myself talk about what I'm good at" (Major)
"I part with money only after I have done everything I can to part with less of it" (Major)
"Everyone needs to know and respect my work" (Defining)
"I must strengthen the bonds of community and the security of civilization wherever I go" (Defining)
"My talent is meant to be used to bring good into the world" (Major)
"The freer people are to pursue their own livelihood, the freer everybody else becomes" (Defining))
Money (My motivation) (Defining)
"I care not for ideals, but for people" (Defining)
"I will rise to be the best in my craft" (Defining)
My workshop (Place of comfort) (Major)
"People who are not worthy are not allowed to partake of my services" (Major)
My guild (A great debt) (Major)
"My wealth is all to win the heart of one I love" (Major)
Those who spurned my skill (My enemy) (Defining)
The ones who destroyed my livelihood (Sworn enemies) (Defining)
"I will do anything to acquire rare and priceless things" (Major)
"Whenever I'm in a deal, I always assume the other side is trying to cheat me" (Major)

"I have sticky fingers for other people's money" (Major)
"I know in my heart that my pursuit of wealth will never be satisfied and I'll always want more" (Major)
"I'm terribly jealous of people whose work is better than mine" (Major)
"It's my destiny to become one of the nobility" (Major)

Hermit

People's reasons for hermitage can vary wildly, from political exile to monastic living to artistic retreat to caretaking of a place far from civilization, and for this reason hermits do not have a special Intimacy to some thing or person.

"I speak as little as possible, making every word count" (Major)
"I'm serene in all situations" (Major)
"I share my wisdom with others as a wise-person" (Major)
"I have tremendous empathy for the suffering of others" (Major)
"I am oblivious to and often don't care for social expectations" (Major)
"Everything is part of a grand cosmic plan" (Major)
"I get lost in my own head contemplating what comes next" (Major)
"I love to share the insights I gained during my hermitage" (Major)
"I must share any insights I have with everyone else, not keep them for my own benefit" (Defining)
"I must not let my emotions get in the way of what is reasonable" (Defining)
"Power for power's sake is the only good goal" (Major)
"I refuse to meddle in others' affairs without good reason" (Major)
"I care first and foremost for self-understanding" (Defining)
Members of my hermitage (Old friends) (Defining)
The ones who forced me into hermitage (Mortal enemies) (Defining)
"I still don't feel like I have learned enough" (Major)
The love who spurned me (Deep regret) (Major)
"The knowledge I have learned could bring ruin to me, and so I am the only one who may ever learn it" (Defining)
"I am the only one who can destroy the evil of which I learned" (Defining)
"I returned to a world of delights and I am happy to indulge" (Major)
"My isolation could not sate my bloodthirst" (Major)
"I'm always right, and am dogmatic in that belief" (Major)
"I need to win an argument more than I need to maintain a friendship" (Major)
"I keep secrets from others unless I have a good reason not to"
"My search for enlightenment means I will do whatever it takes to get more knowledge" (Major)

Noble

Nobles always have an Intimacy of at least Minor intensity related to their social class, whether an appreciative or a despicable one or something in between.

"I love to chat up everyone to whom I speak and make them feel wonderful and important" (Major)
"I love the common people and want to be as kind and generous to them as possible" (Major)
"I'm a cut above everybody else, and I want them to know it" (Major)
"I must always look as good as possible and follow the latest trends" (Major)
"I will do everything I can not to get my hands dirty" (Major)
"My experience with hierarchies has shown me that they are all unjust" (Major)
"My forgiveness is quite expensive" (Major)
"It's not enough for me to take revenge, but instead to crush, burn, and blot out one's name" (Major)
"Everyone is to be afforded respect" (Defining)
"Everyone must respect the authorities who have been ordained above them" (Defining)
"I refuse to be coddled as I was in my youth" (Defining)
"I must amass power so nobody can ever tell me what to do again" (Defining)
My family (Absolute loyalty) (Defining)
Noblesse oblige (My principles) (Defining)
"I will undergo any challenge to win approval from those I care about" (Major)
"I must maintain my noble house's reputation at all costs" (Major)
My love (Forbidden desire) (Defining)
The common folk (My charges) (Defining)
"Everyone else is beneath me" (Major)
My scandalous secret (Never to be revealed) (Defining)
"I'm quick to anger and slow to love" (Major)
"The world does, in fact, revolve around me" (Major)
My family (Shame by association) (Major)

Outlander

All outlanders have at least a Major Intimacy associated with the wild, since it is where they grew up and its lessons are in their blood.

