Post by Frederic Bourgault-Christie on Nov 21, 2005 1:51:31 GMT -5
Traits
Traits are the way to round out your character. There are three classes: Positive, Negative and Neutral.
Neutral Traits can be purchased within a sensible limit. They are balanced to have an equal amount of advantages and disadvantages.
Positive Traits, on the other hand, while perhaps containing disadvantages (everything does), are overwhelmingly positive. Negative Traits are the opposite. Positive and Negative Traits must be purchased so that the sum of the noted values is 0.
Internal Disadvantages and Advantages are entirely optional. They are ways of at least partially paying for a Positive Trait by relying upon the logic of the Positive Trait. So, while being a supersoldier is generally overwhelmingly advantageous, if it was an excruciating procedure, there may be some psychological trauma and burning resentment.
It is possible to take enough Internal D/As or As that you more than pay for the Trait. In that case, you can buy another Positive Trait or boost
Many logical Traits are not listed here. Various insanities could be Negative. Contacts, whether political or military or criminal or business, could be Positive. Special mutations or powers could go either way.
Positive Traits:
Related to An Old Guard Member (3 or 5): Simple: the character is the clone, son, daughter, etc. of an Old Guard member. This is as close to a direct character conversion as can be made. 3 Trait Points purchases one relation. The character gets some of the abilities of that one family member. 5 purchases two. The character has left to make his own way and discover his own heroism. People, be imaginative about the combinations – Supergirl and Spiderman, maybe? While Mom or Dad may make an occasional appearance, they are as busy as the rest of the Old Guard, and won’t always be able to bail out the team.
Internal Negative:
Accusations of Nepotism/In Mom or Dad’s Shadow (Automatic): While the character will obviously get advantages from his relation (“Look at that tough guy, just like his old man”), there will always also be unfair comparisons to the mother and/or father (“Xenocratis would never have pussied out so early.”), and the character will have to prove that he’s not just the son of a famous person.
Power Limitation (Automatic): The Natural powers chosen must be within the classes of the parents, as must the Race. (This is sort of the point, so it’s not too much of a problem.)
Youthful (-1): This is a fairly likely Internal Negative. The character has only recently left his parent’s house to go out on his own. They may even be underage, simply a talented young’un who couldn’t tolerate home anymore! The brief time period elapsed has made most sons and daughters of the Old Guard rather youthful.
Unbelievably Tough (4): This Trait offers one a qualitative difference in hit points. They can be a full class above what they should be based on Endurance, Strength and Willpower. Something about the character, whether it be an unusual will for combat, a unique body frame, or any number of things animates the character beyond mortal limits.
Examples: Sanosuke Sagara, Xenocratis, Kazuma Kuwabara, Anji the Shining King
Internal Negatives:
Scarring (-1): The character’s toughness has been purchased through rough treatment, and the character has the scars to show it. The scars should be treated gingerly, and they will change the reaction of others.
Chronic Pains (-2): The character’s body has taken such a pummeling that they suffer from various aches and pains throughout the body. The problem is fixable by medical treatment, but it’s very difficult and the pains are likely to return. The body is simply not designed to take this kind of abuse.
Stubbornness (-1): Much like Sanosuke and Kuwabara, the character is a stubborn ox who will continue to fight stupidly even when there is no point to doing so. This character will be tough but reckless, accepting challenges and dares frequently.
Haunted/Something to Prove (-1 or –2): The character has had something happen to him that makes him want to prove something to the world. It animates him, but it is also a source of suffering and misery.
Renaissance Man (X): This person is very multifaceted in her interests. She is able to choose one additional Class to start, with a cost in Positive Trait points equal to the points of the Class she wishes to invest in.
Internal Negatives:
Master of None (-X): The character suffers from a –10X% to all skills they’ve accrued.
Fast Learner (3): The character gains Class or Rank Boosts at 150% the rate of the normal character. They also start with an additional 3 Class Points.
Internal Disadvantages:
Supersoldier (X): The character has been through some form of experimental program that has yielded a supersoldier. This is a chance to flesh out the character’s history. The character picks some of the following:
Chemical augmentation. Whether it be ancient alchemy or modern chemical concoctions, the character has been subjected to an array of chemicals. This may require a Juicer-style bio-monitor/computer (treat this as an Internal Negative) or periodic refills (also an Internal Negative).
Genetic augmentation. The character may have been bred for generations, be a planned mutant, or be a person whose genes have been tweaked and modified.
Intense training. The character will get an array of military skills, including some paranormal level abilities. Attributes will also gain bonuses from various forms of training.
Symbiotes. The character has been bonded to some other organism to enhance his or her power.
The character will go through the character creation process as normal, but will essentially purchase a new Class at the cost of Negative Traits. The character should determine whether she was a pure scientific experiment (i.e. the first batch of an experimental design, never designed to fight for the organization) or an actual attempt at making and recruiting a new soldier.
