Top level creator's notesAlso, original sheet here.Originally Posted by BnEl15
...Welp. screw it. I'm going to write a Watcher out of pure spite one of these days. Just watch me, y'all.
Watcher of the Utilitarian Principle
-- The Price of Happiness --
"Gah, free at last from that godforsaken armor! And to think all it took was a Class change! Anyway- huh? What's that? You've actually forgotten who I am? Really? Am I that forgettable? And here I thought my title should be obvious enough... That damned Innocent Monster really must have done a number on my psyche. Very well, allow me to introduce myself again. Jeremy Bentham, Watcher. That should be enough to keep things brief. A pleasure to be working with you."
~ ♬ ~
Source
"Create all the happiness you are able to create; remove all the misery you are able to remove. Every day will allow you, --will invite you to add something to the pleasure of others, --or to diminish something of their pains.It doesn't necessarily have to be anything major. So long as you're able to bring the tiniest of smiles to someone's face, that alone makes life worth living. Speaking of which, that's your first assignment. For the next week, make at least two people smile every day. Empathize, and understand their 'happiness'. Write a report and leave it on my table once you're done. Should be easy enough as an introduction to my class, yes?"
Class: Watcher
Other Classes: Berserker, Caster
True Name: Jeremy Bentham
Alignment: True Neutral
Origin: Britain (18th century)
Parameters:
STR: -
END: -
AGI: -
MGI: -
LCK: -
NP: EX
Likes: Utilitarianism, studying individuals, refining his theories, passing on his knowledge
Dislikes: "Natural rights", societal collapse, people keeping secrets from him
Talent: Observing humans and societies, teaching
Natural Enemy: Thomas Aquinas, Aristotle
Armament: -
Catalyst: His body, displayed somewhere in University College London
Class SkillsWatcher (D)
A Class Skill belonging to the Watcher Class. It represents being (in theory) an observer generally to the current conflict and specifically for the Master, rather than an active participant. If the Berserker-Class represents him as a "paragon of utilitarianism", the Watcher-Class is a more human side of him, closer to how he truly was in life. He could manifest in reality, however his parameters are almost no different compared to the average human. Most of the time, allowing a physical manifestation only exposes him to unnecessary danger. Thus, he usually stays in spirit form, offering guidance to the Master as a disembodied voice.
"A Holy Grail War..? Don't look at me, I'm simply here as a teacher. Besides, it would be selfish for a dead man like me to meddle too deeply in the affairs of the living. If anyone is going to make a difference here, it's you. Whether you end up perfecting my theory or refuting it once and for all... either way, the only thing I can do is pass on my knowledge to the next generation. Now, have you taken out your notebook? The war should prove to be a most interesting case study. Listen well, because class is in session."
Territory Infringement (B+)
"How is property given? By restraining liberty; that is, by taking it away so far as necessary for the purpose. How is your house made yours? By debarring every one else from the liberty of entering it without your leave."The ability to slip past all manner of security, be it mundane or supernatural in nature. Bypassing wards, barriers, alarms and more, an ideal Skill for infiltrator-type Servants. A strong advocate for liberty and transparency, Watcher grants his Master the ability to temporarily nullify the concept of private property, in a way making the world believe that the Master (and anyone else) is fully at liberty to slip in and out of said territory unnoticed. Security measures, be it technology or guards, will temporarily fail to register anyone's presence as "out of the ordinary", seeing how the world treats said property as "public". This effect normally lasts only for about fifteen minutes, although this duration can be doubled or even tripled when the property in question belongs to someone considered an "authority figure"."Secrecy, being an instrument of conspiracy, ought never to be the system of a regular government."
"Would a proud, responsible educator like myself actively encourage his student to trespass into private property? That's a poor way of wording it. It has always been your right to trespass. In a way, it's their fault for putting a building in a place where you should be free to roam! I just... messed around a bit with the world's understanding of property rights to allow you to regain your liberty! Now, would you enter? You know you want to."
