First, in my experience Pendragon's virtue system very very very rarely, if ever, dictates a player-character's behavior. At the risk of offending some, I have found in my personal experience that the people complaining about the virtue system tend to be the one's least likely to be willing to role-play a character different from themselves.
In Taming of Dragon Pass, the virtues come into play in social interaction when character's are exposed to events that the "literary character" might respond to differently than the "war gaming character". They are also useful in cult ceremonies and ritual activities.
Second, although I think the rules discussion about heroquesting has some point, it misses the main point - HEROQUESTING IS ABOUT MYTH. No game mechanic can substitute for that crucial element - with understanding of the appropriate cultural myths almost any game system can be used.
Further, heroquesting is not an exercise in power-gaming. It is not the
"next level" of power - my carls, godi and thanes are inveterate
"heroquesters". When a thane fights a dream-dragon, he invariably
heroquests - when the Lodrilli peasants kill a shamefully unjust overseer,
they invariably "heroquest", and when a child becomes a man, he heroquests.
Yours truly,
Jeff
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