Religion - Ethos
Pre-release Data Dump - Quicksilver

A random Greek letter symbolizes the Tradition to which an ethos belongs. This Tradition represents the details of that ethos: its organization, customs, etc. The principal game use of Traditions is to distinguish an ethos from otherwise similar ones. Often, after a schism, the only difference between the old ethos and the new ('splinter') one will lie in their respective Traditions.

For example, perhaps any Λ ethos emphasizes inner belief over outer actions and allows all believers to have a voice in doctrinal debates, while a Ψ ethos will favor elaborate ceremonies or other outward displays of one's devotion to its ideal(s) and refer ideological disputes to an official council recognized as authoritative on such matters.

If you want to relate one of these generic science-fiction ideologies back an Earth equivalent, you might think of the dominant ethos of the Roman Empire as "Polytheistic Territorial Militarism."

The status of an ethos
is directly related to the number of followers it has (in Population Points within a civilization; one civilization's Official Dogma could be a mere Fringe group to neighbor - it's all relative) and its acceptance by governments.

Ethos Status Min. Pop. Level Proselytize Strength Conviction Strength

None n/a d10 2d6 + Alienation

Fringe Group <1% 8 13

Scene 1 - 2% 7 13

Subculture 3 - 5% 6 12

Movement 6 - 14% 5 12

Mainstream Ethos 15+% 4 11

Official Dogma >30% 3 11

The various status levels can be described as follows:

None: A population group with a "None" Ethos effectively lacks any shared world view or ideals. Although there may be many such groups, each is independent, and has no institutional ties or affinities with the rest.

Designer's Note: Populations with a "None" ethos can still proselytize. For example, they might extol the virtues of living as one pleases, unfettered by social constraints. A region that lacks an ethos not because its population consists of nihilists or amoral hedonists, but because its inhabitants devoutly adhere to a whole slew of different and incompatible beliefs, may proselytize by engaging in piecemeal attempts to push a wide range of viewpoints all at once. If enough inhabitants of the target region start to go their own idiosyncratic ways ideologically, then the old order in that region could break down, "converting" it to a "None" ethos.

Since the "None" ethos can represent social conditions that vary significantly, each such population will have its proselytize strength determined randomly. When a lack of shared purposes and goals results in efforts to proselytize that are not well organized or coordinated, proselytize strength will be low. When inhabitants are bullish on the diversity of viewpoints and lifestyles in their region, then proselytize strength will be high.

Similarly, resistance to conversion (i.e. the "Conviction" rating) will vary among population groups with a "None" ethos. Some will be enamored of their freedom from social constraints and be loath to give it up, but others may dislike their chaotic living conditions and willingly submit themselves to a social vision that promises to bring greater order and stability.

Alienation effectively increases the Conviction of population groups with a "None" ethos, since it reflects a lack of social cohesion. A group whose members are profoundly alienated from one another is not likely to unite around a given religion or philosophy, or, for that matter, to come together as a community for any reason.

Fringe group: A fringe group is sustained entirely by the efforts of a few dedicated individuals and their followers, most of whom are in active communication with one another.

Scene: A scene has a minimal institutional presence--nothing more than a few temporary churches or hangouts. Only those enthusiastic enough about an ethos to seek out other like-minded individuals will participate in a scene, and most of a scene's prominent figures know one another.

Subculture: A subculture has a modest institutional presence, including some permanent meeting places, offices, etc. At this level, an ethos begins to reach beyond the hard core of devoted believers and attract more casual members, who admire and support its ideals but aren't always committed to them in practice.

Movement: Almost everyone recognizes a movement as an ideological force to be reckoned with, although it may still be considered disreputable or flaky in some circles. Movements can call upon substantial institutional resources to sustain themselves and extend their reach.

Mainstream ethos: Even most opponents of a mainstream ethos will respect its worldview and ideals, seeing them as matters about which intelligent individuals may reasonably arrive at different views. A mainstream ethos enjoys firmly entrenched institutional support, but this comes at some cost to its vitality: its most zealous followers, who value ideological purity over widespread social acceptance, may become fed up with the need to make compromises. Even if they do not form sects and splinter groups, they are likely to abandon established organizations they see as having "sold out."