"Watcher, this seems... problematic. I'm pretty sure we just broke at least five laws just by being here."
"Is it illegal to waltz through the front door if no one acknowledges your presence? Especially if you believe whatever secret you're looking for here is worth the risk? Your way of thinking is far too rigid. Besides, even if you get caught, dealing with law enforcement and the civil court just means more impromptu classes for me to teach! I'm quite renowned in the field of legalism as well, you know?"
"Watcher!"
"A joke, a joke! Kids these days..."
Magic Resistance (D++)
Grants protection against magical effects. Cancels single-action spells. As a Heroic Spirit born relatively close to the modern age, its rank is low. However, it seems to have a significant positive modifier against magecraft with divine attributes.
"You know, some people revere their gods 'just because'. They assign authorities, supernatural capabilities, and impressive feats to these gods, all 'just because'. Here is the main topic of today's lecture: do you think one should be revered solely by the mere virtue of their existence? A healthy dose of skepticism will take you far in life. Doubt. Keep asking 'why'. Even if a god were to stand before you, ready to smite you into smithereens, look them in the eye and ask the following; 'should I kneel before you simply because you are?'"
...
"Your face tells me that this concept is a little too difficult to grasp. No matter, we can continue this lesson another time."
Personal SkillsHedonic Calculus (E~A)
A replacement for Universal Bird's Eye View, based on one of Watcher's most notable theories. An algorithm that supposedly calculates "happiness" itself through variables such as intensity, duration, certainty, scope, and more. Supposedly, this formula is capable of determining the exact amount of happiness that a specific action is likely to produce towards an individual or society as a whole."The greatest happiness of the greatest number is the foundation of morals and legislation."
Upon forming a contract, the Master receives an enhancement similar to mystic eyes representing this concept. The Skill starts out small, simply conjuring a number above people's heads that signify their average "happiness". At this stage, the numbers are far from perfect. They are inherently prone to biases and presumptions born of the Master's own mind. As they grow alongside Watcher, though, they may take in new lessons and observations, refining this imperfect formula. These refinements are entirely personalized based on the Master's experience. To name some examples, it could display different numbers based on specific aspects of an individual's life, create some sort of "network" based on each individual's source of happiness, or provide hints as to what could increase or decrease the numbers. Ultimately, the final version of this Skill may differ wildly between individuals.
"Come now, you think I'm going to give you all the answers in some neat handwritten textbook? Where's the fun in that? Some things you can only learn through direct observation and field work! Besides, my own theories can be far from perfect. At most, I can give you the basics, but I think it would be better to let you form your own understanding of the world. Ooh, I feel like a proud grandparent saying that!"
Panopticon (B+)
Watcher's proposal of an "ideal prison". The concept of the design is to allow all prisoners of an institution to be observed by a single security guard, without the inmates being able to tell whether they are being watched. Although it is physically impossible for the single guard to observe all the inmates' cells at once, the fact that the inmates cannot know when they are being watched means that they are motivated to act as though they are being watched at all times. Thus, the inmates are effectively compelled to regulate their own behavior."Without publicity, no good is permanent; under the auspices of publicity, no evil can continue."
Whenever this Skill is activated, Watcher "scans" the Master's surroundings. This has no effect whatsoever, aside from inducing a vague uneasy feeling of being watched within everyone caught in its range. The "scan" lasts for about ten minutes, and requires another ten minute cooldown after its use. Should anyone choose to disregard the ominous feeling and perform an act the Master considers "illegal" during the duration of the scan, there is a chance that said act would be instantly revealed to them, similar to True Name Discernment. The chance increases should the perpetrator(s) possess an evil alignment.
"Now, I'm not suggesting we should build a full-on surveillance state, not a big fan of high-end authoritarianism either. Even so, you can't deny that something as simple as the feeling of being watched could be effective in deterring criminals and promoting good behavior. That feeling when you can't see them, but they can see you... 'but teacher', you may ask, 'what if they only do good simply because they feel like someone else is watching?' To that I say... who cares? Whether you do things for clout, for attention, or for some deeper moral principle... if you give food to a starving beggar, would your motives make it taste any less delicious for them?"
