Example Destinies
Texto
single campaign will likely drive many of a character’s actions in the moment, whereas a destiny that cannot be achieved in a single story likely will behave more as a guiding philosophy or framework for behavior.
As with all matters, the GM is the final arbiter of what is an appropriate destiny for their specific campaign.
The following are some examples of possible destinies a character could have. However, this list should not be considered exhaustive, and the GM should work with any player whose character has a destiny instead of a giri to find a destiny that both fits the character and the narrative needs of the campaign:
Permanently defeating a great evil such as a particular oni, vengeful spirit, or powerful yōkai
Becoming mortal (or human)
Teaching a specific person of a vital lesson that is of great importance to the cosmos
Curing a terrible disease
Returning to one’s home (or rightful) realm
Breaking a powerful curse
Mending a major elemental imbalance
Destiny and Ninjō
Destiny and desire should be made to clash within the story, and both the player and GM should act as drivers of this conflict. This can occur because of their different needs (a destiny may imperil a character, while their desire is to keep a loved one safe), or because of the different timescales on which they operate (a destiny may require a character to make sacrifices in this life to achieve something in the next, but those sacrifices may preclude pursuing their desire, which is only accessible during this lifetime).
Ninjō and destiny can be used to generate complications in the same manner as giri and ninjō (see page 39 of the core rulebook).
Reinterpreting Destiny
As they learn and change as a person, a PC might come to reinterpret their destiny. If a player believes their character would reinterpret their destiny, they should work with the GM to alter how the character understands their destiny. This, in turn, may change its meaning in some ways. However, the new destiny should still be related to the old one in some way. If, for instance, a character thought their destiny was to destroy a great evil, they might learn that it was in fact to help someone else do so. Or if they believed their destiny was to destroy an institution, they might realize that it was actually to save it from destruction.
Reinterpreting destiny should usually require significant growth and development on the part of the character involved, rather than mere discomfort with their destiny on the part of the character.
Resolving Destiny
After a character resolves their destiny by completing the action they were destined to undertake, that character is retired from play. A character who has completed their destiny might die dramatically in the act, depart to some other realm of existence, or become an NPC who can help the party in the future. However, their core character conflict (between their ninjō and their destiny) has been resolved.
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Writ of the Wilds · Chapter 3: Finding Balance in Disorder › Stories Of The Strange › Destiny · p. 138
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single campaign will likely drive many of a character’s actions in the moment, whereas a destiny that cannot be achieved in a single story likely will behave more as a guiding philosophy or framework for behavior.
As with all matters, the GM is the final arbiter of what is an appropriate destiny for their specific campaign.
The following are some examples of possible destinies a character could have. However, this list should not be considered exhaustive, and the GM should work with any player whose character has a destiny instead of a giri to find a destiny that both fits the character and the narrative needs of the campaign:
Permanently defeating a great evil such as a particular oni, vengeful spirit, or powerful yōkai
Becoming mortal (or human)
Teaching a specific person of a vital lesson that is of great importance to the cosmos
Curing a terrible disease
Returning to one’s home (or rightful) realm
Breaking a powerful curse
Mending a major elemental imbalance
Destiny and Ninjō
Destiny and desire should be made to clash within the story, and both the player and GM should act as drivers of this conflict. This can occur because of their different needs (a destiny may imperil a character, while their desire is to keep a loved one safe), or because of the different timescales on which they operate (a destiny may require a character to make sacrifices in this life to achieve something in the next, but those sacrifices may preclude pursuing their desire, which is only accessible during this lifetime).
Ninjō and destiny can be used to generate complications in the same manner as giri and ninjō (see page 39 of the core rulebook).
Reinterpreting Destiny
As they learn and change as a person, a PC might come to reinterpret their destiny. If a player believes their character would reinterpret their destiny, they should work with the GM to alter how the character understands their destiny. This, in turn, may change its meaning in some ways. However, the new destiny should still be related to the old one in some way. If, for instance, a character thought their destiny was to destroy a great evil, they might learn that it was in fact to help someone else do so. Or if they believed their destiny was to destroy an institution, they might realize that it was actually to save it from destruction.
Reinterpreting destiny should usually require significant growth and development on the part of the character involved, rather than mere discomfort with their destiny on the part of the character.
Resolving Destiny
After a character resolves their destiny by completing the action they were destined to undertake, that character is retired from play. A character who has completed their destiny might die dramatically in the act, depart to some other realm of existence, or become an NPC who can help the party in the future. However, their core character conflict (between their ninjō and their destiny) has been resolved.