Advantages and Disadvantages help individualize and flesh out your character. Advantages can help you out in tough situations, enhance your skills, or just add flavor; Disadvantages return points to your character creation pool, help balance out your character, and provide interesting flaws and challenges for your gameplay. Certain Advantages/Disadvantages require Mod/GM approval.
For ease, you will always see the points gained/lost as a "Cost", even though, in the case of Disadvantages, you are regaining those points instead of paying them.
Adept (+7, Specification required) - You are particularly good at one skill, even as a starting character. This advantage lets you raise one skill (which must be specified when you buy it) above level 5 at character creation, to a maximum of 7. If you want to be Adept at two skills, you'll need to buy this advantage twice, and you will still have to spend points to buy the levels. Adept doesn't make you level 6 or 7 in something; it allows you to go up that high if you're willing to spend the points on it.
Attractive (+3) - You are naturally above average in beauty. Even without makeup and artifice, you are better-looking than most. This gives you an advantage when interacting with others, and with getting your way. +1 to all social, performing, and merchant skills; +2 to seduction and charm.
Charisma (+3) - Whether you're Attractive or not (though you usually would be), there's a certain je ne sais quoi about you that pulls people in. There's just something about you that people like, and it makes them more willing to listen to you, believe you, and follow you around. +2 to all social/seduction skills - stacks with Attractive (so if you're Attractive AND have Charisma and you're seducing someone, you have +4 to that).
Contact (+3; GM approval) - You have a secret contact of some sort that you can occasionally get in touch with. Perhaps as a Merchant you have a black market dealer; maybe for a Thief it's a particular fence; perhaps you're acquainted with a wise, wandering priest who helps you out now and then. It does't have to be shady. You can, with GM approval, send a message to your Contact in a pre-determined (when you buy this advantage) way; the Contact (played by the GM) will either show up or send you a message, as requested. This can be useful for fencing hot goods, finding out information, or maybe even receiving special training out in the field. No matter what you need your Contact for, they're not going to stick around and be part of the party; they're meant for occasional help, and the GM may, at their discretion, decide that you are unable to get in touch with your Contact at certain points.
Enhancement (Cost, Specification required) - Some otherwise innocent substance enhances your performance temporarily. The Cost of this Advantage depends on what the substance is, how it affects you, and how often you'll encounter it: more frequent contact or more powerful effects = higher cost. As an example, Weres have Enhancement: Full Moon, because they are stronger and faster than normal on nights when the moon is full. For them, it is a Cost of 3 - full moons only happen once a month, but the enhancement is strong.
Heirloom (Cost: see GM) - You have a priceless family Heirloom of some sort in your possession. What it is exactly will determine how much it costs, therefore see your GM. Prepare for it to be EXPENSIVE, and for it to possibly come with a Disadvantage. Hint: if you want to lower the cost a bit, volunteer a Disadvantage.
For Example: Jerren has a family sword that has seen a lot of battles - so much so that it imbues its wielder with extra speed, strength and melee combat skill. However, the sword also increases the wielder's rage when drawn from its scabbard, and the more blood its blade tastes, the more it - and its wielder! - hunger for more! The GM decides that the cursed sword will be a fun artifact for the campaign, and lets Jerren have it for a cost of 8 points, despite the advantages it gives.
Hospitality (+1/2/3) - You are granted hospitality automatically because of who and/or what you are; no paying for a hotel for you! The cost is dependent upon the extent of the hospitality granted you: if there's one guy somewhere who will automatically open his door for you, that'd be worth a point, but if there are multiple people in multiple places who will gladly put you up for the night, the cost goes up.
Inherent (+7, Mod/GM approval required) - You are, because of race or family bloodline, inherently talented at one or two particular skills/magic types. You learn it faster than your average being would. If you have something Inherently, it costs half as many points (rounded up) to advance in that skill/magic type as it would normally. Note that this cannot reduce it below 1 point/level, however. If it's a school of magic, you receive the same number of Magic Points as if you'd paid full price for the level.
Quick Strike (+2) - Adds +5 to your Initiative.
Restore Focus (+3, Requires Specification) - You have something that restores Focus, without the need for Meditation or sleep. This can be "your special herbal tea", "reading a good book", "singing my favorite songs", or anything like that, but you must specify what the activity is, and it must be something that takes some time (at least half an hour) to complete (brewing and savoring your favorite tea, for example, not just throwing it down your throat and going about your way). Completing your chosen activity restores 3 Focus.