Critique of the Doctrine of Inalienable, Natural Rights (A+)
One of Watcher's most prominent works, and the closest thing he has to a "weapon" bestowed to his Master. It is the most basic, yet the most powerful tool every philosopher should have; the ability to doubt. In Watcher's case, he spent his life criticizing the idea of "natural rights". Rights he deemed to be "divine" or "God-given" in origin. To him, rights arise from the actions of government, or evolve from tradition, and neither of these can provide anything truly inalienable. The idea that some people deserve more or less rights from others just because, or solely by virtue of their existence alone is unacceptable. This was why he promoted the liberation of colonies, the emancipation of women, the abolition of slavery, the general availability of education, and the fall of religion, among other things. Topics that made him rather unpopular among his contemporaries. He doubted every notion that felt so "natural" to the people at the time, and based his philosophy upon the rejection of such notions."Natural rights is simple nonsense: natural and imprescriptible rights, rhetorical nonsense—nonsense upon stilts."
Through this Skill, the Master may doubt the legitimacy of an opponent's Skill or Noble Phantasm. By asking questions such as "Should this individual really have this sort of power?", "Should I really bow before this guy just because he's a King a few hundred years ago?", or "Should I really worship this deity just because some of my ancestors did a long time ago?", Watcher temporarily distorts the world's understanding of the targeted individual, temporarily weakening or even outright sealing certain Skills and Noble Phantasms associated with the question. It is most effective against Charisma, Imperial Privilege, Delusion Trigger, and certain divine authorities, as well as Noble Phantasms that stem from the target's "natural state of being" as opposed to something they received thanks to their skill or experience.
The strength of this Skill scales proportionally to the strength of the Master's doubt towards the target. A mild feeling of disbelief would only very slightly reduce the affected Skill/Noble Phantasm's effectiveness. Conversely, if the Master manages to create a strong argument as to why the target does not deserve said Skill/Noble Phantasm in their mind, said abilities would be completely sealed for a prolonged duration (a few hours at most, repeatable).
"See? It's not so complicated now, is it? As children, we've always had this natural curiosity pertaining to the world around us. We keep asking why are things the way they are, why they work the way they do... but as we mature, it's as if we lost that innate childish curiosity somewhere along the way. Philosophy, as a discipline, relies on reigniting that curiosity. It relies upon the principle that even the most obvious, 'natural' things should not be exempt from questioning as you exhaust every possible avenue of inquiry. That's our main lesson for today; no matter where you are, who you're up against... keep asking questions."
Noble Phantasm(s)Selfish Beast of Happiness
The Utility Monster
"Oh boy, it seems you've found yourself in quite the pickle. Then allow your teacher to lend you a helping hand. Take a deep breath and focus. There has to be a way out of this somehow. A way to break through these barricades in a single act. Think it over carefully, and... there."
Type: Anti-Unit (Self)
Rank: D
Range: Varies
Max Targets: Varies
A thought experiment devised by ethics philosopher Robert Nozick in 1974 to criticize the idea of utilitarianism. While the experiment was made centuries after Watcher's death, both Watcher and the experiment was tied by the concept of "utilitarianism", allowing him to gain access to this Noble Phantasm. The contents of this thought experiment is as follows: A hypothetical being, which Nozick calls the utility monster, receives much morefrom each unit of a resource they consume than anyone else does. For instance, eating a cookie might bring only one unit of happiness to an ordinary person but could bring 100 units of happiness to a utility monster. If the utility monster existed, it would justify the mistreatment and perhaps annihilation of everyone else, according to the mandates of utilitarianism, because, for the utility monster, the pleasure they receive outweighs any suffering they may cause.happinessutility
By bestowing the Master with a supercharged, self-serving version of the hedonic calculus, Watcher effectively turns them into a conduit for the utility monster, a being capable of maximizing the happiness caused by a single action. A highly cost-efficient Noble Phantasm usable at almost any time. Upon its activation, Watcher scans his environment with superhuman processing speed, accounting all possible variables, and devises a way to maximize the impact of a single action so that it may cause the greatest amount of happiness. Its purpose varies depending on the situation, from finding out the most effective way to help others, to devising the most optimal way to overcome a foe. Take throwing a pebble, for example. When cornered by a foe they cannot defeat through brute strength, the Master could either throw a pebble at the foe and deal no damage... or they could throw it at a structural weakness in the area, triggering a chain reaction that results in the entire building collapsing and burying the foe with it.