"I have a wanderlust that will lead me away from any 'home' I live in" (Major)
My friends (A litter of pups I must protect) (Major)
"I will take on the worst of burdens to protect others from those burdens" (Major)
"I have a lesson for every situation" (Major)
"Wealth and being well-mannered mean nothing to me" (Major)
"I will casually pick up and fiddle with things around me" (Major)
"I'm much more comfortable with animals than people" (Major)
"I was literally raised by wolves, and my manners make that clear" (Major)

"I am comfortable with change, and any world that isn't changing is one sliding into stagnation" (Defining)
"It is everyone's responsibility to give of themselves for the sake of the community" (Defining)
"I am bound by honor; any dishonor I bring, I bring to my friends as well" (Defining)
"The strong are meant to rule over the weak" (Defining)
"The world of nature is always more important than what civilization can bring" (Defining)
"I must win glory through combat" (Defining)
"My collective, whether my clan, family, or tribe, is always most important" (Defining)
"An injury to nature is an injury to all" (Major)
The ones who destroyed my homeland (Wrath) (Defining)
"I am the legacy of the group who raised me" (Defining)
"I have knowledge of coming tragedy, and it is mine to prevent" (Defining)
"I must create family to sustain my people" (Major)
"I'm not stranger to all the intoxicants nature has to offer" (Major)
"Action is always better than caution" (Major)
"I keep a running tally of every insult I've ever received and I intend to make good on this" (Major)
"I am slow to trust people who differ from me" (Major)
"If a challenge can be solved with violence, I'm picking violence as the answer" (Major)
"Those who can't help themselves don't deserve help; let them be eaten as is nature's law" (Major)

Sage

All sages have at least a Major Intimacy of some sort relating to their field of scholarly training, whether it is alchemy, astronomy, librarian work, professorial work, research, wizarding apprenticeship, or scribe work.

"Indubitably, I'll partake in polysyllabic wordplay to enlighten the proles as to my superlative vocabulary and erudite machinations" (Major)
"I have read every book, or at least I'll say that I have" (Major)
"I'm very patient and am willing to explain things at length to others" (Major)
"A good mystery is the best" (Major)
"I want to listen to every side of an argument before I make my judgment" (Major)
"I... will... speak... very... slowly.. to... anyone... not... as... smart... as... me..." (Major)
"I'm awkward in social situations, to the point others feel awkward simply being in my presence" (Major)
"Everyone else must be trying to steal my secrets" (Major)
"Knowledge is critical to power and self-improvement" (Defining)
"The highest ideal of beauty is what must be achieved" (Defining)
"Emotions must never cloud critical thinking" (Defining)
"There should be no limits on society to fetter the possibilities existence has to give us" (Defining)
"My pursuit of knowledge is for the power to dominate" (Defining)

"Everyone should be dedicated to self-improvement" (Defining)
My students (My charge) (Defining)
The ancient text I hold (My responsibility to defend) (Defining)
The place of knowledge I called home (Defend) (Defining)
A specific piece of lore (Life's work) (Defining)
"In the face of great danger, I'll sooner take notes than run away to safety" (Major)
"I will gladly sacrifice much and others for the sake of figuring out a secret" (Major)
"There must always be a more complicated answer to something than the supposedly simply solution" (Major)
"I speak without thinking, preferring to get as many words out as I can" (Major)
"I can't keep a secret to save my life" (Major)

Sailor

All sailors have at least a Major Intimacy to the sea or something relating to the sea.

"I'm the one my allies should rely upon" (Major)
"I work as hard as I can so that my play time is even harder" (Major)
"My wanderlust sends me going every which way to find new people" (Major)
"Every good story should have the truth stretched at least a little bit" (Major)
"I gauge my opinion of a new place by the average number of people I could beat in a fight there" (Major)
"Never pass up a friendly wager" (Major)
"I've got a mouth you'd swipe off the poop deck" (Major)
"Any job worth doing is worth doing to its completion" (Major)
"All members of any crew, on land or sea, need to give the other members mutual respect" (Defining)
"If we all do work, we will all share in the reward of that work" (Defining)
"Everyone should have the ability to travel anywhere to seek their fortune" (Defining)
"I'm a predator and anyone with what I want is my prey" (Defining)
"My crew are my commitment, not any abstract ideal" (Defining)
"I must chart my own destiny" (Defining)
My captain (Loyalty) (Defining)
My ship (My bond) (Defining)
"I have left many lovers on many shores and I will do so again" (Major)
"I've been cheated out of my fair share for much of my life, and I will not let that happen again" (Major)
The privateers who murdered my crew (Hate) (Major)
"I'm conditioned to follow orders" (Major)
"Anything not to have to do extra work" (Major)
"I am prideful about my courage and will do anything to prove it right" (Major)
"I'm in love with the bottle" (Major)
"I will take any loose coins and trinkets I come across" (Major)
"My pride will never lead to my fall" (Major)

Soldier

All soldiers have at least a Major Intimacy relating to their station as a soldier, whether they spent their time in officiation, scouting, infantry work, cavalry, healing, quartermastering, standard bearing, acting as support staff, etc.