Internal Negatives:
Hunted (X): The character is hunted by the organization that created her. The value of X is determined by the organization’s zeal and its capacities. A small organization with tremendous desire to recapture the character will get a few points, a large one that puts it at a low priority will get a similar amount, and the combination of the two may pay for the Supersoldier class.
Scarred/Damaged (X): The experiments had side effects. The character may have insanities from trauma, horrible addictions or side effects from chemical augmentation, etc. The degree of mental or physical scarring determines the cost.
Reliant (X): The character is somehow reliant on the sponsoring organization. It may be anti-rejection medicines, refills on chemicals, a cranial detonator, etc.
Sharingen Eye (3): The Mirror Wheel Eye is an eye that allows the character tremendous capacity to mimic her opponents. It manifests itself as a spiral-shaped eye
Trained by an Old Guard Member (2):
Blessed (X): The converse of X: the character can reroll critical misses, has a higher critical chance, etc. Again, the X is proportional to the degree of blessing.
Immortal (5): The character is literally immortal. No natural result of aging will occur, making a thousand year old as spritely and limber as a twenty year old. The character can be killed by nefarious means, but has high resistances to heat, cold, poison, blood loss, etc.
Rare Ki (4): Every person has a unique ki frequency with tremendous capacity to improve. However, there are some rare types of
Examples: Sojiro, Kenshin (Shuku Chi)
Pet (X):
Examples: Shadow from FF3.
Neutral Traits
Diamond in the Rough: The character is tremendously talented and has huge stores of energy, but can only access them under a stressor. Pick any of the following:
Collapse of the conscious mind (i.e. Fred)
Anger, desperation, frustration (i.e. Gohan, Bruno)
Love or concern over friends/family (i.e. Kuwabara)
Severe pain
The character will have all relevant attributes and skills halved normally, but they’ll be doubled past normal when the character fully unleashes his or her power. They’ll have less abilities normally, but even more than usual when in the rage. And so on.
Jagan Eye: The character has had a surgically implanted third eye known as the Jagan, literally the “Evil Eye”. The eye allows viewing through dimensional barriers and through walls and obstructions. It also allows the user to access legendary and forbidden magics normally not available. However, it reduces the user’s paranormal energies a full three ranks and reduces the amount of abilities they start with.
Hell Eye: This is a very rare mutation that has only appeared in the guise of Astar Reeves.
Negative Traits:
Allergy (1-4): Allergies are worth negative Trait Points based upon two variables: first, how ubiquitous the allergen is; second, how severe the reaction is. A reaction to pollen that yields the sniffles is a 1 or 2, a reaction to aluminum that yields nasty rashes is a 1 or 2; the first is due to pollen’s being common but the symptoms being mild, while the latter is due to aluminum not being a very common allergen but the symptoms being nastier. Combining the two
Spontaneous Release (1-3): The character’s powers (only applicable with Ki, Psionics, and some Magic and Techniques, particular superpowers and intuitive magic – ask me) spontaneously release at various times. Pick one of the following:
When under severe stress or pain
When asleep and dreaming
When under any hallucinogenic or mind-altering influence
During these times, the character will randomly use one power to randomly do one thing. While the result will almost never be positive, it may be mostly benign, or it may be extremely dangerous.
Sensory Difficulty (1-3): The character has a deficiency in sight, hearing, etc. This must be a sensory capacity the race normally has, so a race with no eyes cannot eliminate sight and gain the points.
Energy Leak (3): The character leaks a substantial amount of energy when using her paranormal abilities. This has the following results:
Raises the cost for an ability to operate at equal potency
Makes the character more vulnerable to energy drain abilities
Offers any energy vampire an ample source right after an ability is used
The energy leaked has a chance of unleashing a nasty chaos effect, hurting the character or allies!
Internal Positive:
Energy Boost (1-2): The character has compensated for the loss of energy by simply getting more of it. The energy leak is related to a flaw in their technique.
Energy Cloud (2): The character has learned to manipulate the cloud that forms about them. After a certain number of usages, the cloud has achieved a mass that can be used to fire wispy energy bolts or transform into an energy grenade, among other ingenious uses.
Scarred Childhood (X): The character has had a tremendously blighted past. The actual results will vary, but the character is emotionally injured in some way. Perhaps they are broken and thus have lower Willpowers; perhaps they have some insanity; perhaps they are determined to survive and thus are pathological loners but with a higher Willpower.
Cursed (X): The fates don’t smile on this character. She is likely to trip at the worst times, get misfires at critical moments, etc. The value of X is determined by how substantial this jinx is.
Pathologically Neat (1-3):
Phobia (1-3):
Addicted (1-5): The character is addicted to some chemical substance.
Penniless (2): The character begins with no starting money, whatsoever. Whatever they have is from their years of saving and is purely class equipment.
