Indoctrination: New Skill

Earthbound Page 72

INDOCTRINATION

This Skill represents the capability to change the heartfelt convictions and attitudes of others through brainwashing and psychological conditioning. More than simply lying or persuading another, Indoctrination allows the practitioner to permanently alter another person’s personality, loyalty and beliefs. The Skill involves knowledge of effective psychological techniques, as well as familiarity with the medications, drugs and equipment useful to the brainwashing process.

Using this Skill on a subject requires an extended roll. The player must gain more successes than the subject’s Willpower score to successfully indoctrinate her with a new set of beliefs. The frequency of the Indoctrination rolls depends on the circumstances. If the indoctrinator can isolate the subject from outside influences and work on her 24 hours a day, the Storyteller may allow a roll once per day. If the indoctrinator is forced to take a more subtle approach and can work on her subject for only an hour or so per day, the Storyteller may allow an Indoctrination roll only once per week. The difficulty of the roll depends on how isolated the subject is from outside influences that could reinforce her normal beliefs. Complete isolation (the subject is locked in a cell) would present a difficulty of 6. Partial isolation (the subject is removed from her normal surroundings and subjected to a culture sympathetic to the indoctrinator) would present a difficulty of 7. Limited isolation (the indoctrinator can only isolate the subject for brief periods of time) would present a difficulty of 8 or higher. Willpower points can be spent to gain automatic successes on this roll.

Once a subject has been successfully indoctrinated, her beliefs will remain altered until she can be de-programmed — using the Indoctrination process again to restore her prior beliefs.

• Novice: You can sometimes encourage others to fall in with the party line.
•• Practiced: You usually have no problem convincing others to accept your version of “truth.”
••• Competent: You can turn friend against friend, husband against wife, or brother again brother with enough time.
•••• Expert: You can easily mold others’ emotions, ideas and faith into whatever form you desire.
••••• Master: What label do you prefer — Big Brother or God?

Possessed by:
Cult Leaders, Deprogrammers, Earthbound, Generals, Psychological Warfare Experts,
Psychologists Specialties:
Chemical Aids, Harsh Methods, Hate, Love, Worship


ST Note:
This isn't an easy skill to have, learn or gain further levels of this. It's not a supernatural effect at all and even mundane humans (or Thralls) can have it.

Also note that even... 'nice'... uses of Indoctrination are a violation of a Torment 6 "Destroying particularly inspirational or meaningful objects" . More, shall we say, 'aggressive' uses of this ability are violations to Torment 8 "Premeditated violation of Others".