Cost: 1- to 3-point Mental Drawback
Choices: Covetous: Greedy, Covetous: Lecherous, Covetous: Ambitious or Covetous: Conspicuous
A Covetous character wants certain things and is prepared to go to great lengths to acquire them. She may be motivated by love of money, lust for sensual satisfaction, hunger for power, or the search for glory. Whatever she desires, be it fame, fortune or influence, she will do almost anything to get it, limited only by any sense of caution or morality she may have — and in some cases, not even by that. A Covetous character usually refrains from breaking her own moral code or the laws of the land in the pursuit of her goals, but if a golden opportunity presents itself, the temptation may be just too great.
There are four types of covetousness, based on what the character wants:
- Greedy (money and wealth)
- Lecherous (sexually attractive people)
- Ambitious (power and influence)
- Conspicuous (fame and renown)
It is possible to covet two or more of those things, but each additional source of desire adds but a single point to the value of this Drawback.
The Covetous Drawback has three levels of severity, worth 1, 2 and 3 points respectively.
Level 1: The first level is relatively mild. The character knows what she wants, and she spends a great deal of time and effort to attain her goals, but she won’t break her own rules or those of society to do so. Her desire otherwise dominates her life, however. Most of her actions should be directed towards achieving her objective, directly or indirectly. An Ambitious businessman, for example, will seek to advance his standing in the order in every way he can, from redoubling his studies to mastering new Arts to brown-nosing among the upper business hierarchy.
Level 2: The second level is stronger — presented with enough temptation, the character may act even if it goes against her better judgement or morality. She may resist if the action she contemplates is truly wrong and reprehensible — stealing credit for a heroic deed performed by a friend, for example — but resisting requires a Simple Willpower Test, at a penalty of -1 to -3 if the temptation and possible rewards are great.
Level 3: The third level is the strongest — a desire so strong that it often overwhelms any scruples the character may have. When presented with temptation, she can only avoid acting by passing a Difficult Willpower Test, with penalties ranging from -1 to -5 depending on the size of the “prize.” For a high enough reward, the character will turn on friends or loved ones, and even betray her cause or principles.