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d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf

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d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf

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Introduction 3 Selecting, Using, and Compensating For Flaws 4 Master List of Flaws 5 Primary Flaws 9 GM Option: Flaw Synergy 13 GM Option: Buying Off Flaws 18 Medical Conditions 22 Psychological Conditions 26 Secondary Flaws 31 Weird Flaws 49 Seasoning With Age 52 Advantages: Selection and Use 55 Master List of Advantages 55 Advantage Descriptions 56 Advanced Occupation Packages 67 Open Game License Text 72 This is the revised version of the Book of Distinctions & Drawbacks Modern, originally released in July, 2003. This version contains numerous additions, clarifications, and point-cost adjust- ments, some of which you may recognize as having originated in the fantasy Book of Distinctions & Drawbacks Revised if you own a copy. Any comments or questions about this PDF are, as always, cheerfully welcomed at either e-mail address below. Cheers and best, SL St. Paul, Minnesota November 10, 2003 cryptosnark@yahoo.com cryptosnark_games@yahoo.com http://www.minasithil.com/cryptosnarkgames Table of Contents Foreword Written and Designed by: Scott Lynch 'd20 System' and the 'd20 System' logo are Trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast and are used according to the terms of the d20 System License version 1.0. A copy of this License can be found at www.wizards.com. Dungeons & Dragons(R) and Wizards of the Coast(R) are Registered Trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, and are used with Permission. This product is not published or endorsed by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. The section on medical conditions could not have been pre- pared without the assistance of Jennifer Hermey, so I once again dedicate this cross-referenced collection of pixels to her, with love. 2
The Book of Distinctions & Drawbacks Modern is a “character embellishment” sourcebook– that is, a set of character flaws and advan- tages for the d20 Modern system that is designed to allow the cus- tomization of characters beyond the degree allowed by the combinations of race, class, and occupation alone. GMs thinking of using this book in planning their next campaign should be advised of two things: 1. If you use this book, things might get even more complex than usual. The Book of Distinctions & Drawbacks Modern is chock full of items just begging to be weighed, contrasted, compared, and cross-referenced with other items. Letting experienced gamers loose in an advantage/dis- advantage system can lead to many long hours of planning and “window shopping.” Therefore, be advised– while this system can greatly increase player satisfaction with the d20 Modern system, it will never speed up character creation or play. 1. If you use this book, you’re going to have to stay on your toes. One of the rules of thumb of the d20 system is that a character can eventually have just about anything (trait, item, weapon, exotic class level, spell, etc.) the player wishes, though there will be a trade-off or a price for it. Many powers and abilities aren’t available until higher levels of experience; every feat or special ability selected carries a “lost oppor- tunity” cost (as other feats or special abilities must be skipped); every racial bonus is countered by some sort of racial limitation or cost. In short, “there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.” The use of any flaw/compensation system, even the one presented in this book, will be viewed by some players (for reasons innocent or other- wise) as an excuse to strive for that nonexistent free lunch, by wringing maximum benefit from the least damaging or hindering set of flaw choic- es possible. I have tried to make this as difficult as I could without turn- ing the system utterly dreary and draconian. GMs, please remember that the only defense against that sort of system abuse is your own vigilance. Types of Embellishments This book is all about embellishments, good or bad– elements that help or hinder a character in a way not already addressed by existing charac- ter creation rules. There are several major types of embellishments: Primary Flaws This set of character flaws is meant to be as clearly and explicitly defined as possible. Their drawbacks are predominantly mechanical in nature. As a result, most of them require very little roleplaying “mainte- nance” or obtrusive attention from the GM. Thus, they may generally be used the most freely and with the least amount of GM oversight. Medical/Psychological Conditions Somewhere between Primary and Secondary flaws are the real-world medical and psychological conditions presented on pages 22-31. Generally speaking, medical conditions may be treated as Primary and psychological conditions should be treated as Secondary Flaws. A great deal of abstraction has gone into the design of these conditions in order to render them playable. Individuals actually dealing with these conditions in real life (as I myself deal with asthma, page 22) should not take it amiss if some of the subtleties and variations of their conditions have been left out of each flaw’s description. Many medical conditions that would make excellent character flaws have also probably been left out of this edition of the BODD Modern–I make as little pretense of inclu- siveness as I do of absolute accuracy, and for that I offer my apologies. Secondary and Weird Flaws These are flaws of personal inclination or flaws representing back- ground difficulties. Although they can be just as debilitating as primary flaws, they tend to require continual roleplaying attention and/or a great deal of thought on the part of the GM. Without such attention, many sec- ondary flaws will become nothing more than words on paper and will cease to penalize a character. GMs are cautioned to study them thor- oughly before allowing their use. Weird Flaws are occult in nature. Advantages Advantages are background benefits, material goods, and other awards or inheritances that can be of great use to a character. Unlike feats, which represent intrinsic qualities or trained abilities, advantages have nothing at all to do with the character himself and can be lost, stolen, or removed by a variety of means. Advantages are loosely divided into social, mate- rial, and special categories. Introduction: Your Characters Need More Problems 3
Each flaw presented in this book is worth a certain number of Flaw Points, with which players can do the following: • 1 Flaw Point may be traded for two (2) skill ranks • 1 Flaw Point may be traded for one-eighth (1/8) of the XP required for the character to advance to his next level • 2 Flaw Points may be traded for one (1) feat • 3 Flaw Points may be traded for two (2) ability points, to be distributed at the player’s will • 8 Flaw Points may be traded for one (1) character level • Flaw Points may also be traded for any of the Advantages listed from pages 56-66 Flaws should generally be chosen and applied before actual play begins. Just as characters do not need to spend anything in exchange for equipment, money, friends, allies, and other benefits acquired during actual adventuring, neither should they expect bonus points for enemies and other complications acquired once a campaign has actually begun. The flaws presented in this volume are worth compensation because they’re trouble above and beyond that which the characters are natural- ly expected to face. Any Flaw Points left over after play begins are lost, so there’s no rea- son not to spend them. If nothing else, stray Flaw Points can be used to gain a small boost to skill points or to the character’s earned XP. Flaws and ECL/Challenge Rating Flaws (and any compensations received because of them) cause no adjustment in effective character levels or challenge ratings provided that the Flaw Points received for them are actually spent. A 1st level charac- ter with 8 Flaw Points (spent on, say, four new feats) does have some capabilities not possessed by unmodified 1st level character, but he has an equivalent set of handicaps. The two balance each other out. A GM wishing to create exceptionally powerful and well-off characters above and beyond the bounds allowed by commensurate flaws may sim- ply assign free Flaw Points at a rate of 1 ECL per 8 free Flaw Points. Permissible Numbers of Flaw Points The default recommended limit is 20 Flaw Points per character– the fewer flaws a character possesses, the more contained will be any poten- tial disruption to the balance of a d20 campaign. As flaws are heaped upon a character, not only does he gain compen- satory feats, skill points, or advantages– the amount of attention that must be paid to those flaws by the GM and the player alike increases. A character with one or two flaws is interesting; a character with ten or eleven is a disaster waiting to happen. However, if the GM sees fit, a campaign may allow a higher maximum number of flaws per character: Campaign Style Flaw Points Permitted Conservative 10 Controlled (Default) 20 Generous 25 Very Generous 30 Goofy 35 It is strongly recommended that characters be allowed to take a “goofy” number of Flaw Points only in games of an experimental or “one-shot” nature. Too many flaws, no matter how finely-balanced and delicately played, can turn an ongoing d20 campaign silly in a variety of ways. When creating characters higher than 1st level, this system may still be used in a rewarding fashion, but the GM should watch out for attempts to render flaws totally meaningless by the calculated selection of magic items, FX equipment, and special powers. Characters are quite free to seek out magical or FX compensations for their handicaps as a campaign goes on, of course, but starting play with such compensations already in their hands is contrary to the spirit of this system. Sharing Flaws and Advantages A group of character may, with explicit GM approval, split the cost of certain large secondary flaws. For example, four characters could split an 8 point Nemesis (a villain, for example– page 44), accepting the burden of that Nemesis as a group in exchange for 2 Flaw Points apiece. This will ensure that the Nemesis will devote his attention to the group as a whole, rather than spending most of his time harassing one individual. A group of character may also, quite logically, split the cost of any advantage that could be deemed to be communally divisible. There’s no way for three characters to split the cost of, say, the rank of Admiral in the United States Navy– but it would be relatively easy for three characters to share an apartment and a car. Selecting, Using, and Compensating For Flaws 4
Primary Flaws Flaw Brief Description of Impairment Age Character enters the game at middle age or older Albinism Character suffers from a rare lack of skin and hair pigmentation Animal Antipathy Animals dislike the character rather intensely Bad Driver Even when sober, character makes drunk drivers look skillful Bad Shot Character is more or less incapable of using ranged weapons effectively Bodily Marked Character has a permanent identifying marker, such as a brand or tattoo Butterfingers Character is seriously lacking in manual dexterity Climate Aversion Character is extremely uncomfortable in either cold or hot climates Clumsy Dex modifier is not added to character’s base Defense Disfigurement Something is obviously wrong with the character’s shape or appearance Dull Reflexes Character’s Reflex Saving Throws are unusually poor Dwarfism Character’s adult growth is significantly shorter and smaller than the norm Easily Winded Character lacks the endurance for long-duration physical activities Easily Slain Character doesn’t cling tenaciously to life when badly injured Flinching Character suffers a limit upon his attacks of opportunity Foresworn From Firearms Character refuses to carry or use firearms Fragile Character’s Fortitude Saving Throws are unusually poor Glass Jaw Character may be knocked silly by unarmed or bludgeoning attacks Guileless Character lacks a substantial amount of wit and social perception Gullible Character is far too credulous for his own good. Illiterate Character cannot read Impaired Hand(s) Character’s fingers or hands suffer from injury Impaired Hearing Character has hearing trouble, and may even be deaf Impaired Movement Character moves more slowly and clumsily than normal Impaired Sense of Smell Character has no olfactory capabilities whatsoever Impaired Sense of Taste Character’s sense of taste is utterly missing or destroyed Impaired Vision Character is not blind, but his vision troubles him Impaired Voice Character has suffered permanent damage to his palate or vocal chords Impatient Character may never take 10 or 20 on a skill check Inattentive Character suffers a penalty to to Listen, Search, and Spot checks Inflexible Character isn’t very good at Escape Artist, Jump, and Tumble checks Light-Headed Character suffers increased effects from stun and sleep attacks Lummox Str modifier is not added to character’s Melee Attack Bonus Magic Vulnerability Character suffers a penalty to all saving throws vs. spells and spell-like effects Motion Sickness Character gets nauseous when aboard moving vehicles Nervous Character suffers a penalty to Will Saves vs. fear, horror, and demoralization Oafish Character suffers a penalty to all Hide, Jump, and Move Silently checks Obese Character could stand to shed a few dozen pounds. Old Injury Character suffers ability damage from critical hits Old Injury (II) Character suffers increased damage from critical hits Pacifism Character has chosen to foreswear the path of violence Master List of Flaws 5
Poor Fighter Character’s fighting ability is obviously sub-par. Poorly Educated Character receives fewer skill points at 1st level Predictable Fighter Character cannot charge, fight defensively, or aid another Psionic Vulnerability* Character suffers a penalty to all saving throws vs. psionic abilities and effects Slow Healing Character’s rate of hit point recovery is diminished Slow-Witted Character’s Initiative checks aren’t what they should be Unathletic Character’s Climb, Jump, and Swim checks suffer a variable penalty Uncoordinated Character is seriously lacking in agility Underweight Character is slender and scrawny Unexceptional Character’s maximum number of skill ranks is decreased Unhealthy Doubled fatigue penalties and diminished carrying capacity Unlucky Bad things happen when character rolls a natural 1 Weak Constitution Character is unusually vulnerable to poisons and diseases Weak-Willed Character’s Will Saves suffer a variable penalty Medical Conditions Medical Condition Brief Description of Impairment Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Character has AIDS or its precursor, HIV Asthma Character has chronic breathing trouble Clubfoot One of the character’s feet is malformed Diabetes (Type I) Character’s body does not produce insulin Diabetes (Type II) Character’s body does not properly use what insulin it has Epilepsy Character suffers from seizures Hemophilia Character lacks essential blood clotting factors Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Character is allergic to many common modern-day chemicals Psychological Conditions Psychological Condition Brief Description of Impairment Anxiety Disorder Character suffers from a general state of intense worry Bipolar Disorder Character veers from states of manic enthusiasm to morbid lethargy Chronic Confusion Character is befuddled about life, the universe, and everything Delusional Character experiences hallucinations at regular intervals Dissociative Identity Character has a “secondary personality” born of past trauma Dyslexia Character has difficulty interpreting visual symbology, such as writing Narcissism Character is poisonously fixated on his own aggrandizement Narcolepsy Character suffers random bouts of irresistible sleepiness Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Character is obsessed with order, details, and procedures Paranoia Character is always watching his back, as someone is ”out to get him” Phobia Some common situation or encounter gives the character quite a fright Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Character suffers nervous episodes when reminded of a past trauma Quirk/Mannerism Character has a minor behavioral or social quirk Tourette’s Syndrome Character continually erupts in involuntary movements and vocalizations 6
Secondary Flaws Secondary Flaw Brief Description of Impairment Aggressive Character trusts his weapons too much and his wits too little Airy/Flaky Character acts, dresses, and/or talks like an irreconcilable loon Amnesia The character’s entire life before now is a blank slate Billy the Kid Syndrome Character is regarded as the “one to beat” by a horde of eager wannabes Boastful Character is a compulsive exaggerator and often an outright liar Cold Fish Character is markedly stiff, emotionless, and aloof Compulsive Liar Character simply cannot stop spinning webs of lies and exaggerations Cowardly Character values his skin much more than he values his dignity Criminal Honor Code Character is sworn to live by a rather “Sicilian” code of conduct Criminal Record Character was convicted of one or more crimes and served time for them Cruelty Character takes pleasure in dealing out pain and punishment to his foes Dark Desire Character secretly years for vast cosmic power at any price Debt of Honor Character owes favors to a powerful NPC and must repay them Dependency Character is addicted to a chemical substance Dependent Character has one or more relatively helpless NPCs to guard and care for Divisive Destiny Character is fated to cause a major schism in his family, culture, or nation Double Life Character adventures under a secret identity that must remain secret Driving Obsession Character’s life is consumed by his hunger for a single goal Duty/Responsibility Character is sworn and legally bound into the service of a nation or group Estranged Character is emotionally alienated from his family and society Explosive Temper Character blows his top with a frightening lack of control Greed Character covets material possessions with an unhealthy lack of caution Heroic Code: Fair Play Character refuses to fight in an unsporting fashion Heroic Code: Honesty According to the character, two wrongs never make a right Heroic Code: Law and Order Character deeply respects and defers to the law and its uniformed defenders Heroic Code: Loyalty Character refuses to abandon his friends and allies even in suicidal situations Heroic Code: Mercy Character has vowed never to take the life of another thinking being Humorless Character is utterly without the slightest comprehension of humor Impulsive Character is rash and headstrong, disdaining calculation, caution, and planning Inferiority Complex Character is a show-off, overly sensitive about any perceived mistreatment Insatiable Curiosity Character is probably going to go the way of the proverbial cat Intolerant Character has an extremely regrettable streak of racial prejudice Kleptomania Character lives for the thrill of stealing things from other people Lazy Character is a slacker and a shirker; he is apparently allergic to hard work Lecherous Character chases his compatible sex with single-minded zeal Lone Wolf Character dislikes working in a group and is a grating, divisive presence Macho/Spartan Character laughs at displays of weakness and shuns all creature comforts Melancholy Character is brooding, introspective, and morbid Miser Character is obsessed with hoarding the money he has accumulated Mistaken Identity Someone with power frequently mistakes your character for someone else Monetary Debt Character owes a small fortune to a powerful NPC Nemesis: Government Your character has an enemy within a local, regional, or national government Nemesis: Legal Your character is pursued by lawyers 7
Nemesis: Media Your character is constantly harassed by one or more media figures Nemesis: Organization Your character has made an enemy of a non-governmental organization Nemesis: Villain Your character has made an enemy of a powerful and determined NPC Nightmares Character suffers from recurring bouts of sleep-destroying visions Obnoxious Character is an obstreperous, opinionated loudmouth Ostracism Character suffers formal or informal prejudice from the society he lives in Overcautious Character drags his heels and proceeds too slowly when taking decisive action Overconfident Character doesn’t seem to realize that he’s not invincible Pompous Character is overly formal, domineering, and melodramatic Poor Reputation Character is reviled and disparaged by quite a few people Primitive Character is a product of a less technologically advanced civilization Risk-Addicted Character loves to consign his fate to the hands of Lady Luck Stubborn Character is obstreperous, headstrong, and used to having his way. Tongue-Tied Character is shy and socially unpolished Unsophisticated Character is presumed to be a hick or a rube. Vain/Dandy Character is image-obsessed, and possibly foppish or a clotheshorse Vindictive Character has a revenge complex and cannot forgive any slight or injury Weird Flaws Weird Flaw Brief Description of Impairment Bane Character has an unusual vulnerability Cursed Character suffers from the varying effects of a supernatural curse Dark Taint Character has been touched by some form of evil Haunted Character suffers the attentions of a poltergeist Photophobia Character hates bright light, and takes damage from sunlight Strange Attractor Character attracts bizarre occurrences and weird disruptions 8
PRIMARY FLAWS AGE [ Primary Flaw ] As your character can readily attest, it’s not necessarily the years, it’s the mileage. [2 Pts.] Middle Age: Your character begins the game just past the cusp of “middle age.” His starting age will be 1d4 years past the minimum “mid- dle age” prescribed for his race. Your character suffers a -1 penalty to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution and gains a +1 bonus to Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. [4 Pts.] Old Age: Your character begins the game just past the cusp of “old age.” His starting age will be 1d4 years past the minimum “old age” prescribed for his race. He suffers an additional -2 penalty to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution and gains an additional +1 bonus to Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. [8 Pts.] Venerable Age: Your character begins the game just past the cusp of “venerable age.” His starting age will be 1 year past the minimum “venerable age” prescribed for his race. He suffers an additional -3 penal- ty to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution and gains an additional +1 bonus to Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. He also suffers an inher- ent -5 foot penalty to his base Speed and an inherent -1 penalty to his Defense score. Special Handicap [Frailty, +2 Pts.]: Your character suffers an addi- tional inherent -1 penalty to his Fortitude Save and his Reflex Save. Limitation: The GM may determine that this flaw is incompatible with certain unusual races or FX powers in use in specific campaigns. ALBINISM [ Primary Flaw ] Oculocutaneous albinism is a congenital condition that causes your character to have little or no pigmentation in his eyes, skin, and hair. In addition to affecting his physical appearance, this condition may impair vision or, rarely, cause more serious problems. [2 Pts.] Mild Albinism: Your character is unusually pale, and suffers a -4 circumstance penalty to Disguise checks due to the difficulty of con- cealing his condition. He also suffers an inherent -1 penalty to Search and Spot checks. If your character suffers lengthy exposure (4 hours or more) to power- ful sunlight with little or no protection, he must make a Fort Save (DC 18) or suffer painful burns across the exposed areas of his body. These burns will cause the temporary loss of 1d4 points of Dexterity, which will return at the usual rate with rest and care. [4 Pts.] Serious Albinism: Your character’s hair and skin are not mere- ly pale, but somewhere between snowy white and transparent. He suffers a -8 circumstance penalty to Disguise checks and a -2 penalty to Search and Spot checks. Even modest exposure (2 or more hours) to powerful sunlight will force your character to make a Fort Save (DC 20) or suffer painful burns across the exposed areas of his body. These burns will cause the temporary loss of 1d6 points of Dexterity, which will return at the usual rate with rest and care. Special Handicap [Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome, +2 Pts.]: This is an extremely rare form of albinism found almost exclusively (but not uni- versally) in people of Puerto Rican descent. Its symptoms are mild lung fibrosis (an inability of the lungs to expand or contract fully) and occa- sional bouts of bleeding, which are abstracted for game purposes to an inherent -2 penalty to Fortitude saving throws. ANIMAL ANTIPATHY [ Primary Flaw ] Although your character can make limited use of pack and riding ani- mals, neither they nor their wild counterparts have any affection for him. [2 Pts.] Moderate Antipathy: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penalty to all Animal Empathy, Handle Animal, and Ride checks, and must always treat those skills as cross-class skills if he wishes to improve them Dogs will bark at him, cats will hiss, and horses will buck and shy away. Any wild animals encountered will have their reactions toward your character shifted one column into the negative. [4 Pts.] Severe Antipathy: Your character suffers an inherent -4 penal- ty to all Animal Empathy, Handle Animal, and Ride checks, and must always treat those skills as cross-class skills if he wishes to improve them. Dogs will howl at him, cats will hiss and scratch, and horses may attempt to kick him. Any wild animals encountered will have their reac- tions toward your character shifted one column into the negative, and animals that are already hostile will attack your character in preference to anyone else nearby. 9