Official Dogma: In declaring an Official Dogma, the government throws its weight behind one particular ethos. This ethos will then be taught in government-run educational institutions, touted in public service announcements, used as a source of standards to vet applicants for government jobs, etc.

A civilization can only have one Official Dogma. It can only be declared if at least 30% of that civilization's population is of that Ethos and remains so even if that percentage drops below 30%.

An Official Dogma has several game effects:

It establishes that ethos as an official "identity" when dealing with other civilizations (for better or worse).
It is better at keeping a lid on unrest in those areas of that civilization where it dominates. (This simulates spiritual leaders using the bully pulpit to support the government.)
Each population group in the civilization that subscribes to the Official Dogma gets one extra proselytize attempt per turn.
The State picks up some of the burden of "converting" others when the state is less-than-tolerant; think "army."

Proselytize vs. Conviction Combat
Each turn, every whole population point is checked to see if it tries to Proselytize (i.e., "attack") another population segment's Religion in an effort to convert it to the attacker's Religion.

Frequency of Proselytizing

A d10 (that's a 10-sided die, folks) is rolled and if the result is less than or equal to that population segment's Religion's Status' current Proselytize Value, it will "attack" the Religion in another population segment.

Type of Proselytizing

Once it is determined that it will attack another population segment, that proselytizing Population Point rolls a d5. If that d5 roll was a '1,' it conducts "Missionary Proselytizing." If that d5 roll was a ë2,' it conducts "Outreach Proselytizing." If that d5 was a 3-5, it conducts "Local Proselytizing."

Missionary Proselytizing reverses the Conviction Strength modifiers (pluses become minuses and vice versa) and searches for different population segments outside of its Solar System first."

Outreach Proselytizing ignores the Conviction Strength modifiers and searches for different population segments outside of its Planet first.

Local Proselytizing uses the Conviction Strength modifiers and searches for population segments that are closest first.

Conviction Strength Modifiers

+2 to Proselytize Strength when attacking the same Theocratic Series (except Unique)

+1 to Proselytize Strength each when attacking the same Theocratic Dogma or Credo

-1 to Proselytize Strength when attacking a different Species

-2 to Proselytize Strength when attacking an Ethos with a mutually exclusive Ideal

No modifiers when "No Religion" is involved.

Targeting the exact population segment to be proselytized always selects from only those targets that offer the highest net Proselytize "Attack Value." Where the proselytizers look to find a target population segment is shown on the table, below. (One is chosen at random from all those available in the highest priority target site.)

Target Location Local Outreach Missionary

Adjacent population segment 1 6 6

Same planet* 2 5 5

Same orbit (planet + moons) 3 3 4

Same solar system 4 1 3

Adjacent solar system with trade 5 2 2

Adjacent solar system without trade 6 4 1

# = Target Location Priority (1 = highest)
* Same planet applies only Proselytizing a non-adjacent population segment on that same planet.

The Proselytization "Attack"

Proselytizing uses the following combat formula:

Proselytize Strength + d10 vs. Target's Conviction Strength

If the sum of the Proselytize Value and the result of the d10 roll is less than the Conviction Strength of the target population segment, there is no effect. If it equals the Conviction Strength of the target population segment, that population segment has its Conviction Strength reduced by 1 point (making it more vulnerable to future proselytizing).

If it exceeds the Conviction Strength of the defending population segment, that population segment has its Conviction Strength reduced by 1 and another Proselytizing Attack is immediately conducted. For all of these subsequent Proselytizing Attacks, another d10 is rolled and compared to the difference between the sum of the Proselytize Value and the result of the previous d10 roll and the defending population segment's Conviction strength.

