Powers Check Question

[A G Thing]

I have a character in a game I am running who is being unfaithful to their wife and having multiple relations with other women.

The character would possibly do this so it was not impossible though it seemed they were trying to change after marriage but with this backslide I am stuck how to rate this for rolling checks.

Minor Betrayal seems fitting by description but it is also them breaking a tenet, oath or vow and yet they only agreed to the marriage under the Ezran faith but not as a true follower themselves.

Their wife is a good NPC and technically family as well and is also at the moment with child.

Any advice on how to handle this.

[alhoon]

Depends on the campaign, I would say. The character is breaking a vow. That many do that, doesn't matter in the eyes of the Dark Powers unless the DM thinks it should. Unless you treat marriage vows of the Ezran faith differently than I would think, the wife is not "technically" family, it is family. A man that murders his wife is killing family members.

Now, the sticking issue is how you treat Ravenloft and Power Checks in general. In gothic horror (at least as I understand it) the rules are the rules, whether you follow the faith or not. If the man gave the oaths without believing in them, that's actually against him too. However, many don't see it that way and that is OK.
In case you don't see it that way, I would go with minor betrayal of a family member. In case you do see it as "the vow rule applies to you whether you believe the faith or not" then it would be breaking a vow (not a tenet most probably but heavier).
A hit by the Dark Powers could remind him there are consequences to actions.

In Ravenloft literature, Donskoy in "To sleep with Evil" did cheat on his wife and that didn't end well for him, or for the wife.

All in all, it is an interesting situation and it would be "thematic" for a character to fall because he is unfaithful.

2nd step if you go by the 3rd edition terror track could be impotency with his wife or him becoming infertile.

[Mephisto of the FoS]

I would personally wouldn't overuse the Powers check system for any transgression, I would use it for those acts that are more impactful. For instance telling a lie in 2e had a power's check of 1% when used on PCs, family members or innocents but people lie all the time, sometimes people lie for good reasons too (white lies) that doesn't mean they should be punished for it nor does it mean that the DM should have dice on the side and roll everytime a PC does something because then the Powers Checks lose their potency as gaming rules and make also make gaming a bit odd (imagine a DM who rolls a dice every now and then while describing you fell a shiver down your spine or the hair on your character's arms stand on end). For instance Domains of Dread has lying in the Powers Checks list only for the case that is used for having a direct effect on the hearer. For me that means that if for instance a PC knows a spring of water is cursed to have the water coming from it to be poisonous and either discloses that information or actively tells someone to drink from it then this act has a direct negative effect and the PC is then required to make a Powers Check. Now a PC or NPC who is lying and gaslighting their spouse makes that person suffer a nervous breakdown and become insane then this is a direct negative affect that requires a Power's Check in my opinion. If lying and cheating just makes someone heartbroken and sad isn't something I would require someone to make a Powers Check.

As for breaking Vows and Tenets I believe it depends on how truthful this character was when he made those. For instance Lord Soth who was a Knight of Solamnia, really believed in his oath when he made it, so when he betrayed his wife and took Isold as a mistress this would be something he would have to roll a Powers Check because he failed to uphold the oath and measure that his whole life was based upon. After that started also his decline and fall from grace which ended with the death of his wife by his seneschal Caradoc as well as all other legendary stuff.

As far as Minor Betrayal is concerned the term applies to a minor act of betrayal that causes the victim to be publicly humiliated or forces a change in their lifestyle. If the said character openly courted and had romantic relationships with other people or if his spouse after learning of her husbands actions decided to go into a convent because she felt utterly humiliated then this 6% Powers Check could apply to that character.

Any advice on how to handle this.

My advice is if it helps your storyline then use it if not ignore it.

[A G Thing]

To Alhoon

While I admit it is not story driving in the sense of high drama of the moment the marriage was an event as was the courtship of the NPC and the PC was trying to live slightly less outlandishly after marriage. This slow boil has had heart and the NPC in question is not likely to suspect that their PC husband would do this with how the courtship took place during the game. She was even an adventurer by his side for a time so this did have some level of shared experience so the shift to this is interesting if not abrupt.

Also I agree that a wife is family in my eyes but some may argue it is blood relation or some deeper bond that matters and yet I argue that has happened between the PC and NPC in this game so no issue there other than it increases the failure chance on the chart. I wrote technically basically to bait the question on what other views of it could be. On her side this marriage was real and the PC made me believe such but now I question that so it was interesting RP in one respect if they could be that convincing and only now backslide.

The main reason I questioned if it was a Vow or Tenet or Oath is that the entry for Vow seems to suggest it is for members of clergy but the term Vow is more often stated for wedding vows. Tenet or Oath on the chart seem to imply followers are considered more often in these terms but a marriage is a very serious ceremony in a church so with Vow being most serious I was considering it still but stuck on if it seemed fair.

The note on Donskoy is also good to think on though and may work as inspiration if this roll leads to a failure. I will consider it the terror track suggestion as well but I think maybe something else may result as infertility for him may not hit hard and other ideas are perhaps more appealing now that this is a thing.

To Mephisto of the FoS

Not planning to overuse the powers check system really and the character has not been a perfect saint so I have ignored or not rolled several checks they could have earned in the course of the game so far. This one does seem to have drama and this is not a white lie nor something I expected the PC to do after taking efforts at reforming themselves in the previous part of the game. They knew this was wrong and they are enjoying this with seemingly no reason other than their character felt some reason or feeling they are acting upon.

