Reputation rules for different cultural values

[garrowolf]

I am working on some Reputation rules and part of the concept is that it relates to your helpful or harmful actions to determine how locals react to you. Helping people is pretty straight forwards however different cultures and groups would have different concepts of infamy. They would consider different crimes to be more or less frightening and infuriating.
This is what I have so far. Does anyone have any ideas? 1 is the low end and 10 is the high end.



Infamy in Free Society

1. Character is unstable or mean.
2. Minor Crimes – Shoplifting
3. Minor Breaking & Entering, Minor gang member
4. Major Breaking & Entering, character killed another criminal, major gang member
5. Minor Armed Robbery, character killed several criminals
6. Major Armed Robbery, character accidentally killed someone
7. Character kidnapped or killed average citizen
8. Character killed someone respected or liked in a group.
9. Character killed several people respected or liked in a group
10. Character caused a major disaster.

Infamy in Warzone

1. Survival based crimes – stealing food, etc.

Infamy in Oppressed Society


Working with the Oppressor
Reporting on people




Infamy in Poor Society


Stealing from other poor people






Infamy in Tribal Society


Hurting tribe members
Killing tribe members
Stealing from tribe members
Aiding an enemy




Infamy in Low Tech Society






Infamy for Criminals
Working with the police

 

[Dethklok]

If you read up on sociology or anthropology, you'll find that as societies develop more and more technology, they tend to follow a U-shaped path on integration and freedom. Hunter gatherer societies tend to have some sort of headman or chief that they usually listen to, but everyone basically does what they want. Likewise in modern societies, people have parents and teachers that they usually listen to, but under most circumstances everyone does basically what they want.

In these societies, which we're all pretty familiar with since we live in them, infamy generally comes from breaking ideological norms. These norms are usually associated with religion, past military conflicts, and individualist values regarding freedom and equality. Think about today, when the most disreputable people are flag burners, racists, or terrorists; communist sympathy will also earn deep hated in some circles because of the Cold War.

In between the hunter-gatherers and modern age individualists, however, is a long period of agrarian collectivism. For most people throughout history - and almost everyone living in a typical fantasy world - people are poor, and tied to the land. If your father beats you, or the lord mistreats you, you can't "just leave." But likewise if you are a loudmouthed, antagonistic jerk, your family and neighbors can't "just leave" either. When social mobility approaches zero, and everybody realizes that they have to make do with the social structure that they have, they develop cultural norms to keep everybody getting along as best they can.

This has many consequences for the issue you're considering. In collectivist societies, politeness is crucial. Failure to show proper deference to your social superiors by standing aside in the road or bowing when they hold an audience with you is a way to end up rotting in a dungeon - or worse, to get your entire family rotting in a dungeon, since, after all, what you do reflects on them. Loose women and religious skeptics bring shame on your family, and it can hurt your status even to be friends with one. And as for wanders and foreigners, they generally have no status whatsoever and are generally regarded with suspicion; if you want some specific examples for this, look up Jews or Romani in medieval Europe. So for a realistic, late medieval society, I'd suggest something like this:

1. Character is insensitive about saving face or reciprocating gifts and favors
2. Character is lazy (if male), or diseased or simple
3. Character is a foreigner or not of the mainstream ethnic group
4. Character is loose (if female), or impudent towards his superiors
5. Character has earned the wrath of the local lord or abbot
6. Character's rapacity has brought punishment upon his kin
7. Character is a wolfshead, raider, enemy soldier, or excommunicated
8. Character is responsible for burning towns or churches
9. Character leads a pirate ship or band of robbers
10. Character is a noble from a warring nation of different religious values

 

[garrowolf]

This is great!

 

[Dethklok]

Glad you like it, garrowolf!