Introduction
Traits listed in this section represent a character’s physical or mental characteristics that have a mechanical function that augments a character’s capabilities. These characteristics are not required to be innately related to any specific cultural or genetic source, as these delineations, in addition to implicating racist attitudes and stereotypes, are often hackneyed, inaccurate, and logically inconsistent.
Traits are intended to cover a wide range of physical and intellectual nuances that are endemic within all living beings and are designed to help you play the character you want to play. As mentioned during character creation, your character can look however you want them to look. They can have horns or a tail, they can be incredibly tall or incredibly short and you have a full range of artistic and cosmetic choices.
The traits provide a mechanical means for these cosmetic choices to become more defining characteristics of your character. Perhaps your tail does more than simply hang from your butt. Maybe those horns are more than ornamentation.
With the above in mind, the traits are roughly (as an argument can be made for either side in quite a few cases) between Genetic and Aptitude.
- Genetic: It’s just something you’re born with. Maybe it’s a set of gills or claws, or maybe your character recovers from wounds a little quicker than most.
- Aptitude: It’s something you can learn. Maybe it’s a hidden reservoir of strength in the face of adversity, a quirk of your personality, or maybe you’re just lucky.
A Note on Traits: Traits are not a shortcut to power. There are no “pay now, gain later” tricks here. In many cases, there is a pretty substantial trade-off for the more powerful abilities.
Amphibious
Cost: 1 Trait Point
Description: Your character absorbs oxygen through the skin and can therefore hold their breath 2x as long as normal. Your character also absorbs everything else through the skin and is 2x as susceptible to aerosolized or contact effects.
Arcane Gift
Cost: 3 Trait Points
Description: Your character is more resilient to arcane effects. Adds +1 to all Aegis checks.
Breathe Under Water
Cost: 3 Trait Points
Description: Your character is able to “breathe” underwater. Maybe they have a fully functioning set of gills, or they have been blessed by Poseidon.
Claws (Amplectorial)
Cost: 1 Trait Point
Description: Your character has a set of non-retractable claws. Attacks with the Brawl skill cause lethal damage instead of stun damage. Finesse based skill rolls suffer ◄ 1.
Claws (Scansorial)
Cost: 1 Trait Point
Description: Your character has a set of retractable claws. Adds 1 ► to climb and grapple skill rolls.
Claws (Cursorial)
Cost: 1 Trait Point
Description: Your character has clawed feet which give better traction when running. While barefoot the character adds 2 ► to their sprint rolls.
Daring
Cost: 3 Trait Points
Description: Your character isn’t easily deterred. Adds +1 to resolve checks.
Dedicated
Cost: 2 Trait Points
Description: Your character is a brilliant scholar who demonstrates exceptional aptitude in a specific domain. Choose a skill. Add 1 ► to all rolls for that skill, so long as it is your highest-ranked skill.
Exceptional Attribute: Agility
Cost: Special
Description: Your character gains additional points in agility. At character creation, after assigning attribute points, the player may spend the appropriate number of trait points to raise the attribute by the desired amount. The chosen attribute score may start higher than 20. This trait may only be used once for each attribute.
- Increase agility by 1 cost 1
- Increase agility by 2 cost 2
- Increase agility by 3 cost 3
- Increase agility by 4 cost 5
- Increase agility by 5 cost 7
- Increase agility by 6 cost 10
- Increase agility by 7 cost 13
- Increase agility by 8 cost 17
Exceptional Attribute: Endurance
Cost: Special
Description: Your character gains additional points in endurance. At character creation, after assigning attribute points, the player may spend the appropriate number of trait points to raise the attribute by the desired amount. The chosen attribute score may start higher than 20. This trait may only be used once for each attribute.
- Increase endurance by 1 cost 1
- Increase endurance by 2 cost 2
- Increase endurance by 3 cost 3
- Increase endurance by 4 cost 5
- Increase endurance by 5 cost 7
- Increase endurance by 6 cost 10
- Increase endurance by 7 cost 13
- Increase endurance by 8 cost 17
Exceptional Attribute: Finesse
Cost: Special
Description: Your character gains additional points in finesse. At character creation, after assigning attribute points, the player may spend the appropriate number of trait points to raise the attribute by the desired amount. The chosen attribute score may start higher than 20. This trait may only be used once for each attribute.
- Increase finesse by 1 = 1 Trait Point
- Increase finesse by 2 = 2 Trait Points
- Increase finesse by 3 = 3 Trait Points
- Increase finesse by 4 = 5 Trait Points
- Increase finesse by 5 = 7 Trait Points
- Increase finesse by 6 = 10 Trait Points
- Increase finesse by 7 = 13 Trait Points
- Increase finesse by 8 = 17 Trait Points
Exceptional Attribute: Intuition
Cost: Special
Description: Your character gains additional points in intuition. At character creation, after assigning attribute points, the player may spend the appropriate number of trait points to raise the attribute by the desired amount. The chosen attribute score may start higher than 20. This trait may only be used once for each attribute.
