Welcome to TiddlyWiki created by Jeremy Ruston, Copyright © 2007 UnaMesa Association
''Common, Strong: 15 Points
Common, Total: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This Disadvantage is only appropriate for male characters who are shorter than 5' 7" (1.7 meters) tall without actually being a [[Little Person]]. The character is so sensitive about his lack of height that he sees "short jokes" in casual comments and feels he must prove his masculinity by being bad-tempered and pugnacious. He starts fights at the drop of a hat (especially with men who are taller than he is), and believes unconsciously that women can't be attracted to him because he is short. If someone actually does use a short joke in his presence, or treat him in any of the ways he fears they want to, the character tends to become apoplectic with rage.
''Frequently, Minor: 10 Points''
''Type:'' Social
''Description:'' This character's charm, beauty, or reputation precedes them, and wherever they go, anyone who might be attracted to them falls all over them. They get fan mail from teenagers who 'like, totally swear I'm gonna die if you don't love me, man!', can't have a quiet dinner out without some gushing beauty asking them for their autograph, get marriage proposals in the mail, etc.
''Frequently, Major: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Social
''Description:'' The character is a supernatural being in a human society where such creatures exist, but are not known to exist by the general public. Moreover, he attempts to "pass" as a human to live among them. This Disadvantage is primarily meant for use in "secret magic" modern horror/fantasy campaigns, but may be applicable in other campaigns at the GM's discretion.
Generally, in such campaigns, supernatural beings are common enough to have their own subculture, but not their own society. Thus, they hide among the humans. In addition to the individual desire to avoid excessive notice, there is usually an agreement among the subculture to conceal their presence, either formal ("By the Ancient Covenant of Keurk, we are forbidden to lift the Veil and reveal the existence of the Faes to Humanity") or informal ("If youse let the norms know we vampires exist, we's all in hot water, so if you blows our cover, we ices you.") Not only must the character avoid using his powers or indulging unusual eating habits where he can be observed, but he should also avoid interacting with the medical system or law enforcement officials.
Failure to successfully stay hidden usually results in humans attempting to kill, capture or worship the character, and may draw fire from other super-naturals. Characters with this Disadvantage often have easily concealable Distinctive Features appropriate to the type of supernatural being they are.
''Occasionally, Minor: 5 Points''
''Type:'' Social
''Description:'' The character comes from a "lower" social class, but moves in "higher" social circles. (For example, he may be "new money" or a successful gangster trying to act 'legit") Although he may mimic the clothing styles, speech patterns and behaviors of his "betters," he remains crude and unrefined. This is painfully obvious to anyone who interacts with the character. Because of this, the character will take a penalty of -1 to -3 to High Society rolls depending on circumstances.
''Infrequently, Slightly: 5 Points''
This character has a "busted thermostat", and as a result normally runs tangibly cooler or warmer than regular people. A character whose body temperature is lower than normal tends to have a lower metabolism. He doesn't eat as much, and sleeps more. In addition, it takes a while for the character to "get going" and rarely does he have extra energy. Such characters can never "push" their abilities and make all Dexterity Rolls and Dexterity-based Skill Rolls at a -1 penalty. In addition, they get cold easily when the temperature is below 80º Fahrenheit.
A character whose body temperature is higher than normal doesn't sleep much, eats more, and always seems "on". However, he also overheats very easily, and tires out quickly. The character must make a Constitution Roll to use any ability with an endurance cost of one-fifth his normal Endurance maximum. In addition, they feel uncomfortably warm whenever the temperature is over 75º Fahrenheit.
''Common, Moderate: 10 Points
Common, Strong: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character is forgetful of, or confused by, anything not related to what he is working on or focused on at the moment. Obviously, the classic absent-minded professor springs to mind. There are two basic levels to this Disadvantage. The 10 point version (Common, Moderate) means the character acts absent minded, but can remember routine occasions and things (like bathing, eating, and such) without having to make an Ego Roll. The 15 point version (Common, Strong) would normally mean that the character would have to make an Ego Roll to remember those sort of basic things without some sort of external reminder.
Alternately, a GM could treat the Common, Strong version in such a way that the character would only have to make an Ego Roll to remember non-regular occurrences, such as delivering a telephone message to someone or when precisely it was that they were getting married that afternoon.
''Infrequently, Greatly: 10 Points''
''Type:'' Physical
''Description:'' This character's defenses have some flaw that is either obvious or can be easily perceived or deduced by an experienced foe. Opponents receive a bonus of +2 to all Find Weakness attempts against the character. The Frequency of this Disadvantage should be increased if one of more people with the Find Weakness talent are Hunting the character.
''Common, Strong: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character behaves in a stable, adult fashion. He is responsible, reliable, and carries his share of any load. At least, he acts like that up until circumstances change and he is no longer happy about what is going on. At that point, he starts to act like an eight year old child. The character will become huffy and contrary, refusing to help others until his own needs are met first and the sooner the better. He'll even whine and cry if he isn't given his way. The character can make an Ego Roll to force himself to not act in this manner, but even then its only an act. All the Ego Roll really does is reduce the degree to which the character pouts, not whether or not he does.
''Common, Strong: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character acts in a manner which can only be called stereotypical for his nationality. He fulfills, in all particulars, the common image of his countrymen. For example, if the character //Acts Stereotypically American//, he is boisterous, obnoxious, and believes that you needn't learn other languages -- because if you talk slow enough and loud enough they'll understand you anyway. If he //Acts Stereotypically French//, he's surly, hates Americans, smokes constantly, womanizes, and snubs anyone who speaks French with an accent. If the character //Acts Stereotypically Australian//, he drinks beer by the gallon (and that's just for breakfast), considers a good fistfight to be a casual recreational activity, and dresses and talks like Crocodile Dundee.
The possible list, while not endless, is certainly long (the possible examples for this Disadvantage are not infinite, but there are a lot of them.) Obviously, this Disadvantage is only appropriate for characters of a nationality which has a stereotype. In other words, this Disadvantage doesn't work if you want to try to //Act Stereotypically Namibian// because Namibia doesn't have a widely recognized stereotype in film and media.
''Uncommon, Strong: 10 Points
Uncommon, Total: 15 Points
Common, Strong: 15 Points
Common, Total: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character has an unreasonable compulsion to ingest a substance (alcohol, nicotine, heroin, etc.) or perform an activity (gamble, play video games, have sex, etc.). A Frequency of Uncommon means that the addiction is not yet a serious problem for the character, and it only rarely affects the character's daily performance. A Frequency of Common means that the addiction is a very real problem, and the character's daily performance is seriously affected.
A player character should not take this Disadvantage with a frequency of Very Common, as this would mean that the character spends most of his active life filling the addiction. Similarly, an addiction that has a Frequency less than Uncommon is not a true addiction, but rather is merely a bad habit. The strength of the addiction (whether Strong or Total) determines the character's ability to resist giving in to the addiction when given a chance to indulge it.
''Common, Total: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character tries to be "on" 100% of the time. They are addicted to the rush brought on by stressful or exciting situations and have forgotten how to relax. Such characters are often moody and fall into an emotional slump if not stimulated. He will tend to feel guilty for taking time off from work, and procrastinate until the last moment in order to motivate themselves. When they take time out to eat, its done quickly and "on the go"; they just don't have time to "slow down" and eat like normal people.
If there is a job to do, family and friends may become neglected as the character focuses on the work at hand. For such a character, solving problems and "getting things done" gives him a sense of personal importance and meaning. Because he finds standard means of relaxing and recreating to be "boring", he will often seek out dangerous and "extreme" recreational activities -- those which will stimulate the character into the stress-based rush that he craves.
''Common, Moderate: 10 Points
Common, Moderate: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character is the ultimate tourist. He tends to wander around looking for new ways to get into trouble. A new sport? Try it, especially if its dangerous. A new dance club? Let's go, and so what if its in the middle of a neighborhood where murder is as common as breathing. They will try anything that sounds like fun at least once. At the Moderate level the character can still abide boring days, but at Strong, anything other than going balls-to-the-wall after some sort of fun is intolerable.
This Disadvantage is similar to [[Adrenaline Junkie]], but is actually quite different. The character's idea of fun, after all, might be finding and exploring new art galleries or sculpture gardens.
''Uncommon, Strong: 10 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character either possesses a power that is beyond his ability to control or is so deadly that the character dare not use it. In any case, before the character can use the power in combat he must make an Ego Roll and either be in danger himself, or have someone he cares about in danger. He will avoid using the Power when out of combat, but after sufficient cajoling and assurances that it's safe (and an Ego Roll), he can be convinced to use it "just this once".