[6 Pts.] Violent Antipathy: Your character suffers an inherent -6 penalty to all Animal Empathy, Handle Animal, and Ride checks, and must always treat those skills as cross-class skills if he wishes to improve them. Any wild animals encountered will have their reactions toward your character shifted one column into the negative, and animals that are already hostile will gleefully ignore anyone else nearby in their haste to hurl themselves upon your character. Lastly, any animal attacking your character gains a +1 morale bonus to its attack and damage rolls. Limitation: A character with this flaw may not possess the feat Animal Affinity, nor any other feat that offers a benefit or a bonus when dealing with animals. BAD DRIVER [ Primary Flaw ] Putting your character at the controls of any ground vehicle with more get-up-and-go than the average bicycle is an invitation to disaster. [2 Pts.] Simple Ineptitude: Your character suffers an inherent -4 penalty to all Drive checks. [4 Pts.] Total Ineptitude: Your character suffers an inherent -8 penal- ty to all Drive checks. [6 Pts.] Gruesome Incompetence: Your character automatically fails any Drive check he is called upon to make. Limitation: This flaw is incompatible with the Drive-By Attack, Force Stop, Vehicle Dodge, and Vehicle Expert feats. A character suffering from total ineptitude or gruesome incompetence may not take the Surface Vehicle Operation feat. BAD SHOT [ Primary Flaw ] Your character is either woefully unpracticed or naturally handicapped when it comes to the use of ranged weapons. [1 Pt.] Slight Impairment: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penal- ty to all ranged attacks. [2 Pts.] Routine Ineptitude: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penalty to all ranged attacks. [3 Pts.] Woeful Ineptitude: Your character is lucky he understands which end of the barrel the bullet comes out of. He suffers an inherent - 4 penalty to all ranged attacks. [4 Pts.] Perpetual Embarrassment: Opponents would rather be shot at by your character than by anyone else they know. He suffers an inher- ent -6 penalty to all ranged attacks. Special Handicap [Uncoordinated, +1 or 2 Pts.]: Your character’s positive Dexterity modifier does not improve his ranged attack rolls. This special handicap may only be selected if your character has a Dexterity score of 12 or higher. If at any time your character’s Dexterity score per- manently drops below 12, simply add another -2 penalty to his ranged attacks. This handicap is worth 1 point for a Dexterity score of 12-15 and 2 points for a Dexterity score of 16 or higher. Special Handicap [Luckless Shooter, +1 Pt.]: Your character may never spend Action Points to improve ranged attack rolls. Special Handicap [Ineffectual Shooter, +1 Pt.]: Your character may never score a critical hit with a firearm. All critical hits rolled with a firearm will be treated as ordinary hits. Limitation: This flaw is incompatible with the following feats: Advanced Firearms Proficiency, Burst Fire, Dead Aim, Double Tap, Far Shot, Point- Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Shot on the Run, Skip Shot, or Strafe. It is also incompatible with the Foresworn From Firearms flaw (page 12). BODILY MARKED [ Primary Flaw ] Your character ‘s body has been permanently marked with a brand, a tattoo, a birthmark, or some similar marking, of a nature that is very diffi- cult to remove even with procedures such as laser surgery. This flaw is especially appropriate for members of secret orders and societies. Be warned– not only does it make disguise more difficult, it may be a dead giveaway of your character’s identity or nature if his enemies learn the meaning of the mark. [1 Pt.] Easily Concealed: Your character’s permanent mark is quite indelible, but it is positioned so as to be very easily concealed– beneath a watchband, behind a necklace, under a breast or an armpit, on the inside of a thigh, etc. Your character suffers a -1 circumstance penalty to disguise checks. [2 Pts.] Difficult to Conceal: Your character’s permanent mark is posi- tioned so that it may be hidden beneath relatively long clothing (full- length shirts and trousers), but will be revealed by anything less. Your character suffers a -2 circumstance penalty to disguise checks. 10
[3 Pts.] Glaringly Obvious: Your character’s permanent mark is either so large or so located as to be impossible to hide– the middle of his fore- head, for example. Your character suffers a -4 penalty to disguise checks. Special Handicap [Invites Trouble, +1 Pt.]: Your character’s mark sends a signal to certain people that your character may be openly harmed or even killed. For example, some police states brand their crim- inals and enemies, and those markings would invite police and other authorities to arrest or attack your character if the markings were uncov- ered. BUTTERFINGERS [ Primary Flaw ] Your character is seriously lacking in manual dexterity, and tends to fumble and slip when he grasps at objects in moments of stress. [2 Pts.]: Withdrawing or stowing a carried item or weapon (in a holster or pack) are both treated as full-round actions for your character. Reloading a firearm with a box magazine or a speed-loader also requires a full round, and reloading a firearm with an internal magazine or belt requires two full-round actions. Your character suffers a -1 circumstance penalty to all Sleight-of-Hand checks. Limitation: This flaw is incompatible with the Quick Draw and Quick Reload feats. CLIMATE AVERSION [ Primary Flaw ] Your character’s body has a hard time adjusting to the rigors of either very hot or very cold climates. [2 Pts.] Cold Aversion: If your character is averse to cold climates, he suffers a -2 circumstance penalty to all saving throws and skill checks in temperatures at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. He also suffers an inherent -2 penalty to saving throws made against cold-based FX powers or area effects. Cold-weather clothing will not remove this penalty. [2 Pts.] Heat Aversion: If your character is averse to hot climates, he suffers a -2 circumstance penalty to all saving throws and skill checks in tropical or desert conditions (or in artificial conditions of extreme heat, such as steam baths). He also suffers an inherent -2 penalty to saving throws made against heat-based FX powers or area effects. Special Handicap [Intense Aversion, +1 Pt.]: Your character’s aver- sion to the climate is so intense that he also suffers a -2 circumstance penalty to Defense and attack rolls while in it. Special: A character may possess both types of climate aversion, meaning that he will be comfortable only in relatively temperate climates. Limitation: This flaw may not be taken by a character with any sort of intrinsic resistance to the range of temperatures he is supposed to be averse to. CLUMSY [ Primary Flaw ] Your character’s defensive footwork needs a great deal of polish. His opponents find him somehow quite hittable. [2 Pts.] Slightly Clumsy: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penal- ty to his Defense rating. [4 Pts.] Fairly Clumsy: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penalty to his Defense rating. [6 Pts.] Very Clumsy: Your character suffers an inherent -3 penalty to his Defense rating. Cover is your character’s friend. [8 Pts.] Professional Victim: Your character suffers an inherent -4 penalty to his Defense rating. May we suggest a comprehensive life insurance policy? Special Handicap [Uncomfortable With Armor, +1 Pt.]: If your char- acter wears armor of any sort, his Armor Check Penalty is worsened by -1. Special: This flaw is incompatible with the Dodge feat. DISFIGUREMENT [ Primary Flaw ] Your character suffers from a permanent , painless, but very obvious physical deformity. This could be anything from bestial features (a mane, a tail, etc.) to a misshapen body (hunchback, extensive scars) to unusu- al skin color (moon-white, dark blue, etc.). [1 Pt.] Slight Disfigurement: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penalty to his Charisma score. Only his very close friends, family, and associates will disregard this penalty (GM’s discretion). Furthermore, your character will suffer an additional -1 penalty to all Disguise checks, due to the difficulty of concealing his unusual feature(s). 11
[2 Pts.] Moderate Disfigurement: Your character suffers an inherent - 2 penalty to his Charisma score. Only his very close friends, family, and associates will disregard this penalty (GM’s discretion). Furthermore, your character will suffer an additional -2 penalty to all Disguise checks, due to the difficulty of concealing his unusual feature(s). [4 Pts.] Obvious Disfigurement: Your character suffers an inherent - 4 penalty to his Charisma score. Only his very close friends, family, and associates will disregard this penalty (GM’s discretion). Furthermore, your character will suffer an additional -4 penalty to all Disguise checks, due to the difficulty of concealing his unusual feature(s). Special Handicap [Unusual Body Shape, +1 Pt.]: Your character must have all of his personal clothing and armor tailored to fit his disfig- ured form. Increase the base price of any armor or clothing so cus- tomized by 50%, or add 2 to the DC of the Wealth check. Special Handicap [Uniqueness, +1 Pt.]: Your character suffers an additional -4 circumstance penalty to Disguise checks. DULL REFLEXES [ Primary Flaw] Your character isn’t as fast as he could or should be when attempting to dodge incoming disaster. [1 Pt.]: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penalty to his Reflex sav- ing throw. This flaw may be taken multiple times, up to a maximum Reflex Save penalty of -8. Limitation: This flaw may not be taken in conjunction with the Lightning Reflexes feat. DWARFISM [ Primary Flaw] Your character, due to a genetic condition, has reached an adult level of physical development that is significantly shorter in stature than his species norm. [2 Pts.]: Your character is one size class smaller than the adult norm for his race. In the case of humans, this will make him a small creature. Apply all the appropriate modifiers. Your character suffers an intrinsic -4 penalty to all Intimidate and Disguise checks. He may occasionally suffer taunts and pranks from insensitive NPCs. EASILY SLAIN [ Primary Flaw] Your character’s will to live is weaker than usual, and when seriously injured his natural inclination is to give up the ghost rather than fight to stay alive. [2 Pts.]: Your character dies at -5 hit points rather than at -10 hit points. Furthermore, he suffers a -2 penalty to any Fort Save made to avoid instant death (as from massive damage, for example). Limitation: This flaw may not be applied to characters with regenera- tion or unusually fast healing as natural powers. EASILY WINDED [ Primary Flaw] Your character’s ability to engage in lengthy bouts of physical activity is somewhat limited. [2 Pts.] Slightly Out of Shape: Your character suffers a -4 penalty to all skill checks or saves made to reflect exertion over an extended length of time. Furthermore, when holding his breath, he is treated as though his Constitution score were 4 points lower than it really is. [4 Pts.] Obviously Out of Shape: Your character suffers a -8 penalty to all skill checks or saves made to reflect exertion over an extended length of time. Furthermore, when holding his breath, he is treated as though his Constitution score were 8 points lower than it really is. Limitation: This flaw may not be taken in conjunction with the Endurance feat. FLINCHING [ Primary Flaw] Your character tends to flinch and hesitate when opponents press close in combat, meaning that his attacks of opportunity are poorly directed. [2 Pts.]: When an opponent triggers an attack of opportunity within your character’s threatened area, your character suffers a -4 circumstance penalty to his attack roll. FORESWORN FROM FIREARMS [ Primary Flaw ] Your character shuns the use of guns of any sort, regarding them as crude, clumsy, noisy, dishonorable, or all of the above. 12
[2 Pts.] Moderate Revulsion: Your character steadfastly refuses to carry or use firearms, and usually regards those who do as being beneath contempt. In extreme circumstances, your character may attempt to pick up a firearm and use it for a purpose other than shooting someone else (cutting a rope, detonating an explosive barrel, etc.). The GM may call for a Will Save (DC 15+) before allowing him to do so. [4 Pts.] Irrational Abhorrence: Your character refuses to even touch a firearm, even when his life or the lives of others might be on the line. In utterly extreme circumstances (fate of the world hangs in the balance, for example) the character may attempt a very difficult Will Save (DC 25+) in order to pick up a firearm and use it on an inanimate object. Limitation: This flaw is incompatible with any feat that improves the character’s ability to use or maintain firearms. Feats that improve gener- al ranged attacks may be taken (with the GM’s permission), but never applied to the use of firearms. FRAGILE [ Primary Flaw] Your character suffers from a certain exceptional lack of vitality. [1 Pt.]: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penalty to his Fortitude saving throw. This flaw may be taken multiple times, up to a maximum Fortitude Save penalty of -8. Limitation: This flaw may not be taken in conjunction with the Great Fortitude feat. GLASS JAW [ Primary Flaw ] Your character tends to wobble and swoon when an opponent lands a solid blow to his head or chin. [2 Pts.] Wobbly: When an opponent scores a successful critical hit against your character with an unarmed attack or a bludgeoning weapon, your character must make a Fort Save, [DC 10 + points of damage taken], or become stunned for 1d2+1 rounds. [4 Pts.] Downright Delicate: When an opponent scores a successful critical hit against your character with an unarmed attack or a bludgeon- ing weapon, your character must make a Fort Save, [DC 15 + points of damage taken], or become stunned for 1d4+1 rounds. Limitation: This flaw may not be taken by a character naturally immune to critical hits. GUILELESS [ Primary Flaw ] Your character is somewhat deficient in shrewdness and social aware- ness. [2 Pts.] Socially Unpolished: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penalty to all Bluff, Diplomacy, and Sense Motive checks. [4 Pts.] Fantastically Clueless: Your character suffers an inherent -4 13 By now it’s probably occurred to you that certain flaws, in combination, have a debilitating effect greater than the sum of their parts– just as alco- hol and some drugs multiply their effects when mingled. This leads into the concept of flaw synergy. Flaw synergy grants a player some extra bit of compensation for hav- ing the guts needed to take a set of flaws that compound one another in a potentially gruesome fashion. Note that flaw synergy does not occur merely because a character has a set of flaws that are thematically relat- ed– for example, while it makes sense that an Inflexible character might also be Unathletic, those two flaws don’t complicate one another in a direct and particular fashion. On the other hand, Glass Jaw and Light-Headed are potentially dead- ly in combination. The latter flaw all but ensures that your character will fall unconscious whenever the former flaw takes effect. Old Injury and Old Injury (II) are an equally dangerous match, greatly enhancing the effect of every critical hit the character suffers. Primary and secondary flaws may be combined to create synergy. For example, an Overconfident character with a Glass Jaw and an Old Injury is simply asking for trouble. If the GM determines that a player’s selection of flaws is appropriate- ly synergistic, he may award him one of the following benefits: • 1 Flaw Point for mild synergy • 2 Flaw Points for dangerous synergy • 3 Flaw Points for suicidal synergy GM Option: Flaw Synergy
penalty to all Bluff, Diplomacy, and Sense Motive checks. Limitation: This flaw is incompatible with any feat that would enhance or improve any of the skills it penalizes. GULLIBLE [ Primary Flaw ] Your character is far too credulous– not only does he tend to swallow lies, exaggerations, and tall tales put forth by others, he does so with enthusiasm. [2 Pts.]: Your character suffers an inherent -4 penalty to all Bluff checks and Sense Motive checks. It’s against his nature to challenge the word of others except when he has direct proof that they’re wrong, and his friends and allies will have many occasions to swat their foreheads in embar- rassment at his gullibility. ILLITERATE [ Primary Flaw ] Your character cannot read. [2 Pts.]: Your character cannot read, and therefore cannot place skill ranks in Knowledges, Professions, or Craft/Repair skills that could rea- sonably be determined to require any element of book-learning (GM’s discretion). Your character also begins the game knowing only the spo- ken form of his native language. IMPAIRED HAND(S) [ Primary Flaw ] Your character has suffered some form of damage to one or both of his hands. [2 Pts.] Injured/Missing Fingers: Due to stiff or missing fingers, your character suffers a -2 circumstance penalty to all Climb, Craft, Disable Device, Repair, and Sleight-of-Hand checks; [5 Pts.] One-Handed: Your character’s off hand was completely sev- ered from his wrist, leaving him with nothing but a rounded and useless stump. This flaw has a variety of effects: •Your character cannot wield a weapon in his off-hand, nor use any shield with that hand, save a buckler which can be strapped to his fore- arm; •Your character may not wear rings or bracelets on his off hand. Magical items in the form of gloves or gauntlets may not be used if both must be worn to achieve the magical effect; •Reloading a firearm with a box magazine or a speed-loader also requires a full round; •Your character suffers a -2 circumstance penalty to all Climb, Craft, Disable Device, Repair, and Sleight-of-Hand checks; and •Your character may not use ordinary bows, although he may load and fire crossbows as per normal. •Your character suffers a -1 penalty to all grapple checks. Limitation: Your character may not possess the following feats: Ambidexterity, Quick Reload, Two-Weapon Fighting, or Improved Two- Weapon Fighting. Special: Injured/Missing Fingers is worth 1 bonus Flaw Point to arcane spellcasters, as it causes a 10% chance of failure to any spell with a somatic (gesture) component. One-Handed is worth 2 bonus Flaw Points to an arcane spellcaster, as it causes a 20% chance of failure to any spell with a somatic component. These percentile chances of failure are rolled by the GM. Special: The GM may see fit to assign penalties to actions not described here if the lack of an off-hand could be reasonably determined to hinder those actions. IMPAIRED HEARING [ Primary Flaw ] Your character has suffered some sort of damage (congenital, perhaps, or caused by an accident or a combat injury) to his auditory nerves. [2 Pts.] Hearing Damage: Your character retains some auditory abili- ty, but not much. He suffers an inherent -6 penalty to Listen checks, and may not spend Action Points to enhance them. The Listen skill will be for- ever considered cross-class for your character. [5 Pts.] Deafness: Your character automatically fails any Listen check, suffers a -4 penalty to Initiative, and has a 20% chance to miscast any spell with a verbal (V) component. Nothing less than a full Wish spell or the equivalent ultra-powerful FX effect can restore your character’s hear- ing. 14
Limitation: This flaw may not be applied to characters with a natural power or ability that effectively replaces the sense of hearing. IMPAIRED MOVEMENT [ Primary Flaw ] Your character suffers from a physical condition that restricts his abili- ty to move. The nature of this condition is such that no magical, techno- logical, or other power can reverse or remove it, unless you wish to buy this flaw off (page 18) at 2nd level or higher. [2 Pts.] Limp: Your character’s base Speed is reduced by 10 feet. [4 Pts.] Serious Limp: Your character’s base Speed is reduced by 10 feet. He suffers an inherent -2 penalty to Climb, Jump, and Tumble checks. [8 Pts.] Hobbled: Your character cannot run or charge. His base Speed is reduced by 10 feet. He suffers an inherent -1 penalty to Defense and a -4 penalty to Climb, Jump, and Tumble checks. [12 Pts.] Paraplegic: Your character is paraplegic. He has lost all use of his legs and must rely upon a wheelchair or other conveyance. If removed from such a device, he may move only by crawling while prone, at a rate of 10 feet per round. At all times, he loses his Dex bonus to Defense, suffers an intrinsic -2 penalty to Defense, grants attackers a +2 bonus to attack rolls, and automatically fails Climb, Jump, and Tumble checks. Limitation: This flaw, in its Paraplegic form, is incompatible with any feat or FX power that the GM determines to require bipedal movement. Paraplegism is also incompatible with the Inflexible flaw. IMPAIRED SENSE OF SMELL [ Primary Flaw ] Your character ‘s olfactory nerves have been damaged, leaving him unable to smell anything. While this may be a blessing in certain dis- gusting situations, it also leaves him without early warning of many pos- sible hazards, including fires, poison gas, or large nearby animals. [1 Pt.]: In addition to the obvious effects of this flaw, your character suf- fers a -2 circumstance penalty to any roll made to ascertain information by the sense of taste. IMPAIRED SENSE OF TASTE [ Primary Flaw ] Your character ‘s taste buds are permanently damaged or missing, leaving him sadly unable to taste anything, no matter how delicious or vile it may be. [1 Pt.]: Everything your character eats or drinks is as flat and flavorless as distilled water would be to an ordinary person. This leaves your char- acter unable to detect the subtle hint of drugs, poison, or putrefaction in anything he eats. IMPAIRED VISION [ Primary Flaw ] Your character isn’t completely blind, but his vision is a constant source of trouble to him. Magical healing will not suffice to alleviate this condi- tion. [2 Pts.] Poor Vision: Your character suffers an inherent -3 penalty to Search and Spot checks, and may not spend Action Points to enhance them. The Search and Spot skills will be forever considered cross-class for your character. [4 Pts.] Terrible Vision: Your character isn’t yet absolutely blind, but in practical terms he’s pretty close. Your character suffers an inherent -4 penalty to Search and Spot checks, and may not spend Action Points to enhance them. The Search and Spot skills will be forever considered cross-class for your character. Furthermore, he suffers a -1 inherent penalty to all attack rolls due to his inability to judge the true position of opponents in combat. [6 Pts.] Truly Awful Vision: It isn’t quite safe to let your character out on his own– he’s always mistaking hostile ninjas for harmless pieces of lawn furniture, and vice versa. Your character suffers an inherent -5 penalty to Search and Spot checks, and may not spend Action Points to enhance them. The Search and Spot skills will be forever considered cross-class for your character. Furthermore, he suffers a -1 inherent penalty to all attack rolls, as well as an inherent -1 penalty to Defense. [8 Pts.] Blindness: In addition to the obvious effects of blindness (auto- matically failing Search and Spot checks, for example), your character suffers a 50% miss chance in combat, loses any Dexterity bonus to Defense, grants a +2 bonus to opponents’ attack rolls, moves at half speed, and suffers a -4 penalty on most Dexterity and Strength-based skill checks, at the GM’s discretion. 15
