How specific does a Belief need to be for Persona?

Burning Wheel First Reading
#1

I have a player with the belief: “the organization must remain a secret. If anyone finds out they must pledge their loyalty or die.”

Seems like a really good belief. However, is this resolvable, or is this a Fate mine? Their first session someone found their secret, but they successfully inducted them in as a new member. Seems like they should earn a Persona, but the belief isn’t “resolved” as they could continue inducting new members or silencing those who know too much. I’ve never heard of anyone talk about “Persona mines”, so I’m thinking that this belief can’t earn persona. That just feels a little wrong to me though considering the situation.

(Side question: if you resolve a belief and earn Persona, you ALSO earn a Fate, correct?)

#2

In theory, as written, that was a goal, and they accomplished. It was definitely spelled out in a belief!

Except, not really. The goal in the belief is to continually, forever, never let anyone know the secret. Therefore one could argue they didn’t accomplish the goal! They just stopped one person, which is a very small part of the project.

Generally, when I am making longer term beliefs like that, I often give myself a midpoint. So for example, my Wizard had the belief:
I will do anything to claim ancient magic, I will learn a new spell!
and then when they learned a spell that was lost to time, they switched it
I will do anything to claim ancient magic, I will learn the secrets of Terinar and find out why they are forbidden.

So each time I have a root belief, and then a shorter term goal. This way my belief doesn’t stagnate into a Fate mine, and can still get a persona every so often.

I think it’s also a valid reading to say that the Belief here causes a new goal to present itself whenever you find out someone is onto the organization. And so each time you have the potential for a persona, but I think that allows the character to stagnate a little personally.

I generally give a Persona or a Fate for a belief. Don’t know if that’s correct.

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#3

Looks like a Fate mine to me. As a rule of thumb, if you get Persona for a Belief, the Belief should change.

Persona rewards change – in the character or the situation.

You’ll have a richer game if you create goals that can be dedinitively accomplished or thwarted.

Yeah, pretty much.

Generally it’s one or the other.

See Personal Goals on pages 101 and 102 in the Codex.

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