Shapeshifting (+3, Weres & Dragons Only) - For weres, this means you can shift from your human form into your animal or beserker form (and back) at will. This shift costs 10 MP, is instantaneous, and requires no Focus, however, if you are within arm's reach of anything silver, the cost becomes 12 MP; if silver's actually touching you, the cost is 15 to shift (see Disadvantage: Bane below). Also, shifting into beserker form will thereafter limit your ability to shapeshift temporarily (see Disadvantage: Beserker below).
For dragons, this represents the Shift into your other, non-dragon form (and back again). Many dragons choose human or elf as their secondary forms, but you could just as easily choose another animal or a dwarf. As for weres, it costs 10 MP to shift, is instantaneous and requires no Focus; there is never a penalty to shifting, but you might need to take into account the confines of the space you're in (shifting from human form back to dragon form while in a small room might not be advisable - at least, not if you care what happens to the room).
Special Gear (Cost: see list below or consult GM) - This is where you buy any specialty items you might need or want. Listed below are the point costs of some of the more common specialty items. If you want a specific piece of gear that is not listed here, talk with your GM.
Tolerance (+1/2/3, Specialization required) - You have developed a tolerance to some substance; the cost of the Advantage depends on how high your tolerance is and to the frequency of encountering it. Possible substances to create a tolerance to: alcohol, certain specific poisons (not just "poison" in general), intoxicants, etc. Pester the GM if you think of one that isn't listed.
Wealthy (+1/2/3) - You have a bit more money to throw around than most. The Cost is dependent on how much - being Fabulously Wealthy will set you back 3 points, but only being Considerably Well-Off will count as 1. (And this is how much coin YOUR CHARACTER can lay his/her hands on, not necessarily your family's fortune.)
Addiction (-3, Requires Specification) - Your character is addicted to something (say drugs, alcohol, gambling, etc.): they want it, need it constantly. They'll do anything necessary to get more of their addiction, even if it means selling out their friends and loved ones. Especially if it's a substance addiction, they may go into withdrawal if they can't get it.
Bane (Cost: GM negotiable, Requires Specification) - Your character cannot abide whatever their bane is. Higher level banes will hurt them physically if they touch it, and usually the mere sight or thought of it is enough to make them back up (examples include Bane: Silver for Weres and Bane: Sunlight for Vampires, both of which are 3 points). Bane will also inhibit any powers/special abilities your character possesses: for instance, in the presence of silver, it is harder for a Were to shift forms. If the Bane disadvantage is required for your race, you must take it. Elemental mages must also take the Bane disadvantage at 1 point for Cold Iron, as it hinders their spellcasting abilities when it is on or near their person, but does not cause them actual harm.
Berserker Form (-3, Weres Only) - While in your hybrid form, you are Berserk. The two are connected. In order to be the standard "werewolf" (or were-anything else), you must have this form. This form is neither entirely human nor entirely animal. You walk on two legs (though can run on all four if you want to travel quickly), are covered in fur (or feathers or scales, whatever's appropriate for your type), and have claws/fangs/tail, etc. as appropriate. Your face is more like your animal form, and though you are capable of human speech, you probably won't be using it at this point. You will harm or kill nearly all who cross your path (it has been recorded that sometimes, just sometimes, a person the were loved deeply enough escaped harm, but more often than not, friend and foe alike have been cut down by an enraged Were). Your HP doubles during your berserker rage and your Focus drops to 2, however, you cannot stay in Berserker mode for longer than 5 combat rounds (and if you weren't already in combat, you will be as soon as you go berserk). You are powering your transformation with your own life energy, rather like a Spirit Magician; at the end of each round you are berserk, you lose 5 HP and 2 MP (to a minimum of 0). If you lose more HP while Berserk than you would normally have had in human form, you will fall unconscious when you shift back to human form (this happens naturally at the end of Berserker combat; you sort of "fall out of" your berserker form).
For Example: Redd is an average werewolf, with a standard HP in human form of 15. He goes Berserk, his HP doubling to 30. He stays Berserk for the full 5 rounds, thus losing 25 HP. Though he still has 5 left, he has lost more HP (25) than he normally has to lose (15); he falls unconscious.You will stay unconscious until your HP has recovered to your human maximum (yes, all the way), or until you are healed back up to that amount. Being healed back to your human max will still leave you tired, but you will have strength enough to stand, move, and perform basic combat skills. However, you cannot shapeshift to your animal form for at least an hour, and you cannot take Berserker form again that day. Also, if your MP has been completely depleted, you cannot cast any spells you might know until it's been recovered. Also, Berserker form drops your Focus to 2, no matter what your Focus normally is; this must also be regained over time.
