Characters may choose to select one or more flaws. If they do so, then they may select a corresponding perk for each flaw. Flaws are important for more than simply balancing perks, though.
Each time a flaw comes into play, and the player successfully roleplays the flaw in a way that impacts their character, then they are awarded a point of luck. This is the only way to acquire luck, and luck is highly sought after.
A point of luck may be spent to reroll any failed roll, or to automatically succeed at any skill roll. This automatic success is considered to have generated a number of successes equal to the target number, plus 1.
A character may begin play with no more than 3 flaws, and cannot take the same perk or flaw more than once.
Flaws
Common Physical Flaws
Clumsy
Effect: -1 Agi
You’ve tripped over your own feet more than once, and it’s only a matter of time before it happens again. Any time your characters exhibits clumsiness in a way that impacts them socially or physically the GM may choose to award them a point of luck.
Clueless
Effect: -1 to perception checks
You’re always the last to see it, if you see it at all. Any time your character exhibits lack of awareness in a way that impacts them socially or physically (walking into the wrong bathroom, falling into a pit they could have easily avoided) the GM may choose to award them a point of luck.
Skipped Leg Day
Effect: -1 Strength
If you’ve seen the inside of a gym it was accidental. You are a weakling, and struggle with basic physical tasks like opening jars. Any time your character is limited by their lack of strength the GM may choose to award them a point of luck.
Food Allergy
Effect: -1 Fortitude
Your character is allergic to a common type of food. Gluten. Lactose. Sugar. Something makes you puff up like a grapefruit, and any time this happens during a situation where your character is negatively impacted your GM may choose to award you a point of luck.
Missing Limb
Effect: Your character is missing an appendage common to their race. Arms, legs, wings, tail, etc. If you choose an arm, then you cannot use items that require two hands. If you choose a leg your movement is reduced by 50%. Loss of wings removes any gliding or flight.
Common Social Flaws
Punchable Face
Effect: -1 Cha
Your face annoys people. They don't like being around you, and any time this directly impacts you the GM may choose to award you a point of luck. You get singled out of crowds by law enforcement. You're denied when you slip the hostess a 20 for a better table.
Kind of a Dick
Effect: -1 to all negotiation checks
You have a general aura of douche-ness. Even if you don't speak, people just sort of...don't like you. Close friends and family overlook it, but everyone else goes out of their way to avoid you. Any time this directly impacts you the GM may decide to award you a point of luck.
Not in Anyone's League
Effect: -1 Appearance
You're ugly in a way that offends potential mates. Drinks get thrown in your face, and a polite no is usually the best you can hope for when asking for dates.
Fashion Victim
Effect: Your character dresses badly
Your character always wears inappropriate clothing. Maybe it's the same trench coat and fedora from the academy. Maybe it's a uniform that is way too tight. Whatever your character's flair society at large doesn't appreciate it.
You don't belong in most restaurants, or even most social situations, and are often ejected or barred entry.
Untouchable
Effect: Socially conscious people avoid you
Whether you are a vagrant, or the child of a mass murderer, or are an ex-con, something tied to your identity makes you problematic for most people to deal with, and when they become aware of this fact they will take steps to distance themselves from you.
Common Mental Flaws
Math is Hard
Effect: -1 Reason
You ate the paint chips as a kid. Any time you are completely oblivious to something most people would easily grasp, the GM may choose to award you a point of luck.
Bit of a Crackhead
Effect: -1 Will
You have an addiction. It might be a drug. It might be manabeer. It could be video games. But you have something you love to engage in compulsively, and are more vulnerable to temptation. Any time you give in to that temptation, and are directly screwed as a result, the GM may award you a point of luck.
Way Too Literal
Effect: -1 Intuition
You have a tendency to take everything literally. Way too literally.
P is for Phobia
Effect: Pick a Phobia
Your character is deathly afraid of something. Maybe that's spiders. Maybe it's social situations. Whenever your character is confronted with this fear they react badly. You get to pick the phobia, and can choose this flaw more than once.
Common examples include agoraphobia (open spaces), claustrophobia (enclosed spaces), arachniphobia (spiders).
Kleptomaniac
Effect: Your character steals. Often.
Your character is always stealing things. You get to set the terms of your "habit", of course. Maybe you don't steal from friends. Maybe you do. Maybe you only steal from corporations, or churches, or Wyrms.
But you definitely steal, and sometimes that means getting caught...
Common Magic Flaws
Void Bolt Homing Beacon
Effect: -1 Resistance
Your magical defenses are especially weak, and enemy mages know it. Good luck. Any time you put yourself in a situation where you might get hit by a spell your GM may award you a point of luck.
Really Bad at This Magic Thing
Effect: -1 Spell Pool
Your command over magic is weaker than most mages, and you have one fewer maximum spell pool than you otherwise would. Any time you run out of spell points in a dangerous situation your GM may choose to award you a point of luck.
Oops. My bad.
Effect: Technology just breaks around you
Computers mysteriously stop functioning. The navigation array goes out on your shuttle. Holodisplays short out near you. Something about you is simply incompatible with most technology, and hilarity ensues.
Perks
If your character selected any number of flaws they may now select an equal number of perks to balance them. Perks provide no special benefits for roleplaying them, but you should do it anyway. Or else.
Physical Perks
Do You Even Lift?
Effect: +1 Strength
Shrug It Off
Effect: +1 Fortitude
Bravely Run Away
Effect: +1 Agility
Slippery Mofo
Effect: +1 Dodge
Kick me in the junk. Again!
Effect: +1 Brace
Built Like Crewes
Effect: +5 Hit points
Walk It Off
Effect: You heal all hit points after a night's rest.
Mental Perks
Gifted
Effect: +1 Reason
Not Buying Your Bullshit
Effect: +1 Will
Great Instincts
Effect: +1 Intuition
Eidetic Memory
Effect: You can remember things with photographic clarity.
Magical Perks
One More Spell
Effect: +3 Spell Pool
Savant
Effect: You know an extra spell from a list you already have access to.
Magical Security Blanket
Effect: Choose a single eldimagus. As long as you have this object on your person you gain +1 spellcasting.
Is that really how you're going to cast that?
Effect: +1 Skepticism
Social Perks
Traffic-Stopping Ass
Effect: +1 Appearance
Headmaster's Boy
Effect: You attended a prestigious academy on Shaya, and everyone knows it. This can open doors in many quarters.
King of Bullshitters
Effect: +1 Charisma
Well Connected
Effect: Your character has a single well-defined contact placed highly in an organization such as a temple / government. This can be purchased more than once.
My Dad's Rich
Effect: You grew up wealthy. This doesn't confer any special wealth to you, but your parents or parent are rich, and everyone presumes they'll leave their fortune to you.
Comments