IMPAIRED VOICE [ Primary Flaw ] Your character has suffered extensive damage to his vocal cords, via injury or disease. Magical healing and FX powers cannot correct this con- dition. [1 Pt.] Slight Impediment: Your character suffers from a slight speech impediment, such as an occasional stutter. This impediment should be role-played continually, but need only become severe when your charac- ter is under intense stress. The GM may call for a Will Save in times of crisis if your character wishes to try and maintain control over his voice. [2 Pts.] Damaged Voice: Your character is unable to talk above a harsh whisper and cannot shout or sing. This should be role-played at all times. Your character suffers a 25% chance of spell failure when casting any arcane spell with a verbal (V) component. Any Perform check involv- ing a verbal element (save for singing, which is already totally precluded) suffers a -4 circumstance penalty. This level of Impaired Voice is worth 2 bonus Flaw Points to arcane spellcasters, as virtually all spells have ver- bal components. [4 Pts.] Mute: Your character’s vocal cords are missing or irreparably damaged. He may speak only in weak abstract noises, such as hisses and grunts. Otherwise, his communication must be limited to gestures and writing (if he is capable of such). It is expected that this flaw will be roleplayed at all appropriate times. An arcane spellcaster may not be mute. IMPATIENT [ Primary Flaw ] Your character is notoriously incapable of focusing his attention long and hard enough to accomplish tasks requiring great dedication. [2 Pts.]: Your character may never ‘take 10’ or ‘take 20’ on any skill check. INATTENTIVE [ Primary Flaw ] Your character is frequently oblivious to the fine details of what’s hap- pening all around him. [2 Pts.] Distracted: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penalty to Listen, Search, and Spot checks. [4 Pts.] Clueless: Your character suffers an inherent -4 penalty to Listen, Search, and Spot checks. [6 Pts.] Thick as Concrete: Your character suffers an inherent -6 penalty to Listen, Search, and Spot checks. Limitation: This flaw may not be taken in conjunction with the “Blindness” version of Impaired Vision or with the “Deafness” version of “Impaired Hearing. INFLEXIBLE [ Primary Flaw ] Whether it’s due to age, an old injury, or simple lack of exercise, your character isn’t as lithe and nimble as he really should be. [2 Pts.] Creaky: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penalty to Balance, Escape Artist, Jump, and Tumble checks. [4 Pts.] Stiff: Your character suffers an inherent -4 penalty to Balance, Escape Artist, Jump, and Tumble checks. [6 Pts.] Very Stiff: Your character suffers an inherent -4 penalty to Balance, Escape Artist, Jump, and Tumble checks, as well as an inher- ent -1 penalty to Defense. Special Handicap [Arthritis, +2 Pts.]: Your character’s fingers are stiff and sore. As a result, he suffers an inherent -2 penalty to Craft, Disable Device, and Sleight-of-Hand checks. LIGHT-HEADED [ Primary Flaw ] Your character has serious trouble remaining steady on his feet when subjected to a stunning attack or a knockout effect. [2 Pts.]: When your character would normally become staggered due to the accrual of nonlethal damage, he instead falls unconscious. When he suffers a successful stun attack, he must make a Fort Save (DC 15) or instead fall unconscious for the appropriate number of rounds. Your character suffers a -2 penalty to all saving throws vs. sleep-inducing spells, FX powers, and drugs. Special: This flaw may not be taken by a character with an unusual or racial resistance to sleep-inducing spells and FX powers, or to nonlethal damage. 16
LUMMOX [ Primary Flaw ] Your character’s firm muscles are a testament to his physical strength, but he’s never really learned how to control that strength when swinging a weapon. [2 Pts.]: Your character’s positive Strength modifier is not applied to his Base Attack Bonus whenever he uses a melee weapon or makes an unarmed attack. Limitation: This flaw may only be applied to characters with a Strength score of 12 or higher. If at any time the character’s Strength falls perma- nently beneath 12, apply an inherent -2 penalty to all melee attack rolls instead. MAGIC VULNERABILITY [ Primary Flaw ] Your character is unusually vulnerable to the deleterious effects of hos- tile magic. [2 Pts.] Slight Vulnerability: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penalty to all saving throws against spells and spell-like effects. [4 Pts.] Moderate Vulnerability: Your character suffers an inherent -4 penalty to all saving throws against spells and spell-like effects. [6 Pts.] Extreme Vulnerability: Your character suffers an inherent -6 penalty to all saving throws against spells and spell-like effects. [8 Pts.] Dying of Mojo: Your character suffers an inherent -8 penalty to all saving throws against spells and spell-like effects. Special: This flaw may only be taken in campaigns where magic is present. MOTION SICKNESS [ Primary Flaw ] Your character suffers intense discomfort and disorientation if he attempts to concentrate on anything but the scenery while in a moving vehicle. This flaw does not usually apply if the character is controlling the vehicle in question. [2 Pts.] Woozy: Your character suffers a -2 circumstance penalty any time he attempts to take any sort of action while riding within or upon a moving vehicle. [4 Pts.] Nauseous: What’s more, before your character may take any action while in or upon a moving vehicle, he must make a Fortitude Save (DC 15). Failure means that he will become nauseated until the begin- ning of his action in the next round. Special Handicap [Total Vulnerability, +1 Pt.]: Your character even suffers from motion sickness when he is the one controlling the vehicle. NERVOUS [ Primary Flaw ] Your character has some difficulty dealing with the horrors of battle, dark magic, and supernatural manifestations. [2 Pts.] Trepidatious: Your character suffers an inherent -4 penalty to Will Saves made to resist fear, horror, shock, or demoralization. [4 Pts.] Traumatized: Your character suffers an inherent -8 penalty to Will Saves made to resist fear, horror, shock, or demoralization. Limitation: This flaw may not be taken by characters that are inherent- ly immune to fear effects. OAFISH [ Primary Flaw ] Your character is about as light on his feet as a sleepy grizzly bear. [2 Pts.] Fumblefeet: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penalty to all Hide, Jump, and Move Silently checks. [4 Pts.] Omni-Bumbling: Your character is the anti-ninja. He suffers an inherent -4 penalty to all Hide, Jump, and Move Silently checks. Limitation: This flaw is incompatible with the “Paraplegic” version of Impaired Movement. OBESE [ Primary Flaw ] Your character is substantially overweight. Although his mother might insist that he’s just stocky, she’s wrong. [3 Pts.] Overweight: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penalty to his Defense rating, as he has difficulty moving nimbly when he needs to. 17
Your character must also have all of his personal clothing and armor tai- lored to fit his oversized form. Increase the base price of any armor or clothing so customized by 25% (if using a precise cash measure), or add 1 to the DC of the Wealth check. Lastly, he suffers a -4 penalty to Disguise checks because his corpulence is a rather memorable trait. On the positive side, he does gain a +1 circumstance bonus to all Swim checks. [5 Pts.] Very Overweight: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penal- ty to his Defense rating, as well as a -2 penalty to all Climb and Jump checks, as he has difficulty moving nimbly when he needs to. Your char- acter must also have all of his personal clothing and armor tailored to fit his oversized form. Increase the base price of any armor or clothing so customized by 50% (if using a precise cash measure), or add 2 to the DC of the Wealth check. Lastly, he suffers a -6 penalty to Disguise checks because his corpulence is a rather memorable trait. On the positive side, he does gain a +1 circumstance bonus to all Swim checks. Limitation: An Obese character may not also be Underweight. OLD INJURY [ Primary Flaw ] Your character suffers from an old wound, long healed on the surface but ready to flare up again when aggravated by new injuries. [2 Pts.] Aggravating: Whenever your character sustains a successful critical hit, he suffers a -2 penalty to both Strength and Dexterity. These lost ability points must be recovered at the ordinary rate, with rest and care. [4 Pts.] Debilitating: Whenever your character sustains a successful critical hit, he suffers a -4 penalty to both Strength and Dexterity. These lost ability points must be recovered at the ordinary rate, with rest and care. [6 Pts.] Crippling: Whenever your character sustains a successful crit- ical hit, he suffers a -6 penalty to both Strength and Dexterity. These lost ability points must be recovered at the ordinary rate, with rest and care. He also suffers a -10 penalty to his Speed score and a -2 penalty to attack rolls and Defense until he has rested for at least eight hours. Special: This flaw may be taken in conjunction with Old Injury (II). Limitation: This flaw may not be taken by a character naturally immune to critical hits. 18 Sooner or later, one of your players is probably going to express a desire to have his character overcome one or more of his flaws. Provided that a proper in-game rationale can be provided for this, it isn’t a problem. Medical science can correct neurological damage, repair bro- ken limbs, and offer new drug treatments for previously unbeatable prob- lems. Psychological counseling can help overcome many nervous dis- orders. Time, discipline, and increasing self-confidence can help bury many old handicaps, such as clumsiness or obesity. When a player wishes to “buy off” a character flaw, he must spend something in exchange, at the time his character gains a level: •1 Flaw Point may be bought off for 2 skill points; •2 Flaw Points may be bought off for 1 feat (whether received for character level or as a class bonus); •2 Flaw Points may be bought off in place of one ability score increase (at 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, or 20th level); Note that the character doesn’t spend any feats or skill points he already has– he loses only new ones he would ordinarily get for a level increase. Alternately (and with your explicit permission), a character may buy off 1 Flaw Point by setting aside an “XP Tithe.” For each Flaw Point bought off, calculate 1/8 of the number of XP the character will require to reach his next level. This “Tithe” must be paid off by earned XP before any earned XP can be used for any other purpose– in effect, the character is being forced to earn a certain percentage of his next character level twice to pay off his former flaw. Once the Tithe is paid off, the character resumes using earned XP in the usual fashion (to advance his level, to craft FX items, etc.) Some background flaws cannot be bought off– for example, an enemy cannot simply be wished away, and a criminal record cannot be made to vanish into thin air (at least not without the expenditure of large amounts of time and money, an expenditure that should make the character pay about as much as if he’d bought off the flaw in the fashion described above). However, an enemy can be defeated, preferably after many, many encounters as the campaign nears its culmination. Characters that wipe out an enemy after many long months or years of effort do not need to pay anything extra to be rid of their foe– they have earned their peace with blood, sweat, and tears. GM Option: Buying Off Flaws
Limitation: This flaw may not be taken by a character with the natural ability to rapidly regenerate lost ability points, nor by a character natural- ly immune to ability point loss or critical hits. OLD INJURY (II) [ Primary Flaw ] This is another form of old injury. [2 Pts.] Bad: Whenever your character sustains a successful critical hit, the damage multiplier of that critical hit increases by 1 (x2 becomes x3, x3 becomes x4, and so forth). [4 Pts.] Worse: Whenever your character sustains a successful critical hit, the damage multiplier of that critical hit increases by 2 (x2 becomes x4, x3 becomes x5, and so forth). [6 Pts.] Pray For Deliverance: Whenever your character sustains a successful critical hit, the damage multiplier of that critical hit increases by 2 (x2 becomes x4, x3 becomes x5, and so forth). Furthermore, your character suffers an additional 2d6 points of damage (added, not multi- plied). Special: This flaw may be taken in conjunction with Old Injury. Limitation: This flaw may not be taken by a character naturally immune to critical hits. PACIFISM [ Primary Flaw ] Your character renounces (to a lesser or greater extent) the use of vio- lence as a solution to his problems. This includes not only physical vio- lence but magical violence, psionic violence, and any other form of vio- lence allowed by FX powers or other unusual abilities. [3 Pts.] Self-Defense Only: Your character may only engage in acts of violence as a direct response to violent acts taken against himself or his close allies. In the event he witnesses a violent action that affronts his moral code or allegiance (for example, if he witnesses innocent bystanders placed in danger by a criminal), he may attempt to intervene in a non-violent fashion. [6 Pts.] Total Nonviolence: Your character may take no violent action against anyone, under any circumstances. His role in a time of crisis will be limited to rendering aid, healing, scouting, and other non-confronta- tional forms of assistance. Limitation: This flaw, in its “Total Nonviolence” version, is incompatible with the Bad Shot, Foresworn From Firearms, Lummox, Poor Fighter, Predictable Fighter, Cruel, and Vindictive flaws. It is incompatible in any fashion with the Aggressive flaw. Special: The GM may decide to disallow this flaw in combination with any other flaw he determines to be as inappropriate as the ones listed above. POOR FIGHTER [ Primary Flaw ] Your character, whether because of a lack of training, natural ability, or simple enthusiasm, does not fight as skillfully as he should. [2 Pts.] Ungifted: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penalty to all attack rolls. [4 Pts.] Ungainly: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penalty to all attack rolls. [6 Pts.] Embarrassing: Your character suffers an inherent -3 penalty to all attack rolls. [8 Pts.] Disgraceful: Your character suffers an inherent -4 penalty to all attack rolls. [10 Pts.] What’s Combat?: Your character suffers an inherent -5 penalty to all attack rolls. Limitation: This flaw is incompatible with the “Total Nonviolence” ver- sion of Pacifism. POORLY EDUCATED [ Primary Flaw ] Your character might be bright, enthusiastic, and talented, but his for- mal training is sadly lacking. [2 Pts.]: At 1st level, your character suffers the loss of 4 skill points. All Knowledge skills are thereafter treated as cross-class skills should he wish to place ranks in any of them. 19
PREDICTABLE FIGHTER [ Primary Flaw ] Your character fights in a woefully limited and straightforward fashion. [2 Pts.]: Your character is incapable of using the full defense, aid another, trip, or disarm actions in combat. Limitation: Your character cannot possess the Expertise feat or any feat requiring it as a prerequisite. PSIONIC VULNERABILITY [ Primary Flaw ] Your character is unusually vulnerable to the deleterious effects of hos- tile psychic abilities. [2 Pts.] Slight Vulnerability: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penalty to all saving throws against psionic powers and psionic FX abili- ties. [4 Pts.] Moderate Vulnerability: Your character suffers an inherent -4 penalty to all saving throws against psionic powers and psionic FX abili- ties. [6 Pts.] Extreme Vulnerability: Your character suffers an inherent -6 penalty to all saving throws against psionic powers and psionic FX abili- ties. [8 Pts.] Ding! Your Brain is Done: Your character suffers an inherent -8 penalty to all saving throws against psionic powers and psionic FX abilities. Limitation: This flaw may only be taken by characters in campaigns where psionic abilities will be encountered relatively frequently. SLOW HEALING [ Primary Flaw ] Your character finds that recovery from serious injury is a slow and aggravating process. [2 Pts.] Slow Healing: Your character recovers 1 hit point per evening of rest per two character levels (or fraction thereof). If he receives com- plete bed rest (24 hours per day, with no other activity), he may recover lost hit points at his regular rate. [3 Pts.] Slower Healing: Even full-day bed rest cannot improve your character’s rate of healing. Limitation: This flaw may not be taken by any character for whom fast healing is a natural condition. SLOW-WITTED [ Primary Flaw ] When danger looms, your character is slower to react than those around him. [1 Pt.] Somewhat Slow: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penalty to his Initiative checks. [2 Pts.] Rather Slow: Your character suffers an inherent -4 penalty to his Initiative checks. [3 Pts.] Nerves of Molasses: Your character suffers an inherent -6 penalty to his Initiative checks. [4 Pts.] Molasses in January: Your character suffers an inherent -8 penalty to his Initiative checks. Limitation: This flaw may not be taken in conjunction with the Improved Initiative feat. UNATHLETIC [ Primary Flaw ] Whether your character is out of shape, aging, or just disinclined to throw himself around, he’s not as good at full-body movement exercises as he might be. [2 Pts.] Slacker: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penalty to Climb, Jump, and Swim checks. [4 Pts.] Sluggard: Your character suffers an inherent -4 penalty to Climb, Jump, and Swim checks. UNCOORDINATED [ Primary Flaw ] “Right foot in front of left foot, then repeat” is about the most compli- cated action your poor, clumsy character can undertake without trouble. [2 Pts.] Inept: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penalty to Balance, 20
Ride, and Tumble checks. Any Perform check involving dexterous move- ment (dancing or juggling, for example) suffers a -4 circumstance penal- ty. [4 Pts.] Hopeless: Your character suffers an inherent -4 penalty to Balance, Ride, and Tumble checks. Any Perform check involving dexter- ous movement (dancing or juggling, for example) suffers a -8 circum- stance penalty. UNDERWEIGHT [ Primary Flaw ] Your character is unusually skinny for his height. [2 Pts.] Slender: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penalty to grap- ple checks and to melee damage rolls. His lift/carry capacity is 75% of that normally allowed for his Strength score. [4 Pts.] Emaciated: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penalty to grapple checks and to melee damage rolls. His lift/carry capacity is 75% of that normally allowed for his Strength score. He also suffers an inher- ent -1 penalty to all Strength ability checks and Strength-related skill checks. Limitation: This flaw may not be combined with the Obese flaw. UNEXCEPTIONAL [ Primary Flaw ] Your character displays no particular brilliance or excellence in any of his abilities. [2 Pts.]: Lackluster: Your character may never have any natural abili- ty score higher than 13. He may place a maximum number of ranks in any class skill equal to his current level +2. [4 Pts.]: Extreme Mediocrity: Your character may never have any nat- ural ability score higher than 11. He may place a maximum number of ranks in any class skill equal to his current level +1. He may never pos- sess the Skill Focus feat. Special: Any permanent ability increase that would improve one of the character’s ability scores above the allowed maximum is lost without compensation. Special: The character may still increase his abilities above the listed maximum via the use of magical items or other FX artifacts, provided they are acquired during the normal course of play. UNHEALTHY [ Primary Flaw ] Your character suffers from a variety of physical ailments that could be the result of age, injury, disease, or even plain old hypochondria. [2 Pts.]: All numerical fatigue penalties (to Strength and Dexterity) are doubled for your character. His allowed light load is decreased by 10 pounds, his medium load is decreased by 20 pounds, and his maximum load is decreased by 30 pounds. He suffers an inherent -1 penalty to all saving throws against poison and disease. Note: If your character is also Underweight (see above), apply the per- centile decrease in his lift/carry capacity before subtracting the totals list- ed here. UNLUCKY [ Primary Flaw ] Your character might not be fortune’s fool, but he’s almost certainly for- tune’s rubber chew toy. [3 Pts.] Cursed: Any time your character rolls a natural 1 on a skill check, that skill check fails in the most picturesque and potentially com- plicating fashion possible, at the GM’s fiendish discretion. Whenever your character rolls a natural 1 on an attack roll, he drops the weapon he used to make that attack roll. If he is incapable of dropping the weapon (for example, if it is clenched inside a locked gauntlet), he will instead injure himself for 1d4 hit points. [6 Pts.] Cosmic Tragicomedy: Furthermore, your character cannot gain or spend Action Points. WEAK CONSTITUTION [ Primary Flaw ] Your character lacks resistance to pathogens and harmful substances. [2 Pts.] Moderately Weak: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penal- ty to all saving throws made to resist poisons, drugs, and diseases. [4 Pts.] Weak: Your character suffers an inherent -4 penalty to all sav- ing throws made to resist poisons, drugs, and diseases. [6 Pts.] Very Weak: Your character suffers an inherent -6 penalty to all 21
saving throws made to resist poisons, drugs, and diseases. [8 Pts.] Extremely Weak: Your character suffers an inherent -8 penal- ty to all saving throws made to resist poisons, drugs, and diseases. Limitation: This flaw may not be possessed by characters with any natural or unusual immunity to poisons, drugs, or diseases. WEAK-WILLED [ Primary Flaw] Your character lacks the mental fortitude one might wish to have before venturing out into a world full of bizarre mysteries and deadly combat. [1 Pt.]: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penalty to his Will saving throw. This flaw may be taken multiple times, up to a maximum Will Save penalty of -8. Limitation: This flaw may not be taken in conjunction with the Iron Will feat. MEDICAL CONDITIONS ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROME (AIDS) [ Medical Condition] AIDS is a chronic condition that causes degeneration of the human body’s immune system. It is thought to be a result of infection by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Although there are an increasing- ly effective number of treatments for AIDS, there is no known cure, and the condition can be extremely serious in its advanced stages. [3 Pts.] HIV Positive: Your character has been infected by the HIV virus. This does not necessarily mean that he has developed AIDS yet– with a careful lifestyle and the assistance of complicated drug treatments, the development of full-blown AIDS can be staved off for an increasingly impressive length of time. An HIV-positive character suffers an inherent - 2 penalty to Fort Saves due to the side-effects of his anti-retroviral drug regime. Furthermore, the character must make a Wealth check (DC 15) each month in order to pay for this drug regime. Failure to maintain drug treatment will invite the progression of the disease into AIDS. Furthermore, your character may occasionally suffer medical and social hassles due to his infection. The Ostracism flaw (page 45) would be appropriate in some areas of the world. Progression of Disease: For every two game weeks in which the char- acter does not receive his drug treatment, there is a cumulative 5% chance that the disease will progress to the point of genuine AIDS. If this happens in play, no additional Flaw Points are awarded for the worsen- ing of the character’s condition. [7 Pts.] AIDS: Your character’s immune system has become damaged to the point where he is considered to have a full-blown case of AIDS. Your character suffers a -2 penalty to his general Fort Save and a -6 penalty (cumulative with the -2) to all Fort Saves made to resist diseases. AIDS patients frequently suffer serious illness or death from what are called “opportunistic infections,” that is, diseases that are normally easily held in check by a healthy immune system. Your character must also maintain his drug treatment on a continual basis, or the -6 penalty to Fort Saves against disease will become a -8 penalty (after one week without drugs, lasting until they are next taken). Special: This flaw may be combined with the Weak Immune System flaw, if you don’t like your character very much. Limitation: This flaw may not be combined with any feat or FX power that grants heightened resistance to diseases. The character may still acquire or create a magic item or FX artifact that confers resistance against disease, provided he does so during actual play rather than at or before 1st level. ASTHMA [ Medical Condition] This is a chronic lung condition that causes frequent bouts of labored breathing, as well as occasional attacks of brutal coughing, wheezing, and chest constriction. Asthma is often (but not always) linked to aller- gies. [1 Pt.] Nuisance Asthma: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penal- ty to all skill checks or saves made to reflect exertion over an extended length of time. [2 Pts.] Mild Asthma: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penalty to all Fort Saves and an inherent -2 penalty to all skill checks or saves made to reflect exertion over an extended length of time. Furthermore, when holding his breath, he is treated as though his Constitution score were 2 points lower than it really is. [4 Pts.] Serious Asthma: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penal- 22