"I've learned to always be polite and respectful even to enemies" (Major)
"I never want to commit the horrors I had to commit in war again" (Defining)
"I've lost so many friends and loved ones that I'm slow to make any new ones" (Major)
"My perfect discipline makes me hard to rile up" (Major)
"I'm full of cautionary tales from soldiering and I'm happy to share whenever I can" (Major)
"I enjoy flexing my power in every way I can" (Major)
"The simplest and most direct solution is always the best one" (Major)
"My humor is cruder than oil" (Major)
"All who are able should defend the weak" (Defining)
"I must obey just authority" (Defining)
"The strongest should always be the ones who rule" (Defining)
"No ideal is worth killing over" (Defining)
My people (All that matter) (Defining)
The people with whom I served (Loyalty) (Defining)
"I will never leave an ally behind, even when they've drawn their last breath" (Defining)
"My honor is my life and I must defend it" (Defining)
"I will never be humiliated in defeat again" (Defining)
Those who fight with me (Worth dying for) (Defining)
"I fight for those who can't fight for themselves" (Major)
The enemy who laid me low (Irrational fear) (Major)
"The words of non-warriors are worthless" (Major)
"I am a good warrior because my hatred of my enemies is absolute" (Major)
"Even a miserable law is more moral than no law " (Major)
"I'll come back from the dead so you can't call me wrong over my dead body" (Defining)

Urchin

Urchins do not have any special necessary Intimacies relating to their background.

"I keep scraps of food and trinkets of my travels on me at all times" (Major)
"I am heavily inquisitive, having been denied answers for so long" (Major)
"I am most comfortable in small places where nobody can get to me without me seeing them first" (Major)
"I never sleep without my back to a wall and my belongings in my hands" (Major)
"I eat like a pig and have the manners of one" (Major)
"Anyone who's nice to me must have some bad intentions" (Major)
"Cleanliness is overrated" (Major)
"It's best to just say what everybody else is thinking" (Major)

"Everyone deserves respect no matter their station in life" (Defining)
"Nobody else is going to take care of us, so all of us need to help each other" (Defining)
"The high must be brought low, and the low must be raised up" (Defining)
"The rich need to feast on the suffering we consume every day" (Defining)
"We mortals are nothing if not defined by our ability to help each other" (Defining)
"I will prove I'm worthy of a better life" (Defining)
Where I grew up (My Home) (Defining)
Other urchins (Deep sympathy) (Defining)
The one who taught me how to survive (Trust) (Defining)
The one who lifted me from poverty (Irreparable debt) (Defining)
The one whom I robbed to escape poverty (Unsettled) (Major)
"Nobody deserves to go through the hardships I've had to go through" (Major)
"I survived by never staying in a fight I couldn't win, and I intend to keep surviving" (Major)
"I don't really understand the value of money and just want more" (Major)
"I can't really trust anyone else, even as I try to" (Major)
"Only losers concern themselves with what a fair fight is" (Major)
"If I need something more than somebody else, it's not stealing" (Major)
"Those who can't take care of themselves get what they deserve" (Major)

PART 3

Intimacies and Magic

Magic effects exist that allow for a creature to manipulate the minds of others. In this section, all spells that manipulate a creature's behavior will be listed and rewritten as necessary to accommodate the changes Intimacies bring to the system.

Channeling Intimacies against Magic

If a spell would influence your behavior, you can always channel an Intimacy against For example, you could channel positive Intimacies towards an Antipathy area or some implication of the area or channel negative Intimacies towards a Sympathy area or some implication of the area. This accounts for the majority of changes to spells and allows someone with a strong will and connection to some given thing to more easily resist being influenced against it, given the intuitive sense that it'd be easier to bend someone's mind to help a friend than to obey your mortal enemy.

Animal Friendship

You convince a beast that you mean it no harm. Choose a beast you can see within range that can see and hear you. If the beast's Intelligence is 4 or higher, the spell fails. Otherwise, the beast must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by you for the spell's duration. While charmed, the beast has a Major Tie to you (Trust). If you or one of your companions harms the beast, the spell ends.

Animal Messenger

The spell acts as normal.

Antipathy/Sympathy

The spell works normally, except that when using Antipathy, the creature gains a Defining Tie against the area (Antipathy). When using Sympathy, the creature has a Defining Tie for the area (Must remain within). and the creature must treat any attempt to convince it to enter/leave the area as unacceptable influence.

Awaken

The spell works normally, except that while charmed, the awakened creature has a Defining Tie to you (Loyalty).

Calm Emotions

You suppress strong emotions in a group of people. Each humanoid in a 20-foot radius sphere centered n a point you choose within range must make a Charisma saving throw; a creature can choose to fail this saving throw if it wishes, and can also choose to invoke an Intimacy it wishes to express against the spell. If a creature fails its saving throw, choose one of the following two effects.

Suppress. You can suppress any effects causing targets in the area to be charmed or frightened. When this spell ends, the suppressed effects resume, provided that its duration has not expired in the meantime.

Indifference. You can remove a creature's ability to channel negative intentions. While in the area, the creature is treated as if it has no negative Ties towards individuals you choose in the area, and is no longer hostile towards those creatures. As well, any creature in the area cannot enter into Decision points if they are convinced by a social action. The spell ends immediately if the target is attacked or harmed by a spell or if it witnesses its allies being harmed. When the spell ends, the creature becomes hostile again unless the DM rules you have stopped the creature's hostilities through other means.