Of course, depending on the situation, there are limits to what this Noble Phantasm can do. Sometimes, the maximum amount of happiness attainable in a situation is simply not enough to save anyone. Taking the previous pebble example, sometimes, causing a structural collapse is simply impossible, and there is no other conceivable way to escape or defeat the enemy. Furthermore, using this Noble Phantasm in rapid succession also imposes a heavy mental strain upon the Master. Ultimately, this Noble Phantasm lacks any tricks; it has no magecraft, no causality-altering or reality-warping powers... only the essence of utilitarianism itself taken to its logical, extreme conclusion; causing the greatest amount of happiness possible.
Tragic Beacon of Suffering
All the World's Evil
"Oh, don't cry now. You'll live. This is all part of the curriculum. A test to see how much you've grown. This much is probably nothing compared to what that person endured back then. Still, if you were given a chance to remove a bit of everyone else's suffering... wouldn't you take it?"
Type: Anti-Unit (Self)
Rank: EX
Range: 500 meters
Max Targets: 1 (self)
A conceptual replication of a ritual once endured by a certain Avenger. According to extreme utilitarianism, the suffering of a small number of individuals are justified as long as it ensures happiness for the majority. Similarly, carving every imaginable sin to a single individual and subjecting them to every possible kind of suffering is justified as long as it ensures happiness for everyone else. Upon its activation, the world designates the Master as a "scapegoat" for every misfortune, suffering, and negative emotions within their surroundings. The "scapegoat" absorbs them in exchange for increasing the "happiness" of everyone else within this Noble Phantasm's range.
Normally, Watcher only uses a very limited release of this Noble Phantasm to impose "trials" upon his Master, challenges that test their growth and character (even if he doesn't exactly have any control on what kind of trial the Master may come across). However, as a last-resort option, it is possible for him to overload this Noble Phantasm, rapidly increasing its scope and intensity. This essentially causes the world itself to go berserk against them, similar to a certain Greek nymph. Accidents, natural disasters, stray attacks... it's as if nature itself rampages as all tragedy is redirected at one person. At this point, Watcher can only hope that the enemies would be caught in the utter chaos as collateral damage, as even a single minute of this application poses a very life-threatening risk for the Master. For this reason, Watcher normally refuses to unleash this level no matter what, unless the Master themselves seriously will it, with absolutely no other option available.
While all of this is happening, anyone outside this Noble Phantasm's range would find themselves significantly more prone to lucky accidents, positive emotions, and other forms of "happiness" during the short duration this Noble Phantasm is active.
"Are you absolutely certain about this, Master? Is there really no other way? Doing this would most likely kill you."
...
"But it would protect those you care about, you say? ...Tch, using my own words against me like that... you've really grown, huh. It doesn't look like there's anything left for me to teach you. You're a good person, Master. Remember that."
...
"As you wish. I'll remove the limiter now. Noble Phantasm True Name Release: All the World's Evil."
LoreJeremy Bentham (1748-1832) was an English philosopher, jurist, and social reformer regarded as the founder of modern utilitarianism.