''Infrequently, Slightly: 5 Points
Infrequently, Greatly: 10 Points
Infrequently, Fully: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Physical
''Description:'' This character burns through his "allotted years" faster than he should. He grows markedly older in a space of time that other people barely notice. The exact rate of aging is determined by the player. Most campaigns, however, do not encompass enough time for the character's condition to become a problem. This Disadvantage should be taken at the Slightly level in cases where the character ages two to four years for every year that passes. If the character ages between five and eight years for every year that passes, this Disadvantage should be taken at the Greatly level. Any rate higher than eight years for every year that passes should be taken at the Fully impairing level, as the character's life span will end much more quickly than it should.
This Disadvantage is very appropriate for Speedsters. It should not be taken in combination with [[Short Life Span]]; this Disadvantage represents a character which specifically ages faster than other people, where [[Short Life Span]] is meant to represent a character who simply doesn't live as long as other people. It is a subtle difference, but it is a difference.
''Common, Strong: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character might not be a killer, or even someone prone to injuring opponents, but he does want to defeat his enemies as quickly as possible. With that in mind, this character will use his attack powers at full strength, unless it is obvious that doing so will maim or kill his opponent (assuming the character has a compunction against doing so). The character will attack full out at first, and then tone his later attacks down to what his opponent can take. He isn't necessarily interested in pulping his opponent -- just beating him, and quickly. Obviously, this Disadvantage is incompatible with [[Attitude About Lethal Force (Code vs. Killing)]].
In addition to not pulling his punches, he will attack the opponent who seems the most dangerous first. He will also be reluctant to flee a fight if it is going badly for his teammates, and will want to chase a fleeing opponent. He will not hide behind cover and snipe at his foes, but rather will move up on them and attack. This Disadvantage is not the same thing as [[Reckless In Combat]]; he won't take foolish chances. However, he will also not be over-cautious.
''Frequently, Slightly: 10 Points''
''Type:'' Physical
''Description:'' This character (stereotypically female and blonde) is not truly stupid, but rather is just a bit slower on the uptake than an average person. The character needs to have jokes explained, doesn't understand situations that call for subtlety and wit, and tends to take sarcasm literally. While this condition is hardly debilitating, it does frequently cause the character to be the target of jokes, and causes a certain skepticism regarding the character's intelligence.
''Concealable; Noticed And Recognizable; Commonly Used Senses: 10 Points''
''Type:'' Distinctive Feature
''Description:'' A character with this Distinctive Feature appears to be very pale, with white, pink, or (very rarely) pale yellowish skin, white hair, and pale blue, pink, or red eyes. The actual COM score of the character is unaffected by this condition. He may seem either attractive or ugly, but he will always be noticed due to his odd coloration, and cannot easily blend in with a crowd.
A character with this Disadvantage is also required to take [[Albino (Physical)]].
''Infrequently, Greatly: 10 Points''
''Type:'' Physical
''Description:'' This character has no natural body pigment. His hair and skin are white, and his eyes are pink. Such a character must avoid direct sunlight, as they have no resistance to sunburn. If the player so chooses, this could be bought as a Susceptibility. In addition, he suffers a -2 penalty to all Sight Perception Rolls and also to any ranged attack rolls made in direct sunlight. (This can be countered by wearing sunglasses or other tinted lenses.)
A character who takes this Disadvantage is also required to take [[Albino (Distinctive)]].
''Frequently, Greatly: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Physical
''Description:'' This Disadvantage should only be taken by extraterrestrials and other characters who are far from baseline Terran biology.
The character's body physiology is significantly different from that of a normal human, and as such normal medical practices simply don't work (or don't work as well) on the character. Depending on the character's concept, the character may merely need medical supplements to be healed. Other character concepts may require special equipment, strange chemicals, and difficult procedures for medical care to work. Anyone attempting to use a medical skill to heal the character suffers a -6 penalty to their roll.
''Common, Moderate: 10 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' The character can read, but chooses not to. Often this is associated with a mild but undiagnosed eyesight problem, mild [[Dyslexia]], simply being happy in his ignorance, or perhaps suffered a really bad school experience. The character simply does not read for entertainment or informational purposes, but will still read mandatory materials... though he tends to dismiss and not remember things he's read. This Disadvantage is only worth points in campaign settings where the majority of people are literate and information is conveyed in print.
Other Disadvantages the character might have include [[Proud Of His Ignorance]], [[Distrusts (Concept, Person, Or Group)]] where the group is defined as "Eggheads" and Educated People, and [[Couch Potato]].
''Infrequently, Slightly: 5 Points
Infrequently, Greatly: 10 Points
Infrequently, Fully: 15 Points
Frequently, Slightly: 10 Points
Frequently, Greatly: 15 Points
Frequently, Fully: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Physical
''Description:'' This character has a non-life threatening //Allergy//, such as hay fever. When the //Allergy// is active, the character feels ill. In the case of respiratory //Allergies//, the character suffers from watery eyes, a stuffy nose, and is constantly sneezing and coughing. Topical //Allergies// cause the character to break out in hives and constantly itch. Dietary //Allergies// cause the character to grow nauseous and can lead to vomiting, sweating, and balance problems. The possible permutations of each //Allergy// are almost numberless. The exact effects are left up to the individual GM.
Characters whose //Allergies// are potentially fatal should take Susceptibilities instead.
''Common, Moderate: 10 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' The character keeps himself apart from others, and tends to condescend to them when he is forced to communicate. He may not actually think himself superior to others, but he acts as though he is, and likes to keep people at arm's distance.
For close friends or in situations where being aloof simply isn't working, the character can forego the attitude temporarily.
''Very Common, Moderate: 15 Points
Very Common, Strong: 20 Points
Very Common, Total: 25 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character is always complaining, always taking things the wrong way, always seeing offense, and always one inch away from giving you a fat lip. Such characters do not have many friends (if any at all), and most of his associates think he is [[Boorish]]. This Disadvantage is really only appropriate for <nowiki>NPCs</nowiki> and Villains (especially low-intelligence bricks... the type of brick that is little more than a super strong thug).
If a player character takes this Disadvantage, it is strongly recommended that it not be taken above the Moderate level. This would represent a character whose temper is always on the surface, but one who could put a damper on it if needed. For characters that take this at the Strong level, the character must make a successful Ego Roll to control themselves. And at Total he cannot do so at all except in the most extreme of circumstances. This Disadvantage is often taken along with the Social Limitation of the same name, and at roughly the same severity level.
''Very Frequently, Minor: 15 Points
Very Frequently, Major: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Social
''Description:'' This character is always complaining, always taking things the wrong way, always seeing offense, and always one inch away from giving you a fat lip. Such characters do not have many friends (if any at all), and most of his associates think he is a boor. This Disadvantage is really only appropriate for <nowiki>NPCs</nowiki> and villains (especially low-intelligence bricks... the type of brick that is little more than a superstrong thug).
If a player character takes this Disadvantage, it is strongly recommended that it not be taken above the Minor level, representing a character whose temper is always on the surface, but one who could put a damper on it if needed. Otherwise, at the Major level, the character is often blowing their top. This Disadvantage is often taken along with the Psychological Limitation of the same name, and at roughly the same severity level.
''Common, Total: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This Disadvantage is a standard for overblown, grandstanding villains. The commitment on this Disadvantage is Total because the character in question does it without thinking about it. The only way to stop is to buy the Disadvantage off completely.
Characters who suffer from this Disadvantage don't have to announce their every action (in other words, they don't have to speak like "Now I'm going to throw my Martial Kick at your head! Then I will Martial Punch you in the face!"), but rather has to announce whenever they change targets ("Now that I've defeated Puma Princess, you're next, Box Boy!") or decides to stop fighting to do something else ("Bah! This fight is pointless! I'll activate my superbomb, teleport away, and be finished with the lot of you!").
Characters with this Disadvantage are incapable of being subtle or sneaky in combat, for obvious reasons
''Common, Strong: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' A character with this Disadvantage is conscious of his standing in the eyes of the community, and wants that perception to be positive. He will hesitate to undertake any action that damages his reputation or alters the way the public feels about him unless other Psychological Limitations apply. It is possible for the character to have a limited form of this disadavantage for the same points (examples of such limited forms would be //Always Aware of the Black Community's Public Perception of Him// or //Always Aware of Teenage Public Perception of Him// or even //Always Aware of the <nowiki>Movie-Going</nowiki> Public's Perception of Him//).
''Frequently, Minor: 10 Points''
''Type:'' Social
''Description:'' Regardless of the character's wealth, he almost never actually has money (or the equivalent) with him when he needs it. It's been blown on gambling or other frivolities, or his wallet is in his other pants, or he forgot to pay his credit card bill... again. As a result, he has to borrow money for necessities, or convince others to pay his way. Often, any new money that comes in must be used to pay back the people who have lent him previous sums, and his pockets are empty again.