Charm Monster

You attempt to charm a creature you can see within range. It must make a Wisdom saving throw, and does so with advantage if you or your companions are fighting it. On a failed save, it is charmed by you until the spell ends or until you or your companions do anything harmful to it. While charmed, the creature gains a Major Tie to you (Acquaintance) for the duration. When the spell ends, the Tie disappears, and the creature knows it was charmed by you and that its Tie was unnatural.

Charm Person

You attempt to charm a humanoid you can see within range. It must make a Wisdom saving throw, and does so with advantage if you or your companions are fighting it. On a failed save, it is charmed by you until the spell ends or until you or your companions do anything harmful to it. While charmed, the creature gains a Major Tie to you (Acquaintance) for the duration. When the spell ends, the Tie disappears, and the creature knows it was charmed by you and that its Tie was unnatural.

Command

The spell works as normal.

Compelled Duel

The spell works as normal, but if the other creature has an Intimacy relating to honorable combat, that Intimacy is used against its saving throw.

Compulsion

The spell works as normal.

Spells that Summon or Create Creatures to Fight for You

Spells that summon beings loyal to you give the creatures a Defining Tie to you (Loyalty) and must treat all influence against that Intimacy as an unacceptable order. The creatures have "agreed" to the life-changing task of assisting you in battle regardless of the odds they are up against by virtue of the spell's magic.

Create Homunculus

The spell works as normal, except that the homunculus has a Defining Tie of Loyalty to you.

Crown of Madness

The spell works as normal. The charmed target gains a Defining Tie to you (Obedience). Whenever the creature is forced to attack someone with whom they have a Major or Defining Tie, they can make the saving throw against the spell again.

Detect Thoughts

The spell works normally. In addition, you have advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks made to learn the Intimacies of the creature.

Dissonant Whispers

The spell works as normal.

Dominate Spells

All enchantment spells that start with dominate work as normal, except that whenever a character is forced to act in a way that contradicts one of its Defining Intimacies or in a way that causes it to harm itself, it can first repeat the saving throw of the spell again, ending the spell on a success.

Dream

The spell works as normal, except that the dream messenger can make Social Interaction rolls with the target. The sleeping creature, however, can perform Social Interaction rolls with the messenger right back.

Enemies Abound

The spell works as normal, except that if the creature attempts to attack a creature with which it has a Defining Tie, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Enthrall

The spell works as normal.

Fear

The spell works as normal.

Feeblemind

The spell works as normal.

Find Familiar

The spell works as normal, except the familiar always has a Defining Tie to you (Loyalty) and two Major Ties and one Minor Tie to something relating to its nature.

Find Steed and Find Greater Steed

The spell works as normal, except that the steed always has a Defining Tie to you (Loyalty) and two Major Ties and one Minor Tie to something relating to its nature.

Geas

The spell works as normal, except that the geased creature has a Defining Tie to you (Obedience), as the geas compels them to obey.

Glibness

The spell works as normal.

Greater Restoration

The spell works as normal, but you can also remove a magic-induced Intimacy from a creature.

Heroes' Feast

The spell works as normal, except that all creatures who partake in the feast have a magically induced Minor positive Tie to you if they partake in the meal. You can choose to waive this effect and serve the meal with no Intimacy.

Hold Monster

The spell works as normal.

Hold Person

The spell works as normal.

Hypnotic Pattern

The spell works as normal.

Identify

The spell works as normal, but you can also identify if a creature has any magic-induced Intimacies.

Mass Suggestion

The spell works as normal, except that the creature is under a Major Tie to you (Loyalty) for the duration. If this Tie is removed or the creature is convinced to act against the Tie, the spell ends.

Message

The spell works as normal, except you can communicate a single Social Interaction roll through the spell.

Modify Memory

The spell works as normal, except that Intimacies can be implanted in the creature as part of the memory modification. As well, if the events that caused a creature to gain or lose an Intimacy are erased from their memory, then the creature assumes the Intimacies it had before those events transpired. For example, if Bruenor gains a Defining Tie of hatred against Duelme the death knight as Duelme kills Bruenor's family, and Duelme completely removes Bruenor's memory of his family's death and Duelme's personal involvement in the matter, and as such will have no Intimacy towards Duelme.

Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound

The spell works as normal, except that the hound has a Defining Tie of loyalty to you.

Otto's Irresistible Dance

The spell works as normal.

Phantasmal Force

The spell works as normal, except that if you make the phantasmal object reflect a negative Intimacy the creature has that causes it fear or anxiety, such as a thalassophobe imagining they are drowning, the creature has disadvantage on its saving throw.

Phantasmal Killer

The spell works as normal.

Planar Ally

The spell works as normal.

Project Image

The spell works as normal, but you can perform Social Interaction rolls through the image.

Rary's Telepathic Bond

The spell works as normal, but all creatures in the telepathic link can perform Social Interaction rolls on each other.

Skywrite

The spell works as normal, except that you can perform a Social Interaction roll using the written words.

