Cultural Attitudes

+2+10-1-2Roll
1Aggression Bloodthirsty:
Try violence first.		 Violent:
Violence is useful.		 Aggressive:
Don't be afraid of violence.		 Peaceful:
Make peace a priority.		 Pacific:
Never use violence.		 0.6
2Agreement Legalist:
Only death may break agreement.		 Honorable:
Your word is your bond.		 Trustworthy:
Be worthy of trust.		 Disreputable:
Agreement is subject to circumstance.		 Schismatic:
Agreement is pointless.		 1.2
3Benevolence Softhearted:
The strong should serve the weak.		 Protective:
Protect the weak.		 Supportive:
Help those in need grow.		 Competitive:
Competition leads to strength.		 Uncaring:
Those with problems deserve them.		 0
4Charity Forgoing:
Favor others' wants over your needs.		 Charitable:
Give what you can.		 Obliging:
Trade your suplus.		 Selfish:
Take what you can get.		 Miserly:
Hold what you have and acquire more.		 -0.2
5Correction Merciless:
Never forgive.		 Vengeful:
Balance injury.		 Correcting:
Correct injury.		 Discerning:
Learn from injury.		 Forgiving:
Forgive injury.		 -0.8
6Devotion Zealous:
Religion is always first.		 Devout:
Religion is fundamental.		 Pious:
Principles are necessary.		 Irreverent:
Don't let principles interfere.		 Unbelieving:
Principles are unnecessary.		 -0.4
7Innovation Iconoclastic:
Distrust the old.		 Progressive:
Embrace the New.		 Innovative:
Seek Improvement.		 Conservative:
Stand by the Traditional.		 Reactionary:
Never change.		 0.6
8Pragmatism Materialist:
If it's not physical, it's not real.		 Empirical:
Trust the facts.		 Pragmatic:
Use whatever works.		 Mystical:
Trust your intuition.		 Quixotic:
Practical matters are unimportant.		 1
9Providence Dedicated:
Meaning is found only in future acts.		 Prudent:
Plan for the long term; pay what you owe.		 Cautious:
Live for today, plan for tomorrow; balance your debts.		 Reckless:
Tomorrow can look out for itself; debts are unimportant.		 Feckless:
Only this moment is important.		 1
10Solidarity Hive-Minded:
The group is always first.		 Collectivistic:
Offer kindness and support.		 Cooperative:
Do what you can for others.		 Egoistic:
Look out for yourself first.		 Solipsist:
Only I matter.		 0.2
11Toleration Xenophilic:
Seek strangeness.		 Cordial:
There are many right ways.		 Tolerant:
Respect other's views.		 Intolerant:
Don't compromise your beliefs.		 Xenophobic:
My way is the only way..		 0.4
12Tractability Submissive:
Never, in any manner, disobey authority.		 Obedient:
Obey those in authority.		 Tractable:
Obey authority but be true to yourself.		 Rebellious:
Your decisions are as good as anyone's.		 Anarchistic:
Disobedience can only improve things.		 -0.2
4d6:24-2221-1716-1211-76-4

Notes

Cultural attitudes are an interconnecting web. Start at one point and a particular aspect looks fundamental. Start at another point and that aspect arises from the intersection of a different set of fundamentals. If you feel an aspect belongs on this list, first consider whether it may derive from the intersection of the aspects that are already there.

It can help to consider each item on the table as covering a range of values. +2 is +2.0 to +1.5, +1 is +1.5 to +0.5, 0 is +0.5 to -0.5, -1 is -0.5 to -1.5, and -2 is -1.5 to -2.0.

The +2 and -2 values on the table are extremes. They are likely to be unstable over time, and if stable have complicated cultural aspects.

If you are having problems assigning ratings to a nonhuman culture, it may help to consider what the human perspective on that culture would be.

Generating Attitudes

Creating societies and cultures is an art and not a science.

To generate a radom result from this table roll four standard (six-sided) dice and add them together. Then subtract 14 from that total and divide by five (4d6-14 / 5). If you cannot see how two elements can work together, feel free to reroll, but custom can reconcile even the most contradictory attitudes.

Sample Societies

Exquaestio
Peaceful (Aggression -1), Trustworthy (Agreement 0), Supportive (Benevolence 0), Charitable (Charity 1), Discerning (Correction -1), Devout (Religion 1), Innovative (Innovation 0), Pragmatic (Pragmatism 0), Prudent (Providence 1), Cooperative (Solidarity 0), Tolerant (Toleration 0), Tractable (Tractability 0).

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