What is Willpower?

[Committed Hero]

In Delta Green Willpower is sort of a hit point value for consciousness. As a skill I would use it to resist torture or similar effects.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

In Fate DFRPG, they have a skill called Discipline which does all the typical Willpower stuff (resisting Intimidation, mental influence etc...)but it also lets you create Maneuvers on yourself (like self-discipline stuff) and allows you to control your spells. (I always found it weird that 5e used Constitution to roll concentration checks).

In any case, I feel the word Discipline has a broader use and is a good synonym for Willpower.

 

[Ben from Periapt Games]

Pain tolerance would be a big combat application.

 

[Hand of Evil]

It comes into effect if you play with disadvantages, such as acholic, keeping your mouth shut, don't scratch that, sit still and so on.

 

[Blue]

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!

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Batman has gobs of willpower. Harry Dresden drips the stuff out of every pore.

Willpower will take you through when everything else lets you down, even your body to an extent. When others have fought the good fight and lost, you refuse to accept it. When things are hopeless, you keep moving forward anyhow. You're just too stubborn to stay down.

When temptation waves a finger under your nose, those with strong Willpower are not pulled off track. The lesser of two evil just inspires you to come up with a third solution. You can take the easy way, but do not stop when the hard way is the way you should take.

 

[Bacon Bits]

It's like horsepower, except replace the animal with probate.

 

[J.Quondam]

 

[GMMichael]

Whoa, this gets dark:

Pain tolerance would be a big combat application.

Willpower: resist succumbing to pain. You're holding your own guts in? Willpower!

It comes into effect if you play with disadvantages, such as acholic, keeping your mouth shut, don't scratch that, sit still and so on.

Good, but tricky. My players get rewards for having disadvantages. Resisting with willpower = no rewards