Suggestion

The spell works as normal, except that the creature is under a Major Tie to you (Loyalty) for the duration. If this Tie is removed or the creature is convinced to act against the Tie, the spell ends.

Tasha's Hideous Laughter

The spell works as normal.

Telepathy

The spell works as normal, but everyone in the telepathic link can perform Social Interaction rolls on each other.

Optional Rule: Limit Break

Exalted, the game from which this homebrew originates, is a game of epic heroes, in every sense of the word. Epic in scope, epic in victory, and epic in their failures. Think on legendary heroes like Gilgamesh, Quetzalcoatl, Achilles, Beowulf, Heracles, Cú Chulainn, Samson, Sun Wukong, the Knights of the Round Table, and many others. Any who know the legends of these figures knows that they are no paragons of virtue, even if many of their acts are heroic; after all, Homer begged the muses to help him channel not Achilles' virtue, but his rage, the rage against the Trojan War that had him sulk in his tent as his allies fell to pieces and the rage of a broken heart that let him slaughter the Trojan armies to retrieve his love Patroclus's body from the battlefield.

The characters of Dungeons and Dragons are not on par with the potency of such heroes, but their passions and ambitions are much the same. No being, whether god or mortal, is perfect, and in the high-stress life that adventurers live, there is only so much bend before the break.

The exalted adventurer Malau breaks down in tears on the battlefield, succumbing to the Flawed Virtue of All-Consuming Grief. His foes ignore him and press against his weaker allies, knowing that should he be roused from his grief, he would turn about and cut them down in rage.

Limit

Limit is a measure of your stress, self-doubt, and rising mental instability. As you gain points of Limit, the thoughts you keep buried far beneath start to bubble up and become harder and harder to ignore. This sentiment may be invisible to others, but you know in your heart that something is wrong. When you reach 10 Limit, you can no longer contain your urges and enter into a Limit Break.

Gaining Limit

You can gain limit in the following ways:

Once per encounter, if you act in a way that opposes your ideals and bonds, you must roll 2d20, which no effect can influence. If you roll a 7 or higher, you gain a point of Limit per success.
Once per encounter, if you act in a way that opposes a Defining Intimacy, you must roll 3d20, which no effect can influence. If you roll a 5 or higher, you gain a point of Limit per success.

You have a Limit Trigger you select at character creation, which is a special situation in which you gain Limit. Whenever the Limit Trigger is met, you must roll 3d20 for Limit, which no effect can influence. If you roll a 5 or higher on these dice, you gain a point of Limit, potentially netting you 3 Limit.

A Limit Trigger can be triggered more than once in an encounter, but it should not occur because of the exact same situation. For example, if your Limit Trigger is when you are insulted and belittled or frustrated by someone else, a jester who continues to harass and insult you over the course of an encounter will not continue to build your Limit, but if the king joins in on the fun and harasses you, as well, that serves as another source that may build your Limit.

Limit Triggers

During character creation, you create a Limit Trigger for yourself, which is a particular situation your character finds themself emotionally vulnerable in.

Below is a non-exhaustive list of potential Limit Triggers, meant to illustrate possibilities. If you create a Limit Trigger of your own (subject to DM approval), it must be a situation that your character finds stressful, traumatic, or frustrating, and must be one that is likely to happen several times over the course of a campaign. A litmus test for a Limit Trigger is that you could conceivably see somebody who's currently mentally unstable having an emotional outburst (i.e. Limit Break) as a result of experiencing this situation.

You're insulted, belittled, or deliberately frustrated by someone else.
You tell a lie, deliberately deceive, or break a sworn oath.
You see innocents suffering, and are unable or unwilling to help them.
You are hindered or defeated by the self-indulgence and intemperance of others around you.
You suffer a setback or defeat for reasons that are your own fault.
You take the opportunity to advance your self-interest by harming innocents or ignoring suffering.
Your emotions lead you to act in a way that you end up regretting.
You are denied one of your favorite pleasures or vices either by circumstance, someone else, or your own actions.
You destroy, abandon, or sacrifice something valuable to you.
You discover a significant obstacle in the way of one of your goals when success seemed almost certain.
You offer advice and wisdom, but are not heeded by those whom you advise.
The immorality or transgressions of others hinders you.
You drive away someone whom you care about.
An adversary exploits your mercy and compassion.
You must endure deprivation, poverty, or extreme physical hardship because of an adversary or to achieve one of your goals.
Someone whom you wish would pay attention to you rejects, humiliates, or ignores you.

Don't Play the System If You'll Play the System

An enterprising magic-user can see that, using their magic, they can temporarily force a creature to act against its bonds and ideals, which can cause player characters to gain Limit. Metagaming players might ask to have spells cast upon them that they choose to fail so they can act in a way that accrues Limit, allowing them to reach Limit 10 and have a Limit Break at a more convenient time. This player would forget that the DM has fiat as to when a character at Limit 10 has their Limit Break, and that such attempts to skirt the edges of rules are cancerous to play. If you are playing with the Limit system and wish to act in such a way, you should ask the question as to why you are playing with this system in the first place.