- Increase intuition by 1 = 1 Trait Point
- Increase intuition by 2 = 2 Trait Points
- Increase intuition by 3 = 3 Trait Points
- Increase intuition by 4 = 5 Trait Points
- Increase intuition by 5 = 7 Trait Points
- Increase intuition by 6 = 10 Trait Points
- Increase intuition by 7 = 13 Trait Points
- Increase intuition by 8 = 17 Trait Points
Exceptional Attribute: Martial
Cost: Special
Description: Your character gains additional points in martial. At character creation, after assigning attribute points, the player may spend the appropriate number of trait points to raise the attribute by the desired amount. The chosen attribute score may start higher than 20. This trait may only be used once for each attribute.
- Increase martial by 1 = 1 Trait Point
- Increase martial by 2 = 2 Trait Points
- Increase martial by 3 = 3 Trait Points
- Increase martial by 4 = 5 Trait Points
- Increase martial by 5 = 7 Trait Points
- Increase martial by 6 = 10 Trait Points
- Increase martial by 7 = 13 Trait Points
- Increase martial by 8 = 17 Trait Points
Exceptional Attribute: Perception
Cost: Special
Description: Your character gains additional points in perception. At character creation, after assigning attribute points, the player may spend the appropriate number of trait points to raise the attribute by the desired amount. The chosen attribute score may start higher than 20. This trait may only be used once for each attribute.
- Increase perception by 1 = 1 Trait Point
- Increase perception by 2 = 2 Trait Points
- Increase perception by 3 = 3 Trait Points
- Increase perception by 4 = 5 Trait Points
- Increase perception by 5 = 7 Trait Points
- Increase perception by 6 = 10 Trait Points
- Increase perception by 7 = 13 Trait Points
- Increase perception by 8 = 17 Trait Points
Exceptional Attribute: Reason
Cost: Special
Description: Your character gains additional points in reason. At character creation, after assigning attribute points, the player may spend the appropriate number of trait points to raise the attribute by the desired amount. The chosen attribute score may start higher than 20. This trait may only be used once for each attribute.
- Increase reason by 1 = 1 Trait Point
- Increase reason by 2 = 2 Trait Points
- Increase reason by 3 = 3 Trait Points
- Increase reason by 4 = 5 Trait Points
- Increase reason by 5 = 7 Trait Points
- Increase reason by 6 = 10 Trait Points
- Increase reason by 7 = 13 Trait Points
- Increase reason by 8 = 17 Trait Points
Exceptional Attribute: Strength
Cost: Special
Description: Your character gains additional points in strength. At character creation, after assigning attribute points, the player may spend the appropriate number of trait points to raise the attribute by the desired amount. The chosen attribute score may start higher than 20. This trait may only be used once for each attribute.
- Increase strength by 1 = 1 Trait Point
- Increase strength by 2 = 2 Trait Points
- Increase strength by 3 = 3 Trait Points
- Increase strength by 4 = 5 Trait Points
- Increase strength by 5 = 7 Trait Points
- Increase strength by 6 = 10 Trait Points
- Increase strength by 7 = 13 Trait Points
- Increase strength by 8 = 17 Trait Points
Exceptionally Large
Cost: 2 Trait Points
Description: Your character is much larger than average, greater than 2.5 meters and proportional weight. The range of melee weapon use is increased by 1 meter. Your walking distance is increased to 3 meters.
You are considered 1 range increment closer when targeted by ranged attacks and the cost of any gear that is proportional for your character is increased by 50%.
Exceptionally Small
Cost: 2 Trait Points
Description: You are small, about 1 meter tall and proportional weight. The range of melee weapon use is decreased by 1 meter. Your walking distance is reduced to 1 meter. You add 1 ► to all sneak rolls.
You are treated as 1 range increment further away when targeted by ranged attacks and the cost of any gear that is proportional for your character is increased by 25%.
Fast Reflexes
Cost: 3 Trait Points
Description: Adds +1 to reflex checks.
Gifted
Cost: 1 Trait Point
Description: Your character is naturally talented in a specific area. A chosen skill may start higher than 25 during character creation. Note: This trait may be purchased more than once.
Hard to Kill
Cost: 2 Trait Points
Description: A character attempting to resuscitate this character receives 1 ► to their skill roll.
Hyperflexible
Cost: 1 Trait Point
Description: Your character has hyperflexible joints allowing for a greater range of motion. Adds 1 ► to Sleight of Hand and Grapple Escape Technique rolls but a ◄ 1 to all other grapple rolls.
