What is Willpower?

[GMMichael]

I have a question for all of the skill-focused RPG players out there: what would you expect from a skill called Willpower?

I thought I'd give it some practical uses: defending against metaphysical attacks, recovering mana. But those are pretty specific, special-use cases. What does Willpower do on a daily basis? Does it have a use in conflict? In combat? Why would a player say, "hmm, 'Willpower.' Now that's a skill my character should have?"

I can see it operating on a scale of sorts. Small: I found a parking spot near the front. Willpower! Medium: that bird on the wall just died, landing on the empty wine bottle and creating a decent distraction for the guards. Willpower! Large: these are not the droids you're looking for. Willpower!

 

[Tonguez]

Morale effects, Save v Fear, Advantage on Psychic attacks (Intimidation?), Save v Exhaustion,

 

[GMMichael]

Morale effects, Save v Fear,

I like these defenses. What about defense for the body, when the body doesn't physically do much? Like save vs. nausea?

Advantage on Psychic attacks (Intimidation?), Save v Exhaustion,

Psychic or psychological? Or both? I can see willpower playing into psionics. "Tower of Iron Will" rings a AD&D 2e bell...

 

[pemerton]

"Tower of Iron Will" rings a AD&D 2e bell...

It was in the original PHB Appendix I. I can't remember if it was also in Eldritch Wizardry.

 

[Umbran]

What does Willpower do on a daily basis?

For a normal, everyday person, willpower is what keeps you on your diet, keeps you from bumming a cigarette when you are trying to quit, gets you going to the gym, and otherwise doing things you don't really want to do, but you recognize that needs to get done.

For an action-story character, is is that writ large - it can keeps you going through pain or fear. When scrawny, pre-transformation Steve Rogers gets knocked down, and he get back up and says, "I can do this all day," that's willpower.

 

[Mannahnin]

Willpower was a core stat in the White Wolf Storyteller games (may still be; I haven't read the recent editions).

In those games your Willpower was the target number people used to influence you with the Dominate discipline and other mind-control type powers, and your pool of dice to resist fear or frenzy (like a vampire PC might experience when exposed to fire, sunlight, or openly spilled blood). If your character had an addiction or similar problem/hindrance, as I recall you'd use Willpower to resist succumbing to temptations and compulsive behaviors.

You could also temporarily spend a point to temporarily resist mental influence, or to get an automatic success on a dice roll. And it was the stat you used (at a very high difficulty) to try to exceed your normal Strength limits for a feat of physical power.

That's been my main experience of Willpower as a stat. I've seen smaller applications of a trait or feat or advantage like "Iron Will" in D&D, GURPS, and other games which make your character, similarly, more resistant to mental influence and mind-affecting spells, psychic attacks, or fear.

 

[Tonguez]

I like these defenses. What about defense for the body, when the body does effectively do much? Like save vs. nausea?

Psychic or psychological? Or both? I can see willpower playing into psionics. "Tower of Iron Will" rings a AD&D 2e bell...

Yeah physical defenses I modelled as Save v Exhaustion (Nausea could be a symptom), and Psychic and Psychological both as ‘Mental’ attacks.

 

[SpringRoll]

I usually design Willpower in my homebrews, but it belong to a low scope, deeply humanized context. I suppose heroic gameplay give for granted your character is bold enough, so no Willpower checks.

Willpower = control against stimulus. Resist pain, be focused on long term tasks, endure fatigue, sleep, illness. You can ignore the penalty of poison or stay focused while ill with a check.
You need Willpower to stay alert for long. You need Willpower to walk for hours. You need Willpower to copy a manuscript. Willpower also measure your composture: check Willpower to resist a provocation. You'll look sexy the Clint Eastwood way by high Willpower.
Willpower is also used to fight your vices: check Willpower to avoid such alluring gambling game, mr. Dostoevskj.
In fantasy literacy, a character example of sheer Willpower was Solomon Kane.

 

[uzirath]

In GURPS, Will helps a character resist mental influence (whether magical or mundane), overcome fright checks, and generally resist baleful mental effects. It is a common way of resisting spells. It would be a key attribute in a fantasy milieu for exorcists, demon hunters, and summoners.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Willpower is your Mental/Emotional version of Constitution.