Game System:Advanced Drawbacks

Bizarre Diet

Your diet includes or is restricted to something unusual and, for a diet, bizarre. You get your true nourishment from something strange that normal people would find revolting, scary, or just plain weird. This doesn't include vegans; this trait is not meant to represent a lifestyle choice, but a supernatural imperative. For one point, your diet is strange, but fairly harmless (wood, electricity, gasoline); for two points, your diet is harder to procure and would definitely be considered disgusting and/or demonic (blood, human flesh, babies, soul); for three points, you have the same type of diet as the two-point version, but you have to consume it daily, and in vast amounts (a dozen souls per day, five babies a week). Let's be clear about one thing, though: this isn't a trait that you can just avoid. This stuff, whatever it is, is your food. You need it like normal people need normal food. It's not an addiction. It's not optional.

Value: 1-3

Climate Sensitive

Characters with this Drawback experience discomfort and even take ill if they are subjected to environmental conditions -substantially- different than those they are accustomed to. The value of this Drawback depends on whether it reflects the character's sensitivity to a particular enviromental condition, or the character's sensitivity to any environment that is not their original one.

For 1 point, the character responds poorly to a particular extreme of temperature (artic, tropical) or humidity (arid desert, marsh, jungle). For 2 points the character is uncomfortable in any environment -lacking- these extreme conditions, including temperate climates. Whenever a character with this Drawback finds himself in an environment or situation that replicates an environment he finds uncomfortable, he operates with a -2 penalty to all rolls. In addition, rolls to resist anything that may attack his immune system (poisons, venoms, diseases) or exacerbate this condition (a pyrokinetic changing the temperature, ghost-created cold spots, magic spells that alter humidity or temperature) suffer a *cumulative* -2 penalty. Conditions that may bring about the undesirable climate artificially or mystically invoke this Drawback's effect's as natural climate changes would. This Drawback is almost exclusive to demons and other supernatural beings, and its inclusion should be discussed with Staff.

Value: 1 or 2

Conspicuous Power

One of your abilities has a side effect of usage that makes it difficult to impossible for you to conceal yourself as the source of the effect. Some abilities already have this by their very nature, such as casters needing to gesture or speak spells aloud, or having a tail, or having spikes that shoot out of your arms as a demon. This drawback only applies to abilities which normally are easily concealable such as psionic powers or ranged or touch attacks which can be inconspicous.

For one point, the effect is noticeable, but can be concealed with some effort. Example: A telepath whose eyes glow blue when using their power, an Anagogic whose eyes turn completely white when looking with the Sight, a Telekinetic whose hair blows back and sweats heavily (ala Drew Barrymore in Firestarter) when controlling flames, a psychometric who goes into a trance-like state when reading an object. These are things which can be hidden by sunglasses or explained away with a hand fan and claims of hot flashes, or mild seizures.

For two points, there is no way in hell you can conceal the effect unless you are physically hiding or masking the effect somehow and with considerable effort. Examples: A telepath who glows with a blue aura when reading minds, a pyrokinetic who has a halo of flames dancing around their head when using their abilities, a supernatural attack that has the effect of a glowing power build up around the being's hands before shooting out in a straight line from them.

Value: 1 or 2

Corrupt Tutor

Your character has an influential teacher. And they are not the nice kind that write college recommendations, though they do change your outlook on the world: for the worse. This teacher is corruptive and is slowly twisting your character's soul, corrupting it bit by bit. This is a roleplaying trait, not a trait which is used in rolls. Your character might be aware of the teacher's true nature, or might just think she has a nice old mentor.

Value: 2

Cursed

You are cursed. You must do something or cannot do something or are forced to do something. Consequences for not adhering could be dire. Staff will help you set the level of your curse during character generation.

Level 1: A level one curse is a mild inconvenience to your character. It might be something moderate that they have to do weekly, or something very minor they do daily. This could be something like having to do a ritual dance naked on one of the ley lines once a week at midnight, or having to drink motor oil with your meals. It's something you might get caught doing and looked on strangely (or ticketed for indecent exposure), but it's reasonably easy to hide with some effort (picking a secluded spot at 4 am or hiding the oil in a thermos).