ty to all Fort Saves and an inherent -4 penalty to all skill checks or saves made to reflect exertion over an extended length of time. Furthermore, when holding his breath, he is treated as though his Constitution score were 4 points lower than it really is. [6 Pts.] Severe Asthma: As per Serious Asthma. Furthermore, when- ever your character makes a skill check or save to reflect exertion over an extended length of time (carrying weights, running, holding his breath, etc.), he must make a Fort Save (DC 17) or suffer an asthma attack. An attack will last for 2d10 minutes, and for that duration will confer a -2 cir- cumstance penalty to attack rolls, skill checks, and Defense due to wheezing, coughing, and anxiety. [8 Pts.] Crippling Asthma: As per Serious Asthma. Furthermore, whenever your character makes a skill check or save to reflect exertion over an extended length of time (carrying weights, running, holding his breath, etc.), he must make a Fort Save (DC 20) or suffer an asthma attack. An attack will last for 4d10 minutes, and for the duration will con- fer a -4 circumstance penalty to attack rolls, skill checks, and Defense due to wheezing, coughing, and anxiety. During this time, the character must refrain from taking further violent or energetic action (running, charging, or taking an attack action in two or more rounds in a row), or an additional 1d10 minutes will be added to the duration of the attack for each such action. Special Handicap [Allergy Trigger, +2 Pts.]: Any time your character is exposed to large amounts of dust, smoke, or any other nose/throat irri- tant (GM’s discretion), he must make a Fort Save (DC 15). If your char- acter has mild or serious asthma, he will suffer a -2 circumstance penal- ty to attack rolls and skill checks for 2d6 rounds (this penalty is cumula- tive in the event of subsequent bouts of allergic irritation). If your charac- ter has severe or crippling asthma, he will suffer one of his usual attacks. The GM may increase the DC of the Fort Save if the intensity or quan- tity of the irritant is deemed to be unusually high. CLUBFOOT [ Medical Condition] This is a congenital deformation of one foot, more common in (but not entirely limited to) boys rather than girls. Surgical correction for clubfoot is fairly routine in developed nations– this flaw presumes that some cor- rection has been made, but that it hasn’t been entirely successful. [2 Pts.]: Your character suffers an inherent -3 penalty to all Balance checks and Jump checks. DIABETES (TYPE I) [ Medical Condition] The body of a diabetic does not produce (or does not make proper use of) insulin, a hormone required for the conversion of sugar and starch into useful energy. Type I is the less common form of diabetes, in which the body simply does not produce insulin on its own. This form of diabetes is usually diagnosed in childhood. [5 Pts.]: Your character is capable of living a full and exciting life, but must do so at the expense of a number of inconveniences: • Your character suffers an effective -1 penalty to his Wealth score due to his need to carefully pursue a specialized diet and lifestyle regimen. • Your character suffers one of the following three health problems; either select one at 1st level or roll randomly on a d6: 1-2: Diabetic Skin Condition: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penalty to his Charisma score. 3-4: Eye Trouble: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penalty to all Search and Spot checks. 5-6: General Health Trouble: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penalty to all Fort Saves. • Your character must make a Wealth check (DC 13) each month in order to pay for his insulin regime. Failure to maintain insulin treatment will invite problems, as discussed below: • Your character is dependent upon artificial insulin, and generally must inject himself with it twice every twenty-four hours for maximum effec- tiveness. Each 24-hour period that passes without an insulin infusion will bestow a -2 circumstance penalty to Constitution upon the character; this penalty will last until the character again receives an insulin injection and rests for at lest eight hours. This Constitution penalty is cumulative; a character that reaches a Con score of 0 will enter a diabetic coma and die. DIABETES (TYPE II) [ Medical Condition] Type II diabetes (sometimes referred to as “adult onset” diabetes) is both more common and less severe than Type I. The body of a Type II diabetic still produces insulin, but either doesn’t produce enough or does- n’t use what it produces properly. A relatively mild drug regimen may be 23
used to help contain Type I diabetes– in many cases, combined with proper exercise and diet habits, this regimen can nearly eradicate the symptoms of the disease. [2 Pts.]: Your character is capable of living a full and exciting life, but must do so at the expense of a number of minor inconveniences, not as bad as those faced by Type I diabetics: • Your character suffers an effective -1 penalty to his Wealth score due to his need to carefully pursue a specialized diet and lifestyle regimen. • Your character suffers one of the following three health problems; either select one at 1st level or roll randomly on a d6: 1-2: Diabetic Skin Condition: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penalty to his Charisma score. 3-4: Eye Trouble: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penalty to all Search and Spot checks. 5-6: General Health Trouble: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penalty to all Fort Saves. • Your character is somewhat dependent upon his medications to assist in controlling his condition. Each week that passes without a dose of the character’s usual medication will confer a -1 circumstance penalty to the character’s Con score. This penalty is cumulative. A Type II diabetic neg- ligent enough to reach a Con score of 0 in this fashion will enter a dia- betic coma and die. EPILEPSY [ Medical Condition] Epilepsy is a complex neurological condition that affects about 5% of the adult population at some point in their lives. The primary outward effect of epilepsy is a variety of seizures. For game purposes, the myriad forms of epilepsy have been greatly simplified into the hierarchy present- ed below. Emotional stress is often a trigger for epileptic complications, therefore, Will Saves have been used as the default triggers for possible epileptic seizures. [2 Pts.] Mild Epilepsy: Whenever your character is forced to make a Will Save, there is a 25% chance (non-cumulative) that he will have what is called a “simple partial seizure.” During such a seizure one part of the character’s body (typically an arm or a leg) will begin to twitch and spasm uncontrollably. This seizure will last 3d6 rounds, imposing a -1 circum- stance penalty to attack rolls and skill checks for the duration. [4 Pts.] Moderate Epilepsy: Whenever your character is forced to make a Will Save, there is a 30% chance (non-cumulative) that he will have what is called a “complex partial seizure.” In addition to the usual physical seizure effects, your character’s consciousness and memory may be briefly impaired. During such a seizure one part of the character’s body (typically an arm or a leg) will begin to twitch and spasm uncontrollably. This seizure will last 3d6 rounds, imposing a -1 circumstance penalty to attack rolls and skill checks for the duration. Furthermore, there is only a 50% chance (non-cumulative, and rolled for each allowed action) that the character will be able to take any action he desires. In place of any lost action, the character will mumble unintelligibly and fiddle with his clothes or equip- ment for a few seconds. This does not render him helpless. [6 Pts.] Severe Epilepsy: Whenever your character is forced to make a Will Save, there is a 35% chance (non-cumulative) that he will have what is called a “tonic-clonic convulsive seizure,” also known as a “grand mal.” Your character will fall to the ground for 1d8+2 rounds, during which time he will be unable to take any conscious actions. Though he is not helpless, he is considered prone for all defensive purposes, and oppo- nents entering or leaving his threatened areas do not trigger attacks of opportunity from him. He may not sustain spells or other FX powers through such a seizure. Special Handicap [Photosensitive Epilepsy, +2 Pts.]: Although widely popularized, this is an extremely rare form of epilepsy (approxi- mately 3-5% of epileptics are affected by it). A photosensitive epileptic may suffer seizures through exposure to flickering patterns of lights, including but not limited to strobe lights, video games, and certain dance or party lighting effects, as well as flashy magical spells and other visual FX abilities. Whenever your character is exposed (GM’s discretion) to flickering lights, there is a 40% chance (non-cumulative) that he will have a seizure appropriate to his level of epilepsy. This percentile chance must be re-rolled for every five rounds (thirty seconds) of continual exposure to flickering lights. Note: After an epileptic character has experienced (and recovered from) a seizure, he will not be susceptible to another one for a minimum of ten minutes. Photosensitive epilepsy is the sole exception. Limitation: Photosensitive epilepsy may not be combined with blind- ness (page 15). 24
HEMOPHILIA [ Medical Condition] Hemophilia is a hereditary condition (sex-linked, occurring far more fre- quently in men than in women) that compromises blood clotting. A hemo- philiac, when injured, will bleed for an unusually long period of time, both internally and externally. A cut that would be an inconvenience to an ordi- nary person may prove lethal to a hemophiliac if proper medical attention isn’t sought. [4 Pts.] Hemophilia: Whenever your character is injured by a piercing, cutting, or slashing weapon (basically, anything with a sharp or penetrat- ing edge), he will continue to lose 1 hit point per round thereafter due to blood loss. This blood loss will continue for 2d8 rounds, and may only be halted by a successful Treat Injury check (DC 15) or the use of a magi- cal healing spell or a similar FX power. [8 Pts.] Severe Hemophilia: Whenever your character is injured by a piercing, cutting, or slashing weapon (basically, anything with a sharp or penetrating edge), he will continue to lose 2 hit points per round there- after due to blood loss. This blood loss will continue for 2d8 rounds, and may only be halted by a successful Treat Injury check (DC 17) or the use of a magical healing spell or a similar FX power. Note: Subsequent injuries will not cause a cumulative loss of hit points due to bleeding, however, each subsequent injury will extend the dura- tion of the bleeding by an additional 1d6 rounds. MULTIPLE CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY [ Medical Condition] Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) is an “environmental illness,” a set of chronic allergic reactions generally triggered by exposure to scented chemical products (typically cleaning chemicals, detergents, perfumes, fabric softeners, and the like). MCS can make life in the contemporary world a continual aggravation for its unfortunate sufferers, as the majori- ty of ordinary people are totally oblivious to the scented chemicals they are constantly using in public and private places alike. [2 Pts.] Mild Sensitivity: Whenever your character enters a crowded area or a space that would be filled with scented chemicals (restaurants, public restrooms, etc.), there is a base 40% chance (rolled once every ten minutes or so) that your character will be exposed to a substance that will set him off. If he is exposed, he will suffer a fairly standard allergic reaction– watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing, and tightness in his throat and chest. This episode will last for 1d6 minutes and will inflict a -1 cir- cumstance penalty to attack rolls, skill checks, and Defense upon the character for the duration. [5 Pts.] Severe Sensitivity: Whenever your character enters a crowd- ed area or a space that would be filled with scented chemicals (restau- rants, public restrooms, etc.), there is a base 70% chance (rolled once every ten minutes or so) that your character will be exposed to a sub- stance that will set him off. If he is exposed, he will suffer an unusually debilitating allergic reaction– swollen eyes, runny nose, painful sneezing, and tightness in his throat and chest. This episode will last for 2d6 min- utes and will inflict a -2 circumstance penalty to attack rolls, skill checks, and Defense upon the character for the duration. Furthermore, he will suffer a total circumstance penalty of -4 to all Spot and Concentration checks. Note: If your character encounters a large concentration of any trig- gering chemical (particularly in an enclosed area), the GM may increase the percentile chance of an allergic episode at his own discretion. Friends and allies of your character may prevent allergic episodes by avoiding the use of strong perfumes, deodorants, aftershaves, and simi- lar substances. Of course, even a single person wearing a powerful scent can trigger a full-on allergic attack if they get close enough to your char- acter (GMs take heed), so caveat emptor. Special: Characters that possess the “scent” ability may only possess this flaw with the GM’s explicit permission; although it might be appropri- ate for some character concepts, it might also be unduly crippling for a character with a hypersensitive nose to spend pretty much the entire campaign in paroxysms of sneezing and gagging. Special (Designated Flaw Synergy): If your character also possess- es severe or crippling asthma (page 22), each instance of a MCS aller- gic attack will require a Fort Save (DC 17). Failure will double the dura- tion and numerical penalties of the MCS allergy attack. Either of the above degrees of asthma taken in conjunction with MCS is worth +1 Flaw Point. If your unfortunate character possesses the Allergy Trigger special handicap for asthma, it is “set off” each time the character encounters a MCS trigger. All resulting penalties are cumulative! This special handicap, taken in conjunction with MCS, is worth +2 Flaw Points. Limitation: Characters that do not breathe or need not fear airborne contaminants for racial reasons may not select this flaw. 25
PSYCHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS ANXIETY DISORDER [ Psychological Condition ] Your character suffers from a very general condition of high anxiety– he is a chronic worrier and fretter, often spending weeks or months agoniz- ing (often in private) over everything from his financial future to his social acceptability. This disorder interferes with his sleeping habits and his general state of health. [2 Pts.]: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penalty to both Fort Saves and Will Saves, as a result of the degradation of his physical and mental states due to a gnawing sense of worry. Roleplaying acute out- bursts of anxiety from time to time would not be inappropriate, however, bear in mind that this does not mean a constant stream of moaning and wailing. BIPOLAR DISORDER [ Psychological Condition ] “Manic depression” is a more common term used to describe bipolar affective disorder. Although there are at least six clinically diagnosed varieties of this disorder, for game purposes it is defined as a condition that causes pendulum-like swings between periods of high energy and elation (“manic phase”) and morbidity, agitation, and feelings of worth- lessness (“depressive phase”). [3 Pts.]: Prior to each game session, the GM should roll 1d10 to deter- mine which “phase” your character is currently in. On a roll of 1-4, he is completely normal. On a roll of 5-7, he is in a “depressive” phase, and on a roll of 8-10 he is in a “manic” phase. During a manic phase, the character should behave in an energized and enthusiastic manner– he is gung-ho for just about any challenge, ready to seize the day and live life to the fullest. He receives a +1 morale bonus to Will Saves. During a depressive phase, the character will be plagued by feelings of intense worthlessness and bleakness; the pleasures of life hold no inter- est for him, and he may skip essentials such as eating or sleeping. He may entertain morbid or suicidal thoughts, and he will be bitter, morose company at best. A depressive character suffers a -2 morale penalty to all attack rolls, skill checks, and saving throws. At the GM’s discretion, he may also suffer a -2 circumstance penalty to Charisma. If a game session covers the events of more than one day, the GM may re-roll to determine the character’s phase at the beginning of each game day. CHRONIC CONFUSION [ Psychological Condition ] Your character suffers from lapses in memory and attention that seem to leave him a bit befuddled. This is quite above and beyond ordinary absent-mindedness, and is often associated with advanced age (page 9). From time to time, your character should have trouble remembering names and faces, as well as remembering where he is and what he’s doing. He may suffer bouts of irritability, and will even wander away from friends and allies during critical situations. [3 Pts.]: In addition to the role-played effects of this flaw, your char- acter suffers an inherent -2 penalty to Initiative checks, Concentration checks, Search checks, and Spot checks. DELUSIONAL [ Psychological Condition ] Your character suffers from occasional audiovisual hallucinations, sometimes imagining events or situations that aren’t actually real. [2 Pts.]: From time to time the GM will feed you a description (without telling you that it’s delusional, of course) of an event or encounter that your character will believe to be utterly real. Most of these delusions will fall apart when examined and refuted by other party members, but there should always be some tension about each incident. Is your character merely hallucinating again, or is there really a shadowy figure following the group from nightclub to nightclub? Special: No form of magical/FX healing or protection against illusions will suffice to remove these delusions. They originate deep within your character’s mind for reasons appropriate to his background. DISSOCIATIVE IDENTITY [ Psychological Condition ] Formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder, Dissociative Identity Disorder is generally recognized as a result of severe childhood trauma. Temporary dissociation is a part of everyone’s life– daydreams, reveries, and intense absorption in a fictional medium such as a book are all rou- tine examples. An individual with DID has a particularly severe dissocia- tive disorder that has caused the formation of one or more secondary personality states within his mind; from time to time, one of these sec- 26
ondary personalities “takes over” conscious operation of the body while the character’s primary personality dissociates. The “multiple personality” label was set aside because while a charac- ter with this disorder may feel that he has one or more “entities” within him, each of these entities is really a manifestation of his own identity, no matter how extreme its behavior or opinions might be. These entities do not have random traits– their mannerisms and behavior patterns stem from the character’s primary personality and past experiences. Regardless of the nature of the dissociative secondary personality, there are several set conditions which, for ease of game abstraction, may cause the secondary personality to “steal” conscious control of the char- acter’s body away from his primary personality. To wit: • Each time your character awakes from sleep, there is a 20% chance, non-cumulative, that his secondary personality will take over for 1d6+2 game hours (total rolled secretly by the GM). • Each time your character is knocked or rendered unconscious, there is a 40% chance, non-cumulative, that his secondary personality will take over for 1d6+2 game hours once he regains consciousness. • Each time your character suffers a state of panic, there is a 40% chance, non-cumulative, that his secondary personality will take over for 1d6+2 game hours. For the purposes of simplicity, your character’s secondary and primary personalities share the same set of skills and abilities, and share the same body of background information. However, when a secondary per- sonality takes control, “he” will “arrive” knowing nothing of the past eight hours of the primary personality’s life. This information will not be assim- ilated into the shared memory of the two personalities until later. Conversely, the primary will return to control not knowing what has tran- spired while he was dissociated. The value of this flaw is based on the fundamental attitude of the sec- ondary personality: [3 Pts.]: Amiable Dissociation: Your character’s dissociative person- ality is fundamentally amiable to the main personality’s goals, lifestyle, and friends. Although he may have different preferred methods of action and will still have to cope with the confusion of any new situation he enters, the secondary personality will generally cooperate with whatever happens to be the plan when he assumes control. [5 Pts.]: Neutral Dissociation: Your character’s dissociative person- ality is unconcerned with or indifferent to the main personality’s goals, lifestyle, and friends. The secondary personality may miss appointments, throw previous plans out the window, and otherwise disrupt the main per- sonality’s life; not out of malice but rather out of guilt-free disinterest. From time to time, the secondary personality may be coerced or per- suaded into pursuing one of the primary personality’s goals, especially in times of danger or crisis– though he will almost certainly insist that some plans made by the primary personality need to be changed. [7 Pts.]: Difficult Dissociation: Your character’s secondary person- ality is disdainful of or somewhat opposed to the primary personality’s goals, lifestyle, and friends. He will actively work to interfere with any of the primary personality’s plans if he can– though he won’t behave in a violent fashion toward any of the primary personality’s friends and allies, he won’t respect anything about them, including their personal posses- sions. The secondary may attempt to sabotage major areas of the pri- mary personality’s life out of sheer spite. DYSLEXIA [ Psychological Condition ] Although your character is literate, he has difficulty with reading, writ- ing, and spelling. Dyslexia is a congenital and developmental condition that “scrambles” some information between the brain and the page; although it does not make comprehension impossible, it can be very frus- trating, particularly in times of stress. [2 Pts.]: Your character suffers a -4 circumstance penalty to any process or skill check requiring him to refer to written material (GM’s dis- cretion), and a -8 circumstance penalty to any process or skill check deal- ing solely with written material (writing a novel or decoding an ancient scroll, for example). Generally speaking, comprehension of written mate- rial will take your character about twice as long as it ordinarily should. Taking ‘10’ or ‘20’ on a skill check involving reading or writing will proba- bly require a successful Concentration check (DC 12-18, depending on the complexity of the task). Limitation: A character may not be both illiterate (page 14) and dyslex- ic. Blind (page 15) characters may not be dyslexic, either. Note: This condition is assumed to be “as bad as” illiteracy because while an illiterate individual won’t be able to receive the information a dyslexic does, he also won’t waste his time trying. 27
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf
d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf

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d20 Cryptosnark Games The Book of Distinctions and Drawbacks.pdf

  • 1.
