Philosophies

Philosophies are part of the game rules for the Arc Survivor pillar that was introduced in the Gambler's Chest Expansion.

When they come of age, arc survivors adopt philosophies to make sense of their nightmarish world. Each philosophy allows arc survivors to see the world with new eyes. As they age, they explore these beliefs, leading them to uncover knowledge that may outlast their brief existence. Survivors adopt philosophies from philosophy cards.

Philosophy Cards

Philosophy cards represent a philosophy survivors can adopt. They have a name, type (Core, Starting, Tier 1, Tier 3, Tier 3, and Systematic) and direct your survivors how to adopt a philosophy.

Philosophy Deck

The philosophy deck contains cards that represent all philosophies arc survivors of a settlement can adopt. At the beginning of a campaign, this deck is small. When a new philosophy is acquired, it is added to the philosophy deck for survivors to gain. If a philosophy card is removed from the deck, that outlook is no longer possible to adopt in the settlement.

There are six types of philosophies represented on philosophy cards:

Core: the campaign's core monster inspires a settlement's core philosophy.
Starting: Each campaign begins with a philosophy that represents survivors' basic needs and fears.
Tier 1: These philosophies appear more obvious or easier to grasp. Philosophy decks start with two random Tier 1 philosophies.
Tier 2: Settlements do not start with the more complicated or esoteric Tier 2 philosophies. They must reach new levels of sophistication and unlock them using collective cognition.
Tier 3: Powerful ways of thought unlocked by reaching the highest levels of collective cognition.
Systematic: Significant events in a campaign may add these to the philosophy deck. They are denoted with an asterisk (*) on a philosophy card.

Creating the Philosophy Deck

In the first lantern year of an arc survivor campaign, the philosophy deck is created during First Meal. It consists of the following:

• 1 Core philosophy
• 1 Starting philosophy
• 2 random Tier 1 philosophies

Curated Philosophies

Curated philosophies is a rules variant that allows players to freely choose which philosophies go into their philosophy deck instead of generating them randomly. This can help a play group create curated builds and an ideal play experience. With this campaign variant, survivors are free to select their philosophy instead of drawing from the top of the philosophy deck.

List of Philosphy Cards

Core

• Dreamism

Starting

• Survivalism

Tier 1

• Deadism
• Faceism
• Impermanism
• Lanternism

Tier 2

• Collectivism
• Gourmandism
• Optimism
• Regalism
• Verminism

Tier 3

• Ambitionism
• Champion

Systematic

• Homicidalism
• Marrowism
• Romanticism

Adopting a Philosophy

During the Develop step of the settlement phase, arc survivors who have reached their first Hunt XP milestone (Hunt XP 2), can adopt a philosophy. Although some arc survivors reach this milestone in the Aftermath of a showdown, they adopt philosophies only during quiet moments of reflection in the settlement. When an arc survivor adopts a philosophy, get the corresponding philosophy book and open to the starting page.

Philosophy Books

Philosophies evolve with experience. This intellectual journey is represented with philosophy books. Each philosophy book contains a starting page that describes the basic consequences of the outlook. Philosophy ranks follow, telling the story of how the philosophy changes.

Philosophy Starting Page

Philosophies are critical to an arc survivor's identity and will influence their behavior and development. It is composed of the following sections:

• Hunt XP Milestones: The pace at which the worldview develops. Each philosophy has its own Hunt XP milestones that indicate when its ranks increase. Record these by bolding matching boxes on on the arc survivor record sheet Hunt XP track.
• Tenet Knowledge.
• Neurosis.
• Rank 1: After recording the philosophy details on the starting page, advance the rank by 1 by turning the page and resolving the story.

Tenet Knowledge

Main Article: Knowledge
Knowledge is essential to any worldview. When you adopt a philosophy, take the corresponding knowledge card and record the tenet's name, rules, observation conditions, and the quantity of observation boxes on your record sheet. This knowledge may not be removed from an arc survivor's record sheet unless its associated philosophy is abandoned.