Level 2: A level two curse is a more prominent inconvenience to your character which is a major thing that occurs daily or is morderate issue constantly in effect. This could be something like not being able to read anyone's writing but your own or having to shed your skin in the Underlake nightly. It's something you will have a hard time hiding, and it's a pain in the neck, but you can get around it in some manner and pass it off for a mundane problem (like asking someone to read out loud to you, claiming to be illiterate, or being a leper).

Level 3: A level three curse is a major inconvenience to your character. It is something that, if discovered, can really cause you problems, or is always in effect and a detriment to your daily life. An example of this would be having to sacrifice a human baby on the full moon and the new moon, needing to have graveyard dirt in your shoes at all times or lose your powers until you can replace it, or emitting a constant foul order that requires anyone near you to make a Constitution check or need to get at least 15 feet away from you.

Value: 1-3

Dual Form

You have two forms; but you only get your special abilities in one form, and not the other. Sometimes, you only get some in one form, and all in the other. This Drawback applies to creatures such as animal shapeshifters and empowered warriors that must summon their power before using it.

This second form can, but does not have to be, inhuman (automatic Unusual Appearance at level 2), but those that do have an inhuman second form cannot take the Unusual Appearance Drawback (that's just stretching it, bucko). It takes one full action to shift from one form to the other, and the character's defensive actions use their human statistics until their next action. The 0-point version of this Drawback requires no time to transform, it is instantaneous and reflexive.

• Form is inhuman. All special Abilities available in both forms. (0)
• Form is not inhuman. Non-combat Abilities available in human form. (-1)
• Form is inhuman. Non-combat Abilities available in human form. (-2)
  • Alternative: Form is not inhuman. No Abilities available in human form.
• Form is inhuman. No Abilities available in human form. (-3)
  

Note that "combat abilities" is any trait that can positively assist in combat (including any enhanced Physical Attributes). Depending on whether you have access to your non-combat powers or not in your human form, and on whether the character's second form is monstrous or not, this Drawback's value varies as shown above. This Drawback is almost exclusively used within Advanced Packages.

Value: 0-3

Fatality

There's a particular way to kill you that is definitive. In fact, killing you this way is a sure way to be rid of you. Perhaps you're easily dispatched by cutting your head off, or by stabbing a stake through your heart (or both!). If this attack brings you to 0 LP, you die. You do not get a Survival Roll. But you do pass Go. Straight to the afterlife. Also, and more importantly, your Drama cost to come back to life doubles. Each type of Fatality is worth 1 point. You cannot have more than 2 Fatalities (well, you can, but you don't get more points for it).

Value: 1

Limited Attribute

For some reason or another, probably because your kind just has a lower threshold if you're a demon, or maybe you were cursed at some point, it really doesn't matter, when you get right down to it, one of your Attributes has much less potential than even the average human's. It could be that you can't be as strong or as fast, or maybe you just can't be all that smart or perceptive. Regardless, whatever Attribute you apply this Drawback to can never (that's never as in never-ever) rise above a 3. Not at chargen, not with experience, not with anything.

Value: 2

Limited Use

Whatever your character's particular power, he can't use it as much as he would like. There're conditions and if they aren't meet, your character can wave his hands, concentrate, flex his wrists, or mumble haiku all he wants, and no one will be impressed. That could prove very... unfortunate. This Drawback can be worth anywhere from 1 to 3 character points; when applying a Limited Use to a power, discuss with Staff the limits that are being applied and how they may affect the character's use of the power. Ultimately, it is up to Staff to decide the maximum value (1-3) for the limitation you have chosen for any one power.

Rule of thumb: Limited Use can never be higher than half the cost of the Quality it limits. This Drawback works in tandem with Qualities, creating a sort of 'mini-package' Quality that reduces the cost of the Quality without actually taking a slot in the amount of Drawbacks allowed to any one character.