Combat Restriction (-1/2/3, Specification required) - There are certain times you just won't fight, or certain restrictions on the WAY you fight. The cost is dependent upon how often it's likely to come up and how much it hampers your actions. A Bladedancer's refusal to fight unarmed or with any weapon not their own is a 2 point restriction because, frankly, disarming a competent Bladedancer is very hard, but once done, it badly cripples them. An Elf's desire to avoid killing if at all possible would be a 1 point restriction (though that's in their racial template). You must specify WHAT your combat restriction is, of course. Other possibilities include: will not harm women, will not harm children, will not kill an innocent, will not fight w/o pay, will only fight weres and vampires, etc. Pester the GM if you think of one that isn't listed.
Deep Sleeper (-2) - You have no problem getting to sleep, and by golly, you STAY asleep. Waking you before you're ready to be woken is a nigh monumental task, which can endanger your life and the lives of those with you.
Empathy (-2, Requires Specification) - You not only sympathize with someone, you empathize with them as well: you feel their pain as your own. Not literally, at least, not on a physical level. You are the Ultimate Goody Two-Shoes, and when some poor, innocent soul is down on their luck, you feel obliged to help them. And not just help - you're emo about it. So sad, so tragic! Odds are good the rest of your party will go along with whatever it is you want to do just to Shut You Up.
Enemy (-1/2/3) - You have an enemy...or two or three. The cost of this disadvantage depends upon how many enemies you have and how virulently they loathe you. If you have two different, unconnected people as enemies, you should take the disadvantage twice, probably at a 1 or 2 point cost each, depending on the depths of their hatred for you. But if you have an entire group of enemies after you (for example: a Vampire would have to take Enemy: Hunters' Guild), that's one Enemy disadvantage at a very high cost - there are a lot of Hunters and they all want you wiped out of existence, with nary a trace left. This is one of those "argue with the GM about the cost" things: explain who and what your enemies are and what they'd do with you if they caught you. If you're wanted by law enforcement or some other group for some sort of crime, that's the Wanted disadvantage. (This is true even if that group is the Hunters' Guild; if they're hunting you because you're a bounty, that's different to them than if you're an Undead or Were. As a bounty, you'd be Wanted by them; as a supernatural creature, they'd be your sworn Enemies.) An enemy is someone who despises you even if you're the most law-abiding citizen in the world, though it is possible to be Wanted and still have an Enemy (for example: a Thief would be Wanted by the law and could also have a rival Thief as an Enemy, attempting to beat them to the heist). If the Enemy disadvantage is required for your race, you must take it.
Feared (Cost: GM negotiable, Requires Specification): There are those who Fear you and will run screaming from you. The cost depends on how many people are afraid of you and whether or not they will be afraid on sight (if no one knows just by looking at you that you're the Fearsome Killer they've heard so much about, you can still walk about without causing a panic). You have to specify who is afraid of you (for example, Beserk Weres frighten anyone who sees them in their beserk rage; of course, most of those don't live to spread the tale), though only the GM need know WHY the cannibals of the southern lands flee from your very presence. This isn't just for crazed weres and criminals; it is also an appropriate Disadvantage for notorious lawmen or bounty-hunters: your name strikes fear into the hearts of evildoers and ne'er-do-wells!
Hatred (-1/2/3, Requires Specification): You truly HATE something or someone, virulently. Maybe it's a racial thing: "Those damn dirty Dwarves!" Or maybe it's a specific trait: "I can't stand gingers." Maybe you just really hate sauerkraut. Whatever it is, given your druthers, you will avoid or seek to destroy the object of your hatred whenever possible. If you are put in a position where you are forced to abide the presence of something or someone you hate, you are going to be...less than ideal company, to put it mildly. If it's a person, anything you can do to make their life miserable is a good thing, and if they're in trouble, you're probably not rushing to their rescue. The cost is dependent upon how often you're likely to encounter what you hate: if it's one specific person, it's probably a 1 point disadvantage (unless it's a PC character in your party); if you hate sunny days, that's more in the 3 point realm.
Note that this is NOT the same thing as a Bane, which is something which causes you physical harm or reduces your powers. The object of your Hatred has no direct effect on anything except your mood and actions. An Elemental Mage has Cold Iron as a Bane because of its ability to reduce the effectiveness of the mage's spells; however, a Bladedancer has a Hatred for Magic, because the presence of magic doesn't do anything to them except make them cross.
Hot Headed (-3) - It isn't that you like to fight so much as you have a short fuse. You are easily angered, and, once you're pissed, you plan to do something about it. Something more than just yelling, like, say....planting your fist in someone's face. Repeatedly.