The character will have a reputation among his friends and acquaintances as a mooch and someone who can't be trusted with money. Tradesmen and merchants will look askance at the character. In societies where the man is expected to pay for any female companions, he will have trouble getting second dates. (Women with this Social Limitation usually find a steady sugar daddy quickly.)
A classic example of a character with this Social Limitation is Wimpy, Popeye's friend. "I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today."
''Common, Strong: 15 Points
Common, Total: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character always has himself together, never panics, and never gets overly emotional, even when its appropriate to do so. While this can, in some instances, be a good thing (keeping his head in stressful situations, for instance), most of the time other characters find him to be distant, unfeeling, and cold. Of course, the character isn't really [[Emotionless]], but rather is so used to keeping himself composed that expressing any strong emotion (hate, grief, love, lust, fear, etc.) is difficult for the character to express, and when he does do so, he tends to sound like he's reading memorized lines from a script rather than saying how he feels.
At the Strong level the character must make an Ego Roll in order to avoid acting in this manner. At Total, the character can only force himself to act otherwise in times of great exigency.
''Common, Strong: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' The character greatly respects a person or group, either because of their achievements or their position. As a result, he will always let them speak first and foremost, listen to what they have to say, give them preferential treatment, etc. The character is not bound to follow the deferred to person's orders, but certainly will give them all the consideration they deserve.
''Common, Strong: 15 Points
Common, Total: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' A person with this Psychological Limitation is [[Honorable]] in a limited way. The character will never take advantage of others in combat. He won't fight someone who is obviously no match for him, and will only use weapons against armed opponents (and even then, he will only use a comparable weapon to the one his opponent is using). The character will never attack without warning, will never attack noncombatants, will not "fight dirty", and won't hold hostages against the opponent giving up rather than fighting.
At the Strong level, the character must make an Ego Roll in order to force himself to use "dishonorable tactics". At Total, the character will not do so except in the most dire of circumstances.
''Common, Strong: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character is the type who has a weapon handy in the shower. Indeed, they may have a weapon just for the shower. This Disadvantage is highly appropriate for weapons masters and foci users, but less so for other characters. It is nearly impossible to catch a character who //Always Goes Armed// when he's low on ammunition, or not packing some sort of weapon.
''Common, Moderate: 10 Points
Common, Strong: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character cannot resist answering other people's questions, even when they weren't directed at him. He is not trying to be a [[Know It All]]; he will not attempt to give an answer when he doesn't have one. He simply feels compelled to share whatever knowledge he has with those around him. In addition, the character often shares trivial information with others. He doesn't do this to make himself look intelligent or knowledgeable, but rather simply because he knows something and wants other people to know it.
At the Moderate level, the character can force himself to not act in this manner when necessary. At Strong, he must make an Ego Roll to do so.
''Very Common, Strong: 20 Points
Very Common, Total: 25 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character does what he's told by those appointed in positions of authority above him without hesitation and without question. This is a Disadvantage that should only apply to characters who are a part of a military or paramilitary organization (such as his nation's Army, or Intelligence organization, or Law Enforcement.) Since almost all of their daily activities are dictated by their organization, the Frequency of this Disadvantage is Very Common.
Most player characters who take this Disadvantage should take it at Strong level, since a character with Total commitment is basically a fanatic with little to no will of his own. This Disadvantage should not be taken at the Moderate level; [[Feels Loyalty To His Superiors]] should be taken instead.
''Common, Moderate: 10 Points
Common, Strong: 15 Points
Common, Total: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character goes above and beyond in their goal to treat others kindly. The unflappable type of person to take this Disadvantage takes turning the other cheek as the law even when they feel they have been treated unfairly. While a person with this Disadvantage may often times assume the best of others, that is not always the case. However, when an excuse is given or an occasion arises where someone needs to be forgiven they will unfalteringly step up to the plate and say and mean those words that need to be heard.
This Disadvantage should always be taken at the Common frequency. Uncommon isn't true to Limitation, and Very Common is excessive. A Moderate commitment means that the character can be too easily persuaded not to forgive or be polite. A Strong commitment means that even if he believes that the person was doing something morally questionable, and is convinced that there was a better course of action, he still must make an Ego Roll to resist forgiving or being polite to the individual. A Total commitment means that the character will never be rude or hesitate to forgive even the most undeserving of individuals.
''Very Common, Moderate: 15 Points
Very Common, Strong: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This Disadvantage only applies to characters who are a part of a military or paramilitary organization. The Frequency of this Disadvantage is always going to be Very Common, because this organization is going to be a large part of the character's life. However, it should never be taken at the Total level, since such a character would very soon find himself constantly disciplined for insubordination.
This character always reviews the orders he is given and compares them to his own personal standards of what sensible and proper orders should be. This is not [[Refuses To Follow Orders]]; the character can and will go along with what his superiors tell him to do. However, he will ask questions, make comments, and possibly offer other alternatives before doing so. A character with the Moderate level can rein in his urge to question orders if he has to; a character with the Strong level must make an Ego Roll to do so.
''Common, Moderate: 10 Points
Common, Strong: 15 Points
Common, Total: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character always wants to do the right thing. To this character, the end never justifies the means. If a plan to defeat Dr. Destructo means using people or hurting them in some way, this character won't go along with it without much heel-dragging and deep thought. This doesn't mean that the character can't be talked into doing something of questionable morality, particularly if some greater good really would be served. It does mean, however, that he won't go along with it without some serious soul-searching, discussion, and deep thought. The character will resist (and probably resent) being pushed into something that might be morally questionable without thinking about it or talking it out first.
If a player wishes for his character to take this Disadvantage, the GM should allow it only if he is sure the player actually can and will play the Disadvantage correctly. If the player's idea of "questioning the morality of his own actions" boils down to:
''Player 1:'' "I don't know if we should do this. It doesn't seem right somehow."
''Player 2:'' "But this will let us beat Dr. Destructo."
''Player 1:'' "Okay, you've convinced me. Let's do it."
then some other Disadvantage would probably be better for his character. A character who takes this Disadvantage really needs to be convinced that there isn't a more honest, morally upright, way to accomplish whatever the current goal is.
This Disadvantage should always be taken with the Common Frequency. Uncommon isn't true to character, and Very Common is excessive. A Moderate commitment means that the character can be persuaded, given a little time. A Strong commitment means that even if he believes in the reasons for doing something morally questionable, and is convinced that there really is no other, better course of action, he still must make an Ego Roll to go along with it. A Total commitment means that the character won't go along with a morally questionable course of action unless the stakes are high enough (such as "If I don't do this, every person on the planet will die").
''Common, Moderate: 10 Points
Common, Strong: 15 Points
Common, Total: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character feels that it is not his duty to go any further out of the way than absolutely necessary to complete a task, goal or order. Getting from point A to point B should always come at minimal sacrifice to the character. Because of their consistent attitude towards getting things done as quickly and easily as possible, this character may be perceived as lazy or cowardly, even if he actually isn't.
This Disadvantage should always be taken with the Common frequency. Uncommon isn't true to character, and Very Common is excessive. A Moderate commitment means that the character can be persuaded, given time, to go out of their way to accomplish something. A Strong commitment means that even if he believes that the person is right and that it would be more effective to go through an obstacle or two, he still must make an Ego Roll to resist taking the path of least resistance. A Total commitment means that the character will never go out of his way to do anything extra in accomplishing his goal, commitment or duty.
''Common, Moderate: 10 Points
Common, Strong: 15 Points
Common, Total: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character wants to succeed, and is willing to do almost anything to do so. They are inherently competitive with anyone they perceive (rightfully or not) as rivals for advancement. Player characters should not take this Disadvantage above the Strong level. And it is recommended that they not take it above Moderate.
At Common, Moderate, the character wants to get ahead, but won't hurt others to do so. At Common, Strong, the character is willing to sacrifice others to his own ambitions, but is capable of taking the needs of those who are close to him into consideration with an EGO Roll. At Common, Total, the character cares very little about what happens to other people if they are between him and his goal.
''Common, Moderate: 10 Points
Common, Strong: 15 Points
Common, Total: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character wants to succeed, and is willing to do almost anything to do so. They are inherently competitive with anyone they perceive (rightfully or not) as rivals for advancement. They are adept at getting people to do what they want them to do. They use many different ways to do this: cajoling, bribery, casual persuasion, or whatever. Mostly, in fact, they do this without even thinking about it.
Player characters should not take this Disadvantage above the Strong level, and it is recommended that they not take it above Moderate. At Common, Moderate, the character wants to get ahead, but won't intentionally hurt others to do so. At Common, Strong, the character is willing to sacrifice others to his own ambitions, but is capable of taking the needs of those who are close to him into consideration with an EGO Roll. At Common, Total, the character cares very little about what happens to other people if they are between him and his goal.
In all cases, his manipulative nature will put people into his rival's way, and not care about the results past what inconvenience it causes for his them.