  • 2. Introduction 3 Selecting, Using, and Compensating For Flaws 4 Master List of Flaws 5 Primary Flaws 9 GM Option: Flaw Synergy 13 GM Option: Buying Off Flaws 18 Medical Conditions 22 Psychological Conditions 26 Secondary Flaws 31 Weird Flaws 49 Seasoning With Age 52 Advantages: Selection and Use 55 Master List of Advantages 55 Advantage Descriptions 56 Advanced Occupation Packages 67 Open Game License Text 72 This is the revised version of the Book of Distinctions & Drawbacks Modern, originally released in July, 2003. This version contains numerous additions, clarifications, and point-cost adjust- ments, some of which you may recognize as having originated in the fantasy Book of Distinctions & Drawbacks Revised if you own a copy. Any comments or questions about this PDF are, as always, cheerfully welcomed at either e-mail address below. Cheers and best, SL St. Paul, Minnesota November 10, 2003 cryptosnark@yahoo.com cryptosnark_games@yahoo.com http://www.minasithil.com/cryptosnarkgames Table of Contents Foreword Written and Designed by: Scott Lynch 'd20 System' and the 'd20 System' logo are Trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast and are used according to the terms of the d20 System License version 1.0. A copy of this License can be found at www.wizards.com. Dungeons & Dragons(R) and Wizards of the Coast(R) are Registered Trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, and are used with Permission. This product is not published or endorsed by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. The section on medical conditions could not have been pre- pared without the assistance of Jennifer Hermey, so I once again dedicate this cross-referenced collection of pixels to her, with love. 2
  • 3. The Book of Distinctions & Drawbacks Modern is a “character embellishment” sourcebook– that is, a set of character flaws and advan- tages for the d20 Modern system that is designed to allow the cus- tomization of characters beyond the degree allowed by the combinations of race, class, and occupation alone. GMs thinking of using this book in planning their next campaign should be advised of two things: 1. If you use this book, things might get even more complex than usual. The Book of Distinctions & Drawbacks Modern is chock full of items just begging to be weighed, contrasted, compared, and cross-referenced with other items. Letting experienced gamers loose in an advantage/dis- advantage system can lead to many long hours of planning and “window shopping.” Therefore, be advised– while this system can greatly increase player satisfaction with the d20 Modern system, it will never speed up character creation or play. 1. If you use this book, you’re going to have to stay on your toes. One of the rules of thumb of the d20 system is that a character can eventually have just about anything (trait, item, weapon, exotic class level, spell, etc.) the player wishes, though there will be a trade-off or a price for it. Many powers and abilities aren’t available until higher levels of experience; every feat or special ability selected carries a “lost oppor- tunity” cost (as other feats or special abilities must be skipped); every racial bonus is countered by some sort of racial limitation or cost. In short, “there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.” The use of any flaw/compensation system, even the one presented in this book, will be viewed by some players (for reasons innocent or other- wise) as an excuse to strive for that nonexistent free lunch, by wringing maximum benefit from the least damaging or hindering set of flaw choic- es possible. I have tried to make this as difficult as I could without turn- ing the system utterly dreary and draconian. GMs, please remember that the only defense against that sort of system abuse is your own vigilance. Types of Embellishments This book is all about embellishments, good or bad– elements that help or hinder a character in a way not already addressed by existing charac- ter creation rules. There are several major types of embellishments: Primary Flaws This set of character flaws is meant to be as clearly and explicitly defined as possible. Their drawbacks are predominantly mechanical in nature. As a result, most of them require very little roleplaying “mainte- nance” or obtrusive attention from the GM. Thus, they may generally be used the most freely and with the least amount of GM oversight. Medical/Psychological Conditions Somewhere between Primary and Secondary flaws are the real-world medical and psychological conditions presented on pages 22-31. Generally speaking, medical conditions may be treated as Primary and psychological conditions should be treated as Secondary Flaws. A great deal of abstraction has gone into the design of these conditions in order to render them playable. Individuals actually dealing with these conditions in real life (as I myself deal with asthma, page 22) should not take it amiss if some of the subtleties and variations of their conditions have been left out of each flaw’s description. Many medical conditions that would make excellent character flaws have also probably been left out of this edition of the BODD Modern–I make as little pretense of inclu- siveness as I do of absolute accuracy, and for that I offer my apologies. Secondary and Weird Flaws These are flaws of personal inclination or flaws representing back- ground difficulties. Although they can be just as debilitating as primary flaws, they tend to require continual roleplaying attention and/or a great deal of thought on the part of the GM. Without such attention, many sec- ondary flaws will become nothing more than words on paper and will cease to penalize a character. GMs are cautioned to study them thor- oughly before allowing their use. Weird Flaws are occult in nature. Advantages Advantages are background benefits, material goods, and other awards or inheritances that can be of great use to a character. Unlike feats, which represent intrinsic qualities or trained abilities, advantages have nothing at all to do with the character himself and can be lost, stolen, or removed by a variety of means. Advantages are loosely divided into social, mate- rial, and special categories. Introduction: Your Characters Need More Problems 3
  • 4. Each flaw presented in this book is worth a certain number of Flaw Points, with which players can do the following: • 1 Flaw Point may be traded for two (2) skill ranks • 1 Flaw Point may be traded for one-eighth (1/8) of the XP required for the character to advance to his next level • 2 Flaw Points may be traded for one (1) feat • 3 Flaw Points may be traded for two (2) ability points, to be distributed at the player’s will • 8 Flaw Points may be traded for one (1) character level • Flaw Points may also be traded for any of the Advantages listed from pages 56-66 Flaws should generally be chosen and applied before actual play begins. Just as characters do not need to spend anything in exchange for equipment, money, friends, allies, and other benefits acquired during actual adventuring, neither should they expect bonus points for enemies and other complications acquired once a campaign has actually begun. The flaws presented in this volume are worth compensation because they’re trouble above and beyond that which the characters are natural- ly expected to face. Any Flaw Points left over after play begins are lost, so there’s no rea- son not to spend them. If nothing else, stray Flaw Points can be used to gain a small boost to skill points or to the character’s earned XP. Flaws and ECL/Challenge Rating Flaws (and any compensations received because of them) cause no adjustment in effective character levels or challenge ratings provided that the Flaw Points received for them are actually spent. A 1st level charac- ter with 8 Flaw Points (spent on, say, four new feats) does have some capabilities not possessed by unmodified 1st level character, but he has an equivalent set of handicaps. The two balance each other out. A GM wishing to create exceptionally powerful and well-off characters above and beyond the bounds allowed by commensurate flaws may sim- ply assign free Flaw Points at a rate of 1 ECL per 8 free Flaw Points. Permissible Numbers of Flaw Points The default recommended limit is 20 Flaw Points per character– the fewer flaws a character possesses, the more contained will be any poten- tial disruption to the balance of a d20 campaign. As flaws are heaped upon a character, not only does he gain compen- satory feats, skill points, or advantages– the amount of attention that must be paid to those flaws by the GM and the player alike increases. A character with one or two flaws is interesting; a character with ten or eleven is a disaster waiting to happen. However, if the GM sees fit, a campaign may allow a higher maximum number of flaws per character: Campaign Style Flaw Points Permitted Conservative 10 Controlled (Default) 20 Generous 25 Very Generous 30 Goofy 35 It is strongly recommended that characters be allowed to take a “goofy” number of Flaw Points only in games of an experimental or “one-shot” nature. Too many flaws, no matter how finely-balanced and delicately played, can turn an ongoing d20 campaign silly in a variety of ways. When creating characters higher than 1st level, this system may still be used in a rewarding fashion, but the GM should watch out for attempts to render flaws totally meaningless by the calculated selection of magic items, FX equipment, and special powers. Characters are quite free to seek out magical or FX compensations for their handicaps as a campaign goes on, of course, but starting play with such compensations already in their hands is contrary to the spirit of this system. Sharing Flaws and Advantages A group of character may, with explicit GM approval, split the cost of certain large secondary flaws. For example, four characters could split an 8 point Nemesis (a villain, for example– page 44), accepting the burden of that Nemesis as a group in exchange for 2 Flaw Points apiece. This will ensure that the Nemesis will devote his attention to the group as a whole, rather than spending most of his time harassing one individual. A group of character may also, quite logically, split the cost of any advantage that could be deemed to be communally divisible. There’s no way for three characters to split the cost of, say, the rank of Admiral in the United States Navy– but it would be relatively easy for three characters to share an apartment and a car. Selecting, Using, and Compensating For Flaws 4
  • 5. Primary Flaws Flaw Brief Description of Impairment Age Character enters the game at middle age or older Albinism Character suffers from a rare lack of skin and hair pigmentation Animal Antipathy Animals dislike the character rather intensely Bad Driver Even when sober, character makes drunk drivers look skillful Bad Shot Character is more or less incapable of using ranged weapons effectively Bodily Marked Character has a permanent identifying marker, such as a brand or tattoo Butterfingers Character is seriously lacking in manual dexterity Climate Aversion Character is extremely uncomfortable in either cold or hot climates Clumsy Dex modifier is not added to character’s base Defense Disfigurement Something is obviously wrong with the character’s shape or appearance Dull Reflexes Character’s Reflex Saving Throws are unusually poor Dwarfism Character’s adult growth is significantly shorter and smaller than the norm Easily Winded Character lacks the endurance for long-duration physical activities Easily Slain Character doesn’t cling tenaciously to life when badly injured Flinching Character suffers a limit upon his attacks of opportunity Foresworn From Firearms Character refuses to carry or use firearms Fragile Character’s Fortitude Saving Throws are unusually poor Glass Jaw Character may be knocked silly by unarmed or bludgeoning attacks Guileless Character lacks a substantial amount of wit and social perception Gullible Character is far too credulous for his own good. Illiterate Character cannot read Impaired Hand(s) Character’s fingers or hands suffer from injury Impaired Hearing Character has hearing trouble, and may even be deaf Impaired Movement Character moves more slowly and clumsily than normal Impaired Sense of Smell Character has no olfactory capabilities whatsoever Impaired Sense of Taste Character’s sense of taste is utterly missing or destroyed Impaired Vision Character is not blind, but his vision troubles him Impaired Voice Character has suffered permanent damage to his palate or vocal chords Impatient Character may never take 10 or 20 on a skill check Inattentive Character suffers a penalty to to Listen, Search, and Spot checks Inflexible Character isn’t very good at Escape Artist, Jump, and Tumble checks Light-Headed Character suffers increased effects from stun and sleep attacks Lummox Str modifier is not added to character’s Melee Attack Bonus Magic Vulnerability Character suffers a penalty to all saving throws vs. spells and spell-like effects Motion Sickness Character gets nauseous when aboard moving vehicles Nervous Character suffers a penalty to Will Saves vs. fear, horror, and demoralization Oafish Character suffers a penalty to all Hide, Jump, and Move Silently checks Obese Character could stand to shed a few dozen pounds. Old Injury Character suffers ability damage from critical hits Old Injury (II) Character suffers increased damage from critical hits Pacifism Character has chosen to foreswear the path of violence Master List of Flaws 5
  • 6. Poor Fighter Character’s fighting ability is obviously sub-par. Poorly Educated Character receives fewer skill points at 1st level Predictable Fighter Character cannot charge, fight defensively, or aid another Psionic Vulnerability* Character suffers a penalty to all saving throws vs. psionic abilities and effects Slow Healing Character’s rate of hit point recovery is diminished Slow-Witted Character’s Initiative checks aren’t what they should be Unathletic Character’s Climb, Jump, and Swim checks suffer a variable penalty Uncoordinated Character is seriously lacking in agility Underweight Character is slender and scrawny Unexceptional Character’s maximum number of skill ranks is decreased Unhealthy Doubled fatigue penalties and diminished carrying capacity Unlucky Bad things happen when character rolls a natural 1 Weak Constitution Character is unusually vulnerable to poisons and diseases Weak-Willed Character’s Will Saves suffer a variable penalty Medical Conditions Medical Condition Brief Description of Impairment Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Character has AIDS or its precursor, HIV Asthma Character has chronic breathing trouble Clubfoot One of the character’s feet is malformed Diabetes (Type I) Character’s body does not produce insulin Diabetes (Type II) Character’s body does not properly use what insulin it has Epilepsy Character suffers from seizures Hemophilia Character lacks essential blood clotting factors Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Character is allergic to many common modern-day chemicals Psychological Conditions Psychological Condition Brief Description of Impairment Anxiety Disorder Character suffers from a general state of intense worry Bipolar Disorder Character veers from states of manic enthusiasm to morbid lethargy Chronic Confusion Character is befuddled about life, the universe, and everything Delusional Character experiences hallucinations at regular intervals Dissociative Identity Character has a “secondary personality” born of past trauma Dyslexia Character has difficulty interpreting visual symbology, such as writing Narcissism Character is poisonously fixated on his own aggrandizement Narcolepsy Character suffers random bouts of irresistible sleepiness Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Character is obsessed with order, details, and procedures Paranoia Character is always watching his back, as someone is ”out to get him” Phobia Some common situation or encounter gives the character quite a fright Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Character suffers nervous episodes when reminded of a past trauma Quirk/Mannerism Character has a minor behavioral or social quirk Tourette’s Syndrome Character continually erupts in involuntary movements and vocalizations 6
  • 7. Secondary Flaws Secondary Flaw Brief Description of Impairment Aggressive Character trusts his weapons too much and his wits too little Airy/Flaky Character acts, dresses, and/or talks like an irreconcilable loon Amnesia The character’s entire life before now is a blank slate Billy the Kid Syndrome Character is regarded as the “one to beat” by a horde of eager wannabes Boastful Character is a compulsive exaggerator and often an outright liar Cold Fish Character is markedly stiff, emotionless, and aloof Compulsive Liar Character simply cannot stop spinning webs of lies and exaggerations Cowardly Character values his skin much more than he values his dignity Criminal Honor Code Character is sworn to live by a rather “Sicilian” code of conduct Criminal Record Character was convicted of one or more crimes and served time for them Cruelty Character takes pleasure in dealing out pain and punishment to his foes Dark Desire Character secretly years for vast cosmic power at any price Debt of Honor Character owes favors to a powerful NPC and must repay them Dependency Character is addicted to a chemical substance Dependent Character has one or more relatively helpless NPCs to guard and care for Divisive Destiny Character is fated to cause a major schism in his family, culture, or nation Double Life Character adventures under a secret identity that must remain secret Driving Obsession Character’s life is consumed by his hunger for a single goal Duty/Responsibility Character is sworn and legally bound into the service of a nation or group Estranged Character is emotionally alienated from his family and society Explosive Temper Character blows his top with a frightening lack of control Greed Character covets material possessions with an unhealthy lack of caution Heroic Code: Fair Play Character refuses to fight in an unsporting fashion Heroic Code: Honesty According to the character, two wrongs never make a right Heroic Code: Law and Order Character deeply respects and defers to the law and its uniformed defenders Heroic Code: Loyalty Character refuses to abandon his friends and allies even in suicidal situations Heroic Code: Mercy Character has vowed never to take the life of another thinking being Humorless Character is utterly without the slightest comprehension of humor Impulsive Character is rash and headstrong, disdaining calculation, caution, and planning Inferiority Complex Character is a show-off, overly sensitive about any perceived mistreatment Insatiable Curiosity Character is probably going to go the way of the proverbial cat Intolerant Character has an extremely regrettable streak of racial prejudice Kleptomania Character lives for the thrill of stealing things from other people Lazy Character is a slacker and a shirker; he is apparently allergic to hard work Lecherous Character chases his compatible sex with single-minded zeal Lone Wolf Character dislikes working in a group and is a grating, divisive presence Macho/Spartan Character laughs at displays of weakness and shuns all creature comforts Melancholy Character is brooding, introspective, and morbid Miser Character is obsessed with hoarding the money he has accumulated Mistaken Identity Someone with power frequently mistakes your character for someone else Monetary Debt Character owes a small fortune to a powerful NPC Nemesis: Government Your character has an enemy within a local, regional, or national government Nemesis: Legal Your character is pursued by lawyers 7
  • 8. Nemesis: Media Your character is constantly harassed by one or more media figures Nemesis: Organization Your character has made an enemy of a non-governmental organization Nemesis: Villain Your character has made an enemy of a powerful and determined NPC Nightmares Character suffers from recurring bouts of sleep-destroying visions Obnoxious Character is an obstreperous, opinionated loudmouth Ostracism Character suffers formal or informal prejudice from the society he lives in Overcautious Character drags his heels and proceeds too slowly when taking decisive action Overconfident Character doesn’t seem to realize that he’s not invincible Pompous Character is overly formal, domineering, and melodramatic Poor Reputation Character is reviled and disparaged by quite a few people Primitive Character is a product of a less technologically advanced civilization Risk-Addicted Character loves to consign his fate to the hands of Lady Luck Stubborn Character is obstreperous, headstrong, and used to having his way. Tongue-Tied Character is shy and socially unpolished Unsophisticated Character is presumed to be a hick or a rube. Vain/Dandy Character is image-obsessed, and possibly foppish or a clotheshorse Vindictive Character has a revenge complex and cannot forgive any slight or injury Weird Flaws Weird Flaw Brief Description of Impairment Bane Character has an unusual vulnerability Cursed Character suffers from the varying effects of a supernatural curse Dark Taint Character has been touched by some form of evil Haunted Character suffers the attentions of a poltergeist Photophobia Character hates bright light, and takes damage from sunlight Strange Attractor Character attracts bizarre occurrences and weird disruptions 8
  • 9. PRIMARY FLAWS AGE [ Primary Flaw ] As your character can readily attest, it’s not necessarily the years, it’s the mileage. [2 Pts.] Middle Age: Your character begins the game just past the cusp of “middle age.” His starting age will be 1d4 years past the minimum “mid- dle age” prescribed for his race. Your character suffers a -1 penalty to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution and gains a +1 bonus to Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. [4 Pts.] Old Age: Your character begins the game just past the cusp of “old age.” His starting age will be 1d4 years past the minimum “old age” prescribed for his race. He suffers an additional -2 penalty to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution and gains an additional +1 bonus to Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. [8 Pts.] Venerable Age: Your character begins the game just past the cusp of “venerable age.” His starting age will be 1 year past the minimum “venerable age” prescribed for his race. He suffers an additional -3 penal- ty to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution and gains an additional +1 bonus to Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. He also suffers an inher- ent -5 foot penalty to his base Speed and an inherent -1 penalty to his Defense score. Special Handicap [Frailty, +2 Pts.]: Your character suffers an addi- tional inherent -1 penalty to his Fortitude Save and his Reflex Save. Limitation: The GM may determine that this flaw is incompatible with certain unusual races or FX powers in use in specific campaigns. ALBINISM [ Primary Flaw ] Oculocutaneous albinism is a congenital condition that causes your character to have little or no pigmentation in his eyes, skin, and hair. In addition to affecting his physical appearance, this condition may impair vision or, rarely, cause more serious problems. [2 Pts.] Mild Albinism: Your character is unusually pale, and suffers a -4 circumstance penalty to Disguise checks due to the difficulty of con- cealing his condition. He also suffers an inherent -1 penalty to Search and Spot checks. If your character suffers lengthy exposure (4 hours or more) to power- ful sunlight with little or no protection, he must make a Fort Save (DC 18) or suffer painful burns across the exposed areas of his body. These burns will cause the temporary loss of 1d4 points of Dexterity, which will return at the usual rate with rest and care. [4 Pts.] Serious Albinism: Your character’s hair and skin are not mere- ly pale, but somewhere between snowy white and transparent. He suffers a -8 circumstance penalty to Disguise checks and a -2 penalty to Search and Spot checks. Even modest exposure (2 or more hours) to powerful sunlight will force your character to make a Fort Save (DC 20) or suffer painful burns across the exposed areas of his body. These burns will cause the temporary loss of 1d6 points of Dexterity, which will return at the usual rate with rest and care. Special Handicap [Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome, +2 Pts.]: This is an extremely rare form of albinism found almost exclusively (but not uni- versally) in people of Puerto Rican descent. Its symptoms are mild lung fibrosis (an inability of the lungs to expand or contract fully) and occa- sional bouts of bleeding, which are abstracted for game purposes to an inherent -2 penalty to Fortitude saving throws. ANIMAL ANTIPATHY [ Primary Flaw ] Although your character can make limited use of pack and riding ani- mals, neither they nor their wild counterparts have any affection for him. [2 Pts.] Moderate Antipathy: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penalty to all Animal Empathy, Handle Animal, and Ride checks, and must always treat those skills as cross-class skills if he wishes to improve them Dogs will bark at him, cats will hiss, and horses will buck and shy away. Any wild animals encountered will have their reactions toward your character shifted one column into the negative. [4 Pts.] Severe Antipathy: Your character suffers an inherent -4 penal- ty to all Animal Empathy, Handle Animal, and Ride checks, and must always treat those skills as cross-class skills if he wishes to improve them. Dogs will howl at him, cats will hiss and scratch, and horses may attempt to kick him. Any wild animals encountered will have their reac- tions toward your character shifted one column into the negative, and animals that are already hostile will attack your character in preference to anyone else nearby. 9