Traits are the way to round out your character. There are three classes: Positive, Negative and Neutral.
Neutral Traits can be purchased within a sensible limit. They are balanced to have an equal amount of advantages and disadvantages.
Positive Traits, on the other hand, while perhaps containing disadvantages (everything does), are overwhelmingly positive. Negative Traits are the opposite. Positive and Negative Traits must be purchased so that the sum of the noted values is 0.
Internal Disadvantages and Advantages are entirely optional. They are ways of at least partially paying for a Positive Trait by relying upon the logic of the Positive Trait. So, while being a supersoldier is generally overwhelmingly advantageous, if it was an excruciating procedure, there may be some psychological trauma and burning resentment.
It is possible to take enough Internal D/As or As that you more than pay for the Trait. In that case, you can buy another Positive Trait or boost
Many logical Traits are not listed here. Various insanities could be Negative. Contacts, whether political or military or criminal or business, could be Positive. Special mutations or powers could go either way.
Positive Traits:
Related to An Old Guard Member (3 or 5): Simple: the character is the clone, son, daughter, etc. of an Old Guard member. This is as close to a direct character conversion as can be made. 3 Trait Points purchases one relation. The character gets some of the abilities of that one family member. 5 purchases two. The character has left to make his own way and discover his own heroism. People, be imaginative about the combinations – Supergirl and Spiderman, maybe? While Mom or Dad may make an occasional appearance, they are as busy as the rest of the Old Guard, and won’t always be able to bail out the team.
Internal Negative:
Accusations of Nepotism/In Mom or Dad’s Shadow (Automatic): While the character will obviously get advantages from his relation (“Look at that tough guy, just like his old man”), there will always also be unfair comparisons to the mother and/or father (“Xenocratis would never have pussied out so early.”), and the character will have to prove that he’s not just the son of a famous person.
Power Limitation (Automatic): The Natural powers chosen must be within the classes of the parents, as must the Race. (This is sort of the point, so it’s not too much of a problem.)
Youthful (-1): This is a fairly likely Internal Negative. The character has only recently left his parent’s house to go out on his own. They may even be underage, simply a talented young’un who couldn’t tolerate home anymore! The brief time period elapsed has made most sons and daughters of the Old Guard rather youthful.
Unbelievably Tough (4): This Trait offers one a qualitative difference in hit points. They can be a full class above what they should be based on Endurance, Strength and Willpower. Something about the character, whether it be an unusual will for combat, a unique body frame, or any number of things animates the character beyond mortal limits.
Examples: Sanosuke Sagara, Xenocratis, Kazuma Kuwabara, Anji the Shining King
Internal Negatives:
Scarring (-1): The character’s toughness has been purchased through rough treatment, and the character has the scars to show it. The scars should be treated gingerly, and they will change the reaction of others.
Chronic Pains (-2): The character’s body has taken such a pummeling that they suffer from various aches and pains throughout the body. The problem is fixable by medical treatment, but it’s very difficult and the pains are likely to return. The body is simply not designed to take this kind of abuse.
Stubbornness (-1): Much like Sanosuke and Kuwabara, the character is a stubborn ox who will continue to fight stupidly even when there is no point to doing so. This character will be tough but reckless, accepting challenges and dares frequently.
Haunted/Something to Prove (-1 or –2): The character has had something happen to him that makes him want to prove something to the world. It animates him, but it is also a source of suffering and misery.
Renaissance Man (X): This person is very multifaceted in her interests. She is able to choose one additional Class to start, with a cost in Positive Trait points equal to the points of the Class she wishes to invest in.
Internal Negatives:
Master of None (-X): The character suffers from a –10X% to all skills they’ve accrued.
Fast Learner (3): The character gains Class or Rank Boosts at 150% the rate of the normal character. They also start with an additional 3 Class Points.
Internal Disadvantages:
Supersoldier (X): The character has been through some form of experimental program that has yielded a supersoldier. This is a chance to flesh out the character’s history. The character picks some of the following:
Chemical augmentation. Whether it be ancient alchemy or modern chemical concoctions, the character has been subjected to an array of chemicals. This may require a Juicer-style bio-monitor/computer (treat this as an Internal Negative) or periodic refills (also an Internal Negative).
Genetic augmentation. The character may have been bred for generations, be a planned mutant, or be a person whose genes have been tweaked and modified.
Intense training. The character will get an array of military skills, including some paranormal level abilities. Attributes will also gain bonuses from various forms of training.
Symbiotes. The character has been bonded to some other organism to enhance his or her power.
The character will go through the character creation process as normal, but will essentially purchase a new Class at the cost of Negative Traits. The character should determine whether she was a pure scientific experiment (i.e. the first batch of an experimental design, never designed to fight for the organization) or an actual attempt at making and recruiting a new soldier.