Value: 1-3

Mystic Magnet

Your character is a lightning rod for magic. When spells are miscast anywhere near you, you end up being the one hit instead. Raw magic energy released into an area will gather around you. Supernatural beings often find themselves attracted to you. That might be great for getting the attention of that cute demon down at the malt shop but it also means vampires are more likely to select you as a midnight snack. This is a Drawback that needs to be roleplayed as much as it has mechanical applications.

Value: 2

Psychic Visions

You see things. They might be in visions. They might be in dreams. They might be in tarot cards or bowls of water or rune stones or the static patterns of dead television. The visions cannot be summoned. They come when they come. This is a plot device for Staff or Narrators to convey information. It gets worse. The visions happen frequently and cause horrible pain. Humans with these visions take actual damage (5 Life Points) and could die from them (extended exposure usually causes malignant tumors in the brain). In addition, having a vision requires a Willpower + Constitution roll; the visions render the human incapable of acting for a number of rounds equal to [10 - (Success Levels)].

Value: 3

Uncontrollable Power

Your character's power is not fully under his control. During times of stress, it can go wild, striking things and people at random. Whenever the character is angry, scared, or otherwise stressed, a Willpower (doubled) roll is needed, with penalties from -1 to -6, depending on how stressful the situation is. If the roll fails, the power goes off at random (Staff or your Narrator can be as sadistic as they feel is appropriate; feel free to kibitz). If the stress is extreme, the power not only goes wild, it works at double its normal level. For example, if a Telekinetic confronts her abusive father, her power might go out of control at double its normal strength. Staff will tell you if your character's power makes sense with this limitation. This Drawback is worth half the power's value (maximum 5).

Value: 1-5

Unusual Appearance

You just... don't look right. It isn't that you dress funny or that you have a mole in a place that's just plain weird — this trait is for people who actually look downright off from the norm. Maybe you have dead-white hair, or the eyes of a snake; or maybe your hands and feet are cloven or webbed. Perhaps you have quills all over your green face and your eyes turn entirely red when you get angry... you get the picture. In any case, you don't look normal. This trait has levels of worth, depending on how easy it is to conceal your unusual appearance, and how unusual it really is.

For one point, your strange appearance comes in a form that can be explained by some obscure (but existing) illness or can be easily hidden by dressing the right way (this is usually the case for people with the Creature Feature Quality). Small changes that can be controlled (like a vampire putting his 'game face' on) aren't worth any points, and effectively are valued Unusual Appearance (0). For two points, you can't hide it. You ain't never gonna fit in. Just go on and admit it to yourself, you'll be happier that way. This is the level taken by such things as true demons, ancient vampires, and red-scaled armored beasts with flaming horns and hoofed feet who speak in a deep voice but appear to use lipstick often. You look like Darkness from Legend, or Swamp Thing, or The Beast from X-Men. You get the picture. You're full on weird.

Note that this Drawback has no bearing on whether you're ugly or not. Truly monstruous demons have both Unusual Appearance and the Striking Looks Drawbacks; and some demons (like the Oden Tal) have Unusual Appearance and the Striking Looks Quality, making them exotic beauties who are, yes, weird; but not ugly. This trait measures strangeness and inhumanity of appearance, not repulsiveness or beauty.

Value: 0-2

Vulnerability

Some things, either by design or by sheer ingenious usage, harm the average person. But whatever this is, it doesn't just do harm to others, it does even worse to you. Anyone can be stabbed to death with a silver knife, but a werewolf will suffer more and probably go down much easier than normal. This stuff, whatever it is, bypasses some or all of your defenses, even to the point where it might do more than twice the amount of damage it would to anyone else.

Vulnerabilities are created (game wise) using a point system similar to that of the Allergy Drawback; except here, we only have two sub-traits to work with: Exposure (how easy it is to be exposed to it and how easy it is to avoid it); and Severity (the amount of defenses it can bypass and whether it substantially raises the damage dealt when employed).

Each of these sub-traits are given a value ranging from 0 to 3; then they are summed up, and divided by 2 (rounded down), which gives you the full value of the Drawback.

Value: 1-3