  • 10. [6 Pts.] Violent Antipathy: Your character suffers an inherent -6 penalty to all Animal Empathy, Handle Animal, and Ride checks, and must always treat those skills as cross-class skills if he wishes to improve them. Any wild animals encountered will have their reactions toward your character shifted one column into the negative, and animals that are already hostile will gleefully ignore anyone else nearby in their haste to hurl themselves upon your character. Lastly, any animal attacking your character gains a +1 morale bonus to its attack and damage rolls. Limitation: A character with this flaw may not possess the feat Animal Affinity, nor any other feat that offers a benefit or a bonus when dealing with animals. BAD DRIVER [ Primary Flaw ] Putting your character at the controls of any ground vehicle with more get-up-and-go than the average bicycle is an invitation to disaster. [2 Pts.] Simple Ineptitude: Your character suffers an inherent -4 penalty to all Drive checks. [4 Pts.] Total Ineptitude: Your character suffers an inherent -8 penal- ty to all Drive checks. [6 Pts.] Gruesome Incompetence: Your character automatically fails any Drive check he is called upon to make. Limitation: This flaw is incompatible with the Drive-By Attack, Force Stop, Vehicle Dodge, and Vehicle Expert feats. A character suffering from total ineptitude or gruesome incompetence may not take the Surface Vehicle Operation feat. BAD SHOT [ Primary Flaw ] Your character is either woefully unpracticed or naturally handicapped when it comes to the use of ranged weapons. [1 Pt.] Slight Impairment: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penal- ty to all ranged attacks. [2 Pts.] Routine Ineptitude: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penalty to all ranged attacks. [3 Pts.] Woeful Ineptitude: Your character is lucky he understands which end of the barrel the bullet comes out of. He suffers an inherent - 4 penalty to all ranged attacks. [4 Pts.] Perpetual Embarrassment: Opponents would rather be shot at by your character than by anyone else they know. He suffers an inher- ent -6 penalty to all ranged attacks. Special Handicap [Uncoordinated, +1 or 2 Pts.]: Your character’s positive Dexterity modifier does not improve his ranged attack rolls. This special handicap may only be selected if your character has a Dexterity score of 12 or higher. If at any time your character’s Dexterity score per- manently drops below 12, simply add another -2 penalty to his ranged attacks. This handicap is worth 1 point for a Dexterity score of 12-15 and 2 points for a Dexterity score of 16 or higher. Special Handicap [Luckless Shooter, +1 Pt.]: Your character may never spend Action Points to improve ranged attack rolls. Special Handicap [Ineffectual Shooter, +1 Pt.]: Your character may never score a critical hit with a firearm. All critical hits rolled with a firearm will be treated as ordinary hits. Limitation: This flaw is incompatible with the following feats: Advanced Firearms Proficiency, Burst Fire, Dead Aim, Double Tap, Far Shot, Point- Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Shot on the Run, Skip Shot, or Strafe. It is also incompatible with the Foresworn From Firearms flaw (page 12). BODILY MARKED [ Primary Flaw ] Your character ‘s body has been permanently marked with a brand, a tattoo, a birthmark, or some similar marking, of a nature that is very diffi- cult to remove even with procedures such as laser surgery. This flaw is especially appropriate for members of secret orders and societies. Be warned– not only does it make disguise more difficult, it may be a dead giveaway of your character’s identity or nature if his enemies learn the meaning of the mark. [1 Pt.] Easily Concealed: Your character’s permanent mark is quite indelible, but it is positioned so as to be very easily concealed– beneath a watchband, behind a necklace, under a breast or an armpit, on the inside of a thigh, etc. Your character suffers a -1 circumstance penalty to disguise checks. [2 Pts.] Difficult to Conceal: Your character’s permanent mark is posi- tioned so that it may be hidden beneath relatively long clothing (full- length shirts and trousers), but will be revealed by anything less. Your character suffers a -2 circumstance penalty to disguise checks. 10
  • 11. [3 Pts.] Glaringly Obvious: Your character’s permanent mark is either so large or so located as to be impossible to hide– the middle of his fore- head, for example. Your character suffers a -4 penalty to disguise checks. Special Handicap [Invites Trouble, +1 Pt.]: Your character’s mark sends a signal to certain people that your character may be openly harmed or even killed. For example, some police states brand their crim- inals and enemies, and those markings would invite police and other authorities to arrest or attack your character if the markings were uncov- ered. BUTTERFINGERS [ Primary Flaw ] Your character is seriously lacking in manual dexterity, and tends to fumble and slip when he grasps at objects in moments of stress. [2 Pts.]: Withdrawing or stowing a carried item or weapon (in a holster or pack) are both treated as full-round actions for your character. Reloading a firearm with a box magazine or a speed-loader also requires a full round, and reloading a firearm with an internal magazine or belt requires two full-round actions. Your character suffers a -1 circumstance penalty to all Sleight-of-Hand checks. Limitation: This flaw is incompatible with the Quick Draw and Quick Reload feats. CLIMATE AVERSION [ Primary Flaw ] Your character’s body has a hard time adjusting to the rigors of either very hot or very cold climates. [2 Pts.] Cold Aversion: If your character is averse to cold climates, he suffers a -2 circumstance penalty to all saving throws and skill checks in temperatures at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. He also suffers an inherent -2 penalty to saving throws made against cold-based FX powers or area effects. Cold-weather clothing will not remove this penalty. [2 Pts.] Heat Aversion: If your character is averse to hot climates, he suffers a -2 circumstance penalty to all saving throws and skill checks in tropical or desert conditions (or in artificial conditions of extreme heat, such as steam baths). He also suffers an inherent -2 penalty to saving throws made against heat-based FX powers or area effects. Special Handicap [Intense Aversion, +1 Pt.]: Your character’s aver- sion to the climate is so intense that he also suffers a -2 circumstance penalty to Defense and attack rolls while in it. Special: A character may possess both types of climate aversion, meaning that he will be comfortable only in relatively temperate climates. Limitation: This flaw may not be taken by a character with any sort of intrinsic resistance to the range of temperatures he is supposed to be averse to. CLUMSY [ Primary Flaw ] Your character’s defensive footwork needs a great deal of polish. His opponents find him somehow quite hittable. [2 Pts.] Slightly Clumsy: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penal- ty to his Defense rating. [4 Pts.] Fairly Clumsy: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penalty to his Defense rating. [6 Pts.] Very Clumsy: Your character suffers an inherent -3 penalty to his Defense rating. Cover is your character’s friend. [8 Pts.] Professional Victim: Your character suffers an inherent -4 penalty to his Defense rating. May we suggest a comprehensive life insurance policy? Special Handicap [Uncomfortable With Armor, +1 Pt.]: If your char- acter wears armor of any sort, his Armor Check Penalty is worsened by -1. Special: This flaw is incompatible with the Dodge feat. DISFIGUREMENT [ Primary Flaw ] Your character suffers from a permanent , painless, but very obvious physical deformity. This could be anything from bestial features (a mane, a tail, etc.) to a misshapen body (hunchback, extensive scars) to unusu- al skin color (moon-white, dark blue, etc.). [1 Pt.] Slight Disfigurement: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penalty to his Charisma score. Only his very close friends, family, and associates will disregard this penalty (GM’s discretion). Furthermore, your character will suffer an additional -1 penalty to all Disguise checks, due to the difficulty of concealing his unusual feature(s). 11
  • 12. [2 Pts.] Moderate Disfigurement: Your character suffers an inherent - 2 penalty to his Charisma score. Only his very close friends, family, and associates will disregard this penalty (GM’s discretion). Furthermore, your character will suffer an additional -2 penalty to all Disguise checks, due to the difficulty of concealing his unusual feature(s). [4 Pts.] Obvious Disfigurement: Your character suffers an inherent - 4 penalty to his Charisma score. Only his very close friends, family, and associates will disregard this penalty (GM’s discretion). Furthermore, your character will suffer an additional -4 penalty to all Disguise checks, due to the difficulty of concealing his unusual feature(s). Special Handicap [Unusual Body Shape, +1 Pt.]: Your character must have all of his personal clothing and armor tailored to fit his disfig- ured form. Increase the base price of any armor or clothing so cus- tomized by 50%, or add 2 to the DC of the Wealth check. Special Handicap [Uniqueness, +1 Pt.]: Your character suffers an additional -4 circumstance penalty to Disguise checks. DULL REFLEXES [ Primary Flaw] Your character isn’t as fast as he could or should be when attempting to dodge incoming disaster. [1 Pt.]: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penalty to his Reflex sav- ing throw. This flaw may be taken multiple times, up to a maximum Reflex Save penalty of -8. Limitation: This flaw may not be taken in conjunction with the Lightning Reflexes feat. DWARFISM [ Primary Flaw] Your character, due to a genetic condition, has reached an adult level of physical development that is significantly shorter in stature than his species norm. [2 Pts.]: Your character is one size class smaller than the adult norm for his race. In the case of humans, this will make him a small creature. Apply all the appropriate modifiers. Your character suffers an intrinsic -4 penalty to all Intimidate and Disguise checks. He may occasionally suffer taunts and pranks from insensitive NPCs. EASILY SLAIN [ Primary Flaw] Your character’s will to live is weaker than usual, and when seriously injured his natural inclination is to give up the ghost rather than fight to stay alive. [2 Pts.]: Your character dies at -5 hit points rather than at -10 hit points. Furthermore, he suffers a -2 penalty to any Fort Save made to avoid instant death (as from massive damage, for example). Limitation: This flaw may not be applied to characters with regenera- tion or unusually fast healing as natural powers. EASILY WINDED [ Primary Flaw] Your character’s ability to engage in lengthy bouts of physical activity is somewhat limited. [2 Pts.] Slightly Out of Shape: Your character suffers a -4 penalty to all skill checks or saves made to reflect exertion over an extended length of time. Furthermore, when holding his breath, he is treated as though his Constitution score were 4 points lower than it really is. [4 Pts.] Obviously Out of Shape: Your character suffers a -8 penalty to all skill checks or saves made to reflect exertion over an extended length of time. Furthermore, when holding his breath, he is treated as though his Constitution score were 8 points lower than it really is. Limitation: This flaw may not be taken in conjunction with the Endurance feat. FLINCHING [ Primary Flaw] Your character tends to flinch and hesitate when opponents press close in combat, meaning that his attacks of opportunity are poorly directed. [2 Pts.]: When an opponent triggers an attack of opportunity within your character’s threatened area, your character suffers a -4 circumstance penalty to his attack roll. FORESWORN FROM FIREARMS [ Primary Flaw ] Your character shuns the use of guns of any sort, regarding them as crude, clumsy, noisy, dishonorable, or all of the above. 12
  • 13. [2 Pts.] Moderate Revulsion: Your character steadfastly refuses to carry or use firearms, and usually regards those who do as being beneath contempt. In extreme circumstances, your character may attempt to pick up a firearm and use it for a purpose other than shooting someone else (cutting a rope, detonating an explosive barrel, etc.). The GM may call for a Will Save (DC 15+) before allowing him to do so. [4 Pts.] Irrational Abhorrence: Your character refuses to even touch a firearm, even when his life or the lives of others might be on the line. In utterly extreme circumstances (fate of the world hangs in the balance, for example) the character may attempt a very difficult Will Save (DC 25+) in order to pick up a firearm and use it on an inanimate object. Limitation: This flaw is incompatible with any feat that improves the character’s ability to use or maintain firearms. Feats that improve gener- al ranged attacks may be taken (with the GM’s permission), but never applied to the use of firearms. FRAGILE [ Primary Flaw] Your character suffers from a certain exceptional lack of vitality. [1 Pt.]: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penalty to his Fortitude saving throw. This flaw may be taken multiple times, up to a maximum Fortitude Save penalty of -8. Limitation: This flaw may not be taken in conjunction with the Great Fortitude feat. GLASS JAW [ Primary Flaw ] Your character tends to wobble and swoon when an opponent lands a solid blow to his head or chin. [2 Pts.] Wobbly: When an opponent scores a successful critical hit against your character with an unarmed attack or a bludgeoning weapon, your character must make a Fort Save, [DC 10 + points of damage taken], or become stunned for 1d2+1 rounds. [4 Pts.] Downright Delicate: When an opponent scores a successful critical hit against your character with an unarmed attack or a bludgeon- ing weapon, your character must make a Fort Save, [DC 15 + points of damage taken], or become stunned for 1d4+1 rounds. Limitation: This flaw may not be taken by a character naturally immune to critical hits. GUILELESS [ Primary Flaw ] Your character is somewhat deficient in shrewdness and social aware- ness. [2 Pts.] Socially Unpolished: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penalty to all Bluff, Diplomacy, and Sense Motive checks. [4 Pts.] Fantastically Clueless: Your character suffers an inherent -4 13 By now it’s probably occurred to you that certain flaws, in combination, have a debilitating effect greater than the sum of their parts– just as alco- hol and some drugs multiply their effects when mingled. This leads into the concept of flaw synergy. Flaw synergy grants a player some extra bit of compensation for hav- ing the guts needed to take a set of flaws that compound one another in a potentially gruesome fashion. Note that flaw synergy does not occur merely because a character has a set of flaws that are thematically relat- ed– for example, while it makes sense that an Inflexible character might also be Unathletic, those two flaws don’t complicate one another in a direct and particular fashion. On the other hand, Glass Jaw and Light-Headed are potentially dead- ly in combination. The latter flaw all but ensures that your character will fall unconscious whenever the former flaw takes effect. Old Injury and Old Injury (II) are an equally dangerous match, greatly enhancing the effect of every critical hit the character suffers. Primary and secondary flaws may be combined to create synergy. For example, an Overconfident character with a Glass Jaw and an Old Injury is simply asking for trouble. If the GM determines that a player’s selection of flaws is appropriate- ly synergistic, he may award him one of the following benefits: • 1 Flaw Point for mild synergy • 2 Flaw Points for dangerous synergy • 3 Flaw Points for suicidal synergy GM Option: Flaw Synergy
  • 14. penalty to all Bluff, Diplomacy, and Sense Motive checks. Limitation: This flaw is incompatible with any feat that would enhance or improve any of the skills it penalizes. GULLIBLE [ Primary Flaw ] Your character is far too credulous– not only does he tend to swallow lies, exaggerations, and tall tales put forth by others, he does so with enthusiasm. [2 Pts.]: Your character suffers an inherent -4 penalty to all Bluff checks and Sense Motive checks. It’s against his nature to challenge the word of others except when he has direct proof that they’re wrong, and his friends and allies will have many occasions to swat their foreheads in embar- rassment at his gullibility. ILLITERATE [ Primary Flaw ] Your character cannot read. [2 Pts.]: Your character cannot read, and therefore cannot place skill ranks in Knowledges, Professions, or Craft/Repair skills that could rea- sonably be determined to require any element of book-learning (GM’s discretion). Your character also begins the game knowing only the spo- ken form of his native language. IMPAIRED HAND(S) [ Primary Flaw ] Your character has suffered some form of damage to one or both of his hands. [2 Pts.] Injured/Missing Fingers: Due to stiff or missing fingers, your character suffers a -2 circumstance penalty to all Climb, Craft, Disable Device, Repair, and Sleight-of-Hand checks; [5 Pts.] One-Handed: Your character’s off hand was completely sev- ered from his wrist, leaving him with nothing but a rounded and useless stump. This flaw has a variety of effects: •Your character cannot wield a weapon in his off-hand, nor use any shield with that hand, save a buckler which can be strapped to his fore- arm; •Your character may not wear rings or bracelets on his off hand. Magical items in the form of gloves or gauntlets may not be used if both must be worn to achieve the magical effect; •Reloading a firearm with a box magazine or a speed-loader also requires a full round; •Your character suffers a -2 circumstance penalty to all Climb, Craft, Disable Device, Repair, and Sleight-of-Hand checks; and •Your character may not use ordinary bows, although he may load and fire crossbows as per normal. •Your character suffers a -1 penalty to all grapple checks. Limitation: Your character may not possess the following feats: Ambidexterity, Quick Reload, Two-Weapon Fighting, or Improved Two- Weapon Fighting. Special: Injured/Missing Fingers is worth 1 bonus Flaw Point to arcane spellcasters, as it causes a 10% chance of failure to any spell with a somatic (gesture) component. One-Handed is worth 2 bonus Flaw Points to an arcane spellcaster, as it causes a 20% chance of failure to any spell with a somatic component. These percentile chances of failure are rolled by the GM. Special: The GM may see fit to assign penalties to actions not described here if the lack of an off-hand could be reasonably determined to hinder those actions. IMPAIRED HEARING [ Primary Flaw ] Your character has suffered some sort of damage (congenital, perhaps, or caused by an accident or a combat injury) to his auditory nerves. [2 Pts.] Hearing Damage: Your character retains some auditory abili- ty, but not much. He suffers an inherent -6 penalty to Listen checks, and may not spend Action Points to enhance them. The Listen skill will be for- ever considered cross-class for your character. [5 Pts.] Deafness: Your character automatically fails any Listen check, suffers a -4 penalty to Initiative, and has a 20% chance to miscast any spell with a verbal (V) component. Nothing less than a full Wish spell or the equivalent ultra-powerful FX effect can restore your character’s hear- ing. 14
  • 15. Limitation: This flaw may not be applied to characters with a natural power or ability that effectively replaces the sense of hearing. IMPAIRED MOVEMENT [ Primary Flaw ] Your character suffers from a physical condition that restricts his abili- ty to move. The nature of this condition is such that no magical, techno- logical, or other power can reverse or remove it, unless you wish to buy this flaw off (page 18) at 2nd level or higher. [2 Pts.] Limp: Your character’s base Speed is reduced by 10 feet. [4 Pts.] Serious Limp: Your character’s base Speed is reduced by 10 feet. He suffers an inherent -2 penalty to Climb, Jump, and Tumble checks. [8 Pts.] Hobbled: Your character cannot run or charge. His base Speed is reduced by 10 feet. He suffers an inherent -1 penalty to Defense and a -4 penalty to Climb, Jump, and Tumble checks. [12 Pts.] Paraplegic: Your character is paraplegic. He has lost all use of his legs and must rely upon a wheelchair or other conveyance. If removed from such a device, he may move only by crawling while prone, at a rate of 10 feet per round. At all times, he loses his Dex bonus to Defense, suffers an intrinsic -2 penalty to Defense, grants attackers a +2 bonus to attack rolls, and automatically fails Climb, Jump, and Tumble checks. Limitation: This flaw, in its Paraplegic form, is incompatible with any feat or FX power that the GM determines to require bipedal movement. Paraplegism is also incompatible with the Inflexible flaw. IMPAIRED SENSE OF SMELL [ Primary Flaw ] Your character ‘s olfactory nerves have been damaged, leaving him unable to smell anything. While this may be a blessing in certain dis- gusting situations, it also leaves him without early warning of many pos- sible hazards, including fires, poison gas, or large nearby animals. [1 Pt.]: In addition to the obvious effects of this flaw, your character suf- fers a -2 circumstance penalty to any roll made to ascertain information by the sense of taste. IMPAIRED SENSE OF TASTE [ Primary Flaw ] Your character ‘s taste buds are permanently damaged or missing, leaving him sadly unable to taste anything, no matter how delicious or vile it may be. [1 Pt.]: Everything your character eats or drinks is as flat and flavorless as distilled water would be to an ordinary person. This leaves your char- acter unable to detect the subtle hint of drugs, poison, or putrefaction in anything he eats. IMPAIRED VISION [ Primary Flaw ] Your character isn’t completely blind, but his vision is a constant source of trouble to him. Magical healing will not suffice to alleviate this condi- tion. [2 Pts.] Poor Vision: Your character suffers an inherent -3 penalty to Search and Spot checks, and may not spend Action Points to enhance them. The Search and Spot skills will be forever considered cross-class for your character. [4 Pts.] Terrible Vision: Your character isn’t yet absolutely blind, but in practical terms he’s pretty close. Your character suffers an inherent -4 penalty to Search and Spot checks, and may not spend Action Points to enhance them. The Search and Spot skills will be forever considered cross-class for your character. Furthermore, he suffers a -1 inherent penalty to all attack rolls due to his inability to judge the true position of opponents in combat. [6 Pts.] Truly Awful Vision: It isn’t quite safe to let your character out on his own– he’s always mistaking hostile ninjas for harmless pieces of lawn furniture, and vice versa. Your character suffers an inherent -5 penalty to Search and Spot checks, and may not spend Action Points to enhance them. The Search and Spot skills will be forever considered cross-class for your character. Furthermore, he suffers a -1 inherent penalty to all attack rolls, as well as an inherent -1 penalty to Defense. [8 Pts.] Blindness: In addition to the obvious effects of blindness (auto- matically failing Search and Spot checks, for example), your character suffers a 50% miss chance in combat, loses any Dexterity bonus to Defense, grants a +2 bonus to opponents’ attack rolls, moves at half speed, and suffers a -4 penalty on most Dexterity and Strength-based skill checks, at the GM’s discretion. 15