Limit Break and Flawed Virtue

When you accumulate 10 Limit, you will enter a Limit Break state, which is the ultimate spilling-over of your stress and self-doubt and instability. This manifestation is insidious; your Limit Break will not necessarily manifest immediately, and will tend to erupt only when your resulting actions have the potential to cause significant turmoil and suffering, as chosen by the DM. For example, if you reach 10 Limit while your party is trudging through a desert alone, it's not likely that you will reach a state of Limit Break until you reach a village of people whose imperfect natures mean that somebody is going to do something insulting to you eventually.

Limit Break manifests in a form known as a Flawed Virtue. Flawed Virtues are described as such because they are perversions of what could otherwise be considered virtuous. The Flawed Virtue your character expresses in Limit Break is never fixed - every time you undergo Limit Break, you are likely to express a different Flawed Virtue. Every Flawed Virtue has the following features:

A Flawed Virtue forces you to act out in a sort of behavior that is harmful to those around you or yourself, which is treated as a Defining Principle for as long as the Limit Break lasts.
If you are ever influenced in a way that lets you treat influence as unacceptable, you must choose to treat it as unacceptable.
Limit Break is ultimately a cathartic experience, resetting your Limit level back to 0.
A Flawed Virtue always has a duration of either the entire session or over the course of an encounter. If a Limit Break occurs during the end of a session, a DM may choose to have the Limit Break spill over into the next session. In addition, every Flawed Virtue has a condition which can end it prematurely.

Examples of Flawed Virtues are presented below.

All-Consuming Grief

Your introspection turns to utter grief. Regret and sorrow overwhelm you, and all you can do is mourn your losses and brood upon the injustice that has affected you. You will go off on your own to grieve, if possible; if not, you will ignore your surroundings and focus inward on your pain. You will not stir from your grief for anything, even as your allies.

Duration: Encounter. All-Consuming Grief can end prematurely if you are attacked or you witness someone with whom you have a positive Major or Defining Tie drop to 0 hit points.

Avaricious Craving

All of the fetters on your limitations fall away. You designate something you value, crave, or wish to amass - currency, liquor, jewels, burnt offerings, drugs, artwork, etc. You seek out as much of this you can get, and no matter how much you gain, you must always seek more. If someone attempts to part you with your hoard, you will forcefully defend it, with violence if necessary.

Duration: Session. Avaricious Craving can end prematurely if you harm someone with whom you have a positive Major or Defining Tie.

Bellowing Tyrannical Proclamation

Your pride swells to heights unforeseen. Everyone around you must acknowledge your authority or superiority. Those who don't, or who fail to make their inferiority explicit., must be convinced otherwise. This can take many forms - challenging this contender to a duel, verbally berating someone, loudly proclaiming oneself among all others, or flaunting power and wealth.

Duration: Session. Bellowing Tyrannical Proclamation can end prematurely if you suffer a significant defeat or setback as a result of trying to prove your superiority.

Berserk Anger

Your combative spirit turns to murderous rage. You rampage, attacking and killing anything you see. Your killing spree starts with your enemies, but if the innocent and uninvolved bystanders are still around, you will turn your rage against them. You can spare from your rampage anyone with whom you have a positive Tie, but if they try to stop you, this protection vanishes.

Duration: Encounter. Berserk Anger can end prematurely if you run out of valid victims to kill, or if you reduce someone with whom you have a Positive Tie to 0 hit points.

Chains of Honor

Your reflection on your past misdeeds turns to absolute corrective behavior. You take on an unbreakable code of honor. You will not lie, not even by omission or half-truth, nor will you break any promise or sworn oath you have made. If you have deceived anyone in the past, you will find them, tell them the truth, and do whatever you can to atone. You will also seek out those to whom you have broken oaths and take on whatever labors are needed to correct this failure.

Duration: Session. Chains of Honor can end prematurely if someone whose oath you have broken or whom you've harmed through deception forgives you.

Melodrama and You

Limit Break is a system that brings people to act in melodramatic and unreasonable ways, even ways that may agonize the party. Limit Break demands that the player express the extremes of human emotion, and will have to do so in front of people they presumably care about. This is, on some level, going to be awkward if the members of the table are not comfortable with it. The players at a table that incorporates the rules of Limit Break must become comfortable seeing each other expressing deep emotional states that they may not see otherwise unless they are close friends, or they should choose to play without the system.

Compassionate Martyrdom

Your compassion turns to total martyrdom. You cannot see the suffering of others without intervening. Whenever you see someone suffering who is innocent, you must intervene to help them in as dramatic a way as possible. If you see a person being harmed, you must intercede to take those blows for them or kill that person's aggressor. If someone suffers from poverty, sickness, or bigotry, you must find a dramatic method of solving this problem, working without cease to do so.

Duration: Session. Compassionate Martyrdom can end prematurely if you see that the actions you have taken cause the people whom you are trying to protect to fear or reject you, or if you lose a combat encounter that you started because of your Limit Break.