Bentham defined as the "fundamental axiom" of his philosophy the principle that "it is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong." He became a leading theorist in Anglo-American philosophy of law, and a political radical whose ideas influenced the development of welfarism. He advocated individual and economic freedoms, the separation of church and state, freedom of expression, equal rights for women, the right to divorce, and (in an unpublished essay) the decriminalizing of homosexual acts. He called for the abolition of slavery, capital punishment and physical punishment, including that of children. He has also become known as an early advocate of animal rights. Though strongly in favor of the extension of individual legal rights, he opposed the idea of natural law and natural rights (both of which are considered "divine" or "God-given" in origin), calling them "nonsense upon stilts." Bentham was also a sharp critic of legal fictions.
Bentham's students included his secretary and collaborator James Mill, the latter's son, John Stuart Mill, the legal philosopher John Austin, American writer and activist John Neal, as well as Robert Owen, one of the founders of utopian socialism. He "had considerable influence on the reform of prisons, schools, poor laws, law courts, and Parliament itself."
On his death in 1832, Bentham left instructions for his body to be first dissected, and then to be permanently preserved as an "auto-icon" (or self-image), which would be his memorial. This was done, and the auto-icon is now on public display in the entrance of the Student Center at University College London (UCL). Because of his arguments in favor of the general availability of education, he has been described as the "spiritual founder" of UCL. However, he played only a limited direct part in its foundation.
Description"Oh, what brings you here today, Master? I was just finishing up today's lesson. Do you have any questions you'd like to ask? No? You're... just here for a chat? Um, why not. I suppose this old man could use a break every now and then. Fancy a cup of tea?"
Source
Likes:
"In this second life, there's nothing I like more than teaching! I did dream of becoming a schoolteacher once back then, but I was far too caught up in my other endeavors to ever get around to actually doing it. Don't get me wrong, I'm still as attached as ever to my studies, but rather than simply gathering knowledge, passing them to the next generation... actually doesn't feel so bad. I could really get used to this sort of life."
Dislikes:
"You should already know by now, but... ignorant people who accept the 'natural' order of things just because. Everything exists to be questioned! The world doesn't change by foolishly accepting everything the way they are! The idea that some people deserve more or less than others simply because 'that's how it's always been' is absurd! You'd have to be ignorant at best, or outright evil at worst to believe in such nonsense!"
Wish (Bond 5):
"Back then, my greatest dream was to create a 'Pannomion', a complete utilitarian code of law applied worldwide. I thought it would be enough to bring world peace, but... I was naive. The more I studied humans and their societies, the more questions arose. Humanity is far more complicated than I had initially anticipated, and my proposed ideas felt like nothing more than pipe dreams. I'm not giving up just yet, though. This feels more like a challenge, not just to me or you, but also to your children, and their children! So for now, I'm entrusting that wish to you. Whatever advancements your findings will bring for humanity's future, know that your dear old Professor Bentham is with you every step of the way!"
A far cry from the mechanical Berserker he was summoned as before. Rather than a man single-mindedly focused on his concept of utilitarianism, the Watcher-Class represents him as an older, wiser man who still believes in utilitarianism, but recognizes that his ideas were far from perfect, and applying them as they are would result in a number of... troublesome societal implications in the long run. Even so, he refuses to completely give up on these ideas, believing that they are still applicable with enough revisions.
Now presenting himself as "that cool university professor/grandpa who involves his students in fun projects and treats them to snacks whenever they get a question right", Watcher invites his Master to help him perfect his "formula of happiness". He usually takes a more passive role, giving the Master free reign in completing their assignments and coming up with their own findings. While he doesn't expect the Master to single-handedly redefine the idea of utilitarianism and apply it on a universal scale, he nonetheless hopes that the Master could become a prominent figure in its development. Conversely, if the Master instead reached the conclusion that utilitarianism is a flawed principle that can never be applied in reality, Watcher would be mildly disappointed, though he wouldn't begrudge the Master for it. After all, forcing those ideas on others and accepting them simply because that's what he believes in would make him no different than the people he criticized. Thus, so long as the Master could present a logical enough argument to completely dismantle the idea of utilitarianism, he would gracefully admit defeat... after which he would reluctantly but willingly redirect his studies elsewhere. After all, even if this one idea is shot down, there must still be countless other means of improving society as a whole. Ultimately, as both a researcher and a teacher, Watcher is a man dedicated towards the betterment of humanity, and hopes that his Master is the same.