''Frequently, Slightly: 10 Points''
''Type:'' Physical
''Description:'' A character with //Amblyopia// suffers from poor or indistinct vision in an eye that is otherwise physically normal. The problem is caused by either no transmission or poor transmission of the visual image to the brain for a sustained period of dysfunction. This condition normally only affects one eye.
The character suffers a -2 to all PER rolls that involve fine detail. The character can still spot large objects (especially if the objects are especially prominent), but has a hard time with smaller objects or tiny details like fine print.
While the colloquialism //Lazy Eye// is frequently used to refer to //Amblyopia//, the term is inaccurate because there is no "laziness" of either the eye or the amblyope involved in the condition. Therefore, some consider the term "lazy eye" to be pejorative.
''Infrequently, Slightly: 5 Points
Infrequently, Greatly: 10 Points
Infrequently, Fully: 15 Points
Frequently, Slightly: 10 Points
Frequently, Greatly: 15 Points
Frequently, Fully: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Physical
''Description:'' This character has previously suffered some head injury which caused brain damage. The specific damage has caused the character to permanently forget details of his life before the injury occurred. The erasure of memory may be complete or partial, as the player wishes, and the specific details the character has forgotten is also up to the player. Note that forgetting how to do certain things (such as how to talk) can be better covered by using other Disadvantages.
The Frequency of this Disadvantage is determined by how often the missing information is needed, while the Severity is determined by how important the forgotten information is. As these considerations are variable, the GM must determine the specific points for this Disadvantage. For example, forgetting how to drive a car isn't as great a disadvantage in New York City as it is in Miami, Florida, as there is a wide and varied choice of public transportation systems in New York. If the character maintains more than one identity (for example, a superhero with [[Identity (Secret Identity)]]), generally //Amnesia// causes the character to forget one of his identities.
Note that this Disadvantage shouldn't be used to represent the inability to make new memories. That limitation, called //Anterograde Amnesia//, is better represented by the most severe version of [[Short Attention Span]].
''Common, Strong: 15 Points
Common, Total: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character has suffered something so painful and traumatizing that he blocks out all memory of that event and his life prior. He may be able to remember certain personal details (like his name), but won't remember anything else. Friends, family, his home, his job; nothing will be familiar to him. At the Strong level, the character must make an Ego Roll in order to remember something about his past life. At Total, he cannot do so except under the most dire of circumstances. This Disadvantage should not be bought off except when accompanied by extensive role-playing, and should be a momentous occasion in the life of the character.
It should be noted that this Disadvantage is different from [[Amnesia (Physical)]]; as a Physical Limitation it would imply actual brain damage instead of the blocking out of psychological trauma. If the character maintains more than one identity, for example, a superhero with [[Identity (Secret Identity)]], generally //Amnesia// causes the character to forget one of his identities.
''Very Frequently, Major: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Social
''Description:'' This character has no conscious memory before a certain date or event. They have no childhood memories to call upon, no contacts from before except for those who for some reason contact him or her (such as a DNPC). If the character maintains more than one identity (for example, a superhero with a [[Secret Identity|Identity (Secret Identity)), generally //Amnesia// causes the character to forget one of his identities.
''Common, Total: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character simply doesn't consider morality issues when he is deciding his actions. Right and wrong don't matter; to this character, such concerns are silly, unimportant, or make-believe ideals that are followed by others. He cannot be persuaded by appeals to his sense of decency. To put it simply, he believes that whatever happens, happens, that the ends justify the means. This character should also have at least one other Disadvantage which explains what his motivations and goals are, since ordinary right and wrong don't figure into his plans.
For instance, the character may have some variation of [[Must Protect (Person, Place, Or Thing) From (Threat)]] along with //Amoral//, which tells us that the character will use any means necessary to defend his charge from the thread, and will not consider the rightness or wrongness of any action in the pursuit of that goal.
''Common, Moderate: 10 Points
Common, Strong: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' A character with this Disadvantage takes to heart the old song, "Love The One You're With." While the details vary, he will take most opportunities to hit on members of the appropriate sex that he finds attractive. At the Moderate level, the character can restrain his impulses without too much difficulty, and generally reacts good-naturedly when his passes are deflected. At the Strong level, however, the character goes from a friendly wolf, who might be thought charming even to those who are not particularly interested in his attentions, to a lounge lizard, being more persistent, less charming, and also less likely to be nice when turned down.
Levels outside those listed above turn this Disadvantage pathological, turning the character into a stalker, and should be simulated by taking the [[Hunts (Person Or Group)]] Disadvantage instead.
It is recommended that Player Characters not take this Disadvantage at the Strong intensity.
''Very Common, Moderate: 15 Points
Very Common, Strong: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character distrusts all authority, wants to be able to do anything he wants (although he may have other Disadvantages which cause the character to limit his own actions), and he resists any interference from the government (which he views as unnecessary at best and a criminal dictatorship at worst) to the best of his ability (and again, within the limits of his other Disadvantages).
The character is generally uncooperative with any government functionary, especially one whose duties lie in the area of regulation or law enforcement. He tends to talk back to cops, and has no respect for other forms of civil servants. And he downright hates anyone having anything to do with collecting taxes. Perhaps the only civil servant he can abide is a mailman. At the Moderate level, the character can cooperate and follow orders when necessary. At Strong, the character must make an Ego Roll in order to do so.
''Frequently, Major: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Social
''Description:'' Also known as "Jessica Fletcher Syndrome." The character has an uncanny knack for being in the vicinity of murders. Any time the character goes to a new town or to a special occasion, a murder will occur, requiring him to solve it. If the character avoids new locations or experiences, the murders will come to him. The character will quickly become acquainted with a number of police officers, especially in the Homicide Division. Death becomes the character's constant companion, and soon everyone knows at least the vague outlines of his exploits. The character will be invited places based solely on their expertise with murder, and eventually people will notice the statistical improbability of these murders always happening around the character.
It is recommended that the character invest in skills and perks helpful to an amateur detective. Characters with this Disadvantage may also have the Psychological Limitations [[Must Leave No Crime Unsolved]], [[Nosy]], or [[Cannot Turn Down A Challenge]]. They may also be Monitored by the Police.
''Frequently, Greatly: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This Physical Limitation represents the level of awareness and consciousness possessed by most animals. It represents a basic, bestial intellect: a heavy degree of inst instinct mixed with animal cunning and insight. Creatures with //Animal Intelligence// can be taught some basic tricks and even become valuable helpmates to sentient creatures, but cannot communicate with sentient beings in any meaningful way.
''Uncommon, Strong: 10 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character cannot stand people who are less than able at whatever it is they are doing. Checkout clerks who can't work a register, delivery people who drop things, movie concession people who are slow, workers at fast food restaurants who get drive through orders wrong. All of these cause the character to get irate and usually verbally angry. In order to remain calm and not make a spectacle of himself, the character must make an Ego Roll.
''Common, Strong: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character is not only [[Antisocial]] And [[Bad-Tempered]], but actively seeks out arguments and fights. He picks on people, especially those who won't fight back. However, he is not a [[Bully]]. A [[Bully]] will back off if the victim fights back. This person hopes and dreams that his victim fights back, just so he can kick the shit out of the wimp. A character with this Disadvantage actively tries to piss off other people; he is intentionally rude, purposefully inconsiderate, and enjoys getting into fights and arguments.
This Disadvantage is not appropriate for player characters. Naturally enough, it cannot be taken in combination with [[Antisocial]], [[Bad-Tempered]], or [[Antisocial And Bad-Tempered]], as it includes all of them.
''Common, Moderate: 10 Points
Common, Strong: 15 Points
Common, Total: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character is simply not very polite or friendly, and is that way all of the time. He may not be actively rude or insulting, and he may not go out of his way to insult or antagonize other people -- in fact, he may go out of his way to avoid talking to other people entirely.
Player Characters should only take this disadvantage at the Moderate level, which means that the character can behave and act nice if he really had to. An intensity of Strong would be too annoying for group interaction, as he would have to make Ego Rolls to see if he had to be nice to someone, and Total would mean that the character couldn't be nice at all. Villains, however, have no such restriction and can take this Disadvantage at higher point levels.
This Disadvantages shouldn't be taken in combination with the variants [[Antisocial And Bad-Tempered]] or [[Antagonistic And Mean]], as //Antisocial// is included in both of them.
''Common, Moderate: 10 Points
Common, Strong: 15 Points
Common, Total: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character is not only [[Antisocial]], but he's mean and about it. People who intrude upon his life are likely to be met with insults at best and physical violence at worst. As with [[Antisocial]], it is recommended that a player character not take this higher than the Moderate level.