Internal Negatives:
Hunted (X): The character is hunted by the organization that created her. The value of X is determined by the organization’s zeal and its capacities. A small organization with tremendous desire to recapture the character will get a few points, a large one that puts it at a low priority will get a similar amount, and the combination of the two may pay for the Supersoldier class.
Scarred/Damaged (X): The experiments had side effects. The character may have insanities from trauma, horrible addictions or side effects from chemical augmentation, etc. The degree of mental or physical scarring determines the cost.
Reliant (X): The character is somehow reliant on the sponsoring organization. It may be anti-rejection medicines, refills on chemicals, a cranial detonator, etc.
Sharingen Eye (3): The Mirror Wheel Eye is an eye that allows the character tremendous capacity to mimic her opponents. It manifests itself as a spiral-shaped eye
Trained by an Old Guard Member (2):
Blessed (X): The converse of X: the character can reroll critical misses, has a higher critical chance, etc. Again, the X is proportional to the degree of blessing.
Immortal (5): The character is literally immortal. No natural result of aging will occur, making a thousand year old as spritely and limber as a twenty year old. The character can be killed by nefarious means, but has high resistances to heat, cold, poison, blood loss, etc.
Rare Ki (4): Every person has a unique ki frequency with tremendous capacity to improve. However, there are some rare types of
Examples: Sojiro, Kenshin (Shuku Chi)
Pet (X):
Examples: Shadow from FF3.
Neutral Traits
Diamond in the Rough: The character is tremendously talented and has huge stores of energy, but can only access them under a stressor. Pick any of the following:
Collapse of the conscious mind (i.e. Fred)
Anger, desperation, frustration (i.e. Gohan, Bruno)
Love or concern over friends/family (i.e. Kuwabara)
Severe pain
The character will have all relevant attributes and skills halved normally, but they’ll be doubled past normal when the character fully unleashes his or her power. They’ll have less abilities normally, but even more than usual when in the rage. And so on.
Jagan Eye: The character has had a surgically implanted third eye known as the Jagan, literally the “Evil Eye”. The eye allows viewing through dimensional barriers and through walls and obstructions. It also allows the user to access legendary and forbidden magics normally not available. However, it reduces the user’s paranormal energies a full three ranks and reduces the amount of abilities they start with.
Hell Eye: This is a very rare mutation that has only appeared in the guise of Astar Reeves.
Negative Traits:
Allergy (1-4): Allergies are worth negative Trait Points based upon two variables: first, how ubiquitous the allergen is; second, how severe the reaction is. A reaction to pollen that yields the sniffles is a 1 or 2, a reaction to aluminum that yields nasty rashes is a 1 or 2; the first is due to pollen’s being common but the symptoms being mild, while the latter is due to aluminum not being a very common allergen but the symptoms being nastier. Combining the two
Spontaneous Release (1-3): The character’s powers (only applicable with Ki, Psionics, and some Magic and Techniques, particular superpowers and intuitive magic – ask me) spontaneously release at various times. Pick one of the following:
When under severe stress or pain
When asleep and dreaming
When under any hallucinogenic or mind-altering influence
During these times, the character will randomly use one power to randomly do one thing. While the result will almost never be positive, it may be mostly benign, or it may be extremely dangerous.
Sensory Difficulty (1-3): The character has a deficiency in sight, hearing, etc. This must be a sensory capacity the race normally has, so a race with no eyes cannot eliminate sight and gain the points.
Energy Leak (3): The character leaks a substantial amount of energy when using her paranormal abilities. This has the following results:
Raises the cost for an ability to operate at equal potency
Makes the character more vulnerable to energy drain abilities
Offers any energy vampire an ample source right after an ability is used
The energy leaked has a chance of unleashing a nasty chaos effect, hurting the character or allies!
Internal Positive:
Energy Boost (1-2): The character has compensated for the loss of energy by simply getting more of it. The energy leak is related to a flaw in their technique.
Energy Cloud (2): The character has learned to manipulate the cloud that forms about them. After a certain number of usages, the cloud has achieved a mass that can be used to fire wispy energy bolts or transform into an energy grenade, among other ingenious uses.
Scarred Childhood (X): The character has had a tremendously blighted past. The actual results will vary, but the character is emotionally injured in some way. Perhaps they are broken and thus have lower Willpowers; perhaps they have some insanity; perhaps they are determined to survive and thus are pathological loners but with a higher Willpower.
Cursed (X): The fates don’t smile on this character. She is likely to trip at the worst times, get misfires at critical moments, etc. The value of X is determined by how substantial this jinx is.
Pathologically Neat (1-3):
Phobia (1-3):
Addicted (1-5): The character is addicted to some chemical substance.
Penniless (2): The character begins with no starting money, whatsoever. Whatever they have is from their years of saving and is purely class equipment.