Contempt of the Virtuous

Your moral code turns to unfaltering self-righteousness. You will strive to correct the failings of everyone around you. If you see another person engaging in any form of immodest behavior, indulgence, or dishonesty, you will strive to correct it and lecture them on their moral failings. If your instruction is mocked or rejected, you may even turn to force.

Duration: Session. Contempt of the Virtuous can end prematurely if you are forced to question the righteousness of your own actions, either because you are confronted with the unintended consequences of what you do, or because another character persuades you.

Crushing Doubt

Your consideration of your allies' opinions turns to debilitating self-doubt. You will need the assistance of your allies for every task, no matter how simple it is, and pass on any duties and responsibilities to those whom you believe are more capable than you. If you're separated from your allies, you must try to return to them or find other companions, and will flee from any potential danger or obligation you encounter along the way.

Duration: Session. Crushing Doubt can end prematurely if you are forced to face a significant danger and succeed, or if you perform the lion's share of the work in saving an ally from significant danger.

Deliberate Cruelty

Your calculating exactness turns to cold cruelty. You no longer recognize others as worthy of respect or life. If you can benefit from it, you'll harm others without a second thought. You will refuse any gentler form of interaction with others to get what you want, resorting immediately to torture, terrorism, and mutilation.

Duration: Session. Deliberate Cruelty can end prematurely if your affections cause harm to someone you have a Major or Defining positive Tie towards.

Heart of Flint

Your steady emotions turn to an icy heart. You harden yourself against emotion, becoming distant and apathetic to all others and having no empathy or feeling to yourself or to others. You are treated as if you have absolutely no care for anybody or anything, making decisions purely based on what you believe is most efficient, and given that you treat the world so derisively, your choices will surely not be. Your flint heart gives you a -4 penalty on all Charisma-based rolls.

Duration: Session. Heart of Flint can end prematurely if your apathy allows someone you have a positive Major or Defining Tie towards to come into severe danger.

Laughing Devil Spirit

Everybody must be humbled, and you must be the one to humble all others. You interfere in the lives of anyone whom you view as prideful and do everything you can to sow discord, create problems, and incite chaos. If you have multiple victims from which you can choose, you will choose to ones with the most power and privilege, granting them the greatest safety and stability. It's always more cathartic to humble wealthy merchants, mighty warriors, and powerful sorcerers are much more satisfying than impoverished peasants.

Duration: Session. Laughing Devil Spirit can end prematurely if you inadvertently creature a significant obstacle to yours or your party's goals.

Rampaging Avarice

Your ambition to get what you want turns to rampant greed. You no longer will allow anything to get between you and want you want. If you have an opportunity to indulge in a favorite pleasure or vice, you'll take it by force, even if it would be trivial to obtain it without force. While you can restrain yourself from murder and sexual assault, you will not hesitate to destroy property or harm others to get what you want.

Duration: Session. Rampaging Avarice can end prematurely if you harm an innocent to get what you want - but only once you've finished enjoying yourself, first.

The Sinner-Devouring Maw sees a world of iniquity and can't help but grin as they imagine the destruction of evil.

Sinner-Devouring Maw

Your adherence to morals turns you into their monstrous arbiter. If you witness someone engaging in any activity you deem immoral based on your Principles or on the customs of a culture with which you have a positive Tie, you must punish them. The punishment's severity must be commensurate with the crime, and must happen as soon as possible, before the Limit Break ends.

Duration: Session. Sinner-Devouring Maw can end early if someone you seek to punish convinces you that your own actions have violated your own morals.

Terror-Spreading Cruelty

You seek to make yourself famous, but it's much easier to be known as a monster than a hero. You pursue all of your goals in the manner that is most likely to terrorize as many people as possible, to the point that it's hard for anyone to call you a hero even as you save their lives. If you fight off a gang of child traffickers to protect an orphanage, you will mutilate the gang's corpses and round up any retreating foe to crucify with spilled intestines as a warning to anyone else. If you want to court someone's favor, you'll brutalize anyone else who is seeking their favor and render yourself the only viable option.

Duration: Session. Terror-Spreading Cruelty can end early if an enemy who seeks to defeat you because of the terror you've spread confronts you.

Vainglorious Siren Promenade

Your need to be seen turns to a desperation for living divinity. You crave the adulation and worship that you are owed by right. Everyone who sees you must adore, love, or obsess over you. Any who don't must be won over by whatever means you can employ - whether it's artistry, lavish gifts, seduction, demagoguery, destroying false idols, working miracles, or healing the sick.

Duration: Session. Vainglorious Siren Promenade can end early if your attempts to win over an adversary gives that enemy an advantage over you or your allies.

Recovering Limit

When you successfully complete a great objective that is personally important to them, such as finding a long-lost friend or defeating a great enemy or winning the love of someone important to them, they may lose a point of Limit at the DM's discretion.

There should never be a way to recover more than one point of Limit at once, and any way of recovering Limit should come at great personal time and cost, such as undergoing a month of therapy; Limit is meant to be staved off and fought against, but never overcome, as it is endemic to the condition of a life of stress and struggle. There's a reason why adventurers either retire and live quiet lives away from their former glamor, or die violent deaths.