''Common, Moderate: 10 Points
Common, Strong: 15 Points
Common, Total: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character doesn't care about anything or anyone. In fact, the character doesn't seem to have much passion about anything, nor does he show compassion towards others. The character most often appears to be simply along for the ride. Player Characters should only take this Disadvantage at Common, Moderate, for much the same reasons as [[Antisocial]]. At that level, the character can care about specific concerns or people, but usually he doesn't, and he has a difficult time expressing concern when he does feel it.
''Common, Moderate: 10 Points
Common, Strong: 15 Points
Common, Total: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character speaks and acts as if he were royalty. He is stand-offish but polite, proper at all times, speaks impeccably, and expects his commands to be followed. To other characters, he is obviously [[Stuck Up]] and feels he is "too good" for other people. Though the character doesn't necessarily feel this way, but it is not hard to believe it about the character. He is also seen as bossy (and this one is true).
At Moderate, the character can resist his urge to act in this manner when necessary. At Strong, the character must make an Ego Roll in order to do so. At Total, he may only drop this attitude in dire emergencies.
''Very Common, Moderate: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character thinks and acts as if he were better than everybody around him. He may not necessarily be unfriendly or rude about it, but he has an attitude of assumed superiority. This is different from [[Conceited]], in that [[Conceited]] is an attitude of "I am just so much better than you are!", and this Disadvantage is an attitude of "I am just so good!" Player characters should only take this Disadvantage at the Moderate level for similar reasons as the [[Antisocial]] disadvantage.
''Very Common, Strong: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character thinks and acts as if he were better than everybody around him. Unlike a person who is merely [[Arrogant]], though, he usually isn't unfriendly or rude about it. However, being [[Flamboyant]] in addition to [[Arrogant]]], he can't help but project the "fact" of his superiority in everyone's face by being as flashy as possible while showing off as much as possible. He's not trying to intentionally shove his attitude in everyone's faces... he just can't help it.
Even in the face of overwhelming opposition, the character will show no fear but will rather act as if the opposition simply doesn't matter because they aren't anywhere near as good as the character.
''Very Common, Moderate: 15 Points
Very Common, Strong: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character thinks and acts as if he were better than everybody around him. He may not necessarily be unfriendly or rude about it, but he has an attitude of assumed superiority. In addition to being [[Arrogant]], a character with this disadvantage is also [[Overconfident]] and believes himself to be more powerful, intelligent, or competent than he really is.
The character uses this "inflated" view of himself when gauging potential threats, deciding plans, and combating villains. This can be a tricky Psychological Limit to play. The character should have to make an Ego Roll in order to act cautious in all but the most life-threatening situations. If the roll fails, the player shouldn't consider the danger inherent in the situation, but rather should act as if he knew he could handle it. (Who knows? maybe he can!)
''Very Common, Moderate: 15 Points
Very Common, Strong: 20 Points
Very Common, Total: 25 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character thinks that he is better than everyone else, and he is rude about it. He won't simply say, "I think you'd better let me handle this"; he'll say, "I think you'd better let me handle this because you obviously aren't up to it." The character also acts like he doesn't enjoy interacting with his inferiors, (i.e. almost everyone else in the world) and he doesn't. Player characters should only take this Disadvantage at the Moderate level for similar reasons as the [[Antisocial]] Disadvantage.
''Uncommon, Moderate: 5 Points
Common, Moderate: 10 Points
Common, Strong: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' The character either did poorly in school, had to drop out early or for some reason was never able to get the usual education of the society in which he lives. Moreover, he feel ashamed of this fact. Characters with this disadvantage will avoid situations where their lack of knowledge will be put on display, and feel uncomfortable around people who have much better educations. They will usually choose occupations that don't require formal learning.
The Uncommon, Moderate level should be used for characters who live in societies where formal education is rare, or who spend most of their time with other uneducated people. The Common, Moderate level reflects most modern societies, or the uneducated person who has daily contact with the more educated (a janitor at an university, for example.) The character may feel uncomfortable around the more educated, but is able to function. At the Common, Strong level, the shame becomes much harder to bear, and the character must make an Ego Roll to associate with or talk to more educated people, or to display his ignorance.
Frequently-occurring Disadvantages associated with this Psychological Limitation are [[Illiterate]], [[Dyslexia]], [[Poverty]], and [[Uneducated Accent]]. A lowered Intelligence score is not necessary, but will often be assumed by other characters. The functional opposite of this Disadvantage is [[Proud Of His Ignorance]].
''Frequently, Greatly: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Physical
''Description:'' This character suffers from //Asthma// attacks. Attacks can be brought on by one of two things: fatigue and/or stress. Anytime the character becomes fatigued (i.e., uses more Endurance in a single phase than his Constitution score), he must make a Constitution Roll or suffer an attack. Anytime the character is in a stressful situation (GM's ruling), he must make an Ego Roll or suffer an attack. During an attack, any Endurance loss suffered is doubled (including the Endurance loss that brought on the attack, if any). The character will wheeze and have a hard time speaking in complete sentences. He cannot activate any power that requires verbal components (Incantations), and is at -3 to Dexterity and Intelligence based Skill Rolls, as all his concentration is needed just to breathe.
Once an attack has started, the character must make a Constitution Roll every Phase. On a critical success (roll a 3), or three consecutive successes, the character recovers. A failure costs the character one point of Endurance. On a critical failure (roll an 18), the character begins to take 1d6 of Endurance loss each phase. If his Endurance reaches zero, he will begin to lose Stun (see Hero Rules). If he loses all of his Stun, he will pass out and begin suffocating.
''Frequently, Greatly: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Physical
''Description:'' This character has bad eyesight. Whether he is [[Nearsighted]] or [[Farsighted]] is up to the player, but in any case the problem is caused by a deformation of the character's eye. What this means is that the character's vision cannot be corrected by contact lenses; to have clear vision, he is forced to wear glasses. In short, taking this Disadvantage is a bit like buying the character's normal vision through a Focus.
This Disadvantage functions identically to either the [[Nearsighted]] or [[Farsighted]] Disadvantages, with the added complication that the character now has a pair of glasses to watch out for. Glasses are easily damaged in combat, can be stolen as if they were a Focus, can be interfered with by dirt, grease, mud, etc, and are otherwise vulnerable to attack.
''Easily Concealed, Noticed And Recognizable, Commonly Used Senses: 5 Points
Concealable, Noticed And Recognizable, Commonly Used Senses: 10 Points
Not Concealable, Noticed And Recognizable, Commonly Used Senses: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Distinctive Feature
''Description:'' An //Atavism// is the reappearance of morphological traits already lost to human beings through evolution. Such cases as a person born with his body covered in thick hair, with a sacral tail, or with supernumerary mammary glands (and their accompanying nipples) are all considered //Atavistic// characteristics. For the most part, such characteristics will merely be remarked upon and remembered ("Wow... that guy is really, really hairy!") without actually provoking a fear/disgust reaction. After all, the person is still human... they just have a minor deformity.
The point value of the Distinctive Feature depends on the obviousness of the Atavism, as well as how unusual or monstrous it makes the person appear. A person afflicted with hypertrichosis (thick body hair, almost like fur, covering most of the body including the face) would obviously gain more points for this Disadvantage than someone with a third (or fourth) nipple, since the latter is easier to conceal and generally doesn't put the concept of werewolves into the minds of a stranger meeting them.
''Occasionally, Minor: 5 Points
Frequently, Minor: 10 Points
Very Frequently, Minor: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Social
''Description:'' An //Atavism// is the reappearance of morphological traits already lost to human beings through evolution. Such cases as a person born with his body covered in thick hair, with a sacral tail, or with supernumerary mammary glands (and their accompanying nipples) are all considered //Atavistic// characteristics.
In the past, //Atavism// was used by some to support racial discrimination. The nineteenth Century Italian physician Cesare Lombroso built a "theory" (with no scientific evidence to support it) by which "criminals and inferior peoples" could be easily identified due to the presence of //Atavistic// traits. It was assumed that people displaying such traits were genetically inferior, and such theories were used by Colonial empires and the Nazis to justify their racist actions. Characters displaying such traits would thus be the target of culturally supported prejudice or perhaps even violence.
The point value of the Limitation depends on the obviousness of the Atavism as well as how unusual or monstrous it makes the person appear. The more obvious and more unusual, the higher the level of prejudice suffered by the character.
A character taking this Social Limitation is required to also take [[Atavism (Distinctive)]].
''Frequent, Major: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Social
''Description:'' An ancestor of this character performed some deed so dark and terrible that the aftereffects and punishments are still felt and suffered by the descendents of the ancestor. Despite the fact that the character himself is guiltless, he is seen as a beneficiary and perpetuator of the original crime.
In the case of //Attainder of Blood//, the character is innocent of the crime though seen as guilty by the general public. In the case of //Corruption of Blood//, the character may not have committed the original crime, but he certainly doesn't have any qualms about committing a similar crime. This Disadvantage is generally unsuitable for modern campaigns. It is more appropriate for a medieval or fantasy campaign.