  • 16. IMPAIRED VOICE [ Primary Flaw ] Your character has suffered extensive damage to his vocal cords, via injury or disease. Magical healing and FX powers cannot correct this con- dition. [1 Pt.] Slight Impediment: Your character suffers from a slight speech impediment, such as an occasional stutter. This impediment should be role-played continually, but need only become severe when your charac- ter is under intense stress. The GM may call for a Will Save in times of crisis if your character wishes to try and maintain control over his voice. [2 Pts.] Damaged Voice: Your character is unable to talk above a harsh whisper and cannot shout or sing. This should be role-played at all times. Your character suffers a 25% chance of spell failure when casting any arcane spell with a verbal (V) component. Any Perform check involv- ing a verbal element (save for singing, which is already totally precluded) suffers a -4 circumstance penalty. This level of Impaired Voice is worth 2 bonus Flaw Points to arcane spellcasters, as virtually all spells have ver- bal components. [4 Pts.] Mute: Your character’s vocal cords are missing or irreparably damaged. He may speak only in weak abstract noises, such as hisses and grunts. Otherwise, his communication must be limited to gestures and writing (if he is capable of such). It is expected that this flaw will be roleplayed at all appropriate times. An arcane spellcaster may not be mute. IMPATIENT [ Primary Flaw ] Your character is notoriously incapable of focusing his attention long and hard enough to accomplish tasks requiring great dedication. [2 Pts.]: Your character may never ‘take 10’ or ‘take 20’ on any skill check. INATTENTIVE [ Primary Flaw ] Your character is frequently oblivious to the fine details of what’s hap- pening all around him. [2 Pts.] Distracted: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penalty to Listen, Search, and Spot checks. [4 Pts.] Clueless: Your character suffers an inherent -4 penalty to Listen, Search, and Spot checks. [6 Pts.] Thick as Concrete: Your character suffers an inherent -6 penalty to Listen, Search, and Spot checks. Limitation: This flaw may not be taken in conjunction with the “Blindness” version of Impaired Vision or with the “Deafness” version of “Impaired Hearing. INFLEXIBLE [ Primary Flaw ] Whether it’s due to age, an old injury, or simple lack of exercise, your character isn’t as lithe and nimble as he really should be. [2 Pts.] Creaky: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penalty to Balance, Escape Artist, Jump, and Tumble checks. [4 Pts.] Stiff: Your character suffers an inherent -4 penalty to Balance, Escape Artist, Jump, and Tumble checks. [6 Pts.] Very Stiff: Your character suffers an inherent -4 penalty to Balance, Escape Artist, Jump, and Tumble checks, as well as an inher- ent -1 penalty to Defense. Special Handicap [Arthritis, +2 Pts.]: Your character’s fingers are stiff and sore. As a result, he suffers an inherent -2 penalty to Craft, Disable Device, and Sleight-of-Hand checks. LIGHT-HEADED [ Primary Flaw ] Your character has serious trouble remaining steady on his feet when subjected to a stunning attack or a knockout effect. [2 Pts.]: When your character would normally become staggered due to the accrual of nonlethal damage, he instead falls unconscious. When he suffers a successful stun attack, he must make a Fort Save (DC 15) or instead fall unconscious for the appropriate number of rounds. Your character suffers a -2 penalty to all saving throws vs. sleep-inducing spells, FX powers, and drugs. Special: This flaw may not be taken by a character with an unusual or racial resistance to sleep-inducing spells and FX powers, or to nonlethal damage. 16
  • 17. LUMMOX [ Primary Flaw ] Your character’s firm muscles are a testament to his physical strength, but he’s never really learned how to control that strength when swinging a weapon. [2 Pts.]: Your character’s positive Strength modifier is not applied to his Base Attack Bonus whenever he uses a melee weapon or makes an unarmed attack. Limitation: This flaw may only be applied to characters with a Strength score of 12 or higher. If at any time the character’s Strength falls perma- nently beneath 12, apply an inherent -2 penalty to all melee attack rolls instead. MAGIC VULNERABILITY [ Primary Flaw ] Your character is unusually vulnerable to the deleterious effects of hos- tile magic. [2 Pts.] Slight Vulnerability: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penalty to all saving throws against spells and spell-like effects. [4 Pts.] Moderate Vulnerability: Your character suffers an inherent -4 penalty to all saving throws against spells and spell-like effects. [6 Pts.] Extreme Vulnerability: Your character suffers an inherent -6 penalty to all saving throws against spells and spell-like effects. [8 Pts.] Dying of Mojo: Your character suffers an inherent -8 penalty to all saving throws against spells and spell-like effects. Special: This flaw may only be taken in campaigns where magic is present. MOTION SICKNESS [ Primary Flaw ] Your character suffers intense discomfort and disorientation if he attempts to concentrate on anything but the scenery while in a moving vehicle. This flaw does not usually apply if the character is controlling the vehicle in question. [2 Pts.] Woozy: Your character suffers a -2 circumstance penalty any time he attempts to take any sort of action while riding within or upon a moving vehicle. [4 Pts.] Nauseous: What’s more, before your character may take any action while in or upon a moving vehicle, he must make a Fortitude Save (DC 15). Failure means that he will become nauseated until the begin- ning of his action in the next round. Special Handicap [Total Vulnerability, +1 Pt.]: Your character even suffers from motion sickness when he is the one controlling the vehicle. NERVOUS [ Primary Flaw ] Your character has some difficulty dealing with the horrors of battle, dark magic, and supernatural manifestations. [2 Pts.] Trepidatious: Your character suffers an inherent -4 penalty to Will Saves made to resist fear, horror, shock, or demoralization. [4 Pts.] Traumatized: Your character suffers an inherent -8 penalty to Will Saves made to resist fear, horror, shock, or demoralization. Limitation: This flaw may not be taken by characters that are inherent- ly immune to fear effects. OAFISH [ Primary Flaw ] Your character is about as light on his feet as a sleepy grizzly bear. [2 Pts.] Fumblefeet: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penalty to all Hide, Jump, and Move Silently checks. [4 Pts.] Omni-Bumbling: Your character is the anti-ninja. He suffers an inherent -4 penalty to all Hide, Jump, and Move Silently checks. Limitation: This flaw is incompatible with the “Paraplegic” version of Impaired Movement. OBESE [ Primary Flaw ] Your character is substantially overweight. Although his mother might insist that he’s just stocky, she’s wrong. [3 Pts.] Overweight: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penalty to his Defense rating, as he has difficulty moving nimbly when he needs to. 17
  • 18. Your character must also have all of his personal clothing and armor tai- lored to fit his oversized form. Increase the base price of any armor or clothing so customized by 25% (if using a precise cash measure), or add 1 to the DC of the Wealth check. Lastly, he suffers a -4 penalty to Disguise checks because his corpulence is a rather memorable trait. On the positive side, he does gain a +1 circumstance bonus to all Swim checks. [5 Pts.] Very Overweight: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penal- ty to his Defense rating, as well as a -2 penalty to all Climb and Jump checks, as he has difficulty moving nimbly when he needs to. Your char- acter must also have all of his personal clothing and armor tailored to fit his oversized form. Increase the base price of any armor or clothing so customized by 50% (if using a precise cash measure), or add 2 to the DC of the Wealth check. Lastly, he suffers a -6 penalty to Disguise checks because his corpulence is a rather memorable trait. On the positive side, he does gain a +1 circumstance bonus to all Swim checks. Limitation: An Obese character may not also be Underweight. OLD INJURY [ Primary Flaw ] Your character suffers from an old wound, long healed on the surface but ready to flare up again when aggravated by new injuries. [2 Pts.] Aggravating: Whenever your character sustains a successful critical hit, he suffers a -2 penalty to both Strength and Dexterity. These lost ability points must be recovered at the ordinary rate, with rest and care. [4 Pts.] Debilitating: Whenever your character sustains a successful critical hit, he suffers a -4 penalty to both Strength and Dexterity. These lost ability points must be recovered at the ordinary rate, with rest and care. [6 Pts.] Crippling: Whenever your character sustains a successful crit- ical hit, he suffers a -6 penalty to both Strength and Dexterity. These lost ability points must be recovered at the ordinary rate, with rest and care. He also suffers a -10 penalty to his Speed score and a -2 penalty to attack rolls and Defense until he has rested for at least eight hours. Special: This flaw may be taken in conjunction with Old Injury (II). Limitation: This flaw may not be taken by a character naturally immune to critical hits. 18 Sooner or later, one of your players is probably going to express a desire to have his character overcome one or more of his flaws. Provided that a proper in-game rationale can be provided for this, it isn’t a problem. Medical science can correct neurological damage, repair bro- ken limbs, and offer new drug treatments for previously unbeatable prob- lems. Psychological counseling can help overcome many nervous dis- orders. Time, discipline, and increasing self-confidence can help bury many old handicaps, such as clumsiness or obesity. When a player wishes to “buy off” a character flaw, he must spend something in exchange, at the time his character gains a level: •1 Flaw Point may be bought off for 2 skill points; •2 Flaw Points may be bought off for 1 feat (whether received for character level or as a class bonus); •2 Flaw Points may be bought off in place of one ability score increase (at 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, or 20th level); Note that the character doesn’t spend any feats or skill points he already has– he loses only new ones he would ordinarily get for a level increase. Alternately (and with your explicit permission), a character may buy off 1 Flaw Point by setting aside an “XP Tithe.” For each Flaw Point bought off, calculate 1/8 of the number of XP the character will require to reach his next level. This “Tithe” must be paid off by earned XP before any earned XP can be used for any other purpose– in effect, the character is being forced to earn a certain percentage of his next character level twice to pay off his former flaw. Once the Tithe is paid off, the character resumes using earned XP in the usual fashion (to advance his level, to craft FX items, etc.) Some background flaws cannot be bought off– for example, an enemy cannot simply be wished away, and a criminal record cannot be made to vanish into thin air (at least not without the expenditure of large amounts of time and money, an expenditure that should make the character pay about as much as if he’d bought off the flaw in the fashion described above). However, an enemy can be defeated, preferably after many, many encounters as the campaign nears its culmination. Characters that wipe out an enemy after many long months or years of effort do not need to pay anything extra to be rid of their foe– they have earned their peace with blood, sweat, and tears. GM Option: Buying Off Flaws
  • 19. Limitation: This flaw may not be taken by a character with the natural ability to rapidly regenerate lost ability points, nor by a character natural- ly immune to ability point loss or critical hits. OLD INJURY (II) [ Primary Flaw ] This is another form of old injury. [2 Pts.] Bad: Whenever your character sustains a successful critical hit, the damage multiplier of that critical hit increases by 1 (x2 becomes x3, x3 becomes x4, and so forth). [4 Pts.] Worse: Whenever your character sustains a successful critical hit, the damage multiplier of that critical hit increases by 2 (x2 becomes x4, x3 becomes x5, and so forth). [6 Pts.] Pray For Deliverance: Whenever your character sustains a successful critical hit, the damage multiplier of that critical hit increases by 2 (x2 becomes x4, x3 becomes x5, and so forth). Furthermore, your character suffers an additional 2d6 points of damage (added, not multi- plied). Special: This flaw may be taken in conjunction with Old Injury. Limitation: This flaw may not be taken by a character naturally immune to critical hits. PACIFISM [ Primary Flaw ] Your character renounces (to a lesser or greater extent) the use of vio- lence as a solution to his problems. This includes not only physical vio- lence but magical violence, psionic violence, and any other form of vio- lence allowed by FX powers or other unusual abilities. [3 Pts.] Self-Defense Only: Your character may only engage in acts of violence as a direct response to violent acts taken against himself or his close allies. In the event he witnesses a violent action that affronts his moral code or allegiance (for example, if he witnesses innocent bystanders placed in danger by a criminal), he may attempt to intervene in a non-violent fashion. [6 Pts.] Total Nonviolence: Your character may take no violent action against anyone, under any circumstances. His role in a time of crisis will be limited to rendering aid, healing, scouting, and other non-confronta- tional forms of assistance. Limitation: This flaw, in its “Total Nonviolence” version, is incompatible with the Bad Shot, Foresworn From Firearms, Lummox, Poor Fighter, Predictable Fighter, Cruel, and Vindictive flaws. It is incompatible in any fashion with the Aggressive flaw. Special: The GM may decide to disallow this flaw in combination with any other flaw he determines to be as inappropriate as the ones listed above. POOR FIGHTER [ Primary Flaw ] Your character, whether because of a lack of training, natural ability, or simple enthusiasm, does not fight as skillfully as he should. [2 Pts.] Ungifted: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penalty to all attack rolls. [4 Pts.] Ungainly: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penalty to all attack rolls. [6 Pts.] Embarrassing: Your character suffers an inherent -3 penalty to all attack rolls. [8 Pts.] Disgraceful: Your character suffers an inherent -4 penalty to all attack rolls. [10 Pts.] What’s Combat?: Your character suffers an inherent -5 penalty to all attack rolls. Limitation: This flaw is incompatible with the “Total Nonviolence” ver- sion of Pacifism. POORLY EDUCATED [ Primary Flaw ] Your character might be bright, enthusiastic, and talented, but his for- mal training is sadly lacking. [2 Pts.]: At 1st level, your character suffers the loss of 4 skill points. All Knowledge skills are thereafter treated as cross-class skills should he wish to place ranks in any of them. 19
  • 20. PREDICTABLE FIGHTER [ Primary Flaw ] Your character fights in a woefully limited and straightforward fashion. [2 Pts.]: Your character is incapable of using the full defense, aid another, trip, or disarm actions in combat. Limitation: Your character cannot possess the Expertise feat or any feat requiring it as a prerequisite. PSIONIC VULNERABILITY [ Primary Flaw ] Your character is unusually vulnerable to the deleterious effects of hos- tile psychic abilities. [2 Pts.] Slight Vulnerability: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penalty to all saving throws against psionic powers and psionic FX abili- ties. [4 Pts.] Moderate Vulnerability: Your character suffers an inherent -4 penalty to all saving throws against psionic powers and psionic FX abili- ties. [6 Pts.] Extreme Vulnerability: Your character suffers an inherent -6 penalty to all saving throws against psionic powers and psionic FX abili- ties. [8 Pts.] Ding! Your Brain is Done: Your character suffers an inherent -8 penalty to all saving throws against psionic powers and psionic FX abilities. Limitation: This flaw may only be taken by characters in campaigns where psionic abilities will be encountered relatively frequently. SLOW HEALING [ Primary Flaw ] Your character finds that recovery from serious injury is a slow and aggravating process. [2 Pts.] Slow Healing: Your character recovers 1 hit point per evening of rest per two character levels (or fraction thereof). If he receives com- plete bed rest (24 hours per day, with no other activity), he may recover lost hit points at his regular rate. [3 Pts.] Slower Healing: Even full-day bed rest cannot improve your character’s rate of healing. Limitation: This flaw may not be taken by any character for whom fast healing is a natural condition. SLOW-WITTED [ Primary Flaw ] When danger looms, your character is slower to react than those around him. [1 Pt.] Somewhat Slow: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penalty to his Initiative checks. [2 Pts.] Rather Slow: Your character suffers an inherent -4 penalty to his Initiative checks. [3 Pts.] Nerves of Molasses: Your character suffers an inherent -6 penalty to his Initiative checks. [4 Pts.] Molasses in January: Your character suffers an inherent -8 penalty to his Initiative checks. Limitation: This flaw may not be taken in conjunction with the Improved Initiative feat. UNATHLETIC [ Primary Flaw ] Whether your character is out of shape, aging, or just disinclined to throw himself around, he’s not as good at full-body movement exercises as he might be. [2 Pts.] Slacker: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penalty to Climb, Jump, and Swim checks. [4 Pts.] Sluggard: Your character suffers an inherent -4 penalty to Climb, Jump, and Swim checks. UNCOORDINATED [ Primary Flaw ] “Right foot in front of left foot, then repeat” is about the most compli- cated action your poor, clumsy character can undertake without trouble. [2 Pts.] Inept: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penalty to Balance, 20
  • 21. Ride, and Tumble checks. Any Perform check involving dexterous move- ment (dancing or juggling, for example) suffers a -4 circumstance penal- ty. [4 Pts.] Hopeless: Your character suffers an inherent -4 penalty to Balance, Ride, and Tumble checks. Any Perform check involving dexter- ous movement (dancing or juggling, for example) suffers a -8 circum- stance penalty. UNDERWEIGHT [ Primary Flaw ] Your character is unusually skinny for his height. [2 Pts.] Slender: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penalty to grap- ple checks and to melee damage rolls. His lift/carry capacity is 75% of that normally allowed for his Strength score. [4 Pts.] Emaciated: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penalty to grapple checks and to melee damage rolls. His lift/carry capacity is 75% of that normally allowed for his Strength score. He also suffers an inher- ent -1 penalty to all Strength ability checks and Strength-related skill checks. Limitation: This flaw may not be combined with the Obese flaw. UNEXCEPTIONAL [ Primary Flaw ] Your character displays no particular brilliance or excellence in any of his abilities. [2 Pts.]: Lackluster: Your character may never have any natural abili- ty score higher than 13. He may place a maximum number of ranks in any class skill equal to his current level +2. [4 Pts.]: Extreme Mediocrity: Your character may never have any nat- ural ability score higher than 11. He may place a maximum number of ranks in any class skill equal to his current level +1. He may never pos- sess the Skill Focus feat. Special: Any permanent ability increase that would improve one of the character’s ability scores above the allowed maximum is lost without compensation. Special: The character may still increase his abilities above the listed maximum via the use of magical items or other FX artifacts, provided they are acquired during the normal course of play. UNHEALTHY [ Primary Flaw ] Your character suffers from a variety of physical ailments that could be the result of age, injury, disease, or even plain old hypochondria. [2 Pts.]: All numerical fatigue penalties (to Strength and Dexterity) are doubled for your character. His allowed light load is decreased by 10 pounds, his medium load is decreased by 20 pounds, and his maximum load is decreased by 30 pounds. He suffers an inherent -1 penalty to all saving throws against poison and disease. Note: If your character is also Underweight (see above), apply the per- centile decrease in his lift/carry capacity before subtracting the totals list- ed here. UNLUCKY [ Primary Flaw ] Your character might not be fortune’s fool, but he’s almost certainly for- tune’s rubber chew toy. [3 Pts.] Cursed: Any time your character rolls a natural 1 on a skill check, that skill check fails in the most picturesque and potentially com- plicating fashion possible, at the GM’s fiendish discretion. Whenever your character rolls a natural 1 on an attack roll, he drops the weapon he used to make that attack roll. If he is incapable of dropping the weapon (for example, if it is clenched inside a locked gauntlet), he will instead injure himself for 1d4 hit points. [6 Pts.] Cosmic Tragicomedy: Furthermore, your character cannot gain or spend Action Points. WEAK CONSTITUTION [ Primary Flaw ] Your character lacks resistance to pathogens and harmful substances. [2 Pts.] Moderately Weak: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penal- ty to all saving throws made to resist poisons, drugs, and diseases. [4 Pts.] Weak: Your character suffers an inherent -4 penalty to all sav- ing throws made to resist poisons, drugs, and diseases. [6 Pts.] Very Weak: Your character suffers an inherent -6 penalty to all 21
  • 22. saving throws made to resist poisons, drugs, and diseases. [8 Pts.] Extremely Weak: Your character suffers an inherent -8 penal- ty to all saving throws made to resist poisons, drugs, and diseases. Limitation: This flaw may not be possessed by characters with any natural or unusual immunity to poisons, drugs, or diseases. WEAK-WILLED [ Primary Flaw] Your character lacks the mental fortitude one might wish to have before venturing out into a world full of bizarre mysteries and deadly combat. [1 Pt.]: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penalty to his Will saving throw. This flaw may be taken multiple times, up to a maximum Will Save penalty of -8. Limitation: This flaw may not be taken in conjunction with the Iron Will feat. MEDICAL CONDITIONS ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROME (AIDS) [ Medical Condition] AIDS is a chronic condition that causes degeneration of the human body’s immune system. It is thought to be a result of infection by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Although there are an increasing- ly effective number of treatments for AIDS, there is no known cure, and the condition can be extremely serious in its advanced stages. [3 Pts.] HIV Positive: Your character has been infected by the HIV virus. This does not necessarily mean that he has developed AIDS yet– with a careful lifestyle and the assistance of complicated drug treatments, the development of full-blown AIDS can be staved off for an increasingly impressive length of time. An HIV-positive character suffers an inherent - 2 penalty to Fort Saves due to the side-effects of his anti-retroviral drug regime. Furthermore, the character must make a Wealth check (DC 15) each month in order to pay for this drug regime. Failure to maintain drug treatment will invite the progression of the disease into AIDS. Furthermore, your character may occasionally suffer medical and social hassles due to his infection. The Ostracism flaw (page 45) would be appropriate in some areas of the world. Progression of Disease: For every two game weeks in which the char- acter does not receive his drug treatment, there is a cumulative 5% chance that the disease will progress to the point of genuine AIDS. If this happens in play, no additional Flaw Points are awarded for the worsen- ing of the character’s condition. [7 Pts.] AIDS: Your character’s immune system has become damaged to the point where he is considered to have a full-blown case of AIDS. Your character suffers a -2 penalty to his general Fort Save and a -6 penalty (cumulative with the -2) to all Fort Saves made to resist diseases. AIDS patients frequently suffer serious illness or death from what are called “opportunistic infections,” that is, diseases that are normally easily held in check by a healthy immune system. Your character must also maintain his drug treatment on a continual basis, or the -6 penalty to Fort Saves against disease will become a -8 penalty (after one week without drugs, lasting until they are next taken). Special: This flaw may be combined with the Weak Immune System flaw, if you don’t like your character very much. Limitation: This flaw may not be combined with any feat or FX power that grants heightened resistance to diseases. The character may still acquire or create a magic item or FX artifact that confers resistance against disease, provided he does so during actual play rather than at or before 1st level. ASTHMA [ Medical Condition] This is a chronic lung condition that causes frequent bouts of labored breathing, as well as occasional attacks of brutal coughing, wheezing, and chest constriction. Asthma is often (but not always) linked to aller- gies. [1 Pt.] Nuisance Asthma: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penal- ty to all skill checks or saves made to reflect exertion over an extended length of time. [2 Pts.] Mild Asthma: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penalty to all Fort Saves and an inherent -2 penalty to all skill checks or saves made to reflect exertion over an extended length of time. Furthermore, when holding his breath, he is treated as though his Constitution score were 2 points lower than it really is. [4 Pts.] Serious Asthma: Your character suffers an inherent -2 penal- 22