RelationshipsEMIYA (Assassin):
"Kill one to save ten, kill ten to save a hundred, kill a hundred to save a thousand... Back then, I believed that individual suffering can be dismissed in favor of society's happiness, but seeing just how much some people suffered thanks to this philosophy... I suppose there's a bit more nuance than that. There has to be a variable I'm overlooking here..."
Laplace's Demon:
"A fellow observer of society, and it seems he's been in the business far longer than I have, and on a much grander scale as well! It really is an honor to make your acquaintance. Um, if you ever have the time, would you mind sharing your findings with me? I'm sure we have much to talk about."
Hyas:
"I pity you, boy. Your deaths feel so... pointless. It would have been one thing if they at least serve some sort of function to society as a whole, but... no, I apologize. I'd rather not continue this line of thought."
Deities:
"Oh yes, I was and still am an opponent of religion as a whole. How you demanded absolute obedience from your followers, how you discouraged critical thinking, and how they waged wars in your name... still, in the present day, at the very least you seem to serve your practical purposes well enough, so I'll leave you to your own devices for the time being. Consider it a necessary evil. I'm still not a fan of that 'absolute obedience' thing, though."
Pioneers of the Stars:
"The paragon of humanity, proud individuals who questioned and defied the natural law, proving that humans can always become more than they are... you have my utmost respect."
Bond CE
As an avid believer in utilitarianism, I've always believed that my ideas must be imparted at an early age. It matters not whether others end up embracing them for life, but at the very least, they should be familiar with them, if nothing else. Thus, I have taken it upon myself to conduct this experiment. Call it "baby's first thought experiment".
I gathered roughly a dozen of Chaldea's child Servants at random, and individually asked them to solve a simplified version of a classic utilitarian thought experiment; the trolley problem. I used this set of wooden tracks and toy trains as a visual aid, and paid each subject with a pack of sweets from the cafeteria after the experiment.
The results were... interesting, to say the least. Some notable responses I jotted down include:
"Use my A-rank Strength to pick up the train and put it somewhere else."
"Ask Mr. Achilles to untie the people on the tracks. He's really fast, right?"
"How did those people end up on the tracks to begin with? Is there some sort of evil criminal mastermind tying people on train tracks? It's Mr. Moriarty, isn't it?"
"Move that one person to the other track."
"Sue the railway company."
"Chaldea is a big place, so there's probably someone who can stop the train somehow, right?"
"...But I don't wanna choose..."
For obvious reasons, this experiment is marked as a failure. They completely missed the point of the problem, and I- having a soft spot for these children- just can't bring myself to correct them. Attempt #4 is a bust. For the next one, maybe I should pick a higher age group, and ask for someone less... biased to oversee the study.
Even so...
A way to make everyone happy, with no one left behind...
A way to save everyone without losing anything...
A way to turn this world into something more than a zero-sum game...
A way to take a third option...
It's a childish notion, but... these children taught me to believe, if nothing else.
Extra
Creator's NotesKnow your place, peasants, the King stands alone.
/j
- Not much to say about this one, the first time I decided to rework a Servant into another Class rather than just reworking the same sheet (not counting seasonal alts and Rider --> Avenger Fersen a long time ago).
- The NP remains mostly the same compared to his Berserker form. I like his new Skills though. The one nitpick I had with Zerker!Bentham is that he's way too focused to a very specific idea of utilitarianism, which works well enough for a one-note Berserker, but wouldn't work in any other Class. So for this version, I read up on a bunch of his other studies, such as the Panopticon and his views on property rights, to give him more nuance.
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