''Frequently, Slightly: 10 Points
Frequently, Greatly: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Physical
''Description:'' A somewhat controversial diagnosis, the general symptoms associated with this illness (also known as //Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder//) include inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity (the last especially in children.) People with this disorder find it difficult to sit still, concentrate on repetitive tasks, or focus their attention on one thing at a time. They are often seen as absent-minded, immature or willfully disruptive.
Different people require different balances of drugs, diet and behavioral modification to keep the symptoms of //ADD// under control. The Frequently, Slightly level of the disadvantage represents someone who has been correctly diagnosed and is receiving treatment. The Frequently, Greatly level is for untreated //ADD//.
It is recommended that a player taking this Physical Limitation for a character study up on it first before giving his character this Physical Limitation, due to the many controversies surrounding it.
''Very Common, Moderate: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character cannot resist putting himself in the spotlight. He insists on taking center stage whenever he can do so without getting into trouble. He will sometimes go to great lengths to ensure the attention that he craves, such as creating complex plans that prominently feature himself as the center of the action, always speaking up first or making jokes at the expense of others just to get a cheap laugh, and often exaggerating or saying gregarious things just to make himself appear better than he really is.
This is different from being a [[Showoff]] in that an //Attention Seeker// quite willing to share the spotlight with whoever else might want to be there with him, while a [[Showoff]] isn't willing to share the spotlight with anyone. An //Attention Speaker// believes that there's more than enough glory to go around, and that there's absolutely nothing wrong with the fame and glory being shared equally -- as long as the character gets his share too, everything is fine.
''Common, Strong: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' A //Casual Killer// has no compunctions about killing. He will kill quickly and without hesitation or a second thought. It is part of his nature. He feels no remorse for his victims and has no issue with other people who use lethal force (in fact, he expects other people to use lethal force). This does not mean that he kills randomly and with no thought about consequences; it just means that when killing is called for (in his opinion), he kills. It is strongly recommended that Heroes not be allowed to take this disadvantage, as it makes for a cold blooded and brutal character.
''Common, Total: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This Disadvantage is perhaps the ultimate superhero psychological limitation. If your character doesn't have it, you should be thinking long and hard as to why not. A character with this Disadvantage absolutely refuses to consider lethal force as a valid option except under the most dire of circumstances (such as "kill or the planet dies" or "kill one to prevent a million deaths"). They dislike people who are willing to use lethal force, and will actively (and if necessary, physically) try to prevent them from doing so.
If the choice comes down to using lethal force to stop an opponent and letting him escape, a character with this Disadvantage would let the opponent escape. This does not necessarily mean that the character is a coward or a weak fighter. Against a foe noted for his resistance to harm, the character will use his attacks to the best of his ability. Against unknown opponents, he will pull punches, use lower power attacks, or start out with entangles and similar non-damaging powers. And please note that it doesn't have to be a Killing Attack to count as a lethal attack -- a large enough "regular" attack can still be lethal.
''Common, Strong: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This is a variation of [[Attitude About Lethal Force (Reluctant to Kill)]]. The character is fully capable of killing without any hesitation whatsoever when it is, in his view, necessary. Its just that he firmly believes that it is not usually necessary. Whenever a situation looks like it will lead to bloodshed, the character will attempt to find a way to avoid violence by himself or others. He will also attempt to use the minimum violence necessary to resolve a situation and urge others to do the same. This character often takes skills that help negotiate tense situations diplomatically. In most campaigns, this is generally reserved for honorable villains or the shadier "neutrals". But in more violent, grittier settings it's easily a "good guy" Disadvantage.
''Common, Moderate: 10 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' The weakest //Attitude About Lethal Force//, this one indicates that the character is willing to use lethal force when necessary -- but that is still very, very rare in the character's opinion. The character does have moral objections to killing, but realizes that sometimes it may be necessary. Such a character is willing to fight and do injury, but in a moment where the decision is "Kill/Don't Kill", this character will always choose "Don't Kill", unless the situation is such that not killing is clearly the worse of two evils. At that point, the character will not hesitate before killing.
In four color superhero games, this Disadvantage should be restricted to Villains. In more lethal settings, such as military campaigns, or post-holocaust scenarios, this might be the default attitude for "good guy" characters. In such cases, the GM should watch the player like a hawk to make sure the Disadvantage is being roleplayed correctly. It should not be used as an excuse for a murderous character.
''Common, Strong: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' A character with this Disadvantage has moral convictions against using lethal force on an opponent; however, these convictions are not so strong that the character refuses to recognize that lethal force may be the solution to some situations. Under extreme circumstances, the character must make an Ego Roll in order to use lethal force. Generally, the "extreme situations" involve saving the lives of others.
''Common, Total: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' Functionally, this Disadvantage is almost identical to [[Attitude About Lethal Force (Code vs. Killing)]]. Both disadvantages have similar personal convictions against the use of deadly force, and will never resort to such measures except in the most dire of circumstances (such as "kill or the planet dies" or "kill one to prevent a million deaths"). The difference lies in that the character who //Will Not Kill// doesn't try to actively dictate his beliefs to his companions. He won't like other people using lethal attacks, but he also won't interpose himself between them and a target.
''Uncommon, Total: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' The character with this Disadvantage has no qualms about using lethal force in combat. Nor does he hesitate to use "excessive" force (bringing a gun to a knife fight, for example). However, he draws a very distinct line between killing to survive and murder. The character will accept genuine surrender, and won't put an extra shot into a downed opponent "just to make sure", he doesn't fire on non-combatants, and won't make lethal booby-traps, etc. It could be a genuine moral decision on his part, or a superstitious fear that something bad will happen if he kills in cold blood, or even a promise to someone he respects.
In four-color superhero games, this disadvantage should be restricted to the more "honorable" Villains (as Real Heroes will never choose killing as a first option). This Disadvantage combines nicely with [[Honorable]] or [[Loyal to the Cause]] for the "noble villain" archetype. In more lethal settings, such as military campaigns, or post-holocaust scenarios, this might be the default attitude for "good guy" characters.
''Common, Total: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character dodges any sort of emotional connection with another human being. They aren't very good at it, or find such relationships painful, or don't want to get another human being hurt, and so on. The character will not have any emotionally oriented <nowiki>DNPCs</nowiki> or Rivalries, as he is incapable of truly forming such relationships.
''Uncommon, Strong: 10 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character is unwilling to enter into any serious relationship (romantic, business, etc.) that lasts longer than a few months (at most). He doesn't want to be "dragged down by entanglements", and feels that the easiest way to do this is to avoid the entanglements entirely. If he dates at all, the character tends to date either many people at once or one person after another for a few weeks each. He tends to live in cheap motels rather than apartments, pays cash for everything (and never has credit cards). If he owns a car, he bought it with cash. The character makes no promises that cannot be fulfilled quickly. And if he does make promises that cover the long term, he invariably breaks them. In order to enter a long term commitment (regardless of what type), the character must make an Ego Roll.
''Very Common, Moderate: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character cannot tolerate putting himself in the spotlight. He insists on taking the greatest precautions when going into anything that might draw the attention of the media. This person may actually think twice before entering a burning building to save the damsel in distress if there is a camera crew nearby, at the very least they'll try to enter as inconspicuously as possible. This person will always pass on photo opportunities, interviews and even signing autographs, unless they are ordered, strongly encouraged, or otherwise moved to do so. In addition, they will never seek public acclaim, reward, or fame in any fashion and feel incredibly uncomfortable whenever forced into such positions.
''Very Common, Moderate: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character cannot tolerate putting himself under the scrutiny of the media. He feels that his business is his own and retains his right to privacy. This same person may subject themselves to publicity to promote themselves or something that they believe in, but it is strictly in a professional manner. This person would insist on taking the greatest precautions when going into anything that might draw the attention of the media. This person may actually think twice before entering a burning building to save the damsel in distress if there is a camera crew nearby, at the very least they'll try to enter as inconspicuously as possible, for example. He's not afraid of publicity per se... he just doesn't want to live under a microscope.
''Common, Moderate: 10 Points
Common, Strong: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character, for whatever reason, dislikes using his powers, and tries to avoid situations where he needs to or is forced to do so as much as possible. The specific reason why the character feels this way is up to the player. At Moderate, the character can force himself to use his powers when necessary, but never does so for casual reasons. At Strong, he must make an Ego Roll in order to do so.