If the result of this addition d10 roll is greater than that difference, there is no effect. If it equals that difference, the defending population segment has been "critically hit" and has both its Proselytize and Conviction Strengths reduced by 1 point. If it less than the difference, the defending population segment is "critically hit" and another Proselytizing Attack is immediately conducted against the difference between the die roll and the previous difference. This is repeated as often as those d10 die rolls keep coming in under the current difference.

For example, an unmodified Fringe Group is proselytizing a population segment with an unmodified Official Dogma. The "attacker's" Proselytize Value is 7 + d10 versus the "defender's" Conviction Strength of 11.

If the attacker's die roll was a '9,' that would be 7+9=16 versus 11.

Because the attacker's value exceeds the defender's value, the defender is subverted or "hit" (-1 Conviction) and the attacker gets to try to score some ideological "critical hits" by rolling another d10, this time against the difference between 16 and 11 (in other words, 5).

Now the attacker wants to roll low and score a 5 or less. He rolls a '3,' which inflicts a critical hit (-1 Proselytize Strength and another -1 to the defender's Conviction Strength). Because there is a difference between 5 and 3 (which is 2, for the math-impaired), the attacker gets to roll again to try to roll at or under a 2 on the roll of another d10.

He doesn't, rolling a '10,' but now the Official Dogma in the defender's region has been reduced to a 2 Proselytize and 9 Conviction Strength. Yeech.

Conversion through Proselytization

After the proselytizing attack of a defending population segment is finished, its Conviction Strength was reduced (i.e., if it took any "hits"), a d6 is rolled to see if that population segment converts to the proselytizing ethos. If the d6 roll is less than or equal to the defending population segment's remaining Conviction Strength, there is no effect. If it is greater than the defending population segment's remaining Conviction Strength, the defending population segment then becomes a new member of the proselytizing ethos that just hit it and receives the Base Proselytize and Conviction Strength based on the "conquering" ethos' stature (counting its newly won converts). The proselytizing population segment is then rewarded for making a convert by rolling one separate d6 on each column on the table below. The results are cumulative.

Die Roll Proselytize Strength Conviction Strength

1 No Effect No Effect

2 No Effect +1

3 No Effect +1

4 +1 +2

5 +1 +2

6 +2 +3

Designer's Note: What happens with all this ideological "combat" is that losers tend to get beaten up and winners tend to get "on a roll" until they clash with other "winners." Where they collide, they'll tend to beat each other into sort of a status quo situation and things should degrade down to the ideological equivalent of "trench warfare."

When the ideological "front lines" thus settle, the injection of a new fringe group with its high "attack" and "defense" values might, although small to begin with, get "on a roll" and seriously challenge an "old established order." Eventually, that cult might even replace the "old order" in size and stature (until the next fringe group springs up, and so on).

At least, that's the theory. If anyone is interested in helping me by making a model to plug these numbers into so that they can be fine tuned to assure that they work as I've explained, I'd be happy to hear from you!

State Policy: A Reminder
Every civilization has a policy concerning philosophy and religion from among the following list:

Ban and persecute all religions and philosophical schools: Reduces loyalty of the Intelligentsia. Slows spread of philosophy and religion.

Recognize an Official Dogma and persecute others: Increases loyalty of the Intelligentsia. Slows spread of any ethos except for the Official Dogma.

Recognize an Official Dogma and tolerate others: Increases loyalty of the Intelligentsia.

Recognize an Official Dogma and welcome others: Increases loyalty of the Intelligentsia. Hastens spread of any ethos.

Philosophical and Religious tolerance: No direct effect upon the Empire.

Philosophical and Religious acceptance and freedom: Hastens spread of any ethos.

Philosophy and Religion in the Cosmic Scheme of Things

Like governments and races, the dominant ethos in two civilizations and their policies towards philosophy and religion are also checked for compatibility when considering the Natural Relations State between two civilizations and modifiers to their diplomacy die rolls.

Leaders, too, may follow a particular Ethos and might react or base decisions on their beliefs. Just as they can persuade other Leaders to their cause, so too might their convictions be spread and change among leaders.

Religion
Ethos and Ideals
Status of an Ethos

General Game Data

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