Basically the PC has been skirting punishment on uninteresting crimes and bad behaviors that I know didn't need punishment but they now do this and I also have considered they could be trying to play the system to force a powers check. I don't think they are but paranoid brain thoughts still make me look at how interesting this seeming event is versus others I have bypassed and question but I again do not think this is the case.

As for your view on the crime being malicious in cheating the NPC wife believes and trusts the PC enough to accept he is being faithful despite his travels and other issues. He also made the Vow despite his non belief because he wanted the marriage and he is not failing himself but abusing the trust of his wife and the church that sponsored their marriage. Harm is done even if it isn't direct especially once he is finally caught in doing this.

For the terms of Minor Betrayal she is not out of the public eye as the PC is a noble and in public scrutiny. It would lead to scandal and yet likely she would lose out if the marriage dissolves and it would destroy her as this to her was not a simple relationship of convince. She did travel and adventure and grow to like the PC so her heart will break from this.

One note to consider is that even if I decide not to use the Power's Check there are consequences I have planned for the PC's latest escapade in infidelity that has brewed for a long time as well and would happen even if he escapes the Dark Powers judgement. Other NPC's have noticed his behaviors and actions as well and one in particular could use leverage over him as well as push him with such.

I will keep this thread in mind and post what I finally decide and what occurs in the game but thank you so far for the advice both of you.

[The Lesser Evil]

On betrayal vs. unholy act, you might consider whatever aspect of violation you feel like the morality in your campaign and the specific act reflects. From your description, it sounds like you're focusing more on how it might affect the wife, so minor betrayal might be more appropriate (as it's affecting a person rather than affecting a relationship with the divine). In powers checks lingo via the 3rd ed rules, against family a minor betrayal would be a 6%, whereas for unholy acts, if you described it as breaking an oath against the Ezran faith, a neutral religion, would be a 2% or if a vow a 5%. (Unless it was of the Mordentish sect and you rule that counted separately as a Good faith, then it would be a 5 or 10% chance respectively.)

By your description, the PC's betrayal seems manifests across multiple incidents of adultery (having more than one affairs), so collectively these seem to warrant a powers check than just a one-off event that could be more easily overlooked by the DPs. If you are worrying whether the direness of the PC's actions warranted a powers check, you might take this into consideration.

Regardless of the outcome of the roll, should the news come out and put her well-being in jeopardy, the PC's further reactions might warrant further attention depending on how he handles the situation. If he abandons her outright or continues despite obvious lasting harm, that might warrant a direr powers check.

On the other hand, an out of game aspect to consider is how clear to the player the matter is regarding the powers check system and prior precedence. Depending on the prior acts that have been ignored, the player may or may not be aware that the current violations are any different from the ones before. In this case, soliciting feedback from the player might be helpful, depending upon the dynamics of your group and your DMing style.

[A G Thing]

To Lesser Evil

True that it does seem more focused for the PC and NPC betrayal and I am of the mind to ignore the religious aspect more in the check as the betrayal is more in line in my regard. Of note it was with Mordentish sect but the PC was from Richemulot and less concerned religiously than the wife was. The ceremony is still important in the meaning of the act but it is not the most important to the PC so I am of a mind to just go with Minor Betrayal. The main thing is that the relationship with the wife seemed to be one of committing to her alone as part of a change when the relationship got serious and past fun times were causing issues earlier in the game for him and his efforts.

The multiple incidents just started eventually after a time of resisting such behaviors or even working to remain faithful. The PC began to drink and party on the road more to relieve stress and celebrate or distract and this began to get excessive. But then they started going back to further excesses that when unmarried were certainly not good but not betrayals in that sense I saw that it was more forced. This escalated and the PC dove into friendships and relations that rewarded and propped them up for bad behaviors again as well.

While I didn't necessarily force the temptation all the time with flirty NPC's or such but nor due to his PC's past behavior shy from it being noticeable to a degree. Eventually though his character just began to seek out female companionship when away from his wife on adventures with women in other lands or even the help in places he stayed. The PC has become more cagey about spending fun times and partying again after denying themselves and slipping into vice so it is not badly played but their is a motive I as the DM am unsure of for this fall and yet also not objecting to if it is the players choice. The player is clearly playing a character and it I may have to ask what the motive is to understand why this is going on but I also think there is more behind the act and don't want to spoil my player trying to surprise me or undercut the performance.

The acts ignored were acts of violence or lies and the like as well as some stealing being a rogue character and doing so against certain targets and the percentages were low. The infidelity is newer and while the PC in the past had more free relations with women before settling down they were not intentionally cruel or such just uncaring. My theory on the PC's reasoning while just a theory is that due to a near death experience and some aging due to undead along with failing at certain actions and things that led to not only failure but death of others directly from their mistakes they are starting to suffer stress and having this back slide. The fact that a certain NPC has begun to tell them that their causing those deaths even by accident was a favor to them and appreciated likely also has pushed this further. I may not understand the PC's full reasoning for their actions but I do know that this NPC is certainly happy to push this button and be a friend.

Also of note is that many of their past friends and social experiences are of having little responsibility and enjoying excess so this would be reasonable. If so I cannot help but be proud of the player as the PC was young and also brash and constantly taking risks but now are seeing things change and facing consequences as likely if they are not responsible. I am sure they understand the possible consequences of this both meta and narrative for it, but I also think they are trying to build an arc that their PC either pull out of with regret or nose dive depending upon how it plays out and I like it.

I still may need to talk to them about it.