Storytelling Limit Breaks

The purpose of Limit Breaks is to add drama and conflict to the life of player characters that replicates how epic poetry and sword & sorcery depict their characters. Limit Break in this system describes how Hercules could kill his family in a rage or how Achilles could sulk in his tent even as his allies begged him to assist them on the field of battle. When the DM chooses a Flawed Virtue for a character in Limit break to express, it must not be done to serve as a punishment for taking actions that raise their Limit, nor to make players hate the characters they've made. It should always serve as a moment that makes a story of flawed heroes. Err on the side of making a more enjoyable story at all times.

When someone reaches 10 Limit, you should either choose a Limit Break that will immediately produce dramatic results, or delay Limit Break until it will. A hero entering Crushing Doubt as they are about to have the final confrontation in the archlich Vecna's phylactery-world will have a much more thoughtful moment than one who undergoes it when they make an uneventful trek through the Astral Sea to Vecna's location. As well, certain characters are much more likely to experience certain forms of Flawed Virtue than others; if a fast-talking rogue experiences Chains of Honor or a self-denying monk experiences Rampaging Avarice, there is a moment to be had as to why someone would act so contrary to their normal personality, but it might also negate why the player chose their character archetype in the first place. When choosing a Flawed Virtue to express, you should not make a player feel as though the character in front of them is alien; if you're uncertain, ask the player what Flawed Virtue their character would undergo.

Divinity and Limit Breaks

If humanoids, of such small power and potency, can be so ambitious and fall so hard, gods and other beings of great divinity have so much higher to fall. Beings of challenge level 20 and higher, whenever they satisfy the conditions for receiving limit, must roll twice as many dice as beings below challenge rating 20. In addition, these beings have three Limit Triggers compared to other beings.

Gods, demon lords, dukes of Hell, and Great Old Ones do not know that Limit exists as a concept, much less so the small mortals, but they do know that there are certain actions they take that cause them to go mad, as if there are laws built into the universe that rise above their divinity, and keep them in their proper place in the multiverse. These beings, known collectively as Titans, have additional situations in which they may gain Limit:

If a Titan should manifest itself via an avatar on a plane outside of its home plane, it must roll 5d20. If the creature rolls a 5 or higher on a die, it gains a point of Limit per die.
If a Titan should manifest itself bodily on a plane outside of its home plane with no avatar intermediary, it gains 7 points of Limit automatically. This replenishes for every full 24 hours it remains outside of its home plane.
If a Titan should act in a way that entirely contradicts its domain (such as Demogorgon allowing a child to survive its presence or Bahamut collaborating with Tiamat), it must roll 10d20. If the Titan rolls a 5 or higher on a die, it gains a point of Limit per die.

The Limit Breaks of Titans are much, much more catastrophic than those of mortals, given that they have so much power by which they can cause chaos. Because of this, Titans will often act through intermediaries, as the insanity with which they act when they confront problems directly renders them a massive target for every other Titan to criticize or put down like a wild animal. A Titan that would act out is one that is confident enough in its position that it could overcome its Limit and accomplish its objective, even at the cost of its oncoming insanity.

WWW.GMBINDER.COM

This document was lovingly created using GM Binder.

If you would like to support the GM Binder developers, consider joining our Patreon community.

Intimacies - A Replacement for Alignment and the Charisma Check

Intimacies and Social Actions

Credits

Introduction

A Warning in Using This System

TL;DR

Part 1: Intimacies

Intimacy Intensity

Gaining Intimacies

Losing Intimacies

Social Actions

Intimacies

Instinct is not Intimacy

Intimacy Intensities

Social Actions

Instill

Persuade

Bargain

Threaten

Inspire

Read Intentions

Resisting Influence

Change A Feeling

Intimacies and Roleplay

Change An Action with a Decision Point

Lengthy Debate

Decision Points in Action

Unacceptable Influence

Safety Net

Social Complications

Influencing A Group

Written Social Actions

The Red Rule

Gestures and Body Language

Overturning Prior Influence

Retrying Social Actions

Instill

Persuade

Bargain

Threaten

Inspire

Read Intentions

Social Actions in Combat

PART 2

Character Creation

Classes and Built-In Intimacies

Barbarian

Path of the Ancestral Guardian*

Path of the Battlerager^

Path of the Beast**

Path of the Berserker

Path of the Totem Warrior

Path of Wild Magic**

Path of the Zealot*

Bard

College of Creation**

College of Eloquence**

College of Glamour*

College of Lore

College of Valor

College of Whispers*

Cleric

Arcana Domain^

Forge Domain*

Grave Domain*

Knowledge Domain

Life Domain

Light Domain

Nature Domain

Order Domain**

Peace Domain**

Tempest Domain

Trickery Domain

Twilight Domain**

War Domain

Druid

Circle of Dreams*

Circle of the Land

Circle of the Moon

Circle of the Shepherd*