List of Tenet Knowledge

• All for One (Collectivism)
• Chosen (Champion)
• Dark Impulse (Homicidalism)
• Death Collector (Lanternism)
• Death Poet (Deadism)
• Find the Castle (Regalism)
• Fortune & Misfortune (Blessed First)
• Guardian (Dreamism)
• Health (Gourmandism)
• Hissing Arms (Verminism)
• Osteophage (Marrowism)
• Physiognomy (Faceism)
• Positivity (Optimism)
• Privledged (Ambitionism)
• Shatterstar (Impermanism)
• Tenacity (Survivalism)
• Wanderlust (Romanticism)

Neurosis

A compulsion unique to arc survivors. When an arc survivor adopts a philosophy, they gain a neurosis, an unfavorable outcome of their beliefs that modifies their behaviors thoughout their life. Record the neurosis and its rules on the arc survivor record sheet.

List of Neuroses

• Arrogance (Marrowism)
• Compelled (Champion)
• Dilettante (Romanticism)
• Disembodied (Deadism)
• Fixated (Faceism)
• Frailty (Verminism)
• Important (Positivity)
• Inferiority Complex (Regalism)
• Murderer (Homicidalism)
• Phototaxis (Lanternism)
• Ravenous (Gourmandism)
• Selfish (Survivalism)
• Selfless (Collectivism)
• Sleepless (Dreamism)
• Spoiled (Ambitionism)
• Unrestrained (Impermanism)
• Woebegone (Blessed First)

Philosophy Ranks

Each rank of a philosophy represents an evolution of thought. The Hunt XP milestone on a book's starting page note that philosophies progression. Rank 1 is reached when the philosophy is adopted. When you resolve a rank, a different player should read the story and only the results you achieve (usually your roll result) to preserve the novelty of your unique path through this philosophy.

Attribute Increases

Arc survivors gain attributes as a result of their philosophies. Unless explicitly described as a token, attribute increases and decreases are permanent.

Divergent (Δ) Ranks

Philosophy ranks are achieved only through leaps of logic. Conditions for obtaining these ranks are listed after the starting page. Once you reach the divergent rank, there are no further ranks for this philosophy.

Philosophies Benefit from Collective Cognition

Philosophy roll results may have effects that are only reached at a collective cognition threshold. Gain these effects if you roll the appropriate result (usually highlighted in blue) and if your settlement's collective cognition is equal to or greater than the listed number.

Introspection

Some philosophy ranks have Introspection at the bottom. Gain the effects of an introspection only if your settlement has reached the listed CC threshold.

Adopting Systemic Philosophies

Systemic philosophies are adopted at significant moments in your settlement's story.

Adopting New Philosophies

If a game event allows or forces a survivor to adopt a new philosophy, they start at the beginning (starting page) of that philosophy and reach rank 1. Replace their tenet, neurosis, and Hunt XP milestones with those of their new philosophy. Do not reset a survivor's Hunt XP when they adopt a new philosophy. Examine the Hunt XP milestones of the new philosophy. If the survivor has already achieved any of these new Hunt XP milestones, they must wait until the next settlement phase in which they are a returning survivor, then ponder.

Survivors Ponder Philosophies

Each lantern year, returning survivors ponder their existence at the settlement. This occurs during the Develop step of the settlement phase. In addition to building and crafting, arc survivors reflect on their experiences and develop their worldviews. This is how they advance ranks of their adopted philosophy.

They Must Ponder

Returning survivors who reached a new Hunt XP milestone must ponder their philosophy. They may do so, at any point during the develop step. When they do they gain the next rank of the philosophy. Turn to the next rank's page in their philosophy book and have another player read the story aloud. If prompted, roll and record the results.

A survivor can increase their philosophy rank only once per settlement phase. Survivors who gain enough Hunt XP can achieve more than one Hunt XP milestone only gain the next rank of their philosophy. They must wait until the next settlement phase to ponder and gain another rank. Keep the settlement's total collective cognition in mind. If you have earned them, gain collective cognition benefits to your roll results and introspections.

Once Per Lifetime

A survivor can only gain the benefits of each rank of their philosophy only once per lifetime.