''Frequently, Slightly: 10 Points
Frequently, Greatly: 10 Points
Frequently, Fully: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Physical
''Description:'' This character has somehow injured his back. During strenuous physical labor (including <nowiki>Hand-to-Hand</nowiki> combat), he may "throw his back out" and suffer crippling, intense pain or even further injury. Every time the character needs to make a Strength Roll or a to-hit roll, he must also make a Constitution Roll. If the character suffers any Knockback which causes him to strike a surface or other object, he must similarly make a Constitution (CON) Roll. The roll is modified by the level of effect: at Slightly, the character makes an unmodified roll. At Greatly, the character suffers a -3 penalty. At Fully, the modifier is -5. If the character takes extra time to accomplish the Strength-related task, he gains a +1 to the roll. On a failed roll, the character has thrown his back out.
If the character has a light condition (10 Points), he suffers a -2 penalty to all rolls until he rests or someone helps him. In addition, any sort of strenuous activity causes 1d6 Stun to the character with no defense. A more serious condition (Major: 15 points), causes the penalties to double (-4 to rolls, 2d6 Stun). A truly severe condition (Fully: 20 Points) causes the character to suffer a -8 penalty to all rolls, suffer 3d6 Stun damage, and 1 point of Body damage.
GM's should note that it is possible for a character to gain this condition during the course of play.
''Occasionally, Major: 5 Points''
''Type:'' Social
''Description:'' This character either through their own abuse or through identity theft has acquired bad credit. It is difficult to make major purchases with bad credit. Basically, the character is limited to his income. Characters with the Wealth Perquisite should not take this Diadvantage. A wealthy person with //Bad Credit// doesn't suffer nearly the problems that //Bad Credit// would normally bring.
Often, this character will have related Psychological Limitations the define how the character got this Disadvantage.
''Concealable; Noticed And Recognizable; Commonly Used Senses: 10 Points''
''Type:'' Distinctive Feature
''Description:'' This character, no matter what he does, can't seem to wear anything close to the height of fashion. His friends tease him and his enemies make fun of him. Interaction Skills (excluding Animal Handler) are made at a -1 penalty due to the distraction the poor taste in clothing causes.
''Common, Moderate: 10 Points
Common, Strong: 15 Points
Common, Total: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character is never completely in control of his emotions. In moments of stress, anger, or fear, he tends to react with hostility, rage, and violence to the cause of his feelings. This is not to say that the person is always angry, all of the time. (For that, the character should take [[Always Angry And Hostile]]. Rather, it is only when things are going wrong that the character's anger is unleashed.
Characters who take this Disadvantage at the Moderate level can calm themselves down with a little effort and not react in this manner. Characters who take it at Strong must make an Ego Roll to do so. Characters who take it at Total can never force themselves to calm down. It is suggested that player characters not take this Disadvantage at the Total level.
''Frequently, Minor: 10 Points''
''Type:'' Social
''Description:'' A character with this Social Limitation are physically unimposing. //Badass Bookworms// often look [[Unathletic]], being either too think or too fat, sometimes balding, and almost always can be wearing [[Dexter Glasses]] or [[Spotlight Braces]]. Tough guys who know the character assume he's a [[cowardly wimp|Coward]] who they can steamroll over if they need to.
And this perception continues, despite the fact that the //Badass Bookworm// is actually a martial arts expert, a crack shot, a genius tactician, and so on. Nothing the character can do will convince random strangers that the //Bookworm// is actually someone with whom you do not want to piss off. The character's friends know differently, but to the average passerby, the character is about as intimidating as lint.
The polar opposite of this Social Limitation is [[The Chumley]].
Rupert Giles from //Buffy the Vampire Slayer// (played by Anthony Stewart Head) and the Tenth Doctor from Doctor Who (played by David Tennant) are both perfect examples of this Disadvantage.
''Common, Moderate: 10 Points
Common, Strong: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' The character has lost faith in social institutions, such as the legal, political or medical system. He does not believe that the guilty will be convicted and the innocent exonerated, that good leaders will be elected or appointed; or that doctors are really doing their best to cure their patients. Depending on his other attitudes, the character may become a vigilante, a criminal, a rebel or simply apathetic.
At the moderate level, the character can still work inside the system when necessary; there are parts of it that still function adequately. At the strong level, the character finds it much more difficult to keep in line.
In the character is vocal about his beliefs, he may also have the Reputation "Seen as a [[Troublemaker]]".
''Common, Strong: 15 Points
Common, Total: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This Disadvantage is only appropriate for characters who rely on some sort of Focus to supply their abilities. The character is so impressed with the Focus's power that he believes that no one can stop it. When using the Focus, the character is gleefully [[Overconfident]], believing he can take on the world, and win, because of the object's power. He may not necessarily think he is using the object to its best effect, but if so will consider that to be his fault and not the fault of the object. The Focus may or may not actually be "all powerful". That is a decision best made by individual GM's.
At the Strong level, the character can only consider the risks of a situation after making an Ego Roll, while at Total commitment, the character will only do so in the most dire and world-shaking of circumstances. This is, of course, assuming the character is wielding the Focus at the time; if not, the character may act in any way he sees fit (including hiding and running) This Disadvantage is one found often among the characters from DC Comic's Green Lantern title, where the phrase "The power ring is the most powerful weapon in the universe" is bandied about regularly.
This Disadvantage is a combination of [[Overconfident]] and [[Impressed With (Focus's) Abilities]], and thus should not be taken in combination with either of those Disadvantages. It may be taken in combination with [[Believes He Is Unbeatable]], since belief in one's self and belief in one's tools are two different things.
''Common, Total: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character believes that he never makes a mistake. To this character, his every action is planned and on purpose. He never acknowledge the consequences of his actions, since he believes that there can be none. The character can possibly be forced to see that not everything he does is right in extreme circumstances, but even then he's not likely to accept that he did wrong.
This does not mean that the character is necessarily [[Amoral]]. He could have a defined [[Code Of Conduct]] by which he lives, and might even try very hard to live by that code. However, he sees the consequences of his actions as "necessary evils".
For example, Blasterman, a well known superhero, has this Disadvantage. While fighting his arch-nemesis, Evilman, Blasterman's powerful energy beams strike the home of a family of four. The home burns down with everything the family owns in it. Blasterman's probable reaction would be one of "Sacrifices had to be made to stop the Villain". By no means will he feel responsible for the family's loss of their home and belongings. He might assist them in getting a new home and new things, but he will never accept that it was his fault they lost it all in the first place.
The character will act in this manner at all times except during the most extreme of circumstances. This Disadvantage works well with [[Arrogant]], [[Conceited]], and [[Overconfident]].
''Uncommon, Total: 15 Points
Common, Total: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' The character has come to believe that he is not just an ordinary person; that someday he will have a special, important role to play in the world. This may be a specific task that he is to perform, or just a generalized "I have a destiny." Often, this is the result of a prophecy or fortunetelling. At the uncommon level, the character believes that this destined event will come about regardless of his own actions up to that point, and doesn't feel the need to move things along. At the common level, the character believes that his destiny is thwartable by the actions of others, and acts to prevent that.
Characters with this disadvantage often have other Psychological Limitations that determine how far they're willing to go to fulfill their destiny.
''Common, Strong: 15 Points
Common, Total: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' The character believes himself to be the rightful ruler of some piece of tangible real estate. This can be as small as a postage-stamp country, or as large as the universe. The character's belief in his own future rulership would be fine, except that other people disagree (notably, the people who are already in charge of the area).
This Disadvantage is really only appropriate for those who have very little chance of actually ruling the chosen area through accepted legal means. For example, the character might be part of the royal family, but unfortunately has several perfectly healthy and long-lived relatives between him and the throne, or he might be out of the line of succession altogether because, while his father was the king, his mother was the chamber maid. Alternatively, the character may have no claim to rulership outside his own head, which is very likely with the larger areas.
At the strong level, the character may force himself to not attempt to attain his rightful position, with extreme difficulty. At the total level, the character will never give up trying.
Many characters with this Disadvantage also have [[Megalomania]], but it is not required.
''Common, Total: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character believes that everything he does is acceptable because he has been sanctioned by a higher, supernatural authority (which could be God, the Devil, Darkseid, Galactus, Stan Lee, or whatever). The character may or may not have additional Disadvantages defining his religion's [[Disciplines Of Faith]]. If he does, as long as his actions do not violate them, he will believe that everything he does is good, just, and in all ways perfectly alright. This Disadvantage works well with [[Zealot]].
''Common, Total: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This Disadvantage is the ultimate form of [[Overconfident]]. The difference between the two is that a character who is merely [[Overconfident]] acknowledges, begrudgingly at least, that there is a chance (however small) that he could lose. He just doesn't think it will happen. However, a character who [[Believes He Is Unbeatable]] does not, and will not, acknowledge that any such "fact" exists at all. He knows how powerful he is, how skilled a combatant he is, and how much of a [[Billy Bad-Ass]] he is. No one can take him down, ever. At least, this is what the character believes.