Illiterate (-2) - Most medieval fantasy settings assume you can't read or write unless you take those skills, and that's truer to what life was like back then. This is not most medieval fantasy settings. So it's assumed you can read & write unless, of course, you take this disadvantage. The cost is only 2 because most signs have pictures as well as words (and even if they didn't, the pub and the blacksmith look Very different from each other), and because if there's an important text the party needs, likely someone else in the party will already know all about it and be able to read it anyway. So why isn't the cost 1 then? Because the pub may not look much different from someone's home on the outside, and if the rest of the party's unconscious and the only way to banish the demon is to recite that spell in the grimoire, well...
Lazy (-2) - You'd rather lay about than exert yourself. While you will still defend yourself and the lives of those you care about or still fight for what you really want, if there's another way, an easier path that requires less effort, you'll take that one everytime. Some may call you coward or weakling, but who cares what they say? Sweating is overrated.
Obsessed (Cost: GM negotiable, Requires Specification) - This is sort of like addicted only it usually isn't a tangible object/sensation. You're obsessed with, say, vengeance or clearing your family's name. Maybe you just really really like making money. Regardless, if the opportunity comes up to have your revenge or clear your family name or make a shite tonne of coin, you are GOING to go for it. Regardless of your party's goals or the end of the world or anything like that. Cost is dependent on what you're obsessed with and how often this obsession will interfere with things: if you're obsessed with killing the undead in a game centered in DiCi, it won't matter so much; if you have that same obsession in a game centered more around, say, Pallor, well then that's more than a little different...
Pacifist (-3) - You believe in peace, so much so that you refuse to fight. Whenever combat takes place, you do NOT participate and you will likely encourage everyone around you to try and find a "reasonable compromise" or to just talk or hug or really do ANYTHING except fight.
Phobia (-1/2/3) - You're afraid of something. The cost depends on how afraid you are and how likely you are to encounter the object(s) of your fear. Someone who's mildly arachnophobic gets 1 point back; someone with a raging fear of spiders might get 2; and someone deathly afraid of, say, horses is probably looking at a 3 pointer.
Physical Deformity/Handicap (-1/2/3) - Something's wrong with your body, which can make getting around, using a weapon, or even interacting with others difficult. The more disabling the handicap, the more points it's worth. Examples include: blindness, deafness, missing an arm or leg (or multiple arms and legs), missing hand or foot, etc.
Secret (-1/2/3) - You have a secret! The cost for this disadvantage depends on how direly this secret must be kept. If it would merely be personally shameful or damaging only in a social sense (you won't get invited to the very best parties any more!), then it is considered Embarassing, and the cost is 1 point. If the secret would give you a bad reputation and cause most others to turn you away entirely (you can forget being invited to ANY parties now!), then it is considered Damaging, and the cost is 2 points. If the secret would ruin you and/or your family financially or put you or someone you love in danger of being killed, then it is considered Devastating, and the cost is 3 points.
Remember that the point of having a secret is not to tell anyone. Your character should avoid any closely-related subjects of conversation and do everything in his/her power to keep this secret from being revealed.
Also, certain type of Devasting Secrets may shift into other disadvantages if revealed. For example, let's say the secret is that you killed Lord High-And-Mighty; no one's figured it out yet. If it's somehow discovered, your Secret disadvantage morphs into Wanted, but you don't get any extra points. Because now it's not a Secret anymore - and now you ARE Wanted. Should've done a better job covering your tracks (thus no extra points).
Selfish (-2) - You look out for Number 1 first. While this may help keep you alive, it won't endear you to others. The rest of your party may, after discovering this out about you, leave you to save yourself and won't bother stepping in with a heal spell or a shield block.
Significant Other (-2/3) - Awww, you're in love! And, because you're in love with someone else, you put them and their safety first. Even at the expense of the rest of the party. Or the rest of the world. Or, obviously, yourself. Cost is dependent on whether or not your S.O. is going to be constantly in danger. If Mary Sue McGillicuddy is staying at home while you go out into the big wide world to adventure, then...yeah, not so much of a disadvantage, is it? But if your fiancee is fighting alongside you and facing certain doom, things might get shifty.
Unique Disadvantage (-1/2/3, Requires Specification & GM approval) - You have some sort of Disadvantage that is the result of special circumstances not otherwise covered by the above.
For Example: Illyria is a Dragon who has been Exiled from the Dragon Isles for a murder she didn't commit. As part of the Exile, she has been forced to wear a special necklace that she cannot remove which effectively traps her in human form. She can never again take her natural shape. Illyria's player talks to the GM about this and the GM gives Illyria "Unique: Trapped in Human Form" for 3 points, as it makes her weaker than a normal Dragon and limits her abilities severely.Vow (-1/2/3, Requires Specification) - You are under some sacred vow or oath, usually as a requirement of some group or order you're a member of. The cost is dependent upon the extent to which the vow affects you. Some common vows include:
.:~Main Index~:.