Ethos — Advanced Old School Revival

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On Good & Evil

How do you define good and evil? When you create your hero, you adopt an ethos, which is a moral point of view that aligns what you believe is your duty to others (Altruism, Egoism, or Skepticism) with your perspective on justice (Faith, Brave, or Balance).

Duty

Altruism

Your character thinks it is good to have a genuine concern for the welfare of others. This belief necessarily entails that you believe it is “evil” to be selfish at the expense of other people’s welfare.

Egoism

Your character doesn’t believe that you have any moral obligation to others. In fact, to forcibly restrict your freedom in such a way would be “evil”, and it is “good” to do whatever is in your self-interest.

Skepticism

You think there is no "grounding" to the concept of good and evil in moral philosophy. Perhaps you believe good and evil are matters of cultural perspective, or they arise from society's laws. Either way, you don't feel beholden to others or that it is "good" to maximize your self-interest.

Justice

Faith

Your character acts on principle. You determine the rightness or wrongness of an act not by assessing its consequences, but by asking whether it violates some universal moral imperative (like the “golden rule”). Such imperatives are certain, inviolable rules about moral behavior you have a duty to follow, not for fear of the consequences, but because they represent an end unto themselves. For your character, certain actions are always wrong, no matter the consequences, and you believe you have a duty to act as best as you can in accordance with these laws.

Brave

Your character always considers the consequences as the basis for moral action, not some abstract universal rules built into the universe. You take whatever actions are necessary to maximize “the good” (whether that means Altruism or Egotism), even if you have to break some rules that might be considered moral imperatives, such as lying or stealing.

Balance

Your character might take a middle ground between Faithfulness and Bravery, with respect to justifying her moral decisions. While she may consider consequences and/or situational context in making judgments, she may also believe in a set of inalienable principles. This causes the Balanced character to weigh the importance of her principles against the consequences of her actions, depending on the situation.

Ethos Table

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