If the character is ever actually defeated (especially if the character is easily defeated), he must make an Ego Roll or drop into a [[Depression]]. In such a state, the character's DCV is penalized by -3, and he is lazy and careless. This funk lasts for an indeterminate time (depending on circumstances, GM whim, and the interaction of other characters). At the end of this time, the character returns to normal, sure that his defeat was a result of "a fluke" or "the law of averages" (the rationale being "Even people as good as I am will lose once! But its just not going to happen again!"). If the Ego Roll is successful, the character goes right past the [[Depression]] stage to the "massive denial and justification" stage.
''Very Common, Strong: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character has a group or a cause that they believe in... they would do almost anything to further the aims of that group or cause. They would gladly give their lives in the service of it, and tend not to believe any derogatory information leveled at the focus of their belief. Even when presented with hard evidence that the group or cause they believe in is less than ideal, they will not accept it unless a successful Ego Roll is made.
This Disadvantage cannot be taken at a Frequency less than Very Common. It also should not be taken any stronger than Strong -- use Fanatic instead. If the Group in question is a country or a government (the two are not necessarily the same thing... one could believe in one's country but not one's government), the character should take [[Fervent Patriot]] instead.
''Very Common, Strong: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character believes that the overwhelming mass of humanity are decent, good-hearted people who will help each other when needed. They believe that you can always count on the kindness of strangers, and that other people mean no harm generally. Such characters are easily manipulated by the more cynical or criminal elements, as they are openly trusting of others with no real source for the trust. Even the most obvious of "bad elements" will be trusted by this character.
In order to show anything other than trust toward others, the character must make an Ego Roll. If the roll fails, he trusts the other character to do the right thing, regardless of any other circumstance or factor. And if the other character doesn't live up to his expectations, the trusting character rationalizes such unfriendly behavior away.
This Disadvantage works well in combination with [[Cheerful Charlie]] and [[Naive]].
''Very Common, Strong: 20 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character is marked by animalistic instincts and urges. Such a character has no sense of modesty, does not recognize etiquette or protocol (and most likely doesn't even know the meaning of those words), polite manners (such as using utensils while eating), and likely does not consider personal hygiene a high priority. The character also has a lack of patience when it comes to getting what he wants, and will not hesitate to get violent or intimidating to get it.
A //Bestial// character often has no sense of compassion, and feels no pity for the sick, the weak, or the dying. Indeed, the character may well feel that a sick associate is hindering him somehow and thus will "hurry him along" toward death just to be rid of the nuisance, though this is by no means the rule.
''Frequently, Greatly: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Physical
''Description:'' This character suffers from tremendous mood swings that affect his ability to face the world. When in "manic" phase the character believes that his life is perfect and there is nothing he cannot do. When in "depressive" phase the character believes that his life is miserable and there is nothing he can do. At the beginning of each play session roll 1d6; on a 1-3 the character is in manic phase, 4-6, he is depressive. After 5 hours of game time roll 3d6, a result of 10 or less indicates a mood swing. Over the next hour his mood will shift to it's opposite and remain in this state for at least 5 hours. Manic characters are +1 on all Skill, Stat, Perception, and Combat to-hit die rolls, depressive characters are at -1 to all of the same.
In campaigns set in the modern day, or in futuristic campaigns, medication is readily available that can control the character's mood swings. If the character's //<nowiki>Bi-Polar</nowiki> Disorder// is controlled with medication, the Disadvantage becomes Infrequently, Greatly, with a value of 10 points.
''Frequent, Minor: 10 Points
Frequent, Major: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Social
''Description:'' This character has a fan, a devoted follower of the character and his exploits, and there is nothing that the character can do to change it without treating the fan like shit. The fan shows up whenever the character makes a public appearance, runs a fan club which talks about the character and boasts of his powers, and opposes anyone who disparages the character. If the character has a [[Public Identity|Identity (Public Identity)]], he can expect to find the //Biggest Fan// hanging out around his home or office, and might even catch the Fan pawing through his garbage looking for souvenirs.
Even if the character's true identity is not known, the character will discover that he can't seem to go anywhere without the Fan showing up. Other characters will begin to avoid contact with the Fan's "hero" in order to avoid the fan. In addition, the character will soon acquire a reputation for having followers.
The Fan should not be purchased as a follower, as he rarely will ever do what the character wants him to do. Likewise, he shouldn't be taken as a DNPC; just because he gets the character into trouble doesn't mean that he gets himself into trouble. Also, the GM should be careful to not turn the //Biggest Fan// into a [[Stalker]] without properly roleplayed justification. It should be noted that it is technically possible for the //Biggest Fan// of a Player Character to be another Player Character.
''Uncommon, Moderate: 5 Points
Uncommon, Strong: 10 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character is constantly shooting his mouth off about his own accomplishments. He doesn't actually mean any harm by this; his bragging is usually a sign of an insecurity complex. On the other hand, he may be bragging because he is full of himself. Lastly, he may be bragging simply because he is [[Talkative]] and lacks any other subject of conversation. (The decision of which is up to the player.)
At Moderate, the character can keep himself from bragging when necessary. At Strong, the character cannot do so except under the most extreme circumstances. Surprisingly, this Disadvantage works well with both [[Unsure Of Himself]] and [[Overconfident]] (though not both at the same time).
''Occasionally, Minor: 5 Points
Occasionally, Major: 10 Points
Frequently, Minor: 10 Points
Frequently, Major: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Social
''Description:'' The character is known for his inability to shut up, primarily about his own abilities or actions. As a result, those who dislike braggarts or excessive talk will avoid him, and many people will discount whatever he says as exaggeration. If the restriction level is Major, the supposed braggart will often be attacked, or dared to "put up" to prove his words.
This Disadvantage is usually accompanied by other Psychological Limitations, including [[Bigmouth/Braggart (Psychological)]], [[Compulsive Liar]], or [[Will Not Shut Up]]. An interesting variant would be to combine it with [[Truthful]]. [[Cannot Turn Down A Challenge]] also works well with this Disadvantage.
''Not Concealable, Noticed And Recognizable, Commonly Used Senses: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Distinctive Features
''Description:'' A character with this Distinctive Feature exudes a constant aura of threat and intimidation. Its obvious to anyone around the character that he's a tough guy not to be fucked with lightly. While this subtle aura of menace is useful in situations where being a tough guy is appropriate, it can cause some problems in more genteel circumstances.
Note that the character need not be large and muscular to have this Distinctive Feature, but it helps.
''Common, Moderate: 10 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' This character is disappointed and unpleasant about something in his life. He is not necessarily unfriendly or antisocial, but has a very negative worldview and feels that life keeps screwing him over (and over, and over, and over). Some characters are quietly bitter, while others feel the need to let everyone around them know how bitter they are at least once per adventure.
''All The Time, Fully: 25 Points''
''Type:'' Physical
''Description:'' This character cannot see at all. The player may buy the character's other natural senses up as compensation if he so chooses, without removing the penalties of being blind. The classic example of the blind martial artist, who operates using a "radar sense", is still hampered by being blind since he cannot read normal text, cannot distinguish color, etc. This character is unaffected by any sort of Sight Group Flash Attacks, as well as visually-based Images, Mental Illusions, or Darkness. Also, he suffers no penalties for operating in the dark. However, in unfamiliar territory, the character must use a cane or be lead by a companion or guide animal to navigate safely. Walking by cane is slow (½ normal Movement Rate). Many activities are impossible to a blind person; common sense will usually dictate which.
In combat, use the rules for Blind Fighting found in the Ultimate Martial Artist.
''Common, Strong: 15 Points''
''Type:'' Psychological
''Description:'' A character with this Psychological Limitation wants to see his opponents dead or very incapacitated. He will make killing blows in battle, put an extra shot into a down foe just to make sure, will attack guards that could have been snuck past, etc. He must make an Ego Roll in order to accept a surrender, to not grievously harm an opponent, and to not try and kill a disabled opponent.
This character is not necessarily [[Murderous]], nor does he necessarily possess [[Attitude About Lethal Force (Casual Killer)]]. Rather, he is simply very, very [[Ruthless]]. He saves his animosity toward "legitimate" targets: criminals, enemy soldiers, etc. GM's should limit this Disadvantage to hardened vigilantes and shadowy fringe characters. It is most appropriate for Dark Champions characters.
''Concealable; Noticed And Recognizable; Commonly Used Senses: 10 Points''
''Type:'' Distinctive Feature
''Description:'' With this Disadvantage, the character suffers from bromhidrosis, or strong body odor. The character's aroma is noticeable for a distance of several feet. While body odor is normally associated with sweat, its actually caused by the growth of a bacteria on the body and the breakdown of skin-laden waste products by those bacteria. Diet and medication can affect the strength of the odor, and it can be controlled using deodorants and strict attention to hygiene.
Body odor can be prevented by using deodora