Horns
Cost: 2 Trait Points
Description: Your character has horns growing from their skull. Your character starts with the Headbutt maneuver and does not suffer harm when using it. Headgear costs 5x as much.
Lord of Leaping
Cost: 3 Trait Points
Description: Your character is naturally gifted at jumping. Gains 1 ► to jumping rolls.
Low-Light Vision
Cost: 2 Trait Points
Description: Your character has the ability to see better in low-light conditions, negating the low-light penalty in short range but doubling the penalty for bright light.
Natural Armor
Cost: Special
Description: Your character has tough skin, so tough that they can resist lethal damage. This protection also applies to any medicine, first aid, or surgery skill rolls made on the character that requires breaking the skin, suffers a penalty adjustment equal to the natural armor value.
- Natural Armor 1 = 2 Trait Points
- Natural Armor 2 = 3 Trait Points
- Natural Armor 3 = 5 Trait Points
- Natural Armor 4 = 7 Trait Points
- Natural Armor 5 = 10 Trait Points
- Natural Armor 6 = 13 Trait Points
- Natural Armor 7 = 17 Trait Points
Resilient
Cost: 2 Trait Points
Description: Your character refuses to stay down. When the character’s willpower has dropped to zero, they can (and must) always attempt a Second Wind roll.
Resist Daze
Cost: 2 Trait Points
Description: Character clears 2 daze points per round.
Resist Distraction
Cost: 2 Trait Points
Description: The character does not lose their readied action as a result of the distraction condition.
Resist Exhaustion
Cost: 2 Trait Points
Description: The character suffers from one less exhaustion point.
Resist Falling
Cost: 2 Trait Points
Description: A character only suffers 2 blunt damage x Gravity x Meter(s) when falling.
Resist Fast Healing
Cost: 2 Trait Points
Description: Your character heals damage faster than average. Adds 1 ► to healing checks related to the trauma condition.
Resist Fear
Cost: 2 Trait Points
Description: Character always clears at least 1 point of fear on their turn.
Resist Gravity
Cost: 2 Trait Points
Description: Character treats high gravities as one gravity less.
Resist Hypothermia
Cost: 2 Trait Points
Description: Character doubles their toughness when resolving hypothermia but experiences hyperthermia as one tier worse.
Resist Hyperthermia
Cost: 2 Trait Points
Description: Character doubles their toughness when resolving hyperthermia but experiences hypothermia as one tier worse.
Resist Illusion/Hallucination
Cost: 2 Trait Points
Description: The character always clears at least one illusion point when attempting to “see past” the illusion or hallucination condition.
Resist Pain
Cost: 2 Trait Points
Description: The character doubles their resolve points when dealing with the pain condition.
Restful
Cost: 2 Trait Points
Description: Your character requires 2 hours less rest and revitalize. The character may still only revitalize twice per day.
Runs Fast
Cost: 3 Trait Points
Description: Your character runs faster than average. Gain 1 ► to the Sprint Technique checks.
Savant
Cost: 3 Trait Points
Description: The character is so naturally skilled at one thing that they half the skill adjustment for a chosen skill.
Speed Walker
Cost: 3 Trait Points
Description: Your character walks faster than average. Add 1 to your walking speed.
Strong Stomach
Cost: 1 Trait Point
Description: Your character has a cast iron stomach. Add +1 to rolls when resisting ingested poisons or diseases.
Tail (Balance)
Cost: 2 Trait Points
Description: Your character has a tail which improves their balance. Adds 1 ► to all Reflex and Acrobatics checks. Gear designed to accommodate the tail costs 2x as much. If the tail is impeded the character will instead suffer a ◄ 1 shift to Reflex and Acrobatic checks.
Tail (Prehensile)
Cost: 3 Trait Points
Description: Your character has a prehensile tail. Upon creation, the tail has a strength and finesse rating of 5. These attributes are increased separately from the character’s base scores.
Tail (Weapon)
Cost: 4 Trait Points
Description: Your character has a specialized tail designed for combat. Upon creation, the character chooses from a small bladed or small blunt attack type. Fighting with the tail uses the character’s brawl skill rating. The tail has an attack range of 1 meter.
Tough
Cost: 3 Trait Points
Description: Your character is tougher than most. Adds +1 to Toughness Checks.
Unmagical
Cost: 6 Trait Points
Description: Your character’s incompatibility with magic runs deep enough to make you more resilient, good or bad. When a character is exposed to a metaphysical effect, they make an aegis check and subtract the generated goal points from the power of the metaphysical effect.Note: This ability does not translate to a character’s gear.
Vigilant
Cost: 3 Trait Points
Description: Your character is incredibly alert. Adds +1 to Awareness checks.
Wealthy
Cost: 6 Trait Points
Description: You have more money than you probably should. Whatever amount of money that your priority would give you, add a zero to it. Yes, this trait can be taken more than once.