  • 23. ty to all Fort Saves and an inherent -4 penalty to all skill checks or saves made to reflect exertion over an extended length of time. Furthermore, when holding his breath, he is treated as though his Constitution score were 4 points lower than it really is. [6 Pts.] Severe Asthma: As per Serious Asthma. Furthermore, when- ever your character makes a skill check or save to reflect exertion over an extended length of time (carrying weights, running, holding his breath, etc.), he must make a Fort Save (DC 17) or suffer an asthma attack. An attack will last for 2d10 minutes, and for that duration will confer a -2 cir- cumstance penalty to attack rolls, skill checks, and Defense due to wheezing, coughing, and anxiety. [8 Pts.] Crippling Asthma: As per Serious Asthma. Furthermore, whenever your character makes a skill check or save to reflect exertion over an extended length of time (carrying weights, running, holding his breath, etc.), he must make a Fort Save (DC 20) or suffer an asthma attack. An attack will last for 4d10 minutes, and for the duration will con- fer a -4 circumstance penalty to attack rolls, skill checks, and Defense due to wheezing, coughing, and anxiety. During this time, the character must refrain from taking further violent or energetic action (running, charging, or taking an attack action in two or more rounds in a row), or an additional 1d10 minutes will be added to the duration of the attack for each such action. Special Handicap [Allergy Trigger, +2 Pts.]: Any time your character is exposed to large amounts of dust, smoke, or any other nose/throat irri- tant (GM’s discretion), he must make a Fort Save (DC 15). If your char- acter has mild or serious asthma, he will suffer a -2 circumstance penal- ty to attack rolls and skill checks for 2d6 rounds (this penalty is cumula- tive in the event of subsequent bouts of allergic irritation). If your charac- ter has severe or crippling asthma, he will suffer one of his usual attacks. The GM may increase the DC of the Fort Save if the intensity or quan- tity of the irritant is deemed to be unusually high. CLUBFOOT [ Medical Condition] This is a congenital deformation of one foot, more common in (but not entirely limited to) boys rather than girls. Surgical correction for clubfoot is fairly routine in developed nations– this flaw presumes that some cor- rection has been made, but that it hasn’t been entirely successful. [2 Pts.]: Your character suffers an inherent -3 penalty to all Balance checks and Jump checks. DIABETES (TYPE I) [ Medical Condition] The body of a diabetic does not produce (or does not make proper use of) insulin, a hormone required for the conversion of sugar and starch into useful energy. Type I is the less common form of diabetes, in which the body simply does not produce insulin on its own. This form of diabetes is usually diagnosed in childhood. [5 Pts.]: Your character is capable of living a full and exciting life, but must do so at the expense of a number of inconveniences: • Your character suffers an effective -1 penalty to his Wealth score due to his need to carefully pursue a specialized diet and lifestyle regimen. • Your character suffers one of the following three health problems; either select one at 1st level or roll randomly on a d6: 1-2: Diabetic Skin Condition: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penalty to his Charisma score. 3-4: Eye Trouble: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penalty to all Search and Spot checks. 5-6: General Health Trouble: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penalty to all Fort Saves. • Your character must make a Wealth check (DC 13) each month in order to pay for his insulin regime. Failure to maintain insulin treatment will invite problems, as discussed below: • Your character is dependent upon artificial insulin, and generally must inject himself with it twice every twenty-four hours for maximum effec- tiveness. Each 24-hour period that passes without an insulin infusion will bestow a -2 circumstance penalty to Constitution upon the character; this penalty will last until the character again receives an insulin injection and rests for at lest eight hours. This Constitution penalty is cumulative; a character that reaches a Con score of 0 will enter a diabetic coma and die. DIABETES (TYPE II) [ Medical Condition] Type II diabetes (sometimes referred to as “adult onset” diabetes) is both more common and less severe than Type I. The body of a Type II diabetic still produces insulin, but either doesn’t produce enough or does- n’t use what it produces properly. A relatively mild drug regimen may be 23
  • 24. used to help contain Type I diabetes– in many cases, combined with proper exercise and diet habits, this regimen can nearly eradicate the symptoms of the disease. [2 Pts.]: Your character is capable of living a full and exciting life, but must do so at the expense of a number of minor inconveniences, not as bad as those faced by Type I diabetics: • Your character suffers an effective -1 penalty to his Wealth score due to his need to carefully pursue a specialized diet and lifestyle regimen. • Your character suffers one of the following three health problems; either select one at 1st level or roll randomly on a d6: 1-2: Diabetic Skin Condition: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penalty to his Charisma score. 3-4: Eye Trouble: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penalty to all Search and Spot checks. 5-6: General Health Trouble: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penalty to all Fort Saves. • Your character is somewhat dependent upon his medications to assist in controlling his condition. Each week that passes without a dose of the character’s usual medication will confer a -1 circumstance penalty to the character’s Con score. This penalty is cumulative. A Type II diabetic neg- ligent enough to reach a Con score of 0 in this fashion will enter a dia- betic coma and die. EPILEPSY [ Medical Condition] Epilepsy is a complex neurological condition that affects about 5% of the adult population at some point in their lives. The primary outward effect of epilepsy is a variety of seizures. For game purposes, the myriad forms of epilepsy have been greatly simplified into the hierarchy present- ed below. Emotional stress is often a trigger for epileptic complications, therefore, Will Saves have been used as the default triggers for possible epileptic seizures. [2 Pts.] Mild Epilepsy: Whenever your character is forced to make a Will Save, there is a 25% chance (non-cumulative) that he will have what is called a “simple partial seizure.” During such a seizure one part of the character’s body (typically an arm or a leg) will begin to twitch and spasm uncontrollably. This seizure will last 3d6 rounds, imposing a -1 circum- stance penalty to attack rolls and skill checks for the duration. [4 Pts.] Moderate Epilepsy: Whenever your character is forced to make a Will Save, there is a 30% chance (non-cumulative) that he will have what is called a “complex partial seizure.” In addition to the usual physical seizure effects, your character’s consciousness and memory may be briefly impaired. During such a seizure one part of the character’s body (typically an arm or a leg) will begin to twitch and spasm uncontrollably. This seizure will last 3d6 rounds, imposing a -1 circumstance penalty to attack rolls and skill checks for the duration. Furthermore, there is only a 50% chance (non-cumulative, and rolled for each allowed action) that the character will be able to take any action he desires. In place of any lost action, the character will mumble unintelligibly and fiddle with his clothes or equip- ment for a few seconds. This does not render him helpless. [6 Pts.] Severe Epilepsy: Whenever your character is forced to make a Will Save, there is a 35% chance (non-cumulative) that he will have what is called a “tonic-clonic convulsive seizure,” also known as a “grand mal.” Your character will fall to the ground for 1d8+2 rounds, during which time he will be unable to take any conscious actions. Though he is not helpless, he is considered prone for all defensive purposes, and oppo- nents entering or leaving his threatened areas do not trigger attacks of opportunity from him. He may not sustain spells or other FX powers through such a seizure. Special Handicap [Photosensitive Epilepsy, +2 Pts.]: Although widely popularized, this is an extremely rare form of epilepsy (approxi- mately 3-5% of epileptics are affected by it). A photosensitive epileptic may suffer seizures through exposure to flickering patterns of lights, including but not limited to strobe lights, video games, and certain dance or party lighting effects, as well as flashy magical spells and other visual FX abilities. Whenever your character is exposed (GM’s discretion) to flickering lights, there is a 40% chance (non-cumulative) that he will have a seizure appropriate to his level of epilepsy. This percentile chance must be re-rolled for every five rounds (thirty seconds) of continual exposure to flickering lights. Note: After an epileptic character has experienced (and recovered from) a seizure, he will not be susceptible to another one for a minimum of ten minutes. Photosensitive epilepsy is the sole exception. Limitation: Photosensitive epilepsy may not be combined with blind- ness (page 15). 24
  • 25. HEMOPHILIA [ Medical Condition] Hemophilia is a hereditary condition (sex-linked, occurring far more fre- quently in men than in women) that compromises blood clotting. A hemo- philiac, when injured, will bleed for an unusually long period of time, both internally and externally. A cut that would be an inconvenience to an ordi- nary person may prove lethal to a hemophiliac if proper medical attention isn’t sought. [4 Pts.] Hemophilia: Whenever your character is injured by a piercing, cutting, or slashing weapon (basically, anything with a sharp or penetrat- ing edge), he will continue to lose 1 hit point per round thereafter due to blood loss. This blood loss will continue for 2d8 rounds, and may only be halted by a successful Treat Injury check (DC 15) or the use of a magi- cal healing spell or a similar FX power. [8 Pts.] Severe Hemophilia: Whenever your character is injured by a piercing, cutting, or slashing weapon (basically, anything with a sharp or penetrating edge), he will continue to lose 2 hit points per round there- after due to blood loss. This blood loss will continue for 2d8 rounds, and may only be halted by a successful Treat Injury check (DC 17) or the use of a magical healing spell or a similar FX power. Note: Subsequent injuries will not cause a cumulative loss of hit points due to bleeding, however, each subsequent injury will extend the dura- tion of the bleeding by an additional 1d6 rounds. MULTIPLE CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY [ Medical Condition] Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) is an “environmental illness,” a set of chronic allergic reactions generally triggered by exposure to scented chemical products (typically cleaning chemicals, detergents, perfumes, fabric softeners, and the like). MCS can make life in the contemporary world a continual aggravation for its unfortunate sufferers, as the majori- ty of ordinary people are totally oblivious to the scented chemicals they are constantly using in public and private places alike. [2 Pts.] Mild Sensitivity: Whenever your character enters a crowded area or a space that would be filled with scented chemicals (restaurants, public restrooms, etc.), there is a base 40% chance (rolled once every ten minutes or so) that your character will be exposed to a substance that will set him off. If he is exposed, he will suffer a fairly standard allergic reaction– watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing, and tightness in his throat and chest. This episode will last for 1d6 minutes and will inflict a -1 cir- cumstance penalty to attack rolls, skill checks, and Defense upon the character for the duration. [5 Pts.] Severe Sensitivity: Whenever your character enters a crowd- ed area or a space that would be filled with scented chemicals (restau- rants, public restrooms, etc.), there is a base 70% chance (rolled once every ten minutes or so) that your character will be exposed to a sub- stance that will set him off. If he is exposed, he will suffer an unusually debilitating allergic reaction– swollen eyes, runny nose, painful sneezing, and tightness in his throat and chest. This episode will last for 2d6 min- utes and will inflict a -2 circumstance penalty to attack rolls, skill checks, and Defense upon the character for the duration. Furthermore, he will suffer a total circumstance penalty of -4 to all Spot and Concentration checks. Note: If your character encounters a large concentration of any trig- gering chemical (particularly in an enclosed area), the GM may increase the percentile chance of an allergic episode at his own discretion. Friends and allies of your character may prevent allergic episodes by avoiding the use of strong perfumes, deodorants, aftershaves, and simi- lar substances. Of course, even a single person wearing a powerful scent can trigger a full-on allergic attack if they get close enough to your char- acter (GMs take heed), so caveat emptor. Special: Characters that possess the “scent” ability may only possess this flaw with the GM’s explicit permission; although it might be appropri- ate for some character concepts, it might also be unduly crippling for a character with a hypersensitive nose to spend pretty much the entire campaign in paroxysms of sneezing and gagging. Special (Designated Flaw Synergy): If your character also possess- es severe or crippling asthma (page 22), each instance of a MCS aller- gic attack will require a Fort Save (DC 17). Failure will double the dura- tion and numerical penalties of the MCS allergy attack. Either of the above degrees of asthma taken in conjunction with MCS is worth +1 Flaw Point. If your unfortunate character possesses the Allergy Trigger special handicap for asthma, it is “set off” each time the character encounters a MCS trigger. All resulting penalties are cumulative! This special handicap, taken in conjunction with MCS, is worth +2 Flaw Points. Limitation: Characters that do not breathe or need not fear airborne contaminants for racial reasons may not select this flaw. 25
  • 26. PSYCHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS ANXIETY DISORDER [ Psychological Condition ] Your character suffers from a very general condition of high anxiety– he is a chronic worrier and fretter, often spending weeks or months agoniz- ing (often in private) over everything from his financial future to his social acceptability. This disorder interferes with his sleeping habits and his general state of health. [2 Pts.]: Your character suffers an inherent -1 penalty to both Fort Saves and Will Saves, as a result of the degradation of his physical and mental states due to a gnawing sense of worry. Roleplaying acute out- bursts of anxiety from time to time would not be inappropriate, however, bear in mind that this does not mean a constant stream of moaning and wailing. BIPOLAR DISORDER [ Psychological Condition ] “Manic depression” is a more common term used to describe bipolar affective disorder. Although there are at least six clinically diagnosed varieties of this disorder, for game purposes it is defined as a condition that causes pendulum-like swings between periods of high energy and elation (“manic phase”) and morbidity, agitation, and feelings of worth- lessness (“depressive phase”). [3 Pts.]: Prior to each game session, the GM should roll 1d10 to deter- mine which “phase” your character is currently in. On a roll of 1-4, he is completely normal. On a roll of 5-7, he is in a “depressive” phase, and on a roll of 8-10 he is in a “manic” phase. During a manic phase, the character should behave in an energized and enthusiastic manner– he is gung-ho for just about any challenge, ready to seize the day and live life to the fullest. He receives a +1 morale bonus to Will Saves. During a depressive phase, the character will be plagued by feelings of intense worthlessness and bleakness; the pleasures of life hold no inter- est for him, and he may skip essentials such as eating or sleeping. He may entertain morbid or suicidal thoughts, and he will be bitter, morose company at best. A depressive character suffers a -2 morale penalty to all attack rolls, skill checks, and saving throws. At the GM’s discretion, he may also suffer a -2 circumstance penalty to Charisma. If a game session covers the events of more than one day, the GM may re-roll to determine the character’s phase at the beginning of each game day. CHRONIC CONFUSION [ Psychological Condition ] Your character suffers from lapses in memory and attention that seem to leave him a bit befuddled. This is quite above and beyond ordinary absent-mindedness, and is often associated with advanced age (page 9). From time to time, your character should have trouble remembering names and faces, as well as remembering where he is and what he’s doing. He may suffer bouts of irritability, and will even wander away from friends and allies during critical situations. [3 Pts.]: In addition to the role-played effects of this flaw, your char- acter suffers an inherent -2 penalty to Initiative checks, Concentration checks, Search checks, and Spot checks. DELUSIONAL [ Psychological Condition ] Your character suffers from occasional audiovisual hallucinations, sometimes imagining events or situations that aren’t actually real. [2 Pts.]: From time to time the GM will feed you a description (without telling you that it’s delusional, of course) of an event or encounter that your character will believe to be utterly real. Most of these delusions will fall apart when examined and refuted by other party members, but there should always be some tension about each incident. Is your character merely hallucinating again, or is there really a shadowy figure following the group from nightclub to nightclub? Special: No form of magical/FX healing or protection against illusions will suffice to remove these delusions. They originate deep within your character’s mind for reasons appropriate to his background. DISSOCIATIVE IDENTITY [ Psychological Condition ] Formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder, Dissociative Identity Disorder is generally recognized as a result of severe childhood trauma. Temporary dissociation is a part of everyone’s life– daydreams, reveries, and intense absorption in a fictional medium such as a book are all rou- tine examples. An individual with DID has a particularly severe dissocia- tive disorder that has caused the formation of one or more secondary personality states within his mind; from time to time, one of these sec- 26
  • 27. ondary personalities “takes over” conscious operation of the body while the character’s primary personality dissociates. The “multiple personality” label was set aside because while a charac- ter with this disorder may feel that he has one or more “entities” within him, each of these entities is really a manifestation of his own identity, no matter how extreme its behavior or opinions might be. These entities do not have random traits– their mannerisms and behavior patterns stem from the character’s primary personality and past experiences. Regardless of the nature of the dissociative secondary personality, there are several set conditions which, for ease of game abstraction, may cause the secondary personality to “steal” conscious control of the char- acter’s body away from his primary personality. To wit: • Each time your character awakes from sleep, there is a 20% chance, non-cumulative, that his secondary personality will take over for 1d6+2 game hours (total rolled secretly by the GM). • Each time your character is knocked or rendered unconscious, there is a 40% chance, non-cumulative, that his secondary personality will take over for 1d6+2 game hours once he regains consciousness. • Each time your character suffers a state of panic, there is a 40% chance, non-cumulative, that his secondary personality will take over for 1d6+2 game hours. For the purposes of simplicity, your character’s secondary and primary personalities share the same set of skills and abilities, and share the same body of background information. However, when a secondary per- sonality takes control, “he” will “arrive” knowing nothing of the past eight hours of the primary personality’s life. This information will not be assim- ilated into the shared memory of the two personalities until later. Conversely, the primary will return to control not knowing what has tran- spired while he was dissociated. The value of this flaw is based on the fundamental attitude of the sec- ondary personality: [3 Pts.]: Amiable Dissociation: Your character’s dissociative person- ality is fundamentally amiable to the main personality’s goals, lifestyle, and friends. Although he may have different preferred methods of action and will still have to cope with the confusion of any new situation he enters, the secondary personality will generally cooperate with whatever happens to be the plan when he assumes control. [5 Pts.]: Neutral Dissociation: Your character’s dissociative person- ality is unconcerned with or indifferent to the main personality’s goals, lifestyle, and friends. The secondary personality may miss appointments, throw previous plans out the window, and otherwise disrupt the main per- sonality’s life; not out of malice but rather out of guilt-free disinterest. From time to time, the secondary personality may be coerced or per- suaded into pursuing one of the primary personality’s goals, especially in times of danger or crisis– though he will almost certainly insist that some plans made by the primary personality need to be changed. [7 Pts.]: Difficult Dissociation: Your character’s secondary person- ality is disdainful of or somewhat opposed to the primary personality’s goals, lifestyle, and friends. He will actively work to interfere with any of the primary personality’s plans if he can– though he won’t behave in a violent fashion toward any of the primary personality’s friends and allies, he won’t respect anything about them, including their personal posses- sions. The secondary may attempt to sabotage major areas of the pri- mary personality’s life out of sheer spite. DYSLEXIA [ Psychological Condition ] Although your character is literate, he has difficulty with reading, writ- ing, and spelling. Dyslexia is a congenital and developmental condition that “scrambles” some information between the brain and the page; although it does not make comprehension impossible, it can be very frus- trating, particularly in times of stress. [2 Pts.]: Your character suffers a -4 circumstance penalty to any process or skill check requiring him to refer to written material (GM’s dis- cretion), and a -8 circumstance penalty to any process or skill check deal- ing solely with written material (writing a novel or decoding an ancient scroll, for example). Generally speaking, comprehension of written mate- rial will take your character about twice as long as it ordinarily should. Taking ‘10’ or ‘20’ on a skill check involving reading or writing will proba- bly require a successful Concentration check (DC 12-18, depending on the complexity of the task). Limitation: A character may not be both illiterate (page 14) and dyslex- ic. Blind (page 15) characters may not be dyslexic, either. Note: This condition is assumed to be “as bad as” illiteracy because while an illiterate individual won’t be able to receive the information a dyslexic does, he also won’t waste his time trying. 27